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Nobody told me trying to get two little girls to smile at the same time could be this difficult
  Kaitlynn started smiling this week and we were trying to get a picture of the two girls both smiling at the same time. Needless to say, after many tries, we found it was next to impossible. The last picture was our best - they were both smiling, now we just need one where they both have their eyes open! Oh and nevermind the leftover dinner on Kathrynne's mouth. I know I always said I wasn't going to be one of those parents with a child running around with food on their face. But I guess now I'm "one of those parents"! Never say never!
We love Walgreens!
Those of you who are avid coupon shoppers probably know that Walgreens is running some sweet deals this week on Novartis and Proctor and Gamble products. Since a person like me can rarely pass up a good deal, we headed there last night during our evening Family Time. (Every evening from 6-8 p.m. is family time at our house. This means we do nothing besides spend time together as a family. We usually are at home and eat dinner together and then talk, read together, sing, play our instruments, and so forth. However, since the deals at Walgreens were so good and many of my coupons were expiring yesterday or today, we made an exception to the rule last night and headed out the door as soon as dinner was over with.) I'm blessed to have a husband who doesn't mind shopping with me one bit. He even is quite the bargain shopper himself and helped me pull off our five transactions last night. And he is always so excited when I get good deals. I love to bless him by stretching his hard-earned money as far as I can. Here's some of what we purchased:  What did we spend? $0.00. Yes, that's right. We spent zero money out of pocket to buy all of the above, plus a few items not pictured that I already gave away. Each transaction, after subtracting manufacturer's coupons and store coupons, we ended up owing tax and maybe a dollar or so for. We used our Walgreens gift card to pay the overage. The money on the card has accumulated from rolling it over on the free after rebate items month after month after month. And we still have some left on the card to start accumulating again. Not bad, I say, for an hour or so worth of time, especially considering a lot of this - in particular the deodorant, toothbrushes, razors, shampoo and conditioner - are items we needed to buy soon anyway. Now we'll be stocked up for a good little while. Can't you see why I enjoy couponing so much? Not only do I buy groceries and household products that we need and use at bargain prices, but I have a great time doing so and, like last night, sometimes the whole family gets involved in the process making it even more enjoyable! By the way, if you could use some help in reducing your grocery bill, don't forget that the pilot Supermarket Savings 101 online class begins in two weeks. It is rapidly filling up and we'd love to have you join us! More details are here.
Tuesday giveaway: The One-Armed Cook
Today's giveaway is a product I mentioned back in December, The One-Armed Cook. Here's what I wrote about it then when I first got a copy in the middle of my morning sickness: For all you new mommies, mommies-to-be, and in-the-throes-of-morning-sickness-mommies, (I guess I would fit all three of those categories!), I just have to elaborate more on the great new cookbook I mentioned above - The One-Armed Cook: A Kitchen Survival Guide for New Parents. In my current state, I lapped this thing up; it was just what I needed.
Two moms who have "been there, done that" tell you how you can do it, too! Some of it was very basic stuff, like how to stock your kitchen and pantry, how to utilize your freezer, and so on, but I need basic stuff right now. My brain is functioning in low gear, especially when it comes to the kitchen, so having the detailed step-by-step help works for me. The added bonus is that it has some great recipes in it, too. Not all of them are ones we would eat, but the majority of them look great. Plus, they don't require lots of work or effort to get onto the table. Many of them can be frozen or made ahead, with very few steps involved.
The best part of all is that, surprisingly, the recipes are all fairly good-for-you, with little unhealthy prepared/packaged/boxed/canned stuff used (Believe it or not, there was not one canned cream soup called for in the entire book that I saw!). As we try to eat fairly healthfully and avoid a lot of processed foods, I was especially thrilled about this.
Though not written from a Christian perspective, this cookbook is one I would highly recommend to any mom looking for help getting dinner on the table while juggling babies or morning sickness or both. And, it would make a great baby shower gift for a mom-to-be.
Giveaway details:Giveaway is now over with. Congratulations to Jessica P. for winning! ----------------- I've been hosting a giveaway here every Tuesday for the past month and would love some feedback. Is this something you all would like to see as a regular feature? Let me know. Also, if you would like to have a product from your company or home business featured as a giveaway, be sure to email me for possible consideration!
Seize the day!
 I loved this post by Anna: Often, I find myself thinking and planning, and saying things like, "oh, how wonderful life will be when I get married and have my own home"! Or, "how wonderfully fulfilled I'm going to feel as a mother! What a good homemaker I will be!"
That's fine and well, but living the possibilities might make us miss out on today. I don't know what the future will bring. As you know I'm preparing for marriage - but ultimately, only God knows when and how it will happen. But I do know I have a family to love and take care of, friends to support, a home to run and manage, and a beautiful life to enjoy now. I have wonderful books to learn from; people to cook for; beautiful projects to make now. I have the duties and gifts and trials and joys He in His infinite wisdom sent me at this period of my life, and I don't want to waste today by thinking of someday and sometime instead of seizing the moment.
Seize the moment! You don't know what tomorrow will bring. But you know today will not come again. You will not be able to enjoy today's sunrise and sunset again; kind words we haven't said, smiles we held back, rush and anxiety - all those mean we are missing out on the joys of today. What a waste!
Read the whole post. One of my favorite Latin phrases in my very, very minuscule Latin vocabulary (learning Latin is on my long to-do list of things I hope to accomplish in the next few years!) is carpe diem, roughly translated as "seize the day." According to Wikipedia: [This phrase] is popularly translated to 'seize the day,' however, the most appropriate translation, considering the meaning of 'carpe' in the sentence as a whole, is believed to be 'gather the day', as in picking or plucking a fruit. I love the mental picture this conjures up - that of seeing each day as an opportunity to gather up fruit, to make the most of each moment for the glory of God. Don't stand around waiting for tomorrow to come and miss out on the wonderful things God has for you today. Seize the day!
Mommy's little helper
 I was baking some banana bread this week and Kathrynne got out her own bowl, mixing spoon, and recipe book and created her own concoction right beside me. Isn't it amazing how much our children want to be just like us? From the sentences she crafts, the phrases and expressions she uses, the things she wants to do, Kathrynne is so influenced by us! Oh, how I want to be a Godly example for her! What an incredible responsibility God has entrusted to us in giving us these precious two daughters to raise. It's only by His grace and mercy that we can be faithful to train them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Kaitlynn meets her great-grandparents
This week in books
Here's our reading pile from this week:  Kathrynne, Kaitlynn, and I read through On a Summer Day multiple times this week. We really like most of the Lois Lenski books and try to check them out whenever we can at the library. We also read through Eric Liddell: Running for a Higher Prize numerous times, too. The poetic style this book is written in makes it very fun reading. We've been reading a chapter of David Livingstone everyday for the past two weeks and are now over halfway through the book. I made a goal of trying to read through one larger book a month to the girls. Not only do I think it is good to read a bit above their level sometimes, but I also am very challenged by reading good biographies, especially missionary biographies. Jesse has been reading The Adventure of Missionary Heroism to us in the evenings. We don't always get to this every evening after our Bible reading, but we try to read a chapter a few times per week. I would highly recommend this book to any of you looking for some good family reading material. We've thoroughly enjoyed it. I also finished reading through Matthew with the girls. Now we're in Mark. I slowed down my Bible reading from 2-4 chapters per day, to 1-2 chapters each day. I read at least a chapter of that to the girls in the morning over breakfast. At this point in my life, this is working well and I've been so encouraged reading through the Gospels again. There are so many practical insights for me as a mom, plus Kathrynne loves hearing the stories of Jesus and it helps me to think through it carefully as I am reading it to little ones and trying to explain it and make it understandable to them.  Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk With God was one of the best books I have read in a long time. There are okay books, there are good books, and there are excellent books. This book most definitely ranks up there with the excellent. A clarion call for a return to the Biblical model of parenting, Voddie Baucham's message was very convicting and just what I needed to hear. His message is not a popular one, in fact it flies in the face of most of modern so-called "Christianity," but it is Biblical and desperately needed in this anti-family culture. Whether you think you know what it takes to raise Godly children, or whether you feel as if you don't have a clue, you need this book. You can read part of chapter 1 here.
A leaning tower of waffles
 A few nights ago, I made up a bunch of waffles to freeze. I had to stack them all up just for fun! For some of you larger families, this triple batch of waffles might not be enough for one meal. For us, it will last for two weeks or longer. I stick them in the freezer and then we can pop a few in the microwave for a quick breakfast, lunch, snack, or even dinner.  I try to always have a few bags of muffins, waffles, and such in the freezer for those times when we need something to eat and I don't have time to fix anything. We'll also often stick a few in a bag before we head out the door if we have somewhere to go early in the morning. It's much cheaper than grabbing something at the drive-thru window and better for you, too! By the way, waffles are a great thing to make if you have a lot of extra milk you need to use up and you are going to be spending some time in the kitchen doing other things (cleaning, cooking, etc.). Since it takes a few minutes for each waffle to cook in the waffle iron, after I mix up a batch, I can start working on something else in the kitchen until all the waffles are finished. While I cooked the waffles pictured here, I also made French toast for dinner, we sat down and ate together, and I cleaned up the kitchen. Multi-tasking, I tell you, it's the key to surviving and thriving around here!
Nappies Covered
 For those of you who cloth diaper or who are interested in cloth diapering, Kristy sent me the link to a fun website on the subject. Nappies Covered, an Australian website, sells products for making your own cloth diapers (or nappies, if you prefer) and includes many helpful tutorials on making your own.By the way, a kind reader sent me an entire box full of small cloth diapers to borrow after I mentioned our leaking problems recently. (I have the most generous readers, don't I?) I'm excited to begin cloth-diapering again and I'm also excited to try out something besides Fuzzi Bunz. I've never had anything to compare the Fuzzi Bunz to, so this will be fun! (Who ever thought women could get excited over brands of cloth diapers? Well, call me weird, but I do.) I guess it looks like we'll have solved the leaking problem and I get to start being more of a crunchy mama again. Now I just have to figure out how to *do* cloth diapers again - I'm out of practice!
Frugal Fridays: Supermarket Savings 101
 How do I use the families.com forum link you posted? I wasn't sure if I have to create a log on identity or if I could just read the threads posted. How do YOU use this website? Are the deals listed specific to a state? Do you personally pay to subscribe to the Grocery game website? If so, do you feel it's worth it (in savings)? Where do I start? I kept hearing so much about the Walgreens/CVS rebates that I got started on that last month - although I am only getting $15 (+10%) for a rebate. I guess it's a start. :) So, when you clip coupons, do you clip EVERYTHING and then if you find a deal, you buy it? Do you not care about brands - do you just buy the good deals and not care which toothpaste, shampoo, feminine products you buy? I'd love some info! :) - Anonymous This question was posted on this couponing post a few weeks back and I'm finally getting around to answering it. There are so many questions asked, I doubt that one simple post can even scratch the surface, but I'll try to at least share how I plan my grocery shopping... I mainly use Families.com for their CVS information, though they mention a lot of other deals from various places, too. They have a write-up each week of the CVS deals and then discussion regarding these deals. When I sit down to plan out our menu and grocery list each week, I consult a few websites first: Families.com to check out CVS deals, PinchingYourPennies.com to check out Kansas deals and especially the current Kroger deals, CouponLadies.com (a private forum for discussing deals made up of a small group of Christian women who mostly live close by) to check out any other area deals I may have missed, and then I will often check out the store flier online for our local Kroger and CVS. Since I've been doing this for awhile, I usually can browse through those websites and find all the deals I am interested in in a matter of 10 minutes, 15 minutes maximum if there are a lot of good deals. As I'm browsing, I copy and paste all good deals I find into a WORD document divvied up by each store I usually shop at. Once I'm finished finding deals, I match these against my coupons and figure out which deals are worth doing. If I decide against doing a deal, I delete it off my deal sheet. If I have a coupon for a deal, I pull it and put it in the envelope for that store. This normally takes me another 5-10 minutes or less. The final process is for me to look at my deal sheet and determine which stores I'm going to hit this week based upon which store has the best deals. If there are only a few lousy deals at one store, I usually just skip it for the week unless there is some reason I need to go there. If all three stores are having great deals and I have the time, I'll try to make it to all of them. This process maybe takes me a maximum of a quick glance. Once I determine for sure which stores I'm going to go to and which deals I'm going to hit, I'll make up my grocery list and menu for each store based upon what I already have in my cupboards and what is on sale at the store. And this usually takes me another 5 minutes. I spend the last 10 minutes of my grocery planning time clipping and organizing coupons. I try to have my coupon box as in order as possible before going to the store so that if I run into some unadvertised or clearance specials when I'm at the store, I can find any coupons I might need for those at a moment's notice. And having my coupon box all in order also means I'm ready for next week's grocery planning, too. In answer to your question regarding coupons, yes, I pretty much clip and file everything - except for dog food, Depends, and a few other items I know I either will not use, am not interested in, or can never get a good deal on. Those items are very far and few between, though, since most things do go on sale at some store every few months and combined with a coupon can often be a very sweet deal. Even if we can't use the item ourselves, we can pass it on to someone who can. You might think this seems like an huge amount of time to spend planning for grocery shopping. Yes, maybe it is a little more than the typical person, but these 30-45 minutes of planning each week save us hundreds of dollars on groceries every month. For those would like to save money on groceries but who think they don't have 30-45 minutes to set aside figuring out deals, organizing coupons, and planning a menu and grocery list, let me encourage you that it doesn't all have to be done at once. I often break up the planning into five or ten minute snippets over the course of a few days before I am going to go shopping. As far as where to start with couponing, I suggest you just start. Don't try to figure it all out ahead of time. It will invariably be too overwhelming. Instead, just jump in and learn as you go. However, please do not bite off more than you can chew. I suggest people start with planning a menu and shopping the sales first. Then working on sticking to a budget along with that. Last of all, add in coupons, bargain-hunting, CVS, Walgreens, Rite-aid, and so forth. Trying to do all of that at once when you've never done any of it before will be mind-boggling. Take it slow, keep it simple, and have fun! If you have not read my ebook, Secrets to Supermarket Savings, I highly recommend it. If you'd like more in-depth help and coaching, I'm excited to announce...  Hot Off the Press - Supermarket Savings 101: A Two-Week Online Class Beginning August 13!I've been working behind the scenes for the past few weeks putting together a Supermarket Savings 101 two-week online class! I will be teaching the pilot class beginning August 13th. Because it is a pilot class and I'm sure there will be various kinks to work out in the process and we'll all be learning together, I am offering it for only $17.97 this first time around. Spaces are limited and I'm guessing this will fill up quickly, so I encourage you to register soon. You can read more details and sign up here.------------------------ Have a frugal tip to share? Leave your link below. Remember to keep it family-friendly. Thanks!
A few frugal links and deals
My friend, Lynn, is doing a special giveaway on her blog to bless someone in need. If you and/or your family fits that category, head on over to read more. Don't be shy! Also Restaurant.com is running a pretty incredible 70% off promotion this week! This means their $25 dining gift certificates that normally sell for $10 have been reduced to just $3. 70% Off Sale! Get $25 gift certificates for just $3, use code PRESENT at checkout. This code is valid from July 24th - July 31st only! KMart has a really great deal going right now on Duracell batteries and Proctor and Gamble products. Read all about it here. By the way, there are a LOT of P&G coupons coming out this weekend so if they let you stack the store deal with the coupons, you will get it all for free or better than free. Best of all, if you are able to pick up enough of these $10 coupons at your local store, you can repeat this deal a number of times! Have fun! And just for fun, Frugal Panda posted a list of the Top 50 Frugality blogs. I've just breezed through the list and it looks like there's quite a few good reads. (Don't ask me how I made the number six slot. I really don't think I should qualify for being anywhere near there since we talk about so many other things here besides money, but that is beside the point...)
Loved by aunts and uncles
One of the wonderful things about having children for me has been getting to share the girls with their aunts and uncles.  Kathrynne and Uncle Zachary having fun at the airport (My dad and brothers had flown up to pick up Gretchen when she came and stayed with us for a week. By the way, for those who don't know, my brother, Dustin, is a pilot).  Kathrynne and Uncle Dustin coloring and reading together.  Kaitlynn being admired by Aunt Olivia, Uncle Nathaniel, and Uncle Zachary.  Kathrynne (sporting Laura's wedding veil) and Aunt Laura at her wedding reception last weekend. (Jesse's sister got married a few weeks back but we were unable to go to the wedding because of my health issues and Kaitlynn's birth. We were thankful we were able to attend their reception last weekend though.)
Girls Gone Mild
From ABC News:
While skimpy clothes still dominate the fashion scene, today there's a flip side to girls gone wild. Call it "girls gone mild" - a building modesty movement among many young women. "The young girls themselves, they are the ones leading the modesty revolution," said author Wendy Shalit. The "modest fashion" these girls wear may not be to everyone's taste, but most looks are straight off the catwalk. A slick new magazine Eliza caters to the modest dresser. Shalit said the thousands of young women she'd heard from wanted to fit in and be cool, just not trashy.
Read the full article.
I am sick. and. tired. of seeing so much skin this summer. And we don't even go near public pools, I'm talking about the indecency you are exposed to going to the grocery store these days. So I'm grateful to see any trend towards modesty.
In reading the above article, though, I had to wonder whether a modesty revolution that encourages girls to "fit in and be cool" is really that great of a thing. I'm all for people wearing a bit more fabric (or, in many cases, more than a bit more!) and definitely am not advocating a frumpy appearance, but should our goal be to "fit in and be cool"? Is that what we want our daughters' goal in clothing to be? What do you think?
Feminism has failed us miserably
Bravo to Anna for so clearly articulating the consequences of modern feminism: Over 40 years after the beginning of the modern feminist movement of the 1960's, we have unrestricted sex, the Pill, abortion on demand, an astronomically increased number of single mothers, teenage mothers and women in their 40's struggling with infertility; we have a fatherless generation who hasn't seen a better example; chastity is mocked, women are sexualized and coerced into selling themselves cheap; we have no-fault divorce, deterioration of family values - and I could go on and on. Tell me, how exactly does it provide women with a sense of physical and emotional security?
A woman is no longer appreciated and respected for being a woman - on the contrary, she is expected to be as masculine as possible, and every suggestion that there is, in fact, a difference in the way a men's and women's minds work meets vehement denial (even an innocent statement such as 'a research has found a higher percent of women have talent for studying languages, while men are more inclined to mathematics'). Motherhood is regarded as 'just one out of many options', and being a helpmeet is perceived as slavery.
A daughter can no longer expect to be protected by her father; a woman finds it hard to trust her husband's leadership and feel secure in her marriage, with the divorce rates so ridiculously high; a lady cannot expect chivalry anymore.
Feminism claims that before its onset, women were a faceless, abused, uneducated mass. Nothing could be further from the truth. Biblical laws have protected women for many centuries before feminism came into the picture. Take for example Deuteronomy 22:28-29. I've heard various opinions about this verse, but the bottom line is that a man cannot take a maiden's virginity and get away with it. What did feminism give us instead of defending a woman's honor and chastity? The preposterous claim that it has no importance and is more of a hindrance to a woman's 'liberation'.
Women's education is another myth. If you listen to feminists, women were nearly illiterate before the start of feminist movement. I wish they knew my great-grandmother, who was home educated and had wide knowledge of fine literature, music, arts, history and management of the home; she was accomplished in the domestic arts; she was an honored wife and the delighted mother of seven children. My grandmother did go to a women's college back in 1934, but it wasn't like today. She stayed with two respectable old ladies and helped them look after their home, and the ladies in turn looked after her and made sure no unworthy man gets near her.
Yes, feminism has provided us with 'freedom of choice' - but only for women who make a certain choice. What about women who want to fulfill their God-given role as helpmeets, wives, keepers of the home, mothers, and who see it as a satisfying, challenging, full-time work? But ah, they are mindless slaves! Oppressed! Brainwashed! They should be educated and forced - by legislations and campaigns - to make the right 'choice'.
If feminism is a movement for women's rights and for improving the position of women, its ultimate test should be a reality check of women's well-being, security and happiness. After doing such a check, isn't it obvious that feminism miserably failed? Please do take the time to read the entire article and then feel free to comment here. However, since a topic like this always provokes a number of unlovely responses, I'll just say up front that I welcome all comments and questions from those of you who disagree but will only post those that are spoken in a sincere, considerate tone. Hat-tip to Ladies Against Feminism.
Knitting in snippets
 After months of my knitting needles sitting idle, I got inspired to pull them out again and start a blanket for Kaitlynn. I'm finding that there are little snippets of time here and there throughout the week where I can knit a row or half a row. It's fun to see some fruit from those little tiny moments combined. Kathrynne has already asked me to make a blanket for her, too, so I guess I have my knitting work cut out for awhile!
Our little cutie on her debt-free trike
 Yes, I know some of you might be a little appalled but I allow my daughter to ride her tricycle in the kitchen. Who can resist when a cutie like her asks if she can?  And check out that bumper sticker, folks. This girl is starting early on the Dave Ramsey thing.
Tuesday giveaway: Nancy Campbell CDs *updated with winners*
A few months ago, a kind woman emailed me and asked if she could send me some CDs which she thought I would find encouraging. She asked that I pass them along to someone else when I was finished. I was very blessed by these CDs from Nancy Campbell, editor of Above Rubies magazine and only wish I had more than one copy to giveaway of each! Building a Strong Marriage and an Exciting Home is a 4-CD series encouraging wives in their role as a helpmeet to their husband. Nancy gives much Biblical exhortation on the wife's role, and much practical encouragement from her own marriage of many years. The Flourishing Mother is a 3-CD series challenging mothers to rise above the "barely surviving" mentality and to flourish in the calling of motherhood. It was very convicting for me to make the most of this season of mothering and not just go through it trying to "get through it." If you are a wife and/or mother who is feeling very discouraged and overwhelmed in your responsibilities, I think you would be especially blessed by these CDs. Giveaway Details:Giveaway is now over with. Congratulations to Mary Ann from SC and Laura Leigh from TX for winning!And speaking of giveaways, have you checked out Shannon's huge giveaway fest going on right now? Wow! More free stuff than you could ever have room for!
Ending Down's syndrome pregnancies bears all the marks of a pogrom
From the Virgina Arbery comes this piece which is both disturbing and touching: I understand that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is offering women a safer method than amniocentesis to determine whether a child has Down syndrome. The College makes the argument that it is more responsible to inform parents of their options beforehand so that they can decide whether or not to let the baby live. This argument shakes me to the core, for it bears all the marks of a pogrom – the license to be aggressive against the most benign population conceivable. Until now I have never been an advocate of special needs' issues. I have quietly reared my daughter and her brother and six sisters. But I can remain silent no longer. Twenty years ago, many of Julia's potential friends who are like her were intentionally eliminated, perhaps out of fear or perhaps out of a desire for a regular family with regular children. I think of those thousands of children who will never change those families for the better. They will never be at a Down syndrome dance, never hug their grandmothers, unafraid of their wrinkles or of people's imperfections. Who will love us as well, as simply, with such undesigning candor if we invent a world protected from our difficult blessings? Ironically, scientific work on turning off the additional action of the genes that cause cognitive impairment in Trisomy 21 now offers more hope than ever before, especially at Stanford School of Medicine's Center for Research and Treatment for Down Syndrome (dsresearch.stanford .edu). More research dollars are going into killing these children before they are born than into this noble project of helping them. And why? Because citizens value their freedom? Are my husband and I less free because we might have Julia with us our whole lives? Hardly. We would probably be enslaved to many more false notions of reality. In any case, we must trust that there will be a meaningful work and life for Julia. Maybe one of her sisters will take her in. Maybe she'll live in a group home. These are all decisions we will have to make as a couple, as a family and with Julia. These will not be easy decisions. One thing is sure, though: She is our defining blessing. How could we have known that in advance? To accept her full humanity is to accept our real selves in all our imperfections.
Read the full article. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this article. I'd also be interested to hear your thoughts on the topic of prenatal testing for Down's syndrome. Do you think this testing is a helpful thing? Why or why not?
Have a little sandwich with your garlic salt and cinnamon
I gave Kathrynne a sandwich to eat a few days ago and then turned around to do something else. Next thing I know, I turned back around and saw this on the stove top:  She had pulled a chair up, gotten into the spice cupboard, and poured garlic salt and cinnamon all over her sandwich. Apparently she was trying to fix up her sandwich like Mommy fixes up her toast - only Mommy uses cinnamon and sugar, not cinnamon and garlic salt!
Early Bird Special!
After dozens of requests, I cleared some things in my schedule this Fall so I could teach another online home business class. Class size is very limited so I recommend you enroll as soon as possible. Plus, those who enroll by August 15th, 2007 will save $20! All the details are here.
Help for the overwhelmed
 I am having trouble with time management. Specifically, organizing all of the great ideas I have, managing projects, completing daily tasks, and the like. My house is organized physically (this is my strength), but I get overwhelmed with daily living. Any direction you can point me in would be great. -Elizabeth First off, Elizabeth, I don't think there is any woman among us who never goes through seasons where she feels overwhelmed with life. I've had plenty of those myself. I know that when I start feeling overwhelmed, it is usually because of a combination of three reasons: 1) I am trying to do things in my own strength instead of resting in the Lord.
2) I am doing more than God wants me to do.
3) I am mismanaging the time God has given me.The solution?
1) Stop trying to do things in my own strength.We have a saying at our home which we often quote, "Stress is an indication you are not resting in the Lord." When I am feeling completely at my wit's end, Jesse will often remind me of this and it helps put everything in perspective. God didn't call me to a life of stress and anxiety. Yes, there will be many hard things, many things which can overwhelm me if I let them, and many things which will stretch me beyond what I thought possible. But He has promised to never leave me or forsake me, to give me wisdom when I ask for it, to bear my burdens, and to give me grace sufficient for the need at hand. I was listening to A Mighty Fortress is Our God a few days ago while overseeing Kathrynne playing nearby, carrying Kaitlynn in the sling, and putting the clean dishes away. I was meditating on the words to this song and all of a sudden, this phrase jumped out like never before: "Did we in our own strength confide? Our striving would be losing..."Having two little children has forced me, like never before, to realize how weak and needy I am in and of myself. I can't live this life God has called me to in my own strength, but I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Without His grace, I will fail. So, first off, when feeling overwhelmed, I encourage you to go to the Lord and cast your burdens and cares upon Him. Ask Him to carry them for you and to give you the grace to live one day at a time. He is faithful and will answer us and help us, if we but only will ask! 2) Stop doing more than God wants me to do.Often, I'm overwhelmed not just because I am trusting in myself, but also because I am taking upon myself more than God wants me to. It took me a number of years to learn and I'm sure it's a lesson I'll have to continue re-learning, but when I finally realized I can't do it all and there's no point in trying, it really simplified my life. There are many good things to spend one's life on - many needs, many worthwhile causes, and many wonderful people. However, I am only one person and there is no way I can fulfill all the needs, support all the causes, or have close friendships with hundreds of people. But, I can choose wisely from the good things for what things are the best things for me to invest my life in. So how do I discern what God wants me to be doing? For me, it starts with making sure I have my priorities in order. My desire is that my primary focus is: God, Jesse, Kathrynne and Kaitlynn, and keeping my home - and in that order. It's easy to think we have those things as our priority when maybe we really do not. Here is a sort of checklist I use for personal examination to help me determine whether I am truly having my priorities in order: First: God - If my relationship with God is not right, nothing else will be right in my life. So I try to examine often whether He is in first place in my life. Is He my All-in-All? Am I evidencing this by my daily life? Am I spending time reading His Word and praying everyday? Am I fellowshipping with Him on a daily basis? Is my life bearing fruit? Second: Jesse - Are his needs being met? Is his love tank full? Have I shown him in practical ways today how much I love him, admire him, and appreciate him? Does he feel like he is the most important priority in life next to the Lord? (These are questions I try to ask myself and my husband very frequently.) Third: Kathrynne and Kaitlynn - Am I being a loving mother? Am I putting the needs of my children before other less important things or are they having to wait on me to finish "my things" first? Do my children feel that I am often too busy for them? Am I spending quality time investing in my children's lives - teaching and training them up in the ways of the Lord and setting a Godly example before them? Fourth: Home - Is my home a welcoming haven for all those enter into it? Does my family have nutritious meals to eat and clean clothes to wear? Is there order in our home or does chaos and clutter abound? Now please know that I am no perfect homemaker, wife, and mother. Nor do I fulfill all of the above things perfectly all the time. However, my desire is that I don't just say my relationship with the Lord and my husband, home, and family are my priorities, I want to truly live it. If I am neglecting any of these areas, I need to cut out any and all other "extra things" (volunteering, ministering to others, hobbies, etc.) from my life until I can once again have my priorities in order. Next, I go to the Lord and my husband for wisdom concerning what they would have me to be doing. If I am feeling overwhelmed with life, Jesse and I will go over what I am currently doing and see what things we can eliminate or downsize. It is so freeing to have Jesse helping me make these decisions and give his input! I've found that if it weren't for his guidance, I would often be over-committing myself, so I am very thankful that God leads through him! Hard as it is for me, I've learned that it really and truly is okay to say "no." In fact, it's a good thing to say "no" to those things which would detract us from the best things. You only have one life to live. Choose wisely, choose well, and continuously be examining those choices in light of what is the best investment of your time for the glory of God. 3) Start managing the time God has given me more wisely.*
Not only is it vital that I rely upon the Lord for grace, and also important to eliminate things from my life which are not the best things for me to be investing my time in, it is also imperative that I seek to manage the time God has given me in the wisest possible way.
There have been many books and resources written on the subject of time management and I've read and gleaned from many of them. The thing that I have learned is that there is no one perfect system which will work for everyone in every season of their life. So don't try to pattern your home organization and family schedule as a replica of some else's. Determine what works best for your individual family. I am a person with lots of ideas always rolling around in my head - new skills I want to learn, books I want to read, books I want to write, entrepreneurial ideas I want to pursue, home improvements I want to work on, events I want to plan, subjects I want to study in-depth, and on and on it goes. And then there is the never-ending list of things I want to teach and do with the girls. There is no way I can do everything but by using my time wisely, I can slowly chip away at this never-ending list. At this season of my life, I have found that having a simple routine works best. I need structure and the girls need structure for our life to run in a somewhat orderly fashion, but with having little children, you can't be completely rigid just because there's lots of unpredictable things which come up in the course of the day! Life is never boring, that's for sure! Our simple routine which includes all of the basic things we need to do in a day and/or week to survive - nursing Kaitlynn, showers/baths, meals, laundry, basic cleaning - and then it includes some things which Jesse and I feel are important that we include in the day - such as reading God's Word together, reading biographies and other good books to the girls, and teaching and training them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We don't always get to everything on the routine in a day, nor do we always follow it completely in order, but we use it as a guideline to keep order, structure, and stability in our lives. Without a guideline, chaos ensues. In addition to the simple routine which I have typed up and posted in a prominent place and refer to often throughout the day, I also have a daily to-do list for myself which I write out each evening before going to bed, or in the morning as soon as I wake up. These are sometimes things which must be done (bills which need to be paid, phone calls which need to be made, and so forth) and also things which I would like to get to if I have time. Most of the things on the list are things which I do "in the cracks" - using little snippets of time here and there which present themselves during the day. I rarely check off everything on my list in any given day, but I usually numerate the list so that the most important things get done first. If I get to nonessentials, wonderful. If not, that's completely okay, too. Nonessentials can always wait until tomorrow. I've found that what works best for me is to use daily planning pages (I purchased mine through Franklin Covey) and put a month of them in my planner at a time. This way, if I think of something I need to accomplish later on in the week, or in two weeks, I can jot it down to be reminded on that day. And since these planning pages give you a two-page spread for each day, there is plenty of space to jot down all sorts of things. Right now, I am using them to plan everything - from jotting down complete breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans for the day, to blog post ideas which hit me while I'm washing dishes, to reminders to send someone a birthday card. Above all, rest in the Lord, put first things first, keep it simple, don't over-commit yourself, seek to wisely invest your time, and enjoy living the wonderful life God has given to you! Two books I read recently on the subject of time management which I would highly recommend are How To Have A 48-Hour Day by Don Aslett and Shopping for Time. I also recommend the CD by Susan Bradrick Twenty-Four Hours is All You Get. *A quick word here on time management: I think some times we can get so wrapped up into trying to "accomplish things," be productive, use every minute, and check things off of our to-do list, that we miss out on the simple joys of life. I try to evaluate all of my activities in light of, "Will this matter in ten years from now?" or "Will this matter in eternity?" Never be too busy "accomplishing things" that you overlook or neglect the most important things - the things which really matter in this life. Don't live life at such a breakneck speed because you are trying to get a lot done, that you can't enjoy life and the people God has placed around you in the process. I say this because I have definitely been guilty of it many times in the past. For us Type A, driven overachievers, slowing down and stopping to smell the proverbial roses can be a really healthy thing! Graphic from Art.com
Frugal Fridays: A few good deals
 Just a quick Frugal Friday post this week mentioning a few good deals...  Walgreens and CVS both have L'Oreal Vive Pro Shampoo and Conditioner on sale Buy 1, Get 1 free this week. This wouldn't be such a great deal except there was a coupon in most newspaper inserts last Sunday nationwide for Buy 1, Get 1 free on this same product (only the new Nutri Gloss variety, though). Guess what? Combine the coupon with the sales at either store and you get two free bottles of some pretty good shampoo/conditioner (at least, I like the stuff!). If you can get ahold of more than one of these coupons, well, that's even more free shampoo and conditioner! Blog reader, Miriam, wrote that her local Wal-Mart currently has spiral notebooks for $0.10 each. I'm not sure if this is nationwide or not, but it might be something to check out. And last of all, Carrie alerts us to the fact that Wild Oats has all their organic lettuce on sale for $0.99.Anyone else found any good deals recently you want to share?
Grandma buys me the cutest clothes, doesn't she?
And then I had two
I used to think I was a pretty good multi-tasker. Then I had two children and found I didn't know the half of what real multi-tasking was all about. Now it pretty much seems I have to be doing five things at once just for survival. (And now all the moms of many may collectively chuckle at how naive I am to think I know something about multi-tasking!) Isn't it interesting how God uses motherhood to stretch us and to "knock us off our rocker"? Since having two, I've learned this even more and I'm sure I'll continue to learn it with each new child the Lord blesses us with! Like my mom told me the other day, "Children force you to have to depend upon the Lord more than ever knew you had to before." Another great quote of hers is: "If I didn't have children, I'd think I was a pretty patient person." Anyone else had to re-learn anything since becoming a mom to one, or two, or however many?
Input requested: Early weaning
Recently, I had to wean my baby early due to circumstances that were out of my control. I feel sad that breastfeeding is over and guilty because my baby will not receive the health benefits from it. Do you know any moms that have this same experience that can share how they got through it? -Linda I have emailed with Linda a bit and know she has done everything possible to not have to wean her baby but due to some medical reasons she had to. Would any of you moms who have had something similar happen be willing to share with Linda or just give her a word of encouragement? If you would prefer to, you are welcome to email me and I'll forward your response on to her.
Your Baby Can Read!
 When I found the Your Baby Can Read! program, I was really excited about it and could hardly keep my excitement to myself, but I promised I wouldn't start raving about this program until I had actually used it for awhile and had seen results. Well, folks, that time has come so I can wait no longer... You might think I'm being an overachiever or idealistic mom to get my 2-year-old a program which promises to teach 3 month to 5 year children how to read. I probably would have thought that, too, until I checked this program out. Kathrynne started learning sign language when she was around 6 months old (Thanks to the Baby Signing Times DVDs!) and this really seemed to jump start her vocabulary and language comprehension. In the past six months, she's began learning her alphabet and recognizing letters. She has a real interest in reading, so when I saw the Your Baby Can Read! program, I couldn't help but look into it further. Being so impressed with what I saw, I ended up getting the complete set for her a few months ago. Since then, she's started watching the Starter DVD a few times per week (we never quite made the two times a day thing they recommended in the program). She loved it and it really kept her attention. I wasn't sure if she was really picking up on much from it, but I knew that it couldn't be hurting in any way. About two weeks ago, things started clicking in her brain. I turned it on one day and she read the first word, "hi." I was really excited but wasn't sure if she actually recognized the word itself, or just remembered that it was the first word on the DVD. But every time since then that we have written out the word or showed it to her somewhere, she has recognized it and sight-read it. That was the beginning and she has quickly picked up speed from there. She's now sight-reading many different words: Mommy, Daddy, Kathrynne, clap, dog, mouth, baby, elephant, arms up (they throw in a few phrases and two word pairs here and there), among others. Now, mind you, she is just sight-reading them right now, not sounding them out, but I've been very impressed at how quickly she is starting to pick words up once she has understood the concept of thar certain letters put together make a certain word. And she's excited about it, too! The other night I couldn't get her to stop reading so that she could go to bed. She just sat there for the longest time reviewing her word cards over and over. She's also constantly pointing out letters and words and trying to read them, often getting them right. We still have a long way to go before she is really reading, but at the rate she is going, I'm wondering how long that might be? She just only started the second DVD of five, so it will be interesting to see. We're just pretty excited at how much ground she's already covered in such a short amount of time! What I appreciate most about these DVDs is that they are purely educational. As you know, I'm not one to sit my child in front of a black box to be entertained as I feel this really zaps creativity. But these DVDs are very simple - a word is shown and repeated twice and then it is shown in context. Such as, they might show the word "clap" and then they will show a baby clapping. They do a good job of engaging your youngster by encouraging them to repeat the word back, clap their hands, and so forth. The DVDs are also short - around 20 minutes long. We use them for a treat at our home since Kathrynne doesn't watch any TV and we only do a very few select educational videos for short amounts of time each week. By the way, the man who created the program, Dr. Robert Titzer, started with his first child, Aleka in 1991. This simple interactive video was designed to help his daughter recognize the written word at the same time she was learning the spoken word. By nine months of age, Aleka was recognizing over 30 words (and there is some video footage of this on the DVDs and it is quite amazing!). By her first birthday, she could read over 100 words, and at 18 months, Aleka was reading first-grade phonics readers! By her fourth birthday, she was reading at an 11th-grade level phonetically! Now while I don't expect Kathrynne to be anything like Aleka, I have been thrilled with how much she has already learned and happy that she can do it in such a way that it is exciting for her and very simple for me. And that works for me! Here's a link with more information about the program for anyone who might be interested. By the way, my friend Erica wrote a great review of the product here which explains it more and addresses the question of whether this is high pressured academics for babies or not. Her review was what initially interested me in this product.
Input requested: Nontoxic stain remover *Update*
Does anyone have a good suggestion for a nontoxic cleaner that will remove those lovely "mustard" newborn diaper stains? I've been using Shout as that is the only thing I've found which does the trick but I'd really like to come up with something that worked well and was nontoxic. Suggestions? Update: Wow! Lots of great suggestions here. I failed to mention this was not stains on cloth diapers - we're not using cloth yet (I'm not that adventuresome just yet, the cloth diapers I have don't fit her yet, and still have some free disposables left to use up first!) - but stains on my clothing, Kaitlynn's clothing, and anywhere else her diapers leak onto. Once she gets a little bigger and fits into her diapers better, I'm hoping we'll have less of a leaking problem. In the mean time, we are going through lots of clothing around here. Any suggestions on keeping her from leaking? I tried preemie diapers and they fit her best, but leak worse. We've tried different brands of diapers and they all seem to leak the same.
Tuesday review and giveaway: Franklin Springs DVDs *updated with winner*
 Franklin Springs Family Media, a company dedicated "to providing families with top-quality DVDs that set forth a vision for the fullness of a God-honoring family life" has recently released a new DVD, Charlie Zahm: An Evening of Classic Melodies. For those who enjoy music from past eras and early American folk tunes, you will very much appreciate this DVD of Charlie Zahm in live concert. Kathrynne and I enjoyed watching this together recently and talking about the different instruments - some which you don't see very often these days. This lively performance makes you feel as if you were right there at the concert. I especially loved the duets by Charlie and his wife. There is something about a husband and wife blending their voices in song which is just unparalleled. From Franklin Springs: This DVD will inspire you and your family with a wide historical range of Celtic, Maritime, and Early American songs. This live concert performance DVD captures music that will encourage families to gather, celebrate, sing, and rejoice together. Charlie, with his renowned and treasured baritone melodies, encourages audiences with music that speaks of joyous gatherings, the beauty of relationships, nobility, masculinity, femininity, and faith. ******************** Giveaway is now over with. Congratulations to Christy from Michigan for winning the two DVDs!
If you live nearby...
For those of you who read my blog and live in or near Olathe, Overland Park, or the surrounding Kansas City, KS area and would be interested getting together on a regular basis with myself and some other Christian women/moms for a time of encouragement, could you email me (biblicalwomanhood @ sbcglobal.net - remove the spaces)? I'm working on putting something together and would love to have you join us!
Does college guarantee less risk of divorce?
Marriage protects children. We're seeing an enormous marriage gap: college-educated people have low rates of unmarried childbearing and their risk of divorce is dropping. Meanwhile, divorce rates for the rest of America are rising, as is childbearing outside of marriage. Children born inside a marriage have all sorts of financial and psychological advantages. So one third of our children enjoy those benefits and two thirds are thrown into a high-risk environment through no fault of their own.
-From a NEWSWEEK interview with Maggie Gallagher, founder of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, on a recent study they conducted which found that no-fault divorce leads to an increase in the divorce rate. As anyone who has read my blog for some time knows, for many reasons, I am not a big proponent of sending your children off to the hostile and often unGodly and anti-Biblical environment of many of today's secular universities and, sadly, even some Christian colleges. I am even more wary of a child going off to college if they don't have a very express and God-glorifying purpose for doing so, if they are not equipped with a Biblical worldview, and if they have not proven themselves to stand alone in the face of peer pressure. When I read the conclusion to the study on divorce laws above, I found it very interesting that "college-educated people have low rates of unmarried childbearing and their risk of divorce is dropping." Why do you think this is the case? Is sending our children off to college going to automatically guarantee them less risk of divorce and unmarried childbearing? What do you think we can do to help encourage our children to have strong marriages? What can we do to help strengthen marriages in society as a whole? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this or on the study in general.
"Rest for your souls"
 I read this verse in Matthew this morning and it was such an encouragement to me: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
-Matthew 11:28-30
This week in books
I feel like I'm starting to get back into the swing of blogging - at least I'm starting to have all sorts of post ideas constantly swirling around in my brain. That's a good sign since I'm sure you all would appreciate a post on something of substance every now and then. Speaking of which, have you noticed the abundance of primarily picture posts recently? That's called "my brain is mush and I have no bloggy thoughts to produce so I'll just take the easy road and post pictures." Not that pictures are bad - I love showing off my girls and I also love it when other people post pictures - it's just that this blog has never been a family scrapbook and I am not planning that that is what it will become. I'm sure you will still be subjected to plenty more pictures of us as I can't but help and post them, but I'm hoping to get back to more "normal" blogging here in the next few weeks. I can't go for very long without touching on some hot-button topic or another. No, that just wouldn't be me. :) However, this post is not about any hot button subject, it's just a post reviving on old feature that had died away in the past few months with all the other things going on - the weekly posts highlighting my recent reads. So, without further ado, this week I read none other than a book on shedding pregnancy pounds. I picked it up at the library and couldn't hardly put it down until I'd finished it.  Hello, Baby! Good-bye Baby Fat! by Sheldon Levine was a fascinating book based upon the premise that the first six to nine months postpartum are one of the very best and easiest times in a woman's life to lose weight - not just pregnancy weight, but any other extra weight you may have been carrying around since before pregnancy. I think any woman - especially a woman hoping to someday have children, who is currently pregnant, or who recently had a baby - would find it an interesting and encouraging read. The book explains in detail how the author believes a woman's body works to both gain weight during pregnancy and lose weight postpartum (based upon a lot of scientific and medical research). He explains in-depth how to best work with your body to achieve maximum weight loss results postpartum in a healthy fashion. I've gained 30 pounds with both pregnancies, even though I do not eat much more when pregnant than I do normally. My body just seems to assimilate food a lot differently when I am pregnant. As someone who has never struggled with my weight under normal circumstances and has stayed at the almost exact same weight for a number of years, gaining 30 pounds with my first pregnancy was quite a shock. However, without hardly any effort at all on my part (besides just making sure I was watching my food intake - nursing makes me hungry literally all. the. time. - and eating a balanced diet), I was back down to my pre-pregnancy weight again within a few months after Kathrynne's birth. I've heard from many moms that second pregnancies and all subsequent pregnancies are often harder to bounce back weight-wise from (I'm curious: has this been true for those of you with more than one child?), so I'm putting in a bit more effort this time to be careful to eat well and I'm also working harder to be consistent to exercise at least 5-6 times per week. Being fit and trim is certainly not the most important thing in life, but I do think that we have a responsibility to take care of our bodies and to maintain a healthy weight - not only for our future health, but also for our families and for the health of future pregnancies should the Lord see fit to bless us in that regard. Discipline in the area of eating and exercise is a way we can not only practice self-control, but it also is a way we can honor our husbands and, I believe, it brings glory to the Lord. Plus, discipline in one area of our lives helps us to be disciplined in other areas. I didn't agree with all the author's thoughts or conclusions in Hello Baby! Good-bye Baby Fat!, but I can say I was definitely motivated to continue on with my current course of striving for moderate, nutritional eating and either taking a walk or doing Pilates everyday. According to this book, on my current plan and caloric intake, I should lose at least a pound per week until I am down to my pre-pregnancy weight again. We'll see what happens! Also read this week:Shopping for TimeCurrently Reading:MatthewFamily Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham David Livingstone (to Kathrynne and Kaitlynn) Missionary Heroism (as a family)
A week with Auntie Gretchen
 My younger sister, Gretchen, has been staying with us for the past week. She's been such a huge help, we've gotten lots of projects done around the house, and we've also enjoyed getting to spend lots of time talking and playing with the girls together.  Since today was her last day here, we worked hard this morning to get all of t | | |
Kaitlynn started smiling this week and we were trying to get a picture of the two girls both smiling at the same time. Needless to say, after many tries, we found it was next to impossible. The last picture was our best - they were both smiling, now we just need one where they both have their eyes open!
