Bento Box

OH how we LOVE Bento Boxes!! Merideth just did a post on Bento Boxes, so I encourage you to head over and check it out.

She also just finished up a series for the Ladies Finishing School - Living Well On Less. It was GREAT! Be sure to check it out!

(PS. I just learned about this NEW thing where I can put in comments about the links. Try it! Hover over a link and see what it says! :) I have been doing this for weeks now. :D )

Trash The DressTrash The Dress

Being a submissive wife is not always easy. Sometimes I am asked to do things that I just cannot see the reasoning behind (isn't it also that way with the Lord? Maybe that is why I am supposed to be submissive to my earthly husband so I can better submit to my heavenly Husband). :)

But usually (and not always right away), I will see the wisdom in my beloved's decision.

His current request? That I trash my wedding dress.

I must admit when I was standing over my husband's shoulder as he asked me to do this and he was telling me about the site, I was thinking that wedding dress means so much to me. Trashing the wedding dress is something someone who is divorced does. Those with happy marriages keep their wedding dresses, sealed in protective plastic just like mine is. Which also happens to be hidden away in a closet somewhere.

But after he explained to me about what exactly trashing your wedding dress is, and showed me some of the cutest pictures of women trashing their dresses, we decided to go for it. Hey laughed and gave me a high five, so I know this means a lot to him.

Now of course, most of the ones who do this are newly weds (you can tell by the pictures).

BUT, who says this has to be for newly weds!?! Next year, for our twelve year wedding anniversary, we have decided I am going to trash my wedding dress. That gives me one year to get into shape and be able to fit back into my wedding dress and one year to save up for the big event. (There are even photographers who specialize in trashing the dress photography.) You can follow my journey by clicking on the label Trash The Dress.

We will be having a vow renewal (something I thought my beloved would NEVER do, but he is going to buy and trash a tux with me) followed by the trashing of the dress. We are going to spend the day at Disneyland going on all the rides IN MY WEDDING DRESS! Then out for dinner IN THE DRESS! And then to the beach IN THE DRESS for a walk in the sunset along the beach (and maybe some rolling around too - scroll half way down to see my FAVORITE picture or trashing the dress by rolling in the sand!).

Why trash the dress? Because I love and am committed to my beloved. I have no use for a wedding dress anymore. And I am tired of stashing it away in a closet not to be seen or enjoyed. And just like I did not wear my mother's wedding dress and my mother did not wear her mother's wedding dress, the likelyhood of any of my daughters (or future daughter in laws) wanting to wear my dress are slim to none. And rather than having it be just one more things my children have to weed through when I die, why not let it be a living testimony to my children NOW about the commitment their father and I share with each other. Yes, the vows are enough. But why not turn the dress into a work of art to remember the day we took our vows? A work of art to remember our commitment to each other.

Proverbs 31 - In Depth Look

A WONDERFUL in depth look at the Proverbs 31 woman.

An Excellent Wife: What God's Word Says
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

These are from a wonderful blog I know you will all love
Desiring To Be A Godly Woman

Video For How To Fold A Fitted Sheet

I have always wondered if there was a better way to fold a fitted sheet than the way I was doing it. LOL! Now I know. Video how to fold a fitted sheet

HT Making A Home

SHOPPE: Wanna Buy Something Sweet...

and cute, and adorable, and something your kids will love and ...

I could go on and on and ON about Rebecca's new store (and about Rebecca - she has the BEST blog!). I highly encourage you to go over and check her NEW store out!

Rebecca's Esty Store

-=-=-=-
I feel VERY strongly in supporting other homeschooling stay at home mom's and their Proverbs 31 ventures. SO I have created the SHOPPE acronym:

Stewards Helping Other Proverb31 Entrepreneurs

If you have a home based business, I know my web page has a small readership, but every bit of advertising helps. I would be happy to help

Follow Up

Now that I have had some time to break down and cry and some time to get some sleep, I feel much better.

Yes, it did happen to me. Baby JJ was in the backseat. I have given him cookies for almost 4 months now and he has done fine with them. However, yesterday he did NOT do fine with them.

I had given him a new type of cookie. I just assumed since it was the same size as the other cookies he would do fine.

I think there may have been an ingredient in there he may have been allergic to. SO the choking may not have been cookie alone, but his throat may have swelled a bit in reaction. The only reason I say that is because AFTER his nap, his face was purple and his ears were bright red.

If he had looked like that BEFORE I put him down for a nap, I never would have put him down. He must have been pale from the whole incident (I know **I** was pale), and the nap gave time for the color (and MORE) to come back to him.

He also developed a high fever yesterday (which has since gone down).

So today, instead of a Saturday Sweethearts, I hope you will understand that I am gonna spend all day loving on my family - thankful to God we are all here, and alive.

To Those of You...

To those of you who honked in anger and raced by, I hope you felt remorse when you saw me, in anguish holding my limp baby, and will think twice about honking and getting angry the next time traffic is held up.

To those of you who stopped to help, especially the lady right behind me who helped clean my baby and me and the car up, and the angel EMT who showed up out of no where, and who disappeared just as quickly once the baby was safe, and the two gentlemen who came rushing over to help, thank you thank you THANK YOU and may God continue to bless you all of your days for your care and help today.

And to all you Mommy's who allow your older baby to eat even the smallest of finger foods while you are driving... please stop. It is not as safe as you think, and baby can wait 15 more minutes until you get home. 15 minutes of a crying baby is a baby who is alive and not choking.

To the rest who were just curious if the baby was OK but were unable to stop, baby is home and sleeping now. He is doing fine. Very tired, but very alive baby. Thank God.

Friday's Fun: The Great Outdoors

My children and I LOVE nature. I love to be outdoors and they do too.

Growing up, though, the only outdoors stuff I really did was camping or canoing. I never really understood anything about making hollyhock dolls or daisy crowns. But it is something I want my children to have wonderful childhood memories of when they are grown.

I have listed some books in the past that are MUSTS for enjoying the garden with your children. But if money is tight, here is a web page with some FREE ideas!

Seeding Your Child's Imagination's With Simple Garden Projects

I also encourage you to get outdoors with your children while they are young. Go to a nearby park (not the one with swings, the recreational kind). Check out local hikes in your area. I know our state has a list of kid friendly hikes, so we can go hiking most anywhere! LOL!!

Ask around. I recently learned about a waterfall you can hike to and then play in afterwards! HOW FUN!

Any other free ideas out there? Please leave a link!

Interview With An Atheist

WOW. This video is just a testament that as a follower of Christ we can only SHARE the good news. Jesus is the only One who saves. VERY convicting to watch.


Interview With An Atheist

HT: Desiring To Be A Godly Woman

Children, Obedience and The Lord

I love my children. And I love when my children shine with the love and joy of Jesus.

They don't always. They have their moments of disobedience and of discord with one another. I was reading on someone's blog about how when your child is disobedient, the answer is not ___fill in the blank___, but the answer is Jesus.

I must admit that this really struck me. I mean, I have read most every book I can get my hands on concerning child rearing. To spank or not to spank, time outs, tomato staking, etc. But what that mother said is true.

If your child has a relationship with Jesus, there will not be a problem with disobedience. 1 Samuel 3 talks about how the Lord called Samuel and he was obedient. I was listening to an S.M. Davis CD called "What to Expect From A Twelve Year Old" and he mentioned that Samuel was only three at this time. WOW! I wonder how old Miriam was when she looked after her little baby brother (Moses)? Just thinking about little girls in the Bible - they aren't mentioned very often because they weren't considered important to society. For them to mention any girl or women meant something important.

The point is, those children who knew and loved God from an early age were very mature and responsible (compared to the children of today). You don't read words like "terrible two's" or "toddler" or "teenager" in the Bible. Those words are created to excuse away the child's behavior rather than having the important task of addressing the heart behind the bad behavior and changing it.

I realize that I have really done a disservice to my girls. For the most part, they truly are great. But I can tell that I have not instilled in them a love for the Lord. They love to read the Bible (well, what THEY consider reading - looking at pictures). They like when Momma reads the Bible to them. They love to sing songs about Jesus. They love to talk about God and his creation. But I can tell they do not reverence Him. I can tell that they do not really LOVE Him.

And why? Because I have difficulty reverencing the Lord. I do not live my life as if I truly LOVE Him. I have placed things on a higher priority than Him. I tried explaining to my 7 year old that the reason it is so important that she learns now how to love and obey God is because the older you get, the more difficult it is. I did not grow up learning how to love and obey. And I struggle daily. I don't want my children to have that struggle.

My Garage Sale Turn Out

Total on the garage sale: $226. Only about $50 off from what I normally make. Saturday was a SLOW day. I had only a handful of customers. Turns out there was a neighborhood garage sale. BUMMER! I missed it! LOL! I guess tip number 5 would be CHECK TO MAKE SURE YOUR GARAGE SALE IS NOT ON THE SAME DAY AS A LARGE COMMUNITY SALE! LOL!!!

So continuing on with my tips for a good garage sale:

Fifth - see above. LOL!

Sixth - don't be afraid to go up to cars driving by (you can tell they are drive bys because they slow down) and ask if there is anything specific they are looking for. Engage the drive bys in conversation. If you don't have the item, apologize but then make a quick comment about how great your prices are and how they will regret not looking. Do this jokingly, as you don't want to pressure them. And it is always polite to wish them sincere luck even if they don't stop.

One lady got out laughing, but went back to her car in tears because she had found some CD her daughter really wanted and got it for a quarter! :) She could not stop thanking me for encouraging her to come and look! Another couple got out and got $7 worth of stuff (all 25cents each item). And they were not going to stop. They were my last customers for the day as I was just about to pull everything in. So I made $7 extra bucks and had 28 less items to bring back in! :)

Seventh - this is something I did not know about until Saturday right as I was about to close. Some one asked if I had advertised on CraigsList. Listing your garage sale on CraigsList is FREE to you AND can bring in more customers (especially if you live out in the boonies *hint hint Rebecca*) :) CraigsList is much more than just a way to advertise your garage sale. You can also list your high ticket items on there (instead of ebay) as well as search for high ticket items (rather than trying to win a bid).

So why is this posted today? Because I noticed it in my drafts folder. I had saved it instead of posting it. LOL!!!!

Loving Jesus

I've been tagged for the 5 Things I Love About Jesus meme by Devil Dog Wife.

Here are the Rules:

1. Those Tagged will share 5 things they love (dig) about Jesus.
2. Those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers.
3. Those tagged will provide a link in the comments section here of their meme so that others can read them and here the creator of this meme John Smulo.

My Responses:

1. I love Jesus because He loves me. He loved me even while I was still a sinner (although I still am a sinner LOL!, but now I know that I am LOL!). He loves me even when I don't trust Him or when I am not in His will. His love is ever lasting.

2. I love how Jesus came to those who needed Him. He did not come to those who were good and felt they were better than needing a Savior. But He came to save those who were lost without Him. He came for me.

3. I love how Jesus always directed things back to the Father. It is something I desire deeply to do myself. I am nothing with Him. I need to decrease so that He may increase.

4. I love how Jesus followed through on His promise and the will of God, even though He was not really wanting to, He was WILLING to.

5. I love how Jesus continues to forgive me and accept me despite the fact that I fail - miserably.

I don't really have anyone I want to tag. If you do the meme, leave a link here for me to see it.

This was a good meme for me as right now things are really tough. Your prayers for peace and wisdom are appreciated. I find it ironic that despite the fact that I love the Lord, I have such difficulty trusting Him. I know if I were to simply trust and obey that I would not be having the difficulties I am having now.

But I try to take things into my own hands and fail miserably. I have spent the whole day on the phone and web doing research and talking to people. And how much have I prayed? Only once.

Why, when I need God most desperately, do I seek Him so rarely? I guess because in this case I feel that there is so much that I can do. But when it comes to my baby being sick (and we have been on the verge of death with three of our four littles, which I was reminded of today in Rebecca's post) and I truly can do nothing but pray, that is when I seek the Lord most diligently.

And He always has come through for us. And I remember. I remember the Lord loves me. I remember His promises. I remember to trust in Him. I remember... for a little while. And then life returns to normal. And normal is good. And good means a little less reliance on God.

Why in times of good, do I forget to thank the One who IS good and has brought us good? I guess that is why the Lord keeps giving me those times of needing Him. I need those times to help me realize just how much I need Him.

Saturday Sweethearts: A Confrontation Rewarded

WOW! I found this VERY interesting! I thought you might enjoy this! This is from another email service where you can get emails sent to your inbox to help your marraige!

Blessings, Paula

------ Forwarded Message
From: FamilyLife
Subject: Moments Together for Couples

A Confrontation Rewarded

But if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.
Nehemiah 1:9

The book of Nehemiah may seem like an unlikely source for advice to families, but it contains five important guidelines for confrontation.

Jerusalem had been destroyed, and most of God's people were in Babylonian captivity. Nehemiah wanted to take a group back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, but he would have to confront King Artaxerxes to gain permission. Couples facing problems can learn from Nehemiah's model.

First, he took time to pray (see Neh. 1:4-10; 2:4). Most problems can be solved when you get together, take the issue before the Lord and let Him simmer you down a bit before you actually begin to talk.

Second, Nehemiah expressed loyalty, encouragement and support before raising the issue at hand. He opened his conversation with the king by saying, "Let the king live forever!" (2:3). To apply this concept to confrontation, affirm each other and create a climate of trust so your mate can hear what you need to say.

Third, Nehemiah was truthful. He came right out with the problem, telling the king the walls of Jerusalem were in rubble and the few Israelites who had survived were in great danger. Be truthful with your spouse about the real problem. Glossing over sin is deceitful.

Fourth, Nehemiah had an attitude of submission. He let the king know that he was not only interested in the fate of Jerusalem, but in the king's interests as well. Confrontation should benefit both spouses, not just one.

Finally, Nehemiah was specific in his request. He asked the king for letters to take him safely on his journey and for materials for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (see vv. 7,8). Do you know what you need from your spouse to resolve your problem? Be specific.

Homes can be built (or rebuilt) through healthy confrontation.

Discuss: Think about past confrontations. Which of the five principles above could have helped you?

Pray: That God will help you balance personal honesty with sensitivity to others.

---
Excerpted from "Moments Together for Couples" by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. Used with permission. Copyright 1995 by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. All rights reserved. To purchase the book, visit -> http://www.familylife.com/1-800-358-6329/detail.asp?id=1170
-----End Forward Message

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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. :)

Friday's Fun: Family Flea Market

Our city has one Saturday out of the whole year dedicated to KIDS!

Kids get to set up tables and sell their stuff to other kids. I highly encourage you to check out your local flea market to find out if and when your flea market has it's kids day. Then either decide to set up a table and sell your stuff (GREAT time to sell all those handmade items!) OR decide to go with your kids. Give them some extra chores for them to earn some money to spend. :) BUT be sure to have your own garage sale the weekend BEFORE the flea market kids weekend for them to get rid of toys to make room for the new ones. :)

As a side note: I am sorry I have not been around. This has been a busy week. My mom is here visiting. And my beloved is the new board member of the local historical society (yeah). He has also been asked to have two of his photos published - one in a book and one in a magazine (you go beloved!). :)

Ribbon Bookmarks

Ever since I read about ribbon bookmarks on Sparrow's Nest, I have been obsessed with finding patterns. She made the CUTEST baby gift basket and included a ribbon bookmark.

I could not find any patterns for ribbon bookmarks (I am hoping she shares what she did).

But I did find several tutorials on BOOK THONGS! LOL!! Not the most modest name, but fun nonetheless.

These are easy and fun. Even a child can do these! These are selling for like $7.50 on the web! WOW!!! Just imagine if you made some and sold them for like $4! :) Great little home business to get the kids in on (can you tell I am a fan of the Moore's?)

Crocheted Book Thong from Crochet Me.

This one is done with cord.

This one has to be my favorite of what I have seen so far! It is a ribbon bookmark. I also like how she attached it to a handmade card (thought of you Rebecca! I still have the hand made card you made me!).

Ok, so I don't know why I did not just search Martha Stewart to begin with. She has a tutorial on ribbon bookmarks! They are BEAUTIFUL!

Here is a great tutorial on making felt and ribbon bookmarks.

A different take on the felt and ribbon bookmarks tutorial.

A book thong/ribbon bookmark in a matchbox would be sure a cute gift! And a great way to make a presentation for the bookmarks if you are wanting to sell them.

HAVE FUN!!!

The Springiest Cupcakes!

So, are these not the CUTEST cupcakes you have EVER seen?? You can see them better and get the recipe at Martha Stewart.

HT to Apron Strings and Needed Things (another EXCELLENT blog that if you love homemaking and mothering, you will enjoy this blog)

Rule to live by and Lavendar Beauty

Rule to live by:
"If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

William Morris

HT: Gracious Hospitality - where I got the quote from.

Also, she has a WONDERFUL tutorial on making lavender wands! And look at those lavender fields! OH I so wish we had one of those here!

HT: Ladies Finishing School - if you have not checked out the finishing school yet, it is a must.

AND a dear friend of mine has recently started blogging again (YEAH!)! She has posted about lavender and the many uses (including medicinal) as well as a recipe for lavender hand sanitizer! SO COOL! Thanks Brenda!

iPhone Craze

My computer guru beloved actually introduced me to the Will It Blend guy. I LOVE THESE! So fun for homeschoolers.

But I think he went a bit too far in this one. OH NOT MY PRECIOUS iPHONE! My coveted (I know, not supposed to covet, but it is an iPhone!!!) iPhone!!! :)



And just so you know, this is why I own a K-Tec instead of a VitaMix! K-Tec is so much more powerful! LOL!!!

Talking Politics

While the 2008 election is a ways off, it seems to be all that is talked about now a days! LOL! One of the local news stations even has a nightly or weekly (can you tell I don't watch the news very often) "Decision 2008" where they talk about what is happening in the race.

If you are a conservative Christian, you should look at Mike Huckabee for President.

I first heard about Mike Huckabee from Jess at Making Home. She has some good stuff about him there. I know that HSLDA (homeschool legal defense association) also has some interviews with him (he's a big proponent of homeschooling).

I had written a long post, but felt the Lord telling me that I should direct you over to someone who knows more. So check out Making Home for more great information on this upstanding candidate. Here is her latest post about Mike Huckabee.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not accepting comments on this post. Politics are one thing I really don't wish to get into. However, Mike Huckabee is a name you might not have heard of, so I wanted to inform you of him, and you can go from there. :)

Saturday Sweethearts: Send an E-Card

So I know that e-cards sound old and overdone, but when was the last time you sent one to your beloved? Sending a quick e-card lets your beloved know that you took time to think about them today. You can even have it made today and sent sometime in the future! I have made several cards at once at sent them out over a period of several months. :)

This site comes recommended by The Marriage Bed (a Christian forum on intimacy between husband and wife).

http://www.romantic-ecards.com/

I also really like DaySpring, as they are Christian and have some GOOD stuff!! :)

-----
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. :)

The Thing About Garage Sales...

You end up SO TIRED at the end of the day! LOL!!! I was up and running at 6:30 and STILL was not ready by my 8AM opening time. Then hubby put up the signs and a flood of people came! Even the new neighbors (and their moving company) commented on how many people we had and asked what our secret was. LOL!!! We were open until 2, and man was it HOT! Forty minutes later everything was back in the garage for tomorrow - Day Two! :)

And how much did I make today? Well, considering most everything was $1 or 25cents, I think $160 is pretty good! LOL!! I got rid of a LOT of stuff! YEAH!! The way I look at it is, make some money while getting rid of a LOT of stuff. :) I Just miss the other sales I could have been at while I was having my sale! LOL!!!

My Tips For A Good Garage Sale
(again, remember my goal is to make SOME money while getting rid of a LOT of stuff)

I hated having a garage sale and making $300 and still having a TON of stuff to haul off to Goodwill. So after several garage sales (and by several, I mean prolly close to 40 in the past five years LOL!) I have learned how to make just as much money but not have all the STUFF to bring back inside or haul of to Goodwill.

First, don't charge a lot of money! The less money you charge for things, the MORE people will buy from you. When people find out most everything is a quarter or even a dollar, they will stay around and look for longer and even end up picking up stuff they don't want or need. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT in today's society because everyone, even the garage salers, are pinching pennies and being careful to only buy stuff they need or really REALLY want. But most all garage salers CAN NOT RESIST a good bargain. And 25cents is a GOOD BARGAIN!

I usually charge $3 for my adult dresses on Friday and $1 on Saturday. Think about it this way, would you rather sale 1 dress for $3 and take two back in or sell all three for $1 and take none back in! I will admit that on some of the nicer stuff (like my dresses), I charge higher prices on Friday. But still cheaper than most (as most garage sales here sell adult dresses for $5 each). And my books and baby clothes are 25cents each too (although the REALLY nice dresses are $1 and the REALLY nice books are 50cents).

And unless the offer is ridiculously low, take the offer! Think to yourself: what would *I* be willing to pay for this at a garage sale? And if the offer comes close, take it. Sometimes if it is low, I give them the number I would pay, and they always accept that. :) And they usually call their friends and say "You gotta goto this garage sale at ______. The prices cannot be beat!" LOL!!

Secondly, have music playing. I like to have soft Christian music playing (it opens up some GOOD conversations with people!), but if I did not have that, I would prolly have soft classical playing. Music has been shown to make people want to stay longer wherever they are. Some study dome somewhere. LOL! I remember trying it at a garage sale I had a couple years back. No music, people came and left. Music, people would stay and even start conversations.

Thirdly, signs are SO IMPORTANT! Make sure all your signs ARE THE SAME COLOR! They need to know that they are following YOUR signs! And make them big enough to READ! Print CLEARLY! And draw a HUGE arrow! I usually use neon pink signs and draw a very THICK BLACK arrow. Make the head of the arrow a full triangle and color it in. There is no denying THIS WAY to my garage sale! LOL!! Keep the words FEW! Too many words are not necessary! AND they limit the people who come. If you put BABY on your sign, all the people not interested in baby stuff will pass you over. Let them do a "drive by" if they are not interested in baby stuff. They might just see something that only THEY would have bought (but missed if you limited your advertisement to baby people).

GARAGE SALE! Fri - Sat. 8-2. Don't put all the stuff you have on there. No one can read it with how fast they are going and it takes away from what's important. Sale. THIS WAY! LOL!!!

And if someone near you is having a garage sale FIND OUT about it. Scope the neighborhood and make a bond. I will send people to your sale if you send them to mine. That way, should they stop at the other sale THINKING it is yours, they know that just a street or two down is your sale (the signs they have been following this whole time).

And make sure at LEAST two signs are on a major road pointing to the off roads to your house.

Fourthly (is that a word?), have refreshments for your guests! Homemade lemonade is nice, but people really want something they can grab and go. So I buy sodas and bottled waters. Now, you see sales where people are charing $1 for a bottle of water, and you wonder just how much water they will be drinking for the next month! LOL!! Make sure your drinks are chilled (even the water). I had mine in an ice cooler. The soda I had was Sam's Choice and my cost was 12.7cents a can. Selling it for 25cents a can gives me almost double my money back! Bottled water cost me 17cents per bottle and I sold those for 25cents too (don't you hate it when garage sales charge MORE for bottled water than for soda?!?!), so I made 8cents profit. PLUS IT KEEPS YOUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY! Happy people stay longer and shop longer. I am not selling the refreshments just to make money, but to make people happy.

And SECRETLY give a bottle of water to all the old ladies who come to your sale. Part of it is our Christian duty to care for the elderly, and part of it is trying to make them comfortable. How many elderly die each day from heat stroke? If you can do something to prevent that, shouldn't you?

I plan on making at least another $100 tomorrow. I usually make $250 - $300 on such a sale and usually only have a small box or two to take to Goodwill when all is said and done. :) But right now I AM BEAT! So off to bed! Goodnight!

The Bible vs The Cell Phone

QUICK NOTE TO THOSE WHO ASKED FOR MY CALENDER INSERT: I am going through emails as fast as I can, PLEASE be patient. I see you all and you all will get a copy. :) thank you!!!

-------------------

This is just going around on the internet, and I have no idea who wrote it, but it is really good! (A short read, so why not read it). :)

The Bible vs The Cell Phone

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

This is something to make you go "hmmm . . . where is my Bible?"

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike your cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. And no dropped calls!

We Did It .. Scratch that ... GOD Did It!

We now have a dog. Her name is Sandi (with an I - a pretty plain name, I know, but spelled with an I makes it ever so much more romantic, don't you think?) We got her yesterday, and she is two years old, so her birthday is July 10, 2005. :)

I did not know when you want a dog from the humane society, you have to take them then and there or no deal.

So I called my husband, who said he trusted me, and I brought her home.

She is the SWEETEST dog, and how I got her is a secret (I promised I would not tell because the HS NEVER does what they did in my case - NO EXCEPTIONS --- SHhhhh! I promise I won't tell). We almost did not get her (technical issues with humane society rules, it is just not the way we do things, they said), but we had prayed, and had a friend praying, that if God wanted us to have this dog, we would. We knew that if the Lord wanted us to have her, He would provide. (It may not be the HS way, but His ways are not our ways are they!!??).

She is adapting VERY well to our new home and every member of the family just LOVES her. She is very sweet and mild (for a golden retriever high energy dog that is). And all we have for her is the small bag of food that came with her and the water. The kids are using their bowls for right now. And she loves playing catch with them (with a tennis ball). I know I need to scrap this, but right now, I am so enjoying watch my family and my new love.

We took her (did I mention how GREAT she does in the car?) to the pet store (the one where you can take the dog in with you) and everyone commented on what a sweet dog she was (even the groomer who helped us find a brush commented on what a sweet dog she is). We got SO MANY comments about how sweet she was that my girls asked how come so many people were saying what a sweet dog she is. OH I AM SO HAPPY! What a blessing!

On a sad side note, both my husband and I are allergic to the dog. But we love her so dearly, we gladly suffer.

So far so good as far as her still being a sweet and good dog (I was worried that all night she would bark and bark or something).

She did gives us quite the scare this morning. My husband went out at 5:30 to check on her and she was gone. He called and called, and she never came. He rushed upstairs to get me out of bed, and he took the car and went out looking for her. My girls woke up with all the confusion and yelling and asked what was going on. When I told them Sandi was missing, they all cried.

Pray girls.

So we all prayed and I began printing out the pictures we took of her yesterday. My oldest went out in the back to see if there was a hole that she had dug to get out (possible for her to jump the fence, but wow that is a tall order!). She said even her bone was missing (I thought how funny for Sandi to take her bone and leap over the fence, but a desperate dog might just do that)! :)

Well my husband came home to grab the pictures, and saw her out back! I have no idea other than God's answer to prayer! It is simply amazing! We should have named her "God Answers Prayer." LOL!!! Thank you Lord, for answering the prayers of three small, simple children!!!

How Adorable Is This?!?!

OK, I know us home school moms don't REALLY need a lunch box for our children. But MAN, is this too cute!!! I might just have to make this JUST BECAUSE! LOL!!! :)

HT: The Vintage Homemaker (the original can be found at Molly Chicken)

Another calender insert. Click for credits.

(For some reason blogger is not letting me enter a title for my post.)

Saving Money by Cutting Hair

After reading the current issue of The Dollar Stretcher (this is an AWESOME resource for finding ways to save money on most EVERYTHING, and their newsletter is FREE and sometimes even has Christian articles!), I was encouraged to try cutting my families hair.

First thing I did was check out EVERYTHING the library had on cutting your families hair. THIS was extremely overwhelming. Each book had a different technique, and some went into such detail about how to hold the scissors that I just about went crazy trying to contort my fingers! LOL!

Then my friend said that she was working on an ebook about how to cut hair. WHAT A LIFESAVER! She just released the book. Buying this book helps support a stay at home homeschooling momma who is trying to earn some money to help in a move while helping others save money on hair cuts! :)

Here is the blurb she sent me about it:

Are you tired of taking your kids to the salon to get a haircut? Are you tired of paying upwards of $15 for a haircut that just has to be done over again in a few months? (Per child?) You know what? You can learn how to do it yourself for less than the price of one trip to the salon! And you can do it over and over....and even teach your kids how to do it! This is homeschooling at its best!

I have written a simple, very fun guide to teach you how to do a haircut! This one is for a basic boy with straight hair type cut. If your son has curly hair, you can still follow this guide too. This guide will give you basic skills for most of your home haircutting needs.

I bet you didn't know that I went to cosmetology school! Yup! And even though I am no longer in the field, I enjoy cutting my own kids' hair (and hubby's too) and I just love to think of all the money we have saved over the years!

You can too....just click here and purchase your e-book for only $8.99! This will take you to a secure server and then your e-book download link will be sent right to your inbox.

Saturday Sweethearts: More Romancing Your Husband Ideas

WHAT TO WEAR
Suggested by HoneyBunny

WHAT I DID: asked hubby to pick out ENTIRELY everything I would wear on our regularly scheduled date night

MY REASON: add a little anticipation to my husbands thoughts for the whole evening on that date

HOW I FELT: felt submissive to my husbands ideas

THE OBSTACLES I OVERCAME: fear of my husband NOT thinking about ME during the date

MY HUSBAND'S RESPONSE: most effective, he was really pleased with the idea and enjoyed knowing HE picked out what I wore

WHAT I WISH I HAD DONE: wish I would have suggested hubby to think of where we were going ahead of time

BUDGET SUGGESTIONS: no budget necessary for clothing already in closet (in my case it was articles of clothing he left out in his choices)

TREASURE HUNT:
Suggested by HoneyBunny

WHAT I DID: Made 12 "clue notes" for a treasure hunt.

MY REASON: Just wanted to do something fun, bring out the child in husband and me.

HOW I FELT: Like a child going to the candy store.

THE OBSTACLES I OVERCAME: Being too serious all the time.

MY HUSBAND'S RESPONSE: He had a lot of fun. He enjoyed guessing all the clues.

WHAT I WISH I HAD DONE: I wouldn't change a thing.

BUDGET SUGGESTIONS: Depends on what you want the "treasure" to be. I had my husbands treasure be a can of his favorite cinnamon rolls. When he found his treasure I baked them and we ate them together.

LOVE IN LIPSTICK
Suggested by HoneyBunny

WHAT I DID: Wrote a love note on the mirror last night, so hubby would see it this morning before leaving to go to work.

MY REASON: Just wanted hubby to know I was thinking of him, often.

HOW I FELT: I felt like a "giving woman" to my hubby.

THE OBSTACLES I OVERCAME: Frustrations on waiting for hubby to do something like that for me. I just did it because our marriage needed a note to remind us BOTH how much we love each other.

MY HUSBAND'S RESPONSE: He was surprised, it was unexpected. (I haven't done that in a loooong time)

WHAT I WISH I HAD DONE: Tried a dry erase marker instead of lipstick.

BUDGET SUGGESTIONS: None that I can think of.

RISE IN THE MORNING
Suggested by HoneyBunny

WHAT I DID: I got up at 5:30 am.

MY REASON: I wanted to spend time with hubby before our day began.

HOW I FELT: Sleepy (I'm NOT an early riser, usually not up till 7:30 am) also, I felt flirtatious

THE OBSTACLES I OVERCAME: Not hitting the snooze to sleep in and miss out on time with hubby.

MY HUSBAND'S RESPONSE: Surprised. I haven't done that in a long time either.

WHAT I WISH I HAD DONE: Gotten up at 4:30 am when hubby rolled out of bed (we would have had more time, if things progressed to something delightful)

BUDGET SUGGESTIONS: None.


LOVE NOTES
Suggested by Joy

WHAT I DID: I like to leave him little love notes in his car at night for him to find when he goes to work in the morning.I tape them to his steering wheel!

MY REASON: To let know I am thinking about him.

HOW I FEEL: I love to be the reason he has a spring in his step (or so he says) on the days I do.

THE OBSTACLES I OVERCAME: Just remembering to sneak out at night and get dressed quietly so he won't know I did it till the AM!

MY HUSBAND'S RESPONSE: He loved it!

WHAT I WISH I HAD DONE: Sprayed some perfume on it! Or kissed it with my lipstick!

BUDGET SUGGESTIONS: none, it only cost time and love!

-----
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. :)

Headbands

We saw these in the store and my girls all wanted one, and each a different color. They were too expensive. I was so thankful for this online headband tutorial (click picture to enlarge and follow directions).

Calender Insert

I have so been missing scrapbooking! I finally got some time (and encouragement) through Christmas in July over at Digital Scrapbook Artisan Guild. This site is AMAZING and I am so proud to be a part of it (the owner is a wonderful lady and I am proud to call her friend). Anyways, each week this month we are working on making a gift (so there is not the HUGE rush at Christmas). This week we are making pocket calender inserts. And here is mine:

You can click on the image to see it larger and to see the credits.

If you would like a copy to print out for your pocket calender (or checkbook as I have it in mine), please comment me with your email. Remember comments ARE moderated and ANY email in a comment will NOT be posted (I respect your privacy).

I will email you the full size to print out for personal use OR gift giving (I simply ask that you not sell them).

For Those Selling Used Curriculum (or those looking to buy)

First, for those looking to sell:

I understand that you spent a LOT of money on your curriculum. I understand that you want to make some of that money back. But you have to understand if I had the money to pay near full price for the curriculum, I would not be looking to buy USED curriculum! Please understand, I am not trying to be rude. But to me, making half price back for what you paid for it is more than generous. What other book do you know that stays the same price in value once used? Home school curriculum really is no different. It does not retain it's price value once you purchase it. It is like any other book (or car). Please try to remember that when pricing your used curriculum.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO PUT THEIR USED CURRICULUM ON PAPERBACK SWAP! I have been able to get some GOOD STUFF thanks to you, and I will be listing mine on there too!

For those looking to buy:

The reason that other home schooling moms charge near full price for used curriculum is because you are willing to pay for it. May I suggest that instead of saving $5 buying it used, SUPPORT VENDORS! A lot of GOOD, Christian (some even homeschooling Momma's who could really have used the income) have been forced out of business because people are buying so much used curriculum. I could understand this sad phenomenon if the used curriculum was being sold for a greatly reduced price (as we all like to save money). But for near full price? And if nothing else, check out Paper Back Swap! I have seen more and more moms put homeschooling materials on there! It allows you to get the curriculum you want FOR FREE, and I encourage you to re-list it on Paperback Swap when you are done. Pay it forward.

While I share this info about Paper Back Swap with you in order to HELP you, I do get credit if you join, so please leave my email as the referring email. However, I want to say I am not sharing this for the credit. I am sharing it because I have been helped by it. The credit simply allows me to get one book (it is not cash). Thank you.

The Wife

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord and not to men."
Colossians 3:23

God has placed women and marriages on my heart. I love to learn everything I can about being a better wife and helpmeet and I love to share and encourage other women in their marriages.

Some things to help you:

The Wife - By Washington Irving (a short read, but well worth it).
(HT: To Large Family Mothering)

Honor Your Husband a challenge by Fruit in Season
(HT: Devil Dog Wife)

Questions for a Godly Wife

Something that I have been really convicted of lately is that I am not treating my husband the way that I should. If he truly is the king of this house (as Christ is King of Kings), then I should be treating my husband like a king.

So how many readers did I just lose there? LOL!

But seriously, if the Bible says that I am to submit to my husband as unto the Lord, then should I not do that? Sarah called her husband lord and she is to be the example for us.

When my beloved asks me to do something, I need to remember it is as if the Lord Himself just asked me (do all things as unto the Lord). If the Lord were visiting me and He said that He wanted to take care of some business before dinner (and dinner was just being set on the table), would I argue with Him ... "Lord, you know how hard I worked making this dinner and it is ready now, can't you do that later?"...

LOL! OF COURSE NOT! I would put the dinner back in the oven and say "Of course Love, I will keep dinner warm for you and the kids busy until You are ready." And then I would keep dinner warm for him (not make him eat it cold because I was inconvenienced. (Please know I have not made my husband eat cold dinner because I was inconvenienced. LOL! It is just an example.)

It is funny that I have been telling the kids for months now that whenever Mommy or Daddy tell them something, they need to act as if Jesus is the One who asked them. It has really helped them with their attitude when I ask them to do something they are not really wanting to do. Silly Mommy! That is for YOU TOO! Whenever my husband asks my to do something, I need to act as if Jesus Himself has asked me. I am the bride of Christ. And whenever my husband wants to do something (or NOT do something), I need to act as if Jesus was the one who asked me to do something with Him. And when my husband doesn't want to do something, I need to remember to act as if Jesus did not want to do it.

Now of course, there is the appeal, and there is also the time to be silent and pray. I am still learning when to be silent and when to make an appeal. The praying part is helping with that. :) After all, you pray before making the appeal, you sometimes learn God wants you to keep silent. :) Either way I need to honor my husband, and in doing so, honor the Lord.

I am humbled and honored

I have won an award!

I must admit that I am totally humbled by this, as the one who gave me the award is someone I highly admire. Large Family Mothering - THANK YOU!

I am assuming that I now pass on the award to five other people (as seems the custom). :)

I can only pick five, which was a VERY hard thing to do (hence why it has been a few days since I have won the award and I am just now getting to this).

Renaissance - I just love Rebecca's blog! Her pictures are amazing. And I love how she shares from her heart. Her tutorials are great and she is someone I can totally relate to. We quickly became friends after discovering each other's blogs, and have been friends ever since. Even my beloved secretly likes her blog (and all the canning recipes). :)

Like Merchant Ships - Merideth's blog is simply amazing. I learn something new every time I read her blog. She has not only helped me in the area of finances, but in the areas of homeschooling and family fun as well.

Homeliving Helper - I highly doubt that Lady Lydia would call herself "Rockin'" as she is so meek and quiet. But she and her blog totally rock! I have grown so much as a woman and wife and keeper at home as a result of reading her lovely blog.

Homeschooling Is Life - I have loved this blog ever since I came upon it. Nancy and I have quickly become good friends. Her blog is one I turn to whenever I need advice or ideas for homeschooling. It is over flowing with good ideas!

An Help Meet For Him - I have been a lurker on this blog for a while. She has no children (not by choice) and was discouraged by all the blogs talking about children that she decided to create a blog just to encourage others in their role as a help meet. I am encouraged by her wisdom.

Happy Belated Leon Day

Did you know we missed an important holiday? You know how holidays are invented and created for anything now a days.

Well, there is an official holiday called Leon Day. I kid you not. This year it was June 25, 2007. And do you know what we celebrate on Leon Day? Exactly 6 months of shopping left until Christmas. LOL! And why is it called Leon? Well that is NOEL spelled backwards silly! :)

I did not believe it when my friend told me this (us crafters usually get started on Christmas presents in July because that is how long it takes to make all of them). I went searching on google and only found baseball stuff. I thought her husband had pulled her leg.

But when you add the word "Christmas" to the search, you find out, indeed there IS a holiday to celebrate only 6 months of shopping until Christmas. Is America too commercialized? I will let you answer that one.

BUT, as a homeschooling mom, have to find a way to celebrate and teach the children, right? So here you go, some links to help you celebrate Leon Day. LOL! (Ok, it seems only ONE LOL!)

Happy LEON Day

(HT: Debb my friend at Digital Scrapbook Artisan Guild, if you stop by say lvg4him sent you)

History in Action

I don't know what homeschooling mother is NOT a fan of Jane Austen. Well now you can have her by you always with the Jane Austen Action Figure!

That's right! And for your brainiac husband, get the Einstein Action Figure and for that Crazy BIL of yours, you can get Crazy Cat Lady. :) My husband personally loved the Ben Franklin (with kite!) and Van Gogh (with four paintings and bandaged ear!). :D

Fighting For Joy

Andrea from The Flourishing Mother has recently wrapped on a series of posts called Fighting For Joy. While it does take some time to read through, it really is worth it.

I know that there are days **I** really struggle with joy.

I mean, I have a WONDERFUL husband (who loves me and his children and works hard for us everyday) and I have four adorable children (who while they do have their moments of disobedience really and truly are a blessing). I serve a God who loves and cares for me (He knows me so well he knows the numbers of hairs on my head - however grey they might be).

So why or what do I have to keep me from experiencing God's joy to the fullest? Read Andrea's posts. I now have a starting place as to why and more importantly WHAT to do now.

Feminine Five Senses Meme...

If you wanted to feel as feminine as can be and could do five things to celebrate your femininity by using each of your five senses, what would you do?

Here's my list:

• Hearing: Soft music. Not classical, but like soft instrumental praise (not necessarily hymns, but those are nice too).
• Sight: De-cluttered home. Every thing clean and in its place. And everything white. Curtains blowing in the window (which is open). LOTS of crystal vases with LOTS of bright and vibrant colored flowers. And candles burning.
• Taste: Cool homemade lemonade (made with powdered sugar just like Laura Ingalls made it - in her recipe book - check it out from your library) and lemon slices in each glass as well as the pitcher
  
• Touch: Big, soft, fluffy pillows and comforter.
• Smell: Roses. I never used to like the smell of roses very much. I mean, they were OK, but there were other scents I liked MUCH more. Then my husband gave me the most romantic gift. Ever since then, whenever I smell roses, I feel like the woman that my husband believes I am - feminine and beautiful.

Please share a link to your blog with YOUR responses!

HT: Charming The Birds From The Trees

Party Time

Oh how wonderful to have a party like THIS!
(I thought of you when I saw this Rebecca! Although I see you listed on her sidebar so you prolly already saw this!) :)

HT: Charming The Birds From The Trees

Harvest Tables

I have been wanting a harvest table for a LONG time. I would have happily settled for a table that would seat 6, but my dream was a harvest table.

And of course, every time we got to a garage sale, the table (usually a six seater with just the one insert) had just been sold.

But God, who provides abundantly and exceedingly above all we ask or think has blessed me with a harvest table! A couple was having a garage sale. They were moving and needing to downsize (all children grown and gone). As we drove up, it was PERFECT, but we saw a man looking at it and my beloved commented that we never get the tables. I could tell he was discouraged, so in trying to encourage him, I said he should go look at it.

Well, it had six chairs and I thought it was just a six person table. BUT IT WAS NOT SOLD! God was holding it for us! :) AND IT WAS A HARVEST TABLE!!!

They were asking $100 for it, but my smooth talking beloved talked them down to $75! It turns out they lived right around the corner from us (we are still new to the neighborhood and do not know the streets very well). AND they helped us carry it around the corner and to our house! And it is a VERY sturdy table and in really good shape!

OH WHAT A BLESSING!

It is currently in my dining room surrounded by six chairs with just the one insert for now. :) I LOVE IT!! :) And the girls do too!

I did, however, come across a wonderful article for those who are still waiting on their harvest table.

Creative Harvest Table