Simple + Thrifty Valentine's Day Ideas

Today, we had a little crafty fun!  I picked up some pipe-cleaners in the $1 section of Target, so we twisted and hooked lots of little hearts together....

to create the festive garland pictured below.  I love decorations that our people had a "hand" in.  They make me smile. Anything that adds color and life to our home, but costs little or nothing to create is right up our alley.  

The garland hangs across the entertainment cabinet in the living room.  I need to remember that pipe cleaners are such a great way to entertain.  Pretty sure that we spent close to an hour doodling with these things.  You may have noticed,  we still have our Christmas card gallery in-tact.  I can't bear to take them down yet!

 While I'm on the topic of simple Valentines day fun...how 'bout a few pics from last year's festivities?  

This one was a Pinterest idea that the kids LOVED.  Heart-shaped, hard boiled eggs!  Click here for an easy how-to.  Instead of a juice container, I used a cut-up piece of paper plate.  Instead of a chopstick, I used a wooden kabob skewer.  

Last year, we began a new tradition.  I had the kids pose with this paper heart and emailed the picture to close friends and family.  

 This one was another Pinterest idea, but I can't seem to find the source.  Give your kids a "heart attack" this Valentine's day:

I cut up lots of hearts (a different color for each child) and jotted down an affirming word or phrase on each one.  The kids loved them so much  that we transferred the hearts to their closets where they remain at this very moment.  :)  A little encouragment goes a long way.

These little mailboxes were so super-simple to make.  Target dollar section mailboxes, glued to wooden spray painted candlesticks from Salvation Army.  Total cost:  $5!  The kids have really enjoyed surprising each other with little love notes throughout the day.

We all pitched in on this little project.  Tissue paper hearts:  wrap tissue squares around  the pencil eraser, dip in glue, and press onto heart, repeat...again and again. 

Here's our photo wall all dolled up for V-day last year.   Gobstoppers in the mason jars.  Handmade Valentine's for each family member from Reece.  Millie's is covered in dried oatmeal, she loved it so much!  :)

A special valentine for my love...waiting in the sock drawer for his discovery, ha!

Last year we had breakfast for dinner (by candlelight) and these waffles were a hit.  First,  I poured a little batter into a sauce cup.  Then I  added a couple drops of pink food coloring, drew it up into a medicine dropper,  and squirted it gently into a  "heart" shape in the waffle iron base.  I let it sit for a 10 seconds or so, to firm up and then added the plain batter, as usual.  Voila!  Valentine waffles!  

I'd love to know. What is your favorite Valentine's day treat or tradition?

Linking up here:
 

photos + a favorite "meal"

Getting ready for a baby means one thing is for sure...new organizing projects!  I have compiled so many random scrapbooks and  photo albums over the last 10+ years and what a mess.  I've been thinking that it's high time to get my rear in gear and get re-organized so that this child will at least have a baby book!  I'll share more on my memory keeping plan in another, more detailed post.  But here's where I started.  Pulling Graham's baby pics out of traditional photo albums (taking care to keep the pics in order!) and I'm moving towards all 3-ring photo binder-albums. 

As you can see there are lots of projecs going on close by:  lesson planning, list-making, duplo cake baking, and putting away Christmas decor.  Last week was a week of projects.  It fell into bed every night and yet I felt much more energized and clear-headed with all of thies organizational therapy. Heaven knows, I'll take all the energizing I can at 23 weeks pregnant.  :)

And in other news, here is one of our family's all time favorite "meals" if you'd call it that.  Popcorn, cheddar cheese slices, and apple slices.  It's extra good with a side of hot chocolate.    I'd say we make it a meal or a large snack at least once a week.  And some weeks two or three or four times.  ;)

I'd love to know...what is your family's favorite go-to "meal"?

The Greatest Education

The greatest education...is that which helps 

one to be able to do the right things at the 

time it has to be done. - Charles Kettering

Our Favorite Christmas Books

One of our favorite traditions for the last five years or so is to enjoy a big basket-full of Christmas-themed books for the month of December. I like to set up a cozy little reading area (near the glow of the Chrismtas tree) with beanbag chairs or a comfy pillow and blanket.  Some of these books have been purchased at the book store half-priced at the bookstore after Christmas and MANY of them have been checked out from our local library.  I've come to love the "reserve books" feature on our library's website.  I reserve the books and pick them up all at once.  No more searching high and low with my people in tow.  So without further ado, here's a list of the books we enjoyed this Christmas.  Some new to us, some well-loved favorites.  

Books borrowed from the library:

The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree

The Little Drummer Boy

Snowmen at Christmas

Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas

Snowmen at Night

An Orange for Frankie

A Firefly in a Fir Tree (a new favorite!)

Elmo's Merry Christmas

Bear Stays Up for Christmas

The Tale of Three Trees

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Shine Man

Books from our personal collection:
The Christmas Story
My Little Pony:  Rose Blossom's First Christmas
The Little Red Sled
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
Stable in Bethleham
Silent Night
The First Christmas
The Legend of St. Nicholas
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!
God's Christmas Gift
This is the Stable
Big Bear Little Bear
The Crippled Lamb
Counting to Christmas
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (with audio cd)
Snowballs
ABC Christmas (a fabric book sewn together by Dan's grandma)
Arthur Decks the Hall
Gingerbread Friends
Mortimer's Christmas Manger

Small board books for little hands:
The Christmas Story
The Story of Jesus
I SPY:  Little Christmas

Hello 2013

It's a new year! 

I love fresh starts.  I don't love resolutions.  Maybe because I have terrible follow through?  I am thankful that every day is great for a fresh start! God's word says "His mercies are new every morning." (Lamentations 3:23) Praying that my (spiritual) eyes would be open to SEE God's mercies anew each day and receive them with a thankful heart.   

My "one little word" for this year is ENJOY.  Last year was work, hard work.  My (unannounced) word for 2012 was INTENTIONAL.  Bringing the kids home to school last January was an intentional choice, led by the Lord's prompting.  I am thankful that with intention (and obedience) came great provision, protection and relational and spiritual growth.  

My aim this year is to intentionally ENJOY the presence and relationships that the Lord has provided.  Enjoy our family.  Enjoy our friends.  ENJOY walking with with GOD.  

Having been a follower of Jesus Christ for almost 31 years, many of those years were spent striving, performing and working to deepen and cultivate my faith.  Often times in my own strength.  

In the last ten years, God has done a mighty work in my heart.  He has slowly, gently led me to a place of peace.  This has been a gradual process.  Like any relationship, it's stronger when time is spent together, I am learning so much by spending time in God's word and being quiet before Him. The real change has been in realizing that God pursues ME.  God loves me!  I can rest in Him.  His strength, His peace, His love.   

Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

For years I glossed over this passage and continued reading, looking for the "to do's" and clear application points.  How could I be a better Christian?  What do I do? Well, yes, but what about "working out" my faith, Jesus?  What about my quiet times with you?  That isn't just going to happen you know!   What about sharing my faith with others?  What about being "salt and light"? Where should I go, how do I do it?   Striving, striving, striving.  Until I could strive no more.  

You know what?  Jesus met me there.  In that place of weariness and futile striving.  Not with condemnation, but with gentleness and patience.  With rest for my weary soul.  Oh how I love Him!  Truly, his burden is light.  The heaviness that I've felt for all of these years is the fruit of fear and self-reliance.  Fear of man.  Fear of failure.  Fear of not measuring up or not being/doing enough to meet God's expectations.  Fear of letting people down. The freedom from all of that is exhilarating!   At times I am still tempted to fear and give in to anxiety, but when I choose to trust GOD to do his work in and through me, leading me every step of the way---there is true freedom.  Surrender.  Peace. The only voice I need to respond to is the Lord's.

Until marrying Dan and experiencing the Presbyterian tradition first-hand, I never new what confessions or catechisms or any of those words meant.  I thought confessions and catechisms were for Catholics only. Now I know that a confession (of faith) is merely a unified statement of belief, based on scripture.   I LOVE the first line of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (inspiration for my word this year):

Question:  What is the chief end of man?  
Answer:  Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever.  

ENJOY.

Blessings + favorites

This morning, I caught a glimpse of this:

and it took my breath away.  

How many moments, like Mary, mother of Jesus, have I treasured up all these things and pondered them in my heart?  (Luke 2:19)  More than I can count!  It's one of the many things I love about recording our memories here on this blog.  These memories are a treasure, a gift from the Lord.  

I'm not raising the "savior" but raising a child is hard, holy, precious work.  The other night, Dan said, while watching the kids, "I'm trying my best to engrain this moment into my memory."  I smiled and laughed!  I couldn't have said it better!  I feel that way hourly, it seems.  Even in the hard moments of mothering, it seems that God ,in his rich mercy, provides perspective and grace.  I know that these precious moments with our children are just a blink in time...in the span of their lives.  What a privilege to witness the making of these future man and women. 

That candle is one of my favorites!  It is some type of fresh pine scent from Mrs. Meyers brand.  I burn it from morning till night.

I think Trader Joe's makes the YUMMIEST semi-sweet chocolate chips!  I've been enjoying them   all by their yummy little selves, but I can't wait to load up some homemade cookie mix with these bad boys and some pecans, too!

My favorite Pandora station "George Winston (holiday)" plays all. day. long. in our living room.

I discovered "kits" this week at our public library.  Each day, for the first thirty minutes of quiet time, Graham reads his chapter book (currently reading "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever") I lay down with Camille for the first part of her nap, and I've needed something "independent" for Reecie-our beginning reader.  I was looking for the old school tapes with books at the library, but these are even better! She LOVES following along with the books on cd and it makes her feel so big to have her cd walkman and headphones on.

We have been working on memorizing Exodus 20 with a song and hand motions this semester in Classical Conversations.  I put the self-timer on my camera to work so that I can remember these precious moments with our children!  I didn't notice at the time, but the way Reecie is helping Camille with her motions makes my heart just ache with love for them!

I feel like this Christmas/advent season, I am moving slower, enjoying the ordinary, savoring these moments more than I ever have before.  I'm just so grateful for God's grace and the opportunity to set a comfortable pace.  No rushing, no hustle and bustle, no unrealistic expectations on myself or on the kids.  For me, this has been one of the greatest blessings in our home school journey so far.  Pacing ourselves.  Being intentional.  Not feeling the constant external pressure to be, do, and fulfill obligations.  I am a happier, more content person, and I think it is making a difference in the way that I nurture and love our children.  So thankful for these people God has entrusted to Dan and I!

Thanksgiving All Year Long

This week's Bible verse at Oedy Academy:

"Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses for language than that. Don’t talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn't fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect."  Ephesians 5:4 (the message)

May thanksgiving be our primary language all the time!   I'm pretty sure my little accountability partners will now "encourage" me and each other when it's not.