January Giving Totals

Today I wanted to share my January total for giving.  I am not talking about monetary giving.  I wouldn't share something like that on this blog. Also, I debated sharing with you about giving because it felt like I might be bragging or insinuating that I was such a great person for what I am doing.  That is far from the case though.  I share this to not only encourage you to give to others, but to encourage you to get things out of your home that are not benefiting you or your family.

Anyway, some of you may remember that I started the year by setting a goal of giving for 2010.  I made a goal of giving away 730 items this year.  None of it could be trash, but all of the items I give must be usable. Clearing my home of excess stuff will do two things.  It will help us to have a more clutter-free home and will hopefully help others in need.

Well, I have kept a running tally and here is the total number of items that have left our home this month.

239!!!

I almost couldn't believe it when I just counted all of the tally marks.  I am very happy to have made this much progress, but I have a long way to go to make our home clutter-free.

I almost forgot the most exciting part.  A friend from church instant messaged me on Facebook last week.  She is due to have a baby soon and I asked her what she still needed for the baby.  She said she needed to get a car seat, but that she was good other than that.  Well, I told her not to buy one because ours was still in good shape and doesn't expire until her baby would be out of it.  I was so glad to help her out.  Isn't it great how things like this work out?  My dad calls them God-incidents instead of coincidents.

I also set a goal of crocheting 50 hats to help keep others warm.  My January total is 27.  I can't believe that I have had the time to make that many this month.  I guess I have done more sitting than I thought.  (Here is my post about the first 19 hats I crocheted this month.)  

I also found three hats that I made last year that I can give that will bring my total to 30.  I also didn't even count all of the hats in my January giving total.  I guess I will keep that total separate until the end.

Giving to others and ridding my home of excess clutter truly is a finer thing.  I am linking this post to The Finer Things in Life.

January Giving Totals

I finally made myself a new purse.

I have a purse problem.  You see, I like to be prepared and most of the purses I own are too small to hold all of the items this mom of four needs. (Or, what I think I need.)  So, for quite a while I have carried this purse/bag. 

It looks nice enough, but it has been through the mill.  There were stains all over it that wouldn't come off, and the inside lining was ripped beyond repair.  So, on Saturday I cut the whole thing apart and decided to use what I could to make something new.

A few years ago I purchased several placemats to make purses from and decided to use two of them for my new purse.  To make the purse I first stitched the placemats together on three sides.  Then, I stitched the bottom corners which made the base of the purse about four inches wide.  I stitched a piece of clear vinyl to one side to serve as a picture pocket which I think will be fun. 

I was able to use the zipper and handles from my old purse and was thrilled that they  were a perfect fit.  All I had to do was sew around the top edge.  It was one of those sewing moments when everything seemed to go right.  Believe me I have had my share of times when things didn't go right while sewing.  :-)

I can't believe I am showing you inside my purse.  I told you I like to be prepared.  Anyway, an inside pocket from my old purse was able to be salvaged and stitched into my new purse.

I have enjoyed carrying my new purse this week.  Making it was a fun weekend project and was a nice break from all of my hat making. 

I am linking this post with Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple.

I finally made myself a new purse.

A Little Break from Winter

On Sunday afternoon I took the children outside to play. The sun was shining and it was in the 50's which felt so nice after the cold weather we have had during the past month. It almost felt like spring.  The sky was filled with clouds, but behind them the sky was a beautiful deep blue that I am afraid my picture didn't quite capture.

We played a little baseball...

...did a little swinging...

...checked on our animals...

 

 

...walked around the yard...

...and thoroughly enjoyed being outside together.

 

I am so thankful for simple little joys like this.  Winter weather has returned, but the break we had from it Sunday afternoon was so nice.  I thank God every day for pouring out His blessings on me.

I am linking this post with Heavenly Homemakers for Gratituesday.

A Little Break from Winter

Feasting on God's Word

I have read through most of the Bible during the course of my life.  However, I have never been able to say that I have read through the entire Bible from start to finish.

I tried to read through the Bible in a year with our church once, but got bogged down in Exodus and Leviticus.  I got so far behind that I just gave up.  A year seemed so long.

However, this is the year I am going to accomplish this task. I had heard about the Bible in 90 Days Challenge on some of the blogs I read and decided to jump right in.

I am almost finished with Numbers and it hasn't even been two weeks since I started reading.  I still got a little bug-eyed while reading in Exodus and Leviticus, but for some reason the fact that it is only going to take me 90 days to read the Bible is keeping me on track.  This challenge is great because I am daily feasting on God's word.

One thing that has stuck with me in my reading was back in Genesis 22:1 when God said, "Abraham!"  I loved Abraham's reply.  "Here I am." 

I pray that when the Lord calls to me I am willing to say, "Here I am."  Not only that, but I pray that I will listen to what He has to say.

I know I have posted several You Tube songs lately, but when a song fits with my thoughts I want to share it.  The song Here I Am to Worship goes so well with the verse from Genesis I think.

I am linking this post with Motivate Me Monday at The Fifth Street Palace.  Also, if you would like to try the 90 day challenge you can print a helpful bookmark here. 

Feasting on God's Word

Menu Plan for the Week of January 24th.

Last week we found out that my husband has diabetes.  This has meant that he has been trying to change his diet.  I am hopeful that he will be able to get his blood sugar under control.  I am happy to report that the two times he checked his blood sugar yesterday he got readings of 142 and 150.  That is such a big improvement over the 488 of six days ago. 

While I have planned our menu this week I am not sure that my husband will eat all of what I fix each night.  We have an appointment with a dietitian in a week and a half and I am hopeful that my husband and I will get a better understanding of how he needs to be eating.    

Breakfast-I am not going to plan each morning, but here are some things I normally make.

Toast, Cereal, Oatmeal, Scrambled Eggs, Fried Eggs, Bacon, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy 

Lunch-Again, I am not going to plan lunches (with the exception of Sundays since that is a day our main meal is lunch.) 

Leftovers and Sandwiches 

January 24th-We ate a big lunch at my parents' house, and had leftovers for supper. 

January 25th-Baked Tilapia, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Fruit Cocktail, Cornbread 

January 26th-Hamburgers on Buns, French Fries, Applesauce, Cheesy Broccoli 

January 27th-Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Salad, Breadsticks, Pears 

January 28th-Tacos or Taco Salad, Refried Beans, Orange Slices, Chips & Salsa, Carrot & Celery Sticks 

January 29th-Baked Chicken, Butternut Squash, Cooked Cauliflower, Apple Slices, Biscuits 

January 30th-Potato Soup, Turkey Sandwiches, Peaches, Carrot & Celery Sticks 

I am linking this post with Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan for the Week of January 24th.

First Smiles

Last night as I was watching my ten year old daughter cheer at her school's basketball game I was struck with the fact that my little girl will be considered a woman in less than eight years.  How can this be?

It seems like only yesterday she flashed her very first smile at me.  It was a Sunday night and she was just shy of being one month old.  I had her in a bouncy seat and was talking to her.  All of a sudden she opened her mouth and smiled.  I was so excited that I almost scared her.

I grabbed my camera and started coaxing her to smile again.  She did and she just melted my heart.

And she still does.

I am linking this post to The Finer Things in Life because my little girl's smile truly is a finer thing to me.  :-)

First Smiles

The Diagnosis

On Monday I posted that I was praying for my husband because he found out he has high blood pressure and was awaiting the results of some blood tests.  Well, Tuesday afternoon he had to go to the doctor to have a few more tests.

As a result of those tests he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.  His blood sugar in the office was 488 which is very high.  He was put on two medications and now has a glucometer to check his blood sugar.  He is going to have a diabetes self-management class in two weeks which I hope will prove helpful as we work to get his blood sugar normalized.

These two diagnoses explain a lot of what my husband has been feeling for a while now.  I am so thankful to have some answers so that we can go forward from here.

I just re-read that statement and realized that it might sound odd to some that I could actually be thankful.  Yet, I am thankful.  My husband is getting a chance to improve his health before it is too late.  And for that I am definitely thankful.

Tonight I am praying that my husband's blood pressure and diabetes can get under control through a combination of the medication, dietary changes, and exercise. 

The Diagnosis

Crocheting for Charity

My grandma used to say, "I've got to keep my hands busy."  I think that meant she had to keep her mind busy, too.  She crocheted all of the time.  I inherited her crochet hooks when she passed away, so in honor of her I learned to crochet two years ago.

I have made many things since then, but what I am working on right now is something that goes along with my goal of giving for 2010.  I have set a goal of crocheting 50 hats during 2010 for charity.

This month I have tried to crochet any time I sit down to watch TV or while the kids are playing near me.  So far I have crocheted 19 hats.  I have another one almost halfway finished and I am making a scarf with the scraps. 

All of the hats have been made with yarn that was given to me by friends and church members as well as any yarn that I had in my stash.  I am almost halfway through with my goal for the year.  I won't set a new goal, but I will try to make as many as I can.

The newborn hat pattern came from the blog Kelley's Yarns.  The other hats are made using a simple double crochet hat pattern I found in a book, but didn't write down the title.  I just use a different hook size for each size of hat. 

I am linking this post with Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple.  This is a new blog to me that I am looking forward to reading.

Crocheting for Charity

Praying for My Husband

I just found this picture of my husband and I when our daughter was about 3 months old back in 1999.  We were so cheesy.  I love it!

Last week I wrote that worry is a choice.  I now have a chance to "practice what I preach" so to speak.  You see, my husband told me this past Thursday night that he had been having a few days of very high blood pressure.  He had topped out at one point at 180 over 100 something and his heart rate has continually been in the upper 90's to over 100.  Well, this concerned me, so I told him I would call a doctor the next morning.

The doctor was able to get him in that morning and did an EKG and drew blood.  They said his EKG was normal which is a good thing.  They gave him some blood pressure medication and said they wanted to see him in three weeks.  It has been all I can do the past few days to keep thinking positive thoughts.

One positive is that my husband's blood pressure has started to normalize thanks to the medication, but his heart rate continues to be 100+.  I have done research and know that there are many possible causes.

I was feeling more positive about everything today when the phone rang a little while ago.  It was the doctor's office and they want my husband to come in tomorrow for some more tests.  I don't know if they will give him the results of any of the blood tests from Friday or not.  All I know is that I would love to know what is going on so that we can move forward.  I know that my husband is feeling the same way.

So, today I am praying for my husband's health, for us to be positive as we wait for the results, and for us to just trust in whatever the Lord has planned for our family.  I especially pray that I can be the help meet my husband needs right now. 

I want to leave you with a song that helps lift me up whenever I listen to it.  I want to make sure I am praising God in the bad and not just the good times.



I am linking this post with Motivate Me Monday at The Fifth Street Palace.

Praying for My Husband

Menu Plan for the Week of January 17th.

I feel like this menu planning thing is going to become one of those habits that stick.  I am really enjoying not having to worry about what I will fix for dinner each night.  It has actually been fun to plan meals based on foods in our pantry and freezer.

My husband did buy a few groceries last week.  He is one who likes to stock up when he shops, but he did pretty well at trying to stick with the small list I had for him.  I appreciate so much that he does the majority of the shopping since he drives past the grocery stores every day.  It makes my life easier not to have to get the kids out to shop in the winter.

Again this week the majority of the foods on this menu are coming from things that we have in our pantry and freezer.  

Breakfast-I am not going to plan each morning, but here are some things I normally make.

Toast, Cereal, Oatmeal, Scrambled Eggs, Fried Eggs, Bacon, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy 

Lunch-Again, I am not going to plan lunches (with the exception of Sundays since that is a day our main meal is lunch.)

Leftovers and Sandwiches

Chili Mac is on the menu for tonight.

 
Supper
17th-(Lunch) Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Broccoli, Pears, Bread & Butter

18th-Chili Mac, Tossed Salad, Fruit Cocktail, Bread & Butter

19th-Turkey Manhattans (Bread, Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy), Orange Slices, Green Beans

20th-Smoked Sausage, Fried Potatoes, Cooked Carrots, Cornbread, Peaches

21st-Beefy Noodles, Baked Butternut Squash, Applesauce, Biscuits

22nd-Homemade Pizza, Tossed Salad, Apple Slices, Breadsticks

23rd-Sloppy Joes on Buns, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Beans, Carrot & Celery Sticks, Mandarin Oranges 

I am linking this post with Life As Mom and Menu Plan Monday from Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan for the Week of January 17th.

When Bad Things Happen

I like to think of myself as a pretty optimistic person.  I try to look for the positive in bad situations, but I am human and can think negative thoughts pretty easily. 

My husband and I have been through our share of "bad things" in our fourteen years of marriage.  We have lost four grandparents between us, seen his father and my mother be diagnosed with cancer (and beat it), had financial struggles, job issues, dealt with multiple health issues for our sons and the two of us, and lost four babies to miscarriage.

During some of those tough times it was hard to have a global view and realize that others in this world were going through things that were even more difficult than what we were dealing with. 

It seems that people everywhere are talking about the tragedy in Haiti.  The devastation there is great and the stories are heartbreaking.  My prayers are with all of those affected by the earthquake.

When things like this occur people naturally ask "Why?".  Some will go so far as to ask, "God, why would You allow something like this to happen?"  I would imagine that if everyone is honest with themselves at some point or another in their life they have asked this question.

Should we ask questions such as these?  I know that our human nature is to ask questions.  Those of you who have children know what I mean.  You probably hear "Why?" multiple times in a day.

However, there is nothing to be gained by asking God why tragedies occur.  The question we should all ask is, "God, what would you have me do?"

I want to put a challenge out there for all of you reading this post.  Ask God today what He would have you do with regards to helping others.  I know that the people of Haiti need help and there are many great organizations to whom you could donate.  But, I would venture to guess that we all have people in our community, church or even family who desperately need help, too.

The point I am trying to make is that today, and every day, we should all try to reach out and be the body of Christ to someone in need.



I am linking this post to The Finer Things in Life because showing others God's love and being the body of Christ truly is a finer thing.  I am also linking this post to Real Life Blog.

When Bad Things Happen

Worry Is a Choice

Matthew 6:26  "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?

We have enjoyed feeding the birds this past week.  As soon as the snow started falling the birds figured out that we had food for them.  They have been eating all of the corn and seeds as soon as we put them out.  However, when the food is gone so are the birds.  Just now I looked outside to see that all of the corn is gone and there is not a bird in sight.

This made me think about the verse at the top of this post.  The birds that were feeding here earlier have gone to find food somewhere else.  Are they worried about where they are going to find food?  Are they outside pacing and fretting because I haven't put more corn out for them?  Nope!  When I go out later to refill the feeders I am pretty sure those birds will return or new ones will arrive.

They trust that they will be able to find food.  They do not worry.  The last part of the verse is the most important part.  "Are you not of more value than they?"  

God loves us and cares for us.  He does not want us to be bogged down with the things of this life.  I think it is so easy to fear the worst or worry about what may or may not happen next in our lives.  Worry is a choice.  

Wow!  Let me just soak in what I just wrote. 

If worry is a choice then I don't have to be worried or anxious.  Why?  Because God is in control.  Today I am grateful that I don't have to worry.  It is easier said than done for me that is for sure.  However,  I am a work in progress and thankfully God isn't finished with me yet.

To read what others are posting about on this Gratituesday visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Worry Is a Choice

Menu Plan for the Week of January 10th.

We are 11 days into the new year and my menu planning has been a real blessing so far.  The older kids and my husband like being able to look at the menu on the fridge and know what we are going to eat that night.  I have really enjoyed not feeling stressed out by being asked, "What are we having for supper?"  This is one of those habits that I wish I had formed years ago.  Better late than never, I guess.

We didn't go to the store at all last week, but asked my parents to bring 2 gallons of milk to us on Saturday when they came to visit.  Aldi's had been out of milk the last time we went grocery shopping and we were running low.  We still have plenty of food in our pantry and freezer, so anything we need will be minimal.  We haven't really even made a dent in our stockpile yet.  Therefore, I am going to try to keep this pantry/freezer challenge going in February as well.

Deer roast is cooking in my crock pot right now.

Here is what I have planned for this week's menu.

Breakfast-I am not going to plan each morning, but here are some things I normally make.

Toast, Cereal, Oatmeal, Scrambled Eggs, Fried Eggs, Bacon, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Lunch-Again, I am not going to plan lunches (with the exception of Sundays since that is a day our main meal is lunch.)

Leftovers, Sandwiches, Butternut Squash Soup  

Supper

10^th (Carry-in @ Church for Lunch)-Take Sweet Potato Casserole and Creamy Cabbage

11^th-Deer Roast with Tomato Juice, Peppers and Onions; Mashed Potatoes, Peaches, Corn, Bread and Butter

12^th-Baked Tilapia, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Fruit Cocktail, Cornbread

13^th-Vegetable Soup (with Leftover Deer Roast), Grilled Cheese, Pears

14^th- Hamburgers on Buns, French Fries, Applesauce, Cheesy Broccoli
15^th (Family Night @ Church)-Take Rice Krispie Treats, Sliced Summer Sausage and Crackers

16^th- Tacos or Taco Salad, Refried Beans, Orange Slices, Chips and Salsa, Carrot and Celery Sticks

I am linking this post with Menu Plan Monday from Organizing Junkie and Money Saving Mom's Pantry Challenge Update.

Menu Plan for the Week of January 10th.

Snow Day!

Yesterday we had enough snow that my husband, a teacher, had the day off as did my two older children.  I think they all must have sensed that something was going to be different because everyone was awake before 6:00 a.m.

Soon after Joshua had the outside light on and was longingly looking out the living room window at the snow falling.  He wondered all morning when he was going to be able to go out to play.

Before we headed outside we spent a quiet morning inside watching movies, playing with toys, doing some cleaning and relaxing.

After lunch it was time to get everyone bundled up to play in the snow.  After torturing Joseph, uh, I mean trying to get him dressed, I realized he would be better off just taking a nap. 

It took him a few minutes to calm down, but he ended up taking a 3 hour nap.  :-)

Meanwhile, my husband fired up the tractor to clear the driveway, but took the kids sledding before he put it away.

James and Joshua loved sledding even though I thought they kind of looked like Ralphie's little brother on A Christmas Story.  They were pretty bundled up, but at least they were warm.

My daughter tromped happily around in the snow and filled our yard with snow angels.

When we had finally had enough of playing in the snow we came back inside and had some hot chocolate.  Yum!

 

Joshua can't have dairy and he wasn't too sure about the non-dairy hot chocolate I made for him.  His expression says it all.

We had a great day and had so much fun together.  So when we found out we were going to have another snow day today we knew exactly what we were going to do.

Enjoying snow days with my family truly is a finer thing.  Head over to The Finer Things in Life to read more Finer Things Friday posts.

Snow Day!

Scrappy Clipboards

Last Saturday we went to Walmart.  Among other things we purchased 4 $0.98 plain wooden clipboards.  When we got home I did a quick search to find some instructions on how to decorate them and found this tutorial.  We had scrapbook papers and Mod Podge so we were ready to roll.

Since I didn't print out the tutorial ours were slightly different.  My older three children had fun sorting through all of my scrapbook papers.  My daughter and I chose the papers for the clipboards pictured above, and my oldest two sons chose the papers for the clipboards pictured below.

 

We basically just mod podged two scrapbook papers onto our plain clipboards and then added a small strip of coordinating paper in the middle.  Then I covered them with two coats of Mod Podge.  My daughter and I added a few ribbons to the clip part and called them done.

 My kids like them and have been writing things (I put a picture below of something my 7 year old son wrote that I thought was so sweet.) and practicing spelling words with their new clipboards.   We have noticed that we can't use a single sheet of paper due to the bumpiness where the strip of paper is.  However, if there are several pieces of paper or a piece of chipboard  in the back it works great.

I found a clipboard in a closet this morning that someone wrote on with markers.  I think we may just have to "prettify" that clipboard, too.  :-)

Written by James (7)

Scrappy Clipboards