A Cheerful Parent

I recently read a magazine article that stressed the importance of being a cheerful parent. While so much of child rearing is "learn as you go," how much easier it is to handle parenting challenges if our attitude is one of cheerfulness.

If you recall my previous post on being a grumpy mom in the mornings, you'll know that this is an area in which I struggle. It leads me to ask myself, "As a child of God, am I allowing His joy to be reflected in me?" What better way to draw my children to Him and the life He would have for them to live than for them to see me living joyfully? In order to portray that joy, I must keep my own relationship with God a priority.

As is so often the case, I think being a cheerful mom begins with the small things. Here are a few suggestions that I hope to follow.

1. Smile. I probably think that I smile often, but am I really looking our daughters in the face and smiling at them? I want to do more of that on purpose.


2. Enjoy our daughters. This means taking the time to stop what I'm doing and go into another room to see what they've made or view the picture they've colored or listen to the poem they wrote. By sitting down and really listening to them when they talk, I can interact in a positive way and learn more about their interests.


3. Encourage them. I need to re-read my post on ways to encourage our children. Obviously there are times when discipline and correction need to take place, but as our girls grow older, I want to make sure that is balanced with times of encouragement and expressing appreciation of the things that they do right.

As the old saying goes, "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." I want to build my relationship with our children by being a more cheerful mom!

Have you found ways to purposely set a cheerful mood in your home? I'd love to hear them! Visit Run the Earth, Watch the Sky's series to read how others are planning a fresh start in parenting for 2010.

Reading in 2010

It's no secret that one of my favorite pastimes is reading books. Therefore, I'm sure it wasn't surprising that some of my goals for 2010 involved spending time reading. I've already selected some of the books I want to read in the coming year.

• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (This is actually a book I want to re-read. Later this week, I'll share the sweet story of how I recently came to own this particular book.)


• The Second Coming of Christ by Charles Spurgeon. This book has been on my nightstand for months now - I don't even remember where I got it! I've chosen it as my "spiritual growth" book for January.


• Parenting by the Book by John Rosemond. I've actually started this book and just need to finish it! So far, I have enjoyed its Biblical emphasis, but found several of his earlier books, especially his Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children, to be a bit more practical and helpful.


• The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer. Jessica at Life as Mom mentioned this book, so I ordered it online and look forward to receiving it.


• On Writing Well by William Knowlton Zinsser.

I have mentioned before how much we enjoy using Mildred Martin's books about the Miller family for our family Bible study time. I just bought Missionary Stories with the Millers and am sad to say that I think it's the final one that we haven't read.

As for my bedtime read aloud with the girls, I am currently reading the fourth of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne books - Anne of Windy Poplars - to my nine-year old. As long as she is enjoying them, I plan on going all the way through the series. My seven-year-old and I are enjoying Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin. Once that is done, I'm going to try Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Books and see how interested she seems. (I must admit that part of my motivation is the fact that I've never read all of those stories and would like to!)

Please let me know about any books you or your children enjoy, especially in the area of family devotions and/or parenting books. You can visit Life as Mom to see what books others hope to read this year!

Eat from the Pantry Challenge

Thanks to the challenge that Life as Mom and Money Saving Mom issued, the month of January is going to be "Eat from the Pantry" month at our house! Basically, I am going to plan as many meals as possible from food that I already have in our pantry, refrigerator and freezer and limit my spending on other grocery items.

All of the participants have been encouraged to create their own "rules" for the challenge, so here are mine.

1. Spend no more than $75 a week on groceries. In my case, that includes paper goods, toiletries, etc. I really want to challenge myself to watch my spending and purchase mainly items I need to complete the meals that are on my menu. It will be difficult to refrain from purchasing products ahead, but I will do my best (although I will pick up any free or nearly-free items that might be on sale that particular week.) I tried to set a goal that is realistic, yet will cause me to stretch a bit to meet it. [Note to husband: Should I succeed in this challenge, please don't decide that we need to cut the grocery budget permanently ;)


2. Limit the number of stops at the grocery store. Yikes - this will actually be the hardest one for me! Since Publix is basically on the way home from dropping my girls off at school, I have a habit of stopping in two or three times a week to get sale items or other things I forgot to buy earlier. I hope to make no more than two stops each week, one at Publix and another at either a drugstore or supercenter. (There may be one additional stop this week since I purchased very little over the past two weeks due to being out of town for the holidays.) I know that just staying out of the store will help me keep my spending down!


3. Fill in any foods that are needed to complete meals with sale items and spend the rest of the allotted money for the week on produce and healthy snacks.

On Saturday night, I sat down and wrote out this week's menu based on what I already had in the house. Here's the plan:

Monday: Chili, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Fruit

Tuesday: Cheese Lover's Pasta Roll-Ups, Salad, Bread

Wednesday: Roasted Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Green Bean Casserole

Thursday: Cajun Chicken Pasta, Green Peas, Bread

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Cheeseburgers, Homemade Macaroni & Cheese, Baked Beans

At the end of each week during January, I'll post a picture of what I purchased at the store and share whether or not I came in under budget! Let me know if you are tackling this challenge as well or if you've ever tried something similar in the past!

You can follow others in their Eat from the Pantry Challenge at Life as Mom and Money Saving Mom. Read what others are accomplishing this week at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Cheese-Lover's Pasta Roll-Ups

This dish reminds me of one of my favorite meals from an Italian restaurant and, let's face it, with a title that includes the word "cheese-lovers," I knew this would be a hit with me!! Since I had a box of lasagna noodles in the pantry and a large container of ricotta cheese, as well as mozzarella cheese, in the refrigerator, this is one of the meals we'll be having this week as we embark on our Eat from the Pantry Challenge. I originally found this recipe in an issue of Kraft Food & Family magazine.

Cheese-Lover's Pasta Roll-Ups

1 egg, beaten
1 container (15 ounce) ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
4 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 jar (26 ounce) spaghetti sauce, divided
16 lasagna noodles, cooked
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first five ingredients until well blended. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce onto bottom of 13x9 inch baking dish. Spread each lasagna noodle with 3 tablespoons cheese mixture; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in dish. Top with remaining sauce and Parmesan; cover.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until heated through, uncovering the last ten minutes.

To prepare ahead, asssemble as directed. Cover with heavy-duty foil and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake, covered, in pre-heated oven for one hour or until heated through, uncovering the last ten minutes.

Find more great recipes at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

Personal Goals for 2010

On this fourth day of the new year, I have finally made it to sharing my personal goals for 2010. They are pretty straightforward.

1. Spend at least twenty minutes a day, four days a week, writing (not for the blog).


2. Read one book a month for personal development (marriage, parenting, writing, etc.)


3. Redecorate our master bedroom. In every house we've lived in (a grand total of three), the master bedroom has been the last room to receive any attention. This year, as funds allow, I want to paint it (well, to be more specific, have my husband paint it!) and find new bedding and accessories.

Along with personal goals, I would like to set a few goals for this blog. In my ten months of blogging, I have sometimes struggled with what I would like my blog to be. I would love to see it as a ministry, a place where others can come and find encouragement. It is certainly a place where I record family moments and for that I am grateful. Memories that might be lost can be captured here while they're fresh in my mind.

Girls to Grow is also an outlet for my writing. I hadn't written anything for years before I started blogging, but am now thrilled to be putting my thoughts on "paper." Posts that I've written about family members are especially rewarding as I am able to corral my emotions into words.

With all of that being said, I would certainly love to grow my blog, so have set a few goals along those lines.

1. Have 100 followers by the end of February. Not too far to go on that one! : )


2. Write one substantial post daily (Monday through Friday).


3. Keep post topics related to the central theme of my blog, which is Christian homemaking and parenting.


4. Visit and comment on three "new-to-me" blogs at least three days a week.

Now, I've had enough "goal" posts in the past few days to last me for the year! :) Tomorrow I'll share how I'm planning to participate in this month's Eat from the Pantry Challenge (which I technically started on January 1st since I'm one of those "must follow-the-rules" types!) See you then!

Read about goals that others have for their blogs this year at Savvy Blogging.

photo courtesy public domain pictures

Physical Goals for 2010

After posting my spiritual and financial goals for 2010, I was planning to combine the final two areas - physical and personal - into one post. However, once I got started, I realized that it would be WAY too long; therefore, I'm sticking to just physical goals for today.

I am trying to move past judging my health by a number on the scales. While I typically weigh myself a couple of times a week, my continuing goal is to move my body more and eat healthier foods so that I will feel good and have the energy I need to do the things I want to do. Beyond that, as a wife and mother, I want to do all that I can to help the rest of my family be as healthy as possible.

In the past couple of months, I have realized that our daughters are confronted with candy and sweets at every turn. (At one point in the month of December, the amount of candy they had was so staggering that I offered to pay them a nickel for every piece they gave to me instead of eating. Let's just say that my seven-year-old made 75 cents in one night! Some of the candy went into the trash and some was given away or saved for some other occasion.)

Since I'm not always going to be around with that incentive, I am trying to teach them, as well as myself, to pay attention to how your body feels after you eat a sugary treat, compared with how you feel after eating a piece of fruit or other healthier snack. When I think of their young bodies and all the nutrients that they need to grow, I want to do all I can to meet those physical needs in the best way possible. I believe it to be on ongoing learning process, striving to make nutritious choices while still enjoying some special treats from time to time.

Now, I will get down off my soap box and share my three basic physical goals for the year.

1. Re-read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. This is one of my favorite books and was one of the first ones that really got me thinking about my food choices. I have already reserved a copy at the library and will pick it up next week. I should just buy the book; a few months ago, I put it on my wish list at PaperBackSwap and I'm now number 595 of 1,364 people wanting that book!!


2. Eat three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Yes, that is three. You must understand the point from which I'm starting. It's not that I eat potato chips and cookies all day, but I'm used to such snacks as granola bars or crackers and tend to fill my meals with bread and starches as opposed to anything green. Three fruits or vegetables a day is attainable and I'm hoping to be consistent enough with it that I'll move to four or five servings per day in a couple of months.


3. Exercise four times a week. This is much easier in the spring and summer since I enjoy walking or bike riding after supper when it's light later into the evenings. Now I'm going to make a concerted effort to get out sometime earlier in the day to burn some calories.

So, there you have it! I'm hoping to be a fitter, healthier version of myself twelve months from now!

Financial Goals for 2010

Some of the most easily measurable goals are those that we set for ourselves in the financial realm. Income and expenses are pretty easily measured and, as the saying goes, "numbers don't lie." As I continue to keep my goals for the coming year simple and specific, here are three things I want to strive for in 2010.

1. Finish saving for our family trip to Walt Disney World. Last year, I decided to set aside any extra money I could and begin saving toward a family trip to Walt Disney World late this year. These funds are above and beyond the regular monthly savings we do for vacations. My goal for 2009 was $1,000; as of yesterday, I have around $950. While I didn't quite reach my mark, I know that I am a lot closer than I would have been had I never set the goal! I am going to try to step things up now and reach my total goal of $2,000 by the end of September.


2. Set up monthly withdrawals into a Roth IRA. We currently set aside a certain amount each month for retirement. However, since some of my husband's income is commission-based, we typically put the monthly amount into a money market account until the previous year's taxes are done, then make one yearly contribution. We would like to change that by increasing the amount we put toward retirement each month and having it automatically deducted from our checking account and put into the IRA.


3. Find ways that I can generate income. I am not currently employed outside the home, but would like to find either a small part-time job or something that I could do from home that will bring in a bit of extra money. I have found that I truly enjoy being at home and taking care of things around the house, even when the girls are in school, but would like to be able to earn a little money as well.

I never mind being frugal when there is a purpose behind it. I feel that part of my job as a homemaker is to be a good steward of our finances and save money wherever possible, thus allowing us to give and save more, as well as enjoy certain things as a family. Overall, I feel like we do pretty well with the basics. Keeping expenses down and finding ways to save money are pretty much a way of life for us. We try to be wise in our use of electricity and water (although a long, hot shower is a luxury I haven't yet been willing to give up!)

When it comes to the food portion of our budget, I am hoping that this will be the year that I find the best balance between saving money and eating healthy. For January, I'll be participating in the Eat from the Pantry Challenge (more on my plan for that soon); in the following months, I hope to have a monthly savings of at least $50 from my grocery shopping budget.

I am also hoping to make wiser decisions regarding purchasing clothing for our daughters. Since they wear uniforms for school, they need fewer clothes during those months and more for their summer wear. The biggest way to improve in this area is to stay out of the stores unless I'm looking for something specific! This is difficult for me as I love shopping for our daughters! I think I have also finally learned that buying quality pieces on sale ends up being best for me since the clothes last longer and can be worn by both girls.

You can read about the spiritual goals I've set for myself here; tomorrow I'll unveil my physical and personal goals for 2010. I'm sure you can hardly wait!! : )

Have you set any goals or made resolutions for the new year? I'd love to hear them! Share in the comments and, if you've blogged about them, include a link to your post.

Read about how others plan to save money in 2010 at Frugal Friday hosted by Life as Mom. Visit The Happy Housewife to find more goals and resolutions for the new year.