6 of My Top Love Quotes

I have seen many great quotes circulating around the internet. So, I decided to make a few of my own that I could share with others. Loving my husband is so important to me, and I try to be reminded of these sayings as much as I can. Many of them are nuggets of wisdom that my mom gave me before I got married. These are not just feel good quotes, but hard to live by.

1. Difficult Times Help Love to Shine

In the hard days is when you see what your love for your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend is really all about. If you can't stay together when times are tough, you won't stay together in the long haul. 

2. Love is Not a Score Keeper

3. What True Love Is

True love is not just mushy stuff, but it is hard work. You have to put the other person's needs above your own. When you put your significant other's needs above your own and they do the same for you, then neither feel deprived. 

4. Love is a Decision 

You are certainly going to feel an initial attraction to someone, but it takes a conscious effort every day to continue to love them. 

5. I Picked Just One

I do care for a lot of people, but my husband is the one I chose. He is the one I plan to be with forever. 

6. Take Care of Others

Just be reminded that love is something you should show yourself, and not just others. 

These are just a few of my favorite love sayings. 

The Jitters of the First Day of School

I don't know about your area, but in my town, today was the first day of school. This is the first year that I have chosen to send my children to public school. It has made for a lot changes in our lives. In the past years, we have homeschooled our children and let them be a part of a co-op for a few of their subjects. My husband, Austin, and I are in a different place in life right now. For that reason, I decided to send my older boys to public school. This year, I plan to focus teaching my pre-schooler at home and continue to grow my business.

These are my sweet boys having their first day of school picture taken.

Check out my full post HERE about the first day of school and all the jitters that we have experienced leading up to the day.

What Are We Teaching Our Children About Social Media and Texting?

Having three children, it really worries me how to introduce the idea of texting and social media to them. I see so many teenagers that are making poor decisions with their social media posts and texting. As parents, what is our role in teaching our children about social media. Is there an etiquette? If we don't teach them, who will.



Check out my post below about three simple things I do to model good behavior and be responsible with my technology.



3 Ways to Model Good Social Media Behavior

How to Make a No-Sew T-shirt Scarf

If you are looking for a simple scarf that you can make on your own without sewing or crocheting, then a DIY t-shirt scarf is right for you. I have made several of these scarves myself.

Above is a picture of me wearing one of these scarves just the other day. I think these are great for fall, winter and spring. You could probably make a really lightweight one for the summer, if you like to wear scarves in the summer.



Check out my tutorial video to see how simple it is to create a scarf like this.





Visit me at Love Hope Adventure for more Diy Craft projects.

How to Make a Galaxy Design on White Canvas Shoes

If you have a pair of white canvas typed shoes that you are looking to spruce up, then check out this awesome video tutorial that I created. I think that you will really love how simple it is to make a design with sharpies and nail polish.









Check out some of my other DIY projects at my other blog Love Hope Adventure. 

Mending Friendships

Have you ever had a friendship that just sort of fell away? Maybe there wasn't a real parting, but you drifted apart in some way or another. I know that for me, that has happened many times. One day, you just realize that you are not longer spending time with someone that you once hung out with a lot.

A few months back, I had a friend see me at the grocery store, and it was a surreal moment as she came up to me and said, "I'm so sorry we haven't hung out lately. I just feel like I would bring you down with everything going on in my life." Talk about a wake up call. I didn't even know that she was intentionally avoiding me. I guess I just thought that we had grown apart for a time. When life gets busy, you can easily forget about friends.

When you get woken out of your slumber with a hard slap, like I did that day, these are the things that run through your mind:



Why have I been such a terrible friend?

Things need to change. 

How can I make this right? 



Follow the link below to read my thoughts from that day in the grocery store, where my world came to a complete halt. These are my first hand thoughts the minute I got home from the store.

The Day Snow Was on Its Way



What Now?



After you realize that you have a relationship that has fallen by the wayside, here are some things you can do to get back on track:

1. Be intentional- the chances are, if you are not longer spending time with someone, there has been a change in your life. You must be intentional to spend time with them. Make it a point to invite them over, send them a text, or call them on the phone.

2. Get over your pride- maybe you have had a bit of a falling out, or some reason you are no longer spending time with that person. Clearly, my friend was having some guilt issues associated with being in my presence. You have to put aside whatever reason you have avoided someone.

3. Make a commitment- it really all boils down to being committed. You must decide you are willing to do what it takes to spend time with this person again. If you drifted away once, it can easily happen again. Make it up in your mind that you will be committed to spending time with this person.





It takes time and commitment to have a relationship of any kind. We are so in need of relationships in our lives. It is the reason for living. Take the time you need to build strong ties with other people.

The Reasons to Kiss Your Spouse Goodbye

Do you kiss your spouse every time you walk out of the door or at night before going to bed? If not, you are really missing out the amazing things it can do for your relationship. It is very important that you spend time showing your spouse non-sexual physical attention. Not only is it comforting, but it does help later on when you want to be intimate.

Here are a few reasons why I think that kissing your spouse goodbye is really important.

1. You remember to kiss them every day- Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and realized you haven't kiss your lover? It can be so easy to get caught up in what is going on that you forget to do this simple thing with the one you love.

2. It reminds you that you love them- Whenever you kiss someone, including parents and children, you are reminded of your love for them.

3. It shows them you love them- Many times, actions speak louder than words. Show your spouse how much you love them by this simple act.



These are just a few reasons why you should kiss your spouse goodbye or goodnight each day. Check out this article for more reasons that kissing each day is important to your marriage relationship.



5 Reasons Why You Should Kiss Your Spouse Goodbye

Ways to Cheer Up a Loved One on a Bad Day

Whenever my husband or friends are having a bad day, I try to do something nice for them to cheer them up. I think we all try to come up with ways to encourage the people we love. For me, I am the kind of person that really enjoys creating fun gifts that will bring a smile to someone's face.

I have seen and idea online that you can't put a bad day box together for those that you love. This is something you can put together ahead of time, or you can make it up spur of the moment. I personally suggest that you at least keep on hand some things you would put in boxes for encouragement. In my closet, I have a designated area where I keep candy, candles, lotions, inexpensive instrumental cd's, and anything that I think would be good for encouraging people. Since I keep these things on hand, I'm able to put together a basket or box very quickly.



If you are looking for ways to encourage someone who is going through a rough time, here are some things you can consider putting in their bad day box:

Candy- Unless you know that they are on a diet or can't have sugar, then candy is always one of my first choices. There are a wealth of cute phrases you can attach to pieces of candy. For example, if you have a pack of Stride gum, you could attach the phrase, "Slow down and take it all in Stride". If you get a pack of Extra gum, then you can attach a phrase, "You are Extra special". See where I'm going with this? Be creative using the candy you have on hand.

Music- Songs can soothe the soul. Even if you don't know what kind of music someone enjoys, instrumental is always a good idea. Music is so readily available to us now. You don't have to have a CD to send someone music. Consider creating a youtube playlist and sharing it with them. Or you can post a song on someone's facebook wall, or email them the link. If you want to include music in a box, just put a note in the box telling them to check their email, or facebook wall where you have shared the music.

Snacks- I'm all about the snack! I don't know about anyone else, but I normally don't purchase special snacks for myself. Often, I don't get things like that unless someone else purchases them for me. I'm not suggesting that you fill someone up with food for comfort, but snacks are a practical gift that is sure to be used.

Pictures- Looking at pictures of old times or people that you love is a sure fire way to boost your spirits. Including a picture of you and the person together is a great way to encourage them. You could frame a small photograph, or make up a short scrapbook. One time, I just taped a picture inside the lid of the box.

Hobbies- Consider what their hobbies are. If they are a crafter, then adding in a few craft supplies is a great way to cheer them. If they love watching movies, consider putting a DVD in the box. Maybe they love to read, so you can include an Amazon gift card or a book you know they would enjoy.



These are just a few things you can do to encourage someone that is having a bad day.



Check out this link below to get some other ideas of what to do for a bad day box or ways to cheer up a loved one.

Bad Day Box For Your Loved One

At Home Dates Can Be Special

I have had the privilege of being married to my high school sweetheart for the last 11 years. All of my life growing up, my mom instilled in me that you should always date your spouse. Considering she and my dad have been married for more than 40 years, I figure she knows what she is talking about.



If you are married and have any children living at home that need to be cared for, you know how hard it can be to do a date night. For me, finding sitters that are available can be a real problem. Even when I can find a sitter, by the time I pay them, and then we go out to do anything, our date budget is spent for the next few months. For this reason, planning a date night at home has saved my husband, Austin, and I a lot of money. We are able to connect with each other and enjoy one another's company.

In order to put together an at home date night, there are some things you really need to do for it to be successful. Here are a few tips to make your time together meaningful:

Have a Plan- It is very important to have a plan when creating time together. If you were going out somewhere, you would likely have some kind of plan. Even if you didn't have specifics set up, you would know you were going to go out to eat, watch a movie, go shopping, hiking...just whatever you enjoy doing.

Make it Special- One of the biggest hurdles we have with at home date nights is that we are in a familiar place. It is our home, an environment where we hang out and relax. For a night at home to be successful, you should do something out of the ordinary. If you normally sit around and watch television with each other, consider doing something else. Maybe a board game is in order, or drinking a cup of coffee on the back porch, maybe building a fire in the fireplace. Whatever you decide, make it out of the usual.

Get Dressed for The Night- Many people love coming home so that they can get comfortable. When you have a special night planned at home, it is equally as important to be dressed for the time together. Whatever you would normally where on a date, you can wear that. Don't be afraid to even get dressed up a little. Again, the key here is that you do something out of the normal with each other.



For a few more ideas of things to do on an at home date night, check out this link for a brilliant idea involving cuddling:

A Date Night at Home

Establishing Goals in Marriage and Dating Relationships

Sometime ago, I spent a few weeks counseling a couple that decided they wanted to honor God and their future marriage by waiting until they got married to have sex. My husband and I chatted with both of them individually and together. We pointed them to a lot of scriptures and committed to pray for them during this time. They had been struggling to keep their commitments to God and one another. Fortunately, they decided to reach out for help.

Any time you are in a romantic relationship with someone, you should certainly have clearly defined goals, boundaries and expectations.

Here is what I counseled my friends:

1. Come to an agreement about what your goals. For them, it was to abstain from sex. We counseled that instead of making a bunch of rules about where not to touch, or what not to do, to focus on purity. Even if you are married, focusing on purity in your relationship is very important. We told them to make their relationship with God a priority and do things to please and honor Him.

2. Decide how you plan to accomplish the goals. With our friends, we gave them some way to accomplish their goals of staying pure. We encouraged them to stop spending time together by themselves, unless they were in a public place. They were very prone to going off someplace alone, and that is when they struggled the most with their commitments. In your marriage relationships, this is also important. Whenever you have a goal, decide how you plan to meet that goal.

3. Hold each other accountable and ask others to help as well. It is very important that none of us live in a bubble. Whenever you isolate yourself from other people, problems will occur in your relationships. In regards to meeting goals, it is important to involve other people. For any of us to be successful, we must have accountability of some sort.

4. Know that you might fail, and be forgiving of each other when you do. All of us are going to mess up at some time or another. If you have ever tried to diet or exercise, then you’ll know how easy it is to fail at meeting your goals. Instead of putting yourself or your significant other down, accept the failures. Be forgiving of yourself and one another.

5. Work together as a team. Establish in your mind that you and your romantic partner are a team. You aren’t working apart from one another, but with each other to meet the goals you have set forth.

Establishing goals and making commitments in any relationship, but especially romantic relationships, will help the relationship to grow stronger. Building stamina in a relationship by making commitments and keeping them, will help a relationship be healthier and strong. Not only that, it will withstand time.

Please feel free to visit me at Love Hope Adventure where I explore other issues in the marriage relationship. I also talk about home life and explore recipes and DIY craft projects.

Gaining New Perspectives After Going Without Water For a Day

I wrote this bit of thoughts last year after a really cold winter night. It gave me new perspective on the blessings that I have in my life.

A Day Without Water

Last night it got cold enough where I live to freeze my pipes. My family of five have spent the day without water. It was not easy to say the least to handle the home without running water. This is not the only time that I’ve gone without water in my home for a period of time. Whenever these days occur, I am reminded of those in this world who do not have running water near them. It makes me feel like I can’t function when I lose such simple conveniences. To think of living in a situation without power or running water would be such a difficult concept to me. Yet, people do it, and they survive. It isn’t easy to live in those conditions, but people do it, and they are happy.

Only by the grace of God did my water unfreeze this evening. I’m very thankful that my home can return to normal. However, I am also thankful that I was given a chance to have my perspective renewed.