BUNK BED SOLUTION??!

I know, it's a picture of a crib, but I promise--this is about bunk beds!


Okay first, for us bunk beds are a necessity--not a first choice. Any parent who has struggled to make the top bunk would gladly trade them in if the space was there for two twin beds. I can honestly say that Addison's mattress cover/sheets get changed every month....or less. I just DREAD it! Yesterday, as I lay on the bottom bunk holding the top mattress up with my feet so Addison could help me change the sheet I racked my brain on how to make this an easier task. Then I remembered--a couple of months ago I did some research on safer and easier crib sheets for Lucy. The best solution I found were these sheets called Zip Sheets®. 


As you can see from the picture, the sheet set includes a mattress cover and waterproof "piddle pads" to protect the mattress. All you have to do is put the mattress cover on and change the velcro pad. No more lifting the mattress up every time you have to change the sheets! You would rarely have to wash the mattress cover. At the time, the sheets weren't in our budget, so I bookmarked it and forgot about it. But I went to their site again yesterday to see if they came in twin...and they do!! They even have e-layaway now, so after Christmas, this is definitely going to be in our budget for that dreaded top bunk! And Lucy, of course, needs some for her crib so I'll quit having this panicky feeling that she's going to wrap herself up in the sheets in the middle of the night. (Not to mention, I won't have to completely strip the bed every night while we are trying to perfect our nighttime cloth diaper system!)


I just wanted to share this because I know several of our fellow seminary friends who have very limited space and have to live with bunk beds for the time being. We've all talked about what a pain it is to change that top bunk. The sheet system is a bit more expensive to start out with, but the twin set should last for several years, and I know that it is NOT going to be a problem finding someone to pass the crib set to when Lucy is finished with it. 


I never thought the idea of sheets would get me so excited!

Christian Children's Books Ideas for Christmas

Shane working at Lifeway Christian Bookstore has truly been a blessing to us in many ways, but I am especially grateful for the exposure to so many wonderful Christian children's books. While I'm not anti-Veggie Tales, I wanted to expose our young children to Biblical truths in a way that they would both take seriously and enjoy. I think the controversy with any Christian children's book is that it is "watered down" scripture. And I think you definitely have to be careful. Our children hear scripture straight from the Bible, but also these stories to support what they have heard. Nothing takes the place of straight Bible reading, but these books have been a great tool to reinforce what they have read. 

These are a few of our books in our collection that have succeeded. 

1) Jesus Storybook Bible

This is by far our favorite children's Bible. It is a summary, greatly paraphrased, and does not take the place of a Bible. But what it does is remind us that the Bible is one story. That God had one plan from the very beginning, and has never had a "Plan B." This book is wonderful to teach children that every book in the Bible whispers Jesus' name, and tells the "Love Story" of God with His children. In my opinion, it doesn't underemphasize judgement or wrath of God. And thankfully, this isn't a book about how God loves everyone unconditionally, and everyone is good. This book has led so some amazing discussions with our girls at bedtime and I can't recommend it enough! There's even a deluxe version available now that includes the audio so children can follow along. 

2) The Princess and the Kiss: A Story of God's Gift of Purity 

by Jennie Bishop. I LOVE this book. It introduces young girls to the value of purity and the amazing gift from God purity is. AND it relays it in a royal tale! It begins with a king and queen showing their daughter the gift she got from God when she was born--her "first kiss". In the story, it is symbolized by a golden, glowing orb. She understands the value of her gift, and doesn't want to part with it. When she meets potential suiters, she is sad to discover that they all offer her wealth, vanity, and adventure, but nothing that equals the gift that she is to part with. The one who finally does win her heart is a penniless, humble man who offers her his most precious gift--HIS first kiss!! The girls and I have had some invaluable discussions on purity and their true value each time we have read this. Needless to say, we drag this one out quite often!  The boy version of this book is The Squire and the Scroll, which I have not read, but I'm sure is just as good! Also, I've just noticed a devotional based on this book called Life Lessons from the Princess and the Kiss, which is now on my wish list. 

3) The Garden Wall: A Story of Love Based on I Corinthians 13 
Also by Jennie Bishop. This is a great story for girls or younger boys. The two main characters are friends Petra and Seth. One day Petra announces to Seth that she wants to grow a garden for her husband. She asks Seth to help her build a wall around it to protect it. Seth laughs at her, but agrees to help his friend. It turns out to be hard work, but as their garden grows, so does their love for each other. Each page takes you through another attribute of love mentioned in 1 Corinthians: Kind, patient, etc. After we read this, we talk about how we show love to each other (especially when they want to clobber each other over something!)  The pictures are beautiful also.

4) The Book of Virtues by William Bennett. This is a great book to read for fun as a family. It's a collection of short stories, poems, and fables that have practical and moral lessons. Some are fun. Some are more serious. Some we just didn't get?! There's a few we disagreed with the lesson taught, so I recommend reading a few ahead of time before reading them out load as a family so you can decide what you want to read. However, it's still overall a great book.

5) The Priest With Dirty Clothes: A Timeless Story Of God's Love And Forgiveness by Dr. R.C. Sproul. Can I admit that this one made me tear up? It's a beautiful story within a story about the love of Christ, told through a priest who dirties his only clothes, and cannot preach before the king in this state. He is told to go see the prince who exchanges clothes with him so that he is now clean and can present himself before the king. This book is a great way to introduce young children to the heavy topic of redemption and leads to discussions of sin, holiness, and forgiveness. 




I know there's going to be a Part II to this after I go upstairs and go through the bookshelf again!

Butter Pecan Cake Recipe

I took this to church today at our fellowship luncheon and had several people ask for the recipe. I can't take credit for it though--I got the recipe from Ms. Barbara Boucher back home in Tennessee. This is a really good, moist cake that's just sweet enough. I'd take a picture of it, but it's pretty much all gone at this point!

1 box Betty Crocker butter pecan cake mix

(mix as directed on package)

Add to mix: 1 can Betty Crocker coconut-pecan frosting

1 cup chopped pecans

1 T. flour

Pour batter in bundt pan that has been greased and floured and bake at 350° for 55 minutes. **Reserve enough batter to fill a small loaf pan or 6 cupcakes or cake will bake over**

That's it! Enjoy.

Diaper Deals

I was chatting with some friends about diapering our kids on a budget. I'm going to share what I do, but I would LOVE to have input from people about how you get your best deals.

First of all, I use cloth diapers during the day. This saves me from using approximately 5-6 disposables a day. I use disposables at night, if we are away from home, or when baby is having diarrhea. I have my limits! This being said, I only need about 1 to 2 packs of diapers a month, depending on how much we go out/travel. So it's easy for me to stock up on diapers when they are sale--I don't have to buy that many. My favorite is Pampers Swaddlers, but since they are the Cadillac of diapers, I reserve them for nighttime. The best deal I have gotten so far was at Rite Aid. I can't remember the numbers, but they were Huggies diapers and I had $2 off coupons for them. I did 2 different transactions so that I could use 2 different $5 off $20 purchase coupons I had. Then I got rebates for the Huggies using Rite Aid's Single Check Rebates. Then I got a $25 Rite Aid gift certificate in the mail for spending $100 (before coupons).

I've also gotten Kroger Comforts brand for around $3 a package. There are often printable coupons for these for $3 off, and they go on sale for around $6. That makes for some cheap diapers also. I've signed to be a member on every major diaper site (Huggies, Pampers, Luvs) and have gotten some good coupons. Also, don't forget that you can buy diaper coupons on ebay. But I guess the moral of the story is to check your grocery store, Wal-greens, Rite Aid and CVS to see who has the best deals. Then find as many coupons for that brand of diaper that you can and buy up several!

I am interested in how other people get their diaper deals! Sam's, Costco, Amazon?