We've had some snow days here lately! Well, a different kind of snow day. The "white stuff" doesn't come around often in Alabama, yet our household has had a snowy theme going on for the last several days. Last week, we went to see the Frozen movie (a homeschool perk--we waited until after the holidays, went to the 2:00 matinee, and literally had the entire theater to ourselves!) and this week we made snow globes! We'd planned to make snow globes during December, but with so many other Christmas activities going on, I decided January would be the perfect month for a snowy project. I just googled "snow globes" and found these instructions from Better Homes and Gardens. Their supply list and ... Read more
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
I sure hope I didn’t just lose anyone with the words whole wheat, because you’ll be missing out on a tasty (and, yes, healthy) breakfast treat! If you’re still with me, hang on for just a minute. Is anyone else tired of eating from the holidays? I can enjoy the junk for only so long, and then I’m glad to get back to fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, and WATER! Despite the many desserts and goodies I post here on the blog, for the most part, I really try to feed my family healthy meals. The goodies are just our splurge days (holidays, Sunday lunch, etc), but through much of the week, we go fairly healthy. This magical muffin gives you a healthy little carb fix by way of whole grain, ... Read more
Family Bible Celebration
Bible study is important to our family, both individually and collectively. We each use our early morning quiet time for personal Bible reading, and then in the evenings we have family Bible time. Some years we’ve read through the Bible, taking a chapter a night to read and discuss (this takes a couple of years). Other years we’ve worked through a topical study together. We’ve done this since our girls were little, not perfectly, but somewhat consistently enough that we’ve read through the Old and New Testaments together a few times. Sometimes when we’ve completed a particular study, or accomplished a big Bible memory goal as a family, we’ve had a small celebration with a special dessert or ... Read more
New Year’s Menu 2020
Hello! It's back to my regular schedule this week, but, as promised, I want to quickly share some recipes from our New Year's Day lunch we enjoyed with our parents. After our moms have hosted all the holiday meals from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Joel and I like to take New Year's Day to treat them to a break from cooking and cleaning for company. Every year I go with the traditional New Year's pork, collards, peas, and cornbread, but this year we decided we needed a steak! Joel and I could not remember the last time we'd bought steaks, and thought it would be a nice surprise for everyone. New Year's Day Menu 2020: New York Strip Steak Shrimp and Bacon Stuffed Potatoes Roasted Parmesan ... Read more
A Nature-Inspired New Year
Happy New Year, dear friends! I’m ringing in the new year with a tables cape that gives a nod to nature! I used to be a bit of a downer about winter, but, as I get older, I appreciate this quiet season more and more. Although there is stillness and rest in the earth during this season, life and color are present in subtle ways, exhibiting God’s promises for fresh beginnings. Isn’t it just perfect that oranges are in season in winter? I love their fresh burst of color and juiciness, not to mention their health benefits after all the holiday indulgences. I find myself craving them almost obsessively in January. Their vibrant orange color is set off nicely by my new green dishes, don’t you ... Read more
Mama Poole and the Crooked Christmas Stocking
Happy Holidays! This post is just a quick little tribute to the precious lady who was my sweet and feisty great grandmother. My Mama Poole. As I'm starting to pack away Christmas decorations, I thought it would be fun to tell you all about my Mama Poole and the stocking she made for me when I was a little girl. There were five children in our family, and one year my mom asked Mama Poole to crochet some stockings for us kids, knowing what treasured keepsakes they would be for us after Mama Poole left this earth. I hang mine from my banister each year in her memory. You might notice that it is crooked in its construction and wonder how skilled she really was with her hands. Well, although she ... Read more
‘Twas the Weekend Before Christmas….
'Twas the weekend before Christmas, and all through the house... every creature was stirring, and you better believe my table was set! With new dishes! Yay! I've always wanted a set of Christmas dishes. You know the ones with either a Christmas tree or a snowy scene or holly encircling the border of the dish? So when my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, I decided on the dishes! He told me to pick them out and he would get them. I know, he's a keeper, right! I searched the entire internet, looking at patterns, reading reviews, and narrowing down my favorites. But then, I saw something I wasn't expecting: the prettiest solid green dishes with a textured lacy pattern! ... Read more
Chalkboards of Christmas Past and Present
I love all the cute Christmas signs and plaques around the craft and home stores this time of year, and for every holiday really. But to save on expense and storage of such holiday decor, I just use the quotes and pictures I see on those signs, or chalkboard ideas off the internet, as inspiration for my own chalkboard signs. This large chalkboard changes year round for holidays, birthdays, and other occasions (like first day of school, fun menus, Bible verses, family announcements, etc.). ***** Christmas 2019: “Joy to the World!” This year I’d been seeing the use of wreaths over chalkboards and loved this idea! I also needed to make this chalkboard an easy one this year for the sake of ... Read more
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