FREE GIVEAWAY!! August 27, 2008

Becoming a Woman of Purpose by Cynthia Heald

It is time for another free giveaway!  I think that as women we all struggle for purpose in our lives … the book states, “All of us wonder, at one time or another, who we are and why we’re here.”  If you are interested in finding out, just answer one of the questions below by commenting on this post.  This giveaway will end on Tuesday, September 3, and I will announce the winner on the 4th.

How have you found purpose in life? or What makes you feel fulfilled in life? or What struggles do you have in finding purpose? 

Lots to think about, I know!  The ones who answer one of the questions above will be entered into a random drawing for the book … happy commenting!  

Swiffers, Seasons & Surprises August 26, 2008

Yesterday I had a little surprise, but I want to give you a little background first.  I was expecting company, and my kitchen floor was a mess.  I proceeded to get out my Swiffer mop, and I found that I did not have the right kind of refills … yikes!  I even had refills for a different kind of Swiffer, but I did not have the Swiffer it went with b/c it became a playtoy (meaning my kids played with it and eventually broke it).  I actually hand mopped (how ancient is that?!?! ) my kitchen floor, but I was not ready to tackle the job for the rest of the hardwood first floor. 

I did vacuum, and then I noticed that the floor vents were GROSS!  How do you clean those, anyway?  One of them I was able to pop off, and I found the following … a bee, pine needles (hello, it is August!), a leaf and a flower petal … what a perfect representation of the 4 seasons … in my vent!!! Lovely .

Anyway, the floor still had some gross spots that really needed to be mopped, and then the doorbell rang.  It was my kids bringing the mail in.  I received a box, and I had no clue what was in it.  Can you guess what it was??!?!  A SWIFFER complete with MOPPING PADS!!! I was astonished at how the Lord could take such a little problem that I had and answer my dilemma when I did not even think about asking Him to bring a Swiffer to my door.  Simply amazing.  I had signed up for a free Swiffer a couple of weeks ago, and I had totally forgotten about it.  I do not think that it was a coincidence that it arrived yesterday … on the exact day that I needed it.

I am thankful for God who gives us even the little blessings and surprises … at just the right time!

What about you?  Do you have any stories of God’s faithfulness that others could have viewed as “coincidence”?

Idea Center ~ What to do with old greeting cards? August 25, 2008

We all have a stash of cards somewhere.

Do you have a creative way to display cards?  Does your family still have cards that your grandfather gave your grandmother, and they have been kept in a creative way?  Did you have a new baby, and you made a memento for him/her out of cards they received?  If you have any suggestions, you can either e-mail me (jennifer.prince@odal-inc.com), or you can just comment on this post.

I have searched the internet and read portions of books, and I am looking for fresh, new ideas.  Thank you so much … I know there are creative ideas out there!

Free Giveaway Winner August 24, 2008

Thank you SO much to all of you who responded for the free giveaway!   As a reward, I actually e-mailed out insanely great discount coupons to all who responded b/c it really was hard to pick a winner.  There were moms with miscarriages, newlyweds, newly adoptive moms, and lots of women who identified with my post on “transparency”.  Thank you for all of the encouraging words!

Here is the winning inspiring comment from Renee.

“I really identified with your ‘Transparency’ post. My first child had colic and I had PPD. It took me so long to truly bond with her. I loved her because I was her mother and I knew I should, but there was a huge part of me that resented her for changing my life in ways I never could have imagined. Motherhood, at that time, was not at all what I expected, and it wasn’t until I joined a Mothers’ Center that I realized that for many moms, reality is much different than the expectations. Since so many moms are away from their family support systems, I think mom’s groups are life-savers. I know I have become a much better mom … a much more confident mom due to the support I have had from the moms I have met. I truly wish all moms could find the support I have been able to. I am so happy to say, also, that I am as bonded with my daughter as you could possibly be now … in fact, she will be heading to Kindergarten, and my heart is breaking. She is truly my best little buddy, and sending her off to the unknown is so nerve-wracking … and yet, I feel like I will learn a whole new side of her as she embarks on her new journey. *tears, tears*

Thanks for posts like the Transparency one … all moms need to know that they aren’t alone in their feelings … that we all have moments where we question our abilities and feel alone or lacking. There’s nothing worse than feeling isolated and alone.”

Thanks again everyone, and thank you, Renee … I wish you the best!

Friday Focus ~ Flexibility August 22, 2008

Sometimes 24 hours is just not enough!

This week I am starting my first “Friday Focus”.  Many blogs I have seen have a day where they consistently post something … I have seen Wacky Wednesday, Thrifty Thursday and Frugal Friday.  Today, I felt compelled to post what I learned this week, hence the start of Friday Focus.  I want to share something with you each week that I have learned, struggled with, or reevaluated in my life.

As I began to reflect on this past week, I became greatly discouraged.  I had great plans of organizing a ton of things, exercising each day, getting up early to read my Bible and pray each day, and check a bunch of “to do”s off of my list.  I was not unrealistic in my expectations in the least, but then life “happened”.

My kids started school this past Monday, and I always look at each new year as a fresh start … a chance to have a clean slate and form new and better habits.  I even took it so far as to make a daily schedule so that I knew what to focus on at what times (to be sure I got things done).  I could not wait to be the Christian woman (devoting time to reading and prayer), wife (pleasing my husband by having the house straight and organized) and mother (getting everything done while the kids were at school so that I could completely focus on them when they got home).  I had a great plan to honor God in my own ways.

Nothing stellar happened this week that caused me to not get things done, nothing tragic in the least.  It was just a combination of things … not feeling well, getting NO sleep one night b/c the Starbucks guy gave me regular instead of decaf (I kept thinking about the fact that he was probably sleeping while I was up tossing and turning! ), helping out a few friends who needed me (much more important that what I had on my agenda) and being available when my husband had a morning free and wanted to spend time with me (how sweet! we actually ran errands, which accomplished some things, but still … time together! ).

Truly, I think that my nonproductive week was Satan’s attempt to discourage me … it worked, until I realized that he was the source of my crazy week.  I wanted to get started off on the right foot and do all that I could to fulfill my roles in life … why WOULDN’T he want to throw my week off course?!?!  If he could get me on the path of discouragement to the mindset of “why bother” to try, then I would be back into my old habits of muddling through my week instead of having a plan of attack.

I learned to be flexible this week.  Take life as it comes.  Be willing to go with a new plan when needed, and NOT beat myself up (emotionally, not physically! ) about it.  I am looking forward to next week … same plan, different week.  Hopefully it will turn out as hoped.  Have a great weekend!

Decisions, Decisions … Schooling August 21, 2008

My kiddos going to Kindergarten, 2nd and 4th grades on August 18th.

As parents (moms especially), I think we labor under guilt from the beginning.  (Okay no pun intended on the labor part ).  For example …

Epidural or Natural Birth?

Breast or Bottle Feeding?

Schedule or Feed on Demand?

Homeschool, Public School, Private School, Boarding School (truly kidding about the last one, but there have been those days … !)?

Decisions, decisions.  Sometimes the best choice is just to make a decision instead of making yourself crazy if there are two good options.  Will your child survive on breastmilk or formula?  Yes!  Will the baby come out regardless of whether you have an epidural or go drug free?  Hopefully so !  

My most recent struggle was based on schooling.  My husband and I did not really wrestle with public schooling since we always said that we would send our kids to a Christian school, and if there was not a Christian school around, we would homeschool.  Great plan!  Then, I truly wanted to homeschool, so that was what I did last year.  This year my kids are in school.  Hmmm … let me delve deeper.

When my oldest daughter went from half day kindergarten into full day first grade, I really wrestled with her being away from me.  Why?  Well, I had both a 3 and 1 year old at home.  I felt like I was rushing her off to school in the morning, and by the time she got home from school in the afternoon, there was none of me left for her.  I was spent.  I began to feel guilty b/c although she was at school, I was still caring for two other little ones that took all of my energy.

I wanted to try homeschooling, but my husband was not quite ready.  So, after MUCH coaxing and evaluating, he agreed that we could try it for a year.  I was SO excited to try.  I made plans for the year to do lots of craft projects and go on many field trips so that my children could have the full experience of being at home.  I had a great curriculum (www.veritaspress.com … I really do recommend their classical education), and I was set.

I began the year, but as the year wore on, I realized that just muddling through my first year of homeschooling was taking all of my time and energy.  We did not go on field trips or do many projects at all, which was a great disappointment for me.  I also struggled with the fact that the kids were with me ALL of the time, so I did not feel like teacher or mom.  They never had all of me, and I was grumpy at them a lot b/c I needed a mental break.

Let me stop there, and say that I am not saying that homeschooling is not good … I just want to be transparent and say that I am telling you my struggles.  I will get to the positives in a minute .

I also saw the relationship between my husband and I suffer some.  When he came home, I was so ready for a break from the kids that I practically tossed them at him … well, not really, but almost .  After MUCH prayer, consideration, pro/con list making and talking it out, we decided that the best thing for our family was to put the kids back in school this year.

I do have to say that was one of the toughest decisions we (or I should say “I” b/c it was very clear to my black/white husband whereas I see lots of gray) have made.  Literally, we wrestled with it for so long that it was almost all that we talked about, and we decided that either choice was a good one.  Our Christian school is excellent with teachers who are very godly influences and a sound education.  Homeschooling was wonderful because it kept us on top of our kids and helped me to know what their strengths and weaknesses are (GREAT plus to homeschooling).

All of that being said, the first day of school was very bittersweet for me.  I was excited for them to experience school again in the classroom environment, but I was also sad that our little era of homeschooling had come to an end.  My little home “classroom” is bare, and I miss the little feet that shuffled around the house all day.

I take comfort in the fact that we made the best choice for us.  I have many friends who homeschool, and it truly gave me a greater respect and understanding of what they go through on a day to day basis.  I am also slightly envious that they still have their little ones home with them.  For those of you who are homeschooling, I wish you a great year and lots of time to plan and have fun experiences with your children.  For those who are sending the little ones off to school, I hope that you take advantage of the time they are gone so that you can be “mommy” when you are with them (I still need to work on that one!). 

No matter what decision you make (have made, or will make in the future), the most important thing is that you teach your children to love God and raise them for His honor and glory (so that they can serve Him someday).  Take care, and happy beginning of school .

Wedding … AHOY! Part Deux August 20, 2008

It was a beautiful day for a wedding!

So many of you have asked about the wedding … thank you for keeping me on top of things (I had almost forgotten to post an update since I have started my reorganization projects ).  I am very happy to report that our sailing adventure (my cousin got married on a windjammer in Maine … there were about 60 people on the boat) was gifted with a perfect day.  Not too hot, not too cold and NO rain, although we packed our ponchos just in case.  Congratulations to Debbie and Dennis, and thank you for a fun day of sailing !

Here is a link to my original post http://jennlynnprin.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/wedding-ahoy/ .

Book Review #2 Follow Up ~ My Kitchen August 20, 2008

My cabinet after purging and reorganizing ... it feels great to have more space!

Okay, I guess you can tell from the time between posts that I was determined to fix my cookbook problem ! Of course, it was not a time consuming project, but it still took some thought to sort through my 14 years worth of recipe guides.

I did have a hard time parting with some, but here is what I did (the “got rid of” ones are going into my yard sale stash for September) …

1.  I got rid of most cookbooks that were too specific (vegetables, cookies, muffins … etc.).  I did keep one on chicken and another on cookies (I had 3 on cookies, so I only kept one).

2.  I eliminated my Taste of Home magazines.  This was HARD to do, and I still receive the magazine, yet I knew I would be excited about future issues and not look through old ones.  I am going to create a recipe folder to put new recipes in that I try and like from future magazines.

3.  I purged any that I considered to be “old” (some have ingredients, such as “kitchen bouquet” that I have never seen or heard of).

4.  I took out any that I have never used b/c I probably never will.

All of that left me with a nice stack of books.  My cookbooks are on the left, and I have a small stash of “kitchen wisdom” type of books on the left.  My ziploc baggie contains recipes that I need to put in a folder … most are ones that I either printed off of the internet and liked or ones that I have requested from others b/c I tried and liked the recipes.

Maybe this will give you a little bit of inspiration to do some purging yourself.  I even went through some other cabinets and got rid of some other things I was not using (I probably need to do more! ).  I do feel better b/c I actually have two empty shelves in my kitchen cabinet now (and that was even with moving my antique “Oven Serve” into the cabinet … yippee !) I also need to add that 4 of the books actually came from my kitchen counter. I was able to move them up into the cabinet … aaahhh!  Until next time … .

Organization – Restoring Order Book Review #2 August 20, 2008

My kitchen cabinet ... the first organizational step in my kitchen clean out!

Now that I am partly through Restoring Order to Your Home, I am even more encouraged to organize!  After diagnosing my problem (see post #1 for the first part of this review), I am now ready to conquer some areas that truly need my help.

Vicki goes through the “public” areas of the house to help.  She includes the kitchen, living room, dining room, family room and playroom and gives EXCELLENT ideas on organizing those areas.  Frankly, I do not have a formal dining or living room to change, but she suggests that you can repurpose those areas.  I actually have already done that (yay, a step in the right direction! ).  I used to have a more “formal” (otherwise known as not used) eating area, so I decided to turn it into our main eating area.  Vicki suggests that you can use an unused (or even little used) dining and/or living room for another purpose … an office?  a play area?  a studio?  You name it … it is your home!

I was greatly encouraged to abandon my “scoop and shove” bins to conquer my kitchen.  Hmmm … great idea!  I have SO many unused appliances, do-dads (many of which I purchased from nice kitchen companies, but I do not use them … for some of them I do not even have a clue what their purpose is! ).  My first order of business is my cookbooks.  They take up an entire shelf (plus a stack on top of the books themselves … that is where I keep shoving my cooking magazines), and I really do not use most of them.  Many I am saving “just in case”, but with the internet, I can pull up a great recipe quickly.  The great thing about the internet is that many recipes have variations and reviews, so I can pick ones that truly work.

So, I have included a “before” photo of my cookbooks … oh, and if any look interesting and they are not shown in my “after” photo (to come when I am finished) you can probably purchase them at my yard sale on September 13 … ha ha!

FREE GIVEAWAY! August 19, 2008

The Hadley Mother's Bracelet

Call me crazy, but www.moneysavingmom.com has inspired me to do a FREE GIVEAWAY for a mother’s bracelet.  Check out my jewelry site at www.baublemarket.com, and look under “Mother’s and Birthstone” to get a full description of the Hadley Bracelet.

It is made using Swarovski crystals and sterling silver, and it can showcase up to 16 birthstones … how perfect for yourself or a gift for another.  Post a comment on this post about one of my other posts (and how it inspired you! ), and I will pick the comment that inspires me the most … that will be our winner!  It is a $38 value, so post those comments!

The contest ends on the 23rd of August at midnight Eastern Time, and I will post the winner on Sunday.  Thank you!