Author: Living simply Graceful

With all the uncertainties right now. It’s a good time for self reflection and to step back and reevaluate our lives. It is a good time to get back to the things that really matter in life a simpler way of living. It’s a good time to kick old habits and start new routines. It’s a good time to really reset ourselves and move away from what’s popular in the world to what is happening in the lives of our families and our children. I have really been doing some soul searching,I have been putting down the technology and reengaging with my children and enjoying the great outdoors more. What I have noticed is my children have started doing the same. I have known we are our childrens first teachers. With that being said I was always a very involved parent but as my children have grown and became teens and are doing amazing. I found myself slacking as a parent because I didn’t have to instruct them to do things they did them on their own and were developing their own ways and doing their own things . Then Covid-19 becomes a pandemic and we are all forced to be home together. I start to watch and soon realized my well rounded well mannered teens were not so well rounded. They were technology dependent and News Flash I was too. We all sat around on a beautiful sunny day God allowed us to have and completely wasted it. We were on our phones and laptops and game systems no real conversation or interaction. I remember looking around my living room at my 3 teenagers and thinking I wonder what would happen if shut off the wifi and Tv and baked something. As soon as I put down my electronic devices and went to the kitchen one by one my children followed and I’m so glad they did!! Now each day they still do their e-learning but they are more ambitious to go outside and play basketball or go fishing and kayaking. We interact more as a family and hold real conversation. During this time I have realized God is doing the same thing. He is turning his children back to him and away from the ways of the world.

“And rend your heart and not your garments ” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil.” Joel 2:13

Remember God works in mysterious ways and remember to live each day simply graceful.

Hello, friends it’s been a busy couple of days. Today I finally had time to make some new soap combinations for an up coming craft fair. I really enjoy making soap it’s kind of like therapy for me. What’s your way of escaping everyday stress?I know we all live such busy lives it’s nice to be able to escape ever now and again. Today I was able to do just that I made two variations of soap. The first was 3 layer soap called citrus cream and the second soap is a lavender and magnolia scented layer soap that smells amazing.

Hello, friends. Today on the homestead I started making my bath soaks and milk baths to take to a local craft fair next week. I love the smell of the herbs and flowers that fill my home when Im crafting these products.I’m really pleased at how they turned out. There is something just so simple and rewarding about crafting. I love being able to use herbs and flowers that I have grown in my products. It’s a good feeling to know where your ingredients come from and that the products I’m making are natural an not full of chemicals.

Hello, Friends today I have decided to try out the dehydration setting on my oven. I have have so many flowers with healing and and relaxation properties I just hate to see the petals fall off and lay on the ground when I know there are lots of wonderful uses for them. Today I enlisted the help of my teenager’s and boy were they excited! (Not) but they were good sports and helped anyway but not without informing me that we could just order dried Flowers online. “Yes children we could, but we’re not😂 what fun would that be.” Anyway I started with drying rose,peony,and honeysuckle. They have turned out great an smell wonderful. I plan to mix the dried Flowers in bath salts and milk baths that I make. I would love to hear what you do with your dried Flowers and herbs.

Nothing puts me in a state of nostalgia more than the sweet smell of honeysuckle. It takes me back to a more simple time of sitting on my grandparents front porch listening to my grandpa’s many stories with the sweet smell of honeysuckle in the air. So when I came across a recipe for honeysuckle Jelly I knew I had to try it, and it did not disappoint. From the moment I opened the jar it sent me right back to a warm sunny day on my grandparents porch with the smell of honeysuckle filling the air.

*Honeysuckle Jelly *

7 cups honeysuckle flowers rinsed and water drained off.

5 cups boiling hot water.

Put flowers in a large jar or container with lid and pour boiling water over the honeysuckle flowers. Let sit them overnight in the refrigerator.

In the morning strain the infused honeysuckle water.

In a large pot heat the honeysuckle water and add 6 tablespoons of fruit pectin. Heat until boiling add 4 1/2 cups of sugar and continue to cook until mixture reaches 220 degrees. Spoon mixture into clean jars flip them upside down to seal and allow them to cool 4-6 hours. When your jars start to seal you will hear the lid pop. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did .

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Welcome to Living simply Graceful. I hope you enjoy this blog. Here you will find my everyday adventures and my tips to surviving motherhood of 3 crazy teens.