Homemade (Paper Bag) File Boxes

So, today I decided to tackle our home office and clean it up a bit.  I moved the laptop to my room and set up our desktop computer in it's place.  We had our desktop at our business office, but it is has since returned home.  Needless to say, I got tired of looking at it sitting on the floor in a pile.  Once I finished cleaning up the desk, reorganizing, and put the computer together, I realized I was in desperate need of some file boxes.  We were stacking our papers in random areas that either needed to be filed at home or taken to our business office to be entered into the new business computer and then filed as well.  Papers sometimes were lost, misplaced, and even bills were late (not many) due to our lack of organization.  I think I am officially nesting because I normally don't have these urges to organize.  Clean, yes. Organize, no.  Anyway, I needed to go to the store to get a few things so I decided to buy a few file boxes.  The store did NOT have what I wanted and I wasn't about to pay $15+ on file boxes I didn't want.  On the way home I was thinking if I had something I could use or if I could make anything.  And THIS is what I came up with.  I'm pretty happy with it too!  Hope you like it and try it out.

1. You'll need a paper bag, scissors, and a stapler.

2. Cut off the bottom of the bag, leaving the sides intact.

3. CAREFULLY roll the bag inside out...unless you want to see your stores name on your box.  : )  And yes, this is easier said than done, but if I can do it...so can you.

4. Once rolled out, lay out the paper bag and flatten it.

5. Fold the bag lengthwise in half and make a solid center crease.

6. Then re-open the bag and fold the edges to the center crease.

7 & 8. Fold up the corners of the bag about 2/3rds up.

9. Once both corners are folded up, fold the flap down as tight as you can to the corner pieces. Do it to both sides.

10. Begin to lift the edges up to form the box.

11. Pinch the edges along the seam to make them sharp.  Do this to all 4 corners.

12. Pinch the edges all along the bottom of the box. This will help the box to keep it's shape.

13. Staple the flaps down along the short end of the box.  This helps the box to keep it's shape and makes it look better.

14. You have a finished box!

15. And Voila! The finished product!

I am VERY  happy with the way these boxes turned out.  They are the perfect size for your standard piece of paper...and I definitely didn't plan it this way.  It just happened!  I actually like the way these boxes look better than the ones I was going to buy.  They 'fit' my personality better and they didn't cost me anything to make!  A win win situation if you ask me.  Let me know what you think and if you are going to try to make one.

***If you are a very crafty person (I have my moments), I am sure you could come up with some wonderfully beautiful creations.  I'd love to see them!

In My Daughter's Eyes

The other night, after the dishes were done, prayers were said, and kids were in bed, my hubby and I decided to sit on the couch and have a few minutes of quiet time snuggling and talking about the baby and what he or she was going to be like. I started to have a contraction. It was a little uncomfortable, but my vanity got a hold of me and I was complaining about how my abdominal muscles have separated. I paused for a breath and then quickly continued in my complaint about how I hoped it didn't get much worse so my post-pregnancy belly wouldn't be too unsightly.

Before I could go on much futher, my great hubby quickly replied, "God has made you just the way He wants you and you are perfect."

(What a great man to be married to!)

This simple statement of truth and love from my husband stopped my thoughts right in their tracks. I felt silly and childish. This wasn't my husband's intention, but it brought back memories of conversations I had as a young girl with my parents. Namely, my dad.  My dad always told me that he loved me, that it didn't matter what other people think, and that I was beautiful.  (Yes, I have a great dad too. Blessed.) It always made me feel better, but I never really agreed.

Now, I am an adult and I still have my struggles. Thankfully, I am much better than I used to be. 

We live in an image and beauty obsessed culture and it is very hard to try to be unaffected by it. Everywhere we look and see what the world views as beautiful. There is this thought that we have to be perfect. Perfect body, job, house, car, social life, family, and so on. This is of course, unattainable. Unrealistic, really. Even models are airbrushed and celebrities have a hight rate of divorce, drug abuse, and even suicide. All their money and fame cannot (and will not) fill the gaping void in their hearts.

There is only one who is perfect and completely satisfying. And it is Jesus Christ!

The words of my husband have been ringing in my ears since that night and they, along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, have been causing me to do a lot of thinking and re-evaluation. And as it would happen, I came across in my reading, a wonderful passage of Scripture that speaks to this. And by this, I mean the struggle of trying to not love the world and conform to it's standards, but to cling to and love Christ with all my heart, soul, and mind.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life- is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

                                                                                                 1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)

I now have a little girl of my own, and she is precious. The Lord has made her perfectly and there is nothing that I would change about her. Nothing. She is happy, funny, confident, loving, smart, and beautiful. I hope that she will always be herself and not let the world or it's cares change the way she views herself.

This is where prayer and a godly example of a Christian woman is so important. And who is her first example? Her mother. Me. I am humbled by this fact and I have been greatly convicted that there are things that I need to change in order to be the kind of woman I want my daughter to look up to. I surely don't want my insecurities to be passed onto my lovely little girl.

Here's a brief list of things that I've been working on and prayerfully trying to change:

~Do I care more about what people think than what the Lord thinks?

~Am I too concerned if people think I look good?

~Who am I living for?

~Do I put myself down or point out my 'flaws' in front of my daughter?

~Does my daughter see her mom pursuing Christ or trying to 'fit in' with the worlds standards?

The list could go on...yikes!

Lord willing, I will continue to check my heart for the 'why's' of all that I do. Isn't it amazing how everything always comes back to a heart issue? Praise God for His mercy and love and that He gives us new hearts that He will continue to mold and shape throughout our lives!

I want to pursue God with all I have and with His strength, be the woman that He calls me to be. I want to teach my daughter the value and worth of a godly life. I want her to love Christ with all her heart, soul, and mind. It is the Lord who ultimately will shape my precious girl into what He wants her to be, but He has called me as her mother to be the godly example of a Christian woman to her.

May I grow and excell in this noble calling and be the woman I need to be in my daughters eyes.

(I hope this is something that you can work on too!)

***I always find great motivation and encouragement when I read Proverbs 31. If you haven't read it in a while...what are you waiting for? Read it!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Have you been searching for the perfect homemade tortilla recipe?  Well, look no further because I have it!  These are the BEST homemade tortillas.  Soft, moldable, easy, and delicious.  What more could one want?

Tortilla Recipe-
*2C Flour (I use whole wheat)
*3/4tsp Salt
*1/4C Butter (room temp.)
*1/2C + 1Tbsp Cold Water (and yes, it does need to be cold)

Mix flour and salt together in a medium sized bowl.  Next, add the butter and cut it in using a pastry blender until it resembles fine crumbs.  If you don't have a pastry blender you can take two butter knives and criss cross them across the mixture in opposite directions until you get the desired result.  Once you've achieved the fine crumbs, pour in all the water at once and stir together with a fork until it sticks together and there is no more dry flour. See top left picture. (If you need to add a little more water to soak up any extra dry flour, go for it! You do not want a dry ball of dough.  It should be very soft and elastic. See top right picture.) Once all the dry flour is gone, knead the dough with your hands just enough to make it a ball.

Pull off a piece of dough about the size of a ping pong ball and roll it in your hands (see top left picture).  Using a rolling pin, roll out the ball on a lightly floured surface until it is almost paper thin.  I hope you can see in the above pictures how thin I roll mine.  This is critical to having a soft and moldable tortilla.  Too thick, and it will split the minute you load it up, pick it up, and try to take a bite.  Not good!  Too thin, and well, you probably won't be able to get it off the counter.

In a heavy pan (I love to use my cast iron skillet), with NO oil, on medium high heat, cook your tortillas for about 10-15 seconds on each side.  You want the pan to be hot enough that the moment you put the tortilla in it, the tortilla immediately starts to bubble. You want the tortilla to cook quickly. If you cook it on too low of heat, it won't cook properly and you will get cardboard.  Do not overcook your tortilla or you will get cardboard. Cardboard isn't good.  As soon as you see the tortilla bubble, wait a few seconds, then flip it.  It really doesn't take very long to cook. 

It may take a few tries to get it right, but it is oh, so, worth it!  These can be refrigerated, frozen, or simply just eaten up the minute they come off the pan.  Hope you enjoy these beauties and much as my family and I do.  Let me know what you think!

Makes about 15-20 tortillas, depending on how big you make them.

I shared this recipe with the food renegade. Check it out!

                                       

Father's Day Photo Shoot

Here is my Father's Day gift to Seth.  My sister and I had a photo shoot with the kids (we took pictures of her kids too), and we LOVE how they turned out.  So did daddy!

Out of My Hands

I remember it like it was yesterday.

We were alone. Just he and I, and it was my favorite time of the day.  Bedtime.

It's not what you think.

I wasn't glad that my son was finally going to bed to I could be alone.  I cherished our bedtime routine.  I would nurse him before bed every night, in the cozy chair in his dimly lit room.  I would just stare at him and marvel at the little man that the Lord gave me to care for.

He was perfect.  My son.  My heart.

Hands and feet would start to go limp and the eyelids would begin to flutter.  Before I knew it, I had a sleeping babe in my arms.  Few things feel better than this.

Thankfulness would always pour out of my heart to God for the precious little soul that He had entrusted me with.

This night, however, was different.

Instead of my heart overflowing, it was breaking.  More like being crushed, slowly, and deliberately.

The thoughts tormented me, "I can't save him.  I can't force him to love God."

My eyes brimmed with tears and all I wanted to do was sit in the chair and hold my son forever. 

Now, I look back and it's nearly been 4 years since that night. I now have two children and one on the way.  The thoughts still plague me from time to time, but God has given me a different and hopeful perspective.  I have learned to cling to the often quoted, yet often not applied verse from Proverbs:

   "Train up a child in the was he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
                                                                                                            Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

There is one word here that stands out whenever I read this. Can you guess?

Train.

It doesn't say go to church, pray before meals and bedtime, be the perfect parent, and in the end your child will love God and be saved.

Are any of these things bad?  No.  Are they necessary/helpful?  Yes.  (And yes, I know there is no such thing as perfect parenting)

I believe this verse and ultimately our Lord is calling us to more.  A lot more!

When I think of the word train, I think of an athlete training for the Olympics.  (Okay, okay.  I do think of Thomas the Train too...like I said, I have a son)  :)   They don't do anything halfway.  Olympians can't, or they'd never make it.

No.  They train their bodies, minds, and emotions day in and day out.  They work until they can't give anymore.  Repetitive, persistent, tedious, exhausting, exhilarating, awarding...WORK!

Do we have this mindset when we are with our kids day in and day out?  Are we using our mind, soul, and energy in training our kids?  Are we using every precious second with our kids to point them to Christ?

My answer at best is...at times.  Sad, I know.

I get caught up in my own selfishness, to do lists, and life a lot of the time, and neglect the little souls I have watching me.  Here is where my hope and encouragement comes in.  Until the Lord takes me home, He is not done working on me.  He is continually working, molding, convicting, and changing me to become the woman, wife, and mother He wants me to be.

My love for His word is growing and so my desire to be obedient to it is growing as well.  God is helping me to love and care for the souls of my children more than if they are temporarily un/happy about what they do or don't get to do.

And the best thing is, is that it is not ultimately up to me, my diligence, and parenting skills on whether or not my children will love God.  It is up to Him.  If it were up to us, no one would make it to heaven.

I trust God.  I believe His word.  I have experienced His grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness.  With His strength I will continually 'train' my children in the way they should go.  The rest is up to Him.

I cling to the promise of my children not departing from what has been taught to them.

So when worry starts to creep in and my failures as a mother seem to be most apparent, I rest in the fact that my children are out of my hands...and safely in His.


***Here are some things that I have been putting into practice.

~Less time watching TV/movies and more time talking and reading with my kids.
~Make family devotions a regular occurrence.
~Instead of just disciplining bad behavior, I talk to them about their heart, their need for Jesus, and how without Him, we can never obey as we should.
~ I always, always try to talk to my kids about God.  What He has done, will do, and continues to do,  what He's made, and how much He loves and cares for His children.
~Pray for and with my kids.  I also encourage them to pray too!  It's amazing and so sweet to see what they pray for.
~I try to make our lives all about Him and show my kids that we should love and joyfully serve our Savior.  Even when times are rough and we don't 'feel' like it.

Do you have anything you would add/change to this list?

What do you do to train your child in the Lord?



  

The Farm Life

   The farm life. It's a good one, but it does come with many unexpected twists and turns. I am still having to adjust to these and I am slowly getting my farm-wise skills back. (If you haven't ready my post on my farm upbringing, click here)
  
   This morning was no exception. During breakfast, I started to hear a frantic baaing from the back field.  I instantly knew I had a sheep out. I have to fight the stress of knowing that I'm on my own to get the wanderer back in. So with reluctance, I went outside and had a look at what I was dealing with. 

   It was definitely a better situation than I have had before.
  
   Over the past few months, I have had my fair share of escapees.  I don't enjoy it (I don't think any farmer does) and it's not the easiest thing to be chasing sheep, by yourself, on your road, and be pregnant at the same time. Oh, and I also have a 4 year old and a 2 year old to manage as well.

   I looked into the back field and counted 4 sheep.  One was missing.  Once I heard the direction of the baa, I looked into the garden and low and behold, there she was. Pacing back and forth, wondering how she got there.  I was wondering the same thing too.  After some mothering juggling, I had the kids eating their breakfast and I quickly rushed out the door to reunite the wanderer.  Much to my surprise (and relief), it was relatively easy to get the sheep in.

   The garden is completely fenced off, so even though the sheep was out of the designated pasture, she wasn't technically 'out'.

   Now, the task of fixing/blocking where she got out.  After quickly going back inside, I had the kids' clothes on, shoes on, and we were heading outside...again.  A few tools were needed, namely a screw gun, screws, and a few boards.  It wasn't the fence per se that allowed the escapee to do her thing, but a space between an old shed and the fence (see above photo).  The kids loved "helping" me screw the boards up. I do love my little helpers. And when all was said and done, Jude informed me that he fixed the fence all by himself.  I'll let him take the credit...for now.

   My heart was able to pump less erratically at this point and the kids and I could now enjoy and beautiful and warm summer morning.  We watered the garden and played until this pregnant momma (yours truly) couldn't handle the heat anymore...which wasn't very long.  Sorry kids!

   Before we came in, I did take a few pictures of my beloved herb garden.  It is not properly maintained, but it is thriving.  My black thumb is going to have to turn green soon if I want the garden to be a success.  I have to admit, I don't have a love of gardening like a lot of people do.  That's why I love my herb garden.  I planted it once, never watered it, and it still grows and gives me yummy herbs for my kitchen.  Not a bad deal if you ask me.

   I will be posting pictures of our garden as soon as it starts to sprout.  I am hoping it does.


   What are your unexpected happenings?


   Do you have a garden planted?  I'd love to hear about it!

  
  


***If your wanting to read about my other escapee adventures click here and here.
***The escapee this time was Juice, not Flora.  And there have been more adventures.