Children are a Blessing DVD – Review
Have you ever wondered what would provoke someone to want to have a bunch of kids? Have you wondered if there were other families like the Duggars? And what about birth control? Have you ever searched God's word about it or thought about the long term impact of it? Do you believe children a
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Real Food – Beets
Yes, beets ARE good for you! :o) Here is a good article explaining how. I love add some juiced beets to my carrot juice, so this year I want to try to grow some. Here is a great detailed article about growing beets. The Real Food Link Up series will be post
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The Curse of Busyness
Being productive is one of the drums I beat all the time, but there is a huge difference between being productive and being busy. We cannot be busy for the sake of activity, our busyness must have a purpose. Busyness: 1. the quality or condition of being busy. 2. lively but meaningl
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Fiber Arts Monday – Double Sided Headbands
Jessica, over at Happy Together, has this GREAT tutorial for double sided head bands. Aren't they just the cutest? These would be great for any age. They would also be a great item to give as gifts or even sell. ~~~ I bought some bright, spring-like colored cotton yarn for more dishcloths. I
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Do you distrust God’s goodness?
“Although it is very easy to marry a wife, it is very difficult to support her along with the children and the household. Accordingly, no one notices this faith of Jacob. Indeed, many hate fertility in a wife for the sole reason that the offspring must be supported and brought up. For this is what
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Building a Family Economy – Sewing Kits
I have featured the business savvy Wreckler girls here and here, and to be honest, I just can't get enough of them! Their business is growing as these two are learning skills that will really equip them for real life! Not only are they being industrious and creative, they are also dedicated to gi
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Today’s Table – Venison Stew
I love making venison stew in the cast iron dutch oven! Venison Stew Cook on med-high heat for 3-4 minutes, DO NOT OVER COOK: 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds venison stew meat When it is just about done add and saute for 1-2 minutes: 2 onions - chopped
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Real Food- Germinate Seeds Inside
Last week we talked about planning the pantry and why heirloom seeds are so important. This week our focus is about getting those seeds started inside. You may want to start a gardening journal to help you keep track of when you started different seeds and how well they did, this way you can im
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What kind of mom will they say you are?
My 87 year old grandmother has been here visiting us since November. She is a very soft spoken, tiny woman, and her mind is still pretty sharp! I know our time together is getting shorter and there are moments I want everything to just stand still and let me savor all I
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Fiber Arts Moday – No-Sew Rag Rug
Here is a really good rag rug idea that uses no hooks or needles. On these long cold winter nights this would be a great project, even for the kids! Read more about making rugs here. Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitti
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Good Enough for God
"Show me a woman who tends to her own business, leaving gossip, needless busyness, and trivial pursuits, and I will show you a content, successful woman who’s works bring her praise, who doesn’t need to compare herself to others." Read the rest at She Considers (Olivia's blog)...
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Occupy Opprotunity!
For our family we have many times of, "Thank you, Lord, for our DAILY bread." We are working hard to break the generational bondage of slavery in our family. The slavery spiritual blindness, the slavery of debt and the slavery of trusting the 'experts'. We know we'll never be able to accomplish e
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FREE Organic Gardening Book Download
This is free right now, not sure how long they'll keep it up. As long as it says $0.00 for the Kindle price it is FREE! This is the Kindle version, but if you don't have one you can download an app to read it on your pc, which is what I do!
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The Question Behind the Question
The QBQ!!! I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a fast read with short chapters that stress the importance of personal accountability. Although the book is focused on personal accountability at work it bleeds into EVERY area of life! I think this a great book to use at your dinner ta
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5 Survival Skills Your Kids Should Know Before They Turn 12!
When our son was about 12, a fellow homeschool dad did a Survival Camp. They met once a week for 6 weeks and learned some very basic survival skills. They learned how to build a basic shelter in the woods, how to skin a fish, how to coat matches to keep them dry, how to start a fire without matches,
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Real Food – Heirloom Seeds, video
As we plan for our gardens we need to think what we want to grow and what the family will actually eat! Make a pantry list and keep in mind: what you eat the most of what you can barter with other growers for what you can buy at the farmers market at a better price For the next couple of
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The Most CRITICAL, PETTY, DISCONTENT People are…
Almost always it is those that serve (give, work, sacrifice, love) the least that will be the most CRITICAL, PETTY, DISCONTENT people in the crowd whether it be in the family, voters, church, occupation or group. Do you have one in your family who avoids work? He will be the one that compl
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Hand Sewing – Basic Stitches Video Tutorial
Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, etc… Each Monday we can share ideas, patterns, finished projects and ask questions about fiber arts in the comment section. You can also link up to your blog po
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Building a Family Economy – Don’t Dismiss Farming
Before you dismiss the idea of your children growing up to be farmers, you may want to give it a second thought. As a nation we've had a huge shift from being an agricultural culture to one made of mostly factory workers and professionals. Materialism, birth control and government regulations
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To Have Peace and Love in Marriage…
Many times, especially after a meal, we will all gravitate out to the hammock, which has a swing opposite of it. I'm usually the first one out there, and then slowly I am joined. I don't mind sharing. :) On this particular Sunday afternoon Olivia brought her camera out and snapped some pictures
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Real Food Link Up Party -Setting Goals
Once you learn how to grow and cook some of your own food it will no doubt improve your health and your family economy. These are skills that few know today, it is our responsibility to learn and teach the basics of life. Even if you can just grow one thing this year it is a start; who knows, mayb
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Fiber Arts Monday – Bartering Goods
I've been working on some crocheted dishcloths that I am bartering for some heirloom seeds with a friend. Have you ever bartered handmade goods? Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, knitting, spinning, etc… Each Monday we can s
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Baby’s 1st Birthday – Elephant Cake
The great thing about being able to decorate cakes is that you get to make special cakes for special people. The body and head of this cake are made of cake. The legs, trunk and hat are made of rice crispy. I used the high ratio buttercream icing for the green and a marshmallow fo
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Building a Family Economy- 2012 Goals
The beginning of the new year often gives us the added push we need to think differently and to try new things. I love New Years Day, I guess for the same reason I like Mondays, it's a fresh start! I urge you to get a notebook and start writing down some plans, even if you don't rea
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My Favorite Christmas Memory -2011
As I told you yesterday we had a really nice Christmas weekend. For those of you that have been here a while you know that life here is not perfect. We've experienced rebellion and our son leaving home on not-so-good terms at 18. I don't want to share the details of this publicly because it is als
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Fitness Team Report – How to Make Kefir Juice
I didn't do too good this week thanks to Christmas feasting and a LOT of house guest, but I did exercise some and I did get some good juice in me. I'm glad I signed up for the Fitness Team, it kept healthy eating and exercise on my mind rather than throwing caution to the wind for the month in the n
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The Brodock Family Christmas 2011
I guess you could say that our Christmas this year came in like a lamb and went out like a lion! Most of our family lives over a thousand miles away so we do not have heavy family demands for get-togethers. We do have some very dear friends that we always go out to dinner with and we always hav
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Fitness Team Report, Week 3 – How to Make a Green Smoothie video
I love a good smoothie! Fresh spinach is one green that can be easily added to almost any fruit smoothie and it not effect the flavor, but it does pack a punch of nutrition! You can also add nuts or flax seed to a fruit smoothie. The main benefit of a smoothie is that because the food is blended it
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Giving Generously – Almost Free Gift to Make
Olivia surprised me with an early gift for over the mantel. I love this phrase from the song, Come Thou Fount. This is my heart's plea..."never more to wander from Thee". Now I know our home is a bit different because my husband is a handyman, carpenter, and junkyard extraordinaire (a
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Don’t Let Your Ideal Ruin Christmas! Fake it til You Make it!
I think most of us truly desire to have one big happy family, all gathered around the table, holding hands to say the blessing and then to fill our hearts with laughter and our bellies with good food. I think most of us have our own version of the Walton family dinner table in our minds...especi
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Today’s Table – Jacques Pépin’s Dijon Crusted Split Chicken Breast
I like to keep the table decorated with something fresh and different. Here are some tiny glasses with cranberries, and some fresh herbs form the herb garden; simple and festive! Tonight Olivia served us up Jacques Pépin's Dijon Crusted Split Chicken Breast from his Fast Food My Way cook
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Giving Generously – The Tale of Two Grandfathers
Grandfather One was a good man. He was given some pretty hard circumstances early in his life. His mother deserted him while he was very young and he was given a not-so-kind step-mother. He grew up to be an honest and hard working man, often working a full time job as he established a family
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Fiber Arts Monday – Gordian Knot Christmas Quilt
I started this Christmas quilt a few years ago, today I WILL finish the binding...I WILL! :) This pattern is a Gordian Knot. Someday I'll have quilts for each season to decorate my home with. Fiber art is anything that includes stitching, weaving, quilting, sewing, rug making, crocheting, kni
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Life Lessons of Working Along Side Your Children
If you want to know someone, to see what they are made of, roll up your sleeves and work along side them. Nowhere is this more true than with your family, especially your children! Whether doing daily chores or working for pay outside the home it is your duty to train your children to work
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Fitness Team Report Week 2 – Juice Video
I didn't do as good as I had planned this week when it came to the eating part of my fitness plan. We ended up with sore throats and colds here which makes it hard to eat anything raw. When you don't feel good you just gotta have something warm and comforting. But I did stick to my cardio plan prett
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What would happen if we removed government control from the educational system?
Bigger schools, more books (think about who is writing the books) and more teachers are not going to solve the education crisis in America. Public education is about control and money. How about parents keep their money and their children? What if your tax dollars were spent on an education that
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Giving Generously- Personalized Wood Gifts
We made a BUNCH of these in the past and sold them. These are so easy to make and next to no money in them! Jeff simply cut them and drilled small holes in them. I used a brown marker to give them a wood burned look. I've made some larger ones that said Merry Christmas or Welcome, others
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Giving Generously- Unique Stockings (videos)
I love unique stockings, they are a great way to package gifts (think homemade candies, cookies, fudge) to give and they can be made very frugally. I've crocheted each of our children a stocking that have been used every year. I love these that have been made from sweaters!
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Fiber Arts Monday – Knitting Behind Bars
I LOVE this story! In late 2009, Lynn Zwerling stood in front of 600 male prisoners at the Pre-Release Unit in Jessup, Maryland. “Who wants to knit?” she asked the burly crowd. They looked at her like she was crazy. Yet almost two years later, Zwerling and her associates have taught more th
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Building a Family Economy – Cleaning as a Family Business
An elderly neighbor whose wife was suffering with a fatal disease, called me to see if I or one of my daughters (then age 13 and 17), could come help him once a month to clean his house. He was 80 and had a bad back and just refused to do housework. Caring for his wife was a full time job for him. H
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Do you shop through Amazon?
If you do, I'd appreciate if you'd use THIS LINK, just click on it and anything you buy I will earn a couple of pennies per dollar. Many items can be shipped with free shipping. :) If you loose track of this post you can always click on the blue box in the sidebar that says SHOP AMAZON, t
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Girls!!! LIVE 31!!!
Having 2 girls in our home that are of marrying 'age', courtship, romance and marriage is the topic of conversation quite often. As we keep our eyes open and wait for the right ones to come calling...and wondering where they are...we have to keep our focus. Our focus is on: Doing Today's Work- T
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Fitness Team Report – Week 1, so far so good
As I told you Monday I am part of a fitness team, don't laugh! December is probably the hardest month to take on a fitness challenge, but it is proving to be the best month to do so. With holiday get-togethers and extra sweet treats being made it's easy to consume lots of extra calories and find exc
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Giving Generously – Food For the Health Conscience People
When giving food gifts you want to be sure to give gifts that are unique and fitting for that person. For those that really struggle with health issues, whether they are diabetics, have allergies or struggle with weight it is a great treat to receive a tasty food gift that they can actually enjoy!
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When a school board member took the standardized tests forced on kids
More proof that the institutionalized education system is so messed up: "...on the school board of one of the largest school systems in America did something that few public servants are willing to do. He took versions of his state’s high-stakes standardized math and reading tests for 10th grader
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Me? On a Fitness Team?
I have struggled with weight my whole life, part of it is genetics, but mostly it is my lack of self-discipline. I've been up and down in my weight since I was a teenager and I know it will always be a battle, and to be honest, that kind-of makes me want to not even try. Almost 2 years ago my frien
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Fiber Arts Monday – Crochet the night away…
I'm still working on scarfs here for Christmas gifts. One thing I love about the weather getting colder and the day light hours being shorter is that I spend more time crocheting. :o) I kick back in the recliner, usually with a hot rice pack on my feet, a quilt on my lap and yarn in my hands and the
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Building a Family Economy – Santa Proof?
Olivia went to the post office for me today to ship orders. She met a guy there that had a ton of packages to go out, she had to ask him what he sold. He explained that he sold Santa Evidence Kits. He explained how children could mail/e-mail him their letters. He then sells ki
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Entitlement Makes You Full of Self-pity and Anger
Are you ever around people that feel sorry for themselves a lot? They complain about their circumstances, act as if everyone is out to get them? Do you know people who get angry because they feel like they have been given a raw deal in life? The problem here is PRIDE. Why do we think we
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