My Super Cute Tee from Dress United

I was thrilled when the fine folks at Dress United invited me to try out their customized t-shirts!  With Dress United, you can make your own personalized t-shirt - for your team, business, special event or just to express your creativity.  The Dress United easy to use design tool makes creating your custom t-shirt a breeze! 

Select your t-shirt from a variety of styles (ladies, they have girl cut tees for a more stylish, feminine fit!).  Choose your color (pretty pink for me!). 

Add a graphic - upload your own or select from the various image categories on the site.  Add text and that's it! 

For my tee, I went with a simple monogram.  And when it arrived, I could have not been more pleased with the quality of the shirt and the finished product! 

With Mother's Day right around the corner,  Dress United would be perfect for creating one of a kind, personalized t-shirts for the special Moms in your life!  Or maybe t-shirts for little league teams, your small business, or family reunion.  The possibilities are endless!        



Now, something for my great readers -  Go to http://www.dressunited.com/redeem and type in the code

BLOG30OFF4U 

to receive 30% off your order and free shipping within the US.

Mary Ellen

Disclosure:  I received a free shirt in exchange for my review.  All opinions expressed are mine.

  



Requiescat in Pace {Rest in Peace} - George Jones

 

 

 "Oh, she was hotter than a two dollar pistol
She was the fastest thing around
Long and lean every young man's dream
She turned every head in town
She was built, and fun to handle son
I'm glad that you walked in
She reminds me of the one I loved back then"

 - The One I Loved Back Then (The Corvette Song)



My Momma is Coming Home...Still on the Road to Recovery

Thank you all again for your prayers and your patience!  I know my blogging has been sparse lately.  I promise there are more lighthearted posts in the works :)  My Momma should be coming home from the hospital in the coming days - maybe as early as today.  While we're all excited she's ready to be discharged, there's no big sigh of relief.  There are still some challenges ahead as she transitions back to home life. 

My Momma's biggest challenge right now, and the source of her pain, are the wounds on her legs.  She's been under special treatment for these wounds since last November.  A few months back, the initial wound (a small ulcer on her heel) was pretty much healed.  But, more wounds began to appear (this time on both legs) and it's been a battle ever since.  The hospital lab diagnosed the wounds as "pyoderma gangrenosum".  I must warn you before you Google, the images are not very pleasant.  Prior to being admitted to the hospital, my Momma was able to get about with the assistance of a walker.  Since she's been in the hospital, she's become somewhat bed bound.  She has the strength and ability to move and shift her upper body.  But, has been very reluctant (well, flat out refused) to even put her feet on the floor or any weight on her ankles for the hospital physical therapy staff.  This lead the PT staff to recommend my Momma be sent to a skilled nursing facility (ie nursing home) after discharge for further rehab.

The prospect of going into a nursing home greatly alarmed my Momma and brought up major concerns for us.  Our biggest concern being the level of care she would receive.  And, we felt that if she was at all able (which Momma has started moving around since the words nursing home came up!), she should try going back home first.  It's hard watching my Mother age and her health slowly decline.  I know at some point, a nursing home may be the best option when her medical needs are beyond our abilities.  But right now, it doesn't seem like we're at that point.

So, we're going to transition back to home - with home health nursing and physical therapy attending to her at our home.  In some ways, I don't think my Momma wants to leave the hospital!  The nurses and staff have been exceptional and are so caring.  But, it's not a hotel.  Now that Momma is medically stable, the doctors want her to move on.  I just pray the current steroid treatments for the wounds will jump start their healing and finally reduce the pain.  And, that my Momma will be able to get back into the swing of things - and cooperate with the physical therapist!  We're not out of the woods yet.  But, part of me is still hopeful we can turn the corner to better days :)

Mary Ellen 

Homemade Slime - Frugal Fun for the Kids!

I spent much of Sunday afternoon in the kitchen making among other things, slime for Clayton's upcoming class project.  The entire second grade is creating a "mall" where the students can buy and sell products at their own "stores".  When Ashleigh was in second grade, we made ribbon covered hair clips.  This time around with Clayton, it's slime!

The kids enjoyed the project and it was super easy!  And, exactly like the slime I used to buy as a kid from the bubblegum machine for 25 cents!

Homemade Slime:

Recipe from Dining On Dime Cookbook

Materials needed:

Borax

White glue (the inexpensive glue works fine.  I picked up several bottles of white glue at Kroger's for .69 each)

Food coloring

Step 1:  In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of borax with 1 cup of water.  Stir until the borax is dissolved.

Step 2:  In another bowl, mix 1/2 cup of glue with 1/2 cup of water.  Add a few drops of food coloring.  Mix until smooth.

Step 3:  In a third bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the borax+water mixture with 1/4 cup of the glue+water mixture.  Stir; the slime will begin to form immediately.  Let the slime sit for 5 minutes.  Afterwards, pour off excess water and knead slime until it starts to firm and feels "springy".  

Repeat steps for additional batches.  We were able to make 4 batches of slime with this recipe.

*****

You can find this and other frugal fun recipes in The Dining On A Dime Cookbook!  {currently on sale for 50% off now thru Monday, April 22nd!}  Order by Wednesday to receive a FREE bonus - Menus from Dining On A Dime menu planner (free with any order on Tuesday & Wednesday). 

Disclosure

 

 



Quick Update & Thank You for the Prayers

I spent most of the afternoon at my Momma's bedside.  She was weak, but the only pain she seemed to be experiencing was from the wounds on her legs and not the internal bleeding.  A test of her upper GI, showed 8 ulcers in her stomach and duodenum.  The doctor sounded very optimistic as he explained the ulcers were not actively bleeding, so surgery would not be necessary.  The cause of the ulcers appears to be the NSAID she was taking (in addition to her prescription pain killer) for the pain caused by her wounds.  It's still unclear at this point how long she will remain in the hospital.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your kind words!  It really means a lot that you all reading would take time out of your busy lives to offer a sweet word, positive thought or prayer during our time of need.  :)

Mary Ellen

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

My Momma's recovery is still very much a rollercoaster right now.  She has her good days and her bad days.  On the good days, her spirits seem high, she's able to get around the house and straighten up the kitchen or fold laundry.  {We don't expect her to do these things.  But, she likes to feel helpful.  And, she enjoys being able to do the things she once did with relative ease.}  On her bad days, she stays in bed, sleeps most of the day and seems to lose track of time.  The pain from the ulcers on her legs seem to wear very heavily on her during those days.  Monday was a bad day.

Sometime Monday afternoon, my Momma started to feel ill and out of sorts.  She fell down in her room and was unable to get back on her feet.  She was near a phone but unfortunately, the battery had died.  She was able to pull some blankets and a pillow down around her.  When Dave came home with the kids after school, he found her lying on the floor.  By evening, she had not improved and continued to feel very weak.  Worried about her blood sugar levels, we took her to the emergency room.

It's well after midnight now and she's still in emergency {Dave is with her, I'm home with the kids, keeping my sister informed}.  There are signs of internal bleeding.  The first course of action is a blood transfusion.  Then in the morning, tests to find the source of the bleeding.

sigh....Just when I think we've turned the corner and are headed towards better days.

Mary Ellen       

Busy Day in the Kitchen

 

 

A busy day in the kitchen....homemade cinnamon rolls this morning for breakfast.  The Pioneer Woman's Blackberry Cobbler this afternoon.

 

Currently, making 20 batches of slime (yes, slime!) for Clayton's class project.  And later for supper, Indian Roast Chicken from Bal Arneson (The Spice Goddess).

 

Source: cookingchanneltv.com via Mary on Pinterest



What's cooking in your kitchen today?  

Mary Ellen



NASCAR Season Heating Up!

Pinterest

After a break for Easter, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series returns to action this weekend at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA.  As a fan, I always enjoy watching the beating and banging on the short tracks.  But, this weekend's race has been highly anticipated following the hard racing at Fontana between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin.  And, the fireworks on pit road between Joey Logano and Tony Stewart!  Will there be payback this weekend?  I have a feeling Tony Stewart will be looking to dish out some should he and Logano cross paths on the track.  I'm a Tony Stewart fan, but I have to say my respect increased for Joey Logano after the Fontana race.  I thought it was very hypocritical of Tony Stewart to blast Logano for blocking during the final laps of the race.  Logano did exactly what I would expect Stewart to do if he was in the same position racing for the win.  And, I guess Stewart forgot about all the times he's blocked other drivers.  Notably, his block on Michael Waltrip at Talladega that lead to a massive 25 car crash and Dale Jr. getting sidelined with a concussion.  Also, Stewart's comments about Logano being a spoiled rich kid seemed very petty.  It's not the fault of Logano that his parents were able to provide financial support for his racing in a way Stewart's family was not.  In the future should Tony Stewart himself become a father, I have to believe he would use his name, status and wealth to provide opportunities for his children as well.  Anyway, it should be a great race!

Mary Ellen

Vintage Yard Sale Find - General Electric World Wide Travel Iron

With my Momma still on the mend, I've taken over the laundry duties.  As you can imagine with a family of six, laundry is quite the undertaking!  I didn't realize how spoiled I was to have someone taking care of the laundry for me :)

We've also missed having crisply ironed dress shirts, dresses and slacks.  My Momma really is an expert when it comes to ironing!  I don't have anywhere near the amount of ironing skills or experience, but I've taken up this homecaring task as well.  To help me along, my sweet husband bought me this cute vintage iron at a yard sale.  It's a General Electric World Wide Travel Iron, that works as a spray, steam or dry iron.  It came with the original box, manual and all the extras including adapters should I find myself ironing abroad! I was a little apprehensive at first, due to its age.  But, it works perfectly - a great starter iron :)  



It's funny, when I was a teenager, I would unfold the jeans my Momma had carefully ironed and creased to make them look, well not so neat.  Now, the rough dried look doesn't seem so appealing!

Mary Ellen

Jump Start Your Spring Cleaning - 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae

It's that time of the year again!  Jump start your Spring cleaning efforts with 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way.  The book offers daily mini devotional readings plus two challenges - a Martha challenge (for your home) and a Mary challenge (for your heart).

This week, you can purchase 31 Days to Clean for only $1.50 (70% off) using the code SPRING (applicable for the PDF version only).  Let's get started with getting our hearts and homes in order!

Disclosure