In this age of busyness, of frantic activity, of overpacked schedules, of fatigue and stress, hospitality is often lacking.
No one has the time or the energy to clean their home, make a meal, invite people over and spend time together. And yet it's relationship that makes the world turn, connections that make living a positive thing rather than the dark cloud it can seem.
In the Bible, we are told to practice hospitality, which means that we are to receive and treat guests in a warm, friendly and generous way. Over the years I have learned that it is less about having a Martha Stewart perfect house than it is about inviting people in and being together, less about the food than it is about feeding hungry, lonely souls.  To quote Myquillyn Smith (although not about this topic) "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful."

Years ago, my pastor preached on this topic and it struck a chord in me. He challenged us to have people over, even if the house was messy, less-than-perfect. So I took his admonition to heart and I slowly allowed people to be with the real me, not the fabricated, everything-is-perfect, isn't-life-grand me. The real me is the one with the paper piles on the corner of her kitchen counter because the reality is that the kitchen is my office, where I live, and that is where I get stuff done: the phone calls, the list making, the lesson plans, the paper sorting, piling kind of living.
The real me has boys. Who use the bathroom. And don't always make it. And the real me doesn't clean the bathroom daily. So you might have to be careful if you come over unannounced and I haven't had a chance to check on the state of the bathroom. If you're a newish friend, I'll run back there and check for you. If you're an old friend I'll just yell a warning as you head on back.
The real me has dishes in the sink - heck, on the counter! - and pans still on the stove. Because we live here. We REALLY live here. And because we homeschool, we are home a lot. Living. You get the idea.
 There are some books that really feed my desire to serve others in hospitality. Part of this drive lies in my DNA: I'm a (hang on...I've gotta look up my letters...I can't ever remember...) an ISTJ or and ISFJ (depending on how I'm feeling that day when I take the test - I'm that close to the line!) Do you know your Myers-Briggs letters? If you don't take a minute to find out. It's good to understand who you are and why you do the things you do. There's a free online version of the test here.
As I was saying, an ISFJ is "characterized above all by their desire to serve others, their 'need to be needed.'" So like I said, it's part of my DNA. But since all of us are expected to be hospitable, there are things you can do to improve your "hospitableness." The first thing I can do is suggest some books. (I do that frequently by the way. Ask my friend Jackie.)

The first one I'd like to recommend is Shauna Niequist's Bread
and Wine. Shauna's prose is so readable, so friendly. After reading her book I felt that I had eaten her food, sat at her table. I felt like I knew her, her husband, and her two boys. She's very open in her writing, transparently telling stories of her life, her childhood, her family. I was sold from the very introduction.

"I'm a bread person - crusty, golden baguette; hearty, grainy, seeded loaves; thin, crusty pizza crust - all of it.... And I am a wine person - the blood-red and liquid gold, the clink and glamour of tall-stemmed glasses, and the musty, rich, almost mushroom-y smell. More than that, I am a bread-and-wine person..."

Yep. I think we could be friends. Good friends. The kind of friend she writes about. Oh and her recipes are great too. I especially love the one on page 171. So simple yet so complex and delicious!


 Shauna recently wrote another book, a devotional, called Savor. And I am doing just that with this book.  Savoring it. It's where I got the idea to write this post, actually. In it, she daily explores what it means to savor life to make the most of every day. (can you see why I might like this book?), to take everything that comes your way, the good and the bad. Good stuff I tell ya!









 


 The next book recommendation is Open Heart, Open Home by
Karen Mains. It's actually been a while since I've read this book, but as I flip through my copy I see lots of underlining. Clearly it resonated with me! I like that at the end of each chapter there's an "Opening the Door" section which are action points, things to do to begin putting into practice the good advice given. I think I've given you enough to start with. If you finish these and want more, let me know. I don't want to overwhelm you. I want to encourage you to open your home and your heart to those around you: family, friends and those you want to get to know. Invest your time in building relationship, in building community. It's the one thing that will last when all else fades.










Sheila is a regular contributor for The Blended Blog.  She is a mother, homeschool teacher and lives an inspired life.  She blogs at Making the Most of Every Day

Hi!  I'm Carol, aka: Sarah's Mom.  Now that my children are all grown up, my husband and I have moved to an apartment.  I didn't do much holiday decorating the first year here but I really felt the loss of the creativity and beauty and the celebration of it all.  Now I'm back to it and so much happier! 'Present' is the root word of Present-ation.  I create presents for all the holidays, for myself and anyone else who happens over to our apartment to enjoy!

This is my apartment mantel~ Starting with a blank canvas:



When decorating a mantel you'll want to measure length and depth, so you know how large/small decor pieces can be used ( i.e. narrow mantel means you have to use narrow items).


Take note of what is hanging above your mantel (i.e. mirrors or pictures), You will have to decide if you want to cover it, remove it or work around it.  In this case we are going to work around it.

Next step is to decide if you want the height on the sides or the middle of your mantel. Because of the picture, and not wanting to move or obstruct it, I've decided that I want all of the height on my mantel to be on the sides, going with short décor items in the center.



Take your creative base: In this case it is a table runner, but you could use anything for your base (even a bunch of napkins on the diagonal if you are trying to find stuff around the house). For example this was another table runner I found on clearance last year at Michael's. I didn't end up using it because it was too short for the look I was going for.



Now that I have decided I am doing the height on the sides, I need to figure out what I want to be the center of the mantel. This is going to be your anchor and where you start, I just love witches, so mine is a little flying witch.

Find the middle of the table runner and then anchor it to the mantel. Make sure that the bottom is even and straight across. In this case I'm looking at the spider webs on the end to make sure those are straight.



Once you have that, you're ready to move on to the outside with the height. I found these cute signs and decided to stack them. Sometimes it take a few tries, but just keep trying.


Now that we have one side we're going to work on the other side.

See in the first picture, when I place them side by side, there is no depth or variety. To change that I found a little candle holder and I put it under the man pumpkin, doesn't it look so much better when the man is slightly taller than the woman?


So this is what we have now. My table runner, my anchor and my two outside height pieces. By the way, my husband was a football player and I was a cheerleader, both in high school and college so these "dolls" were a 'must buy' for me!!!!


Since there are two height things on the right (man and woman pumpkins) I decided to add something with the same height to the signs.


So now the mantel looks like this:


The next layer I decided to go with a pumpkin pillow on the left and a little sign on the right. Again, the sign on the right was a little too low, so I put a jar under it to give it some height.




 Next I wanted to add something that was somewhat the same- a "set." While these look different, they are both sparkly pumpkin candles.




Now it sort of looks a little plain right?


Let's add another layer, in this case some leaves I found at Micheal's on clearance last year. 

Left side, this really takes placing the leaves down and then moving my decorations to sit on top of it.


The right side: I made sure that I covered the jar that is holding up my sign.


The last and final step is unexpected, but totally necessary. Some call it adding confetti, I call it adding sparkle. I just want to fill in the tiny blank spaces. I found some pumpkin ornaments and then just confetti'd them around to fill in the spaces.



 Advance note: You can always add lighting as well, but that would have been done right after the mantel cover was placed.  Don't forget to test lights before building/placing décor items. Battery operation? or electrical? Think of plug availability....

Sarah and I went into Pier One and found these things you could use for your confetti or sparkle. I personally have given up on glitter....forever, but they are cute!
Have fun creating 'presents' in your home!!! Sarah and I would love to see your creations!
Post your links in the comments below.




Linking up with That DIY Party, Tweek it Tuesday, Mad Skills Party,  Fabulous Party, Weekend Retreat

1. Other than blogging, what do you do for a living? I am a retired school librarian who is now subbing in the libraries in my neighborhood district.  I am also doing volunteer work in the library at the El Paso Holocaust Museum. 
               
2. What is your greatest unfulfilled ambition?I have always dreamed of writing a book.  I imagined that if I ever realized that dream, it would probably be a children's book.  I have lots of stories started but lack the self-confidence to finish any of them.   
     
3. What is something that people might be surprised to know about you?I had a televised reading program that aired locally in the west Texas-southern New Mexico viewing area for ten years.  I read books aloud, provided a craft activity to support the theme of each particular show and had a live audience interacting with me.  
    
4. What hobbies do you have other than blogging? I was an art ed major in college so I enjoy doing creative projects and always built an art activity into my library lessons.  I like to paint, draw, color with pastels, cross-stitch and scrapbook but I get so wrapped around the hub about doing everything really well that I don't accomplish much!  Also love to read, hike, run, garden and eat.        
         
5. What has been the biggest challenge with blogging?  What has been the most rewarding outcome of blogging?I struggle to know if what I am doing with my blogging matters.  I enjoy writing my posts so that should be enough reward but I would love to hear more feedback from my readers...ha, if I have any!  Hmmm, maybe that's why I don't hear anything???      
      
6. What is your favorite style season (fall, spring, summer, winter) and why?Can I pick two?  Probably spring and/or fall.  I like layering, wearing cardis, light jackets, blazers and it is too darn hot in El Paso to wear clothes in the summer, much less layers of them!  Love sweaters, pretty patterns and earth tones.  
                      
7. Do you enjoy gardening, sewing, decorating, painting or photography? What is your latest project?I enjoy all of the above with the exception of sewing.  And I wish I did sew.  I have an idea swimming around in my head for a piece of art(?) for a guest bedroom.  Hope to work on it very soon.  I have an acrylic painting just started that needs some attention.  Looking forward to pulling out fall decorations very soon.  

If you are interested in working with us, please email us at theblendedblog@gmail.com
Have a great weekend
-TBBloggers

I think it would be fair to say that we all want our children to find success and happiness in life, don't we?  From the minute they are born, we put everything we have (and then some) into raising them to be the best they can be, without really knowing where the road will take us.  There are so many unknowns, aren't there?
What helps a child thrive in school? What kind of factors are in play for them to lose their way? How do I get them to stop bringing mud into the house?  But the biggest question that comes to mind for me, as a parent is:  what can I do to help my children become life-long learners?

I have spent 12+ years in a classroom as a French Immersion teacher, covering grades 5 to 12 and so many different subjects that I'm afraid to list them.  As a teacher, I have come to learn that the role parents play in their child's education is paramount.  
I'm happy to share with you today some of my observations.  I should add that I did consult with some of my esteemed colleagues who teach in different subject areas, just to see if there was a variation in parenting styles.  For the record, there wasn't.






Make your child's education the priority, which sometimes means making sacrifices. Ask specific questions about their day and show interest in their answers.  Be aware of their assignments and assessments used by the teachers.  Ask to see some of your child's work and get them to explain the process they used to create/write/solve it.   When reading with them, check for comprehension by asking questions, or get them to make predictions or make connections to events that happen in your world.  Know who their friends are and what kind of kids they spending their time with at recess. Show interest in their passions and encourage them to pursue what they love.








Lead by example.  Read books with them or beside them as they read.  If they are sitting down to do their homework, sit down with them and work on something.  Show them that hard work pays off. Schedule time in your day for homework, let it become a routine.  Make sure kids do their own work, as tempting as it may be to solve that equation for them....guide them, don't do it for them.







Kids need to know you believe that they are capable.  Push them to work hard and seek help if they are struggling.  Support them in their success and failures.  Kids can frustrate easily and give up, and that's when they need strong parents behind them the most, encouraging and supporting them.
Monitor internet/video games and TV usage.  Check their browser history (learned that the hard way).  Go outside, play a sport, read books, do puzzles and mazes, or play board games instead.  The most successful students that I have ever taught were the immersion/band students.  Learn a musical instrument or a second language.  Get them to push their limits, it will teach them discipline and responsibility.

These may seem daunting and I know they are quite subjective as every kid learns differently. Regardless if your child is an honour roll student or one struggling to find his or her way, celebrate their success and show them the worth they have.  
Because really, in the end, the successful kids are the ones who value themselves and learn to strive to be the best they can be.

In the comments I'd love to hear any tips or tricks that you used or are using to help your kids succeed.  As I write this, my 8 year old is sitting at the table, working on some math,  frowning and then giggling to himself.  I realize my journey has just begun into the realm of parenting a school kid and I can't wait to see what kind of learner he becomes!




Deena blogs at Shoes to Shiraz and is a regular contributor for The Blended Blog.  Her passions include pretty shoes, big glasses of wine, reading books and playing ball.  She lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on an acreage with her husband and two kids.

That quote rings so very true on a day that we open our doors to our communal home online. Welcome, friends, we are glad you have joined us and we hope you, too, will share in this journey with us.

When one sets out to blog, it can be an adventure in solitude: your site is created, your content is curated and there you sit, nervous and eager to broadcast your life.  Will people connect with your voice, and your story? Will you be read and followed?  It becomes very clear when you jump into the net of bloggers worldwide that we are, indeed, small fish in a very big sea.

At The Blended Blog, we hope to make the chasm of the blogworld smaller and more united.  We want a place to share our very different ideas and celebrate our similarities and to grow our circles of friends.  This is a place to discover new blogs and to read different perspectives on life.


The Blended Blog, a spot for sharing our creative voices.

As a group of women from different backgrounds, diverse age groups and from all over the continent, we have grown to know that blogging does not need to be done in solitude and can very well be a community of likeminded people.  Our desire is to continue to grow together, learning from the strengths of one another.
We are not in this alone.
We all know the power that can be had when you connect with someone who may not be from your social circle.  We are very aware that it is possible to form friendships with people we may likely never meet.
That's the magical thing about reading and writing blogs.

So come on in and be welcome in our new home.