You might be ready for spring but is it your home? Don’t forget your front door! Your front door is the first thing people see so setting the tone is important! If you don’t yet have a spring wreath check out this post for how to make your own Easter wreath or spring wreath- these are super easy! One doesn’t even require any glue!
Gather your supplies
What You Will Need:
A Grapevine Wreath (mine is 12 inches)
Faux Moss
Brown Moss
3 Small Faux Eggs
Dried Flowers (if desired)
Hot Glue Gun
1. Decide where on your wreath you want your nest to be located; I like mine around 4-5 or 7-8 looking at the wreath as if it were a clock.
2. Start by gluing a small amount of moss onto the wreath. Be liberal with the glue- this is your foundation for your wreath and you want it to be secure! Also, use enough moss to be sufficient to be the bottom of your nest- this is where your eggs will go!
3. After you have your base as big as you want, start to build up the sides of your nest by placing a small amount of glue on the edge of the moss to build up the sides. Work your way around the edges in small chunks, (so your glue doesn’t harden before you get to it!) taking 4-5 sections to make your whole way around the nest.
4. Once you are happy with the edges and your nest you will take the brown moss and repeat the same process that you did in step 3 around your green nest base.
5. You get to glue on your eggs! Don’t forget to lay the eggs out before you start gluing to make sure that they fit the way you want them to.
6. If desired, place a small amount of glue on the end of the flower stem before sliding it into the wreath.
You’re all Done!
No Glue Spring Wreath
What you will need:
A 12’ Grapevine Wreath
At least 3 different faux flowers (or artificial)
Flower arranging wire (any wire that isn’t too heavy a gauge will due)
Ribbon
pliers
1. Cut your flowers to the length you want: I like to have my greenery or filler be the tallest, feature my main flower front and center, and tuck the little flowers around the edges.
2. Arrange the flowers how you want them to appear on your wreath.
3. Cut approximately 1 inch of wire. Lay the flowers on the wire and twist the wire closed. Use your pliers to tighten the wire so that it securely holds the flowers.
4. Place the bouquet where you want it on your wreath.
5. Cut a piece of ribbon (about 16 inches depending on how long you want your ends to be) and slide it under the wreath.
6. Wrap the right side of the ribbon clockwise around the wreath, then wrap the left side around the wreath, this covers the bouquet and wire nicely so that they don’t show.
7. Securely double-knot the ribbon, you want it to be tight so your bouquet doesn’t move! And tie a pretty bow!
8. Display your pretty wreath!
And that’s all there is to it! I hope if you are needing a wreath to welcome people into your home that this helps inspire your creativity and that you can have fun creating your own wreath- happy spring!
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So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
Ephesians 5:16 NLT
I graduated high school ready to shake off the shackles of high school and get going with life. I was ready to get started doing what I wanted to do with my life. We spend the first 18 years of our lives doing our time; as babies, we have to learn the fundamental skills to live, then we spend 12 years in school learning life skills and the basics for life, as well as getting an understanding of what further education we might desire—if any! I had made the decision to pursue beauty school. It was a short program that would leave me with skills I could use to build my future. Success would be up to me. If I worked hard I could build my book of clients; I could find a niche and start to specialize in what I might specifically like to do—hair on a cruise ship, wedding hair … there were so many options! It was going to happen to this world—it was not going to happen to me!
It was much to my chagrin then that two years later I found myself absolutely miserable in what was supposed to be the career of my dreams. I sought the opinions of people in my life who I respected and asked whether I should throw in the towel or keep going in the beauty industry. I was largely encouraged to keep going so for another year I kept going. And I was miserable for another year. By this point, I was even more defeated. I felt like I had just wasted another year of my life.
After much deliberation, my husband and I decided that it was time for me to leave the beauty industry. The next few years were rough as I tried to figure out exactly what I wanted to do—go back to school, start a business, work a job in which I could work my way up…. To spoil the ending, everything worked out. I started a business and when that still wasn’t quite right, I started a second one. All the while I felt like I was wasting time. I have always been hyper-aware that life is so very short and I have never wanted to waste a moment of it, so this season was agony for me.
There are seasons of life when we will simply be doing our time, working towards an end we cannot yet see. This was one of those seasons for me. During these times we may feel like we are not good stewards of our time as Ephesians 5:16 urges. However, sometimes seasons like these are faith-building seasons where we have to trust God to show us the next right step to take—not necessarily the whole path! We need to remember that just as Jesus told the lame man to get up and walk, we need to just look at the next right thing in front of us and take the first step. It doesn’t have to be the first step of the mapped-out plan for the rest of our lives that we might like it to be; it might just be the first step that we can see, but I believe that if we are seeking God with all our hearts, He will illuminate the way before us as we need to see it.
Romans 12:6 says that we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us, and we are to use our gifts accordingly (paraphrased). Each of us was created with certain gifts. And we are to use that gift. As a side note, just because you are unsure of what your gift is doesn’t mean that you don’t have one!
My personal conclusion this far through life is that it may not necessarily matter what we do, but it does matter that we are using the gifts that God gave us! There are many different ways to use our gifts and skill sets. In the work I do now I use the same gifts I’ve been given as I did as a cosmetologist. But applying these gifts in a different way allows me to feel more fulfilled than I did in my first field.
If you are feeling unfulfilled and restless in what you are doing in your life, I urge you not to spend your life doing something in which you feel unfulfilled. There is so much opportunity and so many different ways to use the gifts we’ve been given. For a season we may just have to do our time, but let us not get stuck in this rut! As the Bible says, our days are short on this earth—let’s do our best to use our time well.
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“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and let your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Matthew 5:37 KNJV
I remember being devastated as a young child when one of my teachers at the daycare I attended didn’t keep her word to me—at least at first. I don’t know why she picked me, but one of the teachers saw my love of Barbie dolls and told me she had a special Barbie doll, a collector’s edition, that she would bring in for me. I was so excited! There were few things I loved more than Barbie dolls!
I was actually excited to go to school the next day—my new Barbie doll would be there! But it wasn’t. My teacher had forgotten it. She was sorry and said that she would bring it the next day. I eagerly went to school the next day and found—no Barbie. It went on like this for what seemed like an eternity (but I’m sure was only a week or 2) when I finally began to give up hope. I realized that I might never get that Barbie doll. Then, one day my teacher arrived with the bag in hand! She had finally remembered the Barbie doll and my hope was restored! My teacher finally came through on her word!
There have been bigger things in the years since that people have said, done, or promised me that haven’t come to fruition. I’m chagrined to admit I have probably inadvertently done this to others as well. But I really remember the disappointment of not getting my Barbie right away and then the joy when she was finally given to me!
This reminds me (on a much lesser scale) of the story of Joseph in the Bible. Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers. Offense Number 1. Joseph was sold to Potiphar, one of the most powerful men in Egypt. He worked his way up to being the head of Potiphar’s household only to be falsely accused of attacking Potiphar’s wife. Joseph was thrown in jail. Offense Number 2. While there, Joseph worked his way up yet again, as an overseer of the other prisoners. One day Joseph interprets the dreams of two of the prisoners, one was the chief cupbearer to Pharaoh. Joseph says the dream means that the cupbearer will be restored to his post. Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him to Pharaoh which the cupbearer promises to do. What really happens? The cupbearer forgets. Offense Number 3.
Can you imagine how Joseph must have waited with bated breath, thinking that the cupbearer would remember his word and Joseph would find himself freed from the cell in which he was being wrongfully kept—only to have those hopes slip lower, and lower, day after day. I wonder if he felt bitter. He had done the cupbearer a huge favor interpreting his dream—how could the little weasel forget him?
Joseph was probably about out of hope when suddenly the jail door opens, and Joseph is taken out, cleaned up, and presented before Pharaoh as possibly the only man in all the kingdom who could help Pharaoh out by interpreting his bothersome dream. The cupbearer had finally come through!
Joseph was finally freed—that’s the part we all remember about the story, but what about his days of agony waiting, desperately hoping that the cupbearer would keep his word? I imagine that the cupbearer felt more than a little guilty when he finally remembered Joseph! I don’t want to play the part of the cupbearer in people’s lives. I want to be the one who keeps their word. The Bible tells us to let our yes be yes and our no be no. How often do we say something only to forget about it, and when we remember we justify our inaction by telling ourselves that the other person probably forgot everything we said to them? But would they? Would you?
Think about your own life—have you been devastated by someone breaking their word to you? Do you want to inflict that same pain on someone else? Let us endeavor to be the people who can be counted on to do what we say when we say we will.
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The average American family wastes about 40% percent of the food that they buy each year (according to the FDA), which roughly converts to around 250 pounds of food wasted by the average American family. That’s huge! What would you do if you got almost half of the money that you spent on groceries back each year? With groceries up roughly 11% across the board from last year that is a lot of wasted money, not to mention resources that could be put to better use. I have done some research, thought about what grandma did, and put together a list of some ways you can keep your food fresher longer, and save money. Be sure to read the whole list—I am willing to bet there’s at least one idea you haven’t heard of yet!
General Good Practices
Get it Ready
If you buy food that is going to take some prep work before you can eat it (like whole carrots or celery), do this as soon as you get home while you are putting your groceries away—that way you’re ready to grab and go!* If you eat a lot of cut veggies you may want to invest in a veggie chopper. This will drastically decrease the amount of time you spend in the kitchen!
*A Note About Whole Carrots: I recently learned that buying whole carrots and washing them well but not peeling them is good for your gut! There are probiotics present on the skin of the carrot (those little black dots on the carrot)! Check out the podcast that I learned that on here.
Keep it Fresh
Placing paper towels in the bottom of your produce drawer soaks up moisture and keeps your veggies from rotting prematurely. I recently started using these drawer liners from Norwex which can be easily washed and reused and, unlike paper towels, have the added benefit of inhibiting the growth of bacteria within the liner.
Remember those carrots and celery we were just talking about cutting up? See how long they stay fresh once you place them in a little bit of water in an airtight container. There’s a reason there’s always water in those bags of baby carrots!
Asparagus: Store your asparagus with the ends in a little bit of water in a glass or open jar—it will stay fresher this way.
Wilted Lettuce or Bell Peppers: If you have some lettuce that is wilted or bell peppers that are getting wrinkly, cut the peppers in half and soak them. Do this right before you are ready to use them and you’ll be amazed at how much they revive!
Mushrooms: I haven’t tried this one, but wrapping your mushrooms in a paper towel before storing them should keep them from getting slimy.
Herbs: You can freeze herbs like you would other veggies to keep them from going bad. Another way to do this, which I especially like, is to add oil to them and then freeze the herbs in an ice cube tray. When you need to use the herb you will already have the oil there ready to go!
Fruits
Berries: For most of your berries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, rinse them really well when you get them home then let them dry really well—like really well, then transfer them to an airtight container.
Grapes: Unlike most fruits and veggies, grapes will last longer if they are not washed right away. Grapes naturally have a white film, called the “bloom” on them which helps protect against moisture and decay. Wait until you are ready to eat your grapes before washing them.
Lemons: It is usually much more cost-effective to buy a bag of lemons than an individual lemon but will you use it in time? Storing lemons floating in water will keep them fresher longer. Alternatively, you can always freeze the juice of a lemon in an ice cube tray so you have tablespoon amounts of it at the ready. You can also freeze lemon peel.
Cheese: I’m going to start doing this one: rub butter on the end of your block of cheese that you sliced off. The butter will seal the moisture into the block and keep it from getting dry.
Pantry Items
Salt and Sugar: If you live in a humid climate and have salt or brown sugar that is sticking, try storing them with another food to help absorb the moisture.
For salt, add a few grains of rice to the salt shaker to absorb the moisture.
For brown sugar: try adding a marshmallow or even a small piece of bread to keep the sugar from turning rock hard. If your sugar is already hard, throwing in a marshmallow can still help.
Flour and Beans: It really takes forever for dried beans to go bad and it takes flour a long time to get stale too. But if you live in an area where you have to worry about bugs getting into your food it may make sense to take the time to seal your food. Sealing your food in bags that you can vacuum seal is a cost-effective way to keep your food good for a very long time. I have used a vacuum sealer over the years and have been very happy. I have even sealed then frozen Christmas cookies! I thawed them out and took them to a Christmas party and still had people asking for my recipe. 😉
While we’re on the subject, beans are pretty cheap no matter how you buy them but dried beans are about half the price of canned. You may have to eat a lot of beans to make this difference felt in your budget but hey—every little bit can count!
Honey: Honey never really goes bad but it can crystalize but you can fix it! Try carefully heating the honey in the microwave or soaking your glass jar of honey in hot water to revitalize it.
Salvaging the Scraps
What To Do With Veggies That Have Already Seen Better Days: If you have tomatoes that are on their very last leg; try turning them into sauce or roasting them and then storing them in oil for another week!
Overripe Fruit: The same goes for overripe fruit as with tomatoes. You can cook the fruit down to make preserves or apple sauce. Another option I enjoy is to turn the fruit into a cobbler. In either case, you generally want your fruit to be slightly overripe.
Freeze: You can always freeze fruits and veggies before they are bad. Frozen overripe bananas can be thawed to make banana bread.
I also froze a bag of fresh asparagus that we hadn’t gotten around to eating. I thawed it and we ate it. I realized that buying asparagus fresh and freezing it is more cost-effective than buying a bag of frozen asparagus—by about 50%! Generally, it is cheaper to buy frozen fruits and veggies but not always. Keep your eyes open!
Freezing Meals: If you make something like lasagna and don’t feel like eating it for a week, freeze half for later.
Saving the Scraps
So what to do with the peeling from the carrots? The stem of your mushrooms? The tops of your celery? Save these scraps (again you can freeze them) and you can make stock out of them. I have been making my own chicken stock (do you know how good bone broth is for you??) and adding these veggies to flavor it, but you can make vegetable stock too. Not only will this be a healthier alternative than adding a bouillon cube but you get to use your scrape and save money by not having to buy stock.
What to do with all the stock you made? That’s right, freeze it! I like to freeze mine flat in gallon storage bags but you can also freeze it in an ice cube tray and then transfer the cubes into a bag after they are frozen.
I hope there’s at least one new idea in here that can help you keep your food fresher longer and if not—help you to salvage some almost expired food before it goes bad. Do you have any food saving methods that I didn’t mention here? Connect with me on social media—I’d love to learn from you too!
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By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
Exodus 13:20&21 NIV
I have always had a hard time relating to people in ancient times because life just seems like it had to be so much harder back then. Can you imagine? Can you imagine if you didn’t work, you literally would not eat. A simple scratch could result in infection and turn lethal. Invading people could come into your cities at night and kill you in your sleep. These are things we just don’t have to worry about now! But this week I was reading in my bible and for the first time I thought; maybe they had it easier back then! Let me explain…
I was reading about the Israelites, oh the Israelites, and their years spent wandering around in the desert. On the one hand I can relate to some of the things they complained about; for instance, I’d get sick of eating the same thing day and night for almost 40 years too! I would also get sick of the nomadic lifestyle as I’m sure many of us who are used to settling—buying or renting a home—would be. God would show up as a pillar of fire at night and cloud by day and while he dwelt over them, they were in the right place, they didn’t have to move. Then without notice, the cloud would move and they would have to break camp (sometimes in the middle of the night) and follow! They had to move as God moved and follow Him.
I know I wouldn’t like the moving in the middle of the night lifestyle either! Still, there would be the peace of knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you were always in God’s will. You could see it—wouldn’t that be nice? How many times in your life have you questioned if you’re truly in God’s will? Have you thought that you had it pretty right but been unsure? We don’t have a pillar to guide us and tell us that we are in His perfect will, but we do have the Bible.
I think oftentimes we might use our fear of uncertainty as a crutch—are we really unsure that we are supposed to leave that job and embark on a new career or are we just scared? Are we procrastinating about doing what he has called us to and pretending like we don’t know what He has told us to do? Or are we being lazy? The Israelites might have had a cloud to guide them but we have God’s word… but do we use it? How many times in your life when you are doing the things that God commands—spending time reading His word, going to church, and spending time in prayer, have you questioned what His will is for you? My guess is that the answer is pretty clear. I’d be willing to bet (from personal experience, I admit) that the times when you question His will isn’t when you are doing all the things, but when we are neglecting one of the areas of our spiritual life that we know we should be investing in more than we currently are. Yes, there are exceptions, but God’s will isn’t a Rubik’s cube that no one can figure out. (I personally believe that the stickers on the Rubik’s cube rearrange themselves at night so that it continually remains unsolvable.) Rather, God’s will is something He is happy to reveal to us as part of a relationship with Him.
Just like we get to know anyone by investing in getting to know them, so we get to know God and His will by investing in getting to know Him. Have you been spending time getting to know Him as a friend? Have you been using all the tools He has given us in an effort to figure out His will? If not, there may be a pillar of fire right in front of you that you are missing!
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