We love surprise balls (see our Easter one here and Valentine’s here) and I share this pumpkin jack-o-lantern one over at Babiekins blog today. See the full DIY here.

This week’s learned, links, and thankfulness…

This week was super busy, well, it feels like every week is like that. I have no idea how I used to blog so much. Lately, there’s just no time.

Thankful I got a good cleaning session in this weekend. The house needed it. The girls do a good job, but I needed to go in and get to every nook and cranny they don’t see.

My skin feels great and my eczema is gone… so thankful! I’d been battling these two eczema spots on my face for almost a year and it’s finally all clear (this was magic). I don’t mind the uneven skin tone it leaves, but it was the itchiness that was so bothersome, and now that’s gone. Also, my skin is smooth again. No more dry spots!

We’re finally moving forward on our front yard garden. Can’t wait to show you once this next phase is done.

Love the mock neck tees on Everlane.

I’m not sure I like this last season of Scandal; I miss Olivia as a gladiator.

True would love this skirt. Maybe I’ll make her one in that style.

The girls have written out their Christmas lists. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I can’t believe it’s that time of year already.

Happy Sunday, folks!

This net bag is another one of my indigo experiments (see another one here). I debated doing another dip in the dye, but I really like this shade of blue. I’d love to make another in a light pink.

My new packet of dye just came in, so I can’t wait to keep experimenting.  It’s kind of intimidating at first (at least I thought so), but it really is so easy and can make such an impact. There’s a dress that’s waiting another dip in the dye (I want it darker) and I have some other ideas I want to try out. I’ve taken some of the girls stained clothes and given them a bath in the indigo, and now, there’s no more stain. It’s pretty much like they got new clothes without spending money. We’re all about trying to reuse, reduce, and recycle, so indigo dyeing is a great way to do so.

net bag purchased from here. indigo dye kit purchased here. 

Lately, I’ve been realizing how much I sound like a barking dog, and I’m not talking the cute kind. With the girls, I’m constantly barking orders and to-dos, and my tone definitely lacks a certain care and love. It’s exhausting for me, and certainly exhausting for them. Ben’s always reminding me about my tone. I’m seeing how much I need to grow in that area, and I’ve been trying to be more mindful about it this week. I read this last week and it totally rebuked my heart and it’s been my prayer this week…

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.

I’m trying to be more mindful as we go through the school day, and as I remind them of their daily responsibilities. I want to speak with a heart and tone that displays the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience that comes from Christ. I think part of it is learning how to not rush through moments to quickly just to try and move onto the next thing. I’m growing and learning, just as the girls are. God definitely uses them to show me a lot of my shortcomings and things like this definitely does good to refine my heart.

Moving into double digits is a big deal and we celebrated Brave’s 10th year with a full day of 10 Harry Potter activities. Of course, we started with the traditional breakfast in bed and she had a letter delivered to her by an owl. The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry made an exception for Brave since she’s only 10. Along with her letter, she received a handmade wizard robe and Harry Potter-esque glasses, which she pretty much wears all the time (glasses purchased here).

For the next activity, she had first had to discover what type of wand would be suitable for her, so we set her up on Pottermore to find out . Then, she was whisked off to Olivander’s Wand Workshop to make her wizard wand a reality. Using 18″ chopsticks and various bits and bobbles (basically, beads, glue stick, and paint), the girls each created their own wizarding wand.

Then, it was off to Platform 3/4 to head back to Hogwarts!

The brick wall was made with red and brown cardstock paper, cut into rectangular pieces and taped onto a string (with an empty brick space between each brick). Then, we hung it from the ceiling and alternated the spacing of the brings to create the brick wall. The girls loved walking through it. Actually, it’s still hanging up in our house.

Once at Hogwarts, she put on the sorting hat to get sorted into her house, which was done via Pottermore. The final verdict… House of Gryffindor! Just like she hoped. Then, we ordered her this patch (and I later sewed it onto her wizard robe).

While she was getting sorted, I was running around like crazy downstairs transforming the wand workshop into the next part of the celebration.

Due to all this wizarding, the little wizards were bound to get hungry, so they stuffed themselves silly at the Great Hall Feast. They were served my-own version of “shepherd’s pie” (we called it Italian shepherd’s pie), caulderon cakes (brownie bites with green icing and sprinkles), butter beer (butterscotch soda and vanilla ice cream), licorice, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (oh they had fun with this one), and loads of other sweet treats.

After lunch, the birthday girl was given her own broom (and one for all her sisters) and they all indulged in a round a quidditch.

After all that running around, the girls headed off to “Transformations and Potions” class, which probably should be called bartending school for mini wizards. They all took turns creating concoctions for one another, and giggling as the watched the recipient of the potion drink it.

Unfortunately, class was interrupted by Voldemort, and he was after Brave. Thankfully, with her cleverness and wizardry skills she was able to stop him. Yippee! Thus, the celebration continued…

Hagrid came and delivered her birthday cake, albeit, a little smashed. Nevertheless, she loved it and so did her sisters!

The rest of the evening was spent with the whole family cuddled in bed watching the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Whew! Needless to say, she was one happy 10 year old!

Believe it or not, Ben and I put this whole thing together in just one day. I have no Harry Potter knowledge whatsoever, so I tapped into the minds of all the Harry Potter fans I know. Ben’s cousin had given the girls their first Harry Potter book a year ago and Brave has been hooked ever since (True thinks it’s creepy, so she’s not into it). Originally, we were supposed to go out of town for her birthday, but that changed last minute, so Ben and I were scrambling on what to do to celebrate this new year. This idea popped in 2 nights before her actual birthday, so the day prior Ben and I divided up the to-do list to tackle it. We were both running errands, making stuff, and cooking/baking in preparation. Our whole kitchen and family room became the staging area and it was quite a busy day to pull this off. Also, thankfully retail stores have holiday things way ahead of time, so Michaels had so many props that helped bring this wizard vision to life. Oh, my feet were aching by the end of the afternoon. As crazy as it was, her smile makes it all worth it. She was beaming all day because she said she really felt like it was all so real.

It is one really long post, filled with lots of stuff, so it took awhile to sort through it all to share here. I wish I had a wand or potion that could have helped pull it all together. Hope you enjoyed reading all about how we celebrated our Harry Potter lover!

This week’s learned, links, and thankfulness…

I’m thankful for community and the people I live life with. No good ever comes from too much isolation.

Thankful for all the little lessons the girls and I learn from daily. There are lots of fights, misunderstandings, expectations that happen throughout the day, and we have to learn to deal with each other, as well as forgive.

The girls and I have been listening to the heroes of the Reformation podcast “Here We Stand” via Desiring God.

Looking for a denim duster for fall? I really like this vintage one.

So the eczema on my skin was doing better with essential oils and this probiotic moisturizer, but then last week (while in Dallas), it started to act up again. UGH! Now, trying this topical treatment. Within a day, I can already tell it’s working wonders. Hoping and praying this continues to work. Sometimes, my skin is so itchy that I want to claw at it.

I need a reasonably priced yellow child raincoat (size 8-10) for a Halloween costume. Anyone have any suggestions on where to find one?

WOVENFOLK is now offering free shipping to all USA orders over $50.

Made these butternut squash fries this week and it came out delicious.

It’s been a whirlwind week and I’m thankful for new mercies and grace every morning. My heart has been heavy due to the Las Vegas shooting. Another reminder that life is short and you just never know what will happen. Also, Ben’s aunt passed away this week, so he left for Texas on Friday morning. All this has had my mind pondering on the brevity of life, and that with each new day, we are one day closer to death (not in a pessimistic way, but in a urgent realistic way). There’s so much dumb stuff I  get caught up in that when viewed in the light of eternity and death, those things don’t matter, and I’m not redeeming my time wisely. Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Even through my failing of this verse, I know I can still come to Christ because He is my righteousness.

Also, Harry Potter birthday post coming on Monday. Promise.

See you here on Monday!