Comments on Want What You Have: Frugal Food Friday & Some Questions for You

My bff of 27 years gave me the link to your site a...

2010-04-10T12:37:42.687-05:00

My bff of 27 years gave me the link to your site a few days ago. Since then, every morning I come outside to my patio and read what God has inspired you to share with those that come across your blog. I can not tell you how life changing reading your words have been for me (I would e-mail you personally to share, but for some reason the link just wont go through). I know you created this post quite a few months ago now, but I wanted to tell you to please stay encouraged! He has worked through you to impact MY life, and I can't imagine that He sent you to the www with only me in mind. I don't read other comments unless you re-post them; but I, for one, have certainly benefited from your blog.
Thank you, Heather, for making a difference in my life (without even knowing) in His name.
God bless you and your precious family.

I love your blog! You have been a great inspiratio...

2009-11-09T10:18:28.831-06:00

I love your blog! You have been a great inspiration to me. I have a topic idea if you haven't covered it already(I haven't quite read everything in it). How do you deal with disciplining your children? I have a 22 month old little boy, and he was the best baby, but in the past couple months he's turned into quite the tyrant. I don't know if it is just his temperment or if I'm failing as a parent. This is my first child. So any tips you may have would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Heather - I agree with many of the commenters o...

2009-11-07T15:18:03.710-06:00

Hi Heather - I agree with many of the commenters on ideas for blog posts - I too would love to hear more about gardening as my husband and I have a garden but are always wanting to learn what other people plant and then do with their garden output. Also, I have a toddler and a new baby on the way -I love all posts that explain how you manage your time with little ones around (how do you keep a very active 2 year old entertained and get anything done around the house)? Also, any advice on discipline for toddlers and young children (we have a rather strong willed toddler on our hands and are always open to new ideas)? Since you are currently expecting, how will your daily schedule change once you have your third child? Are you doing anything now to prepare for those first few months with a newborn? I also love to see other people's menu plans and reviews of recipes and you seem to have some great recipes - I would be curious as to what you serve for breakfast and lunch.
Thanks!

Hahahahaha! I second Janel, too!

2009-11-07T15:10:41.287-06:00

Hahahahaha! I second Janel, too!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...PLEASE DON'T GO!!!!!! I have ...

2009-11-07T09:12:45.829-06:00

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...PLEASE DON'T GO!!!!!! I have been thinking, what could I possibly write to you that would be different than everyone else already has said to you. I can't. I especially agree with Kendra and the 10 topics that she has written to you. Here goes...
1. We all love you!
2. We all love everything that you write about!
3. We all would understand if you decide to stop writing this blog, but all would be so sad :(
4. Did I say that we love you?
5. Every topic you write about is interesting...even everyday stuff!
6. We are all looking forward to your writing about DJ...and pictures too!
7. Did I tell you that we love you?
Thank you for being such a good friend to all of us...did I tell you that we love you...we do!
Janel xo

Heather, I honestly enjoy everything you've writ...

2009-11-07T06:51:52.451-06:00

Heather,
I honestly enjoy everything you've written, and all for different reasons.
I like practical posts b/c I need all the help I can get with being organized. I like the more personal posts b/c I think it's fascinating to hear what other moms do :)
As for posts I'd like....
1. Your garden (obviously, you'll have to wait until spring has sprung).

2. Discipline. I have a VERY spirited but sweet two year old, and am sometimes torn on discipline, esp b/c I come from a similar background with a critical parent as you did. It makes me question any "enforcement" I do, and I could use all the encouragement I could get (in the form of stories or practical advice).

3. Ebay selling. I know you did a lot of it, and I've been trying to do it to declutter (since hubby's got a stash like yours did), but it is SO slow-going. I'd love to hear more about your system.

4. Household maintenance. I'm a bit clueless. Do I need to do anything to maintin my (newer) fridge? What about the air conditioning system? The clothes dryer?

5. Product reviews. I know you said that you usually don't do them, but I actually enjoy them, as long as the person is honest. Also, I feel like it benefits everyone... you get something for your time, and I get some practical advice on a product. The only thing I don't like is "product placement" on a blog... where a blogger talks about using it without mention that they were paid to mention it.

6. Actually HOW to clean. You'd be surprised at how clueless some of us are. HOw do you clean your tub? Your floors? What products do you use? How often do you do certain things? (cleaning baseboards, etc).

7. Book reviews. I always enjoy hearing about what someone is reading, and it doesn't have to be anything long or overly analytical. Plus, you can link to your amazon widget and maybe add to your revenue. It feels rude to say that, but I guess I want you to understand that people really don't mind if you are paid for your work!

8. Menu planning in reverse. I know you don't really menu plan like some do (which, by the way, I've been doing and is GREAT... so little waste), but maybe you could give us a meals week in review. I'm nosy and like to see what other people are eating :). Conversely, you could let other people link their menu plans to your blog, too, which I always enjoy flipping thorough.

9. PICTURES! The way I found your blog was the "Daily schedule for stay-at-home moms," and I liked it b/c it was so visual... keep that up! However, you could easily do some posts that were less text dense and more visual. I may not comment on them as often, but I like to see pics of your life! It adds to the personal appeal of your blog.

10. Yourself. I like to hear about your ups and downs. You're a good story teller :)

So that's my "top 10" list!

Heather, You've been on my mind a lot since your p...

2009-11-06T21:46:56.937-06:00

Heather, You've been on my mind a lot since your post yesterday. I'm sorry that I don't post or comment more often. I will try to do better, because I really do enjoy reading your blog. I love your insights and wisdom and great ideas! One of the things that I treasure the very most about your blog is how real and normal you are! I appreciate your honesty about your life. It always helps me to read that others are living "real" lives too! I look forward every day to catching up with you like I would with a good friend! I hope you will know that your blog brings joy to many. Thanks Heather!

Oh good, I'm glad you're back at it today. Don't g...

2009-11-06T21:21:47.161-06:00

Oh good, I'm glad you're back at it today. Don't get so down. You have to remember, you're home with two sick little kids AND pregnant.

Heather, I don't care what you write about, I'll s...

2009-11-06T20:21:58.219-06:00

Heather, I don't care what you write about, I'll still come back! I'm not great at coming up with ideas, but I'm sure you'll think of something. I'm glad to hear that the girls are feeling better!

Hi Heeather! I can't stay long! I have a baby sle...

2009-11-06T20:19:27.032-06:00

Hi Heeather!

I can't stay long! I have a baby sleeping upstairs and I am trying to finish packing for a trip to FL. I hope you will continue to blog! I only discovered your blog recently and I absolutely love it. As a new mom (stay @ home), it can be overwhelming at times. Thank you for sharing your life, your imperfections and your successes. I love the fact that you aren't afraid to speak up for Christ! I used to like to write. I gave up writting a while ago. I have been contemplating a blog to return back to writting... sometimes I am too afraid. Anyway, I said I would not be long, but I have been long enough. If, time was not an issue I promised I would write a lot more.

I would like to hear more about your daily schedul...

2009-11-06T19:54:59.819-06:00

I would like to hear more about your daily schedule and how you did that when the kids were younger. I have a 9 month old and he cannot amuse himself for more than about 10 minutes at a time. How did you get things done when your kids were babies?

I like all of the post ideas that were suggested (...

2009-11-06T18:14:45.863-06:00

I like all of the post ideas that were suggested (activities, discipline, holiday tips and tricks, etc.), other than that i always wonder what you serve for lunch... for some reason i have a terrible time coming up with lunch ideas so i always have to look to others for ideas, lol. I also just love reading the everyday/life happens type of posts. I just saw "Bee's chin hickey" for the first time in the "you might also like" section and almost peed my pants while reading it!

I don't know, I like everything you write! My blo...

2009-11-06T15:40:40.992-06:00

I don't know, I like everything you write!

My blog is totally different than what I thought it'd be. I orginally thought it would be a frugal blog, you know? I had all these ideas of things I wanted to do, and was going to post about them.

Then I thought it would be more of a parenting, homemaking blog as I enjoyed the things I wrote about that.

Then I ran out of time to write and since a humorous post takes much less time for me to write I did alot of those in a row for awhile.

Now I accept that my blog pretty much has no direction and I really never seem to know what I am going to write about!

As for comments, everybody does them differently. I think you have to do what works for you.

I usually try and leave a comment on their blog, but that does take time. On the other hand, it's a way to build relationships with your readers and you know they'll see it that way. But again, it takes time. Lots of people respond to comments by email too.

I am way behind on responding to my comments, and some I just never get to respond too. Like you, I try, but run out of time.

The nice thing about not posting every day, though, is that it gives me a little extra time to try to respond. It's not like I have tons of comments, it's just that I just run out of time, you know how it is!

Hey Heather, please just stay with us. Your blog i...

2009-11-06T14:53:58.547-06:00

Hey Heather, please just stay with us. Your blog is a bright spot in my day. I still think you could write about discipline. I cherish your advice and love to hear about other mom's strategies. Maybe ideas for organizing and simplifing Thanksgiving and Christmas would be something to write about.

Ooh - I know what you can blog about. Finding baby...

2009-11-06T14:14:33.902-06:00

Ooh - I know what you can blog about. Finding baby clothes/stuff that isn't ridiculously expensive. I am due 2/23, and didn't think I should start going to garage sales until we knew what we were having. DH's dad and stepmom are giving us their crib and changing table (they have a 4 y/o son) so those are major costs down right there, but my major concerns are clothes and finding cheap cloth diapers. Any thoughts???

Kim has a good idea. I'd love to hear more about h...

2009-11-06T13:54:16.337-06:00

Kim has a good idea. I'd love to hear more about how you plan your garden and when you plant things. Also, how you use what you plant.

I just like reading what others are doing. Simple...

2009-11-06T13:35:10.823-06:00

I just like reading what others are doing. Simple things like what they had for supper, how they organized, how they plan to do this or that.. from recipes to menu lists to looking at photos. I just like knowing there are other people out there who if they lived nearby,... we would probably be friends. And YES, you would talk on the phone to me.. you would learn to enjoy talking on the phone. :)

I'm super busy with work.. and when I get off work.. the house and kids.. and hubby been working out of town.. leaves little time for Me. But i'm still here :)

Glad to hear you'll likely be sticking with us. I ...

2009-11-06T12:48:06.880-06:00

Glad to hear you'll likely be sticking with us. I do have a few ideas for posts, just things I'm always looking for.
1. Activities to do with young kids (educational, religious, family-oriented, whatever).
2. Family night ideas...again with young kids who aren't into board games and movies.
3. When to do specific chores, especially yard related. Like, when to plant bulbs, when to order seeds. The kind of stuff that sneaks up on you.

Regardless of what you decide to write about, I al...

2009-11-06T11:42:22.589-06:00

Regardless of what you decide to write about, I always like to check your blog first. I often smile and nod at what you say, be very seldom (only once I think) bother to leave a comment. I guess it may not occur to us here at home that you there on the internet, would want to hear from your many followers. Bloggers, I suppose, hold a sort of celebrity status. So please forgive me and anyone else who might feel the same for not realizing that you too, may desire feedback to your thoughts and ideas. You are a very talented writer, and I agree with your husband that you should, when you can catch a breath that is, endeavor to write a book. Something you might keep in mind for next November is the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The idea is to write a novel of 50,000 words between November 1 -30, most of it complete and utter nonsence. I did great on the first day, but between homeschooling my 5 and 4 year olds, driving 4 hours a day delivering and retrieving my 15 year old, and chasing piddle ponds of our new puppy, I haven't written since the 1st. Oh, and my husband works swing shift so he sleeps till about 11am. Such is life! Maybe next year!