Day 1 challenge

relaxing and fresh
comforting, inviting, welcome

a home is a haven but only when stress less;
to achieve this- I want it mess less

good stewards, peaceful,
a place of our own

open for friends at any hour
a clean home is in my power

happy husband, encouraged kids, satisfied me-
it all starts when we come home from the outside

HOME

clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere

My sister recently turned me on to a new blog. She really does find the best, whether vegan chocolate covered goodies, or making yourself a better mom through your walk with God-
I love the blogs she sends me links to.
I really wanted to share one (if I can figure out how) that happens to be in the first week of a 31 day challenge for a clean house.
Mary and Martha were sister in the bible that had two very different ideas of how to run things. Mary hung out literally at Jesus' feet while Martha was busy tending to the house to make sure everyone had all they needed.

I am somewhere in the middle. I hang out with the Lord, but often find myself distracted by the workings of being a stay home/WAH mom that I get too busy to sit and be with Him.

Link to this blog- she is a wonderful writer and an encouraging word for all moms!

I'll let you in on my progress (I am only on day 5 because I started late!)

baby shower pins

I am all about making useful items as give away treasures. I am not a big fan of taking home little cluttery trinkets just to remember that I was was somewhere; so when I was asked to bring the party favor for a shower, this is what I showed up with: Yes, they are pins for the "don't cross your legs/say baby/say the mom's name" game.
They are also magnets for holding items on the fridge
Or a chip clip
But they are also PRETTY!

Wooden Clothespins
strip of self adhesive magnets
ribbon
paint

First- paint your pins (these are pink I promise) When they are dry, flip them over and stick the magnets to the back. I used 2 because they were small and I did not want them falling off the fridge for the cat or dog to eat.
You can add the ribbon at the end, or before you get the magnets on, but the ribbon really made it stand out. I still have mine on the fridge and even thought about making more for chip clips to give away- maybe for Christmas.

doing something useful

I finally found a use for the scrapbook paper that I have hanging around!


I made cash envelopes for the Dave Ramsey program. The ones that come with the kit are pretty basic and meet your needs, but I got a new wallet and the system did not fit with the spiral that is on it. I cut the envelopes off the spiral, not realizing that they were going to fall apart! oops!

I found numerous ideas online, but they were all from men so they stuck to the same old manila envelope based system that was so drab and boring. My new wallet is pink and girly (Thanks Elly!) I got it for my birthday and needed to represent some pink frilly cuteness- manila was not going to cut it...
so I cut my own

(yes, a $10 is all that I have in there)

I found a template online (free) for do it yourself envelopes and printed it on pretty paper to make my envelopes more festive and fun.
Hopefully this will motivate me to use them more often.

http://www.thedigichick.com/shop/Standard-Envelope-Template-Set.html

I used regular paper, not heavy-weight card stock, so I am sure I will need to make more in the very near future but I don't have all the materials to score and hole punch with the pros.

I can dig it

Can you dig it? I can!

I spent all day on Friday digging a garden. I don't know what happened to all our garden gear, all I could find was a shovel that Corey had altered when the handle broke, and a rake. There was no Hoe, spade, pick axe or anything that would have made it a little easier. I almost wanted to just go get a tiller, but I figured I could forgo the gym and work out outside. I started with a little patch a few feet from where I actually wanted to plant the garden. The reason the location was changed had to do with the spring buttercups. Lily would not let me dig them up to plant my garden. So we went 4 feet left and Corey can just cut down the scrub tree that is causing shade over the tomatoes.

WC2011

Are you ready?!
This is for all my Victory Outreach Folks: are you making a way to conference or are you letting little things get in the way and saying "I'll make it next time?".
You need to get your bags packed, get a plane ticket, or find a car to get you there- no matter what.
World Conference will IMPACT your life.
You will be impacted, excited, encouraged, recharged, and so many other adverbs that I am too excited to work out on "paper" right now.
The first thing when you go to conference is that you will realize that God has hand picked you for this ministry. He has called you out of the world, into his light. You will see that you have a hope and a plan for the future here. God will give you a word for your life, maybe even your calling. Things will be revealed to you through the speakers, the music, the messages that you may have never thought of before. You will see that God has a plan for your life an wants to use you in a higher capacity.
The second thing that will be revealed to you is that you are not the ONLY one! When you are there in the sea of people from all over the world worshiping in different languages and dialects, you will truly see the brevity of reaching the world. You will want your family there with you, your brothers and sisters and mom and dad. You will want to share the message of Jesus with them because you will not only want them saved, but you want them to do more than they are doing now.
You will see just how far into the corners of the world our ministry goes, in to the almost literal depths of hell, to take back what the enemy has stolen and to bring the peace of the Lord into the highways, the byways, the lost the desolate cities.

So if you have been making excuses and reasons not to go, you need to flip the script and start making plans and arrangements to get yourself and your family there. Don't wait until "next time" God has a diving appointment with you THIS TIME.

Hair do

I am going back to my roots.
Well, a lighter, spunkier version anyway. I am a blonde, I swear. (A dirty, faded dishwater, straw blonde now)
I am going to highlight (Well, Sam is) my hair a little at a time to go back to blonde with character.

BEFORE: (Faded auburn)

AFTER: (woven highlights)

Sam did a great job! I was going to just do a full color and go back to blonde all at once, but I decided to have a little fun with it and let her play with color!
I feel like Spring- now to get some gardening in!