Altered Journal

I recently attended a ladies retreat hosted by my church. The weekend's teachings were based on Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. Her book talks about listing all the big, and more importantly, small things that happen over the course of the day that remind us of God's love. She encourages everyone to keep a journal of these gifts.

As a craft, we created an altered journal to keep a list of our gifts. I have made these in the past when I used to paper scrapbook. I really enjoy the creative process of it and it's actually easy to create one.

Step 1: Gather your supplies

• A composition book 
• Scrapbooking paper (mine was a package of 50-12x12 pieces) - 4 coordinating pieces
• Letter stickers
• A straight cutter
• Ruler (optional)
• Scissors
• Modge-Podge or watered down white glue
• Paintbrush
• Any other decorative items you want to use

Step 2: Cut paper for the front cover

I like to leave the black tape uncovered on the binding of the composition book. I measure from the tape to the edge of the book which is about seven inches. Cut the piece of paper you want for the front cover (just worry about the width and not the length). 

Step 3: Glue it down

Using the Modge-Podge or watered down white glue glue the cover paper on. If you have a design on it, make sure you have it centered the way you want. Be sure to leave some paper hanging over the top and bottom edge of the cover. 

Fold the top edges over and glue those down to the inside of the book. 

Step 4: Cut inside paper

Measure the inside cover of the book. This will be longer since you don't have the black tape to compensate for. You'll want to be a bit more accurate with length and width this time so fits better.

Cut a coordinating piece of paper to cover the entire inside cover. Use the modge-podge to glue it down. Be careful of any excess glue as it will stick to the paper. I keep a paper towel handy to clean up as needed.

Step 5: Cover the back cover

Repeat Steps 2-4 to cover the back cover as well. If you want to add any type of closure to your book or bookmark, now it a good time to do this. 

For a book mark, take a length of ribbon and glue it near the top back cover before you glue the inside cover paper. Make sure to measure it longer than the book so it hangs out of the bottom of the book making it easier to find. 

Similarly, for a closure, glue a length of string, yarn, or ribbon near the edge of the middle of the back cover before gluing the inside cover paper in place. You can then add a large button or brad to the front cover to tie it around.

Step 6: Decorate the cover

I used some washi tape to cover the rough edges of the sides. You could also cut a two inch piece of coordinating paper and glue it to the edge as well. 

I also added some sparkle with stickers spelling out "Blessing." The sky is the limit to how you can decorate one. 

Add a pen and you have a relatively inexpensive gift for any occasion. I had many of the items on hand due to my rather, ahem, large scrapbooking stash. However, even if you were to purchase all the supplies, this should end up being about $8 for one. If you have a Dollar Tree store near you, you can find many of the items there making it a bit more inexpensive. 

Lisa is a wife to Bob. They just began their 21st year of marriage. She is also a mom to three boys (ironic, no?). Her oldest will soon be 18 but still has one more year at home. Her middle son is 13 and her youngest is 10. She also stays busy by homeschooling her children and watching a two-year old (a boy of course) full-time as well as other assorted children as the need arises for family and friends. She is very active in her local and state homeschooling community. She is also a very avid reader, enjoys writing, loves dancing at Zumba class, and checking Facebook a little too often. Lisa strives daily to become more Christ-like. She is reminded often of the Lord's mercy and grace and is thankful that He is so gracious to extend to her on a much needed basis. She lives in Maine on her own piece of "no-where land" with her family.

Shabbat

About 10 years ago, when my children were young teens, we decided to begin a new family tradition. Actually, it's an old tradition, one with which Jesus would have been very familiar: Shabbat.

No, we aren't Jewish and we aren't even Messianic Christians, but we thought that the habit of sitting down to a special family meal with prayers and meaningful, precious time together was going to become even more important as the children moved into an older, busier season of their lives.

The table is set, bread covered with a cloth, white candles, a small bowl of salt, glasses for the wine.

Many families in the UK set aside Sunday Lunch for this special family meal. Often, Christians will share it with others. Being invited to Sunday Lunch with another family is always a privilege. This was never going to work for us. My family are (and the children were then training to be) worship musicians and we were frequently up earlier to set up the school where our church services were held, with the sound equipment and for a rehearsal. After packing everything away, we would often not be home until 1pm, far too late for me to prepare a complicated, full, hot meal!

So we settled on Saturday evenings for our Erev Shabbat. This means the evening before the Sabbath or the first evening of the Sabbath. I did some research and found a pattern of the prayers which I liked, printed them out and laminated them. We began with the lighting of candles and proceeded with prayers of thanks for the wine and bread (challah) and the dipping of the bread in the salt. We would then enjoy a meal and the conversation we always knew, would need to 'avoid affairs of the world and focus on the things of God'.


Two loaves of home-made challah, a plaited sweet bread, to remind us of the double portion of manna given to the Jews in the desert the day before Shabbat.

No matter how hard we had worked during the week, how busy our lives had been, or how fractured our family became, Shabbat remained as a longed for oasis of calm, looked forward to by us all, even through those turbulent teenage years.

Jamie would pray and asked for God's blessing on his children and always took time to praise his wife (moi). I cannot tell you how helpful, and what an encouragement, this has been throughout the last 10 years. Even if I'd been a horrible shrew that week, he'd find something precious and generous to say about me, in front of our children. It was the formalised nature of this which ensured it happened and was instrumental in my re-aligning my heart with God's.

It was also touching to think that the pattern of events would have been very similar in Jesus' family growing up and a lovely connection with millions of others throughout the world and through history.

As the children grew up, we'd invite their friends, or other families, to join us for our Saturday evening celebrations, which often concluded with singing God's praises.

Now Jack's wife and child join in when we gather. This has been a well worthwhile practice and I encourage you to consider it for your own young family, Dear Daughter.


Jack at about aged 11 and Grace, perhaps 14.

Paperbag scrapbook concept books

This is a simple project that you can do with your children that can not only teach them simple concepts, but make memories at the same time. I made this book with my oldest daughter when she was young. It was fun to go through family pictures and remember good times. It was also a fun project to work on together.

You can make any kind of scrapbook you want with this method. We chose to make it a family number book. Each page has a picture with a different number of people in it. As you can see here, it starts with one person. My daughter, Jessica, who helped make the book gets that spot. The next page has two people. And so on. There are only five people in our immediate family so, as we progressed from 6-10, we expanded it to include grandparents, cousins and so on and widened the circle of relations. You could do it to include friends as well.

To make a number book to include 10 numbers you will need:

3 small paper lunch bags
hole punch
ribbon
scrapbooking paper
scrapbooking glue or adhesive stickers
pictures with groups from 1-10
number stickers
letter stickers (optional)

Fold the bags in half and punch holes in the "spine".
Stack the bags together to make a book and tie with small pieces of ribbon.
After you have chosen your pictures, find coordinating scraps of scrapbooking paper to add a colorful back ground for your pictures.
Glue your paper and pictures to each page.
We used whimsical number stickers to number each page, but you could just write them if you want.
We also used some fun letter stickers to add a title to the front cover and "The End" on the back. You could write it if you want.

We just happened to have a fun picture from a children's museum that had the numbers 123 in it to make a fun picture for the cover.

You can use the same method to make other concept books such as ABC, opposites, etc. We used pictures that we already had, but it would be fun to take pictures with your child just for the book. That way the concept is being learned both in the taking of the pictures, making the book and reading it afterwards.

Have fun!

Jen

Summer Projects

During the summer, when I have more time to myself, I tend to start a new project. Often that will be learning something new, or developing skills I already have. Sometimes, it will be cleaning or organising a space in the house which has become an unhelpful mess.

I try to use my time wisely, and in order to bless my home and the people living in it or visiting it. I'm NOT a natural Domestic Goddess. In fact, I'm a pretty die-hard 70's feminist. Yet, the situation God placed me in has required me to have to take responsibility for much of the home-taming duties in our family. Much to my initial distaste. Jamie and I had planned to share this responsibility but it didn't work out well that way.
 

My very first attempt at making ricotta cheese

However, I discovered that, when I embraced my role, I came to enjoy at least parts of it. My summer projects being my favourite bits.

One summer, I knitted many cotton dishcloths!

I am lucky that, although my children barely noticed my accomplishments, my husband did. He appreciated every new skill, every beautiful thing, every tasty meal and still does.

I tried my hand at soap-making and decided it was not for me!

It's good to have a cheerleading husband like that! He's probably also glad that it's not HIM in charge of the home! Oh well. I am happy that he notices and compliments me.

Rearranging things in the garden

In Genesis 1, we see this:

   ''God created human beings;
        he created them godlike,
    Reflecting God’s nature.
        He created them male and female.
    God blessed them:
        “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
    Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,        
         for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”

This filling the earth and taking charge of it business is pregnant with meaning. For me, managing my resources, being in charge of my home, having a creative and subduing role are all part of the mission I have at this point in my life.

Have you embraced your role at home yet, whatever that is, Dear Daughter? Is it drudgery or delight? A little of both? Could you try some new projects to keep your interest up?

 

Perhaps, when Jamie is able to retire, we may switch roles. Who knows? I bet he won't make as good lemon cordial as me though.

Mimi is a wife to Jamie, mother to two grown up children, a mother-in-law and a grandmother to a darling little grand-daughter. She home-educated her children and now teaches exam subjects to groups of home-educated children. She's a Worship Leader in her church and has a passion for helping women raise children to adulthood with a strong faith in the Lord Jesus.

Making memories wherever you are.

It’s summer time and schools are on vacation. It’s a time when many take trips to far and wide. I love to travel. I grew up in a family that loved to travel and camp and have been to many different states. Circumstances do not allow for me to travel as much as I would like now that I have my own family. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. I am learning to make the most of whatever our circumstances are and how to have fun wherever we are.

I want to make memories with the family and maybe learn something along the way. So, we look for opportunities to do that close to home. Our city has so much to offer for families. We are blessed to live in a city that prides itself on making cultural experiences free for the community. We have many wonderful museums and parks that are free to everyone. Tonight, our plan is to go see a musical in an outdoor theater that has a section of free seats in the back. We will picnic in the park before the show and have a fun time with family. This is one way we can enjoy theater on a small budget.

Look around your community and see what it offers for families. Be open to the possibilities that are right around the corner. Look for state parks and historical sites. Check out the museums. Go for a hike or bike on a near by path. Look for local theater groups that offer good entertainment for a good price.

Whether you can travel far and wide or need to stay close to home, just make sure to have fun and make memories along the way! 

Jen

Saturday: Projects

As a wife and mother, you may find enough to do at home without any extra hobbies but, in the past, what are now considered hobbies were essential household crafts. Certainly, my mother and mother-in-law both made their own and their children's clothes by sewing or knitting. I've done my fair share of both too, although I am far less skilled than they were. One of my grandmothers kept chickens and grew all her own vegetables. The other, who lived in a city, still had a patch of garden and crocheted beautiful clothes for her grandchildren.

All women were taught to cook, sew, knit, take care of babies, clean their homes etc at school when I was a child, even in our very modern, feminist, academic girls' high school, where all the girls were expected to go on to university. All boys were taught 'handicrafts', which included knitting, in primary school too!

Once, such things were an important way of making the household budget stretch further. Perhaps now, they are just a great way to fold love into a handmade gift. It would be sad to think that such skills were on their way to being lost altogether.

As you think about your work at home, is there a skill you wish you had? You could ask an older woman to teach you.

One skill I don't remember being taught at school was gardening. This strikes me as a little odd. Most people in the UK live in homes with gardens. Even the most brown-fingered of us have a lawn, a couple of flower borders, some plants in pots. If you need to live frugally, then keeping a vegetable patch or having an allotment is vital.

This June, I have masses of raspberries and strawberries coming into the kitchen every day, for the outlay or a few pounds several years ago and very little effort. I have a variety of tomato plants just flowering, some runner beans winding their way up canes, a couple of peppers, an aubergine plant and several purple sprouting broccoli plants for next spring's table.

However, he most cost-effective plants to grow at home are herbs. There are herbs which will keep providing you with what you need year after year, with almost no tending: marjoram, mint, sage, lemon verbena, rosemary, chives and thyme are my favourites. Barely a day goes by when I don't use one of them.

Each week, we'll have posts about various household crafts and projects. Do join us, Dear Daughter.

Mimi is a wife to Jamie, mother to two grown up children, a mother-in-law and a grandmother to a darling little grand-daughter. She home-educated her children and now teaches exam subjects to groups of home-educated children. She's a Worship Leader in her church and has a passion for helping women raise children to adulthood with a strong faith in the Lord Jesus.