Wonderful Wife: "Bike Ride"

I was amazed at how much more our marriage came alive after I finally said "yes" to my husband's repeated invitations to go bike riding with him.  He wanted me to go with him so badly he even picked out and surprised me with a new bike with a baby seat attached on the back so we could go anytime without needing to find a babysitter. 

I quickly noticed that I was feeling happier and more energized, my toddler loved our rides and especially the stop at the park at the halfway point.  It was also like a daily date time.

Those bike rides really did change our relationship to an even more closely linked and happily newlywed type feeling again.

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Holiday Hair: Heart Halo

Happy Valentine's Day!

Although I haven't been there in a while, I am sure these ideas came into my head because of posts on Babesinhairland. In the pictures above,  I just did three corkscrew braids (two on the right side of her head and one on the left)  and connected all three at the bottom.  Then using white ribbon I wrapped it around the left and middle corkscrew braids to make a heart shape. 

 

This one is a fun memory from last year.  We used red yarn.

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Sweetheart Special

Sweetheart Special

Heart shaped cookie cutters on toast and fried egg+natural fruit strawberry jam and plain greek yogurt+a pink smoothie served in red crystal goblets=one happy sweetheart.  Too bad mine isn't here to serve it to . . . so I will send him a picture instead.  Enjoy, my Special Sweetheart!

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Truly Tender: "Loving Little Hands"

My littlest one loves lotion.  It is a special treat to her whenever I stop long enough to let her put some lotion on her hands.  I realized that special moment is simple and easy to do and I can still continue with what I need to do afterwards.  The couple of extra minutes gives me some breathing time and it helps her feel loved.  Soft hands are just a bonus.

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Musical Motivation: Music Can Transcend Time

"Music has the power to relieve pain, to transcend time.  It is a universal language which unifies and crosses language barriers . . ." (Michael Ballam "The Healing Wings of Music").

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For tips on teaching children's music in church or at home see my Music Blog

Valentine's Day Breakfast

Blend a small amount of canned beets (not pickled beets) in your blender and add them to your pancake or waffle batter for a pink surprise.  (I didn't use her recipe but I got the idea from "Deceptively Delicious" by Jesica Seinfeld)

I made the pink juice by:

•  draining 1 can of pineapple, 1 can of pears and puting the juice in my pitcher (I use the ones canned in natural fruit juice, not sugar syrup)
• draining a can of beets (I don't reserve the juice from the beets since it creates a taste that is too strong).
• In a juicer, juice the pinapple, pears,  1/2 of the beets and 1 large sweet potato (uncooked and unpeeled).  Then add the juice to the pithcer with the other reserved juice. (If you don't have a juicer, you could create a smoothie.  If you use the juicer remember that the pulp can be used to make great muffins, pancakes or quick bread . . . be creative) 
• What a healthy and festive drink!  It tastes somewhat like drinking a watermelon nectar.

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Simply a Supermom: Rachel with Sun Swing Media

Rachel Leavitt and her husband, Brent, have started an online business with a goal to create and share uplifting children's media.  My daughter and I recently watched the first video: "The Decision."  Their videos are based on stories from the Friend Magazine. 

This particular story is valuable because in a short, simple way it teaches the importance of not only avoiding pornography, but even more importantly teaches children the importance of going to their parents when they come across pornography and giving their parents a chance to share their good decision with them.  Children are much safer this way than if they try to figure out what they just saw by going on an Internet search themselves or by just feeling strange inside and having no one to help them understand why they feel the way they do. 

I am very impressed with this video and the lesson it teaches.  A perfect   teaching moment to share with your children in a very fun, non-confrontational way.  I highly recommend it.

Thanks Rachel for being a supermom and helping all the rest of us teach our children in this fun and creative way.

See http://www.sunswingmedia.com  for more information or too view "The Decision" or any of their other videos.

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