Free

YyFREE dove men's hair or bath care. Shampoo 12oz or body wash 13.5oz

Price match the Walgreens ad at Walmart and use $2/1 dove product. 

Final price= $.01-

FREE

Free Colgate toothbrushes at Walgreens. Price match the Walgreens ad at Walmart and use the $.50/1 Colgate coupon from this weeks coupons. Final price= $.01-

STOCKUP DEAL

Digiorno pizza! TARGET!!!

B2G1 2 liter Pepsi. Use buy 2 digiorno pizzas and get the third free. 

ANOTHER GREAT WEEK OF EXTREME COUPONING!!!

Did any of you ladies go and snatch up any of the deals I shared? If so, feel free to share your hauls.

I am going to be listing a whole lot more freebies this week too. So, Make sure to follow our facebook page that goes with the blog to catch the deals.:) I will also post a detailed list here a little bit later.

I hope you all had a blessed Sunday.

Extreme Couponing.

RETAIL IS $116
I PAID $1
Breakdown as follows

Walmart haul
6 Gillette venus & Olay Shave gel 7oz.
Price Match Walgreens. $.99 Use $1/1 Satin Care or venus shave gel.
Final Price= -$.01 each

6 Tide/Gain pods 14 ct Price match CVS- $2.44 each. Use $3/1 tide/gain pods. Final Price= -$.56 each =

12 Purely Gentle scalp care 2 in 1 dandruff shampoo+ conditioner
Price Match Amazon $1.81 Use $4/2 Head and shoulders. = -$.38 each

Dollar Tree

2 Gevalia iced coffee mochas $1
Use $1/1 gevalia coffee product (coupons.com)
Final price $0.00

1 Campbells organic kids soup. $1
Use $1/1 campbells organic soups. (coupons.com)
Final price $0.00

Pretzels $1
Use $1/2 soft pretzels
Final price $.50 each

Homemade Sweet And Sour Sauce

20 oz pineapple chunks with juice
3/4 cup of water
1/4 cup Rice vinegar 
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup catsup
1 TBS Soy Sauce
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 TBS corn starch 
2 TBS water

1 Stir pineapple chunks with juice,3/4 cup water, rice vinegar, catsup, brown sugar, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce together in a sauce pan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer until pineapple is tender,about 20 mins. 

2 Poor Mixture into blender no more than half full.  Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. return mixture to saucepan and return to a simmer. 

3 whisk corn starch and 2 TBS water together in a bowl until smooth; Stir into the sauce. Increase heat to medium. Cook and stir until sauce is thick, 2-3 minutes. 

Crockpot Cowboy Casserole

1 Onion Chopped
1-1/2 lbs Ground turkey or beef
6 Medium Potatoes
1 can kidney beans
14oz diced tomatoes with juices
2 TBS Flour
1 small can tomato soup
salt and pepper to taste

1  Put Chopped onions in the bottom of the crockpot, layer with ground turkey,sliced potatoes and beans.

2 Mix the can of tomatoes with flour and tomato soup. 

3 Spread tomato mixture onto other ingredients in the crockpot. 

4 Sprinkle with seasonings as desired. And cook on low for 7-9 hours. 

2 WEEK DINNER MENU

I am a frugal shopper. So, thought I would share my 2 week menu for you all to use.  I only numbered them bc Its so much easier than planning something for a certain day and then not feeling like making that particular item. lol
The ingredients that I usually buy to go with the menu are usually twice the amount needed and I am able to put the next shopping day off for at least 1 month.  Sometimes more depending on how much money we have. That does not include Milk and eggs.

1-Chicken, Broccoli and biscuits 

2-Meatball sub bake 

3-Pancakes and eggs with fruit salad 

4-Sloppy Joe Biscuit bites with chips 

5-Hot Dogs and Macaroni salad 

6-crockpot cowboy casserole 

7-Spaghetti Bake 

8-Chicken fajitas 

9-Sweet and sour style smoked sausage, mashed potatoes and veggies 

10-Hamburgers and Macaroni salad 

11-Goulosh 

12-Pizza 

13-BBQ Ground turkey sandwiches 

14 Tuna Noodle casserole 

PT 1"Becoming A "Holy" Person" (Guard Your Eyes)

The Bible talks about the importance of being "holy. And yet, we seem to skip right over it with the idea that Jesus died to forgive us our sins, so why do I need to change how I live. And others who change in some areas but refuse to change in other areas that they know needs some work.

1 Peter 1:16
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy"

Peter is of course referring back to,

Leviticus 11:44
For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

What does that mean to be "holy"? How can I personally live a "holy" life that is pleasing to God in the midst of all the turmoil and media and everything wicked that is going on around me?
I want to lay out a couple ways in which my husband and I have decided that God would have us to live a holy separated life for Him.

(1) Guard your eyes.
This is a pretty simple one. Or so it seems. There are so many things that we look at or see without even thinking about the effects that it will have on us, or how displeasing it is to God. Because it is thrown in front of us in so many different ways that it just becomes the norm to see.
God, wants us to guard our eyes from anything that is from Satan. And a lot of what surrounds us is from satan. By that I mean the things we see on social media, tv, billboards, or even just walking down the street. Below are some verses that talk about guarding your eyes.

Proverbs 4:25
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 

Psalm 101:3
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. 

My husband and I have had to limit the amount of tv that the kiddos watch. And monitor even the cartoons that they watch.  And the same goes for us adults.
I wouldn't personally hang around in a bar or strip club. So, why would I turn on a show that has even a glimpse of what is done inside one. Or even hinted at.
I wouldn't cheat on my husband, but yet I watch romance movies where the setting for a good many of them comes from that of a cheating spouse.
Even the shows that seem to be the most harmless are filled with smut anymore. HGTV used to be one of my favorite channels. But, you turn it on now and you have to watch gay/lesbian "couples" buying a house together, or deciding how it will be decorated. By watching shows like that I am condoning the sin in which they are living.
But, what we see goes way beyond just the television.
Have you ever seen those billboards that are advertising "sexy" women or alcoholic drinks or even racy ads of any kind? These are all Satan's way of tempting you and I. He knows that we wouldn't go into one of those places or look that way. But, he puts those little (not so subtle) hints in our path and it makes you wonder what it would be like.
It is so important to keep your minds clean. Focus on a bible verse, pray and surround yourself with godly friends that hold your same standards and serve our God.
There is so, so much more that I could go into right now about guarding your eyes and different ways that satan tries to throw things into your path. But, I am going to leave it here.

Tips on how to keep from looking at the things of the world.

(1) Turn the tv off.
(2)Stay busy with God honoring activities.
(3)Cook from scratch ( It will occupy more time and lessen the temptation to watch tv)
(4)Grab a good book. (Bible based books)
(5)Spend more quality time with your children in ways that don't include tv, ipads and phones. 
(6)Do A bible study on ways to keep your eyes clean for Jesus. 

Pumpkin Muffins

These are going into the oven very soon. With Chocolate chips in them for good measure.

Pumpkin Muffins.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin purée
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Heat the oven to 400ºF.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and mix just until blended.
Grease a muffin tin or fill your tin with cupcake papers. Fill the wells with the batter until they are 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 16-20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and then complete the cooling process on a wire rack.

Delicious Grandmother Bread.

I just made this on Monday and will be making another 2 loaves tomorrow morning.

Delicious Grandmother bread. (only recipe I use)

3 Cups Warm water
1 TBS yeast (one packet)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
7 cups all purpose flour. (I use wheat)

In a large bowl, combine water, sugar, yeast and salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Stir in first three cups of flour with a heavy spoon. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed. Stirring until dough becomes to stiff to continue stirring easily. Add a little more flour and beging kneading. The amount of flour is approximate-your mileage may vary. Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise in a covered, greased bowl until doubled. (usually about an hour) Uncover bowl: sprinkle in a little flour and knead again before deviding in half with floured hands, shape dough into loaves and place in two greased Loaf pans. Cover and let rise for another hr. till they are tall and beautiful.
Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. Makes 2 loaves.

"Step 2 On Your Journey To Becoming The Woman Of Proverbs 31" (Her Attitude Towards Her Husband)

Proverbs 31:12 

" She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life"

That verse is pretty simple to understand. But, there is a lot of wealth to that simple little verse. 

It seems pretty easy to "Do him good and not evil". I mean, I am not physically abusive. 

But, if you stop and think about it, that verse goes so much deeper than just being abusive. 

I am going to point out a few things that I have learned in my relationship with my husband. 

(1) Choose your words wisely. 

When we first got married I got angry very easily and very quickly. And because I had been raised with 7 brothers I was used to saying what I thought and fighting to get my way. 

I learned quickly that a husband/wife relationship will not last when I react that way. And more than that, my husbands feelings were crushed by the things that I said. 

I am not saying that my husband is a whimp by any means. But, men do have feelings and it is important to take that into consideration and your words should be well thought out in advance. Even if it means pausing in the middle of a discussion. 

Ephesians 4:29

" Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers"

(2) Be "available)

I know this is a touchy subject in today's day and age. But, I am going to talk about it for a few minutes none the less. 

It is easy for us as women to get busy, and put the kids needs before our husbands and use the excuse of being tired. Which in most cases is a very legitimate excuse. But, It really isn't biblical to use that excuse at all. 

A husband has needs and this is one of his top needs. But, at the same time it is a time that is needed for both of us to have a few minutes at night to get extremely intimate and bond with one another in a way that only I can provide him and only he can provide me.  The bible says that we should be available unless we have discussed it before hand and choose to "fast" from sex as a couple. But,that is the only valid excuse that I have found in the bible as to why to withhold sex. 

Yes, I may be tired, I may be stressed, the kids may be extremely grouchy, and I may have a million things on my mind. But, don't let anything that you are going thru get between the physical relationship that you must have with your husband. 

1 Corinthians 7:3&5

" Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband."

vs 5 " Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves  to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."

(3)Your Husband Comes Before Your Children. 

Yes, I know. How dare I say that anyone come before my kids. I must be neglecting them if I put anyone before them. 

That is not the case. God gave a specific line of authority and that includes to the wife also.

#1 God

#2 Husband

#3 Children

All in that order. That means that the time I spend with God should be most important in any of my relationships. And then the time I spend with my husband should come second.  If my husband needs something or asks me to do something. Than I should listen to his wishes before I listen to mine or the kids.  This step shouldn't be that big of a deal because as a couple your desires and goals for your family should line up together and you should be working as a team to meet those goals. 

(4) DO NOT BAD MOUTH HIM TO OTHERS

Once again, this is something I was really awful at when we first got married. I would run to my parents or even social media to let the whole world know that my husband and I had a disagreement and what a "jerk" he was. When, In fact I was as much to blame as he was. But, pride wouldn't let me admit that. 

After doing this for probably a year or so, our communication dwindled by a lot. He no longer felt comfortable with discussing his feelings with me. He didn't feel comfortable telling me what an awful day he had at work or anything any more. Why? Because I was betraying his trust by running my mouth to everyone that I knew. 

It is easy to tell somebody what it going on because in today's society everybody is only a text message away or a social media post away. 

I didn't want to admit that our relationship issues were my fault and slowly it got even worse. Eventually we sat down and discussed how we both could make our relationship work. 

It was to the point where I was ready to throw in the towel. And I think he was too. But, after discussing things we both had a much clearer outlook on what needed to be done. 

I agree to stop "airing our dirty laundry" on facebook and to others, and he agreed to open up more. 

We have now been married a little more that 4 years and we are still going strong. You won't find me bad mouthing my husband on facebook or to any of my "friends and family" either. 

(Going for counsel to a pastor is a different story)

(5) Treat him like a king. 

After all, he is the king of the palace in which you live.  Show him how much you love him and respect him. Show him how thankful you are for everything that he does for your family. Show him that you look up to him. Even if it means humbling yourself.  It may seem disgusting to take his shoes off when he gets home and rub his feet after a long day. It may be tiring to wait for him to come to bed with you but he deserves it. Show him how much he means to you. 

Ideas to work with. 

#1- Meet him at the door with a kiss and "how was your day" when he gets off work. 

#2- Take off his shoes and give him a foot rub. 

#3- Have dinner prepared when he gets home or shortly after. 

#4- Have the house picked up before he gets home. Don't leave toys every where or trash in the floor. 

#5- Allow him to unwind before you start telling him about everything that happened and how bad the kids were today. 

#6- Pray about your disagreements instead of running to facebook or a friend. 

#7- Have sex at least twice a week. 

#8- Smile and pay attention when he speaks. Look up from whatever you are doing and give him your time. 

#9- Do not bombard him with a "todo" list. 

#10-Do not compare him to other men. INCLUDING YOUR FATHER. 

Awesome Perspective

"Step 1 On Your Journey To Becoming The Woman Of Proverbs 31" (Rise Early)

I think everyone of us look at Proverbs 31 and wish we could be just like that women.  But, It looks so hard and clearly it isn't meant for today's wives and moms. Right? 

On the contrary. Although we may be in a different era. We can still be that Virtuous women today.  It may not look the same as what a virtuous woman would have looked like in the early 1800s but you can still be a virtuous woman. 

I want to do a step by step guide of what a "virtuous" woman looks like to me. 

Today I want to focus on "rising up early. 

Proverbs 31:15

"She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens."

The Bible has a lot to say about rising early. And it is interesting to me that the virtuous woman also rises early. 

What did she do when she woke up early? 

She prepared food for her household. She fed her servants. She had breakfast made and probably had bread set to rise and dinner already being butchered and prepared for dinner that night. 

But, most importantly I am sure she sought God out before she did even that. And that is the most important thing that any woman could ever do, 

You set the mood for the household. You alone get to choose how your family is going to wake up. 

Are they going to wake up grouchy and begging for breakfast and wondering where mama is, As you rush around to throw clothing on that looks at least half way decent? Or, Are they going to wake up and see mama with her bible in hand begging God to protect her little family with breakfast all ready or at least in the making? 

That choice is completely up to you. 

I know I have a hard time waking up in the mornings. And that is still something that I am working on. but, the bible is certainly clear on the fact that us women should be waking up before everyone else in the house. And for that matter it would be good practice for everyone to get up early and spend time with God. 

Over and over again we read about men and women in the bible that got up early to pray and spend some time with God. 

Morning is really the only time that is not chaotic. You get a fresh start and feel great (after a cup of coffee) and there are not many distractions yet. 

So here are my suggestions to you. 

(1)  Wake up at least 15 minutes before the kids usually wake up (as a start. As you get used to it you can wake up earlier and spend more time) 

(2) Get in your bible and start pouring over it in prayer. Really spend some time in it. 

(3) DO NOT CHECK YOUR PHONE!!!! All too often the phone gets in the way. You check it and think it will only take a quick moment. ANd then time gets away from you.  So, keep it put away and focus on spending time with God. 

(4) Start getting breakfast around for your husband or children. Your husband will love the fact that you cared enough to get up before him to start breakfast. And your children with be a lot calmer knowing that you are already awake and ready to go with breakfast going already.  Do you remember when your mom would have breakfast going and waking up to the smell of either Pancakes or oatmeal? There was nothing like the excitement of waking up and wondering what was awaiting us in the kitchen.  Go ahead. It will create memories that will last a life time. 

So that is all I am going to say for now. I dare you to try all of these or even just 1 at a time. You will not be sorry that you did. 

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, And there prayed"

Mark 1:35

POTTY TRAINING

Little Man is so, so excited that he gets to go potty on his big potty. He is 2 years old and very ready to be potty trained. So, here we go trying it.
I always wondered if the "  3 day potty training method" worked. So, that is what we are trying.

Little man is wearing nothing from the waist down. and he has no choice but to go on the potty or on himself. And he doesn't like being wet. So I am pretty sure this method will work for him.

It has been 1 hour and he has not had an accident yet. That is progress in and of itself.

I will keep everybody posted as to how well this works for us.

Send good vibes our way.
less_10310078.bchttp://www.babycenter.com/0_potty-training-in-three-days-or-less_10310078.bc

2 Ingredient Bath Paint.

1. Grab a cupcake pan
2. Fill each circle with shaving cream
3. Put a few drops of food coloring on top of the shaving cream mounds
   1.  I used three different types of food coloring
      1. Regular
      2. Neon
      3. Gel
4. Mix the shaving cream and food coloring together (I used the back of paintbrushes)
5. Let them have fun in the tub! you can actually used paintbrushes to paint the tub, and bubbles.

I have made this same recipe before and the kiddos love it. Its a total blast and super cheap. 

Try it and let us know how you like it. 

10 Ways To Include Your Toddler In (EveryDay Activities)

Sometimes I have a hard time remembering that the kiddos can and should do some of what I do during the day. It is easy to turn tv on and let them sit while I run and do everything for them. But, What is that really teaching them?
They are are not learning to be a hard worker. And they are not getting the bonding time that they could be getting while following me around and helping me out.
I am still learning different ways to include them. But, I wanted to share with you a few ways that I have begin to include them.  And they have a blast helping out too.

(1)  Let them set the table.
Both of my kids love to place the forks and spoons on the table for me while I work on pulling dinner out of the oven or while I serve it up. (Make sure to wash their hands before handling silverware)

(2) Let them put laundry in the washer or dryer.
Both of my kiddos now know how to start the washer and dryer.  Although  I didn't set out on a mission to teach them how to start the machines. I did set out to teach them to place their own laundry in the washer and change it from washer to dryer.  (We have front loaders) But, once they had placed the laundry into the machines they watched me start it. And after only a couple times they were begging to "press the buttons" .

(3) Let them dry the floors.
After I sweep and mop the floors I was getting down on my hands and knees to dry it. Until I realized that it was a perfect opportunity to teach the kiddos how to scrub the floors as well.  Sure enough, Both kids love drying the floor with me.

(4) Let them help you clean the bathrooms.
Granted they don't need to be touching the toilet and scrubbing that just yet, But while I am cleaning the toilet I hand them a rag and they can wipe down the bathtub  or the cupboards. They even like to use the rag to clean their own potty chairs. (Mind you they are not dirty to begin with).

(5) Let them strip the beds down.
While I am stripping my bed down on days that I clean the bedding I always send them to their rooms to take the laundry off of their bed.

(6) Include them in making dinner.
There probably isn't much that they do to make dinner at this age. But my little ones enjoy stirring things, getting me spoons, and other small things.

(7) Take them shopping. (I know what a pain this is but it can be fun sometimes too)
let them put stuff in the cart for you and get things off of the shelves for you as well.
This will take some practice for them. But, it will teach them to listen to what you say. and they have fun counting out the items.

(8) Let them read
Don't just read to them. Although that is definitely important too. But, While you read your book have them sit and read thru their books. Probably picture books at this point work better.  Their attention span is obviously short. So, this won't last long. But, it is a good start to teaching them to love books. Not just being read to them, but also when they read to themselves.

(9) Let them help you sort thru their old clothing.
Its always good to clean out the clothes that don't fit or that they just don't wear anymore. But, its more fun when they help you pick out what ones they don't want.

(10) Make sure they welcome daddy home with as much enthusiasm as you do.
One day my daughter will be a wife. And now is the time to teach her how to welcome home her daddy. She can help take his shoes off, give him a kiss and help prepare him dinner. And the same goes for the little guys. Some day they will be husbands. And their wives may work outside the home. Or maybe she isn't feeling well. He will need to know how to welcome home his future wife and how to treat her when she is worn out as well.



You don't have to start doing ALL of these all at once. But, add one or 2 to your day and see how it goes. It will be fun to add the kiddos into everything. And they will love it.  Not to mention it eliminates a lot of screaming and whining kids while you are trying to get stuff done bc they are helping.
Remember to work along side them. Don't just hand them a chore list and expect them to know what to do.  Lead by example.  And it may create a bigger mess sometimes. But, never discourage their efforts.

5 Musts For Mothers of young children

I focused earlier today on the importance of strengthening your spiritual walk before expecting to become the mama that God would have you to be.  I want to focus a little more this evening on making sure that you are the absolute best that you can be for your children.
I know many of us have been taught that once you become a mom, your life stops and EVERYTHING you do must center around the child. And although that is true to an extent. It is also essential that you take care of yourself mentally and physically to be the best mom that you can.

#1- Spend time with God Alone before the kiddos get up.
For me it is easy to get a little bit lazy and sleep the extra 30 mins and skip my alone time with God. But, on those days I begin to feel very discouraged and disgruntled in spirit. Why? Because I failed to talk to the one place that I can get peace of mind, comfort for my troubles and strength to face the new day. When I try to make it on my own I always fail. And I have found that the old saying of "If mama aint happy, aint nobody happy" Is completely true. When I fail to spend time with God and get my "Joy tank" filled. Than the kiddos are not happy. My husband is more stressed out and the house is just all together very "off".

#2- Take a break.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a 5 minute breather during the day.  If that is what it takes to keep you going throughout the day, then do it.
Kick back and relax, read a book, or hide in a closet and eat a snack where the kids can't see. (We have all been there)

#3- Keep short accounts.
You know those moments when you feel like pulling your hair out? When there is a screaming toddler or a collicky baby or even a mouthy teen. Pray for patience. Tell God what you are feeling and ask for His strength to continue on thru the day with the happy spirit that He wants you to have. You may need to do it a million times a day in order to keep your sanity. But, God wants to hear from you.

#4- Hang with your mama friends. (Like minded of course)
Don't be afraid to have friends. Your life didn't end when you had children. On the contrary. Your life was just beginning.  Granted, you don't have the time or energy that you once did to hang out. But invite a mama friend to go to the park with you and the kiddos,  go shopping together, or just have a cleaning party at the house. (Hey a little help cleaning never hurts. Right? ) You need to have adult interaction. Not just babbling, whining, drooling children. So, Don't push your friends away.

Last but not least
#5- Show your emotions. It is okay to cry. It is okay to feel worthless, It is okay to be depressed.
Everything you are feeling is normal. Don't be afraid to show it. And especially don't be afraid to cry in front of your children. You are human and they need to see that you have feelings too.
But, most of all. Holding it all in can hurt you in the long run.  Cry and cry if you have to.

We all love our children. There was never any question of that. But, we all can agree that they get on our nerves at least 30% of the time (probably a lot higher of a percentage than that tho.lol)
We as a mama need a break every now and then. Take care of yourself!!!!

16 Rules Given By Susannah Wesley

Susannah Wesley was the mother of 19 children, including John and Charles Wesley. Through much adversity, she dedicated her life to instilling a sense of Christian Destiny into each of her children. Her children went on to change the world.

Here are 16 rules she laid down in her home.

1. Eating between meals not allowed.

2. As children they are to be in bed by 8 p.m.

3. They are required to take medicine without complaining.

4. Subdue self- will in a child, and those working together with God to save the child's soul.

5. To teach a child to pray as soon as he can speak.

6. Require all to be still during Family Worship.

7. Give them nothing that they cry for, and only that when asked for politely.

8. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed and repented of.

9. Never allow a sinful act to go unpunished.

10. Never punish a child twice for a single offense.

11. Comment and reward good behavior.

12. Any attempt to please, even if poorly performed, should be commended.

13. Preserve property rights, even in smallest matters.

14. Strictly observe all promises.

15. Require no daughter to work before she can read well.

16. Teach children to fear the rod.

Meatloaf

2 lb of ground meat. ( I use ground turkey, but beef works just as well. )
1 small onion diced.
1/2 green pepper
2 eggs
1 cup of oatmeal (estimated)
1/4 cup of milk
onion powder
garlic powder
pepper

Mix every thing together and add the oatmeal until it is able to be formed into a loaf.
Place in greased bread pans.
(makes 2 loaves)
Preheat oven to 350*
place in preheated oven and bake for 30-45 mins until cooked.
Let cool.
Slice and serve with catsup.

Old Fashioned Biscuit Recipe (No Yeast)

I just made these with dinner tonight.  They are good enough that there are no leftovers.


2 Cups Flour
1 TBS Baking powder
1/2 Cup coconut oil ( Or butter)
3/4 Cup milk.

Cut the coconut oil into the flour and baking powder until its a coarse powder.  Add in your milk and stir with fork until it separates from the bowl. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into circles.
Bake at 425* until lightly browned. 15 mins or so.

Homemade Cough and Mucus Suppressant

This may be disgusting but it actually works. Just ask my husband who tried it. HE HATED IT!!! But, couldn't deny that it definitely worked. 

1/2 cup honey

2TBS Apple Cider Vinegar 

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ginger

1 tsp lemon juice

and a little splash of hot water to help mix it all together.  

Store in fridge and take 1-2 TBS every couple hours. 

TIP: I would not just sip it. Throw it in the back of your throat and you won't even taste it. But, it will get the job done. 

""""""""""""""""""WARNING"""""""""""

DO NOT GIVE TO SMALL CHILDREN!!!!!! CAYENNE PEPPER CAN CUT OFF THEIR BREATHING!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday Encouragement For The Weary Mama

Today is one of those day's.  And as a mama and wife it happens often.  

I start to feel completely useless and unappreciated. I feel like I am not doing my part for the family. I feel like I should be out helping my husband make money so that we are not constantly short on funds. Instead, I am sitting here watching 2 precious toddlers run around and doing the "thankless" job of feeding them, kissing their booboos, changing their diapers and breaking up fights. I mean, I seriously feel like I am just in a never ending book that is the same on every page.  

Now, Don't get me wrong. I love my kiddos and would do anything for the both of them. But, it's just a feeling of not doing enough. And God knew that I needed encouragement today. 

I came across a verse that of course I know. But, it has all the more meaning when you actually need it instead of just reading over it. And I want to share it with all of you. 

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Convicting verse. Got me to thinking about how much I whine and complain in my spirit and yet never think to just lay it all at the feet of Jesus. All I have to do is lay it there and leave it with Him. He alone can give me a peace of mind that passes all understanding. I can't get that from going out into the world and getting a job. I can't find that in shopping away my troubles and I certainly won't be able to find it by hanging out with friends.  

I can't be the mama that God would have me to be if I am not wholly leaning and relying on Him to lead me in everything every moment of every day. 

Until, I have my spiritual life right and learn to rely on God at all times, I won't be satisfied anywhere I go and no matter what I do I will always feel worthless. Because without God, I am nothing. 

So, I can and will be satisfied with being a mama and staying home every moment with my kiddos.  I mean, Why would I want to put them in a daycare all so I can try to find what I want.  And miss out on all of their smiles, their little giggles, craziness and so much more.  

Even when the going gets tough, God is there and is just waiting to hear from you. So, Share your heart with the Savior. 

EWE

Have you ever had one of those day's where you just can't get on top of the pile of things that need done? Well, lets just say parenting 2 toddlers at the same time is always a challenge. But, when they get sick, Its 100% harder. 

Leah (my 3 year old) decided to catch a one day bug. Complete with fever, chills, the craps, puking and of course you cannot forget the all day screaming.  

I laid her down for a nap and thinking I could get a nice nap in myself went and laid down.  After only a 1/2 hour or so I heard coughing. Problem was??? This didn't sound like normal coughing. I ran in to check on her and find her throwing up everywhere.  

I mean come on, puking toddler is every moms worst nightmare. Right? Yeah, So I thought. However, I was quickly proven wrong. 

I put her in the bath and got her all cleaned up and let her sit in the bath to let the fever go down. 

God, decided to teach me a lesson about leaving a toddler in the bathtub when she is sick.  She took a massive dump right in the bath water.  And it happened so fast that there was absolutely no way I could have gotten her to the toilet in time. 

So, not only did I have to dig the 3 year old out of crap filled bath water, I also had to stick my hand in the water to drain it. GAG!!!!!  I totally could NOT stick my hand in the water, The amount of germs going thru my head was just way too much. So, what did I do? I of course grabbed a tall glass candle jar that was sitting on the counter and used that to drain the water. And threw that away. 

Yes, My lesson has been learned. Never leave a sick child in the bath water when they have an upset tummy as well.  

Do yourself a favor. Learn from my lesson. 

However if you have already learned that lesson the hard way, Please share your story below. We would love to hear it. 

"Don't Underestimate Yourself"

You are important. All the cleaning, dishes, dirty diapers and urine filled toilets that you are constantly clean up. Those chores may go unnoticed to man, But, God see's every little act that you perform. And every one of those dirty, stinky things you do matters to Christ.

CAN YOU RELATE?

"TEACHING OUR CHILDREN TO LAMENT" (MUST READ)

"Teaching Our Children To Lament"
Written by Megan Hill 2014

When does a child change from crying baby to cry-baby?

Sometime after the single candle is blown out on that first cake, after walking has been mastered and talking has begun, many parents start thinking of their child differently. I know I did. Over the space of months, as our helpless infant reveals personality and preferences, we start to see those tears differently. No longer a sweet milky bundle to be rocked and soothed, our child became an opinionated sinner whose cry of complaint provokes more parental shushing than sympathizing.

“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child” (Prov. 22:15). Grumbling and crocodile tears are as common at my house as I suspect they are at yours. But my children cry lots of real tears, too, and I have not always been good at weeping with those little ones who weep.

Weeping with Our Little Ones

We parents rightly want our children to depend on God’s sovereign care, and we want them to avoid the sin of wilderness murmuring. But, too often, by reason of our own human frailty and indwelling sin, we fall into the pattern of Job’s counselors and reduce our response to our children’s sorrow to “God made that bed, now lie in it.”

What if we came alongside our children, no longer as military drill sergeants with a program of enforced stoicism, but as fellow sufferers under the curse? What if we accepted that life in a fallen world is hard—for adults and toddlers and teens—and gave our children holy tools to express their grief? What if we taught our children to lament?

This is something I have tried and failed and tried again over the years. And it’s something that the recent controversy over Calvinist lament has prodded me to take up again.

Why do we so often fail? At times, I think, we parents reluctantly believe that our children are actually afflicted. Perhaps their childhood challenges—a small scratch, a broken toy, a playground tiff—seem so insignificant to us that we don’t adequately appreciate our children’s real grief.

Sometimes, too, admitting our child’s genuine suffering means acknowledging we caused it. Though we carefully seek fairness and empathy as we make rules, discipline, and mediate sibling conflicts, we occasionally make the wrong judgment, and our child suffers. It takes humility to realize that our parental sins may be a legitimate reason for complaint.

We also may want to believe that we can provide so well for our children that they would never grieve. But “we know that the whole creation has been groaning together . . . and not only the creation, but we ourselves” (Rom. 8:22-23). As much as we would like think that our kisses and healthy meals and watchful shepherding would alleviate the effects of the curse, it cannot be done. A puppy gets hit by a car, a neighborhood friend starts a rumor, and the words of Scripture are sometimes hard for young minds to understand. Children, even well-loved children in godly homes, will groan.

Our children are prone to whining, of course. Stubborn insistence on a second ice cream cone is no true lament. But sorrow over the one his brother knocked to the floor may be.

Where Can We Go for Help?

In teaching our children godly lament, we need help. The children of Jesus’ day knew a dirge to sing (Matt. 11:16-17), but I doubt if many modern children have a vocabulary for complaint, a righteous framework for expressing their sorrow over circumstances from death to injury to injustice.

We train them to confess their sins when the horror of Calvary is still hazy in their young minds. Why should lament be different? By leading our children to cry out to God in distress, we give them structures that they will fill with a lifetime of maturing emotions. And there is perhaps no better place to turn than the book of Psalms, what John Calvin called “an anatomy of all the parts of the soul,” in which “there is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror.”

Where churches no longer sign psalms as they did in Calvin’s Geneva, or where this inspired poetry has been reduced to cherry-picking the more cheerful verses to pair with upbeat music, it is unlikely that our covenant children will regularly take on their lips the words of the psalmist: “How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” (Psalm 13:2a) But they should.

Mark Futato calls the laments “psalms of disorientation.” In his book Joy Comes in the Morning, he writes:

Our lives are not always well oriented. . . . The laments or songs of disorientation were written for times such as these. These are times when you may feel tremendously perplexed or utterly forsaken or paralyzed by fear or overwhelmed with anger or lost in despair. . . . The psalms of disorientation give us permission to—and show us how to—let the tears and feelings flow.

As I read those words, I was reminded of how well they describe the condition of children in distress: perplexed, paralyzed, overwhelmed, and lost. And what does a child do when the baseball game is rained out, the stomach bug descends, and the promised birthday party invitation never arrives?

Thus, we sing the psalms in our family worship. Not just the happy parts but the groans, too. And we resolve to memorize with our children—along the usual verses about God’s character and our Christian duty—the divinely inspired words of lament.

My hope is that by teaching my children a structure for their lament, the Spirit will ultimately use it for their salvation. I pray that giving them holy words of sorrow will bear fruit—not just to express frustration over bad circumstances, but to mourn their own sin.

My heart’s desire is that my children and I would be marked by “godly grief [which] produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret” (2 Cor. 7:10).

Megan Hill is a pastor's wife and writer living in Massachusetts. She is the author of Praying Together, which will be released by Crossway in April 2016.