Prayer for the New Year

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Of course it's hard to believe yet another has come and gone! Reflecting back on 2010, I am reminded of God's faithfulness during all the ups and downs no matter how big or small they were. I'm trusting in His faithfulness for this new year as well!

Recently I've been drawn to a couple of passages in Psalms and I thought they would be a great prayer for our family as we enter this new year.

Psalm 143:8-11 "Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Rescue me from my enemies, LORD; I run to you to hide me. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life."

Psalm 144:12-15  "May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughter(s) be like a graceful pillar, carved to beautify a palace. May our barns be filled with crops of every kind. May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands, even tens of thousands, and may our oxen be loaded down with produce. Yes, joyful are those who live like this! Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD."

The first passage is a prayer for God's blessing on all that we do and that He would lead us into the new year on a firm footing.

The second passage is a prayer for God's blessing on our children and our provisions. True, we do not have a barn (although we would have one if we could!), nor do we have flocks of sheep or oxen (although we would love to have some chickens some day!), but it is still a prayer for God to bless us and to provide for us in the coming year.

I can say that looking back on 2010 there were definitely some tough times financially and it was hard to always buy the healthy food that I wanted to for my family, BUT there is a joy and peace that comes from knowing it doesn't all rest on us. God is our Father and He faithfully filled in the gaps. He always meets our needs. We just need to remember to sort through all the "stuff" in life and let Him determine what our needs are versus our wants. Because of this I can proclaim, "Joyful indeed are those whose God is the LORD."

So, I'm reminding myself to "look forward" to 2011 and not be anxious of what the new year may bring. Here's a poem my aunt included on her Christmas card this year. I thought I would share it with you as well.

I said to the man at the gate of the year:

“Give me a light that I may walk
safely into the unknown.”
And he said to me…
“Put your hand into the hand of God
And it shall be to you better than the
light and safer than the known.”
—King George VI

I'm also very excited to see where this blog will be in 2011! I pray God's blessing on it and that He would:

• cause it's influence to expand
• that He would use it to equip others to be purposeful homemakers
• that He would increase my knowledge of healthy living on a budget and then be able to pass that information on to you
• that it would be a resource and a blessing to others

Do you have any topics that you would like to see covered in this coming year? Please leave a comment and let me know. If you're not already a follower, would you consider becoming one? Thanks so much if you do!

Reading Aloud to Your Children

Reading aloud to your children is one of the best things you can do. When one of my children asks me to read them a book, it is very hard for me turn them down! Seriously, my heart warms up at the thought of snuggling with them while we read.

Some of our favorite times is reading together on the couch. When they ask me to read to them, it is an invitation into their world. They are asking me to delight in a story that delights them. It's also an invitation to love on them, snuggle with them and to spend time with them. How can I resist???

Reading aloud can also be a tool to help your children get through a difficult time in life. It allows them (and us!) to forget our troubles for a spell and enter another world where we can take a break from the trials that may be surrounding us. Of course, I teach my children to go to their Heavenly Father when we have needs, but this can still be a tool to help give them security and dependability during difficult times. I've noticed this especially when we are reading a chapter book. When we sit down to read, the pressures of life are forgotten as we enter the world of our favorite character!

There are many benefits to reading aloud!  If your child's adorable pleading face isn't enough to convince you that you should read aloud, then here is some interesting information from Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook. Perhaps this will help motivate you to make reading aloud a family priority.

How can something so simple as reading aloud to a child be so effective?


"We start with the brain. As lumber is the primary support for building a house, words are the primary structure for learning. And there are really only two efficient ways to get words into a person's brain: either through the eye or through the ear. Since it'll be years before the eye is used for reading, the best source for ideas and brain building in a young child becomes the ear. What we send into that ear becomes the "sound" foundation for the rest of the child's "brain house." Those meaningful sounds in the ear now will help the child make sense of the words coming in through the eye later when learning to read.

We read to children for all the same reasons we talk with children: to reassure, to entertain, to bond; to inform or explain, to arouse curiosity, to inspire. But in reading aloud, we also:


•Condition the child’s brain to associate reading with pleasure
•Create background knowledge
•Build vocabulary
•Provide a reading role model


One factor hidden in the decline of students' recreational reading is that it coincides with a decline in the amount of time adults read to them. By middle school, almost no one is reading aloud to students. If each read-aloud is a commercial for the pleasures of reading, then a decline in advertising would naturally be reflected in a decline in students recreational reading."

As you can see, these are just a few reasons why it's good to read aloud to your child. But, perhaps you don't have your own children to read to? Well, is there a child in your life that you could read to? You could build some precious memories with a niece or nephew or perhaps a single mom's child. Consider who you could spend some extra time reading with.

For more information about reading aloud, go here. You will find more information about the benefits of reading aloud. It is a very informative website!

Some absolute favorites in our house are the books in the Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. You can also find accompanying lap books which my children also love.

However, reading aloud doesn't have to just be chapter books.  Here are a few of our family favorites:

The Big Green Pocketbook


The Rag Coat


Are You My Mother? (see picture below!)



If Jesus Came to My House


Lentil


Guess How Much I Love You


Jesse Bear, What will You Wear?


Madeline

(I have a cute story about this one. This past summer the kids were outside playing and I heard Carter saying, "Boo Hoo! We want our independence too!" My first thought was, what naughty cartoon has he been watching declaring his independence like that?! I asked him where he heard it and he said, "From that book you were reading to us. You know, Madeline." What? Oh, that's right..."Boo hoo, we want our appendix out too!" Too funny!)

This picture was taken Carter was 2 years old and we read this book so often he had it completely memorized! It was ADORABLE to hear him read it. Thankfully, we have it on video!

So, the next time your child asks you to read a book, please do so. You  won't regret the bonding time you get while snuggling with your child because before you know it they'll be asking if they can borrow your car--not time on your lap!
Read more about our favorite books here.

What are some favorite books that you read in your family? Please share! I am always interested in hearing about great books.

If you enjoyed reading this post I hope you'll become a follower so you can keep up with other happenings here at Purposeful Homemaking. Thanks for reading!

I'm Not Really Posting

Well, I wasn't planning on posting until after Christmas, BUT I came across this really cute idea and wanted to share it with all of you! It's a great graphing activity that makes good use of all those Christmas cards! (Besides the fact that you just enjoying hearing from all your friends and family!!) Check out the idea here.

Merry Christmas from Our Family!

I hope you have a blessed Christmas! Praise God for sending His Son to us! I'll be back posting after Christmas!

Organizing Kids' Puzzles

My kids love to do puzzles! I pick them up at the $1 store for them periodically. Recently I was trying to think of a way to organize them and this is what I came up with.

I cut the picture out from the box the puzzle came in and slip it into a ziploc bag. All of the puzzle pieces go in there. Then each puzzle bag goes into a clear storage container with a lid.

Now all of the puzzles are in one nice organized space!

What storage tips do you have?

A Mother's Manual

Recently I decided to put together a Mother's Manual.  Basically it's a 3-ring binder that contains everything pertinent to my role as a Mother. The goal of having this binder is to reduce the amount of wasted time by having things in one place and having a list of things that need to be accomplished so I'm not trying to figure out what to do next

It also includes helpful tools such as a Meal Plan, Budget and more.

I like to refer to this as a Manual because if I had a job in the workforce I'd more than likely have some type of a manual that would assist me in my job. Well, my job is a SAHM mom and I have my manual for that too! It's a work in progress but I've already seen the benefits of having it.
I printed the cover and a few other pages here. Inside my notebook, I have tab dividers for the following sections in my binder:

• Birthday Cakes/Themes
• Blessings
• Blog (running list of ideas I want to post about)
• Books I want to Read
• Decorating Ideas
• Emergency Contacts/CPR
• Finances (includes a list of needs and projects that need to be done. You could also include your budget under this section.)
• Holidays (traditions, recipes, decorating ideas, gift ideas)
• Homeschooling (helpful articles, ideas)
• Hospitality (list of meals that are good for entertaining, table decoration ideas)
• Household Cleaners (recipes for natural options)
• Inventory (freezer, pantry and paper products)
• Marriage (helpful articles, inspirational writings)
• Maximize Your Mornings  (plan of action for getting up earlier)
• Menu Plan (my calendar of meals, list of ingredients for each of those meals)
• Ministries
• Natural Remedies
• Parenting
• Routines/Weekly Schedule

I also keep a portable 3-hole punch in the back for hole-punching articles that I want to file under one of these tabs. Obviously, you can pick whatever subjects best suite you for your Manual.

Personally, I think every home manager ought to have one of these whether you are single, married, have kids or not. It helps you be more efficient with your time and it might even help with your sanity knowing everything's in one spot! :) Don't you think this would make a great wedding shower gift paired up with a money-saving tip book by Ellie Kay?

How to Host a Cookie Exchange

This post is written by guest writer, Dana Foster. She is by far one of my most creative friends and always has lots of ideas that she's sending my way. One thing I appreciate about her is that when she does a party, she puts so much thought and time into it for her guests that it makes them feel special to have been a part of the event. I think that when a host takes time to consider the details, whether it's a child's birthday party or a cookie exchange, it adds so much more flavor to the party. Nothing has to be outrageously done. Just simple things that tie the event together can be a blessing to your guests.

Recently she hosted a cookie exchange and I asked her to share with you what she did in case you are interested in hosting one of your own.

Hello to Becky’s readers! Becky recently asked me to write some ideas on Holiday Decorating. Once I decided that I wanted to host a Cookie Exchange, we decided to share with you about the party! I’ve always wanted to have a Christmas Cookie Exchange, and in my book, it’s just another excuse to party with the ladies, so the planning took off!

For those of you that know me, I like to plan parties! If I could quit my job as a nurse and plan parties professionally (and make the same $!), I would definitely do it! I guess it’s almost a challenge to me…what kind of party should I plan? What should the theme be? What crafty and creative ideas can I find to help my party be a success? Did you catch that? I said, “What ideas can I find?” I’m really not a creative person! I “cheat and steal” ideas from others! There are so many resources online and in magazines that I don’t have to be the creative one!

For the cookie exchange, I started by searching in google for “cookie exchange” – imagine that! I found great ideas for my invitations, for cookie making in general, which cookies are best for exchanges and more. I even included the website on my invitations for my guests to read.

Next, in order for me to plan a party, I must have some sort of theme. If it’s not as easy as a Pirate themed birthday party or a vintage themed baby shower, I usually go in search of tableware that I can draw a theme out of. In the case of the cookie exchange, I found cute peppermint plates and napkins…the theme took off from there. I decorated with candy canes, peppermints and anything red, green and white.

Here are some Cookie Exchange Details you may want to include. This information was on the back of the invitation.


• Please RSVP ASAP! We will be making ½ dozen cookies per person coming to the exchange (with a limit of 6 dozen cookies) so we need to have an accurate head count. Please bring any remaining cookies to taste during the evening.
• When you RSVP, please tell me what recipe you will be making and please email me a copy of the recipe prior to the exchange. The recipes will then be shared with everyone at the swap. The sooner the better is appreciated!
• Please bring each ½ dozen wrapped individually – this can be done as easy as putting them on paper plates with plastic wrap, although feel free to be creative!
• Check out http://cookie exchange.com/baking_tips.html for some helpful info. About cookie baking.
• If you want to come for the evening, but not be involved in the cookie exchange, let me know (but remember, you won’t be going home with tons of yummy cookies!!).

Here are a few suggestions for when it comes to decorating. 1) Keep it simple  2) candles always add a really nice touch for both the setting and smell  3) Make your food/dishes part of the decorations. (For example, I have Pampered Chef Simple Additions bowls that I put peppermint scrapbook paper on to add just a little more to my theme) (a picture of this is on the left hand side of the above picture) 4) Don’t go overboard – most people aren't going to notice anyway.

Next comes food…the best part of a party! Start by determining who your guests are. Obviously, you wouldn’t have the same food at the Pirate Birthday Party as you would at a Ladies Cookie Exchange.

You also want to determine the time of day for your party in order to determine what kind of food to have. I’ve always wanted to do have a fondue party, so I decided on cheese and chocolate fondue. In my group of friends, no one expects me to provide all the food. Don’t feel like you have to either!

In this case, I provided the fondue and a few “dippers”, but also asked each guest to bring a “dipper” to share. It helped lighten my load and is a simple way for others to contribute.

Here are some pictures to show how the cookies were assembled. I also typed up all of the recipes from the exchange and distributed them to all who came.

Our evening was a great time of fellowship. Talking, food, no kids…what more could we ask for? Did it all go perfect? NO! It never does, but that's okay! My cheese fondue was gone before we knew it so I had to ran upstairs to find Velveeta. It worked fine and some even liked it better than the expensive cheese! The best part is spending time with your guests and watching them enjoy themselves at the party you’ve planned – always a treat!

Dana is a wife, mother of two active boys, and a registered nurse in the ER. In her *free* time she enjoys scrapbooking...and party planning!

After I brought my cookies home we shared them with the neighbors. Carter decorated a brown paper bag with a Christmas tree and I put the cookies in there along with our Christmas card.

Chicken Salad

This salad recipe is a variation from Grandma Mundy's Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe:

2 cans of shredded chicken
1/2 c. Mayo
3/4 c. Craisins
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 t. Lawry's
dash of celery salt

Mix together and serve over Mixed Baby Greens. I also like to top with fresh blackberries and wedges of clementines. Drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.

For Grandma Mundy's Recipe:
4 c. cubed chicken
1 c. Mayo
1 t. paprika
1 1/2 c. Craisins
1 c chopped celery
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. minced green bell pepper
1 c chopped pecans
1 t. Lawry's
black pepper to taste

Serve on croissants. This is a huge hit with everyone!

Safe at Home

This evening I was in the midst of baking when my little one came toddling in and was obviously in need of some extra attention. I sat down in the middle of the kitchen and just loved on him a bit and then proceeded to rock him and hold him on my lap as I hummed my new favorite song, Light of God to him. He soon fell asleep in my arms. Bless his little heart.

As I was sitting there, I was thinking how a little one can be anywhere and yet be at home in his Mommy’s arms. That little one is oblivious to the difficulties of life and frankly doesn’t care about those things because he is safe and secure. I could be in a totally foreign environment with him, but if he’s in my arms, he’s at home.

It’s so much like that with God our Father. Life can be so hard at times and yet, when I am in His arms, I’m at peace. I’m secure and I’m at home. No matter what “environment” I find myself in, whether it be sickness, tiredness, financial frustrations or unfulfilled desires, I am at home with my Father.

Psalm 116 has really impacted my life in an incredible way. Verse nine says, “And so I walk in the LORD's presence as I live here on earth!” No matter where I am, I am in God’s presence! This truth has really changed my perspective on life. He is with me day in and day out and as His name declares, He is Emmanuel! God with us!

I am humbled to think that a Holy God, Emmanuel would choose to dwell in a sinful soul like mine and be “God with me!” Not just around me or near me but with me! When I ponder the "less than desirable" things that are a part of my nature I give thanks to God that He chose to be in my life. And even when those "less than desirable things" rise to the surface He is not ashamed to know me. His love is unfailing.

I want to share the words to the first verse of Light of God. It’s not a Christmas song, but it does remind me of the incredible things that took place when Christ first came to earth.

Light of God, come dwell within Your people as intended from the dawn of time. Make Your goodness, echoed through creation, our desire, Joy of the Divine.


Refrain:
Holy Spirit, break through our darkness,
Holy Spirit, breathe through our lives.
Light of God, come radiant and glorious,
Perfect wisdom in this world today.

My love for God is increased when I sing songs like this or read things in His Word like these verses, “I love the LORD because he hears and answers my prayers.  Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!” Psalm 116:9
I pray that you will know Jesus, our Emmanuel, God with us.

Mia Bella Giveaway

I am always on the look-out for more healthy options for our home. I think it's best for our family and one of the things I have done is to stop burning candles in our home. Don't get me wrong...I love candles and the ambiance that comes with them. But our youngest has struggled with breathing issues since he was born and I have done my best to cut down on the irritants in our home. One of the quickest things I did was to stop burning candles that emit toxins in the air. However...

Recently I came across Mia Bella candles and was happy to find out that they use a blend of natural waxes that consists of Soy, Veggie or Bees wax. This allows for a significant reduction of residue making the candles virtually soot free! This means you will not have to wipe the sooty residue from the inside of the jar and less soot is being emitted into the air. The candles are also made with lead-free cotton wicks and the wax burns evenly.

Although Mia Bella does not advertise that their candles are specially made for people with allergies or sensitivities, those that have allergies will often buy only Mia Bella candles because the products do not bother them.



It's also great to know that if you accidentally spill one of these candles the wax cleans up easily with hot soapy water. :)

I also had the privilege of trying one of their Natural Bath Bars.  Each bar is 5 oz and can be used to shave and shampoo as well as cleanse the body. The bar won’t soften and dissolve like other soaps and will last 1 person 4-6 weeks. I love mine and it smells so good too!


For this Giveaway we will have TWO winners! You have the opportunity to win either a 16 oz jar candle or a Natural Bath Bar. To enter, go to www.supremescents.scent-team.com and choose your favorite product. Then come back and comment on this post telling me what it is. The drawing will end on Saturday, December 18 at 10 a.m. EST.

Also, as a special bonus, Dawn is offering a 10% discount for anyone (local) who would like to purchase from her stock for Christmas. Valid only December 14-17, 2010.

Basic H2 Giveaway

'Tis the season for Giveaways here on Purposeful Homemaking! I'm super excited to be doing so many giveaways and I'm sure you are too--congrats to all those who have won so far!

For my next giveaway, Bethany at www.healthyfamilyhappyhome.myshaklee.com  is offering a lucky winner a 16 oz bottle of Basic H2 Organic Cleaner which makes 216 bottles of all purpose cleaner! I tried a sample that she sent me and from one LITTLE sample I was able to make one bottle of all-purpose cleaner AND one bottle of window cleaner! I was very impressed at how far it stretched. I love that when I use it on Caleb's high chair I'm not putting toxins on his tray that he's going to "eat" up!



In case you're wondering why you might want to try this cleaning product check out the  top 10 Reasons to Love Basic H2:

1. Stop living in a toxic home


Some of the most questionable chemicals used regularly in household products are ammonia, chlorine bleach, phenol, butyl cellosolve, and formaldehyde—all of which can be found under your kitchen sink. Basic H2 is nontoxic and safe for your family.


2. Everything and the kitchen sink


Basic H2 cleans it all from kitchens and bathrooms to appliances, woodwork, mirrors, painted walls, and floors—it even does windows. So, toss those single-purpose cleaners like sink and tile cleaners. Mix ¼ teaspoon in 16 oz. of water in a Get Clean spray bottle for all purpose cleaning, and 2 drops in 16 oz. of water to clean windows.


3. Eliminate your ammonia-based window cleaner


Basic H2 cleans windows without streaking while being a great alternative to leading brands. Basic H2 window cleaner is equivalent in performance to Windex® Original.*


4. Removes the impossible


From lipstick on a linen napkin to crayons on a painted wall, full-strength Basic H2 comes to the rescue.


5. Great for cutting grease


Tough on greasy barbecue grills, ovens, and even oil spots on concrete. Mix 2 oz. per gallon of water for a superdegreaser formula.


6. Does odd jobs


One tablespoon of Basic H2 in a bucket of hot water lifts off old wallpaper. One and a half teaspoons in a half gallon cleans sticky paintbrushes. Just soak for 24 hours and rinse with hot tap water.


7. Saves money


One 16 oz. bottle of Basic H2 diluted per label directions makes 214 bottles (28 oz.) of ready-to-use all-purpose cleaner.


8. Camping and traveling companion


Take along a small size of Basic H2 to keep clothes, dishes, and everything else clean. And you’ll help by keeping the great outdoors unpolluted.


9. Easy on the planet


Biodegradable and environmentally friendly, Basic H2 handles even hard-to-clean jobs without phosphates, borates, nitrates, or other stuff the planet doesn’t appreciate.


10. Less in the landfill


Basic H2 is superconcentrated, so you’ll use fewer bottles of cleaning products throughout the year.

I'm sure you would love to win a bottle of this! So, what do you need to do to win? Simply go to Bethany's website and tell me what you would love to try. Then come back and leave a comment on this post. Be sure to leave your e-mail address like this: becky(at)purposefulhomemaking.com so I can contact if you if you won. :)

I will do the drawing on Saturday, December 18 at 10 a.m. EST.


10 Reasons to Love Basic H2®
*This performance comparison was conducted on June 6, 2006 and is valid only for the
named product marketed at that time. Trademark is the property of its respective owner.

"Don't Make Me Count to Three!" A Mom's Look at Heart-Oriented Discipline

Ginger Plowman does an excellent job of bringing the Scripture into child-rearing in her book, Don't Make Me Count to Three. As a Christian, I want to be training my children God's way. It's so easy to discipline our children the way we were raised, or by the latest fad or by what our friend's suggest. But, if it's not God's way we're not going to see true and lasting change in the hearts of our children.

Honestly, I wish I had read this book when my oldest was a baby. I think it would have helped me to curtail some behavior that now has become a habit. But, it's not too late to start on it now.
Here are some thoughts from the book:

"Moms, we need to be reminded of the awesome resposibility that God has given us. When we respond to the high calling of motherhood with passion, the rewards are far greater than any we could ever gain outside of that calling. The joys of motherhood are rare and beautiful treasures that can be easily missed if we don't seize the opportunity to grab them."

I wasn't too far into this book before I was on my knees before God in prayer asking for His help. Motherhood is hard, but doing it the right way is even harder! The good thing about doing it the right way is that God is on my side and He will give me the grace to accomplish what He has called me to do.

When reading this book I came across Philippians 1:9-10. It is a great prayer to pray for your children.  "I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowlege and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blemelss lives until Christ returns."

As I mentioned before, I feel Ginger does a great job of applying Scripture to the situations we all encounter daily with our children. Things like tattling, sharing, fighting and complaining usually crop up on a regular basis when you have children (and probably in our own lives too!) She is also very good at asking heart-probing questions and she gives plenty of scenarios to help you see how Scripture should be applied to different situations.

In chapter 2 she deals with "What Lies Within" the hearts of our children. "'Luke 6:45 says, 'The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.' The heart is the control center of life. Behavior is simply what alerts you to your child's need for correction. But don't make the mistake that so many parents make and allow your desire for changed behavior to replace your desire for a changed heart. If you can reach the heart, the behavior will take care of itself. Keep in mind that it is possible to cause your child to change his irritating behavior to that which is acceptable without an actual heart change taking place." 

That is why it's so important that we be praying for our children. It's easy to be satisfied when I see them acting the right way but if their motivation is for the praise or approval of others it's still wrong. This applies to my own life as well!

One great biblical model that she sets forth in this book is the "Put off, Put on" principle found in Ephesians 4:22-24. On pages 47-48 she discusses what she should do when a situation arises:

1) have the child work through what a biblical response would be
2) have the child follow through with it

If we don't do this it is not providing a "way of escape" for them the next time they're faced with that temptation. This will exasperate them and provoke them to anger. Any time I correct wrong behavior I need to walk my child through the right behavior. I know this can be very time consuming but "this is how we train our children to walk in the righteousness of Christ."

Ultimately we need God's grace as we seek to raise our children for His glory. They may not turn out the way that we want, but by God's grace we can trust Him for the outcome. Although we are far from perfect in our parenting, we can trust our God as we seek to do things according to Scripture. Ginger quoted Stormie Omartian as saying, "'Being a perfect parent doesn't matter. Being a praying parent does.'" How I pray that I would be faithful in praying for our children.

I hope this review is helpful to you. Personally, I took quite a few notes from this book and plan to use it as a reference. My goal is to be better at using God's Word in my parenting situations. By His grace, I will.

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This post may involve product that was received in exchange for a review or contain affiliate links for which I will earn compensation should you choose to make a purchase. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Thank you for your support of Purposeful Homemaking.