Making Our Homes Like Heaven in 2011-Week 13

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Well, we made it through March and the Spring Cleaning Challenge!  I hope you are beginning to find some order in your home.  For April we’re going to focus on ourselves.  I firmly believe that if you don’t take care of Momma, the house isn’t taken care of either!  So, with Easter upon us it is a good time to focus on the people God wants us to be.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness, yes, but you have to be clean in your body, inside and out too

So, for this first week of April:

1. Deep Clean your bathroom.  It’s hard to feel clean when you bathe in a messy or disorganized bathroom!
2. Go through your underwear drawer (yes I said underwear LOL) and throw out anything that isn’t fitting right, or doesn’t make you feel pretty.  I’m talking about those granny panties ladies!
3. If you don’t have any facial cleansing routine get one.  If you do, do an extra step of a mud mask or deep moisturizing treatment and make it a habit to wash your face daily.
4. Get some nice body lotion and perfume and put it on.
5. Go through your bath towels and get rid of the ones that are worn and no longer soft.

That’s it!  Hope you enjoy this week’s tasks!

Wordless Wednesday- Quiet Walk

GratiTuesday-Home

I’ve been reminded this week of how lucky I am to have a home.  I don’t mean the physical house, although I am lucky to have that too.  I mean a place that my heart feels at home.  And that place is with my husband and my children.  It really doesn’t matter where we are, where we live, what we’re doing.  I’m at home when I’m with them.  I know not everyone has this.  Not everyone has somewhere that their heart feels at home.  Some people are still searching. 

God’s Grace and Mercy is all about not giving us what we deserve.  Praise God for that!  My friend put on her facebook page the other day that she didn’t know what she did to deserve her life.  I told her praise God we don’t get what we deserve!  I certainly don’t deserve the richness of the blessing of my husband and my children.  I am a sinful person just like everyone else, but am continually transformed by the love of the people around me.

Today I am most grateful that my heart has a home.  A home with God first, who graciously gave me my husband and children to call home.

This post is linked to Heavenly Homemaker for GratiTuesday.

Menu Monday-3/27

This week on Weight Watchers I’ve struggled.  I’ve stayed within my points range (including the weekly points), but haven’t see a loss.  I’m trying to stay positive and not get too frustrated.  As I look over my food journal the only thing I can see is that I haven’t consistently eaten my fruits and veggies, and I’ve eaten mostly fruits and not veggies in that department.  I’ve got to incorporate more veggies in.  It is something I have struggled with all of my adult life.  Often when I get to this point I give up and resolve that I am destined to be overweight- WHAT.EVER……  But, I’m working to not let that mentality set in this time.  I’m going to purpose to add in more veggies this week and see where that takes me. 

With that:

Monday:  Breakfast for Dinner (Probably a bag of Jimmy Dean Skillets), Fruit Smoothies

Tuesday:  Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread

Wednesday:  Snack Dinner

Thursday:  Fish Tacos

Friday:  Southwest Chicken Salad

Saturday:  Stuffed Burgers , Layered Salad

Sunday:  Pizza

Here’s to a veggie filled week- may it energize you to meet the tasks that the road presents to you!

Supper Sunday- Inside Out Nachos

Inside Out Nachos!
Serves 1, WW Points + 6 points

This is a favorite around here for lunch.  I even sent it with my son to school yesterday and he said they were pretty good cold too

Ingredients:
2 Corn Tortillas
1 oz shredded cheese (I like to mix cheddar and mozzarella)
1/2 oz taco meat
Salsa for dipping
About 1 TBS oil in pan

Directions:
Heat oil in pan over Med-High Heat.  Place tortilla in pan and sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese, then meat, then rest of cheese.  Place 2nd tortilla on top of this.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until bottom shell is crisp and holds it’s form for flipping.  Flip tortilla quesadilla style and cook other tortilla until crisp as well.  When both tortillas are crisp, remove from pan and sprinkle with salt.  Cut into wedges and allow to cool for a minute or two.  Serve with Salsa for dipping

Singing Saturday- Blessed Assurance

Going a little old school today….  The old Hymns hold so much history and power, there is nothing that beats an old hymn…..

 

Blessed Assurance-

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of his Spirit, washed in his blood
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
Perfect submission, perfect delight
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love
Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blessed
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with his goodness, lost in his love

Family Time Friday-Fun Online

I have been a Swag Bucks user for about a year now, and I love it!  It costs nothing, but you earn stuff by doing searches!  I know, sounds too good to be true, but really, it isn’t.  I spent a good chunk of money on Amazon.com that I earned through Swag Bucks for Christmas, and I’m busy earning more gift cards to use this year as well. 

If you’re not a member, you should really sign up.    But, in addition to that, you can create a spoof to give your friends and family a laugh.  SO much fun!  I needed to give my husband a smile, so I created one for him.  Then, that turned out so cute I created them for my 2 older sons too   You have to be a member of Swag Bucks to do it, but again, it’s FREE!

Here’s one I just created about myself to show you:  Homeschool

Funny, huh?

You should totally check it out and sign up!

Making Our Homes Like Heaven in 2011-Week 12

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Alrighty- we’re almost through our Spring Cleaning Challenge!  Last week we worked on a project we’d been putting off and washed our windows.

This week the task is to detail out your vehicles   While we’re out driving around we don’t want to be driving in a big garbage can on wheels, right?  So, put some elbow grease in and REALLY clean out those cars!  Wipe down all of the surfaces, wash it, vacuum, buy a car freshener .

And, walk around your house and check all of your window screens.  Are there any that need replacing?  Repairing and/or replacing window screens is really quite easy and much more inexpensive than having someone do it for you.  You can also make your own solar screens for not a whole lot of money and that will save you money in the summer months   I’ve made all of our screens on our house- if I can do it anyone can!

Here are two sites that might help you:

• Do It Yourself
• Monkey See

Let me know if you have any questions!  I’d be happy to help out! 

Have a great week!

Wordless Wednesday- Prayer Garden

GratiTuesday- Living Life For God!

“Summing up:  Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble.  that goes for all of you, no exceptions.  No retaliation.  No sharp-tongued sarcasm.  Instead bless-that’s your job, to bless- you’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.  Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here’s what you do:  Say nothing evil or hurtful; snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth.  God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; but he turns his back on those who do evil things.” 1 Peter 3:8-12 Msg

Do you know people who live this way?  I think I’m surrounded by people like this.  What a blessing it is.  I don’t go to church on Sunday, I’m part of a church.  And, I’m not just talking about my church.  I’m talking about THE church- Christianity.  I have friends and family who are not believers, and I wouldn’t trade them- they are very very special to me.  But, in all honesty they don’t offer the same support to me as the church does.  My fellow believers, my inner core of friends and family.  The church is what keeps me holy.  I don’t believe you have to attend a church to live a Christian life, but I do believe it is a very important part of Christian life.  So many times the church has reminded me of what I have in Christ.  Reminded me of how blessed I am.  Reminded me I’m not alone.  Reminded me of my purpose.  And so often the church inspires me to do more.  The more involved in church and Bible Study I am the more I want to do for God.  The more I want to do for God, the more I’m blessed.  The more I’m blessed, the more I’m humbled.  The more I’m humbled, the more at peace I become. 

And that is the greatest gift:  Peace. 

I mean true peace.  I don’t have to be scared anymore.  I don’t have to worry anymore.  I don’t have to stress anymore.  Do I?  Yes, of course!  But not nearly as often and not nearly as much, and, when I do- it’s because I chose to, not because I had to.

Being a slave to Christ is the free-est lifestyle you’ll ever find.

Do bad things happen to Christians?  Yes, of course!  We’re still part of this life and part of this crazy world!  And, sometimes bad things happen because evil is present, and sometimes bad things happen because we’re being refined. So, what makes it different?  It’s the peace!  And the love of other Christians, speaking the truth in love when you don’t want to hear it, hold you up when you can not stand, reminding you of the gifts you have when you can not see them.

We are inspired to love because HE first loved us.  Not through condemnation, but through conviction.

I’ve had some “stuff” over the past couple of weeks, some that, in the past, when I didn’t have Christ as the center of my life, but as a sidekick, may have crippled me.  Or, may have shaken me.  But GOD .  And, in the midst of it all- the greatest gift of all- we’re getting ready to finalize our adoptions!  Know who has supported us through this entire foster journey more than anyone?  The Church.  Know who’s idea this whole adventure was?  God’s.  Guess what?  HIS plan is ALWAYS better!  Is there pain along the way?  Yep.  Do we lose people we love?  Yep.  Are we blessed beyond our wildest dreams in ways on we and HE can see?  Yep!

So, go out today and bless people around you.  Bless your friends.  Bless your neighbor.  Bless your enemy.  You never know what sort of an impact it can have on your own life, and theirs.

This post is linked to Heavenly Homemaker and Time Warp Wife.

Menu Monday-3/21

This week on Weight Watchers I struggled with getting in enough fruits and vegetables.  I need to find some more ways to eat them, because I’m not a big salad person.  Well, when I have a salad at a restaurant I usually really like it, but I’m not usually in the mood for a salad that I made.    So, if you have any ideas, I’d love that!  I’d also love it if you would link up your favorite recipe at the bottom of this post in the comments section.  I need some inspiration! 

So, here’s what’s on the menu around here this week:

Monday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup (I never made it last week)

Tuesday:  Pancakes and Fruit Smoothies

Wednesday:  Beef Stroganoff, Green Beans

Thursday:  Mexican Beans and Rice Casserole

Friday:  Pizza Night

Saturday:  Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Sunday:  Snack Dinner

Supper Sunday-How I Cook Eggs

Ok, this may sound very strange to you, but to some of you it might not.  Scrambled eggs are a very nutritious and yummy breakfast, but if they’re not cooked properly they can really set your day in the wrong direction.  My husband says I make the best eggs he’s ever eaten, and I take that as a compliment, considering I know how well his mom cooks! 

I learned to cook eggs from my Grandma Bettie and she was absolutely the best cook I’ve ever known   I really miss my Grandma

Anyway, here it is:

I do not scramble my eggs before putting them in the pan.  I do it in just this order:  I place a small pan (big enough for the eggs, but as small as possible) over med-low heat.  This is the key.  I then add about a tablespoon of butter for 2-3 eggs and let it melt down.  Then I crack my eggs directly into the pan and use a rubbler spoonula (I use my Pampered Chef mix and scrape) to move the eggs around.  I stir them gently as they begin to cook to combine the whites and yellows.  I sprinkle salt and pepper over them and then I begin to scrape the edges into the middle as they harden.  I continue to do this until the eggs are still a little wet, and turn the heat off just before they look done.  They continue to cook after the heat turns off, so this is the key to not having rubbery eggs   If I’m adding cheese I add it in about half way through cooking time.

There you have it.  Now go make some eggs for breakfast!

Singing Saturday- I Need More

This song is very appropriate for the season of Lent in my opinion.  This should be the way we start our day… Telling God we need more…… of Him…

I Need More-Shekinah Glory Singers

I Need More Of You
Yes I do
I need more of you
Whatever I need to do
To get to you
I’ll Do

I Need More-
I need more of you
yes I really do
I need more of you
Whatever I need to do to get to you
I’ll Do

I need more of you
I need more of you
Whatever I need to do to get to you
I’ll Do

I need more of you
Life gets hard sometimes Lord
I need more of you
Whatever I need to do to get to you
I’ll do

I need more of you
More of your patience Lord
I need more of you
Longsuffering Lord
So, Whatever I need to do to get to you
I’ll Do

I need More of you
I wanna look like you Jesus
I need more of you
Say what you would say, do what you would do
Whatever I need to do to get to you
I’ll do

I need more of you
I stand in your presence Lord
I need more of you
Naked and not ashamed
So Whatever I need to do to get to you
I’ll do

I need more of you
I wanna be better Lord
I need more of you
show me what you want me to do…..

Family Time Friday- Drive In

This week I took my older boys and some of their friends to the Drive In Theater.  It was so much fun!  We go at least once a year, but honestly I don’t know why we don’t go more often.  The kids could run around and do whatever they wanted and we could just relax.  Remember when we were kids and we’d go to to the Drive In and we’d pile as many people as possible into our car because it was only like $5 a car load?  Well, it’s not that cheap anymore, but still VERY cheap for a fun night out.  The Drive In we went to is only $5 a person and that gets you in for the night and they show 2 movies.  We brought snacks that we bought earlier in the day, so once we paid the $5 a person we were in!  We have run through Little Caesar’s before too, but we didn’t this time, we just ate dinner first.    I will tell you, we saw Battle LA which the teenage boys really liked, and some of the kids saw I Am Number Four for the second film (they didn’t really like it) and some of us saw Just Go With It for the second one, and it was REALLY funny  

Anyway, as I was out with my older kids I decided we need to go to the Drive In more often.  Especially since my husband was one of the many police officers to take a huge pay cut this last week, we need something cheap to do!  I’m thinking every month or two we need to head out there.

Drive In’s are coming back all over, you can easily do a quick search of the internet to find a theater near you!

Making Our Homes Like Heaven in 2011- Week 11

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Ok, last week we were tasked with cleaning out our garages and storage areas, along with working in our yards.  This month we are working on a Spring Clean Challenge. 

This week the Spring Clean Challenge is to choose a project around your house that you’ve been putting off.  You know, the one you REALLY don’t want to do?  Yeah… THAT one!  Make a plan and get it done this week

Part II of this week’s challenge- WINDOWS~!  Clean the inside and outsides of all of your windows in your house this week.  We want to be able to see the beautiful sunshine!

That’s it! Have a great week!

Wordless Wednesday- Laziest Dog Ever!