Gidget Goes Home

Remembering Sewing School… over on Simple Mom

by gidget on June 13, 2013

Contributing to Simple Mom is such an honor for me. This month, I’m remember the 31 Days of Sewing School that I wrote over at Simple Homemade last fall.

There’s something about a sewing machine that can be so darn intimidating– it’s enough to frighten prospective sewists into packing that machine away in a closet with an open-ended “someday I’ll learn” feeling.

If this sounds familiar to you, the truth is, all you need is a patient friend to walk you through the basics. And guess what? I can be that friend, albeit virtually, for you!

If you missed it, I blogged my heart out about learning to sew last October on Simple Homemade with the series 31 Days of Sewing School. I’m currently hard at work on an eBook that will be released in a few short months, which will include all of that series and more…

{head over to Simple Mom to read the rest!}

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5 on 10, that is to say… one of those days

by gidget on June 11, 2013

in family,life is beautiful

My alarm woke me yesterday, and after a few snoozes (which I hate doing), I was greeted by my monthly reminder, alerting me to the fact that it was the tenth of the month, and therefore I should get out my Big Girl Camera and try to capture some of the beauty of the day.

Of course, then everyone else woke up and the day catapulted into what I would call a classic vacation-detox/transition-back-to-real-life day, which is to say a challenging day.

After a wonderful, amazing, relaxing weekend away I was back in the throws of motherhood and let me tell you, it wasn’t a pretty sight. The day ended with me apologizing for having a bad attitude all day and praying with the kids that Jesus would give us all new hearts and a better day on Tuesday.

That said, these were the only photos that were taken. You’ll note that there’s not ten. They do still convey some beauty though, and I’m thankful for that. God is faithful to provide little snippets of beauty even amidst a hard day. Things like wedding centerpieces graciously given by the mother-of-the-bride, funky-cute pigtails, classic children’s artwork, learning to read… and bacon.

The sweetest part of the day was seeing my two daughters snuggled into the same bed after much struggling at the bedtime hour. I probably shouldn’t mention how I took a terrible flash-on photo of them with my phone about twenty minutes after they finally fell asleep and I woke Hallee back up. But yeah, that’s the kind of day it was. They looked super cute right before that, though.

Beauty in the ordinary… it’s there even when we least expect it. That’s why I like to link up with Rebekah; check out the other fun posts by clicking the button below…

Tagged as: 10 on 10

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love & coffee

by gidget on June 5, 2013

in love & marriage

On our recent trip we bought some fresh-roasted local organic coffee (read: YUM) to our friends who hosted us along the way. I knew two of the couples were coffee drinkers, but I wasn’t sure of the third, parents of one of David’s childhood friends. I soon found out that Debi and Jack don’t just drink coffee, they adore it.

As we enjoyed more conversation with our hosts I shared what I really wanted for our ten-year anniversary (later this month!) was for David to develop an appreciation for coffee so we could enjoy it together. It might sound superficial, but there’s just something about enjoying coffee that I long to do with him.

At this, Debi lit up as she told us how she and Jack enjoy their coffee every morning, sipping it and reading their Bibles together. Of course at this I looked over at David with a happy sigh and big puppy dog eyes. That! That sounds lovely!

Well, I might have worn him down a bit finally. After making the all-important point that hey, it’s no more bitter than beer… you like beer, so you’ve got to be able to develop a taste for coffee!, he succumbed with minimal protest to sampling an affogato over Arrested Development with me the other night.

Maybe you’ve been indulging in these for years, but they are a new-found favorite treat for me. Affogato is simply a fancy Italian word referring to ice cream drenched in espresso.

Just a simple scoop of vanilla each and then we split a single shot of decaf Mocca Java. Heavenly to my taste buds. Mmmm… It’s like coffee ice cream on crack.

When I asked David if he liked it he didn’t wince in disgust like I thought he might. “I like the ice cream…” he said, like a skeptic who’s open to exploring something new.

It’s a start, people. It’s a start.

I’ve got to know, is there anyone else out there who’s unequally yoked with their spouse in terms of their love of coffee?

Tagged as: coffee, love

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Road trip musings

by gidget on May 28, 2013

in family

We just got back from a super fun road trip. Ten days up the coast of our lovely state with several stops with friends and family.

Of course, we had a few more stops and visits planned, but sometimes the best laid plans get foiled by pestering sickness.

As if dealing with three kids in the car for many hours wasn’t enough of a challenge, we also had to deal with food poisoning (me, the day we were supposed to leave home), bloody noses (a consistent struggle with Brody these days), some type of vomit-inducing tummy bug (both girls), and a terrible cold complete with something ludicrous like six cold sores (David– poor guy is miserable, and I’ll be the first to say this is beyond a Man Cold).

So. All that to say, we came home a day early and have been enjoying the simplicity of getting back to real life– i.e. our own beds, the Dodgers on TV in the background, roast chicken for dinner…. and of course LOTS of laundry, worn-out kids needing a few days to recover from all the fun.

But that’s just the thing- it was so much fun! And despite all the challenges, it gave us the confidence that we can make it through pretty much anything with our little family. We love going on trips and making memories in different places with our kids.

And of course, between little ones not feeling good and sleeping in various new places, there were lots of cuddles. And that’s always nice.

Tagged as: heckanorcal2013, travel, traveling

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Fun Fiction: Once Upon a Prince {book review}

by gidget on May 21, 2013

in reading

This is one of those reviews I couldn’t wait to bring to you. I’ve read a few other books by Rachel Hauck and I’ve always enjoyed her writing. Once Upon a Prince is an entertaining read– a modern-day fairy tale that’s romantic but not too cheesy, spiritual development in the hearts of the characters, but again, not too cheesy like so many Christian novels tend to be.

One of the fun things about this book was the kingdom that Ms. Hauck invented with such imagination, and all the royal ways of life and characters. I loved reading the Princess Diaries books and the movie The Prince and Me has always been a favorite girly indulgence and this book fits along in the same fun genre of stories where modern life and fairy-tale romance collide.

I’m definitely hooked on the series and look forward to reading the next books.

About Once Upon A Prince: The Royal Wedding Series Book One

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess—just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

It’s the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God’s will or their own?

Meet Rachel

Rachel Hauck is the bestselling author of Carol Award winner “Sweet Caroline”, and RITA Finalist “Love Starts With Elle”, and of the critically acclaimed fiction collaboration with multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans, “The Songbird Novels”. She lives in sunny, though sometimes hurricane plagued, central Florida with her husband and their ornery pets. Rachel earned a degree in Journalism from Ohio State University and is a huge Buckeyes football fan. She is the past President of American Christian Fiction Writers and now sits on the board as an Advisor.

Find out more about Rachel on her website.

There’s also a fun Facebook party coming up to celebrate this book, including a Kindle giveaway.

Enter Today to win a Kindle Fire! – 5/6 – 5/27!

Thanks to Litfuse for providing the review copy of this book!

Tagged as: book reviews

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Happy Mother’s Day!

by gidget on May 12, 2013

in family,gratitude

Wishing all you mamas a restful, special day with your loved ones. I’m off to church, maybe the beach, and out for some good burgers for dinner.

Today I’m thankful for little treasures, but also for my mom, mother-in-law, our birthmom, and also the women who have encouraged me in walk with the Lord like a spiritual mama.

And for those of you who long to be a mama, but aren’t yet, I empathize with you, I’ve been in that spot, I’ve felt that pain.

Can I just encourage you to be a spiritual mama to whoever the Lord has put in your life? You probably don’t even know the blessing you already are in the life of a younger woman, a niece or nephew, or a friend’s child. Embrace that role as someone who can encourage, love on and minister to that young one in a special way that only you can do.

xoxo

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10 on 10: May 2013 and yummy creamy curry chicken & kale

by gidget on May 11, 2013

in daybook,life is beautiful

I love Fridays. We’ve finally gotten in the habit of grocery shopping every Friday morning; sometimes we walk and today was one of those days. It was perfect coastal walking weather. In the afternoon it was homeschooling, cleanup, a bit of downtime, creative time, and then dinner prep, where an experimental dish turned out delicious and we had lovely friends over and enjoyed our newly redone patio for a backyard dinner, which is pretty much my favorite thing ever.

Here are my 10 on 10 photos, along with the tasty dinner recipe. I’ve been playing along with 10 on 10 for a while now, and it’s been such a treat lately to be connecting more with its sweet founder Rebekah on Instagram. She recently got a makeover by Oana as well and I love the new look of her blog!

dessert was Healthy Chocolate PB fudge– soooo good! so easy!

sweet friends holding hands!!

Creamy curry chicken & kale (paleo/gaps-friendly)

Ingredients:

half a bunch of kale
half a large onion
3 patty pat squash or 1-2 small squashes
around 2-3 pounds of chicken thighs (2 packages from TJ’s is what I used)
1/2 cup mayo (I get homemade from my food co-op)
1/2 cup organic sour cream
curry powder to your liking
1/4 cup organic half ‘n’half
olive oil
garlic, salt & pepper, paprika

1. Slice onions & squash and wash/dry and rip up kale.

2. Toss veggies with olive oil, salt, pepper & garlic to taste in a 13 x9 pan. Add some paprika too!

3. Lay chicken out on top.

4. Whisk or stir together mayo, sour cream, curry powder and half’n'half to your desired consistency.

5. Spoon over chicken. Add a bit more paprika– I took this photo before that, but you can imagine how pretty it looked. Cover with foil and roast in preheated oven (450*) for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until done and nice and bubbly. I don’t have a photo of the final product but we all loved it. Yum!!

Happy weekending!

Tagged as: 10 on 10

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Giveaway winner and my first Simple Mom column post!

by gidget on May 8, 2013

in fun

I’m not very good at follow-through in the blogging realm– that’s one of things I want to improve upon. So for the those of you who follow me on Facebook, sorry that this announcement is a couple of days later than I thought it would be. It’s weird, I was sorta having an unintentionally intentional aversion to getting on the computer (hence my out-of-control email inbox!).

Partly I think I needed to detox a bit from my blogging “job” ending and partly I was just living life– throwing a bridal shower, singing at church, celebrating a certain little girl’s 6th birthday. It’s been a crazy busy fun week around here.

So. Without further adieu, I’d like to congratulate Abby, who said she loves my tutorials (thanks, Abby, I hope to bring more of those your way in the future!). I’ve sent an email so let me know if you don’t get it. Abby won the fabulous collection of goodies; if you didn’t win, be sure to revisit my friends and sponsors who donated to the giveaway!

I loved reading through all of your comments and am really excited about what the future brings here at Gidget Goes Home.

Today, I have my first sewing column post up at Simple Mom. It’s a simple project, one that’s been loved on for about three years in our home.

There’s just something so sweet about a toddler and her baby doll (or his, for that matter; my son loves his doll and animals, too).

When we were first preparing to bring home baby number two, I decided to make a baby carrier for my daughter who was just over two at the time. I had loved wearing her in my handmade mei-tai, a gift from my sister-in-law, and decided to draft a simpler version for her to use with her favorite doll, Molly the Dolly…

Head to Simple Mom to read the rest…

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Relaunch Giveaway!

by gidget on May 2, 2013

in fun

I thought it would be fun to put together a giveaway package that includes a variety of goodies, several of which are labors of love made by real-life friends and family members. Thanks for helping me celebrate the relaunch of Gidget Goes Home.

I thought I might review each one of these items separately… but then I thought about it again, I realized you probably didn’t want seven separate blog posts crowding your inbox or reader, so I’m going to squeeze them all in here for ya.

The important thing is that these are all things I love, which is why I’m celebrating the relaunch of my blog by giving them away to a lucky reader.

In this little gift package of love you will find something for him (thanks to the awesome hubbies out there!), for the home, for the kids, and of course, for you, lovely lady (since I’m assuming most of my readers are women). You will also find three of my favorite eBooks, two of which are not part of the gigantic sale going on right now, but which will complement the other 97 nicely.

This is a long post, but trust me, you’re going to want to see what these goodies are all about!

[click to continue…]

Tagged as: giveaways

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Patching a hole and preserving a bit of time

by gidget on April 30, 2013

in life is beautiful,sewing & crafts

I don’t think I’m the only mom who feels the rub that comes from packing up one size of clothes and moving on to the next. Their clothes aren’t just that which covers their body, but often grow to become part of their identity, who our children are.

So many of my own childhood memories actually stem from photographs and I think that’s one of the reasons why I love documenting life so much.

A simple tank top that I love, isn’t just the cheap shirt that I got on sale at Old Navy anymore, now that she’s been wearing it for a year. When I see it, my mind flashes back to images, photographs of her wearing it, and what was going on at the time.

When I see this shirt, I think of the photo on our fridge and of her going to VBS last year at the church where she would soon start kindergarten (where her charter school meets), a five-year old on the precipice of Something Big.

So instead of just tossing the hole-y shirt into the giveaway pile, I took a few minutes to put a simple patch on it, knowing that it would bring a smile to her face and preserve her wardrobe, and maybe time, a bit longer.

Just a bit of Heat’n'Bond cut in the shape of a heart, pressed first to the wrong side of a scrap of fabric (that was, I might add, a mama-made dress Gigi wore as a baby).

Heart cut out, paper peeled off, and then adhered over the hole, pressing cloth/mat to protect the glitter and sequins…

a simple 15-second press job and the heart is on.

A quick zig-zag for security…

A beloved shirt and a bit of childhood preserved… for now.

P.S. Ten-inch long braids sit on our counter, chopped and waiting to be mailed in by donation, happily given up by my sweet girl, who doesn’t miss the tangles, and who saw first-hand the difference hair makes after her granpa went through chemo and beat leukemia. I heart my girl.

P.P.S Relaunch giveaway still to come this week!