POST NINE - BEING MOM

i want to encourage you moms. i know for me there are plenty of ups and downs. days i feel like i'm at least taking steps towards being the mom i want to be, and other days i am ashamed of the mom i am being. thankfully God is gracious to us!

as i have mentioned in previous posts i am attempting to make some changes in the way our family lives life. one has been trying to establish some routines, with the goal of being more intentional - especially with the ways in which we interact with our kids.

a book i have been reading is called steady days by jamie c. martin. you can find her blog at http://www.steadymom.com/ i came across the book on a few blogs and decided to check it out. shortly after i started reading it, simple living media expanded to include simple homeschool http://simplehomeschool.net/ , of which jamie c. martin is the editor- cool huh?!

now, i haven't finished the book but i have found some practical advice, and encouragement to think about the way i am choosing to parent. here are a couple quotes for you....

...if we don't love what we do as mothers, our children notice quickly. our attitudes, positive or negative, influence them in a matter of minutes. how can we convey our love for them? by choosing to enjoy the daily tasks we perform, embracing the moments that will never be back again...

...this is a daily process and a daily choice...

i really appreciate the honesty with which jamie writes, and the heart she has for helping moms.

another mom i have been encouraged by is megan at http://sortacrunchy.typepad.com/sortacrunchy/ . (megan was previously the editor of simple kids- it was through her site that i ended up finding simple living media.) one post in particular i appreciated was this http://sortacrunchy.typepad.com/sortacrunchy/2010/03/when-the-fruits-of-parenting-begin-to-ripen-.html i find myself surprised sometimes at how strong my emotions can be, so this post made me think.

i don't know where each of you finds yourself today, but i hope that you may find something here to be of help~

POST EIGHT - SHOPPING TIP

so, this post is kind of an update on a previous post. i know some of you have

checked out money saving mom at http://moneysavingmom.com/. for those of you who haven't, she has a bunch of deals, freebies, coupons and general money saving tips, which i have definatly benefited from. recently she added on a "store deals" section which lists multiple stores and the deals you can find at them each week. it's pretty handy and i was really excited to see market basket on the list! it doesn't list everything you would find in the store flier, but some of the best deals.

hope you find it helpful!

- thanks for your comments with additional online freebies on my last post ladies!

CLUES OF DESPERATION - POST "D"

O.K. GANG (RYAN?). SO... THERE COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF REASONS AS TO WHY I HAVE ONLY RECEIVED ONE RESPONSE TO MY CHALLENGE. YOU KNOW, THE ONE WHERE I GIVE THE WINNER A FREE HAND-CRAFTED MUSIC MIX OF FIRST-RATE FOLK MUSIC (IF THIS IS NOT RINGING A BELL, PLEASE REFER TO POST "C"). ONE REASON MIGHT BE THAT IT IS IN FACT A VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE. I WILL ADMIT THIS. PEOPLE TRYING THEIR HAND AT IT HAVE PROBABLY BECOME SO FRUSTRATED THAT THEY HAVE RESISTED THE TEMPTATION TO SEND ME ANGRY E-MAILS ME OR EVEN A FLUSTERED COMMENT OR TWO JUST OUT OF RAW BITTERNESS. IF I'M TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW, PLEASE KNOW THAT I'M SORRY AND INTENDED YOU NO HURT. ANOTHER REASON COULD BE THAT DUE TO SUCH SEVERE WINTER WEATHER THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS WINTER, YOU MAY HAVE LOST POWER AND ARE STILL WAITING TO GET IT BACK. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN YOU'RE REALLY AT A DISADVANTAGE. BUT WHENEVER YOU DO RETURN, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A HEARTY "WELCOME BACK!". ANOTHER REASON COULD BE THAT YOU HATE FOLK MUSIC. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT YOUR KIND ISN'T WELCOME AROUND THESE PARTS (AKA - BEAT FEET MUCHACHOS).

O.K., SO MAYBE I'M THE ONE BEING BITTER HERE. I'M OPEN TO THAT POSSIBILITY. THROWIN' A LITTLE BLOG TANTRUM CAUSE NOBODYS PAYIN' ATTENTION TO DOUG - I COULD SEE THAT. PERHAPS IT'S TIME FOR SOME SELF REFLECTION. BUT LET'S BE HONEST FOR A MINUTE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHO'S REALLY LOSING OUT HERE. NOT DOUG. PERHAPS HE'S DOWN AND OUT, CRYIN' INTO HIS OWN SLEEVE, BUT HE'S GOT SOME GOOD FOLK MUSIC TO CONSOLE HIM. WHAT ABOUT YOU FRIEND? YEAH, I DIDN'T THINK SO. HOWEVER... IT'S NOT TOO LATE! OUT OF DESPERATION, I HAVE DEVELOPED SOME VERY HELPFUL CLUES. HERE GOES:

> THIS ONE GOES WELL WITH MY MOANING AND GROANING. THIS IS A LINE FROM ONE OF MISS S.B.'s SONGS, "...HE LISTENED TO MY DREARS 'TIL DAWN...". SHE ALSO APPEARED IN THE FILM "ALICE IN THE CITIES" AND IS FROM GERMANY.

> MISS L.P. IS PRESENTLY A DENTIST AND ONE OF THE SONG TITLES FROM HER DEBUT ALBUM IS "CHIMACUM RAIN".

> MISS V.B. WAS THE DAUGHTER OF A MAN NAMED JOHN BUNYAN, BUT NOT THE ONE WHO WROTE PILGRIMS PROGRESS - HE DIED IN 1688.

> MISS K.D. WAS OF CHEROKEE DESCENT AND WAS SAID TO SOUND LIKE BILLIE HOLIDAY. SHE HAD PERFORMED WITH BOB DYLAN AND FRED NEIL IN THE DAYS OF THE GREENWICH VILLAGE FOLK SCENE.

IF YOU FISH SOMETHING UP, E-MAIL ME WITH ANSWERS AT COMMONWINGS@GMAIL.COM. THANKS GUYS, I HOPE MY HUMOR HASN'T OFFENDED. PEACE.

POST SEVEN- BOOKS TO LISTEN TO

so, for post seven (a bit overdue) i would encourage you to check out https://christianaudio.com/ each month the site has a free audio book available for download. i did it, and it really is free.

just click on the free downloads spot on the top right of the main page, a coupon code is listed, you enter it during checkout and then you can download the book! there are actually 2 this month. the cost of discipleship, by dietrich bonhoeffer and 50 reasons why Jesus came to die, by john piper. since i don't usually find a whole ton of time to sit and read i really like the idea of being able to listen while i am washing dishes, folding laundry, chasing kids etc... so, if you get a chance, check it out.

by the way- i know the picture is a little silly, and has nothing to do with audio books, but i kinda like it.