The Simple Life at Home

Well, it's been 30 days since I revealed my shame to the world.

The hardest part for me was definitely trying to get my husband to go through his things that were in the room. He's someone who likes to keep EVERYTHING!! He always envisions a use for everything at some point in the futures. Fortunately, he's a little more motivated than usual with our upcoming move. I pointed out to him that once he leaves the US (2-3 months before me) all of this things are fair game and if he didn't go through them, I would get to make the call as to what he gets to keep. That got him going!!

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order?

Umm...No one is allowed in this room ever again.

3. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

Well, unfortunately I forgot about the "bonus prize" for the biggest pile of stuff removed. Cuz, ladies, I would have won it, hands down. About half the books are in a box to be listed on eBay (mostly curriculum). The other half either were thrown away or taken to Goodwill. Daniel's toys were sorted through and we made room in his room for them. The computer and utility desk I decided were not really necessary in the home, so they have gone out to the garage sale pile for Hubby to sell while I'm gone. All the extra stuff in the closet (boxes of paper that had been given to us, a big Rubbermaid of purses, MORE books, wrapping paper, etc.) is gone!! What was sell-able was sold at one of our 2 garage sales this month and what wasn't was disposed of. In fact, I had to take some of our garbage to our empty rental property to put out because we had so much!!

4. Now that you have completed the challenge, do you think having and keeping your space organized will make a difference in your life?

Oh, yes. I mean, I joke about it being my shame. But it's really not a joke. It's mortifying to have an unexpected guest and know they will walk by that door and see how awful it is. Now I can relax and just enjoy people who come for a visit. Much better!!

6. Why do you think you should win the challenge?

Well, I hate to promote myself. But to be able to get this room into shape with all that we've been dealing with here is really a miracle. The stress level around here has been incredibly high. I don't know that I should win, but I know that I've already won in my own mind just by getting this done!!

Thanks to Laura at the Organizing Junkie for hosting the 30 Day Organizational Challenge and helping me to reclaim a bit of my home and my life!!

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

I have been missing from Thankful Thursday lately. Not because I don't have much to be thankful for. I've just been overwhelmed by all the stuff happening in my life that I've neglected to really take the time to stop and be thankful. Unfortunately, that's often the way it is. Moving through life without thought of who it is who gave us this life.

Things have been going well, but have been overwhelming. And the sad part is that had I taken the time to spend giving God thanks, it probably wouldn't have been. It's when we get all wrapped up in ourselves and our little lives that we lose sight of what we should be doing - having relationship with God - and instead focus on all the small "stuff" of life.

So here's my list. It's incomplete, of course, but these are the big things on my mind today.

• I'm thankful that we finally have a set plan. Hubby will be leaving the US the first week of January. He begins work in Qatar in mid-January.
• I'm thankful that we'll be able to spend Christmas together.
• I'm thankful that Hubby will be able to attend his brother's wedding (at the age of 50!! We thought it would never happen!!) in Jordan before moving on to Qatar.
• I'm thankful that the kids and I are leaving this weekend to go to Grandma's house. We are all looking forward to spending time with grandparents, aunt and uncles, and cousins. We are also looking forward to cool weather!!
• I'm thankful that Mike Huckabee is moving up in the polls. Let me tell you, he's the real deal Christian conservative. He's what I always hoped a politician could be - someone who balances conservative ideals with compassion. He would make a great president!
• I'm thankful that Hubby's new company has offered to pay for shipping all of our belongings to Qatar. It will make things so much easier. We are still weeding out probably 40% of our belongings, but it's nice to know we'll have familiar and comfortable things around us and that all our special, personal things won't have to be sold off or put into storage.
• I'm thankful that it's Christmas. This is one of the most wonderful times of the year (I love Easter as well) and it forces us to focus on Christ and on others. We just have to make sure we don't let our selves get overwhelmed by all the nonsense that comes with it.

To be inspired by other women's lists of what they are thankful for, visit Laurel Wreath.

UPDATED: After reading Amanda's comment, I changed the text from green to silver. I think it still looks pretty festive! Thanks for the help!


At home my blog looks all pretty and Christmas-y, red and green, happy and bright.

But I just checked in while I'm here at the church bookstore and it's so dark I can hardly see the words even!!

If anyone is having this same problem and can't see the words, please let me know and I'll change it. Otherwise I'll assume it's the horrible old computer I'm stuck with here at church.

Well, it's over. I've come to realize that good enough is good enough. If you haven't been following my crazy attempt to make my home into a Better Homes and Garden palace in less than one week, you've missed out. I mean, there's nothing like a woman possessed by the spirit of perfectionism to make you want to slap someone.

But I give up. It's just not going to happen. I've done as much as I can do, but we all have to know when to accept defeat. I'm going to keep working on the list, but at a reasonable pace. And if things don't get done, they don't get done. Life will go on.

Yesterday, on our way home from having spent the entire day running errands - from 11 in the morning until 6 at night - Hubby called and asked me to do a simple task for him. I honestly started crying in the car and told him I was going to lose it if I had to add one more thing to my plate. He very gently comforted me and told me to just do what I can do and not worry about the rest of it.

When I got home, the best thing I could muster up for dinner was Tuna Helper. Now, no disrespect to those of you who use Tuna Helper (or any other Helper for that matter), but this is something that Hubby hates. Personally I don't mind it, but her prefers his food less...preservative-laden, let's say. I only keep it in the house as part of our hurricane supply closet. After I got it made, I felt bad about not responding more graciously when he asked for my help earlier. I worked on what he asked me to do and got it done in the time frame he needed.

And I felt much better for it. It helped me to take my eyes off myself and my goals. It put things into perspective. I felt much calmer and steadier. And I realized that I was being crazy.

Crazy to think that I could do that much (and there is much I have done that didn't even make the list (new toilet seats, for instance!!??). Crazy to think that the insane woman screaming at her kids because she is so stressed out is what God wanted from me.

So today we have just me. And that's good enough.

Ok. You need a cake. It has to be quick and easy. It has to be fairly cheap. And it has to be amazing!

You need Hawaiian Wedding Cake.

This is one of the most delicious desserts I've ever had in my life and it never fails to get rave reviews. While it is quick and easy to make, it's better if it sits in your fridge for several hours, so try to budget that in to your planning. Here's the recipe:

• 1 box yellow cake mix (and whatever ingredients are called for to make it)
• 1 can crushed pineapple (15 oz.)
• 1 3 oz. package of vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip

(Are you drooling just from looking at the ingredients yet?)

Bake the cake as directed on box. While still hot, poke holes all over the cake and pour the entire contents of the pineapple, including the juice over the cake, spreading the pineapple evenly. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.

While the cake is cooling, mix the pudding mix and milk, beating well for 2 minutes. Fold into the Cool Whip. This is your frosting. Spread onto the cake. Refrigerate for several hours, even overnight. The longer the better.

Sit back and wait for the thanks of the grateful people.

Even though I'm not personally a dessert person (although this is definitely one that I really enjoy!), I love knowing that I've made something that other people enjoy so much. This always accomplishes that for sure! And that works for me!

For more great tips, be sure to head on over to visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

I have to admit that I am worried about whether many of you regular readers will keep hanging around when I've been so bad about writing lately and the fact that it will probably only get worse.

We are due to leave to visit my family for almost 3 weeks this weekend. My folks only have dial-up (S-L-O-W!!!!!), so I don't know how much I'll be able to get online and post and check in with all of you at your sites.

Then once we get back it seems I will only have about 10 days with my Hubby before he leaves for his new job - wherever that may be. Believe it or not, there is still a possibility we could be going to Dubai, something that just came up yesterday. Either way he'll be leaving around New Year's. I imagine that time will be a whirlwind of Christmas celebrations and preparations for his departure and trying to squeeze in as much family time before we are separated for the next three months. :(

After that it will be time for the kids and I to make our preparations for our own departure.

I can't take a break from blogging by any stretch of the imagination. This blog has become my place to come and sort my thoughts and share my feelings - kind of like my diary that I open up to the world. I think I might lose touch with any sanity I have if I didn't come here and share.

I just hope that those of you who are regular readers won't become discouraged with me. If you haven't yet, perhaps you might want to add me to your Bloglines or Google reader account so you can just check in whenever something new gets posted here.

Thanks in advance for not giving up on me. I'm counting on all your encouragement and wisdom as our family goes through this time of immense upheaval!

Wow!! As you can see here, we have been busy this weekend. It has been hard, physical labor. I've probably gotten more accomplished in the past week than I have done in the past six months. And it feels good to be this sore, tired and achy.

I mean I ache to the bone. But I have this deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, not to mention a feeling that what I have done this week is pleasing to God.

Now, I am not by any means saying that God loves us based on what we do - I am a grace lovin' girl if there ever was one. But I believe that God does want His people to be hard workers. Let's look at what the Scriptures say:

UPDATED: My mom laughed at me when she read this post, saying I wouldn't get half of this done. Well - phooey to her!!! As you can see below, I've gotten a good amount of it done already. I'm sore and achy, but feeling very accomplished!!

I just spent about 15 minutes walking through my house, noting down everything that I believe needs to be done before we start showing it. Here we go:

Exterior
Pressure wash sidewalks and pool deck - DONE
Pressure wash brick wall of bedding area - DONE
Paint light post white -DONE
Replace light post cover - Had to special order it; will come in 3 weeks, but I've handled it, so - DONE
Plant new things in bedding area - DONE
Trim foliage - DONE
Weed the walkway and driveway - DONE
Repot the oleander bush - DONE
Clean windows (75 ft. of French doors - ugh!!) - DONE
Rearrange the garage - DONE
Call contractor to fix patio where cement is damaged

Master Bath and Bedroom
Finish filing
Replace closet doors (missing since we moved in 3 years ago!) - DONE
Repair door frames
Relocate photo albums that I don't know where to put
Move treadmill to garage
Clean off dresser - DONE
Sort my clothes - get rid of non-needed things - DONE
Re-fold Hubby's clothes in the walk-in closet organizer - Yeah...Decided this isn't that important.
Clean out bathroom cabinets - DONE
Straighten and organize bathroom shelving unit - DONE
Scrub shower door to remove film - DONE
Scrub tub caulking - DONE
Buy new bath mat for shower - DONE

Living Areas
Touch up baseboard paint in dining room - DONE
Dust chandelier - DONE
Clean tray table - DONE

Kitchen
Scrub down all cabinets and countertops
Scrub glass stovetop
Clean oven - DONE
Clean out cabinets and re-organize - DONE
Clean out pantry and re-organize - DONE
Clean out refrigerator and freezer - DONE

Playroom
Finish pulling out books to sell on eBay - DONE
Rehang closet door - Arrgh! Home Depot was out of the needed piece. Will have to wait.
Box up remaining books and put in storage - DONE
Get rid of bookshelves - DONE
Take down computer desk - DONE
Wipe hard drives and dispose of old computers - DONE
Move bed to center of room - Tried it, didn't like it, but I'm counting it as DONE

Miscellaneous
Clean and organize kids' rooms (this would be another whole post!!) - Emily's Room DONE
Decorate for Christmas - DONE

I'm thinking what I want to do is assign each section a day or two (or three!). This week I'm going to work on the playroom Monday and Tuesday, and complete the living room tasks on Wednesday. We always do our Christmas decorating on Thanksgiving Day, so that will be a no-brainer for us. Over the weekend, Hubby and I will work on all the exterior tasks. That leaves me all next week to work on the bedrooms. Then on Friday, I'll do all the cleaning stuff - mop the floors, clean the bathrooms, etc. And we'll be all set!!

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As a wife and mother, for many years I considered myself, "just a stay at home mom." I dressed in sloppy clothes, didn't bother with makeup unless I had somewhere special to go, and generally just tried to make it through each day.

That all changed when I realized that homemaking is a career. It is the career that I have chosen - willingly, happily. I don't regret it for a second. But I did realize that I needed to make some changes. That I needed to take pride in myself and in the job that I was doing. And that my "career" was just as valid as any other career choice. Here are a few epiphanies that I had which helped me turn things around:

1. I needed to be willing to invest in the right tool for the job. In the early years of homeschooling my children, I couldn't justify to myself spending the money for an electric pencil sharpener. Consequently, there was never a sharp pencil in the house! Similarly, Swiffer brand products have made keeping my home sparkling much, much easier. Switching to their bagless vacuum from my big bulky one alone has made caring for my tile floors a breeze. Recently I invested in laundry hampers that have three separate sections. Each bedroom got one and now sorting laundry is a breeze. My point is that we would never expect a lawyer to practice law without the right set of books, or a firefighter to fight fires without the proper equipment. Your career as a homemaker is just as valid and you shouldn't feel guilty about setting aside funds to help you do your job.
2. Get up each morning and do your hair and makeup and dress nicely. I'm not saying you need to wear heels and pearls a la Mrs. Cleaver, but look presentable enough that if you have to make a quick trip out or if the doorbell unexpectedly rings, you aren't mortified. I personally like to be ready before my Hubby leaves the house so the last image he sees of me as he heads off to work isn't my just-rolled-out-of-bed look. Remember, our husbands are often surrounded by women who are primped and prettied up - we need to not look like slobs next to them.
3. Actually DO your work. One day my husband said to me (back in my slobby days when the house was always a wreck) that he felt it was only fair that I worked, honestly WORKED at least as many hours a day as he did. Now, he didn't mean in a legalistic sense of keeping track of hours and minutes, but the point is that he's out working hard all day to provide for our family. My role as a homemaker is to spend my time at home investing it in "making our home." Making it a beautiful place. Making it a sanctuary for my husband and children. Making it look nice and smell nice. Making it a place where God is glorified. And all that takes work and effort. I shouldn't try to skate by on just the bare minimum. If he is working 8-9 hours a day, I ought to be putting in a similar effort (I do include my time spent homeschooling in this time as I review my days).

The point is to see your role as a wife and mother as a something that is worthy of your best effort. This shift in my view point has made a world of difference in our home. And that works for me! For more great ideas, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

Hi everyone!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is here already? It's come up so quickly this year. As a kid, time just dragged by, but since becoming a parent myself, it seems as though there has been some kind of cosmic shift where the earth is spinning faster and faster. But, I have to admit that I love the holidays, so that's ok with me that it gets here faster!

This week and next are crunch weeks for me (as I mentioned here and here). The kids and I will be leaving for the bulk of December, returning less than a week for Christmas. Hubby would like to get the house on the market and actually hold an open house the day we leave, so I've got less than two weeks to whip this place into shape. Later today, I'll try to post a list of my goals so I can hold myself somewhat accountable.

Anyhoo, on to the purpose of this post. Here is what we will be enjoying this week (** indicates recipe below):

Monday - Beef Shish Kebabs**, rice, chopped salad

Tuesday - Slow Cooked Pot Roast with Carrots, Potatoes and Onions

Wednesday - Mezze (a selection of small things - hummous, tabouli, deli meats and cheeses, hardboiled eggs, pita bread, pickles, olives, etc.)

Thursday - Roasted Turkey with Apple & Sausage stuffing, Carmelized Onion Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Turkey Gravy, Broccoli Salad**, Tossed Salad, Deviled Eggs and Pecan Pie

Friday - Turkey Noodle Soup with whole wheat rolls


Shish Kebabs
2 1/2 lbs. beef cubes
cherry tomatoes
onions, cut into bite size chunks
green peppers, cut bite size
Any other veggies you'd like to add

Marinade Ingredients:
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup salad oil
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 T. dry mustard
2 t. salt
1 t. parsley
1 1/2 t. ground pepper
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 crushed garlic clove
1/4 cup lemon juice

Blend marinade ingredients in a jar. Pour over meat and marinate for several hours. Thread beef and veggies onto skewers and grill or broil until done. I serve them over rice.

Broccoli Salad
10 slices bacon (or use store bought bacon pieces)
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sunflower seeds

Fry bacon until crisp. Drain, crumble and set aside. To broccoli, add red onion and cranberries. Mix up vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Mix well into broccoli mixture and refrigerate at least two hours. When ready to serve, toss with bacon bits and sunflower seeds.

For more great menu ideas, head on over to The Organizing Junkie!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

That was sarcastic.

Last night I heard some mysterious crashing noise. I assumed that a box of toys had fallen in one of the kids' rooms - nothing unusual since they don't seem to understand the principle of putting things on a flat surface that is actually a) big enough to hold it, and b) isn't already filled up by myriads of other toys, books, trophies, rocks, rubber bands, and whatever else works its way into their rooms.

When I went to bed later that night, I stepped on a hanger next to our closets. I silently rebuked Hubby (who was already asleep) for dropping a hanger and not picking it up.

This morning, I found that the wire shelving in my closet had collapsed. Clothes, hangers, drywall dust, and wire shelving were in a huge jumble at the bottom of my closet. Mixed in, of course, with all my shoes and the clan of dust bunnies who have found a home in my closet.

I have spent approximately 6 hours today cleaning up the mess. Not really cleaning up just what happened, but trying to make the master bedroom closets "ready to sell." Strangely enough, this was actually what I planned on doing today. As you may remember, I'm working my way up to the big stuff. (So far I've gotten all the linen closets done, most of the kitchen cabinets, the laundry room, and a big portion of the guest room - which actually is kind of a mess again now that I've been emptying my room and closets.) So I've switched our closets, rearranged the furniture, moved some furniture out and some in, sorted out approximately 593 hangers that had no clothes on them, and massacred the poor dust bunnies.

We are planning on having a big old garage sale tomorrow - hopefully that will help clear out quite a few things. Mostly things that are in the garage already, but it will help. My goal is to have the entire house "showcase" ready by the end of the month. The kids and I will be going out of town for most of December, returning just before Christmas. Hubby will be here though and hopes to have some showings and an open house.

So, if I'm a little quiet over the next couple of weeks, you'll know why. I'm busy making my home sparkle and shine!!!

Thankfully, this week is shaping up to be much less busy than last week. Man, there was something every night last week! I hate weeks like that.

This week is more of our normal routine - church on Wednesday and our small group meets on Friday. Every other evening we can just chill at home. And chilling is SOOO what I need right now!

Oh, and I'm happy to report that the slumber party went FABULOUSLY!! I used several of the ideas people posted during last week's WFMW Backwards Edition. I honestly feel like it was the most successful slumber party my daughter has ever had. They all got along, no drama, and they actually spent a good deal of the evening outside so it was fairly quiet for me. Thanks for all the tips! And now, on to the point of this post - the menus!

Monday - Chicken Stir Fry

Tuesday - Zesty Macaroni and Cheese, salad

Wednesday - Lentils & Rice with a nice lemony salad

Thursday - Chili and cornbread

Friday - Blackened Chicken Salad (to share with our Small Group)

Saturday - Beef Shish Kebabs, rice and grilled veggies

I have an idea. If only I could make it work I'd be a rich, rich woman. What is this grand plan, you ask?

If I could find a way to bottle discipline, I'd be set for life.

If only.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that this is an issue I struggle with. Oh, I'm great with making all the plans. My family takes great joy in mocking my list-making tendencies. It seems to be following the plans that gives me the trouble.

Imagine that.

Yes, I can make all the lists I like. I can plan to be an organized homemaker, a devoted exerciser, a healthy eater, a more structured homeschooler, etc. But I actually have to WORK to make it happen. And therein lies the problem.


I was thinking about this today and a thought occurred to me. There have been times when I have counseled friends with regards to their marriages that even if they don't feel loving towards their husbands, that they should ACT loving towards them. That often feelings follow actions. That if we "fake it" for awhile, eventually it becomes real.


Maybe that's what I need to do. I need to "fake" being a disciplined woman of God. I just need to buckle down and do the thing I know I need to do. Because let me tell you, I'm a pretty selfish creature at heart. I want things my way. I don't want to go to bed early and get up early. I want to be able to enjoy all the food I want. I want to spend all the time I like browsing through all the blogs I enjoy, regardless of the condition of my house. I want my kids to just do their schoolwork without bothering me so I can do what I want to do without interruption.

Today I'm going to share with you one of my favorite recipes of all time. I love salad! I love vegetables in general (I will make up a big pot of my special recipe Brussels sprouts for lunch sometimes - sick, huh?), but salads are one of my favorite all time meals.

The recipe I'm posting today is from Applebee's. They no longer have it on the menu, which is a travesty, because it is so delicious. It is a little bit of work, but well worth the effort!

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It really is a glorious day! Despite all my crabbiness lately, I am so thankful that the Lord is in His place in Heaven. So I've decided to make a list of things to be thankful about, even though it's not Thursday! LOL!! I'm calling it "Thankful Monday."

• The weather has been magnificent the past couple of days! When we have woken up it's been in the 60's!!! That's a cold front for us, y'all! I throw open all the doors and windows and revel in the cool, dry air.
• I love my church. I really do. I love our new pastor. I love his wife. I love the people there. As word has spread about our possible move, several people lately have said some very kind things to me that have really built me up. (Note to self: don't wait until someone may be leaving the country before expressing your appreciation and love for them. LOL!)
• Yesterday I got to visit with an old friend who I haven't seen or spoken with in ages. The wife of one of our former pastors, who moved to Illinois to do a church plant, Susan was always one of the wisest women I know. She was in town to help her parents (another extremely wise woman) pack for their impending move. It was so nice just to see her smiling face and to see her daughter, Christina.
• I'm so excited that I won a drawing in the "Fall Y'all" bloggy extravaganza! And not just any drawing - one for Christian music cds. Now, this is a huge thing for me. I LOVE contemporary Christian music. This set includes BarlowGirl (huge fan!), Jeremy Camp, Mercy Me, and even a Johnny Cash cd. Huge thanks to Amy at In Pursuit of of Proverbs 31.

I guess the point is to make an intentional decision about how I look at the day. Instead of seeing all the negatives (which are all still there) I'm choosing to focus on all the blessings of God and to acknowledge Him for His goodness.

In the midst of all the chaos, I choose God.

Welcome back to another Menu Plan Monday - time to post this week's menus. I know this type of post may seem kind of mundane and it's not really so spiritually inspiring, but it really has helped me to become more accountable and responsible for making healthy meals for my family.

This is going to be quite a chaotic week. I will be out of the house every night but Thursday, so planning meals is going to be a little tricky.

Sunday - Tuna Casserole

Monday - Tostadas

Tuesday - Lasagna, roasted broccoli

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Scallops, rice, steamed green beans

Friday - Pizza (we are having a slumber party for the girls in our homeschool group)

Saturday - Spaghetti, garlic bread, caesar salad

Sunday - Hamburgers, cole slaw, baked beans

So that's our plan for this week. Due to some financial stuff going on, I spent the bare minimum at the store this week for this menu. I already had the scallops in the freezer, and I'll still have to buy the pizzas (but the partygoers are all chipping in for that), but I managed to spend only $47 at the grocery store. Hopefully that can get us through the bulk of the week. I tried to think of creative ways to use up whatever I had left in the pantry.

We are still waiting to hear from the company in Qatar. It's been back and forth with offer and counter-offer for three weeks now. They are very slow in replying and it's maddening. I'm hoping that Hubby will finally reach an agreement with them this week so that we can have a firm plan of what we are doing.

Well, it's been a pretty yucky couple of days around here - nothing major, but enough to dampen my blog-writing enthusiasm.

We have a rental property that's available. I had someone wanting to take it, but Hubby wanted to rent it to someone else. This person promised to sign the lease and was supposed to meet Hubby at the bank first thing in the morning to get the funds. Of course, he never showed up and wouldn't pick up his phone. Then, of course, the other person (who I had told we were going with someone else) wanted nothing to do with us. So we went from having two interested parties to having none. This is on top of our original tenant breaking her lease after just 3 months! Trust me - don't get into the rental property business unless you have tons of money to spend!

On top of that, the a/c broke at the rental property. After paying to replace the entire outside unit - guess what? - it still didn't work. So we had to replace the inside unit too. That cost quite a pretty penny.

But, undeterred, I still want to post. Although I have nothing of my own to say (unless you want to listen to more whining - NOT!), I do have some jewels that I have found on the blogsphere lately to share. I hope you enjoy them as well.

• Sara at Walk Slowly, Live Wildly wrote this amazing post, taking a fresh look at Proverbs 31. I'm still digesting it all there's so much good stuff in there to think and pray over. (Bonnet tip to Lizzie for this one!)
• I found this list of questions for wives. It holds the mirror of Scripture up and makes us look at how we reflect upon it. Warning: Don't go here unless you are really willing to be convicted and make a change in your marriage relationship!
• This comprehensive list of the characteristics of a fool in Scripture brought me to my knees in repentance this week. I was mad at Hubby when I first read it, but was horrified to read that most of the things on the list not only didn't apply to him, they applied to me!
• Camilla at Growing in Truth wrote another deep, meaty and convicting post that really applies to women who, like me, struggle with managing our homes and families because of misplaced priorities. It, too, is something I'm taking my time to mull over because there is so much to be learned.

I guess that's all for now. Trust me, if you read through all of these, you'll be kept plenty busy!

Today's edition of Favorite Ingredient Friday over at Overwhelmed With Joy focuses on cookies. Now, surely the intention of this was to share about Christmas cookies, what with it now officially being the holiday season. It is official, right? I think it has been since, oh, say September 5 when the stores started putting out their Christmas stuff!! But that's another discussion.

Anyhoo, when I read that this week we were supposed to share a cookie recipe, I knew which one it would be for me. And it's not Christmas-y. But it is a treasured family recipe, created by my Great Aunt Nonie. Nonie is short for Leona and was this woman a pip!! Aunt Nonie had narcolepsy, so she could literally fall asleep at the drop of a hat. While driving, while babysitting, while bathing, any time. She was a very strong willed woman, who didn't do much in the domestic arena, but somehow she struck gold with this recipe. It was always an exciting day for all the grandkids when Aunt Nonie made her Orange Cookies.

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Rind of one orange
• 1/2 cup milk, with 1/2 tsp. vinegar added to it
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• Frosting Ingredients as listed below

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well and drop by rounded teaspoons onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should still be pale in color.

Citrus Frosting

• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• Grapefruit juice

Cream together the powdered sugar and butter. Beat in grapefruit juice until it's a nice consistency for frosting - sorry, this is subjective. Aunt Nonie didn't ever measure, but I can tell you that it was thinner than most frostings, but not too thin.

I hope you enjoy the cookies should you try to make them. We always did!!