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Recipe: Grandma Millie’s Bao (Chinese Steamed Meat Buns)
I share this recipe in loving memory of a beautiful woman who selflessly cared for and nurtured all those around her. Her bao recipe, or Chinese steamed meat buns, was special to all of her boys, but especially my husband. Anytime she asked what he would like for his birthday, the answer was always the same… bao. And she would laugh, roll her eyes, and mumble about how long it takes to make. But she would glow too. I can see her face now, as I share this. You see, Millie spoke love through her cooking and her boys lived for her meals. Their bond was so much deeper than…
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Paint Colorful Animal Art With This Easy-to-Follow Tutorial! (For Kids Too!)
When I was in high school, my art teacher gave me a “B” every single year. She always said that although my art was good, I failed to create something original. You see, I had become pretty decent at duplicating art that I saw in magazines or books, but no matter how hard I tried, my mind just didn’t create something out of nothing. Someone probably should have told her that a few years later a company would make billions… yes, billions… helping people do just what I did in her class every day… (Hello, Pinterest!) … or maybe someone should have told me so that I could invest in…
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DIY Family Pictures: The Secret to Snapping Pics You’ll Love!
From the time my little man was born, he has struggled to not shy away from new faces. His naturally timid nature made taking professional family pictures near impossible. Having not only a new face, but a new face with a camera… it just didn’t work for him. So, mama to the rescue! Time to learn a new trick – DIY family photography. So, here we are, five years later, and our DIY family picture adventures are still going strong! I’ll never compare my results with that of the beautiful pieces of artwork that my professional photographer friends produce, but whether you’re on a budget or have a camera-shy member…
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Book Review: Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa Terkeurst
Can I recommend a beautiful book that I recently finished reading? “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget” by Lysa Terkeurst. I stumbled upon her book while visiting another blog and was immediately intrigued. When I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I cried my way through page after page. Lysa so beautifully walks the reader through the healing and forgiveness experience as God intended for us. She is so raw, vulnerable, and real in her writings that you immediately connect with her while you “sit at her table.” This book is beautifully written and I wish I could buy it for everyone that I know and love. “No human…
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Let’s Make Pebble Art!
I’m always on the hunt for art projects that are easy on the wallet, but pack in lots of imagination, fun, laughter, and excitement! Even better, I love art projects that result in something unique that we can hang on our art wall as a great conversation piece and a reminder of our time spent together as a family! As homeschoolers, we practice a lot of art in our curriculum because it encourages not only creativity, but also critical thinking and problem solving. Further, on the elementary school level, it also helps develop fine motor skills! What I personally love about our art projects is that they build confidence in…
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DIY: Beautiful Handmade Crosses in Six Steps or Less!
I am so excited to share these beautiful handmade crosses with you today! Inspired by my hubby’s unique, intricate, and stunning “Flawless” series (see the last photos in this blog post), I set out to create a cross that was DIY friendly for the blog. The crosses pictured can be achieved in six steps or less! They do require a bit more equipment than some of our other DIY projects, but they are very beginner-friendly! And the best part? You can customize, embellish, and decorate them any way that you like! I hope you enjoy this DIY project as much as I did! No more stalling…let’s jump right in! The…
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Acorn Art: Discover the Fun of Making Your Own Easy & Quirky Masterpiece!
If you’ve played on Pinterest enough, you’ve likely seen one of Petr Vaclavek’s world-famous acorn elves! The first time I laid eyes on them, I was smiling ear to ear! They are fun, silly, absolutely unique and incredibly brilliant! I couldn’t stop flipping from one image to the next! And the best part? The idea was born out of a simple brainstorming session of how to make art from the collections of materials brought home from nature walks with his kids! How wonderful! If you want to see his site, click here! You won’t be disappointed! Of course, as soon as I saw Vaclavek’s beautiful acorn elves, I just knew…
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Pine Cone Thanksgiving Turkey Craft
If you’ve followed our blog for any length of time, you know I’m crazy about three things… my family, being outdoors, and crafting! What makes me giggle is that my five year-old seems to be following in my footsteps. We often come home from a walk or run with a huge pile of leaves, pine cones, acorns, interesting sticks, flowers, and sometimes random rocks all piled in the seat of his Baby Jogger stroller. When asked what he plans to do with all of these things, his answer is always the same… “I’m going to make art, mommy!” Makes this mommy’s heart proud! The other day, we came home from…
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Resting in Jesus in a “Save Face” Society
Life is full of humbling moments, but the most painful ones usually involve a gross exposure of our cracks, flaws and imperfections to the world. Society, as a whole, tells us that the most important thing during these times is to immediately shift into damage control. The message is clear, “hide your imperfections and cover up the pain with lies.” Wear a smile. Act like nothing is wrong. Act like you’re winning. Don’t let them see your vulnerability. Don’t let them see you crack. If they see it, it gives them power over you. We are so busy trying to control the damage and save face that we have forgotten…
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The Baby Shower Gift We Have Used For Over 5 Years!
I don’t write a lot of product reviews on my blog, but I remember being a first-time expectant mom and trying to sort through the scary task of making my first baby shower registry. What do I actually need? Which product works best? Do brands matter? What will I forget? Oh gosh, how can I put such expensive items on my registry and actually ask people to buy them? That was over five years ago, but I still remember how overwhelmed and anxious I felt about it all. Fast forward to today and I can’t believe that I’m still using one of my baby shower gifts over five years later! …
