What I'm into January 2012

what I'm into January 2012
I just came across this post on another blog which led me to http://www.sortacrunchy.net/sortacrunchy/2012/01/what-are-you-into-january-2012.html which made me in turn want to do one of these once a month as well!

on my nightstand 
I've got like three different bibles..an everyday for a year bible, a John MacArthur Study bible, and one from hs...that's really my go to. Also, I've got my copy of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It's a pretty good read. It makes me happy to see beauty in the little things, but it also makes me feel guilty for disregarding a lot of things in life without pausing to enjoy the beauty of the moment.

source Christianbook.com

tv show worth watching 
there are two shows that come to mind for me. I love abc's Once Upon a Time. So interesting how the writer's of Lost have blended fairy tales with modern day people. Plus the cast is awesome! Another guilty pleasure would be Revenge. Ooooh it's been really interesting to watch how seeking revenge damages the one carrying out the revenge, not just the person getting the payback. A very messy web.


movie i've seen (in or out of the theater)
well, I have seen the new Winnie the Pooh movie about 5 times in January, we rented Killer Elite last...my hubby loves all the Jason Statham movies.


in my kitchen
I have a new obsession interest in collecting pyrex. So in my kitchen this month, you will see all my Pyrex finds for January.

funny how they are mostly all yellow! i did just find my first Americana piece at GW for 4.99. (and I have a few coming in the mail too. :S )

We've also got some good quality meats and veggies in the fridge, and lots of yummy fruit...especially Clementines. I don't know how many we have gone through since the beginning of January, but my little lady LOVES them.

in my ears
I don't know what to say here. I feel like I have somehow lost myself when it comes to music.  I don't listen to much. I listen to talk radio when i'm in the toddlermobile...I'm trying to listen to John MacArthur teaching cds. My little lady has been making up the cutest songs EVER. Last night at dinner, she started singing about chicken skin of all things, and how much she loves it because it's lovely. (tasting not looking)


Well, that about rounds it up. Hope you participate too, this is fun! :)

Filled to Fullness

John 1:16
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (NIV)

Ephesians 3:16-19 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (NIV) Being FULL of God. So full, that the puzzle and mystery of my life doesn't stress me out, that i don't need to worry about what comes next, how will we pay for this and that... but that I would be able to see the blessings He has given to me. My prayer today. Childlike excitement over finishing their 20 piece puzzle. together. without fighting and arguing. that was a blessing. resting, without fear or insecurity. in a house that isn't her home. isn't that how we should live our lives? without worry..knowing that even though this world is not our home, our Father will protect and provide for us. because He LOVES US. Filled to Fullness...the FULLNESS of the knowledge of the love that Christ gave to us, undeserved, yet passionately not because of who we are. not because of what we've done, but because He wants us. Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (NASB) This post is part of a linkup that anyone is free to join. Finding Grace Laced within our lives.

joy in the mundane

22. early morning snuggles with my little lady
23. makin' bacon in the oven
24. smart little boy who is getting better and better at putting his lego space shuttle back together
25. silly songs with daddy
26. new nephew
27. ice cold berry smoothies
28. birth certificate arriving years late (oops mommy)
29. written resume and application returned to place of business (yeeeee I'm gonna go to work again!)
30. a corner store...with a bar and stools to walk to and enjoy lunch with two littles.

just arrived

Valentine Baked Doughnuts

Well, this isn't a craft, but a recipe of sorts. I bought a tube of biscuits, and this RECIPE was included...They were really fun to make with the kids, and they were fun to eat too. I think cinnamon would have been nice in the sugar mix as well.

We used heart shaped cookie cutters for the center of the doughnuts.

And they made sweet little doughnuts for the ones we love. :) I think these would make an awesome treat for Valentine's day.

Grace In Dire Circumstances

Mark 4:39

New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁹ Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

he lay stretched on the floor, arms over his head when i arrived in the room. and i knew. serious face. bearing down. i begin a fervent prayer. i'd seen this before, and it meant a long night in the emergency room and follow ups with heart doctors.

"Lord please slow down his heart."

it was happening again. his random SVT .

i silently, briskly walked into the bathroom and wet a cloth with icy water. placed it on his back. a shock. but the rhythm steady. too fast.

he jumped into an icy shower. taking his breath away, but not the rapid beating of a wild heart.

my mind was desperate. i was praying for the Creator to calm His creation.

he lay on the bed, stretched with breath with held.

placing my hand on his unruly heart i spoke the words only an heir should, one with authority over created things. "Peace, Be STILL. Heart, beat at your proper speed. IN THE NAME OF JESUS." as those words left my lips i felt it. underneath my hand. obedience.

humbled. amazed. relieved.

http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/cardiac/0243-pop.html

this post is part of a wonderful link up to Gracelaced.com

thankful

15. glasses to see clearly
16. ideas for creating new crochet creations
17. silly songs sung by sweet voices
18. anticipating visiting with friends
19. freshly mopped kitchen floors dried
20. crock pot bubbling away slaving over dinner
21. clean clothes put in drawers

*clink*

The $3 Valentine Wreath

Well, hubby was off work on Monday due to the holiday, and I was not going to let the opportunity pass for me to have some alone time, so I hopped in the truck and hit up three Goodwill Stores in my search for hidden treasures (pyrex). I didn't find anything, however, the last Goodwill was right next door to a Dollar Tree. And the rest becomes this super easy tutorial.

First, you need to pick up a willow wreath from the "floral" section of the Dollar Tree. (I was surprised at the variety of sizes available!) And I picked up two bags of 300 ct rose petals from the valentine section. You will also need your glue gun and plenty of glue sticks.

Find a comfortable spot to lay it all out. I dumped both colors out so I could just be random when selecting.

I took each petal and put one finger in the middle and gathered the sides around that finger...

then slipped the finger out and glued right there in the middle.

And just started placing them close together into the willow wreath. (and totally find something for your children to do while you are doing this...mine were coloring)

I attached a ribbon onto the back of the wreath and have it hanging on my front door!

draw near

to the degree that i understand grace. i give grace.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


not when i stick to my diet, not when i get my house entirely clean, not when i finally had a great day with no yelling at my kids, not when i finally get organized with my budget, not when i get dinner ready and the table set for dinner before my husband gets home from work....and on and on.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.


it's when we need Him most.

when i'm ready to scream my head off at my children for pulling every last thing out of their closets and laying it all out on the floor...that's when i need His grace...so i can give grace and mercy.

i don't love them just when they are good, when they have behaved well in public and when they have their hair all in place. and He doesn't love me for what i appear to be.

He's approachable. and the more i draw near to him. he'll draw near to me.

Gracelaced Mondays is a blog link up where bloggers can share stories of grace in our lives...check here for more, and don't be afraid to link up as well. 

Make it fun

Like I was telling you last Friday, we've started back on Paleo. (except we allow for dairy every now and then)
Well, the other night I wanted something easy and fun for our family, so I chose this taco recipe . My husband got home from work and saw that I was flustered from all the cleaning and decluttering I had been doing in my son's room that day and asked if I would let him cook. (I ain't no dummy...Mr Toddlerwhisperer is a GREAT cook!)
He is so creative too, and I think that is what made our dinner really fun. He took down some of my vintage glassware and used it to display our food in a way that even our pickiest eater was eagerly anticipating dinner. I literally had to tell them each to MOVE from the table so I could snap this picture, because they were so interested in dinner. And let me tell you, that is not something that happens on a regular basis.

Presenting.......

....build your own taco night... minus the meat, we hadn't added it to the table yet.

I really really loved how he stuck all the lettuce leaves in the vintage anchor hocking humidor for height and variety...The tacos were so good too...we didn't even miss processed taco shells...the lettuce was fantastic!

thanks

 8. the thrill of the hunt and the excitement of the catch (thrifting for pyrex)
 9. the scale moving in the right direction
10. sunshine piercing cold blue skies
11. late night table top chats with my best friend
12. new ideas
13. freshly baked grain free granola ;)
14. soft, freshly washed hair on my sweet little girl

pyrex obsessed last week's finds

Savoring my SAHM Status

I've always known that staying home with the kids was not a permanent status in my life, and I have always been okay with that. I went to college right after high school, got my degree in elementary education, taught school for almost ten years, then my husband and I decided to grow our family.  I resigned from my position after the first semester in 2006, and began the journey of being a Stay home mom.

There were days when I was so enthralled with my newborn son, that my husband would come home from work only to find me un-showered and frazzled. Other days when he'd open the door to the scent of a savory new dish I had time to work on. Then the days when I was terribly lonely, and my thoughts mostly were, "I cannot wait until he (my son) is out of diapers and he can do things for himself, and I can go back to work."

When he was six months old, I conceived my second child, and was terrified at the prospect of raising two babies at the same time. I remember when I saw the positive sign on my pregnancy test I was stunned silent. I don't even think I spoke at all that entire day. Shocked would be an understatement.

My daughter was born when my son was 14 months old. He took his first steps while I was in the hospital with her. Bringing my little newborn daughter home and caring for a barely walking, barely speaking toddler was almost more than I could bare. The days were many when my husband would come home to a messy house and a pile of unfolded laundry...an exhausted momma.

My thoughts were mostly fantasies of getting in the vehicle and driving off into the sunset...just me...and then the desire for both children to be out of diapers, both speaking, both doing for themselves...and when oh when would I get to finally go back to work?

~~~~~~ Fast forward to the present.

You really couldn't say I have toddlers any longer. We just celebrated my little man's 5th birthday in December, and my little lady will be 4 early spring. They play together so nicely, I enjoy intelligent conversations with each of them, and they will be attending school in September. Just 8 months away from now. Just 8 months to sleep in and make breakfast and watch Disney Junior in the mornings.

How I would turn back time, to snuggle a thick black haired newborn close to my chest again! But those days are just memories, and I must make new ones, so I am savoring my status for these last 8 months.

Instead of serving breakfast in a flurry of frantic kitchen cleaning, I am purposefully making the moments count. I make a place setting for myself, I sit across from a sweet curly haired thoughtful little boy. We talk about machines and how he wants to grow up to be a man who takes cars apart for people and put new parts in and put them back together.

I enjoy my egg and veggie omelet, take a sip of coffee and whisper a thank-you to God for this moment. For the way He has provided for our little family on one income. How gracious He has been to us, to provide and meet even the smallest needs in unexpected ways. Allowing for me to be here now, in this moment at the table with them.

My little lady sops up her "gooey" egg with toast. She's adventurous, creative, wild at heart. She tells me that she's going to be an animal doctor and drive a mini van and then be a chef and have lots of babies. We giggle as they start singing a song they made up about their baby cars. I am blessed. I clean up their plates and they run off to play...their song inspiring the sounds of hot wheels being dumped onto bedroom floors. This is how these months will flow. Stopping to relish the mundane...to savor my status.

Every Monday, you will see posts labeled "Grace Laced Mondays" It's a blog link up and blogging challenge by my friend Ruth over at www.gracelaced.com . If you want to participate, DO! :)

My Take on Grain Free Granola

Our family has discovered a wonderful diet lifestyle, the Paleo diet. We did it consecutively for two months and really loved how we felt, how our clothes were fitting and how delicious it was. Unfortunately we allowed the holidays to dominate our diet, and we threw healthy eating out the window for sugar and gluten. Yick. This week we are back to Paleo, and I want to share a delicious recipe with you.
I adapted it from this WONDERFUL recipe over at www.paleoparents.com.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds removed from their shells)
1 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup chopped cashews
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup fresh dates diced
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (Trader Joes has a delicious one)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the honey and oil. Pour over the nut and fruit mixture mixing well. (I used my hands to really get it all over) Spread on a large lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 275 degrees stirring once after 15 minutes.

This makes a yummy little snack, or better yet, pour in a bowl with your favorite non dairy, non soy milk, and enjoy the first bowl of cereal you've probably had since going paleo!

(awesome dishwasher spots on my plastic, right??!!)

Thanksgiving Thursday

I bought the book One Thousand Gifts on the recommendation of a friend for myself, my sister in laws, and my secret santa gift for Christmas.  I began reading it, and really evaluating my own moments of gratitude. What has really stuck with me so far, from the few chapters that I have read, is that taking the time to thank our Creator for the little things in life slows you enough to appreciate these little moments..as gifts from above.

This week I have really tried to slow, and appreciate sweet moments and each week I will list my thousand gifts. I want to encourage you to as well. We can make every Thursday a Thanksgiving Thursday!

1. little voices playing "kitty"
2. a husband who cooks delicious meals
3. little fingers stroking my cheek as I sing goodnight songs
4. taking walks on warm winter days
5. clean water to quench my thirst
6. never forgotten, always provided for
7. new colors on my wall

The Chevron Headband-it

I have my first pattern for sale in Ravelry. It will also be listed in my etsy shop. I am pretty excited about it and hope you are too. :)
J

ChachachaCHanges-Wordless Wednesday

DIY Roller Stamper

I want to start by saying I saw this ingenious pin on pinterest that lead me to DIY stampers which in turn gave me this idea. :)

Firstly, you need some toilet paper rolls, a large stamp pad, and foam stickers of your choice.

We'll go jungle themed

Just stick them on creating a picture horizontally...then roll in your big ol' stamp pad being sure all stickers are well coated, then roll away on paper. I am going to go create a bunch of these with my not so tots this afternoon!

EDIT TO ADD:

After playing with this craft WITH tots...we decided it was way more fun to place the rolls on a paint roller and roll the heck out of the paper on their IKEA easels! That's how we "roll" 

Formatting

In order to be more active on my blog, I need to have an assignment! In the next few weeks I am going to implement some changes in format to help me in that department.

Monday: Laced with Grace in conjunction with other bloggers following my friend over at http://www.gracelaced.com/

Tuesday: Craft-tastic Tuesday

Wednesday: Wordless Wednesday

Thursday: Thanksgiving every Thursday

Friday: Foodie Fridays

I look forward to filling my little corner of the cyber world with fun and useful and interesting tidbits! :)
Jenny