lentil bean dip

You are going to want to RUN to Trader Joe's for this recipe! It is SO EASY and SO GOOD! This is all you need to buy:

A gal in my homeschooling group made this for us a couple of months ago and I have made it several times since. Everyone raved about it when she made it! It's healthy and it takes minutes to make. You just dump everything in a bowl and stir! I served mine with organic corn chips and carrots. You could serve it with your favorite bread or pita chips too. (Also, you don't have to buy pre-cooked lentils, you can cook them yourself and save a little money.)Yummy!

p.s. Everything doesn't have to be from TJ's--not everyone has one near them--just bruschetta, lentils and feta--whatever your favorite brands are!

Don't forget, you have until Friday to leave me a comment on my last post if you want to be in on the magazine giveaway. Have a great day!

scrapbook and cards today summer issue GIVEAWAY!

It's here! The summer issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today. This is one of my favorite magazines. You can subscribe to it and receive a hard copy, or you can download it for free!

You can find this layout on page 54:

I participated in Project 12 for all of 2010, and this was my month of May. I am doing it again this year, though I am a bit behind! 

They sent me a big box of goodies, including an extra hard copy of the Summer issue. While it's fun that you can download this magazine for free, it's even more fun to have a hard copy in your hands! Leave me a comment and I will pick a winner Friday evening sometime!

and the winner is . . .

Congrats! Email me at johnstonhouse at gmail dot com and I will hook you up with your eBook! Stay tuned next week for another giveaway! Have a great weekend!

ella giveaway!

How often do you take time to document your childhood? I have to admit, I haven't documented much of mine. I am so busy documenting my own children's childhood, my grandparents childhood and my parents childhood, that I haven't taken time to tell my kids about me!

I know I need change that soon . . . my kids already ask me if I did certain things when I was their age. I am sure when they are teens, it would be helpful for them to see and read a little bit about what I was like. I am so excited to have one of the latest eBooks from Ella! The biggest thing I struggle with is how to get started . . . what topic should I tackle first? What would my kids find interesting about my childhood/teenage years? Ella has just made it SO EASY for me!

Check out Childhood List It:

Here is a little description of the eBook: List It! journaling guides make it easier than ever to write about your personal history! Some of the 91 prompts in List It! Childhood Edition are obvious and universal, others are quirky and unique. But they'll all help you unlock important memories from your childhood—from school memories and family experiences to your childhood fashion and music tastes.

Above are just 2 of the 91 prompts you will receive. These printable, prompted, journaling lists are gorgeously designed and creatively imagined—perfect for use on scrapbook pages, mini-albums, notebooks, and handmade list journals. Just print them out on the paper of your choice and journal away!

Be sure and check the list it videos on their site if you want more information.

And what would an Ella post be without a GIVEAWAY?  I have one of these babies to give away! Just leave me a comment and tell me if you have ever documented any of your childhood and I will pick a random winner sometime Friday evening!

note: the giveaway is good for the List It Childhood Edition or the Childhood Digi Plus--for any of you digital scrapbookers.

the big book of scrapbook pages

Have you seen this book? It's one of the latest books put out by Memory Makers.

I just received my copy in the mail today . . . and on page 84 you can find this layout:

This layout got picked up over a year ago and the book is finally out! There are over 500 single and double page layouts of eye candy. It's a THICK book--256 pages. My kids are currently napping or in rest time and I am making my way through the book . . . gotta get back to it!

Have a great Monday!

p.s. For those of you who don't know me, we don't really live on a farm . . . we live in suburbia with a small backyard . . . but my husband tries his best to get away with what farm animals he can . . . so far, we have very relaxed neighbors!

june kit cards

Here are a couple of simple cards that I made with the June kit:

This is our last "official" week of homeschooling for the year! Yipee! Next week we are going to take a break to participate in Vacation Bible School at our church. Summer is upon us! Have a great Monday morning!

prayer and marriage

This framed verse was recently featured in an article I wrote for Ella Publishing eZine. I wanted to share a little bit more about where these verses came from. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from Galatians 5:22-23 . . .which talks about the Fruit of the Spirit. Basically, these are ways that God wants us to act toward anyone we come in contact with. The passage I have written out has been tweaked a bit to make these traits specific toward our spouses. I pulled this passage from the book, The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage.

This book is for the couple who has a good marriage, but wants to make their marriage a great marriage and it is for the couple who is talking about divorce--and everyone in between. This book discusses communication, rudeness, forgiveness, depression, finances, addictions, infidelity, separation and divorce--just to name a few things. She discusses the issue and then walks you through a prayer that you can pray regarding that specific area of your marriage. She also backs up every topic she writes on with Scripture. You don't have to read the book cover to cover, you can just turn to the topic that applies to your marriage.

Another favorite book of mine that I have used for several years is The Power of a Praying Wife.

Before I started using this book, I would pray for my husband, but they would be pretty general prayers like, "Please help Tim to have a good day at work," "Help him to get over his cold soon," and "Please keep him safe as he travels on business." There was nothing wrong with these prayers, but this book showed me things that I hadn't thought to pray for often. Things like his affection, his temptations, his mind, his fears, his purpose in life, his choices, his reputation, his fatherhood, his past and his attitude . . . there are more too!

She writes a few brief pages on the topic and then she writes out a prayer that you can pray and insert your husband's name into the prayer. Who doesn't love a prayer guide? Prayer is not something that comes naturally to many people--myself included--and this book teaches you how to pray for the man in your life. If we aren't praying for our husbands daily, who will?

I can't say enough about how these two books have revolutionized my prayer life in the area of my marriage. Go and check them out!