True Femininity; Outfit of the Day

I decided to start participating in True Femininity's Outfit of the Day.  If you've never stopped by Tiffany's blog, go check it out!  If you post your feminine, modest outfits, please drop me a link in the comments!

Earrings: gift
Shirt: Aeropostale, on sale 9.99 (tank top underneath, GAP)
Skirt: Union Bay (Goodwill)

Momma and Baby

One of my friends asked if Evangeline and I would like to participate in modeling their line of slings.  I don't have any professional photos of Evie and I, so I think I'll print one of her photographs and frame it! Isn't Evie-Rose super photogenic?

Encouragement and Advice for your Marriage

 I'm really blessed to have an awesome husband.  Over the last 9 years, I've seen amazing growth in him.  In 2006, God completely revived our marriage.  Actually, what He did was transform us both. We both became new creations in Christ!  Sometimes we look back and are amazed at who we were pre-2006. It feels like that was someone else- someone we knew, but not us.  And, in many ways, that is true.  We are no longer those people by the grace of God. Two-thousand-and-six marks the year of our rebirth. It was not only our rebirth as individuals in Christ, but our rebirth as a couple and as a family.  We began praying together as a couple, which extended to praying together as a family- pouring out our hearts together, sharing our desires and praising God in unity. We began reading our bible together, sharing our devotions with one another, and reaching out to others in the name of Christ.  I am completely blown away by how Christ can completely transform a marriage- one on the brink of divorce, marked by debilitating sin, and seemingly hopeless.  Jesus doesn't just put a bandaid on the situation. No! He has the power to completely transfigure a couple into a loving example of the gospel- a husband a wife team completely in love with each other and passionately living for Christ.

Here are some blog posts on the subject of marriage that I really enjoyed.  Check out my other blog, A Fighting Faith, for other great links to blog posts on the church, children, and unity.


Half-Baked Apologies Are Offensive - This short posts reveals how to properly apologize to your spouse (and this advice works for any apology). A half-hearted, sarcastic, "Sorry!" is not enough, folks!

The Danger of "Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"- Ever found yourself in that vicious cycle in your marriage where no one wants to make the first move to improve things? I can remember those first years of my marriage, once that honeymoon phased passed, when this back-scratching attitude was our marriage mindset.  I'll do for you as you do for me, but hey.. you need to go first.  This is the story of the gospel: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  He didn't wait around for us to "get it together" (because, hello, that is never going to happen apart from His intervention!). Christ acted first. Shouldn't we extend the same grace to our spouse?

Trigger Words of Grace- I love this point: "Who wins?  No one does – not in a marriage.  As partners for life we’re on the same team.  Shooting off fightin’ words only kills the life of our relationship.  So why do we do it?  Because it’s easier to let ‘em fly, than it is to restrain ourselves from grabbing the gun in the first place.  It takes great restraint to say “no” to the sudden impulse of striking back. It is helpful to remember what Christ has done for us.  He used great restraint allowing the Roman government to not only cast a guilty verdict on his guiltless life, but He allowed them to take it even farther – He let them crucify Him!  He had the power to call down lightning from Heaven and put a rightful end to this unrighteous death sentence.  But He didn’t.  Why?  He was compelled by love.  Love for His Father and love for us."
Control Yourself-  "Manipulation isn’t a fruit of the Spirit. Self-control is. If you can learn to be that unflappable rock in your marriage, keeping your composure in the face of conflict your marriage will be better. So, let’s grow up and be the rock in our marriage by practicing and developing self-control."  *Nods*

Have a blessed week, y'all!

Great Finds: Our Goodwill Score

I love a good deal. We're doing some remodeling (just cosmetic, simple stuff- no destroying walls since we are renting), so I'm on the look out for awesome thrifts- chairs, storage/organizational stuff, etc. Look what I found today:

I'm told this is a spice rack (it can be hung on a wall). I'm considering painting it.

I love this piece. Someone painted it, which... well, I think the original silver metal would have looked super cool, but I'll probably end up painting it a darker blue... when I get around to it. It's not really high up on the priority list with all the other like-to-do's we have. It's 5 feet tall and will be perfect for organizing all that clutter that ends up on kitchen bar (like mail, notes, and pens, for example).

Amazing Fathers

I'm super blessed. You see, I have a super amazing husband who happens to be a super amazing father. I know I'm a bit... strange, odd, quirky.... but my husband truly understands me. I'm not a mystery to him. And, know what? He loves me, even with all my weirdness.

He's a loving man of God who is constantly serving others, putting himself last.  He's strong and wise and smart and funny..... and I'm so glad we have four beautiful children to raise together!

And, know what he did on Father's Day?  He took the boys out to the backyard to sand off our dining chairs so I can repaint them!  Sweet, right? Like I said- always serving others!

You know who else is a wonderful father?  My dad!



This is an old shot from 2009, I think. :) But, he hasn't changed much. The kiddos sure have, though! :) Love you Daddy!

You sure are cute

Well, she is!

Cutie Pies

Earlier in the month, my brother's family went on vacation to Florida. They asked my niece, "If you could take one person with you, who would it be?" Her wish? To take her cousin, Merikalyn! So, two weeks ago, Chip and my niece, AJ, stopped in to pick up Merika.. and hang out and play for a while too!

I must say, I've fallen in love with his shorter 'do, although it took some getting used to!

My niece, Alexis is a cutie, isn't she?

My sweet Merikalyn is getting so big.  It's exciting and heartbreaking!

It won't be long and this little stinker will be Merika's age. Time passes too quickly!

Someone is ready for another bite... now!

Spoiled Rotten

If you live in America, you're spoiled.  Even if you're among the poor in the states, you're still incredibly spoiled compared to the 80% of humanity who lives on $10 a day.  You see, in the states, we have all sorts of programs and funds set up to help the poor- insurance, food stamps, housing, grants- but in other countries, that don't have such luxuries.

We've been blessed far beyond our "basic needs". We not only have clothing, but we have so much clothing our closets, dressers and laundry baskets are overflowing.  We not only have shelter, but we actually have houses with divided rooms for privacy.  We're so spoiled, we think that a four bedroom house is too small for a family of six.  We're so spoiled, we get our panties in a twist if someone messes up our burger (Ew! I asked for no mustard!) instead of being thankful for what's before us.  We're so spoiled, we get to have variety in what we wear, eat, and do where as in other countries, some people only have one or two things to wear and eat the same gruel every day!  We're SO spoiled that we get all in a tizzy when the electricity goes out for a couple hours or, woah, a couple days. Here in Texas, we complain about our A/C not keeping up when it creeps up to 76 F! Nevermind that a quarter of humanity lives without electricity.

We're so spoiled, we complain about running out of juice or soda and having to drink water.  Yes, folks, we're so spoiled, we can instantly have water with the twist of a knob, and we can soak in steamy hot baths daily and allow the water to run while we scrub our dishes or brush our teeth. Let me give you some statistics:

• Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.
• Almost two in three people lacking access to clean water survive on less than $2 a day, with one in three living on less than $1 a day.
• More than 660 million people without sanitation live on less than $2 a day, and more than 385 million on less than $1 a day.
  

Wow, right?

My husband has been fortunate enough to visit other countries where people live drastically different.   His best friend's grandparents live in South Africa in a mud hut.  They normally eat a cake made of grain and water.  He was able to go to Belize on a mission trip and rebuild a couple homes that were damaged.  These simple homes made from natural materials have one or two rooms and usually a basic outdoor cooking area.

The teachers in the schools say that some of their main needs for the children are paper and toothbrushes.

When I heard this, it pained my heart. Do you know how much paper my children doodle on and waste every day?  We think having loads of coloring books, construction paper, and notebooks are a right- but they are a luxury!

Let me say straight up- I am spoiled, and my children are spoiled.  We're working on our attitudes, though.  I'm learning to attack my greed, selfishness, and my gimme attitude with generosity.  Instead of being addicted to spending on ourselves, we're working towards becoming addicted to helping others.

There's just this nagging itch to spend sometimes.... and a lot of the time we don't even care what we spend it on, as long as we get something.  We're out and about and... Ooo, hey, a frappe sounds good. 

The other day, Nolyn and I had a conversation in the car that went something like this:
N: Hey Mom, where are we going?
M: The grocery store.
N: Can we stop at the donut place?
M: No, we don't need any sugar and, besides you already had breakfast.
N: Okay.  (pause).  Well, can we stop at McDonalds?
M: You already had breakfast, babe. You don't need anything else.
N: Yeah, but maybe after the grocery store?
M: Well, we'll have groceries, which means we'll have plenty to eat. It'd be silly to get McDonald's after buying a bunch of food, right?
N: Yeah, I guess. Well, can I get something from those machines at the front (coin machines)?
M: Did you bring your quarters?
N: No.
M: Well, I guess that's your answer.
.... Later, in the store.....
N: Hey Mom, can we get these cool paper plates?
M: Those are cool, but no, we can't get them. We have really cool reusable plates, remember?
N: Oh what about these straws?
M: We already have straws.
N: Look at these toys! Oh, can we have these toys? I'll be really good!
M: You definitely don't need any more toys. I think you just want to spend money!
N: No, I don't just want to spend money. I just want to get something!

See, we're bent towards getting, not giving.  We just want to get something- anything- most of us don't even care what it is, as long as it's something.  And then, we get something, and it's not enough.

How many times have you given your kids a special treat, and they not only forget to thank you, they're complaining and begging for something else seconds later! How frustrating is that!? (I'm sure God feels the same way about me sometimes!)

Personally, I think the key to dealing with spoiled attitudes (our own and our children's) is to put things in perspective.  Look at photos of how simply the majority of the world lives. Talk about money.  Help your children understand that money doesn't grow on trees. 

My children once believed that you "buy money" from the bank, so if we need money or want something, we can just go to the bank or use our special card (debit card) to get whatever we desire.  Kids need to have an understanding of money, and we need to start young.  Grocery shopping is a great teaching tool.  Explain your budget and go over the costs of things. Keep a paper, pen, and calculator nearby as your shop so you can add things up to give them an idea of much you are spending and how quickly you get to your limit. Show them what a "good deal" looks like and what poor prices are. (For example, we don't normally buy cereal that costs more than $3, and since we like Organic cereals, we have to watch out for great sales.  When our local store put our favorite cereal on sale for a dollar a box, we stocked up!)  Showing your children how you pinch pennies and watch for sales helps. Give them the weekly grocery ads from the newspaper or the mail and let them compare prices from different stores.

Start a donation jar... or two!  Talk about some of the wonderful ways we can help others with our finances, and encourage them to put spare change (or part of their allowance) into the jar.  Count it weekly to see how close you are to your goal.  Maybe you could sponsor a child and use the jar to work towards the monthly goal. (We sponsor a child through World Vision for $30 a month.)

My family is looking for ways to support a family in their adoption journey, so whenever I'm out and about and something catches my eye, I think, "Okay, so I could have that, or I could save the money and put it towards the adoption."  This mindset has really been powerful in helping me save. I keep up with their blog and watch the videos featuring the son they are adopting, and it strengthens me in my goal to save.  After all, what is more important?  That cute set of placemats or that little boy with down syndrome who could age out of the loving facility he is in and be placed in a cold, uncompassionate, and unfriendly environment where he doesn't get the opportunity to run, play, and laugh anymore?  Hmm, that sure puts it in perspective.

My daily prayer is that God would fill our family with an attitude of generosity.  It is truly my desire to be Christ-like in putting others needs before own, especially before my own wants.  And, I also pray that the more we give, the more He would bless us with so we would be able to give even more.

I know we live in a society that tells us to put ourselves first, but that's not what Christ teaches.  What if we all poured out our lives- our time, our effort, and our riches- to help others?  What if we truly were the hands and feet of Jesus?

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Who are you serving with your finances? What does your inner dialog about your finances say about you?  Be honest! 

The greatest way to counter our spoiled attitudes is to examine how God has so richly blessed us, and to truly look to Christ as an example.  Think of the One who had all the glorious riches of Heaven, who left His home on high and took on flesh- took on poverty- and died for our sins.   I often have to stop and examine myself- am I using my "riches" to glorify God? 

I may not be considered rich by American standards, but compared to the majority of the world, we are incredibly wealthy.  Most of us who live in America live in a little bubble.  We don't have a good worldview, and we definitely don't have a biblical one.

Discussing these things with the children really helps to put things in perspective for them.  I am about to implement a new fundraiser where they can earn money to donate by doing special chores.  I truly want us all to have a heart for giving generously instead of gaining selfishly.

Make Your Own: Fruit Smoothie

Fruit smoothies are a great on-the-go breakfast. You can also freeze them to make yummy smoothie pops. Ours are dairy free!

I have a bunch of frozen strawberries I need to use up to make room for other goodies in the freezer, so today's smoothie is super simple.  Frozen strawberries, a banana, a couple mint leaves, and apple juice (I used the whole bottle pictured there which is about 6-8 ounces).  Sometimes I toss in spinach leaves and other healthy vegetables which will be masked by the taste of fruit.

The kids love them, and you will too!

Make Your Own: Frappe

Save your money, make your own!
Here's what I do.

First, refrigerate your leftover coffee. I usually have a cup of coffee in the morning, so rather than let any of the rest go to waste, I store it in an Simply Lemonade bottle.

Now, get out your blender. Think about what you want to toss in.  I'm going to use coffee, milk, caramel, agave syrup and, of course, ice.

Poor in ice, 1/4 - 1/2 cup coffee, a splash of milk, several good squirts of Caramel, a good squirt or two of agave (you can use sugar instead).  Pulse a few times and then blend.  (I have a smoothie/iced drink setting, so I use that.)

Enjoy!

Tips:
- Add in a stale brownie or a cookie at the end and pulse a few times.
- Use chocolate syrup instead of caramel.
- Top with whipped cream
- Use flavored coffee
- Experiment!

Evangeline: 9 months

Better than Cinnamon Rolls Casserole

This is a recipe best prepared ahead of time.  It makes for a great Sunday morning breakfast. Prepare it Saturday night, let it rest in the fridge overnight, and pop it in the oven in the morning. 

Ingredients

8-10 slices of bread, cut into one inch pieces
Cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease 9x9 (or 8x8) inch casserole dish.  Layer 1/3 of the bread on the bottom, and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. Layer more in, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Do this until you are out of bread. 

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Mix together well (by hand).  Pour evenly over bread.  Cover with foil or saran wrap and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour (or overnight).

When you're ready, bake at 350 F for 25-35 minutes. (Every oven is different. I prefer ours "doughy", so I usually do it for 25 minutes.)

There are various ways to top this. Our favorite is with condensed milk (while hot) or cream cheese icing (again, while hot).  If you prefer dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with syrup or honey.  Serve with fresh fruit and enjoy!

What's in Your Diaper Bag

What's in your diaper bag?  If you post an entry, drop me a comment with the link!  If you post it to Facebook, tag Mandy Mom on FB!