Christmas in July

In time past many of us would laugh off the thought of thinking ahead to Christmas in July. In July it is easy to be proud procrastinators.

Today’s economy has changed that privilege for many families. Nowadays everything we can do in advance serves not only to save money but our time too. Thinking ahead this month will pave the way for a more peaceful and rewarding holiday with family and friends. Here are some ideas to jumpstart the coming holiday season…

Special Occasions Binder.
In 2005 Anita Cramer shared the idea of creating a binder with MMCW to keep up with all the lists and ideas associated with Christmas. Taking her idea a step further, my binder includes all the events my family celebrates throughout the year. I can quickly pinpoint family holiday recipes, card lists, gift lists, or party menus without tearing the house apart. Better yet, I have a place to put ideas for family gatherings I compile during the year from magazines and online reading.

My binder is a simple $4 binder from Wal-Mart. Sections are divided with tabs and include: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Gift List, Christmas Card List, Homemade Goodie Ideas, Christmas Recipes, Christmas Parties, New Years, Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Birthdays, and Mother’s/Father’s Day. I use page protectors to house pages torn from magazines, recipes, and gift receipts. If you do not have a binder, set one up this month. Just putting copies of your family’s favorite Christmas recipes in one spot will save you time come December.

Right on Schedule.
Take a look at your calendar right now. Odds are you have few events scheduled presently for November and December. Guard as many of those free days for your family as possible. Be intentional during the months ahead and use your time–and your binder–to stay ahead of the holiday rush. Pencil in events you know will be happening during December in the margin of the calendar. Only list essential events and feel free to set a boundary now around your December time.

Strategize Now.
Sit down and write your gift recipient list for 2010 and assign a monetary amount to each person. Be realistic–do not forget Christmas stockings gifts too! The beauty of planning Christmas in July is that you have plenty of time to find a $25 gift for $5 in the clearance section of stores. Do not put down a $25 gift amount on the list when you know that your budget is realistically $5.

Make hard decisions this month.
If you cannot afford to give gifts to extended family this year, have the discussion now. Choosing to draw names or set spending limits are alternatives. You may be surprised to find everyone else just as relieved about the change. Having a list along with a budget will help to avoid the burden of overspending in December. Keep a master list in your binder and a small copy in your purse. I keep my list on a folded piece of paper in my wallet.

Eyes Wide Open.
The key to Christmas in July is keeping our eyes alert for deep discounted summer sales. Around July 4th I visit the Disney store for 75% off beach towels and toys. During the same time period Target begins clearing out to make room for Christmas toys. By the first of August, Christian bookstores such as Lifeway mark selected home decor, books, jewelry, and CDs anywhere from 75% to 90% off. With the economy in its current state, do not be surprised to find deeper discounts than usual at the mall from clothing retailers. There are great fall and winter clothing sales to be had now at name brand stores. Just last weekend, I bought two fall blouses and a pair of jeans for $16. Finally, don’t rule out yard sales. I once bought four American Girl dolls in mint condition for $25 each at a yard sale. Never underestimate the power of the Lord to provide just what you are looking for within your budget.

Every Little Bit Counts
Do you have craft projects that would make perfect Christmas gifts? July is the perfect time to pull them together. If you like making homemade goodies, right now is the time for gathering jars for blueberry jam or maybe fig preserves. Are you a scrapbooker? Use extra supplies to create some gifts for teen scrapbookers in your family or even make an album for someone special. Make a photo CD set to music of last Christmas to give as gifts this year to family. Pick up a $5 Sonic gift card or maybe $10 iTunes cards. (Yes, $10 iTunes cards exist. They come in packs of three at Wal-Mart.)

Here are some craft projects I’m eyeing for this year:

Tea Wreaths

Washer Necklaces

Rice Bag Warmers

Framed Fabric Mon0gram

For plenty of ideas be sure to also look through our 12 Days of Christmas series. You’ll find recipes, gift ideas, devotions, and organizational tips.

How do you plan to plan ahead for Christmas 2010?

Organizing School Supplies

When our oldest was born, I would fold clothes slowly as he slept.

Slowly because I was watching intently to make sure he was breathing.

As you can imagine, not much got done during those days. Between watching him sleep, working full time and folding those clothes, it seemed like there was no time for anything–especially an organized home.

Fast forward sixteen years, three more children, add on homeschooling, music, sports, and writing for Mentoring Moments and Oasis. I laugh when I recall those early first child days–I was clueless to what the phrase I have no time really meant.

Back then I thought of myself as an organized person, maybe because I could stand in the container aisle of Wal-Mart and think up innovative ways to store things. Always on the lookout for ways to save space, you could have called me the Queen of Rubbermaid.

These days, organization is not a pastime, it is a necessity. The saying is true–the more children you have the more organized you have to become.

In a matter of weeks our kiddos will be going back to school. That means school supplies can easily get misplaced and find themselves spread out all over the home. My command central is our supply closet…

Supply Closet

Finding a way to organize all of our school supplies and books proved easier than I thought when I found these plastic drawers at Wal-Mart. Drawers are purchased individually, so one can stack as many as needed. I was able to fit five large drawers for craft supplies, office supplies, art paper, notebook / loose leaf paper, and a pencil/pen/glue/crayon/marker drawer. Two smaller plastic drawers hold computer software /audio CDs and math manipulatives.

If you are a grandmother,  these drawers make a great spot for crayons, paper, Play-Dough, Barbie dolls, doll clothes, race cars, Legos, and more. The drawers do slide out, so they can be transported elsewhere in the home and put back when finished.

Stores are ramping up their school supply aisles right now and preparing for back-to-school sales. Save money by purchasing enough to last the entire year and store them in your supply closet. To get the best deals, purchase only the necessities for the first week or so of school, then stock up later in August when stores will offer deeper discounts. I normally purchase upwards of 12 packs of both college-ruled and wide-ruled paper, for example, which means I shop only once for paper a year.  Instead of running to Wal-Mart at 10 pm for  paper, I send the kiddos to the supply closet. Other items I stock up on are magic markers, glue sticks, boxes of pencils, erasers (we go through them like crazy), construction paper, index cards, poster board and art supplies.

Another nifty organization idea…

Closetmaid.com
My friend Michelle shared this link with me. You can enter your closet dimensions and receive plans for a professional remake you can do on your own.

Let’s keep this going…

MMCW is hosting a School Room Carnival! Share your blog posts and photos of how you organize your home learning environment. We will all be inspired by tips and ideas! Simply send the URL of your blog  post to me at mentoringmoments@aol.com by July 23rd. The carnival will run on July 28th.

Question: How do you organize school supplies?

Come and Knock on My Door

I love, love, love, having people over to my house. However, I usually manage to drive my family nuts with the preparations that need to be made prior to that knock on the door. I want guests to my home to feel comfortable and welcomed. I most certainly do not want them to realize how much I’ve stressed in the preceding hours. It is funny that after my family has spent the day with Mrs. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll comes out to play with the guests.

From the Bible, we learn that hospitality is a God-given gift that should be used to bring glory to Him. Through hospitality, Paul tells us in Hebrews one might entertain angels and not know it. Peter makes it clear that hospitality is not merely a suggestion but a requirement. The letter he wrote which addresses all Christians says:

“Show hospitality to one another without complaining. Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God” 1 Peter 4:9-10

I remember the show hospitality part of the verse but ignore the equally important second part which tells us to do it without complaining. One of the definitions for the word translated complaining is “secret displeasure not openly avowed.” OUCH! If I am bemoaning the cleaning and cooking as I am preparing, I am guessing that counts as complaining. The same is true of my mood. If by words and actions, I reflect anxiety and worry over each detail rather than enthusiasm and peace, it would seem to be the polar opposite of pleasure. True hospitality begins before the guests arrive, not with a smile and kind words when the door is opened.

Putting a Face on Hospitality

I was born in Arizona. When I was 3 and 1/2 years old, my parents moved back to Illinois. Most people would say I’m a northern girl, but that’s not necessarily true because I’ve lived in the South for over 30 years now.

There are noticeable differences between the North and South even now. One of the biggest differences is the type of foods and the way they are prepared. For example, in my area there are peas. But in the South you have to refer to a particular variety of peas, such as English, purple hull, whooper-will, black-eyed, crowder, etc. Even the way cornmeal is processed and cornbread prepared is different.

Another difference centers on the phrase, “drop in any time.” I remember years ago, when we first moved to Mississippi, a lady in my church made this comment to me. I thanked her for the invitation, and I said I looked forward to our “anytime” visit.

Several weeks later, I decided one day to drop by my new friend’s home for a visit. I knocked on the side door and nervously waited. The inside door opened. Instead of a smile and “I’m so glad to see you,” there was a look of shock on the woman’s face. Her face revealed I was the last person she wanted to see on her doorstep. I wanted to run right back to my car without saying a word; however, I managed a few words of apology as she opened the screen door. As she prepared coffee, I felt nervous and anxious. I had interrupted her time, and I felt guilty for having done so. Our short visit ended up being strained and tense.

It has been almost 29 years since that incident. The sad truth is I know there have been times when someone has unexpectedly dropped by my house and I have had the same look. The visitor was infringing upon my time,  I didn’t have anything prepared, the house was a mess, or the children weren’t behaving properly. The mat at my front door may have said welcome, but that wasn’t what was written on my face.

The subject of hospitality is found throughout the Bible. One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 13:12 which says, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Whenever I read this verse, I think about Abraham and how he greeted his guests (Genesis 18:1-3). What would he have missed if he had not had an attitude of genuine welcome?

The same could be true of you and me. When a friend or stranger is at our door, do we realize God has sent them at that particular time for His purposes? What is our heart attitude–welcoming or whining?

Putting a face on hospitality simply means when we open our door, welcome is seen before it is heard. Does your face reflect a gracious spirit of welcome?

Designer Placemats: Perfect for Picnics & Gift Giving

With spring in full swing and summer ahead, we will be enjoying parties outdoors. Simplify the picnic setup by combining the silverware, napkin and placemat into one designer bundle. With five, six-inch straight stitches you can make these functional placemats. They are wonderful gifts for a new bride too!

Materials needed: tea towel, 34-inch-long ribbon, sewing machine.

Fold the end of the tea towel up to form a 6-inch pocket. Stitch along the edges. Stitch a 3-inch pocket on the left side for for the silverware pocket. Stitch a 5-inch pocket on the right side for the napkin pocket. Fold ribbon in half and stitch to the right napkin pocket.

Optional: Personalize the placemat with the initial of your last name. If you do not have access to an embroidery machine, you can purchase an iron-on embroidery initial.

To leave a comment:

• If you are reading this post in email form, click the article headline. This will take you to the article on MMCW’s website.
• Scroll down until you see the box entitled ‘Speak Your Mind’.
• Enter your name, email (it will not be published) and your website or blogsite if you have one (you do not have to have one).
• Click on the big empty space and then begin typing your comments.
• When you are done, click ‘submit comment’.  That’s it!  We look forward to hearing from YOU!

God’s Signature Dishes

God has signed His name on my dishes.  Really.  At first glance you will not be able to see it, but after I tell you my story, I believe you will agree with me that God’s signature is truly there.

You see, God is interested in the details of the lives of His children and the desires of their hearts (Psalm 37:4).   As we obey Him, it is His delight to shower us with good gifts.

When I graduated from high school, our family finances were in a bind (translation: no extra money).  My parents explained that there would be no graduation gift until a later time.  Life moved forward and the graduation gift was forgotten.

A few years later I got married, and for our eighth Christmas I asked my husband for a set of the new Corelle dishes.  There were only two patterns available, the green and the gold.  I asked for the gold to match my kitchen wallpaper.  He bought the green.

As most everyone knows, Corelle is very durable and lasts a long time.  I still have those green dishes!  Years passed and for our 25th anniversary, I asked for a set of new dishes.  I did not get them.  The next year on our 26th anniversary I again asked for a set of new dishes.  I did not get them.  By the 27th, I had given up and moved on.

Meanwhile, our youngest daughter was graduating from high school and my dad was preparing to give her a monetary gift.  For some reason, he remembered that he had never kept his promise to me.  So after 28 years, he wrote me a check for my graduation gift.  I knew immediately what I wanted to buy:  new dishes!

Before I could go shopping, our church had a special Sunday of giving to our building fund.  As I sat in my pew, I distinctly heard God ask me to give my graduation gift in the offering.  I hesitated, thinking how long I had waited for this money.

I was currently a leader in Bible Study Fellowship and we were studying the life of Moses.  The main principle of the study was obedience brings blessing.  God had been so good to me.  How could I not give?  So I gave.

A few months passed and the end of BSF came.  To my surprise, the sweet ladies in my group took up a collection to express their love and presented it to me on our last day together.  There was a stipulation that I use the money to buy something for myself.  What do you think I bought?

My new dishes have a service for eight, salt and pepper shakers, a teapot, and even matching glasses!  (I again chose Corelle for its durability.)  The pattern is Blue Hearts which seemed very appropriate coming from my heavenly Father.

There are no words on my dishes, but His signature is bright and clear.  James 1:17 (NIV) says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”

God is so good.  Take a moment and look around at the many gifts God has given you.   I believe if you look closely, you will discover His signature along with the postscript “I love you.”

Lora Milligan

To leave a comment:

• If you are reading this post in email form, click the article headline. This will take you to the article on MMCW’s website.
• Scroll down until you see the box entitled ‘Speak Your Mind’.
• Enter your name, email (it will not be published) and your website or blogsite if you have one (you do not have to have one).
• Click on the big empty space and then begin typing your comments.
• When you are done, click ‘submit comment’.  That’s it!  We look forward to hearing from YOU!

Seed Therapy

I enjoy gardening.  Therapy comes in those little seed packets.  Winter tends to be hard on me even though it is beautiful.  I’m ready for warm days and sunshine months before they show up.  Those little seeds are a promise of warmer days to come.

It’s a thrill when I finally plant seeds and set them in the window.  I like to start seeds in starter trays.  After watering and planting the neat little rows, cover the tray so the moisture and heat become trapped.  You’ve just created a mini-greenhouse.  The sun quickly warms them and sprouts begin!

I plant all sorts of things…everything my family will eat and a few new items.  When I use my green thumb on something unfamiliar, we all get a chance to try a new item from the garden.  We’ve discovered the joys of tasty foods from our own plot of land. Harvesting something we’ve grown ourselves brings great satisfaction.

Don’t dismiss gardening if you have little space.  Container gardening starts out exactly like a full-size yard garden.  The main difference is planting the seeds in pots.  Look for great pots at thrift stores or garage sales.  You’re apt to find plenty.

Always wash your pots thoroughly.  If they’re deep, add paper egg-cartons broken into fourths and a few large rocks to the bottom.  The egg-cartons act as a filler and the stones help with drainage and add weight for ballast on windy days.

Herbs are some of my favorite container plants.  Since they’re portable, I keep them near the door on my porch.  A snip in the early afternoon means a tasty dinner later that night.  Dill dip, rosemary on a pork roast, oregano and thyme in spaghetti sauce…all delicious and all from home.

I usually dry my herbs for year-round use and fun gifts.  This winter I brought my rosemary plant inside.  When I long for summer, I gently touch the plant, and the delicate scent reminds me of warmer days.  Now that’s therapy at it’s best!

(Rosemary)

To leave a comment:

• If you are reading this post in email form, click the article headline. This will take you to the article on MMCW’s website.
• Scroll down until you see the box entitled ‘Speak Your Mind’.
• Enter your name, email (it will not be published) and your website or blogsite if you have one (you do not have to have one).
• Click on the big empty space and then begin typing your comments.
• When you are done, click ‘submit comment’.  That’s it!  We look forward to hearing from YOU!

Best of the Best

Do you ever get tired of hunting through stacks of recipes, looking for your favorites?  It seems that I return to the same tried and true dishes again and again.  Time is at a premium for me, and I don’t like wasting it while searching through my large stack of cookbooks and recipe cards looking for particular recipes.

Several years ago I took a few minutes to set up my own “Best of the Best” cookbook, and it has saved me countless hours every week.  I have found, over the years, it is well worth the time I spent organizing my favorite recipes.  Now I primarily rely on one single cookbook each day:  The Best of the Best.

To make your own cookbook, just take a plain 3-ring binder and fill it with a stack of page protectors.  Place your favorite recipes in the pages and voila, you have created your own perfect cookbook.

Here are some tips to remember when setting up your Best of the Best cookbook:

• Only choose your favorite tried and true recipes.  If you use this cookbook to store recipes you are hoping to test out, it will quickly become clogged with useless papers and the purpose will be defeated.  This cookbook allows you to immediately find your favorite recipes, so be sure to reserve it for that purpose.  If you need a place to store recipes you want to try out, set up a separate binder for those.
• Recipe cards and magazine clippings can easily be stored in the pages.  For all other recipes (such as those found in favorite cookbooks), photocopy the recipe from your book or type it into a Word document, print and place in your Best of the Best cookbook.  This will save you from thumbing through a thick cookbook looking for a particular recipe.
• When asking a friend for a recipe you’ve enjoyed, see if she can email it to you.  It will be simple to print off the email and slip the page into your Best of the Best cookbook.
• Once a year, go through your cookbook and cull recipes you haven’t used much.  Take a few minutes to update Best of the Best with any new favorites you’ve discovered.
• When a son or daughter gets married or heads off to college, give them their own starter version of Best of the Best, including copies of recipes for their favorite foods as well as family heirloom recipes.

The H-E-A-R-T of Hospitality

Do you remember the following melody and song lyrics?

“Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage. This I tell you brother, you can’t have one without the other.”

Have you ever considered how hospitality and love go together like a teacup and saucer? Both can stand alone, yet one without the other is not complete. Hospitality offered without love leaves your guest feeling cold. A teacup without a saucer can be filled, yet the cup and spoon have no place to rest properly. When people come together through biblical hospitality, usually they will find their cups being filled to overflowing with love and sweet moments of rest.

Hospitality must come from the heart; otherwise it is nothing more than entertainment. Webster’s dictionary defines hospitality as “the act, practice, or quality of being hospitable; friendly and solicitous (showing care, attention, concern) entertainment of guests.” A great definition, but for the Christian woman there is so much more: tender acts of kindness, caring, listening, serving, and touching the lives of others in Jesus’ name.

How do we demonstrate hospitality from the heart?

Where is hospitality demonstrated? First and foremost it is to be exemplified in your home. Your home is the greatest evangelistic tool available to reach a lost world for Christ. Your home is to be a prepared place for those who live there and for those who visit–a refuge. From our homes hospitality is to be demonstrated to the church, taken to the marketplace, and into the world. (Romans 12:13; Titus 2:3-5; Proverbs 31:27)

Who is offered hospitality? God shows no partiality; therefore we must be willing to express hospitality to everyone. Hospitality is to be shown to our neighbors (Matthew 5:43-48). We are to invite the needy (Luke 14:12-14). James 2:1-10 admonishes us to show no favoritism. Hebrews 13:2 states, “Do not forget to entertain strangers…” Many times our hearts are not open to everyone–we have a list of exclusions.

When is hospitality to be extended? It is not often that the word always can be used, but this is one of those instances. Hospitality is to be spontaneous and intentional; both require our time and effort. Paul instructed Timothy to “preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” (2 Timothy 4:2) Demonstrating hospitality does not always fit into our schedules. This is why it is important to be prepared at all times. Create a special nook in your home just for tea and talk.  When you are preparing casseroles, soup, breads, and muffins, make extra and freeze for future use.

What are the benefits of hospitality? The benefits come through our relationships: creating new ones and nurturing the old. Touching lives through biblical hospitality is about refreshing others with encouragement, restoring a relationship which has been broken, renewing a relationship which has fallen by the wayside.

Why practice hospitality? You and I are given the opportunity to share Christ, our greatest treasure, a priceless possession. Furthermore it is a command.

Biblical hospitality is a lifestyle. Perhaps today you need to write a love note from your heart to God’s heart and say: “My home is open and available to everyone You bring to my door. I am willing to learn how to take the necessary steps to be prepared always. I want to touch lives, build relationships, and share the greatest treasure, Jesus Christ. Create in me a willingness to sit at Your feet and serve hospitality from the heart.”

To leave a comment:

• If you are reading this post in email form, click the article headline. This will take you to the article on MMCW’s website.
• Scroll down until you see the box entitled ‘Speak Your Mind’.
• Enter your name, email (it will not be published) and your website or blogsite if you have one (you do not have to have one).
• Click on the big empty space and then begin typing your comments.
• When you are done, click ‘submit comment’.  That’s it!  We look forward to hearing from YOU!

Eggs Benedict

1-2 English muffins, split and toasted, per person

1 hard boiled egg, sliced, for each full muffin

1 slice of bacon, crumbled, for each full muffin

For Blender Hollandaise sauce

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 Tbsps. lemon juice

dash ground red pepper

Place egg yolks in blender and mix for 5 seconds. In small saucepan heat butter/margarine, lemon juice, and red pepper until butter is melted and almost boiling. With lid ajar and blender running at high speed, slowly pour in butter mixture. Blend about 30 seconds or till thick and fluffy. Serve immediately over muffins, eggs, and bacon. Makes 1 cup.

Next Page »