My girl is famous!

One of my first posts in Book Talk Tuesday/Thursday was about one of Abby's favorite books - Ten Little Ladybugs. I often think of this blog as a little thing that not many people really read (<---- based on my '15' followers...), so imagine my surprise when I got a comment on that particular post:

"Hi! I work for the publisher of Ten Little Ladybugs, Piggy Toes Press. If you'd like, we can make Abby our fan of the week and send you a free book. Email me at ...... if you are interested!"

How cool is that?? So we were in touch, and here you have it: my Abby-girl is Piggy Toes Press's Fan of the Week!! Thank you thank you Piggy Toes Press!!

Five Minute Friday: Home

GO.

Home is something we take for granted. A home is different from a "house." The word "home" has a sense of emotion, belonging, more than just a roof over our heads. When we moved into this house a year and a half ago, we knew it would be a place we'd stay for awhile (at least 3 years or we'd have to pay the homeowners credit back! ;). But how do you make a "house" a "home"?

By being there. If your home is just a place to sleep at night, it's just a house. You need to hang out there, play games, run in the yard, invite people over.

By keeping it clean. Most people feel uncomfortable when walking into a messy house. Granted, it does feel "lived in", but if there are dirty dishes all over the counter and dust bunnies in every corner, it makes both you and your guests feel a little tense.

I could spend more than 5 minutes on this topic, but I'll stop there for today.

STOP.

I wrote another post recently about point #2 above.

Want to participate in Five Minute Fridays? Just write for 5 minutes and not worry if it’s just right or not.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Get a little crazy with encouragement for the five minuter who linked up before you!

Book Talk Thursday: The Red Tent

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant was recommended to me by a few people when I asked for suggestions of something new to read. I came across it on my friend's Kindle a few weeks ago, and then I checked it out of the library. I honestly have mixed opinions on it...

As a work of fiction, I really enjoyed it. It was very well written, with great character development.

But as a work of historical fiction, I was a little turned off. "Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons in the book of Genesis. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoil of ancient womanhood -- the world of the red tent." There were many times as I was reading that I thought to myself, "There is NO way Jacob's wives would have done that." A lot of the traditions and rituals described were very idolatrous and heathen, and while there is nothing written in the Bible about the women's beliefs, I can't imagine the house of Jacob would have behaved that way...

So as I read, I continued to remind myself this was a work of fiction. And I really did enjoy the book. I'll be looking to see if Diamant has written other books, and searching for other authors of similar style.

The Appetite Study

Found out about an interesting study through the simplifried blog:

"The Appetite study was conducted at the University of Birmingham in England. Twenty-nine women were fed identical lunches: a ham sandwich, chips, and water, about 500 calories in total. Some of the students ate their lunch with only their random thoughts as company. Others ate while reading a newspaper story about changes in the size of chocolate bars and fizzy drinks in England. The rest ate while listening to a three-minute audio clip encouraging them to focus on the look, smell, flavors, and textures of their food. An hour later, the professors brought the students back and put before them plates of cookies, among them chocolate chip and chocolate fingers (apparently a British thing; we will trust that they are appealing). The students who focused on their lunch ate roughly 50 percent fewer chocolate-chip cookies and 60 percent fewer chocolate fingers than their newspaper-reading and mindless-eating counterparts. Or as the researchers put it: 'Rated vividness of lunch memory was negatively correlated with snack intake.'"

The middle-of-the-afternoon is hardest for me when it comes to snacking. Even now I'm finding myself wondering what's in our cupboards that I could snack on. But when I turn my thoughts to what I had for lunch, that craving subsides a bit. Maybe I'll start focusing more on my food as I eat it... and maybe that will help me just enjoy it more too...

Party 'till the cows come home!

It was 2 weeks ago, but I had so much fun decorating and preparing for Abby's first birthday party that I just have to post some pictures for the blogging world to see!

[Plus, have I mentioned how much I love hosting parties and just enjoy having people over? That's a post for another day...]

So Abby has this stuffed cow... it's one that you press it's hand (hoof?) and the mouth moves and the foot taps and it sings "Don't Worry, Be Happy." For weeks she was fascinated by the thing. She wouldn't go down for a nap unless she could watch it while snuggling with me. So that's where the inspiration for a theme came from...

We had the party at Rocky's dad's house, on a lake. We were hoping for a nice day to get out and play in the water, but it was kinda rainy and cloudy most of the day.

To go with the cow theme, I found super-cute cupcake liners at cowdepot.com. I made dark chocolate cupcakes and topped them with vanilla frosting, and vanilla cupcakes topped with dark chocolate frosting.

I made a marble cake for Abby's smash cake from some of the cupcake batter. I baked it in a small Pyrex container, and it was the perfect size! I spent $4 on a cake decorating bag and tips, and I'm so glad I did. I love how the frosting turned out.

From cafepress.com -- her shirt says "Holy cow, I'm ONE already?"

And after all that time I put into her cake? She only picked at the frosting. Very delicately. No smashing was involved. No cakes were harmed in the filming of this day.

After a full day, we all took a pontoon boat ride around the lake. What a great end to a great day!

Will we put in this much effort for a second birthday party? We'll have to wait and see...

Five Minute Friday: Backwards

Ok, time for a new blogging meme (what's a meme you ask? click here!). This one comes to us from The Gypsy Mama, who I found through In the Whisper (who also participates in this meme).

Got five minutes? Let’s write. Let’s write in shades of real and brave and unscripted. Let’s just write and not worry if it’s just right or not.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Get a little crazy with encouragement for the five minuter who linked up before you.

Today's topic? "Backwards."

GO!
Even though I only worked two days a week at FCCS, I loved being part of activities whenever I could. Spirit Week came the last week in January, and I showed up on Wednesday of that week completely forgetting it was Backwards/Clash Day. The week before I had thought long and hard about what I would wear for that awesome day... for nothing. BUT. I was wearing a long-sleeve, zip-up hoodie, so I was able to turn it around backwards for the day. Elementary school is so much fun.

I've really enjoyed my time at FCCS this year and am glad the opportunity came up for me to join that team. A year ago I never would have thought I'd be a part-time-working-part-time-stay-at-home-mom. But I love it. I love being able to get out of the house and interact with other people twice a week. I love being able to leave my daughter with my best friend and let her get interaction with another person too. I love being able to use my skills and talents to better another group. I can't wait to see what this next year brings!

Well that kind of got off topic, but oh well, at least it got me writing! :)
STOP!

Dave Ramsey would be proud

Well I'm finally taking the time to do it. I used to be so good at keeping up with our finances, tracking where our money went. Then life got busy, and we were doing fine financially, so the tracking got pushed to the backburner.

Then I started buying gift cards through the TRIP program at the school I work for. And I made a new year's resolution to start keeping track again. But the gift cards made things tricky. Would I record when I bought the cards, or when I used them to purchase things, or both? How would that filter through my nifty Excel formulas to tell me how we spent our money? So the tracking stayed on the backburner.

Well today I got inspired. I don't like not knowing where our money is going. If every dollar has a name, I'm less likely to spend it somewhere else under another name. So I made a brand new spreadsheet:

I totaled up the gift cards I have, ones I've bought from TRIP and ones we've gotten as gifts over the years... holy cow we've got a lot of $$ in gift cards waiting to be used! That's encouraging! So we'll see how things go. If I just force myself to take the time to do this, it WILL happen. We WILL find extra money to save for Abby or finish the basement. We WILL pay off our house early. I just need to put my organizing-perfectionist-beaver-type personality into it!

What about you? Do you live on a budget? How do you track where your money goes?

Women in the Word Wednesdays: June 2-8

Thoughts on what I've read this past week...

Thursday 6/2: Romans 2:4
Do I tend to accept and relish in God's kindness, tolerance, and patience, or do I brush them aside? Maybe not in contempt, but taking them for granted?

Friday 6/3: John 14:1
This verse comes right after Jesus predicts his betrayal and Peter's denial. Don't worry about what the future holds!

Monday 6/6: John 14:27
He will never leave me. Even though he physically left the disciples (this past Sunday was Ascension Sunday), he sent the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us.

Tuesday 6/7: John 16:27
This verse was tough to understand taken out of context. I think it's again confirming and comforting the disciples before he leaves.

Wednesday 6/8: James 3:10
I haven't read this week's chapters in The Ministry of Motherhood, but I have a feeling they're about using your words to show grace and compassion. This verse reminds me of a verse in Ephesians about using our words to build each other up, instead of tearing others down. As Abby learns to understand my words, I need to be careful what I say to her.

I need your input!!

Ahhh it's finally here! The last day of school! Both Rocky and I will be done by noon tomorrow! And while I have to work once or twice a month and Rocky will have some tennis practices to go to, we've got soooooo much more free time! Yay for being married to a teacher!!

So that brings up the question -- what do we DO?! I find amazing blog posts like this one and this one and this ebook and get so inspired!! But then I think... I have a one-year-old. Boo. She can't appreciate most those things. :-(

So I feel stuck. I want to be "intentional" and plan activities and outings and things for our family. I don't want us to sit on the computer and watch Abby play with her toys and discover summer is half over and we've been lazy.  I'm a natural planner, and Rocky likes to have a plan for any given day.

I need your input!! What should we do this summer?? What activities can we do, what places can we go, with a one-year-old?? Help!!!

Musical Mondays (belated): What if I Stumble

Heard this quote at church on Sunday:

"The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths." --Sheldon Vanauken

Made me think of this song:

Sorry the quality isn't that great... it's an older song, and it's one of the few videos I could find of a live recording of dcTalk.

Is this one for the people? Is this one for the Lord?
Or do I simply serenade for things I must afford?
You can jumble them together, my conflict still remains
Holiness is calling, in the midst of courting fame
'Cause I see the trust in their eyes
Though the sky is falling
They need Your love in their lives
Compromise is calling


What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble, and what if I fall?


[What if I stumble, what if I fall?
You never turn in the heat of it all
What if I stumble, what if I fall?]


Father please forgive me for I can not compose
The fear that lives within me
Or the rate at which it grows
If struggle has a purpose on the narrow road you've carved
Why do I dread my trespasses will leave a deadly scar
Do they see the fear in my eyes? Are they so revealing?
This time I cannot disguise all the doubt I'm feeling


What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble, and what if I fall?


Everyone's got to crawl when you know that
You're up against a wall, it's about to fall
Everyone's got to crawl when you know that


I hear You whispering my name
"My love for You will never change"


What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble, and what if I fall?


[What if I stumble, what if I fall?
You never turn in the heat of it all
What if I stumble, what if I fall?
You are my comfort, and my God]


Is this one for the people, is this one for the Lord?

(Gosh I love dcTalk's music... I wish they would get back together again...)



I can't change how other "Christians" act.

But why do I do the things I do? Is this one for the people, or is this one for the Lord? I will stumble. There is no doubt about that. But thank goodness for a forgiving God. If only the world was so forgiving...

Thoughts?