Must Haves! A Book No Parent Should be Without

Have you ever found yourself saying the same things over and over to your kids?

Do you stand stupefied by something you see or hear in your kids and realize you need a change of direction….quick!

I have.

In the last few years, I have found some resources from an excellent team that are all home runs!  Each time I read something written by this dynamic duo, I am empowered with easy to read and quickly applicable discipline to raise my children.

Guess what! This duo has just finished their most recent book and I want you to know it is a “must have” .  The Christian Parenting Handbook by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller will give you 50 heart-based discipline strategies that you can use for kids from ages 2 to 18.  It is what I call a “nightstand book” as it will be one that you will want to keep close by to refer to over and over again as different things come up with your kids.  They give you practical strategies to use with your children rather than just telling you how your kids should behave—-love that!  They emphasize the relational aspect of parenting and how to separate firmness from harshness.  You will read solutions for sibling conflict and how to teach kids to be solvers rather than whiners.

Turansky and Miller are founders of the National Center for Biblical Parenting.  They have written several books and this one pulls many of the strategies discussed in various books all into one excellent resource.

If you purchase the book this week, April 29th -May 5th, you can also get $400 worth of parenting resources FREE…yep….you read that right—Free.  Too good to be true?  Check it out for yourself!

I read an advance copy of the book and couldn’t stop highlighting, underlining and placing stars…it has so much you will want to place in your parenting toolbox.

I encourage you to get a hard copy of the book from a major book distributor this week so you can also get the $400 worth of Free resources which includes an electronic copy of the book and many other excellent items.

My only regret about getting this book now is that it wasn’t available 10 years ago when I was beginning this discipline process with my toddler.  But I have it now and it is never too late to make changes for the good.  Don’t wait- add this book to your parenting resources today!

As a member of The Christian Parenting Handbook Launch Team, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and the opportunity to promote related giveaways and activities to my readers.

All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Read Full Post »

Must Haves!

Each family has to find their own rhythm and beat but there are some tools that every family should have as a part of that process. As I discover a “must have” item, I’m going to share it with you because this blog is about Recipes for the Table and for Life.  So when I find an ingredient to help the recipe for family life, I want to share it with you as a good family life is even more important than a good meal on the table!

This first tool I want to share with you is perfect for teaching the Bible in a creative and innovative new way.  Phil Vischer and his team at Jellyfish Labs created the What’s in the Bible? DVD series and it is exceptional!  My girls enjoy the storytelling, the songs and the characters that explain all kinds of Bible history, explain what different words mean, and just do an all around top-notch job of explaining God’s story.

The series now includes all of the Old Testament and two DVDs in the New Testament (as of April 23, 2013).  Each DVD has two 25-minute episodes.  The focus audience is Kindergarten through 5th grade but I can guarantee that if you watch with your kids you are going to learn some new things too!  We don’t have every single volume yet in our family library but I’m sure we will one day.  The volumes we do own we have watched over and over again.  We even purchased a CD of the songs to take with us on our long drive last summer from Pennsylvania to Texas.

You will not be disappointed in this series.  It is fun, engaging and educational.  I’ve included a video from the creator, Phil Vischer, from the very beginning of the project.  He shares why he created this series.

Read Full Post »

From Flip-Flops to Snow Boots

Last week I was in Texas helping my Aunt who is fighting her battle with cancer.  While there I was wearing flip-flops and enjoying the sun on my back.  Then I return home and not three days after wearing flip-flops I’m pulling out snow boots!

YUCK.  I was not happy about the snow.  I sat down to read “Jesus Calling for Kids” a wonderful devotional book by Sarah Young which we purchased for our children yet I get so much out of it too!  The title for the day was “No Grumbling, Please” and the verse was a portion of 1 Corinthians 10:10 “And do not grumble.”  One of the “read on your own” scriptures was 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances.”  The devotion talked about how grumbling is telling God that I don’t like how things are going….that I disapprove of how He is doing things and complaining shows an ungrateful heart.  I thought about my flip-flops and snow boots.

To me….

Flip-Flops represent all things good—sunshine, warm, long days, happiness.

Snow Boots represent gloom and muck.

I would rather have flip-flops but regardless, God provides and I am to be thankful.  In the good times I am thankful for flip-flops and in the bad times I thank Him for the snow boots to endure the gloom and muck.

It takes more work to be thankful in the snow boots but that is what I am to do.  I watched my Aunt this last week try so hard to be thankful in the midst of her “snow boots” of cancer.  It is hard…it takes effort, but it is what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to do.

 

Read Full Post »

St. Patrick’s Day 2013

Even though we have absolutely no Irish blood in our family…it is fun to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!  Today for lunch we had a green lunch.  I found a recipe on the wonderful recipe blog of “Two Peas & Their Pod” called Creamy Avocado Pasta.  It looked easy to throw together so I planned to make that once we got home from church.  It was good but a tad dry, so when I make it again I will add some olive oil to the avocado sauce prior to mixing it with the spaghetti.

Then we had kiwis, green grapes, broccoli and a green salad.  I wanted to make some green kool-aid but there were some problems: no green kool-aid in the house and no more than 2 Tablespoons of sugar left in the sugar canister.  So we opted for green milk—-yellow and blue makes green!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch I made a creamy avocado dip that we are enjoying this afternoon.  But I can’t wait until later tonight when we take another tip from Two Peas & Their Pod and make some chocolate mint shakes.

This green lunch didn’t take too much time nor too much planning but my girls loved it and thought it was fun.  Making Memories!!!

Enjoy!

 

Read Full Post »

Pondering Christmas

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”  Luke 2:19

My Mom has always loved that verse that comes from the book of Luke in the Bible in the passages that share about the birth of Christ.  The verse has become a favorite of mine too.  I think any mother can relate to Mary here.  I think it is important that we see that Mary didn’t worry that her house wasn’t perfect for company (heck, she wasn’t even in a house but a stinky stable!…well I’m inferring it was stinky but ya get the idea).  Mary wasn’t obsessed over the fact she didn’t have anything to serve her guests.  Nor does she seem bothered that her son is lying in a manger rather than on a soft bed over at the inn.

She simply takes in the scene and ponders on it.  Actually she doesn’t just take it in but she “treasures up” everything going on.

She lived the life God had placed before her, embracing every step of the way.

What an example for us.  I’m pretty sure God allowed that verse to be a part of the Luke passage on Christ’s birth story to help Moms.  Sometimes we get so busy doing, creating, entertaining, etc that we don’t simply enjoy the life God has given us.

Was Mary’s life easy?  I don’t think so.  She was pregnant, not married, traveling right at the time she was due.  She had no real place to rest and strangers were coming to visit the same night she gave birth.

This Christmas I have determined to enjoy—to not get rushed and hurried and not to think something had to be done.  Rather I want to focus on the real reason for the season.  I want to help my family enjoy the holiday and not get caught in the Christmas-Crazies.

The last few years have brought unexpected change to our household; but one of the pleasant impacts of the change was it allowing me to realize the need to treasure and ponder.

I pray that you will take the time this holiday to stop, reflect and treasure up all that God has given you….even in the stinky stables of life He has blessed us with so much.

 

Read Full Post »

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Thanksgiving

Wow!  Thanksgiving is next week.  I can’t believe it.  Recently I had the privilege to guest post on the fun and informative blog Play! Eat! Grow!.  There I shared in one post several of the things I have blogged over the years here regarding how I prepare for the actual meal on Thanksgiving.  But as anyone knows that has hosted the big day AND hosted guests in her home leading up to that big day….there is a LOT more to plan than one meal.

My meal planning is coming along thanks to the tips I shared at Play! Eat! Grow! on November 14.  See…I’ve already been shopping:

Here are many of the shelf items that I purchased this week.

Then there is the refrigerator…..

Remember don’t worry about how much butter or sour cream….just enjoy!

One thing that I do is mark the special Thanksgiving items with a “T”.  This reminds me not to use it and also lets my family know that it has a higher purpose at a later time.

I don’t just think about food as I prepare for the week but also all the other little things you need to have when hosting the meal and having house guests.

Paper Goods:

• paper towels
• toilet paper
• paper plates for leftovers on Thursday and those spur-of-the-moment dessert needs
• napkins (of course one must have cute napkins to go along with the paper plates!)
• good “to go” containers for those that live close enough to take some of the bountiful meal home with them at the end of the day

Cleaning Items:

• Dishwasher detergent- it is my nightmare to run out of this and be forced to wash everything by hand after standing all day to prepare the meal.
• Clorox wipes- quick swipes of the bathrooms

Food things that are not a part of the Big Meal:

• Easy Breakfast for Thursday morning—This year Entenmann‘s won sometimes it is Pillsbury.
• Snacks- chips, dips, veggies to munch
• Amoroso’s rolls for leftovers  (Like I’ve said before…If God ever takes us from PA, I will miss Amoroso’s rolls.)
• Sandwich items for lunches leading up to Thanksgiving
• Easy meals for the evenings leading up to Thursday (I’ve been known to freeze a meal or two and pull it out during this week.)
• Coffee from my favorite place—a treat to myself!

I know the list above is not an exhaustive list but it is a great start and should prime the pump for other things you need to prepare in advance so that you can enjoy the holiday.  It is a time to be thankful not to be ticked off.  So take some time to think through the entire week and see what you may need to do (or give up on) in order to make this a holiday to smile about.

Read Full Post »

Snacks–our afterschool treats!

This year I have tried to have a snack out for my girls when they come home from school.  It is funny how quickly they adapted to this as one day I did not have anything out and my youngest said “Mom, where is our snack?” just as soon as we walked in the door.  (Of course I replied “In the pantry!”.)

The snacks are mainly just a way of letting my kids know that I’ve been thinking about then and anticipating their arrival.  It is fun to hear their reaction on days when it is something a little special.

Below I’ve shared some pictures I’ve taken of a few of our snacks this fall.

First Day of School Snack- cookies!

This snack included three kinds of cookies….two were Joe Corbis’ “throw down” cookies as I call them (frozen dough) and then I made chocolate chip cookies that afternoon as I know they are a family favorite.  The flip flop notepads I purchased back in June to give the girls when school ended but forgot about them.  I found them right at the end of summer and decided to give them to them as a summer-ending kind of thing.

 

Ah, Rice Krispie treats….who doesn’t love these?

I can’t make Rice Krsipie treats without thinking of those commercials with the mom throwing flour on her face to make it look like she has slaved and labored over the preparation of these treats.  They really are easy to make…not sure why I don’t do it more often.

 

A little bit of everything: Store-bought cookies, Grapes, and Homemade Gingerbread

We love those Lofthouse cookies from the grocery store but  no one needs to eat a ton of them in one sitting.  So we matched them up with some other treats for this after school snack.

 

Strawberry Jam and Saltines

My Mom used to have this snack ready for us.  It is a little sweet and a little salty—perfect!

 

Apple Spice Drop Cookies and Pear Slices

My Daughter #1 loves these cookies.  I was making dinner for a friend and needed a dessert so I was able to kill two birds with one stone this day—snack and dessert.  The pears were just as popular though with the daughter #1 and #2.  They can’t get enough pears this fall.

 

A quick Halloween treat!

It was fun to hear the girls react to this snack when they came into the dining room.  They were so excited and impressed.  The best news is that it takes absolutely no baking and hardly any time to make these seasonal treats.  I saw them last year in a Food Network magazine and pulled the page out to keep.  You simply need Nutter Butter cookies, marshmallow fluff and black decorating gel.  So easy and so fun.  And yes, they did eat the pears that were on the tray too!

Now, I didn’t photo the box of cheez-its (cheddar jack), the bowls of goldfish, nor the snack mix….those are some of our go-to snacks around here.  The main thing is just having something ready for them when they come in the door.  It is my non-verbal way of saying “Hey, I’ve been looking forward to you being home…let’s catch up over a snack.”

 

 

Read Full Post »

Today I am 40!

Most of the world dreads a birthday.  Historically, I don’t get that worked up about them…it is just another day.  But this year I have looked forward to the changing of the decade.  I’m not sure why.  My 30s were good but I anticipate the 40s being even better.  I look forward to seeing what God will do.  40 is one of the numbers you hear about in the Bible.

40 days of rain

40 years of wandering  for the Israelites in the wilderness

40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness.  Just to name a few and….

After the rain

came a rainbow.

After the wandering

came the Promised Land.

After Jesus was in the wilderness

he started his ministry here on Earth.

Good things are coming because God is working in all things.  I look forward to seeing Him work in and through me in this new decade of life!

Read Full Post »

Sweet or Sour

Today has been one of those days that I would love to be able to play over and over and over again.  It wasn’t anything crazy and remarkable, just a day when I look back and I realize how much I love my family and how wonderful they are.  When I started this blog a few years ago, it took on this “recipes for the table and for life” tag line.  Most of the time I share recipes for the table- those seem much easier to come by!   On occasion though, there are things that I realize are great recipes for life and just have to share.

Today has been one of those days.

• I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with every member of my family.
• I spent 5 hours out with my girls running errands buying stuff not for us (ok, we did pick up some candy as a treat and some contact solution for Dad since were were going by Wal-Mart too—-what errand run is complete without Wal-Mart?!) but everything was really for stuff at church and we didn’t kill each other and I didn’t have to break up any arguments.
• We started our day round-robin reading from the book of Proverbs.  Which is something we have done a few times already this summer.
• We had a great conversation at dinner about what it means to be a team thanks to the imom.com conversation starters.  Then my family indulged me in creating a family cheer.  I have yet to hear them all say it, but they sure do get a laugh out of seeing me do the cheer!
• We ended the night watching a movie together– which we checked out for free from the Media library (free 7-day rentals!).  We watched Cheaper by the Dozen.  I thought it was a remake of an old movie….but I think I was thinking of With Six you get Egg Rolls.  Anyhow, the movie was hilarious and we laughed and then I almost cried at other points. It was great to be together and hear the laughter and see the smiles on each face.

The last time I can remember a day that I wanted to recapture was just over a year ago when our family experienced our first Phillies game.  It was an awesome evening.  The weather was perfect, the seats were great (very high up, but still great), the Phillies won, and we all had a blast.  Then the next day my world crashed—I was told that my job of eleven years no longer needed my skills.  Ouch.  Life is like that, ups and downs…ins and outs…sweet and sour.

The downs, outs and sours help us appreciate the ups, ins and sweets so much more.

Today has been one of the good days and it wasn’t because we were at Disney or some other crazy, fun vacation spot but it has been a good day because of the tried and true ingredients of

• Time
• Togetherness
• Laughter

We took time to start our day with the One who gave us to each other.

We took time to enjoy each other and to talk.

We helped each other out.

We were a family.

Yep, this might just be my favorite recipe yet!

The great thing about this recipe is that it works for the ups and the downs.  Sure we all prefer the ins to the outs but it is family that helps us through it all.

Everyday isn’t like today.  Just last week I was ready to cut holes in the bottom of each child’s door to pass food through and let them come out on Labor Day.  Yep, our summer got off to a bumpy start even with all my planning and wishing.  I mention that so you know that life is not all “Norman Rockwell” around here!

I know that tomorrow is a new day.  I have no idea what the future holds but I know the One who holds the future.

I’m so glad that my family is with me regardless of if it is sweet or sour.

Read Full Post »

Through Christ Who Strengthens Me

I started reading Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman recently (thanks to my awesome SIL who purchased the book on sale for me at Lifeway and mailed it to me!).

Image from Amazon.com

So far it has been a great book.  As I read last week, I realized something about my favorite scripture verse.  I can memorize song after song but actual scripture is difficult for me.  However, one that I have been able to know and give the reference for is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  I have said this verse numerous times throughout my life.  I can even play a song on the piano that the lyrics are just this verse.  It is a great verse.

BUT…

I realized something after reading a portion of  “Grace for the Good Girl”; I have been focusing on the first words too much: I can do all things.  The “through Christ who strengthens me” part hasn’t been the emphasis in my life.

I have now revised the verse and in my head Philippians 4:13 now reads like this: I can’t do ANYTHING without Christ doing it through me.

Wow- I didn’t know how that realization was going to be needed so quickly.

This has been a super tough week for me.  God is so good and so kind even in the storms of life.  Friends have been right there for me.  God has been holding me and I am fully aware that I can’t do this without HIM.

He has been my shelter in the storm.  He has been peace.  He has been comfort.  I really can’t do anything without Him.

Third Day has a song called “Cry Out To Jesus”.    I haven’t been able to remember much of the song except the words and the tune to the portion that says “Cry Out to Jesus, Cry Out to Jesus”  Ya know…that is really all we have to remember.  When life is rosy and when life is rough, we can cry out to Jesus and He is right there for us.  I am so glad.

I just needed to share this revelation I had in case someone else is also trying to focus on the “I can” rather than the “Christ working/doing”

Read Full Post »