All Things are Possible

I shout, "Grace, Grace!" to this Mountain

2010-07-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

In my quiet time this morning, reading James 4:7-10

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

My hearts prayer was to truly walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. My heart cried, Abba Father! All glory and praise to You for loving me through my tears and grief over my transgressions. Thank-you for Your joy that comes in the morning, Lord! Help me, Lord, to rely fully on Your power, to truly walk in Your Spirit always.

As I then went about my morning, I went looking online for the scripture prayer website that I frequent. I had in mind a specific prayer for loved ones that I wanted to share with a friend. That accomplished, the Lord lead me to another beautiful site and I found the prayer below. Praise God, you've just got to love those immediate answers!

The prayer is based on Zechariah 4:6-7.
Zerubbabel has struggled to build the temple amid all many and means of problems. An angel comes with encouragement and wisdom:
This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
“Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit”
says the Lord of Hosts.
Who are you great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”

Basically, the message to Zerubbabel and to us is that some problems are beyond our ability to fix, no matter how powerful or talented we may be. Where our power fails, the task is completed by the Spirit of the Lord. He gets credit. We do not!

So here is the prayer in all its simplicity:

Lord, this day I take authority over the thief regarding (the situation)
(John 10:10)
And, I shout “Grace, grace!” to this mountain. (Zechariah 4:6-7)

How to pray it:
• Pray it each day, taking authority over the thief for this day.
• Any time during the day when the situation comes to mind, pray the prayer again.
• Pray this instead of fretting.

Part of the power of this prayer:
• Recognizing and confessing that the problem is too big for you, but manageable by God is a big step. You roll the burden of the problem onto the Burden Bearer, just as Jesus instructed. (Matt 11:30)

• As you repeat the prayer instead of allowing fear to grip you, your mind is renewed. You begin to think like God regarding the situation. This increases faith tremendously and when you have faith the size of a mustard seed, “you will say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt 17:20)

HERE is the link to the website.

Time To Get My Blog On!

2010-06-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

Well, hey there bloggy world! It's been a while, how have you been? I am happy to report that life here in Miltyville is good. Better than good, it is fabulous, praise God, and we are looking forward to summer vacation starting in just a few days. I will be officially hanging up my babysitter hat and maxin' & relaxin' with both LilMiltys and Princess Milty. You can read about our family name game HERE

This school year flew by! Did it for you too?

A Simple Woman's Daybook for Monday, April 13

2009-04-13T08:05:00.001-07:00

Outside My Window... beautiful live oaks and palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze

I am thinking...how thankful I am to be counted among God's people

I am thankful for...the opportunity to see dear old friends last week, it was a wonderful visit

From the kitchen...homemade ketchup that will be put right into the Heinz bottle, think the kids will notice?

I am wearing...black peddle pusher sweatpants and a pink tee

I am creating...something, anything on my new sewing machine :-) I have to figure out how to use it first...

I am going...to the amish farmers market this afternoon

I am reading...Nicholae from the Left Behind series and The Makers Diet

I am hoping...to get my home blessing done and work on changing my daily lists and routines to better reflect the season we are in

I am hearing...my daughter sing to herself

Around the house...the kids are really enjoying arts and crafts, especially since they can see everything we have to create with

One of my favorite things...hearing my children say "I love you" to each other, just melts my heart

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: to visit a local farm where we can get fresh milk, practice my sewing, re organize the master bdrm closet

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Brotherly love. This was a few years ago, it is one of my favorites, aren't they cute?

Want to see more Daybooks and maybe join in yourself? Visit A Simple Woman's Daybook

Everyone in Miltyville Has a Name

2009-03-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

If you missed the beginning of this story, you can read it HERE.

I got so many great suggestions! Thanks everyone for your input. Our middle guy got to choose which nickname he wanted and he chose.......drumroll, please.......

LilMilty

I know, I know, I thought he needed a different nickname of his very own, but the little guy wanted to be just like his beloved big brother. How sweet is that?

So, the tradition continues to the next generation. Two LilMilty brothers, just like their were two Milty brothers, kind of cool, huh?

The Milty Brothers with our 1st LilMilty

And the LilMilty Brothers

Kind of sounds like a rock band....hhhmmmm......

Welcome to Miltyville

2009-03-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

The time has come to officially introduce my little family. In keeping with the fun bloggy tradition, We will all use our official nicknames. Now, when I say official, I mean it. When I married my husband, Milty, I didn't realize the legacy I was marrying into.

You see, Milty is not our family name.

Surprised?

Most people are.

The nickname began with hubby's dad, who was "Uncle Milty" to all his college buds. Having a last name that sounds sort of close and sort of looking like Milton Burl, he really had no choice in the matter. But he wore it well and with honor and proudly handed the name down to his sons and daughter.

The next generation dropped the Uncle and went as simply "Milty". A very cool handle that both boys pulled off well, even when in the same room. Their beautiful sister was, you guessed it, MsMilty, and she still is!(beautiful and MsMilty that is)

But what happens when Milty marries and has children? Well, Milty becomes BigMilty and his wife becomes MamaMilty.

Now, some of you already know me as MamaMilty and in the interest of simplicity, I will be using my ultra cool nickname by marriage from here on out. So when you get a comment from MamaMilty, don't be confused, you know me, Hi, Its Me Jen!

And what about the kids, you ask?

Well, our oldest, the blonde on the left, has been LilMilty all his life and he likes it, he will carry on the family moniker with aplomb.

But what to call his younger brother and sister?

That is the question!

It doesn't seem right to name our middle guy who is so full of personality and actually taller than his big bro Lil'rMilty, now does it? MiddleMilty just isn't good on so many levels....

What should we name this little guy???

And last, but certainly not least, our little princess.....could she be anyone else besides PrincessMilty?

Running a close second would be DiapeeHeadMilty, but for longevity, we thought we ought to go with the other one, what do y'all think?

So that is our story.

Welcome to Miltyville, our little corner of the world where we know that with God, All Things are Possible.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-03-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

FOR TODAY March 23, 2009

Outside My Window... The sun is shining and the sky is a brilliant blue

I am thinking...Lord, let me have a gentle spirit as I live this day with my potty training 2y/o and into everything 20 m/o and rambunctious 4 & 5 y/o's and inquisitive 6 y/o

I am thankful for...Coffee! I stayed up way too late last night and the morning comes early no matter what

From the kitchen...cleaning out the fridge and getting healthy fruit and veggie snacks ready for little hand to get all by themselves....gulp.

I am wearing...my fav. yellow tee with a sparkly heart & flowers & butterflies over an orange tank with a khaki cotton skirt

I am creating...an inviting, orderly home that is a haven for my family

I am going...to take the 2 middle boys to preschool for the morning

I am reading...Joshua

I am hoping...to get the whole pile of clean dishes spilling our of 2, yep, 2!, dish racks put away today

I am hearing...the sound of children play elevator in the closet

Around the house...we are learning Ephesians 2:8 as our memory verse this week

One of my favorite things...the lovely aroma of chicken roasting in the oven...we will be enjoying that delicious treat for the senses later this afternoon

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: to re-organize my jars and glass containers, to make marinara sauce to freeze, to get outside and bike with the kids, and finish our family project of listing ways we can each show love and kindness to each other

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
You are invited to visit The Simple Woman to see more daybooks...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-17T17:10:00.001-07:00

Just a few short years ago, I had 2 in cribs...oh, how the time flies by. They are 5 and 6 now.
Be sure and visit 5 Minutes for Mom to see more Wordless Wednesday.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

2009-03-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

What does this holiday really signify?

With so much talk of leprechauns and pots o' gold going on at school, I thought we better bring things back to what's truly meaningful about this holiday.

Inspired by fishmama's beautiful post, I hurriedly put my plan together in the few minutes before we picked up our oldest from kindergarten.

With their bellies full of yummy shamrock shakes, we sat down to make 3 leaf clovers, just like the ones Patrick used to tell people about the Holy Trinity. Since we had three shamrock to make, we also looked up names of Jesus and put 3 names along with the scripture on the other two.

As I wrote it out, the kids told me the three persons of God, how cool is that? Thank-you, Jesus for giving my beloved children ears to hear. Then we talked about all the different names of Jesus. As I wrote a name on the shamrock, my oldest looked up the scripture and read it to us. I love how he refers to the gospel of John as "Plain John" and first John as "One John".

Then we strung our beautiful creations on a string of shamrock beads and adorned our chandelier. What a lovely reminder of Patrick's wish, to point one and all to Jesus Christ.

May the Lord richly bless you and yours on this St. Patrick's Day.

Around the Kitchen Table

2009-03-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

The kitchen is the heart of our home and I love that.

We pray together, play together, share our meals and snacks, color and create all around our kitchen table. Homework is done, letters are written and the bible is read all around our kitchen table.

When we first moved into this home, I attempted a more grown up decor, but as we live in this little space, functionality continually wins over decor. So, I am doing my best to create beautiful function that compliments our lifestyle and promotes organization. Easier said than done, let me tell you! I tend to complicate systems in my need to have things precise and neat. The result is that I am the only one in the family that can keep the system going and that does not work when there are 5 (and sometimes 7) of us living here, making a mess.

Hopefully, I have struck a balance in our kitchen, only time will tell.

These were my goals:
1) Have the napkins, S & P shakers, memory verse & daily prayer cards and bible neatly available on the table.

2) Create a space for all the arts & crafts supplies that allowed me to keep things like scissors & glue out of reach but still in sight and allowed free access to pencils, paper, activity books, etc.

3) Organize a homework station (goodness they bring a lot of paper work home and they are only in Kindergarten and Pre-K)

4) Hang a clock so we could start learning how to tell time.

5) Plant a kid friendly herb garden.

6) Display their artwork in a way that gives it the honor it deserves.

7) Create a spot for our new goldfish, Goldie, my bible study stuff and the treat jars for the dog and the kids.

I accomplished all of my goals, want to see?

I used the backside of restaurant tent cards to write the verse and prayer on. Hubby calls on restaurants for work, so he has stacks and stacks of the things. Simply folding card stock paper would work, too. This really helps us all learn our bible verses as a family and keeps us centered on Christ whenever we come to the table. Having the kids' bible readily available really reinforces the lesson that we can and should go the Word in all things. I love the Adventure Bible that we are using, it makes morning devotions so simple, yet interesting for all of us.

Here is our arts & crafts center, I am pleased to tell you that as each of the children first saw it, they gasped in surprise and then with lots of oohs and wows thoroughly investigated it, then promptly sat down to create. I would call that success, wouldn't you? The clock makes bird calls on the hour and was given to us by Nana & Papa right off their kitchen wall after they moved away. It was hanging in the laundry room and has been in need of a battery for some time. I am tickled to have it back up, every time I hear a bird singing I just smile and think of my wonderful parents. I think I need to add some numbers around the edge before I attempt to teach the kids, though.

Here is the homework station. I really, really needed this. I am amazed at how much paper comes home every day. Some of it needs immediate attention, some needs to be saved, some is to do at a later date...so confusing. And big stacks of paper just do.not.work. I have had the kids stuff all over the place in various forms and I still managed to miss something on a regular basis, hopefully this will work since it is at their level and they can help manage it. They each have an inbox for things that are ongoing like a pad of writing paper for homework, books I've read cut & color pages to turn in, etc. The "In" and "Out" folders on the wall are for parents paperwork. The drawers have papers, stickers and stuff for projects.

Here is our little window box of herbs. We have dill, sweet basil, sage and cilantro. I want to add chives, parsley, rosemary and thyme, but we need to figure out a hanging basket or something....
The kids are my big helpers on the whole watering thing, I tend to forget...or rather, think of it and then get distracted my the twenty-nine chores I do between thinking of watering the plants and actually doing it.

I could gaze at this all day. There is nothing more beautiful than my children's artwork...except maybe my children themselves! I wanted to have a few different options for displaying, so in one frame I strung string with little clothes pins and in the other I put cork. Then on the little wall I hung cork and put several smaller frames with space to hang a 3-D creation that I know will appear soon. I want to get a small shelf as well, to place items on.

We talked about all their pieces this morning at breakfast and their smiles and looks of pride in accomplishment were just precious. It also gave them an opportunity to compliment each other...let's just say it was a love- fest this morning!

And finally, a neat spot for our newest member of the family, Goldie. He/she (the kids keep changing their minds on that one) came home last night as a fifth birthday present. By the time hubby and I went to bed poor Goldie wasn't looking too peppy and this morning he/she was um....sleeping. That's what the kids decided anyway and I felt like I dodged a bullet. The last thing I wanted to do this morning was tell them that their new beloved Goldie was dead as a doornail. So, Goldie "went to the Dr. with Daddy" and came back all healthy.

I also needed a spot to plop my bible study and my FlyLady Control Journal and a new home for the dog treats and kid treats. The kids are responsible enough to be able to reach the dog treats themselves and the kid treats are a new addition. We are implementing a reward system for random acts of kindness, going to the potty (for littlest ones, mine & the one I sit) and special accomplishments like writing your own name (for the middles, mine & the other one I sit). Right now it is filled with organic, grain sweetened chocolate chips & raw almonds. They can have one each time. I intend to switch the treats between edibles and stickers and such.

And that completes your tour of our newly designed kitchen. I loved showing you around the heart of our home and I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T11:06:00.001-07:00

The Dr. will see you now....

I love it when they play pretend all together, it just warms my heart.

For more wordless wednesday head over to 5 minutes for mom

When the kids get the camera...

2009-03-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

I was sick all last week, and I barely remember it...it's just a blur of throbbing, dripping, coughing, yuckiness. I am finally feeling better and it is already the end of another week. As I have dug us out from the catastrophe that is our home, I am finding some real gems. The following is what happens when mom is too sick to notice and the kids find the camara:

Hhmm....could be one of two culprits.....

Okay, now I know who the mystery camera man is. I think this was supposed to be a self portrait. I will have to teach him about things we don't photograph, like that box of hair color for mommy's naturally chestnut brown hair....

I'm still trying to figure this whole picture of a mirror in a mirror perspective. I think the boy on the left is the original reflection of him as he takes a picture of himself in the mirror and the boy on the right is the reflection of that image reflected again in the other mirror on the opposite side of the bathroom....make sense?

And so this pic must have snapped as he was getting down from that position and he got his daddy's sink that he was standing on....

I just found this so funny when I found it, hope you enjoyed it, too.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-25T10:01:00.001-08:00

And he danced with Cinderella....

Visit 5 Minutes for Mom for more Wordless Wednesday.

Sincerely Fro' Me to You

2009-02-19T12:13:00.001-08:00

This is my 1st time participating in sincerely fro' me to you carnival. It is just too good, how could I not? I mean, pictures that will never see a scrapbook? Hello. I've got loads of 'em. I didn't even have to try very hard. I just opened up ipic and scrolled for half a second. So here ya go:

Where did everybody go?

We were all out front when he woke up from his nap.....

Morning Devotions

2009-02-19T05:04:00.001-08:00

I dearly love our morning devotions. My children love them, too. Here is an excerpt from this morning:

Me: Let's talk about how to pray. God would love us to make a habit of talking to Him everyday. Can you tell me what a habit is?

Them: Something you do all the time!

It's going well, huh?

Me: I have a habit of talking to God the very first thing when I wake up and then I keep talking to him all day long. How about you all? Do you have a habit of talking to God?

Them: Well, what if you can't think of any good stuff to ask for?

Me: Well, then you can thank Him for good things you already have, or ask Him for help if you need it.

Them:What if God gets into a battle with a big giant that is bigger than God?

Me: Nothing is bigger than our God.

Them: What if the giant stomps on my head?

Me:That would hurt.

Them: What if a monkey jumped on your head?....Yeah, like those cavemen!"

Me:
What kind of cavemen? The kind of people that live in areas where there are caves to live in or the silly monkey men you see on TV?

Them: Giggles all around and lots of ooh-ohh-aah-aah's, the silly monkey men!! Like when there were dinasaurs on the land! More giggles...

Me: Well those aren't real. Some people think we came from monkeys. Isn't that silly?

Them: More giggles and monkey noises...

Me: Did God create us as monkeys first?

Them: NO!

Me: Who were the 1st people?

Them: Adam and Eve!

Me: Not monkeys?

Them: NO! giggles...

Me: If anyone ever tries to tell you that we evolved from monkeys, even if they are an authority, they are not correct. They think they are, but they just don't know the truth. You know the truth. We find all truth in here, God's word, the bible. If you ever have a question, you will find the answers in here.

Them: Like the answer to a really hard math problem?

Me: Um....let's pray.

Go to Diaper Diaries for more Things I Love Thursdays.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T08:13:00.001-08:00

Our little monkey...

See more: Wordless Wednesday

Rise & Shine and Give God the Glory, Glory!!

2009-02-17T03:34:00.001-08:00

Good morning!

The Lord work me up early this morning....

...and I tried to talk with Him a little while laying in my nice comfy bed,...

...but He had more for me today,...

...and I am so glad I listened.

Thank-you, Lord Jesus.

I am still in my 31-Day Challenge with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I actually had to stop for a little over a week, waiting for new printer ink, but whether it takes 31 or 301 days, God is really using these teachings to show me where I have work to do.

I had the pleasure of reading 2 lessons this morning and I want to share my prayer for the day, taken from Nancy's:

Lord, I pray for Your wisdom and discernment and good judgment to know how to live the kind of life that will make Jesus attractive to my children and my husband.

I pray that You'd show me issues or areas of my life where what I'm saying and what I'm doing are two different things, and that I may be honest and humble enough to agree with You, to repent, and to let You change me so that my life can reflect the beauty and the wonder and the goodness of Your will. I pray this in Jesus' precious name, Amen.

Amazingly, after such a wonderful time with Him, my household was still sleeping. Wow, God! What else do you have for me today?

I must admit, I took some time to throw in a load of laundry, make myself some coffee, set the breakfast table....and still, a sleeping household!

So over to the computer I came, checked email, then opened my blog and THIS is what I read.

Good is Good, y'all! May the Lord richly bless you today as you go about loving your on family!

Delicious Honey Oatmeal Whole-Wheat Bread

2009-02-13T08:17:00.001-08:00

I had to post this recipe. This is the most delicious bread I have ever made. I have been trying to find the right balance to please my family's palate and this one is it. And let me just say that I was shocked, SHOCKED at how much sugar goes into bread! Some recipes called for 1/4 cup of the stuff. I tried making those recipes with sucanat or muscavado and while those sweeteners have their strengths, the breads we baked were slightly tougher than we like.

I found a book at the Goodwill bookstore the other week called The Bread Machine Bakery Book by Richard W. Langer and this recipe has become our family's every day bread. When I say every day, I mean I make a 1 1/5 lb loaf everyday.

1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp honey
2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup whole- wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (rolled oats - not instant!)
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste...I palm it)
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Follow your bread machine's instructions for loading the ingredients and set it to whole-wheat. Easy as that and oh-so yummy. A nice soft and tender bread with just enough crustiness. Delicious!

Nourishing Fudge...Fudge Y'all!!

2009-02-12T16:00:00.001-08:00

Doesn't that look scrumptious? Let me assure you, it is. I was reading one of my favorite blogs written beautifully by Lindsay and found this yummy, healthy treat. (You will need to follow her link to the blog she got the recipe from...another one of my fav's.)

I did it just a little differently...because, well...I just cannot follow a recipe exactly, what fun would that be? Where would the drama be? Anyway, I used local honey instead of the coconut palm sugar, but I will be adding that to my growing supply of nourishing sweeteners, tout suit.

Instead of a food processor I used my Magic Bullet. Are you laughing? Don't laugh. We got this as a gift a few years ago and I kind of snickered (sorry Lys), but I have grown to LOVE it. I use it several times a day. It makes our smoothies, grates parmesan cheese, makes fresh salsa, blends vinaigrettes, puries a few cups of beans to make soup nice and smooth, and this time, it served as a food processor. I love my bullet.

So, as I was watching the chocolate fudge mix, I started thinking, hhhmmmm, I bet peanut butter would work, too....so I tried it:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter - I dug down to the bottom of the jar where its nice and dry.
slightly less than 1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup local honey

That's it! dumped it all into the bullet, turned it on for a minute or so and presto! peanut butter fudge. :-) I even got lazy and just poured it into a little round pyrex and popped it into the freezer w/o using the parchment.

When they were set, I pulled them both out and cut them and wow are they yummy. We sent some to school this morning for the kids' Valentines Day party and the teacher was thrilled that it was made with wholesome ingredients and no refined sugar.

And yes, Papa, we can make this when you come to visit!

Fly Report - Hot Spot Alert!

2009-02-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

This is the top of my fridge. In FlyLady speak, this is a hotspot.

*sheepish grin*

This spot is on fire, actually. I rarely clean it off. So I am using you good people in bloggy world to shame me into pulling out the stool, fighting off several children who want to climb the stool with me, and getting up there and cleaning the stinking top of the fridge.

I promise. But not right now....

You want to see it upclose? Okay, here ya go:

What is all that stuff, you ask? Well...

a dvd book of kids movies
a pack of chalk (confiscated for misuse)
tape (the only place R can't find it and try to tape the whole house)
a cute little baseball bat hook thing that the boys keep taking off their wall and bopping each other with
valentines crafts & candies
the whole door shelf thingy from my freezer door that hold batteries that I can't figure out how to get back on
a dog leash
a flash light
a plastic candy cane (confiscated)
a few random game pieces (probably confiscated)

It probably took me longer to write this post than it would have to just clean it off.....

More Homemade Cleaning Products & A Review of the Others

2009-02-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

I am digging my homemade cleaners! I am thrilled with all of them except one so far and that is a far better average than I can claim with the expensive, chemical laden, store bought versions.

Today I mixed up:

Laundry Soap
1/2 cup pure soap flakes (I used a bar of Ivory Soap and only needed a third or so of the bar)
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup washing soda
1/4 cup borax
1 clean 16oz container w/lid (I used a recycled kefir bottle, it is perfect!)

Grate the soap & mix with other ingredients in a big bowl, then transfer to container. Use about 1/2 cup per load.

This is fantastic! I used it along with white vinegar for softener on the energy saver setting on my washer and my clothes came out great. it even washed pee-pee sheets & quilt nice and clean. This is a keeper. Next time I will make a bigger batch though, I am almost out after 3 loads.

Automatic Dishwasher Detergent
Equal parts borax & washing soda.

TERRIBLE!

All the glassware was cloudy, ick. I will keep looking for a better recipe, probably a liquid.

Microwave Oven Cleaner
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbl baking soda
mix in a microwave safe bowl and stick it in the mic for 3-5 minutes (I did 4 min)
carefully remove bowl, use hotpads, it will be HOT! Wipe down with a damp cloth.

Worked like a charm! I really had my doubts, but I didn't even really have to scrub very hard and my mic is shining,

See!

And I used the Fresh Smelling Multipurpose Cleaner I made last week to clean the outside and to my great surprise the stainless is sparkling, woo-hoo! I really disliked my stainless appliances because they were so hard to keep clean without have to use something special...which hardly ever happens! Now I can just spray away with my new favorite Multipurpose cleaner and clean everything in my path, YAY!

I also must comment on my new love affair with washing soda.

Am I the only one that didn't know about this stuff?? I mixed it with water & white vinegar to mop the floor and it made such a difference in how easily the stuck on schmeg spots came up. I can't wait to see what else I can do with this! Stay tuned.

Haircuts at Home

2009-02-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

Aahh, the Mom Cut. The time has come for my beloved kiddo's to take their places in the long line of shaggily shorn children. I must admit, I gave T his first trim at about 3 weeks. But he had a head full of crazy black hair and I couldn't help myself! I later gave in and took my littles to the barber for their ~~buzz~~ haircuts. Those days are over. We went a long time without any haircuts. That is what happens when your pair a crunchy mama with a preppy daddy and hairstyle preferences are all over the spectrum. I love little boys with beautiful flowing hair and Daddy prefers to leave that to the girls and keep his boys high and tight.

*sigh*... So we let the boys decide. One wants short, preppy hair and one wants longer, hip dude hair. Perfect! One for each of us.

So off we went to the local family hair salon. The boys looked at the pictures in the books and picked out what they wanted, well, after a little coaching from me...I draw the line at blow-drying and gelling their hair each morning. Good grief, I'm lucky to get them dressed and sort of brushed in the morning. But they had their pictures picked out to show the stylist and they each sat down.

I spent a pleasant 20 minutes reading a magazine which never happens, so I was enjoying myself. Then I got my first glimpse of the boys.

AAGGRRHH!

What happened?? They both walked out of there with the dreaded Little-boy Cut. Remember that Seinfeld episode? Their beautiful locks were hacked! I could have done better than that, I thought to my self and then complained out loud in the car, to which hubby replies, "Why don't you? Save us $30 and do what you want."

So, today, I did. For T anyway. He's the preppy one. R jumped up for a turn, but all we needed for her was an air-snip here and an air-snip there and she was thrilled.

J stayed across the street the whole time the scissors were out.

Happily, I now have another job description under my Mom name tag; Barber...or do I want Hairstylist....Ooh! or Cutter of Hair! Oh well, you get the idea. ;-)

Homemade Cleaning Products

2009-02-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

I finally did it. I've been talking about doing it. I've been slowly collecting the products needed to do it. And today was the day to pull out the caldron (okay it was really a big popcorn bowl) and mix up my own cleaning potions.

Waa Ha Ha!!

I tell ya, if I had known how easy and cheap it is to make cleaning products I would have done it a LONG time ago. Have I mentioned I can be a little slow? Oh well, the timing works for me, since I am trying to lower our household expenses and make our home a safe, green haven. I love it when a plan comes together.

I actually started the day with:

Super Window & Glass Cleaner
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
3 1/2 cups water
1 clean 32oz spray bottle

Pour it all into the bottle and shake well before using. Awesome.

And

Citrus Disinfectant
1 orange peel
3 cups white vinegar
1 clean qt jar
1 clean 32 oz spray bottle

Put the peel & vinegar into the jar, close the lid, put in a cupboard for 2 weeks, giving it an occasional shake.
Remove the peel, strain the vinegar into bottle and fill w/ water.
You can also deodorize a room by setting out a small bowl of the citrus vinegar. (A MUST for the boys' bathroom!)

Today, I mixed these up

Fresh-Smelling Multipurpose Cleaner
3 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup white or cider vinegar (I used cider, next time I will use white and you should, too)
1 tsp borax
1 tsp washing soda
1 tsp liquid castile soap (I used sweet almond)
1 clean 32 oz spray bottle (I used 2 16oz bottles)

Pour it all into the bottles and shake well before using.
Perfect for countertops, kitchen appliances & fixtures, and tile or painted surfaces. Just spray and wipe down with a damp cloth or sponge.

Nontoxic Bathroom Cleaner
1 2/3 cups baking soda
1/2 cup liquid soap (I used the last of my "dish liquid" to use it up and have the bottle)
1/2 cup water
2 tbl white vinegar
1 clean 16 oz squirt bottle w/ closing cap

Mix baking soda & liquid soap in a bowl. Dilute with water and add vinegar. Stir the mixture until any lumps have dissolved. Pour liquid into the bottle. Shake well before using.
Squirt on area to be cleaned. Scrub with a nylon-backed sponge. Rinse off with water. Keep cap on between uses.

As you can see in the pic, I just slapped on hand-written labels, but anyone that knows me should know that I will shortly have pretty ones instead! I plan on making Spicy Carpet Freshener & Spicy Room Freshener Spray as soon as I get the herbs & essential oils. I will keep you posted!

Tuesday is Zone Kick-off Day

2009-02-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

I love zone cleaning. Read what FlyLady has to say about it HERE. For me, having the zones all laid out gives me a goal for each week that I can just tackle instead of adding the growing mess to an illusive to-do list in my head that quickly overwhelms me and never gets tackled....ever feel that way?

So, this week is Zone 1: The Front of my House (Front Porch, Foyer, 2 Closets, The Kids' 2 bedrooms & bath) Here is how my list breaks down:

Front Porch
Sweep down spiders & webs
Sweep brick
Add a welcoming touch
Clean door, glass & trim

Foyer
Clean cobwebs
Clean door, glass & frame
Wipe down baseboards
Wipe down switch plates & wall
Wipe down tile floor
Straighten shoe basket
Wash throw rug
Vacuum
Dust pictures
Straighten game closet

Bathroom
Scrub floor
Straighten medicine cabinet
Clean tub & tile wall
Clean bath toys
Clean behind toilet
Wipe down cabinet inside & out
Wipe down baseboards
Wipe down door & frame
Wash towels, put out new on rack
Straighten linen closet

Both Bedrooms
Dust & polish furniture
Clean cobwebs
Wipe down blinds
Clean windows
Clean under beds
Clean out closets
Put away stray items
Sort our-grown clothes into donation box
Vacuum under beds/in closets
Wipe down baseboards
Clean fingerprints/crayon off doors/walls
Straighten book shelves

I have the whole rest of the week to knock away at this list. None of it takes very long when done one thing at a time. I will post before & after pictures as I go along....

Back to Basics, hello again FlyLady!

2009-02-02T13:22:00.001-08:00

Do you like my shiny sink?

We have 2 sweet new additions to our household on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. I am babysitting a 19 m/o, we will call him "L" and a 4 y/o, who we will call "A". We love them already and they are a welcome addition to our little family.

All the extra activity has served to remind me how valuable my trusty Control Journal is. All my lists broken down by time of day, day, week, and month. I had strayed from it, just winging it instead, then I tried some other list programs, but I am now back to my original plan that works so well for me. FlyLady is an awesome system, check it out if you need help getting on top of clutter and/or setting up workable routines for your family so your household runs smoothly, giving you more time to enjoy your family.

As an accountability thing for me, I decided to post my lists on here. I am going to blog everyday this week and fess up to what I actually accomplished. My lists are over there on the right ----->

Today, I had it a little easy, because much of my home blessing tasks were done yesterday :-). But I still haven't cleaned the glass & mirrors or windowsills yet...I'm getting up right now to do that!!

In addition to the home blessing, here is the rest of my list for today:

Make homemade sourdough starter(DONE)
Bake rye bread (DONE)
Make up kitchen cleaner solution
Make up all-purpose cleaner solution
Extra laundry loads

As you can see, I still have much to do today! Thankfully, the pork is in the crockpot simmering away in teriyaki, ginger & garlic and all I need to do is throw in the broccoli & water chestnuts and cook the rice, easy-peasy. So off I go, on to the cleaning and playing in the kitchen, woo hoo!

I love my job! Really. I mean it. I really love what I do.

For Today: January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

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FOR TODAY January 19, 2009...

Outside My Window... The sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky.

I am thinking...I’m glad my new friend called us for a playdate later today.

I am thankful for...My new “job” babysitting 2 little boys.

From the kitchen...I’m attempting to make rye bread...again...and the kids and I will try our hand at homemade granola later today.

I am wearing...a pale orange skirt and a couple of white t-shirts

I am creating...Memories with my children

I am going...to study Proverbs 31 everyday for the next 30 days.

I am reading...Momma’s Guide to Thriving on One Income
by Kimberly Eddy
(an e-book)

I am hoping...to actually fold & put away the laundry

I am hearing...the Joy FM from my kitchen, Wii Rayman Raving Rabbids II and the boys delighted laughter, Riley talking to her matchbox cars & the dryer.

Around the house...we will be working on how to make a bed, put away toys and listening skills...like we do everyday ;-)

One of my favorite things...the super smoothie I am drinking

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
This will be the 1st week of babysitting, so we will just try to settle into a good routine

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

You just can't help but smile at that, huh?

Thanks to http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/ for creating this fun post! Go read lots of other daybooks by fabulous Simple Women. And thanks to my girl Sandy for pointing the way to it!

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On Becoming a True Woman after God's Own Heart

2009-01-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how many times I have read Proverbs 31. At least once every month that has 31 days, not to mention the times that the Lord leads me there. I've been in Sunday school lessons and bible studies about this most impressive woman, I have participated in many discussions about her. Yet, I have never really connected her example to my real life. I haven't been able to get to know her as God wants me to know her, to learn from her and emulate her properly.

I long to be a woman after God's own heart, just as our Proverbs woman is, but how? Well, thanks to
Lindsay's post I was totally intrigued by The True Woman's Makeover, an in depth study of Proverbs 31. So, I am taking the 31 Day Challenge and immersing myself verse by verse with the help of email teachings by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (LOVE her!). I would love company along my journey, want to come along?

1 Corinthians 13 for Mothers

2009-01-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,

but have not love,

I am a housekeeper not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,

but have not love,

my children learn cleanliness not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction,

and fault them for every mess they make,

but have not love,

my children become people-pleasers not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child’s laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present “mommy,”

the taxi-driver to every childhood event,

the counsellor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,

then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.

Now I glory in God’s perfection of my child.

All the projections I had for my house and my children

have faded away into insignificance,

And what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture,

dishes with missing place settings,

and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters and markings,

But the greatest of all is the Love

that permeates my relationships with my children.

(Adapted from an anonymous source by Jim Fowler)

Thank-you Crystal

The life and times of a family entertainment center

2009-01-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

There she is, our first real piece of furniture in our first home. I was so excited to have such a lovely piece to display our family photos and trinkets. It actually stood in our family room bare for a good month because I wanted it to look perfect and didn't know where to start, lol. See how everything on it is placed just so? I dusted & polished it faithfully every Saturday morning during T's nap. And the most surprising thing is during the 7 years we lived in that house, it never moved from that spot. And anyone who ever visited us knows that everything else moved.....a lot.

And here she is again, another little boy in the house and she is still holding strong. Proudly displaying even more beloved photos. We had to add the child lock to protect the stereo and dvd player and change out the glass in the doors for plexi, but she's still beautiful, right?

It was about this time that the drawers began to be filled with diaps & wipes, blocks, cars and coloring books.

And as our family grew, so did the duties of our trusty (and a little dusty) friend. The toys and puzzles have outgrown the drawers and are encroaching onto the shelves, and they look even better than the well placed photos and chachskis don't they?

We have so many wonderful memories of babies and littles around that workhorse of an entertainment center. All three learned to pull up and cruise along her sturdy shelves. They

learned to take out and put away toys, to close drawers softly and not pinch little fingers. And not to smear yogurt all over her...okay...um, that one took a while.

When we moved, the ole girl was assigned full time toy storage duty in our garage/playroom. What a trooper!

Now those doors are off completely and her shelves are happily housing all sorts of fun family toys. She has earned quite a few dents and dings and now only gets dusted on a monthly basis and hasn't seen polish in quite a while, but she never complained and took her new lot in life with dignity and grace.

As we grow into our new home, the family van decides it would like the use of it's garage and that once again means change for our girl. What was once one has become three.

Out on our lanai, we took out a shelf to fit the tv and cable box. Her drawers still hold toys and books.

In our bedroom, dutifully holding yet another tv, dvd and cable box, the main hub and wireless router, and books that have overflowed our side tables.

And finally, a little piece of her restored to her former glory, proudly displaying cherished photos in our family room.

I look forward to many, many more years with you my friend. Who knows what your next assignment might be, but one thing is for sure, you will perform it lovingly. Thank-you.

Then God said,

2009-01-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

"I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."

So, after returning from shopping, I was washing our produce and was struck by how pretty it looked. What beautiful fruits and veggies our God has given us. Thank-you, Father God, for such an abundance of good things to eat!

We are really enjoying our new healthy eating habits. Shopping is so much simpler. I don't even buy anything in a box, and only organic tomatoes in a can....we just circle the store and hit the produce, meats & dairy, then dart in to the paper goods, cleaners, grains & baking supplies, simple! I highly recommend reading about how to make the most of the grocery store on http://www.keeperofthehome.org/nutritional-foundations/

One of our favorite things to have is a Super Smoothie. We make them every morning and sometimes again for an afternoon snack. What a great way to get spinach into us without the usual hairy eyeballs from the kids. ;-) This is why I want to try making my own kefir. The health benefits of the live cultured milk are amazing and it makes the smoothies so yummy. Now, if I could just keep strawberries in the house we would be all set. Do you have any idea how many strawberries 3 kids can put away? It's mind boggling.

Teeny tiny juice glasses...okay, I get it now.

2009-01-04T05:18:00.001-08:00

I never really knew why juice glasses were so tiny. I remember being told something about juice being rare, a treat or something like that, back in the day....That was only part of the story. Here is the real reason: It takes SO MANY oranges to get just a little bit of juice!! The cups have to be small, or poor mom's would never leave the kitchen.

Part of our plan to encourage healthy eating habits includes getting rid of purchased juice. My 3 could (and did) consume a whole big jug of OJ in a day if I let them. Little bellies filled with so much juice that they slosh when they walk don't have any room for good food...but there is always room for chocolate, how does that work? Anyway, we now must start with real fruit and juice it ourselves if we want juice. I truly didn't realize how much fun this would be. And the kids are so thrilled to drink that precious nectar that they relish their tiny cup with great gusto.

I tried sneaking in veggies using the big juicer, but that didn't work so well. Now, Jackson patiently tells me everytime, "Mom, I want fresh orange juice, cold, with nothing in it." ;-) So we save the fancy veggie juicing for Mommy & Daddy, LOL, and boy are the kids game to to put anything in it if they know they won't have to drink it....one day....

Pita Bread!

2009-01-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited!....of course, I'm a big geek...but wow! I made warm, pillow soft, delicious pita bread!! And what's more, Big Daddy and the kiddos crowned me Queen of the Kitchen and gobbled it all up.

I love baking bread. There is something so uplifting about it. It smells absolutely delish and it gives me such a sense of accomplishment. Not to mention the warm fuzzies I get when my loved ones take a piece of my warm, fresh baked goodness and smile from ear to ear with every bite. Can't beat that with a stick.

More Thanky's!

2009-01-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Gramma & Grampa in Maine,

We love you loads and miss you bunches! Somehow, you knew just what toys were tops on our wishlists! Pixo's for Tanner, Martian Matter for Jack & a babydoll for Riley, you guys are the best!

And last but certainly not least, Grampy & Bebe. Our biggest gift is living so close to you. We love sharing our day to day lives with you both. Bebe, you always find the most amazing toys that we have never even dreamed of, and you out did yourself with Bakugan and a DORA! dollhouse...just doesn't get any better. We love you!

Big Thank-you's to our family!

2009-01-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

What a generous, loving family we have, near and far. The kids would like to say thank-you for their fantabulous Christmas gifts...

Aunt Sue, we so appreciate your generous check. We took the kid to Build-a-Bear Workshop where they make their own friends. Funny, none of the made a bear, but we are a family of originals, aren't we? Each friend has the perfect heart, hand picked by the children, inside it. We rubbed the hearts to make them warm, kissed them to make them loving, touched them to our shoulders so we could always lean on our new friend, touched them to our backs so our new friend would always have our backs and touched them to our forehead so they would be smart, too! We love you, Aunt Sue.

Auntie Carol,

First, we are so thankful you are feeling better. You are continually in our prayers. We loved our "mystery box", should have known immediately such thoughtful gifts were from you. Love to Patty!

Dear Beloved Curry Family,

We miss you so very much! We think of you every time we read our new books, thanks so much!

Fruitville Grove

2009-01-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

The kids and I went to Fruitville Grove yesterday. It's an Amish produce stand with yummy ice creams, jams & jellies, breads & cheeses too.

Big fun.

Being a 'burbs kid, myself, I really want to show my children that foods do not magically appear at the supermarket. One of my goals for 2009 is to have a (mostly) organic, scratch kitchen. This is no small undertaking, but we are making the journey as a family.

The kids have gotten much more exciting about healthy, wholesome foods since they have gotten to go to the produce stand and pick out what looks good to them. Next stop, a real farm where the foods are living and growing, can't wait!