Gratitude Journal Monday

After seeing this commercial during last night's Super Bowl, who isn't romanticizing about being a farmer, working the land, and, through the sweat off our backs, glistening in the simplicity of God's approval and having it be enough? Paul Harvey's words are powerful, the images Dodge Ram chose to go with those words are even more so. It brings us to a simpler time, it reminds us from where we get our nourishment, and in ways beyond the fullness of our bellies. God bless the farmer, for it is the farmer that blesses us.

396. Thank you to the hard-working farmer who dedicates his life to the land.
397. I am grateful to the local farmers who come out every weekend during the summertime to set-up shop at the market and sell their beautiful produce - support your local farmers.
398. I am appreciative to God for the variety of fruits and vegetables that we are gifted from the land.
399. I thank the farmer for his caring heart and belief in tradition to make farming generational and ongoing.
400. I am grateful for the rough, dry hands of the farmer, the understanding heart of the farmer's wife, and the freckled, sun-kissed faces of the farmer's children - God bless each one.

Do you shop at farmers' stands in the summertime?

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 80.

At work on Panama.

Goodbye looong week after having the normal 5 days of school (how unusual).
Goodbye Panama project as it traveled out of the house and into the school - clean-up time.
Goodbye attending an Internet Safety meeting at school and wondering how there could possibly be that many creepy people in the world trying to connect with our kids online - scary.
Goodbye waking up to a foot of snow, having the local school closed but not Kiddo's (thanks for driving today, Super Hubby).
Goodbye January as we're off to a good start for 2013.

Sweet child o' mine!

Hello February as you came with a full blast of white, dressing the trees and bushes in beautiful splendor. 
Hello fighting the snow pockets and ice sheets as we maneuver around this weekend.
Hello 5th Grade Parent Party and hoping everyone likes the menu, planned under severe budgetary constraints.
Hello budgeting the Parent Party appropriately so we have more funds to give the kids an awesome party at the end of the year (parents always make the sacrifices).
Hello mixing baseball and football on Sunday: baseball training in the morn, Super Bowl at night, eating junk food all day long! 

The lesson I learned this week is it's never, ever as bad as it seems. I caught myself complaining to a friend over lunch about the stupidest things. There I was just venting. Ever have those moments where you leave your body and actually see outside yourself? I saw myself being ungrateful for what I had, complaining because I didn't have more, and sounding so trite and shallow. I was embarassed as I reflected back to that luncheon later in the week. What caused the reflection?

Source

For Kiddo's Panama project we needed yucca root and the only place to get it is a Spanish Supermarket in downtown Cleveland, not the best side of town, may I add. Super Hubby stopped in on his way home and shared his experience. After passing several bums living on the side of the road, he entered the store to find the yucca root. While there, another bum off the street came into the store and begged the owner for an opportunity to shovel the front of the store for a dollar. $1, people! Perspective! Embarassed by the riches I have, the luck I had to be plopped into a life where, any where else in the world would be considered sheer luxury. I'm about to do something drastic - I'm going to go out of my comfort-zone, out on a limb. Here's what I'm going to do: STOP COMPLAINING! I'm cursed with this character trait as part of my nature but I've got to get a grip, gain control, and put a stop to such wasted breaths. So, here I go, (I know Super Hubby is rolling with laughter, if he's reading this) starting..........NOW!

You Gotta Check-Out: Red Envelope

Sentimental? Yes! Cheesy? NEVER! Is there any question that Red Envelope has the most unique, high-quality gifts imaginable? Valentine's Day is just around the corner with plenty more occasions to celebrate afterwards so, save yourself a trip of perusing humdrum gift selections at your local department store and click on over to Red Envelope. The hardest part will be choosing just one item to love!

I was looking for a unique Valentine's gift for Super Hubby and I had a hard time narrowing down my selection to just one item. After hours of deliberation, I decided to get him this Made in America wood cutting board made from sustainable solid maple. It's personalized (like many Red Envelope gift selections) thanks to laser-cutting right into the wood and I had a choice of several different styles. And, talk about reasonably priced, too! The best part to this cutting board is, with proper care and seasoning, the wood will age to a beautiful finish, getting better with time (just like our marriage).

This cutting board hails from Dorset, Vermont, from the J.K. Adams Co. Red Envelope scours the globe for unique items like this one and gathers all this high-quality selection just for you, the online shopper. You can see the color of the maple is simply gorgeous. The deep well around the cutting board will hold meat juices at bay. Just look at the deep etching of the personalized design in the center. Honestly, I love it so much, I don't think we'll be cutting anything on it anytime soon, it's that beautiful! Would you cut-up a pork roast on a Picasso? I don't think so. I truly do find this cutting board a natural work of art.

The best part is Super Hubby's reaction to it. Yes, I know it's not Valentine's Day, yet, but I did have to publish this post. So, early gift! He's very rarely, if ever, impressed and even he commented on how nice the board was. If you know Super Hubby, you know this is a Super Big compliment!

Ordering was super-simple and you were e-mailed the details of your order from the time it left the manufacturer to the time it would be at your door. How do they do that? The best part is YOU, yes YOU, get to pick the day you want it delivered. Is that cool, or what? In a world of Free Shipping, it was a bit of a bummer to pay for shipping, but Red Envelope discounts are found everywhere on the Internet, so be sure to take advantage of coupons to help offset shipping costs.
So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to Red Envelope and spend some time browsing their unique items. You will not find a better selection of unique, customized gifts any where else and where quality is never compromised.

Although Red Envelope provided me with $65 off any order to review their products and site, the opinions of my experience are represented honestly and are strictly my own. Does this mean I'm really cheap when I buy gifts for Super Hubby?

What I Made Wednesday {Bubble Valentines}

My most favorite class party is just weeks away! I have such sweet memories of elementary school homemade valentine's, candy hearts, and pink icing - sweet, sweet, sweet! This year, we're doing an entire 5th Grade Valentine's Day party so I got to work on these nifty Bubble Valentine's for the whole class, about 50! It had to be quick and easy and it was.

What You'll Need

Run, don't walk to pick-up these Bubbles in a Bottle from Target. For $3 you get 24 bottles and at this price, they won't be on the shelves for long!

Bubbles
Cardstock
Scissors
Mini-heart hole punch
Large Heart Punch
String
Computer and Printer

What You'll Do

First things, first: open a word processing program on your computer and select a label template that fits the large heart punch properly. If you have the large heart punch like mine, I set the label template for Avery 5264 (shipping label size). The fonts used include Coriander for "Don't Burst My Bubble!" and Zebrawood Regular for "Be Mine". Here's the document:

Print the document on the colored cardstock. Use scissors to cut down the size so the large heart punch can fit correctly and punch away!

When that's done, take your mini-heart hole puncher and punch the upper left corner, making a hole for the string to hold to the bubble bottle.

Take your string through the top heart of the bottle and through the heart in your cardstock. Tie a bow and you're done!

What You Need to Know to Finish
Obviously you're done but I wanted to share some additional tips.

1. Wipe down each bottle with a paper towel as each bag I bought seemed to have at least one bottle leaking.

2. To make tying easier, use your knees to help hold the bubble bottle in-between while you thread and tie the string.

3. When transporting these babies into school be sure to keep them upright so they, too, don't find a way to leak.

4. If you would like a PDF to make your own valentine's, just drop me an e-mail and I'll gladly send you it for FREE!

Hope this gives you another idea for those classroom valentine's cards! xxoo  

My New Love

Source

I shared with y'all my Christmas gift from my parents: the Keurig Platinum Brewing System. The cherry on top is they were able to find it in the color Mocha (rare find), so it is so perfect in supporting my love of the color brown. Here's what you may not know about me: until recently I was not, absolutely not, never-ever a coffee drinker. All through my teen years, all through college, all through my 20's and 30's I didn't drink a drop. Honestly, I didn't have to because I had enough natural energy to light up the entire city of Cleveland. Many were frightened at times. Adding caffeine to that kind of energy could have been lethal to innocent bystanders.

To be honest, I liked the reaction people gave me when I told them I didn't drink coffee. Their shock and surprise was actually entertaining to me. I felt unique and different because I was a part of the very elite few Non-Coffee Drinkers Club! It confused many coffee bean diehards and their love of the "Joe" puzzled me equally. And, because I didn't drink coffee, I felt younger for my age.

Source

Enter turning 40 and the Keurig. Like trying to remember your first love or loving being in love for the first time, I'm fuzzy on the details as to what came first but the two have certainly found a happy way to co-exist. I'm far from being a barrista (surprised I even know the word) but there have been some amazing benefits from drinking coffee that I never realized. First, it actually does wake me up! I've been sulking about in the morning lately and that shot of caffeine keeps me going. Another benefit, and I'll be delicate here, it really does a great job at keeping you regular - 'nuff said. Finally, I feel like I'm stealing away a moment all to myself whenever I brew a cup. As my fingers delicately wrap around the cup of promised serenity, it warms me up from the inside out and makes me feel cozy; especially when I'm staring at the winter snow scene outside my window - brrrr!

So, folks, I am a coffee convert and I'm saying it loud and proud. Perhaps it was just a matter of time. These days of living as a 40-year old, I need the kick start in the morning and I like the "me-time" it provides, in more ways than one! I guess now I can officially be considered an adult, as if the wrinkles and gray hairs didn't prove it enough.

 

Gratitude Journal Monday

We're taking a different approach on things today and looking inwardly to ourselves. How often do you thank yourself for the things you do well, quite well? Our gifts and talents, of course, are not self-manifested, but given specifically to us by Him to share with others. Let's recognize our gifts today and be thankful we have them and remind ourselves that these talents of ours are meant to be shared with the world! We cannot manifest all greatness in one body, but one body can hold one great gift. What is yours and how do you share it?

391. I am grateful for being a good cook and having the food I prepare be one of the ways I show love.
392. I am thankful for having a caring heart and nurturing spirit.
393. I am thankful for my creativity because it brings new ideas and inspiration to others.
394. I am thankful I am known for keeping my promises and that my word is as good as gold.
395. I am thankful for my desire in keeping my hands busy and my spirit free.

Come on, give yourself some credit, today! What character attributes do you have that you owe some gratitude toward? I'd love to know.

Happy Monday! 

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 79.

Goodbye really short week, with MLK Day and a snow day!!!
Goodbye piled-on homework that had Kiddo up until 10:00 practically every night.
Goodbye warm water in the morning as Kiddo has decided to shower in the morning instead of at night (he's growing up fast).
Goodbye wishing I had the energy myself to hop right out of bed without even snoozing once and hopping into the shower with a spring in my step and a hum on my lips.
Goodbye finding all of this rather curious and sudden for Kiddo and wondering, "What is her name?"

Hello scavenging the city's Spanish specialty supermarkets in search of yucca root to make the Panamanian delicacy, carimañolas.
Hello getting closer and closer to finishing this never-ending Panama project - go Kiddo, go!
Hello baseball training start-up and goodbye to having lazy Sunday mornings for the next 5 weeks - boo hoo!
Hello searching high and low for interesting Valentine's Day cards to make for the kids at the school party - any suggestions would be most appreciated (here's what I did last year).
Hello haircuts for my boys and hopefully, if I tag along, I'll get a nice lunch out of it.

Please tell me I'm not the only one to have learned this lesson in life: the more you focus away from something, the more it follows you. Confused? Let me elaborate. Have you ever found, the more you try to pinch pennies, the more unscheduled expenses creep in? Or, have you ever vowed to cut something out of your life just to find yourself wanting it even more than before (bad sugar, bad)? This is the best one to-date: have you promised yourself to simplify life and the more you "work" at simplification, the more complex life becomes? Even Thoreau made this discovery at Walden. He had a simple beautiful rock he brought from the nearby brook that he used as a paperweight on his desk. He admired the rock and thought it to be a very simple thing of beauty, at first. But, with the dusty, dirt-floor conditions of his tiny little cabin, he became a slave to the rock as it needed dusting every single day!!! He was annoyed, was losing his peace, and found the rock to be more burdensome than pleasant. One day he was so annoyed with the constant attention of dusting that the rock demanded daily, he threw the rock out the window. Done. Do you have any rocks you need to throw out??? I know I do, I just hope my eagerness for simplifying doesn't become too complicated of a task.

Happy weekend.