A Bird in the Hand

So Long Farewell...

2011-07-06T13:26:00.000-05:00

As many of you have noticed. A Bird in the Hand has been slowly grinding to a halt. It's not that we haven't had anything to say, but that we are so busy living our lives that we had not been posting as much. Collectively it is time for us to take a break from regular posting.

Originally we started this blog to encourage one other and we will still do that when we have the time. Thank you so much to those who have checked in here regularly and added your thoughts to the blog. We may be back some day in a different season of our lives. We aren't shutting down completely, but posts will be much fewer and farther between.

Sincerely Sarah, Sarah K., Elisa, and Jeni.

Swan Song

2011-06-28T15:51:00.004-05:00

I was really tickled to read that the subject of "family" was chosen for this month. I had reached the conclusion last month that contributing to this blog was one of the things I needed to let go of. From this month's theme, to my placement happening to be last in the month's writing rotation, to the "my point exactly" fact of having had a least two other posts planned out in my head and no time to get them done, I feel that conclusion being clearly reaffirmed and my exit being made plain before me. I've enjoyed the fellowship and ideas shared here, thanks for sharing with me and letting me share with you! I'm going to leave with a poem I wrote recently that sums up some of my thoughts, fears, and reminders as a mother. Being mothers is such a blessing and a ministry. I love how the simplest things can be so meaningful and inspiring! It's hard work, but there is such joy and reward in it.
I look forward to still reading up on what you're all up to here!

Time, Like Bubbles

Pure delight on your sun-kissed face
Taking turns to blow and chase
Showers of bubbles cascade and rise
Catch them if you can!

Time, like bubbles, floats away, flies away.
My heart yearns to cry out, "please slow down; let's just stay!"
My arms yearn to reach out, hold you close, keep you near.
But I've got to let you go, watch you grow, release you, dear.

Pure delight on my son-kissed face
Soaking in each little sweet embrace
Showers of kisses blown my way
I catch them in my hand.

And time, like bubbles, floats away, flies away.
My heart yearns to cry out, "please slow down; let's just stay!"
My arms yearn to reach out, hold you close, keep you near.
But I've got to let you go, watch you grow, release you, dear.

Pure delight on your mom-kissed face
Maturity and adulthood will too soon replace
Showers of precious moment swirl around
Hold them while you can!

For time, like bubbles, floats away, flies away.
My heart yearns to cry out, "please slow down; Let's just stay!"
My arms yearn to reach out, hold you close, keep you near.
But I've got to let you go, watch you grow, release you, dear.

You have a skies limit to reach, an ocean of God's love to discover!
My job is to train and to teach, not to fret and to hover.
You are carried by His grace, purposed in His design.
Not isolated and adrift in the shifting winds of time.
Our faith is not frail and our hope is not hollow!
So I'll be thankful to hold you today and not fear for tomorrow.

Pure delight on my Son-kissed face
Resting in His faithfulness, peace, love, and grace
Showers of prayers and praise pour out and ascend
Lord, You are holding them in your hand!

Inspired by and dedicated to my bubbly little Loveskis, who are growing up way too fast and whom I'm always gonna wanna hold "just one more time!" - SMN, 2011

Homemade Bread

2011-06-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

Growing up there was a time when my mom would make homemade bread. It seemed like an awful lot of work. She would get up early and knead the dough and punch it down and I don't know what else (I was in junior high and high school so I wasn't paying too much attention). I found out when I was older that she was making sourdough bread.

My mother-in-law also makes homemade bread. She has made it several different ways including using a bread machine and using a stand mixer. I loved her bread and it seemed so much easier to make than what my mom made. My husband's grandma passed her bread machine on to me and I got my mother-in-law's bread recipe, so I make homemade bread often.

Something I strive to do is to make a fresh loaf when we are having company for dinner. It is not always possible because of my work schedule, but I try because over the years I have gotten many comments about the goodness of homemade bread. Eating homemade bread is something that I now take for granted and I have forgotten what a blessing it can be to people who don't get to eat it but on rare occasions.

I am thankful for my bread machine and bread recipe and I look forward to blessing many people with homemade bread. For those of you who would like to try making homemade bread, here is my mother-in-law's recipe:

Oatmeal Bread (by Pam Kueffer)

12 oz. water
2 T. oil
1 c. oatmeal
3-1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
2 T. wheat gluten
1 tsp. salt
1 T. yeast

Works well in machine, or: Mix well, knead 3 minutes, mixer. Rise 1 hr., shape into two loaves, two 8x4 pans. Let rise until doubled. Bake in preheated oven, 350 degrees, 35 minutes.

Enjoy! My favorite is hot out of the oven with butter and homemade strawberry freezer jam!!

A Legacy

2011-06-10T16:35:00.001-05:00

When sitting down to write about the topic of family. I found myself quite stumped. It's not because I don't have anyone to write about, but because I am so blessed with so many family member that mean so much to me. Even narrowing the topic to family AND homemaking didn't really help. I have two delightful grandmothers that are both excellent bakers and cooks, and a wonderful Mama that puts creative flair into everything that she whips up. Even the men in my life have secret recipes stashed up their sleeves.

It made me realize what an amazing legacy I have received and will be able to pass on to my children. It has made me so excited to continue to cook both with, and for, my children. Though I don't have those secret recipes {yet}, I do have the time and ability to make sure my kids eat fresh, delicious {at least I think they are, the kids don't always agree} and nutritious homemade meals 3 times a day. {except when 'Papa' brings donuts, but who is going to complain about that?}

In order to keep this blessing going my 3 oldest take turns being my Sous Chefs while I prepare dinner. It is always their favorite "chore", so much so they sometimes end up quarreling about whose turn it is. I always figured that my girls would enjoy cooking with me, and they do, but it's my oldest son that takes the most pleasure in it.

{And what boy wouldn't when he gets to wear this amazing "Cape-ron" made by Aunt Sarah!}

I think it gives him some special one on one time and allows him to show off all of his measuring, chopping and pouring skills.

This has been so wonderful for me because in most of the other areas of his life he seems to thrive on making things...er...difficult for all those around him. But when he has his Sous-Chef outfit on and his Mama Chef by his side all seems right in his little world. And it reminds me that with God's grace this is exactly who he can, and hopefully will be, and then all is right in my little world.

Simply Sweet Cinnamon Rolls!

2011-06-07T15:26:00.004-05:00

Along the lines of my last post - this one is dedicated to my mom. As noted previously, my mom was not really "into" baking. Cooking was done in order to feed the family. She did not enjoy cooking or working in the kitchen (for me, cooking/baking is like therapy/stress relief - nothing better than handing over the boys to Eli after a long day and making some cookies or something!). BUT, she did and still does make some killer cinnamon rolls!

Although she is notorious for not following recipes in an exact manner, my mom does carefully measure and make bread in order for it to turn out right. Therefore, this was one recipe that I was actually able to copy down and not hear a "well, I just put a little of this, and little of that"!

I can't tell you the number of times that my mom, my younger sister, or I have brought this cinnamon rolls to a shower or event, and gotten rave reviews. YUM. That's all there is to say. And although Jonah does not eat any other type of yeast bread, he devours Cinnamon Rolls.

The recipe is not unique. Probably almost the same to many others. But, if you have never tried to make homemade cinnamon rolls, or a recipe that you attempted previously just did not turn out well, I'd love for you to get these ones a try!

My Mother's Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 c. water
3/4 c. milk
1 T. yeast
1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
3-4 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt

*Warm milk and water together. Pour into mixing bowl and add yeast and sugar. Give a swirl and let the yeast proof for about 5 min. Add in butter, egg, and 1 c. of flour. Mix well. Add rest of flour and salt in 1 c. increments, kneading until you get a slightly sticky dough. Knead an additional 2-3 min. Place in greased bowl and let rise until doubled - about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and let rest 10 min. Roll out to about 14x10 or so (I just have this large cutting board that I roll out on until I get to the edges all around). Spread with 6 T. of softened butter or margarine, 1/8. c. white sugar, 1/4 c. brown sugar, and LOTS of ground cinnamon (I never measure this, just sprinkle over liberally until everything looks good and covered)!. Roll up and cut until 12 rolls. Place in greased 9x13, cut sides up. Let rise until doubled, and then bake at 375 degrees about 20 min - DO NOT OVERBAKE! Just until tops are browning. Pull out of over, and spread with desired glaze or frosting. We prefer cream cheese frosting! Eat, eat, and enjoy!

I did not take pictures to create a tutorial, because there are so many great tutorials already posted, like Gina's. But, here is my finished creation:

And the boy who was eagerly asking all morning when they were going to be done!

Mom-in-Law Lessons

2011-06-01T14:21:00.003-05:00

I am dedicating the month of June to FAMILY. Maybe family memories, family lessons, extended family life, or family recipes ... who knows what will turn up on the blog!

When I think about my in-laws, I think of my mother-in-law (MIL). She has taught me so much! My mom was fantastic, but homemaking was not a focus for her. She was an excellent homeschool teacher and mother, but in terms of learning to bake, homemade remedies, etc., ... those weren't of interest to her. Therefore, my skills were nearly non-existent. I, on the other hand, was interested in those things!

When I realized that my relationship with Eli was headed to a lifetime commitment, I wanted to learn more. He came from his home in which his mom did all kinds of homemaker things! Especially in baking, cooking, canning, and growing in the garden. I set up about to soak up what I could. I have learned A LOT (with so much more I would like to learn), and something I was able to accomplish early on with my limited knowledge but eager hands was making jam.

Nothing like homemade jam.

I am still pretty basic. But each year I now make strawberry and peach jam. Eli doesn't like other berries thrown in there, so we stay with the staples of our pantry. I just finished two batches of strawberry (made even easier with my food processor - a gift from my in-laws!), and will tackle the peach once the season arrives. I haven't ever water-bath canned yet - a future project!

My MIL is always ALWAYS willing to show the ropes of what she knows, and invites me over to do projects together. If she knows I'm struggling to get something done, the offer is extended to "come over with the boys so they can be distracted" while I finish my project. We have baked together for Christmas, made jam together, worked together on bridal/baby showers, sewed together, and brainstormed together. She is an example of a woman who always extends her arms, and whether or not her house is messy is no matter to her - family and friends are always invited in. I have much to still learn from her, and I am so grateful to have married in to her family.

Is there something (preferably good!) that sticks out to you when you think of your mother-in-law?

Ice Cream Buckets

2011-05-27T09:55:00.000-05:00

My family doesn't eat a lot of ice cream, but over time we have collected quite a few ice cream buckets. These buckets are very handy because they have a handle, a lid, and are made of plastic so they are strong.

Here are some of the current uses of the buckets around our house:

1) Drum set for toddler
2) Container to hold legos (much more convenient than the zippered bag they came in)
3) Tool caddy
4) Containter to freeze fish (I have heard that freezing fish in water makes it stay fresh longer)
5) Carry veggies from garden to the house

What do you use ice cream buckets for?

Grocery bags

2011-05-25T12:29:00.000-05:00

My family just returned from visiting my brother and his family in Utah. Any time we travel for any length of time we always take plastic grocery bags with us for our dirty clothes. On this particular trip, as we were packing to come home, I had the idea of sorting our dirty laundry and placing each "load" in its own grocery bag so laundry would be a breeze. Wow, I am thankful for that revelation!

There are so many other uses for plastic grocery bags as well as paper grocery bags, just take a look at the side of the bag and you will probably find a list of ideas. Here are a few ways that we reuse grocery bags:

1) Lunch bags
2) Trash can liners
3) Wrapping packages to be mailed (paper bags)

You can also recycle your grocery bags at recycling centers or right inside the front doors of Walmart.

I know there are many more uses for grocery bags, but I am sleep-deprived (and pregnant) so I can't think of any others to list at this time.

Please feel free to leave comments regarding how you reuse grocery bags.

Baking Soda + Vinegar = Just About Everything {Part 3}

2011-05-21T19:55:00.000-05:00

The last part of this segment doesn't actually have any baking soda or vinegar, but they are still useful and homemade.

Health Care

cough syrup - We used this a lot this winter! It works just as well if not better than most of the natural cough syrups that we tried.

toothbrush sanitizer - five drops of grapefruit seed extract in a cup of water. We do this to extend the life of our brushes. If I threw away our toothbrushes every time someone had the sniffles we would go bankrupt. {ok, not really} But this disinfects the toothbrush daily to keep those germs at bay.

vapor rub - small amount of coconut or olive oil and and several drops of eucalyptus oil - mix and apply to chest.

vapor steam - add a couple drops of eucalyptus oil to the water in your steam vaporizer.

diaper rash cream - No special mix here, just plain coconut oil. It is the only thing that can be used with cloth diapers and it works really well.

Hand sanitizer - {Crunchy Betty} - I haven't made this one, but it is on my list. It would be nice to keep in the diaper bag to use after those emergency changes.

I'm sure there are many more things that could be added to this list, but these are the ones that we use most frequently.

Baking Soda + Vinegar = Just About Everything {Part 2}

2011-05-20T12:29:00.000-05:00

Spring is the perfect time of year to get things clean. And though it is nearly summer I haven't finished my spring cleaning. Below are some of my favorite cleansers to get the job done. I do have others, but these are the ones that I find myself reaching for most often.

Cleaning

All purpose cleaning spray - There are tons of different recipes for all purpose cleaners. Here are two:

1. Equal parts vinegar and water and go!

2. 1 part hydrogen peroxide, 1 part water, 3 T. liquid castille soap, a couple drops essential oil for fragrance.

soft scrub - 1c. baking soda, 6 T liquid castille soap, a couple drops of lavender essential oil, and enough vinegar to achieve soft scrub consistency.

carpet freshener - put baking soda in an old parmesan cheese container add a few drops of essential oils. Sprinkle onto carpet and vacuum it up! One thing I like to use are home fragrance drops from Bath and Works - they aren't pure essential oil, but they smell oh so good.

laundry detergent - {A Bird in the Hand} I don't what more to say than I already have. I have kids, they get dirty, this gets their clothes clean.

disinfectant wipes - {Live Renewed} I haven't tried these. I never used disinfectant wipes to begin with, but it seems like they would be really handy to have around.

Furniture Spray - 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 T. vinegar, dash of lemon juice. {I'm not sure if you need to, but I keep this in my fridge}

Hand soap - This one is super simple, but you have to have the right container. It is just 4 parts water and 1 part liquid castille soap. The trick is that you have to put it into a foaming soap dispenser. I just save soap dispensers and asked my mom to save hers as well. Voila! Foaming hand soap!

*What is one cleaning product that you just can't live without {this doesn't have to be homemade}. What is your least favorite cleaning project? {My favorit cleaning product is the soft scrub above, and my least favorite cleaning project is putting away clean clothes - Does that count?}

Baking Soda + Vinegar = Just About Everything {Part 1}

2011-05-19T13:33:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I have a unusual penchant for making things from scratch and using what I already have on hand. I enjoy finding new things that I can make at home without having to make frequent trips to the store. I keep an ongoing list of these recipes, and since most of them use a lot of the same ingredients I almost always have what I need on hand. I broke them up into categories so they would be easily accessible if anyone wants to give them a whirl. I will post one category each day for the next three days. First up: Personal Care!

Personal care

{Almost} Everything you need to make any of the recipes below - I forgot the Stevia.

deodorant {Little House in the Suburbs}- this is the first deodorant that I tried and it is still my favorite. I have made fancier ones, but they don't seem to work quite as well.

shampoo {Reformation Acres} - Using baking soda to wash your hair. Yes, I am doing this. There is a six week adjustment period for your hair, and I am smack dab in the middle of it as I type this. But even with the adjustment period I am pretty pleased with the results. I thought my hair was going to 'freak out', but it has just been a tiny bit frizzier than normal. That could also be attributed to the weather. My hair is very sensitive to weather change.

conditioner {Reformation Acres} - I don't make my "conditioner" quite as fancy as Quinn does. I just use Apple Cider Vinegar with a couple drops of eucalyptus essential oil for that fresh, wake you up scent. {The smell of both the vinegar and eucalyptus disappears as your hair dries.

hairspray {Reformation Acres} - I haven't tried this one yet, but I am hoping to soon.

leave in conditioner - coconut oil. Caution: I little bit goes a very loooong way. I used way to much the first time. Now I just rub my fingers over the oil and use only that amount that sticks to my fingers.

basic toothpaste - 1 part coconut oil, 1 part baking soda, stevia or xylitol and essential oils to taste. I have used cinnamon, peppermint, sweet orange, and even vanilla extract.

No, I haven't been using horseradish to brush my teeth, but it probably wouldn't surprise you either.

lotion {Home Joys}- I used this lotion all winter long and it works quite well. A couple of my kids have eczema and it is gentle enough for them to use as well.

lip balm {Crunch Betty} - I haven't made any of these, but I want to. Crunch Betty also has tons of other recipes I can't wait to try.

Do you have any personal care recipes that you use? Do they work? What is your main reason for not using commercial products? {Mine is cost and healthier ingredients}

T-Shirts a Crafter's Best Friend!

2011-05-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

T-Shirts are some of my favorite things. Nothing beat the softness of a freshly laundered t-shirt, especially if it is one your have had for years. I like to wear them, of course, but when they have too many holes or stains and the life has been loved right out of them, there is usually just enough left to repurpose into something new. Here is a list of some of my favorite ideas for reusing t-shirts from around the web. I have not had a chance to make most of these, but I would like to. I will star the ones I have actually attempted. I would put my own pictures on here, but sadly my camera cord has gone M.I.A. Enjoy!

T-Shirt Bracelet

T-Shirt Necklace

T-Shirt Tote Bag

T-Shirt Pillow

T-Shirt Rug {This one technically isn't made from t-shirts, but I have a friend who made one just like this from t-shirts.} Here is a tutorial for t-shirt yarn.

T-Shirt Dryer Pillow or Sachet

T-Shirt Boy's Undies

T-Shirt Diapers* {When I first started making diapers I used this pattern. I love making diapers from old t-shirts they have lots of stretch and wash really well}

T-Shirt Bib {These look like nice full coverage bibs. Of course your could use your favorite bib pattern}

T-Shirt Neckline Coverup

T-Shirt Backpack

T-Shirt Girl's Dress* {I made this dress for my girls. I made it a little longer, but it's a great comfy play dress}

T-Shirt Jacket

T-Shirt Quilt* {I made one of these during our early years of marriage out of a bunch of my husbands "sentimental" t-shirts. He had several from a camp that he used to work at and it has been a fun way to tell the kids about some of things he enjoyed before become a "real" adult.}

T-Shirt Simple Skirt* {This is a very easy sewing project/tutorial created by our own Sarah K. It's a great project to have little ones help out with. We have made several of these over the past year or so!}

I hope everyone's creative juices are flowing now. If you end up making one of these or any other project from a T-Shirt I would love to see it!

P.S. I did not create any of these tutorials, so please refer to the websites of the tutorial before selling any items from any of these tutorials! Thanks!

10 Steps to Having a Very Bad, Awful, No Good, Rotten Day!

2011-05-16T06:00:00.007-05:00

1. Sleep In - Hit that snooze button just one more time.

2. Spend 20 minutes in your closet stressing about what to wear.

3. Realize you slept away your shower time and decide to be in a bad mood.

4. Walk around with a cloud over your head.

5. Refuse to be thankful for anything!

6. Chastise your children for every little misstep throughout the day.

7. Skip reading your bible and praying because you just don't have the time.

8. Panic about your to-do list (this must be repeated regularly throughout the day).

9. Blame everyone else for your problems.

10. Then unload the miserable account of your day to your husband the second he walks through the door. (bad days can be catching!)

If a very bad, awful, no good, rotten day is not what you are in the market for tomorrow. May I suggest the following.

1. Rise early thanking the Lord for a brand new day!

2. Lay your clothes out the night before and put on whatever you picked out (the second part is trickier).

3. Take a warm shower and pray while you shampoo and condition.

4. Smile (with your eyes too) at everyone you greet today.

5. Be thankful for EVERYTHING (even the things that make you cringe)!

6. Give grace to your children as the Lord to gives us, discipline out of love, and give lots of hugs.

7. Make sure to spend the first part of your day absorbed in the Word.

8. Ask the Lord what His to-do list is for you. That doesn't mean you can't do your laundry, but He may have other plans for you today.

9. Shower others with encouragement.

10. Greet your husband with a smile, a kiss, and some words of affirmation.

It is so counter intuitive for us as humans to want to put anyone or anything before ourselves. We want our needs met first! But the greatest joy we will ever find is in worshiping the Lord and placing Him at the very top of our priority list. Then all the things that we think that we need or want are lost in His awesome presence!

Have a great Monday Everyone!!

Piggybacking ...

2011-05-10T15:33:00.004-05:00

So, I really had no idea what on earth to post about that everyone else in the world isn't already doing. I make no amazing claims in life: I really don't think that I am creative with "things"! I feel like my creativity only comes out when I start thinking about food = )

BUT. Jonah and I have been talking a lot lately about recycling things within our house to make new things, new toys, etc. He is really fascinated by the idea. Which is why we had a plastic sack stuffed with empty toilet paper rolls. For awhile, we have been recycling them - literally - through the recycling service. And then I decided that there had to be other ways we could use them at home. So, I'm piggybacking on Sarah's post about oatmeal containers to share some "similar" thoughts ...

On Toilet Paper Rolls.

-Use them as present wrappers. Stuff the gift inside and wrap with either comics from the newspaper, colorful tissue paper, or wrapping papers. The boys love getting presents wrapped like this!

-Re-roll extra ribbon around them. Or short cords that you need to store away and don't want all tangled or bent.

-A current favorite with the boys: create them into binoculars. And this way, whether the binoculars get destroyed or lost, they are re-creatable and not something you paid $$ for!

-The newest idea: Make a dinosaur (or any other creature you like!). We have to give Jonah credit for this: he just suddenly began asking Daddy to help him "make a dinosaur out of my rolls in the bag". We've asked him several times where this idea came from, and he just insists it was "from myself!" Maybe it really was! They had a great time working on this together.

We're actually out now ... perhaps once another sack is filled, a brontosauras can join the t-rex = ) Either way, I'm not tossing those tubes into the trash any more!

Don't just toss those oatmeal containers!

2011-05-06T21:06:00.003-05:00

We love oatmeal pancakes, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal & dried cherry muffins, granola, no-bakes, bake n take oatmeal cake...ok, this is turning into 101 reasons we love oatmeal, but I think you are getting the picture that we go through a lot of oatmeal around here, so there are always lot's of oatmeal containers around! Here are some ways you might use your surplus:

Fridge/Freezer storage for grains and baked goods.
I keep my freshly ground wheat and rice in them in the fridge so as to preserve the 'goodness' and keep them from going rancid. I don't have the lifestyle (or desire, I should say?) to mill on an as-needed basis, so it's what I do.

For the Kids

Building blocks

Robot pieces

"Tree Trunks"
one year I created a tree out of one for my 2YO(at the time) niece. I attatched a "branch" made out of a paper towel or TP tube, cut some doors and put some animal stickers on the inside for her to open up and see, and used green tissue paper for the leaves out the top. It wasn't meant to last, I was just using stuff I had on hand, but I thought she'd enjoy discovering it and tearing it apart. it was a fun project

Basically Anything:
kids' imaginations are so wonderful! I love having the containers around just to see how they will incorporate them into their play this time! Kids are usually more excited about the wrapping/paper/box/hangers/etc than the toys & clothes they contain.

("free!") toy storage
legos, little people, army men, playmobile, dinosaurs, etc., ad nauseum, 'nuf said!

I've found that wrapping them in wrapping paper (least durable), scrapbooking paper (more durable; coverage requires 2 sheets), or even fabric (most durable) takes them to a whole other level!

Gift Wrapping
I wish I had a photo of several of the gifts I've done this with- they look so striking!
Its unique shape and height lends handiness for all kinds of different presents, especially soft, or stackable, or foldable ones, while also making it stand out from the rest of the presents.

Table Tiers
I wrapped one with some fabric for a bridal shower that I was hosting several years back. I was looking for a way to create more space and add some visual interest to the table, and going up was the best way to do so!

I'm pretty sure I filled the container with something so as to add to its stability because I was a little nervous about it tipping as people took food, but we didn't have any problems whatsoever with that.

Plastic bag holders
for my fellow disposable diaper users out there- this is one of my favorite things! In order to combat the smell of diaper pervading the nursery and our home, we recycle the plastic bags we get at the stores (one reason I don't want them to be banned just yet!), putting the diapers in there and then out in the garage. For a while I was always carrying dirty diapers down to the laundry closet to grab a plastic bag. Duh! The idea struck me that it would be much simpler, and cleaner!, to just have plastic bags at my changing stations. So I grabbed my oatmeal containers (great for stuffing lots of bags into!) and made them pretty. If it's gotta be seen, it might as well look good!

How do you use your containers? I'm always looking for new ways to utilize this plentiful resource!

Kitchen Tip: DIY powdered sugar

2011-05-04T11:45:00.003-05:00

Out of powdered sugar? You can make it yourself!
I picked up this little tidbit from my "More with Less" Cookbook, and have found it to come in handy in a pinch!

1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch

mix together in a food processor until fine and powdery

It took a while for mine to come out, but it worked just fine for the icing I needed it for, and saved me a mad dash to the store and back.

I've been thinking it would be nice to find something without the cornstarch or the bleached sugar. So, inspired by that recipe, I searched the internet some more ideas and found this further gem for making unprocessed powdered sugar out of sucanat from Heavenly Homemakers.
Such a great tip, if you don't require a pure white icing/frosting/powdering!

Sweet!

101 pillow ideas

2011-05-02T20:07:00.012-05:00

Ok, so I don't have 101 ideas to share right now, but I'm hoping these ideas might inspire you, or get your creative pillow juices flowing, and from there we might get to 101!

Quilting
If you enjoy quilting but only have scraps left, a pillow can be a fun, colorful way to use them up. I think it would also be a great beginners sewing and quilting project; not quite as daunting as a whole quilt. Or, if you are making a quilt and have an odd square left, like I did while making my first baby quilt, a pillow is a sensible way to make good use of that material! I always make my pillows slipcovers, both for laundering purposes and my own inability to commit combined with my not wanting to waste perfectly good pillow stuffing.

this one makes me laugh to think that I use to have time to play around with a needle like that. I am in no way a great or even quilter or seamstress or needlepointdextress; I just enjoy creating! It's fun to come up with ideas and then to watch them materialize, isn't it? Well, at least when they materialize the way you envisioned them. But even when they don't, that's what makes it your creation!

idea: Last Summer I picked up a pretty little throw pillow that had a lovely embroidered handkerchief as the main block with several squares of material quilted around it. I think that might be a fun sewing project I'd like to share with my nieces or daughters!

Placemats
One of Jeni's cousins shared with her the idea of using placemats to create pillows. I was almost giddy when I heard of this idea! I LOVE table linens; they are my clearance downfall. So to have a new way to utilize them was/is so exciting!

To make them:
1) rip out one of the short side hems.
2) stuff with the desired amount of stuffing
3) stitch up the side again

voila! so easy! so pretty!

This is just one of those projects that can't go wrong, and can make such a difference in a room! I have two of these yellow placemat pillows on my guest bed in the nursery and they are the perfect touch to tie everything together! I couldn't have found better "real" pillows.

Table Runner Bolster Pillow:
Like I said, I have a weakness for linens, especially on clearance or garage sales. I was able to repurpose one of the brown table runners I'd purchased as a bolster pillow for our bed, since we love to read in bed. It was the perfect length to stretch pretty much from end to end of our king size. I purchased two body pillows for their stuffing, and that worked perfectly!

Bags
This one is another favorite! I found this great little bag at Goodwill one day and kept it for years trying to figure out ways to use it. Then a couple years ago when I was redoing my living room and looking for new, euroflare throw pillows, I realized it would work perfectly on my couch. Some stuffing and folding and top stitching, and suddenly I had a new favorite pillow. Now I always check garage sales, estate sales, antique shops and second hand stores for more bags or table linens printed with maps or designs that can come keep this one company =)

How about you? What's your favorite resource for making pillows?

One Hundred and One

2011-05-01T09:00:00.004-05:00

yikes! Not only is it my week to write, it's my month to pick a topic!

The first of a new month always creeps up on me and catches me unawares, especially when the new month starts on a Sunday! Sunday is that strange day: last day of the weekend and first day of the calendar week. My birthday is on the first day of a certain month, so I feel for the firsts because they are often forgotten about until they hit you in the face as you flip the calendar. I thought I saw this one coming, since I've been longing for its arrival to herald in a renewed grocery budget with which to restock the pantry and freezer. So there I was, smugly ready to turn the computer off and head to bed when it hit me: tomorrow is May first, May Day! My month to choose. My week to write. And we have a church conference all weekend long, so I better get this done so everyone else can get their wheels turning! This weekend has been crazy with errands, a funeral/life celebration, conference, and even baby showers that I will sadly have to miss. Don't you always find that May has 101 directions to pull you in? gardening, spring cleaning, school finishing, outdoor playing, yard working, graduation/baby/wedding showering... It is one busy month! 101 things to do...

Did you know that the Old English name for the month of May meant "month of 3 milkings" and that abundance is in part why there are May Day celebrations? Well, thanks to wikipedia, now you and I both can impress others with that gem. In more recent European history, May Day commemorates the socialist movement and uprisings, and is sometimes referred to as Labour Day. The town that I lived in in the Czech Republic had a square named "Prvni Maj", or May Day, and in the middle was a concrete platform on which a bronze statue of Lenin used to stand. He had since been pulled down and that platform was instead being used for skateboarding by rebellious teens dabbling in Western culture. 101 tidbits of pretty useless, but interesting, information...

Mainly I chose "101" because I like to use things in multiple different ways, and thought it would be fun to share some of those ideas, and even more fun to hear everyone else's ideas and add their tricks to my back-pocket. But today is the first. And although, as I said before, Sunday firsts especially sneak up on me, I especially love them because they remind me of what my priority for ordering my days needs to be: He comes first. His Name, which is above every name. His praise, glory, honor. His will. His Word. His commandments. His testimony. His people. His calling. As I think about the busyness that is May, with all its directions, distractions, obligations, and social occasions, I have been greatly challenged by the appropriate applicability of the following psalm:

Psalm 101 (NASV)
A Psalm of David.
¹I will sing of lovingkindness and justice,
To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
²I will give heed to the blameless way
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
³I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not fasten its grip on me.
⁴A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will know no evil.
⁵Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;
No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
⁶My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
⁷He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.
⁸Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
So as to cut off from the city of the LORD all those who do iniquity.

101 things to praise Him for, 101 things I need Him for, 101 things to keep me on my knees...

Sew...a Needle Pulling Thread - A Snazzy Visored Headband Tutorial

2011-04-27T14:00:00.001-05:00

The other day as I was perusing through blog-land looking for a sewing project to use up some scraps. I stumbled across this cute little visored headband. My girls have also been begging for me to teach them about the wonderful world of sewing, and this seemed like a great project for beginners.

Now, I do want my kids to learn to sew, because it is such a wonderful skill and I enjoy it very much. But as I said before I'm pretty impatient {this is something the Lord and I are working on}. I really don't want my children to learn from an impatient teacher, or one who expects more out of them than they can give at their age. This is how I was taught and it turned me off to sewing for many years.

So we started with a small project and lots of prayer on my part. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but instead of me getting frustrated, we had lots of fun! Who knew? I'm learning!

Before I posted this I looked to see if anyone else had made a tutorial, but couldn't find one. So here is what we did.

Visored Headband Tutorial

Supplies:

Fabric for headband{use two different patterns for a reversible visor} Cut 2 - 42" x 3 1/2" {I used fat quarters and cut 4 lengths of 22" x 3 1/2" and sewed the ends together}
Fabric for visor {approx. 5" x 10"} - I didn't really measure this part.
Iron on Interfacing - {approx. 5" x 10"}
Thread
Scissors
Washable marker (optional)
Pin (pins are always optional!)

* You can click on any picture to enlarge it.

Step 1: Find a visored hat that fits. Push the visor flat and trace onto piece of paper. This will be your visor pattern.

Step 2: Add a line 1/2" larger than your first line and cut on that line.

Step 3: Put pattern on fabric, pin and cut, or if teaching younger kids have them trace around the pattern with a washable marker and then cut on the line. Make sure to cut two.

Step 4: Cut interfacing using the same pattern.

Step 5: Cut long strips for head band.

Step 6: Iron interfacing onto one side of the visor. Somehow I missed a picture of this. If you have never used interfacing, there are usually directions on the side. Iron the rest of the pieces for good measure. {This was also a good lesson for the girls.}

Step 7: Take the two strips for the headband and fold them in 1/2 lengthwise. Cut a curve into the top as shown. This isn't necessary, but makes the ends look a little more finished.

Step 8: Pin right sides of visor together and sew around the curved edge. {sorry, no picture of this either}

Step 9: Take headband fabric and place right sides together. before you pin your headband pieces together, sandwich your visor in between the two layers. Making sure to match like fabrics together if you are making it reversible. Pin and sew along the side where you sandwiched in your visor.

Step 10: Fold the visor in half and pin in place, like so.

Step 11: Sew along other side of headband, leaving a space to turn your head band right side out.

Step 12: Turn and topstitch your visored headband. You are finished - Congratulations!!

If any of you end up making one of these please leave a link, I would love to see how it turns out. Also if you have any question feel free to ask in the comments, or e-mail {my e-mail is in the more about us section}. Happy sewing!

This post is linked up at Raising Homemakers.

Baking with Kids

2011-04-25T14:15:00.000-05:00

I don't love to bake. My kids do but I...don't. Since it is something that means a lot to them, I do try to make a frequent joyful effort. This past week as we were gearing up for Resurrection Sunday I wanted to include this little baking project I had seen floating around the web. I am so glad that I did! The main reason I don't appreciate baking as much as I could is because I am terrible at following directions. I am impatient and I want to get to the actual 'doing' instead of the 'reading about the doing'. {Yes, I am a bit of a child.} This project was a perfect example of my lack of thoroughly understanding a recipe before proceeding.

Resurrection Cookies (original recipe here)
I changed things a tiny bit from the original, according to what I had on hand.

You will need:
1c. whole pecans
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1c. sucanat
zipper baggie
wooden spoons (one per child)
tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300.
Instructions:

Read John 19:1-3
Place the pecans in a baggie and let the kids beat the pecans into little pieces. My kids gleefully pulverized the little bits of pecans until they turned into dust. Such a horrible picture of how much we love our sin, and how if I had been there, I would have been the one shouting "Crucify Him!"

Read John 19:28-30
Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl and Let each child smell the vinegar.
Explain that when Jesus was on the cross they gave Him sour wine when he said He was thirsty. This was a little lost on my kiddos, because when I asked if they would have wanted to drink vinegar, if they were really thirsty, they thought it sounded pretty good. Then Charis to drink a small glass of vinegar. {I should have let her, but we were quickly nearing bed time}.

Read John 10:10-11
Add egg whites to vinegar. {I apparently didn't read this, because I put the vinegar in the pecan bowl. whoops!} Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His
life to give us life.

Read Luke 23:27

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand and let them taste it. Then add a pinch to the bowl. {This refers to the egg white bowl. Again I put the salt in with the nuts.} The salt represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. The kids loved this part, but also really seemed to grasp what was going on with the story.

Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16
Add 1c. sugar. {Where?, who knows - probably the egg whites - note to self: learn to read directions} Give a little pinch to the kids to taste and yourself of course. I love this part! Explain that Jesus' dying for us is the sweetest gift of all! My kids are still at an age where they don't fully understand why Jesus had to actually die. It was another great opportunity to explain that we could have never bridged the gap between God and us without Jesus being the atoning sacrifice.

Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are
formed. {I had a little trouble with my egg whites, probably because I didn't put the right ingredients into the right bowls. When I was making this it didn't seem right, but I didn't question it. Oh well.} The white represents purity and being washed white as snow. My kids also wanted it to be the clouds, like in heaven. {Are there really going to be clouds in heaven? Do I get a harp? Ok - digressing here!}

Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Fold in broken nuts. {This is when I realized the error of my ways, but I didn't let the recipe know, I just kept on. Hopefully it will still turn out okay} Drop onto a wax paper/parchment paper covered cookie sheet. {You don't want them too big or it won't work, so says the original recipe}
Each mound represents the tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matt. 27:65-66.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Make sure the oven isn't too hot! We had a bit of whining at this point. Well we have whining a lot over here. We are working on that. Explain why Jesus' tomb needed to be sealed.
SEND CHILDREN TO BED! {We also had some whining at this point}

Pretending to look sad.

The recipe says to talk about how sad they must feel about leaving the cookies in the oven overnight and equating it with how Jesus' followers must have felt when they had to leave Him in the tomb. I did explain it, but made sure that they knew that leaving a cookie isn't really anything like mourning the death of the promised Messiah!
Read John 16:20 and 22.

The next morning:
Read Matt. 28:1-9, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
The surface should be cracked and the cookies should be hollow!
On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
{Well mine turned out flat and lifeless, but still delicious.}

Note: Cookies can be left on a very very low temp..like 250 degrees. and be ready
in a couple of hours...when surface of cookie looks dry and cracked....they
are ready to eat!!!!!

Even though the cookies themselves were a bit of a flop, the story of Christ's death and resurrection became that much more tangible to my children, and any project that does that is a winner in my book. They also got a chance to see what happens when you don't follow directions completely, and it gave me a chance to fail graciously in front of my children. We will definitely be doing this again!

To Him to deserves all

2011-04-23T15:39:00.003-05:00

As I was pondering about posting ... everything I would normally post about seemed trivial compared with what we are remembering this weekend: the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's really only because of Him that we are able to strive to be the women that God has called us to be. I'm so thankful that He bridged the gap - and that I may now have the everyday access to the Holy Spirit that I need.

Today and tomorrow, may His wonderful love and the joy of our salvation fill your heart.

II Timothy, 1:9-10 "He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Layered Cakes ... A Tutorial of Sorts

2011-04-21T13:20:00.005-05:00

I really like to do layered cakes. Not because I feel like mine always look beautiful, but I like to really emphasize the taste factor going on! Two weeks ago, I made a 1/2 sheet cake for my little sister's senior recital for her college degree. She told me to make something that would "taste really yummy"! I said "I can do that!"

You can make layered cakes any size. One trick to remember is that frosting a round cake is easier to do that frosting a cake with edges. Frosting tends to give trouble around the edges. Double layer, triple layer, whatever you choose!

I do enjoy making cakes from scratch, BUT, even the famed Alton Brown from Food Network sings the praises of cake mixes from a box. Why? Because with baking, measurements need to be extremely precise - it's really a scientific process - and if you use a cake mix, it's hard to mess up! So, especially when I am doing a sheet cake, I often pick a good mix and doctor it up with extra flavorings or add-ins. Less chances of it falling in the middle, coming out dry, etc. etc.

Here's how the cake went:

1. Bake cakes. I baked mine as separate layers, rather than baking one thick cake and slicing it through. Less mess in terms of crumbs, and easy to do with kiddos running around! I always line my cake pans with wax paper when doing a layered cake because they remove so easily and I never fear for it sticking to the pan. I usually bake my cakes 2-3 days in advance and freeze them. You can decorate them while they are still partially frozen, and it helps avoid lots of crumbs in the frosting. Or, if you are cutting shapes from a cake, it is MUCH EASIER to do with a frozen or mostly-frozen cake!

2. On decorating day, pull out of the freezer. Let thaw slightly. While cakes are sitting out, prepare filling. One of my faves: 1/2 brick of softened cream cheese, 1/2 pint of whipping cream, sugar to taste. Whip cream cheese in mixer; when light and fluffly, slowly add whipping cream and beat until whipped through. Add sugar slowly - to taste. You can also add all kinds of flavoring to this: one of my hubby's favorite is 2 T. of strong coffee. Yum. Whipped Mocha Filling.

3. Layer cakes and filling together. Note: I doubled the above filling recipe for two layers of filling on a 1/2 sheet cake. I think I could have tripled/quadrupled it for some REALLY good layers!

4. Prepare desired frosting. Frost/decorate cake - any way that you like! If you aren't serving soon, since you've got a filling with dairy, store this cake in the fridge.

I got some wonderful compliments on this cake. Overall, I was pleased. My decorations never live up to the ideas I have in my brain, but oh well! When it's all said and done, hopefully people leave with a great taste in their mouth ... not just polite comments on the appearance. And if you're not into decorating, you can still make a good tasting and beautiful cake! Just swirl your frosting around as you spread it, making sworls and whorls, put a few fresh flowers on top and you are good to go!

Friends

2011-04-19T12:57:00.004-05:00

Something I have been pondering about, praying about, and learning about (once again) is friendship. The fact is: relationships are messy. There are misunderstandings, miscommunications, different perspectives, missed moments to be open, offenses, etc. etc. etc.! The flip side is that God created us for relationship, and even amidst the constant challenges of healthfully navigating friendships, being close to people is a beautiful thing. To have the freedom to share with others, to have them share with you ... think of some of the best times you have shared with family, husbands, friends, children - would you trade them? Even though there were probably just as many tough paths that were walked as well?

Hopefully, no. Overall, I am not a person who easily opens up. I tend to process inwardly. When I am down, my initial tendency is to sequester myself away. Big groups sometimes make me feel awkward. I'm not that great at "small talk" and drawing others into conversation. I get nervous! Yet, without friendships and relationships ... I get even more down and more inwardly-focused! It becomes a downward spiral that I have to fight against.

I can think of two specific friends that I currently have, in way different time frames (college and recent) had the guts to confront me when I wasn't being the friend I should be. Who questioned me and drew me out (lovingly) in order that our relationship might be strengthened and not left to wither away. I am so grateful that they did that!

Within the past several weeks, the Lord has been reminding me to pursue my friendships. I get busy - I look at others and assume that they are "busy" too, and don't make a priority to spend time with others, especially other moms. But when I'm not in relationship with others who are in a similar time of life - or just ahead - as I am, then I start to listen to another voice, a deceiving voice that tells me I'm all alone, only I struggle with this or that, only my kids are this trying at times, and it goes on and on and on. And although my ultimate confidence has to be from Him, He gave me the other women around me to be a part of my life ... to cheer me on so I can cheer them on.

I read an article: "A Mom's Guide to Making Friends" in Parents Magazine the other day (I attempted to find the article online and couldn't for some reason ...). It re-inspired me to work harder at making time for my friendships. Some highlights:
- Find a commonality you share (i.e., children, their ages, church, hobbies, etc.) and let that get a friendship or even a conversation off to great start;
- Opt for face time rather than just email/Facebook/phone ("technology is a great added value to a friendship, but it's neither necessary nor sufficient" ... as long as you're in the same town);
- Remember that you can be great friends both with those like you, and with those who are much different. Sometimes being different eliminates competitiveness and enables women to coach each other along;
- Make maintaining friendship easy - not a chore. The author says that "Moms are great at budgeting time for everything - playdates, exercise, school, housework, even sex - but they rarely budget time for friendships". She suggests thinking of a "friendship budget" so to speak ... just making sure time for friends is included in your month - EVERY month.

We all have our priorities. And I'm not trying to add to anyone's "to do" list and make life more overwhelming than it can already seem! Just sharing what God is challenging me with. To not go the easy way for Elisa ... which is often to want to avoid relationship challenges. But that only isolates me and weakens my friendships. Which I don't want! So, I am asking Him to help me stick to a stronger resolve reach out to my friends and let our messy lives intertwine!

Checkerboard Project

2011-04-12T16:48:00.000-05:00

Sarah K's tic-tac-toe game reminded me of the quilted checker board I made for my niece's birthday a couple years ago. Don't think of this as a tutorial, because I sew like I fly: by the seat of my pants. But this might be enough for inspiration at least.

materials:
* 2 different patterns/colors of fabric: the amount you need will depend on how big you want to make the mat/board
* Sturdier material for the back (I used denim)
* Quilting material/batting (see! I don't even know the right word off the top of my head!)
* Bias tape
* RicRac (ok, so you don't NEED ricrac, but it just makes everything look cuter, so why not?!)

If you know how to quilt, you know how to make this simple checker board!

Playing Pieces:
I was trying to go for a pioneer/little house on the prairie feel with this game, so some of my ideas for playing pieces were larger, older buttons or beads, wooden thread spools, metal bottle caps, round wooden chips, and things of that nature. But, since I usually fly by the seat of my pants, I didn't really have time to scout around and start a collection of those things. So instead I thanked this convenient age and drove over to the Dollar Tree and Michael's. I used glass pebble pieces for the regular pieces, and large wooden ladybugs hot-glued onto 4 pebbles for the Kings, or Queens, in this case.

I probably should have made more Queens...some players are really good!

And with the last little bit of fabric I had left over I made a little bag for the game pieces.

I also included a printed sheet of game instructions. Looking back, I didn't make my board the standard size (it's supposed to be 64 squares and each player has 12 pieces). I'm not quite sure if that has made a huge difference or not in gameplay...

This project was inspired by one my mother made for my sister when we were little. I always thought it was so pretty! My sister has saved it these twentysome years, and I made her take it out so I could get a photo and we had fun talking about it. Mom made it out of a flat, square piece of wood, covered it in fabric, with felt on the bottom, then cut out white squares and put them in the pattern, with glued ric-rac borders. so fun!

No matter how you do this project, you can make it special!

"Teach me Thy Way"

2011-04-11T14:34:00.007-05:00

This teaching/learning month seems like a great opportunity to share one of my favorite hymns. I'm currently teaching it to my oldest two, one verse at a time. I love hearing their little voices singing it, and am praying that it is planting seeds of teachability, obedience, and trust in their young hearts.

Teach me Thy Way, O Lord; Teach me Thy Way!
Thy gracious aid afford; Teach me Thy Way!
Help me to walk a-right, more by faith less by sight,
Lead me with Heavn'ly light; Teach me Thy Way!

When I am sad at heart, Teach me Thy Way!
When earthly joys depart, Teach me Thy Way!
In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress,
In failure or success, Teach me Thy Way!

When doubts and fears arise; Teach me Thy Way!
When storms o'er spread the skies; Teach me Thy Way!
Shine through the cloud and rain, thro' sorrow, toil and pain,
Make Thou my pathway plain; Teach me Thy Way!

Long as my life shall last; Teach me Thy Way!
Where'er my lot be cast; Teach me Thy Way!
Until the race is run, until the journey's done,
Until the crown is won; Teach me Thy Way!

- B. Mansell Ramsey, 1849-1943

Hooray! Banner Tutorial

2011-04-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

Banners are a hot trend right now...or so it seems. A friend and I made a "Hooray!" banner for a baby shower that we hosted. We used scrapbook paper and it turned out great. We made a second banner for my mother-in-law and she absolutely loved it! We decided for her birthday that we would make her one out of fabric so it would be sturdier and last longer. Here is the tutorial:

Reversible Hooray! Banner

Materials Needed:

Fabric (it is hard to say how much because it depends on how many different fabrics you use and how big you make the banner)
Interfacing
Iron-on adhesive (optional)
Bias tape
Thread
Iron
Straight pins

Step 1: Iron interfacing to fabric and trace triangles (our triangles were 12 1/2" on the top and 14" on the sides). We wanted to use as little interfacing as possible, so we cut out the triangles from the interfacing and ironed them to the fabric before tracing the triangle onto the fabric. You will need to do some planning because you only need interfacing on 7 triangles (if you are making a "HOORAY!" banner) because although you are going to cut out 14 triangles, there will only be 7 triangles total.

Step 2: Cut out the fabric triangles. We cut out 14 triangles because we were making a reversible banner that says "HOORAY!". You can cut out more or less depending on what expression you choose.

Step 3: Cut out letters. If you are using iron-on adhesive, such as Wunder Under, you will want to iron this to your fabric and trace the letters before cutting them out.

Step 4: Iron (or pin) letters to fabric and sew.

Step 5: Lay out triangles in two rows...one is the front of the banner and one is the back of the banner. Make sure to spell one of the words/phrases backwards.

Step 6: Pin right sides of triangles together and sew (3/8" seam allowance) the two long sides of the triangle. You do not need to sew the top of the triangle. Cut the tip of the triangle.

Step 7: Turn right side out and iron. Top stitch along the two long sides of the triangle. Top stitching is optional, but we enjoyed picking a fun stitch to use and it dressed up the triangles. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for each set of triangles.

Step 8: Lay triangles out in order that they will hang. Fold bias tape over the top of the triangles and pin to the top of each triangle connecting the triangles together. You can decide how much space to leave between triangles. Sew bias tape to ribbon using a 1/4" seam.

Forgive me for not having a picture of the final product (or of my mother-in-laws face when she opened it as a birthday gift)! Don't be afraid to experiment with different fabric choices and expressions. I will warn you that this is a time consuming project, but worth every minute!

Teaching/Learning

2011-04-02T12:57:00.076-05:00

The theme for this month is going to be "Teaching/Learning". I wish I was able to say that I chose this topic because of my desire to share all the wonderful things God is teaching me or the lessons I am learning every day as I continue on this journey of motherhood. The reality is that I have a couple of projects I have been working on and I wanted to post the tutorials.

(Here is a tip: I have a folder saved under my Favorites called "Craft Ideas". Every time I find a cute craft that I would like to try some day I save the link to this folder so that I can find it easily without having to spend a lot of time searching the internet for the tutorial.)

Project #1: A denim tic-tac-toe game

I found a tutorial here for a burlap tic-tac-toe game. I can't even remember how I stumbled upon this tutorial, but I'm thankful that I did. I decided to make this game for my niece's 2 yr birthday (I know, not really age appropriate, but I couldn't come up with anything else). I felt like the burlap was too rough, although very cute, so I chose to use denim. Unfortunately I did not think to take pictures while I was sewing this project, so you will only get to see what it looks like completed.

Items you need:

denim (30"x30")
ribbon (I bought two spools of ribbon, 9 ft each)
thread
felt

Step 1) Cut denim and ribbon and wash. Make sure you cut the perimeter ribbon an inch or so longer than what you need to make sure that you have enough.

Step 2) Pin and sew perimeter ribbon. I used a zig zag stitch on the top and the bottom of the ribbon.

Step 3) Pin and sew the ribbon that makes up the #.

Step 4) Cut letters out of the felt. I used Century Gothic font (size 400) and I traced the letters inverted on my felt so that there would be no pen marks on the front of the letter. I used "M" for Mom, "D" for Dad, "k" for Katie and "a" for Anna.

I apologize for this not being a very complete tutorial. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Growing in Patience - by Faith

2011-03-30T13:52:00.002-05:00

I had hoped for a fantastic tutorial post to wrap up March. Nope. Hence my actual post.

Lately, it seems, that the Lord is giving me many ways to exercise patience. Or, rather, to ask for His patience to pour into me so that I can turn attempt to live it out. As sisters, wives, mothers, friends, co-workers, you-name-it, we know that having patience is SO much easier said than done!

When will the colds/ear infections go away?

Have patience, my child.

When can I get all the laundry washed/dried/folded? House clean? Etc. when said children keep seeming to get sick?

Have patience, my child.

Why does my 4 year old have to push limits ALL.THE.TIME? (at least it feels like that)

Have patience as you teach him obedience.

I am finding that as God reminds me to have patience, it is also a lesson for me in priorities. My priorities are, well, mine! And often when I find that little monster of impatience creeping out of my speech, into my thoughts, it is because I am focused on what I think/need/want to get done, rather than keeping focused on what God sees as truly important.

I have lately felt so impatient with myself. Why am I not further along in my walk with God? Why do I struggle with many of the same things over and over? Why do I lose my temper more often than I would like? And as I have wrestled with those questions - I find God has told me to have patience. Not in a passive manner ... but the patience of seeking His Will, reading His Word, and allowing the process of transformation to occur along His timeline. I would prefer instant transformation! Wouldn't we all? But my sinful nature doesn't really want to give up without a fight. And so I am finding that humbling myself before the Cross is really all I can do. Humbling myself by asking forgiveness of my son when I snap at him rather than taking a deep breath and responding in love. Humbling myself by allowing others over to my house when I would rather have it looking my cleaner (that is a true challenge for me). Humbling myself by acknowledging that I am so far from having it all together, but, thankfully, He isn't expecting me to.

And that's it. Perhaps this is only where I am at - and you are far beyond me! But, the honest truth was that a fantastic tutorial post on my agenda for the day. And God came right in at 9:30 a.m. this morning and threw my agenda out the window ...

Trying to Grow in Healthy Ways - Food-wise

2011-03-26T11:04:00.003-05:00

Sorry for my lateness in posting ... we were out of town early on the in the week. And I have found myself scrambling to catch up after being gone. We literally walked into our house and Eli and I looked at each other and cringed. We expected it - but it was rather messy. I know that all the sitters did their best - but with three different rotations of sitters coming in for three days in a row, I knew the house would be messy. So, we started laundry, cleaning, unpacking, spending time with the boys, and getting ready to send Eli right back out the door for a weekend at school. WHEW! Now, it's suddenly already Saturday, and my high hopes of posting on Thursday obviously didn't happen - and I'm left with what feels like an empty brain with which thoughts of what needs to be done for Jonah's birthday party ofn Sunday keep floating in and out.

BUT, one thing that I have been pondering - both in my mind and attempting to see how it works out practically for my family, is trying to grow in our consumming of healthier and different foods. Looking forwards to garden seasons and already wanting to "gear up" to try new things and get ALL my boys to branch out from normal and safe foods.

I'm eager to hear others' thoughts out there: I don't want to go weirdo over it all - but I do want to improve in how I manage this area of my household. How do you do it?

Here of some of my thoughts/changes/hopes for future changes:

- I splurge every now and then and buy Almond Milk. Eli and I both really like it. It's great in smoothies and it's lower in fat and calories than cow's mlk. Almond Breeze unsweetened almond milk has only 40 calories per serving, 0 grams of sugar, and 45% of your daily suggested calcium intake. Pretty good! Unfortunately, it also often runs over $3 a carton - so it IS a splurge. Worth it? What do you think?

- Eli is meat man. He just loves his meat. I, for one, could live without it. I enjoy meat every now and then, but if I needed to be a vegetarian for any reason, it wouldn't be that hard for me. So, we compromise: we attempt to eat several meals without meat a week. Why? First, meat is expensive - makes a difference in the grocery budget when we don't buy it each week! Secondly, the meatless meals we often come up with take a healthy focus - which we're both happy about.

- I don't think at this point we're going to put in a garden in our yard. But, we help out in Eli's parents' garden - and get fresh produce all the time from the family. My goal this year is to offer to help MORE often, and take any offers of produce - even if it's a kind someone in this house normally turns their nose up at. And then I will head home with it, search my cookbooks and online and find a way for us to try it.

- I've also been tossing around the idea of joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Rolling Prairie Farmer's Alliance would work for a Lawrencian. The cost ranges from $14-17/week - but it would support local farmers AND I would spend less at the grocery store. Yes, each week would be a surprise - but somehow the thought appeals to me. I haven't really asked Eli to consider it seriously, but I think the conversation may happen. Any experience from our readers with being a part of a CSA?

Ultimately, I think I might be growing hungry for spring! Warmer weather, gardens, playing outdoors, more physical activity, fresh watermelon, etc. And that might be part of the reason all this is on my mind ... how 'bout you?

Excuse the Interruption

2011-03-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

I just found this link on craigslist for a children's resale boutique in Baldwin. They are in the process of trying to make room for Spring clothes by having a dollar sale. I have never visited this shop, although I have driven by many times wishing I had time to stop and browse, so I cannot speak from experience regarding the quality of clothing. Just thought I would pass this along. Happy Wednesday!

growing like weeds

2011-03-19T15:30:00.002-05:00

Kids grow so fast! And there are two main things they quickly outgrow that make an impact on the pocketbook: Diapers and Clothes. Recently I've made some discoveries and changes that have helped regarding how I approach each.

Diapers:

discovery: One of the most helpful pieces of information I've learned lately is that if your baby outgrows a diaper size and you still have unopened packages in that size left, while you could potentially save them for a shower gift or make a fabulous diaper cake, you can also take them back to the store and easily exchange them for the next size up! In preparation for baby's arrival, I had already begun a little diaper stockpile any time I saw a great deal on them, so when she came we were ready! Then I got several packages of diapers as shower gifts, and then again as Christmas gifts, so there were some sizes that she outgrew before breaking into a new pack.
I did a little market research and tried making the exchange at Walmart, Walgreens, and HyVee. WalMart was the easy-peasy exchange! You can even exchange for a cheaper brand and get the difference back in cash! After NB/sz1 I don't really care for Pampers, so I was happy to trade them for the cheaper brand that I prefer anyway. The only thing they don't do is take back brands that they don't stock in the first place. For example, I had received several packages of Luvs that I never was able to use, and they didn't carry this particular type, so I had to hunt down the store that did (HyVee). HyVee let me make an equal exchange (I didn't try going for a different brand, so I'm not sure how they feel about that). Walgreens has the same policy.
Because these were gifts I didn't have a receipt, which made me doubtful of whether or not each store would take them, since who knows where the gift-giver actually bought them in the first place (unless, it's a particular kind of Luvs, then apparently only HyVee carries them). But each time I simply explained the situation to Customer Service, asked if I could make a trade, and walked out with the size I needed. Happy!

tip: Sometimes Walgreens has a BOGO sale on their store brand diapers, which is a beautiful thing. It is also a dangerous thing because those packages can go fast. A friend of mine told me that if the size she needs is sold out, she will just buy any other size and then return it later for the correct one once they get them back in. Typically I don't think of returning diapers. It just goes to show that there are ways to save and still get what you need!

Clothing:
(I want to acknowledge up front that this is a very Western mindset, where we have so much available to us, but that's our hemisphere; it's what we know...)

There's no getting around it: babies need a lot of outfits. Between the drool, wet-thrus, spit-ups, and blow-outs, they go through multiple clothing changes a day. As far as I'm concerned, nothing beats garage-sale baby clothes, where you can afford to buy a bunch at 25-75 cents a piece! I've also really appreciated the end of season clearance sales, which allow me to buy ahead at sometimes up to 65% off clearance prices. Old Navy is especially fantastic for this! As a new mom, when I first started doing this I asked several mom's how they approached gauging their childrens growth & needs for the next season, and the common advice was to buy pants in the age that they will be at that time, and tops in the next size up. That worked pretty well for us!

reasons I love it:
1)you can find some seriously cute and fine quality stuff out there for supercheap!

2) when your baby has a blow-out that even OxyClean can't conquer, that ruined article of clothing isn't as sad. Or if you daughter has a growth spurt and that dress is suddenly just too short, it doesn't hurt the wallet as much.

cautions:
* The danger of these sales is that I think, "oh, it's so cheap! I should buy 2 or 3 instead of just 1" when 1 might be all I really need or ever gets worn.

* I'm tempted to buy something that I don't totally love, but is just ok, because it's so inexpensive.

* Garage sale items are a gamble. I bought a bunch of 4T shirts for her at a garage sale for 25cents a piece, and happily tucked them away for the future. Well, I pulled them out with the 3T items, and half of them never even fit her. The tag said 4T, but they had been washed enough times that they were easily in the 2-3T range. The nice thing is that I can put them in the 2T bin for Baby to grow into.

* buying ahead gets confusing, especially when buying for multiple kids.

tip: After learning from experience, anytime I bought ahead for the next size up, I would write down on a notecard what I had purchased and just keep a running tab that I would take with me when garage and clearance saleing. This helped me keep from forgetfully buying multiples of the same thing and also allowed me to try to keep things coordinated. Even though the pants, top, and sweater, for example, might have come from three different places, I could still make up one cohesive outfit with them.

recent discoveries/changes that have made me realize that I want change:
1) Once babies get to about 1YO, they no longer need so many wardrobe changes. It's hard to get out of this mindset, especially when purchasing ahead because your baby is right there in front of you, drooling all over herself. But they stop doing those things and don't really need as much.
2) My 4YO son especially has gotten very particular about what he wears, so even if I only spent $1.50 on a shirt last season with plans that he will wear it this season, it's a $1.50 "wasted" because he doesn't like it, and it's too late to return it to the store.
3)Along those same lines, he and my daughter have their favorite items. Sometimes I wonder why I even have more than one shirt, because it seems like that's the only shirt he ever wants to wear.
4) I, too, have my favorite outfits for them, and I would rather they wear those than some other things, so between my favorite and theirs, the rest just becomes closet clutter that I'm constantly sifting thru until I find the favorites.
5) the more kids I have, the more space becomes a premium, and the less I want to have bins of clothing stashed for them, waiting for them to grow into.
6) My 2YO daughter has the longest legs in the world and zero hips. Again, jeans and khakis and dresses that I bought cheaply are still a "waste" of money because they don't fit right. She has already outgrown most of the 3T dresses that I had purchased ahead for her. Thankfully she got some wear out of them, but not as much as I expected or would have liked.

note: You'll notice I put waste in parenthesis. Nothing ever need be wasted. Repurpose these items as gifts, save them for the next child in line, lend/give them to your friend with similar-aged kids, donate them, or sell them. Clothing items new with tags (NWT) can sell very well online and at consignment sales. I keep the tags on the clothes until I'm absolutely sure the kids will wear them, and only cut them before that first wash. Thankfully, I've been able to even make money off some of the NWT items that I've consigned because we didn't end up using them like I expected.

useless but relevant aside: I don't know if you are like me, but for some reason I am willing to spend more at a consignment sale than a garage sale. I get really annoyed when garage sales have their kids clothes priced anywhere above $2, doesn't matter how great they are. I know it doesn't necessarily make sense, but I expect and want garage sale prices!

new game plan:

space: I've gone back and forth about whether you get more bang for your buck by selling clothes as soon as a child grows out of them, while they're relatively current and can get a slightly higher price, or saving them for the possibility of a next child. In the past I've kept most of the items, especially when I have nephews and friends who can borrow them in the meantime. But this year I decided I was going to only keep my very favorite and highly utilized pieces and sell the rest so that I could condense the storage area. I also decided that, although summer dresses are really cute on little girls, anything with spaghetti straps had to go (unless I could layer it with another shirt). Yes, she's only two, and she's only showing baby skin, but it's still skin, and it's the principle/ pattern of it all. Still hoping for some bang for that buck, I participated in my first Just Between Friends sale last weekend (yikes! what a ton of work) as well as consigned some items at a local shop (less work, but less $too). Next up is a garage sale, and whatever doesn't sell there gets donated. Like I said, nothing need be wasted. I had some items that I didn't think even Goodwill would want, but Jeni reminded me about the donation receptacles in pretty much every grocery parking lot. Maybe someone will appreciate some of these more "roughly worn items". If not, then they can toss them out, but at least they have the option, and I don't have them lying around anymore.

clothes:
"Reduce, ReUse, Recycle" may be our generations motto, but my parents motto was: "Use it up; wear it out! Make do; Do without!" This January I decided that I am going to ride out what is left of the things that I've purchased ahead, and am not going to buy another stitch of kids clothing unless it's absolutely necessary (for instance, Daughter is going to need a new swimsuit for this summer. There is no creative way around that unless we never go to the public pool. and she LOVES the pool). Instead of trying to save money and being prepared by buying ahead, I'm going to use up what we already have. Then next year, when I have a clean slate, or closet if you will, I want to see if less is more, even if I have to pay full price for it (but I'm sure gonna try to get it on sale! ; )). I grew up in a family of five kids, and I remember very clearly having a uniform. I remember having two school-day outfits for each season, with some play clothes thrown in the mix, and one, maybe two, Sunday outfits for each season. Like I said, there were five kids, and we moved around a lot, so we didn't accumulate much. Sounds heavenly to me right now! This is my new plan for the kids as they get older, until they get old enough to be embarrassed by it, as I did, and try and block it from their memories.

Maybe someday they will turn into their mother too... =)

questions: What is your clothing philosophy? Do you have any hot tips?

Growing Pains

2011-03-15T22:15:00.012-05:00

Do you remember singing this song in Sunday School when you were little?

Read your Bible
Pray every day
And you'll grow
grow
grow

Funny, I was really excited for this topic. Lot's of ideas have been running through my head all month, and now it's my turn, and I haven't had a single minute until just now to write. And the things keeping me busy and overwhelmed are all due to growth. Baby is teething; those little teeth are trying to break through keeping her up at night and crabby-clingy during the day. Daughter is in physical therapy; 1+ year of constant tiptoe walking is affecting her musculature, skelecature, and posture. or are those things why she toewalks? Son is picking up concepts so quickly that I'm afraid I'm holding him back because I'm not organized yet to fully take the homeschooling plunge and concentrate on that right now.
And that's just the mothering aspect of my life...

I guess every phase of life is a growing phase. Sometimes it's a calm steady rate, sometimes it's exhilarating and flourishing, and sometimes it's stretching, overwhelming, and painful. That's the phase I'm currently in. I would prefer to be in the blossoming phase where beauty and fruit are evident, soaking up that sunshine. But right now I feel like I'm just slowly starting to move through the soil, trying to dig out from under the earth pushing down on me. Right now the comforting thought is that, unlike that seed out there that is growing up, reaching for the light, I don't have to wait to break through the soil. Even in my darkest moments, I have Light. I would like to share some of the things that have come up in my reading this month that have been particularly helpful and encouraging during this growth cycle.

March 8th Evening Reading

I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able. 2 Timothy 1:12
* Able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. Eph. 3:20
* Able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work 2 Corinthians 9:8
* Able to aid those who are tempted Hebrews 2:18
* Able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25
* Able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Jude 24
* Able to keep that which I've committed to Him until that Day 2 Timothy 1:12
* [Christ] will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Phil. 3:21
* Jesus said to [the blind man], "Do you believe that I am able to do this?...According to your faith let it be to you" Mat. 9:28-29

March 10th Morning Reading

The-Lord-Will-Provide Genesis 22:14
God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering. Genesis 22:8 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save: nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. Isaiah 59:1 The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn ungodliness from Jacob. Romans 11:26 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Psalm 146:5 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their sou from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:18-19 My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:19 He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:5-6 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. Psalm 28:7

March 13th Evening Reading

O my God, my soul is cast down within me. Psalm 42:6
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength. Isaiah 26:3-4 Cast you burdens on the Lord, and He shall sustain you. Psalm 55:22 For He has not despised nor abhorred the the afflictions of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard. Psalm 22:24 Is anyone among you suffering? Let Him pray. James 5:13 Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid John 14:27 Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, hat you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:25-26 (this verse keeps popping up on this blog!) Do not be unbelieving, but believing. John 20:27 Lo, I am with you always Matthew 28:20

- excerpts copied from Daily Light on the Daily Path, as compiled by the Samuel Bagster Family
This book has been a great blessing to me, as it gives me a directed reading to share with the kids after breakfast, and the cohesive manner of it gives me one thought to meditate on throughout the day. And then there times like this when I am amazed how something compiled in the 1800's can speak directly to my need today. But when it's God's Word, it's always timely! He is so amazing.

Between the old English syntax and style, I've had to read the following poem several times to fully get it. Doing so has been well worth the effort, and one of the better payouts of my time investments.

Thou sayest, "fit me, fashion me for Thee."
Stretch forth thine empty hands, and be thou still:
O restless soul, thou dost but hinder Me
By valiant purpose and by steadfast will.
Behold the summer flowers beneath the sun,
In stillness his great glory they behold;
And sweetly thus his mighty work is done,
And resting in his gladness they unfold.
So are the sweetness and the joy divine
Thine, O beloved, and the work is Mine.

- Ter Steegen, as quoted in Principles of Spiritual Growth by Miles J. Stanford

A plant naturally grows upwards towards the light and warmth above. But I have it even better. I don't have to break through the soil; I have the Light with me always, for He promised to never leave me, nor forsake me. Instead of struggling to cast off the dirt pressing down around me, all I have to do rest in Him, and HE pulls me up.

As I was writing this down and thinking about verses I was typing, the Lord Spirit brought the following hymn to mind/heart.

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.

Refrain

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

O, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.

Refrain

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed!

Refrain

Ever lift Thy face upon me
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ’neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
Sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace.

Refrain

- Jean S. Pigott, 1876

Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life.

Growing a Garden

2011-03-10T10:01:00.000-06:00

The days are getting longer and warmer, which can only mean one thing...Spring is coming! That also means that it is time to start preparing the garden so it is ready to plant in the next month or so.

This year I am going to plant two additional vegetables that I have not planted in the past: onions and potatoes. The long-time farmers/gardeners will tell you that you need to get your potatoes planted on or around St. Patrick's Day, which means I need to get planning!

First, decide what you are going to plant. The internet has a wealth of information regarding what vegetables grow well in what areas and when they should be planted. I recommend plotting out where you are going to plant each vegetable based on the space you have and then figure out how much seed you will need. You don't want to buy too much seed; however, if you do, you can use the seeds the following year. There are proper ways to store the seeds, but I just left mine in the garage. I just finished doing a germination test (place the seeds in wet paper towels in ziploc bags and see if they sprout) and most of my seeds still have over an 80% germination rate.

Secondly, you will want to prepare your soil. My mom has the extension office send someone out to do a soil test every year or so and then she adds whatever it is they recommend. I have never done this. The only preparation I do is to till the garden (actually, my wonderful husbnd tills the garden for me) once the soil dries out enough.

You will want to plant your seeds according to the variety of vegetables you have. Like I mentioned previoulsy, potatoes get planted in the middle of March, while the rest of your garden might not need to be planted until the middle or end of April.

Happy gardening!

Yum, yum yum!

2011-03-08T15:49:00.000-06:00

I just love finding new recipes that are fast, easy and don't require a lot of ingredients. Don't you? Lately I have been growing my collection of recipes and I wanted to share one with you that I am particularly excited about.

I found the recipe for Meat and Cheese Burritos here. I did some tweaking to the recipe...I added pinto beans and whole kernel corn and I left out the salt. I mixed everything in a large bowl and I ended up with 14 burritos. I froze them just like Laura recommended and I have reheated one using the oven and one using the microwave. If you are in a hurry I recommend the microwave as it took less than 3 minutes to go from frozen to yummy in my tummy (I wrapped mine in saran wrap before microwaving so it wouldn't dry out).

Here are the reasons why I am so excited about this recipe:

1) It only took me 30 minutes to make 14 burritos.
2) The burritos work for dinner or for snack and it doesn't take a lot of work to reheat them.
3) My husband can pack these for lunch on days when I don't have leftovers to send with him.
4) They are very tasty!!

If you are curious about how to fold a burrito properly, just google it and you'll find lots of help!

Growing Weary

2011-03-07T11:29:00.000-06:00

On June 15, 2010 I made a list of about six to eight things that I was hoping to have resolved soon or answers for, etc. I put that list in my Bible and I review it occassionally, but not too often lest I get discouraged. I am happy to say that one of the items has been resolved, but the others remain on the list. These happen to be pretty big things, at least in my eyes, and I believe they are big things in God's eyes as well.

Lately I have struggled with growing weary. It seems like this tunnel I am traveling through just keeps going, with no light in sight. I am in the dark before the morning and I'm hoping morning comes SOON! In the midst of my weariness, I know that God is right there with us. Although it is not always easy, we continue to seek God and try our hardest to do His will. Here are some Scriptures that we have found encouragement from:

Psalm 62:1-2

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Jeremiah 17:8

8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Psalm 40:17

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.

Isaiah 40:27-31

27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

I pray that this post will not be a discouragement for those who read it, but rather a reminder that there will be seasons of our lives when we struggle with growing weary, anxious, worried, discouraged, etc. When you find yourself in one of those places, trust that the Living God is there to offer hope and know that this is just the dark before the morning and that the sunrise is going to be beautiful and definitely worth the wait!

Indoor Farming: Day 2

2011-03-05T15:53:00.001-06:00

For any of you that know me, you know I have a very "black thumb". Up until last year, the longest I had ever kept a house plant alive was around 4 months. I have now succeeded in keeping an indoor plant alive for over a year, but it probably doesn't count because it is part of the cactus family. So with all this in mind, I didn't have high hopes for growing sprouts. But, they are GROWING!

Here is what we have done so far:

Steps 1-5 can be found here.

Step 6: Drain water and rinse seeds.

Step 7: Continue to Rinse and drain 2-3 times a day for the next couple of days. (I didn't do this the first day - whoops. I told you I have a black thumb.)

Day 2 - still just seeds

To help with the drainage you can elevate the bottom and let the water drain onto a plate.

Day 3 - starting to sprout.

Tomorrow I will place the jar on my window sill to encourage the sprouts to turn green. I think I'm still supposed to rinse and drain them a few times a day. I'll keep you posted!

Indoor Farming: Day 1

2011-03-03T19:34:00.000-06:00

Well, not exactly farming. We're growing sprouts!

This is something I remember doing when I was little, but could not remember how it was done. I have a vague memory of a jar and pouring water out, but that was about it. So after doing some Googling, I'm now ready to give it a try. Most of the information below is from this helpful link. There are many sprouting resources out there. I found most of them very informative, but overwhelming. So I am going to try and keep it as simple as I can.

Step 1: Gather Supplies - 1 quart jar, cheesecloth or screen for lid, sprouting beans or seeds, (I used a sprouting mix), water, and spoon.

Step 2: Fill jar 1/2 full with water.

Step 3: Add 2 Tablespoons of Seeds or Beans.

Step 4: Put the lid on the jar.

Step 5: Set the jar out of direct sunlight and leave for 8 hours.

This is happening in real time here folks, so these seed are sitting in my cupboard right now, and I will update the tutorial as it happens. Hopefully I can actually grow something.

Interested in reading A LOT more about sprouts try: Mumm's Sprouting Seeds, or The Sprout People.

To be continued...

Growing Testimony

2011-03-02T16:34:00.001-06:00

1 Peter 2:9 But you are* a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;*

A little bit of history: I asked Jesus into my life at the ripe old age of 5 years old. While kneeling down at my toy box, I prayed a simple prayer. I knew I could not be good on my own, so I asked for forgiveness and for Jesus to come into my heart and make me clean. End of story.

Well, not exactly, though this was my go to "testimony" until really thinking about it more recently. I have no idea what concept a 5 year old has of giving ones life to Christ, but I had very little. I was a "Christian" because my parents were Christians and my grandparents were Christians and so on. I knew that it was "right", I memorized scriptures, and I had a well thought out rebuttal for anyone who questioned my "faith". The problem was that I had the knowledge, but in actuality I wasn't living for anyone but myself.

I coasted along quite well, on my own merits, until age 15. Then I realized, to my shock and horror, that my parents weren't always right. *gasp* And if they were not always right in the little things, then maybe they weren't right about the big things either. Maybe there really wasn't a God, maybe what I had been brought up to believe was merely a ploy to get me to behave. I certainly didn't see Him doing much in my life. And so began a very, very dark time in my life. I won't get into all of the details, but let's just say I rebelled. It wasn't until the summer before my 18th birthday that I realized that I was a complete mess without the Lord. So, once again, and for real this time, I committed my life to Christ.

Fast forward to last year sometime: As every Christian does, I've had ups and I've had downs. I've had times of incredible closeness to my heavenly Father, and times when I'm not sure what I'm doing anymore. Last year was one of those times. The more I would seek the Lord, the farther away He seemed to be. I was absolutely lost and miserable. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't force myself any closer to Him. And in the apparent distance (because He hadn't really left me) so much darkness bubbled up from the depths of who I was. Though my life was His and His alone, I was angry, fearful, bitter, judgmental, proud, manipulative and ashamed. I had tried to stuff all of these things, and more, down into the deepest recesses of my heart and then simply forget about them. But the Lord knew they were there and He was asking me to deal with them. So little by little He began a new work on my heart. And because of His work, my testimony continues to grow.

Now, so I don't forget what he has done for me (and will continue to do) I have started a page in back of my bible with brief accounts of this growing testimony. I write one or two sentences chronicling where I was, and then how He has changed me. Then whenever I am feeling like the finish line is just too far away, and there is still so much in me that needs to change, I can take comfort in the fact that - He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ. (Philippians 1:6 - emphasis mine)

I would love know how you remind yourself of the ways God has changed you. Do you journal, paint pictures, or build memorials?

"Growing"

2011-03-01T08:00:00.003-06:00

photo credit - tico_bassie

Spring is in the air, or at least I would like it to be. Though there is still snow on the ground here in Kansas, my thoughts have already turned to warmer days and the new possibilites for growth.

Earlier this month, as I pondered a theme for March on A Bird in the Hand, I found myself getting excessively frustrated. I couldn't think of anything, that I could write about, that someone else couldn't already do better and write about more eloquently. My intention isn't for this blog to become a competition between the contributors (especially if I was going to lose *wink*), but I did want to be able to speak knowledgeably about a subject if I was going to write about it. Every time I thought of a subject (cleaning, parenting, beauty, grace, being a godly wife...) my mind would go absolutely blank. I began to panic - "It's my turn to pick!", "I have to come up with something!", "I can't let the team down!" "think, think, think!!".

I spent a ridiculous amount of brain cells, striving just to pick a simple theme. And then it dawned on me, I haven't taken this to the Lord. I had prayed about it...sort of, but had I really sought the Lord for an answer?...no. I immediately dropped my heart to it's knees and began to pray. He answered. Though He did not immediately give me the answer to my question, like I wanted (of course). He lovingly pointed out where I was missing the mark. I cannot wait until I have all the answers to share with others. If I wait, I will be sharing with others directly from my own proud heart, instead of from His gracious wisdom.

Matthew 6:27-29 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

photo credit - unknown

My desire is not to "toil or spin" in my own efforts, but to grow like a lily, walk in the light of my Creator, and allow my roots to dig deep into Him alone.

So the topic was chosen, not because I can speak intelligently on the subject, but simply because I need to grow. And though it is easier to wait until I feel confident in what I am sharing, I believe the Lord will be able to use me more effectively when I am vulnerable with Him, and also vulnerable with you.

And just to show you how much work I really need, even after this wonderful revelation, in my weakness and insecurity, I still had to ask one of the other contributors if they liked the topic before beginning to write about it. - I may never learn. Thank the Lord for his undying grace toward me, I am so undeserving!

In Everything Give Thanks

2011-02-26T22:02:00.002-06:00

Like most good things, the blogging world has its drawbacks. Along with the ability to learn and share ideas, tips, recipes, etc...comes the battle of comparing and competing, guilt and envy. While having so much information is empowering, it can also be exhausting because a whole new world of ideas, causes, opinions, and "mandates" is thrust upon you. There is always more that I could do, more ways that I could be "better" and both sides of every topic pulling at me to agree that they are THE right way. Well, the only THE WAY that I know is Jesus (John 14:6), and as for the rest of that stuff, the verdict is still out and the color is more gray. I loved how Elisa titled one of her posts "As for me and my house..."

I also like full circles, so I thought it would be fun look at the etymology (origin, history, and evolution of words and their meanings) of the word 'Frugal', since Elisa started us off with the definition in her first post.

Frugal: 1590s, from M.Fr. frugal, from Latin frugalis, from undeclined adj. frugi "useful, proper, worthy, honest; temperate, economical," originally dative of frux (pl. fruges) "fruit, produce," figuratively "value, result, success," related to fructus. Sense evolved in Latin from "useful" to "profitable" to "economical."

I'm happy that "Frugal" was our February theme, because as I was mulling over ways that I save and enjoying everyone's posts, I also was mulling over that good 'ol Love passage, and this particular verse kept coming to mind:

1 Corinthians 13 (NASV)

The Excellence of Love

¹If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.³And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

There is so much we can do. But as we consider what we can do, as we sift through all the information and clamoring voices, as we reconsider what we already are doing, we shouldn't just jump to "is this economical?" but should consider "is this profitable?" Like Jeni posted earlier, what are my motivations for being frugal? Because if it isn't love (for God and what He has blessed me with, for my family, for His Church, for the world He created), then, as Paul said, it profits me nothing. If I am busting my tail to do all of these things because they are frugal, but then have no energy or patience left over for my family, then why am I doing them? and is that really profitable? If I spend so much time thinking about things, even if it's about the best, most economical way to use them, they become a burden instead of a blessing. I believe you can be frugally materialistic.

Matthew 6:25
"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Worry goes both ways. I can worry about frugally using what I have just as easily as I can worry about getting what I have when my motivations get skewed and my focus gets shifted away from "how can I honor the Lord with what He's given me?"

This anecdote really struck me as I looked up the etymology of frugally:

Morton's Fork: 1889, in ref. to John Morton (c.1420-1500), archbishop of Canterbury, who levied forced loans under Henry VII by arguing the obviously rich could afford to pay and the obviously poor clearly were living frugally and thus had savings and could pay, too.

Frugal is as frugal does.

I'm not exactly sure how to get across what I'm trying to say, because I believe strongly in stewardship. I guess I'm just trying to reiterate Jeni's point of not letting even this good thing become an idol or source of security/conflict/worry in your life. It's great to share ideas, inspire, and even challenge each other, because then we can try new things. And sometimes we will like them, like Sarah trying Aldis at her husband and brother-in-law's recommendations, and sometimes we will realize we are best with what we were already doing and can keep on doing it with more contented focus. But whatever we do, whether it's cash envelopes or spreadsheets, cloth or disposable diapering, whether we sprout our grain or buy WonderBread, or everything in between, we should do it with thanks unto the Lord for His provision and appreciation for the resources and luxury of choice that we enjoy.

here are some last resources before I forget. Seriously, there is so much one could say on this topic!
Coupon Database:
http://www.afullcup.com/

Kid's Clothes:
jbfsale.com
http://www.kidscloset.biz/

Dine-Out:
http://www.frugalliving.tv/free-stuff/kids-eat-free.html

Free Nutrition & Fitness Tools:
http://www.livestrong.com/

Frugal Wall Art

2011-02-24T21:48:00.004-06:00

Silver Sharpies:
they are WONDERFUL! I still have dreams of doing a whole wall design with one, but for now I have used one to write some verses from Psalms 37 around my kitchen.

And to create my "pauper's beadboard" in the dining room. I taped the lines off and used some of the leftover gray ceiling paint in the middle. Most people assume that it's wallpaper. I never know what people are going to think of my goofy ideas, but I love it when they don't get noticed because that must mean it's not too jarringly weird or obviously cheap! =)

Plastic Plates:
You can find all kinds of cute plasticware designs in the after-summer clearance sections for excellent prices.
The blue plates I found at Walgreens became fun, big, 3D bubbles in the kid's bathroom.

And the daisies I found in the Target clearance section prettied up my daughter's nursery wall.

along with the daisies are some metal coasters that had a daisy motif (garage sale), a vintage daisy print (garage sale) *I LOVE that picture, sigh* and the oil painting of the swans is one of my most favorite Goodwill finds ever! I have several original paintings that I love and I found them at Goodwill, the Salvation Army store, and garage sales. Never underestimate what you can find in those places!

This is one of the paintings I found at a garage sale. I love it! Who would get rid of such a thing?! I sure am glad that they did, tho! As much as I loved it, I realized that it wasn't quite the right scale for our headboard. So it got moved over to another wall where it shines because it get's all the attention. But I didn't have a lot of money for a headboard. Thankfully a local grocery store had some really large, cheap prints. The art was really cheap&ugly, and in the end I was able to buy two huge canvases for $10each, paint them brown, add some grass cloth placemats (Pier1 clearance) that I cut up and some green ribbon, and suddenly the bed had much more presence and felt anchored!

Even if you don't find great secondhand artwork, you can always make your own!

Fabric, Shoe box lids, & Glue
One of my all-time favorite frugal ideas was for my son's room. I was wanting inexpensive (the kid is gonna grow out of it someday) but cute and colorful tree artwork, so I decided to make it myself. I opted for repurposing old shoebox lids instead of putting money towards canvases.
WalMart has a great $1 fabric table for projects like this.

These little critters were actually shirts my son wore, and stained. But they were too cute to toss out. I'm glad I saved them! They added a great graphic element. That Christmas I gave our extended family the materials to make one for my son's Christmas present if they wanted. This was really fun because it brought some great variety of artistic idea, while still having the continuity of the same fabrics. Jeni made an adorable snail- it was a favorite with the kids, in fact they loved its eyes off and the rest of it to pieces, so it is sadly no longer with us =) And that, my friends, is yet another reason for frugal children's wall art!

My oldest two now share a room, so I brought in one of the pictures that had been in my daughter's nursery. A card that my family had given me for my 16th birthday which I love for the art and the memories. I found the frame in the Kohl's clearence section for supercheap and then backed the picture with a piece of the green gingham curtain (Goodwill) that I had cut up and used elsewhere in her nursery.

Using fabric is a great way to add color and whimsy or elegance while saving on buying custom mats and frames. I've had this watercolor up on the wall for years, always planning on getting it matted, but never ready to spend the money on it. Just last month I realized that I had some great green, sheer crinkle fabric that would add the right touch of color and added texture. I love it. Cost: $0 Improvement: huge!

Photos and Cheap Garage Sale Frames:
Using pictures that mean something to me or evoke a strong memory is my favorite wall art, so
I'm always checking out the clearance aisles and garage sales for inexpensive wooden frames. They are great because everyone has some to get rid of, and a coat of paint makes them work
exactly for your need.

I alternated black frames with dusty-celery painted frames up my stairway. I found great textured $1 mats at WalMart and grabbed them, knowing someday I would use them. I love personal photos, and the old family photos that are surprising and interesting just grab my fancy. I love this wall because it holds so many stories, but still has a cohesive, gallery look to it.

Another project (not shown) for the kids room was some collage frames with pictures of special vacations we took mixed with coordinating color print outs of a favorite book character.

This is my most recent project. I'm hesitant to put it on here because it still needs work. I still need to sticky tack the backs to keep them all straight -this picture drives me crazy- but it's another example of the inexpensive fun you can have. We have really tall ceillings that I wanted to hi-light. All it took was cheap, open frames, several coats of black spray paint, hot glue, a $10 roll of sheer curtain print from Ikea that I have always loved, 8x10 family pictures in sepia tone, and a picture that I created using picknik.com.

my favorite photo resources are
picknik.com where you can upload your own photo and add text and other fun things to it. Recently I just made a poster with a favorite picture and verse
and printed it at Walgreens photo - they are always having some sale or coupon so if you have time you never have to pay full price!

Those are just some of the ideas that I've had fun with around our house. I am no artist, but I love art, and I think a home should be full of fun, meaningful beauty. My philosophy is that if you find something you love, you can find a way to use it. And if you find it on sale, even better! There are so many wonderful, inexpensive ways to add pretty personality to your walls. Go for it!

Jehovah-jireh

2011-02-23T07:57:00.007-06:00

My God will always provide.

Sometimes it's the financial freedom to be able to say "yes".

Sometimes it's the self control to say "no".

Sometimes it's the patience to wait.

Sometimes it's the wisdom, tho begrudging, to see that a "need" is actually just a "want".

Sometimes it's an amazing store sale, craigslist deal, garage sale find etc.

Sometimes it's the contentment to joyfully accept my present situation.

Sometimes it's the brain storm to see how I can better utilize what I already have.

Sometimes it's a gift or thoughtful gesture from a friend or even a stranger.

Sometimes it's a Word of love from Himself that reminds me how blessed beyond measure I already am.

Sometimes it's the recognition of need in someone else's life that helps me see beyond my own situation.

Sometimes it's a coupon for my favorite brand.

Sometimes it's the perspective to understand what real value is.

Sometimes it's the creativity to make or re-purpose something to meet my need.

Sometimes it's peace that passes all understanding, keeping/guarding my heart and mind through Jesus Christ.

Sometimes it's the lyrics of a hymn or song that pop into my head at just the right time
"Stayed upon Jehovah/ hearts are fully blessed/finding as He promised/perfect peace and rest"

Whatever the situation, my God is so wise, so powerful and so creative. It may not be the answer I was looking for, but He is always providing for me!

Jehovah-jireh, the Lord Who Provides, literally, the Lord Who Sees, sees beyond the need that I am experiencing. Each and every situation is an opportunity to help me realize my true dependence on Him, His true love for me, and a way to draw me closer to Himself, and to make me more like His Son.

And that, really, is all I need.

How to: Freeze Fresh Ginger

2011-02-21T18:49:00.002-06:00

Marathon cooking has helped me in more ways than just having a bunch of meals on hand. It has helped me see the freezer as the great asset it is. Big sale on bagels/bread, frozen vegetables, meats, or shredded cheese? Buy a bunch and freeze it up! Fruit going bad? Peel it, chop it, and stick it in the freezer to use in smoothies or yogurts or baked goods later. I REALLY dislike handling onions, so I buy a couple bags, chop 'em up all in one tear-filled standing, freeze 'em, and don't have to deal with them for a while again, but they are ready to saute or add in whenever a recipe calls. Like canning, it's just another way to stock up on seasonal items. Right now I'm wishing I had frozen some bags of cranberries when they were out over Thanksgiving/Christmas. Did you know that every brand of canned whole berry cranberry sauce has high fructose corn syrup in it?! I'm sure that there's an organic brand out there without it, but every brand that I checked at two stores had it listed under ingredients. Boo! But I digress. Point is, the freezer is your friend.

This is is one of my favorite new tips (Thank you, Mary Dunham and "The More Beef for Your Money Cookbook") because I love the kick ginger gives foods and soups but it seemed like, no matter what size I purchased, there were always leftovers that would go bad in the fridge and be wasted. No more! Here is how to get the most out of your ginger:

Buy whichever size seems appropriate for your usage.
(Go ahead and grab a big 'ol root; it's so tasty, and you won't have to remember it next shopping trip because your freezer is stocked!)

Cut into 2inch-ish pieces and pare/peel

Wrap pieces individually in foil

Place wrapped pieces into dated and labeled freezer bag/s

When a recipe calls for some ginger, pull out a piece and grate away!

I like to only partially unwrap it because the foil keeps my fingers from getting too cold.

Some resources
Freezer Chart:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/FreezerChart.htm

Proper Freezer Packaging/Prep
http://www.helpwithcooking.com/food-storage/freezer-storage.html

Share the Cold!
Another great idea is to have a Freezer Swap with some friends! Similar to a cookie exchange, everyone puts together a freezable/storable entree (should feed 4-6). The number of meals that you make depends on the number of participants. Then everyone gets together and takes one meal from everyone else. The benefits of this system is that you only have to buy the ingredients and prepare all the food from one recipe, so you can buy in bulk (save money), and you can do it all at once (save time and dishes), but everyone walks away with many different meals to enjoy.

Food for Thought

2011-02-20T19:25:00.004-06:00

I get so tired of food! Some days it feels like between meal planning, ingredient reading, price checking, shopping, prep, set up, clean up, and, of course, the ever-important snacks, all I ever think about is food, what is in it, is it the right thing for my family, and how do I need to plan my day around getting it on the table and in their tummies on time. Oh, I forgot to mention being the sole food source for a four month old...food food food. But I have discovered a system that frees me up a lot because I freeze up a lot! You may have heard of Once-a-Month cooking, Frozen Assets, or, as I like to call it, Marathon Cooking. Right now I'm doing twice a month cooking (although I just did my second shopping trip and there's less than 10 days left in the month and I still have 2 meals in my freezer!).

Why I LOVELOVELOVE it:

Saves time:

* Two days of work affords two-plus weeks of entrees and lunches!

* It gives me a concentrated time of focused super organization and work, and then the rest of the time I can fly by the seat of my pants like I like to! No more stressing out because I forgot to get dinner started in time or don't have all the necessary ingredients like I thought I did! This system works really well with the way my mind works/doesn't work.

* Instead of peeling, paring, chopping, sauteing, browning, etc... every dinnertime, I do a ton of it in one day and then am done!

* Same thing goes for all those dishes and pots cooking requires- one of my favorite realizations of the perks to doing this: Post dinner clean up is a breeze!

Saves Money:
* typing out my menu plan and grocery list makes going through the grocery store ads and coupons much simpler. I don't have to carry all those coupons on me because I know exactly which ones I need. Same goes for sales (like BOGO or "10 for 10") on non perishables- I have a good idea on how much to stock up and what to pass up.

* Doing the bighuge grocery trip makes me extra careful to go exactly by my list, which is carefully made up after going through my calendar, recipes and pantry. Knowing that my grocery bill is going to be in the three digits always gives me a knot in my stomach. At the same time, knowing that every item that I am purchasing is going to get used and not forgotten or wasted is such a great feeling!

* Added bonus- after I've done my big shopping trip and collected my receipt I usually have no desire to go shopping or spend money on anything for a long time. =)

* Cooking from scratch is always more cost and health effective!

* Having all those meals planned out and made means spending less on eating out or random trips to the grocery store, which always add up. Not feeling great? Tired? Just get home from a busy day out? Dinner is still right there just waiting to be heated! And I know it's more cost effective and healthier than buying frozen entrees at the store; I know exactly what went in, and more importantly, what didn't go in (preservatives!)

Saves Me:
* I always feel prepared for mealtime

* It has helped me overall have a idea of what meals go over really well with the family, and to realize that I don't need to serve them a different meal every night. I repeated my two week menu plan in the same month to get a really good idea on prices comparisons, and nobody complained that we were eating the same things! duh, sarah!

* Hospitality isn't as stressful because I can spend time with guests instead of cooking and cleaning up.

* But I think my favorite aspect is that once all I've done all that thinking, planning, organizing, and cooking, I can just FORGET about it for a week or two! I don't have to worry about running to the grocery store or keeping up on sales, and to me, that is a thing of beauty!

If there is one problem I've found with this system, it's that after I've filled up the freezer I just want to stand there and soak it all in; the temptation to hoard that precious treasure hits. =) But in reality, I feel so much more ready to bring a meal to someone in need.

Saves Hubby:
I especially recommend this if you are planning to become pregnant, or are about to have a baby. Watching my husband scavenge around in the kitchen while I was seriously sick during the first trimester of my second pregnancy was one of the main impetuses for me trying this. When we started talking about having Baby no. 3 I got to cooking! It was so helpful. And then towards the end of my third trimester I started cooking up a storm again and, together with the meals from family and ladies at our church, we didn't have to do major shopping for a month and a half! Such a blessing.

It takes a lot of organization, freezer space, and a free day (although I've managed to do it over the course of two days with all the kids at home, and stayed somewhat sane) but I did want to share this because it really has made life easier for me, and I feel so much more on top of our food chain and food budget!

Resources:
If you're like me and sorely under-utilize the internet, you can still totally figure out a system that works for you and make it happen. However, you can also check out some of these online resources.

http://www.once-a-monthcooking.com
* Mimi Wilson is a Believer, she grew up on the mission field in Africa, later, she and her husband served in Ecuador. I was talking with my mom about her cookbook and found out that we actually went to the same church in CO. when we lived in Denver. Small, crazy world...
* Frugal Alert! Our local Half Price bookstore is currently carrying her cookbook for $4.99
http://organizedhome.com/freezer-cooking/guide-once-a-month-cooking
http://www.frugalmom.net/blog/2010/05/7-steps-to-once-a-month-cooking /
http://www.once-a-month-cookingworld.com/

Idea:
If the thought of marathon cooking is overwhelming, (and I do recommend starting off with a 2wk plan before you attempt a full month's worth) you could still do your menu planning and shopping, but split it up with half crock pot meals, another great 'fix it and forget it' cooking method!

A shopping trip to Aldi

2011-02-17T12:00:00.013-06:00

I mentioned in my previous post that I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi. This has not always been the case as I used to shop at another local grocery store. At the prompting of my husband (he had several years of practice being a bachelor before we were married) and my brother-in-law, I decided to give Aldi a shot. I insisted that my husband go with me because something about that store scared me and intimidated me!! Here are some pointers for shopping at Aldi:

1) Always take a quarter with you! It costs 25 cents to unlock a cart, but you get your money back when you return your cart. If you see someone in the parking lot and they offer you their cart...make sure to give them a quarter.

2) At Aldi you must bag your own groceries. Therefore, you either need to take your own bags, pick up empty boxes while shopping, or buy bags when you check out.

3) Aldi only accepts cash and debit cards.

4) Some items are only carried during particuliar seasons. For example, cocoa is only available in the winter.

One thing I do to make my shopping trips quicker is to use a grocery list that has the items in the order of the store. I have a typed list of the items that I buy most often listed in the order of their location in the Aldi store and I highlight the item if I need to purchase it. This allows me to shop faster and it keeps me from purchasing unneeded items.

Overall I am able to do over 90% of my grocery shopping at Aldi. The prices are fantastic and the quality is great. I highly recommend giving them a try!

This post was strictly my opinion and I was not reimbursed in any way by Aldi.

Saving Cents

2011-02-15T14:42:00.000-06:00

I love saving money! Don't ask me why because after reading Jeni's post here, I am not sure I want to answer that question. Here are some practical ways that my family goes about saving cents:

1) We buy and sell on Ebay and Craigslist. For example, my husband was wanting an office desk for home. He kept checking the newspaper ads and the desks were all so expensive. One afternoon while he was checking Craigslist he found one that said "free desk". He was excited but I told him that sometimes people put that in the ad heading just to get people to look at the ad and that there was no way the desk was free. I was wrong...the desk was free and all he had to do was go pick it up. Here is a picture of his FREE desk:

2) We shop at places like Bargain Depot and Aldi. Bargain Depot is a local store located in Lawrence, KS. If you haven't been there...do yourself a favor and check it out!!

3) I just recently hopped on the online banking bandwagon. It is so nice not to have to buy stamps anymore (or at least as many).

4) We buy generic or use coupons. I haven't done the generic vs. namebrand with coupon comparison. I should and then I would find out which is better. The problem is that most coupons are for food items, which don't help me too much because I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi.

5) Walmart offers price matching. I have only taken advantage of this a couple of times, but it can really help. All you need is a copy of the sales ad showing the lower price on the same item and Walmart will match the price.

6) We rarely eat out...by rarely I mean two or three times a month. And when we do eat out I usually have a coupon or we pick a place with low prices.

7) We live outside of town and do not have the luxury of running to the grocery store every time we need something. This requires a little bit of planning to make sure the pantry is regularly stocked. I just started menu planning in 2011 and I love it. I plan our menus two weeks at a time and therefore go grocery shopping every other Saturday. We usually run other errands that day and so we try to map out our route so we spend our time (and gas) efficiently.

I hope that this post was enlightening and helpful and that I wasn't blabbing about things everyone already knows or does. If so, sorry to have wasted your time. If not, I hope you are able to take something away that will help you and your family be more frugal.

Freakishly Frugal

2011-02-09T12:49:00.000-06:00

Frugal Idea #1. - Eliminate as many paper consumables as you are comfortable with.

Notice I did not say as possible, because there are a few paper consumables that are possible to eliminate that I am just not comfortable with yet. *Though I make it a point to never say never anymore - Because I have previously and adamantly said no to most of the things on my current list.*

WARNING: I am about to get very personal here. You are probably going to find out things about me, that you may never have wanted to know. Also, I know this list is not going to be for everyone. We all do different things to cut costs, and that is what makes sharing our adventures so much fun!

I looked for a list of paper consumables on the internet, but was unsuccessful, so I will just let you know what we have replaced around here.

#1.DIAPERS-

These diapers were made as a gift and aren't made out of t-shirts or receiving blankets.

The first thing I replaced was disposable diapers. This was something that terrified me for years. I would research and then chicken out. It seemed like a good deal, but just too gross to tackle. Then there was the upfront cost. Since I was starting this with my 4th child and not my 1st it was hard to see purchasing diapers as a real long term investment. But after some encouragement from a friend we took the plunge. It's not for everyone, and it's certainly not glamorous, but it has worked really well for us. I ended up making all, but a couple of our diapers out of t-shirts and receiving blankets, so our investment was minimal. We still purchased a diaper sprayer and covers. I also had to buy things like elastic, PUL and snaps to make the diapers.

#2. BABY WIPES-

If you are using cloth diapers it's actually easier to use cloth wipes. You can just wipe their little bums and then throw the wipes in with your diapers. I tried to continue to use disposable wipes for a while, but it wasn't very practical. I always found myself wandering around with a befouled wipe in my hand looking for an appropriate trash receptacle to throw it away.

#3 PAPER TOWELS-

The cloth "paper towels" at our house are just squares of cut up receiving blanket. I had quite a few blankets from my own kids and then had some graciously donated by Sarah when she found out I was turning them into other things. I use the cloth towels just like you would a paper towel. If the spill in question it too gross for me to consider washing and reusing - I just throw it away. I know that that is not super "green" of me, but I'm doing this for the savings first.

#4 NAPKINS-

With all the other changes, napkins just seemed like the logical next step. I used receiving blankets for everyday, and then "real" cloth napkins, from when we got married, for company. Just yesterday I made some new everyday napkins that the girls and I are going to embroider during "Pioneer Days." Those are the ones in the picture.

In case any of you are wondering, after using the cloth towels

and napkins, I throw them in a tiny lidded trash can in the kitchen.

When it is full I wash them with a load of towels.

#5 ok...now...deep breath....MENSTRUAL PADS-

I seriously considered not putting this one on here. Now I feel like when I see some of you face to face, you are going to be wondering "Is she wearing one right now-ewwwwww!?" But I'm trying to keep it real, and part of being real is being vulnerable. This one was my biggest mental hurdle. Fact is, I didn't even like pads, much less reusable ones. And though I could handle the washing out of poo because, after potty training 3 kids, it was already something I had experienced. Washing out blood, not something I ever wanted to experience. Yet here I am. I could probably write an entire post on this subject alone, but I am going to spare you the details and just give you a few quick reasons that I use them.

a. Cost savings

b. Shorter periods

c. Minimal to no cramps

d. Comfort

d. I'm stark raving mad.

In case you are curious, here is what they look like.
I have never actually tried purchased cloth pads,
but my homemade ones work just fine.

Folded up and ready for travel.

Now these are the things we are doing. The next one that I will probably add to my list is cloth kleenex. I am ridiculously uncomfortable with snot, so a hanky is out of the question, but cloth kleenex I just might be able to deal with.

Now I know some of you are probably thinking, "How much does a person actually spend on Kleenex, paper towels, napkins...?" or "How much would I actually save by doing any of this?" The answer - I have no idea. All I know is that if I'm not buying something I'm saving money, even if it's only $5 a month by foregoing paper towel purchases.

Also Sarah mentioned in the comments earlier that some friends of hers had to discontinue using cloth diapers because of their water bill. This really peaked my interest. I certainly didn't want to be saving money in one area only to be losing in another, especially when poo is involved. So I checked our water bill. Our water bill went up $3.00 a month when we started doing cloth diapers. It has gone up another $4.00 since this summer. I'm not sure what changed in the summer, but there you have it. I wash the other cloth things with loads I would have been doing anyway, and I don't think they make too much of an impact. So, for us, the water cost doesn't outweigh what we are saving, but that is something that you would need to examine for yourself. In case it makes a difference, we just have a regular old washing machine - it is not high efficiency. Now as far as the impact the water usage has on the environment vs. less waste in the landfill - I have no idea. This is just what is working for us right now. In the future, who knows?

If nothing else I hope you enjoyed a tiny peek into my world. I know I am always curious how other people do things in their homes.

Frugal Failure

2011-02-07T14:01:00.000-06:00

As I sat down to write this post I had so many ideas to share with all of you. I wanted to share all of the ways that we pinch our pennies and tighten our belts. But as I started writing down my ideas, it all began to sound hollow and self important. I then started thinking about what it really means to me to be frugal.

Why am I trying to be frugal?
What are my motives behind all this "frugality"?
Am I saving money to have money?
Am I trying to keep myself "safe" by having something to fall back on if the worst should happen?
Am I doing this to glorify God, or to glorify myself?

These were hard questions to ask myself and even harder to answer. As I searched deep within myself I began to see all my false motives behind my frugality. I am trying to save money to keep myself safe. I do feel more comfortable with an emergency fund. My faith is in my ability to save enough money to keep us from some unknown disaster. As the contents of my motivation spilled forth before me I was truly disturbed. I had no idea that my "being a good steward" of what God has given me, was really a way of replacing Him in my life. It was time for repentance, and a change of perspective.

So what now? Do I give away all of our money? Do I stop being frugal? Where is the balance?

I don't think so. I still believe that God wants us to be frugal with what He has given us. But the motivation behind the frugality needs to be to give Him the glory and Him alone. If it is going to feed my sense of security, my pride, or anything else it has become a worthless idol.

Though this was not what I had intended to write for Frugal February. I'm am so glad my previous plans were thwarted. Oh, and I will still be posting some frugal tips and tricks. But this time with an entirely different set of motives!

As for Me and My House ...

2011-02-04T13:39:00.001-06:00

All week long I have mulling over how I work to be frugal with my resources. My focus is mainly on how I do this as a wife, a mother, the “household manager” around here. Rather than carry on for an extensive post of rambling … I will make it most “list-like”.

TO BE MORE FRUGAL/RESOURCEFUL, I …
- Keep a cash budget. Once there is no more cash in the envelope for designated categories, we don’t spend. Sometimes with diapers and stuff, it can get a bit dicey as I budget very tightly, but it helps us to stay low in entertainment, clothing, grocery, household, and misc. spending.
- Cook at home. No order out, no take out, and rarely eat out at all anymore. I do attempt to bake most baked goods as well. But, occasionally Eli requests a loaf of store-bought sandwich bread. I don’t know why he likes it, but sometime he just does.
- Shop garage sales, Craigslist, etc., for clothing, furniture, you name it!
- My kiddos (and me!) wear LOTS of hand-me-downs. And I am SO grateful to those who share with us!
- Attempt to make homemade gifts when I can. And we also shop sales for birthday and Christmas gifts all year long. Clearance can be a good thing!
- Keep our heat as low as we can with kiddos in the winter, and just comfortable in the summer with the AC.
- Buy store brands and use coupons.
- Try to live simply. Eli’s salary had a significant drop when he changed jobs. We made the determination in our hearts to not “sweat it”, but give up things, mostly material, and focus on being grateful for what God has graciously given to us. Save, Re-use, Re-purpose, etc.
- Keep a to-do list on my fridge to keep my mind and actions focused during the day.
- Make a point to have occasional date nights with Eli to keep a priority on our marriage.
- Spend time with the Lord. He reminded me this week that “His yoke is easy, and His burden is light”, and that being frugal and resourceful is a wonderful thing, but only when it stems from His leadership in my heart. Otherwise, I risk becoming resentful rather than enjoying the challenge of it!

MY FAILURES:
- I admit. I adore Tide detergent. So, I do pay for name brand laundry detergent. I have lots of sweaty, stinky workout clothes, and it just really cleanses them. So, I don’t cut a corner here, but I do in other spots.
- I don’t use cloth diapers. Again, an admission: totally afraid of them. Yes, I realize I have spent more on disposables, and yes, I realize it is MUCH better for the environment. But, I am super intimidated by them and haven’t yet had the guts to take the plunge.
- We still pay for cable TV currently. It’s always on the discussion table, but our love for KU basketball is currently trumping the desire to save that $$ each month.
- and yes, there are many more, I’m sure!

We all do the best we can, I believe. Probably everyone that reads this blog is much better than I am at conserving and using what you have. I’m not going to get caught up in comparing myself to anyone else. I just hope that I can look back and be confident that I was obedient to the Lord in what He asked me to do, and that Eli and I worked together as a united team to best raise the boys and manage the household “stuff”. I’m looking forward to what else is shared this month!

fru-gal

2011-02-01T14:46:00.003-06:00

We have a theme this month at BITH: Frugal. This topic can obviously take a great many turns and different directions. But, one thing all the contributing women on this blog have is common is that we work to be frugal. To be good stewards of what God has placed in our hands to oversee. That could mean finances, time, resources ... all sorts of things!

Let's start off the discussion with a definition - from good 'ole Merriam Webster:

"characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources"

So, what about economy? One click further:

1. archaic : the management of household or private affairs and especially expenses

a : thrifty and efficient use of material resources : frugality in expenditures; also : an instance or a means of economizing : savingb : efficient and concise use of nonmaterial resources (as effort, language, or motion)

I find that putting those two together really brings it together. By working to "reflect economy in the use of my resources", I am (hopefully) being "thrifty and efficient the use of material resources" as well as with non-material resources!

Yesterday evening and through this morning ... I mulled over this topic in my head as I went about the things I was already doing. I felt the Lord continually bring up Proverbs Chapter 31 in my heart. Here is a description of the "Wife of Noble Character". Certainly, as we are to emulate her, she used frugality and economy in her household.

- "She brings him (her husband) good, not harm, all the days of her life" v. 12 She must have been efficient with her time and her love for her husband to keep their love strong within their marriage;

- "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands" v. 13 She worked with her hands to create clothing, coverings, household items for her family;

- "She gets up while it is still dark" v. 15 She knew how to manage her time wisely and was willing to sacrifice sleeping in to accomplish what needed to be done;

- "She considers a field and buys it; out her earnings she plants a vineyard" v. 16The lady had money smarts as well. She was willing to take a risk in order to see a payoff later on down the road;

- "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks" v. 17 She managed her time and was able to help herself healthy in order to best oversee what household tasks were overseen by her;

- And it goes on ... she "sees that her trading is profitable", she "makes coverings for her bed", "makes linen garments and sells them", "does not eat the bread of idleness". It terms of using her resources wisely ... well, we can learn a great deal from her.

I would be the first person to admit that while I attempt to use the resources God has given to Eli and I - to work to be frugal in our time and in our finances - I am so not perfect! But my heart's desire is to be obedient in what the Lord asks me to do as the woman, the wife, the mother in our household. I feel like everytime I talk with friends and other women, I see clearly how this differs from household to household, doesn't it? But the wonderful part is about that is that we can learn from each other, we can encourage each other, we can teach each other.

My next post will just be on some practical ways that I work to be frugal in my home. And then I am excited to see what else follows!

***one side note: although the theme for February is "Frugal", not all posts may relate. Sometimes there's just something too good, or too fresh from the Lord that we want to share! Either way, we hope that a bit more "focus" brings some cohesiveness to BITH.

Duggars in Lawrence

2011-01-24T21:56:00.003-06:00

Just thought I'd put the word out that the Duggar Family (TLC's 19 Kids and Counting) are coming to Lawrence on Sunday, February 13th. For more information, or to buy tickets, you can go to: http://www.duggarsinlawrence.com
I'm very curious to hear first hand from this very well-practiced Mama and Homemaker; I'm hoping that she will be able to share a lot! Whether or not you totally agree with them on everything, the way that they are raising, homeschooling, and training their children, along with their debt-free, organized, simple lifestyle is a refreshing change from the typical family life portrayed on TV.

The best part is that the proceeds go to the Pregnancy Care Center Of Lawrence

Under Construction!

2011-01-22T17:17:00.000-06:00

Please bear with us as we update our blog! We shall be continuing to post amidst the dysfunction.

Yummy, Edible, Homemade Playdough!

2011-01-20T15:09:00.004-06:00

Or, more aptly titled:

My Obsession with Peanut Butter Continues.

I love all things peanut butter.

That's probably been established by now!

All that aside ...

A couple weeks ago I was talking about making some more homemade playdough for the boys. Eli commented that he remembered a "couple times" when he was little, his mom making a peanut butter playdough that was meant to play with, and be eaten! Since Jonah is also a peanut butter monster, we thought he might really enjoy it. I asked Robin if she had the recipe still: she didn't. But, then I thought "duh ... GOOGLE" and then went and Googled "Edible Playdough Recipes". Tons came up. Some with Kool-Aid, some with Cream Cheese, some meant to taste good, some meant to taste bad - just not dangerous if ingested. And MANY with peanut butter as the focus. I read through lots of recipes, lots of posts on all kinds of websites. I was wanting to try one that tasted good. We already have a homemade one that uses regular baking ingredients, but tastes, well ... not so good.

I settled on trying this one:

1 c. Peanut Butter

1/2 c. Honey

2 c. Powdered Sugar

(*note, this recipe appeared many times, with no easy pinpoint on the origin. So, there is no one I can actually credit it to)

Thursday, we had another snow day around here. So, we invited Jonah's older cousin, Mya, to come play so her mom could go to exercise at the gym. I had promised Mya the week before we would try the yummy playdough!

It was good. At first, it just seemed kind of crumbly and not mixing into a "dough", but once I started kneading it with my hands, it truly did come into a dough-like consistency. Not sticky, but pliable. It was easy to play with, and sweet to taste! It's very sugary, but it keeps wrapped in plastic, so it's not like it all has to get eaten in one sitting. Sadly, Jonah would have nothing to do with - he brought out his regular playdough - but Mya loved it! I sent the leftovers home with her for a later playdate she has with a friend from school.

I wouldn't make it all the time, but it's something that deviates from the norm: and snow days, especially, make me feel like trying something new and fun to do at home!

Recent projects

2011-01-19T16:48:00.000-06:00

Bird in the Hand is on a bit of a break as we determine the best way to move forward with this blog. While you are waiting for more posts here are some pictures of recent projects.

Sewing and embroidery kit for my girls

There are fat quarters in the pockets and that triangle in the middle is for scissors.

Freezer Papers Stenciled Itty Bitty Baby Dress from this pattern.

And Modern Baby Shoes from this Tutorial

Another one...

And some more shoes.

Hopefully we will be back soon!!

Homemade Goodness

2010-12-20T15:27:00.006-06:00

Homemade Goodness,

in edible form,

in a doable way ...

So, a friend of mine has a blog that I follow,

and off her blog I found another blog that had this post.

Of course I had heard about making your own nut butters.

But somehow the thought had never really occured to me

that I could do it MYSELF.

I tend to think that "everyone else" does these type of things ...

But, it looked so cute and pretty simple!

So, I decided to try it last weekend and make some for

two wonderful friends of mine that I would be seeing on Saturday.

homemade double roasted honey nut peanut butter

First, buy your nuts. I bought them at Aldi. Roasted, not salted.

(Hence, how mine were "double roasted" as well)

I think I had about 3 cups total.

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Spread nuts on a foiled-lined cookie sheet.

I microwaved 1 1/2 Tablespoons of honey and drizzled over the nuts.

(I wish I had sprayed my foil w/ canola oil, though - next time!)

Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Pull out and cool.

Into the food processor they go! (Hint, I did read that this will NOT work

in a blender ... so don't attempt that)

And ... turn that baby on and let it go!

First, the nuts break down into a meal,

Then, the oils SLOWLY start to break down,

and the mixture clumps up a bit.

When mine got to this point, I added 1 more Tablespoon of warm honey

and about a 1/2 T. of salt (I eyeballed it - as always!).

Scrap down and keep processing!

Don't give up ... I promise eventually you will be rewarded with gooeyness.

And then suddenly, you'll look, and yay! Peanut Butter.

Taste, sigh, smile.

And then scoop into a container, jar, etc.

Either save for your family, or give as a gift!

I am excited to make more peanut butter, and try
other nuts as well. You could make all kinds of combinations!

And ... you still have time before Christmas, in case you're looking for a

last-minute, homemade, and universally liked gift!

Better Late Than Never

2010-11-29T14:31:00.005-06:00

This isn't a tutorial post.

Or one with a delectable recipe.

And you won't find any coupon tips today.

No deep thoughts on motherhood.

Nope.

Just a brief reflection ...

Last night we pulled out the last of our Christmas decorations to put up.

Lo and behold ... last year, I had picked out fabric, bought it,

even cut it out - and still the pieces for Reuben's stocking were

quietly folded away in a plastic bag.

At first I was dismayed at myself. How could this be? = )

And then I began to think back ...

My youngest was a whole 9 months old last December.

Still nursing like bananas while refusing to crawl or scoot himself

A.N.Y.W.H.E.R.E.

I loved (and still do!) him to pieces,

but that sweet child was DEMANDING!

I remember so many feelings washing over me as I cared for him:

Overwhelmed. Tired. Guilty for feeling Overwhelmed and Tired.

And so I sat the fabric aside ... reminded myself that a 9 month old

really has no idea of what stockings are about or should be filled with ...

and took something off my "to-do" list for the holidays.

And it felt GREAT!

One year later, it was no problem to stitch it quickly up last night

and allow it to join the other three.

And although my first thought was somewhat of glee

"my life is a bit more 'free' feeling this year!"

I realize that is extremely selfish and self focused.

So, after asking for fogiveness for that first sinful thought,

I believe that I was reminded (as Jeni posted earlier)

that maybe "doing" should be put aside for more important things.

Last year I was forced to do that in order to care for my family ...

And this year hopefully instead of being forced,

or feeling forced to set things aside -

May I enter into the season excited to grow relationships;

to spend time with Jesus;

to teach my children why Christmas comes each year;

to serve others and give out the love of Christ,

and let the "doing" lay aside.

One idea for simplifying the gifting process and keeping Christ central in Christmas

2010-11-16T11:41:00.003-06:00

I read this idea for Christmas gift-giving last year (You can read the whole blogpost here) and have been thinking about it ever since. The parents decided that they would give their children three gifts, representing the gifts brought to the newborn King by the three wisemen: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

"Frankincense was used as incense in the temple of the Israelites" so this gift is something that will help your children grow deeper in their faith and spiritual walk.

"Myrrh had various medicinal uses" so this gift is something for their physical well-being/body. "The category is wide here--especially for girls. The last few years we've given them clothes, but we've also given bubble bath, lip gloss, nail polish, etc."

Gold is precious, so this is your opportunity to give them something they've really wanted.

I don't know for sure whether we'll do it this year, but I do like the way it simplifies and organizes the gifting process; it narrows down the field without making it too narrow. But what I liked most is how it provides a constant reference point back to the story of Christ's birth, which is why we celebrate Christmas in the first place!

J.O.Y for the Holidays

2010-11-13T22:00:00.002-06:00

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed, but the holiday season is upon us! Stores are stocked with lights and decorations, everyday a new catalog comes in the mail reminding me that there are only X number of shopping days left. Even the blogs I read are full of wonderful recipes, schedules and ideas for making this the best Thanksgiving/Christmas ever!

And I am feeling.......overwhelmed.

It's my fault, I admit it. I, all too easily, get sucked into the utter madness that takes over people this time of year. The madness of trying to do too much in too short of time, the madness of being the "perfect" hostess, the madness of finding the "perfect" gift for everyone on my list, and even the ridiculous family madness. I find that in a season that is supposed to be all about Joy and Peace, I struggle to find any.

As I was pondering this the other day (a.k.a - wallowing in self pity that I couldn't stop the holidays from coming) I remembered our, one and only, house rule. In everything we do, we are to have J.O.Y. You may have heard this before, but it stands for Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. I began to think about all the things that stress me out during the holidays and realized, though they may be packaged to look like they are giving and self sacrificing they are mostly just my selfish pride. I want to be the perfect hostess so people will say "Oh look how nice her house looks, Oh my, this turkey is divine!" I want to find the perfect gift because I want to be seen as clever and resourceful. (Me, me, me, pride, pride, pride.)

So now as Thanksgiving and Christmas draw nearer and nearer I have armed myself with these verses.

Jesus 1st: Galatians 1:10 - For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Others 2nd: Galatians 6:10 - Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Yourself last: Matthew 6:33 - But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

If I am seeking His approval and His righteousness every day, everything else just seems terribly unimportant.

So bring it on, unnecessary holiday nonsense, this year I will truly be CELEBRATING the birth of my King and thanking Him everyday for His gift of Himself to me! Oh, and I may have a little turkey too, I've heard it's divine.

Handmade Gift Exchange

2010-11-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

I was skipping around blogland today and ended up at Craftoholics Anonymous reading about burlap. I decided to check out her recent posts and I found one titled "UNITED STATES Handmade Gift Exchange." This looks like such a great idea and so much fun! Check out the details here, but you have to hurry because you only have until November 10th to sign up!

Dark, Leafy Green - Part 1 ???

2010-11-03T07:29:00.004-05:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I have been inspired to get more veggies on the table, in more creative ways. This, week, I decided to put Kale on the menu. Now, as far as I can remember, I have NEVER served kale since being married to Eli! One, I have been a little nervous tackling "greens" that I'm not very familiar with. Two, Eli has continually professed a dislike for most dark greens ... his experience with them has not been good, and he used to feed them to his pet iguana - that's what he believes greens are good for! So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I informed him we were going to have a kale salad when our friends came over for dinner Monday night - AND, that the salad had butternut squash in it. Two strikes again me.

But, he agreed to give it a whirl. So, why not?

According to Wikipedia , kale has strong antioxidant properties, and is very high in beta-carotene, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Closer to the cruciferous family (think broccoli), kale is also believed to stop the growth of some cancerous cells.

And this website lists the nutrition facts for one cup of chopped, raw kale as being 33 calories (4 from fat), with 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Pretty good if you ask me! The recipe I used came from a magazine article I had clipped asking three chefs to create a dish with peanut butter. I love all things with peanut butter ... so figured this might be a worthwhile first try!

Roasted Squash and Kale Salad

Peel, seed, and cut 1 butternut squash in 1 inch chunks. Toss with 2 T. olive oil, 3 T. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. sale, and 1/2 tsp. pepper; bake for 25 min. Cool. Toss with 1 lbs. thinly sliced kale and 1/4 c. thinly sliced red onion. In a blender, puree 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 T. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp. sesame oil, 1 tsp. sugar, 2 T. peanut butter, 2 T. minced ginger, and 1 T. water. (I used my mini food processor). Drizzle salad with dressing and serve.

Overall, we really liked the salad. I mixed in some cut up lettuce - because kale is pretty bitter and I wanted our first try to be the best it could be! Also, the grocery store I shop at was out of butternut squash, so I substituted a sweet potato. I would eat it again! And our guests and Eli all claimed they enjoyed it! So, give it a try!

Now I might find another one to try next week ...

Reusable Snack Bag Tutorial

2010-10-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Supplies Needed:

Reusable Snack Bag Pattern (Make as many as you like, but please don't sell from this pattern.)
Outside Fabric (patterned material of your choice)
Inside Fabric (I used a polyester shower curtain, I have also used PUL on bags that needed to be waterproof.)
Velcro
Thread

Directions:

1. Cut 2 pieces from each of your fabrics.

2. Place the outside fabric "right" sides together, then place the inside fabric "right" sides facing out. Like so...

3. Take one layer of the outside and inside fabric folding down your top edge once, and then again sewing along the fold to make a finished hem. Do this with both of your pieces. I like to iron my fold and then I don't have to use pins. Okay - I never use pins. (Sorry Gwam.)

4. Place right sides together and sew along the bottom (opposite end from the hem you just added). Only stitch the bottom for now and not the sides.

5. Now attach your Velcro right under the hem, at the top of each side, lining it up with the stitching. You can really place the Velcro wherever you want, but I like how the stitches line up this way. I usually single stitch and zig zag around the Velcro. This may be overkill, but my kids like to open and shut the bags incessantly, and I thought they would hold up better this way.

6. Now it's time to stitch up the sides and trim any excess from your seams (is that the right word here?)

7. And last, but not least, flip your bag right side out and topstitch around the edges. Again your probably don't have to topstitch if you don't want to, but I thought it would make it a little sturdier and look a little cleaner.

And VOILA one finished Snack Bag.

I hope this was easy enough to follow. If you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments and I will get back to you. These can either be wiped out by hand or thrown into the wash. And depending on what material you use for the inside you can decide whether or not you want to put it into the dryer.

Happy Snacking!!

It's a Girl!!

2010-10-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

We have a new baby! Sarah, one of our regular blog contributors (and my Sister-in-Law) just had a little girl this morning. We have been anxiously awaiting her arrival, and now she is finally here! Sarah did amazingly, and both she and baby are doing great. I am one proud Auntie and Sister!

10.21.10

Milena (Mil-LAY-nah) Jane

8lbs. 6oz.

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

p.s. I see that I will be posting this on top of something that Sarah just wrote. Please scroll down and check it out!

Master Baking Mix

2010-10-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone should have the More-With-Less-Cookbook! But if you don't, I thought I would pass along one of my favorite recipes from it. This Master Mix recipe has come in very handy and I was eager to whip it up again while looking forward to the busy days ahead (should baby ever decide to actually grace us with his/her presence!). I like it because it is a great combination of convenience and control: I can throw this mix together and grab it when I quickly need to make something, while still knowing that good stuff went into it. Quality doesn't have to be sacrificed for the sake of time-saving!

Master Mix:

8 lbs. 4 lbs.
Sift together 3 times:

5 lbs. 10 c. flour*
3/4 c. 6 T. baking powder
3 T. 1 1/2 T. salt
1 T. 1 1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/2 c. 1/4 c. sugar

Cut into the consistency of cornmeal:
2 lbs. 2 c. vegetable shortening**

Stir in:
4 c. 2 c. dry milk powder

Store in covered container at room temperature.***

Changes I've made:
* I typically make the 4lb. recipe and use 5 cups white flour, 4 cups whole wheat, and 1 cup flax seed.

** vegetable shortening is a hydrogenated oil/trans fat, so I try to stay away from it. Instead of having it in there, simply add in oil or applesauce to your mix when actually in use.

***When using whole wheat, keep your master mix in the refrigerator, as that is supposed to help the wheat maintain its wholesome goodness better. This may or may not be true, but I say might as well do it...

This is what my 4lb batch looks like.

Recipes:

Pancakes or Waffles
(serves 4- who only needs 4 waffles?! actually, this is nice because most of the time I'm just making them for my two Littles, so I don't feel like much gets wasted, and if I have a bigger crowd I just multiply. This is my favorite way to use it because waffles always make a morning feel "special" and a nice break from the usual! Jeni, I thought this might come in especially handy for you all and your Saturday Gatherings!)

Beat together in a bowl:
1 c milk
1 egg
2 T to 1/4 cup oil if you didn't already add shortening to your mix

stir in:
1 1/2c. Master mix.
- sometimes I thin this out a little more with water too.

Coffee Cake
serves 6
Bake at 375 for 25 min.

Preheat oven
Beat together in a bowl:
1/3 c. milk
1 egg

Add:
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/4 c. Master Mix

Stir until well blended. Pour into greased 8" baking pan. Combine and sprinkle on top:
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 T. butter
1/2t. cinnamon
1/4c. chopped nuts (optional)

Bake 25 min. serve warm.
I did make this one a while back, and it came out alright, although a little dry and needing just a little more sweetness.

Biscuits (next on my list to try)
makes 8, bake at 450 for 10 min.
Preheat oven
Combine in bowl
1 1/2 c. Master Mix
1/3 c. milk

Add milk all at once, stirring 25 strokes. NOT 24, NOR 26! 25 shall be the number! (sorry, just struck me as funny and very specific- wonder how they came up with 25 as the magic number)
Knead lightly on floured board. Roll 1/2 in. thick, cut and place on ungreased baking sheet.

- use as topping on casseroles, cobblers, meat or vegetable pies or wherever biscuit dough is called for.

Muffins
Makes 12
Bake at 425 for 20 min.

Preheat oven.
Beat together:
1 egg
1 c. milk
2 T. sugar

add:
3 C. Master Mix

stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Spoon into greased muffin pans and bake.

Options:
add drained fruit or chopped, dried fruit, or chopped nuts.
-or bake as fruit bread using 5x8 greased loaf pan and bake 40 in. at 350.

Replace 1/3 mix with with quick-cooking oats or all bran cereal.

Happy Baking/Eating/Simplifying!

T-shirt Skirt Tutorial

2010-10-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

I just finished my second t-shirt skirt and I am sad that it is now fall and I will have to wait until spring before I can wear it!! Here is a ~~long~~ thorough tutorial for this very EASY sewing project!

I started with a XXL men's t-shirt that I found for $1.50 at a local bargain store (Bargain Depot in Lawrence, KS...I love this place). You want to make sure that the t-shirt is plain with no logo/writing on either side.

1) Wash the t-shirt.

2) Turn the t-shirt inside out before you start cutting (this is a very important step).

3) Cut the t-shirt just below the neck opening.

4) Unfortunately, I do not have a template for cutting out the skirt. I cut my t-shirt to the following measurments: 24" long, 24" bottom hem and 20" top/waist. Note that you use the bottom hem of the t-shirt as the bottom of your skirt, so you only make 3 cuts (2 sides and the top).

5) Pin sides and sew a 3/8" (or 1/2") seam.

(If you slip the skirt on at this time it will most likely fit big, but you will be adding elastic to the waste and that will make it fit...I promise)

6) To sew the casing for the elastic waistband you will fold the top down 1" and pin. I used 3/8" elastic, so I wanted my casing to be 1/2". I sewed around the waist at 1/4" and 3/4". Make sure you leave about an inch open so you can insert the elastic. In my photos you will see a piece of black/white fabric...I used this as a "tag" so I know which is the back of the skirt.

7) Thread the elastic. I do this by hooking a safety pin to one side and feeding it through the casing.

8) Try the skirt on and pull the elastic through until it fits the way you want it to. Cut the elastic and sew the ends together with a zig zag stitch. Tuck the elastic back into the casing and sew the casing closed, being sure to backstitch and secure the casing.

This skirt took me about 1 1/2 hours to make (not including washing the t-shirt) but I was doing a lot of measuring, writing instructions and taking photos. This skirt is super comfy and very simple, but you could dress it up with some freezer paper stenciling, which I think I will do once I decide on a design.

Reusable Snack Bags

2010-10-17T22:08:00.001-05:00

We have been trying to cut back on the amount of consumable products that we use around our house. It started with cloth diapers and has found its way into almost (I'm still a little wary of cloth toilet paper) every area of our home. We aren't trying to make any sort of "green" statement, but if you don't consume it, you don't have to rebuy it. My new favorite non consumable...(insert drumroll)

...the reusable snack bag. Okay it doesn't take much to get me excited.

It takes merely minutes to sew up, uses very little material (I used fabric scraps, an old pillowcase for the outsides, and an old shower curtain for the insides. ) and they are much cuter than a Ziploc bag! Since is has a waterproof lining we can throw in fruits and veggies as well as dry snacks, but I'm thinking we are in a snack rut.

Anyone have any snack ideas? I prefer the healthier variety, but any suggestions would be great!

Though Micaiah looks pleased with his veggie chips here, he later told me they tasted like frogs. I'm guessing that's not a good thing.

Book Review

2010-10-15T11:09:00.002-05:00

Maybe no one else out there is like me ... I love to have veggies at mealtime! But, I struggle with making them in new and creative ways. They tend to get roasted or steamed in simplicity, dabbed with butter and seasoned. Not that cooking them like that is wrong! But, sometimes I stare at a bag of frozen corn or peas and wonder if there isn't something else that I could come up with. Something tasty, something different.

Enter Fast, Fresh & Green, by Susie Middleton. I checked this out from the library on a whim after I read a review of it in the local paper, probably close to three months ago. The article reviewed around four different cookbooks, all written around veggies and local produce that was available during harvest seasons! This one struck my eye, so I requested it from the library ... waited another month before it was my turn ... and have devoured it since then!

I have been so impressed with all the recipes that we have tried so far. Middleton breaks up her cookbook into eight different cooking methods for veggies, but I usually see what's on sale, look up that vegetable in the index, and go from there! Here are some that we have tried:

- Roasted Broccoli Florets with Two Dipping Sauces
- Sweet Potato mini-fries with Limey Dipping Sauce and Spiced Salt
- Gingery Braised Brussel Sprouts
- Corn Saute with Chile and Lime
- Crushed Red Potatoes with Scallions, Pancetta, and Sour Cream
- Big Bowl Spinach and Snow Pea Salad with Cashews
- Stir Fried Carrots with Ginger, Lime, and Cilantro

We've loved them all ... and although they may sound a bit "froofy" or something, most of the ingredients I have had on hand and the recipes come together quickly. It has definitely upped our intake of veggies on a regular basis, and gotten us out of a "tried and true" mindset! Not that I don't love those tried and true whip it up quick meals/dishes, but something I really want to step outside of what I always fall back on.

Anyway, if you need something on your Christmas list (looking ahead), this might be a fun book to request. And yes, I still have the one from the library ... so if you request it now, you'll be stealing it from me! I confess that I am hoping to get it as a Christmas gift myself rather than buy it now!

I Need Your Ideas

2010-09-22T16:00:00.003-05:00

As I am on a kick in terms of baby projects ...
I could use a little creative input!

I have this fabulous piece of fabric that I bought quite a few years ago. It has the alphabet in blocks with animals and fun pictures. I bought it in a long enough length so that I have the alphabet three times over. Originally, I thought I might make Jonah some type of blanket/pillow that had his name on it. It's obvious that never materialized!

So, I am now planning to use it for 2-3 baby gifts! I have several friends at the gym that will be having babies within the next five months, and I thought this might a fun fabric to use for some of them (most of them are also being "surprised" by the sex of the baby, so I have to keep things gender neutral). My best idea, currently, is to use it for three blankets. Not cutting up the letters, just a straight up, rectangular blanket with this as the front, a soft flannel on the back. Some ribbons ties, etc. BUT, I wanted to throw this out there and see if any of the amazingly creative women who read this blog have any other ideas!

Care to share them with me?

Taggy (Taggie)

2010-09-15T15:10:00.005-05:00

Per a request,

I am putting up the directions to create a Taggy!

As I have stated before,

it is such a fun, simple, and straightforward project!

Yesterday, I headed over to my in-laws for the morning.

My Mother-in-law had set it up for my teenage sister-in-law,

and three of her friends to each sew a Taggy.

They would get the benefit of somewhat a "sewing lesson",

time to hang out together,

and then they are donating their Taggies

to the local Pregnancy Care Center.

So, let's get started!

1) Start with two different fabrics. As I stated on a previous post, I like one side to have a little texture to it. You'll also want several different kinds of ribbon: different textures, widths, colors, patterns, etc. They don't have to match perfectly! The eccentricity of each Taggy with it's colors and ribbons is what make them fun and unique.

My two sides ...

2) Cut each fabric print into a square. The girls started with 12 inch by 12 inch squares. The past two that I have made were probably closer to 16 inch by 16 inch squares. Whatever size you chose. Then, I like to iron my edges under, to make the pinning process easier! Then, cut your ribbon into 4 inch lengths.

3) Lay your fabric squares HOW YOU WANT THEM TO LOOK. Inside sides turned inside. Turn all edges in and pin.

One Taggy getting prepped ...

4) Arrange your ribbons around the side and get the "look" you want. I had the girls do 5 ribbons on each side of their 12 x 12. For my larger one, I did 6 ribbons.

5) Fold ribbons lengths in half, slide edges in between the two fabrics, and pin the ribbons into place.

Ribbons getting pinned in place!

6) Sew all the way around the square - taking care to catch the ribbons!

All our Taggies ready to be sewn together!

That's it! Enjoy your Taggy and BE CREATIVE!

In a few weeks, we are having another "sewing lesson" and are going to be making some simple full size blankets for the Pregnancy Care Center! I'll post that as well!

Lessons in Pears

2010-09-15T13:33:00.011-05:00

I had been wanting to can some peaches this Summer. I love love love peaches! But it just didn't work out- I was neck deep in home decluttering and organizing ("Nesting" to the lay person =) at the time when they were cheapest. So I let that idea go. Then I heard that friends of ours had a pear tree that was open for the picking. I've never been a big pear fan, but I am a fan of free, and I know that both my kids loved pear puree as babies, so off I went.

Lesson no 1: Freebies can't be chooseies. These pears were pretty small and hard, and probably not the optimal fruit (the family that owned the tree didn't have much interest in them at all) but they were still pears!

Lesson no. 2: Picking pears isn't that difficult. It's actually kind of therapeutic. What needs to be remembered is that you have to peel all those pears you picked!

Lesson no. 3: When you bring an international friend along to pick thinking that they will enjoy it since they had fruit trees at home, also keep in mind that they are observing Ramadan and have been/will be fasting for 30 days. This means they will also take less pears home with them than expected. See lesson 2 for ramifications.

Lesson 4. Take breaks when peeling pears. Otherwise your hand will cramp like none other! But if you're in the zone, you might as well go for it...

Lesson 5. Save the peels! Apparently you can grind them up and use them in place of Zucchini in Zucchini bread. I have yet to make this bread, so I can't vouch for it yet, but I have two big bags of pear peel shavings awaiting me when I finally find the time. I'll keep you posted...

Lesson 6. Pear juice is good for detoxifying, dealing with constipation, and prostate health. I did not know any of this before. Still don't know it first hand, but it was something interesting I learned off the internet.

Lesson 7. While it would seem like a nice sharp pairing knife is the best choice, your finger tips and blood supply will thank you if you actually opt for a duller knife, much like the one pictured on the bottom.
* This is a painful lesson to learn.

*Also, all of that pear peeling will permanently stain a white knife handle.

Lesson 8. It will do the same thing to your fingertips.

* this picture was taken after washing my hands twice with soap.

Lesson 9. It's hard to take a focused picture of your own finger print.

Once the pears are peeled, there are all sorts of things to do with them!

Lesson 10. allrecipes.com Rocks! I already knew this, but it was further reinforced.

Lesson 11. I am a huge fan of pear sauce. It is seriously the easiest, most versatile thing to make, and you can sweeten or season it any way you want or don't want! It was a great starting point and confidence booster to this novice.

Feeling good, I remembered how I started off this Spring making Dandelion honey, so I thought it would be fun to end the Summer making Pear honey.

Lesson 12. The recipe didn't specify, but the pears should've been pureed down. It's not like pear sauce where you can puree it later.

Lesson 13. This is what happens to your immersion blender if you stick it in a pot of boiling honey because the pears didn't break down like you thought they would.

Lesson 14. Your blender will still work, but it probably get's teased at night when tucked away with all the other appliances.

Because it is a two+ hour process, I thought "hey, I'll just do this while I'm doing other things"
Lesson 15. Making honey is not something you should just do while you're doing other things.

Everything was going fine right up until the end when there was a medical emergency (not directly involving myself or pear related for once!) and my attention was diverted and the honey boiled for too long, turning into more of a candy texture.

Lesson 16. All those evenings of watching Chopped and Iron Chef do pay off! Frustrated at overcooking the honey, especially since it had deformed my blender, I was determined not to let it go to waste (those pears might be free but all that peeling wasn't easy!)

So I decided to experiment with ways to salvage it:
Dipping plastic spoons in and getting them a good coat. These can be used later to sweeten a cup/pot of tea.

Dropping spoonfulls onto tin foil and making little candy discs.

And towards the end, when it was getting cool enough to handle, rolling it into little balls. The pictures of these little lumpy brown balls don't look appetizing in the least, so I didn't post one, but plunk on in your pot of tea and it works beautifully!

Lesson 17. When working with hot honey, use tin foil. But once it cools, transfer it to wax paper.
*I have tried all ways of doing this- trust me, wax paper does not hold up to hot honey, and tin foil sticks to it later.

Lesson 18. Making honey and working with it is hot (on the bright side, the burns act to cauterize all those finger tip cuts from peeling!), time sensitive, messy work!

Lesson 19. Homemade jam recipes call for WAY too much sugar! You don't have to put all of that sugar in, just boil it a little longer and they will jell.

Lesson 20. Waste not, want not. I was able to put several small jars of my thick pear-supposed-to-be-honey-goo in a water bath and get them liquified enough again to use them in my jelly instead of sugar.

Lesson 21. You can make pear butter in your crock pot, but it takes FOREVER! And it will make a huge sticky splatter mess on your countertops.

Lesson 22. You can get away with not having some exact canning tools, like I just used my big stock pot, but you really should have the proper tongs or can-grabbers/basket to get them out of the water. This will save you a lot of steam burn, frustration, and fear of dropping and cracking a jar.

Lesson 23. It was a lot of work, and a lot of trying out new things (which can make me kinda tense). But in the end, I at least now have a novice's idea of how to make pear sauce, pear puree, plum-kissed-pear-jam (sweetened), plum-pear jam (unsweetened), pineapple-pear jam, pineapple pear syrup, pear-apple and pear-peach crisp, pear bread, and pear honey (in all of it's various forms) and the freezer is full of all of this peary goodness. Also, I've learned that I like pear sauce even more than I like applesauce. Warm with just a little bit of sweetness and spice, it is divine!

lesson 24: you may need a break from being in your kitchen after all of this (This has been a series of projects over the last two weeks for me- I only have one stock pot). Also, your husband may get tired of seeing pears everywhere and hearing your "ouch!es" from the peeling, heat, steam, splatter, etc...

Main lesson: it is still totally worth trying something new! And if the main ingredient is free, albeit not in perfect form (I think these pears were harder than most) then all the better because you stress out less about ruining it. Chances are ruination will happen, especially if this is a first go, but even then you can keep thinking of different ways to use things!

Proverbs 31:13

2010-09-05T01:07:00.001-05:00

- She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.

As Elisa pointed out in her last post it is baby season in this part of the country. Which means lots of baby showers to attend. At the last baby shower I went to, all the B.I.T.H. ladies were there and each brought a unique hand-made gift. I was just so impressed with everyone's hard work and creativity in preparing their gifts that I thought I would share some pictures. I've actually never been to a baby shower where more people made their gifts. I wish I had pictures of them all.

Elisa's beautiful "Taggie"

Better shot of the different ribbons.

Sarah K.'s amazing monogrammed burp rags, pacifier clip, and wooden teething ring.

Sarah's adorable headband and corsage set (red and blue), white head band and retro hat. These really need a model to get the full effect. So here is a link to a similar set that she made for another friend.

Set of "fun" cloth diapers from me to my soon to be niece.

Here is what they look like on the inside with the soaker taken out.

This baby is set! Something to chew on, spit on, poo on, and, of course, in Sarah's accessories she will also look cute doing it! You guys and your creativity are amazing!

Baby Time!

2010-08-31T15:12:00.004-05:00

No, not baby time for me!

Thank goodness!

Errrr, I mean, just not yet.

When the right time comes ... I'll be excited -

But right now I'm enjoying all the other mommies having babies!

I'm rather obssessed with Taggies.

A dear friend from work (when I was working before Jonah was born)

made me a beautiful Taggy blanket for him.

They are so much cheaper to make than to buy.

Since then, I've worked on perfecting the look I like.

I recently made two Taggies with these fabrics

For friends with little girls on the way.

I have several other friends who are also expecting within 2-3 months.

So more will be following!

Such a simple project (which translates: Elisa can actually do it):

Two squares of cute fabric (I like one side to have texture)

with loops of ribbon sticking out all around the sides.

Use various colors, textures, widths, etc., of ribbon to make it fun.

Sadly, I forgot to take a pictures of the finished projects before I gave them away!

But, here are the colors I used in the past two,

And I can't wait to make some more in the next few weeks!

Laundry Detergent

2010-08-27T23:29:00.000-05:00

There are many different recipes for homemade laundry detergent out there. Just Google Homemade Laundry Detergent and you'll see what I mean (Sarah makes a different kind than I do - maybe she would share that one with us as well - nudge, nudge). This particular one is my personal favorite for a couple of reasons:

* It's specially concocted with cloth diapers in mind. (There aren't any additives that build up in the cotton making it less absorbent.)

* It's really fast to make. (You can make a batch in about 5 minutes. I tried a recipe that you have to cook and nearly lost my mind.)

* It cleans well. (My youngest daughter enjoys mud quite a bit, so this is well tested)

* You only use 1/8c. per load so it goes a long way.

* And though I was just complaining about this earlier, I like that it doesn't have any odor. (I'm kind of a weenie when it comes to smells.)

Drawbacks - Some of the ingredients are a little hard to find, and the upfront cost didn't seem like much of a deal. (You have to make several batches before the savings add up.)

Homemade Powdered Detergent

1 55 oz. box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Mule Team Borax
2 Cups Oxygen Cleaner (I use a generic brand)
1/2 cup Simple Green (found in the automotive department)
1/2 cup Calgon Water Softening Powder (if you can’t find it as a powder, use 1/4 c. of the liquid and add one box of baking soda, or add a tiny bit to each load)

I also add white vinegar to my laundry as a fabric softener. (Don't worry it doesn't make your clothes smell like vinegar.)

So there you have it. If any of you have any other recipes that you have tried and like. I would love to hear them. I hope to post soon about the "others" in my Homemade Cleaning Arsenal.

Fresh Laundry

2010-08-26T20:14:00.002-05:00

Gerville Hall/Istock

I have been using homemade detergent for close to a year now. I love the way it cleans, the price, and the fact that it last forever. What I don't love - the smell - or lack thereof. I have tried to add essential oils to the detergent with no luck. It smells nice for about two days and then...nothing. I considered buying dryer sheets and adding a nice fresh laundry scent that way, but our dryer repair man said they damage the drum. So I resigned myself to having fresh, clean, odorless clothing. Until today! I was changing a load and thought why can't I make my own dryer sheet, of sorts? It wouldn't have fabric softeners in it so it shouldn't damage the drum. So I took an old cloth nursing pad (I'm sure any absorbent piece of cloth would do), put a couple drops of essential oil on it, and threw it into the dryer. When the load was finished, I opened the door, and a beautiful bouquet of loveliness entered my nostrils! Success!! The nursing pad was still strongly scented so I threw it into a second load. It worked just a great the second time. Now if I can just remember to wear deodorant every day, I could smell good all the time!

"Can we?"

2010-08-15T16:00:00.002-05:00

My husband came home from work the other day and told me a story about a lady he had met. She and her husband are starting a church inside their home and are on a real faith-testing journey. They believe that living within your means and "acting your wage" are critical and so they were wanting to downsize their home. They prayed to God, "Can we sell our house?" and He said "No, not yet." They waited for a little while and asked Him again, "Can we sell our house?" and this time He said "Okay." Their journey has been long, with lots of ups and downs, and they are still in the midst of running the race.

Maybe one day I will be able to share the entire story, but for right now I want to share with you what impacted me the most about this story: they asked God before acting. I have the tendency to act and then pray for God's wisdom and blessing. My biggest fear about asking first, is that I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to hear God's answer. I have been reading Genesis lately and I have been shocked at how the characters (Adam and Eve, Cain, Abraham, etc.) all talked with God like He was sitting right there next to them. I long to have that type of relationship with God, but I am definitely not there yet!

I am a work in progress, but I know the promise has been made, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

Much Is Asked ...

2010-08-13T16:23:00.002-05:00

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded,

and from the one who has been intrusted with much,

much more will be asked." Luke 12:48

This afternoon as I was before the Lord, He used the verse to speak directly to me. The past several weeks have been a time of wrestling with the Lord. He is causing me to look within myself - at my sinful, fleshly, nature - and I don't like what I find. He is asking me to change. To give up things, to give up dreams and hopes, to allow more of His ways and thoughts to become planted and become a way of life, a way of daily living ... I feel as if I can't explain it clearly. But it truly has felt as if I were wrestling with the Lord, with myself.

But back to today. I have been given so much. A strong family, wonderful friends, a loving church, a heritage of Godliness, knowledge of HIM at a young age - and now ... He is going to ask of more from me. He is asking more of me. Demanding more from me - to give up more for His kingdom. His purposes. To die to myself in ways I haven't. To lay down my dreams and follow His.

This is both terrifying and freeing. No matter how often I say I want to do whatever God asks, the cost is there, and it is often so painful to my flesh. I must put to death my sinful desires and be willing to allow Him to change the desires of MY heart to become HIS desires for my life. It is not easy for me to put the desires for a larger house, secure finances, close friends, and many other dreams in His hands. My need to be in control bleeds through. But yet, my spirit wages war and is crying to "do it, surrender all, find true security in Him amidst your deepest fears".

It feels raw. It feels scary. My flesh isn't going down without a fight. But I want to be found in Him ... and as He asks more of me, that I can give it, only because He is of the highest value to me. I must press on. I must draw closer to Him.

Recent craft/sewing projects

2010-08-10T13:18:00.014-05:00

Forgive me, there are no tutorials with this post, only pictures of the recent projects I have completed. Let me know if you want to know how to do any of these projects and I would be more than happy to send instructions (I didn't take pics during the crafting/sewing and that is why there are no tutorials).

Freezer Paper Stenciling (matching cupcake t-shirts for my nieces using two different colors of paint and a little bit of glitter):

T-shirt Skirt (I used a XXXL t-shirt that didn't have a logo on the front or the back)

Baby Gift

Great deal on Cheerios!

2010-08-03T14:02:00.002-05:00

Dollar General has Cheerios (all varieties) on sale for $2 a box. There are two printable coupons from www.coupons.com for Cheerios: one coupon is for 75 cents off of a box of Multi-Grain Cheerios and the second coupon is for $1 off TWO boxes of any flavor of Cheerios. If you use the coupons then you can get three boxes of Cheerios for a total of $4.25 (before tax)!

Upside Down Peach Cake!

2010-08-02T11:36:00.005-05:00

Around here, peaches are coming into season!

Delicious.

This is means for the next few weeks,

they are on sale ... at the store, farmer's market, area orchards, etc.

I bought a few pounds at Checkers last week:

my intention was to surprise Eli with a peach pie - his favorite.

I think realized that I had no Crisco.

And since I had already made my weekly trip to the grocery store,

I needed to find something else special to make!

I pulled out Cake Keeper Cakes. A new cookbook I got several months ago and LOVE!

And found this recipe ... give it a try and enjoy!

Peach-Buttermilk Upside-Down Cake:

TOPPING:

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. brown sugar (I always use dark)

2 large peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round pan and dust with flour. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over med heat until foaming. Stir in the brown sugar, turn the heat to low and cook, whisking for 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth. Arrange the peach slices in concentric circles on top of the sugar mixture. Set aside.

CAKE:

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 3/4 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

*Cream butter and sugar together in mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Mix well. Dump in all dry ingredients and combine - mixing for 30 seconds. Spread batter over peaches. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 min (make sure you have a cookie sheet underneath - mine bubbled over along the edges). Transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto a plate. Yum! Author, Lauren Chattman

(Kinda) Figuring out Organic Food

2010-07-26T10:57:00.002-05:00

Recently I ran across a helpful article on organic food written by Jessie Wohlgemuth in the May 2010 AmericanBaby Magazine (p. 52,55). Of course we all want to feed our families the very best, but not all of us can afford to shop only at the Merc, and some of us have clay crisscrossed with electrical cables for soil in our backyards and can't grow a garden. I've always wondered where to spend on organic and where it doesn't really make a difference. Here's a summary of the article- hope it is helpful to you too! And if you happen to have more insights, pass 'em this way!

Where to spend on Organic:
Along with the fruits and vegetables in the Dirty Dozen column, the author's recommendation was to consider buying meat and poultry, milk (higher fat content of the milk and of other dairy products made with milk= higher level of chemicals that may be present), organic baby food, and other fruits/vegetables your child eats on a daily basis.

The Dirty Dozen:
(Produce with the highest pesticide levels per the Environmental Working Group)
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Imported Grapes
11. Carrots
12. Pears

Where it doesn't really make a difference:
She said not to stress so much about packaged goods, and that, with a few exceptions, fruits and vegetables with an inedible peel contain relatively low levels of pesticides.

The Clean 15:
(Fruits and vegetables with the lowest level of pesticide residue, according to the Environmental Working Group)
1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangoes
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas
8. kiwifruit
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomatoes
15. Sweet potatoes

"Carl Winter, Ph.D., director of the FoodSafe Program at the University of California, Davis says that, "'The amount of pesticide residue found in produce is not significant enough to make food unsafe. The most important thing is to make sure that kids are eating lots of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, whether they're organic or not." " (Emphasis mine)

"The bottom line: feed your baby some organic food if you can, but don't stress if you can't. If she eats a wide variety of nutritious food, you're doing your job!"
- Jessie Wholgemuth

She also recommends visiting foodnews.org later this year for an updated list.

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