"I Dyed"

Here are pictures from a fun summer project Kristi L. did! She writes:

Joanna received a tie-dye kit for Christmas, and we finally got to use it. I’d never done this before, so I was a bit worried. Thanks to the endless youtube tutorials, I decided that I could do this. Joanna invited some friends to do it with her. It really was easier than I thought it was going to be. Here are the results…

Thanks for sharing Krisit!

Wondering What's for Supper?

Here's another delicious recipe from Jenny!

Pineapple Pork Chops

Ease, easy to mix, dump and bake this tasty supper.

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced ginger (or powder)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple (tidbits work too)

Mix these and dump over chops which have been placed in a greased dish. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or so. Baste frequently.

Serve with brown rice and a salad. Or some freshly baked bread. Or baked sweets. Oh yum! My mouth is watering.

Image

Prayer Request from BethAnn S.

BethAnn requests prayer for her very good friend Debbie Waltz, who has long been suffering with an infection in the hospital. Pictured is BethAnn and Debbie (seated).

Celebrating Father's Day

Jenny S. wrote with a great idea she came across for keeping a memory book of Father's Day treasures throughout the years. It can be filled with pictures taken, what your family did that day, notes written or cards given each year. What a creative way to keep memories together!

I'd love to hear what some of you do to make Father's Day special!

Update on Bethann's Baby Nursery

BethAnn S. writes:

The room is getting closer to the goal. All the priming is done and some of tint - thanks to my mom, so I didn't have to put on numerous coats. I also have Kanga/ Roo door done. I also have the closet doors done which represent TIGGER. I am sure you figured that one out. And now just need to paint Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Rabbit. My husband did all the typing for me and actually to my surprise did the blue primer for Eeyore last night!

Thanks again.

Perfection: Real or a figment of my imagination?

Jenny S. writes:

I bought a book for myself a while back. The title caught my eye and I said, “Yes! That’s for me!” It’s called Life’s Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation, by Lisa Quinn.

It turned out to be more than I expected. It’s full of great little tips and funny stories, but it’s also a thinker because it challenges perfection. Feminist and editor Helen Gurley Brown stated that women could do it all and have it all. Then Martha Stewart stepped in, adding crafting to the list of things the perfect woman does. Lisa, the author, says,

“What was once this ideal of empowerment and creativity for women quickly morphed into an evil, unrealistic standard for us all….Women everywhere are racing around, hot-gluing and glittering like drunk monkeys.”

Now if that doesn’t add a giggle to your day, you need to go back and reread! She also says,

“The whole idea of perfectionism if fundamentally flawed. Perfection doesn’t even exist. It’s a purely mental, alienating, and unnatural state. It just causes judgment and makes people feel bad, so stop it.”

And this got me to thinking about whether or not I expect perfection of myself. I never considered myself a perfectionist because I’m not a Martha addict. My house is totally cluttered. I’m behind in my scrapbooking. I hate to iron. So how can I possibly be a perfectionist? But I am. I’m a perfectionist because I think it all has to be done perfectly. I have this idea that all horizontal spaces need to be clutter free; that all laundry must be done, folded, ironed and put away on the same day; that photos should be printed, cropped, scrapped and beautiful within one week of taking them; that I need to provide homemade food and snacks for my kids every single day; that if I drop the ball on any number of these or other duties, it means I’m losing my control of being a good housewife.

Those kind of ideas are embedded deep in my subconscious. I know they are because when I think really hard about where my feelings of guilt come from as far as my success at home goes, lack of perfection is what I come up with. And I can’t possibly be alone in this one. Here’s another idea from Lisa, the author.

“The media bombards us with images of Supermom: this chic Amazon in Jimmy Choos, a baby in one arm, a frying pan full of money in the other."

I don’t know what Jimmy Choos are but I’m sure I can’t afford them. Other than that, she makes a good point. How can we not struggle with guilt feelings over our success at home when we are bombarded with evil lies? More from Lisa:

“Back when I was in the depths of my own perfectionism, people would marvel at my efficiency and attention to detail. That’s the thing about this type of obsessive behavior: you build a façade of productivity. I appeared to have it all together. For years, I found comfort in the image that I had created for myself: this never-fail, every-ready mom. HOW COULD THAT BE WRONG? What people couldn’t see was that I was doing it for all the wrong reasons, and I was starting to come apart at the seams.”

Lisa’s “wrong reasons” were other moms. She was trying to live up her preconceived ideas of their expectations. It had become a competition. But I think we just end up competing with ourselves.

So are the other ladies really as put together as they seem? Are they as perfect as we think they are? Or are they feeling the same way Lisa was?

“Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Jesus has fulfilled this for us! Hallelujah! So my need to be perfect is not a realistic need. I can’t be perfect. I don’t HAVE to be perfect. Jesus is perfection for me. I say it again, hallelujah! I’m free!

How about you? What are some of the perfect ideals you have stuck in your craw? The ones that keep coming up to haunt and taunt you? Do you find that dwelling on them makes you feel anxious or depressed? It’s common. Prayers of confession and thanksgiving help me. What helps you pull out of that?

-Jenny

Help Wanted!

BethAnn S. is expecting her first child in September and is looking for any extra hands that may be available to help her paint her new nursery! She is going with a Winnie the Pooh theme.

She writes:

I am looking for help to paint the baby's room. It will be multicolored, so it is going to be a process. I will be working on it the next three weeks. I will give updates and picture of the project.

Also I will serve ice tea, tea, or milk with scones to whomever volunteers to help.

God's love and my smiles,

BethAnn

If you are able to help her with this you can leave a comment here or send an email to Aubri and I'll pass it on to BethAnn. My email address is available on the sidebar under "Let Us Hear From You" OR you can email BethAnn directly. Her email address is available on the handy file Kristi emailed out a few months ago.

Many thanks!

Alaskan Blueberry Coffee Cake

Jenny S. writes:

This is an absolute favorite in our house, although I've never used genuine Alaskan blueberries. It's so delicious with butter melting on top! I will mention that in our house we watch our sugar intake so I've reduced the amount of sugar used in this recipe, too. What I use is in parentheses following the original amount.

Alaskan Blueberry Coffee Cake
1-1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar (1/3 cup)
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (separate into 1 cup and 1/2 cup)

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed ( 1/3 cup, not packed at all)
1/2 tsp cinnamon or more to taste
1/4 cup firm butter

In a medium mixing bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, oil, milk, egg, and 1 cup of the blueberries. Beat thoroughly for 30 seconds and spread into a greased round pan. In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle over batter and top with remaining berries. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until done. Don't over bake. Serve warm with butter or honey.