Lasso The Moon

Pink Juice

I started  using a juicer when I was pregnant with Esther and on a strict sugar restriction.  It took some time to figure out how we could incorporate super-healthy juices into a kid-friendly diet.  I think the trick is to combine the powers of the juicer and the blender.

To make pink juice, we start with a few carrots, about 1/2 beet, and a slice of lemon (optional).

I would like a little more beet, but the flavor has a pretty strong dirt earthy taste, and my kids are pretty sensitive to it.  But the beets are what give the juice it's amazing color--in addition to being full of vitamins. Add a couple more carrots if the beet is still too strong.

Gorgeous!

Next, pour the juice into your blender and add a handful of frozen strawberries and blueberries.  If the seeds are too much (blueberries are FULL of tiny seeds) use fresh berries in the juicer, and plain ice in the blender.  Make sure you have enough liquid to cover the frozen stuff.  Add milk to make up the difference.

Blend until smooth.

They have no idea their yummy pink juice is so healthy!

Perfect for this hot summer weather. (It was 103 yesterday!)

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Do you use a juicer?  Have any good recipes to share?  How do you incorporate super foods into your kids' diet?

 

Entryway :: Flip-Top Turquoise Bench

Remember this sad little number?

I found this little padded bench years ago at a second-hand store.  I always planned on making a new cushion for it, but that just never happened.  When I started working on the entryway, I was considering painting it and leaving it in the room.

That was before I discovered Ana White.

Ana is a mom who lives in Alaska, designs furniture, and posts the plans on her website for free so others can build it.

She also wrote a book.

This is not chunky, clunky homemade-looking furniture, either.  She takes her inspiration from top furniture retailers, and shows you how to build it yourself at home. 

She's the reason Donnie got me the pocket hole jig for my birthday.

I knew, as soon as I saw it, that I wanted to build her flip-top bench for my entryway.  It's been on my pinboard for months.  So, while Donnie was out of town on one of his many summer youth trips, I decided to build it myself.  I took the plans, and the cuts needed up to Home Depot and had them cut it there.  It takes forever to do it that way, but I was a little nervous to use the miter saw on my first time out.

I got home and made my first pocket hole joint.

I think I watched her how-to video on this about 10 times before I felt like I was ready.

By about midnight I had the frame made and was filling those pocket holes with spackle.  This cell phone pic I sent to my mom is the only one I have of this stage.

Who wants to stop and take pictures when they're on a roll?

As it turned out, two of the cuts made at the hardware store were too long, so I had to use the miter saw anyway.  I'm glad no one was watching.  It took me 20 minutes to figure out how to turn the thing on! I'd watched Donnie (and years ago, my dad) use it many times, but I'd never noticed that step!  There are several safety knobs, and a button for your thumb to get the blade going. Tricky.

Next was the paint.

Mermaid Treasure by BEHR. I wanted something bright for the room, since most of it is pale or neutral.  And on the wall directly opposite of the entry is my giant orange sign.  So this would balance it out.

Two coats of paint:

Pretty bright, huh?  Well, it's not staying that way.  I don't like distressing details on every piece of furniture, but I wanted to try out a new technique.

You lightly sand the corners to let the wood show through.

Then, working in sections, wipe on some wood stain in an even layer, and then immediately wipe it off with a different rag.  The effect is a subtly aged look, and the sanded edges pick up the stain.

Love this.

It was simple, and it doesn't have that look that says, "HEY I DISTRESSED THIS FURNITURE MYSELF!!" That look stresses me out.

For the top of the flip-top bench, I wanted to use the same wood stain and leave the wood grain finish.  The stain I used is Varathane Early American.  It is nice and rich without any orange undertones. Very pretty.

I did about 2 coats on either side. I stained it before attaching it to the bench, because I didn't want any light wood peaking through when the hinges were used.

Attaching the top was the most nerve-wracking part of the whole build. I measured and measured to make sure I was even on both sides (2 inches) with an inch hanging off the back.  Then I measured some more, and marked 6 dots where the screws would go.  I'm pleased to say that not a single screw went through the storage portion of the box.  It pays to be careful with measurements!

The lid of the storage section was attached by simply screwing the hinges to the back, and then the lid.  Pre-drilling the holes made this a cinch.

I made this bench, from start to finish, in about 3 days.  The directions were easy to follow, and the plans were accurate. 

I didn't tell Donnie about it when he got back from his trip.  Instead, I waited until the morning of his birthday:

It was a fun surprise.  After all, he taught me almost everything I know about building things.

And now, with one woodworking project behind me, I am hooked.  I keep looking through the Ana White book and website trying to decide which one to start next.  Maybe some shelves for Emma's growing book collection...

Bossy Shoes

My Esther.

At 2 years old, you know what you want.

You know just what you want to eat.

You know just where you want to go.

You know just what you want to wear.

Even if it's two different shoes.

Both for the right foot.

Sprinklers and Shaving Cream

Last week my sister needed to get out of the house, so I told her to come on over.  But with six kids between us, things were going to get real crazy unless we found something for them to do outside.  So we started with the sprinklers.

I made sure to keep the sprinklers far enough away from the slide that it didn't create a giant mud puddle at the bottom of it.

But they kept getting muddier and muddier anyway.

Those sneaky kids! They built their own water slide water works by filling up some watering cans and enlisting the little ones to pour them out on the slide as the bigger ones rocketed down it into the sloppy mud pit at the bottom.

I was excited about the display of teamwork and ingenuity, but I kept picturing their muddy feet clomping through my already-struggling carpet.  I decided to replace the mud with something equally squishy, yet cleaner and better-smelling.

I had three cans of Barbasol hiding under my bathroom sink.  It was left over from last year's Puffy Moon Paintings.

I really should keep that stuff in stock.  There are so many uses for it!

And it's so cheap!

And it smells so good!

This is not a barbasol-sponsored post, but if they were up for it...

We made a rule that they could only put shaving cream on themselves.  That way we could avoid (in theory) stinging eyes and mouthfuls of the stuff.

It was just a theory.

The littlest, Maddie (20 months) could not get enough of the stuff.  She just kept rubbing and rubbing it all over her head and neck.

It got to the point where my sister Abby and I were following them around with cameras, trying to keep the cameras still while we busted up laughing like little girls.

I still can't hold it together when I see these of Maddie:

Dying!!

Sprinklers and Shaving Cream = how to make a bunch of kids happy and cool for 2+ hours in the Texas summer heat.

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Want to read how we made those puffy moon paintings last year?  Find pictures and intructions here.

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Entryway :: Vintage Mirror Collage

When we first started working on our entryway, it looked like this:

And last time you saw it, it looked like this:

When I'm thinking about a room, and how I want to change it, I have three goals in mind.  I want it to be pretty, functional, and personal. 

We are on our way to pretty, but while the extra hooks have done wonders for function, we could really use a mirror to check hair and makeup before leaving the house.

On my inspiration board, when we first started the makeover, I added a photo of a collage of vintage beveled mirrors.

I thought this would be no big deal, as I had recently found a pretty oval-shaped mirror at a thrift store for around $8.  But as I started looking around for its mates, I realized what a treasure that eight-dollar mirror had actually been.  Whether on Craigs List, in antique stores, or online, every vintage beveled mirror I found was somewhere between $75-200.  Way out of my price range.  After months of searching, I found one at an antique shop,  covered in a painted scene, for $24.  About a week later I found another one in awful condition at a thrift store for $4.  But when I say awful...well you'll see.

Here is the rag tag trio of mirrors I had to work with.

The oval-shaped mirror only needed to be cleaned. I'd been storing it for about 6 months, jammed behind the TV in the living room.

The octagon, while most expensive, and in great shape, needed the most work. 

I'm sure this scene would be beautiful in the right home, but that home isn't ours.  I wasn't sure if it was wrong in some way to remove the paint.  It had clearly been done a long time ago.  But in the end, on my third trip to the same store to look at it, I decided that it would be better in my house, than waiting in an antique store.

The dress is actually 3-dimensional. I had no idea if it would even come off at all.  I bought a pack of razor blades and started scraping.  (If you do this, wear a mask to protect your lungs from the dust.  There's no telling how much lead was in that paint!)

It worked!  In about 15 minutes, the mirror was completely paint-free.  The 3-D piece had to be gently pried up with the tip of a butter knife.  The glue was stubborn, but it dissolved in a spray of all-purpose cleaner and then wiped right off.

Two down, one to go.

This mirror was in the worst condition possible.  I actually didn't buy it the first time I saw it, because it was such a lost cause.  It wasn't beveled.  It was actually salvaged from the top of a dresser, and that's its broken frame in the photo above, wrapped in tape.  The silver was flaking off pretty badly, which is kind of great, but I had to figure out a way to stop it.  And since there was no wood on the back, there was no way to hang it. 

To stop the silver from rubbing off, I bought a piece of chip board (thin, sturdy cardboard) at Hobby Lobby, and cut it to fit the back of the mirror exactly.  I didn't glue it or anything, just kept the two together until I could get it hung up.

I searched online for the clips that usually hold beveled mirrors to their wooden backs, but there was nothing as far as I could tell.  I had almost given up when I thought of this:

Plate and platter hangers are made from wire hooks, connected with sturdy springs.  They stretch a little bit to fit snugly over the edges of the plate.

Every place in town only had the small size, but I eventually got what I needed here .  Of course. I always end up at Amazon.  I do wish that I had gotten one size smaller.  The hanger wasn't as snug as I hoped, and I had to secure the springs with some twine, to keep them from stretching and releasing the mirror onto one of my kids' heads.

I left the chip board behind it , and the platter hanger holds it in place.

I hung the mirrors with sturdy hooks--30 lbs to be safe.  I measured carefully, spacing them 3 inches apart from side to side.  The middle mirror is 1 inch from the coat rack, and the outer mirrors are 2 inches up from it.

I'm really surprised at how much different it feels to walk into the entryway now that the mirrors are up.   It has brought up the level of natural light a lot, since they face some windows in the dining room, and mirrors always give the illusion of more space.

At this point, all there is left to do is replace that sad little bench.  It is completely dwarfed by everything else going on in here.

What are you working on this week, to make your house into a home?

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Don't forget to like our facebook page.  I just started an "in progress" photo album, where you can see sneak peaks of what I'm working on:

Linking to:

Coastal Charm,  Boogieboard Cottage, Thrifty Decor Chick

 

 

Parenting with Scripture :: a Winner!

Ok, guys! I'm about an hour late in posting this, as we got caught up a little at the pediatrician's office...which led to a late lunch...which led to a cranky nap time...you get the idea.

But there were 7 entries in Monday's giveaway, so I put it in the random number generator and...

Tina!  You win your own copy of Parenting with Scripture by Kara Durbin!

Here's her comment:

I can always use this! It's great to have a scripture to "back-up" the parenting decisions. This is another tool to show our girls why we have the rules and make the decisions we do.

Posted by: Tina | Monday, June 17, 2013 at 10:59 AM

Congrats!  I'll contact you shortly to find out where to send it.  Thanks so much for playing along!

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If you didn't win the book, but would still like some information on it, you can find it here (an affiliate link) :

Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments

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Hey it's the first day of summer!  As you can see by my new banner at the top of the blog, we have been having some summer fun for a while now.  I'll share some more next week about that hilarious afternoon, along with some pictures that I can't look at without losin it

Sunday is Donnie's birthday, so I'll also finally be able to show what I've been working on for him.  I hope he's surprised!  Here's a hint. I made my first pocket hole joint.

Which led to many, many more.

And also a some paint.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  See you Monday!

XOXO, Anna

 

 

A Good Day

I just want to thank those of you who took the time to comment and encourage me after reading yesterday's post--both here and on facebook.  What could have been a sad, regretful day was in fact filled with love and tenderness, hope and insight.  I'm thankful to you for being my friends--whether in my real life, or here in blog land.  Thank you.

Please don't forget to take a second and enter the drawing for Parenting With Scripture by Kara Durbin. Drawing is tomorrow at nine, and I'll post the winner around noon.   Good luck!  Enter here.

A Story of Two Great Losses, and Immeasurable Gain

June 21, 2012

We drove home from the doctor's office in heartbroken silence.  I was stunned, although I didn't know why.  I'd been pretty sure that we'd lost the baby two days earlier on Tuesday.  I'd seen the evidence, felt the wrenching pains of labor...but still I'd hoped, through an impossible mother's hope, that today, Thursday, we would see something different on that monitor.  I begged God for a tiny heartbeat. I believed it would be there.  But all I saw was the image of my empty womb, and now I was stunned.

Donnie squeezed my hand, and the tears flowed again.

The loss of a baby is a strange one.  For nine weeks, we'd kept our happy secret.  We had planned and dreamed about who he would be, or what she would look like.  We had discussed names and room assignments, imagined what life would be like with two babies so close in age...and now it was over.  I'd never get to squeeze those chubby legs, never admire the delicate features of that newborn face, or kiss those tender newborn lips.  There was no grave, no photos to carry with me, no proof that this person who I love so dearly, even existed.  The only proof was my intense sorrow.

With each mile closer to home, I wondered how I would ever keep it together for the other children.  They were too little understand.

 At home they greeted us with their usual cheer and excitement. "Is your tummy better, Mommy?"  "Almost."

I spent the day snuggling them and holding them close.  We laughed and talked, all piled into our big bed together.  And when a new wave of sadness hit, I buried my face into Donnie's shoulder until the sobs subsided.  The children, in their limited understanding, stroked my hair and nuzzled my face.  "It's okay, Mommy," they soothed.  I thank God for them.

As the end of the day approached, Donnie suggested we walk to the park.  The park?  Didn't he know I wanted to stay home and wallow in my grief?  As my gaze met his, I realized that he did know.  But he wasn't going to let me.  We had to keep living.  I whispered a prayer for strength as we headed out the door.

At the playground, my spirit was lifted.  The little ones climbed and swung.  Esther, only 13 months old and barely walking, figured out how to climb up the slide, turn around at the top, and slide back into my arms.  I marveled at the feeling of joy in the midst of my pain.

Donnie helped the big kids, 5 and 7, across the monkey bars.  I couldn't believe how big they were getting.  Donnie started over to the slide to see Esther's new trick, and just as he reached the slide, a shrill cry of pain hit us like a jolt.  My eyes darted back to the monkey bars, and there was Ethan--his 5-year-old body lying in a puddle on the ground under the bars.

Donnie rushed to him, scooped him up, and started to assess the damage.  But I was paralyzed. The blood pounded in my ears, my head spun with the sound of rushing wind, and my heart screamed. "Not today! Lord, why is this happening today? I can't take anymore! I can't bear to look at my son's broken body, when I still haven't begun to grieve the loss of my baby!"

And in that moment, while Donnie gently lifted Ethan's bruised arm, clearly broken, God spoke His loving words to my angry, aching heart. "I have your baby.  You need to take care of the children I have already given you."

Donnie packed Ethan into the car to head to the hospital.  He wanted me to stay home with the girls, while he took care of this.  He didn't seem to understand that I was incapable of letting him leave without me.  I had just lost one child.  I could not be separated from this other one who needed me.  We all loaded into the car and headed to the hospital.

Through a series of x-rays and expert opinions, it became clear that this broken elbow would require more than just a simple cast.  They would keep him overnight so that he could have surgery in the morning.

At midnight, as he got settled into his room, Donnie and I discussed who would stay and who would take the girls home to sleep.  There wasn't much to discuss.  I wasn't leaving my baby boy. 

The bed wasn't quite big enough for both of us, but I crowded in on him, holding him through two versions of "Ice Age" movies.  When he was finally asleep, I reflected on the last few days.  I felt exposed and raw.  My sense of security in my family's health had been stripped away.  I had no control.

How did Job do it? How did he experience loss after excruciating loss, all within a matter of days, and react in worship?  Could I do that?

"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away."  The Lord had certainly taken away from me today.  But as I lay there with Ethan, I realized that He had been piling gifts on me as well.  I had laughed, loved, marveled at joy.  I had my ever-traveling husband at home during both events--an absolute miracle for a youth pastor in the summer.  We had a vehicle to drive to the hospital, insurance to help with the costs, modern medicine that can see broken bones through skin and take the edge off the pain...

I remembered the hundreds of times my children had played at the park, had hung from those very bars, without getting even a scratch.  I remembered the three pregnancies I'd gone through without a single medical complication, and the three beautiful children I had as the result.  We live in a harsh, dangerous world, with fragile bodies, and it is only by the grace of God that we are not in the hospital or mourning a loved one every single day!

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away."

But He gives.

And He gives.

And He gives.

And I fell to my knees in worship.

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It has been one year since that terrible week last June.  Ethan's arm is completely healed, although he is still a bit shy of the monkey bars.  I don't know if I'll ever be finished mourning my lost little one, my sparrow, but my body has also healed, as evidenced in the birth of Elijah in April.

My heart has healed as well, and I will never forget the way God's Spirit carried me through those broken, sorrow-filled days, pouring on joy, peace, and comfort with a passion I will never fully understand.

He gives.  And He gives.  And He gives.

Backyard Car Wash

There are only two options when it comes to surviving Texas summers. Stay inside, or stay wet.  When you have 4 kids and live in a 1500 sq ft house, staying inside just might send Momma to crazytown.  So get out there and turn on the hose! 

After the sprinkler loses it's initial charm, it might take a little more creativity to encourage lots of outdoor time.  The wagon didn't actually need scrubbing, but it's sure sparkling now!

This is actually not the first time we've used this trick.  They were so little back then!

Soapy water and free time to play just never seem to lose their charm.

Once you're nice and damp, you can stay outside as long as you want.

Have some lunch on the back porch,

or read a book in the shade,

or enjoy baby snuggles on the picnic blanket.

I think that's our favorite.

Are you having a good summer so far? How are you surviving the heat?

 

 

 

Parenting with Scripture :: a Giveaway!

Having just celebrated the joys of parenthood with mother's day and father's day, this book can't have come at a better time.  Because as we all know, the good times are very very good, but the bad times are just plain exhausting!  We need help.  We cannot do this parenting thing right without serious reinforcements.

We cannot do parenting right without Scripture.

Enter this book.

Parenting with Scripture, by Kara Durbin

This is the reinforcement that we need.  A topical index, in alphabetical order, of issues that we will face as parents, and what to do about it.

For example, anger:

On the left, references of Scripture that deal with the topic of anger. On the right, ideas for how to deal with these feelings, and practical ways to put them into practice.

Here's the page on money:

No matter how much Scripture you have memorized in your lifetime, the stress of parenting can push it right out of your mind when tempers start to flare, or when life starts to feel like crazy town.

Instead of losing your temper, ignoring the issue, or locking yourself in the bathroom, sitting in the tub, rocking back and forth while humming to yourself, just to stop the noise for a couple minutes...is that just me?...instead of relying on your own power in a weak moment, you can grab this book, flip to the right page, and harness the power of the Holy Spirit Himself.  To work in your family, fight for your family. That's what He wants--that's why He gave us His Word in the first place.    This book just makes it a little easier to put your finger on when you need it.

So, would you like a copy of your very own?  Because as you can see, I have two.

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Three ways to win:

1. Leave a comment.  Whatever you want, but I love parenting stories!

2. Share this contest on facebook.  It's more fun with lots of people.

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And come back on Friday at noon to see if you won!