Looking for deals??

OK, this blog is so much fun, if you're into saving money. I just found it today! I just wanted you to know about it, too. Enjoy!

Friendship

Have you ever noticed times in your life where you could see God's handprint over the circumstances at that moment?

It’s amazing how He will bring people into our lives at just the right time…and it’s just what we need to draw us closer to Him. It’s powerful.

I have been blessed to meet many wonderful Moms in my neighborhood. It’s somewhat of an intimidating process…even for a “people person” like me. Infiltrating an already-bonded group of women is not easy. And can actually give you flashbacks of junior high school…and all the insecurities that encompasses.

But in every group such as this, there is usually one person who is gifted with fellowship. She’s the out-reach person. She’s phenomenal at bringing people together…she’s inviting….she’s authentic. I’m so thankful that God allowed me to meet her in this group.

I am blessed beyond measure with rich relationships. But the addition of these ladies in my neighborhood has been wonderful. These women love the Lord. They have incredible hearts for their husbands and children. I am thankful God has me right here, right now. He has already used them to minister to my heart on so many levels.

If your group of friends doesn’t happen to have one of these people in it, why not try to BE that person? You may truly be a blessing!

Whole Wheat Tortillas...and laundry soap

What do these two have in common, you ask? Absolutely nothing. Except for the fact that I made both from scratch today.

If you're as interested in frugality as I am, you may like to know how to make these.
If you're interested in products with nothing strange added to the ingredients listing, you may also be interested in how to make these.
If you couldn't care less about either of those things, you may want to close this blog for today.

The tortillas are really good! As good as any whole wheat tortillas you can buy in a store...and so easy.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 T olive oil (Extra virgin would probably be best...but I always use up what I have on hand)
1/2 cup warm tap water
(I double all of this...I like BIG tortillas)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add olive oil and stir until well combined. Put in warm tap water one tablespoon at a time, until dough can be gathered into a ball. (Add more water, if needed, one tablespoon at a time.) Knead on floured surface 15 - 20 times. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.

Divide dough into 10 -12 equal portions and shape into balls.

On floured surface, roll out each ball from the center into a circle.

Notice my great-grandmother's glass rolling pin. I absolutely love it!

Cook on an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat on each side about 30 seconds, or until puffy. You can cook them longer, until they are crispy, if you'd like.

Ta da!!! A plate of whole wheat tortillas!

You can use for anything you would use tortillas for. They roll up nicely, for fajitas or tacos. Today I stuffed them with beef fajita meat and whatever else we had on hand. Tomorrow I will use them for quesadillas.

Laundry Soap
Ingredients:

6 cups water

1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated

1/2 cup Washing Soda

1/2 cup Borax

4 cups hot water

1/4 cup Dawn

1/2 cup Febreeze

Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan, with 6 cups water, and heat on low until dissolved.

Does anybody know what that pink line is in my picture??

Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened and remove from heat. Add 4 cups hot water to a 2-gallon bucket. Add soap mixture and mix well.

Again, what is the pink in the picture?? I promise the detergent isn't nuclear.

Fill bucket with hot water. Add Dawn (to cut grease) and Febreeze (for odor-prevention), and mix well.

Set aside until mixture thickens.

Then I pour mine in these to store above my washer.

The recipe calls to use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

I use one cup. But even still, it lasts a long time.

And the total cost for all those ingredients was less than $10.

Let me know if you try either of these and what you think!

Happy Birthday, Dear Friend!

Four things I love most about you:

(1) Your undeniable authenticity
(2) Your sweet, hospitable spirit
(3) Your love for the Lord
(4) Your ability to speak the truth, but always in love

May your next year be blessed.
Happy Birthday, Pam!

FUN GIVEAWAY!

I have not gone away....I've just been a little busy. I DO have some things to blog about later today...and this week.

But for now, you should head over to this cool website and check out this great giveaway....a pink tool belt!!!!! Every girl needs one!!!!

The Remodeling Guy has a fun website, with great information. You ought to go check it out!

Friday Night Fraps!

Last night was my first FRIDAY night to work at Starbuck’s. AND it was my first night to have a “bar” all to myself. I was in charge of cold beverages. Frappuccinos, iced coffees and shaken iced teas. If that was your desire last night at Starbucks, then I was your man…uh…woman.

I stumbled through making my first beverage of the night, only to have it handed right back to me to be re-made. What could possibly be wrong?? Except for my long hair hanging out of the drink, it was most likely a perfect Frappuccino!

Fortunately, I worked with two lovely girls who had to babysit me all night on how drinks were made. They were willing, and always had a smile…that is, until the line became about 15 people deep, with marked cold beverage cups lined up across the counter, waiting to be filled with delicious cold beverages. I would stop one of these ladies racing around making hot beverages and say, “what does this abbreviation on this cup mean? What am I supposed to make?” Meanwhile, people were lined up at the hand-off plane to receive their drinks, again, about 15 people deep.

Let’s just say…I was politely moved out of the way, so the real baristas could work.

Anyway, after a long, successful night of learning, it was time to clean up the store. It closed at 11:00 and we had another 45 minutes of cleaning ahead. I washed dishes, sanitized, re-stocked and even mopped the floor. I almost successfully finished cleaning, that is….until I accidentally dumped the entire industrial-sized wash bucket of nasty, dirty water back onto the clean floor. Everyone had to stop what THEY were doing to help “the newbie” mop up the dirty lake in the store.

I fall into bed at 1:15 am. I woke up to precious, happy kids this morning at 7:00. Tired. But Braden reminded me this morning why I am doing this…and it’s all back into perspective.

Blake had another opinion….oh well, you can’t win them all!

Heart Surgery

What does it mean to have a heart of service? To me, it means lots of things. The most obvious to me is service to my church. My family is involved….we give…. always with a happy smile, and most of the time, with an equally happy heart.

Then there is service to friends….who needs a meal taken to them? Who needs my prayers? Who could use our baby’s hand-me-downs? Who needs free babysitting…or their lawn mowed? Who just needs a cup of coffee and a listening ear?

These seem to be the easiest, although they still require thought and effort.

The area of service closest to my heart…and yet definitely the most difficult for me…is the one to my husband and children. They have my entire heart….but they may not always have my most loving attitude. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed or obligated, instead of drawn to them in a heart of service.

Serving my kids means remaining loving and willingly submissive when I hear YET ONE MORE TIME, “Mommy, will you…?” Or “Mommy, please get me…” or just plain whiny “Mommy!...” It’s following through with the actions, yes, but also having a heart of love, not giving in to the exhausted, “poor me” Mommy feelings.

Service for my husband may look like… stopping my dinner-making routine to greet him as he walks in the door from work, just to give him a kiss…and a FOCUSED eye-contact “hello, how was your day?”, that hopefully speaks “you’re important to me…and I’ve missed you today.” Or handing him a cup of coffee in the morning, when I really just want to get my own cup and work on waking up.

There are endless ways to have a heart of service.

Service is not in my natural giftedness. I have to work at it, pray for it, strive to do it.

But the most interesting area of service in my life lately is in the area of work. Being a barista, and making cool coffee drinks, is really quite fun. I tremendously enjoy the people! They’re fascinating. But equal to making cool drinks in this job, is washing dishes, scrubbing floors and bathrooms. Wow. Talk about a heart check. Am I above this? Absolutely not. Do I struggle at moments, thinking I am? Sure.

I think about Christ…and how he washed his disciples dirty (and probably smelly!) feet….or when he touched the skin of the leper to heal him…or was seen in the company of society’s most despised…all in the name of service to and love for others.

My heart’s desire is to be more Christlike. It really is. And I have a long way to go. Perhaps washing dishes, scrubbing floors and commodes (that are not my own) is good for me. Perhaps I’m having a little daily heart surgery.

I do know I’m eager and excited to see what God is teaching me and preparing me for. Hopefully, I can truly show others a little bit of Christ in my life as I learn to serve better.