Burp Rags

Regular ol' store-bought cloth diapers make great, thirsty burp rags.

 A small piece of flannel, cut to fit and sewn right sides together then turned out and sewn shut makes sure the back of your stitching doesn't show through and also finishes it off nicely.  Fun baby gift to make!

(Again, another set of pictures lost, seemingly forever, on the camera but lovingly recovered by my darling husband!)

Be My Valentine Marriage Challenge - Week 2

The challenge continues!  How are you doing with it?  It is not natural for me to verbally praise my husband so much, I didn't hear it from my parents growing up and it's just not intrinsic.  And yet, words of affirmation is one of my love languages...how weird is that?  I *LOVE* my husband and I know my mom and dad loved each other, we're just not gushy.  But I found that once I started praising him publicly, specifically verbally and on Facebook it just started to flow easier. 

Here's Courtney's next challenge for us - I'm ready, are you?

This week's challenge is: be a little more creative with your praise. Surprise your husband with:



1. A love message on the mirror


2. A love message packed in his lunch


3. Use sidewalk chalk and write a love message on the driveway


4. Write a list of ten things you admire about him and then read them out loud to him.


5. Make a toast to him at dinner with friends. Or raise your glass at dinner and list the things you admire about your husband for your children to hear!


6. Buy or make your husband a trophy and engrave it with the words "The Best Husband in the World." (I found a cheap trophy at a party supplies store - the kids loved presenting it to daddy)


7. Write a poem - even if you can't write - it can be goofy. Include in it references to your favorite movies, restaurants, places to go and memories. He will enjoy the trip down memory lane and the laugh!


8- Blow up balloons and put a loving message in each one. Fill your bedroom with balloons as a surprise.


9- Take a roll of receipt tape and write a long message with the things you admire and respect about your husband - then roll it up and put it in a bottle for your husband to open and read. (I made many of these for my husband in college when we were dating long distance. I mailed them in packages.)

10. Get creative with your selflessness!


"When you touch your husband's deepest need something good almost always happens!"~ Dr. Emerson Eggerich



So I challenge you today to not just show your husband you love him but show him that you LIKE him!

I'm excited to get started!  When I ordered Ann's new book I also ordered something special for him and it just came in the mail today!  Can't wait to surprise him with it/them (I can't give details because he reads this!)

"New" Towels

Sorry this post is belated, I'm having computer issues and couldn't get these pictures off the camera. Mr. Steady had to email them to me from his work computer. I did this project in November!

I had to trim some length off of our shower curtain, although I learned too late that I trimmed off too much, and, because I'm a fabric hoarder, held on to the cut piece for a while.  When I borrowed and renewed and then renewed again One Yard Wonders I found the perfect use for the scrap.  I ironed and folded and sewed strips on to towels we already had here. 

Then I got a crazy notion to add some polka dots to my shower curtain using some scraps of linen I had hoarded laying around.  I had never done any appliqueing before so I thought I needed interfacing, turns out I didn't.  I need to take those top two dots off, remove the interfacing and resew them on but I'm lazy and haven't done that yet. 

So, an hour or so of sewing and I had some new (FREE!) accessories for the bathroom.  I'll take it!

Be My Valentine Marriage Edition

Some of us think of Valentine's Day as roses and chocolate, most of us think about what *we* will receive for Valentine's Day, I view Valentine's Day through the eyes of a child and focus on candy hearts and Charlie Brown and make the day about my children. 

But this year I am taking Courtney's 25 Day Praise Plan.  There are now 23 days left until Valentine's Day and we're going to focus on our husbands.  We are going to embrace this time to praise, encourage, inspire, admire, build up, thank and appreciate your husband.  Each week Courtney will give us a variety of ways to express your praise. Feel free to tweak it for what you think is best for your husband.

We are in Week 1 and our challenge is to:

"Look for ways to praise your husband verbally. Praise him in front of the kids, friends, family, co-workers, on facebook, tweet it - get praise out anyway you can! Try to mention something noteworthy he has done - in his role as provider, father, husband, lover, or friend. If the thought of trying to come up with one terrifies you, then pray right now that God will give you new eyes to see your husband as God does. Then open your mouth and say something kind and uplifting to your husband today and tomorrow and the next day until Valentine's Day arrives!"

I am also going to restart today Nancy Leigh DeMoss's 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives...join me, won't you? 

I have seen firsthand and as recently as last night was reconfirmed that there is a mighty strength and power in a wife lifting up her husband.  Not to change him, not to fix him, but to strengthen him, to bring him before the very throne of God to receive everything he could possibly need.

We are their biggest cheerleaders, who else will lift them up with love and compassion?  It is not only our duty, but our honor.  Who will join me?

Holy. Ordinary. Brilliant. Amazing Grace.

Dinner for Daddy

While grocery shopping yesterday the boys decided to make a special dinner for Daddy - spaghetti and fruit salad.  They know how much he enjoys fruit salad.  Gifts and Acts of Service are The Reader's (and I am beginning to suspect The Entertainer as well) love language so he just explodes with excitement when he can do something like this.

They were so excited to use the "black knives" and I hadn't realized it was the first time I let them use them.  They chopped apples, pears and bananas, added canned peaches and mandarin oranges.  It was delightful.

Then they wanted to use the good china and it turned into a whole "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" scene because then they wanted cloth napkins and since the cloth napkins were on top of the tablecloths, could we please use a tablecloth too?  And since we're already going to that trouble could we please use Great Grandma's silver?

Daddy was thrilled with his special supper - Mommy should have taken a picture of them together!

Tea Party

Who says tea parties are for girls?  My boys love to have tea parties!  We used to try to have them about once a week but have really been slacking lately.  So last week we decided we were due for one.  They love to go through all my special tea cups and pick out the one they want to use that day.

 Usually I make one pot of tea but we were out of sugar and I had a craving for chai so we had a variety tray this day.

 A small plate with the last two sugar substitutes, milk (don't use cream in your tea, it's too heavy for the delicate tea), and homemade marshmallows.

 Our usual bakery was closed for the holidays so we picked up donuts from our favorite donut shop.  What does that say about us that we have a favorite bakery AND a favorite donut shop?

 A cheesy pose.

 The ubiquitous toast.  Not quite sure that this is appropriate with tea cups but whatever.

We use this tea time to learn about manners.  We usually try to use cloth napkins and it's the only time the napkins actually make it to the laps.  I let the boys take turns being the host and asking "one lump or two?"

Someday soon we'll have to try a proper Cream tea complete with scones and clotted cream and lemon curd - oh my!