messenger

Quick, its Five Minute Friday and I've got a few hours to sneak a post in before times up. A few minutes if you count the time I plan to be awake much later tonight. So here's a little message about my Mama Made blog and why I spend a little time here...hoping you want to hang out here a little, too.

The thing is...when I became a housewife I didn't know a lick about making a home. I tried and failed many times in those early days and I'm still struggling through knowing how to run a home well as each season changes. When I became a mother...making home got amped up times 10. My attempts never outweighed my desire to do it well though. I love nothing more then creating home... home for my people, home for friends who enter here, home for our neighbors, home for all who enter. It's been a piece of my heart from the day I rented my first home as a young college newbie. I love to make home.

What home is though for so many is more then 4 walls and a place to sleep at night. It's a place to grow your heart. And that, my friends, looks very different to everybody. The beauty with making a home is we are all different in what we need to feel at home. I blog here to share some of my favorite things along the journey of home-making. I love to see nothing more then Mama's create their home and offer a safe heart landing place for all who enter. I truly enjoy home-making and believe that hearts are grown when the home is created with feeding the souls that hang in it.

I want our homes to be comfy and cozy and real and tasty and fun and creative and faith filled and family focused and life-giving. I keep trying things and sending some of what I love your way through this blog. Kinda like the messenger bringing you a little something to open up and try for yourself. You may love it. You may hate it. Either way, I know we can all give the message to our home dwellers that they are loved and valued and welcomed in the way we make home... What we do, how we live, and where we spend our time sends the message of home. I'm simply giving you what I love about home-making here so you can be the messenger in your house... making home as you give it all away.

Welcome to Five Minute Friday 

We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that Lisa Jo Baker post on her  website starting at 10pm EST on Thursday night and all through Friday. 

It started because Lisa-Jo had been thinking about writing and how often our perfectionism gets in the way of our words. And she figured, why not take 5 minutes and see what comes out: not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing.

So now on Fridays a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write without worrying if it’s just right gather to share what five minutes buys them. Just five minutes.

Your words. This shared feast.

It’s easy to join in. Link up on Facebook here!

Blueberry Greek Muffins

It's the time of year when berries all across the state are ripe and fresh and oh, so sweet. I'm addicted to berries this time of year, all kinds. But one of my favorite is the blueberry! Warm blueberry muffins right out of the oven could be one of the things served in heaven as far as I'm concerned. Along with loving blueberries, I also love exploring in the kitchen. It's like an art, really. One everybody can play around with. That's the beauty of foods... its a fun way to express your preference and your taste buds and your creativity. There aren't too many kitchen experiences you can't give something to or take something away... 

Today I fell in love with the blueberry muffin all over again. Here's my latest masterpiece...

Blueberry Greek Muffins

(Easy 1-2-3 Directions)

1. Mix together: 2/3 C Sugar, 1 Tsp Baking Powder, 1 Tsp Baking Soda, 1/2 Tsp. Salt, 2 Large Eggs, 4 Tbsp. melted butter, 1 Tsp Vanilla, 1 1/2 Cups Greek Vanilla Yogurt, 2 Tbsp Raw Honey. Whip this until a smooth, creamy consistency. 

2. Add in to your above ingredients: 2 Cups Flour, 1 Cup Raw (plain) Oats. Throw in 1 Cup fresh or frozen Blueberries. 

3. Spray a muffin pan, spoon muffin batter evenly amongst muffin cups, and bake at 350 for about 15-25 minutes. Depending on your muffin size!

 Pre-wash fresh berries and taste as you go...:Obviously :)

 Sprinkle dry oats on the top right before you bake them for a finished look to your muffins.

And serve to all your big and little people around the table. Especially the littlest. They're my favorite. 

As always, serve with joy in your heart...a smile. Enjoy!

3 easy ways to say Welcome!

No matter what stage of life we are in, our home is one place we can all open doors up at. Whether it's a a few minutes or a few days...home is one of our easiest places to invite people into our lives. Mama's often set the tone for home. Saying welcome to friends and family need not be a time to cover up imperfections or hide the mess. Saying welcome can come easily when you first open your heart before you open your door. There are some very easy solutions to making a welcome come naturally for you when those beloved guests arrive...

1. Nothing says "we're glad you're here" better than fresh flowers. Pick them from your yard, buy them at the market, or arrange a handful of them on a walk through the woods. Wherever you pick your bouquet from, simply set them as a center-piece on the table, place them on your kitchen counter, or have them by the front door. Fresh flowers always say welcome. By the bedside for over-night guests is cozy, too!

2. A first glimpse into a home is always calming and comforting when you first see... nothing. Cleared counter-tops, empty tables, and clean spaces give a calming effect to those living in your space. Spend 10 minutes and clear off your counters, wipe down the table, and give the impression you have room to invite people in...because you do. Walking into a cluttered, over-stimulated home often leaves guests feeling a tad bit unsure of their warm welcome. Cleaning counters is an easy way to make that welcome a happy one.

3. And last, and maybe most important. Just be real. So sometimes the flowers can't be cut and the counters still have dishes on them and the floors are a kid marked mess. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect to just let people in. A little realness makes us feel comfortable, like we're just home. Live in your space, let those who come in see the real way you do just that, and be yourself. A cup of coffee over a milk stained floor can go a long way...

Open your doors today. Tomorrow. Sometime soon. Home is meant to be lived in together. Mama's make home happen when they say...welcome!