Recipe Books

I have started these recipe collections for Emily and Rachel. I started this idea with the recipe box when Emily was born and then pulled the recipe book out of my gift stash when Rachel was born. I add one recipe around Christmas each year and date it. Then, they will have a collection of favorite family recipes and hopefully it will be special to them that they have been written through the years rather than in one big marathon recipe-writing-session! Both of these were items I already had that I was not using, so this did not cost anything to begin.

Thrifty Book Containers

Here is my newest adventure in thrifty crafting and decorating! I was thinking how nice it would be to have a basket or container to fit into this opening in one of my end tables that I could put books or small toys in. I thought about buying one, but was challenged by the thought of wondering if I could come up with something for free. And, you may remeber a previous project using a box.

In the end, this is what I came up with and it was FREE!

I started with an empty baby wipes box that fit perfectly in the opening I wanted to fill.

Then, I remembered a table topper that I really like that I haven't figured out how to use since getting rid of a wobbly round end table. So, I pulled that out and laid it under the box right side out.

I then "folded" the tablecloth around the box (think wrapping a gift) and clipped it temporarily with clothespins to make sure it would all work.

After that I used mini safety pins to secure as many edges discreetly as I could. Because, the truth is, I may decide I want to use this for a table topper again someday and I did not want to ruin the fabric. There were a few edges that were still not quite secure enough for my liking, so I put dots of hot glue on maybe three or four edges. These would be easy to remove and it would not ruin the fabric.
At the end, I simply tied a piece of sheer ribbon around to finish it off and also to make it more secure. It fits great and I love the spot to keep goodies contained! This project took less than 30 minutes to complete.

Build your home on the Rock!

Matthew 7:24-27, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

When we bought our home, all the floors needed to be ripped out and re-done. So, I thought how neat it would be to paint various Scriptures on the floor to make these words the foundation of our home. You could do this on the wall before you paint, on the floor, on the bottom of the cabinet before laying shelf paper, etc...

As I was doing it, I was secretly thinking about the family that would own this home after me. We hope to live in this home for a very long time, but there will be a day when I don't live here whether I live in another home or have just moved to Heaven. When they need to replace the floor - there will be a visible testimony of God's presence in this home and who knows what that testimony could do in their lives.

Here are the verses I chose:

Entry way: I Thessalonians 1:1c, "Grace and peace to you."

Living Room: Joshua 24:15b, "But as for me and my household we will serve the Lord."

Bedroom 1 (now Emily's room): Psalm 127:3, "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from Him."

Bedroom 2 (now Rachel's room): Matthew 25:40, "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"

Dining Room: Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth."

Kitchen: Titus 2:4-5, "Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God."

Master Bedroom: I Corinthians 13:4-8a, "Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Laundry Room: Proverbs 31:18, "She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day."

Den/Family Room: Psalm 19:14, "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer."

Snow Party!

Thank you, friends, for all your sweet and encouraging comments through the planning of this event! I love to do things like this because it creates memories for me with Emily and for us together as moms and friends! I hope we will all look back at these times as sweet treasures in the memory book of time.

I am sorry to say that I did not take very many pictures - but I will share a couple. A great time was had by all I'd say - and it was cold enough for a cozy fire in the fireplace! Yay!

Best of all, the children seemed to enjoy themselves and I am so glad! It does my heart good to see others enjoying something I've invested in.

Heather, Kelly and Charlotte ~ thank you so much for coming and bringing your children. I am so thankful for the gift of your friendship!

This photo is for my sister! She always thought this darling basket would be perfect for silverware - so I used it for that today!

Enjoying lunch!

More lunch enjoyment! I loved seeing all the snowflakes and snowman bottles lined up down the table!

Isn't this precious!? She missed her nap to be at our party so decided to catch up on it while we played!

Cupcakes were enjoyed by some, icing enjoyed by all!

Snow Party: Devotion

Here is what I plan to share for our devotion time at the snow party!

* Have any of you ever seen snow? Tell us about it.
* (Show picture of snow) Snow is like frozen rain - instead of water falling from the clouds, when it is really cold, it turns to snow! And, guess what, no two snowflakes are alike! They are all different!
* Read The Tiny Snowflake (a story about a snowflake who is unsure of her unique purpose and who tries to be like other snowflakes but learns she was created for a special purpose and doesn't need to try to be like the other snowflakes)
* Just like Lacy, God has made each one of us different and for a very special purpose.
* Now, let's see what God's word has to say about snow.
* Isaiah 1:18b, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow."
* Psalm 51:7, "Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
* Hold up white rag with a black heart on it (draw on with washable marker).

* What kind of things would we need to be cleansed from? How can we be cleansed from these things?
* A red bowl of water will symbolize being washed in the blood of Christ - wash out rag and hold it up so that the children can see the black heart is washed clean. (The rag will hold some of the black color, so it won't be sparkling white - just explain that this is an example of how the black is washed away.)

* Have a volunteer hold up a piece of white paper and another shine a flashlight on it. This will show the brightness of the white.
* Isn't it exciting that God says He will make us WHITER than the snow! Can you imagine anything whiter than snow? Well, God can and that is how He cleans our hearts when we ask for His forgiveness and receive Him as our Savior for all of eternity.
* Pray to close and for lunch.

Our party is this morning, so I'll post photos later!

Snow Party: Craft and Decorations

As David so perfectly said, "You can't have a snow party without snowflakes!" So, he helped me make these to hang from the light fixture and ceiling! We had fun cutting them out (and honestly, how many husbands help their crafty wives cut out paper snowflakes for a party, I know I am blessed) and hanging them! I cut hearts, evergreen trees and even a snowman into my snowflakes (see top photo for snowman) and David said, "Only you would cut a snowman into a snowflake!" I took it as a great compliment!

We're going to do one craft together. Making a snow-themed placemat that we'll use during lunch! Each child will start with one round (yes, that is the shape of a snowball!) piece of brown kraft paper. My aunt gave me these fun cut-outs and snow themed paper and stickers for Christmas, so that will be available as well.

I also made one of these for each child. Paint white glue in the shape of a snowman and sprinkle with salt. Then draw on a hat and arms. Here was my inspiration for these.

Then, I printed out Psalm 51:7, "Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." I added some snow clip art and have one of these for each child to add to their placemat as well. The placemats will be covered with clear contact paper when they are finished.

Sweet Moments

Tagged...

I was tagged by Chrissy for this...

The Page 123 Meme

1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123, look down to the 5th sentence.
3. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Include the title and the author's name.
5. Tag 3 People.

The book closest to me does not have 123 pages - so I will simply open it at random.

"As he spun away, another snowflake came spiraling by. 'How are you special?' asked Lacy. 'I'm a delicate snowflake, and I make the snow sofe,' she replied.

from The Tiny Snowflake, by Arthur Ginolfi.

Can you tell I'm getting ready for a SNOW PARTY!?

I will tag: Miriam, Lisa, and Christy. As always, everyone is welcome to play - just let me know so I can see what book you quote!

Snow Party: Favors

These cute favors are made out of white Mentos mints. Twelve mints are each attached to a piece of orange cardstock with icing. Faces and letters are drawn on with the food coloring markers. The card is placed in a cute clear treat bag and tied with orange yarn! I love these! Each guest will receive a bag as a favor at our snow party this Friday!

Tip: the mints were $1.19 for a box of 14 mints at Walgreens and I opted not to buy them. Then went to KMart and found 6 rolls of 13 mints each in a bag for $2.79. A much better deal! These favors cost less than 0.50 each to make.

Verse Clothesline

Another cheap decorating idea for a baby's room is to make this cute "clothesline" displaying a favorite verse.

Run lengths of twine between two thumbtacks and write words on colored cardstock. Use mini clothespins to clip words to the twine and tie fabric bows between.

The verse I used is: Mark 10:14 & 16, "'Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.' ... And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them."

Word Signs

This idea was born when I was trying to decorate on the cheap for Emily's nursery! I have given several sets as gifts including personalized with baby's name:

Here's how to make these:

Paint 2 8x10 canvas boards with desired background color. Let dry.
Type up words in Word (I used Times New Roman font size 160) and print out one word per page.
Use an x-acto knife to cut out black print and make a stencil (save any pieces needed to make the letter like the circle inside the 'b').
Lay the stencil centered on one board and use contrasting color to paint - lift stencil and discard. Let paint dry.
Hot glue ribbon or fabric scraps to the back to make a tie for hanging!
Cost: about $3 per set of two signs.

Snow Party: Food Ideas

Continuing with ideas for a snow-themed party, this installment will focus on food! At our party - we're having lunch, so I wanted everything to fit the theme. Here is what I have in mind:

For lunch:
White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese: I will also provide raisins and carrot sticks so the children can make snowman faces in their bowl!
Fruit salad with mini marshmallows
Milk
Cupcakes: see here for my inspiration on these! I'm not planning this exact thing - but something similar.

Now, for the fun touches! Again, the inspiration came from this magazine! I tried to figure out how to do as many of these ideas as I could on a BUDGET!

So, to serve milk: I got out my glass pitcher and cut out eyes, nose and mouth from scrap paper. I taped these to the outside of the pitcher:

This way, I'd know where to "paint" on the melted chocolate to form the snowman face! I melted chocolate chips in the microwave for the eyes and mouth and painted them on with a q-tip. Then I melted a few white chocolate chips and added food coloring to make them orange and painted on the nose. I removed the white paper from the outside and it is stored in my freezer until I'm ready to use it!

Now, each guest will receive their own snowman water bottle to drink out of! In the magazine, they had darling glass ones - but these are just washed out used water bottles with the label removed. I taped a piece of white paper around the middle and drew three buttons. Then on top is a large marshmallow with a face drawn on and orange yarn tied around for a scarf. From the magazine, I learned about these great markers made by Wilton. They are in the cake decorating aisle (I found them at Michael's with a 40% off coupon) and the "ink" is edible! So, you can draw on food, etc... and still enjoy it! I can tell I'm going to LOVE these! Here's how the water bottles turned out:

Ok, ok, I know - I'm getting carried away - but this stuff is just so much fun! So, since I already had the markers - I decided why not? This is the one and only idea on this page that I thought of myself! Aren't these adorable!?

Coming up: Craft, Devotion and Favors

Am I a "hearty" wife?

This is a Bible study I wrote in August of 2003, I was newly engaged and came across a verse in Proverbs which really jumped out at me and challenged me. I share it now to encourage and challenge myself again!

Proverbs 12:4, "A hearty wife invigorates her husband, but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones." (The Message)

* Describe what comes to your mind when you read the word hearty. (It is important to write this down before going on as your initial thought may evolve throughout this study.) For example, I think of a chowder-like soup: nourishing, fulfilling, satisfying, warm, brings health, energizes, etc...

* Notice the first five letters of the word...how does that add to your above description?

* Look up the definition of 'hearty' in the dictionary.

* Look up the word 'hearty' in a thesaurus; write down what you find.

* From the list of synonyms, cirlce one or two that you'd most like to work on. Pray about these things. Ask a girlfriend or prayer partner to hold you accountable and for additional ideas. If you feel you can, share them with your husband and ask him how you're doing or how you could improve.

* Continue on to the word 'invigorates.' Think about this. Write down some words or phrases that describe how you are invigorated or what it means to be invigorated. What are your surroundings like? Your feelings? Your energy level? Ask your husband what invigorates him.

* Write your own definition of invigorate (use a dictionary and/or thesaurus for additional guidance).

* Now compare the opposite wife...

* Write down everything that comes to your mind - what is implied in the fact that she is cold (frigid)?

* Describe your thoughts on what it means to be a "cancer to the bones."

* If you or someone you know has ever experienced this painful disease - ask them some questions to shed some light on the phrase.

* Search other examples...learn from other wives:
Use this chart.

* What can you learn from the frigid women and their commonalities? How about from the hearty women?

* Confess the areas of coldness in your own heart towards your husband. Ask God to enable you to be a warm, hearty and invigorating wife.

* Overall, what stood out to you the most as you walked through this study with God? Ask Him to bring this truth to mind often until it becomes part of your thinking! Praise Him!

Bless Your Husband: Picnic Lunch

I don't know about the rest of you - but my husband rarely gets a lunch break. And, it is even more rare that we can plan ahead for a day that he will. But last Friday was one of those days - a work day of sorts where we knew he would have a chance to pause and eat lunch. So, I suggested a picnic!

I packed wraps, apple slices, chips and make-your-own pudding and off we went! We sat in his office and it was great fun. We all enjoyed the break in our day and doing something a little different!

Now, if you can't go and have a picnic with your husband - maybe you could still pack one for his lunch and he could get away to a quiet corner or park for a few peaceful minutes.

To make the individual puddings - use a jelly size canning jar and 2 Tbsp. instant pudding. Add 1/2 c. milk from a thermos, shake and let sit for a few minutes. All done!

Toddler Time

My sister gave us this book for Christmas and it is so fun! I've seen other craft books and other toddler entertaining books. But, they are all really too advanced for a toddler. But, this one is not!

I've gone through and written one idea on the calendar for each morning (M-F) for Emily and I to do together. I call it craft time and so far she has been eating it up! Obviously I will not be sharing our ideas every day, but I thought I would share one that we did recently.

We swirled glue around on a piece of paper. Then sprinkled it with colored salt and shook off the extra! Tada! She loved it so much she wanted to do it again - so we did, three times!

Another thing I've started in the mornings is to watch a 30 minute DVD of something educational. So something like this, this or this ~ I hope these habits we start now will serve us well in the future as we hope to homeschool.

Speaking of TV time, we've kind of settled on a routine that works for us. After trying no TV, extremely limited TV and tons of TV, we have found that one thirty minute DVD in the morning (as mentioned above it will usually be something educational) and one thirty minute DVD after supper in the evening which can be something like Veggie Tales or Hermie and Friends. This is working really well and feels very doable.

Organizing: Car Trunk

Well, while we're in the organizing mood - let's talk trunk of the car! This is one of those places that never seems big enough in my current stage of life. But, here is my attempt at trying to keep it orderly.

A metal basket on the left hold jumper cables, fix-a-flat, a shopping cart cover for little girls, bug spray, a towel, Snugli and various other items you may need in a car. On the other side of the stroller - we keep an old quilt for picnics or any other need and a bag of canvas totes for carrying groceries. Even a small space becomes even smaller when it is disorganized!

Snow Party

Well, I'm going to host another gathering at my house. Remember the Harvest Party? This one won't be as elaborate - but I hope it will be a lot of fun!

I was inspired by this magazine - and the section on adorable snowmen and planning a party around the theme that I decided to have a snow party! Plus, I love snow!

So, I'll be sharing my ideas - here is the first one. The invitations! I used a plain white envelope and drew a little face with the word "snow" on the front. Then I cut a piece of orange cardstock and traced a quarter, nickel and dime for the snowman body and cut out of white felt. A small clipping of orange paper glued on to make the nose and some black puffy paint made the eyes. Glue felt on with tacky glue and let dry. I wrote the details on the back of the card.

We'll be making a snow-themed placemat, learning about snow and having a devotion and sharing lunch! Stay tuned for more ideas!

A Peaceful Moment

While both little ladies were napping yesterday afternoon (a rare treat in itself) I was running around like crazy trying to get lots done. And, I felt the stress closing in. I knew what I had to do - I needed to sit down and get re-focused. I had just finished baking some cookies - so poured a mug of milk and grabbed a Christmas gift. I only sat there for maybe ten minutes, but it was enough to refresh and refocus my thoughts and my priorities. Ahh, much better!

Christmas: Thank You's

A friend recently wrote and asked me for some ideas for card making for thank you notes after Christmas. Here are some ideas I shared with her:

* Magazine page card: you've all heard me mention these before and they are simple. You could also use wrapping paper scraps left from packages, Christmas cards (cut off a pretty part and use on the front of the card) or magazine pictures. One year, I included the following poem that I wrote for the thank you because it was getting tedious to list each gift someone had given and I seriously wondered how meaningful the thank-you was:

Christmas comes and Christmas goes
along with paper, ribbon, and bows.

But what will last throughout the year,
is what began with, “Have no fear!”

The greatest gift given with love,
sent to Earth from Heaven above.

We follow this example by giving gifts to one another
choosing something special we hope will bring joy to the other.

Thank you for sharing of who you are
as we celebrate the Christmas star.

And now as this new year begins
we’ll gratefully think of you again and again!

* Similar to the first, you could make a card with a picture that describes something you appreciate about that person. I made these for favors at a brunch once and it was so special. For example, the person you are sending a card to is very easy to be around, comfortable - you could choose a picture of a cozy sweater or comfy reading chair and explain the meaning inside the card. Or, someone is sweet and gentle - look for a pretty light pink rose and compare her heart with it's soft beauty. This makes the card a gift to them in itself.

* Use your children's artwork - let kids watercolor or paint on larger pieces of paper and then cut them into card size and write a message on the inside. Make sure to note who the artist is!

* Make a Christmas 2006 Memory Thank-You: especially for someone who wasn't with you during Christmas. You could make a "cover" out of the heavier paper and then fold regular paper inside - tie a ribbon around the middle to hold it all together. You could include things like: drawing from one of the children, small photo, a favorite recipe you enjoyed, a special memory or gift that will be remembered from this Christmas, a verse that was meaningful to you during Christmas or that would share Christ with a family who are not believers, a brief thank-you from children or let them write their names, etc...

This year, I just wrote thank you's on blank notecards - though I was hoping to do the little memory thank you's. Maybe next year!

Organizing: Craft Cabinet

So, as is the case every January, I am in the mood to organize! To sort. To clean out. To purge. To straighten.

I started in a wonderful place! My craft cabinet! This cabinet is over my dryer in our laundry room. The question was asked recently how I store all my magazines and clippings for notecards and envelopes, so I thought I'd just show the whole cabinet.

My Mom helped me get this in order over a year ago and it has really been manageable to keep it fairly tidy. Plus, it helps me set limits on what I can keep.

Starting on the top shelf:

Small spice jars (thrift store) hold jingle bells or small craft items.
Flat gold box has ziploc bags in it filled with clippings for notecards. And, on top of that is a "craft" journal. Where I can log ideas that I've tried or want to try.
The next box holds wooden goodies: old spools, beads, etc...
And, a small cardboard box on the end gathers all my stamps and ink as well as craft paints.

The next shelf has a box of sewing notions, jar of buttons, the black floral box holds all my ribbons and then the twine dispenser on the end.

Moving down - this shelf is really the "notecard making" shelf! The right side are the magazines that I've read and are ready to be cut up. When this stack is at its max - I have to get rid of some and I did have to do this while straightening this up. The left side is all my paper. The red folder is craft ideas I want to save and try someday.

The lowest shelf is obviously the things I use the most. The ice cube bin on the left holds all notecards and envelopes that are already made and ready to be used. Next to that are canning jars with colored pens, pencils, and goodies such as tin stars, mini clothespins and the like.

Then a small wire basket holds all my paper punches and glue fits behind that. The white metal container at the back holds fun scissors and colored pencils.

Two white wooden containers next to that hold crayons and glues of all kinds. And, a 2/$1 organizer on the end is perfect for my good fabric scissors and pinking shears.

I do have a few other supplies that just won't fit here (like 12x12 paper) and those things are inside my living room coffee table trunk (which I call our rainy day cabinet - a story for another day) and it also holds extras of things like glue sticks and spiral notebooks.

All my fabric is in a little stand in my closet - and that is my limit on craft supplies. I need the limits of keeping things in certain places and not exceeding that or it gets out of control rapidly! I'll share more as I continue organizing!