Blogging Beauties

Yep, since I am always a day late...or a week late for that matter,
I am finally getting around to bragging about how awesome connecting in blog land can be.

Now, I realize that you are already aware of this fact or you wouldn't be drawn to this virtual world, but let me highlight a few of the finest.
One of my favorite things to do is connect with like minded, authentic women.
The blog world is full of them, and it goes completely against my nature to only "know" you through a computer screen.
I have the privilege of knowing a few dynamic bloggers in real life (in fact, we are/were all from the same church, although not everyone knew each other....downside of a big church), and when I found out that Kimba's sister lived in our town, and that the Spray Paint Guru was coming to babysit..in our home town...in the flesh....I was all over that.

The End result....ME - The Queen of Forced Bonding organized a brunch with a bunch of blogging beauties! (...hmmm, pondering how my Queen of Procrastination title disappeared immediately for this event)
Trust me - absolutely no forcing or procrastination was necessary to get these ladies together, and if you all lived close, you SO would have been invited.
There are many of you who I WILL meet in real life....
Sitting in the back row is me, Kimba, Jill (who is a dear friend that I sucked into lurkdom...no blog), Emily (seated by the urn),
In front, Lauren (a complete cutie getting married in just a few short days), Kendra (the foodie we all know and love), and the Nester.
And yes, we all used Emily's group picture since she was the only one who got her self timer working, so if you've seen it on a few other blogs....oops.
Since I was going for the alliteration with the Blogging Beauties title and not accolades, I will say that these are all beautiful women...authentic, passionate, down to earth,
and just plain fun to be with.
Our time flew, and not nearly enough stories were shared.
Here are just a few random pics.

Kimba gives a spontaneous tutorial, while Kendra is contemplating how she can spray paint her old cookware.

Here I am smooshed in between two of the sweetest sisters known to man kind. Since I don't want to embarrass them and gush too heavily, let's just say that I know things about them through their blogs that just bless the socks off me, and it's just an extra blessing knowing them in real life.
Can we actually get together a bit more despite our busy schedules?
I believe I was attempting to talk the Nester into doing some bedlam moments for my blog.

She politely declined the bedlam moment, and replied something about just wanting to hide in her decorating cave... hee hee
(And what's the deal with a new fancy camera if I can't even figure out the right settings...(sorry for the sea sickness. )

And.... the guest of honor was this fast new friend.
I will tell you though, that I am incredibly upset that I met her because our time together was way too short, and now that we have bonded, I am mourning the fact that I will only get to see her a few times of year.
Have you ever felt that way about someone?
You just know that if you lived closer, they'd be the one you were calling spontaneously for coffee? Yep, that her.
And together we would solve all the world's problems, since neither of us would actually post anything controversial on our blog. :)

Kimba - thank you for being a blessing to so many in blog land!
You are a treasure!

What it feels like to be you....

This is a continuation of ideas on fostering honesty in the home.
If you missed yesterday's post, start HERE!

For an interesting and memorable evening change places (literally) at the dinner table one night. Pick one family member (such as Mom) to be the subject for the evening and have everyone else take turns saying what they think it would feel like to be Mom.

Comments will range from “Mom loves to cook our favorite foods” to “Mom is always happy” to “Mom can be mean and put me in time out.” This makes it easier for Mom to share how she really feels about her role and relationships in the family.

She should be honest and talk about how she works hard to make everything enjoyable for the family and that sometimes she feels sad, frustrated, angry and tired too. These discussions can be eye-openers for the little ones who aren’t yet able to see past their own world and for adults to realize that others don’t know how we feel unless we tell them. Choose one person each day, and by the end of the week, communication that was fostered, will be priceless.

Honesty and Character Building

Weekly Inspirations:
The Heart of Honesty
When ever I speak on building character in one's children, my home evolves into one mad science lab where my children squeak like guinea pigs, and I am the wicked scientist whose head detaches itself multiple times during the course of the week.
This was one of those weeks, and without fail, we had a few of those moments (hmm...I think I call them bedlam moments).
Less you think I didn't share them with the ladies that I spoke to.....I did.....since October's family virtue is honesty, how horrible would that be if I didn't share from the heart. :)

As I have mentioned before, our family focuses on one specific character quality a month. I realized that I have been lax in bringing some hands on activities for you to implement with your own family. I love to refer to them as "tools of intentionality."
These are for all the blogless moms that will be visiting in the next few days...do I dare suck them into this new world?
These are just a sampling of things that our family does..sometimes oh, so excellently, and sometimes..yep...sheer bedlam. My hope is that they can be a helpful jumping off point in furthering the character development within your family tapestry.

I have a PDF file for you to download with five fun activities that focus on HONESTY. These are NOT just for children. I have conversation starters, a fabulous recipe to encourage children to share their feelings, as well as some ideas for expressing those spontaneous gestures of love, and the legacy of a family's story.
Please feel free to share this with your Moms' group, bible study etc, and send them back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for additional ideas.
Over the next few months, I will be adding simple, yet meaningful tradition ideas to help take the Chaos out of the Christmas count down, and focus on the things that are the most important.

Please don't get overwhelmed. It only takes one simple tradition executed purposefully to create those memory moments that one desires for their home.

Click the link below to print the activity cards. I couldn't figure out how to create it's own separate page, so you will need to back space back to my site....sorry.

EDITED TO ADD: You really want to click below (I can tell that people haven't...JUST DO IT!! It will be SO worth the eye candy ideas. :)

Building Happy Homes...one family at at time (activities focusing on Honesty)

Teaching Honesty

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." Thomas

Many of us are honest with others but not always honest with ourselves,
or how we represent ourselves to other people. We are afraid that if we reveal
how we really think or feel, others will not like us. Since authenticity (being true to who are)
is the foundation for all good relationships, this is one of those important life lessons
that will impact your child’s happiness throughout their lifetime.

We need to teach the little people in our lives that it is okay to express their true feelings,
as long as they do it in respectful and constructive ways. Young children naturally say
what they feel and think, but they learn early in life that many emotions are “bad,” so they begin to lie in order to hide those “bad” feelings.

We mustn’t forget that we cannot always control our feelings. They come and they go.
We can, however, control our behavior, and we can CHOOSE how we respond.
Make it clear to your children that no one
else “makes” them behave in a certain way. How they behave is their own choice and responsibility, no one else’s. As they express themselves, use this as a precious
opportunity to dig into their heart, and begin meaningful conversations about what the root of their "feelings" are. With my younger one, quite often the "I want this" response comes to light. What a wonderful time to begin directing them back to the abundance of things we can choose to be grateful for. Focus on the little - everyday things that they may miss in cultivating this heart of gratitude. Just a few things off the top of my head might be the way the sun pokes through the clouds creating a rainbow of interesting colors, the smell of clothes after they have been washed (seriously - have them smell the laundry and then compare them to my boys' football uniforms.), the bird's that sing so sweetly on your walk through the neighborhood, and most importantly, the glorious sound and smell of the coffee pot as it welcomes a new day...oh, right...this is for the kids...sorry. :)

The attitude of Gratitude, even in the midst of disappointing situations, is a key focus area in our kids, and we keep a Gratitude Journal. And yep...Gratitude is our November virtue, so I can't wait to share more. :) The next few weeks....Honesty...and I can't wait to hear some of your stories.

If you desire some additional ideas for the month, this post continues at my sorely neglected home school blog - Teaching Classically.

Reasons not to mess with kids

Traveling with my children to the beautiful mountain town of Asheville, NC for the next few days, is making me giddy as I type this. (I am throwing this decision on my poor children, so ask me....not all of them, if they want to go, and blame it on my "How spontaneous are you?" post).
I am speaking to a Mops group at a church that is known as a "light from the mountain" - Biltmore Baptist Church. Can you imagine the majestic scenery I am about to encounter at peak season for leaves? Yipee!!
It will be worth the 3 hour drive, and spontaneously spending the night Wednesday is what keeps the sparkle in our home school.

Do your really think those poor unsuspecting MOPS moms are ready for a little Beauty and Bedlam? My talk title surely reflects the balance.
Character Counts: Polishing the Pearls amongst the Pandemonium and Poopies.
And if we ever meet in real life...please ask about the story that inspired that title...it came from the poopie part, not the pearls...just in case you're wondering. :)

I leave you with a few funnies that made me chuckle...ahh....from the mouths' of babes. :)


* A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.

The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small

The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.

The little girl said, 'When I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah.'

The teacher asked, 'What if Jonah went to hell?'

The little girl replied, 'Then you ask him.'


* A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing.

She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.

As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was..

The girl replied, 'I'm drawing God.'

The teacher paused and said, 'But no one knows what God looks like.'

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, 'They will in a minute.'


* A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.

After explaining the commandment to 'honor' thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'

Instantly, one little boy, the oldest of a family, answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'


* The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a religious elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The teacher made a note, and posted on the apple tray:

'Take only ONE. God is watching.'

Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.

A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples..'

How spontaneous are you?

(Edited to add: even though this is strictly a "home school" post, one of the beautiful things about home schooling is the ability to take advantage of the "little" things, and seize the day. This post is about one of those days and I wanted to share it for Tammy's first open house.)

With October's schedule rolling rambunctiously out of control,

I stopped to smell the roses...well, umm...not quite,
but does "stopped to pick some apples" count?
I have one month (and I am living it) where things are not in balance...not one bit.
I am admitting it, confessing it, laying it out there for all to note.
The Queen of Intentional Living is out of balance, and it was brought on by myself.
(Yes, I do recall that Saturday I was the 'Queen of Best Intentions', but can I not declare myself Queen on a number of platforms...with a bit of the good, bad and ugly tossed around in there? Thank you for the permission...I will).

Yep, from now until November 10th....I am teetering out of balance - too many speaking things, home school things, craft booth things...just THINGS.
Good things that sometimes get in the way of more important things.
Great things if they had been spread out a bit more on the calendar,
but at least I am owning up to it, and working on ways to deal with it,
while not harming my children in the process.
I have admitted it...there is hope...hee hee

If you can relate in any small way,
one of my anecdotes for busy living is spontaneity.

When was the last time your were purposefully spontaneous?
Or was that something that was washed down the toilet with a husband, kids, work, and any multitude of other fill in the blanks?
Now I understand that busy and spontaneous may appear to be an oxymoron,
but the concept and execution can work wonders for the slivered soul.
It can weave the spirit of intentionality into your timely tapestry, even when you're falling into more shares of bedlam moments than you care to admit (and yep...we even had one on this adventure)!

Last Friday, we had that choice.
My sis-in-love dropped off a box of my catalogs that had mistakenly been sent to her house.
Now one would assume that since we live together on this happy homestead, we would savor coffee bonding times together on a regular basis....NOT!
During the fall, we wave in passing. Summer is our season together.
During our 30 second exchange, she mentioned buying some apples from a local orchard when she went to pick up her van from the shop.
I gushed, "Let's go, let's do it!"
Yes, I do believe in invite myself.
Some times you just do what you need to do.
It took us a few moments to actually determine that we were more than just talk, and this might just work if we left immediately - without thinking through the ramifications.
But we did it. (JUST DO IT!)
We made a spontaneous decision,
and it was a memory making moment at its finest!

With our open window of just an hour, the children raced through the rambling rows.

We chit chatted with the orchard owners (notice my nephew's hand on his mom's shoulder. He was waiting patiently to interrupt. I didn't even know I captured this, but it's a great example of rewards that are reaped from beginning that character training young.)

Here are two of my blessings digging into the goodies. We surely have enjoyed baking lots of apple creations this week, but do you know how many peeled apples it takes to make just a little homemade applesauce?
An hour's worth is all I can say about that. :)
Enjoy that Mott's because you won't see me sharing any of this with you...hee hee!
(Just making sure you understand that the cute litte bootie did not come from this momma :)
The two little cussers (from a past post) enjoying the bounty.

Where my oldest daughter came from, I do not know?
She did NOT want her picture taken, and tried various attempts at averting the zoom on my camera.


It's amazing what they can get away with for the sake of a blog post.
Nope - didn't even discipline her for this, in fact, shuckled and thought it was awfully cute!

So finally, I gave my nephew full reign on the tickle factor.
She saw it coming.....

And it worked just like I anticipated!
I do have 20 more pics in this sequence of shots, but thought I wouldn't bore you with an entire page of her getting tickled. :)

Best of cousins....but more like sisters.

No problem getting this one to pose...anytime...anywhere.

She's there for you!

And this is by far one of the most precious Proverbs 31 teens that you have ever met. Sheer delight oozes from every pore in her being, and I am privileged to be her aunt.

What would an afternoon in an apple orchard be with out a few cartwheels among cousins?

Or better yet...a delightful roll down their ginormous hill.
Note that I am using my zoom, so you can imagine how large the area was.

This entire time my sil and I definitely felt our age.
As our blessings yelled for us to watch, we smiled, cringed, then felt itchy, nauseous, and dizzy all at the same time.

Yep - it ended with a big old dog pile on that precious Proverbs 31 girl.

Don't worry, I wouldn't let the bedlam moment get by on this one.
It was a relief to realize that our age wasn't the only significant factor....

"It's ok, honey, you're going to be alright. Just a little motion sickness."

"But I really think that I am going to throw up."

And that was the continuous theme on the way home from this delightfully, spontaneous hour that soothed our soul, nurtured the family bond, and allowed everyone the vicarious experience of morning sickness... all the way home.
The end.

Let your creative juices explode...I can't wait to hear about the spontaneous celebration that you allowed and then chose to impact your home this week.
Yep - it's a choice....remember, it can be as easy as eating dinner under the table. :)
JUST DO IT!