Making Home Work

Reading to Your Child--Three Reasons Why You Should

2012-03-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

I'm a rather busy mom, and on this blog I usually post about ways to optimize your time and make homemaking and raising children simpler. But today I'm going against my usual mantra, and I'll address something that will add time to your busy schedule. But it's worth every minute of sacrifice you make. Today I'm going to talk about reading to your children.

Child psychology experts advocate you should read 20 minutes a day to your child, and they have myriad reasons to back up their advice. Here's a few:

1. Reading to your children helps develop their imagination, while on the flip side, too much television hinders your child's imagination. This is interesting to me, as I actually force my oldest son to go up to his bedroom and play with his toys for forty minutes per day. No coloring books, no TV, no computer games. Just his imagination and his action figures, or blocks, or Lincoln Logs or Legos. And when I do this early in the day, I notice that he's more responsive and better behaved throughout the day.

2. Reading to your children helps them associate reading with pleasure. Whether or not your child becomes an avid book lover later in life, he or she will spend much time reading: newspapers, blogs, magazines, textbooks, text messages, emails, and those annoying forms you have to sign at the doctor's office once a year. Your child won't be able to get away from reading as he or she matures into adulthood. Reading to children when they are young can help prepare them for the future responsibilities they'll face in our busy, modern world.

3. Reading to your children boosts their background knowledge and curiosity. If your child has a question or something piques his interest in one of his books, go to the library and get more books on the subject. Fill that thirst for knowledge your child is already developing, and do so in a way that makes learning fun for him.

I know reading to your children takes time from your busy schedule. And if you read before putting them to bed at the end of a long day, it might be the last thing you want to do or have energy for. But the end result is worth it.

I'll have more on reading to your children in my next post. In the meantime, I'd love to hear what your son's or daughter's favorite book is in the comments below.

Merry-Go-Round: Old Fashioned Fun

2012-03-09T01:00:00.000-06:00

With March proving to be delightful in the weather department, we’ve been visiting playgrounds recently. On one visit, for nearly the entire half hour or so we were there, my three oldest children played on one piece of equipment: the merry-go-round. Laughter, squeals of pretend terror, sheer joy on the faces of the children hanging on for dear life as other kids ran as fast as they could in the grooved circle—what could be a better picture of childhood?

Nearly every non-preschooler who came to the playground made a beeline directly for the merry-go-round. I sat on a nearby bench and watched the interplay between the kids, and was heartened to see everyone getting along. Chants of “Push us, push us,” were answered by someone leaping off and racing around. When my youngest son (age 3) got on and then decided he wanted off shortly after the rotations began, a kid yelled, “Stop, someone wants to get off,” and they slowed to allow my son to slid off.

What other piece of equipment can teach children how to get along with one another better than a merry-go-round? There’s so many life lessons to be learned while spinning until you’re dizzy.

But we adults have over-reacted to the merry-go-round’s potential harm by suing playground equipment manufacturers, and cities and schools that had parks with merry-go-rounds installed. Sure some kids have gotten hurt on merry-go-rounds, but what I find more disturbing is our increasing desire to wrap our children in cotton wool to avoid any booboos or skinned knees (hence the tendency to make them wear knee and elbow pads while bike riding or rollerblading).

No one wants our children to get hurt psychically, and we should put a stop to obviously dangerous things. On the other hand, giving children the freedom to spread their wings and fly around the world on a merry-go-round can be wonderful to their own development.

Let them see the world outside is to be explored and conquered, not feared and avoided. Let them experience the joys and pains of mastering things like bike riding and monkey bars. Let them view the world from a different perspective by climbing trees or hanging upside from the swing set.

Sure, you might have to stock up on band-aids and kiss a few more hurts, but if you can resist the urge to place your children inside a bubble, you might just find out that they are tougher than you think. Hearing your children describe their outdoor adventures can be a priceless experience in itself.

So keep the cotton wool safely tucked away, and go find a park with a merry-go-round, but I’d avoid jumping on board unless you have a stomach of iron. Some things are better left to the kids.

Sarah Hamaker is a freelance writer and editor, and author of Hired@Home, a guide to unlocking women’s work-from-home potential now available on Kindle. Her stories have appeared in previous Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband and four children. Visit her online at www.sarahhamaker.com, where she blogs about working from home.

Book Spotlight:: Historical Romance Novels for March, Part 2

2012-03-07T01:00:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone, I'm back again today to feature the next two romance novels releasing this March from Love Inspired Historical. (If you missed the first two novels, be sure to check out the previous post featuring Mandy Goff's and Eva Maria Hamilton's newest books.)

Next on our list, we have The Bridal Swap by Karen Kirst. Karen is also a newer author. Her first book, The Reluctant Outlaw released last fall, and now she's got another novel in her Smokey Mountain Matches series. I haven't read either of these yet, but I do have The Bridal Swap on my to-be-read list for March. Here's a little more about the book:

The heiress Josh O'Malley has courted by mail is on her way to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to become his wife. His dreams are coming true, and together, they'll create the family he's always wanted. But when the stagecoach arrives, it's not his intended who exits, but her sister, Kate!

She came to end her sister's engagement, but with her duty completed, Kate Morgan is in no hurry to leave. She can't help but like the beautiful mountain town…and her sister's would-be groom. If only Josh would realize that his dream can still come true—and love can be found where least expected.

And finally, we have tried and true Love Inspired Historical author Linda Ford, with her novel The Cowboy Comes Home:

Security and a home of her own—that's Sally Morgan's dream. And a new job could offer both. Her employer will marry her if she proves her worth as housekeeper. A sensible—if unromantic—plan. Until a lean, laid-back cowboy moves in next door…and "sensible" moves right out!

Linc McCoy and his family left town years ago under a cloud of suspicion. A cowboy with a tarnished name has nothing to offer a woman like Sally. Except for a spark of kinship neither can deny. And the growing hope that two guarded hearts might learn to trust in a power greater than them both.

So whether you're looking for a story set in the Scottish highlands or in the old west, I hope you'll enjoy one of these novels this month.

Book Spotlight: Historical Romance Novels for March

2012-03-05T01:00:00.001-06:00

At the beginning of every month, I'm going to highlight some romance novels that I'm looking forward to reading. As many of you know, my own romance novel, Sanctuary for a Lady, will be release in April, only one month from now. So in honor of that, I want to look at the novels releasing from my publisher this March.

I'm super excited about this batch of novels, because three of the authors are new. Since I'm going to be a new author soon, I'm sure you can understand my enthusiasm in introducing you to some others. The first is author Eva Maria Hamilton with her debut novel, Highland Hearts. Here's a little about the book:

Logan McAllister survived years of indentured servitude in America to reach this moment. Now he's returned to Scotland, ready to redeem the secret promise from Sheena Montgomery's father—that five years as a servant would earn him Sheena's hand in marriage. But when he arrives home, he learns that Sheena's father has died, his contract has been lost…and Sheena is engaged to another man.

Sheena has spent the past five years trying to forget Logan, the man who abandoned her with no explanation. She won't listen to his protests that he loves her—has always loved her. It'll take more than empty promises to win her back…and to prove that his highland heart is hers forever.

I haven't read too many stories set in Scotland, so I'm really looking forward to seeing eighteenth century Scotland through the eyes of Sheena and Logan. (And by the way, isn't Logan an awesome name for the hero?) I downloaded the ebook version of Highland Hearts two days ago and am currently enjoying Sheena and Logan's story very much!

Next up is Engaging the Earl by author Mandy Goff. This is Mandy's second novel, and I'm super excited to read it. I first met Mandy when I happened upon her debut novel, The Blackmailed Bride last year. I read the first couple pages of The Blackmailed Bride online and fell instantly in love with the character of Olivia. Now that Olivia is happily married, she's out to find the perfect match for her brother, Marcus, and I can't wait to see what happens.

To help her destitute parents, Emma Mercer must marry very well. And very soon. Love is irrelevant. Only security matters…doesn't it? Aided by her friend Olivia—and Olivia's brother Marcus, Earl of Westin—Emma quickly gains society's notice. But Marcus himself, the only man whose company Emma truly enjoys, seems oblivious to her charms.

With his finances in jeopardy, Marcus knows he can't be the wealthy groom Emma needs. Instead, he'll see her properly engaged to the right man…and break his own heart.

Yet Emma's determination and Marcus's resolve may be no match for love, faith—and a scheming sister determined to end Emma's husband hunt right at Marcus's side.

So, if you're looking for something to fresh and new to read, I suggest you check out these authors. On Wednesday I'll introduce you to two other books from my publisher. In the meantime, keep in mind the ebook versions of these novels are only $3.99, and the print versions are just slightly higher.

Weekend Assignment: Take Time with Your Kids

2012-03-02T05:56:00.004-06:00

Happy Friday everybody!

I'm going to start giving little weekend assignments on my blog. Not necessarily huge tasks, but small ideas that can help your family grow closer.

This weekend, set aside some time to be with your kids. Take a moment and remind yourself for a moment about of how special your children are. You only have one chance to raise them.

Yesterday my oldest came home from preschool with a game of Go Fish that his teacher had given him. My husband and I, who weren't planning on taking a Go Fish break, sat down and played it with him. We played and played and played, and my son smiled and smiled and smiled. And it was good. A pleasant surprise and a nice way to spend time with him.

So now I'm curious, do any of you have a favorite activity to do with your kids?

Review of A Woman after God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George

2012-02-29T06:00:00.005-06:00

I know this book has been around for at least a decade, perhaps longer. But when I set about looking for a book to use for the ladies' Bible study at our church, A Woman after God's Own Heart came highly recommended. Now after over six months of teaching through a chapter per week, we've finished it. Both I and the ladies who attended the Bible study loved it. Here's why:

1. It covers a wide range of Biblical subjects that pertain to married women. It has sections on growing spiritually, being a wife, being a mother, and caring for a home.

2. It teachings are rooted in the Bible. The author did a good job of backing up the principles she espoused with scripture. Plus there is a lot of encouragement for women to dive into the Bible on their own and not just use supplemental material.

3. It's written with by an experienced woman with a concerned heart. You can easily tell how passionate the author is about helping women become better wives, mothers, and Christians. You read about the authors past mistakes and triumphs, plus her warnings and advice.

Drawbacks: There are a couple drawbacks, though the majority of the book was so good I really have to be picky to point anything out. Some of the chapters are pretty practical in nature. Not that there's anything wrong with being practical, but suggestions for time management aren't exactly on the same level of importance as principles about caring for your children. As the ladies of my church studied the book, we delineated between what was a Biblical principle and what was merely a practical suggestion. Also, the author sometimes makes herself seem like Superwoman. Really. When she gets to listing everything she does in a certain area, one can easily get overwhelmed and think "Yeah right. It's not possible to do all of this stuff. If I even did a quarter of that, I'd be doing awesome."

Overall, this book was great. I can see why it's popular, and it's relevant to a large number of women despite their religious backgrounds. If you're looking for a book to encourage you spiritually and highlight the Biblical duties God has given married women, then this book is an excellent choice. It covers the basics of Biblical womanhood in a way that is fresh and relevant to our current times.

If any of you have read this book, I'd love to hear your opinions in the comment section below. Or if you've read another spiritual growth book recently that you really recommend, please share that as well.

Life Below Zero: A Glimpse at a Cold Day

2012-02-27T06:40:00.001-06:00

I stepped outside this morning, and the snow squeaked beneath my feet. Not a crunch, a squeak. Squeaky snow means one thing: It's cold.

Two degrees below zero, to be exact. Though I don't know that until I reach my car and look at the outside thermostat reading. And by the time I reach the car, my eyelashes and the inside of my nose are frozen, and the cold has seeped through my dress boots and driving gloves.

Maybe one day someone will invent a car seat that you can actually buckle while wearing gloves. But until then, the gloves come off whenever I secure my two-year-old into place. So with my fingers nearly frostbitten, I slide into my own seat, and the floor beside the gas and brake pedals is solid with ice. This happens over a series of days and weeks during the winter months, when you get into the car with snow on your boots. The snow melts into a puddle beneath your feet as the car warms and you drive to your destination, then the moisture refreezes once the car's off.

Sometimes I wonder if the cold is worth it, if I really should be living in a place where twenty degrees is considered warm weather during the months of January and February and having below zero temperatures isn't uncommon. Sometimes I wish for snow my kids can play in--as opposed to snow that's so deep my kids would get lost in it if they played anywhere that hadn't been plowed a hundred times throughout the course of the winter.

But as I pull out of the driveway, I look around. The snow is bright and white against the silent woods, and the world is still, in a lovely frozen sort of way. Then I get to the end of my road and I see it: Lake Superior. The big terrible body of water that creates its own weather, causing most of the snow and wind and frigid temperatures me and my family endure during the winter months. On a cold morning such as this, the ice has blown into shore, and steam is rising from the lake into the sky.

Have you ever seen steam rise from an icy lake? It's beautiful. It's majestic. It's indescribable. And it only happens when it's very cold.

Sometimes in life, you have to endure the cold, freezing times before you can find the beauty. Have you endured any cold times recently? What beauty have you found hidden inside them? Or maybe you have a fond winter memory. I'd love for you to share your stories in a comment below.

Easy Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

2012-02-24T05:53:00.004-06:00

I told everyone on my Valentine's post that I have an easy delicious Peanut Butter Pie recipe. It takes about fifteen minutes, doesn't require any baking, and happens to be my husband's favorite pie. Next time you need a quick desert, try this.

1 graham cracker pie crust
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 box French vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tub Cool Whip

Using a fork (or your hands if you don't mind them messy), combine the peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl and mix until it forms little crumbles. Dump the peanut butter mixture into the pie crust, setting a few crumbles aside for garnish. Mix the instant pudding and milk, then pour into the pie crust over the peanut butter. Give the pudding a few minutes to set, then top with a layer of Cool Whip. (I don't like to use the whole container of Cool Whip or the pie seems too sweet.) Sprinkle garnish on top and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This recipe makes a rich peanut butter pie without a lot of hassle. It's why it's one of my favorites to make, and thankfully it's also my husband's favorite pie to eat. If you want to work a little harder at it, you could make a traditional pie crust from scratch, but my family likes the graham crackers with the peanut butter. So go ahead, buy the ingredients and surprise your husband and kids one night next week with your 15 minute recipe!

Quick Question: What's your favorite pie recipe? Leave a comment below to answer.

Photography Business Basics with Michaela Wickman

2012-02-22T00:00:00.001-06:00

We're back again with photographer Michaela Wickman, and today Michaela is going to share some basics about photography business with us. For those of you who haven't entered our giveaway yet, Michaela and I teamed up to offer a $50.00 gift certificate to Canvas on Demand. To enter, visit the Interview with Michaela Wickman.

Thanks for coming back again today, Michaela. We're happy to have you. Let's jump straight in. On Monday you suggested those interested in photography to visit some photography forums and get the book Understanding Exposure. What do you advise people do after that?

I am a member of NAPCP (National Association of Professional Child Photography… www.napcp.com), and it’s a great place for photographers and parents to discuss topics. Some of my other favorite forums to visit are www.fredmiranda.com, www.ilovephotography.com, and www.learnshootinspire.com. I also subscribe to Popular Photography and Photoshop User Magazine, where I’ve learned a ton of new tips and tricks and the latest news on camera gear.

At what point did you start getting professional equipment, like a nice camera and photography program?

I got equipment pretty soon after I realized this is what I wanted to be doing. I started with a Canon 40D and soon upgraded to the Canon 5dMarkii. As far as lenses, I have several, but I am definitely a prime lens kind of girl. My favorite versatile lens is my 50mm 1.4. I edit my photos with Adobe Lightroom 3 and Adobe Photoshop CS5.

How did you know you were ready to go from amateur to professional and start charging money for your sessions?

Once my portfolio was reviewed and I was accepted into a paid pro forum online, I knew I was ready.

I think everyone can see just how ready you were. The pictures above are beautiful! How much of photography is taking pictures, and how much is computer editing? Which part do you enjoy most? Why?

I’d say 50/50 for both parts of the questions. I enjoy both shooting and editing, and I spend equal amounts of time on each. It takes time to get ready for a session, and there’s lots of planning and prepping involved. My editing has gotten much faster now that I have a routine, but again, it still takes quite a bit of time!

What do you most enjoy photographing?

Babies!

Anyone who stops by your website or facebook page will see how much you love snapping pics of little ones. You're so talented in that area! What aspect of photography gave (or still gives) you the most trouble?

Family sessions have always been a weak spot of mine, but I am learning to love them more and more. The trick is to pose everyone so they don’t look posed, if that makes sense! But, for the most part, we get a few posed family shots and then I let the kids be kids. You really have to just feed off of their vibes and go with what works. You can’t force a 2 year old to give their sister a kiss or a hug to their Dad, but sometimes they will do it and that’s when I am snapping away. Those moments in-between are precious.

I remember trying to get our nineteen month old to look at the camera for those family shots. It was rather interesting. You had some bunny ears that my youngest loved, but instead of simply looking at those bunny ears during the picture, he kept pointing or wanting to get up and go take the bunny ears off your head (like he's doing in the picture to the left). I was really happy with how our family photo (pictured above) turned out, but it did take a bit of work.

When did you start learning about photography, before or after you had kids?

I took a photography class in High School, but that was a long time ago! I really started becoming obsessive with photography when my son was around 3 months old. I woke up thinking about photography and went to bed dreaming about it.

I'd say that's a sign you're becoming obsessed. I'm the same way with writing though, so maybe it's not all bad. Do you have a college education? And if so, were your studies at all related to what you're doing now?

I have a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from St. Norbert College. It has helped me immensely with the business side of photography. But no, I don’t have an art degree or photo degree, just a lot of late nights studying the craft on my own!

Oh goodness, there are days I wish I had a business degree to help with the business aspect of writing. Mostly I just ignore the business and keep writing on a novel until it gets to a point where I can't ignore the business any longer. I'm sure you find your training really helpful. For younger readers interested in pursuing photography, are there degrees or certificates they can earn in the subject?

As far as I know you are able to go to a school for some sort of degree or certificate. But again, I am completely self taught and don’t know much about the schooling part of it. As I mentioned, there are some great associations that pros can belong to that are very beneficial.

I find it encouraging that people can work hard and achieve success in photography without necessarily going to school. Heading off to classes can be a really hard thing for a mom to do, both in terms of finding the money and taking care of her kids and house. Photography seems to give stay-at-home moms some nice options. Are there any last words of advice or encouragement you want to leave our readers with today?

If you are serious about becoming a photographer, practice, practice, practice! If you own a SLR Camera, switch it to Manual mode. This is the ONLY mode I shoot in because I have 100% full control of my settings. Oh, and read that camera manual! If you know your gear inside and out, you will be much more confident when the time comes to use your camera and get the shot.

Thanks for being with us today, Michaela. I'm sure our readers enjoyed hearing your story. For more information about Michaela Wickman Photography or to schedule your own photography session with her, visit her website at www.michaelawickmanphotography.com. And if you're interested in seeing Michaela's most recent portraits, check out the MichaelaWichmanPhotography facebook page, which she keeps updated with her latest shots.

Also, I'm blogging today about foreign settings in books over at Craftie Ladies of Romance. Stop by and say hi if you have a chance!

Interview and Giveaway with Photographer Michaela Wickman

2012-02-20T00:00:00.004-06:00

A few months back, shortly after I'd signed the contract for my debut novel, Sanctuary for a Lady, I found myself in need of a self portrait for promotional purposes. Not the picture I'd been using that my husband had taken with his cell phone one day. Oh no. I wanted the real deal. You know, the kind where you actually drive to a studio and pay someone to take it. In most places across the U.S. getting a portrait taken wouldn't be a problem, but considering I live in North-of-Nowhere, 60-miles-from-the-closest-fastfood-restaraunt, northern Michigan, I had a bit of a conundrum. How was I going to find a good photographer?

So I went to the internet, and looked at some of the pictures on Michaela Wickman's website.

Then my mouth fell open and I said, "She does NOT live only two hours from me. That's way too close. Certainly she lives in some major city where she charges an exorbitant fee for her wonderful pictures." But as I contacted Michaela, I learned that not only did she live within driving distance, but she also had two kids under five and worked from home. So of course, after she took the wonderful pictures you see below (plus a few dozen others) I had to interview her for Making Home Work.

My husband and boys

Hi! Michaela, Tell me a bit about your family. How many children do you have, and how old are they?

I have two kids. My son Lincoln is 2 1/2, and my daughter Sawyer just turned one.

Wow, two little ones so close in age must keep you really busy. Why did you choose to work from home rather than find a job elsewhere?

It’s a give and take. I enjoy staying home with my kids, but enjoy working as well. I wanted to work part-time, and finding a really amazing part-time job that also covers the cost of day care for two children is hard to come by.

It sounds like you found a good balance with your photography business. What is the most challenging aspect of working from home while raising children?

Time management! I try to get most of my work done while they are napping, but how long of a nap they will take is always a bit unpredictable. If I don’t get everything on my ‘to-do’ list done, I find myself staying up late in the evenings trying to finish.

Oh yes, I can relate to that. I except I'm the opposite and I get up early in the morning to catch up on my work. What challenges do working from home present to your marriage, and how do you compensate?

As I mentioned above, the time management of working from home has been my biggest challenge. I don’t have set office hours and find myself constantly doing some sort of work related task in the evenings when the kids have gone to bed. My husband and I make plans to hang out when we are both home. I stop what I’m doing at a certain time. I try to keep my work Mon-Fri and dedicate weekends to family. I often have sessions on the weekends, but none of the editing gets done until the week.

I struggle with the same thing sometime. You want to spend time with your family, but when you've got a pile of work in front of you, sometimes it's so hard to know when to draw the line and stop working. If you could start all over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?

I think I would have set up my own office area sooner. For a long time I’d use our dining room table as my ‘work’ area. No wonder I felt like I could hardly get things done! Several months ago I set up a working space in our basement. I feel very productive now. It helps having photos I love surrounding the desk space, a dry erase board with my ‘to-do’s’ on it, and all of my files and folders right next to me in my ‘own’ space.

Now I'm jealous. I've been writing for three and a half years, and I still work at our kitchen table. Enjoy that office space, Michaela! What keeps you home instead of having an outside career? Is it worth it?

It is SO worth it! I love what I do and am passionate about it. My ‘job’ never feels like work to me.

If someone is interested in getting started in home-based photography, what are the first two things you recommend they do?

There are so many amazing and FREE online resources for those interested in honing their photography skills. Just Google ‘photography forums’ and a bunch will pop up. There are some talented photographers who willingly dedicate their time and talent on these forums to help those just starting out. The book ‘Understanding Exposure’ by Bryan Peterson is a must read.

Thanks so much for interviewing with us today, Michaela. Michaela will be back again on Wednesday with some photography business basics. To see more of Michaela's photographs or learn more Michaela Wickman Photography and her photography packages, check out her website.

Giveaway: For our giveaway this week, Michaela and I teamed up to purchase a gift card to Canvas on Demand. This is an online photography site that puts a digital picture on a canvas backing, making your picture look like an oil painting. So if you want a new twist for that latest family photo before you hang it on the wall, this gift card might be perfect for you. To enter, head on over to Michaela Wickman Photography's facebook page and click 'like' (which you'll want to do so you can see all the great pictures she's constantly posting on there). Then come back here and leave a comment with your email address letting me know you liked Michaela's page. The giveaway will end on Saturday, February 25, at midnight.

Photo credits: All photographs taken by Michaela Wickman and used with permission. The copy of the canvas photograph came from Canvas on Demand and is used in under the "fair use" guidelines.

Unforgetable Moments: How Do You Correct Them?

2012-02-17T05:28:00.009-06:00

Last Friday, after two days of driving and nearly two weeks of taking care of my mother who was recovering from surgery, I walked into my house, saw two cardboard boxes sitting on the floor of the kitchen, and ripped them open.

What did I find? MY BOOKS. Those wonderful tomes I've been waiting to hold in my hand for nearly a year.

Thankfully, I didn't mess up this moment. I didn't trip over the box on the floor, fall on my head, and give myself a concussion. Nor did I accidentally cut some of the covers when I opened the box. Then I got an email from my agent, saying her husband and daughter stayed up reading my book rather than watch a movie.

So even though I messed up my perfect "first viewing of book" moment (see this post for the whole story), I still had a chance to make it right. What about you? Do you ever get to correct those times when you make mistakes or when life doesn't go exactly as you'd planned? I'm grateful for the chance to dive back in and have a second try, and I'd love to hear some of your stories.

*****

Winner: And the winner of my first-ever giveaway copy of Sanctuary for a Lady is . . . Rubynreba!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered. I'll be doing more giveaways, both here and on other blogs closer to the book's release date.

Top Ten Worst Valentine's Day Presents

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

Here it is, as promised, a little post-Valentine's Day fun.

10. A grill
9. A mattress
8. A vacuum
7. A set of pink tools so you can work around the house
6. Jewelry with cubic zirconia
5. Plastic flowers, instead of real ones
4. Windshield wipers and hubcaps
3. Anti-wrinkle cream
2. Breath mints
1. Weight loss equipment and diet pills

Thanks to Melissa Jagears for help with numbers three and seven. So, now I'm curious. What's the worst Valentine's gift you've ever gotten (or heard of)? Leave a comment below to share in the fun.

And if you haven't entered the giveaway for my coming novel yet, stop by this post to leave a comment. The contest ends tonight at midnight.

Reversing Valentine's Day: Ideas for Women to Keep Their Men Happy on Valentine's Day

2012-02-11T18:15:00.010-06:00

We've all had it happen to us before. We watch the calendar as the days approach February 14. We glance at the special Valentine's candies, stuffed animals, and flowers as we run our errands and wonder what special present our man has procured for us. We get a little mushy inside when that diamond earring commercial appears on TV, and we drool over those advertisements for romantic Jamaican vacations that keep popping up all over the internet. But when the day finally comes, we open our Valentine's present only to find car motor oil, an oil-change pan, and an oil-change instruction manual waiting in the box.

The evening ends in tears and hurt feelings and a husband saying "But honey, I thought you'd like it. You said just the other day that your oil needed to be changed, and you know I won't have time to get to it this weekend."

This year, instead of waiting for your man to do all the Valentine's Day work, why don't you take the initiative and do something extra special? Not only will he be pleasantly surprised, but I'd also wager the evening won't end in tears over your oil pan gift.

1. Keep the day about him. Women like flowers, candy, and soft stuffed animals holding big red hearts. But what do men want? I'm not sure any woman can say for certain, but if you've been in a relationship for any length of time, you should have some idea of what YOUR man likes. So follow the it's-better-to-give-than-receive rule and plan the day around his preferences rather than yours.

2. Dress Up. Men are visual beings. They like to look at their woman (or girlfriend) and know that she went through effort to look good for him. This doesn't even need to cost any extra money (though it could if you wanted it to). Look nice, eat your meal by candlelight or firelight, and he'll be a happy man.

3. Cook. You've heard a zillion times that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and it will probably always be true. You don't need to make some elaborate meal as much as make something you know he will appreciate. As for me, I'll be making steak and potatoes, and my husband's favorite desert, peanut butter pie. The pie recipe takes about fifteen minutes and is super simple (I'll share it next week).

4. Plan a weekend getaway. It's February. Just about every hotel in the U.S. is offering deals right now, and you don't even need to go far from home. For our last anniversary, hubby and I drove a whopping hour from our house and got a discounted room with a jacuzzi, in a hotel that also featured a pool, hot tub, and sauna. Really, just the night away from kids was wonderful, and it didn't cost much. Call and make the reservations today, then make up a little personalized gift certificate and stick it in his Valentine's Day card to tell him.

Hopefully these ideas will get you started on creating a special Valentine's Day for your man and showing him how much you love and appreciate him.

On Wednesday, we'll be having a little fun with Valentine's Day. I'll be posting on the Top 10 Worst Valentine's Gifts. Have your bad Valentine's ideas ready! Also, if you haven't entered the giveaway for my novel, visit this post and leave a comment. You have until midnight on Wednesday, February 15.

Stepping Back, Not Forward

2012-02-10T03:54:00.002-06:00

You’re on the playground and your five-year-old son pushes another boy down while playing a game of tag. You see children being children, no harm done; the other mother sees a playground bully preying on her child.

As any mother can attest, situations like the one above are fraught with drama. If you’re the mother of the pusher, you can feel judged and embarrassed. If you’re the mother of the pushee, you can feel angry and scared for your child’s wellbeing.

Used with permission from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/
images/view_photog.php?photogid=2125

That scenario happened to me earlier this week, with my son being the one who pushed another child down while playing a game with a group of boys, all around the same age. Boys of a certain age tend to be play a bit rough. None of the boys were being mean or vicious—and I keep a close eye on my two boys to ensure their play does not stray into that territory. I know my oldest son can get carried away with his play and become too rough, and I try to nip that tendency in the bud.

I feel in general that we as parents, and particularly as mothers, have become oversensitive about our expectations for our children’s behavior and the behavior of other children. With the pushing incident, I felt the other mother wanted me to discipline my child for something I wasn’t even sure he had done. The other mother was visibly upset and angry, even though her son was back playing as if nothing had happened.

Sometimes, we strive too hard to please everyone with our parenting—and that can lead to us to make mistakes and not parent effectively. Sometimes, it’s harder to let children be children, and to let them work through their own squabbles without interfering.

My goal with my children has been to be as hands-off as possible, to let them figure things out on their own whenever possible, to train them how to resolve conflicts as they grow (and with siblings, there’s plenty of opportunity for that!), and to just be kids. Allowing our kids the chance to grow in their own can be a beautiful thing. That doesn’t mean we turn them completely loose, or that we ignore bad behavior, but that we step back from them more often than we step forward into their lives.

And keeping a little perspective on the playground, helps, too.

Three Ways to Keep Romance Alive in Your Marriage and Romance Novel Giveaway

2012-02-08T04:35:00.008-06:00

Good morning everyone, and thanks for stopping by. I'm super excited today, partly because we're joining author Noelle Marchand for her Fourteen Days of Love Contest, and partly because I'll be doing my first ever giveaway of my book, Sanctuary for a Lady. The book doesn't release until April, yet I'm anxious to get an early copy into the hands of one lucky winner. Before the giveaway, however, we're going to look at some real-life romance. Noelle has done a terrific post for single women facing Valentine's Day, while I've done a post for married women. So be sure to check out Noelle's corresponding advice here.

I love writing romance, and I don't think I could ever write a book that didn't have a love story in it. But in a book, I get to play around with the characters, write and rewrite scenes, and keep revising until the romance in the story is perfect. Real life isn't so easy. You can't use the delete button to erase the words you speak to your spouse, or rewrite your most recent argument until it ends in understanding and a kiss rather than tears and damaged feelings. So today I want to look at three ways to keep romance alive with your real-life prince charming.

1. Spend time together. You might think this one rather obvious. After all, at one point, you and your hubby spent a whole lot of time together . . . back when he was your future hubby or first dating you. But somehow, as the years pass, you each become busy with different things. Working, raising kids, buying a house, making improvements to the house, carting your kids to soccer and ballet, and the list goes on. Yet it's still important that you spend time together. Hire a babysitter for one night a month. Or feed your kids hotdogs and put them to bed early once every couple weeks. Then make (or buy, if you're me) a nice dinner for your husband.

2. Pay attention. Every woman wants to feel that her husband loves her. But on the flip side, women also need to ask themselves whether they make their husbands feel loved. Do you know when he has a bad day at work or a mountain of chores to do at home? Or do you let him live his own life until you needs something from him? One of the easiest ways to pay attention is to greet him when he gets home. Whether he's been at work or running errands, put down the phone, spatula or laundry basket, and call your kids away from their toys or the TV to greet their dad. If you make your man feel like he's important to you, I'm betting he'll reciprocate and show his wonderful wife how important she is to him.

3. Say thank you. Having a general attitude of gratefulness toward the man you married can do miracles for your relationship. Of course you're grateful that he pays some (or all) of the bills and takes the trash out on trash night. But do you tell him "thank you" or simply take for granted that he'll work endless hours? Now let's take the situation a step farther. Regardless of how wonderful a wife you are, there will always be those busy times when you ask for help with sweeping or putting the kids to bed or doing the dishes or any other number of household tasks. When your husband takes time out of his busy schedule to help you, do you thank him? Or do you look at the kitchen floor, see a dog hair in the corner, and tell him he didn't do a good enough job sweeping? Try to be grateful for the effort your husband puts into helping rather than pick out his imperfections.

Well, there you have it. Three ways to keep romance alive in your marriage, and they aren't even expensive or time consuming. Again, feel free to read the advice romance author Noelle Marchand has for single women on her blog.

Now for the giveaway. Married women, leave a comment below sharing one thing you're grateful for about your husband to be entered. If you're not married, leave a comment sharing one thing you're grateful for about your father or some other man that has impacted your life in a positive way. Be sure to leave your email address, so I have a way to reach the winner.

If you want your name to be added in the drawing a second time, go visit my brand new (as of yesterday) facebook author page and click like. (I have a whopping 11 fans as of this moment, and while I admit that the stress of being so popular is rather burdensome, I think I can handle a few more fans before I suffer a breakdown.) If you "like" my fan page, be sure to come back here and post another comment saying that you did so in order to be entered a second time. The contest will run until next Wednesday, February 15, at midnight.

Valentine's Contest and Sanctuary for a Lady Excerpt

2012-02-06T07:59:00.009-06:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'll be joining with author Noelle Marchand for her Fourteen Days of Love contest. There are activities running every day from now until Valentine's Day on Noelle's blog. On Wednesday, I'll be blogging about keeping romance alive in your marriage (always a fun topic for me!). Plus I'll be giving away my first ever copy of my book Sanctuary for a Lady!!! (Which I still haven't held in my hand, in case you were wondering. See this post for that story.)

So, with a post about real life romance and a giveaway of Sanctuary for a Lady on Wednesday, I decided to let you readers have a little sneak peek at my novel, which releases in April. Here's one of my favorite romantic scenes, pulled right from the middle of the book.

*****

“Go to bed,” he growled.

Hurt flickered in her eyes and held. His throat closed.Didn’t she understand his dismissing her now would save her from more pain when she left? He swallowed pathetically and stepped so close she shifted her head backward so she didn’t bump his chest, so close he need only lift a hand to tangle it in her hair. “Isabelle—”

“You arrogant oaf! I’m trying to help.” She spoke sharply but moisture glistened in her eyes. She shoved her palm against his chest. “You spent all night traipsing around in the cold and rain. You refused rest, barely ate and now you disdain my politeness. Why! You deserve to catch pneumonia for a month.” She all but sobbed the last words.

Being this close to her was a mistake. He couldn’t think, could barely breathe. A longing spread through him until his arms ached to hold her and his chest craved the feel of her slender form pressed against him. He clasped her wrist instead. “You don’t mean any of that. You’re just tired.”

She blinked, banishing the unshed tears from her eyes. “Unhand me.”

He would, but she was too near. Her cheeks too flushed, her mouth too soft, her eyes too defenseless. She stopped tugging on her arm, and like a drowning sailor locking his gaze on shore, his eyes fixed on hers. Rain pounded the ground. Wind whipped through trees and tore at their cloaks. Coldness circled them. But neither moved.

His gaze dipped to her mouth, the taste awaiting him there both explosive and sweet. She shifted subtly forward until her breath tickled his lips.

*****

Oh goodness, I get all sappy every time I read that scene. Bet you can't tell I love romance! So, be sure to stop back and leave a comment on Wednesday to be entered in the drawing.

Also, some Regency authors and I (I separate myself from this group because my novel is set in France a smidgen before the Regency period) got together and started a Christian Regency blog, Regency Reflections. I'm doing my first post today, and guess what it's about? Marriage and Weddings. Head on over if you're interested in seeing what all those folk living in Regency England had to go through to get married. Some of the laws were almost cruel.

Unforgetable Moments: Perfect or Bungled?

2012-02-03T05:03:00.006-06:00

I woke up this morning to an email from my agent. IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! is written in the subject line. My debut book, Sanctuary for a Lady, arrived at her office yesterday and should be arriving at my house yesterday or today. Except I'm not home to get them! My mom had ear surgery at the beginning of the week, and I'm 600 miles away from my house--and my books--for eight days. So I'm sitting here wondering, "How on earth did I mess this up? I mean, I've been wanting to open that box and hold a book in my hand for FOREVER! I even have this vision of crying when I first see the book.

Then I remembered a little bit about myself figured out why I'm messing up my "first book moment." You see, I'm also the person who missed "the call" when my editor called to tell me her publisher originally wanted to buy the book. (My mom was visiting and took a message for me to call the editor back. Are you noticing a pattern here?)

And as if messing up my writing moments isn't enough, I'm also the woman who forgot to kiss her husband when he proposed. Seriously, he gets down on bended knee, pops out the ring, and asks the question. And what do I do? I say "Are you for real?" and then don't even remember to kiss him until we're walking back to the car.

So I've decided my personal life is probably part of the reason I like writing so much. I write all those perfect moments for my characters in my novels, because I can write them over and over again until they happen the way they're supposed to. On the flip side, I always seem to mess up the personal moments in my own life. Go figure!

What about you? Have you bungled any of your own "perfect moments?" I'd love to hear some perfect moment bloopers. Or are you the type to walk away from a proposal looking like a princess?

I'll post a picture of me holding my book when I get back home, just so all you wonderful readers can see it. Maybe since I have a week to plan out my hold-your-debut-novel moment, I won't bungle it quite so badly. Okay, that's probably a lie. I'll likely trip over the box of books, hit my head on the hard wood floor, and give myself a concussion. But I can still dream about that moment being perfect, right?

Tips for Packing with a Family

2012-02-01T05:09:00.004-06:00

It's travel time again. And gone are the days when you blissfully threw your clothes into a suitcase and left it in your room for your dad to get and take to the car. YOU are now the parent in charge of not only getting the luggage to the car, but packing that luggage as well. Besides just the clothes, shoes and socks, all of which your two year old may well drag out of the suitcase three minutes after you've put everything in, you also need to pack the diapers, road snacks, road toys (can anyone say portable DVD player?), port-a-crib, and the list goes on, and on, and on. So let me give you a few tips for getting on the road.

1. Clean your house early. Nobody wants to come home from being gone two weeks and walk into a house that looks like it just survived a nuclear holocaust. At the same time, cleaning your house and packing can be a little overwhelming (and impossible). So try cleaning your house earlier in the week, before the crazy packing starts. If you have the floors swept and vacuumed and the bathroom scrubbed, you can do a quick pick-up an hour or two before you walk out the door and know that everything is pretty clean. Not that your house won't have a stray toy littering the floor or a few books stacked on the stairway, but you won't return home to chaos and filth.

2. Take your clothes from the laundry basket and put them straight in the suitcase. The week before leaving, try letting some of the laundry sit until a couple days before you head out. Then do the laundry, drag those suitcases out of the closet, and put the clean clothes straight in the suitcases. Then you won't be folding clothes and putting them away one day only to drag them out the next day and refold them so they fit into your suitcase a little better. This is one of those rare cases where putting off laundry will actually save you time. :)

3. If you'll have use of a washer and dryer, only pack five outfits. Five. Yes, I know it's hard to limit yourself, especially if you have little boys with penchants for getting dirty often. But since I can do laundry every few days, I don't need to take more than five. Plus it's hard enough to make sure those five outfits get back into the suitcase for the return trip. Why add more?

So there you have it. Three tips for packing with your little ones. We'll revisit this topic again on Friday because, well, the more I think about it, the more I realize how many more packing and traveling tips I have. So until then, happy packing!

A special thanks to Melissa Jagears for filling in for the blog on Monday, when I was traveling 600 miles with two little boys. To read her post on living frugally, click here. Or you can visit her blog, where she has a ton of cool frugal tips.

The Top Three Mental Things You Need to Live Frugally

2012-01-30T06:00:00.002-06:00

Naomi asked me to write about the top three things I believe someone needs to do to live frugally. There are a million and one ways to be frugal, but not every frugal tip is right for another. To live a frugal lifestyle, I think that what you do is less important than how you think. So I came up with three things I think enable those that want to live frugally to do so, especially in the United States where abundance is the norm and PayDay Loans are on every corner if that's not enough.

Have a clear reason or goal for why you want to live this lifestyle

Hopefully, the core reason behind living frugally is to live below your means, but what is the underlying moral or principle for why you and your family choose to do so? Is it because you want to remain debt free? To have financial security? To be a faithful steward of what God has given you? To be able to afford to give more to those in poorer situations? To teach your children financial wisdom? etc.

The more specific you can get, the easier it will be to continue a frugal lifestyle when you......

Realize that you are going against the flow

You'd think that living within your means would be applauded, but our soaring national debt is truly just a reflection of the status quo. I've been rather surprised at how often we are made fun of for living frugally, or how many times people buy us items they can't believe we can live without. I've actually had family members and coworkers purchase paper towels, scrubbing bubbles, and pillow pets for us because they thought we were too poor to do so, when we most likely earn the same wage. Evidently the use of cloth napkins, homemade cleaners and our child being without the latest toy fad (though she hadn't any clue what it was since we don't have television) is a wrong that must be righted.

Sometimes when you see others gobble up cool new toys, when you lament that your siding will probably rot off before you can save up the cash to replace it while your friends move into a nice new house, when you get razzed for bringing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to work every day for five years, it can be tough to fight envy, especially in the USA when it would be so easy to drop by a store and purchase an item you are in need of, but are you truly in need? Or do you need to.......

Learn to avoid functional fixedness

Sometimes a need to buy something is really just a lack of imagination or resourcefulness. Why buy paper towels to use as napkins when a few cloth napkins in every washer load won't affect your utilities a bit? Why buy taco seasoning when you already have every ingredient needed in your cabinet? Why buy special liners for your food dehydrator when your cold cereal plastic bags can be cut and used? Why buy cloth diapers when you can make them from discarded clothing? Why purchase a shoe organizer when you have an empty bookshelf taking up space in the garage? Why use bleach when the sun does the job for free?

Sometimes I find that if I just sit and think for a few days I'll discover how to meet my need for free with stuff I already have on hand. I started my Making Do with the Not So New blog when people thought I was rather ingenious for coming up with some ways to avoid spending money, but through the online community I found out I'm not the only smart one. The online community of frugal people is a real treasure, not only because of the ideas they share, but the camaraderie you are not the only freak trying to live simply and spend wisely.

Melissa Jagears is a stay-at-home mom who writes fiction into the wee hours of the night.

If you read Christian Historical Fiction, check out her Inspirational Historical Fiction Index to find those books sorted by setting, decade and other subjects.

If you are interested in frugality, check out the archives of her Making Do With the Not So New blog.

Take a Break: and Survey the Cross

2012-01-27T05:06:00.003-06:00

Hello all you wonderful blog readers. How's your week been? Mine's been a bit crazy, as we're getting ready to leave for a two week trip. No, not to the Bahamas (sad, I know, I since we've had three winter storm warnings in six days). My mom's having pretty serious surgery on Monday, so we're going for a little visit. With all the packing and writing and cleaning I've been doing, I needed a little break. So I hopped on over to YouTube and found the most beautiful hymn. Enjoy.

What about you? When you get so busy you can hardly stand up straight, how do you de-stress?

Birthday Traditions: Creating a Special Day

2012-01-25T07:23:00.003-06:00

Do you have special memories of birthdays when you were younger? Did your whole family gather around a candle-lit cake and sing to you? Did you wrap presents and give them to what ever sibling or parent was having a birthday? I remember doing all of the above, special memories and sweet thoughts that still bring a smile to my face when I think of them.

Now that I'm the mom, and no longer the child, it's my job to make the memories extra special for my children. Gulp.

At our house we don't go all-out ever year, holding a themed birthday party complete with favors and a clown appearance. We keep it simple, but special. Here's a few practical ideas that might be easy on your budget as well.

1. Let your child pick the cake he or she wants. My five year old got a specially decorated cake complete with dump trucks and rock candy for his birthday. My two year old went for taste over decorations and got a homemade chocolate cake (do not ask how long it took me to bake the monstrosity). But regardless of how the cake ends up looking or tasting, the important thing is that you put more effort into the cake than dumping a box mix together last minute. You planned ahead. You asked your child what she wanted the week before. You saw his face light up the first time he looked at the cake. These things matter to your little ones. They will create simple memories that will stick with them.

2. Let your child pick the meal he or she wants. We feasted on hotdogs when my youngest turned two. Hotdogs, mac n' cheese, and cake. We simply couldn't eat anything else given how much he loves hotdogs! Yes, it was a simple meal, but it again shows that your child's wishes are important to you.

3. Invite a friend or two to share the day. You don't need to have an all out party. You could even invite a friends family, which we do fairly often. But just getting an extra face over for the birthday dinner will mean something to your child.

So there you are. Three simple birthday tips that don't cost much but will show your child that he or she is important. And for those of you curious about the chocolate cake we devoured earlier this week, it's called Chocolate Truffle Cake and was featured in a Taste of Home magazine a couple years back. It's the best chocolate cake I've ever had and is quickly becoming a birthday tradition around our house. You can find the recipe here.

Thankful for : Birthdays

2012-01-23T08:20:00.005-06:00

My youngest son turns two today. I went to the crib this morning and pulled his warm little body out from beneath the pile of blankets. He huddled against my chest and said "Hi,"--like he says every morning when I come into the room.

His five-year-old brother danced in and started jumping on the bed." Jeremiah's birthday's today. Can he open his presents?" To him, a birthday means presents and cake, what else?

"Not yet," I say, as I huddle Jeremiah closer and let my mind drift back to two years ago today. I was sore. I was tired. But I was already holding a precious little baby in my arms.

To Jeremiah, today is just another day. He'll enjoy the hot dogs (his favorite food) and chocolate cake we'll eat tonight. He'll enjoy the toys, though he won't understand why he gets them.

Jeremiah squirms, and I realize I'm pressing him too tight as I remember first holding the precious baby that almost didn't make it into the world. So I loosen my grip and snuggle my cheek against the top of Jeremiah's soft hair, and I remember.

I am thankful for my son:
For the gift of raising him and caring for him.
For the smile on his face when he's happy.
For the tears when he's sad.
For the way his eyes light up and he runs to hug me after I get home from being gone a few hours.

What about you? What are you thankful for when you look at your child today?

And the Winner is . . .

2012-01-21T11:28:00.005-06:00

Martha A!

Congratulations to Martha, for winning this week's giveaway, an ebook copy of Dance of the Dandelion by author Dina Sleiman. If you haven't stopped by and read Dina's interview yet, you're welcome to do so. She also left us with a great veggie recipe.

Product Review: Scentsy Pot

2012-01-20T05:49:00.008-06:00

One of the favorite gifts I received this Christmas was a Scentsy Pot. These little pots have a light bulb inside them and a wax holder on top, and when you turn the pot on and melt the wax in the top, they release any variety of scents.

Now admittedly, there are a zillion scent-releasing items available to shoppers today. Anything from scented candles to tea-light pots that also melt wax to outlet plug-ins. So let me list why I like my pot so much.

1. It doesn't get hot--which is really nice, considering I have two little boys under five years old who are endlessly curious about any new thing mom gets. This is one of Scentsy's biggest boasts: the pot doesn't get hot enough to burn. Don't ask me how they manage this. But I'll verify that though the outside of the pot gets warm, it doesn't burn. Even the melted Scentsy wax isn't hot enough to burn.

2. It doesn't use a candle. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to make our house smell pleasant by using a scented candle of some sort. It doesn't matter where I put the candle or what type of candle I use, one of my boys will find a way to play with it. They'll climb on the table to get it or dump the melted wax into one of their play dishes. My eldest even singed the hair on a couple of his stuffed animals once. No, I am not a bad mom who doesn't watch my kids and lets them play with fire. It's just that a candle is far too fascinating for little boys, and the second mom's back is turned, they're into it.

3. It scents the entire downstairs of our house. Granted, our house isn't very big. But even with the pot plugged in the kitchen at the back of our house, I walk in the front door and smell it.

4. The scent lasts a long time. I've used scented wax before, and it always seemed that the wax would loose its scent long before the wax evaporated. I haven't noticed that with the Scentsy brand wax. I'm sure it will eventually loose its scent; it would have to. But I've been using the scents for about a month, switching them alternately back and forth, and I haven't thrown any wax out yet.

An interesting variable: I picked up some cheaper wax from WalMart ($2 for a brick with six cubes). I wanted to see if the pot got hot enough to melt all waxes, or if I had to use only the Scentsy brand. The pot melted the wax and released a wonderful aroma. However, the melted Walmart wax is hotter than the melted Scentsy wax. If a young child dipped his or her fingers in the wax, it might burn for a couple seconds, though I doubt it would do more than leave a red mark. Also, the Walmart wax seemed to loose its scent quicker than the Scentsy. After two days time, had to replace the wax, though that still comes out to paying under a quarter a day for the scent.

Scentsy sells its products through home-based sales representatives (similar to Mary Kay). If you want more information or to get in contact with one of their sales reps, go to their website Scentsy.net. And as I'm writing this post at the table, my kitchen is filled with the wonderful aroma of Black Raspberry Vanilla. Thank you Scentsy.

Tomorrow I'll be announcing the winner of a free ebook copy of Dina Sleiman's Dance of the Dandelion. If you haven't stopped by that post and left a comment and email address, be sure to do so, and you'll be entered in the contest. Otherwise, have a wonderful weekend!

Easy Vegetable Snack Recipe with Author Dina Sleiman

2012-01-18T05:36:00.007-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Naomi here, and we're back again with author Dina Sleiman, who's sharing one of her favorite veggie recipes with us. She claims it has her kids fighting over who gets to eat the most.

Easy Veggie Snack Recipe

1. Slather finger-food size cuts of veggies in olive oil. (Try carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus, or any other finger vegetable you can imagine.)

2. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Roast on cookie sheet at 435 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, until the olive oil caramelizes.

I'm hoping to try this with some celery and carrots later today, and Dina claims this recipe is unbelievably yummy. Plus it sounds easy enough that your little ones could help make it. (My five year old is obsessed with helping in the kitchen right now.)

Thanks for the recipe, Dina! And remember that our giveaway for an ebook copy of Dina's book lasts through midnight on Friday, January 20. If you haven't entered yourself in the give away, stop by our interview with Dina and leave a comment with your name and email.

And without further ado, here's more about Dina's debut novel, Dance of the Dandelion:

Dandelion Dering was born a peasant in the English village of Arun, but her soul yearned for another life, another world. One filled with color and music, with adventure and passion . . . with more. Haunted by childhood memories, Dandelion determines to find a better existence than the life every peasant in the village contents themselves with. Even if her sweetheart William’s predictions prove true, and her journey leads straight to heartache. From her sleepy hamlet to the intrigue of castle life, from the heart of London to the adventurous seas, Dandelion flees from the mistakes of her past, always seeking that something, that someone who will satisfy her longings. Will Dandelion ever find the rhythm to her life's dance . . . or did she leave her chance for true love at home in Arun village?

Interview and Giveaway with Author Dina Sleiman

2012-01-14T13:30:00.008-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Naomi here, introducing a special guest today, Dina Sleiman, author of Dance of the Dandelion. Dina writes lyrical stories that dance with light. Most of the time you will find this Virginia Beach resident reading, biking, dancing, or hanging out with her husband and three children, preferably at the oceanfront. Since finishing her Professional Writing MA in 1994, she has enjoyed many opportunities to teach literature, writing, and the arts. She was the Overall Winner in the 2009 Touched by Love contest for unpublished authors. Her debut novel, Dance of the Dandelion with Whitefire Publishing, is now available at amazon and other online and ebook distributors. Dina is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. She has recently become an acquisitions editor for WhiteFire as well and enjoys blogging at Inkwell Inspirations. Join her as she discovers the unforced rhythms of grace.

Thanks for that introduction Dina. Dina will be giving away a coupon for an ebook copy of Dance of the Dandelion with no limitations. In fact, if you already own Dandelion, you can use it for another one of our WhiteFire novels.

Can you start by telling me about your family? How many children do you have, and if they still live at home, how old are they?
I have a daughter, Christiana age 17, and two sons, Jonathan age 14 and Adam age 9.

I grew up in a family of three siblings as well. It was often entertaining. :) Why did you choose to work from home rather than find a job elsewhere?
I am not supermom. I can’t even imagine coming home after a long day of work and still needing to take care of my home and my children. Previously, I have worked part time outside of the home teaching English, dance, etc… More than about 10 hours a week really drained me. Writing from home fits my schedule and my lifestyle well. And besides that, writing is what I’ve always desired to do. I think at the end of the day, if you love what you do, you’ll thrive. Teaching drained me. Office work or physical labor would be much worse. But writing fuels me.

That sounds so inspiring. I'm glad you're able to do what you love. What is the most challenging aspect of working from home while raising children?
My children are school aged. So the biggest challenge to me is balancing my time during summer break. It would be easy for me to hide in my room with my computer all day, but I try to do plenty of activities with them.

When they were little, I kept my writing small to match. Poetry and skits for church mostly. I actually started my first novel while homeschooling. At that time I wrote mostly on weekends or when I could get away for a few days. Personally, I have a hard time writing with noise and chaos in the background. But I know some young mothers are able to write through anything.

Ah, I'm the same way. I cannot write with chaos in the background. But my kids are still young, so sometimes I have to be rather creative with my ways to sneak writing time. Did you ever get your children involved with your home business? What advice would you give mothers thinking about having their children help with their business?
Hmm. I suppose in a way I do. My daughter critiques all my books. In fact, I can safely say she’s my hardest critic and doesn’t pull any punches. She’s also the cover model for my debut book. And my nine-year-old son is already writing novels. I could imagine co-authoring a young adult book with him at some point in the future for publication. I have some funny little snippets of stories he wrote at age six in a nonfiction book that might be releasing next year.

The only advice I have on this issue is that when children see their mothers pursuing their goals with passion, they will naturally do the same. So whether or not your children help with your business, just watching you work toward your dreams will encourage them that they can attain theirs.

I love what you said about teaching your children to pursue their goals with passion. It sounds as though your children have a wonderful role model in you! What challenges did working from home present to your marriage, and how did you compensate?
Early in our marriage, my husband did not support my writing. He felt like if I worked, it should be for guaranteed cash. But we’ve come a long way in understanding each other. Once his career became stable, he didn’t mind me writing for my own enjoyment. And he’s seen how writing makes me a happier person. I think I’m a better wife and mother when writing because I’m more content and fulfilled. One of the lessons I’ve learned is to be sure to communicate what I’m working on and how long it will take so that he knows what to expect. For instance during my book in a month challenge, I told the family not to expect much of me and that I might let the house go for a while, but that I’d be back to normal in December.

I'm glad you got things worked out with your husband. I'm blessed with a husband that, by and large, supports my writing endeavors, even if he doesn't always understand them. If you could start all over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?
I might have started working on my novels sooner and stayed more in touch with the writing world. But that’s mostly logic talking. I feel like I followed God’s leading to the best of my understanding every step along the way. During the time I wasn’t writing, I did a lot of living, including church ministry. And I feel like that strengthens my books.

Is it worth it? What keeps you home instead of having an outside career?
Honestly, the idea of an outside career does not appeal to me. When my children are grown, I could imagine myself teaching again, but at this point I need to save all my attention and patience for them. I actually have a very introverted personality, and living with four extroverts takes up all my social energy.

Thanks so much for the encouragement and advice, Dina. It sounds as though you've really found a good balance between your home and your work. Dina will be back with us on Wednesday, sharing a simple recipe. To be entered in Dina's giveaway, be sure to leave a comment below, followed by your email address so I have a way of contacting the winner, whom I will announce on Saturday. And without further ado, here's more on Dina's debut novel, which I read and loved, Dance of the Dandelion.

Love's quest leads her the world over.

Dandelion Dering was born a peasant in the English village of Arun, but her soul yearned for another life, another world. One filled with color and music, with adventure and passion . . . with more. Haunted by childhood memories, Dandelion determines to find a better existence than the life every peasant in the village contents themselves with. Even if her sweetheart William’s predictions prove true, and her journey leads straight to heartache. From her sleepy hamlet to the intrigue of castle life, from the heart of London to the adventurous seas, Dandelion flees from the mistakes of her past, always seeking that something, that someone who will satisfy her longings. Will Dandelion ever find the rhythm to her life's dance . . . or did she leave her chance for true love at home in Arun village?

To find out more about Dina, be sure to visit her website. www.dinasleiman.com

Good Intentions

2012-01-13T06:24:00.000-06:00

During a recent visit with my parents, we all went out to our favorite pizza buffet restaurant, and our four children asked to sit at their own table. We picked a table right beside ours and my husband and I sat with our backs to our children, in order to keep an eye on them.

Near the end of the meal, a woman stopped by our table, obviously upset, to say that, “Someone should tell those girls that it’s not polite to point, make faces and laugh at people.” Somewhat taken aback, I stammered out an apology and then turned to ask the girls what had happened.

The girls in question—ages 9 and 7—vehemently denied having done such a thing, the older one beginning to cry at the accusations. Upon further questioning, it came out that the pair had been engaged in their own storytelling that involved making funny faces and gesturing to the opposite wall, which would have meant those sitting in their path could have misconstrued the situation. Added to their explanation was the fact that we have never seen them behave in such a way toward anyone, we were inclined to believe them. The girls themselves were suitably chastised by the encounter.

But it presented an excellent opportunity to discuss our intentions and how those can be mistaken by others as not good. Their making faces and pointing in public had been misinterpreted by someone as directed at them—and it didn’t paint a flattering picture of the girls’ behavior or character.

We also talked about how the woman must have felt to think they were making fun of her appearance, and how devastated the girls would have felt had they seen someone doing similar things ostensibly about them. Too many times, we forget to talk to our children about trying to avoid the “appearance of evil” in their actions, especially in public or school. While some people will find fault in everything, many times situations like the one discussed in this post could have been avoided if we had curbed our own actions.

It’s a hard lesson to learn, but a vital one that good intentions are not the only thing we need to keep in mind—that we need to have a thought for our fellow man and how our actions might impact him.

Take a Break from Your Busy Week

2012-01-11T07:53:00.006-06:00

Happy Wednesday, everybody! Are you stuck in the middle of a busy, overwhelming week? I sure am. We're doing some maintenance work at the church where my husband pastors, which means ripping up old cement, cleaning out some drainage tile, painting, and the like. Plus I had an emergency proposal request from my agent yesterday, and we've got even more things going as the week races to a close.

Regardless of how busy you are (or aren't), take a moment to listen to this beautiful hymn, view the lovely pictures, and give yourself a slight break from life's busyness.

On Friday, we'll be hearing from one of our favorite contributors, Sarah. So be sure to check back in.

Praying for Our Kids

2012-01-09T05:45:00.007-06:00

One of the benefits of being a pastor's wife is I get to listen to lots of great sermons delivered by my wonderful husband. Yesterday he preached on intercessory prayer from Genesis 18.

To briefly summarize, it's the story of God deciding to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God tells Abraham of His plans, and Abraham says "Wait! You can't destroy it. My friend Lot and his family are there. Surely the city isn't that sinful and wicked. If you find, say, 50 righteous people living there, will you spare it?"

And God says, "Yes, I'll spare it for 50 people." Except He doesn't find 50 righteous people, so Abraham goes back to God and asks God to spare it for 40 people, then 30 and 20 and finally 10.

God doesn't spare the cities, which is sad and a whole other topic in that ten God-honoring people couldn't be found in two cities. But God still partly answers Abraham's prayers and saves Lot and his family.

There's amazing power in intercessory prayer. Through prayer, Abraham begged that two entire cities be saved, and he would have gotten his wish--had there been righteous people in those cities.

And so, as we think about how powerful prayer is, and how much good prayer can do in our lives and our country, I'm wondering how often we pray for our kids. I'm not talking about little prayers like "God, please help Sammy to have a good day at school" or "God, let Sammy score a goal in hockey today," or "God, give Sammy a good grade on this test."

Really, truly, how often do we get down on our knees and beg the Creator of the Universe to intercede in our children's lives?

God has given me two precious little boys, and I only have one chance to raise them. I'm going to start praying harder for my little ones, and I hope you'll join me in praying harder for your children as well.

*****

Angie Dicken is hosting me over on Writer's Alley today. I'm being interviewed on entering your unpublished manuscript in writing contests, particularly ACFW's Genesis contest (which I finaled in last year). Stop by and say hi if you have a chance, and feel free to ask lots of questions. I'll do my best to answer them.

Also, if you like the photo of my little guys at the top of the page, be sure to check out Michaela Wickman at www.michaelawickmanphotography.com. Michaela took some author and family pictures for us last fall, and she did a wonderful job! She'd going to be appearing on our blog in February and giving away some photos.

Product Review: Crayola Story Studio

2012-01-06T05:48:00.004-06:00

For Christmas this year, my five-year-old son received Crayola's Story Studio Spider-Man Comic Book Maker. The set came with colored pencils, printer paper, and an access code so that we could log onto the Crayola Story Studio website and make comic books.

I wasn't sure how the "comic book making" would go. After all, my son is only five, and the package said ages six and up. But in short, he LOVED it. It's probably been his favorite present so far.

The coolest thing about the story studio is that it allows you to insert your own character into the story. And you literally get to build this character, which means you can not only name the character after your child, but you can build him to look somewhat like your child as well.

The site also features a photo upload to build your character. Just a warning, but the photo/character look-alike doesn't come out the way it appears on the advertising. Uploading your child's photo only gives you a basic head shape and nothing else. You still have to build your character from scratch. This wasn't an issue for me or my son, who wanted a character with crazy hair and who wears a crown, not one who looks exactly like him. But I've read some reviews where parents were pretty miffed about the character not looking close enough to their child when all was said and done.

So how does the site work? It essentially gives you a series of choices. You pick the shape of your character's head, then his hair, eyes, mouth, ears, super power, cape, boots, etc. Then you pick your bad guy, and you get a nine page story based on the bad guy you've picked. Inside the story, most pages offer things you can change. So your child chooses whether the Green Goblin gets trapped by a web or a cage, whether Spider-Man stands in front of a car or rocket ship.

After you're finished, you can save, download, and print the story. The cover prints in color, and everything else is black and white. Nine pages of comic book is a LOT for a five year old to color. I doubt he'll ever color one of the stories completely. But he's still thrilled to have a story he created. As you can well imagine, we already have a story featuring my oldest, Nathanael, and my youngest, Jeremiah.

You can purchase stories for boys or girls. My son received the Spider-Man one, but Cars and Fairy Tale Princesses are also available, with Barbie and Star Wars coming soon. The site allows you to save ten characters and ten stories to it, and you can delete these stories as you save to the computer. Overall, I'm pleased with this product, and I'm thinking my son will enjoy the $10.00 present for a long time to come. Because it's pretty cool to put yourself into a story with your favorite super hero. :-)

Encouragement after the Holidays

2012-01-04T05:39:00.002-06:00

Hello Everyone,

I don't know about you, but I've sure had a busy holiday season. At times over the past three weeks, life has been so crazy I've nearly forgotten to breath. Or clean the bathroom, do laundry, write thank you cards . . . you get the idea. So I wanted to leave you with some encouragement from God's Word.

Galations 6:9 says, "And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not."

Now that the holidays are over and life is swinging back into normal for most of us, let's not grow discouraged with all the regular, daily demands of homemaking and raising kids. Keep plugging on, and God promises you will reap rewards when the time comes.

Changes to Making Home Work in 2012

2012-01-02T05:30:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed your first forays into the coming year of 2012 on Saturday night and Sunday. Many of you probably have one more blissful day of a holiday break left before you head back to work and your youngin's head back to school. Or maybe both you and your youngins will be heading back to the kitchen table for homeschooling come tomorrow. :)

As you commence with your busy lives, I wanted to take a minute to let you know of some changes that will be taking place to Making Home Work this year. As some of you know, a group of moms of varying ages and abilities started this blog last February. Looking forward to the new year, several of those moms have decided to stop blogging here as they need more time to attend some of their other responsibilities.

We're sad to see them go and will miss all those leaving us, but at the same time, we're excited about some of the new changes, which I've listed below.

1. I'm going to be the main blogger for Making Home Work. This means you'll be hearing from me 2-3 times a week. Hopefully you'll be able to stomach so much of one person. :-)

2. Three of our contributors will continue blogging on a once monthly schedule. They will post on Fridays, and if you want to meet them (or myself) you can find us on the "about us" page.

3. The posts will be more encouraging in nature with less of a "how-to" feel.

4. This one isn't so much of a change, but we still plan to blog on the same topics, featuring tips, advice, and encouragement from other moms.

Thanks so much for visiting Making Home Work in 2012. I'm excited about the changes in store. I hope you are as well.

What about you? Do you have any big changes coming in 2012? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section.

Year in Review: What's Realy Important?

2011-12-29T19:06:00.008-06:00

Every time I've hopped on the internet this week, I'm inundated with headlines like: "Best and Worst of Reality TV in 2011," "Worst Celebrity Break Ups of 2011," "Most Beautiful Celebrity Weddings of 2011," "Most Influential Celebrity of 2011," "Celebrities Who Had Ingrown Toenails in 2011" . . . okay, maybe not the ingrown toenail article, but you get the idea.

As January 1 approaches, everybody everywhere has some list we're supposed to read to about people who are more important than us. Personally, I think we'd be a lot better to evaluating our own lives rather than some celebrity's. So as you approach the new year, I encourage you to make your own 2011-2012 lists and ask yourself several things to improve your life:

1. What's most important to me?
Go ahead. List out the top five or ten things that are, or should be, most important. For me, the list would look something like:

a. My relationship with God
b. My relationship with my husband
c. Raising my two little boys to love and honor God
d. Growing my writing career
e. Ministering to others

2. What did these aspects of my life look like twelve months ago?
Go ahead, ask yourself the question and spend some time analyzing the list. Can you see how your relationship with God has grown over the past year. Is your relationship with your husband in a better place than it was one year ago today? The answers to these questions should be yes, but far to often, if I honestly evaluate my own life, I have to answer "No" or "not as much as I'd like."

3. Where do I want to be in another 12 months?
Now look at your list and ask yourself this last question. Write down some tangible goals in every area, save the piece of paper, and work toward those goals in the coming year. When you feel yourself loosing sight of what's most important (and we all do this) take the list out and remind yourself of your goals. Then next year at this time, pull that paper back out and evaluate your life. See if your New Year's Resolutions really stuck.

If we're really interested in changing, growing, and becoming better people, then we need to take a clear, honest look at our own goals and priorities, rather than be concerned with what happened to a bunch of celebrities, whom most of us will never even meet.

Now that you know what my goals and priorities are for 2012, why don't you share some of yours? Leave a comment below, and thanks for stopping by. I'll be back on Monday, announcing some changes for 2012 to Making Home Work. And in the meantime, Happy New Year!!!

Homemade Christmas Gifts

2011-12-28T01:00:00.002-06:00

If you were anything like my mother, when it came time to give gifts to friends and acquaintances like teachers, pastors, and neighbors, you filled baskets with homemade jam and fruit bread. If you were anything like my grandmother, you spent the year knitting scarves and hats and gloves and even homemade Christmas stockings with each person's name spelled out across the top to give to your children and grandchildren. (That Christmas stocking is probably my favorite ever homemade gift.)

While I'm not "Mrs. Crafty Homemaker," I still manage to make homemade gifts. So what did I make this year? Chocolate covered pretzels and nuts, and caramel corn (you can find the pretzel recipe here and the caramel corn recipe here). I handed them out to church members and friends and even managed to save some for around the house. Next year I'm hoping to find something my five year old will be able to help make.

And guess what? I even received a homemade gift from my husband. A homemade toilet paper holder. Yes really. You may wonder why my husband didn't simply buy me a toilet paper holder. Well, first because he's really handy and enjoys woodworking, and second because this one looks great with the custom cedar trim in our bathroom.

So what about you? Do you have a favorite ever homemade gift? Or do you have an example of a really great gift that you've made? I'd love to hear about some new ideas.

Creating Memories: Holiday Traditions

2011-12-25T19:09:00.010-06:00

Hey Everyone,

Naomi here, and happy day after Christmas. I trust you had a fabulous time on Christmas and Christmas Eve, sharing food and fun with families, opening presents, and remembering Christ's birth.

Every Christmas, not only do I enjoy the typical delights of food and presents, but I also enjoy thinking back to those Christmases long ago and reflecting on the special memories that surface. For example, when I was growing up, we always piled onto my parents bed and read the Christmas story before we opened presents. That's a memory I cherish, not just the reading of Scripture, but the "piling on the bed" part could get rather interesting. And it's a tradition me and my family still uphold.

I'd wager that most of you have memories from past Christmases that you still cherish today. So my question is, What holiday traditions are you creating for your kids? They will grow up one day. They will leave the nostalgic Christmas atmosphere you've maintained and make their own.

This year I started--or attempted to start--a new tradition with my son. We made a ginger bread house for a local competition. Did I enjoy making the gingerbread? No. Did I enjoy making the frosting? Nope. Putting the house together? Nada.

So before I sound like a complete Scrooge, let me tell you why I did it. MY SON.

I knew he would love to decorate the house. And he did. His face lit with delight each time he placed a gumdrop on the roof or a candy cane over the door. And I hope he will look back on it one day as a fond Christmas memory. Will we do it every year? I have no idea. I think it will make a good tradition, and so I might be willing to put up with the mess in the kitchen and frustration of getting the walls to stand up straight.

But my point is this: Creating memories takes effort and time. So we might need to set aside an afternoon to take the kids skating or build a snowman or make a gingerbread house. But the memories one day will be worth it.

What special traditions do you have in your family? Have you carried any over from when you were a child? Did you establish something new? And if you haven't found time to do something special with your children yet this holiday season, you still have one week left! Block out an afternoon on your calendar and go make some memories.

Wishing you all blessed holiday season,
Naomi

P. S. For those of you wondering how my son fared in the gingerbread competition, he didn't. His toddler brother scooted a chair up to the counter, climbed up, and pulled half the gumdrops off before I caught him. Maybe next year the house will actually make it to the competition. :)

You Need A Budget Software Review

2011-12-21T03:59:00.071-06:00

My first year of marriage, I was still in school and we made a total of $21,000/yr. and every month I worked to keep the check register above zero. Then I got a job teaching and made $34,000/yr by myself and STILL had to keep the check register above zero. When I noted that after a few months I knew something was wrong.

I first used Larry Burkett's Crown Financial Envelope system and photocopied pages, but that got cumbersome and complicated when I was trying to keep track of small temporary things I was saving for. And just last year, I did Dave Ramsey--good information--but the budget system was similar to Burkett's and I'd never change from my budget software (YNAB or You Need A Budget) which I've been using for over 5 years.

It practices one tenet that neither Larry Burkett or Dave Ramsey seem to advocate--living on last month's money. If you don't make a set amount of money, I believe it is a must! And even though my income doesn't change much anymore, I still wouldn't change back to living on the money I'm making today.

Here's a video on the 4 rules YNAB teaches, including living on last month's income:

This software does cost $60 but it is very worth it. If you do a paper copied budget, it will save you paper and ink cost, and that alone becomes worth it after a year or two, but it makes working with your budget so much easier and takes less time and time is money, right? When I've counseled people about their finances and realize they have no money, I still recommend that they find the $60, because if they use this system, they'll save that money easily.

If your budget is frustrating or not working well or you don't have one--You Need A Budget!

The only con I have with this software is its reports. I hardly have a need for the reports, but the few times I've wanted to use it, it's not that great, it has set reports for you to look at and isn't very customizable. Also, I'd like to print my transactions for an entire year, but you have to print them all which when you've used this for several years, that's annoying. But, that said, the reports being as they are, I still recommend it highly, plus the guy behind it always takes suggestions and one of these days he'll take mine, right?

So, how has the budget software helped me? Staying home, we now make less than when I was a teacher, but we adjusted easily with the help of this software. Instead of having to be careful to keep my check register above zero, I normally have heart flutters if it's below one month's budget which is a little over a couple thousand dollars, however with the third rule, the heart flutters are minimal because I know even if I messed up, I can easily recover without worrying about incurring fees or bouncing checks or anything of that sort. But I rarely have those heart flutters because I normally have much more money than that since I now save for my auto tags instead of letting those "surprise" and bankrupt me, and I know exactly how much money I can spend on clothing if I go shopping on a whim without hurting my ability to pay the bills.

Seriously, you should get it unless you have a good, easy-to-track budget system in place that is helping you meet your money goals.

(You can watch more than one account with the software, so I run my business budget and home budget with the same software.)

Family Meetings

2011-12-14T02:00:00.003-06:00

With the holidays swirling everyone into a flurry of expectations and some anxiety, our family time has been severely distracted with talk of presents and programs, giving and returning!!! Life is racing full speed ahead, and with all the “stuff” that is thrown at us this time of year, it makes it difficult to see straight! So, when I began to brainstorm for this post (later than I would have liked!) the words “Family meetings” kept popping into my head.

Family meetings have become a most important tool in our family. They usually occur when the kids have broken through boundaries and dance around like they are in the Lord of the Flies, and Mama is stressed out and focused on everything else besides the kids. It is at these moments, that we finally freeze and my husband and I throw together a quick outline for a family meeting...and then hold it with a fresh breath of order.

Whether it is implementing a responsibility chart, tweaking our discipline strategy, hashing out our schedules of sports, or Mama's writing time, Family meetings center us again, and provide us with:

Unity: Obviously, a family meeting brings a family together. But it also gives the family a chance to work out the kinks and move forward as one unit...many parts that work together for the same goals. If everyone knows their role and what is expected, then unity can be achieved.

Respect: You may think I am talking about children respecting their parents, and I am, but I also mean the other way around too. When you sit down with your kids, and listen to them, and give them a chance to help form a plan, they feel a part of something and feel respected. This may not be a big deal when they are young, but when you have teenagers to raise, laying a foundation of respect may be vital to open communication with your kids.

Fresh Start: Everyone goes through stages-- especially the kids. Sometimes our strategies to handle behavior or routine are outgrown. And, we aren't always perfect at implementing them anyway (uh, for me, hardly ever!) So a family meeting gives us a chance to start over. Take a deep breath and no that there is hope for “making home work!”

Have you had successful family meetings? Are there any other things you do to keep chaos from consuming the way your family functions?

Hungry, Hungry Hippos

2011-12-12T00:05:00.000-06:00

This has been one of those weeks, when no matter what I feed my kids, in 10 minutes they are "starving" and need something to eat. I feel like I'm playing a giant game of hungry, hungry hippos on my dining room table whenever I sit food in front of them. And when all the marbles are gone, instead of a winner, I have three whiners, who all want more food! (spoken tongue in cheek of course.) Add to this my EBF (extended breast feeding) toddler thinks that she needs to nurse around the clock again, we were down to only before nap/bedtime, and I'm hungry all the time. She must be ready for a growth spurt or something.

I usually offer them carrot sticks, apples or bananas. Sometimes crackers, pretzels or cheddar bunnies. I recently purchased 20# of apples through our buying club, so they've had all the apples they care to eat fresh. And the bananas are usually all gone by this late in the pay cycle. Once the fresh 'naners are gone, I usually have a reserve of frozen ones for making smoothies with, but alas, those are depleted as well! I really need to do some stocking up!

So I'm down to the last resort~bake something. I do like to bake, I really do, it's the cleaning up part that I loathe. So after I put the kids down for nap time, I flip through my cookbook looking for some sort of drop, no-bake cookie that I can make more "healthier" and hope that it works out! And hopefully something that doesn't take an hour to do. Here's what I ended up with:

Puffed Rice & Peanut Butter No-Bakes
1/3 cup Honey (instead of nasty corn syrup)
2 Tbsp Sucanat, Rapadura (natural, dried can juice with no refining/bleaching)
Bring to a good roiling boil.
Then add:
1/2 cup Peanut butter, raw/unsweetened
1/4 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Puffed Rice Cereal (our local stores carry a 'whole grain' brand that's only $1 per bag.) or you could use a crisp rice cereal as well.
Stir together, then drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper to set up.
makes apx 16 cookies.
Small batch? Yep, on purpose. If I make it any larger, then I tend to eat way more than I should! So I try to keep the batch sizes small to compensate for my lack of willpower.
Slightly sweet with the rich taste of peanut butter. Yummy!

Once in a while we have a purely decadent 'treat' that has no nutritional value what so ever, but those are pretty rare here! We strive to eat healthier at home, and limit our eating out, so our treats need to be extra special and healthy too. Our main reason for our diet is health, we want the best health possible of course! But also we limit our "junk food" and eating out for financial reasons.

Eating out is one of those areas where money just vanishes, quickly. We usually budget eating out 2 times per month, or once per pay period. Sometimes we go over, sometime we don't go at all. Being the stay at home mom that I am, I'm always looking for ways to cut back on expenses while still providing delicious foods for our family. Eating out is a real temptation to me. Not having to clean up that mess! As you all are aware, the prices at the grocery store just keep going up. I'm finding that my regular purchases are costing more and thus need to cut back on those comfort food meals and stick to more "beans and cornbread" meals. Cutting back on the expensive foods, like meats, and offering more fillers, like veggies and starches. Also trimming portions = more 'snacking' in between meals. So I struggle to find healthy, inexpensive snacks to help the kids make it dinner.

I would love to hear your healthy snack ideas and how you cope with your"Hungry, Hungry Hippos"!

Attack of the Messy House!

2011-12-07T04:56:00.004-06:00

There are many things I would rather do than clean my house. If it weren’t for hosting a weekly women’s Bible study on Wednesday mornings, my house would probably not get cleaned on a regular basis. A few times a year, I treat myself to hiring a cleaning service (usually through a Groupon or Living Social deal) and the spectacular results make my heart sing in gratitude.

However, with four kids, a husband and two cats, I have to clean on a regular basis. I’m fortunate in that my husband cleans the bathrooms at least twice a month and my kids can do the wipe-down method with those cleaning cloths in between times. (Yes, he does a great job, but no, it’s not how I would do it. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in nearly a dozen years of marriage—if your husband is willing to clean the bathrooms and the results are clean enough, then step back, let go and enjoy!)

Being a left-brained, organized (at times, overly so) person, I approach cleaning systematically and orderly. At times, though, the clutter and messiness of my house can be overwhelming, and that’s when I employ the Kamikaze Cleaning method, developed by my friend, Stephanie Buckwalter.

The Kamikaze method is designed to be easy, keep the decision-making to a minimum, and start the long-term project of getting your whole house livable again. “This is really about getting your house presentable so you can let people in the front door again. A side bonus is that you will be able to function in your space again. You might even get a few kudos from your family,” she writes in her e-book, Kamikaze Cleaning.

With Christmas around the corner, there’s time to get your house in order before the big day. “Basically, the method involves putting everything into boxes that you don’t use right now in your life,” says Stephanie. “You can do a whole room in three passes and have it ready in time for the holidays.”

This month, Stephanie’s giving away a copy of her ebook Preparing Your Home for the Holidays, which tells you how to clean the high visibility areas for the greatest impact. Sign up for her free e-newsletter at http://www.busyhomemaker.com/ by Dec. 12 to get your copy of Preparing Your Home for the Holidays.

Sarah Hamaker is a freelance writer and editor, and author of Hired@Home, a guide to unlocking women’s work-from-home potential now available on Kindle. Her stories have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband and four children. Visit her online at http://www.sarahhamaker.com/, where she blogs about working from home.

Interview ~ Teresa LaForte-Scott

2011-12-05T15:47:00.000-06:00

Teresa LaForte-Scott wears many hats. I was fortunate to spend some time talking to her one afternoon, about life.

Teresa is a mother and wife, living in Southeast Kansas, where she was born and raised with ten siblings. She and her husband have three daughters and four grandchildren, along with two special needs sons, who were foster children and have since been adopted.

Teresa and her husband have a thrift store and furniture-type business called The Treasure Hunt in downtown Neodesha, Kansas. Opening the store was a way to be available to their special needs children.

Their sons are both in high school and their needs are great.

Teresa and her husband also have rental properties as a form of income and are working on opening a transitional facility for special needs individuals they will call Stepping Stones, in a vacant hospital building they already own. Their home is also still a foster home, where they may be called on at any time.

I can’t express how Teresa and her husband are always tapped in to the needs of their family and community.

One of their events is The Christmas Giveaway…

This is the fourth year, when children have been welcomed to come shop for free at their store, for gifts for their friends and family. The first year, they let parents shop, but some took advantage. The second year, children shop with parents for family, but there were still some issues. The third year, kids shop alone with a Treasure Hunt volunteer, parents drop them off with a list and it works great.

This fun time is usually attended by about a hundred kids. No one is turned away. Their gifts are also wrapped or they are helped in wrapping them and filling out Christmas cards for the recipients. They always need volunteers to walk around with the kids. It is held every year, the last weekend before Christmas, this year, Sat & Sunday… 17th/18th. Wrappers are always needed as well.

When I asked Teresa what advice she had for mothers compelled to find a way to stay home, she said, “We have to be creative. We have to juggle our lifestyles, much more than conventional parents. Being very flexible, with ‘other’ family, etc. Sometimes they have to come second.”

My daughter and I will be volunteering this year and anyone in Southeast Kansas is welcome to contact me to see about doing the same.

Review of Love Finds You in Annapolis Maryland by Roseanna White

2011-12-01T09:07:00.003-06:00

Looking for a fun holiday read? Try Love Finds You in Annapolis Maryland by Roseanna White. The book releases today, and I love telling you about Roseanna's book because she is a young work-from-home mom who manages to home school her daughter, edit for her husband's publishing company, and write fiction. (You'd think the woman would have a live-in maid in order to accomplish all her other responsibilities, but no, I'm told she cleans her toilets on her own. How does she find the time?)

Anyway, before I start rambling, here's a brief review.

This book entranced me from the first page. I found myself feeling so bad for Lark and hoping she could do better than marry a rich man who wouldn't care if the earth opened and swallowed her whole. I was rooting for her the entire story, as she leaves the protection of her family in rural Virginia and heads to the nation's capitol in 1783 to put some space between her and her scoundrel of a fiance.

Lark is bold and daring and unwilling to accept what life conveniently tries to hand her, and I loved her for fighting for happiness instead. And though I wanted to be angry at her fiance for the way he ignores her at the beginning of the book, I couldn't stay angry for long, as he has some haunting scars from the Revolutionary War that hold him back from loving Lark the way he should.

All in all, this is a great story of love and redemption, happiness and second chances. The author made me feel like I was in 1783 Annapolis, with all these important founders like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington walking around, and treaties with England being ratified, and hatred toward the Tories. It's a book I plan to keep on my shelf. And trust me, I don't keep everything I read.

Some Simple Computer Maintenence You Ought to be Doing

2011-11-28T07:56:00.112-06:00

I'm not an IT person, but I'm often asked computer questions. (Behind every good amateur computer tech is google.com :) Often the problem is relayed to me like this: "My computer is doing something funky."

Here are some things you ought to be doing to keep your computer from bogging down and doing something funky. (This is mainly for for Windows PC users). If doing these things doesn't fix it, you can google your specific problem and read computer discussion boards if you want to figure it out yourself, or then call the IT guy, but don't pay him to do these things that you can do yourself!

Computer Maintenance

Turn off your computer-A tech guy told me that a lot of times he makes a house call to fix a computer and basically gets paid to restart the computer.When your computer reboots, it's fixing its little brains. Shut off your computer daily, don't keep it on all the time. And if something weird happens, sometimes restarting is all that you need to do.

Clean out files periodically--Get rid of stuff clogging up your computer space.

Go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup
Run this and get rid of everything, then...

Defragment your computer--Have the computer put the pieces together instead of haphazardly for quicker running, don't do this until you cleaned out your files.

Go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragment

Update your Computer - Updates make things run more smoothly and catch more bugs.

If Windows or Adobe or your Browser or other legitimate software ask you to install and update, do so, it's good for your computer.

Make sure you have your automatic updates turned on.
Go to Start>Control Panel>Windows Update>Change Settings (Turn on automatic updates here if it isn't already on)

Internet Browsing Maintenance

Use a Firewall - Helps block things you can't see

If you do not have a purchased firewall, use Windows Firewall
Start>Control Panel>Windows Firewall

After researching, I chose to purchase Vipre's firewall system. (Just FYI) I've had it for 2 years and am happy with it.

Avoid and Destroy Malware -- Malicious software hidden on your computer slows it down.

First, DON'T visit crazy sites--if sites look iffy and not professional, avoid them and don't download anything from this kind of site, download from legitimate sites that lots of people trust. Here's a good article on how to keep YOU from causing problems.

McAfee Site Advisor If downloaded, it will tell you if the site you are about to go on is iffy.

Periodically run a Malware destroying software (These are free downloads):

Malware Bytes
and
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

Ad-Aware gets rid of adware that causes similar problems

Close Down or Try a New Browser - Just like needing to reboot your computer brains, sometimes restarting your browser is helpful, and sometimes a problem with a website is actually a problem with how the browser is viewing the web site. Also, if you are creating a website/blog, look in each browser to see if it looks right in all of them.

If you are using Internet Explorer, I'd advise switching

Firefox
Chrome
Opera

Macs:
Safari
Camino

Clear you Browser's Cache and Cookies - These tidbits hold private information on you and collect like trash and bog down your browser's capabilities. This will, however, erase your automatic sign ins, passwords and fill-in forms, but if you only do it once a month, you won't have to reenter things too often on sites you visit most.

Each browser will be different but basically look here to clear cache and cookies:
Open Browser>Tools>Options>Privacy

You will work faster and more efficiently if your computer has been maintained in order for it to work fast and efficiently as well.

Chocolate Dream Dessert

2011-11-25T10:52:00.000-06:00

One of my goals in life is to have a repertoire of simple, delicious recipes that are impressive enough for company and guaranteed to disappear at potlucks. Perhaps it’s not a lofty goal and maybe some will think me a bit lazy in the cooking department, but I’d rather do other things than spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

This is one of those recipes. It’s quick, easy and yummy, appealing to both children and adults alike. For best results, refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate Dream Dessert

First (bottom) layer: 1 cup flour, ½ cup chopped nuts, 1 stick of butter. Combine and press into a 9X13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool completely before adding other layers.

Second layer: 8-ounces cream cheese (softened), 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup Cool Whip topping. Blend well together and spread on top of first layer.

Third layer: 2 3-ounce packages instant chocolate pudding, 3 cups cold milk. Mix together and pour over second layer. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

Fourth layer: 1 to 2 cups Cool Whip. Spread over firmed third layer. Refrigerate until served.

Sour Cream and Bacon Crockpot Chicken

2011-11-18T15:22:00.000-06:00

4 chicken breasts
bacon slices
1 can (10oz) roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. flour
(optional, chopped onion, more garlic, parmesan cheese (at the end as a topping)
egg noodles

Wrap raw bacon around each raw breast and place in crockpot.

In bowl, combine soup, sour cream, and flour (onion and garlic if desired). Whisk. Pour this concoction over chicken.

Cook on low 6-8 hours or until meat is 160 degrees. Cook noodles according to package, rewhisk the sauce, and serve over noodles.

Caveat: This doesn't look very appealing but it is extremely yummy.

The Good Mother

2011-11-16T04:09:00.000-06:00

I’m a terrible mother.

Before you call social services and report me, no, I don’t beat or starve my children, but there are days when I fall way short of today’s definition of a good mother. I don’t spend a lot of time with my children (and often think that’s okay). I don’t correct their homework (and have no intention of doing so). At times, I get annoyed when they interrupt me. I sometimes yell at them when they frustrate me (like spilling milk on the table I just cleaned).

How many times have I not paid attention to what a child was saying because my attention was on my email? How many times do I pack my day with too much work and end up too tired to play a game or read a story to them before bed?

We as mothers and women have a tendency to set the bar so high, it’s nigh on impossible to reach. We tell ourselves that if we don’t bake the cookies from scratch, or don’t pay close enough attention to the babblings of the 2-year-old, or don’t fill-in-the-blank, our children will not be happy, healthy, or have a good life.

Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But how many of us have had similar thoughts dance through our minds, along with the accompanying guilt at not being a good enough mother? I sure have, even though I try very hard not to.

Then there’s the inevitable comparisons with other mothers. Even when we’re not consciously thinking about how other women parent, it can seep into our minds in the blink of an eye.

Here’s an example of what I mean: When my oldest was a toddler, we went to the park on one of the first warm spring days. She had on a short-sleeved shirt probably for the first time that year. As we walked to the playground, I looked around at the other mothers who were arriving with their children. Nearly every one of them had whipped out a tube of sunscreen and was slathering their child’s face and arms with the stuff. My daughter looked at me and asked if she needed sunscreen. I told her no and to go play, but in that moment, I felt like a bad mother, one who sends her defenseless child out into the sunny world with no sunscreen.

Other times this feeling has cropped up for me includes being the mom without the first aid kit at the playground and another mom has to lend you a Band-aid to bandage your child’s bloody knee. Or giving my kids a non-organic, not-too-healthy snack when other moms have artfully arranged carrot sticks and hummus.

If we fall into this mindset that we are not good enough mothers, that our parenting styles and family life is not up to par with the rest of the world—and as a result our children will not be able to fulfill their great destinies— then we will miss out on a lot of the joys of childhood.

We also will miss out on the laughter and the pain, the joys and the sorrows, the average grades and the missed goals. And those lessons learned from not being perfect, from seeing how we as mothers handle life’s disappointments, and from enjoying life to its fullest whatever our circumstances, are priceless.

It’s not being the perfect mother that our children will love us for—it’s being the best mother we can be for them. That won’t look good some days, but if we turn our backs on measuring ourselves to an impossible standard, we can have more good days than bad.

It took me several years to come to terms that I wasn’t a great mother by certain standards. And there are times when I slip and start to obsess about how I’m not a good mother. But most of the time, I aim to be a good enough mother, and so far, it’s been a good one for my four children.

Interview With Jeemaa, Part 2

2011-11-15T10:20:00.001-06:00

Give-away Necklace

Welcome back for part two of our interview with jewelry designer Jeemaa. If you haven't entered her give-away contest yet, be sure to link over and do so!

Yesterday Jeemaa shared a glimpse of her home life with us, today we are going to focus on the work side of her life.

Jeemaa, do you keep a schedule, and if you do, how flexible is it?

Yes I do, but it is flexible. Our routine changes constantly as our son grows, so flexibility is very important to us. Typically, we start our day with some mommy and baby snuggle time, then breakfast followed by some kind of activity. We enjoy story time at the library, play time with little buddies, going to the zoo or park, or anything that can be done within two and a half hours. Then it is mommy’s work time and baby’s nap time. I try to get done as much as possible during the nap time. That includes making the jewelry, photographing the pieces, listing new items in my etsy shop, packaging the orders, communicating with my customers and so forth. Then it is our lunch time and more play time. Each day is a little bit different though. Some days my son is more independent and allows me to work more in between play times, but some days he needs me more. Those days I work late nights. It was definitely more challenging in the beginning but as my son gets older, our schedule is getting more and more consistent and I get more accomplished.

Come downstairs Mommy!

So where do you do your work? Do you have a separate work-space?

I have a separate work space in our loft but I somehow seem to end up downstairs. So we had to do some rearranging. Now both the loft and the dining room are used as my work space I think it is mainly because everything happens downstairs and it is child proof.

I find the same is true for my situation! I have a work studio in our attic and just about every time I go up there to work, something happens to call me downstairs! So if I'm working on a portable project, I bring it down, otherwise it waits until later. Flexibility is key!

So what suggestion(s) would you offer to a newbie work from home mom, or a mom who is considering coming home to work?

Everyone’s situation is a little bit different but I would love to share what seems to work for me. 1) As I mentioned earlier, establishing some kind of schedule and routine is very important. 2) Keeping a good line of communication with customers is crucial. A lot of my jewelry ideas come directly from my customers. For example, “Grandma’s Little Sunshine” was inspired by a grandma who loves spending the time with her adorable grandson. 3) Taking occasional time off to recharge is a must! My husband is in charge of reminding me of this part. It does not need to be a week-long vacation; even if it is just a picnic at a park or a long walk - anything that you enjoy other than your business will help.

That sounds like excellent advice!

What has been your experience with advertising and promoting your business?

I find blog giveaways and Facebook promotional events a wonderful way to spread the word about my jewelry business. It is cost effective but produces excellent results! I think it is great that small business owners are working together to promote each other’s businesses. I have never been a Facebook person before, but now I really enjoy interacting with my customers and fans via Facebook. I love seeing their feedback, appreciation photos, custom requests, suggestions and questions. In my opinion, it is not just a fan page, I see it more as a community of moms and caregivers who support each other.

Fancy Mama Teething Ring Necklace

Facebook is a great tool, if used wisely! I find myself tempted to waste too much time there! I need to work on this and devote myself more to homeschool planning, work, and housework!

Your necklaces are simply beautiful, yet functional and affordable! Where does your inspiration come from?

Day to day life, colors, natural stones, beautiful outfits, magazines…there are so many things that inspire me to create my jewelry. But as a mommy jewelry designer, I get very excited about baby friendly and mommy fashionable pendants to serve as the focal points of my jewelry! When I find that unique focal piece, I usually lay it out on my dining table for a few days. Sometimes, the design idea comes to me right away but sometimes it takes days. I love finding out what that stone represents, match them with complimenting beads and create a piece that has a special meaning! I also pay attention to the things that my little man does while I nurse him or hold him. Here is my son chewing on his favorite teething ring. This inspired me to create my “Fancy Mama Teething Ring Necklace” design.

Inspiration!

Sometimes I find myself in a "designing rut", do you ever feel that way? What do you do when you find yourself stuck in a rut?

I do occasionally find myself in a “designing rut”. That is when I take a break for a few days and do other things that I enjoy as much. The trick for me is not to think about jewelry at all… then I miss it and get inspired all over again to create some more …It is a great feeling

Jeemaa, thank you for your wonderful advice and insight into your successful work from home business!

MHW readers, remember to enter to win "Grandma's Little Sunshine" necklace here and be sure to check out Jeemaa's work on Facebook and Etsy!Bonus coupon code for readers: 10% off at Jeemaa's Esty shop. The coupon code for readers is: MAKINGHOMEWORK

Interview With Jewelry Designer Jeemaa {and Give-away!}

2011-11-13T20:52:00.001-06:00

Please join me in welcoming jewelry designer Jeemaa to Making Home Work! Jeemaa is the brilliance behind Mommy Jewelry Sturdy and Purdy. Jeemaa, tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

I am a wife to my wonderful husband Jeff and a mom to our sweet little boy Zachary. I love scrapbooking, cooking and taking long walks in nature. I also enjoy beading and creating unique and functional pieces of jewelry for mommies.

Jeemaa and her husband, Disney 2011

Thank you Jeemaa for interviewing with us, please tell our readers about your business products.

I make nursing and teething ring necklaces for mamas and caregivers. They are especially designed to keep babies’ little hands busy while making the mamas look stylish. I use natural wooden teething rings, organic Flaxseed oil or beeswax and all kinds of semi precious stones.

I have ordered a few of your beautiful necklaces and I love wearing them as much as my toddler loves playing with them! Jeemaa, tell us how you got started making jewelry.

My business was inspired by one of my best friend’s custom necklace requests and my own experience with my baby boy. A few years ago I opened my Etsy shop to sell my nature inspired whimsical jewelry. At that time, I had a full time teaching job so I could not always find the time to maintain my shop. When my son was about four months old, one of my best friends asked me to make a nursing necklace for her. I got some pretty beads with different shapes and textures and made one for her and one for myself. I wanted the necklace to be durable and functional – interesting enough to grab babies’ attention but pretty enough that it can be worn as everyday jewelry. My son loved it!! He gets easily distracted during nursing, especially in public. With the necklace he was more focused. He loved the natural donut stone and really enjoyed exploring the beads. He played with it while I waited in a checkout line or changed his diaper. He tugged on it instead of pulling my hair. I was so excited that I posted the necklace pictures on Facebook and it didn’t take long before another mommy wanted one. And my business has been flourishing ever since.

I love a good story of how children inspire a mother in business! Tell us more about your son.

We have a very busy eighteen month old toddler! His name is Zachary. He loves to play with his daddy’s golf clubs, remote controls, tools (which he doesn’t get from his dad), stickers and anything that makes noise. Zachary also loves books that keep his little fingers busy. We think that Matthew Van Fleet is his favorite author. He never gets tired of reading Tails with mommy and daddy.

Oh he's a future reader! We love readers here at Making Home Work!

Never too early for books!

Your child is still pretty young, do you involve him with your work?

I do not involve my son in the making of the jewelry part as I work with beads and small pieces that are not safe for him. I also work with teething rings and keeping them clean is extremely important. So mostly, I make my jewelry during his nap time or after he goes to bed. But there are parts that he gets to help mommy. He loves putting the packages in the “mail” bag. We frequently journey to the post office and he has become good buddies with the post office ladies! We both enjoy listening to the post office ladies sing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” to us.

Packing the mail bag!

Sounds like Zachary is a favorite at the Post Office!

What do you find the most challenging aspect about working from home?

For me the time management is the most challenging aspect of working from home. I am very lucky because our son takes pretty long naps during the day and it really helps me to get my work done. But I can’t always count on naps - there are days he doesn’t want to nap and needs mommy to hold him or be near him at all times. In such instances, there is not much that I can do but wait for my husband to come home. Working late nights or weekends can get stressful at times but things always seem to work out in the end.

How do you handle meal preparation? Do you have a time saving trick that allows you more time to work and less time in the kitchen?

I am not very good at planning things but with the help of my better half who is more organized, we make a pretty good team. We usually have some idea of what we are going to cook that week and create the grocery list accordingly. The amazing time savers are my husband’s grandma’s amazing crock pot that turns anything we throw into it a delicious dinner, a rice cooker that my husband got me for my birthday, the savory lemon herb Rotisserie chicken that Meijer prepares, and a giant wok that we purchased from Amazon! That is dinner/lunch for at least three days of the week. Then we add some kind of easy pasta and tortilla wrap dinner to our weekly menu and we are all set! Our meals get sort of repetitive at times but it definitely saves us time and money.

Sounds good to me! Crock-pots do come in handy, I have two that I rely on heavily here at our house.

So with all of this to consider, is it worth it? What keeps you home instead of having an outside career?

Absolutely! It is worth everything! I will be honest. Some days I wish I had a 9 to 5 job, made more money, had more adult interaction or more alone time, could go shopping and buy new clothes - but even before I finish the sentence, I take it back. I count my blessings every day and am so thankful that my husband works extremely hard so that I can stay at home with our baby. Without a doubt it is one of the most challenging jobs. So what keeps me home? The joy of watching our lil guy grow!

That's the best reason to stay at home! Thank you Jeemaa for giving us a glimpse into your home life. Next post we will explore the work side of her business. Be sure to check out the beautiful necklace give-away below!!

Jeemaa has graciously offered a beautiful necklace give-away and a 10% discount code to our MHW readers! The coupon code for readers is: MAKINGHOMEWORK The coupon code is a 10% discount code for Jeema's etsy shop.

Giveaway ~ "Grandma's Little Sunshine"

Description: This all natural organic maple teething ring measures 2.5 inches. The teething ring and the wooden beads are all finished with Certified Organic Flaxseed oil. It is safe for your little one to chomp on. The wooden beads are individually knotted. The 100 percent 2 mm cotton cord is extremely durable. It is a beautiful soft brown cord. The necklace is adjustable up to 29 inches with a Sliding Knot.

Grandmas Little Sunshine

Value: 11.50

To enter, (you can have up to five chances to win) leave a separate comment for each one you complete:

Mandatory:

"Like" Mommy Jewelry Sturdy and Purdy on Facebook and leave a comment here

Optional extra entries:

"Like" Making Home Work on Facebook
Follow Making Home Work Blog
Tweet this give-away (tell us your twitter name!)
Share this give-away on Facebook (tell us your Facebook name and/or leave link)
Post one comment telling us you've done each item above and increase your chances to win! (up to five entries!)

Entries must be made by Friday, Nov 18, 2011 by midnight. Random.org will select our winner, verification and announcement will be made Sunday, Nov 20, 2011 by noon. Check back here to see if you won!

Good Ol' Texas Brisket

2011-11-11T07:49:00.000-06:00

"Hey there Cowboy!" My mother-in-law always greets my kids in a thick Texas accent. She lives in Northeast Texas, the setting of my novel. I have been in deep edits so I thought I would share a guaranteed delicious recipe from that part of the world...and my mother-in-law's own recipe collection!
This is a great recipe to give someone when they have a baby or need a meal. I always take some rolls so they can make sandwiches if they'd like. Enjoy!

Carol's Beef Brisket

1 (3 to 4 lb) brisket
1 tsp. meat tenderizer
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
3 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce

Combine meat tenderizer and all flavored salts. Sprinkle both sides of brisket with seasoning mixture. Place in a covered container or plastic freezer or baking bag. Refrigerate overnight (I skip these two steps...I am never that together. But it still comes out great). Place brisket in a baking pan and pour the marinade over top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake slowly at 225 degrees for 8 hours or until tender. Slice against grain with a sharp knife.

2011-11-07T16:32:00.000-06:00

Vegetarian Lasagna

26 oz Pasta Sauce (bottled Organic or homemade)

8 oz Lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions-don’t over cook. You can use rice pasta if you're desiring a gluten-free dish.

16 oz soft Tofu, Mori Nu brand is shelf stable and doesn’t have to be refrigerated until opened. I prefer it's texture over other brands of tofu.

3 c. fresh veggies, sliced and lightly steamed: broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms,

Onions, Carrots, your choice!

8 oz shredded Mozzarella style soy or rice cheese

In a large casserole dish layer in the following order:

Put just a little sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Noodles

Veggies

Sauce

Mashed Tofu

Cheese

Noodles

Sauce

Cover with foil and bake 35-40 min. Uncover and bake an additional 5 mins.

Note: Tofu takes on the flavor of what ever it is cooked with. By layering it with the cheese it will blend in and you might not even notice that it’s not all cheese. This is a great way to introduce tofu into your diets if you aren’t used to it. Or to try it on some unsuspecting children! :D

When making your own pasta sauce, add 1 Tbsp of honey to really set off the tomatoes.

Feeling Invisible?

2011-11-02T05:00:00.005-05:00

"Am I invisible? Am I inaudible? Do I merely festoon the room with my presence?" as Christopher Fry was to ask in The Lady's Not for Burning.

I've never read the book or seen the play and probably never will, but I love that quote! It made me laugh out loud when I first read it.

Do you sometimes feel as if you aren't seen or as if no one is listening? Life is such a demanding clamor of people and things. We're pulled in a dozen directions at once, and feel both invisible and inaudible. Who sees who I really am? Who truly listens to what I have to say?

"Honey, I'm home!" translates "Is dinner ready? as husbands need us and expect much of us. "Mommy, where's my bunny? morphs into "Mom, what did you do with my red shirt?" as our children grow. And "Are you coming over? or "Have you called your sister yet?" from parents whose control we long ago thought we were out from under.

It's Time!

Our homes are full of bells and chimes, the washer, dryer, microwave, phones, all beckon us to race to them for attention. When the only warmth and welcome seems to come from a pot full of freshly perked coffee or the brisk scent of brewing tea or the comforting aroma of hot chocolate, maybe it's time to stop and take a break.

Of course, we don't merely festoon our homes with our presence. We are loved by our family and we have sweet glimpses of appreciation.

But what do you do if you feel invisible?

Stop and turn things around. Lift something more than a cup of coffee or a mug of hot chocolate or a glass of tea. There is One to whom you are never invisible or inaudible. Lift your eyes, lift a friend, lift your voice, lift up your soul.

Pray: Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Psalm 123:1

Be there for a friend: For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:10

Sing: Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, with their voices they shall sing together . . . Isaiah 52:8a

Seek the Lord: Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Psalm 86:4

Praise: Lift up your hands in His Name: Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. Psalm 63:4

They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing;

for the majesty of the LORD they

shall cry aloud from the sea.

Isaiah 24:14

God knows your name and loves you: Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing. Isaiah 40:26

Allow God to lift you: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

Be uplifted in His peace: The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. Numbers 6:26

And here are a few quotes I've loved and leaned on for many years. I hope they will lift your spirits and help you to know without a doubt that you are never, ever invisible to the Creator of heaven and earth!

Theresa of Avila said:

"Our Lord does not care so much for the importance of our works

as for the love with which they are done."

From The Practice of the Presence of God--

"We can do little things for God. I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for the love of him; and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him who has given me Grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king." Brother Lawrence

William Law wrote:

"What ever seeming calamity happens to you, if you thank God and praise him for it you turn it into a blessing."

John Oxenham wrote in Bees in Amber--

"Not for one single day

Can I discern my way,

But this I surely know--

Who gives the day,

Will show the way.

So I securely go."

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

All Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible

It's Time photograph was taken by my daughter, Deborah Sandidge

Photograph of the little girl with her hands raised is my great granddaughter, River.

She's standing in the surf, thrilled with that huge Atlantic Ocean before her.

Challenge Week ~ A Week of Nano...

2011-11-01T12:31:00.000-05:00

Today is the beginning of NANOWRIMO, National Novel Writing Month, an event that comes every November. Writer's from all over the world, of all shapes and sizes challenge themselves to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I successfully completed Two Sides Of Wilde in 2009 during NANO and this year I'm back for more!

Two Sides Of Wilde, available on Kindle by Amazon, is the first in the three part Wilde Series, but all three books can also stand alone.

Since this blog is meant to be a week long challenge, I'll measure out the equivalent. I am actually attempting to write TWO books during NANO and I'd like them to be 60,000 words or more. Not trying to be an over achiever, but I am very motivated by deadlines and accountability, so I'm just getting the most bang for my buck! Just a pun, NANO costs nothing!

My two titles are The Vegan & the Butcher and How Long Has It Been?. Here is an excerpt from VB....

Gran was especially picky and interested in cuts of meat, an education that would prove useless to Charlie when she became a vegetarian and then a vegan in college, but Joe the butcher never held it against her. He always called her Charlotte, like her Gran did, a habit Charlie loved as much as she hated. Old Joe had always had a little crush on Gran, or at least Charlie thought so. Gran insisted repeatedly that he treated all his customers with the same attention and charm, but her granddaughter wasn’t buying it. Charlie smiled as she remembered the teasing that she and Gran had shared over the years. The memory and the parking lot of Jamacha Junction made her stop and realize that Gran was gone. She’d been having moments like this all day, all week really. It was hard to believe it had been a week since the phone rang, in her new apartment, cardboard boxes still strewn about and nothing but a shiny framed degree hanging on one wall.

And one from HLHB....

Ginny looked at her watch, wondering if Eric was up. He had an alarm, but always seemed to be up before it was. He would get up and brush his teeth and drink his coffee, in that order, all while watching CNN and read the paper. She wondered what he would tell the girls; probably very little. He had a special knack for being vague. But they would be uninterested anyway. As long as there was someone to drive them to school and listen to their chatter, they would immediately be insisting on pizza delivery for dinner, which Eric would happily oblige. He wouldn’t check their homework and they would stay up too late. This would normally stir anxiety in Ginny when she traveled, but the reliability of it was actually a welcome comfort.

So, I'm a day late because I couldn't start til today (Tuesday, 11/1). Our blog challenge week ends on Friday (11/4). So, my goal being to write 4000 words a day, 2000 on each book (preferably,) but because the writing process is so unpredictable, I could finish one book and then the other, depending on the inspiration, so my four-day goal is 16,000 words total, by bedtime Friday.

It's not too late to participate in NANO at www.nanowrimo.org!! There's a great community there where you post your daily word counts and see how others are doing in your area.

At the end of the month, those who have finished get a free proof of their printed book from createspace.com.

So, wish me luck and be sure and post the challenges you have planned for yourself this week. Come back and post your progress. How will you reward yourself for a job well done? :)

Chicken or Beef, The Choice Is Yours!

2011-10-28T00:15:00.001-05:00

Two great recipes to choose from! Today's recipe post features KerryAnn Foster's Cooking Traditional Foods Menu Mailers. These two recipes are just a tantalizing temptation to what can be found in her menu mailers. I have subscribed to KerryAnn's menu mailers in the past and they are wonderful helps. The thing that I love most about KerryAnn's recipes is knowing that healthy meals don't have to take all day to make nor do they have to taste like cardboard! She offers gluten-free options on her menus as well as casein-free options for those sensitive to dairy.

Apple and Maple Chicken

Tuesday Serves 4-6
Hands-on: 25 minutes
Hands-off: 20-40 minutes

2-3 apples, sliced
1 cup plus 2 Tbs coconut oil, melted
½ cup white or apple cider vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
scant 3 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/3 to ½ cup maple syrup or honey
1 onion, sliced
1 whole chicken, cut up, or 4 breasts or 8 thighs, bone-in and skin-on

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish, scatter apples in dish and set aside. In a blender, combine the 1 cup oil, vinegar, lemon, mustard, garlic, basil, oregano, ½ tsp salt, pepper and maple syrup. Blend until well combined, taste and adjust seasonings if needed, and set aside.

Sprinkle the remaining salt over the chicken breasts. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 2 Tbs coconut oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove

from the pan. Place the chicken skin side down and brown for 4 minutes. Flip the chicken over and brown for another 4 minutes. Transfer pieces to the baking dish and sprinkle the onion over top. Pour the reserved sauce over all. Place in the oven and bake 40-45 minutes for a whole chicken, 30-40 minutes for breasts alone, 40-50 minutes for thighs, or 20-25 for cubed, boneless, skinless breasts.

Serve over rice with sautéed greens.
And for the beef lovers, here's one for you!

Sweet and Sour Beef Stew

Saturday Serves 4-6
Hands-on: 20 minutes
Hands-off: 1 ½ hours

2 Tbs coconut oil, butter, ghee or tallow
1½ lbs beef stew meat, cubed
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup beef stock
¼ cup rapadura
¼ cup vinegar
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs cold water
2 tsp cornstarch

In a Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat and brown on all sides, in batches if necessary. Stir in the onion and carrot and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, stock, rapadura, vinegar, Worcestershire and salt. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours or until the meat is

tender.

In a small bowl, whisk the cold water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into the stew and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Serve over noodles.

Cooking Tradiditonal Foods has a giveaway going on right now, ends Oct 31, 2011, in which you can enter to win a year's subscription to the Menu Mailer and the Recipe Archive. Besides subscriptions, CTF has e-Books for sale including Kid's Favorites.

KerryAnn Foster runs Cooking Traditional Foods, the longest running Traditional Foods Menu Mailer on the internet. She has over nine years of traditional foods experience and is a former Weston A. Price Foundation chapter leader. CTF was founded in 2005 and helps you feed your family nourishing foods they will love!

Write, write, write!

2011-10-26T05:33:00.000-05:00

Right now I'm in the middle of one of the craziest times ever! We're moving out of our former apartment, and boxes sit everywhere. Stuff's overflowing. Need: boxes, moving truck, markers, tape. The packing stuff can only be bought on a weekday since papelarias (paper-products stores) are only open a few hours on Saturday morning in Brazil.

On top of that, our three-year-old son - who has hydrocephalus - has been vomiting and complaining of headaches, which can be indicative of a problem with his shunt/valve. Read: life-threatening. Instead of finishing packing, we rushed him to the public hospital, where the doctor ordered a scan that (as we found out later) is so backlogged with other patients that it'll take three months to get to our son. (Which we can't do, of course, since his case is life-threatening, and we're not even planning to be in Brazil in three months). So we'll have to find a doc on our own.

On top of that, our car broke down with a mysterious ailment (even the mechanic is baffled) that totally destroyed the engine. In Brazil car engines aren't replaced but repaired, piece by piece, and since ours is a Korean import, it's going to take around the same magic three months to fix.

On top of that, I had two special friends from the U.S. arrive in Brasilia yesterday morning - my first visitors ever in nearly eight years of living in Brazil - so we borrowed a car and hurried to pick them up. We rushed around preparing the room and getting things ready. (While our apartment sits a heaping mess of un-sold clothes, toys, and silverware, and the paper stores closed).

On top of that, we're moving in temporarily with my husbands' parents while we move out of our apartment, my husband finishes his last 30 days at work (40 in Brazil now, by law, in order to receive severance), save money for airline tickets, and get ready for our international move. We've hit an unusual cold front (I know, in tropical Brazil) and for the past five or six days it's been FREEZING - unusually cold temperatures, constant rain, dark and gloomy weather. No insulation. Digging through bags and suitcases trying to find a rogue sweater for our son (because, as you know, it's not like we wear sweaters every day in Brazil) and coming up with swimming trunks, tank tops, and sandals instead. My jeans are at the costureira (seamstress), so I've been wearing, in this cold, the same pair for five days straight. We went four days without finding our son's matching shoe.

On top of that, I HAVE A FULL-LENGTH MANUSCRIPT TO TURN IN JANUARY FIRST!

Why am I telling this whole wild story? Is it for pity? Well, maybe... :) But actually it's because I've learned a few things while writing under deadline and craziness, and I'm hoping it might help you. This isn't a post about how to uncover more time to write (as I've posted before). I DON'T HAVE any more time. It's getting down to the wire. We're planning to move to South Dakota in December, and my dad (with whom we'll live temporarily) doesn't even have Internet in his renovated turn-of-the-century log cabin! This post, instead, is about beating stubborn writer's block and squeezing every last drop of juice possible out of the limited writing time we've got.

1. My first word of advice: ALWAYS FAVOR NEW MATERIAL OVER REVISION. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS! Even if your novel or story stinks, WRITE IT OUT TO THE END. Don't stop. Don't go back over and agonize and edit portions, and don't start off your writing time by scanning over the last chapter of what you've written. Just stop doing that! It's a time-waster, and you'll get so bogged down in fixing things that your time producing new material - the real gold - will be pinched and limited. In the end you'll have a much clearer picture of what needs to stay and what needs to go anyway, and many of your preliminary revisions won't matter anyway. If you need to redirect and scrap some parts, fine - but in general DON'T EDIT OVER WHAT YOU'VE WRITTEN, in hopes of making it better. You'll make it better by finishing the manuscript and having something to turn in! Things tend to fall into place, problems resolve themselves, and solutions appear when you simply WRITE TO THE END.

2. Ask for help! In one of my novellas I'm writing based on Yellowstone National Park (contracted for 2013) I sent out a cry for help to my critique partners listing EXACTLY my problems: 1) I hate my male lead, 2) I hate my story, and 3) I don't have any other ideas. Believe it or not, my wonderful partners sent back some excellent suggestions that not only used the material I had already written (praise God! It was several chapters' worth), encouraged the progress I'd already made, and threw in some new twists that excited me. Before I wrote them, I was THIS CLOSE (picture fingers pinched together) to scrapping the entire 7,000 words I'd written for the novella - and in the end, I'm probably going to only need to scrap about 300 and will simply redirect.

3. DON'T USE THE INTERNET!! I know people always say this, but it's true. I got the most work done when the Internet was down for a day and a half because of rain. I know I need to use the Internet to research, especially when working on a historical fiction novel, but it's far better to USE STICKY NOTES and write down your questions about small details rather than research every one. My rule of thumb has been this: If the research I'm looking for is absolutely essential to a storyline (like whether or not a particular line of reasoning is going to work) then go for it, and get back to writing as soon as possible. However, if it's just detail research your after (like what kind of stitching a World War I canteen case would have used), then WAIT. You'll only get bogged down in research, wasting valuable writing time.

4. Pray! This is one aspect of writing and work that people who don't know God can't understand. But as believers, we have another (greater) resource available to us every moment. He has given me inspiration when my brain is stuck, caused friends to send suggestions that fixed my quandary, and has given me unexpected blocks of time to write. It's His work I'm doing, and He'll make it happen as I do my best and give my utmost to make my deadlines. I've given it into His hands.

Happy writing! If you've had a tough deadline, can you tell us about it? What busts your writer's block? How do you get your projects done on a tight deadline?

The Shame of Self Employment

2011-10-24T13:43:00.000-05:00

When I tell people I'm a writer, at first they're excited, they're interested in this 'talent' I have for applying plot to paper and multiplying that talent page after page. But eventually, when it's clear I am not on the New York Bestseller's list, the question comes. What do I do, for a living? The answer is complicated.

Then there's the people who already know me, know my books, my most recent internal deadline and the triumphs and challenges I have endured along the way. From them I get jokes. They sneer when I talk about being happy it's Friday or moan that I have to get back to the grind on Monday. They go on about how lucky I am and kid me about all the sleeping in and soap operas I must be enjoying. Because I work from home, wink, wink.

So here's my take.

I am very lucky. I love what I do, but I chose it, it didn't choose me. And though not everyone may be able to write. Anyone can work from home. So if it's such a party, why aren't all my clever friends joining me? I'll tell you why. Because my job is harder than theirs, with little money and plenty of fear. I bet on me everyday. No one signs my paycheck, yet. The only one over my shoulder is me. I don't know what I'll make next month and it's scary. But I do it. Sometimes I'm a starving artist, but I am always doing what I love, what I've dreamt of and I'm proud of that.

When there isn't school, I can sleep in. But I may write until two in the morning, when there is school the next day. Sometimes Saturdays are nothing special, but I do keep a schedule and weekends, I'm typically 'off'. Having a child in school helps.

The truth is, I don't mind so much, not being taken seriously. It's a lot like the people who overlook stay-at-home moms, when really, that's the hardest job there is. So I do both. I am the bread and the butter and the other stuff.

The truth is, every best selling author was me once upon a time. The next Harry Potter may be in my laptop, but I'm judged, because I haven't been on any magazine covers, because I don't live in New York and I haven't been discovered. But I have been. I discovered me a long time ago. I know a lot of nine-to-fivers with 401ks that can't say that. ;)

Most of my fellow bloggers and maybe most of our readers, know these feelings. So maybe this is a high five, good for us, from me. But for everyone else...when someone tells you they work at home and you envy the morning coffee and afternoon talk shows and the laundry that never seems to pile up...just take a moment and consider ALL of the ways that their lives are different than yours.

I'm chasing a dream. What have you chased today?

What is holding you back from working from home?

2011-10-24T04:03:00.001-05:00

Getting started working from home can seem like a daunting task. My story is not so unusual in that my current work-from-home career as a freelance writer and editor kind of just happened.

Nine years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child, I was working as managing editor for a large trade association in Washington, D.C. Two months before the baby’s due date, my husband got laid off his job, which we had been expecting.

Instead of my quitting like we had originally planned, I officially took maternity leave, not knowing if the generous 16-weeks leave would be enough time for my husband to find another job.

During my time away from the office, the association asked if I could work from home on a few projects. With hubby still out of work, I agreed. Thankfully, my husband started a full-time job with benefits before my leave time expired and I was able to segue from a full-time employee to a contract, at-home worker.

Today, four kids and nine years later, I love working from home and have no desire to go back to an office environment. I’m constantly grateful for the work that I have on a fairly regular basis, but know that not every woman can so easily find at-home work.

That’s why I wrote Hired@Home: The Christian Woman’s Guide to Working From Home. The book details how to think about work and gives tips and suggestions on what at-home work to pursue. Sprinkled throughout the book are the testimonies of more than 50 women who work from home in a variety of professions, jobs and businesses.

This summer, I converted and updated the book into ebook format for Kindle and Smashwords. I will be giving away one ebook or PDF copy this week to readers who answer one of the following questions in the comments section of this blog. Your answers might be used in an upcoming issue of my free, monthly e-newsletter (to sign up, visit my website at http://www.sarahhamaker.com/).

To enter the contest, answer one of the following questions in the comments section of this blog:

What is holding you back from working from home?

If you currently work from home, what held you back from starting sooner?

I look forward to reading your responses!

8 Tips on Living Simply

2011-10-21T06:00:00.010-05:00

For the past five years, I've run our household on a student budget.

Though I've griped about pinching pennies, and yearned for a better tomorrow, I believe God has used these years to teach me that simple living is an attitude not a circumstance. You may dwell in a shack, but live cluttered and discontent; or you may reside in a palace and understand simplicity.

Regardless of external dwelling, simple living is a heart issue that develops with an attitude of gratitude {see this post}.

photo credit: Louise Docker {flicker Creative Commons}

And over the past five years, I've undergone a heart transplant, and I've gleaned these 8 valuable tips and lessons on living simply:

1. Count your blessings {Grandma was right and so was little Marcy}- Simple living begins with an attitude. A prayer of change. Ask God to help you see all the blessings He's given you. {I keep a gratitude journal. I recommend Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts}. When I realize just how much I already possess {by God's grace}, my appetite for stuff wanes. I'm learning that contentment doesn't stem from things or status, it stems from a heart of gratitude.

2. Spouses Unite!- Communicate with your spouse about money goals and create a budget together. For a few years, my husband and I were on different wavelengths regarding money, but now that we're united, we keep each other accountable and spur each other on.

3.Avoid Debt- Debt is a ball & chain. Our family has chosen to live within our means {spend less than we make}. We make a budget and stick to it {of course I fail at times, like when I hear mint chip ice cream calling my name}.

I recommend Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover for an awesome method of attacking debt & making a budget.

4. Save then Buy {in that order}- It's something we did as kids, right? We held out our coins and the cashier told us what we could purchase, and viola, we actually went home with some extra coins.

I've noticed that in saving for something, I've have time to really think about whether it's really a need or want. I take time to research and end up with quality items, avoiding impulsive buys. After making the purchase, I feel like I've made a good decision, and I haven't wasted money by paying interest.

5. Avoid purchases that breed oppression of others- This is a difficult and sensitive issue, but I'm coming to see how God loves justice. He longs for us to treat others with respect, to help the poor and the marginalized. For that reason, my husband and I have rejected credit cards. It's a system that oppresses the poor and uneducated. It's a system that shows no mercy.

When purchasing things keep Micah 6:8 in mind, "He has showed you o man what is good and what the Lord requires of you. To do justice. To love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

Does our desire for more stuff mean poverty for others? Ask yourself who and what am I really supporting?

When you make less, good quality, just purchases, you'll have a uncluttered house and mind.

6. Buy Whole Foods- Buy flour and make a cake as opposed to opening a package. The packaged stuff is more expensive and unhealthy anyway. We've noticed a significant difference in our grocery bill by shopping the perimeter of the store.

7. Learn to enjoy the "free" things--Who said entertainment always has to cost? Why not take a walk as a family and learn about fall leaves, or borrow books and DVDs from the library? Remember that the most valuable possession you have is time with loved ones.

8. Get Creative- I've found having boundaries makes me creative {isn't that how it always works?}. I now make my own household cleaners and facial cleansers, and my son loves to help! It's been a delight to tap into my creativity. One of the greatest things that has come out of five years of boundaries is fiction writing. For me, writing stories toward justice is far more exhilarating than purchasing a new pair of jeans. I love the thought of leaving these stories for my sons.

My husband and I won't be in this student phase forever, but I pray that regardless of our economic situation, our family will continue to embrace simplicity.

Let's talk: What other tips do you have on living simply? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Melanie N. Brasher is a full time mama of two boys and wife to an incredible husband who understands her bicultural upbringing. She moonlights as a fiction and freelance writer, crafting stories and articles toward justice and change, and dreams of becoming a voice for the unheard. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a contributing blogger for Hoosier Ink and Ungrind. Though she’s an aspiring author, she’ll never quit her day job.

Product Review: Skytex E-book Reader

2011-10-19T10:27:00.006-05:00

Earlier this year I was planning on purchasing a Nook to help us with homeschooling (I've got a huge bookshelf inside my PC). I was looking at the black and white, thinking that I'd save a few bucks and that we really didn't color anyway!
However, Providence intervened and I was given a very unexpected and much appreciated gift last month, a Skytex Primer.

I really love my e-reader by this point. I think that I've read more in the last month than I probably have in the previous 6 months. It just makes it much easier for me to read. No bookmarks to get pulled out by the toddler. No paper pages to be torn by inquisitive little hands, or colored on... I never thought that I would be the one using it so much! But so far, I'm the only one using it! I have had difficulty in finding free downloads of books that I'm interested in though!

The Skytex is color too. Wow, I really like having color! I have loaded a few photos on it and the picture quality is very good. (just remember, I have no point of comparison, so someone who owns another e-reader should share their experiences in the comments section!) The screen size is 7 inches. It is not as thin as the Kindles I have seen.
The e-reader comes with a protective cover, wall charger, head set, auto charger and mini-USB cable. The one drawback is that the instruction manual is lacking. It only gives instructions on how to start it up and plug it in. For this techno-challenged mama, I'd appreciate a bit more! However, there is a youTube tutorial that walks you through the steps of loading e-books onto your reader.

There is no browser with the e-reader, so you have to download your e-books to your PC then load them onto your e-reader. If this isn't a problem for you, if your like me, saving some money is more important that having an browser on your e-reader, then I would highly recommend this e-reader!

Details:

2 GB Internal Memory
Micro SD card support (up to 16 GB) *available for separate purchase
USB 2.0 to link to your PC (for drag-and-drop loading of media files)
Plug & Play design compatible with PC and Mac
Supports eBook formats including: PDF, TXT, ePub, HTML and Irc
Supports Audio/Video Formats: MP3, WMA, APE, FLAC, AAC MKV, AVI, RM, RMVB, VOB, DAT, MP4, FLV, 3GP
System requirements: USB 2.0 Win7 / Vista / WinXP / 2003 / 2000
One year limited Warranty on parts and labor

Encouragement--for the Tired, Frustrated and Weary

2011-10-15T16:28:00.005-05:00

My heart deflated when I opened up the blog calendar and saw Melissa—our totally awesome schedule lady—had scheduled me to blog about encouragement. For a moment I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, or to fly down to Kansas and strangle her.

Melissa, what were you thinking???

Then I reminded myself Melissa had scheduled me to do this post way back in February. So even Melissa, with all her wonderful Supermom powers (and trust me, Melissa has myriad Supermom powers), couldn’t have known that last week my dog would get skunked, my toddler would climb onto the table and start eating/playing in the brown sugar, my husband’s truck would break down, and last but not least, I would learn that I need to toss the majority of my new manuscript. The manuscript I’ve spent four months working on and have 50,000 words refined and polished. The manuscript I was hoping to finish in about six weeks. Yep that manuscript. So if the dog/skunk thing didn’t kill my week, the manuscript no-go surely did.

So how do you find encouragement when you have one of those dog-skunk days, or weeks, or months? The answer is as simple and basic as you can get.

Look to God.

Isaiah 40 is one of the most encouraging passages of Scripture. I love how the passage declares God's greatness and sovereignty. Verses 12-15 say:

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. (KJV)

But in spite of all the power God holds, that same chapter says God "shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."

So that same God, who holds power over the nations of this earth, also feeds his children like a shepherd and gathers them into his arms. And God doesn't stop there, He goes on to give strength to the weary. Look at verses 29-31:

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

So the next time you have one of those dog-skunk days, take a few moments to read Isaiah 40, and remember that 1. God is in control. 2. God loves and cares for you. And 3. God will give you strength, if you'll simply trust Him.

Now that you've all heard about my dog-skunk week, I'd like to hear about yours. Have you been facing trials lately that God has pulled you out of? Are you facing a trial today that seems like it might bury you? Leave a comment below. I'd love to see how God has been working in your lives.

Pork Glaze Recipe

2011-10-14T03:55:00.003-05:00

This is a quick, easy and rather unhealthy sauce that I love to throw together when cooking pork. Now those of you who know my cooking skills are probably thinking, What? Naomi actually cooks her own pork sauce, instead of opening a can of something and dumping it in?

Well, normally I do open a can and dump, but for three ingredients, I figure even cooking-challenged me has the ability to make my own "from scratch" sauce. Are you ready for it?

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Combine over low heat, stirring until butter melts and sugar dissolves.

When I originally found this sauce, the recipe called for adding slices of thick, fully cooked ham and heating for about five minutes. But, I have since used this recipe as a glaze when I''m cooking ribs in the oven, and you might even try it on pork chops in the oven. It gives a really great tangy-sweet flavor to the pork.

Organization and Cleaning...

2011-10-10T22:00:00.002-05:00

When I was in my teen years, growing up with an identical twin, I wasn't the cleanest of the two. My sister and I shared a room and a closet. Our room usually always looked clean, but not because I was the one doing it. I hated it. I fought my mom on a daily basis about doing anything that involved cleaning. Hated to dust and absolutely refused to clean the bathroom. She finally gave in and quit asking me because it was just easier to have my sisters do it, instead of arguing with me constantly.

When I was older and living in my own home and single, I still had my sister come over once a week and clean my house. More than once she would get so mad about how I kept my house that she would often walk out. She would always come back and finish because she is that kind of person, plus it probably helped that I was paying her. It wasn't that I was lazy, I just hated it.

Now, as a married adult with children, my hate for cleaning has changed. I don't love it, I just know that it's my job as a wife, so I do it. However, a little confession - my mom still comes over and cleans my microwave, but that's it I swear. As I mentioned before I really hate to clean bathrooms, even my own. But when I find something from the store that really works and makes my cleaning easier I am all for it. For the past two years I have been using Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner. It came with a wand and a brush type thing that you hook into the wand. You scrub the inside of your toilet and when its clean you push a button and it drops in and is flushable. Now this is my idea of a great product. Only problem is our local Walmart has quit selling or stocking them. Much to my dismay, I am back to square one looking for something that requires little effort on my part.

Each week, I grab the 'All You' Magazine off the shelf because it always has great ideas, coupons and great stories that are written mostly from moms, housewives, etc around the United States. This is my kind of magazine. Well the first issue I bought must have known that I needed a solution. Because on page 146 there is a section called "Make your own household cleaners". I'm thinking, yeah right who has time for that. But as I am reading it says Toilet Bowl Cleaner. I'm instantly hooked. It says, fill a small empty dish-soap bottle with half water and half dish soap (I suggest Dawn) and use it to squirt around the bowl. Scrub and your done. That seems simple enough. I have tried this and it works. Who would have thought. I don't have the trouble of wondering if they will suddenly stop carrying dish soap because the chances of that is unlikely.
I realize this may not be for everyone but I was in need of something that would work great and would be fast and easy.

Here is another great orgazinizing idea. You can pick cheap ones up at Walmart for a dollar if you don't want to spend the money on expensive ones. But either way you will get the same result. I have an obession with handbags and scarves among other things. My problem is I have no where to put them in my closet that looks neat, so they usually end up under the bed, not organized. So recently when I was reading MSN they had this wonderful idea. It says to use shower curtain hooks to hang scarves and handbags on your clothes rack. I'm thinking what a wonderful idea, why haven't I thought of that. Recently my daughter got married and moved out. So we have a spare bedroom that will soon be our office but the closet in this room is too big not to enjoy. Since I used a majority of the closet in my room and my husband's clothes were always crammed I opted to move my clothes to her old closet and let him have ours. Since there is so much room in that closet I have been able to utilize the shower curtain hook idea for my scarves and handbags. It makes it look so neat and organzied and I love it. See picture below, not my closet but you get the idea!

I hope that some of you will be able to use these wonderful ideas. I am always looking for great things so if you have any wonderful idea please post them in the comment section. Thanks for reading and hope you all have a blessed week! :)

It's Past Midnight and Random.org chose the winner!

2011-10-08T01:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it's past midnight and time to draw a winner. We had some technical difficulties (Blogger actually, not us :) and we have some entrants commenting on facebook as well.

If you ever want to comment here but have problems with blogger, visit our Facebook page and leave your comment there any time--mosey on over and like the page as well!

Random.org has been called into service and the winner is.....

Andrea Strong!

Congratulations. I'll be emailing you for your physical address so Jody can get your copy of The Doctor's Lady.

And as always, if you win a book, take the time to write a review on Amazon or your choice of book sites online--they love that! It's the best way to say thanks.

Your Belly, Your Baby, Your Birth Wear...

2011-10-05T13:00:00.004-05:00

Since I was a little girl I have been enamored with pregnant bellies. When a woman in our small church was pregnant I would beg to sit with her and place my hand on her ample baby belly and feel those flutters. I was awe struck and in wonder of it all. Of course once the baby was born I was all too willing to work the nursery. The simple things that children delight in.

My wonder of pregnancy and birth never disappeared although it did take a back seat in my life until I became pregnant myself. I knew that I wanted a more personal pregnancy and birthing experience so I sought out a midwife in our local area to assist me. She introduced the concept of a Doula to me.

Having a doula for my first birth was so important to me, made such an impression on me that I decided that I wanted to serve other women in the same capacity. When my second child was a mere 2 months old (after my first home-birth with a doula & midwife), I attended my doula training workshop with my little nursling and began my birth work journey.

As a "birth worker" I wanted to wear jewelry that expressed my love of pregnancy, the wonder of birth and new life, the sacredness (if you will) of being a partner in bringing a brand new life into our world. I wanted something that would honor the process and the Creator of that process. I looked around online and found many 'birthy' pieces of jewelry but most of them were dedicated to some deity or another that I did not acknowledge and I did not feel comfortable wearing. One evening while feeling quite unsuccessful in my jewelry quest, the thought occurred to me that I could make my own. Could I? I wasn't sure of my abilities but I wanted to give it a try.

I began making polymer clay sculptures that were quite large and cumbersome (compared to my current offerings), although at the time I was quite impressed with my humble beginnings!

Bulky Polymer Clay Belly!

I gradually perfected my belly bead sculpting which enabled me to make smaller and smaller clay beads. I shared my new jewelry with my other doula friends and found out much to my delight that they wanted to buy them! I began offering belly beads and hemp jewelry on Etsy.com in February, 2008. I often get special orders and have shipped all over the US, Canada and the UK.

Then I ventured into acrylic resins. Acrylic allows me more opportunity for creativity, although I still do love my clay! Acrylic beads have a more polished, refined look that pairs wonderfully with natural stone beads, semi-precious gems and artisan glass beads.

Amber-Opal Resin Belly Bead

One day while sculpting a tiny belly, I mused about making a baby and placenta out of clay and casting it into a clear acrylic belly bead. Thus the"Inutero" bead was born. These beads speak loud and clear about the life within the bulging belly. They are quite tedious to make however, and I don't have very many in my shop at once. They are indeed a limited edition item.

My First "Inutero" Bead

Besides my current offerings, you can request a custom piece here. Birth jewelry isn't just for doulas or midwives, I have found many women who want a symbolic piece of jewelry to wear while pregnant, trying to conceive or as a remembrance piece. There really is no limit.

I do my best to offer a quality piece of jewelry and if somethings needs adjusted, I aim to please!

Designing birth art jewelry allows me a creative outlet while helping to normalize pregnancy, birth and the concept that children are a blessing, which begins in the womb.

What people are saying about B'earth Angel's jewelry:

B'earth Angel's hand-crafted birth jewelry will always have a special place in my heart. I stumbled upon your birth jewelry as I was just starting my doula career and finally realized one day that your prices were way too reasonable for me to be dragging my feet any longer so I bought my first piece: a bracelet with bright oranges and a fun little jingle to it! I wore it to all of my interviews and when I taught CBE. One afternoon my toddler yanked on it and the latch broke. Brandi, you told me to send it to you and you fixed, fast as lightening, and got it right back to me at no extra charge! I've never forgotten that amazing service...~Ashli Powell, CD(DONA), CLC, PES, Lubbock Doula Service

I own five gorgeous pieces by Brandi, 4 necklaces and a bracelet. She captures the pregnant body perfectly in each of her beads. I love them all because they are all different and have the "Brandi" touch. I recently wore my favorite necklace in my professional maternity photographs. Another favorite is a clear belly with a visible baby inside. I am so happy Brandi is designing and making jewelry again. I am looking forward to shopping! ~Michelle Steele, Birth Doula

Pregnancy Blessings!

Pregnancy kiss photo by De Monson

Interview with Jody Hedlund - Work

2011-10-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome again, Jody, thank you for sharing how you juggle home and work with us. Now, I've read The Preacher's Bride and loved it (and I'm not just saying that because you are here) and I finished the Doctor's Lady not too long ago--I'm not sure which I liked better--they were both excellent.

What project are you working on rightnow?

I’m currently enjoying spreading the news about my second publishedbook, The Doctor’s Lady (whichreleased Sept. 1, Bethany House Publishers). The book is inspired by the firstAmerican woman to cross overland to Oregon. Her bravery and determination tomake it West paved the way for all the women who would later travel the Oregontrail.

What's the book blurb?

PriscillaWhite knows she’ll never be a wife or mother and feels God’s call to themission field.

Dr. EliErnest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness ofmissions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscillaand Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they sendunmarried men and women into the field. Left scrambling for options, the tworealize the other might be the answer to their needs.

Priscilla andEli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them tofollow God’s leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, thisdecision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpectedturnings of their hearts.

What jobs have you attempted whileworking at home?

Currently,I’m a full time contracted author. My job responsibilities include writing,editing, and marketing.

What do you feel are the pros and cons of this job?

The pro isthat I absolutely LOVE writing. I get to make up stories and write them down. Ican’t imagine a better job in the world!

The downsideis that in today’s tight and competitive publishing industry, writers have toput in long hours but often aren’t compensated monetarily for all of that time.In fact, for the average author, the monetary rewards and sales are often low.Building a successful writing career takes a lot of upfront time, energy, anddevotion with no guarantee of payback, other than personal satisfaction in ajob well done.

How do you deal with your feelingswhen you find yourself in a rough spot and think it’s just too hard?

Fortunately,I have a great support system surrounding me—including my husband, my mom, myagent, my critique partner, and other writing friends that I’ve made. When Iget particularly discouraged or down on myself, one or more of them willencourage me, inspire me to keep going, and remind me why I’m writing. Becausethey believe in me and my abilities, I’m able to believe in myself.

What's your favorite aspect of workingfrom home?

I appreciatethat I get to be with my children throughout each day. We have time to talkabout deeper issues, to address character growth, to share, to laugh, and tolove together. Of course there are days of bickering and hardship too. But weget to grow through those times and hopefully come out stronger as a result.

If you could startall over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?

I’m not surethat I would do anything differently. When my children were younger, I took ahiatus from writing and focused on them for quite a few years. I used that timeto become a better parent and to grow spiritually. When I felt the nudge tobegin writing again, I was a richer and deeper person because of my time awayfrom my writing. And while I’m certainly not perfect in how I handle my writingcareer, I believe that God prepared me to be where I’m at right now.

I always like money savings tips. Whatdo you do to save money?

We eat athome most of the time. We all know how expensive restaurant food is nowadays.Even fast food can add up. In today’s busy world, it’s easy to fall into thehabit of eating out several times a week (if not more). But even though I’mjuggling a lot, I still make time to cook homemade meals (very simple dinners!).My husband has also learned to cook over the past several years, and so hepitches in with making meals. And now my older daughters are also learning tobe proficient in the kitchen.

Any other words of wisdom you wouldlike to share that you haven’t mentioned in the questions above?

When wepursue the things we’re passionate about, we set an example to our childrenthat they can pursue their dreams too. We can model to them hard work,diligence, perseverance, and so many other traits that will hopefully make animpression. It’s not easy to juggle a career and mothering, but it is possibleand can even be beneficial if we have the right outlook!

Thanks so much for that parting bit of wisdom, children do follow our example and that should make us constantly evaluate what we are doing.

If you are a US resident and you'd love to get your hands on a copy of the Doctor's Lady, leave a comment with some way to contact you on this blog post by October 7th midnight to get into a random drawing.

(If you leave your email address, write it in a form such as this:

me AT gmail DOT com

so the spam robots don't get you.)

And if you are having difficulty commenting at ANYTIME - I've just made this blog a facebook page! If you can't comment here--comment there and we'll get you into the drawing. So sorry for the inconvenience of blogger's services sometimes--but you get what you pay for, right? :) I'll spiffy the facebook page up later, but I wanted it to go up right now for those of you having trouble since it seems that random people for some reason aren't being allowed to comment. So go like us (even if you don't want to comment :) and a comment at either place will get you in the drawing.

Interview with Jody Hedlund - Home

2011-10-03T07:19:00.015-05:00

I'm excited to have Jody Hedlund her with us on Making Home Work.

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning historical romance novelistand author of the best-selling book, The Preacher's Bride. Shereceived a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from theUniversity of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Currently she makes her home inMichigan with her husband and five busy children.

I'm pleased to have you here on Making Home Work, Jody. Tell me a bit about your family.

I’ve beenmarried for twenty years to my college sweetheart. My husband has been one ofmy biggest cheerleaders over the years, doing his best to understand andsupport my writing even in the days when publication was only the whisper of adream.

I also havefive children ranging from 14 down to 5, with a set of twin daughters mixed into make things more lively. I homeschool my crew, and so my days are spentgiving math lessons, spelling lists, and grading tests. In teaching mychildren, not only have they learned a lot, so have I! One of my favoritesubjects to teach is world history, which has helped me a great deal in mywriting.

I'm excited to start homeschooling mine, one reason I'm looking forward to it is precisely because I want to learn too! But having them home with you must cut into business time. What advice would you give mothers thinking about havingtheir children help with the business?

While mychildren don’t help me in my writing, they do help around the house quite abit. As moms, we tend to think we need to do the majority of household upkeep.But because I have two full time jobs, as a teacher and writer, I’ve had to letgo of being able to do everything. The demands of my work have essentiallyforced me to delegate work to other members of my family. As it turns out,that’s been a really good thing for my children. They’re learningresponsibility, how to work hard, and preparing for adulthood. From cookingsimple meals, to folding and putting away laundry, they’re pitching in which helpsfree me to do other work.

I cannot agree with you more on children needing to have household responsibilities. I've heard employers want people who grew up on farms because they have the best work ethics. Work Ethics was what drew me to my husband, despite how unromantic that sounds. After all the chores are done, how do you entertain your childrenwhile working at home?

After I’mdone with a day of teaching, I start my writing work. However, that’s when mychildren are most active and ready to run around after sitting all day doingschool. So, it’s a challenge to find quiet uninterrupted time to write.

One of themost helpful things I done is train my children to play creatively. Over theyears, I’ve allowed them the space and the time for developing theirimaginations. So once my children have finished their chores and instrumentpractice, they’re usually very eager to get back to whatever is the creativeplay idea of the week. Sometimes they play restaurant complete with menus,other times they’re vets with all the stuffed animals in the house. When theyplay well, I’m able to work well.

When mychildren were younger, I often gave one of my older children the responsibilityto “babysit” their younger siblings during my work time. I would pay them asmall amount for the work. They liked to earn the money, and I appreciatedhaving less interruptions.

Everyone says, “Remember that your familyis more important than any job,” but when work demands hit, how do you live it?

I usuallyhave a few times a year when work seems to be a little more demanding,particularly during the times when I’m editing a book for my publisher. Duringthose times, I need to be more focused. I make sure I tell everyone my plans,let them know my deadline, and that the busyness is short term. When we keepthe communication open and they know they end is in sight, they’re able to putup with those busier times.

Duringregular work weeks, however, I make sure to plan family time. For example, mydaughters and I have tea time every Sunday afternoon. We read a book togetherand talk about girly things. Sometimes we’ll use that time to work on a craftand other times we’ll go shopping. No matter how busy life might get, we cancount on those weekly family times together.

Can you share your favorite easyrecipe?

BakedMacaroni

16 oz. box elbow noodles

12 oz. can of evaporated milk

½ cup margarine (1 stick)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8oz. bag)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz.bag)

1 cup shredded Colby cheese (half ofan 8 oz. bag)

Cook noodles. Drain. Add margarine andstir until melted. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir together. Pour into 9x 13 pan. Bake uncovered 30-45 minutes at 375° (until top turns golden brown).

Tomorrow, Jody will be back to talk about the business side of staying home and her new book. But for a teaser, I'm going to let you all see the new book's beautiful trailer:

Intrigued? Come back tomorrow and post too, because then you'll be entered into a drawing for The Doctor's Lady please comment on tomorrow's post by midnight October 7th. I'll announce the winner on October 8th. Please comment today to make Jody feel welcome and ask questions, she's intending to drop by both today and tomorrow.

Hearty Kielbasa and Potato

2011-09-30T07:37:00.016-05:00

I like this one because it only dirties one pan, cutting board, and strainer, quick, easy, and husband LOVES it.

2 lbs potatoes (about 6 potatoes cut in cubes)
1 lb kielbasa (halved and sliced)
2 cups frozen green beans
1T olive oil
1 tsp Creole Seasoning (make your own)
1/4 tsp salt
onion flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced

Place cubed potatoes in a dutch oven or deep pan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium high and cook for 12-15 minutes. Add frozen green beans and cook for 5-6 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

In empty pan, cook kielbasa until browned. Add the potatoes, oil, seasoning, salt, onion flakes (your discretion), and garlic, stir. Cook on low for a bit until heated through

If my brain is organized..the rest will follow

2011-09-29T17:00:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was a busy weekend for me. My friend Cherilyn (also a contributor on this blog) let me help her with a wedding she was photographing this weekend. Being a new photographer I was excited for the exposure plus the challenge. I have photographed a wedding before but it was my daughters wedding and Cherilyn helped me with that too but it doesn't count.

We spent two days taking pictures. I tried to delete the ones I didn't like as I was taking them or when I had time but when I got home I soon found out I didn't do so well in that area. I tend to over shoot a pose or take several shots of the same thing to make sure I get the shot I am intending to get. I guess mostly because I don't have enough confidence to make sure I get it the first time. Mostly nerves. When I get home and put the SD card in my computer I find that I have taken over 700 pictures. I am overwhelmed and not sure where to begin. Cherilyn must have sensed my anxiety from afar, because she sent me an email explaining how she organizes photos she needs to edit.

I am very thankful for this, but I also believe it will help anyone that needs to organize photos they need to edit, or post, or have printed. I have found that it works for all sorts of photos and have implemented them in all pictures I need to do stuff with. I realize it's basic and most people already may do this, but just in case, here it goes.

I make folders on my desktop and label them. For instance in the wedding category, there are before, posed, during, rehearsal, after. For my sister, I just label it with her name. For senior pictures, I also label by name. For pictures I take, I usually just put them under a folder with my name, but if there are several different categories, then it could be like Easter, Christmas, Birthday, etc. you get the idea. Then I move the photos to their respective folders. This way, I don't have to be looking at all of them and think OH MY! Then I choose the pictures I want to start with first. Since I tend to overshoot most of the time, I look at each one either by thumbnail or individually and start deleting the ones I don't like, or ones where their eyes may be closed or someone isn't looking. After that is done, then I edit, or for those that don't do editing, upload to Facebook to a specific album or upload to the website I use to print.

I hope this helps you all when you feel overwhelmed with pictures. If you are like me, sometimes you wait until your camera or SD card is full before you decide to upload. Good Luck in all of your photo ventures.

Shannon Vannatter Returns!

2011-09-27T19:02:00.008-05:00

So yesterday we spoke with award-winning romance author Shannon Vannatter about her newest book, Rodeo Dust, which releases in October - as well as where she gets her ideas, how she met her husband, and her shocking puzzle obsession (gasp!)

Today we're back with a few more questions for Shannon - and we can't wait to find out how she, as a pastor's wife, author, and mom of a nine-year-old does it all!

Jenny: How do you write best?

Shannon: My husband and I have a separate office that we share. If I really need to get some writing done, I'm in the office at my desk. If I'm not pressed for time, sometimes I'll do a change of scenery and take my laptop to the recliner in the living room. The summer before last, I did a lot of writing on the front steps of our house, while my son was in the pool with friends. This summer, I decided they were old enough to be out there alone and set up shop at the dining room table next to the window so I could check on them. I write best with no noise or distractions. No TV, music, or anyone home and awake.

Shannon at the computer, writing my very first "badly written" (her words) book back in 1999.

Jenny: Sounds wonderful. Mine is still two, so I'm a little more hands-on now... Well, how do you balance all your many responsibilities, besides parenting and spending time with your husband, like household chores, exercise, Bible study and so forth?

Shannon: During the school year, I write while my son's at school and my husband's at work. When I pick up my son, the computer goes on the back burner. As far as exercise goes, we live on a dead-end gravel road, so when weather permits, after we get homework done, I walk up the road, which is all uphill and quite long, while my son rides his kid-sized four-wheeler. When weather doesn't permit, I do aerobics or treadmill after I take him to school.In the summer, I write after everyone goes to bed, sometimes til 2:00 if I'm on a roll. My son and I both love to swim, so that's my exercise for the summer. We have a lovely blue Walmart pool in our front yard. It was the only spot level enough. And then there's time spent together as a family when my husband gets home from the dental lab.

Jenny: So your husband's a dentist, too, then. You've mentioned before that he's bivocational. Talk about a Renaissance man - dentist and pastor! I love it!

Shannon: So do I! And after our son goes to bed, my husband and I drink coffee and talk for an hour each night.

Jenny: Wait... you drink coffee at night?!

Shannon: Yes, we drink coffee at night. We're such caffeine freaks, it doesn't keep us up.

Jenny: Wow. It would keep me up! Not my husband, of course, who's Brazilian - and Brazilians practically invented coffee. He could probably take it intravenously all day long and still fall asleep. Me? I'd be up all night on the back of the sofa playing the fiddle to some noisy bluegrass.

Shannon: (laughing) Well, I'm a night person, so it helps me wind down. I study my Bible at night, too. Saturday is family day, and we try to do something fun that we all enjoy. I often have speaking engagements or book signings on Saturday, but I try to arrange it where we still have some time - and I try not to book back-to-back Saturdays with writing-related stuff. A lot of the time when I speak at conferences, my guys come with me, and we make it a mini-vacation. Sunday is our busiest, most stressful day because my husband is a bi-vocational pastor.

Shannon says this book signing picture was snapped at a local store that's been really supportive, The Bible House.

Jenny: Well, as a busy mom, do you have any tips, plans, schedules, or advice that keep your household running smoothly?

Shannon: Not a one. I live, work, and love by the seat my pants. I'm the most unorganized person you'll ever hope to meet.

Jenny: (laughing) That must be why we get along so well! I'm very much the same way. So... tell us about your other previously published books. Which ones have been your favorites?

Shannon: I think White Roses will always be dear to my heart. I wrote it shortly after my husband sprang his calling on me. We'd been married sixteen years, and he told me God was calling him to preach. So I wrote a book with a girl feeling unworthy of dating the preacher. That's what the story ended up being after about twenty-five versions, but that's what it started out as. And it was my first traditionally published book and my first major award winner.

Jenny: What other projects do you have in the works?

Shannon: This French guy has been bugging me for about three years. But I didn't have time for him, and I didn't have a setting for him. I finally figured out where his story takes place, so I'm working on the first three chapters and a proposal.

Jenny: Wow! Can't wait to read that one! What else?

Shannon: I have another with an Arkansas setting. It was originally one of my early suspense works. I started from scratch and am rewriting it without the suspense part. But the French guy is bugging me more so that's what I'm currently working on. They're both longer works, more in the 80,000 word realm.

Jenny: What advice would you give to writers hoping to be published one day?

Shannon: Join ACFW. I learned genre generic craft at local conferences. But I learned what it takes to get published, specific to my genre through ACFW.

Jenny: And that's where we met, too, over lovely desserts... in fact, I have a picture of fellow Barbour authors Julie Jarnigan and Roger Bruner with their beautiful chocolate cake right here. (Surprise!) Remember this?

Jenny: Of course I was probably the only weirdo there snapping pictures of other people's plates... Speaking of food, how about that recipe from Rodeo Dust?

Shannon: Here it is!

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef
2 cans pinto beans
1 8 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 can sweet corn
1 can Ro-Tel ( I use original)
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 chopped onion
2 to 3 cans water (depending on how much broth you like)

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain and add remaining ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes. Also great in Crock Pot all day. Serve with Frito corn chips and shredded cheese.

Jenny: Thanks, Shannon! Let's have a few more questions about you before we sign off. What's your favorite thing about your house and the place where you live?

Shannon: I love that we live in the middle of a hayfield. It's very peaceful. You can hear the frogs and crickets at night. And occasionally a pack of coyotes. They sound kind of creepy, but it's home. My parents are across the hayfield, so my son thinks he lives there.

Jenny: I love coyotes! Sigh... Okay, name a place you'd love to go - and a place you'd never want to go.

Shannon: I'd love to go to Georgia. I still have an aunt and cousins there. We've only been there twice since we moved when I was twelve. And... I don't want to go anywhere outside this country. Why bother when we live in the U. S., the best country ever. (I can't believe I said that to someone who lives in Brazil!)

Jenny: I'm totally with you on what a great country we have. But... a certain 6'5" Brazilian and our little curly-haired son made me change my mind about my permanent residency for a while! So how would you spend the perfect day? Watching a soccer game in Maracanã stadium in Rio? (Just kidding...)

Shannon: No way! With my family. Playing putt golf or tracking through the woods in the fall.

Jenny: The woods in the fall sounds great, especially when I live in eternal summer! Well, to wrap up, Shannon, what's one thing most people probably don't know about you (and
might be surprised if they did)?

Shannon: I'm very girly. People know that. I love ruffles, lace, sparkles, high heel shoes, makeup, and primping. But I also love hiking in the woods, riding four-wheelers, and bowling. But nothing as yucky as fishing. My son is into fishing right now. Ugh.

Well, that's it for today with Shannon Vannatter! And I'm so thankful she could stop by and spend some time giving us these insights about herself and her life. Best wishes on your newest book, Shannon, and in your writing career!

Jenny Rogers Spinola lives in Brasilia, Brazil with her Brazilian husband, Athos, and nearly three-year-old son, Ethan. She didn't want to ever leave the U.S., either, but is really glad she did! Jenny teaches ESL private classes and is the author of Barbour Publishing's "Southern Fried Sushi" series (first book released OCTOBER FIRST!) and an upcoming romance novella collection based on Yellowstone National Park (also with Barbour Books).

Introducing Shannon Vannatter!

2011-09-27T04:18:00.009-05:00

It's always funny how you meet people, isn't it?

Shannon Vannatter and I met at my first American Christian Fiction Writer's Conference (ACFW) last year in Indianapolis. I'd never been to an ACFW Conference (which was absolutely WONDERFUL, just life-changing) and I'd never been to Indiana. And frankly, it had been a while since I'd had a trip home to the U.S. away from Brazil, so I was sopping up every minute.

In fact, I was rejoicing over the raspberries or chocolate or something on the luscious dessert Barbour Publishing bought its writers - probably even taking a picture of it - when Shannon and I struck up a conversation.

We've kept in touch since then, done interviews together, and both have new books releasing soon (although this definitely isn't Shannon's first!) - the more I find out about Shannon, the more I love her. I couldn't wait to do this interview about her and learn more about her family, lifestyle, and prior writing experiences.

Shannon is a stay-at-home mom and pastor’s wife in central Arkansas. Her debut novel, White Roses, won the 2011 Inspirational Readers Choice Award in the short contemporary category. The Eighteenth Annual Heartsong Awards named her Third Favorite New Author, and White Roses #1 and White Doves #8 in the contemporary category. The Arkansas Democrat Three Rivers Edition voted her "One of Twenty to Watch in 2011."

Shannon has taught fiction workshops at The White County Creative Writers Conference in Searcy, Ark., Life Press Christian Writers Conference in Memphis, Tenn., Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs, Ark., and Ozark Romance Authors Conference in Springfield, Mo. She also taught a writing class as a continuing adult education course at the Arkansas State University.

Her latest book, Rodeo Dust, will be available through Heartsong Presents in October and her first e-book, Rodeo Hero, releases in 2012.

She's also kindly agreed to give away a copy of Rodeo Dust (isn't that a gorgeous cover?!) so please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen Thursday.

So, Shannon, I can't wait to find out more about you! Thanks for interviewing with me.

Jenny: How did you get started writing? Do you have any special or funny memories related to writing?
Shannon: I had a story in my head from the time I was fifteen, and it wouldn't leave me alone. But I didn't realize it could be a book until I was thirty. At thirty-three, I got a hand-me-down computer and as soon as it was operational, I was writing the story that had tormented me all those years. It was very badly written, but still a good story. Even in it's badly written state, I got encouraging rejections. The editors said it was a good story, I just needed to work on my craft. One editor said that if I worked on my craft, the big publishers would jump on it. That still gives me a giggle since I know how badly written it was and the big publishers haven't jumped my way yet. Now that I've gotten the craft down, maybe I'll rewrite it someday.

Jenny: That's amazing! I'd love to read it. So what were your first stories and books about?
Shannon: They were romantic suspense. But I realized I really don't like researching murder and mayhem. I finally took stock of the fact that I read romance. It made sense to write what I love.

Jenny: Now we're all sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to hear YOUR love story...
Shannon: I met my husband in the ninth grade. It was his hair.

Jenny: (laughing)
Shannon: He had John Travolta (from the "Welcome Back Kotter" days) hair. (Oops - I just showed my age...) Anyway, I saw him and thought, "I'm going to marry that guy." Based totally on his hair. He says the same thing about me. I had long, all one length, straight-as-a-stick hair, and he loved. it! Now he's bald on top and keeps his head shaved, while I wear mine shoulder length and poufy. So we had to find something else to base our relationship on. My parents both walked me down the aisle to give me away at our wedding. We've been married twenty-seven years and we have a biologically nine-year-old son. It's a long story. The greatest thing about my husband is that he's very supportive - and he still makes me laugh.

Shannon and her husband kissing at the Romance Waterfalls in Arkanasas. Her books White Roses, White Doves, and White Pearls are all set in Romance. People go there to get married, often at the waterfall.

Jenny: I love your story! I had no idea about the hair... yours looks pretty amazing, though, in your head shot. You have a great family! What's your son like?

Shannon: He's... really stubborn. He gets that from his dad. But his dad says he gets it from me. He's a wonderful artist, which he gets from his dad. He drew stuff when he was four that blew adults away. He's good at playing guitar too. He started lessons last January and it's amazing how he's progressed. When he was three and a half, we were remodeling our kitchen. We'd torn out the cabinets and he could walk up to the window for the first time in his life. He looked out and said, "Hey, I can see out this window because my head sits up so high on neck now." :)

Jenny: I love it! So how did you grow up, Shannon? Where? What previous jobs have you held?
Shannon: I was born in rural Arkansas, and I've lived in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and near Atlanta, Georgia from the ages of one to twelve - then moved back to rural Arkansas. I graduated in a class of twenty, and that was a huge class for our tiny school. I went to cosmetology school and worked as a hairdresser, a loan clerk at a bank, and a data entry clerk for a large fragrance company. Then I had a baby and retired to be a stay-at-home mom/writer/pastor's wife, not necessarily in that order.

Jenny: You were a hairdresser! So that explains the great hair. Well, what other interests do you have outside of writing?
Shannon: I love to sew, but not clothes. If you make a pucker in clothing, it shows. I sew home interior stuff: curtains, valances, bedspreads, and comforters. If you make a pucker, there's enough ruffles it doesn't matter. I only have one set of curtains, one set of toppers, and one bedspread in our house that I didn't make. My son loves it because he always has a cool room unlike any of his friends. He's had Noah's Ark, Bob the Builder, Spiderman, Patriotic, and currently Arkansas Razorbacks.

Jenny: I'm a horrible seamstress. But I really admire people who can sew! What else do you enjoy?
Shannon: I love jigsaw puzzles. At least 1000 pieces, but not the ones that are all the same color. That's just frustrating. Puzzles relax me, but I don't want to do anything else. No cooking, no showering, just leave me alone and let me do my puzzle. Because I get so fixated, I don't do them very often. My parents got me a puzzle board one year for Christmas. It has drawers around the sides for the pieces. It was the best gift I ever got. And of course, I love reading. But it's just like the puzzles, I don't want to do anything else if I'm reading a good book.

Jenny: Good writers are often voracious readers. So let's find out a little about your writing. Can you tell us a little bit about Rodeo Dust?
Shannon: I had a lot of fun with the hero's dialogue. He thinks and says everything in rodeo, bull, and ranch terms. Here's the back cover blurb:

Ad exec Rayna Landers meets bull rider Clay Warren at the State Fair of Texas. While Rayna thinks she’s content solo, Clay longs for marriage and family. Though poised to win his third world championship, his ranch is in a slump. Clay convinces his publicist to hire her advertising firm in a last-ditch effort to keep his employees and lasso her heart.

Soon the city girl is on the ride of her life, until the rodeo unearths buried memories from her past. Clay sees her through the trauma, but an injury and his stubborn determination to get back in the hypothetical saddle threatens their budding relationship. Can they rely on God to find their common ground or will they draw a line in the rodeo dust that neither will cross?

Jenny: Wow! Where did you come up with the idea for that one?
Shannon: I usually get ideas from things I see. Rodeo Dust came from several years ago when we'd taken our son to the Arkansas State Fair. I saw a cowboy-to-the-bone guy dressed in typical Wranglers, boots, and hat holding hands with a city girl dressed in a spiffy business suit and suede boots. I wondered how they met and what they had in common. The wondering became a book. And since my husband is from Texas, I decided to set the story there.

Jenny: What's one thing you hope readers will come away with after reading Rodeo Dust?
Shannon: That we must trust God with everything this world holds.

We'll stop here for today, put please tune in for tomorrow's segment - where we're going to find out how Shannon does it all, the place she'd never go (you won't believe this one!), and something pretty much nobody knows about her. Oh, and a recipe, too!

Don't forget to comment on today's post for a chance to win a free book!

You can find out more about Shannon and her books at her website: http://shannonvannatter.com - and her blog where she celebrates real and fictional love stories with weekly inspirational author features and book giveaways: http://www.shannonvannatter.com/blog.

Her latest book, Rodeo Dust, will be available through Heartsong Presents in October, and her first e-book, Rodeo Hero releases in 2012.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jenny Rogers Spinola lives in Brasilia, Brazil with her Brazilian husband, Athos, and nearly three-year-old son, Ethan. She's been to a rodeo once - in Georgia - and does, in fact, own a cowboy hat. Jenny teaches ESL private classes and is the author of Barbour Books' "Southern Fried Sushi" series (first book released OCTOBER FIRST!) and an upcoming romance novella collection based on Yellowstone National Park (also with Barbour Books).

Homemade Yogurt in the Crock Pot

2011-09-23T09:52:00.006-05:00

My love affair with homemade yogurt goes back all the way to my childhood days, when my Mennonite grandmother made soft, tangy yogurt and served it in small brown bowls.

After that I ate the processed stuff for years - decades - until I tried making my own yogurt here in Brazil, when we first moved to Guarapari, Espirito Santo back in 2004. The result was disasterous; half the time the yogurt didn't gel, or turned thick and sticky like glue with a weird aftertaste, and I ended up wasting more milk and yogurt than I was actually saving... so I stopped.

Fast-forward to now, 2011, when Athos (who doesn't cook much, mind you) informed me that yogurt requires a "dark, opaque" place to work - so the glass jars I was using back in Guarapari might have been the problem. In addition, I read online that you can actually make yogurt in the Crock Pot with little fuss and few problems... and since I'd just bought a Crock Pot in the U.S. for $16, I decided to try it out.

And........... WOW! I can't even begin to describe how WONDERFUL this homemade yogurt is - and how simple! The ONLY conditions are that you 1) have a Crock Pot with a low-heat setting and 2) use only regular homogenized or pasturized milk - NOT the long-life stuff we have in Brazil called ulta-pasturized. We CAN find homogenized or pasturized milk in the refrigerated section of Brazilian supermarkets *sometimes*... not always... which is why we don't make it more often.

However, in the absence of a fresh milk, I've used DRY WHOLE MILK POWDER with startingly good results - so much so that my husband can't tell the difference when I use fresh pasturized milk and the dry stuff.

Premade yogurt is actually pretty expensive in Brazil - around 60 cents to a dollar for a small 2/3 cup-sized container - and remember that our currency is worth around half the value of dollars, so it's like we're paying double that price. (Imagine plunking down US$2-$3 for single serving cup of yogurt! And that's IF we can find natural yogurt - back in Guarapari it was extremely rare to find anything but flavored stuff, which doesn't work as well if at all, since much of it isn't actually yogurt at all but sweetened, flavored milk thickened with gelatin.

So, anyway - back to the yogurt making. Now I buy a relative inexpensive box of fresh milk, or two, or the equivalent in dry milk powder whisked with warm water - plus one container of yogurt for starter. With this, I produce enough yogurt for all three of us to have generous servings, usually twice with leftovers (around 3 cups), with a cost of not much more than two-premade containers (1 1/4 cups-ish).

AND the quality and taste is soooooooooooooooooo much better!

Here's how to make it:

1) Heat the milk (I use 1 liter boxes, around 4-5 cups) in the Crock Pot on low for about three hours. It should be hot enough to form a skin on top of the milk when it cools - and you can peel that skin off, of course, and toss it. But it's an important temperature indicator.

If, when you produce the final yogurt, it's sort of slippery and slimy, dishing out in long strings instead of plopping in creamy spoonfuls, this can be an indicator that you didn't let it get hot enough before cooling. You can still eat it, of course, and draining it will remove the weird consistency - but try to make sure it gets hot enough, and for a long enough time, the next time you make yogurt.

2) When the milk is sufficiently hot and has formed a skin, turn off the Crock Pot and let it sit for 2-3 hours. The milk should be warmish, not hot. If the milk is hot enough to smart when you insert your finger, or still steams, it's too hot and will kill the yogurt cultures. Sometimes my Crock Pot does too good a job of insulating, and I have to leave it for 4 hours, until the milk feels more like warm bath water.

3) Stir in about 1/4 cup fresh yogurt with active cultures. This is the plain, natural, unflavored yogurt without colors or added fruits or sugars. To mix it well, scoop up a cupful or so of the milk, stir in the yogurt until smooth, then dump it in and stir everything well.

4) Put the lid back on the Crock Pot and cover with a thick, fluffy towel and a blanket, so it's completely bundled up to hold in the heat. (The Crock Pot should be OFF). Leave it there for 6-8 hours or even up to 24 hours - without disturbing.

5) And... that's it! When you go to check it the following morning (I always add my yogurt in the afternoon/evening and scoop it out the next day), you'll see immediately that the consistency has changed, and the yogurt has separated with a clear whey forming on top. Voila! Homemade yogurt!

You can even keep this whey as it's really nutritious and high in protein, and supposedly you can cook it and make ricotta cheese. However, I haven't seen that happen yet; I just burned a nice black circle on the side of the pan.

6) If you like thicker, Greek-style yogurt, like the yogurt shown in these photos (which is so incredibly good!), there's one more step. Line a colander with a piece of cheesecloth, or, since I can't find that here most of the time, a lint-free piece of fabric (an old, clean pillowcase is ideal) and set both over a bowl. Dump the yogurt into the lined colander, cover, and refrigerate. Leave it sitting for several hours (I leave mine at least 6-8, overnight) to drain. The next morning I uncover it to find a perfect, white, thick colander of Greek yogurt, so rich and creamy it's almost like whipped butter (but without all the fat!)

We dress it up with a little jam or honey, some nuts and raisins, a sprinkle of oats, and there you have it! The best yogurt I've ever had in my life!

And unlike my previous efforts, the Crock Pot method has never, ever failed. :) Twice I've lifted in the lid in the morning and found watery, whitish soup, and groaned out loud - thinking I'd ruined another batch. But no - if you leave it right there in the Crock Pot an extra day, by evening it will have miraculously firmed up into perfect yogurt. I think this has happened only when the Crock Pot didn't stay warm enough (I forgot the blanket once), so the yogurt culture didn't have enough time to multiply throughout the milk. That's my guess; I really have no idea. But we were happy with the results.

Good luck1 I'd love to hear how it goes for you.

Jenny Rogers Spinola lives in Brasilia, Brazil with her Brazilian husband, Athos, and nearly three-year-old son, Ethan. She's got milk heating for yogurt in the Crock-Pot as we speak. Jenny teaches ESL private classes and is the author of Barbour Books' "Southern Fried Sushi" series (first book released NEXT MONTH!) and an upcoming romance novella collection based on Yellowstone National Park (also with Barbour Books).