We’re home for Thanksgiving break.  That means when we head back to school, we have only 3 weeks until Christmas!!!!

I love to say thank you to all our teachers with Christmas gifts, but when we start counting up the gifts we need…yikes!!!  Between my kids’ homerooms, their current subject teachers, the enrichment teachers, support personnel, and the administrators, they’ve personally had about 30 teachers at EGM!

I’ve been brainstorming gift ideas for our teachers this year. I would like to give them something useful or delicious, but also something that won’t break the bank.   Here are few of my favorite ideas:

• homemade marshmallows (actually, a few teachers would prefer these to anything else!)
• 
• home-canned pear butter, strawberry sauce, or blueberry pie filling
• store-bought gift candles
• Hot chocolate mix
• Chocolate Caramel Popcorn
• aprons
• mixes in a jar
• monogrammed dish towels

What other ideas do you have?  I’ll be pinning new ideas here as I find them.

Word of warning:  Don’t google natural clean tips.  You will be sucked into the this vortex of the interwebs and overwhelmed by the info available.

Second word of warning:  Don’t search “natural cleaning tips” on Pinterest either!  Yikes.

We’ve slowly become on of those households.  You know, the ones that don’t have a bottle of Windex or 409 in sight.  Instead, I’ve replaced store-bought cleaners with vinegar, baking soda, borax, and castille soap.  My 2 exceptions:  Dawn (original blue) and Magic Erasers.

Here are some of my favorite natural cleaning recipes:

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Drain Un-clogger

Air Freshener

I didn’t do so well with today’s deliberate action!  My goal for day was to say “Thank You” to 5 different people who weren’t expecting it.  I’d really intended to write some notes, shoot some emails, something…

But, we’re here, at a swim meet…

And I’m unplugged (mostly).  Rats.  Poor planning on my part, right?

Here’s what I did do today:

• I tried to be a little extra gracious with sales people and wait staff helping us today.
• I enjoyed to company of new friends.
• I made a list of 5 people I need to jot notes to when I get home.  Real notes.  The pen and paper kind.

This may have been my hardest challenge yet this month–seriously!

Wowzer!  September rolled in like a steamroller.

First there was Isaac.  School was canceled for the kids, but we only had a day of misting rain.  Not really a big deal, just a hiccup in our routine.

Then…a valve broke in the bathroom.  Lots of water.  We knew we’d need a new vanity, but we were certain we could dry the water out of the carpet by the door.  Yeah…not so much.  We’re getting new carpet.  One day.  Like October, thanks to back order.

Next, a roof leak.  Or at least we thought it was a leak.  Guess what!  We’re getting a new roof.  Ask me what I know about finding a roofer.

Then the tires.  We were saving to replace them, but I didn’t plan to do that until this week.  A nail in one of the tires changed that plan for me and last week, I spent a morning with the friendly guys at our local tire shop.  The coffee wasn’t great, but the cold Cokes were!

But, through it all, it really has been easy to count my blessings:

• Running water.
• A roof over my head.
• Homeowners’ insurance, not-so-scary deductibles, and a really nice adjuster.
• My family that would do anything they could for me.
• Customers who so graciously understood my shipping delays this month.
• I get to repaint.  Woo Hoo!
• We are healthy. Praise the Lord.  (I did take one round of antibiotics this month, but thankfully, they knocked out my bronchitis quickly!)
• God grants us enough, financially, to cover our needs.

I’m studying Genesis this year through BSF.  I have marveled at the way God created this world (Genesis 1:1-2:3).  He formed earth and filled it to provide for us.  Especially in the details, we can see the way God has provided for humans—the fruit trees he created to feed us, the stars he placed in the sky to help us tell time, the sky He separated from the waters to fill with air we need to breathe.

During our crazy steamroller-month of September, we see God working in the details at our house.  The carpet on back-order?  Couldn’t be installed yet, and therefore, couldn’t be ruined by the roof leak.  Those tires we weren’t sure we’d saved for enough?  About $3 less than what we’d saved.  Those 4 hours waiting at the tire shop?  Time to update my shops.  That busted valve?  The plumber looked at the others and told which we needed to fix sooner rather than later to avoid more problems.  Selecting carpet?  Much needed one-on-one time with my hubby to rediscover what we like and what we don’t.

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I’m blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

And I’ve gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

–Francesca Battistelli

Another blogging friend posted recently about this great quiz.  Apparently I have a flair for the “theatrical”.  Who knew? 

This is what else it says about me:

Salinda, you are a Dramatic Modern

You keep up with culture, style, and trends, but have a classical appreciation for beautiful forms and well-made, functional objects. You are inspired by good design and quality craftsmanship, but have a sense of the theatrical and the fun. You liven things up and infuse personality into your rooms. You like how something ornate mixes with modern, or how daring flourishes, like bold color or a wild pattern, can inject some humor and contrast to the serious, straight lines of modern pieces. You are a style leader, and your friends look to you for advice. You are not afraid of glamour. Because you embrace color, art, and elegance, your home makes a happy impact.

You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.

 Here’s my idea of Dramatic Modern:

from marthastewart.com

from potterybarn.com