Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year, everyone!!

May we each follow God this year, wherever He might lead. God is good!

The Girlfriends Guidebook - a book review

I was contacted about reviewing a new book by Marian Jordan titled The Girlfriends Guidebook, a book about "navigating female friendships." Since I got married, I haven't really maintained any female friendships. I did make and have kept several friends that were introduced through my husband. However, I don't currently have any close female friends. I was hoping this book would help with that.

I love the warning that is issued at the beginning of the book. In the introduction, the author warns that you should "please read this book for yourself... not for your girlfriends!" (2). It's too easy to read advice about any aspect of life and want to apply it to others. However, advice should first be applied to ourselves!

The goal of this book is to "examine friendship from the perspective of God's Word" (22). Looking over the book, it does fulfill that stated purpose. The Girlfriends Guidebook examines friendship and uses lots of Scripture texts to show what qualities a woman should provide in a friendship and what qualities to look for in a friend. Jordan states three reasons for friendship - companionship, sanctification, and service. She outlines each of these purposes and shows how these purposes are illustrated in Scripture. I thought each purpose was well illustrated and supported.

I think my favorite quote in the book is in chapter three. It states that "if the cry of our hearts for love and acceptance is not first realized in a relationship with Jesus Christ, then great disappointment awaits any woman who believes she'll find it in a friendship" (48). I think this quote is applicable to any aspect of life. If we do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, we will be disappointed in anything we try to secure love and acceptance from.

After reading the book, I was left with one question - are girlfriends necessary to a married woman? Is there something that a close female friendship provides that a spouse does not? My husband is my best friend. Would developing a bosom female friendship provide something that I cannot or should not seek from my husband? I'm not sure.

Overall, I thought this was a very solid book. The tone is a bit girly for my taste, referring to Sex and the City, shopping, and boys. I'm not quite that girly and couldn't really relate to some of the author's illustrations but the book still resonated with me.

Thank you, PR by the Book and B&H, for allowing me to read and review this book. It was provided to me free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.

For another interesting review of this book, please visit Reading to Know.

Merry Christmas!

“Behold,
the virgin shall be with child,
and bear a Son,
and they shall call His name Immanuel,”
which is translated,
God with us
Matthew 1:23.

My favorite Christmas song:

Plans? What plans?

I had plans for this week. HA! They have been completely thrown out the window. There are a few things I still want to do this week but we'll see how much actually gets accomplished. Supposedly, my hubby will be working at a client all day on Friday so I should be able to be very productive.

Tonight... we are doing something crazy. We are going to the midnight showing of The Adventures of Tintin! Then, first thing tomorrow morning, we are doing a 90 minute yoga session. I'm sure we could have timed these two events better, but tonight is the theatre release and my husband has been looking forward to it for months. He grew up reading the Tintin comics and was really excited when he found out they were making a movie.

I hope I'm able to achieve some level of coherency tomorrow! I'm sure we'll be tired but it's worth it to make my hubby so happy!

This week's memory text - Joshua

Last week flew by like a whirlwind. I'm way behind on last week's memory text but I'm adding another for this week. There's no reason I can't learn two!

This text really stood out to me in yesterday morning's Bible reading. I was feeling rather abandoned because my husband's work is taking up almost all of his time lately. But there was a message in this text just for me.

Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and of good courage;
do not be afraid, nor be dismayed,
for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go
Joshua 1:9.
From the mouth of the Lord - Be strong. Be of good courage. Do not be afraid. Do not be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you.

Even if things are hectic at work, though my husband is extremely busy with work and I feel lonely, God is with me. I can be strong and have courage. God is with me.

This week's memory text - Deuteronomy 10:12

I haven't done a memory text in awhile. This week, I'm going to learn the same text in both English and Japanese.

And now, Israel,
what doth the LORD thy God require of thee,
but to fear the LORD thy God,
to walk in all his ways,
and to love him,
and to serve the LORD thy God
with all thy heart and with all thy soul
Deuteronomy 10:12

イスラエルよ、今、あなたの神、主があなたに求められる事はなんであるか。ただこれだけである。すなわちあなたの神、主を恐れ、そのすべての道に歩んで、彼を愛し、心をつくし、精神をつくしてあなたの神、主に仕え

Some of the grammar for the Japanese text is a bit above my skill level. It might take me more than a week to learn it!

A month of nonfiction - week 1

In my last Nightstand post, I talked about how December is going to be a month of nonfiction reading. Now that week 1 is complete, I wanted to give a quick update.

Reading nothing but nonfiction is hard! Hubby and I like to read shortly before bed every night. At the end of the day, especially one where I've studied Japanese for an hour or two already, the last thing I want is heavy reading. I know not all nonfiction is heavy. It's just so much easier to curl up with a novel!

So far I've read:

Lost in Shangri-La

Vermeer: A View of Delft

Up next:

The Girlfriends Guidebook

Behind the Veils of Yemen
I've already started reading The Girlfriend's Guidebook. It's a review copy so I'll have a post about it here when I'm finished. Actually, both of the books next on my list are review copies. Someday I'll start reading the massive pile of books already stacked up in my spare bedroom!

D9P backing and the beginnings of a new quilt

Yesterday, hubby and I visited Joann's and picked up the backing for my double 9 patch quilt. I had such a hard time deciding what to use! Should I buy a solid or a print? Should it be a subtle print or something bold? Purple? Pink? Blue? Green? I looked at the walls of fabric and felt completely overwhelmed.

I found a simple floral print I liked, printed on a white background. However, I've been hesitant to use any white in my backings as I know it will get dirty very fast. I decided that since this quilt already contained fabric choices that were not... wonderful... I would just go for something simple: a light pink to offset the very bold top.


I'm not sure I made the best choice, but I've found I learn better by trial and error. If this doesn't work, then I will know better for my next quilt.

Over the weekend, while I waited until we had an opportunity to visit the fabric store, I started another quilt. I just couldn't help myself. Since high school, I've been wanting to make a denim quilt, one I saw on HGTV. I couldn't find the exact pattern, though I had printed it years ago. Who knows where those papers disappeared to! I'm still not sure exactly what pattern I'll use, but I decided to start prepping the fabric.
A bucketful of jeans
I've been saving jeans for years. Some of the jeans have holes in them; others I grew too fat or too skinny to wear. Now I only wear skirts so all of these jeans are going into my quilt. Who knows? Maybe I'll have enough denim for more than one quilt.

What I have cut so far
What still needs to be cut

While at Joann's, I found the perfect flannel backing for my denim quilt! Even better, it was 70% off! I bought the rest of the bolt.
Kitties!

There is still a ton of prep work to be done on the denim. I haven't cut squares out yet. I've only cut the useless parts of the jeans away from the usable fabric. Once I determine the size of my squares, I can actually begin cutting the blocks. First, though, I need to finish the double 9 patch quilt. I just needed something to keep myself busy while waiting to buy the backing fabric!

Happy quilting!

Double 9 Patch Quilt - Borders Added!

It's really late for me to be posting but I was so excited that I just couldn't wait until tomorrow.

I finished adding the borders to my quilt!!


I'll have to see about getting a better photo of the quilt, probably laid out on my living room floor. My photo accidentally cut off part of the blocks in the top corners! It's hard holding anything up in the air when you're in the middle of an intense workout program...

At the beginning, I wasn't sure I liked this quilt. It's a bit too bold for me. However, I had to work with the fabric the church gave me and then supplemented with a couple trips to Joann Fabric. The quilt is growing on me now. It still won't be my favorite, but at least I'm willing to admit now that I made it!

On Sunday, we're headed to Joann to buy backing for the quilt. Then I can start the sandwiching process and the quilting. I can't wait!

30 Day Challenges - Recap and December's challenge

I have finished two 30 day challenges, both of them relatively easy and not much of a "challenge." First was the Get Dressed challenge. That one went very well and I got into the habit of changing out of my pajamas or workout clothes as soon as possible. I've spent the last six weeks wearing skirts and sweaters around the house, being much more presentable on a moment's notice! It's been nice and lends itself well to productivity.

My second challenge was to drink more water. This challenge didn't go as well as my Get Dressed challenge, but it did make me more aware of my water consumption. I don't drink enough! I'm currently on week 4 of the P90X workout program, plus I run several times a week. With all of the exercise, and living in a very dry state, I don't drink enough water and am almost constantly dehydrated. November went far toward helping me rehydrate, but I still don't drink enough several days a week. Thankfully, the challenge helped me to keep water nearby and make sure the water filter remains filled.

For my third challenge, I am choosing something more difficult. For the next 30 days, I will be reading nothing but nonfiction. I mentioned this briefly on my Nightstand post. I read a lot of drivel, or what Charlotte Mason calls "twaddle." Knowing that, I decided to challenge myself to read nothing but nonfiction for an entire month. My nightstand post outlines what I plan to read but I'll update periodically as I finish books. I can't wait to see what things I might learn this month!


I'm brainstorming ideas of what I might challenge myself to do in 2012. I want to keep the challenges somewhat related to homemaking, as that is one of my primary focuses in life. God, my husband, and my home. I want each challenge to improve one of these areas in my life, not just something I do for the sake of doing something. Any ideas? Want to join me on a 30 day challenge?

Thanksgiving in Wyoming

I have returned from my trip to Wyoming. Overall, it was a good trip. I'm so glad I got to see my grandparents. My grandfather is 84 and isn't doing very well. We have plans to see him next July for a family reunion but thought it might be wise to make this trip Just In Case.

Buffalo
Snow!
Grandma playing Angry Birds on my tablet
Josh trying to get Grandpa to try a temporary tattoo
Three generations of boys
Grandpa, Josh, and I
Josh and I with the grandparents

In addition to visiting with my grandparents, I was also able to see an old friend of mine. I hadn't seen her since my wedding six years ago. It was nice to be able to chat face to face! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the two of us.

Hopefully we'll all be together again next July. If not, at least we were all able to spend some time together this Thanksgiving. For that, I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him,
and bless his name.
For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations
Psalm 100:4-5.

What's on My Nightstand? Nothing but nonfiction!

Looking over my list this month, I haven't had very good luck with my selections. Most of the books were mediocre. My best read was a children's novel!

COMPLETED (links are to my full reviews)

Children's literature

• The Time Garden by Edward Eager - 2 stars. I would have loved this book as a child but it just wasn't good as an adult reader.

• Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle - 3.5 stars. Great book, would make a good read-aloud. I can't wait until I have children and can share quality literature with them.

• Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery - 4 stars. I wish I'd read this as a kid! Great book. It was nice seeing Anne again.

• An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott - 3 stars. A solid story.

• The Giver by Lois Lowry - 4 stars. My favorite read during the month of November!

• Eight Cousins, Or, the Aunt-Hill by Louisa May Alcott - 4 stars. Loved it, loved it, loved it! This was another favorite for November.

Christian Fiction

• John 3:16 by Nancy Moser - 3 stars. A quick read. I stand by what I've said before: her historical fiction is better!

• Thicker than Blood by C.J. Darlington - 3.5 stars. A good debut novel. Can't wait to read more!

Classics

• Fernande: The Story of a Courtesan by Alexandre Dumas - 3.5 stars. A very serious book by the author of The Three Musketeers. Great moral application, still applicable today.

Secular Fiction

• The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus - 2 stars. I bought it to read on a plane. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - 3 stars. This was my first Picoult book. My sister-in-law loves her books so I'm giving the author a try.

IN PROGRESS

• Lost in Shangri-La (Memoir) by Mitchell Zuckoff - Still working my way through it. It's a good story but I'm reading it in spurts.

• Eight Cousins (Children's Lit) by Louise May Alcott - Almost done! This will be another favorite.

• The Girlfriends Guidebook: Navigating Female Friendships (Christian Nonfiction) by Marian Jordan - Just started.

• Vermeer: A View of Delft (History) by Anthony Bailey - I WILL finish this book.

For the month of December, I am tackling something completely different, something very unusual and difficult for me. For 31 days, I will be reading nothing but nonfiction books. Why? I came across a video on TED about 30 day challenges, trying something new for 30 (or 31) days. As evidenced by my list above, I read fiction almost exclusively. It is only recently that I've been branching out and reading classics. I decided it's time I push myself even farther out of my comfort zone and try reading nonfiction only for 30 days.

What's on my reading list so far:

• The in-progress books listed above, except for Eight Cousins. I should have that novel finished tomorrow.

• Behind the Veils of Yemen: How an American Woman Risked Her Life, Family, and Faith to Bring Jesus to Muslim Women by Audra Grace Shelby - A review copy that I am very excited to start reading.

• December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World by Craig Shirley - A review copy. I had no idea this was such a huge book (544 pages!) until I received it in the mail.

• Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman - If I am somehow able to finish all the books I am currently reading, plus the two review copies, I will tackle this book.

Whew. I am not going to pressure myself to start and finish all of these books before Christmas. I will do the best I can, but hopefully with the variety I have in my stack, I will not find myself longing for a novel. One can hope!


31 days of nonfiction

Happy December reading!

Fast week!

I've been feeling contemplative all this week but haven't yet felt like I could share online. I'm slowly figuring out what is most important to me and reorganize my time around those priorities.

One change I've made this week involves my weekly room assignments. I designate one weekday to each room in our house. That's where I will concentrate my housekeeping efforts on that day, though the entire apartment will get a quick pick up/vacuum almost every day. Fridays are always busy because I'm prepping for the Sabbath, making sure we have church clothes, a meal for Sabbath afternoon, a tidy house, and that all has to be complete by sundown. Come sundown, my work week is over and I'm ready for the Sabbath.

Prior to this week, I would clean the bathroom on Friday. While it's not labor intensive, it does take time to thoroughly clean the mirrors, sink, toilet, floor, and shower. Cleaning the bathroom, on top of my normal Friday activities, always seemed so hectic. This week, I decided to clean the bathroom on Thursday. Wow! That made a huge difference on how rushed I felt today. I was able to take my time with each chore, cook, clean out the fridge, wash and put away the laundry, and tidy the apartment. It was such a nice change, one that I will definitely be making permanent.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! I'm off to tend to our supper and relax.

Quilting Update

My husband had a four day weekend so I have yet to brainstorm my schedule and priorities. We went to church, played games, watched a movie, and just enjoyed the time at home. However, I did spend a few hours working on my quilt! I would consider that productive.



The only thing left on the quilt top is to add the borders. Then I get to shop for backing! I'm excited that this quilt is almost done. I have no idea what's next on the project list, though I have a few ideas in mind. I guess we'll just have to see how long it takes me to finish this quilt.

So many quilts and so little time!

Quick update

It's amazing how fast time flies. This week, we've been diving back into our normal routine, my husband concentrating on his work and me trying to shift back into the housework. Once you get out of routine, it's hard to get back into it!

On Sunday, hubby and I started the P90X fitness program. It's intense! Workouts are around 60 minutes, 6 days a week. Today was day 6 so we get tomorrow off. On top of that, we're trying to stay current with our running schedule. We had two 1 mile runs and one 2 mile run this week. The running is scaled back but we're trying to keep our legs aware of what running is.

On the homemaking front, I've been struggling with my emotions a bit this week. I know I've been spending way too much time on things that don't really matter and not enough time on the things that do matter. It's too easy to spend 30-60 minutes wrapped up in a good book. I have a couple of really addicting games on my tablet. While I do not think these activities are inherently bad, I do feel that there has to be balance. Without it, nothing gets done.

There isn't much time left before sundown today, for which I am grateful. I'm looking forward to the Sabbath and going to church tomorrow. My homemaking ponderings will have to wait until Sunday. I am planning on sitting down with a cup of tea and my computer and making lists of what I do everyday versus what should be done. I need to get back to a good schedule.

Last Sabbath, I chatted with my grandma in Wyoming. It turns out my grandpa isn't doing very well and Grandma isn't sure how much longer he's going to be with us. My brother, my dad, and myself were planning on taking a trip to Wyoming late next spring but we moved the dates up. Now we're going to Wyoming for Thanksgiving. This was completely unexpected and has definitely thrown me for a loop. I like knowing WAY in advance when I'm going to travel and I'm not quite prepared to be away from home again, especially when my husband can't go with me. I'm flying up to Denver, which is where my brother is also flying to, and we're both getting picked up by my dad, who is driving from Texas. Then we'll be driving up to Casper for three days. While I'm not prepared to travel again, I am looking forward to seeing my grandparents.

On a much lighter note, I still haven't made a good pumpkin pie! The one last Friday was bland. I made another this week but something was off with the consistency. It was like eating pudding. I have two more recipes to try but something has to work out! Making pumpkin pie should not be this hard.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll try to get back to regular posting next week, detailing how things are going with my priority lists and schedules.

Pumpkins!

I seem to be on a pumpkin kick today. Yesterday afternoon, I baked a pumpkin and stored it in the fridge, knowing I'd probably be using all of it today. Sure enough, all I have left is enough pumpkin to try making a pumpkin spiced latte!

First I made muffins. The recipe made two dozen. They are very good but I think next time I'll cut the recipe in half and serve them as a dessert.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

And of course, I had to make pumpkin pie! I'm still testing recipes, trying to find one that we love. We've tried a few that we've liked and a couple that were nasty, but haven't found the perfect recipe yet. Hopefully this one will be the winner.


Tofu Pumpkin Pie

Today hasn't been all about baking. I also made a new dish for lunch - Basil Garlic Linguine. Even hubby liked it and he typically prefers expensive jarred sauces. I altered the recipe a bit, sauteeing the garlic and heating up the entire sauce. Then I stirred in the basil right before serving. Yummy! Definitely a keeper.

Tonight I'm trying this recipe for Mushroom and Rice Cheezy-Q's. I'm so glad tomorrow is Sabbath and I'll have a day off from all of the dishes!

The best part of it? I still have these beauties to bake into something yummy!

30 day challenge - water

My first challenge is still underway and going well. I knew starting the challenge that I would have a slight advantage as we were planning a 9 day vacation. When you're out of town and visiting family and friends, you have no choice but to dress up! I thought that it would be a good start to my challenge and get the ball rolling for getting dressed up at home. So far, so good.

As the Get Dressed! challenge is going well and is almost half over, I decided to start another 30 day challenge and let them overlap. For the month of November, I am concentrating on my water intake. While there are a few days here and there that I drink enough water, most days my water intake is too low. Living in Arizona, that is detrimental to both my exercise routine and my skin's health.


We own a Brita water filter, so I am going to track my water intake. Various resources have suggested a different recommended water intake. Some said that you should drink (in ounces) your body weight divided by 2. Other calculators suggested I drink 70 ounces of water based on my body weight and activity level. I decided I am going to aim for six of our 12 ounce glasses of water.

So far this month, I've been doing well! Yesterday I drank 6.5 glasses of water and today I finished 7. Hopefully this will help my skin and my ability to exercise! Even though it's a 30 day challenge to drink more water, I am hoping this will jump start a lifelong habit.

What's on My Nightstand?

We have returned! I have tons of photos and stories to share but it will be awhile before everything gets written and the photos are edited.

Note - this was supposed to be published while we were in Portland but Blogger was not cooperating. I tried to publish it several times but wasn't having any luck. So, I'm going to post it now! Better late than never.


I've read quite a lot this month, though a good portion of it is children's classics. My husband and I are in Portland this entire week so I probably won't get much more reading done this month!

COMPLETED (links are to my full reviews)

Children's literature

• Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace - 4 stars. Very cute story.

• Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace - 4 stars. Cute but not quite as good as the original. Would make a good read aloud for young girls.

• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - 4 stars. Another excellent book that somehow escaped my reading list as a child.

• The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas: An Austin Family Story by Madeleine L'Engle - 3.5 stars. Great story. Put me in the mood for Christmas!

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - 2 stars. Loved it as a kid but now have reservations about some of the spiritual aspects of the book.

Classics

• Lady Susan by Jane Austen - 3 stars. Not as good as some of her other books.

• Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson - 3 stars. I would have hated this book as assigned high school reading.

Christian Fiction

• Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World by Tom Davis - 4 stars. Heart wrenching story. Highly recommend.

• The Yada Yada Prayer Group
  by Neta Jackson - 3 stars. Just ok. Won't be continuing the series.

• The Choice (Lancaster County Secrets, #1) by Suzanne Woods Fisher - 3 stars.

• Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes - 4 stars. Not your typical Christian fiction. It hurt to read this book but it was touching!

Memoir

• The Secret Holocaust Diaries by Nonna Bannister - 3 stars. Not as good as I had hoped. Great story but the formatting of the story/book made it extremely difficult to read.

Nonfiction

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Decluttering by Regina Leeds - 3 stars. Motivational but a walking advertisement for The Container Store.

Secular Fiction

• Spinning Forward by Terri DuLong - 2 stars. Dropped it. Would have been an alright story but for the explicit love scene 2/3 of the way through. Ugh.

IN PROGRESS

• Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff - Just started.

Happy November reading!

On our way!

We are packed and ready to go. Portland, here we come!

The Whole Bible Story - a book review

I really dislike giving negative reviews of books, especially when it's a book that has been "gifted" to me by a publisher. Unfortunately, I have to warn people away from The Whole Bible Story. An equally distressing fact is that I lost the note card I was using to write down places where the author presented information contradictory from the Bible.

The three biggest contradictions that I can recall:

1 - The author writes that "because the people had worn flashy jewelry and clothes while worshiping the golden calf, Moses said they were prohibited from ever dressing like that again" (pg 49). This instance is referring to Exodus 33:5 and 6 where God tells Moses to "'say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.' And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb."

Nowhere in this text does God or Moses say it is a permanent ban on jewelry and flashy clothing. As a matter of fact, God talks in Isaiah about dressing Israel in jewels as a sign of His favor.

2 - The author implies that the Bible itself commands a change of worship from Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday. Nowhere in the Bible does God or the early Christian church advocate such a change. The change to Sunday worship began several hundred years after Christ died (Council of Laodicea, Canon 29, 363–364 AD).

From the book: "In Troas, the church met on Sundays to honor the day that Jesus rose from the dead. They shared a meal together, which included the celebration of the Lord's Table, also known as Communion" (pg 281).

This meal, and Paul's sermon, was actually on the Sabbath and last until after midnight on Saturday evening/Sunday morning. The Bible does not state that Sunday is the Sabbath, nor does it state that worship should be on Sunday to honor the day Jesus rose from the dead. The Sabbath was instituted at Creation, as a memorial to the work God completed. It was established as an everlasting covenant with God's people, not a day that could be changed at will by man.

3 - The author states that "David eventually married Saul's oldest daughter, but he fell in love with Saul's other daughter, Michal" (pg 94).

However, the Bible says: "but it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife" (1 Samuel 18:19). The Bible never states that Merab and David were married, only that they were supposed to have been.

The premise of this book is interesting - "The purpose of this book is to tell the story of the Bible" (pg 11). It is not a paraphrase or a translation. It merely attempts to tell the story of the Bible while leaving out Old Testament laws, Psalms, Proverbs, the epistles, and the book of Revelation. The purpose of the book is to allow someone who is not familiar with the Bible stories to become acquainted with them while avoiding getting bogged down in some of the "more difficult" sections. That's all well and good, but in stripping the Bible of the Psalms, the epistles, and other books, The Whole Bible Story lacks a soul. The reading was extremely dry, "just the facts, ma'am."

Thank you, Bethany House, for allowing me to read and review this book. However, I cannot in good conscience recommend it.

This week's menu

On Friday morning, we are headed to Portland OR for nine days. Our first vacation! A dear college friend of hubby's is getting married the second weekend we will be there. We are really excited! In light of being gone, we are spending the week trying to clear out our fridge.

Sunday
Breakfast – Smoothies
Lunch – Avocado Sandwiches
Dinner – Pizza

Monday
Breakfast – Smoothies
Lunch – Homemade ramen - This was REALLY good. Definitely a keeper.
Dinner – Macaroni and cheese

Tuesday
Breakfast – Fruit
Lunch – Leftover mac&cheese
Dinner – Sloppy Joes
*soak almonds for tomorrow's tuna salad sandwiches*

Wednesday
Breakfast – Company Oatmeal (Newstart, pg. 20)
Lunch – Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Dinner – Spaghetti

Thursday
Breakfast – Smoothies
Lunch – Tofu Cutlets (Newstart, pg. 117) made into sandwiches with BBQ sauce
Dinner – Burritos

Friday
Breakfast – not sure what to eat before the flight (10am and lunch won't be until 2)
Lunch – SushiBen2Go - Japanese food!
Dinner – Portland, tbd

Sabbath
Breakfast – Cold cereal and fruit, picked up from Food Fight Grocery on Friday
Lunch – A picnic lunch. We're spending Sabbath on the coast!
Dinner – ChixStix - Japanese food!

30 day challenge - get dressed!

I find it interesting how timing works. You see a mention of something specific in an email and then again a day or so later in a blog post. The two information sources are completely unrelated and yet they mention the same specific idea.

First my brother emailed me this video:



Then, I read a post on The Modest Mom about a 30 day Get Dressed! challenge. What a perfect start to the idea of 30 day challenges. I don't know about you, but being a housewife and not being required to see anyone most days allows me to dress down as much as I want. Fun, yes. Attractive, no. I spend most days in workout clothes or a denim skirt and t-shirt. I'm sure my husband would appreciate it if I looked nicer!

So, my first 30 day challenge - get dressed! Every day. All day. I will wear a skirt and a sweater/blouse, or a dress, and take a few minutes to style my hair. Some days I'll even put on some lipstick.

Want to join me?

Quilting update - two rows complete

My quilt top is finally coming together. Last week, I completed the last of the 20 blocks.


Today I sewed the first ten blocks into two rows.


I want to sew the other half of the blocks into rows before sewing these two rows together. The quilt is coming out a bit smaller than I had hoped. I think it was a problem with my seam allowances not being exact and having to cut each block down to the same size. If I have enough of the dark pink fabric or can find more at Joann, I will add a small border before putting together the quilt sandwich.

Hopefully I'll finish the top this weekend. I can't wait to finish this quilt and move on to my Christmas projects - table runners!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday
Breakfast – Smoothies
Lunch – Leftovers
Dinner – Garbanzos A La King (Newstart, pg. 106)

Tuesday
Breakfast – Cereal; raspberry muffins
Lunch – Tofu Cutlets (Newstart, pg. 117)
Dinner – Spaghetti; garlic bread; salad

Wednesday
Breakfast – Smoothies
Lunch – Toasted Avocado Sandwiches
Dinner – Macaroni and cheese (Newstart)

Thursday
Breakfast – Company Oatmeal (Newstart, pg. 20)
Lunch – Homemade Ramen
Dinner – Eating out with brother and family for our anniversary/hubby's birthday

Friday
Breakfast – Potato Pancakes (Newstart, pg. 31)
Lunch – Easy Vegan Pad Thai
Dinner – Spaghetti; garlic bread; salad

Sabbath
Breakfast – Smoothies
Lunch – Unsure; brother will be eating with us
Dinner – Homemade pizzas

Last week's successes:
Pumpkin pancakes
Macaroni and "cheese"

First spelunking trip - in photos!

Starting up the trail

We're hiking up there?

Almost to the cave!

Climbing down through the cave entrance

Hubby looking amazing

Tiny tunnel I was crazy enough to crawl through

What's on the ceiling?

Cool formations!

Massive stalagmite

It's taller than I am!

Most of the spelunking group

Light at the end of the tunnel

Colorful bug

Hubby and I at the top of the trail

View from the top

Hiking back down

Souvenirs!