Sunday Scripture

1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,

    who walk in obedience to him.

2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;

    blessings and prosperity will be yours.

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

    within your house;

your children will be like olive shoots

    around your table.

4 Yes, this will be the blessing

    for the man who fears the Lord.

5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;

    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

    all the days of your life.

6 May you live to see your children’s children—

    peace be on Israel.

                                    ~ Psalm 128:1-6

Homemade Finger Paint!!

I'm so excited to have happened across this recipe at theimaginationtree.com for finger paint that costs pennies and is really easy to make! This recipe is non-toxic too, but I don't recommend the little ones eating very much food coloring, so I would try to discourage them from licking their fingers!
It can't taste good anyways!

Ingredients

2 cups corn starch
1 cup cold water
4.5 cups boiling water
food coloring

Directions

1. Bring 4.5 cups of water to a boil in medium saucepan
2. Mix corn starch and cold water and add to the boiling water.
3. Turn off the burner or reduce to low heat and stir continuously. It will get pretty weird and clumpy and then it will smooth out. If it doesn't thicken enough you can add more corn starch a little at a time, but it should while it's over the heat.
4. Spoon into jars of some kind and then stir in your food coloring, the more you add the darker the color!
5. Let it cool and then have fun!!

I would love to finish this post with pictures of my son smiling and covered in paint and show off the masterpieces he created...but he wasn't that into it. I'll try again though!! Maybe I should just stick to mud puddles, they ALWAYS keep his attention!!

Oh, and on these summer days, fill up your little plastic pool in the backyard for easy clean up afterwards!!

I'm also going to try these in the tub for bath paint one day!

The 'sucker' homestead...

So, I know that homesteading implies becoming more self sufficient by raising your own food. And I know that in order to do that, the homestead must focus on plants and animals that serve a purpose and provide something for the homestead, whether that's eggs, meat, milk, more stock, produce, honey, fiber, etc, everything needs to pull its weight. 

But sometimes, you just fall for a cute face. Sometimes you just need to accept that you have 'sucker' clearly written on your forehead and, as a result, sometimes you just have to forget what's practical...

Meet Simon.

Simon is a one month old lamb. He was a triplet and mama wouldn't take him. So, yes, I am chasing a 16 month old, 8 months pregnant, and bottle feeding this sweet, precious, adorable little guy. And as I'm sure you could figure out, he will serve no purpose other than to bring a smile to our faces.

Here I am giving my son a ride in the wheelbarrow on the way to feed the chickens, with my little white shadow and our dogs. God is so good!!!!!!!

Sunday Scripture ~ Mother's Day

<sup>Mother's Day is a special time set aside to honor mothers.  
Your mother is the first person to teach you about love. 
She is the one that gave you life.  She teaches, corrects, 

and encourages you as you are growing up in this world.  
Mothers wear so many hats, teacher, coach, psychologist, 
and best friend, just to name a few.  Mothers always hold 
a special place in our hearts whether they are with us on 
the Earth or if they are with Jesus.  Say a special prayer 
for the Mother in your life or another Mother that you 
know today.</sup> 

⁹ Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, ¹⁰ especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

                                            ~ Deuteronomy 4:9-10

 

M - O - T - H - E - R
"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell
"MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.
Howard Johnson (c. 1915)

 

Coconut Oil - It is not just for cooking!

Photo Credit:  www.organicfacts.net

One of my favorite new products that I have started using this year is coconut oil.  Coconut oil is very affordable, natural and easy to find.  When you buy it, it will be in solid form but when the temperature rises it will liquify, this is completely normal.  You can sit in a warm place or in a bowl of warm water to liquify as well.  I do not recommend microwaving because it will take away many of the benefits. 

There are two types of coconut oil:

• Virgin (unrefined) coconut oil tastes and smells like coconut and is great for cooking and baking where you want that flavor. You can use it for anything but it will impart a mild coconut taste and odor. Unrefined coconut oil retains the most nutritional value and is superior to refined oil.
• Expeller pressed (refined) coconut oil can be used for anything. It does not have a coconut smell or taste. It is still great to use, but does lose some of it’s health properties during the refining process.  
• Food grade should always be used.
  
  
  There are so many great uses for coconut oil.  Here are just a few.
  
  
  1.  Burns, scrapes, birthmarks, age spots, bruises, bug bites.  It can be applied directly to these and will help aid in healing and reduce scarring. 
  
  2.  Deodorant, face moisturizer, under eye cream, make-up remover and after shave, great for razor burn.  Mix with sugar or sea salt and use to exfoliate the skin.
  3.  Use it to heal acne, dandruff, eczema, sunburn relief, diaper rash, and as stretch mark cream,  just apply to the affected area.  It can be used as a massage oil as well.
  
  
  4.  Many people ingest it for various health and wellness purposes.  For breastfeeding Moms 3 1/2 TBSP daily will enrich their milk supply.  Coconut oil aids in the absorption of calcium and magnesium which leads to better bone and tooth health.  It aids in digestion, energy boost, and vitamin and nutrient absorption.  When used for stress relief, apply to head in a circular massaging motion.  To help control nausea, rub a small amount on the wrist.  If you don't like to ingest it straight, you can add it to your morning smoothie.
  
  
  5.  In cooking you can use it to replace the other oils you use like canola, vegetable, etc.  Dairy allergy?  You can use coconut oil as a substitute for butter.  If you need one cup of butter, use one cup of coconut oil.  Use it to grease pans or in baking instead of Crisco.  
  
  
  These are just a few of the uses I have compiled.  I would like to encourage you to give this oil a try since there are so many places in your home that you can use it.   I would love to hear about some of the ways you like to use your coconut oil.
  
  
  
  

Sunday Scripture

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart"

Jeremiah 5:1

Summertime grilling!!

Weber grill (one of the few things left from my husband's bachelor days)... $30

Beef for kabobs... $4.99/lb

Onions and peppers... $4

Homemade marinade... pennies

Bamboo skewers... pennies

Natural Charcoal... $5 for a big bag

Knowing who raised the cow and where it lived its life... priceless!!

Leo, the pointer, was a freebie... but he's pretty priceless too!

Thank you Triple J Farms for your delicious beef!!

Triple J Farm is in Georgetown, KY

Call them at 502-863-6786 or stop in at the Lexington Farmers Market on Saturdays and see them!