It's been a hard day

What do hard days look like for you? For me, it's usually kids fighting, me snapping, to-do lists being ignored. It's being too busy, or not busy enough. It's everything and nothing and ALL.THE.THINGS. But it usually comes down to one thing. My attitude, my perspective, my response. (see even when I don't want it to be all about me, it is)


And on one of those particularly hard days, this book showed up in my mailbox... What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days by Holley Gerth.


And I wanted to just ignore the dish pile in the sink, ignore the kids and the dear husband, ignore the laundry that was washed four days ago and still isn't folded, and lock myself in my room with Holley's encouraging words, my gratitude journal, and the Psalms, and not come out for a week.


Well it didn't happen quite like that, but it was close. I've been spending lots of my quiet time in the Psalms these days, so I was delighted to crack open this book and find that each devotional was based on a Psalm. I love the way she describes the Psalms, "The book of Psalms is like a table covered with God's goodness." It's true, and He has set the table for me... and His goodness can satisfy, will satisfy, does satisfy.

And after a day of stuffing myself with unhealthy, unnecessary foods and reading these words in the introduction, "We need to find a way to quiet the hunger pains in our hearts." I knew that this was going to reach my heart. Holley gives us 52 encouraging truths... and man, there are some good ones in there!

God wants to lift you up when life lets you down
God says you're a delight, not a disappointment
God doesn't want you to try so hard
God is your protector
God will ease your anxiety
God's ways are best for you
God will use you to help others

and so many more that spoke to my heart before I even began reading the devotional. Each truth is paired with a verse from Psalms, along with a reading of 3 Psalms a day (or week, or however you choose to break it up).

We all have hard days and sometimes on the hard days, it is difficult to remember truth, to focus on truth, to meditate on what is true, and right, and pure. But a few days in the Psalms, along with these encouraging words that Holley shares with us, and your perspective can change, just like mine does! Psalms is my lifeline and this devotional book has added a strand of strength to that lifeline!

Pick one up today!  

PS... she's doing a little book club on her website right now... Check it out, go like her facebook page and sign up for the updates! You won't be disappointed!

(also, I attempted Amazon affiliate links, so if you purchase the book through the links on this page, I get a percentage or something like that... I really don't know how it all works) :) thanks

Falling in Love with my Kitchen again

I love the kitchen. It wasn't always that way. When I got married, my family joked that I needed a cookbook just to boil water... and truth be told we ate a lot of hamburger helper that first year (we also worked opposite shifts, so meals weren't really worth the effort.

Then I improved thanks to Taste of Home subscriptions and other great cookbooks. But I still made every effort to follow recipes to a T... I'm a big rule follower and that spilled over into recipes, measurements and ingredients.

Then, enter the internet... and allrecipes.com and my recipe "box" grew exponentially. I began to love cooking and had a few go-to meals that I perfected! Over time I could even make the meal without the recipe in front of me and I even learned to tweak recipes for my own liking. *Gasp*

Then I had a baby and I wasn't working full time any more, so I actually had more time for experimenting in the kitchen. I found great satisfaction in a meal well done. And then I had three more kids, one right after another, and time in the kitchen was limited. And when I did take time in the kitchen, these little toddlers didn't seem to appreciate my effort... and sometimes hubby worked later than scheduled and the meal "perfect" at 5:30 was cold, slimy, or otherwise no good anymore.

Sad to say, my meal planning, trying new recipes, taking pride in my kitchen efforts ... dwindled and I lost my spirit for food (Not that I didn't eat, believe me, I LOVE FOOD) but I started picking the easy stuff, the prepared stuff, the horrible-for-you stuff.


Enter Bread and Wine via the (in)courage Bloom book club

I'm not saying  Bread and Wine changed all this for me. I had started to make improvements before I picked up this book. I have been meal planning a little better since my sister-in-law made me the awesome meal planner for my fridge. I have been working on increasing the fruits and veggies we eat and other healthier options. But it was mostly because of duty--it's what I SHOULD be doing.

But when I picked up Bread and Wine, it breathed life into my soul and gave me a craving for the soul part of cooking again. I got giddy when planning out a few new recipes. And grocery shopping was almost fun again as I searched for never-before-purchased items!  And then I tried the recipes, and OH MY WORD, I started drooling! :)

 I loved the Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Dipping Sauce... even though I had never heard of sriracha before I picked up this book!

and the Maple Balsamic Pork Tenderloin made me feel so sophisticated (although I over cooked it... and the glaze became thicker than Molasses and hardened on my plate. I'll do better next time).

and making your own Basic Vinaigrette... WHY didn't I try this sooner?!?! It beats store bought by a mile!!

and the Dark Chocolate Mousse... soo simple, soo rich, soo perfect with raspberries!!

Just last week I tried the Goat Cheese Biscuits, and was disappointed to find that all my freezer jam was still ... frozen! So I just ate them plain--still delightful! Just a perfect tang with a lot of salt, that will taste DELICIOUS with jam! I'm hoping that they reheat well, so that I can try them with jam in the morning! The strawberry jam is defrosting now!! (edit to add: they tasted okay reheated, but nobody else in my family raved about them, so I will have to have company before I make them again)

I have all the ingredients for Blueberry Crisp and the flourless brownies and the Enchiladas... so there will definitely be some more cooking going on around here!!

What I loved about this book is that it is so much more than food and recipes! I learned so much, just from the first few chapters and I haven't stopped learning and underlining (and tweeting) the good stuff!!

I have mostly been trying these recipes out on my husband and kids, but I am looking forward to inviting people into my home again and embracing life around the table.

Community Conversation: What is one of your go-to entertaining recipes? What is your favorite cookbook or food website?

PS. you can pick this book up at Amazon or Dayspring... and probably your local bookstore! (attempt at affiliate links present)

We appreciate things more when we have to wait

It's been a while since I've done a "book review," but this one releases tomorrow and I want you to know about it. I pre-ordered it from Amazon last week, the hard copy is arriving sometime today... probably before I get this post written, typed and posted.


The In-Between: Embracing the Tension between Now
and the Next Big Thing

When I pre-ordered it, I also got digital copies and an audio file as part of the deal--AWESOME. So I did a little reading over the weekend and last night, and while I'm not done with the book yet, if it had been the hard copy my pen would have run out of ink by now with all the marking up I've done! It's great stuff!!

I am always in a hurry, always rushing my kids, hating to be late but not scheduling any cushion time... Acting like I'm going to miss out on something if I don't get it all done. Problem is, I am missing out on things!

I am missing out on opportunities to teach my kids things in the moment.
I am missing out on opportunities to savor their littleness.
I am missing out on opportunities to read to them.
I am missing out on opportunities to hear God's still small voice.
I am missing out on what God has for me right here, right now!

I don't even know what "The next big thing" is, which I have talked about often in my God-sized Dreams posts. But I am always thinking that things will be better when...

One of those major waiting periods in my life was when I lived in a 2 bedroom trailer... not such a big deal when it was just me and my husband, but as God began to add children to our family, I got tired of waiting for "the next big HOME."  I blogged about it once...

Before: 2 bedroom trailer, very little yard

After: 3 bedrooms, finished basement, 2 car garage....

just a portion of our yard and a glimpse of the view!

I think back to what I might have missed in my anxiousness to get out of the trailer and into a larger home.  There was a coziness that came in the trailer--I just saw it as overcrowded. God was teaching me in those moments to trust Him, that He saw the big picture, that He was molding me, teaching me, pruning some of the rough edges off. And now, I thank God every day for this home, this yard! I wonder if he had rushed the giving of this home if I would appreciate it as much.

Even now that I am in a much more spacious place, with a much more spacious yard, He is still teaching me to wait on Him in so many ways. I had FOUR kids in 4 1/2 years... Having children was the one thing I didn't have to wait for. :) But I began to wish away their toddler years, their neediness, their noise, etc.  And now, NOW, my youngest starts Kindergarten this year (how did that happen?).  Every day, I have to make a choice to embrace my now. Sometimes I do it right, sometimes I don't. But it's not a one-time do it and then you don't have to worry about it. All of life is a process, but as Jeff Goins says, 

"Maybe God is less concerned with what I’m doing
and more concerned with who I’m becoming"

Here are just a few things I'm learning...

"Every time we wait is an opportunity to slow down and be present in an increasingly noisy world. to listen to the voices we sometimes lose in the static."  For me, those voices are my kids and my husband, the life, the world God has given me right here, right now... What is it for you?

One of my favorite quotes (so far) is "God can use you anywhere," my friend the schoolteacher told me. I didn't believe it. I believed God had a plan that could be seriously messed up if I didn't pay attention."  Why do I think I'm so important that I could mess up God's plan? So thankful He can use me anywhere, I just need to be willing!

Oh and so many more, but I will stop so you can just go buy the book yourself! This book speaks right to my heart and my life, but it can apply to anyone in the waiting stages of life... and truth is, everyone is waiting for something!

Community Conversation: What in life are you waiting for? Have you or are you going to buy this book? I'd love to discuss it with you more!

Embracing Beauty

So, I finally drew the winner to the giveaway of last week's post on Embracing Beauty... My readership and subsequent giveaway entries are still small enough that I can just write all the names on slips of papers and draw them out of a cup...  So the winner of the Embracing Beauty ebook by Trina Holden is....

Amy Tilson

And now a little bit about the book from my perspective!

She drew me in with the first chapter and Scripture about beauty and God making us for beauty... amazing!

"He created us in His image, as both a reflection of His beauty, and a celebration of His love for beautiful things. To Him you are His crowning achievement in a world full of beauty."

Why didn't I think of that? Just look at the seasons and God's artwork in each one! He loves beauty. He created us beautiful. He created us for beauty!!

Embrace it!!

There is so much goodness in this book and I'm looking forward to "Finding my Style" and a "Personal Color Scheme." I have already seen it developing since I read the book!  and I willingly got rid of some clothes that I know I will never wear. They were crowding my closet making it difficult to find the clothes I do love!

I also enjoyed the chapter on thrifting, which is why I asked her to cover that topic in her guest post last week.

and if you follow me on Instragram (I'm an addict) here are some of my thrifting finds...

for me...

for the kids!

and me with a scarf tie that Trina demonstrates in the extras!


You must buy the book and check it out!!

Community Conversation: Do you know your personal color scheme? What is your favorite color to wear? What color would you NEVER wear?

Girls Crochet Headbands Giveaway

UPDATED with winner: chosen by Random.org

True Random Number Generator 

  Min: 1

  Max: 52 

Result: 1  

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

 

Hurray, Cathy!! emailing you now!! 

So, growing up, I was not a girly girl... hated the color pink, didn't play with dolls much. My favorite Christmas presents were the remote controlled car and the race track I got one year.  

But then God saw fit to give me THREE girls... in less than THREE years... and suddenly, much to my chagrin, my home was filled with pink and purple! :)

It's grown on me, but as a new mom to girls I wasn't very good at putting girly stuff in their hair.  Now they are 7 1/2, 6 and 4 1/2, and two of them miraculously love stuff in their hair.  (I even got my middle one to model some stuff... the tutu is her favorite part)

So when I was contacted by Girls Crochet Headbands regarding sampling some of their items, I knew my girls would love it!  I even let them pick out what they wanted.

Here's some of what we ended up with.

Turquoise/White Crystal Heart Flower Clip

 

Purple/Hot Pink/White Star Flower Clip

 

Purple Dottie Flower Clip 

The flower clips are awesome. You can use them alone in their hair, or add to a ponytail or a headband... and they are very affordable! The crochet headbands are adorable... and stick on my girls heads, even though they are no longer babies. And the romper and tutu... my girls' favorite items! :)

I'm already plotting a Christmas order soon! So much fun stuff to be had!

The bonus for you, my lovely readers is...you can use the coupon code "whimsy10" to get 10% off your entire order!

(this code expires in 30 days)

 

I also get to do a giveaway for this great shop!!

The giveaway winner will receive a $30 gift certificate to Girls Crochet Headbands. and with her great prices, you should be able to get some great stuff for the little girlies in your life! Giveaway will end Monday, October 15 at 10pm EST... so don't delay!

To enter this awesome giveaway:

1) Mandatory: Head over to the Girls Crochet Headbands website and look around. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me what your favorite Girls Crochet Headbands item is. For extra entries you can also:

2) "Like"GCH on Facebook, then leave a separate comment letting me know you did.

3) Follow GCH on Pinterest (we're pinning so many awesome things!) and leave me a separate comment letting me know you did.

4) Follow GCH on Twitter and leave me a separate comment letting me know you did.

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win! the "noreply-comment@blogger" won't work for me!!!

Disclosure: As much as I love free stuff, I should not agree to do reviews in exchange for free stuff... Then I'm obligated to actually post on my blog! :) that being said, I love the stuff that I received for free from Girls Crochet Headbands... and my girly girls love it even more!!!

Everything

Hello, friends! Just a quick post because I don't want you to miss this!!  I've been working though a new book, Everything, written by Mary DeMuth, set for release in October!  She is having a pre-order campaign in which you can get free stuff if you order now  (NOW being Wednesday and Thursday)! And if you are anything like me, you like free stuff! So be sure to check it out!

I'm still reading it, so a full review will be  forthcoming, but just to let you know why I asked to be on the Launch team and get a pre-release copy is this... I'm a people pleaser, often more worried about what people think about what I say and do, instead of what Jesus thinks. And that my friend, is NOT living life with  Jesus as my Everything! I know in my head that Jesus has so much more to offer me than my friends and family (everything, in fact), but I'm still learning it in my heart and applying it in my daily life... Won't you join me on this journey to make Jesus our Everything?

This promo video is great, but my favorite is the man who says "I'm supposed to say that Jesus is my everything, but what I have to say is Jesus is becoming my everything." Because that is right where I am these days!

Also, be sure to  check out this Pinterest board! It is filled with impacting quotes from the book!

Remember, to cash in on all the freebies, you must preorder it today or tomorrow. Visit Mary DeMuth's page for all the details!

Cut it Out!

Giveaway extended until Friday August 3, at 9AM!

I was going to take a day off from blogging, but I forgot that I had this great book to share with you...

Grocery shopping... Do you hate it or love it?  I personally enjoy it when I'm all by myself, searching for the best deal on the shelf, comparing the prices of smaller sizes vs. larger sizes, and even more lately reading the ingredient list!!  But when you are shopping with small children in tow, you don't have time to think through all that stuff.

and I used to be really good at meal planning and shopping carefully and I used coupons and all... and then I had kids... 4 of them in 4 and 1/2 years, in fact, and suddenly grocery shopping with coupons just took too much time.  And we used to stick to a cash budget, but I got lazy in that regard too!!  I keep saying I'm going to get back on track, but it hasn't happened yet.

Then a bloggy friend, Kate Megill, shared about her new e-book and gave me a pdf copy to review. So I checked it out and I loved it!  It was a quick and easy read and gave some great suggestions, some of which I already know and use!

My favorite part was the link to download a price book template... she already did the work, you just have to edit it for YOUR preferences! How awesome is that? Having a price book would alleviate the stress of comparison shopping when I have my kids with me!!

I don't want to give you the whole book here, but there is a lot of ideas... master meal list, meal scheduling, how to stock a pantry, etc.  And how to make it work if there is only 1 or 2 of you, instead of a family of 10 like Kate!

And one more thing, there are even some recipes in the back!!  Altogether, it makes it well worth the $3.99 (or $1.99 if you buy it in the first five days of launch).

You can learn more about the book at Cut it Out Without Coupons or Kate's blog:

Cut it Out! will be available for sale July 30. The cost of the e-book is $3.99 but for the first 5 days of the launch (July 30-August 3) it will be available for half price - only $1.99!

OR, you could get it FREE! Kate is giving me one copy to give away to one of YOU, my readers! To enter simply leave a comment below and tell me one thing you love (or hate) about grocery shopping. The giveaway closes at 9pm EST on Wednesday, August 1, 2012.

Mother Letters

So, I received this book about 2 weeks ago... and I fell in love from the beginning. These women... these mothers, they spin art with their words and make me fall in love with being a mom again. They weep with you through the hard stuff, rejoice in the victories, and laugh with you over the messes.  They speak right to my heart. 

So I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you... and then I want to strongly encourage you to go buy a copy for yourself! You won't regret it... and the proceeds from the book support a wonderful cause... The Mercy House!

10 (of many) lines I highlighted in Mother Letters

1. "I bet nobody else loses their temper eight times before school starts." Mary Carver  

 Yes, Mary, someone else does... and it's me! And I'm thrilled to know that I am not alone! :)

2. "The laundry basket that is never empty--my basket is piled so full that you can't see the basket." Jessica Turner

I want to take a picture of my laundry basket right now and add it to the post, but that would take to long... but seriously, you can NOT see the basket, towels, shirts, etc hanging all over the edge!

3. "parenting with intention requires intention." Robin Dance 

Seriously, I know this in my head... but intention requires discipline and motivation and planning and consistency!!! And that is sooo hard! But I will keep working at it, thanks to the encouragement of other moms!

4. "I am learning that being a mother isn't about being perfect, but it is about trusting your instincts and making confident decisions." Heather Manifold

yeah, I'm not so good at letting go of perfection, or being confident in my decisions, but I am slowly learning that although I'm not perfect, I am the perfect mom for these kids... God and I are working together on this thing.

5. "Revel in the snuggles after dark that provide the chance to hear the softly spoken thoughts from the bottoms of their souls. Breath them in deeply." Kari Clark

Sometimes I just want to punch out the time clock when it's their bedtime... but sometimes they need just one more hug from mom... one more reassurance that all is well... one more story they need to tell. And on a rare occasion, I get it right!

6. "Yet I find myself the mother to four little ones who, to my amazement, continually forgive me." Rachel McAdams

Yes, Yes, Yes... a child's continual ability to forgive... even for the same thing over and over is amazing to me!  Where do we let go of that and hang on to wrongs done to us? My kids are a wonderful example of forgiveness to me... just not always to each other! :)

7. "Isaiah 40:11 promises us, 'He tends his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."  "The God of the universe, The Master Creator,... whispers, 'Mom, I know it's hard, But I will lead you. And I will lead you gently'." Shannon Lowe

Oh, some days it's so good to know that He is carrying me... and carrying my little ones... and gently leading me, each step of the way!! Thank you, Jesus!

8. "Enjoy every single moment. The good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the inspiring, the not-so-glamorous moments. And thank God through it all."  Meghan Matt

I am learning to thank God through it all... maybe not in the middle of the ugly moments, but to look back and appreciate their part in the tapestry of our lives.

9. "instead of making 'to-do' lists we should make 'people to love' lists. Nearly everything we do affects someone." Brooke Bruderer

Oh, this is good advice! Who cares if my laundry gets folded... if I have failed to LOVE my kids!!

10. "When we serve and love our children, we also serve and love our God. The trials of motherhood are not only opportunities to train our children, but they are opportunities to grow in the Lord as well." Amber Oliver

Every day, I have to remind myself that I am not reading books to my kids, folding laundry for my family, scrubbing toilets for the company, making meals for my husband... I am doing these things FOR God and to God.


Oh, there is so much more than just these ten points... I had to limit myself, so I can link up to Top Ten Tuesday! :)  This book was such a joy to read... and it includes some great mom-submitted photos that will make you laugh and cry... :)



So, go check it out... you don't want to miss it!
Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the great moms out there!!

Have you been redeemed?

UPDATE: Giveaway over: winner chosen by writing names on slips paper and drawn by my 5YO.  WINNER is Zohary Ross! Congrats!

I've mentioned on occasion how I love Dayspring! I've been shopping there a bit lately! I've won some giveaways, and enjoyed some great sales! Like the one for 20% off select Redeemed items! through the end of the month.

Recently I was able to receive some items specifically for review on my blog! About 2 weeks ago, I got yet another package from Dayspring... and inside were two items from their newest line (at least I think it's their newest line! :)



"The Redeemed collection celebrates the way God, in His generous grace, sews together every beautiful bit of our lives to form one masterpiece creation after another."

I am so thankful for His grace and His work on the masterpiece of my life!  I also enjoy using these items from Dayspring!

This fantabulous Makeup bag... which I so desperately needed to upgrade! (my last makeup bag, I'm pretty sure I've had since college... which was over 15 years ago, but we won't go there) This one has lots of space, such fun prints and patterns inside AND some pockets!!

and the message on the front... that God makes everything beautiful... in His time (makeup or not) makes me stop and think, each time I pull it out!  and it held everything I needed for a trip home to see family!  PERFECT!!

Redeemed - Truly Beautiful - Makeup Bag

 

I also received this chic wallet that reminds me where my treasure is!!
I have to confess that the little clasp on top reminds me of my grandma's change purse... does that mean I'm getting old, that I like it anyway?!?!  :)  So it's fun to use and my wallet needed replaced, too, so I am enjoying these new items!!

I also have the opportunity to give ONE OF YOU a Redeemed Wallet, to remind you how treasured you are in God's eyes!!

To get in on the giveaway, go visit Dayspring, then come back and tell me what your favorite Redeemed product is!

Tweet the giveaway for an extra entry and let me know!
Giveaway is open until Monday, April 23! Winner will be announced Tuesday!

(Disclosure: I was given these items to review... and I'm experimenting with affiliate links, but struggling. so there is a slight chance that I could benefit from you clicking on a link and buying something from Dayspring)