CHEWY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Some days you just really really need a cookie. ;)  Here's a great oatmeal raisin recipe from Inspired Taste that totally satisfied our sweet tooth last week. Instead of butter, I substituted it with coconut oil.  

Do any of you have a favorite cookie recipe you'd like to share? :)

FRESH AS THE DEW + FRIDAY TREATS

Fresh as the dew of the morning,

Bringing a sweet rest unheard,

Christ, in the gentle anointing,

Whispers His comforting word:

Stand till the trial is over,

Stand till the tempest is gone,

Stand for the glory of Jesus,

Stand till the kingdom is won.

Lord of all hope,

O how sweet is Thy voice,

Making my heart

In Thy presence rejoice.

If in the test of my trouble,

Faint be my spirit and heart,

Faith, with the star of hope glimm'ring,

Shall all be taken apart,

May then Thy faith with Thy life-pow'r

Over me hold its full sway

That all Thy riches of glory

Now I may share and for aye.

Lord, as the morning sun dawning,

Chase all my darkness away,

And with Thy kind wings of healing

Turn all my night into day.

Come Thou, O come, Lord of comfort,

Come to my sad, weary heart,

Come, O Thou blest hope of glory,

Never, O never depart.

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/708#ixzz2B4yjczBL

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Create shiny DIY artworks with metal repair tape...

-bhg-

Great binding idea to keep it all from going crazy!

-pleasant home-

E would totally love this PB&J sushi...

-yahoo-

a modern new look given to vintage pieces...

-bocket store-

I'm pretty sure this is bound to happen one of these days... good to know!

-chrislovesjulia-

CHIHULY

It's been so long! How are you all doing?? This month has been quite busy for us - with family and friends coming to stay with us every weekend. As crazy as it's been though, we had such a great time with everyone and loved having all this quality time with them. :)  

This past weekend, we went a local arboretum and enjoyed the beautiful Chihuly glass exhibit that was there. It was amazing to see all these intricate sculptures spread around the gardens. Here are a few pics I snapped for you all...

I've kind of hit a wall with DIYs lately. Honestly just haven't been very inspired to work on anything. Have any of you experienced this before? Hopefully this little lull doesn't last too long! 

Until next time,

PART I: HOW TO TALK SO KIDS WILL LISTEN & LISTEN SO KIDS WILL TALK

As a former elementary school teacher, I wished I had read this book before I started teaching. Communication is such an important skill that can either harm or strengthen relationships. I'm only halfway through the book, however have already picked up so many useful tips that I hope to use with E in the future:

• "There is a direct connection between how kids feel and how they behave" (p.1). 
• We need to learn how to "hear" our kids and acknowledge their feelings. This doesn't mean that we become permissive parents and agree with everything they feel. They don't need us to agree with them or be ok with their actions, they just need to know that their feelings were accepted. Then they're more willing to accept the limits we set for them. 
• When we give our children instant advice and solutions, we're keeping them from the experience of figuring out their own problems. They end up growing up not trusting their own perceptions and constantly relying on others.  
• "One of the built-in frustrations of parenthood is the daily struggle to get our children to behave in ways that are acceptable to us and to society.  This can be maddening, uphill work.  The more intense we become, the more actively they seem to resist" (p.49).  Parents need to help their children deal with their negative feelings, however parents themselves need to learn how to deal with their own negative feelings too and figure out why their kids are responding the way they are.  

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk shared so many ways in which parents can be authoritative without being micro-managers. What's been helping me the most are all the illustrations and detailed examples and exercises on how to carry out these conversations. 

I've still got some more to read, but I will definitely be reporting back to you all soon! Have a great night! :)

HOW TO TALK SO KIDS WILL LISTEN & LISTEN SO KIDS WILL TALK

So here's another book, How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, that I've heard lots of great things about too. And, apparently a very popular one judging by its ratty condition and the fact it took almost a month before a copy was available for me to check out at our local library.  

Since I received a lot of good feedback from you all with my last review on Bringing Up Bebe (found here and here), I will do my best to report back to you on this one soon! :) 

* Just FYI... If you're interested in purchasing/reading reviews of any of these books, check my sidebar for my Amazon Store. I've included those as well as some other favorite items of mine!

Also, opportunities to enter for the Martha Stewart Craft Stencil Set Giveaway will close in 3 days! The winner will be chosen at random using Rafflecopter. Good luck to those who've already entered! 

Talk to you all again real soon! :) 

INTRODUCING L&M!

Hi everyone! :) I'm so excited to share with you all today this cute little shop started by two sweet friends who love to craft! They make the most adorable recipe keeper books and are currently working on some prayer diaries. Please help me welcome L & M!

Blog    l    Etsy    l   Email

We are L and M - two friendies who have been crafting since awhile. We can probably credit L’s mom who is quite the crafter herself and whose crafting space and supplies we tend to use (but always replenish and add). She passed on the crafty bug to us when we were both pretty young (elementary school); at least I feel that L was just born with it. Our day jobs are pretty non-related to this business, which only prompts for antics, hilarity, and general confusion. However we have always found ourselves crafting whenever there is the opportunity. So here we are: bloggers (occasionally), wedding planners (if you want the help, we're available), entrepreneurs (with the very recent little opening of our Etsy shop--emandelle), and friendies.

coming soon...

Pretty awesome, huh?! I especially love the kitchen tools one - the color combinations and design are totally me! 

Please take a moment and stop by their blog, visit their Etsy shop, or send them an email if you have any questions. They'd love to "meet" you! :)

Have a great night!

PART II: BRINGING UP BEBE

-back cover of book-

Wow. I'm not even sure how I can properly give you all a final recap. In case you missed it, here's Part I: Bringing Up Bebe.  This book was packed with so much common sense helpful tips that even someone without kids would greatly enjoy it! :)   Here are just a few tips that really stood out to me:    

• Speaking - At a young age, speaking is encouraged over reading. Speaking clearly is equated to thinking clearly. 

• Greeting Adults - When in the presence of adults and even other kids, children are expected to greet them ("bonjour") and make their presence known instead of hiding in the shadows.   This helps them to build confidence, as well as learn that they're not the only ones with feelings and needs. The French stress this as much as we do with our "please" and "thank you."

• Snacking - One of the reasons that French kids are such great eaters is because they typically eat only at mealtimes. They don't "snack" the way most kids here do with a bag of cheerios here and a few crackers there.  I'm super guilty of that... especially when E's about to throw a tantrum. o.O If I make it a habit for E to snack all the time between meals, then of course his stomach will always be full when it is time to eat. This will just encourage him to be picky with his food.  

• Exposure to Foods - At restaurants, kids are expected to order from the regular menu and eat the same variety of food that adults do. It's not that that the French kids all adore their vegetables. Of course most of them all have their preferred foods. However, they don't get to exclude whole categories of textures, colors and nutrients just because they want to. "They [parents] believe that just as they must teach the child how to sleep, how to wait, and how to say "bonjour," they must teach him/her how to eat." p. 202

• Praise - "Excessive praise... distorts children's motivations; they begin doing things merely to hear the praise, losing sight of the intrinsic enjoyment." - p. 252

• Education vs. Discipline and Punishment

• Being Authoritative vs. being an Authoritarian - "The more spoiled a child is, the more unhappy he is." - p. 232

Overall I felt that the book did a very good job of opening our eyes to see that everything we do with our kids now will affect they way they are in the future.  There was so much more that I didn't even get to cover, but I hope that the little bit that I did get to share was enough to motivate you to check out the book for yourself! :) 

If you have any thoughts, comments, and/or questions, please feel free to share! 

PART I: BRINGING UP BEBE

I was so excited this past weekend when my local library called to let me know that Bringing up Bebe was no longer on hold! I've been eagerly awaiting it for weeks and was happy to finally get my hands on it. I'm about halfway through the book and it's been extremely fascinating so far...

FRIDAY TREATS

Happy first day of June everyone! Remember this challenge that I took on at the beginning of last month? Well, like I promised here's all 31 days! Sorry the pics are kind of small... it was the only way I could get them all on Picasa.  

Now that it's June, I've also got E's 2nd birthday on my mind.  He's too young for parties, so we're planning for something small and sweet. Here are a few of my favorites that I've found so far:

I like how simple this spread is from Martha Stewart's Initial Party...

and this adorable one inspired by classic children's books by 

Meleka of MMJ Events @ HWTM...

 Check out this personalized book for kids' birthdays! What a great gift!

I can already imagine E's face if he ever sees these cupcakes by the Artisan Bake Shop...

and these too by Annie's Eats!

Do any of you have any recent experiences or tips on celebrating a 2 year old's birthday? 
I would totally appreciate hearing from you! :D 

Oh and before I go... thank you all for your encouraging comments on the tea cups! They were seriously so easy and took me less than 15 minutes. I'm glad you all liked them!

Have a fantastic weekend y'all! Be back on Monday to share another easy DIY.

YESTERDAY :)

Hi friends! I hope you all had a restful long weekend. We've been pretty busy all week so I apologize for being a bit MIA. I needed a little break and some time to recharge. We finally had yesterday to ourselves and decided to take E out for some quality time... just the three of us. :)

My husband and I try to keep E's life as simple as possible. We keep a lot of things to a minimum - his activities, his toys, his clothes, etc. We want him to learn to be satisfied with what he has and not always in the mode of wanting more or needing to be entertained 24/7.

Once in a while though, we do take him out for something a little *extra* and yesterday was one of those days. :)

Since E LOVES animals, we decided to check out the gift shop outside the Rainforest Cafe. Yes you read right... the gift shop! No tickets required or the need to spend hours on the road. I know a it's not real zoo or museum, but really...

E's not even 2 yet. ALMOST... but not yet. 

Fake animals are less terrifying and overwhelming... 

Plus there were some pretty awesome aquariums inside the shop that E was just mesmerized with. Hey at least the fish were real. ;)

We learned about the different animals (elephants, birds, crocodile, gorillas, etc.) and used them to work on his counting and identifying the different colors.

He also found these little guys while walking around with daddy and had a blast playing with them - moving their arms and legs around, lining them up in a row, talking and smiling at them. His little friends ended up coming home with us...



We left shortly after and stopped for some lunch before heading back. We got home just in time for his afternoon nap. It really didn't take much, but E was happy and that made us happy. :) As he grows older, we'll adjust of course according to how he is... but for now, this works for him and we're glad.

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By the way, have you all heard about the newly launched Better Blogger Network? I just joined and have been enjoying their posts so much! I especially loved this cute quote they shared last week:



Also one last thing. I usually dread asking for favors and even as I'm typing this I can feel my face turning red, but...

If you haven't already "liked" my FB page yet, I'd be so so SO grateful if you'd take a minute and do that for me. For some reason, FB requires me to have at least 30 likes before I can gain better access to my page. o.O

To those who already have, THANK YOU so very much!!! :) :) :)

Be back tomorrow with a fun DIY involving stenciling! 

DAY 5 - "BIRD"

Just popping in to share my photo for today. :) We got these free at West Elm a few years ago with our design dollars. There's a momma bird too hanging out on the other side of our mantle.  

From now on, I'll be sharing the rest of the photos on Facebook.  Please stop by if you haven't gotten a chance to yet!  :) 

Have a wonderful Saturday!

FRIDAY TREATS

These last two days have been so hot and humid here. It's only April and I'm already considering taking out my ice shaver. Just need some fresh mangoes and condensed milk... Mmmm :) 

I also wanted to take a minute and thank you all for your wonderful feedback on the recipes this week! I had no idea so many of you were fans of spicy foods too. ;) I also have some lighter recipes prepared for next week so be sure to check back. 

Ok on to this week's treats! Doesn't #3 look absolutely delicious??! :D

1) What an adorable paper plate basket by SarahHearts using washi tape!

2) These pretty thumbtacks by Torie Jayne would make beautiful earrings...

3) Dole Pineapple Whips by Prudence Pennywise... uhhhhh YUM!!!

4) For my blogging friends, check out these beautiful (free) patterns by August Empress.


5) I found this on Pinterest, but unfortunately I was unable to source it. (If anyone knows where this is  from, please let me know.) I love this idea of letting the kids decorate their own cake.

6) I'd probably never leave the house if I had this Beckam Pit Sectional! ;)

Have a fantastic weekend!

REFLECTIONS + BLOGGING TIPS/RESOURCES

via

I have a special post for you today about my experiences thus far with blogging. I know this may sound surprising, but before last fall I was kind of oblivious to this world of blogs. I knew "about" them... just never really got into them. Then I started watching the Nate Berkus Show and was instantly hooked. (By the way... am I the only person who didn't know his show got canceled? I just found out a little while ago. So sad.) It was during these afternoons when I was introduced to the most amazing bloggers like John and Sherry @ Young House Love. Their blog was the very first one I started reading/following and then from there Kate @ Centsational Girl, Jen's @ IHeartOrganizing, Kate @ The Small Things and Christine @ Just Bella... just to name a few. ;)

All these blogs inspired me to create my own this January and that's when "Enjoyer of Grace" first got started. To be honest, I didn't think it'd be too hard and didn't realize just how much time really went into keeping a blog. From the time spent on projects, to taking all the pictures, to editing the pictures and then writing up the posts and then editing those before hitting that "PUBLISH" button... yes those hours can really add up.

And then there's the blog design... I didn't know a thing about html codes when I first got started. Who knew that creating a clean and user-friendly blog would require so much work behind the scenes?? But now I know (and knowing's half the battle... my husband loves this quote from G.I. Joe and it somehow stuck with me hehe) and after spending hours upon hours of researching and editing, I decided to share my findings to spare you all the frustration that I went through. I put together a few tutorials that really helped me when I first got started. For my dear fellow bloggers or aspiring bloggers, this is for you!

HOW TO:

Create a blog header/banner using Picasa 3

Memories on Clover Lane

Create a thumbnail gallery 

How Sweet It Is

Create a grab button and add it to your blog 

Paper Heart Camera

Center your post and date titles 

Cinsarah

Center your navigation bar/page links 

Cinsarah

Center Blogger Adsense in sidebar

Southern Speakers

Remove space between blog posts 

Southern Speakers

Remove frames from your pictures and signature 

Cinsarah

Add a "Pin It" button to posts 

Kevin and Amanda

Add the Facebook "Like" button to posts 

The Mommy Chronicles

Mad Tomato

Create and add social media buttons 

Sweet Verbana

If there's anything else you have questions about, please feel free to leave a comment or email me @ enjoyerofgrace@gmail.com... whichever way is most comfortable for you. :)

Yes, blogging is a lot of work and I'm still learning everyday how to find balance and not let it consume all my time. However I still love it and appreciate all the friendships that I've formed with many of you! :) Thank you again for all your sweet comments, emails and helpful tips along the way. 

Have a great Monday!

NEED A GOOD LAUGH? :)

via

Ummmmmmm... so yeah, my wonderful husband shared this with me today. Do you think he's trying to tell me something? ;) 

I have so much lined up for this upcoming week... some blogging tips/resources, yummy recipes that will make your mouth burn (in a good way!), and even a little makeover! I can't wait to share them with you!

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend! :)

FAVORITE KITCHEN GADGETS

Today I am linking up with Centsational Girl and sharing our favorite kitchen gadgets! Here are my top four favorites that I use the most:

1) Tatung Rice Cooker - Almost every Chinese/Taiwanese family swears by it and almost every one of them has at least one... or in my parents' case three! I'm not even sure if there's anything that you CAN'T cook in this thing. I've seen my parents make rice, soups, stews, steamed buns and veggies, and even fry noodles straight in this pot. I personally loved it for steaming veggies and fruits for E when I had to make his baby food.

2) Aerolatte Milk Frother - Like many of you know, my husband and I are HUGE coffee and tea drinkers. We grind up fresh Ruta Maya coffee every morning and usually have an earl grey tea latte every night. For the longest time, we would use the typical Coffee Mate creamers. (coconut's our favorite!) However this past winter, I replaced my Bodum milk frother with this Aerolatte and have been the biggest fan of frothing ever since! There's something about warmed frothed milk that completely transforms our coffee and tea experiences. I can honestly say that I haven't felt the need to stop by Starbucks or any coffee shops since I started frothing! :D

3) Michael Graves Mortar & Pestle - I love how easily this grinds up ingredients that I frequently use like peppercorn and fresh herbs! I also use it to grind up dried herbs to help release more flavor. Plus it makes me feel like a real chef. ;) I found this one at Marshall's for $8!

4) Back to Basics Ice Shaver - Shaved ice is one of my favorite things to eat during the summer. We love it piled with lots of ripe mangoes and sweetened condensed milk! Yum!

What kitchen gadgets/tools can YOU not live without?! Come link up and share! :)

FRIDAY TREATS

Happy Friday, friends! :) This week I wanted to round up a few of my favorite kid-friendly spaces. As much as I love decorating and putting rooms together, I often have to stop and consider how E will live in that space and how to make it comfortable for him too. See how different families were able to incorporate style while creating a space that their kids feel is their home as well.

via Enviable Designs

via Kid-Friendly Decorating Tips @ Apartment Therapy

Source

source

via Feldman Architecture

via LDa Architecture & Interiors

I've also been working on a few fun DIYs that I can't wait to share with you all soon...

so stay tuned!

Have a lovely weekend! =D

{REMINISCING} YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

It's been a while since the three of us took a trip anywhere. Our last big trip was to Jackson Hole, Wyoming when E was only three months old. Yellowstone National Park was simply breathtaking and definitely one of the most gorgeous places we have ever been. Every morning we would grab a coffee at Tully's before heading towards the park. It took us about an hour before we actually got in, but even the drive there was a sight to behold! Wide open spaces, clear blue skies, and majestic mountain landscapes surrounded us at every turn. About every 10 minutes the scenery would change... it was never a boring drive! Because we went in October we also got to catch the beautiful foliage.

The park itself was GINORMOUS and impossible to cover in one or two days. Luckily we had a whole week there though so we took our time to explore the area. We saw so many amazing things from huge herds of roaming buffaloes to majestic waterfalls. Here are a few of our favorite shots for your viewing pleasure! 

Being out there was such a nice break away from the busy chaos of everyday life. We spent a week just relaxing and taking in all the beautiful scenery. Creation itself truly speaks and testifies of our wonderful God. :)

"For the invisible things of Him, both His eternal power and divine characteristics, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being perceived by the things made, so that they would be without excuse;" ~Rom. 1:20

We're thinking of maybe visiting Yosemite for our next trip. Has anyone been there before or have other recommendations? We'd love to hear from you!

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend! :)

Much grace,