Turn, Turn, Turn.

Ecclesiastes 3:1  "To everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under heaven"

Shew, is that ever true in the Flohr house right now. As you continue in Ecclesiastes 3, you'll see the many seasons that exist in life: being born, dying, planting, reaping, healing, laughing, mourning etc. And I am now convinced there is a season for rule breaking. Here goes:

This little dude is the newest addition to our family. This 8 lbs of perfect has shaken the other two little ones in our home a bit, and caused me to ask myself if rule breaking is ok?

I thought my biggest challenge in bringing home my 3rd baby was going to be me: When will I sleep, shower, eat, feel like me again, get skinny again. All of that. Well, I learned on my 2nd day home that my struggles with self were going to be the least of my worries.  Let's bring in Exibit B: Our other awesome pictures of happiness and sweetness.  Our 4 and 2 year olds. We were in an amazing rythm with these two before baby Graydi was born. Landri and Malachi couldn't wait to meet their new brother or sister. We had an awesome daily routine for summer from our trips to the pool, lunches at the park, enjoying the outdoors riding bikes, seeing friends, going for ice cream and then an amazing nap and bedtime schedule too. I never even gave thought to the struggles that would grip their little lives when this new one came home to actually stay, live with us, and be part of our family. Malachi has struggled the most. 

 Normally such an easy going and tender 2 year old, he has become some kind of irritable little guy. There are offenses in our home that are automatic disciplinary actions because the kids know them by heart that they are against the rules and call for discipline. We won't go into all of them, but I can tell you that one of them is destroying things for the sake of being destructive. Two days ago Malachi opened his new box of crayons given to us by our sweet neighbor and snapped them all...then came and proudly announced to me "I just broke my box of crayons!" (all with a smile). I immediately saw the cry for attention. Meanwhile, I am giving more of myself individually to Malachi and Landri than I did at the end of my exhausting pregnancy. So, it'd hard on me to think that it's not enough. So, I sent him to his room but before getting the spank spoon, I thought, How can I spank for this? So, I smacked the gavel in my heart and thought of Ecclesiastes 3 and said this is a season for breaking the rules. And I mean breaking my own rules...I'm not letting my toddlers become wild and crazy, I'm just going to be more gracious on my end. He lost privileges with those crayons for two days (just finally getting them back this morning) but I dismissed my automatic spank rule for his destruction, and I'm ok with that. It has happened more since. He hammered my walls with a toy hairdryer that same day. Ugh! But I broke the rules again and instead had a sweet heart-to-heart with him where he came right out and told me he doesn't like that I'm with Graydi so much. He has made comments that Graydi doesn't "neeeeeed" to eat. etc. I am learning that we should not set any expectations for good or bad because what we thought would be just isn't always so. I thought Malachi would immediately recognize his future sword-fighting buddy, but he sees a bit of a contender instead. Fortunately, Malachi still kisses and hugs his brother and desires to hold him, but I see his inner struggle with obeying and being sweet, and he is as confused about it as ever. I know he doesn't even know who it's aimed at. :( sigh.  

Then there's my "Sis."

 She's so responsible and helping. Nothing in her resents her new real life doll...but something in her is feeling neglected too. Even though on my first day home from the hospital I considered my rotting bananas an opportunity to be with Landri like old times in the kitchen baking, and even though I've spent alone time with her playing Uno and doing nails while Graydi sleeps, THIS is what I saw immediately after the comment "But Moooooom, what about me!?"

 

She was pouting on the swing right after a picnic lunch where I had put myself through soreness and unrest to play baseball in the back yard yesterday. I had to run in the house to get something (for the baby I'm sure) and I heard her say those heart jabbing words: "What about me?"  I looked out, saw this image and knew it was blog time. She apparently wanted a push. She hasn't needed pushed in weeks. She can pump her legs so high it's dangerous. But clearly, she too needed me in a way that I don't even think she gets. So the next rule that got broken was mine again. The heck with the house, the heck with the vacuum. The heck with everything (except for a clean kitchen and fresh laundry because we just can't function without those two).  So I'm writing this for self therapy, to make it officially okay to be in a season of rule breaking, but also to encourage any of you Mom's who feel defeated with one child or many. Defeated because you aren't super mom and because you too can't keep up with everything even though you may stay home with your kids every day. It's just a grace thing. We need to lean on the Lord for strength every single day. When the times get hard we need to turn to Nehemiah 8:10: "The joy of the Lord is my strength."

There is even a song about it, and I can honestly say when I feel a curse word coming on, this is the phrase I work effortlessly to insert instead. I've taught this song to my kids, and truly it is so restoring for the spirit. The Lord is on our side. He is working all things to good, Romans 8:28...and we have to trust that the Holy Spirit will descend on us and give us grace to get through....each season. 

Frugal Woman

I stumbled upon a homemade laundry detergent recipe last summer (not really stumbled, friends passed it along) that has revamped my cleaning budget. I first was convicted with the realization that indoor air pollution is the Asbestos of tomorrow, thanks to the New York Times best selling book: The Healthy Home by Dr. Myron Wentz and his son Dave Wentz. The book opened my eyes to the fact that while much of the world is concend with going green for the environment, we as wives and Moms need to be more concerned with "greening" our homes. We spend so much time in our homes, and it can be a dangerous place to be thanks to chemicals, preservatives, and other silent and hidden monsters. The book takes you on a journey through your home, and each chapter begins with a quiz to determine how green you are in certain rooms. I absolutely FAILED the laundry room with a capital F! This got me thinking that possibly I can cut not only the chemicals to better my score in this particular area, but I can also slash dollars out of the budget as I spend so much on these damaging laundry items. The soap I found is the same one that Michelle Duggar uses, so you can find it at her website, but I have decided to post it in my blog as well. I know other moms who personally use it and love it (at least 6 others) and I have been using for one year to the day. If you decide to give it a shot, please message me, and let me know how you like it. I'll try to add all my tips to this post to  help you get the most out of your detergent.

For the recipe you will need:

• 1 five gallon bucket with lid
• 1 bar of Kirk's Castile Coconut Oil Soap (Other soaps that are reccommended are Fels-Naptha or any bar you prefer - especially castile.) I like the Kirk's because I know it is more natural.
• 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup Borax (optional) - I reccommend using it. I've done both
• 4 1/2 gallons of hot water

It was fun to make this fabulous soap because I was able to get my two toddlers involved. They had a blast helping me make it, and I was able to explain to them why we were doing it. Especially with my daughter, as I teach her about our noble calling as keepers of the home, and stewards of our home, it was a fun experience.

You'll want to rinse out an old laundry detergent container to use once your have your 5 gallons prepared. That way you can conveniently have some to use in your laundry room and you can store your 5 gallons in the garage or somewhere out of the way.

Here's my two-year-old, Malachi with our supplies

Begin with a cheese grater to grate your bar of soap into a saucepan, and cover it with 4 cups of water. You boil it down until the soap is completely dissolved.

4 and 2 year old, grating soap

Boiling the soap

After the soap is completely dissolved, pour it into the five gallon bucket. Add 4 and a half gallons of hot water, the 1 cup of washing soda and the half cup of Borax. Stir until dissolved. Here is a cute picture of my kiddos, standing in the bathtub mixing our big 5 gallon batch!

That's it. I have a friend who dillutes it with another 5 gallons of water to make 10 gallons, and she says it works great. I have not tried that. You can use this detergent as soon as it's made, but it will gel and get thicker as it sets. You'll need to shake your detergent container after you fill it up. hen I'm doing laundry, I shake the container initially and then I feel like the detergent is mixed well for all the loads I'm doing. Sometimes the soap is chunky, and sometimes there are little "floaties" of soap flecks in it. This detergent is "HE" compatible as there is very little suds. I use the same amount I would with another detergent for a load, but I have read on other blogs that you can use less. Just do what you feel comfortable doing. Also, one last tip: I still use oxyclean or some kind of booster with whites as I feel that even though this detergent gets everything clean (even kid's stained clothes) it will leave whites looking dingy. Another way to cut the chemicals is to throw 1/2 cup of white vinegar in with your clothes instead of bleach. It also works as a softener. Finally, remember that it will not have a fragrance, after all the smell of clean is no smell at all. Have you ever stood by a mountain spring? It doesn't smell like your store-bought laundry detergent:) I hope this helps you rise to your noble calling as you find it saves you money and cuts corners in the "greening" of your home. Hope everyone had a safe and happy Independence Day! God Bless, Andrea

Health Matters

I realize that I haven’t blogged whatsoever in the year 2012. However, I’ve been compelled to start each month, and each month I decline. This week, however, after another full circle moment on my life journey in health and contentment, I have been 100% convicted to begin a “Health Matters” component to my spiritual encouragement-aimed blog. I usually use my blog simply to bare my heart and be transparent with other women who are in the trenches of this world with me. I use it to remind them of simple life principles that I glean from reading God’s word or to simply share a frugal recipe. However, I’ve felt for a while now, as I’ve been a distributor of health and wellness products from my home now for over 5 years, that it is time to begin sharing some of the amazing golden health nuggets that I’ve learned from some of the most prominent doctors in the world. Some of the doctors I have trained under are not your typical MDs. These doctors are world renown is cell culture, understanding the majesty of God’s creation in the complex immune system: micro-biologists, immunologist. PhDs, Chemists, ETC who are not about writing the script, diagnosing and treating, but rather PREVENTION and longevity of life. In the end, our health matters. Therefore, I’ve decided I will begin a regular segment on health matters. (I like that play on words:)) I want to keep it short and interesting. It’s not a sales pitch. It’s just another way of looking at our bodies and our health that is not the way your typical dr. would have you to. PS: My brother is an MD, and I respect him as much as any doctor. He told me that when he was in medical school, the section on this type of medicine (neutroceutical) if you want to call it that: cellular health, vitamins etc….was “glazed over.” So, I don’t think it’s so much the doctors’ faults in this world for their philosophy of medicine. I just believe like with everything we get indoctrinated, and most of our medical docs are indoctrinated from their first lesson in medical school. I hope this blog will provoke thought and concern as you are your own best advocate. Today’s health matter will be on a top 10 list of facts about the human body as compiled by Dr. Tim Wood, and John Cuomo, et al.

TOP TEN LIST OF FACTS ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY:



10. The human body is made of 100 trillion cells

9. Every second our cells calculate billions of chemical reactions

8. Every day our bodies manufacture our body weight of ATP (wiki describes ATP as  produced by almost all living things in their cell's organelles called mitochondria. It stands for adenosine triphosphate and it is the major 'currency' of energy in the body
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_ATP#ixzz1v2o1VDBS



7. Every day your heart beats 100,000 times pumping 2000 gallons of blood. That’s enough to power a Ford truck for 20 miles.

6. Daily, each cell repairs a million DNA lesions

5. Every month you COMPLETELY regenerate your entire layer of skin!

4. Every 3 months you completely rebuild your blood supply

3. Every 10 years we completely remodel every bone in our body

2. Children turn over their entire skeleton every year. Teens get 50 % of their adult bone mass at thirteen.

AND #1: Your brain contains 1 billion neurons!

These ten facts should cause your brain to go crazy wondering "what is supporting me through all of this?" That's the million dollar question, and I hope on this journey of realizing that our health matters I can shed light on the little things to help with these processes. God Bless,  Andrea Gayle