“Why try to explain miracles to your kids,” asks Robert Brault, “when you can just have them plant a garden?”

Planting tiny seeds, then waiting and watching as they sprout into fruitful plants, really is like watching many mini-miracles blossom. This is the main reason I love to garden with my children. Gardening makes us stand in awe again and again of God’s amazing creation.

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There are many other reasons to garden together.

Follow me on over to The Purposeful Mom to read the rest. This post is part of her “Spring into Summer” Series. Be sure to check out the rest of the posts for summery fun! 

We’re having lots of fun with our sisters here… and of course staying up way too late. The time has flown by so quickly, but we’ve fit a lot in… including a fun trip to the thrift store in which we all found something we loved. Yay!

 Like many a thrifty mama, yard sales and thrift stores are among my favorite places to shop. I like casting my money vote for the thrifty choice. Even more than that, I like to help minimize consumer waste by reusing perfectly good items.

However, when you’re bombarded with good deals on every side, it’s all the more important to follow good shopping guidelines. Otherwise it’s easy to succumb to the “Look! I’m not exactly sure what this is for, but it’s only 10¢!” pitfall.

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1. Know what you already have before shopping. By sorting through the clothes, shoes, and other items you already own before shopping, you avoid adding ten new shirts to an already large collection or passing by a pair of cute shoes because you forgot that you needed them.
2. Make a list of needs. I am a minimalist at heart, so my children’s and my wardrobes are simple. (Honestly, does any kid actually wear 20 church outfits in one season anyway?) I made a barebones clothing list which makes it easy to see what items we really need.
3. Make a list of wants. Know the difference between the lists!
4. Remember upcoming birthdays. Sometimes, you just might find a brand-new gift for a fraction of the retail price.
5. Stick to a budget. Even dollars and quarters add up.
6. Have a target price per purchase. Ideally, I’d like to pay no more than 50¢ per item of kid’s clothes or $2 per pair of shoes.
7. Just because it’s a good deal, doesn’t mean you should by it. Even if an item is only 25¢, if it’s just going to clutter your home, it’s a wasted 25¢. Leave it for someone else who could really use it!

What about you? What are your shopping guidelines? 

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Posts about living frugally, thrifty tips and tricks, money-saving DIY projects and gardening, frugal recipes, and encouraging posts on financial stewardship are all welcome. Link up to either of our blogs–your post will be displayed in both places.

We’d be very grateful if you’d share only thrifty-themed posts. (Read full guidelines here)

Four of my sisters/sisters-in-law are here for a visit! Hurray! We’re gonna have one full and happy house this week. And, I’m sure we’ll be eating enough sweets to make this recipe a necessity after the week is over.  

“For there was never yet philosopher
That could endure the toothache patiently”

                                                                               Leanoto, Much Ado About Nothing

Toothaches are miserable. So miserable, in fact, that I willingly use this mouthwash whenever I feel one starting because it’s very, very effective for me.

Its effectiveness is only rivaled by its nastiness.

How’s that for convincing? You really should try this. It’s nasty! 

Sometimes, despite regular brushing, flossing and dental visits, I get a toothache.

Despite its nastiness (or maybe because of it) this mouthwash works and that makes it worth it.

It contains sanguinaria root, which a study shows is effective against plaque, and myrrh, which is traditionally used for its anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. (And, um, the myrrh adds the bitter, nasty effect.)

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Recipe for (Nasty) Sanguinaria Mint Mouthwash

Ingredients

1 T. myrrh
1  heaping T. bloodroot (Sanguinaria root)
3 T. dried mint leaves
1 1/2 cups vodka

Glass quart-sized jar with lid

Instructions

1. Cut bloodroot up into small pieces
2. Place herbs in glass jar and cover with vodka
3. Cover tightly and shake well.
4. Leave at room temperature and shake daily for two weeks.
5. After two weeks, strain herbs and pour liquid back into jar.
6. Fill jar the remaining way with filtered water.

To use, brush teeth then swish mouthwash for at least a minute. Don’t eat or drink for 30 minutes.

If you have a really bad toothache or abscess, swish hourly for a couple minutes. This has helped heal abscesses, but since an abscess can lead to serious problems, make sure to contact your health care professional.

Linked up at Living Green, Works for Me, Healthy 2Day, Natural Living, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways & Simple Lives

Before I was a mom, a clean home seemed reasonable.

Before I was a mom, I thought there was only one right method for most mommy dilemmas.

Before I was a mom, I didn’t realize that closing the bathroom door is a universal cue for children to need you.

Before I was a mom, I thought I had mastered patience.

Before I was a mom, a “quick errand” really was quick.

Before I was a mom, I didn’t appreciate my own mom nearly enough.

Before I was a mom, the phrase “sleeping like a baby” made sense.

Before I was a mom, I didn’t realize that sometimes all the parenting advice will fail and only prayer will work.

Before I was a mom, I thought my parents exaggerated when they said “enjoy every moment, because before you know it your kids will be grown.” Now, I believe it.

Before I was a mom, I never thought I could read Dr. Seuss so many times without losing my sanity.

Before I was a mom, I didn’t know that getting three children to nap simultaneously deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.

Before I was a mom, I didn’t realize how much more precious chubby, sticky fingers are than a mountain of diamonds. 

Linked up at Handful of Heart, Encourage One Another, Homemaking Linkup, Women Living Well, Hearts 4 Home Thursdays, Proverbs 31 Thursday, Consider the Lilies & Finer Things Friday

In the past week, I have heard the importance of regular date nights stressed multiple times.

Relationships take time and, if married, marriage is the most important earthly relationship. We should spend time on our marriage! Dates are one way to do that.

However, if you have small children and live far from family, getting a babysitter can quickly make dates into an expensive event.

A few weeks ago, a dear friend watched the kiddos while Joshua and I went on a date. On our way home, we realized that it was our first “real” date in over six months. We laughed. Despite the lack of dates, we certainly didn’t feel like we’d lacked quality time together.

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I think the definition of a “date” should be expanded from “going out together” to “spending meaningful, quality time together.” Spending meaningful time together doesn’t require a restaurant tab.

Someday, when our children grow and stay up past 8:00, dinner dates will be more important. For now, these are a few of my favorite “date nights.”

• Make dinner (or dessert) together: About once a week, Joshua grills while I make side dishes. Personally, I think making dinner together is as fun as eating it together, especially if it’s as yummy as this Grilled Tilapia! [Did you know Aldi sells wild-caught tilapia for about $3 a pound?!]
• Read a book together. Whether it’s poetry, comics, fiction, instructional, or memoirs, reading together is not only fun, but opens up so much to talk about.
• Star-gaze or go on a midnight walk: There’s something about enjoying the beauty of God’s incredible creation that is so romantic! Of course, midnight walks require a babysitter, but it’s one of my favorite things to do when we’re visiting family.
• Pop popcorn and watch a movie together: It’s way easier to cuddle (or get up during scary parts) when you’re sitting on the couch together instead of in a crowded movie theater. Plus, the popcorn is way better!
• Work on a project together: working toward a common goal, whether it’s planting a garden or painting a room, is a wonderful way to spend time together!
• Just talk. Good conversations can happen anywhere: in the car, while bouncing a baby to sleep, or snuggled up close. A nice cold (or hot) drink doesn’t hurt.

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Posts about living frugally, thrifty tips and tricks, money-saving DIY projects and gardening, frugal recipes, and encouraging posts on financial stewardship are all welcome. Link up to either of our blogs–your post will be displayed in both places.

We’d be very grateful if you’d share only thrifty-themed posts. (Read full guidelines here)

Linked up at  Encourage One Another, Homemaking Linkup, Women Living Well, Hearts 4 Home Thursdays, Proverbs 31 Thursday, Consider the Lilies and Finer Things Friday

Bad attitudes tend to rub off. Easily.

The other day, a friend told me about how one of her daughters had mocked something her little sister loved to do. Immediately, the little sister’s attitude started to change. She began to question the activity. Soon she decided she didn’t like it either.

Thankfully, her mother was wise and was able to see the problem and correct the attitudes.

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 To read the rest of the post, follow me over to Raising Mighty Arrows. 

Hello, dear friends. Just wanted to check in and explain my absence the past few days. We had a full and wonderful weekend but arrived home Sunday to find a hot house with no power.

The power company turned it off due to old and unsafe wiring and we weren’t able to get it turned back on again until yesterday evening.

You don’t realize just how dependent you are on electricity until it is taken away! The house was hot and incredibly humid and the kids and I were lethargic. Even the things we could do took much longer without power.

It’s back on now and I’m catching up on laundry, ironing and cleaning and all the other online things I  couldn’t do. Hopefully I’ll be back to blogging tomorrow.

Have a wonderful afternoon!

While the kids and I sat huddled in the closet, eating snacks and telling stories, the minutes ticked by.

Loud bursts of wind and a deep rumbling shook our house. Then all was quiet. Internet was down, I couldn’t reach Joshua, and didn’t know what was happening in the outside world.

An hour passed.

The kids were growing restless. Will had completely soaked through his outfit. I was getting restless.

With an earnest prayer we pushed over the mattress and crawled out of our mock shelter. I was not prepared for what I saw: the wind had thrown power lines across the yard like a cat playing with yarn. Trees lay toppled.

We must have been hit! 

A neighbor’s house

The devastation was unreal: You could see the carpet in one neighbor’s house. He was home and we thought for sure he was hurt, or killed.

On all sides, trees smashed through homes and crushed cars. Shards of wood and glass were driven into the ground in a dozen directions.

But in the sweet innocence of childhood, Rose and Will gazed around in joyful wonder. Branches formed green playhouses all around them. A huge fallen tree blocked the road so even non-crushed cars posed no threat to little people. As the weight of the tragedy sank in, their complete lack of fear helped lighten the mood.

Though the April 27th tornados claimed dozens of lives and rank as one of the costliest natural disasters in American history, so many “mini-miracles” help make up the story:

• Our neighbor’s son ran out to the car to get something. His mom called him back. As he stepped away from the car, a massive tree toppled, completely crushed the car and smashed through another neighbor’s porch, but didn’t scratch him.
• None of our neighbor’s were killed or even hurt. The neighbor whose house was smashed was safe in the tub and climbed out the broken bathroom window.
• A law school friend down the street was looking out the window when she saw the tornado rip off her neighbor’s roof. She had just enough time to race to the cellar before half of her house was carried away. She too survived unscathed.
• And that massive tree I prayed so earnestly about? It hardly lost a leaf!

It wasn’t until later that day (at the ripe old age of 25) that I learned what a tornado really sounds like… and realized that I had heard the rumbling, loud and clear. The “choo, choo” I listened so intently for is not the tornado sound! How I’d missed that all those years baffles me, but I think it was another way God showed me His grace.

From the time we first huddled into the closet, a deep peace filled my heart. As my dear friend Bekah (who lived through the terrible Joplin tornadoes) said, “God often doesn’t give peace about things that ‘could’ happen but when we are in the midst of ‘the real storm,’ His peace fills our hearts.”

Though tornado warnings now send a sudden thrill of panic through me, looking back on the storm calms my heart.

As Betsie ten-Boom said, “There are no ifs in God’s world.”

No matter what happens, “our times are in God’s hands.” His power can calm any storm…. or give us calmness through the storm.

Has God given you an “uncanny” peace through a storm? 

Linked up at Beautiful Thursdays

Yesterday morning, when I went to “fluff up” a few line-dried clothes, the dryer made a weird whining sound and refused to turn on.

We bought our dryer used almost six years ago and we’ve had it on our covered back porch for nearly four. It wasn’t terribly shocking that it decided to give us troubles. Immediately I began to wonder if we could make it until our move to purchase a replacement.

I like hanging out clothes and generally hang out the big stuff anyway. I’m sure we could manage, I thought, besides, there’s a laundromat right down the road if we really need a dryer. 

Then I laughed. Here I was mentally trying to calculate if we could survive a few months without a dryer, when my great-grandma didn’t even own one.

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Some modern inventions (like refrigerators) are practically a necessity. Sometimes though, we come to view a convenience as a necessity. 

Though I have no desire or intention of giving up my oven or washing machine, part of learning to live frugally is learning to “think like great-grandma would” when the need arises.

Maybe we’ll find that we can live without a microwave or dryer after all. Or we might discover that we like homemade nursing pads much better than disposable.

Have you lived without a normal modern convenience? How did you do it? Do you prefer “grandma’s way” over the modern? 

Posts about living frugally, thrifty tips and tricks, money-saving DIY projects and gardening, frugal recipes, and encouraging posts on financial stewardship are all welcome. Link up to either of our blogs–your post will be displayed in both places.

We’d be very grateful if you’d share only thrifty-themed posts. (Read full guidelines here)

 Linked up at Homemaking Link Up, Handful of Heart and Motivation Monday. 

Twenty years from now, when my children are grown and I am consistently getting a full night’s sleep, I’m sure I’ll laugh to look back and see how often sleep (or lack of sleep!) seemed worthy of a blog post.

But, my kids aren’t grown and sleep still seems blog-worthy. Which means sleep will, once again, be the springboard for today’s post.

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Will skipped his nap most of last week but yesterday morning, he woke up bright and early. And tired. It was clear he would need  (and take) a nap.

I greatly looked forward to a bit of quiet while the children napped.

But, just as I laid Will down for his nap, Meg (who shares a room with the big kids now) woke up extra early. I spent the next hour fruitlessly trying to get her back to sleep. Finally, I gave up.

I was frustrated. Really frustrated. My well-laid plans had been spoiled by events that really weren’t in my hands. My expectations were not filled. Now I didn’t get to enjoy that much-anticipated quiet that I thought I needed.

Though I knew it was silly (and sinful) to be upset over something so trivial, I kept struggling with anger.

Then I walked into the kitchen. Earlier, I had captured a bee-like insect in the bottom of a glass. Now it was on its back, struggling for air.

As the insect fought for life, I stood and watched him for a minute.

And it struck me just how small I am. The world does not revolve around me and my little needs and wants. Though a human’s lifespan is (thankfully) longer than an insects, it is still “like a vapor.” In the vast view of things, my life makes up about as much of the story as that little bug.

But, the glorious part is that, despite our smallness, we are not “like flies to wanton boys.” God Himself, in human flesh, laid down His life to save us!

With those thoughts in mind, it was hard to be upset about not getting a nap.

[Oh, and as a "thank you" to the bug for my attitude adjustment, he is now at loose in the great outdoors.]

 Linked up at  Encourage One Another, Homemaking Linkup, Women Living Well, Hearts 4 Home Thursdays, Proverbs 31 Thursday & Finer Things Friday