Groovie Mom

Swagbucks Coupons Work For Me

2011-03-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

Are you a Swagbucks collector? What about a coupon clipper? Did you know you can have the best of both worlds by earning Swagbucks when you use coupons? Swagbucks has a page on their website where you can print coupons. The site is powered by coupons.com so if you're a regular couponer you're probably already using many of the coupons available on the Swagbucks site, but not getting credit for them. Today I printed out coupons to save 40 cents on 6 cups of Yoplait yogurt, $1 on Kashi cereal bars, and $1 on Kashi cereal. There are also coupons for Udi's gluten free bread. I have a friend who buys gluten free products so I plan to print those for her so she can redeem them and put some bucks in my account. Go to the Swagbucks website, click on earn and then coupons. You'll find 18 pages of deals to choose from.

If you aren't earning Swagbucks yet, what are you waiting for?!? I've earned nearly $100 in Amazon gift cards in a little over a year just by using the toolbar. That works for me! For a homeschooling mama of two reading machines, free Amazon money is pure bliss! Head over to Swagbucks now to start your account then go to We Are That Family to find out what's working for everyone else.

Learning with the American Girls

2011-02-10T20:46:00.000-05:00

In just a matter of weeks, Spice turned into an American Girl addict. We received a catalog out of the blue in the fall. I was going to chunk it right off the bat, but decided to hold on to it for a bit to see if she showed any interest. She did not and I thought I had tossed the catalog in the recycle bin. About a month later, I walked into the living room to find her deeply engrossed in the catalog. Apparently it had gotten buried under some books on the coffee table and she unearthed it. Since that day she hasn't talked about much of anything else. She got an AG doll from Santa (one of the My American Girl dolls, not a historical character) and Sport bought her a mini Kaya doll for Christmas as well. This semester she is taking an American Girl class through a homeschool enrichment program we participate in. The class will spend the entire semester studying Rebecca Rubin, a Jewish girl living in 1914 New York. After reading through the books, I decided to supplement her studies at home. I'm also in the process of planning a more in-depth unit on WWII and American Girl Molly. I have decided to post about the work Spice does at home and in class in case others want utilize the wonderful books in their child's studies. I will post about each book in a series as we finish it. First up will be Meet Rebecca. Check back soon for our first installment!

Taco Pie

2011-02-08T20:53:00.002-05:00

I haven't done a recipe post in awhile. Just haven't been able to find the inspiration, but it came this week in the form of organic ground beef on sale at Publix. I stocked up and was trying to think of how to use it when I remembered this recipe. It's a family favorite, but I haven't made it in a lonnnggg time because I quit buying canned biscuits - too many weird ingredients. I recently discovered Trader Joe's has a (relatively) healthy store version though so this recipe is coming back into the rotation.

Here's what you need:

1 lb. ground beef (sometimes I substitute the fake Morning Star Farms meat and no one is the wiser)
1 packet taco seasoning
8 oz. tomato sauce
8-10 oz. can of biscuits
1 cup refried beans
1 cup cheese (I use whatever's in the fridge)
1 small onion, chopped

Brown beef and stir in tomato sauce and onion. Heat until it begins to boil. Lower temp and simmer 15 minutes or until thickened. Lightly grease 9-inch pie plate. Flatten biscuits over bottom and up sides of plate. Spread beans over dough. Top with meat and bake for about 20 minutes at 375. Sprinkle cheese over top before serving.

This recipe is being linked with Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday, All The Small Stuff's Tuesdays At The Table, and At The Well's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. Head to either of those for more yummy recipes.

Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is also taking a poll to find out what brands we can't live without. In other words, if you found out a particular brand item was going to be discontinued, which ones would you stock up on. Here's my (not so short) list:

Coca Cola - No diet or zero stuff here. Can't beat the real thing.
Kroger Natural Peanut Butter - I could live with other brands if I had to, but this one is the best in my opinion.
Annie's Mac and Cheese - Spice is a mac and cheese addict. I don't feel quite so guilty when I serve her the Annie's all natural brand.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - Nothing else compares...
Tostitos Restaurant Style Salsa - Nice and refreshing. The closest to actual restaurant salsa I've found in a jar.
Tostitos Baked Scoops - The perfect complement to the above mentioned salsa. These are the ONLY baked chips I like and they make my constant craving for chips and salsa a little less guilt inducing.
Crayola Crayons - The rest are just colored blobs of wax.
Oral B or Johnson & Johnson dental floss - All the other brands fall apart before the job is done.
Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner - The only one that actually works on the tub.

And No. 1 on the list...

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning - My luxury item if I'm ever on Survivor. This stuff could even make grass taste good.

Head over to Jen's blog to see what brands other reader's are loyal to and feel free to leave a comment here telling me your favorites.

Frugal Fashionista

2011-01-29T18:20:00.005-05:00

Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is hosting a Frugal Fashionista fashion show this weekend. I’ve wanted to participate in one for so long, but it seems like once I first discovered them she didn’t do one in forever then when she did have one I totally missed it. So here’s my first Frugal Fashionista post. Unfortunately, the pictures aren’t the greatest. My camera was taking for-evah to charge so I had to get Hubby to snap a few pics with his camera phone. Not the best quality and to say he wasn’t into it nearly as much as me is a huge understatement. But it’s all we’ve got so here goes…

This jacket was my thrift store find of the week (and I found some goooood stuff this week)! Abercombie and Fitch via Goodwill for $5.90! As for the rest of the outfit…
Ribbed turtleneck – FREE from a homeschool swap.
Jeans – FREE from an awesome consignment shop. I bring most of my unwanted goods to this consignment shop so I have built up a nice little line of credit. It’s fun to walk out of a store with a sack of free goodies and not have to worry about the police tracking you down.
Shoes – $4 on clearance at Cato.
Grand Total: A whopping $9.90!

I picked up this nice and cozy sweater yesterday. Can’t wait to wear it!
Sweater – $2.72 from America’s Thrift Store
Jeans – same as above
Axcess Shoes – $3.88 America’s Thrift Store – These aren’t my normal style of shoes. I prefer “sensible” (i.e. comfortable shoes) but for some reason when I saw these yesterday they just called to me. Here's a better picture:

Grand Total for that outfit: $7.76

Ooh! I almost forgot this sweater and it’s one of my new all time faves. Luckily, Spice was kind enough to take a picture for me today.
I picked up this Dress Barn beauty at a church run thrift store on Tuesday for $2.00!!! The aqua shirt underneath came from the same store last season for $1.50.

Hope you enjoyed taking a peek at my bargains. Can’t wait to show off more next time. I already have a nice little wardrobe of spring goodies built up, but since neither my legs nor my toes are in spring mode, they’ll have to wait! Check out other fashionista bargains at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and My Red Apron's Thrift Store Thursday.

Christmas Craftapalooza

2010-12-16T00:44:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago we rounded up a few friends and hosted the first ever Christmas Craftapalooza at our house. I love the idea of kids giving handmade gifts for Christmas, but I'm not so much into giving out cheesy toilet paper roll Christmas ornaments or framed handprints (OK the handprints aren't necessarily cheesy, but there's only so many years you can really do those and have them mean something). I'm all about having the kids make GOOD and USEFUL gifts that aren't just pulled out once a year when the grandparents know you're coming over for a visit.

Usually Sport, Spice, and I make these candles every year for my mom and a few friends.

Photo from Family Fun

Obviously adult supervision is required, but they make a nice gift and are fun to create.

We've gotten a bit tired of those though so this year I scoured the internet to come up with some new ideas. Here's a look at what was created at our craftapalooza...

Beaded Rings:

Photo from Family Fun

Spice and I actually made one of these as a make and take on a recent trip to Micheal's. We liked them so much we decided to make more for Christmas. I found instructions at Family Fun. Our rings were similar, but we used small pearls in place of the silver beads to give it a fancier Christmas look. Unfortunately I did not take a picture of any of the finished products. We had kids aged 5-9 at our event and some were better able to do this than others. I'd recommend it for ages 7 and up as an unsupervised craft. Some of those pearl beads are hard to string!

Cookies in a Can:

Similar to cookies in a jar, but uses Pringles cans instead. (This was one of those spur of the moment "I'm in desparate need of a gift NOW!" ideas I came up with last year.)We wrapped Pringles cans then fillled them with cookie ingredients in Zip-Loc bags. Here's our recipe:

In one quart-sized Zip-Loc bag, combine 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1/4 tsp. salt.

In a second bag, combine 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar.

Fill a sandwhich size bag with 3/4 cup chocolate chips, raisins, nuts...We used the peppermint swirl chips for a festive look. They were delicious!

Place all bags inside a 6 oz Pringles can and add a gift tag with the following instructions:

To use combine all ingredients in a large bowl with 3/4 cup shortening, 1 egg, 2 Tbsp. milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Form into one inch balls and bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Altered Notebooks:

By far the favorite craft of the day was altered notebooks. My kids are still making these. I purchased three-to-a-pack memo sized notebooks at Dollar Tree. These had a plasticy type cover on both sides. One side had a second cardboard cover underneath the plastic layer so I cut the plastic cover off (I was worried the glue would not adhere to it as well) and we worked with the cardboard side. Before the party I traced the cover on a bunch of pieces of scrapbook paper and cut them out so the kids could just pick the paper they liked best and glue it on. Once they had a new decorative cover they were able to add embellishments using paper punches, stickers, and stamps. Some websites give instructions for removing the spiral wire so that the entire front of the notebook can be covered, then making new holes and reinserting the wire. Way too complicated for my tatste! We just glued the paper as close to the wire as possible, leaving a small white edge along the top of the notebooks. I think this worked out just fine and made it much easier for the kids to complete the project on their own. Oh and for all you true bargain hunters out there, I've since found more notebooks at Big Lots that come four to a pack, making these cute little personalized gifts come out to about 30 cents each.

If you're still looking for gifts to put under the tree, get the kids to work and if none of these ideas float your boat, check out Works For Me Wednesday for more last minute gift ideas.

Easy Teacher Gift

2010-12-01T21:27:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I've done a Works for me Wednesday post. I've been planning on making my comeback with this idea for two weeks now, but kept forgetting to post. Guess that's a good thing since today's WFMW topic is Gift Giving. You would think as homeschoolers, we wouldn't have to worry about teacher gifts, but you're wrong! There are co-op class teachers, piano teachers, dance teachers... the list could go on and on. We gave out our first round of gifts the week before Thanksgiving when Sport and Spice's weekly enrichment classes came to an end. Here's what the kids handed out...

a roll of Christmas wrapping paper with a note that says "May your holidays be wrapped in love." We also added a homemade flavored coffee drink mix to this batch. I tried some of it later though and found it kinda gross (guess I should've taste-tested it before we give some out) so I'm not sharing the recipe. I am not a coffee drinker though, so what do I know? Maybe that was how it was supposed to taste. At any rate, we also included a few chocolate dipped spoons with the coffee mix so that should have improved the taste. We will be giving out more of the wrapping paper gifts. They were a big hit and I like giving out gifts that can be used up rather than a cheesy knick knack that does nothing but sit around gathering dust. I found these rolls in the Target dollar spot. I like them because they are shorter than regular rolls, but have a ton of paper on them.

Here is another twist on a popular gift that I blogged about last year (scroll down to the picture at the bottom). We had friends over today for our first ever Christmas Craftapalooza. All of the kids put together a few of these kits, and made some other cool gifts that I hope to blog about in the next few days. In the meantime, head over to We Are That Family for more great gift ideas.

Roasted Carrots With Feta and Parsley

2010-11-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

Hi all! I'm back from my extended hiatus to share this delicious recipe from Martha Stewart. Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is looking for Thanksgiving recipes for today's Tasty Tuesday. I tried this for the first time earlier this year and have planned on adding it to our Thanksgiving feast since the first bite. Not only is it delicious, it's super simple to throw together and looks quite impressive.

Photo from marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

3 pounds medium carrots, cut 1/2 inch thick on the bias
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss carrots with oil on a rimmed baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until carrots are caramelized and tender, about 25 minutes.
Transfer carrots to a bowl, and toss with feta and parsley.

Check out Jen's blog for more new dishes to add to your Thanksgiving feast.

Muffin Tin Monday

2010-09-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

This week's Muffin Tin Monday theme is Movies. This is probably a stretch, but here's my contribution...a build your own pizza kit because what goes better with movie night than ~~popcorn~~ pizza?!?

Truth be told, I've never been good at keeping up with the MTM themes (that would require planning ahead) and it's sheer luck that with just a little imagination, today's meal could acutally work with the theme. The thing I love about MTM is it's a great way to serve a decent meal when the pickins' are slim. I come up with some of my best meal inventions at the spur of the moment on Mondays when the kids proclaim 5 minutes before eatin' time, "It's Muffin Tin Monday!"

Today, I lucked out and found two large pepperonis in the fridge. We were out of tortillas, pitas, English muffins (you get the picture), but I did find one hamburger bun lurking in the cabinet. I toasted the bun, gave each kid a half and called it a pizza crust. I also lucked up on a little piece of Parmesaen cheese that I sliced up and split between the two and a stash of homemade pizza sauce in the freezer. To round out the meal I added in a handful of almonds and a couple shreds of carrot. Spice is the world's pickiest eater. She'll eat carrots, but only with a side of ranch dressing. I put the carrots in the tin and acted like it was a perfectly normal pizza topping and it worked. She actually put them on her pizza and ate them. Score one for Mom!

Check out the Muffin Tin Mom for more creative muffin tins meals.

Weekly Wrap-Up For The Birds Part 2

2010-09-10T22:27:00.002-04:00

We continued with our bird theme this week. I thought we would wrap things up today before taking some time off to visit Disney World, but the kids are really enjoying themselves. There's always more to learn so maybe we'll extend our studies for one more week before taking a few more days off to tag along with Hubby when he goes to a conference near the beach.

We do most of our heavy work from Wednesday to Friday. Mondays are devoted to the basics and Story of the World Volume One. Sport has a religion class and Cub Scouts on Monday nights so I like to make sure he has some time for fun during the day. The kids have homeschool enrichment classes on Tuesday so I also don't like to start in on our unit study work on Monday just to be interrupted by Tuesday! We do math and grammar every day of the week. Wednesday through Friday are more of our FUN days - assuming the kids like the unit we're working on. So...when I write these weekly wrap-ups and go on and on about what we did Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday that doesn't mean we didn't have school on Monday and Tuesday. It just means whatever we did wasn't exciting enough to share. We actually did have school this Monday, despite the holiday. Hubby had to go out of town, so after a morning of family mountain climbing, he left and the kids and I had night school. They were intrigued by the idea at first until they realized it was just regular school held in the evening.

Wednesday we started the day by going to Mass, then made a quick library run and visit to the park with friends. We came home and spent some time in the backyard looking and listening for birds. Then we put together profiles of the birds we spotted. Sport's profiles came from Cornell University's online bird coloring book, an awesome free resource.

Spice's profiles were from Enchanted Learning. We added to our collection of bird profiles throughout the week. Spice also had fun using her Math-U-See manipulatives to complete this Duck Stories worksheet from Home Education Resources.

We studied bird nests on Thursday. I'd been waiting for this day so we could work on our big art project for the week - making yarn nests! I've seen this project all around the web. Some crafters refer to them as yarn bowls. The basic idea is to cut strands of yarn, dip them in watered down glue, and stick them all willy nilly around a curved surface. Let them dry overnight and viola, you've got a nest (or bowl). I picked up a skein of brown variegated yarn from Wal-Mart for Sport to use because I knew he would want to go au naturel. Spice wanted to make her nest out of her favorite color...rainbow, so I dug out the yarn stash I put together for 75 cents a skein at Big Lots earlier this year. We started with about 30 4-6 inch long strands each, but ended up cutting more, so I'd double that amount.

My little darlins' hate to have messy hands so the idea of swishing yarn around in a bowl of glue was almost too much to bear. They did it, but weren't happy about it. I think both of them could have used more glue, especially on the ends of each strand. Here's how the nests looked about halfway through the project:

The original instructions I saw for this project said to turn a bowl over then place a piece of plastic wrap over the bottom of the bowl to provide the nest shape. I decided this would be too aggravating 'cause we all know plastic wrap never actually stays in place. I taped a barely inflated balloon to a large cup for each kid and had them glue the yarn to the balloon. I drew a line just above the halfway mark so they'd know where to stop with the yarn. Overall the project turned out well, but it was difficult to get the balloon unstuck this morning without messing up the nests. Here's a look at the finished products:

Today, as a fun activity to close out the week, we played hide and seek with these little birdies we colored in earlier this week. The template came from Preschool Express.

The first time around I hid the birds in easy to find places, like the red cardinal on a black TV stand. Spice quickly found all 6. The next time around, I made it much harder by camouflaging the birds. I stuck the bluejay on a blue part of their American Idol dance mat (it was free people) and the cardinal on a sheet of Strawberry Shortcake stickers. Spice had a much harder time finding the birds which led to a discussion about how birds camouflage themselves to hide from predators.

We read or referred to these books throughout the week:

All in all we had an enjoyable week of school that did not feel like school at all! If only every week could be that way! To see what other homeschoolers did this week, check out the Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Quotables

2010-09-10T17:46:00.001-04:00

Sport loves to read all of my old Peanuts books. The other day he was telling me about a particular comic strip in which Charlie Brown and Lucy discussed the philosophy of life. Charlie Brown stated, "Life is like an ice cream cone. You just have to lick it." Sport, a deep thinker in his own right, told me he'd come up with his own philosophy: Life is like a thermometer. It has its ups and downs.

Later that day after getting some disappointing news, he applied this philospophy to his own situation, saying, " Life is like a thermometer. It has its ups and downs and right now we're at about minus a hundred."

Weekly Wrap-Up...For the Birds

2010-09-06T23:08:00.002-04:00

Last week seems so long ago, I hardly remember what we did! I felt like we had a pretty boring week, but looking back at the pictures, it doesn't seem so bad afterall.

I found these synonym cards at the Dollar Tree a few months back. Sport has been learning about synomyms, antonyms, and homonyms in grammar, so I cut these cards apart to make a matching game for him.

Of course Spice had to get in on the action too. I pulled out some of the easier synonym pairs for her to work with. She begged me to do this over and over the rest of the week.

As promised in my last wrap-up (sadly I haven't posted anything since then), we started a unit on birds. I purchased two unit studies from Currclick (Birds of North America and Birds) and we have based most of our work off of them. I also looked around one of my favorite websites, The Crafty Crow, and found quite a few bird feeder related projects to work on. On Thursday, Spice strung Cheerios on pipe cleaners to make food rings for the birds in our backyard. They obviously enjoyed it because the whole thing has completely disappeared!

The always resourceful Sport dug through the recyle bin and crafted a bird feeder out of a Laughing Cow cheese wedge container.

On Friday we set our new hummingbird feeder out on a table on our deck until we could find a place to hang it. It wasn't long before we were rewarded with a visit from a fine feathered friend. The picture isn't the best because it was taken from inside the house looking out the window, but the green blur on the lower left-hand side is a ruby-throated hummingbird.

We also read these two books:

We will continue with our bird theme for another week or so. Check out Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-up to see what other homeschoolers have been up to.

Weekly Wrap-Up

2010-08-26T21:59:00.003-04:00

Twenty days down and 160 to go for the 2010-11 school year! We started school at the end of July because we knew we would be taking time off here and there to travel in August and September. We're using Story of the World for history this year and, honestly haven't gotten very far. We spent some time last week putting togethere our family history books and personal timelines then moved on to archeology this week. I set up an archeological dig sight in the backyard and told the kids to pretend they were scientists from the year 3010 looking for clues to human civilization in the year 2010. Before starting the dig, we read this book by Kate Duke:

Sport and Spice had a fun time digging, once they finally came across the first artifacts. For awhile it was a little iffy and both kids decided there was way too much work involved in being an archeologist. Here's a tip if you do this activity: Draw a treasure map for yourself to remember what's buried where. I was sure I'd remember from one night to the next morning, but as it happened we actually did not get to complete this activity until 4 DAYS LATER! By then I could hardly remembered what I'd buried, much less where. At least I had kept the dig site contained to a small area.

I had the kids mark off their dig site with string and sticks then draw a diagram on graph paper showing what artifacts were found in each cell. After everything was found, along with a bonus bottlecap that Sport unearthed, we talked about each item and what kind of clues it could provide...pen and can showed they had a developed alphabet and knew how to write; the skaterboard dude and army guy showed what kind of clothes they wore and that they had weapons and wheels; the Mardi Gras doubloon could have been a form of money and the fork showed they had highly developed eating utensils (and perhaps worshipped frogs?) They had a good time with this and of course wanted to stay out digging afterwards which is why I planned this as the very last project of the day.

In math, Sport is humming along with Teaching Textbooks Math 4 this year. This is our first year with Teaching Textbooks and so far it seems to be a good fit. We started around Lesson 40 though because the first part was way too easy and I didn't see the point of spending the entire year in review. He is still reviewing, but he could always use more help with multiplication facts. Spice, meanwhile, is having a blast with Math-U-See Alpha. She loves Decimal Street and has asked everyday this week, "Are we going to go back to Decimal Street today?" So of course we do. Yesterday we used Mrs. Bear, one of her purple bear counters, to go from door to door asking how many units, tens, and hundreds were home. Spice has quite the imagination and can tell you a story that goes on for hours so this was right up her ally. I finally managed to tear her away after about 5 different number stories and two tornadoes on Decimal Street.

In just about every other subject, we've been studying John James Audubon. I'm employing more of the unit study approach this year and so far we are having a really good time with it. It has been much more relaxing for me too. Planning out 2-3 weeks at a time seems so much more managable! Sport has always loved birds, but his interest was piqued again during a recent trip to Avery Island in Louisiana. I promised him when we got back from our trip we would study birds. Next week we will focus on two bird units I picked up from Currclick. I thought learning about John James Audobun would be a nice way to ease into the unit. This week we read The Boy Who Drew Birds by Jacqueline Davies.

Then followed many of the unit study ideas from Homeschool Share. Today we recreated some of our favorite Audubon prints using this idea from Incredible Art Lessons. Spice drew a mallard.

Sport, the bird afficianado, used the ceramic birds he just had to have from the thrift store as models. He drew a cooper's hawk and a Florida Jay.

Here's a look at the finished products. (That's my Carolina wren in the middle. I can't resist getting in on the art action.)

That's pretty much a wrap on our week in homeschooling. Tomorrow we'll go to morning Mass, do some math, head to art class, and then enjoy an afternoon at the park with our homeschool group. Hope your week was as fun as ours. To find out how others are homeschooling, check out Weird Unsocialized Homechoolers Weekly Wrap-Up post.

Leftover Rice Lunches

2010-08-24T08:20:00.002-04:00

When Hubby was stationed in Okinawa with the USMC one of his favorite meals out in town was TRC - Taco Rice and Cheese. He has talked about it often and I have tried to make it many times, but there's always something not quite right according to him. Last month he spent some time in the kitchen on our anniversary and whipped up some TRC for lunch. Even then he complained that it wasn't authentic enough. Well, I don't know how to help him, but I do know my kids loved the meal and have asked for it often since then. Hubby and I are not fans of leftover rice, but the kids don't mind it so I've taken to incorporating it into their lunches anytime we have it. TRC is pretty self explanatory...take some rice, add some taco seasoned meat and a little cheese on top and serve. Last time I made it I added in a little taco sauce too and got rave reviews.

Now, it's a rare occasion when we have leftover taco meat. The other day we had leftover rice and no taco meat, but the kids were clamoring for TRC. On the fly I came up with PRC - Pizza Rice and Cheese. I threw some rice in a bowl and chopped up a few pepperoni slices and some cheese. We didn't have any unfrozen pizza sauce so, in another moment of desperation, I stirred in some tomato paste and Italian seasoning. They LOVED it and I love having two frugal, easy meals to add to our lunch rotation.

I'll be linking these "recipes" to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday.

Bargain Shopping

2010-08-23T20:48:00.003-04:00

Sport and Spice started their homeschool enrichment classes again last Tuesday. We are lucky to have a mega church nearby that offers all types of classes for homeschoolers. So while they're busy learning dance, art, geography, video game creation, Lego mechanics, and music, I get to go workout in the church's fitness center and shop in the basement thrift store. What more could a mom ask for?
The thrift store is small, but has unbelievable prices. I find that most church run thrift stores like this one or St. Vincent de Paul usually have the best prices. Amazingly, I wasn't in the mood for too much shopping, but as usual, I still managed to find some great bargains like this 99 cent Ralph Lauren turtleneck. Not many people are looking at sweaters when it's 99 degrees out, which is probably why they were running a 99 cent special.

I also found this apothecary stye jar for a buck (shells included). I've been hooked on apothecary jars ever since Thrifty Decor Chick first ran a post about them. My only problem is I'm never quite sure what to put in them. Any suggestions? I know the shells won't stay. We do have a large jar full of shells in our guest bathroom though so they'll be added to that collection.

My two favorite finds were this large letter C and this brass key for only 25 cents each! Can you believe that? 25 cents!

I still have to figure out where to put both of them. I also snagged a 12 pack of white plastic hangers for 50 cents bringing my grand total for the day to a mere $3.18. Not bad if I do say so myself!

This post was linked to Today's Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality and Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday.

Angel Food Surprise Cake

2010-07-27T22:22:00.006-04:00

It doesn't get any easier than this! All you need is this...

to make a delicious low-cal, low-fat, low-sugar dessert that the whole family will enjoy. (Well, except for Spice of course. She was out as soon as she saw that a fruit that was NOT grapes or apples was involved. Oh well, just leaves more for the rest of us.) To top it all off, you only need to dirty one dish - two if you count the spoon - to make this tasty treat.

Here's what you do:

Dump angel food cake mix in an ungreased 8 x 12 sheet cake pan. Add in 16 ounces of crushed pineapple in its own juice. Stir with a spoon and watch it grow. (Sport really likes this part. I'm sure there's a science lesson in there somewhere. I just haven't figured it out yet.) Once well mixed, pop it in the oven and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. We like to top it with Cool Whip - fat free of course.

This post is linked to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday and Works For Me Wednesday at We Are That Family because any dessert that my kids can make from start to finish works for me!

DIY Easy Bake Oven Recipes

2010-07-07T21:58:00.000-04:00

I planned to save this post until next week's Works For Me Wednesday, but when I logged onto We Are That Family today and saw the topic for this week was favorite summer recipes I figured I'd better go ahead and get posting. This isn't your typical "summer recipe" but if you're looking for a way to keep the kiddos occupied, these are a lot of fun!

If you have a young 'un with an Easy Bake Oven, I don't have to tell you how expensive the mixes are. Lucky for us, Santa left quite a few when he delivered the oven this past Christmas. We've just about run out though, and honestly, they're not so tasty. Awhile back I came across a website with recipes to make your own EBO mixes. I filed it away in the back of my mind until last night.

Sport is in Louisiana visiting all the grandparents and cousins so Spice and I have been trying to do some girly things. Today she had a friend over so we broke out the EBO and they made their entire lunch in it. Who knew you could make things like pizza, quiche, and quesadillas with nothing more than a heap of plastic and a light bulb? Here are the two concoctions we cooked up today:

Bean and Cheese Quesadilla

whole wheat tortilla
cheese
Frito Lay bean dip
dab of butter
non-stick cooking spray
salsa

First we folded a soft taco size tortilla in half and cut out a circle the size of the EBO pan. (You can get 4 circles out of one tortilla this way.) Spray some olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Place one tortilla in the pan, cover with cheese. Spread about 1 Tbsp. of bean dip on the second tortilla then place it bean side down on top of the cheese. Put a dab of butter on top and bake for about 7 minutes. Serve with a side of salsa for dipping.

The girls gave this a big thumbs up.

For dessert, we made peanut butter cookies:

1-1/2 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. butter
sugar
chocolate chips

Combine peanut butter, flour, butter, and 2 tsp. sugar in a small bowl. Stir until it comes together. Separate dough and roll into small balls (about 1/2 inch). We used natural peanut butter so we rolled them in a bit of sugar before baking to sweeten them up a bit. Place 3-4 balls in EBO pan and flatten gently with thumb. Place 1 chocolate chip in the center of each cookie. Bake for about 7 minutes.They're pretty crumbly when they come out so let sit for a few minutes before removing from pan. This made 12 tiny cookies.

Here are a couple of links for more EBO recipes. Soon I hope to have the kids cooking dinner with the thing.

EBO Recipes

Frugal Easy Bake Oven Mixes

Free Chick-fil-A!

2010-07-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

Are you in the moooood for free food? I hope so because that often overlooked holiday, Cow Appreciation Day, is this Friday. To celebrate, Chick-fil-A is giving away free chicken to customers dressed like a cow. Anyone in full cow regalia gets a free meal. If you're too classy to go all out, you can at least get a free entree' by donning a cow print shirt, scarf, handbag, or anything cow related. If you've always dreamed of wearing a cowbell around your neck, this would be a good time to do it!
If you need help getting started here are a couple of links to printable cow masks that you can make at home:

Design Your Own Cow

Mean Cow

Cute cow (available in color or black and white)

Or you can go straight to the source and download the official Chick-fil-A Cow Starter Kit.

This post is being linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Homemade Cake Batter Ice Cream

2010-06-29T21:44:00.002-04:00

I admit, I have a thing for cake batter. My favorite flavor snowball is wedding cake. Even when I tell myself over and over that this time I'm going to order something different, I always cave at the end and go for the sweet taste of cake. On those rare occasions when I set foot in a pricey ice cream shop, the only thing that can tear me away from peanut butter and chocolate goodness is cake batter. If cake batter is on the menu, I'm ordering it. If I had been in Marie Antoinette's shoes, I would have shouted, "Let them eat cake...BATTER!" So I may be a bit biased when I tell you the kids and I whipped up some homemade cake batter flavored ice cream Sunday and it was awesome! It would have been even better if I hadn't scorched the mixture ever so slightly. It was barely noticeable though and the kids had no complaints. I'm sure if you asked them, they'd say they're used to mom burning stuff. But a day later there wasn't the slightest trace of ice cream left and Hubby wasn't even here to get in on the action. I hope to get
more made up for the 4th. It just isn't the 4th of July without homemade ice cream and this will make a nice change from boring old vanilla. Guess I'll have to replace the leftover red and green Christmas tree sprinkles we used for a topping with something a little more American though! I found the original recipe on All Recipes and made a few changes. Here's my lightened up version:

1 cup milk (I used 1% Hood Simply Smart)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups evaporated skim milk
3/4 cup white cake mix, sifted

Whisk all ingredients together in a saucepan until well blended. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Stir constantly! I only stopped stirring for a second to put the milk back in the fridge and the mixture was already beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat and cool in the refrigerator or freezer.

Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Once it has the texture of soft-serve ice cream sneak a little for yourself all the while telling your kids it's not ready and needs to harden some more. Place whatever's left in the freezer in your ice cream maker's container or in a lidded plastic container to harden.

Next time I will double the recipe since this only made about 8 small servings. I also want to try cutting the sugar down to about 1/3 cup. As is, it was not too sweet, but I think the sugar could be reduced some without it making much of a difference.

This post is being linked to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Parade of Foods and Works For Me Wednesday.

Learning All Summer Long - Fun Boredom Buster

2010-06-23T21:10:00.005-04:00

We are on the go a lot during the summer. It's rare to have one of those days when there's absolutely nothing on the schedule and no where to go. Even so, when one of those rare days comes along, the kids start getting restless. I don't think they've ever actually uttered the words, "I'm bored" but it's pretty obvious they need something to do when they're laying on the floor, rolling around on top of each other, and arguing. A couple of weeks ago when one of those rare days rolled around, I was prepared.

Spice received an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas and sadly the only time she has actually used it was to bake hubby a birthday cake...on Christmas! I've been meaning to get it out again, but I knew Sport would want to be in on the action too. So to drag the fun out as long as possible and keep everyone involved I came up with a BRILLIANT idea (that's my opinion anyway).

While the kids weren't around (another rare occurrence) I wrote this on our dry erase board:

Help Wanted

Baker - Young female needed to bake cakes and cookies. Must have experience with mixing and stirring and know how to operate an Easy Bake Oven.

Quality Control Manager - Experienced cake and cookie eater needed to taste baked goods and determine if they meet our high standards. Must be able to communicate likes and dislikes well. May be required to taste icing or frosting on occasion.

See Mom to apply.

When they came downstairs later looking for some entertainment (i.e. me), I directed them to the board. I was worried Sport may be jealous he did not get to actually bake. Instead I heard him exclaim, "YES! I got the best job." They ran to see me, ready to get to work. I told them it wasn't that easy and that they must first apply for the job. I gave them each an application I had found online and printed out and had them fill it out. This was a great educational opprotunity. They were able to practice filling in a form asking for their name, address, phone number...as well as answer harder questions like "What previous experience have you had that can help you in this job?" and "Have you ever been convicted of a crime?"

Once the applications were turned in, I called them each in for a one-on-one interview with the boss. It was funny to see how nervous they were that they might not actually get the job. During the interview I threw in some random school type questions like "Can you do math? What's 7x9?"

I'm pleased to report both of my kids had a great time. They took their jobs very seriously and there was no fighting over who got to push the cake pan into the oven or who got to eat the first cookie. They've been asking me when we'll do it again. Lucky for them we have another lazy day coming up tomorrow!

This post is being linked to We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday.

Learning All Summer Long - Board Games

2010-06-02T22:09:00.017-04:00

A while back I decided to clean out our game/puzzle cabinet. Here's a before picture of all the games and puzzles. This doesn't include the stack hidden behind the couch...

Sadly, the after shot didn't look much different. The fact is, we LOVE to play games (and do puzzles) so while our game cabinet is bursting at the doors, it's really hard to clear out too much when we really do play them all. I've bought pretty much every one of our games at garage sales or thrift stores, or picked them up for free at one of our homeschool swaps, so for us board games are a way to have a lot of fun at a very low cost. I lean heavily towards games that have an educational purpose. That's just my way of sneaking in a little more learning each day. We use board games regularly in our homeschooling as well to spice things up a bit.

I think all board games provide an opportunity for learning...patience, focus, winning and losing gracefully...but some teach much more than others. Here's a look at some of our favorite educational games:

Smath
Consider this a math version of Scrabble. Instead of spelling words, players create number sentences using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Though it is difficult, Spice plays this game too. I have access to her tiles and will guide her in coming up with equations, but leave a certain # out for her to figure out for herself. For example, I'll say, "Place your 3 tile before the addition sign, place the four tile after it, add an equals sign and the answer." She'll look through her tiles and find the 7 to finish off the equation.

SET
This is an awesome critical thinking game! Players lay out 12 cards and race to make sets of three. Sounds simple, but it's not. I have been making a real effort to teach Sport to FOCUS on one thing at a time. This game is excellent for that. If you're not giving it all of your attention all the time, you're toast! Spice has not played this with us yet. (It's hard!) But the last time we played, she watched and did call out a couple of sets of her own so maybe she's ready.

Boggle Jr.
This game helps preschoolers learn their letters and beginning words. Players roll the letter dice and try to find all the letters needed to spell the word on their card. Players can see the word they are trying to spell to make it easier, or the word can be covered up for added difficulty once the child becomes more proficient at spelling and sounding out words.

What's Gnu
Similar to Boggle Jr., but geared towards early readers who can put together three letter words. Instead of dice, it uses a cool sliding dispenser thingy that kids love to spit out letter tiles. Spice could just sit and play with that part all day.

Scrabble Junior
Like the grown-up version, but has words already spelled out on one side of the board for players to match their letters to. More advanced players can turn the board over for a blank slate.

Yahtzee
Not much explanation needed here, but we use it for math practice. I let Spice count the dots on her dice when needed to add up her score. For Sport, I quickly scoop up the dice and have him add or multiply in his head.

Uno
This may not seem like an educational game, but if you have a preschooler it's great for reinforcing numbers and colors. When Spice first started playing, I pretty much knew every card in her hand so I easily could have run her over, but sometimes it's not about winning the game, but providing lots of practice on certain concepts instead. (I have to remind myself of that often.)

Go Fish
Another one that's good for number and color recognition. Even those he's mastered those skills, Sport still likes to play this game. That darned fishing pole is just too much fun!

Monopoly Jr.
After I played my first game of Monopoly Jr., I knew I'd never go back to the grown-up version. Monopoly Jr. is fun, easy to follow, and most importantly, doesn't take 3 hours to play. This is a favorite of Sport and Spice. In the beginning, Sport was our banker, but lately, Spice has taken over that role and is getting in tons of math practice.

Trivial Pursuit for Juniors
I picked this up at an estate sale in my neighborhood recently and much to my surprise, the kids have really enjoyed it. There are questions that are easy enough for Spice to answer, but sometimes if she gets one that's too hard I might rephrase the question or make up a different one altogether. No one's ever the wiser. The science questions are much more on my level too! Most importantly, both Sport and Spice have been able to spout off facts they remember from the game.

Wiz Kidz
There are two decks of cards, one with a set of topics like "a piece of furniture" or "something found at the mall" and another deck with letter cards. Two cards are flipped over at the same time and players try to be the first to come up with a word that fits the category and starts with the correct letter.

Money, Money - A Discovery Toys game that is no longer produced, but if you see it at a garage sale or thrift store snatch it up. Players make their way across a board earning or spending allowance on every space for things like recycling cans or feeding the fish. The player with the most money at the end wins.

Math Magic - A self correcting game by Ravensburger that focuses on addition and subtraction.

Don't forget old fashioned favorites like dominoes (great for math skills with all of its different scoring versions), checkers, chess, and a good ol' deck of cards. Sport and Spice have been hooked on Solitaire lately (another one that I hope will improve Sport's attention span.) I think there is a Bingo game available for pretty much any subject too. We probably own about 95% of them - addition, division, ABCs, human body, Spanish...

This post is linked to WFMW's "Mom I'm Bored" edition.

Learning All Summer Long - Math

2010-06-01T22:01:00.019-04:00

We Are That Family is hosting a special boredom busters edition of Works For Me Wednesday this week. We keep boredom at bay around here with lots of games, preferrably educational ones. Over the next week or so, I plan to write a series of posts about how we keep learning all summer long.

Did you know in Singapore children attend school 25o days of the year? Japanese students log 243 days, while those in Scotland, The Netherlands, Israel, South Korea, and Thailand total 200 or more. Heck even the French spend more days in school than Americans, and their countrymen are on vacation for more than a month out of every year. Is it any wonder our students lag behind the rest of the world in so many areas?

Call it "brain drain" "education eraser" or "loss of learning" the 2-3 month summer break students so look forward to only makes matters worse. It's estimated the average student loses 2 months worth of learning each summer. As homeschoolers, we could easily school year-round, but we don't. I admit, I like my summers and haven't been able to give them up completely although they do keep getting shorter. : ) Our summer break officially started last week, but being the sneaky mom I am, I continue to sneak in all kinds of educational activities for Sport and Spice. Sometimes they're on to me, other times they're clueless. This post will focus on the subject that seems to suffer from "brain drain" the most...math.

Sport will be reviewing his multiplication and division facts everyday. We could go the boring old flashcard drill route, but why do that when you can have FUN! Here are some of the ways we practice basic facts (any of these games can easily be adapted for addition, subtraction, or division):

Target Practice: Choose three (or more) multiplication facts for your child to practice (sixes, nines...) and write each of those numbers on a separate sheet of paper. If you want to go all artist like, draw a bull's eye on each piece of paper and write the number in the middle. Remove all of the number cards from a deck of cards. If you have a deck for each person, even better. Players stand behind a line and take turns trying to hit the targets with their cards. If a card lands on any part of the target, the player has to multiply the number on the card by the number on the target. If correct, the player earns that many points. If incorrect, the opposing player gets a shot. Set a number to play to and the first player to reach that # wins (200 works well for multiplication). As the child improves, make it more fun by adding in the jokers as wild cards. It's tempting to use the joker to create an easy equation, but a thinking student will realize a harder equation likely adds up to more points!

Football: Draw a rectangle on a piece of paper. Mark off 2 end zones and 10 yard lines. Randomly label the yard lines with the numbers 1-10 (or whatever facts you want to practice). Make several footballs out of cardboard or heavy cardstock and label each with a #. Player 1 selects a football (without peeking). Starting at one end of the field, the player multiplies the # on the football by the # on the field. If correct he continues across the field. His turn ends after scoring a touchdown (and earning 7 points) or committing an error. Player 2 then takes over with a new football from his end of the field. Set a time limit in advance to keep things exciting and keep the game moving quickly. The player with the most touchdowns at the end wins.

Multiplication War: Using only the # cards from a deck of cards, two players flip their cards over at the same time. The first player to correctly multiply the two numbers together and call out the product wins the pair. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.

Use a clock to practice the fives times tables. Point to a number on the clock and have the student quickly call out the number of minutes it represents.

There are tons of websites and software programs that offer fun math practice as well. One of our favorites is Quarter Mile Math. Sport loves to race against his previous scores to try and set a new personal best time. Students can choose horse or auto racing. Parents get to set parameters to determine exactly what is practiced, for example addition facts for the numbers 1-5. The best part about it is both of my kids can use it. QMM topics range from kindergarten to 9th grade. At the kindergarten level, letter recognition is covered as well as numbers. Spice often practices finding what letter comes before/after another and identifying vowels or consonants. Sport has tried everything from multiplication, to fractions, decimals, division, and estimation.
QMM is offering a $5 discount to anyone who orders the software using the following link:

Another favorite around here is Timez Attack. This program offers a truly entertaining way to practice times tables, but at $30 or more, is a bit pricey considering it only tests multiplication. We have enjoyed the free basic download available from the website though.

Hope this post gets you to thinking about how to sneak in a little learning this summer. Check back tomorrow for a look at some of our favorite educational boardgames.

Start the Bed Making Habit

2010-05-26T21:32:00.001-04:00

One thing I've always wanted my kids to do automatically is wake up each morning and make their beds. I learned from FlyLady a freshly made bed can make a huge difference in the appearance of a room and the sooner it's made, the better. But face it, in the morning rush getting the bed made is usually low on the list of priorities.
I know, I know...we're homeschoolers so sending the kids back upstairs to make their beds before starting work for the day shouldn't be a problem, but you'd be amazed how a simple task like going to make the bed can turn into a 20 minute ordeal, what with all those Legos and books around begging for attention. So it's a job that rarely gets done at our house, by the kids anyway.
Now that summer's here, I plan to change that. I've been priming Sport and Spice to wake up and make their beds as soon as they jump out of it. This has been especially exciting for Spice who just moved to a big girl bed this weekend. I've made a bit of a competition out of it to see who actually remembers to make their bed before coming down for breakfast. So far, Spice has been spot on each morning. Sport has needed a reminder here and there, but at least he hasn't. And at this point, if he gets lost in Legoland for an hour or two, who cares? Today we had friends come to play unexpectedly so I took the opportunity to point out how good they must have felt by having a neatly made bed ready and waiting.
My hope is by the time summer is over this bed making bit will have become a nicely formed habit and once we start back to school, making beds will be as natural as eating breakfast in the morning.
Hope this idea works for you. Head over to We Are That Family for more helpful hints and tips.

Free Summer Movies

2010-05-12T21:15:00.005-04:00

School's almost out and that means finding new and exciting ways to entertain your kids every. single. day. for the next 12 weeks or so. When it gets too hot outside, head over to Regal Cinema for their Free Family Film Fest. We are not big movie watchers around here so we don't run to the theater every time a new kiddie movie comes out. The free movies are a real treat for us because we get to see new shows and not be too disappointed if one's a dud.

If you have kids who are easily spooked like mine, check out thorough reviews of each movie here beforehand.

This post is linked to We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday.

E-mealz

2010-04-21T21:54:00.005-04:00

If you're a fan of the Dave Ramsey show (Hubby says I'm addicted), you've no doubt heard the commercial for e-mealz. You know the one that promises to cut your grocery bill by hundreds of dollars a month for only $5 a week. I was tempted by that commercial daily for over a year before I finally couldn't take it anymore and broke down and subscribed for three months. I tried to find reviews of the program before signing up, but didn't have a lot of luck so I decided to share my opinion in case anyone else is out there wondering how it all works.

I'll start by saying e-mealz is a wonderfully convenient service. Each week an e-mail arrives in your inbox with next week's dinner menu all planned out and a shopping list to boot. There are many options available when starting out, such as selecting how many people you need to feed each week, choosing your favorite grocery store (Kroger, Publix, Wal-Mart and Aldi to name a few), and deciding if you'd prefer low-fat or vegetarian dinners.

We started with the basic Kroger menu. Not all menu preferences (low-fat...) are available with every store, otherwise I would have chosen a low fat Kroger menu. I do not cook on weekends. E-mealz plans a meal for every day of the week so I was able to cross out the two least appealing meals from the get-go. After using the program a couple of weeks though, I came to the conclusion there was simply too much meat involved for our family. We usually have 1 or 2 meatless meals a week. With the e-mealz plan, there might be a pork roast on the menu for Monday night, chicken for Tuesday, a rump roast for Wednesday... Honestly, one roast can last us an entire week and we were ending up with a lot of leftovers - some of which never got eaten - so there was simply too much waste going on here. Our family of four includes two kids - one of whom is a very picky eater and rarely wants anything to do with meat that isn't deep fried, so I came to the conclusion we were spending more than necessary on meat with this menu. I also don't cook a lot of weird meat. We pretty much stick to ground beef and chicken around here with an occasional roast. Just because Boston butt is on sale for the week doesn't mean I want to eat it.

A few weeks into my subscription, I switched to the Publix low-fat menu. This did reduce the amount of meat being called for each week, but there were still some issues for me. It didn't take long to figure out low-fat and healthy don't always mean the same thing. I try to stay away from things like canned biscuits and pizza crusts because of all of the preservatives. These were staples with the low-fat menu though and we're included at least once a week, as were a lot of boxed, convenience type foods for side dishes. And there was still a lot of chicken cooking going on - typically twice a week. E-mealz plans your menu based on weekly sales at the store you select. I love this feature, however I prefer to buy organic meats so it didn't really do my pocketbook any good to serve chicken two nights a week because regular chicken was on sale for $0.99 a pound when I was going to be forking over four or five times that much for the organic variety.

While I love the concept of e-mealz, I came to the conclusion it just was not a perfect fit for our family. I tend to be a thrifty shopper anyway so I didn't find I really saved any money with it. E-mealz provides dinner for a family of 4-6 for about $80-90 each week. This is about what I was spending anyway on my regular shopping trips that also included toilet paper, breakfast, lunch, snacks, shoes, Hello Kitty headbands from the Dollar Spot...(There are reasons why you shouldn't grocery shop at Target.)

Even though it didn't work for our family, I do think there are some families out there who could really benefit from the service. Newlyweds who don't have a clue about running a household (like me many moons ago) or new moms who are trying to figure out how to accomplish a thousand new things in a day would probably love the service, as would families in which both parents work and dinner time is always a mad dash. I think it would also be helpful for anyone new to the idea of menu planning to help them get into a groove as well as those families you hear about who spend $700 a month (ACK!) on groceries for their family of four. I admit it was freeing to not have to worry about what I was going to cook for dinner tomorrow night or even next week and the pre-made shopping lists were the best thing since sliced bread. If e-mealz were to come out with a truly healthy/organic menu, I would even be willing to give them another try.

If you've been wondering if e-mealz would work for you, I hope this post gave you some insight!

Free Stuff

2010-04-13T08:53:00.004-04:00

Here's two free deals that are good for your wallet and good for the earth...

Take a break from tax day and head to Starbucks for a free cup of coffee. Customers who bring in a reusable travel mug on April 15 - that's tomorrow! - get a free cup of fresh brewed coffee.

Once you have your coffee in hand, head over to Kroger's website and design your dream reusable shopping bag. Once you submit your design, you'll receive a coupon for a free Kroger reusable bag.

Free works for me! See what works for others at Works For Me Wednesday.

Easter Eggs

2010-03-31T23:08:00.001-04:00

Since Kristen at We Are That Family shared her Easter egg tips for today’s Works For Me Wednesday, I thought I’d get in on the act.

This should really go under the category of “I Hope It Works For Me Wednesday” since I haven’t actually tried it yet. I read somewhere the other day (Family Fun? All You? Another blog?) that the secret to deep colored Easter eggs like you always see in magazines is to use brown eggs for dying. Makes sense to me, for some colors at least, so I plan to give it a try with Sport and Spice this weekend. I hope it works! If you’ve ever tried it, I’d love to hear about the results.

Suffering Succotash

2010-03-30T16:32:00.003-04:00

Before I came across the recipe several years ago, I didn't have a clue as to what succotash really was. The only reference I had for it was hearing Sylvester the cat exclaim, "Suffering Succotash" on a regular basis while watching Looney Tunes, and the way he said it didn't make it sound all that appealing.
I love Lima beans and nobody could cook them like my Grannie. When she passed away 6 years ago I actually mourned the fact that I would never have such great tasting Lima beans again. I can't cook 'em like her and don't know what her secret was, but once or twice a year I break out this recipe for family holiday feasts so I can at least enjoy Lima beans for a day or two. Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is looking for Easter meal traditions for this week's Tasty Tuesday so here's my contribution:

Succotash

5 bacon slices
2 green onions, chopped
4 cups corn
3 cups Lima beans
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 tsp. chopped, fresh basil or 3/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. Tony's (or you can use 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper)

Cook bacon in large skillet, drain, & reserve 3 Tbsp. of drippings. Saute onion in drippings for 2 minutes. Stir in veggies and broth. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon, tomatoes, basil, and seasoning. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

Disclaimer: I serve this dish every year at Thanksgiving, but have never actually made it for Easter. For Easter, we make...reservations.

This recipe is being linked to these posts:

Our Lent Activities

2010-03-25T20:57:00.005-04:00

Today we started our Resurrection Eggs. If you're not familiar with Resurrection Eggs, they are basically a fun way to tell the Easter story. This is one of those things I've wanted to do for years, but never could get myself together enough to have them ready. After looking over all the variations at Catholic Icing last week, I started gathering eggs. We have 22 eggs in our set. I originally planned on a dozen, but decided it would be best to have an egg for both Sport and Spice to open each day. It would have made more sense to do two dozen eggs, but I didn't get them put together soon enough to spend 12 days opening eggs. I'll add two more next year!
I numbered each of our eggs and placed them in a pretty basket to make a sort of centerpiece out of them. I figured this is a good way to appease Spice's ongoing need for holiday decorations while still keeping Lent holy! Today's pickings included a palm branch in egg #1 (a leaf from silk flowers trimmed to resemble a palm) and a piece of felt in #2 to represent a donkey's fur. (John 12:12-15)

Here's what's in the rest of our eggs:

-Three dimes for the 30 pieces of silver Judas Iscariot was paid to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16)
-Piece of soap because Jesus washed the feet of his disciples on Holy Thursday (John 13:4-5)
-Small cracker & a chalice made from foil representing the last supper (Mark 14:22-24)
-Feather to represent the cock crowing three times (Matthew 26:33-34)
-Twine with knots showing how Jesus was bound and led away (Matthew 27:1-2)
-Purple fabric signifying the robe Jesus was dressed in and a branch twisted into a crown of thorns (Matthew 27:28-30)
-Wooden cross (John 19:17-18)
-Piece of paper with INRI written on it representing the "King of the Jews" sign that was hung on the cross above Jesus (John 19:19)
-Three nails (Matthew 27:31)
-Dice to show how onlookers cast lots for Jesus' clothes after he was crucified (Matthew 27:35-36)
-Piece of paper towel soaked in vinegar for the sponge soaked in wine that was passed up to Jesus on a spear (John 19:29-30)
-Black fabric split in two representing the sky turning dark and the temple veil ripping apart (Luke 23:44-45)
-Dirt and small pebbles because the earth quaked and rocks split apart after Jesus died (Matthew 27:50, 51 & 54 )
-Lego sword symbolizing the lance that was thrust into Jesus' side (John 19:34)
-White fabric to represent the linen cloth Jesus' body was wrapped in (Matthew 27:58-60)
-Large rock to be the stone rolled in front of Jesus' tomb (Matthew 27:65-66)
-Dried oregano for spices the women brought to anoint Jesus (Mark 16:1-4)
-Empty egg symbolizing the empty tomb. (Matthew 28:5-6)

I admit I was feeling a bit guilty for not setting up some kind of Stations of the Cross display in our home, but I think these eggs will get the Easter message across just as well to younger children. I'll save the stations for when Sport and Spice are a bit older.

If you'd like to make your own set, there's still time! Catholic Icing has a post with lots of links or head to Rainbow Castle where a printout of all of the corresponding Bible verses is available.

Another thing we have been doing throughout Lent is choosing a daily "activity" from our Lenten Journey box.

OK, if you take a good enough look, I'm sure you'll recognize it as an old Kleenex box. I've been looking for an excuse to recycle a tissue box like this for awhile now. I filled the box with about 30 slips of paper containing activities focused on praying, fasting, and giving.

Each morning the kids pick a "sacrifice" from the box to work on for the day, like fasting from all drinks but water, making a donation to our church's Lenten almsgiving program, doing a secret good deed for a family member, making a card for someone special and mailing it, fasting from junk food or TV, saying a special prayer for someone...Spice especially has loved this activity.

Tomorrow will be our last day of school before taking an extended spring break. We will spend a good portion of the school day on this project from Lacy at Catholic Icing. (Can you tell Catholic Icing is my latest addiction?) We will start off discussing this awesome piece of artwork I picked up at the thrift store right after Christmas for only 75 cents.

It was actually priced at $1.50 but I got it half-off because the girl ringing up my purchase assumed since it had Jesus on it, it must be a Christmas decoration. I didn't correct her. : ) We'll follow up with a picture study of da Vinci's real Last Supper painting before creating our own version of the masterpiece.

Crawfish Etouffee

2010-03-23T16:39:00.004-04:00

We're having guests for dinner Friday night and when I asked if there were any food preferences the only response I got was "Something Cajun." My mind was reeling with ideas...chicken and sausage gumbo, dirty rice, Cajun meatloaf with roasted sweet potatoes...then it hit me. Friday during Lent = no meat for us (and our guests).

Coming up with a meat free Cajun dish shouldn't be hard, but we're picky. Tiger shrimp that are readily available here in Georgia just don't cut it and neither do Chinese crawfish. Call us seafood snobs. Most of my Cajun seafood meals are dependent on the good old Louisiana crawfish my mother-in-law so kindly brings us on each of her visits. We had polished off the last pack of those months ago, or so I thought. On a whim yesterday I decided to clean out my freezer. It was a joyous moment when I found one more pack of crawfish hidden in the far recesses of the freezer. I did a happy dance and announced, "Now we can have crawfish etouffee!" This thrilled Sport to no end and he joined me in the happy dance until he realized he would have to wait four more days until dining on crawfish. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on some real crawfish, give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 large onion
1 small bell pepper
1 lb. crawfish tails (with fat)
4 Tbsp flour
4 cups water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
salt, pepper, and Tabasco Sauce
Hot rice

Melt butter in a large heavy pot. Saute veggies in butter for 20 minutes. Add seasonings and crawfish. Saute for 3 minutes. Stir in flour and saute another 5 minutes. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add bouillon cubes. Once fully dissolved, add water to the crawfish pot. Simmer on low for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice and top with green onions. Add salad and garlic bread and you've got yourself a meal cher!
This recipe is being shared at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Tuesdays at the Table.

Beginner Sewing Project

2010-03-17T21:06:00.004-04:00

Spice has been showing a lot of interest in sewing lately so I decided it as time to set her up with a few projects. We started off with a beginner needlepoint kit from JoAnne's, but it has proved to be a bit more complicated than we bargained for so I made up some projects of my own for her.

We started off with a set of mesh coasters from Dollar Tree. This rubbery "material" is also found in the shelf liner section. I originally went in for the shelf liner, then saw the set of 4 coasters and thought they were the perfect size for little hands. I used a Sharpie to draw a simple flower shape on the coaster in red and purple for Spice to embroidery with yarn.

We have a couple of large plastic kid's sewing needles on hand, but if you don't have any, I've seen kiddie needles fashioned out of pipe cleaners. Spice "traced" around each shape with her yarn then I tied it off for her.

She had a great time with this project, completing it over 2 days, and is very proud of her work!

Next up, a rainbow!
Check out Works For Me Wednesday at We Are That Family for more fun ideas.

Love Notes

2010-03-11T17:44:00.004-05:00

Since Spice first learned to write I don't think a day has gone by that I haven't received some type of "love note" from her. In fact, love and mom were two of the first words she learned to write, even before her own name. It has become a ritual at bedtime to see which one of us can profess our love the most. I'm not a total fool though, I know this is also a good tactic for prolonging bedtime. The other day she asked to type so I set her up on my laptop then went off to cook supper. I returned later to find this note:

"Mom I LOVE YOU 10000000000000.....00000000 LOVES."

Today I found this message on the whiteboard in our school room:

"I LOVE YOU MOM TO iNFiNUD + iNFiNUD +iNFiNUD + iNFiNUD +iNFiNUD"

(Did you know iNFiNUD = infinity?)

I'm keeping a record of all these love notes so I can show them to her when she's a teenager and doesn't want anything to do with me!

Kielbasa with Roasted Potatoes

2010-03-09T07:42:00.001-05:00

As promised in yesterday's post, here's a recipe for a quick and simple supper. Add bread and a salad and you're ready to dine.

Ingredients:
5 medium red potatoes thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. turkey Kielbasa sausage

Heat broiler and line a large baking sheet with foil. Toss potatoes with oil, pepper, & salt. Spread on baking sheet. Cut sausage into quarters and slash each quarter in several places.. Broil potatoes for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and softened. Place sausage on top of potatoes and broil for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Check out Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for more recipes.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-03-08T14:12:00.003-05:00

For today, Monday, March 8, 2010

Outside my window...It is a beautiful day! Spring has finally sprung! Not sure how long it will stick around though until the cold makes a return.
I am thinking...of how nice it is to finally be able to send the kids out to play and how glad I am we don't have anything else to do today except enjoy this wonderful weather.
From the learning rooms... We have just finished up and it was a nice day where everyone cooperated. We started a new unit on Abraham Lincoln, Sport sped through long division, Spice had a great time making cloud pictures with white pant on blue construction paper then finding shapes in the clouds, and both of them worked on masterpiece birthday cards for their cousin who turns 15 this week.
From the kitchen...Kielbasa and potatoes tonight. A super simple, super quick dish that's cooked under the broiler. Check back tomorrow for the recipe.
I am wearing...jeans and a thin long-sleeved turquoise top (finally no bulky sweater) with a white tank top underneath and tennis shoes.
I am creating...School plans for the rest of the week. Spice and I are going to study Eric Carle so I'm digging out all kinds of ideas I've saved for a unit on his work.
I am reading... just started The Exact Same Moon by Jeanne Marie Laskas and am working to finish up Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson, a book I started oh about a year ago then got sidetracked.
I am hoping...the weather stays this nice all week.
I am hearing...birds singing, a woodpecker working away at the lovely home he has carved out for himself in our chimney(!) and Sport and Spice playing Frisbee outside. Well...Spice just whacked Sport in the mouth with the Frisbee. Game Over.
A few plans for the rest of the week: A surprisingly laid back week. Basketball season is over for Sport so no more Tuesday practices. We have our homeschool classes tomorrow and tennis and book club later this week. So far we also have a free weekend so I will need to spend it priming and painting the walls in our entryway. Not looking forward to it, but I know it will look so good when it is done!

Visit Peggy for more Simple Woman's Daybook entries.

Favorite Projects of 2009 Part 3

2010-03-01T21:10:00.001-05:00

Well, this favorite projects of 2009 bit is lasting way longer than I intended. I think my all time favorite project of last year was the half-bath redo. Here's what it looked like when we moved in. These pictures were taken when we were looking at the house so the lovely (mismatched) green toilet cover and rug were all part of the seller's brilliant presentation skills.

The walls were papered in an interesting green and burgundy pattern that resembled sponge painting. As you can see, the wallpaper was torn, but it was stuck on good. So good in fact, that most people didn't even realize it was wallpaper. They thought the room was painted. I knew this teeny tiny room would give me fits when I tried to remove the paper so I committed the ultimate remodeling sin... I painted over it. I know every where you look, the experts say DON'T DO IT! But the experts all seem to live in dream homes where wallpaper peels right off in one nice big piece and the wall is in pristine condition underneath and ready to go. Unfortunately, Hubby and I have a penchant for buying houses that seemed to have been previously owned by wallpaper moguls or something so I've dealt with quite a bit of wallpaper in my time and none of it comes off that easily.
Now I'm not recommending you go out and paint over every inch of wallpaper in your house, but there are times when it seems to be the only option. So, if that's the case at your house, here's what to do:

1) Take care of any loose ends by gluing them back down or carefully peeling away.
2) Cover the walls with an oil-based primer, such as Kilz. I know, oil-based paint is a total pain, but using a latex (i.e water-based) primer may cause the wallpaper to bubble up or come loose over time. Not what you want to see after all your hard work.
3) Use drywall compound to repair any flaws from torn wallpaper or to cover any seams. Remember how I told you my wallpaper was really stuck? Well you couldn't even find the seams after one coat of Kilz so I lucked out and got to skip this step.
4) Apply another coat of oil-based primer just to be on the safe side.
5) If you need to apply more primer it is safe to go with a latex-based one at this point.
6) Now for the fun part, cover with at least two coats of your chosen color (latex or oil-based).

Here's my new half-bath. I know the pictures aren't the greatest, but it's a small room. What'd you expect?

Wanna see more makeovers? Head over to Thrifty Decor Chick for a Before and After Party link-up.

Our Favorite Meatless Meals

2010-02-23T21:31:00.008-05:00

Lent is in full swing and for us that means no meat on Fridays. We usually have one or two meat free meals a week so it's not that big of a stretch for us, but I thought I'd share a couple of our favorite meatless meals today for Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday.

Taco Pie
(This recipe actually calls for a pound of beef. I cheat and use the Morning Star Farms "fake" meat found in a green bag in the freezer section, usually near the breakfast items.)

1 bag Morning Star Farm's Crumbles
1 small onion, chopped
1 packet or 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 small can tomato sauce
dash of Tabasco sauce
8 oz can of biscuits
1 cup refried beans (Make sure to get the vegetarian ones if you use canned!)
1 cup cheese

Cook Crumbles and stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, onion, and hot sauce. Heat until hot and bubbly. Simmer 15 minutes or until thickened. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. Press biscuits over bottom and up sides of plate. Spread beans over dough. Top with taco mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 375. Top with cheese and cook another 5minutes or until cheese has melted.

Pasta Fagoli
This is our traditional Good Friday meal, served alongside a piece of crusty bread.

16 oz. elbow mac (uncooked)
4 small cans tomato sauce
1 can vegetable broth
1 can white beans
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/8 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
Olive oil

Start pasta. In a separate pot, saute garlic and oregano in olive oil. Do not brown (But if you accidentally do, don't worry. I usually burn it.) Add sauce, broth, beans, and Tony's. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Potatoes
4 large baked potatoes (My favorite way to bake potatoes is in the crockpot. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Wrap in foil. Cook on Hi 3-4 hours or Low 8-10 hours.)
3 cups broccoli florets & stems, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 green onions chopped
1 1/3 cup shredded cheese (I just use whatever's on hand.)
Tony's

Steam and drain broccoli. Cut a thin slice from the top of each cooked potato and scoop out insides, keeping skins intact. Mash potatoes and beat in sour cream until smooth. Add broccoli, onion, and 1 cup of cheese to mashed potatoes. Season to taste with Tony's. Refill potato shells. Arrange in shallow baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

And of course it would not be a round-up of meat free meals without our family favorite, Bean and Cheese Enchiladas.

I'm also adding this to the Lent Link Up at Catholic Icing (one of my new favorite blogs). Check it out for lots of great Lent ideas for the whole family to enjoy.

Box of Socks

2010-02-03T21:01:00.003-05:00

Get a jump start on Christmas shopping for 2010! Here's a simple, but cute (and not to mention thrifty) gift for any young ladies on your list. Pick up holiday themed socks throughout the year, then box them all up and give as a gift.
I gave sock sets to both of my nieces this year and they were a hit. I found most of them at the Target Dollar Spot or Dollar Tree. For the Christmas pair, I splurged at Big Lots and spent $2 per pair for the big fuzzy socks, bringing my total to a whopping $7 for gifts that will be used throughout they year. Once I had all of the pairs, I tucked them into a recycled shirt box and made a fancy label like "Spice's Box O'Socks".

If you want to make this even more economical, wait until each holiday is over and score some half-price socks. I went ahead and made like a big spender though because I didn't want to chance missing out on any particular holiday.
When Christmas rolled around, I was kicking myself for not making sock boxes for Spice and her cousin so I've already started to work on that. I have noticed it is a little harder to find themed socks for little girls. Most of them come in ladies sizes. Why? Who do you honestly think would prefer to wear socks covered with shamrocks or skeletons? Anyway, I have had good luck with smaller sizes at Target. It just requires a little more digging.
Hope you find this idea useful even if you think it's a little soon to be thinking about Christmas! For more great tips, visit We Are That Family for Works For Me Wednesday.

Favorite Projects of 2009 Part 2

2010-02-02T20:51:00.004-05:00

When I first laid eyes on this family rules canvas over at the Pleated Poppy, I knew I had to have one. Luckily, Lindsey gives a great tutorial so you can make one of your own. I pretty much followed her directions to a tee. The only thing I would add is to print out a "rough draft" of your rules on plain paper first to make sure they will fit. I thought I had measured well and went straight to printing out on my lovely color-coordinated scrapbook paper that I had spent weeks searching for. Not good. I was able to make do and squeeze out enough scraps to print out our rules with a smaller font. Here's our finished product:

I used a 24X8 canvas. I would have loved to do a huge one, but I wanted this hanging in our kitchen where it could be seen often and the best place for hanging was the side of a cabinet. I also added a ribbon to the top of mine to make a bow for hanging. I did not want to put a nail through the cabinet so I used a Command Hook.

I used some of the rules on Lindsey's canvas and added some of my own. Here are our rules:

Always tell the truth
Always show respect
Don't hit...hug
Love one another
Have fun
Mind your manners
No whining
Help each other
Think before you speak...use gentle words
Laugh daily
Be kind, be happy, be positive
Clean up after yourself
Listen well
Obey the first time
Celebrate together, be on each other's team
Never leave angry
Be a blessing
Work hard, work together
Encourage each other
Cuddle often
Say your prayers...thank God for this family

The most fun part was picking out all the cute fonts to use. I downloaded all of my fonts for FREE from Fonts For Peas.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-02-01T20:31:00.004-05:00

For today, Monday, February 1, 2010
Outside my window...it was a beautiful day where the sun actually shined, but darkness has taken over now.
I am thinking...about the list of things I needed to do on the computer tonight - most of which I've forgotten since signing on.
From the learning rooms... We had a crazy day today. Sport and I worked on math for about an hour this morning, then the kids finished most of their remaining work independently while I steamed off wallpaper in the guest bathroom before the rented steamer had to be returned to Home Depot.
Around the house...It is a MESS! We steamed wallpaper from the entryway yesterday. I cleaned most of the mess up this morning, but there are still bits and pieces stuck to the floor. The guest bath is a big blob of wallpaper.
From the kitchen...Tacos tonight. I didn't get to make the crockpot refried beans I'd been looking forward to because I forgot to buy the main ingredient at the store last week.
I am wearing...jeans and a maroon striped Henley top I brought home from our latest swap Friday night.
I am creating...plans for a Super Bowl party and a Saints hair bow for Spice to wear at the big event Sunday. We had planned to make her a Saints skirt, but were unable to find any fabric this weekend so she'll have to settle for just a bow.
I am reading... Running For My Life by Warrick Dunn. Hubby still hasn't finished it, but I sneak it out and read it when he's not looking. I think I'm about to catch up to him.
I am hoping...to find a lot of deals at Kroger tomorrow using the coupon match-ups from Southern Savers.
I am hearing...silence! Spice is tucked in for the night and Hubby and Sport are at Cub Scouts.
A few plans for the rest of the week: the usual shuttling kids around, but all that pales in comparison to watching the Saints in the Super Bowl on Sunday!
Here are a few picture thoughts I am sharing with you...
The New Orleans Saints arrive in Miami for the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile in New Orleans, it's business as usual...

Visit Peggy for more Simple Woman's Daybook entries.

Scoop!

2010-01-28T22:48:00.003-05:00

So the Saints are FINALLY in the Super Bowl and I just want to remind all 7 of my faithful followers you read it here first! A little over a year ago I wrote my very first blog post with details on how to determine if you were a Groovie Mom with one of the criteria being, "You promise your kids they can stay up ALL NIGHT when the Saints go to the Super Bowl!" OK, I admit it was a promise I didn't really expect to have to fulfill, after 37 years of disappointment who can blame me, or at least not until Sport was off on his own and staying up to the wee hours of the morning anyway. But, being the Groovie Mom that I am I fully intend to stand by that promise. Not only that, I'm proud to finally get to fulfill it! WHO DAT?

Favorite Projects of 2009 Part 1

2010-01-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

OK, so I know I'm a bit behind the times here. I had planned to kick off 2010 with a bevy of blog posts showing all the great things I managed to accomplish last year. Now it's almost February and I'm just getting started. Let's just say going out of town after Christmas, coming home to a houseful of decorations needing to be packed away, and then spending about 2 weeks with a stomach bug slowly taking its toll on each member of the family is not the best way to start the new year! My original plan was to show off each of these projects as they happened, but that never happened so now I'm falling further and further behind. I took all these pictures though so I'm determined to get some use out of them. So, without further adieu, here is a look at my first Favorite Project of 2009, (drumroll please...) the Laundry Room:

Here's a before picture. Despite what it may look like, this is not a picture of my work in progress. This is how it actually looked when we moved in. I guess the previous owners figured once they had a buyer they didn't need to bother finishing the paint job. I lived with this for quite awhile then one day just decided I couldn't take it anymore.

As luck would have it, I had a gallon of paint that I had originally purchased for my dining room, but changed my mind about, sitting in the basement just waiting to be used. It was "free" (depending on how you look at it) so I decided to put it to good use and save myself the trouble of staring at teeny tiny paint chips on the wall for a week and just go with it.

My dad hung the shelves for me (along with about 12 other things) when he was here for Christmas. Thanks Dad! I purchased these at Lowes. My parents gave me the 2 long galvanized metal bins on the bottom shelf a couple of years ago and my plan was always to find more to fill out the shelves for storage. Right after Christmas I stopped by the thrift store to kill some time and came across an abnormal amount of silver bins/buckets. It was like being on "X Files" or something. I spotted the first bin and next thing you know I was surrounded. I purchased the five remaining containers, including the beauty with the fleur de lis, and one other bucket that would not fit on the shelf for under $4 total! Don't you love it when you're just walking along minding your own business and then Cha-Ching! you hit the jackpot? I love them all.

But especially this one!

I was trying to figure out what to do with all of the kids' artwork one day when I walked in the laundry room and saw all the boring white cabinets glaring at me. Seemed the perfect place to show off their work and a good way to brighten up the room some. The container on the wall is where I stash all the dryer lent in between washings. I picked it up at the thrift store awhile back with plans to paint over it and stencil it with a fleur de lis, a la Thrifty Decor Chic.

Finally, here's a great way to deal with all the cleaning accessories cluttering up the house. You know, the broom, mop, Swiffer Wet, Swiffer Dry, feather duster, dust pan... I got tired of wrangling with them on the side of the washing machine and seeing them scratch up my beautiful new paint job so I got this holder. Since it's a tight squeeze there on the side of the washer, I tied pieces of twine to the top of some to make it easy to get them on and off the hooks.

Well, as with every project around here, I'm not completey done. Still need a curtain and I have visions of some vintage laundromat signs for the wall, but those will all come in due time.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-01-25T21:14:00.006-05:00

For today, Monday, January 25, 2010
Outside my window...it's dark and windy.
I am thinking...of all kinds of things...upcoming Cub Scout banquet, craft projects, school work, house projects I want to get moving on...
I am thankful for...everyone finally being healthy again! It's been a rough two weeks here.
From the learning rooms... Sport and I have ditched Saxon math after one too many battles over the workbook. We have gone to an online program, Aleks, and it has been a godsend! After barely a week, he has decided he likes math again and it is in fact, his favorite subject. I have also discovered a few weakness that weren't showing up with Saxon and we have been able to work through them. Best of all, he asks to do math everyday!
Around the house...Hubby and the kids started peeling wallpaper off the walls in the entryway so I guess (hope) I'll be painting soon.
From the kitchen...We finally had the bean and cheese enchiladas I'd planned for 2 weeks ago. I'm trying out a new menu planning method for the next few weeks.We'll see how it goes.
I am wearing...jeans and my sparkly black and gold fleur de lis shirt. Still reveling in the glory of the Saints win last night!
I am creating...plans for our Gold Rush studies this week and a trip to the Tellus Science Museum to pan for gold.
I am reading...nothing at the moment. Just waiting on Hubby to finish Running For My Life by Warrick Dunn, one of the two books I gave him for Christmas that I can't wait to get my hands on.
I am hoping...to find a Mary Engelbreit page-a-day calendar on clearance at Wal-Mart tomorrow so I can make cute cards like this.
I am hearing...the heater running and Three and a Half Men on TV.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Homeschool enrichment classes tomorrow, 5-year check-up for Spice and Lego Club meeting Wed., Little Flowers on Thurs., gymnastics on Fri., and a Lego competition and basketball game for Sport on Sat.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
SAINTS ARE IN THE SUPER BOWL! (Finally!)

Visit Peggy for more Simple Woman's Daybook entries.

Cleaning Up After Sick Kids

2010-01-20T21:35:00.003-05:00

It's been a rough couple of weeks here in the GroovieMom household. A stomach virus has taken its toll on each of us one by one. I'll spare you all the gory details and get right to the topic at hand. Here are my top tips for saving your sanity with sick kids in the house:

Keep everything covered! This is especially important if you have little ones in the house. Spice for one has not mastered the art of aiming. I kept her bed lined with lap pads like these that I have held on to just for this purpose. This way if she throws up during the middle of the night, all I have to do is change out the padding, rather than completely strip all sheets off the bed and start over. I also keep the couch covered with several layers of beach towels for the same reason.
If you have older kids like Sport, who may have mastered the art of aiming, but still don't have the timing down, keep a small wastebasket nearby at all times. I line a trash can with several plastic shopping bags so if the urge strikes all I have to do is remove the offending bag along with the one beneath it for extra protection (I learned the hard way a lot of those shopping bags leak), dispose of it and reline the can. Makes for a much more easier and less nauseating clean-up. Just close your eyes, hold your breath and pack it away. I keep a trash can by Sport's bed when he's sick along with a couple of towels underneath it for extra protection.

These tips work for me when things in our home are at a low point I hope they can help you too. Visit We Are That Family for more WFMW tips.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-01-11T21:47:00.003-05:00

For today, Monday, January 11, 2010
Outside my window...It's dark now, but the snow on the ground has been there for FOUR days now and the ice is slowly melting.
I am thinking...about next year and what homeschooling materials/curriculum we want to use.
I am thankful for...Homeschooling! With the lower than normal frigid temperatures here this past week and all of the school and road closings, it's nice to know we can go about our business as usual without ever having to leave our warm home.
From the learning rooms... We're heading out west. We started reading Little House On the Prairie yesterday and will be studying pioneers, the Gold Rush, and all things western for the next few weeks.
Around the house...I have finally caught up with the aftermath of Christmas and a weeklong post-Christmas trip to Louisiana. However, a stomach virus sweeping through the house is taking its toll on the couch and the laundry.
From the kitchen...plans for bean and cheese enchiladas for dinner were scratched after Spice and hubby succumbed to the stomach virus yesterday and today. The rest of the week will be touch and go and will depend on whether or not I ever make it to the grocery store.
I am wearing...grey turtleneck sweater, jeans, gray socks, tennis shoes.
I am creating...lesson plans for the next few weeks.
I am reading...Where Did You Sleep Last Night? by Danzy Senna.
I am hoping...the virus doesn't take it's toll on me (Sport already had his brush with it last week) and that Hubby's back heals REAL quick. Having a stomach virus is even worse when you can't move a muscle!
I am hearing...the dishwasher running in the kitchen and Big Bang Theory on the TV.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Who knows? We'll have to see how everyone is doing.

Visit Peggy for more Simple Woman's Daybook entries.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

2010-01-05T23:17:00.003-05:00

A new year has begun and that means everyone is dusting off last year's resolution to lose weight and get in shape and starting over again. I found this recipe in All You magazine a few months back and have been using it on a regular basis since then. I love microwave popcorn for a quick snack, but let's face it the prepackaged kind is not the healthy treat popcorn is meant to be. If you've been forking over the big bucks for organic/all natural microwave popcorn like me, here's a recipe your wallet will love as much as your waistline.

Pour 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels in a brown lunch bag. Add 1 tablespoon of oil (olive or canola is best) and 1 teaspoon of salt. Shake well, fold over the top of the bag, and cook in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.

The real beauty of this recipe is you can easily forgo the salt and add other flavors like brown sugar, cinnamon, garlic salt...mmmmm, I better go get popping.

This post is being linked to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday and We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-12-21T15:01:00.004-05:00

For today, Monday December 21, 2009 - First Day of Winter

Outside my window...sunny and cold. The grass was "crunchy" this morning when Sport took out the trash and our outdoor table and chairs have a thick layer of frost on them.

I am thinking...about craft projects I saw online last night and wish, wish, wish I had the time and supplies to get them made up for Christmas gifts this year. Can't believe I have to wait a whole year before I can get back to them!

I am thankful for...Christmas break! I had planned on homeschooling up until my parents' arrival on Wednesday. Then by the grace of God I realized the reason I wasn't enjoying Christmas this year was because I was too focused on school every night to relax and enjoy the season. So now we're taking a few days off so I can do just that.

From the learning rooms...Even though we are on break, I'm still going to try to sneak in some math here and there for Sport. The kids have also been working furiously on homemade Christmas gifts.

From the kitchen...chicken and dumplings tonight, ravioli tomorrow and who knows for the rest of the week. Come Wednesday, I'm letting the family chef (my Dad) take over.

I am wearing...jeans, a soft maroon ribbed turtleneck I picked up at our last swap (i.e. FREE), brown socks, and brown shoes.

I am creating...a few last minute Christmas gifts to be finished up. Can't tell you what they are though. Someone might be snooping!

I am reading...nothing at the moment unless you want to count my new Sneaky Chef cookbook. Will hit the books again after Christmas. Guess my Books Read In 2009 sidebar is finished for the year. I am halfway through a couple of books, but will have to wait until 2010 to add them to the list. Oh well, at least I averaged a book a month (barely).

I am hoping...the kids can control themselves today and tomorrow with all of their free time and not make me wish I had kept school going. : )

I am hearing...Christmas music coming from the kitchen and Sport and Spice building with Lincoln Logs upstairs.

Around the house...Looking Good! Did a quick clean up for friends who came over this morning, laundry is all caught up and even put away, Christmas lights are twinkling from every corner...maybe I should cancel school more often!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Tennis and Lego Club tomorrow, my parents' arrival on Wednesday, Spice's last minute Nutcracker Ballet themed birthday party on Sunday, and just in case that's not enough, we've got CHRISTMAS! (Which is also Hubby's birthday by the way.) A full week as usual.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

You know all those cute Gift In A Jar mixes you read about this time of year? Well if you ever plan on giving one, plan ahead. Way Ahead. I had no idea canning jars were seasonal items until I went searching all over town for them a few weeks ago with absolutely no luck. We planned to give Cookie Mix In A Jar gifts to all of Sport's fellow book clubbers and Lego clubbers. I had enough jars on hand to take care of Book Club and thought I'd find more before Lego Club met. No such luck so an hour before our last meeting, I dug out three Pringles cans I'd saved for candle making and, in a moment of desperation (that's when I get most of my ideas), tucked bags filled with flour, sugar, and M&Ms in each one. I covered each can with wrapping paper, tied a recipe on with ribbon and viola...three cute little gifts ready to go! I love how the M&Ms show through the clear lid.

Visit Peggy for more Simple Woman's Daybook entries.

The Elf on the Shelf

2009-12-09T19:14:00.004-05:00

He's baaacckkk! Our favorite friend from the North Pole comes to visit every year around this time. We first invited the Elf on the Shelf into our home about two years ago. He arrives every year around the first of December and takes his job as a scout elf for Santa very seriously.
Here's how the elf works in a nutshell. He shows up one day in some unexpected place, like on the Christmas tree. All day long he keeps an eye on the kids, making note of behavior problems as well as good deeds. At night after everyone's asleep, he flies back to the North Pole to give a daily report to the big guy in red. The next morning, he's back in some new and unexpected location. Alvin, our elf, does seem to get his days and nights mixed up at times though. Some days we'll wake up and he'll be in the exact same location as he was the day before. Then he'll zoom off to the North Pole when no one is watching and show up again somewhere else in the house. The other day he had the bright idea of hiding in an apothecary jar. Apparently, he got stuck because he was still there the next morning, much to Spice's chagrin. I took the lid off the jar very carefully (you're not supposed to touch the elf) so he was able to make his rounds later that day while we were at church. He does do a good job of keeping the kids in line during this very exciting time of year though. Anytime a behavior problem begins to rear its ugly head, a quick reminder that Alvin is watching is usually enough to set everyone straight again.
If your family hasn't invited one of Santa's helpers into your home yet, we highly recommend it. The Elf on the Shelf works for us. For more great tips, visit We Are That Family.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-12-07T20:27:00.004-05:00

FOR TODAY...Monday, December 7, 2009

Outside my window... it's dark except for Christmas lights twinkling here and there from neighbors' yards. I love this time of year!

I am thinking...of what I need to do to finish up Christmas gifts.

I am thankful for... friends, happy kids, and warm clothes.

I am wearing... green and white fleece pj pants, black shirt, gray and black fleece pullover, my nice and thick LSU socks. Yes, I am a mess, but I'm comfy and warm.

I am remembering...the fun of our museum trip today.

I am going...to work on some Christmas projects as soon as I'm finished here.

I am currently reading...This Way To Christmas by Ruth Sawyer. It's actually the Dec. selection for Sport's book club, but we're all enjoying it.

I am hoping...to accomplish a lot tonight...Christmas gifts, clean house, school plans for the rest of December, gifts wrapped...too much really.

I am hearing...Clothes twirling in the dryer and "Oh Come Let Us Adore Him" on the radio. I love listening to 104.7 The Fish this time of year.

On my mind...peaceful Christmas songs.

Noticing that...I'm not as prepared with my homemade gifts as I thought I was. I have plans for everyone, just very little actually made.

From the kitchen...catfish, Italian Parmesan baked fries, Sister Schubert's rolls, and salad.

Around the house...Christmas remnants everywhere from all the decorating. I hope to pack it all away tonight and call it a day on the decorating.

One of my favorite things...the giddy excitement of kids at Christmas.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Dance, Mass, Lego Club, tennis, and basketball practice tomorrow. All.In.One.Day. That should be enough for the rest of the week!

Visit Peggy's blog to read more Daybook entries.

Baby's First Gift

2009-12-02T14:05:00.005-05:00

If you have any new little ones in your family this year, consider this idea for baby's first Christmas gift: Purchase a basket or bin and fill it with some of your favorite children's books to get baby's library off to a great start.

You can buy pre-made book gift baskets online, but they are uber expensive. I hit upon this idea a few years ago and it has become one of my favorites for welcoming a new baby and one that is greatly appreciated by new parents. This is also an easy gift to plan ahead for. You've got a good 8 or 9 months to get things together right? Be on the lookout for book sales and you can put together a great gift for very little moolah. Some of my favorite places to pick up gift books are Scholastic's Book Club or warehouse sales, Target's dollar spot, and Kohl's. The Kohl's Cares For Kids program offers classic children's books in hardback for 5 bucks. Right now they are selling the Laura Numeroff series If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, If You Give A Pig A Party, If You Give a Cat A Cupcake...This is a great deal! I picked up the last few titles we didn't already own to add to our collection. You can also snag one of the stuffed animal characters to fill out your gift basket.

We also love to make homemade gifts around here. Here are links to some of our favorites:

We make a couple of these ice candles from Family Fun every year.

Spice and I have been making treasure soaps similar to these for her Little Flowers group. We put silk flowers inside.

I love these coasters! I'm making these for the kids' teachers. You would think with homeschooling we would not need teacher gifts, but that's not the case. There are church teachers, dance teachers, tennis coaches, co-op teachers... I think these make a beautiful gift without breaking the bank. One tip though that I learned the hard way: If you take on this project, use very thin coats of sealer. Don't even worry about covering the entire tile at once. Just spray a light mist, let dry and go back and hit spots you may have missed. I ruined 2 sets last night by getting the tile too saturated on the first spray. I was not a happy camper standing there watching all of my ink run together.

We Are That Family's special gift themed WFMW post has a ton of other ideas if you're just getting started on your Christmas list.

DIY Advent Wreath

2009-11-29T18:33:00.002-05:00

Putting together a new Advent wreath has been at the top of my holiday to-do list since last Christmas. Seeing as though today is the first Sunday of Advent, I figured it was the perfect time to actually get off my fanny and get started on the project.
We've had an Advent wreath for years, but sadly, the only way I can seem to remember to light it every night is if it's sitting right in front of me at the kitchen table. Our old wreath was just a tad too big for the center of the table and Hubby and I would always have to engage in a bit of a nudging match all through Advent. I'd nudge the wreath his way just a tad to make more room for my plate and he'd nudge back to make room for his. Nudge...nudge...nudge...day after day.
I saw a wreath in a catalog last year that I really liked and filed the idea away in the far recesses of my mind until I could get around to making a new one. I use the term wreath loosely, because there isn't a traditional evergreen wreath base involved.

Here's the finished product (and yes, there is a 4th candle hidden on the other side):

I picked up four dark purplish candles at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago because I'm so good at planning ahead. I know one should be pink, but there were no decent looking pink ones available. My original plan was to tie a pink ribbon around one of the candles, but I forgot about that somewhere along the way. In the meantime, I saw fall colored candles wrapped with a Thanksgiving theme and decided to go with that for this project. I printed the words Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love in brown ink on cardstock as a reminder of what the four Sundays of Advent represent. I used the Porcelain font downloaded from ScrapVillage and added a fancy dingbat at the beginning and end of each word for a sophisticated look.
Aside from candles, a traditional Advent wreath uses a circle with no beginning or end to symbolize the eternity of God and evergreens to represent continuous life. Although I did not use a traditional wreath, I wanted to keep a circular base. I used a decorative bowl we received many years ago as a wedding present and if you line the candles up just so, they are a perfect fit. My original plan was to use a silver charger I picked up at Dollar Tree last year, but I liked the looks of this better. To fill out the wreath, I added a few clippings of an evergreen bush from our yard. We like to keep a white candle in the center of our wreath to light on Christmas Day, but the bowl wasn't big enough and if I used a bigger dish well...we'd be right back to nudging. I'll figure something out when the time comes. I've got a whole 26 days to think about it!

About the Music

2009-11-24T09:11:00.003-05:00

I know what you're thinking..."It's not even Thanksgiving and she's got Christmas music playing!" I looovvve Christmas music. Sometimes I think I could listen to it year round. I've been known to sneak a Christmas CD or two into my car in June for a little mid-year dose of the most wonderful time for the year. I had an epiphany about Christmas music a few years ago though. It can do a lot to set the tone for your holidays. If you want to reduce some of the stress that rears it's ugly head this time of year, take a look (or a listen?) to the music you've got playing.

One of the Atlanta radio stations starts playing Christmas music a few days before Thanksgiving. I've always been thrilled by this, although I try to hold off until after Thanksgiving. A couple of years ago while sitting in traffic (and believe me, Atlanta has a lot of it) I realized if I had to listen to Mariah Carey screeching out "All I want for Christmas is you ooh ooh baaaby.." one more time I was going to flip my lid! And as much as I like Paul McCartney, I can only listen to "Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time" so many times a day. I flipped through my radio stations and was pleased to discover The Fish also plays Christmas music 24/7. The only difference is their selection is much more relaxing and therefore less stress inducing. Being a religious station, they also play songs that actually acknowledge the true reason for the season. I had begun to notice that the other station rarely, if ever, played any remotely religious Christmas songs and this bothered me. The Fish plays mostly religious tunes like Silent Night and The Little Drummer Boy (the Jars of Clay version is one of my favorites) but they also throw a few traditional songs, like Here Comes Santa Claus and the kids' favorite I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas, into the mix from time to time.

I enjoy having Christmas music playing in the background while I work on projects, decorate the house, or cook dinner. The Charlie Brown Christmas music you've been listening to is among my favorite. This year, I'm also lovin' Pandora Radio, an online radio station that creates personalized stations. You put in titles of songs you like or an artist's name and Pandora goes to work. Pandora also has preset stations you can listen by choosing a genre, like hip hop, alternative, oldies, or Latin. I have been enjoying the Peaceful Holidays selections for the past few weeks.
If you're feeling the stress already, put on some peaceful holiday music to calm your nerves and remind you of the true meaning of Christmas. I promise it will make all the difference!

Acorn Cookies

2009-11-21T20:50:00.003-05:00

Here's a super easy and tasty way to keep the kiddies busy on Thanksgiving Day while the rest of the feast is still cooking.

Ingredients:
Mini Nilla Wafers
Hershey's Kisses unwrapped
peanut butter

Put a dab of peanut butter on the flat side of the Nilla Wafer and stick to the flat side of the Hershey's Kiss. Your done!

If allergies are a concern, chocolate frosting can be used in place of the peanut butter. Fill a dish with these little cuties for a festive look on your Thanksgiving table. We plan to use some of the fall-themed Hershey's Kiss flavors for a little variety this year.

Outdoor Lights Redo

2009-11-21T14:29:00.002-05:00

Here's a look at a quick weekend project I did last week. I've been itching to take this on since I first saw the idea at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, but it turned cooler than expected here sooner than expected so I thought I'd missed out on the opportunity until spring. Last weekend was gorgeous though so I too the opportunity to give our outdoor lights a much needed redo.

Here's the before picture:

I used Rustoleum's Hammered Black paint for a quick coverup. I love Rustoleum's hammered finish paints. I used the Hammered Aluminum to revamp the vanity lights in both of the bathrooms in our old house (think 1970's fake brass finish with huge globe light covers). It made for an amazing transformation once I put new globes on. Everyone thought I had actually replaced the light fixtures. Anyhoo, here's an in progress picture. Stacking the Roman Gladiator helmets, I mean uh...light fixture tops on cans from the garage made them much easier to paint.

I'm not as brave as Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. She free-handed her fixtures. I taped mine all up and used a cheap foam brush.

Here's the finished product. Looks a hundred times better in my opinion and the transformation was under $10 for three lights!

Deals and Steals

2009-11-19T14:32:00.006-05:00

Over the past week I got to take part in two of my favorite events. Another swap meet organized by my homeschool group and the semi-annual Boy Scout yard sale. This was the second swap our group has held. Our first was just a few months ago and all who participated were itching to do it again. Hubby was out of town so I had to bring Sport and Spice with me. It turned out to be a good thing. Sport honed in on a Lego Technic set before it even made it out the box and Spice fed her shoe fetish trying on every.single.pair. of shoes up for grabs before finally settling on a pair of cowgirl boots. I was very happy with the box of items I came home with and even happier that I got rid of a large Christmas tree and two other boxes of goodies. It seems most of us always have the same goal...to go home with less than we came with. I don't think anyone left disappointed, there's already whisperings of making this a quarterly event, and there was plenty of merchandise left to be handed over to charity at the end of the night.

Still flying high from my swap finds, I woke up early Saturday to be among the first on the scene for the scout's sale. It really doesn't matter when you arrive though. They haul out new merchandise all day long. I am convinced by the time they finally get all of the donations unloaded and out for display it's time to start packing up and calling it a day. It is a shining example of American consumerism and while on one hand it makes me sick to think of all the waste, the bargain hunter in me is thrilled! I spent almost two hours at the sale and made three different trips to the checkout table (don't tell Hubby) and still did not see it all. I try not to spend too much time thinking about what I might have missed. Instead, let's focus on the good stuff - the loot I brought home! I spent about 20 bucks and came home with all kinds of goodies. Here's a sampling of the merchandise:

This sale has become one of my favorite spots for picking up cheap homeschool supplies. Every time I go I walk away with a ton of goodies - books, games, fraction tiles, wrap-ups, manipulatives...you name it, I've found it. This time around I hit the jackpot when I came across a couple boxes of books that obviously came from a teacher. I found just about every book in Scholastic's If You Lived...series. We have been using these daily in our history studies this year. My kids love them. A few weeks ago I forked over $15 for a set of 5 from e-bay and was pleased at the deal. At the sale I paid 50 cents each. There were some duplicates and I plan on putting them on e-bay to recoup some of my "high dollar" investment.

I also scored several titles from the Childhood of Famous Americans series. We were introduced to these this year by a friend and Sport just devours them. I have to hide them to keep him from reading them all in one day.

I picked up 5 brand new red mini bread pans that still had the tags on them. I will use them for handing out baked goods at Christmas. I spied a green set just like it, but it just didn't have the same pizazz.

I love the detailing on this bill organizer. It looks like a nice wood in the picture, but it's actually plastic. I will probably paint it once I figure out where and how to use it.

I couldn't pass up this bucket of 27 ceramic eggs in muted shades of green, blue, beige, and cream. I'll use them in my new apothecary jars come spring.

I spotted this little cabinet right off the bat and couldn't make up my mind about it. When it was still there two hours later, I figured it was waiting for me to take it home. I hope to update it somehow and use it on one of our mantles. Not exactly sure what to do with it yet, but my mantle will be in holiday mode for awhile so I've got some time to figure it out.

Aren't these the cutest flannel sheets? I picked up 2 brand new matching sets for the kids and a red flannel set (also brand new) for Hubby and I. The red doesn't match anything, but I thought it would be a nice cozy touch for Christmas.

And finally...this funky mirror was a mere $3! I am going to paint it and hang it in Spice's room as soon as I figure out a color. I would love to do it in a vintage pink, but her room is already pink so I'll have to come up with something else. It's a dingy rosy pink shade right now so it needs a little updating.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I know this post is kind of long, but nothing fires me up like a good bargain, except maybe an LSU game!

A Green Christmas

2009-11-18T20:59:00.004-05:00

Bing Crosby dreams of a white Christmas, retailers hope for a black Friday before Christmas, but I'm working toward a green Christmas.

For the past few years I've been trying to come up with ways to make our holiday celebrations a little more Earth friendly. Last year I ditched most of the traditional wrapping paper in lieu of plain white paper (like the rolls you buy in the kid's art section). I decorated some of the paper with a Christmas stamp and red paint, but most of the gifts were decked out in plain white with a big red ribbon tied around them. It made for a nice and simple display under the tree. Wrapping tons of gifts in any kind of paper may not be the most Earth friendly way to go, but at least the white paper could be tossed in the recycle bin at the end of the day. Many recycling facilities will not accept regular wrapping paper or tissue paper. Speaking of tissue paper, I've been cutting back on it too. Is it really necessary?

I also like to give themed gift baskets. I used to fill the bottoms of the baskets with the pretty shredded paper that comes in all sorts of colors. A couple of years ago I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea...using real peanuts or wrapped peppermints in place of the usual filler. It makes for a fun and unique presentation. These ideas also work great for mailing gifts. Do away with the annoying foam peanuts that everyone loathes and replace them with the real deal. Which would you rather find in your packages?

If I'm giving a food related gift, like homemade bread, I like to wrap it up in a Christmasy kitchen towel that can be used over and over again. And forget about buying more gift tags. Cut up the Christmas cards you received last year and use them to label your presents. I like to use a Christmas themed cookie cutter to make tags in festive shapes.

This year, I plan to do away with the traditional gift bags and replace them with reusable shopping bags. Publix for one has a wide selection of holiday themed shopping bags and I've always loved the red and white reusable bag Target sells year round. I think it's perfect for under the tree. I also plan to reduce the amount of gift wrapping I do. Each year I fill ginormous stockings for my nieces. They hold a lot of loot and every year I wrap each gift, no matter how tiny. This year I think I will leave most of them unwrapped. They're already hidden in the stocking right?

Here's one more tip. You know those boxes you go out and buy every year with pictures of snowmen, Santa, or Christmas ornaments all over them? Well here's a novel idea...don't wrap them! I mean what's the point of picking out the cutest boxes you can find only to hide them under wrapping paper? Tape up the sides, tie some pretty ribbon around them, and stick those babies under the tree. At least for the first use there is absolutely no reason to wrap them. Now, if you choose to recycle them next year - and I hope you do - go ahead and wrap them up.

Did you know Americans generate an extra 5 million tons of trash each year between Thanksgiving and New Year's? I hope you put at least one of these ideas into practice this year, and if you have any other suggestions for making the holidays a little greener, I'd love to hear them!

This post is linked to We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday.

Cranberries and Crust

2009-11-16T23:44:00.006-05:00

My mom made this for us last Christmas and I've been thinking about making it since then. Well there's no time like the present. This is the perfect dish to add to your Thanksgiving feast.

1 bag of fresh cranberries (or 2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar + 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 stick of butter, melted
3 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 10-inch pie plate and spread cranberries over the bottom. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar and the pecans. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add 2/3 cup sugar. Beat until mixed well. Add flour, butter, and milk. Beat well then pour over cranberries. Bake 45-55 minutes.

Makes a good dessert or breakfast!

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-11-16T20:22:00.006-05:00

FOR TODAY... Moday, November 16, 2009

Outside my window... a beautiful fall day.

I am thinking... of all the things I should be doing.

I am thankful for... friends who fill our days.

I am wearing... jeans, pink Coca-Cola long-sleeved tee, blue fleece jacket, blue socks.

I am going... to relax tonight since the kids have their homeschool enrichment classes tomorrow. I don't have to get any lessons ready!

I am reading...e-mail and the stack of Scholastic book order forms out for this month.

I am hoping... to finish at least one of the projects I started working on this past week.

On my mind...dinner plans for the rest of the week. Hubby was out of town all of last week and working late the week before so I haven't cooked a real meal in weeks. Time to get back in the groove.

From the learning rooms... trying to take it a little easy this week while at the same time finish up our Native American and Thanksgiving studies before taking next week off.

Noticing that...I am probably less prepared for Christmas than I think I am.

I am hearing...a faucet dripping in the kitchen and nice, peaceful Christmas music from Pandora Radio.

From the kitchen... still have to figure that out...

I am creating...a new family rules canvas, Christmas lists, grocery list...

Around the house...books and other treasures from our latest homeschool group swap and the Boy Scout garage sale waiting to find a new home.

One of my favorite things...silence after a hectic day.

A few plans for the rest of the week...classes and Lego Club tomorrow, book club Wednesday, Little Flowers Thursday, and Grammy and PaPa's arrival on Saturday!

Visit Peggy's blog to read more Simple Woman's Daybook entries.

From the Mouth of Spice...

2009-11-12T11:42:00.001-05:00

"Is it almost lunchtime? I'm almost eating my hair."

Stop Night Time Coughing

2009-11-11T21:48:00.004-05:00

If you're like me you've probably received an e-mail with this info on more than one occasion and, if you're like me, you probably wrote it off as the typical junk that makes its way around the web. I never paid attention to this until several of my friends started prefacing the e-mail with, "I tried this and it really works!" So, I thought this would be a good tip to share this time of year when everyone seems to have a nagging cough. If you already know this, forgive me.

I absolutely loathe cough medicine! I will do almost anything to avoid it since just the thought of it makes me gag. (Honestly, I'm gagging right now as I type this...) Anyway, my cough medicine woes are now over. When I have a cough that just won't quit, I rub my feet down with a good coating of Vick's Vapor Rub, slip on a pair of socks, and sleep like a baby until morning. I know what you're thinking..."Yeah right. Like that's gonna work." Well, trust me, in most cases it does.
Sport, Spice, and I have all used this treatment many times over the past year or two and I can't say it's ever failed us. I did have a friend who tried it say it didn't work for her family so maybe it only works on certain types of coughs...I don't know. All I do know is it's always worked for us. I've been using this treatment with Spice for the past few nights and it has once again worked like a charm. I like the fact that I don't have to pump everyone up with that disgusting cough medicine and as an added bonus it works all. night. long. I put Vick's on the cougher's feet at bedtime and don't have to worry about getting up again in the middle of the night for another dose like I used to have to do with cough medicine.
I hope this tip works for you as well as it works for me. Check out We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday for more great ideas.

Cajun Oven-Fried Chicken

2009-11-10T19:31:00.005-05:00

Chicken parts and pieces are on sale super cheap this week at Kroger ($.99/lb for Tyson or $1.99/lb for store brand organic chicken) so I thought I'd share this recipe. Sport loves this like there's no tomorrow. Makes him wish chickens had 8 legs. I picked up an extra pack of drumsticks just for him today with this recipe in mind.

3/4 cup buttermilk (I use regular milk and stir in a tablespoon of vinegar.)
1 cup breadcrumbs (Original recipe calls for plain. I usually use seasoned.)
1 Tbsp. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (No kitchen should be without this. If I ever go on Survivor, Tony's will be my luxury item. It makes anything edible.)
2 tsp. minced dried onion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 lbs chicken pieces with skin removed

Preheat oven to 400. Line a pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Pour milk into a bowl. Combine all seasonings in a large zip-loc bag. Dip chicken in milk then place in bag. Shake to coat. Place on pan and coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday. Check it out for more great recipes.

Favorite Cleaning Products

2009-11-04T17:17:00.005-05:00

The holidays are quickly approaching and We Are That Family is hosting a special holiday themed Works For Me Wednesday. The first thing I think of when company is coming is getting the house in order and face it, we all have plenty of things we would rather be doing or even need to be doing this time of year. I decided several years ago if I found a cleaning product that really worked or made my life easier, I would buy it. Even if it meant forking over a few extra dollars. So without further adieu, here are a few of my favorite (cleaning) things...

I have tried every bathtub cleaning product out there, including homemade and green cleaners, and nobody gets the job done like these little guys. I remember being so disappointed as a kid when my mom burst my bubble by telling me the little hard working bubbles with brushes for feet in the commercials were not real. Real bubbles or not, this stuff gets the job done!

Glass wipes make cleaning mirrors and shining faucets a cinch. Stick with the name brands though. I've found the cheaper ones don't work as well.

I love my Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. They're great for cleaning counter tops and scuff marks off the walls. Also works great on all those huge plastic kiddie toys.

Krud Kutter is a miracle cleaner! I used it to wipe down the laminate bathroom floor in our previous home and was shocked to find it was a light shade of tan, not the lovely brown and gold we'd been staring at for years. Krud Kutter cleans anything including laundry stains.

I have Clorox/Lysol cleaning wipes stashed in every bathroom in the house and the kitchen. It doesn't take long to wipe down the counters, cabinets, toilets...with these babies on hand.

The newest member of my cleaning arsenal is a mini microfiber dusting wand similar to these that I picked up at Dollar Tree recently. It actual makes dusting pretty fun...just ask Sport and Spice! Best of all, it's machine washable so I'm not constantly having to buy refills.

Check out this week's WFMW for more tips for a sress-free holiday.

Easy Green Beans

2009-11-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is the only way I cook green beans. Very tasty!

1 pound fresh green beans
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 pack Italian dressing mix

Melt butter in a pan. Add beans and seasoning mix and saute until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. For best taste, allow dressing mix to caramelize on beans.

I've also used Ranch dressing mix and the results are just as yummy.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday. Visit Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for more recipes.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-11-02T12:53:00.005-05:00

FOR TODAY November 3, 2009...
Outside my window...a nice crisp fall day. Can't wait to get the kids outside.
I am thinking...about what to do for dinner. Hubby may or may not be home and Lord knows I don't want to strain myself if he's not going to be here.
I am thankful for...a great weekend full of trick-or-treating fun and an All Saints Day party yesterday. The kids had a blast!
From the learning rooms... Practicing cursive handwriting at the moment. We will be studying Native Americans for the next few weeks and continue our space unit in science. We also started reading Three Cups of Tea - the junior edition -- today for book club. I loved the adult version and am looking forward to looking more in-depth at Pakistan and Afghanistan.
I am hoping...to find some good ideas for homemade Christmas gifts soon.
I am hearing...Spice practicing counting by twos.
I am wearing...jeans, a brown cable sweater I snagged at our recent swap and love, and comfy brown shoes.
I am reading...19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Not my usual fare so while it's a good read, I'm moving along very slowly.
Around the house...Ghosts, goblins, and Jack-O-Lanterns wait to be put back into hiding til next year.
From the kitchen... no real plans this week since Hubby is iffy for most of the week. We'll just wing it.
One of my favorite things...a relaxed day where we don't have to go anywhere.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Co-op classes tomorrow, a field trip to a western museum Wednesday, tennis for Sport tomorrow and Spice Friday, and a haircut for me Saturday. Yay!

To read more daybook thoughts head over to Peggy's blog.

Muffin Tin Monday

2009-11-02T11:58:00.002-05:00

We dine from muffin tins just about every Monday, but I don't usually participate in the themes posted by Her Cup Overfloweth. That would require planning ahead, so we just eat whatever's on hand. I knew we would have to participate this week though when I saw that the theme was Outer Space. We are studying the solar system at the moment and, besides that, it's one of Sport's favorite topics. Here's what I came up with at the last minute this morning.

Mini bagel for the rings of Saturn (Sport preferred to think of it as a black hole though.)
Cheese stars
Planetary pepperoni
Yogurt squeezer for astronaut food
Milky Way candy bar from the Halloween bucket for the galaxy
Crescent moon apple slices

Head over to Her Cup Overfloweth to see what other mom's did.

Homeschool Bling!

2009-10-28T19:41:00.003-04:00

OK, maybe bling is too strong of a word, but here's a short list of places that offer discounts or other rewards to homeschoolers. Most require proof of homeschooling. This will vary by state, but in Georgia most places simply ask to see a copy of your declaration of intent to homeschool that must be submitted to the state board of education each year. If you're wondering if a retailer near you offers such a discount, I find the best way to find out is simply ask if there is an "educator's discount" rather than a discount for homeschoolers. They tend to take you more seriously that way. : )

JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts - Sign up for the educator's discount and receive 15% off all purchases. Upon registering, you also receive a 20% off coupon for one time use. The best part about the JoAnn's discount is it can be combined with their 40% off coupon that comes in the Sunday paper and it can be used on every purchase. I've used the discount for everything from art supplies and home decor items to fabric and patterns to make Spice clothes. Hobby Lobby may have a similar program, but I have not been in there recently to find out. I've also heard Michael's offers a discount, but the last time I was there and asked the cashier looked at me like I had turnips growing out of my head so who knows. I'll have to try again next time.

Borders/Waldenbooks/Barnes & Noble/Books-A-Million - Each of these stores offers a 20% discount to educators. The discount is supposed to apply to "classroom materials" only, but I find that is left up to the discretion of the cashier. I hand over my card with every purchase and see what happens.

Hancock Fabrics - The Red Apple Card gives you 15% off.

Staples - Sign up for the Teacher Rewards card and earn points for each purchase you make. I don't spend enough there to get much out of this, but I do love their ink recycling program. If you have the Teacher Rewards card you earn $3 for every ink cartridge returned to the store - regardless of the brand or type of printer. You earn credit for up to 10 cartridges per month. I had fun spending my $30 recycling rewards check last month on magazine holders and dry erase markers. Office Depot has a similar program.

Scholastic - When I was a kid I loved bringing home the little flier each month full of books. Once my mom narrowed my original 20 or so selections down to a more reasonable number, it was so exciting to bring home a new stack of books to delve into each month. When I started homeschooling Sport I knew one of the things I would miss was those darn catalogs. Now we get it all shipped straight to our house and while we do not get a discount, we do get to earn free books and bonus points to be redeemed for other cool items just like a classroom teacher does. To sign up as a homeschooler, you have to send in your first order pre-paid. Go to their website, check out the fliers, then call 1-800-scholastic to place your order and mail the check. Once your first order arrives, you will have a customer # that can be used to access the book clubs online. While you're at the site, check out the book fair section and see if there are customer appreciation warehouse sales in your area. If so, get on the mailing list! We love the warehouse sales and have found huge deals there.

I've also heard Blockbuster offers free rentals on educational materials, but I haven't tried it yet. Let me know if you've tried this one or know of a place offering a discount that's not on this list.

This post is part of We Are That Family's WFMW carnival. Check it out for lots of great tips and ideas!

Workbox Wednesday

2009-10-28T08:15:00.001-04:00

We've been studying space in science, focusing on the moon lately. Here's a sampling of our workboxes last week:

We started out with this book. It is the spine for Sport's current Noeo science unit. We read about the moon in here...

then read this book I picked up at the library to explain things a bit more on Spice's level.

The highlight of our day was recreating the phases of the moon using Oreo cookies. I based the project off of the info found here. We only focused on the 4 main moon phases though to keep things simple and lessen the sugar intake. The kids had a blast, especially after the sugar started to take effect.

Sport's complete project.

Spice works on her phases.

God created the moon and it was good!

Looks like Sport had a good time.

We wrapped things up with an activity from Pop Bottle Science.

My sister-in-law gave this to Sport for his birthday a few years ago. Bet she didn't think we still had it! This activity focused on the craters on the moon. For some reason Spice has been fascinated by the idea of craters on the moon. We filled the bottom part of the bottle (it comes apart) with flour then dropped small objects (raisin, chocolate chip, marble, candy corn...) into the flour to show how craters were formed. Some objects were dropped gently just an inch or so away and others were dropped from way up high (do this outside if you don't want flour everywhere) to show how different sizes of craters were made. We all agreed these activities made for a fun day of workboxes.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-27T19:23:00.004-04:00

This time of year, my thoughts turn to one of my favorite things to bake...chocolate chip pumpkin bread. This is based off of a recipe I found in Quick Cooking magazine several years ago.

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 can pumpkin
1-1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips*

Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and applesauce. Add pumpkin mix to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan then remove and place on wire rack. Slice one loaf and serve immediately. Wrap the other loaf up and stuff it in the freezer real quick so you won't eat it too. It's that good!

*The original recipe calls for 1-1/2 cups of chocolate chips, but I actually thought that was a bit too much and if I'm telling you there's too much chocolate you'd better believe it!

This recipe is being linked to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday. Head over their for more recipes.

What's In the Bag?

2009-10-26T20:23:00.006-04:00

Several of the moms in my homeschool group got together a few weeks ago to exchange preschool activity bags. These are Zip-Loc bags that contain all the pieces a preschooler would need to entertain herself independently for a while. We had 12 moms participating. Two of us decided to make two activity bags so in all, each participant went home with 14 kits to keep their little ones occupied while Mom works with older siblings.
Here's what's in our bags:

ABC Caterpillar - This is one of the bags I made. I saw this on someone's blog not long ago, but could not for the life of me find it again. I wanted to go back and look at the caterpillar face she had drawn because it was much cuter than mine, but never could find it. If this was your blog, please let me know. There were a lot of cute ideas on the blog and I like to give credit where credit is due. Anyway, the main purpose of this activity is to help with letter recognition. Spice's job here was to lay out the plates in ABC order. It takes up a lot of space. Once she has them laid out, I call out letters for her to hop to or simple three letter CVC words for her to spell.

Sort and Pour - Obviously the point here is to sort the beads into cups by color. Spice spent a lot of time on this one the other day. Picking up all those little tiny beads is hard work! She also practiced pouring beads from cup to cup.

The rest of the bags were...
Push Pin Punch Art Activity - A washcloth to use as a mat, a push pin, construction paper, templates of simple shapes (heart, star, leaf...), and a clothespin to clip it all together. The purpose is to punch holes around the chosen shape with the push pin.
I Spy Bottle - This one is of course a big hit. My kids love the I Spy books. I have been planning to make one of these for ohhh about 8 months now so I was thrilled to get it and clean out the cabinet full of bottles I had saved. It came with a laminated print-out with pictures of all the objects in the bottle and a dry-erase marker so the child can mark off each item as it is found.
Writing - A mini chalkboard, sponge eraser, chalk, and a sheet of pre-writing songs.
Fishing Game - Much like the one I described here but with numbers instead of words.
Color Matching - This bag has strips with various shades of the same color along with matching clothespins. The object is to clip the clothespin to the correct color card.
Pizza Math - Three pizza puzzles divided into different fraction amounts. The child has to match the correct pieces together to make a whole pizza.
Fine Motor Skills Bag - This bag has several activities: Attaching clothespins to a cup, carrying pompoms on a spoon and dropping into the cup, lacing noodles on a string, and arranging wiki sticks on drawings.
ABC Sound Cards - One set of letter cards and three picture cards per letter to be matched up.
Number Matching - One set of index cards numbered 1-10 to be paired with a second set of cards with 1-10 stickers. (Not pictured.)
File Folder Game - This kit contains a folder with multiple pockets on it and blank laminated strips of paper. The strips and pockets can be programmed for a variety of activities like matching upper/lowercase letters, placing the appropriate number of strips in a pocket pre-programmed with a number... I wrote simple addition problems on each pocket for Spice the other day and included the necessary number of craft sticks. She had to solve each problem and place the correct # of sticks in the pocket. If she ended up with too many or not enough craft sticks, she knew one of her answers was incorrect.
What Comes Next? - Cards and counters for practicing patterns and sequencing. (Not pictured.)
Beads and Pipe Cleaners - Six colored pipe cleaners with matching beads that are to be placed on the correct pipe cleaner. There are also four pre-patterned pipe cleaners for practicing sequencing or color mixing.

I have been doling the activities out one or two at a time for Spice. I don't want her to use them all up in a day or two and have the novelty wear off. I keep them all together in a bin. Eventually I will let her pick and choose which bags to work with when she needs something to do. She has been having a great time with them and of course Sport always has to get in on the action even though he's waaaayyy past the preschool years.

Up To Her Old Antics Again

2009-10-25T23:14:00.004-04:00

Spice is an accident waiting to happen. It sounds terrible for a mother to say that, but sadly, it's true. For those two or three readers of this blog who are not relatives and don't know her history, let's just say there was a point in time where she had more broken bones than years in her life...and yes, each broken bone was from a separate incident.
She's been riding her bike without training wheels for about a month now and has done a great job of staying up. This afternoon while showing Sport how fast she could ride, she crashed into the basketball goal and took quite a tumble. Fortunately, she escaped with no broken bones and mostly just cuts and scratches. Unfortunately, one of those cuts was to her frenulum, you know that piece of skin that connects your top lip to your gum line? She tore that baby clean off the gum line. After a couple of conversations with the on-call nurse at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, I was relieved to learn a torn frenulum isn't as serious as it sounds and should heal on its own. For the next few days though, Spice will have to be on a soft foods diet and parade around with a swollen upper lip any Hollywood starlet would pay an arm and a leg for. She's definitely got the Angelina Jolie look going on. In a show of solidarity, Sport and I have committed to live off of milkshakes and smoothies for the next few days as well.

Treat Me Right

2009-10-21T18:59:00.005-04:00

In a little over a week ghosts, goblins, princesses, and clone troopers will take to the streets with their little sacks ready to be filled. Are you ready for them to coming knocking on your door?
I admit, before I became a mom, and even in the early days, the thought of handing out gobs of sugar so kids could rot their teeth out appalled me. We were one of those houses that gave out "healthy" treats (relatively speaking) like pretzels and Play-Doh. One night several years ago after the kids were in bed and I went to raid their candy buckets...ahhh, I mean check through all of their loot to make sure it was safe, I was highly disappointed by the selection of treats. How many boxes of Dots does one family need and really, does anyone actually eat those black and orange wrapped Mary Janes? Where was the CHOCOLATE? And I don't mean the cheap little chocolate crispy things wrapped in Halloween themed foil. I'm talking about the Snickers, the Butterfingers, and especially the Reese's!
So what does this have to do with Works For Me Wednesday? Well, it was at that point I realized something. If I wanted to change the loot given out in our neighborhood, it would have to start with me. Out went the pretzels, Play-Doh, and Halloween pencils and in came the Butterfingers, KitKat, and Twix. (I still don't buy the Reese's. I know my limits.) Buying the GOOD stuff works for me because I know who the real recipients will be.

To find more tips to help you get through the day, head over to We Are That Family for WFMW .

All I Want For Christmas...

2009-10-21T18:49:00.003-04:00

Like most retailers, Spice has already turned her thoughts toward Christmas. Today she informed me there's only two things she wants for Christmas! I'm so lucky. Now if anyone can just tell me where to find a set of real wings that can make her fly and a real wand that you can "make sparkly Cs and stuff in the air with" we'll be all set.

2009-10-14T21:01:00.002-04:00

During a quick run through the thrift store recently, I came across this beauty all framed and double matted:
This is one of a series of prints that I've looked at online and dreamed about buying, but never got around to it. As soon as I saw it sitting there on the shelf amongst bad 1970's oil paintings and brown and gold macrame, I knew it needed me to take it home and love it. I snatched it up and headed home pleased as punch all the while making plans for my new love.

One thing was for certain, the black frame would have to go as it was fairly beat up. I got home and held it up in the spot I already had picked out and really wanted to hang it, but decided the nicks and scratches in the frame were too much. Then inspiration hit. I dug out a black Sharpie and colored in the bad spots. Voila...good as new!

Eventually, I will get a new frame, but I know myself well enough to know if I tuck that picture away until then it won't come out of hiding for a good year or two. At least now I will be looking at it daily and may actually remember to pick up a new frame next time I see something I like. The picture will be hanging in a corner of a dark room so the marker doesn't even show up that well. Who's gonna notice?

I've also used the Sharpie to fill in a couple of scratches that appeared on Hubby's dresser after we moved and touch up Sport's church shoes. No one's the wiser...until now.

Keeping a black Sharpie ready for little repairs works for me. Head over to We Are That Family for more WFMW ideas.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-10-12T15:13:00.005-04:00

FOR TODAY October 12, 2009...
Outside my window...another rainy, rainy day.
I am thinking...about which of the gourmet meals I have planned for this week I'll actually cook tonight.
I am thankful for...a productive school day where everyone cooperated!
From the learning rooms...The kids are finishing up for the day and all I can hear is the sound of markers squeaking away. Spice is making a card for a friend who moved away. Sport is coloring a wooden scarecrow I picked up at JoAnn's awhile back. We also read some of Pinocchio today, and about Lewis & Clark, learned about telescopes, and started cursive handwriting among other things. The most exciting part of the school day though was when Sport got a lesson in doing laundry. He actually begged for this!
From the kitchen...I'm thinking we'll go with the baked fish and summer squash tonight.
I am creating...preschool activity bags for a swap with our homeschool group later this week.
I am going...to try to clean up a bit before cooking supper and heading to church for Sport's religion class and Cub Scouts.
I am reading...nothing seriously at the moment. Trying to catch up on all my magazines that always seem to come in on the same day.
I am hoping...Spice isn't too sick. She had a low grade fever for a day or two last week, was fine all weekend, and now has a fever again. I read that's how swine flu operates except with a high fever and lots of other symptoms.
I am hearing...well, the markers are done squeaking and now the kids are marching around with a homemade flag.
Around the house...books, books, books everywhere!
One of my favorite things...a relaxed school day where we're not rushing to get somewhere.
A few plans for the rest of the week: activity bag swap and Spice's playgroup on Wednesday, Sport's first book club meeting on Thursday, pumpkin patch on Saturday and basketball try-outs for Sport on Sunday.
I am wearing...gray velour pants, a light blue t-shirt, and Christmas socks. I'll be making some changes before going out tonight!

To read more daybook thoughts head over to Peggy's blog.

Helping Kids Clean

2009-10-07T19:37:00.005-04:00

I'm beginning to think this blog exists only for the purpose of linking up with WFMW. I'll try to post something riveting before next Wednesday!

Wouldn't it be great if you could tell your kids to go clean their rooms and they would actually do it? It took me a while to figure it out, but a kid's idea of clean is very different from a parent's idea. Sport will wade through Legos to get to his bed that's buried under a library shelf full of books and still insist that his room is clean. For awhile I would sit in his room and direct him step by step on what to pick up next. Let's just say this was not fun (especially when you consider half the reason I send him to his room to clean up is in the hopes he will actually decide to play with some of his toys while he's up there and give me a few minutes of solitude.

Enter the cleaning chart from MeckMom.com. When I first came across this post it gave me just the excuse I needed to go by the laminator I had always dreamed of. I made charts the next day for Sport and Spice. Since pictures are used, the charts work really well for kids who can't read yet. Spice still uses her chart, but Sport and I have gotten a bit lazy - mostly because it's hard to find all of the pictures when they're buried under books and Legos. Now I just make a list for him on his dry erase board. Here's a look at today's list:

1) Make bed.
2) Put away clothes.
3) All shoes in closet.
4) Clean up books.
5) Legos
6) Legos
7) Legos...

Twenty minutes later his room was much more in line with what I call clean! This idea works for me. To read more cleaning tips, head over to We Are That Family for the WFMW cleaning edition.

Patch Blanket

2009-09-29T19:20:00.000-04:00

Sport joined Cub Scouts last year and I was disappointed to learn they no longer use the sash to show off all of their hard earned patches. The sash has been replaced by a big red brag vest. I quickly realized two things about the brag vest:

1) The boys hardly ever wear them.
2) At some point they will become too small and a loving mom will have to spend a lot of time removing patches from one vest and sewing them back on another, larger, one. I knew that wasn't going to happen here so Sport and I decided to go a different route.

We picked up a navy blue fleece blanket from Anna's Linens for a mere $3. I had hoped to get a red, but they were out of stock and Sport went for blue. Then I picked up a package of Steam-A-Seam2 from Hobby Lobby.

I traced around each patch on one side of the Steam-A-Seam paper, cut them out and laid them out on the blanket. Once I found a layout I liked, I removed the backing from each side of the Steam-A-Seam and ironed the patches onto the blanket. I placed a towel on top of the patches before ironing so as not to damage the blanket.

Here's the "finished" product...

Adding on new patches will be a cinch. This patch blanket works for me because Sport will easily be able to show off all of his hard-earned patches and I don't have to worry about him outgrowing his blanket anytime soon. To find out what works for others, head over to We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday.

Quiz Bowling

2009-09-24T07:05:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about homeschooling is kids don't always have to put pencil to paper when test time comes around. I typically make up an "official" science test for Sport at the end of each unit, but with other subjects, I tend to be a little more relaxed.

It probably goes without saying that Sport likes sports! Last year, early on in our homeschooling career he came up with a bowling game that allowed me to quiz him on pretty much any topic. We actually ended up using this as a form of assessment quite often. Here's how it goes:

I would take about 10 index cards and write questions on each one (math problems, social studies questions related to the continent we were studying, spelling words...). Then I would lay them out face down like bowling pins (1 on the first row, 2 on the second row, 3 cards on the third row, and 4 on the final row). He would stand about 5 feet away and roll a tennis ball toward the cards. We had a mat designed to go under a sleeping bag on camping trips that we would use for our ally, but it's not necessary. If the tennis ball rolled over any cards I would pick those up and call out the questions. If he answered correctly, the card was set aside. If incorrect, the card went back into the line-up for a second chance. I found this game was not only fun, but it gave me a great opportunity to find out how much he really knew. He was much more forthcoming with information when he could talk about it rather than being forced to write it down. It was also easy to dig a little deeper by keeping the conversation going and turning the question from one card into two or three.

Today we're going to break out the tennis ball and bowling alley mat again for the first time this year. I know he and Spice will be thrilled. We're wrapping up a short science unit on sound and musical instruments so I felt it would be easier to do a bowling quiz rather than make up a written exam. Spice hates to be left out of the fun so I always make her a hodge podge of questions.

Here's a look at their tests for today...

Sport (3rd grade):
-How does the shape of our ears help us hear?
-Why does a guitar have a hollow body?
-Give an example of a percussion instrument and a wind instrument.
-How does sound travel?
-What word tells the measurement of the number of waves that go by each second?
-What is pitch?
-How does the length of a wind instrument affect its pitch?
-What is a vibration?
-How does an echo work?
-Why is it louder when you clap your palms together rather than the backs of your hands?

Spice (age 4):
-What month is it?
-What is another word for autumn?
-What is 9-1?
-Spell the word how.
-What saint is known as the "Little Flower"?
-What is 5-2?
-Who were the first man and woman?
-Who is George Washington?
-Read this word...they.
-Would you like to have lived in colonial times? Why?

Swap Party

2009-09-23T06:52:00.002-04:00

Tired of the accent pillows on your couch and wishing for something different to spice things up again? Need new to you outfits for the kids, but don't feel like forking over a fortune to buy a whole new wardrobe? Call up some of your friends and have a swap party! A few weeks ago many of the moms in my homeschool group did just that and boy was it fun!

We took a week or two to look around our houses, go through closets, clear off the curriculum shelves, and gather up all those gently used items we liked too much to toss, but not enough to keep in our homes any longer, brought it all to one central location and let the trading begin. I for one walked away with a carload of steals and deals, including 2 large cubbies for storing homeschool/craft supplies in my craft room, a tape recorder and headphones for our listening center, and enough gorgeous dresses and shoes to keep Spice looking good for the next year or two. Here's a small sampling...

Our swap had very few rules. In fact, I think there were only 2: bring stuff you don't want anymore and if you want to sell it instead of trade, put a price tag on it. Oh and of course there's always that unspoken rule when women get together: Bring food!

It was a very successful evening, although a little too short for most of us. If you plan to have a swap, make sure to set aside enough time for everyone to arrive and display their wares, time for all swappers to "window shop", and of course time for all the actual swapping. Don't forget about the need to socialize and munch too. We had very few rules, but you may want to draw numbers to see who goes first or assign points for items based on their trade value.

Depending on the size of your group and the space available, you may also want to limit the swap to certain types of items - clothing, homeschool materials, kiddie items, holiday decorations... The Nester recently hosted a housewares swap in her home. (Oh how I would have loved to attend that one!)

HAving a swap party worked for me. To find out what works for others, head over to We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday.

Cheap and Easy Enchiladas

2009-09-22T08:21:00.000-04:00

If you polled each member of our family about our favorite meal these bean and cheese enchiladas would come out the clear winner. Every week as I sit down to plan out our menu I ask for suggestions and this is always the first one out of Sport or Spice's mouth. I found this recipe in Family Circle magazine many years ago. Not only is it delicious, it's also cheap and easy.

Ingredients:
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp each of salt and cumin powder
2-1/2 cups shredded cheese (I use whatever's in the fridge)
2 cans enchilada sauce
8 small flour tortillas

Mix beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt in a bowl. Mash beans and add 1-1/2 cups of cheese and 1 cup enchilada sauce. Mix well. Cover the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish with enchilada sauce. Brush one side of a tortilla with sauce and add 1/4 cup of the bean mixture. Roll up and place in dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beans. Pour any leftover sauce on top and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Last week, I opted not to brush each tortilla with sauce (because I'm lazy like that) and just poured some sauce in the bottom of the dish then poured the rest of the sauce over the top of the tortillas. Can't say it tasted any different, but it did save time. I usually serve this with yellow rice and/or guacamole with chips.

This post is being linked to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday. Head over there for more great recipes.

Happy Constitution Day

2009-09-17T12:51:00.004-04:00

It's the 222nd birthday of our U.S. Constitution! It was on this day in 1787 that our founding fathers signed one of the most important and enduring documents in history. I have to admit I got a little misty-eyed during some of the videos and books Sport, Spice, and I used in school this afternoon. I think some...no many...no most of our current leaders would do well to spend some time today reading the Constitution and thinking about the ideals this country was founded on so many years ago, but I guess that's a whole different post. So I'll simply leave you with two classic videos we watched today. Enjoy!

School House Rock: Preamble

Barney Fife and the Preamble to the Constitution

Hairbows and Legos

2009-09-02T14:15:00.005-04:00

This week's Works For Me Wednesday theme is about organization. Two things that were beginning to take over our house were Spice's hairbows and Sport's Legos. So here's how we got them under control.

For the hairbows (and other hair accessories), I found this idea on MeckMom.com.

MeckMom has lots of great tips. She originally called for using a shoe organizer for this purpose, but I found this all-purpose organizer at Dollar Tree and used it instead 'cuz I'm cheap. It's a little smaller than a shoe organizer would be, but it works for us. I added ribbons at the top to make it hang lower on the door so Spice would be able to reach almost everything, then we sorted all of the accessories by color. This is much easier than scrounging through a drawer stuffed full of bows, and Spice likes being able to find the right color pocket and reach right in and grab what she wants. Can't get much better organizing help than this for a buck.

Unfortunately, the Lego problem could not be solved for a buck, but after searching stores and the web for ideas for quite awhile, we found something that Sport and I are both happy with. This tool box came from Lowe's and was about $20. It's made by Stanley and has about 50 storage compartments intended for sorting nails, screws.... We spent hours, no DAYS, sorting Legos by type. Before this, we had all of the bricks sorted by color in cigar boxes we found at the local recycling center. This worked well for awhile, but the amount of Legos eventually outgrew the boxes. I found several "Lego Masters" online who store their pieces by type rather than color. The theory is it's much easier to find a red 1x1 brick in a pile of multicolored 1x1 bricks than it is in a pile of red bricks of all different sizes. Anyway, this box is cool because it can be completely unfolded giving easy access to every storage compartment at once and, it can be folded up when not in use (not like that ever happens around here) or to move from room to room. Sport and I like to call it his "briefcase" since he would love to one day head off to work at the Lego factory.

To find out what works for others, head over to We Are That Family for Works For Me Wednesday.

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-08-24T09:37:00.004-04:00

FOR TODAY August 24, 2009...
Outside my window...A squirrel has found a treat. It's wet from an overnight rain that no one heard.
I am thinking...about things we need to do today and how fast my babies are growing up. In the past week I've realized Sport's clothes are too big for the kid sized hangers he has. He needs man size hangers now! Two weeks ago he tried on size 8 pants at the mall. I bought him a couple of pair this weekend and they're already too short! Spice decided yesterday she was ready to take the training wheels off of her bike and while she's not ready to go tooling around the driveway on just two wheels yet, she did a great job for her first time out. She also rode a horse for the first time Friday.
I am thankful for...healthy, growing kids.
From the learning rooms...We are continuing our studies of the 13 colonies. We've been enjoying the Along the American History Trail lesson plans posted at Serendipity and all of the fun colonial days activities. Today we're going to paint stenciled notecards.
From the kitchen...tacos are on the menu for today - a double batch since I'm making dinner for a friend who just had a baby. For the rest of the week, there's Italian basil shrimp with pasta, pizza, cheese tortellini with garlic and mushrooms, and Mexican casserole. For lunch it's Muffin Tin Monday! I don't usually stick with the themes though. That would require actually planning ahead.
I am creating...lists of things to do this week, this month, next month...
I am going...to Kohl's later to return the aforementioned pants I bought for Sport. Tonight I'll be working in the church office while Sport has his religion class, then we're off to our first Cub Scout meeting of the new school year.
I am reading...The Long Snapper by Jeffrey Marx, a story about one of my all time favorite LSU football players and his improbable return to football and, ultimately, the Super Bowl.
I am hoping...for family harmony in our homeschool this week. We had a few rough days last week.
I am hearing...the kids talk about and sing one of their "favorite songs" while they are supposed to be working quietly!
Around the house...laundry to be put away (as usual), too many books piled on the coffee table, and a pile of clothes and toys waiting to be priced for a consignment sale I'm participating in this week.
One of my favorite things... a good book.
A few plans for the rest of the week: church and Cub Scouts tonight, homeschool enrichment classes and a playdate tomorrow, consignment sale shopping Thursday (YIPEE)!
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

We had our first not-so-hot day in a long time yesterday so naturally my thoughts turned to two of my favorite things about fall: pumpkin patches and football (more on that next week).

To read more daybook thoughts head over to Peggy's blog.

Make Life Easier

2009-08-19T16:37:00.003-04:00

When we moved from our one level ranch house to our current home, the downfalls of living in a two story house with kids quickly became apparent. Can't tell you how many times we were on our way out the door only to realize the kids didn't have shoes on, hadn't brushed their teeth, hadn't done a thing to their hair or even worse, all of the above. Sending them back upstairs to take care of one or all of these issues was a huge time waster. Couple that with the fact that my kids refuse to go upstairs alone because aliens or some other strange creatures might be waiting for them, and we were doomed to be late for everything. It was obvious we needed help. First up, I placed extra toothbrushes for Sport and Spice in our downstairs half-bath, along with toothpaste, a cup for rinsing, and a comb for last minute dos. This saved a lot of time. We still had the shoe problem. This one was solved inadvertently after I got tired of finding shoes in every room of the house. I bought a basket to corral all the wayward shoes and placed it near the garage door. Shoes found downstairs get tossed in the basket. It didn't take long to realize this solved the problem of always having to run upstairs for shoes. Now the kids just grab a pair out of the basket and we can be on our way.

Friendly Reunion

2009-08-03T16:36:00.011-04:00

When we moved to Georgia I was five months pregnant with my first child, an only child myself who never had any intention of moving away from home. All of my family was in Louisiana, as well as Hubby's, and many of my friends were people I'd know since elementary school. But opportunity came a knocking (for Hubby at least) so I packed up and left Louisiana - the only home I'd ever known. It wasn't easy and for the first few years I was in denial...I refused to call Georgia home and I dreamed of the day we'd return to our real home.
By chance, a good friend of mine from college had a sister in the Atlanta area who attended the same church we had joined. He came to town for Thanksgiving, just a few weeks after our big move, and hooked us up. I believe his sister's first words to me were, "You're going to want to join the mom's group." The church had a group of stay-home moms who met weekly for playdates, field trips, and everyone's favorite, Mom's Night Out. Being new to the whole game of motherhood and staying home, I of course followed her instructions. What wonderful advice that turned out to be. I often say those moms saved my life! As if making the adjustment to motherhood wasn't enough, or going from working girl to clueless homemaker, I knew absolutely no one (with the exception of Hubby and newborn Sport) in my new surroundings. I lived for our weekly Wednesday get-togethers and was a regular long before Sport was old enough to actually participate. These women were my lifeline. When I had surgery and later a miscarriage, these were the women who fed my family and took care of my son when I couldn't. It was an experienced mother of three who gave Sport his first solid food - a graham cracker stick - when I was too scared to try. Leading up to the day Spice was born so many of them were on stand-by, ready and willing to take a phone call in the middle of the night and stay with Sport while Hubby and I headed off to the hospital - no small commitment considering Spice was born just two days after Christmas! In the days after Spice's birth they once again fed us and gave Sport a place to go that was much more fun than sitting home watching mom nurse a new baby. Life was good.
Then the unthinkable happened...our babies began to grow up and head off to school and one by one we moved into new homes, new churches, and new directions.
We tried to keep in touch, but with this kid at soccer practice and that kid at scouts...it got hard. Table reservations for our monthly night out slowly dwindled from 12 or more to eight, then four, sometimes only two and sadly at times even none. There've been the occasional e-mails and phone calls with pledges to "get together soon" and always the annual Christmas card photos that leave you scratching your head and wondering where the years have gone when you stare at the older and wiser faces of children you still remember as toddlers just learning to walk and talk.
Earlier this week, I was so lucky to welcome two of these dear friends into my home for a little "friendly reunion." C and I keep in touch fairly regularly. Up until a couple of years ago we lived just minutes from one other and Sport has always considered her youngest among his best friends. Unfortunately, it hasn't been so easy keeping up with B, but this week, the stars aligned, the Heavens opened up, and for a few short hours (too short) we were able to once again sit around the table and chat while kids climbed trees, ran in circles, played ball, and had a grand old time in general, all around us. I've often lamented to Hubby that no matter how hard I've tried, I've never been able to find friends as wonderful as that first group of mothers who so readily welcomed me into their circle when I needed it most. As B left several hours later, she confirmed my complaints, "You know, I've never found another group as good as this one. We were so lucky."
Earlier in the day, looking out at the kids piled around two tables on our deck eating lunch I couldn't help but flashback to snack time during the old days when chubby little hands and faces dug into more toddler friendly fare, and I couldn't help but think of the old adage, “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other is gold.”
Do you have any "golden" friends you've been missing? If so, call them up make plans to catch up, real plans. It'll do your heart good.

Shopping At Sears Works For Me

2009-07-29T14:17:00.003-04:00

While I buy most of Sport's and Spice's clothes at the annual consignment sales that are big business in the Atlanta area, there are a few times when I go all out and buy brand spanking new stuff from Sears. It is a closely guarded secret, but Sears has a KidVantage Club that lets you return kid's clothing that has either worn out or not stood up to the rigors of childhood and exchange them for the exact same item. For instance, Sport can wear a hole in a pair of jeans quicker than they've had a chance to fade. I now purchase all of his jeans from Sears then take them back once the first hole appears, usually about two weeks later, and swap them out for a new pair. I try to buy them a bit bigger since you have to trade in for the same size.
There are no fees to join the KidVantage Club and no cards to carry around. Just tell the cashier you want to sign up, give them some basic info and you're all set. After the initial sign-up, all you have to do is tell the cashier you're a member and give them your phone number to make sure future purchases get credited to your account. Returning an item for a replacement is easy too and you only need to keep the receipt for certain items, like Levi's brand jeans. Once you've spent $100 you will receive a coupon for 15 percent off a future purchase. The best part is anything can count towards the $100, not just kid's items so anytime you make a purchase at Sears, make sure to tell them you're in the club.
If you have multiple children of the same gender, joining KidVantage can be a real bonanza. You can purchase a pair of pants for your oldest, let him wear them out then swap them out for a new pair to be passed down to a younger sibling. Even though I only have one boy, I still swap out Sport's stuff then pass it down to someone else or donate it to charity.

The KidVantage Club makes shopping at Sears work for me. To find out what works for others, head over to We Are That Family for Works For Me Wednesday.

Bargain Hunting

2009-07-24T21:01:00.005-04:00

Last week I loaded up the kids and did something I haven't done in a long time...went garage saling. We actually hit a couple of Thursday sales which was new to me, but after reading Thrifty Decor Chick's post about Thursday sales, I figured they were worth a try. At least there's not a lot of competition first thing Thursday morning.
We hit paydirt at our very first sale. If you are a homeschooler, garage sales are an excellent source for materials. I picked up 2 small dry erase boards, lined on one side for handwriting practice and blank on the other side, a set of shape magnets for Spice, an unopened pack of Handwriting Without Tears writing paper, a set of number magnets along with a write on/wipe off book for math practice, and the game Smath, which I've read about on virtually every homeschooler's blog for a whopping $2.50!!!

It was obviously the week for retired teacher yard sales because I also managed to pick up a boatload of learning games in all subjects as well as reams of paper, 2 potholder knitting looms with the loops - which will come in handy for our upcoming study of colonial America - and quite a few other school related materials that I never took pictures of, for under $5.

It wasn't all about school bargains though. Spice zeroed right in on this Parisian Kids zebra print fleece vest for a dollar...

and Sport was in Heaven after spying a Lego Bionicle at the very first sale for only $1.50 (a savings of over 6 bucks). When we left the house that morning he announced, "I'm going to leave my wallet here because I want to save my money for more Bionicles." Guess who need a loan right off the bat?

Why Moms Can't Exercise

2009-07-24T20:59:00.004-04:00

So I dug out my pilates mat the other day for the first time in a very long time. After two straight days of exercise, I come down on the third day and find this...

My exercise mat has become just another Lego build center. As if the huge tablecloth in the background that's been there since Sport's birthday party in April wasn't big enough.

Easy Peasy "Pizza"

2009-07-22T13:27:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we were in Wal-Mart when the inevitable question came up..."Mom, can we get a Lunchable?" I'm not a fan of Lunchables. As a rule we only buy them when we're traveling for a fun lunch treat to be eaten on the road or when they're really, really on sale, like for $1. Being the quick-thinker that I am, I remember the mini pita breads I bought at Trader Joe's the day before. The kids were begging for pizza Lunchables anyway so here's our homemade version:
Ingredients

mini pita breads
pizza sauce
cheese
pepperoni

Spread some sauce on each pita. Top with cheese and pepperoni. Place in broiler for about a minute and a half or until cheese melts. Enjoy.

We all agreed they were better than the real thing.

Hope this recipe works for you as well as it worked for me. To find more great tips, head over to We Are That Family for Works For Me Wednesday.

Not Me Monday - My Little Angels

2009-07-20T08:00:00.006-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. This week's NMM is a special Not My Child edition. It's hard to think of anything my little angels do that's not perfet, but maybe I can come up with a few...

Sport does not have an aversion to sleep so he does not come down the stairs every. single. night. to announce that he can't sleep, doesn't feel good, can't make his brain stop thinking... I have not overlooked this for many years thinking he would one day "grow out of it." I have not recently begun to envision nightly phone calls in my future from my college age son in need of a virtual tuck-in from Mom.

Spice does not need anger management classes. That sweet little shy girl you see out in public is the same sweet little princess we see at home. She does not conduct regular (daily) beatings of her older brother and has not been known to use a bicycle helmet as a weapon. She does not have a short fuse. In fact she doesn't have any fuse at all.

Since Spice is such a healthy eater, I do not have to resort to Deceptively Delicious style cooking techniques in order to get her to eat a vegetable. I do not have to spend extra money at the grocery store on little packs of sliced apples because that's the ones she will eat. She also does not refuse to eat "broken grapes" (i.e. cut-up) and I do not try to pass off every meat I cook as chicken nuggets in the hopes of getting her to try it.

Sport did not scream, recoil in horror, and cover his eyes when he walked in my room the other day and saw me standing there in a two-piece swimming suit. On the other hand he also does not insist every time we go in Target that the swim suit model on the large sign hanging from the ceiling looks just like me.

Spice did not just announce the bread I purchased at Trader Joe's yesterday is not up to her standards, then ask, "Did you make this bread 'cause it doesn't taste too good?"

My children have not become underwear obsessed. A favorite activity during our most recent hotel stay did not involve open their sibling's dresser drawer and announcing, "I see Spice's underwear!" or "I see Sport's underwear!" thereby sending the owner of said underwear into hysterics.

Not Me Monday - Family Fun Edition

2009-07-13T08:40:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else has not been doing this week. As for us, we've had a busy summer so far. Here's a few of the highlights...

We have not spent so much time away from home this summer and on the road that Sport and Spice have not been begging to "just stay home and lay there."

Spice did not give me a "foot massage" with a bottle of hotel lotion yesterday. When I told her I had enough lotion on my feet and she should put the rest on my legs, she did not grimace and say, "But they're so scratchy."

When I was attacked by a bird during our stay in Alabama last week, my loving family did not just sit and watch from the car. When I ran for safety and dove back in the car Hubby's first words were not, "Darn it! Where's the video camera when you need one?" I think it was something more along the lines of, "Are you OK, Honey?"

I did not avoid the dreaded chore of putting away laundry after our most recent trip by stuffing most of the freshly cleaned items back in our suitcases in preparation for our next trip to the beach this week. Our suitcase has not been sitting half-packed/unpacked at the end of our bed for three days now.

Sport did not lose the weapons that came with the Lego Bionicle sets he purchased during our trip to Louisiana within the first hour of playing with them. The rest of the family (i.e., Spice, Hubby, my parents, my grandmother, my uncle, and me) did not spend a good 20 or 30 minutes scouring the floor, the yard, the driveway, my dad's shop...looking for them while Sport sat inside happily playing with his new toys despite the missing pieces.

How 'Bout Dem Tigers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-25T00:41:00.004-04:00

2009 College World Series National Champs

Job Security

2009-06-24T22:35:00.000-04:00

Everyone's worried about their job in these tough economic times and I'm no different. Can't tell you how many times a day I worry, What if they don't like the meal I cooked? or What if the laundry's not up to spec? Will they fire me? Cut my pay?
Well, yesterday the top brass let me know I was doing a fair job and needn't worry. Spice brought me this note while I was getting ready to face the day:

For those of you whose job description does not involve reading 4-year-old, here's a translation:

mom i no You LOVE mE

Ahhh, job security!

Not Me Monday

2009-06-15T00:11:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else has not been doing this week.

Ever have one of those days where you constantly make decisions then ask yourself, "What was I thinking?" Well, I've had a whole week of those days. Here's a few of the hi-lites:

To start with, hoodlums did NOT break into my craft room in the middle of the night and spray graffiti everywhere, even though that's what it may look like in this picture.

I've got so many rooms in this house to paint that I've declared this the Summer Of Painting! I did not think it would be fun to let Sport and Spice scribble on my craft room walls with paint before I went over it all later with a roller. When I came up with this idea I definitely did not have images of the Brady Bunch episode where Carol and Mike first hooked up and the boys had to give up one of their rooms in order to make room for the girls running through my mind. You know the one where Bobby and Cindy - or was it Jan and Peter - bonded by painting tic-tac-toe boards on the wall and a grand time was had by all? I did lay down some ground rules first, but I did NOT think it was necessary to say things like, "Do not paint the baseboards on purpose." and "Do not fill your brush with so much paint giant gobs of it are oozing down the walls." I did not cut this activity short, very short, when things quickly started going down hill. A grand time was had by Sport and Spice, but NOT Groovie Mom.

I did not volunteer to help out at this week's Cub Scout camp so Sport, Spice, and I could all attend. When one of the directors called and asked me to be a den leader in charge of a group of 10-year-old boys, I was not so gullible that I actually believed him when he said ALL I would have to do is lead the boys around from one activity to another. Therefore, I was not at all slightly dazed and confused when I received my instructions for the week and they said things like:

"Create a den flag by lashing two sticks together..."

and

"bring a work bucket to store your pocket knife, duct tape, hammer, and other tools..." Now if I could just figure out which one of my pocket knives to bring.

And when I Googled "lashing sticks together" I did not find approximately 41,637 hits that involved eyelashes sticking together after putting on too much mascara and only one paltry You Tube video about actually lashing sticks together. I did not start to watch said video only to give up 2 minutes into it after realizing it was a two parter, each about 8 minutes long and the first set of instructions involved carving an X in the end of one stick and gathering nylon parachute rope.

Incidentally, I did not just spell Googled G-o-g-g-l-e-d in my last entry the first time I tried to type the word.

And finally, I did not sign up for a Zumba class coming to our church and then regret it after watching Zumba videos on You Tube and remembering just how uncoordinated I am. As a rule, I don't exercise in public. Heck, who am I kidding, I don't exercise period. Well, I've already staked out my position when the class begins. I'll be in the Front Row! NOT!

Did I Mention We Like To Read?

2009-06-12T23:08:00.000-04:00

Overheard

2009-06-09T19:55:00.002-04:00

A conversation that just took place between Sport and Spice. Sport put something on his head pretending it was a hat.

Spice: You look like somebody from the Civil War.

Sport: How do you know about the Civil War?

Spice: Uhhh...wasn't Dad in it or something?

Sport (laughing): The Civil War was like a hundred years ago!

Spice: Oh, must've been PaPa then.

Summer Reading

2009-06-07T20:54:00.005-04:00

We love to read! Now that 180 days of homeschool are officially behind us, we plan on spending a good chunk of our lazy days of summer reading and taking part in a couple of summer reading programs. As part of The Old Schoolhouse magazine's Summer Reading Splash, here's a look at some of the books we hope to get our hands on:

Sport, age 8, reader extraordinaire:
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
Ramona the Pest and other Beverly Cleary books
Boxcar Children books by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Great Inventions: Computers by Brian Williams
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Secrets, Lies, Gizmos, and Spies by Janet Coleman and other spy books
Books about cars

Spice, age 4, learning to read & lovin' it:
My Pal Al by Marcia Leonard
I Do Not Want To by Kathy Schulz
Frontline Phonics books
A Beka beginner phonics readers
Clifford phonics readers

GroovieMom, head of family reading:
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (family read-aloud)
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave - been working on this one for awhile, just need to finish it
100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World by David Koenig
Big Russ and Me by Tim Russert
Sue Patrick's Workbox System
You Being Beautiful by Dr. Oz - Don't know if I'll make it through all of this one. It gets pretty scientific...much more than I need to know.

If your kids plan on doing some summer reading, head on over to the Barnes and Noble website. If they read 8 books, they can earn a free one. We love books - especially when they're free!

Gone Fishing

2009-05-21T12:18:00.003-04:00

We love to go fishing! Here's a quick activity I made up for Spice last night so she can practice reeling in the big one and reading at the same time. The fishing pole and plastic sea creatures came from Dollar Tree. There's a magnet on the fishing line and on each of the toys. She has played with it every day since she got it. I decided to capitalize on the fun last night by adding in my own fish. I cut fish shapes out of cardstock, added some eyes and a couple of other features to one side, wrote a word on the other side, then slid a paper clip on each fish. Whenever she catches a fish she turns it over and reads the word to find out what kind of fish she's caught (a pig fish, six fish...her favorite is the "lips" fish.) If you wanted to get all fancy schmancy, you could laminate the fish and write words with a dry erase marker. I'm too lazy for all that so I'll just toss these and make some new fish when she's ready.
If you can't find a fishing game like this, you can make your own pole. I did a similar activity for Sport several years ago. I got a stick from the back yard, tied a string to it, hooked a paper clip to the other end of the string, and stuck a magnet on the paper clip. I made bigger fish for him and spread them out in our plastic swimming pool. He spent a lot of time fishing in his own back yard!

Great Gift Idea

2009-05-20T21:22:00.002-04:00

If you're looking for a fun (and inexpensive) gift idea for teachers or anyone else, here's one of my favorites. Spice had her last day of preschool yesterday so I put these together for her teachers. I purchased popcorn tubs from Blockbuster for $1.99 each, threw in a few movie size packs of candy that I picked up on sale at Kroger last week for $1 apiece, and two Cokes from a six-pack. For filler, I used roasted peanuts, also on sale for $1 at Kroger. One large bag of peanuts was enough to fill two tubs. Then I purchased a Blockbuster gift card for each teacher, wrapped the entire tub in cellophane and tied it up with a ribbon. Excluding the gift cards, the contents cost under $7 per bucket. The best part about the gift is it is totally consumable. No notepads, Christmas ornaments, paper weights... cluttering up the teacher's house. I like to give, and receive (hint, hint) gifts like that. And if you're a teacher, what better way to kick off a couple of months of peace and quiet than with a good chick flick and chocolate.

Not Me Monday

2009-05-18T09:15:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else has not been doing this week. As for me...

I did not choose to focus our South American studies this week on chocolate. I am not running out of steam for our last week of homeschooling and so chocolate did not seem like a good way to keep me motivated. We will NOT use this as an excuse to make some delicious, yummy, really chocolatey confection.

I did not opt out of attending Homeschool Day at the Atlanta Botanical Garden this week because I am still recovering from our last foray into Atlanta. We did not drive around for a good half hour after the King Tut exhibit because the directions I printed out from Mapquest were wrong. They did not expect me to go down a one-way street backwards in order to get on the interstate. I did not follow an interstate directional sign and end up in a suburban area because there was never another sign pointing the way to the interstate. Atlanta does not have a problem with interstate signage downtown. Are you kidding? It is a major tourist destination/convention city so they want to make it as easy as pie for people to get around. After making a u-turn we were not all so happy to see another interstate sign and finally be on our way home. When we got up closer to the sign, we were not crushed to see that the arrow pointing the way to the interstate had fallen off and we were still on our own. I did not finally get us back to the interstate (on the other side of town) by following my own instincts and it did not start to pour down rain like it usually does as soon as we merged making it impossible to see the cars around me.

I did not call my parents Saturday to brag about how Sport schooled the 3rd graders in basketball that morning, scoring 14 of his teams 27 points.

Our countdown to Disney World has not reached the single digits!

The Olden Days

2009-05-15T18:09:00.003-04:00

The other day I broke out a plastic horseshoes game I purchased several years ago from the Target $1 bin and set it up for Sport and Spice. They had a great time trying to get a ringer. After a couple of tries Sport ran over and said, "Mom this game's a lot of fun! It reminds me of something people would play in that Homer Price book you gave me. Cause you know that was from a long time ago, like, 1986 I think."
For those of you who aren't literary geniuses like my dear son, Homer Price is the title character in a classic children's chapter book written by Robert McCloskey in 1943. So Sport was off by about 40 years. What's a few decades to an 8-year-old?

A day or two later we were listening to the radio and for some reason Sport didn't think the sound quality on a certain song was quite up to modern standards so he remarked, "It sounds like something from a long time ago. You know like in the 80s when all they had were those black and white TVs."

Mmmmmuffins

2009-05-14T20:30:00.002-04:00

I love to keep healthy (i.e. homemade) muffins in the freezer for the kids to eat for breakfast or a snack. I've been slacking in that department for awhile though and finally decided today it was time to restock. We usually make my favorite banana muffins, but since I did not have any really ripe bananas on hand we had to try something different. I found an apple muffin recipe from Hillbilly Housewife and decided to go with it. Boy are we glad we did. They are delicious! Even Spice couldn't get enough. I figured as soon as she dumped in the applesauce she would find an excuse not to eat them, but she did and raved all through our "breakfast" dinner about how yummy they were. I made a couple of changes to the recipe...doubled the cinnamon since we love it so much, doubled the allspice since I didn't want to hurt its feelings, and omitted the cloves since I only had whole cloves in the house. Here's our version of the recipe:

Ingredients
3/4 C canola oil
2 C sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
2 C unsweetened applesauce
4 C all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 scant tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine sugar and canola oil in a large mixing bowl and stir until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until mixed well. Stir in the applesauce.
In another large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice. Slowly add this to the sugar mixture and stir just until moistened. Spray muffin tin or papers with a non-stick cooking spray and fill each cup 3/4 full of batter. Bake 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Hillbilly Housewife has tons of great recipes. If you're ever in a pinch because you're in the middle of cooking and realize you're missing a key ingredient, it's Hillbilly Housewife to the rescue. She has recipes for all kinds of convenience foods and even condiments like pizza sauce (I've tried this one and it's good), frostings, and even ketchup (haven't tried this one yet, but I plan too.) I've only found one problem with the muffins...they won't last long enough to make it to the freezer.

Not Me Monday...It's Back!

2009-05-10T22:50:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else has not been doing this week. As for me...

I did not miss the actual return of Not Me Monday last week because I've barely been in the mood to blog since MckMama's extended absence began and had given up on all things blog related.

I did not carry a thermometer around in the days leading up to Sport's First Communion and check Spice's temperature at random a dozen or so times a day because I was paranoid SOMEONE was going to get sick on the big day and something told me it would be her. The discovery of Swine Flu in Georgia the day before the event did not spur on my fears, nor did the arrival of my mother-in-law. Nothing against my mother-in-law, but there seems to be a disturbing trend in our household...every time she comes to visit someone gets sick, usually to the point of throwing up. We're generally a healthy family and I'd almost go so far as to say we never throw up unless she's around. We don't know why this occurs and there seems to be no scientific explanation. It just happens. So the combination of Swine Flu and my mother-in-law did not cause me to worry incessantly, nor did the memory of Sport throwing up in his Godmother's van on the way home from Spice's baptism four years ago. (And yes, my mother-in-law was present for that one too). Anyhoo, I'm happy to report we all made it through the weekend healthy as horses and Spice absolutely did NOT wake up with a 101 fever the day my in-laws left. That would be insane!

I do not force my mother-in-law to bring many packs of frozen crawfish with her anytime she comes to visit in exchange for room and board. Really...I don't. She simply does it out of the kindness of her own heart.

We did not scarf down the first pack of crawfish the day my in-laws left before they even had a chance to make the drive all the way back to Louisiana. That would make us sound like pigs and besides, crawfish are precious commodities for anyone trapped in Atlanta far, far from the bayous of Louisiana. They must be rationed!

I did not show my children this video to wrap up our Ancient Egyptian studies this week. Just like I did not show them this video as a study of Irish dancing on St. Patrick's Day. Although, if I had, those monkeys would have been a BIG hit around here...something the kids would still be talking about to this day.

I also did not have to stifle sobs during Spice's dance recital this past weekend when another class used this song for a performance. That song would have no effect on me whatsoever because I never worry about how quickly my babies are growing up and how they will be leaving me in the blink of an eye. I also would not decide to use this song for Spice and Hubby's father/daughter dance on her wedding day. That's soooooo far away and this song will be so lame by then. Besides, something like that would be completely up to her anyway.