System

I'm all about trial and error. In my first year and a half of being a mom I have tried lots of things and made lots of errors. Luckily, Griffin seems no worse for the wear. While I find myself asking Courtney and my mom and my other mom friends questions about how they do things, I learn so much more by watching and participating. This is one of the reasons that I love to stay with Courtney. I always learn at least one trick or idea to simplify and improve my daily routine with Griff. For example, Court fills her kids' cups with milk each evening. Okay, so it's not a major revelation, but it gives you just another moment in the morning. I am all about having systems for doing those routine activities like breakfast, nap time, floor cleaning, laundry.

One of my least favorite household activities is emptying the dishwasher. I know it's silly, but sometimes I will put it off all day. I think it's partly because my son always tries to empty the dishwasher himself and climb into it. So, I need to be speedy about this job or always do it during nap. Here are a couple ideas to make your dishwasher emptying system speedy and less painful.

1. Separate your silverware: This is the biggest timesaver in the dishwasher world. All the spoons go together, all the forks go together and so on. You may have to train other people in your household on this one!
2. Arrange your dishes: I put all of my large plates on one side of the dishwasher, all of my small plates on the other side, and all of the bowls in the back of the dishwasher. My top rack is saved for small containers, lids, glasses and sippy cups.
3. Open your cabinets and drawers: I open all of the cabinets and drawers first, so I can carry a big stack without needing to stop and place everything on the counter.

You may just save two minutes, but if feels so good to have a plan for completing daily tasks. And, you may dread emptying the dishwasher just a little less.

When Church Isn't Where You Are

You can access just about anything through the internet. Since you're reading our blog, I'm sure you already know that. I feel like the sheer magnitude of options can be overwhelming. When it comes to spiritual and inspirational resources, this is especially true. There are a few websites and podcasts that I have found with my bible study that are solid and enlightening. I enjoy listening to a snippet of a sermon while washing dishes or driving to and from the grocery store. I often find myself wanting to drive around the block to listen to an excellent sermon on my iPod when I pull into my neighborhood. The best part is that I don't need to worry about something coming on the radio that I don't want my son to hear.

Of course, church is about community and fellowship, but if you can't get to church, why not listen online? I'm thinking about the first month of having a newborn at home. Living abroad. Days when you or someone in your family is sick. Moving and not being able to find a church you like. It happens.

Many of these resources are available for free, but in order to listen to an entire series, some must be published.

Check these out:
Mars Hill
Rock Harbor
The Sanctuary Downtown (This one is the church I attend and love!)

Do you have any incredible spiritual resources to share?

Also, feel free to leave a prayer request in the comments section of this post to have us all pray for you. If it is personal and you would like prayer, please email us at freshly.rooted.blog (at) gmail (dot) com.

Teach

There are a few things that I miss about teaching. I miss the expression on kids' faces when they really get something for the first time. I miss figuring out the best way to explain a tricky concept. But, the thing I miss most is the excitement that kids show when they are being truly creative. Everyone responds to mediums differently, but in my classroom almost everyone loved creating collages. We made collages that stretched across an entire wall depicting mountainsides, as well as tiny, personal ones that fit on index cards.

When I was in Virginia this past week, I wanted to give Lily a chance for a little extra creativity. Since she was already cutting pictures out of her magazine for her alphabet binder, I thought the time was perfect to show her a new way to make art. Lily cut meticulously from her magazine. She arranged each picture carefully on top of and next to each of the others. I glued each scrap of green and blue and each little animal exactly where Lily told me. She was proud of her creation.

Think back to your childhood. What are some of the activities that you most enjoyed or some of the crafts that you loved? Maybe it's clay, paper mache, cooking, jewelry or knitting. Make something with a child in your life this week. You will be amazed how a few minutes of sharing can impact a little mind in an extraordinary way.

Cinnamon Apples

After a delicious lettuce wrap and Chinese dumpling dinner recently, one of my friends whipped up a quick and delicious dessert for all of us to enjoy. While we ate this treat plain, I think it would make a great addition to other desserts, as well. You will make it in your microwave, so it couldn't be easier.

Ingredients:
Apple
Cinnamon
Sugar
Water

Cut the apple into slices. Place the slices in a bowl with about 1/4 cup of water. Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon and sugar to taste. Microwave the apples for one minute and check to see if they're done. Add more time, if necessary. Obviously, if you use more apples, you'll need more of everything else.

We ate them with our hands right off a communal plate. But, I think their are many options for this dessert. I'm dreaming of vanilla ice cream with the cinnamon apples and a tad of granola. Covering a muffin or scone in the apples would make a tasty treat. If you make snickerdoodles, I would add some cinnamon apples when they're still hot out of the oven. This would also be a lovely addition to oatmeal. For a decadent breakfast, use the apples as a topping for waffles, pancakes or cinnamon rolls. Are you hungry yet?

let's go fly a kite...

It's Friday, it's going to be 75 degrees all weekend, and all I want to do is play outside. After working all week, my bones are itching for fresh air.

I'd really love to go for a bike ride, but I don't actually own one. I'm thinking a hike or some poolside R&R might do the trick.

What are you doing this weekend? Will you be enjoying this springy weather?


via real simple

keep it clean, people

I've always kept the spaces I live in clean, but now that I have my own apartment, there are so many new areas of upkeep.

It took me a while to feel like I could get my kitchen really clean, but now that I have a system, I feel much better about my cooking routine.

A few tips...

• To keep your drawers and cabinets clean, opt for a shelf liner. You can remove it and dump it out, or completely replace it regularly, as a roll of it is only $2.99.
• To get rid of garbage disposal odors, pour bleach down the drain. I had a real stanky issue and lemons and limes, old-wives tales and baking soda were not cutting it. I had to get serious. 
• Always use a cutting board. As someone who grew accustomed to granite and often cut directly on the counter, plastic cutting boards are my new found besties. Clean up is so much easier! Be sure to choose the plastic options, because you're not supposed to wash wood cutting boards in the dishwasher, so they tend to retain bacteria. I like the Casabella Cutting Boards that are labeled to prevent cross contamination. 
• If your freezer gets smelly, place a box of baking soda inside it and dump out your ice cubes once a month. They retain bad odors. An added bonus is that putting ice cubes down your garbage disposal keeps the blades sharp. Teamwork in the kitchen!

images via real simple and amazon

run and not grow weary

Something I've often read about is incorporating bible verses into specific prayers by finding scripture that is directly related. Because I've been praying for Crosby a lot, and had more time to think about him, I wanted to find a verse specific to him.

While there are hundreds that relate to children growing strong in the Lord, Isaiah 40:30-31 seemed more relevant to me:  "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Crosby has so many people hoping in the Lord for him, and over the next few months, he will need the strength from those prayers to ensure he remains strong.  Having this verse as a reminder is a way to pray specifically for his needs, while still feeling strong in hope.