Stitched In Prayer



Several years ago I started an Etsy shop named Stitched In Prayer.  It began as a way to bless families who lost a baby with memory blankets.  Each of the memory blankets were prayed over as I stitched them together and the name of my shop was born!



Baby girl blanket with super soft minky backing!



I found I LOVED creating rag quilts and baby blankets.  So I started the Etsy shop as a way to satisfy my love of fabric, a way to make a little money, and a reason to sew these blankets and rag quilts!

Crocheted baby boy blanket

I've added several new blankets and quilts to my shop.  I've also added several crocheted baby items.  I love any reason to create baby items!! ☺

Baby girl rag quilt with a finished binding.

Head over to Stitched In Prayer, my Etsy shop and take a look around!  I love to create custom orders also, so if you don't see exactly what you are looking for, let me know and I'll make something just for you!  My blankets and quilts are never duplicated~~just as no two babies are alike, neither are two blankets!  They really are ONE OF A KIND!!

Baby girl flannel rag quilt.

You can also "like" my Facebook page to keep up to date with specials, news, and lots of other fun stuff!!

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!



Happy {Blessed} New Year!

Hello again, Friends!

It's been a while....a long while!  If you've hung in there waiting for me, I so appreciate you!  I have been re~focusing on my family and trying to be the best wife and mom I can.  But I have missed the blogging.

So with a new year comes new priorities and new perspectives.  I have a lot of posts and projects spinning around in my head and I hope to share them with you this year.  I hope you will stick around and see what is to come!

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Judging Other Moms

I remember the day hubby and I got married.  While we had our pictures taken, some of our family members were waiting in the sanctuary of the church.   As we stood smiling for the camera and eagerly anticipating our new life together, our nephews were running through the church.  Yep, running.  Like crazy monkeys!  They were 2 and 3.  I remember looking up into my new hubby's loving eyes and saying...

 "Our kids will NEVER act like that!"

Fast forward a few years and we were in the trenches of parenthood.  And you guessed it...our kids were now the crazy monkeys!  You know, the ones running up and down the isle at the grocery store. 

I shamefully admit that over the years I've been judging other moms.  When you don't know what is going on in their lives, it is so easy to pass judgement on them.   I would look at that mom at the checkout in the grocery store.  I would see her child throwing a fit and I would think..."that mom clearly needs to discipline her child".    Or I would see the child who gets everything she wants, the best clothes, toys, and gadgets and I would think she's just spoiled.

I've found a new way of looking at other moms.  Our autistic son gave me a new lens to see through.  You see, when I look at those moms~whether in the grocery store, the park, or even church~I really don't know what is going on in their lives.  What I see as a child throwing a tantrum because he can't have a piece of candy may really be a child with sensory issues who can't control his emotions with all the sights, sounds and smells going on around him.   And an exhausted mom who knew this outing would cause distress, but had no choice but to take him along.

We don't know that daddy just left that family to fight for our freedom.  We don't know that mom is struggling with self confidence and has no support system.  We don't know that grandma has moved in because it is no longer safe for her to be alone.  We don't know that a family is on the brink of financial ruin.   In my case, no one knew that my son was struggling with extreme behavior issues because of his autism and that it was creating chaos in our entire family.  I felt confused, hurt, angry, and alone.  Many times it was because someone has passed judgment on my parenting and I felt I had no where to turn.

We moms go through so many emotions each day, and we don't need to be passing misplaced judgment on each other.  When I see a mom in a situation where I would have passed judgment, I now start praying for that mom.  Yes, in the grocery store, park, church, or wherever.  God knows their situation and can get them through it. 

Judging other moms won't do that!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Most Read Posts of 2013

As we head into the new year and reflect on the previous year, I wanted to share ten of the most read blog posts of 2013.

This post was originally from 6/2011 and just reposted last month, but my recipe for Easy Bacon and Cheese Quiche was popular this year.  A lot of you were looking for an easy and yummy idea!!

Apparently many of you can relate to How Our Life is "Normally" Crazy as this was a most read post of 2013!!

 

Interested on Saving Money When You are on Vacation and Eating out?  Many found my tips helpful to have a frugal vacation!

 

Letting Your Husband Lead became a hot topic for many of us!  How are we doing in this area?

Many of us were also looking at our marriages, and 8 Ways to Bless Your Husband had some helpful information.

 

While I also wrote this post on Making Your Own Fabric Softener in 2012, it was also clicked on many times this past year!

 

You found My Transition from Pants To Skirts interesting and I was blessed by how many of you were considering the same things.





My Stockpile Challenge encouraged many of you to start the same thing.

 

How Our Christmas Is Free shows that with a little effort, you can get Christmas gifts for free.  Now would be a good time to start some of these ideas and see just what you can get for free this year!

 

My series on the Proverbs 31 Woman had us thinking each week about how we can become better wives and mothers.  I'll be starting this up again soon!

And the number one most read post continues to be Why I Wear Skirts.  Whether your just curious, or thinking about the same thing, this post explains my heart as the reason for why I wear skirts.



I have lots of ideas for my blog for the new year, and thank you for joining me along this journey!

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

 

Simple and Delicious:Easy Bacon and Cheese Quiche

I'm taking the rest of the year off to spend the Christmas holiday with my family.  This post is part of my "best of 2013" series.  This recipe would make a perfect Christmas morning breakfast!!  Have a Merry Christmas!

I make this egg quiche for supper quite often.  It is so simple and you can mix it up by adding different cheeses or using ham or sausage instead of the bacon.  When I make it, I double the recipe and make 2 quiche's to feed our family. {I think I could start tripling it since my boys have such hearty appetites!}  The original recipe came from Nancy at Homemade Blessings.  I recently made it with a little bit of "help" from my favorite helper!  Here's the recipe....

1/4 - 1/2 pound bacon~cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup onion
5 oz shredded colby-jack cheese
3 oz shredded parmesan cheese
9" deep dish pie crust
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half and half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add cheeses, onion and bacon to the pie crust (I use a refrigerated ready-made pie crust).

Mix eggs and half and half.(I also add some pepper)

 

Pour egg mixture over cheese mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 35 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!


This post originally posted on 6/22/2011.

Christmas 2013

I LOVE Christmas.  I may have told you that a time or two!  I love the baking, carols, decorating, time spent with family, reading the Christmas story, church services, and they way people just seem to treat everyone better during this time of year.  I love Christmas!

I had lots of Christmas posts planned for my blog this Christmas.  I had posts started, and I had posts swimming around my head just waiting to write them down.  But instead of writing them down, I've spent the past week or so enjoying my family.

You see, it didn't make sense to me to spend time writing ways to enjoy your family, then neglect mine because I was spending that time on my blog.  While I love that I have readers and followers on my blog, my family comes first.

We have cookies to bake, widowed family and friends that we deliver those baked goodies to, a family Christmas Eve service to prepare for {Thanks to Amy at Raising Arrows for this wonderful resource}, family and work parties, caroling, traditions to follow and memories to make with our kids.  We slow down on homeschooling this week, and then take off until after the new year.  I just want to slow down and enjoy the Christmas season and focus on the reason for this season.

For the rest of the year, I will be posting a sort~of "best of 2013" series.  These are the posts that have been the most popular this year.  Forgive me if you've read them already. 

Join me this Christmas while we just enjoy our families and focus on the little babe born so long ago. 

I pray you will enjoy your families and your Christmas holiday.

From our home to yours,

Have a Blessed Christmas!

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!



Winner Of Homestead Blessings~The Art Of Breadmaking

The winner of the Homestead Blessings~The Art of Breadmaking DVD is.......

Jamie H.

Congratulations, Jamie!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Black Friday Sale At Lilla Rose!

 

Lilla Rose is having a HUGE Black Friday Sale!!  For two days only, November 29 and 30, you'll receive 20% off ALL ITEMS!! 

 

PLUS.....

 

25-50% off select products!!!

 

AND.....

 

FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50!

 

This sale is only November 29 and 30, so head over to Lilla Rose and start your holiday shopping!  Lilla Rose hair clips make a great gift!  Start shopping for mom and sisters, then don't forget your nieces, babysitters, piano teachers, or Sunday school teachers.  When you've checked those off your list, start shopping for yourself!! 

 

 

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends.  Give thanks for all the blessings in your life, and remember that God is good!

Blessings,



Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Leaving A Legacy

This picture is the door of my laundry chute.  Each time I get clothes out of the chute, I see this and it makes me smile.  This was written by my father~in~law when he made the chute in November of 1968.   It says "Hi Honey Happy Washing Today" and is signed by him with the date.

Looking at this makes me think about the legacy each of us leave.  What kind of legacy will I be leaving my children?  Will that legacy be anger or joy?  Frustration or flexibility?  Contentment or greed?  Love or hate?

 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.  Psalm 78:4

The most important legacy I can leave my children is to be a follower of Christ.  If I am following the Lord in all I do, my legacy will show that.  You'll see the times I relied on God to meet my needs.  You'll see the obedience even when it may not make sense in the world's eyes.  You'll see my love for Him through all I say and do.

I have to ask myself, is this the legacy I'm leaving?  Are you?

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Thanksgiving 2013~Cultivating A Heart Of Gratitude

 

As I may have mentioned a time or two, I love Christmas.  But a friend recently pointed out to me that by starting Christmas so early, we miss out on Thanksgiving. 

I realized she is right!  I spend so much time during November planning, either in my head or in reality, for Christmas.  Thanksgiving doesn't get the same amount of planning.  Even on Thanksgiving day, I'm preparing for the holidays since we get our tree the weekend after it.

So this year I am going to be intentional about Thanksgiving.  I'm going to spend the month focusing on the blessings in my life, and cultivating a he♥rt of gratitude.  From decorating to dinner, I'm going to reflect on what I've been blessed with.

The irony here is that this is the first year in many that I will not be making the dinner.  Hubby's family is having a full family Thanksgiving celebration {think reunion} where we will all be bringing something for the dinner {think potluck}.  We are looking forward to seeing aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Many are coming from out of state and we haven't seen in quite a while.

Something else to be thankful for!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the "like" button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Praying For Our Husbands

Praying for our husbands is a MUST in my opinion.  Unfortunately I didn't realize this until I was several years into my marriage.  Fortunately God got ahold of my heart and made me realize the importance of praying for my hubby.

I'm not talking about praying that God will change your husband.  I've been there and done that as well.  Turns out this isn't really what God intended when we pray for our husbands.  What I am talking about is praying FOR your husband.

A great resource I've found is Stormie Omartian's book, "The Power of the Praying Wife".  This book gives us one area to pray about for our husbands each day.  I have the book on my nightstand, but I also copied the list and have it inside my Bible.

What makes Stormie's book so great is that she has 30 things to pray over our husbands.  This works our perfectly so that you can pray each item over your husband each day of the month. 

Praying for my husband has made me see things in our marriage differently.  It has softened my heart when it was full of anger or bitterness.  It has made me realize more about my hubby and his heart.  It has encouraged me to try and be a better wife.  And I'd like to think it has blessed my husband in ways neither of us may know this side of heaven.

Take the next 30 days to pray over your husband.  See what this can do no only for him, but you also!

Blessings,


Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!

Fun DIY Project~Make Your Own Butter

If you're looking for a fun and cheap activity to do with your kids, this is it!!  I recently did this with my homeschool co~op class and they loved it!  Since then, Sweetcheeks has been asking to do this almost every day!

It really is quite simple!  You just need some heavy whipping cream and a glass jar.  A hand mixer works well also, but then you'd miss out of the "funnest" part {sweetcheeks' description}!

Add some cream to the glass jar.  Any amount is fine.  If you want a small amount of butter, just add a small amount of cream.  If you're looking for an upper arm workout, then fill that jar!!  You can also add a pinch of salt if you want.

Next step.  Shake jar. 

 

Shake some more. 

 

Keep shaking.

 

When you get tired of shaking, have someone else shake the jar!

Look, you now have whipped cream.  Too bad that's not what we're making today!

Keep shaking!

 

Almost there!

Shake your entire body!!

Look, you now have a soft lump bathing in milk!

You did it!!

Yep, that's butter!

Strain the milk from the butter.  Save that milk.  This is buttermilk and can be used in recipe's.  Then wash the butter in cold water.  This gets the buttermilk off the butter which can make the butter go bad.

Put your butter in a container, and enjoy!

Blessings,

Homestead For Him now has a Facebook page.  Like what you see here, won't you like my page?!  Click the like button on the sidebar or go HERE!!