That's Pinteresting! - Kids

I'm keeping this one short & sweet.  Here are some pins that inspire me to be a better, more purposeful and practical mommy.

31 Ways to Pray for Your Children

Seven Keys to Help Children Develop Self-Discipline

Pillow Talk: 20 Questions to Ask Your Child at Bedtime

15 Easy Signs to Teach  Baby

Do you have any more useful sites to add?  Please do!

Baby Sign Language?

Baby G-O is pretty expressive and is certainly very animated, so I haven't had too much trouble communicating with her.

Still, I wonder if it would be worth it to try baby sign language with her until she has more control and increased skill with her speech.

What are your thoughts?  Have you tried it?  Would you endorse it?  IF YOU DO/DID, what resources or websites did you use to get started?

Please share!  I'd love to get your feedback and references.

Photo Friday - Spring Fever

I'm a California girl, born and raised (except for a brief time out of state).  If you know anything about the weather in the southern half of this beautiful state, you know that we are spoiled with pretty mild weather year-round.  Truly, it doesn't feel like winter.  As I look at the weekly forecast, every day is in the upper 60s to mid 70s and at least mostly sunny.

Granted, we do still have some bouts of colder weather that remind us not to pack away our cooler weather clothing just yet.

No, I'm NOT complaining.

Yes, I know that what we here in La-La-Land call winter is more like an awesome spring day in most parts of the world.  On those days we're here bundled in parkas, beanies, boots, and scarves and out-of-state visitors are welcoming the weather with tank tops and flip-flops.

Still...

I marvel at how God timed the seasons to last just the right amount of time.  At the start and close of each season I am perfectly ready for the change.  And at this time of year, I'm beginning to feel the itch for spring to have sprung.

It also makes me think of SPRING TRAINING.

Yes, you read that right:  I'm talking BASEBALL!

So my photos for this edition of Photo Friday are in honor of my hometown team: the San Francisco Giants.

Scottsdale Stadium--exclusive home of the San Francisco Giants during spring training.

I had to include the schedule.  Come on, people!

Let's get this party started!

I know this image is small, but I'm just thrilled that Posey should be back in the lineup this year.  Oh, how we've missed you, Buster!

That's Pinteresting! - Home Inspiration

I don't know about you, but I'm on a budget.  Now, just because I'm on a budget doesn't mean I can't spice things up around our home.  I like to decorate and redecorate with the seasons.  I'm no Sandra Lee (does she seriously have the storage space for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer in EVERY color and all the matching accessories to boot???), but I do like to reorganize, refresh, and repurpose.

Here are some of my home inspiration pictures.  I'm thinking paint and inexpensive accessories...or maybe using thrift store finds and my new sewing machine.  Possibilities, possibilities...

Painting blocks of color in Baby G-O's room:

Maybe some DIY stencil pillows:

What about neutral stripes in the Master?

Oh! How about MORE STORAGE for all of Baby G-O's stuff???

And while we're at it, let's stick to these five steps:

What are some of your best home decorating tips?  Any suggestions?  I'm all ears!

Monday Miscellany - Courageous

The Mr. and I rented the movie "Courageous" the other night and we were really moved by it.  Being new parents and all, it really struck home.  While it's not a popular idea in our society, the core message of the movie rings true: Every child needs a dad.  Each man who fathers a child has an obligation to raise, protect, and provide for that child and the child's mother.

Secular research has shown that children raised without a father (or a loving father) are incredibly more likely to become engaged in criminal activity.  It's not surprising to think that children who have been abused or abandoned would lash out in their adolescent and adult lives to cope with the pain and betrayal they were taught to accept as normal.  My heart breaks--absolutely BREAKS--for every child who has ever been a victim of abuse in any form.

Men, it is your duty to love, raise, lead, protect, and provide for your children.  The first step in doing that is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.  Seek Him and His ways and you will have all the resources you need to fulfill your duty as a father.

My hubby takes his role as a husband and as a father with the utmost seriousness.  I can't tell you how blessed we are by that.  He seeks the Lord in everything and he has such a heart for me and for our little girl.  I know that I am beyond fortunate to have such a loving man.  Believe me, I thank God for him every single day and I am humbled by God's grace and mercy to have blessed me with such a wonderful husband and friend!

Ok, ok...that's enough out of me.  I encourage you to rent / buy / watch "Courageous".  It's available at most Redbox locations.  If you do, tell me what you thought of it.

Photo Friday -- 10 Months Old!

Baby G-O has turned 10 months old.  Goodbye single-digits, hello double-digits...at least in months.

This little lady is an explorer, a giggler, a crawler, a cruiser, a climber, a splasher, an amazing eater, a pet chaser, and all-around sweetheart.  She'll most likely be walking soon, so we've been baby-proofing our home more and more, day by day.

Parenthood sure is an adventure--and we LOVE it!

We love you, Princess!

That's Pinteresting! - Craft edition

I have not tried these...yet.

This category is what really got me hooked on Pinterest.  I love looking at all the brilliant DIY and craft projects (and accompanying tutorials).

So, here are a couple that I look forward to trying out.  If you try them before I get a chance, let me know how they work out for you.

Make Non-Toxic Glitter:


DIY Mod Podge:


Watermark T-Shirt:


May you get inspired to try new things, too!

Monday Miscellany - The James Challenge

I'm not a big fan of new year's resolutions.  I find they usually don't last and are too vague to really be put in to action.  Rather than write out my reasoning, just read this succinct (and highly motivating) post by Money Saving Mom.

I'm not going to post my entire list of goals here, but I want to share one: The James Challenge.

My hubby and I want to be much more intentional about memorizing scripture.  Inductive bible study requires looking at scripture in context, so we want to apply that to scripture memorization as well.  I admit, I got the idea from the aforementioned post on MSM where she lists that she wants to memorize the entire book of Colossians. Instead of Colossians, Seth and I prayed about it and decided we wanted to memorize the book of James together.  It seems to be very relevant to our lives and has so much wisdom packed in to its five chapters.  It consists of 108 verses and we are memorizing small chunks every week and are giving ourselves one week (at the close of each chapter) to review and correct our memorization up to that point.

I also admit that I've been incredibly lax in my memorization of scripture, settling for getting the gist of the verses, not knowing where they're located without my Bible handy, and simply putting it off.  I have no problem memorizing song lyrics or scripts when they're fun...so why haven't I taken the time to really memorize God's Word?

To be honest, I have no excuse.  I've purely been apathetic.  O Lord, forgive me!

So I'm setting out to change that...with the Lord's help.

Seth and I are now in our fifth week of memorization.  We have memorized James 1:1-10 and are currently working on verses 11-12.  I truly believe it is the grace of God and His Holy Spirit that is helping us inscribe these words upon our hearts.

Please know that I'm not posting about this for my own glory.  My intent is to encourage and motivate other believers to heed the command to meditate upon the Word and to write it upon your hearts.  It really does make a difference in your walk with the Lord.  He will call scriptures to mind when you need them.  As you meditate on scripture, He will reveal new insights into them.  It's actually very humbling.

Definitely keep me accountable.  I covet your prayers as we work to fix these verses permanently on our hearts.

James 1:1-10:

1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

1:3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

1:6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

1:7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

1:8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

1:9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.

1:10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.

(NIV, updated version)

Photo Friday--Put a caption on it

I take pictures of G-O Baby every day.  Why?  Because I send pictures to my mom each day with a little snippet of what new things transpired to keep her in the loop since she lives several hours away.

I have seriously been rediscovering that a picture can say a thousand words.

But sometimes much shorter phrases come to mind...

...or quips...

...or delicious laughter...

Because, when you are photographing a baby, you are sure to capture some really funny and adorable faces.

I call this one "Napoleon Bonaparte":

This one says "I WIN!!!":

This one is simply sweet:

I have so many more to choose from, but I could go on forever.  Perhaps I'll do a future post and let YOU come up with the captions.  Now THAT would be fun!

That's Pinteresting! - Food

I'm a foodie and the food and drink category on Pinterest feeds my fancy.

Take a look:

Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring

Tyler Florence's Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Rich & Ruffled Chocolate Celebration Cake

What's not to love?  Alright, alright...the calories.  Just indulge in these once in a while and it won't be so bad.

Monday Miscellany - Super Bowl Ads

Super Bowl ads are usually the main reason I pay any attention to the Super Bowl.  If my team were back in it, well, then I'd have a different reason to watch...but they're not.  SO close, though.

But I digress...

I am so proud of one of our dear friends who just happened to be cast in a BIG commercial that aired during the Super Bowl this year.  This is a big deal, people!!!

Congratulations, Michael Nanfria!

Photo Friday--catching up

The last time I posted any pictures of our little G-O baby on here, she had just turned three months old.  She's now nine months old.  Didn't I mention how time FLIES???

What follows is a super quick photo recap of the last six months.

Four months old:
We dedicated our little miracle at church.  What a blessing! (Photos taken by Jorge Rodriguez)

Five months old:
Football season began and we truly fell in love with her expressive eyes.

Six months old:
Family portrait time! (Photos taken by Cross Eyed Photography)

Seven months old:

DISNEYLAND!  (She also took a photo with Santa at Disneyland for her Grannie Bug.)

Eight months old:
Christmas.  The birth of our Savior. :) And TEETH are visible (she cut her 1st at 6 mo., but you started to see it in pictures around now).

Nine months old:
Welcome 2012! Crawling, and standing, and cruising...oh my!

She's growing up so fast!

That's Pinteresting!

I'm a tad bit addicted to Pinterest.

Ok, fine...

I'm totally addicted.

It's definitely my guilty-pleasure of choice as of late.

Since I'm on there pretty regularly and am always finding new ideas for all sorts of things like crafts, diy projects, home decor, kid stuff, and so much more, I figured I'd start a new weekly post with some of the things I've found on Pinterest.  I'll share a few of the pins I've made and found.  Some pins will be useful.  Some will be silly.  Some will be witty and wise.  Some will be just because I like them...or at least something about them.

To begin, allow me to introduce you to Pinterest.

Pinterest is basically a virtual corkboard for you to organize images and links of interest on the internet.  It's like a visual grouping of your bookmarks.  It's pretty much genius. For example...

Say you go to an online store's website and see a lamp you like.  You can "pin" a picture of it on a board in your Pinterest account.  If you're trying to comparison shop and have found several different lamps you like, pin them all on pinterest.  Then you can go to your board grouping all your lamps and see images of them all together.

You can come up with your own titles and categories for your boards and you can have as many or as few as you would like.  All you have to do after that is get to pinning!

You can pin things you find on the internet or you can repin things you see on another pinner's board that you choose to follow.  You can even search the "Everything" page by typing a word or phrase in the search bar and see what other people around the world have pinned using those same terms.

Here are a few pins to get us started:

Something useful--a way to see what you really wear in your closet.


Something wise--thank God for all I have.


Something for the kiddos--fridge snack station.


And that's it.  Those are three of my pins from the boards Other DIY and For the Home.

If you like, you can follow me by joining Pinterest and finding me here.

Happy pinning!