Accepting Service

I had my baby! She'll be 3 weeks old tomorrow, and I'm loving being a mom.

Unfortunately last week I was diagnosed with a uterine infection and had to have surgery. Before the surgery I was feeling really great. I had energy, thanks to the newborn-sleepy state of my baby, I felt strong and was able to do a lot of the household tasks I would normally do, like keep the house clean, etc. The baby likes taking naps in her carrier, so that helped a lot too.

However, after the surgery I've been a lot worse off than I was before. The nurse at the hospital told me to take stairs carefully, and not take the baby up and down the stairs. (We live in a 2 story townhome) I've really had to rely on my husband. He has been so wonderful, while we were in the hospital he took care of the baby almost entirely, and would just bring her to me to eat. Whenever I need to go downstairs I have to have his help bringing the baby down the stairs. He works from home which has been a huge blessing, but it's still hard for me to not be able to do certain things.

I've had to learn how to let him help me. I'm one that likes to just do everything myself. I don't want to be an inconvenience to anyone else. Even now, I'm feeling much better and stronger, but I have to keep taking it easy until I have a follow up appointment with my doctor and am given the all-clear. It's hard for me to be feeling alright, but still not be able to do certain things.

I told my husband that there is no way I could do this without him, and it's entirely true. I hope I can start taking over some of the household tasks soon, but until then I just have to rely on, and accept his service to me.

So, what about you? Do you accept service well? Or are you a do-it-yourself-er? I think accepting service gracefully is something we could all improve on.

Count Your Blessings

Do you ever feel that nothing is going right?  That maybe you must be doing something wrong?  Probably too often, I feel overwhelmed with life and everything I have going on.  Some things we might all be thinking at one point or another are:

There are not enough hours in the day.  

I wish my husband was home more.  

I wish the hospital was paid off.  

Am I a good mother and wife?

(Maybe it's just me thinking these ones)

I especially hate those days when I think all that and more.  Those days, you need something to lift you up when you feel that nothing can.

I was at that point on Sunday.  Thankfully my husband came home from meetings and offered to stay home with the kids so I could go to church(they were all sick).  That was the first little lift I got.  Then while sitting in the chapel, I thought of my favorite hymn:  Count Your Blessings

I think this song can help anyone as they are going through certain situations and trials.  This week, it was verse 3 that touched me.  Though in the past, all the verses have touched me and strengthened me when I didn't think I could deal with whatever I might have been dealing with.

Because of this song on Sunday, I got the lift I needed to go on in my trials.  I found strength to look up and not down.  It is better to look up.  This song reminds me that I have so many things to be grateful for.  My husband, my daughters, my family, my home (even though it's getting tight), my Savior, my knowledge, and so many more.


For any of you who do not know this beautiful song, here are the verses:

1.    When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost,
       Count your many blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
2.    Are you ever burdened with a load of care?  Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
       Count your many blessings; every doubt will fly, and you will be singing as the days go by.
3.    When you look at others with their lands and gold, think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
       Count your many blessings; money cannot buy your reward in heaven nor your home on high.
4.    So amid the conflict whether great or small, do not be discouraged; God is over all.
       Count your many blessings; angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

Count you blessings; name them one by one.  Count your blessings; see what God hath done.  Count your blessings; name them one by one.  Count your many blessings; see what God hath done.

This song always helps me realize that I am never alone and that I CAN do it.  I hope it helps anyone who might be feeling down.  Remember to look up and to count your many blessings.

Do you have any songs, quotes, anything really that helps you when you need a boost?

Coloring White Rice

I decided to dye white rice for the Sensory Table. It's a really simple process, but it's time consuming and takes a while to fully dry. (Click here to learn more about a Sensory Table).

Supplies:

• Bowl
• Spoon
• Spatula
• Measuring Cup
• Tablespoon
• Water
• Food Coloring
• White Rice
• Newspaper
• Plastic Bags (optional)
• Paper Towels (optional)

Directions:

*Yields about 2 cups of rice per mixture*

• Measure 3 Tablespoons of water and pour in bowl
• Squeeze roughly 5-6 drops of food coloring into water.
• Stir with spoon.

• Pour in 1 cup of rice and mix until all coated with color.
• Stir in a 2nd cup of rice and mix until completely coated with color.

•  Place rice on a pile of newspaper to dry.

• Repeat steps to make as many colors of rice as you want!

I think I colored about 30-35 cups of rice. There are 7 colors (red, yellow, green, blue, purple, orange, and brown) and I made each of them twice. When I combined colors to get purple, brown, and orange, I didn't quite get the shades I wanted so I did them again which means I made more than 4 cups of some colors. There's still room in the storage container for more rice, but I think I'll call it good for now!

Storing it so we can use it again and again!

Tips:

• It's best to lay out a LOT of newspaper so it can soak up all the water. I actually put plastic down on my counter (a plastic garbage bag works) and then the newspaper on top of it because I was worried the water would soak through and leave stains on my counter top.
• I put paper towels on top of my newspaper because I found it was a lot easier to get the rice back off once it was dry. It clung to the newspaper a lot more than it did to the paper towels.
• Food Coloring has 4 basic colors: red, yellow, green, and blue. To make orange, mix red and yellow together. To make purple, mix red and blue together. To make brown, mix all of the colors together using more red than the others.
• I recommend using a glass or metal bowl and spoon just in case it stains. It didn't stain my plastic spatula, but I wasn't willing to risk dying my bowls.
• The more drops of food coloring you put in, the darker the colors will be.
• This "recipe" is for two cups of rice. Obviously if you want to make more at a time just add more water and food coloring!
• Let rice dry for several hours before storing away in a storage tote.
• When the rice dries it will form a solid clump. Break the clump apart halfway through the drying process to help it dry faster.
• I always stirred in at least 2 cups of rice, but if there was still water in the bottom of the bowl I would keep adding rice until the water was soaked up.
• By adding more rice until all the water is soaked up, not all the rice gets completely coated. I didn't care because once all the rice is dry and mixed together in the storage tote it won't be noticeable that some are only half coated or what have you. But, to avoid not coating all your rice, only add 1-2 cups of rice, stir for up to 5 minutes to soak up as much water as possible, then drain remaining water out of the bowl before dumping the rice onto the newspaper.

Finished product!

It's super fun to watch her explore something she's never played with before.

Sensory Table

My husband is going to build a Sensory Table for my little girl (and future kids).

For those that don't know, a Sensory Table is basically a table with a shallow tub in it and it's used to put things in for kids to explore and play with.

Photo provided by Google.

It's best to put things in it that kids don't normally get to play with like shaving cream, rock salt, flour, noodles (cooked or uncooked), sawdust, rice, dry beans, etc.


My husband is going to build the frame of the table, and then for the tub I purchased one of those long, flat storage totes designed to slide under a bed. I wanted the tub part to be removable so I can take it out and clean it or easily empty it's contents.

The table will be 18" tall so it'll be a little too tall for my 10 month old (roughly at her armpits when standing), but she'll grow into it.

In the meantime, I've been too excited to wait for my husband to get around to actually building the table part so I've started using the tub and just setting it on the floor. It's a lot messier since her legs prevent her from sitting close enough to keep her hands directly over the tub, but it's completely worth the mess to watch her play!

She chose to sit right at the corner. It actually helped her legs not be in the way so much.

She's playing with colored rice.

Benefits of a Sensory Table:

• Children are wired to receive and utilize sensory input from day one.
• This is how they explore, process, and come to understand new information.
• As we talk with them about what they are observing and sensing, we give them new language tools to connect with these more familiar sensory tools, building language as well as supporting cognitive concepts specific to the experience.

Click here to read more about the benefits of having a Sensory Table!

Stay tuned for details on how to make colored rice!

Have you used a Sensory Table before (with your own kids or in a teaching setting)? What are some fun things you've used in it?

Best Sugar Cookies I've ever made

I don't know about you, but I always have a hard time making good sugar cookies. They either spread out too much, or get too floury when you roll them out. I just always have issues making tasty cut-out sugar cookies. The problem with this, is that I really like sugar cookies! They're so good! I know not everyone will agree, but I like them. :)

Anyway, it's becoming a tradition in our family to make heart-shaped sugar cookies on Valentine's day. And this year I found a winner recipe, so I thought I'd share it.

Here it is:

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and vanilla and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown.

Make sure you follow the directions exactly and they will be divine!

The 5 Things That Strengthen My Marriage

1. Talk:  I try to talk to my husband here and there throughout the day.  Even when I call and he doesn't answer, it means that I took time out and I was thinking of him.  We like to talk about everything.  I call him when I'm on the verge of tears or when something funny happens.  And he calls me to talk about frustrations at work and things like that.
2. Communicate:  To me, this is very different than talking.  Just like Sara mentioned in the video game comments, you can't say the kitchen is messy and think your husband knows you really want him to clean the kitchen.  Say what you are thinking.  My husband and I have a tough time with communication.  Usually both of us are at fault just because we failed to add something or we thought one was listening when they never even heard you.  Try not to get too upset of mis-communication issues.  Get it straightened out and move on.
3. Be Selfless:  I've always been told to put your spouse first.  If you are getting something from the bedroom or kitchen, ask if he would like or need anything while you are up.  Maybe you could do things you know he likes.  Do things you know he would notice and appreciate.  I like to try to clear the kitchen table off because I know he would notice and appreciate that I did that for him.
4. Spend Time Together:  Just the two of you.  Get away from your daily life and kids every once in a while.  When you spend time together just the two of you, not much else matters.  He can focus on you and you can focus on him.  Spending quality time together can remind you of why you fell in love in the first place.
5. Study/Learn/Pray Together:  I love talking to my husband on a more spiritual level.  We can teach each other so much and I always discover something new that makes me love and respect him even more.  When we pray together and for each other and our family, our relationship is strengthened.

What are five things that strengthen your marriage?

Stir-fry

I don't know why I love stir-fry so much but I do.  I think it's easy to make and I like that you can put any vegetables you want into it.  This is a healthy stir-fry recipe I have but when I did this, I changed it a bit.

The original recipe calls for 1 cup of broccoli florets, 1/2 red bell pepper, 

1/4 of a red onion and 4-5 oz. of cubed chicken breast and 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice.  I didn't measure mine and I didn't have broccoli (total bummer because I love broccoli in stir-fry) or brown rice.  That's what makes mine different.

So here are all of the ingredients I used.  I love chopping food and making my dish colorful.

That looks pretty colorful to me.

 I put the chicken in just a few minutes before everything else to give it a chance to cook a little bit.  I also added a clove of minced garlic.  I don't think garlic can ruin this meal.  It only makes it better.

Cook this on medium heat stirring frequently for 10-12 minutes or until veggies are tender.  Then add 1 Tbs of soy sauce and 1 Tbs of teriyaki sauce to the skillet.  Stir well and remove from heat.  Season with any desired spices, such as onion powder.

Here is my rice.  It would be brown but my husband HATES brown rice.

(Measure the 1/2 cup of rice after it is cooked.)

 Here is the final product.  All the juices from the sauce are so good and I make sure to pour extra on my serving.

Sorry the pictures aren't that great.  If you make this with the ingredients in bold, this is the nutrition value of this meal.  I hope you like it.

409 calories,  36 grams protein,  35 grams carbohydrate,  14 grams fat,  4 grams fiber,  6 grams sugar