Good stuff

Update: Link #5 is working now!

No weigh in today! GASP! I know! I did not want to weigh Friday. So, I didn't. I had a really bad week. After Easter and all of the candy I just was not about to get on those scales. So, it's a new week and I'm back on track! I also splurged on a new work out DVD: The Biggest Loser Cardio Max. I've let exercise fall to the wayside the past 2 weeks. I mentioned before that we had a bathroom remodel that my dad and another guy was doing. And well, they just finished Thursday. It totally messed up our schedule around here since we spent the better part of our day at my mom's so I'm glad to be getting back into a better routine tomorrow. I am very thankful that we now have two working bathrooms!! Anyway, hopefully, I can get back into an exercise routing. After last week, I need it! So, to start off the week here are a few good links for you:

1. I picked up some Dove Cream Oil Shea Butter Body Lotion this past week. I normally stay with my Suave (my favorite is Natural Oatmeal but I can rarely find it!) but I won a game on the Dove website and my prize was a coupon for a FREE bottle of lotion! I picked mine up from Target, it normally retails $5.99 and considering I will barely pay half of that for lotion, I doubt I'll get anymore without coupons and a sale! BUT, it is great lotion. It's sooo smooth and it smells good! I sniffed the other Cream Oil but I didn't like the way it smelled.. too chemically. And although it's called 'cream oil', it's not oily! So, try it out if you are able too!


2. Last week I made Heavenly Homemaker's Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix. I used it on our Tex Mex Turkey Burgers, as well as made a Tex Mex mayo for the buns. (I'll share more about that later this week because I have a few recipes to share!). It was super simple to make (pour in a jar and shake!) and although I don't know the exact cost difference, I'm sure in the long run it's much more cost effective. Maybe one day I'll take the time to figure out how much the cost compares! It's MUCH healthier too! No msg and the sodium content is less! Plus you can read all of the ingredients!


3. This is a fantastic article on Christians and educating their children by Tedd Tripp. Here is a little excerpt:

EDUCATION IS A PRIMARY concern of Christian parents. That concern focuses on two points: We want to ensure that our children's fund of knowledge is rich enough to equip them for life, and we want them to be people who know and love God.

In our culture, the paradigm for education is the state school. Most states enacted compulsory school attendance laws in the 1800s. Through the years since then, even Christian parents have come to accept the notion that education is the state's task.

But what does the Word of God say? Deuteronomy 6 provides us with biblical non-negotiables for the education of our children.

4. Sometimes reading all about the bad things we're eating makes my head spin. I am a mommy and a wife and my job is to take care of my family. I feed them and nurture them. And it's my job to do that to the best of my ability. So, I'm attempting to take things slowly in this process but I really wish I had the time and money to just trash everything and start from scratch.. literally. BUT here is a list of chemicals/foods to avoid from My Busy Life. It's a great place to start. And seriously, I had NO idea about the BPA in canned foods! I just don't understand why this stuff isn't regulated!!!


5. Another great article: Christian Faith: Calvinism Is Back. And while I don't believe many people will actually go read this article, you should. Here is a little excerpt from it too:

"A lot of people think religion is something you piece together [from] ideas you think are sweet and that you personally find beneficial," says Mr. Dever. "No. It's like a doctor's report.... It's an objective reality. It's just what is."

More broadly, the Calvinist revival reflects an effort to recast the foundation of faith itself. From conservative evangelical churches to liberal new-age groups, the message of much modern teaching is man's need for betterment. Not New Calvinism; its star is God's need for glory. And the gravity of His will is great: It can be denied, but not defied.

Have a fantastic week! And let me know if you check out any of the above links!