Marriage/Relationships

Summer Planning Questions

May 17, 2013 By Kara Chupp

I have been wearing flip-flops all week.
And it’s 82 degrees outside as I write this, which is amazing for Oregon in early May.
But I’m getting excited about summer!

Usually around this time of year, my husband and I sit down, look at the calendar and do some Lord-willing-planning for the summer ahead of us.
Keeping in mind that…

“The point is fruitfulness,
not efficiency.

You should want to be fruitful
like a tree,
not efficient like a machine.” ~D. Wilson

And remembering that my favorite summer was probably–
The summer we didn’t do anything.

But just in case you’re a-bit-of-a-planner, like I am,
or even if you just want to be a bit more intentional about this next summer…
I wanted to share our summer planning questions with you.

And in the comments below, I’d love to hear some of your fun summer ideas!

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring… Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ~James 4:13-15

Summer Planning Questions to Consider:

What places would we like to visit locally this summer?

What specific educational goals do we have for each child?

What 3 books (or more) would I like to read this summer?

How am I going to spend time in God’s Word?

What am I hoping to study in the Bible?

Are there any friendships we’d especially like to invest in this summer?

What household tasks do I need to keep up on?

Are we planning to take any extended trips or vacations?

What reoccurring weekly activities would we like to include?

Are there any specific skills we’d like our children to learn over the summer?

How am I going to invest in my marriage this summer?

What are some easy (or new) meals that I’d like to make this summer?

What specific character traits or heart issues do we need to work on with our children or as a family?

Are there any specific skills I’d like to work on over the summer?

How can I make sure we have down time?

Are there any fun movies we’d like to watch together?

How/where will we celebrate any birthdays, holidays or special occasions?

What will hospitality look like for us this summer?

Is anyone coming to stay?

Who do we want to invite over?

Does my husband have anything that is important to him to include?

Do we have any house project goals?

What will our kiddos’ summer chores include (now that they’ll have a bit more free time)?

What are some “fill-in” activities that we’d like to do more often (Legos, reading, painting, nature walks)?

Are there any schedules I need to collect to keep with my summer calendars (libraries, farmer’s markets, community theaters)?

How are we going to serve in our community, church, and/or neighborhood?

Do we have any other goals for the summer that I haven’t included elsewhere?

We’re getting close to June !!!
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer…

And please share your summer plans or ideas below!

Love,

Kara @The Chuppies

6 Comments | Filed Under: Babies, Boys, Family Management, Following God, Fun For Kids, Girls, Home Organization, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Hospitality, Marriage/Relationships, Parenting, Teens, Toddlers, Uncategorized Tagged With: character training, children, Defying the Culture, God's Word, healthy meal planning, holidays, intentional, meal planning, motherhood, parenting, Summer

Walking With Your Husband

May 15, 2013 By Unveiled Wife

My husband and I love to walk side by side and talk about our marriage. Our favorite time of day to go for walks is during the evening when the sun has a warm glow. We seem to go on walks more regularly since our son has been born, and sharing something we have always loved to do with him makes it even better.

Going on a walk with your spouse has the potential to inspire new goals, put you and your husband on the same page and reconcile issues you have been dealing with. Going on walks may spark the conversation to cover topics you may have never talked about before or it can be a time of bonding where talking does not take place at all. You just do.

You just walk side by side, an outward expression of your friendship and love.

Walking with your husband also encourages health and wellness. Walking gets your heart rate up, it burns calories, being in the sunshine will give you vitamin D, and walking has been proven to reduce stress. Walking is good for your body. Walking with your husband will motivate both of you to do it regularly.

I always love how every walk my husband and I take is different… even if it is the same road, with the same turns, and the same view. The weather changes, the colors around us change, the clouds in the sky always paint new pictures, the aroma depends on who in the neighborhood decided to cook and our conversations change. The new experiences we encounter together on our walks encourages and benefits our marriage and I am confident that going on a walk with your husband will bless your marriage too!

Don’t hesitate and don’t delay! Go for a walk with your husband today!

- Jennifer Smith unveiledwife.com

photo credit: @unveiledwife

5 Comments | Filed Under: Marriage/Relationships Tagged With: activities to do with your husband, better marriage, things to do in marriage, walk with husband

Because it is all worth it. {For All You Love}

May 10, 2013 By Ruth Schwenk

The new Johnson & Johnson campaign, “For All You Love” serves to remind people of the positive impact of caring. It launched this week in advance of Mother’s Day, and it celebrates the selfless and unconditional caring of caregivers, including moms, and all the ways they care for those they love, everyday and over a lifetime.

As I reflect on the “For All You Love” campaign, I can’t help but think of two women in my life. My mother and my grandmother have given of themselves selflessly since the day I was born. The love, support, and security that they provided for me, shaped who I am today. I can remember my grandma picking me up from school when I was sick and taking me to her house. I wanted to get sick just because of the cozy afternoon I knew I would spend at her home. Then there were the endless letters she would type and send me in college. She always went above and beyond to pour into my life and spend time with me. My mom also gave me a sense of security by just knowing she was always there, no matter what. She believed in me and encouraged my dreams and aspirations. No mountain was too big to climb with my mom cheering me on. I am blessed to have these two women in my life, who loved unconditionally and continue to do so to this day.

{Here is a photo of me and my grandma, Dorothy. She is 91 years old and just as beautiful as ever.}

Just as my mother loved me selflessly, I now do the same with my own children. Every single day I put my selfish wants aside to care for four sweet babes. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have a special calling on my life to raise up children who will change the world, and I consider it an honor and blessing to do so. I am not saying it is easy. I am not saying there aren’t days that I just want to crawl in bed. I am just saying that it is worth it. 100% worth it.

So share with me. Who has loved you selflessly? How did that impact you?

***In celebration of Mother’s Day this year, JOHNSON’S® Baby has established JOHNSON’S® Baby CARES Care Cards, a digital e-card platform encouraging moms to share positive messages of encouragement with other moms across the country, while simultaneously supporting Save the Children®. You can help, too! Simply pick and share a card filled with messages of reassurance for a Mom in your life on Facebook at http://www.johnsonsbabycares.com. For every card sent, shared or liked, JOHNSON’S® Baby will donate $1.00 to Save the Children® (up to $150,000) to benefit early childhood education programs that foster education and reassurance for new moms. These cards will not only spread encouragement to Moms throughout the country but will also provide Moms in need with the skills and knowledge to successfully support their child’s growth.

***As part of this campaign, recognizing their commitment to the health and well-being of moms and kids worldwide, J&J is also planning to donate $25K this Mother’s Day to Save the Children®: http://www.savethechildren.org

Disclosure: This post was written for The Motherhood and J&J. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

2 Comments | Filed Under: Marriage/Relationships, Parenting, Uncategorized

Important: Last Day and Final Chance for the Homemaking eBook Bundle

May 4, 2013 By Ruth Schwenk

Thank you so much for joining me this week as I gave you sneak peeks of {and rambled on about} our homemaking bundle! :) I am genuinely thrilled with the incredible resources in this bundle. Like I said yesterday we have so much to learn!

Today is the final day to get your bundle and then it will be gone! If you haven’t picked up yours yet, you can see all of the details below.

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28′s original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)
Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Particularly for those wanting to read these ebooks on their mobile devices (iPhones or iPads, Android, Kindle, etc.) you will want to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device.

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!