Insane...Yes!

If you are a SAHM (stay-at-home mom), there are long days.  Just being truthful.  I have been feeling these days...particularly confined.  Since our truck is out of commission, we are down to one family vehicle.  This means that my husband uses the van to go to work...and I am stranded at home.  Ah yes, I do feel quite stranded...on an island with four walls and four kids.  LOL!

Sometimes you have to wonder, if I wasn't a SAHM, what would I be doing?  I loved what Mitt Romney said about his wife, Ann, at the Republican National Convention last night.  He said she would have been successful whatever she had chosen to do.  Sometimes we SAH moms sit down in the middle of dirty dishes, screaming children, dirty paw prints on the floor...and wonder "Where is the success in this career?"  I know without a shadow of a doubt that Mrs. Romney asked herself this same thing.  I mean, she had five boys!  You have to be crazy to think she just sat back every single day, looked around and thought...This is the life! :)  

For instance...in one week, my one year old was caught eating a tube of lipstick, raiding the dog food (well, that is just a daily occurrence :/), took the cap off the pancake syrup and drank it like a Coke, painted her toes, feet, legs and stomach along with the bathroom with nail polish two times, pulled the potty chair into the bathtub with her, took off her poopy diaper herself, and just last night, ate 1/2 bottle of Mylanta Antacid Tablets...yep, in a week.  Every time I turn around, she is into something else. I am thinking a leash might be helpful. 

So I am not writing a feel-good, you can do it post about being the perfect SAHM. :)  I just wanted to encourage you out there...I understand.  And it is OK. It is OK to feel discouraged...overwhelmed...and wonder if you might just be insane.  Just know there is another insane mom right there beside you.  :)

Recipe: Zucchini Onion Pie

Here is a yummy, yummy recipe for harvest season!!  I made this tonight and it will go in my keeper file. :)  

(Mom, this is definitely for you!!)

Zucchini Onion Pie

3 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced (I used garlic powder)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup biscuit/baking mix
1 small onion, chopped

In a large bowl, whisk the first seven ingredients.  Stir in the zucchini, baking mix and onion.  Pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until lightly browned.
*Note:  I cooked mine way longer...I would say nearly an hour?  So allow extra time the first time you make it in case it takes you longer as well.

Mt. Rose Trail Hike - Galena Falls

Here are a few pictures from our family hiking day on Saturday!  

This is our first time to hike the Mt. Rose Summit trail.  As you can see, where you begin on the trail is 8,900 ft. in elevation.  Just on the hike to the falls, it is a gain of 500+ ft.  So we were at 9,400 ft.  This point where the trail begins is the highest year-round Sierra pass.  

It is quite windy as high as we were.  Here is my hubby and I ready to take the hike. :)

Summer got a free ride.  LOL!  This is a Kelty hiking child carrier that we found at a garage sale.  She looked so cute in it.

So awesome!  You can actually see Lake Tahoe from the trail!!  Yep, there she is. :)

Love!!  Our three oldest with Tahoe in the background.  Addie is 9, Autumn is 6 and Sierra is 4.

On the trail, you could catch a glimpse of this mountain lake through the trees.  So gorgeous!  I wish we could find the trail to hike there. :)

The girls loved the water from the falls...howbeit, very cold!

This is the falls we hiked to - Galena Falls.

Love this little chubster!  Look at those cheeks!!  LOL!

Ahhh...our little tomboy with her Dolphins football jersey, her backwards camo hat and her dirty face. :)

Libraryelf.com

Here is a website that some of you may find useful.  It is called libraryelf.com.

If your library participates, you can sign up your family's library cards.  Then you may choose to receive e-mail reminders about due dates, hold pick-ups, overdue books and such.  It sounds like a great program.  I know my library now fines you if you do not pick up your holds.  And who can remember all your due dates for your family's great collection of borrowed books?  

My library does not participate but perhaps yours does!  Check it out today. :)

Family fun...

Having a little family time this weekend...

yesterday, the girls and I took the day off of school.  We cleaned the church then ran some errands.  Got gas (yikes...the highest around is $4.15 but thankfully we got it for $3.91), deposited a check into the ATM, made a shopping trip to Toys R' Us for Addie to use her birthday coupon, visited the new 99 Cent store here in Reno (not too impressed :), stopped at the Industrial Supply Place and picked up a new case of paper towels for the church, made a short trip to the Goodwill (where I found 4 long jean skirts for this fall!!!-I was very excited-jean skirts have been hard to find lately-all $3.99 each :), and lastly a trip to Wal-Mart for some items.

We then picked up my husband from work and headed for home.  For dinner, we had chicken and spinach quesadillas (yum!).  All you need to do is butter a tortilla and place in a skillet.  Spread with mozzarella cheese, diced cooked chicken breasts, fresh spinach leaves.  Place on top with another buttered tortilla.  Cook on both sides until a golden brown. Cut in fourths...top with salsa and sour cream if desired.  (I like sour cream and a squirt of lime juice!)  Enjoy!  Yes, even my kids down to the 1 yr old will eat the spinach. :)  Quesadillas are so easy and versatile.  You can make tons of different kinds and never be bored.

We then watched the new Three Stooges movie together.  That was a hoot.  The girls love the slapstick comedy.  Then I stayed up with the hubby and watched one more movie and we chatted and just spent time hanging out together. :)

Today, we have visitation this morning.  Then we are planning a family hike!  Pictures to follow.  Have a great day!

Thursday

What a busy and non-busy week!  Monday - my husband went swimming with three of our church men.  Tuesday was the men's Bible study at church, Wednesday - my husband and I had dinner with our newest members of our church-the Ovrebos. :)  They are such a sweet and giving couple and we had an excellent time of fellowship with them.  Tonight, my husband went on a bike hike with one of our church men.  So maybe I should say - he has been busy!  LOL!  

Today, we did school and added on two more pupils. :)  I babysat for our friend's boys and they do the Abeka videos as well.  So we had a busy day of school with five DVD's playing at once - well, with headphones so it was not that bad.  Actually, the day went very smooth - Autumn had cut under her finger nail and she had a hard time writing for a few days.  So today, we were able to catch up on her school papers.  All papers, quizzes and tests were graded and recorded and we are right up to date - 12 days of school under our belt.  And since we started early according to our schedule, I decided to take tomorrow off.  With not having a vehicle in the daytime, I not only do not get any errands done...but I am going stir crazy! LOL!  I just NEED to get out.  Even if it to clean the church and walk amongst the Reno folk.  Ha ha!

Tonight's dinner was Bart's Black Bean Soup (no, I do not know Bart) and cornbread muffins.  Still too warm really (94 degrees today) for soup but oh well. :)

Have a great Thursday evening!

Freezer Cooker: Pancakes and Waffles

I finally got around to a project I have been wanting to do for a few weeks...cook and flash freeze waffles and pancakes.  A lady in our church had given us 20 lbs of pancake/waffle mix.  Yep, that is a lot.  LOL!  One of the best ways to use it efficiently was to cook and then freeze.  I had done this back in May with french toast...and what a blessing!  It is so easy to make a hot and hearty breakfast on a busy school morning using this method.  And older kids can easily make their own breakfast without any assistance.

All you do is make the pancakes or waffles as directed on the package (or from scratch...one day I will get around to making them from scratch :)...place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or parchment paper.  Freeze for 30 minutes.  Then place in plastic baggies - I could only do this with the pancakes which hold 2 pancakes.  Then place in a gallon Ziploc freezer bag.  (The waffles had to go directly into the freezer bag because of their size.)

With 10 lbs of mix, I was able to make 39 waffles and 69 pancakes.  

It was a busy morning but a filled-up shelf in my freezer is well worth the effort. :)

Monday...

Today went well.  Actually very well.  LOL!  As many crazy things that have been happening on a daily basis it seems, today seemed very mellow.  Ha ha!

Home school - day 9...Autumn had her first test today.  Watered the lilacs, watered the garden, took out the recycles, took out the garbage, cleaned every room in the house, dishes, mailed a few letters, sent a letter over to our neighbor, cleaned the fridge, did several loads of laundry, washed my comforter and sheets, fed and watered the dogs, paid the phone bill, recorded Sunday's tithes...ah, so much.  Finished the day with grilling chicken breasts, breaded fried zucchini and sweet potato biscuits for dinner...followed with running a few errands to some folks' houses to drop off their items, baths and dishes again.

Thankful for a productive day from the Lord!

God's Timing

Sometimes...there are just things and timing that God uses as blessings in disguise.

Yesterday, we had just gotten off the exit ramp to go to the church for visitation.  I glanced over and thought I recognized my father-in-law's truck off to the side with a few other vehicles.  I then caught a glimpse of him.  We turned around and went back.  My FIL had accidentally ran a red light and another vehicle hit him on the rear driver's side.  I dropped off my husband to be with him.  My husband helped him through the process because he was very shaken up.  My FIL told me over and over to thank him for staying with him and what a help and comfort he was to take care of everything for him.

I am glad that we arrived after the accident happened and that my husband was able to be with him during that time.  God's timing.

Later, we went to a local storage facility to rent a storage unit for our church.  For some reason, their computer system crashed and it took a very long time to get it going.  During the wait, the conversation came to churches...he found out we were Christians, my husband was a pastor and that the storage unit was for our church.  He gave us a larger unit for 50% off the regular price and gave us a free lock and car wash!  PTL!!  

Even though we had to wait and wait...if we did not have to wait - we might not have discussed church, etc...and not have received the blessings.  God's timing.

Then, we went to the transmission shop to buy a rebuilt transmission for our truck.  I waited in the van with Summer and not very long - here comes my husband right back out.  Strange.  He told me that this place of business did not accept credit cards - only cash.  That sent off a signal right away - perhaps something is fishy?  That just did not sound right.  I am sure that I would not be carrying $1,000 cash.  So my husband left.  On his way out, he talked to a group of folks waiting outside the transmission shop.  They had work done on their vehicle and when they got it back - their radio had been stolen from under their seat.  They were waiting for the police to come to file a report.  And they felt that perhaps it was the employees that stole it.

So even though I have to wait longer to have two vehicles back for our use, perhaps that was a blessing.  We could have received a bad transmission and perhaps lost our money too.  We will never know what perhaps the Lord has spared us from.  God's timing.

I sure want God's timing in my life - no matter how long I need to wait! :)

Recipe: Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

Always in a hurry to have breakfast? Make these packets up and store in your freezer for a quick and on-the-go breakfast. :)

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

Add to each bag:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (or raw sugar)
• cinnamon, chocolate chips, raisins, or other mix-ins

Store in an airtight container or freeze for up to three months.

To serve: Pour instant oatmeal packet into a bowl and add 3/4 cup water. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, until cooked. Stir and serve. You can also cook in a saucepan on the stove, if you prefer.

Four Ways to Use Green Tea in Your In-Home Spa

Here are four beauty tips that I ran across and wanted to share with you:

Green tea is one fierce free-radical fighter. Consuming the antioxidants in the beverage fight off aging, stress, and illness. That same green tea can work wonders in soothing, spa-like ways at distinctly unspa-like prices (is that a word?) Try these beauty-boosters before or after you’ve had a dainty sip.

Bath Soak: Toss in five tea bags while filling the bathtub with warm water (don’t use hot water. It strips the skin of moisture). The bath is ready when the water is tinted a greenish hue. The vitamins and minerals released into the water nourish and moisturize the skin, fight aging, and increase elasticity. A tea bath can also soothe sunburns, razor burns, nicks, and cuts. Green body treatments at the spa include the traditional mani/pedi to full-body massages and wraps and can cost upwards of $30. Keep your plastic in your wallet and soak up the nutrients in the privacy of your own home. A box of 20 green tea bags is under $2.00. Price per bath? $0.50 cents! Save that $30 wad of cash intended for the spa and pat yourself on the back for being so savvy.

Eye Compress: Pamper tired peepers with rejuvenating and soothing compresses. Place moistened (or just used…no judgment here) tea bags over the eyes and relax. The tannin in the tea helps to reduce swelling and discoloration. Sweltering day? Chill the bags in the fridge for several minutes for an extra cool treat. With that same box of tea, you’ve spent $0.20 cents on an eye treatment that serves the same purpose as drugstore creams and revitalizing serums. Those can start at $10 (if you’re lucky) and don’t include the refreshing beverage.

Astringent: For an alcohol-free astringent, steep three green tea bags in about 2 cups of water for about 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, add 3 Tbs. of witch hazel. Allow the mixture to cool. Pour into a clean bottle. Apply with clean cotton balls.

In a few simple steps, you have a gentle astringent that nourishes the skin and tightens pores without the harsh, burning effect of most store-bought astringents.

A 10 ounce bottle of SeaBreeze, for example, is about $4. Instead, spend about $4.50 onWitch Hazel to make oodles of astringent for months to come.

Save yourself money, and baby your face using this recipe. Oh, and be mindful to label the storage bottle and store it in your bathroom, not the kitchen.

Facial: Spa facials are relaxing and great for your skin. But for $60, I can buy a lot of groceries and school supplies for my family. So I opt for a relaxing KrazyCouponLady’s night in with an easy green tea steam facial.

For less than $1.00 a pop, you can even treat your girlfriends! Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and remove from the heat. Steep three green tea bags in the water for about five minutes. Let the water cool a bit. Pour the liquid into a large bowl and drape a towel over your head to catch the steam as you lean over the bowl. Add a few drops of essential oil to add to the spa-ahhh factor. (I prefer peppermint.) After 10 minutes or so, rinse your face with cool water to snap those newly-cleaned pores shut and follow with that green tea astringent for healthy, glowing, refreshed skin.

Jewelry Freebie - Hurry!!

Hurry!  You have about 3 hours to snag this freebie!  Go to this link http://1saleaday.com/weloveyou/

and click to buy.  If you are not a customer, it takes just a second to enroll.  And you won't need to put in any credit card info.  So easy!  No shipping costs!

I am going to give this to my oldest for Christmas.  Love FREE Christmas presents!

Couponing-8/12/12

Sunday afternoon, I managed to get out of the house and do a little couponing. :)

I bought 4 packs of diapers for $5.49 each

1 Wisk for $2.99

1 Gillette razor with two cartridges for $1.99

I also bought soda for the next church function. 

I have been a little behind in my couponing this summer but am glad for any time that I do just go and do it!

Random Summer Pictures...

Just a few random pictures...here is my oldest daughter and my youngest daughter.  Summer likes to get in everything - including her sister's purses, etc. and make a mess.  So here is big sister putting her in the "time out" chair.  (Which we have never used as a form of punishment. LOL!)  Look closely and you will see Summer tied to the chair with a jump rope.  Ha ha!

Fried zucchini - yum!  I made these from my neighbor's garden.

This is a nice jewelry box that my mother in law sent me for a birthday present. :)

The Three Stooges!

Photo Freebie!

Go to

 http://photos.walmart.com/walmart/storepage/storePageId=backtoschool 

for a FREE 5x7 photo from Wal-Mart!  

Yay for freebies! :)

Photos of Summertime

It has been an extremely hot and dry summer here in Reno.  So I let the girls cool off in the sprinkler in the front lawn. :)

Video: Summer's Got Moves!

This is pretty cute...it is Summer doing her little jig.  LOL!

A Ray of Sunshine...

This morning, I went out to my garden to water and was surprised to see my sunflower had finally emerged!  It was a gift from my neighbor from their garden. :)

$5 Freebie at Babies/Toys R Us!

Here is a great freebie!  It is a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $5 or more at Babies R Us or Toys R Us.  This could mean a free baby gift for an expectant friend or a toy for the kids or grandkids for Christmas.  It expires 8/16 so hurry! :)

http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2255957#feature-4

Monday

What a busy Monday!  I started with coffee at 5am and a run to Wal-Mart at 6am.  We are still a one car family so I need to use any moment I can when I can.  Today was our 5th day of school...Addie had her first quiz today.  I did house cleaning and laundry.  I didn't do all the laundry because I was afraid to overflow everything again - that is what happened last Wednesday.  

The day started off cool and cloudy which I loved - minus the humidity.  LOL!  I watered my garden and finished digging out those pesky weeds in the front lawn.  I was pouring sweat by the time we got done - whew!  I do feel better just knowing they are gone! :)

We also had a youth workers meeting this evening at our home.  I made chicken salad croissants, 7 layer salad, watermelon slices and sweet tea/coffee.  All my favorites! :)  We made a lot of headway on planning our annual teen rally in March.

Off to sleep and to another day. :)  

Becoming a Blessed Person

This morning, my husband preached a very good message in a sermon series called "So You Want To Be Blessed?".  He read the sermon on the mount and said that being blessed is just not something you receive.  I use that phrase a lot in my life.  How the Lord gave me a special blessing...and HE surely does!  But in this context, being blessed is who you are.  Because of what you are.  

We talked about the first beautitude - "Blessed are the poor in spirit"...which is simply being humble.  If I evaluated myself, I think I am a humble person.  And I hope others find me so as well.  But pride can certainly sneak in without us realizing it.  I needed this reminder today!

How can I be blessed?  Today I learned it is by being humble.

DIY: Make Super Crayons!

Here is a fun activity to do with your kids with your old crayons from last year.  

Make it a science activity. :)

Super Crayons

• Spray the muffin pan with a light coating of non-stick spray.
• Place a few bits of crayon in each cup, filling it about halfway full.
• Place in the oven at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes until melted. NOTE: Ovens will vary and yours might do the job in more or less time. It is best to start at a low temp and check the progress in five minute intervals until done.
• Remove and allow to cool.
• Once cool, pop the new super-rainbow-crayons out and start scribbling!

This is a great way to repurpose old crayons and save them from the landfill, and at the same time it is a great rainy day activity that you can enjoy with the kids!  (Not that we have rainy days here in the desert! LOL!)

 So start scouring the house for those crayons bits!

Recipe: Vanilla Biscotti

Vanilla Biscotti

 I have never attempted making biscotti before.  If you are not familiar with it, it is a hard cookie - perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. :)  This is the perfect recipe to try - so very easy!  

Recipe Yield: 16 Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• dash salt
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° and grease one loaf pan.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar together until well blended.
3. Add the vanilla and mix together, followed by the flour and salt.
4. Spread the dough into the bottom of the loaf pan and bake about 30 minutes.
5. Remove the loaf from the pan, let it cool, and cut into 16 pieces using a serrated knife.
6. Grease a baking sheet with the butter and spread out the biscotti. The butter will help it brown just a bit.
7. Bake for 5 minutes on each side at 375°. Let cool.
8. Do a happy dance and enjoy your new creation with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk!

Getting to the Root

Today, I spent part of my morning digging out these stubborn weeds from our front yard.  They were overtaking several areas and do not allow the grass to grow.  It was time to get to the root of the problem and restart again.

As I dug, I thought about how this was like life.  

1.  Our sin is our "weeds" in our life.  Our weeds could be a prideful heart or a bitter spirit.  Evaluate your life and determine what sin is taking over your heart.

2.  That sin is taking your spiritual nourishment in your life.  Any time you try to feed your grass in your life-your soul, the sin or weeds will grab that food and water away.

3.  Determine to get to the "root" of the problem.  Perhaps you have a bitter spirit.  What is the cause of that bitterness?  Unforgiveness?  Anger?  You can not rid yourself of the bitter spirit until you take care of the root that is causing it.  I knew the only way to really attack the problem of the weeds were to dig them out...one by one...and remove the roots as well.

4.  Once you have rid yourself of the weeds and roots of your sin, sow the Word of God into those bare spots.  Now that I have removed the weeds, I can sow good seeds of grass into the bare patches of our lawn.  Do the same into your heart!

:)  Have a great Tuesday!

Eric's 32nd Birthday

On Friday, my husband and I had a date day for his birthday.  We started it by a 2 hour trip to the DMV to renew his license. :/  Then a free lunch at Red Lobster!  Using a coupon and gift card.    We hiked in Sheep's Meadow near Lake Tahoe.  Then we went and walked the beach at Kings Beach on Lake Tahoe.  We ended the evening with sushi with friends at Sushi Pier 2.  It was a most fabulous day!

Addie's 9th Birthday

Thursday was our oldest daughter's birthday.  Addie turned 9 years old.  I take each daughter out for a Mommy-Daughter birthday date each birthday.  We do a lot of fun freebies!

This was one of her gifts - a Happy Napper.  It is a stuffed animal that you can stuff and it turns into a pillow.  They are pretty cute. :)  I ordered these at a screaming deal and have been saving them. 

She is wearing the jewelry that her dad got her for her birthday.

We always go to Red Robin for lunch bc she gets a free kids meal.  However, I did not receive her coupon in my email so we used a free kids meal from Fuddrucker's instead. :)

Another steal I got online awhile ago - a Hello Kitty watch.  :)

Free Wii game from Redbox - Madagascar. :)

She wanted to make her own cake so she got to pick out what she wanted.

We then went to Chuck E. Cheese and she played the games with her free birthday tokens.  We had to take a picture with the pirate for Sierra. :)

She bought these shoes with her birthday money from Nana Holt and Aunt Rachel and Uncle Adam. :)

We still have a few birthday coupons to use.  I love having these days with my girls. :)