have you been RACK'ed?

Christmas is my favorite holiday and while I'm not obsessed with Pinterest, I do really enjoy browsing through it at Christmas time.  I love all the home made ornaments, the DIY projects and seeing how others decorate their homes for the holiday season.  Last night, I stumbled upon this amazing post which led me to amazing little blog with an even more amazing idea called the RACK Advent Calendar.

RACK - Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

The idea here is to do an advent countdown that will encourage your kids to GIVE, SERVE and HELP others.  Honestly, this is probably one of the most ingenious ideas I have come across.  We aren't going to get around the excitement of decorating the tree and opening presents... but we can teach our children that there is more to Christmas.  

Here are a few links to get you started on your own RACK Advent Calendar:

CLICK HERE to read Katherine's original blog and how she went about doing it.  

CLICK HERE to read Tracie's blog - Tracie asked Katherine for permission to post the idea and they actually became friends too!   It's neat to look at both of them because they both put it together a bit differently and they both had different ideas of what to do for the acts of kindness.  

CLICK HERE to get to Tracie's page with downloads to help you get your project started. 

Finally, if you would like to see how things played out for Tracie and her kids, CLICK HERE  to read a summary of their experience after they had finished their adventures. 

Yo Mama - Part 1 & 2

Click on the link below to be taken to our Facebook page which has the links to both videos. 

http://www.facebook.com/lakeviewmoms

A Tale of Two Brains - Part 2

This is the second video from Mark Gungor's "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" we watched this week... click on the link below to catch up with us or show your husband! 

A Tale of 2 Brains - Part 2 (Laugh Your Way)

A Tale of Two Brains - Part 1

We are currently watching Mark Gungor's "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage".  This is the first video from last week for those of you who were in childcare or missed it or want your husbands to watch it too :-)  Click on the link below!

A Tale of 2 Brains - Part 1 (Laugh Your Way)

Layered Pumpkin Dessert

Have not had enough pumpkin yet?? My sister-in-law made this for Thanksgiving dessert and it was delicious!! A great twist on the classic pumpkin pie tradition. Click here for the Recipe. 

Prayer

This past Tuesday we had the privilege of listening to Brooke Graham share with us about the darkness that we all struggle with. She shared the following prayer and I thought is was so great I wanted everyone to have the chance to read again.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

          Amen

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

As fall quickly approaches, and school gets into full swing, you may be looking for some great recipes. Here is one that I just tried and the whole family loved. I stumbled upon this receipt on a site I found called Six Sisters Stuff.  It's an amazing blog started by six sisters who use it to keep in touch with one another and share with each other.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 cup unsweetened applesauce (can substitute 1 cup canola oil)
-3 eggs
-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 1/2 cups all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
-1/2 cup baking cocoa
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-2-3 cups shredded zucchini
-1 cup chocolate chips (optional, but they taste amazing!)
Directions:
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, applesauce, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini. Fold in chocolate chips. Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).

Reality versus Reflecting

Today is my middle child's birthday... and she is 10 years old.  Time is relative I guess and while we're living it we don't really notice it flying by but when we reflect on it... well, even then when someone asks me "Does it feel like 10 years have gone by?" I can't honestly answer yes!  Don't get me wrong, it's been great... but sometimes the great times are over shadowed by those dark and hallowing memories and it's then that I think that those people who whistfully reflect on the past 10 years are nuts when they have that whistful looking smile on their face.  Raising a kid is hard and everyone always tells you to enjoy it while you can because before you know it they'll be grown up and have moved out.   Those people are reflecting and what I think I'm figuring out is that when we are looking back and reflecting on our children's lives our memories have a buffer zone that hides the not-so-rainbows and unicorns moments and you have to think really hard to remember them.  What I think we all need to know is that for those of us who are in the now, the reality of it is that it's okay not to enjoy every moment. 

I remember one episode of Oprah where there were some Moms on the show and one of them was living in a bubble.  She basically said that everything was always perfect in her life.  You could hear people gasping and murmuring, a few even mocking and I think EVERY woman in that audience was scowling at her in disbelief... and there were quite a few who got up to the microphone and basically told her she was lying (she really did seem to be living in lala land because I don't know anyone who hasn't had a bad day since they had kids).   I think we all need to realize that it's okay not to love your life all the time and even more so, it's okay if you're not perfect or super Mom or whatever you want to call it.  THAT is reality.

Which leads me to MOMS.  Moms Offering Moms Support.  I've sat at a lot of tables over the past 4 years and guess what?  Nobody is perfect and that is why I love MOMS.  You can be honest and talk about the hard times in your life - no matter what they are - and you will never be judged or looked at like you're crazy because no matter what you are going through in your life you have to remember that you are never the only one.  Never.   If you haven't had the opportunity to join us at MOMS or think that because it's in a Church it's not for you I encourage you to go back and read some of my earlier blogs because I was the least Churchy person out there.  

The countdown is on and I am looking very forward to our upcoming term.  MOMS is for everyone and for those of you who have attended MOMS I want to encourage you to think of one person in your life who needs MOMS and start talking to them about it because the reality is, we all need someone to talk to. 

Corn Chowder

Looking for a recipe to use up some of your leftovers from Easter. Here is one my family loves.

1C chopped ham or bacon

1 1/4 C chopped onion

4C diced unpeeled potato

2C Water

1C grated or chopped carrot

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chicken bouillon powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp celery salt

2C milk

2-14oz cans cream corn

Mix first 9 ingredients in pot. Cook on med until veggies are tender. Do Not Drain. Add milk and corn. Still and heat through. Serve with warm biscuits.

*The above picture is not "my" picture, but looks very much the same!!

Green Peppers (actually any peppers)

One of my best girlfriends gave me this great tip. As many of you know, I live out of town, so when i get groceries I usually buy in bulk. Sometimes this can be a challenge at home though as there are times that things go bad in my fridge before I get a chance to use them. Peppers were one thing that I struggled with the most. After cutting into one, if I didn't use the whole thing, I would put it in the fridge and then next time I would go to use it I would find it all slimy and not very good.

So the tip is...

Wrap unused portions of peppers in paper towel before placing back in the fridge!!

The paper towel absorbs the extra moisture leaving your peppers crisp and ready to use next time!!

Dates on a Dime

The last date my husband and I went on by ourselves was... well... I'm not really sure to be honest. We have gone out for supper with another couple but as I type this I'm trying to run through the calendar in my head and I can't recall when we actually just went out together. Oh wait! I think we went shopping for bathroom vanities together when his parents were here back in November!

I was recently reading an article from the Jan/Feb issue of Focus on the Family on date nights with your spouse. The catchy phrase under the title was "Revive the fun of dating your spouse". Sounds fun right? Um yea... except for the park where you have to find time, book a babysitter, figure out what you're going to do and save up some cash. But according to this article you can make memories together without blowing your family budget and some didn't even require leaving the house... and I know that sounds too easy - but they're actually pretty good ideas!

So here is what they suggested for a Date Night Challenge: Three dates in three weeks... and by three weeks I mean three consecutive weeks - starting next week! Check out these date night ideas and start planning! If you have family around you, ask for their babysitting services... if you don't, consider asking some close friends to exchange babysitting services with you so you can both help each other out!

1. Coffee Q&A. Cost = less than $8. Prep - each of you write down some questions to ask each other that deal with stuff other than day to day life, your kids, work, home... you get the idea. What is something your spouse does very but doesn't know he does well? What is your favorite joke? A childhood memory they'll never forget. Head to Starbucks, order a coffee and grab a table. Each of you randomly pulls a question and let the conversation begin.

2. A Stroll Down Memory Lane. Cost = less than $10. Prep for the she - make some favorite finger foods for you and your hubby. Prep for the he - while she is making the finger foods get your kids into bed. Grab a blanket, light a few candles, plop yourself on the floor in front of the TV and watch a home movie (wedding, birthdays, vacations) or go through some old photo albums or year books.

3. Romance on a Roof Top. Cost = less than $10. After the kids are in bed, climb onto the roof with some blankets, an iPod and some snacks. Talk, snuggle, look at the stars... and enjoy each other's company.

4. Driveway Theater. Cost = less than $5. After the kids are in bed grab the baby monitor and head to the "Driveway Theater". Bring some blankets, drinks and a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie on your laptop while sitting in your car/van. Take turns picking a movie using a DVD or Netflix (since you're still within range of your internet connection). The bonus is you get to wear your pj's!

5. Dollar Date. Cost = less than $20. The challenge is to spend as little as possible... then see if you can spend less next time! Start your evening with a dollar menu dinner at McDonalds or wherever else offers it. Head to the Dollarama beside Rainbow Theater and purchase 2 treats to share. Move next door to Rainbow Theater for a movie.

6. A Romantic Evening at Home. Cost = less than $20. Do your best to get the kids to Grandma's, an Auntie's, or a friend's house for a sleepover. Prep for the he - groceries for a romantic dinner that HE is going to cook. Prep for the she - while he is getting supper ready, you relax in a candle light bath. After dinner dance in the living room or watch a romantic comedy with a bowl of popcorn. It's nothing elaborate - but it's time alone with no kids :-)

If you have any other great dates on a dime please comment on this post to share with others - I'm sure you all have a great date night idea out there that others will enjoy. Now go talk to your hubby and plan out some date together (I don't want you doing all the planning). Pick one date each and then maybe the third together. Have fun and make sure to post your date night ideas!

Ways To Help

As many of you ladies know, our dear friend Helen has been fighting Ovarian Cancer. She was a HUGE part of the MOMS ministry when she and her family were still in Saskatchewan (They are now residing in BC). Recently Helen posted on her care pages ways that she has felt are good ideas of things that you can do to help someone walking the journey of Cancer and all that in tails. When I read this, I thought that the information was so great. So often we as the loved ones so desperately want to do something to help, but never know what to do. So I spoke with Helen to get her permission to share her thoughts on this. Below is her blog post.

WAYS TO HELP...

Posted Jan 19, 2012 3:53pm

I always get asked by people how they can either help me or what I would recommend for someone else. There are so many things that I can think of so I thought I would share with you all in case you are looking for a special way to help someone or encourage someone..

First and most important, if you are a believer, is to PRAY! Prayer, as we all know, is a powerful thing! When you tell someone you are going to pray for them, mean it and do it. Sometimes it’s hard to remember who and what to pray for, after all our prayer lists are long! Put little sticky notes around the home to remind you. Even if you don’t know specific needs of someone, just ask God to be with them that day and give them what they stand in need of for that time. He knows our needs!

Now to some other ideas, depending on if you know them personally or not, you can be the judge of what would be best.

-offer to go to their home during their treatment to clean up, do laundry, wash bed sheets..etc.
-Notes/Cards
-make meals -ask what the family will prefer or if there are any allergies and use disposable containers.
-do some baking for them -great idea if there are kids in house, for school snacks! I had lots of baking dropped off. TIP-do not pack in a container you need back. Get some foil pans from the dollar store. If meant for school, you can even wrap in individual bags for the kids. Someone did this for me and it was great…put into the freezer and it was ready for the kids to just grab in the morning!
-pick up groceries for them
-offer to drive them to and from treatment
-Email of encouragement
-I had a mom bring my girls home after volleyball practices so they could be on the team, that helped a lot!!
-a cute hat! I had gifts of hats, scarves, blankets..you name it!
-fresh flowers.. A friend brought me a gerber daisy after each treatment.
-pedicure giftcard…some salons will donate a pedicure for a cancer patient..just ask!
-if you know the family well, offer to take the kids out for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon…park (when the weather is nice!), movies, shopping, swimming…kids need to get away from the house and mom and dad are not always energetic enough to do that.
-encouraging bible verses
-buy a heating pad for bone pain..if they don’t have one. These work great!
-if they live alone, offer to bring them lunch and pick up something for the two of you…lunch and company are two great things together!
-offer to pickup some books from the local library for them. They can go online and reserve the books they want and all you have to do is pick them up!
-Canadian Tire money-*see note below!!
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and they have an Annual walk to raise awareness and funds. Find out if there is a walk to support the cause you are helping a friend with. If there is, start up a group..family, friends, co-workers, fellow church goers, school families..this is an amazing way to support your loved one and bring awareness to the cause.

-Cancer wards are mostly scent free areas, so no fresh flowers. A friend brought me a huge fake gerber for my room and another friend brought a bunch of 3 also...made the room a bit more cheery!
-packages of soft tissue..you lose nostril hair on chemo and your nose will be runny because of that!

Ideas for gifts/gift baskets:

Good hand lotion (skin changes during treatment)
Soft toothbrushes
Fuzzy socks (who doesn’t love new socks??)
New housecoat!!
Gum or hard candies(some get side effects that leave a metal taste in mouth…gross!)
Coffee gift cards
Journal and pen
Magazine/devotional/crossword book
Thank you cards for them to write notes of thanks to others
Look online, there are lots of websites you can buy items according to what type of cancer ribbon color…shirts/keychains/water bottles..great ideas! This will also help support Cancer awareness and finding cures for Cancer.

Gift cards:
Coffee-Tims/Starbucks
Groceries
Gas Cards(great for people going back and forth to hospital)
iTunes cards-they can upload music to listen to during treatment
Online shopping (not many have the energy to go out and shop)

Do not be hurt if you do not receive an email back, or a note of thanks. For me, I would of LOVED to send out individual notes of thanks to everyone, but in reality, I just didn’t have the energy to do that. Plus, I was very blessed that I was overwhelmed with help, in all areas!

Somethings I‘ve learned thru this is…
-STOP saying no to people when they offer help
-When going thru this, sometimes you just simple do not know what you need. It’s important for others to be creative in what they do, and sometimes to just tell someone what you are going to do. People used to ask me all the time, ‘What can I do for you’, I had to start telling them to be creative and just do. My brain was pretty much fried with all the info and back and forth to the Doctors that I didn’t even want to think anymore. Phone them and just say “I want to make a meal and I will have supper at your place on ______ night”, “I am free on Friday morning for 2 hours and would like to come over and clean your floors”, “What kind of baking do your kids like. I am baking today and want to do some for you guys and will drop it off tomorrow”. BE CREATIVE…all ideas will be welcomed!!

*GAS MONEY-Here in Kelowna, people can donate their Canadian Tire money to help Cancer Patients with fuel costs!! How fabulous is that?? It doesn’t cost you anything to help others!! If your local Cancer Clinic takes part, please contribute! If they don’t, perhaps you can get something like that going in your area??

I hope that you find this information as valuable as I did. Take care and blessings to all of you.