From the Inside…Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel in You

In addition to the amazing new website, My Book Therapy, that I told you about yesterday, Susan May Warren has also written a new book on writing. Titled From the Inside…Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel in You, this book is sure to help anyone with dreams of becoming a writer.

About the book:

Have you always wanted to write a novel, but didn’t know where to start? This book is for you. With proven techniques, easy to understand explanations and practical steps, From The Inside...Out will teach you how a story is structured then take you through the process of creating and marketing your novel. Topics include: Character-driven plotting, How to HOOK your reader, The elements and flow of SCENES, How to build STORYWORLD, Secrets to Sizzling Dialogue, Proven Self-Editing techniques, Synopsis and Query letter writing, How to manage your writing career ...and everything in between!

You can go here to buy the book or here to see a video trailer for the book.

Want to read more about My Book Therapy or From the Inside...Out? Stop over here for a complete listing of all the blogs on this book tour to read what others are saying.

And here is some more from Susan May Warren on why she loves to write. I love this article and I have so much respect and apprection for her perspective.

Why I love to write by Susan May Warren

God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.
Eric Liddell

I love this quote by Eric Liddell, champion runner (from Chariots of Fire) who went on to become a missionary to China. I love it because he’s completely aware of both his gifts, and the joy of using them for his Savior. I couldn’t agree more. God made me a writer. And I feel His pleasure when I write. I know that the words He puts on the page are as much to bless me, as they are (hopefully) to bless others. Because I love to know God’s pleasure.

He also made me a teacher. And when I work with writers who want to purse the gifts God has given them in writing, I feel God’s presence, giving me wisdom, and enjoying with them their journey. I feel the pleasure of God when they suddenly get a new idea, or a problem is solved in their manuscript. I love to teach.

Which is why I spent a lot of time (when I’m not writing!) teaching at writer’s conferences, helping writers through my fiction editing service construct their story, why I started www.mybooktherapy, a blog and community focused on writing craft, and why I wrote the beginner’s writing book: From the Inside…Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you. I love it when I get a note from someone I’ve been able to encourage, telling me that they’re getting published. My heart sings. God is good to allow us to do what we love for the One we love!

I love it that God longs to delight us with His pleasure, and that He does it by giving us gifts that he intends for us to use with joy. David says, in Psalm 16, “You will fill me with joy in your presence.” I believe he’s talking both about the future, in heaven, and here, now, on earth. God gives us a portion of that heavenly joy when we rightly use the gifts He’s given us. My hope for all writers is that they will embrace the gifts God has given you, and as you use them for His glory, you will feel His pleasure!

God Bless you on your writing journey!

Susan May Warren

Founder, www.mybooktherapy.com

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A Therapist Thought: Writing in the Midst of a Busy Life

Article written by Rachel Hauck, author and one of the therapists at My Book Therapy. (Read my post about My Book Therapy.)

Early on in my writing life, I had to give up the notion that writing time would come easy, be ideal and full of inspiration.

When I signed my first book contract, I was working full time for a software company as a department manager. I’d recently become a worship leader at my church, adding that to my job as youth pastor’s wife. My husband and I also gathered with other area pastors to start a weekly multi-church prayer meeting and I’d become the Vice President of a national writers organization and was coordinating our second annual conference.

Writing? Yeah, like when? Where? And I didn’t even have children to raise. I felt pushed, pulled, torn, frazzled and on the edge. I’d never written a book to be published before. I’d not coordinated a conference and my committee was “out there” across America. If I failed, I’d let so many people down, including myself.

I lay in bed one night praying, trying to decide if I should just work up my courage and resign as Vice President and admit I couldn’t do it all. I didn’t need to be that kind of person. But as my final grasp for God’s grace, I whispered in the darkness, “Lord, you have a conference to coordinate, let me know what you need me to do.”

Peace washed over me. I didn’t resign. The Lord sent me a co-coordinator. The conference was a success.

And, I wrote my first book by June of that year and met my deadline.

A busy life seems impossible to avoid these days. We have so many options and opportunities available to us. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way.

1. Make sure the jobs or opportunities you embrace are really from the Lord. Don’t say yes out of guilt or even selfish ambition. Know that you know all you’re doing is right and good. Sure I had a full plate that one year, but I knew God had loaded me up for a reason.

2. Give it all back to Him. Ask for wisdom and grace, insight and help.

3. Let go of any and all concept that you have to be perfect. You’ll fail and it’s okay to fail. There were quite a few bloopers at that second annual conference, but we got past them. God’s grace was greater.

4. Get organized. Since I knew my book deadline, I wrote out my writing schedule on a calendar. I had a few extra vacation days so I scheduled them as mega-writing sessions. It’s not unholy, or ungodly to plan. Most of us fail in our sincerest desires because we live by the tyranny of the urgent. We don’t plan so our lives are governed by the moment. If we do plan, we allow ourselves to be knocked off course. Schedule writing time and STICK to it. If it’s one hour a week, then guard it with all your might.

5. Be confident before God. Know that He has good works planned for you to walk in. He loves you. He wants you to succeed.

In the midst of juggling my schedule, I worked hard to maintain my own intimate relationship with Jesus. It wasn’t always easy and I failed to reach my ultimate goal, but by having a goal, I found success. Otherwise, I might have drifted way away from the heart-to-heart relationship I wanted with Him.

There were a few tools I used to help me stay on track with my relationship.

1. I attended corporate prayer meetings.
2. I was faithful to all worship services.
3. I went early to youth church or main church to have prayer times.

Look for ways to fortify your spiritual as well as natural life.

1. Find a buddy to pray with or write with.
2. Ask your family to “do it with you.” As parents we spend time driving our children to school, music or dance, sports events. Wouldn’t they love to help mom or dad meet their writing goal? Bring them into the adventure with you.
3. Pray. Ask Jesus for grace. For help. If all else fails, use my prayer. “Lord, you have a book to write, let me know what I need to do.

If you find you just can’t manage it all, set is aside and wait. Maybe your season of writing is not yet. But keep taking notes, keep praying, keep learning.

God is faithful to keep us in His will. Even when we fail, He will not.

So exhale. Relax. Have fun.

Make sure you stop by My Book Therapy to find out more about their fantastic services.

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To Write...

Obviously, I was re-bitten by the writing bug when I attended Blissdom. I've written quite a few posts on it since then, here and at Happy To Be At Home. For as long as I can remember, writing has been a passion of mine.

If you've ever felt the same way, I am so thrilled to tell you about a fantastic new writing blog/service called, "My Book Therapy."

My Book Therapy was created to help "Discover the writer in you." The site offers services and writing therapists. The therapists are: Susan May Warren, Rachel Hauck and Sarah Sumpolec. Out of all the books I've read over the past years, those written by Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck have been my favorites.

Some of the services provided by the therapists include:

• Proposal critique and evaluation
• Chapter by chapter mentoring
• Tools to help your craft
• Story structure analysis

You can read more about the services here.

Personally, I am excited for the opportunity to read what these women have to say about writing and to look into the services they offer. (I will be sharing some of their articles on writing over the next few days.)

I think one of the neatest elements of My Book Therapy is the Blog-A-Book program.

Remember those games you used to play where your friend started the story, and you finished it? Or the “Choose your own ending” books? Ever wanted to be a part of the story process, giving input on the character’s decisions, learning how to write a book as you go? Me too!

Here at My Book Therapy, we love to write, and we love to teach writers how to find their voice. So, in 2009 we’ll be writing a book together! Starting in January, we’ll create characters, a plot, develop conflict, the black moment, the epiphany and finally…the happy ending. Then, week by week, you’ll be a part of the creation process, voting on the next step of our hero’s journey, watching the book take life, and learning the nuances of crafting a story. You’ll Blog-A-Book with the My Book Therapy authors and get tools to help you how to write your own novel.

And, at the end of the year, we’ll have a book we’ve all created, something that we’ll publish! And, best of all, the proceeds will go to support IJM, an organization that fights human trafficking around the world.

I’m really excited about our new project, and can’t wait to see what the collective mind put together.

So, Come and Blog-A-Book. Learn. Fellowship. Bless.

That definitely sounds like something I'd love to be a part of. How about you?

Tomorrow I'll fill you in on all the exciting new details of a writing book written by Susan May Warren called From the Inside…Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel in You.

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CFBA Review - Daisy Chain

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Daisy Chain
Zondervan (March 1, 2009)
by
Mary DeMuth
My Thoughts:
I found this story gripping and compelling. Once I was about halfway through the book, I did not want to stop until I reached the end. That night, I was reading in bed and continued reading long after my husband had fallen asleep. When I finally got out of bed to turn off the light, it was 3:30am. Obviously, I was enjoying the read!

This book is the first of the trilogy and I will be waiting on pins and needles to read the next 2 books.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary E. DeMuth is an expert in Pioneer Parenting. She enables Christian parents to navigate our changing culture when their families left no good faith examples to follow.

Her parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2007), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005).

Mary also inspires people to face their trials through her real-to-life novels, Watching The Tree Limbs
(nominated for a Christy Award) and Wishing On Dandelions (NavPress, 2006).

Mary has spoken at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, the ACFW Conference, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, and at various churches and church planting ministries. Mary and her husband, Patrick, reside in Texas with their three children. They recently returned from breaking new spiritual ground in Southern France, and planting a church.


ABOUT THE BOOK

The abrupt disappearance of young Daisy Chance from a small Texas town in 1973 spins three lives out of control—Jed, whose guilt over not protecting his friend Daisy strangles him; Emory Chance, who blames her own choices for her daughter’s demise; and Ouisie Pepper, who is plagued by headaches while pierced by the shattered pieces of a family in crisis.

In this first book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper has a sickening secret: He’s convinced it’s his fault his best friend Daisy went missing. Jed’s pain sends him on a quest for answers to mysteries woven through the fabric of his own life and the lives of the families of Defiance, Texas. When he finally confronts the terrible truths he’s been denying all his life, Jed must choose between rebellion and love, anger and freedom.

Daisy Chain is an achingly beautiful southern coming-of-age story crafted by a bright new literary talent. It offers a haunting yet hopeful backdrop for human depravity and beauty, for terrible secrets and God’s surprising redemption.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Daisy Chain, go HERE

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Say It Forward - Week 2

This week, I'd like to thank one of my very first commenters - Niki from Free 2 Be Frugal. In addition to being an early commenter, Niki was the first person ever to link to my blog in a post. I still remember how excited I got when I saw that link!

Niki has remained a loyal reader and commenter. I am thrilled to work with her on a regular basis now over at Happy To Be At Home, where she provides our weekly Freebie Round-Up.

Niki's blog, Free 2 Be Frugal, is a wonderful destination for anyone looking for freebies, coupons and other frugal tips. In addition to those things, Niki also posts weekly menu plans and great Works For Me Wednesday tips. I've also loved reading along when she and her family have undergone No-Spend challenges.

Niki is a wife and stay-at-home mom of a little boy. After she resigned from her job as an elementary school teacher to stay at home full time with her son, her frugal journey began.

A whirlwind of change was upon us as we morphed from spendthrift couple to frugal family.

I instantly began tapping into the tricks of the trade for thrifty living, drawing inspiration from my own mother, the original queen of frugal! Coupon clipping, store circular studying, clearance cruising, and freebie finding became a way of life. I was signing up for so many freebies and rebates that I was losing track of them. Born from this disorganization was my blog, initially a log of sorts for myself. After time I came to rediscover a love of writing I had long forgotten and found opportunities to try and share great new products with other moms like myself.

My hope is to help other people find ways to make it on one income. To survive losing a job. Or a house. Or the economy in general. It can be done!

~From Niki's Welcome page on Free 2 Be Frugal

Thank you Niki for all of your wonderful and encouraging comments. And thank you for all of the hard work and wonderful service you provide with your blog!

Stop by 5MFM for more Say It Forward.

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A Place Of Their Own

One of my fondest childhood memories is my own little space that I would create in the kitchen while my mom made dinner. If I opened the back door and the cabinet door just right, they would meet and form the perfect spot. I would sit there and stare out at the world through the screen door, or color, or any of a multitude of other things. It was definitely one of the Finer Things of my childhood.

This week, through no prompting on my end, my children have discovered this joy for themselves. Isabelle, being too big for such little spaces, has enjoyed creating them for Alex, Olivia and Gracie. And the three of them have taken to this like you would not believe.
My kitchen has been taken over by blankets and toys, but I feel all nostalgic surrounded by my kiddos in their perfect little spots. So I'm not complaining.
In fact, I'm kind of thrilled to be able to share such a simple, finer thing in life with them!

Stop by Amy's blog for more Finer Things Friday.

Also, stop by Show & Tell Friday and Photo Story Friday.

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Surviving With Only One Car

With the current economic climate such as it is, many people are reconsidering necessities versus luxuries. When it comes to having only one car, I'm a little torn. I think it really depends on location and lifestyle.

However, I can tell you first hand that it is entirely possible to survive with only one car.

A few years ago, we did just that. For a few months before Olivia was born until she was 9 months old, we had one car. We managed just fine, even with three children, 2 in car seats, 1 in a booster seat. Fortunately, they all fit perfectly in our back seat.

I will admit it wasn't always easy and there were definitely times when I longed for a second car. But we made it work with a little creativity and lots of forethought.

Here are a few of the tips we learned during that time.

1. Plan ahead and keep the lines of communication open. Throughout that year, Eric was working almost every day and night. He was rarely home and he needed the car to get from one place to the next. He made sure to always keep me apprised of his schedule as far in advance as possible. That meant I made sure I planned doctor's appointments or outings for days when I knew he could either be at home, or I could drop him off at work and pick him up later. Then, I made sure I let him know of our plans right away. And I made sure I reminded him of them so that we wouldn't get our schedules crossed.
2. Look for and utilize alternatives whenever possible. We do not have public transportation of any kind in our area. But there were still alternative methods we were able to take advantage of. For example, there were a few times when Eric was able to carpool with someone or borrow a vehicle from a neighbor when absolutely necessary.
3. Organization is key. This was so important for us. When we were organized and on top of things, there was rarely a day when I ran out of diapers or milk in the middle of the day. We always kept an eye on our supply of household things and whenever something started to get even a little low, we made sure to pick up more. There were still many a night when Eric would have to pick up something on his way home, but overall, we were usually well-stocked.
4. Keep the car seats at home. Even though the chances of actually needing a car seat when you don't have the car at home are very slim, you never know when an emergency could arise. We learned this one the hard way when I had to call 911 for Alex when he choked on a piece of crafting glitter. There was not a car seat in the ambulance and they could not transport him without one. Fortunately, our neighbors had an extra car seat for their grandchildren that we were able to borrow.
5. Don't be afraid to walk. Fortunately, there is a convenience store less then a mile from our house. The few times when I wasn't organized (see #3) and ran out of milk in the middle of day, I packed up all of the kids and we walked to the store.
   
6. Be willing to sacrifice. There were times when I needed the car for homeschool field trips or similar things. We always found a way to make it work, even if it meant everyone getting up early, driving Eric 30 miles to work, and picking him back up when needed. Often that meant I would then have to find something to do with the kids for an hour or two while Eric worked at his next building before we could all head home. It did feel like a sacrifice at the time, but when it meant not missing an exciting learning opportunity, it was more than worth the hassle.
7. Staying home is not so bad. Just accept that and find ways to enjoy it.
   

Stop by Biblical Womanhood for more Frugal Friday and Cents To Get Debt-Free for Finding Freedom Friday.

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A Wonderful Deal

I encourage you to stop by my friend FishMama's site Life As Mom today or tomorrow. While you are there, take advantage of this fantastic ebook deal she is offering.That's right, she is offering her two ebooks for the special price of $1 each. These books are a great resource for everyone focused on family and frugality.

The first is a guide to cooking with children. You know that cooking from scratch is a great way to save money. And if you prepare these dishes with your children's help, it's also a cheap form of entertainment. Not to mention that you're teaching them life skills in the process. FishMama's Guide to Cooking with Children features:

• Seasonal kitchen activities for parents to enjoy with their children


• Over 25 kid - friendly recipes sure to satisfy even the pickiest eaters


• Safety tips and tricks for easy kitchen clean-up

The second book, entitled, Pretty. Cool. Cakes, is a handbook for creating your own festive birthday cakes at home. Usually bakery cakes cost upwards from $12. For less than half that, you can create a fun, theme cake that looks cooler than ones you would pay for. This book features a baker's dozen (13) of themed cake designs, including The Breakfast Cake, Fancy Nancy, and Indiana Jones as well as a basic tutorial to craft one of your own design.

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So Worth the $7.00

Lately, it seems like our silverware has been falling into a black hole. Well not exactly a black hole, but close enough. We've found it under couch cushions, in beds, in the toybox.

And we know a good portion of it has been slipped into the little crack between our counter top and cabinet left from when the dishwasher was installed. If we ever (God forbid!) get mice in our home, that would be the prime space for them to take up residence because they could eat like royalty with a nearly complete set of flatware at their disposal.

It has been an ongoing joke between Eric and I for awhile. But lately I've been seen the frustration in the situation more than the humor. There is no reason we should run out of forks before lunch time!

So Eric, because he loves me and gets that limiting my frustration is a good thing, stopped in at IKEA last week. There he picked up 2 boxes of "Bonus" flatware for $3.49 a piece. Each box contained 4 forks, 4 knives, 4 tablespoons, and 4 teaspoons. Perfect!Granted, this silverware is not the prettiest, but it is super functional. The kids love it. And the price was right.

Stop by The Diaper Diaries for more Things I Love Thursday and Hooked On Houses for more Hooked On....

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It's Been A Year Already?

I can not believe that it was one year ago tonight that I first started writing this blog. Well, to be honest, I did write 2 posts on here back in 2005. Then, we were without internet for 2 and a half years. When we reconnected, I immediately thought I'd like to try blogging again.

When I first started this last year, I had no idea what direction I wanted to head. But I promised myself that I would see if I could make it a habit and stick it out for 21 days. Obviously the habit stuck!

So, since it is Thursday {Thirteen} day over at Happy To Be At Home, I decided to commemorate the occasion with a series of 13 things.

13 Favorite Posts

1. My Strength Is Not Sufficient
   
2. Celebrate The Simple, Celebrate The Mundane
3. Growing Pains
4. The post that started it all - My Blog in May
5. A 3 Moms Tip For The Day
6. Inevitability
7. Just Another Imperfect Post From Another Imperfect Blogger
8. Frugal Ideas For Date Nights At Home
9. Confessions of a Former Literary Snob
10. The Perfect Pair Of Jeans For A Quarter
11. Showing and Telling In My Kitchen
12. What Is The Line Between Childhood And Adulthood?
13. Every single post that included something about my kids, or pictures of my kids. There are just far too many to list!

13 Things I Just Realized While Looking Through My Archives

1. I can be a little long-winded at times.
   
2. Why didn't someone tell me the importance of the return key sooner? Following grammatical paragraph structure on a blog is unnecessary and even I had a hard time reading through posts with not many returns.
3. My tone or style haven't changed very much over this past year, but my focus has shifted a bit.
4. I need to clean up my archives one of these days.
   
5. I have learned a lotover the past year. For example, I know how to tweak and write some html now. A year ago, I didn't even know what html was. (Joy deserves lots of credit for this!)
   
6. I need to do a better job of self-editing.
7. There are so many more places to find stock images to use in posts then I ever imagined. Allposters.com used to be the only thing I used.
8. A lot of you have been part of this blog since early on.
   
9. And I still enjoy each and every one of your blogs.
10. A blog is a wonderful tool to document your family's life, from the simplest things to the extraordinary.
    
11. Eric's views of blogging have changed a lot.
12. I had no idea I'd be able to form so many wonderful, life-changing friendships.
13. I still love comments as much today as I did when I got my very first.

Stop by Happy To Be At Home for more Thursday {Thirteen}.

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A Few Good Offers

Sign up to receive a $1.50 off coupon from Pampers.

Sign up to receive a free sample of Pantene shampoo and conditioner.


Print out a free coupon for 1 box of Touch of Gray.

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From The Archives

Because there is absolutely nothing wrong with using your sleeping baby as a prop for your own amusement!

Stop by 5MFM for more Wordless Wednesday.

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A Tradition of Lard and Sugar

You know what is really working for me today? One word - PACZKI. That would be this beauty, right here -
For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, I'll give a brief rundown. Paczki, pronounced punch-key, are a Polish treat traditionally served the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (also known as Fat Tuesday). They are similar to jelly donuts, although traditional Paczki are larger, denser and filled with more jelly. And they are outrageously delicious!
Being that both of my parents are Polish, and my grandparents were/are staunchly and proudly Polish, we celebrated all of the Polish traditions. I remember coming home from school on the Monday before Paczki day to excitedly look at the selections my grandpa had bought for us from a Polish bakery. We all had our favorites, and somehow my grandpa always remembered which ones we liked best. My favorites were (and still are) blueberry or lemon glazed Paczki.
The story I was always told about the origin of Paczki day is a favorite of mine. In the days leading up to Lent and a time of fasting, Polish women spent a lot of time using up heavy foods that they were not allowed to eat during this time. Paczki were a perfect option because they use a LOT of lard and sugar. (On the news a few years ago, I heard that a traditional Paczki has more fat and calories then 2 Big Macs.)
In order to keep with the tradition, and pass it on to my children, I selflessly put aside my dieting and forced myself to indulge in one (or 3 or 4) paczki today. And it absolutely worked for me.

Now, I would love to know how many of you have heard of/partake in the paczki ritual? Or, is there another cultural treat you enjoy on this day?

Stop by the new Works For Me Wednesday home at We Are THAT Family.

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Remembering To Be Grateful

This is going to be a difficult post to write. You see, I've worked hard at maintaining a positive attitude about our housing situation and the fact that our house has been on the market for 9 months now. With the housing market the way it is, it will probably be at least another 9 months on the market.

I've tried to stay positive. I've tried to remember to look on the bright side and remember that God is in control and He surely has a plan for us. I've tried, and done pretty well up until now.

But I've noticed over the past few weeks that both Eric and I are getting a little frustrated and restless. We are ready to move. Our house is ready for us to move.

Over the summer, we removed all of our pictures and hanging items from the walls, we painted all the walls white, and we cleaned the carpets. At the time, we thought we'd help along the selling process in any little way we could. Now, it just feels sterile and not very homey. We are working on remedying that though.

So, today I am going to force myself to look on the bright side and find reasons to be grateful when I'd rather just grumble!

1. I am grateful that our children LOVE our home. They do not see or feel any of the downsides that Eric and I do. To them, this is home - the place where they are loved and fed and encouraged, the place where we are a family.
2. I am grateful that the kids are always with earshot.
3. I am grateful that I can clean the whole house in just a few hours.
4. I am grateful that our house encourages closeness.
5. I am grateful that we are part of an association that pays for snow removal and we rarely have to worry about it ourselves.
6. I am grateful the hill outside our back door is the perfect sledding hill.
7. I am grateful our house has necessitated the early learning of the importance of organization and cleanliness.
8. I am grateful our neighbors love us and look out for us. And I am grateful they allow us to do the same, which has instilled a helpful and compassionate attitude in our children.
9. I am grateful for the simple fact that we are safe and secure with a roof over our heads.
10. I am grateful that our situation has nothing to do with us or our finances. We are ready and able to move as soon as the housing market picks back up.

Stop by Heavenly Homemakers for more Gratituesday.

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Toys, Toys, Toys

Simplify and reduce are two of my favorite words. I'm always looking for ways to simplify around the house and reduce the clutter and stuff. That being said, there is one area where this rarely happens - the kids' play area.

Their toys seem to multiply over night and they tend to get out of control very quickly. I find that the more stuff they have and the more cluttered their play area is, the less they actually play. Cluttered toys means that they have to dig through lots of stuff (making messes in the process) to find whatever they are looking for. Chances are they forget what they were looking for before they find it.

I've been wanting to tackle this area for a long, long time now. But it's been a little too easy to procrastinate. It took about 4 hours, but I felt so good when I was done. And the kids were so happy to actually be able to play with their toys and not just make a mess with them.
This is what I started with. See how everything is just piled in spots and nothing is organized or easily accessible?
I am convinced the best way to tackle any big project like this is to just dump it all and start over from scratch.Gracie was a fantastic helper during the dumping process.And here is the finished product. Ahh...so much better! Everything is organized and rearranged. I know how much I like a new perspective in my areas, I figured the kids would like the same.95% of the toys down in this area are for the younger kids. Isabelle has her very own cabinet where she keeps her games and craft supplies. Alex, Olivia and Gracie each got a drawer of their own to hold their favorite, personal toys.Toy food and kitchen utensils were previously everywhere. I collected them all together and put them in a Kroger reusable shopping bag. It fit perfectly in the toy refrigerator.Plus, this makes pretend "Krogering" (which is Olivia's favorite thing to do) that much easier.I also moved some of the toys to a shelf in the kids' closet. I'd really like to rotate toys and only have half of them in the play area at any given time, but we just don't have the storage space to do that. This is close enough though.

Stop by 5 Minutes For Mom for more tackles, Lara's blog for more Talk About Tuesday, Mommy Community for Tuesday Toot and Blissfully Domestic for more I Am Blissfully Domestic.

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Crumbled Bacon - The Easy Way

It is no secret - I have a rather strong (and maybe unhealthy) obsession with bacon. My obsession closely rivals my husband's obsession. And the kids have heartily embraced all things bacon as well.

So as you can imagine, bacon finds its way into our meals fairly regularly. Although I will admit, since we don't fool ourselves about this obsession, we limit our bacon purchases to 2 pounds a month.

Since we limit our bacon consumption, I am always trying to stretch the amount used. I prefer to use half a pound at a time that is cooked and crumbled before being added to other dishes.

I used to avoid these types of recipes because of the mess involved. But then I realized that the mess was needless. Now, kitchen scissors do this job quite nicely for me.

1. I don't even bother to separate individual slices. Instead, I just peel off a chunk of bacon that contains as many slices as I need.
2. The, I hold the bacon directly over a hot skillet and snip. The bacon will stick together, but don't worry, it will separate as it cooks.
3. I stir the bacon in the skillet until it is to desired doneness. Then I drain and use it, assuming it doesn't all get eaten first.

Stop by Tammy's Recipes for more Kitchen Tips.

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Menu Plan Monday - Week of 2/23

We had a busy weekend. We were out of the house all day Saturday. Sunday was full of lots of work around the house. So I haven't really taken much time to plan out our menu for the week. Right now, I'm just kind of winging it.

My last-minute plan is to use some of the freezer meals made earlier this month. I'm thinking I'd like to keep the rest of the week fairly easy too. It's time to restock some breakfast foods in the freezer though, so I'll get to that througout the week. Then I'll start planning for next month.

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year because Tuesday is Paczki day! 99% of the world knows it as Mardi Gras. But when you're Polish, that is not nearly as important as indulging in the fantastic Paczki. My diet will be forgotten on Tuesday for sure!

Breakfast

• M - Apple spiced oatmeal
• T - Chocolate chip muffins (double for freezer), smoothies
• W - Waffles (triple for freezer)
• Th - Crepes w/ bananas foster sauce
• F - Cheesy scrambled eggs and toast
• S - Bagels w/peanut butter and smoothies
• Su - Cocoa wheats and bananas

Lunch

• M - Quesadillas, yogurt
• T - Ham sandwiches, peaches
• W - Tuna croquettes, apple slices
• Th - Bacon, egg & cheese biscuit cups, oranges
• F - Veggie roll-ups, cottage cheese
• S - Easy mac & cheese, carrot & celery sticks
• Su - TBD

Dinner

• M - Chili mac, cornbread
• T - Chicken & black bean tacos, Paczki for dessert
• W - Curry chickpeas over rice
• Th - Ham & cheese frittata, spinach
• F - Florentine stuffed shells, breadsticks
• S - TBD - something fun for movie nigt - maybe just pigs in a blanket, popcorn & root beer floats
• Su - Beef & broccoli stir-fry, wontons

Stop by Org Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday.

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Defining Moments

Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized your whole world had shifted? A moment that made you re-define yourself? One which meant you'd never be the same thereafter?

I've had a few of those in my life. But none stands out more vividly then that first defining moment when I realized I was really and truly a mom.

Now you might think this was a typical moment, like seeing the ultrasound or having my first baby placed in my arms for the very first time. But you'd be mistaken. It was nothing as sweet and sentimental as that.

Don't get me wrong, I loved being a mom from the instant Isabelle was first placed in my arms, and even before that. I had dreamt of being a mom for so long. And I enjoyed it so much. But even through all the nursing difficulties and middle of the night feedings, I still felt like I didn't fully get it. I just didn't know what it felt like to be a mom.

Then one day, when Isabelle was about 9 months old, I was feeding her lunch in her exersaucer. (She was a picky eater as a baby and need entertainment to convince her to eat.) I was sitting on the edge of our coffee table - a coffee table with a glass center. I scooted back just a little too far and fell right through the glass. (Please go ahead and laugh. I did!)

Instantly I jumped up to check on Isabelle. I carefully moved her from the exersaucer to her car seat. She was fine and none of the broken glass had touched her. So I started cleaning up. I pulled out the vacuum and the garbage can and made sure I got every last little piece of glass. I bet I vacuumed the same small space at least 100 times because I didn't want to miss anything.

Once I was positive there was no glass Isabelle could get into anywhere, I finished feeding her lunch. Then I put her down for a nap. Shortly after that, I noticed that my shirt felt like it was sticking to my back. I reached behind me to un-stick it and realized I was bleeding. And bleeding a lot too. I looked in the mirror and saw a gaping cut that extended about 4 inches above the waistband of my jeans.

It was then, in that exact moment, that I realized I finally knew what it felt like to be a mom.

Eight stitches later, I was as good as new, except I was a different new. I was now officially a mom and I would never be the same again.

So how about you...does your motherhood have a defining moment? What about other defining moments? I'd love to hear about them!

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CFBA Review - Tender Grace

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Tender Grace
Bethany House (February 1, 2009)
by
Jackina Stark
My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book. The story was so poignant and beautiful. If you want to read a book that will touch your soul and linger in your mind long after you turn the last page, this book definitely fits the bill.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I have also spoken nationally and internationally at many retreats and seminars and enjoy running into many readers and former students. I have written frequently for both Christian Standard and Lookout, periodicals of Standard Publishing. Years ago I wrote two non-fiction books, published by College Press, but currently out of print. These days, I’m exploring fiction. My first novel, Tender Grace, will be released by Bethany House January 30, 2009, and a second, Things Worth Remembering, will be released in October, 2009. I’m working on new projects, including a third novel, as time permits. Whether speaking or writing, I love the opportunity to tell about Him whom Jesus called “Holy Father” and “the only true God.”

She lives in Joplin, Missouri with her husband, and she spends most of her free time doing is reading and writing. That is what she usually do when she's not teaching, enjoying the children and grandchildren, or sitting on the back porch drinking a Diet Coke and watching her husband till the garden!


ABOUT THE BOOK

Audrey Eaton awakes at three in the morning and gets up to retrieve her husband, Tom, from the recliner where he has fallen asleep watching a ball game. But when she enters the living room and looks at his gentle face in the soft lamp light, she knows their time together is over. Grief attacks her until all she can think about is how much she wants her old life back. Determined to find healing, she embarks on a journey to the one place Tom and she always intended to visit but never did. Along the way, she discovers, through shared experiences with friends old and new, the meaning of the "tender graces" God provides each and every day.

I've quit reading--even bestsellers, even the newspaper, even my Bible. I've also quit listening to music. This lack of appreciation for things I once loved is beginning to define me. More mornings than I can count, I say to myself before I open my eyes, "I don't want to do this." In the days shortly following Tom's death, that made sense, but what does it mean now? That I'm in trouble? One of the best qualities of the former me was thankfulness. As I was trying to sleep last night, needing Tom to be curled up behind me, his left arm slung across me, I realized to my horror that I couldn't remember the last time I was truly thankful. I think of a line from an old hymn: "Awake, my soul, and sing." I miss Tom. I also miss me. Determined to find healing, Audrey Eaton embarks on a trip to the one place she and her husband always intended to visit but never did. When things don't go as planned, will she embrace the unexpected graces that guide her journey?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Tender Grace, go HERE

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Say It Forward - Week 1

I just love this new carnival 5 Minutes For Mom is hosting each week. For me, receiving comments and leaving comments is one of the very best aspects of blogging. It is how I've made some truly incredible friendships over the past year!

I always intend to reciprocate the comments left on my blog, but it just doesn't always happen. I visit, or read in reader, but I don't always have the time to comment as much as I would like. So from now on, I will be participating in Say It Forward each week. I love the idea of highlighting everyone who comments!

This week, I'd like to spotlight Jennifer from The Extreme Housewife. Jennifer leaves me the nicest, most encouraging comments at least a few times a week. In fact, her comments were what originally spurred me to start Cooking During Stolen Moments.

Jennifer is a devoted wife and mom of two little children, a boy and a girl. She runs her own Etsy shop as way to help bring in a little extra income. Her blog is a wonderful variety of her daily life. Here are a few of Jennifer's recent posts that I've really enjoyed.

• Do I Stress Too Much? Oh how I relate to this!
• Why I Want To Homeschool Such a great post with well-thought-out reasons. Jennifer will be (and already is!) A great homeschooling mom.
• Want To Help Me Donate A Breast Pump I love this idea and I think Jennifer's really onto something with her plans here.

Now go pay a visit to Jennifer and spend some time explore her site and her Etsy shop.

And thanks Jennifer, for being such a supportive and encouraging friend.

Stop by 5MFM for more Say It Forward.

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Revisiting Quality Time With My Husband

I am really fortunate in the amount of time I have for blogging. Most nights I have at least 3 hours between when I put the kids to bed and when Eric gets home from work. I can really get a lot of blog writing and reading done during that time.

However, up until a few weeks ago, I would continue blogging even after Eric got home. I would warm his dinner, talk to him for a few minutes and then get right back to the computer. We were in the same room and able to chat with each other whenever we wanted, but I always felt like Eric didn't have 100% of my attention.

Now, I've really refocused myself so that I can still get the same amount of work done and have some special quality time with Eric too. After all, spending time with my husband is right at the top of my Finer Things list.

A lot of nights we watch something on Hulu or just the news. We recently just finished getting caught up on this season of 24. What we watch isn't nearly as important as the fact that we are watching it together, side by side.

This past Saturday night (Valentine's night), we watched Fireproof together. We both really enjoyed the movie and the conversation-starter it provided. In fact, we loved it so much we ordered the book The Love Dare. Now we are both looking forward to reading through it together and including it in our evening routines.

There is nothing finer then spending time with my husband and deepening our bond as husband and wife.

Stop in at Amy's blog for more Finer Things Friday.

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It's The Month To Stockpile

In our house, we stick to a pretty strict and frugal grocery budget. We plan for $350 a month, but we usually keep it closer to $325 a month. For a 30-day month, that works out to right around $10.50 per day.

So since it is February and we only have 28 days in the month this year, that means two extra days, or $21 extra dollars in the monthly budget. This is the perfect opportunity to do a little stockpiling!

I will admit that I've never been very good at stockpiling. But this month, that is all going to change. I am definitely going to take advantage of the extra $21 leeway to build up a small stockpile.

I've noticed many stores this month are running everyone's favorite 10 for $10 sales. Basically that means I can stock up on 20 extra things. I know it's not much, but it's a great start, especially if I can add to it a little bit each month.

If you are like me and don't have a lot of extra space to hold a grocery stockpile, here are some of the ideas I'm toying with to make a little extra room.

• Under the beds. This is prime real estate in our house. The space under the kids' beds holds their under-the-bed drawers, but the space under our bed is used mainly as a dust collector. I can clean that out and have lots of extra room if I'm creative in stacking.
• Top of the closet. Our closets go all the way up to our ceiling but the usable storage space ends far below that. We could easily install an extra shelf above the current one and have lots of extra stockpile space.
• Consolidating stuff. We could easily consolidate some of our pots and pans or plastic storage containers to make extra space in our cabinets.

Are you stockpiling this month? What are you stocking up on?

For more Frugal Friday, stop by Biblical Womanhood.

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On Writing A Book

Two years ago, during our internet-free days, I began outlining and writing a book. It was called "Cooking During Stolen Moments - An Affair With My Kitchen." Sound familiar?

The book writing got pushed aside in favor of blogging and I don't regret that for one second. But when I attended the Book Deals session at Blissdom, my interest in was piqued again.

I've actually dreamt of writing since I was a little girl. I started my first fiction book in 4th grade. I still have the notebooks somewhere I'm sure. My interest has shifted from writing fiction to non-fiction, but it's still there nonetheless.

Have you ever thought about writing? Maybe you've considered turning your blogging into a book deal. Well, over at Happy To Be At Home, I'm sharing everything I learned during the book deal session at Blissdom. Here is Part 1 and Part 2.

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Kidney Bean Poisoning

Last week Eric was listening to Dead Heat by Dick Francis. In the book, one of the characters was poisoned using kidney beans. I had heard this mentioned before, but after Eric brought it up, I decided to do a little more research.

Apparently, raw and undercooked red kidney beans can cause a wicked case of food poisoning. As few as 3 or 4 can have you miserable for hours.

From what I read, to avoid this all dried kidney beans must be soaked for a few hours and boiled for at least 10 minutes. Because of this, it is not recommended that you cook raw kidney beans in a crock pot.

I had never heard of this before. I couldn't believe all of the hits returned when I googled "kidney bean poisoning." Why is this information not more well known?

Here are a few of the sources I read through.

Is this news to you too, or is it just me?

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Your Mama Might Have Really Big Feet

...if you can wear her shoes and sit in them all at the same time.

Head over here for more Wordless Wednesday.

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Blank Notebooks & Cheap Calendars

I know I've mentioned my love of to-do lists in the past. I used to just grab whatever paper I could find lying around for my to-do lists. Part of the problem with that system is that I'd often misplace my lists.

However, I solved that problem this past summer. When Wal-Mart has having their big back-to-school sales, I took advantage of the deals on notebooks. If I remember right, we picked up 20 notebooks for $2. While most of those notebooks were for our homeschooling, I snagged a few for myself.

Now I don't know how I could live without my blank notebooks. I always have one with me. I use them for random to-do lists, menu planning, jotting down ideas, homeschool plans, and for planning out my blogging each night. I usually have at least 2 notebooks going at a time - one I keep at my desk where I blog and one that is either in the kitchen or in my purse when we go out.Another thing I picked up to help keep my blogging and the rest of my life organized is some cheap calendars. I found these great calendars in $1 bin section at Target shortly after New Years. Because they were so cheap, I grabbed three of them. One keeps track of all the family stuff, one is for my personal blogs and other blog-related stuff, and the third is for Happy To Be At Home. I love having dedicated space to plan out of my activities and being able to keep things separate.

How do you keep your thoughts, plans, and to-dos organized? Blank notebooks and cheap calendars definitely work for me!

Stop by Shannon's for her last go-round with WFMW. Starting next week, we'll be sharing what works for us over at We Are THAT Family.

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