Feed on
Posts
Comments

Daniel Fast

Jan 2nd, 2012 by

Happy New Year!  David and I have both had this sense that God is going to grow us, shape us, stretch us, and use us in big ways this year.  A friend of ours suggested we do the Daniel Fast to start the New Year, as a way to draw closer to our Lord.  I have never been interested in fasting in the past, but this time it seemed like it was something that my body, soul, and spirit was longing  to do.  After much discussion and prayer, we decided to do this as a family and aim for doing it the whole month of January!

The Daniel Fast is a Biblical fast based on the life of Daniel.  Daniel ate only foods that came from seed (we discern the current  options as fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, unleavened bread) and drank only water. No caffeine, sugar, alcohol.

To prepare for the fast, I looked online at daniel-fast.com, bought her book, studied the menu plans and recipes, stripped the kitchen of all non-Daniel fast foods, and cooked up a bunch of beans on New Years Eve.

I have never cooked dried beans before, but decided I should start, since we will be eating a ton of beans this month.  The idea of opening canned beans all the time was not appealing.  When I priced dried beans vs. canned, I was pleasantly surprised at the incredible savings.  Dried costs about 66% less!

True, it does take more time and effort to cook dried beans, but friends have told me about pressure cookers.  If beans will continue to be a part of our future, I will definitely need to get one!

Beans soaking…

So, today is the first day.  I am doing a juice fast for the first 10 days.  Fed David and the boys muesli for breakast, brown rice and veggies for lunch, and veggie chili with salad for dinner.  They also snacked on fruit and carrots.

We read a devotional that talked about ‘Firstfruits’.  In the Old Testament, people would give their ‘firstfruits’, their best offering, to the priest.  We don’t really do that today, at least not in a ceremonial way like they did back then.  I mean, we do tithe, but do we really, really, offer our firstfruits to our Creator and Savior?

I have spent the day pondering this.  Do I give my best to my Lord?

Firstfruits in finances?

Firstfruits in time?

Firstfruits in thoughts?

Firstfruits in deeds?

Firstfruits.

Posted in MISC. | Comments Off

Some Boy Time

Jan 2nd, 2012 by

We decided to have a little belated birthday party for ‘A’ and asked two of his buddies to join us to see the movie, ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked’.

We were a little early for the movie, and decided to walk along the trail next to the theater, (the same trail I run.)

They were very happy to have their own snack packs.  I loved listening to their giggles throughout the movie.

 

Posted in MISC. | Comments Off

A Couple of ideas I Don’t Want to Forget

Dec 31st, 2011 by

1) Write a few sentences at the end of each month to capture the highlights of that month.  At the end of the year, you will have your Christmas letter!

2) hmmmm…I forgot the second one….darn.  Well if it’s meant to come back to me it will…

Posted in MISC. | Comments Off

So Fun

Dec 30th, 2011 by

My friend, Liann, has used the boys as ‘models’ for one of her Facebook ad campaigns…

Posted in MISC. | Comments Off

Wall Organization

Dec 30th, 2011 by

Here are a couple of items I recently made to help with home management.  One is a prayer board, one a menu board, and one for lesson plans.  Frames with decorative paper.  Use a dry erase marker to write.  I have dry erase markers that have an eraser on the lid.

 

Posted in ORGANIZE | Comments Off

Sunrise Prayer

Dec 30th, 2011 by

I was blessed to share an early morning with three of my precious friends, Shanti, Tina, and Eun.  We spent a morning in prayer and watched the sun rise on Shanti’s lovely farm.  We reflected on our past year and talked about the relational, spiritual, and physical goals we have for 2012.  It was a beautiful, blessed morning.

This is the neighbor horse who enjoyed our attention.  Next time…apples and carrots…

 

Posted in MISC. | Comments Off

Checklist: Stocking the Medicine Cabinet

Dec 30th, 2011 by

Make sure you are aware of the appropriate dosage for your children, or have a children’s version of the medication.

Store all items in the master bathroom medicine chest and dispense as needed to the family.  You might be able to trust your children, but there is no need to stress over having medication in the kid’s bathroom while their friends visit.  A call to Poison Control would be a real bummer of a playdate…

Depending on how your bathroom is designed, these items can either be placed in the medicine chest, or have their own dedicated drawer.  If space is limited, these items can also be stored in a plastic covered bin below the sink.  If there are young ones in the house, make sure these are out of reach, and/or secured in some way.

Remove all items from the medicine chest, wipe down the shelves, and put back items listed below, or make a list of the items you need:

  • Aspirin or other Headache/Pain Remedy
  • Tums or other Antacid
  • Allergy Relief Medication
  • Band Aids
  • Cold/Flu Remedy
  • Diarrhea Remedy (Pepto Bismol or something similar)
  • Gentle Laxative
  • Antibiotic Ointment (We use Neosporin)
  • Sore Throat Remedy
  • Sunscreen of varying SPFs.  We have a range of 15-50.
  • Thermometer
  • Tweezers for splinters
  • Ace Bandage
  • Cotton Balls
  • Ear Swabs

All grooming items (dental, cosmetic, shaving, skin care),  should have their own place, in their own drawers.  It is ideal to compartmentalize and/or contain these items as well.

Posted in ORGANIZE | Comments Off

Checklist: Guest Bed and Bath

Dec 30th, 2011 by

Everything you need to create a welcome environment for your friends and family:

BEDROOM
Guest Bedroom Furniture: Bed, Nightstands, Lamps, Dresser
Decorative art on walls
2 Sets of Bedding
Pillows
Alarm Clock
Extra Blanket and Pillow
Hangers
Wastebasket
Reading Light
Magazine/Reading Material
House Key with Important Phone Numbers
Water Bottles
Drinking Glasses
Fresh Flowers
Snacks (fruit, chocolate, cookies)
Bathroom Towels

BATHROOM
Washcloths
Toilet Paper
Tissues
Hand Soap
Body Wash
Hair Dryer
Nightlight Shampoo and Conditioner
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Feminine Products
Razors
Shaving Cream
Cotton Balls
Emery Board/Manicure Kit
Hand Cream
Tylenol/Aspirin
Tums or Similar
Pepto Bismol
Cough Lozenges
First Aid Kit

Posted in ORGANIZE | Comments Off

Spring Cleaning

Dec 30th, 2011 by

I always assumed that spring cleaning was just a matter of  bumping up my regular cleaning routine, a little more thorough, doing everything within a limited time frame.  However, after receiving an email from the Martha Stewart website, I learned that  there is much more to spring cleaning than I thought!  You can visit their site for more info (they actually show you how to do everything correctly), but here are the basics:

  • Clean all windows
  • Dust Lightbulbs
  • Wash Blinds
  • Create a Stain Fighting Kit
  • Update Bed Linens
  • Change the Direction of Your Ceiling Fans- counterclockwise during warm weather; clockwise during cold
  • Place surface protectors under all furniture on wooden floors
  • Deep clean the refrigerator
  • Stock homekeeping kit
  • Deep clean carpets and rugs
  • Clean Curtains
  • Replace batteries in smoke detectors

Posted in ORGANIZE | Comments Off

Clean the Car Interior with the Kids in 15 Minutes!

Dec 30th, 2011 by

Here’s what we do for a quick clean of the car’s interior:

Supplies: Garbage bag, plastic bin, window wipes, all purpose cleaning wipes, hand vacuum.

We set the timer for 15 minutes and race ourselves!

1) Toss everything in the bin that needs to go back into the house.  Remove the bin from the car and set aside.

2) Throw away all garbage into the garbage bag.  Make sure you check all the cup holders, kids car seat crevices, seat pockets.  Remove from car and set aside.

3)  Wipe down all the cup holders, including the ones in the kids car seat, with all purpose wipes. (Our van has 16!!)

4) Wipe down the interior windows…all of them, with window wipes.

5)Wipe down the console, dashboard, steering wheel, with all purpose wipes.

6) Vacuum mats, seats, and flooring.  (This is a light sweep over the van.  Otherwise, we need a little more time.)

Posted in ORGANIZE | Comments Off

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »