Wow, last year was a doozy, to say the least! Most of us were anxiously awaiting the new year. We went through the turmoil of sickness, electing (or trying to) a president, loss of jobs and loved ones...the list goes on.
As I'm writing this post, we are still very much so in a state of turmoil. I'm not up for debates on who is right or who is wrong. In the end, God is in control and He will see us through.
So, for those of you who need a little peace I thought I'd share a few scriptures to meditate on during these trying times.
2 Chronicles 20:15
And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat:
Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde,
for the battle is not yours but God's.
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
Isaiah 61:3
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Matthew 6:25-27
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Matthew 11: 28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
John 16:22
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Do you have a favorite scripture that you find peace in? Please share it with me! I know there are several more out there. This is just a quick compilation of ones that I have recently come across.
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Tis the season! By this time of year shopping for gifts seems to be in full swing. That's why I was super excited when I was invited to join a One Stop MultiShop vendor event. There are so many goodies in this group, you won't want to miss out!
So, let me take a moment to introduce some of the vendors who are involved. There will be a few more joining us, so be sure to check out the group (linked above).
Kacie Schunk is with KlaySmith Handmade. She is a wife, dog mom, and preschool teacher from Ohio. Kaci makes clay earrings. Her clay earrings are light weight with a variety of different styles, colors, and shapes.
Miranda Schwarzen owns
Simply Stitched WI
! She makes handmade headwraps in a variety of patterns and textures. Miranda lives in Wisconsin with her boyfriend and their dog, Charlee. Megan Taylor is our host for the event. She and her husband live in Guam. She is a full time Nurse Practioner and collagen enthusiast who enjoys getting to know people, understanding their needs, and figuring out how she can help them feel better. Her dream is to quit Nurse Practioning full time and one day open up a clinic with free services. She shares collagen-based skin care products and results that assist with a wide range of needs.
IG: megantaylorr2
Kelly Watson is a Zyia Stylist. She's a wife, dog momma, and dental hygienist from Pennsylvania.
Zyia is for everyBODY! Short, tall, big booty, blessed in the chest, new momma, or expecting, Zia has something you can feel comfortable in!
Amanda Rog (that's me!) with Lavender & Coffee, sells custom mug designs and accessories. L & C has gift sets available to help make your gift complete. My husband designs most of our mugs. He's an amazing artists who does logos, illustrations, and book covers. Our daughter (who is 15 years old) also has some designs available, she definitely takes after her dad! I offer some crochet accessories to make the mugs a little more fun and personal.
Website: lavenderandcoffee.com
As I said above, these are just a few of the amazing talented vendors in our event. Be sure you check out our One Stop MultiShop. New posts will be made during the dates listed below. Of course, you are welcome to shop at any time!
November 25th – 30th
December 3rd – 8th
December 15th – New Years
There is also a cash giveaway for each set of dates that can be used with any of the vendors!
Happy Shopping!
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
Having a well-managed home can be tricky and I certainly haven't mastered it yet. However, I have found a few things over the years that have worked well for me and my family. One of them is chore charts. I've tried several different ones, different variations, mom bucks, you name it, I've probably tried it. lol
Even with 3 teens in the house we use chore charts daily. Since I have 3 kids I give them chores Mon-Sat and divide them accordingly. I usually take Sundays for myself so that I can keep up and also be sure they know what I expect. This also teaches them that I don't ask them to do anything that I'm not willing to do myself. Of course, like many moms, I tend to do my fair share (or more than at times) on all of the other days of the week as well.
Now, onto the different charts. First off, we have the pet chart. Other than the bunnies that they each have and care for on their own, we have a cat and a dog. They take turns feeding the cat and making sure she has water as well as cleaning out her litter box. For the dog, they make sure she has food and water. Nothing big, just general daily pet care. When it comes to bathing the pets we all chip in and do it when it needs to be done.
Bathroom chores, my least favorite. lol As soon as the kids were old enough I left their bathroom in their hands. It's up to them to do the daily maintenance and the general cleaning. The bathroom is basically split into 3 parts and each week they move a marker on the board to let them know who has what chore for that week. Any time they want a friend to come over, it's up to them to be sure their bathroom is presentable. It helps establish that extra little bit of responsibility.
As for the rest of the household chores let me start by saying that I'm a bit of a control freak. Therefore I am the main one who does the laundry. However, I do have them sort the clothes and fold the towels time to time. Once their clothes are sorted out it's up to them to hang them and fold them properly to put them away. This is where separate laundry baskets come in quite handy!
On our daily chore chart we have a rotation for setting the dinner table, cleaning up the kitchen, vacuuming the floors, etc. We even have a rotation for who fills our diffusers each night before bed time! Yes, the more we can rotate and share the chores, the better!
I'm working on putting together a printable chore chart similar to the ones we use. If you'd like to have one just sign up for my email list and I'll send it your way once it's ready.
If you would like to be a part of a community of moms who are working together to find their balance in life, join this group and get even more support!
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
Tis the season for all things pumpkin spice! I have been a lover of this season for a long time. I love all things pumpkin spice! However, the healthier I get the harder it is to find anything I can enjoy. So I found a recipe that I can make myself and enjoy without my body paying for it later.
First, let me tell you that I absolutely LOVE my Vitality oils. They are approved for ingestion and a little goes a long way, making them a perfect match for all of your culinary needs. If you don’t have your kitchen stocked with Vitality Oils yet, let me know and I’ll be happy help you out!
Now for the best part of this post, Pumpkin Spice Creamer! This is the perfect coffee creamer to kick off the fall season. It's made with vitality essential oils to give your body extra immune support. Not to mention that they make it taste amazing!
If you need the perfect mug to compliment your pumpkin spice coffee? Check out our custom made mugs at Lavender & Coffee. We welcome new design ideas, so feel free to browse our mugs and contact us with any new suggestions. We also have a Winter Spice Mug gift set available that has a sample to use for some good pumpkin spiced coffee!
Spiced Pumpkin Creamer
Ingredients
- 2 cups Unsweetened Almond (or Coconut) Milk
- 1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree (organic is best!)
- 2 drop Cinnamon Bark Vitality Oil
- 1 drop Clove Vitality Oil
- 1 drop Ginger Vitality Oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth. Store in airtight container. Keep refrigerated. Shake well before using.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a small commission on purchases made through these links. I assure you that I only recommend products and companies that I trust and would purchase from personally. Thanks for reading! Our full disclosure policy isn’t too exciting but you can find it here.
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
Finding the right balance in life can be quite tricky, especially for stay at home moms who wear many hats. But there is hope! You may have seen the "life balance wheel" that has different areas in life that you rate to see where you are off balance. This helps you determine what areas need more focus so that you can bring them back into balance.
I find this tool very helpful, but in itself it won't tell you how to bring those areas back into balance (more on this later). I have narrowed the areas down a bit and found what I consider to be the main areas many moms find themselves to be off-balance in. They are: personal growth, relationships, health, self care, business, and finance. Everything in your life will likely fit into one of these categories.
Now, what do you do once you have determined what areas you need to work on? You hone in on the specific area that needs help and focus on bringing it back into balance. You make a plan, keeping in mind that you want to maintain balance where you already have it. This can all seem a bit overwhelming, right? That's why I'm super excited about my upcoming course to help busy, stressed, overwhelmed moms bring their life of chaos back into balance! Yes, there is hope and I'm here to help you!
If you can relate to this and would like help finding balance in your life, join my email list to stay updated on the course and for weekly encouragement.
If you would like to be a part of a community of moms who are working together to find their balance in life, join this group. It's so much easier to handle the daily chaos of life when you feel supported by others who share in your struggles and also celebrate your wins along with you!
Join our HomeGrown Homestead community—a place where we learn, grow, and share our homesteading journey together, fostering a bond of shared wisdom and experience. (everyone is welcome!)
Step into Lavender & Coffee: A Sip of Serenity, a haven for moms seeking support and community on their journey to fulfilling their roles as wives and mothers with grace and purpose.(for moms only)
