Summer treats {Free Printable}

 It feels funny typing this post because we've had some incredible temperatures this week.  It has been in the 80's this week and it's the last week of June.  We are NOT complaining!  This break from triple digit. . . suck the life out of you. . . dry heat is quite wonderful!  Unfortunately, tomorrow it will go back to the normal yucky heat of summer.  We have thoroughly enjoyed this week!  

We live in a unique neighborhood in some ways because our mail gets delivered to a slot by our front door.  But also, we don't have one specific delivery person.  In any given week, I could see 4 or 5 different people delivering my mail. They all seem to be the same, and maybe they rotate, but it's definitely not the same as other neighborhoods where you have one in particular that you get to know as "your mail person."  Our mail people, walk from house to house in our neighborhood, even in the middle of summer and triple digit heat.  They are serious rockstars! 

But because it's so hot, these brave souls need some hydration and maybe a treat.  So, we've continued what we do in at Christmas time  and added an ice chest full of cold drinks and a few snacks just to make their day.  They don't always take them, but when they do, I am sure that something cold is a nice treat to their day. 

These treats don't really cost a whole bunch.  I just grab a couple of water bottles, some coke and sprite minis and some sparkling water from our stash and throw in a couple of cheese it bags or stuff from our snack baskets.  It's a little work to dump the ice each evening and fill a few cups of ice each morning, but it's worth it bring a little bit of refreshment to our mail people on a hot day! 

I made a fun printable to kind of add some cheer. . . and catch their eye a little more than the post-it note I was using.  I linked this post to the printable, just keep scrolling down.  I printed it out on cardstock and laminated it to make sure it survives the summer and hopefully the next!  

I hope you all are enjoying your summer and keeping cool! 

Free Printable here

Summer Pinterest Challenge 2019: Week 1

I love Pinterest.  So many ideas creative ideas in one spot that it can be a little overwhelming when you don't know what you're looking for.  On the other hand, when you have a general idea of what your looking for, it's a great resource!  Every summer, I choose a theme within the realm of Pinterest and spend one day a week conquering it.  Last year was Stem projects and the year before was just random Pinterest activities.  As the kids are growing older and getting farther along with school, I have noticed that art is the one thing that doesn't get taught as much as it should.  Allowing kids to be creative and explore the world of art . . . the lines, the colors, the artists, helps children of all ages express themselves, create confidence, and expands their education beyond the math and language.  I could go into more details on why it's so important, but that's just boring. 

This summer, we are really chasing quiet and savoring summer.  The time we are spending dedicated to art just might be the icing on the cake!  This summer, we are conquering 6 artists by reading about them in a beautifully illustrated picture books and then trying out the styles of each artist by creating our own masterpiece.  I am really excited! 

Our first book and art project is based on the art of Vasily Kandinsky.  Kandinsky is known for taking a risk and starting what is known as the modern art movement.  As a child, he was given a paint box and the heard sounds and music as he painted. He probably had a condition called synesthesia, where different senses trigger other senses.  Because he lived before much research had been done on this condition.  Regardless, his art shows the movement and color of the music he heard as he maneuvered the paint across his canvas. 

 One of his most famous paintings is his concentric circles and I found a printable via Pinterest for concentric hearts.  It was the perfect art project to follow our book on Kandinsky.  Basically, you just print out the template onto cardstock and have your child paint with watercolors (or any medium, really!) starting just inside the line working their way in.  We chose medium tipped brushes (we like the Kids Made Modern brushes or the IKEA brushes) and had them use whatever colors they wanted, cleaning their brush in the water on the table and wiping it with a paper towel. 

 I am loving how these turned out!  I think I am going to trim the extra space off the edges and mat it to some colored cardstock and stick them in our kids gallery frames. 

You can find the printable for these concentric hearts here.

I hope you will join us on this art challenge this summer!  Feel free to post to instagram and use #OOTRBsummerkidsartchallenge

Our Art Closet

 My favorite time of the year is when all the back to school supplies go on sale.  Crayons, markers, colored pencils, and art paper for way cheaper than the rest of the year. . . yes, please!  It's been 10 years since I stopped teaching, but I still find myself stocking up our own supplies.  For the longest time, I kept them stored in our office, where I could pull them out as we needed them.  As the kids got older, I realized that they needed to have access to the art supplies in an organized way that I had to figure out a way to make that work in our home. 

Next to our front door is a small closet.  Because we live in California, our need for storing winter coats and jackets isn't really needed. .  . I don't even think we own winter coats!  Plus, everything that was being stored in there, we didn't really need. I threw a lot of stuff away and moved some things into new homes to give me a clean closet.  This closet already had some shelves built in, so that made it perfect for creating an art closet that would make the art supplies accessible to my kids when they needed them.

I had picked up a roll of clearance peel and stick wallpaper from Target and used that to add some color and personality to a drab closet.  It worked out great so that when the door is open, it doesn't look all that bad.  I love the stripes!  Before I started putting stuff inside, we took a few minutes to take some pictures. . . man, I love these boys!  Also, they are so little in these pictures! 

From there, I bought some containers with lids to put things.  I used my handy dandy label maker to label the boxes, so we knew what was in each one at a glance.  I also bought a 3 drawer caddy thing to hold drawing paper, construction paper, and lined paper (for homework).  The stuff at the top of the closet was extra stuff or stuff that I didn't necessarily want them to be able to grab anytime they wanted (sequins, glitter, beads, extra glue). 

We have boxes for:
crayons
markers
colored pencils
stickers
glue
spirograph
stamps
foam pieces
perler beads
paint brushes
paints

We also have places for coloring books, travel binders, puzzles, and drawing books.  The large construction paper and larger coloring books are able to be in the floor.  

Sometimes things get a little crazy and things don't always get back to there correct spot, but for the most part, this has worked so well at keeping things organized and allowing the kids to have access to all the supplies in one spot.  Things have definitely stayed more organized since everything has a home, it's easy access for the kids so they are not always asking me to get them something, and it creates an environment that fully inspires my kids to create.  

Do you have a way inspires your kids to be creative in your house?  I'd love to hear about it!  Please leave a comment or message me on Facebook or Instagram. . . I'd love to hear from you! 

The Connection Time post that almost didn't happen

I am sitting here with my favorite latte at my second Starbucks (same latte) for the morning. The wifi wasn't working at the first Starbucks. . . which kind of put a damper on things. My plan was to go sit, drink coffee and get some writing done while my kids enjoy their last few hours of the 2018-2019 school year.  So, I am sitting here at the second Starbucks, coffee flowing through my veins and writing. I won't lie, I was frustrated and getting a little cranky because my plans weren't going as smoothly as I had hoped.

It's been a while since I've posted a Connection Time post (February, if you are interested).  I've gone back and forth wondering if they are worth it, but I keep coming back to yes.  We can't always get out and have coffee in person, so we listen to podcasts and scroll our social media feeds to make us feel like we are connecting, but in reality, we are just watching on the sidelines.  This is a chance for you (the reader) and me (the writer) to sit down and have coffee and connect.  It takes a huge amount of bravery to leave a comment down below, but that's where the connection starts, when we share or agree with someone.  My goal with this little blog with readers that I have never even met, is to connect and maybe encourage you to live life with creativity and passion.

It's been a busy few weeks.  The end of the school year always is hectic in sort of a fun and exciting way.  We had a wax museum, multiple awards assemblies, field days, water days, talent show, class parties and softball games that filled our schedule to the brim.  It's been so busy, that even the kids are longing for the quiet, more restful days that summer brings.  I remember when the kids were younger, I was eager to fill our days with as much order and routine and activities as I could, but the last few years we have moved towards a more restful approach to summer.  We are going to spend time reading, playing games, watching tv, playing with legos and crafting.  We will allow boredom to come and spur creativity.  Minecraft will be played and tv will be watched.  There will be days where we will stay in our comfies and days where we will hit the movies or swim.  This year, we will once again have a summer Pinterest challenge. This year, we will be spending some time each week studying artists, and the techniques behind the artists.  Each week, I will post about those projects so, you can join in the fun.

Time for the official "Connection Time" prompts.  I love these because they are the same every month.  Sometimes I have a lot to say about one thing, but not about another.  But, each month they are different.  I hope that you take the time to comment on one or two of the things, or even answer some yourself.

Outside my window the sun is shining and their is a little bit of a breeze, which is a welcome addition after yesterday's triple digit day.

I am thinking of Summer Vacation.  It's so close!

From the kitchen I made some delicious Rhubarb muffins that Ethan thinks are the best things ever! I hope to share the recipe with you tomorrow, because they were really tasty!  Plus, I think that sometimes rhubarb gets forgtotten about as a summer fruit, but it's really wonderful.  It brings a lot of memories of summers at my grandparents going through their summer garden.

I am wearing some distressed jeans, Birkenstocks, and a new shirt I picked up last week.  

I am creating nothing right now.  As soon as my house is clean, I feel like I can start creating.  I have triangles cut out for a quilt for Jon and paper pumpkin boxes that need to be made into cards.  I'm even pondering the possibility of teaching the boys how to use my sewing machine.

I am going to the beach tomorrow and I am ready to get my toes in the sand and breath the salty sea air.  It is calling me!

I am reading Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on water, and Loving the Bible again and it's so good! Rachel Held Evans wrote it and I've been waiting for the Kindle version at the library for months. She was a beautiful story teller!


I just picked up a stack of books at our local Lifeway store since they are all super cheap because they are closing their storefronts (sad face), I am hoping to get to read a lot over the next few months!  I am going to try to sneak some fiction in, too!

Around the House it's a disaster!  But, I am okay with that.  Our shower is being installed along with tile! I can't wait to share it with you.  We've also been so busy that things haven't been done and then throw a day where the water was shut off and then last night the power was out. . . things just didn't get done.  I am hoping tonight I can get some stuff caught up!

One of my favorite things is slowing down!  But, I am starting the She Reads Truth Summer Study next week and I am so excited!  I get to sneak away once a week and gather with some pretty cool ladies and talk about scripture and I just can't wait!   If you are local, you can still join me!  If you aren't you should go to here to find out more!

A few plans for summer are to relax, travel, create, and hang out with my boys.  They are getting so big and equally just as busy.  I can't wait to just sit on the couch and read with them!
 
What I am listening to Everflow, by Austin Stone Worship, and Newsboys Hallelujah for the Cross along with the Disney Hits playlist on Apple Music. I have a feeling that once VBS starts next week, the kids will want to listen to the Power Up music, too.

Now, it's your turn!  Grab your coffee and let's connect! You don't have to do them all! I can't wait to hear from you! You can even private message me if you don't want to make it public.  

Outside my window
I am thinking
From the kitchen
I am wearing
I am creating
I am going
I am reading
I am hoping
I am hearing
Around the House
One of my favorite things
A few plans for the week
What I am listening to  

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Traveling: Northern California {Palo Alto and San Jose}

Adventures are my favorite.  Whether with kids or without, I love adventures.  So does the rest of my family and I love that it ranks high on our must do list.  It gives us energy and brings us joy.  I hope that these travel posts inspire you as much as they are getting me excited reliving last year's adventure and anticipating our next one! 

The last part of our adventure had us exploring the San Jose area and Palo Alto.  Palo Alto is a cute town between San Francisco and San Jose and is the home of Stanford University.  We left San Francisco shortly after breakfast and drove South a bit for some adventure and to check into our hotel in Palo Alto.  Our main plan for the night was to attend a San Jose Earthquakes vs LA Galaxy soccer game at Stanford University that night.  Once we checked in, we spent the day shopping at their beautiful outdoor mall and meandering down their cute downtown.  Also, we ate so much food and it was worth it!  We even had time to rest and veg out in front of the tv (and air conditioning) before heading to the game.  We can call that a win. 

Palo Alto was fun!  I definitely want to go back and explore some more (because Jon told me we couldn't move there. . . ha ha!). Plus, now they have a Shake Shack and a Salt and Straw (which recently came out with some amazing dairy free ice cream!).  Whalburgers was definitely a highlight and hopefully we can get back and eat their again! Stanford University was absolutely amazing.  Ethan decided that's where he wants to go. . . until we showed him how much it cost.  eek! Maybe we should start a go-fund me to get Ethan to Stanford in 8 years. . . ha ha!  We ate so much food during the day that we weren't really hungry at the game, but after the game. . . at 11:00, we were starving.  So we stopped by the PF Changs that was conveniently located on our walk home so we grabbed some take out and ate before heading to bed.  The kids still talk about how cool that was! 

The Next day we headed down to San Jose for some more fun and adventure.  San Jose is a place we go often, because we are San Jose Earthquakes fans.  But, apart from attending the game and trying to find parking at Santana Row to eat my favorite ice cream (Pressed), we haven't really done a lot here.  This was our chance!  We purposely stayed downtown in the cutest hotel so we could be spend our time walking around and exploring the town, and it's architecture.

Our first goal of the day was to spend time at the Tech Museum. On the way, we found a fun little park across the street that had several lawn games set out and some ping pong.  We may have spent a bit of time here enjoying the cool mid morning shade until we headed into the museum.  We have heard some really great things about it and had a blast!  So many hands on activities for the kids, as well as us parents.  Jon even had a blast working on their Cryptography exhibit with Ethan.  We spent a couple of hours hanging out here and then headed in search of food.  We found an Earl of Sandwich not far from the museum and went to grab some delicious sandwiches (we love the one at Downtown Disney) and then went exploring for a bit and then back to the hotel for some resting.  

 One of our favorite things about our hotel was the bocce ball area.  The kids were obsessed! I am pretty sure that they could've done without the walking around and just played that all day!  We spent some time before heading to try a local coffee shop and finding dinner.   We got to try out Academic Coffee, which got bonus points for having Oatly and a non dairy option (insert happy dance here).  While we drank coffee, we headed over to San Pedro Square, which is a street that is filled with delicious restaurants. We finally decided on eating food at the San Pedro Square Market, which is filled with a couple of bars and several different restaurants, where we could all eat something we wanted. . . kind of like a really nice food court and an old Adobe house in the outside picnic area. We even got delicious desserts at Treat Bot. . . which was a trailer inside the building.  Then we headed back for more bocce ball and some drinks before heading to bed. 

The next morning, we headed over to the Santa Clara Mission to add another mission to the list.  It took us awhile to find parking since it was located on the University of Santa Clara, but once we did, it was beautiful. My favorite things about the missions are the Verandas that run along side the mission.   

 Then we headed for a longer than normal drive home.  We decided to head South to check another mission off our list.  The Mission Soledad is out in the middle of lush farmland and is completely free to see.  It shows the ruins of the original location before it was moved 100 yard to where it was rebuilt.  It was definitely worth the trip!

 Then, we headed further South to the Western side of the Pinacles.  It was really hot by then, so we drove to the visitors center, let the kids (who were by then really hot and tired) get their National Park badges and then headed home. 

This trip was so much fun!  It as nice to take a break from explore other states and do some things we've never take the time to do and with the kids.  I hope that this trip gives you some inspiration on ways to explore Northern California with your kids or even explore your own state.  


Sources:
Palo Alto hotel
San Jose hotel
Tech Museum of San Jose

Making Room for Scripture

Once upon a time there was a tired mom who was struggling.  The kids needed her, her husband needed her, the house needed her, her commitments needed her.  She began to be angry and short tempered.  Sometimes, the littlest things brought her to tears.  It was then that she realized she was missing something.  She was worn out from doing things for other people and not doing the things that mattered most. 

You see, because this tired mom doesn't like to let people down, she was serving in her church in multiple capacities that she often didn't actually get to attend the church service.  Not only that, she was tired. all. the time, and she began to struggle with getting things done like the housework and her Bible study.  She was on empty. She found that when she had a few minutes to sit, she binged watched her favorite show instead of other things.  She was running on fumes and it was taking her toll.  She knew she had to make some changes.

So she learned to say no to things that she didn't have to do  and said yes to the things that mattered and she learned a lot about herself and her Savior. 

You see, that tired mom was me. 

My tank was on empty and my family suffered.  I had to humble myself and ask for help when I needed it.  Once a month, my Mother-in-law came and watched my boys so I could go have some much needed me-time.  I packed my tote bag with my Ipad and notebook and headed to the local coffee shop, where I could dig deep into God's Word.  The distraction of people and things needing my attention was gone and I could sit, read, write, and be refreshed.  Also, I got to enjoy my coffee without setting it down to become cold and forgotten. 

The old me had filled my days with so many things that I was not leaving room for the thing that mattered most.  Time with God.  Sure, we had conversations throughout the day. . . a lot of them like this:
 " Give me patience with these kids, Lord."
 "Keep them safe, Lord."
"Give me the energy to make dinner"

I wasn't giving God my whole me and I was missing out on God's best.

Last Sunday, our Pastor spoke on Money, and in that sermon, he talked about tithing.  It got me thinking that if giving God the first fruits of our finances is an act of obedience and trust of God's provision, then why don't we give God the first fruits of our time? 

I sure wasn't. 

There are 24 hours in a day.  We sleep for part of that.  We work, we cook, we clean, we run errands, we serve,. We schedule in Girls Nights and play dates. Are we scheduling in time with God. . . the very one who created us for a relationship with him?  Or are we giving him our leftovers or anything at all?

I sure wasn't.  

The funny thing was that I had wiser women, who were ahead of me in life, who patted me on the back and told me, "It's okay.  This is the season of life you are in." I can't even begin to tell you how often I heard this and still do.  There will always be a season in our lives that will make it hard to take the time.  The thing I learned as I started saying no to things and giving myself time to sit down and read the Bible was that any excuse to NOT get into the Word is a lie.  No matter the season your life finds you in at this very moment, there is never an excuse to skip studying God's Word on your own.  It is the very thing that fuels us.  There is power in God's Word that can get you through the day, through a hard patch, an illness, or your busy commitments.  It is God's Word written down for us to read.  He doesn't have to communicate with us via prophets or Old Testament Priests anymore.  We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and encourage us through Scripture.  We need to make God's Word a priority in our lives.

Once I started taking time to dig into Scripture, I changed.  I didn't rush to say yes to everything anymore.  I was more relaxed and wasn't loosing my temper as often.  Things were better.  I was enjoying the things I was saying yes to and  I found myself craving scripture.  I wasn't reading the Bible because it's what a good Christian does, I was reading it because I loved it.  God loved us so much that he breathed his word into some godly men and they wrote it down.  His heart for his people (us) is in that Bible and it's how we grow. 

My kids are growing like crazy and are always hungry.  We keep our pantry stocked with healthy options to feed their growing bodies.  I like to think that our relationship with God is like a growing kid.  My kids will become tired and hangry without proper meals and snacks.  We, too, become hangry for God's Word. The Bible uses food a lot.   Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and we need to go to him to be fed. We need to feed that growing relationship with God daily, just like our kids need to eat to grow into young men and women. 

So I thought I would share a few strategies/resources to help you get into God's Word daily. 

1.  Look at your schedule.  On busy days, I actually write in how I am going to study Scripture that day into my planner.  It's one of my check marks I make.   See when and where studying God's Word works best for you.  Most of the time, I do mine at night,  because most of my distractions are already done with and my mind can focus.

2.  Set an alarm.  I've heard that it takes 28 consecutive days to make something a habit.  That is a little less than a month, but I promise that committing to reading the Bible daily will be life changing.  If it doesn't change you, write me a letter.  Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to read the Bible.  Don't hit the snooze button and put off your commitment.  There will be another excuse each time you put it off.  The more committed you become, the more you will find you crave that time with God.

3.  Join a Bible Study Group.  Commit to joining a Bible Study and do the daily homework.  So many women come weekly to Bible studies, yet don't fully commit, and wonder why they didn't get a whole lot out of a study.  There is so much food in between session of a Bible Study that you will miss out on if you don't take that daily time to spend with God. 

4.  Get an accountability partner.  Ask someone close to you to keep you accountable to studying the Bible.  Meet weekly or monthly to check in with each other.  Pray for each other that God would use your daily dates with God to nourish your soul and grow you closer to Him. 

5.  Don't give up.  Getting into the habit is hard work.  There are tons of things that call out for us to do instead of reading the Bible, but if you fail (I still am working on this), just get back up and start again.  We aren't perfect, God doesn't expect perfection or even a legalistic approach to reading scripture.  Read because you want to get to know your Heavenly Father better.  If you skip a day or two, get back up and continue.

I am praying for each of you!  Let me know how you are doing or even what your studying!  Let's keep each other accountable! 

Biscuits your kids will fight over!

Summer is so close and I am already counting down to the last day of school and checking off end of the year projects. I'm pooped!  Who's with me.  Then the Holderness Family posted this today and I'm like YES!!!!  So, I'm sending your all high fives and reminding you (and me) that we can finish this school strong and then celebrate summer.

Obviously, I am exhausted.  I've been busy playing taxi and doing all the things that dinners have been kind of funky lately.  I haven't menu planned in weeks and it's hitting hard.  My husband has been doing some workshop things a few nights a month and when he's gone, I don't really cook.  So, we eat eggs since he doesn't and one of our favorite things is egg, sausage (or bacon) and cheese biscuits.  Super easy because I make these biscuits ahead of time and they freeze amazingly!  Because of this, I can keep biscuits stashed in the freezer for quick breakfasts and dinners.  Also, they are so good, that my husband has been breaking into my stash when I do a veggie based dinner.  Each time he eats one he tells me they are "Amazing" and "Best Biscuits EVER!" These biscuits are so handy to have on hand that I will probably definitely keep these on my regular freezer stash rotation.

These really are the best muffins and it is so worth it to have these stashed in your freezer for a quick meal or to add to a dinner at the end of the month when you're getting low on options.  I'm not going to lie, these have saved us on more than one occasion and so flaky and delicious you will seriously fight over the last one!  In fact, we have 3 left in the freezer and I know that I need to make another batch next week that I'm wondering how long I can make the last 3 last?  hmmm.  Probably not for long because now I am hungry for one of these biscuits!  Keep scrolling down for the recipe and make some. . . I promise you, you will be so glad you did! 

Buttermilk Biscuits
adapted from Bake from Scratch

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups frozen, unsalted butter
2 cup buttermilk*
2 Tbsp butter melted

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients with a whisk.  Taking one stick of butter out at a time, grate the frozen butter with a hand grater.  Do all three sticks and then use a fork and cut frozen butter into the flour.  Use your fingers to smoosh the butter into the flour, if necessary.  If butter starts to get really soft, stick your bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes and then continue.  The colder the butter, the flakier the biscuit.  Slowly, add in butter and stir it together. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and put the dough on top.  Spread and flatten out with your hand. . . no need for a roller here (that's just one more thing to wash and why bother when you can just use your hands?).  Try to keep it at about 1 inch thick.  Use a round glass to cut out your biscuit rounds and place on lined baking sheet 2 inches apart.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes (but I don't. . . I am so impatient and they still turn out wonderful). 

Brush tops of uncooked biscuits with melted butter an dbake for 18-20 minutes. 

Serve warm or place on baking sheet and flash freeze for 2 hours and then place in a freezer safe bag or container and store in the freezer.

Enjoy!