Have you got 5 minutes to spare to make your life more organized and peaceful? A friend of mine was telling me how revolutionary 5 minutes have been for her family.

After dinner, she implemented a “5 minute rule.” Everyone – kids and parents – take 5 minutes after dinner is cleaned up and they tackle a part of the house that needs attention. Those shoes and socks that get kicked off at the door and back pack in the living room; that endless pile of paper that stacks up on the kitchen counter; completed schoolwork that just sits there; it ALL gets tackled.

Where ever there is something that needs tidying up or putting away each family member takes 5 minutes (no more and no less) and gives it attention.

My friend said there were some protests initially. So expect some push back. But after a few nights of doing it and her family seeing the results, it has been welcome change. Her house - neater, cleaner, and piles gone. Success!!

Think about it, if there are 4 of you in the family, that's 20 minutes of picking up that's done each night. One hour total of picking up over 3 days and 2 hours of straightening up after 6 days! What a great collective effort. I don't know about you but I like getting more bang for my buck. Our household will be implementing it too.

#organized #clean #allhandsondeck #5minutes #success #nopiles #shoesaway #yay! #angelbooksforkids #whereisyourangel #angelic

​Whether it's your toddler, teen, or bank saying, “No” that word does not evoke warm fuzzies. It can and often does have the reverse effect causing you to arch your back in a cat-like self- defense pose. Sometimes though the word, “no” is good for us and can cause us to pause and purr in appreciation. I came across this prose from an unknown source that eloquently addresses hearing the word, “No.”

And God said, “No”

I asked God to take away my pride and God, “No.” He said it was not for Him to take away but for me to give up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole and God said, “No.” He said the body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience and God, “No.” He said patience is a by-product of tribulation. It isn't granted, it's earned.
I asked God to give me happiness and God said, “No.” He said He gives His blessings. Happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me from pain and God said, “No.” He said sufferings draw me apart from worldly cares and bring me closer to Him.
I asked God to make my spirit grow and God said, “no.” He said I must grow on my own, but He will prune me to make me fruitful.
I asked God if He loved me and God said, “Yes.” He gave His only Son who died for me and I will be in heaven someday because I believe.
I asked God to help me love others as mush as He loves me and God said, “Ah, finally you have the idea!”

#no #Godsaid #angels #prayers #grow #angelwatchingoverme #Hisnoisyes #blessings

Movie superhero Chris Pratt recently showed us what too much fun in the sun can look like - it hurts so good. Yes, frolicking in the sun without proper protection can ruin a perfectly good time.

Our fave Pediatrician, Dr. Deepa Sukumar, tells us what to do when we forget to apply sunscreen before having too much fun in the sun. It's all about the after burn.

*Please remove your child from direct sun exposure as soon as you notice redness in the skin. Always remember, the longer he/she remains in the sun, the worse the sunburn will get.

* Let your child take frequent cool baths or cool showers for the pain to ease off. You can also apply cool wet compress to the area as needed. Hot showers will irritate the skin.

* After the cool shower, you can gently pat your child's skin with a clean towel. Then apply an aloe vera based moisturizer immediately. The moisturizer helps traps the water underneath and prevents dryness. Do not use petroleum-based products as they trap the heat and do not use benzocaine based products (it will irritate the skin). 

* Make sure your child drinks extra water to prevent dehydration.

* If he/she has blisters, take care not to break the blisters, so that the skin does not become infected.

* Call your doctor immediately if your child has fever, headache, chills, blisters, nausea, or sunburn of a large area OR a general feeling of illness. Be sure always to consult your doctor when you notice sunburn.

* Keep your child from the sun till the burn heals completely.

* And remember always to use sunscreen while going out - cloudy or sunny. Enjoy your summer!

If you have any sunburn related questions or want to see a doctor from the convenience of your home, Dr. Sukumar is available 24/7 via tele-medicine. You can contact her via her website at www.gracemdconnect.com or text 844.230.3300.

#pediatrician #drsukumar #sunburn #chrispratt #tips #summer #sunscreen #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme #angels #kidsbooks

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? Sometimes gratitude is easy to grasp - things are going well, your clothes are fitting, the kids are behaving, your husband says you look hot, you got a raise, and on and on. Sometimes gratitude seems out of grasp - a lost friendship, health issues, money woes, dysfunctional family, and on and on.

No matter which side of the coin you are on, let me encourage you to look beyond what you can see to appreciate things unseen. Like the feel of the sun on your face on a cold day (can you feel the vitamin D?), the warmth of a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate as it goes down and soothes, a beautiful melody that lifts your spirits. We can all be grateful for something no matter how small or how big. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to pause and reflect on what we have to be grateful for.

In keeping with what's become kind of a tradition around here, I have written a poem about angels and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. It's titled "Angelic Gratitude." 

Angelic Gratitude
by Evangeline B. White

The Pilgrims who set sail so long ago,
Trusted God and His angels of this we know.
As they set forth on a journey so dangerous,
Their trip was long, deadly, and arduous.
An Indian God sent spoke perfect English.
Soon they all sat around a table sharing a dish.
Their story of thanksgiving continues today.
As we sit at a meal, giving thanks, and pray. 
I am thankful for angels and for God's love,
For heaven coming down to earth from above.
Angels respond to our prayers and petitions.
As God assigns each one for their special mission.
I am thankful He gives His angels charge over us.
So that we can have peace in the midst of the fuss.
Remember the Pilgrims this Thanksgiving day,
Their faith was tested every step of the way.
But they trusted in God and in His provision,
As they left England on their exodus decision.
So if you are facing a task that is larger than you,
Think of the Pilgrims and their faith that carried them through.
They were thankful for God and His angels near,
Who helped them carry out tasks that brought on fear.
On God they relied and not on their wisdom.
Look at what we have now because of that vision.

#happythanksgiving #pilgrims #vision #angels #angelicgratitude #thankful
#grateful #angelbooks #giftsforkids #tasks #God #england #vision #angelwatchingoverme
 


​

You are always on our minds. So much so that we have some exciting upcoming things for you. We are working on a moving angel craft addition to the Kids page of our website.

In honor of Thanksgiving, next week we will be posting what has become sort of a tradition around here - writing angel poems for whatever season or holiday is upon us. Be on the lookout for our  angel Thanksgiving poem. Your feedback about the poems we post is so encouraging.

Thank you for the Thanksgiving angel pictures you are sending us. We will upload them soon.

Order your angel in time for the holidays!

#angels #thanksgiving #whereisyourangel #comingsoon #newstuff #kidsgifts 

Whether you are a mom, a dad, single, grandparent, or kid, at some point in time you want a lil privacy. Well, we have found something that will give you privacy when you are online. Was that a gasp of unbelief I heard?? Yes. It is true. You can have an invisible footprint on the web so that Google doesn't know your every move. And those banner ads that stalk you on every page, they are no more in this world wide web search engine.

It's called Duckduckgo. We have been using it off and on for about a month now and regularly for the last week. We are smitten. It is certainly comparable to Google (all things considered) and appears to be improving its search compatibilities. Just knowing it is not that creepy internet stalker watching us around every corner is reason enough to give it a try. It's easy to download and is user friendly with over 30,000,000 or 40,000,000+ searches since its inception.

So welcome to your new search engine. You might not ever Google again. (Gasp!)

#duckduckgo #privacy #nofootprints #nocreepystalker #google #search #angels #angelbooks #whereisyourangel #angelwatchingoverme #elf #books

Recently I was listening to someone on the radio retell a story about a man who was in a deep depression. It was so deep he felt completely hopeless. None of his friends or family could help him or cheer him up. He was practically suicidal. 

Then someone suggested something seemingly out of context for him. They suggested he think about those people who made an impact on his life. Anyone who helped him along life's path. This man started thinking and wrote a letter to one of his elementary teachers. She was special in how she introduced him to the arts and gave him an appreciation for them. He sent that letter off in the mail.

Then he wrote another letter and another. By the time he was done thinking about all the people who had effected his life in some way, shape, or form, he had written 500 letters. That's a lot of letters!

When he was finished writing, guess what?? Not only had he gotten out of the depression, he was also invigorated and full of hope. Another by-product of that was 500 other people were touched too, including the now elderly teacher.

​So the next time you find yourself in a funk or someone you know is in a funk, try a non-medicated answer to the solution. Gratitude. It is better than anything else out there and it has no side effects!

The ancient book and best seller of all time sums it up like this:
​
"A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing..." Proverbs 17:22

May you be happy and joyful today.

#inafunk #funksstink #depression #writing #letters #angels #goodmedicine #joyfulmind #cheerup #peaceloveangels #elf #happyheart #whereisyourangel #kidsbooks #angelbooks #gifts

Recently I was listening to someone on the radio retell a story about a man who was in a deep depression. It was so deep he felt completely hopeless. None of his friends or family could help him or cheer him up. He was practically suicidal. 

Then someone suggested something seemingly out of context for him. They suggested he think about those people who made an impact on his life. Anyone who helped him along life's path. This man started thinking and wrote a letter to one of his elementary teachers. She was special in how she introduced him to the arts and gave him an appreciation for them. He sent that letter off in the mail.

Then he wrote another letter and another. By the time he was done thinking about all the people who had effected his life in some way, shape, or form, he had written 500 letters. That's a lot of letters!

When he was finished writing, guess what?? Not only had he gotten out of the depression, he was also invigorated and full of hope. Another by-product of that was 500 other people were touched too, including the now elderly teacher.

​So the next time you find yourself in a funk or someone you know is in a funk, try a non-medicated answer to the solution. Gratitude. It is better than anything else out there and it has no side effects!

The ancient book and best seller of all time sums it up like this:
"A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing..." Proverbs 17:22

May you be happy and joyful today.

#inafunk #funksstink #depression #writing #letters #angels #goodmedicine #joyfulmind #cheerup #peaceloveangels #elf #happyheart #whereisyourangel #kidsbooks #angelbooks #gifts

That question may send anxiety into your soul or cause you to look longingly at the nearest drive-thru. Fret not dear ones, we have a recipe that is a winner winner cheesy dinner. It's simple to make and delicious to eat. The fun thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to your liking.

This recipe comes from an old Duncan Hines recipe book my grandmother gave me. I have put my own spin on it over the years and when we've served it to guests at dinner they ask for the recipe.

Hats off to Duncan Hines for giving me the idea. It is basically a cheeseburger in a skillet sans the bun. We serve bread and pickles on the side. Personally, I like it as is. You could also add bacon to it or mushrooms or change the cheese to your liking.

Here is how I made it recently:

Cheeseburger Skillet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Feeds 4.
Double the recipe and get out another skillet if you have a bigger crowd.

1 lb. uncooked ground beef or ground turkey (I didn't have enough beef so I did 1/2 and 1/2.)
1 c. diced onions
1 can diced tomatoes
1 T. fennel seeds
2 T. garlic (we like our garlic!)
1-2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (Measurement depends on how cheesy you like it. Feel free to use colby cheese or similar cheese if you prefer.)

In a mixing bowl combine meat, diced onions, garlic, and fennel. Place evenly in bottom of skillet. The mixture will shrink when it cooks so pack it thick and not too thin.
Pour the can of tomatoes evenly on top of the meat mixture.
Cover and cook for 20-25 mins. or until meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Remove cover and carefully drain at least 1/2 of the fat and juices.
Sprinkle with cheese (or load it on heavy) and put back in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve with bread, pickles, french fries or onion rings (I cook the fries or rings at the same time the skillet burger is cooking.) You can also serve it with a side of fruit and chips. Think cookout but inside without the bugs and hot weather.

There is one ingredient pictured that did not get used. You can substitute a jar of salsa if you don't have a can of tomatoes and/or time to dice onions. It works well too.

Eat and enjoy!

#keepingitsimple #delicious #dinnersdone #delight #divine #angels #elves #easy #angelbooksforkids #christmasgifts #whereisyourangel #done #kidsloveangel #parentsloveangels #peaceloveangels