Saturday, November 30, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
How I Send Real Food When My Kids Are on the Go
If you've been wondering about our bodacious lunchboxes seen in my previous post, I'm here to tell you all about them. Perhaps you too have had difficulty finding a SAFE way to send lunch for your kiddos, what with all the scary plastic chemicals that leach and off-gas on and around your food. Yuck! Well, after much searching and REsearching last year, I finally ended up with what I think just may be the best lunchbox ever: the PlanetBox.
There are three styles. We have the PlanetBox Rover, because my children like a little bit of everything in their lunch meal. This Bento box style is right up their alley. (See how they love Muffin Tin Meals here and here and here.) The Rover has several dividers, like a real lunch tray, which gives me more options for sending a variety of food...withOUT having to send fourteen little plastic baggies per child! I love that they can be personalized with cool magnet sets that go on the outside of the tray. I love the durable carrying bags, which come in several colors. AND I love that the trays can go right in the dishwasher!! No fuss.
Now, they are NOT cheap. Especially when you are buying for multiple children. :ahem: However, they are durable and will last much, much longer than the boxes you might buy at Wal-Mart. I fully intend to see my grandchildren toting these suckers around one day. Your child won't grow out of them, either. These are easily sophisticated enough to be carried by adults! Which means I guess I'm going to have to stop carrying my metal Strawberry Shortcake box with the ruby red handle and the matching thermos...(dates me, doesn't it?)
There are three styles. We have the PlanetBox Rover, because my children like a little bit of everything in their lunch meal. This Bento box style is right up their alley. (See how they love Muffin Tin Meals here and here and here.) The Rover has several dividers, like a real lunch tray, which gives me more options for sending a variety of food...withOUT having to send fourteen little plastic baggies per child! I love that they can be personalized with cool magnet sets that go on the outside of the tray. I love the durable carrying bags, which come in several colors. AND I love that the trays can go right in the dishwasher!! No fuss.
Now, they are NOT cheap. Especially when you are buying for multiple children. :ahem: However, they are durable and will last much, much longer than the boxes you might buy at Wal-Mart. I fully intend to see my grandchildren toting these suckers around one day. Your child won't grow out of them, either. These are easily sophisticated enough to be carried by adults! Which means I guess I'm going to have to stop carrying my metal Strawberry Shortcake box with the ruby red handle and the matching thermos...(dates me, doesn't it?)
Monday, November 11, 2013
Necessarily Rewinding: Part 1
Here's the thing about blogging. It is very much a habit into which one must GET. This is especially true when sitting down to "journal" about life's happenings does not come naturally to you. Well, SOMEhow I managed to get myself into that habit--in 2008. I had a lot going on that inspired me at the time. And...I was enamored with the trend, I'll admit. It turns out it was a lot of fun. Of course, there were times I got behind and struggled to keep up with the various blogging commitments I had made for myself, but I did okay.
UNTIL..........
....we decided to put our kiddos in school. Whoa. School proved to be a schedule that I was not cut out for. So, for that reason and many others, we didn't keep them there long. But right on the heels of their coming home, we then decided to put our house back on the market..:eeeeek:....then we sold it.....then we moved out....then we became (literal) gypsies....then we moved into a rental home. And because of ALL THIS, I just couldn't do it any.more. I want to catch up. I have missed blogging and sharing our lives with others. I have missed having an online photo journal to look back on. So........
we must REWIND!!
Project 365: Week 34 "first week of school"
Monday, August 20, 2012
UNTIL..........
....we decided to put our kiddos in school. Whoa. School proved to be a schedule that I was not cut out for. So, for that reason and many others, we didn't keep them there long. But right on the heels of their coming home, we then decided to put our house back on the market..:eeeeek:....then we sold it.....then we moved out....then we became (literal) gypsies....then we moved into a rental home. And because of ALL THIS, I just couldn't do it any.more. I want to catch up. I have missed blogging and sharing our lives with others. I have missed having an online photo journal to look back on. So........
we must REWIND!!
Project 365: Week 34 "first week of school"
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Big Day:
It sure is earrrrrly...
First Day of "Real" School
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Raw Milk and Food Freedom
Okay, y'all know I'm pretty crunchy. Right? I mean, I make my own laundry detergent...and I frequent the farmer's markets, and many other things you may not be privy to...like the fact that I won't use hand sanitizers, chemical cleansers of any kind, or medications (at least, when I can avoid them)...or the fact that I use homemade shampoo...and...homemade deodorant. (It's true.) You might have even tried my fave, quite-crunchy granola! ;)
But probably the crunchiest of all the things I do is drink fresh milk, aka "raw milk." Gasp! Yep. I drink it. And I give it to my kidlets to drink as well. And I am at complete peace with that. Because it is the way God gave it to us. It has not been stripped of all its great qualities. It has not been tampered with. It is purely awesome. I may or may not discuss this further at some point, but for right now I just wanted to mention that I'm bringing my kiddos with me tomorrow morning to show my support of House Bill 1536, which would allow small farmers to sell up to 500 gallons of raw milk (either goat's or cow's) per month to consumers at their farms. That would be sooooo nice...seeing as how THAT would be constitutional.
In case you might like to support such a bill as well, here is a list of House committee members to call (first thing in the morning) or email (right now):
tt4rep@att.net
Or SHOW UP tomorrow morning and show your support that way!
Little Rock, AR
But probably the crunchiest of all the things I do is drink fresh milk, aka "raw milk." Gasp! Yep. I drink it. And I give it to my kidlets to drink as well. And I am at complete peace with that. Because it is the way God gave it to us. It has not been stripped of all its great qualities. It has not been tampered with. It is purely awesome. I may or may not discuss this further at some point, but for right now I just wanted to mention that I'm bringing my kiddos with me tomorrow morning to show my support of House Bill 1536, which would allow small farmers to sell up to 500 gallons of raw milk (either goat's or cow's) per month to consumers at their farms. That would be sooooo nice...seeing as how THAT would be constitutional.
In case you might like to support such a bill as well, here is a list of House committee members to call (first thing in the morning) or email (right now):
Members of the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development
Shepherd, Matthew J. (R-6) - Chair
Steel, Nate (D-19) - Vice Chair
Ballinger, Bob (R-97) 870-423-1035
Branscum, David L. (R-83) 870-448-2408
Douglas, Charlotte Vining (R-75) 479-632-2187
Douglas, Dan M. (R-91) 479-619-9231
Edwards, John Charles (D-35) 501-378-5500
Eubanks, Jon S. (R-74) 479-438-0533
Gillam, Jeremy (R-45) 501-729-0042
Jean, Lane (R-2) 870-234-5433
Jett, Joe (D-56) 870-276-5319
Lampkin, Sheilla E. (D-9) 870-723-6449
Leding, Greg (D-86) 479-966-9201
Lenderman, Homer (D-53) 870-926-7914
Linck, Kelley (R-99) 870-404-2741
Magie, Stephen (D-72) 501-327-4444
McCrary, Walls (D-14) 501-676-2317
Meeks, Stephen (R-67) 501-314-9250
Ratliff, James (D-60) 501-454-5200
Thompson, Tommy (D-65) 501-208-2007
Or SHOW UP tomorrow morning and show your support that way!
WHEN: 9 a.m. Friday on April 5, 2013
WHERE: Arkansas State Capitol
Room 138 Arkansas House
500 Woodlane Street
500 Woodlane Street
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Mercy for Me, for You
It's been a long, long time since I've had anything to say. I don't really know how to explain it (quickly), except to say that things were busy before...and then they just got busier and busier. At least, that's my explanation for now. Because something else has my focus at this moment. Something else is weighing heavy on my heart.
I've just been thinking about how merciful my God is. Certainly, He is abundantly merciful to ME. But I was just thinking about certain holidays. Christmas and Easter. Mostly about Easter, at the moment. How the stores are FILLED with Easter dresses, baskets, candy, and bunnies. How everyone and their grandma is out on Saturday doing last minute shopping for white dress shoes and the like. (I'm not going to say how I know this...) And it just made me think. Huh...
ALL of these people surely don't know my Jesus.
And sometimes that just bothers me. That everyone's out celebrating a holiday that they don't really even KNOW anything about. Or at least, CARE anything about. In fact, in a matter of days these will be the very same people NOT believing God's Word to be true and NOT standing up for the lives of unborn babies and NOT being obedient to His Word and NOT knowing Jesus...really knowing Him.
I guess it can be just a little annoying...when the Easter holiday means so much to me, and to so many others. Christ's perfect life lived on earth, His horrific, sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead...
These things mean salvation, grace, love, mercy, compassion, rescue, redemption, hope, victory, and sweet, sweet assurance for me! So. much.
But you know what it means to God???
GLORY!!!!!
GLORY!!
Glory.
The very REASON the world is busy filling baskets and dyeing eggs...is Jesus. HE is the reason. And this reminds me of how incredibly merciful my God truly is. He allows absolute pagans to celebrate His events. He lets them attend the Easter parades and show off the new clothes. And He loves them deeply whether they know it or not. Maybe a few of them will even make it to church on Sunday morning. Maybe. And though He deserves so much more--so much more of our praise and adoration--though He deserves our whole LIVES--He is glorified, nonetheless. That, in itself, is stunning.
I am just so humbly grateful to have been called to His side. To have been washed by His blood. HUMBLY grateful. Because I don't deserve anything but death. I am depraved and corrupt, wicked and disgusting. And yet, in God's eyes I am clean. Now and forevermore.
Today is about Him, for Him, by Him, in honor of Him, to Him, of Him. Because...
He took ALL my blame. And all of yours. And all the blame of the whole, entire world from before to beyond. And He did it because of love and mercy for us. And we did NOT deserve that.
He lived as one of us on earth, only doing it perfectly, without sin. He willingly died a gruesome, mocking death. And then...oh, then...he conquered death itself. He proved He was wholly God by rising from the grave. That's MY God!! How can I NOT want to live my life for His honor and glory?
Yes.
I've just been thinking about how merciful my God is. Certainly, He is abundantly merciful to ME. But I was just thinking about certain holidays. Christmas and Easter. Mostly about Easter, at the moment. How the stores are FILLED with Easter dresses, baskets, candy, and bunnies. How everyone and their grandma is out on Saturday doing last minute shopping for white dress shoes and the like. (I'm not going to say how I know this...) And it just made me think. Huh...
ALL of these people surely don't know my Jesus.
And sometimes that just bothers me. That everyone's out celebrating a holiday that they don't really even KNOW anything about. Or at least, CARE anything about. In fact, in a matter of days these will be the very same people NOT believing God's Word to be true and NOT standing up for the lives of unborn babies and NOT being obedient to His Word and NOT knowing Jesus...really knowing Him.
I guess it can be just a little annoying...when the Easter holiday means so much to me, and to so many others. Christ's perfect life lived on earth, His horrific, sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead...
These things mean salvation, grace, love, mercy, compassion, rescue, redemption, hope, victory, and sweet, sweet assurance for me! So. much.
But you know what it means to God???
GLORY!!!!!
GLORY!!
Glory.
The very REASON the world is busy filling baskets and dyeing eggs...is Jesus. HE is the reason. And this reminds me of how incredibly merciful my God truly is. He allows absolute pagans to celebrate His events. He lets them attend the Easter parades and show off the new clothes. And He loves them deeply whether they know it or not. Maybe a few of them will even make it to church on Sunday morning. Maybe. And though He deserves so much more--so much more of our praise and adoration--though He deserves our whole LIVES--He is glorified, nonetheless. That, in itself, is stunning.
I am just so humbly grateful to have been called to His side. To have been washed by His blood. HUMBLY grateful. Because I don't deserve anything but death. I am depraved and corrupt, wicked and disgusting. And yet, in God's eyes I am clean. Now and forevermore.
Thank you, Jesus, for the cross!
Today is about Him, for Him, by Him, in honor of Him, to Him, of Him. Because...
He took ALL my blame. And all of yours. And all the blame of the whole, entire world from before to beyond. And He did it because of love and mercy for us. And we did NOT deserve that.
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for thee...
He lived as one of us on earth, only doing it perfectly, without sin. He willingly died a gruesome, mocking death. And then...oh, then...he conquered death itself. He proved He was wholly God by rising from the grave. That's MY God!! How can I NOT want to live my life for His honor and glory?
He's alive!! He's alive! Heaven's gates are open wide!
Yes.
Glory!
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