The Simple Life at Home

Way back when, I posted an 8 Week Menu Plan.  It was grand, it was ambitious, it worked fabulously.

This is the first time in several months I'm participating in WFMW. The main reason I haven't been joining is that God had really been speaking to me about finding my worth in my blog stats. That's just wrong. My worth (as well as that of all children of God) is in what Christ has done for me. It had gotten to the point where joining in on some of these big weekly carnivals was becoming a chore that I had to find an idea for, even when I was completely tapped out, just so I could keep up my numbers.

This week, I do have something that I really wanted to share that I think is timely and helpful. I'm happy to join back in under those circumstances, not just to bump up my stats.

I know that this is the time of year when many of us are putting up Christmas trees. Our family has always done this over the Thanksgiving weekend, and I think that's pretty average. Especially with Thanksgiving falling so late this year, I know many of you will be doing it soon as well.

One challenge for me earlier in my mommy career was keeping my little ones away from the tree. The fear of them toppling it over on themselves, or eating an ornament or breaking a family treasure drove me to be creative with how to keep them away from it.

The thing that worked best for me was taking large boxes (like computer monitor size, the wider the better), putting in some phone books or other heavy items to weigh them down and then wrapping them.

Voila!

I put them all around the tree (which I had in a corner so it was a little more manageable) and the provided a handy little wall of protection. The wrapped presents made the home more festive and kept little hands from grabbing for the tree.

That works for me!!

Now, if you are a Rachel Ray fan, this tip will not be new to you. You may not have tried it yet though, because you just don't go in for all those new-fangled ideas, like horseless carriages and e-lectronic mail and all those modern thing-a-ma-jigs. You may just be a creature of habit like myself.

For however-many-years Rachel has had her multiple tv shows, I've been watching her cook. And we all know that her shtick is that she prepares meals quickly - 30 minutes start to finish. And I've always watched her and her bowl.

Yes, Rachel's bowl is my tip today. I resisted for a long time, but I am now a fan. If you aren't a fan of hers, aren't home when her shows are on, or like me you live somewhere that doesn't show one of her 453 different television shows (seriously, does this girl ever sleep???) maybe you don't know about the bowl. Well, let me share with you . . .

In the preparation stage of cooking, the first thing Rachel grabs is a big bowl. Then she makes her rounds through the kitchen, gathering all the necessary tools and ingredients. She stops at the fridge and freezer, the pantry, the utensil drawer. Everything she needs gets piled into her bowl and her arms. She's got it all right there, ready for use.

Then, and this is the part I love, all the garbage that is produced while cooking goes into that same bowl as she goes. Egg shells? Yep. Empty cans? You betcha. Vegetable peelings? That too. (Disclaimer: Rachel also pours excess liquids from cans into the bowl. I don't do that. After all, you don't think she's actually going to clean her kitchen, do you? No, she's got "people" who do that. I'm my own "people" and I'm not interested in pulling soggy, wet icky garbage out of the bowl or in dumping water into my garbage can. Ick!)

Now, I know it sounds simple, and it is. But I never did it until a month or so again and now I never want to go back. I love not having to pace all through my kitchen to get this and that and I really love not having to make multiple trips to the garbage can, particularly now that I don't have a garbage disposal. It's so nice to just dump everything in the bowl and keep moving. When I'm done, it all gets tossed out at once and I only have one extra bowl to toss in the dishwasher. Well worth it to me!

So that's my tip for this week. For more helpful ideas to make your life just a little bit easier, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

Thank you, Shannon, for letting us have another Backwards Edition of WFMW! This is a chance for all of us to ask those pesky questions that have us baffled.

My questions today is about roasting pans. Particularly the non-stick kind.

Except mine seem to have lost all their non-stickiness.

Seriously, everytime I use one of them, I feel like I'd rather throw out the whole thing than try to clean it. They never come completely clean. I don't want to use anything too abrasive on it, for fear of scratching the non-stick surface, but just scrubbing with my sponge and Dawn doesn't get off all the gunk.

Any tips for me? Before I give into my urge to toss them in the dumpster and am reduced to cooking chickens in a pot like my grandmother (but then they come out with no crispy crust...scratch that!)?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Now that school is starting back up, there are plenty of us moms who will be packing lunches for our kids and that often means sandwiches.

Even though I homeschool, I often make sandwiches for my husband to take to work for his lunch. A couple of years ago, I was trying to think of a way to make sure his lunch was still yummy at lunch time. I had memories of opening my own lunchbox as a child and finding two slices of bread, with a slice of bologna between them. The worst part? One slice of bread was soaked with ketchup and was mushy and soggy and, well, disgusting.

(We won't discuss here the culinary talents of my mother, who made this bologna and ketchup sandwich. Suffice it to say that Julia Child had nothing to worry about.)

So one day, during my sandwich making process, instead of slathering the mayo onto one piece of bread, I decided to put the mayonaise and mustard and anything else that was "wet" directly onto the sandwich meat and place a leaf of lettuce in between the wet ingredients and the dry bread. Eureka!!

Now, I know, this is totally simple. But if you haven't ever thought about it, give it a try. My husband is always complimenting my sandwiches to the guys at work and they have even asked for me to make some to send along for them. I am now "the Sandwich Queen."

For other simple, but also simply brilliant ideas, hop on over to Rocks in My Dryer, the home of Works for Me Wednesday!

• Have you arranged for someone to care for any pets or plants?
• Who is going to pick up your mail if you aren't having it held?
• Return any library materials that might be due while you are away
• Finish up and/or dispose of any perishable food
• Clean out the car if you are taking a road trip
• Charge any electronics you plan on using - iPods, portable DVD's, GameBoys, etc.
• Confirm any flights or hotel reservations

Packing

• Medicines and a first aid kit
• Maps, directions and tickets
• Cameras (and chargers! and extra memory sticks!)
• Extra glasses or contact lenses
• An extra set of keys (just in case!)
• Did you promise to bring something???
• Things to occupy time in the car or on the plane (books, stories on cd, small toys)

Just Before You Go

• Take out the trash and spray Lysol in the can
• Pour bleach in your toilet (if no pets drink from them!)
• Set lights on a timer
• Put fresh sheets on the bed - you'll be grateful when you come home!
• Hide any valuables
• Close curtains and blinds
• Unplug computer and other expensive, delicate electronics
• Unplug any unnecessary electrical devices
• Run the dishwasher (and put dishes away if you have time)
• Sweep the floor and wipe the counters
• Leave pet food and instructions in an obvious place for pet sitters
• Double check locks and alarm system (if you have one)

I know that these are all basic things, but sometimes in the rush of getting ready, small things get overlooked. It helps me to have a written list that I can look at and mentally check things off in my mind.

So, we will be back in mid-August, but I certainly hope to be posting updates of all of our adventures there. I'm hoping that we can see lots of interesting things while there - the Dead Sea, the ancient Roman town of Jerash, the Jordan River, the place from where history tells us Moses saw the Promised Land, one of the first early churches just recently discovered, and more. This year, the kids will be old enough to appreciate all of it!

Oh, and for those of you who are interested in the study on Creative Counterpart, by Linda Dillow, I think we will start at the beginning of September. That gives everyone a chance to enjoy their summer, finish up with current committments and get the kids back into school. If you are interested in joining us, drop me a line - we'd love to have you!

For more great ideas, be sure to visit Shannon and check out other Works For Me Wednesday ideas!!

Being a homemaker is hard.



It's often a thankless job. There is no paycheck, no promotion, no end of year party.



It's a job that involves performing the same tasks over and over again, knowing that you'll just have to do it all again tomorrow.



It's a job that "the world" often looks down upon. After all, you could hire a maid and put the children in daycare. Many people believe that women waste their time, education, talents and energy staying home to care full-time for the needs of their family.



But not God.



Titus 2 tells us that it is God's plan for us to place our home life first. Here is the Phillips translation:






Did you see that phrase "home-lovers?" A lot of translations say, "workers at home" or "homemakers" but I love this one.



Do you love your home? That is, I believe, the key to finding contentment and joy as a homemaker.



Do you realize that your home is the conduit through which you can provide love, comfort, support, nourishment and peace to those in your world? This includes not just your immediate family, but those around you - neighbors, extended family, church friends, everyone.



Have you ever walked in a door and just immediately felt warm and welcomed? Even more noticeably, have you ever walked in a door and felt cold and isolated? Both of these feelings are a direct result of the choices the woman of the home has made.



If you are as I used to be (and still feel like sometimes), you will love to get out of the house, in order to avoid what needs to be done at home, to run away. You will spend your time in shopping or visiting or unnecessary errands. Perhaps you will pick up a job even though you don't need the money. It's just "something to do." I've provided a list at the end of this message of things that can and should occupy your time as you seek to make your home a more beautiful place for yourself and your family.



But there is more to being a homemaker than just creating a place of beauty. You are charged with taking precious little lives and shaping them into productive, godly adults. There is no more valuable and important job. No captain of industry, no famous author, no movie star will ever have more of an impact than that of a godly parent.



Just knowing how important the job you are doing isn't often enough. We need to determine to be the best homemaker that we can be. Only through pursuing excellence can we find satisfaction in our work.



I have spent many of my years as a homemaker doing a lackluster job. There are still seasons of my life when I struggle with this. Doing the bare minimum, I do just enough to keep my husband from asking the dreaded question, "What did you do all day?" And let me tell you, when I fall into that kind of funk, I find no joy at all in what I do. It all becomes drudgery, pure and simple.



But when I keep my focus on the fact that I am serving my family and even more importantly, serving God, every thing I do is an act of love. I go through the days motivated and happy, rather than depressed and resentful. I get my work done and have time left over to go the extra mile to do things beyond mere maintenance. This is the best part - when I can really get my creative juices flowing and work to improve, not just maintain.



So my Works For Me Wednesday tip for you this week is to tell you that by keeping your perspective in the right place (off yourself), you will see how you actually become happier and more satisfied in your role as a wife and mother. For more great ideas, be sure to visit Shannon. Oh, and don't forget to check out my list of things to keep you occupied in the home that I've listed below.






(This list is from "A Day in the Life Of..." by Hadias. I hope that she doesn't mind me sharing it with you. She's got lots more fascinating things over at her place and I encourage you to check her out. This list was compiled as a way to see if one had extra time to look for an outside job. I just look at it as a way to keep myself motivated and busy. Remember, these are not "must-do's" but rather opportunities to enhance your home.)

1. Do you have a morning routine in the house?


2. Are your dishes washed and put away?


3. Is your countertop clear?


4. Is your table clear, when not dining, and do you have a centerpiece?


5. Have you cleaned your cabinets, drawers and refrigerator in the last 3 months?


6. Is your porch clean and the entry way cheerful for visitors?


7. Are your rugs clean?


8. Is your floor clean?


9. Is your living room ready for company?


10. Is your laundry washed, folded, ironed and put away?


11. Is your mending and button-replacement caught up?


12. Do you bake bread?


13. Is your bathroom shining clean and does it smell nice?


14. Does your whole house smell nice?


15. Have you re-decorated or re-arranged in the last 3 years?


16. Are your beds made? Are your sheets and bedding fresh?


17. Do you grow a garden, or even a tomato in a pot?


18. Are your photos organized?


19. Are your computer files organized?


20. Does your husband ever has to ask for an ironed shirt?


21. Are your books organized?


22. Do you go through your things regularly for garage sales?


23. Are your windows clean?


24. Do you cook regular meals from basic ingredients?


25. Have you had anyone over for a visit in the last month?


26. Have you read at least one good book or learned a new skill in the last year?

The task assigned to us this week by our faithful leader, Shannon, is to share a recipe that involves five or less ingredients. This was a toughy for me as I tend to cook more, um, elaborately than this, but I found one.

This is a yummy little treat that I brought to VBS last year and it went like lightening! Super easy and super delicious, it makes a perfect brunch dish or appetizer.

Sausage Biscuit Bites

• 1 tube buttermilk biscuits
• 4 1/2 t. Parmesan cheese
• 1 package (8 oz.) brown and serve sausage links, thawed
• 1 T. butter, melted
• 1 t. oregano

Roll each biscuit into flat circles and brush tops with the melted butter. Sprinkle each biscuit with some of the Parmesan cheese and the oregano. Place a sausage link onto each biscuit at one end and roll up. Cut each roll into four pieces and secure with toothpicks. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

For more of the recipes I've shared over time, click here.

Here are some of my other Works for Me Wednesday posts that I thought you might enjoy:

• 50 Family Fun Ideas
• Soothe Those Mosquito Bites
• Romance, Web-Style
• Be a Professional Homemaker

Have a happy Wednesday!

I don't know about you, but I find that the MPAA movie rating system just doesn't work for me. I mean, if I go to a movie that is rated lower than "R" I'm expecting it to be fairly clean. Unfortunately, that often isn't the case. Hubby and I have been shocked and disappointed pretty regularly by what passes as suitable for a 13 year old.

Hello, Hollywood? I have a 13 year old and I would be horrified to let her see some of the stuff that you think is ok for her.

Even Hubby and I, being ancient and all that, don't want to go to movies that are filled with bad language and inappropriate sexual scenes. But I have found a solution.

Now, before we go see any movie, I check it out in two different places.

Kids In Mind is a great site for getting every little, nitty-gritty detail of what's in a movie. I mean, if someone picks their nose, they will have it listed. A bare chested man working on building a barn will be listed. Some people might think that is overkill, but I think it's great since each family has different standards. If there is anything in a film that could possibly be offensive, you'll find out about it here. It's all stated in a very down to earth way without judgement - that's up to you.

After reading about the movie there, I head on over to Plugged In Online. This one is affiliated with Focus on the Family (James Dobson's organization). It offers a different perspective. While the first site will often have more things listed that might be offensive, this site will put things in light of Scripture. For instance, how does a director's worldview come through? Is the drinking and/or drugs shown in the film put in a positive or negative light? Plugged In gives a really good analysis of things you might want to talk with your kids about either before or after the movie.

Between these two websites, I always know just what we are getting into when we fork over that chunk of change at the ticket window. Because, let's face it, with movie tickets around $8, for a family of four, plus popcorn and drinks (if you indulge - we are too cheap usually!!) you are really making an investment of both your time and your money. Make sure it's a wise investment.

For more helpful ideas to make your life better, head on over to Shannon's Works For Me Wednesday blog-o-fabulosity!

Watch a sunset together
Go for a family walk
Go to a local park or school grounds and play basketball or HORSE
Turn on the sprinklers and run through them together
Put up a tent and have a backyard camp out, complete with roasting marshmallows
Have a water balloon or water gun fight
Hold a karaoke contest
Have a board game tournament over the course of several days
Teach your kids to play a card game other than Go Fish
Play dominoes together
Make popcorn balls or some other special treat together
Plan a "trip" to another country - find music and maybe a video at the library, and cook up a meal with that country's cuisine. Maybe you could even decorate and dress up!
Spread a blanket in the yard and cloud watch...
Or read a book to your children...
Or have a picnic
Have them create a bird feeder and enjoy seeing your new visitors
Plant a vegetable garden and make it a family project
Teach your kids to cook
Learn how to use a compass then go and use your skills
Play Frisbee at night
Try to break a world record
Act out a play with costumes and make up
Ask a grandparent about their wedding day or some of their most favorite fun moments
Ask each other what your goal in life is
Attack a household chore as a team then and celebrate as a team
Build a fort with pillows from the couch
Buy a telescope and stargaze together
Go for a walk together
Go to the playground
Have a lemonade sale
Make up a funky dance with your children
Make up some instruments and start a band
Play Twister
Research your family tree
Try to get as many family members together in one place
Have a paper airplane distance contest
Make a house out of cardboard boxes
Next time you see a rainbow, stop and really admire it
Play jacks or pickup sticks
Positive daydreaming
Sing even if you can't
The next time it's really windy, find a safe place to lean into the wind
Watch the moonrise
Build a tree house or fort
Get all the children to perform a skit
Have a back yard talent show
Host a yard sale as a family - use the proceeds to do something as a family
Make a slip and slide in your back yard
Make an entertaining phone answering-machine message
Put a pond in your yard - with fish
Wash the Dog

These are just some ideas I had - I'm sure there are tons more out there. Please share if you have a great idea!

The idea is to make your home a haven for your family. You want home to be the center of the family's life - but it's only going to happen if it's a place the family enjoys. Home needs to be more than just a place to eat, sleep and change clothes. It needs to be the place we can go to to escape the pressures of daily life and to renew and recharge.

And added bonus? If you have the "coolest" home on the block, the kids will want to hang out there. You'll get to know your children's friends and be able to have a godly influence on them as well. They'll enjoy being in your company because they will know that, in your home, they are valued and allowed to have good, clean fun!

*** Please note: This article is reprinted from last fall. Sorry, but I'm fresh out of ideas this morning and this one seemed to hit home for a lot of people so I thought it wouldn't hurt to share it again.

* * * * *

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:

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.

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.

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!

First of all, a big howdy to those of you who clicked over just to find out what the heck is a molluscum!! Some kind of sea animal? The stuff you put on bunions and corns? Or maybe the stuff that floats at the top of still lake water? Congratulations for wanting to educate yourself! There's always something new to learn, isn't there?

Molluscum is a skin condition that is viral in nature. It most often affects children between the ages of 2 and 12. It can be spread through close contact or even shared clothing. Here's a pic to give you an idea of what it looks like:



Pretty, huh? Now imagine tens, even a hundred of these all over your child's body. With my daughter it started on her elbows. Then it spread up her arms, into her armpits, showed up on her knees, and finally on her chest. The doctors, both her pediatrician and the dermatologist I took her to, told me that there was nothing I could do but wait for it to run its course - which could be 2-3 years!! Meanwhile I had a 10 year old girl who was embarrassed because kids would frequently ask her about the bumps. When it got to her throat, I was desperate to stop it before it moved up to her face and I started looking for alternatives.

After searching the internet, I found Molluscum No More, an organic treatment that promised to cure the problem. It was pretty pricey at $27 for a small bottle, but I was desperate to save my child's self-esteem so I ordered a bottle.

She hated having me apply it to her skin. It has a very strong odor, but doesn't sting or hurt in anyway. But, people, let me tell you that within one week I saw improvement. Within two weeks, they were gone. We had been struggling with them for over a year and here was the answer we needed!! And that little bottle? Well, I had enough to treat a few bumps that my son had also developed and I still have over half of it left. Just a Q-tip's worth is all it took, three times a day.

If your child has molluscum, this can work for you too!

Thanks, as always, to Shannon for hosting Works for Me Wednesday! Be sure to click on over and check out more fantastic mom ideas!

Note: This is a reprint (with some editing) of a post that was originally published in June of last year. However, as I prepare for our move, this has proved an invaluable resource, helping me to stay organized with the millions of details that need done and all the special events (parties, dinners, appointments) that go along with saying goodbyes. Given how much it's been helping me lately, I thought it was worth another look.

I have what I call "my book" that has made a huge difference in my life. Now, I am not one of those people who were born organized. I generally have scraps of paper everywhere with dates, phone numbers, important messages, etc. And I had now way of putting all into a cohesive system until I came up with my home organizing binder. Now, I can't truly claim brilliance here - there are systems like this all over the place. FlyLady recommends a "Control Journal" but that sounds too..."controlling" to me. And my binder is actually a recycled and reworked version of the "Keepers at Home Organizer" which I purchased at a homeschool convention. I just tweaked it and made it work for my purposes.

So what's in it, you ask? In my 2 inch binder, I have many good and wonderful things. Come and take a look. I have my sections divided by plastic clear, but colored, dividers. That way I can see through to the first page of each section, but the sections all have their own color.

First up is a zippered pouch. In here I keep pens, stamps, envelopes, scissors - things that I might need that otherwise might never be found in a home with two, um, creative (?) children. That way I always have them when I need them.

Next up is a printed yearly calendar (http://www.donnayoung.org/) that I have noted birthdays and anniversaries on. This is easily visible through the clear plastic once I flip the pouch out of the way. From the same website, I have printed out monthly calendars for the entire year. These go right behind the annual calendar and I just discard them as I finish up each month.

Flipping to the next section, Schedules, brings us to my daily homeschool schedules and a cleaning schedule for the home.

After this is the next section To-Do/Goals. This is my most used section. First I have a thin spiral notebook inside. As I prepare for each new week, I write the week's menu down and underneath that I list my "to-do's" for the week, transferring whatever is undone from last week to the new week. On the back of the previous page (which would have last week's menus on it) I write my shopping list so it can be discarded once the shopping is completed. That way I just open up to the first page of that notebook and at a glance can see what I've planned for dinner and what else needs to be done for that week. Behind the notebook I have a Bible reading chart and my "101 in 1001" list for easy review.

Next up is a Homemaking section with a copy of "The Grand Plan," a 12 week plan for organizing and sprucing up your home. I also have in this section a very detailed cleaning plan, a chart of everyone's sizes, a travel preparation chart (what to pack and do beforehand type thing).

Behind this is a Contact section with necessary phone numbers and addresses.

Then comes an Encouragement section where I keep encouraging articles on being a godly wife and mother. This is one of my favorite sections. I print out and keep many, many articles and posts that I find online to go back for review whenever I need a reminder of how important my role as a wife and mother is. I strongly recommend this to any woman who ever feels discouraged by the never-ending work of being a mom. It is so encouraging at those low moments.

I keep "things to do" (bills to pay, forms to mail in, etc) in the front pocket of the notebook, and "things to file" in the back pocket.

I know for some of you this may seem totally basic and for others it may seem neurotic. But this systems has truly helped me avoid those times when Hubby will say, "Did you take care of this?" and I would never even remember what he was talking about. I'm very much an "in the moment" kind of girl, so once something is out of sight, it's really out of mind in my case. Now I can look right in one central place and get all the info I need!

For more ideas, be sure to visit Shannon's own great idea of Works for Me Wednesday!

Edited to add: Sorry, I realize I didn't give my children's ages, which is probably important!! They will turn 13 (girl) and 11 (boy) next month. Thanks!

Hallelujah!!! This is just what I needed - a Works-For-Me-Wednesday Backwards Edition. The chance to beg the internet for help on whatever topic comes to mind. Need to know how to remove exploded eggs from the inside of your microwave? Wondering how to get Sharpie marks off your brand new suede couch? This is the place to find out. God bless Shannon!!!!


My request for help this time around is actually for my kids. You see, three weeks from now we will be moving from this:

to this:

Yes, that's right. We are picking up and moving to Qatar, a tiny peninsula in the Persian Gulf. It's safe and there are large populations of westerners there.

But my children have been born and raised in the same neighborhood and church their entire lives. They are nervous, as am I, about starting all over making friends and settling in. So what I'm looking for are concrete ways to help ease their anxieties about leaving all that they know as well as ways to help them settle into their new home and make friends quickly.

Now, you don't need to have moved to the other side of the world to help. Anyone who has successfully moved far enough away from home (with kids) to be completely starting over is definitely qualified to help.

Thanks in advance!!!

Ok, ok, so technically I'm not giving you my favorite web shopping site. But to be honest, I don't really buy much off the web. I rather like the experience of shopping. I like holding something in my hand and feeling it, looking it over. I just can't get into ordering much online.

But I am sharing web sites that help me out this week. I am a sucker for romance. I love to give and receive signs of love. Fortunately, Hubby is the same way. Here are a couple of ways I like to help keep the spark glowing in our marriage.

The Generous Wife - This is an amazing site, chock-ful of great information. Not only are there articles and forums where you can find lots of resources and great ideas, there is a daily email that you can sign up for that gives you a little something you can do to bless your husband. This ranges from ways to pray for your husband, to sweet little gestures, to things to fire up things in the bedroom! I always love looking at the ideas. (BTW, there is a companion email for husbands to receive to bless their wives!)

Romance Calendar - I love, love, love this! It's a calendar with a different idea every day to romance your spouse. Now, I know we are all busy so we can't do every idea on the calendar, but it's a great resource for when you are needing an extra pick-me-up in the relationship department. It's part of the LovingYou.com website, which is another great source.

Do you know your Love Language? Do you know what your husband's Love Language is? If you don't know these crucial facts, you may be killing yourself to try to express your love for your spouse and getting nowhere. Conversely, you might be completely feeling unloved, even though your husband thinks he's doing all he can to show love to you. Take this quiz to find out what your love language is.

Finally, if you have any questions about more intimate issues, be sure to check out The Marriage Bed. This site just for Christian married couples frankly addresses every imaginable issue in a godly and Biblical way.

That's all I have to share with you this week. I hope that in some way you will be blessed by these sites. Be sure to visit Rocks in My Dryer for great shopping websites though - there's always a pick-me-up in shopping!