Encouragement For The Week

I don't recall now whether the ironing was always finished early in the week, whether we had pie or cake for desert, whether the dusting was done each day, or whether Mother canned five or five hundred quarts of fruit, but I do remember that she took "time out" to play with us.

Nebraska.
July 1937.

The Farmer's wife 1930's Sampler Quilt
Laurie Aaron Hind

Our Favorite Craft and Art Supplies

A few of our tried and true favorite simple and easy (not messy, no prep) craft and art supplies.  These are the things I say "Go do..." when I hear "I'm bored".

Chunkies Paint Sticks

I've mentioned this before-so fun to use, like glue sticks but glide on with color-no stickiness or mess.  We have given these as gifts several times and they are hits!

 

All Media Art Case

Great inexpensive art case-I bought one each for Patrick and Janey and they use them all the time.  (And so do I.)

Paper Cutter

This has always been a favorite (you can see how old and beat up it is) and is NOT for little fingers, but as soon as kids can learn to be careful, they will spend hours cutting book marks and all sorts of things.  For $7.99 it is worth the time of occupation it buys!  I've only had to replace the blades once.

Word and Pictures Pad

For stories and illustrations.

The Kids Awesome Activity Book

Fun activity books.  

This is Janey's (7) and she loves it.

Doodle Pad

These are smaller (6x9) so perfect for toting around to soccer games and football games etc..

Patrick keeps one next to his bed.

Paint by Sticker

Mentioned these a dozen times but love them.

Table and Chairs Set

My parents gave me a little set of chairs and a table when Isaac was young two decades ago and we have used that set into the ground.  They seem to contain more than an easel and have a multiple of uses.  (I garbage picked another table because Janey needs extra space for her "work".)

7 Rules

Life is good, even when it doesn't go our way, or is difficult or has obstacles you'd least expect to have.  No one chooses hardships-but I have found that those who don't experience them aren't very deep people.  In other words, the hardships in life make you-they make you real, just like the Velveteen rabbit story.  They make you compassionate and happier, and more content, and more empathetic and easier to talk to and more genuine and loving and forgiving.  And they do that by putting you through hell first and when you walk through that, one tiny baby step at a time, you become.

Gratitude is always the way out of darkness.  Noticing the littlest things and being so so grateful for them-sparkling eyes of children and the smell of babies, and gorgeous nature everywhere and to taste and smell and see and hear and walk and talk-if we can do any of those things, we are lucky.  We are all lucky to be alive experiencing life, there are many people who would trade a day with us.

Ordinary Days

My favorite month-September.  Quiet days, and fluttering leaves and brilliant sun, and cool mornings.  What is there not to love?  (Allergies?)

This is Ohio in September-beautiful!  (Thanks for the photo Jillian.)

From my garden.

I love this place.

Aren't these grocery store roses gorgeous?   Why don't brides just buy these and cut them and put them in pretty vintage containers and call it a day for a billion less than they usually spend?  (Why didn't I?)

Lots of birthdays around here.

Apple pie instruction class.

It was DELICIOUS.

This is SO SO true.  Why does everyone ask me where things are before they even look?  

Encouragement For The Week

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!  

I say, let your affairs be as two or three, 

and not a hundred or a thousand instead of a million count half a dozen, 

and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.  

~Henry David Thoreau

Favorite Things

Some of my favorite things:

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

I've been using this lately on my face and it's wonderful.  The jar is huge and lasts forever and it's only $12.10! It feels like a much much more expensive moisturizer.  (I also use my favorite oil.)

Pizza Cutter Wheel

Our pizza cutter broke and I bought this one instead and love it.  It would be ideal for cutting up little bits for babies to eat if you don't do baby food (which I hardly ever did.) . I use it for waffles and pancakes and even shredding salad in a bowl.

Amazon Basics Microfiber Cloths

I finally bought some microfiber cloths for cleaning and love these.  

Cute legos on sale!

Water Bottle with Time Marker

No excuses to not drink enough water -or to pretend you have!

Teen Tips-What I Wish I Would Have Known

1. Don't engage in arguments.  If you argue you make yourself a peer.  Just listen.  State your case.  Understand.  But hold true to what you believe is right, even if you don't KNOW at the time it is right, you get to make a mistake, err on the side of cautiousness, and then loosen up later.  

2.  Starting loose and reining in is so much more difficult.  Also, you are allowed to take your time (hours, days, weeks and months) in spite of their immediate demands of  "can I go, can I have, etc."  Hold your ground until you decide otherwise, or if you never do, they will thank you for it down the road.

3.  Be in a good mood in spite of their moody moods.  This is hard I know, I was way too much of an empath, absorbing their moods which means you will feel crazy.  Set your mood in the morning and even if you have to fake smile at their crabbiness or tiredness or frustration or whatever, let YOUR mood influence them, not vice versa. 

4. Good grades don't always equal success.  Don't get caught up in the competition of GPA, colleges, and sports.  Is he a good kid with a good heart?  Do you see a work ethic?  Is he kind to others?  Those things matter SO MUCH more in life.

5.  Teens all make mistakes.  Don't freak out.  Unless it calls for freaking out, and then you can.  Know what's freak-out-able about and what isn't.  And then after you freak out, TALK.  Take them to lunch, sit on the bed, stay up late (because that's when they usually come alive-dad would have to do this because I had a baby always) and talk.  

6. On dating and relationships-oh boy, this was hard for me because I just felt so bad and worried and concerned over all of it, like it was all happening to me again.  And then I remembered, I survived it.  Even the surprise break ups or the "but I thought she was going to ask me to the dance",  or us really having a great relationship with boy/girl friends that didn't work out, it is a part of life and learning.  I learned to keep my distance a little with all of it emotionally because it can be a rollercoaster.  

7. This one from my mom-ask questions.  Why do you think that is the right thing to do?  What would you do in that situation?  How do you feel about this or that?  What is the end result you are looking for?  IT WORKS.  And it's a way to keep communication open.  

8. From my older kids telling me what I did wrong-when they told me something they heard about someone else or something else or had a different opinion on something I would answer immediately with a judgement instead of just listening and then asking questions.  

9.  You are allowed to take away the phone or the Ipad or the laptop.  And hide them.  And let them withdrawal.  Which might be nasty.  But then they will know what it feels like to have their brains really work again.

10. They will love you again I PROMISE.  It might take some time away (college etc) but they will.  I never thought it would be true in the thick of it, but I truly have an incredible friendship with my 3 oldest who all drove me crazy at times during their teen years, and probably said some bad words under their breath to me while they slammed a door (and I might have also).   I promise, they will come back.  And it's awesome when they do.

Encouragement For The Week

But once I had children, as any mother will understand, my time was never my own again! 

Children simply don’t fit into neat little time packages to be parceled out in advance! 

Even now, the demands of my adult children take my time. 

But I am thankful they come to me for counsel, for love, for friendship. 

Now, it is one of my best gifts to have them as a best friend. 

But relationship is built on a foundation of love given, time invested without resentment."

Sally Clarkson

Life Is Precious

Fundraising for LoveYourBrain Retreat 

This guy is amazing...and so is his family.  His mom's sister is one of my closest friends.  (And his mom is someone my friend and I both say "Let's ask what Janet would do" because she is that amazing and intelligent and faithful.) I remember the day this accident happened and how terrifying it was for everyone.  Cliff is my oldest son's (Isaac) age- seven years ago, it was just a normal day for him, going to work very very early in the morning at new job site, in another state-a good, good kid doing the right thing, working hard, being responsible.  He fell asleep at the wheel, and life changed forever for him and for his family. 

Please consider giving something, even a little amount helps this organization.

Thinking, Playing, Reading

Thinking:  My goal this school year is to do all these things-get outside, take a nap and get enough sleep at night, fresh air!, exercise and eat right.  A walk talks care of sunshine, air and exercise!

Playing:

Janey turned SEVEN, and we celebrated with a very simple birthday party which I enjoyed thoroughly because it was SIMPLE.  Her favorite gift from us were Legos-I thought I was finished with Legos in my life, but she LOVES them.  And I've said it before, I think they are worth every penny-concentration, step-by-step direction following, and patience.  And sorting, and neatness, and perseverance.  I (or someone around here) built the first set she got with her and then helped with the second, and now she is good to go.) . I sort of find it relaxing too, even if I am just sitting next to her "helping" (which means doing nothing but sitting next to her).  It's quiet one-on-one time that we both treasure.

Lego Dollhouse

(Save $26 off this dollhouse...some of the Lego Friends series are on sale for really good prices!!!!   Doing a little early Christmas shopping myself.)

Great birthday gift to stash away:

Lego Friends Emma's Art Stand

$12.99 save $7.00

Reading:

Prairie Fires

I am reading this right now and LOVING it.  The "real" not for children account of Laura's life-the prairie was the simple life but NOT the easy life.  I can't put it down.

Encouragement For The Week

Even if we spend a lot of money on gifts for everyone in our family,

nothing we buy could give them as much happiness

as the gift of our awareness,

our smile.
And this gift costs nothing.

Peace Is Every Step
Thich Nhat Hanh