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I'm just a girl trying to keep an eternal perspective on life, and live it to the fullest :)

Saturday, February 19, 2011

DATE NIGHT IDEAS







For me, the days of dating are a fading memory. I too often put aside my desire for intimacy because of the immediate needs of life knocking at my door. At this stage in my life, it is usually my innocent and loving kids. I gladly drop just about anything for my them. However, with priorities the way they should be (God first, Spouse second, Children next, etc) the intimacy in marriage would not be in the drought state it is so often. 
So, since taking time out of our busy schedules is probably our first roadblock to date nights, and money being the second, here are 30 low-cost or no-cost date ideas, most of which you can do at home!

First thing to do: Schedule it weekly! Okay, I know most of us dream of that spontaneous weekend hotel surprise happening, but realistically, has it ever? Since our lives are all too often routine, make "intimacy night" part of it! Pick one night a week, and start the day being mindful of this. Look forward to it! Workout, take a bath, shave your legs, paint your nails, put on some of his favorite perfume for you, wear those sexy panties and bra, etc. You can do it! He will love it, and so will you!
So, without further explanation, here are 30 ideas to incorporate intimacy into your everyday life:
1. If you have a willing neighbor, friend, or family member, have a babysitting swap each week. 
2. Have a weekly family picnic night! Have a picnic indoors or out! This is great family bonding time, and creates memories and traditions for the kids! Then after they go to bed the rest can happen ;)
3. Order your favorite takeout, set a the table with fine china and eat dinner by candlelight.
4. If the kids are gone, greet him at the door in your birthday suit and heels. Tell him he has arrived in Utopia.  Have him follow you to the bedroom where you have a dinner of aphrodisiacs waiting, complete with chocolate covered strawberries. You both have to feed each other!
5. Role play- don’t forget the stilettos! 
6. Have a theme night. Dress, eat, and watch a movie with the same theme. 
7. Make a special dessert to enjoy.
8. Cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. 
9. Play cards, a board game, or a video game together (Rock Band and Wii are fun)!
10. Wear your favorite lingerie and sing karaoke!
11. Sit outside and read together.
12. Read poetry to each other... in character ;)
13. Make a CD of “your songs” and play it throughout the evening.
14. Dance (doubt he’ll turn it down, knowing what it will lead to)!
15. Write a poem or romantic letter to your love!
16. Splurge on delicious cheeses, fruit, crackers, and wine.
17. Share favorite memories of you two together!
18. Light your bathroom and bedroom with tea-lights and play soft music. (Be sure to remember to blow out the candles when you’re ready to sleep!) 
19. Take a bath or shower together (water is always sexy)!
20. Give each other a back rub with aromatic oils.
21. Cook together and try a new recipe.
22. Go to bed early together ;)
23. Watch a sports game and eat stadium food like nachos and hot dogs.
24. Make a scrapbook together from a vacation.
25. Start a collection together.
26. Play outside together! Fly a kite, play catch with a football, Frisbee, hike, fish, rollerblade, bike ride, etc.
27. Go to the gym or lift weights together at home. It really is fun and sexy! 
28. Work on a project around the house together.
29. Make breakfast in bed for dinner.
30. Watch the sun rise while drinking a good cup off coffee or tea. Watch the sun set while sipping wine. Cuddling is a must in both situations ;)



Do you have regular date nights? If you have kids, how do you balance romance with your busy family schedule? What ideas do you have?! 

ARE YOU CRAZY ENOUGH?

I heard this song for the first time this morning. I've played it over and over. Its one of those songs that just gripped my heart from the start. 

What could happen if you and I love like Jesus did and does??? 

We could change this world! :)

[Be sure to turn off my playlist (scroll down, its on the right side of the screen) before playing this YouTube video, otherwise you'll have 2 songs playing at once!]

CRAZY ENOUGH by MERCYME





Call me crazy but what if we learn


To love our brother for nothing in return? 
Oh how the rules would change

Reaching out to the ones who need help
Treating them as you first would treat yourself 
Now that would be insane 

(CHORUS) 
It may just be crazy enough
To work if we could only love 
What if we somehow changed the world? 
It may just be crazy enough

(Verse 2) 
Is it so strange to think that one day
we will truly see everyone the same 
Oh good we be so kind? (could we be so kind?) 

To sing along when life's playing their tune
And cry with them when their hearts broken in two
Have I lost my mind? 

(CHORUS) 
It may just be crazy enough
To work if we could only love 
What if we somehow changed the world? 
It may just be crazy enough

Oh, have I gone mad 
Believing that love still has a chance? 

(CHORUS) 
It may just be crazy enough
To work if we could only love 
What if we somehow changed the world? 
It may just be crazy enough

It may just be crazy enough (repeat)

Friday, February 18, 2011

Teriyaki Beef Kabobs


Teriyaki Beef Kabobs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 can Beef Broth
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound of steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
12 medium mushrooms
2 medium red onions, each cut into 6 wedges
4 cherry tomatoes
4 cups hot cooked rice
Stir the cornstarch, broth, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a 1-quart saucepan until the mixture is smooth.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens.
Thread the beef, mushrooms and onions alternately onto 4 skewers.
Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium.  Grill the kabobs for 20 minutes or until desired doneness, turning and brushing often with the broth mixture. Place 1 tomato on the end of each skewer.
Heat the remaining broth mixture over medium-high heat to a boil.  Serve the broth mixture with the kabobs and rice.

Monday, February 14, 2011

2.14.11: Menu Plan Monday




***Lunch is either leftovers or some other quick & healthy dish.***
Update: My diet is no longer entirely gluten-free. I have reintroduced wheat and other gluten containing grains, and my health issues are for the most part unchanged- boo ;(.  However, I am reducing the amount of gluten the average American consumes,  just to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Maybe someday I’ll have a definite answer to my  health ailments, but for now, I’m just going to try to do my best at taking care of this earthly body God gave me.  

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)


So, if you are aiming to be gluten-free, know that recipes calling for all-purpose flour can almost always be substituted with (g.f) gluten-free all-purpose flour. I've found that, although usually more expensive and time consuming (no McDonalds ;), most all food can be conformed to be gluten free Bon Appetit ;)

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
  • Dinner~ Dinner Out :)
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
  • Dinner~ Tacos
Sunday
  • Dinner~ Pizza 

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Thankful Thursday: 2.10.11


5 things I am thankful for today:

1. Honey... We've been using a lot of it lately to soothe coughs and sore throats around here


2. Sunshine... even when it is cold outside, I feel a warmth deep within when I bask in the light


3. Toothpaste... I can't imagine my teeth and breath without it :0)
 


4. Clean Water...  something we take for granted. People in underdeveloped areas are dying from diseases that could have easily been prevented if they had clean water.

5. Lotion... my skin is soooo dry this time of year


What are 5 things you are thankful for today?

TV/ Books/ DVDs Move

I despise clutter, although ironically I frequently find myself in the midst of it. We have a fairly small living room, and any extra stuff makes it feel tight. I like feeling like we can all move around comfortably when company is over.

We have lived in our current home for 3 years this month. Ever since we moved in, I have been trying to talk my man into getting a smaller TV for our living area, and to put it on our wall. Our 61" TV seemed to take up half of our living room! We had our couch cutting off the middle of the room and our TV on a stand against the wall. My husband loves TVs, the bigger- the-better, and I would never miss them. We've definitely been at odds about this.

Well, my wish finally came true a couple months ago when I realized our big, not-flat-TV tapered enough in the back to be pushed into the cut out in our wall above our fireplace... no one believed me that it would fit until I showed them the measurements. So with rerouting our cable, we were able to get the TV off of the floor and move our couch to the wall, thus opening up our living room and making for a happy housewife :o) ... and happy husband too, since he got to keep his XL size TV!


(Meet my 2 dogs, Faith and Gracie.... apparently its still too early for them to get up and at-em!)


So, in saving mega space, I thought, why not save more? I love being surrounded by books... even if I may not have time to read. There is just something about books that calms, excites and intrigues me all at the same time! I never get tired of going to the library (btw- during long commutes, books on tape have become my new best friend)! Anyway, our books have not had a good home, bouncing between our nightstand, kitchen table, and the storage in our basement. Until now we just have not had the room to display them anywhere. I had an idea, I work at a children's hospital, and we have lots of movies stocked on each floor. I've seen different ways in storing them. One way I've always thought was handy was storing DVDs in a handheld CD case. Currently, our DVDs have been in a book-like case. So, once I convinced my husband, I got to work. I bought 3 different hand-held CD cases. One night we sorted alphabetically all the DVDs and separated the Blu-Ray from the regular DVDs, and separated the kid-friendly from the not-so-kid-friendly DVDs. The next day, I started at A and took the covers out, cut to fit and stuffed the DVDs and their covers in the individual slots.

Once I was finished I took my empty case and filled it with books- voila!

No big cost here, but I feel like I just got a new living room! Ahhhhh ;)







Monday, February 7, 2011

Isaiah 40:28-31


28 Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
31 but 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.
(Isaiah 40:28-31)

Our Daily Journey



This is a good quick reminder regarding seeking direction through prayer...


Feel


Proverbs 3:1-8
We don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words (Romans 8:26).

Read Romans 8:1-17 to learn about the Holy Spirit’s role in guiding our lives and decisions. In Matthew 16:1-4, what do you think is the “sign of Jonah”? (v.4).

How do you seek God’s guidance? Are your prayers sometimes attempts to manipulate Him? How well are you obeying God’s Word?
My friend has a habit of asking God for signs. In doing so, His prayers tend to seek confirmation of his feelings, as in “God, if You want me to do ‘X,’ then please do ‘Y,’ and I’ll know it’s OK.”
Not surprisingly, this has created a dilemma. For my friend feels that he should get back with his ex-girlfriend, based on the way he prays. His ex, on the other hand, feels strongly that God has told them not to get back together. Ah, feelings.
Jesus told the religious leaders of His day: “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign” (Matthew 16:4). But He wasn’t making a blanket statement to prevent anyone from seeking God’s guidance. Rather, Jesus was accusing them of ignoring the clear prophecies that told them He was the Messiah.
Proverbs gives us an abundance of direct signs as to how to live our lives. Solomon, who wrote most verses in the book, gave these instructions to his son: “Never let loyalty and kindness leave you” (Proverbs 3:3). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). To drive his point home, Solomon concluded: “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7).
God wants us to seek His guidance in prayer (James 1:5). He has given us the instruction of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) and His Word, the Bible (1 Thessalonians 2:13). He gives us mentors and wise leaders. He’s also given us the ultimate example seen in Jesus (Philippians 2:4-5).
It’s wise to ask God for clear direction. But our prayers should never be formulaic attempts to manipulate God. Real Christianity is not a system; it’s a relationship with Jesus Himself.

The Peasant Princess

Marriage and relationships in general are always a constant work in progress. I am being challenged in more ways than one to be a better wife and woman of God.  Our life-group is currently doing this amazing study titled The Peasant Princess. I would encourage all of you, married or not, to check it out! 

2.7.11: Menu Plan Monday























***Lunch is either leftovers or some other quick & healthy dish.***
Update: My diet is no longer entirely gluten-free. I have reintroduced wheat and other gluten containing grains, and my health issues are for the most part unchanged- boo ;(.  However, I am reducing the amount of gluten the average American consumes,  just to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Maybe someday I’ll have a definite answer to my  health ailments, but for now, I’m just going to try to do my best at taking care of this earthly body God gave me.  

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)

So, if you are aiming to be gluten-free, know that recipes calling for all-purpose flour can almost always be substituted with (g.f) gluten-free all-purpose flour. I've found that, although usually more expensive and time consuming (no McDonalds ;), most all food can be conformed to be gluten free Bon Appetit ;)

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday