I've Done It!

I joined Twitter. Sigh I really wasn't going to... but I did. So you can follow me @FifthStreetMama.

Oh and if someone can tell me how to get a cute little tweet this badge on my posts i will love you forever!

Things I Love Thursday- My Nails

I generally don't make a fuss over my nails. I use clippers to trim them. Rarely file them unless there is a jagged spot. I do not own a single bottle of polish.
Thanks to my amazing friend Anita however...

My nails rock!!!

They are painted so pretty and marbled.  Fantastic Halloween colors.
So the things I love are my nails and Anita.

Find out what other people love over at The Diaper Diaries.

Wordless Wednesday-Saturday Morning Love

Linking this up with 5m4m and Debbie at Children Grow Children Explore Children Learn with her new Random Photo Moments Carnival

What I Learned This Week

I don't think I learned much.  If I did, I did not retain that knowledge very well.

I learned how to cut out a pattern, that sewing a bag must be one of the easiest things you can learn to sew (besides an apron perhaps).

I learned how to triple crochet.

I learned that my son's feet have not grown since last winter as his boots still fit.

I learned that I really need to time manage better.  We are busy every single night this week.

I learned that I rarely want to run unless I am already running.

Glean wisdom from others at Musings of a Housewife.

Motivate Me Monday-Gossip

I have written about my gossip and slander issues before here at The Fifth Street Palace.  Some of you commented on that post and told me that gossip is also a prominent sin in your lives.

I found an acronym in Turning Point Magazine & Devotional that I want to share with you. 

T.H.I.N.K before you speak.

T- is it true?
H- is it helpful?
I- is it inspiring?
N- is it necessary?
K- is it kind?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

Link up with your motivational and inspirational posts below!

Sharing

I have come across a couple of really inspiring blog posts recently and I just want to share them with you.

Bringing Up The Whole Child from Journey to a Gracious Woman. The more I read Christin's words the more encouraged I become in my role as a woman of God.

The Orchestration of Rebellion from Joy Ever After.  Wow!  This is a must read.  Are you using your talents and gifts to honor God?


Go and read!  Glean wisdom from these two blogs!  Be blessed!

Award Time!

Sweet wonderful cute Mel from Real Heart Prints
has given me an award.

This award is called "A Strong Cup of Coffee" and is given to your favorite blogs that help to get you going in the morning and keep you going all day.:)  You know the ones.....you just keep going back to them over and over because of how wonderful they are.

The  best part about receiving this award is that I was #8 on her list.  You only have to award it to 7 blogs but in Mel's wrote "And, I just can't help it; I have to add one more.:)"

Isn't that the sweetest compliment?  She just couldn't leave me out. 

Ok so I am passing this award on to...


Celebrating Christmas  There's only 9 weeks left folks!  Check out Erin's crafts and gift ideas!
Antique Mommy You really must read her post When Leaves Fall Moose Mate.
Journey To a Gracious Woman This blog wraps around you and draws you deeper into your role as a the wife and mother  God created you to be..
Pleasing to You Come meet the Underwood family and share in their adventures.
Sitting On An Oak From movie reviews to blog censorship in China you are bound to find something interesting at Terra's blog.

And 2 blogs I know already have this award but I read them everyday (and totally enjoy them) are:
He & Me +3 Mimi is a fantastic photographer and her subjects are often cute a little crazy and sometimes downright hilarious!
Homesteaders Heart  Read Kims blog and fall in love with her gorgeous decorating taste, her coffee and chocolate addicted winning personality and her delightful sense of humor.

 There you have it!  My list of bloggy caffeine in the morning.

Friday Funnies-Another Cute Conversation

Hudson and I often play the game what letter does _____ start with. Well In the car yesterday our game went like this:

Hudson: Mom what does bell start with?

Me: Well what is the first sound?

Hudson: Ding a ling a ling?

So cute!

Be sure to laugh out loud with more Friday Funnies over at Kim's blog Homesteader's Heart.

Wordless Wednesday- Is My Vest Supposed To Fit This Way?

For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5M4M.

Celebration 200th Post!

It seems not that long ago I was celebrating my 100th Post.

To celebrate post #200 I am having a giveaway for just my followers.
You guys are the best! Your comments lift me up. You encourage me. You let me know that someone is actually reading what I write. A lot of you have become my bloggy friends. You are wonderful.

Confession time...
Post number 200 sort of snuck up on me so I have no idea what I am giving away yet. I do know it will be hand made though. So if you are up for a little adventure then leave me a comment and I will enter you in my
Surprise Giveaway!

How to win:

Mandatory- You must be a public follower of the Fifth Street Palace (leave me a comment telling me you are and you want to enter this giveaway).

Extra entries (leave a comment for each one)

*Leave me a comment telling me your favorite Fifth Street Palace post.

*Spread the word. Blog about this giveaway, share it on facebook, email your best pal... let me know how you spread the word in your comment. (leave me a comment for each different way you spread the word.)

Rules: This Giveaway is open to US and Canadian addresses only.

Giveaway ends Tuesday October 27 2009 at 9pm Pac time.

Winner will be chosen by random.org.  If the winner does not reply with their mailing information within 48 hours or I do not have a way to contact the winner a new winner will be chosen.

Also check out my other blog The Fifth Street Academy and enter my giveaway over there!

Motivate Me Monday- A New Creation

That's me on the right.  (On the left is my sister Julie).  Throughout my childhood I always felt like I wasn't very pretty, I didn't have any special talents and I was not good at sports.

I was the kid running the wrong direction at sports day.  The one who was so proud of her participation ribbon until someone else pointed out that only the "losers" got participation ribbons.

I was the little girl with mismatched clothes and an ugly boy haircut.

This attitude carried on through my teens and early 20's

I want to tell you that now I am a new creation.
I have a blessed life.  (this post is not to brag but to show you the wonderful work God has done in me).

On Saturday October 10 I ran (the right direction) in a 5k race.  It wasn't a marathon but it was important to me.  I ran faster and further that I had in training. (I used the Couch to 5k program).  God was there pushing me from behind.  He was there as my strength.

Before this I would not have considered myself able to make it 1k let alone 5k.  God saw the truth however.  He placed that truth in my heart long ago that I am a new creation in Him.  Because of Him I am pretty ( I have not arrived at thinking of myself as beautiful yet).  Because of Him I am talented.  Because of Him I can accomplish many things that I used to say I can't do.  (Can't is a 4 letter word in our house).

Because I am a daughter of the King of Kings I was able to exceed my goal.  I wanted to finish the race in 35 minutes...

This picture proves that I finished at 33minutes 46 seconds.  Praise God.

So I want to encourage you.  I want my words to motivate you.  You can do it.  You can throw off that thing that you previously thought you could not do.  You can!  Do not believe the lies.  Seek the truth.  Ask God to show you what is keeping you down.

but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Snag the button in my side bar and link up your own motivational post.

P.S. I am also linking this post up with Susana's Excited about Exercise of at My Family My Forever.

Friday Funnies-Vacuum Baby!

Can you believe there was a time when i really thought I had nothing funny to post? Well today I have 2.
The first is a conversation I had with Hilarious Hudson.

Me: Close your eyes and have a nap.

Hudson: But can we go climb the banana trees?

Me: What banana trees?

Hudson: Well we just have to go for a walk and find them.

Me: Banana trees are in Africa (not sure how accurate that fact is).

Hudson: Oh well then we will have to do it tomorrow.

The second is a video of my darling Meadow (aka Vacuum Baby)

 

For more Friday Funnies visit my friend Kim at Homesteader's Heart.

Wordless Wednesday- Grandpa's New Tuque

For more WW head over to 5m4m

Motivate Me Monday-Thankful in All Circumstances

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving.
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Notice this verse doesn't say give thanks when good things happen?  It says give thanks in ALL circumstances.


So if your baby's diaper had exploded and you have a poopy mess to clean up (this has happend quite a few times here lately), give thanks that you have this child, give thank for wet wipes, give thanks for having more than enough clothes to change your sweetie into. 


If your family is sick right now (as so many families are) give thanks that they have soft beds and warm blankets to rest in, give thanks for medication to ease their symptoms, give thanks for flush toilets.

I am so thankful that I am a Canadian.  I am a citizen of one of the wealthiest countries in the world.  My God provides me with what I need and beyond.

What's your motivation this week?  Link up with your own MMM post!

Say a Little Prayer for Me...

Today is race day! I will be running 5k starting at 10am. Nervous as heck! Please pray for me to complete the race and for God to be with me. Thank you!

Me First Mom?

I was at the dentist yesterday and they have TVs mounted in their ceilings. The hygienist gave me the remote and I started flicking. (This was a treat as we do not have TV at home). I came across The Mom Show. I had hear about The Mom Show and was quite thrilled to catch an episode.

Wow! I have been living in a bubble! I was shocked to hear one of the Mom guests say "I used to be selfless. Now I am a me first mom and I like that much better."

Don't get me wrong. I am not a mother who bows down to her children and worships them. I do not tolerate disobedience or unacceptable behavior. My 3 year old has chores. I relish days where my husband gives me a block of time to craft without interruptions.

I do often sacrifice taking a morning shower so I can help my son with pencil practicing. I have given up foods I love for 10 whole months so that I could nurse my allergic baby. I get out of bed when I am beyond tired to comfort my crying baby and tuck her back under her blankets. I am sure you do similar things for your kids.

I believe that a parent earns their authority through their loving sacrifice. Just as Jesus lovingly sacrificed for us and is the King of Kings we are given our position on earth and in heaven based on our works. Our salvation is not based on our works but our rewards are.
But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. Matthew 19:30

We will not be better mothers because of "me time" we will be better because of time spent with Him. We will not be refreshed by a shopping trip with the girls, we will be refreshed by our time spent in prayer and in the word.

Wordless Wednesday- Fall Fun!

For more Wordless Wednesday head on over to 5m4m

What I Learned This Week

I learned how to crochet this week! Better yet with the help you YouTube and some online tutorials I taught myself.  Three cheers for Sarah!!!

Ok so here are my projects.

Not to shabby for a very beginner!  The pig still needs eyes.  I haven't figured out what i will do about that yet.  My kids love their new toys.

Using this pattern for the pig and this pattern for the frog. 

Find out what other people have learned head on over to Musings of a Housewife!


P.S. Remember to enter my giveaway!

Fall Giveaway Carnival

I must admit that I have thought about what I could possibly giveaway during Heavenly Homemakers Fall Giveaway Carnival.  Up until Sunday at 4pm I thought I would not participate on this blog.  (My other blog The Fifth Street Academy has a pretty cool home preschool giveaway going on.)  The problem is...

I love giveaways!  

I couldn't just sit on the sidelines and not participate.  So I went to my studio... (Yes I have a studio but I have never posted about it or shown any pictures because i keep it highly disorganized and in complete chaos at all times.) and made these really pretty jumbo tags for one of my blessed readers to win.

Ok so here's how to enter:

*Leave me a thoughtful comment. (not just please enter me or something like that)

Extra entries (after you have left me a thoughtful comment) leave me a comment for each.

*Follow me publicly  (if you already do just leave me a comment reminding me that you do.)
*Share my giveaway on Facebook.
*Blog about my giveaway and leave a link. (2 entries)

Rules:
This giveaway is open to everybody.  Giveaway closes on October 9 2009 at 6pm Pac.
Winner will be chosen by random.org. 
If I do not have a way to contact the winner or the winner does not respond in 48 hours I will choose another winner.

Motivate Me Monday - Mighty To Save

Welcome to the first Motivate Me Monday hosted here at The Fifth Street Palace.  I am so excited to be guest hosting this blog carnival. Feel free to link up your motivational posts below. Oh and totally grab the graphic at the top as well if you want to!


100% of my extended family are not saved.  This is such a very sad fact in my life... until I think about God's promises.
 
The Parable of the Persistent Widow

 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

How I long for my family to know God.  I long for us to worship together, to pray together and to lift each other up in righteousness. This is my fervent prayer.

Keep praying, do not give up.  Ask God to restore your faith when it dwindles.  Pray that those who are captive in unholy lifestyles will be set free.

Endure!!

Mighty to Save By Hillsongs (Just the Chorus)

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.




These are such powerful lyrics that inspire me to carry on praying for my family.
 

Inspire Me Please!

Think think think... Winnie the Pooh

I have no blog posting thoughts! So I will pose a question and hope that you will answer.
Where does your inspiration come from?