Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!

Just a couple of weeks ago, we had a wonderful little baby shower for my sister-in-law.  Baby Joshua is due to come to us around Christmas so we celebrated a little!!

I made this fantastic fall dip for the occasion.  It is SO.  VERY.  YUMMY!!  It looks great on any harvest table and I guarantee it'll be the hit of any party!  We're having a little Pre-Hallow's Eve party with the boys and their friends on Friday and you can be certain I'll be serving this one! 

Pumpkin Harvest Dip

1 can pumpkin
1 tub whipped cream
2 Cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 pkg. softened cream cheese

Mix well and serve with graham crackers or gingersnaps.  OH YUMMY!

Enjoy this great recipe and many more over at Blessed With Grace! 

Happy Fall Y'ALL!

A little research is needed...

Oh my bloggy friends....

I NEED you!

I need help with my new work routine.  My new life routine.  My new life.

ACK!

So we've been at this for about 3 weeks now.  Boys are doing really well in school.  Of course, Big Boy is the overchiever that he is.  Straight Gold Stars.  Nothing else is acceptable.  In fact, yesterday he had continuous meltdowns because he wasn't allowed to be the leader.  You know.  Because he is...The Leader.  (his words...not mine!).  So it is even more apparent that our little A-type personality continues to develop.  Our parenting challenge continues to be teaching him to let go and just be.  It is a challenge.  He doesn't let go easily.

Little Man on the other hand....umm....not so much into pleasing others, let's just say.  Not straight Gold Stars.  I'm not saying that's bad....just waaayyy different than Big Boy.  He doesn't mind doing things his own way and certainly, if that doesn't fit what the teacher wants that day, well then.....so be it!  So we're trying to figure out how to keep him motivated in a much different way. 

No matter, they are both doing great in such very different ways.  I really thought it would be this way.

Me on the other hand?  Not as great!  I caught a lousy cold this week and have been ExHauSTeD!  It's been awful.  The new job is great though.  Huge.  Enormous.  A LOT different than life one month ago!  But a good different. 

I sat down at the computer this morning though to catch up and do a little research.  My bloggy friends, y'all ROCK when it comes to organizing and getting the proverbial shiiiitte together!  And I need your advisement!!  So I'm searching for ways to organize this house and home for two full-time working parents.  What works.  How to get ourselves prepped for the week, and how to keep it going all week long.  Five days is a millenia sometimes, ya know?! 

I'm starting with meal plans.  Gotta get that going.  Otherwise, KFC stock will increase dramatically, thank you.  And how to get these clothing issues sorted through.  Boys have uniforms.  I have a uniform.  Super Hubs has a uniform.  So how do we have 7 loads of laundry to do?  UGH!!

Any ideas my friends?  Can you help me out??

Trash to Treasure

I have been working on a few projects and here is one.

LOVE this treasure!! 

I took a wide black frame, purchased at Michael's on sale for $4 my friends.  SaWEET!!!  Added a little bit of fabric to the back with a bit o' Mod Podge....that stuff ROCKS my friends!!!  It goes on beautifully and that lovely green fabric is going nowhere folks!  Then spray painted the letter J for our last name and glued that on. 

Easy peasy!!  My idea of craftin'!! 

Hook on up over at Reinvented with my friend Kimm.  She's got so many more wonderful little trashy treasures!  ENJOY!!!

Are you wondering?

If you read my blog....and ahem, obviously.....

Anyhoo....y'all are probably wondering what's going on around here?  I've been a bit more than absent these past few days. 

Sorry folks.

Major life change.

I said MAJOR life change!

I got a job.  Another job.  And not just another job.  But a Monday through Friday kinda job.  Replaced all those other jobs I've been doing. 

What was I thinking? 

Actually, I was approached a few weeks ago by the hospital where I work, asking if I would take a nurse manager position.  Then they made it worthwhile, if yaknowwhatImean....  And I thought about it.  And we prayed about it.  A lot.  And decided in these economic times, we would do it.  I say we because it is such a HUGE change in our family that it truly had to be a family decision. 

We looked at schools for the boys and have found a fantastic Christian school in which we enrolled them.  They've been there for two weeks now and LOVE IT!  Really love it!!  And they are learning a lot, and having a ball with the other kids.  I kinda feel bad they haven't had that.  We have playdates but honestly, they are such social little guys that this is really fitting for them.  And I'm still in mourning over not being able to homeschool at this time.  I really wanted to.  But alas, we decided not to at this time.  It is always there if we want it and we may take advantage of it at another time in our lives.

We made this decision for many reasons, one is the financial aspect of it all.  Let's face it.  These are lean times and nursing is a great profession.  But also, in our grand master plan (our plan, not God's and we fully understand that....)  we may move again to be closer to family.  They live several states away.  And this opportunity would make me much more marketable in that endeavor, should we ever do it.  Always nice to have options.

And mostly, we prayed and truly felt that God put this into our lives at this time for a reason, His reason.  I'm not quite sure what that it is.  It may not be for me.  It may be for someone else.  Who knows?  He knows.  I fully trust that.  I fully trust that He will lead me through and that I will do my best to follow. 

I will be continuing the blog but maybe not quite as often as before.  I may not participate in as many carnivals and memes as I have.  But I'll keep y'all up to date on what is happening in our little world.  And I do have some terrific new pictures coming soon on the painting we've been doing and some of the cute little things I've gotten together.  I PROMISE!!  Coming soon!!! 

Works for Me Wednesday!

Today's WFMW is all about our favorite cleaning products.  Or favorite ways to clean. 

Me?  I use a variety of products.  This is by far, my favorite:

Smells WONDERFUL!  Cleans great! 

If I'm feeling a little environmentally conscience....and sorry folks, but sometimes convenience just outweighs my desire to save a plastic bottle.....then I just simply use vinegar and water.  Or vinegar and baking soda.  Or vinegar.  You get the point.

If you want to see my favorite ways to use vinegar, you can go here. 

But mostly, if I just get myself in the mood, I can clean like a mad woman.  But I gotta be in the mood.  This always helps me get in the mood! 

How about you?  What gets you in the mood to clean?  What works for you?

Let me know and then head on over to We Are THAT Family for more great cleaning tips on this edition of WFMW!!