Insta-Friday: The Teal Egg

I am linking up The Teal Egg Instagram with Life Rearranged for Insta-Friday again.

It was National Dog Day on Monday.

Here is our Weimaraner.  Love her...ticks and all

Here is our Vizsla......she gets into the most trouble.

But at the end of the day....I love her ticks and all.

We tried a muffin tin lunch this last week and it was a hit!

And oh Coffee, how I love you.

Oh Keurig, I am going to go broke with you.

Oh Costco, I can't even count how many things I love about you!

And ERGO baby carrier!

My life has forever been changed by you!

......HaPpY wEeKeNd......

Book Review: Parenting with Love and Logic

{via}

Parenting with Love and Logic is one of the books on my summer reading list.  I got the Kindle version of this book a while ago when it was available for a free download.  It has been on my device for quite a while.  {Thanks to my friend Ashley who told me about the free download}.

Here is what Amazon has to say about this book:

This parenting book shows you how to raise self-confident, motivated children who are ready for the real world. Learn how to parent effectively while teaching your children responsibility and growing their character.  Establish healthy control through easy-to-implement steps without anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles

I love these words in the description: self-confident, motivated, ready for the real world, parent effectively, teaching responsibility, growing character, and healthy control.  We have 3 children and no two are alike.  There are ways we guide our first born that never work with our second born and vise versa.  As far as the 3rd one.....he's too young to know.

We all want choices in life.  So it is only natural that my children want choices in life.  The boundaries are set and you get a choice if you are going to stay in the boundary or not.  If you stay in the boundary there is reward.  If you go outside of the boundary there are consequences.  This is true for ALL of us.

Here are a few words from the book that really hit home for me..... 

"We must equip our darling offspring to make the move from total dependence on us to independence, from being controlled by us to controlling themselves.  What will they do when we are no longer pouring wise words into their ears?  Will merely telling them to be responsible get the job done?  Why do young people sometimes seem so stupidly self-destructive?  The tragic truth is that many of these foolish choices are the first real decisions they have ever made."

"Nothing in parenting is sure.  However, we increase the odds of raising responsible kids when we take thoughtful risks.  We do that when we allow our children to fail.  In fact, unless we allow them to fail, sometimes grandiosely, we cannot allow our children to choose success."

"Kids get the most out of what they accomplish for themselves.  Children will get more out of making their own decision - even if it is wrong - than they will out of parents making that decision for them.  Sometimes that means standing by as our kids struggle to complete a task we could easily help them with or do for them".

"If we never let our kid's struggle to get something they want or work through a problem for themselves, then when things get difficult later in life, they won't suddenly turn tough and get going; instead, they will just quit".

Of course, with any book, there are parts you can take away and parts you can leave.  Parenting allows for some creative thinking and several ways to "get it right".  I do highly recommend this book for parents.  It has changed several of my approaches with my children.

Other parenting books I have read and love: 

Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman
Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson
Brining Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson 

Muffin Tin Lunches

Muffin Tin Lunches are something that I learned from LifeRearranged just a few weeks ago.  I have been linking The Teal Egg Instagram photos to her InstaFriday posts.  If you aren't following Teal Egg on Instagram, I would love for you to join me: TheTealEgg

I tried Muffin Tin Lunches last week with my kids because it was sluggish day around here {the day between my work days} and I needed to go to the grocery store.

So here is the skinny:

1.  Grab a muffin tin
2.  Fill it with whatever you have in the fridge or the pantry
3.  Put it on the table
4.  And watch your kids devour

Honestly, it was a breath of fresh air for me.  I never once had to say, "eat your lunch"!  They ate almost everything and even things they don't necessarily like they tried.  This muffin tin contained: dried cherries, raisins, grapes, croutons, pretzels, peanut butter, carrots, tomatoes, shredded cheese, cheese crackers, almonds, canadian bacon.

I will definitely be utilizing Muffin Tin Lunches again!  I would say our first attempt was a HUGE success.  Anything to give a mommy of three 3 and under a break!

{26 years of knowing Jesus}

"Though you live in this temporal world, your innermost being is rooted and grounded in eternity" ~Sarah Young, Jesus Calling.

Twenty-six years ago I trusted Jesus as my own - I entered into relationship with Him.  Over the last twenty-six years I have learned a great deal about Jesus and myself.  He has become more than just "fire" insurance for me.  Walking with Him is a daily joy.  He breathes life into my failing flesh.  Relationship with Jesus is not just about where I will spend eternity, it is about everyday peace, trust and opportunity.  

The longer I know Jesus the deeper this truth roots itself into me:

Jesus did not just save you from something. 

He saved you for something.

Twenty-six years ago I became a new creature.  Old things passed away and new things flooded my life.  Today this is still true in my everyday choices as the Holy Spirit convicts my innermost being and I choose to put away things of this world and walk the straight and narrow.  Is it always my natural instinct to align myself with His ways? No.  And, I fail miserably at times in my words, my thoughts, my dealings with my children, my selfishness.....

"What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons.  They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone.  A new life has begun".

2 Corinthians 5:17

My relationship with Jesus creates peace within my everyday and future.

"For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long.  Yet they produce for us an immeasureable great glory that will last forever!  So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen for the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joy to come will last forever".  

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." John 16:33

My relationship with Jesus has built insurmountable trust in Him.  I have learned and daily am learning whatever situation arises HE WILL come through.  He can not not be true to His character.   Every situation, HE COMPLETES with a yes or a no.  I must align myself with His answer.

"My yes means yes because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, never waivers between yes and no.  He is the one whom Timothy, Silas and I preached to you, and HE IS the DIVINE YES - God's affirmation".

2 Corinthians 1:19 

My relationship with Jesus is about opportunity to pour out His love, extend grace and point lives that intersect mine to truth.

"But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ's triumphal procession.  Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and spread the Good News like a sweet perfume". 

2 Corinthians 2:14

"For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat.  In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you".

2 Corinthians 9:10

Sunday, our pastor set aside a time for lost people to make peace with and enter into a relationship with their Heavenly Father.  It was a sweet time for me as I reflected over the last 26 years with Jesus, as I prayed for my children to one day choose to enter relationship with Him and as I rejoiced over those who gave their lives to Jesus.  That was all accompanied by tears of thankfulness for the incredible unworthy gift God extended to me.

"While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us".

Romans 5:10

I am so thankful He made the first move and 26 years ago I chose to move towards Him.

The Weekend Project: Basement Sewing.

Thank God there have been no more ticks in our home this week and everything seems to be back to normal.  The dogs have not run away one time this week.  Mainly, because I never let them out of the house without their training collars on anymore.

We got an estimate on a fence this week and it should be put in in about 2 weeks.  We were not really wanting to put in a fence right now (for cost reasons) but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do!

All that said, this weekend, I was able to complete the sewing project I was supposed to complete last weekend.  So for the weekend project I sewed this darling fabric that I have had since May.

I made a reversible table runner for a small table that I have in our house.  I love the bright colors of this side and then I sewed a mustard yellow and white polka-dot fabric to the back for the winter months.  Love it's versatility and the fact that there are a few places in my house that this piece will work.

I made these panels for my basement/workroom shelving units.  I wanted to use this fabric to brighten up the darkness of this room.  And, I wanted to hide what might not always be organized....

I sewed the top, sides and bottom of the panels and added button holes at the top.  I then secured small clear M3 hooks to the shelving units and hung the panels from them.  (I really love M3 hooks....see what I did last Christmas with them).

This was an easy and very simple project that took just a few hours and allowed me to pull out my sewing machine and sew away.

And yes, that is a new project table.

One of my friends saw my post and asked if I

wanted to borrow this amazing table until

she is ready for it again.

How wonderful is that?!?!

There are still several projects that need to occur in this work space: table skirt, lighting, rug for the floor and covering for the back wall.  It will be several years before we finish this basement and I have a completed work room.....so for now....I will spruce this one up one step at a time and enjoy my crafting moments among studs and cement flooring!

The Weekend Project.....Ticks Gone WILD!

My weekend project was supposed to include some sewing for my craft room but that did not happen.  We have some major snotty noses, fevers, and coughs in this house.  And, to top it all off......TICKS!!!!

Yes, you read that right!  T.I.C.K.S.

Really it is such a long story it is not even worth rehashing the entire thing.

Here is what it involved in a nutshell: both of our dogs outside in the rain for a potty break, one dog ran off into the brush behind our home, finally got both dogs back, vizsla covered in seed ticks, me attempting to pull 100's of seed ticks off of the vizsla, then me bathing the vizsla on the back deck with a water hose stretched up to the deck, water hose getting kinked off, going back down the stairs to unkink the water hose and the vizsla escaping, getting the vizsla back and back onto the deck only to have her escape again, chasing the vizsla through the neighbor hood (her soaking wet and still covered in ticks), me getting into the car to go find the vizsla, finding the soakin' wet/tick infested vizsla at a neighbors down the street, putting the vizsla in the car and driving her home, getting her back on the deck for further tick removal and bath and she tried to slip through the slats of the deck gate, carrying the wet vizsla through the house to my bath tub to bathe her and the weimaraner, got the dogs clean, fed the baby, came back down to find my bed FULL of seed ticks (this is not a joke), googling how to rid your house of ticks, shop-vacing ticks off of my bed, stripping down all bedding, pulling out furniture, shaking Borax onto the mattress and the carpet, shop-vacing the carpet and the mattress and the dog bed, calling the husband at church (work) to have him stop by PetsMart on the way home to get powders and sprays and shampoo for fumigation, making up a Borax concoction to clean my hardwoods, husband bathing dogs in tick shampoo, cleaning my bathtub out for the second time in one day....

Worked from 11:30am-5:30pm NON-STOP!  Took a break from 5:30-8:00pm to eat out, get kids in bed, and feed the baby.  Worked again from 8:00pm-10:00pm to clean remainder of bathroom up and put up everything clean.

Thank good my MIL was still here to help contain my kids during this fiasco and help shop-vac my bedroom and hopefully rid my home of the TICK infestation!!!!  I owe her a TON.

Honestly, I never in a million years thought that many ticks could be in one place at one time.  It was unreal.  The events just kept getting worse with every moment.  I stomped my feet.  I slammed some doors. I raised my voice. I smacked my dog.  I WAS HUMAN!

For those of you who have had lice (which we have never had and hopefully I am not jinxing myself) I can only imagine that this process is equal counter parts!  Worst thing I HAVE EVER been through with my dogs and my house.  It topped: husband out of town, 18 month old and a new baby, two dogs with constant diarrhea, and WHITE CARPET!!!! (Did I mention....we WILL NEVER again have white carpet).

Anybody else itching?!?!?!?!

Ten Years of Service.

It was 18 summers ago, in a children's camp in the middle of no where Russia, that God called me to be a nurse.

I say called because I NEVER wanted to be a nurse.  That was my sister's dream and definitely NOT mine.

But 10 days in a country so removed from my own and a God who would not leave me alone,

chipped away at my heart......

&

Yesterday I received this in the mail.

Hard to believe that 10 years ago I was 22 years old starting my career as a nurse.

I remember thinking....I will be 32 in ten years.

I remember wondering if I would still be working in a hospital, if I would be married, if I would have children......

And here I am 10 years later: married, a mom of 3 & still a nurse at the same hospital.

My career has changed a lot in 10 years. 

Where God has allowed me to go....I never dreamed possible.

I have learned a lot about God, myself, life, death, medicine and people over the last 10 years.

I often get asked, "How do you do what you do?"

And to that I reply, "I love pediatrics.  Sometimes it is a sad place, but for every 1 that we usher into Heaven, 

10 go home better than when they entered our doors".

And that is the TRUTH.  

But of course what I do has changed a lot since these

three are now mine.

I do what I do because I know that nothing is worth more than your children's health.

And if these three ever found their way to the hospital I would want someone to 

give them the same care they would give their very own.

That's my daily goal: care for other people's children the way I would care for my very own!

I am fortunate to work part time and be compensated well.

I am fortunate that my children are well cared for during my absence and never miss a beat.

I am fortunate that God allows me to be a part of something greater than myself.

You see this card doesn't say, "Celebrating your Career"

It says "Celebrating Your Service"

My career allows me to SERVE in a capacity much bigger than my own.

Some days are SUPER HARD with more responsibility than one human being should

hold on their shoulders.  Some days are just down right frustrating.  Some days are more

physically demanding than I ever knew possible as a nursing student all those years ago.

On those days I cling a little bit harder to these words.......

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

This week I enter back into caring for others in a hospital setting.

I have enjoyed 12 sweet weeks at home with my babies.

My house will soon be filled with: 

 Crock Pot Dinners

 &

 

Bottle Prep and Cleaning

Is there an area in your life 

that needs to hear and be challenged by

1 Corinthians 10:31?

The Weekend Project

 

This weekend a new life was celebrated in my home.

We pulled out the china and silverware and honored a sweet friend

and her baby girl to be.

I spent the afternoon with hands in a sink full of bubbles thinking.....

Often china and silver seem like a frivolous thing to own.  

You may use it a few times a year, if that. 

{Especially when your home is full of little people}.

But china and silver have a past story, a present story, and a future story.

I have a buffet stacked full of china.

China that belonged to my dad's mom.

China that belonged to my dad's grandmother.  

{He can't remember it never being in her home}.

China that was given to me as wedding gifts.

With each piece that I washed, my mind was filled with precious memories of my Granny Jewell.  

I remembered her beautiful smile.  I could hear her giggly laughter.

 I couldn't help but miss her greatly and remember my best days with her.

With each piece that I washed, my mind was filled with memories of my wedding showers.

I remembered vivid details of the love that was bestowed upon me as a bride 

waiting in anticipation to marry her groom.

I remembered the person who gave me each piece.

And as I washed, I prayed for them and for their families.

With each piece that I washed old and new, 

I gave thanks for my mom who taught me that some celebrations in life are worth china and silver.  

With each piece that I washed old and new, 

I gave thanks for the generosity that was given to me through these pieces.  

With each piece that I washed old, I thought about the celebrations of generations past.  

With each piece that I washed old and new,  

I thought about celebrations of our present: marriages, babies, family.....

With each piece that I washed old and new, 

I thought about celebrations of our future: graduations, marriages, grandchildren, showers.....

These pieces of china and silver are not so frivolous.  They hold deep meaning.

And while I may not use them as often as I should, 

they hold deep history, memory and thankfulness to me.

I hope my children will set their tables with china and silver

, as they host celebrations of their own,

 and remember their past, present, and future story.

Thanks mom!

Why The Teal Egg?

I titled this blog The Teal Egg because God proved to me HIS LIMITLESS POWER through life in a tiny teal egg.  Every time I see a teal egg, I am reminded of what God brought me through personally and how gracious and gentle He has been with me in proving Himself over and over again to me.

To read more of this special story please click on these two links:


Limited in my ability to carry life part I

Limited in my ability to carry life part II



I started this blog last October as a 31 day writing challenge through The Nester.  I wrote for 31 Days on the topic "I am Limited. He is Limitless".  You can scroll back through my archives and read all 31 days.  

I enjoy writing.  I personally love written word.  Perhaps that is why this blog has become such a good outlet for me as a follower, wife, mom, nurse, friend..... I know at times it can just be a conglomeration of a lot of stuff but I truly do enjoy it! 

If you read it, I am humbled.  If you are challenged, I am too.  If you are encouraged, I am blessed.  If you learn something, it's because someone greater than me spoke.  I pray God will continue to grow me and push me through written word here at the Teal Egg and allow us to have fun with DIY projects, recipes, tips, book reviews, giveaways.....or whatever the post may bring.  

Thanks for taking the time to read The Teal Egg.

One of my 7 goals and Organization

One of my summer reading list books was 7.  It challenged me in several ways.  You can read my review of 7 here.  

 ::My 7 Waste Goal:: Buy a larger trash can for our recycle items.

I purchased this trash can from IKEA

I used my Cricut to cut white vinyl letters for the Recycle Bin.

We have a small recycle bin in our garage provided by our county.

We always fill it up overflowing.

My sink was always full of recycle items.  At the end of the day

I would gather it all up and take it out to the garage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This new bin
*sits at one end of our island.

*has a flip lid

*keeps me from stacking recycle stuff in the sink

*saves me trips to the garage

*I can put this bin right out on the curb and they will empty it because it says RECYCLE!

*has come in so handy 

*our 2 and 3 year old are learning to recycle

*it has made recycling even easier for our family

Linking this post to: athoughtfulplace.blog.com

Steak Recipe

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A few months ago we purchased meat from a company that services our neighborhood.  It was a great idea knowing that we would soon have a newborn in our house and grabbing meat out of the freezer would be convenient.

We have a cut of beef (Round Steak) that I really did not know how to fix.  I knew that my husband would not eat Salisbury Steak.  I had to search for someway to cook this meat and use it.  I looked up steak recipes on allrecipes.com

I settled on this one.....

Thyme-Rubbed Steaks with Sauteed Mushrooms

I mainly chose this recipe because I had all of the ingredients in my cabinet and fridge.  These days I do not make little trips to the store for ingredients.  With three kids in tote, I try and get everything I need in one shopping trip.  Sometimes two.  

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp grond black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 lb steak cut 3/4 in thick (your choice of cut)
1 (8oz) package of sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup minced shalot
2 T butter
2 T red wine
1T vegetable oil 
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Sprinkle onto each side of the steaks, pressing in so it adheres. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots; cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, and cook for a few more minutes, until tender. Stir in the red wine, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
3. Heat the oil in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Fry steaks for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or to your desired degree of doneness. Remove to a plate and let rest for a few minutes. Top with mushrooms and serve.

Here is how it turned out in our house.  And, everyone loved it!  SCORE!

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The Weekend Project

I have decided to try and use Mondays on the blog to highlight...

>>>>>>>The Weekend Project<<<<<<

I have several projects that I would like to complete.

Some are large and some are small.

Some will take several weekends and

some will just take a few minutes or hours.

>>>>>>The Weekend Project<<<<<<

I hope to use as a way to keep me on track and knock out my projects

 out one by one.

Our son's 2nd birthday was last month and I made paper chain garland to decorate 

our chalkboard 

and our mantel

I wanted something that was a little different from the triangle buntings or banners.

And something that looked a little more masculine, if you will.

So I made paper chain garland.

Over the weekend I took all of that garland and instead of throwing it away

I hung it from the ceiling in our playroom.

I thought it would add a nice touch of color to the beige walls.

I also made some felt garland and wrapped it around a very plain white lampshade.

I think it ties in nicely to the paper chains and circle garland as well as

the alphabet print that my sister gave me.

{I took a few of these pictures tonight (sorry they are so dark)

But it was the only time today that I had to snap a few photos.

And the playroom is a wreck right now but you should know.....

this house is RARELY picture perfect!}
 

I am hoping to make or purchase a large wall clock for this wall.

And surround it with various styles of letters to make up the alphabet.

But that is for another...... 

>>>>>>Weekend Project<<<<<<