Thursday, January 31, 2013

Stay Calm


“Phares dans la Tempete” from Art. Com

My challenge for today,

my challenge for each day is to

Stay Calm!

I want to stay calm in the midst of continual need.

I want to stay calm in the midst of complaining and grumbling hearts.

I want to stay calm in the midst of spills and messes.

I want to stay calm when the circumstances of life want to alter my peace.

I want to stay calm, even when I feel disrespected or unloved.

Yes, I want to be like Jesus in the boat when the storm came.

Yes, I want to be like the man in the photo above, who was sheltered by the lighthouse in the midst of a tempest.

When we are calm, we have the strength
we need to press on and fulfill God’s will for our lives.

Staying calm brings the peace we need
to live in a chaotic and complex world.

Are you staying calm?  Challenge yourself.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Instant Oatmeal Packets

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These instant oatmeal packets are easy to put together.  Even my toddler enjoyed scooping the ingredients into the baggies.

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With natural, wholesome ingredients, you can't go wrong having some of these on hand for a quick breakfast or even a snack.

Mix 1/4 cup quick oats, 2 t brown sugar, 1 t dry milk, a pinch of salt, and a hint of cinnamon in each bag.

To serve, just add boiling water to the ingredients, in a bowl of course!

This recipe is from Jessica Fisher of “Life as Mom”.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

My Home Management Notebook

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Several months ago I realized this handy notebook seemed to be one of the latest gadgets in homemaking.  If you do a Google search for it, you’ll find it plastered all over the internet. 

I had been wanting to put one of these together for myself and finally did!  What better time than now – the start of a new year?!

Do you ever have clutter on your counter or elsewhere, papers that just can’t seem to find a good home?

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Enter the Home Management Notebook…

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You can keep your information all together in one, handy place, use it as a planner, and transport it too!

The basic gist…

  • Get yourself a three-ring binder.
  • Insert tab dividers with the categories that best serve you.
  • Print or create documents to help you track your to-do lists and schedules.
  • File away all of your important papers!

In the front section of my binder, I have a daily docket, a weekly docket, a monthly calendar, and any important papers I might need for my to-do’s this week.

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So far, the other sections of my binder are categorized as:

  • Food – meal planning, recipes I plan to use soon, pantry and freezer inventory.
  • Blog – planning my blog ideas and upkeep.
  • Homeschool
  • Church
  • Homemaking – cleaning schedule, cleaner recipes…

I’m sure I will tweak things as I move along, but I need to start somewhere.

Even if you don’t have fancy documents to put inside, start with some lined paper!  You can always create your own lists that way.

I made myself a simple binder cover in Word, just with some clip art and a Title.  Nothing special… just something to get me going.

As I said, there are resources all over the internet regarding making a notebook.  Some of the ones I found most helpful were:

Domestic Serenity:  The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Home Management Notebook.  (She’s got a lot of helpful info!)

Mrs. January.  Free documents to print.  I am using her daily docket, weekly docket, and more!

Money Saving Mom also has some free docs you can print.

Don’t let perfectionism prevent you from starting.  Begin somewhere and change things as needed!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Balm of a Toddler

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Life these days is outright draining.  Motherhood requires more than I can give, a supernatural amount of grace and strength each day.

In the midst of it, though, there is joy and blessing.  In the midst of my life lives a 2.5 year old gem that brightens my day.

She reminds me that I am needed.

She reminds me that she loves me.

She reminds me to take joy in little things.

She reminds me to laugh when she says the cutest expressions.

She reminds me that the phases of life are fleeting,
and I better appreciate them.

Yes, toddlerhood requires a lot of energy on mom’s part.  However, toddlers are some of the most adorable, loving creatures on earth!

Mom, do you have little ones at home?  Don’t whisk them away!

Appreciate them!  Hug them!  Enjoy life with them!

It will take effort, but just do it!

Soon enough, your children will be grown, and you will be longing for the preciousness of these days.

Friday, January 11, 2013

For the Woman Who Compares…

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Don’t compare yourself to anyone else.

You were created by God and are unique,
different from everyone else.

You have special talents and strengths that God wants to use.

Your calling in life is designed just for you!

It is easy to compare ourselves to others in many ways:

looks
husbands
children
homes
blogs
finances
personality differences…

Comparison living simply brings no good.  It dulls our visions and steals our goals, making us think that the things we do just don’t matter that much or maybe not at all.  Defeating thoughts run rampantly through our minds because we just aren’t good enough.

God cares about you and He cares about your life!

We need to put on the horse blinders and focus on the race He has set before us!

What HAS God given YOU?

May we throw off the comparisons.

May we throw off the negative thinking and pursue our lives with vigor.

Help us, Lord!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Personal Pizzas–Great for Family Night!

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Our toppings this time included mozzarella cheese, turkey deli meat,
turkey bacon, pepperoni, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Our family loves homemade pizza! 

Round pizzas are great!

Deep dish pizza is yummy.

Personal pizzas are fun!

Preheat the oven a half hour to an hour ahead of time at 500 degrees with a pizza/baking stone inside.

Make the dough, divide and roll it out, add the toppings, and bake.

You can find the recipe for the dough I use here. For our family, I double the dough and make six individual pizzas.

I use a pizza peel, coated with a good amount of cornmeal each time, to slide the pizzas into the oven.  I retrieve the cooked pizzas from the oven and put them on a baking sheet.

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My children enjoy both the making
and the eating of these pizzas!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

May you be blessed by our wonderful, eternal God this year!