I know I don't have many readers. I realize that I'll probably never have a huge following. But I'm throwing this out there on the off chance that someone comes in and reads this thing.
If you've been craving a deeper walk with Jesus, if you've been wanting to know God's heart and plan for your life, and if you've wanted to love Him, but didn't know how...
You absolutely, positively HAVE to see this. Watch it. Read the passages. Meditate on it. It WILL change your life:
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Recipe of the Week
Hubby and I have decided to experiment with new foods/recipes. So, about once a week, we'll try to make something new that we haven't made before. This will usually be on the weekends.
This week's recipe is homemade Pork Fried Rice.
3 cups of cooked rice
2 eggs
1/4 lb chopped pork (I actually recommend using a little bit more. Maybe more like 1/3-1/2 lb, just because it gives it a bit more flavor)
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 clove of garlic (about 1 tsp of minced garlic, which is what we used)
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1/2 cup corn
1. Crush and mince the garlic and chop the vegetables into smaller pieces
2. Place wok or non-stick frying pan on medium high heat, and add a little vegetable oil, just to coat the bottom of the pan
3. Sweat the garlic in the pan, and then add your chopped pork. Cook 3-5 minutes
4. Add the eggs directly to the pan and scramble. It should take less than 1 minute
5. Add the vegetables to the pan and stir for 1 minute
6. Add rice (spread it out so it doesn't clump too much) and remaining ingredients. (Also spread the soy sauce around to fully coat the rice)
7. Stir for about another minute until rice is fully coated and vegetables are cooked.
8. Remove from heat and serve! :)
Below is a video of the recipe (this is actually where we got it from!) to help you out. Enjoy!
What about you? Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Feel free to submit it in the comments section, and we'll feature it on a future post!
This week's recipe is homemade Pork Fried Rice.
3 cups of cooked rice
2 eggs
1/4 lb chopped pork (I actually recommend using a little bit more. Maybe more like 1/3-1/2 lb, just because it gives it a bit more flavor)
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 clove of garlic (about 1 tsp of minced garlic, which is what we used)
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1/2 cup corn
1. Crush and mince the garlic and chop the vegetables into smaller pieces
2. Place wok or non-stick frying pan on medium high heat, and add a little vegetable oil, just to coat the bottom of the pan
3. Sweat the garlic in the pan, and then add your chopped pork. Cook 3-5 minutes
4. Add the eggs directly to the pan and scramble. It should take less than 1 minute
5. Add the vegetables to the pan and stir for 1 minute
6. Add rice (spread it out so it doesn't clump too much) and remaining ingredients. (Also spread the soy sauce around to fully coat the rice)
7. Stir for about another minute until rice is fully coated and vegetables are cooked.
8. Remove from heat and serve! :)
Below is a video of the recipe (this is actually where we got it from!) to help you out. Enjoy!
What about you? Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Feel free to submit it in the comments section, and we'll feature it on a future post!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Decorating on a Dime- Wooden Roses
I recently came across someone who asked about decorating on a budget, and how to factor decoration items into their everyday expenses.
It got me thinking. And boy, did the creative juices start flowing. I'm thinking about doing a series detailing some ideas that I or others have used. Maybe it'll help you get some ideas for your own place.
Wooden Roses
I LOVE these things. I used to have guy come around my office selling them by the dozen for $20 for large bunches and $10 for small ones. That might sound like a lot, but consider the fact that these roses will never die. EVER. They hold up better and longer than silk ones, too. Plus, they come in many beautiful and unusual colors that real flowers just don't come in. So they'll always match your decor.
They look real, don't they? And they come in such pretty colors! These are mine:
If the lack of smell is the only thing keeping you from getting them, you can get a bottle of rose essence to spray on them. The only real upkeep might be to get one of those compressed air cans and spray the dust off them from time to time. Other than that, they're simply perfect!
Where You Can Get Yours:
They can probably be bought at most craft shops, though, to be honest, I haven't seen much variety or quality there. Your best bet is probably the internet. They have lots of places that sell wooden flowers of many varieties, not just roses. They come in lots of colors, and some will even print messages on them, if you're thinking of selling them for a fundraiser or something. Just Google "wooden roses" and I'm sure you'll find plenty or sellers. And if you happen to live around the Sunrise area, see if you can track down a local guy named George. He's where I originally got mine from, and he's such a sweet guy! George, if you're reading this, thanks! :)
It got me thinking. And boy, did the creative juices start flowing. I'm thinking about doing a series detailing some ideas that I or others have used. Maybe it'll help you get some ideas for your own place.
Wooden Roses
I LOVE these things. I used to have guy come around my office selling them by the dozen for $20 for large bunches and $10 for small ones. That might sound like a lot, but consider the fact that these roses will never die. EVER. They hold up better and longer than silk ones, too. Plus, they come in many beautiful and unusual colors that real flowers just don't come in. So they'll always match your decor.
Where You Can Get Yours:
They can probably be bought at most craft shops, though, to be honest, I haven't seen much variety or quality there. Your best bet is probably the internet. They have lots of places that sell wooden flowers of many varieties, not just roses. They come in lots of colors, and some will even print messages on them, if you're thinking of selling them for a fundraiser or something. Just Google "wooden roses" and I'm sure you'll find plenty or sellers. And if you happen to live around the Sunrise area, see if you can track down a local guy named George. He's where I originally got mine from, and he's such a sweet guy! George, if you're reading this, thanks! :)
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Christian Housewife... and that slinky lacy thing.
Body image issues. We all have them. We as women are constantly compaing ourselves to other women, or to those "idealistic" beauties we see on television and in magazines. I'm not immune to this curse. There are days (OK, MONTHS!) where I don't feel particularly good about myself.
If you don't know me (and pretty much everyone who reads this blog does know me. Both of you know who you are!) I'm skinny, but not in a good way. I'm basically a stick figure without curves. Finding a decent bra can be exteremly difficult when you have nothing to put in it!
This has the rather nasty side effect of messing with my relationship with my husband. I'm constantly downing myself and how I look. Somehow, his re-assurances that he thinks I'm beautiful are not enough.
There is one thing that seems to help, though. Lingerie. I don't know why, but something about wearing some sexy little thing gives me a real confidence boost. The hard part of course, is finding something that actually fits. But once I do, I keep it for a good long time.
My husband has apparently figured this out, because every year right before our anniversary, he lets me pick out something new. He doesn't usually come along for the trip, either. He likes to be surprised. I've collected quite a few decent pieces over the past couple of years, and for whatever reason, it just makes me feel beautiful. And when I feel attractive, I get attracted to my husband. That's the kind of side effect he's happy to live with. ;)
What about you? We all struggle with body image issues from time to time. Besides remembering that you're a daughter of the Most High King, is there anything you do to make yourself feel beautiful?
If you don't know me (and pretty much everyone who reads this blog does know me. Both of you know who you are!) I'm skinny, but not in a good way. I'm basically a stick figure without curves. Finding a decent bra can be exteremly difficult when you have nothing to put in it!
This has the rather nasty side effect of messing with my relationship with my husband. I'm constantly downing myself and how I look. Somehow, his re-assurances that he thinks I'm beautiful are not enough.
There is one thing that seems to help, though. Lingerie. I don't know why, but something about wearing some sexy little thing gives me a real confidence boost. The hard part of course, is finding something that actually fits. But once I do, I keep it for a good long time.
My husband has apparently figured this out, because every year right before our anniversary, he lets me pick out something new. He doesn't usually come along for the trip, either. He likes to be surprised. I've collected quite a few decent pieces over the past couple of years, and for whatever reason, it just makes me feel beautiful. And when I feel attractive, I get attracted to my husband. That's the kind of side effect he's happy to live with. ;)
What about you? We all struggle with body image issues from time to time. Besides remembering that you're a daughter of the Most High King, is there anything you do to make yourself feel beautiful?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Playing Catch Up
Yes, I know. It's been a while since I posted. There is a reason for this:
The original plan was to post pictures of the progress I made cleaning my house. Sadly, my 6 year old camera decided to bite the big one. Which is very sad, since major changes have been made to my home that I wish you could see.
We got rid of our storage unit and managed to relocate all of our "stuff" to the apartment.
We purchased bookshelves from a friend that currently showcase my beautiful china collection. (The original plan was to put my books on it. But I couldn't get all the china on 1 bookshelf, so I had to take over the second one. I'll probably get another bookshelf when we save a bit more.)
On another note:
The money troubles we thought we were past are back. But I know that God will provide. He always does.
My new job is going remarkably well. Another provision of my Father!
I'm hoping to be posting more regularly. There's lots of nifty things to tell you all. Until I get a camera, though. I'm afraid posts will be rather plain.
God bless. And see ya real soon!
The original plan was to post pictures of the progress I made cleaning my house. Sadly, my 6 year old camera decided to bite the big one. Which is very sad, since major changes have been made to my home that I wish you could see.
We got rid of our storage unit and managed to relocate all of our "stuff" to the apartment.
We purchased bookshelves from a friend that currently showcase my beautiful china collection. (The original plan was to put my books on it. But I couldn't get all the china on 1 bookshelf, so I had to take over the second one. I'll probably get another bookshelf when we save a bit more.)
On another note:
The money troubles we thought we were past are back. But I know that God will provide. He always does.
My new job is going remarkably well. Another provision of my Father!
I'm hoping to be posting more regularly. There's lots of nifty things to tell you all. Until I get a camera, though. I'm afraid posts will be rather plain.
God bless. And see ya real soon!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Cleaning House
I'm attempting to rid myself of clutter, and organize and simplify my life. Here are some pics to show my progress:
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Stay Tuned for more updates!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Financial "Whoa"s
Keith and I have always been very good about being financially responsible. We've cut out a lot of the luxuries in life that most people take advantage of like buying make-up, getting my nails done, "guy time" at sports bars, cable, home phones. We only have 1 cell phone between us. We have a fuel savvy car (33 MPG highway). We have extremely good credit. We only spend $60 a week on groceries.
And yet, we can never seem to beat the budget at the end of the month. It seems like every time we're going to get ahead, something comes up to eat whatever savings we've managed to acquire. Just this month, we had to help my father pay the bills on the house, we had to put the car in the shop twice, our rent has gone up, our car insurance company went bankrupt, and we got a $700 bill that was past due because they mailed it to our old address after we updated them last year. We're going to have to wreck our emergency fund to make ends meet next month. And considering we had $20,000 in savings when we got married 3 years ago, this isn't just a one month "oopsie" kinda thing. This is a continuing pattern. Something always seems to come up that we can't help.
At this point, the only thing we can do is live on peanut butter sandwiches and pasta and pray that God comes through at the last minute. He's done it before, and I have no doubt He'll do it again. The only question is, when will be be able to save into our emergency fund again? If one of us were to lose our jobs tomorrow, we'd be destitute. We wouldn't survive financially.
What about you? How do you get ahead of the bills? What do you do when those unexpected bills come in?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
How DO They Do That?!
For my first musing, and in order to start a little feedback, I'm asking all you mommies a question: HOW ON EARTH DO YOU MANAGE?
I've seen moms get up at 3 AM, breastfeed the baby, start breakfast, clean the kitchen, get the kids ready for school, do laundry, go to work, go shopping, come home, make dinner, help with homework, do Bible study, put the kids to bed, go to the gym, do bills, clean the kitchen AGAIN, iron, and not get to sleep until midnight.
Ladies, please tell me the secret! How do you manage to live on so little sleep? I've been struggling with lack of sleep for the past 10 days and I'm running on fumes. So go ahead, comment away, and tell me what I'm doing wrong and how I can learn to do it, too!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
So, I've Started A Blog
I've tried keeping a diary of my married life and my miserable attempts at being a wife and homemaker. But if you know me, then you know my handwriting sucks eggs.
So, I figured if I TYPE everything, I'll be able to 1) share it with everyone and 2) be able to read it 10 years from now so I can see how far I've come. Or not come. I guess I'll find out in 10 years.
On this blog, I'll attempt to chronicle not only my walk as a wife (and, God-willing, eventually a mother) but also my spiritual walk closer to Jesus and being the kind of woman my husband deserves and my God commands me to be.
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