by kathilipp | May 27, 2015 | Blog, Gifting |
In the last installment of our custom photo gift series, I wanted to aim for something different for good ole’ dad. Dads can be the hardest person to find a gift for and you don’t usually think of him as the recipient of a photo gift. However, I think this wood transfer idea says manly and heartfelt, perfect for Father’s Day!
What you need:
A piece of Wood— the possibilities here are endless. Make sure you sand down and clean off the surface you are transferring to for best results.
Inkjet printer
Shipping labels
Matte finish sealer spray
Matte gel medium
Clear drying glue
2 foam brushes
Credit card or gift card
What to do:
1. Remove the labels from the shipping labels and throw them away. The parts you want to use are the backing of the labels.
2. If there are perforated seams on the back of the paper, tape them so they don’t break during printing or application.
3. Spray the back of the paper with an even coat of the spray-on sealer. Let it dry completely.
4. Use your foam brush to add a thin layer of glue on the entire backing and let it dry.
5. Time to print! Pick your favorite digital picture and print it on the paper you have prepped with the spray-on sealer and glue. You want to make sure you print on the side with the glue.
* Be careful not to smudge your picture once it has printed.
6. With a foam brush, apply the matte gel to the wood you are using. Make sure to coat the entire surface. 
7. Immediately place your image face down on the wood. Do not pick up and replace. With your credit card and working from the center out to the edges, press and push out air bubbles. 
8. Let it dry for 90 minutes. Then slowly peel the paper from the wood.
9. Add a coat of clear sealer and you have a really cool gift!
What is your favorite photo gift idea? Do you have another great idea for a photo gift for Father’s Day? Share them here!
by kathilipp | May 19, 2015 | Podcast, Podcast Hot Mama |
Who wants a red hot sex life? Let’s go back to where it all started! The podcast that introduced the Book 10 Ideas to Inspire Red Hot Sex is full of red hot sex ideas that are intimate, marriage-building and yes, hot. Listen in and Kathi and Erin will:
- Tell you exactly why they decided to embark on writing a sex book.
- Share a couple of their red hot sex ideas (yes, this part made us blush.)
But then let’s take it up a notch and check out the newly released ebook 10 Quick Fashion Fixes to Feel Confident and Sexy: A Hot Mama Challenge because in order to feel good OUT of our clothes, we must start with feeling good IN our clothes.
Feeling like you’re alone on this journey to be a Hot Mama? You’re not! Join hundreds of other hot mamas on Facebook as we promise to make 2015 the hottest ever.
Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.
by kathilipp | May 14, 2015 | Blog |
My friend, Amy Lively, has written a new book that’s receiving quite a lot of attention. The topic? How to love your neighbor without being weird. In this day and time, with neighbors staying indoors and keeping to themselves and with everybody’s busy schedules, it’s hard enough to get to know your neighbors. Try to love them? They might think you’re weird. Amy shares in her book how to accomplish this task WITHOUT seeming like a nut and without freaking them out!
To help spread the word about How To Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird, we’re doing a giveaway!
You can win the following sweet little package:
- 2 MUGS Adorable “Love Your Neighbor” mugs, one for you, one for your neighbor!
- 10 CARDS to ask your neighbor over for coffee, board games, BBQ – you name it! Invite one neighbor or the whole block, whatever works.
- 2 COFFEES Single-serve Columbian coffees.
- 2 COASTERS to put under your steaming mugs.
- 1 BOOK A signed copy of Amy’s book, How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird.
I’ll pick a winner next week so please leave a comment below and tell me why you need this package!
UPDATE: WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN.
by kathilipp | May 13, 2015 | Blog, Gifting |
It’s time for our second idea in our create a custom photo gift series. This week we are featuring a custom photo necklace.
Isn’t this too cute?! These are fun because you can do pretty much anything you want with them – gold, silver, round, square, add charms, black and white… you get it. Make it personal.
The first thing you want to do is decide who you want to make the necklace for. Make your selections accordingly.
What you need:
A favorite picture
* For best results: if printing a digital photo, use a card stock or heavy weight paper and allow to dry at least 4 hours. Spraying your photo with a couple of coats of Polyurethane will also help to ensure your ink will not smudge.
E-6000 Industrial Strength Adhesive
Diamond Glaze (modpodge will also work)
1 plated pendant
1 clear piece in the shape of your choice (make sure to size it for the pendant you are using)
A toothpick or foam brush
X-Acto knife
Chain
What to do:
Cut your photo to the shape and size of your pendant/glass piece with your X-Acto knife
Put a small amount of your diamond glaze on the bottom of your glass piece. Using a toothpick, smear the diamond glaze around the glass piece. If using modpodge, brush it on the entire piece.
Press your photo onto the glaze or modgepodge ensuring you don’t move it around. Press out the bubbles. Dry overnight.
Squeeze a SMALL amount of E-6000 onto the pendant then press the glass piece with photo into it. Using the X-Acto knife, remove excess glue around edges.
Attach pendant to your favorite chain.
And you are finished!
This one takes a little more time and preparation than the coasters but its absolutely worth the time and effort!
by kathilipp | May 12, 2015 | Relationships, Uncategorized |
I’ve seen a huge number of articles on surviving Mother’s Day. All well-intentioned, but they just all came too late- the Friday before Mother’s Day is not enough time to put healthy thinking and guidelines into place.
But a month? A month I can work with.
So I’m putting a note on my calendar for April 10th to remind myself to read this article, and put a plan into place to make sure I’m well-taken care of for Mother’s day. It all some down to having a plan in place. Here are my three steps:
1. Plan Something
If you do not belong to a “planning family” (in other words, your kids are too young, or too unaware to plan anything, and this isn’t your husband’s strong suit,) make sure you
plan something
yourself – whether it’s for yourself or your own mom, mother-in-law, or stepmom. There is nothing worse than sitting around on Mother’s Day, scrolling through your Facebook wall, looking at all the posts of well wishes from adoring husbands and cute kids.
Plan something and get off of Facebook. On Mother’s Day, Facebook is not your friend.
Get out of the house. go to the movies. Go on a hike (far enough away that you are out of cell range.) Go out with a friend, go out with your husband.
We celebrated on Friday night – which was great. We had most of our kids there, we had kabobs, it was lovely. But Sunday? Let’s just say I should have planned a hike. Next year – I’ll know better.
2. Order something.
Whether it’s flowers or a great book from Amazon, have a package ready to be ripped into for Mother’s Day, even if it’s for yourself. We ordered Shari’s Berries this year and boy – everyone was glad we did. We had more fun with strawberry pic with everyone (and they were so delish. I may have eaten more than my fair share. But it’s Mother’s Day.) I’m placing an order for next year. These turned our time together into a celebration.
3. Ask Something
Not every gift needs to be a surprise. Ask your kids to do something they are talented at to contribute to your celebration. My boys bought gifts (Jer can always be relied on to bring flowers, and Justen always shows up with a book he knows I’ll love,) but the girls contributed talents – Kimber made the cake, and Amanda did henna tattoos for each of us. Utterly unique, utterly special. Make your special request far in advance. Your child will be flattered you asked, and you’ll get to brag on your kiddos.
Be intentional. No one wants a martyr mom on Mother’s Day. Be sure to celebrate you.
I’ll be posting this again April 11th, 2016. See you then.
by kathilipp | May 11, 2015 | Podcast |
(This is a rebroadcast of Episode #111).
She had all of her “Christian” ducks in a row…. until God swept them all to the side. Jen Hatmaker was a Christian speaker and author, married to a PASTOR for heaven’s sake who spent every day of her life doing the church thing and doing it well. But then, Jen prayed a prayer: “God, raise up in me a holy passion.”
And that’s when her whole life got completely messed up.
In this episode of “So Here’s the Thing” Kathi and Erin talk to Jen about her book, “Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity” and discuss how that one simple prayer led her to flip her life upside down… and do everything from serving the poor to letting HGTV invade her home.
Tell us in the comments below how Jen’s experience of being interrupted has inspired you to pray for a holy passion or what is keeping you in your comfortable Christianity. Two winners will be randomly chosen and will receive two copies of Interrupted.
FREE DOWNLOAD
This printable is a great reminder that HE is indeed serious about all of this! Print it out for you, your friends, your friends friends… you get the idea. Click here to download.
Jen Hatmaker is the author of 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess and A Modern Girl’s Bible Study series. With a heart for her generation, she speaks at conferences around the country and writes for numerous sites and outlets. She and her family are featured in an 8-episode series on HGTV called “My Big Family Renovation” airing July 2014. She resides in Austin, Texas with her husband Brandon and their five children. To learn more about Jen, check out her speaking schedule, and follow her blog, go to www.jenhatmaker.com.
by kathilipp | May 6, 2015 | Clutter Free |
It’s a busy time of year with end of school, end of clubs, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and sports coming to an end. Most moms are just getting through one day at a time. But low and behold, one of these nights, after all the kids are in bed, and she is folding another load of laundry, she is going to remember that all of these teachers, volunteers, coaches and grandparents are going to need gifts… and the panic sets in.
This month we are going to share some gift ideas that are easy to create or purchase with all of those photos of your family and the artwork your children create. Visit us on Wednesdays in May for new ideas!
Idea #1- Photo Coasters
Photo coasters are a great gift idea for:
– Grandparents
– Dad (for his office)
– Mom
– Teachers (think class gift)
How to pick your photos:
Pick the photos or artwork that will bring your gift recipient the best memories or put a smile on their face every time they see it. Candid shots are usually best.
If you are using digital photos, it’s best to print your artwork to size (square, just a tad smaller than your tiles) and print them on photo paper. Let them dry for at least one day before proceeding with the rest of the project. For photos you alre
What you’ll need:
4- 4×4 tiles (you can get these for cheap at any hardware store)
Modpodge
A foam brush
Stick on felt circles (4 per coaster)
Clear spray sealant (optional)
Twine or ribbon
What you do:
Cut your photos so that they are just a tad smaller than your tile. 
Brush a thin layer of modpodge on your tile, center your photo and push it down on the tile. Make sure to push it down firmly without rubbing the photo. Rubbing it could make the ink run. Let it dry for 20 minutes.
Brush on a thin layer of modpodge over your picture making sure to cover the edges of your picture to ensure that it sticks to the tile. Let it dry for 20 minutes then apply a final coat.
Once they are dry, spray the clear sealant over the tile. (Do this step outside!) This will ensure that your coasters are water proof. However, this step isn’t necessary. Modpodge is a sealant and will do the trick. Some DIYers advise it, some don’t.
After your coasters are dry, place a felt circle on the bottom near each corner.
Once they are all completely dry, stack them and tie them together with some twine or cute ribbon.
Ta da… you have a great gift! 
by kathilipp | Apr 28, 2015 | Podcast |
For those of you who also struggle with weight, health, and generally feeling defeated with anything in your life that feels like it will never be resolved, this is for you. This is me, at my home church, talking about weight (I’d be much more comfortable talking about sex, trust me,) and how I can keep coming back to find hope in what can feel like a hopeless situation. (There may have been a few tears shed…)
by kathilipp | Apr 22, 2015 | Blog, Marriage, The Husband Project |
5 Ways to Tell Your Hubby You Love Him without All the Words by Paula Tobey
Have you ever been in a rut in your marriage where you find it tough to ‘talk’? Maybe you argue or you’re just not connecting as well as usual. Maybe you find yourself not in the same place of love like you were a few years back. Whatever it is, friend, I am here to tell you it is okay. There is always something you can do to help get out of that rut, and it starts by doing one small thing at a time.
Today, I will share with you five ideas of things that you can do to show your hubby you love him without all those words, because let’s face it, he probably doesn’t want to hear them anyway.
Marital connectedness is so important in a family. It helps the kids in many ways to feel secure, not to mention setting a positive example for them as they grow and enter into their own relationships. Parents have a responsibility to model for their kids behaviors and attitudes that help establish positive development. One of the best things we can do for our children is teach them love and respect. There are lots of ways you can teach this without preaching or teaching with words. Your behavior and actions will show them better than any words can how you feel, so go ahead, win him over without words teaching your kids how to show love and respect for your husband!
- Dressed to Impress – Complimenting your Hottie on how good he looks in his dress shirt. This is one thing that I have not been very good at, but it means so much to my husband when I tell him that I like how he looks. Words of Affirmation go a long way for some, but even saying that you like how soft his shirt is, can be just the kind of compliment he needs to hear. After I have said a statement like ‘I like how soft that shirt is, it looks great’ I will undoubtedly receive a text a little while later thanking me. Take it from me, you hubby likes to know you are still attracted to him after all these years.
- Get Your Own Box – Cheeze It’s are one of my husband’s favorite snacks. I cannot eat them because I’m gluten free, so I tend to buy things for the family that we can all eat. However, my husband told me about a year ago that he really loves it when I buy those for him because he knows that I went out of my way to get him something that I would not normally buy. It is not something that I will get often, and as a matter of fact, I save those for things like an Easter Basket gift, but when I do get them, his face lights up like a kid getting candy! For that reason alone, I will make sure he gets his own box!
- Precious Post It Note’s – When I go out of town for a few days, I like to leave my husband (and daughters) little notes to tell them that I love them. When we were getting ready to move a few months back, I was cleaning out my husband’s medicine cabinet in the master bath, and I found a piece of paper taped to the inside of the mirror with all kinds of post it notes I had left him over the years. It made me smile to see that not only had he kept them, but that he wanted to be reminded often how much I love him. Because I smiled, I am pretty sure he does too. I did not quite realize just how much those little precious notes were to him until then.
- Shopping Cart Surprise – Once I was on Amazon, and I noticed that my husband put an item in the Wish List. It was just a book, and it was not expensive, but I went ahead and ordered it for him. To his surprise, the exact book he had been looking at mysteriously showed up! It was cute when he asked if I had ordered it for him, and I just gave a little grin like ‘I don’t know what you are talking about – who me?’ He then gave me a nice big hug and kiss. It was fun. Sometimes it is the little things that add up to make the big things not so big!
- Good To The Last Drop – Every morning my husband is up before me. He does not need as much sleep as I do, and he enjoys his quiet time to read the paper and drink his coffee in the mornings. One work day this last week, he was actually still in bed, and I was awake, so I got up and made him some coffee. I wanted to be sure he had some because I figured he must have been pretty tired to still be in bed. When he came out and I had the coffee out for him, he was so surprised, he asked me who I was. J It was very unusual, but I do know that if I continue to do little things like that, he will be happy to drink every last drop!
For more great ideas on making your marriage more connected and fulfilled, come on over to my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ParentingCoachPaula and check out the posts, books and videos.
Paula Tobey is founder of PheMOMenal Life Ministries a community for women to go get encouraged and equipped to be the best mom’s they can be to their children by living a healthy balanced life and by becoming all that God created them to be. For more information go check out her website here www.PheMOMenalLife.com
by kathilipp | Apr 21, 2015 | Podcast |
Can’t find your favorite pair of sandals?
Where is that outfit you wanted to wear tonight?
Which clothes still fit you and which do not?
Going into our closet can be an overwhelming experience. Maybe you just shove things in there and say you’ll get to organizing it “later.”
Today Kathi and Erin discuss how to thin out the items that aren’t needed today in order to be able to easily find the wardrobe you enjoy and will be wearing this week. Listen and learn easy tips and tricks to have a clutter free closet.
Resources talked about in this episode:
Soma’s Vanishing Underwear with stickies Click Here
Stitch Fix Click Here
Kathi’s Stich Fix Wardrobe
Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.
A piece of Wood— the possibilities here are endless. Make sure you sand down and clean off the surface you are transferring to for best results.
