Quantcast
Lauren Lockhart, Author at Imperfect Homemaker

All Posts by Lauren Lockhart

Tell the Story Scripture Plaque Review

By Lauren Lockhart

 

A few weeks ago I was approached by MaryEllen here at Imperfect Homemaker  to do a review on some Scripture plaques made by Joy Lyon over at Tell the Story on Etsy! I love to do reviews, but find it hard to actually get them done! I figured if someone held my feet to the fire, I would get one done, so I agreed to do it!

I headed over to Joy's Etsy shop to check them out and I was very pleased with the selection that Joy had! It was SO hard to choose which one I wanted to do a review on because, quite honestly, I wanted them all! I love to put up Scripture and Scripture based sayings in my home because it keeps my thoughts focused on Heavenly things while going about my seemingly mundane earthly responsibilities.

The Psalmist said in Psalm 26:3 “For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy Truth.” This is EXACTLY what I want for my home! For the goodness of the Lord to be before us from morning to evening. Joy Lyon's signs can help me and you accomplish just that!

I received the plaque very quickly in the mail and I was SO pleased! It was even more beautiful than the picture 🙂

Isn't this sign just gorgeous???!!!

I chose the  Phil. 4:8  sign because not only is this one of my favorite scripture verses, but my Mom made up a little song to teach it to us when we were little and that permanently cemented it in my heart and mind! This verse has kept me from thinking or saying many a wrong thing and I hope that having it up in my house will do the same for my children!

This beautiful  sign came done on high quality lightweight board, professionally painted, distressed, and lettered. I love the variations on the lettering! Each style of print that Joy selected properly conveyed the meaning of each word in the verse….LOVE IT!

I will have this beautiful sign hanging on the wall above our school cabinet in my kitchen so that this verse is DAILY before our eyes, reminding us of the good things we should keep our minds focused on!

So take a little jaunt over to Joy's Etsy Shop and browse around! I KNOW you either will  find the perfect sign or Joy will help you create your perfect sign! She does that, you know? Isn't that wonderful? If she doesn't have exactly what you are looking for, you can contact her and share your favorite verse or Scripture saying and she will create a sign JUST FOR YOU!

As for me, I will definitely be buying from Joy again! Her work is customizable, high quality, and would make the perfect gift for any and all of your families and friends! I can PROMISE you that you will NOT be disappointed! I can't wait to get more of Joy Lyon's work up on my walls and upon my heart!!

” Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart…Proverbs 3:3″

GIVEAWAY:
From now through May 13, you can enter below to win your own plaque from Joy's shop!
She'll be giving away a great reminder to us all that we need to be grateful each day!  The inconveniences of messy kids might be just the thing another woman wishes she could have with all her heart.  The food we don't care for might be just what that starving family in another country needs.  Let's be thankful!
Be Thankful!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mini Sloppy Joe Pizzas

Are your kids tired of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Here's quick and easy lunch for busy homeschool days that your kids will love – Mini Sloppy Joe Pizzas!

 

By using a little forethought, you will have all the ingredients already prepped for this by preparing extra when you make your family dinners.

You will need to prepare extra biscuits whenever you are making them and cook up some extra ground beef whenever that is a part of your dinner prep. Keep the biscuits and cooked beef in the fridge and pull them out to make this quick lunch.

 

Mini Sloppy Joe Pizzas

 Instructions:

  • Slice open several biscuits or use store-bought bread
  • Mix cooked ground beef with a jar of spaghetti sauce and spread over biscuits
  • Sprinkle with grated cheese (I prefer Cabot brand)
  • Broil until  cheese is brown and bubbly
  • (I added a slice of tomatillo to each of mine as you can see in the picture above. You can add whatever additional toppings you like.)

 

Psst…I have an entire Pinterest board called “Unique Lunch Ideas”, so be sure to follow me there!

Herbal spring tonic from a little flower you know very well!

The following is a guest post from contributor Lauren.

 

Do any of you recognize this cute little flower?

red nettle

{photo credit}

I bet you do! It loves to grow wild and it grows EVERYWHERE during the springtime! Many people consider it to be an invasive little plant and try to kill it with everything under the sun ending with a “cide”. That's a NO NO! This little spring flower is one of a honeybee's first available nectar after a long winter of nothing and is also an excellent little flower to provide vitamins and minerals for a spring tonic for us!

Isn't that neat?

Something that we consider to be a nuisance or invasive has actually been given to us by God for health and nutrition and has been given to the bees to help them reestablish after a long winter. We need our bees to be healthy so that they will pollinate our crops, fruit trees, and make us yummy honey to enjoy year round. We also need the spring greens to detoxify our bodies and get those sluggish immune systems going again after a long winter of being inside battling the winter woes! Here's some detailed information on how to make sure you recognize this plant correctly and also on how to use it for your health!

Disclaimer: All of the following information about the identification and use of this plant is accurate to the best of my knowledge. With that being said, only attempt to harvest and eat wild plants that you can identify with 100% accuracy. Buy a field guide or 2 on foraging for wild plants to learn to identify them at all stages. Cross-reference information and photos of plants with different sources. Know if there are any similar looking plants that might be poisonous. Before consuming a wild plant for the first time, eat only a small portion in case you are allergic.

General Characteristics

Purple dead nettle is a short lived annual in the mint family (Lamiaceae ). Usually growing no larger than 1ft in height, it has squared stems (characteristic of mint family) and soft fuzzy leaves with a opposite leaf arrangement. Leaves also have a bit of purple in them. Flowers are pink/purple and very small.

Edible Uses

The leaves, stem, and flowers are all edible. Purple dead nettle is very nutritious being high in iron, vitamins, and fiber. It can be eaten raw as a salad green or cooked. Try boiling in water for 20-30 minutes, drain, and season to taste. Collect when in flower for fresh eating or for storage by drying.

Medicinal Uses

The entire plant is an astringent, styptic, diaphoretic, diuretic, and purgative. A decoction can be made to help with hemorrhaging and the freshly bruised leaves can be applied to external cuts. Make a tea to use as a laxative or tonic by adding 2 tablespoons of fresh or dried herb to 1 cup hot water and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink in 1/2 cup doses.

 

I have this little flower growing ALL over my yard this year and I am definitely going to harvest, dehydrate at a low temp until dry, and store this valuable little plant for medicinal purposes! So get out there and SPRING into learning about what is growing in your yard that has been put there by God to help you stay healthy and fit for His service! James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”. Make sure to take time and enjoy the good gifts that God gives us each and every day of the year! Happy Spring!