Wednesday, August 31, 2011

grateful list

66. finding that He is, indeed, more than able
67. opportunities to think outside the box
68. peace in the midst of chaos
69. unexpected truth
70. clarity

from here

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

rallying the troops


this last spring
we attended a parenting class 
through our church

we thought it was a great class
and we learned a lot.

but like most classes, books, etc,
there is so much information
that it can be overwhelming.

you have to start somewhere...
so we started with acts of service.


we are all a part of this family,
so we can all ask the question
"what needs to be done?"
we can all look out for one another
and make sure the family's needs are met.

now, we have tried having "chores"
or "jobs" before,
but they never "stuck". 
mostly because i was in charge
 of making sure they did them.

inevitably, i'd forget to remind them
 or forget to write down that 
they had done them 
or something.

this time there are two differences:
first, our attitude as a family is different,
 and second, i found a new tool!

this summer we have been using goalforit.


we sit down with each of the kids, 
set some goals and some rewards,
and record them on the website.
the site keeps track of "moolah" earned
 and the kids can redeem the moolah
 at the end of the week.
as the kids become independent
 in a certain area, 
we update the chart with a new goal.

at first it was all about the moolah,
but the more we have been talking
 about serving one another 
and the more we have actually 
been serving one another, 
it really has become about 
working together and being a family.

so cool.

and the big added bonus:
it has taken such a weight off of me.

image credit
*sigh*

Monday, August 29, 2011

time for action!

so summer has been very,
 well...summery. 
we've been busy,
but our schedule has been
 much more laid back and 
much less consistent.

but the winds of change are blowing.
my kiddos head to school in a little over a week 
(two kids this year!)
found it here
and i have been feeling inspired
 to get organized once again!

taking some time to plan and 
utilize organizational tools
 makes life run so much more smoothly for us.

first things first...
i will be participating in the 

last year i made it a goal to get up early
 and spend time in the Word 
before the day got going.
i found it so rewarding in many ways,
but i have totally gotten out of 
the habit this summer.
time to start again!

found here
stay tuned for step two!
and for more morning inspiration check these out:

Sunday, August 7, 2011

upcycle-mania

i might have gotten a little
 carried away with projects this week 
(and i've got a whole list of ideas
 to work on in the future), 
but what can i say?  

you gotta sew 
when the spirit says sew,
 ya know?

anyhoo...
i'm especially proud of 
this last project.
upcycled cords for the moo!
(based on this pattern)

take one of my favorite pairs of pants
(worn through on the bum),

chop,

chop,

add some patches 
(from another old pair of pants) 
to cover the worn knees,

sew, sew, sew,

and...

vintage ragamuffin!




pair them with an adorable sweater
 i scored at a consignment store
 and we're ready for autumn!



i heart them (the pants and the girl)!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

dryer balls

i've been doing lots of 
sewing and crafting this week.
another project i'd been meaning
 to take on for quite a while:

homemade wool dryer balls!


they're inexpensive and easy to make,
they save energy (and therefore money),
and could they be more beautiful?


i bought three skeins of
100% wool yarn (good for felting)
for a total of $15
and made a whole set of 10 balls!

(if i had bought a set online 
they would have cost me $50 - $65.)


you can add essentials oils to them 
and throw them into your dryer 
instead of dryer sheets.

they cut down on drying time
and help with static too!

want to make your own?
check this out.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

three little dresses

after my recent pillowcase transformation
a friend contacted me to ask if i'd be interested
 in making pillowcase dresses that would be
 sent on a missions trip to Africa.

honestly, my first thought was
"that sounds really cool, but i don't have time".
but the more i thought about it, 
the more inspired i became to give it a try.

i got instructions,
found a few cute pillowcases
 at value village (for $.99)
and got to work!

i think they turned out just right!



as i sewed, i prayed for 
each little girl that will wear these.
i prayed that these small gifts 
would be used to draw them to the Lord,
that they would see that He has 
so many good gifts for them,
and that they would grow into 
women of integrity and strength.

i feel honored to give this small bit.

if you are interested in making pillowcase dresses,
these follow a pattern similar to this one.
but instead of adding ribbon or boughten bias tape, 
these used the part of the pillowcase that
 had been taken off the top to make bias tape.
i especially like this idea because
there is no waste of material or extra cost.
i found cotton pillowcases to work best.

i plan to make some for my girls soon!