Mom's Memory Book

I have mentioned that I might have done just a little shopping in DC! :)  I found a great deal on new black boots and I was also able to pick up a jean skirt and black pants that I had been wanting, but my favorite find was this precious little book: "Mom's One Line a Day, A Five Year Memory Book."

Before I started on R&R, I was much better about keeping up with milestones on my personal blog, but working on this blog combined with adding another child to the mix, I just haven't recorded as much as I would have liked.  I found this book in a neat store in Old Town Alexandria. It gives you just enough space to record one or two things you want to remember for the day.

I am looking forward to remembering the funny things they say and they days they reach big milestones like crawling or walking but I am also going to record the days we face challenges!  Lately, I have read more than one blog post that almost sound negative about what we face as mothers and want to tell you that it is okay to complain.  Yes, there are LONG days that I am grateful when I put them to bed and have quiet time with Hal, but I am convinced that scripture tells us to find joy in ALL circumstances.  Even the hard days ... we can experience joy. The Lord gives us the grace to experience joy even when we are still stuck in the circumstance. So, I am looking forward to recording the hard days filled with discipline and correction and the days filled with laughter!

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Random Friday

1) I can't tell you how much I enjoyed my time in DC with Sarah.  Sleeping without a monitor by bedside was a nice break! It was so fun to spend time shopping and have long conversations about anything from the funny things we did when we were roommates to menu planning!  As I left DC, I thought how timely it had been that the School of Fish post has been on (in)courage that week.  My friendship with Sarah is a huge blessing and I must admit that sometimes I take the blessing of friendships for granted.  I slept, shopped talked, and ate yummy food for 4 days, but I was very ready to get home to my boys!  

In front of the White House ... on a COLD and WINDY day.

2) This week we have been in Arkansas for me to spend some time at the bank.  This is one of those trips that makes me really wish that we lived here!  I was able to go to Bible Study with mom on Wednesday and I couldn't help but wish that it was something I was able to do every week.  In those moments, I must remind myself, that no matter what wonderful scenarios I can dream up in my mind, the absolute only place I want to be is right in the middle of God's will and right now for us, that is Mississippi, not Arkansas. I love that peace that follows when we submit our will to His will.  

The boys with their Great Maw Maw

3) I feel like my world is getting ready to change.  Brooks is oh so close to crawling.  His big brother was never really one who messed with things he wasn't supposed to.  Brooks will be different.  The day I walked into his room and found him pulling on his curtains (remember he isn't crawling YET) I knew that he was going to get into everything. I think that I better start moving things to higher ground as soon as I get home.
4) I haven't been on my computer all week.  No blogging. No blog reading. No Facebook. No Twitter. I must admit it has been nice.  I think I need a social media break every once in a while.

12:29 PM

Lunch in Old Town Alexandria

Dayspring Product Review

Yesterday as I walked out to get the mail and pulled out a big stack of junk mail and bills, I reminisced about my trips back to the house in December with a hand full of beautiful Christmas cards. Don't you just love getting a stack of Christmas cards or an encouraging note from a friend? As I walked in the door, I saw my fun Dayspring cards and couldn't wait to send a few of these great cards to some of my girlfriends.  I mean....who doesn't love getting fun mail???

I also tucked one in my suitcase to leave for Sarah (shhhh...don't tell her!).  I love that these cards look like watercolors and some even have fun glitter!  They are on super think paper and not the flimsy kind.  The pictures and messages on the cards are super trendy!  


Dayspring sent me this lovely set of cards so that I could do a review and I also get to give great Dayspring products to you!  I will be giving away a $20 gift certificate to dayspring.com.  How can you enter?

(in)courage

Having grown up in Northwest Arkansas, it seems that I have always known about Dayspring and the wonderful products that they offer.  In addition to the products, they are the hosts for the community known as (in)courage.  I LOVE this site and how it connects women an encourages them to grow in their faith!  Today if you stop by the site, you will see a guest post from yours truly.  Enjoy and stop by again on Friday because I will be reviewing a few new Dayspring products and giving away a $20 Dayspring gift certificate!

Muffin Man

While working on my menu plans for the last few weeks, I have been searching for more quick, healthy breakfast options.  This recipe from my friend Heather has been a hit for us!  Drew and I even made a second batch during Brooks' morning nap yesterday.


Muffin Recipe

•non-stick cooking spray

•1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar (or equivalent brown sugar/splenda

blend)

•1/2 cup natural peanut butter

•1/2 cup vegetable puree (carrot or pumpkin works great!)

•1/2 cup fruit puree (or double up on the veggie puree if using a sweet veggie like carrot)

•1 large egg

•1 cup whole wheat flour

•1 teaspoon baking powder

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•sprinkle cinnamon (optional)

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line

with paper baking cups.

2.In a large mixing bowl, mix 1/2 of the brown sugar with the peanut butter, the purees

and egg using wooden spoon.

3.Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl or zipper-lock bag and stir

or shake to mix. Add to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture and stir just to combine

(the batter will be a little lumpy - do not overmix). Add the remaining 1/2 brown sugar

and stir once or twice.

4.Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake until the muffins are lightly browned

and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, appx. 20 minutes.

Heather Richmond RD

with aid from Jessica Seinfeld ‘s Deceptively Delicious

Do you have any healthy breakfast options you can share?

3:06 PM

Just because those legs are too chubby and cute not to post. :)

What To Do With The Rest Of The Year?

“Momma, where are you putting baby Jesus?” Drew asked, as I put away the nativity.  “We will put Him up and bring Him back out next year.” I replied.

“Momma, let’s listen to Christmas music,” he asked as we pulled out of the driveway.  “How about Veggie Tales instead?” I asked.  “No! Christmas music ... for baby Jesus’ birthday!”

Goodness have I been challenged by my little man over the last few weeks.  Have you tried to explain to a three year old why we only leave the nativity scenes out for one month of the year and why we don’t listen to “Silent Night” the other eleven months?  As I wrapped baby Jesus and put Him in the box amidst his questions, it hit me.  Is that how often I dwell on the birth of the incarnate Savior?  Once a year?  

Not only am I challenged by the amount that we focused and talked about Jesus in the month of December, but it has also caused me to stop and take a look at how much I am really teaching him about the Bible.  It is easy to use the excuse that he is three, but that just won’t work anymore.  As I put away the Christmas decorations, including the felt board we had done, I asked him to tell me the story and he did.  Granted, it was in the words of a three year old so every little detail wasn’t precise.  But he got it.  He knew that an angel appeared to Mary and told her she would have a baby.  Then he put Mary on the donkey and told Joseph they had to go to Bethlehem.  He then placed Jesus in the stable and brought the shepherds (who take care of sheep) and the wise men to see Jesus.  He then said, “Today in town of David, a Savior been born. He is Christ Lord.” Luke 2:11  He got it ... on a three year old level, but he got it.  And so did his momma.  These years are precious and they are few and that mind is a sponge.  What am I putting in it?

Mary on the way to Bethlehem.

So we will focus this year.  Focus on training and teaching.  My good friend Kim who did a lot of Advent activities with her boys is going to focus on a different story each month.  I am thinking we may tag along with that and keep up the felt board fun.

And we will listen to Christmas songs all year long if that is what he would like to listen to.  Besides, it will really never get old to hear him sing “Gloooooria, in exces e deo” from the backseat.

1:08 PM

Fridge clean-out ... is anybody else embarrassed by the amount of food they throw out?  Menu planning to the rescue!

Random Friday

A few random thoughts for this chilly Friday morning!

Carrots:  I am pretty sure I had forgotten what real carrots looked like or what they tasted like!  It had been YEARS since I had purchased a whole carrot.  A recipe I was working on called for large carrots, so I grabbed a bunch, peeled them, and roasted them.  They tasted so yummy and different than baby carrots.  And, I hate to burst any bubbles but I have learned that baby carrots are really just regular carrots cut down.  So, go grab a bag of plain ole’ large carrots, pull out your peeler, and save a few $$$. 

Travel:  One week from today, I will be in DC!  I am leaving next Thursday to spend a long weekend with my good friend Sarah! (And her husband Jay, too!)  I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to some good girl time.  This is the longest I have been away from either one of my boys.  I know I am going to miss them like crazy, but I am looking forward to getting a little rest and good encouragement from a friend who challenges me to grow spiritually.  I am sure we are going to squeeze a little shopping in some where. :)  My mom will be coming down to help Hal with the boys.  Between daddy and grammy, I am leaving them in very capable hands!

On Sarah's wedding day ... I need a better picture. :)

Menu Plans: I am working on my menu plans for the next 3 weeks today!  Since I will be out of town next week, I am trying to make things easier for my mom and Hal.  The next two weeks after that are going to be a little nuts, so I am trying to go ahead and get those planned out as well.  We will see how it goes! 

Books:  Don’t forgot to enter the giveaway for Money Saving Mom’s new book!  Just click here and see how to enter.

Have a great weekend my friends!

Money Saving Mom Book Review and GIVEAWAY

***Congrats to Jennifer for winning the book!  Email me so I can get it to you!***

I have followed the Money Saving Mom blog for quite some time.  Of course I love the deals Crystal posts on the site, but more than finding a fabulous bargain, I love her focus on stewardship of the home and finances.  I have found recipes, coupons, and organization ideas and have been challenged by her goal setting and focus on budgeting and using cash instead of plastic.  When I found out she was releasing a book, I was super excited to see what she would include.  It was released yesterday and I read it yesterday.  Below are a few of my favorite take aways from her book.

• CASH: This totally goes against everything I know as a bank marketing director where we want to put debit cards in peoples’ hands because they make a huge amount of $$$ for banks, but she reinforces the cash only system.  We have tried this a few different times and always end up going back to the card.  I know from our personal experience that we spend way less when we use only cash.
• COUPONS: I used to laugh at my mother for clipping and using coupons thinking that $.50 really isn’t that much, but wow was I wrong.  I have been much better in the last year at using coupons, but I still have not been super consistent. Crystal gives a down to earth approach to couponing and helps you identify what is a good bargain and what is in not.
• CLUTTER: She comments that if your life is cluttered than you are going to have a hard time meal planning, budgeting, and couponing.  Her chapter on clearing out your house and life motivated me to get up and work on my closet.  Even though it hurts, I need to admit that I am probably never going to fit in the dress that I wore to my rehearsal dinner ... time to get rid of it. :)
• CLARITY: I don’t know about you, but I can get way overwhelmed when I read blogs or books about all that different women do to run their households efficiently and cost effectively. From making their own tortillas to dishwashing liquid, there are a TON of ideas out there to save money and time.  I often think I should be doing more and there are probably a lot of areas I could be doing more.  She talks about looking at the cost savings per hour of different tasks to see if the cost savings are really worth the time investment.

I am going to be giving away a copy of this book either on your Kindle or a hard copy in your mailbox! 

You can enter the contest twice: 1) Leave a comment on this post 2) Leave a comment on the Rubies & Rewards Facebook page and tell share your goals for 2012 in regards to home management, couponing, or budgeting.

Be sure to enter the contest by Friday at midnight and I will announce the winner on Saturday!

Praying for Our Children

My silly boys

In November, I shared a resource for items that we can pray for our children.  I intended to post one request each month as a reminder, but the 25 Days of Christmas got me sidetracked!  I am getting back in the swing of things so here is January's request and scripture!


Boldly speak about Jesus and become a leader and standard-bearer for the cause of Christ rather for causes of the world 


"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14


"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17

I write the verse on the picture above Brooks' changing table ... how do you remind yourself to pray for your children?

5:46 PM

Happy Birthday Daddy!

This Week's Menu Plan (January 7th-14th)

Menu Plan

This week I got started on one of my goals for the year.  For the last several years, I have been planning our dinners out for the week, but my goal is to take it a step further by planning all 3 meals each day.  I am also trying to make sure that we are including leftovers in the plan.  Once I get rolling, I am hoping to do this for two weeks at a time to cut down on the number of trips to Kroger!  Fewer trips to Kroger and having a plan will hopefully help us keep the grocery bill down.


I used this menu plan format from Desiring Virtue.  There are tons of resources like this out there and I am going to try several until I find what works for us.  I like that this format has a shopping list.  After we got home, I put it on the fridge to remind me what we were doing all week!

Grilled Pineapple Chicken w/ Pineapple Salsa

We are still working on eating more "whole" foods and less processed stuff around here.  I found a resource on The Better Mom that has provided me with a ton of recipes.  Several of the recipes linked below are from The Nourishing Home.


Saturday
Breakfast: Daddy & D date for donuts
Lunch: Eat Out
Dinner: Burgers w/ Green Beans & Roasted Potatoes


Sunday
Breakfast: Sausage Roll from the freezer (Ramsey family recipe I will have to share soon)
Lunch: Grilled Cheese
Dinner: Grilled Pineapple Chicken & Pineapple salsa w/ Quinoa and salad

Monday

Breakfast: Eggs w/ bacon

Lunch: Leftover hamburgers and Veggies

Dinner:  Beef Drip sandwiches & chips (BCS National Championship party)

Tuesday

Breakfast:  English Muffins w/ Peanut Butter & apple

Lunch: Leftover Beef Drip (L&H)/ MMO (D)

Dinner: Lemon Garlic Chicken w/ Green Beans and Salad

Wednesday

Breakfast: Cliff Bar/Luna Bar

Lunch: Cafeteria (H) Salad (L)/ Chicken & Veggies (D)

Dinner: Veggie Turkey Chili

Thursday

Breakfast: English Muffin w/ Peanut Butter & banana

Lunch: Leftover Turkey Chili (H&L)/ MMO (D)

Dinner: Grilled Cheese sandwiches & Salad

Friday

Breakfast: Eggs w/ Toast

Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly, veggies, and fruit

Dinner: Turkey Taco Salad

Saturday

Breakfast: Pancakes, turkey bacon, & fruit

Lunch: Grilled Cheese & other leftovers

Dinner: Eat Out

Do you use a menu plan?  How do you keep your meals organized?

10:18 AM

Had to laugh at my choice of books to elevate our large nativity scene on the mantle ... quite appropriate!  (Notice I never fixed poor Mary's hand!)

Winter Snow

I was talking to a friend last week and I asked her the common, "Did you guys have a good Christmas?"  Her response, "The best ever."  The simple answer stopped me in my tracks and I thought ... me too!  It really was a great holiday season.  Maybe for the first time ever, I feel like I really worshipped the Savior.  I thought more about what it meant that the CREATOR of the universe came as a baby with ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes.  I had always thought about the humility that it took for Him to endure the cross, but never the humility that it took for Him to come as a babe. The first time I heard this song below, I was overwhelmed with the grace and majesty of Jesus.  

I took down most of our decorations yesterday.  I must admit that normally I am ready to get everything back in the box and get back to "normal."  But this year was different!  I didn't want to pull down the Christmas Cards from my kitchen cabinets and putting our gingerbread nativity in the trash was not easy. I have loved having these ever visible reminders of the season all around my house, but as I carried the last box to the garage, I reminded myself that the worship of who Jesus is doesn't stop now that the boxes are put away!  This year I am challenged to experience the same feeling of worship January through November.

What lessons did you learn this Christmas season?

2:32 PM

My dryer went out just before we left on Christmas Day for Arkansas and we were just able to get it fixed today ... the result is this mass of laundry. I am SO grateful for working appliances. :)

Well Hello 2012...

Hello 2012 ... It seems like you came so fast.  The month of December flew by and before I knew it, January 1st was staring me in the face.  December was a month of blogging rest for me. While I love blogging and sharing my heart and my walk with you, it does take time!  And it seems lately that it has taken time away from my most important responsibilities of being a wife and mother, so instead of trying to blog 5 or more days a week, I am going to be blogging 3-4 times each week.  I am also praying about sharing the blogging load with a few women who I know can encourage and challenge you.

I have never really been one to set resolutions and I am pretty sure I have never stuck with any that I set, but this year is different.  There are several things that I really feel the LORD is asking me to work on.

1. Meal Planning: I have been so encouraged by so many of the posts that I read out there in the blog world about meal planning.  I am working planning our meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in two week increments.  This will help me plan my day and what I need to do to get meals ready as well as cut back on our grocery bill. We are also continuing our quest to eat more whole foods and less processed items.  We are working on riding our diet of a lot of the processed items like crackers, breads, etc. 
2. 5:30 Appointment: In the fall of last year, I started getting up between 5:30 and 6:00 to start my day.  For this lover of sleep, getting out of bed early has been so hard, but  it honestly has made a HUGE difference in our day.  I start with reading my Bible and usually doing my BSF lesson and then spend some time journalling my prayers.  After that I try to get the dishwasher unloaded and then it is usually tim to get my early risers up and going and get Hal’s breakfast and lunch ready for him to head out!
3. Time Management: As I shared above in regards to the time I spend on Rubies and Rewards, I am working on my time management. As wives and mothers, we have a lot that needs to get done each day and I am constantly working on making sure that I am using my time effectively.

These are a few of the “goals” I have for this year and I will be sharing more with you in the weeks to come.

Happy New Year, my friends!  I pray that 2012 is a year of spiritual growth for all of us!