Feminine Friday Link-Up!

Feminine Friday is a weekly Link-Up Party all about those things that make a Christian woman feminine and girly! We are looking for all your fashion, hair/make-up tips, articles about being a Christian woman–pretty much any thing about being “girly” from a Christian woman’s standpoint! If it’s about Christian women, we want you to share it! Please join in the fun and do a little blog hopping! This is a fun way to discover new blogs and make some new friends. Leave a link to ANY AND ALL of your “feminine” blog posts.

Instructions:

1. Post a link to your feminine posts to the linky below. Simply click on the text link that says: You are next… Click here to enter
2. Enter your DIRECT link to the post you wish to share and fill out the remaining information requested.
3. You may enter as many links as you desire.
4. You MAY link to other link-ups, giveaways, and reviews..
5. Once you post a link to your blog post, please place a text link or use the graphic below to link back to the Feminine Friday Link-Up Party. You should have a link to this link-up part on EACH post you share here.
6. Be sure to also click “like” on any article you liked to vote for that article. I will be featuring the most popular articles next week on the blog and my Facebook page!
7. Have fun! I can’t wait to see what links you leave behind!

If you would like to use the graphic below, simply cut and paste the html coding out of the box below the graphics to quickly link back to here.

Moving with Kids

Since I graduated from high school, I have moved on the average of about once a year. Actually, the typical pattern is to live somewhere for 6 months, the next place for 18 months, and then a year. It’s not always like that, but it seems like that is kind of our pattern.

The twins looking over the porch railing at our current house.

That includes the over 10 years that I’ve been married. Sometimes this has been due to a job change, and sometimes it has been due to issues with the house or landlord that could only be resolved by moving. Once, we moved from a small house to a larger house owned by the same landlord. Man, I wish we could ever rent from him again! (Actually, he passed away while we lived in the larger home, and we continued to live there and rent from his kids, taking care of that property as they all lived further away, until hubby got the job in Austin.)

All of that said, it’s time to move again. I know the Lord has a new thing for us; in fact, when my husband’s job cut his hours again a couple of weeks ago, I had said then that the Lord has a new thing for us and it’s time to move on. I was excited! I guess I just didn’t realize how much change this new thing required, because I never even thought about needing to move! I still believe the Lord has a new thing for us, and I really think that this is one of those things that will be and IS a huge blessing in disguise. I know when we get to wherever the Lord is taking us in this, our lives will be less stressful and we’ll be able to carry out His instructions much better than we are currently. I can’t wait!

This time, we may need to move inside of a week. I’ve 5 kids ranging from my 13 year old son down to my twins who will be 2 years old on the 8^th. The last few times we moved, I was unable to be of much help; the very last time, I had twin infants. The time before that, I was 6 months pregnant with twins and did well to get out of bed or the chair at all! So, I’m looking forward to a quick and efficient move this time. Here are some of my best tips for moving quickly with kids!

If you have warning that you’ll be moving, and even if you don’t normally cook ahead, it’s a good idea to do so if you have any freezer space at all. Having meals that can just be popped into the oven or microwave (use disposable pans to make it even easier!) sure makes it less of a hassle to get everyone fed, and saves you the cost of having to run and get fast food twice daily for an entire weekend.

Shepherd’s Pie: a great cook-ahead option!

The first things to pack include: books (we save our current curricula for last), crafting items, entertainment niceties (video games, DVD’s and movies, except for what might be necessary to keep kids occupied), kitchen extras (if you’ve cooked ahead of time, that allows you to pack more of the kitchen than if you’ll have to continue cooking while in the packing phase).

One of the first things I always do is have the kids go through their toys. Moving this often has allowed us an almost built-in way to go through and toss out the broken toys and give away or sell things with which the kids just no longer play. I usually let them pick two or three items each to save for the “last box.”

About the last box – I allow each child either a backpack, or room in a single large box for the last things to get packed and the first things to get unpacked. Usually this consists of their handheld gaming system, a movie or two, a toy or two, and possibly a book or two. This is what they use to keep themselves entertained during the times when things are mostly packed up either at the old house or as we start unpacking at the new house.

Another thing we do – we allow (even require) lots and lots of outside play time during moves. Even messy play like turning on the water hose and getting all muddy are great deterrents and keep the kids out of the house and out of the way of packing and moving items. We almost always take a garbage bag of dirty clothes that gets placed in the washer as soon as it’s hooked up at the new place, and anything wet or yuck can go in that bag. The mud is very much worth the 2 or 3 hours it gives the adults to get some things done!

This time, we’ll hope to use a babysitter at least once or twice. We’re back near family and blessed to be so, and between my husband’s cousin who lives just 5 miles up the road and my mother who lives closer to a half hour away, we’ll have a couple of kid-free packing sessions to get as much done as possible.

Prayers appreciated as we get moving, and by the time this posts I expect to know where we’re headed and possibly already be settled in. What are some of the problems you’ve run into with moving? Or, if you’ve a move coming up, do you have any questions or concerns I may can help you think through?

The Forgotten Art of Letter Writing

This post isn’t about how to write a letter because I’m afraid that I lack the know how in that respect. But it is meant to be an encouragement to start, or continue, with writing letters.

“No one writes letters anymore.”

Have you heard that sentiment before? I have, for many years now; even before the craze of email and internet. I use to write a lot of letters myself, some were crazy long, too. But it has become something I rarely do any longer.

Why is that? Personally, it is because of email and the internet. Letters, whether hand written or typed on the computer or typewriter {do people still even use those!?}, take too long to receive in the mail. And stamp prices keep increasing. As a society, we are already trained to get things quickly via the world wide web. An email takes seconds to reach its intended recipient.

the beginnings of a letter to my dear Grandma

But I just love to receive hand-written letters and cards. If I love them, surely there are others who do as well. Actually, I know that others do.

A letter or note to let someone know you are thinking of them doesn’t need to be very long- there is no requirement that I’m aware of that says a letter must be 3 pages, with 4 paragraphs on each page. Of course, if that’s how you wish to write your letter, you go right ahead!

portion of a letter I received from my dear Grandma

I’ve been trying to get my kids back into writing letters. Perhaps that should say simply ‘get my kids to write letters’. They’ve always been in this age of technology where email has taken the place of letters. But the sad thing is, my kids don’t even check their emails or write emails. Yet they lament why they receive no mail!

We are works in progress. But I know that the letters I send, at least to my dear Grandma, are appreciated. I will continue to write. I also plan to widen the circle of people that I send letters. At our evening service on Sunday, the visiting pastor talked about a ministry to “forgotten” people, such as VA residents, nursing home residents, hospital patients, widows/widowers, those who’ve lost loved ones, elderly who cannot go out, missionaries or those in the church who are in need of encouragement.

my letters are an encouragement to my dear Grandma

Do you write letters to people on a regular basis? 

Comment Policy :: Think Before You Comment – Be Respectful

I’ve recently received some unsavory questions/comments and so I wanted to share my comment policy with everyone.

I am more than happy to approve questions/comments that are posted that are respectful in nature. I don’t ask that you agree with me on everything. We’re all different and we all have different opinions. I’m all for open discussion and as long as I deem that your comment shows respect to me then I will publish them. The list below are ways to get your questions/comment deleted.

1. Hateful speech.

2. Use of curse words an/or taking the Lord’s name in vain.

3. Threatening speech of any kind.

4. Inappropriate content of any kind

5. Being argumentative in a disrespectful manner.

The items listed above are based on MY opinion, so if I deem it unacceptable, then it will be deleted. While this blog is out there in the public for all to see, it is still my blog and it’s up to me to edit it, both in content of my posts AND any questions/comments that I approve.

I will not delete comments/questions that are presented in a respectful manner. I’m not big on debate, but I will be more than happy to listen to differences in opinion presented to me in a respectful manner. But, you must also realize that I have a right to my opinion and I always try hard to present them in a respectful and kind manner and expect you to do the same. I honestly try very hard to present myself and my opinions in a manner that reflects Christ.

Creative at Home Link-Up Party!

Creative @ Home Wednesday is a weekly Link-Up Party all about those creative things you do at home! We are looking for all your creative posts, crafts/hobbies, food/cooking/recipes, home decor/remodel, fun & games for the kids, homemaking, etc. If it’s creative, we want you to share it! Please join in the fun and do a little blog hopping! This is a fun way to discover new blogs and make some new friends. Leave a link to ANY AND ALL of your creative blog posts

Instructions:

1. Post a link to your creative posts to the linky below. Simply click on the text link that says: You are next… Click here to enter
2. Enter your DIRECT link to the post you wish to share and fill out the remaining information requested.
3. You may enter as many links as you desire.
4. You MAY link to other link-ups, giveaways, and reviews..
5. Once you post a link to your blog post, please place a text link or use the graphic below to link back to the Creative @ Home Link-Up Party. You should have a link to this link-up part on EACH post you share here.
6. Be sure to also click “like” on any article you liked to vote for that article. I will be featuring the most popular articles next week on the blog and my Facebook page!
7. Have fun! I can’t wait to see what links you leave behind!

If you would like to use the graphic below, simply cut and paste the html coding out of the box below the graphics to quickly link back to here.

Frugal Beans, Rice and Chicken Crock-Pot Dinner

Graphic by Grace Felt

We eat a lot of bean meals around out house.  Not just because they are frugal, but also because my family really loves them.  You should see how excited Riley gets when he knows beans and cornbread are on the menu.  Beans are so nutritious and frugal and they can really help lower your grocery bill, yet ensuring your family still has healthy meals.  Richy or poor, we’ll probably always be bean eaters, it’s just a meal that my family really loves.

2 cups dried beans (I use a combo of small red beans and pinto beans)
1 cup Uncooked brown rice
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (usually left overs from a baked whole chicken)
2 tbsp. taco seasoning (I use homemade)

I usually start this around 12 p.m. and it’s ready to serve at 6 p.m. In a crock pot, place the beans, rice, onion and garlic. Cover with water. Turn crock-pot on high and let cook. About 1 hour before dinner time, add the stewed tomatoes, shredded chicken and taco seasoning. We usually eat this with cornbread.

Cheap Eats for the Family

Cheap Eats

In light of today’s economy I have learned a few recipes that help me to feed my large family on a budget.  Here are some of our favorite cheap eats!

Bean and Bacon Soup

Bean and bacon soup is fantastic! I soak bags of pinto beans(bags of beans are half the price of cans because they double their amount when cooking) overnight and the next day keep them on low all day, adding a slab of bacon to it. Not the little strips but the large slab. This gives the beans great flavor and it’s easy on the pocketbook.

Navy Bean Soup

Navy bean soup is another favorite. You can add the bacon to this also or do what we do-add sausage. I wait for the meat to go on sale- in the meat department not the hot dog section, we aren’t talking little links here- and prepare the same way as above.

Red Beans and Rice

Red beans and rice is a favorite here too. I buy a bag of red beans – works better than pintos I think- and soak overnight. Then I heat them on the stove til boiling and prepare as above. I then refry them in a skillet with olive oil and stir them into yellow rice. Put on a hard tostada shell and add cheese.

3 Bean Chili

3 bean chili is one of my husband’s favorites. I soak black beans,pintos, and red beans all together overnight and the next day I change the water out out, add onion, garlic (powder or fresh works) tomato sauce and chili powder and simmer all day. If we have hamburger meat I add that to it too.

Noodle Veggie Soup

Noodle veggie soup is my son’s fav. (It’s even better with chicken!) Egg noodles, any veggies I have on hand and broth. Not much to it but boy is it good! You can add potatoes too if you want.

Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is my favorite! Just add lentils, tomato sauce, garlic powder and sausage if ya have it. (same type of sausage as above) Simmer for about 1 hour all together.

Fried Egg Sandwiches and Omelets

Fried egg sandwiches and omelets have all made their way onto my menu too.

There, not fancy by any means but filling and inexpensive.  Certainly cheap eats!

Back to School Monday Homeschool Link-Up!

Back to School Monday is a weekly Homeschooling Link-Up Party. Please join in the fun and do a little blog hopping! This is a fun way to discover new blogs and make some new friends. Leave a link to ANY AND ALL of your homeschool related blog posts.

Instructions:

1. Post a link to your homeschool related post to the linky below. Simply click on the text link that says: You are next… Click here to enter
2. Enter your DIRECT link to the post you wish to share and fill out the remaining information requested.
3. You may enter as many links as you desire, AS LONG AS THEY ARE HOMESCHOOL RELATED.
4. You MAY link to other link-ups, giveaways, and reviews, AS LONG AS THEY ARE HOMESCHOOL RELATED.
5. Once you post a link to your blog post, please place a text link or use the graphic below to link back to the Back To School Monday Homeschooling Link-Up Party. You should have a link to this link-up part on EACH post you share here.
6. Be sure to also click “like” on any article you liked to vote for that article. I will be featuring the most popular articles next week on the blog and my Facebook page!
7. Have fun! I can’t wait to see what links you leave behind!

If you would like to use the graphic below, simply cut and paste the html coding out of the box below the graphics to quickly link back to here.

Coming Soon :: A Week of Kitchen Organization!

Be sure to keep your eyes open and come back the week of September 2, 2012 through September 8, 2012 for or very first theme week!!  Our theme for September is Kitchen Organization. So stop by and visit us each day that week to get some really great kitchen organization tips!

Let’s be there for our kids

When I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s the majority of mothers stayed home with their children and didn’t baulk at being there. We grew up with Mother always being home when we got home from school, offering us milk and cookies, supervising play and homework, cooking dinner and folding up the laundry. If she wasn’t home when we got home it felt as if the world had turned on its axis! Mum was our world and we pitied the few kids at school whose moms worked outside the home!

Mum being there was our anchor of security and it is one of the memories of childhood I have where I felt happy and secure.Gradually I noticed that more and more of my friend’s Mums were working outside the home and I remember one friend in particular who would go home from school, set the dinner table, feed the dogs, and play with me until her mother came home, which was my sign to make tracks home because my dinner would just about be ready. I would skip home glad to know Mum was there bustling around the kitchen or putting her day’s laundry over the clothes horse in front of the fire. It was a routine that was as predictable as the setting of the sun.

How sad I felt for my friend coming home to an empty house. She may have her gold bracelets and an Osmond’s fountain pen that we couldn’t afford- but young as I was, I knew which side my bread was buttered on- and as far as I was concerned, I would rather have my Mum home than the pink and white bedroom suite and carpeted bedroom my friend had all to herself. I would gladly share mine with my sister and have Mum where she was. I still feel sad for her today- to my mind she had everything except the most important- a stay at home mother.

Today’s world has changed so much. Often mothers have to work to provide for their children- and they do a wonderful of job of balancing motherhood and career. But an awful lot of women who could stay home with their children have been hood-winked into believing that they don’t contribute to society by staying home with their children! They do not see the value in teaching and training of their children, and they are blind to the infinite blessing of nurturing to the spirit of their babies by just being there- at home!

Never before has motherhood taken such a pounding by feminists, employers, TV commercials urging us to consume more and more whilst leaving the most precious of things- our children, under the care of daycare centers and people who give good care but no real love to their children. How I long for those mothers to catch a glimpse of their children’s spirits as they are left day after day in the care of people who only see nurturing these children as a job, not a priviledge. They are being deprived of the security of knowing that Mum is with them all day, in their own home. They don’t care that the house may not be the biggest, they are just as warm in K-mart clothes as designer labels, but they do care that they are deprived of their Mum’s time- they just can’t express it yet!

How do you know they care that their Mum isn’t there? you say- I know because I have seen children woken up at early hours from warm beds or cots to be bundled hurriedly into cars to be taken to daycare! I have seen their looks of bewilderment and seen how long it takes for them to settle- granted initially at first- fortunately for them, children are amazingly resilient. And I have seen the look of delight when they see Mum come to pick them up, and I have seen too the little head nuzzling into Mummy’s neck soaking up the scent of Mum and her body warmth! Heaven in a child’s world!

I have seen little ones clinging to carers who are forbidden to attach to one child for too long in case they bond- thus making it difficult to cope with said child if that carer isn’t available on any given day! I have seen misery inside those gaily painted daycare centers where all care is taken- but no bonding is allowed. What a stage setting for bonding problems in the adult kids!

If a mother could just see inside her child’s heart for a moment she would reconsider her position as a working mother. She would stay at home with her children and cut her cloth accordingly. Her education would not be wasted for there is a great challenge in balancing finances on one wage, being a wise mother, cook, nutritionist, nurse, play supervisor, educator and above all else, companion and guide to little ones eager to emulate her. She would find true happiness in herself as she is less pressured for time, and she would have the enjoyment of knowing that she has made the most of the few precious years we have with our children.

Our young children want their Mummies, and our older children are looking for something that is lacking- something in their spirit that is empty- the joy of being wanted- and nurtured and loved. Before the car, the house, the clothes, the toys. Before the holidays, the big Christmas presents, the expensive lap-tops and ipods.

They are hungry for love and bonding. Don’t let that be with strangers who offer them acceptance and belonging as they ply them with drugs! You be the one! You are the one they long for! Take back the house keys and stop them being latch-key kids before it’s too late. Just be there, Mum. Make a decision in faith that God will provide for your needs- this is His Will for all mothers- it is part of His great plan!

If you ever needed to be needed, it’s now! Don’t think your boss can’t get by without you- he can, but your kids can’t. Not if they are going to be godly, loving, confident adults and parents, they can’t. But it starts with you. Will you be a part of God’s plan in motherhood? Will you trust Him to meet your needs? But most importantly, will you just be there for them?

 ” But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19