23 September 2009 - Being a Proverbs 31 Mom
I am really enjoying Cindy Rushton's series on being a Proverbs 31 mom. Cindy is always so encouraging! Check it out at www.blogtalkradio.com/Mom-to-Mom-Radio-Show !
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22 September 2009 - Good Morning!
When things are tough it's so easy to wake up in the morning tired and discouraged and trudge through the morning spreading around that mood around. When your face is one of the first things your kids see in the morning, what they see is going to influence what kind of day they have.....and what kind of day THEY have influences what kind of day YOU have. (do I hear an Amen sisters?)
Your kids (and your hubby) need to see your smile in the morning. They need to hear "Good morning!" instead of "uummpffffgggghhhrrr" or "Who spilled milk on the counter again?!" or "Get your fanny out of that bed. Do you know what time it is?!"
Do whatever it takes. Leave an encouraging memory verse or quote written on a pretty card on your bedside table or on your bathroom mirror. Take a moment to write a few things you are thankful for in your journal. Above all else, pray for your attitude to reflect God's love and patience.
When I take the time to do this (some weeks are better than others.... ahem) it makes SUCH a difference in what kind of day our family has. In tough times especially your kids need your smile and kind words.
So tomorrow morning.... let the first thing your hubby and kids see of you is your smile. And let the first words they hear from you be "Good Morning."
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17 September 2009 - The Power of Three
If you're like me you have a huge "to-do" list, written or mental, with items from "clean out the van" to "pick up hubby's shaving cream" to "plan Junior's high school course of study." With our mile-long to-do's its easy to run all day and drop into bed thinking "Did I get *anything* done today?"
There is an easy trick I learned to stop the "I didn't get anything done" feeling. Grab a piece of paper and a pen.... I'm waaaaiiiiting...... 
Ok, think about the day and all the "stuff" that's going to happen, might happen, hopefully won't happen etc... Now think, "OK, if this day gets totally derailed, what are the *three things* that, if I did them, I could say this day wasn't a total wash?" What are three things that would make this an acceptably productive day if they got done?
Now write them down!!! Don't keep it in your head. Put your piece of paper whether its a notebook or the back of a napkin you wiped PBJ off the preschooler with and put where you will see it, and see it repeatedly. When you get these things done, cross them off, check them off, highlight them... whatever makes you think "whoohoo! got that one!" when you see it.
If you do this every day, three things add up quickly. Of course these three things won't be the only things that get done 99% of the time, but they are intentional items that you decided were most important. If you keep these lists of three together and look at them at the end of the week, you'll be sure to say "Wow! I got stuff done this week!"
Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!
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13 September 2009 - Extreme Home Makeover
I can't wait for Brook Noel's Extreme Home Makeover to start tomorrow. I did this a couple years ago and it totally changed our home for the better. So many things have changed in the last couple years I'm looking forward to re-doing things to fit our family now. If you want to join in check it out at Extreme Home Makeover
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13 September 2009 - Very Cool Handbook of Nature Study Resource
A friend just told me about this site: handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/
I have Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study and have been wanting to get more mileage out of it. This blog is absolutely beautiful and just as useful as it is beautiful with its Outdoor Hour Challenges that pretty much make up a (free!) curriculum around the Handbook of Nature Study. You can even see how other users are doing the challenges. Very cool! We are going to start using this tomorrow!
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6 September 2009 - Make Today Matter!
Still finishing up planning for our daughter's high school and our special needs son's next year. This time/life management system is the **best** I've come across for getting everything done and keeping all my "roles" in balance:
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31 August 2009 - Where Did the Time Go?
This week I'm planning my younger daughter's high school year. She starts 9th grade this year. Wow - where did the time go?
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12 August 2009 - Pizza Day!
Today is pizza-lunch day. We’ve figured out how to make good pizza really quick - it just takes a little planning.....
The night before (or up to a couple nights before) make spaghetti for dinner and make a double batch of meat sauce. Make sure the extra doesn’t get eaten up!!! = )
Next day, make up the crust. Here’s my favorite. It doesn’t require a rise time but has a nice yeast-dough flavor and texture. This recipe makes a big cookie sheet sized pizza with a medium thickness. If you like thinner crust you could probably spread it thinner in two 9X13 pans. With some fruit or salad on the side this easily feeds my four kids and me.
Easy Pizza Crust
4 ½ cups flour (I like to use half white and half whole wheat, but you can do it any way you want)
2t. yeast
1 ½ t. salt
1 ½ T. sugar or honey (use a tad less if using honey)
2T. olive or canola oil
1 ½ c. warm water (barely warm to touch)
Combine dry ingredients then add oil and water. Stir until it starts to stick together and look slightly elastic. Spread on a large cookie sheet and poke a few times with a fork.
Take your leftover meat sauce from the spaghetti dinner and spread it on the crust as thick as you like, then top with some cheese and any other extra meat and/or veggies you happen to have in the fridge. Today I sliced up a few veggies from our garden - a tomato, a small bell pepper and a mild jalepeno. Some times we have some leftover bacon or sausage to crumble over the top..... your imagination is the only limit! Or you can just spread on the sauce, sprinkle with cheese and be done.
Bake at 375 for 20 - 30 minutes until the crust is done in the middle. I don’t know why, but it the baking time really varies.
I hope someone else can enjoy this too!
Jenn
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11 August 2009 - Testing!
First entry for the new blog. I really need to get a new avatar - what is that thing anyways???
