gift suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
~ Owen Arnold

a couple more teen articles

ALLOWING KIDS TO FAIL - http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/2010/10/allowing-kids-to-fail/

“We can’t eliminate the risk that they might choose poorly. Kids still have their own minds. Had I become pregnant, it would not have been my mother’s fault; it would have been mine. But just because we can’t completely prevent destructive behaviour doesn’t mean we should give up.”

THE CURSE OF LOW EXPECTATIONS FOR TEENS - http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/2011/07/curse-of-low-expectations-for-teens/

“Our society seems to believe that children’s behaviour reflects completely upon parents, and so parents tend to do too much to cover up for kids’ failures. All we’re doing, though, is encouraging irresponsibility. Why not make children responsible for the things that are rightly theirs?”

“Allowing children to fail teaches children what real life is all about. ”

It’s Tough Being a Teen

A good article about teens - http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/2011/12/its-tough-being-a-teen/

LOVE this idea!

Coaster tray for big families, if you put your cup on on the tray it won't be dumped and put in the dishwasher!

Diana’s Innermost House

After reading this article and viewing the pictures of the Innermost House, I am thinking I would love to have a place like this some day.  So lovely and peaceful.

http://tinyhouseblog.com/timber-frame/dianas-innermost-house/

http://www.innermosthouse.com/

http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house/thank-you-tiny-house-blog-readers/

 

“Everything about the space is conceived to make a harmony of conversation possible.”

“how would you design, build and furnish a place so that those conversations could happen every day? That is the question we asked of every detail of Innermost House, and we are still asking it.”