Home Basics

Summer Vacation!

2009-06-28T15:57:00.003-04:00

I love summer! I love spending time with my kids and being outdoors as much as I can!
There are more free things to do in the summer than any other time of year!

Here's a list of my top 10 favorite free/almost free things:

10. Playgrounds- it's even more fun meeting up with friends for a playdate for the ~~mommys~~ kids
9. Taking a trip to the dollar store
8. Picking out craft supplies at Michael's using their 40% or 50% off coupons
7. Having the kids friends over to play
6. Ice cream sundaes off the Dollar Menu at McDonald's
5. Redbox dvd rentals! Only $1.00 a night and if you sign up on their website they give you a free movie code!
4. The library for activities, concerts, crafts and an endless supply of books and movies!
3. Walking the beach/pier
2. Regal Cinemas for free movies
1. Carnivals! I love our town's fireman parade and carnival!

Of course there's camping, trips to state parks, bbq's with family and friends, water balloons, swimming, amusement parks.....

Did I mention how much I love summer?

Aldi's and I'm Back!

2009-06-17T07:27:00.002-04:00

First of all- I'm getting Aldi's and it will only 2 miles from my house!!

Second- after an extremely busy couple of months I'm back!

I'm looking forward to the lazy days of summer! My daughter is officially done and has exams this week.
My boys are finishing up their year and will be done next Wednesday!

Then I'll have a 9th grader, 7th grader, 5th grader, 1st grader, and a preschooler!

I can't believe how time flies!

My Little Helper!

2009-02-27T06:56:00.002-05:00

We had the best time together this week! I truly enjoy being with my littlest man!

2009-02-25T10:41:00.003-05:00

My new motto "Live, Love Dance!"

I used to be dance instructor (well I guess I still am because I plan on teaching again) but I had to take some time off to raise my little munchkins. I forgot how much music and dance were a part of my life, and how much I missed it! I've been doing a lot a ballet and aerobics to get this body healthy and back in shape. What a difference in the way I feel! Music makes the day fly by in a happier way...

This has been another busy week! The kids are all back to school from February Recess and frankly on Monday I was so worn out that after I came home grocery shopping and made lunch, I took a nice long nap! I've been tackling the large piles of papers and bills and getting my house back in order- until the weekend when all my efforts will have been done in vain!

The sun is shining and it will be a bit warmer for the next 3 days.

Tomorrow I'm taking some time off to meet my friend of 14 years at the mall and catch up a bit!

Photos!

2009-02-19T11:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we made pumpkin bread for lunch, and snack, and if there was enough the kids would have eaten it for dinner too! I let the little guys bake theirs in these cute bread pans- they got a real kick out of it!

Here we are making our fruit loop necklaces on Monday. It kept them quiet for a very long time and was a fun snack too.

Neat Website For Kids

2009-02-16T09:40:00.009-05:00

Today I'm taking care of two other children in addition to my own five!

It's fun to have extra kids in the house and my kids love having new playmates!

I found a great website for kids that has simple activities and crafts. Click

here for their homepage. You can click here if you want to check out their winter themed crafts!

We're going to make fruit loop necklaces, playing with play-doh, bake chocolate chip cookies, doing one of the projects from the website, and playing outside! It may sound like a lot planned (and it is!) but I would rather be overplanned and not be able to everything on the list than be under planned and have bored kids!

Now off to some fun!

Valentine Fun!

2009-02-14T12:02:00.003-05:00

Today I cut out paper hearts and wrote a love message to my kids that read 'Mommy wishes you a Happy Valentine's Day! I love all my babies!'
I hid them in the living room, had them find them and unscramble the message. They loved this and it was a neat way to let them know my love for them!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T17:30:00.004-05:00

Here are some Valentine's Day Ideas I dug up from last year

here and here. Have a great day!

Busy Week!

2009-02-13T17:01:00.002-05:00

Actually it's been a busy six weeks! I have a very long list of projects to tackle now that we're back into a normal routine again- normal of course meaning it's bound to change on me very soon! Today I emptied the kitchen, cleaned them thoroughly and waxed them!

(The paint color in this picture does it no justice- it's actually a nice shade of gold.)

I also started painting the upstairs bathroom and will have pictures next week, when it will (hopefully) be finished!

Inexpensive Home Improvements

2009-02-05T12:37:00.003-05:00

I bought this beautiful light fixture for only $11.00 at Home Depot! If you look at the tag it's was almost $80.00. I haven't decided where to put it yet although I have a few places in mind!

I normally don't buy anything unless I have an intended place for it- but I couldn't pass this up the price.

Some rules of thumb for keeping costs down on household projects:

~ I tend to base my projects around deals I find and almost never pay full price for anything! I check clearance aisles and endcaps for the best deals!

~ I only buy an item if I am absolutely certain I will use it somewhere in the house. If it's not used then it was simply a waste of money instead of being a deal.

~Patience. Can you wait to paint a room? Check the OOPS section in Home Depot. I often get BEHR paint for $5.00 a can! In the summer months you can also find stain. I painted my children's playset and the steps leading into the house with only a half a gallon of stain for a cost of $2.50.

~ Look for quality. There are some things in your home that cannot be compromised. Being a family of seven, we invested in a strudier shower head. It's something that we use several times a day and don't want to replace it several times a year.

~ Think outside the box! Click here to see how my sister made her valances! I used napkin rings that were on clearance for $0.75 each and made them into curtain ties.

A Sickie Home Today!

2009-01-20T19:24:00.002-05:00

Today my 5 year old was home sick from with a mild fever. It ended up being cozy day at home watching him and his brother playing make-believe with each other and their stuffed animals.

My husband fixed two broken pipes that burst from the cold on Sunday morning. He had been trying to fix them since they broke, but to no avail. I was without a kitchen sink and washer until this afternoon. I was finally able to get some laundry done, threw the first load in the dryer, a second, then a third when I realized that the dryer was still running. I checked the clothes- they were still wet and the dryer was cold.

Not able to get it working right and also not wanting to ask my husband to look at it, I took out the dying rack and am now drying 3 loads of laundry next to the woodstove! I guess I'm saving money on the electricity right?

For this new year I'm trying to remain positive in all situations and work on finding alternative solutions!

I hope you had a wonderful day! To my southern friends- keep safe and warm!!!

Chore List

2009-01-19T11:30:00.002-05:00

I have a master chore list that I can fall back on when I get off track. I try my best to keep on the same schedule every day, but life happens!

For times when my schedule is crazy, I've typed out my schedule and put it in my 'Master Binder' along with my children's friend's phone numbers, Christmas cookie recipes, magazine pictures for decorating my home, etc. (I place all these papers in clear plastic sheet protectors so they stay clean and don't rip.)

This month it has taken me a while to get all the Christmas decorations sorted, put away and the house back to its original state of chaos!

It's difficult for me to know where to jump back in, but having my list I can begin on any given day!

Today being Monday, I am only doing what is on Monday's list. If I have time to squeeze in extra projects- fine! If the day proves to be overwhelming, then I only focus on the tasks listed on my schedule.

For today I will:

~~clean the fridge/pantry/cupboards~~
shake/wash throw rugs
cut coupons/make grocery list/menu
~~vacuum living room~~
straighten laundry room
~~wipe down the bathrooms~~

Beautiful Curtains!

2009-01-11T16:59:00.003-05:00

My sister made the most beautiful curtaind and for under $5!

Check it out here!

I am so proud of my thrifty, crafty little sister!

We're home!

2009-01-08T09:54:00.003-05:00

Well, we've been home.... but I've been busy unpacking, taking down Christmas decorations, and decluttering!

Hopefully I'll have some vacation pictures up soon!

Today is c-c-c-o-ooollllddd!!! And snowy- but I suppose that's what happens in January in NY!! Tonight we'll have soup and sandwiches- something quick and simple since I'm still trying to regain control of my household!

I decluttered the bookshelf today and dug out all the snow and Valentine themed books. I love Valentine's Day! I cannot wait to get going on some crafts with my little ones too. I think I'm going to catch up on the Christmas books that we didn't read this year before I put them away. We have some cute ones that I love!

I hope your family is safe, happy and warm in your homes!

I'll be back to regular posting and some fresh new ideas soon!

2008-12-18T07:05:00.004-05:00

We've been very busy lately! Who hasn't right? Today is my daughter's birthday so in addition to Christmas celebrations, we'll be the celebrating with her!

2008-12-12T07:48:00.002-05:00

Today I will be busy around the house! I have cupcakes to bake, spaghettii sauce to make, and a house to clean! I have to plan out tomorrow very carefully as it will be busy with all-county band auditions, dance class, a dance show, and the church Christmas party!

I have to dye my daughter's dance shorts and make sure her things are ironed. I plan on cleaning out the fridge and decluttering the downstairs.

I hope you have a wonderful day~

P.S. Scroll down to see my new and improved garland!

Christmas Is Almost Here!

2008-12-10T14:05:00.002-05:00

Christmas will soon be here and I don't want to waste a minute of this season! I love it most of all!

My daughter and I are reading 'Dear America, Christmas After All~ The Depression Diary of Minnie Swift'

We read it last year and have decided to make it a tradition. It's a story of a girl and her family and the challenges they face at Christmas time during the Great Depression. What I love about it is how the family learns to make do with less at Christmas. It shows that no matter how much money you have, your family and friends are most important. It gives a unique look into Christmas without all the commercialism.

This weekend I plan on making gingerbread houses with the kids.

To make one, you simply use an empty half pint size milk carton. 'Glue' graham crackers onto the carton with white icing. Decorate with gum drops, peppermints, pretzels, M&M's, etc.

We have a Christmas party to attend at church on Saturday night. Everyone has to bring a dessert to pass- I'm bringing Christmas cupcakes!

Want To Peek Inside My House?

2008-12-06T19:59:00.002-05:00

My middle son reading the littles Christmas stories ....
My lamp table ....

Mmmm... Cookies!

Looking into the living room from the kitchen.

My daughter posing with her cookies ...

The manger scene...

The tree!

2008-12-04T22:04:00.002-05:00

Click here to read my devotions on Ecclesiastes.

My Date

2008-12-04T08:34:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I got the majority of my cleaning done very early, so I called my sister and we went off to the mall to do a little Christmas shopping! I love having little dates like this with my peanut!

Who Am I?

2008-12-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

I have to remind myself who I am sometimes and what my goals are.

I don't have to be anyone but Amity.

Sometimes I feel so out of place in this world, as though I was born in the wrong era, an old soul. My husband said that I wasn't, that God wanted me to be right where I am, that I need to be where I am to be an example to others.

I love being home with my children. I love taking care of my family, providing a loving home. I love cooking and cleaning. I love working hard with my hands. Callouses and chipped nails don't bother me, although I love pretty painted nails and soft hands too. I love doing my hair, but don't mind if it's messy at times.

I don't have to have material things, although I love shopping! I learn to make do with what I have, with what the Lord has given me to work with.

I have to remember who I am. God created me to be like nobody else!

2008-12-02T07:24:00.001-05:00

Take a look at our Thanksgiving pictures over at my other blog!

Christmas Decorations Out Of Storage!

2008-11-28T16:32:00.002-05:00

Today among the many, many things we did, I had the boys help me lug down the heavy Christmas decorations. They attacked this chore more energy than I can remember having! Tempted to put them up tonight, I instead decided to wait until tomorrow when I was fresh and had a lot more time!

I did pull out the Christmas books! I now have 22 in our collection. The latest addition came from a book sale this fall- Hollie Hobbie's The Night Before Christmas. I cannot wait to read it for myself!!!

I also came across an easy reading edition of Charles Dickens "A Chritsmas Carol'. This will be a great read aloud that all the kids can enjoy because there are fewer words and illustrations too. I love Christmas- don't you?

2008-11-28T07:37:00.002-05:00

We had a very busy Thanksgiving! It was very nice full of good food and family! I'll post some more pictures when my computer let's me!!

Today I'll be cleaning up and getting ready for a cookie bake with my family tomorrow!!

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours!

2008-11-27T14:00:00.002-05:00

We're getting ready for Thanksgiving!!

Playing with homemade pumpkin pie play doh!

Leigha helping get things done before company arrives...

Me- rinsing the potatoes

Winter Wonderland

2008-11-21T19:37:00.005-05:00

Today I took the compost out to the yard and couldn't resist going further. The sound of the leaves rustling, the cold fresh wind blowing, the sun shining down, and I wanted you to see what I saw. Breath taking.

Want to take a walk with me?

This is the corner of my yard that looks to the farm down the road. I love standing here and praying.
This looks to the soybean and alfalfa fields, another place I pray.
I don't know what kind of berries they are, but they're beautiful! I would love to make a wreath, but I'm afraid my little ones might eat them if they fall off!

Another view of the fields. Today I just stood here and let the cold wind blow on my face.

To the right of the fields...

My dog, Buddy.

Can you see my shadow? I'm really not this tall- LOL!

Looking to left of the fields. It looks like it goes on forever, reminding me of the Lord's love for us. Forever....

The berry bush

2008-11-21T13:09:00.002-05:00

Mmm.... the best medicine!

Today my littlest man had a dentsit appointment- cavity :( He was such a good patient and the dentist was blown away at what a good boy he was!

We went to 2 grocery stores and picked up some good deals and some Thanksgiving items- like the turkey!

Everything is unpacked, put away, and cleaned out!

So now I'm eating some kisses, playing on the computer, and then I'm going to take a nap! Sshhh... just don't tell anyone!

The Promised Pictures!

2008-11-20T16:05:00.002-05:00

Last night I had to help John, my kindergartner, with a school project. They had read a book in school about a turkey who wore a disguise. The family project was to make a disguise for their turkey using different materials. John wanted his to be a 'king' which I was thought was great! I forgot to take a picture of the finished product though ...

Today I found this great sledding hill! I took all the boys since they had a half day of school and one of my sons met his friend there. Isn't the view amazing!?

Waving to his friend!

Good Morning!

2008-11-20T08:28:00.002-05:00

1st load of laundry in the washer
2nd cup of coffee
3rd yawn
4th log in the wood stove
5th pair of snow pants put away for later

Good Morning!

Confession: I woke up this morning a little pessimistic, again. This is not like me to look at the negative side of life. I could always see the good that could come out of situations. However, this stinky attitude of mine resurfaces every couple of days. I've been working on a more positive attitude, but this negative person has been showing up uninvited and unexpectedly.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thought, is this the face that I want my husband and children to see, down and out? No! So I got dressed in a cheery red turtle neck, put on snowflake ear rings, and a pair of nice jeans. I refuse to let negative thoughts interrupt my life's mission.

I was put here to be an example to my children and husband, to encourage and shape them to be the best they can be. To guide and mold their hearts and thoughts, to show them that when life knocks you down you dust off and start over. Even if it means again and again and again!

Must we as women take care of ourselves and recharge- absolutely! As for myself, recharging is reading a good book, decorating and cleaning my home, blogging, visiting the library, or walking to the end of my yard and praying over my land and my home.

Now, enough of that because there is work to be done! I am going to straighten up the house, do some laundry, and plan! I am going to plan a new daily household chore list, new chores for my kids, menu , and Thanksgiving dinner- which also means my shopping list!

Later I'm going to post pictures- I finally bought new batteries!!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Busy Day!

2008-11-17T07:16:00.002-05:00

Today is a busy day! My husband's prents are visiting from NC- they just moved in June and we've missed them! My husband will be spending some time relaxing and catching up with them since today is his day off!

We're having his family over for a 'Thanksgiving Dinner' minus the turkey! We're having ham and pork roast instead! Mmmmm.... Plus my favorite- yams, pies, potatoes, salad, and pies! Tomorrow I have a date with the elliptical machine! Today I'll be straightening up the house and cooking. The best part- it's only going to be 30 degrees out! I know I'm crazy for even saying it but there's nothing better than a big dinner with family when it's cold out!

We had a beautiful, fun weekend! This weekend my daughter was in the musical 'Fiddler on the Roof'. What a beautiful performance they put on! My parents, brother, sister, and my sister's boyfriend were able to be there too! We had pizza afterwards and relaxed as a family. Yesterday was church and I volunteered in my son's class and ran some errands later on.

Making My Home A Haven

2008-11-13T07:19:00.006-05:00

Another day at the homespun heart for Making Your Home a Haven.

Today is a new day and I'd like to do better than the last! I had a touch of laziness in my heart yesterday.

On my list for today:

~~Devotions~~ although I'm going to spend a little more time on them later
~~Straighten kitchen~~
Wash slip covers
~~Fold~~ and put away laundry
Straighten mud room
Get vacuum unclogged and do the downstairs
~~Church Sale! the fun part!~~
~~Bills!~~
Budgeting
Make blankets
~~Dinner- hmmm....~~
If I have time- get some meal plans done

Making My Home A Haven

2008-11-12T13:03:00.007-05:00

It's another day of making 'Your Home A Haven' over at The Homespun Heart!

Guess what I should be doing right now? If you said cleaning- you're correct!

Okay, so I did clean a little this morning- the dishes, sweeping, and dusting. I put the clothes in the washer, but it's not running. I looked at the bathrooms that need to be cleaned, made a mental note to clean them, but haven't.

I'm tired. I'll get to it. I like writing about it better.

I did dust behind the computer and now I have no sound because I accidentally fiddled with the cord and can't seem to get the sound back! I fed the dog and let him out. I figured out dinner- leftovers.

I read this book with my peanut and we snuggled!

Oh! And I made 2 more blankets for the Books and Blankets Project that I'm involved with. We're making fleece blankets for under privileged children.

So how is my home a haven? My children have a peaceful momma because I'm listening to my body and taking it easy. The basics are done. I did the best I could today and tomorrow is another if I don't finish!

As for right now, I'm going to plan the project to go with the book and make some memories!

Making My Home a Haven

2008-11-11T14:53:00.004-05:00

My batteries are dead in my camera, so I didn't get any pictures.

Today I got the dishes washed, laundry in the washer, and garbage out before the kids woke up. From there, everyone had breakfast, got dressed, cleaned their rooms, and brushed their teeth.

I did a shopping list somehow in between all this and my friend stopped by to drop off fleece. She has organized a project called 'Books and Blankets'. Volunteers make blankets out of fleece which are distributed to under privileged children along with a new book for Christmas. Everything is done out of donations and volunteering and I have fallen in love with this project! This year the goal is 4,000 blankets and books!

The olders all put away some of their laundry, helped straighten up, and after my shock of the boy's bedroom-
re-cleaned it! They moaned and groaned, however when they were done- they were proud of themselves and the space they had!

I fixed a bed (it was somehow lopsided), cleaned behind the bed, hung up a mini-blind, and created a valance in the older boy's room. It looks so nice! The mini-blind I found on sale for $1.00 a while back and the valance I already had!

I finished the laundry, cleaned the laundry room, fixed lunch and relaxed with my devotion, and completed one blanket!

In between all this, I tended to the wood stove.

It has been a cozy November afternoon!

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T06:53:00.002-05:00

Today the kids are off from school, so I want to use it doing something inexpensive and fun!

I will touch briefly on the topic of Veteran's Day, but simply because we talk about honor and respect of our soldiers and country nearly every day. The only books my boys have from the library are about our country, the presidents, and wars that we have been involved in. We have become a very patriotic family!

Today I'll be building a teepee! You can read about how to make your own here.

My 5 year old came home with a cute turkey project! We have to color a turkey (already traced on paper for us), cut it out and 'dress' it! It can be 'dressed' anyway they want- like a ballerina, a princess, in a bow tie, as a super hero, etc. They have to use their imagination! I'm going to dig out my fabric scraps and other art materials let him go to town! I'm going to also make a template for any of the other kids if they want to participate too!

I'll be making them a nice hot lunch, we have a movie from the library, and some Thanksgiving books to read too!

2008-11-10T07:07:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of my great-grandma when she was 15 years old. She was born in November 7, 1898! It's hard to imagine what life was like when she was little. What would she think of our world today?

Valleys

2008-11-05T13:29:00.003-05:00

I hate valleys. Not the literal ones between two mountains, but the spiritual ones. Especially really deep ones. The canyons.

My husband and I have gone through some trials this year. We didn't see them coming- kind of snuck up on us. It seemed to have lasted way too long!

However, I finally feel as though we are at a turning point now, and for that, I am truly thankful! Today I was thinking about how good it feels to be coming to the top of that mountain again. To be able to see a little more clearly, to have a better sense of direction.

And you know what? I can see how this trial has been good for me.

For one, it strengthened our marriage! Our trial didn't seem directly linked to our marriage, nor was there necessarily anything wrong with it. But I look at my husband with new admiration. I see man with a quiet strength, a godly husband and father, a model to his children, a caregiver.

I feel thankful for little things that I normally would take for granted.

I'm learning to be more content.

I'm grateful for every day miracles.

I have truly learned the meaning of mercy.

Most of all, I have a renewed relationship with my Lord and Saviour! The scriptures jump off the page at me! My prayers are sincere and not habitual. I find myself praying spontaneously again, not out of duty, or because I'm a Christian and I should. I genuinely care and can empathize with people's hurts.

"Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." Jeremiah 15:16

Local Homeschooler Publishes Book!

2008-11-03T14:02:00.003-05:00

I received an email from a friend of mine regarding a local homeschooler graduate who has published a book!

The book is entitled 'Home With You'.

It's a heart warming fiction novel, based on her own relationship with her best friend, about the need to love and be loved as Christian friends.

You can order a copy at target, amazon, orbarnes and noble!

2008-11-03T10:06:00.002-05:00

My blog is having an identity crisis! I'm working on a new design and I think I found one that's easy on the eyes and readable! I'll be working out the kinks and getting everything situated later today!

Have an awesome day- we're going to be near 70 degrees all week!!!!! Hooray for Indian Summer!

2008-11-02T11:00:00.003-05:00

I found this really great deal for a free subcription to Taste of Home on Rachel's blog- Common"cents"ical! Hop on over to get yours!

2008-11-01T07:11:00.002-04:00

Today is November 1st! I have a love/hate relationship with November. Here in New York, November is bitter cold! The north winds have blown the leaves off the trees and when it rains it's just plain mucky! This upcoming week will be different though- it's going to be in the 50's and 60's with some sun!! What a wonderful treat!

I love this month because I love Thanksgiving! To me it's relaxed and filled with family, a time to say thanks instead of what did you get me, and the wonderful aroma of turkey!! Yum!!

This month I'll be baking pies and cookies. We'll snuggle and read lots of books, and make some Thanksgiving crafts!

On another note, today is the second day of my husband's 3-day shift this weekend~each shift is 12 hours!

To make the time pass quickly I've planned a day full of fun, frugal, family time! My daughter has dance class this morning. While she's in class I'll stop at the library with the boys to pick out some new books and a movie for later. After lunch we'll read a book about leaves and how they change with the seasons. Then we look for different leaves in our yard, press them between wax paper and make a book out of them. For dinner the kids can make personal pizzas or calzones and we'll watch the movie from the library with daddy!

I hope your Saturday is a good one!

oops!

2008-10-30T07:19:00.002-04:00

Lately my very early morning routine has included checking out new blogs! There are so many great blogs out there with interesting and inspiring ideas.

While I was reading one I swear I could almost smell the muffins baking, it was such a strong cinnamony smell! My son walked up to me and said 'Mom, it smells so good, what is it?'

Of course my tired, uncaffeninated brain thought 'He can smell it too?'

That's when I remembered the cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds I had roasting in the oven!

Wigs!

2008-10-29T10:14:00.002-04:00

Laughter really is the best medicine!

The other night we took pictures wearing wigs- it was soo funny! I love spending time with my family and especially laughing with them!

Brrrrr!!

2008-10-28T08:41:00.002-04:00

Today is a cocoa kind of day! Right now it's raining a cold, cold rain! So cold that I want to hibernate all day!

I like to take advantage of days like this by cooking a meal or two in advance and baking cookies!

During my son's quiet time I'll start jotting down ideas for Thanksgiving. My husband and I love roasting the turkey together and getting the kids invlolved with making homemade stuffing- yum! (I'll post the recipe later this week!)

I have the woodstove cranking and the kitchen clean, and I'm off to relax with my Bible, a blanket and a mug of cocoa!

And then some serious baking!

Have a wonderful day!

Eight O'Clock Coffee Rewards

2008-10-26T08:58:00.003-04:00

My husband and I love Eight O'clock Coffee! It's one of our weaknesses!

And much to our delight- we are being rewarded with $1.00 coupons on the packages and rewards online!

Click here if you share my ~~addiction~~ love for this coffee and join. It's very easy and points are easy to get and they have very nice rewards! (No, I am not and spokesperson, just sharing my joy in finding this!)

CVS Deals!

2008-10-25T10:30:00.002-04:00

Np pictures- sorry!

1st Transaction:

This week I picked up 2 glow sticks for $0.99, 2 bags of candy corn for $1.29 , and powerade for $1.69.
It came to $6.15 plus tax.
I used my $6 in ECBs and it cost me a whopping $0.27 OOP!
I also got the entire $6.15 back in ECBs!

2nd Transaction:

2 Listerine Agent Blue @ $4.49 each
I had (2) $1/1 coupons
I used $6.15 in ECBs
It cost me $0.92 OOP
I got back $6 in ECBs!

No Sew Costumes and An Easy Squash Recipe

2008-10-25T09:40:00.007-04:00

No Sew Costumes!

I was going to sew these, but then I thought about dragging out the sewing machine and fighting with the thread. I'm still a beginner when it comes to sewing and I can get very frustrated!That's when it hit me that I could get away with using the hot glue gun!

To make these, all I simply found some material that was laying around the house! I even used clothes that we no longer wore.

The picture is a little dark, but this is a king/queen cape.

I used the hot glue to hem the material all the way around.

The white 'fur' is similar to material that would be used to make stuffed animals. That's the only way I know how to describe it- LOL! I trimmed and glued that at the top.

To my delight I found velcro and glued it to the top so my son could in and out of it easily!

I made him a crown out of yellow construction paper.

I kept this costume somewhat simple because he's a boy and picky about what might be added to it. However, jewels or beads can added, and for a queen the crown can be more elaborate.

My 9 year old wanted to be a jeidi. I know nothing about Star Wars at all! If you look in the picture you'll see my son's action figure modeling for me (minus his head) on the top left.

I found a beige shirt belonging to my husband for the bottom layer.

I then cut muslin half way up the front to create the 'V' affect that you see. I cut twice more up the front, once on each side of the initial cut to make it look like a layered shirt.

I cut a wide piece of muslin to make a belt, tied it to the side so the knot wouldn't be noticeable, and tucked in the access fabric.

He wore beige pants I found in his closet.

The coolest part: For the boots, we cut the arms off an ugly dark brown sweater. We pulled them over his shoes and pants- the cuffs should be snug around the knees.

We topped it off with his light sabre.

My 11 year old put together his costume himself. He wanted to be a Russian soldier from WWII. He wore his flaps, camouflage pants and shirt and his olive green jacke

t. He used a vintage canteen and shoulder bag. We painted his face with a '5 o'clock shadow', a couple bruises, non-gory cuts (mom does not like blood and gore!), and 'dirt'.

Okay- for the squash, I used spaghetti squash, cut it half, scooped out the seeds, added butter, salt and pepper, and added 1/4" of water. Cover with foil, and bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes. Remove when tender, scoop out the insides and mash adding a little nutmeg and brown sugar- yum!

Or since it's spaghetti squash- add sauce on top and mozzerella cheese!

My little man playing with stamps and a stamp pad while I do my chores!

A Busy, Fufilling Day!

2008-10-24T21:27:00.002-04:00

Tonight we went to my daughter's school for the annual Halloween Parade-visit my other blog to see pictures and who the winner was!

Today I had soo much to tackle and got so much done! This picture does no justice to the mess at hand! I rolled up my sleeves, put my apron on and got to work!
I dusted and decluttered the den, vacuumed the upstairs bedroom and even cleaned the cobwebs in the attic! I got laundry done, beds made, floors swept, and costumes finished! It felt wonderful to accomplish so much.

I dug out my dessert rack thingy, put on white plates from the dollar store and arranged ghourds from our pumpkin patch visit. The table cloth is from my husband for our 13th wedding anniversary!

The other day at Target I saw this exact same pumkin cookie jar, but this one I've had for 13 years and it was my mother in laws before that! True vintage I tell ya! Doncha you just love when styles come back again!

What A Difference A Day Makes!

2008-10-23T08:40:00.003-04:00

Isn't blogging therapeutic? Yesterday I posted about the changes we've been through in the past few years. In hindsite, it was like writing the last few paragraphs for that chapter in our lives.

My husband had orientation for his new job yesterday. They seem to be a real good company to work for. For the first time ~~ever in our married life~~ in years, I have a calendar with his schedule! (We've owned a landscape/snowplowing business for 14 years) And he gets paid holidays and vacations immediately- that means Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, New Year's Eve and Day!!

Today I have to do some running around for appointments and such, but in between I plan on doing a little deep cleaning and rearranging to spruce up our home. I feel inspired, re-energized and ready to tackle the day! No more pouting!

Who Am I- Really?

2008-10-22T07:13:00.003-04:00

Four of my children are now in school and it leaves me with the baby who is 3 1/2 and a very good boy! I knew it would take quite a few weeks for a routine to settle in and for me to get used to the quiet.

I have one girl, who is my oldest at almost 13, and four boys ages 11, 9, 5, and 3. When the older three were little, I homeschooled them, we were active in our church, homeschool co-op, field trips, and I was also very involved in the dance ministry. I knew that I loved cooking and baking, walking through our woods, being with my husband always and living simply.My husband and I owned a landscape business (I was the book keeper)and we worked hard to save up to buy our own home.

When my now five year old was born, I put dance on the back burner to focus on my family, our co-op began to dwindle, we followed our pastor who began a new church, and my daughter started private school because I simply could not school her and my other children the way they needed to be schooled. A few months later, we found out we were going to have baby #5 and we also began looking for the house we had been working for. Our business was flourishing and things were so happy and secure. We found our dream home, an 1860 farm house on 2 acres in a nearby town, in the school district we desired.

After we moved in, it rained for a month causing landscape work to be delayed. Baby #4 was turning 2 and was turning out to be quite a handful! He would have screaming fits in the grocery store and at home and handling him was an exhausting all day event. We were in a new county and things were good, but different. We had a series of other things such as health and financial issues, but all these things were my new focus.

Maybe I grew up a little and lost some of the innocence from my 20's. Life just got harder.

My husband is starting a new job tomorrow. The economy had it's toll on us and our business. He will be working 12 hour shifts indoors all day when he used to being outside. It will mean more change, and I hope for the better. I will lose another title-book keeper/business owner.

I want to use this time to rediscover who Amity is again. I want to bake, cook ,clean, decorate, sew, and teach my little one the way I taught the olders.

I want to find out- who I am again.

2008-10-20T10:23:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday Morning! I have lots to do today! It was my son's 5th birthday over the weekend so I have gifts to put away and the kitchen floor to mop! :D We had a great weekend packed with family time!

I have the usual weekend flurry to pick up after too! After the kids leave for school, they seem to leave behind little pieces of paper, crumbs, and dirt- especially if they're digging to China like my boys are!

Things To Do Today

Wash mittens, hat, scarves (yes it's getting that cold!)

Vacuum living room

~~Put away birthday gifts~~

~~Straighten my bedroom~~

Ebay listings

*Instead I decluttered the kitchen and cleaned the attic!*

Family Information Center

From time to time I notice that I have to re-structure our chores and family rules/consequences. Today I plan on making and posting quotes in our 'Family Information Center.' This is a place in our kitchen where I can post classroom/school information, bus schedules, our family schedule (very helpful for babysitters too!), lunch menus, etc. It's really the backbone for running our home smoothly.

But life does happen and we get off course, but that's the while purpose of having a master schedule or routine written out for all to see! It's very easy to re-focus!

2008-10-19T07:20:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my little monkey turned 5! He popped his head off the pillow when he woke up and said 'I'm 5 today!' It was so cute!

You can visit my other blog to see pictures!

2008-10-17T08:04:00.002-04:00

Good Morning! It's cold and 40's out today, but the sun is wanting to peak its way out from behind the clouds!

Last night my daughter and I were looking through craft books in her room when I noticed a pink pin that said 'I'm 2 Today!' I've seen it so many times before, but last night I really saw it! If you're interested in reading a post on reflections about my daughter, check it out on my other blog.

I'll be back soon with some homemade Christmas craft ideas!

2008-10-15T11:04:00.002-04:00

I found a great link for fall crafts and coloring worksheets! I've used this website before, but forgot to save it. But! I found it again today!

Have Fun!

Fall Pictures

2008-10-14T14:40:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, we've been enjoying unsually warm and sunny weather! Here are some photos of what we'vw been up to!

A black walnut tree in my yard
My little boys
Enjoying the tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch
Picking pumpkins with big sissy
These gourds are adorabely painted to look like chickens!
An old outhouse
Into the maze we go!
Feeding the goats!

2008-10-13T17:10:00.002-04:00

Wow! It's been 9 days since I posted last! We've been really busy! You check out my other blog and see!

It was a balmy 80 degrees today so we visited the pumpkin patch today and then met up with some friends at the playground!

The end of this week will be rainy and 50's :(

I better get my crockpot fired up!

CVS Deals

2008-10-04T17:43:00.003-04:00

This week I actuallt went to CVS!

I did 2 transactions the first one was 2 Colgate toothpastes @ 2/5.00. I had (1) 1.00/1 coupon and $3.00 in ECBs so my total came to $1.14 including tax and I received $2.00 in ECBs and another $.50 ECBs.

The second one was for the Gillete razors I almost passed out when I saw they actually had them in stock! I bought 1 @ $9.99. I used a $4.00/1 coupon, the $2.50 in ECBs and the total came to $4.04 including tax and I received $5.00 in ECBs.

Okay, so not great but not a bad start up plus I needed these hings and paid far less than I would have otherwise.

Hop on over to moneysavingmom for more deals!

A Gift Idea

2008-10-02T12:53:00.002-04:00

I found the neatest thing at Michael's Craft Store today! It's a calendar and for each month it has a slot for adding photos! I thought it would be a really neat idea for a Christmas gift for a grandma and grandpa or a special aunt and uncle.

For each of my kid's birthday months, I'm going to add a photo of just the birthday child in honor of them. For the other months I'll add a seasonal or holiday photo.

Homemade Christmas Gifts

2008-10-01T06:25:00.003-04:00

My husband says that it's too early to be uttering the word Christmas, however he's also not the one in charge of the gifts! My sisters, brother and I decided one year to make gifts for each other (there are 4 of us all together) and it was one of the most memorable Christmases!

You see my brother is not very crafty because he's, well, a computer geek and craft-challenged. For my youngest sister he fashioned toe rings made from heavy paper covered in aluminum foil. For me, he cut cardboard into the shape of a snowflake, glued on packing peanuts, and spray painted it with silver spray paint. The spray paint ate away at the packing peanuts and left them a grayish color. He looped a green ribbon on the top and voila! It was the funniest, most hideous thing I ever saw but for some odd reason~ I loved it! I hang it on my tree every year! Of course he deliberately made these ridiculous things to prove his craft handicap and bought us gifts too, but it made us all laugh~ and that's what's important!

the snowflake ornament

I made him a cappuccino mix that is soooo good! He's asked for it year after year. The recipe originated from a good friend at church that her daughter gave me as a teacher gift when I taught dance for our homeschool co-op.

Now, my husband is a 'cowboy coffee' drinker- as in the stronger the better! I never thought he would like this so I didn't think to hide it. He drank more than I did! I had to ask my friend for the recipe to make more because we both became cappuccino addicts overnight.

This is one of the best recipes ever! If you put in a quart size mason jar, place a piece of Christmas fabric on the lid and tie it off with a ribbon~ it looks beautiful and festive!

Recipe for Cappuccino Mix

1 c. powdered non-dairy creamer

1 c. instant cocoa mix

3/4 c. instant coffee granules (you can use decaf too)

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into medium size glass jar.

Make a label to attach to the jar that reads: For each cup of cappuccino, use 2 tbsp. of mix and 3/4 cup of boiling water. Stir well until all ingredients are dissolved.

If you want you can make a gift basket with:

~ a mug, a chocolate covered spoon and homemade Christmas cookies

~ a basket with a pair of mittens or handmade scarf and a snowman making kit

~ a handmade fleece blanket and an inexpensive movie rental gift card or book store gift card

2 Minute Crock Pot Meal

2008-09-29T11:15:00.003-04:00

Oh my it's that time of year again! Cold, fallish days and warm soupy nights!

I have the easiest, most delicous recipe for your crockpot that will make your families mouth water when they walk in the door! And it literally takes 2 minutes- even better right?

Recipe

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Canned/fresh tomatoes

Frozen Bag of Spinach

1 Can of chicken broth

GARLIC! Yum... I love garlic! I add a tablespoon or so~from a jar~ (heaping of course)

Put it all in the crockpot. Cook on high 4 hours, low for 8.

I serve it over any kind of pasta!

Ba-da-bing-ba-da-boom!

Now I left out the quantities to add for a reason. If you only have a small amount of chicken, chop it up to stretch it out. Or if you want it to be the main dish use more.

If you feel tomato-y add more~ or leave it out altogether!

The great thing is that you can add or take away depending on what you have on hand or simply what you feel like eating!

2008-09-26T15:40:00.002-04:00

Guess what I bought yesterday? If you said a $5.00 gallon of oops Behr paint from Home Depot- you're right!

I can't wait to start my hallway this weekend!! And it's supposed to be rainy too! Maybe I'll throw a pot of spaghetti sauce on the stove and cook up some sausage too! Oh yum!

I have some paper work to finish catching up on, finish the hallway, and do you know what's next? I'm going to start my Christmas planning! I'll be making most gifts this year. It's going to be very small and I'm sure most families are in a similar situation. But that's fine because it's usually overdone and the focus is lost!

And the best thing? I just remembered that I bought beautiful Christmas cards last year 90% off! Now I have very nice cards to hand out to everyone this year! I can hand deliver as many as I want and maybe with a plate of Christmas cookies or fudge too!

2008-09-24T19:30:00.002-04:00

My sisters and I went to Black and Blue for an impromptu sister's night! OMG we had so much fun! We stacked our dishes as a signal to the waiter that we were ready for dessert!
Me and my beautiful sisters Nicki on my left and Kay my right!

I've been listening to music on the computer, and since everyone is outside I have cranked and have been danicing in my chair and singing. I know I'm a nerd. About half way through one song I realized it was Elmo's ABCs that I was singing to.

Routine

2008-09-24T10:32:00.004-04:00

I accomplished everything I wanted to get done yesterday! The hallway is cleared and everything has a place! This weekend I hope to get the painting done and would love for my husband to put the flooring down. My dad and father-in-law both gave us extra hardwood flooring from their own projects, and we should have enough for two small areas in the house.

This morning I started out with my regular routine:

5:30-7:00

wake up, make sure my daughter was awake, shower, watch the news, get my daughter on the bus, check email

7:00-8:30

wake up boys, pack lunch and snack, breakfast, make sure everything is packed and everyone is clean, bus, make coffee, take dog outside

8:30-10:00

turn on tv for little guy, make his breakfast, have coffee, devotions, and make list for the day, wash dishes, sweep floor, start laundry, clean counters and table, take garbage out, get munchkin dressed, tv off, figure out dinner

10:00-12:00

music on, light a candle, check email/blog, get munchkin set up with an activity, start cleaning for the day, pick a project or run an errand, fold and put away laundry, make phone calls

12:00-2:30

lunch, straighten kitchen, finish project, take a break by going outside, running an errand or reading a book, check email/ebay, get out snack

2:30-4:00

kids start arriving home, check snail mail, go through backpacks

4:00-5:30

kids: snack, homework, play outside

me: help with homework, start dinner, start coffee

5:30-8:30

dinner, clean up, showers, reading, quiet play, check email, baths/showers, snack and bed

9:00-10:30

read, computer, news, bed!

I love having routine and I've noticed much better behavior with the kids when they know what to expect!

2008-09-23T10:55:00.003-04:00

Good Morning!

Now that the kids are off to school and my littlest is content with his paints, I am off to clean this house!

It's a battle this morning I can tell you that! I have so many projects to do that I don't know where to start! We moved here three years ago and still have so many things left unfinished.

Our house was built in 1860 and has undergone many, many changes in it's life span. At some point it was converted in to a two-family home with the upstairs being an apartment. It was changed back to a single family, but still has the 'feel' of being a seperate house sometimes. There's a door in the living room that seperates the stariway from the rest of the downstairs.

Today I'll start with hallway going up the stairs because it needs the most work. It ends up being the catch-all area because I can close the door and not have to see it!

I started painting it in the spring, but it turned out to be a baaaddd color! Very bad. It looks very pink! And honestly it did NOT look like that in the can! Later on this week I'll look for a more neutral paint color!

Enjoy your day!

MIA?

2008-09-22T09:49:00.004-04:00

I was getting ready to plan out my CVS shopping trip this week when I discovered that my coupons were missing! After searching the house and car I called Target, and thankfully that's where they were- safe and sound!

Today I have lots and lots to do!

~ ~~Straighten the house~~
~ Sew a curtain for the kitchen door
~ ~~Clean the bathrooms~~
~ ~~Put away my laundry~~
~ Phone calls
~ ~~Ebay work~~
~ ~~Figure out what to make for dinner~~

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Easy paper organizer!

2008-09-20T08:25:00.003-04:00

This is my old friend~ glue gun. I almost forgot he lived here until I unearthed from my junk drawer this week!

He was put back on the job!

I found some scrapbooking paper
and glued it around a cereal box.
I cut the top at the corners and glued it to the inside of the box.
The end result is sitting on my desk and golding my loose papers.

Where I Work

2008-09-18T20:03:00.003-04:00

Now that the kids are in school I actually have time to get my work done! However, my work space was much to be desired and not that inspirational to say the least!

And Lynn you've inspired me! I love your style of decorating- so similar to how I see things in my own home. However, this is BLECH for a lack of a better word!

So I dusted, cleaned and straightened, saved my plant from the frost advisory tonight, and came up with ....

THIS!!!

Nothing spectacular, yet cleaner brighter and full life! Plants do that don't they?

I finally framed this picture of me and my wonderful dh that was taken a couple weeks after we met :)

2008-09-16T21:24:00.004-04:00

Barbara Lee asked if the house in the picture on my blog title is mine and the answer is... YES!

It's situated on 2 acres, although once upon a time in 1860, it was a large apple farm. Rumor has it that it was part of the Underground Railroad! We've found some old photos on the county history/record books and we discovered that the son of the original owner was one of first automobile owners in the county! The Redfields had 3 sons and one adopted daughter. One son built a house across the road from ours, and then the grandson built a house next to that. The last house to be built has an airplane hanger where they stored their crop duster.

My husband was digging a hole for fence post a couple of years ago and dug up a hair pin, a broach and some rusty nails. Apparently he found where they buried their garbage! We also found molars that look like they belonged to a large animal such as a horse or a cow.

The previous owner gave us this shoe. Apparently they found it in the wall when they were doing some remodeling. My husband and I always thought that it was a practical joke that an older child played on a younger one. Until one day when I read that years ago it was a tradition to put a shoe in between the wall when it was being constructed!

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned

2008-09-16T09:57:00.003-04:00

Since I am a stay-at-home mom and do not work outside the home, I try my best to save us money. Some things that I found that I can do are:

~Searching moneysavingmom! I've saved a ton of money buying essentials like toothpaste, soap, body wash, and diapers. And also for the nonessential mommy pick-me-ups like makeup and chocolate!

~Now that 4 of my kids are in school I wash dishes by hand only on weekends! It's amazing how it's cut down my electric bill!

~I wash lightly soiled clothes in cold water and hang the laundry on the clothesline when I can. In the winter I use a drying rack and place it near the woodstove. Because they tend to dry in cardboard fashion, it helps to touch it up in the dryer!

~Our newest moneysaver- garbage! Yes, garbage. Where we live we can burn our cardboard/paper products and we found that we only fill half of the garbage toter. We found a place that will take garbage for only $0.10/lb. for under 200 lbs.- over 200 lbs. is only $0.07/lb. So if we compost and recycle much more deligently, then it should cost less than our bill now!

~We heat also with a woodburning stove!

There are so many ways to save money with a little elbow grease (and maybe by getting my fanny off this computer to work on them!)

Happy Saving!

Fall Cleaning!

2008-09-11T13:39:00.005-04:00

I tend to clean with the seasons! Spring is a time to air out and dust, summer to get out toys and scrub down lawn furniture, and fall to put it all away again!

This week I'm starting to prepare the yard for the fall. Today was nice and warm so I did some minor repairs on the kid's swing set and raked the leaves, black walnuts and branches around it. Next I cleaned out the kiddie pool and put the little pool toys in the basket to be stored in the shed. Then I checked for any broken toys, tossed those in the garbage and sorted out the toys that the kid's have outgrown.

For each season I sort out clothes, shoes, boots, jackets, etc. While folding the laundry today, I placed the summer clothes that won't fit next year into a donation pile. It saves me a step and this way I'm not wasting time digging through the drawers later.

In a couple weeks I lug the fall tote down from the attic and see what I don't like or haven't used in a while before hanging up the decorations! I'll do the same before putting them all away.

I like to thoroughly clean the bedrooms with the season change. In August, I get the kid's rooms prepared with a place to study and read, and new clothes hung up.

What are you cleaning today??

CVS/Heating Your Home

2008-09-08T19:52:00.004-04:00

CVS Deals!

I haven't found any great deals at CVS in a while- but the dry spell seems to have ended this week! My kids needed hair spray and luckily Aussie hair products had a great deal!

I purchased 2 Aussie Hair products at $2.49 each for a total of $4.98. I had a $2/2 coupon, so my total came to $3.98 and I got back $2 in Extra Bucks.

Then I bought Revlon nail polish at $3.99, used a $1/1 coupon and my 2 Extra Bucks it somehow rang up for $0.13!

The patriotic decorations were 90% off! I got the wooden star door hangers for $0.50, the foil stars for $0.15 and the flag banners for $0.30!

It's that time of year again!

Time to finish up splitting and stacking wood! My husband is a landscaper and also does tree removal, so often times he is able to bring home the wood. This is oak that my husband got from a tree job he did. It is very heavy and full of water so he'll season it by covering it with a dark tarp and stacking it in a sunny spot to keep it warm. This speeds up the process when it's split late in the season.

We heat our 2200 square foot house primarily with wood heat, very little oil (we have a boiler furnace and radiators), and some electric heat upstairs. For us the wood is free, but it's labor and time intensive. This year my boys were able to help him a lot more as they are older now!

Every fall he has the chimney cleaned out. He does this himself, however for anyone new to doing this I recommend a chimney service. You should also have your wood stove inspected by the fire department to make sure it's installed properly. It's crucial to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that they're in good working order. If you are in need of either of these smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors, check you're fire department because often times they have these at no charge.

Not all wood is good for burning! Pine, birch, poplar, and silver maple are some types that are not.

We bought our wood splitter in used condition from a friend of ours which is a life saver! My husband used to split it all by hand. Not only does it save time and energy, but wear and tear on the body!

To get wood for free, let everyone know that you are looking for wood. Also check craigslist under the free section. I DO NOT SUGGEST REMOVING TREES FOR FREE AS SOME LISTINGS ADVERTISE! IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THEIR HOME OR YARD YOU WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE!

If you have any other questions- feel free to leave me a comment!

Book Sale Finds!

2008-09-07T15:41:00.003-04:00

I found all these books plus some that aren't pictured for $8.50! It's a total of 25 books!! I love library sales because it's one of the few places where I don't have to limit the amount my kids get.

For my daughter we found 3 American Girl books and the remaining book to complete her Little House on the Prairie collection. She'll be reading the Diary of Anne Frank in her accelerated English class this year.
For moi, a Rustic country book, Home For Christmas with Tasha Tudor, and Holly Hobbie The Night Before Christmas.
This very cool $0.50 book has a plastic model of the human body!
Sleeping after looking at his new books!

Busy, busy, busy!

2008-09-05T06:52:00.004-04:00

I don't know if you can see these pictures very well, but my son found this spider in our old dog house! I have to look it up to identify it because I've never seen anything like it before!

Having five kids keeps me busy, and I'm quickly finding that I'm just as busy now as when they were infants- just in a different way!

Visit my other blog to see our last day of summer vacation and first day of school pictures!

Frugal Friday!

2008-08-29T08:13:00.006-04:00

Today is Frugal Friday! This year was our frugalist by far and not by my choice!

Nope! My flesh screams for comfort! I want to buy things that I need and want- and when I want to buy them!

But I'm really learning now that sometimes the Lord says 'Wait.'

Oh how I do not like that word!

Instead of being impatient, I like to occupy my time with things that are already at my disposal. I have plenty of cleaning supplies, so I get to work cleaning my carpets and shining my sink. I rearranged the rooms in the house and in the process I decluttered and vacuumed up dust bunnies.

I found some Behr Exterior paint for $5.00 in the 'Oops' section at Home Depot. I painted two entry doors, the steps leading into the house, and my kid's playset. I still have 1/2 a can left besides!

I bought 2 brand new gallons of paint at a garage sale for $2.00 a piece. There was nothing wrong with them other than the homeowner didn't like the color. Right now I'm working on freshening up our bathroom/laundry room!

When I walk from room to room, I feel a peace because it's homey and restful.

However, it's not always easy to be content with what we have. The media and the world teach us that what we have is never good enough.

Philippians 4:10-14 teaches us to be content in all circumstances.

Phil 4:11 ".... for I have learned whatever state I am in to be content"

Phil 4:12 " ... Everywhere and in all things I have learned to be full and hungry, both to be abound and to suffer need."

What I found interesting that I never noticed before was that the next verse is a very common one. One that my children knew when they were very young.

Phil 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Did the Lord put that verse there because one of the hardest things is to be content? And discontentment doesn't just relate to material things, but our circumstances. While we should try our hardest to make things the best that we can and put legs to our prayers, sometimes the Lord may have different plans for us. Plans that will shape us into who we are, that will bring us to places we need to be. We have a work to do for Him and for His glory.

Zucchini!

2008-08-28T18:26:00.002-04:00

A lot of people don't like it or complain about how much they have from their gardens- but I love it!

Tonight I peeled off the skin and thinly sliced it.

Then I sauteed it in a little oil with fresh garlic and added tomatoes.

I covered and let it simmer until it was tender.

We put it over pasta- any kind is good- and added cheese!

Yum!

I also whipped up a couple batches of zucchini bread for dessert and breakfast tomorrow morning!

Another way to make it is to bread it and brown it, layer it with cheese and sauce and make it a zucchini parm!

2008-08-26T09:03:00.003-04:00

Well, yesterday I kind of played hookie and went to the playground with the kids :) !

However, good weather doesn't last long around here and so I hate to waste a sunny day. There are more than plenty cloudy cold days to spend indoors! (Doesn't that make you want to visit?)

This morning I (almost) finished my meal planning, I put the couch on craigslist and it should be picked up today, and moved a few things from the bottom of the stairs.

Today I'll be moving the boy's bedrooms around, which means we'll be losing the playroom. All 4 boys share the same room which was fine last year, but now the older boys are, well older, and they need some space. They need a nice quiet room to do homework and work on their projects in peace. (All hypothetical of course!)

If I'm real ambitious, I'll post the pictures!

* Today was very productive! We sorted, decluttered, dusted and vacuumed. My neighbors offered us their bunk bed set so hopefully tomorrow my husband will be picking them up! The beds and clothes are all that's left and I love the way t's all turning out!

Six Quirky Things About Me

2008-08-25T19:22:00.005-04:00

Lynn at A Mother's Journal has tagged me!

So here are 6 Quirky Unspectacular things about me!

1. This is the first time I've ever been tagged!

2. I love to read everything that I can! When I was little I would read the toothpaste instructions!

3. I love peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches.

4. I am a former New Kids On the Block fan!

5. My favorite Olympic sport is syncronized swimming.

6. I am a former dance instructor and HATE the fact that I have to pay for my daughter to take lessons! It's kind of like paying to have someone clean your house while you sit and watch.

Now I am tagging: Nicki; Kristine; Shannon; Dawn

Here are the rules:
Link back to the person who tagged you
List the rules on your blog
Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of your own
Tag 6 bloggers to complete the meme.

(Ok so I only have 4 bloggers, but some of the others I visit have been tagged already!)

Anti-Procrastination Day!

2008-08-25T07:32:00.002-04:00

Today is Anti-Procrastination Day over at biblicalwomanhood!

We have a busy week getting everyone settled for our back to school week which begins next week! When they're in school I plan on getting a lot of major projects done, but there are still plenty of areas in my house whispering "clean me!' and 'put me away!'

So! On that note, today I plan to:

~ clean the bottom of my stairs

~ get pictures taken of ebay items

~ call the Salvation Army to schedule a couch pick up

~ 15 minutes of filing papers

~ Menu Plan

I will hopefully get some pictures posted later and more importantly- get it all done!

MIA

2008-08-23T19:01:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted in a while because we have been enjoying summer while we can!

It doesn't last very long here in NY, in fact leaves are falling already!

I'll be posting on a regular schedule soon as 4 of my kids will be going back to school!

I used to be a homeschooling mama (you can read more about that here), but now my kids attend a very good public school. It has lots to offer the kids and they really love it!

This week I'll be finishing up our back to school shopping and meeting the new teachers!

I hope to get some back to school organizing tips in this week!

Olympics Unit!

2008-08-10T18:18:00.002-04:00

Tonight we're making an Italian dinner which is like cheating because we're Italian LOL!

But, we're making pizzelle cookies (recipe to follow soon) and my husband made meatballs~ yum!

It feels like fall tonight with the sauce cooking abd the house filled with yummy smells!!

Happy Sunday!

Our Olympics Unit!

2008-08-09T09:20:00.003-04:00

My son on the left is making a goofy face *sigh*

Cooking

Last night we made Chinese food in honor of the Olympic ceremonies- and not very authentic!

We ate it at the coffee table on pillows- the kids had a great time!

Throughout the Olympic games, the kids will help me choose different recipes from other countries so we can sample a variety of foods.

Math

We recorded as many countries we could and the number of athletes participating for each country.

Since there were so many countries, I'm going to have them choose about a dozen each and graph the participants.

Using all the numbers, we'll learn about mean, median, mode and range.

Busy!

2008-08-08T08:17:00.002-04:00

I haven't been posting much because we've been busy having fun! I usually try to stay close to home and on our routine, but we needed a break for a much needed break!

This week we went to Regal Theaters for a free movie! We saw Nancy Drew which all 5 kids really liked. It was a cute movie with a good plot!

Wednesday we went to our local museum- need I say more.

And Thursday we went to a railroad and transportation museum, That was really neat! We saw restored trolley cars, train engines, a fire truck , a farm truck, a caboose and a depot. We also saw a huge model train set! All the kids loved it and want to go back with their dad!

Today is the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics! We plan on having Chinese food to celebrate. We made Chinese lanterns and will also make Chinese hats. The kids want to make dishes from different countries during the 2 weeks the Olympics are on.

I got some books out of the library for making crafts from around the world. I will be posting our ideas and crafts soon!

We are really excited!

Back to School Supply Sales! 8/3-8/9

2008-08-03T21:33:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I found some back to school sales that I thought were really great! I generally stock up on items and keep them in our desk in the living room. This makes it easy for the kids to find items throughout the year and I don't have to run out and spend an arm and leg!

Staples: Awesome Deals!!!!

2 pocket folders (with or without fasteners) FREE after instant rebate- Limit 10
Staples 6 pack wide-ruled notebooks, 70 sheets- $0.05 each Limit 3
Staples 2 pack Composition notebooks- $0.25 each Limit 3
Staples graph paper wireless/wire bound- $0.50 each Limit 4

Target:

They're a little slim this week in the rock bottom deal department so here's the best I could find:

Rose Art 12 pack colored pencils, blunt tip scossors, or water color paints- $0.50 each- no limit listed

Happy Shopping!!

Potty Training!

2008-07-29T22:14:00.002-04:00

Who knew that this would have been the last package of diapers I would be buying! And such a deal too!

So my baby, my last little one is potty trained *sniff*!

I potty trained 4 boys and 1 girl!

My daughter was completely potty trained by 36 months. It honestly wasn't easy! It took a good 2 months to have her 'day trained' and night and day was accomplished by 3 years old. I started with her at about age 2 1/2 mostly because the books said she well past being ready! I was also pregnant with my 3rd child at the time of potty training her and I refused to have 3 babies in diapers!

My second son was stubborn! I tried training him at the same age as my daughter, and he was going to have nothing to do with it!! By 38 months he was finally trained, but boy he did not give up without a fight!

My third child simply went along with it. He humored me I guess. Since my first 3 children were 38 months apart, I was exhausted from potty training! I took my time because he wouldn't be 5 and still in diapers right? At 3 I put him on the potty, the other ones were using it so I guess he didn't want to be left out. He still wore diapers at night. One night we came home late from an outing and he had fallen asleep. I forgot to put a diaper on him, he woke up dry, the rest was history!

My FOURTH child. What can I say? He was a difficult child to say the least, in fact a whole other blog entry! I did not want to potty train him! I had no energy, desire or motivation.

I always said, they won't be in diapers when they're 5, and to be perfectly honest, it was fine with me if he was! But alas, I really couldn't NOT train him. And he was when he was 3 1/2. However, he still wets the bed most nights and he'll be 5 in October. I kept him in pull ups for a while at night, and then one night he didn't want them anymore, so I let him go to sleep with big boy underwear. And he wet. I thought maybe he would feel the wetness and be motivated to stop, but I think he has a small bladder and simply can't help it.

As to not embarrass him, I don't make a big deal of it. He really cannot help it and hates to wake up wet. I may get him some real big boy pull ups like 'Goodnights' or something, but that may embarrass him more.

My last child, my baby, was night trained first! Yup you read that right, he stayed dry at night first!

So my advice is :

~ Let them give you the cues as to when they are ready

~ If you train for a few days and nothing is working and you child is just wetting all day, take a break for both of your sakes and try again later

~ Don't change them right away, let them feel the wetness

~ Don't yell or embarrass your child

~ M & Ms as a reward may work, but I never used them

~ Train when you know you'll be home for a few days in a row

Back to School Shopping Tips!

2008-07-25T21:36:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year to start back to school shopping! I have 5 kids, four of which are in school full day this year!

Even though my kids are in public schools, I also homeschooled so these suggestions can work for anyone!

~ I always shop sales! Around the Fourth of July I start scouring the ads. I look for the rock bottom deals and get only those things things on sale for the week. For instance, Staples had a sale on folders, hand sanitizer and 8 packs of pencils on sale for a penny a couple weeks ago. I went twice because they had a quantity limit and because I was in the same area twice. I won't waste gas for a sale because then that defeats the purpose of saving!

~Stock up on things like crayons, paper, notebooks! They come in handy throughout the year at Christmas time and for summer car trips! There's no sense in having to go out buying these items during the year and spending extra money!

~ Keep lists from previous years or grades as a reference! Our schools tend to require the same thing year to year. The sales always start before I get a school supply list and this way I'm not missing out on any deals!

~ Shop summer clearance for clothing! Even here in the north September can be quite warm. I look for short sleeve shirts, shorts and capris. The kids can always where a warm sweat shirt over in the morning. Plus come spring time they have nice clothes to wear without breaking the bank!

~ I buy the necessities. New sneakers or shoes, a fall jacket, a couple new shirts, new socks or underwear, etc.

~Do inventory over the summer. Sort through the closets and dressers. Can anything be handed down for siblings to wear? By working on this today I have a real good idea of what the kids need!

~I buy 1 or 2 pairs of pants to start off. Usually jeans from the previous spring still fit, then I wait for sales in the fall and stock up.

~Reuse anything you can! Clipboards, binders, backpacks, lunch boxes, pencils, paper, etc.

~ I wait until the stores clearance their backpacks and lunch boxes to at least 60% off before I buy them. Even if the kids have to use something from last year for a week or two, they'll be fine!

~ I keep all new things in my bedroom. A couple of days before school starts I let the kids help me hang up their clothes and pack their backpacks. It gets them excited and makes these items special!

And remember to have fun! Don't stress out or give into the 'peer pressures' us moms tend to face!

Thankfulness Day 5

2008-07-25T21:31:00.002-04:00

I woke up very tired this morning! Today I was thankful for:

~ sunshine and the boys playing outside
~ sticking to decisions I made
~ getting errands done
~ a fun nearby playground we discovered
~ rest time
~ our pool and trampoline that kept the kids busy and tired them out!
~ my favorite prayer spot
~ peace and order today!

Thankfulness Day 4

2008-07-24T13:44:00.003-04:00

After a not so great day yesterday, today I feel much better!

Today I'm thankful that:

~ I worked so hard in the house yesterday that it was easy to clean this morning.

~ the kids are quiet and behaving better

~ the dog that we're pet sitting has been a good boy all week

~ I got a good nights rest

~ I have no anxiety or anxious feelings

Thankfulness Day 3

2008-07-23T20:49:00.003-04:00

Today was a rough one and I almost am too grouchy to want to thankul. I know it's a horrible attitiude to have, but I have it today. That's the purpose of this exercise anyways, to be thankful even when we don't feel like it.

So today I am thankful that I got a lot done around the house and that it's almost bedtime!!

Thankfulness Day 2

2008-07-22T21:48:00.003-04:00

As I posted yesterday, our pastor challeged us to thank God everyday this week for something!

Today I'm thankful for a stormy afternoon so I could curl up with my favorite magazine that I found at the library!

Also for my pool! I jumped in fully clothed after mowing the lawn this afternoon. It wasn't so much as hot but humid!

Thankfulness Day 1

2008-07-21T20:28:00.004-04:00

This week our pastor challenged us to find things to be thankful for. His teaching was about being content with what we have. When we strive to acquire 'stuff' we are only trying to fulfill the void that only Jesus can fill.

I am thankful for a smart husband who fixed our little mower, and 2 sons who can mow the lawn. We usually use our commercial mower which uses a lot of gas! This little one only uses a teeny tiny fraction!

Quick Bathroom Re-Decorating!

2008-07-17T11:37:00.004-04:00

Here is the old shower curtain that I actually like very much!

And this bright floral one I bought 75% off at Target a couple years ago and used as a curtain in my daughter's room. But then I found another curtain- 75% off last year that I loooved so we changed them. We swithed her bedroom to another, and the curtain no longer matched her room, so I claimed it for the bathroom!I decided to use the bright one for spring and summer, and the other will be for the colder months.
I switched the burgundy wreath with the one I had in the kitchen.

Frugal Cone Heads!

2008-07-15T19:48:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I copied this idea from Friendly's, but the kids loved them!

First, put your ice cream in the bowl!!
Warm, up the fudge!
Roll the bottom of the cone in the fudge...
Add some M & M's for eyes and nose....
And well, if you want it to look like a Friendly's Come Head, then go there, otherwise surprise your kids, enjoy the fact that you can make about 4 of these for the same price as Friendly's and enjoy!!

CVS, Staples, Aeropostale & Target

2008-07-12T17:04:00.004-04:00

I start school shopping as early as possible when the greatest deals are out!

This week I went to Staples for the $.01 deals! I made 2 trips since I was in the area twice. So for a total of 30 cents I bought 20 folders, 4 hand sanitizers, and (4) 8-packs of pencils!

Then at Target I picked up 4 t-shirts and 2 pairs of gym shorts for my boys for what I thought were $2 each, but when I got to the register, they were marked down to $1!

I shopped Aeropostale online for some clothes for my daughter. I bought jeans for $15.00 (this is more than I usually spend but good jeans can be hard to find), a tank top for $2.99, a polo for $5.99 and cute flip flops for $2.99. Again, not rock bottom deals, but thrift stores around here tend to charge that much for second hand clothing!

I highly recommend signing up to get deals online from Aero because I have gotten coupons and deal notices that I never would have known about otherwise!

And at CVS the only thing I picked up was a cosmetic bag, with accessories marked down to $1.50!!

Check out other deals at moneysavingmom

Family Film Festival!

2008-07-10T21:34:00.002-04:00

Regal Theaters is offering free movies this summer! We went a few times last year and had a lot of fun!

Re-Organization

2008-07-10T10:40:00.004-04:00

The kids have been out of school for the past couple of weeks, but it's taken me almost that long to get re-organized!

As a rule, while they are in school their biggest responsibilities are studying, instrument practice, keeping their beds made and rooms clean, and helping with a few evening chores. On Saturday they usually have 4 or 5 chores in addition to the ones mentioned, and Sunday is minimal chores for everyone as we like to rest and go to church.

I came up with these charts which are posted to the bottom of the chalkboard in the kitchen. The chalkboard lists their activities such as classes, family events, or get togethers with friends.

The 'A,B,C' chart is a rotation of kitchen chores. I like to rotate them so they know how to do different chores and there's less complaining.

The other chart is their daily morning chore list and there's something different for each day such as vacuuming, dusting, windexing, cleaning the porch and mudroom, etc.

The last list is our daily schedule to help us stay on track.

More Frugal Summer Fun!

2008-07-09T13:20:00.002-04:00

~ My kids are taking free mini-courses offered through our school! Some of the classes they're taking are Lego Robotics, mini musical, woodwind orchestra, making paper airplanes, art classes, math fun, etc. It has given them some things to look forward and it's educational.

~ Have their friends over! We have 5 kids so it seems as though it would be more work. However, I know their friends pretty well and none are very obnoxious. I usually have them get together from 1-4:30. This way they've had lunch and there's plenty of time to play before they can get bored.

~ Staying home also means that I can get lots done around the house! Even when there isn't much for buying paint or accessories, simply cleaning and decluttering makes the house look great!

Frugal Summer Fun!

2008-06-23T15:12:00.003-04:00

This summer I really want to rellaaaxxx!!

It seem as though the whole year is packed, but I like to leave the summer flexible so we have some spontaneous fun! There are soo many things to do while the weather is warm and the season is just too short to do it all! Here are some inexpensive ways that we plan to have fun this summer!

1. Game Night once a week! We have 5 kids so I'm going to give each of them their own night in honor of them. They will be able to choose the game and the special snack. However, if anyone decides not to participate on their siblings night, their night will be forfeited and become mine!

2. McDonald's or Wendy's! I occasionally let the kids pick out one dollar item from the menu.

3. Playgrounds! I let my daughter invite a friend along because she's getting older and playgrounds don't have the same appeal! The kids bring along scooters and roller blades. Sometimes we pack a lunch and other times a snack.

4. The pier! We love to walk along the pier and watch the boats.

5. Visiting! Spending time with family at their house or having guests over for a bbq or just dessert.

6. Parades! Not only for Independence Day, but Firemens Parades!

7. Scavenger Hunt! All of my kids love Scavenger hunts! Have them play for a dessert reward or let it be a race for a small prize! Have them write the lists to change it up!

8. Old fashioned backyard games! Kickball, tag, croquet, bocce, catch, relay races, hide and seek!

9. Berry picking! Need I say more?

10. Local parks! We love to camp and it costs far less than a hotel!

2008-06-12T12:34:00.003-04:00

It hit me today that I honestly am not very functional in the afternoon for getting regular chores done.

If I'm in the middle of a project on the weekend, I can manage fine. If I have to start my cleaning routine later in the day- forget it!

It's not that I can't- but I'm not as productive. I think because if I'm starting in the afternoon with chores, it's because I did something in the morning that was exhausting. Plus the kids will be up and all over place instead of napping and I end up putting them back down for their nap.

With that said, I now have to start my routine because I was at preschool this morning to participate in field days!

Wish me luck!

Reflections

2008-06-05T21:17:00.004-04:00

Lately I've been thinking back to when my oldest three were really little and how much I miss those times. And it's funny how when people tell you that you'll remember the good times and not so much the difficult ones, well they're right!

I remember watching them while they slept and dreaming of what they might accomplish when they were older. Or trying to imagine what they would look like.

I remember touching their soft skin after their baths and smelling the Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo in their hair. Putting them in clean jammies before they went to sleep.

I remember how much I tried to keep them on a good schedule, made sure they were always learning things and eating balanced meals. It's not that I don't now, it's just they're at an age where they can do these things on their own.

I used to homeschool all my older kids, and then I sent them to school. No longer was I monitoring their every moves or choices. I had to trust that what I had taught them and instilled in them would be sufficient. And it has been so far.

They all have nice friends and eat fruits and vegetables at lunch time. They are respectful and obedient. I am very proud of the people they are blossoming into!

I wish for a moment in time I could go back and relive those memories. But I can't. I can only live in the moment and try my best to make new memories. I can dream of who they might be when they're adults. Of (gulp) grandchildren someday.

It might be a long way off, but someday, that day will be here. I might even be remembering writing this blog entry and maybe wishing I could go back for just one moment and relive this day.

Kind Words

2008-05-27T21:12:00.003-04:00

Crystal at biblicalwomanood asked us to share some what encouraging words that someone has given us.

The other day at the grocery store a woman, her daughter-in-law and baby grandson were collecting donations for the veterans and giving out poppies. I was about to tell her that would catch her on the way out because I didn't have any change when she asked if my boys were twins.

I told her that they weren't but they were almost exactly 18 months apart to the day (they're 3 and 4 1/2). She commented on how beautiful they were and asked them their names. The boys were very polite and then she told them how much she loved their names. We then got to talking about her own children's and grandson's names.

It was such a simple conversation, but she was so genuine and sweet. I walked with my head a little higher and my heart a little lighter because she had such nice compliments about my boys.

Maybe they weren't words of advice, but just kind conversation in a world that can be so harsh and cold sometimes. It made my whole day!

Come Visit My Town!

2008-05-26T20:03:00.002-04:00