Trick Or Treat?

My husband and I just got back from a trip out of town.  When we leave our girls, we always try to bring them a little something back.  This time, they got quite the gift.  I was in the airport in Cincinnati, and came upon these creepy candy treats-Scorpion Suckers!

I had to buy them. My girls love being grossed out, and I knew they would be fascinated by these suckers.  I knew it was a complete waste of money, since they wouldn't eat them, but that was all part of the plan! Quite a creative way to cut down the sugar, if I do say so myself.  How's that for tricking with a treat?  Sure enough, after all the squeeling and "ew, gross!" settled down, they bravely took a few licks and then decided to save them to "show their friends."  My youngest did lick enough for the scorpion tail to stick out the bottom.  Yuck!  Who thinks of these things, and what kind of mom actually buys them?!?:)

While we are on the subject of creepy candy, I have to share these Chocolate Human Skulls. (see what you can stumble upon when you read as many blogs as I do?)  These take it to a whole different level. They are made from molds cast from real human skulls, made available in your choice of chocolates, including "bone chocolate" "delicious blend of Belgian milk and white chocolates" resembling the color or freshly cleaned human bones.  That is just WRONG!  I will NOT be purchasing these.  So creepy!

A Priceless Gift

"Spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday." ~ Isaiah 58:10

Today I received one of the best gifts. Kathy, my mother-in-law, gave me what is called a One Girl Bracelet.  She bought it from Tiny Hands International, an awesome Christian non-profit organization who are committed to finding the greatest injustices in the world, and works toward relieving them however possible.  They are particularly called to orphans, street children, and the victims of the sex-trafficking industry.

My Uncle, Doug Dworak is on staff with Tiny Hands International as the director of Compassion Ministries. The love and dedication he and his wife, Shirley have for this ministry is pretty phenomenal, it has been a pleasure to watch and continue to learn what it looks like to have a heart that breaks for the oppressed, and one that is committed to serving God for His glory, no matter where it takes them.

This bracelet is extremely special to me. Not only because of who gave it to me, but also because of all it represents.  It was hand-crafted by a girl residing in Princess Home, a home for girls who have been victim to the Kathmandu sex industry. It is part of the One Girl initiative that Tiny Hands International has recently launched in their fight against sex trafficking in Nepal.  10,000 Nepali girls are trafficked each year into sexual slavery.  These girls are taken at a very young age. The average age is fourteen, though some are as young as six. (it makes my stomach churn to even imagine such an atrocity) Tiny Hands International believes that prayer will play a big part in the eradication of sex trafficking in Nepal, and I completely agree.

Here is part of an email that I received from Doug that tells more about why prayer is the key element in making a difference:

This, we have come to understand, is NOT a battle of flesh and blood but it's one that is being fought in the heavens.  Knowing this is a spiritual battle and a battle that will only be won as we intercede for these girls before the Throne of Grace we are asking each of you to consider becoming a partner with us in ONE GIRL.  

ONE GIRL is first and foremost an initiative of prayer.  It is our desire to raise up at least 10,000 men and women around the world that would commit to pray for one of these girls throughout the year.  For $10 per year you will receive a bracelet made by our girls of Princess Home, which is a home in Nepal for girls that have been trafficked, sexually abused or are vulnerable to sexual abuse.  The bracelet is made of black cord representing the darkness these girls find themselves in and a gold stone which represents God's light of hope.  It's provided to you as a reminder to pray!  In addition, your $10 contribution will go directly toward the interception or rescue of one girl this year!  For as little as $10 ONE GIRL can be intercepted and avoid the horrors of a life in the brothels which, in most cases, will result in their death.

Now can you see why it is such a special gift? Truly priceless. What a privilege it is to lift one of these precious girls up in prayer, and to know I am praying with other prayer warriors from all over the world. I marvel that a $10 gift can not only rescue a girl from a horrid life that I can't even imagine, but will also most likely, save her life, and give her an opportunity for rehabilitation.

What is Sex Trafficking and How Do Girls Get Sold?

Sex trafficking is the process of deceitfully transporting people across international borders for the purposes of sex work. It is important to note that in real cases of trafficking the girls do not know what they are getting into. And once they are in their destination country they are completely powerless to seek justice because they don't know the culture or speak the language. This creates a situation in which innocent girls can be ruthlessly exploited by those seeking pleasure or money at their expense. 

Nepali girls are most often tricked by traffickers offering high paying good jobs in India. Often traffickers will also "marry" the girls in order to traffic them, and then abandon them in a brothel. The trafficker will collect a fee from the madame in a brothel, and then the madame will tell the girl that she has been "sold" and she must pay back the price spent to traffic her before she is free. In most cases, this takes many years, and by the time the girl is allowed to leave the brothel, her youth and innocence have been spent, and she may have HIV. 


"The Day My God Died"

This movie deals with content only suitable for mature viewers. It is hard to watch, but a very powerful piece of truth that needs to be seen. Even if you only have 5 minutes, it is still worth watching. It is a feature-length documentary that presents the stories of young girls whose lives have been shattered by the child sex trade. They describe the day they were abducted from their village and sold into sexual servitude as, “The Day My God Died.”

The film provides actual footage from the brothels of Bombay, known even to tourists as “The Cages,” captured with “spy camera” technology. It weaves the stories of girls, and their stolen hopes and dreams, into an unforgettable examination of the growing plague of child sex slavery.
Read more about what Tiny Hands International is doing in this fight against Human Trafficking:

 Border Monitoring Stations

Rehabilitation/Princess Home

"Let us remember, what hurts the victim MOST is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander."

~Elie Weisel, Holocaust Survivor

Facebook Cause and Fan Page

Halloween Fun!

We have been having a ton of halloween fun here at the Bowman House.  My girls just  LOVE all things spooky, and have been creating all kinds of spooky fun.  I am not one who is creative enough to come up with a project, so I depend heavily on FamilyFun.com!  It doesn't matter what the season, the Family Fun website always has great, simple ideas.

Here are a few that we tried recently:

Salt Dough Ghosts and Paper Bag Trees
I can't believe we have never made anything with salt dough before!  It is a cup of flour, cup of salt and a half of a cup of water.  Mold into any shape and microwave until hardened!  So easy!  The plan was to just create ghosts, but my girls wanted to get more creative, which was great, it kept them busy the entire evening.  The paper bag tree is a cute idea, but all that twisting left my wrists tired, so we decided to make just one!  I think making mini trees with brown paper lunch bags would be much better for little fingers and wimpy wrists.

Apple Bites

Gotta have a snack in the middle of all this creepy craziness!  Apples and Almonds, can't get much healthier than that!

Paper Bag Gargoyles

These were so much fun!  My girls spent almost 2 hours at the table creating these, and every few minutes there would be a trio of giggles drifting from the dining room.  They just loved finding silly face parts to glue on to their bags.  Aren't they funny?

What would I do without Family Fun?  What did moms do without computers back in the day?  I am very thankful for ours, its kinda SCARY thinking about doing life without it!

BOO!

Fall Break Fun

My girls have a week off of school for fall break.  Today was the first day, and after chores were done this morning, it only took about an hour until I heard the words "Mom...I'm bored!" When I think of all the awesome things my sweet but spoiled girls have to keep them busy, I was pretty surprised to hear those words so soon into our break!

I know a list helps keep me focused and on track with the flow of my day, so I thought maybe it would help them, too.  I grabbed a pen and paper, called my girls into the living room and made them pop a squat on the living room floor right in front of my feet.  Then I asked them to help me make a list of all the fun things they can do to keep themselves busy during break.  They really got into it and we were able to come up with a whole bunch of fun stuff to do!  As we brain stormed, it was neat how they were able to think of things they have not done in awhile, like lincoln logs and making paper snowflakes.

When we were done, I copied the list onto a large piece of paper and hung it on our dining room wall.  I made a place for each of them to initial beside each idea, so they can keep track of what they have done.

They played with playdoh for the first time in a very long time today, it kept them quite busy!  They are all excited to wake up tomorrow and decide what they are going to do next. I think we were able to come up with enough things to make this fall break very fun!

Here is what we came up with:
Legos, Art, Twister Dance, Karaoke, Sidewalk Chalk, Play-Doh, Nintendo DSi, Pop Beads, Computer, Hullabaloo, Puzzibits, KEVA Planks, Pop Beads, Beads, Paper Snowflakes, Doll House, Babies, Dress-Up, Barbies, Marker Board(Dry Erase Board), Hullabaloo, Scooters/Bikes, Lincoln Logs, Sticks, Crossword Puzzles, Piano, Basketball, Hide n Seek, Sardines, Trace Cookie Cutters, Bake/Cook, Doctor/Nurse, Beauty Shop, Lite Brit, Puppets, Puzzles, Tea Party, Tinker Toy, School, Play Food, Coloring Pages, Polish Nails/Toes, Boochie, Life, Battleship, Circus Game, Drawing Game, Parcheesi, Visit Library, Play At Park, Go For A Hike!  Whew!

Is Your Bedroom A Retreat?

There is something about staying in a hotel that I love.  Yes, the fact that I am not the one to wash the sheets, make the bed, or take out the trash is pretty awesome, but it is more than that.  I LOVE the simplicity of it.  There is no clutter in a hotel room, and everything that exists in the room is well thought out and purposeful.  There is a chair to sit in to put my shoes on, there is a nightstand with a lamp and clock that are both bedside and easy to reach.  There is a drawer in the nightstand to house books and my Bible.  A pen and paper sitting ready for me when I need to jot something down.  The closet is small enough to hold only the bare minimum, which forces one to think through what is put in there.  There is an extra pillow and blanket in the closet, just in case.  A laundry bag for dirty clothes, an iron and ironing board to grab if needed and a trash can for waste.  All of these things are practical and useful and make our stay comfortable.

At home in our own room, I have most of the things mentioned above, minus the extra blanket, pillow, trash can, pen and paper.  I would have to walk downstairs for an extra pillow and blanket, to the bathroom for the trash can, and to my daughters room for a pen and paper.  That sounds like a bit too much walking for me, so I will add these items in my room when I get home!  Notice the thinking through process...I am constantly thinking about the most practical spot in my home for things, depending on how and where I use them.  I have to pause and think, "Is it worth having this item in more than one spot in the house?"  I try to avoid having the same item in two different places, as much as possible, for the sake of simplicity.  Before I add new items to any area, I stop and make sure it jives with the simplistic approach to life. So, do I really need a pen in my room?  How often would I need or use one?  The answer is quite often.  I love sitting on my bed and reading my Bible.  There are many times I want to underline what I am reading, but I have to get off my cozy bed to get a pen. Or, those times when I have my phone right by me  and I need a pen to jot down a phone message.  Yes, it is time to put a pen on my nightstand, in a pretty holder, within reach!

(Not our bedroom.  Thought I would keep ours a private retreat:))

 I have been very purposeful about keeping our bedroom clutter free and comfortable.  It is important to me that our bedroom is a room that we both want to be in, that is intimate, relaxing, comfortable, practical, and that feels like a retreat from the rest of the world.  There are a few things I have done to help create all those things. I did not spend a bunch of money, most things are just small touches here and there.

 Here are a few ways I created a retreat like feeling in our room:

-A good place to start is get rid of clutter!  I cannot relax when I am surrounded by stuff, and I do not want reminders of what I have not done staring at me while I am trying to retreat from life, trying to "spend time":) with my husband, or trying to sleep.
-Get rid of those piles of clothes.  Hang clothes up right away that are clean, have a place to put clothes that are dirty.
-Make sure everything you use regularly has a place.  Have a basket for the tv remote, a shelf, basket or drawer for books.
-Clear off open areas (like the top of a dresser) and keep them clear except for things that are important to you and belong there.  On my dresser, there are pictures of my kids that make me smile, a picture of Todd and I on our honeymoon, a few candles, and mirrored vases that reflect the candles which makes great ambience. (ohhh, this is getting a bit personal...moving on)
-Gender neutral, if there are two of you.  I made sure the decor in our room is not too feminine,  I am sure Todd appreciates this:)  Remember, if you are married, this is a place for both of you, so be careful how much pink and flowers you use.  Let your husband know by your decor that you care about how he feels in the room, too.
-Invest in quality bedding.  We couldn't afford the best sheets in the world, but I bought the best we could afford.  Our comforter is fluffy and soft, and we have enough pillows to prop us up in bed to read or watch t.v.
-Pillows!  Ahhh, pillows.  I love pillows.  I must confess this is an area where Todd has complained.  I got a bit carried away with decorative throw pillows,(ok, really carried away) and every night he would have to move a boatload of pillows to get into bed.  We are now down to moving just three, they add color and beauty to the bed and are not that big of a deal to move.  If I am in the room before my hubby, I try to remember to move them out of the way for him and pull his covers down.  I don't know if he notices this, but I know it is a small touch hotels do that I love, so I do it for him. 
-Music! This is something that is missing from our room.  I would love, love an ipod speaker dock that comes with a clock!  Maybe someday..:)  Relaxing music would be great to add atmosphere and ambience.

So as much as I love hotels, coming back home is always something I am ready for.  I love our home, and I am so very thankful that God has blessed us with a little retreat from the world that I get to take care of! (and yes, that includes being thankful to make the bed and wash the sheets!)

Smoothies- Green Smoothies

Don't be afraid!  They are super duper delish, and a great way to get a big chunk of your daily fruits and veggies in one drink!  In fact, if I have one of these smoothies in the morning, and make sure I eat a salad full of veggies with my dinner,  I know I have had ALL my fruits and veggies for the day.
I can't tell you how much energy I get from drinking green smoothies.  I really notice it when I am able to drink one a day for multiple days.  We have had to cut our grocery bill down a bit, so lately I have only made smoothies once or twice a week, and I consider them a treat. I love them!

 You have to admit, it really is a beautiful color, don't you think?
This one has fresh pineapple, frozen banana, frozen cantaloupe, grapes and strawberries, a whole peeled orange, spinach and water.  The fresh pineapple adds so much sweetness, the orange adds a little tang, and the spinach you can barely taste, if at all.

I follow the directions given on the blog Happy Foody.  This is a great video of  step by step instructions.

How To Make a Green Smoothie from Sara Janssen on Vimeo.


My girls get very excited when I am making these.  They especially love when I make popsicles out of them.  Its been so funny when their little friends come over to play and we pull out the green smoothies.  When in drink form, kids seem to get a bit freaked out, but when made into a popsicle, they just can't gobble them up fast enough and end up begging for more.  I guess they are used to seeing popsicles in bright colors??  My girls love them, and when I ask what my girls want for snack, I often get asked, "Mom, do you have all the stuff to make green smoothies?"  Ahh. I love hearing that question. What a great feeling to feed them super foods that they love!

Over The River And Through The Woods To Grandmothers House They Go!

Have you ever dumped the kiddos off on the grandparents and took yourselves a little trip?  We are super blessed to have wonderful grandparents who let us do this.  Once a year, my husband and I go out of town to a conference with his workplace.  When we do, I pack for the 2 of us in normal suitcases like normal people, but when it comes to my kids clothes,  I have found this system to be simple, easy and fast. I keep the clothes on hangers!  We hang most of our clothes except for jammies etc,  so their clothes are already on hangers in their closets.  I just have to grab the outfits and off we go!

For my younger 2, I like to wrap the hangers of each outfit together with a rubber band.  I also put little signs on them with their name and what day of the week to wear that particular outfit.  My youngest has a field trip to the pumpkin patch while we are gone, so I made sure the outfit for that day had layers because it will be a chilly, turning warmer in the afternoon, kind of day.  It also helps to keep them from grabbing their "pretty" outfits and wearing them to school instead of to church.  Having them labeled really helps keep them straight, and hopefully will help grandma when it comes to the girls getting dressed, without needing her guidance each morning.  This time I wrote little love notes on the back of the labels for them to read each day, they love sappy stuff like that!

As you can see, my oldest is too cool to have mom put together her outfits, so we just rubber banned her shirts together and her pants together.  She's already doing the typical female "I'll decide what to wear the day of, depending on what mood I am in" thing.  She's only 10!!  She is pretty good at the whole fashion thing, so it is easy to give her a bit more freedom than her sisters.

The rest of the packing is a breeze and they do it themselves for the most part.  They love lugging out their little suitcases, picking a special stuffed animal to take, and trying to sneak whatever they can into their suitcases without mom seeing. :)  I told them to make their stuff pretty so I could take a picture for the blog, it made me smile to see what they did, everything laid out just so.  They have been watching me take pictures of our life for this blog, and were pretty excited to be a part of that process. Too cute.

When it comes time to load the car and take it all over to grandmas, we just pile the hang up clothes into a laundry basket, and unload it right into the closet when we get there.  Easy Peesy!

Easy One Bowl Pumpkin Bread/Muffins

I found this great recipe at Kitchen Stewardship.

I have made it TWICE this week and I really love it.   It is a "dump all ingredients into one bowl in no certain order and stir" recipe, so it takes minutes to whip up.  It is super moist, makes the house smell like fall, and fills up little tummy's when they need a snack.  Another great thing about this recipe is that it has a few different options to make the original recipe healthier.  Love that!

Easy One Bowl Pumpkin Bread/Muffins

1 ½ c. sugar                                        ½ t. cinnamon
2 eggs                                                     ½ t. nutmeg
¼ t. baking powder                           1 2/3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda                                  ½ c. oil
¾ t. salt                                                ½ c. cold water
½ t. cloves                                          1 c. pumpkin (about half a 15 oz can)

Mix all ingredients together.  Put in greased loaf pan or muffin tin.  Bake at 325 degrees.

• Bread (one loaf) = 75-90 minutes
• 12 Muffins = 45 minutes
• 24 Mini muffins = 25 minutes

Cost:  about $1.50 !!!  

Get this...I was at my neighborhood natural market this weekend and they were selling freshly baked pumpkin bread for $7.99 a loaf!  That's just craziness!!  They were skimpy little loaves, too.  I walked away smiling to myself, thinking about how I can go home and whip up a generous loaf of my own pumpkin bread that would be just as healthy as theirs!

To make my loaves healthier, I cut the sugar down to a cup, and used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2/3 cup unbleached white flour.  Next time I will try honey instead of sugar and applesauce instead of oil.  I also want to add some dried cranberries (got that idea from those crazy $7.00 loaves at my market:))

Easy Ways to Make It Healthy:

1. Level one: decrease the sugar by 1/4 or even 1/2 cup (1 c. sugar total)
2. Level two:  use half whole wheat flour
3. Level three:  make the “oil” melted butter or applesauce

One Bowl Pumpkin Muffins Healthy Remake

3/4 cup honey                                        ½ t. cinnamon
2 eggs                                                     ½ t. nutmeg
¼ t. baking powder                           1 2/3 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda                                  ½ c. melted butter or coconut oil
¾ t. salt                                                1/4 c. cold water
½ t. cloves                                          1 c. pumpkin (about half a 15 oz can)
1 Tbs molasses

Baking Change:Only bake muffins for 30 minutes – honey browns faster!

Both recipes call for only a half a can of pumpkin.  I wondered what to do with the other half, until I saw how quickly my family ate up the first loaf.  I made a second loaf the very next day.  You could double the recipe and freeze a loaf.  I knew we would be home quite a bit this weekend and I love to have something yummy baking in the oven, so I made the loaves on separate days.

 Oh, one more thing...make sure your spices are not dated and tired.  I could not believe the difference in my 2 loaves, the first one I made with spices I know have been in my cupboard since last fall, and although the texture was awesome, I wondered, "if the spices were happy, would taste any different?"  For the second loaf, I went to my market where they sell spices in bulk (you can help yourself to whatever amount you need and they charge you by weight).  DO THIS IF YOU CAN, the second loaf was AMAZING!  I love the buy spices in bulk option.  Lately, I have been buying a small amount for whatever recipes I am going to make in the next week or two.  I did this for 2 recipes that I make all the time, chili and chicken curry,  and both recipes tasted like they had a makeover, when all I did was buy super fresh spices.  It is very economical, and so very worth it!!

Fall Decorating

I finally got my fall decorations out this week.  I have been looking forward to digging the bin out of the attic closet and seeing what goodies were waiting for me.  Here is a picture of what was inside, boy it looks like a lot!  Don't know if I can call it simple, but it was pretty easy to place things around the house, and I didn't feel like I had to use everything, and got rid of stuff that didn't excite me

Fall decorating really can be done quite frugally.  It really just takes a few touches.  Even just a couple little pumpkins sitting around gives a festive feel. I did not buy a thing this year, over the 13 years we have been married, I have accumulated quite a bit, so I didn't need to add more.  As much as I love the look of real pumpkins and gourds, it kills me just to have them sit there and get soft and thrown away after the season, so I didn't buy any.

Here are some picture of what I did with that table- full of fall

This is my sunroom.  It is fun to put seasonal decorations out there to greet my guests when they visit.

Notice the basket of pine cones.  Pine cones are a great way to decorate fugally.  I use them during the fall and keep them out for Christmas. I know people here in Nebraska who can just go right out to their own yard to gather pine cones.  Now that's cheap!

These pictures are all of my living room.  Just little fall touches here and there.  That leaf candy dish is from a dollar store, I like to fill it with nuts when guests are here.  You can find sprigs of fall berries

quite inexpensive at craft stores, they add a lot and keep year after year.

Throw pillows and magazines are two of my favorite ways to bring touches of the season into my home. This chair did have a red pillow with yellow circles on in, but it was just too bright and summery, so it got packed up with some other red touches I had in the living room, and replaced with this fall looking one instead. Magazines are great, use them to decorate!!  I love, love, love the cover of the Martha Stewart Living magazine this month!

On to the dining room. I didn't get a picture of our dining room table, but it is a central location in our home, so  I always have a seasonal candle sitting on my table during the fall and winter months.

  We have one lit almost nightly, I even light them during the day when

I am the only one home!  I love candles!

Kitchen-I don't do much decorating here.  I like my kitchen simple and clutter free, so just a few fun things here and there.

Lastly, you just can't forget the bathroom!  This is another room I like to keep pretty simple (who wants to clean around a bunch of chotskies?)  This is another place I always have a candle burning when guest are over, and um, the back of the, um, 'throne' is a great place for potpourri and deodorizing spray.  This spray smells like Red Delicious Apples.  I hope it still smells delicious,

 it has been packed away since last fall!:)

So there you have it.  Simple fall decor...  a pumpkin here, some pine cones there, a couple of throws and pillows, a magazine or two, candles and...VOILA!  FALL!  It really did help warm up the feeling of my home, and compared to past years, I kept it pretty minimal.  Happy Fall!

Relating

I love browsing blogs.  People are so interesting!  I truly don't know what I would do without Google Reader to keep them all straight!

There have been a couple times when I have stumbled upon a blog, and immediately feel at one with the post writers' brain.  One such blog is UnMuted. There are multiple writers for this blog, which is super cool, because the one thing they have in common is their love for God.  Here and here are couple  of the posts I like very much!
Here is another post from a different blog, Awesome God, Ordinary Girl, that I still think about at times, and I found it last february!

It happened to me again, today.  This time it was on a blog I have never read before called CJane Enjoy It.  I clicked on a link recommendation, and the first post that came up gripped me.  I could relate to so much of what she was saying.  I didn't have time to explore her more, (I've been sitting at this desk way too long already today, laundry is calling my name) but I am happy I found this one post, as it articulates how I have been feeling lately.  Here it is:


On a walk this morning I ran into my neighbor Lucinda. I love Lucinda because she skips small talk and just serves the meat. This morning as we strolled by she asked me how I was feeling. After I responded, she went into a thoughtful expedition about the female journey.

"There is a point where a girl becomes a woman." She said. A point where a woman becomes a female warrior. Where her life is no longer a game, it is a genuine battle. Not to survive only, but to survive and be strong.

The thought swallowed me.

Because lately I've wondered about myself. Where has my youth gone? Suddenly, I don't feel the charms of my twenties, or even earlier thirties. Something inside of me has fundamentally changed when I didn't even know it. But I feel it.

I find myself wanting to fight. Fight for simplicity. Fight for truth. Fight for a daily thirty-minute nap/ quiet time. Because if I don't fight, things get complicated. They get confusing. I don't get a nap. Fear camouflages faith and things get really messy . . . unless I fight.

I think I must be transitioning over the threshold, because I still find myself embarrassed for what I lack. My jokes were funnier, I was clever-er, my ability to keep it all together was intact . . . back then. But now I am in that awkward stage where I am not secure in becoming WOMAN, although there She is, ready to hand me a sword to cut through crap.

Crappy ideas, crappy expectations, crappy use of time or money or resources, crappy things I want (really, really want) but certainly don't need, crappy behavior, crappy situations I put myself into, crappy doubts.

And here is the mashed potatoes to go with Lucinda's meat: when I hear women say "I used to be this or that" or "My brain has gone to mush because . . ." because they've had babies, or because they've devoted their lives to other people, or because they've crossed the line of girl to woman, I always think It won't happen to me. Please, don't let it happen to me. But I see now how it happens. Big dreams seem too distracting, physical energy turns into spiritual examination, gray hairs appear. You change, dang it, you just do.

But perhaps it is all in the wording:

My ability to be clever has turned itself into an ability to be wise.

I have trained my brain to assess the needs of others before my own.

My charm comes from not feeling pressure to be charming.

I prefer the simple life. The life I have now.

And I know I won't always have to fight. At some point it will be in my nature to be a secure, confidant woman without the battle cry. Today though, I like to feel the weapon in my hands, ready to unleash it upon all stupidity.

As for the threshold, I wonder. For me, it isn't pregnancy, or having a baby, or near-death experiences of loved ones (though I am sure they push). It has been a quiet, God-guided transition that I've underappreciated. Until today.



Good, huh?  I love it when someone else puts my thoughts into words so I don't have to!:)

Centered

I'm feeling off-kilter. 

I know the solution to this problem, and that solution is time with God.  

He centers me.  My thoughts go all askew, He brings them back to truth.

For this to happen, I need time with Him. Reading His message, listening and talking to Him, knowing Him.  Like any relationship, little time together creates distance.  In this relationship, however, there is only one who chooses distance, never God, only me.  Time with Him is sweet.  Why do I let life and self distract?  

I let emotions distract. I am a feeler.  I have to work hard not to rely on my emotions and accept them as truth.  I have to compare what I am feeling with His truth.  My emotions are  beautiful when He is in my spotlight.  They lead me astray if not.

I am intuitive.  It is something lovely God did when He created me, but when I am caught up in my world, intuition deceives.  What I think is truth and what really is, are different.  Selfishness distorts what should be lovely.

I love the Bible- His word to me.  Its grounds me.  It reveals.  It gives me sweet fellowship with my dearest friend. It takes the crazy kaleidoscope of life and creates beauty.  It reminds me who I am and who He is.  It whispers gently, words that restore my essence, inflate my spirit, give me life.  It helps me to push pause on worry, and shows me what is outside my circle- the things I am not responsible for and cannot change. It spotlights what I can and should change in myself, and then reassures me that I am wholly loved, never alone, and fully whole.

It centers me, it makes Him my center.  

I read it, then I look through life's kaleidoscope and it is lovely.

Lyrics

you're the sweet dreams that soothe me

when i cant fall asleep
you're the field
in the middle of the city
when i'm rushing by
at the speed of light

 you're the strong resolution
when I find no peace
you're the church bells a ringing
in the evening
when all is quiet
your whisper comfort
lift my heart
i get so weak

 Chorus: (x2)
oh you're lovely lovely
you're the center of my universe
(my universe)
a thousand times
i look around me and I find

 you're the soft words that touch me
when i just can't speak
you're the breeze on the ocean
in the morning
reminding me
to greet the day

 you're the flowers i remember
seeing in italy

colors through

a golden haze,

bright and radiant

soft and fragrant

in the noon day sun,

it makes me sing.

 Chorus: (x2)

 i understand
 there may be grief
and there may be pain
but i am aware
you blind the darkness
with who you are
because

Chorus (x2)

Fall Makes Me Happy

Ahhh, I love fall.  I love burning candles, making chili, wearing big comfy hoodie sweatshirts, hearing leaves crunch under foot and seeing leaves fall from the sky.  I love getting out my super soft thick socks, pulling out puzzles to work on as a family, getting out my gourds and pumpkins, adding throw blankets to chairs and sofas, and finding any excuse to hibernate at home!

Here is one more thing to add to my list of why I love fall.  Check out these awesome pumpkin hair clips!! When I saw these clips (made by my very talented friend, Miriam) on Etsy, I fell in love.  Can you just see little girls running around with these clips in their hair?  How cute would they be swooping bangs out of the eyes or at the end of little fall braids?  Oh, way too cute!

Miriam is uber creative. She's an awesome "guatemama" whose taste I love. These Calabaza (pumpkin in Spanish) Clips are her latest design.  She actually hand carved the stamp! Here is the description from her shop:

"This hair clip features a hand stamped pumpkin (calabaza in Spanish) and three layers of yummy wool blend felt. Embellishments are then embroidered onto the pumpkin. Each hair clip is hand stitched and hand cut. This hair clip features a stamp that I hand carved myself! A snap clip is sewn securely inside. The image is hand stamped on to fabric and heat set for permanency". 

 Neat, huh? So unique! Here is another fall design of hers, (couldn't you just EAT her model?) and there are more, so check out her Etsy shop here  

Etsy is a place to buy and sell all things handmade (click here for more info).  It is a really great site! I did some browsing and got completely overwhelmed by all the awesome homemade stuff.  I was VERY happy to find that they have a blog on the site.  For me, the blog makes it less overwhelming because they do Artist Spotlights, reviews, how-to's, lists events, etc.  It also allows Guest Curators come and pick out their favorites.  The key for me was to find someone's favorites whose style match mine, and dig through their links, which enabled me to find lots of fun stuff to drool on my computer desk over.  I'm sure as I find more time to browse I will be sharing my favorite finds with you!

Makes Me Happy-- Under-The-Cabinet Music Player

I find a lot of joy in cooking and baking, but I pretty much despise doing the dishes, that is, until I bought an amazing item that should be in every woman's kitchen.  AN UNDER- THE- CABINET MUSIC PLAYER!  Oh yeah, its the bomb. (I have this one..Sony Under-Cabinet Kitchen ICF-CDK50 CD/Clock Radio (Silver)
  Its up out of the way, it has a clock that makes a great little night light, a timer (so handy when I have the oven timer going and need another, for naughty girl time- outs!),  a radio and cd player.  Oh, can't forget my favorite feature, it has a little holder and adapter for my ipod!   Isn't that GREAT?  Makes me happy, which reminds me that we use it often to play happy songs on those grumpy mornings, when the breakfast table is full of grumps.  I also use it most nights as a signal that the evening is slowing down and bedtime is approaching, by turning lights low and playing chill music.
As Christmas is approaching, I find myself starting to think of gift ideas.  If you have parents or grandparents who are hard to buy for, this would be a great gift. Not the most inexpensive one, but hey, it would knock 2 people off your list and make them happy! I got the idea from a girlfriend (Keeli!) who was tossing around good gift ideas with me last Christmas. Notice I bought one for myself instead of getting one for someone else:) If you really wanted to go all out, they even have them with dvd players and a tv screen that swivels!!  This is great for little ones who are under foot while cooking.  Grab a little stool, stick in some Blues Clues, and problem solved! (yes, I am suggesting using Blue to babysit, ya gotta get dinner made somehow, right?)
So there it is.  An under-the-cabinet music player.  Makes me happy!!

Simple 5 Minute Tomato Sauce

I love, love, love this recipe.  I found it at the beginning of summer, and have been making it every week.
I do not miss the over- priced, way too sweet, pre-made jar sauces AT ALL! I love that this is not much more work then opening a jar, but makes the house smell like I have been cooking all day!
I found the recipe here at 101 Cookbooks.  She writes an excellent post about this simple sauce.  She explains that this is not the sauce you are looking for if you are wanting a meat-filled hearty sauce.  This is a fresh, light, pure tomato sauce, and IT IS GOOD!   I usually buy whole -grain pasta because it is full of fiber, protein and iron,(the brand I used in the pictures below has 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber in a 2oz size serving) which is very important when eating a meat free meal, and it keeps my family full much longer then the white stuff. There is nothing worse than kids begging for food a half hour after dinner! Ugh!  My BIGGEST pet peeve is when I am just finishing up the dinner dishes and I have little ones asking for food because they are HUNGRY!
I use this recipe when we make homemade pizza, it is so fresh and yummy. I grew herbs this summer and the pizza we made with fresh mozzarella and this sauce and shreds of fresh basil....mmm... to die for! I have also made pasta dishes with this sauce and added a splash of heavy cream at the end with some some peas and parmesean cheese, and turned it into a whole different, super creamy, luxurious dish.

The last time I made this sauce, I accidently bought a can of diced tomatoes, so that is why I got out the hand blender, my family does not like chunks! I make a few other changes to the recipe.   I go easy on the red pepper flakes, as my girls don't like spicy.  If I have lemons on hand, I'll use them, but if I don't I'll add a splash of lemon juice from the bottle, it is amazing how just a touch of acid really brightens up the flavor. If I do use zest, I find the zest of a whole lemon is a bit too much lemon flavor for me, so I half it.  I also add about a Tbls of sugar if my tomatoes are too tangy. Depending on how much water the tomatoes have in them, you may need to simmer the sauce down a bit if it looks a little watery, which turns the 5 minute sauce into a 10 minute sauce- no big deal.
I make sure I keep an eye out for canned, crushed tomatoes on sale and stock up when they are.  As she says in the recipe below, the brand of tomatoes is VERY important.  There is a huge difference in taste, so go for the good brands.  I think the same goes for the olive oil, buy the best you can afford, the more expensive italian brands are so worth the extra money because they are sweet and have no after taste.
Give this sauce a try!  It may become your go- to, always- have- the- ingredients- on- hand, simple meal as it is ours!

           Five Minute Tomato Sauce

I'm very particular about the tomatoes I use in this sauce. Look for canned crushed tomatoes, some cans you will come across will say "with added puree" - this is also fine. I avoid diced tomatoes, pass on pureed, and skip whole tomatoes as well. Avoid the crushed tomatoes with added herbs, seasonings, etc. You want pure crushed tomatoes if possible. I also look for organic crushed tomatoes which can be tricky, I often come across the Muir Glen brand, it has added basil in it - that one is actually fine. The San Marzano crushed tomatoes are great as well. Any leftover sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for three or four days.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed red tomatoes
zest of one lemon

Combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat, saute just 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant - you don't want the garlic to brown. Stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer, this takes just a couple minutes. Remove from heat and carefully take a taste (you don't want to burn your tongue)...If the sauce needs more salt add it now. Stir in the lemon zest reserving a bit to sprinkle on top of your pasta.

Makes about a quart of tomato sauce.