Here are a few favorite links from this past week! Enjoy!
A Journey Into Pregnancy & Birth – a great article written by Sarah @ Live Slowly, Live Wildly addressing natural pregnancy! Very thorough coverage of the topic with some great resource recommendations!
Don’t Be Fooled by Health Food Labels – “Natural” labeled products can be very deceiving! Look a little closer.
Spring Modesty Carnival – my sister hosted a carnival on the topic of modesty. Check out some great posts!
One of my new year goals is off and running! Our composting bin is set up and ready to go. Composting is a great means of cutting back on garbage while making some wonderful soil for your garden! A simple way to being a good steward and not letting anything go to waste! My Grandma told me this is the key to her lucious tomato plants producing an abundant crop. I kept it simple and purchased the composting bin that Azure Standard now offers (just under $40 for the set) as we are very limited in our condo with no back yard beyond a deck. It had very simple instructions and came with everything including the container, worms, moss, and paper. It did not exactly fit under my kitchen sink (it was so close, but the garbage disposal was in the way), so we are keeping a small plastic container under the sink to collect organic scraps throughout the day, and the composting bin in the garage. At the end of the day we dump the matter into the bin, and start again! All’s I have to do now is feed these little worms 1/2 lb of food scraps each day!
Further Reading
Worm Composting in a trash can - Tammy’s shares about her composting method. Great if you have the space!
Any tips on composting you want to send my way?
Karis and I had great fun this morning baking a few special treats for Daddy for Valentine’s Day, except we decided to bake them early in order to spread the goodness throughout the weekend. Rather than spending money on gifts and such, I have found my sweet hubby appreciates some special food items. Keep his belly full and he is happy! 
Here are some of our healthy treats!
We made yummy healthy fudge. Can’t go wrong there and it is very delicious! We used honey, coconut oil and cocoa powder and it turned out splendidly. A very easy recipe.
We also made some whole wheat pretzels topped with cinnamon and sugar (sucanat to be exact!). I attempted to shape them into hearts but my attempts did not turn out so well. All the same, they tasted very good!
For more frugal Valentine’s Day ideas, visit here.
Do you have any favorite healthy Valentine’s Day recipes or treats?
Do you struggle getting your toddler or preschooler to lay down peacefully to sleep at time? If so, I encourage you to consider developing a bedtime routine. I have been blessed to find the resource, The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Childs Sleep by Elizabeth Pantley recently. Karis has always been a good sleeper, but has never been peaceful at actually going to bed. I had been really praying that God would direct me as to how to make this process more peaceful, especially before the new baby arrived. He directed me to this resource. Since adopting a few simple ideas from this resource, we have been experiencing a real transformation.
We have gone from bedtime being a stressful time of the day, to being really peaceful and actually enjoyable. I feel like this time is ever more precious in investing in my daughter’s life. I have found it is never wise to rely too heavily on any one particular method, but there is a lot of wisdom available to be learned with some discernment and prayer as to how to apply it to your particular situation.
How are we making progress in this area? Here are a few practical steps we have learned…
I am not normally a fan of nuts, but creating these delicious candied nuts is a perfect addition to our diet in many ways. Topped on a nice green salad or in our homemade trail mix (with raisins and the like), or simply served as an evening treat. We love combining them with raisins for a travel snack. Great way to increase nutrition but also add an extra bit of protein to the diet (especially good for pregnant mommy!) Delicious! You can use pecans or walnuts, as desired.
According to Nourishing Traditions, “Pecans contain calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. They are an exceptionally rich source of manganese. Like all nuts from large trees whose roots extend far down into the earth, pecans are good sources of trace minerals. They contain B complex vitamins, carotenoids and vitamin C in small amounts. They will last about four months at room temperature.” Choose raw nuts for the highest nutrient value!
1 egg white
1Tbsp water
1 pound pecans/walnut halves or pieces (we like pecan pieces -easy for Karis to munch on!)
1/3-1/2 cup sweetener (sucanat, rapadura, or maple syrup -use 1/3 cup if using maple syrup)
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Beat egg white together with water until it becomes stiff and fluffy. Fold in the sweetener, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add pecans and toss to coat. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, rotating every 15 minutes.
SOAKING: It is recommended to soak nuts due to their enzyme inhibitors that can irritate the mouth and cause digestive problems. If you desire to do so, soak nuts prior to use by combining nuts with filtered water, leave in a warm place, and allow to soak for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain and spread on a stainless steel baking pan/cookie sheet and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12-24 hours, turning occasionally, until dry and crisp.
Happy nut snacking!
Welcome to our chapter 1 discussion on Practicing Hospitality: The Joy of Serving Others by Pat Ennis & Lisa Tatlock. This is part 1 of an eight week discussion on this book. We are so glad you decided to join us! I will start each week by giving a brief recap of the chapter followed by a few discussion questions which you can use to lead in sharing what stood out to you in this chapter in the comments below. Even if you are not participating in the study, I encourage you to keep reading…Chapter 1 focused on Hospitality & Character.
Purposefully developing Christ-like character is extremely important in order to fulfill the biblical command of hospitality. The Word of God is our standard that should challenge us to cultivate a lifestyle that conforms us to the only Person who exhibited character in its purest form – Christ Jesus. “His standard of femininity [and masculinity for that matter] is a quality that, from a biblical perspective, has little to do with appearance and everything to do with character.”
The authors then proceed to make a word collage of character qualities of what a person of character who desires to practice hospitality might look like.
A Person of Christian Character who Practices Hospitality is….
H – Humble
O – Obedient
S – Sincere
P – Prayerful
I – Interested in Integrity
T – Trustworthy
A – Adopted into God’s Family
L – Led by the Spirit
I – Instrumental in Producing Righteousness
T – Thankful
Y – Yielded
Here are some great resources and articles I came across this week in the blogging world!
Mercury in High Fruitose Corn Syrup: What they’re just now telling us (HT to Stephanie for the link!)
Homemade Natural Shampoo recipes – Michele has some simple and frugal recipes to share!
Why Sprout?- Kimi shares on the benefits of sprouting
Everyday Sourdough Bread Recipe – Kimi’s sourdough bread looks inviting!
How to Make the Best Chicken Stock in your Slow Cooker
The Ghost at the Table – Are Kids a Threat to the Environment? - Dr. Al Mohler shares a very insightful post!
Valentine’s Day Resources:
Enjoying Missions Throughout the Year – February – how can you make Valentine’s Day more purposeful this year?
Frugal Valentine Ideas - here are a few ideas I shared last year!
“Simplifying means having less, wanting less, being satisfied with what you have or less than what you have. It does not mean boredom. People with too many things are the most easily bored. St. Francis owned only his robe, yet was never melancholy or bored.” – J Matthew Sleeth, author of Serve God, Save the Planet
Simplifying Your Buying Techniques (as shared in the above quoted book):
1. If you think you want something, wait a month. One of three things will happen if you follow this sage advice. One: You will forget. Two: You will no longer need it. Or three: You will need it more. Most often, numbers one and two will happen.
2. Next, borrow and lend. How are we going to live together in heaven if we can’t even share a chain saw? One of my goals this year is to put all my books together in a loaning library database, in order that I might bless and encourage others in my church through loaning out my books or simply donating them to our local library. They are just collecting dust right now! I also have a ton of girl baby clothes. If we have a boy, my first goal will be to find someone who can benefit from the use of these clothes in the meantime.
I am growing to realize that the more I share, the less of a strong hold these possessions will have upon my heart. What things are lying around your house that someone else could use right now? There are so many ways to be generous by loaning and giving away your possessions even if you are lacking in the monetary capacity. This is an opportunity for the body of Christ to come together, especially in this slowing economy, and serve and share with one another. Remember Acts 2:44-45, which states that the believers had all their resources together and distributed them as each had a need. I think applying this principle is so applicable today.
It really comes down to changing our mindset! It starts with waiting a month, then if you still really need the item, looking into your borrowing options. If they are lacking, check out all your used options (craigslist, freecycle, consignment shop, etc). The very last alternative is buying an item new…but you most likely will not even get here if you check out the previous ideas!
It’s Living Simple Saturday!
Oh boy, I have had a few requests for a prego update, and I realized…it definitely has been awhile! Here I am! 35 weeks along and in the final countdown (due March 12th)! So far I am feeling relatively well all considering. My midwife actually rotated the baby manually last week in order to get she/he head down. That was definitely painful but I am extremely thankful that it is in the correct position (I really wanted to try to avoid another breech birth, although God was extremely merciful with Karis’ birth). Now we are just bumping up the pelvic rocks to rotate the baby from the current posterior position. We are aiming for a home birth in the water this time, Lord willing.
Two things that I am thankful for (beyond the rotation of the baby)…glucosamine & a Snoogle Total Body Pillow! I was dealing with some significant muscle pain all over my body until my midwife put me on glucosamine. It helps build and repair ligaments, which can get stretched and damaged with the pregnancy. I started taking two a day in the morning and my body has greatly improved! I have renewed strength to get me through the last few weeks here.
Thanks to my loving husband, I have been sleeping very well with the use of a Snoogle Total Body Pillow. This was well worth the purchase and has given me such wonderful comfortable sleep!
We have our prefold cloth diapers ready to go! The Lord has graciously provided several needed items, including gender neutral newborn clothing, a changing table and a moby wrap (I am excited to use this carrier for the first time thanks to so many recommendations)! Thanks to the gift of craigslist for helping me find many of these used!
What am I doing in the preparation process?
- Reorganizing & simplifying (also known as nesting!) -At the beginning of the new year, I always like to go through each room and simplify and reorganize as much as possible. Since initially simplifying in every room last year, it was significantly easier this year. We sold several items on craigslist and did some spring cleaning in the process. Thank you Lord!
- Mapping out a new schedule – simply developing a basic routine that includes mommy and Karis time, simple household maintenance, etc.
- Making a few extra freezer meals (doubling a few of our regular meals and placing half in the freezer).
- Practicing relaxing, pelvic rocks, squatting and walking.
- Taking good preparation herbs & pregnancy tea!
- Trying to get extra rest and filling my soul with the Word of God and other encouraging books to carry me through some tired days and sleepless nights ahead.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers! God is so good!
Oh the joys of watching my little Karis dive in and absolutely love the world of books! I strongly believe this is due in a significant part to the fact that she has a very simple toy collection. Other contributing factors may include the fact that we have no television, and we started reading books together very early on. She has one small basket of toys and yet she still prefers her books. I am incredibly thankful for a local library through which we have access to innumerable books. No need to purchase our own. We read all her books several times a day…thus the need for weekly trips! But I love it! I love seeing her in her little corner or in her little red rocking chair, simply reading stories to herself, and cultivating our relationship by reading frequently together. Precious! That is one simple way we save money on entertainment and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
