Preparing for a Future Valentine

So as a young woman hoping for future marriage and children, I have often looked at my parent's ways of parenting, or my mother's methods of keeping a home, and tried to decide what I would do the same, and what I would do different. One prime example is cloth diapers. As a family, we have used both disposable and cloth diapers in many different forms. And as one of the oldest children, I have changed an insane amount of diapers, in all of the forms we have tried. There are pros and cons to both of the types of diapers. The cloth are much less expensive, as you use them over and over and over. The original price per diaper of course they look much more pricey, but they will last you for quite a while. But then there is the issue of dealing with and washing them. If you use the type of cloth diaper with pins, the cloth can often get quite soaked with bodily fluids, and it can be almost impossible to avoid that when unpinning. When the child does a number 2, you can't si

Ok, So I've had a few biblical based posts, and a fun recipe post, now we get to the practical. Anyone who knew my mother would probably recant the fact they have always said I was my mother's daughter, as she is about 90% practical, and 10% economical. :) Although she is definitely 100% the mother I need, praise the Lord! So this post is for those of you who don't have a perfect home that is simply a breeze to keep neat and tidy. Do those people truly exist, or is Martha Stewart just kidding us all? Anyways, moving on. How many of you find that sometimes you spent your whole day working with rowdy or obstinate children, whom you were merely trying to keep alive? And yes, I have had those experiences in my many years with babysitting. So your children are finally calmed, you take a deep breath, and you think. "Now I can hammer on housework before my husband returns home." But then you look at the clock, and realize that it is closing in on 5 pm. Total freakou

I have been seeing the following e-card being posted and pinned around on pinterest. At first glance, any woman would probably think "Yeah, that's a great quote, I should pin or share that." And I was no different than any other women when I first saw it. Then I thought about it for a second, and realized that this is a prime example of the prevailing worldview that is being taught to all women in today's world. "Women can do everything, but any REAL man wouldn't let her, but instead help her." Does this sound familiar to you? I know it does to me. I can't even count the amount of times I have heard people say things like  "When you find a man who does the dishes, marry him."  Or " you know you've found a real man when he comes home from work and watches the kids and makes dinner so that you can put your feet up." Or have you ever heard those women complain about their husbands, because they don't do enough around

As I was working towards the goal of preparing for a future marriage, I knew that if I wanted to be a successful wife, mother, and homemaker, I needed to learn multiple life skills. The list is never ending, but simply having a desire to learn makes a complete difference in whether a woman will be able to follow God’s plan for her life. The scripture is chalk full of references to knowledge, wisdom, and learning. Proverbs especially has a lot to say on the subject. “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding is it established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength and a man of knowledge enhances his might.” (Pro 24:3-5). Seeking after knowledge will bring us strength, treasures, and godly riches. God is always willing to lend wisdom and knowledge; all we have to do is ask. “Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as hidden tr

So my mother and I made some really yummy snacks and drinks this holiday season, and I would love to share them. I'm hoping because we are technically still in holiday season until Tuesday, that it isn't too late to share these. :) The first thing I would like to share is peppermint dipped pretzels. These are delicious, and  quite easy to make as well.  Ingredients: ½ bag of stick pretzels ½ bag of Vanilla White Chips 7 candy canes or bag of peppermints Wax Paper 1. Put the candycanes/peppermints in a Ziploc baggy and crush them with a rolling pin or other hard object. Dump in bowl, and set aside. 2. Place the Vanilla Chips in a pan on the stove on medium heat. Stir constantly until melted. Keep a close eye on it, as it is very easily scorched.   3. Take the chips off the stove, and begin dipping the ends of the pretzels in the chips before quickly rolling the sticky end of the pretzel in the crushed candycanes/peppermints and place on parchment pape

So I don't know if it is proper etiquette to post more than one post in a day, but I'm guessing it is rather common with overexcited new bloggers, like myself. So I'm forgetting etiquette for the moment. :)   I don't know about you, but I am really not an athletic or sporty type. I mean sure I'll shoot a few hoops, toss around a football/baseball, or play some badminton, but overall I am very nonathletic. So for the first few years of my life I ignored sports all together. My parents and brothers are VERY into football, especially my brothers, and it is difficult to remember a Sunday afternoon when there wasn't a game on TV being watched at my house. But for quite a while I purposefully ignored it, and even refused to talk about or hear comments on football from my quite enthusiastic brothers. But then I realized something. I am going to (hopefully) marry someday, specifically marry a man. I can't think of a single guy I have ever met who didn't lo

These are my thoughts on how important it is to honor, respect, and submit to the male authorities(father, brothers, boss) God has given me. I can make wonderful food, keep a clean home, and have perfect children. But if I don’t treat my husband with respect and honor, then all those earlier things don’t matter.   It’s like those verses in Corinthians where it says “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Cor 13:1-3) It is like that in marriage as well. If I speak firmly to my children and keep them well trained, but do not respect my husband, I am like a clanging gong in my husband’s soul. If I have the power to keep a home, and am extremely wise, and if I have co