A Baby Shower

Oh my, it has been manic around our house. Our garden has been overrun with the fruits of our labors. In between canning and freezing and stomping saurkraut, I have been sneaking around planning a baby shower for our daughter who is expecting her first child, our first grandchild. (Its a boy!) So today, I thought I would share some of the crafty and creative details of the shower.

A Clothesline Theme

She is planning to breast feed and use cloth diapers- kind of a back to basics approach to caring for her baby. So I chose a clothesline theme for her shower. I strung up a clothesline across the room for all the sweet little boy outfits.

The Prizes were inspired by Aunt Ruthie at Sugar Pie Farmhouse. (I always get creative ideas from my blog friends) I rummaged through the workshop and found some scrap pieces of wood to make some chaulkboard signs.They were a big hit. One prize was for guessing how many diapers were in this diaper cake. It not only contained diapers but a few wash clothes, onsies and a few California Baby products. How many diapers do you think are in this cake?!

Each guest was given a diaper pin. One of the diapers was "dirty." That guest was also a winner. A few guests also received some special buttons too!

Decorating was fun. I used many of my daughters memorabilia from her baby days including her baby scrapbook, her favorite stuffed animal, hand made quilts, and the sweet little outfit she wore home from the hospital when she was just 3 days old.

Baby Blocks were an easy way to create

messages throughout the house.

Lots of Daisies- Our little mommy's favorite

We played the "Name that baby" game and awarded the winners of that game a can of alphabet soup in addition to a chaulkboard of their choice. (Each guest had to choose a baby name from the letter of the alphabet they were assigned) And I also put together a devotion inspired by Creative Ladies Ministries. It is a devotion that reminds moms -to -be to be vigilant in raising their baby God's way.

The FOOD

On this special day, our menu included:

Weiners and homemade saurkraut

Veggie tray

Assortment of chips and pretzels

Our favorite hot dip

These adorable onesie sugar cookies

Punch

Coffee

And Ice-cream cake. Dairy Queen did an excellent job decorating the cake using the invitations as their inspiration!

With the shower behind us, the baby clothes washed, and the thank-yous sent out..........now all we have to do is wait!

Our Favorite Hot Dip

Our Favorite Hot Dip is always a hit. This is a recipe I clipped several years ago from one of my Rieman Publisher Magazines, perhaps Taste of Home or Country Woman magazine. This recipe makes quite a bit so be sure to have plenty of friends to share it with!

Brown burger, onion and pepper in a skillet. Remove from the pan and place in a large microwavable bowl and microwave until completely melted, stopping to stir mixture frequently. Place in a small crockpot to keep warm and melty while serving. Serve with nachos and enjoy!

Never Wasted

Nothing gets wasted at our house. We fix what we can…or sometimes repurpose broken items. We recycle. And of course, we compost. We have a wonderful composter that can transform kitchen scraps within a few days. We call our composter……..the girls!

Literally within days, the scraps from the kitchen and garden are composted. We recycle shredded paper as well as sawdust from hubby’s workshop into bedding for the girls. Only occasionally do we have to use straw. They transform these organic materials into fertilizer and we or should I say I, scoop it out and sprinkle it around the garden. Whalaa! It enriches my soil ensuring a rich harvest for the following year. And the cycle continues.

Another thing I never wasted, especially while the kids were young, was a teachable moment. As a former homeschool mom, the opportunities were many. The wonder of God’s creation is always evident around us. From the landscape of mountains and valleys and seas to the behaviors of the animal world, His handiwork is everywhere. To remind a child that “God made that” is a small thing that reaps a rich harvest. It’s a subtle way to train your child to always be mindful of His presence.

Even when the kids were coming of age, I tried to never waste a teachable moment. I learned early on, talking about teen issues was easier before it was an issue. We discussed everything from puberty to dating before we were in the middle of a particular season of growing up. Anytime we would witness what was deemed bad behavior by others, we would discuss it. It helped them to learn to discern what would be acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

One day when the kids were home, we happened to catch the Dr. Phil show when his wife Robin was on, talking about teaching her boys how to treat women. And the thought occurred to me that apart from their dad modeling that behavior, we had not deliberately talked about how to treat a woman, nor how our daughter should expect to be treated, not only by men in general, but especially by her future husband. So I took that teachable moment and stirred up a little conversation, nothing too preachy, just some dialogue to plant some seed. My little Bubba said, as I was telling them that they should treat women well, “I try and help my grandmas!” Oh it was priceless! His little mind was churning on how he could apply this virtue in his life.

Little Bubba isn't little anymore!

Over the years, my children have inspired me to never waste a teachable moment…..and to always be looking for teachable moments. Have I missed opportunities? I’m sure I have. But the truth is, that if we live our lives with a mind set of always looking for those moments, we’ll find Him. He is in all the details. The challenge is, however, slowing down and allowing Him to bring those teachable moments to light. For when we do, it ensures a rich harvest not only for us, but for the next generation.

I hope I have encouraged you to slow down, see what little lesson God is trying to teach you today. And pass it on!

Living Simply and Deliberately,

Tammy

"Be still and know that I am God!

I will be honored by every nation.

I will be honored throughout the world.

Psalm 46:10