Muddy Mamas

Help with Decluttering!

2012-03-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

I just found a pin on pinterest that I think it going to be really helpful for me! I feel like I have a decent cleaning routine but I STINK at de-cluttering. So, when I saw this pin, I decided I'd take a look.

This site has a link to a pdf that tells you one thing to work on each day of the year to help declutter your home! It's very simple and it takes the "What should I work on today?" out of it for me. Some of the tasks [like declutter the tops of your cabinets (I assume she means your countertops??)] will take me multiple days. But there are others (like "keep only your good, sharp knives") that I won't have to do anything for because I only have knives I love (Thank you Pampered Chef!). I also liked that the tasks make me feel like I'm not the only one who might have a "pile in the hallway" to deal with. :)

So, if you're hoping to get rid of clutter, you might check it out. I think that you could easily jump in anytime and then you could go back for any days you missed when there's a day with something that doesn't apply to you. Hope this helps you (and me)!

Source: mysimplerlife.com via Ashlee on Pinterest

Back away from the can...

2012-03-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's 5:00 and you have no idea what to make for dinner. You open your cupboards...and the lovely red and white can stares back at you. "Open me" it says. And you are happy to oblige. But really, does something that flops out of an aluminum can in the same shape as the can really taste that good? Short answer-no. Not really. So how can you step away from the canned soup without creating a ton of work?

One of our favorite "don't have any time" go-to meals is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. No problem, except the taste of canned tomato soup isn't really that appetizing. It's just convenient. So I've tried out a few recipes and wanted to share my favorite. It's a crock-pot recipe and still a quick option, but much tastier!

Crock pot tomato soup

1 large can crushed tomatoes

1 small can tomato sauce

1 cup water or chicken stock/broth

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp basil (dried) or 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped finely

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup half and half

Add all ingredients except half and half to crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Add half and half 30 minutes before serving. Stir well and serve!

Happy 1st Blogiversary!

2012-03-01T22:33:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it was one year ago today that we posted our first post! I intended to post our blogiversary post earlier today but as you mamas know, life happens and sometimes our well meaning plans don't actually work out.

I want to thank you, our readers for journeying with us this past year. I also want to let all the readers know how much I appreciate my fellow Muddy Mama writers. Not only do we all do our part to share ideas with our readers, these ladies are also ladies with whom we are able to share life together. Though we are not all in one place geographically, I know that anytime I need someone to join me in prayer over something, these Mamas are there for me (and I do the same for them). So, I thought on our blogiversary I would share what our top 5 posts were from this past year (in terms of what was viewed the most). So here they are:

5. Product Review: Shark Navigator Lift-Away Vacuum
4.Guest Post: Furnishing Your Everyday Needs from Es...
3. Time Management: Weekly Planner
2 Bell Pepper Recipe: Unstuffed Pepper Bake
1. She Has A Name { T-shirt Giveaway}

So, as we embark on our second year of blogging, what topics would you like to see us share about more in the future?

Praying for your Husband

2012-02-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

I ran across this post on Pinterest recently, and I really LOVE the ideas behind it. Of course, I've tweaked it to make it completely applicable to my husband, but I think the important thing to remember is that as a wife, you should always be praying for your husband!

30 Day Husband Encouragement Challenge

Safe Cleaning Practices

2012-02-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has been to my house knows we're messy. Which is why I really want to make (or find) a sign like this one I found on pinterest! But I do like to clean. I'd rather mop my floors than put away laundry. I'd choose to clean my bathroom over dealing with the clutter that piles up on my countertops... but anyway... My children have an interest in helping me clean and I want to cultivate that and encourage that! And hopefully someday (soon???) they'll actually be helpful in cleaning the house. But thinking about my kids cleaning made me think more about what cleaning products I use and whether or not they are "safe" for my kids to be around. Both my kids suck fingers/thumbs so I have to be very cautious of what they get their hands in in case it ends up in their mouth before I get their hands washed.

In my research I quickly learned that "green" products do not mean safe for kids! I also learned that with most disinfecting wipes you are supposed to rinse after use on surfaces that come in contact with food! That seemed to defeat the purpose to me! Why use a wipe if i still need to wipe over it again? Am I the last person to learn this? Anyway, I found at least one wipe that does not require rinsing. Scotch Brite (you know, the scrubbing sponge makers) make aBotanical Disinfecting Wipe that does not require rinsing (Get a coupon here). Does anyone else know of a spray or wipe that doesn't require rinsing?

I've also looked into some "home remedies" that others have suggested. I received several suggestions including Vodka and Vinegar. I'm not sure I'm going to go out and buy Vodka just to clean but I already have vinegar on hand so I might try that for some cleaning purposes. Anyway, I'd love to hear suggestions from our readers on how you clean safely in your home.

Source: gigglegigglekindergarten.blogspot.com via Ashlee on Pinterest

Guest Post: Surviving as a Single Mom

2012-02-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

My husband discovered this blog of someone he knew sharing about how as a single mom she is working to pay off her debt. During 2011 she paid off over $10,000! She blogs about her journey to develop better financial habits while raising her teenage son on her own over at So Over Debt.

I know that there's been several times when my husband has been out of town and I often wonder how single mothers survive (let alone thrive). It seems every time my husband is out of town, there's either an ice storm or a big snow storm or something! Anyway, I asked Andrea if she'd be willing to write a guest post and share her story. It sure encourages me to try to have better spending/saving habits.

From Andrea:

An outsider looking in on my life would get bored quickly. Since my divorce in 2009, I amconstantly working or cleaning, and I spend any rare free time with my son and 4 dogs. Everynow and then, for a treat, I go to the tanning salon where I’m guaranteed no one will yell "MOM!"for 15 minutes. Yep, that’s as exciting as it gets.

However, one part of my life isn’t as easy to see. In fact, most of my friends and family aren’teven aware of it. While I wish it were something cool, like a secret super hero identity, thisaspect of me is decidedly uncool (though still dramatic): I am a recovering spendaholic.

I wasn’t always addicted to debt. Well, only if you count the years I was too young to know whatmoney was. To be truthful, I had a “spend now, pay later” mindset even as a small child. I wouldbeg my parents to give me my Christmas and birthday gifts early. If someone gave me money,I had to spend it RIGHT THAT MINUTE OR I WOULD DIE. If my mom said we couldn’t affordsomething, I thought she could just write a check! I’m not sure where this attitude came from butI’ve struggled with it most of my life.

As an adult, I continued my quest to consume and spend everything in my path. I marriedanother compulsive spender at 19. We used credit cards constantly, borrowed money for stupidpurchases, ended up bankrupt, and got back into debt by the time we divorced when I was 26. Ileft the marriage with $61,200 in debt, including four credit cards, a car loan, and student loans.

For a year after my divorce, I continued to make excuses for what I was doing. It’s hard tosurvive without my ex’s income, I told myself. Many people have to use credit cards after adivorce. I think I was expecting some kind of miracle to happen – maybe some wealthy manwould fall in love with me, or I would inherit money from a rich aunt I didn’t know about. Duringthat time, I depended heavily on my parents to rescue me when I ran out of money betweenpaydays.

Gradually, it occurred to me that I was the only one who could do anything about my financialproblems. I can’t pinpoint exactly how or when I had this epiphany; I just knew I couldn’tcontinue on my path of destruction. Mostly, I think I realized that my ex will never change andit’s up to me to ensure a better future for my son.

I started making small changes, like finding a new bank, reducing my spending, and making(gasp!) a budget. I started a blog where all my financial successes and failures are out therefor the world to see. Eventually all those little things added up to a huge difference in the way Ispend, save, and think about money.

These days, I’m doing okay financially. I have about $3000 in savings, no credit card debt, andthe motivation to stay away from overspending for the rest of my life. I follow my budget andavoid shopping.

When I got divorced, I never thought I could find stability on my own, but I’ve learned that theonly thing standing in my way was me! It’s amazing how far I can stretch my small income nowthat I’m not wasting it on junk and debt payments. I plan ahead for expenses instead of beingcaught off guard. The best part of all? Somewhere along the way, I forgot to wait for PrinceCharming and became happy just being myself.

Health & Fitness Reviews: Workout Programs

2012-02-21T07:00:00.002-05:00

We took a few weeks' break on Tidy Tuesday for Valentine's Day, but now we're ready to finish up our Health & Fitness Reviews series. So here are our thoughts on some workout programs we've done.

P90X - Joni says: This is a crazy intense program, but don't let that scare you away. The workouts are brutal, but honestly, they're fun. There are 13 different DVD's, so there is plenty of variety so you don't get bored. I'll tell you that I didn't really follow the plan exactly because it was too intense and too long to fit in my schedule each day. What I did was take 2 weeks to complete one of their weeks. The first week, I did the first half of each hour-long workout, then the second week I did the second half. So that's just one way to stay in the game without murdering yourself. My husband and I did this program together, though, and we really enjoyed it. In fact, my husband lost 50 pounds doing the P90X program! Generally, it's hard to find a workout video I would want to do with him because most of them are led by women who aren't wearing enough clothes. However, these ones seem to be targeted toward men, but still fun enough for the gals too. We enjoyed this one, and though we didn't stay with it long-term, we still pull the DVD's out for a good workout occasionally. (P.S. These DVD's are really expensive! We bought them on eBay for half the price!)

Insanity- Lela says: I have done both the full 90 days of P90X, as well as Insanity. I wish I could just focus on Insanity for this review, but I will have to add this disclaimer. P90x made me stronger, both mind and body and prepared my body for the high intensity interval training on which Insanity is based. I will say that this workout is by far my most favorite set of workouts that I have ever done. It is also the most challenging workouts I have ever done (compared to Tae Bo, Biggest Loser and other more no name DVDs over my adult years). Someone described the program best when they said, "Insanity: You get stronger. The workouts never get easier." How this happens, I don't know. My endurance as well as lean muscle mass both increased while consistently following this 60 day program (I actually enjoyed it so much, I did it for 120 days and found even more of a benefit). I found p90x to be a bit boring and mundane and hard to even motivate to actually start some mornings. Insanity was a lot easier to wake up to at 6 am and accomplish. It produces the largest amount of sweat I have ever produced within the confines of my home (I sweat tons, so a good run will make it roll, but never has a dvd produced such similar results of a hard, fast or long run). The workouts in the first 30 days are mainly between 40 and 55 minutes. That is totally doable and allows time for some extra stretching if you feel you need it. The second 30 days are more like 45-65 minutes, but still, totally doable if you are more pressed for time. All of this being said, I WOULD NOT recommend this program as a beginner workout program. The strength I gained from P90x allowed me to be more fit and ready for the high intensity interval training on which this program is based. So, find something to work into this level of interval training if you are interested in taking your body to the next level. I have tried other DVDs since this time to supplement my running and weight training, but always go back to these workouts for the best overall body cardio/toning results. This, like P90X is costly, so check around on Ebay and other places to see what deals and/or discounts you can find!

Homeschooling My Preschooler

2012-02-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned previously, I have a 3-year-old who is just beginning a Mother's Day Out program two mornings a week. He's not ready for a real preschool yet, and I expect this experience will be more about social learning than intellectual learning. However, I also want to start thinking along the lines of real school, though, and because of our circumstances, I think we have a lot of preparation to do. We are planning a move overseas in the next few months, and that means that until we get our feet on the ground and figure out what we want to do, I'll be homeschooling him - and I may homeschool for many years. I want to start planning ahead now and know exactly what I want to do because I'll definitely have other things to think about once we get moved!

So I started looking around for a preschool curriculum that I could start on a small basis now, and then move to more full-time as he grows and is ready for more. A friend recommended to me the free faith-based curriculum called ABC Jesus Loves Me, and I really think it's going to be perfect for us! I like it for a few reasons:

It's free! There are a few books and resources to buy, but she has her whole curriculum available to print for free online. What a blessing.
It's faith-based and focuses on character. My son is pretty sharp when it comes to intellectual learning, so I don't feel like I need to focus on things like letters and numbers. He picks those up from watching Super Why on PBS! What he does struggle in, though, is character traits like focus, obedience, following directions, listening, etc. This curriculum focuses on building godly character with things like Bible stories, songs, and memory verses, so I think that will be absolutely perfect for us. These are things I have always wanted to teach him, but haven't really known how. This curriculum walks me completely through it and tells me exactly what to do! I can pick and choose the things that I feel are most important for us to spend more time on.
She understands frugality and offers many options for resources you can make at home instead of having to pay to buy them. I think that's great, and so I'm beginning now to work on making things we can take with us and then have them ready to do our preschool program after we move.

This curriculum is only for preschool, so I'll have to do more research to decide what direction to head when he's ready for first grade. However, this will get us through the next couple of years!

So although I'm nervous and uncertain about being my son's teacher - teaching children is NOT my gift or my passion - I'm excited about having this curriculum and a plan to do my best in our circumstances!

Are you homeschooling? Any thoughts about training your preschooler at home before he heads out to school?

"No Day But Today!"

2012-02-14T06:30:00.001-05:00

It's not only Tidy Tuesday here at Muddy Mamas, when we give you ideas on how to organize, plan, clean and also, stay fit and healthy but it is. . . wait for it. . . Valentine's Day! I always have mixed emotions on this heart and love-filled holiday. I am ALL about love; love for God, love for your spouse, love for your children, love for your friends. . . love for everyone, as Jesus deemed as one of the most important commandments on which to base our lives. Sometimes, through, I feel it can bring those that may not feel that they have a "special someone" to love or to send them flowers or greet them at their door with chocolates into a place of bitterness, or sadness, or even give them a sense of little self-worth. I also think it can give people a skewed thought that only today, when there are tons of reminders in the stores to show people we love them, can we do things, big and little, to share our feelings with one another. Let us all be careful that we not only show love and work a little extra hard at showing it on this day, February 14, but may we love well and spur one another toward love every day of our lives. One way we can do that with our spouse is to carve out a time, even once a month, to workout and encourage one another to be healthy, strong and fit.

Mondays are Joshua's "day off" (I use that phrase loosely, as even tonight, he has commitments at First Baptist to meet with the Elder Team and then, has another meeting with a family from FBC.) But, mornings and afternoons are pretty much his. I have, with grace and sweetness, encouraged him to seek and find some things that he enjoys and works his heart and body a bit more, especially since he has now been officially diagnosed with some cholesterol issues that was bound to happen, considering his genetic pool. So, Monday mornings consist of our normal routine of getting the girls ready and off to school, but we get the added bonus of a coffee date at our fun, local coffee shop (we don't have fattening, mega grande treats, mind you), where we get to pray together and enjoy chatting with one another and the friends we have made with the coffee girls. It's truly just a fun, focused time that we have enjoyed making for and with one another! We then head to the YMCA (this is Joshua's least favorite part of this sweet time), where we spend an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes doing cardio/weights. Sometimes, we work together, side by side on the treadmill and then, spotting each other on the free weights. Other times, he grabs a bike and reads or studies his sermon that is upcoming, and I run my heart out until I have no sweat left to drip (no worries, I wipe down the treadmill). We head home and grab our little Laney Belle from preschool and feel the accomplished, stress busting, sweet time that we were able to enjoy together. That's our weekly schedule, and we try to throw in some outdoorsy time by spending an annual weekend away while my parents watch the girlies. We always make it an active time. We hike, canoe, golf, run crazy mud races, anything that is active and lets us enjoy being together in the sunshine.

Now, don't get me wrong, spending time vegging on the couch watching favorite shows together or reading books in the same room are all great ways to just "be" together, but don't forget that while we have energy, life and breath, we were made to move. Otherwise, joints, bones, muscles, organs. . . they definitely wouldn't be as fine tuned and specific to movement if they weren't begging to be used.

So, what do you and your favorite someone enjoy doing together? Or, maybe, this Valentine's day, you will commit to finding at least one day a month to be active and step outside your box and have some fun together. Run a 5k together? Throw the frisbee around the yard? Take a walk around the neighborhood? Is there ever a bad day to be excellent before God? There is truly "no day but today!"

3 ingredients +12 min =cake

2012-02-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

We were having guests over For dinner & I was debating what to make for dessert. I was thinking their daughter didn't like chocolate (but that may be off) so I was trying to think of something else I could try with things I had on hand. So I decided to combine 2 things I had tried and hope that it worked out ok together. I used an idea I learned from my Pampered Chef director and one I'd tried that I learned about through pinterest (see pin here). You only need 3 ingredients but there is one optional ingredient as well. Here's how you can make a pumpkin cake with a cream cheese glaze so easily!

Ingredients:
1 can of cream cheese icing
1 can of pumpkin
1 box of cake mix (I used yellow but if chocolate & pumpkin appeal to you I'm guessing that would work as well)
Optional: Sprinkle some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice in as well.

Oh, and there are 2 other things you'll need:
-a microwave
-a Pampered Chef Stoneware fluted pan (I know a consultant if you need one wink wink)

Directions:

1. I used my medium scoop (another Pampered Chef tool I love) to scoop the icing out all around the bottom of the pan.

2. Mix your cake mix (you DO NOT need the ingredients on the box) and your can of pumpkin together. Add in some spices (I'd suggest cinnamon or pumpkin pie) if you like.

3. Pour that batter (It will be a little thicker than regular cake batter but maybe if I had not been to lazy to get my mixer out it would have not been as thick) on top of the icing.

4. Put it in your microwave for 12 minutes. Then let it sit for a little bit (I usually start the microwave when we sit down to eat and it's usually perfect by the time we finish and are ready for dessert).

5. Using a platter with a bit of an edge, turn the cake over onto the plate (Maybe this is a given, but I put the platter on top of the fluted pan and then hold onto both (using my oven mitts because it's still hot) and flip it over. And here's what you'll get:

The icing melts and just oozes over the cake like a cream cheese glaze. I didn't flip it quick enough so more of the icing dumped out on one side than the other, but it's easy to move it. :)

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you try it out and come up with any good tips or variations!

When to Stock up on What

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

I recently joined in on pinterest and came across this post about when to buy what foods and thought I'd pass it on. I'm definitely one to stock up on things, particularly things that won't spoil when they're on sale. Do you have anything you'd add to this list?

Gift-giving to your spouse

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

As I was searching for ideas for my husband for Christmas, I ran across a blog post that really struck me. We keep a very small budget for gift giving and this idea was one that I really loved. Bryn, who writes for the blog papertastebuds wrote this article about giving your spouse "Peace of Mind" for a gift. Just think about all the small things in your day that you find frustrating. Then think about how easy it would be to take those tasks, one at a time, and eliminate them. What an awesome gift! I also like that this idea requires you to really be observant of your spouse, and listen to everything they say. If you aren't paying attention, you might not hear a casual comment about the dust on top of the clock or how their car needs to be vacuumed. They may not be purposely laying hints, but I am certain that any spouse would be grateful not only for thoughtfulness of the gift, but in the security of knowing that you are really listening to everything they tell you!

So as Valentine's Day approaches, and you're thinking about what to do for your spouse, consider something like this. While dinner, chocolates, flowers, and cards are nice, what better way to show them you love them than to spend time working to make their life easier, and more comfortable. We are called to serve each other in love, 'til death do us part.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Decorating for Valentine's Day

2012-02-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

I like that I can take some of my Christmas decorations and repurpose them for Valentine's Day. For example, my red cloth napkins can be used from December thru February for two different holidays. I dumped out my Christmas ornaments that were in my trifle bowl and let my almost four year old fill it full of petals.

One of the other ideas I came up with that was inspired by my brother-in-law's house's Christmas decor combined with these ornaments I found after Christmas at Target (3 for 50 cents!). I have been able to put those ornaments to work in a few places. You could easily make your own out of felt or scrapbook card stock to decorate your home as well. I'm sure this would look even better for people who have updated light fixtures instead of painted fixtures from the 70's. But at least being white they don't get as much attention as they would have otherwise.

I also found some other places to decorate with the heart ornaments: I hung them on my kitchen cabinet handles and on my fireplace in the place of our stockings.

Another idea that I picked up off of a friend last year was using the gel window cling hearts in my bathroom to add some "love". I bought these after Valentines's Day last year on clearance and they are reusable. My kids loved helping hang them up (I did have to turn some of the hearts the right direction- at least for the picture.

If you're still looking for some ideas, here are some things I've found on Pinterest I'd like to try. I really love this first one and hope to make one for our family. It would also be something that would be easy to add on new names if your family grows. :)

There are so many fun wreath ideas. I thought I'd share this one because it would be easy to make.

And the next one is just so cute, though I'm not sure if I could make it myself. Does anyone else ever wish they had more doors to hang wreaths on???

And one more thing I've had on my "Oh I'd love to make this!" list for a long time (even before Pinterest!) and I think would make great year round decor, but a fun Valentine's Day project to make is this last one I'll share:

Source:thepeanutpaintshop.blogspot.com via Ashlee on Pinterest

Source: crafts.kaboose.com via Ashlee on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Ashlee on Pinterest

Source: cleanandscentsible.blogspot.com via Ashlee on Pinterest

Guest Post: Making a Menu Board = Making a Plan

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to share this post with you. I love to plan meals but my friend Lindsay, not so much. However she recently found a method of meal planning that is working for her so I asked her to share it with our readers. Maybe this will help inspire someone who might be looking for a way to get control of their meal plans. Here's Lindsay's How to:

Supplies:
Large Picture Frame
Scrapbooking Paper and/or Fabric Scraps and Trim
Wooden Clothespins (one for each day)
Wooden Cutouts and Letters
Acrylic Paints or Spray Paint
Gorilla glue (or another heavy duty brand)
Command Strips or Nails for Hanging
2 16-count Crayon Boxes
Mod Podge
Spray Laquer

I have this theory that if I could just get a little more organized in the kitchen, I would cook more often (and perhaps better). When I saw that about sixteen of my closest friends had pinned this menu board to their Pinterest sites, I liked the overall layout and decided to create one for my own kitchen.

I set to work hoping to locate as many of the necessary supplies around the house as possible. As much as I did not want to spend much money on this project, I also hoped to not have to trudge out to the craft store in the falling snow with my two preschoolers in tow. I found most of what I needed, including a tall, 10” x 21” picture frame I bought on clearance a few years ago for only $3.50 and some fabric scraps and handmade lace that my husband’s Depression-era aunt had saved and given to me under the incorrect assumption that I could sew (I didn’t have the heart to correct her). All I was lacking was two boxes of 16-count crayons, which my husband willingly grabbed for me on his way home from work.

Early in the day, I began by painting my plastic, black frame with white acrylic paint. It took three coats to cover it and I probably should have primed it first, but it all worked out well, anyway. Also, I most likely would have chosen to use spray paint if I’d had it in the house, but again, recall the snow. By afternoon, I was able to coat it with lacquer. (I lacquer everything.) In the meantime, I used the mat that came with the frame as a guide to plan my inserts. Mine are a mixture of fabric and paper, but one or the other would work fine. I like that this frame allows for the display of multiple photos, so I was able to mix and match various colors and patterns, rather than simply relying upon one large sheet. I managed to work the family heirloom lace into the design, as well.

Before long, the inserts were in place and the frame was back together. I then painted my wooden letters and cutouts and covered them with a coat of lacquer. (Did I mention how much I love lacquer?) I applied them to the frame and to the clothespins with Gorilla glue. I doubted how well it would actually hold for the first twenty minutes or so of drying, but it really does bond extremely well. After they had dried for a couple of hours, I organized my clothespins along the sides of the frame, using business cards clipped in place in order to space them correctly and began the gluing process again.

While the glue was drying, I went to work on the crayon boxes, which had by this point arrived. In order to fit them onto my frame, I needed to cut off the top portion of the box, leaving about 2½” that would keep my menu cards organized. I then wrapped the front and sides of each box with scrapbook paper, trimming it out with a band of coordinating paper and text to distinguish the box that held recipes I had recently prepared from the box that held recipes that had not been cooked for some time. This is where I made my fatal error: I could not fight my uncontrollable urge to lacquer the boxes. Unfortunately, the scrapbook paper did not respond well and I had to replace some of the trim and the text. A coat of Mod Podge later and my mistake is (thankfully) unnoticeable. While I was at it, I used some Mod Podge to attach days of the week labels to my clothespins.

The final step in this project was probably the most difficult for me. I made several pages of 3” x 2” rectangles on the computer and typed in some of my staple main dishes, including a possible side dish for each meal. It is also a good idea to make cards that signify days on which you plan to eat out (date nights, shared community group meals, etc.) and days you expect to serve the previous night’s leftovers. I plan to eventually laminate each card and also place the full recipe for each meal in a binder. This will make compiling my semi-monthly shopping lists so much simpler. I won't have to rely solely upon my memory which, in fact, may not be too sharp these days due to the profusion of lacquer fumes around here.

What about my initial hopes of getting organized and cooking more often? I can report that it has now been nearly a week since my menu board was completed and I am completely on schedule. I had initially feared that I would feel too pressured by the constraints of a preplanned menu and, therefore, not be as flexible as my family’s lifestyle requires. I have found, however, that I have even greater flexibility now, as I can reorganize my meals when necessary (and this has already happened), as well as prepare some things earlier in the day. I have even found the time, energy, and desire to add an unplanned desert to our repertoire! Best of all, I have not had to endure that annoying four o’clock “What in the world are we going to eat?” stress-out moment that always ultimately ended with a pizza delivery man waiting on our porch.

Lindsay Shores is a full-time ministry wife (for 8 years) and mother to Abigail (age 5) and Isaiah (age 3). Her days are currently filled with an interesting combination of drinking coffee, assisting refugees, homeschooling, drinking more coffee, cleaning, painting, attempting to find humor in all of life's craziness, and aiming to reflect God’s glory. And drinking more coffee.

Calling all Artist!

2012-02-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me (Ashlee) have probably already heard me mention this but for those of you who may not have heard, here's the story:

This past November my friends, Jen and Jeff, had to take their 7 month old daughter, Hudson, to the ER because she was vomiting uncontrollably. Long story short- they discovered she had cancer. Initially she was diagnosed with stage 4 Hepatoblastoma, a childhood liver cancer. It had already spread to her lungs as well. They fairly quickly began chemo treatments and were expecting about a year of treatment and then hoping that she might be able to have a liver transplant.

To try to make this very long and trying situation's story shorter, Hudson, who is now 10 months old just recently had a portion of her liver resected and while they were in their they found spots on her stomach. After more testing, they discovered that she did not have Hepatoblastoma, but another, even more rare form of cancer, Malignant rhabdoid tumor of the liver. There are some differences in the treatment she'll go through, but due to her surprisingly good response to treatment, they seem very hopeful. They will be looking at at least 7 months if not another year of treatment for her though.

As you can imagine, this is going to be tough on this family. They also have a 3 year old daughter. Some artists within our church are organizing an art benefit to raise support for the family. They will host a silent auction and music performances on Friday, February 17, 2012 at Veritas Community Church. They are looking for donations for the auction. Here's some info if you are a crafty person or have some artistic abilities you'd like to put to use for a good cause, here's some info from the FB event for donating on how you can help:

We're asking artists to donate a piece of work to be included in the silent auction. We're looking for a wide variety of work including paintings, photographs, prints, drawings, pottery, glass, jewelry and more. We'd also love to include handmade items such as clothing, accessories, and home decor items. Wedding/family photography packages and graphic design services would be a great addition, too.

Your art can help to raise support, hope and encouragement for little Hudson and her family! Simply click here to fill out a simple form. You will be contacted by the benefit coordinator, Heather Ormiston, with additional details. Work must be received by Thursday, February 16, 2012.

If you're in the Columbus area, the silent auction will be held on Friday, February 17, 212 at Veritas Community Church (345 E 2nd Ave.) and you'd be welcome to stop by and invite your friends (click here to invite them via Facebook).

And All of us can keep this little girl and her family in our prayers.

Guest Post: Choosing Your Child's Education: Part II

2012-02-03T06:30:00.000-05:00

Last week I shared Brittany's thoughtful post on questions to ask yourself concerning your child's education. This week I'm sharing part two and we'll find out what Brittany and her family decided to do.

From Brittany:

When we moved into an urban area, we knew schooling would be a challenge. Many
area elementary schools had closed down as families moved to the suburbs. What were
left were schools that were struggling despite extra attention from the government and
renovated buildings. A lottery system exists but it leaves your childʼs education up to
chance. Private schools abound, but are unaffordable for the average family. Charter
schools and other options exist, but nothing seemed like the right ﬁt for us.

As we considered our goals for our family, we wanted our children to have an education
that would complement the ministry we knew we were called to. But most importantly,
we want our children to know Jesus--to love Him and follow Him wholeheartedly, to
enjoy Him forever. We want to have large quantities of time together so when those
spontaneous spiritual questions come out, we are there to discuss them. We want an
education for them in which we can best show them the ways of our Father and teach
them to bask in the warmth of His love, glory and His creation. Homeschooling seemed
to be the best option for us to achieve those goals.

However, the looming concern for my husband and I was socialization. A friend
comforted me, saying, “Your kids will be like you guys. You and Nick love to be with
people and have folks over all the time! Theyʼre going to be ﬁne.” Also, we found out
around the same time that around seven other families at church had decided to
homeschool as well. So, we formed a weekly co-op to bring the kids together for
concentrated instruction...and a large dose of socialization!

Now that Iʼm a couple months into homeschooling my kindergartener, I can see how
God is using my gifts in this endeavor. I have a background as a teacherʼs aid, an
English degree and several years of tutoring, writing and editing experience. My
husband is a church planting pastor who loves to study and teach our girls, and has
many opportunities to travel. When he does, my girls and I have the freedom to spend
time at my parentsʼ farm for a few days and break from our usual routine.

My hope is that after reading this article it doesnʼt sound like a commercial for
homeschooling. Iʼve found homeschooling to be very challenging, and it has brought
me to my knees and to tears more than once! Instead, my prayer is that as you consider
the options available to you concerning your childʼs education, know that Godʼs grace
toward you abounds and He is indeed sovereign. I pray you are helped and encouraged
by reading a bit about my journey to discover the best option for my children (at least
the best option for right now!), but mostly I want you to be joyfully obedient to Him and
what He calls your family to do.

Brittany Nye is a mother of three daughters and wife to church-planting pastor Nick Nye.
She lives in urban Columbus, Ohio, loves to read, write, ride her bike and drink tea. She
is passionate about seeing womenʼs lives be transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ways to Save Money on Family Planning Products

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

So this post feels a bit awkward to write, but at the same time, I want other Mamas to be able to save money, so I'm putting it out there anyway. I love shopping online because it often can save me money (even if the price is relatively the same, I'm not as likely to make impulse buys) and I can save time (not to mention, not be driving in the dark or shopping with kids in tow). Anyway, I just thought I'd suggest that you check out Amazon for your family planning needs. For example, here's some pricing for you:

So if you are wondering if you are pregnant (and boy, it's nice when you're nursing and have "no clue" to be able to test away and not feel bad for wasting money), you can get pregnancy tests:

Or if you're trying to get pregnant:

Or if you're trying to NOT get pregnant (these and others are even available with Subscribe and Save where you get an additional 15% off and you can cancel after your first delivery):

The other great thing about buying family planning items online is you don't have to worry about running into someone you know when shopping for these items and having an awkward conversation about, "So, are you trying to have a baby?" No one knows what's in the Amazon box on your porch! haha Of course, I'm still blushing from writing this post, but I know that the few mamas I've told about this were surprised to learn about the cheap pregnancy tests and grateful for it because it makes it possible to afford the peace of mind of "knowing."

Health & Fitness Reviews: Apps

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing our Health & Fitness Reviews series, here are a few apps we have tried!

SparkPeople (iPhone) - Valerie says: This program is easy to use on the go. You can look up the calories in any food you eat, input it, along with exercise and water intake. It will track how many calories you've had, how much exercise you need, and your weight. It's free, and easy to use. Does not include personal contacts so you must remain accountable to yourself.

Ultimate Weight Watcher Diary (Android) - Joni says: I absolutely ADORE this app. I am way too cheap to pay to be a member of Weight Watchers, and even just the $25 points calculator was more than I wanted to spend. However, I really wanted to give the points program a try. So I did some searching around and discovered this app for my Android phone that only cost $3.99. It does absolutely everything the WW calculator would do, and it's so handy because I'm already carrying my phone around with me anyway! It made following a WW plan SO easy even without paying for a membership or having any kind of accountability. Just input your eating and exercise, and it will track your points for you. The more you use it, the easier it gets because it remembers your favorite foods. I highly recommend this one! (This app is also available for iPhone here.)

Guest Post: Choosing Your Child's Education (Part 1)

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-05:00

During the holidays I realized that the time is coming up in which we need to decide about our schooling choice for next year! Our oldest will be 4 so I'm looking into pre-schooling options. In case you're also trying to decide what you will do as far as schooling your child(ren), our teaching pastor's wife Brittany has some great wisdom to share.

From Brittany:

“But what are you going to do about school?”

It was the question every well-meaning friend and family member asked when we moved into urban Columbus almost four years ago. For some families, poor public schooling options in the city are the very reason they stay away. Higher rates of crime (sometimes), small backyards and a higher cost of living don’t help either. But if you’ve submitted your life to Christ, you know he often calls you to do what is uncomfortable. You will be called to do things you never imagined and make choices that seem unwise in the eyes of others. In our case, we knew God had called us to plant a church in the Short North neighborhood. We trusted him and moved forward, unsure of what to do about schooling.

When our eldest daughter turned three, there were several points of consideration my husband and I began to talk through so we could reach a decision.

What is my goal? What is the ultimate goal of education, in your eyes? Proverbs 1:7 says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” As believers, all of our opinions and goals in education must flow out of the truth of God’s word. Do you truly believe teaching your children to fear the Lord is the beginning of knowledge? Does your parenting reflect that? Which schooling option will best help you teach your children the fear of the Lord?
Where do I live? Why do you live where you do? Did your child’s school district dictate where you chose to live? We must prayerfully seek the Lord concerning where we live, and be very intentional about it. Pastor Steve Timmis teaches on the importance of finding a Christ-centered church and saturating yourself in the neighborhood it ministers to. This is much easier to do if you live in the same community. Let us first consider what gospel work we’re called to and let that dictate where we live.
What is my family dynamic? Which option will help my family function in the healthiest way? Think about your marriage. Will it be able to handle the stress and challenges each option may present? Which type of schooling will truly enable you to be the ‘gardener of souls’ God calls you to be as a parent? God has crafted all of our families in unique ways.

Through the death of Jesus, we can experience his sweet grace as we wrestle through these questions. Psalm 127: 3-5 tells us our children are a heritage, a reward and a blessing. What an opportunity we have to build God’s kingdom by making sure they are educated in a way that glorifies him! I am so humbled that God would use me, a sinner, to “train up a child in the way he should go, that when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prov. 22:6)

Brittany Nye is a mother of three daughters and wife to church-planting pastor Nick Nye. She lives in urban Columbus, Ohio, loves to read, write, ride her bike and drink tea. She is passionate about seeing women’s lives be transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Health & Fitness Reviews: Websites

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Some of the Mamas have tried out different health & fitness websites, and here are our experiences:

Weight Watchers Online - Valerie says: This is a great program. You get "points" based on your desired weight loss and current weight for different foods. It has a great deal of flexibility (you aren't restricted by eating only certain foods) and is compatible with "bumps" like holidays and eating out. It does require you to be accountable to yourself as there is no personal contact with the online version. It also includes meal plans, recipes, and grocery lists.

The Lord's Table Online Bible Study - Joni says: This free online Bible study course from Setting Captives Free was phenomenal and life-changing for me in helping me understand the truth of what was happening when I was overeating. The premise of the study is that people who eat more than their body needs are eating to fill some kind of need other than physical, and that need is something that can only be actually filled by the Lord. Therefore, we need to choose to step away from the physical table of food and instead feast at the Lord's Table, hence the name of the study. It is intensive, and the course actually teams you up with a mentor who has previously completed the course to help encourage you via email. It also comes along with a recommended eating plan, which in my opinion isn't very good. I won't ramble about that now, but please contact me if you want to learn more. Please don't let the weird eating plan deter you from this study - if you struggle with overeating that you just can't find victory over, this course may be just the key God uses for your freedom!

Fitday - Joni says: This is a free, simple, and easy-to-use site to help you track your eating and exercise. It's been a while since I've been on this site, so it may have plenty of new and awesome features, but even if it doesn't, it was definitely helpful for tracking things like calories in and calories out!

Sparkpeople's Recipe Calculator - Joni says: One difficult thing about any kind of program where you track calories or points or whatever is that you're often at a disadvantage when you cook your own recipes - you don't know how many calories or carbs or points were in that recipe! However, Sparkpeople has a pretty awesome recipe calculator where you plug in the ingredients from your recipe and how many servings the recipe makes, and it tells you the nutritional value of one serving of that recipe. This came in so handy when I was trying to count Weight Watchers points because I could use this to calculate the nutritional info, which I could then plug into my WW calculator to tell me how many points.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bars

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

In preparation for our move, I've been trying to use up all the food from our pantry. So tonight I knew I wanted to have breakfast for dinner, but I also wanted to somehow use up the sweet potatoes we had. I didn't know of any sweet potato breakfast recipes, but I googled it and found this recipe for Sweet Potato Breakfast Bars. I tweaked it quite a bit, so what you see below is what I made. The original recipe used quick-cooking oats and more sugar, so head on over there if you want a less healthy version. ;) I was thrilled, though, because my 3-year-old son DEVOURED this, and that's one of the first time he's enjoyed something even closely resembling oatmeal. This was firmer, and the flavor was delicious. I would consider making this for breakfast all the time - just reheat and go! This recipe is simple, but make sure you start plenty of time in advance. I recommend cooking the sweet potatoes in advance so they have time to cool before you're handling them.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bars

5 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons extra-light olive oil or canola oil
2/3 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup water
4 cups old fashioned oats

Wash and scrub sweet potatoes. Pierce them with a fork, and microwave on high until they're soft, about 8-10 minutes. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the potatoes lengthwise, scoop out the flesh, and place in a large bowl. Add cinnamon, oil, maple syrup, orange juice, and water. Stir in oats and mix well. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Pour mixture evenly into pan and cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes to brown the top a little. Let cool 10 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve immediately or store for three days in an airtight container. Makes 8 servings.

Wearing Your Baby

2012-01-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of advantages to wearing your baby, or even your older kids. However, the options can be at best, overwhelming. Like most things, there are hundreds of styles, types, and colors. Every baby has his or her own preferences as well. And then, there is always the question of where you are wearing them and what your personal needs are.

I thought I would post some of my favorite carrier options and what I like about them.

First up is the wrap style carrier (shown here is a Moby wrap). They come in stretchy (like the Moby) and non-stretch styles. They can be worn a variety of ways-on the front, the hip, and the back. They're a little tricky to wrap comfortably, and can be hot during warm months. However, these are by far the most comfortable and secure for a newborn in my opinion.

Next up is an un-structured carrier. Shown is a Mei Tai style. These come in a wide variety of styles and colors, with all sorts of optional features (toy loops, drool pads, etc...). These are nice because they can be folded up very small and tucked into a diaper bag. They are washable, and great for older babies. They can be tied for a front or back carry.

Not pictured is the sling style carrier. They come in pouch or ring sling styles and also fold very small. I find them not to be as comfortable on the shoulder for long periods of time as they distribute weight to one side.

My favorite of the carriers are the soft-structured style carriers. Pictured is an Ergo-seen in a back carry with my 2 1/2 year old (35 lb) daughter and also in a front carry with my 4 month old. They are extremely versatile and comfortable for long periods of time. They make it easy to carry larger children when needed as well. They are not as compact, but are washable and lightweight.

Last are the full-structured carriers. Pictured is my middle daughter as an infant in our Kelty backpack. These are great for outdoor use, when you need the added option of attached diaper bag. Daddy prefers carrying in this one, and it requires very little learning to use correctly. It is however not machine washable and is a bit heavier to carry.

I find that the carriers are a great way to forgo the stroller when I don't have the trunk space or when I need one extra seat-like grocery shopping with all three kids. If you're looking into baby wearing, try borrowing some carriers from other people and see what you like best! It will make doing housework, exercising, shopping, and traveling much easier with a baby!

Free Book: John Piper's Bloodlines

2012-01-19T15:30:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to read John Piper's book Bloodlines and I just learned you can get a pdf of the book online free here so I thought I'd pass it on! I'm looking forward to reading it soon. Or if you like the paper copy, you can get it from Amazon as well.

Buying Secondhand-how to avoid scams

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

The popularity of buying secondhand through sites like Ebay, Craigslist, and virtual yard sales is skyrocketing. In an economy where prices are inflated and incomes have bottomed out, it's often necessary to buy used. And truly, there is much to be said for buying used-you are avoiding waste, saving money, and teaching your whole family about being thrifty. It is a buyer beware market though. Many people are losing money on broken/unusable items, things that are dangerous or out of date, and just general scams. So, here are some things to ask and look for if you are planning to buy secondhand. (Also, please note that most consignment or secondhand stores have screened their items properly already for recalls and defects).

*Always ask the seller the important questions: does it work properly? How old is it? Does it have all the pieces? Are there any defects?

*Consider the conditions of the home/business you are buying from. Do they have pets? Smoke? Use detergents/fabric softeners? If you have allergies, this is especially important!

*If the item is listed as "new" is it in original packaging? Would it be considered "giftable"?

*Is the price they are asking reasonable? Look online for new and used prices of the item and feel free to make an offer that you feel is reasonable.

*If the item you are purchasing requires batteries or an outlet, be sure you will be in a location you can test the item before buying.

*Always pick a public location to meet if you don't know the person you are meeting. Store parking lots, restaurants, and gas stations are good choices.

*Never agree to take money from someone to ship it overseas or across the country. Often these are scams. If you do feel that it is appropriate to do so, then have them pay as "goods" through paypal, and ship your item with delivery confirmation. This will protect you as a seller. If you are a buyer, please ask for these terms with your seller as well.

Save the date!

2012-01-18T06:30:00.004-05:00

It's coming upon my 10 year wedding anniversary (1-19-02) and as I was pondering on what to give the man that has everything, the man with whom I build my home on this earth! I stumbled upon this fun, subway inspired wall art work on Pinterest and enlisted a friend of mine to make one for our home. I am blessed that Joshua is very creative and cares a lot about how we design and decorate our home. He would normally do this himself with his graphics design background, but since it's a gift to him, I had to find another avenue. In fact, many of the color schemes and design ideas are usually thought up by his artsy brain and I'm surprised he hasn't already come up with this on his own! So, I am pretty sure this will be a great hit to commemorate a fun milestone in our lives as well as a fun addition to our home decor!

Source: Uploaded by user via Nicole on Pinterest

I asked that a few things be altered from these particular models, making the top two dates our birth dates, the middle date our wedding date and the bottom two dates our girls' birth dates, as well as switching our family name and the "all because two people fell in love" in the design, but I'm hoping it will turn out well!

Fitness Review: EA Sports Active for Wii

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

It seems that after the holidays everyone is focused on getting healthy. If you're like me, with three small kids at home, finding time to exercise is next to impossible. Where I live, there aren't any gyms that have drop-in childcare, and my time to get all the day's work done (cooking, cleaning, and hanging out with Hubby) is very limited. So the Mamas are going to begin a series of Fitness Reviews on resources you can use to help you stay on track at home. This week, I'm reviewing a game we purchased last year for our Wii: EA Sports Active. We bought it in hopes that it would be a way for me to work out at home, during nap time, or with the kids in the morning.

If you go into it thinking it'll be a quick, painless, easy workout-you are wrong! It is most definitely intense. For the the first few days, I couldn't even complete a short workout on the "easy" setting. My husband is in better shape than I am, and he had some of the same problem. It's a great, full body workout if you're up to it! I like that I'm able to do it in my own home, whenever I want. I don't have to worry about bad weather, packing up the kids, or hiring a babysitter. All I need is to have them entertained at home for 30 minutes. My older kids even enjoy trying to exercise with me.

The only downside of this program is that you need a pretty substantial amount of space to do some of the exercises. We have to move the coffee table and toys out of the way, but it's not a terrible burden. It includes a resistance band and sensors that monitor your movement. It really is a great workout, and a no-excuses way to keep daily exercise even with small kids at home!

Vegetarian Week!

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

As a challenge to my family, we are attempting a meat-free week. We try to have a few meat-free meals each week, but we're going to try no meat this week. Should be an interesting challenge, but we are looking forward to trying some new things. Hope you will try them with me!

Monday: Black bean and corn quesadillas, salsa, applesauce

Tuesday: Butternut squash and apple soup, homemade rolls

Wednesday: Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread

Thursday: Veggie pot pie, mixed fruit

Friday: French toast, scrambled eggs, fruit salad

Saturday: Veggie fried rice, egg rolls

Sunday: Crock pot vegetable soup

Snow Day! Keeping the Kids Entertained

2012-01-13T06:30:00.000-05:00

Even if you don't have school-aged kids, it seems that waking up to that beautiful, glittery white stuff on the ground can be daunting. It means for most, you'll be stuck in the house. With small kids, that's a big deal! How do you keep them entertained (besides plopping them in front of the tv all day)? Here are some ideas our family loves for snow day boredom-busters!

*Make cookies (I buy a roll of pre-made sugar cookie dough around Christmas when it's cheap and stick it in the freezer for an emergency stash!). You can make up simple icing with food coloring to decorate too!

*Have hot chocolate and watch movies. We like to do this in the evening-put on our PJs, get out all the blankets and pillows and pop popcorn too!

*Pull out the board games. Even the most simple games can keep kids entertained for a long time.

*Have craft time. You don't even need a specific craft. Just a variety of "stuff" (glue sticks, pom poms, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, colored paper, markers, crayons, and the like) and let the kids be creative will go a long way. If you're worried about the mess, put an old towel or sheet on the floor under them or newspaper over the table.

*Make your own play-doh! You can find the recipe HERE.

*Have a picnic. Lay out a blanket on the floor, make picnic food, and eat together!

*Have a scavenger hunt. Place objects around and help the kids go hunting for them.

*Take a bubble bath. Break out all the fun bath toys, lots of bubbles and let them play. Gets them nice and clean too!

2012: Lela Style

2012-01-12T06:30:00.000-05:00

So, I have been one of the hundreds, upon thousands, upon millions over the years to make new year resolutions. I have been excited, have begun a plan and have failed much more often than not. To me, though the start of a new year is a logical time to make some positive changes in my life, I have found that each day truly is a new start with new mercies and new opportunities to be better, for me, for my family, for my friends, but ultimately, for my God.

So this year, I don't have any major "resolutions" that are earth shattering. I have been confirmed in some need for transformation in some areas of my life and as I start 2012. When summed up, they all fall under a category to just be excellent in all that I strive to do. As I get older, offering less than my best to God or to anyone is just not effective or desirable to me. I am reminded that I would love, both this year and for the time I have left on this earth, to savor each moment of each and every day a little more instead of looking for the next thing. I would love to play one more game or enjoy one more hug from my girlies than I usually do during the busy day. I want to say, "hold on a minute" less to my family. I would love to take a little more time to be "pretty" for my hubby, even on the days that I am just doing laundry or the other daily chores of life. If I throw on makeup and bump up the wardrobe a bit when I meet a friend for coffee, I figure that doing the same for my hubby is only going to make him feel a bit more special. Does he need me to? Nope. He loves me pimples, sweats and all. But this also helps me to put things in perspective and remember not to just offer my family the "leftovers" of me in mind, body, spirit and heart when others may get some better parts of me.

What are some things that you see as ways to be excellent?

2012 for Joni

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

The other Mamas have been writing posts about their goals for this year. My year, however, is going to be absolutely crazy, so I don't know if I can write concrete goals like they are. Some of you are my personal friends, so you've seen my updates about what we're doing this year. I wanted to post it on here, though, so our whole readership can anticipate what you'll be hearing from me. My family (my husband, 3-year-old son, and me) is packing up and moving to Ankara, Turkey at the end of January. We have just always wanted to move to that part of the world, and the doors are opening for us to move now. My husband will be searching for a job after we arrive (Their culture is such that nobody will consider him until we're on the ground there.), and the plan is for me to homeschool our son. Without knowing how my husband will be working or what our income will be, though, there are a lot of unknowns for us as this point, so I can't make any concrete goals for what my year will look like. I can, however, make some goals for my attitudes and personal habits that I want to maintain no matter where we live or what we're doing.

- Faith and trust. We are moving to a non-Christian nation and into some very uncertain circumstances. The peace that I have been given throughout this whole process is really supernatural, and I pray that continues as we are packing up, moving, and getting settled. I want to maintain that trust in both God as sovereign provider, and in my husband as the head decision-maker for our household. I want to remain optimistic and peaceful about all the situations we find ourselves in this year!

- Risk. I am by nature a play-it-safe kind of person, and when I'm feeling uncertain or like I might be hurt or rejected, my tendency is to withdraw into my own shell in order to avoid further pain. However, I know that is neither healthy nor helpful, and I really want to try not to make that mistake in this new season of our lives. I want to remain fully open and communicative with my husband about how I'm feeling, and I also want to devote myself fully to making a home and community in our new culture. I know that will be hard, and there will be quite a bit of culture shock. But I don't want to just give up and hide out of self-preservation. I really want to be open and self-sacrificing in order to make real friendships there.

- Health. You have seen me write a lot about my journey with health and fitness. I'm trying to make the right choices, but I just don't know what choices I'll have available there! I really want to do my best to maintain, and even improve, my healthy lifestyle with whatever options I have available in order to be the best steward of my body as I can be.

- Time management. One of the hardest things in my own journey of personal discipline is time management. I do well when everything is calm and predictable, but whenever special things are happening, it's easy for me to get overwhelmed and then instead of rising to the challenge, I give up and become even LESS productive than I would be normally. Not good. The next year of our lives, though, is going to be just one huge adjustment to majorly special circumstances, and I want to anticipate that in advance and be mentally and emotionally prepared to have the discipline I need to get done what needs to be done. The two major demands on my time this next year will be language learning and homeschooling, neither of which could possibly fit into my daily schedule now. So things are going to have to change, and I'd appreciate your prayers for me as I learn how to be the wife/mother/friend/etc. that I need and want to be in our new life.

So anyway, that's my upcoming year in a nutshell! Questions and comments are welcome! Please also feel free to comment and let me know what aspects of moving my family overseas you'd like to hear about on this Muddy Mamas blog! :)

Exercise for Beginners: Breathing

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I chuckled at the title of this post, because who needs instructions for breathing?! But if you're a beginning exerciser, you know how quickly breathing can become a HUGE issue in your fitness success. If you're working harder than your body is used to, it can be very difficult to catch your breath, in which case you may have to stop sooner than you intended to. The definition of the word aerobic is "requiring air." And aerobic exercise is defined as "any of various sustained exercises, such as jogging, rowing, swimming, or cycling, that stimulate and strengthen the heart and lungs, thereby improving the body's utilization of oxygen." So, hello! Breathing is a big deal!! So I just thought I'd post a few tips and tricks that I've learned from my own fitness journey about breathing during exercise.

First of all, never hold your breath. NEVER. Any fitness move, whether related to cardio or weightlifting or stretching or anything else, requires oxygen in your body.
Match your breaths with your movement.

In strength training, it's good to exhale on the exertion and inhale on the release. So that means if you're doing an ab crunch, you exhale as you crunch up, then inhale as you go back down.
In cardio, breathe along with your movement, whether it be you inhale every two kicks or every two steps or whatever. When I run, I inhale for two steps, then exhale for two steps. That really helps me keep enough air in my body, and it also helps me stay in the rhythm of moving so I don't stop running when I'm tired.

If you're really working hard, your body will need as much air as you can possibly give it. For that reason, I inhale through both my nose and mouth as a way of getting maximum air flow into my body. Then I usually exhale through only my mouth.
When you're really breathing hard, the sharp rush of air can really irritate your throat - at least it does for me. Then I start to cough and it's all over then. To prevent this from happening, purse your lips, almost like you're sucking air in through a hose. This makes your lips catch the irritation from the rush of air instead of your throat.
Another way to maximize your air intake is to concentrate on breathing all the way to the bottom of your lungs. If your chest is moving up and down, that means you're only breathing with the top of your lungs. Stand tall and concentrate on pushing your stomach and lower ribs out with each breath. If you're not used to breathing like that, I think you'll be shocked at how different that feels to draw air all the way to the bottom of your lungs! By using your entire lung, you know that you're using every resource your body has to gobble up that oxygen!
Finally, if you just can't catch your breath, TAKE A REST. For me, this means I stop running and walk for a while. If you start to feel a sharp pain in your side or shoulder, that is your body's signal that it isn't getting enough oxygen. So if you're using all of the above methods to maximize your air intake, you may just need to back off on the intensity for a minute or two and focus only on BREATHING. Don't stop moving altogether, but do back off and breathe for a little bit until you have enough air to keep going.

So I hope my little compilation of tips gives somebody some new ideas! Do you have any other things that help you keep your breath while working out?

This week's Meal Plan

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to pop in and share what our family is eating this week! Now that we're back to school and no more major holidays, we're back to eating a bit on the lighter side!

Monday: Homemade lasagna, salad, garlic bread

Tuesday: Chicken Teriyaki stir fry, rice, pineapple rings

Wednesday: French dip sandwiches, au jus sauce, roasted sweet potatoes

Thursday: Pancakes, sausage, baked apples

Friday: Turkey Chili, peanut butter sandwiches

Saturday: Pork chop casserole, green beans, mashed potatoes, peaches

Sunday: Homemade chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese

Link for Mothers of Sons

2012-01-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

I forgot to post today! Oops! But just in case you're looking for something else to read, I thought this post on 25 Rules for Mothers of Sons was worth sharing. I don't know the author, but saw a friend post it and thought it was a good read. However, I think I'd be more specific on #10 and say, "Teach him to believe in Jesus and seek God for comfort, direction and healing." #15 will be hard and #20 was probably one of my favorites. What about you other Mothers of Sons? What would you put on a list?

Goals for 2012: Valerie

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I try not to fall into the "joining the masses" version of New Year's resolutions. But I do think it's a good place to start when making goals for the year. I try to keep my goals realistic and reachable, because if I set the bar too high, I'm likely just to give up. So here are some things I'd like to make sure and accomplish this year.

*Get back to my pre-baby weight. This may take all year, but I really plan to get there! I'm working out the logistics of a regular exercise routine. That's not the easiest with a school-aged child, a toddler, and an infant. That may end up being a later post! My husband and I are working on refining our food choices as well to cut back on the junk. We've learned that giving it up entirely just makes us want it more, so we're trying out new healthier recipes to satisfy our cravings. Keep an eye out for those recipes soon too!

*Continually get rid of clutter. Somehow, we seem to accumulate junk we don't need. I'm trying to stay on top of it as much as possible. Going through the drawers, cabinets, and closets weekly and monthly will help me remove unused items.

*Find a good system for organizing bills and incoming mail. Somehow, it all seems to wind up in a pile on my counter no matter what I try to do.

*Try to live a little greener. While that's not very specific, I plan to find some ways to cut our carbon footprint. That may include household products we use or don't use, walking more, and anything else I can think of!

*Make time for each child individually. As we add more kids to our family and get busier, it's harder to spend one-on-one time with our children. It is an absolute must for us.

*Re-instate weekly date night with my husband. We don't always have to go somewhere, but we always need time as a couple

Ashlee's 2012 Reverse Engineering

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not generally one for having "New Year's resolutions" but I do think the beginning of a new year is a good marker for setting new goals or getting back on track on something that you've gotten out of the habit of doing. When my husband and I talk about our lives we use Mark Driscoll's Reverse engineering method and list out no more than 7 Priorities for our lives. So I'm going to try to define my goals for this year under these 7 priorities. I think that this is a great conversation to have with your husband every so often. We start by talking about what we want our lives to be like in 10 years, then 5 years and then think about what we're doing today to get us there. So here's my list:

Be alive. I was pretty excited when I applied for life insurance recently and got the best health rating possible. However, I know that I need to still improve in a few areas. My goals in this area are:

Drink more water
Exercise (not just more- but do it because honestly I don't really have any dedicated time to this).
Go to bed early enough that I can get up before my children and still get enough sleep at night.

Be a follower of Jesus. In this area I would like to actually finish reading the Bible and my goal is to finish the remaining books by May. I've began those "Read the Bible in a Year" plans so many times and I've read the first part of them many times but I've never finished. I have a checklist that I had used (and haven't lost permanently yet) so I want to finish reading the books/chapters I have not finished according to this check list. I also hope to improve on getting up and having my quiet time in the morning.
Be a wife. In this area I hope to do a better job of going to bed on time so that I'm not too tired to spend time with my husband. I also think I might look for a good book to read on serving my husband. Anyone have a good suggestion?
Be a mother. I want to read On Becoming Toddlerwise again (since I have a second child in this phase) and I want to read On Becoming Childwise: Parenting Your Child from 3-7 Years I know the Babywise book was really helpful to our family and I also found Pottywise helpful in potty training (ooh, I need to read this again this year too!). I have noticed lately that there's some discipline problems that I need to work on and I'm sure that revisiting and reading more of these books will really help me.
Lead others in working with Refugees in our city. We are hoping to begin a project working to help families with children of autism. I'm hoping to find a way to schedule more time for this work in my week. I also hope to Read books on People Groups in our city
Be Hospitable. We enjoy hosting others in our home. I think the thing I'd like to work on in this area is keeping my house more tidy. I feel like I'm good on planning for others to come to our house and scheduling that and planning the meal but my house keeping skills are lacking. Some specific goals I have are:

Clear my kitchen counters of clutter and find a system that will work to keep them clear (This picture was taken after having multiple events w/ different guests in our home in one day in December).
Clear off the shelves in our den and find a home for everything or get rid of it!
Sometime this summer work on organizing our garage.
Get rid of more stuff! Last year I got rid of all my "brown shoe" clothes to simplify my wardrobe. I'd like to simplify more in my clothing and other areas of our house.
Make our bedroom a nice place to be (again- getting rid of more clutter and finding homes for things) - ok so maybe this doesn't seem related to hospitality, but I think that the more simplified and less cluttered our whole house is, the more tidy the public areas will be too.

Be a mentor to other women. I hope to be able to invest more in some of the women in our church. This is also where writing for Muddy Mamas falls too. I feel like this is a great way to be able to encourage other women in our roles and share experiences and remind myself and others that our temptations and struggles are common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Well, I'm out of things since 7 is the magic number. :) I'd love to hear what yours are!

Exercise for Beginners: Static Stretching

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

We talked last week about how dynamic stretching (stretching with movement) is a great way to warm up your body before a workout, and then loosen it up again during cool down. You really need to make sure your body has begun to normalize - your heart rate is slowing, and your breathing is completely back to normal - before beginning the static stretches (stretching by holding a position). However, static stretching is still very important for your recovery after a workout! Stretching will help your muscles loosen and help you not hurt as much the next day.

I have a specific stretching routine that I do after every run. The muscles you need to stretch depends on which muscles you used most in a workout. Since running focuses mostly on the lower body, I don't stretch the upper body very much after a run. Here are the stretches I need to do after every run in order to feel good!

Quads: Bend one leg and use your hand to pull your foot up behind your bum. Hold it there for 20-30 seconds, then do the other leg. This stretches the large muscle at the front of your leg. I learned from Jillian Michaels that it's better to hold your foot with the opposite hand. (So pull your right foot up with your left hand.) This pulls your foot in toward the center of your body instead of off to the side, which is much better for your knee. If your balance is good, you can also hold the foot with both hands - I like the way that stretch feels.

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Inner thighs: Stand with your feet apart and just shift your hips to one side. You'll feel that stretching the muscle on the inside of one leg. Hold for 15 seconds, then shift hips to the opposite side.

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Hamstrings: Keeping your feet apart, bend forward making sure to keep your legs straight. Relax your head down toward the floor and even put your hands on the floor if you can. Go as far down as you can without pain. You want to feel the stretch in the backs of your legs, but if it hurts, you're stretching them too much. Hold that for 20 seconds or so.

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Calves: From the above hamstring stretch, walk your hands out until they're a few feet in front of your feet. Keeping your arms and legs straight, focus on sticking your rear in the air and pressing your chest toward your toes. In yoga, this is called a downward dog. You'll feel the stretch in your calves, and you can even increase the stretch by bending one knee at a time to put all the pressure on the other leg.

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Back of the legs and outer thighs: This is quite possibly the most important stretch for me to do - it makes me feel SO much better! So pay attention! ;) Lay on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, and make sure your head rests flat on the ground. Bring your right foot up and cross it over your left knee. Put your right hand through the hole made by your bent leg, and bring your left hand around the outside of your left leg to meet it. Clasp your hands together on your shin and pull both legs toward your chest. You'll feel a fabulous stretch in the back of your right leg! Hold that for at least 20-30 seconds. Put both feet back on the floor, then switch sides.

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So this is just the lower body stretching routine that I do after I run. Feel free to ask if there are any other parts of the body you want to know how to stretch, or post in the comments what your favorite stretches are!

A Healthy Start to the New Year

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

As more people are thinking about getting back to healthy eating after weeks of heavy, fat and sugar laden snacks, treats, and meals, it's easy to get into a rut. I'm adding my favorite healthy recipes for you to try as you ring in 2012!

Morning Glory Muffins *These also freeze well! It's nice to make an extra batch or two, pop in the freezer, pull out some, microwave them, and eat! Also...you can easily add in 1 tbsp Brewer's Yeast if you are a breastfeeding mom. It'll boost your milk supply!

BBQ Chicken pizza

1 cup cooked, cubed chicken

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 whole wheat pizza crust

Crush garlic clove and place in oil. Make pizza crust (see recipe link). Brush crust with oil. Spread with BBQ sauce, chicken, pineapple, peppers, and cheeses. Bake under the broiler until hot and bubbly.

Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey, browned and drained

1 can hot chili beans

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans tomato sauce

1 packet chili seasoning

Mix all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Spinach Lasagna

1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 8oz block cream cheese

1 box lasagna noodles

1 jar pasta sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Mix first four ingredients in a skillet until onions are tender. Turn heat on low and mix in cream cheese. Once melted, take off the heat. In a 9x13 pan, layer sauce, noodles, spinach mixture, and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Caramel apple cider

1 cup no sugar added apple juice

1 tbsp non dairy creamer

1 tbsp fat free caramel dip

Heat apple juice in microwave. Add creamer and dip. Stir to combine!

Happy New Year!!!!

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

We hope you have a wonderful start to 2012! Happy New Year from the Muddy Mamas!

The Importance of the Credit Report

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

I had a realization a couple of weeks ago that my husband and I had never actually pulled our credit reports. They were pulled for us when we applied for a home loan but other than that, we really had no idea what our credit history looked like! I was reading on a website about a lady who hadn't pulled hers either and when she was applying for a car loan, she was denied because of bad credit. Come to find out, someone else had stolen her identity and ruined her credit! She had no idea, and aside from the false charges, she had previously had no debt. So, I looked into some options at pulling free credit reports.

There are three main credit bureaus that you can pull reports from. A lot of places charge a fee for pulling from more than one, but the site www.annualcreditreport.com Allows you to pull your report from all three bureaus once a year for free. It was relatively quick and easy, I was able to print and put in our important documents file, and it was reassuring to know that we are still in excellent standing! Should you have negative reports on your file, it also gives you specific steps you can take to get your credit back in good standing. It avoids a lot of legal speak and is very easy to navigate and understand.

I highly recommend that you take some time, especially as the new year rolls around, to take a look at your (and your spouse's) credit reports.

Using the Five Love Languages

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Most Christian couples read parts or all of the Five Love Languages at some point during their marriages. It has so much helpful advice and leads us to make our marriages like examples of Christ and His people. It helps you to understand how your spouse works, and how to best love them. Believe it or not, but not everyone receives or gives love in the same ways. In short, the five love languages look like this:

Words of Affirmation: Compliments, "I love you," and "job well done" are things that mean a lot to you. On the flip side, criticism and insults hurt infinitely more.

Quality Time: Spending time together-on a date or at home without distractions make you feel the most loved. Your spouse not listening to you, putting off time with you for other things, and being distracted during your time together are really bothersome.

Receiving Gifts: people that speak this love language thrive on the thoughtfulness and effort behind the gifts themselves. They love thinking that someone really cares for them and thinks about them. Missing a birthday or anniversary can be very hurtful.

Acts of Service: Anything that someone does to make your life easier and happier (be it chores, babysitting, or other things) make your heart full. Things that create more work and laziness can make you very uneasy and resentful.

Physical Touch: You love being hugged, kissed, and holding hands. You want to physically be close to other people. If you are neglected or touched in hurtful ways, it will cause a lot of despair.

It's fairly easy to find out what love language(s) your spouse speaks. Pay attention to them. Often the things they complain about the most are clues as to what their Love Language is. For example if your spouse often says "I really wish we could go on a date" then they are a Quality Time person. If they complain "I really wish I could get the house cleaned" a lot, then they are an Acts of Service person. Try to figure out your spouse, and make a conscious effort to speak their love language as often as you can. It will do wonders for your marriage!

Exercise for Beginners: Dynamic Stretching

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Now that Christmas is over and we're running headlong into the New Year, we're going to start a series about exercise and fitness. I mean, lots of us always resolve that in the new year we're going to take better care of our bodies, right?! So the Muddy Mamas want to help you get started and then keep going!

A couple months ago, I shared about how I got started running with my bad knees. They're still going strong so far, and I thought I'd share about another thing that I really think contributes to how my body feels after running: how I stretch! There are two kinds of stretching: static (holding a stretch in one position) and dynamic (stretching with movement). I first saw dynamic stretching on Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD, but I learned more about it in Tony Horton's P90X program. As a general rule, you only want to do static stretching on muscles that are already warm, which means after a workout. Dynamic stretching is great for both warming up your muscles before a workout and for cooling them down afterward. And the dynamic stretching is what I think really makes the biggest difference for my knees.

There are really only two main dynamic stretches that I do, although in searching YouTube to try to find a video to show you what I'm talking about, I discovered there are many more. I couldn't find a good video of only the moves I'm talking about, so you'll just have to bear with my descriptions. (I do think, however, this video is simple and instructive - I started doing a couple of these moves as part of my running warmup, and I like them!) The moves I do are really simple.

For my upper body, I just swing my arms open and closed, alternating which one is on top. So first, open up your arms as wide as you can with your palms facing the front - this stretches your chest and inner arms. Then swing them closed to wrap around yourself, like you're giving yourself a hug - this stretches your back and outer arms. Easy. Just swing them open and closed, first with your right arm over your left, then opposite. Do this for a minute or two.

For my lower body, I just walk and kick my legs out each step. So step with your left foot and do a low kick with your right. Then put your right foot down and do a low kick with your left. For me, it's the snap of the kick that really loosens up the muscles of my knees. So you're not trying to do a tight controlled kick - just fling your foot out and you'll feel the stretch in your knee. The kick has to stay low in order to stretch the knee; if you do a higher kick, you'll stretch the hamstring (back of the leg), which is also a good thing. Just take the time to do both. I use this to warm up my knees before I run, and then I do several minutes of this as a cool-down at the end of my run. There is a significant difference between how my knees feel immediately after I'm done running and then how much looser they are after I've done this dynamic stretch for a few minutes.

Other dynamic stretching movements I do are just shaking my arms and shoulders and neck (imagine a boxer loosening up before going into the ring), and kicking my legs back like I'm trying to kick myself in the rear.

Only then, AFTER my heart rate has slowed and my muscles have begun to loosen with the dynamic stretches, THEN I do the static stretches. These are also essential for my muscle recovery, especially in my legs. Tune in next week for a list of good static stretches.

So please ask if you have any questions or need some more resources! And get out there and MOVE today! ;)

Got Ham?

2011-12-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ham is the most popular main dish of Christmas dinner in America. So like turkey at Thanksgiving, there are often leftovers to be used. Not that a ham sandwich is a bad idea, but there are definitely some more creative uses of your leftovers out there! So here's what you can make out of that leftover holiday ham!

Ham and Split Pea Soup

Ham and Swiss Casserole

Ham and Bean Soup

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Bake

12 eggs

1 cup chopped cooked ham

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 scallions, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)

1 tsp seasoning salt

1 tsp dry mustard

2 cups milk

Mix all ingredients together. Pour in greased 9x12 baking dish. Bake at 350 for one hour

Hawaiian Ham Sandwiches

1 package Hawaiian rolls

sliced ham

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 stick melted butter

2 tbsp worchestershire sauce

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 tsp onion powder

Reserve a 1 tbsp of butter. Mix the rest of butter, mustard, worcestershire sauce, and noon powder together. Split entire rectangle of rolls (leave individual rolls in tact). Brush sauce on top and bottom of rolls. Layer bottom with ham and cheese, return top. Brush remaining butter on top of the rolls. Wrap in foil, bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Holiday Cookie Emergency Guide

2011-12-22T09:54:00.001-05:00

Just saw this post from America's Test Kitchen about how to save cookie disasters, and had to share! My favorite one is using a microplane grater to shave the burnt tops or bottoms off cookies, but you can also click over to find out what to do if:

You run out of chocolate chips (or raisins or other mix-ins) before you run out of dough,
You're making a large batch of cookies but only have a few baking sheets,
You don't have enough space to spread out your frosted cookies to dry, or
Your cookies get too hard before it's time to eat them.

Love it!

Claymation Christmas Fun

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in this post that my son has really taken a shine to the old claymation Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. When this happened, my husband remembered an old show he used to see on TV at Christmas time called A Claymation Christmas Celebration. (Since he and I grew up in the same place at the same time, I'm not sure how I missed this one, but I never saw it until this year.) So my husband found it on YouTube, and we've been watching some of the scenes. Even though as a rule I don't like claymation, this one is pretty cute. And our 3-year-old absolutely LOVES it. So I thought I'd post his two favorite scenes here - I bet your kids will enjoy them as much as mine does!

The California Raisins sing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

(My son walks around telling the "Hey man, you're a cab" joke nonstop!)

Carol of the Bells

So maybe you can enjoy a little lighthearted fun with your family with these too! I believe you can watch the full special here if you like.

Free Christmas ebooks

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Of course, these things are subject to change, but there are some free Christmas ebooks available right now. If you're like me, you might not get a chance to read them in time for this year, but the great thing about ebooks is they don't take up space if you get them for next year... unlike the clearance Christmas Decorations that beckon me each year. :) So, if you haven't already done so, here's some of the free ebooks we've seen:

The Everything Family Christmas Book...

Yvonne Jeffrey

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Christmas with Family & Friends Cook...

Gooseberry Patch

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And this one is not related to Christmas but I'm hoping it'll help me think of some new ideas for lunch next year:

Healthy Children's Lunches

Mandy Francis

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And if you're working on your budget for next year, you might find this free ebook worth a read:

Money, Possessions, and Eternity

Randy Alcorn

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Meals to Stretch Your Budget

2011-12-19T15:02:00.001-05:00

During December the food budget can get tight with all the extra baking you might do and extra guests and parties to prepare for during this season. And then comes January when reality hits and you are trying to figure out what to eat now.... So I thought I'd share some of my money stretching meals to help you out if you're trying to save money during the week to be able to have more party food on the weekends or if you're just trying to work on your January meal plans and you want to save money. The first few are also quick meals. You may eat these, but if you're like me, sometimes I forget about simple options, so it's good to be reminded, "Oh yeah, we could just fix ____ for dinner" to save money and/or time.

Fast AND Frugal Meals:

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Smoked sausage and sauerkraut
Vegetable Soup
Spaghetti (from a jar, obviously home made is not as much of a time saver, though still a money saver)
Omelets (and this is a good way to use up leftover bacon/sausage/vegetables/etc.)

Frugal Meals that require a little more time:

Soup beans and cornbread (though if you use canned beans it's fast too but not as cheap)
Tortilla Tower (I debated putting this under fast b/c it's still under 30 minutes)
Rice and Maharague
Bean burritos (I make a double batch and freeze some without the sauce on top)
Breakfast meals: pancakes, waffles, biscuits and gravy, etc.
Homemade pizza
Macaroni and cheese
Roast, Potatoes and Carrots (crock pot meal)
Use your leftover roast and broth to make beef and noodles by adding cream of mushroom soup and egg noodles.
Tacos (use beans and rice as well to make the meat go farther)
Tomato Dumplings
Chili
Baked Potato Bar (use your leftover chili, broccoli, cheese, sour cream, bacon, etc. to make another meal)

What are some Frugal meals you fix to help stretch your budget and/or save time?

Parenting Perspective: Family Traditions

2011-12-16T06:30:00.005-05:00

On Wednesdays we'll be sharing some of the traditions we have with our spouse during the Christmas season. Here we thought we'd share some of our traditions with our children.

Drive around and look at Christmas lights
We have banana bread made in the Pampered Chef silicone Crown mold for breakfast Christmas morning (I'm not a big fan of cake so this is our birthday "cake"). - Ashlee
We read the first portion of Luke 2 each night before bed Dec. 1-25 - Ashlee
We have done a Jesse Tree (advent tree) in the past with our children each evening before bed, but this year, we are still doing focused scripture readings that are related to ushering in the birth of Jesus, but we aren't decorating the tree this year, just for something a bit different. - Lela
We enjoy watching some fun movies as a family, one of our favorite being Elf, where we found Jovey's name, over a year before she even joined our family! :-) - Lela
We enjoy a fun cookie baking/decorating session, at least once during the season. - Lela

Snow Monster Paper Craft

2011-12-15T10:32:00.000-05:00

My 3-year-old son's new favorite Christmas movie this year is the old claymation Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I won't go into the fact that I think that show is creepy and terrifying. For whatever reason, he absolutely loves it, and he loves the Abominable Snow Monster, who is supposed to be the villain. My child think he's hilarious, not scary. Whatever. I guess I'm glad he's not scared! His deep love for the movie (which we have on DVD) means that we've watched this thing 3 times in the past week.

Am I the only one who thinks this guy is terrifying?!

Since he loves it so much, though, when I saw this adorable snow monster paper craft on another blog this week, I had to stop everything and make it immediately for my son! Not only is it a friendly-looking snow monster, but it has a cat on its head, which my son happens to adore cats.

Awwww, this one is sweet!

The template and instructions are here at Scout Creative. It is actually a calendar - they have a different design for each month. Scroll all the way down to January to find the snow monster. However, since we didn't especially need a January 2011 calendar, I just made a little sign that said "Abominable Snow Monster" and covered up the calendar with it. I took the picture at an angle so you can see that it's 3-dimensional and free-standing.

I printed the template on cardstock so it would be sturdier, and so far it has survived 3 days with my rough-and-tumble boy! It was a little complicated to cut out and assemble, so I wouldn't have attempted to try to actually make it WITH my son. If you have older kids (maybe 7 and up?), you might try having them help you. I used double-sided tape to put it together instead of glue, because I wanted him to be able to play with it right away rather than waiting for it to dry.

If you're not into the snow monster, there are 11 other designs on the site - one for each month of the year. December's is a pretty cute Nutcracker, so maybe check that one out!

Scripture & Worship CD's for the Little Ones

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

We have two CD sets that we have gotten this year for my 3-year-old son, and we love them so much that I just have to share about them with you all! I'm sneaking them on the blog now because there's still plenty of time to put them on a Christmas list for your little one - a stocking stuffer or gift from an aunt! I guess I can't guarantee your child will love them, but I can unreservedly say that my son loves them, and they're nice for Mommy & Daddy to listen to as well.

Hide 'Em In Your Heart, Volumes 1 & 2 by Steve Green
These are Scriptures put to music with some great stories or explanations between the songs. My son likes to listen to this during his afternoon rest time. (He doesn't nap anymore, but he just lays quietly in his bed and listens to music.) It was great that he likes to listen to them, but what has proven even more exciting about them is he's really learning Scripture from them too! So far he has learned John 3:16, Philippians 4:13, Matthew 19:14, and others completely from this CD! What a blessing to suddenly hear your 3-year-old bust out with "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13" Yes, you can, my little one. :)

100 Hymns & Praise Songs for Kids by WonderKids
The title pretty much explains this one: it is 100 songs on 3 discs of classic hymns and praise songs! It is children singing them, and my son just really loves to listen to it. Since there are so many modern worship songs that are so great that we often sing in church, it's rare for him to hear the old classics, and so I wanted a resource for him to learn them. We just really enjoy this compilation, and I'm glad my son does too. We often play this during his morning playtime, and he'll often just sit on his bed to listen rather than playing with toys. Just soaking it all in!

Do you or your kids have any favorite CD's that are helping your kids learn Scripture or hymns? Please share in the comments!

Quick Meals for Busy Holiday Seasons

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

If your family is like mine, this time of year is GO GO GO! We've got places to be, presents to buy, treats to bake...there's just very little time for cooking a meal. I wanted to share a few of my favorite winter-time super quick meals with you in case you're just like us!

Creamy Crock-pot chicken

In the crock pot, put 2 pounds of bone-in chicken (we like leg quarters for this because they are very cheap and stay super moist). Add to it a finely diced onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder (all to taste), one can cream of chicken soup, and one can cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve with rice or noodles. *note: the chicken WILL fall off the bone. I find it easiest to pull the chicken out, and pull off the bone with a fork.

Favorite Chicken Casserole

Mix 1 cup cooked, cubed chicken with one can cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup sour cream, and a can of drained mixed veggies. Pour in 8x8 dish. Top with prepared stove top stuffing. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Homemade chicken noodle soup

Put 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken, 3 carrots peeled and sliced, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 bay leaves, 1 tbsp salt, and 3 cups chicken stock in the crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Add egg noodles for the last hour or cook separately and serve with soup. *I buy a whole rotisserie chicken from the deli at the grocery and bone/shred it. It will be enough meat for 1 batches of soup.

Spinach Tomato Cheese Egg bake

This is great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! Mix 1 dozen eggs, 1/2 cup tomatoes chopped (I use cherry or grape tomatoes), 1/2 cup thawed, drained frozen spinach, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup milk. Pour in a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 1 hour.

Chicken tacos

Put 1 pound chicken (I use bone in, skinless leg quarters), 1 packet taco seasoning, and 1/2 cup water in the crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and serve in taco shells with assorted toppings.

Red Beans and Rice

In the crockpot, put 1 can red beans, drained, 1 can hot chili beans, and 1 pound smoked sausage, casing removed and chopped into bite size pieces. Sprinkle a little garlic and onion powder on, and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Parenting Perspective: Santa or No Santa?

2011-12-09T06:30:00.006-05:00

One of our goals as Muddy Mamas is to acknowledge that there's no one perfect way to parent your children. Yes, the Bible does have some specific advice for us as parents, but there are lots of areas where we might make different decisions for our families and that's ok. Santa can be one of those areas where there is a lot of variation on the topic. We'll share what our families are doing, but we'd also love for you to share what you're doing concerning Santa.

Ashlee: Santa does not visit our house. We wrestled with this a little bit since we both grew up with Santa coming to our house but we decided that we wanted the focus of Christmas to be on Christ and we didn't want to give our children any reason to question whether what we teach them about Jesus is accurate. So far, when people ask our kids about Santa we have just quietly let them know we don't do Santa but I'm thinking that this year we're going to have to figure out what to tell our son to say since he's very verbal these days. This will be our fourth Christmas with children and we still have people (even our family) mention Santa to our son. One of our favorite ideas (though I'm still unsure of) was a family we know told their kids that they know the truth but not everyone does and that it's a secret. So their kids snicker when Grandma asks about Santa because they think Grandma doesn't know yet. We do still get gifts for each other and friends and family. We feel it's a good way to teach them to be thoughtful of others and learning to be thankful for what we have and receive. Many of our gifts are things that they would get anyway but it's fun to wrap things up (examples: toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, pj's, vitamins (I usually get more "fun" ones for Christmas), a bag of goldfish, etc.).

Lela: We also wrestled with this fun fantasy of Santa when we had children. We didn't question much and just automatically started having Santa visit the month after Jovey was born. As we became a bit more thoughtful of how things can seem so true, even to a young child, we decided that though it was a fun fantasy that both of us had experienced during childhood, and that we really wanted to share with our girlies. We also wanted to make sure that Santa wasn't becoming the focus over the true miracle of Christmas, the birth of Christ that would ultimately be made complete through His death and resurrection some 30 years later. So, we decided to tell our girls that Santa wasn't "real." It was an interesting conversation, as Joshua just felt compelled to share while we were riding home from Target one afternoon. I remember turning to see the girls' faces. Jovey (5) and Laney (3). Both seemed a bit confused and a bit sad, but as we explained that it was a fun thing that we enjoy pretending and that though Santa isn't a real person, that we could continue to pretend, as they pretend (my girls are HUGE imagineers, as I like to call them) all of the time. It may seem weird to allow them to pretend, but it is fun to talk about the fun things of Santa and his elves and to watch the Christmas shows on ABC Family that show all December long, but to hear the girls say, "We just know that Santa is a fun thing like Mickey Mouse and the princesses at Disney that we got autographs from! It's really Jesus' birthday and that's what's most important." Plus, it helps give even more attention to the fact that no MAN can do what God was able to do through the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, who was without sin and provided the best gift ever, the gift of grace and eternal life spent with Him. Plus, it serves as a reminder to us, as their parents, to realize that yes, all the fanfare of Christmas is fun, but truly, it's all about the Creator and how no one could ever accomplish all that He has in His plan for the lives of His people.

Valerie: Our decision on having Santa was decided for us. When Nick was two, we started building up the idea of Santa (as did all of our friends, family, and neighbors). He colored pictures of Santa at day care, saw him on TV, and we read stories about him at home. It was never intended to be our focus (we spent lots of time talking about the birth of Jesus as well). However, the closer we got to Christmas, Nick was having a lot of trouble sleeping. We assumed it was from excitement, until Christmas Eve. We did all the traditions-we put out reindeer food, we baked cookies and left them with a glass of milk for Santa, we read "Twas the Night Before Christmas." We put on his little fleece footie pajamas and put him to bed. And he started screaming. And it didn't stop. After much consoling and talking, we learned that he was scared...terrified actually, of a stranger coming into our house in the middle of the night. He was extremely upset and we decided right then that it just wasn't worth it. So we spilled the beans. At three, he asked a few questions, but we explained it that Santa is like a story book character. He's real in the books and in the movies, and people like to dress up as him. He also knows that some people believe Santa is real and he is supposed to keep it a secret. He is much happier, and they still get plenty of gifts at Christmas. Just not from Santa. We also make certain each year to inform his teachers that he knows, so if the subject comes up, they can divert him. We don't regret it at all, and in fact, it's worked out for the best.

Joni: My story is much like Ashlee's - Even before our son was born, we intentionally decided to not participate in the tradition of Santa Claus in order to keep the focus of Christmas solely on Christ. My son is only three, so we really haven't come across any issues of confusion or problems with his friends who do believe in Santa. He seems to have no problem accepting the fact that Santa - we see him everywhere, so my son has to know SOMETHING about him! - is just a character in a story like Thomas the Train or Mickey Mouse. I do get the occasional gasp of horror when someone in public asks about Santa, and I tell them Santa doesn't come to our house. But for the most part, people who know us can see how much we truly love Christmas, and how special a season it is for us - in my opinion, even more BECAUSE we are so focused on making it meaningful about celebrating only Christ.

Family Advent Calendar Activities & Devotionals

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

I just came across this online Family Advent Calendar with devotionals and activities for families! It looks like a lot of fun, and it's not too late to get some good use out of it this year. It looked like it would be better for kids who are a little older than my 3-year-old, but I'm definitely bookmarking it for future use!

Christmas traditions with My Favorite Person on Earth!

2011-12-07T06:30:00.002-05:00

I LOVE my girlies more than words could ever express, but if I had to choose my favorite person on this earth, it would be my sweet husband, Joshua. Biblically, I believe that God designed it that way, and practically, it just works! He's got so many qualities that I fell in love with over 11 years ago and has only improved upon and added to that long list since our time together!

As I consider this beautiful Christmas season, one of joy, of hope, of promise, of mercy, of love, of kindness, of grace; all gifts of God through the birth, and then ultimately, the death and resurrection of His Son, I also consider the joy that comes with celebrating it with my family! And though there is nothing like experiencing Christmas through the bright, beautiful eyes of a child, there are still some fun things that I look forward to sharing with Joshua each and every year.

One of our favorite holiday traditions is to put the girls to bed (waiting to make sure they are asleep after their giggles, their attempts to get in and out of their bed/room) and settling in for the night to cuddle up on the couch with warm apple cider while laughing hysterically at National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! Yes, we could quote most every line. Yes, we have seen it about 100 times since it aired back when we were kids. Yes, we know the jokes and yes, we still laugh as if it is the first time we have watched it! It has little sentimental meaning and doesn't just make us feel all warm and gooshy inside, but for those 2 hours, we enjoy just "being" together. We forget the presents we have left to purchase. We forget the many obligations and events we have to attend. We forget to consider how to make things even more fun for the girls for the Christmas holiday. We refuse to worry about how all of the above things will get accomplished in the few weeks we have left before Christmas. We refuse to multi-task by wrapping gifts, signing cards and online shopping. We just laugh. Together. And it's fabulous!

What are some ways that you and your favorite person celebrate the holidays together, forgetting the stuff that can make us truly forget the important things?

My 25 Things to do in December

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've been working to come up with my own list of fun things to do this month as we count down the days until Christmas. I'm using Life As Mom's printable to fill out something to do each day. I was going to wait until I finished my list to share it, but then I thought I'd share what ideas I have and maybe you can share yours and help me finish my list! So, here's what I've got so far:

Make an ornament
Take Christmas Card pictures
Make cookies
Christmas Cookie Dough exchange (more on this later)
Game Night
Birthday Party for Jesus
Jesus Chain
Attend our Eve of the Eve Service
Make snowmen (using pom poms)
Take cookies to someone
Visit Zoo's Wildlights
Watch Elf
Watch the Charlie Brown Christmas
If it snows, build a snowman and make snow angels
Use our Little People Nativity while reading Luke 2.
Make Peanut butter fudge
Make buckeyes (peanut butter balls)
????

So help me fill up my list! What fun family ideas do you have planned for the next 18 days? And what fun things have you already done?

Baking Tips

2011-12-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

During this time of year I find myself with many more excuses to bake. It's a great way to keep the house warm, it's fun, it's yummy and feels festive! Anyway, I know that there are some of you out there who may not feel like you're a good baker or cook (and by no means am I an expert) so I thought I'd share a few tips that I've found to be helpful in our kitchen.

Let your eggs sit at room temperature for a few minutes before using them. I'm not sure why, but I get better results.
Don't pack down flour when measuring flour. And don't scoop it out of the bag. To get better texture on baked goods I find that pouring the flour (or scooping it from a scoop into the measuring cup) is best for baking with flour. Then level it off but don't pack it down into the measuring cup. I also think some measuring cups are better for dry measuring and others for liquid and others for peanut butter/mayo consistency type things.
Softened butter does not mean melted. It's ok to soften it in the microwave but don't turn it to liquid.
Mix your wet ingredients together first then add the dry on top (unless the recipe specifies otherwise). This also seems to help prevent getting dry mix left on the side of the bowl.
Get a good scraper for cleaning the sides of a bowl when mixing stuff up (I LOVE my Pampered Chef ones!)
Know the difference between mix, stir, knead and fold! Over mixing is not good!
When dissolving yeast I've found that if I have 1 cup of water in the microwave for 1 minute it reaches the right temperature. Figure out what time works well for you by testing the temperature of the water so that you don't have to check it every time.
Keep your butter wrappers and then use them to grease pans.

I'm sure there are other great tips out there, what are some of yours??

Christmas Craft Ideas

2011-12-02T06:30:00.020-05:00

Looking for something to make with your children this year? Here are some ideas for you to consider:

Easy napkin rings for paper napkins (pictured left)

Helping Hand Wreath (I love things with hand prints! pictured right)

"Gingerbread House" made with graham crackers! (left)

Snowglobe made with a baby food jar! (right) The link here doesn't have written instructions, but I think the pictures make it pretty clear how to do it.

A (no-sew!) felt Christmas tree the kiddos can actually play with! (left)

Puffy snowman fingerpainting with equal parts shaving cream and elmer's glue (right)

Festive Free-for-all

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy December, everyone! We've entered the season of Advent, and we are eagerly watching and waiting, anticipating the celebration of Christ's birth! In celebration of the season, we've decided to take a break from our regular weekly memes, and give ourselves the freedom to talk about Christmas any day of the week! You may still see our food-related posts on Mondays, decorating tips on Tuesdays, etc. Or you may just see whatever we feel like posting whenever we feel like posting it! Let us know if you have any questions you'd like to hear from the Mamas related to celebrating Christmas. We pray a blessed Advent for you and yours. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." - Luke 2:14

ABC Mouse Online Preschool - Cyber Monday Deal

2011-11-29T11:33:00.001-05:00

I've seen commercials for the ABC Mouse Early Learning Academy while watching Super Why with my son on PBS, and I've thought it looked neat. It gives online learning activities for children ages 2-5. I've checked out some of their free sample activities online, and my son has really enjoyed what we've looked at so far. I've been debating, though, whether to sign up for it, since it costs $7.95 a month. However, I did sign up for their emails, and today they sent out a Cyber Monday deal where you can get one month free with no commitment for further months. (They will still ask for your credit card information, even though it won't be charged for your first month.) So I was excited to take advantage of that, and I may continue with the curriculum after the free month. I'm going to be homeschooling our 3-year-old anyway, so this is a perfect chance to get some curriculum and activities help with him. Plus, I think it will help him learn computer skills and also simple things like how to follow instructions. It looks really neat, and I can't wait to try it out!

If you want to check out the site and all they offer, go to ABCmouse.com. However, to sign up for the free month, you'll need to use the special offer site here: https://www.abcmouse.com/public/showLandingSubscription.do?trialMonthSpecial=1. I don't know how long the deal will be available, since they called it Cyber Monday, but didn't send it out until Tuesday... So if you're interested, hop on this soon! Let me know if you give it a try. :)

Cleaning Frequency?

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

I remember reading that I should vacuum once a week for every person living in our home (meaning if you have 4 people in your family, you vacuum at least 4 times a week). I looked it up and actually since 2 of the people in my house are under 5, I should be doing it more!!!

I also recently cleaned out my oven. I think this was the second (possibly third) time I've done that since we've lived in our house (just over 2 years). This week I also set myself a schedule for doing the chores I need to get done on a weekly basis. I think this list will help, but it's still easy to get behind.

All of this planning made me curious about how often others do their household chores. If you'd be willing to fill out this quick survey then we can learn how often "real people" do things. I think the survey could probably be done in less than 2 minutes.

Cold-Weather Soup Recipes

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

In general, I don't plan meals around the weather. Part of that is because the calendar date doesn't always predict what the weather is going to be like - at least where I live! (It could be cold in July and warm in December around here.) The other reason is because I generally like warm and comforting foods all year long! One exception to that, though, is soups and stews. It's very rare for me to make soup if the weather is warm. So when the weather starts cooling down, I pull out my favorite soup recipes! Here are a few of them:

Hearty Bean Stew

I found this recipe in Taste of Home Magazine. I make it almost exactly as written, except I use red beans instead of kidney - I just like them better! And I leave out the celery. But it's so hearty and filling, and tastes great warmed up for lunch the next day! Note that although there is no meat in this, it can't be considered vegetarian if you use beef broth.

Hearty Bean Stew
Ingredients

1-1/2 cups chopped onions
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
3 large carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1-1/4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onions in oil until tender; add the garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, carrots, celery, broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomato paste, chili powder and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Yield: 6 servings.

Baked Potato Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but it originally came from one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipe blogs: Skinny Taste. Her recipes are SO delicious, and although they're on the lighter side, they taste delicious! This baked potato soup has a healthier twist because it uses half cauliflower and half potatoes... You'd never know the difference! I prefer my soups chunky, so I blended it before I added the potatoes. I also just mixed in the turkey bacon and cheese instead of putting them on top.

Baked Potato Soup

2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets
1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
10 tbsp reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 tbsp chopped chives, divided
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon if you prefer)
Pierce potatoes with a fork; microwave on high for 5 minutes turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. Or if you prefer to use your oven, bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes.

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender. Drain and return to pot. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, potatoes and bring to a boil. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add sour cream, half the chives, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Top each serving with 2 tbsp cheese, remaining chives, and bacon.

Cheddar Chowder

This last recipe comes from my Mommy's kitchen! She used to make it every year whenever we would have our Christmas Open House, so to me this recipe inspires warm and happy thoughts of home and holidays. Awwww. That, and it's dang delicious. I searched online to see if I could find a picture, which you see at right. It's from a healthier version of this recipe that came from Taste of Home magazine. It's almost identical to Mom's, just a few tweaks to make it a little lighter. Click here for the lighter version, below is Mom's recipe.

Cheddar Chowder
Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 c. butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed fully cooked lean ham
Directions
In a Dutch oven, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour, then gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add cheese; stir until melted.
Stir the ham and the cheese sauce into undrained vegetables; stir until combined.

GIVEAWAY WINNER: Cloth Diaper

2011-11-26T22:17:00.001-05:00

It's time to announce the winner of our final giveaway, for an Alva Baby Cloth Diaper! Random.org chose the 4th comment:

So our winner is Kirsi for this comment:

Congratuations, Kirsi! Please email your mailing address to contact@muddymamas.net, and we'll send you your diaper!! If we haven't heard from Kirsi by midnight on Wednesday, November 30, we'll draw a new winner.

Thanks to all who entered all of our Thankful Giveaways. We are so thankful for our readers and for the community we have here on Muddy Mamas!!

GIVEAWAY WINNER: 5 Handmade Cloth Wipes - New Winner

2011-11-26T22:11:00.000-05:00

We never heard from the first winner of our cloth wipes giveaway, so we've drawn another one! Random.org chose the 6th comment:

So the winner is Katie for this comment:

Congratulations, Katie! Thanks for blogging about us! Please email your mailing address to contact@muddymamas.net, and Ashlee will send you your wipes! If we haven't heard from Katie by midnight on Wednesday, November 30, we'll draw a new winner.

Thanks to all who entered! I'm still announcing one more winner tonight, so keep hanging on!

GIVEAWAY WINNER: eBay certificate - New Winner

2011-11-26T22:04:00.000-05:00

We didn't hear from the first winner of our $20 eBay certificate giveaway, so we've chosen a new one! Random.org chose the 1st comment:

So that means that our very own Muddy Mama Ashlee is our winner for this comment:

Congratulations, Ashlee! Since you're one of the Mamas, you'll be able to arrange claiming your prize, and I don't have to worry about setting a time limit for your response!

Thanks to all who entered! I'll be announcing the winners for two other giveaways momentarily, so stay tuned!

Catching Up on Giveaways

2011-11-26T21:56:00.001-05:00

The Mamas were having such a great time with friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday that there is some housekeeping left to be done with our Giveaway Extravaganza this month! Check back shortly because we'll be announcing new winners for our eBay certificate and cloth wipes giveaways, and we'll announce the winner of our cloth diaper giveaway too!!! Man, there are gonna be some blessed people around here in the next little bit! :)

Parenting Perspective: Holiday Travel

2011-11-25T07:00:00.034-05:00

During November and December, I'm guessing most families put some miles on their vehicles. Figuring out when to travel, where to travel and how to travel with kids can be tricky too. So we thought we'd share about our traveling during the holidays and then we'd love to hear how your family does it too!

Joni: We have always lived fairly far from our families, who live fairly close to each other. So, when we travel to see one, we usually make it a big trip and just make time to see everybody. Our general habit has been that we just stay home for Thanksgiving, and then do our huge family tour at Christmastime. This year, however, we spent Thanksgiving with my husband's family and will do Christmas with mine... And one year when my son was tiny, we stayed home for Christmas and made everybody come see us! Soooo, we don't necessarily have any traditions.

We do, however, spend a LOT of time in the car traveling to see family, not just at holidays, but we spend most Spring Break and summer vacations at one family member or another's home. Thankfully, though, my son is a stellar car traveller, which is why we do it so much. Believe it or not, though, the child NEVER sleeps in the car, so he has to stay entertained. We just keep a large bin of books and toys in the seat next to him, and he can grab whatever he feels like playing with. Honestly, that's probably the majority of the time. An important element to his being satisfied with that, though, is having music he likes on the radio. It doesn't always have to be kid music, but occasionally he'll get tired of Mommy & Daddy music and he'll ask for his own! So we just bring a stash of his CD's that we don't mind listening to and we go through those at quite a pace. The other two golden ticket items that we only pull out occasionally is the portable DVD player and the iPad. Either of those two things would keep him occupied for the ENTIRE trip if we'd let him, but since he's happy playing in other ways, then we try to limit his screen time to an hour or so each trip. However, we have no shame in pulling them out to avoid a meltdown! The other great way to avoid a meltdown is snacks. Just give the kid something to munch on, and we buy ourselves another 30 minutes! :)

Ashlee: For Thanksgiving we've not really got any tradition of traveling to a certain destination. It usually just depends on what the rest of the holiday plans are with our families. This year we declared November a NO GO month so we're staying home all month. From May 31-October 31st we were only home for 50 days with 16 days being the longest stretch. So we needed to rest and be home. As for Christmas, our travel plans vary each year but we have made a commitment as a family to spend Christmas Eve at our home. We invite friends (and our family is also invited if they wish to drive here) over that evening. I love getting to cook for a crowd. Then we spend Christmas morning at home with "just us." Then, we can travel after that if we have not already seen all of our family for our extended Christmas gatherings.

As for tips in the car (as you can imagine from the last paragraph, we've had a lot of time in the car), we try to travel during nap time as often as possible so that sleep can fill up a large portion of our travel time. This is something we have done since birth and it's been great! But sometimes our travel time is longer than a nap or we are unable to leave at that time. During those times we have plenty of snacks in the snack cups (and more to refill them). I also take a few toys a few weeks before we travel and hide them so they'll be "new again" in the car. I usually pack a few little people, cars, trains, coloring books & crayons and books. Last Christmas we also saved some of our presents for on the road opening. I think this year I'll do that as well with some of the smaller items that we'll use during our trip (a new toothbrush, bottle of vitamins, etc.). One thing I did on our very long trip this summer was make a little notebook of things to check off along our trip and they put stickers on the page once we did those things (like helped load car, used potty, took a nap in the car, saw a ___ (lots of these depending on the landscape of your drive), etc.).

Thankful

2011-11-23T06:30:00.001-05:00

On this, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, what better way to express gratitude for the blessing that I have in my husband than a little soul singin' from Ms. Kelly Clarkson!? May we all be thankful for our best friends and the ones we call, "husband," today and every day!

Thankful (Kelly Clarkson)

You know my soul
You know everything about me there’s to know
You know my heart
How to make me stop & how to make me go
You should know I love everything
About you don’t you know

That I’m thankful
For the blessing
And the lessons that I’ve learned w/you
By my side
That I’m thankful so thankful for the love
That you keep bringing in my life
In my life
Thankful so thankful

You know my thoughts
Before I open up my mouth & try to speak
You know my dreams
Must be listening when I’m talking in my sleep
I hope you know
I love having you around me don’t you know

That I’m thankful for the blessing
And the lessons that I’ve learned w/you
By my side
That I’m thankful so thankful for the love
That you keep bringing in my life in my life

Don’t you know that I’m thankful for the moment
When I’m down you always know how to make me smile
Thankful for the moments & the joy that your bringing to my life

For the lessons that I’ve learned
For the trouble I’ve known
For the heartache & pain
That you’ve thrown my way
When I didn’t think I could go on
But you made me feel strong
With you I am never alone

Thankful so thankful

Rest

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, my Sunday School lesson and then sermon at church seemed to be divinely designed to make me think about the subject of rest and why Christian's don't do it well.

My pastor's sermon was about being good stewards of our time, remembering that our lives are short and we were bought at a price. Consider these verses:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Psalm 90:12 - "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Ephesians 5:15-17 - "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."

These verses and others like them just impress upon us the fact that we owe our very lives to God, and we are to use every moment to glorify Him. This is unquestionably true, but I'm afraid that many of us don't understand exactly how we can best do this in our lives. At least for me, I get overwhelmed by the enormity of that commission and burdened by the huge debt that I owe to the Lord. I question how I can best use my time to honor the Lord, and I feel guilty for the things I do that aren't "productive."

However, right before hearing this sermon, I was in Sunday School, where we are just finishing up Rick Warren's series "40 Days of Love," in which he has walked us through the "love chapter" of 1 Corinthians 13. It has been a fantastic study, and today he focused on verses 7 and 8:

1 Corinthians 13:7-8a - "[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

He made the point that if we are going to be able to "always" love like in the verse, we have to develop the habits that will allow us to be in the right place physically, emotionally, and spiritually to stay loving. Always. And one of the major things that he brought up under all three categories is REST. All humans need rest in order to keep functioning, and the simple fact is that none of us love well or make the best choices to honor God when we are exhausted, stressed, overwhelmed, and over-busy.

One thing he said that really got my attention is "Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap." And that really struck me, especially as it hung with me through the sermon about good stewardship of my time. So the truth the Lord planted in my heart through this is:

Rest IS a valuable and God-glorifying use of my time.

I challenge you to meditate on that thought and see if you are embracing rest and recreation as valuable uses of your time. Mr. Warren gave three examples of things we need in each of the categories in order to stay refreshed and at our best for loving:

1. Physically - We need sleep, healthy food, and exercise.
2. Emotionally - We need solitude, recreation, and laughter.
3. Spiritually - We need daily quiet time, small group fellowship, and worship.

So see how you can fit these into your life while remembering that they are GOOD, and even Jesus rested and recreated when he needed to. These things can obviously be taken too far, but I believe God will bless a heart that is truly trying to make the best choices to honor Him, and He will give us wisdom when we ask for it!

Focusing on the Advent Season

2011-11-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

I wrote earlier this week about how my family uses an Advent Tree to help keep our minds on the coming celebration of Christ's birth. However, I thought I'd also share about another way that I personally help keep my mind focused on the reason for the season. I enlist the help of social media - blogs, Facebook, and Twitter.

One of my favorite faith-related blogs is Ann Voskamp's A Holy Experience. She's where I got the Advent Tree idea in the first place, and she's such an anointed writer. She is very into writing about the Advent season, so reading her blog helps me think about things, sometimes in a new light. In fact, her whole approach to Christmas has really changed the way I think about and understand it myself. I highly recommend following her blog, really all the time, not just at Christmas.

One account that I really enjoyed following on Twitter last year was Natwivity. Starting December 1, they tweet the story of the nativity from the perspective of all the different characters. It was really powerful for me last year, and it helped me think a lot about what the events actually meant and felt like to all the different people involved. After visiting their Twitter page, it looks like this year they are also on Facebook, and they have a website that allows you to sign up for emails that will "send you some fun ways to be involved when everything's in place!" Hmm, sounds neat! I signed up, so we'll see what that's all about. :)

Then this year I also heard about another Twitter and Facebook feed called Occupy Advent. (So named because of the Occupy Wall Street movement, but actually the name makes sense when it's explained. Read an interview with the founder here.) This feed is much more serious than the Natwivity, but it focuses more on the mystery and anticipation of the season. Their motto is "Reclaiming the holy season of waiting and watching for the Lord. Simplify and slow down."

So as someone who's on social media all day long anyways, it is really helpful for me to have these things popping into my newsfeeds, reminding me to stop and breathe, and meditate on the truth of what the Advent season is bringing.

What resources do you use, online or otherwise, to keep yourself focused during the Advent season?

Closed Giveaway: Alva Baby Cloth Diaper

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

This giveaway is closed. Click here to find out who won!
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You've seen a couple of the muddy mamas post about using cloth diapers-and you may see even more posts about it in the future. We want to give one of our readers a chance to win a cloth diaper of their very own! Up for grabs is an Alva Baby one size pocket cloth diaper. It's a fun gender neutral print, and fits babies from 8 lbs-30 lbs.

You can enter multiple times-please leave a separate comment for each entry!

Ways to enter:

*Like Muddy Mamas on Facebook

*Subscribe to the Muddy Mamas blog

*Write a blog post about the giveaway (please leave link)

*Mention the giveaway on a parenting forum (1 entry for each forum thread-please leave links)

*Leave a comment telling us why you use/want to try cloth diapers!

Entries must be made by 11:59 PM Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving Day) to be eligible to win. The winner will be announced on Friday, November 25th so be sure to watch to see if you win!

Ashlee's Thankful List

2011-11-17T06:30:00.002-05:00

I've seen many people posting something they are thankful for each day on Facebook this month. I've been trying to wean myself off facebook (though I'm still not sure if I can completely quit b/c how else will I get a quick survey of what I should do in certain parenting situations so fast??). Anyway, I thought I'd make my own list of things I'm thankful for and share part of it with you.

God loves me enough that He gave His Son to take on the punishment I deserve so that I could spend forever in heaven with Him!
God gifted me with an amazing husband who is an answer to all I prayed for and even more.
We have been blessed with a son whose life started out in the NICU but is now a very healthy, active sweet boy. I know God has a great purpose for his life and I'm thankful that He's allowing us to help prepare him for it.
God put us in community with others and we were with the right people when we experienced a miscarriage. I'm grateful for the people He put around us at that time.
God blessed us with a daughter. "Children are a blessing from the Lord" indeed. She has such a sweet smile and is very generous with her hugs and kisses. I'm so thankful for our girly girl.
I'm so thankful for the Church. It's so great that God created us to be part of a body. In addition to the (big C) Church, I'm thankful for the expressions of the Church I've been a part of in the past, as well as my current local body.
Family and friends.. both near and far.
Peanut butter. I would be so lost without it.
I live in a place where good tasting fresh milk is available (though I'm willing to live elsewhere).
GRACE. Shewwww, we'd all be in a mess without it (see #1).
Bunco!! I have missed it a lot lately, but I'm so thankful for my Bunco girls (both from the past and now).
God has allowed me to travel to see so many places and learn about so many different cultures. I love it!
Pampered Chef's products which have made me love cooking & baking even more. They make meal prep easy and fun.
Our home and all the people who helped make it possible for us to live here (I need to share that story some day...).
My husband's job which provides for our needs.
Our car. Though I do pray that some day soon we can get a bigger vehicle (anyone have a van or Honda Pilot they want to give us? hehe). But our car continues to get us where we're going safely.
Kentucky Basketball. I was going to say college basketball, but really, I'm just thankful for my Wildcats.
Chai. I'm drinking a cup now and I can't hardly type because I want to take another sip. I should really make this stuff more often.
My mom's meatloaf recipe. I'm so glad she shared it with me. YUMMY!
Although I've already said friends, I feel like this is more than just friends because it's not something that I can say "all friends" fit into... but I'm thankful for other believing women in my life who challenge me, encourage me, hold me accountable and let me just share my heart with them, including the other Muddy Mama writers here.

I'm sure I could keep going but nap time is over (ooh, that should have been on the list!) but I hope that during this season you can find some time to reflect over the things in your life you are thankful for. One way I do this every year is I make a "I'm thankful for..." poster every year and hang it up so that we and others can add things we're thankful for to it. It's fun to do with the kids, although a 19 month old just loves getting to sit on it and color all over the place! How do you find ways to talk with your family about the things for which you can give thanks?

GIVEAWAY WINNER: Mary Kay certificate

2011-11-16T14:53:00.001-05:00

It's time to announce the winner of our Mary Kay certificate giveaway! Random.org chose the fifth comment:

So our winner is Chelsea B. for this comment:

Congratulations, Chelsea! Please email your contact information to contact@muddymamas.net, and Sara will contact you with how to get your $25 of Mary Kay products! If we haven't heard from you by midnight on Saturday, November 19, we'll draw another winner.

Thanks to all who entered! We still have two open giveaways right now, so check out the right sidebar to see what else we're giving away... And keep checking back because we have MORE goodies cooked up for you this week too! :)

Celebrating Advent: Decorating An Advent Tree

2011-11-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

I (Joni) am going to do a couple of posts about how we celebrate Advent. Christmas is one of the most meaningful times of year for a Christ-follower, but often our culture makes it easy for the meaning to get lost in commercialism and hype and just plain busyness. So I believe we have to be intentional about taking the Advent season to really focus on watching and waiting, meditating on the truth of what Christ's birth meant and still means today. One of the biggest ways we do this at my house is by putting up an Advent Tree.

Last year was our first year to do this, but it was so effective in helping us keep our hearts fixed on Jesus throughout the season, that we will do it again every year. I got the idea and the devotionals we used last year from Ann Voskamp's blog, A Holy Experience. Here is a direct link to her free Advent devotional book. (She calls her tree a Jesse Tree because of Isaiah 11:1, but I prefer to just call it an Advent Tree.)

What we did was put up our Christmas tree the day before Advent (the 28 days before Christmas) started, leaving the front empty; I put up all our ornaments on the sides and back. Then, using Ann's book and ornaments, we did a little story/devotional each day (We just viewed the PDF on our Kindle instead of printing the whole shebang.) and starting at the bottom, we put an ornament on the tree representing each story. As we moved up the tree, the stories walked us through the Bible from creation to Christ.

This was our tree with all of the ornaments on it after Christmas (click to enlarge). This whole idea was really, really special, and we'll plan to do this every year. It was just so neat to keep our focus daily on God's great story of love and redemption, meditating on what that little baby in the hay means to us all.

This particular book's devotionals were pretty deep, and my 2.5-year-old son didn't have the patience or understanding to listen to them. He did pick up some of it, though, and he had fun putting the new ornaments on the tree every day! Honestly, Advent has snuck up on me this year, and I'm not sure whether we'll stick with Ann's devotional or try to find one that more preschooler-friendly. But we will definitely be doing the Advent Tree again!

By the way, you don't have to do a full-size tree or replace your regular Christmas tree with the Advent Tree. You can have a separate smaller tree just for the Advent ornaments. There are also any number of ways to do ornaments - you can purchase artistic sets or just use any kind of small ornament that in some way represents the story. Do an online search for Jesse Tree, and you'll find COUNTLESS resources! I someday intend to either purchase or make a beautiful permanent set of ornaments, but right now the printed paper ones are safer and more practical for my house. :)

Oh, and if you're doing a 28-day Advent, that will begin on November 29 - I'm posting this a couple weeks ahead of time so you have time to make some preparations if you want to do it!

Please comment if you have ideas or questions about an Advent Tree!

GIVEAWAY WINNER: $20 Pampered Chef Certificate

2011-11-14T14:06:00.001-05:00

It's time to announce the winner of our $20 Pampered Chef Certificate! Random.org chose the sixth comment:

So our winner is All My Monkeys (Kelly Berg) for this comment:

Congratulations, Kelly! Since you were kind enough to leave your email address in your comment, you can expect an email from Ashlee with how to claim your prize.

Thanks to all who entered! We still have three open giveaways right now, so check out the right sidebar to see what else we're giving away... And keep checking back because we have MORE goodies cooked up for you this week too! :)

Adventures in the Dairy-free world

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you know that I recently gave birth to our second daughter (our third child). I had hoped that as with the others, I would be able to breastfeed her for both health and financial reasons. Things seemed to be going well until suddenly things went crazy when she was just two weeks old. After some investigation and discussing things with her doctor, we concluded that she has a dairy intolerance (and possibly a dairy allergy). And in that instant, I had to dramatically alter my diet. Butter, cheese, milk, cream, cream cheese, sour cream, ice cream...all a thing of the past now. And remember a few months back when I prepared ALL those meals for my freezer so I wouldn't have to cook when the baby arrived? Well...not one of them is dairy free! So totally back to the drawing board.

I found myself scrambling for what we could eat that wouldn't make the baby sick. Surprisingly, there are a lot of options out there! I thought I would share a few of my favorite meal ideas that are dairy free.

Breakfasts: I typically eat an English muffin (store brands are dairy free) with peanut butter or a bowl of cereal with almond milk for breakfast. I'm not a big milk drinker, but the almond milk is not bad.

Lunch: I like a turkey or ham sandwich (minus the cheese, of course) or sometimes I will make chicken or tuna salad. Mayo, mustard, miracle whip, and ketchup are all dairy free so that does provide some decent options.

Dinners: Pretty much anything you normally eat is okay. Pasta sauces can be tricky, and I can't have mac and cheese, but any sorts of roasted or grilled meats, casseroles, rice, veggies, fruit, most breads, and condiments are safe to eat. I've learned to really enjoy tacos and you know, I don't miss the sour cream and cheese! I'm sure my waistline enjoys that too!

Snacks: oddly enough, there are is a good selection of snack options! If you want to go truly "dairy free" prepackaged, So Delicious makes some wonderful ice cream and yogurt. They are made with coconut milk, and although pricey, are quite indulgent. Oreos and pita chips/hummus are also dairy free.

It's been a change, but it's not been nearly as difficult as I dreamed it would be. It's only temporary, and I'll have a nice cheesy pizza waiting for me when she outgrows this!

GIVEAWAY WINNER: Hoodie - New Winner

2011-11-13T14:38:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, our first winner of the She Has A Name Hoodie Giveaway never claimed her prize. So we drew another winner! Random.org chose the second comment:

Which means that our new winner is Jennifer Burgett for this comment:

Congratulations, Jennifer! Please email your mailing address and what size hoodie you want to: contact@muddymamas.net. If we haven't heard from Jennifer in 3 days (by midnight on Wed, Nov 16), we'll draw yet another new winner.

And check out the right sidebar to see what other awesome giveaways we have going on right now!

Closed Giveaway: 5 handmade cloth wipes

2011-11-11T07:00:00.017-05:00

This giveaway is closed. Click here to find out who won!
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If you have kids, you know that life is messy with kids around for sure. One thing I've made and found really helpful in cleaning up messes are hand made wipes. I have some I used for diapering and some I use for cleaning up hands and faces after meals. I find that using a cloth wipe works better than disposable wipes who seem to often just smear the mess around. If you're already cloth diapering, I think you'll find using cloth wipes (especially if you are still strictly breast-feeding) to be easier b/c you can put everything in the diaper pail instead of putting diapers in the pail and wipes in the trash. If you're no longer diapering, I'm sure you still have messy hands to clean off.

These wipes are made with flannel on one side and terry cloth on the other (both new material). I like how the terry cloth is good for cleaning and the flannel helps me not feel like I'm sticking my hand in the mess like disposable wipes do.

These are definitely hand made so they are definitely not perfect, but I hope to help another mama deal with the muddy mess of being a mom with some fun, useful cloth wipes. I chose turtles and monkeys so that they could be used on a boy or a girl.

So, if you'd like to win some cloth wipes, here's how you can earn entries:

Follow Muddy Mamas via Google or subscribe by e-mail
Like Muddy Mamas on Facebook
Blog about this giveaway and include a link to this giveaway in your post. (Include a link to your blog post in your comment)
Tell us how you think you could use these wipes in your household.
Share about this giveaway on Facebook with a link to this giveaway

So you could have up to 5 entries in this giveaway!! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Entries must be made by commenting on this blog post on our website (www.muddymamas.net) and must be made before 11:59 pm EST on Thursday, November 17, 2011. The winners will be contacted by email and announced on this blog on Friday, the 18th.

Thankful Thursday: Lela

2011-11-10T12:15:00.000-05:00

⁹ “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:9-12

Thanksgiving. Such a beautiful word filled with thoughts of elementary school studies (you remember seeing kiddos in your lunch room being replaced by little people wearing construction paper pilgrim hats and Native American head dresses/feathers), lining the tables and enjoying what was considered a "Thanksgiving Feast," ala public school lunchroom. It's a word filled with thoughts of family. Of being together with those you love, and some, you do well to love, and sharing laughter, food, football on the family TV and thoughts of Christmas knocking loudly at the door. It's a word, that combined with the words, "after," "day," and "sale," brings excitement to the hearts of serious (or crazy, I'm not sure which best describes this tribe of people yet, even though I have been privy to what is known as Black Friday) bargain shoppers who wish to get the best things for the least money!

But, what is Thanksgiving? I am not a linguist, but I do love how the day that we celebrate in our country as the day that two groups of people came together to unite, even for a day, and celebrate freedom and friendship, is made up of two words: "thanks" and "giving." And as I sit to ponder this post, I wonder how little that I really think of either words as being crucial to that particular holiday, or, any day for that matter? Personally, I have more than I can even begin to type or even categorize in the way of "things for which I am thankful," and when it comes to actually "giving thanks," do I equally do more than enough of that to account for my many blessings? I won't bore you with the hundreds of things I can spout off when it comes to things that bless me, all beyond what I deserve, but I do wish to challenge you, as well as myself this season of Thanksgiving.

May we all not only recognize the people, things and most importantly, the God who wishes to give His children (who aren't worthy) good gifts (and by gifts, I don't mean nice cars, fancy homes or the latest Apple product), but may we then turn and give to others out of our abundance. Out of our abundance of funds. Out of our abundance of "yard sale" boxes. Out of our abundance of time (and yes, we may feel spent, but we always have more time to give for the things that matter most to us). Out of our abundance of food. Out of our abundance of hope. And most importantly, out of our abundance of the joy, which comes down from the Father of light, who does not change like shifting shadows, who not only wishes to give us good and perfect gifts (James 1:17), but who then wishes us to share all for which we have been given with those who may be lacking in their abundance, even this very moment!

Thanksgiving. May it be truly a season for us to be thankful, but also, to give. . . sacrificially, joyfully, abundantly, freely, as Christ has given to us!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS: The Sounds of Night Apps

2011-11-10T10:26:00.001-05:00

Well, we only had three people enter this giveaway, so everybody wins! Congratulations to Ashlee P., Liz W., and Ashlee H. for winning a free The Sounds of Night App! Please send the email address you use for iTunes to contact@muddymamas.net, and we'll send you your app! Thanks for entering!

Guest Post: Furnishing Your Everyday Needs from Estate Sales + Closed $20 ebay Gift Certificate Giveaway

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is a guest post from my friend Whitney. Whitney is the mom of JB, Tanner and Courtney and she works at Reggie's Attic.

From Whitney:
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The myth of estate sales is you will find good quality antiques. That in itself is just a myth. Estate sales are so much more. Yes, you will run into those fine antique estates on occasions but those households also have to have other items you use everyday like clothes, cleaning supplies, linens, TV’s, computers and couches, etc.

Have you ever thought of furnishing your home with previously owned furniture, then cleaning that furniture with cleaners purchased at a fraction of the retail price? How about low mile, great condition car?

The beauty of an estate sale is that you can purchase things typically found in any household for pennies on the dollar. The biggest difference between an estate sale and a yard sale is that in an estate sale, everything is sold because there is no one to use it any more. Yard sales are more of what a person has decided to get rid of, which in most cases those items are torn, broken or damaged.You can find a good solid wood bed, bedroom suit, bookcases, and more to outfit a child’s room for what just a bed would cost from a discount retailer and that furniture would be pressed wood.

Remember when you first started housekeeping? Money was tight, you had very little extra for furnishings. What better way to furnish your living room with a good quality couch for under $100 or a name brand recliner for $75. When my company liquidates an estate we sell everything that is not attached. Recently we have realized unopened, not expired food, will sell. How about buying an unopened can of name brand coffee for $3 for the same can would have cost you $7 to $10 at your local grocery.

I was recently shopping another company’s estate sale and they were selling a 32” flat screen for $100. You won’t get a deal like that at a pawn shop.

It’s all about saving money. My entire household is furnished from estate sales, even the mower my husband uses to cut the grass. The Christmas tree that I will setup this Christmas, or the deep fryer we use to fry our turkey. And if I could just find that turkey in a someone’s freezer for sale, I would probably buy it too. What is even more amazing is that I do not buy from the sales I conduct. My purchases are solely from sales conducted by other companies or individuals.

I have some customers who only purchase cars through estate sales because they are only being sold for the fact there is no longer an owner for them. In most cases, the cars are well maintained with low miles. You can also purchase RV’s, utility trailers, boats, outdoor storage buildings, etc.….the possibilities are endless. Just look around your house and think what could be needed and/or available in the ESTATE SALE.

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This giveaway is now closed. Click here to find out who won!
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In addition to sharing her wisdom on estate sale shopping, Whitney has also offered to give a $20 Gift certificate to ebay to one of the Muddy Mama readers this week! Here's how you can enter to win:

Follow Muddy Mamas via Google or subscribe by e-mail (1 entry)
Like Muddy Mamas and Reggie's Attic on facebook (1 entry)

So you could have up to 2 entries in this giveaway!! Entries must be made by commenting on the blog post on our website (www.muddymamas.net) and must be made before 11:59 pm EST on November 16, 2011. Please make a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be announced on this blog on Thursday, the 17th.

Closed Giveaway: Mary Kay

2011-11-09T14:16:00.001-05:00

This giveaway is closed. Click here to find out who won!
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Sometimes as Mamas it's easy to forget we are first wives. It's important that we still take care of ourselves as a way to love our husbands. Sometimes getting some new skin care product or make up can help make us feel better about ourselves. So this giveaway might be a great way to help inspire one of our Muddy Mamas to feel like the attractive wife she is.

This giveaway is from another Mama. Sara is a mom to a 3 year old boy, Luke and a 6 month old girl, Olivia. Sara has agreed to give away $25 worth of Mary Kay products of the winners choice! Shipping is always complimentary for Sara's customers. So, here's how you can win:

Follow Muddy Mamas via Google or subscribe by e-mail (1 entry)

Like Muddy Mamas on facebook (1 entry)

Visit Sara's website and tell us in a comment what products you might choose (you're not obligated to this choice if you win) (1 entry)

So you can enter up to 3 times. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be made on our blog's website (www.muddymamas.net) before 11:59 pm EST on November 15th, 2011. The winner will be announced on this blog on Wednesday, the 16th.

The One Week Decluttering Challenge

2011-11-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

I think almost every person, and especially one with small children in the home, can admit that they have clutter. Be it toys, outgrown clothing, a collection of monogrammed towels, or the like. If you're like me, eventually, the clutter starts to get to you. It makes it hard to clean around, overwhelms both you and your children, and makes for a chaotic type environment. So where do you begin? Well, for me, I took one week to declutter the worst areas of my home. I'm notorious for starting a "project" (for example, clearing out outgrown clothing) that winds up being nine unfinished projects. This is a way to avoid that. Focus on ONE area only each day. By the end of the week, you'll be amazed at how much neater things are. Here's how I did it.

Monday: the kitchen. In my kitchen, my clutter areas are my plastic storage containers (we are slowly making the switch to all glass containers, but I like to keep some cheapies on hand for when we take food to friends and don't want them to have to worry with dishes), and our pantry. For the containers, I cleared down to just a handful of plastic containers in various sizes. If the lid is missing or you have a lid with no container, it goes. End of story. For the pantry, I check dates on items, and if items have gone stale or past the date, they get thrown out.

Tuesday: the kids closets. This is the time to pull out of season and outgrown clothing. It's also a good idea to pull unused hangers. I keep a few in each closet, but then the rest I either donate to a local pregnancy crisis center or I store in totes in our basement for consignment sales. Have bags or totes labeled and ready for the clothing either to be stored, donated, or sold.

Wednesday: the toys. If your child hasn't picked it up and played with it in a month, it's time to leave the space. You can put it into a tote for rotation or you can donate it. We like to let our kids help in this process and choose a few things to donate. They like the idea of sending the toys they don't play with to a child who doesn't have any toys. Also, if pieces are missing or broken, the toy needs to go. That goes for puzzles, markers with no tops, and books with ripped out pages.

Thursday: the adult closets. If you haven't worn it in one year, then you've held onto it through the full round of seasons and you probably aren't going to wear it again. Also consider if you'll really want to wear something a year from now if you happen to lose/gain weight. Don't forget to go through socks and underwear too! Socks with no match and underwear with holes go!

Friday: linens. Go through towels, blankets, sheets, wash cloths, and rugs. If they are stained, have holes, or unraveling, it is time to let them go. You can donate them or repurpose them into cleaning rags.

The Weekend: choose any other area that you feel can use some decluttering. This is the time that I sort through our magazines and other mail that may have accumulated and needs shredding.

You'll be amazed at what a difference setting aside a little time each day for one week will clear out your house. We took nearly a dozen bags of stuff to Goodwill after our declutter! I like to repeat the process every 6 months, but you can do it as often/not as you like!

Closed Giveaway: $20 Pampered Chef Gift Certificate

2011-11-07T06:30:00.004-05:00

This giveaway is closed. Click here to see who won!
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The holidays are coming and that means food shared with family and friends. We'd like to help one Muddy Mama reader prepare for the holidays by giving away a $20 Pampered Chef gift certificate. Here's how you can enter to win:

Follow Muddy Mamas via Google or subscribe by e-mail (1 entry)
Like Muddy Mamas and Pendley Pampering on facebook (1 entry)
Blog about this giveaway and share your favorite Pampered Chef item (or if you don't have one yet, what would you like to try) and include a link to this giveaway in your post. (2 entries- must comment twice and include a link to your post)

So you could have up to 4 entries in this giveaway!! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Entries must be made by commenting on the blog post on our website (www.muddymamas.net) and must be made before 11:59 pm EST on November 13, 2011. For each entry, comment telling us you have done (or were already) doing the things required for an entry. The winner will be announced on this blog on Monday, the 14th.

Closed Giveaway: The Sounds of Night App - 5 winners!

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

This giveaway is closed. Go here to see the announcement of the winners!
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One aspect of my life that I (Joni) don't write about much on Muddy Mamas is that I work at home for a company called ROAR whose mission is to get faith-based content on mobile devices by developing apps for non-profits on all mobile platforms. We are really excited about helping churches use current technology to reach people and enhance their ministries, and we are seeing God do some amazing stuff through mobile technology.

It's also neat, though, to intentionally wield the power of technology to influence our kids in a positive way, since this is the culture they are growing up in. My 3-year-old is more comfortable on an iPad than I am, and so I want to use the iPad as a tool to help teach him about God and faith. There are all sorts of resources out there, and here's your chance for FIVE of our readers to win one for free! ROAR has developed an app (for iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch) of a faith-based children's bedtime story called The Sounds of Night. Read more about it and see more screenshots here. It's an adorable story, with cute graphics, designed for children ages 2-8.

Please note that in order to give you your free app, we need the email address that you use for iTunes. Please include your email address in each comment that you use for entry - we promise we won't use those emails for anything else. If you prefer, you can encode it like "username at gmail dot com." If our random selector chooses a comment that doesn't have an email address in it, we'll choose another winner. A total of five winners will be chosen.

Here's how you can enter to win:

Follow Muddy Mamas via Google or subscribe by e-mail (or if you already do, tell us in a comment)
Like Muddy Mamas on Facebook (or let us know you already do)
Like ROAR on Facebook (or let us know you already do)
Blog about this giveaway and include a link to this giveaway in your post. (Leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.)
Share about this giveaway on Facebook with a link to this giveaway (and leave a comment that you did)

So you could have up to 5 entries in this giveaway!! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Entries must be made by commenting on this blog post on our website (www.muddymamas.net) and must be made before 11:59 pm EST on Thursday, November 10, 2011. The winners will be contacted by email and announced on this blog on Friday, the 11th.

Thankful Thursday: Joni

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

For the month of November, we decided change our Thursday meme from Thrifty to Thankful, since this is a season of giving thanks! So each Thursday this month, one of the mamas will be sharing something along the theme of thankfulness.

In my meditations about thankfulness this year, I think about all that God has taught me on the subject of gratitude through Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. (Read my review here.) I have so much to be thankful for. It's easy to recognize the big ones like the amazing people He has surrounded me with my whole life, deliverance and protection from hard circumstances, material blessing, etc. It's also enlightening, though, to recognize even small blessings as gifts of God's grace - an encouraging email from a friend, finding something I needed on sale, "I love you, Mommy" from my son, sunshine breaking through the clouds. When I look at small things that way, it opens up for me the reality of how present God is in my everyday life and circumstances, and just how very much He cares for me. He knew exactly what would lift my spirits or help me out, and He designed events to come out in what He knew was exactly the best way.

Not everything is always sunshine and smiles, but the longer I live a life of faith, I am learning to be able to look back on even the hardships of my life and see God's miraculous providence even in those. I can see His deliverance, His intervention, His sustenance, His provision, and it is impossible for me to not recognize those as gifts springing from His lovingkindness toward me even though I was walking through a difficult valley.

So this is a little bit of a different spin on gratitude meditations, but this year I am thankful just for God's persistent, sovereign, caring, loving presence in my life. Yes, I am thankful for my precious family, but sometimes I begin to take them for granted. I am thankful for my life as a stay-at-home mom to an adorable child, but sometimes I get weary and discouraged. I have so many huge things to be grateful for, but sometimes I'm distracted or just lose sight of them. But if I have eyes to see, God provides dozens of little things every single day to help remind me of His constant care, His perfect provision, His sovereign goodness, His unfailing love. So I'm thankful that not only is His love unfailing, but He is always reminding me of His perfect grace in multiple ways, large and small, every day.

Feels Like Home

2011-11-02T06:30:00.003-04:00

November 1, 2010. It was a date that I was dreading and a date that I longed for! It was the day that we officially moved to a small town in southern Ohio known as Hillsboro. It was the day that I had eagerly been anticipating, as it was confirmed over and over by questions answered and opportunities granted. It was a day that I equally loathed, as I would no longer be living in my "Old Kentucky Home," of which I had never known any different in my then 31 years. It was a day that made my heart full of joy to not only see my husband be able to spend his days doing what God had made Him for, as a minister of the gospel, but to also be able to spend more time around the dinner table as a family, to snuggle up on the couch after the girls went to bed because he no longer had 4 hours of class that would keep him from home until after 10 pm, and even, to have him work next door for impromptu lunch dates and errand runs together! It was a day that made my heart full of sorrow, to know that our families, who had been just 15 and 45 minutes away, along with all of our beautiful friends, were now going to be 3 or more hours from us. It was a day that I anticipated new friendships, of which God has continued to grant and surprise me with in His creative ways of connecting me to so many beautiful and unique women in and around this community!

It was a day of laughter. It was a day of tears. It was a day of hope. It was a day of fears (sorry, I really didn't plan the rhyme!).

It was a day. And above anything that my heart and head were telling me, God was whispering His peace to me: Peace in the timing, peace in the location, peace in the tears, peace in the laughter. That He was sovereign. That He was in control. And that in it all, He knew I would be here way before we knew, and that Joshua was His physical reminder. A reminder here in this place of uncertainty. A reminder that God is always present and that wherever He is, is my home. Joshua and I had always said early on in our marriage, that no matter where God may lead, with God as the center of our marriage, wherever we are together is HOME!

So, here we are. November 1, 2011 marks our year anniversary as Hillsboro, Ohio residents. It's been 365 1/4 days! Each day has been different, like everyone's days. It's not been an easy transition some days! Other days, it's been smooth sailing. Truth be told, I miss my family. I miss my Target strolls with a Starbuck's cup in my hands. I miss my 5 minute run to the mall to grab something quickly. I miss the bright lights and the strolls downtown Louisville, one of the prettiest downtowns around. I miss all of the wonderful little eateries in the Highlands. I miss dropping into my mom-in-law's beauty shop, just to get a quick hug and say, "I love you." But in those moments, God still whispers to me that He is home, that Joshua is home and that as our little family cuddles together in the cold, dreary days or runs and giggles together on the warm, sunshiny days, I'm never out of place. Joshua is my other half. With him, I am one. With him, I'm always home. God's design for marriage has so many implications that I don't understand, but I am not one to question when each day is made sweeter with the home that we continue to build together, in Christ, no matter the city, town, or "'boro!"

This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Genesis 2:24

Closed Giveaway: She Has A Name Hoodie

2011-11-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

This giveaway is closed. See who won here!
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Back in March we gave away a She Has A Name T-shirt to one of our readers, Bride of Christ (see the picture of her wearing her prize). This month She Has A Name is giving us a HOODIE to giveaway to one of our readers!!

Here's how you can enter to win:

Follow Muddy Mamas via Google or subscribe by e-mail (1 entry)
Like Muddy Mamas and She Has A Name on facebook (1 entry)
Like As Our Own, Gracehaven or DOMA international (3 non profits that She Has A Name supports) on Facebook (1 entry for each)
Post about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook Status and in the post include a link to this post and share one thing you learned or was reminded of about Human Trafficking (2 entries for this one so leave two comments including a link to your post)

So you could have up to 7 entries in this giveaway!! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Entries must be made by commenting on the blog post on our website (www.muddymamas.net) and must be made before 11:59 pm EST on November 7, 2011. The winner will be announced on this blog on Tuesday, the 8th.

Thankful Giveaways!

2011-11-01T06:30:00.000-04:00

In the month of November, the Muddy Mamas are all about giving thanks! We are all most of all thankful for God's sacrifice of His Son for us. We're also thankful for our loving husbands and the blessing of our children, and we're thankful for our readers! So between now and Thanksgiving, we have 7 awesome giveaways planned for you! Many of our giveaways are sponsored by other Mamas who read this blog! We hope you will enjoy the giveaways. It's our little way of saying, "Thanks for being muddy with us!"

Be sure to check our blog often this month so you won't miss out on any of our giveaways! In fact, our first giveaway will be announced later today! In addition to being thankful for our readers, we're thankful for all of the mamas and companies who are supporting us by giving away something to our readers.

Filling Their Freezer

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

My brother-in-law & his wife just recently had their first baby. The week before her due date we went to visit to help them prepare for the coming baby. My task was to help put food in their freezer. They had moved into their house less than a month before her due date so their hadn't been much time (or energy) to stock their freezer. I was pretty excited about my task.

So I made a list of meals for the days we were there as well as to stock their freezer. I chose to use ground beef so I could make things easier (and appealing to my preggo SIL). Here's what my plan was:

Meals to eat while we were there:
-Husband Delight
-soup beans
-chili
-brownies (I knew I couldn't make them & not eat them)

Meals to put in their freezer:
-leftover beans (since it makes so much)
-3 pans (2 large and one smaller) of Angel Hair Pasta
-meatloaf
-Sticky French Toast
-2 loaves of peanut butter chocolate chip banana bread
-brownies

I had made morning plans with friends so I only had nap time to work on things. So the first task was to go to the grocery store.

Then my first afternoon I made and froze the meatloaf and browned the rest of the ground beef for the husband delight and chili and then mixed the rest of the ground beef with a pound of sausage for the angel hair pasta bakes. Then I made our dinner (husband delight). And that night soaked the beans for the next evening.

Day 2 I Drained and started the beans before breakfast. Then during nap time I cooked the pasta & made the angel hair pastas to freeze. I also made a batch of sticky french toast. Then I made 2 pans of brownies (one to eat & one to freeze).

The morning of Day 3 she was in labor so I froze the leftovers for them to have when everyone was gone. I put the chili in the crock pot that morning. Then I made the banana bread during nap time.

The next morning their baby girl arrived and I made more Sticky French Toast & froze half of it (we ate the other half) and then we headed home after meeting our niece!

At left is a picture of their full freezer.

Guest Post: Turkey Fun

2011-10-28T06:30:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month I shared with you one of Kristen's fall projects and this week I'm excited to share another great crafty idea as we look toward Thanksgiving.

From Kristen:

The other fall craft project that I made with my children isthe “Our Little Turkeys” painting. Each turkey is our children’s handprint. Depending on the style/size of wood you choose, you can addother items i.e. stickers, ribbon, leaves, etc. Be creative!

For the Turkey project, you will need the followingitems:

Acrylic paint (brown, orange, yellow, red, green,cream)
Unfinished wood (in the craft section at Michael’s)
Paint brush & sponge brush
Brown fine Sharpee pen
Black fine Sharpee pen

Optional

Decorative acorns
Felt leaf stickers
Ribbon

Steps:

Paintthe unfinished piece of wood with cream Acrylic paint; let dry.
Paintyour child’s hand brown and then place your child’s hand onto the wood. Let the paint dry. In the meantime, wash your child’sarm and hand with a baby wipe and/or soap and water.
Withthe red paint, make two small ovals on top of the turkey’s head (the thumbprint) and make one larger oval underneath the turkey’s head,
Makefeather like shapes in between each finger with the colors of your choice.
Addadditional colors behind those feathers to give the turkey some dimension.
Witha Sharpie, outline the turkey and the feathers and make some marks on thefeathers to add detail. Add an eyeto the turkey’s head.
Addthe names of your children, their ages, the date, etc. to your painting.

In the painting on the left, acorns are painted on to the wood and felt leaf stickers are addedon top of them. To paint theacorns, paint small brown ovals and let dry. Mix some cream paint with the brown to get a tan color andthen paint the tops of the acorns. Let dry. With the brownSharpie pen make crisscrossed marks on the tops of the acorns. Apply the felt leaves.

Decorative acorns can be added tothe painting by using a hot glue gun (as shown in the first painting above)

Enjoy!

Cloth Diapering a Newborn!

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

I am the mom to a brand new baby girl, born August 31. When our first daughter was born in 2009, we made the decision to use cloth diapers for budget reasons. At that time, I knew very little about how many options there are, and what would be the best choice for our family. Now, two years later, I have a much better understanding of what all is available in the cloth diapering community. I thought I would share a little of my adventure in cloth diapering.

On average, a newborn baby goes through 10-12 diapers a day. For a regularly priced package of disposable diapers, that runs about $100/month! That is a lot of money on diapers-something you LITERALLY throw in the garbage. So, when you see the prices of cloth diapers-with the premium running upwards of $20/each it seems like it wouldn't be a good investment. But if you figure it up over time ($1200/year on disposables vs. $400 on a full stash of cloth that will last until potty training), it really is worth the cost.

There are AIOs (all-in-ones) which are just like disposables, only cloth. You put them on the same way, then throw on the washer. AI2s or pockets are similar, with a waterproof outer shell and a pocket that you stuff with an absorbent insert. Fitteds are just absorbent cloth with snaps or velcro and require a waterproof diaper cover. Prefolds are the "old-school" square cloth diapers that require pins or "snappis" to secure them and also require a cover.

For you to get a little idea of what's out there, especially for a newborn, I've included some photos of our little darling in her fluff.

The first photo is her in a prefold diaper with a cover over it (you can only see the cover). There is a snappi behind so you can see what one looks like. It has little plastic "teeth" that grip the fabric and hold it closed.

The second photo is a fitted diaper, without a cover on.

The final photo is an AIO. It is waterproof on its own and does not require a cover.

Movie Review "Courageous"

2011-10-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

With a new baby in tow, and two other children at home, my husband and I rarely get the opportunity to have a "date." We enjoy spending time with our kids too, so we don't worry about it too much ,but we do enjoy it on occasion when given the opportunity. Over fall break, my in-laws graciously agreed to keep all three of our kids so that we could go see a movie. We had heard good things about the movie Courageous, and had planned to go see it. We don't see movies often, as we don't like to invest a large amount of money in an evening where we feel like we might be left very disappointed. So, off we went.

I knew very little about the plot, only that it was created by the same people who made "Fireproof" and "Facing the Giants." A quick overview-it's the story of four police officers and their quests to become the fathers and husbands that God intends for them to be. It's not all warm and fuzzy, in fact, I had the husband scrambling for tissues at one point. I love that it openly shares the Gospel, but most importantly, it outlines what the duties of a biblical father and husband are. I honestly think that every Christian (and non-Christian!) man should see this movie. It was heartwarming and an excellent reminder of the blessing that it is to be the head of the household. As a wife, it is a reminder to me of what a tough and overwhelming job that is for my husband and the father of our children. It is a great reminder also of how important it is that I support him in his decisions and pray for him often. I highly recommend it the movie-especially if you're looking for a good date night!

Book Review: Made To Crave

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

God created human beings with desires, or cravings, for something beyond themselves. His plan was that we would desire more of Him, filling our needs and our wants with what He alone can offer. Unfortunately, we see that from the very beginning, even in the perfection that was the Garden of Eden, we took God’s plan and made it our own. We allowed our own desires, or cravings, to be fulfilled through what we thought was best and what we thought was satisfying.

Lysa Terkeurst has fought her own battles in misplaced allegiance of her desires as she fights a battle with food as not just her sustenance, but as her comfort, an idol even. Terkeurst exposes very real and hard truths about herself and about how God has created us all in her book, Made To Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food. She has found that over years and years of dieting, stressing over the numbers, justifying poor choices and over-using the “I’ll start again Monday” cycle, she finally had to come to a place where the issue had nothing to do with her weight and had everything to do with her relationship with God and her deep need to draw nearer to Him.

Does any of this sound familiar? I'm pretty sure that I could have written this book myself, with much less eloquence, mind you. I struggled, and still struggle some days, with my relationship with food. It wasn't until God spoke to me in real and more than clear ways after I had my last sweet baby girl in 2007, that I knew that all my years of insecurity, lack of confidence and desire to transform my body had been stifled by wrong motives. It had always been all about ME and what I wanted. Until I realized that everything, even my weight/fitness was all about HIM and what HE desired, nothing ever stuck. The freedom that came from surrendering to God fully, even in these lifelong struggles, made and continues to make, all of the difference in the world to me and to those whom I love and serve each day. The gospel is made more real both in and through me because I finally allowed it to transform me. The gospel is life transforming, but only as far as I allow it to penetrate.

If you find yourself struggling with some of the same misplaced cravings and the unhappy attempts to change things within your own strength, consider picking up this book and preparing to receive a new perspective on how you view not only eating and fitness, but also, on other places that your loyalties may lie that block your true view of God’s enormity and priority within your own life. I have been challenged by this book and wish the same challenge and encouragement for other women who may be interested in how to exchange the cycles of “how to” for their own benefit for a “want to” for God’s glory! See what God has to say about who He has created you to be and how you can crave more of Him and less of you! Nothing substitutes your time in the Word, but Made To Crave is such a sweet companion to His truths that will be made fresh and new in your hearts as you seek to draw closer to Him!

Yummy Halloween Goodies!

2011-10-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

It seems that so many people have Halloween parties, especially kids at school, that there is an abundance of adorable and creepy treats to be eaten. I've decided it would be fun to share some of my favorite goodies with you!

White Chocolate Ghosts

Parenting Perspective: Halloween

2011-10-21T06:48:00.000-04:00

As we approach Halloween, I thought it'd be fun to hear what some of the Muddy Mama's perspectives are on Halloween. We'd also love to hear what you do in your family too. So here's what some of the Muddy Mamas do concerning candy, dress up and such.

Ashlee: I know that some people boycott Halloween stating it has some demonic roots but personally I think it can be a fun holiday. Last year we went to a pumpkin carving party and learned how to carve some serious looking pumpkins! And we hope to do that again this year. We also dress up our kids and we take them to a few neighbors' houses. I don't like the idea of having my house full of candy, but I'm pretty strict on rationing it out. In fact, we probably have candy from 2 years ago still in our "treat cabinet." I would let him (she wasn't old enough to eat candy yet) pick one thing to eat that evening and then we saved the rest as treats when he was clean and dry all day or did something else that I felt deserved a reward.

Joni: Generally, we just don't celebrate Halloween. It's not that we're opposed to it, but it's not a Christian holiday and most often we just don't feel like it's worth our energy. We do see the value of participating in community events, and I think churches have great community outreach events surrounding Halloween. Maybe we'll be interested in participating more in things like that when our 3-year-old son is older and can understand what's going on. Honestly, the only reason I'm opposed to the trick-or-treating right now is because I don't want candy in my house. Food and weight are issues I struggle with, and it's just not smart for me to bring piles of candy in the house, especially since I'd want to strictly ration it from my son the way Ashlee does, and so it would be sitting there for a VERY long time - too much temptation for me! Since my son isn't old enough to care whether he participates or not, it just makes more sense to me to skip it. We haven't come up against any kind of opposition about our lack of participation, and generally if someone asks, I just tell them we don't really celebrate Halloween, and they're ok with that.

The Virtual Yard Sale

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Have lots of junk lying around but the thought of putting together a yard sale makes you squeamish? Look no farther than the bounds of Facebook! Recently, I got a request from a friend to join a local "yard sale" group. I really wasn't sure what it was until I got a chance to look around. It's set up for our city, and people literally list all the stuff they want to get rid of. They include pictures and prices, and people haggle just like at a real outdoor yard sale! The bonus-you don't have to pay shipping or advertising, or set aside a whole day. It's all local, so you just arrange a time or place to meet and swap items.

So how do you get started if there isn't one available? The group I'm a part of is set up through Facebook. It's by invitation only, and there are photo albums set up for all types of items...kids clothing, adult clothing (all separated by gender/size), toys, electronics, furniture, vehicles, home decor, and lots more. You load your photos, price your items, and wait to sell them. Does it work? Absolutely! I've made quite a bit of money getting rid of unused items. I just set aside one day to meet people buying my items so I don't have to make trips out each day.

It's also a thrifty way to pick up items you might be needing. There are only a few months a year where consignment sales are readily available and weather is optimal for an outdoor yard sale, so this takes out those factors. It's a win-win! I highly recommend looking into it to see if your city already has one set up. If not maybe you will be the one to get it started! Happy shopping and selling!

Book Review: Sheet Music

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Sheet Music: Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage by Dr. Kevin Leman

As you can see, this book is about sexual intimacy in marriage, which is a... well, intimate... subject, and so I won't make this review very long or detailed. However, it is an incredible book, and I strongly recommend it! The author is a Christian and he writes about honoring God in your marriage through your intimacy. As many books as I've read on this subject, this one is different than others I've read because it's got a more practical approach. My husband found it and read it first, and then he asked me to read it because he thought it was so helpful... And I'm glad he did! In fact, I really encourage you to do it that way, where both you and your spouse read this book and then you talk about it together. (We both read the Kindle version, and so I could see the parts that my husband underlined and vice versa - that really helped me to pay better attention to what stood out to him!)

This book was more helpful to me than any other in really understanding how my husband thinks on this subject, and him for me as well. Then also it gives practical suggestions on what to actually do for each other, which was awesome. So as a warning, it is fairly blunt about sensitive subjects, but honestly, part of the point is that you have to learn to not be afraid to be vulnerable where intimacy with your spouse is concerned. Openness and spontaneity in intimacy are things that don't come naturally to a lot of people raised in a Christian culture, but it's so valuable to your relationship with your spouse that it's worth giving it some thought and maybe trying things you hadn't thought of before. I won't ramble on any further, but I really encourage you to take a look at this book. Regardless of whether your marriage is struggling or not, there's no marriage that can't benefit from the ideas found here.

Housekeeping No-Brainer: Swiffer Dusters

2011-10-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

This may be a no-brainer for many of you, but I had a recent discovery in my housekeeping methods: Swiffer Dusters are awesome!! I've known about them for a long time, but I never thought they would be so helpful that they'd be worth paying extra to buy them. I buy generic Swiffer Sweeper cloths that I use to on my floors, and so I would just hold a Swiffer cloth in my hand to do the dusting. However, I got a free sample of a Swiffer Duster in the mail, and once I tried it, I was totally sold! The good things about it:

Being on a handle, it's so much easier to reach in places like beside the DVD player or around a lampshade or in the air vents. Also, it's easier to maneuver to out-of-reach places like a ceiling fan.
The feathery style of the duster truly does hold more dust and dirt than a flat Swiffer sheet does.
It's simple enough that my 3-year-old can help me! I used a coupon to buy another handle, so he and I can dust together... Score!

So now that I've revealed myself as an utter doofus for not having tried the Swiffer Dusters before, I encourage you to try it if you haven't! Have you ever made any surprise discoveries in your homemaking life??