Merry Christmas - Loaves and Fishes!

just sayin....

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.

***

And so with that said I'd like to explain my thought on the above.

I've been home for weeks because of knee surgery and it is not my style not to be busy!

So I've had to continue to come up with ideas on a limited budget to keep the holiday roll going along! Yesterday was a perfect day! Just can't explain it - it was a high energy day from start to finish and not about me. It was about the pleasure you get from others. I've read other bloggers and they have such caring, creative ideas on how to touch someone else's life. I took tips and made up some of my own. It takes a village after all right?

A co-worker is having financial probs and this is not the time of year to have to worry even more about every day household supplies plus making Christmas nice with two children so I made a trip to ... yes! the Dollar Tree

 Look what you can do!

and for the troops...

Then I made goody tins for the animal shelter ...

they need donations all year long!

and my friends were gifted with mini containers
for their critters!

I found pretty loaf pans for $1 each at
Michael's and bought dessert bread mixes -
wrap them up in a pretty bag for my friends with kids =
a family snowy day baking project is born!

See... loaves and fishes =
pass ideas on!

I found these little guys and bought plastic gift bags at the dollar store...
packed them up in a bigger Christmas bag and off they went to a local shelter for the kids.

cute or what?!!!

No time...

Have the time... try this recipe...

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, pecans, almonds and sunflower kernels; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the oil, honey, water, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Pour over oat mixture and toss to coat.
• Transfer to two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake at 300° for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 13 cups.
• Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1/2 cup) equals 284 calories, 18 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 111 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein.

26 Servings

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 45 min. + 45 cooling  

Some years I don't have the time I'd like or the energy, imagination and heaven knows the extra cash. I work two jobs so I know how tough this economy is. I hope I don't sound as if I'm preaching to do, and do and do. But I've seen what faith can do.  I've witnessed little things bring joy to someone's life. So today and yes, several days lately... I had joy and some fun ideas ... a little extra cash and I went for it. Maybe tomorrow I won't be able to buy a bag of dog for for the shelter but I know I can make some of my cards to donate to our local hospice center and all it took was supplies I already have and my time.

So why did I have the best day...I'll tell you sometime...

OK, GOD is so AWESOME!

IMAGINE... How Can You Help Japan?

So Many Ways.... To Say You Care

so this is how it rolls with the good hearted and creative
people on ETSY....

my rubber stamp - monogram stamp ETSY

Top Knotch - key ring and bracelet - Etsy

Tiny Trees Boutique - pendant- Etsy

ink and paper arts - cookie tasting box - Etsy

archivio Gotico - vintage post card set - Etsy

who doesn't want that - bag - Etsy

seeds studio - photo - Etsy

Artsy Cookies - dog treats - woof - Etsy

regan flegan - buckle - Etsy

Pretty Petals Paper - tags - Etsy

if only you can imagine..... jennifer

My Prayer For Preemies...

The Prayer

I pray you’ll be our eyes

And watch us where we go

And help us to be wise

In times when we don’t know

Let this be our prayer

As we go our way

Lead us to a place

Guide us with your grace

To a place where we’ll be safe

La luce che to dai

I pray we’ll find your light

Nel cuore restero

And hold it in our hearts

A ricordarchi che

When stars go out each night

L’eterna stella sei

Nella mia preghiera

Let this be our prayer

Quanta fede c’e

When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place

Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we’ll be safe.

Sognamo un mondo senza piu violenza

Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza

Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino

Simbolo di pace e di fraternita

La forza che ci dai

We ask that life be kind

E’il desiderio che

And watch us from above

Ognuno trovi amore

We hope each soul will find

Intorno e dentro a se

Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer

Just like every child

Needs to find a place,

Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we’ll be safe

E la fede che

Hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salvera

Hospitals and childbirth centers
in this the country are always in need
of preemie hats for their newborns
so if you knit, crochet or shop...
please find a need near you and
contribute to these darlings.
Please pass it on....
With Love, Jenn
and remember - it's never ok to shake a baby

Organzing My Space - I'm doing it!

bags bows boxes brushes cards cartons cans labels lists ornaments

pajamas bras undies pillowcases sheets bathing suits summer winter

old new Christmas Spring Summer Fall Winter Easter Halloween

Thanksgiving birthday memories photos dog supplies cat supplies

recipes medicine history children grandparents great grandparents

wedding births announcements bibles books cookbooks clippings

card making envelopes stickers tags cutouts glue sticks stamps ribbon


= organize

MY LIFE

Yesterday I went to Target and bought a car full of containers to re-organize my card making supplies and then continue on with the rest of my house.

Two cases of water to hydrate with. I can do it - I have done it and I will continue to do it. I just went through my jewelry and separated all the items I don't wear and gave them to a friend at work who says she "never has enough jewelry" ....

3 huge bags went to the Goodwill of clothes that are too big, pillowcases I don't iron or use, Christmas ornaments I don't decorate with, cloth napkins my sons think are "dumb" and my husband concurs. Candles and candle holders went in the bag that are not "me", tablecloths that are not my color theme and won't ever be again, 4 of a dinner dish pattern I had to have, 4 of a dessert plate pattern that was a great buy at Home Goods, another 4 I bought at a yard sale - what was I thinking?

Blue, green, patterns - now I have white or cream in the cabinets and 4's of this and that in the boxes headed out the door to hopefully someone with a plan.

I'm doing it - I'm trying...

oh, and I vacuumed the kitchen floor, washed it, did two loads of wash, straightened the living room and kitchen before I left for work at 6:30 this morning.

Life is good.

Knit? Crochet? Want to Be a Sweetie and help someone?

Did you know that there are churches and oganizations that accept donations of hats
and scarves for Cancer patients undergoing Chemotherapy? I live in Maryand and a local has a group that gathers to make hats and

scarves to donate. They accept yarn and

will teach beginners how to. So if you

knit, crochet or have yarn or knitting

or crochet supplies - please check out

your area and see if there is a resource like this.

I did it - I did it!!!

I promised myself I would unload, declutter, donate, discard and I did it, I did it! Well, a little...

My thought is - I didn't gather it in a day - I can't whisk it away in a day. But I have a donate box, a yard sale box, lots of trash is gone baby gone, friends have had benefits and I have 1 clean closet, organized Christmas boxes, 2 empty cabinet drawers and a desk that looks like a desk inside.