Family Message Center

At a past MOPS meeting we watched a video that was a great tool about how to look at how your family functions now and how you would like it to function. One of our MOPS moms wrote up a post about having a family message center to help with your family dynamic!

How can a family message center help you to grow a more purposeful family?

In the video they briefly talked about practical applications but did not give many ideas. Remember the framed photo of her sons to remind them of sibling loyalty? Enter - the family message center. I feel like this project is a perfect practical application to growing a more purposeful family.

After you spend all that time working through all of those questions (from the worksheet) this is a place where you can put it all out there on the wall for everyone to see every day to remind you all of “where you are driving.” Following this, I hope to give you some ideas on how to set up a family message center in your home and some things to consider when doing so. This has been a project I have wanted to do for a while in my own home and have done a bit of research on the topic. I would also love to hear some of your own ideas through comments to this blog post.

A big way to grow a more purposeful family is to become intentional with how you spend your time both as a family and individually. A family calendar is a good way to get everyone’s commitments in one place so you can quickly and easily make decisions about what you want to make a priority and where you can give things up. Think about the question what unites you as a family? Want to make family dinners a definite 5 nights a week? Family movie/game night? Time spent volunteering? Put it on the calendar so everyone knows and you can all hold each other accountable. And what isolates you from each other? Busy schedules? Having it all in one place will let you see where you can minimize, give things up, or reschedule so you can have more quality time together.

The other good question to consider when thinking about your family message center is what are your family’s core values? Think about the “choosing your route” part of the worksheet with the “we will” “we won’t” statements. The family message center can be a great place to put your “family rules” or “words to live by” as a daily reminder of your family destination.

Building a Family Message Center in Your Home

Ok you did your homework now its time to think about putting together your family message center. What will you include? Here is a list of ideas to get you started.

• Family rules/values list (There are some great examples on pinterest with each rule tied to a scripture.)
• Verses to live by (scripture)
• A menu
• A calendar
• Chores/routines
• Words of affirmation to family members (like the “I love you because” frame)
• A place to hang stuff such as sunglasses and keys
• A place for mail and/or sorting it
• A place for coupons
• A place for kids school papers
• Family pictures

Now comes the how to. The best place for getting inspiration is pinterest but I will do my best to put some of it into words ;) This is my favorite part (and probably the reason I still have not done this because I just can’t decide) because you can be creative and think outside the box. Again I think the easiest way is to put it in list form to give you some ideas.

• Cork-boards – You can buy one already framed but that’s not very fun. They also sell this stuff in rolls, square tiles and circles (for under house plants). Buy an old ornate frame at a thrift store and give it a face lift with a fresh coat of paint! (This technique can also be applied to many of the following ideas too!) Find a piece of fabric you love and use it to cover a cork-board. Or use craft paint and a stencil to fancy it up a bit. (This is a menu board made by our blogger, made out of a cork-board. Just one idea!)

• Magnet boards – Again get creative and save $$ by using something not meant as just a magnet board. You can buy sheet metal at Home Depot and have it cut to fit a frame you upcycled. (Take a magnet with
you to the store to make sure what you are buying is magnetic). Dollar store cookie sheets are great if you want a small one maybe for each member of the family. Wanna go big? I have an auto oil drip pan I got for
$10 at Wal Mart in my daughter's art center. Definitely a good value! Dress it up using the above methods or another is Mod- Podge it!

• Chalkboards – Again, be creative! You can use the awesome chalk board spray paint to spray just about any hard surface. Spray your magnet board and have it do double duty!

• Dry erase – My favorite, with endless possibilities is the simple picture frame with pretty scrapbook paper (or fabric) in it. Another great pinterest idea is using paint chips to make a dry erase calendar.

Tips and things to keep in mind when creating your family message center

1. Keep it simple! It can be easy to get overwhelmed with all the possible things you can include in this area of your home. Remember, you are doing this with the goal of growing a more purposeful family, so be intentional in what you include. Only include what you see as being the most meaningful to YOUR family. If you incorporate too much it will turn into a cluttered space that becomes part of the background. Your goal is to have the family interacting with it every day!

• This may mean that you decide to include things here that are only important to the entire family and find other spaces for things for individual family members. For example you could set up another space for just the kids stuff at their level so they can be held responsible for taking care of it.

2. Make it personal. Think about what might motivate each family member to go to or look at this each day. Make it beautiful using pretty papers, fabrics or paint techniques. Use personal touches like family photos and/ or family member names where appropriate. If there is a part you want your little ones to be in the routine of using make sure it is at his or her level.

3. Make it user friendly. The easier it is to use the more likely your family will be to use it!

4. Make it modular so this message center can grow with your family. Make it easy to change things in and out.

• Utilize an over-sized magnetic board so you have space for magnetic pencil cups, hooks and the like. This way these things are not permanently screwed into your wall and can easily be moved around and changed.

• Using peg boards and even a wooden pallet are two other great ways to keep it modular. Hooks and such can be added and moved very easily to keep everything organized and easily accessible. Think keys, sunglasses, coats, hats, scarves, bags etc. I love the pallet idea so family members of all sizes can hang their own coats!

• Clip boards are a great way to be able to easily change out family pics, meal plans, school lunch calendars etc. Hang a few with cup hooks and then the papers can be switched out as often as needed. Again these can be decorated with some Mod Podge and scrapbook paper or fabric.

• A ribbon memo board can be made easily and rather cheaply (Here is one TUTORIAL) and can hold all sorts of things. But beware, these boards can quickly get cluttered.

5. Short on space? Use the space inside cabinet doors. Break it up, put the family message center in the kitchen or living area and a grab and go station by the door. Or, rather than putting it all on the wall you can make a home management binder that sits on the counter. (see pinterest)

I love you Because...

As part of our Valentines Day spa day at MOPS we did a cute, fun and very cheap craft. It has been amazing for our family and I wanted to share it here!

All you do to make this craft: 

1. Print out some lines and the words "I love you because..."

2. Cut it to the size of the frame that you have on hand

3. Frame it!

There are several ways to do this with your family.

1. You could just keep this between husband and wife and write notes back and forth to each other (ie. keep this on your beside table with a dry erase marker and encourage encouraging words between spouses!)

2. You could do this as a family (which is what we have chosen to do). We leave this on our kitchen table and then write on it to one member of the family at a time. Now, my daughter is 8 years old she she is able to write, but even if the child wants to write and can't you can write for them. My 4 year old son said "I love Daddy because he is my best friend." My husband is going to treasure that for the rest of his life.

The person you wrote about then has their own turn to write about someone else. We talk about it during dinner a lot of the times leading to great dinner-time discussion.

However you choose to use a project like this, just know you are building encouraging words and LOVE within your family!

Cooking in a Crock Pot!

One of our moms, who is very accomplished with the crock pot, gave us some wonderful tips and recipes to use on those really busy nights. I can't wait to try them out!


My Favorite Sources of Recipes

Slow Cooker Recipe Collection (3Cookbooks in 1), Publications International, Ltd
Slow Cooker Recipes, Publications International, Ltd.
This one was put together by the Crock-Pot and Campbell's companies
Pinterest
Experimenting – Don't be afraid to get creative

Benefits

Easy!!!!!!!
Fast!!!!!!
Has helped me to start to meal plan and help my family save money
You can be cooking while you're out of the house!
You can make main dishes, soups, side dishes, fondues, hot drinks and even desserts in a slow cooker

Some of my Favorite Recipes

Frito Pie

About 1 lb of hamburger browned and drained
2 cans of pinto beans drained
1 jar of salsa

*Add all ingredients in the slow cooker and mix well.  I generally leave this one on low for about 6 to 7 hours, stirring it occasionally.

Calico Beans (more of a side dish, but is perfect for pot-lucks or holidays)

About 1 lb of bacon diced, fried, and drained
1 onion chopped
½ t dry mustard
½ C vinegar
1 C brown sugar
1 large can baked beans
1 normal can green lima beans drained
1 normal can butter beans drained

*Simmer the bacon, onion, mustard, vinegar, and brown sugar together for about 20 min in a sauce pan.  Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and mix well.  Again, this one can go for about 6 or 7 hours on low.

Spaghetti Sauce (my mom is famous for this one)

1 Large can tomato sauce
1 onion chopped
2 packs fresh mushrooms remove the stems
About 1 lb Italian sausage browned and drained
About 1 lb hamburger browned and drained
1 or 2 cans of diced or stewed tomatoes (depending on how much you like in your sauce)
1 T sugar
Garlic to taste
Basil to taste
Oregano to taste

*Add all ingredients to slow cooker and mix well.  This one I let go for about 6 to 7 hours on low as well.

White Chile

1 lb dried (or 3 or 4 cans) white (northern) beans drained
3 T olive oil
1 large onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
8 oz chopped green chile
1 t Cumin
1 t oregano
1 t cinnamon
3 large cans (8 – 10 C) chicken broth
4 C cooked chicken or turkey (I sometimes use canned chicken)
¾ lb Monterrey jack cheese

*Mix all ingredients (except the cheese) together in the slow cooker and simmer for at least an hour.  Stir in the cheese before serving.

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole (from Momswithcrockpots.com – I got it from pinterest)

1 box spiral pasta (uncooked but rinsed)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 C sliced pepperoni (I put more in because we love pepperoni)
1 small can tomato paste
1 C water
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray large crockpot with non-stick spray
Over medium-high heat, brown the beef with the onion, gralic,a nd bell pepper.  Drain fat.
Place pasta in the crock-pot and mix with beef mixture.  Add tomato paste, pepperoni, and water over noodle mix.  Stir
Top with cheese
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours

Black Bean and Turkey Stew (from the Crock-Pot and Cambell's cook book mentioned above – this is one my family's favorites)

3 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ C chopped onions
1 ½ C chicken broth
1 C sliced celery
1 C chopped red bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ t dried oregano leaves
¾ t ground coriander
½ t ground cumin
¼ t ground red pepper
6 oz cooked turkey sausage, thinly sliced

Combine all ingredients except sausage in crock-pot.  Cover, cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
Transfer about 1 ½ C bean mixture from crock-pot to blender; puree bean mixture.  Return to crock-pot.  Stir in sausage.  Cover; cook on low an additional 10 to 15 min.
(I tend to put the sausage in with all the ingredients and I normally skip the blender part and it seems to turn out fine)

Let's get healthy!

One of our mom's provided some wonderful information on how to get more HEALTHY in the upcoming year! Here are her notes!

Why do people want to exercise? There are four main reasons:

To lose weight
To get more fresh air/have more energy
To set a new workout/fitness goal
To improve general health/longevity

If you have not been following a regular exercise regime, don’t start out with unreasonable goals! I gained between 50-60 pounds with each of my pregnancies...and once I was able to workout again, IT WAS REALLY REALLY HARD! I had to force myself to start with small goals. After an aerobic base was established, like running 1 mile three times per week, then I could increase the duration and difficulty of my workouts.

Remember that if you are exercising to lose weight...it’s got to be a diet + exercise combo. And you may gain weight (i.e. muscle mass) before you lose any pounds...because muscle weighs more than fat.

3500 calories burns 1 pound. On average, your body burns about 2000 calories a day. So for example, if you cut your daily caloric intake by 500 calories via diet and exercise, it will take around 7 days to lose 1 pound (500 calories/day x 7 days = 3500 calories).

How do we as busy mothers fit in exercise? Well, there is no easy answer...it takes personal determination. Just like you make time every week to go to the grocery store for food or do the laundry for clean clothes, you have to prioritize to exercise. It might have to be a DVD workout if your husband travels a lot. It might have to be at an odd hour of the day so you have childcare covered. But bottom line, making time to exercise happens when you decide to make it a priority. There are days when it just won’t happen...and that’s ok...start with small realistic goals (i.e. I will workout once this week) and go from there.

NOTE: I would be happy to answer any fitness/diet/exercise questions that our moms have...I am not an expert, but I have been able to make it a priority in my life...and sometimes that can be the most difficult step for some women!

Mark Bittman's Favorite 15 Basic Ingredients

You can't cook and eat good food without a well-stocked kitchen!

Grains
You can't have too many varieties. I think quinoa (keen-wa) is the grain of the future--great-tasting and easy to cook. Bulgur cooks in a flash and is delicious for breakfast; oats are a staple; a few kinds of rice add flexibility. Pasta is a grain, but it's highly processed, so reserve it for treats.
Beans
Buy an assortment of dried and canned. If you can find frozen beans, grab 'em. Use beans for snacks, sides, as a base for meals. High in carbs and protein, low in fat, cheap, and versatile, beans are a cornerstone of the modern kitchen.
Olive Oil
Extra-virgin is preferable, easy to find, and much less expensive than it used to be. Use it for everything. Don't worry about country of origin; producers ship bulk oil everywhere, so labeling isn't worth much. If it tastes good, and costs around $10 a liter, use it. You may also want peanut, grapeseed, canola, or corn; look for cold-pressed--not chemically extracted. And it doesn't hurt to have some butter once in a while, either.
Long-Keeping Vegetables and Fruits
Carrots, celery, lemons, and limes keep at least a week. Potatoes (white and sweet), onions, garlic, and dried chiles keep even longer. Frozen vegetables like spinach, peas, and corn keep more or less forever.
Fresh Herbs
You can't have them all, but buy one every week or so to add spirit to your cooking. Cilantro and mint are easy to find; in the summer basil, dill, and rosemary are abundant. Even parsley--so often taken for granted--can make a huge difference when chopped and added in real quantity to salads, grains dishes, and sauces.
Spices
Buy the ones you like; they keep at least a year. Fanatics buy whole spices, and toast and grind them as they need them, and this really is ideal, but in general preground spices are fine.
Vinegar
Sherry vinegar is the most versatile and best for the money; balsamic is popular and sweeter. Good cider, rice, and wine vinegars, are also fine standbys.
Soy Sauce
Look for brands (such as Kikkoman) that contain only soy, wheat, salt, water, and bacteria; that's how real soy sauce is made, and it's great stuff.
Parmesan
From Italy, please. It's the easiest way to add complex flavor to pasta and rice dishes, and much more.
Dried Fruit and Nuts
There's nothing better for snacking, and they're useful for cooking. Store nuts in the freezer (they keep longer). Don't forget about nut butters.
Eggs
Fast, inexpensive, and protein-packed.
Bacon
Store it in the freezer and use it for beans, grains, and vegetable dishes. An ounce or two goes a long way.
Canned Tomatoes
Indispensable. Wonderful for sauce, but you can add them to any soup or stew you like. Pre-chopped tomatoes make life a little easier.
Sweeteners
Sugar is fine in moderation, but maple syrup and honey are far more flavorful.
Dried Mushrooms
Especially porcini and shiitakes. Soak them in hot water until soft, then add them to anything.

Three Calorie-Cutting Tips for 2013:

1) Swap out flavored drinks (juice, soda, and alcohol) for water. A good guide is to drink half your weight in ounces each day. So if you weigh 140lbs., you should be drinking 70 ounces of water every day.

2) Eat out less! It’s much easier to control portion size when you eat at home.

3) Look at your dinner plate...it should look like this:

50% vegetables (high in fiber + water, which will fill you up with very few calories)

25% protein

25% carbs

Two of my go-to websites for good healthy recipes and exercise-related articles:

www.realsimple.com
(I really like the “5 Easy Dinners” feature in each issue, also available online.)

www.runnersworld.com
(Great info for runners at all stages.)

Couponing 101

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We began our meeting today with great EXCITEMENT as we look forward to the new year as MOPS mommies! We had several different ladies speaking on several topics to help organize our lives including couponing, crock-pot cooking, fitness, and central message centers for our homes. I will be posting our talks on here so people can refer back......to encourage us as moms......and to help those of you who were not able to make it this morning!

First we have Couponing 101. I did this talk myself because couponing is something that I just love, that I have gotten good at over the years, that I have tried at and failed at, and tried at again, and now I have a system. I want to preface this by saying that there are MANY different methods to couponing. This is only one. Feel free to use any ideas that you get here and change them up to make them work for the family God has given you. Do not be overwhelmed! If you have never done this before couponing can be SCARY....but just change a couple of things that you are doing and you wil lstart to save money.....and pay yourself! I consider this part of my job as a stay-at-home mom. I do this all on Sunday afternoons when the kids are sleeping. Then I shop Sunday nights when my husband can watch the kids. So, it is just me, my cart, my basket, my coupons, my list and my ads. Simple huh?


 If you would like more information on how I
coupon, feel free to follow my blog at www.bekkielynn.blogspot.com

1. Get a newspaper

a. In order to save the most money, subscribe to the weekends-only version  and have it delivered to your home. You will save more money having this delivered than getting it every week at the store.  The few dollars that you spend on it will be gained back every single week.

b. Remove the coupon sections from the paper each Sunday, along with ads for the following stores: Sunflower Market, Pro’s Ranch Market, Target, Walgreens, CVS and Kmart

c. Each Monday, your mail carrier should bring you an ad. section that will include ads
for Smiths and Albertsons. Sometimes extra coupon packs are included so remove
those as well.

2. Cut all coupons that you will use.  Do not waste time on coupons that your family will not use. (children love to cut coupons if you just tell them which ones!)

a. Find a method of organization for your coupons. For tips on how to make a book like mine, go to: http://bekkielynn.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-organize-coupons.html

b. Organize the coupons right away so you will not be overwhelmed in the future. My large categories include: Dairy, Center Aisles, Meats, Fresh items, Medicines, Pets, Cleaning, Frozen and Misc. (each large category is then broken down into smaller categories for easy access in the store and while making a list)

c. Whatever organization method you use, make sure the coupons are easily seen (such as in a picture album or baseball card album, as opposed to a box), so you can quickly grab the coupons you need, and can also tell quickly when a coupon is about to expire

3. Go through the ads that you have collected for the week and using a dark marker, circle
items in the ads that are GOOD DEALS for the week.

a. Doing this, you will be able to easily compare prices within those stores to get the best deals. Ads are competitive: ie. When Pepsi is on sale in 1 store, it will likely also be on sale in about 3 other stores. You can easily choose the best price per unit.

4. Make an ORGANIZED grocery list. For more detailed information, go to: http://bekkielynn.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-to-make-organized-grocery-list.html

a. Divide your list into the sections of the store (same sections as your coupons)
b. Go through the ads and write down the deals on your list including the EXACT item name, the price per unit (ie. $.99/lb), abbreviation of the store this is found at and a symbol as to whether you have a coupon for this item.

i. Example would look like this: Diet pepsi, 12 pack (4/$11- CVS) * (star means coupon)
ii. Make up abbreviations that will save you time and that YOU UNDERSTAND

5. Go through your (now organized) coupon book and pull out any coupons that are expiring,
match your ads for sale items and other items that you know that you need that week. Pull
out those coupons and put them in a separate envelope that you will bring with you to the
store.

a. Write down those coupon items to your master list, making sure to label it with a star, or your symbol

6. Make a meal list for the week, using the ads for inspiration (ie. If ham is on sale, make sure
and use ham as one of the recipes for the week)

a. Go through the recipes for the week and add any other needed ingredients to your
master list

In my opinion, you will save the most time price matching at Wal-mart. I have a Wal-mart
Neighborhood Market near my home, which is comparable in quality to Smiths or Albertsons. But,
now you can do one-stop shopping as Wal-mart will match prices from all competitors in the area.
My Wal-mart will match:

Walgreens (amazing deals on non grocery items)
CVS (always the best deals for milk!- when on sale, buy 4-5 gallons at a time and freeze it!)
Sunflower Market (amazing deals on produce)
Pro’s Ranch Market (also amazing produce deals)
Kmart
Target
Smiths
Albertsons

For detailed information on HOW to price-match, using some organizational strategies I have employed, go to: http://bekkielynn.blogspot.com/2011/11/money-saving-monday-walmart-price.html

For ANOTHER couponing method (that I used to use quite successfully before I decided price-matching was best for our family) go to: http://bekkielynn.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-maximize-coupon-savings.html . This is the method found at www.couponmom.com

*Do not be overwhelmed. Go step by step. In the beginning this method will take you a few
hours a week….but those hours will save you HUNDREDS of dollars each week and then month.
Carve out time each week to get it done. Eventually you will get good at doing your method
of couponing and it will not take as long. When you go to the store using this method, in the
beginning it will also take you longer….so try to go at a time when your hubby or a friend can
watch the kids. Eventually you will be able to take a couple of kids along, but it does complicate
things!

Feel free to comment or email me for questions. I love helping! GOOD LUCK!

No Fail Turkey Soup!

Ever wonder how to use the whole turkey leftovers to go from this:

To this:

I am here to show you! We had a wonderful turkey for Christmas....and after all the meat had been picked off, and sandwiches made, the carcass remained in the frig. I wanted to use it to make an amazing turkey soup....and that can be a daunting and scary task!

BUT, do not be afraid! This is the most WONDERFUL turkey soup you will ever eat and you will use the whole remaining turkey to make it!

This is the soup that my mom taught me to make....and after every major holiday we ate it. Now I will share the wealth!

1. First you take a HUGE soup pot and fill it about half-way with water. Then you STUFF the turkey, whatever remains of it, bones and all, into the pot. It might require some special pushing, shoving and perhaps even some cutting. Just get it in there. Then fill up the rest of the pot with water. Put the burner on high and then walk away....for a LONG time. Let the water boil over the turkey for HOURS. Your house will soon be smelling like roasted turkey. It is lovely! I would say it takes at least 4 hours, but you just let that thing go!

2. Every hour or so, just check on the turkey and make sure there is still enough water in the pot. It will begin to boil down. If the turkey bones are not covered with water, feel free to add more. There are not many measurements to this recipe!

3. When you check on the turkey and the remaining meat simply falls off the bone, you are ready for the next step! Take the soup off the burner for a few moments as you work with this next step, so it is not boiling. With some kitchen tongs, remove the turkey bones and put them all on a cookie sheet or large tray. Remove all the large bones. Allow these bones to cool for about 20 minutes so you can handle them without burning your hands.

4. While waiting on the bones to cool, add about a teaspoon or 2 of chicken broth granules. This just gives it another layer of flavor. Likely salt will not be needed, but taste the broth and see if it needs some salt and pepper. Now chop some fresh veggies....whatever you have on hand, and add it to the soup. I add carrots, celery, potatoes and parsley if I have that on hand. Also add about 1/2 cup of rice or barley.

5. Now that the bones are cooled off enough to handle, use your hands to pick the remaining meat off the bones and add to the soup pot. This is the hardest part but it is worth it!

6. Bring the soup to boil and at this point you will want to cook it for about 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender and the rice cooked. If you choose to do noodles instead of rice, make those separately. If you cook them in the soup itself they can become very soggy.

I hope you enjoy this turkey soup. It is the best I have ever eaten....and so healthy! It uses every part of the turkey so you get your money's worth out of it. Enjoy! I certainly have!

God's Journey of Friendship

We had some wonderful speakers, who had been friends for many many years, come to speak to us on the topic of friendship. What a beautiful talk that it was....full of laughs and tears and hugs......just like real and true friendships should be!

First of all, they brought up the fact that God is very creative in how he brings friends together, in our busy, busy lives of raising young kids. We have some friends from college, some friends who are in the same station of life, some friends who are a few steps ahead of us in life, some friends God brought us together with through old flames, ex-boyfriends, husbands, coworkers, kids who were playing together in the mall play area then had tantrums when it was time to leave (Ok that was me :) However, however God brings friends into our lives, they are a real and true GIFT!

What makes friendships work anyway? Some things we came up with:
same interests
mutual investment of time and energy
time
sacrificial giving
transparency
forgiveness
trust
having FUN together!

Now, as mothers of young children who are trying our VERY best to raise loving, obedient, God-fearing children, it is sometimes hard to be a good friend....to invest in friendships when we are plain exhausted. But, it is important and we have to be creative with our time!

I Sam. 20:17b- "...And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself."

Another picture of friendship actually occurs when Jesus is in the garden, before He is about to be betrayed then led to the cross. He took his three disciples who were in His inner circle with Him to support Him during this difficult time: Peter, James and John.

Another picture in the Bible of how to DO friendship? Also from Jesus in John 13- Jesus takes his towel and washes the dirt from his disciples feet. He is serving them even in the lowest possible way....and He was the King of all Kings! We need to learn to come alongside our friends and be willing to serve.

Always rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance in friendships. He will direct. He will lead you. He will whisper in your ear when your friend truly needs you. You need to be attentive to His still, small voice.

So, what do we (and should we) look for in our closest confidants? 

Investment- it is costly, to be true, but what we reap is a true gift.
Integrity- have friends in different ages and stages in life- friends who are willing to encourage you...those who weep with you then rejoice in your most wonderful moments....and being willing to do the same for them!
Intentional Priorities- Do NOT be exclusive in your friendships. Encourage friendships with other women as well. Jealousy will breed discontentment and will kill friendships.

What will make friendships go sour and even die?

gossip
comparison
unequally yoked (you can be invested in many people's lives, but only go very deeply with those who share your same devotion to Christ)
jealousy (ie. girl drama)
unmet expectations

Making friends and keeping friends sometimes can be a hard business....but it is so very important to our lives. This continues to be a challenge to me to make time and priorities for some real deep and meaningful friendships!

MOPS recap. and Mod-Podge plate craft!

Sorry I am a bit late with the recap, but better late than never, huh?

Our last meeting sported a smaller group.....unfortunately there is a lot of sickness going around. BOO! Take those vitamins!

We did a great craft , that will be wonderful this Christmas season! We made plates like this using just 3 things: Clear glass plates (bought from the dollar store), mod-podge, and festive fabric!

We can use to plates for a number of things. Here are some ideas:

1. Use this plate for gifts for neighbors or teachers etc. at Christmas! Add some baked goodies and you have a BEAUTIFUL display!

2. Make a whole set of them for your table for Christmas or Thanksgiving, to coordinate with your decor.

3. Make mis-matched plates to change up the decor some!

4. Make a set of plates and give the entire set as a gift

5. Use just one plate as the "special person" plate. Any night where a person in your family need to be celebrated (ie. birthdays, promotion at work, potty training success, a down day where they need encouragement, you caught them in the act of being nice etc.) just put the plate at their dinner seat!

6. Smaller plates would make EXCELLENT candle plates! 

*Please be aware that although these plates are beautiful, they can not be submerged in water or in the dishwasher. In order to clean them, simply wipe down the front.

Directions:

1. Clean your clear, glass plate with windex and wipe free of all smudges and finger prints.

2.Cut a piece of fabric in a large square LARGER than the plate (you can also  use scrapbook paper for other looks!)

3. Using a sponge brush, brush a healthy amount of mod-podge over the entire plate. 

Before it starts to dry, put your fabric, print side DOWN (so the print will show through the front of the plate) over the plate. Beginning in the center of the plate, use your fingers to push out all the air bubbles. Every once in a while, turn it over and see how it looks from the other side. Once the air bubbles are free, use your sponge brush and paint another healthy layer of mod-podge over the fabric.

4. *Mod-Podge paints on white. As it dries, it will turn clear. When the mod-podge begins to turn clear it is time for another coat. It takes approximately 10 minutes for each coat to dry and the plate needs 3-4 coats to be complete.

5. After the 1st coat, it is time to trim the edges off the material so it fits on your plate. Use SHARP scissors or fabric scissors and cut along the edge, angling the scissors toward the plate. If you have any fabric hanging over the edge, it will run the risk of pulling off when it is dry. Cut it just a bit smaller than the plate itself. 

6. After 3-4 coats of mod-podge, your plate is done with the messy process. 

7. Give your plate at least 12 hours to dry fully before beginning the next step.
8. This step is OPTIONAL but gives the plate a real finished look. Taking paint markers, you can then paint around the edges with gold or silver. Allow to dry and now you are officially done!

I can not wait to do more of this craft for gifts this Christmas and Thanksgiving!

Guess what? I have another tip on how to use HOME-MADE mod-podge! If you are doing a lot of mod-podge crafts, it can be a bit pricey! BUT, when I discovered this, a whole new world opened up for me!

What you need:

White school glue (I like to stick with Elmer's!)
A jar with twice the volume of your glue
THAT'S IT!

Squeeze the glue into the jar. Fill the glue bottle with water. Seal and shake. Now squeeze the watery stuff into the jar. Seal and shake. It is now completely blended and works JUST as well as the stuff that you spend $8 for at the craft store. ENJOY ladies :)

How to Organize Coupons

A few ladies and I were talking this morning about couponing, so I thought I would share some of my coupon ideas here as it has been SO helpful to me! I thought every once in a while we could share ways that we save money. As moms of young children, we can ALWAYS learn how to save money more effectively to minister to our growing families!

After a few years of trying different ways, I finally came up with what has been a VERY good system for me and couponing! One of the keys to couponing is to keep the coupons organized and easily accessible so you can grab coupons quickly, plus be able to compare competitors coupons along with the store brands and thus get the best price.

This is not the ONLY way to organize coupons, but it is a great way and one that works best for me, so I thought I would share. Some people organize with boxes or folders, which is fine, but I like this particular method because you can take the entire file to the store, and access any coupon you need quickly and easily with a quick glance!

I spent the morning re-doing my book because the one I have been previously using was too small and is a few years old so was pretty beat up!

For this project you will need:

A medium sized picture album

Permanent black marker

scissors

clear tape (I used packing tape)

pen

paper

1. Clearly label your album (ie. "Grocery Coupons") so you know what it is.

2. Make up a list of large categories to put in your book according to how you shop. Feel free to use my list, add or delete as you feel the need. Alphabetize them so you know what order to put them in your book. *Please note that you will be sub-dividing these categories later on.

Center Aisles

Cleaning

Dairy

Fresh and Meats (I combined this because you do not get many coupons in either of these categories)

Frozen

Medicine

Misc. (this includes things like restaurants, pizza, gift cards and mall deals)

Non-Groceries

Pets

Receipts (and EXCELLENT section to keep receipts of things you may need to return etc.)

3. You can either use store-bought labels to label each section, or if you are cheap like me, make your own! To make your own labels, cut small strips of paper in the shape of rectangles and write the name of the large categories to the right of the label.

Lay a piece of packing tape approximately 7 inches long, sticky side up, and put the label on it so the tape can be folded over to encase it, and stick it to an inner page.

Fold the packing tape over so part of it is on the front and the other part on the back, encasing the label so it can be read from the outside.

*The tricky part will be to figure out how many pages you need for each section. This will come with trial and error. I have been doing this method for a few years now, so I know approximately how much space I will need. I know that my "Center Aisles" section is very large, while my "Pets" section is fairly small. Just use your best guess. Also remember to attach each label a little bit further down the page so they can all be clearly read when the book is closed.

4. Now you will sub-divide each section to further organize the coupons within. Use a separate piece of paper to figure out each sub-division, then alphabetize the list. Once again, I will provide you with my sub-divisions and you can use them if you would like!

Center Aisles:

Baking

Breads

Cereal

Coffee

Drinks

Fruit/jello

Mexican

Oils

Pasta

Pasta Sauce

Salad

Sauces

Sides

Snacks

Soups

Spreads

(Misc). (in each large category I end with the "Misc." category in case I have a coupon that does not fit into any of the sub-categories)

Cleaning:

Aromas

Bathroom

Carpet

Dishwasher

Furniture

Laundry

Kitchen

(Misc.)

Dairy:

Butter

Creamer

Eggs

Spreads

Yogurt

(Misc.)

Fresh or Meats:

No sub-categories

Frozen:

Meals

Snacks

Vegetables

Medicine:

Band-aids

Cold Medicine

Creams

Kids

Pain Medicine

Stomach Medicine

Vitamins

Misc.

Cotton swabs

Batteries

Diapers

Hair Color

Hair Products

Makeup

Kids Soap

Soap

Razors

Toothpaste

Toilet Paper

Wipes

(Misc.)

Non-Groceries:

No sub-categories

Pets:

Cat

Dog

Litter

Receipts:

No sub-categories

5. Now that you have made and alphabetized your lists, label each category in your book with a permanent black sharpie marker. (Make sure it is dry before you turn the page!)

6. FINALLY it is time to file away the coupons!

At another time, I will go into more detail about how I make my list and how I bring my coupons to the store. For now, have fun with your organization!!!