Monday, February 20, 2012
Needing Some Serious Inspiration?
Have you ever read a book that just sets you on fire and not only inspires you beyond where you thought you could be inspired, but that changes the course of your life? I cannot say enough about "Kisses from Katie" and I'm not even done reading it. It is truly an incredible book. Imagine at 16 getting an inkling to go to Africa, and then a few years later going there for 6 weeks with your mom, and then going back for a year, and then at 19 wanting to make it your home and going back for good? Oh and by the way, adopting 14 daughters along the way and providing schooling to hundreds that otherwise would have no means to get it? Meet Katie Davis. This girl is legit and just released this book last year. Her journey started in 2007 so it is still fresh for her and she is still in the thick of it. This girl had the American dream going for her, but she felt a strong calling to Africa and landed in Uganda where poverty is extremely thick. She simply couldn't turn away when she found children dying in straw huts because both parents had passed away from HIV, finding the children with no food, no clothes, no one to take care of them. So she took them in and made them her own. And then those daughters caught on and kept finding more girls in the exact same situation they were in, and begged Katie to adopt them too. She couldn't say no. Even though they had scabies and ringworm, both highly contacgious, she couldn't say no. And remember - SHE IS 19!!! This book gives you an inside,detailed, daily look of what it means to answer the call and go. I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil it for you. I highly recommend this book. I think I may be getting closer to a dream my husband and I have always had but haven't felt led to act on yet - international adoption. You can't read this book and not feel moved. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
2 Recipes, Crafts, and Kids in the Kitchen!
2 easy meals - one of them naturally gluten free and one used gluten free bread crumbs to make it GF, so you can just use real bread crumbs if gluten doesn't make you feel CRUMMY! Ha! Get it? :)
Meatloaf- Kids Loved It!: (I made the meatloaf prior to dinner and stuck it in the fridge til I was ready to cook it - you could do this in the morning before leaving for work)
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 cup GF bread crumbs, 2 T dried minced onions, 1 T dijon mustard, 1 T worcestershire sauce, 1 large egg, 1/2 dried basil, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper
Glaze: 1 8 oz can tomato sauce, 1 T brown sugar, 1 T worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 350. Grease meatloaf (loaf) pan. Using hands combine all ingredients except glaze in bowl. Combine all glaze ingredients and add half of mixture to meatloaf and mix in. Press meatloaf mix in pan. Add other half of glaze to top of meatloaf. Bake 45 minutes to an hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Ham
Ingredients: 1 4 lb bone in ham, 1/4 C dijon mustard, 1/4 C maple syrup, 8 garlic cloves.
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly score surface of ham using a sharp knife and place on rack in a baking pan. Whisk mustard into maple syrup until blended. Brush ham with mixture. Press garlic cloves into top and side of ham. Bake 60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 140 when inserted into center of ham without touching bone. Remove and let stand covered with foil 30 minutes. Slice thinly.
This is such an easy recipe. I made it with steamed green beans. I melted butter (microwave - fast!) and mixed it with chopped garlic and poured that over the green beans. I also baked sweet potatoes. Literally poke holes in potatoes and stick them in the oven. They come out so amazing. And salad - mixed greens, toasted pine nuts, sliced strawberries, and a little balsamic vinagrette. YUM.
So . . . do you have this steamer? We steam all of our veggies and it is so easy. I am including a picture and if you don't already have one I highly recommend it! Just stick it in a pot. It will almost reach the bottom, and fill the gap between the pot and the steamer with water. Put the veggies in the steamer, and cover the pot. Boil the water and veggies will be steamed within 10 minutes. Piece of cake! Here is the pic:
Craft Time!
OK so enough about cooking. I made a couple of things this week that I was excited about . . . so I had to show you the pics. :) You can find all of the instructions for these on pinterest, but if you'd like instructions let me know! Here are the pics!
Valentines Time!
I did this little baking project with my 5 and 2 year old yesterday and they could both do it. Fantastic! I don't know about you but it is hard to find ways for my 2 year old to help in the kitchen. There are onlyt 3 ingredients needed . . . square pretzels (made some for myeslf with delicious gluten free pretzels), hersheys hugs, and valentines m&ms. Place hugs on pretzels, place on baking sheet, and bake at 200 for 3 - 4 minutes. Then add m&m. The 2 year old could unwrap hugs, place on pretzels, and place m&ms on top. If you need an activity today on this chilly day - there you go! The m&ms are probably at a discount today! I got this idea off pinterest (of course), and here are pics of my kids making them:
Meatloaf- Kids Loved It!: (I made the meatloaf prior to dinner and stuck it in the fridge til I was ready to cook it - you could do this in the morning before leaving for work)
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 cup GF bread crumbs, 2 T dried minced onions, 1 T dijon mustard, 1 T worcestershire sauce, 1 large egg, 1/2 dried basil, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper
Glaze: 1 8 oz can tomato sauce, 1 T brown sugar, 1 T worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 350. Grease meatloaf (loaf) pan. Using hands combine all ingredients except glaze in bowl. Combine all glaze ingredients and add half of mixture to meatloaf and mix in. Press meatloaf mix in pan. Add other half of glaze to top of meatloaf. Bake 45 minutes to an hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Ham
Ingredients: 1 4 lb bone in ham, 1/4 C dijon mustard, 1/4 C maple syrup, 8 garlic cloves.
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly score surface of ham using a sharp knife and place on rack in a baking pan. Whisk mustard into maple syrup until blended. Brush ham with mixture. Press garlic cloves into top and side of ham. Bake 60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 140 when inserted into center of ham without touching bone. Remove and let stand covered with foil 30 minutes. Slice thinly.
This is such an easy recipe. I made it with steamed green beans. I melted butter (microwave - fast!) and mixed it with chopped garlic and poured that over the green beans. I also baked sweet potatoes. Literally poke holes in potatoes and stick them in the oven. They come out so amazing. And salad - mixed greens, toasted pine nuts, sliced strawberries, and a little balsamic vinagrette. YUM.
So . . . do you have this steamer? We steam all of our veggies and it is so easy. I am including a picture and if you don't already have one I highly recommend it! Just stick it in a pot. It will almost reach the bottom, and fill the gap between the pot and the steamer with water. Put the veggies in the steamer, and cover the pot. Boil the water and veggies will be steamed within 10 minutes. Piece of cake! Here is the pic:
Craft Time!
OK so enough about cooking. I made a couple of things this week that I was excited about . . . so I had to show you the pics. :) You can find all of the instructions for these on pinterest, but if you'd like instructions let me know! Here are the pics!
Valentines Time!
I did this little baking project with my 5 and 2 year old yesterday and they could both do it. Fantastic! I don't know about you but it is hard to find ways for my 2 year old to help in the kitchen. There are onlyt 3 ingredients needed . . . square pretzels (made some for myeslf with delicious gluten free pretzels), hersheys hugs, and valentines m&ms. Place hugs on pretzels, place on baking sheet, and bake at 200 for 3 - 4 minutes. Then add m&m. The 2 year old could unwrap hugs, place on pretzels, and place m&ms on top. If you need an activity today on this chilly day - there you go! The m&ms are probably at a discount today! I got this idea off pinterest (of course), and here are pics of my kids making them:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Easy Garlic Chicken and Some Meal Tips!
One of the things that I have been searching pinterest for is easy (but delicious of course) recipes! I found one the other day called Easy Garlic Chicken and tried it last week. None of my meals are gourmet because it seems the fancier it is, the more my children complain about it, and this one is about as basic as you get. Ingredients: 4 boneless chicken breasts, 4 garlic cloves- minced, 4 T brown sugar, and 3 t olive oil.
Preheat oven to 500 and grease a baking dish. Saute garlic with oil til tender. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Place chicken breasts in prepared dish and cover with garlic and brown sugar mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake 15 - 30 minutes.
Several of you asked for recipes your children will actually eat. Here are a few principles I live by in my home where there are 3 children ages 7, 5 and 2. (In full disclosure these were not the same principles when we had 1 child.)
1. Don't make a separate meal for them. Put a little of everything on their plate.
2. Don't allow complaining about the food. Make it a house rule. They don't have to eat it, but they aren't allowed to complain about it either. If they need to step away from the table until they are ready to stop complaining then do that.
3. Give them the choice of whether they want to eat it. In our house, if they don't eat it, they don't get dessert (offer an easy dessert that they really like - in my house one likes popsicles and the other M&Ms), but no biggy if they choose not to eat the food. So important to create a positive experience around food, and let them have as much control as possible as it makes sense.
4. Have meals that they really like often. We have tacos every week. It is one night I really look forward to because everyone is happy, there is no frowning, and everyone gets dessert. Happy!!
5. Find sides that they tend to like and have it often. A favorite in our house is chopped up, peeled, russet potatoes sauteed in just a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with a little salt mixed in. (A 10 pound bag is 3 dollars and it lasts for at least 6 meals!) It takes about 45 minutes to get them nice and brown, but I just do a bunch of other things while they are cooking. The kids get extremely excited when they see this on their plate.
6. Be consistent and persistent, but not overly aggressive about what you are asking them to eat. My 7 year old wouldn't eat anything up to about 3 or 4, and now will pretty much eat anything, even if he doesn't like it. There is hope!
7. Don't stress too much over getting them their veggies, fruits, etc. One of the best pieces of advice my mother-in-law gave me was just that. She never ate veggies growing up because she didn't like them, and didn't make her kids eat them either. Today everyone is totally healthy. There is only so much you can do!
8. Keep the meals as basic as possible. I don't eat dairy so we don't do casseroles or things with lots of ingredients. We usually have a meat (tons of variations for preparing stand alone meant so we don't get bored). Then I usually add a stand alone fruit to the plate - like grapes, apples, raspberries, etc. There is some side with it that is easy, like rice or potatoes or risotto or black beans. I keep these sides on hand so they are always accessible. Finally we will have a veggie - usually corn or green beans since they are the most likely to be eaten.
9. Finally, don't feed them later when they are hungry because they didn't eat their food. This will teach them that it's fine not to eat because they will just get something else later.
I hope this is helpful! Our menu for this week: Monday - leftover superbowl food with risotto; Tuesday - Chicken tacos and black beans; Wednesday - breakfast - YAY; Thursday - meatloaf with broiled cauliflour (is that how you spell that?), salad and potatoes. I don't plan for Friday through Sunday because we are usually out and about.
Preheat oven to 500 and grease a baking dish. Saute garlic with oil til tender. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Place chicken breasts in prepared dish and cover with garlic and brown sugar mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake 15 - 30 minutes.
Several of you asked for recipes your children will actually eat. Here are a few principles I live by in my home where there are 3 children ages 7, 5 and 2. (In full disclosure these were not the same principles when we had 1 child.)
1. Don't make a separate meal for them. Put a little of everything on their plate.
2. Don't allow complaining about the food. Make it a house rule. They don't have to eat it, but they aren't allowed to complain about it either. If they need to step away from the table until they are ready to stop complaining then do that.
3. Give them the choice of whether they want to eat it. In our house, if they don't eat it, they don't get dessert (offer an easy dessert that they really like - in my house one likes popsicles and the other M&Ms), but no biggy if they choose not to eat the food. So important to create a positive experience around food, and let them have as much control as possible as it makes sense.
4. Have meals that they really like often. We have tacos every week. It is one night I really look forward to because everyone is happy, there is no frowning, and everyone gets dessert. Happy!!
5. Find sides that they tend to like and have it often. A favorite in our house is chopped up, peeled, russet potatoes sauteed in just a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with a little salt mixed in. (A 10 pound bag is 3 dollars and it lasts for at least 6 meals!) It takes about 45 minutes to get them nice and brown, but I just do a bunch of other things while they are cooking. The kids get extremely excited when they see this on their plate.
6. Be consistent and persistent, but not overly aggressive about what you are asking them to eat. My 7 year old wouldn't eat anything up to about 3 or 4, and now will pretty much eat anything, even if he doesn't like it. There is hope!
7. Don't stress too much over getting them their veggies, fruits, etc. One of the best pieces of advice my mother-in-law gave me was just that. She never ate veggies growing up because she didn't like them, and didn't make her kids eat them either. Today everyone is totally healthy. There is only so much you can do!
8. Keep the meals as basic as possible. I don't eat dairy so we don't do casseroles or things with lots of ingredients. We usually have a meat (tons of variations for preparing stand alone meant so we don't get bored). Then I usually add a stand alone fruit to the plate - like grapes, apples, raspberries, etc. There is some side with it that is easy, like rice or potatoes or risotto or black beans. I keep these sides on hand so they are always accessible. Finally we will have a veggie - usually corn or green beans since they are the most likely to be eaten.
9. Finally, don't feed them later when they are hungry because they didn't eat their food. This will teach them that it's fine not to eat because they will just get something else later.
I hope this is helpful! Our menu for this week: Monday - leftover superbowl food with risotto; Tuesday - Chicken tacos and black beans; Wednesday - breakfast - YAY; Thursday - meatloaf with broiled cauliflour (is that how you spell that?), salad and potatoes. I don't plan for Friday through Sunday because we are usually out and about.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Update on Weekly Readings
So last week I wrote that we would be trying to tackle 3 days at a time from the chronological Bible that we are going through (it's a daily reading Bible), but we (the small group reading together) blew past that and we got through 6 days, which means today we started on October 24. If you are reading with us, I'd really like to encourage you to get the same Bible we are reading from - "The Daily Bible, In Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, NIV". Today I added the verses we are reading from October 24th, but after today I will type the day and then any insights I had. If you'd like to continue just getting the verses because you don't have that particular Bible, let me know and I'd be happy to include verses! I just don't want to type them if no one is using them. Here is a picture of the Bible:
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Teaching conflict resolution, character building, and the truth about Jesus
Continuing on from the renewed focus post, I also have a renewed focus for how I am spending time with my children. I am a stay at home mom now, and I want to make sure I am using this time wisely. That definitely isn't going to happen for me if I don't make a plan. One of the things I asked for for Christmas were a number of books that you will find on the "Book Recommendations by Martha" tab at the top of the blog. I added the whole list to my Amazon Wish List, and I received "The Young Peacemakers", "Bubbles, Balloons and Chocolate", and "Character Building". I was really excited to get these books, but the next challenge was determining when and how I was going to use these. So one morning while all 3 kids were in school and I had 3 hours to myself, I built a plan for the entire year of how we were going to go through all of these. I tend to be lazy and undisciplined in many regards, but if I have made a plan, I'm usually good to go. I'd like to share our plan with you in case it might inspire you to do some of the same if you feel like it my be valuable in your home.
On Tuesday afternoons, at 1pm my middle child comes home from preschool (my youngest also comes home from preschool at that time, but this is her naptime so perfect time for me to sit one on one with the 5 year old). This is the time I set aside to do the Young Peacemaker teaching with him, and so far it is going very well. Also on Tuesdays, when my 7 year old gets home from school at 3, we also go through it. It's 30 minutes to an hour, depending on their attention span and what I am teaching that day. They have been loving it, and I scheduled out the whole year so by the end of the year we will have gone through the whole book.
On Wednesday evenings, instead of our normal daily devotional that we do together, we are going through the Character Building book. There are 12 character traits in the book, and 4 sections per character trait, which works out perfect for one a week, and one trait per month. It's quick and has generated some great questions and conversations.
My 7 year old has daily reading that he has to do for school. He gets to choose what he reads, so on Wednesday afternoons, we read "The Case for Christ for Kids" during that time. This is a fantastic book that will teach more of the logic and evidence behind Jesus. We read for the 15 minute time period and then stop. Again - GREAT questions are being asked and conversation is happening about it outside of the reading time. My 7 year old really thinks through things, and I want him to have an intellectual understanding of his beliefs so that he is grounded in his faith.
I also tend to get kind of lazy about play dates, and both boys love spending time with their friends. So, we set aside each Thursday for playdates. Guerin has his at 1, and Noah has his at 3. It has been working great.
Finally, both boys are into science, and so every other Friday is science day. When Noah gets home from school, we do a science project. They really look forward to those.
There are many other things I have scheduled in, but I don't want to bore you. This is more an example of how setting a plan in place can really allow you to build so much more purpose into your conversations with your children, and provide more peace and structure in your home. Just make sure you build in a lot of breaks so that they can absorb what you are trying to teach them. I'll keep you posted on how it is all going!
On Tuesday afternoons, at 1pm my middle child comes home from preschool (my youngest also comes home from preschool at that time, but this is her naptime so perfect time for me to sit one on one with the 5 year old). This is the time I set aside to do the Young Peacemaker teaching with him, and so far it is going very well. Also on Tuesdays, when my 7 year old gets home from school at 3, we also go through it. It's 30 minutes to an hour, depending on their attention span and what I am teaching that day. They have been loving it, and I scheduled out the whole year so by the end of the year we will have gone through the whole book.
On Wednesday evenings, instead of our normal daily devotional that we do together, we are going through the Character Building book. There are 12 character traits in the book, and 4 sections per character trait, which works out perfect for one a week, and one trait per month. It's quick and has generated some great questions and conversations.
My 7 year old has daily reading that he has to do for school. He gets to choose what he reads, so on Wednesday afternoons, we read "The Case for Christ for Kids" during that time. This is a fantastic book that will teach more of the logic and evidence behind Jesus. We read for the 15 minute time period and then stop. Again - GREAT questions are being asked and conversation is happening about it outside of the reading time. My 7 year old really thinks through things, and I want him to have an intellectual understanding of his beliefs so that he is grounded in his faith.
I also tend to get kind of lazy about play dates, and both boys love spending time with their friends. So, we set aside each Thursday for playdates. Guerin has his at 1, and Noah has his at 3. It has been working great.
Finally, both boys are into science, and so every other Friday is science day. When Noah gets home from school, we do a science project. They really look forward to those.
There are many other things I have scheduled in, but I don't want to bore you. This is more an example of how setting a plan in place can really allow you to build so much more purpose into your conversations with your children, and provide more peace and structure in your home. Just make sure you build in a lot of breaks so that they can absorb what you are trying to teach them. I'll keep you posted on how it is all going!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
A New Year . . . A Renewed Focus
I've been thinking a lot about the comments I have received, and whether I want to continue this blog and if so what changes I want to make. Most moms of young children share similar struggles . . . what to feed our kids, engaging them, developing them spiritually, emotionally, and socially, feelings of guilt because of things we are doing or aren't doing, and the list goes on and on and on. We have to take care of ourselves in order to take proper care of our families. We don't always do a great job of this (okay much of the time we don't), but I'd like to encourage you to stop and think about what it is that truly renews and refreshes you. Not what other people think will refresh you, but what it is for YOU. There is a lot of advice out there, and much of the time too much and it often results in feelings of insecurities, guilt . . .
One of the things that I have really been realizing and coming to an understanding is that as I draw closer to God and spend time talking with him and in his word, I feel better and more at peace with who I am and how he is growing me. The less I do this, the more I see the worst parts of me coming out. But it is sooooo hard to find that time and focus to spend with him. A few things, for me, will make this much more likely to happen - planning (HUGE), and starting the day not by turning on the TV to watch news, but by turning on a Pandora station that is going to get me started in the right direction. Music inspires me and then moves me to spend my time more wisely. For me, I built a station off of Third Day and I love the songs that come on. I often wake up to immediate duties of taking care of children, but if I carry that phone around with me with that music playing, at some point I will have a small break, whether it is while I eat breakfast or later. And if I've been preparing my heart through song, I find myself getting excited to find out what God has to share with me that day.
I am so excited because I am nearing the end of reading through the whole Bible. It took me 2 years, but I have finally accomplished a goal that has been sitting there for a very long time! I have been getting worried that once I finished I will lose my focus and get back into old habits of laziness. I started thinking that now that I have read through the content of the Bible, and been inspired by its word on many occasions, that I might find greater understanding if I read it chronilogically. AND - even better, I have found a friend that is going to do it with me. It is so great if you can find a friend to talk about what you've read with. Things you were inspired by, confused by, and weirded out by. So, I am going to start adding the readings to the blog, and if I feel so inspired, my thoughts on what I've read. Should be fun! I'll add a tab at the top of the blog with what I am reading on a weekly basis. I would be so encouraged if you replied and let me know you want to read with me! The more accountability the better. I went to Lifeway yesterday and bought "The Daily Bible - In Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings NIV". Don't freak out! I am fully aware that I am not going to finish this in a year, but it was the only chronological Bible I could find. I find that if I put too much pressure on myself to do it a certain way or in a certain timeframe that I get discouraged and stop. So I am setting out to continue enjoying his Word and it's never ceasing inspiration, with hopefully a little added insight into the big picture.
Also, I have received several comments about what you would like to see on the blog - thank you for your comments! Food is a common theme, and I am going to spend some time thinking about that. I am already dairy free, and am currently testing a GF diet to see if I feel better (constant headaches), and so meals have become even more of a challenge lately. In a couple of weeks I will have a better feel for whether there is an allergy there, and if so I will overhauling our meal plan. YIKES! Love you guys!
One of the things that I have really been realizing and coming to an understanding is that as I draw closer to God and spend time talking with him and in his word, I feel better and more at peace with who I am and how he is growing me. The less I do this, the more I see the worst parts of me coming out. But it is sooooo hard to find that time and focus to spend with him. A few things, for me, will make this much more likely to happen - planning (HUGE), and starting the day not by turning on the TV to watch news, but by turning on a Pandora station that is going to get me started in the right direction. Music inspires me and then moves me to spend my time more wisely. For me, I built a station off of Third Day and I love the songs that come on. I often wake up to immediate duties of taking care of children, but if I carry that phone around with me with that music playing, at some point I will have a small break, whether it is while I eat breakfast or later. And if I've been preparing my heart through song, I find myself getting excited to find out what God has to share with me that day.
I am so excited because I am nearing the end of reading through the whole Bible. It took me 2 years, but I have finally accomplished a goal that has been sitting there for a very long time! I have been getting worried that once I finished I will lose my focus and get back into old habits of laziness. I started thinking that now that I have read through the content of the Bible, and been inspired by its word on many occasions, that I might find greater understanding if I read it chronilogically. AND - even better, I have found a friend that is going to do it with me. It is so great if you can find a friend to talk about what you've read with. Things you were inspired by, confused by, and weirded out by. So, I am going to start adding the readings to the blog, and if I feel so inspired, my thoughts on what I've read. Should be fun! I'll add a tab at the top of the blog with what I am reading on a weekly basis. I would be so encouraged if you replied and let me know you want to read with me! The more accountability the better. I went to Lifeway yesterday and bought "The Daily Bible - In Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings NIV". Don't freak out! I am fully aware that I am not going to finish this in a year, but it was the only chronological Bible I could find. I find that if I put too much pressure on myself to do it a certain way or in a certain timeframe that I get discouraged and stop. So I am setting out to continue enjoying his Word and it's never ceasing inspiration, with hopefully a little added insight into the big picture.
Also, I have received several comments about what you would like to see on the blog - thank you for your comments! Food is a common theme, and I am going to spend some time thinking about that. I am already dairy free, and am currently testing a GF diet to see if I feel better (constant headaches), and so meals have become even more of a challenge lately. In a couple of weeks I will have a better feel for whether there is an allergy there, and if so I will overhauling our meal plan. YIKES! Love you guys!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
DIY Craft
OK moms - I need your help! I know there are a handful of you reading this blog, and maybe more, but I simply can't tell. And . . . this blog was never intended to be for me. I started it because I truly have a passion for moms of young children and the unique and challenging phase of life that it is. So . . . if you are reading this, I would truly love your input. What kinds of topics are you most interested in? I'm willing to put time into just about anything if I believe it is helping someone, so even if I don't have my own experiences to rely on and share with you, I'll look into and offer any info I can to help. Some ideas: recipes, keep kids engaged, toy/game reviews, education . . . I'm sure you have more ideas. And if you don't have any feedback/ideas, and you are following/enjoying the blog, please let me know that too. I don't know how much I will continue it if I don't feel it is really helping anyone. Thank you!
But for now, I will tell you that one of the primary ways I keep my sanity is through crafts. For awhile I was scrapbooking, but I have sort of fizzled out on that and have (as many of you have) discovered pinterest. I love it!!! My amazing friend Sarah has been teaching me so many basics that should keep me occupied for a very long time. I am including a picture of something I made today, and if you are reading this blog, and your last name starts with E, you may have a gift coming your way . . . :) Here is a pic:
But for now, I will tell you that one of the primary ways I keep my sanity is through crafts. For awhile I was scrapbooking, but I have sort of fizzled out on that and have (as many of you have) discovered pinterest. I love it!!! My amazing friend Sarah has been teaching me so many basics that should keep me occupied for a very long time. I am including a picture of something I made today, and if you are reading this blog, and your last name starts with E, you may have a gift coming your way . . . :) Here is a pic:
I borrowed the idea from pinterest and then put my own twist on it. If you are interested in the details of how to put this together, let me know!
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