tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68602583326620448522012-02-16T07:48:04.331-08:00I am a stay at home mom and have stayed at home FT or PT for the past 10 years. It was an adjustment, but I'm glad we did it before we had kids and now I enjoy making things stretch.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.comBlogger2361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-37639267321070555252012-02-15T13:21:00.000-08:002012-02-15T13:21:36.356-08:00

I am painting my way around my living room.  Each day I do a patch--prime, then paint the first coat, and then paint the second coat.  It's hard for my family to have things out of place so this way I only have to move part of the room at a time.  I'm hand brushing the walls because they're small sections and this lets pick up my painting quickly and set it down when my kids need me.  I'm also

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-35872360595482653182012-02-09T03:57:00.000-08:002012-02-09T03:59:42.029-08:00

A few weeks ago, my husband and I headed up to the Brandywine Valley just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  We went to the Brandywine River Museum (http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/) and saw some beautiful art.  A few years ago, we saw an exhibit of Marc Brown's art (of Arthur fame) and was amazed to see the artwork that went into making his books.  So, this museum was another treat.  N.C.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-34739482579652898972012-02-08T04:45:00.000-08:002012-02-08T04:45:40.028-08:00

Painting can be a surprisingly expensive project.  I think paint is one of those things that you get what you pay for.  I've now painted with Glidden, Valspar (formerly American Signature), Olympic, Behr, and Sherwin Williams.  (I have not used the paints sold at Walmart which are also less expensive painting options.) Sherwin Williams was a new one for me.  I couldn't find what color I wanted

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-6279379888076383282012-02-07T04:42:00.000-08:002012-02-07T04:42:17.623-08:00

A few years ago, we had 2 large trees cut down at our home.  When the men left, no one spoke with me about the work they'd done.  I remember having no idea if anyone was coming back to grind the stump or not.  An hour later, a man arrived.  He ground the stump and then drove away.  He also left me with a big mess of sawdust to dispose of.  The men who cut the tree in the back did the same.  I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-52432781138466001302012-02-02T03:38:00.000-08:002012-02-02T03:45:27.212-08:00

This is a post I started writing two weeks ago, but lost track of, so please forgive my dating in the entry... Yesterday at dinner, I told my mom that I felt like I hadn't gotten much done yesterday.  She told me to make a list and see if I had or if I hadn't.  She's right.  Making lists is one of the things I've been doing to help me remember that I am getting things done.  Sometimes it feels

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-50628948217285470842012-01-15T04:45:00.000-08:002012-01-15T04:45:27.001-08:00

This week I've been reading a book on organizing small spaces by Kathryn Bechen, titled Small Space Organizing.  I posted a quote from the book a week or two ago.  The introduction drew me in.  My mom picked it up the day it arrived and read several chapters.  My sister in law read the entire book while she was here visiting and enjoyed it.  It was very easy to read.  One key thing about books on

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-24091305446803388772012-01-15T04:27:00.000-08:002012-01-15T04:27:38.520-08:00

I had this thought yesterday about my home and how burdened I've felt to fix everything right now.  It came after I looked through some old pictures of my family in our old house--before we'd fixed it.  I had forgotten what it looked like and we simply lived with until we had the finances to fix it.  In one instance we were compelled to take a loan out because it was such an enormous repair that

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-79900619642669249032012-01-08T05:07:00.000-08:002012-01-08T05:07:01.564-08:00

It's hard to believe that it's been almost 1 month since we moved.  My oldest daughter has been asking all week to go back to our old house.  She keeps telling me that our house doesn't feel like "home".  Her biggest reason when I ask is because we're so busy.  She's right.  We've been working a lot on our house and I've honestly had less patience to sit with them.  My mom's made up for it, but

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-2654036847161514832012-01-03T04:31:00.000-08:002012-01-03T04:31:54.472-08:00

Two weeks ago, a book arrived for me to review.  My mom picked it up that very day and began thumbing through it.  She enjoyed it right off the bat.  This weekend my sister in law was here visiting and she read the whole book.  So, I picked it up yesterday.  My full review of the book will be posted in a few weeks, but several of the quotes were very relevant to what we've been going through.  

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-55661582288497636342011-12-28T05:51:00.000-08:002011-12-28T05:51:02.715-08:00

I love the holidays.  I love having people over for meals.  I love to share that time with others.  But, I was reminded yesterday in two conversations of times when I had to be extremely tight with our food budget.  It was very difficult to have people over at those times because I worried about having enough food and the cost.  It wasn't because I didn't want to have them over or because I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-17240168096147148072011-12-22T05:41:00.000-08:002011-12-22T05:41:29.381-08:00

Area rugs are wonderful things.  They can help cover up spots instead of recarpeting an entire room.  We knew that one of the rooms in our new home had a lot of spots on the carpet.  But, we did not realize what bad shape it was in until we began preparing to move in!  I only took a picture of the piano because the carpet looked so bad I don't think I wanted to remember it down the road.  I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-35744173043980186112011-12-19T04:11:00.000-08:002011-12-19T04:11:02.145-08:00

Moving into a new house has had a lot of lessons for me and a lot of things to fix! I realized very quickly that the previous owner made a lot of improvements to the house, but she didn't complete them all the way.  She covered up the finishing touches that needed to be taken care of.   Yesterday, I started to take care of one of them.  In our new kitchen, there is a kitchen island.  It isn't

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-53165601251325908092011-11-27T13:30:00.000-08:002011-11-27T13:32:01.305-08:00

Right now, I am sitting down and writing down my homeschooling plans for the week.  Yesterday, I made a list of all the things I need "to do" for our move this week.  It's a big list.  I also have to keep up homeschooling in the midst of it.  So, I thought I'd write this post and say there's a ton of things running through my head that I wish I had time to write about.  But, I don't think much of

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-55780096041365516232011-11-25T04:27:00.000-08:002011-11-25T04:27:34.853-08:00

A while back a friend of mine asked for this recipe and it slipped my mind!  I like to make egg rolls once in a while.  I get the egg roll wrappers from the produce section and make a vegetable filling.  Sometimes I add tofu or shredded chicken to the vegetable filling. Egg Rolls I will chop a mixture of some of these vegetables: green cabbage carrots mushrooms green onions (to taste) snow peas

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-19230028284518188612011-11-25T04:16:00.000-08:002011-11-25T04:16:25.419-08:00

I'm sure there's an old saying about this, but the truth is--if you don't want to spend money, then don't go shopping.  Don't go. Every month I do our budget.  This past month I'd been so busy, I didn't make many extra grocery shopping trips.  I realized that I hadn't gone garage saling much or spent much time in stores at all.  I was quite surprised when I did our budget at the end of the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-87312803910599208552011-11-25T04:02:00.000-08:002011-11-25T04:02:10.781-08:00

Two weeks ago, I was a part of an interesting discussion among several husbands and wives about gift giving.  It's always one of those interesting things to find out how other couples have sorted out how they would handle Christmas together... who they would give gifts to...  how much they would spend...  which family traditions from their own families they would keep. My husband and I have

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-88991622220857391692011-11-15T04:16:00.000-08:002011-11-21T14:23:18.660-08:00

A friend of mine asked me this weekend if I was willing to part with my family's snickerdoodle recipe.  Since there is no likelihood that I will ever write a cookbook of my own ;)  I don't mind sharing it at all.  I am glad to share it actually and glad that my friend asked for the recipe!  It was a great compliment that her family likes them enough to ask for the recipe.  One woman who works

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-61029916558586528682011-11-11T11:56:00.000-08:002011-11-11T11:56:10.955-08:00

There's a funny little thing I've noticed about Toys R Us and the months of November and December.  I've had a theory for a few years now and I've watched to see if it held true.   Here's my theory:  The toy specials in November are better than the ones in December.  For a few years, I waited in November thinking there would be better sales in December.  But, I watched.  The sales seemed to

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-59280398786740898682011-10-30T13:05:00.002-07:002011-10-30T13:05:30.926-07:00

As I sit here typing these words, the tears threaten to fall.  There are a few times in my life when I have felt the overwhelming love and grace of God.  I have seen it in his mercy for me and in blessings he has given me that i don't deserve.   Today I realize both His mercy and Grace.  Just this morning I posted about our house hunting journey that we are on.  I posted about the offer we'd

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-57909943964567619222011-10-30T13:05:00.000-07:002011-10-30T13:05:14.384-07:00

As I sit here typing these words, the tears threaten to fall.  There are a few times in my life when I have felt the overwhelming love and grace of God.  I have seen it in his mercy for me and in blessings he has given me that i don't deserve.   Today I realize both His mercy and Grace.  Just this morning I posted about our house hunting journey that we are on.  I posted about the offer we'd

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-26067749533114309792011-10-30T03:41:00.000-07:002011-10-30T03:55:33.251-07:00

Conventional advice is:  Sell your house, then go look for another one and put an offer in on it.  My mom told me that Dave Ramsey's advice about renting property is to pay off your primary home then purchase another for rental. But, what do you do if you need to move and your house isn't selling?  I think most families choose to move and either rent their home for a time or split up their

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-16720691055495911142011-10-11T19:14:00.000-07:002011-10-11T19:38:40.896-07:00

Sorry, this post is basically me venting my frustration. I tried... again!  There's always that enticement that a used book is going to be cheaper than a new book.  It's not just the price that beckons me to buy a used book, though.  There's also the reality that in purchasing a used book I'm recycling something that's already been produced.  Essentially, I'm wasting less by reusing a book

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-29379834860018002302011-10-07T05:17:00.000-07:002011-10-07T05:17:02.071-07:00

My mom is moving here today.  I am very excited.  The kids are excited.  We are all excited!  But, there is a bit of overwhelming to the move as well.  Moving her things into storage, shipping her car cross country, changing Medicare supplements, changing doctors, changing auto information and documents... One of the things about me is that I love to give gifts.  I am thankful that God has

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-28566948835846363262011-10-06T03:42:00.000-07:002011-10-06T03:42:29.427-07:00

I have a lot of cookbooks on my shelves and often people ask me if I cook from every one of them.  I don't.  Some I use for just a few recipes that are really yummy.  One of my cookbooks has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies just like the ones you buy in Costco.  I keep it on my shelf just for that recipe.  Last month, I got a new Taco cookbook.  My husband's favorite foods are tacos and pasta

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-28097243016984810402011-10-03T04:35:00.000-07:002011-10-03T04:35:12.766-07:00

I am 37 years old and last year was the first time I remember a friend giving me a cookie plate at Christmas time.  I think we even got two from two different friends--with the same name :)  It was such a treat!  I love to bake, one of the gals made some peanut butter blossoms that were so much better than mine!  I tasted one and I thought, "Mine aren't as good as these!  I need to find a better

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-30396588374272013782011-10-03T04:22:00.000-07:002011-10-03T04:22:36.311-07:00

Every month Christianaudio.com has a free audio book.  This month, it is the book Think by John Piper.   The description of the book says that it is a book about thinking.  Piper wants us to glorify God in our thinking.  Our faith is a combination of heart and mind.  Our mind is an important part of that--a very important part and that is what this book is about. 

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-53798551405830365912011-09-27T13:37:00.000-07:002011-09-27T13:37:41.714-07:00

A few weeks ago, it was time for the monthly change of our air conditioning filter.  I'd run out, so I headed over to BJs.  There were 2 packages left but no price tag up on the rack.  I picked up both packages and headed to the checkout lane.  After checking out all of my other items, the checker called over the supervisor for help.   It turns out that the 2 pk of filters rang up for 3 cents.

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-22667925451323764392011-09-27T13:20:00.000-07:002011-09-27T13:20:25.113-07:00

I think that cooking for someone with a special diet is often difficult.  We are so accustomed to cooking with a lot of dairy, meat, salt, and sugar in America.  I fall into this group wholeheartedly.  I try to be wise about all of these ingredients and eat them in moderation.  Two months ago, I wanted to decrease the sugar in my family's diet.  So, my answer was to look for some new recipes.  

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-46287513228027670142011-09-27T08:41:00.000-07:002011-09-27T08:41:49.589-07:00

Yesterday, I got a new cookbook, Taste of Home Baking, in the mail to try out. My mom loves Taste of Home magazine so I was curious about this cookbook. I bake a lot so I do have many cookbooks on my shelves.  At one point I had 100 (my husband counted), but I've cut back to only the ones I use which has left me with about 80 or so.  I guess I cook a lot. When this cookbook arrived, I was

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-90023642974956722072011-09-19T16:43:00.000-07:002011-09-19T16:43:39.501-07:00

One of our favorite salsas over the past 10 years has been the green salsa verde at Trader Joe's.  But, with the rising cost of groceries, it is also one of the treats that I've cut from my grocery list. I found a recipe last week that is just as good--if not better--than that salsa.  Green Salsa Verde is either made with peppers or tomatillos.  Trader Joe's salsa is made with tomatillos, so

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-660060594101282632011-09-16T05:37:00.000-07:002011-09-16T05:37:51.584-07:00

Last week, my daughters started taking an art class at our homeschool co-op.  They donned two shirts that were the same style but different colors.  I had just bought them the weekend before at a consignment sale and they loved them. Yesterday was the second class day and they donned the same shirts.  Autumn told me they wanted to wear them every week.  I told her that the other kids might

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-50212253649783474992011-09-15T20:04:00.000-07:002011-09-15T20:05:34.404-07:00

I could have asked, How many blankets do you need? How many shoes do you need? How many books do you need? How much curriculum need? How many toys do your kids need? What do you need? What do you not? Do you think about this a lot? I think about it from time to time.  I try to be mindful of it. When my girls were little, I wanted to make sure they had enough clothes.  (They're still

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-62843645042902553702011-09-14T18:52:00.000-07:002011-09-14T18:52:28.510-07:00

I know that everyone thinks newspapers are a dying artifact of our culture.  But, the fact is, I enjoy them!  I look forward to the paper delivery on Saturday and the coupons that come with it.  I look forward to reading the news in print form. I have been subscribing to the local newspaper wherever I lived since I was in college.  There is a trick I've learned along the way.  Usually,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-21981286614436019552011-09-04T04:11:00.000-07:002011-09-04T04:11:57.295-07:00

One of the things that brings me such sweet joy is to see how God works things out.  My younger daughter's tennis shoes started coming apart yesterday.  They needed to be replaced ASAP. At the beginning of the summer, I had bought there the cheapest--yes, literally the cheapest tennis shoes Target had for $10/pr for each of the girls.  It was summer and I knew that their sandals would be what

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-18451660867818589322011-09-02T03:27:00.000-07:002011-09-02T03:27:17.434-07:00

There's been a huge increase in obesity in children in the last decade.  It is a growing concern among doctors, educators, and parents.  I think it has an awful lot to do with the food we're feeding our children.  One of the culprits is sugar. I was thinking about this and wondering how I could find some good kid-friendly recipes with less sugar when I realized that diabetics must eat less

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-33728413395817978972011-08-26T14:05:00.000-07:002011-08-26T14:05:17.917-07:00

Birthday parties are expensive.  A less expensive option than having a party at a bounce place or Chuck e. Cheese's is to have a special party at home.  I try to do it as wisely as I can.  The parties are always on the back of my mind.  During the year as I'm walking through Target, I watch for clearance items that could be the future stuffings of birthday treat bags.  I watch for invitations and

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-61174098264676179212011-08-18T05:35:00.000-07:002011-08-18T05:35:59.536-07:00

Two or three weeks ago, I wrote that I was going to cut sugar out of my diet.  I did...for a few days.  I continued to ponder it and decrease my daily sugar intake, but I didn't continue to cut it out completely.  I like sugar! Almost two weeks ago, I was among friends and our kids.  The occasion was a beautiful day and a picnic at one  friend's house.  The other gals had the discipline to

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-61892099179261627042011-08-15T14:53:00.000-07:002011-08-15T14:53:32.779-07:00

I went to college in Oregon.  The little coffee shop on campus made these super yummy bars called "Buzz Bars".  Before I left college, I somehow got a copy of the recipe even though I didn't work there.  Here it is: For a 9x13 pan: Cream 2/3 cup butter with 2/3 cup brown sugar.  Cream well. Mix in 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk.   Mix in 2 2/3 cup rolled oats. Mix in 3/8 cup light corn syrup. Spread

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-14115300968784650702011-08-11T18:49:00.000-07:002011-08-11T18:50:43.333-07:00

Last Sunday, two of the little girls at church were dressed in the cutest matching dresses.  I could tell they were homemade so I asked my friend about them.  She explained that her mom had bought them from someone who had made them and that they were called "pillowcase" dresses.   Hmmm... the wheels in my mind started spinning...  could I make one?  I've only ever attempted one outfit and it

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-56385341432515956352011-08-08T19:49:00.000-07:002011-08-08T19:49:28.344-07:00

For the past year, we've had some very quiet neighbors living next door to us.  The house was bought by a man who owns several properties and he rented it to a family of 4, sometimes 6 people.  It was hard to know how many people were living there at any given time because they almost always stayed inside. There was a mom, a dad, and 2 young kids 3 and 5 years old.  There were two teenage boys

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-46180391726492099712011-08-08T03:52:00.000-07:002011-08-08T03:52:49.398-07:00

Back in June, I ran out of conditioner one morning for my hair.  I'm one of those people that always has a spare in the closet.  I don't like to run out.  But, I had mistakenly bought a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner (which doesn't work as conditioner).  So, I was stuck.  I had shampoo, but no conditioner.  I wondered if I could use Suave or a more inexpensive conditioner.  I have pretty plain

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-25420718275973004982011-08-08T03:26:00.000-07:002011-08-08T03:27:16.689-07:00

Yesterday, we were at a church picnic with friends and the topic of jalapenos came up.  What do you do when you've cut a jalapeno and your hands burn? One of my friends said she'd looked online and found that if nothing works to take 2 benadryl and go to bed--sleep it off.  I've done the same recently to cope at times with my outbreaks of hives. Jalapenos and other peppers can really be a

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-8642142418144044502011-08-02T12:24:00.000-07:002011-08-02T12:24:48.470-07:00

Every summer there's squash and cucumbers a plenty at our farmer's market.  I have to admit that every week when I go to the market my eyes are bigger than my stomach, or rather my family's stomachs.  Part of my problem is not knowing what to do with the squash and cucumbers.   This summer I have started using a cookbook that I've mentioned in a few other entries on this blog, Put 'em Up by

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-32273503105256724272011-07-29T04:59:00.000-07:002011-07-29T04:59:07.147-07:00

This is a bit of an odd post, but it is a harbinger of what I suspect will be several future posts.  I, like many women, have struggled with yeast infections over the years.  Due to my recent bout with poison ivy and the antibiotics I took, I am faced with this challenge again. I went to the Nurse Practitioner at my gynecologist's office yesterday.  I learned that the Diflucan takes care of

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-11793061552904429132011-07-24T18:45:00.000-07:002011-07-24T18:47:10.195-07:00

I really like chocolate chip cookies.   I have a recipe that I've made for 20 years from my mom.  It's my mom's version of Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip cookies.  I have another recipe that has oat bran in it.  Another that you melt the butter for and chill the dough!  Another that has oatmeal in it....  Can you tell that I like good chocolate chip cookies?  Because I've made so many different

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-55159321698859784932011-07-21T14:06:00.000-07:002011-07-21T14:06:21.675-07:00

Email Scams are funny things...I get a lot of junk mail in my email.  I've had it since the internet began.  I have never responded to any of the scams.  I'm pretty guarded.   A friend of mine got this email over a month ago and since she has genuinely gotten emails about daycare previously, she responded.   Here's the email: Hi, My name is Greg Mason and my wife's name is Jenny Mason we

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-89700343292251507292011-07-20T22:38:00.000-07:002011-07-20T22:38:44.763-07:00

When my husband and I first got married, I started making enchiladas.  I grew up in Southern California eating a lot of Mexican food.  Usually my family ate tacos, though, not enchiladas.  My husband and I found that we enjoyed them a lot.  Then, we realized that the sauce I was using (from a can) had MSG in it.   No more enchiladas for us.   It was only a few years ago when my husband gave me

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-52345805585866213832011-07-20T22:29:00.000-07:002011-07-20T22:29:20.402-07:00

In our backyard, I planted some sunflower seeds.  This picture is what they look like in my backyard right now.  The largest one is getting ready to bloom.  It has amazed me to watch it grow.  I simply planted about 10-15 seeds in the dirt.  The stalk on the largest one is probably an inch and a half in diameter.  It is probably at least 6' tall--it's taller than me! The rest of my garden has

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-19552624677876859262011-07-15T11:20:00.000-07:002011-07-15T11:20:56.072-07:00

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I am going to attempt some canning this summer.  I am using a cookbook titled Put 'em Up by Sherri Brooks Vinton.   This book has given me a lot of ideas for what to do with vegetables and fruits I normally have no idea what to do with. The week before last I made some pickled beets with cumin and cloves.  I did not have cumin seed and cloves, so although the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-59400171191308925982011-07-13T04:16:00.001-07:002011-07-13T04:16:09.679-07:00

Yesterday, I received the mass email that Netflix sent out about raising their monthly rates for current subscribers come September 1, 2011.  When Blockbuster closed most of their stores and discontinued their monthly watching service, I knew Netflix didn't have much competition.  So, when I got the email about the increased prices, citing of course increased costs, I just wasn't surprised.  When

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-14825087744345296292011-07-13T04:15:00.000-07:002011-07-13T04:15:51.064-07:00

Yesterday, I received the mass email that Netflix sent out about raising their monthly rates for current subscribers come September 1, 2011.  When Blockbuster closed most of their stores and discontinued their monthly watching service, I knew Netflix didn't have much competition.  So, when I got the email about the increased prices, citing of course increased costs, I just wasn't surprised.  When

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-18817015964377831042011-07-13T00:12:00.000-07:002011-07-13T00:12:01.877-07:00

Peer pressure is a powerful thing.  It can be good and bad.  Often it is a good thing.   Two weeks ago, I went over to a friend's house and took fixings for PB&J sandwiches for my kids along with bananas.  My kids were horrible about wasting a lot of their sandwiches.  I don't usually force my kids to finish their food when we're guests in someone else's home.  But, I could tell by my friend's

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-89519335998391485512011-06-29T13:45:00.000-07:002011-06-29T13:46:01.879-07:00

For the past several years, I have really wanted to can jam.  I grew up eating homemade grape jelly and I loved it.  My favorite kind of jam was Fig 'n Walnut.  I've never found any since, but it is a food that reminds me of the foods I loved best as a child.   Having little kids in our home for the past 7 years has precluded me from attempting much in the way of canning. I have been so afraid

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-32463686391339843842011-06-29T11:23:00.000-07:002011-06-29T11:23:38.407-07:00

A few days ago, the mailman delivered an issue of People Magazine to my mailbox.  It was a surprise since I don't subscribe to People.  The name on the magazine was not mine, but it was my exact address.  It wasn't a misdelivery.  So, I called People.  The customer service agent found the subscription order (which of course was not prepaid) and cancelled it.  She said I would receive a bill under

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-78637159673409591102011-06-23T12:20:00.000-07:002011-06-23T12:20:59.790-07:00

This summer, we decided to expand our garden and begin composting.  I sent my husband to Home Depot to get some materials to build a bin.  He came back with a square black plastic frame.  We put it together and began dumping composting materials into it.  Simple, right?  Well, no... One day... my husband decided to dump a huge load of grass into it from our yard and it quickly became too heavy

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-59830356919938086662011-06-13T08:40:00.000-07:002011-06-13T08:44:20.248-07:00

When my husband and I first got married, I made a set of excel spreadsheets for our budget that I have been using for 10 years.  They're basic and they get the job done.  I've modified them over the years and added a few more as I've needed to, but the set is basically the same. I realized before this past school year began that I wanted to find a set of forms to do the same for my week and all

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-16292661597097243942011-06-07T18:09:00.000-07:002011-06-08T11:12:44.817-07:00

I have always been intimidated to grow lettuce, but for some reason it is doing quite well.  The other side of the bed will be zinnias and black eyed susans.  I have enjoyed watching the lettuce grow.  When I plant something, I always wonder if it will take root and grow.  One of the strawberry plants I planted in another bed was uprooted when one of the kids accidentally picked a strawberry

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-83059932269829598562011-06-07T13:30:00.000-07:002011-06-07T13:32:35.851-07:00

Sometimes when I garage sale I find treasures and sometimes trash and sometimes a mixture of the two.  This past Saturday I set out to find a 5 disc cd changer for my husband.   We made our way through the morning but hadn't seen any stereo components.  I finally found a cd changer at a garage sale.  Usually, I look closely at things, but for some reason I didn't this time.  Honestly, I simply

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-64752257833438845662011-06-07T13:02:00.000-07:002011-06-07T13:02:24.454-07:00

I suppose there is probably an indepth book somewhere that digs into this subject.  But, I realized something when I was in Shoprite earlier today.  Marketing changed how we shop for orange juice and what we think is good and bad juice. When I was growing up, juice was a treat in our house.  We primarily drank milk and water--from the tap.  Periodically, my mom purchased juice.  She bought the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-70441962445216934902011-06-01T12:15:00.000-07:002011-06-01T12:15:17.565-07:00

I have heard about Rod and Staff's curriculum over the past few years.  I had never seen any of it though.  I happen to purchase almost all of my curriculum online and that is why. Rod and Staff is a mennonite publisher of homeschool curriculum.  You cannot order directly from them online.  You can order through various other homeschool suppliers (who act as a middleman) or you can contact Rod

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-49794539068081827012011-05-30T13:12:00.000-07:002011-05-30T13:12:04.542-07:00

My garage saling partner and I headed out Saturday morning in the search of treasures.  It was an interesting day! Autumn has a 16" 2 wheel bike that I bought her last year at a garage sale for $3.  It works well.  Sami has a 12" princess bike with training wheels.  My husband and I talked and knew she'd need a new bike by the fall.  Eli is in the same situation.  We bought him a cars tricycle (

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-58830640336277706992011-05-23T05:44:00.000-07:002011-05-23T05:44:47.959-07:00

I had been looking forward to this past Saturday's garage sales for several weeks.  There is a big one in our area and over the past few years it has grown bigger and bigger.  With that growth, though, there have been problems.  My garage saling partner and dear friend and I had a horrible experience on Saturday.  I have a wonderful garage saling partner that makes it possible for It made me

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-17953835441348598542011-05-20T19:09:00.000-07:002011-05-20T19:11:06.243-07:00

My strawberry plants are in full bloom.  Every day we've been collecting a small bowl for lunch this week.  My girls have loved hunting for berries that are ready to be picked and then picking them.   In my backyard, all my plants are finally in.   Although after this picture was taken, I added 2 jalapenos and a cherry tomato near the basil. My strawberries do seem to be surviving after their

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-18128454927368478522011-05-10T18:38:00.000-07:002011-05-10T18:38:25.884-07:00

On Sunday at church, I overheard my friend who gave me some strawberry plants tell another friend about watching for special caterpillars that love strawberry plants.  I heard her explain that if you see a strawberry leave curled together with some webbing then there's a strawberry leafroller caterpillar inside.  I have had strawberry plants in front of my house for several years now and have had

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-44913807006759604512011-05-09T04:35:00.000-07:002011-11-21T14:36:30.864-08:00

When I was little, my great grandmother used to make Spritz cookies.  She was a great cookie baker.  My grandmother was too and so is my aunt.  My mom picked up cookie baking from them (and from her mom) and I from all of these women in my family.    I didn't realize it at the time, but I spent my mother's day doing what I learned from my family--making cookies, using my great-grandmother's

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-75557513380211153722011-04-23T04:05:00.000-07:002011-04-23T04:09:56.555-07:00

Thursday morning I realized that it wasn't raining and I snuck outside to start working even before the kids woke up.  It may have been a bit chilly, but with 3 kids, I have to steal every moment that I can sometimes. I started with the beds.  I built 3 triangle beds of cedar.  Lowe's carries cedar, but Home Depot doesn't.  My husband mentioned that you can use other hard woods.  Cedar is

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-52165378226168842182011-04-20T19:34:00.000-07:002011-04-20T19:36:04.953-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I took some bread I'd made over to a friend to sample.  She gave a small piece to her one year old daughter.  We were both surprised when her daughter chose the bread over a sugar cookie!  The bread happened to be Anadama Bread made from my bread machine with a recipe from a new cookbook, The Artisan Bread Machine by Judith Fertig. I tried these recipes from this cookbook:

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-91818137451894437142011-04-20T14:14:00.000-07:002011-04-20T14:14:41.245-07:00

Last year, I tried to put in some plastic edging in front of my deck and it did not work out.  It fell over constantly and wasn't very appealing.  So, I decided to go with bricks instead this year--something a bit more substantial... Here is my result: I think it looks better than it did before.  I also tried something new with the walkway.  Under the rocks, I put a layer of newspaper.  I read in

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-60416638773818558782011-04-20T13:05:00.000-07:002011-04-20T13:05:01.043-07:00

At the end of Day 1, I'd mowed, combined my two raised beds into one and started weeding.  Here are some pictures.  I wish I'd taken some real before pictures--to remind myself that I'm making progress. This is my side flower bed in front of my deck.  I took the picture this morning.  It gets afternoon sun. This is my side yard.  It's pretty blah really.  Back against the fence I'm going to put

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-67617768207348934762011-04-19T03:56:00.000-07:002011-04-19T04:00:03.149-07:00

The kids and I began our week of gardening yesterday.  We combined the two raised beds that I had and began weeding.  Autumn was more persistent than Sami.  Eli only wanted to dig into the dirt and throw it out of the bed.  My parsley that had survived the winter was one of his first casualties.  I also got the area mowed.  My friend Jenny came over to talk to me about our garden.  We talked

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-54789546040134453702011-04-18T04:03:00.002-07:002011-04-18T04:04:41.478-07:00

A month ago, I began my search for a good gardening book to use with my children.  I requested 5 books through our library system.  I went to the library and looked through what they had.  I went to the book store...   There's a very popular book called Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy that many people love.    It has 43-5 star reviews on Amazon.  But, would you believe that

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-50432818712392046272011-04-18T04:03:00.000-07:002011-04-18T04:03:00.189-07:00

A month ago, I began my search for a good gardening book to use with my children.  I requested 5 books through our library system.  I went to the library and looked through what they had.  I went to the book store...   There's a very popular book called Roots Shoots Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy that many people love.    It has 43-5 star reviews on Amazon.  But, would you believe that I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-7495981400517749842011-04-16T19:31:00.000-07:002011-04-16T19:31:55.709-07:00

I am a novice gardener.  When we lived in Georgia, my husband planted a small garden.  I can honestly say that I had nothing to do with it.  It was entirely his project.  When we moved here to Maryland, my husband chose a big spot in our backyard and planned his garden.  By the end of the summer, I was taking care of the garden because he ran out of time on the weekends between our kids and

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-53469800101642484832011-04-14T15:06:00.000-07:002011-04-14T15:07:51.514-07:00

I have two cookbooks in my reviewing queue right now.  One is on my kitchen table waiting to be used again tomorrow when I make another attempt at sourdough bread.  The other is right beside me waiting to find a new home...but that home won't be on my bookshelf.  That's the book I'm going to review today. Sometimes cynicism catches me by surprise.  I know that it has permeated our culture in an

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-51133945301871624652011-04-12T20:26:00.000-07:002011-04-12T20:26:29.368-07:00

Last fall, a friend of mine invited us to go with a few other families on a nature hike.  At one point, my friend picked up a worm and held it out to my daughters.  They each eagerly and gently touched the worm.  I cringed.  I am a city girl.  I grew up in L.A., where the sky is never blue, but rather a pale blue-gray.  I feel so inadequate when it comes to teaching my children about nature and

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-50270675983765965472011-04-05T07:57:00.001-07:002011-04-05T07:57:50.248-07:00

Have you ever been to a restaurant and realized that you really want 3 different things on the menu?  It happens to me all the time.  It's handy that my husband is often willing to share with me.  But, that still excludes one thing.  On Sunday, we went to Panera for lunch after church.  I got half a salad and half a sandwich, but I really wanted some broccoli cheddar soup.  So, I decided to come

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-45857500367235655632011-03-25T11:58:00.000-07:002011-03-25T11:58:08.977-07:00

I cook a lot so I end up using a lot of spices.  There are a few ways I've found to save money on them.  Now, I know that purists will say don't keep any dried spice for longer than a year, but honestly, I haven't had a lot of trouble with keeping them for several years.  I'm sure they're better when a year or less in age, but they will work fine for much longer than that. Places I purchase

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-57135450781630903442011-03-25T11:34:00.000-07:002011-03-25T11:34:25.546-07:00

The best way I've found to save on a few particular baking supplies is to buy them in bulk from a restaurant supply store.  Strangely enough, there isn't one near me.  But, I did find one online. The supplies I wanted were Parchment Paper and Muffin/Cupcake Liners. I found both on this site.  The parchment worked out to be $44 for 1000 sheets when I tacked on the shipping.  Each of the 16 x 24

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-89501894487576646542011-03-21T13:40:00.000-07:002011-03-22T17:53:13.484-07:00

I have been going through a period of ordering many used books online via Amazon, AbeBooks, and Half.com. I purchase most of my curriculum used since I use public school curriculum for Science, Math, Health, Art, Social Studies, and Reading. It has become quite a business selling used books on the internet.  A few years ago, book descriptions were detailed and accurate.  I rarely had to request

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-54269723941567399462011-03-10T18:36:00.000-08:002011-03-10T18:36:44.707-08:00

How many times have you been offered a Bj's, Costco, or Sam's Club Membership that will give you 2% back? The cashier will show you a total of how much you've spent this year and how much you would have earned if you had opted for that membership last year. This year, I opted to sign up for Costco's Executive Membership--which costs $50 more than the basic membership.  They do guarantee that if

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-49843563853122439862011-03-05T15:29:00.000-08:002011-03-07T13:54:51.104-08:00

Just a day after I found myself frustrated in my endeavor to collect resources to teach my children life and home making skills, I realized that I needed to go back through the kids cookbooks I have again.  I realized that I have about 7 or 8 children's cookbooks in our cookbook collection.  They all have different strengths, so I thought I'd share what I think is their strengths and weaknesses

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-82369470574410869952011-03-04T15:00:00.000-08:002011-03-04T15:00:09.700-08:00

Partially hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, food coloring...  There are so many things that we have to watch out for in our food today.  Sometimes it's hard for me to keep all the information straight in my head.  My husband and I strive to feed our kids a healthy diet of fresh, prepared from scratch meals rather than frozen and prepackaged meals.  In our efforts, we have hit a

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-47403328895126839792011-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:002011-03-02T14:04:06.687-08:00

I'm frustrated...that I can't find what I'm looking for.  I really thought it would be simple.  There's so many choices after all! I have been attempting to compile a short list of books that would cover the major life skills that I want my children to learn.  I have found a wonderful book for sewing and have a plan for teaching manners (which combines 2 resources).  I have five kids cookbooks

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-5152710828585809602011-02-27T14:46:00.000-08:002011-02-27T14:46:16.750-08:00

Every Christmas, I pull out the Christmas tree ornament that my first grade teacher helped me and 29 other first graders to needlepoint on plastic canvas thirty years ago.  As my girls have grown, I have grown to have more and more respect for that teacher.  How did she do it?  How did she guide and have the patience to guide 30 first graders in such a project?  There were even boys in the class!

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-47360024034880075982011-02-25T20:11:00.000-08:002011-02-25T20:15:36.026-08:00

I am a planner.  Getting my master's degree in education turned me into a planner.  I was taught that you needed to know what your children needed to learn and then make a plan to cover that material.  Most of the time that meant you needed to create your own lessons because you likely wouldn't have books. When I started homeschooling, I thought I would have more planning time--not less than I

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-62497378082676447662011-02-22T21:24:00.000-08:002011-02-22T21:24:39.630-08:00

Tonight I made these Crumb Bars... http://www.greatwolf.com/poconos/explore/dining/recipes?sc=POCOPA.FebeTracksHR What a great snow day treat they were!  I've had bad luck with 7 layer bars in the past.  But, these worked.  I used chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks.  Next time, I'm going to split the 3/4 cup chocolate chips in the topping between chocolate and peanut butter chips.  I'm

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-83770822298726037642011-02-22T20:50:00.000-08:002011-02-22T20:50:26.217-08:00

It's one of those interesting things in these times.  On Sunday, the article on the front page of the Baltimore Sun's business section was about the expected inflation estimates for food this year. My first thought was, "Okay.  Tighten the belt a little more before I have to." But, what really goes? When you go to the grocery store, how do you cut?  I learned this strategy from my mom.  It's

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-51775149726421677132011-02-19T10:04:00.000-08:002011-02-19T10:04:55.621-08:00

This week I had a scary thing happen to me.  My computer avoided a worm--by the skin of my chinny, chin, chin, so to speak.  I was in my email program when my computer was suddenly taken over by this screen that started listing 5, 6, then 7, then 8+ programs affected by a worm.  Down at the bottom appeared a question from my computer asking me if I wanted to give the program access to my computer

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-87419168226518378822011-02-01T07:27:00.000-08:002011-02-01T07:27:26.341-08:00

I'm in the process of reading a great book about PMS, yes, PMS.  It has been so encouraging and challenging.  One of the topics of the book is of course what we eat.  One of the superfoods recommended is blueberries.  Just beware of the fake blueberries! I saw this video on yahoo this morning and it was pretty informative. Honestly, blueberries aren't one of my favorite foods so I haven't

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-25773240289625565282011-01-29T12:25:00.000-08:002011-01-29T12:25:14.034-08:00

Two weeks ago, we rearranged our house and bought the girls new bunk beds.  For me, that was a major purchase.  Afterwards, I experienced a week of second guessing myself and wondering if I had chosen the right or wrong ones.  Everyone that has come into my home has commented on how nice they are, though, and how much they reflect my girls' personalities. Still, there is a part of me that

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-2030718299744734772011-01-27T10:42:00.000-08:002011-01-27T10:42:03.442-08:00

After I posted what I learned about bunk beds, I had a chance to talk with my friend Kim about bunk beds and she had several other interesting observations. 1.  She and her husband chose to get full over full bunk beds because her daughters move a lot in their sleep.  Consider your child's sleep habits when you get a bunk bed.  You may be more comfortable with IKEA's low loft bed (that's low and

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-84496701695563248662011-01-27T10:09:00.000-08:002011-01-27T10:09:02.803-08:00

One of my kids' favorite music groups over the past few years has been the Laurie Berkner Band.  Through the end of January, Amazon has a selection of MP3 kids albums (and a lot of other albums as well) for $5.  This is one of them: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Laurie-Berkner-Band/dp/B003SJYGVO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1296146139&sr=1-2 This is the best of and so there's lots of fun songs

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-2541158636935840212011-01-20T14:14:00.000-08:002011-01-20T14:14:12.719-08:00

This weekend we got some disheartening news.  We had been hoping to move but a very forthright and honest realtor sat down with us and showed us how much we'd really have to come up with to make up for the short fall in order to sell our house.  Our plan in moving was to have my mom move in with us.  It seemed the wisest plan. But, after consideration, we realized she will be able to buy a small

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-77424219490159589892011-01-13T09:36:00.000-08:002011-01-13T09:36:45.668-08:00

Beware!  My mom called me yesterday afternoon to ask me what she should do about a phone call she had just received.  I'm so thankful she called me! A lady from a company called PC Care called and told her computer was in trouble.  She needed her to get on her computer and follow her directions so they could help her fix it.  The lady even gave a name, Tracy Brown. My mom said she wasn't able

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-90443343100034064272011-01-10T05:39:00.000-08:002011-01-10T05:39:02.461-08:00

I am sadly not one of those people that loves to exercise.  I wish I was!  I admire people that have an innate enjoyment of exercise.  I exercise mostly because I want to take care of my body and I love to eat.  I know it's important to have a healthy view of food and exercise.   My husband returned from a couple months away last April and I haven't really worked out since.  Life has gotten

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-73868007168007598392011-01-10T05:33:00.000-08:002011-01-10T05:33:26.323-08:00

I looked on the internet to find a copy of the sloppy joe recipe I used last night and couldn't find an exact one, so here's what I did. Sloppy Joes 1/2 onion, minced 1 Tbsp canola oil 1 lb. ground beef 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. chili powder 1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce (a small can) 1/4 cup ketchup 4 tsp. worcestsire sauce 1 tsp. brown sugar (I made it a heaping tsp.) 1 tsp. apple cider

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-91306371848099679522011-01-04T11:55:00.000-08:002011-01-04T11:56:14.447-08:00

This morning I found myself stuck with 5 very overripe bananas and I knew my family did not want any more banana muffins or banana bread.  So, I started looking for a coffee cake recipe.  I found this one in my King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Book that my sister in law gave me last year (Thank you! =) ). Banana Crunch Cake http://dontforgettlc.blogspot.com/2010/09/banana-crunch-cake.html Now,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-78730840538727377512010-12-30T13:43:00.000-08:002010-12-30T18:18:19.761-08:00

I have realized that I am often just getting through the days and working as hard as I can for as long as I can and then I shut down for a few hours in the afternoon.  But, this isn't the best way for me or our family. Some time this summer, I picked up a book for a quarter called Confessions of a Happily Organized Family by Deniece Schofield.  It was published over 25 years ago--in 1984.  But,

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-17824622213904706962010-12-24T13:04:00.000-08:002010-12-24T13:06:38.747-08:00

During my senior year in college, I was the weekend cook at my sorority.  It was a great little job and I remember one of my friends teasing me pretty badly when I had actually made the corn bread according to the recipe.  She knew that I had a penchant for changing any recipe I started with.  Fortunately, the food I cooked always tended to turn out pretty good.  I never heard any complaints from

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860258332662044852.post-19581263087841751032010-12-23T04:23:00.000-08:002010-12-23T04:23:05.612-08:00

Kitchen appliances are funny things.  For many of us, we have the same ones that our parents had when we were kids.  For me, it was my Kitchenaid that I saved up for when I was 20 because I couldn't imagine making cookies without it.  I was living on next to nothing, but the kitchenaid was worth saving for!  We also add a few along the way, like our grain mill and coffee grinder.  Sometimes the

Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006242469989144965noreply@blogger.com0