A thousand things to be thankful for

Gratitude is a gift; to look up when the pressure is on and say 'thank you', to stare at the simple and remember HIM, to find God in the mundane, the dirty and the slog, to find peace in the noise, the piles and the lists - to always have a heart brimming over with thanksgiving; this is a true gift.

The Jesse Tree

Thankfulness brings us into the throne room of grace, sweeps us off our selfish feet and meets us at HIS (feet).

Today I'm joining the Gratitude Community, I am inspired to create a culture in my life and my home of being grateful; just longing to see Jesus through all am and all I do - is not this our life?

A Christmas memory; happy times in Michigan!

So here I will be, every Monday with a collection of gathered 'thanks' on a page.

"Lord change my heart, bring me closer to you - may I never tire of being thankful for YOU and ALL you have poured into my life"

Cheeky boys at a morning tea party whilst Mummy reads
the story of the Angel visiting Mary!

My sweet growing boy; God is so kind and good to us

Here begins my List:


My loving husband who is so full of grace

Being loved extravagantly despite my many flaws!

A warm house

A handsome growing toddler who melts my heart

Brothers playing together

Nyah's curly writing

A dancing daughter

A new oven

Dave's job being near to our home

Financial provision

Micah dancing whenever he hears music

A hot cup of tea

Gracious friends

Change

Creativity and homemade gifts

Beautiful wooden toys; all ready to be wrapped

Joel's drawings of people




Have a wonderful Monday!

Blessings
Leah

A frosty week!

To say this week has been hard would be a huge understatement!

I guess to put it simply I learnt that homeschooling whilst fighting the flu, whilst caring for children who are fighting the flu, whilst breastfeeding a toddler who was fighting the flu is really hard! So we took a few days off to fight it...

We made our attack with lots of sleep (and nursing for Micah), lavender and peppermint baths, raw garlic, garlic and more garlic and raw ginger and lemon tea; all this stuff is a post in itself which I'm not focusing on today but it worked a treat! If you are intrigued about garlic; Kelley over at Kozy Konversations wrote a great post about Mastitis and raw garlic and links to some further reads, pop over and have a read!

Despite the 'frosty' week here in our corner of the world we survived! God is my sustainer, my healer and protector and I drenched myself in his new mercies every morning. I am so grateful to Him for my amazing husband who had the busiest week EVER at work but still managed to keep us all afloat, my wonderful children who have been mostly so patient and full of grace for their Mummy and for sweet friends who's encouraging texts and emails have kept us moving!

So, enough about that - here are some of the highlights from our week:

1. My precious friend Susie gave birth to her 7th child (a son) on Monday - what a blessing!

2. Dave's parents gave us their old oven as they have had a new kitchen fitted (their old one wasn't that old); we had it fitted this week, it's GREAT and much bigger than our old one (which was 3rd hand to us and we'd had it about 8 years!!)

3. I got to have lots of naps snuggled up with my sweet Micah

4. I got time to catch up with some of my favourite bloggers; I am always blessed to go and visit Ann Voskamp over at Holy Experience

5. I got to cook for and hang out with three of the lovely ladies from 'Blush'; a Christian girl band from Manchester - they were here for the week doing outreach work in one of our local schools

6. Today Dave and the children went out and bought the cutest, most perfect shaped 'real' Christmas tree for our living room; we enjoyed pulling out the decorations and teaching Micah the ropes!

7. I got to read LOTS of stories to my children; especially enjoyed reading adventures from our lightkeepers series; yesterday we read about AW Tozer. We also got into a great discussion about communism after reading about Jeanette Li who was a missionary in China. It's amazing how much learning you do when you take 'time off'!

8. I got to eat soup for dinner

9. Dave took us out for dinner one night so I didn't have to cook

10. I found out that mine and Micah's babywearing picture made the Natural Mama's 2010 calender - I'm Miss January (with a few others!). They only print to order (which closed last week) so mine is on its way, I'll take a picture for you to see when it comes!!

Nothing better for the soul than gratitude - really takes your focus off what you've been 'going through' and helps you realise how blessed you are.

I realise I have a lot of blogging to catch up with; notes to post, items to discuss and Christmas crafting and cooking ideas to post...and I MUST get some photos up but until then I'm going to have one more early night, one more ginger, lemon and honey tea and bid you goodnight!

Blessings
Leah

Home Grown Cleaning Products

Back to basics

I've been amazed throughout my reading and research on cleaning products how naive I've been with regards to the toxins and chemicals in my home that I've so innocently used around my family everyday.

In the USA research carried out by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), has shown that on average indoor air contains two to five times more pollutants per cubic foot than outdoor air. A further EPA study revealed that some toxic levels found in homes were greater than the levels which qualify as chemical waste sites.

We can make a huge difference to our health and health of our children if we choose to throw out the bright green chemicals in bottles hidden beneath our sink and pull out the vinegar and a bit of elbow grease! Chemical cleaners can have toxic fumes, cause harmful reactions on skin, and some chemical cleaners can be carcinogenic.

Homemade cleaners can do just as good a job without all the harmful side effects.

Janey Lee Grace has these great books which I'm slowly working through; she's a busy mother of four but works hard to make sure the world around her children is as chemical free as possible; from the foods that go in their mouths to the surfaces they touch!

This book was also very helpful, it not only contains the science behind the chemicals in the products we use but it's also packed with great homemade recipes with very simple and cheap ingredients.

The great thing is that one homemade product can clean a multitude of surfaces. Chemical products generally target one specific area or duty, so many different kinds need to be bought just to clean up around the house.

I know this all sounds very serious, but it's also LOTS of fun; chat with other ladies about, explore the alternatives together and see what you come up with. I've loved exploring this with a couple of my gal pals; just last night Rebecca knocked at my door with a beautiful jar of 'Almond hand scrub' for me that she's made from Epsom salts and almond oil - love it!

What do I use?
Here's a list of basic ingredients that I use for my homemade cleaning fun! I bulk buy most of these products from here; my friend and I have just started sharing the shipping cost and going in together on our order.

White distilled vinegar: Vinegar has detergent and disinfectant properties so very versatile for use in the home. White vinegar also acts as a natural deodoriser and absorbs odours rather than covering them up. White vinegar also makes a good fabric softener substitute as it cuts detergent residue.

Bicarbonate of soda: here is the list of the many, many uses (I LOVE it!)

Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap: 100% natural liquid soap that boasts of 18 different uses! I use it everything from the kids hair to cleaning the guinea pig cage. I also mix it with essential oils to make my own shower gel and hand wash.

Essential oils: Essential oils have many antibacterial and antiviral properties, this makes them particularly useful for using in homemade recipes such as toiletries, essential oil soap and cleaning products

You can get tons of recipes and ideas from the Internet or the books I've recommended but here's what I do at the moment, I'm always tweaking my ideas - the quantities are really rough so please bare with me but you'll get the idea:

I made this batch up yesterday:

'Festive all purpose cleaner': I use a plastic sugar shaker that my friend Lucy saved for me for this one; it has holes in the top which makes for easier sprinkling! Fill the pot with bicarbonate of soda, add 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil and 20 drops of pine essential oil - mix well. Happy Christmas cleaning! This is also a great idea for a fun Mum gift, I've done some for my Mum and MIL (Shhh, don't tell them) in a glass jar, you can package it up with a cute ribbon and tag and throw in some pink gloves for more domestic fun!

'Lemon and Pine Bathroom spray': Fill a spray bottle half full of Dr. Bronners soap, fill half with cold water and add 10 drops of lemon essential oil and 10 drops of pine essential oil, shake well and spray.

'Lavender Kitchen cleaner': Fill a spray bottle half full of white vinegar, half full of water and add 20 drops of lavender essential oil. I use this on surfaces, windows and floors.

Of course all of these 'products' can be used all over the house despite my 'cutesy' labels!!

So, what do you do? I'm sure there are many more 'seasoned' green Mama's out there with heaps of ideas; please leave a comment and share your wisdom ladies!

Happy cleaning!

Blessings
Leah

Our words can change our world - Part 1

Because a woman's vocal cords are shorter than a man's she can actually speak with less effort than he can. Shorter vocal cords not only cause a woman's voice to be more highly pitched, but also require less air to become agitated, making it possible for her to talk more with less energy expended.

Sparks, quoted in Homemade, Dec., 1984.

We ladies like to talk! I'm constantly amazed at how my children and I can spend 24/7 together and never seem to run out of words to say to each other; this week I've been amazed at Joel's questions - we've discussed everything from what radio waves are to how Luke Skywalker's mechanical hand worked!!

I recently took a trip up to Yorkshire to visit the lovely ladies of Kings Church Wakefield, I was invited to speak at their coffee morning on the 'power of the tongue'; hopefully over a couple of posts I'm going to share what I shared with them; this is something in the way of an introduction...

The bible has much to say about the power of the tongue, the power of confession and the consequences to using our mouth wrongly.

Ultimately our mouths are created to praise God, to thank, worship and honour him; with our body, with our lips:

Psalm 109:30 “with my mouth I will give many thanks to the Lord”

Psalm 63:5 “You satisfy my soul with the richest foods. My mouth will sing [your] praise with joyful lips.”

The devil has taken what was made for God’s glory and brought death and despair; from the lips of mankind flows words of hatred and fear, gossip and lies, negativity and destruction.

Our words have the power to destroy not only ourselves but our relationships, our marriages and our families.

BUT our words also have the amazing power to encourage, uplift, build and bless.

Proverbs 14:1 tells us a wise woman builds her home, and a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands! I believe our words can also have the same effect on our home.

What words have come out of our mouths towards our husbands and children today?

Did we build or tear down?

Have we spoken well about ourselves today; our self image, abilities and responsibilities?

I'm daily challenged in my speech and confession and repentant in my heart for where I've gone wrong - Praise God for His amazing grace and fresh mercies every morning; bring on tomorrow!!

Many blessings
Leah

P.S For those of you who remember Katie; this morning she gave birth to her second son - Seth Peter, we're so thrilled for Katie and John and can't wait to see pictures (and meet him in person!), well done Katie, enjoy your new little blessing!

Home Made Play Dough

Hello friends! I'm still awaiting my new computer lead (should be here in next few days) but have managed to jump on a computer to say a quick hello and post my favourite play dough recipe.

We're having long wet, windy days here at the moment so I'm pulling out all my craft activities that guarantee every one's attention for at least half an hour!!

Here's how I make our own play dough:

3 cups plain flour
2 cups of salt
3tbsp Cream of tartar
3tbsp cooking oil
3 cups of boiling water
food colouring of your choice

Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar together
Add in water and oil - mix well
Allow to cool and separate if you want a few different colours
Add food colouring and kneed into the dough - it will spread throughout the dough

Keep in an airtight container
Should last for up to 3 months

It is generally recommended for children over 18 months but Micah (16 months) plays with it; and as long as I'm supervising he doesn't put it in his mouth!

Have fun with it! Hope you're all well - I'll be back as time permits (and computer access!!)

Blessings
Leah

Getting there!

A late Summer snap of Micah through a play tunnel!

I'm sat at my in-law's house after a lovely roast dinner and making the most of their computer; last week our lap top cable completely fell apart (Dave suspects Micah has been chewing on it...I wouldn't put it past him actually!!) so until we get that sorted I have very limited computer access at home (sad face)!

So here I am snatching a moment with you; this weekend we're started celebrations for Nyah's 7th birthday on Monday - Dave will be working on her actual birthday so we've decided to stretch her birthday out over the weekend with special treats and surprises; I've never seen a almost 7 year old SO excited...pictures to follow! I do have a request for a 'horse cake' (her new passion) so that will be an additional weekend project...but I'll love every minute!

I'm avidly working on my 'natural mama' status and am looking forward to sharing some home made cleaning product recipes with you. I've just borrowed from the library Janey Lee Grace's 'imperfectly natural baby and toddler' and really enjoying her 'green' insights into motherhood, looking forward to reading more of her stuff.

This week we've been working on the children's chores and household responsibilities; we're still very much a work in progress but I've seen a HUGE change in my home this week and children love 'owning' their jobs...working on a whole post about this; watch this space!

Following my trip to the States I was inspired by my mother of 6 (nearly 7) friend and her wonderful breakfasts menu; so this week I've tried blueberry oat muffins (hubby's fav), baked oatmeal and baked eggs (not kids fav!) - I'm working hard at switching to wholemeal flour and unrefined sugar; everything tastes just as good but it feels good to be feeding my family wholesome, tummy filling breakfasts.

Right; off to do more birthday planning; I'll back when time and life permits!

Many blessings

Leah

Still here...just recovering!

Hello friends!

Just waiting for my coffee to drip and listening to the gentle hum of the dryer; there is a distinct remaining aroma of bonfires and fireworks left in the air from our 'Guy Fawkes Night' celebrations last night!

Just popping on to say I am still here - just recovering from a long weekend in Texas where hubby, Micah and I attended the 'Semper Reformanda' conference hosted by Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. We stayed with our precious friends, sucked every moment out of our time with them and longed for more but REALLY missed our two little ones who we'd left back here having fun in Yorkshire with Grandma and Grandad.

Got lots to do at home, children to cuddle, thoughts to ponder and a list as long as my arm of jobs to get on top of so when time permits I will return (hopefully at the weekend) with a full catch up of life in our home.

Many blessings to you and yours
Leah