Eternal Encouragement Magazine and More

This month's Gabby Moms review selection was Eternal Encouragment Magazine.  Sometimes these review items are such a hardship! ((NOT!!!!!))

I've been an EE subscriber for years......since it was TEACH magazine.  You've probably heard me ramble on and on about it before.  But I'm going to do it again.  Why?  Because in the truck load of magazines that are available out there, Eternal Encouragement is a rarity, a real gem.  I can only think of 2 other magazines that even compare and they aren't "mainstream" either. 

When I was a new wife, I set out to find a magazine that would help me be the best wife and mother I could possibly be.  So off I went to gather up the popular woman's magazines.....Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, Woman's Day.......surely I could find one that would help me out.  Alas, I couldn't and I became discouraged.  Apparently a woman's place wasn't at home, serving her family anymore.  I struggled along until I found TEACH magazine (now Eternal Encouragement).  THIS is what I had been looking for.  HELP with homemaking routines, practical parenting advice, godly encouragement.  That's what Eternal Encouragment is all about.

The Spring 2012 issue continues to help, encourage and uplift woman in their godly calling as wives and mothers.  Some of this issue's topics include......
***Two-Legged Eeyores and the Nehemiah 8:10 Cure
***CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)
***Marriage Interrupted
***10 Reasons We Need to Think About Hospitality
***First Fruits

Subscriptions to this amazing publication are available in  printed and digital formats. Any subscription receives the NEW EE Etc. Web Magazine that is published 8 times a year. This has full magazine articles that are only available to Eternal Encouragement Subscribers via a new online magazine website.  A one year printed subscription is $19.97 and a one year digital subscription is $12.97.  Each are published 4 times a year.  Subscribe to either HERE.

Still don't know what Lorrie Flem and Eternal Encouragement are all about?  Check out Lorrie's website at www.eternalencouragement.com

I received this product for free as part of the Gabby Moms program in exchange for a fair review :)

Tot School This Week

I remembered to take pictures!

The weather outside has been wonderful!  Nice and warm :) 

Mommy playing football.  I am not a football player.  I am a football watcher.  Dh was taking pictures.  He should have been playing.  LOL

We played with bigger brothers......here are Abby, Jeffrey (brother at heart), Bear and Gregory

Please take note of Abby's clothes.  I dressed her and then she fixed herself up with a couple more shirts and Bear's cowboy boots.  She wore it all proudly......

Bear has gotten really good at staying in the lines.  I think we are almost ready to start some writing exercises.

Abby loves pegs.  See her tongue sticking out?  It works better that way.  I got these from Oriental Trading Company.  We use them to build, count, sort colors.

She finally figured out how to stack them herself :)

We also played the Two by Two Matching Game from Alphabet Alley. 

Bear's awana verse this week was Through Him all things were made John 1:3

It's been a great week :)

Recently Completed Projects

I complete projects all the time....the problem is that I rarely take pictures of them.  LOL Here are 2 such projects.

This is the window seat in the sitting room (aka, Ping Pong table room).  Abby and I love to sit here but it was kinda hard.  I had a whole bundle of coordinating fat eighths.  I cut each one into forths, mixed them up and put them all back together with a double layer of quilt batting.  I used leftovers for binding and then tied them with crochet thread.  I made 3 and they fit perfectly.  The pillow in the corner was made by my grandmother, for me, a few years ago.  Isn't it cute???  This is what you could see out the window seat window until the snow came on Sunday.  Aren't they beautiful?  I'm so ready for spring.

I made this wreath last night to replace the silver/blue winter one.  I bought the ribbon at walmart but couldn't find a wreath form anywhere local.  So I ordered one.  I didn't want one this big and I don't really like the straw but it is what it is and it is done.  I did it last night with dh's help with the hanging.

I cut the ribbon into lengths and then just tied them all the way around. 

I also finished a shawl and some dishcloths but they didn't make it to the camera this week.  I'll try again next week :)

Tot School

I was doing good on this but then flaked out with the move and such.  Please forgive me!   Finally, I've gotten back in the swing of things with the kids.  Greg is doing 6th grade Switched on Schoolhouse for his lessons so I have very minimal work with him.  Bear is 52 months (4 1/2) and Abby is almost 22 months. 

Awana lesson and memory work.  Both listen to the lesson, Bear does the memory work.

Coloring Worksheets (Bear)
- letter B sheet
- #3 and 3 animals sheets
- letter C sheet

(Abby)
Hello Kitty coloring pages

Hands-On activities (both)
- finger/Qtip painting
- cutting activity (Bear)
- glue/yarn activity


Books we read:
The Greedy Python by Eric Carle
Bedtime Bear
What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?
Lemony Sknicket: The Lump of Coal
Beaver Gets Lost
Mouse's First Fall by Lauren Thompson
Red Sled by Lita Judge
Bedtime Words - Usborne
Triceratops
Allosaurus
Stegosaurus
Graphic Design Pterandon, Oviraptor and Pachycephalosaurus (3 books)

We also read extensively from our home library.  Extensively.  I imagine that we spend 2-3 hours a day reading aloud.  Whatever suits their fancy.  I am going to try to implement book baskets with "focus" books each week for each of them.  We will see how that goes.  I am also implementing "theme" weeks.  Didn't happen last week, or this week, but it will come in the future.  I am getting a lot of my ideas from Totally Tots.  I've borrowed her ideas for Bear since he was very small.  Bear will be transitioning to preschool starting next fall.

Last week we also had a trip to the library here in town.  Another day we took a bike ride to the local skate park.  Bear got to ride his own bike with brother Greg while Abby (in the stroller) and I (pushing) followed along.  It is an easy 4-5 blocks to that small park and we enjoyed a wonderful hour playing before coming back home.  That day was beautiful!  It snowed again last night.  Grrrr.  I'm ready for spring.

I promise to do better with pictures.  Dh bought a new camera that I am trying to learn the ropes on. 

Project Planning and Organization

First let me tell you what I see as I sit here at the dining room table:  2 rooms over we have a ping pong table (in the sitting room of all places LOL)....currently under the ping pong table are 4 children, ages 14-22 months.  They are playing war or campout or something (I really haven't been paying attention).  It makes my heart so happy to see all these kids playing together so nicely.  I just had to share!

Now back to the topic at hand.  Project organization.  This could be ANY project but for the sake of time/space considerations lets tackle crafty type projects. 

In this new house I have a sewing room.  That should solve the problem, right.  WRONG!  I am a little ADHD, or maybe  alot ADHD.....or maybe I lost significant brain cells with the birth of each child (and extra with Abby because she was a girl).....I don't know what is wrong with me.  I have a project planning problem. 

I like to knit, sew, quilt and do other "crafty" type things (this problem also carries over into the kitchen and homeschool but lets stay on topic for now).  Here is a list of my current "wish I could do" projects:
**ribbon to make a spring wreath for the front door - but no wreath form.  So the Christmas/winter wreath is still out there
**knitted Jane Austin dress for Abby - I actually have the pattern, needles and yarn for this but not the material for the skirt
**knitted Jane Austin shrug for the above dress - I have the pattern and yarn (the yarn actually coordinates with the yarn for the dress) - NO needles
**sweater for Abby - I have yarn.  NO pattern.  No idea if I have enough yarn.  I might have needles that will work.  I will know when I decide on a pattern.  The yarn is currently living on the above mentioned ping pong table.
**sweater for Abby - I ordered a kit from Mary Maxim for an adorable cardigan sweater.  Should be here any day.  Who knows if I have the right sized needles but it should come with the yarn and pattern
**quilt for me? Abby?  - I bought 9 yards of coordinating material (in sage green/pink).  I found a pattern that I LOVE but don't have enough material for it.  Can't find another pattern that I like.  If I do, I DON'T have batting or backing material.  The material is currently living on the ping pong table.
**dresses for Abby - I have the material sitting upstairs for AT LEAST 5 dresses for Abby.  I also have 1 new dress pattern for Abby.  I can't decide what I want to make.
**I have been busy buying pattern books....lace knitting, theme knitting, quilting.  I have found a ton of things I want to make.  How am I going to keep all this straight?
**I want to make a pillow for the window seat (might have the material and pillow form)
**I want to knit a coffee cup huggie - I have some patterns, I have some yarn, I don't know if they will work together though.....
**I have the pattern for a beautiful lace shawl for me.  Don't have needles and can't decide on yarn.


Right now my sewing room, that started off fairly neat, looks like someone threw up a bunch of material/yarn and trash all over it.  The ironing board is covered with stuff I laid there earlier today.  Stuffed animals that need repair are on the floor.  Yarn is EVERYWHERE (but not really good yarn...it is itchy acrylic yarn in small bits of each color.  I am thinking of donating it just so I don't have to look at it any more.  It was given to me by my mil who used to do plastic canvas).  Material is everywhere. 

I thought about small bins or boxes to put project parts in until I was ready to do them.  Like put the yarn, pattern, needles in a small box so that it was there and I could just pick it up when I am looking for something to work on and it will be ready.  Does anyone think that's a good idea?  Any other ideas?  At this point I need HELP.  Maybe an intervention.  And a professional organizer.  And a maid (so I have time to do all these wonderful projects).....and 28 hours in my day.

I am open to any and all suggestions as this is also the problem with cooking projects (I have a recipe but not ingredients or an idea but no recipe) and homeschooling stuff (I want to do a project with the kids only to find out that I don't have the stuff).  Please help!!!!!!