Valentine Ideas

Crystal over at Biblical Womanhood was asking for ideas about what to do for Valentine's Day. Since I shared there, I thought I would share here too. Saturday Sweethearts a few days early (but don't worry, I still have a post for Saturday Sweethearts on SATURDAY!). :)

Well, this year I was planning on cutting out a bunch of hearts and taping them up on the wall. Each heart has something about my husband that I love about him. I am decorating our bedroom with these hearts. The children's room is being decorated with hearts, each has the child's name on it and what I love about them. Thankfully my children are heavy sleepers so I can do this while they are sleeping and they will wake up to a room full of hearts! You can do this with the dining room too!

Fun games for couples: each couple that comes in has a famous couple taped to their back (Romeo and Juliet; Anthony and Cleopatra; Mary and Joseph; Rachel and Issac; Bonny and Clyde; etc.). Throughout the dinner they ask questions to others about who they might be "Are we a couple from the Bible?" "Are we from a book?" etc. Then they have to guess who they are.

Decorations for the table: HEARTS! Each cut up tiny heart would have a question on the back OR a statement about how much you love so and so. Throughout the dinner, have a person pick a heart and read the statement or question.

Early Risers

Oh what I have done!

For a few months now I have been feeling a conviction about trying to get my children to sleep in later. You see, my children are EARLY risers. 6 AM they are up and at 'em. I am NOT a morning person. So I would tell my children to stay in bed and play quietly until Momma woke up.

All SORTS of convictions started. From Proverbs not leaving a child to himself to needing to wake up early and having quiet time with the Lord as a good example to my children. I mean, I want my daughters to rise early in the morning, yet I am training them as children to sleep in.

Now my children are waking up at 7 - 7:30. While at first it felt good to sleep a little bit later, I kept feeling a conviction that they should be waking up early like they used to.

The other day I read an article on the importance of children raising early. It was very convicting and made some good points. I am going to try to get to bed early (instead of staying up so I can do all the things that *I* want to do), so I can be a good example to my children and train them to rise early.

Wake Up Call

I had the most horrible dream last night. I am sick (and if you are anything like me, you have the WORST dreams when you are sick).

It started by me forgetting names of dear friends. I was so panicked! Then I realized that everything was going backwards. I was walking backwards. LIVING backwards! Reliving my life, only in reverse now. And it was happening fast. Then I realized that the end was near and Jesus was returning. I woke up so scared.

I have been reading through James lately (Making Home is going through this book this month) and realized that it is very easy to decieve ourselves when we are hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word. I knew the verse "be doers of the Word and not just hearers" but had forgotten the last part of the verse "that you will not deceive yourself." Of course, the following verses are just as important.

It really is horrifying living your life in reverse. I realized that I know what I am supposed to do, but don't always do it because selfish ambition takes precedence. I began to wonder if my doing of the Word was really doing the WORD or just what was expected in Christian circles as what was right and appropriate. It is so easy to replace God's word with what Christian friends and authors say. After all, when we have free time, do we turn to the word, or to a good book?? When we are having difficulties, do we turn to God's word or to a close friend?

Now don't get me wrong, Christian books and friends are good and needed (after all, in the book of Proverbs God did tell us to seek counsel), but we are also told to seek the Lord. We are told to ask of Him. I know myself, I am all too guilty of seeking books and friends more than I seek the Lord. It is only after a scary dream like that in the middle of the night (when I can't call anyone or read LOL!) that I really turn to God and seek Him on things.

I realized that I have been fearing way too much. Shows a trust in myself rather than in the Lord. I realized that while I am holding my children to a certain standard of loving the Lord, I am falling short. If I am not a good example, my children will see hypocrisy and think all Christians are hypocrites. I don't want my children to jump ship.

I saw a picture the other day of a father, fat and lazy sitting on the couch half undressed watching TV and drinking a soda. Trash was everywhere. His son was half dressed, sitting on the floor in the middle of the trash, soda in hand watching TV. The caption read "Like father, like son." That was VERY sobering. Do I want my daughters to be sitting in front of the computer (or TV) all day? Do I want my daughters to learn to walk over piles of clothes and books because things are not put back where they belong? Do I want my children to learn to read a book to help them be a better mother instead of getting down on the floor and BEING a mother? Do I want my children to learn to sleep in during the morning or to rise early and prepare breakfast for her family and have time with the Lord?

When my Lord Jesus comes back to call us home, I want to hear Him say "well done" with joy in his voice and not "what have you done" with a sorrowful heart. As long as I am living and breathing (although the breathing part has been difficult the past few days), there is time for me to change.

You know you have watched one too many cooking shows when...

My husband has discovered Alton Brown. If you have never heard of or seen Alton Brown, I highly suggest you checking him out. You might even be able to get your library to buy some of his DVD's. If you have the money, you can buy it cheaper through Target than through The Food Network.

Alton Brown talks about the SCIENCE behind cooking. I plan on making these DVD's a part of the girls homemaking curriculum. The one on cookies is FANTASTIC! These DVD's are especially great for those who want to deviate from recipes but really don't know how. Once you know the science behind why and how certain ingredients act together, you can change the recipe and have it come out! :D

He has a very funny style which really keeps you interested in the show. And once you cook eggs the Alton Brown way, you will never go back!

So how can you tell you have watched too many cooking shows? Your children turn every meal into their own cooking show! My girls are so cute! They have started doing their own cooking shows with each meal. Now of course, they don't know the science behind everything, but it is so cute to watch them.

"First you take the cracker and then you gently spread the oatmeal on it."

"After adding the sauce, toss gently until everything is all mixed together."

At least my girls are learning some cooking terminology. :D

Momma, Is that REALLY what the Bible says?

I hate having to correct Bible stories from children's books for my children. Most of them omit details - like David chopped off Goliath's head after the stone hit him (I think that is important to know) or that there were more than two of each animal on the ark (some animals were taken in 7 for sacrifice). Some CHANGE the details - like saying Jonah was swallowed by a whale (the Bible says he was swallowed by a FISH) or that there were three wise men (while there were three gifts presented to him we do not KNOW how many there were because the Bible does not say).

This is probably the reason why more and more conservative Christians are reading from the actual Bible at the dining table instead of from Children's books. And while I love that idea, I also like the idea of a children's Bible story book for my children.

So there may be hope!

I just read a review on The Sparrow's Nest for the Egermeier's Bible Story Book. Looks like they don't omit all the details (I agree, I don't need to hear all the bloody gore after David's head was chopped off, but it would be nice to know it happened), and it looks like it is going to keep to the facts! I have not checked this out yet, but based on the review, we will be buying the book! Here's hoping it is as good as I hope! :)

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Side Note: TAMMY (who commented on my 6 Weird Things Meme), you do not have public access to your profile, so I was not able to visit your blog to comment. My husband laughed when I read your comment and wanted to know the name of the movie. I told him that just the THOUGHT was scary enough that now I have to find a new way to dispose of my dead bugs! LOL!!! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. If you leave another comment please include a url for your blog! :)

Saturday Sweethearts: King For A Day

Another Romancing Your Husband idea. I did this over four years ago and loved it! (FYI - all ideas shared are created by myself and not taken from the book, when taken from the book I will let you know . While I am using the template for sharing, I am not infringing upon copyright. Thank you.). :)

WHAT I DID
I made my husband King for a Day. I printed out coupons and gave them to him. The coupons were fill in the blanks for things like:
what I would wear during the day
what I would wear at night/to bed
what we would eat (out to eat or cooking - had to have this one 3 day
before)
what we would do in the morning
what we would do in the afternoon
what we would do for the evening
how I would wear my hair
blank (for anything he wanted to do that I did not think of)
massage (could be redeemed anytime of the day)

MY REASON
I just wanted to love on my husband and let him know how much I truly do appreciate him and want to reverence him.

HOW I FELT
Really happy.

THE OBSTACLES I OVERCAME
I cannot remember any real obstacles. This happened over four years ago.

MY HUSBAND'S RESPONSE
He LOVED it! He really enjoyed being King For A Day. And it really helped me to be totally submissive to him in EVERYTHING. And it gave me insight into my husband's wants. I learned that he really likes for me to wear skirts and shirts (rather than dresses) and that he likes
my hair braided (which I never did except on occasion, now I do it much more frequently). He had big grins all day long!

WHAT I WISH I HAD DONE
I think to make this a little more fun and playful, I would have had a secret word that whenever my husband said that word, I would have to smother him with kisses. He would get to choose the word so that way he could use it whenever he wanted. I would also let the kids get in on the adoration of Daddy. Maybe with the secret word for them, they have to give Daddy lots of hugs, and just be mindful throughout the day to be extra loving to Daddy.

BUDGET SUGGESTIONS
I used business cards and printed out the coupons on my computer, but you could make them by hand (saving on cost of paper and ink). The only other cost was being humble and letting my husband be in control (something which I do regularly now without thinking, but back then I didn't even know what submissive meant - although I thought I did).

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Remember, THESE ARE IDEAS FOR YOU (not your husband). YOU are to romance your husband! I was inspired to do these Saturday Sweethearts based on a book called Romancing Your Husband by Debra White Smith. PLEASE get a hold of this book and read it. It is a really good book and will really change your life. :)

Six Wierd Things Meme

I so love learning more about others through things like this, so I thought I would answer here and hope you answer too. Share a link in the comments to your answers and let's get to know each other! :)

1. I have to flush all bugs killed in my presence down the toilet. I am so scared that if I don't that they will come back and get me. Can you tell I watched WAAAAAY too many horror stories at a young age?

2. I eat Recess Peanut Butter Cups by nibbling off all the ridges first around the edge and then nibble away at the center. LOL!!!

3. My favorite part of the pizza is the triangle tip! Sometimes I will even cut a pizza into more slices in order to get more triangle tips!! :)

4. While I am very outspoken on my web and sometimes one-on-one, in groups I am as shy as they come. I do much better with just one person. Although I can stand up in front of a bunch of women and speak, I cannot speak at a party where there are groups of people.

5. When I am flustered or angry, I cannot speak. Literally. I begin stuttering and cannot gather my thoughts to save my life.

6. Whenever I am away from my family (husband and children) for more than 30 minutes, I miss them and want to go home to be with them. I actually don't think this is weird. I think it is GREAT that I love being with my family. But I know that in today's world, this is considered weird that I don't want more ME time. It's not about ME it is about THEM!!! :)

Thanks to The Sparrow's Nest for this great idea!!! And I will post the Saturday Sweetheart's idea later today.

Friday's Fun: Vintage Games - One Syllable

First, an update on How, Why, When and Where:
This was fun to play with just my husband and myself. We included the children in it and both EE (5yo) and AA (7yo) REALLY enjoyed it. It took a little bit for them to learn it. But once they did, they came up with some REALLY good ones! And DIFFICULT too!! MM (3yo) was a bit too small to really play. She went off on tangents like "what color is it?" and it became more of 20 questions with her. But still fun nonetheless!! :) We played this throughout the week. Waiting for dinner to finish, driving in the car, etc.

Today's game is called One Syllable.

Sit in a circle (or course, if this is just played between you and hubby, you don't have to sit in a circle LOL!!!).

The lady begins by asking a question of the player on her right, to which he must reply in one word of one syllable or incur a forfeit for every extra syllable.

So for example:
Lady: May I ask if you love music?
Player 2: Yes. (now to the player on his right) May I ask, what wood do you think makes the best furniture?
Next Player: Oak. Permit me to ask if you prefer soda or water?
Player 4: Water. (Oppps! That is TWO syllables, sneaky, but now player 4 has to pay a forfeit.)

So what is a forfeit?
The player has to preform a task that is something ridiculous or seemingly impossible
(or both). Kinda like a dare. Some fun ones might be:

Spirit of Contrary - whatever the player is told to do, he must just just the opposite.
The Perfect Friend - Go around in the room and tell everyone something you like about them.
Yawner - The player must yawn until he makes someone else yawn.
4 Corners - Laugh in one corner of the room, cry in another, sing in another and dance in another.

ABC's of Homemaking

I LOVE this idea!! I first saw it on Making Home, but A Gracious Home is the originator!! :)
I am going to answer here.

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
YES oh yes!!! And I found the PERFECT one! especially for kids. I so did not like my kids always asking to be tied and untied. And for the price (for the quality of the fabric as well as the workmanship) $5 an apron, you just can't make one for that price with that quality of fabric! Check them out! Kitchen Wears Aprons. Goto the WHAT'S NEW and then goto the bottom and click on SALE. Last time I looked she still had some CUTE CUTE Christmas fabric aprons. She has women's ones on sale too ($12). You will NOT regret it!

And we wear our aprons all the time. I love seeing my girls in their aprons! And I love wearing mine too!!!

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
PIZZA!

Clothesline – Y/N?
OH I so wish we had one. I really do want to hang up our clothes to dry. A friend of mine has the CUTEST clothesline that has a lower one for her daughter to be able to help her!

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
Well, it depends on what you consider a donut. Do you remember those balls your using to make in Girl Scouts? They were very dounutish. :) And I made them ALL THE TIME! :)

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
Shine my sink! (Any other Flybaby's out there??)

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
No. :( Soon though! We are saving up!! :) And I am looking on Freecycle. (If you do not know what freecycle is, it is basically a way that people prevent landfills from filling up by giving unwanted items away for FREE! Check yahoo groups for one that is near you. They are in most every city!) You can get stuff you need and get rid of what you don't! :)

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
Couldn't live without one. Although now we are going to be doing the All New Square Foot Gardening this season, I will be putting it all in the compost pile! (If you checked out SFG in the past and thought it was a great idea, but too much work, check out the ALL NEW SFG. MUCH less work and you can do this anywhere because you MAKE your OWN soil rather than using what is there - I LOVE this new method!!!)

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
The internet! There are so many great articles and blogs out there! Unfortunately I spend more time READING about homemaking than actually DOING it. :(

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
LOVE it, but can never find the TIME for it.

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
Yes and no. I have what Flylady refers to as hotspots. I have little collections all over the place of "junk." :)

Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
Oh I am SO not good with colors. We have a dark oak finish on the cabinets and the counters are blue-green (can you tell I am not good with this?) and the title is the same blue-green color with white tiles. Hardwood floors.

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
Creating a home for my family. A haven.

Mop – Y/N?
I am not sure how to mop these floors without damaging them, so I have not mopped, but usually spot clean and do LOTS of sweeping. There is some weird coating on the floors (reminds me of the stuff they put on the gym floors in public schools).

Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
What are nylons?? Seriously asking here. :) Pantyhose? I am thankful enough that I have a handwash cycle on the washer, so I can now wash just about anything in there. Although I will admit I do miss washing by hand. I LOVE washing things by hand.

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
I don't trust the window! I open. :)

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
Olive oil slathered on the crust. Sprinkle with garlic and onion powder. Mound mozzerella shredded cheese on top. Sliced roma or heirloom tomatoes on top (nothing else will do it justice). Sprinkle a little salt on each tomato. Cover liberally with chopped FRESH basil. Bake until cheese melts. This is divine!

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Read, scrapbook (digital scrapbooking takes up so much LESS time than paper), or blog.

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
I so wish that I had gotten into recipe card boxes. I really don't even know if people use these anymore (unless they are really old). I have a few books that I reference all the time so I know where my favorites are. And I also keep recipes on the computer. So much easier to search through them on the computer than through all the clippings from magazines and such.

Style of house – What style is your house?
Can you tell that I am just NOT good at this? LOL!! It is a two story (really it is a three story if you count the basement, but they never count the basement).

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
Oh yes. It is so much easier to replace the tablecloth than to replace the table! LOL!! We have a table cloth that is vynil that we use for crafts, then we have a few cheap cloth ones that we use for meals. Then of course we have a TON of cloth napkins that we use. Cheaper than buying all the paper ones. Do they match the table cloth? Not always. LOL!! As the tablecloths and napkins wear out, I plan on making ones that will match each other (color wise) but not necessarily pattern wise. So one napkin will match three different table cloths.

My MIL has a lace table cloth on her table, takes it off for every meal, and then after the meal and table is cleaned, she puts the table cloth back on. That way, the table looks nice but the cloth never gets ruined with food.

Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
Almost barren! Only a few paper towel rolls and then the dishwashing soap in under there! SO NICE!!!!!

Vacuum – How many times per week?
Ideally three in the high traffic areas and once a month in the basement and bedrooms. I know - HORRIFIC! LOL!!!

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
Enough. LOL!! Mondays I do the children's clothes. Usually 2 loads - darks and lights. Tuesday is dishtowels and cleaning towels. Usually one-two loads. Wednesday is adult clothes. This can be two-four loads depending on if I have any delicates. Thursday is napkins and tablecloths - usually one load. Friday is towels and sheets. Usually three-four loads. Weekends are for family! :)

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
Yes and no. When I have things planned (like errands) and such, then yes. I even cross off when I do what was planned for that day even if it was only one thing (attend birthday party). With the computer allowing me to enter in things to do (even what bills to pay on what day) I usually enter everything in there (even what laundry days are and what cleaning days are) and then I click DISMISS once I have finished what I was supposed to do. The only bad thing about doing it this way is there IS a SNOOZE button! LOL!!!

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
Well, it really depends. I have recently starting taking up more responsibility in yard keeping. Read the article Why Momma Mows The Lawn to find out why. :)

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
I agree with Making It Home. Lovin' my man off to sleep!! Making sure he has good thoughts before going to bed (rather than complaining or nagging about all that went wrong that day).

Doesn't wearing only skirts/dresses make you look frumpy?

On one of the lists I am on, a lady asked about how you can wear skirts/dresses without looking frumpy. I thought others might have the same concern, so I am addressing it here because I thought it would make a good blog entry. :)

Since I went from wearing shorts and jeans to wearing skirts/dresses, I have noticed several benefits! (Now don't get me wrong, I still wear jeans every once in a while, and I have nothing against women who wear pants.)

Firstly, I am reminded that I am a woman. Now there are some out there that can wear shorts and jeans and still feel like a woman, but for me (and many others) wearing skirts/dresses reminds me that I am feminine. I act more feminine as well as speak more femininely. :) Not to mention I am so much more COMFORTABLE in a dress/skirt than I am in jeans. I just don't like showing off my "trunk." LOL!! Too much JUNK in there! LOL!!!

Secondly, I am treated by OTHERS like a lady. Especially men. In today's society where it is hard to distinguish between men and women (and sadly many women in the feminist movement fought and STILL fight for this equality), a woman who distinguishes herself as a woman simply by the way that she dresses stands out. And it doesn't have to be the negative, tightly clingy, immodest clothes. And it doesn't have to be frumpy.

You can look VERY nice!

Don't go out looking frumpy! Make sure your clothes are ironed (if you don't have time to or don't want to iron, make sure to take your clothes out a little damp and hang them up to dry the rest of the way - you will be amazed at the difference!!). Make sure your hair is brushed and maybe even curled a bit (this takes no time at all to roll your hair at night so it is curly in the morning).

Dress it up a little if you wish. And even just a little lip stick (I don't wear make-up but I LOVE Burt's Bees Colored Lip Gloss). Sometimes I will throw on a pretty necklace too.

I personally don't believe there is anything wrong with fixing your hair up a little or wearing a bit of jewelry or even a little make up in order to make yourself look a little nicer. You are a representative of Christ and your body is His temple. If you take the time to take care of it (fixing and eating healthy foods, regular bathing, etc.), then you can take a little time to make it look nice too. After all, don't we take time to make our homes look good (flowers in vases, tablecloths on the tables, doilies here and there, etc.)? :) As long as you are not doing it to draw attention to yourself or for gain, I don't think there is anything wrong with it. :)

Now we get into some things I have learned on the Style Network (during the one month of free cable we had while after we moved into our new house and we had to call everyday and tell them we still have cable despite the fact that you say it was disconnected).

DON'T wear oversized clothing to "hide" your weight. That will ALWAYS make you look frumpy! Wear clothing that fits on your nicely (not tight --- we don't want to show our weight either LOL!!!).

Don't wear sweat shirts. Wear nice sweaters. Don't wear t-shirts, wear shirts with collars or texture or with a nice neckline (doesn't have to be immodest)! To the right are some of my shirts. I cannot wear very many button up shirts (you nursing mommas know how that is). And you can always buy a sleeveless shirt or cami (as the black one here) and wear a button up shirt over it for a different look. I also rarely wear shirts that need to be tucked in (I always seem to look nicer when I don't have to tuck - especially when wearing a skirt).

It is AMAZING what a little difference in what you are wearing will make on how you look in it! I always look frumpy in a t-shirt, but give me a shirt with color and a collar (that purple one above is the one I always wear when I want to feel extra pretty for my man) and I look (and FEEL) like GOLD!

It is all how you feel about YOURSELF! You look how you feel. Honestly!

SMILE it increases your face value. SERIOUSLY!

Have you read Created To Be His Helpmeet? There was a woman who worked at a store and she was what Mrs. Pearl would consider fumpy. But this woman always had men all around her! Why? Because she was always smiling and laughing. Then one day her husband (Mr. Pearl who had always liked being around the smiling "frumpy" woman) saw this ugly woman yelling at her children. Mr. Pearl kept saying that the woman looked familiar, but he could not place her. Mrs. Pearl said that was the "frumpy" woman from the store. Mr. Pearl could not believe it was the same woman!

I hope that this has been an encouragement to you!!

Blessed!

Oh I just have to share the blessing I just witnessed.

EE (my 5yo) is to sweep the floor and keep the kitchen clean. That is her zone and she is in charge. I have paired her up with MM (3 1/2yo) who helps her. MM actually goes around helping everyone in their zones.

Let me back up a little. Last night EE was helping AA (my almost 7yo) and AA was yelling at EE to find the board. Well EE, bless her heart, was trying her best to find a board, but she had no idea what AA was talking about.

This morning as MM was trying to help EE sweep the floor, EE was yelling at MM. I was able to make this into a teachable moment.

EE do you remember how you were trying so hard last night to help AA clean and find the board, but you didn't know what the board was. And how sad it made you to be yelled at like that when all you were trying to do was help? MM doesn't know how to sweep the floor yet.

MM came into the kitchen after that and EE smiled and asked MM to come over and she would show her how to sweep the floor. MM laughed and jumped up and down and said YEAH YEAH!
Now all I hear from the kitchen are giggles as the two are sweeping again TOGETHER and EE is teaching MM to sweep. I am also hearing WONDERFUL praise and encouragement too.

Great job MM you are sweeping very nice!

OH I AM SO BLESSED!

Crafty Blogs

Lori has posted some GREAT links to blogs that are MUST sees! She is right about the One Hour Craft! NOTHING but tutorial after tutorial. Oh I will never get housework done again!!! LOL!!!

Saturday Sweethearts: Romancing Your Husband

I had a yahoo group that I was trying to get up and going where people shared ideas, but there is so much spam on there (and several people are not sharing) so I thought it would be nice to share those ideas HERE!! That way you can also share anonymously! I will be closing down the yahoo group and transferring everything over to this blog, slowly but surely. :)

It all started when I read the book Romancing Your Husband by Debra White Smith.

A basic run down of the book. Mrs. Smith is a Christian and therefore the book does talk about Christianity a little. She talks about how she would always wait for her husband to romance her, when one day she thought why wait?!?! :D She decided that she would make one of her romantic dreams come true. Her husband LOVED it and she loved it and started making a habit of romancing her husband. She shares SEVERAL ideas which are WONDERFUL!! And as a result of her romancing her husband, her husband started romancing her!

I have started romancing my husband and have been LOVING it!!! I got out of the habit, but really need to start it back up again. My romance towards him made him be more romantic towards me. I plan to share different ideas to romance your husband (or strengthen your marriage) EVERY Saturday. :) I hope you enjoy them AND that you share some of your own romantical ideas (yes I LOVE that word!!!).

I will share something I did to romance my husband (in the form that Mrs. Smith uses in her book). (And a side note: my husband left me a nice little note before he left too! A sweet romantic card which talked about all the little things he loved about me).

What I Did: My husband recently went on a business trip. I wrote a letter for most everyday he would be away and snuck them into his suitcase. On the outside of each envelope I wrote "I really love how you ..." The inside talks about a certain things I love about him (i.e. the way he provides for us, the way he loves us, the way he cares for us, the way he protects us, etc.). Each letter focuses on one aspect of what I love about him.

My Reason: I wanted him to know he was loved and missed, even though he was so far away.

The Obstacles I Overcame: trying to think of enough areas I appreciate and love about him. He was gone for two weeks. The first week was easy to think of things (Godly characteristics). The second week was more difficult to think of things. I also had the difficulty of actually sneaking them into his suitcase. He usually always finds the cards I get in there before he gets to his destination.

My Husband's Response: he really loved and aprpeciated all the letters. He was pleasantly surprized when he went to brush his teeth after arriving at the hotel to see so many notes.

What I Wish I Had Done: nothing different. It really was perfect. I think if I was going to do anything different, I would have printed out some sort of coupon (like free massage, kisses all over, etc.) and included a different coupon in each letter (corresponding to what I loved about him). That way he would be thinking about redeeming those coupons when he got home. Also, this can be done even if hubby is home! While he is away at work, hide your notes throughout the house! Let him know how many there are (he will hunt and hunt till he finds every last one).

Budget Suggestions: this was very inexpensive. I used paper we already had and envelopes we already had. I hand wrote every letter (making it more personal than typed out). You could also print out decorative paper from your computer and then handwrite on it.

Friday's Fun: Vintage Games

My husband and I have been trying to kick the TV habit for some time now. It is easy to fall back into, especially with the move and all - just turn on the TV and have an instant baby sitter for your kids. Of course, even with the "wholesome" videos we have, it doesn't take the place of wholesome family togetherness and fun.

We have a book called Victorian Parlor Games by Patrick Beaver. An out of print book with TONS of FUN non-TV activities to do as a family! Of course, having a larger family helps. LOL! But my husband and I have played versions of these games just the two of us.

So I thought it would be fun to learn one game a week to be played on the weekend!

At the end of the post I will post some links to other Victorian Game sites (PLEASE remember that a lot of things from this time period are very superstitious and not Christian in nature - especially the games around Halloween) so READ WITH PRAYER AND CAUTION.

So the game we are going to learn this week is called
How, Why, When and Where.

On person thinks of any object. Then the other players try to guess what the object is by asking the following questions:

How do you like it?
Why do you like it?
When do you like it?
Where do you like it?

So for example:

How do you like it? I like it cold.
Why do you like it? I like it because it is tasty.
When do you like it? I like it when it is hot outside.
Where do you like it? I like it in a bowl.

What is it? ICE CREAM of course! :)

Of course, with OLDER children, you can use a word that has several meanings and answer each question for with a different meaning for the word.

For example: male (a man), mail (letters), mail (armor). You like it when it is a good friend (male). You like it because sometimes it brings good news (mail letters). You like it first thing in the morning (mail letters). You like it in a museum (mail armor).

I would LOVE to hear some of yours! Please share!! Think of an object and answer the questions, then leave the answer at the bottom of your comment (so we all have time to guess).

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Other links of interest (if you find anything objectionable PLEASE email me RIGHT AWAY):
Of course you can google Victorian Parlor Games :)
Tea Time Traditions - Victorian Parlor Games
Victorian Parlor Games and Rules
Parlor Games and Entertainments

Would YOU be allowed to live?

I find it VERY interesting that in the book of Job, God allowed Satan basically to do anything (except kill him) to Job and take everything away from him. Satan took all Job's possessions away, his children away, his servants away, his livestock away, most EVERYTHING away, but he left one thing that I find very interesting. He took EVERYTHING from Job EXCEPT his ...

WIFE!

Now why on earth would Satan take away everything that was precious to Job and leave his wife not only alive, but not harmed in any way? Look at how Job's wife behaves! It is almost like she is working for Satan. She is doing nothing to encourage her husband. She is putting him down. She is nagging him. She is trying to get him to curse God and die.

I wonder if Satan were allowed free reign on my husband if he would let me live?

Relying On The Word of God

I still smell like roses this morning! I have the BIGGEST smile on my face!!

And then that smile was replaced with conviction (just kidding, the smile is still there, but I am convicted). A short read, but needs to be read, Jess posted a MUST READ over at her blog. If you can get past the hair (gotta click it to see it) I think you will be glad you did.

When I was a baby Christian, I remember falling for almost anything I was told by the "Christian" community. Of course after being burned a few times, I have become a lot more Berean.

But I must admit that I still falter. I sometimes rely too heavily on really good books rather than the Word of God. I have a few spare moments here and there and what do I turn my eyes to? A book. A book that teaches me that I should be spending more time in God's Word! LOL!!

So today, when I have those few spare moments, I think I am going to have a Bible open to James (thanks Jess for the suggestion of studying James this month) and meditate on a verse or two.

What's Better Than A Dozen Roses?

Why a stocking FULL of roses of course! My husband, ever so romantic and always full of surprises, gave me a stocking full of rose bath products for Christmas. You see, our old house did NOT have a bath tub and our new house DOES, so I am so excited to be able to take BATHS!

Every single product has ROSE as an ingredient! So tonight after putting the kids down, I hopped into the tub and finally got to use my gift! I smell like a rose garden! And the bathroom does too! LOL!!!

Old Time Window Quilts - How to UPDATED

I was reading on biblicalwomanhood the need to lower the gas bill. It reminded me of this little gem I had hiding in my drafts to post for such a time as this! :)

I just LOVE old time things. One of the catalogs that I just love to look through (and admittedly drool over) is the Lehman's catalog. They have a monthly newsletter that has some great articles. This month had one I thought I would share with you.

Old Time Window Quilts: Instant Insulation Under $20.
(UPDATED, PLEASE NOTE: OLD LINK NOT WORKING, new link does not have the GREAT picture tutorial that used to be there. Sorry guys!)

This is so quick and easy to do, and it even has pictures for people like me, who learn better by seeing than reading. :)

Ahhhhh, the good old days! :)

Just had to add a quick note for an idea I had! If you don't want to make QUILTS, why not make it a temporary thing so you have light curtains in summer but heavy curtains in winter?

Add buttons to the top, sides, and bottom of your curtain (they should be pretty big buttons). Then make a quilt backing (backing attached to batting). Sew button holes at the same intervals of that which you sewed to the curtain. Then you can attach the extra warmth for the winter months and remove it for the summer months! :)

Trend Setting in Scrapbooking

Ok, so I won't take up a lot of your time/space here, but if you are looking for some NEAT ideas on the CUTTING EDGE or what can be done with digital scrapbooking, I highly encourage you to head over to the Trend Setter Contest at Digital Scrapbook Place (username lvg4him). The people who are commenteing are coming up with some AWESOME stuff AND telling you HOW they do it!!!

The Men In My Life

These are my two guys! My husband and our son. They bring such COLOR into my life so I felt I needed to do a colorful, yet still manly, layout to show that. I was immediately drawn to the Andy Warhol Marlyn Monroe Painting and thought it would be a perfect way to do this layout.

In the scrapbooking world (not just digital) the new thing is FREESTYLE. I must admit that I have fallen in love with Freestyle because you have such FREEDOM to create art, not just memories. It allows me to get to use my creative side (which is very small I assure you). :D But at least I LOOK like I am artsy with these layouts! :)


As I have probably shared before, scrapbooking is so important to me for so many reasons, but most importantly my children. I want to remember all their funny sayings and funny/cute things they did. I want them to know that Momma noticed when they did something and took the time to write it down and put pictures with it so as not to forget. I want them to know the places they have been and things they have seen and done. I don't want to grow old and have forgotten so much of the little things and my children keep asking me "who is in this picture" or "where were we when this was taken" or "I don't remember you telling me about such and such place, please tell me" and I can't remember.

My mom has tons of photos from her growing up and can't remember half the people in them or even what they were doing in the picture. I don't want that for my children. I want them to be able to show THEIR children all the things they did while growing up. And read to them the stories and show them the pictures of all the places we went and the everyday living that went on.

I do so hope I have encouraged you to start scrapbooking. If you cannot afford to paper scrap (I know that my paper ones looked AWFUL compared to my digital ones) and yet you don't have the money to buy a program to digital scrap, may I suggest combining the two? Sign up at any digital scrapbooking site (I really like Digital Scrapbook Place, you can read more about them by clicking on the right hand side - if you join my username is lvg4him) and get all the freebies! Then print them out on your printer (it will crop automatically to be able to print). You can also type up what you want to say if you don't like your handwriting. Print it out and cut it out and stick it to your page.

Oven-Fried Chicken

Oh just LOOKING at this picture of oven-fried chicken makes me hungry!

I have NEVER heard of oven-fried chicken before, but thanks to Mrs. Wilt over at The Sparrow's Nest (another new FAVORITE blog) I now do! And she talks about how she has chicken AND biscuits with recipes for BOTH!! WONDERFUL for a beginner like me (I can cook some good vegetarian stuff, but am not good in the cooking meat department AND have never cooked/baked TWO things in the oven at once or right after the other). I am so excited to have yummy oven-baked chicken AND hot biscuits too!!

I am printing off this recipe (and the biscuit one too) and adding it to my MOMYS Cookbook!!!

Wise Choice of a Mate

I just read a WONDERFUL article called Wise Choice of a Mate that I will be putting in my Daughters Of Virtue notebook.

I am not sure how many of you pray for the spouse of your daughters. I began praying the day they were born as God is raising up my little girl right now, He is also raising up that man too. So I pray for him. I pray that God will raise up a God man for each of my girls. That he will know and love God and serve Him all his days. That he will be a godly leader for my daughter and the family they start together. And now my older girls can actually be heard praying the same prayer "Lord bless me with a godly man for a husband."

And while there are those of us with moms who wished a child just like you on you when you grew up, I have actually taken the OPPOSITE approach. Firstly, I think that any mom who does that is just setting their child up for failure. What child wants to know that they have been such a terror to their parents that their parents wish terror on them as payback when they grow older? Secondly, I don't want my children to make the same mistakes as me. I openly and quickly (or at least I try to be quick about it) apologize to my children when I mess up.

So I have begun praying that my girls will be good wives and mothers and that God will bless them with children who will know Him and love Him and serve Him. After all, I pray that for my children now. I want my children to have children who are well behaved and obedient. I want my children to have children who know and love God. I know that comes through Godly examples in the parent, but I also know that God can answer our prayers, no matter when we pray them. :)

What, No Comments?

Oh it is so depressing. I forgot how difficult it was to start up a NEW blog. No comments!

I am in the process of transferring all my blog posts over to this new blog (so if you click a link on the left and only one item shows up when you were expecting more, check back in a month, I should have everything moved over by then). Unfortunately I do not know HOW to move comments with them.

So my blog remains commentless (is that a word?). I hope that this blog can be a blessing to you. And thank you for your patience as I transfer everything from four different blogs into this one.

My Little Man

Here is a picture of my little man (not so little anymore).
Click on it to see the credits and to see it bigger.

What Does Thunder Look Like To You?

MM - SUPER-GENIUS! :D

Seriously though, I do love how my children AMAZE me!

Today MM(3yo) had paper and crayons and was coloring in the resturant before our meal came. She looked at me and showed me the paper. "This is thunder Mommy!" WOW! Ok sweetie. It was a BEAUTIFUL scribble of colors. "What does singing look like MM?" She took the crayon and lightly and joyfully made a few swirls. "What does a whisper look like?" She slowly drew a straight line. "What does loud look like?" She drew very harsh and quickly and hard zigzagging back and forth. "What does love look like sweetie?" She drew soft and gentle swirls.

Another mark for the no TV side.

to watch TV 2
NOT to watch TV - a gazillion! :D

How Many Children Do You Have?

Having more than one child, more than 2 actually, I am always getting comments. Those who are in certain Christian circles know the kind of comments I am talking about. And there has always been the proverbial question how to answer back.

I was reading on some blog about a mother who was really convicted about snapbacks. She was told that she had her hands full with so many children. She was about to snapback with better full than empty when her friend stepped in and asked how many children she had. The woman broke down in tears commenting that they had tried and tried for several years to have children, but were unable to.

Today I got convicted by Everyday Mommy. She only has one child. And being the mother of only one child, she too gets the same kind of comments that mothers of many get, only reversed. Is that your only one? Are you going to have more? Etc. I had never thought about how rude my comments may be to a mother of only one. I encourage you to read her post today (and the comments that follow are hilarious!) about being a mom of onlies.

She has another post that is so touching and really eye opening. About the struggles a mom of one faces. And the fun playtimes that can occur because of them! :) (BTW - I LOVE yurts and really REALLY want one! Any of you who are MaryJane fans prolly feel the same way!).

Decluttering When Your Husband Wants to Keep It All

Believe it or not, we have already given away over half of our belongings and we STILL have enough to fill a house AND garage. Thank God for garages and basements or we would NEVER be able to move around in our house!

My husband has told me that he wants the house clean. I told him it is difficult to clean clutter. He agrees that we have too much clutter and yet, he won't let me get rid of stuff.

It would be so easy to just get rid of this stuff. He would not even miss it or know that I gave it away. I thought to myself. But would my husband TRUST me completely as the husband of the Proverbs 31 woman if I just started giving away things when I knew that he wanted to go over everything I wanted to give away.

At first, I told him that if he wanted to keep it, it had to be in his office. My husband works from home, and this made work VERY difficult for him. Even if he didn't work from home, would it really be kind to him to make his office a mess? That is not being a helpmeet in my eyes (and prolly not God's either).

Then I put everything in boxes. And I had BOXES and boxes for my husband to go through. And all that did was collect junk and SPIDERS! YIKES! Bad idea for a mom who hates bugs.

Finally in my frustration, I told my husband that I really just wanted to get rid of everything, and I shared my heart with him (the thoughts from above). It was then that he realized just how desperate I was to get RID of STUFF!

So we came up with this compromise. After the children are in bed, we would each spend 15 minutes cleaning and decluttering the house (he mostly works on his office and I work on unpacking in other areas of the house). After 15 minutes would would come together. We had to EACH have at LEAST ONE item that we would get rid of. And we could have no more than 20 (that way my husband could look at my stuff and not be overwhelmed with boxes and boxes of stuff). No matter what, he has to say yes to at least ONE of my items.

So far, we have done this for about a week now and gotten rid of a LOT of stuff! His office is getting cleaner and the house is getting decluttered. What is nice about this is that I am not getting overwhelmed! You know how it is when you get really going into cleaning and decluttering and do really really great for a day or two, but then get burnt out because you did too much too quickly? This is helping to pace me.

So maybe if you and your husband are at an impasse about how to declutter, because he wants to keep everything, maybe you could gently bring up this idea and see how he likes it. :)

Fun Video

Check out this awesome video (one that is kid-friendly mother approved).

I got it from another AWESOME must see site Rocks in My Dryer.

Joys of the Season

As a Mom, you know how sometimes the best gifts are your children's reaction to presents. So I just HAD to scrap this one before I forgot it. Our 4yod (about to turn 5 in a week) exclaimed with a squeal of delight "oh boy oh boy oh boy just what I've always wanted for Christmas!!!" upon seeing a build your own bird house kit. Then she quickly jumped up and thanked Daddy with a most PRECIOUS hug.
Click to see it larger and to see credits:

Daughters Of Virtue

I have three of them. And while they are all young (6yr, 4yr and 2 1/2yr), I take seriously the commission in Titus 2 about training up my daughters. Not only to be keepers at home, but to love their husbands, obey their husbands, love their children, to be discreet, chaste and good.

So I am in the process of collecting web sites that are helpful. Of course, I am printing out each of the articles because as we all know in this day and age of the WWW, here today and gone tomorrow. I have a notebook called "Daughters of Virtue" that I am collecting these articles in. It is kind of like my Home Management Notebook, organized in separate areas according to different areas of my daughter's training.

Here are a few. If you know of others PLEASE share them here. I will be putting a permanent link of the right hand side so you can continue to add as you find great sites/articles that help us moms be good Titus 2 mothers and train up our daughters. It is Training Daughters. There will be other stuff there too.

Books For Daughters Who Will Be Housewives this is a GREAT list! The only two I would add are Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl and Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendleson (check out half.com or amazon to get a copy for a GREAT price).

Daughters At Home did anyone know Lady Lydia had a blog?? a wonderful article, but don't forget to check out the comments!! Lots of good stuff in there as well!

Decluttering the Laundry Room - always a favorite, Mrs. Cat NEVER fails to encourage and motivate! Scan down to the middle of the post for WONDERFUL WONDERFUL tips on training your children (not just daughters) to do laundry (and how to MOTIVATE them to do it)!

Oh The Things We May Do

For Young Girls: The Importance of Living A Meaningful Life

Maidenhood Spent Content Under My Father's Roof

Being Your Father's Daughter - Especially For The Unmarried

A Merry Future Homemaker

Home Help: The Blessings of Being a Stay-At-Home Daughter

Here is a GREAT link for your daughters (be sure to read the one about wedding dresses and attire). Fashion and Following The Savior

Again, I will be putting a permanent link on the right hand side and encourage you to email me or comment about other pages as you learn of them. I will blog about any sites your email me so that others can learn about it too.

Must See This

This is hilarious. A church has done a parody of the Mac vs PC commercial (yes, I LOVE those commercials and I really love my MAC).

I'm a Christian vs I'm A Christ Follower

I got this link off another site that I really enjoy reading every day Everyday Mommy.

Dust Busters

I have never been good at housekeeping. Dusting was something I had not really done until recently (and by recently I mean about a month ago and have not gotten back to since). Why is it so hard to stick to a schedule?

I have been reading a WONDERFUL book that an online friend Oreosouza recommended called Living Life On Purpose (be sure to get the version by Kym Wright - turns out there is another book out there by the same title). I just finished reading the chapter on discipline. Now you might think after two chapters of her discussing chores for children, this might be on disciplining your children. But it isn't. It is on how WE as mothers need to be disciplined.

And OH how I need to be disciplined! I require my kids to clean up their room, but my room has stuff strewn about. I require my kids to speak softly, yet I often raise my voice. I want my children to be good keepers at home, yet I don't do what I know I need to be a good keeper at home myself.

So, today I begin (why do we always think we have to start on a Monday or a first of the month?).

Anyways, here is a great link to make your own dust busters.

I am curious what YOU prefer to use for dusting (I have heard feather dusters are the best) and why you like that for dusting.

Check out THIS the case!!



I am just learning to crochet so I never thought about making one this one (wanted to make one that you sew). But thought I would post the pattern in case you (or anyone else) wanted it. It does look very cute! Does anyone know of one that you can SEW? I am JUST learning to sew, so it would have to be pretty simple and easy to make. THANKS!!!

Little Homemakers

Oh, sometimes I forget how exciting it is to pick weeds and decorate the table with them. Or to take Momma's favorite sheet and decorate the table.

My girls have a homemaking spirit inside them and I don't want to quench it. It is so easy (now that I am a grown-up) to see weeds instead of beautiful yellow flowers and to see stains on my sheets instead of a beautifully decorated table.

I need to make some cheap-o table clothes for the girls to decorate the table with. And I need to plant some REAL flowers and teach them how to grow and pick and arrange flowers.

Right now, A (6yr) has pulled some flowers off the bushes (pink ones off one bush and yellow ones off another bush, at least they do complement each other) and put them in one of her plastic drinking cups for our company (the painter has come to give us an estimate on painting the basement). It amazes me how (now that I am a grown up and all), I see the painter as a worker instead of as company. I always offer workers drinks, but never have I decorated with flowers for them.

Oh, I pray that I will see the world through my children's eyes. To see weeds as flowers, sheets as beautiful tablecloths and workers as guests worthy of flowers.

Training Our Daughters To Be Keepers At Home

I am starting to go through the Training Our Daughters to be Keepers At Home CD. I was able to get a copy of the book through ILL and took notes while I waited for the CD. Even though the book is now back in print, it costs $75, and that is not including shipping. The CD allows you to print out only what you want (so some of the stuff that is no longer relevant, you can replace with more relevant stuff, or things more suited towards your family). You can also print out one year at a time (saving a little bit of money rather than doing it all at once). ALSO, the benefit of buying the CD over the book is that you are given permission to print out a copy for each of your children! With three daughters (and a son who will prayerfully bring us a daughter-in-law one day), that is at least 5 copies right there (including my own).

So I have decided that I will be going through the book year by year in order to train up myself so I can train up my children. Of course, because we follow a lot of the unschooling philosophies, they are learning right along with me. And I also am going through it what I feel is relevant first, rather than what the book says to do first. So instead of Godly Womanhood, I began with Gardening.

I HIGHLY suggest the ALL NEW Square Foot Gardening book (compared to the older version of the book). I looked at the older version a long time ago when I heard wonderful things about it. It didn't really excite me or grab my attention. HOWEVER, this new version makes it so easy (no weeding, no fertilization, no pH level testing etc.) that I am so excited about gardening. You can read about the difference between the two books on his site. I have been reading the book, and my 6yr has been listening with KEEN interest. She is so excited about gardening! Even the math part about cubic feet and volume and such, she did not look away or play with her toys!

Now of course, I had planned on starting the garden this year, but after reading how to do it, my husband feels it would be better to start this type of gardening NEXT year (after we move). We are planning on moving to a homestead (Lord willing) sometime this year. We had tried to move earlier, but I got pregnant (Due May 3, thank you for asking ) and so that was put on hold. But we are still actively looking and have started praying again about when and where to move. If you feel so led, we would appreciate your prayers for us in this matter.

So back to Training. I figured of course that if I learned it, I would be able to teach it to my children. But I am sure that they are going to be learning along with me. And I have a LOT to learn.

I am also concerned about the cooking part. I never learned how to cook. I jokingly say that if my FIL had not gotten cancer and we became vegetarian, I never would have learned to cook or bake. Our first year of marriage was spent eating out a lot or eating spaghetti or hot dogs. Our first Thanksgiving was spent at Golden Coral.

I came across an article that talks about how simplistic cooking has become. There is a test there with cooking/baking terms. I got 100% coorect! So thankful for that. How sad though that most people don't know what those terms mean. Cream does not mean hit by a truck and smooshed to smithereens!

But the book suggests using Sue Greggs cookbooks. I am really wanting something a bit older (so they have those terms like "cream" and "fold"). Does anyone have any idea where I can get a hold of some great cooking/baking books that don't have boxes or cans of stuff used to make things? Ones that actually have those terms (and maybe even a definition of those terms)?

Don't forget to check out the link on the left hand side about DAUGHTERS. This link is going to be updated by me (and hopefully others) who have great articles for daughters about being a lady and keeper at home.

So this blog is changing directions, just a bit. It is still about my journey from mess maker to home maker, but now it is going to include my going through the Training Our Daughters book and what my girls and I are doing IN ADDITION to all that I am learning and doing (like the decluttering and simplifying that I am still going through).

I hope you will be encouraged and I pray that you will share so that we can all learn from each other.

Don't Just Clean It, Beautify It

A quote from a blog I HIGHLY encourage you to check out:

In judging your own housekeeping, just do as well as you can in your circumstances. There is no use getting by with a swipe and a sweep at the house, unless you have special problems. We can each put our whole heart and soul into what we do. We are generally much happier when we know we have done our best, and put our full talent into something. People who just do what they can get by with, in anything, will never be completely happy or fulfilled.

That is why I say, when you are homemaking, that you should not just clean something, you should beautify it. Your finished job should send a message. It should say "I love my family enough to provide a place for them that is lovely and comfortable."
From Lady Lydia

Oh, I am convicted and encouraged at the same time (isn't that what TRUE conviction does when it is non-judgmental?)!! I encourage you to read the rest of the entry (as well as the rest of her BLOG). Her entries are VERY short, so they can usually be read in about 5 minutes or less. BUT the conviction and edification lasts for weeks!! The title of this entry is my new mantra! I am going to be printing it out on beautiful paper and framing it to hang in a place where I can see it frequently.

Fun and FREE mp3s

My husband has two FUN mp3s: Little Bunny Foo Foo (it sounds WEIRD because he was trying to make his voice sound like a giant's) and How Cow Found Her Moo.

http://podcast.paurian.com/

Anyways, we are hoping to put up some songs where we have put Scripture to music (and some other praise songs).

Paper Dolls - Historical

You don't have to be into history to find these paper dolls amazing.

The United States Historical Society has an ARCHIVE of PAPER DOLLS!

Of course my favorite is Audry Hepbrun, but they have Florence Nightengale and other historical figures too! WOW!

Mary Jane Crazy

I just finished reading MaryJane's Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook: for the farmgirl in all of us. I have never read a book when where I got to the end I was disappointed and wished that there was more and that it would go on and on and on. Thankfully, she is coming out with workbooks that expound on each section of her book. Her first workbook on The Stitching Room is due out soon.

This book is great for anyone who wants to live a more simple, old-fashioned life. One where you grow your own organic fruits and veggies, have a few animals (maybe some chicks and goats), have some land and love the outdoors. I was able to rent a copy from my library (and already have the Stitching workbook on hold - but I am 7th in line to get it). But this is a book I want to have on my bookshelf!

I have fallen for anything MaryJane's Farm! And this idea of the BakeOver has to be the best idea yet! Fast and simple and YUMMY! Perfect for quick meals when you are having guests over, or as a way to use up left overs. And I must admit that it is a wonderful meal to make while you are recovering from pregnancy. I don't have to stand very long at all. It is quick and simple.

And for those who grow tons of zucchini and squash here is a WONDERFUL recipe I just made that has become a favorite cool meal (you know, a meal to eat on those days when it is super hot outside).

Chop 2 squash and 2 zucchini and one small onion.
Saute onion and add squash and zucchini.
Add corn off the cob (as much or as little as you want, I had some leftover from last night that needed to be used up).
Add seasonings (we really like basil).
Cook a little bit longer.
Serve into bowls.
Pour refrigerated marinara sauce on top (as much or as little as you like) of individual servings. This cools down the meal.

YUM!

I would LOVE to have more cool meal recipes in my recipe file. Does anyone know of a book (hmmm... maybe one of you home business starts can write a book) or web site, or maybe you can share some of your own cool meals.

Teaching a Child to Crochet

Now, while this site assumes you already know how to crochet (which is something I am currently TRYING to teach myself to do), it does have some GREAT projects for kids.

Teaching a Child To Crochet

Looks like FUN!!

The BEST Clothesline EVER!

Check out this clothesline! It has a little line for little miss!!

I am hoping her husband will put up directions on how to make this yourself (as EVERY home needs to have one of these)!! Be sure to post a comment and ask her to put up directions (with measurements and all).