Trash or Treasure?
I know that it is important to not hold too tightly to our earthly possessions. It can be both healing and helpful to de-clutter and organize our homes, but I wanted to share that there is value in saving a few special items.
My mom is one of those people that likes to keep things. This means that we got to be the fun house with loads of dress up clothes perfect for theme parties and high school dances. I have so many wonderful memories of rifling through our dress up trunks. Over the past 2.5 years that I’ve been a mom, she has been able to give me a few items of clothing from my and my sisters’ childhood. It has been really special to dress Ellie and Hanna in clothes that we used to wear.
A few weeks ago she brought some new treasures to share. Among the bounty was a pair of 1980s jazz outfits that Jess and I wore for a recital when we danced. The girls were so excited when I presented them with the new dress up outfits. We proceeded to have an epic dance party with lots of fun posing for pictures.
I hope this post will encourage those of you that have a few things you want to hold on to. It might seem like trash or clutter, but one day it could be someone’s treasure!!
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Bridal Shower Gift Ideas
There are so many ideas for bridal shower gifts. You can do honeymoon theme, travel theme, date theme, kitchen theme, cooking theme, marriage wisdom theme, lingerie theme, and on and on and on… But a couple of the most creative gifts I received at showers I have tried to put my own twist on and pass along to other people. Here are some of the most recent gifts I passed along.
Frame and dry erase marker: Then you get to fill in the blanks!!!
“I love you because” frame
“We go together like” frame
Date Night question jar: Fill and decorate a jar with questions for the couple to ask
Mr. and Mrs. Mug with Tea in a mason jar. Put chalkboard paint on the top of a mason jar so they can change what they put in the jar and label it with chalk.
Here are some other ideas that I have seen at showers
- Letter decor of the couples initials
- Marriage Books
- Bible with new married name engraved
- Apron
- Mr. and Mrs. Pillowcases
- Embroidered blanket with wedding date on it
- Dress hanger with the bride’s new name
- Movie night package with candy popcorn and gift cards
- Date night to their favorite restaurant
- Game night with board games
- Personalized jewelry
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PB Snickers Cookie Ice Cream Pie
At the beginning of our blogging adventure, Kerry/Mom posted how delicious Ice Cream Pie is and how great it is for any type of celebration! My husband finished his first set of medical national boards (Aka USMLE Step 1) and I planned a surprise party with family and friends to celebrate this big accomplishment! And, I decided what better way to celebrate than with an Ice Cream Pie- A Peanut Butter Snickers Cookie Ice Cream Pie! Mmmm 🙂
What You Need for This Pie:
Large Springform Pan
Package of Oreo Cookies – Regular, Not Double Stuf
Ice Cream: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Cookies & Cream
Bag of Mini Snickers
Peanut Butter (Any kind will do, but I used Kirkland Natural PB)
1 Small Ziploc Bag (May need more if not using food processor)
Food Processor (optional)
The How To:
1. Take the ice cream out so that it is slightly melted once ready to be added to the pie. Use a food processor to crush about 20 Oreos. If you do not have a food processor, put 20 Oreos into a large ziploc bag and crush by hand into as small of pieces as possible. Dump the pieces into the springform pan and flatten the layer to create the crust. You can take a plastic or not sharp knife to the sides of the bag to scrape off what gets stuck and add to the bottom layer.
2. Use a flat ice cream scoop or 2 spoons to make horizontal slices in the ice cream. Start with Chocolate and place the slices on top of the Oreos. Do this until the Oreos are covered. Smooth the Chocolate layer out to create a flat layer. 
3. Put 1/3 of a cup of peanut butter into a …
Read MoreFamily MealtimeTable Manners
Summertime brings opportunities for extended leisurely dinners, outdoor barbecues, picnics at the park and more casual family supper time fun. Incorporating a time to practice mealtime manners can be a natural part of your family’s summer routine! My husband and I are spending the week helping our daughter, Jess, take care of her four children while their daddy is out of town. We had a barbecue the first night and the children were excited to tell us all they had been learning about mealtime manners. Their mommy had received a gift from a friend that is a cool placemat with a “roadmap to manners” design on it. 
We talked about chewing with your mouth closed and no elbows on the table, not talking with your mouthful and making sure to thank the cook for dinner. My favorite was taking turns asking about each other’s day. It was wonderful to watch the interaction of the 5 year old and his two almost 3 year old siblings having a fun competition trying to remember all their manners they were learning.
For more information about the placemat or other ideas for mealtime manners, go to www.mothersfriendSOS.com and have a fun summer practicing mealtime manners!
How has your family practiced mealtime manners?
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Mexican Summer Salad
When the summer days warm up, a great option for an easy dinner is this delicious and nutritious Mexican Summer Salad.
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ red pepper diced
½ cucumber diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Optional: 1 tomato chopped and 1 avocado cut into small pieces
Drain cans of beans and corn and add all the remaining ingredients. Stir and chill at least an hour or until ready to serve. You can serve this as a side dish with quesadillas or barbecued meat. We cooked up some seasoned ground meat and had a build your own Mexican dinner salad picnic with lettuce, meat, salsa and chips.
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Olallieberry and Blueberry Cobbler
For a delicious and nutritious summer dessert try making an olalliebery/blueberry cobbler. We had a wonderful afternoon barbecue with friends to celebrate the 4th of July. I enjoyed the time of fellowship while reconnecting with friends, the beautiful weather and some competitive corn hole games. We ate delicious bbq turkey burgers, bison burgers, chicken, orzo salad, a green salad with watermelon and feta cheese and I made this cobbler recipe for our dessert. It was a hit. I combined two different recipes to come up with this tasty treat. I baked it in a 9 x 13 pan and when it was cool, I decorated it like an American flag with blueberries for the stars and sliced strawberries for the stripes. 
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
Fruit filling
8 cups olallieberries fresh or frozen (mine were fresh picked out in Brentwood and then frozen)
2 cups Maine blueberries (I used frozen)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ cup butter (¼ of a cube) cut into small pieces
Topping
2 cups oats
1 cup flour
½ cup wheat germ
¾ cups brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter
½ cup coconut oil
In a large bowl, combine the thawed berries with ¼ cup each brown sugar and white sugar. Add the 3 Tablespoons flour, fresh lemon juice and nutmeg. stir gently until combined. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with coconut oil spray or Pam. 
Place into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile combine the first 6 topping ingredients. Cut the stick of cold butter into the dry mixture with a pastry blade and when the butter is pea …
4th of July Strawberry & Blueberry Shortcake
Our favorite holiday treat has become this easy strawberry and blueberry shortcake. I can’t wait to serve it to our family and friends today, this 4th of July. It is simply Bisquick shortcake and fresh strawberries and blueberries, topped with your favorite whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
4th of July Strawberry & Blueberry Shortcake
Shortcake (made from the back of a Bisquick box!)
serves 6
2 1/3 cups biscuit mix (I used Bisquick brand)
1/2 cup milk
3 TBS sugar
3 TBS butter, melted
Toppings (personally, the fruit is my favorite part, so the more the better!!!)
1 quart (4 cups) Fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
6 oz. Fresh blueberries, rinsed
Whipped Cream
If you like your strawberries sweet, mix them with 1/4 cup sugar and set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a separate bowl mix biscuit mix, milk, sugar, and butter until soft dough forms. Drop 6 spoonfuls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Let shortcakes cool. Split open and top with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. Enjoy your yummy patriotic dessert!
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Read MoreRecognition of God’s Transforming Power
I was studying Acts 5 this week. There are a few different sections of this chapter filled with encouragement and inspiration. But I was especially motivated by studying the last part which talks about the Pharisee Gamaliel. Here is the excerpt from Acts 5:34-39. “But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
So first let’s talk about what he says to the people. “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” I don’t think this statement needs much explanation. It is pretty straightforward. But it is also pretty bold. Gamaliel was 100% sure that anything apart from God would fail. And not only was it apart from God, it was fighting God. And the …
Read More“Swapping”….better than Shopping?
This Saturday, we had a MASSIVE GARAGE SALE. In the first 15 years of our marriage my husband and I lived in 13 different houses so accumulating extra unnecessary possessions was not an option. But over the past 20 years we have lived in the same house. During this time we have raised four daughters who are now all happily married. Although they have all moved into their own homes (except for Bekah and her husband, Ashkon, who are in transition after living overseas for 2 years), many boxes of their prized possessions have remained stored in our garage. So, Bekah and I have been cleaning, organizing, sorting and purging our house for the last month.
The day of the garage sale was a beautiful summer day and we had a constant stream of folks coming to find gently used treasures. In the middle of the afternoon, a car drove up that had a huge frame of some sort on the roof. Typically you have a few professional garage sale shoppers drop by throughout the day with a big trailer attached to the back of their car or truck full of random items they have collected all day, but this car brought something different. Three young people got out of the car and we asked what was on top of their car. They proceeded to tell us about their day and how they had been going from one garage sale to another, trading one gently used item from the previous garage sale with something at the next sale. When they arrived at our place they had a huge paining on top of their car to trade with anything we wanted to trade. We really did not want a huge painting but thinking that this was a great creative way for …
Red, White, and Blue Felt Garland
Just in time for the 4th of July, here is a fun and easy festive craft to decorate your mantle.
I was inspired by this paper garland I bought from Target, and thought it would be fun to make my own red, white, and blue garland for a little USA spirit!
Red, White, and Blue Felt Garland
Supplies I Used:
1 Red 9″ x 12″ felt rectangle
1 White 9″ x 12″ felt rectangle
1 Blue 9″ x 12″ felt rectangle
Ruler
Single hole punch
Fiskars soft touch sewing scissors
Star stencil
3/4in stencil brush
White and glitter fabric paint
Red polyester trim 3/8in/9.5mm
Black sharpie pen for marking
Instructions:
1. Cut out three 4″ x 6″ rectangle from each color felt. You should have a total of 9 felt rectangles.
2. Cut an isosceles triangle shape in the bottom of each rectangle on a 4″ side. The two equal sides should measure 2 1/2″ long and cut 1 1/2″ up.
3. Now you will stencil a star on each of your three blue felt pieces. I arranged my star where I liked it and used blue tape to secure the stencil on the table under the felt piece. Try not to tape on the felt because it will pull. I mixed white fabric paint with glitter fabric paint on a plate and painted the star using my stencil brush. Allow time to dry.
4. Next, you need to punch holes in the felt. I punched two holes at the top of each rectangle 1 cm down from the top and 1/2″ in from each side.
5. I cut my ribbon 84″ long (based on the side of my mantle), and I spaced each felt piece about 3″ apart with 12″ left on each end to secure to my mantle.…
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