How do you bake cookies while simoultaneously holding a whining infant who may have RSV and has been clinging to you desperately all week day?

One hip…baby. Other hand…cookie scoop. Wasn’t this such a clever invention? I used to see it as a needless tool (my hubby wanted it) that I avoided just on principle. But, I’ll admit, today it has greatly come in handy.

We should be dosing up on meds and trying to clear out this sickness pervading our house. I should be packing the last little bits of our house. But there is something ultra comforting about home baked chocolate chip cookies in the middle of the afternoon! I mean, seriously, look at all that sweet, warm, fresh gooey goodness!

I’ve adapted our recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. The only change being that I use all butter. No shortening or margarine in this house! And Adam has taught me to add the flour slowly at the end testing for that just-right-consistency. That has made all the difference in cooking the perfect cookie!

I cook mine at 350 degrees for exactly 9 minutes. No more, no less. Always pull even if you don’t think they look done! Everyone’s oven is different so that part may take some experimenting.

Scratch Real-Butter Ultra-Comfort Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3/4 Cup White Sugar
• 3/4 Cup packed Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Butter (slightly softened)

~ Mix with beater.

• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tbsp real Vanilla
• 2 Eggs

~ Mix again with beater.

• 1 3/4 Cups – 2 1/2 Cups Flour 

~ Mix in 1 3/4 Cups flour with beater. Slowly add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more at a time till dough is still sticky but can be squished together in hand and keep shape.

• 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

~ Stir in chocolate chips.

Cook, eat and enjoy!

And, by the way, the other cool secret about this recipe? You can use it for any type of cookie! Making peanut butter cookies? Add peanut butter and adjust flour accordingly. Making oatmeal cookies? Add a handful of oats and adjust the flour accordingly. As long as the dough has that same consistency then you’re good to go! This helped me in memorizing just on recipe and ditching the rest. Ultra simple for this overly busy mom!

I know you are not suppose to judge a book by it’s cover but I am a visual person by nature and, unfortunately, this is too often the case with me…at least with books! And this one didn’t disappoint! It’s all in the title: The Gentle Art of Domesticity {Stitching, Baking, Nature, Art & The Comforts of Home} by Jane Brocket. What’s not to love? For $10 I found a homey book that I can curl up with at night or on the weekends and enjoy in my new home!

Sometimes in this bloggy world we adults develop a bad case of attention deficit disorder. We get so used to perusing and looking and envying that we never take the time to stop and read and do the things we are looking at. Or is that just me?  I often need to force myself out of this destructive pattern. This book is a breath of fresh air in that department. It’s like reading a blog (beautiful pictures married with wonderful content) but in long form. Instead of sneaking a 5 minute reading blog break, you can take an hour and read on the comfort of your couch.

This isn’t a how-to book so much as a how-I-got-here book. It is all those homey ideas I want to ruminate in for a while. And her take on our culture is spot on. Take this excerpt for example.

For the gentle arts are just that: gentle. They do not demand to be practiced. No one is obliged to pursue them. They have not been taken up by any government department and regulated and repackaged with health and safety messages and warnings. They are a matter of individual and personal choice. They can be enjoyed by anyone with an interest and the ability to thread a needle, break an egg, choose a color or wield a pair of scissors. They don’t require complicated skills, qualifications, training or equipment…What they do require, though, is a consicious choice to do something ‘old-fashioned’ and ‘quaint,’ to choose not to buy and consume endlessly, but to make and create for a change…It’s the awareness of the worth of the gentle arts that counts, the ability to see that the feminists of the 1970s were misguided when they thought that teaching young girls to devalue domesticity constituted progress.” {emphasis mine}

Wow! And this from an author who was, herself, a proclaimed feminist! It was her journey through that process of attaining a family and struggling with careers that landed her in this ever-so domestic world. I love this for two reasons. One, the book reads like a blog journal ~ interactive with you while at the same time maintaining that personal awareness and growth that only comes with writing things down. And two, you don’t have to be that traditional Martha Stewart-y crafty girl to enjoy this book. You can be that career momma or retired grandma with time on her hands or even the mom who longs to do crafts but is up to her elbows in a dirt-colored-snotty-nose season of life and still resonate with Jane’s writings on domesticity. It is that inherent domesticity in all of us women, designed by God himself, that connects us as a collective whole despite our individualistic bents.

I long to recapture my own domesticity amid the potty training, homeschooling, disciplining, and laundry pile ups.  I know this art will take intentional slowing down on my part, as well as intentional thought about how I want our home atmosphere to look and feel. It’s not about the keeping up with the Jone’s I’m interested in, it’s the comforting feeling of hospitality I long for my family and guests to feel when they step through my door. I’m excited to glean some valuable nuggets of truth in this area from Jane’s book. I hope this one stays on my shelf for years to come!

Delilah put on her best party dress, found a feather to tuck into her hair and wanted some pizzazz on her face. Lily offered for us to use her new Monster High makeup kit. Daddy did our hair.  And, of course, they made mommy join in the makeup fun too.

My new year’s resolution?

To be more girly with my girls. 

I think it’s going to be a good year!

Do you hear that? That’s the sound of the crickets chirping in this lonely cyber space.

In the midst of getting ready to close on our new house (Don’tcha love the sold sign?), I’ve been a busy busy beaver around here and haven’t had much time to post.

We are packing, packing, packing.

Still homeschooling among the boxes. (Hope to backtrack when I get some time and post all the great living World War I books we used!)

It looks so empty with all our books packed up. Sniff sniff…

And painting…can’t forget the painting. It’s easy lunches in the living room so that parts of bunk beds can get painted white  on our dining room table (way too cold to do outside!) to be all ready for this wonderful princess space. Can’t wait to show off the final product!

Still to do:

• Pack coat closet.
• Pack bathroom closet.
• Pack kitchen.
• Finish packing scrapbook supplies.
• Clean desk (a.k.a. file the HUGE stack of papers and find homes for random stuff that’s been dropped off here) and finish packing office supplies.
• Finish painting.

And the littles? 

They are merrily jumping on beds…with permission this time! We broke down bunk beds (i.e. see painting) and piled all mattresses in one room. They are “camping out” for the next 2 weeks. This makes a great space for daddy, his guitar and our nightly devos!

All the dressers have been moved into the other bedroom along with the toys. So we now have a designated toy space so I have room to pack. At least, that is how it works in theory! I must say I do like having all their clothes in one room. We paired them down quite a bit so all 6 children’s hanging clothes fit in one double closet. It is nice doing laundry and then putting everything away in one space. It makes me think that Michelle Duggar was on to something!

But today?

Well, today is no chores day. We had pop tarts for breakfast (Did I mention how we are on the easy convenience meal plan right now? My kiddos love it.) on paper napkins. No dishes. Laundry caught up yesterday. Most packing done. So this morning I will enjoy a cup of coffee and have a guilt-free morning blogging around and pinning stuff to my boards. Oh how I have house love right now!

Where I am visiting this morning:

• Ruffles and Stuff ~ vintage, shabby chic recycling and crafting
• The White Bench ~ creative elegant crafting
• Mom Tog ~ for mom’s who love photography
• My Romantic Home ~ need I say more?
• Modge Podge Rocks! ~ for a smorgasbord of ideas
• The Beehive Cottage ~ shabby chic goodness

Because my husband is the best he surprised me with a little gift…even though we weren’t to get each other anything. This year it was quiet, understated and just right! A few good things to curl up with…

Did I mention that the real gift this  year is this ~

Because who can beat a Victorian claw foot tub and a porch swing?

Well, maybe this can.

It is 12:57 am and my husband is at the emergency room with a little boy of ours. Pneuminia? Croop? Whooping Cough? Fluid in the lungs? Can’t tell but it’s getting worse by the hour. So a Christmas Eve vist to the ER it is. Did I mention how incredible my husband is?

The true gift of Christmas ~ 

One self-sacrificing daddy who loves to an unimaginable depth.

So, instead of seeing all the needles under the tree that I will vacuum up at least twice today (Did I mention our 1 year old pulled the whole tree down the other day and that the garland has been confiscated due to structural issues?), I will choose to see…

A mother-in-love who graciously gifted handmade ornaments that littles could touch for a season.

Instead of the lack of garland (see above), I choose to see…

Vivid imagination that sparks play in a season that will pass by way too quickly.

Instead of my floor that sticks to my feet as I walk through the kitchen and dishes piled high, I choose to see…

Littles playing in flour and helping daddy make imperfect gingerbread cookies.

Instead of worrying about the millions of scraps and toys and clutter on the floor (did I mention I had already vacuumed twice?), I will choose to see…

Children actively creating, making a paper town come to life.

Instead of seeing the marker on the walls that will need to be scrubbed before we move and the stains that need to be purged from the carpet and all the rest of this home’s imperfections, I choose to see…

The beauty of my morning walk by the window that I will greatly miss. Stunning really. Didn’t even have to go outside to take these pictures. Right through my dirty window pane, all finger-printed up, these images glowed through. How breathtaking. There is a lot about this house I won’t miss. This living room window will not be one of them!

Instead of seeing all the muddy boots in the entryway mixed in with shoes in heaps of chaos with a sprinkling of toys thrown in just for fun, I will choose to see…

Fleeting play days that melt quicker than a memory!

I know that one day I will look back on these photos and cry with a longing deep wanting them back and not even blink at the list of worldly mess that threatens to collapse on me today as a young mother. Renewing my mind and repairing my heart today. Belting out some Christmas songs of old and not caring who hears my out of tune voice!

Seems I’ve been nominated…again. This has been my third nomination for the Versatile Blogger Award, the first in 2010 by Heather @ Cultivated Lives, the second from Abby @ Peace.Love.Jesus and yet again by Pam @ Everyday Snapshots

Sometimes it seems I get frustrated with myself because my blog does not seem to have a cohesive theme. And I am always tempted to pick something and stick with it…food blogging, homeschool blogging, etc. But I always come back to the same thing…this blogging thing is for me and my family. The information I share is secondary to my own digital scrapbooking. And I really don’t think I could be tied down to just one theme. I love having the freedom to take a picture of whatever suits my fancy. I love the freedom to journal or question out loud or share information. I love the versatility of this technological medium so it suits me well to win a versatility award!

Here’s my seven unique things list:

1. I don’t own a cell phone. Neither does my husband. For as much technology as we have in our world (HDTV, XBox, Blogging, Facebook, Email) it is just refreshing to NOT be a part of this always needing the next thing crowd.
2. I love taking pictures of food. I don’t know why. There is just a beauty there I long to capture.
3. I love looking at foodie blogs (see #2) even though I don’t really care to cook. My husband is a chef and he’s taught me the core of scratch cooking (great for my family) but if he’s home to do it I’ll always allow for it!
4. I just became a new homeowner. It is exciting and scary all at the same time! Reminds me of my wedding all over again – that thrush of new romance mingled with the forever commitment aspect.
5. Despite LOVING photography, I am still using the point and shoot feature on my DSLR Nikon D3100! Though, I always have the flash off. You just can’t beat that natural light. Some day I really am planning on sitting down and reading the Nikon Guide I got to go with my camera!
6. I only own 3 pairs of shoes (4 if you count slippers) – an everyday Ryka Mary Jane Tennis Shoe, a more serious hard-working tennis shoe, and 1 pair of heels that I’ve had for over 10 years and are on their last leg!
7. I’m in love with Pinterest. I think I have more followers on my boards than my blog! I’m a visual girl so this has become my favorite bookmark tool! It combines all my hobbies into one glorious place!

7 Bloggers to Award:

Drumroll please…

1. Elise @ Beautiful Mess ~ She is everything I’d like to be sans kids. I’m hoping her inspiration will spur me on with creating more beauty for me without the mom guilt!
2. Amy @ A Contented, Common Life ~ Her style is very much my style. I relate. Beautiful!
3. Jen @ Wildflowers and Marbles ~ She doesn’t post often but when she does it’s always worth it! Her quiet Catholic ways are inspirational.
4. Nadene @ Practical Pages ~ A Charlotte Mason Momma that blogs beautifully about it!
5. Quinn @ Reformation Acres ~ Oh.My. How beautiful are her pictures and words!!! I always take away inspiration, practical advice, and a love of creation around me.
6. Elizabeth @ In the Heart of My Home ~ One of the first blogs I ever discovered. Her faith shines through in always thought-provoking words and she is just as versatile today as she was 4 years ago when I first found her!
7. Julie @ Creekside Learning ~ A beautiful blog. Simple and elegant homeschooling. Oxy moron? Not with her!

Sometimes we overlook the obvious as mothers. That same pile of papers that need to be filed is tuned out of our peripheral vision every time we walk by it. Sometimes this same overlooking can happen with our children. I always love reading and rereading Psalm 139 and marvel about how God had this all planned out before we even entered the womb. As a mother it is by far one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. But do I really take time to slow down and know my children? Do I see what He planted innately in them, tucking it deep in freshly folded DNA?

I’ve been noticing this in Lily lately. Between her constant fashion pairings of Sarah Jessica Parker-ish skirts paired with urban tops, her interest in more adultish dolls (Monster High), her gothic passion mixed with contempary prettyness…sort of a vintage mod look…this is a girl who is longing for a fashion outlet.

MOM, WHY DON’T YOU LIKE TO BE PRETTY?” she asked me tonight.

What??? That’s what I portray? She’s been wanting me to color my hair back to brown because the red has become passe for her. She refuses…REFUSES…to wear jeans unless dragged in her bedroom and forced to put them on (only because of weather, not because I care if she wears jeans). She desperately wants to dye her own hair and wear makeup. And tonight while pinning some new hair styles to try, she begged me to print out some pictures of pretty girls that she could cut out. She looked through this Beautiful Mess blog and stood there absolutely mesmerized. I can’t blame her. I was too. I printed some thumbnails for her and watched her scrapbook tonight.

Instantly I was transported back to my own childhood. Pouring over Allure, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar magazines and cutting out models. I had no idea what made me act on this. I didn’t know I wanted to dress a certain way or wear my hair a certain way or do my makeup a certain way. All I knew was what I was attracted to and the magnetic urge compelling me to scrapbook these beautiful findings. For me it wasn’t just fashion, it was style…my style. I also poured over (even more than the fashion mags) Victoria and dreamed of my “some day” house.

As we’ve been house hunting and that is turning into a reality I am reminded of how much a part of my soul that is. He created me exactly this way. Kids and finances forced a season of putting this on hold and, until I saw my house, I didn’t even realize it was on hold in me.

As Christian moms we often shield our children from culture and trendy fads. We, as adults who’ve learned the hard way, know that fads are fleeting and there are deeper things we want to pass down to our kids. But too often this turns into us playing the mom “no” card or the Christian “no” card and not taking the time to think about what or why we are shielding certain things.

One of the best parenting books I’ve read this year was Grace Based Parenting by Ted Kimmel. It wasn’t a book so much about how to discipline as it was a book on how to let go of things that don’t matter. Who cares if your daughter wants to dye her hair? Does that have anything to do with her character? Does it have anything to do with Jesus? More importantly, does it detract from Him? Yes, people judge…usually wrong. But God judges our hearts. He knows our character. And we, as mothers, are called to train hearts, not to worry about appearances as the Pharisees did.

I explained to my daughter how hard it would be for mommy to wash dishes in heels…the slipping, you know. And how taking an hour daily to curl and braid my hair wasn’t in the cards since I have many other responsibilities on my plate in a day. But the excuses sounded hollow, even to my ears. My daughter is sobering for me. She is a good dose of exactly all that is beautiful and pure and fresh. How lovely!

This is my favorite time of the year. Has been ever since I can remember. This is a cozy, snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug, jack frost nipping at your nose, hot chocolate-y, hibernate at home season. As a mother of six children, traditions have become even more important to me just as much as letting go of unrealistic expectations have. (Umm…still working on that one!) I figure by the time they are all leaving the nest I will be just starting to get good at it!

This Christmas I’ve discovered a new tool that has been such a blessing for my sanity. You see, I am a visual learner. And because of that I am also a visual rememberer (is that a word?). And this little program {insert Pinterest here} has become my lifeline this holiday season. A wonderful little online space to bookmark things I’d rather not forget. When I look at my board I immediately think, “Oh, yes, that is the project I wanted to do!” I can lazily look through my boards on a free Saturday morning while drinking a hot cup of coffee and decide to do a project with the kids or just dream of future projects. Or I can browse quickly while homeschool planning and remember where to find projects, experiments, books, and ideas.

I’d decided I’d share a few of my favorite things this winter from my own Pinterest board. So go grab a cup of hot cocoa and let the browsing begin! Pin away and don’t feel the least bit guilty if you never do a one of them!

~ Preparing for the Liturgical Season ~

• Trim the Advent Hearth with Elizabeth Foss at In the Heart of My Home
• Advent Planning with Jenn at Wildflowers and Marbles
• Ann’s Jesse Tree Devotional
• The Names of Jesus Advent Chain at Spell Out Loud
• Advent Focus: Character Traits at Creekside Learning
• Martha Stewart’s Christmas Workshop
• Advent Calendar Activities (not treats) at all things simple

~ O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree ~

• DIY felt ornaments with Rindy Mae
• Bottlecap Snowman Ornament at What I Live For
• Mint Candy Ornament from Better Homes and Gardens
• Button Wreath Ornaments  and Ribbon Ornaments from Martha Stewart (love this one!)
• Popsicle Ornaments
• Reindeer Handprint Ornaments

~ Letters to Santa ~

• Santa’s Address ~ want to send your children’s letters to Santa and get a real reply from the North Pole?
• Printable Santa Stationary in case you want to be the Santa!

~ Christmas-y Crafts ~

• Martha Stewart’s Paper Snowflake Tutorial
• Quilled Paper Snowflakes
• Paper Snowflake in 3D
• Snow Dough from Ten Kids and a Dog ~ sparkly and fun!
• Snowflake Stamping with Pine Branches
• Felt Pine Cones at Family Circle Magazine
• Ribbon Christmas Tree at Cafe Mom
• Homemade Candy Cane Candle Holder at The Mother Huddle
• Homemade Candy Cane Star Wreath
• Tissue Paper Christmas Trees at Mary Making
• Foot Print Christmas Trees
• Hand Print Wreath

~ Wrapping Up Love ~

• How to Tie a Perfect Bow from Chatelaine
• Bow Tutorial from Under the Inkfluence
• Simple Butcher Paper Wrapping
• Printable Gift Tags at Sass and Peril
• Printable Gift Tags at Write, Click, Scrapbook
• Printable Gift Tags at lovely design
• Printable Owl Gift Tags
• Christmas Tags your kids can color by Raggedy Scrappin 

~ A Very Recycled Christmas ~

• Recycled Holiday Card Ornaments from Martha Stewart
• Paper Bag Ornaments with Elise Blaha
• Twist Tie Package Toppers from New Nostalgia
• Plastic Bag Bow Toppers from New Nostalgia
• Toilet Paper Tube Owl Ornaments

~ Winter Decor ~

• Oranges and Cloves
• Orange Clove Winter Stove Top Potpourri
• Hanging Pine Cones in the Windows
• Snow Candle Mason Jars
• Holiday Wall Collage

~ Christmas Photography ~

• How to take pictures of your Christmas Tree without a flash at Augustea Photography
• Aunt Peaches Quick and Dirty Tips for Taking Great Christmas Photos
• Winter Nature Pictures with Nikon D3100

~ Comfort Winter Foods ~

• Winter Seasonal Recipes at Local Kitchen
• Raw Milk Egg Nog Video Tutorial
• Raw Milk Egg Nog at the Cheeseslave
• Raw Milk Hot Cocoa at the Cheeseslave
• Homemade Hot Chocolate at Small Notebook
• Soft Caramels at Leite’s Culinaria
• Nutella Hot Chocolate (great and easy for kids)
• Crushed Candy Cane Cookies with Elise Blaha

~ Homeschooling by the Fire ~

• Montessori Christmas Wrapping at My Montessori Journey
• Snowflake Montessori Matching at My Montessori Journey
• Snowflake Math
• 1+1+1+1 Christmas Tot Pack
• 1+1+1+1 Nativity Preschool Pack
• 1+1+1+1 Christmas Book Printables
• Christmas printables at Creekside Learning
• Christmas Activity Unit (for slightly older children) at Enchanted Homeschooling Mom
• Snowman Activity Pack at Enchanted Homeschooling Mom
• Christmas Unit Studies at Homeschool Share
• Snowflake Bentley Lapbook
• Advent Christmas Unit Study with Tomie de Paola’s Books
• Advent Reading Living Books List

Oh, and don’t forget to PIN this page while you’re at it! In fact, come back and pin up each category separately. Great way to organize that Christmas board!

One of my favorite smells in the world is that classic cinnamon spice aroma that permeates the winter season. Most of us modern day Americans run to the store and purchase our Fabreeze or Glade cinnamon plug-ins. Some of us might even splurge on more pricey Scentsy warmers. But my favorite classic is the simple orange clove stove top winter potpourri.

This works especially well in a synergistic no-waste seasonal way in your kitchen. Winter is the traditional time for citrus to be in season and on sale. With a 4 pound bag of oranges at $1.49 a bag, who isn’t going to eat as many as will drip down their chin? So you are in your kitchen cutting up oranges for the kids lunch. What to do with the orange peels?

There is always the classic churn them in your disposal method. A wonderful natural cleaner for your disposal and sink pipes. But a better, more wintery way, is to simmer them on the stovetop with some water, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. (Stock up on them when they are half price in after Christmas sales…trust me, they will still be good when the next Christmas comes around!)

Ohhhh…the aroma! Just do as I say, not as I do. Use a bigger pot. There is nothing worse then your husband coming to you wanting to know what that burning smell is only to find your water simmered out and your cinnamon sticks are burning! Big pot + lots of water = lots of yummy smelling, house warming goodness! Enjoy.