Music Monday

I know I have been so sporadic about blogging, and for the most part it's been my fault. Lately, however, my computer died so just as I was ready to blog again I got stopped! But now I'm back with a semi-quasi-regular installment of Music Monday. I follow Francesca Battistelli (one of my fave singers) on Twitter, and recently she tweeted about an up and coming new artist named Dara McLean. I went to itunes to check her out and her album was on sale. I put the album on my ipod and have been loving it. She is kind of soulful/mellow and has a seventies vibe to her music that I love. So check her out. You'll be glad you did! Dara MacLean Sorry I only have a link and not a video. Wasn't able to get one this time!

Birthdays!

I was having dinner last night with my 3 blog readers and they all got onto me for not posting for so long. I often think of things to blog about, but my time gets away from me and it doesn't get done. But, I did want to post pics of the two birthday parties we have had here at our house in the past two months since I've posted. (that's kind of embarrassing!) There is too much to talk about with both of them, but today I will start with Aubrey's party.

Aubrey turned seven in May. I still can hardly believe he is seven since I just brought him home from the hospital a few months ago it seems. He is into all things boy, but mostly he loves Legos and Nerf guns. We had a Lego party last year, and he wanted a Nerf gun party this year. I first thought I would just have all the boys bring their own gun, but then my sister showed us a homemade blow dart gun her son got as a party favor from a party he went to. My wheels started turning as to how we could use these at our party. I knew I would use the guns, but needed a way the boys could use them without darts laying all around our yard. So, the felt vest was born. I took regular sized felt and made a vest (front and back) with duct tape. I wish I would have taken a picture while I was making them, but I don't usually think of those things. The dart guns were made with small circumference pvc pipe cut to about 2 feet. I used colored electrical tape to add design and color to each of them so the boys would know their's just from the color. We did also write their name on them. I bought several packs of the velcro Nerf darts. Each boy got a small tin bucket with their name on it to carry their darts in. Then they each got a vest. They divided up into teams and played dart tag for a very long time. They each got to take their gun, darts and vest home as a favor. They loved it.

My sister's neighbor is a baker who makes fabulously decorated cakes. I sent her a picture of one of Aubrey's guns and she made an exact replica. It was so cool, and Aubrey loved it! Aubrey had been to a spend the night party a few weeks before his party, so he decided he wanted one too. The good thing about the dart tag was that most of the boys were worn out and quickly went to sleep.

My quantifier for parties is that they are what my kids want. Not what I want, or what is popular on the web, or what will look cute in pictures. This party was it. Aubrey was so pleased with his party. It was exactly what he wanted, so it was a success!

One Thousand Gifts

I have just started reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is a small book, and I know I could read it in one sitting if I wanted to. However, I have been reading a chapter a day, just chewing on it and thinking it through each day so I can really "get it". The main point of the book is that in order to truly live fully we must live in a constant state of thankfulness. Ann was challenged to make a list of one thousand things she was thankful for and it changed her life. I am joing in. I am not going to tell you any more about the book other than you need to read it. It's really good, and her writing is fantastic. She has a beautiful way with words. I have been getting her daily emails for months and did not realize they were from Ann!

So, here is my jumping in for my one thousand gifts. I'm linking up with Multitudes on Mondays and oh so thankful.

1. Quiet mornings

2. Sweet teachers

3. Dirt from my hard working husband on the floor

4. Loads of laundry that can get done in a machine

5. North Georgia mountains that never look the same

6. Birthdays to celebrate those that I love

7. Birds chirping all day

8. Sweet little girl fingers and toes

9. Seeing my sweet son in the pick up line

10. Warm water

It occurred to me that the song in my last post kind of goes along with this book. I think the Lord is trying to tell me something. Love it when that happens!

Music Monday

It has been forever since I did a Music Monday, so as I was all choked up while driving in my car listening to this song it ocurred to me that it might be a good day for one! Especially since it is Monday! I love Laura Story, and this song is just icing on the cake. What lyrics. I pray that I look at Jesus and life as this song explains.



I hope it has blessed you the way it has blessed me!

Craft Day

On Monday I hosted my third Craft Day. I got the idea this past fall when I saw a fun wreath I wanted to make and I thought, "It would be so fun to get a group of friends and make these together!" So I did, and Craft Day was born. We all bring our kids, our supplies, and a yummy food to share for lunch. This time I found a great Easter craft from here. Cathe Holden at the Just Something I Made blog has the neatest DIY ideas, and this one was so fun and easy. It is an Easter Egg holder vase. I got a variety of spoons at our local thrift shop and used a pickle jar for the vase. It only probably took us maybe 30 minutes to complete our projects. Of course, that didn't stop us from using a whole day together to chat, eat and fellowship. Such a fun, useful way to spend a day. Good for our souls and our home decor! (I didn't get pics of everyone there - totally meant to but just forgot!)

No Skeletons in this Closet!

Last week while the kids were on spring break, I decided to tackle our mud room. It is a room that is off of our laundry room. It often ends up being where we place (or throw) things that don't have a good home. So, after this happening all winter long, it was a huge mess. Because it also opens to our carport, it's hard to clean it out while the weather is cold (at least for a wimp like me) One day we had perfect weather, the kids were outside playing,and I decided to go for it. It was wonderful! I love, love, love getting things organized. Last year my husband put great shelves in our mudroom for me, so I just had to rearrange, throw away and donate the things in the room. This is the end result:

Don't you love the fancy sidewalk chalk holder?

Now you can tell there is a door in there! I still need to paint the steps, but now it is a fully functioning mud room where D. can come in with his dirty boots and clothes on and not get the rest of the house dirty! Mission accomplished!

Hello? Anybody there?

My poor blog is so neglected. If there was a Department of Family and Children Services for blog mommas, I would be turned in for sure. I haven't been on the computer as much lately because I got an iphone for Christmas so I get all my emails on it, and I gave up Facebook for Lent, so I hop on the computer to read blogs and then get off pretty quick. Almost every day I think of something I want to write about on my blog, but just don't get to it. I'm hoping to get back to it soon.

But, I found out about a new site that I just had to share with you. The way it was explained to me is that it is what might happen if etsy and groupon had a baby. It's called

heartsy

I think it is the neatest thing if you like (or love) etsy like I do. They have deals for different shops on etsy each day. How cool is that? I would almost always rather buy handmade than commercially made stuff.

So, sorry I don't have any new stories or fun ideas right now, but I promise they are coming! I thought you all would love to know about heartsy if you didn't already and see a pic of my latest knitting finished project - my French Press slippers. It was my first felting project. I was so excited when they were finished. I wear them all the time now. Hope to see you here again soon!

Book recommendation

This week I read the book, Dwelling:Living Fully from the Space You Call Home by Mary Beth Lagerborg. I picked up the book at MOPS a month or so ago. It looked like something that would encourage me and give me some ideas. I have to say that I loved it. Mary Beth doesn't really focus on decorating or the material part of our homes, although she does talk about it. It is really about using our homes to be the people we are supposed to be. What we want our homes to "feel" like, and how we want people to feel while they are in our homes. She also discusses community and how we can increase our sense of community through having people in our homes and neighborhoods. I would highly recommend it to you. I will be returning our MOPS copy next time I'm there, so you can check it out next!

Also, on the home front, I have never loved a home appliance the way I love my Haan steam cleaner. My sister got a Shark steam cleaner last year and I checked them out, but decided on the Haan. It only uses water, so it is better for the environment and our homes, and it sanitizes as it cleans. I am actually happy to clean my floor with it. And as you can imagine, that is a new feeling! So, although I can't give one away, here's another great recommendation. I promise you will love it if you get one!

My great project

I find it so neat how when God puts something on our hearts, He keeps reinforcing His call if we are open and listening. Since feeling like my word of the year should be "heart" I have felt His reinforcement over and over. It began with a discussion with my sister in law about how easy it is to let our homes and families play second fiddle to all of our other commitments and how our lives feel out of control and unbalanced when that happens. I don't believe that is how God wants me to live. Then another conversation with a friend, Kristin, about how even when we have a day planned doing laundry, cleaning potties, etc. if someone asks us what we are going to do we say, "Nothing." Really, doing laundry and cleaning potties might seem like nothing, but it's a big part of keeping my family happy and moving in the right direction, but it's sooo easy to push these things aside for funner, lesser things. And then, when I went to MOPS on Friday, our devotion by my sweet friend Kimberly was about Nehemiah and how he kept being interrupted and he told the important people trying to talk to him, "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down." (Nehemiah 6:3) She had heard Andy Stanley do a sermon on this. Whatever it is that God has called us to do is important. For me right now it is being a faithful, loving wife and mom. So, doing the dishes, laundry, cleaning potties, etc. are important because they matter in my great project. I almost cried while she was talking about this because it was like God had his hand on my shoulder squeezing it and encouraging me to stay strong in my resolve. Then, I was doing the dishes later in the day and heard Sara Groves' song "Generations". It is all about doing things to leave for future generations. It again reminded me to press on in my great project of being a wife and mother. It's so neat how God has whispered and used so many things to keep my focus. Even today I turned down a request to go shopping. (I know, the horror, right?) But, I need to get things done around here. Just the usual, but I don't want to get behind much more. I am rambling, but wanted to share my encouragement with you all so you too can say about whatever it is God has called you to do, "I am carrying on a great project." Be encouraged that if God has called you to do it, He will see you through on your journey, no matter how small you feel it is.

Total shallowness

Just a quick post to see if any of you know about this? I saw an advertisement for the Invisibelt in a magazine I believe and thought, "That is a great idea!" Then I went Christmas shopping at a gift shop in Oakwood that I love, Nest Feathers, and I saw it! I was so excited. It works. It keeps your pants up while you are wearing a shirt untucked, but there is no bulge like there would be from a regular belt bucklet. Anyway, I thought I would pass it along to my friends as a PSA. Consider it my Random Act of Kindness today. ;)

One Word

Each year for the past few years, scrapbooker Ali Edwards has chosen one word to define her upcoming year. She has encouraged and inspired many, many of us to choose our own word. I have done it for the past 3 years. I didn't know what it would mean when I started, but it has been fun and it has helped me focus myself when I needed focus. This year I have chosen the word heart. I have been very convicted lately about doing too many things that do not encourage or help me with my spiritual life or as my role as a wife and a mother. All things that are the most meaningful to my heart, and what I feel my calling as a woman is. My verse for the year to encourage and remind me is Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." So, friends and readers, if you see me or find me doing things that might not go hand in hand with my word or my verse, please let me know. I am sure I will need all the help I can get. What is your word for the year? I'd love to hear!