Friend Makin' Monday: Twenty Questions

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Friend Makin' Monday will be spending some time hosted by Amber over the next little bit. This week Amber asked 20 basic questions about our lives...so here goes!

1. Do you cook every night?

Most every night I do - sometimes it just depends on our schedule, but I do plan out our meals for an entire month at a time so that I can go grocery shopping in one foul swoop. That way I can make quick trips to the grocery store for the fruits/veggies and other things that we need weekly.

2. What kind of laundry detergent do you use & why?

Right now I'm finishing up Tide and we also use Downy, but hopefully this week I will be making my first batch of homemade laundry soap and saving us a bunch of money.

You know I'll be posting about that! :)

3. Do you do laundry every day or loads at a time?

I try to do at least one load a day - or a basket full each day. The problem is not in the washing, it's in the folding....

4. How often do you eat out per week?

Not too often. If we do, it's often a spur of the moment thing {after church with friends or my parents call last minute}. Otherwise, we try to stay at home.

5. Where do you usually eat out?

Costco is one of our favorites {the $1.50 hot dog and drink make it a cheap family outing}. Our other two favorites are a local Mexican restaurant and Golden Corral - I know, BIG times, people!! But with the kids we generally lean toward places that are LOUD and kid-friendly.

6. What is your favorite retail store?

Hands-down it's Target.

7. What's your favorite thing to drink?

Mint tea, coffee {iced or hot} and Dr. Pepper

8. Do you take vitamins? What kind?

Not in a physical form, unless I happen to swallow the other half of Kaleb's chewable vitamin when I am biting his in half.

Otherwise, we try to include a lot of our vitamins and eat healthier {all you smart alecks can just ignore the Costco hot dog above}.

9. What percentage of the household chores to you do?

Rick is the trash taker-outer, lawn mower {generally}, and does a lot of the outside 'handy' stuff. I'm the insider chore girl. Not sure how to divide that out percentage-wise, especially since he gets to enjoy peace and quiet {i.e. no one chasing him} while mowing the lawn.

Of course, now I might be handed the lawn mowing since I said that - I love you, honey!!

10. Do your children do chores? {Or will they, did they, etc}

Oh, yes. The kids are responsible for their own rooms {Mommy has to step in and help sometimes}. The older three are all able to help out with the laundry too - starting a load, transferring it to the dryer and we're working on the whole folding/putting away routine. The girls do usually put it away for us, but the younger two make more of a mess of the folded clothes. :)

Other chores they help out with are cleaning up the bathroom, sweeping, vacuuming, washing some windows, loading the dishwasher, setting the table, and general picking up.

11. Do you go to church?

Yes - usually bright and early to the first service at 8:30 since our kids are up at the crack of dawn.

12. Do you have a housework schedule?

For the most part, I do, but it all gets revamped when we get into full school mode. That means it's again a work in progress. I generally try to focus on one area of the house a week to tackle.

13. Do you keep a working budget?

Absolutely. For the most part we take out all of our budget each month in cash so that we STICK to it. The only exceptions are our house payment and a few others like electricity and water - the ones we pay online.

14. What do you do at night as a family?

Dinner, walk/bike ride, bath time, play outside or the Wii, sit and read....anything. :)

15. How do you prepare yourself for a new week?

I have a goal of getting a little time on Saturday mornings to work on school stuff/reviews, etc... to help me get a jump on my week, but there is always something going on that interferes lately.

Sunday afternoons and evenings are when I spend the bulk of my time planning and getting things ready ~ printing off school stuff, filling in the blanks in the lesson plans, making sure my 'to do' list for the next day is ready to go...and then if I have enough energy, making sure the house if picked up and all set for the new week.

That's a big 'if.'

16. What do your mornings look like?

6ish - Wake up and shower.
6:30 - Breakfast and devotions
7:00 - School stuff ready {if not done night before}, email/computer time
7:30 - Kids up/breakfast
8:00 - Chores/kids dressed
8:30 - Start school

17. What time do you get up in the mornings?

Generally between 6 and 6:30am - depends on when my hubby wakes me up and I actually roll out of bed. :) I would love to get up earlier...oh, who am I kidding?

18. What time do you go to bed at night?

What time would I LIKE to go to bed and feel that everything around me is done? 9 - 10pm. Realistically, it is in the 10-11 realm - and much closer to 11pm.

19. How do you manage all of the paperwork that floods into your household? {bills, school work, magazines, ads, etc}

Bills have a certain place near our front door, magazines have a basket and I pull out only the stuff I like and chuck the rest. Because we homeschool, there are a LOT of papers to save and I sort it all by child and then also by six week segments to keep track of it.

20. How do you keep your household organized? {calendars, charts, etc}.

I have two different planners ~ one is my daily planner and keeps track of our overall schedule and meal plan. The other is my homeschool planner that also has our household information and more {click on the link and I detail what's in it}. I'm sure you'll be shocked to know I've blogged about both of them. :) I also enter our schedule into an online calendar called Cozi and it syncs to my Outlook and emails me reminders too - LOVE that!

Since I love to make forms to help keep me motivated, I've posted my daily 'to do list' and even uploaded the pdf to share with you all if you are interested. :) Just in case you think cute lists make it the housework go faster.

Anyway....be sure to visit Amber at {aefilkins} to hang out and make some new friends!

Serve It Up Sunday {8.30.09}

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I'm joining up with a new meme today...and to share what we are planning on cooking up this week.

Sunday ~ Popcorn and movie night!

Monday ~ Ravioli and a salad. I am making up a batch of spaghetti sauce for this today since we still have an overabundance of tomatoes to use!

Tuesday ~ Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches with coleslaw and carrots

Wednesday ~ Mushroom Chicken with wild rice and brocolli ~ hopefully after this week I'll be posting the recipe too!

Thursday ~ Homemade pizza and a veggies

Friday ~ Grill nite! Burgers and hot dogs along with some chunky garden salsa and chips

Saturday ~ White cheddar mac & cheese and a salad

Sunday ~ Pot roast and all the veggies!

See what others are dishin' out in their houses this week {or link up your own menu plans} over at Mommypalooza!

How Do I Love Thee? {Book Review}

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Elizabeth Barrett is essentially a recluse. Although she is a published poet and has close relationships with her immediate family, she never ventures out of the house. Relationships with others outside of her family are almost non-existent.

Until a letter from Robert Browning arrives and changes her entire world.

Over the course of letter writing and eventual face-to-face meetings, a deeper relationship blossoms that threatens all that Elizabeth is familiar with in life. She stands to lose all that she has held dear ~ is their love worth the price?

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How Do I Love Thee? is the first book that I've read by Nancy Moser even though I've seen her books before. Having been an English major I was intrigued to read 'more' of the love story between the two poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. Moser uses actual text of the letters between the two to help build the story ~ and their story is one that shows Divine intervention from start to end. I loved getting a deeper look into their lives and love and understanding more behind some of their well-known works.

Generally I'm able to read a fiction book quickly but for some reason I had a harder time with this one. Even though I was interested in the overall plot and storyline, it is written in the first person point of view ~ something I've only recently realized I don't enjoy reading. Overall though, the book provides a wonderful look into the romance of Robert and Elizabeth and it's so much easier to understand the Sonnets from the Portuguese after reading the book!

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I have a few books sitting next to my bed that I'm excited to read too!!

• Blue Like Playdough ~ Tricia Goyer
• The Carousel Painter ~ Judith Miller
• That Certain Spark ~ Cathy Marie Hake
• Dawn's Prelude ~ Tracie Peterson
  

Be sure to stop by and visit 5 Minutes for Books and their monthly meme called "What's on Your Nightstand?" and also the Saturday Review.

Our Week in a Nutshell

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We're just finished up our third week of school {woo hoo!!} and things are getting settled around here.

Mostly.

Here's just a little look at this past week:

~ Had my pictures taken. Just me. No kids. Figured it was about time that there was documented proof that I do exist. Not only that, I wanted a picture of me that didn't involve some sort of crusty residue or food smear on my clothing. I can't wait to share some of them with you!!

~ My aunt and uncle visited with us for a few days. We haven't seen them in over 10 years, so it was great to sit down for a few minutes and reconnect.

~ They were barely here before I had to call my dad in a panic because our sewer pump alarm was going off. My dad is a trooper. A hero. A wonderful, wonderful man who will willingly stick his hands in Lord-Knows-What to retrieve a nearly burned out pump motor and discover that the reason it jammed had to do with a certain 2-year-old flushing Tupperware play cups down the toilet. {And this isn't the first time he's done it}.

~ After the great Sewer Pump Hole opening, I spent much time ridding the basement of the NASTY smell and throwing many towels out in an effort to clean the floor. {shiver}

~ Today, we're all visiting with a friend that we've talked about getting together since the SPRING, hanging out, talking about whole milk, and healthy foods....

~ I'm looking for a new devotional. I've run the circuit on several on my shelves and want to find another one...any suggestions?

That's our week in a nutshell...what have you been up to?

Chunky Garden Salsa

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With the {over}abundance of tomatoes we have in our garden right now, this recipe helps take a few off our hands. Generally, our kids don't like fresh tomatoes much, but for some reason they inhale this salsa.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with the chips. Our favorite go-along chips are Tostitos Hint of Lime.

Ingredients

~ 8 - 10 tomatoes {Romas tend to be a little firmer and less 'juicy'}
~ 2 jalepenos, seeded and chopped
~ 4 green onions, chopped
~ 4 cloves of garlic, minced
~ Juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime {fresh is the best!}
~ 1 Tbsp. salt

Directions

1. Seed and cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Place in a strainer and let the juice drain.

2. Combine remaining ingredients and add tomatoes when they are well-drained.

3. Enjoy!

If It's Any Consolation...

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I've been going through a HUGE backlog of email {please tell me why I let it pile up like this???} and just got around to adding some phone numbers into my phone.

That were sent to me in March!!!

'Cause I'm quick like that - and SO on top of everything. Oh, I crack myself up, I do!

On the Bright Side...He Did ASK First

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My dear, dear son.

{And I'm sure you all just wonder whom I am talking about, right?}

Yeah, right.

Zachary walked up to me the other day all nonchalant and asked, "Mom, is it ok if I start a fire so I can hear what the smoke detector sounds like?"

BUT...he did ask first, so I have to give him HUGE kudos for that!

__________________________________________

Zachary and I had a 'date' the other day, in which there was a little shopping for clothes for Mommy {in my defense, I'm trying to raise a boy that will be sensitive to the shopping needs of his female counterparts}. As we were flipping through the racks, he would hold up shirts to recommend to me.

As he held up one shirt he said, "You could wear this one to Laurianna's wedding!"

Me: "It's going to be a little bit before her wedding, don't you think?"

Z: "You could put it in that box thing with the buttons downstairs {the safe} and save it for her wedding then."

'Cause you all know I'm planning to shop at TJMaxx for my daughter's wedding...

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Rick and I both have our own 'personal' money each month and I had used some of mine to buy an iced tea recently. We were all in the car and Rick tried to drink from my cup and I pulled the "Hey! I bought that with my own personal money - go buy your own {because I'm nice like that}!

Laurianna piped in a few minutes later.

"Actually, Mom, Dad is the one that works, so it's really HIS money that you are spending. So he should be able to have a drink."

My support is overwhelming, no?

Head on over to Mary's at Not Before 7 for some more Tiny Talk Tuesday!!

Things I Loved About This Summer {Friend Makin' Monday}

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Friend Makin' Monday will be spending some time hosted by Amber over the next little bit. Today, it's back and ready to go ~ the topic: Things I Loved About Summer.

1. Having some down time. While we still did some school during the summer months, it was all low-key and very relaxed. We were able to just play and have fun. Visit with friends. And Mommy had some time to unwind and get excited about the upcoming school year.

2. Visiting Rick's family. This summers vacation was a little easier than year's past ~ mainly because the kids are getting a little more independent and that makes road trips go much more smoothly. We also took a little 'mini~trip' with the kids and Rick's parents to go on a boat ride and tour Thousand Islands. Very fun.

3. Swim team. While swim team involves a LOT of nights at the pool, this year we saw such great growth in the kids. I used to be scared to take all four to the pool by myself and after this summer it's become so.much.easier! And watching the excitement in the kids as they improved their strokes and times ~ that was just so much fun.

4. Capris. Getting older for some reason has made me be a little more umm....reserved in the shorts department. For some reason I feel rather 'indecent' wearing shorts most of the time, and jeans are just way too hot. So I've been loving my capris.

5. Flip Flops. Just love 'em. For me and the kids. While I don't enjoy the nasty, yucky feet that are the result for my kids, they make life so much easier since the kids can get them on all.by.themselves.

6. Ice Pops. This is the first year that I bought ice pops for the kids. I'm not sure WHY I didn't do it before now, but it's such a great treat for us on those nice hot days. And the fact that I get to eat them too ~ just an added bonus.

7. McDonald's Sweet Tea. It's become rather addicting and possibly a link to why it's difficult to loose weight when I'm literally inhaling pounds of sugar. And while sweet tea is great anytime, there's just something about the summer months that make it so much better!

8. Reading. So much reading for me. Love it, love it, love it!

9. Our Garden. This year we added a few extra veggie plants into our garden and while it hasn't been as productive as I would like it to be, we've still gotten some great tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini and peppers!

10. Last Minute Beach Trip with the Girls! I took a trip to the beach to do some last minute school planning with a few friends and it was JUST what I needed to help unload some stress and just laugh and have fun {and I so hope this happens again in years to come!}.

Well, that's it for now ~ there were so many other wonderful things about this summer, but that's just a few of them! Be sure to visit Amber at {aefilkins} to hang out and make some new friends!

Some Punishment...

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After encouraging her siblings to do something that she knew they shouldn't, Laurianna knew she was in trouble with me. She and I talked about what her punishment should be and she came up with a great idea.

The punishment: She would make lunch for everyone for a week.

Now, if you could have seen the look of excitement on her face when she suggested it, you'd realize that really, it's not a punishment at all. In fact, I'm rather certain she may put herself in the path of needing 'punishment' in the future if I let that one fly.

Oh, who am I kidding?

She's in the kitchen making lunch right now.

On My iTouch ~ Fun Friday Poem

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In which I am so.completely.random.

Kaye Dacus, {a wonderful author and lady in my opinion}, posts fun little tidbits in a weekly post called 'Fun Friday'. This week she had us try to make our own "free-form poem" using our iPods/mp3 players, putting it on shuffle and copying the first line of each song to see what poem emerged after 20 lines.

Since I just uploaded a bunch of completely random stuff to my iTouch, I figured this ought to be pretty interesting...There's a whole lotta Sting, Ginny Owens, Chris Tomlin, Jennifer Knapp with a smidge of Mercy Me and Van Morrison thrown in for good measure.


My iTouch Plays...

You think you're a special case, that the world's got it out for you,
I don't drink coffee, I drink tea my dear.
Sister Moon, be my guide
Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance.

Sunrise, sunrise ~ looks like morning in your eyes.
Underground and waiting just below the crowded avenue,
A man can't look at a woman too long.
If we seek solace in the prisons of a distant past.

She says her love for me could never die.
How could I ever say thank you?
All I wanna do is give this life to you.
I could travel over oceans, cross the deserts, climb the mountains.

Went out on a limb ~
Waiting for you ~
Leaves a mind left to wander.
See those shoulders bend all weighted by the thought.

There's a place in the darkness that I used to cling to.
Forgive me if I stare.
I tried so hard, my dear, to show that you're my every dream.
The current is strong from what I've heard.

It's not the pale moon that excites me,
Monday mornin', it's time to get up.
We're gonna party, I can feel it down inside.
You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times.

I used to see the world in black and white
Your love has captured me
Like a flower waiting to bloom.
Open up the skies of mercy.

Kaye Dacus is running a writing series right now on villains/bad guys and always has some great writing tips. In addition, she recently had some new books hit the market too ~ Ransome's Honor and Menu for Romance. I haven't had a chance to read the second one yet, but LOVED Ransome's Honor. If you haven't visited Kaye's site, be sure to pop over and say hi!

Birth of a Butterfly

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When we woke yesterday morning we were so VERY excited to see that we were going to have a butterfly emerge at some point during the day.

And then there was a wee bit of a tragedy that occurred. In an attempt to move the tank to a more observable location, the lid {which was not tightly on} came off the tank and the entire thing dropped on the counter. We all watched as the chrysalis broke and the main part of it fell to the bottom of the tank.

That would be about the time that the sobbing broke out. Tears rolled down the kids faces and I'm sure our neighbors wondered what could have caused such distress in our house.

I honestly wasn't quite sure what to do. Amid all the crying, I gently picked it up, set it on one of the leaves in the tank and told the kids it was time to pray. Because really ~ last I checked, we have a God who cares about the littlest details in our life and their isn't a thing that escapes His attention.

The girls set up camp around the tank and less than an hour later the thin exterior of the chrysalis began to crack and we went into 'help' mode.

Our little butterfly slowly emerged and we helped her find a place to hang and stretch out, except one of her wings wouldn't release from the chrysalis, so eventually I had to help out a little bit. Here are a few pictures of the experience.

After five hours, the smaller of the right wing was still curled up and the larger was almost normal. When we were sure that her wings were dry, the kids and I took her outside to set her free. I wasn't completely sure what to expect {and didn't think she would fly or even survive}.

More than anything today, God reminded me that He is in the little things, cares about every little detail, and if He cares enough for a little butterfly ~ imagine how much more He cares about the details of my life!

Because crumpled wings and all, that little girl flew away!

***This butterfly experience has been at the forefront of my mind a LOT and it's been such an encouragement to me. I'm hoping to share some more of the thoughts that are swirling around in my head soon!! ***

Be sure to visit Rachel Anne for some Company Girl Coffee too!

Gutter Bookshelves

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I can't take credit for this cute idea, because I saw it on my friend Julie's blog and then quickly ran to Lowes to get everything I needed to duplicate it!

The gutter bookshelves were so easy to put together! I bought a 10' length of plastic gutter {you can also use metal guttering} and had Lowes cut it for me into 3 foot pieces. My husband helped me screw the guttering onto the wall and we added gutter end caps so that the books won't fall off the shelves.

These shelves are in our dining room/homeschool area and are great for 'showcasing' our current special reads. They are at a great level for the kids and we love them!

Just wanted to pass along a little something that is Working for Me!

The First Day of {Home}School 2009

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We officially started school last Monday and took pictures on our front porch to document it for all eternity.

That and the crepe myrtle was blooming ever-so-prettily.

Off to start week 2!

Be sure to stop by and visit Darcy @ My 3 Boybarians . She is hosting a "Not-Back-to-School" blog hop and the topic is back to school photos..

My Husband Rocks

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Nothing super exciting to share today...well, I did just realize that I never told you about Zachary calling 911 recently.

How in the world I could NOT remember to post about that is beyond me. {sigh} Don't worry, I'll remember later. At some point.

But...I do want to publicly shout from my bloggy rooftop that my husband rocks. I spent the last two days at the beach planning and getting more stuff together for our school year and not an hour after I left he called to let me know that Kaleb had thrown up right after he woke up.

And I didn't need to turn around and come back. Despite the fact that he was still sick later in the day. He helped appease my mommy guilt and he dealt with all the sickies while I walked the boardwalk, had a nice glass of wine and a kid-free dinner, planned furiously for our school year.

You, my dear husband, ROCK.

Free Yourself to Love {Book Review}

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You may remember that I wrote several posts focused on things that I had learned from the book The Mentoring Mom by Jackie Kendall {and I'll insert here again that it was a great book!}. When Jackie's publicist offered to send me her latest book, Free Yourself to Love: The Liberating Power of Forgiveness to read and review, I jumped at the chance.

Over the last few months I have been reading and re-reading the book, while studying it with a friend of mine. During that time there has been so much simmering in me and I have been sorting through various things that the book has brought up in me. While I was a bit skeptical at first as to how the book would apply to me, I can honestly say that for myself {and for the friend I'm reading it with} it has been a definite 'God-timing' read.

Jackie Kendall grew up in a completely dysfunctional family ~ suffering abuse as a child and living through the pain of two siblings committing suicide. She is amazingly transparent and open in her writing, sharing how she has learned what a forgiving lifestyle is truly about.

Throughout the book, Jackie address various aspects of forgiveness: reasons we don't forgive, counterfeit forgiveness, saying goodbye to shame, authentic forgiveness and the tools to forgiveness. She also addresses the six most commonly used excuses we use in not forgiving others:

1. The offense was too great.
2. The memories of the offense are so vivid.
3. The offense was repeated.
4. You want to make the person pay for the offense.
5. You are too angry to even consider forgiving this person.
6. The offender didn't say, "I am sorry."

The one thing that has impacted me the most from this book is the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. In my mind the two were so entwined - but the two are separate in nature. This passage from Jackie's book describes it so well:

"Forgiving is a gift I give because of Jesus' gift to me. It is a gift I bestow upon my offender and a gift I give to myself. Forgiveness is also a gift I give to God. Such a response in faith and obedience is, indeed, an offering to God. Reconciliation is the gift exchanged between me and the offender when he or she has repented. Because I have already forgiven, I am not held hostage to that person's offensive behavior, waiting for him or her to repent. Forgiveness is my being set free, and reconciliation is when the relationship between me and the offender is healed."

{page 73, Free Yourself to Love}

Jackie breaks things down so well, gives great examples throughout the book, and provides excellent 'personal questions' to help you understand the heart of forgiveness. Free Yourself to Love has challenged me on so many different levels ~ this book is one that I am still pouring over and will be referencing for years to come.

Be sure to stop by and visit 5 Minutes for Books and their monthly meme called "What's on Your Nightstand?" and also the Saturday Review.

Today I Resolve...

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We're back in the full swing of school now and our week has been packed full of learning and fun. Our week though has a fun 'free' day tagged onto the end ~ we attend a local co-op on Friday mornings and then our afternoons are free of any teaching.

Today, after having a great week learning with our kids I resolve to spend the day just having FUN with them. Doing nothing other than laughing, playing, goofing off, going for a bike ride or a walk, getting down on the floor to crawl around, turning our dining room table into a fort, maybe even making a mess and cooking a thing or two {solely to rid my refrigerator of the overabundance of zucchini and squash}.

Basically, just enjoy some time with my kids that doesn't revolve around planning - unless it's planning fun. :)

My Week Summed Up

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We don't watch Family Guy, but all week long ~ as Kaleb has been following me around doing this very thing ~ I just keep laughing because this clip comes to my mind.

Links I Like...

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I'm trying to keep track of some of my favorite posts throughout the week from the various sites that I visit ~ and maybe you all are interested in some great stuff too! This list is completely random overall - a little bit of everything.

Christmas Book Activities 2009 ~ A Day of Wonders: Laura is posting ideas for ornaments that go along with different Christmas books {and being nice to post them before Christmas for us all!}

Band-aid Bugs ~ No Time for Flashcards: Cutest little bugs - another reason to run through band-aids in this house!

Seeing a Solar Eclipse ~ Jimmie's Collage: Jimmie put together a last-minute viewer to safely see the eclipse in China

Eviction Notice ~ Writing from Scratch: This just made me laugh out loud. In pure sympathy, of course. :)

On Milk - Musing of a Housewife: Definitely giving me some things to think on about milk.

Jug Care - Home Sanctuary: I was reading this seriously for about 2/3 of the post and then I about spit my coffee out laughing.

Painless Splinter Removal

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Even though your kids may be done teething, hang onto that little tube of Orajel! Our kids are a little skittish when it comes to having me remove splinters, and the Orajel has come in handy on many occasions lately.

Put a little bit around the area where the splinter is and it will help 'numb' the area so you can work on getting the splinter out with minimal pain for your kids!


Just wanted to pass along a little something that is Working for Me!

Drinking Root Beard

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Zachary and the girls were having a talk about root beer {they have soda on the brain lately after we let them have some root beer floats recently}. Their talk quickly escalated into a 'fight' and so I had to stop and listen to what they were saying.

Z: No, it's root beard!

M: Root BEER, Zachary. BEER, not beard!

Z: No - it's root beard, because when you drink it, the foamy stuff gets on your chin and gives you a BEARD!

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The girls were playing dolls in their room one morning and I listened in to the conversation their dolls were having after I heard the 'marriage' topic:

L: Will you marry him?

M: Marry him? No, I couldn't. I just met him....besides, I don't want to marry a man that stinks.

{Hygiene is important even in the doll-world}

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Zachary heard the term 'tree hugger' somewhere and he was sitting at the table talking to himself one day:

"Tree hugger. Why would you want to hug a tree anyway?"

Just cracked me up because you could almost see the little wheels turning in his head and trying to wrap his brain around the saying.

Head on over to Mary's at Not Before 7 for some more Tiny Talk Tuesday!!

It Boils Down to Principles

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I went shopping alone the other day for groceries and got a little sidetracked in the clothing section {ahem}. I found some great deals on the clearance rack and had a few shirts picked out and had tried them on over my camisole. I even admired how cute they were in a mirror and sat there contemplating if I should buy one {or two} of them.

Then I noticed the tags in the collar of the shirts.

While I knew they were sized 'large' what I didn't notice was that they were MATERNITY shirts. {I will insert here that they were not the billowy and flowing maternity shirt styles from 10 years ago...more like the 'stuck to your body so your belly button shows for all the world to see' type of shirts}.

So I promptly put them back.

I know they were cute. Yes, they fit great and look like many of the other shirt styles around nowadays. But it's the principle of the matter!

I spent almost 6 years of my life wearing maternity clothes and just can't bring myself to intentionally buy a maternity shirt {cute or otherwise} when I am NOT pregnant.

Is that wrong? It would be like buying a pair of size 12 jeans when you know that you are actually a size 2 {that would be wishful thinking people.....}.

Could you do it? Would you do it? If it was cute enough, could you overlook a label, suck it up and wear it? Or would your subconscious be reminding you about that little tag at the back of your neck?

Please tell me I'm not alone in this!!

C-c-c-c-Cold!

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I opened my freezer the other day to find this:

The culprit? Kaleb.

When I asked him what was in my freezer, he pointed to the 'C' and said, "C-c-c-Cold!" Apparently his first time watching the Letter Factory dvd this last week has made a mark on his little brain!

I Color Code My Kids

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Before you begin envisioning my kids looking like Violet from Willie Wonka, I should probably clarify that title.

Our kids have a specific color assigned to them. Does that sound a bit over the top? Maybe, but I can tell you it has helped SO much over the years having four little ones!

It all started out innocently enough with sippy cups ~ Laurianna had a purple lid and McKenna had a pink one. We always knew whose cup was missing and which one belonged to which kiddo.

When we added Zachary and Kaleb we added blue and green.

The coding has now spread throughout the house to include backpacks, pencil boxes, notebooks....but all for the sake of knowing who is missing what {and who needs to pick up what too!}. This year I bought colored Sharpies and added a color mark to the top of all the kids markers to help us sort them out a little easier too ~ because being able to stop one minor fight a day is worth it!

It might seem a bit over the top, but it is definitely something that is Working for Me!

Will You Hold Me When I'm 15?

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Zachary is getting pretty heavy, so picking him up is no small feat anymore, even for Rick. He asked Rick to hold him the other day and while he was cuddling up, asked Rick if he would still hold him ~ even when he was 15.

Rick said he thought it would be a little hard since Zachary would be a lot bigger then.

Zachary was quiet for a minute and said, "Yeah. You'll probably be dead then."

The Goo is Gone in My Oven

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In case you were wondering, the back of the Goo Gone bottle is not a place for uplifting and encouraging writing. You will find things like:

• Contains petroleum distillates.
• If swallowed do not induce vomitting.
• Avoid prolonged contact with skin.
• Use in well-ventilated area.
• Do not use near heat, sparks or flames.

Finding out that my two-year-old had poured the entire bottle contents into my oven - well, that takes about 4 of those 5 bullet points and raises some lovely questions ~ and incidentally, when you call the 800 number they are NO HELP AT ALL!! No live operator, but I can leave a message for someone to get back with me in a few days.

Which would be great, but I'm a little worried about the whole "Will my house explode?" issue at the moment - so thanks, but no thanks!

I will let you know that REMOVING Goo Gone is a messy, messy project. Especially when it's the whole stinkin' bottle {although my oven is rather clean now}.

How does one *attempt* to remove Goo Gone from the oven?

• Lots and lots of towels
• Lots and lots of soapy water
• Lather, rinse, repeat
  
• Repeat again
• Repeat again
• Air it out

Here I sit wanting to use my oven and I'm seriously scared to death to even go there. Worried that if I turn it on, it might explode, start a fire, or poison us all with noxious fumes.

How long do you think I can get out of cooking because of this?

Love's Pursuit {Book Review}

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From Bethany House:

In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town's wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.

In trying to discover true love's path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Siri Mitchell is an author that I have grown to love recently! Her books are not 'fluff' reads but rather pull the reader into the story with detailed historical settings and fully developed characters. There is bit of a dual storyline going on throughout the book {a little confusing at first} but it all ties together in the end. I can honestly say that things didn't turn out the way I expected them to, but it was still wonderful.

I know very little about the Puritans, and Love's Pursuit was a great glimpse into that particular era of the 1600's. Siri Mitchell pulls you into a Puritan household and the daily happenings in the village as well as the spiritual beliefs of the time. {And I will openly admit that I am so thankful for the period of time in which I live!}. Overall, it is a wonderful story of understanding God's grace and mercy...and the pursuit of God's love.

Be sure to stop by and visit 5 Minutes for Books and their monthly meme called "What's on Your Nightstand?" and also the Saturday Review.