Redeeming Beauty: The Loveliness of Less

This week has been EXTRA CRAZY! In case you’re thinking EVERY week must be nuts in a family of 12, well, you’re right. However, I’m feeling stretched to the max right now and I have to say that the de-cluttering we did last week, by putting away the small objects in the house has been a GIGANTIC sanity saver for me.

As I juggle the kids, our schedules and feeding the crew three times a day, I have found it easier to fluff the house up to presentable, without all the extra bits of wood, hay and stubble to dust and resituate. My honey even commented that the house seems extra clean to him lately.

 Being a bit unobservant he has not noticed the inconspicuously missing objects.

When happy people occupy my tidy abode, the house feels it’s most beautiful to me. So this dec-luttering project came at the perfect time, as it has lowered bubbling stress levels and given a sense of orderliness on the home front. Marketers have convinced us that MORE stuff satisfies and MORE stuff is where contentment hides.

Well…they’re lying.

In her book, Miss Minimalist, Francine Jay says:

Read the rest HERE.

Redeeming Beauty: Baubles and Balls

I tend to be laid back in that I sympathize with energetic little boys who need to be outside when it’s been raining for days on end…exceptions need to be made (in my opinion,) so last week I gave my power packed youngsters permission to TOSS the ball in the den…

Bad idea? Maybe…

As wives and mothers, we should decorate our homes with those we love in mind. For instance, your expensive collection of trinkets should be placed in an toddler free zone….Or if a handicapped parent lives with you, the doorways, hallways and bathrooms will be made to accommodate your loved one’s needs. If we create a home that is all about looks, the very ones we desire to occupy it will find themselves preferring to be somewhere else where they can slouch on the sofa and put their feet on the coffee table without Mom fluffing them up or scooting them off.

This decorating series is not simply about aesthetics.

It’s about loving.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Redeeming the Master Bedroom- 3

Hopefully you thumbed through the colors and styles on the Houzz link in the last post. Color is KING. So we must get it right per our taste. Once you have decided on tones, then textures and fabrics will be your next focus. My bed has a PILE OF PILLOWS that I had custom made in different coordinating fabrics and fringes that dress the whole room up. It takes extra time in the morning to get each pillow “just so” but my husband and I both enjoy the feel of our room and it’s worth the extra effort.

Your style may be more streamlined than mine and that’s SUPER, because a streamlined look cleans up faster than my over zealous ghadi pillow habit. My little ones LOVE to make forts with my pillows and pile them high for soft landing after a dive off the bed. This is great fun, but also a great pain when I’ve had about all I can take of forts and pillow platforms.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Redeeming the Master Bedroom Part 2, PLUS a FREE GIFT!

I’m supposed to be talking about choosing a color for the master bedroom, but I WANT to talk about other things concerning the master bedroom, so bear with me while I intertwine my assigned topic with what I really want to say.

This should be interesting.

When I started this decorating series, I began in the kitchen because the kitchen is the heart of the home where ministry pours out to family and neighbors. It’s the pulse, the hub, and the room that can reach ANYONE regardless of the state of the marriage. The kitchen is KEY in making a house a home.

But then I have moved directly to the master bedroom because, I have experienced first hand that the stronger the marriage bond, the stronger the family. Too many times the master bedroom gets pushed to the bottom of the list in decorating and activity. It is used to store stacks of books, office supplies and piles of clothes, rather than treated as a place to promote oneness, unity, and private fun between a husband and wife.

The master bedroom usually finds its modern day owners bone weary and sleep deprived…Leftovers and hand-me-downs in the bedroom for the king and queen of the house.

Not. Good.

The marriage act is the main ingredient that sets a married couple apart. Read the rest of the story HERE.



Pop over to thelaundrymoms.com and opt in to receive my 14 Days to Ignite Your Marriage FOR FREE!!
CallMOM~Terri

Redeeming Beauty in the Master Bedroom

Once upon a time my family was empty. Our beautiful mahogany front door revolved. Our over-sized house was a place to change clothes. Schedules overlapped and the calendar resembled a two-year-old’s scribble pad. My husband worked hard at our very successful dental practice by day, and even harder on a beloved hobby by night. Our marriage was void of intimacy. And our kids hurt.


My heart ached over the direction we were headed, and thankfully, my husband became weary of the pace, too. We had a home of individuals living individual lives with little family community and MUCH stress. So we did the only thing we knew to do in a last attempt to repair our mess. We canceled EVERYTHING.

We made our world small. Very small.

We moved from a mega church to a church consisting of less than 100 people. Stopped sports, pulled out of social commitments, and canceled meetings. We even sold our LARGE dental practice and took time off. We played checkers, watched four seasons of 24, and got reacquainted.

I believe our family would be just another statistic today if we had not made these hard decisions. The culture shock was UNREAL. Adjusting to our new, simple life took serious commitment and refocus. Fast forward ten years and the dentist, and I would not change one of those decisions. Our family has multiplied not only in people, but also in love, strength, unity, and effectiveness.

Our calendar is full again, but with more unity. Weekly dates for the hubs and me are penned in first, then family ministry, kid activities and social events. We know that successful marriages and strong families do not just happen. So we made a plan to succeed.

Read the rest of the story HERE

Redeeming Beauty in the Home

My theme this year is Redeeming Beauty in the Home. As I began to ponder why I was given this topic and what on earth I thought about it, I prayerfully took my thoughts and questions to the Lord.

Yes it’s true. I enjoy beautiful things. I’m a shopper. It’s my favorite exercise. The mall is where you’ll find me when I’m in need of an outing.  I appreciate…

Colors that match just so…

Patterns that compliment each other…

Surprise accessories that spur conversation...

A gorgeous GAUDY mirror over an antique buffet…

My eyes crave balance. Variety delights me. My hands reach for opposing textures like the feel of a cool leather sofa topped with plush, over-stuffed pillows lined with the perfect fringe.

Beauty. I get it.

I enjoy clothes that highlight the curves and hide the flaws…

Shoes that top off an outfit…

The perfect necklace…

Earrings that sparkle…

Yes. I get it.

But when I sat down to write my first blog post on Redeeming Beauty in the Home, none of those things surfaced in my mind. Not one.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Making Christmas Heartier Than a Sugar Cookie Hung on a Tree

Wrapping paper lays strewn across my bedroom floor, while unwrapped boxes wait in line for their turn to be draped in beautiful paper and tied with elaborate bows.


Christmas—one of my favorite times of the year.


As our days are filled with decorating, baking cookies, preparing for parties and shopping for gifts, I wonder how much True Meaning of Christmas my kids are soaking in.


It is feasible that they could grow up and continue ALL we DO with out the pure heart intent of celebrating God coming to earth in the flesh. After all, those who do NOT celebrate the Christ-child at Christmas, go through the same holiday motions.



So how do I draw the distinction? How do I pass the heart of our action, the reason for the season? The purpose of celebrating?

First...Read the rest of the post HERE.

My Opposite and Me

 I love my man.

But we are different.

Opposites attract.

I’m a night owl. He’s a morning person.

I like bread. He loves meat.

I follow rules. He breaks ALL OF THEM.

I’m a disciplinary with the kids. He’s Mr. Fun Guy.

I like the lights off. You get my point.


Our differences are like a song sung in harmony, a salty dish with a sweet touch. We are better together: more effective, more fun, more productive… simply prolific.

My opposite and me.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

The Thanksgiving Scramble

Thanksgiving is around the corner and it’s AT YOUR HOUSE THIS YEAR!!! Ahhhh!! I know…I know… only so much time to lose 30 pounds, make new drapes, recover the couches, and paint the dining room before the BIG DAY!! And that’s not even to mention the food! Oh the food! Well, thankfully Thanksgiving is chalk full of traditions to keep the menu simple. So where does one start when the task appears insurmountable? Well, I’m glad you asked.

First: Breathe. Take a deep breath and know that regardless of what you get accomplished before the big day, it’s going to be OK. Thanksgiving will happen whether the dining room gets painted or not. But enough of the pep-talk, we are running out of time.

Photo Credit goes to 99.1 Press HERE

Let’s get started.

About the 30 pounds: Speed read my 31 Days to Fit  and do it turbo charged. Good Luck.

Now the drapes: This is THANKSGIVING: Be THANKFUL that you HAVE drapes and instead of last minute window renovations, let’s CLEAN THEM. Designing a new window treatment at this point in the game could send you to the mental hospital; so let’s skip the drama and wet-vac the dust off of the drapes that we are thankful for.

Read the rest of the post HERE.

Married for Good

My baby sleeps soundly on my shoulder as I rock silently in the dark.

The moon glows dimly behind me; lighting the room just slightly enough to see the outline of the furniture and my husband’s profile as he dreams quietly on the bed… fully resting in spite of the noise in the next room.


I listen to six of my children laugh loudly during a game of “night tag” in the den. They know their daddy and I don’t mind the late night game they play together; we are simply happy our kids love each other so much. And since the oldest moved away to attend college in another state, the stark realization that they DO grow up and move out has become a reality.

I gently rock the baby and savor the sounds of merriment penetrating the walls.

We parent differently now. Slowly. Deliberately.

I savor these moments in our home. Our joy is sacred. It is not the average NORMAL. I ADORE my husband, and he me.  Our children love each other. I KNOW we have something special.

I can feel the presence of the Lord in our home. It is not perfect, but it is Heaven on Earth to us and I treasure these days with my growing family…

Where joy, unity and contentment describe the air we breathe.

Sparks of love lit our marriage in the early days, but like most couples somewhere along the way those sparks turned into a forest fire that nearly burned the walls of our family to dust. Poor communication skills served as embers to keep the destructive flames lapping.

Read the rest of the story HERE

Re-Shaped

I sit on the steps of the deck watching my kids carelessly play in our yard. The swing sores high as two siblings take turns pushing our laughing toddlers. Hanging on branches above them hide three more siblings. Playing…laughing…

I watch and ponder. I don’t deserve all this wonderfulness. I didn’t ask for it. I was headed down a different path. One without kids… A freer path...a  fly with the wind path. A do what I want when I want path.


Babies were not in “our plans” because the doctor’s diagnosis.

So dreams were dreamed without them present.

Then…

God interrupted our plans without our asking.

And through a surprise pregnancy He whispered, “Follow me this way.”

I answered, ”This way? Not this way. We have PLANS.”

And He said, “Trust Me.”

The tears soaking my pillow at night were not over a surprise pregnancy, but rather over my messed up plans—my interrupted schedule. Moving into unknown territory rocked my world and left me fighting the Creator…the One who programmed into my soul EXACTLY what would fulfill me…The All Knowing Creator of my being reaching down to BLESS me and I FIGHT BACK!!

Read the rest of the story HERE.

To Do or Not To Do

Suitcases sprawl over the rooms begging to be zipped and put away after our trip…Laundry is falling off the folding table…The baby wears a soggy diaper with only one left on the shelf… Several children scurry around the house passing the last toilet paper roll from bathroom to bathroom and I know this from the echoing voices hollering, ”Can someone come help me, please?” from across the halls.

Everywhere I look something begs to be cleaned, put away or restocked. I feel out of sorts when we are in such disarray…and un-orderliness pursues hard and fast after many days away in our home… erasing the peace that the vacation so lavishly bestowed on my soul.

So many odds and ends reach for my attention…call for my time… beg for my mind.
As I survey the urgent to do’s that scream at me SO LOUDLY, a soft, tender voice penetrates my thoughts as my three-year-old announces, “It’s time for Bible.”

*Drip, drip, drip…* His milk spills off the table and onto the floor adding to the unsightly chaos.
I take my eyes off of my keys and bring my unruly thoughts back into submission…I cannot escape to Super Target and nurse a Venti-latte for comfort quite yet. My anticipated mini break is pushed to the back of the line for now. HE is the most pressing thing on my to do list this morning. His precious, fast growing soul will not wait for me to get it together before I focus on him. He is being shaped whether by my effort of by my neglect…

He is being shaped…whether I do it or not.

In deed, EVERYTHING else can wait.

I say, “Yes, it’s time for Bible.”

And we call the rest of the kids into the den for our morning reading. We read about David and Goliath this morning. I need a hero like David…an example of courage…of doing the hard thing…of stepping forward in faith regardless of outward appearances. The story comforts me and ENERGIZES my young boys. After our time together they excitedly talk about ‘if they were David…’ and dream of slaying their own giants.

Courage, strength and love sewn in stitches into my kids’ souls while the ‘urgent work’ impatiently waits for my attention.

The urgent is not leaving. It will press its demanding face into my days for the rest of my life. These children, however, will not. Their cherub cheeks and goofy laughs will grow into busy adults, whether I stop and take part in their training or neglect it all together. Read the rest HERE

Embrace the Struggle

I sit at the piano and listen to a young son trip over the keys. This new song is unfamiliar, uncomfortable to his hands…awkward to his ears.

His confidence plummets…focus wavers and head drops.

Like all of us, he wants to soar…but the pain of rising is sometimes enough to keep him on the ground.

The wrong notes tell him he can’t do it. His tripping fingers mock him.

“Look up, son. You can do this!!” I remember my mom’s sweet encouragement in the same seat I sit in now. I remember the frustration and discouragement in my son’s place when my childhood person occupied it.



And the memory holds me there… to encourage him TO STAY.

He slides down his chair, “It’s SO HARD!! I don’t think I can!”

Do I tell him to embrace this feeling...to greet it as a welcomed friend?

“Let’s work on one measure at a time. No need to rush.” We take baby-steps.

“One measure at a time and before you know it, you’ll be flying through the whole piece,” I reassure.

Little does he know that the discipline of STAYING in his seat, when it get’s hard is training him for bigger struggles in his life. One day in the midst of struggling he will remember the feeling of accomplishment and his endurance will again…

Grow.

Stretching through the pain to soar to a new height.

Read the rest of the post HERE

The Price

Sometimes in the beginning of receiving a blessing from the Lord, when we cannot understand or see past the situation, His blessings feel like punishment or even a curse.

If you have ever killed your will at a high price in obedience to scripture and received a piece of Heaven in return, you know what I mean.

Life is hard. It is MESSY.


Human wisdom tangles mixed emotions and sets the will against our Creator—and we are oblivious to our stance against Him.

Yet He remains faithful.

My experience is that the LOUDER my flesh cries out the GREATER the blessing God wants to give me. I kick and scream and flail about while He simply longs to cover me with His feathers, or give me more of Himself. I think I know what I want, but He knows me better.

Have you been there?

“What do you mean I’m pregnant, AGAIN? The baby’s only 5 months!”

To read the rest of the article go HERE.

Decorating Tips 101

Decorating Tips 101

How do I decorate a room well if I can’t afford a professional?

So you want to redo a room without the cost of a decorator? Follow these 9 easy steps below and you will create an amazing room transformation.

Photo from hgtv.com

First: Choose a focal piece, something you LOVE, a painting or a pillow, a chair or a vase, a piece that says “tada.” Your focal piece needs to have several colors in it, so that you can choose paint colors and fabric swatches that will be used in the room. I recommend no less that 3 colors, but when you go over three, make sure the extra colors are in the same color family, unless you are decorating a circus.

Second: On a board glue or staple the paint colors and fabric swatches and make sure that you LOVE what you see. If you don’t like it on the board, you will HATE it in your room.




Third: Ask your friends which paint color they would use on the wall and go with the friend that chooses the one you like, then invite her over to help you paint.

Order pizza for dinner and schedule a massage the next day for both of you.

Fourth: Look through a billion decorating magazines and spend 300 hours on Pinterest.com  looking for the perfect window treatment. After you have chosen it, gather your friends again and ask them which fabric on your board would go best with the treatment you have chosen. Listen to the friend that has a sewing machine. Smile sweetly and ask her if she’ll help you make the drapes. Block off a week on your calendar, put childproof gates up, so that your children don’t walk on your fabric, when it is lying all over your den floor waiting to get cut and sewn.

 Wear your hair in two ponytails, and don your husband’s favorite nighty each evening until the den is back in order and he can once again sit in his favorite chair. It’s also a good idea to have the freezer fully stocked with his favorite ice cream during this portion of the decorating process.

Fifth: If you live in Houston, call Burke’s Upholstery to recover any furniture that no longer matches the room. Your friend’s are avoiding you now, so just choose a fabric from the board. It will blend beautifully with the room.

Six: Have a garage sale and get rid of the clutter that sits on your shelves and tables. Call your friend that sells Southern Living and have a Home Show. Use the points from your home show and the money from your garage sale to buy accessories that go with your new look.  You are now back in good standing with one of your friends and your room is looking complete.

Seven: Make sure each end table has some form of life on it. Toddlers don’t count. A candle, a fresh flower or fruit bowl is a nice touch. Make sure you accessorize in odd numbers on your tables and shelves.

Eight: Kiss your husband. Serve a fancy meal for your family with candles and enjoy your new look.

Nine: Have an open house and offer to help your friends redo a room in their houses, since you are now an expert in the field and they are all envious of your fresh new look.

Happy Decorating!

Terri Bonin

New Call Mom Question

“What if you have children but never wanted kids? And the one who got you pregnant wanted kids knowing that you didn’t and now he isn’t even in the kids lives and never even cared for kids and is having all the fun he wants?”


Go to: www.callmom.co  for the answers!

Mom's Retreat

A Great Present for Jesus

Thankful Celebrations

Thanksgiving at our house feels much like Christmas, but without the gifts. The Christmas tree sparkles in the entryway; stockings hang over the fireplace. A wooden Nativity sits on an end table, so that little hands can play with it; a glass one nestles in a miniature stable above the stockings, so that older eyes can look and imagine.

Tables welcome our family members with flickering candles and beautiful china. Savory and sweet smells flow from the kitchen, while children laugh and play throughout the house.

Thanksgiving Day provides a specific time to offer thankfulness for the life we have been given in this country—and Christmas follows it with the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I was raised in a home that celebrated with hearty thanksgiving our life and our Savior from the end of Oct. to New Years.

As a mom I like to provide my family with the same atmosphere of whole-hearted thankfulness throughout the holidays.  A special Advent book waits for us each evening in the family room during the holidays, and colorful picture books call for small, chubby hands to turn their pages.

Celebrate

Christmas music, delicious smells, flickering candles and special stories say, I love you to my family, and thank you, Jesus, for life in our home. Celebrating whole-heartedly is the best way to say thank you and I love you. 

Let’s not isolate Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November, but let’s live it out in an atmosphere of celebration from Oct. 31 to New Years, as we celebrate the life we have been given and the One who came, so that we could live.

Thanksgiving Traditions

By Johnnie Seago

Taken from CallMom.co

Traditions are such an important part of family life. As children grow our family traditions morph into routines and schedules of “whose year is it to spend with mom?” Parents with adult children content themselves with this coveted time through traditions that everyone can count on…For example: Thanksgiving is our BIG holiday…allowing the other family members to claim another holiday.

Every year we have a HUGE Thanksgiving.  As many of our family (and extended family) come to our home on the lake. A few years ago we outgrew the dining area and moved our dinner outside.  The night before the feast mommies and kiddos make t-shirts (or this year it will be aprons!) for all the children with turkey hand-prints and the year in little handwriting. As we start the cooking the children play games and we talk and cook and enjoy being together crowded into a kitchen warm with laughter. We try to get everyone to make their “special” recipe…right down the the daughters. Everyone is a cook at Thanksgiving.

Since we have to move tables, chairs, and food outside it would be easy to use paper plates and disposable cups but that would NEVER DO! This is a feast and we use formal dress, formal tableware, and table manners. As we do the prep work my sister takes family group shots of each individual family. All families choose their family “color” so that the pictures can be used for Christmas cards and letters.

Before we eat we all sing hymns and offer prayers of thankfulness. Then the food is served and served and served! After clean up the guys play football and frisbee while the moms start scouring the papers for the annual Black Friday shopping spree.  In the afternoon the mommies enjoy pedicures while babies nap. Thanksgiving actually last a whole weekend, since so many of our kids live out of town. In the true spirit of the season…we are so thankful God has allowed another year of loving, and living together…even when we are miles apart.

What are special additions to your Thanksgiving time?

Go to CallMom.co to tell your traditions.