Innovative Momma

Food Paranoia

2012-01-04T05:49:00.000-08:00

That’s right folks I’m convinced we are petrified of food! Why else would be take something completely perfect, nutrient rich, succulent to the lips and eyes, alter it, strip it down regulate it and then pump out a semi version of what it once was?

Our bodies are created in a way that we are able to withstand some roughing up, if you will, on the inside. The dirt, soft spots and even a bug here and there does not kill us. In fact it builds up our immunity to the even harsher exposure that we encounter that is beyond our control. We have made ourselves so “sanitized” our bodies have no clue what to do when any kind of toxin enters. A normal, healthy body knows exactly what to do.

Did you know all cows have the Ecoli in their bodies? However, due to their foraging the enzymes in grass breaks down and kills any bacterial that would have previously been found. The reason our meats are bleached out and recolored is to kill the bacteria. If cows (or any animal we use for consumption) were left in the fields to do what they do best the natural order of things that our Creator set up would take care of itself.

We have demanded cleanliness out of our own ignorance. In the early 1900s when meat packing was at the brink of it’s production stages it was a stumbling mess. The meat packers were actually on the brink of bankruptcy because the consumers didn’t trust them and refused to buy. The meat packers took their “dilemma” to the President and he initiated regulations to help bring back some dignity. And thus started a snowball effect of removing a community functioning food ecology.

As consumers we hold the keys to this runaway train. Problem is, it’s bound to crash and I refuse to be on that ride. I have jumped tracks and am headed another direction on a rickshaw, proud of it and in full control.

The Food Dilemma...a girls search for REAL Food

2012-01-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Well this seems easy enough, drive on over to any one of the 5 local stores to pick some version of real food. Well, there is some truth to that, because a version is all you are going to get. It may be a shocker to find out that we don't buy real food in the supermarket. Ok, I embellished a tad...but I'm not too far from the truth.

Three years ago I started on this journey of food discovery that I just can't keep silent about any longer. When my husband convinced me to watch a documentary he ran across that depicted the governments hand in our food countries food production. His explanation intrigued me and since I just LOVE to cook I thought if anything else it would help give me an edge up in the kitchen. What I saw and heard revolutionized the way I looked at food and has since opened up a world in which I can’t turn away from.

Since most of us think that real food is a swarming cornucopia inhabiting the neatly stocked shelves at our local supermarket; I think it’s important that we look at what real food is NOT before we dive into the vast world of what real food is. If we throw out the imposters all that will be left is a sweet variety of nourishing foods.

1. Food is just that, nourishing. The food we eat brings life to our 300 Million + cells living and active that make up our every available function. I actually have a theory that we need less (more nourishing) food than the gobs we stock up on and consume of food containing empty nutrients. But we will get to that later.

2. Sugar is NOT white! In nature, sugars and carbohydrates (the energy providers) are joined together with vitamins, mineral, enzymes, protein, fat and fiber which are the bare bones of body building and digestion regulating components of any diet. The white sugar we buy in the store has been through a refining process that strips natural sweeteners of any nutrient capabilities. When consumed this actually causes the body to call on itself to pull nutrients rather than building and storing as we were created to do to protect and heal from a plethora of ailments. High Fructose Corn Syrup is NOT a safe substitute. There is a recent commercial put out by the FDA that shows a family frolicking in a corn field with a mother saying “corn syrup, sugar, our bodies don’t know the difference” well she should be ashamed of herself. It is chemically produced and voids our body of necessities to function and protect and is extremely dangerous to kids because the doses are not tested on small humans, rather on 500lb cows, you do the math.

3. Where’s all the butter?! Butter is not bad! But you can hardly find it in the store. Margarine galore. Which I’m not happy to report is a fermented version of corn oils that are recolored to our liking. Sorry, I don’t like buying dead things to put in my body. I like putting live food in to keep me, I don’t know…alive. The notion that saturated fats per se cause heart disease as well as cancer is not only trite, it just plain wrong. While it is true that some fats are bad for us, we must understand which ones. Since butter is a dairy product it has all the same hormones, antibiotics and other additives that are inside our milk that is just as dangerous.

4. Milk! This one is the sorest for me, probably because it’s hardest to find. This is going to be a shocker; you may want to sit down. Store bought milk is void of the fats we need to grow strong health brains and bones. Yes, even organic. When we were stationed in Florida we had the luxury of buying milk at a local farm stand for $3 a gallon that came straight from the cow, cream on the top and all. Why are these notions so out dated? Now that we are stationed in Alabama it is impossible for me to find that type of milk as it is illegal for farmers to sell to human consumption. Most people I talk to about milk think it barbaric to drink milk straight from the cow. That it is unsanitary. What is unsanitary is feeding cows at a processing plant, other dead cows and grains then extracting contaminating milk, boiling down the contamination, bleaching the contamination than adding a few drops of lab created nutrients such as vitamin D and Vitamin E. Ok but what about the remaining 100+ vitamins, nutrients and minerals that work symbiotically with our body to restore cells that are dying without this form of consumption? Urgh…this topic irks me most!

5. What the…MEAT?!? This is an area I “DO NOT” compromise in! I do not buy meat from the store! Ok, I will buy chicken and ground beef … but at earth fare only. I buy my meat from a local farmer who grows his cows in the field, has them slaughtered, packaged and I and my family enjoy…void of contamination, chemical treatment and full of nutrient. Meat that comes from a processing plant. I know there is a mirage of choices at the store but there is only about 3 companies that produces the meat in this country. The animals do not feed on forage which contaminates their bodies, makes them sick. They are then treated with antibiotics during life and a process of “decontamination” when they are dead.

Anyone see the problem with this yet? It has taken me years to put all this together so it won’t be overnight for you either, so please stick with it and don’t lose hope. The main thread in all of these processes is in the government’s attempt to “Help” us they over treated, over produced, and over contaminated which has striped our food of the nutrients we need for our bodies to function the way we are made to. Rather we fill ourselves with empty food and we are surprised when we get sick, are tiered, depressed, and a whole host of things that could take days to list.

The truth is the body is made to heal and restore itself through a constant variety of nutrient dense foods. My goal with this search for “Real Food” is to expose every entity of our empty food and show viable alternatives and solutions regardless of time constraints, budget restraints and overcoming just plain inexperience. This will start a series in which I’m not sure how long it will take. But I can promise…It will be fun, It will be informative and I will change your love for food in a way you could never imaging.

1^st Homework Assignment: Watch Food INc. If you have Netflix you can watch it for free. Or you can view it via YouTube and pay a few measly bucks to do so. http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=jRp71BwRW8c&feature=mv_sr

Celadon Home; Precious Memories

2011-09-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

This months spotlight is on Celadon Home; a precious shop that is dedicated to creating one of a kind personalized wedding gifts with that artistic touch that will keep guests talking for years to come.

In your own words, one reason brides would find it a “necessity” to choose you over your completion?

I sell affordable artwork for the happy couple to hang in their new home. A totally custom, on of a kind piece of art created just for them!

How have other brides used/benefited from your item/service? I also offer guest book alternatives. A unique guest book that also serves as an art piece when completed!

What is the price evaluation on comparable store bought items from your own? A custom art piece would typically go for much more. As an interior designer by trade, I love that I can offer an affordable way for people to enjoy an original piece of art in their home.

Tip for Brides: related to your item/service Don't settle for posters or prints mass produced that cost the same amount, if not more, than my original art pieces. Not only do i design the art, but also the frame that showcases it! Here are a few images as well as my etsy shop!

www.celadonhome.etsy.com

Breaking Ground.

2011-08-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

In my devotions this morning God offered me a glimpse of His plan for me. Not because I’m special, or spiritual, or even very close to Him. Simply because He knows what I need, when I need it and I have opened my heart to ALL possibilities, in Him.

Think on that…the possibilities in Him. The mindboggling possibilities are endless. Although, in our society we have limited a limitless God. Just like the crowd attempting to build a tower in order to touch the heavens we too try and form God into something we can reach out and Touch.

Being therefore offspring of God, we ought not to think that which is divine to be like gold are silver or stone, graven form of man's art and imagination. Acts 17:29

The audacity we have to think those things that are ‘divine’ or ‘holy’ are tangible accomplishes we have conjured up on our own. We fill our time and spend our resources on things that sound and feel good. Based on the level of technology we currently operate in we are inundated with instances of people who need our help, a word of encouragement, a few extra dollars, medicine, food, shelter, clothing I could go on and on. But, if God hasn’t specifically spoken to do so, we are busy accomplishing ‘divine tangibility’s’ and is an utter waste if it hasn’t been completed through a word from God.

Based on Acts 17:29 …graven form of man’s art and imagination…we are creating all new images of worship and devotion. No they aren’t gold statues and no we don’t call them by other names. But even worse they are done in God’s name and provide disillusions to those around us, watching to see what a Christian really is.

It’s no surprise I am currently operating in one of the lowest places in my life. After going through a few weeks of purification, this morning I let God know I was ready to be filled with whatever he wanted to put back in me. He added on to my foundation, a revelation and a warning for me NOT to go out and build ‘graven images’ out of my imagination in His name. That means I am to speak when He says speak, walk when He says walk, and keep my mouth and hands restrained when no direction is given. A VERY hard thing for me to do, if you know me at all.

I will mess up, and bad! But I am encouraged knowing there will be times I do things exactly as God has intended and there will be yet another layer lifted as I draw closer to my father in heaven.

Living in a state of emptiness I have determined to stand before the Lord and allow Him to fill me back up with what He wishes. My only plea to Him is to provide me the wisdom to choose the right things I allow back in my heart. Yes, He is the only one who can provide, but make no mistake it is my choice what I reach out and take a hold of; whether it be Godly or ungodly.

Why...No Bake Granola Bars?

2011-07-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

I have been on a hunt for a superb recipe for no bake granola bars and have finally found the most perfect recipe. Mainly I have been wanting to find interesting new ways to get the most benefit out of my raw/local honey without damaging the health properties.

Raw honey is the most highly concentrated Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Viral, Anti-Fungal Substance found in nature. On top of being jam packed with numerous, vital, minerals that are practically impossible to find in any foods we eat.

To me raw honey is pure gold. And since it's properties disappear after being heated any more than 118 deg Fahrenheit or 50 deg Celsius. Thus sparked my search to find ways to get the benefits in fun ways for my family to enjoy.

Of course I tweaked it a bit as I love to pack in vital nutrients as sneakily as I can.

This "No Bake" recipe is perfect because It's the perfect combination of deliciousness with out renewing the health benefits of your raw honey.

2 .5 cups rolled oats ( I used a granola mixture packaged and sold from my local grainery)
1.5 cups nuts (I used walnuts and pecans and flax seeds)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
6 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
8-9 tablespoons raw honey

Mix oats, nuts, raisins, flax seeds and coconut in a large bowl. Drizzle with honey and mix thoroughly.
Place butter, sugar, cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is mixed thoroughly and slightly caramelized. Remove from heat and stir into oat mixture until evenly coated. Let sit just until cool enough to handle.
In the meantime, line a 7×11 inch pan with plastic wrap or wax paper. Spoon mixture into pan, pressing down to compact. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Remove from pan, peel away plastic wrap and slice into 16 bars (half lengthwise and then into 8). Wrap individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, if desired. Store covered at room temperature.

Makes: 16 servings

* If making gluten free make sure that the oats are gluten free

Practice Makes Pickles.

2011-07-19T12:55:00.001-07:00

Yes. These are my pickles. A true testament that anyone can can.

This years produce of cucumbers, or as my neighbor calls them "squash cumbers", was in abundance. Out of this abundance comes jars upon jars of pickles and relish.

Our squash cumbers, as so eloquently named by our neighbor, discovered their cross breed while intertwining with their neighbors all spring and summer long. The beautiful colors of yellow mixed in make for an appetizing array of bounty for the winter and hopefully next years BBQ's!

I got this very distinct recipe for Dill Pickles out of this years "Balls Blue Book Guide to Canning and Preserving" magazine.

8 lbs 4-6 Inch Cucumbers cut length wise in half

3/4 Cup Sugar (I used raw sugar)

1/2 Cup Ball Salt (I used canning salt)

1 Qt Vinegar

1 Qt Water

3 Tablespoons Ball Mixed Pickling Salt

Green or Dry dill (1 Head per jar)

Wash cucumbers; drain.

Combine sugar, salt, vinegar and water in a large sauce pot. Tie spice in a spice bag; add spice bag to vinegar mixture (if you don't have a spice bag you could use a metal tea strainer); simmer 15 min. Pack cucumbers into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space; put one head of dill in each jar. Ladle hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/2inch head space.

Add pickle crisp to each jar. Remove any air bubbles at this time by poking around the jar with a knife or similar utensil.

Add caps. At this time the water is usually so hot that I let the caps pop on their own. Or you could process pints and quarts 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Be sure and label. I like to make my own on my printer and sticker paper. Looking forward to enjoying the fruits of your labor. They also make Fun and unique thank you gifts for dear friends.

Happy Canning.

The Layer Effect...

2011-07-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have been carrying a heavy burden in my heart for some time now. A burden to change, A burden to wake up, A burden to be more like Christ. Now who would of ever thought it a burden to be like Christ? Before the last few weeks I probably would have never believed that. But just like ALL revelations in God, they are personal and extremely intimate. Sometimes you will be the only one who understands them. Hopefully, If you have a marvelous husband like mine, your husband will also be able to guide you through the dark places in your heart that God is trying to expose. If not, please don't give up on him.

I have a great life! I have a God who loves me, not only me, but me personally. A husband who adores me. (It hasn't always been that way, our relationship has been tried by fire many times; but that is for another day.) I also have two children that seek to please us. A beautiful home and every fleshly desire I or my husband could spoil ourselves with. As great as that sounds my heart has been so empty, my insides so lifeless, void of joy.

Confused by why the two drastic elements are moving simultaneously has brought me much frustration.

God has been moving in our family to make some changes in our life. See, God has answered our prayers; our longing to simply obey His commands. But He has had to prepare our hearts for the hurt that we go through while we are tried by fire.

Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.

...And this is how we KNOW we are His!

The mistake I have been making, which is clear now, is that I have thought I am entitled to "feel good". I thought, if I wasn't full of patience, love, joy, confidence and the right thing to say, I was somehow void of God in my life. What I had been missing is I was providing the increase, in my own strength, of what God has been working in me. Once I received any ounce of the latter gifts I ran to the top of my proverbial hill and planted my flag as though I had conquered them on my own. How foolish I am.

It's mind boggling and sometimes questionable (well for one who lacks faith as I do) the way God has set up things in my life as repetitive reminders of the direction He is leading. It's also very encouraging when the very things I have been battling have been preached on Sunday mornings. With God's constant reminders I can see the importance of church leaders speaking a message God has given them whether 5 days or 5 min before a service. My heart condition and my confidence in my relationship with God has been re-defined, in the right direction, as the weeks go by.

The grand illumination started at church a few weeks back with a small ray of light in the form of a challenged to spend time before the Lord; for His revelation of what it looks like for me to be crucified in Christ; only.

Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;

God so graciously shared 15 pictures, in His word, of what I am to look like, care about and think on. Of course He only shared 15 because that's all my prideful heart can handle at this time, but the one I would like to focus on is this:

Philippians 3:8 Count all things as loss for further knowledge in Christ for whom I have suffered loss. They are but dung that I may win Christ.

I have been dangerously guilty of holding on to a few near and dear areas in my life that I was afraid would take away the very essence of what I, Sarah, was made up of. I have had an overwhelming desire to spend my time specifically on my wardrobe and decorating my home. Seems petty as I reread that last sentence but I know that I know they are intimate hindrances in my relationship with God. Does this mean we should all stop shopping...well no. Although I'm sure your husband would thank me. The definition of sin is to know right, and do wrong. Although there are basic laws we all must abide by according to God's word, we all have different sins when it comes to obeying God directly.

Those areas have been keeping my mind and my heart occupied and facing in the wrong direction. I can feel the joy and the life being sucked right out of me as I struggle with letting go. As I have been living with this heavy heart questioning, wondering and frustrated with God, He met me where I was, in my weakness and put His arm around me just as He had done with Peter in John 21:15-17. Jesus asked Peter twice if he loved (agape) Jesus. Each time Peter answered he loved (Phileo) Jesus. The third time Jesus said I Phileo you Peter. The significance here is the meaning of the word Love. While Jesus is dedicated we don't always understand His love for us. Our love for Him is lacking so He comes along side us and fills the gaps.

As my struggle with the Lord reached a final crescendo this afternoon, God did something for me that made me laugh and cry at the same time. My heart has been hard and empty, knowing my own faults I had been begging Him to soften my heart; He did just that.

As I was preparing lunch, no change in my heart heaviness, I was chopping veggies for broccoli soup. I was working on this recipe strictly off memory due to trying to get lunch made in a hurry for my family. Once all the veggies were sauteing I realized I forgot an onion. I thought about leaving it out just to get through with the recipe, but I decided it was needed. I quickly ran for the fridge and grabbed an onion. Once I began taking off the outer skin I realized it was rotten. Frustrated due to the time I was wasting I decided to cut it in half real quick just to see if there were any salvageable parts. Immediately my heart melted as I saw myself, in that onion, how God saw me. I also saw a bit into the future that I am so scared is before me if I let go of my "self."

Laying before me on the counter was a rotten outer layer revealing and a beautiful white, moist onion ready to make all the difference in my broccoli soup.

That was me left behind. A smaller, weaker version of myself that brings more beauty to the Lord than I could imagine...If I will let God work on me. Burn us up in the fire. We must not be afraid that we will die in that fire, but that only the usable elements will be left behind.

It's for His kingdom, not ours.

Passion and Pot Holders...

2011-06-09T03:55:00.000-07:00

Direction from the Lord is a wonderful thing. To feel His grace and honor bestowed on an undeserving servant is beyond description.

The glorious stories waiting to be told of His perfect guidance, and how He has gone before us to make a way that no man could have otherwise coordinated, is beyond belief.

When looking back at our own lives we see, His perfect orchestrations are much more visible than our clouded judgment allowed them to be while we experienced them. I’m honored to share such an experience with you that is currently unfolding.

Since attending Pike Rd. I have been encouraged and inspired by the passion the pastors wife has for the lost. She looks at, what most would consider, the “cast aways” of this world with a love and compassion that only Jesus can bring. Particularly, a group of teen girls at Safety Net, which is a group home for troubled teens downtown Montgomery Alabama. Due to troubling pasts, these girls are desperately looking for a smidge of love and acceptance, like they have never experienced.

After going through an intensive background check the pastor’s wife is now able to visit the girls, to include taking them out of the home for ‘one on one’ time. A delightful treat of basic pleasures such as eating out and shopping for necessities is all it takes to make them feel a part of the world again. But, there are so many that have these girls souls in mind as well. Since it can get quite expensive to treat these girls to a day out, Mrs. D. has been praying for a way to be able to raise money to keep up with this level of ministry with the girls. As stated in her etsy profile, Mrs. D. shares the simplicity in how God brought the idea before her, with a silly interaction between her and her dog. God is in the little things folks.

Thus, her passion for potholders was born. Of course her real passion is for these precious girls, and through the loving construction of these modern, fun, potholders will come the means in which she can show them love, also through action.

I am anxious to share updates as time goes on, so please mark to keep tabs. Glory be to God!

Canning, for Dummies

2011-05-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

Canning for dummies, starts with me. I am so far removed from the delicacy of canning that I have been pushing it to the bottom of my 'to do list' for far to long.

With my new found excitement on making the most of my garden; largely due to the fact of fresh grocery costs, I am looking to make the most of every piece of produce that comes out of my garden.

In the Winter, earlier this year, I found all of the canning supplies on sale at wal-mart. I purchased the canning discovery kit to help get me started. Which even came with a $2 coupon for a set of balls jars. Yippee!!

See, I do not own any special "canning" tools. Not a pressure cooker even. I do stock up on Balls Glass's when on sale, (since that is a canning staple) but nothing fancy can be found in my cupboards, because if you have a big enough pot that will do the trick. A dear friend of mine even shared with me that all the glass jars I get in the store can be "re-sealed" at least one more time.

Canning is so simple, I actually treated the canning process as a "dish" while I was preparing dinner the other night. That shows how canning can be done while juggling a few other things going on in the kitchen. We had spent the entire morning working in the garden, to included picking all of our ripened green beans. We ended up with about 6 cups of beans with our first wave.

Yes, you can throw the waste in your compost for added value to next years soil. Yes, you can give away to your favorite neighbors. But I am an advocate of one who cares for her family first with the means we have been given. So, with our extras I bottled up to glean the health benefits continually throughout the year.

Here are the "No Fail" steps I took to complete this beneficial, fun task:

1. Pick all ripened beans.

2. Pop off the ends snap the remainder into 1-2 inch, bite size, pieces

3. Fill your, cleaned, ball glass with beans.

4. Once your jars are filled, with bean, fill the jars (to right below the ribbed area) with clean water.

5. Run a knife, inside, the walls of the jar to remove any air bubbles.

6. Pour in 1-2 TSP of Salt ( I use the Himalayan Sea Salt as it is the most nutrient dense salt in the world)

7. Bring LARGE pot of watter to a boil. Prepare a pot that will allow for at least 1 inch of water over your jars.

8. When water is boiling drop in your jars, using the canning basket, and boil for 10 min. If you don't have the canning basket be sure and put a small towel or washcloth on the bottom of your pot to avoid cracking the glass.

9. Once boiling is completed use tongs or pull up on basket.

10. Set aside to cool.

At this point if the jar lids have not sealed, they will while they are cooling down. I was skeptical too, but it does work.

FINALLY: Be sure and label your jars so you know how to use in order of expiration.

Happy Canning!

Hearing; Then doing Something about it...

2011-05-10T06:32:00.001-07:00

Now, I'm not normally open to share intimate details of my life with just anyone; but I just can't seem to shake my selfish desire to keep this hidden.

With that being said, there are going to be a lot of things that I touch on that will come as a surprise to some of you. That's OK though, surprises are good! Surprises from God, are life changing; so even better.

Dan and I have been in a wilderness type of place in our walk with God lately. Not the type that drives a wedge between us and God, but the type where you are thirsty in the desert and all you can do is dream, think, sleep, eat, imagine, and cry out for just the smallest sip of water. God has been our water. We have diligently sought him for what seems to be so long without an answer. But as he promises in John chapter 4. “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” I always thought that passage was for people who had no faith in God. Oh no, also for those of us with faith, whom He must teach to seek Him through dry spells as well.

Our dry spell has just hit the rainy season in Christ. We can't seem to be filled enough; and for that I am left utterly speechless. Surprised yet? Me too.

About 4 weeks ago we literally stumbled upon Pike Rd. Baptist Church Of course our frustration of being to 2 different churches just minutes before, finally brought us to the end of ourselves. We literally strolled into the parking lot within minutes of services starting with no prior plans to attend. What seemed normal at first glance quickly turned to a revelation that had brought our years of seeking a deeper walk with the Lord into fulfillment.

We have been seeking Gods will in all we do, in the little things; in the big things, and now it's been thrown in our faces more beautifully than my emotions can withstand.

I have always been a logical person. Putting the realism's of things before I allow my emotions to take over. But all that has been shattered as well. When we listen, and truly listen void of our own selfish desires a world opens up that we know nothing of. A glimpse of the heart of God is revealed, a glimpse so deep that even the most stable people will (me included) be brought to their knees.

At the humble direction of the pastor's wife, we have been studying passages in the bible, together as a group, to practice hearing what God has for us. Not as a whole but personally, individually; to walk according to his directing only and to "do something about it". I have been so accustomed to not hearing from the Holy Spirit I was a tad doubtful. But during our individual quite time as we ask God to reveal a personal revelation I decided to pray as Abraham did when he was pleading for the children of Israel. Abraham used, unchanging, characteristics of God in order to benefit from God's promises.

God tells us how to pray in the model prayer. I have had this prayer in my heart (memorized) since childhood. But only until recently did I truly grasp the format:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

We are to ask for His will to be done. Sometimes we understand and are grateful and

sometimes His will is beyond our understanding. Either way to see Him move in our life this

is what we must ask for.

And when we aren't seeing results...James chapter 4 explains why. "You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures"

I was unsatisfied with trying to mesh my selfish lusts in and out of the things God wants. I decided to give Him my whole heart. Please don't get me wrong, I have been walking with Him for nearly 10 years but it has taken that long for me to desire the deeper things He has to offer.

Over the past 4 weeks God has been showing me things about myself I am not proud of. Funny thing is, I love that He showed me; revelations I have been previously afraid to see. I feel loosed from the bondages of myself that has held me back from handing over my heart to Him.

As I shared in class on Sunday morning to the other ladies, "I am NOT a crier, and if you told my husband I have cried every week since attending he would laugh."

Like I said earlier, since I changed my format of prayer and earnestly sought His will, God has faithfully revealed relevant issues that I have struggled with. The most revealing came this Sunday when we read out of Deuteronomy. What the Holy Spirit revealed to me was this:

"that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,"

Every time I read this I know what I am to do. Since God used this as a direct message for me, I will have to reveal it's personal meaning.

God has said it's time for another child. For anyone who really knows me, they know that I can't make this stuff up. See, I have been fighting my husband on this subject for at least 2 years. Dan has been asking me for a child and I have come up with excuse after excuse why it's not right. Some of them selfish some of them legit, in the worlds view. I have even managed to convince him there is no need for another child. Shame on me.

Another sad but true fact is, God has been trying to tell me for years. But I have casts His attempts aside. Again, shame on me. But how grateful I am that he is more forgiving than I am.

I'm going to break down the passage as God showed it to me.

1. "That you may live and multiply" This struck me deep. This was His direct command to me. There was no arguing or wiggling my way out of this one. I felt relieved on one hand because deep down I do want another child. But frustrated on the other hand because my selfish desires keep me from wanting the same thing.

2. "and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess" this was the most enlightening confirmation I could have received. Proof how well God knows our hearts. Coming from a large family, and I mean large, I have felt the more children we have the less quality of life we can provide. So it's mind boggling that directly after His command to me, came reassurance that He would provide. This took all those fears, that I had been clinging too, all away!

3. "But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them," Now comes the scary thought, as I saw it anyways. I can look back and see this passage had already come to fruition. My heart had been so hard on the subject of another child that I had been drawn away in a few different directions, that God is also working out of my heart.

The beautiful thing about all this; as long as we have breath in us, we have a second chance to wipe the slate clean and start fresh in the right direction. The key is this and this is the only key there is...We must truly desire what He wants void of our selfish, faithless fears. The scary part, four weeks ago, that's what I thought I was doing.

John 1:4 "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men"

I am so excited to see how soon I become pregnant. Just because God has commanded so (Abraham and Sarah had to wait over 40 years) doesn't mean I will see the results of His command right away. Gods time, is not our time. I am perfectly content waiting on Him, but in the meantime I am seeking names to name our child with the meaning "God has revealed", since that is what He has done for us.

Home School; Exposed

2011-04-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

I'm a realist, by nature. And when I say "by nature" I mean, By God's design. I'm still uncovering why He created me this way, (because I still battle it) but am ever fascinated as it is revealed to me. Most often we look at others and think ‘Wow, I want what they have’. I too have sat in that very same seat up until this weekend; where I had a wonderful awakening to embracing a quirky life full of unique perplexities.

It’s still a bit frustrating to me that in our society there seems to be a strong urge to meet a certain standard in life; a goal that seems are only attainable for the elect. Where does this idea come from? I’m sorry to reveal I too cannot answer this question. But even more so, I am excited to divulge, none of that matters. What matters is one day we will stand before a sovereign God, weather we believe this to be true or not, and account for how we lived our short existence on this place called earth.

Now, since I’m a realist I find a lot of things in our day to day lives a waste, just by my sheer nature. My mother can attest to this (and has reminded me several times) I am the only child out of five that found watching television a waste of time. This is but a small example of how I easily find time wasters in normal daily living. This pattern of activity has brought me to a point in life where I have become to hard on myself. As a home school mother, being hard on yourself is a normal occurrence, but I am that way times 1,000.

If you ask my husband he will concur, I have no imagination. For those of you with an imagination I’m sure it’s hard to conceive. But I am living a life that requires me to be imaginative and I literally see a white wall when I am forced to come up with something new.

When we first heard of the home school expo that was bound for Montgomery, Al (where we are currently stationed) I signed up immediately. Of course, because of my lack of imagination I had no expectations whatsoever. This is normal for me, to have no expectation on upcoming events. My husband, in all his wisdom, had the foresight to take this Friday off of work and spend the day learning with me. When we checked in we were given a pamphlet full of all the 5 different lectures offered each hour and half between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. I didn’t want to choose wrong so I was determined just to sit in on the ones that my husband shared an interest in.

With our first choice, we couldn’t of selected any better. The first speaker, Rebecca Kelliher http://www.wellplannedday.com/ Homeschool mother of 5, who runs a Family magazine with her husband spoke the most revealing words I had ever heard on the topic of homeschooling. She spoke on getting out of the rut of thinking a ‘home school’ day had to look a certain way. Why hadn’t I thought of this? Each family is more unique as the next, so of course what work for one won’t work for all. Home school is NOT what makes up the life of a family that has chosen to home school. It is but one aspect that paints an entire picture of a family that is living a life in accordance to Gods’ will.

Since our kids are significantly younger than hers, I was able to piggy back on some of the trials she had endured through her younger years. One of them was the importance of recognizing the gifts our children have been given and encouraging them in that area. Since home school is just one aspect of our lives as nurturers for our children then there are other aspects of life to consider. Being a good wife, managing our homes, building character in our children, educating our children, molding our children in to the people God has intend them to be, serving others and the like. These are the main aspects of living a life pleasing to God, while we are raising children. With that said, the most valuable lesson I learned this weekend is having the confidence in the unique qualities that make up our family and accommodating our lifestyle to that uniqueness; which includes embracing these qualities. Whether we like it or not, our life is NOT going to look like our neighbors. Even if their beliefs an understandings line up. This is where an aspect to the mysteries of God comes into play. Be bold in your uniqueness. Not in a disrespectful way, but in a way that brings confidence to what God has brought you to discover.

The second speaker we encountered was Debbie Strayer http://www.debbiestrayer.com/ Her lecture intrigued me because of her background. She is a former educator in the public school, home school mother and now works for the state of FL to access home school families progression. This interested me because I had been coming to the home school table with a defensive attitude. My thought was to ‘prove’ my stance as a home school mom by proving my kids were smarter and more advanced than their public school counter parts. After listening to Mrs. Strayer, a dear friend of the Tebow family, which we admire, as well as a government home school advisor; I realized I could now bring my defensive walls down. As she, honestly, explained that we are unique as a family and to exploit that within the confines of our home, we are more on the right track than that of our government placed, school aged kids counterparts. Her encouragements were much like Rebecca Kelliher’s in that we are distinctive in the inner workings of our family and that we are to do what works best for us.

Because of our devotive love for our children, in time we will be able to prove that our choice to home school will far surpass what the public school system has to offer. It’s just a matter of staying faithful in the task we have been given. Yes, we get talked down to. Yes, we get scoffed at. Yes, it seems as though we are in it alone. Although the first may be true the last is not. I am here, learning as I go and gaining confidence through the opportunities my Lord has put before us.

Although this may seem a tad off topic it is actually at the heart and soul of where we stand as homeschoolers in this country of America. We were honored to meet David Gibbs, who has carried on his father’s work with HSLDA (Home School Defense League of America) http://www.christianlaw.org/cla/ and who, to our surprise, had defended the parents of Terri Schiavo in the case to save their daughter from a premature death. Mr. Gibbs revelation, into a fear that drove my force to keep a rigid school life at home, helped calm my nerves by showing we have much more rights as home school parents than may be fed to us within our communities. It is our right, and not just our privilege, to teach and thus mold our children outside of the government run school system.

Lastly, I’d like to speak a bit about curriculums. This was one area of the expo Dan and I thought was lacking. Although there was a plethora of curriculums available through the vendors present we felt a bit overwhelmed to what worked best. Since whole grade packages are offered we feel if we choose one we will be missing out on one we didn’t otherwise choose? Since there wasn’t much guidance here we held fast to the confidence we had gained earlier; To be cognizant of what works best for your family. We have decided to experiment (and don’t feel bad about this). We have found that Horizons math works great! This was reinforced in the math seminar we attended with Randi St. Dennis. Since the Horizons math has proven to be a trustworthy program we will now adopt their language arts workbook as well. We have since decided to add science in a more hands on kind of way. We have a garden and own chickens, plus we read a lot on the subject. The point is, you don’t have to pick one and stick with it. Don’t be afraid to try a curriculum. If it doesn’t work move on and learn from the good and bad. If it works; don’t fix what isn’t broke. The point is to mold your children in to unique beings that are rich in character. News Flash: Stanford (for example) no longer wants students with a 4.0 average that gets 1300 on their SAT’s. Why? They have regurgitated date, but can’t think on their own. The world, believe it or not, is hungry for strong thinkers; movers and shakers, if you will. So stay encouraged in your decision and know it’s tough because the results will be OUT of this world! Just be sure and fan the desires of your children not snuff them out, God will take care of the rest.

Right Through Our Fingers

2009-10-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever sat and watched your little one drift off to sleep?

I have to admit I don’t always have the patience to do so, however, as a mother I sometimes find myself not being able to get enough of my kids. I look at my little ones and think they will never again want to “snuggle” in bed with me or I'll never again see their wobbly legs run towards me when I walk through the door. Times like that make every minute feel too short and I suddenly find myself just watching them drift to sleep as I stare in utter disbelief that I have been entrusted with such a special gift.

I don’t know why, but lately I can’t get it off my mind that my little boy will one day be a man and possibly lead other men into battle or even deliver newspapers. My girl will one day raise her own kids and minister to her husband in such a way that God demands. No matter what they do, they will encounter people in a very special way, but how will they deal with the issues of life?

I can’t help but think, what will they be like in their lives. Will they cower in fear as they run into obstacles? Will they become easily frustrated as their families wear their patience thin? Will they be able to give sound advice or meet basic needs to those who ask? What will their hearts be like? As fun and overwhelming as it can be to imagine what our children will one day become, we cannot overlook the impact we have as we raise them.

Their lives our in our hands. No we aren’t God, but for this portion of their lives we are all they know of God. Through our grace they will learn of His grace. Through our love they will learn of His love. But kids aren’t only looking at the good we have to teach them. They seem to have inclination more towards our “screw ups”. We aren’t perfect so we can not expect them to be. Yes, I get angry. When I do I am sure to tell my kids why mommy is mad and what I will do to fix the situation. Sometimes I am legitimately mad, in which Gods word tells us be angry, but sin not.

I am no expert at parenting so I have tried many different routes to get my kids attention and demand obedience.

However, the method that has worked the best for me and turned out to have the most instant results was to share my heart with them. When my daughter asked why I was sad, I told her. When she asked why I was upset, I told her. You know what happened, she started to share her heart with me. She has even started trying to “fix” my problems for me. For instance, yesterday I was doing my hair and my blow dryer kept falling on the floor. I was in a rush to get ready so I got so frustrated I just left the bathroom in a huff to “cool off”. Sounds petty I know, but we all have our little issues in life that bring up frustration. This is the good part. I came right back into the bathroom to find my little girl picking up the blow dryer when she commented “I fixed if mommy”.

By sharing my heart with her she began to see me as a human. One who makes mistakes, one who requires love and more importantly forgiveness. She is able to relate to me know which has opened her heart to listen to my requirements of her. Now when she disobeys me, she humbly breaks down in tears. You may say, my child would “NEVER” do that. She/he is to stubborn. Believe me, there aren’t many children that are more stubborn and strong willed than our girl. We have just learned how to reach her heart, and in doing so she has seen our hearts and our love for Jesus.
Raising children can be a long, frustrating road! One day you can be walking on air while the next you are seriously considering hanging yourself. Don’t let these vital years with your young ones slip through your fingers! Enjoy them and practice saying yes instead of no when all possible. Let them have an ice cream cone and “ruin” their dinner every once in a while. Let them stay up till midnight to watch the meteor shower.

These things are not eternal, but the learning the love of Jesus is.

2009-09-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

What's Your Bridal Style?

The classic bride will leave her groom breathless with a simply stunning article .--Respects tradition and opts for simple elegance.
The relaxed bride will offset her wonderfully fun and laid-back personality with equally vibrant item.-- Feels most at home celebrating with family and friends at a down-home outdoor reception in her parents back yard.
The modern bride will wow in a delightfully fun and very trendy piece.--Knows how to put a fresh spin on old favorites and often choose to forego the customary for the unconventional.
The alternative bride will find a fantastically funky way to put a spin on all she does.

Share your bridal Style with us as an entry to win 1 of 4 amazing bridal essentials.

Up For Grabs:

1. A trendy Cosmetic Bag
2. Custom BridesMaid Cards
3. Classy, Elegant, Necklace
4. Personalized Bath Bombs

Giveaway runs from Tuesday, September 8, 2009- Tuesday, September 22
Winner must check back in on the 23rd of September to claim your prize.

We wish you all the best!
Modern Wedding Invitations
Perfect Papers Blog
Bridal Bliss Giveaway

Swimming the Deep End of the Marketing Pool:Who’s up for the CHALLENGE?

2009-05-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

With the type of advertising I am involved with it requires the endurance and stamina it would to stay afloat in the deep end of the pool.

As opposed to the shallow end, in which most “swimmers” are treading lightly in safety and comfort as their toes touch the bottom to guarantee their head never dips below.

Unaware of how long they can tread in the deep end without sinking to the bottom. Yes there are a few other fish in the shallow end that may take bites but for the big bites you must swim to open, deep, waters.

One thing that is important to wrap your mind around is this:

“Successful marketing is a gamble”

There is no way to guarantee you attempts at bringing in customers are going to assure accomplishment. Nor is there any way to know how long you can hold out in the deep end.

With that being said, who is up for the challenge?

As I touched on a bit earlier I advertise with the Perfect Wedding Guide (PWG) which is a comprehensive guide to wedding and honeymoon services in the area and across the United States. Our brides are looking for the very best in the wedding industry. With this not so small bill for advertising I believed marketing with them would sure to be an instant success. Besides, after a year of owning my own business all I had learned taught me the importance of reaching my target market. With this being my target audience I began advertising a month ago and have had 1 bride out of 672 decide to go with me as her wedding invitation creator. Believe me I could not have been more honored as I do enjoy working with brides and helping them create a beautiful day.

However, I got to thinking. With all the blogging, promotional advertising, specials and free giveaways I was offer I had been a bit puzzled by the current return of my advertising investment.

I have never been one to be afraid to ask for help. In fact I pride my recent success on the changes I have made due to all the constructive criticism I have received in the past year. So I emailed the assistant to the owner of the PWG, explained my dilemma and clarified I was open to an analysis from her. As the assistant she is able to see all the email campaigns I had mailed out in the past month, 9 total, and offer her expert advice.

Graciously she responded back with all the right things I had been doing. Which include keeping it emails short and precise, having dazzling photos and offering up advice to DIY’ers.

She then went on to explain due to the markets current status there is a desire for brides to put on a budget friendly wedding without sacrificing quality and the “Wow” factor.

She asked me if I ever thought about offering an open forum class or even a “Tupperware” style party in which the wedding party has a “gals” night hosted by me where I would teach them how to help the bride create all her paper wedding accessories for one fee.

One word: Ingenious!

I recently took TimothyAdams 5 day course on the secrets of marketing success. In one of the installments he covered being an “expert” in your field. I loved the idea but wasn’t sure on how to execute a marketing plan that involved something other than making a “How to” video to post on Youtube, or selling digital files with directions through my etsy shop. Now I have it and have begun work on having brides register for a “seminar” style class at an undisclosed location downtown.

Now: to get the brides to register. Since I have all this contact information I have taken the easy route of emailing our brides once a week. The PWG assistant made a point to stress the fact I MUST call them. “Most brides do not mind that you call them, most of the time they won't call you because they simply just do not know what to ask and feel relieved when you make the first move.”

Optimistic about the outcome, I will be spending the next week swimming into deeper waters and catching my big fish.

Find a way to make a splash with your business today!

Finding Joy "In" Teaching

2009-03-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

“Mom, when can I go to school”

I don’t know how many times I have had to explain to our 4.5 year old that she will be staying home with me and not going off to join most kids that spend the day elsewhere.

You would think this would bring any child great joy.

Not our “Gillie Gally”. If someone came in on the tail end to those conversations they would think someone broke her favorite toy or something.

Finding joy in being responsible for the schooling of your young ones isn’t always as easy and glamorous as the front of the curriculum books make it seem. I love my kids more than life itself, but due to my own confusions about the “right way to teach” It often shows in how I run our days. If I had to blame one fault of my own that stood in my way I would say “selfishness” keeps me from devoting more time to my kids and I am sure I am not alone.

But today was the dawn of a new found perspective that has left my heart overflowed with joy and encouragement to keep on this course.

Our daughter can add!! When searching for a Pre-K curriculum in the winter I noticed not many started in Pr-K and the ones that did taught numbers, letters, colors, shapes and the like I took a look at the Kindergarten curriculums. Most of what I saw started at the level that I had currently brought her to. Sounding out, letter recognition and counting. So I went for it. I figured I could give myself a good year to work on in case it went to fast at times. But I am proud to report 3 months into and she is adding. It absolutely blew me away because I was sure we would be working on this for quite some time.

The excitement in her eyes over what she did brought so much joy to my heart it seeped out into her willingness to learn more. Now learning has become fun. It was always fun for her but I was having trouble bringing my own fun to it for her sake. Sharing that moment of breakthrough melted away all my selfish desires and I was able to have a share a moment like no other. Now I know what I was missing and my selfish desires don’t seem so appealing to me.

Without any hesitation I offered to take her to the small store where she could pick out any treat her little heart desired for making me so proud and working so hard on her school work. After rewarding her…she added all day long. In fact she couldn’t stop adding. Watching me light up at her accomplishment fueled her desire to learn and please me.

Today was a great accomplishment.

Small but one for the books…one I can talk about for years to come…and one that has bonded my daughter and I for a lifetime.

The Art of Pin Point Marketing

2009-03-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

I have written a few posts on the subject but needed to actually see the results of this technique before I fully understood why it is a true art in itself.

I know when you think of art the first thing that pops in mind is some sort of unique painting or original sculpture. But art is defined as superior skill that you can learn by study, practice and observation.

To be ahead of your competition and win over the sales you may have lost by not being superior in your skill makes all the difference between a successful and failing business.

Now lets jump right into the nitty gritty of this topic.

Great example of “miss-advertising”:

A few months ago Timothy from TimothyAdamDesigns put out an offer to all his exclusive blog readers. (If you are unsure of who Timothy is, he is a “household” name around etsy with a reputation of being a great source for elaborate information on how to improve your etsy shop with practical techniques such as how to improve your photos and much more.)

Knowing his blog has over 1,000 readers and is nearing 20,000 site visits I thought, "How could I pass up a free advertising opportunity." So for the next week during the open contest time I worked so hard promoting…promoting…promoting!

In the end, my hard work paid off and I won second place landing a free month long add space on his blog. On top of that and the start of HandmadeOlogy Timothy offered me a $40 one month add space on his new, highly anticipated website. He quoted me the numbers expected to visit his website and they were staggering.

Again I though, $40 is hardly anything to pay for the amount of folks that will be seeing my ad and stop by my shop. I paid the $40 and couldn’t wait to see what happened. Was I surprised when I had about 2 extra sales during that month. Not really. In everything I have read about business and marketing I should not have received a sale but I tricked myself at the thought of all those people seeing me.

Yes, my views did go way up. But views are not sales. To no surprise I learned firsthand they weren’t my customers. Most of the folks that visit his blog and website are other possible struggling business owners looking to make either a start for themselves or improve a bit of what they have or need to improve to bring sales in.

My market is mostly brides.

Although my personal style for invitations and other wedding related paper accessories tends to be a bit more modern, I do my best to have lots of different samples to appeal to brides with different tastes. Now that I have a good understanding of who they are now what? How do I draw them in and land the sales I need to succeed?

Great Example of “Perfect” Advertising

I was invited to attend a bridal show on the 1st of this month. The fee for 1 table for 4 hours was $300. Gasp! $300 is a hefty amount to come from my business funds never mind for only 4 hours.

I talked it over extensively with my husband and the point was I had to take the risk since every bride to be I would encounter that day (150 pre-registered) could potentially be a customer. With my husband’s blessing I gave it a shot. I dropped my master card on the $300 and didn’t think about it again. From that moment on my focus was on being as unique and “remember- able” as possible to earn as many sales as my little hands could handle.

The day turned out to be a bit less than desirable(story here) due to the weather but I had to trust the tried and true “marketing” approach. After many shivering conversations with brides, handing out many business “post cards” (tip: they are 4 x 8 and don’t get lost among other business cards) and 32 entries for a drawing I had for $$ of their order, 3 weeks later I have 4 orders that more than pay for the vending expense.

Now to Narrow

With the leads list I received for participating in the show I now have contact information for over 150 brides. I have the opportunity to contact them as much as I want.

Hating “junk” mail myself I have been as practical and as conservative as possible about sending them information.
I started a monthly newsletter through vertical response, which sends me reports with percentages of who opened and clicked to narrow down the “truly” interested out of the 150 brides I emailed.

Out of those 150 there are about 30 seriously interested brides in having me complete their wedding invitations suites. Yesterday I spent the afternoon designing post cards through vista print to mail out to these 30 gals a “special offer” to hopefully seal the deal in their mind by receiving a fantastic deal that my completion, hopefully, can’t compete with.

Although I spend a great deal of time and energy in learning and testing the market in order to have a successful business; I spend just as much energy on leaving my customers more than satisfied! Literally I go above and beyond what any customer would ever expect. That is another secret of success to be shared at a later date so keep your eyes out.

As always- I love to hear your thoughts

What's Old Is New

2009-03-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

For the past week we have been moving into our new house, well new to us.

This sixty year old, military, base housing has weathered many a storm in its day. Although they aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as the newly built duplexes, we are quite pleased with our antique while trusted to our care. Of course we will move on from this home and it will become of many pleasant memories while raising our children.
Unlike the new homes ours is a waterfront, rustic, beauty with all the character and charm that could come along with it. Compared to our last house, which is scheduled for demolition next month, in our new home I feel like I can breathe again. I am not much one to complain but with all this extra room I now have an idea why I felt the walls were closing in on me.
The layout here is much of the same as our last home but with about 1/3 more of the square footage in every room. An added bonus that is much to be desired here in sunny FL is our screened porch. YEAH!!! It’s funny sometimes how small of a thing can bring so much joy in our lives. It’s so true God gives us gifts in the smallest of ways.

The first weekend here it seemed everything in the house fell apart and my husband was wondering why in the world we ever choose the old over the new. From backed up toilets, leaky faucets, dead power outlets and squeaky doors I simply pointed out the beautiful sunset so wondrously in our view while comfy on the couch.

A bit about Paper Perfections:
Besides moving my business has really began to pick up. It seems I find myself in the midst of “wedding planning” season. I have learned a few more business secrets that have launched me into the next level of completion that I plan to share with you shortly so please stay tuned.

Wedding Expo- Pier Park

2009-03-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

Sunday March 1st 2009

While an unusual cold front and winter storm slowly crept up on the east coast we were not spared here on the Panhandle.
Pier Parks first ever wedding expo was held in a beautiful location with 100+ brides registered to attend.

New to the “wedding” industry I wasn’t sure what to expect, but, being the optimist that I am I had great hopes. For some reason the whole time I was setting up in chilling winds I had it in my mind they would die down and the clouds would part promptly by noon. I would later find out that would not be the case.

The show started punctually at noon and all the dedicated brides began to make their way around to the vendors looking for deals and ways to add that “special touch” to their big day.
I still can’t say quite how partaking in this show has affected my business but I can say with confidence I now see the important difference to selling directly to your target market as opposed to blindly promoting to the masses.
About 75% of the visitors to my booth were in need of wedding invitations and accessories. I began to think “why should they choose me”? I know that may not have been the most productive “business savvy” thought to have at the moment but it’s true. Especially with all the possibilities of places to purchase on the internet, never mind local completion, why should anyone choose me?
My mind began racing (which I am shocked I could still think at this point with the chilling winds) of all the times I have been turned away from one company to go with another.
For me, it’s customer service. How does someone make me feel? Do I feel my best interested is at heart or are my husband’s hard earned dollars blinding their thoughts for my best interest.
Trust is key. With trust established every detail of the entire transaction and quality of work is locked in your customers mind with confidence. My goal quickly became to be my companies representation of what they can expect throughout the entire process. Honesty, Dedication and Attention to Detail.

I want to thank every bride and groom who offered their time on Sunday and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Where Have All the Women Gone?

2009-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

I am young woman.

Full of hope for what God desires for me to fulfill as a wife and mother.

I often look into the faces of my children and wonder why God commands the young woman to stay home and raise our kids?

I don’t have a clue what I am doing other than learning from the mistakes I have made every day prior to this one.

I often struggle through my days hoping my children won’t pick up any of the selfish tendencies I have trouble breaking. At the same time the desire to be a wife and mother is as natural as anything else we do without giving too much thought to it. Then why does it have to be so hard? You would think something we so dearly long for would be a bit more natural than the desire itself.

But once again, ladies, the Lord has given us an escape to help pull us through the tough road of motherhood. They are the “Aged women” spoken about in Titus 2:3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

That’s a big task and a lot of responsibility. If you read that passage prior to having a husband and children a second thought may not be given. But what of those of us who do? Who are struggling daily to be good wives and mothers, where do we turn? Of course God’s word is given to us in the form of the bible to be comfort to us but He has also given us You…aged woman…but where are you?

It seems to me not to many older woman I meet are anxious to correct me in areas such as how my intimacy, or lack thereof, will one day rear its ugly head and cause my marriage to suffer. Or how my deficiencies in patience with my children will cause unpleasant personality traits that may effect them throughout their whole life. Or how my gossiping about my neighbor will ruin my witness of Jesus’ light that is supposed to be shining through all my thoughts and actions. There are so many intimate details of a woman’s life, daily thought pattern, that are asked by God to correct us. Now this is no excuse for me to go about my business, uncorrected, but we don’t all have the voice of conviction breathing down our neck either.

If I could say this it would be Older Women where are you?

What are you thinking when you see a mother mistreat her children due to selfish immaturity? Or when you see a wife turn a cold shoulder to her dear husband in a secret desire to manipulate him? You must cringe at the sight. Besides you have been there. You have seen these hateful, selfish acts turn out dreadfully over and over again. You may feel you have no insight to share. But your lessons from lifelong mistakes are more helpful than you could ever imagine. The insight you could bring to stop a common mistake from recreating is priceless. Don’t underestimate what you hope you could bring to a young mother or what God has taught you through your own error.

To young mothers, as I am, don’t be so prideful.

We don’t know it all. Despite our upbringing, background and/or education; The spiritual things of God concerning raising Godly children in a Godly home within a Godly marriage is something we could never perfect with all the education this world could bring. But if we let down our prideful walls of selfishness we could let in the insight intended for our hearts and minds and bring us to be better mothers than we had so our children can be better mothers than we are.
If you are a mom you understand the inadequacies that I share with you. As long as we are on flesh on this earth we will struggle with this. But we don’t have to allow it to overcome us.

Look for a reason to allow the insight by an aged, Godly, woman to be shared with you if for no other reason than to be corrected in our ways.

Don’t get caught up in a downward spiral.

Stop it in its tracts by opening your heart to the Lord and the authority He has given to “aged” woman over us.

BullsEye-Targeting Your Market

2009-02-12T19:49:00.000-08:00

Know your target market-

It’s easy to get roped into “blanket” advertising opportunities in order to overwhelm as many people as possible.

That, I must admit, has been my biggest mistake since my start back in January of 2008. The money it costs to do so is not worth the type of business you are looking to get.

Owning your own business means you are providing a product or service that has a need to fulfill.

With that being said, there is a precise group of people looking for your particular product and/or service. It cuts into your valuable time and money to throw darts blindly at a target.

So do some research and find your demography.

One of the first things you need to do is to refine your product or service so that you are NOT trying to be 'all things to all people.' Become a specialist!

For the Invitation side of my business my target market is shared with photographers and various wedding boutiques; generally consisting of young woman ages 18-35 looking for a modern flair to accent their wedding. I specialize in offering modern invitations with a stunning quality and personalized accents, which is a niche amongst all the different styles girls are looking for to make their special day perfect.

Next, you need to understand that people purchase products or services for three basic reasons:

· To satisfy basic needs.
· To solve problems.
· To make themselves feel good.

Their need: announce their wedding and celebration. I solve their problem by catering to their taste and style and that makes them feel good. Those women will most likely one day start a family and be in the need of shower invitations, birth announcements and birthday invitations which expands then expands my business.

· You'll need to determine which of those categories your product or service is the solution to, and be prepared to market it accordingly.
· Your product or service may fit more than one category, too
A good place to start is by researching the 'demographics' of your community, and divide it into market segments:

· Age: children, teens, young, middle, elderly
· Gender: male, female
· Education: high school, college, university
· Income: low, medium, high
· Marital status: single, married, divorced
· Ethnic and/or religious background
· Family life cycle: newly married, married for 10 – 20 years, with or without children.

This information should be available to you through your local town , hall, library, or Chamber of Commerce – and the more detail you can get, the better.

There may be a lot of work involved to put your thumb on those that are looking for your particular product and service; but it is work well worth it. You can now stop spinning your wheels and focus on the tactics successful business currently use to break through their completion and stand above the rest.

Specifically, if you are a card maker, with greeting cards steadily inclining from a $7.5 Billion Industry in which 80% Market Share is held by Hallmark/American we can’t afford not to break into the cutting edge of our completion. The average consumer buys 10 cards per year and most often has a need for 70 cards per year. Due to sheer inconvenience they often don't get around to it. Online it’s even harder to compete with the convenience of going to the store.

Make it convenient.

1. Offer free shipping
2. Offer a reminder service
3. Sell “Yearly Survival” Packs

Don’t be scared to get creative; it will pay off by helping you stand out amongst your completion.

Capturing Love on Paper

2009-02-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

Creating one of a kind, custom, invitations for an elated bride is such a sweet honor.

When I started my business this time last year I had little idea the type of joy “paper crafting” could bring to the hearts of so many.

Although I create greeting cards of all sorts for numerous occasions I can’t express the joy I feel throughout the complete creating process of each special invitation suite I construct.

After being married for many years it’s easy to lose sight of what blissful love feels like. Over time love turns into devotion and dedication and that excited giddiness is a spark off in the distance we long to, once again, catch a glimpse of.

Like the spark sometimes caught in a Jane Austin novel; so too is the spark I feel when working with each bride. Their sheer joy and eagerness to please their one special man is the innocent simplicity that always reminds me of where each love spark starts. Including my own.

With each creation comes a beautiful portrayal of the couples personalities that will bring them together in perfect unity on a day that I get to announce for them to the whole world.

Thank you for this special honor.

Just Imagine what I can Create for You!

Visit: Paper Perfections

CAMMO BOX GIVEAWAY- Sponsored By: Etsy HomeFront Team

2009-02-05T16:43:00.000-08:00

Check out this fun promotion…with a twist.

The Etsy HomeFront team, In which I am a proud member, has a few special surprises waiting to be unleashed to the Etsy community and beyond.

We have started off this month of "LOVE" with a special sponsorship that runs along the same lines as “Little Black Box” but with our own unique spin on the idea.

Here’s the twist; instead of having various sellers give promotional items to help spread the word on each of their own products, which result in a purchase. Members of the HomeFront team have donated such items for a lucky participant to win.

That’s right I said W*I*N. How can you pass that up? Read more and comment to enter HERE

Business Article Hits The Streets

2009-02-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

In a previous post I shared with you every explicit detail that resulted in a feature story printed in the Panama City, FL News Herold.

I am proud to say the article on “Paper Perfection” was printed yesterday, February 1st, just in time for the Sunday morning news. Although the article wasn’t posted online I do not have a link to share with you.

I can however, describe to you the very classy way in which Mr. Carson portrayed how I run my business.
He started off by giving details of how I “learn as I go” referring to an example of how I didn’t even know about cyber Monday until just a few days before. Scrambling to create a sale with multiple new listings I greatly benefited from what is known to be the busiest online shopping day of the year.

He explained how I use Etsy as my online marketplace to service customers as far away as Europe.

Mr. Carson also made a special note to mention the bulk of my work starts when my kids are in bed because family is my first priority and the interesting struggles that come with running a business as a military spouse.

He cited examples of the quality of the types of categories in my shop and quality of my craftsmanship. The article ended on a positive note in which Mr. Carson revealed my joy of sharing what I learn with other business owners here on this blog.

I could never fully express this opportunity Mr. Carson of the PCNH has allowed me. In 24 hours I have already received 1 multiple item order from my shop, 1 request for custom sympathy cards from a local sheriff’s wife and accolades from the moderator of a local buy and sell group I am a part of, in which she informed all 556 members of this accomplishment and referred them to review the story in yesterdays paper.

Most importantly I am greatful to God for seeing fit to bless my business in such a way to honor my husband through the achievements he has allowed me over the past year since the birth of Simply Sarah's Paper Perfections.

Re- Start Your Engine

2009-01-31T07:27:00.000-08:00

Business ventures of any sort, at times, not only allow us to feel great excitement with a sense of accomplishment; but can also sometimes leave us to experience exhausted and overcome.

I have felt that way many times at the dawn prior to an unknown successful turn for my company.

Whenever I have stumble upon these curves in the road(and there are many); that is when I create a new curve, leaving me with a fresh new modification that gives me the edge I need to stay in healthy completion with other businesses.

I just wanted to send you a bit of encouragement today if you have stumbled upon any form of obstruction along your path to success.

With God in the lead he will bless your work beyond imagine. Only He is my most potent secret to success. I know he has so graciously chosen to bless my efforts due to my obedience to him. Although I fail him due to my own imperfections; He has never failed me.

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible Mark 10:27

ExTra, ExTra Read All About It--------------How I made it into the Paper

2009-01-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

So, Mr. Carson, a newspaper editor for our local paper PCNH just made my day!

After a few failed attempts he has graciously chosen to run a story about the “going ons” of my business "Paper Perfections"

My journey to the paper started when I stumbled upon a thread in the etsy business topics forum on the subject of “press release.

Curious to what it even was I read on. I quickly learned that a press release may be used to inform your local community on any fresh news going on with your business and the best part, If your story is accepted, the publishing it of this positive publicity is free!

I began researching all I could on the subject. From tips to standing out amongst other submitted releases to proper sequence in your write up. The best tips were given to me by a fellow etsy shop owner (OzKnits) who currently works for her local newspaper. I have attached her advice below:
A well written release will get looked at. It should be double-spaced, as brief and to the point as possible, and no third person quotes.
Call to get the name of the editor before submitting so that you can address your release to the appropriate person. We have only one person open the snail mail and another open the email. I get only what is addressed to me. Everything else goes to a person whose job is to decipher where all the unaddressed mail goes. She gets buried and behind a lot. Don't email a press release without asking first if it's okay.
To be honest, you have a better shot at having a release run if you mail or drop off a hard copy. We work on priority levels and email is very low priority.
Don't worry about putting a headline on a release. That's the editor's job. And unless it has a timeliness to it, don't expect to see it run right away.
Again, they are page fillers so they really aren't a priority. When we scour which ones to run, we go with short, concise releases (the less time we have to spend editing, the better). Don't send sample products to a newspaper. Most have rules against reporters and editors taking freebies so it's likely to get thrown out. I wish we could keep them because I'd have about 300 music cd's by now!If you need any help, just convo.
Notice that the first sentence of my example covers the who, what, where, when and why. That's what an editor wants to see. Here's an example of a good press release:From: Jane Doe, contact person, 222-222-2222

To: Editor John Doe, The newspaper or magazineDec. 1, 2009Re: Store opening (photos available upon request)For Immediate ReleaseThe Jane Doe shop will be holding a grand opening Jan. 1, 2009 from 9 am through 10 pm at its new location, such and such a street, city and state.The store will feature handmade all-occasion cards made by Jane Doe. Each card is hand-cut with a surgical blade and all designs are created in freehand style. The shop specializes in victorian-themed cards with a multi-dimensional facet.Ms. Doe holds an associate degree in art from the John Doe college in city, state. Previous to opening her shop, Ms. Doe served as the vice-president of the Arty arts council.The store will be open Monday-Saturday from 9 am until 5 pm and will be closed Sunday's.
Fore more information call 33333333. For those unable to attend the grand opening, Ms. Doe's work can be seen at her website store, janedoe.etsy.com. ###

Perhaps it is because I am more of a visual learner or perhaps my timing was off? Whatever the reason, my first attempt was shot down. I then did a bit more research on the subject and found this website:
http://www.prwebdirect.com/pressreleasetips.php

It helped me to see the format all broken down and laid out the way it is. It’s kind of silly, but I went line by line reading over the advice then writing an appropriate sentence or two. At the end I had to go back and touch it up to flow a bit better but I felt confident in the layout in which I described the events happening. Once it was all said and done this is what I ended up with:

Panama City, Florida

Paper Perfections spotlight on local customers

Starting In January 2009 Paper Perfections, a delightful online shop made up of modern greeting cards, invitations and paper accessories, is going local. This unique shop will be concentrating its efforts to provide its services to the Bay County community. Since there are an assortment of individuals intended to benefit from competitive prices on all celebratory trimmings for functions ranging from corporate events to weddings to showers; Paper Perfections has decided to focus the majority of its efforts towards you.
Mrs. Stahl, owner and sole proprietor of Paper Perfections has been promoting and selling custom invitations and the like all over the country as well as internationally for the past twelve months. Since some areas of the country are struggling a bit more than others, during this turbulent time, Paper Perfections wanted to offer an alternative on some of these supplies.
All paper products created are made with high quality cardstock (110lb) often with accents using designer scrapbooking paper. Full printing, designs, embellishments and samples are included in all standard fees, which are a fraction of the cost you will find from most competitors.
As always each design is exclusively handmade by Mrs. Stahl and are customizable to fit your particular taste and need. Feel free to email me for a standard pricing list.
Just imagine what I can create for you.

Mrsdstahl.Etsy.com
http://us.mc541.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Mrsdstahl@yahoo.com
850-624-9849
2912 B Beacon Beach Rd
Tyndall AFB, Fl 32403

Here I find myself, this morning, with a phone call from Mr. Carson not only wanting to publish my press release but do a full blown news story on all aspects of my business. How I make it work, the ways in which I share my learned info and how I have, resourcefully, learned to be successful in the current economy.

It is scheduled to run on this Saturday!

For all of you who try it: I can’t wait to hear how this works for you!

HandmadeOlogy Hits The StreeTs: Reminder

2009-01-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

Reminder:

Your Formula For Selling HandmAde Goods Online will be released tomorrow: 1.26.09

Ever wonder about all the ins and outs behind a successfull run onlinebusiness?

Join us on the cutting edge of learning how to thrive in this onlinemarket as TimothyAdamDesings shares with us the "Science" behind itall.

Learn more about it by reading an earlier post on the subject:

http://innovativemoma.blogspot.com/2009/01/handmadeology-your-lifeline-to-modern.htmlSarahhttp://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5581651

See you all there!

As always I would love to hear how this information boosts your own online business.

WeightLoss Blues…Gone

2009-01-23T10:35:00.001-08:00

Weight …where do I start.

For most of us this issue weighs heavy on our hearts literally and not so literally. But it seems to be a concern that effects our lives in so many areas that we aren’t even aware of them all anymore.

I know for myself, when I start felling the tightening of my pants my self esteem, smile and patience all seem to be non-existent.

We have this very twisted view, thanks to the media, of how we are to look. There is even a current weight loss commercial showing a rather splendid looking woman frowning in disbelief that she is now being compared with the snowman built by her daughter. Well we think “If she is considered large, where’s the hope for me” Well, I have had to lose weight several times in my life to participate and as the result of some very important life events.

I have struggled with my weight since I was young. I can actually remember being mad at my mom for not helping me with this very issue. I can also remember hoping to turn those summers away from school into a time for physical transformation, and this was in middle school. Back then I didn’t think twice about these kinds of views. But it pains me now to think my daughter may someday struggle with the same thoughts.

In high school I was just as awkward as some of you may have felt. A bit overweight, braces and greasy hair. Where did all that grease come from anyways? After high school my confidence started to inch its way out of the red when I began getting attention from guys. Not the type of attention a single, young adult, may want but it was attention and to a lonely girl it’s one in the same.

When I joined the Army in 2000, it was the first time my weight got in the way of actually accomplishing something I desired to do. This was not going to get in my way! I had one month to lose 20 pounds in order to be accepted at the meps station. Thirty days and 20lbs later I was accepted to serve my country. How? Well as a mom of 2, today, I would say “I didn’t have kids”. I fixed all my attention on completing this task and I had the time and lack of distractions to do so. The good thing was I had a time frame, so I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel and I would soon be able to reward myself. Tip: rewards are key in successful weight loss.

A few years more and I began to blossom into a beautiful young lady. A wondrous surprise I never thought was possible for what was once a very awkward girl. That’s when I met my husband. At the height of my physical appearance. But years later I was surprised he didn’t fall in love with my body, but my quirky ways and witty expressions.
I actually got hit in the head with a pillow a few nights ago. “Ouch, what was that for” “For not being comfortable in your body.” 7 years after meeting, body a bit changed from carrying 2 kids, I realized what it is our men see. Desperate for a glimpse of the woman they married. Fun, happy, jokative, confident and sparkling eyes for only him. What has happened? Life, I suppose. Let’s not be victims of circumstance.

Carrying the heavy burden of weight is one of the many factors that makes us forget all about who that girl even was. Even if all the weight is gone, what is left? Our joyful hearts and pretty smiles (oh and cleavage…LOL) is all our husbands see in us. Yes, weight can become an issue if our attitudes are sour and are smiles are scowls.

I’m not here just to pep talk, although I hope it helped because once I was enlightened to how my hubby looks at me I am not quite as concerned with how many inches are lost around my waistline. But I will share with you some of my most helpful hints to weightless that have worked for me time and time again. I know that statement sounds bad “time and time again” But I had 2 kids and it always takes a bit of work to get back to somewhat “normal”

1. Lifestyle-The first thing to remember is weight loss shouldn’t be purely a short term goal to an end. Yes we have a goal In mind, But your first change should be towards a better, healthier life from now on. Not just until you have dropped the weight.

2. COUNT CALLORIES!! -Advertisements for weight loss products always make this seem like such a cumbersome task. It’s not. Especially with http://sparkpeople.com/
It’s free to open an account and you simply search for the food you ate as well as the portion sizes and insert. All the numbers are preloaded. With a few things loaded height, weight etc. their data base will be able to tell you how many calories you should stay within each day. Tip: If you stay within your calorie range “YOU WILL LOOSE WEIGHT” if you cheat, you won’t.

3. Portion Distortion- Remember above how I emphasized to count calories. This goes hand in hand. Don’t count the wrong calories or you body will know and show. Make a habit of measuring your food out and documenting.

4. Don’t Make Excuses- I am a mother of 2 children, 4 and under. I home school, take care of the house, chores and the budget. Plus I run my own business so I don’t want to hear that you don’t have time for this. The time is there you just have to find it and make a habit of it.

5. Do- Treat yourself Since you know how many calories you are allowed, daily, you can play with what you do and don’t eat to allow for treats within your calorie limit. I allot for my most favorite treats, wine/beer and cheddar popcorn. If you don’t give yourself something to enjoy in life, especially with such hectic days, you won’t stay with it.

6. Do-Make homemade everything. Well maybe not everything but I sure try. I have used the site http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/recipes.htm to learn how to make many common alternatives that usually add on fat, salt and harmful additives that I believe are suspect to how our bodies hold and store fat. This is her link to the “make your own” section http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/makeyourown.htm but please enjoy her site as there is so much more about healthy, economical eating for families.

7. Be the Boss In the Kitchen- My husband, and me, like to snack. Who doesn’t but you are the one that goes grocery shopping. Plan your meal before hand and you will find you not only save a whole heck of a lot of $$ but you also only keep, on hand, the ingredients needed to cook your meals. Not leaving comfort food snacks around for you or your family to nibble here and there. I know this can be tough to make the adjustment to please read on Mrs. Millers site her tips on making healthy choice changes for your family. http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/healthyfoodchanges.htm

8. Exercise- No don’t get out there and start running marathons, but at least 30 minutes 5 days a week. In fact you should always check with your doctor first before beginning any exercise routine. Start off small and work your way up. Walking is an easy exercise for most and is not as harmful to your back. I know it’s winter time and getting out and about is much more of a hassle, especially if you have young kids. I have a whole basket full of Leslie Sansone’s Walk At Home videos. http://www.lesliesansonevideos.com/ With her guidance I have learned that muscle toning and impact cardio are an important duo to receive changing results. Her videos are easy to follow, mild impact exercise. She is fun and very motivational. At the end of her workouts I can’t believe 30-45 min has passed. The point is do something that you enjoy that gets your body moving.

9. Involve your family- Living a healthy life isn’t something you should want to do for yourself. But something you teach your children so they, hopefully, don’t have the same struggles we gals have now. My daughter loves doing workout videos with me. It’s a challenge but well worth it.

10. Have Fun- Don’t get bogged down with a “weight loss program” Live your life and enjoy it. Ok…So you have 2 donuts when you go out for coffee with your girlfriend. Or you have 3 beers and Buffalo wings at a super bowl party. Who cares? Those are a few what will probably be considered “bad days” out of your whole life, that you should be enjoying. If you knew all I treated myself with I think you would be surprised to know I’m 5’5’’ and my weight is only 135lbs. If you make a constant change to living a healthy life you won’t feel as guilty about treats because you will know what your overall lifestyle consists of.

11. Drink Water-Water metabolizes stored fat. What does that mean? Water can keep fat away! Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Water Helps to Burn Fat - Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver.
One of the livers primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains in the body and weight loss stops.
Drinking plenty of water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it thinks this is a threat to survival and it begins to hold on to every drop. This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by enabling muscles to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent sagging skin that can follow weight loss. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all that metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.

Enjoy your life again, like when you were young. With no time frames or expectations. Just love the life you are in and thank your husband for all he does in support of your efforts as a wife and mother.

Be Your Own Public Relations Rep

2009-01-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

Putting the “Public” back in Public relations is your vital key to setting yourself apart from your competition.

A mistake commonly made, often without even noticing, is confusing social media with online marketing.

Social media is anything that uses the internet to facilitate conversation between people- that is not the practice of social marketing. Social marketing seeks to benefit your target markets, which is the secret to success. the primary focus is on the consumer--on learning what people want and need rather than trying to persuade them to buy what we happen to be producing.

Marketing talks to the consumer, not about the product.

Think about any common, overplayed, commercial. One that comes to mind for me is of a well known laundry detergent. Elegantly portrayed, it shows a woman going about the business of her life as time passes. Throughout the commercial the clothes washed in an off brand detergent are strategically compared to those washed in this advertised detergent. We come to find out, through visual encouragement, just how much our clothes fade when this particular detergent is not used.

The genius marketing skill behind all this is how we are benefited from this seller. We will not only be choosing yet another soap out of the, oh so many choices, we will be stretching our wallet and improving our lives in several different ways.

With that being said, find your niche in how you can improve your customer’s lives in what “you do” rather than pushing another product on them. Think like a customer and not so much as a seller. Try not to get hung up on the $$ signs and think more about how you would like to benefit as a buyer.
It’s time to put the “Public” back into public relations. In order to have a viable product, people must first perceive that they have a genuine problem, and that the product offering is a good solution for that problem

Promotion: Get yourself seen, in a positive light. Don’t get caught up with crashing in on all the well known spots online that are over saturated with sellers just like you. Remember the goal is to stand out, not blend with what’s popular now.

There is a big world outside of the internet. Only about ½ to 2/3 of the United States Population is online. Broken down in any given area these stats could be very similar (of course give or take based on the size of your area) here are a few ideas on how to get noticed in your own area:

Newspaper: Contact your local newspaper by mail, phone or in person. (Emails are a low priority for reporters) Press releases are free and a story could get you seen by locals who otherwise don’t shop on places that you may currently be visible

Phone Book: Get in the phone book if your budget allows it. One word of warning is that you do your research to get under the appropriate heading. I was under the wrong heading when I got started and it was wasted money. To find out what heading you should choose have someone you trust search for similar items that you sell in their phone book and have them tell you what listings they searched.

Piggy Back: It’s important to attract your specific target market. (For help finding your target market search here: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/a/targetmarket.htm) I happen to share a target market with Photographers, wedding/event planners and bridal shops with the portion of my business in which I create custom wedding(and other) invitations. I have contacted many of these type businesses to offer them 10% of each sale that is brought in due to their advertising of my services. Tip: plan this out before you contact to ensure you come across as professional, trustworthy and know your stuff. If they promote you their image is on the line as well.

Trunk Show: Otherwise known as a type of “Tupperware party” invite others over to see your work and learn from your own success. Or have a “how to” night to allow yourself to be known as a guru in your field.

With all this local promoting don’t forget to cover the social marketing aspect of your online business life by offering a need to your customers that only you can fulfill. You have something to offer weather you think you do or not.

Sewer? I don’t know to how to sew and would greatly benefit from anything from “how to sew” video tutorials to a simple checklist on the “ABC’s” while sewing. Tip: I recently bought a few patterns because I would love to make my own clothes, however I am more of a visual learner and found myself confused by the instructions...In steps you!

Soap maker? I don’t know anything about the harms or benefits of what is in our soaps opposed to store bought. There are a lot of medicinal benefits to some of the ingredients in your creations as well, aren’t there? Let’s hear about them.

Jeweler? What are the benefits to buying your jewelry as opposed to store bought?

I know there are so many more types of expertise’s out there, but my point being; concentrate more on educating your customers about the benefits in how your products can help improve their lives and not so much on pushing your products just to get them seen. I have been guilty of that as well and my sales are just mediocre….if that sounds like you, join me in breaking through this plateau of stagnant business.

Right now, the main thing that stands between you and success is getting those customers – and the good press builds the bridge between you and them.

Questions: Please Ask! :)

HandmadeOlogy-Your LifeLine to Modern Crafting

2009-01-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

It’s funny how a business starts.

A good idea turned into an accidental fan club of individuals who enjoy and appreciate your work. But where do you grow from there?

As your business suddenly booms how do you adjust with it? I am a, simple, uneducated, military spouse and mother of two who has found herself well liked and respected and I'm not the only one.

But now what?

In this day and age of such intense online competition how can you possibly stick out from the crowd as a unique, exquisite and most importantly, trusted, shop over all the rest?

Trust me this is something I am dying to know. Please join me as I anxiously anticipate the unleashing of TimothyAdamDesigns new website

“HandmadeOlogy”.

As a subscriber of his blog I have received several sneak peeks of the “schooling” on how to properly and efficiently succeed as a handmade shop among such concentrated competition.

I’m sure; now, you are asking yourself “why should I trust this bit of advice over all the others”?

TimothyAdamDesigns has become a trustworthy presence among the Etsy community (and beyond) as being a “go to guy” as well as making for himself a gentleman like presence. His advice has proven trustworthy and dependable time and time again. Don’t believe me?

Check out for yourself some of the great advice (put into practice) he has given amongst the Etsy business topic threads:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5992806
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5876379
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5554499

Join us on the cutting edge of HandmadeOlogy as we learn to thrive and stand out from our ever present competion.
Unveiling: 26 January 2009 HandmdeOlogy.Com

I look forward to hearing your comments on how the advice given helps you in your own business ventures.

See you then, Sarah

The Thing About Authority

2009-01-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Authority- I think it’s something we have and will struggle with our whole life. Why…well we are selfish and want our own way. At least I can only speak for myself; this rings true for me. When we were growing up, we constantly battled to get our own way. Moms, we see it now in our kids as they battle us. We often then turn into rebellious teenagers who think we are smarter and better than to be held “down” by any laws. Then for most, we get married, and have to battle our husbands as the pressure is on for us to be and do what he expects.

URRRGGGGHH….Does the battle ever end!?!?!?

I’m sorry to say that sin will always abound while on this earth. But we can definitely lessen the blows. Put an end to this vicious cycle for the sake of your children. With our example and help they too could have a dramatically smaller battle on their hands.

I have read Mrs. Pearl’s book “Created to be His help Meet” several times. I did learn through her rather gentle, yet hard to hear, teachings about our husband’s place of authority over us and how we can make or break our own marriage. Even though her book should be on the New York’s best selling list, it was on marriage, and didn’t touch on how other types of authority effect not only our walk with God but also our lives here on earth.

I was reading in 1Samuel 9 and God revealed the authoritative importance in how Saul was to become king. Saul’s father sent Saul and a servant out to look for lost asses. They went around to the surrounding tribes and found nothing. Saul decided on his own for them to turn back in case his father got worried due to their absence. The servant then stepped in with an idea to go into the city, Israel, and behold an honorable man of God that will be able to reveal the whereabouts of the lost asses. Saul then replied that they had no gift to honor such a man of God with. The servant then exposed a silver shekel as a gift to come before this great man, Samuel.

Now, stop and think about that. Saul would have been perfectly within right to deny the servant and return home. However, out of love and respect for his father he obeyed the authority of his servant’s words as well. He didn’t take advantage of his status above the servant but respected him because of the servants place before his father.

Meanwhile, Samuel was waiting for Saul, since God revealed just the day before; he would be sending a man the next day to anoint as captain over all of Israel.

What God shared with me in this story is that we are not, or should not, be in complete control of our own lives. Yes, we say that we follow God but how often, as keepers of our home, do we take the wheel on things because we are sure we know what’s best? Personally, I have lost count. If Saul didn’t obey the authority of his father’s servant perhaps God may have seen something in his heart to make him in turn miss out on so much he had planned for his life. I so don’t want that to be me.

Authority comes in all shapes…and sizes. Although, please don’t let me confuse you, Our husband is our final authority here on earth both spiritually and physically. Sometimes God will use people we encounter to orchestrate less “spiritual” matters. Our mothers, sisters, brothers, husbands boss’s wife, children (no not to boss you; but I believe God uses kids in a special way. God has shown me a lot through listening to the things my daughter says; not her commands) oh and do I dare say it, our mother in laws as well. Ultimately, breaking the authority of any of these people (without going outside the will of your husband of course) can bring great shame upon your husband (and you) and how he is viewed as a man in this world.

Learn to obey the authority within your sphere; with Jesus all things are possible.

First Day Of School

2009-01-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, it’s a bit of an odd time to start school.

That is the beauty of homeschooling; you can adjust around what works best for your family. Here in Florida, where we are currently stationed, most 4 year olds are partaking in Pre-K for a few hours a day. If we had decided to send our daughter to school she would not have made the cut off since she turned 4 a few months after the school year began. Instead I planned to start “schooling” her myself after her 4th birthday.

Once I started looking for a teaching method as well as curriculum I was quickly overwhelmed as explained in an earlier post to this blog. My husband, the more level headed of us two, encouraged me to pick a pre-made curriculum that I felt comfortable with. I was worried I would get locked in to teaching things I may not want to. He gently reminded me I can always add and take away as I see fit. Although our daughter is Pre-K age, once I delved deeper into my search I realized she was ready for Kindergarten. As Pre-K mainly consists of colors, numbers, alphabet and shapes I was excited to find out she was well past the basic knowledge of those topics.

Not knowing how the day would go I allotted for a lot of extra time! Even that extra time quickly slipped away I am generally pleased with how the day turned out overall.

6-7Breakfast, Devotions and Get Dad off to work.
7-9 I blocked off these two hours for exercise and play.
9-10 Bath’s and clean up
10-11 Memory verse review, phonics/handwriting, math
11-1 Naps for all!!
1-1:30 Snack
2-3:30 Science, History and Art
3:30-4 clean the house/work on dinner

This is how today went. I prefer to work on school a bit more in the morning. However, the 2 hours blocked off for exercise my friend and I rotated watching the kids and went on 3 mile runs. The weather wasn’t that great so it took a bit longer to switch off than expected. It’s still a work in process and I’m sure all the kinks will be ironed out in a few weeks.

I have always prided myself that my time in the Army taught me to be and expert organizer; but the aesthetics of today were certainly a challenge!

I am so proud of my little girl’s performance today! She loves to learn and picks things up very quick! I was a bit worried that the Kindergarten curriculum would move to fast for her so I am taking it very slow. It has been a breeze so far! I know tougher times are yet to come because once I touched on something a bit challenging her frustration level went through the roof. Is this normal for kids when they learn something new? I suppose time will tell. If you would like to comment or share your own experiences I’d love to hear them.

Chili's Possibilities-HomeStyle New Years

2008-12-30T17:23:00.000-08:00

With a wish to ring in the “New Year” a bit different than in past years, we have done a little planning to enjoy a family night out-In. With a few friends, we will be having a family game night huddled, chatting and giggling, around a few board games and battling it on Mario Cart Wii.
The Menu has been handpicked and inspired by Chili’s. My all time favorite restaurant will be in reach to all from our dining room table! Since the cooking is a day in the making I thought I would start early and post about our evening morsels in case you to were looking for a fun set of food choices.
First Up: Chili’s Southwest Egg Rolls

Eggroll
1 chicken breast fillet
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced red bell peppers
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1/3 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup canned black bean, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons diced canned jalapeno peppers
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
35 inches flour tortillas
Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup smashed fresh avocado (about half of an avocado)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 dash dried dill weed
1 dash garlic powder
1 dash pepper
Garnish
2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped onion

Directions

Preheat barbecue grill to high heat.
Rub the chicken breast with some vegetable oil then grill it on the barbecue for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done.
Lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken while it cooks.
Set chicken aside until it cools down enough to handle.
Preheat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the red pepper and onion to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes until tender.
Dice the cooked chicken into small cubes and add it to the pan.
Add the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan.
Cook for another 4 minutes.
Stir well so that the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese.
Stir until the cheese is melted.
Wrap the tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave on high temperature for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot.
Spoon approximately one-fifth of the mixture into the center of a tortilla.
Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over the mixture.
Roll the tortilla very tight, then pierce with a toothpick to hold together.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have five eggrolls.
Arrange the eggrolls on a plate, cover the plate with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.
Overnight is best.
While the eggrolls freeze prepare the avocado-ranch dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees.
Deep fry the eggrolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and remove to paper towels or a rack to drain for about 2 minutes.
Slice each eggroll diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce.
Garnish the dipping sauce with the chopped tomato and onion.

Chili's Boneless Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 chicken breast fillets
4-6 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup hot sauce (Crystal or Frank's Louisiana)
1 tablespoon margarine
On the side
bleu cheese salad dressing (for dipping)
celery rib
Directions
Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl.
In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces.
Preheat 4-6 cups of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.
When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
When the chicken is done resting, drop each piece into the hot oil and fry for 5-6 minutes or until each piece is browned.
As chicken fries, combine the hot sauce and margarine in a small bowl.
Microwave sauce for 20-30 seconds or just until the margarine is melted, then stir to combine.
You can also use a small saucepan for this step.
Just combine the hot sauce and margarine in the saucepan over low heat and stir until margarine is melted and ingredients are blended.
When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a plate lined with a couple paper towels.
Place the chicken pieces into a covered container such as a large jar with a lid.
Pour the sauce over the chicken in the container, cover, and then shake gently until each piece of chicken is coated with sauce.
Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve the dish with bleu cheese dressing and sliced celery on the side.

Naughtini

1 part X-RATED Fusion Liqueur®
1 part Watermelon Pucker
1 part Pineapple juice
Splash of 7UP or Red Bull

Making Waves on Salon Day

2008-12-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

Ok a trip to the hair salon has officially turned into a chore! Since I have been battling my chronic dead ends I decided “enough is enough!” I asked Sarah if she wouldn’t mind coming with me and sitting with the kids while I took care of business. Sarah, great friend and mother of 2 also, happily obliged and asked if I would return the favor. We quickly made plans to make 2 appointments in which we would take turns watching each other’s kids (4 total) while we each were able to indulge in this special treat so early in the day.
The small waiting area of our local Supercuts quickly turned into a small daycare center. With games going and babies drooling other patrons were checking the sign on the door to make sure they were in the right place. I had imagined it all going different in my mind but you never can tell how an event will transpire with kids. During this stop on my list to do; it was an enjoyable experience I was glad to be able to spend with Sarah and all 4 of our kids. For the unsuspecting customers who happened to cross paths with our, what can be quite hectic, lives as stay at home moms; I apologize.
Overall I couldn’t have been more proud of how 4 kids under the age of 5 managed to be so well behaved while asked to play in the confines of such a small area without wreaking havoc. Hard work; yes. Way worth it; double yes.
Our kids were well rewarded with a trip to chic filet and lots of free time in the play area! Thanks Kids!

Homemade Is Just Heavenly

2008-12-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

So for any of you who are just getting to know me; I love to find a healthy, more natural, alternative to just about anything.
Since I plan all our meals it’s often I spend about an hour or two the day before grocery shopping to organize the shelves & fridge as well as to check for missing ingredients for each of my recipes.
A great tip I learned early on is to have a plan and make a list before heading to the market and you will be sure to save lots at checkout and reduce waste!
I had gotten busy, and when I say busy I really mean lazy, so I have been slacking in this area. Nothing bothers me more than not being a good steward of my husband’s hard earned money. So, I recently got myself back on track and hunkered down more than ever. I started taking a deeper look at the ingredients I was placing on my list in order to analyze if there were more "common" items I could make myself.
One of the meals I was planning "Ranch Chicken Quesadillas" calls for both ranch dressing and flour tortillas. Since I try to stick to the rule "If you can pronounce a label’s ingredient it's good and if you can't it's don’t get it" I decided to research making my own ranch and tortillas. Tortillas you can, often, get away with buying store bought without feeling guilty about "what's really in there" but ranch dressing...there is just no getting around the unknown ingredients inside; take a look yourself if you haven’t already. Never fear; you can make your own ranch dressing at home; cheaper and yes it tastes much better. My favorite site to visit to find healthy, natural, alternatives to everyday food items is called TheFamilyHomestead.com in which Mrs. Miller’s recipe for homemade ranch is just fantastic. When I made homemade buffalo chicken fingers I simply added some feta cheese to make a "blue cheese" style dressing.

So my tortillas & ranch tonight was such a hit! Even better there was a certain satisfaction in making it all from scratch. Not only is it a great accomplishment but I felt surprisingly at ease about knowing everything that was going into my families bellies.

Ranch Chicken Quesadillas

1 lb Chicken peeled in strips (I prefer to boil thighs on the bone; once cool you simply peel the meat off.
½ cup home prepared ranch dressing
1 small can of diced chili’s (mild)
½ small onion chopped
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Once you have completed cooking the tortillas; place them flat on a hard surface. Cover ½ of your tortilla with chicken mixture then fold over, press in edged (making a half moon) and set aside. Once you have completed place all filled tortilla shells flat on a cookie sheet and bake for 25 min.
You could also place them in a George Forman Grill and cook them that way,

Ranch Dressing

Flour Tortillas

Try it and let me know what you think; I’d love to hear how it makes you feel to cook for your family from scratch!

"To Do List": Homeschool Version

2008-12-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

For any of you with one or more “mini me’s” running around. You are well aware of how the time can so quickly slip through your fingers; leaving your “to do” list left rather unattended.
High priority on my "To Do List": Complete Abigails Lesson Plan.

Our, overactive, highly inquisitive daughter turned 4 in October. I always knew I wanted to start more formal schooling when she turned 4. Now here we are creeping up on the beginning of the year and I have yet to start her on a scheduled learning program. I did however order a full years worth of curriculum from:

Christian Liberty Press

Little did I know how much work it would be to reach the organizational level I would be most satisfied with. Along with the K-4 curriculum came exlanations and tips for the teacher, me, with helpful hints and practical guidlines to make sure my little "student" gets the most out of my instruction. The most helpful tip I recieved from the Teachers Guide was how importaint it is to be organized prior to the start of homeschooling. The explanation revealed reveiws from other parents explaining how easy it is to get burned out without propper organization.

For every parent who has tried to teach their child anything you know how frustrating it can be. Imagine how magnified this frustration could become without providing a calm, structured, environment.

My main goal is teach my children how to love and hear Jesus in their lives. Along with this will come an at home education closely monitored and designed to allow my children to reach their maximum, healthy, curiosity level. Over the past few weeks I have been working to start on our all new schedule. The big day will be January 5th. I have almost completed the lesson plan for my daugthers year of Kindegarten. The lesson plan includes bible, history, science (our world), phonics, math and handwriting. By June little Abigail should be able to count to 100, add, subtract, read and write.

It is more exciting than I can express, to think I will be in charge in teaching the my daughter (and eventually our son) the building blocks that will bring her through life.

The completion of finalizing her lesson plan includes organizing which activities I will complete which days with which subjects.

Since organization is key I will be looking for 5 bins to lable Monday thru Friday and fill each with all work, activities and materials the weekend prior in order to hunker down to learn in a calm environment. Although with our 18 month old, only time will tell how calm the environment will be. :) Much more to come in my: "Adventures in Homeschooling".

Like always, I'd love to hear advice and comments on this issue.

How do you Celebrate...Christmas?

2008-12-11T18:57:00.000-08:00

So how does your family celebrate Christmas?

That may be a strange question for some but we don't all share the same desires to decorate and give gifts. Our family chooses to keep their sights on Jesus which is surprisingly much more simple than the complications the "Holiday Season" can sometimes bring. My father in Law, Mr. David Stahl, wrote a great article on where our priorities lie, now and always. Please check it out at http://bhisglory.blogspot.com/

Talk Radio 101 http://www.talkradio101.com/index.shtml announced a contest offer for all those that have "Holiday Headaches" although ours may be a bit different than the entries expected we have added our "Headache" to the list that will be offered up for the prize of a $250 gift card. I decided to share our entry our of curiosity of what others think of our "headache" and also to hear yours.

Contest Entry:

"So...what's Santa bringing you for Christmas this year?" This time of the year that question is expected, especially when you have kids as we do, but what of those like us that don’t celebrate Christmas in the traditional way as most of the rest of the country? This question is our biggest headache during the holiday season. Our 4 year old daughter, who is much more aware of this time of the year than our 18 month old son, often gets excited at the colorful decorations and glistening lights which spawn an abundance of holiday-related questions, especially about the “big red man.” As a Christian family we teach our children that Jesus is the reason for the joy in our lives and giving is much better than receiving. We don’t give presents and we don’t decorate; instead of giving gifts to family and friends we teach our children to give to those unable to give back. Part of our stressful concern when going out in public is from the Christmas-spirited mother’s reaction with me after hearing my 4 year old reveal the sacred secret, “Santa is not real, we love Jesus instead.” Imagine how many times we get asked the Santa filled questions by an overwhelming amount of people who assume we follow in the holiday Santa deception. If you have kids, I’m sure you can imagine. Even my husband has encountered harassment by co-workers over the same issues I encounter outside of the workplace. It has even gone as far as someone telling him he doesn’t love our kids due to his unwillingness to shower them with gifts on this one day out of the year. Will our holiday headache ever reach a resting place? Please help Goody’s Cool Orange Headache Powder!

Your thoughts?....Your headaches...? I'd love to hear with your comments.

Although our kids are still quite young (4 and 18months) We have plans of traditions that include turning the holidays into giving back to others as we learn to Love as Jesus Loves. Weather it be our time or our talents. One thing we have and will try to implement more is visiting the local veterans home and showing our love and gratitude for what they have sacrificed for their country.

Rethink Success

2008-11-07T10:06:00.001-08:00

Are you familiar with the Saturn commercial depicting current social stereotypes compared with the purity of well known symbols? Although our society deems certain steps necessary in order to gain success, I would like to share with you that doesn’t always have to be the case. When you hear the term success what do you think about? I’m sure what you have in mind right now isn’t a mom busily tending her family and home during the day, often in pajamas, while juggling a baby on her hip. Perhaps with the exploitation of my experiences…you too, will rethink success.
Yes, that’s right I am a proud military spouse and mother of two with no college education. Hardly your typical example of success but I have found a niche and learned to wisely use resources to become a successful business owner. Although my success factors are no exactly classic they are what I consider success. The chance to help improve our children’s quality of life and to make my husband proud to say “She’s mine” has always been my ideal achievement.
These are turbulent times and the ability to be resourceful is paramount. Resourcefulness is not something inherit it is learned. I hope under this, particular topic, I can help you become as resourceful as needed to be your own “non-traditional” business owner.

1. Familiarize yourself with your public library-Back in January, of this year, when I was searching for a direction to take for business startup, I looked to the library. I scoured for books on business topics and began to read. There I found everything from writing a business plan to 101 ways to advertise on a shoestring budget. Some of the books I continue to use over and over and some I took a bit of advice and moved on to the next. A book in particular that stood out for me was called “The Purple Cow” By Seth Godin. In it he teaches you to transform your business by being remarkable. With his advice I learned to think more creatively. In so, I have learned to stamp my mark on the work I do leaving folks wanting to come back for more. In most cases there are more than one library in any given county. Most libraries carry different books from their neighboring counterparts so visit a few to get some variety. Search for local libraries here. http://www.publiclibraries.com/

2. Create a budget and stick to it- We all have different amounts available to work with. It’s very important to know what they are. Once you know that amount work inside that. It will keep you from going under. You will then be able to spend wisely at startup. It’s ok if you star off small and slow. It will give you the time you need to become more experienced and allow you to work through growing pains. Trust me you will appreciate that in the long run. Get your free excel budget template here to help get you on track. Just plug in your info and see where you stand. http://www.free-financial-advice.net/create-budget.html .

3. Learn from your peers- There have been so many others who have gone before us and most often are honored to share tips, experiences as well as mistakes and lessons learned. Most local business’s contact information is available online. Don’t be scared to call, email, write or even schedule an interview. Contact local businesses in your community by searching the online yellow pages. http://www.yellowpages.com/?From=Branding_ypbrnd_yellow+pages.com

4. Know your target market- It’s easy to get roped into “blanket” advertising opportunities in order to overwhelm as many people as possible. That, I must admit, has been my biggest mistake since my start in January. The money it costs to do so is not worth the type or quality of business you are looking to get. Owning your own business means you are providing a product or service that has a need to fulfill. With that being said, there is a precise group of people looking for your particular product and/or service. It cuts into your valuable time and money to throw darts blindly at a target. So do some research and find your demography. Don’t be scared to get creative. My target market is shared with photographers and various wedding boutiques. In the past I have contacted countless of these businesses and offered them a deal. In exchange for advertising, I would offer them a percentage of my profits per sale. This way I had no upfront cost and would give them a portion after I had been paid. Just be aware you may get 100 “No’s” before you get that 1 “Yes”. But believe me that one yes makes it worth all the while. This article helps explain how to narrow down your target market. http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/a/targetmarket.htm

5. Be Trusted-Start your business off right and give careful consideration to how you treat every person you come in contact with; customers and non customers alike. There is nothing that will hurt you more than negative comments spread around about the quality of your service as well as the value of your words. Yes, I ‘m sure there are a quite a few big businesses you have talked bad about before or even cringe as you pass by. The truth is as a small business you can’t afford to lose customers based on untrustworthy actions. Think of all the ways you would like to have been treated as a customer and surpass those expectations. Here are some basic guidelines to proper business etiquette.
http://www.ravenwerks.com/practices/etiquette.htm

6. Know the Law- When organizing your ideas and directions don’t forget to include educating yourself on the lawful requirements you must fulfill. Check out this small business guide and track down all the information you can on which category you fall into. http://www.business.gov/guides/
Of course it’s not surprise by now my attempt was to change your perspective on how small and nontraditional the scale can be for success to be achieved. In this, particular case; ignorance would certainly not be bliss if it meant the difference between a flourishing business and a failing mess.

How often do you prune?

2008-08-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have been seriously neglecting my garden, in more ways than one. During today’s preparations, outdoors, to get ready for the arrival of tropical storm Fay, I decided to put off overlooking the garden.
I am no seasoned gardener so the small plot of earth I have, in raised beds my husband made for me, I have done the best I can with the small amounts of knowledge I learn through trial and error. The hot summers of Florida have only allowed me to grow tomatoes, successfully. But for some reason, this year, even my tomato production has been very poor. I was puzzled about the lack of production when I checked in on them this morning because the bushes are surprisingly lush and hearty looking. I did remember reading in a book of mine called “The Vegetable Gardeners Bible” that tomato plants need to be pruned. With that information, last year, I kept up on the pruning of my tomato bushes and had an abundance of tomatoes. This year I have not kept up on the pruning and have been left with these un producing plants.
So, I went in the house and brought back some pruning shears to get to work. My daughter, almost 4, eager to do what mommy does joined in right along with me. I gave her a dull pair of scissors to use to cut away “just like mommy”.
While simply and quietly cutting away all the excess branches, God revealed something magnificently wonderful as well as quite disheartening. As lush and hearty as these tomato plants seem to be there was no production, yet lots of extra “fluff”. In further research I came to find out the importance of pruning tomato bushes. All the extra branches actually use up, valuable, energy of the plants producing qualities on nothing more than a pretty accessory. To get a fair amount of delightfully plump tomatoes the branches must be pruned back to leave a, rather, bare looking trunk. Needless to say my tomato plants actually look more miserable now than with all the “fluff” with no fruit.
It was then that I saw the importance in allowing God to prune all the “fluff” from our heats and desires. It’s hard to come to that place where we allow God to cut us down to nothing while at the same time keeping our complete trust in him that the “pruning” will bring forth more production than not. This is why it was disheartening. I have been filling my heart and desires with “fluff” and it left me feeling rather convicted. I saw amongst all my own “fluff” I have reached a place stagnation in my relationship with my husband. Lately I have felt “why can’t he just give me a break” besides “I always do”, not entirely true. Marriage seems to be a lifelong battle of give and take. When one is, most likely, taking more than the other. But if I had been concerning myself with allowing the Lord to prune my righteous fluff, He would have filled my heart with love and a desire to serve and not with this spirit of contention that am I struggling with now.
While we are busy concerning ourselves with what the outside looks and feels like we can’t allow God to deal with the inside. Besides, why should we? We look so hearty and healthy. But if you look close enough you will see no growth and even worse, no production. Just like with my tomatoes, the bush has reached a pretty place of stagnation. Although it looks great, it’s of no use to me while it’s not producing fruit to fill my family’s bellies. While we to are no use to God while we fester on getting what’s ours and not sharing what’s His.
The second part to what God showed me was for mothers especially. Remember how I mentioned earlier that my daughter couldn’t wait to follow my lead. As great as that made me feel that I just may be doing something right because she actually wants to be around me; God showed me something. She has no idea why we are pruning these bushes. And you know what; she won’t for a long time. She will probably understand the practical reason before the spiritual reason. But as long as your are teaching your children Gods ways, bit by bit, they will one day come to a place of understanding to allow God to prune their own hearts. That’s the purpose isn’t it? To raise children that choose to one day serve and love God on their own? That is my greatest desire!

So you want to Homeschool...Now what?

2008-08-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

My husband's and my desire, from very early on, was that I would home school our children. As our children have slowly crept up on "school age" our decision has been concreted as we observe the changes in the world around us.
I have always been excited about our decision to home school. Whimsical thoughts of fun projects and smiling faces while my daughter begged "lets learn more mom" are softly fading as I have encountered actually "schooling" my daughter. She is just barely pre-school age so we aren't yet doing anything official. But her overactive need to be constantly challenged has left me feeling overwhelmed and bewildered. Leaving my and her frustrated and confused.
I am a military veteran, of which I served 3 years prior to my first pregnancy, and do not have much of an education past high school. That didn't bother me at my first thought of homeschooling. But, now that I find myself standing at the doorway to this very vast, unknown, realm I find myself more confused than ever.
More than anything I just didn't know where to begin. One of the main reasons we decided to home school was to guide the values, knowledge and materials that would mold our children into the types of adults that we only hope to be.
Being the "cheapskate" I am, I headed to the library. I was comforted at the fact that I found much more information than I was expecting. A few of the books that really helped me grab hold a few of the thousands of directions I seemed to once be overwhelmed by were:

1. The ABC's Of Homeschooling By: Vicki Caruana
Being a christian myself I felt very comforted by her guidance. She showed the importance of doing what God wants for your family by following Him and referencing what the the Bible states on the issue. She gave great advice on those "Questions" you most certainly will be asked by doubters of your decisions and offers many different paths you can take based on your families particular situation based on your child's learning styles or abilities.

2. Absolute Beginner's Guide To Homeschooling By: Brad Miser
Fantastic guide on where to start, how to collect your thoughts and choose a path to start your teaching. This book covers everything from State legal requirements to creating lesson plans.

3. The McGraw-Hill Homeschooling Companion By: Laura Saba and Julie Gattis
This book is a bit similar to the Absolute Guide accept in goes in depth a bit more as to what to teach for each subject according to grade level.

I tend to make everything much more complicated than it actually is. I always find myself so overwhelmed by all the information there is out there. I would love to just sit down and read for days about all sorts of things ranging from all sorts of subjects, then turn around and experience and experiment it all. But that is a bit unrealistic. That is one reason I am so excited about schooling my kids. I get to learn, experience and experiment right along side them.

Once I read these books I received much more direction, but still wasn't settled on exactly what to teach. For some reason I felt like there was a specific thing and if I didn't find out what it was that I would just ruin everything. False! So I stopped trying to complicate everything, for once, and started with Gods word.

Train up a child in the way he should go:

and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

If you think about it the Bible has all we need in it to teach our children what the "really" need to know. I was once asked "what are you going to do when your child's education has surpassed your own?" The truth to the that is "I'm not sure." And we shouldn't be concerned with that. God teaches us to concern our self for today and not for tomorrow. So, In all His great wisdom, the Lord guided me to use the Bible as a reference guide.

I know as our kids get older I will need to use other materials to teach them things such as grammar, punctuation and calculus. But I will continue to use the Bible as a guide for secondary things such as animals, dimensions and geography. But the authority on the way we live our life.

The truth of the matter is, I have come to the point where I am not so concerned anymore with weather my kids can say there alphabet and count to 100, by a certain time, as I am with weather I can raise children that will one day love and serve the Lord.

So with that said; I have been reading through exodus about the plagues and God hardening the Pharaoh's heart. I have decided to start by teaching my daughter about the things God uses to teach us. As a starting point, I am going to use each of the 10 plagues as a guide on what we learn daily.

1. Water is turned to blood: I am going to teach Abigail all about the human body and of course I will be learning right along with her. I will be using this teachers guide from Discovery.com

http://yucky.discovery.com/teachercenter/pg000064.htm

2. Frogs

3. Lice

4. Flies

5. Cattle

6. Boils

7. Hail

8. Locusts

9. Darkness

10. First Born Dies

The exciting thing is these are just subject guides. You can get as creative, in depth or even take these in any direction you want. If you child needs to work on counting make frog pictures or buy frog toys to count, practice colors, match or even allow fall from a parachute that you made out of tissue and floss. The possibilities are endless and If you have a starting point and get practicing it will get easier and easier and the ideas will come flooding in with the more research and digging you do.

Again, don't be discouraged or doubt yourself due to a lack of knowledge. Educating yourself in the area of homeschooling or any other subject, for that matter, should always be a possibility worth exploring. As wives and mothers we are to live our lives in servitude to our Lord through serving our husbands and families.

Choose to make your household a happy one...Today!

Grow a Garden where 'er You Go

2008-06-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ever since learning about the lost nutrients and over use of pesticides and preservatives on our, store bought, fruits and vegetables I have been striving to keep fresh fruits and vegetables available in my own back yard. Living a military life we are asked to uproot and start fresh about every 3-4 years. I never thought it possible to be able to have a "mobile" garden all my own. My, container bed, garden has come a long way from from the the soggy mess it was last year when I started. I am now excited to share all the mistakes and successes I have had to get to the point of full blown production.

Before I planted or even purchased any materials I studied books about gardening, that I checked out from the library, for about a month. I got acquainted with the very important details of choosing a garden location, watering schedules and of course how to produce and preserve nutrient dense soils. Of course with all this studying, I came up with the "perfect" plan to have a fabulous garden the fist time around. Right! I learned the hard way that regardless of how prepared the plan...the first try at a garden is most likely going to prove to be a frustrating sequence of trial and error to find what works best for you and your plants.

I new water was important. But what I learned is too much water is damaging.

I watered for about 1/2 hour a day using a sprinkler that sprayed the water overhead. Everything seemed to be doing ok until my cute, bright yellow squash soon filled up to look like water balloons. Plus overhead watering made it easy for vegetable worms and bugs to get from plant to plant, therefore getting around and treating it as though it was there own private buffet line.

Now, I water the base of the plants only. The roots are what needs the water. Checking the garden soil daily using a very simple finger check. I poke my finger through the surface layer to feel how the soil underneath is. If it has a rich, dark color and a moist feel you probably shouldn't water that day. Sometimes i can go 2-3 days without watering and some days i have to water everyday. Of course this depends on the last time it rained and how hot it has been, consecutively.

I live in Florida so container gardening is a must, for me. I am no expert and am having an interesting enough time getting my garden growing and producing . But I do know what mistakes not to make again and over and under watering is one of them.

Another vital life line to the production quality of your garden is soil nutrients. At the beginning of my experiment with growing, my husband and I went to the local garden center to buy soil to fill the containers. We searched for what would be best and I chose a basic soil made from manure. Manure is a proven additive to supply nutrients to soil but what I learned is that, on it's own, just doesn't cut it. There must be other nutrient sources and one of them must be from the plants themselves. Not only using compost (as well as coffee grounds) last year to fertilize the soil I also allowed the plants to stay in the ground and wither away to decompose in the containers themselves throughout the winter. This is a very important step in preserving the proper nutrients in soil. The practice (used by many farmers who provide our basic supply of produce) of removing part or all of the crops grown from the soil accelerates the loss of nutrients from the soil. The cycling of nutrients from plant uptake and release is interrupted by crop removal. This loss, if not corrected by fertilization, must be made up by nutrient release from primary soil minerals and from soil organic matter. Even if you "fertilize" vital nutrients will be stripped away from your produce that you will never even know were depleted. Yes you still will get a production after stripping the soil but your body will suffer due to lack of immunity strength, energy levels and longevity.

How to make your own "Compost"

Compost is the best all natural soil amendment you can use. It contains valuable plant nutrients and plant disease fighting organisms and it also makes soil moisture retentive and easier to till. Best of all, compost is free when you make your own. You can make compost in a bin (3 feet square is ideal) or simply pile the ingredients on the ground. If you turn the pile periodically, it will break down faster, but even if you pile it and leave it for a year, it will break down.

6 parts dried (brown) plant material such as dry leaves straw, sawdust, paper

1 part fresh (green) plant material such as grass clippings, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, horse, cow or chicken manure.

1. Put a layer of brown material directly on the ground, then add a layer of green material. Continue to layer brown and green material to a height of 3 feet. Water with a hose as needed to keep the pile as moist as a wrong out sponge.

2. To speed up decomposition, use a hay fork to puncture and turn the pile to allow air into its center. In rainy weather cover the pile with a tarp to prevent saturating it.

3. If the pile becomes smelly, it is too wet. Mix in more brown ingredients. When the pile looks like rich, crumbly black soil and has a sweet, earthy fragrance, it is ready to use in the garden or as mulch.

Helpful Hint: An inexpensive, very helpful soil test

A complete soil test, available from your local cooperative extension office or your state agricultural university, costs less that $20 and is the best investment you can make in your garden. The results will provide an exact prescription for fertilization, liming and adding trace elements. Knowing what your soil needs allows you to furnish your plants with ideal conditions with no wasted effort. For testing locations and to order a kit by mail, check the government pages of your phone book or do an Internet search

Garden location is the final, vital, lesson I learned. A successful garden needs 6-8 hours of non-shaded sunlight a day. This is the only thing I did do right the first time around. Before setting up my garden I picked a few spots in the yard I thought would be pleasing to work in. I then monitored these spots throughout the day to see which spots were kept completely unshaded throughout the day. Unfortunately I only had 1 spot that was left uncovered by shade during the 6-8 hour window so I had no choice but to set up shop in that location. It's a cute little corner out at the far end of our back yard. I enjoy checking on the garden daily for sense of satisfaction and relaxation. There is just something so natural and satisfying with working with my hands. The greatest joy for me is having Abigail by my side and watching her, eager to learn, about how to one day have a garden of her own.

Knowing we would one day have to pack up and head out to a new assignment, new life and new adventure, my sweet husband built stands for my containers. When we move it will all come with us to start fresh at a new home and on a new garden. Taking with me will be sweet memories and valuable lessons.

Happy Gardening

Don't forget to have fun...

2008-05-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

It's so easy to get caught up in what "should", "could" and "needs to be done that life's simple pleasures and enjoyments quickly get replaced with rules, regulations and schedules. I recently reached a breaking point of which i had been before but with hopes i would not have to return. Well i found myself there again. This happens about every 3 months for me. I'll be sailing along, smooth, tucking daily aggravations, annoyances and heavy loads and tucking them behind where i can't see when... "BAHM"! I have reached a place where i just can't take it anymore! I felt guilty about needing a break and confused on weather i am aloud to have one or not? We are taught in Titus 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Based on that i thought we are supposed to never leave our kids alone. Well the Lord has come to teach me, through my husbands wisdom, that I was a bit silly in my thinking.
Being a military spouse we don't have the luxury of leaving our children with our parents or siblings when we want to run to the post office or downtown for that great sale. Nope, they are at our side or on our hips at places where normally kids aren't seen. (Like on my lap at my dentist appt.) Most of us have come accustomed to a life of being with our kids 24/7. Of course, for me and most, this is a great joy which i would never give up as long as my husband allowed. But when do we get a time for ourselves to unwind, to be refreshed and renewed to continue our sacrifice with a joyful smile and happy heart? Breaks are much needed and well deserved in the military community.
What i couldn't get out of my head was the statement in Titus, for mothers to be the keepers of the home. Does that mean we can't leave the home? Of course not! But we are admonished to be careful in doing so especially when our children are involved. We are to be "Chaste" which is to be extremely cautious and observed with the actions we choose to make. Can you make an honest decision in knowing your child will be unharmed and undefiled where you lave them? That is a decision God has left in our hands, as mothers, and protectors over our little ones. The choice is yours.

My husband has since allowed me to have a few hours a week to myself that will hopefully leave me ready and willing to be a better wife and mother than the week before.

While going through this rough patch, Teri from Teristreasures.etsy.com, enlightened with the fact that not everything has to be perfect at home all the time. We burn ourselves trying to give our kids a happy home by keeping them clean, the house cleaned and meals on the table we forget that kids just want to be silly and have fun. As long as we are misers about how the house and kids look (i am guilty to) we really aren't going to give them as joyful as a childhood and home life as we may expect. So i tried to put all those worries behind me and just learn to loosen up and have FuN!!!

So this is how our FuN day went yesterday! We started our walk at about 8am down towards the marina (about 2 blocks from our house). Abigail calls it "beacon beacon roach". Although we live on Beacon Beach Rd she hasn't figured out the difference between the road our house is on and were we often spend family time at the water, the Marina. So cute!! We walked all the way to the water on a winding boardwalk through a somewhat wooded wildlife area. On our way back we saw 2 turtles that we helped cross the road. I asked Abigail all about them and she didn't disappoint me with stories of where they were headed and what they were doing! Then we were off to the dock to feed the fish where we were pleasantly surprised with a dolphin sighting! The end of our 3 mile walk was at the park around the corner from our house. When we got home i made, one of her favs, scrambled eggs with cheese. Then we all got into the bath John, Abigail and I and swam...well waded..in the tub for a while. When Dan got home we headed out to root for him at his softball game where Abigail quickly became the official cheerleader. I never realized having a good time with my kids and watching them really enjoy themselves could feel like such a great accomplishment. I look forward to more joyful days with the loves of my life!

While we are having all this fun enjoying our families we can't forgot to let our taste buds have some fun as well. This recipe for cinnamon buns is absolutely out of this world. Want to give your family a fun surprise to start the day? Make them these! You won't regret it. The best part about making this recipe is that the dough can be mixed and the rolls filled, shaped, and frozen long before use. The night before I need to bake them, I take them out of the freezer to thaw and use. When I awake in the morning, I just bake. So easy to make and so rewarding.

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup milk (heated approximately 1 minute)
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature and beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
5 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional)*
3 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

Cinnamon Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon well; stir in chopped nuts (optional). NOTE: I like to sift the brown sugar and cinnamon together to remove any lumps.

Butter Frosting
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract or oil (optional)
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract or oil until well mixed and creamy. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use and then bring to room temperature before spreading.

1.Bread Machine: Add all the ingredients, except the Cinnamon Filling and the Butter Frosting, in the bread pan of bread machine. Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting. When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove dough from pan and turn out onto a lightly oiled surface. (I use a nonstick cooking spray). Form dough into an oval, cover with a plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
NOTE: Check the dough (don't be afraid to open the lid). It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time). If you can't judge your dough by looking, stick your finger in and feel the dough. It should be slightly tacky to the touch.

Stand up Mixer: In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5 quart stand mixer, combine all the ingredients in the order given except the Cinnamon Filling and the Butter Frosting. Using a dough hook, mix everything together until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface (I use a nonstick cooking spray), and knead until elastic, approximately 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Food Processor Method: Put dry mixture in processing bowl with steel blade. While motor is running, add liquid ingredients, butter, and egg. Process until mixed. Continue processing, adding remaining flour until dough forms a soft ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface (I use a nonstick cooking spray), and knead until elastic, approximately 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

2.Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan; set aside.

3.After dough has rested, roll and stretch the dough into approximately a 15x24-inch rectangle

4.Brush the softened butter from the Cinnamon Filling (see below) over the top of the dough with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle Cinnamon Filling over the butter on the prepared dough.

5.Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal. NOTE: Rolling the log too tightly will result in cinnamon rolls whose centers pop up above the rest of them as they bake.

6.With a knife, lightly mark roll into 1 1/2-inch section. Use a sharp knife (I like to use a serrated knife and saw very gently) or slide a 12-inch piece of dental floss or heavy thread underneath. By bringing the ends of the floss up and criss-crossing them at the top of each mark, you can cut through the roll by pulling the strings in opposite directions. Place cut side up in prepared pan, flattening them only slightly. The unbaked cinnamon rolls should not touch each other before rising and baking. Do not pack the unbaked cinnamon rolls together.

TWO OPTIONS:
Refrigerating or Freezing Unbaked Cinnamon Rolls:

At this point, the cinnamon rolls can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight (I've actually made them two days in advance) or frozen for 1 month. Before baking, allow rolls to thaw completely and rise in a warm place if frozen. I have found that I have to take the unbaked frozen cinnamon rolls out of the freezer 10 to 12 hours before planning to bake. I just put the frozen cinnamon rolls (container and rolls) on my counter (not in the refrigerator) overnight for 10 to 12 hours.

If refrigerated, they can be either baked upon removing from the refrigerator or let come to a room temperature (I've done both ways). They do a slow rise overnight and it is not necessary to let them come to room temperature before baking.

Bake Immediately After Making:
Cover and let rise in a warm place for approximately 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size (after rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. for regular oven or 325 degrees F. for a convection oven.
Bake in a convection oven approximately 15 to 20 minutes until they are a light golden brown.
Baked in a regular oven approximately 20 to 25 minutes in regular oven until they are light, golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Spread Butter Frosting over the cinnamon rolls while still warm. Serve warm.

Yields 15 cinnamon rolls.

Storage of cinnamon rolls:
After baking them and letting them cool, cover completely with plastic wrap and store on your counter, not the refrigerator.
You could also freeze them for longer storage. Just be sure and wrap securely with more than one layer. Like a layer of plastic wrap and then put them in a resealable plastic bag.

How does your...Onion Patch Grow?

2008-05-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

That's right...If you are like me and tried to extend the life of your onions in the garden this year they have just about hit the point of no return. As much as i love red onions in my salad I also appreciate the fact that they act as a natural pesticide and keep those annoying buggers away from surrounding veggies. As i took my nightly peak at the garden i realized i need to find some kind of use for them in hopes to not let waist away. I would hate to let any of my organic veggies go to waist but now that i have this abundance of onions it's time to think different and act quick!

Go ahead and take your pick from a few of these ideas. Feel free to use up all your onions on one project or stretch them out to cover a number of different uses for the summer season coming up.

Food:

Onion Soup

2 Tbs Butter
5 Medium onions, sliced thin
2 Tbs Sugar
3 1/3 Cups beef stock
5 Cups water
1/4 Cup brandy (optional)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp ground pepper
4 Tbs shredded, Gruyere Cheese
4 Slices French bread, Toasted (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400F In a large saucepan melt the butter. Add the onions and sugar, increase the heat to high, and saute until the onions are light golden, about 10 min. Reduce the heat to moderately low and saute 10 min longer, stirring occasionally
2.Add the stock and water, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, 20 min. Add the brandy, if desired, and the salt and pepper, and increase the heat to high; return the soup to a boil.
3. If you plan to freeze: wait until soup is warm, place in airtight freezer container, mark container for later use.
4. Place four 8oz oven proof ramekins or soup bowls on a heavy duty baking sheet. Ladle the soup into the bowls, dividing equally. Place 1 slice french bread and 1 Tbs cheese on top of each portion of soup.
5. Bake uncovered until the cheese melts; about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 Servings

Red Onion Relish (Canned)

3 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Lbs onions, peeled and sliced
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Tsp Kosher salt
1/2 Tsp ground black pepper
4 Tbs balsamic or sherry vinegar
1 Cup red wine

1. In a large saucepan over moderate heat, heat olive oil. Add the onion slices and cook about 20 min stirring occasionally.
2. Stir the sugar, salt and pepper into the onion mixture. Reduce the heat to low, cover he saucepan and cook very gently for 10 min.
3. Add vinegar and the wine cook uncovered stirring at regular intervals, until the mixture has the consistency of chutney, about 20-30 min. Skim off and discard any scum that forms during cooking.
4. Ladle the onion relish into two hot sterilized half pint jars leaving a 1/4inch space between the top of the relish and the rim of the jar. Wipe the rims, cover, and process for 10min in boiling water. Cool and test for airtight seals. Label, date and store in a cool dark place; onion relish will be ready to eat in 4 weeks. Once the jar has been opened, store the onion relish in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 half pints

Medicinal Purposes

Cough Suppressant
1 Large onion finely diced
2 Cloves garlic
2 Tbs finely diced, fresh ginger
Honey (to taste)

1. In a small saucepan combine onion, garlic and ginger. Add honey to cover and cook over very low heat for 30 min. Then mash together, or run through food processor, and let cool. Strain and store in clean jar with a tight fitting lid in refrigerator.
2. Take 1 Tsp every 15-30 Minutes

Onion (Natural) Decongestant

An onion can help your sinuses drain. Just make some onion juice. You do this by slicing up an onion, place in a bowl and put 1-2 Tbs sugar in it. Let sit about a half hour or until juice forms. Spoon it out and swallow...It's not too bad! One onion can be "juiced" many times. This is a great tip for pregnant woman who can't take medicine.

Athletes Foot Soother

To relieve the itch that often comes with athletes foot; rub onion juice on the affected area.

Sting Soother

If you have been stung by a bee or mosquito; cut the onion in half and hold it on the sting it will take away the pain and cool the sting.

Wart Remover

Rub a stubborn wart with an onion dipped in salt. Continue often until the wart disappears.

Earache Remedy

Just slice the onion in half and put it over the ear hole for about a half hour at a time or until the pain subsides.

Remove Odor:

Remove the smell of paint (or other foul odor) from inside a cupboard or cabinet by leaving a sliced onion inside for several hours.

After Handling Onions: you will want to get the smell from your hands. Try rubbing lemon juice and salt into your skin and rinsing it with cool water. Keep a bag of onions in the house at all times. They are great tasting, useful, and if they start to grow just put them into the ground or a pot of dirt and you will soon have more onions.

Alternative Insecticide

So what to do now that your bug deterrent has been pulled from it's post? Try this very helpful all natural Insecticide to help keep your organic garden just that!

10 garlic cloves
1 Tbs vegetable or mineral oil
3 Cups hot water
1 Tsp dish washing soap (not laundry or dish washing detergent)

1. Puree garlic, skin and all, along with the oil
2. Strain mixture through a sieve(strainer) into a quart jar. Add water and dish washing soap. Cap the jar and shake gently to mix.
3. Decant the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray infested plants, making sure to cover both sides of the leaves. Apply every 3 days for a week to control hatching insect eggs. Repeat as needed after rains or when problems arise.

Happy Slicing!

Homemade Product Recipes: Housecleaning & Maintaining

2008-05-25T19:22:00.001-07:00

Basic Housecleaning Super Window & Glass Cleaner

1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
3 1/2 cup water 1 (32oz) spray bottle

1. Mix all ingredients in the spray bottle. Shake well before using.
2. Spray dirty window or other glass surface.
3. Dry with crumpled newspaper.

Benefits to Homemade Glass Cleaner: Less packaging waste. You’re not buying new bottles over and over. Less expensive. Less harmful (often not harmful at all) to humans, animals, and the earth. Less noxious home smell. Homemade natural cleaners always smell better than store bought. Well, except vinegar - but I have major vinegar issues. There are ways to mask the smell of vinegar though - not completely, but somewhat. Lavender essential oil and lemon juice both work some to hide the icky vinegar smell.

Laundry Soap

1/2 cup soap flakes
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup washing soda
1/4 cup borax 1 clean 16oz plastic container w/ lid

1. To make the soap flakes, lightly grate a bar of pure soap, such as Ivory, on a coarse kitchen grater.
2. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together. Store in a tightly sealed plastic container.
3. Use about 1/2 cup mixture, instead of detergent, in each laundry load

Fabric Softener

1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup white vinegar

1. Fill the washing Machine with water
2. Add the baking soda and then the clothing
3. During the final rinse cycle, add the vinegar (pour into the softener dispenser if your washing machine has one)

Stain Remover

1/3 cup clear household ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
2 Tbs liquid castile soap
1 1/2 quarts water 1 clean half gallon plastic container
1 clean 16oz spray bottle
1. mix all the ingredients in a 1/2 gallon container. Pour some of the solution into the spray bottle. Shake well before each use
2. Spray liquid onto the stain and let set 3-5 min. Launder as usual

Benefits to Homemade Laundry Detergent: Washing and drying less often keeps your duds looking newer, longer. Chemical “surfactants” in laundry detergents can harm fish and human health long after they go down the drain, so less is best. With less laundry to do, you’ll have more time and money for the activities you actually enjoy!

Homemade Product Recipes: Health & Beauty

2008-05-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

What purse, tote, clutch, handbag bag or even cell phone case can do without lip gloss? I don't even want to think of life without all my lip balms so strategically placed all around the house and car. Never run out again and feel safe about what's on those puckers of yours!

Honey Lip Balm

4 oz extra-virgin olive oil
3 oz grated or shaved beeswax
1 oz honey
1/2 capsule vitamin E, 400 IU

1. On the top of a double boiler, met the beeswax and oil together. DO NOT BOIL. If the mixture starts to boil, remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Once the beeswax and oil are blended, stir in honey. Then pierce the vitamin E capsule with a needle, squeeze out half the contents and stir in. Pour the resulting mixture into clean containers with tops.
2. Let the lip balm sit at room temperature for 48 hours until it arrives at the proper consistency for spreading. you can carry a small container of lip balm around with you during the day, but you may find it keeps better in the refrigerator overnight.

For containers and supplies visit: http://www.lipbalmsupplies.com/

Benefits to Homemade Lip Balm: Why would you want to make your own lip balm when it’s so easy to buy? Generally, people who enjoying making lip balm say the hobby offers three main benefits: Homemade lip balm has no preservatives, artificial colors, or artificial sweeteners. This makes the product less likely to irritate sensitive skin. You can add skin-pampering ingredients such as sesame oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter to your homemade lip balms. By experimenting with various pure essential oils and cosmetic grade flavor oils, you can create a one-of-a-kind product customized to your unique preferences.

Homemade Product Recipes: Food

2008-05-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter:

4 Cups shelled, salted dry roasted peanuts
1 Tbs. + 1 Tsp safflower or other mild flavored vegetable oil

For Creamy Style: Using a food processor or blender, and working in batches, process the peanuts and the oil until the desired consistency is reached. Stop and scrape down the processor container as needed.

For Chunky Style: Using a food processor or lender, course chop about 1/3 of the peanuts; set aside. Working in batches process the remaining peanuts with the oil until desired consistency is reached. Scrape down the processor container as needed. Stir in the chopped peanuts.

To Store: Scrape the peanut butter into a clean container with an airtight lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month

Makes 1 Cup

Benefits of Homemade Peanut Butter:
Commercial peanut/tree nut/seed butters (like other commercial products) are notorious for adding sugar, salt, hydrogenated oil, and other chemicals to extend shelf life. The processing of these products not only severely diminish, negate, or counteract the health benefits, but the taste and quality of the product are also compromised. The actually nutty flavour becomes secondary to sweetness or saltiness or worse – chemical aftertaste
Peanut butters that don't separate usually contain hydrogenated vegetable oils. This means they are full of trans fatty acids, which may cause heart problems. Peanut butter can be a valuable nutritional resource for children, who need extra dietary fat for proper growth and development. One tablespoon contains about 95 calories, with 5 g of protein, 8 g of polyunsaturated fat, and significant amounts of B vitamins, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, along with 100mg of sodium and traces of iron and zinc.

Tackling Expenses: One handmade product at a time

2008-05-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

Why bother creating products at home that are so readily available in stores? The first thing that hooked me on making "homemade" was the heath risks to my family from buying packaged and processed food items. Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for "safety" and convenience reasons. And scary as it seems, about 90 percent of the money that Americans spend on food is used to buy processed items. Even more disturbing are the compromises that have to be made to a commercial item's integrity to ensure that it will survive the weeks or months from the time it is manufactured, then shipped and stored, left on the retailer’s shelf and finally picked up and used by you. Depending on the type of product, it is pumped full of stabilizers, plasticizers, extenders, fillers and other man-made chemicals. Additives included in food can kill healthy vitamins and cause a massive variety of symptoms and diseases, including: asthma, eczema, dermatitis, migraine, hyperactivity in children, dizziness, kidney problems, diarrhea, fits, palpitations, stomach pain, intestinal disorders and allergies.
I know what you are thinking now..."This Lady is PaRanoId!"
Let me be the first to say I am not (does it even count if i say that about myself?) Cautious and aware but no…not paranoid. I am just a loving wife and mother who puts the health of my family at the top of my list! I would be lying if I said I never used packaged or processed foods in my cooking. I am still learning, there is much to learn, and trying to find the time to add more "homemade" products into my daily routine. Do what you will with this information...but it's just that...information for those looking for a change and frustrated with our current "food" situation. There are alternatives, don't despair!
Another top priority for me is to stretch my husband’s hard earned dollar as very far as it can go. Preparing homemade products can significantly bring down those ever rising grocery bills.
Here are just a few price comparisons for products i will soon be adding to my "Homemade Preparation List."

Prices and Percentages are in this order: 1.Store Price 2.Homemade Replacement 3.Savings

Food:
Peanut Butter 4.29 1.24 71%
Salsa 2.79 1.38 50%
Starbucks Frappacino 5.99 0.82 86%
Hershey's Cocoa Mix 3.49 2.68 23%
Aunt Jemima waffles 2.99 1.41 52%
Barbecue Sauce 3.89 1.92 50%
Pepp Farm Croutons 1.79 0.53 70%
Hellmann's Mayo 3.39 1.57 53%
Ore-Ida steak fries 3.39 2.20 35%
Edy's Fruit Bar pops 2.75 1.69 38%

Health & Beauty Supplies:
Oil-Olay Moistuzer 9.29 1.68 82%
Curel Lotion 7.99 4.62 42%
Secret Deodorant 3.69 0.50 86%
Robitussin 4.69 2.30 51%
Hall's Lozenges 1.99 0.33 83%
Sudafed 8.99 0.65 92%

Houshold Compounds:
Lysol cleaner 3.19 0.15 95%
Cascade 4.89 2.96 39%
Pledge 3.79 2.08 45%
Windex 3.39 0.15 95%
Elmer's Glue 1.69 0.19 88%

The benefits of making your own staples outweighs the extra time it takes to creating them. Of course these products will not necessarily be packaged as appealing as store bought or even, always, be as easy to use. That is where it gets fun. You can decorate your own bottles and store and display a way that fits your taste and lifestyle and not necessarily adjusting your storage space to accommodate the package sizes you buy. Among the rewards of making a product yourself is the great sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment it brings. It's very gratifying to know not only that you can make a staple yourself, but also that you are not dependent on giant corporations and their vulnerable supply chains to satisfy your everyday needs. Being able to fashion your own food, cleaning supplies and other staples links us with traditions that helped shape us as a people and our nations traditions of resourcefulness, ingenuity, independence and self reliance that proved our ancestors well to endure constraints of war times and depressions.
Expect to be pleasantly surprised by how really simple and easy it is to make many of the products that you are accustomed to buying ready made. Don't forget to get your little ones in on the action as well. They are just as eager to learn, right along side you, all that you do!

Innovative Living Intro

2008-05-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

Living my life as a military wife and mother I have learned many avenues of resourcefulness. Allowing me to become more innovative with many tasks I come in contact with. I am always learning new, creative, ways to make life safer, healthier and more enjoyable for my family. Weather its making toothpaste & medicine or crafts & kids. All topics of everyday life, common and uncommon, are open for discussion and exploration. I would like to share new ways to tackle those old habits to make life more interesting, fulfilling and economical. Please bare with me as I am just starting out and have 2 young children, a hubby and household to balance and tend to. As someone recently told me "We all have a little bit of something to share with the world" (you know who you are ;) I took her advice to heart and wanted to share a little of my experiences and misfortunes with you to help make your world a little easier and always... more enjoyable! Much more to come!