Beautifying my Abode

I love front doors that say "Welcome", don't you? On our walk yesterday, we passed a door that had beautiful flowers in cute pots on the steps. The window was open and you could see a pretty curtain with a lamp in the window. It was so homey and welcoming. Those little touches always say to me: "Someone lives here who cares about her place and her people".

Ah, to have a knack for such things! Making my home beautiful is not one of my strong points, in my opinion. Not that I can't do it...it just doesn't come naturally to me.

So I've been inspired with the beautiful spring weather. If I only did ONE thing every week to make my home more beautiful - one, intentional project - what lovely things I could accomplish!

Most of the time, I simply don't think about it. What's on my mind from day-to-day is getting the meals ready, doing laundry, reading books, nursing, changing diapers, letting the dog out...you know, things that are pressing and immediate.

I'd love to say that I'll try to blog about it every week, but that might set me up for a big fat failure ;) So I'm going to declare that it is my intention to work on this area. My general goal is to plan one project each week - some of them may overlap or take more than one week, but that's the idea. Here are my criteria:

Simple - bite-sized. If it's too involved, it just doesn't happen.

Inexpensive - we're on a tight budget, but that shouldn't mean I don't do
anything in this area!

Creative - giving me a place to develop my artistic talents

Ministering - if it's not going to minister to our family, it won't fit (for
example, a collection of roosters at this stage in life probably
isn't the best course of action)

There you have it, ladies! If you have any suggestions, stories, or empathy to share, I'd love to hear.

Free stuff!

It doesn't get better than free, does it? I am so thankful for all the free stuff we got this weekend.

First, one of our neighbors was about to take this stroller to the Goodwill. Instead she gave it to us! It's barely used! We've used it 3 times already :) It's perfect for going to the mall or the library - I have a double jogging stroller, but it's not exactly portable, like this one is. (Graco DuoGlider - ours is gray/black)

Secondly, the Women of the Chapel hold something called "Families Helping Families" every spring/fall here on-base. It's like a consignment sale (people drop stuff off) - but it's all FREE! First-come, first-serve....my neighbor and I went at 7:30am Saturday morning, and here's what I came home with:


One pile is all maternity stuff - name-brand tops like Liz Lange, Motherhood, Pea in a Pod (again, no, not trying to tell you anything ;)

Second pile is clothes for now (minus the shirt I wore yesterday and one I'm wearing today :)

The rest is clothes for the boys! Pjs, shirts, a few bottoms, and a cute 6-9 mo. elephant outfit from Gymboree...all name brand stuff that is in good to great condition.

All in all, we came away from the weekend with probably around $500 worth (full-price) of stuff that we can use immediately. And it was FREE!!! What a blessing!

For more Gratituesday posts, visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Spring Giveaway - Sidecar Sling

Laura is hosting a fabulous giveaway this week! A perfect excuse for me to host my first giveaway. Be sure to go enter some more great giveaways all week long, and post a link on your blog!

Babywearing is just wonderful, and I think every Mama of babies should own one sling, ringsling and a structured carrier - but that's just my opinion ;) My husband thinks we have a veritable "library" of carriers (two ring slings, a Beco Butterfly, two slings and a bit ago we had a wrap too) In my defense, I've bought all of these either used or on fabulous sales, or traded my knitting skills. See my post on babywearing if you're unfamiliar with the different types of carriers.

The sling I'm giving away is a Sidecar Sling (they recently closed shop to spend more time with their growing families) and I loved it while Graeme was about 6-16mos. I'm only parting with it because I have another sling (remember, our stash?) and I'd love to help someone who does not have one yet and would like to try one.


It is cotton on one side and a cute twill print on the other. There's a nice little zippered pocket to store keys or your debit card/drivers license so you can pop in and out of the store with your little one on your hip. Size is equivalent to a Hotsling 3 (see this chart). I am 5'5" and wear a med. size shirt...but this will fit a wide range of sizes. Even taller women may find they like a shorter pouch, as it keeps the baby closer to them.

You can find directions on how to use pouch slings here and here.

To enter:

1. Post a comment and tell me if you currently babywear, what you like, and what carrier(s) you have.

2. Follow me - become a follower for a second entry, or post a separate comment indicating that you already follow my blog.

3. Be sure to leave either a link to your blog, or a valid e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

4. This is open to US or Canada addresses only.

P.S. I'll draw a random winner on Friday night :)

Videos!

Cole is blowing raspberries all the time these days. This isn't the greatest video, but hey, it's something :)


Graeme actually can count from 1-10 and sometimes 11 and 12...I just never have the camera around at "just the right time". I thought this one was funny because he's trying SO hard to make the numbers with his fingers. And for some reason, he really wanted to get to five! :)

Spring Giveaway Carnival

I've been looking for an excuse to host my first giveaway, and this will be it. I'll post something on Monday, so come visit :) Pop over to Laura's blog to participate! Read the details here.

True Religion is This

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Our elders have been preaching through James on Sunday mornings, and so I've been reading through it on my own as well. What a book. I think it's becoming one of my favorite books in the Bible!

I used to be rather confused and disturbed by this verse. "So, he's saying that true religion is looking after orphans and widows, and staying pure? Isn't that missing a few components?!"

However, I believe I'm beginning to understand the power in this verse. He is using a figure of speech that would be similar to my saying, "Really cleaning your house is dusting the cobwebs and flipping the mattresses." Now, am I actually saying that cleaning your house consists of dusting cobwebs and flipping mattresses? (Ah, I wish.) No!

I'm implying, by using those two examples, that if you get to the cobwebs and flipping the mattresses, the rest of your house must be in ship-shape. We all know that you must be quite organized and diligent if you do those two things, so we'd assume that your toilets are shiny and your laundry is done.

So I thought of Christ's summary of what it means to follow God.

The Greatest Commandment
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Okay, we can see how James' first summary "look after orphans and widows" relates to the second of Jesus', "Love your neighbor". If I'm really loving my neighbor as myself, people (like orphans and widows) who are truly desperate or needing help will find my hand and heart open to them.

How does James' second 'bottom-line' relate to Christ's greatest commandmant, to Love the Lord our God with all...?

The NLT translates it like this: refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Here's what my mind went to upon reflecting on how these two relate.

A bride-to-be will tell you that she loves her fiance...she can probably go on and on about how wonderful he is, how fierce and passionate her love for him is. But if she went out and gave herself to another man, would you believe her? No! That would be the epitome of betrayal. She would be revealed as a counterfeit, and no matter how much she protested otherwise, all she said would be empty and meaningless.

This parallels how our relationship to this world reveals whether our faith is real - whether our "religion" is pure. To love God with everything we have will mean some radical changes. To embrace His way is to reject the seducing appeal of what the world has to offer. (By "the world", I'm referring to the elements of man's rebellion against His Creator, and ultimately, self and Satan's rule on this earth.)

You will not find a genuine Christian who can walk in both places. I would submit, in fact, that the real follower of Christ will become increasingly disenchanted with the cheap treasures this world has to offer, as his soul tastes of the intoxicating riches of Heaven.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

Get-Outta-the-Rut Lunch Ideas

As promised, my list of ideas for my husband's lunches. I spent an hour or so Saturday thinking about it and looking online for good ideas. I truly appreciate it when people share what they do, because often I either forget about a good idea, or I've never thought about it!

* Veggie Sandwich (I always zero in on whether we have meat...well, a nourishing sandwich doesn't require meat!) Lettuce, sprouts, pickles, cucumber, tomato, cheese, even some beans, wrapped in bread, tortillas or pitas

* Homemade Meatballs - either in a bun or with some pasta. Easy to make in advance and freeze.

* Meal Salads - while these do require preparation, getting more vegetables in my husband's body is worth it! He needs those nutrients! Lettuce w/ or w/out meat (leftover chicken, salmon, tuna) cheese, eggs, nuts, dried fruit, and an assortment of veggies.

* Crackers w/ meat and cheese slices - I hadn't thought of this, but with a big fruit salad, this would be a satisfying lunch.

* Burritos - Beans, cheese, sour cream, salsa and lettuce. These are great b/c I can wrap them the night before and there ya go!

* Leftovers - I find that if I actively think about whether this leftover would work as a lunch helps. That way I can make extra, or go ahead and pack some in containers for the week, or whatever.

* Fruit - My husband won't eat a piece of fruit on its own except a banana, mainly due to time constraints, so I peel the orange for him and slice the apples (add some lemon juice) ahead of time.


What are your favorite lunches to send with your husbands or to pack for on-the-go?