A Few Favorite's & A Link-up

I had so much fun last week during my "Baby Shower" and I hope you did as well! Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who joined my party!

Today I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite's for mom and baby!

For Mom:

Large Family Logistics

Do not be intimidated by the title! You do not have to have a large family in order to love this book. Anyone can glean from the ideas and inspiration Kim Brenneman shares in Large Family Logistics. This book is packed with helpful hints that speak of self-discipline and self-centeredness, creating your own home management binder and timely advice (for me) about how to manage your pregnancy and how to prepare for your baby! Even though I have read through Large Family Logistics, I still keep it at my bed-side table for great reminders and references!

Nursing:

Nursing Pads and Shells. I tried using the disposable nursing pads in the past and let me tell you...never again. Not only are they a waste of money and resources but they are scratchy and move out of place. Buy cotton or wool pads and you will not be disappointed! Nursing modestly can be tricky. I know there are plenty of nursing covers to choose from but here is another area you don't have to spend a lot of money. A dear friend of mine uses a crib-sheet to cover up and it works wonderfully! The elastic from the sheet hugs you while you nurse! But what about our backs being exposed from lifted shirts while nursing? Modest Middles are the best solution! These tanks are perfect for nursing while keeping modest!

For Baby:

Diapers. Disposable or Cloth? I have to tell you we are a disposable family. When our new baby makes her debut, we will have three children in diapers. That's a lot of p**p to wash! However, I'm still a fan of both! If you do use disposables or know a soon-to-be mama who also loves disposables, Joy shared on The Better Mom a super sweet disposable diaper craft!

Devotional Diapers!

What a great idea! You can also use the same idea for cloth diapers!

Another fantastic DIY for cloth diapers is to make burp rags!

Petite Lemon shows us how a little ribbon and fabric can transform a regular cloth diaper into a super cute burp rag!

Mom's need a good laugh:

Sleepless nights with a new baby can lead to a little crankiness from a new mama. I find that when I get a little tense, laughing and being just plain silly with my children helps! As well as  knowing I am not the only mom going through these emotions...such as it's good to know that I am not the only one who, because lack of sleep put my clothes on inside out! Kim C. at Life in a Shoe keeps me in stitches! Kimberly makes lite of the silliness in her family with her "Not Me" series at Raising Olives.

You can find even more of my favorite blogs at my "Sites for Sore Eyes" tab!

Speaking of blogs...this will be my last post (sort of) for a while as we get ready to welcome our new babe. There are a few posts scheduled for your enjoyment, however, I want to soak in the newness a baby brings and enjoy some much needed time off the computer with my sweet family. Before I go, I was hoping you would share some of your favorite things too! Please link to a post that shares your love for babies, family, mothering, and children! If you have a baby DIY or advice for a new mama out there that would be wonderful too! Just be sure to link back here!

I want to wish an early congratulations to Courtney at Simply Nurtured, Natalie at Visionary Womanhood, Sara at Your Thriving Family,  Bambi at In the Nursery of the Nation and Ester at Our Simple Country Life on the birth of their new babes when they too make a sweet debut into the world! If you are expecting a baby as well, many congratulations from me to you!

Lunch with the girls...

Yesterday I had the opportunity to leave the house and run a few errands.

Since we live in the Coolest Small Town, our downtown can get pretty busy with tourist and other people in our community, especially during lunch hour. We have several quaint cafes nestled between small business and as we drove down one of our main streets, two women caught my eye.

From my outsiders point of view, they could have been sisters or best friends. They walked tightly together, laughing as they entered the Stardust Cafe.

For a second I was jealous.

I can't remember the last time I had lunch with a girl friend of mine.

Just girls.

You know...calling your BFF, plan to meet somewhere trendy, order a salad and chat over the latest book your reading while sipping a peach flavored iced-tea.

But it was only for a second.

Then the sweetest sound came from the back seat.

"Mommy, I hungry."

Love made my heart bounce.

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I have a car filled with four of the *bestest* BFF's a girl could ask for!

Lunch with the girls is different than I imagined before because my perspective has changed.

I still go to the trendiest cafe, only now it's my kitchen table.

Salad has been exchanged for cut veggies and ranch dip.

Peach iced-tea is served daily. In fact, we have tea parties at least twice a week!

These days my girl friends and I discuss books of all sorts. Amelia Bedilia, Laura Ingalls-Wilder...

 Today its Galatians.

And I can't wait for lunch!

Side effects

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A byproduct is defined as "Something produced in the making of something else. A secondary result; a side effect."

Lately I have been feeling like I am a byproduct of feminism. What is considered a grand design for a woman's "freedom" and a hope for multi-generational success, I have chosen to live counter-cultural to it's views on womanhood and motherhood.

I am the side-effect in it's ideology.

And "they" don't like it.

"They" are the ones who ask "Do you work?" 

"They" are the ones who wonder about how I get my 'me time' with "all those kids"

"They" are the ones who assume I can "do it all"

But isn't that what "they" wanted?

To do it all?

What is the "it all" and why does mine have to match theirs?

I'm not sure.

I am sure that I do work and that my job carries a great responsibility.
"he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you-they are your life..."~Deuteronomy 32:46-47

I am sure that I get me me time with the One who deserves it the most.
"Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long."~Psalm 119:97

I am most assured I can't do it all, however, because my strength is not my own.
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."~2 Corinthians 12:9 

My side-effect-ness is frowned upon with each book read to my babes, each meal I prepare and every laundry load I wash. I hear "tisk-tisk" whispered for encouraging my girls to dress like girls so they can define femininity not androgyny. It is most criticized for willfully submitting to my husband and for honoring his vision.

And so I must always remember, "Am I trying to win the approval of men, or God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of God."~Galatians 1:10

Do you have a side effect? How does it show?

Do Our Children Have Our Hearts?~Guest Post

I am blessed to be a stay-at-home-mama.

No one would ever accuse me of neglecting my children.

I am at home with them all the time, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Yet, I have collapsed into bed at the end of many a busy day with a guilt complex.

I didn't even stop and take the time to play with my kids today.

How long HAS it been since I had a tea party with my girls?? Or made homemade playdough? Or spent the afternoon playing outside with my little people?

Our children are generally sweet and pleasant (barring the usual "human" moments).

On fussy days, I've realized (after the lights are out) that maybe my sons' whining or my girls' sour attitudes had something to do with needing some more mommy time.

Don't get me wrong; my children are in the middle of most everything I do. From cooking meals to cleaning house and pulling weeds in the flower bed. They are always right beside me.

But there is just something extra special about Mama taking time to get down on the floor and color. Or play dolls. Or set up the Little People farm.  Or look my child in the eyes and smile with enthusiasm while he or she relates a story.

Debi Pearl says it this way, in her book Created to Be His Help Meet:

"Some mothers treat their children as I treat my cows. I make sure they have good things to eat, clean water, and a place to exercise. If they show any signs of sickness, I attend to them immediately... Unlike your care of the cows, the training of your children is the deepest expression of your love for them. To love children is to devote ourselves fully to their training... There are no neutral moments in a child's life. Every moment is a time of continuous need and development."

As Debi Pearl so candidaly put it, being “at home” with our children is not the same as giving our hearts to our family. Our children need more than healthy meals, clean clothes, and exercise.

They need us.

Our attention.  Our smiles.  Our laughter. Our empathy.  Our creativity. Our hearts.

 Do our children know that their mama is interested in their play, their needs, their fears?

 Do our husband know that our hearts are in our home?

That we are not pining away and withering inside by perceived "unmet needs"?

 Now, I am not talking about raising children who think their mama owes them every waking moment. A child-centered home is a recipe for disaster.

 A Christ-centered home, in which a mother devotes herself unselfishly to nurturing and training her children, creates a secure haven for growth and training.

 I want to  leave you with a challenge from Loving the Little Years, by Rachel Jankovic:

"It is no abstract thing- the state of your heart is the state of your home.  You cannot harbor resentment secretly toward your children and expect their hearts to be submissive and tender.  You cannot be greedy with your time and expect them to share their toys... God has given us the job of teaching His law and demonstrating His grace.  We are to be guides to our children as they learn to walk with God."

 Ladies, I encourage you to ask yourself: Where is my heart?

 If your honest answer is that you are in need of a new focus, set some time aside this week (beginning today!) to seek God's heart for your family. Nothing in this world compares to time spent in God's presence for renewing and rekindling a mother's heart.

Kristy Howard is a believer in Jesus Christ, a pastor's wife, and homeschooling mother of four.  She is passionate about living simply, naturally, and Bibically for the glory of God. Kristy is the owner of LittleNaturalCottage, where she furiously writes about her loves during nap time. She and her husband, Jeremy, make their home in North Texas, where they enjoy their growing family, their church, and their pursuit of a debt free life.

Photo Credit

I Have A Little Mirror~Guest Post

I have a little mirror.

My mirror does not lie.

Does not pretend.

Does not soften reality.

My mirror is seven years old.

My daughter. My protege.

I can hide in church.

I can hide with my friends.

I can hide in this blog.

But my mirror faithfully reflects the state of my heart.

My dear friends and family know my faults.

They overlook. They forgive.

My mirror forgives, but she does not cease to reflect.

Sometimes I am angry at my mirror. I dislike the ugly image
she reveals.

I blame the mirror when I should blame myself.

I know that someday my little mirror will grow up, and she
might have little mirrors of her own.

Then she will understand my frustration, my struggles, my
inconsistencies.

Today, she does not understand.

She simply reflects.

I resist the urge to shut my eyes against the reflection,
pretending it is just a mar on my mirror.

I ask my Lord for strength to change, to grow, to yield, to
overcome.

His abundant grace is there, for the taking.

For me.

Kristy Howard is a believer in Jesus Christ, a pastor's wife, and homeschooling mother of four.  She is passionate about living simply, naturally, and Biblically for the glory of God. Kristy is the owner of LittleNaturalCottage, where she furiously writes about her loves during nap time. She and her husband, Jeremy, make their home in North Texas, where they enjoy their growing family, their church, and their pursuit of a debt free life.

 Photo Credit

Aching Arms

This past weekend has been undoubtedly miserable and tiring.

One at a time, each member in our family of seven came down with the flu from youngest to oldest in a matter of hours!

Like a tidal wave it came. Tossing and turning. Painful and pounding.

We attend a small church, live in a small town and have no relatives in the state we live in. We are used to living independently, relying mostly upon ourselves and the Lord.

This time was most trying.

With most large families you can count on everyone getting sick.

But all of us? At the same time?

We huddled together in the living room. Laying towel's all over the floor and couches. Water bottles, "bucket's," pillow's and us.

Praying for strength and healing. As quickly as the sickness arrived it had ended.

I was reflecting on how when you are a mother, you are always a mother. Even if it hurts, you comfort and nurture and love.

I'm still in pain. Sore from sickness. More sore for holding my babes.

There were times I was holding someone for so long my arms would go numb. Other times, I couldn't make them go straight having been angled for so long.

This morning I told my husband that my arms ache from holding the children.

Then he gently spoke to me and reminded me...

One day I will ache to hold them.

That's how  the Lord comforts us.

While I was holding my babes, He was holding me.

"And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."

~Matthew 10-16


This post is linked to Visionary Womanhood: When life gives you lemons...

Why Mom's Don't Wear White

Labor Day weekend is here and since some of what I post is in realtion to fashion, I wanted to share with you some little tib-bits on the whole "Don't Wear White After Labor Day" hoopla.

I found some mixed information about why one would not wear white after Labor Day.

But I have my own theory...more on that later.

According to some reports, only those in high society and well to do would sport white attire (or pastels) while vacationing during the summer months. Once the holiday was over and the season changed to fall, the wealthy would trade out the summer wardrobe for an entirely different set of frocks and you would not want to be caught wearing a past seasons style.

If you were of middle to lower class, you could wear white however most did not, as stated above it was more for the elite.  The reason most people of lower classes did not wear white was because it was not a practical color to wear. Before we were spoiled with electronic washing machines, past generations had limited wardrobes. It was not uncommon to have one or two dresses which they were worn dirty, saving all laundry until a "laundry day."

Dry cleaning was not discovered until the mid-19th century and bleach was not a common cleaner until the mid 50's. For those of lower class, wearing white simply was not practical.

And I agree.

You see, we are the same woman you see in the picture. Oh I'm sure you're imagining you are the glamorous lady in the white evening dress, gazing into an unknown of yachts, maids and spa treatments.

Um...wake-up sweetie! I'm talking about the lovely housewife displaying her laundry skills!

She is me... I know what it takes to do seven laundry loads a week (and I am thankful for such) and because I am a mother to many, I am practical.

You see I have been doing my own research into where this no wearing white *rule* came from. After 13 years of in-home, clinical research (mother-hood) I have come to a single conclusion.

The real reason you, "Don't Wear White after Labor Day" is because a beautiful and practical housewife knew better!

Don't believe me? The proof is in the pictures...

Super cute skirt or kleenex?

Got Boys?

eh hem...blow-outs happen...

 And my favorite reason for not wearing white...

Doorposts~Giveaway~CLOSED

"You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."~ Deauteronomy 6:9

What eloquint and practical instructions the Lord has placed in Scripture. Not having been raised in Church or by parents who are saved, I cautiously look for materials and resources that are truthful in content and align with what Scripture states. Raising four daughters and one son for the Glory of the Lord is such a delight and brings joy to my heart, knowing the Lord has entrusted my husband and I with these five blessings! 

But I don't know it all.

 Especially when it comes to being a lady and raising a lady. (The Lord is refining me in this area)

I am so thankful for wonderful companies such as Doorposts.

From Doorposts' beginning, in 1990, our mission has been to supply you with
"Bible-based, parent-designed, family-tested products to help you apply Scripture in your home."

I'm excited to announce that Doorposts has graciously offered two wonderful booklets to one very blessed reader!

The Virtuous Woman Study Guide 

"This is a series of short mother-daughter studies in Proverbs 31. The Virtuous Woman study is included in the complete Ruby Doll kit, but it is available separately as well. Studies include: An overview of Proverbs 31:10-31, "the law of kindness" , "the bread of idleness" ,"reaching forth our hands to the needy"  Bible verses are quoted from the KJV translation. Recommended for daughters age 6 and up."

AND

A Young Lady of Valor Illustrated Book

"The Young Lady of Valor coloring booklet includes all the text from Proverbs 31:10-31, accompanied by Doorposts-style illustrations. These simple drawings bring each verse down to "girl-level," helping our daughters see practical ways to apply Proverbs 31 to their own young lives. This coloring book is included with the complete Ruby Doll kit, but it is available separately as a soft-cover booklet. 5.5" x 8.5"."

What a beautiful addition this would be to your library and a delightful way to spend  time  between you and your daughter!

******

To enter, please leave a comment with your favorite verse from Proverbs 31!

For aditional entries:

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Follow Doorposts' Blog by Email, RSS or GFC

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*Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry*

Other Doorposts products I own are "A Check Lists For Parents,"  "If-Then Chart" and "Family Circles"

Next on my wish-list is "Beauty and the Pig" and "Plants Grown Up"

Have you checked out Doorposts Free Resources?

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will close Sunday June 19th and the winner announced June 20th

Best wishes!