7 Quick Takes Friday -7/8/11

Thanks to Jen for hosting.

~1~

OK, I'm sure you're all sick of reading about my small business, Hillair Creations. If you have a small business though, you understand just how important marketing is.....and since I have no real budget for marketing (yet), my main source of advertising is social media. If you're looking for a special gift, if you have a devotion to the rosary or the Divine Mercy, or if you have no idea what I'm talking about and want to learn more, please take a minute to check out Hillair Creations on Etsy or visit my other Hillair Creations page for more information. Hillair Creations is also on Facebook, so if you like it, like it! :)  Thank you for your support!

~2~

Narnia room update: WE'RE DONE! Well, mostly done. (Is anything ever really finished?) Lauren and Tommy have been sleeping in their new room for coming up on 2 weeks and they love it. We have some flooring issues to finish (we did not paint the floor, opting for area rugs instead) and Sean has to build their lamppost light, but we're pretty happy with the results. Tommy has been doing great in his "big boy" bed, and the two of them are just so cute playing in there. I'll get some pictures up soon.

If Emily was old enough to notice, I'm sure she'd say she loves her new room too!

~3~

Since Narnia is now inhabited by adorable 5 1/2 and 2 1/2 little ones, and the little room is now inhabited by an adorable 14 month old, that means that our room is now inhabited by.....only the two of us! It's nice to be able to walk in there at night and not wake Emily, sit and play chess if we feel like it, or watch a movie. It's the first time in 2 1/2 years it's been just us in that room and it's good -- every married couple needs their own space.

~4~

You may remember Sean found a turtle a few weeks ago and the kids immediately loved it and named her Lucy (yes, as in Lucy from Narnia). Much to our dismay, Lucy commenced a hunger strike immediately upon entering our home, and kept it up for 6 days. Now I don't know if it's normal for turtles to go for a week without eating a thing, but for fear she would die right in front of the kids, I suggested we let her go. Surprisingly the kids were fine with it. Lauren was a little upset, but handled it much better than I expected.

Now the constant question is when are we getting a dog?

~5~

There's been so much in the news this week about Casey Anthony that I hesitate to even bring her up. A few quick points I'd like to make:

•  Our judicial system puts the burden of proof on the prosecution, not the defense. If they prosecution didn't have enough evidence to prove her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, then the jury did the right thing by the law, no matter what many people might feel about her and the case.
• I don't understand how anyone could conduct themselves the way Casey Anthony did after her little girl died, but that does not necessarily lead to her guilt. Callous? Yes. Proof of guilt? No.
• A prayer for Caylee Anthony: Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen. 

~6~

I included this quick take last time, but repost it here because I need some input:

Are any of you into extreme couponing? My sister-in-law and I were discussing it recently, and then I read this article over at Catholic Mothers Online. I would love to save that much money and stockpile non-perishables and dry goods like that, but I just don't know if I have the dedication to find/print/clip coupons all day. If you're big on coupons, what are some suggestions to get someone started? The article I linked has some tips too, but are there other specific things that have helped you make it a not too time consuming yet fruitful endeavor?

~7~

This last quick take is a quick prayer:

May God send His Holy Spirit to guide you in whatever you do today, and may He continue to bless you and your families. In thanks for those many blessings, may we always do our best to be beacons of His love to others. Amen.

Have a great weekend everyone!