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The Ultimate Bachelorette Gift: Bride's Chain of Panties

I recently attended a Bachelorette party for my "soon-to-be" new cousin.  It was a great time but I was having a hard time finding a bachelorette party gift for the bride.  So of course I turned to Pinterest...who doesn't these days!?  I found a great idea that was linked up to the DatingDivas.com website.  (If you have never been there I would highly recommend them for great date night and fun printables!!)  They had shown a clothes line with panties and a poem attached.  It was darling so I decided I needed to make my own!  Here are the step-by-step instructions for the "Lifetime Supply of Panties".

 

Materials Needed:

• Downloadable Cards for Panties
• Printer (or you can use your local print shop)
• Single Hole Puncher
• Paper Cutter or scissors
• Tulle or a fancy ribbon
• 11 Pairs of Panties
  • 1 Pair in the brides wedding color
  • 1 Pair of frilly white and blue for the wedding night
  • 1 Pair of red lacy ones
  • 3 Pairs of sexy black and/or some other sexy style
  • 1 Pair of baby blue and 1 pair of baby pink (these will be tied together with one card)
  • 1 Pair of animal print
  • 1 Pair that are sparkly
  • 1 Pair of granny panties
• Gift Bag
• Tissue Paper

 Directions:

1. Download Bachelorette Lifetime of Panties Images at the Sweet Kaley Co. Shop on Esty!  OR make your own!!  Link Here  * Just for you...if you use the coupon code WEBSPECIAL you will get 10% off your order!!
2. Print and cut all 11 cards.
3. Match up each card with the pair of panties to make sure you are not missing any.
4. On the first card you will put your two hole punches on the top.  This is the first card the bride will pick up and the others will be attached to.
5. Tie a bow by cutting a piece of tulle or ribbon about 6 inches long.  This will be pushed through each hole and tied in a bow on top.
6. Unravel about 10 feet of your ribbon or tulle and tie one end to the back of the beginning card.
7. Every foot you will tie one card and coordinating pair of panties to the long piece of tool.  See the coordinating list below!
   1. To last all the way until you are old and grey - Starting with your wedding day
      Here are panties for every reason - A sexy underwear display.
      Attach the pair in the brides wedding color
   2. We have a pair for (Date of Wedding) frilly, blue, and white...
      And we raise a toast to the Sexy Bride on your wedding night!
      Attach the pair of frilly white and blue
   3. A sexy thong with lace, racy red ones for your honeymoon.
      We know (name of guy) won't leave the hotel room!
      Attach the pair of red lacy ones
   4. For your first big fight as a married couple.
      When (name of guy) sees you in this set, he'll forgive you on the double.
      Attach one of the pairs of sexy black and/or some other sexy style
   5. White ones for the 1st anniversary - you'll be feeling naughty.
      (name of guy) won't believe his luck for marrying such a hottie!
      Attach one of the pairs of sexy black and/or some other sexy style
   6. When the time is right for you & (name of guy...and don't say maybe.
      You'll wear a little pink or blue in honor of your baby.
      Attach 1 Pair of baby blue and 1 pair of baby pink (tie these together with one card)
   7. As the years go by for you, you might hit the 7-year slump.
      Just remember a little animal print and it will get you over the hump!
      Attach a pair of animal print
   8. After 10 years of married life, you'll still be going strong.
      But if you need a little boost, just put this beauty on.
      Attach one of the pairs of sexy black and/or some other sexy style
      
   9.  When your years of wedded bliss become the Big 2-5.
      

      Just slip this sexy number on and keep the sparkle alive.

      Attach pair that are sparkly
   10. Finally when you're old and grey, with these you can't go wrong.

       Sorry, (name of guy), but at that age, she just won't wear a thong!

       1 Pair of granny panties

Make sure when you done connecting all the pairs of panties and placing them in the bag you place the #10 panties in first then #9 on top of those with the cards facing up for the bride to see.  I would love to hear and see what you make for your bachelorette party gift for the bride, so make sure to share it with us below!  Let me know if you have any questions, I am always here to help!! 

My Maple Syrup Meltdown...

I find myself with my head down on the table...
My senses overwhelmed by the sweet smell of maple syrup... Oh gosh I am probably covered in leftover syrup now...

I finally have the will power to look up....
Just twenty minutes ago I was at a beautiful place.  The band was playing I was lost in the words... "Lord I need you...every hour I need you!"  I felt empowered, transfixed on the beauty, thankful for the life He has blessed me with.

Now I find myself in a rage and consumed by frustration of the moments that just occurred.  I hear my words echoing in my head and consuming my thoughts, "How many times do I have to tell you to the leave the cat alone!"  "Stop chasing your sister..."  "No you are not done picking that up, you just moved it two inches..."

It is overwhelming...how quickly I can go from a place of peace to a place of complete frustration and desperation.  I realize how I have traveled from Point A (the peaceful, has her eyes fixed on Jesus Mackenzie) to Point B (the Mackenzie who I feel isn't me and I hate).

The guilt sets in as I think about how can I just lose sight of God and His purpose for my breathing so quickly!!!  I don't know about you, but with me, sometimes after realizing how I have traveled from Point A to Point B so quickly I become more frustrated with myself and instead of quickly falling back into my usual self I usually get worse!  The frustration can consume me for a moment and comes pouring out, projecting onto whom ever or whatever is around me.  It could be a kid, a cat, my husband, heck this time it was the PEANUT I felt under my foot while my head was on the table.  "HOW LONG HAD THAT BEEN THERE!"  Screamed in my mind.

Don't get me wrong... I am not flying off the handle screaming and belittling any of them.  BUT, if I was in their shoes I would be hurt and this is not how they should be treated.
THEN I THINK ...If I were in God's shoes...
LIGHTBULB...and that is where I turn the corner.

I have to remember that He loves me unconditionally...no matter what I act like, what I accomplish, what I remember, what I forget...  He sees the same perfect woman who He has placed in this exact spot to live irreplaceable role in His story.  

Now I have that same song singing in my head, "Lord I need you, every hour I need you..." this time with a touch of desperation and a weak but thankful smile.  He knew this moment of reality would set in this morning as everything boiled over after church.  I really do need Him, every second of the day.  I want to play this irreplaceable role in His story, but the only way to do that is remembering how He sees me.  Then, look to those around me with His eyes.  In those moments of fury and frustration I need to break from the swirl of self-pity and loathing and look straight to Him.
He knows me and I know Him...He knew I needed that reminder today.

Meal Planning for a Busy Family

I have found it difficult to get into a routine of planning an prepping meals for my family of 4.  After lots of website surfing and failed attempts I have found what works for me...  Here are some of my favorite resources, tips and tricks to meal planning for a family of 4.

Find a planning calendar that works for you! Print it off!

• TheOrganizedHome.com Weekly or Monthly (They have a few other resources you may need, freezer inventory, pantry inventory, etc.)
• You can print The Peaceful Mom Customizable Menu Planners here. If you prefer not to schedule specific meals for specific days, you can simply make a list of your meals.

Take stock of what you already have and use what you have on hand to plan your meals for the week...
Inventory Sheets I Recommend

• TheOrganizedHome.com
• Meal Planner Printable {Printable Meal Calendar}
•  Printable Menu Plan and Shopping List {Printable Worksheets} 
•  Free Printable Weekly Meal Planner Sheets 
• Menu Planner {Weekly Calendar Printable}  

A few of my favorite recipes!
Green Chili Burritos



Plan Nightly Themes!

This month I am using the following; Beefy Sunday, Chinese Monday, Mexican Tuesday, Slower Cooker Wednesday, Italian Thursday, Pizza Friday, Leftovers on Saturday.

• Print FREE sheets from the PeacefulHome Grocery Shopping List or her Multiple Store Shopping List here.
• Grocery Planner Clipboard with Free Printable 
• Menu and Grocery List {Free Printable}

•  15 Dinners Under $1.50 ~ These 15 dinner recipes are all under $1.50 or less per serving!  They are quick, easy and delicious! 
• Consider Freezer Meals

Want to keep track of your own favorite recipes from your kitchen?  Here is a FREE printable from TheOrganizedHome.com
Gather your recipes together in a Recipe Binder (click here for instructions and free printables!), in a folder on your computer or on boards on 

Simple Elk Pot Roast

Here's a healthier alternative to a beef pot roast.
Time: 9 hrs   •   Prep Time: 20 min   •   Cook Time: 8 hrs
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

1 - 1 pound venison roast
4- small to medium new potatoes
1/2 pound sliced carrots
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 large sliced onion
1 - 1 tsp of Creole Seasoning
Water
Prep Instructions:
Soak your venison roast the day before in water with 2-3 tsps of vinegar and then in regular water the night before. This helps removes the blood and the "gamey" taste from the meat.
Cooking Instructions:

1. First place vegetables in the bottom of crock pot.
2. Place venison roast on top of vegetables.
3. Add water to crock pot.
4. Add creole seasoning.
5. Cook 8-10 hours on low setting.

The Easter Bunny and Jesus ... Easter Activites To Keep Your Family Focused!

We LOVE holidays and celebrations at our house!  Preparing for a celebration is a celebration around here! This is something that we do together as a family and it brings us closer!  As my two, Kaley(7) and Aiden(6), have grown I have noticed how easy it is to become absorbed with the "Traditional" norms and expectations of each holiday and we begin lose focus of what God is doing in our daily lives or in that particular holiday...

This brings me to Easter.  Easter Bunny v.s. Jesus.... Or maybe the Easter Bunny and Jesus.  There is nothing wrong, in my opinion, with bunnies and eggs but for us Easter is so much bigger than dyed eggs and bunnies.

As Christians, we celebrate Christ’s resurrection and the new life He gives us!

I have been collecting ideas that will still allow us to have a "Traditional American Easter" but really bring all the attention and focus to Christ.  My house is decorated in what I am calling a "Traditional" decor, as well as, "Jesus decor".

 BUT...

What I get out of the boxes and tubs, that my husband dreads bringing in, is all of the "traditional" decor and only a few "Jesus" items.  These traditional pieces receive cheers as they come out of the tubs and are quickly placed where they were put the year before.  BUT there is an anticipation growing... What they are really excited for is the week of activities, nightly times together, and making decorations!

I am just really beginning to compile my resources so I AM NOT AN EXPERT and I would love more ideas and suggestions! Remember... these are not meant to replace your family’s traditional Easter activities, but to help your children learn more about Jesus’ sacrifice and victory over death at Easter.

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TOPIC: Palm Sunday
READING: Mark 11:1-11 and Luke 19:28-44
MAKE IT MEMORABLE:   Construction paper palm leaves.  This would be a great part of the Easter story for your kids to act out. As you read about the Triumphal Entry, have them wave palm branches, lay out their coats on the floor, and shout “Hosanna!”
MEMORY VERSE: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Mark 11:9

DETAILS: Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey to a warm welcome. The people are shouting, “Hosanna! {which means “Save now!”} Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” They wave palm branches and lay their cloaks on the road for Jesus to ride over. They think Jesus has come to save them politically, not knowing that what he is about to do is even more important–redeeming the sin of the world.

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TOPIC: Jesus Clears the Temple and Healed the Sick
READING: Mark 11:12-17
MAKE IT MEMORABLE: Coin Craft
MEMORY VERSE: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." Mark 11:17/Isaiah 56:7
Details:When Jesus reached the temple it looked a bit like a market. People were changing their coins for special temple coins, and buying special temple things. Jesus got angry, people were making a lot of money with their special temple businesses. Jesus turned over the tables sending the special temple goods and the coins flying all over the place. He shouted the scripture “My house will be called a house of prayer” but you are making it “a den of robbers

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TOPIC: Jesus' Teaching
READING: Luke 19:47-48
MAKE IT MEMORABLE: LED Light or Tea Light.  Go into a room of your house that has no light and turn on the little light from their box or a small flashlight. Talk about how a little light can illuminate a large part of the room, just as we can affect those around us by showing Jesus’ light in us. Come up with a way you can “be a light” to someone this week.
VERSES: John 12:20-36
DETAILS: After the Triumphal Entry, Jesus tells his disciples, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light…Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” (v. 35-36) Jesus had already declared, “I am the light of the world” in John 8:12 and challenged them to “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) In his last days, Jesus encourages his disciples to soak up all of his “light” that they can while he is still there in person so they can carry it on when he is no longer with them.

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TOPIC: Jesus' Servant Heart
READING: John 13:1-17
MAKE IT MEMORABLE: Experience your own foot-washing ceremony. Fill a bucket with water. Grab a few towels, gather your family, and share the story found in John 13:1-17. Then take turns washing each others feet and praying for one another.
DETAILS: Washing guests’ feet was a job delegated to the lowest servant. Think about it: they only wore sandals, so their feet were exposed to everything, including mud, dust, animal droppings, and even raw sewage. No one wanted to be the foot-washer…can you blame them?! By washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus, the only human who has ever been perfect, humbled himself to the lowest place and demonstrated that to be human was to serve others.

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TOPIC: Communion, Garden of Gethsemane, Judas' Betrayal
READING: Mark 14:17-26, 32-35, 43-50 and Luke 22:14-23, 39-53
MAKE IT MEMORABLE: saltine cracker and construction paper cutout of goblet; sack of coins.  Have crackers and grape juice for a snack today and be thankful to Jesus for all that he has done for us.
MEMORY VERSE: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42
DETAILS: {“Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, which means commandment, and refers to John 13:34 where Jesus commands his disciples to love one another.} During the Passover meal, he also breaks the bread and tells his disciples, “This is my body given for you,” and the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” The parallels here are undeniable. They are sitting here celebrating the Passover, a feast to remember when God protected the Israelites during the final plague in Egypt (Exodus 11 & 12) by having them slaughter a lamb and paint the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of their door frames so that they would be “passed over,” and their firstborn son would survive. In the same way, Jesus’ blood is about to be shed so that all who believe in Him are “passed over,” spared from an eternity separated from God.

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TOPIC: The Cross
READING: Mark 15:16-39 and Luke 23:26-49
MAKE IT MEMORABLE: 3 popsicle stick crosses OR Make a crown of thorns out of play doh and some tooth picks. Talk about the fact that Jesus was willing to endure all of that pain and eventually death in order to save us.
MEMORY VERSE: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34
DETAILS: Good Friday commemorates the death of Jesus on the cross.  You may want to go into more or less detail about the crucifixion, depending on the ages of your children.

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TOPIC: Laid in the Tomb
READING: Mark 15:42-47 and Luke 23:50-56
MAKE IT MEMORABLE: construction paper tomb and stone AND/OR Hold up a sheet between you and your child, showing how people were formerly separated from God. Then drop the sheet so they can see how freely we can come to God because of Jesus.
MEMORY VERSE: "[Joseph] came from...Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God." Luke 23:51
DETAILS: After Jesus breathed his last breath, the curtain of the temple, which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, was torn in two. Previously, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies into the presence of God once a year; the curtain denoted a separation between God and men. Now that Jesus had given himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, there was no longer that separation. We can access God directly because Christ erased our sins when he died for us.

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TOPIC: Resurrection
READING: Luke 24:1-12
MAKE IT MEMORABLE: folded linen cloth and a picture of an angel.  Go to church with your family and celebrate!
MEMORY VERSE: "He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:6
DETAILS: Christ is Risen!! He is Risen Indeed!! Because Jesus left the tomb empty and conquered death, we can live for eternity in Heaven!

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Follow Mackenzie's board Intentional Easter on Pinterest.


Story of Easter Printable Cards
Cross Crafts
Easter Advent Calendar
Story of Easter Free Printable for K-2
Resurrection Rolls
A Sense of the Resurrection: An Easter Experience for Families
Children’s Books about Easter
Resurrection Eggs
Read the Easter Story from a Children’s Bible
The Legend of the Sand Dollar
Easter Scavenger Hunt
All Wrapped Up Like Jesus
Easter Jesus Tree

You Are Enough

You’re enough.
I promise you’re enough.
I promise you’re enough, I promise you.

"You are enough.”
These little words, somehow they’re changing us.
“You are enough,”
So we let our shadows fall away like dust.

-Sleeping At Last

There are times in this life that we don't feel like were enough.  Where hearing this song may bring us to tears because it is so far from what we tell ourselves.  Just today as the kids were running laps around me looking for snow pants, hats, and gloves to pack in backpacks.  Their hats and gloves had mysteriously been swallowed up by the piles of laundry that were overflowing from the laundry room.  As I handed them mismatched gloves from the ones I dug out I felt the stab of inadequacy.  "If I was only a better wife and mom, I would have done all the laundry.”

We are constantly listening to and feeding ourselves lies tell us we don't meet up to anyone else's standards or possibly our own.  We so easily loose sight of what the truth is…Hear the truth:
In Gods eyes we are MORE than enough.  All that we “do” doesn’t earn His approval, we already have it.  Jesus came and died so that I could be enough as I live in His presence.  We will never be perfect BUT He, the King, loves every single imperfection you have.  He has created you and that is why you are enough.
-Mackenzie

How has He told you that you were enough lately?  I would love to hear about it!

To learn more about Sleeping At Last check out their website www.sleepingatlast.com
To learn more about the specific album You're Enough is on check out this link

Calling Members of the Pain Club

Have you experienced pain?  Are you part of the pain club?  

The better questions may be will you be part of the pain club?  Will you use your pain to show others what God has done in your heart?

One thing that I have learned and still learning is something that we find addressed in Mike Wilkerson's book Redemption.  “This is the pain club.  Even if your pain is different from mine, it’s all pain.’  He wasn’t saying all pain is equal, but what he was saying is that pain makes us aware that we need mercy and long for compassion.”

What in your past has caused you pain?  What will you do with it?   The choice is really yours.  The longer we ignore pain from our past and mask our current pain, the harder our hearts become.  Not only to who is around us but to God.  He wants to use that pain for a grand purpose in His Story!  You may be sitting there and telling me “But I just need to heal my heart before I talk about it with anyone else!”  This is true, healing needs to take place and needs to happen for a person to move to this next step.  BUT...it does not stop at this step.  It is not just about healing your heart.  You have a choice to allow God to use your story to be a picture of His radical redemptive love.  Making this bold choice in turn will help heal others hearts.

He WILL help you through it…but only if you are willing to walk through it.   He WILL use your story to change others lives and hearts…but only if you are willing to allow Him access to those stories.

He needs you to realize that you have been given a rare opportunity to speak about the deepest wounds and parts of a person’s life, their heart.  You can be part of a grand story that changes the trajectory of a person’s life with a story from your own!

What will you choose to do with your pain?  Will you be part of the pain club with me?

Is Conflict Beneficial?

Conflict is a funny thing.  I used to fear it.  Now I welcome it.

Now I view conflict as an opportunity.  It is a chance to gain depth and understanding in a relationship.  A chance to explain how we tick as individuals and how we can communicate better in the future.  Even though it may feel as if there is nothing being gained in the midst of the conflict we can choose to step into the light and ask "what can I learn from this situation".
There is always something to learn.  God will move in the situation if you allow Him to.  If the other party in the conflict does not want to listen or work through the conflict then it does make it harder to gain the depth that may be possible.  This is when we need to be even more intentional about seeking God and what He wants to show you through this conflict.

When conflict erupts what is your tendency?  Do you run or do you embrace opportunity?

The Little Black Book

That will go in my little black book of your wrong doings...

I know a little too much about grudge bearing...

I don't know about you, but grudge bearing was a common habit of mine growing up.  I saw it modeled for me with different people and in many situations.  I had not learned how to deal with pain or the hurt that I felt.  Being entrenched in a family where my father would hold the same mistakes or situations over my mothers head year after year taught me a lot.  Naturally, I  learned to fight by bringing up someone else's mistakes from the past or clinging to what someone did, until they came begging for my forgiveness.  In the chaos of my life this was the one thing I could control or at least I thought I could. I felt control...I would allow that person the freedom from their mistakes against me ONLY if I wanted to.

If we are not careful with our intentions in our communication or actions with those we love, we can fall victim to playing the judge.  This has surfaced in my life and others lives in many ways, a few of them being;
-Reminding them of their wrong doings.
-Putting them down in front of others to publicly humiliate them.
-Not trusting them today, because of a past mistake.
-Quickly snapping because of a built up anger towards them.

These are sometimes intentional actions and words.  The majority of the time I think we are just reacting out of pain because we have not taken the time to sit down and think through our hurt through the lens of what we have seen God do in our lives.
So this is where we begin...Asking ourselves the question...Why is it so hard for us to accept being wronged by someone else and move on knowing that God has it covered.  Instead we want to make them suffer for what they did to us or to someone we love.
We are image bearers of God.  He has left an imprint on us and we reflect who He is.

We need to ask ourselves if we believe that God a God of justice?  

We see clearly through scripture, YES.  Does it make sense then, we would want to see justice brought for those who are in pain or for ourselves when we are hurt?  YES.  Here is where our disconnect happens...  We try on being the judge when we truly do not understand who God is and what He is in the business of doing.  If we clearly understood Jesus' sacrifice and the forgiveness we receive would we try much more intentionally to give that same forgiveness to others?  We would begin to see that sins that are committed by others, that hurt us, are really not committed against us.  Instead, they are sins committed against God.  We may begin to see that we commit sins as great as anyone else each day of our lives.  We would clearly see ourselves standing in the same shoes as Paul when he claimed "I am the worst of sinners". 
 If we could only wrap our minds around all this...Would we the grudge bearers become those who freely give forgiveness?  

We will be on this adventure of trying but never truly understanding God's ways while we are here on earth...I am hoping that I am able to begin to comprehend the forgiveness that I have met through knowing God.   I pray that I learn to pass it on without hesitation, so that more people are able to see who God is through that forgiveness.  I know that I can not do it on my own...I have tried too hard, for too long, and I am done walking that road alone.

It is all a choice...and I want to be someone who freely gives forgiveness.