Hi, my name is Jennifer and this is the blog I have neglected...

     Well. It's been a while. Like, over 2 months. But I have some good excuses reasons - and I will get to them shortly. But, first, a recap of Media Month (May):

I really missed Bob Newhart. That being said, our family wasted much less time watching TV and we took some walks and read a bit more. We watched some VeggieTales and What's In the Bible? in May. If you aren't familiar with the What's In the Bible? series, you should be. Phil Vischer is the mastermind (and a whole slew of voices) behind a crazy cast of puppets making their way through the Bible. You will learn about such things as the canon, the cycle of apostasy, and the difference between ethical and ritual laws. Maybe that doesn't sound awesome to you, but I promise you, it is! They are fun and full of truth; the Gospel is presented exceptionally well in a kid-friendly way; and my family absolutely loves them. Go check them out - www.whatsinthebible.com - and, no, I have not been paid to say any of this - these DVDs are really that good. :) All that to say, what we did watch in May served to grow us in our faith and knowledge of the Bible. (Confession: we cheated one night and watched Fiddler On the Roof. I had a migraine and felt like poo. Sue me. Besides, Tevye talks to God all throughout the movie - so that makes it spiritually uplifting, right???)

     So...that was Media Month. During May, Andy and Elisabeth both had end-of-the-year school activities and there was a lot going on at church. June brought with it Sunday School promotion, VBS, and a 12 day oversees mission trip. Life has been crazy around here. But that's not all that made it nuts. At the beginning of May, I resigned as the preschool ministry director at our church. After 8 years of serving in that role, I decided to come home and change my focus a bit.

     I want to be able to spend more time on being a wife and mommy, on running my household and making it a place of peace (not chaos) for my family. Our home is open (through DHS) for adoption and our family dynamics could change at any moment. Having me work from home will provide a more flexible schedule and allow us to more easily make adjustments as needed.

    Work from home? Did I say that? Yep! I have two things (other than taking care of my family) that I will be doing from my home. My first new venture is baking! I love it! You can check out my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CupcakesAndWhatnot to see a menu and pricing. Between now and September 30th, mention this blog post and get 15% off your order! :)

    My second business venture is something I am very excited about for numerous reasons. I am an ambassador for Noonday Collection. Noonday Collection is a company that carries jewelry, scarves, bags, etc., - all handmade by artisans around the world. Noonday has provided a marketplace for these artisans' work, thereby creating income and helping boost the economy in impoverished areas. I talked about orphan prevention a few months ago (read it here), and Noonday is a way for me to get involved in a cause that is close to my heart. Another cool thing about Noonday is that when a person hosts a trunk show, there is an option to use it as an adoption fundraiser. I love this company! We are working on both ends of the orphan crisis: helping first families provide for and keep their children AND helping cover the cost of adoption for those children who need second families. Awesome.

     As I am just getting started with Noonday Collection, and since it isn't extremely well-known, I am going to do a little giveaway! Go visit www.jenniferhostetler.noondaycollection.com, check out the products, read some of the artisans' stories. Then - comment and tell me what your favorite piece is and why AND share this blog on your Facebook page. (You can comment under the blog OR where I shared the blog on my Facebook page.) The prize? A $50 Noonday Collection gift voucher! Remember, you have to comment AND share to have a chance to win! The deadline to enter the drawing is 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 14th, and a winner will be randomly picked Monday, July 15th. I'll notify the winner via Facebook.

     And now, back to 7: ironically enough, next up on our 7 list is stress. I know. Anyhoo, June was supposed to be Stress Month (bwahahaha) but in the mad chaos that was May, I never had a chance to get it all planned out. Sigh. I will sit down and get it all figured out this week - Stress Month begins Sunday. You heard it here first, folks. I need some online accountability to make sure I get this done. ;)

     I'll be back soon with the layout for our next 7 experiment... Until then, check out Noonday Collection (and maybe try a cupcake)!!!