I suppose it is kind of morbid the Bible stories I remember most clearly from my childhood are those that involve death and/or dismemberment.  Like the time in Judges 4 when Jael drove a tent peg through a man’s head and nailed them to the ground…or when the whole earth shook, opened up and swallowed up the Hebrews who were complaining against God in the wilderness.  Solid food for a nine year olds’ soul, I guess.

When I was around 13 years old, I began practicing the Spiritual Discipline of daily Bible reading and prayer.  I am grateful for the mystery it held for me when I was a kid.

My motives for reading the Bible have changed with every season of my life.

I am more grateful now for the daily guidance I get from the Bible.  Since I have become a Mommy to three sprightly little girls, my Bible reading time has become quite limited.  I have found myself needing to reinvent how I read the Bible.

Here are some things I have done that you might try as well:

• Pick a favorite verse and stick it on post-its all over your house. Open your refrigerator and you can read the Psalms!
• Don’t feel like you have to read for an hour each day. God knows you’re a Mommy. He sees.  He understands.
• Read a passage of scripture before you wake the kids up in the morning. It may shift your perspective in a positive way.
• The Bible Experience is a dramatic reading of the entire Bible on CD that you can listen to in your car, while you’re doing laundry, etc.
• Remember that it’s not how much you read, but what gets into your heart and head that matters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michelle is a full time stay at home Mom of three sprightly little girls ages 9, 8, and 4.  Her husband is a pastor of a very large church and their lives are anything but “normal”.  Follow their adventures at MichelleWegner.

photo:MicrosoftOfficeWord Clipart

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Wide Leg Jeans! Personally my favorite, if you are anything like me, your upper body and legs blend together because I don’t have that hip curve. Wide Leg pants give me that look I’m looking for, and they also make me feel thinner around my stomach area.

Avenue Wide Leg Jeans

Boot Cut Jeans! These are especially made for people who were blessed in the thigh area. These pants will give you a wonderful look, as boot cut jeans start to flare out from the knee down.

Old Navy Low-Rise Boot Cut Jeans

Low Rise Jeans! This can be a touchy subject for several women. Some women who were blessed with a larger back side, would not feel comfortable in a low rise jean. However, for myself since most of my weight is in my upper half, it looks best for me to wear low rise as it lengthens my torso.

Avenue Seven7 Distressed Jeans

These are just a few of my favorite styles of jeans. Plus-Size women should stick to dark jeans. I also think those “skinny” jeans should stay tucked away as well; I don’t think they would compliment any of us in any way!

What is your favorite style jean? Do you shop at a certain place? I’m sure we all could use a little assistance in the “jean area” as we all know how much of a chore shopping can be! Share your thoughts in the Blissfully Domestic Forums!

Krystle is a shopping-addicted newlywed from Wisconsin.  Read all about how she keeps it all together at her blog, <a href=”http://www.calm-cool-and-collected.com/blog “>Calm, Cool, &amp; Collected</a>.

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by aussiegall, seen on Flickr

licensed under CC 2.0

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How do you survive Thanksgiving dinner withkidsandonemaybetwofamilygatheringsinoneday?

My husband and I have the responsibility pleasure of eating an entire Thanksgiving dinner two times in one day since both of our parents live within minutes of each other. Gatherings such as these bring out the best, but more often, the worst in me as well as my children.

By the visit to the second Thanksgiving feast, the girls are full, bloated, cranky, tired, over-stimulated, and just plain rotten. Their pretty dresses are juice-stained and their braids are wilted and frumpy. My eyes are bloodshot from waking up at the crack of dawn to make the drive to the first dinner. My patience has worn thin, and I have to remind everyone once again that yes, I do hate sweet potatoes.

How do we make it? How do we survive?

· With a sense of humor.

· By chilling out about the juice stains

· Lots of coffee

· Not too much pie

· By remembering to be Thankful for the ones we love

· Avoiding any and all things that resemble sweet potatoes

These long days are getting easier as my girls are getting older, so if you are in the baby/toddler stages with your kids on days like these, hang on! It does get easier. Know that I will be thinking about you and your kids and their frumpy braids and juice stains on Thanksgiving too.

Make some memories. Remember when you are feeling frazzled to be thankful for those cute little cranky, frumpy, juice-stained kids. Hug them close and just be thankful.

You can read more about Michelle and more of her Thanksgiving fun at her self-titled blog Michelle Wegner.

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

This was a very fun simple craft to do and will help me when my daughter needs something quietly to play. I have been keeping it in my purse and it has gotten me out of a few tantrums all ready.

Take a plastic bottle–I found the Bolthouse Juice bottles work the best, they are the perfect size and have no ridges or indentations on them—clean and dry it out very well.

We collected anything we thought could fit in the bottle from bottle-caps to charms to stickers.

While adding the objects to the bottle we kept a list going. When we used a sticker we just rubbed whatever substance we were going to fill the bottle with (sand, rice, beans) on the back side so it would not stick to the edge of the bottle.

Then we added rice, beans, or sand (or a mixture to the bottle) to the bottle (fill it up just enough so that when you twirl the bottle around you can find the objects). Note: If using sand make sure the bottle is absolutely dry, I even took a blow dryer to it, or it will make a big mess for you.

I put some glue on the lid and screwed it shut. Then I typed up the list on the computer, laminated it, and attached it with a string.

What a perfect craft to do with any age!

You could also try these ideas for fillers:

A bottle with alphabet letters in it, to help the kiddos recognize their alphabet.

A bottle with numbers in it.

Bottles to go along with each season.

Bottles to go along with the upcoming holiday!

Vanessa loves learning how be more eco-friendly with her children at her blog I Never Grew Up.

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Secret Agent Mama

Lotus Carroll

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First things first: One should not have sex with dead people (Izzie, I’m talkin’ to you!). I’m not sure what’s up with this story line and am convinced that the producers are setting Iz up for a massive breakdown, because REALLY? Gettin’ busy with Denny? How many seasons has he been dead? And of course, the fact that everyone in their house could hear her quite loudly having “relations” with… well, they didn’t know (Alex assumed she was flying solo). Ugggggh. Make it stop.

While Izzie was busy getting’ busy, the rest of the docs were paged in to the hospital for emergencies. While the residents were busy with real cases, the intern newbies were continuing with the self-inflicted surgery – it reminded me of the movie Flatliners somehow. 

While the interns were up to their creepy shenanigans, several docs were working with a dad who had sleep issues who ended up getting pretty banged up by walking through a big glass window. Ow. Poor guy had a very sweet daughter who had been depriving herself of sleep to stay up and talk her dad out of his night terrors. The dad wigged out and knocked Callie to the ground, messing up her adorable nose in the process. Not to worry, Sloan was there to work his plastic magic, including zonking Callie out with anesthetic so she could sleep off some of her stress. Meanwhile, Sloan saw the exhaustion in the daughter’s eyes and was surprisingly sensitive and good with the kid. I actually really like how his character is evolving beyond the realm of just being the “man whore”.

Alex’s patient was a hypochondriac who believed she had stomach cancer. Apparently, taking antibiotics purchased from the internet for a pimple she believed to be staph wiped out the good bacteria in her body, which meant that Lauren now required a fecal transplant. Don’t know what that is? It has to do with poop. Lovely as that sounds, her husband then needed to be the donor of said fecal matter. There is one relationship hurdle I hope to never cross. Ever. I mean it.

In the midst of the real medical drama going on at Seattle Grace, the interns scoped out an empty space to practice an appendectomy on volunteer Sadie. When Lexie chickened out, Sadie grabbed the scalpel herself and sliced into her abdomen.  A little too hardcore for me. The interns noted that Sadie’s appendix really did look inflamed, and Lexie fled the scene to get Meredith. When Meredith and (of course) Christina arrived to assess the situation, the realized more help was needed. Another intern was sent to fetch Bailey.

Once Sadie was saved, Bailey told her residents that she would not tell them what to do with their interns, that she has “raised” them to do this on their own. The residents told the interns that they would be on probation until further notice, and that respect has definitely been lost. And, uh, Sadie? What on earth was going through your head?!

After a long night of work, Hunt was waiting for Christina on the front stoop of her building. She invited him in, and he said no. She invited him to go somewhere else, and he said no. Instead, they sat on the stoop and he told her she was beautiful. He’s softening up a little.

Back at the house, Izzie told Alex she was a mess (this we know), but Alex told her that he wasn’t going to break up with her, and invited her into her room. Izzie, despite seeing Denny, chose to go with Alex instead (WHEW).

So many plotlines, what do you think?

Sarah also blogs at The Mom Chronicles and there are no visions of dead people there.

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We interviewed Amber and here’s what she had to say:

Q:  Tell us a little bit about yourself and your designs.

A:  I make toys and figures that are cut from sustainably harvested wood. In addition to the toy making, I’m also the creator of the two sites you mentioned above, so I’m busy crafting something or other pretty much 100% of the time. I even dream about making stuff, so I work while I sleep! Most importantly though, I’m a craft at home mama to my two year old son.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for your products?

A:  I started woodworking about 15 years ago and then dropped it completely for the next 14 years. My designs in other creative mediums over the years completely influenced the toys that I make now. When my son was born I started making toys in wood but wanted to make them look like the watercolor paintings that I had been making for his nursery which were simple, childlike drawings with a dark details in ink and then washes of color over the black ink outlines.

I didn’t want to use black ink on my toys so I came up with idea of woodburning the details and then using natural watercolor paints as washes of color just my painting style.

The designs themselves are pretty much my childhood drawings translated into 3D form. I get a lot of inspiration from vintage children’s books (which I collect) as well.

Q:  What makes them different from others?

A:  The main thing that made my designs unique used to be that they were woodburnt with washes of color and this was a very distinct “woodmouse style” for a while. Like any good design idea though, it catches on!

I use sustainably harvested wood, which is more expensive to source and harder to find. All my packaging materials are recycled when possible and I create my own beeswax polish made with beeswax from a local beekeeper. The non-toxic waterbased and watercolor paints I use are made in the USA, in fact virtually everything that goes into my toys are USA sourced and I make this a priority.

Q:  Do you do custom orders?

A:  If you catch me at the right time I love doing custom orders! I often get back-ordered and then have to close custom orders for a while until I catch up again.

Q:  What are your hottest sellers?

A:  My hottest sellers are my wooden cell phones, four seasons trees and wee house sets.  My ornaments are also very popular items around the holidays.  I’m in the process of stocking up the store now, so there will be a lot to choose from soon!

Q:  What is your ultimate goal for this line?

A:  I’m not sure what my ultimate goal is for this line. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. In most ways, it has already surpassed my expectations. Really, I started it because I loved making the figures and wanted to have an outlet to sell enough that I could keep making more.

I want your children to enjoy the simplicity and innocence of these toys as much as my son does.  There is not enough out there that encourages children to use their own creativity and imaginations.  These toys let them think outside of the cooperate toymaker’s box.

I am not able to take on wholesale accounts because I can’t keep up with that amount of orders, so a lot of potential business is lost. I’m at a place where I need to decide if and how I’d like to expand.

Q:  Do you have a website or Etsy shop?

A:  Yes, I have a website and an Etsy shop for Woodmouse.  I also run the sites Make Baby Stuff and Do-It-Yourself Weddings.  Stop by for free patterns and great tutorials!

Congratulations Amber!  All of us here at Blissfully Domestic wish you the best of luck with your endeavor!

Sylvia is a craft-obsessed freelance writer and mother of two adventurous little boys who loves play with her boys Woodmouse toys when no one is looking. She’s also been known to be a tad bit prudish…

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From Wild to Child: Book for Moms Who Color Outside the Lines-Rebecca Woolf is a mom who wrote a book about her journey from LA hipster to being a mom. She’s really great and her book is a good read for all moms, especially those of us who like to color outside the lines!

Chick Flicks: Movies that Make Us Cry-I cry at the commercials for Steel Magnolias. Need I say more?

Interview with HBO’s Deb Mazar-I interviewed actress Deb Mazar last week and she’s so cool! She has a new website to help people with sleep issues to get some rest!

I started a mom war of words when I wrote about Yo Gabba Gabba! My post called Yo Gabba, Gimme a Break stirred up lots of strong feelings from lots of mamas! My girls are older, so I had no clue I was creating a storm!

Coming Soon-I am really excited because I am interviewing Amy Roloff, the mom from the TLC series, Little People, Big World! My interview with Amy is on Monday, so please leave me a comment over at CafeMom, if you want me to ask her a question!

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The show opens with the usual trek back from tribal council. Corinne and the rest of the Kota tribe recognize that power has shifted to Kenny and Crystal and that their alliance is getting picked off one by one. What do you bet there is going to be a lot of scrambling going on.

Everyone is tiring of Randy’s obnoxiousness and wants him off. Bob approaches Sugar in the jungle and has a conversation about the idol. Bob confesses that he didn’t find it. Sugar plays dumb about finding it herself. Bob shows Sugar his fake idol and tells her he is only telling her that he made it. Sugar loves the inside information.

Corinne and Randy try and come up with a strategy to stay alive. They decide they need to try and get Matty to come on their side. They also decide to stop being nice to anyone in the opposite alliance which is an improvement from the previous strategy of faking nice to their face while saying horrible things behind their back.

First challenge is the infamous auction. First auction, Randy gets beer and peanuts after Sugar ups the ante repeatedly. Second item stays covered and is purchased by Kenny. He ends up buying a clue which allows him to send himself or someone else to exile and take all their money. He sends Bob and takes his money. Third item is covered too, and it goes to Sugar who buys chocolate and peanut butter, which is priceless really. Fourth item is a hot bath with soap and clean clothes which goes to Susie who strips down to bathe but oddly enough gets out rather quickly. Fifth item is a burger and fries which goes to Matty. Sixth item is covered which Kenny cedes to Randy who gets pasta and bread sticks. Seventh item is a sealed note in a bottle which Jeff promises will give you an advantage. Corinne bids all in to get the bottle which has to remain sealed until immunity challenge.

Then Randy bids 20 bucks to buy a covered item for the whole tribe. It is a plate of cookies which he tries to take all for himself. Jeff insists he must share with the tribe. Then he doles them out as he wants giving 2 to Corinne and 1 ½ to Matty. Sugar says she doesn’t want hers, but wants to give it to Matty. Randy tells her he is boss and he gets to decide, but he offers her his, the last cookie. She takes it and gives it to Matty. Then the Survivor auction is over leaving Randy angry and Kenny with a pile of money and no food.

Randy decides he is going to go out fighting. His exact words are that he is going to “burn the house down”. But first Corinne and Randy try to hard sell Matty into joining up with them and their alliance. They tell him that the final three will be Susie, Crystal and Kenny leaving him in fifth place. Somehow they aren’t very convincing.

The Fang alliance meets to decide who to vote out. They all want Randy because he is so difficult. Matty pitches that they should vote out Bob first because Randy isn’t strong in challenges. Sugar gets nervous that Matty is trying to take too much control and playing the game too hard. She also is afraid that he wants to take Randy to the end because Randy is such a jerk. They all tentatively agree to vote out Bob, then Randy, then Corinne.

Randy renews his plans to “crash and burn” and shake things up to try and get further in the game. Interesting strategy. He wants to get voted out and then get “the idol” from Bob and spring it on them in tribal council. Then Susie would get voted out instead. Corinne is very excited and they plan to get Bob on board.

Randy’s plans works as far as annoying everyone into voting for him. He has managed to offend and annoy everyone leading into the immunity challenge. Including me.

Immunity challenge is an obstacle course with a puzzle to build a domino row which falls over and raises a flag. Got it? Anyway, Jeff has Corinne open her bottle which allows her to sit out the first qualifying half of the challenge and move directly to the final round. Matty takes and early lead with Kenny close behind. Matty makes it on to the second round as well as Kenny and of course Corinne.  In a razor thin finish, Kenny gets immunity.

Sugar tells Bob to vote for Randy and to give him to fake idol to set him up. Bob agrees to win some favor with the power players of the game. Corinne begs Bob to give Randy the idol which he agrees to do. Bob gets very excited that he will get the idol and get Susie out of the game. Then he praises Bob’s “selflessness” to the camera.

At tribal council, Jeff stirs up the Randy vs. the rest of the tribe controversy. So much so that when Crystal votes she doesn’t even do the typical whisper, but just yells that she is sick of Randy and wants him off which the whole tribe hears. Then when Jeff asks for the immunity idol, Randy plays the fake idol. The Fang tribe can barely contain their laughter when Jeff states it isn’t an immunity idol. Randy looks like he might explode when he is voted off.

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