A guest post and what I wore...

This week my sweet friend Sarah invited me over to do a guest post on… you guessed it, cloth diapering.  This is actually one of the most thorough posts I have done on why we chose cloth, you should check it out… and her blog :)

And… Andrew and I went to a formal! Now recently, in my effort to get rid of stuff and simplify, I donated and sold around 8 bridesmaid dresses and a handful of formal dresses… some that have been hanging around since I was a freshman in high school (circa 2001, I know I am old...).  It just felt like too much having all those dresses around that I knew I didn't want to wear again.  So as I was looking through my closet to pick something to wear I thought this might be a good time to try rent the runway!   So glad I did!  I rented this awesome one shoulder Shoshanna purple dress for our Mardi Gras themed event.  The cool thing was I was able to look at other people wearing the dress, what size and height they were, so I had an idea about what sizes to get (and they send you two:)).  I also got to talk to a "personal stylist" (feel so fancy saying that) to double check on the fit for my build and I wanted to check and make sure she thought it would be modest :). It was fun, and easy. I also feel like it was not wasteful, as I know others will get a chance to wear the dress again, it was fairly inexpensive and I will not be putting another dress in my closet to gather dust!  

Another friend who rented a dress for the night!

What about you?  Have you tried rent the runway? Do you think its worth it?

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4 Scripture References that Help Us Choose Joy for Our Families and Children

What is the one thing you hear most when you ask parents what they want for their children?

"I just want my children to be happy."

I hate to say it, but I think this is one of the biggest lies and sinful desires that we are buying into for our selves and our children… even if we don't want to admit it.  Being happy shouldn't be our ultimate goal, and it shouldn't be our ultimate goal for our kiddos.  The word happy is incomplete for the description of what we should desire.

1. I think of 1 Peter 5:8-11{emphasis added}

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith,because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

2. And I think about John 16, particularly verse 33 {emphasis added}when Jesus says:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We will have trouble.

Let's not deny it, not sugar-coat it and let's for sure stop acting like we have it all together in our "happy" lives.  And let's make a shift in our thinking and actions for our families from happy to *joyful and content.*

3. Consider James 1:2-12{emphasis added}

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.  For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.   

Being joyful is simply being content in Christ in all circumstances.  

4. Philippians 1:20-22 {emphasis added}

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!

Simple, yet so difficult.  But I encourage you, take on the challenge, for yourself, your family, your kids.  Stop chasing happiness, they things of this world are fleeting and you will never find it.  Start pursuing joyful contentness in Christ :).

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Did you know earth day was on Tuesday?  How does BD help the earth… by wearing cloth diapers every day! Here are some of my favorite pictures of her sporting fluff! :)  If you are ever interested in cloth diapering or just have questions, contact me!  I love helping people with cloth diapering:)

 

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I have had so much fun connecting with other bloggers in the past few weeks!  I was featured on Blogging on the Side and Our Joy His Glory.  This next week I will be trading posts with another friend… so be on the look out for that!

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This week I jotted down some of my thoughts about being a part time stay at home mom… you should check it out :)!

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Any one out there in the blogging world interested in doing a link up? Leslie from Our Joy, His Glory has the Happy Hostess link up… and I will be joining her as a host next week!  Do you like throwing parties, going to parties, eating party good, etc etc etc… If you are interested in linking up you should!  If you are interested in helping host get in touch with me!

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Check out the birthday/graduation party we had for Andrew this past weekend… we went to a Mexican restaurant and he *may* have ended up with sour cream or whip cream ( I am not sure which) all over himself:)!

Some thoughts on being a part-time stay-at-home mom...

Those that know me best… know that I am a workaholic.  My husband says I find work to do, even when there isn't any.   I have this desire to be a full-time stay-at-home mom and work full-time… but I know the two cannot simultaneously occur.    This year I am a part-time private preschool teacher.  So I say that I am a part- time stay at home mom (SAHM).  I usually get home at 12:15, and the rest of the afternoon is "my own." I find myself getting frustrated that I am not plowing through to-do lists in this time and getting a ton done.  Many days I find myself at best disappointed, and at worst frustrated that I didn't get more done.  But I have to remind myself that what is getting done is the most important work of all.  It is kingdom work, discipleship and caring for the general safety and well-being a of a human being (that human being is our daughter :)).  I have come to realize that I *cannot* expect to get much done in my child's waking hours.  If I am at home with BD, I am her caretaker, I am doing what daycare workers and teachers get paid to do.  And those people don't try to get other stuff done while watching/teaching the children.. that's laughable. So I have had to learn to be a little more laid back.   To get a little less done. To let the apartment be more messy. To plan less. To be there more. And mostly to spend time and pour into our child, for I am blessed with the time I have with her! I don't know what the future holds for my career- whether I will be a sahm mom, part-time sahm, or working mom.  I just know that it takes sacrifice to raise a child to follow Christ! I'll end with these thoughts from Susanna Wesley (mother of Charles and John Wesley)-  "I am content to fill [just] a little space for God to be glorified… No one can, without renouncing the world, in the most literal sense, observe my method; and there are few, if any, that would entirely devote above twenty years of the prime of life in hopes to save the souls of their children, which they think may be save with out so much ado; for that was my principal intention, however unskillfully and unsuccessfully managed. "

A Birthday (and graduation) Party...

So it was Andrew's Birthday this past weekend.  We celebrated by eating mexican, desserts and having a game night. I made these delicious strawberry cupcakes.  The recipe can be found here.  I used regular flour and regular milk (I am just not that fancy) and they turned out great.  I don't usually care for strawberry cake… but LOVED this!  I think it was the almond extract and the REAL strawberries.

Andrew got to wear a somber… it was pretty cool...

Then a couple of stunt decided to shove sour cream or maybe it was sip cream in his face… it was amazing! :)

I decided to add a little extra celebration for his graduation from seminary… a year ago.  See, because of some circumstances only BD and I were able to attend Andrew's graduation.  

Somehow I juggled this little bundle through the long graduation ceremony...

I think the only pic I got of Andrew during the ceremony… I had no free hands :(

Here are some of the fun things to celebrate graduation… they are a little silly I know! :)

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Secret church tonight!  Have you ever done this?  David Platt is a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama and he does an all night simulcast from time to time.  This was birthed out of when he was in other countries people were so hungry for The Word that they wanted him to tell them about it, even if it meant they stayed up all night.  I want to hunger for The Word in that way!  This year the focus is  the Cross and Everyday Life

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This guy… 

is turning ahem {29} this Saturday {just one year until 30 babe} get excited!  Can't wait to celebrate him this weekend!

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One of the reasons I love blogging… connecting and learning from other people!  Two of my favorite bloggers are Leslie and Jillian.   I am not sure how Leslie and I connected, but I am glad we did.  She did a guest post on right here this week!

Jillian is someone I knew from college, but through blogging and the fact that our daughters were born around the same time we have reconnected.  Hopefully Jillian will do a guest post in the coming weeks!

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Bailey Drew learned to take off her own diaper (may be time to only use snap diapers) and pooped in the bathtub (I know TMI… and sorry BD if you are reading this in the future :)) all in one week.  This girl is so crazy!

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It was spring break this week for BD and I!  We had some fun adventures and got stuff done.  Here is some of what we did this week…

Wildlife Center!

Strawberry picking!

Guest Post From: Our Joy, His Glory

What is one of the best parts of blogging?  Connecting with other bloggers and learning from them.  I am so excited to introduce you to Leslie from Our Joy, His Glory!  She is going to tell you a little about herself today… I hope you will check her out on Blogger Pinterest Instagram Facebook Hey y'all!  I'm Leslie from Our Joy...His Glory.  

That's me when I was about 7 months pregnant with baby no. last (3)!
I've been blogging for over six years.  In that time, my blog has gone from posts strictly about my kiddo(s) to all sorts of things.   I enjoy writing about my three girls, homeschooling, crafting, photography, decorating, family life, and my Savior.  I love how blogging connects people.  It's my favorite form of social media *ahem* with Instagram in close second! *Click over to my blog and follow my Instagram! Just kidding...maybe?...no pressure.*
My husband, Graham, and I have been married for nearly 11 years.  We have three little girls! THREE GIRLS!  Yes, our hands are full!   Ava Grace is 6.5, Edy Rose is 4, and my little Joy Tatum will be a year next month.   In my former life, I taught 5th and 6th grade so I'm putting that to good use and homeschooling my beauties! *Wow!  That's something I never thought I'd say!*  It's a new adventure and I'm learning a lot.  My poor AG is the guinea pig child so hopefully all the kinks will be worked out by girl no. 3!  I jest!

 left to right: Ava Grace, Joy Tatum, and Edy Rose
We are native Arkansans, but now call the Lonestar State home.  We have been here for close to four years and I have been fixing up our house as we have the money.   I blog about home updates nearly every week or so.  It's fun to see our house transform into a home that we truly enjoy.  
Since I am a SAHM, I find that blogging is a special sort of outlet.  It's a way for me to talk about Jesus and to give Him the glory publicly.  I am so thankful for His Word!  He is teaching me daily to be the wife, mama, teacher, and friend that He has called me to be.  I screw up a lot, but I'm thankful for His grace, His patience, and His guidance.

I love to make little graphics!  Feel free to steal this one!
About the name of my blog--OUR JOY...HIS GLORY:

No matter the circumstances, I have JOY because of my relationship with God through Christ. No matter what, I want to give Him all the glory. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  I Corinthians 10: 31

You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forever.  Psalm 16:11
Thanks for taking a little time to get to know me! Feel free to hop over to my blog and look around! 
Thank you, Stasia, for allowing me to guest post on your blog!

A year of cloth diapering…

We've made it a year in cloth diapers… and still going strong!!!  I even get the privilege of helping other families get started with cloth on a regular basis.  Feel free to be in touch if you have any cloth diapering questions. A while back I wrote a post about our first 6 months using cloth, thought it was about time for an update!  

Here are my suggestions for a successful first year in cloth...

1. Establish support...

Cloth is easy… but there is still a lot to learn.  Try to find a couple friends (or you could always contact me ;)) that you can call or text as you go.

2. Start with a simple stash and then add to it...

Pick a system or two and go with it.  This keeps things easy in the beginning.  You will probably add to it here and there, as you find out what you like best.  For us, we love pockets, but I have other friends that don't, so you just have to see what works for you!

3. Don't let others get you down...

When we were babies, almost nobody cloth diapered… it just wasn't the thing to do.  As friends of mine are choosing cloth more and more, it is there parents that tend to be most opposed to the idea.  My suggestion- show them how easy the new cloth diapers are, show them how much money it will save and show them how much waste it saves.   As for others that think I am crazy, I see it as a time to educate!  And for you working mamas out there, there are many daycares that take cloth diapers now, we just have to start asking and insisting!

4. Trouble shoot...

 There will probably be a time that the washing doesn't go quite as planned, your diapers aren't fitting quite right, or your diapers are not working for night time.  That's what the support is for, there is help out there for figuring things out!

5. Enjoy all the benefits of cloth... 

*Cuter than disposables *Work as bloomers *Save tons of money *Save tons of waste *Never emergency trips to the store to pick up diapers *Better for your baby's skin

What have you learned about cloth diapering?  What do you still want to know? 

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Getting Rid of Stuff: Garage Sale

Since January we have been trying to simplify.  But not just simplify, redirect that attention to God.  One thing we discovered is we have too much stuff, plain and simple.   Stuff shoved in closets. Stuff under beds.  Stuff covering every square inch of our house. So after gathering a bunch that we did not need, we decided to do 4 different things with the stuff… 1. Give it away. 2. Sell it on Ebay. 3. Sell it on online Garage Sale pages on Facebook. 4. Have a garage sale. Each had its pluses and minuses.  But I think the biggest plus of all is that we don't have so much stuff in our lives to distract us from God :). For the next few weeks I am going to share a post on our experience with each… and I highly encourage you to simplify too, it has been a great experience! So let's get down to it…. the weather is nice and it is Garage Sale Season!

This was *by far* my favorite sales method, easily trumping eBay and Facebook.  There was just something about how quick it happened- Saturday 7-12, boom a bunch of stuff is gone, boom you have made a chunk of change.  Also it just felt so much more personal.  I loved talking to our customers and to family as we organized and executed the day.  So here are my pointers…

Before the Garage Sale…

*Okay, I am just going to go out on a limb and say this, even though every other site and blog says the opposite… you just don't need to spend that much time preparing.  We didn't really until the night before and the morning of, and our sale was still really successful!  I think this really saves you on the time investment.
*In the weeks leading up to the sale put stuff aside in a specified area that you plan to sell.  What should you sell?  Really anything.  You would be surprised what people buy!
*Create an easy pricing system by color like the one we did This way you are not writing on every sticker for every item.  Quick, easy, painless way to price things.
*In the days leading up to the sale post your garage sale on Craig's list and garage sale finder pages online.  We started about a week before and reposted every couple days.
*Do a little research on your big ticket items (furniture, interments etc), and decide on a price for those. Posts those on Craig's list the day or two before.  We were not willing to meet up with people (this saved time and brought them to our garage sale).  This just brings people in that are willing to pay full price for your big ticket items.
*You might want to put an ad in the paper.  This may seem a little old school, but ours came with some price stickers and a few signs.  The price was worth it just for the signs themselves!
*The night before and the morning of (or you could do it in advance, but we didn't find that necessary) price everything.  To be honest, we actually did not price everything.  All the sites tell you to, but I didn't find it that inconvenient to throw a price on items we did not have time to put tags on.  I found people still picked them up (sometimes even before asking the price!).  
*Set up tables both in and outside your garage.  Tables are MUCH better than putting things on the ground.  We found that people were more likely to buy things on the tables as a general rule. The first picture is much better than the second… we just ran out of tables.  When we do it again I will borrow from a friend!
*Take out some cash for making change. A couple of $20s, $10s and $5s. 20 $1 bills and a roll of quarters would probably do the trick!   *If you can do your garage sale with multiple people or families, this brings more stuff and more business. *Price things to sell.  You are not out to make a million bucks, you are out to get rid of stuff and make a little money in the process. *Organize like things together and make signs- home decor, baby, women, books, DVDS, etc.

During the Garage Sale…

* Make a designated pay here area with a person that is just in charge of money.  This made things run so smoothly.  We did not even have seperate areas for the different people to pay.  we just kept track of it on a white board.  This also kept the money safe from anyone who might get "sticky fingers."   *Keep an eye on your stuff too. we never had anyone try to take anything, but I hear it happens.    *Walk around and be social with your customers.  Ask if they are looking for anything in particular.
*Group things for deals.  If someone is buying a pile of stuff add it up and knock off a dollar or round down to a nearest dollar amount.  This makes them feel like they are getting as deal AND they are more likely to buy more things! *Decide if you are going to take early birds, because they will show up before your designated start time.  We did just because we were motivated to get rid of stuff, but I know most people don't. *We keep our hours short and sweet and do a one day sale- 7-12 on Saturday. This ended up being a great profit for the time we spent! *Keep your sale open for the time you say it will be opened.  You will be crazy busy for the first hour or so.  Literally you will be thinking, "Do people really get up a 6 every weekend to go to garage sales?" But they do .  After that initial rush it is pretty slow and steady.  we found that around 11 it really slowed down and we started to pack up.  We completely shut down just before 12.  We watched at least 5 cars drive up and then drive away.  If we had stayed open a little longer we would have probably made a little more.

After the Garage Sale…

*Stop.  Don't even bring that stuff back in the house.  Give everything left to those in need.  
*It may be beneficial to make a list of all the stuff you end up donating for tax purposes.
*Go ahead and clean up.  It may be tempting to take a break, but the clean up is so quick!  You will be gal d you didm't put it off.
*Consider giving a portion of your profits.  Do you have a friend adopting?  What about a single mom in need?  
*Kick back and relax… you are done! :)

Have you ever had a garage sale?  What suggestions do you have?

The lost years: wishing I had started blogging sooner

I love blogging. It has turned into a side hobby for me and it is exciting to really begin to see his blog grow!  I have high hopes and goals for the future in growth… but even if I never reach those, I would continue to blog anyways.  Why?  It is the documentation of our life.  I can look back and see picture and thoughts from different stages over the last couple of years.   As I read others blogs, I often get a little sad… many have documentation of single years and documentation of the earliest years of their marriage.  Those B.B. days (before babies).  I really didn't start blogging until we lost our first child through a miscarriage.  I think it was therapeutic, the writing, the sharing, the connecting.  Then I just kept doing it.

So have you thought about doing it?  Blogging?  I  *REALLY* recommend it.  And start now… you don't have to wait to get to the "next stage."  Just start to share… I think you will be glad you did!:)