15 Mar 2016

Lil Beanies to the Rescue

by | posted in: food | 1

This post is written on behalf of Nestle’s Gerber Lil’ Beanies, led by Kendal King Group through The Women Bloggers. All opinions are our own.

Mom life is much quicker than I ever thought it would be.  As a mom of two young boys, both under 4, my life is always at warp speed.  While one is at school in the morning, the younger and I tackle the errand list and climb everything imaginable at the park.

Swinging Boy

So, naturally, I always have snacks in the car.  Yes, I still hit the drive thru several times a week (mostly for dinner because I need something quick), but I have started keeping snacks in the car.  And for my energetic boys, I want something healthy!

IMG_20160310_123812

When I was growing up those snacks were all sorts of chips and snack cakes.  I don’t want my boys to have a steady diet of those.  I love to bake so that already doesn’t help their waistlines and sugar intake, so if I’m going to have a ready-made, portable, clean, crunchy snack: its going to be a healthy one.

Gerber rules the toddler and baby aisle.  They’ve been around for generations.  And now they have come out with a totally healthy toddler and preschooler snack.  My two boys devoured 4 cans in 2 days (and maybe I helped a little – but can you blame me?)  I put them in my preschooler’s lunch box, we had them while watching Netflix, we even had them as a side for lunch and dinner.

Empty Bowls with Li'l Beanies

Here’s why I like them and why they will be on the grocery list all the time when I’m shopping at Walmart (they should be in your local Walmart now):

  1.  My kids eat them.  They kept saying “more in my mouth”!  I loved it.
  2. They are healthy.  Made out of navy beans, they have protein their little tummies need to stay full!  There are no preservatives – and you find preservatives in everything these days.
  3. They aren’t messy.  I’ve already taught my sons how to lick their fingers from the cheese puffs – but these are mess free.  Since they have no artificial colors or flavors, you don’t have orange fingers (and clothes, couches, and car seats) for days!
  4. They are in our tight food budget.  Healthy foods are generally more expensive then convenience food.  Gerber Lil Beanies is both inexpensive and convenient!
  5. I love them (personally) because I love sea salt and crunchy snacks.  But, there is also a white cheddar and broccoli – and what mom doesn’t want their kids eating more broccoli!

What are some go-to healthy snacks for your toddlers and preschoolers.  I hope you stock up on Lil Beanies the next time you are at Wal-Mart.  My boys give two empty snack bowl thumbs up!

4 Mar 2016

The Perfect Tuna Salad

by | posted in: food, marriage, The Charming South Kitchen | 1
Tuna salad can be a go-to lunch any day of the week!
Tuna salad can be a go-to lunch any day of the week!

One of the pieces of marital advice I give every newly engaged girl I know is simply this: Love God, Love your mister, and study both.

When you love God first, loving others becomes easier (not easy, just easier).

Love your mister – I’m assuming if you are going to marry him you already do.

Study both. The more you get to know God’s character and dwelling on the Gospel, the more you will actively live our the gospel.  Which every marriage needs.  And then when you study your mister – not memorizing every book and trying to make your mister into that person in the marriage book – you are well on your way to success in marriage.

 

Now, how does that marriage advice apply to tuna salad?

Well, my mister loves tuna melts and getting his tuna salad perfect has taken me almost 5 years.  So, when he tasted this the other day – I got a two thumbs up and don’t change a thing look – and he ate it all!

This tuna salad is also vertatile.  You can have a low carb lunch by putting it into a avocado half.  This is a delicious combination.  You can toast some bread, melt some cheese on top, and have a traditional tuna melt.  You can put it atop some greens for a salad.  You can eat it with whole grain crackers for a lighter lunch.  Or just eat it with a spoon.

Print
The Perfect Tuna Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Seafood
Cuisine: Southern
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
A perfect tuna salad is great for parties, light lunches, or salads.
Ingredients
  • 2 cans whole chunk white albacore tuna in water (the quality of tuna is so important)
  • ¼ cup Duke's mayo and 1 T
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 3 hardboiled eggs (the cooking time for the recipe is all in the boiling of the eggs)
  • ½ tsp each of kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
  1. Mix all together.
  2. Eat.
 

29 Feb 2016

You, Your Kids, and the Bible

by | posted in: Bible, Books, Shepherding Children, Uncategorized | 0

 

ESV Kids Bible

We have so many kids’ books in our home.  We have them in our cars, in our living room, in the toy box, upstairs in both of their rooms, in our master bedroom on our nightstands, and in the hallway outside their rooms just in case they need to find one on their way to the stairs. And we get more every month.  Yes, I give some away, some to other moms, some to our church nursery rooms, and some to goodwill.  If the books are very well worn, then they just go in the recycle bin.

However, out of all the books we have, the only one that has authority, power to change their little hearts, and shape their souls and hearts and actions is the Bible.  It is the belief of “sola scriptura”.  One of the five solas of the Reformation.  Basically, (taken from wikipedia) it is :  the Christian doctrine that the Bible is the supreme authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. Sola scriptura does not deny that other authorities govern Christian life and devotion, but sees them all as subordinate to and corrected by the written word of God.

And that is one of the reasons I love Crossway and the ESV Bible.  They publish books that are so full of Scripture and are such a good help to their readers.  They also design great Bibles, for adults, and children.  I personally have used their Journaling Bibles for almost 10 years now and LOVE them.  And one of their new ones is a hardcover ESV Children’s Bible.  Think back to the 70s and those picture Bibles:  Now, erase that memory from your mind’s eye and picture realistic pictures, larger print, maps to help your children get a heart for the world that God so loves, and a concordance to help studying the word easier for little minds.

Here’s a simple way you can ease in to family worship if you don’t already do anything.  Using this Bible:

  1.  Start in the Gospel of Mark, one of Paul’s letters to the churches, the Psalms, or even Proverbs (especially if you have older children).
  2. Read a short passage.  Have them read it if they can read.
  3. Talk to them about who God is, who Jesus is, what the passage says about man, and what it says about the gospel.
  4. Pick one verse the passage to help your children memorize.  You may stick to that one verse all week, or depending on how old your children are, you may do a few a week.  Kids can memorize the Word of God!
  5. Pray with them.  Pray the Scriptures you just read.  It will help them understand them.  Pray the Spirit would give them a new heart that loves the Word of God and loves the Jesus who died for them.

Family Worship doesn’t have to be long and hard and have a lesson plan written out.  It can, or you can just read the Bible with your kids, talk about it, and pray.  And believe me, the Spirit will be molding your heart as well.  His Word is good like that.

Thank you Crossway for this Bible.  All opinions are my own.

29 Feb 2016

Hope Unfolding : a review

by | posted in: Books, mothering, parenting | 0

A new book for mommas is coming out. So funny that there is never a shortage for new books for tired mom’s who never find the time to read all the books.

I had high hopes for this one, Hope Unfolding, by Becky Thompson, and I love the cover and get real talk.

But, I want a book more centered on the gospel, less centered on story and example. When I listen to a sermon I want gospel truth mixed w a little personal story or joke. In this book, while saying good stuff and offering tired mommas hope only found in Jesus, it is more personal story mixed with a little gospel.

Just out of properbalance,in my opinion, and that’s what Blogging for Books gave me the book to do…write an honest review.

23 Feb 2016

Come Empty: a review

by | posted in: Books | 0

The longer I live the more I am introduced to and reminded of pain and hurt.  A believer’s life is not immune from it – we just have help and a Healer when we experience it.

And hopefully, we can share that help and Healer with others who are going through pain.

The book Come Empty by Saundra Dalton Smith is good on many levels:

  1.  Her transparency.  I love that there are people in the world who are hurting, who have been hurt, and know that they have the freedom to share that hurt.  Not everyone is given that freedom for fear of guilt, shame, or rejection.  I think that is something we in the church can be more aware of and open to.  Not shunning people who are in pain, but helping them with the purity of the Gospel in their pain.
  2. Her use of Scripture.  I do love that this book is full of the Word of God – because through the Word we receive healing.
  3. Short reads.  I know in periods of hurt, I might not be able to emotionally handle a long chapter, or a lengthy book.  Short daily readings are great.

One negative: This book is in the same family as Jesus Calling in one regard: there is a His Reply section and the author puts it in first person, so it is as if Jesus is actually speaking these words to her.  And if He is, then these words are infallible and perfect, on the same par with Scripture.  Scripture is the only Scripture.  It is one thing to give readers Scriptures that they can internalize, but another to say that the Lord is actually speaking these words.

Thanks Litfuse and Dr. Smith for the book and all opinions are my own.

20 Feb 2016

Sounds of Motherhood

by | posted in: Bible, Books, Kids r Readers 2, Shepherding Children | 3

I Will Follow Jesus Bible

There are many sounds to motherhood.  If you have been a mom for any length of time, you are quite familiar with them, and you know that they quickly change depending on your child’s age. Here are a few of mine:

  1.  Apple chewing.  Yes, I love to hear my two boys ask for a “big apple”, ask for mommy to “tut it”, and then chomp down on it.  That means that are craving healthy foods and I give them enough sweets to balance it out 🙂
  2. Crying.  We just took our younger son to the eye doctor for the first time.  Come to find out he is extremely near sighted and will need glasses (just like his older brother).  He is really clumsy even though he is a daredevil.  (His eyesight probably has something to do with his clumsiness.)  So, I know that when he falls and cries, than he is actually hurt.  He has busted his gums and caused his two front teeth to be completely gray now (because they are dead with damaged nerves), yesterday he was playing instead of napping and tipped over a wooden chair in his room and almost punctured his eye.  Thankful it was just the corner of his eye, and black eyes heal.  He has scraped the top of his head from spinning circles on the back porch, getting dizzy, and falling over.  He just loves to be crazy, but he knows when he cries mommy or daddy will come running – and usually his older brother will show great compassion on him.
  3. Mommy.  Honestly, some times this gets old because they’ve said it 20 times in a row, whining for something they really don’t need.  Any other mom our there know what I’m talking about?  But today, as I was reading to my boys in the car while we ate lunch (waiting for a showing on our house to be finished), my younger said Mommy.  Yes, he has said it plenty of times, but something just caught my attention this time when he said it.  I’m there Mommy.  I’m the one who loves them most in this world (with their daddy), and will be there for them, and play with them, and tuck them into bed at night.  I pray that through my imperfect love they will come to see the perfect love for their Abba.
  4. Singing.  Both of my boys have grown fond of singing.  The two songs we know perfectly are the ABCs (finally, it was delayed in our home), and Jesus Loves Me.  I’m glad the boys are learning that one in their SS class at our church.  We sing it all the time.  As my younger was awake at 6am this morning he was singing this.  As I was getting ready to head out the door, I saw his little fingers sticking out at the bottom of the door, and heard his little voice singing.

My favorite line of Jesus Loves Me is “for the Bible tells me so.”  Especially as I parent, and make mistakes, and don’t know what to do half the time, or how to balance everything that I need to balance, it is good to know that I have the perfect Word of God.

And Judah and Chelsea Smith just put out a great story book Bible for your kids (think grade school).  It is more storybook (like Jesus Story Book Bible), but it tends to be more concrete and practical, making it somewhat easier for younger kids to grasp and know how to implement.  This is an easy to use Bible, especially helpful to parents in leading Family Worship time in their home.  Remember, as a parent, it is your responsibility to teach your kids about God, and the church’s job is to come along side you and partner together.

If you would like to win this Bible (and believe me, you do), just leave me a comment on one of the verses you are teaching to your children or one of the songs that your children are learning right now.  Thanks Tommy Nelson Mommies for the Bible and the opportunity to pass it along to someone else!

13 Feb 2016

kcreatives newborn : baby oliver

by | posted in: kcreatives photography, newborn | 0

Baby Oliver

Valentine’s Day is for rolls of soft baby skin – isn’t it?  I had the wonderful privilege of visiting a sweet girlfriend a few weeks ago in North Carolina and loving on her new little valentine in her life.

Newborn session

When you are over due with your baby and the weather report shows ice in the forecast, especially in the south, you may start to get a little anxious.  And I don’t know if it was the ice or the cookies that made the little one decide to come – but one thing I do know, baby Oliver came, and is safe, and warm, and loved, and adorable.

Baby Oliver

And let me hand it to you newborn photographers: y’all amaze me.  Baby Oliver was nice and asleep until his momma took his clothes off – he was having none of it.  But, I’ve also come to learn that it isn’t good to stress the parents out… Just be patient, go with what you get, plan for a long time (which I didn’t have), and love on the parents.  They are the ones who have a newborn.  And relationships are vital, pictures are extra!

Baby Oliver

Mom and Dad of baby Oliver – I love yall.  Yall are dear to me.  And I can’t wait to see yall in the Spring!

12 Feb 2016

Helping Your Children Be Adventurers (Book Giveaway)

by | posted in: Books, parenting | 1

Good Night Little Love

One of the biggest delights I get as a mommy to littles is their “wow” or the “oooooh” when they see new things.  Or how they exclaim “the lions” when they know we are going to the zoo.  Or when my little is watching How To Train Your Dragon and he pretends he is a dinosaur breathing fire.

Their little imaginations are fantastic.

And I want to help them be adventurers with their imaginations.  So, we color, and read, and watch cartoons to help them learn to see new worlds.  We go to the zoo to help them learn about animals.  We go to parks to play with friends who might not look exactly like us.

I want to take them to see the world…some day.  But until then maybe we can just pray for missionaries who are serving Jesus around the world.  And eat guacamole with the hopes of going Mexico one day (wait, that may be a dream of mine to return to the country that gives me my favorite appetizer).

The new book that Tommy Nelson sent me – just in time for Valentine’s Day – is all about you, your little love, and the many adventurers you will have.  Here are some examples from the book and how you can do them in your own home or with your own little love:

“Stars shimmer in the sky” – when we leave the gym and if it is dark, we look at the sky and try to find the moon.  Maybe we’ll see some stars.  I want to tell them how God created all we see and he created them for his glory and our good.

“What happy paths we’ll take” – getting out and getting physical activity is not only fun but also healthy.  There are several trails around our city and we like exploring them and finding sticks, rock, leaves, and bugs (I have boys, right?).

“Our friends will tag along.” – This is a great one to start insisting to your children that the friends they make will influence them.  This is an important message in the Proverbs.

“We’ll look at mirrored faces” – We go to a local pond and look in the water.  We waive at ourselves.  This is a good point to make: our outward countenance should reflect what is in our heart.  Like the songs says, I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart…”

“We’ll smell the pretty roses.” – This would be a good investment: teach your children to love on others by simple acts of kindness – like bringing flowers to widows in your neighborhood or church, or to single mothers (especially this time of year), or bring donuts! Yum.  Just teach them to be a blessing to others – even with a homemade card.  Some friends were watching our boys yesterday and my boys delivered homemade valentines when they returned to our house.  What a sweet gesture.

“We fold our hands to pray.” – Our littler boy – when we go to pray at the dinner table, bows his head and folds his hands.  That’s the cutest little clasp.  But, I love it, so sweet.  I pray that he will grow up to love Jesus with all his heart, even more than he loves cookies and balls.

God has a great adventure awaiting your child.  Help them see it.  What is something you like doing with your toddler to help them be on an adventure.  Answer this question and I’ll a book to give away to one winner.  Will pick it on Sunday!

4 Feb 2016

Worship and Crayons

by | posted in: Books, creatives | 0

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This post is not about the early Sunday School years.  This post is about the craze of adult coloring books (really, made for women because I don’t know any males that would sit around and color in a coloring book – though if you are out there and you enjoy it – then by all means, continue).

Something I’ve been thinking about recently is how our minds can be so deceived.  When you are binge watching a show – that may affect your ability to think rationally.  The last month I’ve been watching a show called Chasing Life.  I would not recommend it but that is a post for another day – but what it did to my mind was awful.  The days before I left for a recent trip to visit friends I was so fearful that I was never going to see my husband or children again.  And I had to convince myself that if death for me was going to happen that wknd than that was God’s better plan.  (The show was all about cancer and dying and what life is all about).  My mister was quick to respond to my fears with challenging me to dwell on faith and the Word of God.

So, what are you to do when all you want to do is something that doesn’t require much energy.  Sit and color.  The best part about coloring books is finding one filled with Scripture.  What a better way to fulfill Colossians 3 and Philippians 4 then coloring hope-filled verses from the Word?

Waterbrook Press just published one called Whatever is Lovely.  For me it is not only a chance to be creative but keep the creative juices flowing in my own lettering.  Thanks Blogging for Books for the chance to review this one and all thoughts are my own.

 

4 Feb 2016

a little bit of life (book review)

by | posted in: Books | 1
Processed with VSCO
Processed with VSCOko review,

Sometimes yall, life is a little bit crazy.  Ok – sometimes life is a lot crazy.  Can anyone relate?

Our lives as a little family have felt like this since we day we returned from our honeymoon.  But, now we are again in an extra chaotic season of having to move and not knowing where in the world we are going.  Our townhome that we’ve been renting in ATL for two years is going up for sale in oh, say, 24 days.  And our lease is up the end of April.  And we have two toddlers.  And yeah – so there you have it.  Another move.  Another change.

Well, even though our lives may be chaotic, and at times our home, my life doesn’t have to be chaotic.  Between lettering, photo shoots, spring break, packing, and then normal weekly activities, an early Easter, potty training – yes, life is crazy.

Shannon Upton, in her new book Building Your House, has given me great encouragement, grace, and instruction on how to be a wise mom who builds a God-centered home.  (Thank you Shannon for the book, btw)  When my mister and I were dating, he asked me what I thought of the verse in Proverbs that says “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”  I just thought that meant keeping things clean.

Oh, how much I had to learn.  I knew it meant other things – but didn’t realize the importance of all those little things.  4.5 years into marriage, I am realizing it even more.

Shannon gives you helpful DOABLE tips on how to keep from cluttering up your soul, your home, and your life.  Prayer is the key – but prayer isn’t all.  There are certain activities you must do.  But, with these to -do items, she gives grace, practical tips, spiritual reasons that might be at the heart of why you need to do these things (like dealing with materialism and why you hoard possessions or idolatry or fear of man when you are too busy to do what needs to be done.)

This book can even be a great tool for new moms or women in your church because she includes a study guide – and I’ve found that being around women who will encourage me with ways to keep my home and keep my family on track is very rewarding.

On that note, I need to check on my eggs that are boiling on the stove so I can eat lunch here at 1:20pm.