Sunday Sunshine

Practicing contentment by remembering the graces of the week and practicing gratitude by giving.

This week brought some time in the candle room.  I was able to make some great headway in in organizing and pouring.  I'm just about ready for the summer!

It also brought lots of time "ou-SIDE!" as G-Tot loves to say.  We were loaned a Little Tikes play set for the summer, complete with two slides.  The morning after is arrived in our back yard, I was confronted with at two-year-old who wanted to go ou-side to "side" at 7:30 am.  In a "yes Mom" moment, I said "Sure!" and bundled her up and out we went.

I was gifted alone grocery time on Friday (Thanks HandyMan).  I also managed to get sucked into a book, finish it and have the house not crumble around me.  I planted spinach and worked with my little garden helper to water a couple days this week.

Now the sun is out and it was a good week.  I hope you can find the good in your week!

Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.” (James 1:16 -The Message) May the light of the Father brighten your week!

Saturday's Pertinent Posts

I have a number of blogs that feed into my Google Reader.  Those blogs often link to other blogs and I end up with all kinds of ideas in inspirations.  Some speak to me as a mom, others as a home manager and others are just fun.  Here are a few of the posts that I found pertinent for my world this week.  Maybe there's something here that will help you out too!

:: I love the printables at 1+1+1=1 and this week Carisa posted some cute Birthday Printables.

:: What Megan's Making always inspires me.  Now I'm just waiting for a good excuse to make this amazing looking Dark Chocolate Cake with Hot Chocolate Frosting.

:: Life as Mom linked up a bunch of frugal meals as part of an Eat Well, Spend Less series.   I garnered lots of ideas for my summer menus.  I love this kind of help in the meal planning department!

As it would be, I can't find the link to the most helpful blog of the week in our house... so stay tuned and I'll summarize it for you here in a couple days!

Tuesday Garden Party: The Early Bed

In our area, winter is finally loosening it's grip and I'm anxious for some fresh produce!  Our local produce stand opens this week and not a day too early as I've used up most of the veggies from the freezer and cringe at the grocery store prices on most produce right now!

Over the winter when thoughts of spring were trapped under days and days of sub-zero weather, I read about how Jamie at An Oregon Cottage used row covers to extend the growing season.  I was fascinated and the dreams began to grow.  Could I have green beans before July?  Tomatoes before September?  Oh IMAGINE!

Then I got a catalog with at $25 off coupon.  I had to do it.  So I purchased the row cover and started looking for ways to make the hoops to hold the cover up over my long garden bed.  The home improvement places didn't have anything to help, so I started thinking outside the box and here's what I came up with:



Hula hoops from Dollar Tree!  I pulled the ribbon off and stashed it  - I have ideas for the ribbon, but that's another post.  I separated the hoops placed them over the bed.  We had to trim them down a little, but the pruning shears did the job.



Handyman spent some time out in the garden last week with GBaby and turned all the soil.  Isn't it pretty!  The fabric came in a 10x10 sheet so I cut it in half.  The 5x10 sheets will be used as frost protection and I have a second sheet that will be used for more of a "hot-house" type protection.





I took the sheets and sewed fabric scrap strips along the inside to tie the sheets to the hoops.  I ended up using some clothespins on the ends too.  It needs a little bit more shoring up along the short posts on the end of the bed and I think it will be ready to go.

Last night we had some pretty decent winds and it held up really well.  I was afraid that it was going to double as a kite if the winds kicked up, and glad I was wrong.  I'm planning on planting broccoli and spinach in the next week-and getting the other two pieces of fabric ready to go.  We'll see how that all plays out!

This post is linked up at An Oregon Cottage's Tuesday Garden Party.

Monday Sunshine

Practicing contentment by remembering the graces of the week and practicing gratitude by giving.

Sunday slipped away from me and was filled with great time with friends, rest and time outdoors.  Last week was wonderfully productive around here and I feel accomplished in all the completed chores and projects.

It brought the small blessings of alone grocery shopping and toddler snuggles. Games with Handyman and dinner with friends. Seeing the grace of provision and budgeting creativity.   Warmer weather and time outside with the bubble machine rounded out the week.

It was a good week.  I hope you can find the good in your week!

Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.” (James 1:16 -The Message) May the light of the Father brighten your week!