Fun Friday Project: Re-do of Boys Bedroom

Once we found out that our foster son's case was definitely going to be moving to adoption we decided to update his room to make it more personal.  We have two extra rooms, one was bright bubble gum pink and the other a minty green.  Our daughter Hailey decided that she was sick of pink and wanted the minty green room (which coincidentally and thankfully matched her bed's comforter perfectly).  But that left Bryson, our son, in a bright pink room.  Definitely not appropriate for a boy that LOVES sports and all things boyish.

I scoured the web for boys sports room ideas and found some things I loved and some things that I did not.  First off was the paint!  I would have loved to do a chair rail but it wasn't in the budget so we improvised.  We did navy blue on the bottom, a stripe of red around the middle and a sandy tan on the top half.  It felt so good to get rid of that pink color!!

Next up, I went to Home Goods and got some decorations.  I found a weathered mail slot.  I decided to turn it upside down so I could use it to display bobble heads and baseballs.  Eventually I will add hooks so he can hang baseball hats on it.  I also found a picture board which I placed pics from his first baseball game.  I found a cute navy blue Games box for all of his toys there too.

At Target on the clearance rack I found a great sports themed rug for $17!  It looks so cute and really defines the play area of the room.  We found a Full size bed on Craigslist (my parents got a comfy mattress topper for it since they'll be visiting most often).  I found the bedding at Target, the whole set with sheets, comforter, pillowcases, and bed skirt was only $20!!  I got a couple decorative pillow case covers and throw pillows at Home Goods to complete the bed.

At Home Goods I found this awesome star for the wall in a deep hunter green.  It was perfect in that it pulled out the small green detail in the pillows.  It really completes the All-Star sports theme.

Lastly, I went to Michaels and got some wooden letters that spell Bryson's name.  At home I painted the letters the same color as the Navy blue we painted the bottom of the room. (Hailey helped!) I place them around the star above the bed.  The final product of the room turned out so great!  This room screams "Bryson!"  He loves it!  He deserves it!  Every kid deserves to have a room that is special, just for them. 

What do you think? 

Thankful Thursday~ Laundry day

Today I was trying to think of something I am initially not thankful for and spin it around in my mind to find a way to be thankful for it.  Generally laundry day is not my favorite day.  Lots of bending, sorting, loading, unloading, folding, and putting away it all is not something I enjoy.  It's typically a stay home all day type of day because it takes a whole day for me to get 5 loads done. 

BUT God says that we are to be thankful in ALL circumstances so I'm assuming He means laundry day as well.  So I have been thinking about it.  What are some things I can be thankful for about laundry day. This is what I came up with:

1. More time at home means more time for the kids to have free play.  I am blessed that (so far) my two kiddos love to spend time together.  They copy each other, chase after each other, and love on each other.  It is pretty adorable to watch I must say.  A day at home is a great day to them.

2. Let's face it, laundry day can be a workout! Lots of standing on your feet and bending over!  More exercise is always a good thing! (this picture is not me but maybe I would look like that if I did laundry seven days a week... ) :)

3. Warm, clean smelling clothes!  I love the way clothes feel when they come out of the dryer.  There is about 10 seconds before they cool down and they are so soft and cozy.  It's a short lived pleasure but it's still nice.

4. The last thing I love, and I mean absolutely LOVE about laundry day is...that I have 6 days to enjoy before I get to, ahem..enjoy it all over again :)

 Be Blessed,

Jamie

Word-Filled Wednesday!

Here are a few quotes to ponder that I found on Pinterest!  Enjoy!

Teach Me Tuesday~ Drifting

Hi Friends!
Welcome to another "Teach Me Tuesday" post!  God has been teaching me a lot of little lessons lately but at church on Sunday there were some things that Pastor Mike said that have really stuck with me.  Our church is doing a "How to Wreck Your Life" series and this week's sermon was on Drifting.

2 Corinthians 11:3 "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."

Let's face it, Satan wants to destroy our faith.  He doesn't want us to follow God, listen to Him, or live a life that pleases Him. He wants to "steal, kill, and destroy."  He's a bad, bad dude.  Yet he's subtle and he can get us to fall away in the most deceptive ways.

These are the 5 steps that you are drifting away from God:
1.  You are disregarding your time with God.
2.  You are blaming God for your poor circumstances.
3.  You are indulging in bad company.
4.  You are falling into temptation regularly.
5.  You are treasuring the world more than you are treasuring God.

I will admit that I am guilty of struggling with all of these at one time or another.  But lately number 1 has been a serious struggle.  I have two kids, one of which I homeschool and to find quiet time to spend with God is hard to find.  That is, unless I am willing to wake up before the kids and let's be honest, that is really tough to do.  I have a million excuses but all of them are lame because I know that I need that time with God.  It's like exercise, it takes some motivation to sit down and do it but once you do, you NEVER regret it!  So, tomorrow I am going to do it.  I am going to wake up at (EEK) 6:30 am and spend a half hour with God.  I'll probably spend the first five minutes praying that I can stay awake but I definitely know it is worth it.  God is always worth it.  Always.

The pastor asked everyone, Are you closer to God today than you have ever been?  If not, why?  You know God hasn't moved.  That means you have.  And more than likely one of the five is causing you to drift away from Him. (ouch, the truth hurts!)

If you are willing to share, which one of the five do you struggle with, and how can you take the steps to move closer to God, instead of drifting away?

Motivational Mondays~ Forgiveness

The word forgiveness is used a lot in sunday schools and church sermons and is the cornerstone of what it means to be "saved by grace" through Jesus Christ.  We all know how important it is, we wouldn't be Christians without it.  If God hadn't forgiven us for our sins, we wouldn't be able to have a new life with a relationship with Him.  God doesn't just forgive us on the day that we accept Him into our hearts, He also forgives us every day, every second after that until we die and go to heaven to live with Him.  Forgiveness. It's a big deal.

God isn't the only one who is supposed to forgive.  We are too.  In our life there will be many people who hurt us, disappoint us, treat us poorly, hurt our friends and family, demean us, curse at us, and humiliate us.  God wants us to forgive them.  The dictionary defines forgiveness as "to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt."  Forgiveness is not earned, it is given as a free gift.  We forgive otheres because God forgave us and we are so thankful that we want to follow in His footsteps.

Forgiveness is NOT easy.  In some cases you can just say to yourself that you forgive someone and it's truly over.  In other cases it make take months or even  years to fully forgive.  But it's God's will so He will help you if you need/want Him to!   Ephesians 4:32 says "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

The other side of the coin is forgiving yourself.  Let's face it, we have all made mistakes in our life that we are not proud of.  We have all been the one who hurt someone else at some point, the one who wanted the forgiveness.  Sometimes we recieve that forgivness and sometimes we don't but we also have to pray and forgive ourselves.  If we don't, it can eat up at you for years and years.  In order to let it go you have to talk to God and ask Him to forgive you and then forgive yourself and move on.  When the offense comes up in your mind (and it will) just remind yourself that God is GOOD and you are forgiven!! 

This week, my Motivational encouragement for you is to find forgiveness.  Forgive someone or finally forgive yourself.  You will be so much lighter and free-er to hear what God wants to say to you. 

Be Blessed,
Jamie

Fun Friday Craft: Alphabet Magnets!

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a great blog (http://www.littlelucylu.com/ ) and she had a great craft on there that she had found on someone else's blog (I love how the blog community works!).  A lot of people including me cannot stand those Plastic Alphabet letters that you can buy in the store.  The colors are bold, they edges are sharp, and they just aren't aesthetically pleasing in the home.  So making my own "cool" magnets seemed like a GREAT idea!! 

I went to Michaels to pick up the supplies:
*2 bags of wooden disks

*1 can spray paint in your favorite color (I chose Periwinkle)

*2 bags of magnets
*1 super glue

* 1 package of STAX round alphabet letters (found them in the scrapbooking section)

*1 bottle Mod Podge

This is how I did it (and how you can do it too!).  First, I got my wooden discs ready.  I layed them all out on a flat box and spray painted them Periwinkle blue. 

 Next I got together my supplies and got ready to Mod Podge for my very first time!  I'll admit I was a little nervous and worried I would mess up somehow but I watched a couple You Tube videos on how to do it and it was easier than I thought. 

 I then Mod Podged the paper letters onto the painted wooden disks. 

 This is how the Mod Podge looks wet but after about 20 minutes it dries clear.

 After they are dry (check your Mod Podge bottle for directions on how long to let them dry) you can turn them over and super glue the magnets onto the backs of the discs.

 Here they are finished and on my fridge!  My kids LOVE them and have been playing with them nonstop since I put them up.  My daughter is in Kindergarten this year and she has been creating words and sounding out the letters! I love it! 

I wish I had better pictures to show you because they are even cuter in person but my camera doesn't take the best photos.  I really hope that you enjoyed this Fun Friday craft!!  I love finding new projects that I can do to make my home more personal and fun!  Hope everyone has a great Friday and a great weekend!!

Thankful Thursday~ Mom!

Today is Thankful Thursday, the day of the week that we can all stop for a second and think about everything that we have to be thanful for!  There are so many things to be thankful for but today I am feeling very thankful for one person in particular.  My MOM!

This is her (isn't she cute??)

My Mom is my best friend.  She always has been and always will be.  She is the only person in my life who I can talk to every single day and I still can't wait to talk to her again.  She is beyond kind.  Everyone who meets her loves her because she is so warm and loving.  She is truly interested in everyone she meets.  She is also incredibly generous.  She has given me and my family more than we deserve and is always coming up with new ways she can bless us.  I hope and pray that I will have as strong of a bond with my own daughter as she gets older as my Mom and I have had.  I am SOOO thankful for her today and everyday.  Every daughter should be so blessed as to have a mom like I have. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Be thankful in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Jesus Christ."

What are you thankful for today?

Word-Filled Wednesday

These words are here to lift you up, encourage you, challenge you, and make you stronger.  Hopefully at least one of them will speak to you!

Which one of these speaks to you the most?  I love them all!!!

TeAcH mE tUeSdAy~ Patience

Hi Friends,
Every Tuesday I am going to do a Teach Me Tuesday post.  This is going to be a devotional on something God has been teaching me lately. My prayer is that through me sharing what God is teaching me, He will teach you too!  Isn't He always trying to teach us something?  I'd love it if you left a comment sharing what God has been teaching you as well!  We can all learn from each other :)

James 1:4 "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
When I was in 6th grade I participated in a talent show and sang a song along with a friend called "Have Patience."  We both dressed as turtles and sang the words...

"Have patience, Have patience, don't be in such a hurry.
When you get impatient, you only start to worry.
Remember, remember that God is patient too,
Just think of all the times that others have to wait for you!"

It was a cute little thing to do but I can't tell you how many times that song has run through my head in the past 20 something years!  I guess it is something God has been working on in me for a long time.  Patience means the capacity to endure hardship, difficulty, or inconvenience without complaint.   What is harder, more difficult or more inconvenient than children?  Let's face it, being a parent requires a LOT of patience.  And the key component of that definition is the last two words...without complaint.  That is tough.  But God is patient with us so of course he desires us to be patient with others.  Aren't you glad He is patient with you?  I sure am!  I pray that God would help me to have patience with my family and with the things in life for which I am waiting.  It's a daily struggle but the more you do it the easier it gets (right?).  So now it is your turn, what has God been teaching you this past week/past hour/past five minutes?

Motivational Mondays

I know I am not the only one who could use a little extra motivation on Mondays.  I think every other post on Facebook is something about how bummed people are that the work week has started.  I don't "go" to work but I do homeschool my daughter and take care of my son and my home and I still feel that "Here we go again" feeling. 

Here is a great quote to get you through the day:

If you can dream it, you can do it. 
~Walt Disney

I love it!  So simple but so true!  What gets you motivated for the week??

A few Changes around here

Hi Friends,
Please bear with me as I am working on changing the look/features of this blog.  I am a computer novice for sure and am trying to make this place more visually appealing! :)  I also want to give my readers a better idea of who I am.  Hopefully that will be a good thing!  haha  

Thank you for your understanding!

God dwells WITH us!

I spent some time today updating my blog and I found the verse that I posted above.  I love it.  I love the part that says, "God himself will be with them and be their God."  Wow.  We are truly not alone.  Sometimes as a Christian, I get so caught up in my own life, my own friends, my own BUSYness that I forget that God is with me.  He's not floating up in Heaven far far away but he is right here with me all the time.  I can't see Him with my eyes but that doesn't mean he isn't close by.  How often do I acknowledge Him, do I ask him for advice, or lean on Him when my kids are driving me crazy.  Definitely not as often as I should.  Part of that is that I forget that he is there.

Another one of my favorite verses is "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)  It reminds me of my daughter, when I am in the room with her she has far better behavior than when she is away from me, outside hitting her little brother with a plastic baseball bat.  Would she do that with me standing right next to her?  No way.  My presence keeps her accountable.  Kind of like God's presence should keep us accountable too.  We may forget (or at times try to forget) that He is there but that doesn't change the facts.  I think this week I am going to try to remember that fact.  I am going to try to remain conscious of His presence.  I wonder if it will change the way my week goes... I will let you know :) !!