Like Mother...

I called out, "M, come here."

She replied, "But I'm in the middle of a book!"

Maybe not the obedient answer one would like, but it still made this mom smile.

M's first reading nook below.

Bacon Ranch Chicken Recipe

I no longer know the original source for this recipe, but it's definitely a keeper for it's taste and ease.

Bacon Ranch Chicken

2 tablespoons of real bacon pieces (from jar or freshly cooked) 

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

egg noodles, prepared

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.  Combine bacon, garlic, ranch mix, soup, and sour cream in bowl.  Stir together.   Place chicken in crock.  Pour mixture over chicken.  Cook 3-4 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  (If you need to cook longer, use frozen breasts and be sure to cook on low.)  Break into pieces (or shred) with forks.  Serve over cooked noodles.

The last time I made this I made sure to cook extra for the freezer for next month when the baby arrives.  I also need to remember this recipe as an easy to prepare meal when we have company since it can all be done in advance (except the noodles).  I suspect you could even make it a complete meal by adding peas or other vegetable of choice, but we choose to have ours on the side.  What do you think of serving this with rice instead of noodles?  

Do you have any easy recipes for me to try?  Something that I appreciate with this (and most of what I cook) is that I don't need to buy anything special for it except what I tend to have on hand.  We now keep the ranch mix on hand in the pantry for this recipe.  

  

Children's Bible Fun

Are you ever in a store and just can't resist looking at the children's books?  Yep.  That's me.  I often see things that I'd love for my own kids to have or would be a perfect gift for some little child.  This time, the book store arrived at my doorstep, compliments of Kregel Publications; however, I likely would have been opening my wallet had I been in a store!  Among the books sent were two Bible storybooks that I knew would be huge hits with my kids.

Moving Windows Bible Stories immediately grabbed the attention of both of my children.  They love it, and so do I!  The actual biblical content is minimal with only five stories (Noah, Goliath, Daniel and the lions, Jonah, and birth of Jesus) that are simply summarized in a few sentences.  The joy for the adult and child reading this Bible comes from the interactive flaps and tabs to push, pull, and lift.  The Moving Windows Bible Stories is a rather large book, and the three-dimensional pictures are easily loved.  An added bonus for young children are the onomatopoeia in each story.  Words like oink, whiz, and roar  are found in each story that really draws in the younger child's interest.



Match and Learn: I Can Learn Bible Storiesis another Bible story book with five stories in it, including Creation, Noah, David and Goliath, Daniel and the lions, and Jonah.  Geared for children ages 3-6 (though 6 may be a tad old), this is Bible storybook that summarizes the stories in a long paragraph.  The biblical content is rather simple for children who know the Bible well, but the real fun for the child comes after reading each story when they flip the cards (sturdily part of the book) to find the two cards that tell who the story was about.  Younger children may use the picture and colored boarders as clues, but older children will likely recognize the names of the characters.  My daughter loves to read the summaries on the flip cards.  They are short and simple enough to encourage her to read it for herself.  Below is quoted from the Jonah flip card.  I appreciate that the flip cards tell a few more details that were not included in the storybook page or reword it.


"Jonah: Jonah disobeyed God.  God put him in a big fish to think.  After a while, he was ready to obey." 


I highly recommend these creative storybook Bibles though they contain few stories.  The magic comes from exploring these well-known stories in a new way, and that is well worth it!   Thank you, Kregel for providing these Bible storybooks for review!

Simple Birthday Decorations

This past weekend we celebrated the 60th birthday of Derek's mom.  It was a low-key surprise party, with mostly family and just a few friends as guests.  But it still celebrated Janice!

We hung sixty balloons through the dining room and living room.  Many of the balloons were split between two balloon banners.  (See inspiration photo/directions here.)  Instead of using tape or glue dots, these balloons were tied to the ribbon with thread.

 We also saw another neat idea of hanging balloons from the ceiling to make them look like they were floating in the air like helium balloons...without the helium.  Each of the balloons below had a thread tied to them.  However, the person hanging the balloons didn't know the idea behind the thread, and just hung them.  I thought it still looked fun!

Depending on when the baby arrives (due within days of both M and E's birthdays), I would enjoy doing something like these simple decorations for them, too.  We'll see what the reality is.  I certainly don't have air in me to blow balloons though!

It was a fun party, and most importantly a good way to celebrate a great woman.

What Books Do You Dream Of?

Kids in the Kitchen: Chex Party Mix

MMM...Chex Party Mix.  The best is homemade!  Have you made it before?  If not, I would encourage you to do so.  No party is needed.  I cannot imagine it going stale, though if you are single with no children you may just want to try a half batch...but probably only the first time you make it if you are as naughty as I am.

For years I only made this in the oven.  (I made my first batch in 2001.)  This was my first time using the microwave.  Wow.  Salty goodness in just 5 minutes instead of an hour!  It didn't lose any flavor or crunch in the microwave, so this will be my new way to make it!  (And FYI, for years when I would make this I would buy generic Corn Chex and Rice Chex, but my stores never had generic Wheat Chex.  Walmart carries a generic version of Wheat Chex, in case you wanted to know.)

Chex Party Mix Recipe

3 cups Rice Chex

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups Wheat Chex

1 cup mixed nuts (I just use dry roasted peanuts.)

1 cup bite-sized pretzels (I prefer broken pretzel sticks.)

1 cup bite-sized bagel chips (I omit and increase pretzels and nuts.)

6 tablespoons butter or margarine 

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (In the past I didn't have this and just used garlic salt...worked fine.)

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

In large microwavable bowl mix cereal, nuts, pretzels and chips; set aside.  In small microwavable bowl, heat butter until melted-about 40 seconds.  Stir in seasonings.  Pour over cereal mixture and mix thoroughly.

Microwave mix on high for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  Spread and cool on paper towels. Store in air tight container.  YUM!!

Kid tasks: 

Breaking pretzels

Dumping and snacking

Mixing dry ingredients

Mom (and older child) tasks:

Measuring, if you have younger children,

Thoroughly mixing butter mixture into cereal mixture

Stirring heated mixture

Final results:

Chex Party Mix for a happy family!

Family News x2

On Friday, I had my 34 week doctor appointment.  The doctor was concerned that I was measuring big.  At 34 weeks I was measuring 37, which is outside of the "normal" area.

This was a concern since it could mean a big baby or extra fluid...or maybe something else.  I couldn't have an ultrasound that day, but scheduled it for Wednesday.  Well, apparently the waiting was not worth it for me because today I decided it would be worth it to take TWO children with me for an ultrasound.

All is normal and well, thankfully.  However, the baby is large.  At 34 weeks, this baby is 5 pounds, 6 ounces.  Apparently, average is 4 pounds, 12 ounces.  The ultrasound technician gave both of the children their own picture of the baby, which they LOVED.

FYI, M was just 7 pounds, 5 ounces.  E was 8 pounds, 5 ounces.  I'm hoping to not have a nine pounder...I'm not particularly large...not even an inch over 5 foot...not that anyone hopes for that.

In different news, many of the people in northeastern PA were under water this past week.  My parents (two houses) included.  My dad only had several feet of water in his cellar, but my mom's entire first floor was fully flooded, and all is lost.  It's hard, even from a distance.

With the stress of my mom, I'm glad to know that all is well with the baby.  Please do keep us in your prayers.

Uncompromising with GIVEAWAY x2

Today's the final day for the giveaway for God's Priorities for Today's Woman!  

Uncompromising may be written by a young woman, for young women, but truly, as a married, 35 year old woman, I still learned from author Hannah Farver.  I wish I had had a book like this when I first became a Christian as a teen...it is honest and convicting, yet friendly, too.  (Can I say now that I love the cover...and that it is not filled with bright, bold colors...instead it has a simple grace to it...classic beauty...timeless...maybe because the message is also timeless?)

Uncompromising: A Heart Claimed by a Radical Love is a book about being a godly woman...one who has a Cause (in Christ) and lives for it whole-heartedly instead of living for causes (little c) that the world tends to want us to live for, such as our devotion to romance and beauty.

Hannah Farver may be conservative, but she is not preachy in her writing.  She seems to have taken what most women learn much later in life and is living for God, without compromising, now.

I could see much of myself (in the mistakes, not the good stuff) of what Hannah shared about mistakes and causes in how I lived as a teen.  Like mistaking attention (or crushes) for love.  Like doing things to make ourselves feel holier...that's legalism.

I highly recommend this book!  Any young woman (even appropriate for young teens) would benefit from this read.  I can imagine a group of teens wanting to read it together as a study...growing together in Christ.

On a personal note, I had anticipated saying much more about Uncompromising, but the recent events (being a flood) happening to my family, though not us personally, has left me rather distracted.  Just know this book is well-worth it!  If you don't have a young woman in your family, consider offering it to your church's youth leader or church library.

Thank you, Moody Publishers for providing me with this book!  I am thrilled to share with you that Moody Publishers is offering TWO copies for Live, Love, Learn readers!  You must have a US address.  Please leave a comment below (with email address so I can contact you unless you know it's in your profile). 


For additional entries, be a follower of this blog, follow on Facebook, or share about the giveaway.  Leave a separate comment for each additional entry.  This contest is open to US residents only and will be open through September 19th.


Also, for your information, Moody Publishers is offering free eBooks to everyone who signs up on their Facebook page.  They have a variety of titles, and hope to include Uncompromising possibly later this month.

The winners are Dorie and Amanda Sue!  Congratulations!  Giveaway is now closed.

Some Cuteness

This summer I have been restocking our board books in preparation for our little one's arrival in October.  E ate books as a baby and even as a young toddler.  We knew that it would eventually encourage a love of reading (linked to my thoughts on encouraging a toddler to enjoy books) and didn't mind.

I have a thing for owls...and have since my grandmother collected them since I was a little girl.  Now you can find all sorts of fun and cute owls on anything.  I happened to adore the cover of Whooo Loves You?  What you can't tell from the image is that the owl is made from fabric and little ones will love touching it.  Whooo Loves You? is a lift-the-flap book that features several animals with play on words.  "The puppies snuggled in their home bark...We ruff you, we ruff you!  It ends with the reader telling the child "I love you!"  I think it's really a sweet book.  I have to say, it isn't just for babies and toddlers.  My nearly 5 year old wanted to claim this book for her own.  She loved me reading it to her, too.

I've talked about Todd Parr a bit before.  We have borrowed his books from the library and previously discussed The Grandma Book. (Linked to review.)  The newest book looks and sounds a bit Halloween-ish, but I am happy to say that it is not!  The I'm NOT SCARED Book gives scenarios where kids might be scared...and a solution to the problem, too.  Ironically, my favorite is, "Sometimes I'm scared of dogs.  I'm not scared when they give me kisses."  It is ironic because I cannot stand dog "kisses."  They gross me out...even when the kisses don't land on my face.  As I shared this book with my daughter, I did have the concern that she would suddenly become afraid of new things at the power of suggestion.  Thankfully, she did not.  The illustrations are classic Todd Parr style with the bright, bold colors.  The cover (at least my hardcover edition) has stars cut out for some added dimension.  I am very pleased to say that this Todd Parr book has proper punctuation!  I noticed right away since at least some of his other books omit punctuation, which drove me crazy.

I'd like to thank Little, Brown for sending these books to the family for review purposes.

Some Recent Sewing

In the past month I've been "forced" to sew a bit.  

Two sisters shared a birthday party.  We made more little monogrammed bags for them.  

 To complete the gift for each friend, we gave a book, too.

The older sister, AJ, was given The Boxcar Children #2.  The younger sister, A, was given a Mouse and Mole book.   (Our town has a new children's book store.  For now the selection was limited, but I was excited to shop there!)

I was rather freaked out as I was sewing because I didn't think I was going to be able to finish either project (the night before the party when my husband was out of town).  With more research than I'd like to admit, I figured out that my "tension" needed adjustment.  Had it not been late at night, I would have called my neighbor-friend for help!  

 After M's first day of preschool, she informed me that she was the only one without a pillow for rest time.  (I know she falls asleep, at times, on floors without a pillow, so I didn't think it was needed.  I was wrong.)

While she was gone to school the next day, I got busy sewing.  I used a really cute orange fabric (that unfortunately doesn't coordinate with much of my other fabrics) with butterflies on it.  I made her a simple, small pillow, perfect for rest time at school.

M was thrilled.  She was hugging the pillow, jumping, and throwing it.  This was the best, non-blurry image I can share!  I made the basic pillow from white fabric, and then the pretty pillow case.  

Having the tension fixed on the machine meant that the pillow was a tension-free project!  The first in a long time!  I love sewing straight lines...well, at least compared to more complicated things!

Next on my sewing list will be a couple of items for M's birthday (mid-October).  Having given FOUR of the monogrammed bags this summer to her friends for gifts, she has asked for her own, and knows that she has to wait until her birthday.  I have it started, but need to complete it.  This is a MUST-DO before baby's arrival!

I also want to make M a jumper for her birthday.  She saw the fabric...last winter.  I put it off because I'm scared of such a complicated project, even if there are no buttons or zippers.  We'll see how it goes.  

Any guesses as to the book that will be in M's birthday bag?  I'll give you a hint...I love the author and am very excited to introduce M to her.  In the book the main character also celebrates her fifth birthday!  Go here to see if you are right!

Owl Card for Owl Baby Shower

The Owl Valentine's Day card I made for my husband was featured with other great ideas for an owl baby shower.  Check the shower ideas out!

God's Priorities for Today's Woman- GIVEAWAY

As women, it can be difficult to understand just what God desires for us when the world teaches us drastically different things.  (It can be equally hard to follow His lead, too!)  Written by Lisa Hughes, God's Priorities for Today's Woman focuses on Tituse 2:3-5 to teach about God's calling for our lives in regard to characer, relationships, and home. 

Women of all ages and stages of life can benefit from her teachings of growing in godly living.  God's Priorities for Today's Woman utilizes much of the Bible to teach about godly living, not just the well-known verses of Titus.  Also included is a study guide to help the reader dive deeper into God's priorities.

"The world would have us believe that God's ways cannot exist in today's culture, that they are unnecessary and outlandishly archaic.  Yet God's priorities for women are neither outdated nor irrelevant.  God's purposes for us were created out of His wisdom and love.  They are perfect and just right for us no matter who we are or what circumstances we face."
     ~ Chapter 1, page 12


Personally, I loved this book, despite the way it exposed my sin.  Lisa Hughes has a friendly and realistic way of writing and sharing...and yet quite convicting-too convicting at times.  So much of my life is not about what it should be.  Being a Christian is hard; seeking God and making His priorities mine is even harder.  

"You need to fight against neglecting your husband while you see to the needs of the little ones in your home." 

     ~ Chapter 8, page 120   

Tough stuff for me, but the author doesn't just say do it, she really does share practical ways to help you to accomplish this.

"The goal of our discipline is to teach our children right from wrong, to instill in them a love for righteousness and a hatred for sin.  But that can never be accomplished if we aren't parenting in the fruit of the Spirit."

     ~ Chapter 9, page 142

Then she goes on to say that we can't obey God and train our children if we are not under control...and that is sin.  Oh my.

Though I just recently completed God's Priorities for Today's Woman, I am really thrilled to get to use it with my Bible study this fall.  We'll be getting a bit deeper than I did with my first read.  (I didn't complete the study guide, yet I still learned much.)  Obviously, the quotes I share touched me for a reason. 

I just pray that I will allow God to truly use it as a tool in my life to help me get my priorities aligned with God's.  


Winner:  Pyria, #18!  Congratulations!  I have emailed you and will pass along your contact information after you contact me!


Thank you, Harvest House for providing me with this book!  I highly recommend it!  I urge you to get your hands on this book, too.   Harvest House is helping you do that by offering a copy to one Live, Learn, Love reader !  Please leave a comment below (with email address so I can contact you unless you know it's in your profile). 


For additional entries, be a follower of this blog, follow on Facebook, or share about the giveaway.  Leave a separate comment for each additional entry.  This contest is open to US residents only and will be open through September 12th.

Summer Highlights

Wow!  Summer is over!  It's hard to believe.  Recently, here in southeastern PA we have had very lovely weather!  It is such a blessing to turn off the air conditioning and let the mild temperatures and low humidity be enjoyed.  Below are just a few pictures from our favorite memories from this summer.

Water and mud play in northeastern PA

 We now have a van (in preparation for the baby).

 The Empire State Building

 Both children love the Statue of Liberty!

 Late night stops at the ice cream shop at family camp.  Yum.

 The beach

 And some days, it was just a blessing to stay home!

This summer I had a lot of fun buying children's books at thrift stores (and one bag sale).  I'm guessing I bought about 200 used books.  (I should explain that I bought about 100 for $10 at the bag sale!  The others are typically 3/$1, though occasionally $1 or $2.)  Some were board books.  Most were picture books.  Quite a few were chapter books of varying levels, including for the future.  We haven't read them all!  Many will be shared with others, but most are for our family.  I really need to sort through the books that I put in storage!

Early in the summer, I had shared some ideas for summer plans.  You can go here if you would like to see which of these we accomplished.  We did pretty well, especially for not looking at it for reminders.

Welcome fall...though that means we really need to prepare for this baby!

A Lesson for Me: Tea Party

We had never had a real tea party.  With real dishes.  

(I have never even been to a tea party or been served tea formally...any pointers for me??) 

My daughter was having a rough morning with a lack of self-control.

Typically, I would only do something as special as a tea party as a reward or as part of our day.  Definitely not in the middle of a rough day!  Thankfully God was working on me.  

In the middle of a heat wave, we needed something different, but indoors.  This was perfect!

AND it helped change ALL of our attitudes.

A simple snack of ♥-shaped bread, Fig Newtons, and chocolate chips, served with warm tea was a refreshing way to remember that God gives me so much more than I ever deserve, and my children deserve the same grace.

Though my son enjoyed the food, this tea party was really for M.  It was a bit of a struggle for me.  I prepared the tea party while M spent some time recovering from yet-another-incident in her room.  Not ideal.

She enjoyed every little bit of it, including using proper manners.  She arrived at the table with her own idea of a tea party.  She spoke in a high voice.  On her own she called me Mrs. W and Miss Annette, as she knows other children call me because she desired it to be a formal time!

It was just what we needed to to restart our day.  What do yo do when you are at wit's end?  (I don't create special moments like this daily...nor do I always extend the grace that my daughter may need.  This was one day...quite a while ago.  It was good for me to write about it and remember the good that came from me changing my MO.)

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
~ Proverbs 15:1


Oh, I need to keep that nugget of God's wisdom close to my heart and lips!

Children's Books about Heaven

My nearly five year old is curious-and cautious- about heaven.  Though I think she likes the idea of heaven, she fears leaving what she knows.  That is perfectly reasonable.  Adults are often apprehensive of leaving this earth, even when they are certain of their home in heaven.

We have a couple of books that I like to share with my daughter to help her understanding of heaven.  Of course, the Bible is the authority on this, but I do like using books as a tool to help me explain heaven.

God Gave Us Heaven is excellent at clearing up some misconceptions about heaven in a very child-friendly way.  The reality is that we are not all old when we go and we won't be angels!  Papa bear also explains to Little Cub how to get to heaven.  This is an excellent book.  (We have it as part of a three-book treasury God Gave Us So Much, linked to review...Awesome book.)  This collection is written by Lisa Tawn Bergren.

Heaven Is a Wonderful Place written by Joanne Marxhausen is a colorful book with bold, crisp illustrations.  (When I saw this and another book, called 3 in 1 about God in three persons, at our family camp's gift shop, I was thrilled to purchase them since I had not seen them at other bookstores, though I had heard of them.)  God's love, heaven, hell, and how Jesus gives the gift of eternal life are all discussed.  Great book (and I highly recommend 3 in 1, too).  It is very appropriate for a family looking to discuss heaven in a biblical manner.

What about Heaven? is a book of questions a child might ask.  It's cute, and has rhyming text.  The main text does not help a child understand better about heaven-because it is a bunch of questions that a child might ask about heaven.  However, the back of the book is full of answers and Bible references that clarify some of those questions.


On a personal note, I thought I would share what prompted my writing this post.  I'm rather aware of the fact that we have friends and family that may or may not be in heaven one day.  I don't assure M that every person who dies will be in heaven to greet us.  I remember clearly when she asked me about one of my family members who passed away when I was young.  She asked if he was in heaven.  It was tough, but I had to be honest.  I also let her know that we can't be sure of someone else's life, but we can know for ourselves.  (I hope that makes sense.  M hasn't accepted Jesus as her Savior, but we still have these discussions.)  The Bible is the authority on this, and it makes it clear that "believing in God" isn't enough.  (See James 2:19.)  There is more to faith than acknowledging His existence. We need to trust in God and accept his gift of Jesus' sacrifice for us.  It's only through Jesus' blood that we can be accepted by God because we are each sinners.

So do you have other books you reall