Christmas Kitchen

December 7, 2015December 7, 2015 RefreshHer6 Comments

Christmas kitchen.jpg

If ever the kitchen was the heart of the home, it’s at Christmas! Baking up yummy treats, candies and cookies makes the house smell so inviting, so why not make it look inviting, too?

I like to add just a few touches that make everything Christmas-y, and also help keep things easy to use. Making my cookie cutters a part of the centerpiece of my counter just helps them to be handy, and puts their pretty shapes and shiny surfaces at center stage.

Here are some other little touches I added to my kitchen:

Do you decorate your kitchen? I’d love to hear how you bring the season into the gathering place of your house!

With love from my country (Christmas-y) kitchen,

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Uncategorized

Fifteen Hostess Gift Ideas

December 4, 2015December 27, 2015 RefreshHer3 Comments

During the month of December you’ll probably find yourself at someone else’s home for a gathering, a party, or a celebration of Christmas. You know how much work goes into having others over, so be sure to be a gracious and appreciative guest and take a Hostess Gift for the one who has extended the invitation. Not sure what to take? Here are Fifteen ideas!

Hostess Gifts

Hand soaps
Kitchen Linens – Cloth napkins, dish towels, pot holders – Roll them up and tie with a beautiful ribbon
Holiday paper napkins – Wrap a ribbon or raffia bow around the package
Home-baked Goods in pretty container
Fresh flowers, already arranged – You can buy them at the grocery store, just put them in a container before you take them to your hostess
Scented candle
Guest book
Boxed chocolates
Cookbook
Kitchen papers – Menu list, organizer book, magnetic memo pad, recipe cards – Try bundling several of these items together and tying them with ribbon or packaging them in a gift bag.
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate mix
Cutting board and cheese knife
Unique salt and pepper shakers
Bread from a bakery
Olive oil – It doesn’t have to be a big, expensive bottle, but even a small, nice oil for cooking would be perfect!

I gave some suggestions about the presentation, but use your imagination. Make it pretty. If you put it in a gift bag, add a couple poofs of tissue on the top. Use pretty boxes found at the Dollar store to pop your gift into and make a simple thank you even more special. It’s not about something that will “wow” your hostess, but a thoughtful gesture that expresses your thanks.

Be on the lookout for some of the items above that you can keep on hand so you’ll be prepared. Grab these items on sale and stash them away for the next time you are invited over to someone’s home! Your hostess will feel loved and appreciated!

Stay refreshed and refresh others,

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“Picture Perfect” Lives

December 3, 2015December 27, 2015 RefreshHer2 Comments

Wow! Yesterday a few hours after posting my pictures of our Thanksgiving on my blog, I had gotten over 800 views! It’s pretty amazing to me how much people enjoy seeing pictures of what others do, how they spend their vacation, their free time, or their family time. But it’s true. They do. I do. We’re curious.

There is a danger, however, that I think we should be aware of. It’s the danger of making assumptions. We look at pictures on blogs, Facebook or Instagram, then we start processing what our eyes see. We might assume that:

They never struggle with “stuff” like we do.
They’re well-off.
Their life is easier, better, or happier than mine.
They wake up gorgeous and never have a “bad hair day.”
Their family life is perfect.
They never work.
Their house is perfect.
They have no inner struggles, hurts or losses.

I won’t go on, but I think you get the picture (pun intended!).

None of those statements are true, of course, but we often let ourselves go on believing it’s so until we’re ready to jump off the proverbial bridge. It’s at those moments that we need to do two things –

Stop looking in-between the lines. This means to just look at the picture for its face value. Is their tree decorated beautifully? Don’t assume that “everything is always perfect at their house” just because their tree is lovely. What isn’t pictured is the mess from the ornament boxes, the pine needles on the floor everywhere and the crying child in another part of the house. No one has a perfect house all the time.
Start thinking the truth. Everyone has difficulties, every marriage has to work through issues from time to time, everyone struggles and needs the Lord and His Word.

So, the next time you slide your way through pictures, be aware of what thoughts are going through your mind and “stop” and “start” with the right assumptions!

Lovingly,

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Thanksgiving · Uncategorized

Views of Thanksgiving

December 2, 2015December 2, 2015 RefreshHer2 Comments

Today’s post is a pictorial view of my Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful weekend – see for yourself!

Dad and Denise

Dads and the guys

Let me just comment about the last two pictures. Remember my cornucopias? I finished them by dipping them in melted chocolate then crushed walnuts. As is our norm, we had dinner at 1:00, so around 8 we had turkey sandwiches and for dessert….we took those cones and filled them with Turkey Hill Pumpkin Pie ice cream. Oh.My.Goodness. They were scrumptious! By the smiles on those men’s faces, I think I may have started a new family tradition!

How was your Thanksgiving? Start any new traditions in your family or did you carry on any old ones?

With love and a thankful heart,

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Christian Life

The Divided Highway of Worry

December 1, 2015December 1, 2015 RefreshHer6 Comments

I traveled from Kentucky to Tennessee yesterday on my favorite route. I was on I-75 for an hour, then pretty much the rest of the way home on a divided highway – four lanes of traffic – two going one way and two going the other way.

As I drove the divided highway, I thought about the sermon I heard at my parent’s church the day before. The text was Philippians 4:6-8 and the pastor spoke about living without worry in a chaotic world. He explained the word, “worry” comes from a Greek word meaning, a divided mind. Just like cars whizzing in two different directions, when I worry, my thoughts are going in the direction opposite of God’s path for my life.

Verse six says to be anxious for nothing – in other words, don’t worry about anything. The pastor reminded us that worry chokes out the Word of God, as we read in the parable of the sower.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. Matthew 13:22

The resolution to worry is prayer.

But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

In other words, the route has two paths to take, the path of worry and the path of peace. The automobile that gets us to the path of peace is prayer. What better views are on the path of peace, than the divided highway of worry!

What has your mind going in two directions today? Stop right now and pray about whatever situation is on your heart. The destination of peace is just ahead, if you’ll do that, friend.

Anxiety or peace? It’s our choice. Which road will you travel today?

Lovingly,

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