Honey Lemon Water

I posted this photo to Instagram a few days ago and I have had several people ask me for the recipe.  A life long friend of mine shared this information with me back at Christmas and I enjoyed a cup with her during an afternoon of catch up.  Here is the original link she sent me for Lemon Water and I add honey.

I love coffee but I am also nursing a baby right now so I really do try and limit my intake for his sake.  A few weeks ago I was wanting to drink coffee only and no water.  Do you ever go through phases that water just seems yuck?  I came to the conclusion what I really wanted was a cup of something warm to hold in my hands and sip on.....

So here is how I enjoy it.....

1.  Boil water on the stove

2.  Pour into a cup

3.  Squeeze 1/2 a lemon into the cup

4.  Pour some honey into the cup (I'm not good at measuring things....just add to your liking)

5.  Swirl it around with a spoon

6.  ENJOY!

A Few of My Favorite Things.....Lately

Here are a few of my favorite things.....lately.  Most of them are items that are saving my life in the area of time.  You know...sometimes it's the small things.

1.  Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner

I have loved Bruce Hardwood Floor Cleaner for several years but honestly, it always makes me cough and has a really strong smell.  Costco had a sale on Bona recently and I bought it.  I love it!  No smell and no cough.

2.  Lysol No Mess Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I have told you about pink stuff growing in my toilets here.

A friend recommended these to me the other day.  They do not turn your water colors.  They can be easily hidden in your toilets.  They smell like you just cleaned your bathroom. And they have allowed me to push the limits on cleaning toilets! Score!

3.  The Wet Brush

I lost massive amounts of hair after each baby.  This brush was recommended by a friend who said it would smoothly brush through tangles and possibly help me save strands.  I purchased it and it not only has been a life saver to me but also to my VERY sensitive headed daughter.  Use it on wet or dry hair.  Worth the investment. 

4. Target Threshold Rug (not sold online)

Loved it. Perfect size for a hallway 1/2 bath.  Does not slide around on the floor.

And will match the bathroom perfectly if I ever get those walls painted.

5.  Target Gold Dot 12 Month Wall Calendar (not sold online)

I always have a calendar in our laundry room.

This one just is so cute and I love the font.

Large daily spaces for penciling events and reminders

6.  Bath & Body Works London Calling Candle

And this candle....I have mentioned it so much!

It is MY FAVORITE candle of all time and B&BW has just brought it back.

Smells like warm lemon tea.

Makes my house smell clean all of the time and just makes me feel good all around.

Many thanks to my SIL for introducing me to this scent.



And last but not least....

I was able to create these cute little valentine's gift tags the other day.
They are listed in the shop and are perfect for adorning sweet little packages.
They are quickly becoming one of my favorite items in the shop.

Book Review: EverAfter

"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale"

~Hans Christian Andersen

L.O.V.E.D.

this 

book.

I hope you get your hands on a copy and read away.

Vicki is an empty-nester who now gives great words of wisdom learned from her trenches.

This book is geared towards wives and mothers.

It is much from the mentality of do what I learned....not as I did.

Here are a few things that I highlighted....

.....on HOME....

"If I get caught up in the comparison trap of always wanting what I don't have, I miss the joy of appreciating what I do have.  Once I realized that dream houses don't always translate into dream homes, I was ale to see my house through a different filter.  We alone determine whether or not our houses will be homes.  And we will pass that attitude along to our children.

"Dream homes, on the other hand, have living rooms that are lived in and furniture that is comfortable.  Dream homes are places where the neighbor kids gather to play because they are always welcome.  They have walls with tiny handprint smudges and kitchens with sticky floors and doggie nose prints on the storm door.   Dream homes have garages that store sports equipment, bikes, and all other manner of riding toys but rarely the family cars.  They have dinner tables where family members sit for a meal and talk about their day.  Dream homes have chair cushions that have been flipped over to hide the scribble marks from the toddler who got into his older sister's craft box.  Dream homes have squeaky ceiling fans from little boys who thought it would be fun to see how far their stuffed animals would fly if tossed into the blades.  They have Lego pieces under the sofa cushions and stickers on the bathroom mirror."

....on MARRIAGE....

"There is no such thing as the "whole package" when it comes to a husband or a wife.  Every person comes with flaws, so let's be careful not to cherry-pick the best qualities we see in other men and create a mental prototype of our perfect soul mate."

....on FAMILY....

"At the end of the day, your family doesn't particularly care if the things you said 'yes' to made the world a better place.  You still said 'no' to them.  But your family members aren't the only ones who suffer.  When you say 'yes' to too much, you also say 'no' to time with God - valuable time you need to refuel and rest.  Ecclesiastes 4:6 says, 'Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind'." 

....on BUSYNESS....

"Everything is permissible for me'- but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible for me' - but I will not be mastered by anything" (1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV)

"At the end of the day, you are in charge of the family calendar and the only one who can make the necessary changes.  Every family is different, and only you and your husband are qualified to know what needs to be eliminated from the calendar or where you can cut corners to redeem a more simple life.  Pray about it and ask God to show you the areas in your day that can be eliminated or adjusted."

"In God-centric homes, time devoted to God is a priority rather than an afterthought.  In God-centric homes, the family bows to God rather than a calendar of activities. . . or worse yet, the children.  In God-centric homes, the marriage is prioritized over the children and date nights are not shoved aside for the children's activities.  In God-centric homes, children are taught the value of hard work and service to others.  In God-centric homes, children are taught that money is a gift from God and to be used according to his will.  In God-centric homes children grow up knowing it's all about God because their parents have made it all about God"

"Happily-ever-after is a choice, 

not a prize offered to a chosen few who find the fairy tale"

>>>>>This book was on my Fall Reading List<<<<<

Un-mundane

{Mundane}

lacking interest or excitement: dull: humdrum: boring: tedious: monotonous: tiresome: wearisome: unexciting: uninteresting: uninvolving: uneventful: unvarying: unremarkable: repetitive: repetitious: routine: ordinary: everyday: day-to-day: run-of-the-mill....

Before I had our first born I would have NEVER even dared to think life with children could be defined by such words as stated above.  All I could think of was molding and shaping a child.  Nurturing her little being to become the best she could be.

And now I am a mommy to three children ages 3 and under.  Sometimes the mundane almost drowns me with its rising waves.  Yes, I am molding and shaping and nurturing children but I am also running the daily mundane of nursing a baby, making baby food, feeding children, helping resolve squabbles, doing laundry, filling sippy cups, trying to keep my house halfway clean, chasing around 2 huge bird dogs, running to and from preschool, dispensing medicine, administering breathing treatments, paying co-pays at the pediatrician like there is no tomorrow, grocery shopping, target shopping, praying they all sleep during naptime, bathtimes.....and the list could go on.

If you have kids you know how this is.....It is the best thing in the world and yet the mundane can leave you feeling incredibly isolated and weary as a mom.  The mundane will leave you looking in the mirror and wondering....who am I and what is it that I used to be good at?

My "UN" word for this year is

{UN-MUNdaNe}

not lacking interest or excitement: fun: new: energetic: refreshing: exciting: interesting: involving: eventful: varying: remarkable

My kids and I do enjoy repetition, routine, ordinary and everyday.  But there are ways that I, as their mommy, can breath life into the everyday.  There are ways that I, as their mommy, can allow them to breath life into my everyday.

I don't just want to live in the mundane I want to thrive in the un-mundane.  

I want to mold. 

 I want to shape.  

I want to nurture my children in the un-mundane.  

I want to be molded.

I want to be shaped.

I want to be nurtured by children in the un-mundane.

This post is being written and this word is being chosen in the thick of a very difficult season.  It's real, it's true, it stings and my prayer is that God will continue to pour out His grace upon me.  And I pray GRACE will be the biggest portion of what I give my children each day.

1. 
   

Sparkly Green Earrings: Fall Reading List Review

This is probably one of the funniest books on motherhood I have ever read.  We read a lot on parenting but sometimes a mom just needs to read something lighthearted.  This book will have you laughing so hard you are crying and thankful that someone put into words what you have felt so many times as a mom.

From sleepless nights, to potty training, to Brownie meetings and soccer practices Melanie Shankle will capture you with her quick wit and just down right hilarious way of looking at a situation.  She makes me wish I could think faster or just be half as funny as she is.

Here is an excerpt from the end of her book that resonated so deeply with me.....

"I have never been a mother who mourned all the passing signs of babyhood.  Sure, I'd love to have one more day with Caroline as a newborn or a toddler, but for me, motherhood has just gotten better as I've survived breastfeeding, weaned her off the pacifier, completed our potty-training marathon, and watched the terrible threes turn into the charming fours.  

But something about watching her walk into school by herself made me think of all the ways I'll have to let her go over a lifetime.  The truth is, I don't want to let her go, yet I am so proud every time I see she is self-confident enough to take these next steps away from me."

"Because raising a child is a fleeting moment in time that sometimes get swallowed up in the daily routine of car pools and soccer practice and can I get away with serving tacos for dinner again tonight?          And yet it's quite possibly the most important thing we'll ever do.  It's the daily balance of treasuring the moments even as we wish some of them away.  It's treading water in a sea of imperfections.  It's a delicate dance of guilt and joy." 

I sighed a deep breath of relief when I read the words above....finally someone who said what I have always thought inside.  And relief of knowing just because I don't weep when my babies stop nursing or move out of their crib into a big bed that I am not any less of a mom.  But oh when they get out of the car to walk into to kindergarten......I just might DIE!

I hope you take time to read this book.  You will be blessed!  

And Melanie's latest book The Antelope in the Living Room will release February 4, 2014.

What to do with your little kids when it is a mess outside.

With all of the rain we have experienced in the last year, I honestly think they should rename this area of the country "the second Pacific Northwest".  There is a reason that I did not choose to live in a rainy state.  But honestly....after our summer and now our winter....I get confused where we live.

Bad weather can be a challenge when you have 3 kids 3 and under.  Toys in the playroom and Disney Junior can only provide so much entertainment.  I love spring, fall and early summer when we can go outside and play and ride all of our toys with wheels.

I dig through the dollar section at Target every time we go in for little things to keep them occupied. They have had a good selection recently of Disney color/sticker books for both boys and girls.  I also love the craft section at Michaels (especially when it is half off).  Most of their little foam projects do not require glue (just peel and stick).

We play a lot of play dough (love this selection from amazon).  And use this art set all of the time (thank Aunt Natalie and Uncle Nano).  We have been collecting empty milk jugs, egg cartons, snack boxes, ect., for playing grocery store.  This has kept them interested for hours and they can play themselves.  They are learning to count money and what it means to have change left over and not enough to buy something.

Thinking about trying to find something like this to add to the fun....

{via}

We made these fun shaving cream ice cream cones when it was 12 degrees outside?!?!?!?!  Don't ask. I needed a project and this was the fastest one I could put together.

can of shaving cream (of your choice)

white glue

food coloring 

individual bowls or mixing

squirt some shaving cream in a few bowls

(a little really goes a long way)

put a little white glue on top of the shaving cream

and a dab of food coloring

swirl it up with a spoon

(I just used my fingers)

then let the party animals go to town.

a nice wet cloth nearby is a must

fun was had by all and they smell fresh 

and clean at the end of the project

for the cones, I cut triangles out of  brown 

pieces of craft paper

They had a great time

and hung them up on our project

board with great pride

What you about you?  Any good rainy day?  Cold day?

Drizzly day? Snowy day projects?

I would love to hear them and for you to share them below.

Fall Reading List Review.....

I haven't posted in over a month due to a lot of need to care for my family first.  We had a fun Christmas and got through tubes with our youngest.  We have survived bone chilling weather the last few days (without going stir crazy in doors).

Several months ago I put my Fall Reading List out.  I have been able to read several of these books and will share a general recap on each of them over the coming weeks.  I started this back in May with my Summer Reading List.  It has been good for me to read and not waste mindless time.

Up first, two really easy reads that I simply adored.

//LOVE DOES by Bob Goff//

My husband recommended this book to me.  He read it together with other staff members, probably a year ago.  He said it was an easy and inspiring read.  And it is just that.  Bob Goff is a lawyer (you will be amazed at the story of how he got into law school).  He is an advocate for children in the US and Internationally.  This book will have you saying "I can't believe he did that"!  It will challenge you to actually put love into action.  

A few of my favorite stories from the book:

1. His assisting a stranger to pull of the most magnificent engagement story you have heard.  Complete with a grand finale on a yacht, fireworks & the US Coastgard.  

2.  Challenging his children to write their suggestions for world peace to leaders of countries all over the world.  And promising that if they got a letter back, he would take them to that country.  (He had to take his kids out of school and travel the world to keep the promise).

3.  His friendship with a biochemist who never gave up on his freeze dried coffee experiment.  And, 20 years after his invention, Starbucks selling it as VIA.

4.  Sailing from LA to Honolulu on a 35 ft sailboat with 5 guys, several cans of beans, and no officially trained navigator.

I loved this book because I could read and did not have to think too much.  Bob writes through personal conversation.  So grab a pack of your favorite VIA, pour it in some hot water, and flip through the pages of this INSPIRING ADVENTURE!

{{AUDREY BUNNY by Angie Smith}}

If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time you know that I love Angie Smith.  This is a recent work of hers.  The book is sweet story of a "flawed bunny" and a little girl who wasn't bothered by the flaw.  Angie's personal story involves a bunny and a sweet little girl named Audrey Caroline, who now lives in heaven with Jesus.  I encourage you to read this beautifully illustrated book and familiarize yourself with the personal story God has given Angie Smith in I Will Carry You.

If you are an e-reader like me and you like Beth Moore, you will want to take advantage of an offer that last until tomorrow....free downloads of some of Beth's best writings.  I just searched Amazon for Beth Moore and there were TONS of Kindle downloads for free.  

ENJOY!