Going on a Bear Hunt & Prayer for a Child

Here's what we've been up to in the BFIAR department!

Going on a Bear Hunt:
* Made these little books.
* Watched the author tell the story!
* I think everything else we did was mentioned in the book.

Prayer for a Child:
* Talked about how bread is made. Watched these videos on milking a cow by hand and by machine. The girls loved this and have asked a couple of times to watch it again!

* Drew pictures for our sponsor child and looked at the globe to understand where we live and where she lives:


* We had fun taking some pictures to sort of recreate the book in Emily and Rachel's own world. I'm planning to put these together for a "book" but haven't finished yet:


* We spent two weeks on this book and the little ladies can just about "read" the whole prayer to me! I love that! We also talked about several things mentioned in the BFIAR book. I loved this sweet book!

Sew What! Bags Book Review & Giveaway!

I recently received a copy of Sew What! Bags in the mail to review here - and am always excited for peeks into new books! You can see lots of pictures from the book here.

This one is fun because all the projects are pattern-free and you customize the project to fit your own needs/style. The directions are very clear and there are projects for everything from brand new to sewing all the way to very experienced.

I've been wanting to hang more clothes on the line lately - but have such a problem with how to manage my clothespins! I have a retractable line, so I could not really use a bag or container that stays outside.

So, the tool caddy apron caught my eye because I knew I could tie this on and have the clothespins very handy! Even better - I did not have to purchase anything to complete this project. I had bought two valances at a thrift store for my kitchen but did not really like how they looked so I stashed them away for a future project.

This worked out great for the apron! And, now I'm all set to hang more clothes on the line!

Now, I'd love to pass this book on to one of you to enjoy as well! So, please leave a comment here (with a way to contact you!) if you're interested in being placed in the drawing to win! Comments will be accepted until Friday night at 10pm (EST) and a winner will be announced Saturday.

Welcome to the family!

I'm an Auntie again today! Carrie and Eric welcomed Natalie Dell into their family this morning - details here. No pictures to share yet, but stop by and leave an encouraging word for Carrie if you have a minute!

We can't wait to meet you, Natalie!

Family Night: Garden Blessing

As we are preparing for the biggest couple of weeks of planting this season, I thought it would be meaningful to spend the evening out in the yard/garden as a family and ask God's blessing on our little space.


I can't tell you how many times I've been laying stones or preparing soil and feeling like my efforts were so feeble and small. I keep saying, "Lord, take my feeble efforts and use them to produce a beautiful and productive garden!"

I've been longing to get back into regular Family Nights, but have learned something about myself. When I'm planning lots of activities to do with our book of the week (via Before Five in a Row) I just don't have much left to give to Family Night. I'm going to *try* to make this more regular around here. Lord, please keep the inspiration and ideas coming!

Isaiah 61:11,
"For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations."

Since this week is the beginning of our biggest part of the garden planting, it has been on my heart to really be in prayer for our garden. My goal is of course to have wonderful fresh veggies for my family. But, I am really hoping for more than what we can eat to be able to share with others.

We began our evening with a picnic outside near the garden - I had envisioned making a big salad and some fresh bread but the cool weather prompted me to make something warmer! We still enjoyed our picnic near the garden! I taught the Johnny Appleseed Prayer that we used to sing in Girl Scouts.

Oh, the Lord is good to me
And so I thank the Lord!
For giving me the things I need
The sun, the rain and the apple seed
The Lord is good to me!

Next, we made stones for the entrance to our garden. I spent a total of $3 on this project! There are some great directions here - but it was a bit harder than this made it appear. Regardless of how they dry (I'm writing this Friday night) it was fun and the little ladies thought it was so neat to make their handprints in cement! I recycled pizza boxes into the "molds" and just pulled embellishments that I had already around the house.


We prayed for our garden and for a successful harvest that we could enjoy and share with others. We'll also be adding this to our Prayer Journal. I finally got this put together this week and am so excited to begin implementing this into our home.


We also enjoyed some fabulous "Dirt" Dessert - I'll share my improvised recipe as the original did not look dirt-y enough!

Cream together:
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. softened butter

Prepare 1 pkg. vanilla pudding according to package directions. Stir into above mixture. Fold in 1/2 carton whipped topping.

Stir in 2/3 package of crushed Oreo cookies (or store brand as I did) and then about 2 Tbsp. chocolate pudding mix to make it look darker!

Spoon into small cups and top with crushed cookies. Insert flowers if desired!

Favorite shopping sources?

Just thought I would throw this out there and see what you ladies may know about that I do not!

I am a petite - and shopping for clothing is VERY hard! I find it so hard to find clothes that fit right, are flattering and cute too! I'm exactly five feet tall and will say that more and more of the petite smalls are too big for me - please help!

I cannot possibly be the only five foot female out there struggling with this - just this week I ordered three skirts and two tops and they are all being sent back - I'd love to hear how other petites find clothes to fit!

Thrift store shopping is an option - and I have found some great items there! I know that many probably just get their clothes altered, but that doesn't feel like it fits in my budget!

Please share!

Celebrating Spring

If you are like me, you grew up enjoying Easter egg hunts, chocolatey baskets of goodies waiting on the breakfast table, new dresses, and all that fun stuff!

I have happy memories of those things and wanted to be able to pass those fun things on to my children - but I felt so conflicted about them being associated with Easter.

Then, I read about Shannon's solution to have a First Day of Spring party and do all this sugary and fun stuff that day. We did this last year and it was a huge success! Now, we are eager for a repeat this Friday!

For some reason David had the day off last year and I asked him if he wanted us to wait until Saturday this year so he could participate with us (he's been talking about it all year!) but instead he decided to take the day off again this year so we could celebrate on the actual day!

Here's what I'm planning:

* Bunny Biscuits
* Baskets filled with treats and goodies
* Egg hunt
* Dyeing eggs
* Spring-themed lunch
* watch Easter Carol (Veggie Tales)

Here are the pictures of our party last year and a fun craft for you to make! Want to join us? I'd love to hear about your Spring parties as well!

Anticipating Easter

I seem to go in spells as to which holiday I'm eager to invest lots of energy in and this year it is Easter. I've been reading the Gospel accounts of Holy Week, poring over other books, looking online etc... to come up with a plan that is best suited for my family.

Here's what I'm planning: (note: when I say read a certain passage; we'll probably read the page that covers this from our favorite Toddler Bible)

Palm Sunday: Jesus the King
* read Matthew 21:1-11 and The Colt & The King (a gift from my aunt)
* coats on "donkey" (either daddy or our dog)
* coats/blankets on "road"
* wave palm branches (found at Hobby Lobby) and say "Hosanna!" Talk about what that means (Oh, save!)
* Sing Blessed Is He

Monday: Jesus the Servant
* read John 13
* wash feet; talk about what it means to be a servant

Tuesday: Jesus the Betrayed
* read John 18
* money bag with 30 pieces of silver
* talk about what it means to betray

Wednesday: Jesus the Deliverer
* read Exodus 6-12
* talk about fleeing from Egypt and Passover history
* perhaps older children would enjoy watching Prince of Egypt tonight

Thursday: Passover
* Seder Dinner & Passover Meal (more on this to come)

Friday: Jesus the Lamb
* read John 19
* cross on wall (Homespun Memories for the Heart recommends writing down sins on paper and nailing them to a cross! Great visual for older children.)
* hammer nails into wood
* burial in tomb
* have Hot Cross Buns

Saturday: Jesus our Savior
* read Mark 27:62-66
* guards posted at tomb, waiting
* go through basket of Easter items (more coming on this)
* Cinnamon Rolls in cross shape

Sunday: He is Risen!
* read Luke 24
* Resurrection Biscuits
* new clothes
* crocheted lamb egg cozy
* tomb is empty!
* Just before church, have each family member release a pink or purple helium balloon and sing a favorite Easter song - a great visual! (This idea is from Homespun Memories for the Heart)
* Lamb Cake for dessert (I was thinking about doing these cupcakes instead of buying a cake pan that looks terribly time consuming!)

Good sources for ideas:
Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper
Homespun Memories for the Heart by Karen Ehman, Kelly Hovermale and Trish Smith

What about bunnies, baskets and eggs? I'll be sharing how we do this at our home tomorrow! I'd love to hear what you are planning at your house!

A Mommy Moment

Excuse me while I just have a mommy moment here -

While we were in Colorado, I found myself asking my Mom, "What can I do for you?" To help, to tidy, to make the load of extra people in the home lighter. I never realized what would come from me asking that question.

Emily heard me.

And, she has been asking me every day - sometimes multiple times. She wants so much to be helpful and to see my smile in reaction to her asking that. And, she has nearly always done what I mentioned she could do to help me with a good attitude and then comes back and asks me again! Sometimes I just answer, "Oh, just play and have fun!" or "What can I do for you, Emily?" (I wrote this post several weeks ago, and while she hasn't been asking me this question anymore - the lesson still remains!)

It reminds me of being a child myself and loving to see my mom smile, hear her laugh and notice that she was happy. I remember a Family Circus cartoon that my Mom shared with me - I don't remember all the details - but it was Dolly talking to her mom and conveying the idea that she liked it when her mom was happy at her or smiling!

I remember wanting my mom to be happy - and, now I see this desire in Emily. When I am grouchy or frustrated about something, she will give me a big smile and say, "I'm being good!" or something to get a smile out of me.

As a mother, am I making it my goal to be happy around my children? To smile at them? To laugh with them? When I do, I notice their reactions and their attitude - it is happy too!

So, part of me wonders if she asks me what she can do because of my reaction to her question - I am happy she asked and it is a blessing to me to hear her thoughtful question. It also gives me a goal of being happy with my children whether or not they are wanting to help - but just to be a bright spot in their day and in their lives!

Honey Chicken

I saw this recipe on the back of the frozen bag of chicken last week and we gave it a try ~ it's a keeper!

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1/3 c. margarine or butter, melted
1/3 c. honey
2 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine all sauce ingredients. Arrange chicken in shallow baking pan and pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 350 for one hour or until cooked through!

Makes 4 servings.

Names of Jesus Garland - Easter

I'm sure many of you remember the Names of Jesus Garlands I made around Christmas time! I still have mine hanging up - just haven't been able to take it down yet!

But, as Easter was approaching in my mind and planning - I wondered how I could adapt this idea for celebrating the season of Easter as well. I pulled out my Bible and looked for recurring names of Jesus that were sprinkled throughout the passages reminding us of His life, His death and His resurrection.

I finally chose nine words and phrases to use on the circles ~ here they are in order hung (I'll explain why I chose this order in a moment):

* Hosanna
* Son of Man
* This is my body...
* Lamb of God
* Jesus
* This is my blood...
* King of the Jews
* ... given for you.
* He is Risen!


The reason I chose this order is I wanted to sort of walk through how the events unfolded. First, Jesus rode in on a donkey with waves of palm branches and shouts of "Hosanna!" filling the air. The name Son of Man was used many many times in the passages relating these events.

I wanted the theme of Him giving of Himself for us to be sprinkled throughout - so the phrase, "This is my body, this is my blood, given for you." is spread throughout the whole garland. Lamb of God represents the sacrifice and also the Passover celebration.

Jesus had to be the middle one for the same reason it was the middle one in the Christmas set. He is central to all we are, all we do, everything we celebrate at Easter and Christmas. All of it.

King of the Jews was the sign posted over Him as He hung on the cross for our benefit. And, it was a fitting ending to say, "He is risen!"

There are several of these left in my Rusty Robin shop - but I also wanted to post this here as I thought there may be some of you who'd prefer to make your own. Directions are found here.

I hope something here will inspire you to bring more of Christ into your home during the coming Easter season!

Awakening

Thank You, Lord -
the beauty of Your creation is breathtaking!

Is Spring approaching in your area yet?

Modest Fashion Week!

My blog-friend Joy is hosting a great week of posts about modesty! I am so excited to see what she has in store for us! And, she is having a great giveaway too! I love visiting Joy's blog because I am always inspired to me a more godly woman by reading the thoughts God has laid on her heart. Hope you can hop over and be encouraged as well!

Rusty Robin Update

Today at noon - click here for shop update!

Happy Feet!

Ok, I have a confession - I've never truly understood slippers (until *now* - you knew this was coming right?!) I had several pairs growing up and I guess they were not comfortable or too bulky or something, because I just never "got" them.

So, I've survived for quite a few years without them! All this changed a couple of years ago when I had a gift card to spend at a local department store. Between sales and my card, I came out with a pair of slippers for 0.20 out of my pocket! They were black and sort of like clogs - they were pretty comfy, nothing amazing - but my view of slippers was improving.

Wearing this pair of slippers, I discovered something - how warm and cozy my feet stayed when it was cold! Now, it isn't really all that cold here at my house, but when it was damp and cold - these did the trick and if I wasn't wearing them on a cold day - my feet reminded me.

Several months ago - these slippers started falling apart and I was sort of on the hunt for a new pair. But, I made the others last a bit longer. I took them to Colorado and wore them all through Christmas and when we got home, I tossed them in the trash - my toes were poking out and the soles were falling off!

So far, I just really hadn't seen anything I wanted, liked, that fit, etc... Finally, last Saturday - while checking the sales at the same store where I found my first pair, I found the above pink fluffy slippers!

They were half off with an extra 50% off - yes, a very good deal as they were left from Christmas. They felt a bit snug in my size - but I like them and decided to give them a try.

Oh. my. These are the softest, fluffiest, warmest thing ever to touch my feet! I did not want to take them off! My feet were so warm and toasty even without socks! And, they are like walking on little pillows!

Later that same afternoon, I had to run out for another quick errand and I decided to run back in the store to see if they had another pair! Now, I'm all set with my cozy fluffy pair of pink girly slippers and have a second pair stashed in my closet for when I wear these out!

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that Emily and Rachel love these and Samuel giggles and grabs at the little pom balls on the tops!

So, if you stop by to see me sometime - just be forewarned that I may come to the door fully ready for the day with these cozy slippers on my feet.

How about you? Are you a slipper girl? Tell me all about how you keep your feet cozy! After all, isn't this one of life's little simple pleasures?

Rusty Robin: Behind the Scenes

Angie requested that I show what I find and how I make it into what I sell. So, I've taken some pictures to sort of walk through this process and show you what I found and what I made it into! This will give you a sneak peek into some of the items appearing in my next shop update (March 9th at noon EST) Enjoy!

Take one wooden spool:

one grungy Christmas candle:

a spool of ribbon and a Merry Christmas tag:

and work it all into a neat Christmas candle holder!

Take one candle holder with melted candle in it:

Clean out the candle and add grass and eggs, ribbon and Scripture for a cute spring trim:

Take one wall sconce:

Add decorative paper, ribbon and a cute bulb:

Clean Swap!

It's time to show and tell all the goodies from our recent Clean Swap!

We had an uneven number of swappers this time around, and I was excited to partner up with Wendi and Mary Ann in a three way swap! We decided to each send a box to both the others so we would each prepare and receive two boxes!

Wendi and Mary Ann have both been reading my blog for a looooong time and have participated in nearly every swap. I was grateful for the opportunity to show my appreciation for them!

Here is what I sent to Wendi:


An apron (using this pattern), a cleaning rag and spray bottle, sponge, duster, plastic bin, book and hot chocolate.

My theme was trying to make cleaning more fun! Her favorite task is dusting, so I was hoping a fun duster and some pretty cleaning supplies would make it more fun! With a clean schedule she said she'd enjoy reading and having hot chocolate.

Here's what she sent me:

Everything was wrapped very cute - she had it all wrapped in brown paper and twine with cute tags!

An apron - great minds think alike!

Glade candles, a book on 500 uses for baking soda, a microfiber cloth, notepad, magic eraser, and yummy lavender hand soap!

Here is what I sent to Mary Ann:

An apron (same as above), spray bottle and cleaning rag, sponge, a plastic shoebox bin, a small organizer, a piece of fabric and some dishwasher detergent.

She said her least favorite chore was cleaning up the kitchen, I was hoping a cute container of dishwasher detergent would help make it a bit more fun! And, with a clean schedule she mentioned enjoying organizing and sewing.

She sent me:

Clothespins - with family names on them and a great idea of using them as reminders to pray for those special to me! I loved this!
Candle, cute dish towel, plastic bins, gum, lotion and shower gel, scrubby. She had tagged each item with meaningful and appropriate Scriptures.

Framed quote from Elisabeth Elliot,

"I'm mothering young children who some day will fill important and useful spheres in life, and washing clothes is part of my grand task in caring for these souls who shall live forever."

Thank you, Mary Ann and Wendi - I enjoyed my boxes and appreciate your sweet thoughtfulness and creativity in putting them together! Thank you for your generous encouragement! Hop on over to Carrie's for more swap sharing!

Living with Discipline 5

Where do I find the instruction and training I need on this subject of living with discipline?

I'm sure that many books have been written on this topic. I know that any number of athletes could teach me a lot about discipline. However, I know that the Bible has the highest wisdom of all and that is the source I will choose to use for my training and instruction.

First, I went to my Bible Dictionary to see what information that would provide. I found the following very helpful:

"Discipline comes from a Latin word 'disco' which means to learn or get to know, a direct kind of acquaintance with something or someone. Discipline refers to the process by which one learns a way of life." ~ Holman Bible Dictionary, page 366

It goes on to say:

"Discipline, biblically understood, results in blessing. God's people learn how to serve Him. Through praise and correction, their lives are shaped into a pattern of consistent obedience and love. Within 'the discipline of the Lord,' expressed in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, one can live the kind of life which is pleasing to God and of benefit to others." ~ Holman Bible Dictionary, page 367

So what does the Bible really have to say about living a life of discipline? For the purposes of this study, I did not research the verses that use the word discipline in reference to correction or training of our children.

This will likely take me more than one post! Let's begin in the first book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 1,

"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young - let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance - for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Wow - lots to think about there! What jumps out at you?

Seeds, Dirt and other Garden Goodness!

I have been working hard on my garden these last couple of weeks! Broccoli, onions and potatoes have already been planted! And, I've been busy putting in a walkway to keep weeds more manageable and in the spirit of Square Foot Gardening!

David found the stones while I was in Colorado - an entire pallet for only $15! There is something wrong with them and they break easily - but for our purposes, they are going to work great. Can't beat the price!

I have high hopes for my garden this year and have found myself praying for its success while out there working on it! There are so many spiritual lessons we can take from cultivating the earth, pulling the weeds, planting good things and watching them grow. It is an experience that feels so pure and wholesome as well.

We had a fun experience getting our seeds and starter plants. I've always ordered my seeds through the mail, but after a friends' suggestion to try our local Feed & Seed - I did just that. It was sort of like stepping back in time. There was a neat wooden built-in behind the counter that had lots of compartments for all the seeds. We picked seed potatoes out of a bin and had fun watching the man scooping out all of our seeds! In the parking lot, we enjoyed hearing a rooster crow.

I've only had one bug experience with a large brown spider - but God is good and I just went to the other side of the garden to work for a while! My hope is that our family will enjoy having fresh veggies to eat, enjoy working on the garden together and have more than enough to share with friends as well.

Anyone else started any gardening? I know it is way too early in many parts of the country - it is hard for me to get used to the idea of working on my garden in February and even March!