Paper Dolls (can be magnetic)

This is so great!! A pdf file for paper dolls. You can print it out on magnetic paper for magnetic fun!

Easy Recipe All The Children Can Help With - Lentil Loaf

Here are all three girls helping in the kitchen to make Lentil Loaf. A very quick and easy recipe that all the kids 2 1/2yr and older can help with.

First, cook 1 cup lentils in 2 cups veggie broth (you can use chicken broth, but we are vegetarian).

While the lentils are cooking, have your children help!


Here is my almost three year old breaking 2 slices of bread into a bowl. This bowl is where everything is mixed in so it is in the middle. You can use two slices of dry bread, but it tastes just as good with bread that is not dry.


Here is my 6yr with a Pampered Chef knife slicing one medium leek. After she gets a few slices done, she puts them into the bowl in front of her younger sister.


Here is my 4yr with a butter knife (just the knife that comes with the spoons and forks). She is cutting 8oz of mushrooms into small pieces and putting them into the bowl next to her in front of little sister.

After everything is in the bowl, I usually let my 2 yr sprinkle basil into the bowl. Use as much as you like. Then add a bit of salt and pepper.

Shred cheddar cheese about 1 cup and add to bowl.

By now the lentils should be done. Add to bowl and stir well.

Put into a baking dish and bake at 375F for 45 minutes, or until brown and cooked through.

This serves our family of five for now, but we do have a lot of fixings on the side. A huge bowl of salad for each child (yes, my 2yr eats salad). Cut up veggies (usually broccoli or asparagus) as well as a mixed veggie mixture of corn, carrots and peas.

My daughters get SO EXCITED to make this because they have made it enough times now that they can practically make it on their own! 6yr gets all the ingredients out of the fridge, as well as the knifes and bowl to put everything in. the 4yr gets everyone their cutting board. I just have to start the lentils, add the lentils and put in baking dish and into oven.

I hope you and your family enjoy making this recipe together!

Little Helpers

I am so thankful that I had girls first. They are all such little helpers with the new baby.

I think the next thing I am going to train my oldest (6yr) to do it to put away groceries. ESPECIALLY the cold and frozen items. She is so great when we are in the grocery store. She will remind the cashier to pack all the cold and frozen items in seperate bags and together. It makes it so much easier when time is short (like the baby is screaming and you need to tend to them) so you can just put THOSE bags away and not worry about a frozen item being in with the cereal and you forgot it and now it is bad. You know what I mean.

She knows where most everything goes anyway. So it shouldn't be too terribly hard. And I know that every time she gets a new responsibility (I think I like calling them that instead of chores), she feels more and more like a good wife and mother. She knows that she is practicing. I have explained to her that Momma never really learned to be a good keeper at home. The Bible tells us that as women, we are to be keepers at home. Momma is learning to obey God's word and instructing her (and her sisters) to obey God's word. We are learning and "practicing" together, and it is WONDERFUL!

Cute and FUN Idea

I have ALWAYS loved Rebecca's site, but now that she is posting up crafts - OH MY will I ever get off her site and pack?!?!

Check out the following:

From DRAB to FAB - I NEVER thought of changing a shirt like this into a girls dress! TOO CUTE! THANK YOU REBECCA for inspiring this idea!

Check out this flower drying rack! TOO CUTE!!

Cute Idea for Old Shirts

While I would not personally wear some of this stuff because it is too short, it is PERFECT for LITTLE GIRLS!!

Check out ways to reuse old shirts:

T-shirts

Button-up Shirts

HAVE FUN!! This is from one of my favorite sites that has really great ideas! Anyone else have any great ideas like these?

Coming soon - some more great links from a friend of mine (WOWIE) as well as pictures of my first crochet! I can chain, single, slip and half-double stitch!! WOOHOO!!

Aprons

Ok, so I am so thankful that the lady who bought aprons from Kitchen Wears shared how pleased she was with these aprons! Last month I ordered three for each of my girls (sale at $5 each) and they were out of the adult ones. Well, I must admit I feel like I robbed her at $5 each, because I would have paid more than that for the fabric alone! The quality of the fabric (and stitching) is so good that I cannot believe she is able to sell these for so low.

Well, she updated!! I just got three more aprons for my girls (so nice that they can put them on themselves because there are no ties!). They also use them as pinafores to keep their dresses clean while they are out playing.

AND they updated the women's adult sale aprons too. And they are only $12 (used to be sale price $15, but I think because the selection is so limited she marked them down). So I bought two for myself. I am so excited because again, I know it would have cost me more than $12 for the fabric (considering the quality of the fabric) and the stitching and time --- which I am so limited on.

So anyways, I just wanted to let you know about the updates to the sale pages!!

Oh, and to let you know that these can fit as small as a three year old (because my almost 3 year old fits into it perfectly --- longer on her than on my 6yr, but definitely not too long).

Blessings, Paula

PS... next post will have pictures of the girls in their aprons along with an EASY recipe that all your children 2 1/2 years+ can help with.

The Democrats Did It To Themselves

Ok, so this MIGHT start a debate (which I am not trying to do). I find it so VERY interesting that a group of people who so strongly believe in evolution (survival depends on not just the fittest, but also reproduction) are slowly weeding themselves out through having no children or just one. Just one more argument for having more and more and MORE children! LOL!!!

And another thing, even though I am really not very political at all, I just heard about a movie that is showing at the film fesitival in Toronto by a British filmaker that shows the assasination of President Bush. While the US is not too big on picketing movies, if this one ever does get picked up to be shown here, I think this is definately one worth picketing!!!! No matter your views on Bush, any movie showing the assasignation of a living president should be banned.

Fun Things

Came across a blog with some GREAT ideas!

Here are a few:

Embroidered Children's Drawings

Pillowcase Skirt

Both of these are things that I plan to do soon. I think the embroidered children's drawings can be GREAT pillowcases!! And what great gifts for the grandparents! And even though the pillowcase skirt might be too short for me (I like LONG ankle length skirts), it would be PERFECT for my 6yr old daughter! And it looks simple enough for HER to do too! And maybe even make one for her 4yr old sister!!

Have fun!!

Will I Ever Have The Time?

SO many cute crafts and so little time!!

How To Die Wool Blankets

Quick Quilt - for those who want a quilt but have no idea how to (or an easy way to quilt for children). Why didn't I think of this?!?!

Fabric Bracelet - this is a GREAT and easy idea for kids to make (for themselves, for gifts and to sell)

Quick and Easy Purse - can you see the theme I have going here? Los of easy stuff that kids can do. Not just because I have kids, but because I am a kid at heart (and that is how I best learn - as a child).

Sunbonnet Sue Free Projects - too cute and fun!!! and a few free sunbonnet sue patterns too (from the main page).

And keep an eye out for this promising page with cute free sewing patterns!

Headbands - oh I am SO into headbands right now. I really like the look of this one!

Ten Years FLY When You Are in Love

I can hadrly believe that my husband and I have been married ten WONDERFUL years today! They have been the best 3 years of my life! But seriously, all joking aside, I do wish that it wasn't just the past three years that have been working on being a submissive wife. I know that our marriage (while still wonderful, always with room to grow) would have been much happier (as they have been the past few years) if I had learned what the BIBLE had to say about submission instead of just going off what other women in the church said it was.

If you had asked my husband 3 years ago if I was submissive, he would have said YES without any doubts. But once I learned what the BIBLE said about submission (and even moreso once I learned that being a helpmeet was a whole lot more than JUST submission), if you were to ask my husband now if I was submissive, he would prolly reply: Not during the first few years of our marriage, but she is working on it now."

Yep, WORKING ON IT. I still haven't got it down. There are still days when I forgot to honor my husband.

I am reading a WONDERFUL book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (oh she is WONDERFUL!) called Biblical Womanhood.

We know we should always be asking ourselves in EVERYTHING we do "Does this glorify God? Is this what God would have me do?"

As wives, this book reminds us to ask ourselves in everything "Does this help my husband?" OH THAT HURTS!

I would so much rather be playing on the computer, scrapbooking while the kids are napping than packing the house or mowing the lawn. BUT, does that help my husband? Right now, the answer is no. We are preparing to move and trying to get the house ready. Playing on the computer does not help him when I could be packing instead. (Thankfully I am able to enter this while I am nursing the baby )

So just a reminder to ask yourself in everything:
DOES THIS HELP MY HUSBAND?

If the answer is no, you would be blessed to skip it and move onto something else. :)

And a nursing baby needs LOTS of nursing so I also had a little bit of time to do this:

Click on it to see the layout I made for my husband for our ten wonderful years of love. Those love notes are ACTUAL notes I have written to him (or VERY similar).

One more layout for my man: