I am an Oklahoman by birth, a Texan by current living situation, but claim the world as my playground.I love to travel and hope to someday soon take our family on adventures to far off lands, where we can share God with others and experience all the wonders He has created.
I am a mother of 5 crazy, homeschooling children ages 10 & under, wife to an amazing man, and daughter of the King of the Universe!I enjoy reading, making my kids laugh, cooking, all things natural, learning to play guitar and dusting off my piano skills.One day I hope to run again, but until then I’m learning patience.
Each season brings it’s own cravings and fun activities. It also brings many opportunities to do some soul searching, encourage each other and reach out to others! You’ll love these ideas to use either in your own family or gift them to others. We’ve gathered a great list of activities, crafts, recipes, printables, decor and more for you to create a fall to remember!
Soul Food
Let’s start by feeding our soul with a little of God’s fall flavor. McKenzie’s way of digging into Scripture through Bible Journaling is inspiring and definitely brings a new perspective to God’s word.
Sharing God’s love with others is a wonderful way to kick off the fall! Go on a Scavenger Hunt with friends, family or church group. Head out to your neighborhood or one that could use some tender loving care and love on the people there by doing different mini-service projects.
The first thing you reach for in the morning is coffee, right? Well, that’s my husband. I prefer hot chocolate or a protein drink. But as soon as I saw this deliciously, healthy version of a pumpkin spice coffee creamer I thought of him.
Ever since I was a child, desserts were what I enjoyed creating in the kitchen the most. As an adult, I still enjoy them but so enjoy finding recipes like this healthier apple crisp that chooses to not use refined white sugar, but instead adds an wonderful fall flavor by using maple syrup.
These frosted maple cookies have me licking my lips. I can’t believe I’ve never had these before. Have you?
I’m not one that enjoys shopping for clothes. I do, however, enjoy shopping with friends who enjoy shopping and finding cute things for me to wear. Now that I’ve moved into a warmer climate, I found this post about dressing for fall in a warmer climate to be helpful.
Weclome guest with fall before they even enter your home with this adorable Hoop Fall Wreath.
There are several fall themed signs for welcoming fall into your house.
If you prefer to just add subtle hints that fall has arrived consider adding these 3 accessories
Arts & Crafts
It would not be truly fall without crafts! Craft fairs and festivals are some of my favorite places to visit in the fall. I love seeing all the creativity and finding pieces that are draw in the season!
This Autumn Hand Print Tree is such a cute way to capture our children’s hand prints and this could totally be made into a card to send off to the first person that pops to mind.
Get the modge podge out and create a peppier fall look by mixing up the bright colors with your pumpkins!
There are so many wonderful activities to do during the fall. Visiting pumpkin patches is probably the first thing that pops to mind but don’t miss enjoying these other activities:
Make art out of pressed leaves and flowers by making your own DIY Nature Press!
Winding Down
There is something about fall that makes me want to gather with friends around my favorite drinks. Of course, Hot Chocolate will always be my favorite but since this is a fall round up post, I’ll share some others that are tempting me as well.
My Mother’s Quick and Delicious Apple Cider is one people always as about when they come over. It also makes a perfect gift for your neighbors!
One of my favorite fall treats is a caramel covered apple and this Caramel Apple Cider recipe seems to be the drinkable version of that treat!
And if you still need more ideas to dive into fall, check out these posts:
I am a recovering Army brat who loves to travel and start new adventures. My handsome husband and I met at Oklahoma Christian University and he whisked me away to Kansas. So, I bought some ruby red high heels and made Topeka my home. I have a rough and rowdy Princess 4-year-old girl, amazing twin boys (almost 3) and a newborn baby girl who all make every day an adventure. We are grateful to be part of an amazing church in Topeka who regularly challenges and encourages our whole family. I have been both a full-time working mom and a stay-at-home-mom and/or both at the same time at one point or another. I am constantly seeking God’s wisdom on “balancing it all” and following His plan for my life, not mine.
She challenged me to do fun things WITH my kids more often even if it means it might not turn out Pinterest-perfect. That little lesson has been tugging at the back of my mind as we approach the holidays with my almost three year old. This is such a magical age of understanding and excitement. How could I not capitalize on this finite time of being little and awesome? Well, I was not really one to enjoy group projects growing up, if you know what I mean. I’m a bit of a control freak. Guys, it’s a struggle!
BUT, I’m letting go and picking my battles because God is gracious to my ridiculousness and teaches me His ways instead. Slowly but surely. HA!
So, I’ve picked some specific crafts this year to do with my daughter throughout the season to teach and play and hopefully start some family traditions. I honestly can’t wait to include the boys next year. It will be so much more messy.
My first attempt was a Thankfulness Tree. I had grand visions of a home decor-worthy tree to accent our living room with sweetness.
Ha!
I knew I was going to have to let go and let her love the craft without taking over immediately. Laying out the paper and sketching the tree got…sketchy. PLUS the construction paper pack I bought didn’t have brown (WHAT?!) so I guess we have a Birch Thankfulness Tree.
Anyway, this really is a easy craft to do, whether you keep it up for the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, use it the week prior, or even fill it up on Thanksgiving day with the whole family!
Here is what I did, but you could do this in so many different ways!
I purchased a standard poster board from the craft store along with a big pack of construction paper in various colors. You will also need a pencil, glue stick, tape, and scissors. But THAT’S IT!
First, I set out a few pieces of construction paper (in white, but if you are cooler than me, you can really play around with the colors) and taped them together in a general tree shape. Next, I sketched a tree and branches with a pencil (not too detailed) and cut it out.
I then let my daughter use the glue stick. Oh, my!
It was actually fine.
See?
After realizing I have no skill at drawing leaf shapes, I googled leaf drawings and traced a few different varieties onto lots of different colors. TIP: Fold the paper into quarters and cut the leaf shape only once to get four. This size ended up being perfect.
My girl even helped fold the paper and draw leaf shapes too.
We had a great time.
Finally, I found a silver paint marker and wrote Psalm 107:1 on the bottom: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever.”
There are a TON of great thankfulness verses! I chose this one because it was short and simple enough for my daughter to memorize.
TADA!
I hung it on the wall at about her height (mistake because her twin baby brothers have tried to destroy it, but it has survived.)
Now every night, we say the verse together. Then we write something she is thankful for on a leaf and tape it to the tree.
I’ve had to let go of the tree aesthetic–I let her choose where to place the leaves–but she loves it and is very proud of our craft.
It has been so fun to hear what she is thankful for each day. To date, the list includes:
Apple juice, pants, lions, trees, Dad, Mimi, noses, pillows, and cars.
I encourage you to do this or something similar with your kiddos while they are small! It was SO EASY ! Even though I made it even simpler than I may have initially planned, I loved including my daughter in our craft. I think in the best ways, it is definitely Pinterest-worthy!
TIP: My mom had the idea to laminate the tree/background part so that it lasts for a few years. Then you only have to re-do the leaves. My mom is a teacher. Also, full disclosure, she made some of my leaves and hers look legitimately awesome. She has the gift.
Hello. I grew up traveling the world as a military brat. I ultimately felt God's pull to Oklahoma Christian University where I met my husband. We now have 3 beautiful children and have settled in Mustang, Oklahoma.I am a homeschooling mom and with 3 kiddos it is a full time job! I am daily encouraged by God's great patience and grace in my life. In my free time I enjoy reading and crafting.
Can you feel it? Here in the Midwest we have had the strangest weather this year, and I’m totally loving it! We’ve already had a handful of days that have me thinking about pumpkin bread, chai tea, and snuggly scarves. While the need for a scarf is still a month or two away, it’s never too early to decorate for fall! Try this easy and inexpensive DIY to get you in the mood for football and hoodies.
Step 1: Gather your supplies.
You’ll need:
A few inches of raffia, twine, or yarn to tie your bow together
Some decorative pieces (I chose a bundle of sparkly fall leaves and a little stuffed owl, both from Dollar Tree.)
A wooden or cardboard letter for your last initial
Approximately 16 inches of burlap wired ribbon (or whatever kind you prefer/have on hand)
Fabric strips in your color scheme–I use whatever scraps I happen to have in my craft stash. If you buy fabric for this project I’d say you need one yard at the most. A yard of fabric varies in width depending on the bolt, but in general is between 26-60 inches wide. Since you’ll use 4-5 strips that are between 6-9″ by 20-22″ long, you should only need one yard unless you get a very narrow bolt. I also advise looking at the scrap section at your local craft store.
Paint or accent fabric for your letter
A wire clothes hanger and a pair of pliers
Hot glue gun and extra glue sticks
Step 2: Shape your hanger into a circle.
First, use the pliers to untwist the wires on your hanger. Shape the wire into a circle and re-twist the wires. Don’t worry about it being perfect or pretty. It’s going to be totally covered, so just get the general shape and you’ll be good.
Step 3: Attach fabric to the wire frame.
Decide what width you want your strips. I used a lightweight fabric that doesn’t hold its shape well on its own. My strips of fabric were approximately 20-22 inches long. I recommend keeping them this size or smaller because you’ll need to roll them back on themselves to get everything glued down. My strips were about 9.5 inches wide, which for this fabric was almost too wide. I could have easily gone down a couple of inches and still had a great piece in the end. If you choose a heavier fabric such as burlap or an upholstery fabric, you can get away with going a bit wider. Fold the strip around the wire and glue the ends together. It should come out looking like this:
Step 4: Scrunch and glue the fabric around the wreath frame.
Take one end of your fabric and hot glue it to the wires where you twisted them together. Every two inches, grab your fabric, bunch it towards the first end you glued down, and glue it to the wire. It should come out looking something like this.
.
Continue adding strips of fabric around your wire, bunching and gluing them to the wire. Work with one strip at a time so you don’t wind up wasting any fabric. Once you have done most of the wire, leave a space for your accent fabric, if you wish to use an accent fabric. Mine wound up covered by my decorations for the most part, but I still think it looks good there!
Now it’s time to have fun!
Step 5: Determine placement of decorative items and attach.
Gather up your decorative supplies and arrange them on your wreath until you find what you like, then glue those babies down.
You see what I mean? A lot of good my accent fabric did since I covered it up, but alas, you gotta go with the flow on these types of projects. It wasn’t all wasted, however, since I used it to cover my wooden “P.”
Step 6: Decorate your letter.
If you want to paint your letter, now is a great time. If you choose to use fabric, I achieved the shabby look by tearing strips of fabric about an inch wide and scrunching them into the hot glue as I went around the letter.
Step 7: Make the bow.
Now, let’s make that bow. Grab some burlap ribbon. It’s totally a personal preference on how big you want your bow. My piece was about 16 inches long. Fold it so that both ends meet in the middle, overlapping them slightly.
Now pinch it together and use your twine, raffia, or yarn to tie it together. I chose raffia since I had it on hand, but you could easily use another type of ribbon or yarn that coordinates.
Step 8: Make the ribbon hanger.
Eyeball the length you want your wreath to hang and hot glue a piece of burlap ribbon around it. You will probably burn your fingers. I’ve found that a Popsicle stick can be a good glue smasher to keep your hands unscathed. I applaud you if you’ve made it this far without a single hot glue burn!
Glue your bow onto the top of your burlap hanger and you’re done! See that little owl in his green hat? Isn’t he the cutest? This wreath is a great way to brighten your front door for the fall season!
This DIY wreath is so easy and cheap that you can do it for every season of the year! Now you’ve got time and money left over to bless the neighbors with some pumpkin bread!
Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link to Tina’s new favorite frugal meal planning tool.
Last month, I shared some favorite grocery apps that can help save money. Served for today’s special is a side dish of Menu Planning! My hubby and I enjoy helping families learn how to budget, live within their means, save, and be good stewards of the resources God has given them. We are often asked for ideas on how to save money while getting out of debt. My hope is that these tips will be helpful for your family as well, in any stage of life. Today, I’ll share easy meal planning ideas to help save time, money, and sanity!
Meal Planning is a big deal. It’s time-consuming and if we don’t plan well, it can be more expensive than it should be.
(If you missed Part 1 about ways to save money on groceries, here it is.)
Hanging on to our hard-earned dollar bills a little longer means not only finding ways to cut back on grocery spending, but also having a plan for that spending. Here are a few helpful ideas for frugal meal planning:
Create Your Own Frugal Meal Planning Menu Planner
If you’re crafty and have the time to make it, a Hanging Menu Planner is the way to go. Here are some options:
Cork Board Menu:
If you’re like our friend Tia, you might get one made for you! Our friend Kayla made this cute board for Tia’s birthday. She bought a half cork/half dry-erase board at Walmart and decorated it. Tia can hang her eMeals recipe print-outs (more on eMeals below) and write notes for her kids on the other side. Tia says the best part is her kids no longer ask, “Mom, what’s for dinner!?” I love it!
Magnetic Board:
I love the one from Megan at The Homes I Have Made (http://thehomesihavemade.com/magnetic-menu-board-2/). She sells customizable templates for $6, so you just have to gather the supplies, print, and create. I’m working on creating mine!
Pinterest has an overwhelming supply of ideas and options, so just pick one you like and go with it.
Use a Frugal Meal Planning Menu Program
If you’re not so crafty or don’t have time to create, there are another gazillion time-saver menu planning ideas out there. I’ve tested several subscription and non-subscription online, downloadable, and app-based programs. Here are my favorites:
Pinterest “Weekly Meals” Locked Board:
I have a locked Pinterest board that I call “Weekly Meals.” This is the cheapest plan (free), but I do have to make my own grocery list and decide which day to make which meal. First, I pin a recipe to one of my other boards (faves, sides, sweets, etc) and then re-pin the recipes I want to make in the current week to the locked board. (This was not my original idea, I learned it from another blogger. Kudos to her, because it’s one of my favorite options!)
eMeals (My Highest Recommendation!):
Do you want to save money, time, eat well, and not waste food? Or maybe you don’t know how to cook? Then eMeals is for you! It’s by far my favorite of all the online planners. When my husband and I were getting out of debt, we actually saved $200/month on groceries by using eMeals! That’s just for two of us–we’ve heard of families saving a whole lot more than that. They have a wide variety of plans for different diets (classic, gluten-free, diabetic, vegetarian, paleo, budget friendly, simple gourmet, etc). They plan the meals and shopping around sales at your local grocery store. When they have you buy an ingredient for one meal, that ingredient will be used up in another meal, so it limits waste. (Is there anything in your fridge right now that you bought for one recipe, and haven’t used it since? Then you really need to check this out!)
Even paying $5/month for a one year subscription, which includes a free phone app, we still saved $200, and I no longer stressed about what to cook or how to cook it. Back to our friends, Kayla and Tia. They both started using eMeals for their families this month. Neither of them had previous experience with cooking much more than frozen pizza, but with this plan, they can cook! Shopping is made easy with a categorized grocery list; recipes are simple and easy to follow. You can occasionally find a Groupon to reduce the cost even further. Here’s one for a 6-month subscription: https://www.groupon.com/deals/emeals-12-little-rock. I can’t say enough about it! Here’s the link to eMeals website – there are free sample menus you can print & try it out! http://emeals.com/
I can save my pinned Pinterest recipes, edit and rate them, as well as any recipe I add via online or hard copy. The menu planner is stellar and the grocery list is superb. These guys have really thought of everything. Their pricing is reasonable too. Oh, and if your friends use it too, you can share any recipes you’ve uploaded or keep them in your secret recipes box. SO fun! My goal is to use Plan to Eat with my new Magnetic Menu Board to complement each other!
Combining money-saving apps with a meal plan, is a sure way to hang on to those God-given dollar bills a little longer. Next time: Hanging on to Dollar Bills by Yard Sale-ing & Yard Selling!
Toni was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma.She graduated from East Central University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics.After college, she returned to her hometown to marry her best friend, Charles.Toni is a stay at home mom to their three teens, two boys and a girl, whom God led them to homeschool.Her goal is to raise her children to love and serve the Lord.They live on a farm where they grow produce to sell at several farmers markets.She also plays the piano at church and teaches piano.
My husband and I love gardening. Okay, maybe “love” is too strong of a word. We certainly do enjoy it as it is a major source of income for us. The one thing that we dislike about our hobby/occupation is the WEEDS.
My husband and our two sons were working out in the garden one day about 12 years ago, when one of the boys asked, “Why do we have weeds?” My husband explained to the boys that when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that the weeds were a part of the punishment.
Then to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field.” –Genesis 3:17-18 (NASB)
Weeds and sin are the same! They both get in the way of productive lives. Weeds keep the plants you want to grow from thriving. Sin keeps us from thriving. It keeps us separated from God. When we are wallowing in sin and not living in God’s will, we cannot have a complete and full relationship with Him. The weeds (our sin) gets in the way.
In case you have been following my series on healthy eating and living, yes, this is the third installment in that series. (Check out post #1 & #2.) You may wonder what this has to do with being healthy. Well, the growing season has arrived. It is time to get out there and start planting all those fresh veggies. And, yes, you will have to toil and get rid of the weeds but you will have a great crop of yummy, healthy food to show for it.
Health Tip #3: Grow your own food. This not only gets you fresh vegetables to eat but it also gets you out of the house and into the fresh air and gets you active. This is especially good if you have children who are picky eaters. When they get involved in growing and preparing their food, they are more likely to try new things.
Gardening does not have to be difficult or a lot of work. Start with container gardening. You just need a few large pots. You can put a variety of greens in a pot now. Add some radish and carrot seeds to one side and you have fresh salad for weeks. You can put a tomato plant in another pot and squash in yet another. Just make sure that you get bush type plants/seeds for the plants that get bigger.
The maintenance of these pots is fairly simple. Start with a good growing medium. Do not use dirt from your garden as it can contain weed and grass seed.
Like us, your plants need to eat and drink. Do not overdo it. When the soil starts to dry out, water them. Periodically, I feed mine fish emulsion. This is available in garden centers or you can make your own.
One of the best things you can do if you’re a coffee drinker (make at home, not Starbucks) is add your coffee grounds.
Your tomato plants will also love your banana peels and eggshells. One more thing about the tomatoes is that if they are blooming but not producing, beat them with a broom. Yes, literally, run a broom back and forth over them and that will help pollinate them.
Just a few hours a week and you will have great-tasting vegetables in your own backyard.
Recipe: I’ll be sharing recipes for garden veggies in the next few posts.
Asparagus
1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T olive or grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat cast iron skillet over high heat. Add oil, then remaining ingredients, stirring constantly. Cook for about 3 minutes and serve.
Hello all!I am an Oklahoma girl, through and through!I was born here and after 5 years in Texas for college, I missed Oklahoma too much and just had to come back home with my Oklahoma husband to raise our Oklahoma babies! I met my husband in high school and fell we in love in college.We have 2 beautiful kids that are full of life and make me such a proud momma.I love to craft, journal, paint furniture, and decorate our Edmond home!See some of my creations at The Lettered Light www.etsy.com/shop/theletteredlight and IG:theletteredlight
Okay, has your interest been sparked?! Did you check out all the fun inspiration at IllustratedFaith.com? Are you ready to get started?! LET’S DO IT!
When I first started journaling in my bible, I didn’t have as many supplies as I have now. That is totally okay because I didn’t need much to get going. Just a Bible and a pen!
{These are dollar store pens and a pencil from the Target Dollar Spot. You don’t even need a special Bible!}
Something I must remember, even now, is that what I love about Bible journaling cannot be all about the tools and supplies. I have seen all too often people so caught up in having the newest, coolest thing on the craft aisle that they seem to miss the opportunity for devotion. I have to keep myself in check with this, too. It is very tempting to pick up one more stamp, sticker set, or a new pen to try. Don’t get me wrong: there is nothing wrong with trying new things, it’s fun!
I want to remind us all that our focus is not the medium for our art but the WORDS that inspire the art.
{This is an example of a simple entry using only pen. Seen here are my wide-margin journaling Bible and a regular margin Bible.}
When I sit down to start on a new scripture, I first write out the words in a sketchbook or on a scrap piece of paper. This is my meditation time. I literally write the same verse several times, if I need to. My goal here is for the words to speak to me. As soon as that begins to happen, certain words begin to feel more prominent and seem to speak loudly. I will start to write them bigger, and my verse will begin to take shape! Use this time to really concentrate on the words. Meditate on them and consider their impact on your life. What is the Lord wanting you to hear?
{A sample page from my sketch book, showing my meditation process.}
Through this process, I start to get a feel for how I want my verse to look and the shape I want it to take! Once I feel good about that and how the words have led me, I move on to the artsy part in my Bible. Like I said before, even if you only have pens and a Bible you can still enjoy this form of worship! I choose to focus on the words because I have always been fascinated by lettering, but some people prefer to illustrate with actual people or boats or animals, whatever the text suggests. There are no wrong answers here. Freedom of your own interpretation and expression at its finest.
{Here are some examples of entries with minimal tools but maximum impact! These are made with pen and either colored pencil or marker – things your kids may have in their art supplies!}
Don’t be afraid to get started because the Lord is ready to speak to you! As you go along, pick up a fun stamp or sticker set here or there to keep you excited, and before you know it you will have a library of tools to use. But…
Remember this: the Lord doesn’t need all of this to speak to you.
He only needs YOUR open heart and HIS open word, so grab a pen!
What’s your favorite verse?
Why don’t you start your faith journaling journey by illustrating that verse?
(We would love to hear about your journaling journey! Leave a message or tag us in your post. Add the hashtag #creatingagreatday to your art. We look forward to seeing how the Lord is moving through you!)
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Soul Food
