Review: Do More Better

I always considered myself to be a reasonably organized and productive person. Many years ago, while working in the PR department of a Christian college, I was introduced to a jam-up time management system. I loosely followed and adapted it for the rest of my working-outside-the-home career. But almost twenty years ago, when I became a stay-at-home and sometime part-time work-at-home mom, all of that organization (and the accompanying productivity) seemed to fly out the window.

In hindsight, I don't think the problem was so much a lack of organization or productivity. It was likely more a lack of understanding of my new role and priorities. What's more, my working environment and responsibilities had been fairly controlled and regular. Predictable even. This new career field, not so much.

It wasn't so much that I lacked structure (although I probably did). A new system wasn't the immediate answer.
What I needed was a clearer understanding of my role and responsibilities as a wife and mother. And, because the dual jobs of wife and mother are somewhat fluid, I'm still working on that.

Do More Better by Tim Challies is helping.

Before going into the nuts and bolts of organizing life, Challies walks you through evaluating your life. The goal isn't just to do more, to get more done. It's to get more of the right things done.

Productivity is effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others, and the glory of God. Productivity calls you to direct your whole life at this great goal of bringing glory to God by doing good for others.

 I like that. I'm good at being busy, but, "Busyness is a tricksy little fish." It's easy to fool ourselves into thinking we're productive for the Kingdom just because we're busy. The difficult thing is to figure out what God wants us to do for the Kingdom in our little circle and focus on being productive there. "God calls you to be productive for His sake, not your own."

This book is readable, at only 120 pages. It's practical, walking you through not only determining your priorities, but setting up systems to carry them out. It's biblical, helping you see your to-do list from God's perspective (and reminding you that "Only God gets his to-do list done.").

I've read the book through, and now I look forward to the harder work of implementing what I've learned. (One way I'm doing this is by participating in 10 Days of Productivity. Care to join me?)


I requested and received a copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review. This post contains affiliate links.

Dancing with our daughters

A friend recently shared a podcast on Facebook with these questions: “This REALLY spoke to my heart today. Are we raising our daughters to think of marriage as plan A; career/education as plan B? Is this biblical thinking?” She followed up by asking me (and several other women) for our thoughts on it. I thought I’d share my response here, in hopes it might spark some conversation and encourage some of you.

Jen, I’m not sure if/when I’ll have time to listen to that podcast, so I don't know what direction they went with it. But I can share my own thoughts on this topic with you.

First, the term “Plan B” in this scenario has always rubbed me the wrong way, at least since I came into an understanding of God’s sovereignty. While I do believe in being prudent, this makes it sound as though God has given a young woman a desire to be a stay-at-home-wife/mom, yet she may need to venture outside of this plan just in case God doesn’t come through. That may not be what is intended, but it kind of comes across that way.

So here’s what I think. If a young lady has a God-given desire to be a stay-at-home-wife/mom, encourage that. As you encourage that, knowing that fulfillment of that desire may be deferred indefinitely, also encourage her to pursue development of her God-given gifts and abilities. If she has a creative bent, help her to explore many different expressions of that bent. If she is good with children, either formally teaching or informally caring/nurturing them, help her to explore that. This young lady may be interested in science, math, mountaineering, literature – help her to explore. This exploration may or may not include college or formal training. All the while, continue to also train her in the home arts, as they’ll likely be needed whatever path she follows. I think (and I’ve probably been guilty of this) some parents are afraid that if their daughter pursues a college degree or the like, she will desire to become a career woman and abandon any thought of being a SAHM for their grandchildren. For homeschoolers, especially, this can have very scary implications!

Here’s what these parents are forgetting. This beautiful young woman is a masterpiece of our Creator. He made her, He numbers her days, He holds her. Only He can direct her heart. We are stewards of the gift of our children, but as they get older, our stewarding influence must lessen and they must begin to steward their own lives. This is hard. I hate to break it to the parents of toddlers out there, but raising young adults is the hardest work you’ll ever do. It’s probably not as hard physically, but it is much harder emotionally and spiritually. It’s heart work, and it’s a dance. I don’t know that I’ll ever figure out all the steps to this dance (the rhythm changes so often!). But I’m thankful to know Who has all of these steps planned out.

I am case in point.

When I was in high school, I set some lofty goals for myself. I had a strong aversion to any kind of secretarial work. I wanted to be Vice President of a corporation (with a male secretary, no less). I worked to earn a full-ride scholarship to a university in my state. I was on my way.

But then God intervened in the form of a great humbling and a God-chasing young man.

As I worked my way through my freshman year, it was such a struggle. College coursework didn’t come as easily to me as high school, but it was also harder to put my heart into it. Much of it seemed irrelevant to me, and some was downright offensive (such as the pornographic film played for my health class). But I buckled down and persevered. In December, that young man shared with our church that he was feeling a calling to full-time ministry and, in February, we were engaged. I struggled through that second semester, explored changing my major from marketing to… what? In the end, I pursued a backward transfer to a local community college with the end goal of completing an Associate’s degree (which I did do, after we were married). It was very humbling, and it took God changing my heart for me to relinquish my plan to follow His.

Guess what job I held during our engagement? Yup. I became a secretary. At my church (best job I ever had). Guess what job I held while Jeff was pursuing seminary degrees? Yup. Secretary again.

It wasn’t really until we began thinking about having a second child that I felt a real yearning to be a stay-at-home-wife/mom. God has provided a way for me to follow this new career (in some really amazing ways, actually). And those secretarial skills have served me well in not only assisting my husband in his work, but have also helped me earn income through several work-from-home jobs over the years.

You know, for many of my growing up years, my mother was a SAHM. In fact, she was the penultimate SAHM, a real Proverbs 31 woman – cooked from scratch, made clothes for us, made our home feel like home. She did occasionally work outside the home as well; even then, we knew that her focus remained on us, her family. When my heart was turned homeward, I had a great example to follow. The Lord had provided that, as well.

Talk with your daughter, model for your daughter, release her to explore, and trust God with her steps. Dance with her and enjoy this season of life.

This and that 11/2/15

We're settling in to our new Virginia home and enjoying a beautiful autumn. Last week, Jared and I traveled with some other homeschoolers to visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home near Charlottesville. It was beautiful and educational, but most of all it was a great chance to get to know some folks a bit better.

Most evenings, Jeff's been reading aloud to us from To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy hearing him read, and the story has really sucked us in. On my own, I'm reading Everyday Grace: Infusing All of Your Relationships with the Love of Jesus. I won two copies (yes, TWO -- possible giveaway in the near future!) of this a few months ago, but hadn't had a chance to dig in yet. It's been an encouragement so far. And I just finished G.K. Chesterton's Man Alive, which was an odd, yet somehow endearing, story.

I miss a great many things about New Mexico -- dear friends, beautiful scenery, being closer to some of my family. And good Mexican food. So I'm super excited to find that good green chile is available through Amazon. Believe it or not, I first found it at a Kroger in Middle Georgia, but my stockpile is bound to run out eventually.

I've been cleaning my kitchen sink for more years than I care to count, but I recently started taking a more natural approach. I'm mixing about a cup of baking soda with a few drops each of lemon and clove oil and putting the mixture in a shaker. Then, after I do the dishes each evening, I sprinkle a bit of this monkey dust in the sink, add just one drop of dishwashing detergent, give it a quick scrub and rinse well. If I need to do a little extra disinfecting (like if I've been washing chicken), I'll spritz the sink with a diluted vinegar and scrub a bit more. Naturally clean and smells great!

If you'd like more homemaking tips, the Ultimate Bundle folks have brought back their Ultimate Homemaking Bundle for a quick flash sale (ends midnight ET on November 3, 2015). This bundle is an amazing mix of e-books, e-courses, printables, and free goodies (more than $900 worth) for just $29.97. Grab a bundle quick before it goes away! Click the graphic below for more details on what's included.



I hope you take time to look for opportunities to be thankful this month!



{This post contains affiliate links.}

Review: Woolzies

Since I'm doing a bit of traveling in Scotland over the next two weeks (can you picture the huge grin on my face?), I thought it was a great time to share a new-to-me product with you -- through a review AND actually giving the product to one of my readers!

Several months ago, I started seeing reviews and giveaways of Woolzies popping up all over blogdom. About this same time, my daughter was becoming more interested in natural products, so I thought I should see what the Woolzies rage was all about.

What are Woolzies Dryer Balls ? The company website gives this description:

Woolzies are pure handmade New Zealand wool dryer balls that soften your laundry naturally without any of the chemicals of conventional fabric softeners. Unlike the plastic dryer balls, they are PVC free and won't fall apart or melt on you. Woolzies save time and energy by cutting down on drying time by an average of 25% per load. They also help reduce static and wrinkles.

The men in my house tend to have dry, sensitive skin, so I was happy that Woolzies are 100% hypoallergenic. And unlike dryer sheets and fabric softener, Woolzies don't leave a residue on your clothes or in your dryer and dryer filter. I'd already stopped using dryer sheets and fabric softener for the most part, substituting a vinegar rinse in the washer instead (which I still do, even when using Woolzies). I never liked using liquid fabric softener anyway -- I find it a bit messy.

Using Woolzies Dryer Balls is so simple. Just throw the six balls in on top of your clothes and turn on the dryer. While the clothes are drying, you may hear a soft thumping of the Woolzies doing their job.

I've been using my Woolzies for about a month, and here are my observations so far:

• Our clothes are coming out quite soft and with no static -- even my fleece throw blankets.
• My loads seem to be drying a bit faster and definitely more evenly.
• The laundry feels cleaner to me than when I used softener or dryer sheets, and I enjoy the lack of scent.
• My Woolzies continue to get softer with each use, and seem to work even better over time.
• Woolzies make me smile. Really, they do! It's just a little bit more fun to do laundry with them, especially when I find them in funny places like a sleeve or pant leg. But then, I might just be easily amused.

Would I recommend Woolzies? Absolutely! At less than $35 for at least 1,000 loads,Woolzies are cheaper than dryer sheets and are chemical free. And they may just make you smile, too.

Woolzies provided me with a set of Woolzies Dryer Balls to try -- and they want to give a set of Woolzies Dryer Balls to one of my readers, too!
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is now closed -- congratulations to our winner, Lori J!
 
Disclaimer: While a free sample was provided by Woolzies, all views stated here are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

While the cat's away...

 ...the mice will play!

A friend asked me before Christmas to host a craft night, but we couldn't seem to get a date pinned down because of holiday stuff, sickness, and life. So when I found out my man had to do a bit of traveling, it seemed the perfect time to have a girls night.

I must say that it is incredibly handy to have minions kids around to not only help clean the house, but decorate, too! As long as I have a list in my head, I can bark out orders ask my son to vacuum, clean bathrooms, and empty trash all day long and he does it willingly (especially when he knows he can ultimately retire to the man cave once the girls appear). And my daughter somehow convinced me that decorating for the evening qualified as school because it is teaching her hospitality. All I really had to do was prepare our craft supplies (which mainly involved cutting many strips of burlap and rolling them up). Remember this on the days your preschoolers are driving you mad: one day, they will be useful individuals {smile}.

We tried to think of a craft that would be simple to make, would appeal to most anyone, wouldn't require hot glue or drying time, and was inexpensive. We chose a burlap-wrapped wreath with felt flowers, which my daughter had learned to make at an SBTS Koinonia Pinterest night last fall.

And, of course, there was food. A couple of ladies brought some amazing desserts, and I spent hours on an elaborate hors d'oeuvre called Cowboy Candy. (Actually, I quickly spread some cream cheese on crackers, then topped each with a jarred jalapeno slice. But it really is called Cowboy Candy.)

Source: tastykitchen.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

As we worked, we laughed, chatted, helped, shared, snacked, and generally had a good time. I use the phrase we worked rather loosely, as I turned my wreath over to my daughter as soon as I finished wrapping my wreath (which I finally did correctly about the fifth time).

Through it all, there was plenty of laughing, talking, helping, and eating. At the end of the night, we all had lovely wreaths and were refreshed by the fellowship. And we were already planning our next girls night, which may be less crafty and more laser tag-ish. We are multifaceted women, you know.

Happy Anniversary to my dearest friend...

It's hard for me to believe that twenty-nine years have passed since I walked down the aisle to be married to my best friend. (Especially since, as my children well know, I'll be re-celebrating my 27th birthday in February. But that's another story.)

Twenty-nine years. Twenty-nine years of God's faithfulness. Twenty-nine years of grace and love. Twenty-nine years of learning about one another, only to find that we can never know everything about this other person. Twenty-nine years of growing up, raising children, living life. Twenty-nine years of God's faithfulness. Twenty-nine years of grace and love.

Happy anniversary, dearest Jeff. I love you and pray that God will grant us many more years together, serving one another and Him.

Note: first and last pictures on this page were taken by my lovely and talented daughter. If we get any more affectionate than this, however, she screams and runs away.

The Back to School Boost for Moms!

About this time of year, I'm feeling unorganized and a bit overwhelmed. As of today, I'm still dealing with loose ends from our last school year and still making plans for the coming school year. And I have the added challenge of not being sure exactly when we'll be starting school or eve which state we'll be schooling in!

In the midst of figuring out new schedules, I still need to keep everyone clothed and fed, as well as keep the house clean. At this point, I start feeling a little less than Proverbs 31-ish, if you know what I mean.

I have a feeling that whether you homeschool or not, if you have school-aged kids you may be feeling the same way. I have two things for you that I hope will help.

First, if the all the details are causing you to be anxious, read this. I probably need to re-read it once a week... or maybe once a day right now.

Second, if you'd like a few very practical resources to help you regain control, have I got a deal for you! How about five resources for just $10? Here's a special Back to School Boost for Moms eBook Bundle:

For one week only (Aug 1 - 8), you can get 5 e-books for one low price.

Just $10 for all 5 e-books.

1. Tell Your Time: How to Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Free
2. Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule
3. The No-Brainer Wardrobe
4. Cupcakes! Twelve Months of Happiness
5. Feast in 15: Speed Cooking for Weeknight Dinners

The cost to buy all five e-books separately is $28.95. 

For this week only, you can get them all for just $10! 

For more info on each e-book and to purchase the bundle, click here.

But hurry -- this deal won't be available after Wednesday, August 8!

Note: As an affiliate seller, I will receive a portion of the proceeds from each sale linked through my site. My family thanks you for your purchase!

Comfort food: Anna's Custard Pie

I've felt under the weather for the last few days due to a stubborn kidney stone, I'm missing my girly (did I really agree for her to be out-of-reach for two whole weeks?), and it was just time. Past time.

Time to bake.

So I made my mom's custard pie today. When I find myself missing her, too, it helps to think WWAD (What Would Anna Do)? And when the going got tough, Anna baked. Now she could bake just about anything -- all from scratch, thank you -- but my favorite non-chocolate dessert she made was her custard pie. And it's one of just a handful of her baking recipes that I can consistently duplicate.  (Besides there's just something special about using a recipe that's in my mom's own handwriting.)

You'll notice that the recipe says to use a rotary beater. I have many fond memories of my mom's rotary beater and wish I had it now. I remember waking to the sound of her making pancakes or waffles with that rotary beater so many mornings... Anyway, I just use a handheld mixer on low.

A quick confession: I don't make pie crust. I gave up trying long ago. Mama's pie crust was unique and so good, but I never could get the hang of "a handful of this and a pinch of that, then just play with it until it feels right." And I don't have her heavy metal pie tins, the best thing in the world to bake pies in (I wonder if Brenda got those?). But other than that, I think I do justice to Anna's Custard Pie.

{09/18/16 update: I did eventually learn to make a decent pie crust thanks to The Barefoot Contessa's recipe and a sassy red KitchenAid food processor I won from a food blogger's giveaway!)


Anna's Custard

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees (will be turned down later)

2) Slightly roll one refrigerated pie crust, and place in 9" pie plate, crimping edge (or, if you want to show off, make your own crust)

3) In mixing bowl, beat 4 eggs slightly with rotary beater: 

4) Then beat in:

2/3 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg (if you can grate fresh, it's amazing!)
2-2/3 c scalding hot milk*

5) Pour into uncooked pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then at 350 degrees to finish -- about 25-30 more minutes.

Anna says: "Bake just until a silver knife inserted into side of filling comes out clean. Center may look a bit soft."

 Let it cool before cutting; store covered in refrigerator.

*On the scalding milk... I just put 2-2/3 c milk into a 4 cup glass measure, then microwave in 1 minute increments until very hot but not boiling. I think it took 3-1/2 to 4 minutes today. My highly scientific method of testing the temperature is to quickly stick the tip of my very-clean finger into the milk. If it's not just warm but hot, I consider it ready.

Oh, and by the way, don't substitute one of those low-cal fake sugars for the white sugar. It doesn't work. I didn't realize this until about the third Christmas I had made the sugar-free version for a friend and tasted a piece after a meal. Looked like custard pie, tasted like humble pie. Repeat after me: "Sugar is my friend; I'll just cut a smaller slice."


Shared on:

 The Feathered Nest

How not to bake a cake...

We had a busy weekend. Saturday morning, I got busy and made a couple of casseroles, one for dinner and one for the freezer. Finished up a bit of laundry and picking up around the house, then my daughter took me to October Baby. Stopped by The Friendliest Grocery Store On The Face of the Earth (Publix in Warner Robins, if you must know), then home to pop dinner in the oven and have some family time.

Yesterday, we drove down to Colquitt, Georgia, for a family reunion. Left at 9:00 a.m., got back at 8:00 p.m., with some interesting pit stops along the way. (I hope to post some pictures later, including one of the five foot tall pink pig we encountered on a potty break.)

Today we're having another reunion of sorts, as most of Jeff's family will be over to visit with his two West Coast aunts. Meats will be grilled and stories will be told.

I thought it would be nice to have some semi-homemade desserts, so I decided to whip up a couple of cakes. Wouldn't you know it, only enough eggs for one cake. Okay, so maybe I'll make it to the store to get more eggs later, maybe not. But I can at least make my family's all-time favorite chocolate cake. 

This is the cake that my family requests for every special event, my ace-in-the-hole to take to church potlucks. My recipe is packed up in a 10x20 storage unit with most of our earthly possessions, but recipes are for wimps. I've made this so many times, it should be a, well, a piece of cake. Or so I thought.

I already had the eggs out, so I pulled out some of the other ingredients while my English muffins were toasting. Then I ran around and did a bunch of other things that needed doing. I came back, mixed the cake batter, and put the cake in the oven.

About a minute later, I looked over and saw the eggs still sitting on the counter. Sigh.

I took the cake out of the oven, dumped the batter back into the mixing bowl (at least I hadn't even had a chance to run water in it yet), and mixed in the eggs. The batter was a bit thinner than usual, but maybe that was due to being in the oven for a minute. I dumped the batter back into the bundt pan and popped the cake back into the oven.

About ten minutes later, I realized that I had forgotten another key ingredient: pudding mix. Sigh.

My daughter suggested that I just go to the store and get what I needed to start over. Unfortunately, The Friendliest Grocery Store On The Face of the Earth is about 30 minutes from my house. Yes, there are closer stores, but at this point I was in no mood to deal with them.

So I pulled the cake BACK out of the oven and just sprinkled the pudding mix around the top, mixing it in with a little spatula as I went. My children are very concerned by this point; my daughter is certain that this is not going to turn out well, and my son is worried that we might all get salmonella (confession: science is not a strong point in our homeschooling experience).

I put the cake into the oven again, thankful that my oven does not have a snarky little voice asking me if I'd like to just install a revolving door.

My daughter peeked in about 20 minutes later and informed me that, "The cake looks interesting. I'm just sayin'." Her spiritual gift is encouragement. At least she didn't bring up the chicken pot pie incident.

After adding a few extra minutes of cook time to account for the cake's ingredient interventions, I removed it from the oven. It looked... remarkably normal. When I popped it out of the bundt pan -- well, all of the extracurricular activity kept it from actually popping out of the bundt pan, but you know what I mean -- it was still looking good. And powdered sugar covers a multitude of sins.

My daughter also encouraged me to serve the cake sliced (so that we could check it out before the rest of the family ate it). But I'm a risk taker, and this is family.

Besides, it's triple chocolate. How bad can it be?

{I must give credit to Lisa Pennington for reminding me via blogpost today to be willing to laugh at myself. I hope I'll one day be as good at this as my mother was. I sure have many opportunities for practice!}

Bad news... but there's always good news

I've heard lots of bad news this week. Some is news from afar -- world news, national news -- but several pieces of news have hit closer to home because folks I know and love have been greatly affected.

First, I learned that my husband's uncle died, leaving behind a widow, grown children, and grandchildren. While this was good news for him, as it's the ultimate healing for the Alzheimer's that has afflicted him for so long, it's sad for his family. They already had long been missing the husband, father, and grandfather they used to know, but the death of this man can feel so final to those who remain here. The family is left to pick up the pieces, many of which have been dangling as they have struggled to cope with the destructive nature of disease.

Then I learned that a ministry that has blessed our family is facing a tremendous set back. The men at His Steps Ministries have served our family by helping us with several moves over the last few years, but the biggest blessing has been just to see their hearts. These men have made a commitment to deal with the root of their drug or alcohol addiction through an intensive discipleship program which includes intentionally serving others. Their families have made a commitment to support them and stand by them, even as the men are away from home for six months. We've heard their testimonies and seen their lives change. But this week, a fire at the ministry house destroyed two bedrooms, as well as the possessions of the men living there. The ministry already runs on a shoestring budget and faces other needs, as well. And the men, most already facing financial hardship as a consequence of their addiction, have an additional burden at an already difficult time.

Yesterday, I learned that someone dear to me is facing critical health issues, more critical than we knew. My sweet sister-in-law, Michele, was finally diagnosed with aplastic anemia last summer and was admitted to NIH in Maryland for involvement in a very intensive four-month clinical trial. She has been home for the last few months, still struggling. She returned to NIH a couple of weeks ago for a check up and received the results yesterday. The aplastic anemia has progressed to Myelodysplastic Syndrome, which is basically pre-leukemia. Her doctors have recommended a bone marrow transplant within the month. This means excruciating pre-transplant treatment for her, major logistical planning to deal with traveling from Georgia to Maryland for treatment, other family members being tested as possible donors, and serious financial concerns as her husband used up his leave (as well as leave donated to him) during the fall treatment.

All of this news leads me to my knees. In addition to praying for each of these people in the midst of all they are facing, I am led to be thankful for God's provision in my own life.

I'm thankful that I have a husband, one who is working through all that comes with being underemployed, one who is pursuing the Lord and His timing for the work of church ministry, one who loves me and our children unconditionally, one who is lovingly serving his parents as he can.

I'm thankful that, even in uncertain times, we have always had a place to call home. Sometimes, God has provided this in unusual ways, but we have been safe and, really, quite comfortable. Knowing that this has been only through God's providence helps me to be content.

I'm thankful for my health. While kidney stones are sometimes a thorn in the flesh for me (quite literally), I do quite well day-to-day.

But, most of all, I'm thankful that even if all of those things changed tomorrow, I have the confidence that God cares for me, provides all I truly need, and desires only the best for me. And I pray that this truth will be very real to those mentioned above -- and you -- today.

“Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. The was the proof of His love – that He gave that Son, that He let Him fo to Calvary’s cross, though “legions of angels” might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us- not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process.”
― Elisabeth Elliot

I linked up at:






{My entry to At The Picket Fence's  Inspiration Friday sponsored by Appliances Online and the Beko Fridge Freezers”. }

How do I detox a dog?

 We've been staying with my hubby's folks for about a month now, helping out as Dad recovers from a major surgery and also trying to figure out what our next step is. Now that our children are older and more self-sufficient, one concern we always have regarding a move is The Dog. Will there be enough room for The {somewhat large} Dog? Will other people involved mind The {somewhat social} Dog?

Thankfully, this transition has gone very smoothly in all ways, including The Dog. In fact, we've already been informed that we cannot take The Dog with us when we leave this home, wherever we go. We can leave, and we can take the grandkids, but we must leave The Dog. Like that's going to happen.

But now I'm afraid that even The Dog is turning. One evening, the physical therapist was stopping by for Dad's discharge visit. I thought it would just be simplest for The Dog to be in the backyard to avoid any initial barking or later slobbering all over our visitor, so I told The Dog to come on outside. Instead of jumping up and immediately obeying as she normally does, she just laid there and looked at me. So I spoke again more firmly. She stood up this time, but really didn't make a move. "Bella, come here," I said sternly. The Dog looked right at me, then walked over to Mom's chair and sat down next to her, as if to say, "Grandma won't let you make me go outside."

The Dog did go outside, eventually, with more commands from me (and snickering from my in-laws). But it was a bit surprising to me that she figured out the whole grandparent-grandchild dynamic on her own and how to make it work in her favor.

Detox is comin', baby, just wait and see.

Introducing... Emily at Jones Design Company

One of the neat things about the internet is that it seems to have shrunk the world. I've enjoyed getting to know women from around the country through their blogs, and I'll like to introduce a few of them to you over the next few weeks. I've only met one of these ladies in person, but these are all women who have inspired me in one way or another. I hope you'll enjoy getting to know them. Be sure to stop by their blogs, too!

Emily Jones is a wife and mother of four who somehow finds time to create really pretty things. On her blog, Jones Design Company, Emily shares her love of beautiful things with us (literally – I’m talking nice monthly giveaways) along with home projects, recipes, and snippets of her life. Check out Emily’s shop here (aren’t the Scripture art prints wonderful?).

Please share your job description in 25 words or less.   

WIFE . MOMMY . GRAPHIC DESIGNER . ARTIST . BLOGGER . WRITER . DREAMER.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

BALANCING WORK TIME WITH MOMMY TIME. I LOVE MY FOUR LITTLE ONES, BUT GET SO MUCH PERSONAL FULFILLMENT OUT OF CREATING THAT SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO KNOW WHEN TO LET GO AND JUST PLAY WITH MY KIDS.  AND KEEPING UP WITH EMAIL CAN BE CHALLENGING.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  

I FIND IT HUMBLING AND SO FLATTERING THAT I AM ABLE TO JUST DO WHAT I LOVE {WHETHER CREATING ART PRINTS, EXPRESSING MY THOUGHTS OR SHARING A PROJECT HOW-TO} AND BE ABLE TO INSPIRE OTHER WOMEN THROUGH IT. THE COMMENTS FROM LADIES WHO HAVE DISCOVERED A CREATIVITY INSIDE OF THEM THEY NEVER KNEW THEY HAD AND CREDIT ME WITH INSPIRING IT ARE ALWAYS SUCH AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME.

What is your favorite room in your home? (and please tell us why) 

I AM GLAD TO SAY THAT I HAVE A FEW FAVORITE ROOMS IN OUR HOME. WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO TRANSFORM OUR ORDINARY NEW-CONSTRUCTION HOME INTO A PLACE WITH CHARACTER AND THE RESULTS HAVE REALLY MADE IT FEEL LIKE ‘US’. OUR KITCHEN IS THE MOST USED WITH LOTS OF FAMILY TIME, SO I LIKE IT. THE LIVING ROOM IS COZY AND FULL OF GREAT MEMORIES WITH FRIENDS, SO IT IS MY FAVORITE. OUR DAUGHTER’S NURSERY IS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF FEMININITY IN A HOUSEHOLD OF BOYS AND I LOVE THE SPACE THAT WAS CREATED IN THERE. AND MY OFFICE JUST FEELS LIKE ME. IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO CREATE AND BE INSPIRED.

Please share a favorite recipe you’ve cooked or DIY project you’ve done.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROJECTS I’VE DONE IS THE PAINTED WALLPAPER IN MY OFFICE. IT IS SUBTLE, BUT INTERESTING AND WAS SO REWARDING TO COMPLETE.

When you are unmotivated, what keeps you going?

DEADLINES! AND SOMETIMES I JUST NEED TO TAKE A BREAK FROM CREATING AND ENJOY THE THINGS THAT OTHERS HAVE CREATED.

What sage advice would you give a young woman today who would like to marry?

MARRIAGE IS WONDERFUL AND FULFILLING, BUT ONE OF THE GREATEST FORMS OF SELF-SACRIFICE. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT SERVING, DESIRING TO BE UNSELFISH IN OUR ACTIONS AND WORDS AND HAVE HAD TO MATURE A LOT IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR HOUSEHOLD  FUNCTION SMOOTHLY. FOR A YOUNG WOMAN WHO WOULD LIKE TO MARRY, I WOULD SAY TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, FIND WAYS TO SERVE OTHERS, DISCOVER YOUR PASSIONS AND MAKE SURE THE MAN YOU CHOOSE IS KIND AND RESPECTFUL.

What were you doing thirty minutes before you answered these interview questions?

CHECKING EMAIL, SHOPPING FOR BIRTHDAY GIFTS ON AMAZON FOR MY ALMOST FOUR-YEAR OLD, DRINKING COFFEE WITH EGGNOG.

What’s your favorite Starbucks drink?

REGULARLY: TALL, DECAF, EXTRA HOT, NONFAT VANILLA LATTE

DURING THE HOLIDAYS: TALL, DECAF, EXTRA HOT, NONFAT EGGNOG LATTE

© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
{I'd love for you to share this post with friends, but please share the full link. Common courtesy dictates that you do not copy the post into your own blog without proper attribution. Thanks!}

Introducing... Lori of Nourishment for Ladies

One of the neat things about the internet is that it seems to have shrunk the world. I've enjoyed getting to know women from around the country through their blogs, and I'll like to introduce a few of them to you over the next few weeks. I've only met one of these ladies in person, but these are all women who have inspired me in one way or another. I hope you'll enjoy getting to know them. Be sure to stop by their blogs, too!

Lori Rhodes is a woman of many seasons… she’s the mother of five girls (the oldest is soon to be married) with another on the way. She’s been married to her favorite pastor, Ray, for 24 years. On her blog, Nourishmentfor Ladies, Lori shares special family moments, funny stories, and encouraging words. I'm thankful that I have met Lori personally and have experienced her gracious hospitality. (Note: Ray also has a blog, Nourished in the Word, and online bookstore, Books that Nourish.)

Please share your job description in 25 words or less.   

My job description includes, but is not limited to being Ray's wife; mother to Rachel, Hannah, Sarah, Mary, Lydia and baby to be born in November; pastor's wife to Grace Community Church; daughter to Ray's and my parents; sister to all of our siblings; ... My life is not my own, but I'm glad about that.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

One of the most challenging parts of my job is having to choose between my children. There are often times when one will have an event at the same time as another, or one will want to talk when another needs me. It's hard to choose between one child's music class and another's basketball game.

Being pregnant at forty-four, controlling hormones is also a huge challenge for me.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  

Having all of my family around the same table or in the same room, talking, laughing, reading or having Bible time together are incredibly rewarding times. I also love to see the girls reading on their own, playing dolls, or playing together. A wonderful sound to me is to hear giggles and whispers from another room knowing that my family members are loving each other.

What is your favorite room in your home? (and please tell us why) 

When I began to think of my favorite room in my home, my bedroom was what came to mind first. When it's clean, it is calm and peaceful and where I can usually be alone with Ray. But I also love our living room. It's big, holds a lot of people and is usually where there is the most laughter.

One of the goals in my home of girls was to have books and baby dolls readily available in every room. As the girls get older, that doesn't always work out, I think it helps to foster a love for reading and babies.

Please share a favorite recipe you’ve cooked or DIY project you’ve done (you can briefly describe, then link back to your blog/website – and I’d love a picture if you have one).

One of my favorite projects was our Scripture canvases! Our whole family painted canvases and put our weekly Scripture memory verses on them then hung them on the wall. I am still trying to figure out how to make them stay on the wall and hang straight, but I love the idea. Here is a link to the post. Because it's on my stairs I couldn't get a great picture of it. 

When you are unmotivated, what keeps you going?

Accountability is often what keeps me motivated to do what's right. If my girls are around, I really don't want to set a bad example for them.

Also, knowing Scripture is profitable for my life, I try to stay close to that. Some days I have to quote it over and over to make myself think correctly. And to be honest, in my own sinful heart, there have been times when I have known I needed to be doing something more productive, I've pushed aside thoughts of Scripture to satisfy my sin.

What sage advice would you give a young woman today who would like to marry?

My own "sage" advice for young women about to get married would be to love God more than you love your husband! He will not let you down. He is faithful, trustworthy, and your best comforter.

What were you doing thirty minutes before you answered these interview questions?

While I'm answering these questions, I'm also cooking a special meal for Ray's 50th birthday. I started making this meal when first got married and it has remained one of our special occasion meals. The only problem is I lost the recipe at Father's Day and I am going on memory tonight.

What’s your favorite Starbucks drink?

I don't think I could ever get too much coffee, I love it! At Starbucks I would generally choose a plain latte or add a shot vanilla to it. In the Fall, hands down- Pumpkin spice latte. But I also enjoy the peppermint mocha latte in the winter. Being pregnant, I haven't drank a lot of coffee in the past few months so I'm looking forward to that soon.

 {Note: I shared one of Lori's favorite fall recipes here.}

A warning for parents

Convicting. True. Read if you dare.

Not just for homeschooling parents, no matter what it's titled.

Why I Make My Bed

I was thinking the other day about how many chores have to be done over and over each day. Like making the bed.

A few years ago, I remember a sweet newlywed friend laughingly telling me that she loves to sleep in, and if she got up to get a drink or something, her hubby would hurry and make the bed so that she wouldn't get back in it. An unmade bed didn't bother her at all (in fact, she found it quite welcoming!), but her military-trained husband liked things neat and tidy. (Now this sweet friend has three children, so her sleeping in days are over!)

Then I remembered a homeschooling seminar I attended once on managing a household and homeschool with many kids. Even though I was only homeschooling three, I figured I'd hear something helpful. Can't remember exactly what I gleaned from that seminar, but I do remember the speaker saying that making beds was a waste of time -- her kids just crawl back into them to do school, anyway! (Another tip from this homeschool mom: don't sort laundry, just throw in whatever you've got and wash it all together! I passed on that one, too.)

So why do I make my bed? 

1. It instantly makes the room look neater. Even with a little clutter, a made bed looks infinitely better than an unmade bed.
2. It minimizes distractions for my hubby. Our current bedroom is quite large, so it doubles as a home office / study space. Jeff prefers neatness, so making the bed removes one distraction for him.
3. It helps with my laundry. The laundry room is in my bedroom closet, so I usually just carry things from the dryer to my bed and make a neat pile for each person to carry to their own room. I just can't do that on an unmade bed.
4. It feels nicer to sleep in a bed that's been made, don't you agree?
5. It promotes discipline in my life. It's not something I enjoy doing (although I do enjoy it once it's done), but it's something I need to do. So I do it. Most of the time.
6. It sets a good example for my children. I expect them to make their beds daily. Why would I not do the same? And I've noticed that if one of the kids happens to come down to my room while I'm making the bed, they often offer to help me.
7. It's good stewardship. Our home is currently up for sale, and I'm sure our landlord appreciates anything we do to make the home more appealing.
8. It only takes two minutes. How many things can give this many benefits for just a two minute investment?

In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that my hubby makes the bed at least half the time... probably more often than that. If he sees it needs to be done and has a moment to do it, he just does it. Thanks, Jeff. And thanks to his mom for raising him that way.

Photo credit: Microsoft Office Clipart

Strutting my Stuff

I've been enjoying a new (to me) blog lately,Somewhat Simple. Talk about a mecca for ideas -- she's constantly sharing ideas and inviting others to share ideas -- and encouraging copycats (and we both know I'm a big copycat). Makes me almost wish I was back in my old Arizona stomping grounds to meet this girl and attend one of her girls' nights out!


When I saw her linky party this week, I couldn't resist relishing my little success with my mother-in-law's birthday gift once again and posting it. I'll bet you either having something to share over there, too, or you'd love to browse through the ideas others are posting, so join the party!

Risk Taker? Join the Club!

I'm not a huge risk taker. I enjoy the occasional roller coaster, I'll eat certain kinds of sushi, and I own my own business. However, at this point, I don't think I would skydive, eat blowfish, or wear an alligator on my head.

Nester over at The Nesting Place had a cool idea for her blog today. She's created a holiday, National Take A Risk Day, and has invited risk-takers to link up with the post. I felt like it was very timely, as I'd just written this post about a project that I'd been quite uncertain about but decided to try.

One of the blogs I subscribe to (gotta love google reader) participated, as well. It was an encouraging insight into this mom's life and journey -- stop by and read it if you have time. And check out her gorgeous photography -- it always inspires me to try to take more (and more interesting) photos of everyday life.

Rosemary Fest!

I love going to the Dekalb Farmer's Market -- I just wish it was closer to my house! I was able to justify going there recently because it was close enough to the Carlos Museum at Emory University (a great field trip when studying Ancients). As we pulled into the parking lot, I rolled down the windows so we could inhale the scents -- exotic spices seem to emanate from the building!

After lunching on samplings from various culture's cuisines, the serious shopping started. I find my weakness is in the dry spices section... and the produce... including fresh herbs. Shopping at a farmer's market is kind of like Forest Gump's box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. But I almost always come away with fresh herbs (and very little idea of what I'm going to do with them).

Here's what I did with some of the fresh rosemary that I bought:

First, the pork chops. I'd bought a whole pork tenderloin (I'm talking the huge one now, the one that could be a lethal weapon if you can heft it) at Sam's and sliced part of it as chops. I seasoned some with just kosher salt and coarse-ground pepper, belted each with a slice of quality bacon, tucked in a rosemary sprig, and added a toothpick for security -- then double-bagged and froze them. These can be grilled, but they are also good cooked in a skillet with a little olive oil, like this:

I also wedged some new potatoes and shook them in a ziploc bag with a little olive oil, kosher salt, coarse ground pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary. You can also add pressed or minced garlic (I forgot). Shake well, then spread on an oiled jelly-roll pan and roast at 400 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, stirring at least once:

I was on a roll, so I opened a small can of mandarin oranges and mixed in a little chopped rosemary, as well:

This was later added to mixed greens and topped with craisins, toasted sliced almonds, and Ken's Steakhouse Sweet Vidalia Onion Dressing:

This meal seemed fancy without being fussy -- and it was good! Hope your family will enjoy it, too!




I shared this on:

I linked up over at Eat at Home's Ingredient Spotlight: Fresh Herbs!