Double Portion Inspiration

The 4th of July is quickly approaching and fireworks are traditionally part of the celebration. About 3 years ago, my son was burned (not due to fireworks) in his face right before the 4th of July. We took him to a burn center for evaluation on the 5th of July. We could barely find a seat. It is the busiest day for burn centers around the country. I wanted to share just a few tips to make sure you're safe this holiday. Based on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 57% of firework injuries were burns. 30% of firework burn injuries affected the hands & fingers. 23% impacted the legs. If you plan to use fireworks this season, please adhere to the following: Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers. Always have an adult supervise fireworks activi...

2015 Christmas Photo Mt. Dora, FL Photo Credits: Delana Brooks It's been quite some time since I posted.  I looked back and realized that I last posted in November.  I'm so thankful that our blog is a joint effort and my sister held it down for the past few months.  My world is a little chaotic with two kids in sports, finishing up studies for a industry designation all while being a mom, wife, chef, church & community volunteer.  Whew!  I'm tired just thinking of it. This was supposed to be a post at Christmas but I never found the time to post it.  I still feel inclined to share it so here we go..... During the holidays, my 7 year old son asked, "Mom, have I been naughty?"  My initial thought was, "of course you have" but I didn't want to crush him.  I figured he was asking because it was the holidays and a common question is, "have you been naughty or nice?"  In the American tradition, Santa Clause knows if you've bee...

I normally try and put my kids to bed with a book or Bible lesson.  The other day our Bible lesson came out of Psalms 103.  This text of scripture is full of description about God's character.  Here's just a sampling from the chapter: He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. 9  He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever.   (Psalms 103:8-9) I knew my 12 year old understood the words that illustrated God's character but I was pretty sure my little one didn't.  I wanted to make sure he knew just how much God loves him.  I wanted him to know that God's love is constant whether he made good or poor choices.  There's nothing he can do that will cause God to love him less, just like there's nothing that causes God to love him more.   His "works" won't change God's love.  He's the same yesterday, today, and...

Let's admit it. We all lead busy lives. We can often find it hard to spend quality time with family, especially our children. If we allow it, our community responsibilities, careers, and church activities can take away a large amount of our time. I thought it would be great to share some cool ideas to spend quality time with your children while navigating life. Games . Have them available close to your family room or kitchen area to make it quickly accessible. I keep Scrabble, Uno , and Puzzles in the family room because my youngest always wants to play a game right when I'm trying to cook. So that he feels momma's love, I play a quick game with him first and then return to cooking. Park . Being outdoors with your children is exhilarating. It also provides a great opportunity to get in some physical exercise so that you can skip the gym and make memories with your babies. Movies . There's nothing better than a great...

Just a few days ago, I was confined to the pediatric unit of a local hospital because of my son's health concerns.  What I believed would be a quick trip to the emergency room soon lead to a four day stay.  It was one of the hardest experiences for us because our son is only four years old and it's difficult to see your children (at any age) in pain or discomfort.  Sleeping in a chair, holding down my son for daily sticks to draw blood, and frequent nurse visits became the norm.  At times I would try to hide my tears because I didn't want him to see me upset.  It was his first time ever being in a hospital and at one point, all he could say was, "Mommy, I'm scared".  A part of me felt helpless because you must depend on the medical professionals to provide the care he desperately needs.  This time, a kiss on his "boo-boo" wasn't going to help. On the day we were released from the hospital, my sister asked me a simple ...

I was home caring for my 3 year old when his actions revealed a wonderful life lesson. For about two days my son was unable to keep food down. He wanted to eat but when he did, it would come up. It was hard to watch because a child that is normally full of energy and all over the place, was laying on the couch without enough strength to play with his toy cars (his prized possession). For those that know him, shall we just say, he is all boy. He constantly runs, jumps and plays. The phrase "bouncing baby boy" is an understatement for him. A rapid heart beat, sweat running down his face, and at times, the beginning of a wheezing cough won't stop his desire to be energetic. You can only imagine how it felt to see him in such an exhausted and weakened state. He barely had enough strength to sit up on the couch, however in the midst of his anguish, he wanted to be in my presence . I snapped a picture of my son (above) after he gently whispered the words, "Mom, I want to ...