I found the idea for these adorable Salt Dough Ornaments on Pinterest!
If you have never made Salt Dough Ornaments before, they are SO easy & fun to make! Plus, you get an adorable keepsake from your children or grandchildren!
First, we made our salt dough.
Salt Dough Recipe
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Table Salt
1 Cup Warm Water
Mix together until a dough forms, adding more flour if needed. SO simple!
Once your dough forms, roll out onto floured parchment paper. Get your hand nice & floured to prevent sticking and press down gently, but firmly for a handprint. Cut excess dough away from your handprint & use a chopstick to create a small hole at the top for your ribbon.
Once everyone’s handprints are pressed, bake for 2-3 hours in the oven at 225°F. Once completely hardened, remove from oven and let cool.
Once completely cool, you can begin painting! We went with the Santa theme we found, but you can use your creativity to come up with other Christmas ideas or check Pinterest for more inspiration (there are so many ideas there!). We even made a paw print keepsake for each of our pups!
Once you finish painting and your ornament has dried, it’s time to put a layer of Mod Podge (or other clear sealant) to preserve your ornament! Once the sealant is dry, superglue your pom-pom to Santa’s hat & add your Christmas ribbon to hang!
I think that they turned out SO cute & we had a lot of fun making them! We did decide to hang them from their stockings rather than on the tree because of their weight. I think it looks adorable there though!
This is a super simple craft that keeps kids occupied for hours! Even after we finished pressing our handprints, the kids continued to sensory play with leftover dough for a long time while the Ornaments baked in the oven. I definitely recommend adding to your holiday traditions!
Welcome back to another week of the Mom Set Free Bible Study! I’m late to share again, but This week I’m working through Week 1, Day 2. Things are getting a lot more vulnerable!
This is one of my favorite quotes: “I will not treat my blessings as burdens ♡.” I feel like it is such a huge reminder to us all and something that I absolutely need to repeat daily to myself.
• Share your most recent experience here.
For some back story for those who don’t physically have the study book in front of them: the author, Jeannie Cunnion, is explaining she had a rough night with a teething baby, woke up too late with not enough sleep and older children to get ready for school, no quick food to give for breakfast and a new puppy that needed walked. She asked if I have ever had a morning like that.
Since we began homeschooling, our mornings are no longer as hectic as that which is one of my huge homeschool “whys.” I honestly don’t want to ever go back to living those kinds of mornings on a regular basis. Having the freedom to not live by society’s schedule gave me back the freedom in motherhood. It allows my children to sleep in and listen to their bodies cues. It allows me to make sure they have a hot meal for breakfast every morning. It gives me time to attend to my youngest’s needs, who still wakes up very much needing some snuggle time with mama.
However, on Sunday mornings that we have Ukrainian School, we are often reminded of this early morning rushing. Putting lunches together that I forgot about, not having ingredients needed. Not having time for breakfast beforehand. Making sure no one forgets their books or folders. Getting together and getting there. My husband not wanting to wake up, so now I have to get Moses ready & bring him last minute without his snuggle time. I can’t concentrate on school with him there. Not having enough gas to get there, but not having enough time to stop for gas. Working the entire day & night before made it impossible to prepare at all and I was so exhausted I fell immediately asleep once I got home & waking up to wrangle everyone before they – or I – am fully rested was too much for me. I had to cut a couple hours off my shiftso that I can better manage.
Jeanne’s friend, Heather, confessed her parenting burden that she was carrying: “her soul has carried around the 500-pound lie that it’s all up to her to control the outcomes.” She then openly asked others to join in the discussion and share the lies that were creeping into their minds so that she could encourage them through God’s truth & to pray for them.
• How did it feel reading those responses?
The responses in the book were: “Any other mom could do it better.” “I’m not good enough.” And, “I can’t do this mothering thing one more day.”
I can definitely relate to Heather that it’s up to me to control every outcome & fix every problem. I can relate to the general phrase that I’m not good enough, not specific to motherhood. I tell myself that I’m not doing enough. I tell myself I’m failing.
The other two statements I cannot relate to at all. Sure, there are moms who can do some things better than I can (especially getting places on time), but when it comes to parenting, there is not a single mom on this Earth who can do a better job than me at being my kids’ mom. They were meant for me, and I for them. I truly feel that in the last few years I have really found myself as a mother. I know that this is my calling. When we first began homeschooling, my biggest pet peeve quickly became hearing other mothers say things like “I would/could never be around my kids that much,” when I mentioned homeschooling. Or when mothers would complain about “the weekend not being long enough away from” their kids. There is absolutely nothing my kids could do to make me *want* to send them away for their entire day, every day or every weekend or possible opportunity just to not be around them. I want the opposite. I want them to be with me as long as they possibly will. I want to give them a reason to want to stay at home and not rush out as soon as they turn 18. Motherhood is the single greatest gift that I have been blessed with in this life and to hear other moms talk so negatively about it is really disheartening to me.Those are not the kind of thoughts I want influencing my mind.
• How would you answer Heather’s question: “What lies are creeping into your mind as you parent?”
– I’m not worthy/enough to be Kaden’s mom. – I’m ruining my kids. – I’m lying about how many kids I have (6 feels like a lie, but so does 5.) – I’m doing such a bad job. – I am failing. – Everything is my fault. – I don’t belong with these other moms.
• From where do you think those lies stem? Are they self-imposed? From society? From specific people in your life?
I’d say a little of everywhere. Not a single day of my life that I can remember have I ever felt like I was enough. I carry a lot of trauma from my emotional needs not being met in childhood and many adults drilling in my head how bad of a child I was. I carry a lot of trauma with me because of Kaden not being with me. I struggle a lot internally about why I am good enough to be a mom to the rest of my kids, but not Kaden. I carry a lot of trauma from my addictions. I spent so long trying to “prove” myself when I got sober that I never learned how to live as an adult without proving myself. I dealt with a false child services report with my second child (which was very quickly closed) by someone who intended to hurt me & my family and that also traumatized me very much. That same person threatened to kidnap my child which had me on edge at all times, living in fear. I feel like so much of my early parenting revolved around real fear & uncertainty (not just thoughts of it) that it implanted itself in my brain very deep and is always there.
• We are urged to do what? (Romans 12:2)
Fix my attention on God
• And what is the benefit of that?
I will be transformed from the inside out
• Let’s personalize this for our parenting. What are your thoughts and emotions as you ponder this verse?
I can stop striving to be enough because I already am enough to God. I do not need to push myself past my limits just to be enough. I am not God and I need to stop trying to control every outcome and let His plan unfold. I need to stop believing that if only I do more I will be enough. I need rest.
• Who God is, which is:sovereign , and what God gives us, which is:grace, is enough.
• What does Jesus invite us to do?
Come to himand put down the burden of trying to live up to impossible standards and take on the lighter yoke of Grace
What does Jesus tell us about His heart in these verses?
He is gentle & humble
What does He tell us He will give us?
Restin our soul.Grace. Freedom.
• Read Matthew 11:28-30 again, but this time please insert your name at the beginning.
Madison, are you tired?Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of Grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
• Read Matthew 11:28-30 one more time and note the ways Jesus says we will learn to live freely & lightly
1 – Walk with Him
2 – Work with Him
3 – Learn from Him
*** We learn to live freely and lightly by abiding in Him, not by trying to be Him ♡
Close with Prayer.
Thanks for being here with me on my motherhood journey as I work through this Mom Set Free Bible Study. I appreciate your support more than you know. I hope that you find the inspiration to also set yourself free & take control back of your motherhood with me.
Happy Day After Thanksgiving 🦃! It’s one of our very favorite family days of the year!
The kids had a great time making Pilgrim cookies from these vintage cookie cutters yesterday! It was our first ever Thanksgiving celebrating with only our immediate family and I have to say it felt pretty liberating to be able to cook as I please without the stress of having to be ready at a certain time that is way too early for me, or worrying about the kids keeping the house spotless. I didn’t have to stress about planning & perfecting. It was very relaxed. I did miss gathering together with family & friends to give thanks though. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving too.
We were SO excited to get our Christmas tree this morning at Berningers Christmas Tree Farm! It has definitely become our very, very Favorite Christmas Family Tradition!
It’s an experience like no other watching the kids run through the rows of Christmas Trees eagerly searching for the BEST one we can find. Last year we picked a big beautiful bushy one:
This year we went with a really tall, but more slender one! It barely fit in our living room – we had to cut the very top branches off. A star won’t fit this year, but we really prefer how high off of the ground it is. I really appreciate how high I can get the Ornaments I don’t want being touched while letting the kids place the rest at their height. I love the one we got so much!! 🎄
It was SO cold this year compared to last! We even got some beautiful snow Flakes coming down as we were there which made the experience that much better ❄️ but the kids were definitely grateful for some free hot cocoa & popcorn in the warm office before we headed home.
Each family also gets a free handmade ornament that the Berningers make each year to give out with the year engraved on the back. There is a little Wall of Ornaments Past that show the different ones they have made over the years. I wish I would have gotten a picture of it. This years was really cute.
My mom gave us chocolates from our favorite local chocolate shop that we happily snacked on while we decorated the tree & watched a couple of our favorite Christmas movies. I love the way the house smells like fresh pine & Thanksgiving Leftovers.
I took down the leaf 🍂 garland and used a fallen pine branch with a piece of our tree in the middle to create a garland to add to my kitchen sink window to give it a cozy winter feel. I added the pinecone in early Autumn to last until Spring. In the space above the pinecone I’ll be adding dried orange slices once we make those. I’ll be adding the remaining slices to our Christmas tree.
All Cut-Your-Own-Trees at Berningers Christmas Tree Farm are $52 no matter what size. Pre-cut Trees are priced accordingly. They shake & wrap all trees, and can drill the bottom upon request. Twine is provided for free & help is available loading onto vehicle. Tarps (and a very select few wagons) are available to pull tree from Farm back to office. A few hand saws are available to use, but it is strongly encouraged that your bring your own. No chain saws are permitted. Leashed dogs are welcome. They are open again tomorrow (November 30) & Sunday (December 1) and next weekend (December 7 & 8) from 9 am – 4 pm weather permitted.
This is definitely a Christmas tradition that our family is going to look forward to for the rest of our lives. 🎄
I am currently working through the Mom Set Free Bible Study. Today I am focusing on the study for Week One, Day One. As I work through it, I am recording my answers below. Writing is therapy for me, and I really enjoy looking back on progress I’ve made over the years to see who I was during each seasons of my life. This is the current season I’m in.
My goal is to share each Sunday, but this week I was really busy so I’m running a day behind.
Rank where you fall on a scale of 1 – 5, with 1 being “no pressure” and 5 being “immense pressure”
The pressure to orchestrate a picture-perfect future for your children: 5
The pressure to be a perfect example for your children to follow: 5
The pressure to create a saving and vibrant faith in your children’s lives: 5
The pressure to produce Christlike character in your children’s lives: 5
The pressure to shield your children from ungodly influence of culture: 5
The pressure to protect your children from hardship and/or suffering: 2. (Life is going to have a ton of hardship, it’s inevitable & I cannot prevent it, but my job is to teach them how to handle hardship while never losing their spirit. How to get back up fiercefully, yet gracefully. How to thrive in survival. How to be a warriors, not victims. How to have a firm footing in Christ. How to look to our ancestors who faced much, much hardshipfor guidance & strength. How to build a support system here on Earth who they can turn to in times of trouble & assurance that while they will definitely go through hardships in life, they never have to go through it alone.)
The pressure to ensure your children fulfill their potential and purpose: 5
The pressure to prove you have it all together in front of other moms: 5!!!
The pressure to earn God’s pleasure in the way you parent your children: 5
Are there any other pressures you experience that aren’t listed above? Describe them: – The pressure to get everything done in one day. This last year & a half I’ve been experiencing the pressure of paying all of our bills and basic needs on almost nothing – that pressure alone has been huge.Keeping the kids on task with schoolwork.
Pause to read 2 Corinthians.
• Have you ever felt the pressure you are under in your mothering is far beyond your ability to endure?
Yes, but I also know that God won’t give us more than we can handle.
• What does relying on God look like for you in your parenting?
If I’m being honest, it’s usually at the end of trying to do it all myself, when I have exhausted all other options and I don’t know what else to do. I’d like to begin turning to God first, not last.
• What causes you to rely on yourself rather than on God? What is typically the result of that?
Feeling like it’s up to me & only me to do everything in my Earthly body. I end up upset & easily annoyed with everyone around me. I end up in a big pile of mess that needs help being cleaned up. I end up becoming constantly overwhelmed & stressed out beyond what I can handle, then turn into the angry & nagging mom & wife I absolutely do not want to be.
• What are some things you place your hope in every day?
Myself, my husband, my kids, time, food assistance, the universe, having enough time, figuring it out.
• What has been the result?
Chaos, unhappiness, resentment, stress, never being able to catch up or keep up, feeling like I’m living on a loop.
• Where does Scripture tell us our hope should come from?
God
• Read 1 Thessalonians 5:24. Who is doing the action in these verses?
God
• What is the promise?
He who called me to motherhood will see me through motherhood.
Thanks for walking this journey with me. I appreciate your support. I hope that you are inspired to join me in answering the study questions in your own life! It’s never too late to find your freedom in Motherhood. ❤️
This Fall I’ve been working on going through each room of our home, decluttering as much as possible & re-arranging furniture to better fit our space. Earlier this week I focused on a major Hotspot: my desk. I realized that the last time I gave it a declutter this good was when we first began officially homeschooling 3 years ago.
While decluttering I found the step by step instructions from a previous Grace Girls lesson that same year on How to Make Corn Husk Dolls & wanted to store those directions here so they don’t get lost again.
These are not my directions & unfortunately, I do not know who to credit, although I do believe that the moms who taught the class, Mrs. Mary & Mrs. Bekah, probably put it together themselves though!
Corn Husk Dolls
“Simple Corn Husk Dolls have timeless appeal and are just the thing to keep little hands busy at a family gathering taking place during the Fall.”
Materials Needed:
Square-Cut Dried Corn Husks (a Mexican grocery store is the best place to purchase these)
Wool Felt, or Fabric Scraps, in assorted colors
Yarn or Raffia
Paper Towels
Buttons
Scissors
Hot Glue
STEP 1: Start by soaking the husks in water for 10 minutes, then blot excess water with paper towels.
STEP 2: Layer 4 or 6 husks (always has to be an even number) in a stack.
STEP 3: Using thin twine, tie husks together about 1 inch from the top.
STEP 4: Separate husks into equal portions (2 & 2 or 3 & 3) and fold husks down covering the twine. See photo.
STEP 5: Using thin twine, tie husks about 1 inch down to create the head.
STEP 6: Roll a single Husk and tie at the ends to make arms.
STEP 7: Position arms below the knot at the neck, between an equal portions of husks. See photo.
STEP 8: Tie waste. For a FEMALE doll, trim husks to an even length.
STEP 9: For a male doll, separate legs into equal portions. Tie at knees & at ankles. Trim evenly.
Once you have your doll formed, you can begin making clothes out of felt or fabric.
I’m really glad that I found the directions so that we can make these again! They were SO much fun to make when we did! Plus, it’s been a few years since we made these and I’m sure they would be able to make even better ones now, especially since Ella has picked up the hobby of sewing over the last 3 years!
It’s time for our annual Grace Girls Thanksgiving Feast! This is a feast in our Grace Girls Group that is hosted entirely by the girls themselves using the skills that we have learned over time in our classes.
I am VERY grateful for our Grace Girls Group. My girls & I have learned some amazing lifelong homemaking skills through this group. It has helped us form strong bonds as Mother & Daughters. It has helped us form friendships with other like-minded homeschooled girls & mamas.
The girls each choose a dish they’d like to bring to our potluck feast. The girls are then responsible for:
Making a shopping list of ingredients needed, AFTER checking the Pantry to see if we already have the items on hand.
Prepare ingredients – wash, cut, measure, etc.
Cooking, baking, or assembling dish.
Preparing table decor & setting the table
*** We are SO lucky to have this group where our girls (& myself) are learning incredible homemaking skills at such a young age by so many mamas with great wisdom! I know firsthand that not every mama has that opportunity, but still wants to teach basic kitchen skills & don’t know where to start! 🔪 Does the idea of a child holding a knife in the kitchen make you panic? The Kids Cook Real Food method of knife skills will have them cutting like pros in no time! Check out the FREE knife skills class HERE. ***
Ella 🦃 (Age 11)
Ella chose to bring a turkey (plus Gravy &stuffing, of course) for the second year in a row now! Which I, of course, forgot to photograph before we left 🤦🏼♀️. Luckily I got a couple side shots of it on the buffet table before it was cut into. It was a really, really beautiful turkey.
The turkey needed an 20 minutes of cooking time, so we were late (as usual), but I’d rather it be fully cooked & late than show up early with an underdone bird and cause food illness 🤷🏼♀️. The moms were so kind and helpful to wait for me to pull up and unload everything & everyone for me so I could park and hurry in for prayer.
She used a Loaf of Italian bread & a Loaf of Light Rye from the bakery department to make bread crumbs, lots of butter, onions & Celery, turkey broth, & fresh herbs.
I quickly threw together gravy from the Turkey drippings while Niko safely packed the food & children in the car.
PRO TIP: pack everything in a laundry basket or collapsible tote. It makes carrying in food so easy!
Mia 🌽 (Age 9)
Mia chose to bring Corn Pudding – a timeless potluck classic that is one of my personal favorites!
This is a very simple dish that is really easy to keep Pantry staples on hand to be able to whip together for any event quickly.
Other than supervising the putting in & taking out of the oven, it is entirely do-able for children to make by themselves from start to finish. Children being able to cook by themselves gives them such a huge sense of accomplishment.
Sasha 🥗 (Age 6)
Sasha chose a Grape & Walnut Salad with both red & green grapes. We substituted goat cheese with Feta because I already had it on hand.
I wanted to share this recipe from one of our favorite family cookbooks: At The Farmers Market with Kids. It gives very simple recipes that kids are able to follow by themselves (with a little supervision). I love that it is divided by seasons to offer healthy seasonal produce options throughout the year. It’s such a great book for kids just beginning their healthy food journey or even just to come back to seasonally for inspiration or practice!
Thea 🍞 (Age 5)
Thea chose to bring Dinner rolls.
We doubled the recipe since our family devours the 36 rolls in mostly one meal and thought we will definitely need more… but with bread you do not need to double. There was so much food that everyone was too full for much bread.
We made a total of 6 trays, brought 5 because we “tested” one during lunch and I ended up giving away 2 trays to other families to take home. I didn’t like how they turned soggy on the bottom during travel.
When we arrived, we saw these cute signs leading the way to our feast.
The leaders of our group invited “The Elders” to join our feast before their meeting. I commented to my husband that the term “The Elders” sounds very culty. It specifically makes me think of The Village by M. Night Shyamalan 😅. He laughed and said he can definitely see that.
The first table was appetizers, salads, & breads. I loved the bread tray, pumpkin-shaped rolls, & Cardamom bread!
There were post-it notes & Sharpies for us to write down when we brought & who made it.
Next was the Hot Dish table with main items like Turkey, Ham, Soup & Sides.
The Macaroni & Cheese was the first dish gone like always. We’ll have to keep that in mind for next year & sign up for that as one of our dishes so that there is plenty to go around.
There was also a delicious glazed sweet potato Casserole with pecans. I’ve tried a lot of sweet potato dishes in my life, and this was definitely a new favorite! As an adult I’ve grown out of the marshmallow-topped casseroles & learned to truly appreciate the deep, warm, richer fall flavors out there. This was really yummy – I think I’m going to try to replicate it for Thanksgiving this year. I have plenty of sweet potatoes that need used up!
Another girl brought her version of stuffing, which was definitely better than ours, in my opinion. Had I known ahead of time that she was bringing stuffing too, I would have made the Holiday Stuffing with cranberries I’ve been eager to try for variety, but it gives me the excuse to make it for our Family Thanksgiving next week since we already had plenty of original stuffing this week!
Everyone thanked us for bringing the turkey. They said that it was delicious! I’m glad my husband competitively picked the largest bird he could find – it was a good size to feed such a large crowd. I’m excited to make some bone broth this cozy, cold evening to can for the cellar with the leftover carcass.
I loved the pumpkin pie & apple crumble so much. I had to go back for seconds of the apple crumble! Mia liked the fudge a lot.
We had Mulled Apple Cider & Fruit Punch, or water, to drink. Both were so delicious! The Punch was made with fruit & ginger ale. The Mulled Cider was so warm & delicious! It tasted & smelled so much like Fall in a cup, I can only imagine how deliciously fragrant Mrs. Melissa’s home smelled as they were making this for us.
The table settings were really cute. They reminded me of Ukrainian decor with the wheat, sunflowers, & berries. I love everything about Fall. The colors, the sunflowers, the smells, falling leaves, cozy weather. It is such a time to be grateful.
The drive to the church smelled so amazing, the snow was falling, and it felt like we were traveling to a family holiday dinner like I remember doing year after year as a child. It felt like a really magical drive there.
Some of our favorite dishes at the Grace Girls Thanksgiving Feast were: Macaroni & Cheese (Mia & Thea), Seafoam Salad (Ella), Pumpkin-Shaped Rolls (Sasha), Turkey (Moses). Pumpkin Pie (Mom).
Some things we are grateful for are: We have a roof above our heads (Ella), Having a great family (Mia), Having great food (Thea), Having a family (Sasha), HavingMom (Moses), Still having our electricity on (Mom).
The last two years as I have gained a lot of Potluck Experience (both Ukrainian & American), I’ve learned the importance of planning ahead & bringing take-home containers with me to potlucks to bring Leftovers home in! This is such a game changer!!! No one wants to balance a flimsy paper plate full of food in a moving vehicle. I also learned the importance of a cooking schedule!
I’m grateful for this experience & the chance to do a good taste testing of the Thanksgiving menu. We were able to try some new dishes & get a sense of gathering since we have decided not to host or attend Thanksgiving this year to keep things the holiday small & stress-free and focus on what we are grateful for in our hearts.
I’ve been struggling heavy this year. Struggling to keep up. Struggling to cope with grief & choices I made in the past. Struggling to keep the lights on. Struggling with mood swings & resentment. Just… Struggling.
I’ve decided to do some soul cleaning & mind work by going back through the Mom Set Free Bible Study.
I worked through this Bible Study a few years ago in a Mom Group. I felt like I got a lot out of it, but that I was also a completely different person in a different place at that time. I’ve added a few more children since then, learned a few more life lessons, and began finding real confidence in motherhood & homemaking.
I don’t have the time to complete each day’s work on a daily basis in this current season of life we’re in here, so I am aiming to work through one “day” slowly throughout the week until I make it through the entire workbook, sharing on Sundays.
Opening Questions
• If you could go back to the time when you were preparing for your first child, what advice would you give to the younger you?
Make your own decisions – do not let family or doctors make decisions for you. This is your child, not theirs. Worry less about names & shopping for clothes and spend more time researching everything. Research formula. Research vaccines. Research circumcision. Research Johnson & Johnson. Research Gerber. Research c-sections; trust in your own body, not a psychiatrist. You don’t need surgery or the pharmaceuticals being pushed on you. Start eating real food, stay away from processed poison. Learn to cook so you can teach good food habits from the start. Move out on your own.
Looking back, it’s absolutely wild how far I’ve come as a mother from my first pregnancy 15 years ago. I’m a completely different person. I have completely different values. I have a completely different mindset. Back then, I still had such a childish mind. I made mindless decisions that I strongly regret based on what others, or society, told me to do. Today, I would never. I’ve had life changing experiences with each child that has led me down different paths that taught me to leave society & raise my kids my own way. With each child I’ve gained more confidence in my abilities as a mother, and learned that being at home with my children is what I was called to do.
• What are some of the pressures mom face each day?
I cannot speak for other moms, I can only speak for myself. I homeschool during the week. I work my entire Saturday which sets me back days, all for a measley $100 –Our family’s only income for the last year & a half.Keep up with laundry, cleaning, meals, lawn & garden work, grocery shopping, meal planning, daily baking, cooking all meals at home from scratch,I take care of the cats. Getting kids to appointments & activities. Planning birthdays & holidays. Extended breastfeeding & cloth diapering. On Sundays, we have Ukrainian School where I am helping Ms. Tetiana with the preschoolers.
• What weakness has parenting revealed to you as a mom? What is the hardest part of being a mom for you?
I am controlling. I over-react to mess & too much noise. I have a hard time accepting help. I set unrealistically high standards for myself then get angry when I can’t achieve these standards.
I honestly couldn’t tell you what the hardest part is. Every day is different. Some days the hardest part is being ignored. Some days it’s when you realize you can’t remember how long it’s been since your needs have been met, but you have to keep pouring from a bone-dry cup anyway. Some days it’s sick, cranky kids. Some days it’s feeling like a total failure, that you can’t do anything right. Some days it’s everyone around you fighting & having a meltdown while you try to keep your own emotions in check. Some days it is feeling like you have no help or anyone to turn to, or worse, turning to someone you trust and being told, “well, you asked for this.” It depends on the day. It depends how my mental status is – did I get enough sleep? Did I eat?
• What are your biggest worries and concerns when you think you are not enough for your kids or for God?
I know that I am enough for my children. God wouldn’t have trusted me with them if I wasn’t – after all, they are His children first. However, there are human behaviors that I worry about impacting them, like when I yell. I apologize every time, but I still feel terrible. I try to be better than I was the day before, but I am human. While my husband has been out of work, I’ve felt like I am not able to do enough for them whether that be gifts or special outings. I have felt like a failure. I have felt like a disappointment. I especially feel this around birthdays & holidays. I do know, however, that the more that I compare, the more unsettled I feel. I only feel like I’m not doing enough when I compare what else could be done – a direct result of American consumerism. When I begin focusing on what I want (greed) & don’t have (envy), I begin feeling less than. We may not have everything we want, but we have what we need and most of all we have each other & that is enough.
Never in my life has it crossed my mind that I’m not good enough for God. I thought that was the whole concept: I was fearfully & wonderfully made in His image, and so were you. Saying I’m not enough is saying His image is wrong and that I know more than Him.
• Read Isaiah 26:3. What did you learn from this verse?
I had to look up what this was trying to tell me. What I learned is that if I look towards God, I will find the inner peace that I am searching for. I can’t control my way to peace, I must surrender. When it all seems like too much, ask God where to start. He will calm the heart & mind if I just trust in His plan.
• What does it mean to rely on the peace & power of God? How would that reliance change your parenting?
This is one that I feel that I’ve been working on while my husband has been out of work: really putting my faith into God taking care of us. It has been HARD. Most days I feel like the entire world rests on my shoulders and it will literally collapse if I don’t get it all done. I have to keep reminding myself that He doesn’t give us more than we can handle. I have to keep reminding myself that this is all part of His plan. I need to learn to let go of my need to control, and fully allow Him to do His work through me.
Knowing that these are God’s children and he has lent them to me to watch over them in their Earthly journeys is something that changed my parenting drastically. It really puts into perspective how important our jobs as Mothers is. We are trusted to care for them, keep them safe, treat them as good as God would. That’s a huge job! But it’s also SO beautiful that I was chosen for this.
• What do you want to gain most from this Bible Study?
I’m hoping to work through the traumas I have been carrying for so long now and let Jesus carry it for me. I hope to bring more peace into my heart & home. I hope I learn to let go of these grudges I hold & need to control, and learn to trust in God’s plan for me instead. I hope I can begin giving myself more grace. I hope to lean in and form a deeper relationship with God. To do personal reflection on areas that I need to work on in my life. Maybe get to connect with other like-minded mamas.
Our friend, Mrs. Mary, invited us out to her beautiful property in Indiana today to go on a Homeschool Nature Hike. They are also into the Charlotte Mason lifestyle.
Her property is that of my actual dreams. She has a beautiful farmhouse filled with all vintage and handmade items. It is so cozy, especially this time of year with her fire burning in their fireplace in the living room. It has the sweetest laundry/mud room with beautiful natural sunlight and vintage & natural decor that would make doing laundry feel so peaceful and joyous.
Out back is a huge nature trail through the woods, a barn, a pond with a beautifully crafted gazebo, large garden spaces, so much room for kids to run around and play endlessly outside. Best of all, her son’s family lives next door. That’s exactly what we dream of!!!!
Before our hike, she fed us all lunch and shared her personal Nature Journal with us, then gifted us each our own new nature journal to get started with! That was so sweet & thoughtful of her to do for us. We peaked through the book that she uses as inspiration for how to create a Nature Journal.
She has been doing this for many years and has fond memories recorded from trips she’s taken where she was able to experience the wonders that the Creator has freely given us. I love the idea of looking back years from now with special memories brought flooding back by pages recorded in our Nature Journal. She’ll jot down notes or places she made an entry. She adds poems & words of wisdom in her journal. I love that.
Afterwards, we took a lovely hike through the woods, then came back and let the kids play outside for awhile. They have a great fairy garden that the kids loved. I’ll have to put a lot more work into ours. They have such cool Nature in their own backyard! That is exactly what I long for in our forever home. We left in time to miss the dreaded Friday late afternoon traffic, came home and the girls took time working on their first Nature Journal pages.
All of us really enjoyed finding mushrooms. We spotted several different types while we were out on the trail. I love them so much! There were really big ones & really small ones and the ones we see the most often: Turkey Tails. It’s fascinating how many different varieties there are in just her forest alone!
The mushrooms definitely made it into the Nature Journals. Mrs. Mary told me that she keeps another book of Spore Prints that she makes. I’m really excited to check that out next time we are invited. She also has a Nature Wall like us too!
We tasted Rosehip. It’s very sweet! I liked the way they looked. We learned that Rosehip is often used in tea. I had heard of it before, but had no idea what it looked like or what it was a berry.
Rosehip has a lot of medicinal purposes, which is why it is popular in teas. Rosehip can help with joint pain & inflammation, lower blood pressure & cholesterol, and aid in digestion. They help improve eyesight & skin. They are also used to treat bronchitis, coughs, & colds and have a ton of Vitamin A and E so they help strengthen your immune system. They also protect your vascular system. I’m definitely going to have to start incorporating this into our diets more.
Besides tea, they are also used to make jams & jellies, syrup, soup, or a sauce. I’m interested to try those!
There was also so much moss on the trail! I really, really love moss. I loved the way this shaggy type looked growing off of the trees.
Athena also liked the tress with moss & the whispy, twirly branches hanging from some of them.
This cool stuff is called Fan Clubmoss. It was popping up all over the trail! I had never heard of it before, but when I got home I looked it up and found they also have so many medicinal purposes! They treat rashes & wounds, skin infections & chafing, urinary Tract infections, kidney infections, and bladder infections. It can also be used to naturally dye cloths & fabrics. It is so amazing what all Nature is capable of & I absolutely love the way it looks!
Another fascination was the animal skulls along the trail. This was a raccoon. There was a second decomposing raccoon later down the trail that still had some of its furry meat-suit attached (Athena thought it was a monkey) and a teeny tiny bird skull that was so cute!
It will be really neat to watch as their journals become more detailed the more they get into it. I am so excited to begin working in mine. This is something that we will definitely be doing for the rest of our homeschool journey & I’m sure even longer as we will then pass it on to their children when that season of life comes around.
I really love Nature so much & am so happy to be raising children who also love and appreciate Nature as much as I do. Ella really gets so into it each time we go on a Nature Hike. She loves using the PictureThis App to find out the names of different plants she wants to learn more about. I’m happy they would rather be outside exploring Nature & the world around them than choosing to plop down in front of a screen wasting their lives away. There is such a big, beautiful world out there and now we have a new way to document the wonders we come across. So grateful for Mrs. Mary sharing this with us.
It’s been awhile since I last shared one of Ella’s sewing projects! Today is my birthday & Ella sewed me the BEST present ever! I literally could not love it anymore!!
I have been wanting a harvesting apron for the longest time! She sewed me one for collecting eggs for when we get our chickens very soon! I can also use it in the garden to collect fruits & veggies, and it is reversible to double as a kitchen apron too so that I don’t have to switch back and forth!
She picked out all of the fabric herself which I love! It means so much more to me than if someone just went out and bought me an apron. It is made entirely with love and creativity!
I am obsessed with it! We are getting our chicken coop in a couple weeks as an early family Christmas gift! Getting prepared for our new adventure has me SO excited! I cannot wait to fill these adorable little pockets with all the eggs!
She’s planning to make child size ones also for her siblings so they can help collect eggs too. Plus it is just so cute, all the girls immediately begged her to make them one! I love having a girl who sews!
I’m seriously so excited! It feels really great to have something to look forward to. While I wait for these few weeks to pass, I’ll be reading up & learning all the things I need to know! I can’t wait to share our adventure with you here!
This week’s Grace Girls class was on the basics of cupcake decorating. We learned about frosting, how to make & fill piping bags, and how to use the piping bags to frost cupcakes or other desserts.
Our class was led by Mrs. Mandee. She did such a great job teaching the girls (and some of us moms) how to properly frost cupcakes. She prepared a little cupcake tray ahead of time showing different designs you can make using your piping bags.
Everyone was told to bring: a small mixing bowl, a rubber spatula, and a large Mason jar. My wide-mouths are currently being used, so we brought standard size. In the future, I will be using wide-mouth for this.
Mrs. Mandee taught us how to make our piping bags. We take one bag and one tip and place it inside as far as it will go without disrupting the bag. Make a mark using your scissors halfway up your piping tip to indicate where you will be cutting. Push your tip back a little bit, cut at the mark you made, then push tip back down to the end so it is snug in the bag.
The piping bags should look like this when they are ready to be used:
Once they are made, place your piping bag inside the Mason Jar with the ends open around the jar to prepare for filling your piping bag.
This tip to me was a game-changer! I have typically avoided using piping bags in the past because of the mess I would make filling the bag. This prevents a mess! It makes it seriously SO easy!!!
Next, Mrs. Mandee scooped out her Buttercream icing into her mixing bowl and explained that you must whip the frosting really well before placing into your piping bags to make sure you do not get any air bubbles into it.
She shared that at home this is her favorite recipe to make homemade frosting, but because there was a large number of participants, she purchased bulk frosting from Sam’s Club. We went through 80% of the bucket in the class!
To fill our bags we:
1. Stir, stir, stir until as smooth as possible. Add a color, if using.
2. Using a rubber spatula, scoop smooth frosting into the prepared piping bag in your jar.
3. Shake your frosting to the bottom.
4. Twist your bag from the top of the frosting to the end to close it.
When making designs, we want to twist not squeeze the piping bag. We will continue to twist like this all the way down the bag until it is finished.
Finally, Mrs. Mandee demonstrated how to make various designs before it was time to work independently. Then continued to show us new ones throughout our practice time.
We stirred our frosting, filled our piping bags, and practiced getting used to working with our piping bags and making designs on parchment paper.
When we were finished practicing with both size piping tips, we scooped our frosting back into the bowl with our rubber spatula and started the process over. We stirred & refilled our piping bags to get ready to frost our own cupcakes.
I loved seeing the different designs being practiced. Over at Sasha’s table, a mom made an adorable butterfly! She shared that she had previous employment experience at a bakery years ago.
After a lot of practice, it was finally time to frost our own cupcakes! Everyone was given 4 to decorate.
Ella made American flag cupcakes to celebrate America, Veterans, and her birthday (Veteran’s Day).
It was the perfect time for this lesson with her birthday next week. I will definitely be using my new frosting skills on her birthday cake this year! So thankful to learn this lifelong skill!!
I chose to leave mine un-sprinkled, but one of my girls (Mia) decided to practice her sprinkling once we got home. I gotta say, she did a really great job! She used tweezers to line them perfectly around. I think she may have found her new life passion.
Athena had to miss out on this night unfortunately, but we brought her home a piping kit & un-frosted cupcakes so she didn’t have to completely miss out on the activity. I also gave Moses one of mine to decorate too.
We will be doing a second part to this class though, which will be “advanced” cupcake decorating beyond simple frosting. That is a class that we are all really looking forward to!
Our next meeting is our annual potluck Thanksgiving Feast! This is one of our favorite traditions now. We will be spending the next 2 weeks planning & then preparing our dishes. Ella, of course, signed up to bring the turkey again for the second year in a row! It was the biggest hit last year and she was SO proud of herself! That girl will be a pro at cooking up a turkey feast before she even has a family to fix it for!
Any suggestions for what we should bring to our potluck Thanksgiving Feast?! I’d love to hear them!
From Heroin to Housewife 