This Is Kristin

“Most grass species are best kept at least 2 1/2 inches tall. The length creates more surface area to absorb sunlight, which creates thicker turf and deeper roots, which means you won’t need to water as often. Save money by letting grass clippings remain on your lawn; it adds nitrogen to the soil and discourages weed seeds from germinating. You’ll need less fertilizer and herbicide. Leaving clippings on lawns means less in landfills; in 2005 Americans disposed of more than 12 million tons of yard waste.” (Better Homes and Gardens magazine)

…….my husband will be happy to hear this……

~We have been having fun with our families and friends during our visit to Ca. The kids have been spending a ton of time with cousins, (I don’t have the pictures uploaded yet, but will post later) and we were able to spend some days with some of our good friends. We headed to San Fransisco, and spent the day at the beach. Blue went straight into the (cold) ocean, chased seagulls, and dug deep holes to burry his friend. Aiden perferred to play in the “big sandbox” with trucks, and pails. Cooper chilled on the blanket with his new baby friend, and Brody and I caught up with our friends, ate some picnic food, and got a little sunburnt. Here are some pictures of our kids, enjoying a day at the beach.

~Cabbage has been said in the past to have healing properties and be a stress buster, while today it is also claimed to have cancer prevention (cancers of the lung, colon, breast and uterus) added to it’s list. If cabbage is eaten raw, it can have a mild protection against radiation as well.

Ways to eat Cabbage:

~Coleslaw
~Added to soups, (one of my favorites)
~Chinese chicken salad… (also one of my favorites)
~cooked lightly with butter and a little nutmeg
~or cooked lightly with oil and lemon juice.

~Eat with Broccoli and Cauliflower for added cancer prevention!

*my boys won’t eat cabbage, they don’t like it, unless it’s sneaked in a soup. They can even pick shreds of it out of salads. Any creative ideas to make cabbage more appealing to kids? What is your favorite way to eat cabbage?

~ This is perfect with fresh basil and summer tomatoes… so yummy!

*INGREDIENTS
2 pounds vine ripened tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup alfredo sauce
12 ounces spaghetti
1 cup parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, basil, mint, salt and black pepper, hot pepper flakes, olive oil, and alfredo.
Cook the pasta In a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but firm to the bite.
Drain the pasta, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss tomato mixture with the pasta to coat. Add cheese, and toss until it begins to melt.
(*can use more alfredo or less, based on taste.)

~”Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun.”

— George Scialabba

….. to help clean the air of your home. “Indoor plants can dramatically improve air quality. All plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, but some actually remove chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde from the air. The most effective air cleaners are Chinese evergreen, Peace lily, arrowhead vine, English ivy, and cornplant…Aim for roughly 15 plants for every 1500 square feet in your house.”

~(That seems like a lot of indoor plants doesn’t it? Right now, I have two indoor plants, and they are basil and bamboo, I don’t think they are doing much good for the air quality of my home. I think I’ll have to get more, thankfully I am falling in love with plants anyways. In my opinion, English ivy is most decorative and pretty, but if you want an exotic look the chinese evergreen are cool looking.)

(update on vacation…. we made it out here to CA, and it’s cool and slightly rainy. We’ve been here for less than 24 hours and seen a whole bunch of people, the boys are having a blast!)

~We are going on vacation for 2 weeks, so I will be away from my computer most of the time. I have a few posts saved to go along with my schedule, so if I get a chance to quickly post them I will! In the mean time, you’ll notice that on the right, I have posted a “schedule” to my blogging. Each of those topics listed are links that will take you to a page with the posts I have done related to those topics. (you can also finish out reading the 40 day fast pages, by clicking on the links in my sidebar.) I have also grouped my links to other blogs into categories, so you can check out all of those!
For now I’ll leave you with one of my favorite pictures that my husband has taken.

(I have some of this cereal for my baby, glad I saw this, and am passing it along to you!)

Gerber baby food recalled

MONDAY, July 16 (BabyCenter News) — Baby food maker Gerber is recalling all packages of its organic rice and organic oatmeal cereals. The cereal may contain lumps that don’t dissolve in water or milk, posing a potential choking hazard to young children. The company has received choking complaints, but no reports of injury.

Gerber organic rice and organic oatmeal cereals are sold in 8-ounce boxes. The UPC code for the rice cereal is 15000 12504, and the code for the oatmeal is 15000 12502. These numbers can be found on the bottom right side of the box.

If you have one of these products, call the Gerber Parents Resources Center at (800) 443-7237 or (231) 928-3000 to return it and get a full refund.

You can see a photo of the oatmeal cereal on the FDA’s website.

– Jenny Des Jarlais, BabyCenter News

~”Only Jesus could turn such a self proclaimed enemy of the gospel into one of the greatest lovers of the gospel who ever lived. If He could change Saul and mark eternity with his life, God can change us.
Let’s continue to offer Him a teachable heart…”

Paul used the words “grace,” and “joy,” more than any other in the bible. He also went through some of the most difficult and dire circumstances. That is a strange paradox. It seems even against human nature. I don’t think we are naturally joyful when dealing with difficulties, nor do I think we are naturally gracious when dealing with people. It’s beautiful to see, what Christ can do in a life who is completely transformed. He went from being Saul the persecutor of Christians, to Paul the Christian missionary, who offered people hope and eternity.

“Having searched the life of Saul, how can we ever doubt that Christ can save? Is any too wicked? Any too murderous? Grace never draws a line with a willing soul. His arm is never too short to save.”

(Quotes are from Beth Moore, “To Live is Christ” bible study)

~First of all, let me say that this section of my blog regarding parenting- intimidates me-, even though it’s possibly the topic I care most about. I feel so inadequately equipped at being a mom, and it’s the thing I want to be best at. If I fail at everything else, but my kids know that I love them and God loves them, I will feel I succeeded. I don’t feel like I have a bunch of tips and advice to give, because I am usually the one asking for help and advice. My constant prayer is that “through my weaknesses, he’ll be strongest,” in my parenting and now in this section of the blog as well. As always, you are completely welcome to comment, and share things that you know and have learned. I respect your opinion, and advice is heeded. This section will reflect things I have read, learned from other parents, or be questions to you.

I’ll start out by using this quote that I heard in a mother’s bible study:

“You are on assignment from God to pray for your children. You may be the only person on the face of the earth who is! And if you aren’t, then probobally no one else is!” ~ Elizabeth George

I picked up this book in a pocket size version, and it is full of paragraph long prayers for parents to pray for their kids. It’s a helpful guide, and easy to take along somewhere.

~What kinds of things do you pray for your kids?