Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Homemade Bug Spray

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I am one of those people who must have a neon sign to bugs that screams, “Come and get it!” Bugs like to chew on me and I used to spend most of the warm months scratching and itching.

I like prevention.

I don’t like using those commercial bug sprays. They smell disgusting and aren’t good to put on your skin. Whatever you put on your skin eventually makes its way into your bloodstream. Many of those commercial repellants have DEET and other poisons that are harmful to kids and pets.

We like to natural methods that bugs don’t like.

Sick bugs. Healthy kids.

We have the added fun bonus of icky ticks running rampant. I don’t want ticks on us. I know people who have contracted Lyme disease!

Natural Bug Spray

Homemade Natural Bug Spray

One oil will surely do the trick. We like to create a fun blend that’s just right for our family.

We love the scent of Lemongrass. A great fresh blend is Rosemary, Lemon, and Lavender. We diffuse that all the time at home!

We always diffuse Lemongrass when we go camping. Our campsite is the only one with no flies or mosquitoes!

I created my family’s favorite bug spray with Rosemary, Lemongrass, Lavender, Lemon, and Citronella.

It smells divine – not at all like those commercial bug sprays that I can almost taste after spraying. Yuck!

We haven’t noticed any problems with our recipe and it smells amazing. So amazing that people compliment us on our perfume!

My kids love to get all sprayed before we head out. They’re happy scents. Be aware that citrus oils are photo-sensitive and can lead to skin burning in sunlight.

These also work great diffused or sprayed where bugs like to enter our home or gather. We get fruit flies in the summer and don’t have screens on our windows in Germany. Rolladens don’t keep all the flies out. We often spray diluted peppermint around our windows and sinks to get rid of ants and spiders. Cinnamon is another great inexpensive nontoxic way to get rid of ants and more.

A blend of peppermint, clove, lemongrass, and geranium oils with a few drops of dish soap can be used to spray tabletops and other outdoor surfaces to deter wasps and other pests.

Bugs also don’t like vinegar. I clean my counters with white vinegar often in summer to keep ants away. Also, some recipes I’ve seen call for EOs with ACV. I don’t know if my kids would go for that scent!

You really just need two ingredients to make a natural bug spray. It’s super simple.

(Have you read the list of ingredients in a commercial bug spray?!)

Carrier oil:

  • Coconut oil for a cream or lotion – mix 8 oz. with 40-50 drops of essential oils. In hot weather, this will become liquid, so keep it in a cool place like the fridge or cooler for travel.
  • Witch hazel (or vodka) for a spray – mix 4 oz with 40-50 drops of essential oils. The witch hazel offers an added dimension to skin health and keeps the water from developing bacteria.

Add water to fill a spray bottle. You could make everyone his or her own personal blend in little bottles. Or make a larger family batch by multiplying the ingredients. With 6 of us, we go through a lot of spray. You can also add vitamin E if the spray dries your skin out.

Essential oils we love:

These essential oils can work as repellants to insects:

  • Rosemary
  • Citronella
  • Clove
  • Geranium
  • Lavender
  • Eucalyptus
  • Lemon
  • Cedarwood
  • Peppermint
  • Lemongrass (has been known to attract bees, so be aware of that)
  • Basil
  • Thyme

Be sure to use glass spray bottles and jars with essential oil products so you can reuse them again and again. Plastic will work for short-term use, but some of the oils might eventually corrode plastic. I just switch out the spray mechanism when it wears out.

If a sneaky bug does make it through that 1-millimeter-squared bit of space on your skin, Lemongrass works like a charm on the itch. Also Lavender with witch hazel is a great skin-soother, if you happen to step in an ant colony or some other tragedy. We also like these products for stings and bug bites: Bug Bite Thing, Sting-Kill, Tick Check Card.

Isn’t it wonderful that we can smell nice and be healthy while making it uncomfortable for creepy critters with our natural bug spray?

Also, check out our natural sunscreen recipe!

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If I Had a Sibling

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I am inspired, seeing all the pictures on social media of my friends with their siblings for Siblings Day.

I’m an only child.

I have four children.

My husband has two sisters.

My mom is the youngest of six kids.

My dad had a brother.

I’ve learned a bit about family from watching the sibling interactions of my parents and husband and kids.

Too often negative examples have shaped my idea of family and what I don’t want for my kids. I want them to grow up in a loving, safe, open environment.

My mom’s siblings were not close and I witnessed too many arguments, physical and verbal, causing much emotional damage.

My father was not close to his younger brother and showed nothing but disapproval of his liberal lifestyle and refused to even attend his memorial when he died of a drug overdose.

My husband is not close to his sisters. The military separates our family physically but he chooses to not keep communication open since their parents have passed.

If I Had a Sibling - I want my children to grow up to be best friends.

If I had a sibling…I would love and cherish and respect her or him.

I’ve seen too many siblings who aren’t close and it’s sad. I grew up praying for sisters and brothers. It was lonely. Too many take siblings for granted, selfish.

I want my children to grow up to be best friends.

How can I accomplish this?

It takes more effort than just Bible study because using scripture as a weapon is not our style.

Royal Little Lambs

It takes a lot of work to have a good relationship with friends and family. We make time for what’s important.

We strive to have a healthy family culture.

I can’t label or compare my kids by claiming: “oh this one is the smart one, the pretty one, the silly one.” I am training myself to use different language and not box in my kids. This can create envy and strife.

I also need to remain neutral during their conflicts. I coach them to work things out to the benefit of all. Sometimes, this is really, really difficult. Everyone needs to feel heard and we need to work toward a peaceful and fair conflict resolution.

Four Little Lambs

I love this particular brother-sister duo in our homeschool group. It’s apparent that they love and respect each other and their parents did it right. They’re sixteen and eighteen and are inseparable and affectionate. Their parents made choices and decisions for that to occur.

How to Stop Sibling Rivalry

Others First

I train my kids from early on to be servant leaders. So that means I strive to eliminate the me-first attitude. Our flesh wants attention and to be number one.

Just the other day, Kate got trampled in the mad rush for vitamin dispensing. I mean, who ever would have thought they would have to have a family meeting about throwing elbows and tripping a sister to be first in line to receive vitamins?

Two of my children are naturally more gentle and courteous and they only need occasional prodding to be polite to others in a group environment. They’re thoughtful and caring. My other two aren’t so much selfish as they are thoughtless. They just need more training to think of others before themselves.

I have to remind them of limitations of younger kids. I have to help them learn how to care for and think of others.

I know too many adults who need training in empathy and caring for others.

It is the greatest compliment when someone tells me that my children are kind.

Taming Tongues

Our whole family continuously works on speaking kindly.

We know the importance of words and using them positively. Our tone matters. The words we use have power and I want my family to speak love and life.

We focus on nonviolent communication.

End of Summer

Too much of my childhood was spent crying over hurtful words from my parents and peers and teachers – and I don’t want to repeat those mistakes or have my kids continue that legacy.

This is an area we all constantly work on since there’s always room for improvement.

Together Time

Family time is important to us. We realize friends and others can teach us much, but I want my four kids to be close as adults.

We eat meals together, usually homemade. Sharing dinnertime is important to us. See what we eat every week.

at the Seine

We travel together. Sure, it’s sometimes stressful and expensive, but it’s worth it. I want them to have great memories.

My Hearts

I don’t make them share everything.

It’s important they each have something sacred to hold dear. Sometimes it’s a food treat or toy. Other times, it’s one on one time with me or Dad. They need to know they’re cherished as individuals too. I intervene at times so there is private time and private space at home. Tori and Kate share a bedroom and Alex’s bedroom holds most of the family toys, so there can be quarrels. Most of the time, they play and work together so well in tight quarters.

I always encourage them to forgive each other and work together. Learning how to really apologize really helps. They will always have each other with their shared experiences and memories. I want them to learn to rely and lean on each other throughout their lives.

Almost every mistake can be fixed.

Success is hearing my teen say that she likes her younger siblings. She doesn’t understand how other families don’t get along well.

Wherever my children plant themselves, I want them to stretch tendrils to each other across the miles.

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Container Gardening on a Small Patio

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Our old house had a humongous backyard and deck. We knew when we moved to Germany, we’d be giving that up.

Here’s how we make the best use of gardening space in our small yard and patio.

Container Gardening on a Small Patio - Here’s how we make the best use of gardening space in our small yard and patio.

We have a tiny backyard with a goldfish pond and cute little patio.

Before:

My Pond Before

After:

I cleaned it out a bit and added a Japanese maple and some azaleas. I want to get rid of the bamboo border and add bricks or stones and some pretty gravel inside.

My Pond After

And look what I found! Frog eggs. Mama frog peeked her head out of the water at me.

Frog Babies!

We have this fun grill and oven that I want to try out.

Stone grill and oven

So, we don’t have much space for the kids to romp.

But they have a lovely playground park a block away now. We have to learn to container garden on our patio and maximizing space.

I realize with my small space, I have to get creative. I go vertical instead of horizontal.

Herbs in pots for culinary adventures

I have thyme, rosemary, lavender in pots on my stairs. We just had a cold snap that killed my basil and cilantro.
Herbs in Pots

I have oregano, parsley, two kinds of mint, and sage that went dormant but is perking back up. They’re not pretty. I need to get some rocks and gravel for here too.

Herbs

Tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers for cooking and canning

Gardening in Containers

We used to have a large vegetable garden and lots of romping space and an arbor with grapes. I will miss having fresh beans and squash but there’s just not enough room. I might consider one of those teepees for beans back by the shed but I don’t think it gets enough sun there.

I don’t really miss cutting the lawn, weeding, or the extensive yard maintenance. It’s a nice break since we don’t have to hire anyone to babysit our plants or worry about a loss of our vegetables if we travel.

Pretty flowers on windowsills and railing

Of course I have to have pretty! The kids loved helping pick out flowers for the railing and hanging plants for our hooks. We have several geraniums still to plant.

Pretty Flowers

Bird Watching

I love these little birds that come to my feeders. They sing so sweetly and drive my cats mad. We also got a bug house and we will see. The bees are a-buzzing and I love the sounds of spring!

Caring for Birds and Bugs

I found this lovely bistro set (at the BX!) and we fell in love with Ranunculus when we visited Keukenhof so there they are, in a pot by the table for me to enjoy with my beverages in the mornings and evenings.

Pretty New Bistro Set

A pretty new rug by the door.

pretty new rug

I had to have this lantern. It was on clearance and now I have the perfect spot for it on my new bistro table! I need to get a candle for it. But don’t you love it?

Light Can Change the World

I love how it’s coming along so far.

Other Changes to Make

I need to pretty up this shelf.

I got this fun daisy tree and I need a pretty pot for it.

I need to get something tiered since floor space is a premium (I could put the geraniums in a fun plant rack).

Stone Shelf

I’ve seen some lovely pallet gardens and I think I will look for one to use along the fences and railing.

Our biggest concern are the slugs and snails. I learned last year they don’t care for oregano or rosemary but they devour basil and most flowers. I experimented with coffee grounds around the pots and plants and that helps.

We look forward to caring for a smaller garden for a few years and experimenting with more container gardening.

Inspiration:

Linking up: An Oregon Cottage

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Netherlands with Kids

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We drove to the Netherlands for a long weekend.

It wasn’t that long of a drive from the KMC. It was about 4 hours for us.

Our Trip to the Netherlands

We stayed at this absolutely darling farm in Vreeland – De Willigen Logies. It was only about 30 minutes from downtown Amsterdam.
on the Vecht
Swans, storks, ducks, geese, sheep, cows, and a farm cat greeted us. It was magical.

We got to hold 5-day-old lambs, watch cows being milked, and pet the calves. They were all so adorable!

lambs

The storks were building a nest on a platform in a tree right next door.

Stork Building a Nest

We got the Holland Pass and it was worth it for the fast pass entrances, though we didn’t use all our tickets.

We ate breakfasts and dinners at our apartment. It was well-furnished and comfortable. We brought a grill pan and rice cooker with us, along with some basics. The village had an amazing grocery store where we stocked up a couple times.

Day 1: Downtown Amsterdam

We planned to drive to a train station, park the van, and take the train or Metro to downtown Amsterdam. We arrived quickly and easily to the parking area. When we found the train station, we learned that the electricity for the entire grid was down and might be hours before repair.

I had no intention of standing in the wind and cold in a train station, waiting for who knows how long, so we hiked back to the car, paid €3 for the parking that didn’t work out. Our train tickets were useless.

Driving downtown was an adventure with narrow roads, construction, cyclists everywhere, and no electricity. Trolleys were stranded and no traffic lights worked. We circled the museum district three times before we got the right configuration of one-way roads and constructions detours to pull into the parking garage.

The electricity came back on. Yay!

Then we rushed to the van Gogh Museum for the highlight of our trip. Photos are not allowed.

Shhh…we snapped a few of our favorites with our smartphone.

van Gogh Museum Favorites

We were starving and bought some hot dogs at a stand to hold us over.

Since it was right across the street from the van Gogh Museum, we rushed over to see some of the Rijksmuseum before walking to the Anne Frank House for our evening appointment.

iconic canal picture

On the way to the Anne Frank House, we stopped at Sara’s Pancake House. I got the chicken and onions and the waitress suggested caramel syrup since that’s her favorite. I never would have thought but it yum.

We had a few minutes until our ticket time, so we walked around the block and just enjoyed the scenery.

The view of the Westerkerk from the canal bridge was beautiful.

Westerkerk

We saw a few of these wheelbarrow benches in front of shops and had to try it out. Liz and Alex caught Tori unawares.

wheelbarrow bench

The statue of Anne Frank.

Anne Frank Statue

I highly recommend getting tickets online in advance to the Anne Frank House so you don’t have to wait in line. We rang the bell at a side door a few minutes before our appointment. They scanned our printed tickets and we walked on in. Perfect.

Alex did great all the through the house. He understood a lot more than I thought he would for a 5 year old! It really concerned him about the blacked-out windows. The museum-y part at the end was boring for him and he was tired. He just did awesome. No pictures allowed inside.

The canal boats docked early due to the wind and Alex was devastated. He cried the whole way back to the car. We had promised him a boat ride. We had boat tickets included with the Amsterdam Card.

I was upset too.

I wanted to cry and be carried to the car, but I’m a mom.

Day 2: Windmills and The Beach

We didn’t feel like going back downtown and figured we would explore Zaanse Schans. It was really close by.

I was worried it would be a tourist trap, but it was really quite delightful.

Zaanse Schans windmills

Each building has an educational demo or presentation.

Big Yellow Klompen

The kids loved the shoe building with klompen demo, the clock museum, and the chocolate history presentation.

Klompen Demonstration

We ate pancakes at the café at Zaanse Schans. I love cafés in Europe. Pancakes, soup, beer.

We were getting cold and wet and it was still too early to head back to our apartment, so we drove over to the beach at Zandvoort.

Alex was born in Hawaii, but we moved when he was still a baby so he doesn’t remember the ocean.

Big Ocean

We loved all the shells and sea stars!

seastar

We fell in love with Haarlem. The houses were gorgeous!

This would have been the logical time to see the Corrie ten Boom house, but I didn’t plan on that so we were probably like a block away and missed it.

Day 3: The Hague

We drove to the Maurtishuis for family day. The kids were ecstatic to do an art workshop and Aaron and I had a lovely lunch date in the museum cafe!

The last Sunday of every month is family day and kids workshops. I think it was €7 per child and well worth it! The workshop was in English and you can reserve a spot online but we just registered at the door for that afternoon (lucky!). They went on a tour looking for cloudy skies and then got to paint their own!

We saw The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. It really is that beautiful.

The Girl with the Pearl Earring

They also had a special exhibit from the Frick Collection.

The kids checked out the educational backpack and loved looking for the musical instruments in one room and food items in another room.

We ate at a darling little pizza place across the plaza. It was pouring rain. We drove around and looked at the pretty architecture. There was no one out on a Sunday.

Day 4: Keukenhof

We went to see flowers at Keukenhof!

It was amazing.

I wondered if it would compare to Callaway Gardens but it was so much lovelier.

Blossoming Trees

We first visited the building with the history of the tulip business. We loved reading about that. The word “tulip” comes from a Persian word, meaning “turban.” Carolus Clusius brought the first tulips to Holland in 1593.

I think we got there a tad early. Daffodils and crocuses were in bloom but not many tulips yet.

Pretty as Flowers

Luckily, there are several buildings with spectacular flower exhibits and we got our fill of tulips!

The floral love displays were fun for the kids!

My Loves
Gazebo

The kids wanted to cross the pond on these platforms
Stepping Stones in the Pond

Inside the main flower hall, there were these amazing flower walls that were perfect for photo backgrounds. There must have been every kind of tulip in there imaginable.

And daffodils, hyacinths, hydrangeas, begonias, and lots of other spring flowers.

Flower Walls

We spent too much money on a rather nice lunch. But we were starving.

Alex finally got to see a windmill up close and inside.

Windmill

We really like the insect gardens with beehives and houses for bugs and flowers to attract bees and butterflies. 
Insect Garden

The best part was the van Gogh flower exhibit!

There were stages and displays set up with flowers for many of his famous paintings.

We stood around and noticed all these other people climbing in for pictures.

And in Europe, there are no lines. People don’t know how to queue. They just jump in, shove past, and it seems rude to us.

van Gogh Cafe

The kids really loved looking at all the flowers. We spent the whole day at Keukenhof!

We really loved everything about the Netherlands. It was one of our favorite trips so far. We hope to go back to see more!

We loved the food, people, scenery, museums…maybe not so much the windy, cold weather.

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Making a Natural Home

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Our journey to being chemical-free began years ago.

I never would have thought I would be a crunchy mom, but I am proud!

We’re on a journey – often with baby steps, sometimes doing the cha-cha or completely backsliding (and regretting it), but we realize that we’re so much healthier now than we were just a year ago. We’ve come so far!

We’re making a synthetic chemical-free home for our children to grow up healthy.

Making a Chemical Free Home for our children to grow up healthy.

Chemical Free Food

We first eliminated dyes and chemicals in our food about seven years ago to help our eldest daughter with her focusing problems.

We knew it was a good decision and saw immediate results. We learned how to eat better and our pantry looks very different than it did ten years ago!

It was a gradual process with many ups and downs. We had to learn a new way of life. Some days were really hard.

We often do a cleanse after holidays or trips with a Whole30.

We mostly drink water. The kids know any juice is a treat. Homemade soda (in our Soda Stream) is a very special treat. I am thankful that the German foods and drinks are less chemical than the American ones.

We eventually adopted a way of natural eating that works for us. I don’t freak out too much if someone hands my kids a fruit rollup or cup of Kool Aid.

My kids are learning better choices and often choose the healthier alternative without being prompted because they know how the dyes and chemicals negatively affect their bodies. They prefer to feel good in lieu of the instant gratification of the fun flavors. And they read labels. They’re learning to be good stewards of their bodies.

We’re getting into fermenting now with kombucha and kraut!

Chemical Free Cleaning

Most of the commercial cleaners available in stores are very unhealthy and exacerbate allergies and illness.

When we quit using those, we felt so much better!

We use natural cleaners for most of our home cleaning. We often make our own glass cleaner, laundry soap, and dish detergents.

Vinegar and baking soda are favorite cleaning staples. I add essential oils for extra clean scents.

We use fragrance-free and dye-free laundry detergent. We love Seventh Generation or the Costco alternative, but we need to make our own since I can’t find those here. I hang dry all our clothing – except underwear. We don’t use fabric softener.

We don’t use air fresheners, scented candles, wicks, wall plugs, or wax melts in our home, office, or cars. I diffuse essential oils. Diffusers are safer than hot wax or messy chemical liquids. My husband gets very irritated to the scents in chemical air fresheners but he loves the diffused essential oils! Check out these diffusers for under $50!

We also like having houseplants to freshen the air and make it pretty.

Chemical Free Body Care

This was our most recent change in our journey to being a chemical-free home.

We started using the natural laundry soap when our second child was born and had such sensitive skin.

We realized the chemicals we use on our skin can be just as harmful (or more so) as the chemicals we could ingest.

Several of us have suffered from dry and irritated skin for years with no explanation. Removing the chemicals from our body care helps.

We love natural products for hair, face, and body.

Liz and I use natural makeup from Cowgirl Dirt and Lemongrass Spa.

I make DIY products for skin and face with natural ingredients and essential oils for our family and friends.

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Statement of Faith

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I recently was asked for my statement of faith.

In a homeschool Facebook group.

I laughed.

Did they really want me to go there?

Most of the others in the group just replied benignly with “non-denominational.”

Really?!

I’m not sure that answers much of anything at all.

I don’t want to know what kind of church people go to. That tells me very little other than how far they wish to drive on Sunday mornings. That they prefer a vanilla service to anything convicting. That they probably like the contemporary Jesus-is-my-boyfriend rock and roll concerts with lasers, screens, and a sick beat rather than hymns and organs.

To each her own.

And linking to a church website with a watered-down creed tells me what that church’s leadership puts out there for the world to see so no one gets offended, but it doesn’t reveal anyone’s real heart decisions.

That they care about numbers more than social justice.

There are only 357,000,000+ hits of the search “statement of faith” on Google.

I’ve never understood the denominational wars.

What is a statement of faith or belief?

Let’s look at definitions.

Faith:

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing
2. belief that is not based on proof
3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion
4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.
5. a system of religious belief
6. the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement,etc.
7. the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one’s promise, oath, allegiance, etc.

Belief:

1. an opinion or conviction
2. confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof
3. confidence; faith; trust
4. a religious tenet or tenets; religious creed or faith

So, the conversation about statements of faith irritated me.

It opens up a platform for exclusion.

Blind faith and true faith are two very different things. Blind faith is a way of saying, “Everything will work out,” and then waiting for something to change. True faith requires that we put our faith in ourselves and our abilities, and use our knowledge about how money works to make sure we can move forward in a more positive direction.

Ken Honda

My story of faith is so much more complicated than most people’s.

I didn’t grow up in church. My first tastes of church were tainted by abuse. I wasn’t allowed to ask questions or learn.

We’ve attended several denominations in different communities since we move around so frequently with the military. Some churches, we loved the pastor; others we loved the congregation or music. Too many church denominations compromise on really big, important issues in lieu of numbers.

There’s not one denomination that I can say I prefer over others, but there are certainly some I wouldn’t ever attend for various reasons, such as the rampant patriarchy, white supremacy, racism, childism, exclusion, dumbing down everything.

woman talking with sound waves coming out of mouth
I cannot stand the intolerance and legalism of “Christian” bloggers.

I don’t want to be a Christian Blogger.

When the blog and social media platform doesn’t align with someone’s personal conversation, then there’s a problem with integrity.

Too many bloggers only show the pretty plastered-on smile on their blog and public social media while spewing hatred on their personal feeds.

What is their real platform? Does having a blog give anyone the right to spew hatred anywhere? Especially if they claim to be a Christian…

But you know what? Christ forgives even if Christian bloggers get their hate on.

Often, I just scroll on by. Commenting on hate doesn’t usually help anyone and just furthers an argument. It doesn’t change anything. There’s no convincing them when they’re all righteous.

But lately, some bloggers have really overstepped on their personal and professional social media. Friends, peers, and brands are watching. Followers are reading. Jesus knows.

Why does the Christian blogging world have to be so competitive and hateful? There is room for all.

According to some Christian bloggers, divorce is not forgiven. One even goes so far as to say: being a successful blogger has some correlation to marital separation. Sucks to be me and a number of people I know who were unfortunate enough to have made a mistake (or two) and imagine ourselves forgiven and washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Sometimes, there are no right choices. What if there’s abuse or infidelity? What if he just leaves? I know several bloggers who are courageously writing about their stories of abuse in the patriarchal fundamentalist church movement. I am so proud of them for teaching and helping others.

A blogger on a site I used to write for asked for affirmation to not attend her sister’s wedding…to another woman. I get it: the fear and distaste many Christians have for the gay community and their civil rights. But if I have a family member or friend getting married, I would attend to show my love to her rather than boycott the event and create further strife. Isn’t it more about relationship and being a peacemaker? I am commanded to love my neighbor. What would Jesus say?

Another Christian blogger states that those on the fringe of Christianity (specifically Mormons, Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Catholics) are not people with whom real Christians (Protestants?) should ever fraternize. She essentially calls for a BLOGGER HOLOCAUST and I wonder if there’s a WASP BLOGGER KKK out there and if she’s a card-carryin’ member. Maybe she reads a different Bible than I do? Because the Jesus I know hung out and ate with sinners and the fringes of society on a regular basis. I wonder if she’s seen the movie Footloose? I read and love many bloggers of all faiths, denominations, and backgrounds. They all have something to offer and teach. We should be educated in apologetics. Too many “Christians” are so scared and uneducated in Bible history or doctrine that they are legalistic. Not everyone is the enemy. I love learning and being curious.

Another Christian blogger complains about Christians on her social media feeds who share from celebrities’ pages who are openly gay and supportive of questionable organizations that don’t agree with her ultra-conservative worldview. Instead of scrolling by, unfollowing, or clicking “I don’t want to see this,” in the top righthand corner of the status, she had to publicly denounce the character and personal life choices of anyone sharing anything from any sites with vulgar language or questionable ideals. Some pages are crass and others are just funny. I am absolutely one of those! I prefer the honesty of those sites to the fake and watered-down posts of others. I am seldom shocked. They are truth speakers and the truth is uncomfortable.

Some bloggers accept any and every sponsor that comes their way, no matter if it’s a good fit for their family or readers or perhaps even doesn’t align with their self-proclaimed worldview. It was free or made them a dime or acquired them a few pageviews, so that post is going up for all the world to see while they sell their souls to improve their network and analytics. Good for them. And I hope they claim all that on their taxes? I struggle with maintaining integrity in this area. I have overstretched with reviews before and sometimes it’s so hard to say no. I’m limiting reviews and giveaways more and more.

Many Christian bloggers just want to fit in and feel better and bigger by keeping others out… all the while quoting Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer and other prosperity preachers. And out-of-context scripture references are my favorite. Post a random Bible verse! Stab where it hurts. They recommend popular authors that twist scripture and weave in weird beliefs. They claim mom gospel or adoption gospel is the only or best way to heaven. They are holier than thou. Too many readers don’t know how to discern truth and just love these books with dangerous ideologies. Just because it’s published by a conservative or even proclaimed Christian publisher, doesn’t mean it’s good or right.

Some bloggers nonchalantly remark (braggy) that they only make $xx on this affiliate program or with that sponsor and it is hardly worth their time while some of us would be thrilled to only make that, ever, on anything! Some of us aren’t rich or successful in the blogging world – by any standards. I’m excited to get each and every penny. With integrity. I don’t post what I earn or don’t earn. Most of the time if I use #ad on a post, I never actually make money. Often, no one clicks the link or makes a purchase. Sometimes, I just want to share a product  we use and love.

Some bloggers even steal intellectual property and claim it as their own.  I guess celebrity bloggers don’t have to abide by any rules. They crop watermarks off images or copy/paste text or hotlink images on their own sites and social media.

I see Facebook pages and groups where bloggers delete any comments that disagree with their thoughts. If they share something controversial, they should expect some flak from it, ya know? Instead of spouting that their view is the only view, perhaps they could invite intelligent, respectful debate and learn from others? I welcome other views. I learn so much. But they want only shiny happy comments. Some people are just mean, but I leave comments on my blog and social media for others to see. Why are we scared of honest debate and curiosity?

These wolves in sheep’s clothing hide behind their keyboards while their personal testimonies fall apart.

They have smoking keyboards and razor tongues.

Before you get your Bible verse weapons ready, ask yourself: who taught you what you think believe?

Too many people look to Christian bloggers as leaders but I don’t see enough leadership material there.

That worries me.

Most days, I would rather not be considered a Christian blogger because I don’t want to be associated with so many of these bloggers.

It’s the cleverest bullies who disguise their hatefulness and ostracism with Bible verses.

So, to answer the question of my statement of faith, I replied with the Apostles’ Creed. And then I left that group. I didn’t want to align myself with them in any way. I don’t write for other blogs anymore either.

My faith evolves as I learn, read, pray, and commune with nature.

I would rather err on the side of love.

What more do I need to say?

What is your statement of faith? How do you answer that?

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Rain Painting

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It’s still quite cold and cloudy here. We had a short reprieve of sun, but it was still windy and chilly.

I had hoped we could time it to have the paper and paint outside and real rain mix the colors, but it just hasn’t been warm enough and the rain won’t cooperate anyway.

Perfect on a windy day to take paper and spray bottles outside to represent rain and mix powdered paints, right?

Rain Painting - Mixing Primary Colors

The kids had fun watching the colors run as they sprayed the powdered paints.

We pretended we were rain as we mixed primary colors on paper.

They compared the types of raindrops from the sprayers to the drops and drizzles from the bowl and cup.

Spraying Primary Colors

We sprayed water on our powdered primary colors to mix into secondary colors. They loved watching the wet swirls blend and run together.

Alex knew that red and yellow make orange and yellow and blue make green. He even knew that red and blue make purple.

One of our pages had mostly reds and another was predominantly blues and the other was more yellow. They all turned fun shades after mixing.

I brought the papers inside to dry and the kids really love their rain paintings.

We extended the lesson by reading Mouse Paint and discussing the color wheel. We looked for pretty colors around us and determined which primary colors were mixed to make them.

We just bought raincoats so we can go out to explore all the lovely spring buds popping up, even when it’s foggy, cloudy, or rainy.

Another fun color book that Alex adores is The Day the Crayons Quit. We read it every week while we wait on his sisters in their music classes.

And we love the book Press Here. It’s a fun book for active little boys.

We love OK GO and this fun stop motion video about primary colors:

We loved learning about colors and blending.

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Linking up: Hip Homeschool Moms, The Natural Homeschool, Living and Learning at Home, Golden Reflections, Los Gringos Locos, The Educators Spin on It, Living Montessori Now, Kiddy Charts, B Inspired Mama, A Life in Balance, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Burlap and Babies, Blessed Learners, Wife Mom Geek, All kinds of Things, Happy and Blessed Home, Witty Hoots, 123Homeschool4Me, The Jenny Evolution, Homeschool Creations,

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What About Me?

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Holidays for moms usually just suck.

Moms don’t get any days off.

Mother’s Day is always a weird day for me.

My birthday is often forgotten, just another ordinary day.

I don’t wake up to a breakfast buffet laid in the dining room or presents and cards piled around my placemat or the birthday banner that I hang up for everyone else in the family.

And I tell myself that’s mostly ok.

I don’t even get to sleep in.

I wake up to my kids, before dawn, demanding breakfast, as usual.

Of course it’s not very popular to hate my birthday, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day…or any holiday, really.

Motherhood is an eternal negotiation of various selves — your own self with the lives around you — and a balancing of needs (by which I mean who gets to poop alone). Yes, it’s beautiful and crushing, infuriating and transcendent.

But Moms are expected to put themselves last, after their children, spouses, parents, in-laws, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, pets, neighbors, houseplants.

Self care is for influencers to brag about on social media who have staff take care of all the tedious tasks.

I haven’t had new glasses in over ten years. I can’t remember when I got new underwear. I feel guilty when I get my hair done, so I cut it myself. I haven’t had a mani/pedi in over ten years.

Christmas shopping update: I bought myself something from my husband. I bought my husband something from me. I bought my in-laws something from us. I bought the kids something for my husband. And I bought my husband something from the kids. Any questions.

Molly England

My parents don’t send me gifts or flowers. Not for my birthday, Mother’s Day, Christmas, ever. They send a check with a signed card. My kids get the same. My husband gets a check that’s twice more what the kids and I get. I’m an only child.

My parents possess three rather new SUVs, pay a $850 mortgage for a suburban Atlanta 3500+ sq. ft. brick house, receive three retirement checks each month. They constantly complain that they don’t have any money.

Just a couple times a year, it’d be nice to have a special day of no responsibilities. It would be nice to feel special. It would be nice to think anyone cared about me at all.

I don’t get any time off.

My birthday was on a Wednesday one year.

So, of course, I dragged the kids to a field trip at a local grocery store.

They got to make Easter baskets and gorge themselves on candy and snacks while I learned about the store’s features and deals.

This may seem weird, but it’s a German store and I’m American and shopping on the German economy can be tricky sometimes and it’s a little different than shopping in the American stores I grew up with. So I didn’t want to miss the lessons.

Oh, and on Wednesdays, we have music class.

We went to the playground between the store field trip and music class because the weather was gorgeous.

I’m an awesome mom like that.

I enjoyed the downtime of watching my kids freely play while I soaked up some spring sunshine.

But it wasn’t a special day for me. No one even knew it was my birthday.

I remember my birthdays when I was little.

I grew up in simpler times with simple birthday parties.

Every year, almost my entire school class and some neighborhood playmates were invited to a simple birthday party at my house with pink crepe streamers and a plastic disposable game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, musical chairs, and hot potato.

When I was a teen, I invited my 2-3 besties for slumber parties. My dad was usually out of town.

As a young adult, I’d go out to a nice dinner with my significant other or friends.

My husband took me out to dinner around my birthday for a few years. It felt like an obligation.

My birthdays lost their importance after I had a family.

I really, really try to make my kids’ birthdays special. I want my children to know I value them as people over mounds of stuff.

Pinterest makes me feel like an absolute failure with birthdays and holidays.

We did the crepe paper streamers and balloons against the bedroom door a couple times and that didn’t end well when the birthday child had a nightmare and woke up to more stuff of nightmares trying to get comforted and running into the spiderweb of birthday doom.

We don’t give our kids an expensive birthday party with a real-live pony carousel, petting zoo, rented carnival games, or gourmet have-to-order-a-year-in-advance storebought 6-layer cake decorated with real gold leaf that is more elaborate than my plain Publix wedding cake was.

We don’t reserve a party room at the local amusement park, bowling alley, indoor playground, movie theatre, skating rink, or water park and invite everyone we know in hopes of reciprocation.

We don’t even invite any people over anymore to celebrate events. No one comes and no one RSVPs. A few times we were left with too much cake, snacks, décor, and lots of empty chairs. I was more upset than my kids. They didn’t understand.

The stress level of competing with other moms over the kids’ birthday party events and décor is too much for me.

We just have a lovely homemade banner and from-scratch cake or pie and a homemade dinner of choice. I buy pretty paper napkins (this is special because we normally use cloth napkins!). We often go to the pool, bowling alley, a movie, trampoline park. or somewhere special and fun as a family to celebrate. We’ve had success for a few years having these frugal birthday celebrations.

As a mom, it’s hard to see time and money spent on me.

But I would like a little tiny celebration, someone to notice me sometimes.

Eventually I realized it was taxing waiting on others to celebrate me and that with a simple mind shift, I could enjoy my birthdays (and Valentine’s and Mother’s Day) a lot more.

Erica Layne

I can’t get past the cost of cut flower arrangements, a mediocre and stressful dinner out, or frivolous presents that will just collect dust or get broken or lost in our many moves as a military family.

Also then there’s the dishes awaiting me from the meals that my husband and/or kids cooked. The kitchen is an absolute disaster.

I’m trying desperately to teach my kids not to feel entitled or focus on stuff. So I need to change my attitude when I get irritated that my day isn’t special. I need to adjust my expectations. And it’s so hard.

It feels like a “Mommie Dearest” kind of a moment to sit them down and demand that that my kids do something for me.

But they all miss the point: The true gift any mother wants is not to do anything.

Lyz Lenz

I won’t steal my kids’ joy by refusing the blessings of their adorable handmade gifts and cards on holidays.

While I’m in the shower.

Because moms get no privacy either.

What about me? It isn’t fair

I’ve had enough, now I want my share

Can’t you see, I wanna live

But you just take more than you give

Moving Pictures

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Unit Study

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I’m joining up with some of my geeky friends in an ABCs of Raising Well-Rounded Geeklings blog roundup.

S is for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The acronym originally was Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law enforcement Division.

It was changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate.

Some agents refer to the acronym as Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.

S is for Agents of SHIELD

I must say we’ve only seen season 1 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Debating whether to buy season 2 on Agents of SHIELD on Amazon Instant Video or wait for it to come to Netflix.

But we’ve watched all the Avengers movies.

And I totally love watching and discussing all of these shows and movies with my kids and tying in the allegory with what we’re studying in our homeschool.

The kids and I all love the many acronyms associated with S.H.I.E.L.D. and its subsidiary organizations.

I love the theme of PROTECTION throughout season 1.

Agent Coulson protecting his agents. His memories being protected from him. Skye protecting Coulson because she finally trusted someone. And all of S.H.I.E.L.D. protecting Skye from her past.

I can’t wait to see who they all become.

Character Study

Superheroes and villains. Sacrifice and redemption. It’s all there. Some of the quotes from this show and all the Marvel comics and Avengers world are just amazing. How they’re all connected! It’s UNIVERSAL. My kids and I can get lost in research.

I’m using the events and circumstances to have amazing conversations with my children about how different people respond to the same situation. Some get angry and go dark side while others rise above and become heroes.

Who do you become?

Skye

We’re really focusing on Agents Coulson, Skye, and Ward for our character studies.

Thinking Questions:

  1. How do past experiences and relationships affect our current decisions?
  2. Who would you want to be like? Why?
  3. Who would you not want to be like? Why?
  4. How do you trust someone after he betrays you?
  5. How do you maintain faith when there is no evidence or evidence to the contrary?
  6. Is anyone pure evil or pure good?
  7. What role do governments play and how is this good and bad? Should they hold the power they do?
  8. Should secrets be kept from people and who gets to decide? Who makes the rules and who holds the power?
  9. Is the agent level hierarchy good? Do they protect or harm those who aren’t at that pay grade yet?
  10. Why are most agents loners, with few friends or family? Why are they often the chosen ones?

History

I made my kids a Venn diagram for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. We’ve been studying World War II so this is just perfect timing!

Comparing and Contrasting WWII Nazis with Hydra

Elizabeth is working hard on her chart and is researching all about S.H.I.E.L.D. canon along with her history studies. I love making school fun and relevant. We also have the show Agent Carter to explore!

We’ve compared Wikis:

Mythology

Of course, we had to research hydras with Greek mythology and Asgard with Norse mythology. There are many mythologies and archetypes in the Marvel comics! We will discuss this at length in our ancient studies next year.

Science

Lasers, bionic limbs, labs, and blowing stuff up. The kids love the science behind it and researching the how and IS IT ALL POSSIBLE?

We’re studying the progression of weapons from WWI to present day and how times has changed. And in the show, they also incorporate alien technology. This adds some ethical elements to discuss.

We are totally IN LOVE with Fitz Simmons. They are precious and geeky and just darling.

ADORKABLE.

And they’re into Doctor Who!

Of course, Simmons chooses The T.A.R.D.I.S. on her deserted island when questioned!

THE TARDIS

We love how Fitz and Simmons work together and trust each other. We’re excited to see how this develops.

We’ve enjoyed this time together, watching and learning and discussing.

We’re looking forward to the new Avengers movie and other films in the extended series. We love Marvel!

Linking up:  Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, B Inspired Mama, The Educators Spin on It, A Life in Balance, Hip Homeschool Moms, The Life of Jennifer Dawn, All Kinds of Things, 

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Homemade Hair Wax

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My son has been bugging me for months to make him some hair gel. I scanned Pinterest and researched recipes. Simple is best. I think this solid hair wax is better than gel for what he wants: “I want my hair up, Mama!”

Alex is super happy with the result!

Homemade Hair Wax with essential oils

I put a glass jar in a pot of water, cuz who has time for a double boiler?

Add beeswax. You want this melted absolutely molten or it won’t be smooth. I messed up on my sunscreen recipe because I didn’t do that. So it’s a little bumpy.

Then add shea butter to the molten beeswax.

I took the jar out of the water and added jojoba.

I mixed it with a wooden stick and added essential oils. It hardened in my cold kitchen pretty quickly.

Hair Wax Recipe

  • 1 ounce beeswax
  • 1 1/2 ounces shea butter
  • 2 ounces jojoba oil
  • 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oils

Directions:

Melt beeswax in a glass jar in a pot of water or double boiler. Add shea butter and melt. Add jojoba. Add essential oil. When it cools, it will solidify.

Great essential oils for hair:

Rosemary, peppermint, chamomile, copaiba, cypress, and sandalwood are great for dry hair.

Basil, melaleuca, lemongrass, lavender, patchouli, eucalyptus, myrtle, and citrus (lime, lemon, orange) are great for oily hair. Citrus could lighten hair in direct sunlight so take care.

Rosemary, cedarwood, geranium, lavender, copaiba, and hinoki are good for hair loss. (I know some people mix these in a spray bottle with distilled water and spritz their heads daily!)

Melaleuca and eucalyptus are especially helpful with dandruff.

I scoop some wax and rub it with my fingers into his hair and style it. Just look at his little faux hawk. He is so stylish!

Alex only wanted orange oil in his hair wax. He loves the scent of orange!

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