Once upon a time, our bathroom was in its original 1956 state with blush tiles and an old lineolum tile floor. We replaced the tile in the shower because it was urgent and had plans to remodel the rest of the bathroom at some point in the future but were making do until we were ready to tackle it. Then, the toilet started leaking...

and one thing led to another. Papa Bear started looking into the problem and then there was a big hole in the floor. You know how that goes, right?

We got this far. Of course, the fix wasn't quite as easy as we thought it would be and we ended up contacting a professional. Having been staring at those tile walls for four years already, I knew exactly what I wanted done. I had visions of a cottage style bathroom with white bead board and accents of blues and greens. To keep costs down, we removed the wall tile and sink and would paint everything ourselves. We decided to keep the tub, sink, and medicine cabinet.

The floor is almost finished here, just needs to be grouted. The contractor did a fantastic job and was super quick. We had him give us an estimate for our kitchen floor before he left. That's a future post.

The contractor is finished and it's time for us to get started with painting. You can see the floor is grouted here.

No home project happens without at least several trips to Lowe's. Papa Bear made a late evening trip to get a paint sprayer for this job. It worked well, but I'm not sure if it saved any time. He had fun with it though.

New toilet. Almost there. Ready for the finishing touches. That didn't stop a little boy from getting a bath though. Peek-a-boo!

Before, we had a single towel bar and it was impossible to keep all of the younger boys' towels hung up. I knew that there would be hooks, enough for everyone to have their own. I painted wood letters from Hobby Lobby to lean above the hooks to help the hobbits be responsible for their own towels. The lighting in the photo makes it difficult to see the true colors, but the towels from Target match the curtain perfectly.

I'm so pleased with the results! It's much brighter and so pretty. I hard a difficult time finding a shower curtain that I loved, but I remembered a tablecloth I had purchased on clearance at Target for just $10. I hemmed it to the right length and used my sewing machine to add button holes for the curtain hooks. I still haven't found a shower curtain I like better than this one I made.

Memory Verse Printable ~ Proverbs 3:3

This is the bible verse we are working on right now. I'm hoping this printable, with a focus on some of the anchor words for my readers, will help. Being my first try, I think it turned out okay, but I'm open to suggestions. If you like it, you can download it below.

Download Here

Linked to Homemaking Link-Up, Welcome Home Wednesday



Save $10 on Your First Vitacost Order

Vitacost is one of my favorite sources for supplements, natural hygiene products, and organic grocery items. I've been ordering from them for several years on a regular basis. The product that got us started with them was Nature's Plus Animal Parade vitamins. They have them for up to 30% less than our local health food stores. When you have multiple children taking them, one bottle doesn't last very long, so that can be a considerable savings!

My Favorite Vitacost Products

• Deep Steep Tangerine Melon organic bubble bath (for the hobbits)
• Organic Grooming Dusk cologne (for the big guys)
• Seventh Generation chlorine-free personal hygiene products
• Aura Cacia essential oils
• Carlson's for Kids Cod Liver Oil (in lemon)
• Natural Factors Vitamin D3 Drops (adults & kids)
• Nutiva Organic Chia Seeds
• Y.S. Eco Bee Farms Organic Raw Honey (my guys eat it off a spoon like candy)
• Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk (when it's on sale)
• Farmer's Market Organic Canned Pumpkin (when it's on sale)

If you are looking for good service, you'll find it with Vitacost. I am always impressed with how well my orders are packed - cardboard divider inserts, each fragile product wrapped in bubble wrap, and liquids in plastic bags. I've never had a leak or damaged product.

How It Works

If you have never ordered from Vitacost before, you can save $10 off of your first order by clicking through my referral link and placing a minimum $30 order. Not only do you get a $10 credit, so do I. Win-win! Orders over $49 automatically get free shipping also. While you are there, be sure to click on the Deals tab at the top right. They always have great sales going on.

Bonus!

Save a little more by getting to Vitacost via Ebates.com. By using Ebates, you can get a certain percentage of your purchase back in a quarterly rebate, either as a check or Amazon gift code. If you have never used Ebates before, you can click on this referral link to get started. (Again, I receive compensation for referrals.)


This post contains affiliate links.

Best Strawberry Frosting Ever...Naturally

My Valentine baby turned four years old today. His only request in regards to cake was that it be chocolate. He gets it honest. Normally, I just go with chocolate or vanilla buttercream frosting since we avoid artificial food coloring, then I remembered a suggestion from a fellow Feingold mom. Freeze-dried fruit. You can find it at most grocery stores or order it online. I like this organic brand (affiliate).

As it is Valentine's Day and red is M2's favorite color, I chose strawberry. My guys loved it! They said it's the best strawberry frosting they have ever tasted. No cloying fake strawberry flavor here. Sweetness with just a bit of tang. Naturally.

"It's better than anything you can buy, Mom." - Son, age 6

 "Just have to say that those cupcakes with that frosting were crazy good." - Text from Papa Bear

This is super easy to make and you have a variety of flavors to choose from. Mango. Blueberry. Banana. Raspberry. Peach. Strawberry. If you have a love affair with blueberries, check out these blueberry cupcakes with blueberry cream cheese frosting.

Make the Fruit Powder

1. Add about an ounce of freeze-dried fruit into your blender or food processor. 
2. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until it has all turned to powder. 

I used a 1.5 oz package and had enough left over for at least another batch of frosting or maybe cake batter. You can store the remaining powder in a recycled spice jar and it should keep for quite a while in a cool, dry place.

Make the Frosting

I'm going to cheat a bit here and not actually give you a recipe for frosting. {gasp} If you already have a favorite vanilla buttercream recipe, you can use that. If not, try this one. They are all fairly the same and any good cookbook will have a recipe for basic buttercream. I used organic cultured butter, organic powdered sugar, and unsweetened almond milk. After creaming the butter, simply add a teaspoon of the fruit powder in with the powdered sugar, increasing gradually until you reach the desired color and flavor intensity. Omit vanilla, if it calls for it. That's it. Easy Peasy.

What else can we add this fruit powder to?

• Plain organic yogurt
• Cake batter
• Oatmeal
• Smoothies
• Homemade fruit chews candy??

This post contains affiliate links.

Linked to Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Super Saturday Link Party, Homemaking Link-Up, Welcome Home Wednesday

Mexican Rice & Taco Bowls

No Mexican fiesta is complete without rice. This makes a fairly regular appearance on our menu, especially in one of our favorite meals - taco bowls. Of course, it makes a great side to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. It qualifies as comfort food in my book.



Mexican Rice

3-5 Tbl olive oil
2 c uncooked rice (I use organic brown or Basmati)
1/2 c onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (1 1/2 tsp of jarred)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
4 c chicken broth

Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium heat, then saute garlic and onion until tender. Add rice to skillet, stirring constantly, until golden. Stir in salt, cumin, tomato sauce and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Brown rice may take longer.

Taco Bowls

Layer in a bowl:

• Mexican rice
• Seasoned ground beef (I use Laura's Lean or grass-fed)
• Black or dark red kidney beans (rinsed)
• Shredded cheese (we love Kerrygold Dubliner)
• Chopped Romaine lettuce
• Homemade salsa
• Diced avocado or guacamole
• Plain organic yogurt

Serve with tortilla chips (preferrable organic/GMO-free).

Linked to Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Super Saturday Link Party, Fight Back Friday

Homemade Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Near the beginning of our journey to healthier eating, I stopped buying ranch dressing. The primary reason was because we were avoiding dairy but also to avoid the preservatives and MSG. When we were ready to try dairy again, we tried a few natural and organic brands, but none of them passed our taste tests.

Currently, we are consuming dairy mostly in the form of butter, yogurt and, occasionally, cheese. I adapted this recipe from Linda's Lunacy by replacing the sour cream with yogurt and leaving out the buttermilk. If you need it thicker for dipping vegetables, use Greek yogurt or strain your regular yogurt through cheesecloth for a couple hours first. You can adjust the herbs to suit your preferences.



Yogurt Ranch Dressing

1 c mayonaisse (homemade or store-bought)

1 c plain whole milk yogurt

3/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp onion powder

3/4 tsp dried dill

3/4 tsp dried parsley

3/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Whisk together in medium bowl, then transfer to glass jar with lid. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let flavors combine before serving. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Makes just over two cups and fits in a pint jar.



Linked to Super Saturday Link Party

If You Give a Mom a Beautiful Day



If you give a mom a beautiful day, she is going to send the kids outside and open the windows.

Seeing the dirty, fingerprint covered windows, she is going to clean them.

Feeling the cool breeze blowing in, she will remember to turn off the a/c.

While turning off the a/c, she will think to check the filter and notice the thick layer of dust, so she will change it.

When she goes to throw away the used filter, she will decide to go ahead and take out all the trash in the house.

While emptying the bathroom trash, she will notice the toilet needs to be cleaned.

Since she's cleaning the toilet, she decides to clean the whole bathroom and wash the shower curtain.

When she puts the curtain in the washer, she sees the stacks of folded laundry that need to be put away, so she takes them to the kids' bedrooms.

After putting away the clean laundry, she notices a damp towel laying on the bedroom floor and takes it back to the bathroom.

Being in the bathroom reminds her of the shower curtain in the washer and she figures it is probably done by now.

She takes the shower curtain out of the washer and decides that the dryer will heat up the house, so she takes it outside to hang on the clothes line.

Once she gets outside, she remembers that it is a beautiful day and decides to stay outside with the kids where there aren't any chores to be done.

This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Note: The above story is a based on actual events in this author's day. It is also an original creation and is not to be used without giving credit to the author - Christy at RaisingKnights.com. Thank you!

Linked to Mama Moment Mondays.

Huge Back to Home School Giveaway

Sponsors of our 3rd Annual Back to Home School Giveaway    Ready to Enter? Click here!
Prize Package Details - Total Prizes Valued at $1,906! How it works: We will draw 12 individual winners - one for each prize pack below. ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL GET A COPY OF EVERYTHING - A $1,906 VALUE! Hearts at Home Curriculum Store - Hearts at Home is offering a 5-Subject Switched on Schoolhouse Complete Set. Switched-On Schoolhouse is a comprehensive, Christian homeschool curriculum that offers computer-based learning for grades 3-12. With animation, video clips, and other fascinating multimedia, Switched-On Schoolhouse is the perfect Christian homeschool curriculum for today's generation.Winners will select one grade between 3-12. Hearts at Home offers over 200 publishers at up to 30% off everyday! Super fast, flat rate shipping & great service. Owned and operated by a homeschooling family. Total Value - $450 Founders Academy - Founders Academy is an online instructional resource to assist you in your homeschooling. They provide live, interactive and engaging instruction in American Government and Free Market Economics for a variety of ages. Winners will win the following: Sensational Signers of the Declaration of Independence & Choice of ONE: Government 101 OR Economics 101. (Note: Semester of Economics or Government class must be used Fall 2013 or Spring 2014 and has no cash value if not claimed or used. If you have no high school students, you may substitute Economics or Government for the Young Patriot's American History.) Total Value - $221 Bright Ideas Press - Enter to win a year of your choice of Illuminations plus the corresponding science and history books that go with it (either The Mystery or History or All American History and a year of Christian Kids Explore Science). Tired of planning it all yourself? Do you long to teach your kids together at the same time? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the planning you need to do? Do you ever wish you could find all your plans in one place? Illuminations is your answer! Illuminations is an all-inclusive* curriculum plan, covering Bible, language arts (grammar, writing, copywork, spelling, and vocabulary), literature, science, humanities (poetry, theater, music, and art), geography, history, and life skills. Total *does not include math - Value - $215 Cover Story - From the creator of The One Year Adventure Novel comes a new writing curriculum for mid-grade students. Cover Story takes middle school students – 6th through 8th grade – on a guided tour through the universe of Story. The program covers poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, interviews, blogs, letters, and much more in video lessons taught by a professional writer. A complete Language Arts program: Writing, Story techniques and structure, Literature, Critical thinking, & Grammar (included but optional.) Total Value - $149 Home School Adventure Co. has bundled an exciting and unique critical thinking collection which includes: Philippians in 28 Weeks™ - a simple and painless way to memorize an entire book of Scripture, The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions - an enchanting fable that unmasks the ugliness of pride and selfishness, and the newly released Philosophy Adventure™ -Pre-Socratics - designed to help students 6th-12th grade cultivate and defend a biblical worldview by teaching them how to write skillfully, think critically, and speak articulately as they explore the history of ideas. Total Value $148 BrimWood Press - BrimWood Press is dedicated to providing thought-rich, visually stimulating materials that enable children to grasp essential concepts of learning through pioneering methods that engage the whole child. Their package is the "Conversations Worldview Kit" - a combination of some of the most popular BrimWood Press' worldview products: Christian Theology & Ancient Polytheism, Historical Novels for Engaging Thinkers, Introduction to Worldview, & Conversations from the Garden. Total Value - $125 A+ TutorSoft - Multisensory-Interactive Homeschool MATH ONLINE (1 year Access) - Our Multi-Sensory Interactive MATH Curriculum Software makes learning MATH fun and easy by using audio, computer animated visuals and text. It is designed to keep your child's attention. Total Value - $125 Heritage History - The Heritage Classical Curriculum is the easiest, least expensive, and most enjoyable way to learn traditional history. Their "living books" reading program uses narrative histories that were popular with young people of earlier generations and features books of interest to students of all ages. This giveaway includes the following titles: Young Readers, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, British Middle Ages, & British Empire. Total Value - $125 Memoria Press - First Form Latin Set - Written by Cheryl Lowe (author of the best-selling Latina Christiana), First Form and its sister Latin products have been used by more than 100,000 students across the world to learn Latin! First Form's grammar-first approach focuses on grammar forms and vocabulary because these are the skills suitable for the grammar stage student. The First Form Series is for students of all ages because all beginners—regardless of age—are in the grammar stage of learning. Total Value - $115 NotebookingPages.com - Notebooking Pages LIFETIME Membership with 1-year bonus access to The Notebooking Publisher web-app. Your Membership includes access to ALL of their products on this page PLUS LIFETIME updates...past, present, & future products...all yours! Total Value - $100 Blogelina - The Complete Blog Set-Up/Makeover Package. Have you ever wanted a blog, but you didn't know where to start? Wonder how you can make money for your family by blogging? This complete package is for you! If you already have a blog, get a FREE makeover! Total Value - $79 Write Through the Bible Write Through the Bible is a series of copywork printables designed for an entire school year, combining the disciplines of handwriting, dictation, vocabulary, and Scripture memory into one daily activity. Prize includes The ENTIRE Write Through the Bible Collection along with The Heart of Humility: Teaching Your Kids to Put Others First (A family study of Philippians 2:1-18). The Workbooks will be in both manuscript and cursive & you can choose between ESV or KJV versions! Total Value - $54
Ready to Enter? Click here!   Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Behind the Curtain

photo credit

Remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Toto pulls the curtain back and reveals the secret...that the Great and Powerful Wizard is really just a man pulling levers and pushing buttons.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

Well, blogging can become like that. Many times, we, meaning mom bloggers, make our blogs look pretty and write positive, uplifting things and post beautifully staged pictures of our homes and projects, giving the impression that we have it all together. Not necessarily me. It can be unintentionally deceiving and discouraging to other moms who only see this facade and don't know what really happens in our homes and lives. They don't see the struggles, the mistakes, the same things that they deal with. The nature of blogging requires a balance of privacy and publicity. Of course, we have to be careful what and how much we share with the rest of the world and, naturally, we want to show our best side.

I'm pulling back the curtain a little here.

Honestly, there are days when, no matter how good my intentions are, no matter how much I've planned, it is just pure chaos here...morning to night. There are dirty dishes piled up and mountains of dirty laundry to be washed. Clean laundry that was folded and stacked has to be refolded because a little person was looking for his favorite shirt. The three-year-old is hiding under the table nibbling on a block of cheese or writing on his belly with a marker. Or he noticed the door was left unlocked and he is running down the driveway in his underwear...or naked. The six-year-old and nine-year-old are arguing over a toy, book, TV show, the color of the sky. The teenager disappears every time I ask him to do his chores and only shows up when he's hungry. I'm not up for the bedtime battle and I let little boys fall asleep on the couch watching cartoons. These are the days that wear me down. The days that I don't want to share because they make me feel like I failed somehow.

The truth is that these days aren't necessarily a failure in themselves, but they are the ones that define me. How will I respond? Will it be with grace and love? Or will it be with selfish impatience and anger? Another truth: I don't always respond with grace and love.

Being a mom is beyond hard.

Blogging gives me a creative and social outlet and allows me to develop another facet of myself. I am the woman behind the screen, pushing buttons and clicking the mouse, creating the vision of me that I want you to see.


Shared at: Fellowship Fridays

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Just look at those chocolate-studded muffins. Don't you just want to pluck one right from your screen? While I would love to take full credit for them, I can only say that I know how to follow a recipe. The recipe for these little gems comes from Maryea at Happy Healthy Mama. I followed her recipe almost exactly, using honey instead of agave and choosing mini chips over regular. They are delicious! Now, when I'm in the mood for banana muffins, I'll have to choose between these and my other favorite recipe, Banana Nut Flax Muffins. Decisions, decisions...

*Tip: Suitable for Feingold Stage 1, if you replace applesauce with pear sauce.

Menu Plan Monday - 12/17

Perhaps the week before Christmas is not the best time to go gluten-free, but I gotta go with my motivation. My original goal was grain-free, but that seems like Mission Impossible to me right now.

Monday:  A.M. Prep: Make chicken broth
                 Chicken & rice soup
                                 
Tuesday:  Dinner at Mom's

Wednesday:  Slow-cooker Italian chicken & veggies
                       Prep: soak pinto beans

Thursday:  Layered taco dip w/ Mexican rice, homemade refried beans

Friday:  Sweet & Spicy Crockpot Chicken w/Basmati rice, steamed broccoli

Saturday:  A.M. Prep: Make mashed potatoes
                   Shepherd's pie, mixed baby greens salad

Sunday: Garlic-lime chicken, Basmati rice, glazed baby carrots (Papa Bear's Favorite :)

Flurry of Friends Pinterest Party

Teach Them Diligently Convention and Apologia are hosting a week-long Flurries of Friends and Lots of Fun homeschool celebration with Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter parties. A random winner will be chosen on Thursday from the Pinterest board entries.

Grand Prize Package

One year of Apologia Science (winner's choice), 180 Days Around the World, family registration to the spring convention, and a complete set of TTD recordings of their choice!

After reading a post from Amy at Raising Arrows and getting inspired, I had fun putting together this Pinterest board. My theme is Afternoon Tea. Check out what it would be like to come over to my house for a cup of tea and homeschool mom chat. Then, join in the fun! If you create a board, leave a link in my comments, so I can check it out.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

My family was deprived of biscuits for nearly a decade once I stopped buying canned supermarket biscuits. Well, except when we went to Cracker Barrel or my mom's. I tried a couple of whole wheat biscuit recipes, but they were usually dense and a little dry.

That is, until I found a recipe in Joy of Cooking - there's a reason that cookbook has been around for decades. This is my slightly adapted version. The biscuits turn out light and fluffy with the mild tang of buttermilk. Slather on some real butter and a smear of sorghum or jam and you will experience a little bit of Southern heaven.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
(makes about 20-24)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat)
1 cup unbleached AP flour
4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, coconut oil, or non-hydrogenated shortening (I use 1/2 butter, 1/2 coconut oil)
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix first six ingredients in bowl or food processor. Cut in butter/coconut oil/shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in buttermilk. If dough is too sticky, add one tablespoon of flour at a time until you are able to handle the dough. Knead it gently on a well-floured surface. Pat the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with two-inch biscuit cutter or juice glass and place on ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Handling dough scraps gently, you may pat out and cut again. Bake until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.

Soaked option: Stir flour into buttermilk, cover, and soak for 12-24 hours before making. Then, cut butter into chunks and work into the flour mixture, along with the remaining ingredients. Knead and cut dough as directed above.

Tip: For soft sides and slightly higher rise, place dough rounds touching each other. For lightly crispy sides, space 1 inch apart on sheet.

Linked to Better Mom Monday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Wonderful Food Wednesday, Welcome Home Wednesday, Natural Living Link-up.

Egg Sauce {Grandma's Recipe}

When I was little, my grandmother would fix egg sauce over toast for me when I spent the night. I had forgotten all about it until I ran across a recipe for a simple white sauce in Joy of Cooking several years ago. That sparked my memory and, now, my boys also love egg sauce over toast.

The recipe is simple and made from pantry staples. Milk. Butter. Flour. Eggs. Nothing fancy here. It is a just simple white sauce with chopped hard-boiled eggs stirred in. You could use the plain white sauce to cream vegetables too, although I've never tried that.

Egg Sauce

2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs unbleached AP flour
1 cup milk (I use whole, but you can adapt to your preferences)
2-3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled & chopped

Place butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Whisk in flour until smooth; stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in milk. Return to heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Continue cooking and whisking until sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in chopped eggs.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over toast. (My favorite is sourdough.)

Linked to Better Mom Monday, Titus 2 Tuesday, What's Cooking Wednesday.