The Cottage on the Hill

She likes to be alone sometimes.  She likes to go into her own little world and play quietly without distraction.  She likes little dens and nooks, corners and crevices; just a little place to make her own.  Unfortunately, in our little cottage such a place is hard to find.  With only two bedrooms, she has to share with 3 brothers!  Her area of the playroom gets overrun with toy tools, trains, farm toys and brothers.  I had to shoo brothers away just so she could swing peacefully in my laundry area! I am hoping as I clean, purge and reorganize the rest of the basement that I will be able to carve out a little place just for her.  I have so many ideas from the practically free to elaborately pricey.  Someday, I pray she will be able to have her own room.  She's going to need one soon, that's for sure!

This picture made me feel better.  Moms the entire world over need breaks sometimes.  We give so much and often so little is put back into us. I've come to realize that I am the kind of person who truly does need more down time than others.  I am not the kind of woman who can cheerfully give give give give and give some more, falling into bed exhausted and content.  I'm an introvert and I'm easily over stimulated and I'm still recovering from having my 4th baby, 7th pregnancy in 7 years.  My hormones are still trying to shuffle themselves back into proper order.  Add to that the outside stimuli and circumstances I cannot control and "mommy needs some time to herself" comes more quickly than it used to. I felt badly about this.  How was I able to do so much and be so cheerful before?  My house stayed clean.  I kept up the yard and garden.  I could experiment in the kitchen.  Little things didn't drive me bonkers.  I could f...

Photo from HERE . Two days ago the frost was on the pumpkins.  Today, we can wear t-shirts.  It is quite common this time of year to turn the furnace on in the morning and throw open the windows in the afternoon.  The house could use some airing out, so I shall take advantage of this Indian Summer day and do just that.

Ah, my cozy fireplace! I love it so much I've been sleeping on the sofa in the wee hours of the morning after baby's early morning feeding. It does a good job of keeping our house warm during these cool Autumn days.  I'm so glad the furnace isn't kicking on and burning oil! And before anyone gets concerned, the unit stays cool to the touch, so the baby gym close by isn't a concern.  Plus, that is just where it lives.  When baby plays and gets  more mobile, I will of course move it away from the heater even though the heater is kid-touch-safe. Now, that I've achieved the impossible dreams of a piano for the cottage and a fireplace, I'm looking into a dishwasher!  Thanks to the Tiny House Movement, small dishwashers are easily available and seem to have better reviews.

Lifesmart 1000 Two things I wanted for my cottage, but never thought I'd be able to get were a piano and a fireplace.  Last year, I got the piano - an old, beater of a spinet I bought on craigslist for $50.  This year, I am getting my fireplace!  I just had to wait for technology. I've had my eye on electric fireplaces for a few years now, but I couldn't justify the non-necessity and expense of them.  This year, though, we had a need for a heater for the school room.  I heard nothing but good about infrared heat.  Lo and behold, I see that they make infrared fireplaces that heat just as well as the less asthetic boxed heaters and cost around the same.  I found the Lifesmart on Walmart.com, and read the reviews...good reviews.  Even better, I found the same unit on Overstock.com for cheaper than Walmart and free shipping to my house!! It comes with casters so I can move it about the house where needed.  It heats up to 1000 squa...

Today's Character Study:  COMPASSION Definition: Feelings of sorrow and sympathy for someone who is hurting, and wanting to help them. Bible Verse:  But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, Luke 10:33

I am not usually a confident and openly opinionated woman, but once in a while I have a day when I feel very self confident and strong enough to voice an opinion.  Of course, I try to be respectful and not too open.  But there's something I've noticed: People who are normally or naturally confident and opinionated get a free pass.  People expect it of them and don't usually question or challenge their confidence or opinions.  However, when I express confidence or opinions, I feel as if people want to silence me....put me back in the place they are used to me being in. Then again, maybe normally confident and opinionated people do get questioned or challenged, but can handle that.  Maybe because I'm not normally confident and vocally opinionated, I have a hard time handling the challenge. I'm naturally quite introverted.  I'm also the typical middle child diplomat and peace-maker.  I hate challenge and confrontation, but I also hate being or feeli...

Today's Character Study:  CAUTIOUSNESS Definition: Being Careful Bible Verse:  After these things Jesus walked in Galilee:  for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.  John 7:1

If you are a cloth diapering mama, then please head on over to Lamb Babies and check out this Christian, Stay-at-home mama's shop.  (And for full disclosure, she is my awesome sister!)   And here's her etsy shop .

You insecurities can hurt your marriage, but God can heal you of them! We women live in such a hard world for us.  Our men are visually-driven, as God made them, and we know that.....so does every other woman in the world and the entertainment industry.  So, to draw their attention and make LOTS of money, women are exploited either forcefully, or willingly to show the world the world what they've got. And here the wives of the world are....called by God to be modest, often giving birth which alters our bodies from the world-accepted "barely legal" look to a more womanly form, and wondering if we haven't "got it" good enough for our husbands anymore.  Thankfully, my husband is not a porn addict, nor do his eyes wander.  But even so, I've always been plagued by insecurities about my appearance.  I am by no means the world's idea of "gorgeous" and have been told a few times that I'm ugly.  Top it off with the constant assault of beautif...