Happy Harvest Fest!

Thank you to Zoar Baptist Church for providing a church-wide effort to reach out to the community in such a family friendly way. We enjoyed the Harvest Festival last night with our boys and had a great time.

Busy October

It's been really quiet on the blog this month - just to balance out all the crazy in real life. Here's a quick overview of October at the Mearse house. This month our youngest son turned 4 years old! There was a big bowling party with friends and grandparents and of course cookie cake and presents. I can't believe he's already 4!

 Then there was the Pep Rally for Zachary Community Schools being #1 in the state for 7 years in a row. Thank heaven's we live in the best school district, what is Louisiana like 48th in the nation? Our son's school cheered the loudest of all the schools and won a free dress day.

Then there was this little  huge project that took a week to put together.  I have mostly taught myself to sew and have been more adventurous this year in the types of things I've done. I ventured into something new again when I did a nursery for our Pastor's family. They are having another girl who will be sharing a room with her big sister who has a black/white/pink polka dot bedding set. I made the crib skirt, bumper, blanket, diaper stacker, table skirt, and curtains.  All that and it only took a week! :) I used Simplicity pattern 9140 for measurements but did embellish mine a little using various fabrics and trims. Now it's ready for their beautiful daughter to arrive.

Diaper stacker made using a size 4T dress sewn together at the bottom with an H seam to make a rectangle, slit down the front and  blanket binding to cover the opening. Hang from pretty hanger. 

After that was done, our family had a night out to play putt putt golf and ride go-carts to celebrate our first grader's all A report card! Way to go!

Although I hate Halloween and all it represents, we do like to dress up and play pretend. Our oldest wanted to dress up like an Army Chaplain for school. So sweet! He looked so grown up in camo from head to toe and wearing his hair all spiked up. He even wanted to carry his New Testament Bible in his pocket and wear his cross necklace. It so suits him. The younger boy wants to be Peter Pan which also suits him perfectly, "I'll never grow up!" We plan to wear these costumes to a church Fall festival nearby.

Healthy Diet Help

 I picked up this great little resource, The Calorie King Calorie Fat & Carbohydrate Counter at the Diabetes Walk last week. Its a great little book with a wealth of information. Bob Harper has even praised this book on Ellen for people trying to lose weight. This tiny book lists almost every food you can imagine and the calories, fat & carbs per serving. It also has a handy restaurant section where you can see nutrition information for popular menu items at hundreds of restaurants. This makes life a little easier for insulin dependent diabetics who have to dose insulin based on carbs consumed.

If you have a smart phone there is a FREE App that gives you restaurant guides & locator, and you can even personalize your meal tracker and food log. Go to www.GoMeals.com do download the free app for your Ianything or Android phone.

The book also has guides for cholesterol, fiber, sodium, protein, alcohol, and caffeine in addition to a handy reference about fitness. Did you know about 2000 steps equals one mile? If you've ever tried wearing a pedometer you probably noticed its more of a measure of overall activity than actual distance. This guide suggests striving for a goal of 8,000 - 10,000 steps a day. That's a lot of steps! Better get moving!

How to clean Make-Up Brushes

If you use make-up brushes instead of the tiny size that comes with most over the counter make-up then you know how pricey they can be. The advantage is that if you take care of them they last a long time. But if you've kept them longer than you can remember and they are so coated in colors that you've thought of tossing them out and buying new, think again. Try washing them yourself! Just take a small amount of your facial cleaner in the palm of your hand and rub each brush around in the soap. Rinse gently in water till you get all the soap out and there you have it - a good as new make-up brush. 

Step Out for Diabetes Walk/Ride

A beautiful day for a walk (or ride if you're my kids).

In love and support of all our family and friends who are living with Diabetes and for the hope of a cure.

Step Out for Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors appear to play roles. There are 23.6 million Americans living with diabetes, a disease that is outpacing heart disease, cancer and AIDS. Diabetes is a disease that has deadly serious consequences, and there is no cure. If current trends continue 1 in 3 children face a future with diabetes. 


Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes. Diabetes symptoms include: frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, irritability and blurry vision. If you have one or more of these diabetes symptoms, see your doctor right away. You can also take our Online Diabetes Risk Test to find out if you are at risk for diabetes.
Above text copied from the American Diabetes Association.


Diabetes is personal to our family. My mother has been a diabetic most of my life. I've seen her struggle with managing blood sugar, a kidney transplant, and other side affects from Diabetes. My mother in law also has diabetes and has neuropathy in her legs and hands. Both of these amazing women had to quit work years before they otherwise would have chosen to because of disability. What seems so unfair is that they are not to blame for their disease. Neither of them are obese, inactive or smokers. There is no known reason why they got diabetes. Even more frustrating is that it often feels like diabetes has them instead of them having diabetes. Sudden and unexpected side affects happen for no apparent reason. She eats a healthy meal and goes off to do housework and suddenly her blood sugar bottoms out. The glucose monitor is helpful but only gives you a reading for what your level is at that moment in that one drop of blood. You would have to prick your fingers every hour to see how your body responds over time to see if your blood sugar is rising or falling.


I know what its like to have that weird internal feeling that your body isn't doing what its supposed to. You feel hot then cold sweats, sometimes nauseated or dizzy, shaky hands, confused thoughts. Like something inside is just not right. Just last year I found out that I am insulin resistant, which is considered a pre-diabetic condition. My body doesn't handle sugar well because my cells don't respond to the insulin my body makes to control blood sugar. I'm making choices to be more physically active and limit my diet to try to prevent diabetes long term. I don't fit the profile of someone who is "at risk" for diabetes, yet I find myself fighting it with all I've got. I understand that the choices I make now will affect my long term health. 




My family will walk in the Step Out for Diabetes walk Saturday, September 24 in Baton Rouge in support of all of our family and friends living with diabetes and for the hope of a cure! Join us in stepping out for diabetes. You can donate to the American Diabetes Association here. Even if you can't donate you can take a personal step to fight diabetes by simply walking. Walking is one of the most accessible forms of exercise for all people. You don't need any fancy equipment, just a pair of shoes. Walking strengthens your heart, lungs, and muscles. It also helps keep you at a healthy weight, lowers blood pressure, and helps delay or prevent type 2 diabetes! So enjoy the cooler air of autumn and enjoy a nice long walk. With each step you are making a positive difference in your own health. As you walk this week, say a prayer for someone you know living with Diabetes.  

Yummy Popcorn Snack

Here's a yummy alternative to greasy butter popcorn. It's easy to make and is a nice salty & sweet treat without being loaded with sugar.

1 bag microwave light popcorn

1/2 cup chocolate chips (melted)

1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Pop the corn then drizzle the melted chocolate over the top and mix in the dried cranberries. Toss gently and enjoy warm or cold.