A, B, C & 1, 2, 3!

For the last month I have been (trying) to set time aside each day to work on numbers and letters with Ellie. I've tried a few different approaches but this week I have been focusing on the letters A, B, and C and the numbers  1, 2, and 3. If you are reading this then you probably know that I have an affinity for upcycling junk - I hate to think of throwing something away that I could use for crafting! Back in this post, I mentioned a Bible game idea for using the plastic caps off milk jugs. I have been saving mine up to make something and decided to use it for practicing Ellie's letters and numbers. 

<<Side note: My husband thinks I'm a little crazy when I tell him not to throw away the milk jugs, juice concentrate, cereal boxes, jars, cans, etcetera, etcetera BUT he is (almost) always impressed after seeing what their second life holds.>>

I just traced the circle shape of the caps on card stock and used a sharpie marker to write the letters and numbers we are practicing. Since Ellie is still grasping this concept, I made one practice card already filled in and another one with spaces that need filled. They are double-sided with numbers on one side and letters on the other. Let me show you a picture...some things are just better explained that way:

I guess I could get all fancy and laminate them since my toddler is a little on the destructive side but by then, we may have a better activity made from more junk ;-)

How to Dig Deep for the Meat of the Word

I've been meaning to get this posted for weeks but the whole house building process has preoccupied a lot of time. Speaking of the house, it is really starting to get exciting. The walls are painted and the floors are done. Ellie has already selected which room she wants and then pointed to another room and said Mommy, Daddy and Hannah Rose could have it ;-) We have been so blessed through this whole process and continue to pray that it goes smoothly. It certainly has had its stressful moments and it has tested Chase and I in our relationship with one another and the girls because patience is running a little low. But in the end I just have to keep it in perspective. It is just a house. In the end, it won't matter if I lived in a cardboard box or a perfect house. It is just a house!

Here are some quick pics to update you on the progress. (Sorry for all the shadows but I took them with my phone and the trees seem to shade the house most of the day...which is a good thing except for picture taking!)

Now that I have that out of the way, let me get back to what I have been meaning to share. I've mentioned Cindy Colley in past posts because she is an inspiration to me and the Titus 2:3-5 example that I want to be. Recently, she shared a year long guide for digging deep into the meat of the word of God. Click here and check it out! Really. I'll wait for you.

Assuming you did go check out her site and aren't being naughty and reading ahead, you know that there are assignments for each month that are meant to help us grow spiritually and really dig deep into the Word. I am committing to this year long program and I encourage you to do the same. There are three study books that are included in the program. You can purchase them at a discounted price here. I've read all three in the past and they would be great books for a ladies' Bible study too. I'm looking forward to re-reading them in the coming months. Comment below or message me on Facebook if you have any questions and please let me know if you are committing to this so that we can hold each other accountable. There is a Facebook group for the challenge and it is a great place to ask questions and discuss what we learn along the way. Please join me!

Meditating on the word of God

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Over the summer, Chase and I memorized 100 scriptures verses - one for each day of the summer. Prior to this challenge, I had not really done any memory work (except a few verses at church camp as a child!).

Let me just say that it was a HUGE blessing to meditate on these scriptures each day. Having God's Word - His Spirit inside my heart has been awesome. I've learned that memory work is not just for children but even more important as we desire to grow. I have also learned that I don't have to posses super memory power - I am horrible at remembering anything. For me, the key has been to continually meditate on these scriptures throughout the week. I wrote all the verses out on index cards and keep them in my diaper bag so that I can flip through them as I wait at the doctor's office or practice them as a family as we drive to town. I hope that you will take the time, if you are not already, to memorize and really meditate on God's word. I plan on adding more verses this fall and look forward to doing memory work with the girls as they grow.

Here are some resources that might help you get started:

• 100 Scripture verses (these are the verses we did over the summer)
• Scripture memory system (another option if you prefer not to keep your verses on a binder ring like I did)
• Memory verses divided by grade level (starting with 1st grade all the way through 12th grade)
• Scripture memorization program for children 5 and under

A Very Hungry Caterpillar

Some of you faithful blog readers will remember me blogging about how I hate to throw stuff away (if not, you can read it here). I'm always wondering how I can upcycle my "junk" :-)  Last week I shared an idea for a parmesan cheese container turned frog. I found another use that I had to share! This comes from Making Learning Fun's blog and you can find a tutorial with printables here. I thought I'd share some tips and pictures from our creation:

I just used some leftover fabric, ribbon and felt. I would suggest sewing on the velcro, though. (I tried iron-on and just could not get it to adhere well.)

Here's our caterpillar :)

In his cocoon and then...

...turned into a butterfly! I liked being able to "pop" the eyes up to change it from a caterpillar to a butterfly

I did not have time or interest in going somewhere to have the food cards laminated. Instead, I backed them in cardstock and brushed them with some leftover Triple Thick I used for another craft. I think it is near the Mod Podge in Hobby Lobby.

I liked how shiny they turned out even though they weren't laminated. It keeps them more durable too. Which help since my toddler enjoys jamming them into the caterpillar's mouth ;-)

And the story begins...

Ellie insisted that we use both copies of our book. As a side note, the original is a special edition signed by Eric Carle. I remember when my brother got this book 17 years ago. Does that make me old?

Feeding the caterpillar

After our caterpillars ate too much, they had tummy aches.

Tea party birthday

For my birthday, a dear friend treated me to a special tea. Last time I visited this tearoom, Hannah Rose was only a week from being born! Now my sweet girl is 4 months old and she got to accompany us again.

After stuffing ourselves silly with these yummy treats, we went to one of my new favorite stores - Tuesday Morning! Can you guess how much I paid for these four lovelies?

A glass water pitcher, a rooster pitcher, a three part cutlery basket and a quilt for only...
$24! I think it was a great use of my birthday money and will be perfect in my new kitchen. I'm so thankful for the blessings God has given me in this past year and look forward to what the year to come will bring.

Rapunzel, let down your hair!

My toddler is obsessed with Rapunzel ever since we saw the moving Tangled in the theater. She loves to watch the movie but, even more, she enjoys acting out the story. She routinely yells throughout the house "Rapunzel, let down your haaaaaiiiiiir!" Sometimes I'll be cooking dinner or cleaning house and she'll start yanking on my pant leg saying "C'mon 'Punzel, go to your tower!" Lately when we draw pictures, she scribbles on her paper and announces that it is Rapunzel's tangled hair. Needless to say, she loves these imaginative games. So, when I saw a tutorial for a Rapunzel wig on The Weekend Homemaker's blog I had to give it a try! I used a large bundle of yarn and it was a tangly mess! I still need to find a better way to adhere the hair to the pantyhose - I read somewhere else that glue might work or maybe I just need to strategically sew more pieces of the yarn "hair" to the base.

Here are some pictures of my sweet Rapunzel girl:

The power of spray paint

While I have the time, I'm trying to work on all some of my DIY furniture projects for the new house. We have been wanting to go with some lighter colors and more of a country cottage feel - see my decorating inspiration board on Pinterest. Have I mentioned how much I love Pinterest?! I love being able to daydream virtually without having to spend money on magazines, and tearing out pages which I'll misplace or find ruined by someone's spilled sippy cup. Did you need to know all that? I guess not.

Anyway, my point is that I'm enjoying all these fun little projects without spending very much money. One project that I knew would make a difference was spray painting our side tables, coffee table and entry table for the living room. I love the style of these tables but they were just too dark for our new color palette.

Here is the before (not much of the table is actually in this picture but I think you can get an idea of what it looked like...someday maybe I'll remember to take "before" pictures):

Here is the after:

I am very happy with how the tables turned out. I spray painted them all a shade of flat ivory and then added a clear protective topcoat. They are so bright and cheery - can I describe a table that way?

Jet Pack went south...

I am just loving all the cute kids' crafts I'm finding on Pinterest. All the projects I have posted this week have literally taken me five minutes or less...except this one. When I saw a tutorial for a jet pack, I had to make it. Unfortunately, I didn't have all the materials and my improvisation lead to a not-so-successful jet pack. I told Ellie we were making this for her cousin and, unfortunately, I don't think he will be too impressed. (Sorry cousin!) You can find the instructions here if you dare attempt it ;-) And here are some pictures of my sweet little model:

And a scrapbook worthy picture - somebody was tired of modeling: