About

I'm Andrea, and this is my personal blog. Thanks for being here! I usually post on Fridays and Sundays, when I share something that makes me happy or a spiritual thought for the week. Sometimes I manage to squeeze in another post or two.

Feel free to leave a comment--I'd love to hear what you have to say! You can also reach me at teachmetowalk [at] hotmail [dot] com.

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Blog Archive

Monday, June 29, 2009

Capital One Thinks I'm Stupid

...apparently. I have a Capital One credit card that I never use [anymore. Heh.]. I've been meaning to close the account, but I keep putting it off. Sometimes Capital One will send me a bunch of "purchase checks" that can be used just like my card. I always tear them in little pieces and throw them away.

But last week, they were kind enough to send me a check that looked like it was for $600. And it was made out in my name. Woohoo! Not. It is a valid check, and it is made out to me...from me. I would deposit the check, $600 would go into my bank account, and $600 of debt would be put on my credit card. Do I want $600 more debt? No.

What hacks me off is that it looks like free money. I don't even want to think about how many people have gotten one of these in the mail and deposited it without thinking it through. Grr. It's just wrong, people. Wrong.

  click photo for source

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The Man in the Mirror

"If you want to make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and make that change." -Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror click image for source

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Not a Water Baby

Summer temperatures around here don't usually reach the 80s. But a couple of weeks ago, the weather was...unusual.

So I thought Little Boy should go swimming. We couldn't set up Little Boy's kiddie pool at our apartment complex, so we took it to my parents' house. He hadn't been in a pool in awhile...like, two years. So I wasn't sure how it would go.

 
He liked pushing his boat around in the water.

 
And he liked dropping the boat in the water.

 
But he wouldn't sit down in the water, no matter how much Grandma tried to coax him. In Little Boy's defense, though, the water was freezing cold and we were in the shade.

 
But I think that Little Boy had a good time--even if all he did was stand in the water.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Everything the Father of a Family Says

source

"Love and fear. Everything the father of a family says must inspire one or the other." 

~Joseph Joubert

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Alphabet Stamping

Did you know that you can use these:

 

and this:

 

...to do this?

 

Honestly, why didn't I think of that before?

 

The letter O is his favorite, apparently.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

30-Second Book Review: Smart Couples Finish Rich


Isaac and I had only been married for a few months when I realized that I knew nothing about money. Nothing. I was twenty-one years old and financially clueless. Since I hate to feel clueless about anything, and because I had more time on my hands than Isaac did (at the time, I was working part-time; he was going to school and working, both full-time), I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could about money.

I was a little overwhelmed. It's been four years since then, and I've read a lot of books and articles--a lot of different people's ideas about what I should do with my money. Over time, I could see that some people's advice was based on solid principles, and other people's advice was...not.

Out of all that reading, I've come across plenty of good stuff. And out of the good stuff, there are three books that I recommend for absolutely everyone: The Millionaire Next Door, The Total Money Makeover, and Smart Couples/Smart Women Finish Rich.

I read Smart Women Finish Rich when I was just starting out; I finished Smart Couples Finish Rich a few days ago. The two are basically the same, so if you've read one, don't feel like you have to read the other. The Finish Rich books outline nine steps that anyone can take to improve their financial situation. You don't have to be wealthy already to take their advice, and I like that. Our family can't do all nine steps right now--we're not ready for that yet--but we can take a couple of steps that apply to our situation now. And then, once we've got those things covered, we can go back and work on a few more.

So if you feel like maybe you could benefit from learning a little more about money, pick this one up. Do as much or as little of it as you can. It might just make a difference to you and your family.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Mowing the Patio

Little Boy has a bubble mower that Isaac's parents gave him last spring. He loves it.

Unfortunately, we never remember to put bubbles in it. But Little Boy doesn't mind. He loves mowing the lawn with his bubble-less mower.

Wait...actually, he loves mowing the patio with his bubble-less mower. (Or, as he says, mowing the squares.)


Here he comes...


...and there he goes! I think the mower is easier to push on the patio than in the grass. And the plastic wheels make a cool sound on the concrete.

I know, his enthusiasm for mowing won't last forever. I'm going to save these pictures to show him when he's a teenager--as a reminder that he used to love mowing.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Storms

image source "We can't predict all the struggles and storms in life, not even the ones just around the next corner, but as persons of faith and hope, we know beyond the shadow of any doubt that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and the best is yet to come." --L. Tom Perry

Monday, June 8, 2009

Storybook Quote of the Day

Isaac [reading a story to Little Boy]: "A hot cloud came out of Carl's--"
Andrea: "Isaac! Read it the way it's supposed to be!"

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Personal Revelation


Art by James Seward

"We can do the work of the Lord in His way when we seek, receive, and act on personal revelation. Without personal revelation, we cannot succeed. If we heed personal revelation, we cannot fail." 

-Julie B. Beck

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Gardening in Miniature, Part...Whatever

My little back-porch garden is growing. Wanna see?

 
I planted this chive at my mom's house last year, but it was really wimpy and didn't grow more than a couple of inches. I forgot all about it until a few weeks ago, when I went out on my mom's deck and was surprised to see that the chive was not only still alive--it was ten times bigger than last year. I guess chives are perennials. Who knew?

 
My tiny basils. They're...tiny.

 
And my tiny tomato. The tomato and basils are growing sooooo slowly. I'm not sure if they'll get big enough to produce anything before the end of the summer.

 
Remember Audrey III? She's enormous now. I had to banish her to the deck because she was just too big for my tiny apartment. I had no idea her flowers would be so gorgeous. 


And so the garden grows. I may buy some basil and tomato plants to make up for my little seedlings. I want tomatoes and basil this year, dang it!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Little Boy Quote of the Day

Sometimes how Little Boy says something is funnier than what he actually says.

Andrea: "Are you ready for lunch?"
Little Boy: "YEAH!"
Andrea: "Do you want some peanut butter?"
Little Boy: "YEAH!"
Andrea: "Will you bring me your plate, please?"
Little Boy: "YEAH!"
Andrea: "Where's your plate?"
Little Boy [whispering]: "I think it's over there."

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