Banner Bedlam

So here's my 30 second question and statement for the day (but knowing me, it may be longer).
Amy, from Living Locurto, made me this adorable little banner thing...for free.
I got a heads up from the Nester that she might be making these, and when I asked Amy "how much" she said for free.
What? How? I later found out that the first 10 people to contact her were getting them for free, and I didn't even know there was a promotion. Isn't God good in the little details? Anyhow, I told her I wasn't picky and she could do what ever she wanted. Yep, my intense design nature really came out in this request. That's why I haven't had a blog redo yet. I have saved my little pennies, contacted one person and when she asked what I wanted, I had no idea what to tell her. End of blog redesign until I can come with at least a few sentences besides "I am not picky." :)
Well, Amy, full of creative juices, came back with these two designs. When I eyed the first one, I loved the blend of colors, and the fact it declared my mission. I wasn't so sure if I should have my big 'ole head on there, so what did I do? I emailed two of my favorite people, Emily and Kimba, and asked their opinion.

I believe that my email eloquently articulated my question "would people think I am stuck up with my big 'ole picture on the banner....does it seem too much about "ME?"

Now, when I first sent it to Emily, I didn't say that the banner was literally the teeny tiny size that is being shown. She thought I meant "banner" as in the great big header at the top of my blog for the whole world to see. See how difficult it is to relegate communication to the computer? I need to work on that, in general. Trust me, when you do see this blog redesign, my monstrous mug will not sit atop your entire computer screen (although some people's do and I have no problem with that at all. :) So by the time I sent the email to Kimba, I had clarified and explained my self a bit better.
Kimba came back and made some great observations, and after stating that she didn't want to get too deep over this issue...hee hee....ended with this.
"Anyway, seeing your face is one of the first steps in developing that relationship. It makes people feel like they know you a little, and the tag line shares what we are all struggling with."

So, I went with it. Since in all reality, it is only a millimeter big, and I guess this blog is a bit about me.
In that evening of deciding what to do, can I tell you how all those feelings of high school came flooding back. It was as if I was right back in the "finals" for the Senior Ball court and found out I didn't get picked.
What will they think of me? Will they think I am stuck up with my face on the banner? Why didn't anyone comment? Oh no, they can't hear my tone of voice, and truly sense my heart. Sometimes blog land can create a bit of that. I know the truths of who I am in Christ. I am confident of what my calling is, yet feelings I haven't dealt with in years have at times resurfaced. Yikes, this was supposed to be a post on my button, and I am getting all serious on you. I do believe as I type on this Friday morning, this will be a topic on a future post.

So now back to my 30 second post...wink, wink.
I want to have a little button made for my side bar? Should I wait to have my blog redesign which could be.....???? Should I keep my face on it or not?
So the question is: delete or no delete?
And any suggestions on how you decided on your blog (re) design?

It's a Frugal Fringe Fest

Many of you who follow my blog know that one of the things I passionately pursue is "debt free living where the 'card' is king" (credit card that is).
But what you might not know is that I yard sale.... for a living.
Honestly, my budget as a family manager revolves around what I find during my Saturday excursions, and through that experience, I now have no less than five people who approach me each month during yard sale season asking me to be their "personal shopper." Don't worry, I don't really make money off of them, but it adds to the thrill of the hunt.
I adore that morning time (and only that morning time). I never know the treasures that await my arrival, and I eagerly anticipate hitting the jackpot.
For years, when the children were all preschoolers, that was my sacred time. My husband knew that when he awoke on Saturday morning, the spot next to him would already be cold. Now I trade off my alone time vs. date day with the kids, since they all want to go yard saling.
Start them young, people...it makes all the difference!
For those of you who are avid yard salers,
you understand that if you snooze, you loose.
Well, that motto was obliterated this last Saturday.
Scheduled to sing and do a drama monologue at a local women's retreat, I knew that I could hit some early stops on the way. I had fun conversations at a few houses, since I was definitely not dressed for yard saling, and did find a few treasures, but the jackpot came well after typical yard sale hours had ended. For those of you crafty ladies, you may want to sit down for this.
I am only showing 1/10 of my haul!

Can you tell what was hidden down deep in a dusty old box?
Never judge a box by it's cover...everyone who had come before me, missed all of this.

The boxes and bags of treasures went on...and on....
I spent an hour digging through mountains of crafts to which a mother had never gotten around to finishing.

This .50 wooden bowl is screaming for a little black spray paint, but right now I think I'll show her off as a fabulous fringe holder.

So here comes my fun.
Will you play "I Spy" with me and see how many places we can feather our fringed nest?
Fringe is not just for hot gluing to curtains, pillow and lamps, you know.
How about on a .25 glass hurricane lamp turned up side down?

Or maybe around a candle, mason jar, and tall glass vase?

I believe that did the trick down below (although just imagine it now sitting on top of a beautiful fall runner...)

Oh bummer, I down loaded the picture with the bad lightening, but yes, the fringe still looks go fabulous on both layers of my tiered fruit stand.

Note my book. I am SO counting my blessings.
I keep this journal here at all times. It allows us to grab it frequently and record the beauty in the every day blessings, like FIFTY yards of fringe and material (yes, I am really wishing I sewed). I know you're all wanting to know how much I paid, but I just don't think I can do that. It would be too painful for you, and might cause you to covet.
So let's continue the tour, and see what my little fingers did with what I had on hand.

Yep, it was me....I made it....all by myself.

You thought this creative crafty bone would never emerge , didn't you?
And now that my craftiness has been revealed, I DO know that my little tassel would look much better with some other fun things on top - starting with different ribbon, but it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. :)

And now that you've revealed in the beauty of my frugal fringe fest, what would this experience be if I left it at that...I just wouldn't be true to my balance of beauty and bedlam.
So, these are the deleted scenes. The scenes that none of your favorite beautiful blogs show you, but I bet they have their bedlam as well...it's just pushed to the side for no one to see.

Look at what I did to take this picture. hee hee
I hadn't even cut the fringe to fit the mason jar, vase or hurricane lamp.
Isn't that funny? You can't even tell.

You caught me. I do let those bedlam blessings sit on the counter (sometimes :). See those cute little toes sticking out?

Down below was one of my Good will finds. I had been looking for one for months (ever since I started reading blogs), and hadn't had any luck. Then I found this, but it was priced at $6.99. Too high for my blood, so I just pointed out to the pricer that "someone must have missed the chip in the top, and didn't realize it when they priced it so high."
Make sure you smile real big and use your very best manners.
Bottom line....got it for $1.99...much better, and you don't even notice the top.

Ok, Ok...fabric, bolts and bolts of fringe, 8 brand new baskets with tags still on them that I will spray paint, hot glue fringe around the top, and fill with my Homemade Gourmet Goodies for my upcoming holiday market, three vases, and a few other bowls that I will also fill with my mixes......put it this way. My husband's entire car filled with treasures for....

$15
Friday's Show and Tell fun is found at Kelli's.

It's savings time...again!

Yep, you've asked that I give you a heads up when those rock 'em, sock 'em, kick them out of the park kind of savings come around, and it's here...again.
You would have laughed at my friend and me, sitting around the moms' snack room while our kids were in their weekly home school classes, clipping coupons, and stuffing our coupon binders. Of which mine has now been completed upgraded for this non organizer.
I think we ended up explaining the CVS "game" and double coupons for three straight hours.
It was a site to behold (or laugh at...it's ok, I am fine with that :)
Anyhow, she pulled out the Kmart flyer...yes, you guessed it.
Kmart is doubling coupons up to, and including $2.
Do you remember all of this, and how much I saved?
I know, I know....I don't have the time to go either, but it's SO worth it.
You'll be thanking me afterwards.
Remember, if you procrastinate like I did, the shelves may be empty.
So head on over there tomorrow.
The "details" are the same as last time.
**They will DOUBLE $2 manufacturer coupons
(you can't use internet coupons for this).
That means if you if you have a $2 item and have a $1 coupon for it,
yes...it's free! Body wash...free! Cleaning supplies - $.50.
There are oodles of free or nearly free things to be had...
it's yours for the taking -
if you hurry.
Just a small showing of what I found the last time around for pennies on the dollar. Deals vary from store to store (especially if you have a few other thrifty ladies in your area...hee hee).
Edited to add a $5 off/$50 coupon...yipee
I am scrambling to get my house ready, but
come back tomorrow and I will share the budget balancer that I accomplished today.
$39.96 of marinated pork tenderloin from the meat department for only $9.96.
This meal will grace our table tomorrow evening for the
company that is coming for a week. And the reason I am scrambling? Well, my daughter put it so eloquently today as she proclaimed to 40 some people, "Our house is a wreck."
But you know how I love "Homestead Hospitality."
It will soon be a haven. :)
And yes, as much as you were all pulling for Mocha, she is finally back in her rightful place (which isn't the porch swing).

Homestead Hospitality...only at my 'haven'

I sincerely believe in the spirit of a "Welcome Home" mentality.
I want every single one of you to feel as if you could "make yourself at home" on our home stead, and come away refreshed and renewed from your stay.
I desire our home to be a hiatus...a place where real life happens. Yet in the midst of that real life, an oasis of safety and security dwells.

With that being proclaimed from every ounce of my sincere soul, I want you to take notice of my side bar. A haven of hospitality is one of the things I passionately pursuit.
But come on....this is ridiculous...even I have some boundaries!

No lie...no photoshop...no exaggeration...
just MY LIFE of balancing beauty and bedlam.

This is what I woke up to this morning.

Mocha, the Menace, taking advantage of my homestead hospitality...
much to my chagrin.
"Boys, Mocha got loose again, go take care of her this instant."

"Awww, but mom.....look how cute Mocha looks all cuddled up on our coach swing."

TWELVE HOURS LATER.....

What in the world ever happened to first time obedience by my excellent listeners?

Make yourself at home for the night, Mocha, and enjoy this peaceful place of refuge, because once 'Morning has broken,' you are so back in the woods...eating our weeds like a good goat ought to be doing.

(All I can say is that she is so lucky that I just took off the slip cover I "made" - ok, so maybe it was fabric that I just draped across to look cute, but still.....)

Yes, just another day of balancing beauty and bedlam - don't you want to join me? There's room for one or two more on this swing.

DIY - Even you can do this!

As I have shared unabashedly, I am a crafter copycat. That's right, this blog world here has made me into a complete thief, and am I proud of it.

Yet, I still do have those moments where the creative juices whirl and all those originally suppressed designer emotions come rushing to the surface.
This is one of those times. Yes, ladies, I have done it.
It is with much joy and excitement that I share a creative brainstorm, something that I can Show and Tell. Something that I didn't steal from another blog. So, if by chance you have already done something like this, and therefore, probably better than I, it's ok, I am a big girl. I can handle it, and really want to see it.

You see this brainstorm is only the tip of the iceberg. What I am posting took two minutes of drawer digging. (And ten minutes trying to figure out how to take pictures of candlelight on this fancy camera. I still can't figure that out...sigh). Anyhow, once you delicious, designer delights get your hands on this idea, it will be so fun to see what you do with it.
Ladies...it's free....and beautiful!
So here goes.
We all have those unmatched stem glasses
that we aren't quite sure what to do with, right?
(I guess I am making an assumption that people hang onto things like I do...hmm....this could be a wrong assumption. :)
Well, for those of you who haven't quite brought the unmatched ones to Good will yet, get them out.
Examine them, and see what you have to work with -
sizes, shapes, width of the stemware etc.

Turn those glasses over..... and start having some fun.
What candles do you have laying around?
Pumpkins, gourds, pinecones?

White votives work.....


Or maybe a combination of fall colored candles might be better?

I am trying to stick with the fall theme, and can you believe my entire box of fall decorations are still in my attic? Yep, it's been one of those months, so I went with what I had on hand in the kitchen. (I am heading up to get my boxes out tomorrow, and then I will have LOTS of fun with this.)
Depending on the size of the cup, you could put decorative leaves underneath, small acorns/pine cones...anything that you might have in your apothecary jars right now.
Yep, you guessed it.
We had candy corn in ours....oh, and did I mention that I got it FREE at CVS...ladies, I am just sayin' :)
Since my mantel is dusty, and I didn't want to waste all of our precious candy corn before I could refill my jars, I just put in a few for effect. When I buy some more, I will fill the cups almost to the top - too cute.

I am just playing around with the different glasses, and heights.
I think the pumpkin is a fun variation.
Can you see the potential for varying themes over the different holidays?
I obviously wouldn't keep the arrangement like this since it's off balance, but I want you to have fun "playing with me." What works, what doesn't?

For Christmas, I can envision holly berries or peppermint candies under the glasses.
Valentine's Day....hearts, red candles, red beads.....oh, I could go on for hours.
On a dining room table, a simply elegant look would be all white candles on larger stemmed glasses with varying sizes. Arranging these on mirrors with glass beads underneath would illuminate the candlelight in a magical way.
Oh yippee - I am trying this tomorrow for dinner and I will let you know.
Prime Rib, anyone?
The Nester has us all looking at plates in a new way, so why not stemware? The wheels are turning now, can't wait to hear some of your ideas.
Thanks for letting me have fun with my thrifty new decorating discovery. I hope you enjoy it and have lots of brainstorms as well.

And just to keep the real life balance of beauty and bedlam in perspective....
this if for those of you who ask how I do it all.
I CAN NOT!!
This is what I should have been doing while I was taking those pictures -
working on climbing laundry mountain, and sorting clothes for Good Will.

Oh, but wait....if I am showing my bedlam, then just pick up the laundry on the coach and look what's hiding underneath. A few yard sale finds....the cutest designer purse ever, and some uber cool Kenneth Cole boots. Brand spanking new. Oh yea...I am a styling momma. And just wait till my designer duds on a dime post...hee hee... then I'll let you know how much I paid. And what they were retail ( I googled them, yep, I did).
Don't think for a minute I paid $10 for them...not me. :)
(edited to add: I am laughing because I totally forgot this laundry mess was in here for my Show and Tell post...oops. Well, nice to meet you, just keeping it real. xoxo)

To drink or not to drink...

We spend countless hours with our Middle School/High School aged sons talking about choices.
One of my responsibilities as a parent is not only to love, inspire, nurture, etc, etc. , but to give them the tools of learning, and the ability to ask the hard questions...especially those difficult life questions.
I don't want them to regurgitate spiritually sound "Jesus" answers that they think I expect. They know those too well growing up in our home,
and I abhor hypocrisy.
Our desire is to raise thinkers.
Thinkers, who examine a situation through the lens of absolute truth, will find that it holds up under scrutiny.
So, my young sons, here is the "tool" you need to question this issue accurately, and arrive at a valid conclusion.
I have dug deep into my reservoir of wealth
to find what might bring the truth to light.
To drink or not to drink...that is the question?
So, please my teen age sons, I desire your sincere contemplation on the consequences of underage drinking.

Pray, ponder, persevere....pretty please.

Yep, the consequence of sin.

Don't worry, boys, when it truly becomes a temptation, you can bet your mom will do a bit more than just show this picture.....xoxo

Fuh-net-ics- HELP!

I've mentioned now and then that we home school.

Yep - I sure do, but this post isn't about that fact .
It's about the English language, and my poor kids trying to learn it.
Do you understand how crazy our phonetic system is?
Do you know how hard it is for some children
to decode words, no matter how hard they try?
Tell me why in the world there are EIGHT different ways to spell the LONG A sound?
Think about it.....
ey (they), ay(pay), ai (pail), a-e(cake), ei (as in veil),eigh (weight),ea(break)....
do you get the picture?
Since all five of my children are SO dramatically different in terms of their learning styles,
I have contemplated it all.
I mean good grief...I even speak at home school conferences, for goodness sake.
So when one son read The Hobbit in second grade and polished off The Lord of the Rings by third, I contemplated how easy this home schooling thing was.
And then I began to teach my daughter, and life changed
(insert pretend reflective post on all the monumental ways this mom has grown through teaching this precious blessing).
This delightful 9 year old of mine has struggled.
My precious, kind hearted, responsible, and diligent worker .......struggling...... with the fuh-ne-tics of the English Language.
So when this phone conversation occurred Sunday evening with my hubby....I just had to share, lest I be driven to drink.
(Studying American History, and being the good home school mom that I am, I thought we should rent an educational video.)
Here is what I overheard from my daughter who dialogged as straight faced and sincerely as Mother Teresa.

"Daddy, we picked out a family night movie.....
yes, it's called the DIARRHEA of Anne Frank."

Poor, poor Anne....first hiding people in her attic, and now this!

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!