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Input requested: Valentine's ideas
 I'm searching for some good "party" games and activities for our Church Sweetheart Banquet. We do this annually and I'm running out of fresh ideas, thought you might be able to help! This will be for a large group of married couples. Thanks for any help! -April Since I've never hosted a Sweetheart Banquet, I'd love to hear input from readers on this. I'm also looking for ideas for a Valentine's dinner I am planning on doing for our family. I want to make it special just to show them how much I love them. I have some ideas, but more would be appreciated. I am not naturally an extremely creative person so any recipes with a Valentine's theme, table decorations, or any other ideas would be most helpful. And maybe it might spark an idea for someone else here as well!
Baking fun
Kathrynne and I had fun baking this morning...  First, we made Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes. I had some buttermilk I had gotten on a reduced price and needed to use it up, so this recipe was perfect. And because I've learned if I don't post it, you will ask for it, here you go: Brown Sugar Oatmeal Pancakes2 eggs 4 T. oil 2 c. buttermilk 1 c. whole wheat flour 2/3 c. brown sugar 1 c. white flour 1 t. baking soda 1 t. salt 1 t. cinnamon 1 1/4 c. oats Mix all ingredients together in order listed and fry on a hot pancake griddle. The batter was really thick, so I ended up using almost twice as much buttermilk as it called for to not only thin the batter but also use up the buttermilk! I'm sure the pancakes would have been a lot thicker and fluffy if I had stuck with the original recipe. The pancakes were not the prettiest ever, but they are yummy and wholesome. We ate some for lunch and are freezing the rest.  Then we made French Breakfast Puffs. Our church is having a ladies' get-together tomorrow night and we are supposed to bring brunch foods. I made these in mini-muffin pans and thought they would be a perfect addition the menu.  Last of all, we made banana bread - one with chocolate chips, one without. We are having some moms and children over tomorrow and I wanted to have something simple to serve. And I'll save some to take to the get-together in the evening. Speaking of cooking and recipes, Kim posted a recipe she created for a Cinnamon Pull-Apart using part of the dough from my 30-minute roll recipe. And I haven't forgotten about posting the recipes you all requested earlier from my baking last week. Hopefully I'll get to that in the next few days.
Of birthday cakes and prairie muffins
 Kathrynne's cake, compliments of my friend Melanie. (Excuse the blurry lens - Kathrynne had been playing with the camera and I forgot to clean it before taking pictures!) Melanie used the Buttercream Transfer instructions here to make this cake. She tells me it is "really simple."  While not quite as impressive as Melanie's cake, here is the cake Kathrynne and I made and decorated. It was my first ever from-scratch two layer cake so I felt like it was quite an accomplishment. I also had to take a picture to show my efforts before the Wilton cake decorating class. I'm hoping by the end of February that my decorating skills will be at least somewhat improved. I'll keep you posted!  Kathrynne got a just-her-size broom (she'd been trying to sweep the floor with the big broom and it wasn't working too well!) and this homemade apron from my sister. We had fun dressing her up to look like a real hard-working prairie muffin.
What do you think? The influence of babies on single men.
 Kathrynne (when she was around six months old) with our friend, Caleb, a single young man who is getting ready for his second deployment to Iraq. Despite being a Marine, he's not at all embarrassed to hold babies... he always wants to spend time with Kathrynne whenever we get a chance to see him.Doug Phillips posted a fascinating and insightful article today on the influence of babies on single men. I encourage you to read it in its entirety. Here's quick snippet:
The result is that single men who are around babies and family cultures become highly motivated to "get their act together." They experience positive, holy peer pressure to set aside childish things, and to be about the business of men. This means that they must prepare their fields without (Prov 24:27), so they can start families of their own and have babies. Malachi 2:14 reminds us that "real men" acknowledge that the pursuit of a godly seed is not merely an afterthought. It is one of the key reasons delineated by the Creator for marriage. For all of these reasons, the presence of babies in the life of single men not only tenderizes their hearts to the preciousness of children, but it motivates them to be men of God. In contrast, individualistic cultures prioritize lifestyles which have the tendancy of innoculating young men against healthy, manly feelings towards babies and children. Our modern culture is radically individualistic. Not all of the expressions of individualism are inherintly wrong, but the net effect has been devastating for our view of babies and manhood. For example, the modern trend of never-ending formal education tends to give men a "dormitory" vision of life, and to push marriages back later and later. The Bible encourages husbands to rejoice in the wife of their youth, which is why Christian cultures self-consciously prepare men for marriage and family leadership sooner, rather than later in life. Individualistic cultures breed materialism, the great foe of manly maturity. Materialism is poison to the single man. Success is defined by the aquisition of things, rather than obedience and the pursuit of spiritual objectives. Marriage and babies are largely viewed as an encumberance to personal freedom. In addition, materialism trains men to demand immediate gratification. This leads to sexual impropriety, indebtedness and even impatience and anger. In contrast, cultures that force men to deal with babies and children tend to encourage the manly disciplines of self-sacrifice, patience and kindness. Individualistic cultures are family-fragmenting by nature. The consequence is that the hearts of our single men become invested in destructive peer cultures, rather than a balanced, multi-generational Christian community. The simple truth is this: The longer men are away from babies, the more selfish they tend to become.
Truth be told, I'm not sure I've ever read an article of this nature. I found it very thought-provoking and I'd love to hear your thoughts whether in agreement or disagreement.
Home: A place of unlimited opportunity and potential
 I loved this spot-on post by Carmon (though I have to admit I'm still a library lover!): As we talk about what it means to be a "keeper at home," those promoting egalitarianism sometimes use hyperbole, claiming this view of biblical womanhood means imprisoning women in their domiciles, chained to their appliances. I have never met a "Titus 2" woman who would agree with this parody or who fits that stereotype. Rather, being home-centered opens up countless opportunities for ministry and creativity. I am constantly amazed at the opportunities God gives us to reach out to others from our homes. These opportunities are as varied as the family circumstances of Christian women. Age and number of children, husband's career, health and energy, personality and interests, family goals, and other variables will determine what each woman can and does accomplish. If she is married and blessed with children, a Christian woman who cares for her family to the glory of God is performing a vital mission. Within that sphere, our sovereign God can extend her family's influence in ways she might never anticipate if she tries to determine her life's path based on "what ifs."
Ladies, let's never underestimate or minimize the power, potential, possibilities, and importance of home. Let us make a bold statement to the world of the beauty of Christ in our lives and our families as we seek to recapture the nobility of home.
The Paine family "zoo"
 I have at least 25 posts I want to write, but my brain is "blah" today. Kathrynne is transitioning from a crib to a "real bed" so I slept in her room for part of the last night (Any great tips on making that transition, by the way?). As all moms know, that isn't the most restful sleep. Then, I was up for a few hours last night with bad heartburn (Ah, pregnancy! Why don't I remember to not eat lasagna? If you've experienced heartburn before, what have you found to help?). I finally went to sleep and then woke up a few hours later with a horrendous pain, worse than anything I remember experiencing in labor. My husband had to leave for work in the wee hours of the morning this morning and wasn't home or otherwise he probably would have taken me to the ER. Gratefully, after about 15-20 minutes (just a guess, I have no idea since time seemed to stand still) of writhing in pain and crying out to God to please bring relief, it was over. I still have no clue what it was but I put my husband on high alert and have made sure the phone was right by my side all day lest another episode strike. Sometimes it is so easy to forget to be thankful for health and pain-free living! Needless to say, I'm not functioning near 100% today and my brain is not in any shape to think deep thoughts or write profound posts (not that I usually do much of that, anyway!). I'll save those for later. In the mean time, I thought I'd stick to something light - a subject I've never broached on this blog before and probably never really planned to - pets. I'm not sure that there is any correlation to Biblical Womanhood, but it is relevant to our family life right now. Why? Because we just became the proud new owners of our first "pets," all eight of them. Before you think we've gone mad and have started our own miniature zoo, I'll be quick to assure you that these pets are very small pets, require hardly any effort, make very little mess, and can fit into a one gallon tank. Just my kind of pets! For Kathrynne's birthday, we had decided we would get her a fish. She loves fish and what could be better than her own fish tank in her room? Plus, I'm sure it could count for some type of life science credit in homeschool and I'm all about making education exciting. So, we set out on Saturday to procure the fish and all the trappings to keep, feed, and care for the said fish. If you know Jesse and I at all, you'll know we're not ones to do things half-heartedly. Instead of a fish bowl, we got a snazzy tank that lights up and has the bubbles (I'm sure there is some more technical term for the water filtration system than "bubbles" so pardon me all of you a"fish"ionados!). Then we had to buy the plants for the tank, and the rocks, and the water purification drops, and the food. After all that, how could we just buy some measly $0.26 goldfish? We ended up with three small fish, two water frogs, and three ghost shrimp. Surprisingly, since they are all small, they can live in the same tank without, supposedly, eating each other. So far, so good.  Ghost shrimpYes, we are now pet owners for pretty much the first time since the only other pet we've had in our married life was a resilient betta whom we got free as part of a pet store mystery shop I did. It seems a bit more "real" this time since we actually plunked down a little bit of money to buy these pets. However, lest you think we spent a fortune, I must add that we got the whole kit and kaboodle for around $30. Not as cheap as a $5 fish bowl and a $0.26 gold fish, but pretty inexpensive for a birthday present which Kathrynne was utterly thrilled about! Now that I've rambled on incessantly about our new pets, I thought it would be fun to hear about the animals or other creatures you own. Are we the only people who have shrimp? Anyone have anything really exotic? Don't have any pets and/or think this was the most boring post ever? You can tell me that, too.
My Anti-Procrastination Challenge post for Friday - Um, what was that about not procrastinating?
So, I'm a day late in getting this up, I know, I know. And the whole point is to not procrastinate... Hmm, kind of defeats the purpose. However, I do have some good excuses as to why it was not up sooner, namely, I've been a "procrastinating" blogger because I've been enjoying my family so much that time slipped by and it was suddenly Saturday night. I'll take fun family times over blogging anyday!Daddy and Kathrynne are, at this moment, hard at work putting together the fish tank we bought this morning for Kathrynne's birthday tomorrow (Yes, my little precious baby is turning two! I can't hardly believe it! By the way, whoever made up the myth about the "terrible twos"? I told Jesse this afternoon that I think she is at one of the easiest and most delightful ages ever.) and the birthday cake I just finished (my first attempt at a two-layer cake, can you believe it?!) is cooling on the racks in the kitchen awaiting a special frosting session later on tonight, so I decided to steal away for a few minutes to share about yesterday's adventures in anti-procrastination...Fridays are always a slower day for me because it is my self-proclaimed "day off" from business work. Mondays through Thursdays, at least one to three hours per day are normally spent (broken up between the early morning and Kathrynne's naptime) on business projects. Fridays, I try to keep business work to under an hour and then I take Saturdays and Sundays off. This schedule works well for our family and helps me to be able to have one day a week which I can devote to special projects or fun outings. Plus, it gives us a needed break from things (for anyone who has a home business, you probably know how easy it is for the business to take over your life if you don't set boundaries). Needless to say, though I enjoy running Biblical Womanhood, Fridays are always a looked-forward-to day, especially because they signify the coming weekend, where we get to have some quality, focused family time and refreshment! So Friday morning I started off with finishing up a few packages I still needed to get ready for our final postal run of the week. And then I headed to take a shower and wash my hair - while Kathrynne was still asleep! As any young mom probably knows, getting a shower a your hair washed, while your child(ren) is asleep can seem like a huge accomplishment! Kathrynne and I were supposed to spend the morning baking for her birthday celebration (we have company coming in from out of town), but we ended up lacking a few necessary ingredients, so we made pizza for dinner and that was that. I tried out a new pizza dough recipe which was about ten times harder than my normal recipe. I made a double batch and froze half of it so we'd have extra for pizza night next week. Sadly, it turned out the same or worse than my regular recipe. So much for all the extra work!  My little eager kitchen helper! Chicken salsa pizza - one of our favorites. Just pizza dough with salad, chicken, and cheese. (You can also substitute barbecue sauce or regular pizza sauce for the salsa - we like it all three ways).We spent the rest of the morning cleaning house and finishing up a pile of laundry which had been waiting to be folded and put away for a few days. It was nice to have that done! I try to have all the house cleaned by Friday afternoon so we can have a relaxing weekend. In the middle of cleaning, I stopped for a short while to fill out a rebate form for a purchase from Office Depot. I'd needed to do that all week long. It only took a few minutes, too, and will bring a $50 check in return. Why is it always that I put off these simple projects for so long? After lunch and Kathrynne laid down for a nap, I settled in to tackle a few more projects I'd hoped to get to all week and kept moving to the next day...  Like hanging this floral swag above our bed. (By the way, we purchased it half-price at Hobby Lobby for $6. It adds a lot to our room.)  And tackling all the crafting stuff in the Jesse's office closet. Since we moved, this was one area which had yet to be organized. Everything had just been haphazardly thrown in there.  Much improved! And now I might actually be able to find things. I put all the sewing stuff in one bin, all my knitting stuff in another bin, card-making supplies/rubber stamps in another bin, and the bag holds my scrapbooking stuff. After Kathrynne woke up from her nap, we went with my friend to register for the Wilton cake decorating classes and purchase all our supplies. Now that I actually am signed up and own some supplies, I'm getting sort of excited about it. Or maybe even more than sort of excited! We'll see how I feel in a few weeks. Speaking of cakes, Kathrynne's birthday cake is probably cooled now, so I must close and go have a special cake decorating session myself with the birthday girl! Have a lovely weekend and a blessed Lord's day!
Frugal Friday: Decorating on the cheap
 I hope no one is terribly bored with the topic of decorating, because I still have plenty of things to say and share as I slowly work my way around our home decorating as I go. I decided to plunge in with something really easy - our guest bathroom. It's the first room on your left as you walk in our home and one which already gets lots of traffic. So, I decided to forego the all-white everywhere look and spruce it up with a simple sunflower theme. I've always loved sunflowers (maybe it's because I'm from Kansas?) but thought that unless I had a tiny room to use them in, they'd be overpowering. So, our guest bathroom got tagged with the sunflower theme. We journeyed to BigLots on Saturday. Boy oh boy! were you all ever right about them having inexpensive stuff. Well, lots of it was. I found it interesting the variance in pricing. Some things were dirt cheap, other things were relatively similar to Wal-mart pricing or even a bit more. Strange.  I picked up these two framed prints (both with sunflowers) for a package deal of $6. Not bad, if I may say. I could probably beat that price at some garage sale somewhere, but it's too cold for garage sales and I can't wait four months to start looking for stuff at garage sales while my extremely blank walls stare at me.  This valance was only $2.50. Nothing fancy, but it's something and it works for now. I doubt I could make something that cheap, besides. I might replace it in a while, but for now, I'm happy with it. The curtain rod was $5. Not as cheap as I'd like, but I plan to stick with it, regardless of whether I change the valance in the future or not.  I got these sunflowers for $0.99 each (50% off) at Hobby Lobby and stuck them in a vase I already had and put them on the sink. They give a little lift and bightness to the room. I had them on the back of the toilet, but that was overpowering or too bright or something, so I moved them to the sink and am happy with the results. I still want to find a few fun sunflowers hand towels and maybe a rug. I'm also considering something small for the back of the toilet. We'll see. Feel free to leave me your suggestions. (Just don't tell me it looks horrible, okay? Even if you think it does. Remember I'm really new to all this decorating stuff - have patience with me!) For now, at least it's better than white walls and the total cost has been less than $17. I'm shooting to decorate all of the smaller rooms in our home for $25 or less. I figured that was not unreasonable if I'm buying things new and not from garage sales. I'll definitely still keep my eye out at garage sales once they start up in our area, though. And I might poke around at some second-hand shops, too, and see what "treasures" I can dig up. You just never know where you might find the perfect solution to your decorating dilemma! For those of you who are also working on decorating, don't forget to use what you already have. Start with that before you ever go out shopping. Since we have basically nothing but furniture, I'm starting completely from scratch. Otherwise, you better believe I'd be scrounging around in my attic or basement looking for stuff to use before heading out the door to buy something! (As most of you know, we had no money for decorating at our old place so therefore, we had no decorating besides what we had been given as wedding presents! I didn't mind and was completely content with just the basics, but I admit it is nice to have a small budget for decorating now and it's fun to see how far I can stretch that budget!) --------------------------- To join in Frugal Friday, just post a frugal tip or post on any subject of frugality on your blog, link to this post in your post, and then post the direct link to your Frugal Friday post below. Any link or post which does not adhere to these rules will be deleted at my discretion. If you do not have a blog, but have a tip to share, please post your tip in the comments section. And, remember the rules: Must be family-friendly. Thanks! I can't wait to read your tips!
Another day, another opportunity to not procrastinate
With thanks again to Mrs. Wilt's Anti-Procrastination challenge, here's what Kathrynne and I tackled today: In the Kitchen Apple Crisp - for company we're having this weekend.  Southwest Chicken Roll-Ups ... Ready to stick in the oven for dinner - Yes, I know what you moms of more than a few are thinking! Can you believe that a pan that small feeds our family for dinner?  Delicious whole-grain rolls, recipe compliments of my brother. I can't believe I actually made a good roll that the dough was made in the bread machine. Finally! And so easy at that!  Dishes washed and kitchen cleaned up. Oh how I love a shiny sink! By the way, my verse cards (for Colossians, the book I'm hoping to memorize this year) are above the kitchen sink. I've found that's a handy place to keep them. It guarantees I'll at least review them and mediate on them more than a time or two per week! And in case anyone is wondering what the glass bottle is - that's one of our milk jugs. We buy milk from a local dairy and clean and return the jugs when we buy more. More often than not, we have one sitting by the sink filled with sudsy water at all times. In the BathroomMy afternoon anti-procrastination project was to put up the decorations in our guest bathroom that we had purchased last weekend. More details and pictures here showing that project.ElsewhereI also finalized all the details on a six-week sign language class some deaf ladies from our church will be teaching at our home starting next week. Since about 25% of our church is deaf, we have been working on learning basic ASL for the past year. I've been wanting to have further instruction than just picking it up here and there at church, or from Kathrynne's Baby Signing Time, so I'm very excited to finally have the opportunity to take a class! I'm told that learning ASL from a deaf person is the best way to go about it so we'll see how it goes. It's a bit out of my comfort zone, but I'm trying to push myself out of my supposed "comfort zone" anyway, so now's the best time to start as any I guess. Speaking of "out of my comfort zone," a friend and I are enrolling in Wilton Level 1 cake decorating classes tomorrow. Don't ask me what I was thinking but she got me into it (It's all your fault, Melanie!!). The thought of me decorating cakes seems about the biggest joke ever, but like she told me, you never know you can't do something until you try. And she promises me it's really easy. Um, we'll see about that. I have my doubts... Don't expect me to be starting a wedding cake business in the near future, though!
Free is always good
Tammy posted a link to The Little Red Hens and from there I found out about the free Food and Family magazine from Kraft Foods.  Of course I am sure that most of the recipes call for some Kraft ingredients (which you could probably easily substitute) but since I love magazines and I love cooking and I especially love free stuff, I couldn't help but sign up. Maybe everyone else already knows about this (I'm usually the last one to find out about stuff like this!), but I thought I'd mention it here anyway.
Blogger's Briefings from Family Research Counsel
For any blogger who might be interested, Family Research Counsel has recently started a weekly "Bloggers' Briefing." This is a teleconference with a more well-known guest (for instance, today they are having Tom Delay on) and geared toward smaller bloggers. It allows you the opportunity to listen to and interact with those in Washington whom you usually wouldn't get a chance to speak with on a personal level unless you were an uber-blogger or some other "big media figure." I've only attended one teleconference so far, but found it to be quite insightful. I hope to attend others in the future as I have time and interest. If you would be interested in being a part of these (it's completely free, of course), click here.
Don't even think of calling me "superwoman"
I made these cookies last night, using butter instead of shortening this time, and I think they turned out better than with the shortening. Plus, they are better for you, too. So, I guess I'm switching the recipe to butter from now on. Thanks for the suggestions awhile back on switching to that. By the way, lest anyone get visions of my being a superwoman after my anti-procrastination post, I wanted you all to know that after baking the cookies, I was too tired to make anything else so we had a clean-out-the-fridge night for dinner and I promptly went to bed. The apple crisp, southwest chicken roll-ups, and bread I was supposed to make yesterday afternoon were moved to the agenda for today. I'll post pictures and recipes of the apple crisp and bread if it turns out well. (Speaking of which, do you enjoy it when I post food stuff - recipes, pictures, etc.? I have no intentions of this becoming a recipe blog - Tammy has that covered better than I ever could - but I do cook and bake a lot and was just wondering if you would enjoy more pictures and recipes?) And can you see why I am enjoying cooking so much? This is my old kitchen:  I feel so spoiled to have so many cupboards and countertops and floor space and a window over the sink in our new kitchen that I almost think I could stay in there baking all day most days! It just begs to be used. And I'm hoping to soon have it decorated so that it's even more inviting.
In celebration of Anti-Procrastination Week...
Thanks to Mrs. Wilt's motivation, I've been getting a lot of things done here today! Project #1: GarageFirst off, I cleaned out the garage, which I'd been needing to do ever since we'd gotten all the boxes unpacked. The garage had become the dumping ground for our leftover boxes, newspaper, trash, and so on. I sorted through it all today getting the trash ready for trash pick-up, the extra boxes broken down, and everything which could be recycled into the recycle bin (our new town actually picks up recycling with our trash in a separate bin - I'm having a hey-day trying to recycle everything I possibly can. Something about recycling it versus sending it to the landfill just feels so good!). It looks much improved. Project #2: TrashNo, my whole day didn't revolve around trash, but our main trash can (which we keep under the sink) had gotten rather nasty in recent months since I'd been unable to clean it (try cleaning out a trash while you're dealing with morning sickness. It doesn't mix, believe me!). So I rinsed it out, scrubbed it out with dish detergent, rinsed it again, dried it out, and then, since it still didn't smell all that great, I put some cranberry and almond oil on a cloth and rubbed that over the whole thing. Now it not only looks clean, but it smells good, too. I'm sure it won't last long, but it's just nice to know my trash can is clean and smelling fresh every once in a while! And since I'm sure you all were just dying to see my clean trash can, here you go:  Project #3: Washer and DryerOur washer and dryer have been having a bit of difficulty and fitfulness recently and I've been supposed to call the repairman to come out and fix them for the last two weeks. I kept forgetting though. I finally got the appointment set up for this morning and he came and got them working in proper order again. Feels good to cross that off my list! Project #4: Kitchen
From this: To this: I love a clean kitchen!
Project #5: LibraryThis wasn't a very hard one, but just something I have been wanting to do ever since we've moved. We have a great little libray within walking distance of our house and I finally ventured out on this beautiful sunny day (inspite of quite a bit of snow on the ground still) and took Kathrynne to the library. She loved it! Since my driver's license isn't changed yet (oops, something to add to my anti-procrastination projects list!), I could only get two books - which is about one-tenth of my usual and very difficult to do! We settled on a book about Claude Monet for Kathrynne (I'm an Impressionist art lover and hope to instill in Kathrynne a real appreciation for art.) and Anderson Cooper's Dispatches from the Edge for me. I can't wait until I can go back and get more than two books as there were all sorts of titles hollering my name today! We came back and rewarded ourselves for a productive morning with lunch...  There's nothing like a refreshing, colorful salad at this point in my pregnancy!Still on my anti-procrastination to-do list for this week:-Get my coupon box re-organized and up-to-date (I'm trying to get back into couponing now that my morning sickness is subsiding) -Make curtains for Kathrynne's room. -Organize my craft supplies into the bins I bought last week. -Put up the decorations and curtains I bought for our guest bath (I'm hoping to write about some great deals we got at BigLots last Saturday in a later post). -I'll stop the list there, though I could keep going on for a long time! And now I'm off to make apple crisp, chocolate chip cookies, southwest chicken roll-ups, and, hopefully, to try out a new bread recipe (not sure which one yet, though!).
No fool
 Mrs. Wilt has an excellent post with some relevant renditions of Jim Elliot's most-famous quote:
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."She personalizes it for us wives, mothers, and homemakers:
She is no fool who gives up perfectly manicured nails to play with her children for she will teach them love. She is no fool who skips salon haircuts because her little ones need new shoes for she will teach them self-sacrifice. She is no fool who drives her little ones in an older car instead of a new one if it can't be afforded for she will teach frugality. She is no fool who cleans her home thoroughly for she teaches her little ones order. She is no fool who gives what she has to the poor instead of pocketing it herself for she teaches her little ones to give wholeheartedly. She is no fool who rises early to commune with her Lord instead of sleeping in for she teaches her little ones the importance of beginning the day with God. She is no fool who obeys the traffic laws with her family in the car for she teaches them obedience. She is no fool who dresses and behaves femininely for she teaches the importance of remaining separate from the world. She is no fool who loves the Lord with all of her heart for she will provide an example of godliness by which her children can live.
"Some choices are not legitimate."
I'm not Catholic, but I just approved an ad on my sidebar asking Can Catholics Be Pro-Choice? It was an interesting read (if you read that link, be sure to read the response to Frances Kissling's article here) and I thought some of you all might find it thought-provoking, whether or not you are Catholic. I always love a great debate, even if I'm tremendously biased from the outset! Speaking of the term "pro-choice," here's a superb quote from The Common Room yesterday: I believe that 'pro-choice' is a deceptively ambiguous term used primarily because people who hold that position are uncomfortable with defending it. You see, there are many choices in life, but there is really one choice that the 'pro-choice' side is referring to- the choice to abort. People already had the right to choose NOT to abort (in this country- not so in China), the right to choose NOT to engage in activities leading to conception, the right to choose to place a child for adoption...
The only 'choice' truly being argued for in the courts by the 'pro-choice' world is and always has been the choice to abort- because all the other choices already were protected by law. And since I believe that the human child in the womb is just as deserving of legal protection as a human child outside the womb, I cannot really see this as a pro-'choice' issue. Some choices are not legitimate.
Basic H: The safest, multi-tasking power cleaner you'll ever find
As many of you know, I prefer to do things more naturally, whenever possible. Most people think this also means more time and more money. Not necessarily, though. I recently read about the harmful ingredients almost all off-the-shelf cleaning products contain. I was even more shocked to find out that when you use any of these cleaners, the chemicals stay in the air of your home for about a week. Since I was using these cleaners on an almost daily basis, this meant we had all sorts of chemicals wafting around waiting to be breathed in. It wasn't a real pleasant thought, especially since I have a toddler and a baby on the way. How dare I wanted to subject their little bodies to breathing in all this bad stuff on a daily basis. It was probably completely counteracting all the good food I'm trying to feed them! So, I've set out to find a simple and inexpensive solution. Making your own cleaners is one very viable option, but I've not done much of it yet. That is, because I stumbled upon Basic H from Shaklee. This organic, nontoxic, biodegradable (do all those things means about the same thing?!) formula really works and it's about as safe as it comes. I think my daughter could drink a cup of the solution without any adverse side effects. Do be sure and keep the concentrate up out of the reach of children, though. That stuff, although nontoxic, is really potent. My favorite thing about Basic H, besides the price (which I'll get to in a minute), is its versatility. You can use it to clean almost anything and everything, eliminating the need for multiple cleaners. You can clean toilets, sinks, mirrors, tile, glass, stains, floors, walls... you get the point. I've used on just about everything. Plus, I let Kathrynne use it, too. Where I used to be so worried about her getting into cleaning products, now she can be beside me spraying and cleaning away all she wants to. Oh, and did I mention the price? Back when I was buying those really-bad-for-you cleaners, I would pay somewhere between $0.50-$1.00 for name brand cleaners on sale with coupons. Guess what? Basic H, a nontoxic cleaner at that, beats those prices hands-down. A 16-oz bottle of concentrate which sells for less than $12 makes 48 gallons. Yes, you read that right - 48 gallons. It comes out to less than $0.25/gallon, or about a fourth of the price I used to pay or less on a very good deal on those bottles of nasty cleaners. You can buy it in 64 oz. jugs and that's even cheaper, but I don't honestly know that Kathrynne and I could use all of that cleaner in both of our lifetimes! It works for me!
One of the greatest national tragedies to ever befall us
I was up late tonight rocking a restless blue-eyed, curly-headed girl to sleep. After about 30 minutes, she fell asleep in my arms and I couldn't help but just sit there and continue to rock her and stare at her beautiful form securely resting in my arms. How blessed I am and how thankful to the Lord for her precious life - a life that I never thought I'd have, the child I dreamed about, prayed for, hoped for, and longed for. When all hope seemed lost, I didn't give up hope that someday I would be what I'd always dreamed as a little girl I'd grow up and be - a mommy. Today, my little girl dreams have come true. Twice true. God, in His Providence, has blessed me so much more than I deserve. I feel the little life moving within me and have such incredible anticipation and humble adoration that God has seen fit to allow me to be a mommy not just once, but twice. Just a few years ago, it didn't appear even remotely possible. Our short but very painful journey with infertility taught me much. Most of all, it intensely deepened my understanding of the gift of children - the gift of life. That is one reason my heart weeps so deeply at today's 34th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. I can hardly bring myself to post these staggering statistics from Carmon: - Since 1973 there have been 47,282,923 abortions.
- For every 1,000 live births, there were 306 abortions in 1997 (that's almost 1 in 3 pregnancies ending in abortion).
- There were more than 140,000 second and third trimester abortions in 2000.
- In 2000, more children died from abortion than Americans died in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars combined.
- Approximately 93% of all induced abortions are done for elective, non-medical reasons.
- Abortion ends a pregnancy by destroying and removing the developing child. That baby's heart has already begun to beat by the time the mother misses her period and begins to wonder if she might be pregnant (about 31 days after the mother’s last menstrual period (LMP). Surgical abortions are usually not performed before seven weeks, or 49 days LMP. By that time, the baby has identifiable arms and legs (day 45) and displays measurable brain waves (about 40 days). During the seventh through the tenth weeks, when the majority of abortions are performed, fingers and genitals appear and the child's face is recognizably human.
Though feminists may laud this day as an impressive "victory," we, as Christians, should see it as the anniversary of one of the greatest national tragedies ever to befall our nation. Abortion is hienous and horrific. It is not a pretty or easy subject to talk about. Condemning it is not popular, but we must not be silent. Someone must speak for those who cannot speak. Someone must be willing to step up and take a stand. Someone must be willing to do what's right, no matter what the cost. Let that someone be you.
Whole grain bread recipes, anyone?
 I'm looking for delicious whole grain bread recipes (specifically made with mostly or all whole-wheat flour) which the dough can be made in the bread machine and then the actual loaf is baked in the oven. I have a lot of good recipes for bread machine or by-hand, but none which we've found to be winners when we make the dough in the bread machine and cook the loaf in the oven. Does anyone have a good recipe (or recipes) to share? I have a smaller one-loaf bread machine, by the way. I'd also be interested in any dough recipes which can be made in the bread machine (rolls, pretzels, pizza dough, etc.). Any pointers for making dough in the bread machine? I seem to have a lot of trouble achieving a finished result that is not on the tough and crusty side with any type of dough I've been making. Is it my bread machine or is it something I'm doing wrong? Thoughts? Suggestions?
Maybe it's about time I start looking into foreign citizenship
I told my husband late last week that I wasn't planning to enter the blogging fray concerning the Presidential election in 2008. Um, well, that is until Hillary made it official.
I knew it was coming, but something about it being official just makes me sick to my stomach. Sorry if you're a die-hard fan but I'm sure it won't come as a surprise I'm about as opposite of a "die-hard fan" as they come and can't be for 1001+ reasons, not the least of which is that she is a woman. (You should hear my husband get on a roll about what devastating effects a hormonal woman in such a powerful office could produce... but we won't go there right here and now!) And then a woman who has never had children of her own decides that she knows what is best for all children in the state of California. Just what we need - more government interference in our lives. As if the government knows how to parent our children better than we do. Whatever happened to parental responsibility? You better believe if Mrs. Clinton makes her debut in the White House the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child will be swiftly adopted and parental responsibility will be a thing of the past. Maybe it's about time I start looking into foreign citizenship. Edited: For those of you who might be newer readers or not know me very well, rest assured that the above post was very tongue-in-cheek. Of course I love the USA and am very thankful to be a citizen of this country. I am just so disheartened to see our freedoms being slowly stripped away and the humanistic philosophies infiltrating almost everything.
Mark your calendars!
 Mark your calendars for the first-ever online Christian Homemaking Conference. It's a little pricey, but I'm sure it will be worth it especially for those of you who may not have any Godly Christian mentors in your life or much Christian encouragement in your area.
Large families on The Learning Channel
For those of you interested, The Learning Channel is doing a special three-show series on large families. I guess I missed posting about this before the first show, but there are still two more shows left. You can read more about it here and here.
Belated New Years/Moving Sale!
Frugal Fridays: Curtains
 This week, I compiled some ideas emailed to me by readers on making curtains inexpensively. Thanks for all the input and pictures. I wasn't able to fit them all on this post, but thank you so much for all the great ideas and input. Feel free to share more in the comments section, post pictures/patterns of your homemade curtains on your blog and leave your link below, or send me pictures/patterns and I'll post them if I have room in a later post. However, do not feel you can only post about curtains for Frugal Friday this week - any topic or tip on frugality is welcome!  My sister and I made some for our room last year and they turned out really cute! They're super easy! I mean if you can stitch a straight line and don't want to cut out anything, it's for you, if you like them I mean! Directions Just use regular 45" wide material. You want to get 1 1/2 - 2 times as much as your window width. (I used 1 1/2 yards for those 36" windows, I may have bought more if I'd thought about it, but I've been very pleased with them so they didn't need to be more gathered.) Take material and fold right sides together. Stitch a seam around the open edges (not on the fold), leaving an opening on one of the shorter sides to turn. Turn out, making sure you get the corners out, and then iron. Hand stitch the opening you left for turning. Stitch top edge 2" from top edge and then again 1 1/2" below first stitching. (the 2" is for the ruffle at top) Open up (with ripper) the section on either side between the two stitchings so the rod can go through. Ties Cut the tie pieces 3" wide x 22.5" long - Just cut 3" strips of material and then cut across the fold. (because 22.5 x 2 = 45"!) Cut as many of these as you need (a set of two pieces for 1 tie). Put two right sides together, and stitch all except one short edge (normal 5/8" seam unless you want to do different). Turn the ties out and press them. The finished edge goes on top of curtains; while the unfinished end gets stitched in top seam on back. Bows 3" wide x 40" long and then cut the ends at slants (aka angles :-). Again, put two together (right sides together) and stitch along edges, leaving an opening to turn. Handstitch opening closed once you turn them out. Assembly You will want one bow for each tie you have. The number of ties will depend on how big the window, and also how you want it to look, more bloomy or less, more swags or less. You figure out where you want the ties, and then you machine stitch the raw edge of the ties underneath the window treatment along the original stitching (lower row). Then you pull it around to the front and securely handstitch the other end down. Tie the bow pieces into bows, and then attach down by handstitching. (I was going to try to get away the easy way and use a snap to do the bows, but guess what!! The bows sagged! So it may take a little time now but it is WELL worth it!) Then you put the curtain on the curtain rod, hang it and adjust the swags! They are really cute, and can be made to fit any decor. -Ruth Ann   I didn't use patterns on these. I am a "just do it" sewer. So, here are simplified tips for each one. I recommend getting decorator fabric if you can get it with a coupon or on sale.
1: This was an odd sized window. So, I just measured the width and the length I wanted and figured in the size of the rod I was using. Cording is sewn in when sewing front and lining together and is sewn facing the inside so that when you turn it out, it is facing out. Pinning is extremely important.
2: This was a re-size project to some hand-me-downs. Scallop is centered with equal amounts on each side. Size of rod pocket taken into account. Cording applied as above. Again, pinning is extremely important. I didn't use patterns on these, but patterns have few pieces but excellent instructions on measurement and figuring. If you are not confident or can't "Picture it" in your mind, I say get a pattern! Tip: My most common mess-up on window treatments: forgetting to leave the rod pocket open when sewing the front to the back at the sides!
Ideas for converting sheets into curtains:
In our first apartment, I made the curtains for our windows. The easiest way is to find a flat bed sheet in a color or pattern that you like and just cut to the length you need (allowing for a small hem on the bottom). I used the top wide seam of the sheet to put the curtain rod through it for hanging- I think I may have added a line of stitching about 1 1/2 inches from the top to make a "header" to stick up above the rod. You can use some of the extra sheet material to make
a simple tie back, or find some inexpensive ribbon and do the same thing. -Joyce
When you go to buy fabric it can cause the same shock as ready made curtains because the rule is 2-4 times the width of the window. I buy sheets whenever I can find the color I like. A king sheet will go along ways especially if it's making a valance (several). Sometimes you can buy a fancy rod and then re-hem the sheet and wrap it around the rod. I go to the catalog and find the look I want. -Jeanne
I used flat bedsheets on sale to make long curtains with an overhanging valence, or cafe curtains. I sew it in such a way that the decorative edge becomes the upper or lower edge of the curtains. It's easy to sew a casing on one side to slide on to the rod. Another idea is to buy a decorative rod and drape inexpensive cloth on it...no sewing needed! Indian sari material would be great, or clearance drapes (sheer) or decorator fabric on sale at a fabric store. -Vicki Another great frugal decorating link a reader sent: Frugal Homemaker---------------------- To join in Frugal Friday, just post a frugal tip or post on any subject of frugality on your blog, link to this post in your post, and then post the direct link to your Frugal Friday post below. Any link or post which does not adhere to these rules will be deleted at my discretion. If you do not have a blog, but have a tip to share, please post your tip in the comments section. And, remember the rules: Must be family-friendly. Thanks! I can't wait to read your tips!
An epiphany on birth control
My husband and I rarely watch TV. Not only is most of it worthless (in my opinion), but it's also supremely boring to me. Once in a blue moon, on special occasions, we do crack open the box in our closet with the TV in it and watch something. This past week was one of those occasions and I had an epiphany. It had nothing to do with watching TV, though. It had to do with birth control. In the middle of the movie, there was a commercial for some type of artificial birth control. Of course, all these gorgeously perfect (and I'm sure graphically doctored) women talk about how "empowering" and "freeing" this new-fangled contraceptive was. They are smiling like it is the happiest day of their life. And they keep smiling while there is this very long disclaimer at the end of all the possible side effects of this "wonderful new contraceptive." Things like strokes, heart attacks, and other quite life-threatening medical conditions. Why is having more than two children purported as "so dangerous" to a mother's health and artificial contraceptives never are? I don't get it.
A welcoming life
I'm loving life in the "land of the living" again. I forgot how nice it was to be able to get up and do more than two things in a day before crashing due to lack of energy and nausea! Since we have a new home, which is much more suited for our needs, I'm amazed at how much more productive and efficient I'm able to be. Not having my office in the center of our home constantly calling out my name has been a huge blessing. Now it's down in the cold dungeon of a basement and it suits me perfectly. I can do my work during the set times of the day and forget about it the rest of the day. And I love it! Kathrynne and I have been busy cleaning and cooking and getting everything organized in our new home. We're not completely there yet, but almost. Yesterday a blog reader brought us dinner. How cool is that? Jill and I have been corresponding a little bit over the last few months and when she found out we were moving to her area, she's bent over backwards to help us - giving us extra furniture, introducing us to the best places to eat and shop in town, and then bringing us dinner. How thoughtful and welcoming of her!  Speaking of welcoming, I finished a really great book this week, A Life that Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Home and Heart to Others.From ChristianBook.com: When it comes to hospitality, it doesn't matter what size your house is, how it's decorated, whether or not it's spotless, or what you cook or don't cook. The secret to making guests feel comfortable is more about the condition of your heart than the condition of your home. Ehman gives you valuable tips on how to decorate well within a budget, make the most of your space, be prepared for unexpected company and create delicious, simple dishes your guests will enjoy. Having a welcome, hospitable attitude is an area I really am seeking to work on. Being an introverted, perfectionist person by nature, hospitality is not something which comes naturally. Most who know me wouldn't necessarily peg me as "introverted" but it's been a lifelong struggle for me and an area I'm constantly asking the Lord to help me with... to break out of my shell, stop focusing on myself, and reach out to the needy and hurting and lonely around me. As my friend Melanie said the other day, "Shyness is thinking of ourselves first." This book was very encouraging to someone like me. It not only inspired me to look for more opportunities to reach out to others, but gave lots of practical ideas of ways to make hospitality happen and to become more proficient at it. I really appreciated the emphasis on your heart. The more we love the Lord, the more we will love others and genuine hospitality easily flows out of a heart of love.
Ideas for enjoying your children
I'm a SAHM of a 1 and 2 year old, and I have a question for you. Even though I grew up in a large family, (I was the oldest of 8) I don't remember "playing" with my brothers and sisters when they were very young. Instead I "babysat" them. I have loads of ideas for when my daughters get older... but for now, I'm running out of ideas of things to do with them. I want to enjoy playing with them, instead of trying to find things to do to "pass the time." I was wondering if you had any ideas for activities to do with young girls? I'm trying to think of things that I can do with both of them at the same time. I just thought I'd see if you have any input. ~Christie
Great question, Christie, and how wonderful that you have a heart to enjoy and invest in your daughters instead of the mentality, "Let's see what we can do to keep them busy and preoccupied so they will stay quiet so I can get things done." I think young children should definitely know how to happily preoccupy themselves for short periods of time, but they also need a lot of Momma-time. It's hard when they are little and have very short attention spans, but here are a few ideas of things that work for us:Reading - I know this is a no-brainer, but I think it is such a good thing to do with children of any age. I try to read books on different levels to Kathrynne - some which are very colorful and very simple to understand, which she can sit next to me and listen to, others which are above her level, which I read to her while she is doing something else. When Kathrynne was first born, I read these more difficult books to her while she nursed. As she got older, I have been reading these types of books to her either during lunch or during afternoon snack time. I only read a few pages or less at a time. We also read something short from the Bible everyday - breakfast time is when we do it right now. I read very simply and expressively to her and stop often to explain things in terms she can understand. I also keep it short. Singing - Kathrynne loves singing together. At this point, we pretty much stick with songs that have a lot of hand motions and are short and simple. She loves it and will often ask to sing or just start up on a song and come over and motion for me to join her. Again, keep it simple and exciting. Make up some hand motions if a song doesn't have them. Involve them in what you are doing - Kathrynne loves to "help" me clean and cook and sew and package orders. Although she can't really do a whole lot to actually help right now, I try to have her by my side for a good portion of my cleaning time so that she is learning and will soon be able to actually do things to help. Right now, I will give her a clean damp rag and ask her to wipe up something right next to me. I give her lots of praise and affirmation for her "work" and talk about how important it is to help mommy. I also try and explain to her what I am cleaning, how I clean it, and why we clean. Little by little, she's taking it all in and learning. I will have her help me rinse the dishes, or dump the flour into the bowl when I am baking, or help take the clothes out of the dryer and put them into the basket. If I'm knitting, I'll give her some yarn and her knitting needles and show her how to do it and let her have fun trying for a bit. Once again, keep it simple. Most little children love to help if you make it fun and exciting for them. Have a plan - I think this is one of the most helpful things for me. After lots of trial and lots of error, I've found that a simple routine works best for us. I have it printed up and put in a plastic sleeve in a 3-ring binder. As the day goes by, I consult it often and use a dry erase marker to cross off things as we do them. It is not our rigid taskmaster, but just a guide for the day. It helps to keep me on track and helps me to remember to do the things with Kathrynne I want to do during the day and to make sure we get the main things done in the day that Jesse wants us to do. It also keeps me from feeling lost and out of ideas. I try to focus the morning time (between breakfast and lunch) on cleaning, making dinner, and spending time with Kathrynne. Afternoons are very relaxed and have much less scheduled. In fact, I don't plan anything specific during naptime. That way, if I want to take a nap myself, I can do so without neglecting something else! If you don't have a routine or are running out of ideas of things to do, I recommend you consider something like this as maybe it might help you, too. Sit down and write down those things you need to accomplish in a day and the things you want to do with your daughters, and the things you'd like to do in a day. Start with the must-do things and assign them a place in the routine and then fill in any extra time with other non-essential things. Plan times and things to do with your girls, times when they can help you, etc. Have a singing time or a reading time or puzzle time or help momma time. Keep it simple, don't overdo, and don't plan too much, especially at first. Those are just some very, very basic ideas of things which work for us. I could write a whole lot more, but I'll stop here for now. I also recommend you check out Raising Godly Tomatoes, if you are not familiar with that site. Lots of great ideas and encouragement from a mom of 11. Another good one is Preschoolers and Peace. I don't, obviously, implement all of the ideas on these websites, but I've gleaned a lot of helpful information. I'd love to hear from others on this, as well. Please chime in and share your answers to Christie's question. If you've written something on the subject on your blog or know of another great website, leave the link in the comments section.
A lovely home
One of my blog readers sent me these lovely pictures of her home last week. I liked them so much that I asked if I could post them here along with her commentary... I'm sure you'll get a lot of great ideas about how to decorate your house (and I'm no Martha Stewart!), but I thought you might like a few ideas of what you can do/make yourself, as opposed to purchasing. (Note from Crystal: Click on the pictures to enlarge them.)  The first picture is of my son's room. I painted the words to a lullaby I like on the wall. The other wall, which you can't see, has a moon & stars painted on it. I am NOT an artist, but it was really easy.
 I haven't yet figured out how to load pictures from our camera onto our computer so the second picture, which is one that we happened to already have on our computer, is meant to show you a frame that I have over our fireplace...even though you can't really see it very well. When we were on a vacation in Maine, I gathered some prairie grass, bunched it together, tied it with a ribbon and framed it. It always reminds me of that trip and I love it! I plan to do this type of thing with future trips, too.
 The last picture shows a piece of weathered wood, painted and then stenciled. You can use any phrase, of course, but it is really easy to do. I didn't actually make this one myself, but they are very easy to make (and good gifts too!).
When you decide all that nausea really was worth it
 I felt the baby move last night. Not the weird inside "I-think-that-was-the-baby" movements which I've been having for a little while, but the real deal - little firm kicking which I could feel on the outside with my hand. It makes all the morning sickness totally worth it! When did you start feeling movement with your pregnancies? 16 weeks, which is what I think I am, seems rather early to me to feel movement on the outside, especially since I think I was 20 weeks or more before that happened last time. Maybe I'm just more attentive this time? Or maybe my dates are wrong?? (Nah, I don't think I'm going to count on that one or even let that thought flitter through my mind. I was two weeks late last time and I'm every bit prepared to be two weeks overdue this time.)
An update on us
Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf the last few months. Things changed so quickly it was hard enough for me to figure out what was going on and I think I probably did a pretty bad job of keeping you all properly updated. So, for those of you who are feeling lost, here's a brief synopsis of what has transpired over the past few weeks: Jesse's Job and Moving: A week before Jesse's job was up, he was officially offered the job we were really hoping he would get. This job started a little over one week from the day he was offered it and it was in another city. So, this necessitated a very expedited moving process. Thankfully, we were pretty sure we would be moving within a few weeks, so my sister had come up and helped us pack up as much of the house as could be packed. This proved to be a lifesaver as we found that securing a rental home, electricity, water, etc. plus getting all the last minute things in place to actually move to another city when we only had five days to do it all, took an enormous amount of time and effort. God was so gracious in allowing everything to go smoothly and the move to take place on time. My Pregnancy: We moved Saturday (January 6). Sunday we went to church and over to dinner at a family's home. Between the two, we were gone most of the day. Monday morning, I woke up prepared to attack the house and the boxes and get our life back into order. Instead, I started spotting early in the day. I was so grate | | |
