Matthew 25 Challenge Day 4: Giving Versus Sacrifice

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25 Challenge. To learn more about the challenge, click here.

"...I needed clothes and you clothed me..." Today's challenge is to wear the same clothes that you wore yesterday.  Family challenge: spend some time going through each member in the family's closet and select a few nice items {clothes, toys, etc...} to give away. 

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 3: Fear Chases Away Compassion

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25  Challenge. To learn more about the challenge check out this post. 
"...I was a stranger and you invited me in." Today's challenge has you sleeping on the floor tonight. Do not skip this one! Most people who take this challenge find that this night is the most impactful challenge from the whole week. It also provides an opportunity for you to have a real discussion with your children about the refugee crisis. 
Family challenge: make a necklace using a key to wear {or you can purchase one here}. Many times a refugee family will leave their home and will carry their house key with them in hopes of returning again. Wear the key around your neck as a reminder of those people who have been forced to leave their homes.

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 2: Water is Life

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25  Challenge. In case you missed it, here's how you can join! It's not too late to opt in. Simply text M25 to 44888 and join me across social media @msrachelteodoro and follow the #m25challenge.

"I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink." Today's challenge is to drink only water. Give up all beverages except water {yep, even coffee, sorry friends}.  Family challenge: take a walk to a local water source {a drainage pond, creek or puddle} and fill a plastic water bottle with the water you find there. Carry that bottle around with you today. This will be a great conversation starter at work or at school. Take the time to engage in conversation about the global water crisis.

photo 2017 World Vision/Jon Warren

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Matthew 25 Challenge Day 1: To Be Known

This week, things on the blog and on my social media are going to be looking a little bit different. It's because this week, we are being challenged together through the World Vision Matthew 25 Challenge. In case you missed it, here's how you can join! It's not too late to opt in. Simply text M25 to 44888 and join me across social media @msrachelteodoro and follow the #m25challenge. "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." Today's challenge is to skip lunch and break your fast this evening with a rice and beans dinner. If you watched today's video, I loved how it was pointed out that fasting without prayer is just dieting! So don't forget to pray as you go about your day.

Family Challenge: Don't forget to set aside some time today to watch the Ekai video with your family and have tea together. Don't miss the hunger trivia quiz in the M25 family guide. 

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Is TSA Precheck Worth the Money? A Mom Gives Her Honest Opinion

We travel a lot. We fly as a family, I travel solo and my husband and I take trips together. My husband has a weird aversion to driving, so we fly to nearly every destination. We travel domestically and internationally but for the most part, our travel is in the states, through our local SeaTac airport just outside of Seattle. If I had to put an amount, I'd say one or more of us are flying at least every three weeks or so. Several years ago, after long lines for security screening just seemed to be getting longer and standing on a dirty floor in socks with our pants falling down since our belts had to be removed seemed degrading, our family decided to look into getting TSA Precheck. {We actually got NEXUS but more on that later.} So three years in and I'm telling you if I think TSA precheck is worth it. This {cheap} mom is giving you her honest opinion. 

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Don't Miss Out on This Matthew 25 Challenge

Last week I came to you with a little challenge. Together, we will be joining in a week-long text challenge through World Vision called The Matthew 25 Challenge. It's easy for me to get comfortable and forget that there are families that struggle to have even the most basic necessities like clean water. I can easily forget that nearly 1600 children under the age of five die every day because of diarrhea from dirty drinking water. I can ignore the headlines about refugees and seek out the gossip in the entertainment section. I can scroll through Instagram and be totally oblivious to anything happening anywhere beyond those squares. 
Let's quit ignoring these things but instead challenge ourselves to get out of our comfort zones and grow as individuals. Let's take the resources available and join in this challenge with our children because when we know better, we can do better. 
Want to know more? Read on!

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Easy Paint Projects to Update Your Home Decor

You don't need me to tell you how much paint can transform your home. Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to give your space an update, but it's not just limited to your four walls, my friends. Nope, you can use paint to update your home decor and create a space that is full of personality and style all without spending a whole lot of money while doing it. Now that is my kind of update! 

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Easy Chocolate Croissant Crescent Roll Ups

I try to make most of what we eat from scratch, but there are some prepared items that are just begging to be used. These chocolate croissant crescent roll-ups are not only delicious they are super easy to make. Stock up on the cans of crescents when you see a sale because you are going to want to have these on hand to make whenever you have a chocolate craving! 

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Rock Your World With This Matthew 25 Challenge!

I was only seven, but I still remember how I felt in 1985 when I memorized every line of the song "We Are the World." I have very vivid memories sharing a snack with a friend that summer while talking as deeply as any elementary-aged child could about how there were children dying and that we needed to eat our freshly-picked cherry tomatoes with the idea of starvation in mind. This was the first time I remember my heart breaking for those in need. 
I was almost in middle school before I met anyone who had skin that was a different color than my own. I grew up deep in the heartland and I've had to be intentional about opening my eyes to learning more about this world because, to be honest, I was downright ignorant. 
God tends to speak to me through music. Several years ago, before a trip to journalist trip to Zambia that I didn't feel even remotely prepared for, there were some lyrics in a song by Matt Maher that we sang at church. The line says "you shattered my darkness, washed away my blindness, now I'm breathing in and breathing out, I'm alive again!" And I couldn't help but think about how God had been opening my eyes to poverty, sickness and the overwhelming needs of children and families all over the world. 

It's easy for me to get comfortable in my home and forget the way that families struggle to have even the most basic necessities like clean water. I can easily forget that nearly 1600 children under the age of five die every day because of diarrhea from dirty drinking water. I can ignore the headlines about refugees and seek out the gossip in the entertainment section. Or I can scroll through Instagram and be totally oblivious to anything happening anywhere beyond those squares.  I know I'm not the only one.  It's why I'm joining with World Vision to bring you a little challenge. A challenge we are going to join in together. A challenge you can do with your whole family. 

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DIY Upcycle A Large Chalkboard Sign for Under $10!

My spell checker doesn't like the word upcycle, but it's one of my favorite words in all of my vocabulary. I had to look up the definition of upcycle because I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a word I made up and was hoping it would catch on. It's not. Upcycle: also known as creative reuse {side note, love that!}, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality {yep and yep} or for better environmental value. 

To be totally honest, the reason I upcycle is because I'm cheap. The environmental benefit {less waste in the landfill yadda yada} is just a good side effect of my cheapness. It's why I cloth diapered my kiddos. But I digress... This DIY upcycled chalkboard sign. It's huge. Like really big and I made it for under $10. If you want the real total it was really only $2, but I'm thinking if you want to make something similar, I would venture to guess that I could steer you in the right direction and you could DIY a large {and I'm telling you this is like 8-year-old child sized} chalkboard for under $10. Want to know how? Keep reading!

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Keeping Your Family Safe with OneLink Smart Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector

Thank you Onelink by First Alert for sponsoring this post. Add smart protection to your home with the Onelink Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm.

It started with a beep. I heard it after I walked out of the bathroom that's attached to my bedroom. It came from the carbon monoxide detector that had been sitting quietly in the corner for years. I picked up the detector and rolled it around in my hands. I looked for any sign that there was a low battery that was making it emit the beep but couldn't find any. The carbon monoxide detector had done its job. I called my husband, packed up the kids and we left the house. 

Our home was a few years old when we bought it, and we went through a thorough home inspection. I can only imagine it wasn't the homes first and yet no professional had detected the leak that was happening in our garage when a strange set of circumstances were occurring all at once. Turns out the vent from the furnace wasn't properly sealed and carbon monoxide was being leaked and sucked into our home. The same home we thought was our safe space. 

Things might have ended differently had we not had a carbon monoxide detector to warn us of the dangers and I'll be forever grateful that we had one to keep our family safe. Today I'm sharing everything you need to know about carbon monoxide and how you can protect your family. And why our family home will never be without one!

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No Bake Nutella Pie Recipe

I have a love/hate relationship with baking. Recipes usually catch my eye, I pin them on Pinterest and then I do nothing with them. Part of me hates to have a dessert at home that is just tempting me. The other part hates the time it takes to make something that is going to be devoured in a matter of minutes. But if I'm going to a party where I need to bring something or if I'm hosting, no-bake desserts are my go-to. I can make them ahead of time and they don't usually have me messing up my kitchen too much. This no-bake Nutella pie is a crowd favorite because who doesn't love a good old heaping of chocolatey goodness! This is everything you want in a pie and then some. And the fact that it requires zero baking makes it a favorite of mine.

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