The measure of a good day

I ran across this a while back on a blog somewhere {please let me know if you know where on earth it was} about the busyness of our days and raising kids, housekeeping and such. 

It is sometimes hard to measure our days and the effect we've had on our families. It is so easy to get caught up in all we need to "get done" that we forget to think about the little things that really matter to your child.

I think this is a pretty good check list for our days.

Backyard Bliss

We have a very nice sized backyard with big trees, tons of shade, nice grass and a big deck, but for some reason we have never really used our backyard that much. My hubby even built a nice playground for the kids to play on (that the stinkin' squirrels have eaten the daylights out of), but still......not much playing has taken place back here. Britt and Corban always wanted to play out front, which I'm not such a big fan of, but that's where the other kids were. Nobody ever wanted to play in the backyard. This summer things have changed......... thankfully! Josiah absolutely loves to be outside and he's only 3 so the backyard is the place to be. He has taken to swinging like a fish to water and can be found there most every afternoon. He's been known to swing non-stop for at least a half hour at a time (no stopping).

We have a little neighbor girl that comes over most days to play with Josiah and he just adores her. She is 6 years old and plays so nicely with him. He calls her his "cousin". He knows cousins are special people so she must be one. On the other side we had a new neighbor move in last fall and he has a son and daughter that don't actually live there, but are there several days each week. The little boy is Josiah's age and his sister is 5 so they all really enjoy hanging out with each other.

I absolutely LOVE that they are just using up all our yard has to offer and enjoying every minute of it. We also got a new gas grill this year.....we had a charcoal grill previously and I wish we hadn't waited this long to get a gas grill. It's so much faster and easier. We've been enjoying every tasty bite that comes off that thing....yum! Lastly, my hubby built me a little (4'x8') garden bed to grow some veggies and herbs in. We have never had enough sun in our yard to have a veggie garden until our neighbor cut down a huge tree in his yard last fall and it just really brightened the place up.

a couple kinds of basil, ready to make some pesto..can't wait.

I didn't get many flowers planted this year,

but ones I did manage to plant just look lovely

and the phlox have never looked prettier. Must be all the rain. It's really the little things in life that are the sweetest. Kids playing, fresh veggies & beautiful flowers. What more could a girl ask for? Ok....I can think of a couple things, but this is great for now. What little things are you thankful for?? This post is linked up to Gratituesday and Tuesday's Unwrapped

Buy 'em toys and buy 'em toys

And what do they do?? They just play with the boxes! We are unable to make a visit to Aldi or Costco without bringing home a nice sized box just for play (often times, more than one). The kids would much rather use their imaginations and transform a box into a bed, garage, train, truck or maybe even a house than play with some old toy. The best part, when they stop playing with them you just toss it in the trash (when they aren't looking, of course). No guilt involved! I had an Uppercase Living delivery the other day and Josiah latched onto the box and decided it would be his lounging spot for the day. It was just the right size for him to cozy up in and hang out quite comfortably. He grabbed his little pillow and blankie and just snuggled in and enjoyed his new spot. He was quite upset last night at bedtime when Eric wouldn't allow him to actually sleep in it. It started me thinking about all the boxes that have made their way into our home over the last few years and all the wonderful creations that have been made. Smaller ones usually become car garages or little beds for stuffed animals. The bigger ones generally become trains or cars. Just add a paper plate and a brad and your on your way to driving bliss. Break out the crayons, markers and maybe some assistance with cutting windows and doors and your good to go. Super cheap (or free), creative fun! If you wanted to get real elaborate you could even make this: instructions available here at Family Fun No need to buy expensive toys that will get played with for 2 weeks and then make their way under the bed or to the depths of the toy box never to be seen again when you can just pick up a box for free. This post is linked up to Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom

Round 2 and a little linky

It has struck again! This time it struck Eric and Corban and it hit hard. Eric woke up sick in the middle of the night and Corban came home sick from school today. Poor guys! Britt, Josiah and I went to church tonight and I came home to find a short sickly boy in my bed, along with my hubby. Britt said I could sleep in her bed and she would sleep on the floor (she shares my fear of germs). My parents got her a new down mattress topper for her bed at Christmas and it's super snugly so when I saw Mr. pukey in my bed I said "sure, I'll sleep in your CLEAN, snugly bed". She's such a sweet girl! Looks like I'll be covering the bathroom in another layer of bleach and spraying lots of Lysol. Last night at our mom's group the topic was Purity and keeping ourselves and our marriages pure. It's a great topic and deserves some discussion and thought. One important step in keeping ourselves pure is our dress and how we present ourselves. There is a great discussion and fashion show going on all this week over at the Stay-at-home-missionary. She also has a big giveaway you'll probably want to enter.

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

The ending isn't any better

The end of this week is pretty much on course for the beginning. Eric figured out the problem on the van and it is being worked on by my multi-talented hubby so that's great, but Josiah and I came down with a stomach bug yesterday. It's always something...isn't it?? We've pretty much been down and out since mid-morning yesterday and it hasn't gotten much better today. I really wanted to go to church tomorrow. I didn't get to go to service or Sunday school last week since we were working on the fundraiser dinner. Not that I mind helping at all, I was just really looking forward to going this week. Don't think it's going to happen though. I've heard there are others sick as well so it must be something going around. Hope everyone else stays well. I'm going back to bed.

Trapped!!

This really hasn't been the best of weeks so far. Our van started making terrible noises on Sunday...something in the engine, unfortunately. I see $$$$$ and my hubby sees $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Not an exaggeration...really. I really prefer to get an idea of the problem and then attack it. He prefers to imagine all the horrible, very bad, terrible things it could be and worry.....and fret and then worry some more (yes honey, I'm talking about you & I love you :-)) We so have different ideas when it comes to this kind of thing. God put us together for reason. We complement each other very nicely, don't ya think? I do think that there has yet to be a time in our marriage that the Lord hasn't provided, not always exactly the way we wanted, but he HAS provided. He always meets our needs. I just pray we will make good choices that are in his will. That being said, the fact still remains I AM TRAPPED AT HOME!!! UUGH! I hate it with every fiber of my being! Maybe it's for my own good. My van is running fine, but the horrible noise makes people stare at me funny and that's just not good. I could go somewhere if it were an EMERGENCY, but really now, is Hobby Lobby an emergency? I think not...so I'm here....at home....again. We have food and toilet paper so were pretty good, but I WANT OUT! shower some pitty on me will you please. I'm currently working on our taxes in hopes to be able to cover the costs. We had a nice fund built up for such things, but it hasn't recovered yet from Christmas and our new washer. I hope it isn't a gazillion dollars, since we were planning on painting this spring inside and out and our house really really needs some tlc. Josiah has decided to regress in his potty training efforts. It's turned serious now, I've had enough of dirty pants and now wet ones too. He is 3 years old....the wonderful things that await him if only he would control himself. He's perfectly capable, he just won't and that is bringing out the not-so-nice-mama in me. Car troubles, taxes and poop! Yep, that pretty much sums up my week so far. How's yours going so far?

Storing kids keepsakes and a sweet little chickadee

I don't know about you, but I feel over run with the baby books, artwork. school work, team photos, special birthday cards and other treasures that accumulate for each child...doesn't it all just make you want to scream!! They pile up year after year...it never stops! I appreciate the need to keep some of these items, but I feel like they could take over an entire room in our home. 

Solution?? I decided long ago that I would only keep artwork, schoolwork, etc. that genuinely showed my child's personality or special ability at a certain stage in their life. 

Do I keep every ABC worksheet they ever do?.....uh, no. Yes, this means I throw it away, but I'm not cold hearted enough to do it in front of them. I may keep one from the beginning or end of each year so I can see how they have progressed. 

Do I keep each coloring book page that is TO:MOM? Uh, nope. 

Do I keep all the little notes my kids write that tell me how they love me and think I'm the best mom in the world? uh, of course!....especially the ones where they try to draw me...I love that! 

I also keep special greeting cards that have little notes in them (read: I do not keep every card...just the special ones that have real sentiment). Even with my evil picture and card trashing ways there is plenty that continues to stack up. 

How about all the 3-D treasures your children create at school or elsewhere? If it's large, I make sure to take my child's picture with the item so I at least have a record of what it looked like and how old they were when it was made. I have lots of little pottery type items that are small so I keep those and most are sat around the house somewhere, but I have a plan if I ever see the need to take them down. 

I also have lots of artwork from school and home that really shows my children's abilities and personality so I choose to keep them, but I am very selective about what I keep. 

I have 2 ways that I keep my kids treasures. The first are plastic tubs that I got at Walmart for about $4 each. They aren't huge, but big enough to hold quite a lot of items. They are about 6" tall and 14 wide x 19" long. I put each of the kids names on them with some uppercase living. Inside will go their baby books and any other things from their birth, yearbooks, team photos, grade cards and school items worth keeping, special cards, those 3-D art projects (the small keepable ones) and any other special items from travels or friends. 

Be selective people or you'll fill the whole thing up in a year. For the most part I get to choose what goes in them, not my children. 

Now for the artwork. I bought these art portfolio books for each child and will put their names on them and decorate the outside a little according to their personality (I'll post when that becomes a reality). They are made by Generations so they are archival quality and have 24 sleeves in each book. This means you can put 48 pieces (back to back) of artwork in each book. The pages are 11"x17" so you could probably fit more if the art is smaller. 

The best part...I got them at Michael's for only $5 each when they had their art portfolios on 50% off a little while ago. I haven't started filling them up yet, but I'm sure it's going to work great. All the treasured artwork will no longer be sitting in my bedroom in a paper sack collecting dust...yeah!! 

If you have a very prolific artist that insist you keep everything!!! Put your computer to use and scan the items in and use them as screen savers or make a calender on Snapfish or something similar for the Grandparents. 

There are lots of ways to use that artwork or at least save without all the bulk. Another option is to have your child lay out their artwork and take their picture with several pieces at once. 

On a completely different note, I saw today that the sweet little yellow flowers are coming up in my front yard. SPRING IS NEAR!!!!! So I thought I'd share this cute little chickadee with you. I know Easter is like a month and a half away, but can I still go ahead and decorate?? I just can't put him away....I'm sure he would be sad. What do you think? Check out We are THAT family for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas

Frugal Fixes

I've totally been nesting since I took down my Christmas decorations...nope, I'm not pregnant! I'm just really bored with what I look at each day here at home. Time for a change I think. So in the interest of not spending much, but updating things I've been doing things on the cheap. Here are my new curtains in the living room made with my fabric I found for $3/yd and it was such a nice day yesterday that I broke out the spray paint and painted the rod as well. We did splurge on the plantation blinds, but I've been waiting about 9 years for those so it's all good...and I love them! The next thing I did was spruce up my boring brown candles I have on the mantle. Just took a couple sheets of scrapbook paper and a couple pieces of ribbon to dress them up all nice and perty! I found the candle stick on the left on clearance at Kohl's plus I had a 30% off coupon so it was about $6 and the one on the right was on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $5 ....pretty good for wooden candle sticks. They went from this: to this in about 5 minutes...time well spent! My next fix is for the boys room. When Corban was born Eric's mom gave me these Norman Rockwell prints that she had kept for a number of years, but never used. I love Norman Rockwell and have intended to use them once we turned the boys room to a sports theme. I picked up the frames at walmart for $2.50 each and painted them the red in their chair rail to match. It has taken me a year to finish this project, but hey it's finished now and I think they are pretty cute and timeless . My next project is still in progress. When I originally got this light fixture in the kitchen a couple of years ago I covered paper shades in black and white toille (sp?) fabric and they looked nice, but the paper has cracked on the inside from the heat of the light bulbs so they needed to be replaced. I was at Home Depot the other day picking up my blinds and found these shades on clearance for $2.50 each...a steal since they are exactly what I had in mind, but I thought I would have to pay at least $7/shade. They are shorter than my other shades so they look too ...umm...short to me so I am looking for some sort of trim to go along the bottom to lengthen them. I'm happy with them as is for now though. I have more to show, but I'll save them for another day. I'm currently working on repainting several picture frame for a collage display on my kitchen wall beside the table. Should be done next week sometime. For more frugal ideas visit Biblical Womanhood

Random ramblings

• Josiah has claimed the toilet as his receptacle of choice in his potty adventures and he is doing remarkably well. Previously, he wanted nothing to do with the toilet, but once I told him he could stand up, shoot it in and flush he was all over it. Such a boy, I'm pretty sure God designed them with a desire to shoot things.

• We are working on finding a balance of activities for Corban. He has his heart set on (is obsessed with) playing Lego Star Wars on the Wii every waking minute of the day. This doesn't work for more than one reason: 1. He needs to sleep, eat and go to school 2. We would like him to maintain some sort of normal brain function 3. It makes him crabby when he is asked to get off the game 4. It makes his brother very annoying since he asks a new question about what is going on every 10 seconds. What do you all do to curb the "attitude" and limit game time? I'd love to hear some ideas that work.

• I feel like I can't get a hold of my house and all that needs to be done. It's been almost 10 years that we have been here and it is in desperate need of some tlc, both inside and out. We started on the outside this fall and have plans to paint this spring, but there are a ton of boards that need to be replaced first (lots of honey-do work). When we first moved in our home (literally, the week after we moved in) the foundation shifted and caused major damage to all the wall seems in our home. Each corner in our main living area has torn seems and while we did pay about $10,000 to have our home put on steel piers it continues to shift just a tad each year, so what are we to do?? Do you just go ahead and redo all the seems and repaint everything praying there won't be much more movement (yes, in my opinion) or do nothing (Eric's opinion, at least until recently)? We've finally decided to fix it all in hope it won't get much worse (nothing like waiting a few years to jump on that project). It will be a major project since we (I) want to remove all the popcorn ceilings on our big vaulted ceilings since the tape is torn into the ceiling seems as well. It needs to be done and I really can't wait, but we have to find some free time to do it.

• The last few days I've been working on baby shower invitations for my friend Shannon's shower. I love making stuff like this and thinking about all the decorations, cake etc. Here is the invitation and I think it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself. She currently has 4 boys and is due to have her first little girl in March. I gave her an invitation last night for her to keep and she cried. I'd like to think she was just overly moved by my creative use of paper and ribbon, but I think it was just the hormones leaking out.
• 
• Back to the whole potty training adventures (which really should have ended about a year ago in my opinion). Yesterday when Josiah woke up from his nap he had gone #2 in his training pants (you know the nice thick ones) so I cleaned him up and proceeded to rinse the pants out in the toilet and left them hanging on the inside of the toilet bowl to kinda soak a little. I made sure they were tacked under the seat so they weren't just "free floating" around in there. I went downstairs to do a couple things (get on the computer :)) and apparently Josiah needed to go to the bathroom and he did. A little while later I came up to take care of the dirty pants and they were no where to be found. **insert look of panic on my face here** There was no mess and the toilet was empty. I asked Britt to see if she knew what happened to them and she said she did hear Josiah flush the toilet about 3 times **oh, no!** I asked Josiah what happened to the pants and he said he "fwushed them" and indeed he had. It is a remarkable thing that the toilet didn't totally overflow, but it didn't fill all the way back up either. They were definitely in there and they still are. Eric tried to snake them out to no avail and I just keep watching the toilet each time it's flushed to make sure it doesn't come bubbling over...thank you Lord for taking care of even the lowliest things such as our toilet.

• For whatever reason Josiah has loved the "I can only imagine" song since he was about 2 years old and can recognize it on the radio within about 3 notes. Normally he just listens happily, but last night on the way to church when it came on the radio he just started singing it loud and proud. He really belted it out and just really touched my heart. Eric and I just kept looking at each other and I tried not to cry. It's the only song that he has ever requested to be played (outside of Boz's treehouse tunes) and what a great song for him to love.

Cleaning help!!

One of my main goals for this year is to clear away the clutter and really deep clean my home. I also want to repaint nearly every room (not the kids rooms) in my home since they haven't been done in several years. It will be a major undertaking since almost every corner in our home needs to have the mud/tape redone due to our foundation shifting. We also want to remove the popcorn ceilings....big job, but I think we can do it. Cleaning comes first though and I have a hard time staying focused. I seem to do a lot of wandering around and not getting much accomplished. Does anyone else feel like they have done stuff all day, but have nothing to show for it? Please, tell me I'm not alone! Well, I ran across this helpful cleaning and decluttering guide called Simple mom's spring cleaning for normal people. The Nester has a great post about enjoying your home. She talks about clearing away the clutter, using what you have, utilizing all of your space, using the things you have and being content in what you do have. All things I am striving for this year. This guide totally works for me, maybe it will help you too.

Sweet whole wheat goodness

I really like the idea of using whole wheat flour in my baking since it's much more nutritious than white flour. I also like the idea of using "unbleached" flour....who wants their flour bleached? eww! Anyway, I've found that Bob's red mill Whole Wheat pastry flour is great for use in pastries (hence the name) like cookies, muffins, pancakes, quick bread etc., but could never find a whole wheat flour that I liked for bread and roll making. Most made the bread much too heavy and just not very tasty. I have managed to make a decent roll before with white flour (the best, my husband says), but always came up short in my whole wheat roll endevors. Not any more! I have found, thanks to Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers (she grinds her own...seriously), that Whole Wheat flour made from hard white wheat is much softer and lighter in texture, but has the same nutritional value as that made from red wheat. Once I learned this I went searching and let me tell you, this stuff is hard to find! Sure, I could order it online, but I find that to be a hassle and I certainly don't want to pay shipping charges. I finally found some and it is made here in Kansas so it's local and I love that. It is Hudson Cream whole wheat flour and I found it at Price Chopper. It is so much lighter and softer than regular whole wheat flour and doesn't weigh down your dough. I'm so thankful to have finally found a better alternative than regular old processed white four and it still tastes great! visit Laura's Gratituesday, Kitchen tip Tuesday and Talk about it Tuesday

I'm a material girl!!

Want to see my fabric?? It all started when I went to the Dr. again this morning to be re-packed for a little more pain relief. Afterwords, I wanted to go by this home fabric store that carries high-end fabric at rock bottom prices, well they didn't open until 10 and it was 9:15 so we went over to Joann fabrics to kill a little time and see if they had any good clearance. Oh My Word....I totally scored! Their clearance fabric was on 50% off the clearance price.....here's where it gets so good I can hardly stand it! It was all $3/yd....normally each was between $20-$25/yd. I am so proud right now I would like to scream....I called Eric to tell him, he was excited for me, but guys just don't get it. I bought enough fabric to make curtains for our living room, make a new window topper for my kitchen sink window, re-upholster the 2 mission rockers in the living room and re-upholster a footstool that goes with one of the chairs & make 2 new valances for our bedroom. The fabrics match perfectly with the new couch we bought in the fall....I'm so stinkin' excited I could pass out! Here is a picture of the living room & kitchen fabric. The plaid is for my living room curtains and window topper in the kitchen, all the way to the right is my couch, the top middle is a tiny red dot print and below is just a basic upholstery fabric that matches my couch perfectly. Haven't made up my mind about how to use the dot one and the solid one, chairs or footstool, pillows?? Yep...I already clipped it up to see how it would look! They are kinda silky so the sun shines through it and doesn't make the room look dark at all. Love it!! I plan on painting the rod black and eventually the walls will be one of the rich golden tones in the fabric (I think). Since our windows are so very ugly and I've always had a topper to kinda cover them up and now they will be a bit more exposed, my hubby agreed we could get some white faux wood plantation blinds for these windows...yipee!! Here's the tiny red dot fabric....this picture really doesn't do it justice. And finally here is the fabric remnant I bought for our bedroom. I was hoping it was big enough to do our headboard, but it's about 6" shy so I might use it for window toppers or pillows. It's very soft and yummy!! Head over to Biblical Womanhood to hear more frugal stories.

The day after

Do you ever look around the day after Christmas and just go "what tornado blew through here"? That is how I feel today! I'm certain my house could be declared a natural disaster, laundry is backed up (again!), there are still too many sweets hanging around and pieces and parts of toys are strewn everywhere. Eric is sure in a few hundred years when archeologist come and dig up the area where our house is, they will most certainly determine there was a Lego factory here. Instead of cleaning we decided to go visit my grandmother today since she wasn't able to get out of the nursing home to come to our Christmas gathering yesterday. I think this is the first Christmas we spent without her there and it really just wasn't the same. She fell and broke her leg in 2 places back in October and is still recovering. She's on Medicaid and they think if she is well enough to leave for a Holiday, then she doesn't need to stay....very disappointing. We also ventured out to the Guitar store for Eric to spend a gift card on something he wanted. It was almost 70 degrees out and felt kinda weird considering it was below zero last weekend. That's pretty much Kansas for you....it might snow tomorrow (really!). I ventured out this afternoon hoping to find some real bargains, but no such luck. I went to Hobby Lobby hoping to get some gift bags, ribbon and wrapping at at least 75% off. Nope....still only 50% off. Really?.....it was 50% off before Christmas. Nobody was buying a thing! I also went to Kohl's and pretty much felt the same way. There stuff is always 40-50% off so I was looking for a little more of a bargain.....nope! However, I did manage to find a very cute watch that I liked, it's a little funky and I've needed one since last spring so I went ahead and bought it with a gift card my mother in law gave me. It was only 25% off but, I Love it! Our Christmas day was pretty quiet. We did our usual...open gifts at our home and then head to my parents for brunch, presents, games, snacks, puzzles, dinner etc. I have 3 siblings (plus theirs families) and we are not normally a very quiet bunch, but this year everyone was so out of it and quiet it was kind of strange. None of the kids were loud, we didn't play many games, there were several naps happening, lots of snacking and such, but pretty quiet. Even though it was quiet it was still a lovely day and everyone enjoyed themselves. The highlight for me was Josiah going around to each person to make sure they new it was "baby Jesus' birthday". He also prayed for us at brunch (along with Eric) and it was just too sweet....and long. I am really just rambling here with absolutely no point at all except to say I'm back on the bloggity scene and we had a very blessed Christmas and I pray you and yours did as well. One last December Daily photo.....I really didn't keep up the whole "daily" part, although I really wanted to....there's always next year! My kids on Christmas Eve with their new blankets I made for each of them.

December Daily Photo

I thought it would be fun to participate in the December Photo Project and post one picture each day of what my December looks like. Today's is our nativity that Eric's mom gave us our first Christmas. It comes from Bethlehem and is hand carved. It reminds me a lot of the nativity set my family had growing up. It too was from Bethlehem, but my grandma actually traveled there and brought it back for us. Sweet memories!

Home Sweet Home

Well, we are back in the swing of things and glad to be home sweet home. I made sure when we left town for Thanksgiving that our home was clean (mostly) and the laundry was all caught up so I didn't have to think about what awaited me upon our return. It's been less than 24 hours since we got home and the house is pretty much trashed. We (I) got all the bags unpacked and put away and then we drug out the Christmas tree and put it up last night (not decorated, just up). It currently looks like our kitchen was swallowed by storage tubs and little Christmas trees. I love it when it's all decorated, but I hate the in between chaos. We did have a great Thanksgiving at Eric's mom's. In the morning we always attend a big breakfast buffet with Eric's family at the Country Club. It's a charity event and raises money for a good cause, which is great, but normally all the smoke makes you feel like a giant cigar. Not this year, they finally decided to do away with smoking at the Club so it was very pleasant to say the least. The kids love having dessert after breakfast (who doesn't?). After breakfast we hurried off to pick up some meals to deliver to some home bound people. The kids had made some Turkey cards and filled some bags with fruit to accompany the meal. They really love delivering the meals and I think it really helps us all clearly focus on what we have to be thankful for. Later we had our big dinner and then headed off to downtown Sedalia and watched the tree lighting and fireworks. Josiah loved the fireworks over the summer, but wanted nothing to do with these. Sheer terror came across his little face when they started so Eric and I took turns holding him and he was stuck to us like velcro and would not even peek at the fireworks. I kept talking to him and reassuring him while they were going off. I was trying to get him to look by telling him all the colors and whether they were sparkly and stuff, but no such luck. When it was all done he clapped with joy and announced he liked them and "the blue and green ones were his favorite". He's a pretty hard nut to crack! He does the same thing when we go to the Doctor, screams the whole time and as we leave, happily announces how he likes his doctor because he takes care of him. He can be so happy and then so sad 10 seconds later and then so happy once again. A little manic if you ask me, but he is 3 so that accounts for a lot. We had a nice time catching up with Eric's family and spending time at his mom's. We don't seem to get to her house as often as we should, but she visits us several times year. I guess it's a little easier for one person to pack up and go than five. I'm very thankful for my family who live close and for Eric's mom's willingness to come see us as often as she does. It's time well spent and the kids really love having her around. While we were there Corban took on the project of cracking all of the walnuts grandma had picked up here and there. He sat in the garage for hours just hammering away and was quite happy with how much he accomplished. We also saw "Bolt" while we were there and enjoyed it very much. I'm sure it's one we will buy eventually. Josiah was scared at first (it's the whole over stimulation thing of the movie theater...seeing a pattern here), but by the middle he was just belly laughing at Rhino and by far the loudest chuckler in the whole theater. Afterwords he explained to us that "Bolt is his very best friend". Ah...so sweet! Lastly, the kids always enjoy the "big sleepover" aspect of being at grandma's. She makes them a big ol' "bed" on the floor in her bedroom and they all sleep together. The first night is a little rough, but then they work out their differences and sleep like little babies. Yep, they are silly....but I love their sweet little faces.

Just got home

Happy belated day of Thanksgiving to all! I've been gone since Wednesday morning and we just pulled in our driveway to the most glorious site (ok..maybe not the MOST glorious site, but pretty close in my book). We have new neighbors both next door and across the street. The new people next door have a tree service company and much to our delight they have cut down the HUGE willow tree in their back yard. YEAH!!!! I couldn't be happier. I'm not one to just like chopping down trees, but this thing has been a thorn in our sides for nearly 10 years. It hangs over our yard and deposits a great deal of its leaves and most annoyingly (probably not a real word) it's little limbs all over our yard. Ugh! They have to be picked up by the piles each time we mow or rake the yard and they get stuck in all the little spaces in our deck not to mention the fact that it produces a ton of shade. Which one would think is great unless you have way to much shade and can't even grown a tomato to save your life. Tomatoes like sun and so do other vegetables, in case you didn't know, and we have none. I'm so excited that I might actually be able to have a little garden next summer. I hope everyone had a delightful holiday weekend with family and friends. We did and I will post some pics later of our weekend. I'm off to put up the Christmas tree after I start some laundry. For those keeping up with my laundry woes, I had it all caught up before we left town and I'm hoping to keep it that way....we'll see how that turns. out.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I spoke the other day about my homemade laundry detergent and a couple people have asked about it so I thought I would share my recipe. 

It only calls for 3 main ingredients which are fairly easy to find here in this area. The Borax is at Walmart for about $3.50 a box. The Super Washing Soda (not baking soda....different, but it is Arm and Hammer brand so don't be confused) was found at Price Chopper for about $2.50 a box and the Fels Naptha soap was at Hy-Vee for about $1.50 a bar (you can probably get this at Price Chopper too...I forgot to look plus it is my understanding that you could also use ivory....it just needs to be REAL soap not detergents).

1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated (I just used my cheese grater)

2 Cups Super Washing Soda

2 Cups Borax

1 qt. + 2 gallons of water

You will also need a large bucket, at least 3 gallons (I used a 5 gallon bucket...I chose a pretty color to make me happy while I do the laundry... from Walmart $4.50 and got a tight fitting lid to go with it $1.20.....yep, they actually charge you for a lid...crazy! what is this world coming to?)

Here's what I do:

In large bucket, place the 2 cups borax and 2 cups washing soda.

In a large sauce pan I put 4 cups (1qt) water and the grated soap. Let this gently simmer, stirring constantly until all the soap is melted (this took about 5 min). 

Once this is all melted, pour into bucket with the borax and soda and stir. 

Now add 2 gallons (8qts) warm water (out of the tap is fine) and stir until completely dissolved (about 3 minutes). 

The mixture should thicken up as you stir it. Cover and let it sit 24 hours or at least overnight. End Product.......

When you use it: You will use about 1/4 cup per load. You will need to stir before using each time. This is not a high sudsing soap like commercial brands and there isn't much smell to it. You can add some essential oils at the end if you like a scent. I've only used this for a few loads and have been happy so far. I'll let you know if my opinion changes. 

It ends up costing only a couple cents per load.

Something else I have learned to do over the years to save money on dryer sheets is to keep a basket on my dryer of old washcloths with a spray bottle filled with a 1:4 ratio of liquid fabric softener to water. I just squirt a cloth with about 5 sprays for a load and toss it in the dryer. It works great. I don't use softener in my washer unless I am doing sheets or towels. I have found I love the smell of it sooo much I have a hard time controlling myself on the amount so I just don't use it. 

I wasn't aware until a couple years ago that if you use too much softener it can really break down the fibers in your clothes quickly, especially on my hubby's dress pants and shirts.

One final thing....steping on soapbox.....

Please, Please, Please do not leave this laundry detergent sitting uncovered if you have little kids around. Use a tight fitting lid that little fingers can't open.

Reason#1- many, many little kids die each year from falling head first into buckets filled with liquid.

Reason #2- It is detergent....not just so healthy for drinking and playing in.

Reason #3- that is what all the recipes say, so...follow the directions. please

head over to Kimba's DIY day for more great ideas

Making your home Joyful!

What better way to make your Home a Haven than to make it FUN! I know that I sometimes struggle with this because I automatically think MESS when I think about fun and kids together. I just need someone to come along and remind me (each day....I forget easily) that my children will grow way too fast and be out of my home in no time flat. Therefore, I need to make the most of every moment with them. I want them to have joy filled memories of our home and then be able to pass that on to their own families. Here are some things on my list to help make that happen: (This is not a to do list for the day......just the near future)

• Make caramel apples and cover them in chopped up candy (Halloween leftovers)

• Bring out the paints more often

• Playdoh- fun and great for small motor development (we actually do this quite often and it never gets old)

• Play outside with the kids while it is still decent

• Partake in a family Wii tournament- Corban loves this

• Work on some homemade ornaments with the kids for gift giving
• Work a puzzle with Brittney

Please know that you could play all the games in the world, do crafts, etc. and still not have a "joy" filled home. Laugh a lot, sing and dance, be a little goofy, but most importantly teach them about Jesus along the way.........after all, that is where the ultimate joy comes from. For more ideas on Making your home a haven visit Monica and The Homespun Heart

Making your home a haven- Part 3

Unfortunately I have a busy day planned and won't get to spend much time on making my home a haven today. I need to go get groceries and help fix meatball sandwiches for dinner at church tonight and make 2 desserts for church as well. For those who might be following along with the Homespun Heart's challenge this week, today is about Caring for our homes and taking care of those little jobs that need to be done around our home, like mending, filing etc. Things that tend to get put in a pile (at least they do at my house) and not really managed in a timely manner. It is important to take care of these "little" jobs because I think they mentally weigh us down. Because of this, I think we aren't able to fully put our focus on our Lord and our families because we as women know there are "things that need to be done". So I challenge you to try to clear out at least one "oh-wow,how long has that been sitting there" chore today. Hopefully I will have enough time this afternoon to tackle at least one project and it will be the large shopping bag I have full of all my kids old art work. They need to be sorted and some trashed(please, don't tell them!) and possibly some scanned into the computer for later use. Any good ideas for storing children's art work long term? Hope you have a blessed day and please be in prayer for all those moms (and dads) out there striving to make their home a haven.

Clean!

Today over at The Homespun Heart Monica is talking about cleaning! I am really trying to stick with this Making your Home a Haven theme this week so here is what I plan on doing today. Clean out my refrigerator (so my husband can actually find leftovers for lunch) Clean our bedroom- needs dusting very badly Possibly clean the living room...although it seems like a losing battle Clean more clothes....made it through 6 loads yesterday and hoping for the same today I'm not sure it will happen since I tend to get more loads done in the evening and I will be gone .......so we'll see. I vow to do laundry daily after I get caught up!! I always say this, but this time I really mean it (I think)! My biggest obstacle is that my computer is right by the door to my laundry room and it calls to me...not really, but you know what I mean. Other things on the agenda: Make a sweet treat for the m&m's meeting tonight Decorate the bulletin board for m&m's Make dinner: country fried steak, mash pot and gravy, corn and rolls (yum!)