Real Quick: Valentine Dots

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My plan today is (was?) to write 7 Quick Takes, answering some of the questions in my mailbox. But...
I need to hustle these kids to the dentist. So, I'll answer one right now because several people have asked and you kind of need to know sooner than later. To make the Valentine Dots (a pure genius craft/snack that came to us from Charlotte):

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
  2. Unwrap all the Hershey Kisses
  3. Place one Kiss on one pretzel (I used wagon wheel pretzels)
  4. Heat the Kisses for 5-10 minutes (the white ones melt more quickly). You just want them shiny and a little soft.
  5. Press the M & Ms into the Kisses.DON'T MOVE THEM OR TOUCH THEM!
  6. I refrigerated them until they were hard.
These are beautiful and so little kid-friendly! (Matching Dot Dress not included;-)
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Small Successes~Volume 4

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I went out with a friend and sat and chatted at a coffee shop yesterday. This is huge! My husband and I tried to remember the last time I did a "Mom's Night (or day or moment) Out."  We're fairly certain it was sometime between December 2004 and January 2006.I kid you not. Let's just say it was very good to get out and I'm very grateful to my friend, who acted as if she had absolutely no plans on her calendar when I sent out my S.O.S.

2
I read It's So You! in one sitting while marathon nursing. This is a great book~perhaps even of the "life-changing" variety. Don't even attempt the one-sitting reading. It really needs to be digested in small chunks. I came away with a fresh perspective on much more than fashion.

3
I RSVP'd to a birthday party the very same day my girls received the invitation. Now, if I can just get my thank you notes finished and in the mail, I will be an efficient, polite correspondent...

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What are your successes this week? This is a great exercise in holding ourselves accountable and patting ourselves on the back. Mothering and homemaking don't have built in performance reviews and bonuses. The  internet can be a source of support and encouragement. Let's encourage one another in our small successes. Share them at Faith and Family Live!

Plan for a Peaceful Home

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St. Josemaría Escrivá calls it the “heroic moment” — that spacebetween sleep and waking when we assent with our entire beings to overcome the creature comforts of slumber and cozy bedding and instead rise to face the morning.

The heroic moment is our first victory of the day. Instead of hitting the snooze button, we get up and get going. Sometimes, I have to ask for the grace and strength to just meet that moment. And I do. The day begins with prayer. That’s a good thing.

I have found that no matter how well organized I am before a baby is born, there is some re-shuffling of schedules and routines to be done once baby arrives. It’s no secret that this time I was a bit unprepared...
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