Homemade Carpet Freshener

I love having a home that smells nice. To me, how my house smells is almost as important as how it looks. So when I found this simple, inexpensive, homemade carpet freshener, I knew I had to try it. And, just like the article said, it works wonderfully! The only essential oil I could find in my cabinet was cinnamon so that's what I used. My house smelled amazing and it lasts a long time. I'd love to try some others essential oils as well, especially the orange essential oil. It's amazing what all can be done with with simple staples like baking soda.

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SUNDAY – Strut Your Stuff,   Creative Bloggers Party and Hop, So Sweet Sundays, Sunday Showcase, Not “Baaad” Sunday , Think Pink Sundays, Sunday Linky Party, DIY Project Parade, Savory Sundays, Just Something I Whipped Up, Sew Darn Crafty,{K.I.S.S.} Blog Bash, MONDAY –The Better Mom, I Made It, More the Merrier, Inspire Me Mondays, A Marvelous Mess, Made By You Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Making the World Cuter Monday, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Making Monday Marvelous, Motivate Me Monday,Sharing Monday, Making a Home,  TUESDAY - Heart & Home Tuesdays!,Titus 2sdays, Domestically Divine, One Project at a Time,  Tuesday Time Out, Tuesday Confessionals , Let's Do Brunch, Teach Me Tuesdays ,Tip Me Tuesday, A Little Birdie Told Me WEDNESDAY - Homemaking Link-Up, Encourage One Another, Made by Me Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesdays, Cast Party Wednesday, {Wow Me} Wednesday,  THURSDAY – Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Creative Juice Thursday, It's a Party,  Link It Up Thursday FRIDAY – Fridays on Remodelaholic, Fridays Unfolded, SATURDAY - Weekend Wrap-Up Party, Get Schooled Saturday

In His Own Timing God Will Make a Way

A couple weeks ago I wrote a post called When You Dream Alone. Dreaming alone can be an exercise in waiting. And it's easy during this time to get discouraged. It often seems impossible for these precious dreams to ever come true.  But it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that I truly do not have to see the way. Because when the dream comes from God - He WILL make a way when the time is right. And so I rest in the knowledge that the dream is safe in his hands. All I am asked to do are the steps He has placed before me today - grow in Him, continue learning daily, practice mindful living, make the most of each day he gives me, and trust Him. 

Because in His own timing

HE will make a way!

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The Better Mom, Living Well Wednesdays, Titus 2sdays, Encourage One Another, Heart & Home Tuesdays!, It's A Party,Thought Provoking Thursday, Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, No Ordinary Blog Hop

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Losing My Mind - Gaining a New One

This week, and for the next two weeks, Ann Voskamp is focusing on The Practice of Habits. She is also extending an invitation to join her in this contemplation. 

If I had to choose one habit to instantly acquire it would be the habit of grateful mindfulness. I would lose this far too often fretful mindset and be simply, gratefully mindful of the blessings of this precious moment. It is one I am working on and it is becoming more and more natural to me, more and more of a habit. There are so many precious moments in each day - the laughter of a child, a smile from my husband, the smell of fresh brewed coffee, the thrill of learning something new. There is birdsong in the morning, dew on the grass, food from the garden, homemade bread. There is a game of chase with a giggling baby, singing a song together, warm dried laundry. And at the end of the day there is the slipping into sweet sleep, to be refreshed for another day. This is the new mindset I want to gain, the new habit I want to form. 

I will sing the Lord's praise, for He has been good to me. ~ Psalm  13:6

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Working Mother - Free Magazine Offer

Enjoy a free 6 issue subscription to Working Mother magazine. No strings attached. You'll never receive a bill. This subscription is yours, compliments of StartSampling.com. Working Mother is the only national magazine that helps moms with careers balance their personal and professional lives.

10 Things About CJ

I've been working on a 10 Things post about each of my family to help you learn to know them a little better. In line today for a 10 things post is CJ. So here are 10 things about CJ, the things he enjoys and the ways he contributes to our family. 

1. CJ is a big thinker. No matter what he's doing he's always dreaming up ways to make it bigger, better or more than it already is. 

2. He enjoys cooking. He's made a variety of foods and enjoys learning to make new ones - meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, homemade pizza, salad, and cookies are some of the things he's familiar with cooking now.

3. He's a big eater. Maybe that's why enjoys cooking so much. Food is the first thing on his mind in the morning and the first thing he wants when he comes home from school. 

4. He likes to build things with wood. He recently completed a table that he has in his room now. He is very proud of it and I am very proud of him for sticking with it and finishing it. 

5. He also likes to make things out of paper and cardboard. Last winter he helped Michael make a really cute house for the cat out of a cardboard box. 

6. He enjoys helping the younger kids do things and does a good job with them. Several weeks ago they spent about an hour making bracelets with beads and CJ was so patient with them - helping them and answering their questions. 

7. He loves to watch the Disney channel. I often hear him chuckling at something he's watching while he's waiting for dinner to be ready. 

8. He's always ready to go somewhere. Even if it's just to the store to get a gallon of milk or to the post office to drop something off. 

9. He loves electronic gadgets - phones, calculators, and mp3 players are all things that make him very happy.

10. He loves to organize and reorganize. And then rearrange it all again! 

We are blessed to have CJ as part of our family - his enthusiasm and varied interests keep things lively around here.

Walnut Acre - Week in Photos - August 20 - 25

Monday 

Playing hide and seek. . . 

. . . and a little ball.

Working on patterning worksheets.

Tuesday

The kids played "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" in the back yard. Amanda put up little cards to show where to run to next and they had so much fun with this game. 

Coloring

More bear hunt fun

Welding

Wednesday

More bear hunting!

Thursday

Random photos taken by Amanda. 

CJ working on his table.

Friday
Nature walk

Sunset

Saturday
We spent part of the day at a car show in Verona. There were several cars and trucks in the show owned by family members from Doug's side of the family. It was nice to spend the day together. And of course Amanda took the dog along and took some pictures of her.

Five Minute Friday: Join

Today I'm joining the fun with Lisa-Jo Baker and others as we write for 5 minutes on one word. Today's word is - Join. 

Join.

This can be a hard concept for me. I have a tendency to be very independent, to walk alone, to take the road less traveled. And yet God calls his children to work as a body. And body parts do not function well alone. And so I find myself on a journey toward less independence and more inter-dependence. And yet, to do this requires a certain amount of trust, of tearing down walls carefully built, and this can be difficult and painful. I find myself pulling back, hesitant to join, afraid of getting hurt. But God continues to gently work with me, encouraging me to take one step at a time, as I join with others in the work He would have us do together. It's a process, this joining. But I am learning it is also a blessing, and so I continue to work at it, one little step at a time.

Slow Cooker Cauliflower, Cheese and Bacon Soup

We tried this yummy soup today in the slow cooker and enjoyed it. It's very simple to put together and then the slow cooker takes care of the rest. 

Here is the recipe.

2 heads cauliflower, chopped

1/2 pound bacon, browned and chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

3 cups milk

1 lb velveeta cheese

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

Combine all ingredients and cook on low for eight hours. 

Enjoy!

Notes - If needed up to a cup of water can be added as the soup cooks. I added the water at the beginning and wished I hadn't. Also, I didn't add any salt and thought is was great the way it was. And this is from a person who nearly always adds more salt to her food. 

~ Linking Here ~
 SUNDAY – Strut Your Stuff,   Creative Bloggers Party and Hop, So Sweet Sundays, Sunday Showcase, Not “Baaad” Sunday , Think Pink Sundays, Sunday Linky Party, DIY Project Parade, Savory Sundays, Just Something I Whipped Up, Sew Darn Crafty,{K.I.S.S.} Blog Bash, MONDAY –The Better Mom, I Made It, More the Merrier, Inspire Me Mondays, A Marvelous Mess, Made By You Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Making the World Cuter Monday, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Making Monday Marvelous, Motivate Me Monday,Sharing Monday, Making a Home,  TUESDAY - Heart & Home Tuesdays!,Titus 2sdays, Domestically Divine, One Project at a Time, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table, Tuesday Time Out, Tuesday Confessionals , Let's Do Brunch, Teach Me Tuesdays ,Tip Me Tuesday, A Little Birdie Told Me WEDNESDAY - Homemaking Link-Up, Encourage One Another, Made by Me Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesdays, Cast Party Wednesday, {Wow Me} Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday THURSDAY – Full Plate Thursday,Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, Creative Juice Thursday, It's a Party, Bake with Bizzy , Link It Up Thursday FRIDAY – Fridays on Remodelaholic, Feasting in Fellowship Fridays, Fridays Unfolded, SATURDAY - Weekend Wrap-Up Party, Get Schooled Saturday

Dear God . . . Love, Rose

When is the last time you wrote a letter to God?  What would you ask of him — what would you say?

This is what we are writing about today at Bonnie Gray's Faith Jam. Please feel free to hop on over and read along, or even link up. 

Dear God, 

This past week has been a tough one. I've felt the anxiety and the depression that I thought I had left behind creeping up on me once again. I felt hopeless and helpless. I felt like I was on this journey alone. And I let my feelings take control. I lost sleep, lost my joy and peace, and lost my patience far too often. 

But You have been faithful. And You've shown me that even though I had all those feelings, they were just that - feelings. Not facts but feelings. The reality is that even when I am helpless on my own, You are there to help me and there is hope. The reality is that I am not on this journey alone - I have so many people surrounding me who love me and even more important, I have You. So I am standing on fact and letting my feelings remain just that - feelings. Not facts, just feelings. 

Thank You for the fact of Your love. Thank You for the fact that You walk with each of Your children. Thank You for the fact that with You there is always hope, there is always rest, and there is always joy. 

I'm looking forward to spending my day and all my tomorrows with You.

Love, 

Rose

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The Better Mom, Living Well Wednesdays, Titus 2sdays, Encourage One Another, Heart & Home Tuesdays!, It's A Party,Thought Provoking Thursday, Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, No Ordinary Blog Hop

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