Music Monday

Enjoy some of my favorite music today on Music Monday!!!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Sorry I've been gone...

We've had a bout with the flu the past few days....no, not that flu, but run-of-the-mill, fever and vomiting kind. The boys go from feeling fine, to throwing up to feeling fine again in a matter of hours. So we're still cleaning up from that. I will do my best to rejoin my lovely bloggy family in the next couple of days. In the meantime, please pray for SH & I that we don't get the bug.....no one to clean up after us if we get it! See you soon!!

It doesn't grow on trees, ya know?

There are two, strike that, many things that really worry me about our boys growing up. One of the main things now is the degree of influence upon them. Particularly when it comes to stuff. The wanting of stuff, the accumulation of stuff, the desire for STUFF. This is incredibly obvious if they are ever allowed to watch certain TV shows or networks that have that evil habit of marketing to children! You know the ones....the ones with every commercial with some new-fangled product like the latest super-hero shooter or the amazing-grow-your-own worm farm (I have news for you kiddos, that's called dirt and it is very likely in your own backyard...). I amazed at the garbage that is marketed to our children and how. My friend Dave Ramsey has an absolutely hysterical bit in his live event about "charge card Barbie". Suffice it to say, he does not endorse this particular Barbie and let's just say, Barbie doesn't quite look the same when he's done... I tend to agree. I think it is insane the way companies have marketed to our kids.

So to combat this issue and to keep me from losing my temper and cussing like a sailor (OK--not really but I want to...), we simply avoid those TV channels. Here is a novel idea....we don't allow our kids a 'treat' or toy or gift every time we go to a store. We talk often about how we don't get everything we want. We reserve gifts for special occasions....and Thursday afternoon is rarely a special occasion. We are trying very hard to combat the desire for stuff in our kids. Don't get me wrong...it doesn't always fly well. We still get whiney children who REALLY WANT IT! But we talk out loud about how 'money doesn't grow on trees' (the oldest is constantly looking for those dollar bills on the trees though...) and how special occasions are just that...special. They have not started Dave's suggestions of save/spend/tithe with their money. We will be starting that before too long. Up until now, their money from holidays, birthdays or whenever has simply went into the piggy bank and there it sits for the most part. So far, we've only had a couple of occasions where we've went to a store specifically to help them to buy something they want. Most times, we ask them to ask God, grandparents and us to remember what their wish list is for special holidays and they may get the item. We try not to base gifts on behavior necessarily, but we have been known to 'pay' for some yard work help (Big Boy works a good rake!) and potty training (Little Man required many, many, many different tactics to get the job done).

So what Works For Us is helping our kids to learn to do without. And learning that accumulating stuff is not necessary. Next task is to help them to clear out some older toys and items in their room that are no longer played with. We have a new baby coming to the family in December so we'll be sending some things to our new cousin soon!

Enjoy other Works For Me Wednesday posts over at We Are That Family!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Hey! Head on over to my friend Lisa at Blessed With Grace for TONS of great recipes and yummy tempting treats. But first, here is my suggestion for a quick, frugal and oh-so-perfect mid-week dinner....quiche! I make quiche about once a week and usually, make an extra for the freezer. This week, we'll be adding in some great fresh broccoli, cheese and leftover Easter ham. I never know what I'll come up with...I just use whatever is on hand and quick. It's fantastic and you'll love it too!

Basic Quiche
1 prepared pie crust from your grocer's freezer section (you can certainly make your own as well but they are cheap either way)
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk (I sometimes use evaporated milk for a creamier version and a bit more frugal too!)
2 Tbs. flour (mix well w/ a bit of the milk to prevent lumps)

Beat eggs and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Then you can add any of the following you like:

1 cup chopped veggies (we like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, tri-color peppers)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use any and everything, whatever is on hand from Velveeta to swiss)
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped meat (bacon, ham, hamburger, sausage, we've even used hot dogs!)

We usually add 1-2 veggies and cheese and not very often, meat. I adjust quantities if I'm using two different veggies and use 1/2 cup of one and 1/2 cup of another. It can get big very easily and you can easily stretch this into 2 quiches by adding ingredients. It all depends on your preference of ingredients. We often make this recipe to use up items that we don't have enough of for another full meal or are getting tired of it in some way. It is a great way to use up wilting veggies....they can be a bit older and soft and you won't notice. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 40 minutes until center is set. If the edges brown too much, cover with a thin strip of foil.

So here you have one of our very favorite frugal dinners! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!

Music Monday

I'm joining in on a really cool carnival this week; Music Monday! When you hit on Nessa's site , you'll get a bunch of really cool music, new and old. Join us and enjoy a little musica in your day!!

Alison Krauss is by far, my favorite artist of all time. I think she is talented beyond words and everything I've ever heard her sing, I truly love. This song is so simple, so beautiful and reminds me of home. It is very nostalgic for me. Reminds me of my beautiful grandparents, who were married for 68 years. I wear my grandmother's wedding band every day to remind myself that honestly, it is truly best to be simple. Obviously, with a love like that, she learned a lot about giving and never asking back.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Not that I've never been tempted...

But it is something I would never, ever, NEVER admit to Oprah!

"I looked in the back, and the kids were sleeping, which was literally a miracle from God, but the problem was I had to pee," she says. "So I'm thinking, 'If I stop at a rest area, they're totally going to wake up, and I do not want them to wake up.' So I reach into the diaper bag, I pulled out a diaper and I peed into it." (Quoted from a new mom to Oprah.)

Salt Sand

We did this little project a while back and we'll be doing it again this next week. The boys LOVED it and I loved that clean-up was super easy! It is Salt Sand--colored salt that resembles sand. We made it one day while working on our color recognition and color combinations. I'm SO sorry--this was before I really started blogging and it never occurred to me to take pictures! I'll be sure to snap a few next time. Here is the 'recipe':

Salt Sand
1 Cup regular table salt, the cheap stuff!
3-4 drops food coloring
spoons
various plastic containers

Pour 1 cup of salt into the container. We used this opportunity to teach measuring, numbers and counting. Drop 3-4 drops of food coloring in each container. We used this opportunity to teach color recognition and liquid vs. solids. Stir each with a spoon to mix the colors. There you have it! Instant salt "sand". The boys then proceeded to play for two full days, measuring out the salt into different containers, combining colors to make a new color (one of which was, of course, a lovely shade of grey from all the colors combining!), playing in it with measuring spoons and cups. Best of all, although they played on the back porch, if some of it got into the house, I didn't worry much. A quick vacuum and it was gone. And all the containers cleaned up nicely because obviously, salt is water soluble and left nothing. Unlike sand---which I REFUSE to have a sand box, for this very reason. I'm NOT dealing with any more sand in Florida!

So there you have one of our favorite activities! Head on over to Sarah at I Blame Mom for more Kid Friendly Friday posts and ideas! Have a great weekend, y'all!

Oh distractions & desires!

I've decided that my outside job is really impeding on my life right now. I don't work that much---part-time on the weekends and I pick up teaching jobs here and there. But I'm not wanting to do any of it right now. And it is because of this new blogging hobby I have going....and all the wonderful things I'm seeing and learning about!! I REALLY want to be at home trying to paint furniture, helping my kids to create fun art projects, getting the garden tilled and planted....the list goes on and on and on! I would SO rather be doing these things! I'm thinking maybe if I make myself a list, gather my goals all in one place, that *maybe* I might, just might, get something accomplished and feel so much better! Here is my list...

1) paint two side tables for the living area. Something like this.
2) create a wall collage for the spare bedroom--I'm thinking canvas squares with various colored scrap paper collages
3) learn to crochet wash cloths
4) paint the master bath's accessories....because I truly cannot stand pastel lavender/green/mauve any more!
5) re-do the bathroom. I was thinking of getting rid of the wallpaper border....Little Man A.K.A. 'The Psychic' figured that out and was so kind to RIP THE PAPER off in two very obvious places! Guess we'll move this one up the list now...
6) paint the family area
7) paint a few of the kitchen accessories--getting rid of the light green and going more dark green/gold-brown/deep brown colors. Very Tuscany-like.
8) going to do some window mistreatments...yes, you heard it....mistreatments much like my creative friend at Thrifty Decor Chick. In fact, she really is to blame for all this angst....I SO want to grow up and be just like her!
9) container garden at least 4 new veggies in the next month.
10) work on the boy's homeschool 'curriculum' that starts in August.

OK, OK...please stop me! It'll take me a month of Sundays to get even one of these done! But there---the first step to recovery is to create a plan, right?!

Frugal Fabric Softener

I found a new way to extend the life of our fabric softener! SH doesn't mind saving money but he sure misses our clothes smelling really "perfume-y" (grad school failed me there.....! what is the correct term?!). So I'm gonna take this tip from Michelle Duggar of The Duggar Family on TLC--you know, the family with 18 kids! I am not the kind of woman to bear 18+ children---no way---but I do like her ideas on how to AFFORD 18+ children!

Fabric Softener-Extender
1 container of name-brand fabric softener
4 inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour a whole container of softener into a five-gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice (two parts water to one part softener). Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use, wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

Excellent & Frugal! Love it!! Head on over to We Are That Family for more WFMW tips!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!

One of SH's favorite dishes is a staple in our house. He eats on the road so much that I really try to make something he especially loves when he is home. Wifely duty and all.... Here it is:

Shrimp Scampi & Rice

1 lb. large, shelled, deveined shrimp
1/2 stick butter
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic (more if you really like garlic--we do!)

Saute the butter and garlic in 2 Tbs. of the butter, until slightly golden brown. Add shrimp. Saute shrimp until pink-watch it closely. It only takes a couple of minutes. Removed shrimp from pan. Add remaining butter and chicken broth. If liquid is too thin, I usually mix up a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch in a bit of broth and add to the liquid. It'll thicken up quickly. Toss the shrimp back in and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Not much longer or it will make the shrimp too rubbery. Serve hot over steamed rice. We'll use whatever rice we have on hand but SH especially loves this over yellow rice. Side dish ideas include steamed broccoli, steamed snow peas or sauteed green beans. The kids even love shrimp and honestly, though this should make enough for 3-4 servings, many times I'll double it and we still eat it all! Enjoy!!

Head on over to Blessed With Grace for lots more tummy tempting goodies! And over to Blissfully Domestic for more wonderful recipes!! Enjoy!

On Solid Ground

There are times that I falter in my direction. That I don't know where I'm going, cannot quite grasp where I am and question every little bit of where I've been. Now, is not one of those times. I'm standing on solid ground. And I need to say that out loud. Often.

I'm as happy as happy can be these days. Sure, I could complain that sometimes there is still more month left at the end of the money. There still are endless dots followed by listings on my to-do list. Two boys that have more energy in one day than I believe I could bottle up and save for the next five years. People, lots and lots of people, with one expectation after another. That cannot stop me. That doesn't deter me. I'm good. It's all good right now. I have enough. I am enough. It is all, enough. So I want to share a poem that was given to me so many, many years ago. I do not remember the name of the wonderful woman who gave it to me. But I do remember she gave this to me when life was not enough. She saw my pain and gave me hope. I held onto it for all these years, tucked away in a journal that I no longer read. I don't have that much pain to write about any more. I still remember it though. Reading it today makes me realize that I have enough. These words, they are easier to digest today. The words, are seen through eyes that are not clouded by pain, and despair, and doubt. I think it is so very important to remember this in good times, not just in bad. Remember them in health, and not just in sickness.

Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
-Max Ehrmann, poet

Easter via a 4 year old...

When we go to church and the kids come to the service with us (instead of Sunday School), we always let them put the tithe in the plate. We call it "Jesus money". So, this morning, while in church, both boys got their "Jesus Money" to put into the plate when it was passed. Here is how that went down....

"Here, honey, put the money into the plate when it comes. This is our Jesus money for this week"...Mama says.

Big Boy replies...."OK. Jesus is dead, right?"

"Well yes, He died but today he is Risen and goes to heaven", I reply.

Big Boy...."Yeah, Jesus is dead and then the Easter Bunny saved him".


There you have it....



And here are some pics of the gifts that the Easter Bunny left for the boys...baseball equipment and skates! Lots of fun for all!



That last pic is Big Boy feeding the birds...or squirrels, whichever comes first. Protective equipment is optional...

Hope you all have a Blessed Easter day!

Awesome Preschool Sites!

This week I thought I would share some of Big Boy and Little Man's favorite websites. Little Man actually does very little on the computer because he just doesn't have the tolerance to sit still very long. But Big Boy really enjoys "doing school" stuff and fun activities on the computer. He doesn't get a lot of time. Just a bit a few times a week. But I think it adds a bit to his "homeschool/preschool" education and honestly, it gives me a bit of a much-needed break sometimes! So here are some of our favorite sites. We hope you enjoy them too!

Starfall: This fantastic site helps Big Boy learn his letters, sight words, phonics and so much more! This is probably his favorite site and is probably my favorite as well.

Noggin: This is the site that refers to the Noggin channel on cable TV. Noggin claims to be "preschool on TV". Not that I think that preschool can be done on TV. But we tend to prefer this channel, when the boys do watch TV, over anything else. It does not have commercials for junk food, toys or inappropriate content. In fact, it doesn't have commercials at all!! The site is wonderful too as it has games and activities that supplement their favorite shows. They love to color on the printable pictures! Some of the games do a great job of reinforcing positive values and manners as well.

Sesame Street: We've not been on this site too much. It does seem to really offer about the same as the other major sites as Noggin and Disney. Our boys prefer Disney but like this at times as well.

Preschool Express: I love this site for tons of great ideas for activities, crafts, letters, colors, numbers, etc... etc...

No Time For Flash Cards: LOVE LOVE LOVE this site! I have a button on the sidebar that you can go directly to see Allie. As I have said before, she is the McGyver of all things preschool AND creative! It's a SuPeR fun site!

Playhouse Disney: Big Boy really enjoys the games on this site. It does have a lot more commercialization than the others but it is fun and keeps his attention well.

Those are our most-visited sites. How about you? What are your favorite Kid Friendly, preschool sites? Help us discover some new ones! And hop on over this Easter Weekend to Sarah at I Blame My Mother for more Kid Friendly Friday posts!

Raising Polite Kids

We received, what I believe, is one of the nicest compliments ever, just the other day. Friends of ours, rather 'new' friends, invited us over for dinner and a play date with Big Boy's BFF. These two boys get along famously and we, as parents, do as well. We've really grown fond of the whole family. And they paid us the nicest compliment the other day. We had not seen them for about 2 weeks, because of back-to-back vacations for them and us. When we saw them, both of our boys ran up to hug the mom and dad, before running to play with the boy. They were very excited to see everyone, parents as well as the boys. And that was the compliment. The mom, my friend, noticed how friendly our boys are to them, as parents. They were genuinely excited to see both the mom and dad. And she noticed that particular quality. "They are always so excited to see us as well as our son. That is wonderful!" she stated. And, though I had not really noticed, it didn't surprise me. Our children are expected to greet both adult and children, everyone who is in the room or in the family, when we visit other families. We see it as a sign of respect. And from the time they were capable of waving hi or blowing a kiss, we've encouraged them to greet our guests and say goodbye when they were leaving. It never occurred to us that it was a "novelty" but now we have noticed that not all kids are taught this. But we have always made it an expectation and it comes very naturally at this point. And it was so nice to have someone notice. Raising polite and respectful children is high on our list of priorities. We spend a great deal of time talking to them and demonstrating to them, how to be respectful to others. They watch us so closely and it is necessary to show them how to be respectful, as well as openly discussing respect. We identify how others are not kind or respectful, when we see it. Big Boy has gotten quite astute at picking these things up and talks about it often. That is What Works For Us---raising polite, respectful kids. And how wonderful that it is starting to show!

Hop on over this week to We Are That Family for more WFMW tips!

Tempt Your Tummy!

YUMM! Those that know me know that I LOVE to cook....and I love food! I'm just a recovering 4-H kid from Iowa really.....we all learned how to cook at the youngest of ages. Mine was 5, believe it or not. I remember standing on chairs that I would slide up to the counter area and help my mom cook and do dishes. I loved it. Still love it. Cook every day--even after working a 13-hour shift at the hospital. It helps me to unwind and honestly, it is where I feel most at home and most competent in this crazy world. So I'm jumping in on this carnival from Lisa over at Blessed With Grace. Here is one of my favorite comfort food, potluck, take-to-a-new-mama recipes that I just did for someone yesterday. Warning! It is not very waist-friendly, so I don't make it at home much. But everyone LOVES it!

Hash Brown Potato & Ham Casserole

3 Cups hash brown (grated) potatoes (either frozen/thawed or grated by hand)
1 1/2 Cups diced ham (for extra deep flavor, I will often use a leftover baked ham from Easter or another holiday--in a pinch I buy diced ham out of the deli area)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper (or to taste)
1 1/2 Cups grated cheddar cheese

Mix all together well in a large bowl. Spray a 9x9 square baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer hash brown mixture in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. You can sprinkle the top with more cheese toward the end if you like more cheese---and who doesn't want more cheese? Geesh!

That's it! Ultimate comfort food--and pretty cheap and frugal to make. Our boys gobble it up in no time and always ask for more. Enjoy all the other recipes over at Lisa's blog and Tempt Your Tummy!!

Do I or don't I?

I've been thinking a lot lately about our homeschooling aspirations. And am more convinced now than ever that it is definitely something we're going to do. Starting in August. Which is when Big Boy would be starting a VPK (voluntary Pre-K program) if we sent him somewhere. Little Man is still 3 but chomping at the bit to be everything that his big brother is. Here is where I need help from my wonderful bloggy family.....I'm unsure if we should start a curriculum or if we should just go with what we've been doing. I've done tons of research on the 'net and some reading. I truly believe in the power of play, free time for children of preschool ages. I believe this is where they learn the most important lessons at this point; how to share, cooperation, patience, relationship-building with children of all ages. We do a lot of that. We have friends that are both the boys' ages, friends with older kids, younger kids and many friends with no children. We take our boys just about everywhere we go and they are learning to play alone, with each other and with kids of all ages. We review basics. We've been teaching, mostly Big Boy, colors, numbers, shapes, letters. We do need to incorporate Little Man a little more on these lessons, but it is difficult since his attention span is so much shorter than Big Boy's. So here is our dilemma....Do we start a true curriculum at this point or keep proceeding as we are? If we do start one, which one do we go with? We are very interested in a Christian component as we do incorporate Bible stories at this time but they are just that, stories and "entertainment". I found a few books over the weekend that I will be ordering. They mainly discuss the power of play and how integral play is in the formation of healthy children. They would, I guess, be more geared toward the "go with what is working" thought in this discussion. So, what about you? Have you homeschooled preschoolers? What did you do?

Kid Friendly Friday!

In this house, we love us some smooooooothies! The boys and SH request them often and I happily comply. Because they are healthy, and easy, and best of all, so very very yummy! Here is our basic recipe:

--Crushed ice (about 1 inch in the bottom of a large 16oz. tall glass)
--1/4 to 1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free plain or vanilla yogurt
--splash of skim milk or water (depending on creaminess desired)

That's our basic recipe. Then we add whatever is on our minds for the day. Today, we had strawberry-banana smoothies. One 1/2 large banana and a few strawberries. Then we mix them up with our hand blender. Sometimes we add greens such as spinach or kale. It makes it a terrible green-brown color when you add it into the strawberries but it is OH. SO. DELICIOUS! It's more green without the strawberries but not quite as yummy. Even the boys love green smoothies! SH, not so much... But we drink them often to get in some good doses of vitamins and beta carotene.

Make yourself up some smoooooothies next time for a snack, breakfast or even lunch! They are delish and so good for you!!

Because I must: An evening of recovery

After a vacation (especially with family), we find ourselves in need of 'decompression'. We've had plenty of time with one another and usually need a break from all the visiting, reminiscing and general talk that happens when you are around family for several days. On the day we return, and if we are REALLY lucky, more than one afternoon or day, we get to do this. We have sort of a routine when we get back. First, we all change into our most comfy pajamas or sweats. Then I put on a pot of soup or something similar. Something we can 'graze' from for the remainder of the day, that involves very little effort on my part. Then we all retreat into our preferred spaces. SH usually plops in front of some of his favorite recorded shows or works on his computer photo stuff. Boys either vegetate in front of mindless cartoons or Big Boy enjoys doing preschool activities on the computer. I usually take a few minutes to get myself reorganized in my kitchen (which is where I feel most at home), or sometimes will put a few things away, start some laundry or take a bit of a nap. We basically just wander around aimlessly and without any expectations for the day. It's really nice. All too soon we have to jump back into the world's expectations of work, school, play dates, teaching, etc...etc...etc... The last day of vacation is truly for us to relish in the fleeting moments of nothingness. It is wonderful and gone, all too soon. This really Works for Me and my family!

So how do you recover from vacation? I would love to know how others deal with the need for decompression before heading back into the real world. And for more great WFMW tips and this week's Backward Edition, head on over to We are That Family!

His Plan....

It happened so quickly and within a moment, it was gone. But we are supposed to recognize, aren't we? That nothing is without His plan. Nothing happens randomly. It is His plan. Nothing is pure circumstance. It is His plan. Nothing is without His Hands, guiding and redirecting, swerving and moving them to the left and to the right. Leaving the stranded, broken vehicle in the middle of the busy interstate. Giving the driver several more precious moments to move it out of the lane of traffic. He moved the semi-truck moments before it slammed violently into the back of the car, certainly leaving little but fatal tragedy in it's wake. I watched it with my own eyes. I watched as the cars jeered left and right, away from the stranded vehicle that held my loved ones. They were a mere hundred yards away but they may have easily been a hundred miles. I could not reach them. I could not touch them. I could not protect them from sitting in the middle of the mess. Only He could. Only He did. It was mere moments before thoughts were gathered, a plan devised and we were able to get the broken car out of the lanes of traffic. And then the tears of relief. The overwhelming sense of near tragedy. The recognition that it was not their time. It was not their time. It was not His plan. It was His plan. It was His plan. It was His plan. Thank you Great Father. Thank you. Thank. You.

I'm squealing like a girl!

AHH!! You've just GOT to see my fantastic find today!! AHHH!! Really....truly....I'm squealing like a girl. And I never squeal like a girl! Mainly because I'm not that girly most of the time. But I've really been trying to be a bit more girly. I think SH likes it. So.....check out my find:





Aren't they adorable??!!! And are you ready for the BEST part? Drumroll please........................they were exactly $4.00 for each pair!! The polka dot ones are Keds and the flowery ones are Skechers! Regular price was like $45! WOW!!! I'm not sure if I've every hit such a bargain!! And now, my friends, I'm a die-hard fan of Bealls. Can't beat it! LOVE IT! I get to be girly....I get to be girly....watch me dance in the living room.....I get to be girly!!

Debbie's Green Bags

I've never bought anything from one of those As Seen On TV ads. I never thought I would. Then my aunt told me about Debbie's Green Bags. All I can say is...WOW! They really work! I can keep green beans for well over a week! I keep bananas in them for several more days than we need...they get eaten pretty quickly in this house. I put all my fruits and veggies in them first thing when I bring them home. I've been known to keep something in there just to see how long it would last.....I remember it being like 3 weeks or something like that. And it was still edible!! So here ya go....my official As Seen on TV endorsement....Debbie's Green Bags. I didn't get mine from the website...I bought them at CVS or Wags or something like that. About $10 for several bags. And you can reuse them for quite awhile. This really WORKS FOR ME!!

Go ahead and hop on over to We Are That Family for more great WFMW tips!!!

Tips for packing it up!

We'll be heading to the great state of Texas to visit SH's family this week so blogging for the next week will be sporadic.

In the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with some tips of what makes our lives easier when we travel. We travel several times a year as our families for the most part, live in other states. Most of our travel is by airplane so we've experienced the stress of delays, cancellations and other airline-related ill fates! The boys do rather well I think and I've learned how to make the trip as painless as possible. Here are a few of our tricks:

--Both boys have their own backpacks with their names embroidered on them. I spend a little extra on a great pack. It is worth it to know the handles and zippers will not break!
--They have great pride in their "packpacks"! They are expected to take one change of clothing. Then they get to pick 2-3 small toys of their choice. Then I pack at least 1-2 small books.
--I read this great little tip on how to transport crayons....in a small travel soap dish! It is the perfect size for crayons and I've purchased two cheapies from the dollar store for each of them. In goes a small coloring book. That's about it. The boys honestly, are very entertained by the activities in the airport and on the runway so they really don't even bother to get into their bags until they are well into the flight.
--I always hit Dollar Tree before a trip and get several new little trinkets. I always have something in my bag to entertain them....not expensive but new and almost always entertaining.
--If we are experiencing a long layover or delay, I try to find a child friendly area or play area for them to run around in. I'll find a quiet(er) hallway or corner and play red light/green light with them. It helps to burn off the energy! We'll play "I spy" a lot! And if we find a play area (Atlanta has a great play area for kids!), we'll go over there and kill time.
--Each flight really has to be two hours or less. We've only traveled further than that one time, when Big Boy was one year old and Little Guy was still in utero! That time, we went on a 30-hour flight to another country. I honestly can't recall how we survived! I remember being exhausted and have not yet done it again! Two hours or less, I say!
--Pack snacks! I make sure I pack granola/cereal bars, nuts, small treats. I don't like to have to wait for the cart and I'm not willing to pay for these items either.
--Everything I need goes into one tote bag. A small bag of hygiene/make-up items, small purse, snacks, book, Tide pen, an extra blouse and camera.
--One suitcase for boys and I. SH travels a lot so he has his own bag. I use an large suitcase and fit in all the boys stuff and mine. We pack enough for a few days and anything beyond that, we do laundry somewhere. I check the suitcase in--it is just too much otherwise.
--My IPod for myself, if I'm so lucky that the boys sleep on the plane and I can "zone". If not, the games for Big Boy! SH always takes a few movies on his computer for whoever is sitting next to him.

Hopefully we'll have lots of great little pictures of our travels. I'll do my best! Gotta get the housesitter set up, pack up the bags and get on the jet plane.....See you soon!!

You like me? You REALLY REALLY like me??!!

I'm channeling Sally Fields right now!! This very sweet, sweet, sweetie Sarah over at I Blame My Mother just gave me my very FIRST bloggy award! AWWWW!! Y'all are gonna make me tear up!!! Honestly, I'm SO touched! I feel like a newborn in this blog world and I've yet to quite find my toes, if you know what I mean? So this is a very nice thing to give such a newbie and I'm truly honored! Thank you Sarah!! So here are Seven Things I Love--I'll do my best!

1. Being a Mama.
2. The smell of fresh cut hay from the fields (I don't get the scent too often here in FL--mostly a memory from long ago...)
3. This bloggy world! I learn SO much and enjoy it immensely!
4. Reading just about anything (fiction, biographies, mags, anything!)
5. My dear wonderful sweet family.
6. Bread, fresh from the oven slathered with sweet creamy Irish butter.
7. Entertaining--SH and I really love to have people over, grilling out, eating and laughter.

There it goes....there are SO many more but hopefully, I'll keep them under wraps until I unveil one of those '100 things about me' lists. Here are Seven wonderfully Kreative and fun blogs that I look at almost every day:

--We Are That Family This is a fantastic Kreativ blog!
--Journey Mama Rae doesn't know me at all but she has been essential in my journey to start writing again....I love her writing! Check her out!
--No Time For Flash Cards Allie is the McGyver of preschool activities! Cool site!
--Thrifty Decor Chick Sarah is one thrifty decorating goddess!
--in His Grace Chrissie is a beautiful artist and I love her work!
--Frugal Dad I'm sure that Frugal Dad will be a bit shocked to be named one of my fav Kreativ bloggers but I learn SO much from this site!! It's essential in my journey become debt free!!
--And I gotta mention Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer. She REALLY has helped motivate me to get this blog off the ground. Love her blog!!

Your job now is to copy the award and hand it off to seven of your favs. Thanks for all of you that have motivated me start Because I Must. I could not have done it without your blogs showing me the way! Now go spread the love!

And the cycle continues...

I witnessed a very interesting conversation between the Big Boy and Little Man the other day in the car.....

Big Boy: You are bacon.

Little Guy: Am not.

Big Boy: You ARE bacon and I'm going to eat you!

Little Guy: I NOT, I Little Guy!

Big Boy (in his best singing voice): You are bacon and I'm eating your eyes....la la la la la la

Little Guy (screaming at this point): I'M NOT BACON, I LITTLE GUY!!!!

Big Boy continued singing about how he was eating bacon and Little Guy kept screaming about how he was NOT bacon and should not be eaten.

So as our world is disinegrating before our very eyes, the cycle of brotherly love continues....

What are the Rules?

I'm so proud I could just pop! Big Boy asked me that question just the other day before we went on an errand and went to the store. "What are the rules, Mama?" I'm SO PROUD that he actually pays attention! You see, we review three very specific, simple and effective rules, every time we go somewhere with the boys. They are:

--Quiet voices
--Walking feet
--Listening ears

That's it. Sums it up nicely. And it works! And it's very Kid Friendly! At 3 & 4 years old, they understand it. It works for just about any situation. And most importantly, they follow them rather well. Try it! We review these 3 rules every time we go somewhere, whether it is to the doctor office, the grocery store, someones home or church. It's Kid Friendly Friday folks....what is your Kid Friendly tidbit?

I Blame My Mother has other great tips to make your life more Kid Friendly! See you there!

Dear Me, 1984,

Happy Birthday Sweet 16! Now I know that you think that this is, like, the best day ever. But let me tell you about a few days that will be even better. I know, I know, hard to believe, isn't it? After all, you are 16, you've got your driver's license, you and the girls get to go to Happy Joe's Pizza in the BIG city and there will not be an adult in the car! But it does get a bit better as time goes on. You know that wild boy you are dating? The one who truly makes your heart and head spin? The ONE? Well, he's not the one. In fact, he's only the one for a couple of more years. Then sadly, he breaks your heart and yes, you break his and you both move on. That's the good part. You move on to fall in love again, and again and finally, again. That last finally, well...it was truly love that time and truly worth the others not working out. It will be several years before you find him but have faith. He is there. He will be not only the love of your life, but your very best friend (along side your other very best friend, who is in the passenger seat right now....don't fear, she's always there...). He will be the one you travel all over the world with. He will be the one who keeps you warm and the one who encourages to makes steps in directions you don't think you are even remotely interested in. He's a challenge that one. But worth every minute you'll wait for him.

There are other goodies waiting up ahead of you too. Believe it or not, you're gonna get on an airplane and travel to places far, far away. You'll get out of that little town in Iowa and believe it or not, you'll stay away. Now before you start protesting, it's okay! You're going to be the one who chooses to stay away. Not because you don't love all these people that surround you today. But because they love you. They cheer you on. They want you to go explore the world. In fact, Daddy encourages you to go figure out if you like living other places. And he'll never ask you to come back. He looks forward to your every visit and telling him the tales of your travels. Just understand that he doesn't fly and will more often than not, expect you to come home rather than he come to you. That's okay too. It gives you a chance to see those best friends.

You'll find that you can really trust yourself. You've got great instincts. I know you think that today. It'll be a few years before you believe it. You'll figure out that your gut is most often correct, whether it's the answer on your graduate school exams (yes, you do love school, even though you say you don't now...), the time you had to say goodbye to Love #2 because you knew it wasn't where you were supposed to be or when you become a mom. You've got GREAT intuition. Like you told your mom, just a few days ago. You already know what is right, you just have to have opportunities to choose what is right. And you pretty much always do.

You are going to be a mom! I know that doesn't play into your plan right now. Those birth control pills hidden under your mattress work pretty well! And it won't happen for another 15 years or so. You do a lot of searching your soul before it happens. And that's a good thing. Because that mom thing? It's the best gig you'll ever have! You will wake up many, many years from now, surrounded by two little men that absolutely adore you. Their chubby little fingers will wrap themselves around your strong hands, much like you do with your mom. Always trying to see how small they are compared to how big you are. And they'll look at you the same way you look at your mom. Like you are the universe. You are their universe! You wait a long time to become a mom. Not until Love #3, the one who truly matters. But you'll learn a lot between now and then. And you'll have that great intuition and great love. There will be days when you don't get it right. You aren't perfect. But mostly, you love and teach and guide and nurture and try harder every day. You'll get it wrong sometimes but mostly, you'll get it right.

So, even though today is going to be one of the best, there are still many bests to come. You'll have birthdays that you remember, like this one. They will be imprinted on your brain and you'll be grateful and laugh when you think about them. There will be birthdays that you don't remember. The year will go by completely uneventful and you'll not have a clue what you did that day. There will be birthdays, like that 30-year-old one, that you'll spend in a cabin with all your girlfriends (yes, even she in the passenger seat is there...), drinking wine, listening to great music and laughing so hard you'll fall over. That's a pretty good one too. And when you are 41, you'll wake up lying next to your youngest son. You'll look at his long dark eyelashes, kiss them softly and thank God for him. You'll spend a moment on the phone with Love #3 because he's not there but as always, he's thinking of you and wishes he was. You'll peek at your oldest son lying in his bed and wonder if you'll ever tire of just watching him breathe. You won't. And you'll spend the day well. You may indulge in a pedicure, you may wander around a bookstore or two because that is your favorite place still. You'll remember to thank God for all of His blessings because you know then, more than now, that He really has a Great Plan for you. By then, you'll trust Him a lot more than now. So have a good day, Me, 1984. Treasure it. Happy Birthday.

You, 2009

Works for Me Wednesday--Finger Paints for Kids!

This is how we do fingerpaints. I bought a super cheap ice cube tray. Different color paints go into each little cube. The big boy, Batman, uses one side and the little guy, Superman, uses the other. Eventually Superman takes over the entire event and paint is everywhere.....but it starts off handy and contained. That Works for Me!!

Head on over to We Are That Family for more wonderful little WFMW tips and tidbits

Our windfall

We received our income tax return last Friday. Now before all my frugal friends and Personal Finance gurus scream, I'll just come out of the closet and say that yes, it was a return and yes, it is a bit of a return. Before y'all scream at us about how we are loaning our government free money and how that is the number one sin in the eyes of PF'ers around the country....just relax. We understand all that. And we've discussed it. And we are keeping things just as they are, thank you very much! We've decided that what is best for us is that we will continue to keep our return the way it is. The interest that could be earned on the money, should we save it, would be relatively minor. We like having a "windfall". We like a little surge in the budget once a year. It is purely psychological and it works for us. So we're keeping it that way. Thank you for your concern.

Now....what we find as the most enjoyable part is the diversion of funds when we get our windfall. This is how we're dividing up our return this year:

-Some to our emergency fund to beef it up a bit.
-Property taxes that are not put into escrow.
-Homeowner's Association dues for 2009.
-Upgrade computer equipment to better accommodate the software for my husband's photography business.
-Pay off a couple of debts.

That is how we are doing it this year. And it feels really good to have some resolution to outstanding debts (the taxes, HOA dues) and a little extra for the computer equipment. We are followers, albeit not religiously, of Dave Ramsey's principles. Have you heard of Dave? He is a fantastic Personal Finance advisor and we use his principles outlined in the Total Money Makeover. Now Dave would really chastise us for loaning the government money and for that, we'll take our licks. We do follow his Baby Steps and think that his overall program is sound. We're on Baby Step 2--eliminating all debt. We've got a bit of all the steps tackled and did before joining him. Now we are trying to refine our budget and work on things in his method. If you haven't checked him out, we'd really encourage you to take a look! Check us out again in the future to be able to hear us scream "We're Debt Free!!"

We want Panpakes!!

That was the cry I heard much too early this morning. The boys absolutely love their panpakes (that would be our speak for pancakes...). And I make them as frugally as I can from a great recipe I got on my very favorite recipe site, www.allrecipes.com


Here is our favorite recipe for delicious panpakes:

Truck Stop Buttermilk Pancakes
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
5 cups buttermilk
5 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt (optional)
5 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter and buttermilk. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar; stir into the wet ingredients just until blended. Adjust the thickness of the batter to your liking by adding more flour or buttermilk if necessary.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side. Continue with remaining batter.

Here is the link for more great pictures and those delicious panpakes!

Kid Friendly Friday! Raising Responsible Kids

Super Hubby & I started on the family a little later than many. I'm...ahem...what you would call an 'older mom'. It was intentional, and luck I suppose. But I always knew that this parenthood gig would be one of great importance. And I didn't take on the thought, nor the actuality of it, lightly. I knew it was time when Super Hubby and I found one another and decided that we'd venture through the rest of our lives, together. I knew he would be a great dad because we talked long and often about our values. One of those values that we agreed upon so adamantly was the concept of raising responsible kids. Responsible not only for themselves, but each other, responsible to God and truly for their world that surrounds them.

We've also realized that in the mere four years that we've been working at this task, how truly monstrous the task at hand is. So we try very hard to break it into smaller increments and work the value of responsibility in at every opportunity we can. Daily, we talk aloud at how they must be responsible for their environment. The house belongs not just to Mama and Daddy but to us all and we all must care for it. Now before you envision child labor, I'll clarify that at 3 & 4 years old, we give them age-appropriate responsibilities. Here is a list of things we have them do already:

*The oldest is responsible to help feed the dogs. He cannot reach the food yet but once I've gotten the container for him, he places the food in their respective dishes and calls them to eat.
*Both boys take recycled items to the bins in the garage.
*They clear their dirty dishes from the table and place them into the sink after meals.
*They help set the table before meals.
*They help clear their toys and pick up their room, daily. They don't get everything in the correct place but as long as the attempt is made, we consider it success!
*Yesterday they helped in the yard, raking leaves and cleaning up. This really rather equated to raking a few leaves into a pile with their kid-sized rakes but we talked a lot about responsibility of keeping the yard looking nice. They were pretty proud of their leaf pile!
*They throw away their own trash instead of just handing it to a parent.

It doesn't really equate to a lot of work, but all of these little tasks, and the discussions about responsibility that go with them will add up over time. We use the word RESPONSIBILITY a lot in our home. We want them to understand the concept and more importantly, practice it often. What we don't know yet, obviously, is the difficult task of teaching and enforcing responsibility as they grow. What we do feel very confident in though, is how teaching this particular value now at these young ages prepares them so much more for the challenging tasks that lie ahead.

Head on over to http://iblamemom.blogspot.com/ for more Kid Friendly Friday bits of wisdom! It's fantastic!

Fruits of our Labor

Lookee what we did today!! My wonderful Aunt and I got together and made strawberry jam! YUM!! We are pretty no-nonsense about it....we simply use the recipe from the Sure-Jell package insert which gives super easy, simple directions to follow. Here in Florida, it is strawberry season and they are absolutely marvelous right now! So here you have it....for about $30 for strawberries, supplies and then 3 hours of our time, we put up 12 pints of jam, 12 half-pints (the jelly size jars) and several batches of strawberry puree for the freezer. We'll use the puree for smoothies, milkshakes and margaritas in the future! OH HOW YUMMY!!!

My lifesaver....my IPod.

I love it. I really really love it. I didn't think I would love it. In fact, when my SH gifted me a couple of years ago on Christmas morn, I believe I said something like....'OK, thanks. That'll be great. I hope I'll use it.' Then I didn't use it. For a long time. And finally, out of guilt and a wee bit of curiosity, I hooked the thing up and downloaded some CDs. And then some pod casts and a couple of books. And listened. And guess what? I LOVE IT! It saves my life....err, sanity...many many MANY days when I've had enough of children and not enough of me. I just plug it in, put my earbuds on and do something mindless like clean my house! A little Dixie Chicks, a little Neil Diamond, a whole lotta Ray Charles and I'm in HEAVEN! A whole new world, my world, my isolative little IPod world. It really Works For Me!

I love technology sometimes...

Head on over to www.wearethatfamily.com for more wonderful little Works For Me Wednesday stuff!

Crockpot kind of day

Today is a crockpot kind of day....There have been at least 1-2 people in the house that have been sick for the past week. And today is my turn. UGH! So in light of the lack of energy, the general blah! kinds of feelings and absolutely no desire to accomplish anything, I will resort to my one of my top favorite kitchen tools...the crockpot.

Not sure what I'm making yet but I'm quite certain it'll be from this site, http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/. I LOVE this site! We follow a relatively low-glycemic diet in this house. It just makes sense for us and I cannot tolerate too many carbs, especially white, refined carbs. So we generally stay away from them and eat a lot of beans and chicken, and I try to add as many veges as I can fit it. I have just about any kind of meat that I can use today. I have beans. I have some very yummy fresh green beans or some wonderful looking brussels sprouts that I could add into something too.

So I'm off to load up the crockpot and then back to bed to recover. See you tomorrow!

Kid Friendly Friday!

So I found this great carnival over at http://iblamemom.blogspot.com/. It's Kid Friendly Friday! And I loved the idea and knew immediately I wanted to join. Then the panic set in about what I should write about. (I hate being the new-kid-on-the-blog-block....). Then it hit me....our family schedule. Which is chaos to those on the outside and to Super Hubby and I, it is Kid Friendly. See, SH travels for a living. And his schedule changes every month and sometimes, even every week. And since we also don't have much family that lives here in this state, we don't have a lot of options for childcare.

So I work weekends. For my sacrifice of every Saturday and Sunday, it's like having a full-time job, as far as benefits and pay are concerned. The differential pay is good and I'm only required to do those 2 days a week. I never thought I'd love it....when I did this it was simply for a year or two until I could figure out something else. I was not going to give up weekends, Sunday church, family time, etc.... What we discovered though is that our kids don't know the difference between Tuesday or Saturday. It doesn't matter if we get to the beach, or the park, or some shopping on Thursday morning or Saturday afternoon. In fact, many of the places we go to in the middle of the week are less crowded, cheaper and a whole lot less stressful during those times. SH usually can get a weekday off here and there. He gets home every weekend to watch the boys. I get a weekend off once in a while. It's working out beautifully and I love it. Our kids love it. It so works for us and it is wonderfully kid friendly. Our boys don't go to preschool or daycare. We "homeschool preschool" at this point. We spend tons of family time together--much more than the typical family that works 9-5, Monday thru Friday. I feel like a part-time SAHM. All these things work really well for us and for our kids. I would really recommend anyone who has to work looks at this kind of option. It looked terribly restricting in the beginning but has turned out to be a fantastic alternative option for our kids and our family.

See you next week for another Kid Friendly Friday! Hop on over to http://iblamemom.blogspot.com/ for more kid friendly fun stuff!

Vacuum Sealer

These days, we are all trying to sqeeze the proverbial blood outta, well, whatever it is that we have. I'm all for saving a buck and am constantly refining the ways that we budget and spend our money. I enjoy being able to tell my money where to go and not just sitting around, wondering where it went?!

One of my favorite tools for saving money? My vacuum sealer! I LOVE this thing! I really use it and it saves me money. We buy large bulk size meats at places like Sam's Club and grocery stores. We cut costs by buying larger packages, and as soon as I get home, I separate out smaller portions, vacuum seal the packages and pop them in the freezer. It's a few cents that turns into several dollars over the course of a year of doing this. I've used it save fresh produce bought in season and frozen for later. The blueberries we did last spring are still as wonderful as they were then. We add them to yogurt smoothies and the boys just love them!

I have to admit that many years ago my wonderful husband, prior to proposing marriage, thought a vacuum sealer would make a great Christmas gift. He bought me the whole kit and knowing how much I like to cook, thought I would really appreciate it. Sadly, I did not. I was looking for, ahem...let's just say another kind of gift! I wasn't all that impressed and decided at the time, I wouldn't use it, so I returned it to the store. Years later...and happily married...we bought one. And I love it! He never lets me forget how insightful he really is....

For more wonderful tips, head on over to http://www.wearethatfamily.com/ for Works for Me Wednesday. It's a great place to find more tips on what really works--this week it is Greatest Tips & Hits edition. Enjoy!

No worries...

I'm protected by Super Powers!

Homeschool Preschool

For over a year, SH and I have been talking pretty seriously about homeschooling our two boys. Since formal school is still more than a year away, it has not been something that I felt we needed to decide upon. But it's getting closer and the more we discuss it, the more we believe it is the right decision for us.

I read several great articles about why homeschooling is important and chosen for families. And what really appeals to me is the diversity in everyone's decisions about it. At first, I thought I truly had no idea what I was talking about. The only homeschooling experience I knew of was this family in my hometown that no one really knew. The dad drove our school bus but his kids didn't go to school anywhere. Never got it? When we had the boys and the thoughts of sending them off to school was brought up, I shuddered. I've worked with kids with behavioral issues and mental health issues for years. Unfortunately, much of my experiences with school systems have been with kids with these kinds of issues. Not a good ground to formulate an opinion! So I've taken it upon myself to discover what our opinions are about what school should be, not so much in the arena of what it shouldn't be. What is it that we want, rather than what we don't want?

There have been several resources that I've found that are helping to make these decisions. First of all, it is our spiritual life. Our experiences through our church and Bible Studies simply reinforce that we know this is an important daily part of our lives. Secondly, our lives our not Monday through Friday. SH and I both work variable schedules, which often includes weekends and our days off can be during the middle of the week. This will likely never change. Right now, it is wonderful that Saturday does not mean anything different to them than Wednesday. I cannot figure out how to schedule their lives Monday through Friday when ours does not accommodate that. The reality is that one parent or both will have very little time with our children much of the time. And that is simply unacceptable. We also travel often and the ability to take the boys (and their schoolwork) with us works for us. We don't want this option to be hindered by school schedules.

Another important factor is that homeschooling truly is so incredibly flexible. You can follow any one of many wonderful programs such as A Beka, Classical, Unschooling, and many others. There are specific curriculums available or you can create your own. You can mix and match. The possibilities are endless. Something will fit eventually.

Socialization, or lack of, seems to be the biggest arguement to this option. Some believe that homeschooling equates to isolation and it simply is not true. There are so many options for socializing your children. Children can participate in homeschool groups for social events, there are unending options of sports, clubs, YMCA, museums, the list goes on and on. Our family is very social and we see friends and family members several times a week usually. I'm not at all worried about our children's social lives.

Right now, homeschooling is leading the options of schooling for our boys. That may change at some point and if it does, that is fine. For now, and mind you, they are simply at preschool ages, we are toying with the idea and playing school often. We'll see how it goes as time goes on and they boys progress. I'll let you know.

This is us, homeschooling today....it used to simply be called PlayDoh but in the world of school, we'll call it Tactile Work!

The Season of Lent

We attended a wonderful Ash Wednesday service last evening. The boys truly enjoy their Bible study playgroup and they really do leave there with new knowledge of Christ. It's so fun to talk to them about what they learn--out of the mouths of babes come the truest and most honest young views of our Lord and Savior.

As for the service, we were asked to write three things on a place piece of paper upon entering the church. We were to write a sin we have committed against God, a sin we have committed against our neighbor and a sin we have committed against ourselves. Then we folded our papers and upon approaching the alter for our ashes, dropped the papers into a basket. The pastor took the papers, still folded and gathered many together. Then he drove a nail through them and nailed them on a wooden cross laying beside the alter. Wow--how powerful was that! What a sight when he raised the cross at the conclusion of the service, with papers nailed to all areas of the cross and talked about how Christ died to SAVE US FROM THESE SINS. How the Almighty gave his only Son so that we could be forgiven for these transgressions. They were taken from us and placed upon the cross. It makes me weep, just the thought. That no matter what we wrote, no matter the sin, no matter the error in our ways, we are forgiven and are given the blessing of a relationship with Him anyway.

This one act has done so much to help me to step into the season of Lent in another way this year. It is a picture burned into my mind and will not be soon forgotten.

Works for Me!

How do you know so many things? How do you make your homemade laundry detergent? Where did you learn how to do 1001 things with used toilet paper rolls? How you ask? It's WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY! Ah---I love me some WFMW posts! I honestly look forward to Wednesdays where I can browse, wasting many valuable hours, in other blogs learning about the many useful and many times, not-so-necessary things in life. I love love love WFMW! I vow that I will start to participate every Wednesday, because honestly, I do have some helpful hints in life that I can share. I've learned tons from WFMW posts that I've read over the past year or so and that is usually how I discover great new sites to share with friends. WFMW is over at http://www.wearethatfamily.com/ now and she's got a great site.

So what works for me? WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY! Check it out! Just make sure you have tons of time to waste....err, spend.

Doing my part

So in light of the ongoing crummy economic conditions, I find myself thinking and rethinking how we can do better. How can we recycle, reuse, refurbish, redo and reconsider what it is that we need and use every day? I think about how I lived as a child, on the farm in Iowa. What did we have, what did we do without and what kind of efforts did we make to live that way. My parents still live much the same way we did while I was growing up. They still live without cable TV, without a telephone answering machine, without cell phones, even without a cordless phone! It's like a trip back in time every time we visit! The great upside to this is that it causes SH and I to talk about how we can scale back and reduce our budget and outgoings. We've implemented quite a few things and I still would like to do more. Some of the things we've done are:



1. Coupons--I use coupons mainly at Walgreens and CVS. I combine them with specials, BOGO's (buy 1 get 1 free) offers and ExtraCare bucks (ECBs). Many basic household items such as soaps, lotions, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc.... are purchased for little to nothing. Sometimes, when I'm really good I even make money on my purchases! I'm not always that good but many times, I pay 25% of regular cost of these items, or even less. I love it!!!



2. Bulk shopping--I shop mainly at Aldi, Sam's Club and farmer's markets. I can't imagine why anyone would shop otherwise. If you don't have an Aldi in your area, I'm very sad for you.....It is one terrific little off-brand, generic heaven of a store. I buy all staples there...things like milk, eggs, baking supplies, canned goods, and a few indulgences like chips, nuts and ice cream. I'm not at all a brand snob. I've learned to do without many of the old items we considered "necessities". We buy off brand Cheetos--the kids don't know the difference. We buy generic salsa when I don't make my own. Cream soups and any canned veges are all generic. Their milk is a mere $2.79 (most in this area go for $3.50 and up) and eggs are still $1.29. I buy meat and some bulk at Sams but we are careful not to buy more than we need. I stopped buying the massive toilet paper there because I can get smaller packages for nearly nothing with coupons. I like their meat and SH is in love with their pizzas--when we don't make our own. I go to local farmer's markets almost every week, sometimes more. This time of year the strawberries are fantastic, most everything is grown locally or not too far from here. I try to stay away from buying items that are shipped from other countries. I'm not fanatical about it but do buy locally whenever possible. The local honey at the market is really wonderful!



3. Cleaning supplies--I don't buy paper towels any more at all. We've amassed quite a collection of rags and such so I just use rags for any spills, cleaning and wiping down counters. It's about 1 more load of laundry a week or so--not a big deal at all. I've found that I prefer to use vinegar, baking soda and a good dose of elbow grease for most cleaning. I do like the smell of PineSol so I do buy that in the cheapest manner possible. Pine Sol just makes me feel like the house is cleaner---I'm working on finding essential oils to add to my cleaning supplies to make them smell, well cleaner!



4. Laundry detergent--I make my own! I swear, it is quite the source of humor among a few friends but I cannot tolerate how expensive detergent has become! I found a great recipe on the web and have been making our own for about 9 months now. There are a few whites that have gotten dingy so I soak them in some Bright White or bleach every few loads. That helps. I haven't noticed a huge difference in quality. Things don't get that perfume smell to them so again, I'm working on adding some essential oils to help them smell more fresh. Good thing no one has any allergies and I can experiment easily.



5. Utilities--Our electric company is a complete monopoly and is terribly expensive. I think our bill is high--about $340 per month--but have found that it is cheaper than many other houses our size. We live in Florida so to do without a/c in the summer is just unacceptable. But we do turn off the a/c in about late November/early December and manage to keep it off through April sometimes. We usually manage without heat although this year has been exceptionally cool at times. We even had 3 complete hard freezes this winter and needed our heat a few days. We are conscious to keep the a/c set high (about 78 degrees most days) and open windows to allow air flow, utilize all ceiling fans while in the room and dress lightly. The boys rarely wear more than undies and short pants in the summer months!



These are some things we've done so far and are pretty consistent about. I still have so much I want to do....



--decrease the amount of the dryer that is used for clothes drying. We cannot have a clothesline outside due to restrictions but I believe I'm going to have SH hang a retractable line on our back porch. That and some drying racks will work well.



--turn off electrical items that aren't in use. The spare room alarm clock (especially when there are no guests), use natural lighting the most and stop turning on lights (we do this a lot already--the neighbors never think we are home because the house is always dark!), watch less TV. We currently use two refrigerators and a freezer....I think we will eliminate the refrigerator in the garage. It's convenient but not really necessary. We can get all extra freezer items in the other freezer and don't really need the refrigerator portion most of the time. If we find it's not much of a sacrifice, we'll sell the extra refrigerator and use that to pay down debt.



--gardening. I used to garden all the time but admittedly, am not too familiar with the Florida growing season. It's odd for this Iowa girl! But I'm studying and hope to grow more lettuce, spinach and tomatoes this year. We did great with tomatoes and peppers last year so we can do better this year.

--bulk cooking. I'm striving for consistency with this one. Bulk cooking---making multiple meals at once and freezing some---is SO economical! I save lots and lots of time, money and hassle this way! It's also called once-a-month-cooking. We don't mind casseroles, which is a huge staple of this type of cooking for us.

--canning, freezing and making jelly/jam. I used to do this each and every year---for years. Then I moved off the farm, into the city and didn't have a garden. I have a little room for a garden and what I don't grow, we can purchase pretty economically here in Florida and I'm able to can these items. This year I'm striving for jam, salsa, blueberries and tomatoe sauce.

I'm thinking I'll stop there. I tend to get carried away with a to-do list so I better just reel it in a bit. I'll post more later on specifically how we have reduced our monthly budget and ways that we are finding to save even more money.

Attempting....

to get my life back in order! Ammachi and Appachan were here for about 3 1/2 weeks. And I spent lots of time trying to perfect my chicken curry during that time. It's not bad....not bad at all I tell ya....

So that is the reason for my absence. Lots of visiting and laughing and discussions of where to live (them, not us). They have gone on to Texas where they'll stay for another couple of months and then return to India for the remainder of the year. Wishing you Godspeed dear family....

Is it all bad news?

The recession drags on.....and on....and on. It is clear now that this is shaping up to be the worst recession of my lifetime, my husband's and hopefully our children. However, our boys are 3 & 4. Not likely that this is the worst for them.


It is making us continuously sit down and review our spending, our allocated budget items and cut, eliminate, re prioritize and think. Those items we could not do without 6 months ago, a year ago, many of those are long gone. I now look at the current budget and wonder what will be gone in 6 months from now? What is it that we "cannot live without" now but will be a memory next year?


I'm trying to focus on those items that we can replace. Those kinds of things that were previously necessary and now are simply optional. We are learning to live without, make do, use less of. So far, here are some things that we've chosen to eliminate from our budget:
**Eating out. This went away pretty quickly when we went line by line in our budget. You cannot justify spending $25+tip for dinner for a family of four when for the same amount of money, I can get at least 3 - 4 meals at home.
**Cleaning supplies. Yep--I make my own. I make my own "Formula 409", my own laundry detergent, drain cleaner, stain removal, and many other items. I added just a couple of items to my grocery list that I must have on hand and a few essential oils and I've got some great cleaners. I'll post a couple of recipes later on these new "tried and true" favorites.
**Lawn service. For weeds, bugs, etc... We live in Florida were lawn critters can wipe you out in a matter of weeks. And often do. You have to treat the little critters. We used to have a service that would come out and service the lawn but we eliminated that as well. We do it ourselves and in the process, are trying to do this as environmentally-friendly as possible.
**Heat & A/C. We used to be much more generous with our heat or a/c in the house. It was common to turn on the heat when the temps dipped near freezing outside and the a/c always came on the minute we started to sweat a little. Now it waits. Currently, it's 66 degrees in the house because it got pretty chilly outside. And its not likely to get above that outside today. But it'll be comfortable in here when the sun gets over the house and we'll survive. For now, the kids have on sweats and socks. As for the a/c, we wait until it's well over 80 and really humid before we turn it on. The humidity is what gets you around here. You are a puddle by mid-morning when the humidity is above 90%, and that is quite often after about May around here. We'll see if we can tolerate it to closer to June this year---maybe, maybe not. But we survive with windows open, fans on and a lot less clothes then!
**Utilities. We shut off lights, unplug unused items and use the dishwasher, washer and dryer as little as possible. We change all our burnt out bulbs with CFLs now. I only run the dishwasher in the middle of the night. It has this fantastic little delay button and I use that all the time. I still wash more in the daytime hours but try to do it early in the AM or later in the evening--staying away from high electric usage times. And the dryer gets used less and less all the time.
**Spendful days vs. no-spend days. I used to run out for anything I needed. And I used to wander the stores, especially Target, whenever I was bored. Not anymore. I visit Target maybe once a month now. I have not been in WalMart for longer than that I believe. I don't shop out of boredom. I make a list, take my cash and that is it. I stay home more with the boys and spend no money, not even gas, rather than make several small trips. I try to avoid leaving the house at all at least 1-2 days a week. This week that is working well. Last week it wasn't possible. But it is helping.

Those are just a few previous necessities that are now optional in our house. I'm working on more every day. What necessities have you learned to live without?