More We Have...More We Want!

I've been busy lately.

Well, that is an understatement.

Basketball.  Wrestling.  Christmas parties.  Christmas school service projects.  Science project.  History project.  Adoption Auction.  Collecting money.  Mailing packages.  Christmas shopping.  Packing family of 8 for Christmas vacation across the ocean.  Planning for house sitters.  Cleaning.  Baking.  Concert.  Hosting.  Not to mention the normal everyday stuff of homeschooling, being a taxi, cooking meals, picking up house and laundry.

This will be my last post for a couple of weeks as we will be trekking across the country of Turkey with our family for 10 days.  It's our second Christmas away in 17 years.  Our first air flight for 24 hours with 6 kids.  Pray for us! 

In America it is NOT easy to keep the real reason of Christmas in the forefront of your  mind....at least it's not for me.  I have to be intentional about it.

I'm reading a book now that my sister loaned me called "Seven" by Jen Hatmaker.  I'm only half way done because my time to read is limited, but it's one of those books that you can't finish without being changed in your heart.  It's great timing for me to read this book - during the time of American indulgences - the holiday season.

I don't know about your family, but in the Fish House, the more we have, the more we want.  Christmas can all too often be a time to rip open presents with glee, say a quick thank you and look around for the next gift to open.  It disturbs me as a mother.  We have so much already and don't NEED a single thing.  Christmas is no longer a time to get the socks and undies that you really need.  It's not even the time to get that one special toy you were longing for.  It's become the time that parents spend hundreds of dollars in order to overindulge their children.  And are they better for it?  Are they more thankful?  Does it assist them in focusing on the joy of giving?  Does it help them to have a right world perspective?  Does it increase their heart for others?  NOPE.

This year we are not giving gifts.  We told the kids that our gift is spending Christmas in Turkey with family.  They will get stockings this year with a few little nick nacks, but no gifts.  It's been kind of nice.  So far things have been pretty simple.  Small amounts of shopping.  Minimal decorations in the house.  And no gimmies as of yet.

I'm not trying to be a Scrooge this year or post something that makes anyone feel guilty or frustrated, but as believers I feel that we should constantly be intentional with our children about everything, especially celebrations.  I also feel convicted that my own children have so much that it feeds selfishness.  Last year I heard on Christian radio that the average person in America spends $150 on each child for Christmas gifts.  That shocked me and then it saddened me.  So this Christmas let's all try to be more intentional with how we celebrate and the memories that we make with our kids.  What is the result of the $150 gifts?  Does that line up with the character traits that we are trying to instill in them?  Does it encourage thoughtfulness or selfishness?

I hope y'all have a wonderful Christmas holiday that is filled with Christ.  Merry Christmas!

To Santa or Not To Santa...

Christmas season is here.  Shopping has begun.  Lights are turned on (I have to wear sunglasses at night when I see my neighbor's yard).  It's the time of good cheer.  Christmas music is on 24/7 in my house and in my van.  We are singing, dancing and remembering Christmas' gone by with each song that plays.

I'm assuming that we all want to shift the Christmas focus off of the commercialism and fantasy of it all and help our children remember that the birth of Jesus is the true reason we celebrate.  Reading Luke 2.  Setting out the nativity set.  Doing the Jesse Tree devotions.  Participating in a service project.  These are all good ways to help our little ones focus on Jesus. 

I know Santa is somewhat controversial among young Christian moms.  "Do or do we not do Santa?" is the question.  Some moms are passionate about the fun of teaching Santa and all the stories that go with that.  It's fun for them and fun for their little ones and was part of their upbringing also, so in a way it's nostalgic.  Others are admanantly against Santa and all that he stands for.  They see it purely as a diversion from the truth of the season and a means for Satan to shift focus away from the Savior.

We, at the Fish House, are kind of down the middle.  I honestly don't remember a time when I truly believed in Santa.  We set out the cookies.  We unwrapped gifts that said "From Santa", but I think I always knew it was just for pretend.  I like to teach my Fish Sticks about the true St. Nicholas, so we always read the story about the man who lived 300 years after Jesus in Turkey and who started the first traditions of giving to others secretly, loving children and serving others - all in the name of Jesus.  We then read the original poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and I explain to them that the story of St. Nicholas turned into Santa Claus when a dad wrote this poem for his kids and it was published in the newspaper.  Santa Claus just evolved from there. 

So to the Fish Sticks, St. Nick is real.  He lived and he died (and my firstborn even told a stranger that when asked once if he was ready for Santa to come visit him).  They know the rest of the story is pretend and just for fun.  They are also warned not to share this bit of knowledge with their peers.  I certainly don't want my kids to be the ones to burst the big Santa bubble of another kid with Mama Bear attacking me when all their Christmas dreams are shattered. 

So Santa is truly on the back burner here.  Jesus is the reason we celebrate and Santa Claus is just for pretend fun.  After all, he did die in Turkey hundreds of years ago.  Ask my firstborn.  He'll tell you all about it.

Doing What I Said I Wouldn't Do

Well just when I told you that I wasn't going to post on fashion again, I do.

I just can't help it.

I've been having a fun time figuring out this fashion dilemma I had found myself in.

I found on Pinterest a website called Putting Me Together.  It's this young girl who remixes her wardrobe.  Remixing just means she takes what she has and mixes and matches her outfits.  Just like me, she found herself in a rut wearing the same outfits over and over just one way and decided to educate herself on changing things up. 

I am a total copy cat.  If you see something incredible that I have sewed, crafted or cooked, I promise you it was not an original idea.  What I had to do was take my iPhone to my closet, look at her step by step tutorial on what to do and look at her photos for ideas.  I started with her link called "Building a Remixable Wardrobe."  Knowing myself and my limited short term memory, I threw out outfits on the floor and took photos of them based on the photos of her outfits.  It was really fun and within 30 minutes I had about 50 photos taken.  I could have done much more, but 50 was good for me.

Now what I'm about to tell you might sound a bit OCD, and I assure you, I am not OCD, just extremely forgetful and visual.  I saw Walgreens was having a deal where you get 50 prints for $5.00.  I figured it was worth $5 to eliminate all thought in getting dressed each a.m. so I ordered prints of the outfits I had thrown together on my floor.

After reading through that blog, I also decided to run to Kohls and Goodwill and grab a few things that could increase the number of outfits that I can make in my closet.  At Kohls, I bought a few skinny belts that were on clearance.  They were about $3 or less each and I got a 2 pack of gold and leopard and a 2 pack of silver and black and white.  Then I went to Goodwill and found a wide woven black belt and a wide woven brown belt, for $1.99 each.  I also got a fitted, short blazer - one chocolate brown and one gray for $7.99 each. 

I'm stepping out a bit by belting it and it's been years since I've worn blazers, but her blog convinced me that I don't have to have an hourglass figure to try this remixing idea.  Check it out and let me know if she inspired you too.

Plethora of Pinterest

If you have checked out my auction on our adoption blog, you can see I've been busy. 

I used to be a huge crafter.  I sewed, crafted and scrapbooked through every single Fish Stick nap.  Those days are long gone but it was really fun having a personal deadline to get crafting and sewing done to post items to auction.  Pinterest came in real handy as I searched things to make with things I had on hand.

Here's some of the things that I got off line:  rick rack Christmas tree cards, snowman t-shirt, knit woven bracelets, hair bows, tree button shirts, & the reversible purse pattern. 

I have lots of fabric from my curtain sewing days, so we used that to make the grocery bags.

I sew with knit all the time because the blog Make It and Love It has gotten me hooked on knit.  The cheapest way to use knit is to buy jersey knit bed sheets at Goodwill for $2.99 a piece.  I have knit in just about every color and it costs me a fraction of the cost going that route.  There's so many fun things to do with knit.  I stocked up on t-shirts of all colors and sizes last year as I anticipated opening my Etsy shop to make reversible applique Africa tees.  My Etsy shop didn't take off like I anticipated and so I am left with loads of t-shirts.  It's been my standard kid birthday gift this year.  I searched Pinterest to come up with cute ideas, other than Africa, to make t-shirts.

And to add to my month of Pinterest Craze, I have been doing the freezer bag meals that I pinned.  I think I already have 8 meals in my freezer and one cooking in my Crock Pot as I type.  That's the kind of meal planning I LOVE!!!  Anyone else tried those out?

Fashion....Only Once

This post is about fashion.  Take note, because it will probably be the only post I ever write on fashion, because fashion is not my expertise.  When my little sis was here, I asked her for help.  I needed to clean out and simplify my closet and I wanted her to help me with some fashion advice.

Funny thing is that when I was in high school and college, my sis looked to me for fashion advice.  Now the roles have flip flopped.

Six years ago when I sewed window treatments and home decor as a side business, I worked alongside a couple of decorators.  Sometimes in exchange for services, they would help me decorate and I would sew for them.  I loved doing this because I get in a rut.  I always hang the same picture above the couch.  I always put the same rug in the same room.  I put the same nick nacks in the same arrangement.  By having a decorator come in, they took what I had, rearranged it for me and then made suggestions of what I could add when my budget aloud.  It was so refreshing to see things put in ways I never would have thought of.

This is what I wanted my sister to do to my closet.  I'm not really emotionally attached to any of my things and it doesn't hurt my feelings if she said "no" to my favorite outfit.

First we pulled out all the things I didn't wear.  The things that were too small that I was convinced I would fit into one day.  The things that really did nothing for my figure.  The things that I loved but had tiny holes in it or stains.  Then she pulled out the things that were just in the "no" category.  Then she took what I had and started taking photos of possible ensembles.  I was really surprised at some of the things she came up with and she heard me say over and over, "Are you sure??  Really?".

Here's some of her bullet points:

1.  boots and slip ons
2.  skinny jeans and leggings
3.  bright colors mixed and matched
4.  brightly colored scarves
5.  things don't have to match
6.  belt it on the outside (even layers)
7.  tuck it
8.  layer, layer, layer
9.  seasonal clothes don't matter i.e. wear winter boots with summer dress and cardigan

I'm a boot girl so boots were no problem.  Slip ons will be on my wish list.  Skinny jeans and leggings, I can do and have a couple, but sure love my boot cut jeans.  I think I could sleep in them.  Bright colors I've got.  Scarves...I need a few.  I'm pretty basic neutrals with those.  Not matching? That will take some getting used to.  Belt it?  YIKES!  I've never had an hour glass figure and really don't after birthing 6 children.  I kept telling her it made me shaped like a potato.  Tuck it?  Haven't done that in years. I love to hide the flab, not accent it.

It was fun and it has been challenging for me.  Day one I wore my purple sweater with my green shirt, skinny jeans and Uggs and 3 strangers complimented me.  HEY!  Maybe I can do this.  Today is my first "belt it" try with some mismatched colors.  It feels weird and I'm not so sure about it.  Wanna see?  I took this photo in the Target family bathroom.

And the result.  I've simplified my closet to some degree and that feels good.  Goodwill got a big bag of the yuck clothes and now I still have a stack on my floor.  Anyone want any hand-me-downs?  I'd love to give them to a friend (or stranger for that matter).  Most are size 8, a few size 6, and most all mediums.  If I box them up and mail, just pay for shipping. So anyone want them?  If so, leave me a comment.  Otherwise, I will drop off at Goodwill.

Adoption Auction

How can you get some Christmas shopping done and care for the orphans all at the same time?

Go to www.findingallourfishsticks.blogspot.com tonight and join in the fun of an online auction.

The auction will be open for 1 week.  Just leave a comment with your bid on each item and when the auction closes, the highest bidder wins.  It's that easy.

Spread the word through your blog, facebook or twitter!

Thanks so much.

December Meal Plan

This post is a combination of my Pinterest post and Meal Planning.

Have you seen all the Pinterest posting about freezing meals in a gallon ziploc that you just throw into your crock pot?  It looks wonderful.  I've pinned 2 different sites - one with 3 recipes for the gallon bag freezer meals and another where she doubles all her recipes so she eats one and freezes one and spends $329 for 37 recipes!  Now that is a system worth checking into.

Because we are going out of town for Christmas, I planned for 15 meals, using these 2 Pins for recipes (the ones with a * I am going to double so I can have meals waiting for us when we get home).

1.  Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken *
2.  Stephanie's Goulash *
3.  Chicken Curry *
4.  BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork *
5.  Slow Cooker Lasagna *
6.  Lemon Garlic Chicken *
7.  Crock Pot Ravioli *
8.  Sesame Ginger Chicken *
9.  Baked Tilapia (not on Pin)
10.  Breakfast (not on Pin)
11.  Beef Taco Soup *
12.  Chicken & Spinach *
13.  Baked Salmon Parmesan
14.  Pizza (not on Pin)
15.  San Francisco Pork Chops

Lunches:
tuna, PBJ, Turkey/cheese sandwiches
pretzels, veggie straws, baked chips
fruit
cheese, nuts, veggies with hummus

Breakfasts:
oatmeal, cereal, eggs, biscuits/muffins, bagel/egg/cheese sandwiches

Snacks:
popcorn, granola, protein balls (now that is a yummy Pin!!), yogurt/fruit/granola, herbed oyster crackers

Real Foods Month Recap

I apologize for not reporting well about our Real Foods month.  Vacation kind of put it on the back burner.

We are wrapping up the month and if you asked the Fish Sticks, they would scream and cheer for December to come so they can have the "old foods" back.   Junk food is what my son asked for this a.m.

Like I told you before, the breakfast and lunch menu were really the only big change in our house.  For the most part, we make healthy day-to-day choices.  I had made a chart for the Fish Sticks of all options for breakfast and lunch.  I even took a photo of it to show you, but it must have gotten erased because I can't find it anywhere.  I just wanted to show the Fish Sticks that although the pantry looked different (and empty) there were many options for them to make for these meals.

For breakfasts, I kept homemade yogurt stocked with Overnight Granola or a new recipe my friend shared called Peanut Butter Granola.  Fresh fruit, frozen berries and dried fruit were added.  I made pancakes, waffles, muffins and coffee cake all from fresh milled wheat flour and used sucanat, honey, honey granules, stevia and real maple syrup only as our sweeteners.  This required me to plan ahead a bit and sometimes I would make breakfast the night before.  Oatmeal with all the trimmings was a big favorite too.

Lunches were much more difficult.  We continued with sandwiches on fresh milled whole wheat bread but I purchased natural peanut butter and fruit spread.  The Fish Sticks did not like the fruit spread but ate it anyway.  No chips except for tortilla chips which are only corn meal, oil and salt.  We got some with a more healthy oil and ate them with homemade salsa that I canned last year.  Fruit as usual or vegetables cut up with hummus.  For snacks I made popcorn on the stove top with olive oil or coconut oil, homemade granola bars, nuts, or any of the things I've already mentioned above.

Being on the go made things more difficult.  Basketball games and wrestling matches were a challenge.  I had to be prepared and made advanced plans in order to prevent lots of whiney, hungry Fish Sticks.

We did have a normal Thanksgiving and celebrated a birthday a couple of times, so we weren't totally pure about the changes.  My kids got candy here and there at school and were invited to several parties, partaking of whatever was offered them.  I just wanted you to know that we weren't 100% for the entire month.

As for my budget, I didn't notice a huge difference.  At the middle of the month, I felt like it would actually help my budget because I had so much healthy choices stocked up through my Bulk Natural Foods, Bread Beckers and gardening.  I didn't buy every thing organic but tried to get the things I felt were important to purchase organic (like kale and lettuce).

As I head out to the grocery store today to shop for the month of December, my pantry is empty - honestly though that is nothing new to the end of the month situation in our house.  What I realized is that I can push my family a little bit more to make healthier choices.  Doing without white sugar and white flour is totally doable in our house.  I can bake more with milled wheat flour and use natural sweeteners more.  If we are going to be on the go, I need to plan well in advance.

Last, some of you might know that I have a love affair with chocolate and my recipe for chocolate chip cookies can't be beat.  I cringe to think of eating wheat chocolate chip cookies without white flour, white and brown sugar and Crisco.  Sounds like cardboard cookies to me.  BUT...I tried a recipe for chocolate chip cookies in my Bread Beckers cookbook and we all loved them.  They were totally wonderful and I was shocked!

So it can be done - changing your family to healthier choices - without breaking your budget, without killing the spirits of everyone in the house, without adding unthinkable amounts of kitchen prep time to you, the Mama.  If you would love to make some healthier changes, my advice is to take baby steps.  Pick one challenge a month that you want to change.  Start small.  You don't have to change everything overnight - that would be a recipe for disaster in my house.  Do what you can and know you are improving the health of your family, even in the baby steps.

Black Friday Shopping

 I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving holiday and grabbed some great Black Friday deals.  I've been on a bit of a vacation with company in town and kids out of school for a week.

This was the first year that I went Black Friday shopping and it was quite the adventure.  Earlier in the week CVS and Walgreens had sales up until Black Friday, with an entirely different ad which covered Black Friday and Saturday.

I matched coupons when possible and got some great deals, mostly freebies.  I didn't hit Walgreens as their sales didn't strike me as much as CVS did.  I got almost everything for free after ECBs in both of these photos.  CVS was pretty wiped out on Wednesday when I went but Friday they were fully stocked.

Hope y'all racked up too on the good deals!

Drug Store Finds

 At CVS today I got the movie, Brave.  Shhh- don't tell the Fish Sticks.  It's a surprise.  It was on sale for $19.99 with $5 ECB, making it $14.99.

Skippy peanut butter was 2 for $5 and $3 ECB if you buy 2.  Sunday's paper had 35 cent off coupon so they were only $1.40 each!

Colgate was $2.75 with $2 ECB and I had a 75 cent off coupon making it 24 cents.

Listerine Pocket Packs were $2.99 with $1 ECB and a 50 cent coupon made it $1.49 (for a 3 pack).

Ricola was 2 for $3 and there was a 75 cent off coupon making them 75 cents each.

Axe body wash was 2 for $9 with $3 ECB making them 2 for $6.  I had 2 coupons for $1 off so they were just $2 a piece (for the teenage boy in the house).

Walgreens had Diabetic Quick Sticks and Foot Cream for free after a MIR and Register Rewards.  My daughter's teacher is diabetic so I hope to share those with her.  Scunci Hair clips (which my girls have taken all of mine) were $2.99 with $2 RR so they were only 99 cents (and I will HIDE them!)  There was a coupon in the ad for chocolate chips for $1.99.  If you buy 2, you earn 750 points so that makes them $1.75 each.  Progressive Soup was 4 for $5, matched with a $1 off 4 coupon and earning 750 points, that made them 81 cents each (and great for the Fish Sticks' lunch boxes).  Renu Contact Solution came to $1.99 after RR too.

Now's the time to start stocking up on gifts and stocking stuffers as the big sales are coming out, so be on the look out for stocking up!

Looks Are Deceiving

I pinned Breakfast Cookies.  Looks delicious.  Tastes like rubber.  I found the container this a.m. with all 5 chocolate chips picked off each cookie and several with one bite taken out of them.  Unfortunately My Man overheard from the back of the house the general consensus of the cookie taste and opted out of having one for breakfast.

I'm not a good salesman.

I hate waste, so I guess I will be eating these until they are gone.  Slowly chewing and chewing.

Gotta go delete that pin.

Real Food - Real Complaints

It seems like it's been much longer than 10 days since we started eating only real foods.  I will admit that once or twice for the sake of convenience, I had to throw out a few processed things to my family.  This week the $2 Wacky Pack at Sonic sounded pretty good to 2 little Fish Sticks who had been shopping with their Mama all morning.

Here's some of my feedback in bullet points thus far:

** It does require a bit more planning - especially for breakfast.  I've been spending time in the evening throwing together muffins, biscuits, etc.

** Packed lunches are the biggest challenge.  My Fish Sticks say they miss the more snacky things like chips or pretzels.  They miss the variety of items in their lunch boxes also.

** Suppers haven't changed much at all.  Some things have made it better like homemade salad dressing and fresh parmesan instead of processed.

** Breakfast is so much more healthy.  I have been making 1/2 gallon of homemade crockpot yogurt every other day to keep up with their yogurt intake.  We've been making homemade granola and eating them together with berries or fresh fruit. 

** Natural sweeteners taste just as good as processed and in moderation are tons better for us.

So far, no regrets from this Mama.  I can already see some permanent changes that I will make after my challenge is over.  Anyone else doing this and loving or hating it?  Any drop outs?

Pinning It & Making It

My pin that I actually made lately has been homemade flavored coffee creamer.  It comes from Next to Heaven blog and you can find it pinned on my Pinterest boards.

I've made the Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer several times.  It's very yummy but if you don't strain it, the pumpkin settles at the bottom of the coffee cup and makes for a yucky last sip.  The smell and taste is very good though.  I guess I should take the time to strain.  :)

I also tried the Peppermint Mocha.  It was very good and very chocolatey.

Next to try is Cinnamon Strudel and Chocolate Almond.  I'm nuts about almond flavoring.

These creamers are not as sweet as the store bought so some of you might want to add some stevia to yours.  The recipes fall right in line with our "real eating" plan so I suggest you give them a try and see what you think.  Your kids will want to drink them plain if you decide they are not great in your coffee.  :)

Walgreens this Week

No photo this week but I went to Walgreens and got a few good deals.

My Man needs Children's Allegra and they had it for $9.99.  In RP 10/7 coupons, they had $4 off adult Allegra.  The coupon worked and I was able to get 4 boxes for $5.99 each!

Oral B toothbrushes were $2.99 with $2 RR and I had a 50 cent coupon from 10/28 PG making it 49 cents.  Crest mouthwash was $2.99 with $2 back in RR and I had a 75 cent off coupon from the same paper as the toothbrush, making it 24 cents.  They had Nice brand sandwich bags for BOGO making them $1 each.  I stocked up on those and bought 6 boxes for school lunches.  Halloween items were clearanced at 75% off.  I got a pack of 6 candy necklaces for 37 cents, 2 bags of candy corn for 37 cents each and a box of gummy body parts for 99 cents.  Those will be stashed away for special treats.  The candy corn will be for "yours truly" to soothe myself after a rotten day.  :)  Once again I had stocked up 5,000 points so I got $5 off my final purchase.  Not bad.

Oops - A Tad Bit Late

I just remembered that I totally forgot to show you  my weekly deals this week at CVS and Walgreens.  Although it's too late for you to grab them now, I will go ahead and show you what I got.

Walgreens was pretty slow this week but I did get Advil PM (4 count) for free.  They had them for $1 each and I had a $1 off coupon (actually several coupons) from RP 10/28.  I got 4 of them for free.

CVS had some great deals.  Their P&G products were buy $30 and get $10 ECB.  Dawn dish soap was 99 cents and I had a 75 cent off coupon (making it 25 cents each without the ECBs!), Charmin 12 pk was $5.77 with a 25 cent coupon in Sunday's paper and Bounty 6 pack was $5.77 with a 50 cent coupon in Sunday's paper.  For 3 packs of toilet paper, 1 pack of paper towels and 8 dish soaps, I paid $14.

Revlong Beauty Tools were buy 2 and get $7 ECB.  There was a $1 off coupon in 10/14 SS.  I got nail polish for $5.99 and a liner sharpener for $4.99.  The total for both products was $1.98.

Overnight Granola Cereal

I have made many granola recipes over the years and basically all of them are similar to one another and good.  The reason why I like this recipe is because it's simple and I can make it the night before.

It's from TEACH magazine, the Sanity Saving Breakfast Ideas booklets that I love so much.

Lorries Lazy Granola

**Mix 1/2 cup each of brown sugar (I used sucanat), oil (I used coconut oil) and raw honey in microwave safe bowl.  (You can use the same measuring cup if you measure the ingredients in this order since the oil washes out the sugar and slicks the cup down which  makes the honey pour right out.)

**Bring to a low boil in microwave.

**Add 1 ts/ cinnamon and 2 tsp. vanilla (I've tried almond also)

**Add 1 cup pecans (I use whatever I have on hand.  Last night it was half sunflower seeds, half sliced almonds)

**Pour over 7 cups of oats in large pan (like metal lasagna pan)

**Stir until totally coated

**Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, take out and stir well.  Put it back in the oven, which you have turned OFF and go to bed.  Wake up to wonderful, homemade granola for breakfast!

Day 1

The Halloween candy is put up and we are geared up to start Day 1 of our month of "real foods."

For breakfast, I made Lorrie's Lazy Granola the day before.  (Recipe coming tomorrow)

The Fish Sticks ate it over plain yogurt with honey and I had it with some milk with sliced bananas on the top. 

 For snack we had 3 slices of blocked sharp cheddar with 4-5 Triskets.

Lunch was natural peanut butter with fruit spread on whole grain bread, hummus with carrots and grapes.

Side note - I bought these things at Aldi and although the peanut butter and fruit spread have a small amount of sugar, they are free of corn syrup and about 1/4 the price of the 100% natural things I found at Kroger.  It was worth the purchase to save the money.

For supper, I have pintos brewing in the crock pot for my favorite refried beans, ground turkey with taco seasonings, and all the trimmings for a Mexican buffet.

So far so good, if I can get my 5 year old to understand "Mommy said NO HALLOWEEN CANDY!"  :)

Doing the Pins

You would all be so impressed.  I have been doing my pins on Pinterest.  I have done several this week but will just post one right now, in case I slow done and need some posting material later.  :)

I was planning on making meatloaf one night but then I saw that someone had made mini meatloafs in a muffin tin (takes so much less time to cook, which is awesome!) and then topped them with mashed potatoes in an icing pipe tube.  My icing pipe tube broke, but I had 2 cups of instant potato flakes I wanted to get rid of and with an ice cream scooper, they turned out pretty cute. 

You can follow me on Pinterest to get the pin yourself.

My Fish Sticks loved them and thought they were cupcakes at first.  They were a big hit and will definitely need to be repeated.

Gearing Up for Real Foods

I went grocery shopping Monday for my "Month of Real Food."  Her goal for a family of 4 was $150-$175 a week.  My family is twice that size, but I knew that I couldn't double her budget.  Looking over her menus, I saw that many of the grains and legumes she mentioned, we have in bulk already.  I didn't go completely organic but bought my 39 cent can of tomato paste at Aldi instead of the over $1 can she got organic.  I also realized that her menu would starve my family so I added some veggies here and there and got extra fruit to keep for snacks.  I tried to shop for the first 2 weeks so I don't have to grocery shop every week - I tend to spend more if I do that.  I spent $235 and got everything I could at Aldi and the rest at Kroger.  I also added a few things in there like a bag of baby pumpkins for the kids to paint, a few pre-real foods month treats like caramel dip and caramel apples, but other than that, I stuck right to the plan.

It starts Thursday and my kids seem to be on board except when I told them that all Halloween candy would be put up.  OUCH!  (That goes for their mama as well - so hold me to that!)

Funny how empty my pantry looks after I just spent $235!  No crackers.  No cereal.  No chips or pretzels.  Nothing but potatoes, onions, brown rice and beans.

I'm excited!  I hope some of you are in with me.  I'll be checking back with you to let you know how we're holding up and if we are shaking from sugar withdrawals.  :)

Tea for the Yuckies

So we seem to be passing the Yuckies around.  Last night at our last football game, 3rd Fish Stick had stomach cramps, aches and chills.  By the time we got home, Mama had the same and worse.  This morning, school called and firstborn Fish Stick needed to come home.  Same song, 3rd verse.

So what do you do with some undiagnosed yuckiness that invades your home?  It's hard when symptoms are many yet not exclusive enough to find the right OTC meds.

I just brew up a cup of Cold & Flu Tea.  Many of these items you are prone to have on hand already.

In your coffee pot, put in the filter:

** 2 heaping TB sage leaves (less if using ground sage)
** pinch of cayenne
** pinch of shredded ginger OR slice of fresh ginger OR tsp. of ground ginger

Squeeze the juice of one fresh lemon into the coffee pot and then brew your 12 cup pot.  If you don't have fresh lemon (like me today), pour 2 TB. into pot.

To your mug, add a heaping TB of raw honey to sweeten and sip.

SAGE:  antiseptic, antibacterial, tonic, expectorant
CAYENNE: high in vitamin C, best stimulant, improves circulation, regulates blood flow, normalizes blood pressure
GINGER: relieves pain, expectorant, immune boosting, reduces inflammation, stimulates sweating, anti-coughing, anti-cramping, reduces diarrhea, anti-nausea, prevents chills
LEMON:  soothes stomach, rich in vitamin C, effective in fighting colds and flu
RAW HONEY:  antibiotic, expectorant, immune stimulator, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, cell regenerator

Homemade Cough & Cold Syrup

 Here's another recipe for a herbal remedy with things you probably keep on hand.

Cold season is fast upon us and if you or your family members have not gotten the crud yet, you probably will.

We've had a few runny noses and coughs making its rounds in the Fish House, so I have been busy brewing up some herbal remedies to help with symptoms and boost immune systems.

Chop or slice 4 cups of onions.

Add to crockpot with 4 cups of water and 2 cups of raw honey.

Set on low for 24 hours and warm for another 24 hours.

 Strain off the onions from the syrup.

Store the syrup in a jar in a cool, dry place.  

It lasts 1 month in the cabinet or 3 months in the fridge.

Note:

I've never had any complaints from my Fish Sticks about the taste.

Great Deal

 I just love a good deal.  When I find a good deal, I want to tell everyone.

What I need to learn is that not everyone loves a good deal.

When I was a newly married woman, trying to keep a modest budget, I found a great clearance on clothing and jewelry at Paul Harris.  I was so excited that I called my new friend to share the news, even offering to head back to Paul Harris to shop with her.  Instead of squeals of excitement in return, I heard a hesitant, "Uh...o.k....sounds good....I'll have to check my schedule and get back with you."  She never did.

After contemplating this conversation, I realized that my Paul Harris clearance didn't appeal to my full-price-Talbot's-style friend.  Ever since then, I try to be more careful in selecting the recipients of my deal finds.

But since you all know I'm all about deals, here's what I found yesterday (with the help of my deal-loving friend who was 2 minutes ahead of me in finding it.  She called me as I entered the store to tell me, not knowing I was at the same store too!)

At Kroger yesterday they had a huge bin of trail mix snacks for 10 cents.  They are not close to expiration, just overstocked.  I just spent $11 for almost a gallon of banana chips so I was elated to find these.  Tropical Mix, Santa Fe Mix, Energy Mix and Banana Chips.  Needless to say I went bonkers.  I got both of these photos (some to pour into buckets, some to keep individually wrapped to grab on the go) and all for $8.80.  Yes, that equals 88 packs.

The bagger was a teenage boy and he asked me, after wowing at my cart, "What if your kids don't like this stuff?"

My reply was, "Then they will go hungry because they have to eat it."  :)

Thankfully the Fish Sticks and My Man were just as happy as I was.

We'll see if they still are after they consume 88 packs of this stuff!

Challenge Anyone?

I have been thinking for a long, long time to try to take bigger steps away from eating any processed, man-made foods and only offer real foods to my family.  What has scared me away from doing this is not only money, but time and convenience.  What would I put in their lunch boxes?  What would they eat for snack?  Would they really be filled up and satisfied?  Would they revolt against me for not having the things they are used to?

As I have shared with you my steps toward better nutrition, my pantry still stays stocked with boxed cereals, pretzels, crackers, regular peanut butter, processed lunch meats and sometimes cookies and ice cream.  What if I challenged my family (and myself as well) to go "real foods" for 1 month?  What would that look like for me as the cook of the house and for the family as the eaters of the house?

When mentioning this to a friend yesterday, she mentioned a website called 100 Days of Real Food.  I checked it out and liked it.  I like better her budget friendly menus.  Although she does base her budget on a family of 4 eating with $150 a week for all foods consumed, I might have to double that for our crew of 8.  After printing off her menu plans and grocery lists, I think it might be something to try.  Many of the foods she mentioned, we do already.  It would just be a matter of knocking out the convenient, snack foods that we keep on hand.

So I'm just throwing this out there.  Check out this web site and see if you'd like to join me in a 1 month challenge to eat real foods starting in November.  I am curious if we would feel better, sleep better, have more energy, focus better and feel full with less food.  Who's in? 

Don't Just Pin It

Well I'm just as guilty as the next girl for loading up my Pinterest boards with wonderful, cute ideas that I will never try.  I love Pinterest and honestly try not to go there too much because I could waste spend hours scrolling through the DIY crafting section.  Back in my early years of marriage, pre-Fish Sticks, I would spend countless hours flipping through my Michael's Arts and Crafts magazine and trying new things.  I think Hobby Lobby and Michael's employees knew me on a first name basis.  Those days are long gone as is my scrapbooking all-nighters.

I was just thinking, "What if I tried to actually 'do a pin' instead of just 'pin a pin' on Pinterest every couple weeks or so?"  I'm not making any promises, just making a personal goal.  They will probably be EASY pins like a quick recipe and not a room make-over or build-your-own-bunk-bed-out-of-old-dressers kind of pins.

So today I am going to tell you that I tried homemade fabric softener from Hillbilly Housewife on laundry day this week.  It smelled good and I poured it into my Downy ball because I have no clue when my final rinse cycle cuts on and I don't have a fabric softener dispenser.  All was going well on the first 5 loads or so, until I threw in some towels and sweaters.  They came out full of static.  I tried pouring a couple of tablespoons onto a wash rag, tossing that back in the dryer to eliminate the static.  It improved my situation but didn't cure it.  My review would be that it works well except for fabrics that seem to be staticy (is that a word?).

So have any of you tried homemade fabric softener and did it work?

Weekly Deals

I had a super visit to CVS yesterday.  At the check out, my total was $58.49.  Then I handed her my coupons and $9 of ECBs from last week and my total was $16.72.  Then she printed off $7 more ECBs for next time.

I went in to get:
Soft Scrub cleaner for $2.50 with a $1 off coupon (RP 10/7) for $1.50 (Got 2 of them)
Trident Vitality for BIGI with a $1/3 coupon.  I had 3 coupons and got 10 packs of gum.  My total was 45 cents per pack.
Dentek Floss picks were $2.99 with $2 ECB making them 99 cents each.
Axe products were $4.50 a piece and I had a BIGI coupon making my 2 products 75 cents each.  (My son requests Axe because apparently that is the craze of middle school boys.  I'm not always the fad follower but I hate to deter my 13 year old from pursuing smelling good - especially when he plays football!)
Pantene shampoo and conditioner were $4 each with $1 ECB when you buy 2.  I had BIGI coupon making them $1 each.

When I go into the store, my Fish Sticks love to scan my customer card at the coupon kiosk.  I usually don't use those coupons but this day I racked up.  There was a coupon for $2 off Wet-N-Wild make up and it happened to be BIG1 this week.  I got eye shadow and nail polish for $1.50 total.  I also got $3 off CVS lotion.  I found hand lotion for $1.50 each and they were B1G1 50% off.  That made them free with a money maker of 75 cents.

Walgreens was not as busy this week.  You can get Advil Congestion relief for a $1 money maker.  In Sunday's paper is an offer for $6 MIR plus a $1 off coupon.  Walgreens had it this week for $6.  I tried to get 2 bottles of Colgate mouthwash for 99 cents each but they were out of the right size bottle.  They have Hershey's candy bars for 59 cents each, earning 500 points when you buy 3.  That makes them 42 cents each.  Great for stocking stuffers, if you don't eat them yourself before Christmas...not that I would ever do that.  :)

Oatmeal Bar

Add caption

 Need a good breakfast idea??  How about an oatmeal bar?  Not like a granola bar, but like an oatmeal buffet. 

Just recently Grandma made us oatmeal the way that her mom used to make oatmeal.  The Fish Sticks loved it and I loved how healthy and filling it was, not to mention yummy!!

First make oatmeal - rolled oats - the good ole fashioned way.  I like to soak mine overnight with equal parts of oats and water.  Then add the same amount of water in the a.m. to make the ratio 1 part oatmeal to 2 parts water.  If you add 1 Tb. of an acid like vinegar or lemon juice when you soak it, it increases the nutritional value greatly.

As you cook it over a medium stove, stir frequently until you get a good consistency.  It doesn't take long.  You can add a bit of salt and/or butter at this time.  Stir well.

Lay out an array of toppings for your family.  I have brown sugar, apple chunks, walnuts, coconut, raisins and bananas above.  Some other ideas might be dried cranberries, other nuts like almonds or pecans, berries, peaches, or chocolate chips.

They will definitely want seconds!

Final Deals of the Week

Just wanted to tell you really quick that I did head back over to Kroger and got 6 toothbrushes (Oral B) for 25 cents a piece.  Ran back into CVS across the street and got a deal that started on Tuesday for Crest mouthwash.  I made almost a dollar on that deal matched with coupons and got 2 of them.  Last I went to Walgreens and got Herbal Essences Shampoo (2) and a tube of toothpaste.  I matched both with coupons and was so excited that I had earned 9,000 points so I was able to redeem 5,000 for $5 off my total.  My next visit I should be able to get another $5 off.  Sorry I don't have the details about the coupons and exact prices.  I threw my list away already.  :)  OOPS!

Google Calendars

I am always looking for things to make life easier.

I was a huge Daytimer fan back in the early 90's.  Loved all the colored dividers, fancy pens, cute rulers that act as a bookmark and papers for lists and schedules.

In 2000 I remember moving up to my first Palm.  I was hooked.  The stylus pen was high tech and once I learned the Palm letters, I was hooked.

With all the advanced technology, just when I think that I have got the perfect system, something new and better comes out.  I'm not one to camp out at Best Buy the night before the new Microsoft comes out.  On the contrary, I'm usually the last one to switch from my old and good system to the new and better system.  But it does seem that once I try the latest, it's not long before I get hooked.

I was so upset when My Man bought me a Blackberry a few years ago.  It just meant I had to read an instruction manual and that is one of my least favorite things to do.  So he gave me a bullet point lesson and I learned to love my Blackberry.  Last January he switched my Blackberry for an iPhone and even though I whined and cried about it at first, I wonder now how I ever got along without it.

So I just thought I would chat a bit in several posts about technology things that I love, that help my home run smoothly and make life easier.  I would love to hear from you what works, so please comment.  I just might try out your suggestion sometime next year.  HA!

About 9 years ago we opened up our first gmail account.  I ignored the bar at the top of my gmail screen for many years before actually figuring out what all google had to offer me. I think that a few years ago, my sister (who is major high tech) mentioned google calendars.  Well, I was happy with my Microsoft Outlook calendar so I just disregarded what she had to say.  Then my Microsoft started messing up and when that happened, I missed a few appointments, forgot a few birthdays and pretty much lost my brain for a time.  I called her up and she introduced me to google calendars.  Because I am sometimes unwilling to change overnight, I just stuck with one calendar.  Then my kids started to go outside of our home to school, adding multiple things on my calendar each week. 

I called my sis.

Did you know that you can create multiple calendars, naming them all different things and even share specific calendars with other people?  It's wonderful!!!  Now I'm hooked on google calendars and I have stunted my short term memory so badly by using google calendars that if one day I am without them, I would quickly be put into the Stupid Club.  It's become my brain.

Here are some of my calendars that I have:  Cassie (just anything on there without a specific category), School, Church, Sports, and Celebrations.  When I get the Fish Sticks' game schedules or practice schedules, they go on the Sports calendar and I share the calendar with the grandparents in case they want to come cheer the Fish Sticks on.  I have put all family birthdays and anniversaries into my Celebrations calendar with reminders scheduled to give me time to buy gifts and send cards.  I have made them repeat themselves yearly so I never have to put them in again.  The school events from the school newsletter quickly go into the School calendar and any social outings of my own, play dates, doctor appointments, etc. go on my personal calendar.  I can hide any or all of the calendars and only show the ones I want to see.  I even remind myself to give the dogs and cat their heartworm meds at the beginning of each month.

I have this synced to my iPhone so it's with me and I can add on the go.  Our doctors don't even need to call to remind me of our visit.  My alarm let's me know.

If you don't have a gmail account but want to try google calendars, it's easy to sign up for one.  Make it your junk email account if you want and give the calendars a try.  Don't be as slow as I was to catch on to a good thing.

Weekly Deals

 I headed to CVS today and got a few deals they had going on.  Several of these deals were only 3 day deals.  They had Pepsi products on sale again for 99 cents.  This time I tried using a Pepsi Next coupon for $1 off 2 and it worked so I got 8 2-liters for 50 cents each.  Progresso Soup (great for occasions in Fish Sticks' lunches) was on sale for 94 cents each.  I had a coupon for $1 off 4 making them 62 cents each.  Gillette razor was $9.99 with $5 in ECB and I had a $4 off coupon making it 99 cents.  Tomorrow begins a sale on Crest Pro-Health Rinse and with my coupon I should get 2 for free, so heading back.

Kroger had a couple of good deals too.  Crest was $1 and I had a 50 cent coupon that doubled.  I had 5 of the same coupon so I got 5 tubes of toothpaste FREE!!  They had Nature Valley and Fiber One bars for $2.50 a box and I had a coupon for 50 cents that doubled so they were $1.50 a box.  I tried to get Oral B toothbrushes for 50 cents each after coupons (which I had 5 of) but they were out.  I might drop by again to another Kroger this week.  Those would be great to pack on our trip to Africa to leave at the orphanage!

Tomorrow I hit Walgreens.

And When She Went There, Her Cuboard Was Bare...

We use an envelope system for our monthly budget.  At the first of each month, I get out my money in cash for the month.  I separate it into a coupon organizer that I have labeled (from Dollar Tree) and use it according to my categories.  Sometimes at the end of the month, I'm pleased to see a few bucks still in my wallet.  On most months, no matter how careful I have been to monitor my spending, I have nothing but change and my pantry and fridge is bare.  This past weekend, I had to get really creative because we had NOTHING to eat in this house.  Yes, I was fully stocked on my couponing items but who wants to eat BBQ sauce, ketchup and Tobasco for a meal??  Now understand we had plenty of canned goods, frozen veggies and meats in the freezer from our garden and farm.  Supper wasn't a problem.  It was the breakfast items and snacks that required much creativity.

With Monday morning fast approaching, I was planning on spending the day shopping.  It would be October 1 and my wallet would be full.  Monday morning breakfast would be a bit tricky.  We'd already had 18 eggs for supper on Saturday night, so the eggs were sparse.  There was NO cereal.  I grabbed my favorite "Sanity-Saving Breakfast Ideas" booklet from TEACH magazine and flipped through it.  Sunday night I threw together "Overnight Coffee Cake" using ingredients I always keep on hand.  Yummy and quick and the perfect fix for an empty pantry at the end of the month.

Overnight Coffee Cake

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk (pour 1 TB. lemon juice or vinegar into your 1 c. measuring cup.  Top with milk and let sit while you combine other ingredients.  It's instant buttermilk!)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into greased 9x13.  Stir together an additional 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle over top of batter.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

PERFECT!

My 2 Weekly Stores

(My photo is missing 3 packs of Butterball Turkey Bacon.  

I forgot and put them in freezer before my photo shoot.)

I got some good deals this week that I wanted to share with you.

Walgreens:

*Turkey Bacon was $1.29 and I used a 55 cent off coupon and got them for 74 cents each. I had 3.

*Old El Pason taco sauce or shells were 3 for $4 and I had a coupon for 60 cents off 3.  I earned 1000 points for buying 4 of them so my final price was 50 cents each after buying 4 items.  Good thing I had chicken tacos on the menu this month too.

*Robitussin was earn 2000 points when you buy 2 and I had 2 coupons for $3 off so they were 66 cents each.

*Cepacol Lozenges were $1 with $1 back in RR so it was FREE!!!

I'm still trying to figure out the Walgreens situation.  From what I understand every 1,000 points is $1 but you can't cash the points in for money until you get 5000 points.  They do build up though and when you have enough to redeem them, the cashier will ask you if you would like to redeem them for money off your total.  I haven't earned enough to redeem them, but I'll keep you posted on how that works.

CVS:

*Pepsi products were $1 for 2-liters so I had a coupon for $1 off 3 Sierra Mists (Mt. Dew was o.k. too - they only had 2 Sierra Mists) so my total was $2 for 3 of them.  My Man likes them every here and there.

*Softsoap Body wash was $3.50 each with $4 ECB when you buy 2 and I had 50 cent off coupons for both so they were $1 each.

*Robitussin was $3 back in ECB when you buy 2 and I had 2 more coupons for $3 off making them 49 cents each.

While in my CVS I saw a collection jar for the previous manager's son that I told you about who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer this past June.  He's 13 and my son's age.  They said he had started chemo and things were rough.  I checked Caringbridge but they don't update it often.  I think they use Facebook instead.  So pray for Brayden Byrd more if you think about it.

Meals for October

Right now our weeks have quite a schedule. 

Cross Country meets and football practice on Mondays.

Sports practices on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Football games and cross country practice on Thursdays.

Speech and football practice on Fridays.

With a schedule like this, careful planning is important for meals.  Our first football game sent me in a panic to plan better after paying $20 admission for our large family and then putting down almost another $20 for hotdogs and a bag of chips for everyone.  Not very filling or cheap! 

I'm geared up and ready with a plan now.

This month I'm doing Mom Advice's meal plan for Crock Pot for a Month.  We might not get to every meal for the month, but I'm happy to have those meals easy and ready.  For the first 2 weeks we will have:

Week 1:
1.  Roasted chicken with vegetables
2.  Sloppy Joes with raw veggies and pretzels (great one to take to a game!)
3.  Italian veggie and pasta soup (My Man has asked me to try to fix soup in a homemade bread bowl - hmm - maybe I'll post results later) with bread and salad
4.  Pork Chops with homemade rice-a-roni and broccoli
5.  Beef Stew with biscuits and salad
6.  Sticky Chicken with baked potatoes and corn

Week 2:
1.  Italian Sausage Spaghetti with rosemary cheese breadsticks
2.  Sloppy Giuseppes with chips and apple slices
3.  Tacos with corn chips, salsa and refried beans
4.  Chicken Italiano with broccoli and angel hair pasta
5.  Finger Lickin' Pork Chops with mashed potatoes and peas
6.  Sour Cream Salsa Chicken and rice

Check out her meal plans if you haven't already.  I'm a big fan.  Easy, healthy (for the most part) and what can be better than crock potting every day????

Baby Steps Toward Nutrition

So it's been a while since I've posted about taking steps toward better nutrition.

A few little things that we have done in addition to the more major things that I've already shared with you are these.  We have made some substitutions that don't take much money and really are not huge adjustments.  Just little ways to improve our health.

We use butter, olive oil and coconut oil instead of other more processed, bad-for-you oils.

We use Braggs Liquid Amino Acids instead of soy sauce.

We use arrowroot powder instead of corn starch.

Sea salt is so much better for you than iodized salt.

Plain yogurt is great for you and can substitute for sour cream (we still buy sour cream occasionally though.).

Homemade salad dressings not only taste better but are so much better for you than store bought.

Pure maple syrup (although more expensive) is better than processed pancake syrup (which by the way isn't maple syrup at all).  We sometimes use honey as a replacement too.

I used to mix up water with essential oils in a tiny spray bottle in the bathroom instead of Glade.  I haven't done that in a while but it's a great way to freshen up the air without using toxins.

What have you done to take tiny steps toward nutrition?

Freebies

 CVS

Walgreens

This week was a small week but all 4 of these items were FREE!  None of them required coupons so you can run out and get them for yourself.  The 2 from CVS gave me full amounts in ECB's for my next purchase.  The 2 from Walgreens did the same.  They are still printing out RR although they will not be anymore very soon.  Walgreens also had a deal on Scope and with a coupon match up 2 of them were free, but my Walgreens was out so I missed that deal.  Go grab ya some freebies this week.

School of Hard Knocks

Just got kids off to school - it seems it rarely happens without some form of drama or training.

We are in a stage now with our older 4 (ages 7,9,11,13) where we are having to use more "reality discipline" methods with them.  Kevin Leeman has several really good books about child training, and he has coined the term "reality discipline."  I'm the first to admit that when reading it, it makes sense, sounds easy and sounds effective, BUT as a parent to actually put it into practice is hard for me.  I want my kids to get an A, I want them to be neat, I want them to be responsible, I want them to succeed.  Reality discipline shows them normal life consequences when they don't do those things.  It teaches responsibility without the need for Mama to nag.

So each morning sending the kids off to school can have it's conflicts.  Lunch boxes forgotten, beds unmade, hair not brushed, papers left on the kitchen counter, milk left out from cereal.  I hear myself every morning saying the same 20 sentences over and over and over.  "Get your lunch box.  Don't forget to brush your teeth.  Tuck in your shirt.  Get out of bed - look at the clock."  It's like a broken record (has that phrase become obsolete with our advanced media?)  It frustrates me and honestly, I think they just tune me out anyway because they still forget their lunch, their hair still is tangled and the papers are still left on the counter.

So I recently refreshed myself with the guidelines of "reality discipline" and informed the Fish Sticks.  I posted a list of about 12 things (my normal reminders) that they need to check before heading out. I started setting their alarm clocks so I don't go upstairs to wake them and coax them to get up.  I fix their lunch, engage in sweet conversations, and kiss them off.  New rule - if you are not ready when Daddy loads up and heads out at 7:30, you will be left behind.  Then you must wait for Mommy to get dressed and ready to take you late for an unexcused tardy.  Today my 7 year old ran after the truck in the driveway, waving him down to catch her ride and I think I heard her ask her sister to fix her hair in the truck. 

No reminders from Mama other than "check the chart" one time.  No nagging.  No begging.  No fussing.  I will say it's made our mornings go smoother and it's teaching my kids responsibility.  Sure makes me feel better.  So far I haven't driven one to school.  I am not keeping my fingers crossed though because I know I will have to one day. 

And not all 4 Fish Sticks struggle with this.  Two really struggle.  One has his days and one could probably run a household on her own at this point.  They are all different, but for now reality discipline seems like a good solution for us.

Great Mac-N-Chac

I don't have a picture to show you for this dish because it was gone before I got my camera out.

Do you love macaroni and cheese like we do but are not crazy about the processed shelf cheese or powdered cheese?  Here's a super and easy recipe that my Papa shared with me when I was newly married.

Cook one package of noodles according to the directions.  (Today we did penne but usually use elbow)
Drain and add 1 cup evaporated milk and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar.  Stir well.  Voile!!  That's it.  It looks like Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese and tastes wonderful.  Give it a try!

Clean House

Keeping my house clean has been an issue for me the last year.  It probably shouldn't be as much of a frustration as it is.  My first job in college was cleaning the dorm bathrooms (there are many stories there that could make you lose your lunch but I will refrain).  My side job post-college was cleaning 2 houses.  I think I'm a pretty good, thorough cleaner and heaven knows I have lots of experience.  Ironic thing is that as a newly married woman, cleaning was my least favorite thing to do, so I just didn't do it.  My poor Man.  Hey, I can overlook black mildew in my shower.  Those cob webs up there in that corner....that's just my Halloween decorations.  Pink in my toilet?  Didn't even notice it.

Shameful, I know.

I think I've learned to love a clean house and so I strive for it yet try not to obsess over it.  Living in the country with 8 people in one house equals nothing but dirty house.  And so that is my challenge.  I've read the books from the library about speed cleaning, refreshed myself on Don Aslett's professional cleaning book and tried many systems and charts.  They all have gone by the wayside.  Now that I'm only homeschooling before lunch time each day (kindergarten "let's out" early), I should have more time to focus on keeping the house clean.

My Man suggested I just do a little everyday - say an hour - as my goal.  Sounds good, but will I really make that a priority or will it just become stressful?  I have a large house - over 5,000 square feet, so cleaning it is very time consuming.

Last week I jotted some notes to try it out.  I broke my downstairs into zones.  Each day I did a zone, top to bottom and then left out my cleaning supplies hidden in a corner.  I got the downstairs done well in 5 days.  That leaves the school room (over garage) and the upstairs.  I told the Fish Sticks that they would be responsible to clean the upstairs with my help and supervision every other Saturday.  They all have a rotation chart posted on the back of their door.  As for the school room, I can do that on the off Saturday.

Then my sister sent me this link.  Later that week I read this link.  I liked both ideas, although I am assuming that both these women have smaller houses than I do.  So there's my homemaking challenge.  What's yours?  Do you have a great cleaning schedule to pass on?

Great Deal!

I just had to pass on this information.

Last spring I read a blog about Zaycon Foods.  It's a great company that takes pre-orders for meats in bulk to give you the best deal possible.  You actually pick up your meat straight from the processing plant.  Another great thing is that they don't use fillers, antibiotics, hormones, etc.  It's just solid, good stuff.

I had checked into the system back in the spring but saw that they didn't have any available pick ups in my area.

I just got an email that you can order skinless, boneless, chicken breasts for only $1.69 a pound!!!  That is incredible.  You buy in 40 lb. cases so your minimum order would be $67.60.  I got 2 cases and will stock pile for sure.

Go to www.zayconfoods.com and you can see a small video about how the system works.  You can also see if this offer is available in your area.  This deal is available in all the main cities in my state of TN but they also have it around the US.  The order closes soon and sometimes they sell out, so check it out fast!!  My pick up date is October 22 at a local church.  When you sign up, they will send you updates on other meat deals available to you. 

Check it out!

This Week's Deals

 I went couponing early this week and wanted to share my deals with you. 
At CVS I got:
* 3 packs of Hershey's snack size candy bars - 3 for $3 with $1 in ECB back so they were only 67 cents each.  There are 6 in each pack - a perfect number for my 6 Fish Sticks
* Colgate toothpaste was $2 each with $2 in ECB when you buy 2.  Coupon for 75 cents off in 8/26 SS so they cost 25 cents each.
* Hershey's simple Pleasures chocolates were 67 cents each with 67 cents in ECB so they were FREE!  My CVS was out of stock but check yours.  They might be in.  Who can pass up free chocolate??
*  Right Guard body was was $3 each with $2 in ECB when you buy 2.  There was a $2 off 2 coupon in Sunday's paper making them $1 each.
*  Pert was BIGI and there was $1.50 off 2 in Sunday's paper - final cost was $2.40.  That might not sound like a super deal but that is My Man's favorite shampoo so I try to keep it stocked - and these were the large bottles - not bad.

Walgreens had a few good deals:
*  Suave was 99 cents each with $2 RR when you buy 2, making them both FREE
*  Carmex was $1.50 each with $1 RR when you buy 2, making them $1 each.  I had to buy these for a service project at school or I wouldn't have caught this deal.
*  Pert Plus was $4.99 each with $3 back in RR and this Sunday's paper had $1.50 off 2, making them $2.74 each - Now I feel stocked with My Man's main shampoo.  :)

Just Thinking

Ya know what I love?  I love fresh, warm laundry just out of the dryer.  I just wish it would fold itself and find it's own drawer.  I love the smell of a clean house.  I just know that it doesn't last long.  I love mud rooms where the shoes are put in the shoe bench and there is no mud on the floor, despite its name.

But I also know that it seems like yesterday that I became a mom and not 13 years ago.  And I know that as much as I love the things I mentioned, there will come a day when I don't love those things as much any more because it will probably mean that my house is empty.

Our job as a mom can be taxing.  It can be overwhelming.  It can just make me want to cry some days because it's not easy.  But what am I here for?  I am here to glorify God with the task that He has given me.  He made me to be a wife.  He made me to be a mom.  I will give it 100% even if it makes me crash in bed every night from exhaustion.  Because I know I do it for Him.  And one day, I pray, that when my house is clean, my laundry is little, my door knobs are not sticky and my windows are clear of fingerprints and nose prints that there will be 8 warriors for the Lord,  fighting the good fight and keeping the faith.  Life is short.  What really matters is the dash on our tombstone between the year we were born and the year we died.  Let's make our dash count for eternity.

Ordering in Bulk

 I showed you my bulk foods in my pantry a while back.  I mentioned Bread Beckers and their local co-op that I participate in.  I've also discovered 2 other co-ops for bulk foods.  Not only do these companies provide great prices, but high quality, nutritious and organic foods.  I started ordering fresh fruits from Bulk Natural Foods last year.  They take a truck load of orders and travel across the USA stopping along the way to deliver.  They also offer dry foods.  My first dry foods order came in today.  I drove to the closest town and picked it up at my specified time.  I got pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, couscous, alfalfa seeds and banana chips.  I stored them in gallon buckets that I labeled and can't wait to use it for feeding the Fish Sticks.

Check out Bulk Natural Foods and Azure Standard to see if they deliver close to  you.  I used to buy a gallon of food grade glycerin to make my herbal tinctures from Azure Standard.  I would have to pay just as much for shipping from WA state that I did for the glycerin.  Now they deliver to my area and shipping is less than my state's local tax.  Can't beat that.  They also offer dry goods, health foods, and produce.  It's as simple and signing up.  I felt the need to pass on a good thing or 2.  Hope you can benefit.

Walgreens Deals

Walgreens had some pretty good deals this week.  Word is out that Walgreens will no longer have Register Rewards in a couple of weeks but have a rewards card that will also take the place of their in ad coupons.  I hope it continues to give good savings when matched with coupons.  Time will tell if I am still a Walgreens fan.

So for now I got:

*Ateril Sleep Shots - $4.99 with $4.99 RR so they were FREE
*Scope mouthwash - $3.00 and $3 RR when you buy 2 - $1.50 off coupon from 8/26 PG so using 2 coupons, I got them both for FREE
*Crest Rinse - $3.99 with $3 RR so matched with a $1 coupon from 8/26 PG it was FREE
*Mitchum Deodorant - $3 and $4 RR when you buy 2, matched with a 75 cent off coupon made them 25 cents each
*Aussie hair products - $3 each with $2 RR when you buy 2 matched with a $3 off 2 coupon from 8/5 RP made them 50 cents each

Total for above items: $1.50

You've got 2 more days to grab these great deals yourself!!

Kroger Deals

I got some good Kroger deals this week.  They are having a Mega Event - when you buy 10 participating items, you get $5 off your total.  I got 2 of the $5 deals by purchasing 20 participating items.  With coupon match ups, I got some great savings.

I purchased 9 bottles of Kraft BBQ sauce.  They were 49 cents with the Mega Event and I had $1/3 coupon from 8/19 SS so they were only 16 cents each!

I bought 8 boxes of General Mills cereal bars.  They were $1.49 with the Mega Event and I had 8 coupons for 50 cents off which doubled making each box only 49 cents each.

In order to get 20 items for the total of $10 off, I purchased 3 2-liters of Sprite which were $1 each.

Grand total plus tax was $9.85!

Walgreens Run

I went to Walgreens late this week and missed CVS altogether.  Bummer.

But here's what I got at Walgreens. 
*  Stayfree was $2 and there was a $2 off coupon in Sundays paper making them FREE!
*  Renew Life Heartburn relief was $10 with a $10 back in RR making it FREE!
*  Crest Pro-Health was $3.49 with a $2.50 RR back and I had a 75 cent off coupon from 7/29 PG and so it was 24 cents!
*  Help I have cut myself was $3.99 with $3 back in RR making it 99 cents!

All the things in the photo cost about $1.25!

September Meal Plan

This month I grabbed 3 cookbooks that I have brought to the lake house and decided to try to plan our monthly meal plan based on those. 

I wrote down 20 meals - mostly from these cookbooks - trying to use things I knew I had on hand so to keep my grocery purchases low.  Side dishes will consist of whatever is still coming in from the garden and what we have preserved or purchased in bulk.  I've missed my crock pot lately, so one cookbook was my crock pot cookbook - perfect for game nights!

1.  Curried Chicken Salad
2.  Red Beans & Rice
3.  Arroz Con Pollo
4.  Baked Herb Chicken Breasts
5.  Chicken Tikka with Naan
6.  Dah Lentils
7.  Cavatelli
8.  Pork Roast Grilled
9.  Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes
10.  Greco
11.  Chili
12.  Beef Fajitas
13.  Baked Fish
14.  American Favorite Pot Roast
15.  Chicken Sandwiches
16.  Pork Chops & Potatoes
17.  Cantonese Sweet & Sour Pork
18.  Fisherman's Catch Chowder
19.  Salmon & Potato Casserole
20.  Black Bean & Potato Soup

Twenty meals isn't quite a complete list, but some meals will be leftovers (maybe once a week), some will be breakfast suppers and hopefully one or 2 nights of Little Caesars.  :)

Call Me Crazy

I did something a bit crazy today.  I hesitate telling you because you will probably think I'm nuts.

A few hours ago I was setting up for our adoption yard sale tomorrow.  I was wearing flip flops and suddenly felt stinging bites all over my left foot.  I looked down to see hundreds of ants on my foot - so much that there were more ants than skin showing.  Of course I went nuts...screaming, hollering, kicking, slapping, dancing to get them off.  I went into the house and was frantically thinking of what I needed to do, as the stinging on my foot intensified.

Then I remembered this article I read a few years ago.  Crazy to think of this, but I did.  (I call that the Holy Spirit whispers.)  Just yesterday I noticed this plant (weed), plantain, growing on the grass between our chicken coop and house.

I ran to the backyard with my 3 year old following.  I picked leaves and being the country girl I am but the not-quite-extreme country girl as in the article, I wadded up the leaves in my hands, spit a few times on them, keeping rubbing and smeared them all over my foot.  I did this 5 times as my Little Peanut kept running back down the hill to grab more leaves for me.  Almost instantly the pain stopped and then I saw the little red bumps start to disappear.  Amazing!!

I might be crazy to do that, but hey, it worked and I promise the Fish Sticks are having a plantain lesson tomorrow when I wander the yard with them.  As many times as they get bug boo-boos, plantain is worth learning about.  So who's going to do it next??

Garden Supper

 We have been eating garden produce for months now and I never tire of it.  Tonight we had BBQ pork loin that had been cooking in the crock pot all day, watermelon, honeydew melon and cantaloupe (all from our garden) and a Turkish-like salad of bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers chopped (all from our garden) and seasoned with sea salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice and olive oil.  Many of us add feta cheese to it, but I keep it on the side because 2 Fish Sticks are not keen on feta.  Add pickled okra, refrigerator bread and butter pickles and refrigerator sweet pickles and you have one good meal and all I paid for was the pork loin!

Have you considered gardening?  It's worth it!

Herbal Order

I've been a bit out of pocket with posting because I have been working on fund raising for our adoption.  This past week I opened my first Etsy shop, co-hosted a 2 day garage sale and participated in a children's consignment store.  Did I mentioned I also started filling out applications for grants?  So in the midst of all that, I didn't shop with coupons last week or even look at ads.

I did order from Bulk Herb Store though and wanted to show you what I got.  About once a year I place an order and try to place it with a friend to help with shipping costs.

Nettle Leaf - most of my herbal remedies call for Nettle, so it is always good to have around with cold season fast approaching.  Nettle has been proven to help with diarrhea, hemorrhoids, colon health, eczema and much more, plus it's full of rich vitamins!

Cinnamon - We use lots of cinnamon whether it be for cooking, baking or herbal remedies;  cinnamon is a good thing to have on hand. We add it to smoothies also.  It can be a tonic to the entire body.  It helps fight colds, chills and can kill a variety of illness-causing bacteria.

Ginger Root - I love Ginger Tea most of all.  Ginger is great for upset stomachs, digestive and circulatory problems.  It is great for nausea and motion sickness too.

Activated Charcoal - This is the first time I have purchased this.  It has been an anti-poison remedy for centuries.  It works as an absorbent of toxins in the digestive system, relieves gasses, eliminates fungi, viruses and bacteria and promotes recovery from food poisoning.  My kiddos have had a skin virus called Mulluscum.  It's harmless but makes small bumps on your skin that can irritate and form heads like acne.  Our pediatrician says there is no remedy and usually they go away within a couple of years!  YUCK!  That's a long time.  I read recently that a paste of activated charcoal mixed with raw honey can rid your body of this irritating virus.  I'm game to try it.

Jasmine Green Tea - I tried this a few years ago before I really got hooked on unsweet, herbal tea.  It tasted like flowers to me and I passed on future orders of this tea.  I've decided to give it another try.  Certainly I can get used to drinking flowers when it's so good for me??  It's rich in fluoride, can combat stomach and skin cancers and is a great way to boost your immune system.  An increase in consumption significantly improved the odds of survival of breast and ovarian cancer in patients also.  Sounds like a smart thing to me.

Creamy Pumpkin Pie Tea - I bought this last winter and absolutely loved it.  I added a few drops of stevia and some cream to the hot tea and it was like drinking yummy pumpkin pie.  It was perfect for cold, winter mornings.  It's made with red rooibos tea, cinnamon chips, orange peel, ginger root and cloves.  YUM!

If you want to learn more about herbs or order some, click on my family blog on the right and order from my button there.  You can search their site for all kinds of good articles and home remedies.  It's a great place to start and this company is what got me started on my herbal remedy adventure 9 years ago!