Change of Plans

About a year and a half ago we had a Q&A time here at Today's Housewife. During that time, I briefly mentioned our struggle with infertility. Since that time, I have written a more detailed story for myself of what our family was to look like according to MY plan and how we dealt with our infertility.

Just about a year ago, I had come to grips with our family. We would be a family of three. We would be able to pour into our little girl more than we could with two (or more) children. We could take family vacations easily. We could serve others by keeping their children. God had given us only one child for a reason and we needed to make the most of this opportunity instead of throwing a pity party.

And what do you know, that is when it happened. Two pink lines showed up. I didn't completely understand, but I KNEW it was of the LORD. You can read the entire Giving God the Glory story here. It is amazing what HE has done! No, really, head on over and read!

Where am I now? Waiting to deliver this baby! I am 36 weeks and starting to stress about all that needs to be done. The to-do list is long, but I know that what doesn't get done will be alright.

Over the weekend I finally had time to get some of the projects done (or partially done). I have been on the sewing machine making lots of fun things:

burp cloths (Some of these obviously are not for us. I am not having triplets. And we do NOT know what we are having, so I made some boy and some girl ones. Monogramming will come after the baby is born, but will look like these I made.)

hooded towels (more for LilE than the baby),

and a hooter hider.

I have also been washing baby clothes, making plans for what to do with LilE once labor starts, and napping. It's a holiday weekend, right?

JD on the other hand has been a busy man. He got all of the tubs out of the attic (so I could wash) and then he painted the baby's room. Yes, the whole thing, mostly by himself. He did have a helper for a few hours. (Lots of spiritual connections to painting a room. Really, you need to try it sometime.)

Here is our inspiration room:

via

And this is what we have done so far:

The plan is to paint an accent chair rail instead of white like the inspiration room. Orange for boy. Magenta for girl. (Both matching the neutral bedding we have.) Unfortunately, the nursery will not be done before the baby arrives, but I am okay (for now) with that. We will have help after the baby comes and it won't take any time to knock it out.

Klee is a wife to a children’s minister and mother of one precious little girl. She enjoys sewing, photography, and being outdoors. She also blogs at Tres Alejandros and Come and Listen.

Ideas with Paint - Try Something New on Your Walls

Hello to Today's Housewife readers! My name is Carol Spenst, and I am so excited to be joining the Home Channel here on Today's Housewife. I love decorating - I may be slightly neurotic about it, in fact. I am by no means professional, and I have a pretty good idea that some of my rooms turn out a bit unusual. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. I really enjoy creating spaces for our family that are unique to us! And on my introductory post here, I thought I would share some fun ideas with paint.
They often say that paint is the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to transform a space, and I have found that this is so true. It also means that it is a medium that is very forgiving. If it doesn't work out, paint over it! (Though this philosophy did unfortunately lead to me painting the dining room in my old house approximately 7 times. Moral of that story - always try samples before you commit.) And, you can do so many things with paint - the possibilities are truly endless. Here are a few of the things I have done in my past two houses. Hopefully you will get some fun ideas!

Paint a Plaid Wall
- This was a little time-consuming, but I do love the results. It involved a lot of taping. A lot. If you want the details, I did a whole post dedicated to this wall on my blog here and pictures of the rest of the room are here.

The rest of the ideas will not be as time consuming as that last one. I love doing feature walls. I guess you could call is "my thing."

Tone on Tone Graphic Mural
- This was in my older daughter's nursery at our first house. My husband helped me trace the giant butterflies using a flashlight shone through little cut-outs of butterflies. An overhead projector would have been a lot easier, but we didn't have one on hand and this worked for us. I used colors one shade lighter and one shade darker than the color of the room, and they were also different sheens (the lighter was glossy, and the darker was more flat) to give it even more dimension.

Stencils
- Stenciling may seem old-fashioned, but there are so many ways it can be cool again. (At least, that is what I tell myself.) This first picture is from the master bedroom in our first house, that I just realized I never really got a picture of before we moved. I stenciled a large damask print that I purchased at Hobby Lobby in a green color that was a few shades lighter (the lighter green was also in our bathroom and on the ceiling, so it tied together nicely, as sadly, you can't see in the photo). My husband was gracious enough to frame out the places in the room that I had stenciled with trim that was painted to match the rest of the trim in the room.

- This next picture shows a stenciled border in my older daughter's current room. I wanted a stencil that looked like a Sari from India to match the rest of the room. It was a double layer stencil, which made it a little more work than I had initially imagined, but I like the way it turned out. You can see more pictures of this room here.

Using Gloss
- This next idea is really simple to execute. In my dining room, I used tape to make diamond patterns. Then I painted gloss over the space, which created a subtle look. Again, hubby was gracious enough to trim out the boxes with trim.

Well, I hope you enjoyed getting some inspiration for painting your spaces. It is quick, cheap and easy! Looking forward to seeing you all again next month - thanks for reading.



Carol is the wife of a small business-owner, mother to two little girls, crafter, very-amateur decorator, and occasional cooker. She blogs at the John and Carol Show - wanna watch?

In Case of Emergency

...don't call me.

(I'm only half-kidding.)

But seriously, I'm not the best go-to person in a crisis. For one thing, I probably won't answer the phone. Having a five year old who never stops talking and a three year old who never stop climbing makes it hard for me to have a meaningful phone conversation.

Secondly, on a spiritual gift survey I took once I scored the lowest in the gift of mercy column. This did not surprise anyone at my house. Every example I can think of to illustrate this point makes me sound like a mean person. I'm not really a mean person, so just trust me when I say, mercy is not one of my strong areas.

Third, I am a stay at home stay at home mom. What I mean is, I rarely leave the house. In fact, I don't get out of my pajamas work-out clothes every day. So if you need me ASAP, my ASAP could take a while.

But you know what I am good at doing when you have a crisis? Making you dinner. It may not sound like much, but sometimes it's enough.

Dorcas (or Tabitha) can relate. In Acts nine it says, "This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did" (v. 36).  She got sick and died. Her friends called Peter to help. When he arrived, "all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas has made while she was with them" (39).

Her friends desperately missed her. Not because she taught the weekly Bible study. Not because she had the solo in the Easter cantata. Not because they knew they wouldn't be able to find anyone else to teach the rowdy 5th grade Sunday School class. They missed her because she provided for the practical needs of others, especially those most in need (the widows).

I truly thank God for including the story of Dorcas in Scripture. I'm not always Miriam, Deborah, or Mary sitting at Jesus' feet. Some days I'm Dorcas. And, being Dorcas is enough!

Now, who needs a casserole?

Growing Your Own Food!

One of my favorite things about summer is all the local food we can purchase in our area of rural Pennsylvania. Strawberries and apples are two of our favorite local treats. You don't get much more local than your own backyard garden! This year we're growing tomatoes, peppers, corn, carrots, cucumbers, onions, and melons. We love watering it (while playing in the sprinkler), watching it grow, and finally getting to eat it all!

Do you garden? What are you growing?

How to Loan a Kindle Book

My hobby is reading. After months talking about it, we finally got a Kindle. Even before I got a Kindle, I had the free Kindle app on my smart phone and desktop. One of my favorite features of the Kindle (and free apps!) is that you can share books electronically! Here's a quick tutorial on how: (you can see the full instructions on the Amazon site here).

1. Go to the list of your Kindle books. Find the one you want to share and hit the + to the left of the book title.

2. More info will come up about that book. Most books will have a "Loan this book" button. If that's the one you want to share, click that button.

3. You will need to know the email address associated with the person's Kindle/Kindle app. You can fill in his/her name and even write a message.

4. When the book is on loan, you cannot access it from your account for two weeks. After two weeks, it comes back!

I love this feature and you don't even have to have an actual Kindle to take advantage of it! I loaned A Praying Life to my friend Brooke in Virginia to her Kindle app. Oh, and did you see what I paid for it? For about a week it was $0.00! Here's where I find cheap and free Kindle books so you can start building your Kindle library:

• Pixel of Ink
• Inspired Reads
• Gospel eBooks

Linked up to Works for Me Wednesday!

Sandra is the family editor for Today's Housewife. She's a pastor's wife, mom to two boys and is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. You can see what her family is up to at Celebrate Every Day and follow her on Twitter at @HeartforHim.

Cosmetic Cleanup

When was the last time you cleaned out your make up drawer? Make up and cosmetics actually expire and can go bad. I took some time this weekend before our move to c lean up my makeup collection and throw out anything that was no longer safe to use. Here are some suggestions and guidelines that I found.

Before

Lipsticks and Lipglosses - 1 year with regular usage.

Pigments - These can last for 5+ years depending on how you use them. I recommend not using them straight out of the jars (so that bacteria doesn't get trapped in the main jars).

Mascara - 3 to 4 months. When applying mascara don't pump the brush, if you do the air along with bacteria will be pushed down into the tube which will not only pollute the mascara, but also dry it out. Also remember never to share your mascara!

Eyeshadows - 1 to 2 years. Creams expire much faster than powders.

Blush - 1 to 2 years.

Foundation - Liquid foundation and foundation with SPF in it usually only lasts a year. Powder foundation lasts 1 to 2 years.

Lip Pencils - Up to 3 years.

Eyeliners - Liquid eyeliners last 6 months to a year. Pencil eyeliners can last up to three years.

Concealer - 1 year.

Nail Polish - Nail polishes can last a long time (5+ years). Even if they get too thick you can always buy some paint thinner, thin them out and keep using them.

The best rule of thumb is that if it looks funny, smells bad or the consistency has changed since you bought it, toss it. Be especially careful with eye make up. You can easily transfer bacteria to your eye with make up and get a serious infection. Mascara should ALWAYS be thrown out 3 months after opening. No exceptions!

After

Did you know you are also supposed to clean your makeup brushes weekly? (Yeah, I don't have time for that either.) But clean brushes also keep bacteria from spreading and help make up go on more smoothly and easily.

You can buy a brush cleaning solution, but a gentle soap like baby shampoo works well too.

1. Fill a sink with warm water and soap. Let the brushes sit a few minutes to disolve the oils and makeup.

2. Gently swirl brushes under water to finish cleaning.

3. Rinse well under running water.

4. Place brushes on a towel to dry. (Never dry brushes standing up. This can cause water to get trapped and loosen the bristles. Using a heat source can also compromise the brush.)

How often do clean out your makeup and wash your brushes? Did you know that cosmetics can expire? 

 Linked-up to Works for Me Wednesday! 

Quiet Time : Quality vs Quantity

Lately my quiet time with the Lord has been lacking. Quite frankly it has been almost non existent.  While my hearts desire is to spend time daily in God's word the reality is there have been days when I do not even get a chance to open up my Bible.
  Does this make me less of a Christian?  Or does this mean my priorities are not in order? I hear of women that get up early before the rest of the family and even daylight to spend 45 minutes in prayer and God's word. I have days when I can barely get 5 minutes alone for a shower, let alone 45 minutes of uninterrupted bible study. If  I did spend 45 minutes  reading  my bible daily would that make me a better Christian?

  Or is it more about quality time and not quantity time?

God knows what season of life your in. Maybe you are able to take hours upon hours each week reading and studying God's word. Or maybe you are like me and some days 5 minutes of prayer while your in the shower is all you are able to accomplish at that moment. The point is God understands, and He knows each of our individual hearts and desires.

The world is quick to say do this or that, or  pray this way and your life will be good.  God says there is no set plan,  and He knows that each of us is unique. What works for me may not work for you and vice verso. 
The goal is to take time each day to connect with God, regardless of how long and how you do it.

My challenge  and question for you today is two parts.

 First, I challenge you to truly ask yourself where I am in terms of my quiet time? Is my hearts desire to spend time daily in God's word  growing spiritually? Or is it just one more box to check on the never ending daily To Do list?  

Second, what works for you? How do you make time in your busy day to have quiet time? Rather it be 5minutes or 45minutes, how do you take time to slow down and focus on God, and your walk with Him?



Cassie is a military wife and mom to six who blogs at Day of Bliss.

Comfort Food at Its Best

One of my favorite comfort foods is macaroni and cheese. Believe me, growing up, Mom and I could polish off a box of the "blue box" kind. Now, I may have eaten boxed mac and cheese once in 5 years. It's just not the same.

I want the real stuff: butter: milk, eggs, cheese, mustard, pasta, hot sauce. Oh yum.

You may be thinking this isn't the time of the year to be making comfort food. Mac and cheese is a perfect dish to bring to any bbq you are attending, cook out, or covered-dish anything. Bring it. It will be eaten!

Very warm comfort food that has a deep rich flavor. One of my favorite things. Wish it was healthier – but at least it is yummy and comforting.

4 cups medium shells (almost a whole box)

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cups flour

2-½ cups skim Milk

2 teaspoons dry Mustard

1 egg

1 pound cheese, I used sharp cheddar and an italian blend

½ teaspoons Salt (and don’t forget to salt the water when boiling the pasta)

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

½ teaspoons ground pepper

Optional Spices: Paprika, hot sauce (which I put some in)

Cook pasta till firm and drain. Melt butter and add flour and stir for 5 minutes. Don’t let it burn. Add spices and milk, stir until combined. Add cheese and everything else. Dump in the pasta and stir. Put into an oven-proof pan at 350 for about 25 minutes. I topped mine with homemade croutons and parm cheese.

Your family will love this!

Father's Day Gift Ideas

My five year old asked me yesterday what we're doing for Father's Day. He suggested making him a medal with "Dr. Pain Is the Wrestling Champion!" Sounds good to me! :) But if you need a few more ideas, here are some I rounded up (in order from most expensive to least expensive).

1. A gym membership- This is a gift he can use all year long. And it will help him feel better!

2. Upgrade his electronics- Does he need a new phone? Would he like a Kindle or other e-reader? If you know what you think he likes, wrap it up for Daddy's Day!

3. Netflix subscription- We did this one year and it has been a gift for the entire family, but especially my movie-loving husband.

4. Eat at his favorite place- My husband has already put in his request, Moe's. Head to your husband's favorite place for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Or, if his favorite place to eat is your kitchen, fix him his favorite meal.

5. Magazine subscription- What's he into? Sports? Music? Current Events? Get a gift that keeps coming in the mailbox each month.

6. Books- Here are a few from my husband's bedside table:

• Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
• Decision Points by George Bush
• Overrated: The 50 Most Overhyped Things in History by Mark Juddery
• For the Fame of God's Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper
• Tommy's Honor: The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son by Kevin Cook

7. Something homemade- Family Fun has twenty-one ideas for gifts for dad! I especially love the cupcakes that look like grills.

What are you planning for Father's Day this year?

Linked up today to Works for Me Wednesday! 

Sandra is the family editor for Today's Housewife. She's a pastor's wife, mom to two boys and is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. You can see what her family is up to at Celebrate Every Day and follow her on Twitter at @HeartforHim.

Strawberry Fields

This is one of my favorite seasons of the year. Spring. The weather is starting to warm up without being too hot. The flowers are blooming. And the fruit is growing. And we LOVE to have fresh strawberries in the house.

LilE and I loaded up to meet a few friends and ended up meeting the entire church at the strawberry patch (well, maybe just two other playgroups and another staff family).

LilE and I found a spot all by ourselves and picked away.

Two gallons of strawberries.

They were yummy!

We talked about how the plants grow and the flowers bloom.

Then the strawberries grow out of the blooms.

Isn't it great how God created these wonderful plants for us to enjoy?!?

We took some other pictures just because we could. I have one beautiful princess with beautiful friends. 

The next morning we gathered our supplies to make freezer jam. I am so thankful for a friend making it for us a couple of years ago. We have forever been changed.

I cut the strawberries.

We crushed the strawberries.

Add the sugar (and it's not just a little sugar).

Boiled the pectin.

Mixed the two together.

And poured it into the jars.

I ended up using all two gallons of strawberries to make 4 batches of jam. Yielding 24 half pints. If we run out of jam this year we need some serious help! But really, it IS that good!!