Other People's Genius {Master Bedrooms}

keep it light and fresh...this is a room i could easily take a summer Sunday nap in that beautiful vintage style bed.
{Country Living}

though this room is a little more autumnal then above, it's still light and airy. the bed is a little too streamlined and flat for me... first thing i'd do is add a plush down comforter. now we're talkin'!
{Country Living}

 

even if you don't live on the beach, you can have practically here the waves crashing in a room like this without having to put starfish and buckets of sand all over the place. it's the colors, patterns, and natural textures that make this room feel so clean. it's all in the details. check out that lamp base!

{Coastal Living}

this is a far more gender neutral option, maybe even a bit "manly" but the colors are warm and rich, and the decor is very simple. this look would be very easy to achieve. think warm wood tones, neutral bedding, and an old ladder. okay, the ladder may seem difficult to find but as long as you don't have little ones who will climb it, you can make one from two 2x4x8 pine , a couple of large dowels, and some wood stain. it's easy, i've done it.
{Country Living}

if you know me, you know why i love the above picture. color color color! these are a little more muted than i would normally pick but they're very soothing and bedrooms are meant to be relaxed in.
{My Design Secrets}

"all you single ladies" this is an option for you. i say that simply because Hubs would not love for this to be his bedroom. if he had his way there would be hunter green and navy blue EVERYTHING. thankfully, he has me at the helm of his design ship. {he he}
{DesignStiles}

yes, this is super neutral.
yes, it is rather cozy. just look at the bedding!
yes, i'm wondering where all the color is hiding.
and yes, i realize that sometimes turning down the color is the right thing to do.
like here.
at least they've boosted the pattern!
{DecorPad}

Have a beautiful weekend!

How I Meal Plan

I don't know about you but I love to plan ahead. I particularly love the free time that comes with good planning however.... I HATE TO MEAL PLAN! Sitting down to decide what I'm going to be in the mood to cook or eat in advance just seems a little crazy to me. Once again, however, the love of free time and saving our budget wins out and I plan anyway.

 {Photo From...}

I'll admit now that I don't always stick to the plan. Sometimes there's last minute changes to our schedule {we're offered a free meal at a friend's house, our extended family has an impromptu pancake night together, or my lack of will power gets the best of me and I just don't want to cook} but this is the general plan that is successful in getting me in and out of the grocery store quickly and keeps me from staring blankly down its aisles wondering what to make and what do I already have at home.
I know there are TONS of resources online. Some cost you, some are free, some work specifically to help you lose weight or find a balanced diet, others are nothing but comfort food. The reason I don't use any of these resources is that, after browsing through many of the recipes, the meals just don't appeal to our family's tastes or they have unhealthy processed ingredients.

So how do I do it? 

Tools: Cookbooks and my computer
Step 1: before I even think of planning, as soon as I get a new cookbook, I go through the entire book with a pack of Post-Its and mark recipes that sound good to me and I want to try.
Step 2: Using MS Word, I create a two column document for each week. Each page will hold my weekly plan, a list of all the ingredients needed for each dish and a shopping list organized by sections of the local grocery store that, once printed, I can organize all the ingredients I need plus other miscellaneous things that I run out of over the course of the week.

 

Step 3: I determine a very vague schedule to follow every week. For example: Tuesday is usually seafood because I shop on Mondays and don't want my Haddock going bad before I cook it. Thursday is usually homemade pizza day since it's my least busy day and I have time to make the dough. Saturday is usually breakfast for dinner because it's easy and I don't like to cook on Saturdays. Sundays are usually slow cooker {SC} days because I sing at church in the mornings and like to come home from church to a finished meal.
Step 4: Time to start going through my recipe books and filling out my menu based on my schedule in step 3. As I pick a recipe and the book or site open, under ingredients I write the name of the recipe, the ingredients needed, and often the book or site I found them on as reference for the recipe.

Step 5: At this point, I often print out my menus and before I go shopping for the week I fill in all the things I'll need to buy for that week.

That's about it! 

P.S.   I've heard some people say they spend more when they meal plan versus "winging it". I can only assume it's because often they have chosen recipes that don't share ingredients. Meaning that if I buy a large package of ground beef, I'll plan for a couple of recipes that use ground beef that week so nothing is wasted. Or if I need to buy lettuce for sandwiches, I often plan for a chef salad later that week.That way I plan for all excess. I also replace basic non-perishables once I see that I'm low and don't usually wait until I'm all out. This way I can make the best of sales on those items and don't have to run to the store when I realize I'm out of something at the last minute.

"Handy" Duster

I saw a dear woman, whom I love very much, do this once when I was a teen.
I thought it was sheer brilliance. At the time I wasn't really doing much dusting but I tucked it away for later.
Here it is...

Do you have any dirty, holey, mismatched socks lying around? 

Don't throw them away just yet! 

Flip them inside out and slip them on your hand. 

Get it?! HAND-y Duster?! Oh come on, that's clever!

Spray the dust spray of your choice directly onto your "gloved" hand.

{I used the thyme and lavender spray from yesterday}

Now, search your house for hard to dust objects such as lamp bases, candle jars, or sentimental African sculptures depicting your rapidly growing family...

and wipe away!

 

Hm... I think it's about time for dad to head back to Africa!

Herbal Vinegar Cleaner

My friend, Jess, brought this to my attention recently and I had to try it.

 {Photo From...}

It's a recipe from LearningHerbs.com for an Herbal Vinegar Cleaner.
I soon ran out, gathered the three ingredients {vinegar, thyme, and lavender} needed to make it and have been using it regularly since. {Find the recipe here}

If you haven't used vinegar to clean before you may be surprised by the vinegar smell at first. I have no problem with the scent so it's no big deal to me but I thought it fair to let you know that Hubs still noticed the vinegar smell even with the thyme and lavender added. The smell fades quickly though. {I guess I've just come to associate the smell of vinegar with the smell of clean so it doesn't bother me.}

Earlier last week I diluted this mixture in a bowl of water, added a little tea tree oil {another smell I have grown to love}, and washed my wood floors. It worked great!

Toddler "Spring Fling"

To celebrate surviving the LONG winter indoors with our little ones, I decided to throw a small bash for CJ's friends and their mommies.

CJ's Pap hid close to 60 "spring eggs" around the yard and the kids loved the hunt!

{maybe Pap hid them a little too well...}

 

We've been blessed with moderate weather lately {warm enough to open the windows and air out the house a little} but the forecast for Saturday was the nicest yet! Yippee! 

 

 

Now... what excuse will we use to party next time?

Other People's Genius {Rooms for Girls}

Countdown to Baby Bean's ETA: 42 Days

Progress Made on Bean's room: 0%

Hmm...

 

i love how mild this lavendar is. very soothing. 

{Rate My Space by  LuvPink12595}

{Rate My Space by AngelinaGuido}

Check out these colors!

{Rate my Space by OctoberRoad}

okay, seriously... no fear of color around here!

{Rate My Space by mutter4}

{Rate My Space by DeannaRichey}

{Country Living}

 {Home Decorating Ideas}

 {Apartment Therapy}

Free Bag Tutorials

You may remember this, but for those of you who are new...
Last May I shared a link with you that led to How About Orange's list of 12 Free Bag/Purse Tutorials...

Well... Jessica's back again with a few more free tutorials and I don't know if it's the baby on the way {you know, the one with no diaper bag to her name}or just the desire to sew but I'm jittery just looking at the free options I have to make!

You can check out the above great ideas and links here!

Fabric Basket

I've had a crazy itch to do something crafty lately. If I don't create anything for an extended period of time I start to feel stale.
I have a conflicting problem though.
I don't like to spend money on creating things that I don't need.
Case in point... there is an adorable scrapbook paper tree that I would L.O.V.E. to make but I just can't justify it because I have no where to put it.

Someday.
That's been my answer to a lot of things in the crafting department these days.
Someday.
Finally, though, the other day I fished through my mother's huge collection of scrap fabric and took an hour or so to make two of these bad boys.
Nope. I had no purpose in mind but I needed this. It's like therapy to a crafter's heart.
And if you're looking for something simple to keep your hands busy with, I recommend you take a stab at it.
I'm going to use them both for crafting supplies {paints, markers, etc.} but I hear they're great for girl's hair bands and the like.

What about you? Do you have any projects you're wanting to work on but can't justify? Maybe we can go "all out" like I did this time last year and have a senseless crafting extravaganza!
Until then...

{Aunt Lona's Oatmeal Cookies}

I am the type of person who tries tons of different recipes until I find "the one" and then I stop looking. This recipe, for Hubs and I, is THE ONE! They're so buttery and have a great texture. 

We first had them at my Aunt Lona's house. 

Aunt Lona is one of dad's four sisters. She lives in Rapidan, Virginia and Hubs and I often visited her and Uncle Gert when we lived in Lynchburg. She, like her mother, my Oma, always says what's on her mind which is often inappropriate and usually makes Hubs and I laugh out loud. She has always been so welcoming towards us and has even been crazy enough to take us in for a few nights when we had CJ with when he was barely three months old. We miss our visits dearly and I consider these a fun reminder of our weekend visits each time I bake them.

 Aunt Lona's Oatmeal Cookies

What You'll Need:

1 1/4 c butter

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

3 c oats

2 c raisins

 

What To Do:

Set oven to 375. 
Cream butter and sugars.
Add the egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients together. 
Drop balls of dough onto baking sheets being sure to leave room for spreading.
Bake for 8-9 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Shuttup and Listen {sorry! me... not you}

As I've mentioned before, the kids and I attend Community Bible Study and  the teaching director, Ann, {who has shared with us once before} always has messages that speak directly to my heart. It is sometimes scary just how directly she speaks to me without even knowing it and I have talked with several women who feel the very same way. It's such a beautiful thing for her to end her lecture and many of us look around at one another and say "Good grief! I needed to hear that".
Well, recently I had one of those weeks.

{Photo From...}

The question was posed...

When is the last time I was provoked {spiritually, emotionally, intellectually}and kept quiet?

In my mind, and in the lecture, this question was directly asked of my relationship with Hubs. 
My answer? 
Ha! Yeah right! How 'bout never!
I am certainly not the type of girl to zip my lips when I feel an injustice has been done or my opinion isn't being validated. I happen to think I'm a smart woman with lots of good things to say and when Hubs says something I disagree with, like a volcano, I spew what's on my mind.
And it's not like I haven't been faced with this question before.
I've been reading through Proverbs and time and time again it is clear that being wise means keeping your mouth closed {13:3}.  The funny thing is, it's not just that keeping quiet is wise, but opening your mouth makes you comparable to a fool! {17:27-28, }

17:28... "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent." 
18:2... "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion."
...and what's better, there are verses that speak directly to wives on this topic.
Apparently someone knew we'd need it!
19:13... "A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain."
27:15... "A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike."
21:19... "It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful women."
I looked up the synonyms and antonyms for "quarrelsome" and "fretful" from thesaurus.com.

{Photo From...} 

quarrelsome is... argumentative, cantankerous, contentious, crabby, cross, excitable, fiery, fractious, hasty, hotheaded, huffy, irritable, ornery, passionate, peevish, snappy, thin-skinned, touchy, translucent
ouch!
quarrelsome is NOT... agreeable, forgiving, friendly, good-natured, happy, patient  
fretful is... complaining, contrary, crabby, cranky, critical, cross, crotchety, edgy, faultfinding, fractious, huffy, mean, ornery, out of sorts, snappish, splenetic, testy, touchy, uneasy, worried, wreck
fretful is NOT...  calm, cheered, easy-going, happy, joyous, laid-back, pleased, relaxed

Even more...
"Out of the heart the mouth speaks" {Matthew 12:34} which means my words that aren't building him up, are questioning his authority, are criticizing or discouraging, are indicators of my dark heart and NOT his behaviors. In other words...

my mouth says more about me and my heart condition then it does about anyone else...

and, at the very least, I need to consider the repercussions of opening my mouth. My words don't just come out of my mouth and vaporize. Unwholesome, unhealthy words {Ephesians 4:29} spread like venom to those who hear it.
That often means my kids.
I make a point to not complain or criticize in front of the kids but my deep sighs and eye rolling speak just as clearly as my words.
If my kids see me showing anything other than respect and honor to my husband I can do serious damage to their relationship with him and affect his relationship with others.
With my negative words and actions I teach my husband that I don't trust him, that I think I can do things better than him, and that he is incompetent.
I teach our daughters not to trust their husbands or respect the authorities God has placed in their lives.
I teach my son  that taking criticism from his wife is acceptable. I am already weakening his ability to lead and I am giving him reason to second-guess himself.
I show my friends that I think I am better than him and reveal my true, prideful heart.
Consider this... 
Have you ever seen a woman willing to argue with her husband in front of you? What was your impressions of her?
I have witnessed this first hand and it is incredibly uncomfortable and emasculating. From my point of view it is a far worse reflection of the wife than it is the husband.

{Photo From...}

We are not to judge or push or husbands.
We are not to fear.
We are not to criticize.
Why not?
One reason is that the devil LOVES it!
Instead, take it to the Lord, trust, and let the Holy Spirit do the work.

There's more...
What is in store for me when I don't tame my tongue?
When I am busy talking {filling air, space, and time with my essentially unhelpful words} I miss out on blessings and instead pick fights.


Ann shared a poignant illustration from her own life about how she left her young daughter with her husband to run an errand. She was glad that father and daughter would be able to spend time together but when she returned home she was disappointed at the sight...

"I might as well have left her to eat breakfast alone " Her dear husband was out on the deck reading as her daughter sat at the table alone. "In my righteous indignation I wanted to go at it!" Ann says. "Instead I kept quiet. I'm not sure I even prayed!"
When her husband came in to pack up and head off to work he turned to her and said "“And make sure you lock that back door to the deck"

"WHAT?!  THE ONE YOU JUST WALKED BACK IN THROUGH?!!"

but, with great restraint, she continued to keep her thoughts to herself. As he turned to leave he said "…I don’t want anyone stealing you two.”

Had Ann rushed to say the well deserved things on her mind, she would have missed the blessing of those sweet words from her husband.

I can only imagine how many blessings I have missed because I have been quick to speak and quick to anger {James 1:19}.
Ann also pointed out that had she picked a fight in front of her daughter she would have weakened her daughter's confidence in Ann and her husband's relationship and "The greatest need of a child is to know that Mommy and Daddy are 'ok'". 
If nothing else, think about this...
If you {the wife, the person who is closest to your husband, the very one who committed her life in front of God and witnesses to love, honor and obey him} do not appear to trust him, his ministry in life {as a man, an employee, a parent, a friend} can be easily ruined.

What a responsibility we have!

Other People's Genius {It's Spring}

The rumor is that it's spring time.
I believe this is just a rumor but for those of you who are more optimistic than me...
this is for you.

okay... i may be the daughter of a greenhouse owner but i am all about low maintenance and indoor plants are no exception. {shame on me!} so the idea of sprucing up my "unkillable" greenery with a little "unkillable" color definitely has my attention! and the best part... kids or no kids... you can do this!

{from Disney's Family Fun}

great for out a kid's room. either way, i think this is adorable

{from Disney's Family Fun}

brighten up your plain decor for pennies

{Country Living}

inexpensive pops of color if you don't have access to flowering tree and what's more, no allergies!

{Matha shows you how}

these too!

{yup! Martha again}

spruce up the outdoors a little by giving your front step a good sweep and laying down a new custom doormat

{and... Martha again}

i love all the moss details that are out there these days but the price tags are ridiculous.
make your own instead.
{Thrifty Decor Chick has a tutorial}

Have You Hugged Your Baby Daddy Today?

There are days where life tires me and I become discontent.

I usually take it out on the people I love most in this world. 

More specifically... the guy I love the most in this world.

Then I watch him with our kids. 

I see the kind of father he is to them and realize what an ungrateful, unappreciative woman I can be sometimes. 

 I mean... come on!

 

 

BLESSED