Relevant – The Plan

May 19, 2011 6 Comments

Have you ever wanted something so much, but then you couldn’t have it?  In 2010, I planned for it but didn’t get to go to the Relevant Conference in Harrisburg, PA, partly due to health reasons.  Not going was a complete bummer but ended up being okay with me as I knew it was part of God’s timing for me to wait and heal. {Which I did, thank you Jesus!}  Waiting can be a drag sometimes but so worth it in the end, especially when good things follow close behind.  Like the Relevant ’11 Conference.
This year Relevant’11 is already on my horizon.  Even though my inner ear is better, I still cannot fly so I’ll be driving.  But I won’t be going alone…my daughter, Catz, is coming along!  We already have our tickets to the conference and now we have lots of planning ahead for sponsors, blogging, and traveling there and back.
So why am I bringing my daughter?  Well, for two reasons: first, she fits the description of who this conference is meant for, a “blogging Christian woman,” quite well and is possibly the youngest one who will be attending…who can type. {grin} Going to the conference will give her the golden opportunity to meet and hear from other women about how they juggle blogging, raising a family, and serving Jesus Christ.  What a benefit this will be for her now before life gets busier.  She’ll also get to make connections with those women who focus on niches she loves {handmade, photography} to give her an idea on how to best handle her future Etsy shop.
And the other reason?  Catz is a lot of fun!  The relationship she and I share has developed because of intentional parenting.  I know, the word “intentional” has been hugely popular over the past few years, but I’m not jumping on any pop-culture bandwagon here.  Being deliberate as a mom has made a vast difference in my family, and this trip is one way for Catz and I to celebrate that mother-daughter bond.  And are we excited!!
So far our brainstorming sessions have made for great ideas and awesome snack opportunities.  {Psst! Cue the dancing cupcake.} While we munched on these incredible chocolate bits of heaven, my girl and I came up with an enormous list of projects we’d like to do in prep for our trip.  Here’s a handful:
  • sew some necessary accessories {makeup bags, iPad case, iPhone pouches, giveaway bags, pj’s}
  • have stationary goods made {business cards, labels, etc.}
  • plan out roadtrip visits on our drive from Orlando to Harrisburg and back {burger shacks, bakeries, fun family spots, Chik-Fil-A, Cracker Barrel, Washington D.C., etc.)
  • plan suggest someone else plan a get-together with any early arrivals at the hotel {Something chocolate related sounds fun!}
  • complete redesign of our blogs and move to WordPress {by June 1st, hopefully}
  • find and woo sponsors {C’mon, you know you’re out there!}
  • secure a car for the trip {Ford? Chevy? Any takers?}
  • craft a surprise for each attendee
Yes, we have quite a list here, but there are 23 weeks left before Relevant ’11…and I love a challenge!  But I’d also like to know what my sister-conference-goersare doing to prepare for their trip.  Will you be flying or driving? What are your plans before you leave? Will anyone be traveling with you?  Are you selling any handmade items to raise travel funds? Who are your roomies?  How are you biblically preparing your heart for this event?I can think of a zillion more questions, but what I’d love more is to read what you ladies are up to!  Wouldn’t it be fun to share our plans?  I think so. So starting today and over the next 23 weeks I’ll be hosting a Relevant link-up every Thursday!! {This is not sponsored by the the hosts of the Relevant Conference.} Just attach the url of your Relevant-related post to the linky at the bottom of my post.  You can link up as often or as little as you like.  And please be sure to visit some of the other girls’ links and leave some comment love.

 

Once Upon a Muffin

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It’s all Relevant – On The Road and In the Car

May 26, 2011 Leave a Comment
Do me a favor and picture this for a moment: you’re in your car, family spread out in their own nooks, listening to some tunes on the radio, snacks tucked into a nearby cooler, pillows and other comforts stashed for when needed.  And lying ahead of you is the open road.  Ahh, now this is heaven.
The road is in my blood.  From a young age I learned to enjoy not just the destination at the end of a long trip but to savor the journey that led us there.  The glimpses I caught of trees and farms and big city skyscrapers as we buzzed past town after town all amazed me.  I wondered who lived there and what they were doing that day and could they see me as we sped on to another spot on our map.
The love of a good roadtrip has endured.  Though my family of four has always traveled together, our next excursion will be a special mom-daughter time for Catz and me as we venture to Pennsylvania for the Relevant Conference.
We have two map routes to choose from, of which I’m leaving the final choice up to TechDaddy as he’s the Safety Expert and Chief-Worrier-of-His-Two-Girls.  {Mainly, I trust his judgement.}   Both routes have us traveling through 7-8 states and around 2K miles roundtrip.That’s a lot of hours driving, but we have some of our listening options all planned out:

How do you like our selections?  Both series by Chuck Black were wonderful reads for both of my kids {perfect for ages 12 and up}.  We’ve heard all of the Odyssey cd’s so we’re starting from the beginning again and moving forward until they record a new album.  The “Jonathon Park” audio series is also great, but we’ve heard them all recently and not ready to repeat them yet.

And of course, Catz and I will spend a lot of time talking together because that’s what us girls do.  It’s also what keeps our hearts in sync as mother and daughter. And as one of those intentional activities, having our talks is something that I never want to skip.  My relationship with Catz is just too important!

So now it’s your turn.  Have you written a post about your plans for Relevant? Go ahead and link up the url to your post below so we can read more about it.  While you’re at it why not grab a button from my sidebar to put on your blog or in your post.  And be sure to visit someone else who linked up and show some love.  Ready? Go!

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Praying for Snow

January 8, 2010 Leave a Comment

I know, I know.  Just yesterday I was lauding the fact that here, in Florida, we have been without snow while almost the rest of the nation has been inundated with the stuff.

I have always been content that Florida has remained as God has intended this state to be. Snow-free.

So it might be a surprise to anyone reading this that I now want snow.  Here.  At my house.

{{A surprise to everyone but you, Honey, since you know how often I change my mind. Wink, wink.}}

In fact, I’m so eagar for snow that I’m praying for it.  This is a surprise to me since snow has never been on my prayer list or shown up in my prayer journal.  Not once. 

But as the local weather forecasters have been dangling the idea of snow over my head for a few days now, I am very hopeful — prayerful — that the frozen precipitation will actually arrive at my house this weekend.

Notice that I said “arrive at my house“.  I know full well that any snowflakes in these-here-parts will melt as soon as they hit the ground, if not sooner. C’mon, I was born but not yesterday.

I also have previous experience with Florisnow — my own favorite new label for silly snowflakes that try to fall in the Sunshine state.  When I was a little cutie all of 8-years-old and living in South Florida, we were surprised with a mere shimmering of Florida snow in January.

I was home with the chicken pox and my mom called me to come outside.  As my dad was getting ready to leave for work, we caught sight of little Flori-flakes {hee hee} melting as they landed on his coat.  It was neato!  I’ll never forget that moment.

And so I’d love to share a moment like that with my chicklets and hubby.  We’ll see what God has planned.  Nothing is impossible with Him.  Even snow in Florida.

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Our First Gift

February 27, 2010 Leave a Comment

When I woke this morning still snuggling under the flannel sheets, a smile slowly crept onto my face as I pondered the day to come.  “This was the day,” I said quietly as my strong yet sweet husband slumbered next to me.

This was the day, fourteen years ago, that began a new chapter in God’s Great Book of Life.  The chapter that God has laid out for our dear, sweet daughter Catz.  For today is her 14th birthday!

Reflecting on these years the memories are like wispy clouds amid bright sunshine…her birth and adjusting to being a new mommy…her sweetness as a two-year-old when she held her newborn brother…dancing with her daddy at a friend’s wedding…her giggle and sharp wit…the bond between she and I that has grown beautiful and strong just like her.

Amid the laughter and singing that is inevitable on such a special day as this is remembrance.  Scattered amongst the pile of wrapping paper and ribbon is thankfulness.  And hidden between the last crumbs and frosting on the party plates is hope.

Because out of the ashes of a devastating miscarriage, hope was reborn.  Where once there was grief and loss instead emerged the beautiful blessing of a sweet baby girl, resulting in prayers of thankfulness.  And in the everyday snapshots that a mother mentally captures and stores away over these many years are also carried remembrance of the precious, perfect gift she was given. 

One of the many ways God is awesome, don’t you think?

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God was Here

June 6, 2011 5 Comments
As I sat at the checkout line in the rented church hall on Friday, I saw face after face of homeschooling families.  Mothers, fathers, grandparents, teens. Some of the faces were tiny babies strapped to their mama’s backs or bellies, peering out from their cocoon of warmth or eyes closed in sweet slumber.  Regardless of their age or family dynamic, most had come to the Used Curriculum Sale hosted by my homeschool group for one purpose: to buy much-needed items at extremely low prices so that families could continue educating their children at home.  Pure and simple.
Here was I, side-by-side with my daughter working at one of the checkout stands, ringing up purchases of used homeschool curriculum for shoppers.  Staring solely at codes and numbers and index cards of information for over 2.5 hours would have been a monotonous and tiresome way to spend a Friday morning.  But this was not the case as we had the opportunity to connect with each person and family who came to our table.  We greeted customers with smiles and words of welcome, and they blessed us right back with encouraging words and sharing a little of their own stories.
Most were anecdotes by shoppers who were thrilled to find a certain book or product at a price they could afford.  Some related how far they had traveled or who was at home watching their kids.  But soon after the last customer left the building, we all heard a story that tugged at our heartstrings…and brought us all together as one body for Christ.
Melony, a Circle volunteer, shared the story of Nancy who came through Melony’s checkout stand.  Joined by 3 of her 10 children, Nancy drove the farthest of anyone who came to the UCS.  How far, you ask?  All the way from Kentucky!  At this point you might be thinking this woman: (a) must really love curriculum sales; (b) needs a break from the rest of her kids; or (c) wanted to feel the intense heat of Florida in June. If you picked any of those choices you would be wrong.
You see, earlier this year Nancy’s family of 12 lost all of their possessions in a house fire.  In homeschooling terms, this means every single math textbook, drawing pencil, piece of sheet music, writing journal, computer disc, and microscope is gone.  In the view of a mother’s heart, that meant every craft project, history diorama, preschool handprint in paint, and family photo was taken away. Vanished into a pile of ashes.  But God was there and saw that no one was injured, though I imagine Nancy shed many tears of grief in the hours and days that followed.
This is why Nancy drove the long distance from Kentucky to shop at the UCS here in Orlando. For one purpose: to replace as much lost curriculum as she could.  Having lived in Orlando years before, Nancy knew about Circle’s UCS and hoped she would be able to find some of what she had lost in the fire.  Little did she know she would discover so much more.
Because after Nancy’s story was shared with everyone, God moved the hearts of the UCS volunteers, who moved to make pieces rapidly fall into place.  Before we knew it her information was found, she was called and invited to come back, and a collection had been taken unbeknownst to her.  Soon after, the volunteers and our group’s leader Linda Werner greeted Nancy who returned to find $400 in cash and tables of free curricula available for her to take.  Can you imagine how Nancy felt?  She had lost everything, had traveled far from home probably not expecting too much, but found the love of Christ waiting for her here in this rented hall amidst strangers.  In her surprise, I feel certain the tears that flowed this day were those of gratefulness.  Beauty had come from ashes.  And above all, I am assured of one thing:  God was here.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted… to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”   Isaiah 61:1-3

And this leads me to praise God for all of my blessings…
~ good fellowship with others educating their kids
~ Mom enduring Parkinson’s with grace and patience
~ finding a needed chemistry textbook for my rising sophomore
~ my sweet 3yo niece thriving with a hole in her heart while awaiting an upcoming procedure
~ being vertigo-free for 4 months
~ TechDaddy’s creative fire in all things digital
~ my church’s strong mission-minded status
~ safe return of the Compassion bloggers from the Philippines
~ school being done {well, except for Spanish}
~ the space shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and getting to watch launches from our front yard
~ my adopted daughter in India and adopted son in Haiti

~ connecting with local folks through OCC-Samaritan’s Purse

Are you counting your blessings? For more words of gratefulness visit Ann.

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Dear Scientific Supply Labs

April 26, 2011 3 Comments

Dear Scientific Supply Labs,

Critters have been a mainstay of my life for the past 15+ years.  Just being a Florida mom who loves the outdoors has provided me ample opportunity to spend time with a variety of them.  Together with my kids I have observed, identified, chased, caught, rescued, nursed, been bit by, buried, held funeral services for, released, and shooed out of my house a number of creatures from insect to mammal.

None of the above activities caused any squeemishness on my part, including the times I handled a dead coral snake, cleaned a newborn squirrels’ bum, or picked up what I thought was rather large dog poop in my fenced-in yard {we don’t own a dog…it was from a bear}.

So I think I have enough history here to prove that I can handle “gross” quite well.

I write all of this to point out some very important truths about the specimens your lab packages for dissections.  You see, that’s part of our biology curriculum for high school this year…dissections…and they are a necessary part of this course.

But your packaging options, well, they leave something to be desired.

As I helped my 15yo prepare for today’s dissection {an earthworm}, I was a bit put off by the fact that I had to cut open the bag holding the dead things.  Notice that I wrote “things“, as in multiple critters, as in “Oh no! We’re not doing every dissection today.  How are we going to seal up this stink?!” 

That’s right.  Four different specimens were all cuddled up, cozy-like in one plastic bag, sharing each others coma-inducing stench of formaldehyde.  The earthworm, crawdaddy, fish, and huge frog {Frogzilla} didn’t seem to mind, most likely due to their deadness.

These critters are supposed to be for 4 separate experiments from three different chapters in our super cool science text.  How do we seal up the bag until we’re ready for the next experiment in a week or two?  Somehow I don’t think using my seal-a-meal is an option.  And where in my house do you suggest I store the bag-o-critters until next time where the stink won’t invade?  My cats have been stalking my every move and have been mapping out my stops.

I guess it wouldn’t be fair to complain without mentioning some positive points of your system.  Let me say that I sincerely appreciate the see-through plastic bag that the specimens arrived in.  On opening the shipping box there was no doubt about what could be in the bag {though it did send my daughter running into the next room and my son has been rather protective of our neighborhood frogs}.

I’ll also admit it was rather frugal on your part to use only one bag for all four specimens.  I mean, who needs a separate bag for each critter?  A different bag for each specimen would only serve to contain each critter’s, er, unique formaldehyde essence.  An aroma that could wait to be shared with the world until we’re actually ready to perform the dissection.  But no, you chose to pile them all in together.  Genius move.

And as for the thin quality of the bag itself, mere words cannot convey my feelings here. Again, you opted for savings over smell.  A thicker ply of plastic could have corralled the distinctive chemical stench scent.  However, you were clearly thinking of saving the consumer a lot of money here when you chose the thinnest possible material to house items laced in noxious fumes.  Awesome.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I feel incredibly blessed that my teens get to take part in real science here at home, and I thank you for all you do.  I’d just like to be able to provide this opportunity for my kids without my house smelling like, well, where you work…in a science lab.

Hip Homeschool Moms Button

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Sharing and Growing Faith {Dayspring Giveaway}

November 17, 2011 11 Comments

Have you ever wanted to share your faith but didn’t quite know how in certain situations?  Maybe your work environment frowns heavily on anything faith-based coming from anyone’s mouth, or your neighbors look at you as though you have five noses when you say words like “God” or “grace.”

Imagine those folks living in countries right now where even owning a bible is punishable by imprisonment or even death.  But that’s where faith is growing rapidly even though it’s kept underground.

Thoughts of people not getting to share their belief in Jesus Christ…that just floors me.  Here, we live in a country where we have the freedom to speak about our Christian faith, yet many choose silence.  I think that’s partly because some folks just don’t have the foundation of belief.  They never spoke of their faith or shared it in any way as children, so as adults they don’t quite know how.

But we, today, can make a difference in teaching our kids and giving them a strong foundation. One easy way to share your faith is through what you wear and your “accessories.”  No, I’m not talking about purses {especially not for guys}. I mean “the stuff you carry around” with you.

Like these awesome notebooks and folders from Dayspring.

photo credit: Dayspring.com

Aren’t they cute? I received this set from Dayspring and gave it to my 15yo daughter.  She loves it!  The black style is her favorite because she loves the verse and design.  Right now she’s “letting” me use the pink notebook.  You’re probably wondering how I might utilize it, but actually I take it with me to meetings and fill it with handouts and pamphlets.  It’s a great organizer and it shows I’m not afraid to share my faith either.  Kids and adults can send the best kind of message without even saying a word.  It’s a great conversation starter.  And when someone does ask about the notebooks and what the words mean, you can explain the message and therefore share your faith.

Granted, this review was supposed to run months ago when school started, but you can still find these and other school supplies on the Dayspring site. However, right now these items are marked so low they’re practically free!  I’m going to stock up on a couple of notebooks now that I know I’ll use for my homeschool organizer and my choir music next fall.

Right now my friends at (in)courage are offering one of my readers a $35 coupon code towards any purchase in the Dayspring store.  That’s any purchase, y’all! They have so many beautiful and heartwarming items, and so many things are on sale now. Plus, this is the perfect time to do your Christmas shopping.  {Psst! Remember to check out their Christmas selection, too.}

Here’s how to enter:

Visit the Dayspring store and come back here to leave a comment on what you love!

For additional entries:

1. Subscribe to Once Upon a Muffin through your favorite reader

2. Follow @DaySpringCards on Twitter

3. Follow me on Twitter @LilbearMe

4. Like Once Upon a Muffin on Facebook

5. Tweet about this giveaway. {one tweet per day}

Be sure to leave a separate comment for every entry so each one will count, and please include your email in the comment form {only I will see it}.  This giveaway will be open until Monday night, November 28th, and the random winner of the $35 coupon code {not including S&H} will be chosen Tuesday, so check back next week!

 

Dayspring generously gave me the “I Know Where Love Comes From” and “He Has My Heart” notebook sets for this honest review.  Please see my complete Disclosure policy.  Some of the above links are affiliate links.

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Test Driving a Ford Truck and a Request

May 20, 2011 Leave a Comment
What’s your favorite way to travel? My family likes to road trip. Our travels so far have not been as far and wide as we’d like them to be, but give us time, money, and the right vehicle and we’ll take off to someplace amazing, weird, or beautiful.  So far, we’ve driven to or through 14 states east of the Mississippi River AND Ontario, Canada.   It was incredible and we’re chomping at the bit to get out there again!
But for our next big family foray into the world our plans don’t include coming back here to our house that’s firmly implanted on this slab in the ground.  We don’t intend to be traveling for just a couple of weeks.  Ours are more of the long-term variety.  As I mentioned before, we’re planning to pull up stakes and hit the road for a year or two.
This dream {“far-fetched” some might say} has been rolling around in mine and TechDaddy’s brains for 2 years.  By now we’ve got the logistics down pat.  We know how much we’ll be willing to sell our house for, what type of rv we want, and the perfect truck to get the job done right.  Now don’t assume we have just an “idea” of what we want to drive.  Oh, no. TechDaddy has been shopping around for the exact perfect ride for our family.  He’s learned the benefits of dual-rear-wheeled trucks {what a mouthful}, figured out the right sized engine that will handle the rv {and all our stuff}, and even checked out bells and whistles like heated seats and navigation.  Because stuff like that is kinda important when you’re hauling around your home.
Which brings me to an afternoon outing TD and I had last week at our local Ford dealership.  That’s right, we went looking at a Ford truck.  Why Ford?  Because they know how to make trucks.  Yea! {Ooh, I feel tough!}
Anyway, the salesman let us test drive one big, beautiful, powerful machine.  And when I say us, I mean me too!  Yep, we took out a 2011 Super Duty F-450 and put it through the paces.  TechDaddy drove it first {as it should be…he’ll be our main driver}, taking it on the highway as well as suburban streets.  Then I got to drive it.  What a sweet ride! {Just so you know, I never, ever imagined in my whole life that I’d refer to a truck as sweet.}

2011 Ford F-450 Super Duty Truck

We were really wanting an F350 since that would be big enough, but this F450 was just divine.  And let me tell you, I felt so powerful up there behind the wheel of that thing!  At one of the stoplights I noticed I had to look down to see the suv’s and minivans around me.  And when we came close to a Corvette, I was so sure it would have to roll underneath our truck…it was that small.  {hee hee}

Look at those dual rear wheels!

So all we’re waiting on is for the house to sell and we’ll make our way to get our truck.  At least, that’s what we’re planning.  It hasn’t happened yet since God’s got His plans, and His always supersede ours anyway, so we’re blooming here where we’re planted and waiting on Him.
And while we’re blooming, we have some shorter trips scheduled.  For one, me and Catz will be driving to the Relevant Conference in October.  It’s all the way in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  That’s a loonng drive from central Florida and we’re planning an amazing mom/daughter roadtrip together with lots of stops and even more blogging.  I sure would love to get to drive another Ford vehicle on that roadtrip.  Wouldn’t that be cool?  Maybe an Explorer…or a Mustang!
Okay, not the Mustang.  That would be totally impractical with all our stuff, right?  Right?! Oh, but it’s so cute and reminds me of the ‘stang I drove my senior year in high school.  That hand-me-down, powder blue, 1970 Mustang.  Wow, was it old.
But on to new and now.

I think driving a 2011 Ford Explorer to Relevant would be awesome!  Do you think Ford would lend me one for our trip?  I’d love to drive this new version of the classic SUV, which seems more like a car and less like a truck.  TechDaddy and I used to own a 2008 Explorer…I’d love to drive a 2011 model and tell you all about the new changes. Well, I guess we’ll see!

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Encourage

April 14, 2011 1 Comment
Happy Thursday!  How has your week been?  Mine has been pretty good so far.  We had a garage sale last Saturday and though we didn’t sell very much we were able to meet some precious people.  Like the three laughing women who spent the longest time looking at everything, calling their friends to see if they wanted “such great stuff”, and saying {rather loudly and for effect} “You have such great prices!”  They were so sweet.
So I have some new stories to tell for 52 hearts today.  One of my connections was with my sister’s step-daughter, which makes her my niece.  I haven’t seen her since Thanksgiving, but she and her sweet kids have been on my heart ever since.  It’s got to be tough being a single mom, but she’s plugging away.  Encouragement is just what she needs.
When I first started going to my current church, I knew no one.  No friend had invited us there, so everyone was a stranger.  But from the start my friend Cheryl and her husband Dale took us under their wings.  It’s been five or so years now that we’ve seen them every Sunday and at church events.  But they’ve decided to move on to where they feel they’re being called.  I understand that desire to listen to what God says, but I miss seeing them every week.  As I have three older sisters, Cheryl’s been like the fourth sister, so I sent her a friendship card.
And to top off my 52 hearts, let me tell you about Linda.  She’s dynamic and gets to a woman’s heart.  I first met her when I began homeschooling 500 10 years ago as she was an experienced mom of 5.  Now, she has 7 grandkids and a hugely popular and successful mentoring program for Christian women.  She was my mentor last year and helped me see my potential as a child of God. I heart her!
Hey, have you heard about the Heart Connection Card Club through Dayspring?  It’s a subscription program, but with greeting cards.  And these aren’t just any greeting cards.  High-quality, premium cards are the only ones in this program.  Some have textures, all have gorgeous color!
To fulfill my desire to touch 52 people means I need a number of greeting cards on hand so I can be ready as God places people on my heart.  This subscription makes it so easy! I love getting an email that doesn’t just inform me of an upcoming order but enables me to change, add to, or cancel an order.  Just the other day I received an email for this month’s card pack.  I rejected the suggested pack but added 4 other packs to my order.  It’s working beautifully! Are you interested in saving money on your greeting cards? Join the Heart Connection Card Club & get a FREE pack of cards & card organizer ($35 value).
Here’s a 52 hearts tip: Along with a greeting card why not send a tote bag? {Some are on sale now for $5.99!}  Or what about mailing one of your “hearts” a journal along with a card?  The possibilities are endless.
So now I want to hear about your 52 hearts connections!  just write a post telling about how you made some connections this week.  It could be through sending cards, bringing someone some cookies, whatever you did to connect and make someone feel special.  It’s simple…just link up your own blog post below and be sure to visit at least one other blogger and leave some comment love.  Remember to link up your specific blog post url so visitors can easily find the correct post.  Thanks for linking up…I’m looking forward to reading about your 52 hearts!

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31 Days to Make Your Marriage Thrive: Day 4 – Take a shower together {gasp!}

October 4, 2011 3 Comments
NOTE: Ladies {and gents} you may want to be extra careful about who’s reading this over your shoulder today!  This is a PG blog, but today you might want the kiddos to go read a book.  Or clean the toilet. Or something else constructive. 
{Hey there! Thanks for stopping by to follow my new series 31 Days to Make Your Marriage Thrive.  Every day in the month of October I’ll be giving you tips and tricks on how to make your marriage spectacular. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @LilbearMe  for more #31dmymt, and check the bottom of this post for the beginning posts of this series!}

Day 4 – Take a shower or bath together.

Wow. Doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? Pretty straightforward and doesn’t need much explaining, right??

Ladies, when was the last time you took a shower or bath with your husband?  Okay, don’t answer that because I’m afraid you’re going to tell me “Never” or “Uh, what decade is this?”  Not to get all steamy here {pardon the pun}, but there’s more to spending time with your man in some hot water than you think.

Stress-free
Taking a shower together gives you both a chance to relax.  The hot spray can wash away the stresses at the end of a long, hectic day or charge you both up to start your morning right.  It’s a quick way to get clean so you have time for other things…like talking!

On the other hand, a bath is a more leisurely way to spend time together.  Soaking in a tub of hot water has a great way of melting away any issues and helping you get more connected to one another.

Setting the Scene  
First of all, you don’t have to have a celebrity-sized bathroom or a huge garden tub to enjoy a little water together.  In our first apartment as newlyweds, my husband and I enjoyed several soaks and showers in a standard tub.  It can be done.  Sometimes it may seem like a tight fit if you’re tall, but that makes it more fun.

Let’s talk about setting the scene. Placing a few candles around the room sends a warm, soft glow that feels relaxing and inviting.  If they’re scented with a subtle vanilla or your own favorite aroma, that’s even better. {Our fave is called Christmas cookie.}

If the candles are unscented but you still want a pretty smell in the room, try spritzing just a bit of your own perfume in the air.  Or here’s another idea.  I love the smell of bath salts and gels, but I don’t necessarily want that smell on my skin.  

Before our shower or bath, I’ll heat up a cup or two of water in the microwave and bring it to the bathroom. Then I just drop a little bath salt ball in and let the aroma drift about the room. 

What about the kids? 
 ”But we have a newborn…how can we take a shower together?”  That’s easy.  Babies are very agreeable when water is running.  The sound seems to soothe them.

When our daughter was an infant, we’d put her to sleep in her angled bouncy seat placed right in front of the shower.  That way we could see her while spending some water time with each other.  Just wait until your little one is fed and dry, put her to sleep in her carseat or swing near the shower or tub, and enjoy while keeping an eye on her.

If you have older children, that’s when you get more creative.  Who says your bath has to be at a certain time?  Use the hour that works with your kids’ schedules.  If they’re asleep by 7pm, then make your shower or bath date for 7:30 or 8.  If they stay up late, why not have an early morning shower together?

Of course, sleepovers at grandma’s house or with a friend are like bonus points!  Grab those opportunities whenever you can.

Surprise!

The strategy for your shower or bath can be up to you.  If your plan is to relax and talk, then do that.  If something else is up your sleeve, go for it.  And ladies, there are no rules against you surprising your man.  Imagine how thrilled he would be to have you join him even for a quick morning shower before he dashes off to work.

The whole purpose behind taking a shower or bath with your husband is for you both to get connected and stay connected.  When you feel in-sync with each other it makes for a marriage that thrives!

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Here’s the rest of the series “31 Days to Make Your Marriage Thrive”:
For more 31 Days series’ visit The Nester.

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