Works For Me

What works for my life as a stay at home mom is feeling slightly important with a Christian Moms Planner. It is the only Planner I have found for Moms who stay at home. On the Left side is a tear off Grocery list along with a To Do list and prayer list. The right side has the days of the week with plenty of space to write in things you do that day along with a tear off Menu plan for the week. So I menu plan on my planner and then grocery shop(when I have it all together which isn't often.) Also there is a full month calender each month. This planner is only about $10.00 at Wal-mart and well worth it. Of course it also has a place for addresses, phone numbers, etc. This helps me feel like a better manager of my time and home! I also reused my Mary Kay planner holder from when I sold Mary Kay. It fits perfectly and allows plenty of room for all that extra stuff that accumulates. This planner can be found at http://www.thefamilyorganizer.com I hope this will work for you. Visit this site for more ideas! http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/

Amy

Organizing my life. Or at least attempting to!

This is for all the people like me who hate to throw away things or even get rid of something useful. I was wondering what I could do with our school craft supplies and an idea hit me. Use an old Diaper bag. It's compartments are perfect to hold our glue, markers, scissors etc. I have one that is similar to a laptop bag and I put our folders in the center that hold our work along with the box of crayons. The glue, scissors and markers are on the side. Perfect! Now when I have "school" with the boys I grab my diaper bag and the accordion file that holds our construction paper, stickers, etc. and bring it to the table! This works great for me. I think the most exciting part was that I used something that I thought was unusable unless we have another baby and I never liked this diaper bag because it's too big and bulky. I am always in search of ways to simplify and organize our home and life to make things go easier. This does not come naturally but I love the result. Don't forget to check out my family friendly blogroll. Their are alot of great blog reads. The Org. junkie is very inspiring. I actually used her idea of using baskets in my junk drawer in the kitchen. Now the drawer opens up nicely and I can find everything.

Here's to your organization efforts!

Amy

Catching Up!

Hey Everyone! I know it's been over a week since I posted. I guess you can count the two posts in one day last week to make up for it. We have just been busy around here. This picture is from last Friday when I took the boys to the firestation to see their Uncle Allen at work. My oldest son is really into Firemen right now after watching videos on what they do. He knows way more about firefighting than I do! Taylor is looking up in the sky for Superman. I asked him "Did you see Superman?" His reply, "Uh huh!" Thanks Allen for letting us come visit.

Amy

Comments Welcome!!!!

I just love this picture and had to post it. I do enjoy reading comments. I understand being a lurker because I haved lurked on many websites. I am changing over to Haloscan for comments so it should making commenting alot easier!

Amy

Happy Birthday to Allen!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to You!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Allen! This is the cake I made for my brother Allen's Birthday! (It is a chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream icing with chocolate marshmellow fondant on top. It did not turn out as nice as I had hoped but here it is.) Allen turns 28 today! He is a Firefighter/Paramedic. My boys love their Uncle Allen and can't wait to go see him at work. They have watched alot of fireman shows that tell all about firefighters. After I reassured them that they really do not have dogs at the firestation then they are ready to see it all. I hope you have a wonderful birthday Allen! You have been a great brother to me.

Amy

How many Talents do you have?????

This morning while studying my Bible something stuck out at me and actually stopped me in my reading and I had to just think for a while and then I grabbed a pen and my very, very under-used journal and started writing. So, if it was significant enough that I used a paper and stopped reading then of course its blog-worthy. I was reading in Matthew 25:14-30. I will provide the text so that you don't have to find your Bible and look it up but I hope you ponder it like I did.
The text is from Bible Gateway.com in the NKJV:
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

For clarification purposes, this passage is not exactly to us if you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. This passage is to answer the question "What will be the sign of thy coming?" in the previous passage. This relates to the people that will be in the world when Christ returns to establish his Kingdom. But it we can still learn something from this.

Now, what jumped out at me is that I know talents are money here, but what has God given you? What is your ministry? It may be a one-talent ministry or a ten talent ministry. What are you doing with it? Are you burying it or multiplying it by working hard in it? This is where my thought went. I consider my children and husband my main ministry. (I should tell my husband this and start the preaching, Just kidding, of course, because he would then get strong tape and tape my mouth shut!) But, am I working at it like a ministry or just passing through it and making it day by day? Or even wishing I had someone elses ministry all together. Since my I consider my children and my husband my ministry then I need to work like it's a ministry intentionally and pray about the smallest things. What else do I have as actual talents and am I using them for God? I consider talents something that of course you are talented in but also enjoy doing. I am hesitant to share because I don't want to boast. I am definately not the best in these areas but I think that I am talented enough to use them. First off I have recently been blessed with a talent in decorating cakes. So, do I use this for God? I also am talented in playing piano. Do I use this for God? (Actually I don't use it at all because I hardly ever play!) At one time I used this to serve but not at this time. The only other area I am talented in is working with kids/teaching. I really enjoy this although it's different having your own kids because of the fact it's 24/7. I do believe I am using this and in the future I know I will do even more.

Anyways that's my thoughts on this and I hope that you got something from it. I know its something that you've probably heard many times but it really stopped me in my tracks this morning. Just think about your talents and what your ministry is. No matter how small it is what God has given you so work in it. Then think about your talents and how you can use them for God.

Amy

Just enjoying everyday life!

I know it's been a while since I posted but it's just been normal around here. Not a whole lot going on. The kids are getting back to normal after the Christmas new toy shock!!!! I guess that's the best way to describe kids who get lots of new toys but after two days follow you around waiting for entertainment because they don't want to play with their toys. Enjoy your new year!

Amy