I have a HUGE heart for homeless pets.  Mainly the four-legged fur babies.  I have 3 dogs.  My husband wishes we had no dogs, and I would have 20 if I could.  I was once told by someone that they wouldn't help me with a dog fundraiser because that money should help people.  The truth is, helping pets helps people in many many ways.  Spay and neutering animals helps control the pet population (yep, Bob Barker preached it).  It keep pets out of the shelters that are state funded.  We keep pets out of shelter then that's more money to go towards people.  Pets also are therapy dogs for children with special needs, therapy dogs for the men and women who sacrificed for our county.  Have you heard of dogs cheering up the elderly in nursing homes?  Animals love unconditionally.  I know mine, over the years, have been there to comfort when I was sad, mad, happy.  They are running buddies (well, not mine cause they are either old or lazy), protectors of the ones that need protection.  They warn families of danger, intruders, fires.  Dogs and cats aren't meant to be outside, alone. They crave and need companionship from their humans!  God wouldn't have given us these gifts if we wen rent supposed to have them.

This is Locker on the Left and Diesel on the Right. Telli doesn't like to have her picture taken, but she's a lab mix that's old and set in her ways.  

Carolina Boxer Rescue

 Pawmetto Lifeline

Are two of the organizations I have been happy to donate to, foster and adopt with.  There are so many animals that just need LOVE!  I see pictures and hear stories of the cruelty that's done to animals every day.  We need stricter laws and we need to stop buying animals and adopt!  There are puppies out there, purebred puppies!  

This is what Diesel did when left in the house with the other two.  Our DVD remote was in there too.  Luckily, I had the couch cushions in the laundry because of my potty training two year old.  

I managed to put the foam back in the couch and still have them.  

I love dogs, and some cats.  Here is a good read about shelter pets.  So, please, think about getting a shelter pet!

good little read

These reasons are not good enough.

Ok, that's my soapbox for the day!  

Thanks for stopping by.

Please consider adopting a pet.  They will love you no matter what!  But be sweet to them and treat them like the family they desire to be!

DIY, here we go!

I decided that since I'm sort of staying and working here and there (Body Shop Athletics and Thirty-One) and the coupons aren't like they used to be, I better start trying to save a little extra money.  I'm not very crafyt, but I'm trying!  I checked online for all my ingredients, but decided that I would make the 30 minute trek across town to Devine Street in Columbia, SC to Earth Fare.  We really need one of these in Lexington!!

So, I decided I wanted to do homemade lip balm.  So, I found some tins at Etsy here.  Super sweet girl who sent me what I thought I needed.   I should have ordered more because I'm having a hard time finding a good price anywhere else.  I also cannot take credit for the recipe, but you can find it here.  I thought I took step by step pics, but I didn't.  I'll make more and post pics next time.  But, here is my finished product.  I want to decorate the top of the tins, and figured I'll use mod podge.

So, next DIY was Mens' Shaving soap!  Again, recipe found here!

So super easy to do.  I don't like that the hemp seed oil is green, but that's ok.  I actually tried this on my legs and under my arms and I LOVE IT!  No more store bought shaving cream for me!!  it doesn't lather a whole lot, but just enough.  Wesley liked it too.

Step by step process.

 I used a pot and a giant canning jar I found at Target.  Placed enough water to melt the soap.

 I kept stirring to make sure it didn't burn.  Also, didn't get the water above medium setting.

 This is the melt and pour soap I found on sale at Hobby Lobby.

 And the soap molds.  I couldn't find them today when I tried to make more so I used a coffee cup.

 Mixing the oatmeal.  When the soap was solid, the oatmeal settled to the bottom.  Looks cute though.

                                                                     Mixing it all in.

                                             Cooling and adding the oatmeal.

                                                    adding the hemp oil/vit E mixture

                                                                         the shea butter

                                                                essential oils

See the oatmeal?  It still works great!

Ok, so today, I decided to make my own laundry detergent.  Again, here is your website with the recipe.  I replaced the soap she recommends with Fels naphtha (1.37 at Walmart).  Here are my pics.

               The fels Naptha is for cleaning and stains

 the grated Fels Naptha

 added to boiling water to melt

 OOOPS!  a little too much heat!

 3 gallons warm water

 adding the Borax    and washing powder                                                                                 \

 melted fels naptha

After all is said and done, I spent the least amount of money on the laundry detergent.  I have 4 gallons of it right now and who know how long that will last. I have almost full boxes of Borax ($3.00) and Washing powder ($3.00)  The Fels Naptha is $1.37 and I have one extra.  I hope it cleans well, cause I'll be using it for a long time!

The lip balm and shaving soap are a little more pricey, but I'm using them for us and gifts, and still coming out cheaper that buying the same stuff!  

Hope

Someone sent this to me, and asked if I could relate. http://www.stevewiens.com/?utm_source=The+Actual+Pastor+Email+Subscriptions&utm_campaign=7737bbbf8e-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6beb214c33-7737bbbf8e-56355553

This was my response:

What a great read!  I haven't done a full marathon, but I've done a half, training for my second half, but have done dozens of smaller races over the last few years.  My best friend and I do a lot of races together, along with her sister.  I was the runner first, then they started together later.  I had never thought about doing a race.. My friend and I ran her second, my first race together.  I beat her, only by seconds, but I did it.  Since then, I have in my mind that I need to beat her.  She's thinner than I am, well, just smaller in general.  I don't know why I feel like it's a competition  with her (only in my head).  It totally gets to me.  Messes with my head.  I beat her in January, had my best race EVER!  she was injured, so in my head, it didn't count that I beat her.  I "hope" to do better than her, I "hope" to beat her time.  The last race I ran, I was beating her, then I couldn't breathe, bra was too tight, air was too humid.  I was still moving.. decided to walk.. heard her sister from behind, telling me to do it, just to go!  Oh, did I mention that it rained and I soaked my shoes before the race?   All these head games, Satan, telling me I can't.  My legs saying I can, but my head not listening.  Thinking back to my first half marathon, we trained together.. come race day, it snowed in Myrtle Beach.. race CANCELLED.  Months of training, gone.. but there was a race in Columbia 2 weeks later.  I ran it.  UP HILL most of the time (never run this race, it stinks).  She didnt run with me.  So, I had to do it myself.  I found people running about my pace, I'd go ahead, they'd go ahead.  I prayed, just talked to God to let me finish this race.  I finished the race, beat the time I had in my head, surged at the end!!  NO ONE was there.  I was crushed.  Did the biggest race of my life, and no one was at the end.  One of the ladies I met before the race was congratulating me, I started to sob.. All this work and no one was there to see me do it.  I feel like I do this a lot.  God is really the only one I need to be there with me, for me.  

 I guess I went off topic a bit, but the analogy for me is.. during my race, and the end of my race. I can hope to beat someone else, I can hope to beat my previous time, I can hope someone is there to cheer me on at the end.  God is truly the one constant that I seem to forget to turn to.  It's great having someone to cheer you on along the way, to give you that salt pack to boost you along when you feel you can't go any further.   He is there cheering me on the whole way, He is there at the end.

What's been happening with the Moores!!

It's been a long time since I posted anything.  Life happens and you just get a little crazy!!  Wesley came home in June!!! YAY!  The deployment actually went a little faster that what I had imagined.  It was hard having to depend on other people, which if you know me, is really hard for me to do.  I know it's weird for me and the girls to have to explain to Wesley the way we have done things over the last year, and I know it's been strange for him as well to walk in to a different life than what he left.

This is a pic from the day Meredith and I went to Gaffney to pick Daddy up!  She hugged him like she had seen him every day. I know that's when using FaceTime helped!!!

 Well, can't get the video to work.. Give it some time!

That is a video of Wesley surprising Madison at school!  She had no idea I went to go get him!

So, since then we have gone to Charleston, Clemson a couple of times.  Madison turned 6!! and Meredith turned 2!