Blowing In The Last Day of March...

Brr! What a crazy Saturday we have had weather-wise. I woke up (before everyone else, of course-LOL!), made coffee and opened up the curtains. The sky was gray...lots of clouds and spitting rain. And there in front of Mt. Peavine was part of a rainbow. :) God was saying Good Morning to me!

I read my Bible and then attacked the project of the church financial quarterly reports and church budget report. It took me several hours...like six. LOL! Since we are a baby church, this is all new to us. And this budget thing. Even though I handle all our personal finances and our church's as well, it really isn't my favorite thing to do. It is hard to get it done on a school day because I really need quiet time to concentrate...so Saturday it was! :) Once that project was complete (silent cheer!), I tackled the housework doing a quick job of it.

Now on to dinner. This week was pretty busy and I didn't go grocery shopping. So I stood there looking at the pantry and freezer...I wanted to make chicken and dumplings but alas, not enough Bisquick. Something yummy and toasty to warm up our insides on this day...vegetable beef soup! There is nothing more inviting on a cold, blustery day than a pot of soup. :):):) (I don't really have a recipe...I just throw things together and walah! LOL!)

The weather was crazy windy...then spitting rain...then rained harder for a few minutes...then suddenly it all turned to snow! For the rest of the afternoon and early evening, lots of snow flurries. Not enough to stick but definitely made for a great soup and office work day!

After dinner and baths, I read the girls a chapter of the Boxcar Children then went back to work on my ladies Bible study for my meeting this Tuesday evening. My husband and I discussed my lesson and the chapter that I am teaching from for awhile when he got home.

Then off for a shower and checking my email and jotting down a few coupon deals for tomorrow. :)

Have a blessed Saturday evening! (I know I shall with my toasty heating pad. :)

Just Plain, Hard Work...

Yesterday, Addie saw me getting ready to iron and asked if she could do it. I said yes and then showed her how to do it. She happily did her new task as I supervised.

I know I have a big responsibility as a mom of four daughters. What I teach them as children and teenagers will carry on through their adult life. I want my daughters to leave home knowing how to run and manage a household successfully. And it is no easy task.

There is no manual in this job. I suppose it is a mixture of book knowledge, common sense and hands on teaching that I have received in my life. All that...and a lot of hard work thrown in!

At the times that it would be easier and quicker to do the tasks myself, I need to remember to let my daughters do the job to the best of their abilities.

When I am tired, I need to take time to teach them something new. A life skill.

It is not always an easy job...but it sure is rewarding. :)

Tuesday and My Shopping Trips

I did it. :) I went out today and did some couponing...and it felt really good! Here are the results of my efforts:

These are two FREE 8x10 pictures that I received from Walgreens. They are pictures from our Disneyland trip.

We stopped at Burger King and the girls received FREE ice cream cones. :)

We also stopped at the library and checked out some FREE books. LOL! These are some gardening books that I checked out...also The Boxcar Children to read to the girls in the evenings.

This is a combo of CVS and Wal-Mart:

Carefree Pantiliners - FREE and Moneymaker of $.24!

U-Kotex Pantiliners - $.24 each.

Up2U Packs of Gum - $.28 each.

KY - FREE and Moneymaker of $.32!

Snickers Eggs - FREE and Moneymaker of $.25!

Glade Scented Oil Warmers - $.24 each!

Dial Lotion - $2.99 each. (I had $2 off coupons that were expiring this week and couldn't wait for a better sale. But I needed lotion for these spring days coming up. :)

Charmin - 3 packs of 16 double rolls - $20.00 (This is soft and thick stuff! :) And since we ran out yesterday, it was a must have! LOL!

Wisk Laundry Detergent - $2.99 each. Love Wisk!

Recipe: Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

This is a new recipe I tried for our Sunday dinner and it is a keeper! It is so easy and tasty. I am not a pork chop lover because they are sometime a hard cut of meat to create flavor and tenderness. This recipe gave me both!

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 pound)

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup(Regular or 98% Fat Free)

3/4 cup milk

1 envelope (1 ounce) ranch salad dressing mix

Paprika

• Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned on both sides.
• Stir the soup, milk and 1 package salad dressing mix in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Sprinkle with the paprika.
• *These are the changes that I made to adapt to our Sunday schedule. I made 8 pork chops, used 1 package of ranch dressing mix and 1 can of mushroom soup. Sunday morning, I pan fried the pork chops in a skillet - partially cooking them (some pink in the middle). I then transferred to a 9x13 baking dish and covered with the sauce. I covered with aluminum foil and baked on 350 degrees for 45 min-1 hour. When we left for church, I left them in the oven and set the oven to the lowest setting to keep warm. (I didn't have a second crockpot or I would have transferred into that to keep warm.) When we arrived home, the pork chops were warm, ready to serve and very tender! I served with Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes...a yummy and filling Sunday dinner. :)

Three Lies We Believe About Our "Stuff"

A few thoughts on your home...

3 Lies We Believe About "Our Stuff"

1. It could be useful…later.

When you hang on to an item, because it might be useful later, you are ceasing to live in the present and placing unnecessary guilt on yourself.

If you are overweight, don't keep clothes that don't fit. You will just see them in your closet everyday and feel guilty.

If you aren't using it now, why not give it to someone who can use it now? Use your stuff to be a blessing to someone in need.

2. I keep that for the memory.

You won’t lose the memory if you get rid of the clutter filling your home. If it’s particularly special to you, take a picture. To keep something so you don’t lose the memory is a lie.

My grandma recently died. I could have taken much more of her belongings but I didn't want to. I wanted a few items that I could place on a special display. And that is what I have. A plaque with her picture from her funeral alongside four bells from her beloved bell collection. It is not kept away in a box.

And to tell you the truth, the memories of her aren't the things she owned that I now have. It was her life - passed down to me. And those are in my mind and heart. :)

If I never had a single material thing of my Grandma's, I still have what I need - my memory.

3. It would offend someone if I got rid of this.

My friends, it is your home. If someone gives you something you don’t particularly care for, you are not obligated to put it on display in your home. Donate it, or sell it, and let someone else love the item in their home.

I recently purchased this book for FREE on my Kindle, Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living. Tsh Oxenreider describes what clutter does to our homes beautifully:

“Clutter breeds stress, and if you let stuff take over this space, it’ll ward off people. People are what make a home what it is – a haven for your family.”

Maybe all you needed was for someone to say it’s okay to get rid of the items that don’t fit your family. Someone to say, “It is your home. Get rid of it. Everything will be okay. I promise.”

What about you? Have you been believing some of these lies about your stuff?

Falling off the Bandwagon...

Awhile back, someone made a comment that I had gotten all into couponing...and now I just kind of stopped...dropped out.

I was a bit hurt by that statement. (I know, I know...if I told my husband that, he would probably look at me like I had gone off my rocker. ;) It really isn't that big of a deal but I wanted to bring it up in a post to encourage you in a strange sort of way.

Just because someone says you have "given up" doesn't mean that you have.

There are lots of deals that I score here and there on a daily basis.

Today, I won a FREE bottle of Coffeemate Creamer. Now that, my friends, is a deal worth mentioning. :)

I "bought" several new books from Amazon.com for my Kindle Fire - about cooking, canning, homemaking, organizing, etc. - all for FREE!

I was able to get FOUR FREE children's tickets to the Shrine Circus by buying two adult tickets!

I got a FREE frozen strawberry lemonade from McDonald's for my 8 yr. old with a coupon in the mail yesterday!

I scored two FREE 8x10 photos of the girls at Disneyland at Walgreens!

I signed up for Kohl's e-mails...and received a $5 off coupon of a $5 purchase! Woo hoo! FREE stuff at Kohl's!

I joined Craftsy.com and received two FREE online classes - one on chocolate making and one on quilting! AWESOME!

(If I find time to take them...which I will make time. :)

I made a shopping trip to Food Source and Marketon on Wednesday and bought a boatload of fresh produce - fruits and vegetables - at a fraction of the supermarket chain prices. No coupons and I bought healthy, fresh food for my family.

See, even if I haven't done a couponing trip to CVS and Walgreens, I am still saving and doing great deals. Sometimes in it is in different ways.

Believe me, I would love to take a few hours of my morning and browse for deals and do my couponing...but I can't. You will find me at home - home schooling, being a housewife and babysitting for a church family. When summer comes, I might have a bit more time to be able to do my regular couponing and restocking my stash.

Whatever it may be in your life that people may be judging you on, forget it. It is between you and God. Do the best you can...and leave the rest to Him. :)

Recipe: Mexican Tostadas

Another new food idea I tried this week was tostadas. A Mexican inspired food. :) I love all things Mexican...I mean their food to be exact. My favorite food as a kid...tacos. This is a fun twist on tacos...and the great thing about them is they can be meatless - saving money on meat and healthier too. :) Or you can use up that leftover taco meat that isn't enough for a meal - but was enough for your hubby's tostadas. (That is what I did. :)

My Mexican Tostadas

Tostadas (You can buy them pre-made or fry your own corn tortillas which is very simple)

Refried beans (Add jalapenos for added kick)

(Choice of meat or go meatless)

Shredded cheddar cheese

Pick your favorite toppings:

Lettuce (I use romaine)

Diced tomatoes

Diced green onions

Diced avocado

Cilantro (Yes, yes, yes!!)

Salsa

Sour cream

Sliced black olives

Eat like a piece of pizza and enjoy!

Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean!

I am sure you have either used these before...or at least heard of them. :)

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Pure genius. I used these for the first time this week. On some (ahem)..."artwork" from my precious yet ornery four year old on the walls and doors. And they work like magic. :)))

It will take off pen, pencil, crayon, etc. as well as that hard to clean dirt from grubby little hands (like in my house). It really brightened up my white bedroom and closet doors. I still need to throw a fresh coat of paint on them - since it has been over three years since we painted them. But they look so, so much better.

I believe this 4 pack was $2.72 at Wal-Mart...I used a $1 MFR coupon...$1.72 for a great deal!

So try this lovely product today! It is a great help in your spring cleaning projects.

Recipe: Greek Pizza

So tonight for dinner, I made up my own Greek pizza. :) Here is the final result!

This was mine...pre-made pizza crust (good ol' Pillsbury :) topped with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.

Then diced chicken breast, diced onions, artichoke hearts, diced red bell peppers, sliced black olives, fresh spinach leaves, mozzarella and feta cheese.

I baked it at 450 until the crust was done...I think I may have had the crust too thick...or the toppings too many. LOL! It took quite awhile for the middle crust to brown. FYI on that.

Yet, it turned out delish and even Summer ate all hers. :) Yay for kids that will eat good for you food (and that were trained to. She sometimes drops her tomatoes and lettuce to the dogs but we are working on it. Ha ha!).

There are sooo many variations to pizza to try. Try something new today!

Friday's Nutshell

Today turned out to be a pretty busy day...

After being sick at the beginning of the week, I got out my calendar and realized that - I was supposed to get my husband's truck smogged and registered on Monday. The day I was incapacitated in my bed. Stink. I am a person that hates being late on things. So after beating myself up about it - LOL! - I just put it in my schedule for today.

Then I realized that reason that I had put off smogging the truck was the Check Engine light. It stays on most of the time and we have had mechanics look at it. There is really nothing wrong so we have just left it alone. Every year, we rig it for it to go off, have it smogged and off we go for another year. :) But it can be a worry if it will go off to pass again - which was my worry today.

So a tip in case you need it: Take one of the cables off of your battery for awhile. Hook it back on and have it smogged. Well, it worked for us and the light stayed off all of today. :)

So back to my day: I babysit during the week until 2:30 or so. We also do our home school lessons and I clean, do laundry, etc. I took time to register the girls for the next school year - 2012-2013. Addie will be in 4th, Autumn in 2nd and Sierra in K-5. Filled out the applications online, paid for the school year (what a blessing to continue to have the money for a Christian education for our children) and that was completed! Once the applications are processed, we will receive our books and materials for next year.

Then off to do errands...drop off books at the library, smog test at Jiffy Lube, buy tickets to see the Shrine Circus at the Reno Livestock Events Center Box Office, Department of Motor Vehicles to register the truck and renew my drivers license, doctor appointment for myself at the St. Mary's Clinic, pick up my prescription at Smith's, and get a movie for me and the hubby at Redbox...oh, and pick up two pepperoni pizzas at Little Caesar's for dinner. Whew!

Watched a movie with my husband, dinner with the kiddos and finish it with a couple online nutrition classes for WIC.

That was my Friday in a nutshell.

Well, all that I could fit in my little nutshell for one day. :)

My 35th Birthday...

Here are a few pictures from my birthday. :) Megan of our church had a get-together for our church ladies with food and a movie. They surprised me with a cake and gifts that night. They are all so sweet! One of our ladies made this special cake for me - Mrs. Sharon Cruz. :) It is a teapot and cupcakes around. It was chocolate with a coffee flavored filling. Yum!

My Kindle Fire from my hubby!

Megan gave me this cute bag with all these nice goodies inside!

Shannon gave me a cute homemade card along with a pack of homemade cards to use myself. LeAne and Claudia gave me Starbucks cards. (They know I love coffee! :) And Lisa gave me an Amazon Kindle gift card to buy new books for my new Kindle Fire. :) I loved it all and felt very loved. :)

Steps to Decluttering

Helpful Guide to Decluttering

Step 1. Choose an area.
To avoid becoming overwhelmed, find a small area to start working in. This could be a drawer, closet, bookshelf or specific area of a room. You may prefer to organize a small enough space that you can finish in one sitting. Knowing that you can cross an area off your list when it’s finished will help you stay motivated.

Step 2. Designate three bags (or boxes) to use.
Label the containers Move, Donate/Sell, and Trash. The items you place in the Move bag are possessions you want to keep but need to move to a different part of the house. The other two bags are for things you decide to get rid of or dispose of.

Step 3. Pull everything out of chosen area and clean.
Place all items in a pile and scrub, dust, vacuum or whatever else you need to do to make the area shine. Seeing the area completely clutter-free and sparkling will give you a renewed energy to do the purging that is ahead.

Step 4. Go through the pile of clutter.
This step is rather tedious and requires a lot of decision-making. Place each item in one of the designated bags or back in the area you are working on to keep. (If you have a particularly difficult time getting rid of stuff, you can designate a “Maybe” bag to store items you want to decide on later).

Step 5. Organize items that stay in that area.
Once you have purged the clutter pile, decide how you want to organize the items you are keeping. Make sure everything has a designated “home” to keep the area from becoming a cluttered mess again in the future.

Step 6. Throw out Trash bag (or box).
Do this quickly without a backward glance! The feeling of a small burden lifting off your shoulders will ensue as the bag sails into the dumpster.

Step 7. Place Donate/Sell bag in a temporary storage zone.
The best temporary storage location is somewhere that causes an inconvenience or an eye-sore. For example, a corner of the living room or on top of the chest freezer in the garage. If you have to look at it or move it all the time, chances are you will deal with it sooner than later.

Step 8. Find new homes for items in the Move bag.
Whether you do this on the same day or at another time, designate a new “home” for each item. If you find that you don’t have a place for it, then you may decide you don’t need to keep it and move it to the Donate/Sell bag.

Step 9. Get rid of Donate/Sell items.
Once you are ready, decide what you are going to do with each item in this bag. If you are selling, decide when and where. If you are donating, check out this extensive list of non-profit organizations that take donations. Whatever you do, make a plan and follow the appropriate steps to ensure the stuff moves out of your house in a timely fashion.

Step 10. Celebrate your accomplishment.
De-cluttering is no easy task, so take pride in a job well done. Take before and after pictures. Treat yourself to a latte. Or dance around the house to your favorite song as your children look at you like you’re crazy. Whatever floats your boat.

Use this guide for every area of your home at a pace that is comfortable to you. A little each day goes a long way. Soon you will be able to see your entire house transform from cluttered to clean. What a wonderful feeling that will be!

Cleaning Tip: Ceiling Fans & Pillowcases?

This is a great idea I found on Pinterest! Another great tip for spring cleaning. :)

• Find an old pillowcase and label it “For Ceiling Fan Cleaning”.

• Next, place the pillowcase on each blade and wipe it down, catching any of the dust inside of the pillowcase. Jump up and down and get excited that dust isn’t falling all over your floor and making you sneeze. :)
• After you’ve made your rounds to each blade, admire how new and shiny your ceiling fan looks!

• And let your dust bunnies free outside. Give it a good beating and then a run through the washing machine!

  
  

Ideas for Easter Baskets

When you are looking to fill an Easter basket for kids, keep in mind that you are helping them today with their present and future relationship with food. This is a great time to set a good example in not only what you are eating, but also in how you are approaching this season.

Practice Portion Control in your Kids Easter Basket

While plastic Easter eggs are standard fare for an Easter basket for kids, they aren’t exactly environmentally friendly. However, if you save them and reuse them in your kid’s Easter basket year after year, they can be an inexpensive and fun way to manage candy consumption. A small egg is the perfect size for 4-5 jelly beans, M&M’s, or a dark chocolate Hershey’s Kiss. Let the kids choose one or two eggs a day for a fun treat without overdoing the sugar. Avoid giant bunnies and other extra large candy items that take weeks to eat.

Think Outside the Easter Candy Box

Easter isn’t all about candy so don’t make your Easter basket for kids all about it either. Try filling toy eggs with stickers, tattoos, Lego’s, or personal notes teaching the meaning behind Easter. Easter books, movies, and art supplies make great additions to any Easter basket. Create a theme for your kid’s Easter basket and you’ll be surprised at the fun ideas that come to mind that have nothing to do with candy. For a spring themed basket, start with a large flowerpot filled with real grass you grew yourself. Add gardening tools, seed packets, gloves, and sunglasses and you’re off to a great start!

Remember the Reason for the Easter Season

Easter is about a whole lot more than baskets, candy, and eggs. While it’s fun to build a beautiful Easter basket and watch the excitement of the kids as they uncover each treat, we should remember that this isn’t the focal point of the day. Build a fun, healthy Easter basket, but don’t over think it or worry too much about how it will be received. Make time to talk about and celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the message of hope and renewal. Your kids will be blessed by that more than any Easter basket you come up with.

Here are a few ideas from Faithful Provisions for unique Easter baskets:

FOR YOUNGER GIRLS

Craft or Artist Basket

• Use a cute backpack or tote bag in lieu of an Easter basket
• Gather items from a local museum. Often they have picture postcards of current displays.
• Pastels, colored pencils, crayons, poster paint, water color
• Drawing pads and paper
• Paint brushes and sponges
• Plastic drop cloth and apron

Bath Basket

• Beach towel (Disney characters, cartoon characters)
• Bubble bath
• Tooth brush
• Bed time book (can do with recordable Hallmark books)
• Fizzing bath beads
• Bath crayons
• Put it all in a $.99 tote from the Dollar Store that will serve as an Easter basket. She will have a bath caddy then to use indefinitely with her name on it

FOR OLDER GIRLS

Tea or Coffee Easter Basket

• How about using a spring purse or tote in lieu of an Easter Basket?
• A pretty tea cup or coffee mug
• Sample tea and coffee packets
• Tea on the Go (ice tea packets) or Starbucks Via packets
• Recipes cards for flavored sugar and/or fruit tea
• Tuck in a poem or scripture on a recipe card (see Scripture ideas below)
• Chocolate or small jar of honey
• Scented candle or room oil

A Book Lover’s Easter Basket

If your daughter is a reader, create a book lover’s Easter basket that she’ll love.

• Pepperidge Farm cookies (a little more sophisticated!)
• Instant coffee, hot chocolate, or her favorite tea
• A new book or Bible
• Travel mug with lid
• Gift cards to her favorite coffee shop or restaurant
• Pretty gown or pair of PJ’s (for night time reading!)
• Reading light (I like this reading light from Amazon. It comes in lots of different colors! Perfect!)
• A gift card to Amazon

FOR BOYS

A Baseball Player’s Easter Basket

It’s baseball season, so if you’ve got a player, how about filling a basket with new baseballs and his favorite candy? Add in a collector’s baseball card. These don’t have to be expensive. You can find them on eBay (or maybe even in Granddad’s attic). What about a couple of packs of new cards? Instead of plastic green grass, line the basket with the Sports page.This is an Easter basket to make for anyone who loves baseball. You may want to add:

• A pair of tickets to see a local Minor League game
• Microwave popcorn
• Bubble gum (He’s never too old for Big League Chew Bubblegum!)
• Eye black
• New baseball cap

A Music Lover’s Easter Basket

Another Easter basket to make for boys? If you’ve got an older boy who likes music, fill a basket with:

• iTunes gift cards
• New ear buds
• A couple of CDs
• Accessories he can use: Guitar strings, guitar picks, drum sticks

A Book Lover’s Easter Basket

After raising two boys, I’m pretty much convinced that readers are born, not made. If you’ve got a son who loves to read, an Easter basket to make for him should include:

• The next book in the series he’s reading
• A new book by his favorite author
• Gift cards to his favorite coffee shop or restaurant
• A gift card to Amazon