God's Grace is Sufficient

That's Us!

2010-03-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

I love that my husband is a graphic artist/web designer! He does amazing work, but I especially love it when he puts his skills to work for our family pictures. This picture collage was created for my grandparents in Seattle to get a glimpse of our family with updated pictures. And, if you've looked at my blog lately, then you'll recognize most of these picture. Oops. :)

She's 3 Now!

2010-03-07T10:57:00.006-06:00

Sorry for the lame title, but I had to be consistent. Equal-opportunity parent and all. :)

Our little girl is three now! And, she's already talking about being 4~LOL! Something about having an older brother makes you want to be older, I suppose. However, she does NOT want to turn 5 because then her brother will be 8 and he believes he will be getting a dog when he turns 8. It's apparently something that my husband told our son when he was 4 and he has NEVER forgotten it. Bear, on the otherhand, does not like dogs, so she has informed me over and over that she will not be turning 5. It's so funny how little ones' minds work, isn't it? (And, how brothers inform their sisters how old everyone will be when certain things will happen--just a disclaimer in case you thought you'd start bombarding me with how to teach a newbie 3 year old how to do math on her own!)

Our little girl is a lot like her mama as my parents keep reminding me. I chose to take that as a compliment as I'm sure they intend it! ;) She's definitely strong willed yet is working on being compliant even when she doesn't want to. She loves to laugh and have fun and tell silly stories. She isn't super into dressing up with pretend clothes, but when she does she either wants to be a princess or a warrior. She likes to pretend to be a baby gorilla or a frog. (Don't ask me why because I don't know.) Dora is a favorite show along with Diego and Veggie Tales. She's learning how to build and use her "magination." She likes the Wii but REALLY likes to design her Mii character which she calls her "customer." She's a busy bee and loves going up and down the stairs at her grandparent's house. If I'm on the phone, then she always wants to say hi to whomever I am talking to, but that's the extent she normally wants to talk. If she gets a snack from the pantry (with permission, of course!), then she always gets one for her brother as well and says, "Which one do you want? They are both the same." Apparently, something she hears a lot. She's black and white--either she likes something or she does NOT. Prayerfully that will serve her well in the future as she stays the course and isn't persuaded by the world's standards. (Romans 12:2) Thank You, Lord, for the precious gift of our baby girl.

"The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

~Numbers 6:24-26

That's what I get for "making" her smile at me when she was looking at her present!

Now, she's ready for posing!

He's 6 Now!

2010-03-02T20:45:00.006-06:00

My son is 6 years old now. In some ways it seems like a lifetime ago that he was born and in some ways it seems like yesterday. I'm sure most people feel that way about their kiddos. He's an amazing kid with great energy and high spirits. He's sensitive to hurting people. He loves to read and do math and learn and do school with me--hallelujah! It's important to him to be obedient and he struggles with failure. He adores his little sister and loves the role of "big brother". If football is on TV, then he's sitting there with us watching it and yelling at the players. Soccer is his national past time--our little Pele Jr. His baby teeth are coming out faster than the new ones are growing, so he has a slight lisp now. He is very gifted at memorization and that has helped him memorize more Bible scripture than I ever knew at his age. He loves hugs and cuddling and tickle wars. Pancakes are his favorite food in the whole world. And, donuts from his grandpa. He shares his sugar free gum with me and often gives sister the biggest piece of their shared treat. He's an amazing child of God and a future warrior for His Kingdom. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of our son!

This was him telling us all the things he could buy with the $6 he got from his grandparents! So animated!

Our soccer star! Go Colts!

Daddy and son

Rainy Day Activities

2010-02-26T15:53:00.007-06:00

My kids were quiet. Too quiet. Many of you know that feeling, I'm sure. So, I went to investigate. Here's what I found:

I'm not sure if it's an invasion or an exodus.

But, I am loving the angels fighting alongside the turtles.

And, the trio airplane with the transformer one.

Don't forget the army men...even the one sleeping. (Although, when I asked Josiah about the one laying down, he said that "he's not sleeping. I knocked him over on accident, but he wouldn't stay up, so I just left him.")

There are cannons...

And carts with wheels...

And torches for nighttime attacks.

I think he has us covered. I'm so glad for preparedness. And rainy days!

Ciao,
J

Catching up

2010-02-09T10:26:00.012-06:00

It's been awhile since I posted last. No apologies. No excuses. But, so that you can forgive me, here's a photo montage of our last few weeks. We've been very busy...

Practicing how to blow up balloons

Showing off mad monkey skills

Creating Castles

Losing teeth left and right

Finding new ways to nap

Turning 6 years old

Turning 33 years old

Making lots of playdoh food

Soccer Awards

Tickle wars

Building a plethora of Trio sets

And, most of all...just being cute!

Cake Balls

2009-11-11T08:00:00.002-06:00

I am so excited to try this recipe for Cake Balls from an article in the Dallas Morning Newspaper that my mom sent me last year. I'm thinking these are going to make awesome Christmas presents this year. The article can still be found online HERE.

Cake Balls

1 box of cake mix
Ingredients needed on cake mix: water, eggs, oil
1 can of prepared frosting
Almond Bark

Optional Items:
lollipop sticks
oil based candy dye
Decorative items like: chopped nuts, sprinkles, etc

First, make and bake the cake as directed on the box.

Once baked, I removed it from the pan immediately to start cooling. [Side note: And, wouldn't you know that the cake came out perfect, but if I had really needed the cake to come out perfectly for some time when I wasn't going to mutilate it, then you know it wouldn't have! okay, I'm done...back to cake balls...]

While the cake is still warm, crumble it up into a large bowl. You can use your fingers or an electric hand mixer. (The hand mixer is easier because you want the cake to be a fine texture, but be forewarned that the cake tends to jump out of the bowl!)

Then add 3/4 to 1 full can of frosting apparently depending on taste. What?! According to taste?! Just do the whole can and be done with it. Stirring well until thoroughly combined. Chill the mixture for a couple of hours or speed up this process by placing it in the freezer.

Using your hands or a small cookie scoop (think melon baller size), roll the mixture into balls and place them on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Recommended ball size is 1 1/2 inches--smaller balls rather than large ones are easier to eat later. This makes about 30-35 cake balls.

Gotta get your kiddos into it!

Finished rolling...whew!

Side note: I had to rearrange all the cake balls into straighter lines BEFORE I could take a picture. LOL!

My Personal Notes about Rolling the Balls:
Use a cookie scoop. Mash it in there. Peel off the excess around the edges. Release the cake ball from the scoop into your hand. Admire the almost perfectly round cake ball. Place it on wax paper and be done.

Optional Step for Cake Pops:
After rolling all the balls, insert sticks into each ball. Then, resume with the following directions.

Back to Everyone:
Chill for several hours in the fridge. Or if you are in a hurry, then place in the freezer. I do not have room in my freezer AT ALL, so I used the fridge. *Note: I had them in the fridge for 6 hours before I felt like they were firm enough!

About 15 minutes before the balls are ready, melt almond bark in a container that is tall and narrow. I don't really have a container like that so I used a measuring cup.

When the almond bark is ready you can stir in 1 tablespoon of shortening until melted. The shortening makes the almond bark more smooth and easier to dip. If you used the freezer, then make sure the cake balls aren't frozen solid when you begin working with them.

Working in small batches, remove some cake balls from the fridge/freezer and dip in the melted almond bark. Use tongs, forks, toothpicks or candy forks to manage the balls and get them completely covered. Place each ball on waxed paper to harden. I had to twist, twirl, tap and beg them to get the excess chocolate off and make them *somewhat* smooth. I don't know how professionals do it, but I'd love to sneak in and watch them!

And, now you are finished! OR...you can decorate the outside of the cake balls with almond bark that has been dyed with oil based candy dye or roll the cake balls (before hardening) in coconut, chopped nuts, sprinkles, chopped candy bars etc. The ideas are endless...

Most recipes and blogs say to keep them at room temperature once completed and I tried that. But, I'm telling you, they are WAY better cold. (I think the concern is that the chocolate coating will crack in the fridge but mine didn't.) Plus, they really don't last that long...truly!

I did attempt to dye the white almond bark to see if that would cover up my chocolate cake better. So, I used red paste dye stuff:

But, I think I need to thin it out more because it was way more gloppy. See?

I also put a couple on some sticks I had and it was actually much easier to smooth the chocolate on the cake balls when they were on the stick. I guess because I didn't have to touch them at all with anything...just twirled and tapped. When I do these again at Christmas, I'll definitely be using the sticks.

And, here's my silly attempt at "decorating" them with sprinkles. LOL. You can laugh...I did. And, that's why there's only ONE of these. :)

Finished plate of them for my little family. They are SO good! My meat-eating husband couldn't stop praising them, but it was slightly hard to understand him with his mouth so full. However, I did hear him say that they are his new favorite dessert and maybe even better than steak. Nah, that can't be right, but he did LOVE them.

There's a fabulous website called Bakerella.com with MANY ideas for these cake balls including making them into cake pops HERE. They also have wonderful pictures of holiday themed cake balls that are so beyond my abilities right now, but I can still drool over them! One of my favorites is this Christmas themed reindeer cake pop HERE. I am just in awe of hers!

Ciao,
J

Our attempt at a viral video...

2009-11-09T14:24:00.002-06:00

Just kidding on the viral part, but we did post an amusing video about couponing called "A Tale of $2.99" HERE. Feel free to take a look and add a comment if you like it.

There's also a blooper reel HERE if you are interested.

Thanks, TheThriftyMama for posting this on your awesome blog for us!

Fun times!

My Mama's Apple Crisp

2009-11-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

This Fall recipe is beyond good AND so easy! I look forward to it all year long and I am so thankful that my sweet husband loves it as much as I do because I get to make it a LOT in these last few weeks before CHRISTmas season comes!

Mama's Apple Crisp

Filling:
7-8 large Granny Smith apples (or Jonathan's)
Cinnamon...lots!

Crust:
2 cups AP flour
2 cups sugar
2 sticks of butter

Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4 inch slices. Place them in a 9x13 pan and generously cover them with cinnamon; shaking or mixing them to cover thoroughly. Smooth out the apples in the pan so they are even.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour and butter. Use a pastry blender (or knife and fork) to blend the mixture until crumbly.

Pour the flour mixture over the top of the pan and cover the apples completely. Gently pat the crust down.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The crisp is done when it's golden brown but not too dark.

Wash your few dishes and enjoy the smell of warm apples throughout your house! Heavenly!

Cool as much as you can stand before ~~inhaling~~ enjoying! Also, excellent with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream!

And, here's a picture of my official taste-tester of "everything yummy"...

And, when he was tired of trying to pose for the perfect picture that didn't show my dirty dishes, the mounds of laundry waiting to be folded, the stacks of blocks my children still haven't put away and couldn't make the most wonderous, enraptured expression that would fully encompass the magnificent taste of THE apple crisp, he does this...

[Oh yes, ladies, he's taken!]

Ciao,
J

Fingers and Toes and Polish, Oh My!

2009-11-01T15:26:00.006-06:00

My daughter (2 years old) wavers between wanting to do everything her older brother does including getting dirty, wrestling, football, obstacle courses and jumping off of everything to being a girlie girl by wearing pretty dresses, having her hair up in a ponytail with a cute bow, helping mommy cook in the kitchen, and playing with her babies.

Today, she wanted to be in true form of feminine awareness. I decided to paint my toenails (with free polish from CVS, of course!) during the football game. My daughter came in from playing football in the backyard with her brother and saw my toes. She immediately sat down and extended her feet saying, "Mommy, me too, please!"

My toes are dark blue (I'm pretending I'm young enough to pull that off, but notice I refrained from painting my fingernails blue too) and I knew that Daddy would not love the idea of his two year old with blue nails, so I remembered that I had a pale pink bottle of polish (also free from CVS) in the bathroom. After convincing Sarah that pink would be so much prettier on her than blue, I painted her itty bitty teeny tiny nails for the very first time. So fun!

So, here's our beautiful results...(ignore the fact that my skin tone is already winter death white even though it's only November 1st):

And, of course, she liked it and wanted her fingers painted too.

These days give me glimpses of fun bonding in the years ahead...

Ciao,
J

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2009-10-26T18:23:00.002-05:00

This is my family's favorite bread recipe (made into rolls). And, it freezes wonderfully--see directions at the end! (This recipe is from my sister-in-law, Beth, who has a slightly different variation on her blog HERE.)

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 T salt
2 packages of regular or quick acting dry yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water (120-130 degrees)
3-4 cups oat flour blend (or AP flour)
Butter/margarine, softened
Oats for sprinkling (optional for loaf)

Mix whole wheat flour, honey, molasses, vegetable oil, salt and yeast.

Add warm water and mix.

Add oat flour blend (or AP flour) 1 cup at a time and mix by hand or a heavy duty spoon until you can knead it on a floured surface. Continue adding flour as you knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Or you can skip the whole "by hand" and go straight to the electric mixer to mix and knead with dough hook attachments. You add flour slowly just like normal.)

NOTE ON USING AN ELECTRIC MIXER:
When the dough starts climbing up your regular beaters like this (for me it's right after the first cup of flour):

Then clean them off like this:

And replace them with the dough hook attachments like this:

and proceed as normal. :)

I generally wash the dishes I've dirtied thus far while my mixer is doing all the hard work. Or hug my kiddos or type on my blog or listen to Pandora (LOVE IT!) or...you get the idea. When your dough looks something like this:

then place in an oiled bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover with a clean dish towel and rise in a warm, draft free place for 40-60 minutes until doubled. I LOVE rising my bread in a warm oven that is OFF--I warm it first to the lowest temperature and then turn it off before adding my dough. It works like a charm and then I don't have to find some mystical warm place in my house to rise the dough.

Now, you need to decide if you are making loaves or rolls...have you decided?

LOAVES:
Spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick spray. Punch down dough and divide in half. Place one half in each pan. Brush lightly with butter and sprinkle with oats (optional). Let dough rise in a warm, draft free place again for 35-50 minutes or until doubled.

Move oven rack to lowest position. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-40 minutes or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans. Brush with butter to keep from getting a tough crust and cool on a wire rack. Eat.

ROLLS:
Spray cookie sheets or 9X13 pans with nonstick spray. (cookie sheets = little harder rolls; 9X13 pans = softer, tender, yummier rolls...can you tell which I prefer?)

Punch down dough. Roll into balls and place in pans (I do about 4 rows of three rolls = 12 rolls per pan in a 9X13 pan.) Keep rolling and placing onto greased pans. You want your rolls to be a little larger than a golf ball--but I don't ever take the time to make them THAT round.

Rise in a warm, draft free place for 30 minutes or until doubled.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown but not overcooked. Brush with butter. YUM!

Ummmm, something seems to have happened to one of them. I better keep an eye on that problem.

TO FREEZE ROLLS:
After the dough rises for the first time, roll into balls like I explained above. And, then INSTEAD of letting the dough rise again, place the rolls onto a cookie sheet and put in your freezer until hardened. Don't let it completely freeze, but hard enough that you can move them to a freezer bag and they will retain their shape.

Place them in a freezer bag (not touching each other) and seal. Freeze until you are ready for them. Remove from freezer, place in a greased pan, let them thaw on the counter (usually about an hour or so), then let them rise in a warm, draft free place for about 30 minutes, and bake as instructed above. It's really mindless work at this point and you can frequently have fresh, homemade rolls any time you want! (And, you've only had to "make" them once!)

ENJOY!

Ciao,
J

"I once was lost but now am found..."

2009-10-21T11:50:00.004-05:00

says My Blog. I've been looking for my blog for awhile now and I've finally found it! Hooray!

Or maybe I've just been too busy reading MANY other blogs to find the time to write in mine. OR maybe I've been too busy homeschooling...nah that can't be it. OH! Maybe it's because I've had nothing to say. Okay, stop laughing. Seriously, you can stop now. Really. Stop. :)

On a slightly serious note, I'm not entirely sure why I haven't written much lately...not motivated enough, I guess. But, that could describe my entire life right now. I haven't been motivated to do much lately--kind of in a funk, but that's not a good place to sit in, so I am working on getting out of it.

Our family has dealt with several colds/flu bugs the last couple of weeks and it's been beyond draining for me. I really like to sleep when I don't feel well and as many of you Mama's out there can testify as well, sleep is a non-existent entity sometimes. But, the "lack-of-sleep" excuse doesn't really clean the bathrooms, buy groceries, teach my son how to add or encourage my daughter to use a big girl voice without whining or screaming or throwing a fit or flopping herself in a pathetic pile on the floor refusing to get up or ... Anyone else have a two year old?

I love my kids. And, I really love my husband. He's amazing. Truly. And, that's what puts a smile on my face. Most days. :)

Balancing Act

2009-09-21T21:48:00.002-05:00

I love teaching and I love my kiddos, so homeschooling is perfect for us. My son is loving school and wants to do it most days. I like it too, but I'm still working on getting into a routine with it. Some days/weeks are great...everything works according to plan and goes smoothly. Other weeks...look out! I suppose that's the benefit of homeschooling, but I am an orderly, list following, organized person that likes to be on schedule and on time. So, sometimes I just have to take a deep breath and go with the flow. Hmmm...still working on that one.

I am having trouble finding things to occupy my 2 1/2 year old daughter. She does do "school" type activities with us, but there are times that I need one-on-one with my son. I generally have her in the kitchen with us during school, so that I can keep an eye on her and so she feels included. She loves to pass things out like manipulatives for math or collect the colors and put them away. I have several tubs of manipulatives just for her like large stringing beads, linking cubes, lacing animals etc. And, I spend time with her when my son is working on individual work.

I suppose my problem would be solved if I did school during her nap time, but alas, I like the quietness of our home during naps/rest time. I'm not quite ready to give that up just yet, although the time is fast approaching that it will all end.

So, this whole rambling post is to ask fellow homeschooling parents what you do with younger, non-school aged children during school? I eagerly await your genius ideas that I will make my own! :)

Ciao,
J

Red dye #40

2009-09-08T20:46:00.003-05:00

A couple of months ago, my sweet parents gave my son a Sunkist Orange soda and he was completely hyped up that night, which made for a miserable evening for the rest of us. My parents were then told to never under any circumstances give him that soda again. (It has caffeine in it apparently and we don't give our kiddos caffeine. Mommy can't live without it, but not for the kids.) Anyway, this past weekend, our son had a Cherry 7Up and had the same reaction. We were on our way home from East Texas and he didn't stop chattering or moving for the first two hours we were in the car. I knew that there had to be something in common with these two drinks, so my sister-in-law looked it up for me while I was talking to her on the phone today. She found that the most probable culprit is red dye #40. So, I swagged it (http://swagbucks.com/refer/GraceisSufficient) and I found a great site that detailed reactions people have with this dye and foods that it is found in etc. The link is: http://www.red40.com/

And, apparently TONS of food that we personally consume have this dye in it. From obvious things like fruit snacks, colored cereals like Trix, and these sodas to not so obvious things like pudding, Nacho Cheese Doritos and Hamburger Helper. Luckily, I have never seen a reaction in my son with any food items other than the two sodas mentioned above. However, there are so many symptoms that people have found like hyperactivity, inability to sit still or concentrate, crying, screaming, aggressive behavior etc. Perhaps he does have these symptoms but they aren't off the charts like when he has the sodas. I'm not sure--we are going to try some observatory testing on him at home to see what we notice etc.

So, my question to you is have you ever encountered this or experienced it? Do you have tips or advice? It's a little overwhelming looking at all the food that has red 40 in it! We will continue to pray for guidance on this matter, but I look forward to hearing from anyone who has information on this! Thanks!

Ciao,
J

The GGP $10 Mall Gift Card Giveaway!

2009-08-28T16:19:00.006-05:00

The GGP $10 Mall Gift Card Giveaway!

Click this link above and get a $10 Mall Gift Card for participating malls. According to their officials rules, you do NOT need to purchase anything to get the $10 mall gc. :)

Note: click on the bottom right of the website for "CHANGE MALL" if the one showing isn't for you. Then, enter your zipcode and find participating malls in your area.

Thanks, TheThriftyMama for this deal!

Posted using ShareThis

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

2009-08-05T14:49:00.011-05:00

I love jam. And, Joey Tribbiani loves jam. So, if he ever comes over, then I will now have a supply ready. [Friends tv show reference]

I grew up with my grandma and mom making homemade jam--the kind you slave over a boiling hot stove for hours and have to make sure everything is sterilized. You know...the kind I don't want to make and thus never have made. But, then, I found this recipe for freezer jam that does NOT involve heat or slaving or even sterilization. I'm beyond giddy. :)

This recipe can be found on the pectin package or at www.freshpreserving.com

Ingredients:

1 pkg of Freezer Jam Pectin (I used Ball's)

1 1/2 cups of sugar or Splenda

4 cups of fruit--I used 2 1/2 pounds of strawberries and it measured to 4 cups crushed; however the directions say to use 4-1lb containers of strawberries.

Step 1: Crush the fruit. I used strawberries. Rinse them and cut off the stems. Put them in a bowl and mash them. You can use a potato masher, which after carefully searching my well organized drawers in the kitchen, I apparently do not have one. [My drawers are no longer organized.] So, I used my pastry blender but it was getting to be too much work. So, I pulled out my trusty food processor and just chopped them up in batches. Most people recommend that you do not puree them since jam is supposed to have chunks of fruit. However, I chopped them up small b/c my husband does not like chunky jam. :)

Step 2: Pour one package of pectin and the sugar into a bowl. Stir to mix.

Step 3: Add crushed fruit and stir for 3 minutes. Yes, three minutes. Set a timer...do not estimate. You can do it.

Step 4: Ladle into clean jars or freezable containers like Ziploc. Make sure that you leave at least a 1/2 inch of headspace in the containers. Put lids on the containers. I read some recommendations that you should not put them in huge containers because they will not set up well. Plus, you have to use the jam within 3 weeks of thawing, so use an appropriate size for your family's jam needs. :)

Step 5: Let sit for 3o minutes to thicken. Freeze for up to a year or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

This recipe yields about 5--8oz containers. [I did them in slightly larger containers because we eat a lot of jam and I didn't want a bunch of small containers in my freezer.]

That's it. It is super easy and based on the lick of my spoon--it's super tasty too. Plus, the price is not as bad as I would have thought compared to store bought jam. I already have lots of sugar from the sugar/koolaid coupon awhile back, got the berries at Sprouts for cheap, and the pectin was about $2 at Walmart. I used Ziploc containers that I bought with a coupon instead of canning jars--mostly because my Walmart only sells canning supplies at Christmas. Don't get me started. But, the Ziploc containers will be great and reuseable for anything.

So, now I need to make some more English Muffin Bread--I think I feel another post coming up soon! :)

Italian Herb Bread

2009-07-29T14:41:00.017-05:00

Today's bread recipe is derived from a book entitled Breaking Bread with Father Dominic 2 by Father Dominic Garramone, OSB. [This book has amazing bread recipes in it including the Pizza Dough recipe I wrote about earlier.]

(Originally titled Italian Onion Herb Bread, however, much to the horror of my sister-in-law, Beth, I personally omit the onion step)

*This recipe make 2 loaves and also freezes well*

2 T vegetable oil
1/3 cup finely chopped onion *optional*
1 cup milk
1-2 T dried Italian herb seasoning (use more or less to taste)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 T brown sugar
2 tsp salt
5 1/2 to 6 cups AP Flour

Optional Onion Step: Heat 1 T oil in skillet. Add onion. Cook until onion is translucent but not browned. Remove skillet from heat. Add remaining 1T oil, milk, and Italian seasoning. Stir to mix. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.

Where I begin: Pour milk into a microwaveable measuring cup. Heat on high for roughly 45 seconds until warmed (roughly 110 degrees). Add 2 T oil and Italian seasoning. Stir to mix. Set aside.

Combine yeast, warm water and a pinch of the brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Let stand 10 minutes or until foamy.

Combine milk mixture with the salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Stir in yeast mixture and the remaining brown sugar.

Add 2 cups of the flour. Mix thoroughly. Add 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add as much of the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, as needed to make a stiff dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth, shiny and slightly tacky. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. (You can use your mixing bowl once it's rinsed or just grab another one.)

Cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place about an hour or until doubled. I like to let my dough rise in a warm oven (turned off after warming).

Punch down dough and knead in bowl for a minute. Form dough into 2 long loaves [if you are cooking both immediately] and place on greased baking sheets. Let rise 30-45 minutes or until nearly doubled.

If you only want to cook one loaf and save your other dough half for the next night, then double wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place in a container and refrigerate. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge, let it come to room temperature, shape into a loaf, and let it rise as stated above.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (make sure you dough that is rising is NOT in there). Bake loaf for 15-20 minutes or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from baking pan and let cool on wire rack. Brush with butter if desired. Yum!

*Note: I place it on a wire rack after removing from the oven and brush with butter, so that the baking sheet I already used catches the butter drippings rather than my counter. And, yes, I learned that the ~~messy~~ hard way.

Novel idea...

2009-07-22T09:18:00.004-05:00

I find myself getting so busy with my day-to-day life of being a stay-at-home mom that I sometimes forget the real reason that I am staying home...to be with my kids. To raise them up in a godly home, to train them up the way the Bible instructs, to impart godly characteristics and wisdom into their little minds, to love them and be patient with them unconditionally and to reflect Christ's love to them at all times. Wow! Sounds like a huge job and IT IS! But, thankfully, because this is God's charge to me...He will give me the insight, the strength, the wisdom, the courage and the perseverance to work at this job everyday. To try, try again! His mercies are new every morning and He extends His grace to me every time I ask (and even when I don't ask but need to)! My kiddos are not perfect or even close to it. I am not perfect or close to it. I struggle every day...many times a day with:

impatience and pride
being curt and demanding
not taking the time to listen to my 5 year olds looooong story about why he needed to hit his sister
expecting my 2 year old to not spill her drink 6 times a day
allowing the "house work" to rob me of my joy of being with my kids

My list of internal struggles could go on and on, but I don't have to dwell on those. I don't have to beat myself up over my mistakes or bad choices. God doesn't beat me up over my sins. He welcomes me with open arms as I draw near to Him. He restores my soul. He builds me up with whispers of encouragement as I lean on Him for strength and wisdom. Hallelujah!

Today, I asked my kids what they wanted to do this morning. I haven't asked them this question in awhile. Normally, I pick what we do based on what chores I need to complete or lessons that need to be taught. However, today I felt a prompting in my spirit to ask them what THEY wanted to do. My son's obvious answer to anyone who knows him was to go play in the backyard with the soccer ball...together. So, that's what we did. :)

CVS Update...have you started CVSing yet?

2009-07-19T19:21:00.011-05:00

Are you convinced yet to shop at CVS? If not, then have you read my shopping trip reports from CVS? What will it take to convince you?! Do I get paid to advertise CVS? lol! Those answers might vary but the last one is a NO. However, I can't possibly stop trying to convince you to shop there, especially when you get so many things for FREE or pretty darn close! See this week's trip below and join with me on a natural shopping high...or just join me. :)

2 packages of notebook paper
2 packages of pens
1 package of panty liners
2 boxes of 24 ct pencils
4 Sobe Life waters
2 Memo pads
1 Sunday Double Edition Newspaper

Subtotal: $20.92
Minus Coupons: 6.18
Used $14 in ecb's from last week
OOP total: $0.93 (tax included)--that's a savings of 96%!!!

And, I received $14 more in ecbs for this coming week!

So, I basically got all of those school supplies and snacks for FREE and I paid less than $1 for our normally priced $5 newspaper! If you want more information on how to "do" CVS, then feel free to look at The Thrifty Mama's CVS 101 guide! And, to see actual coupon matchups for the CVS ad visit SouthernSavers or The Thrifty Mama. Both women do an amazing job of posting deals for drug stores, grocery stores and online deals.

Side note: For those of you familiar with ecb's, I just wanted to clarify that I know it should have been $13 in ecb's but the cashier printed an extra ecb and I didn't catch it until my husband got back. He did the shopping for me since he went at midnight on Saturday/Sunday night. What a guy! :)

Ciao,
J

My little man is growing up...

2009-07-19T19:04:00.005-05:00

My son lost his very first tooth on Friday! Well, he didn't actually lose it. He finally pulled it out after wiggling on it for two weeks. Now, he's got a gaping hole in the front of his mouth, but he's pretty proud of himself for growing up. Mommy's proud too but a little sad as well. This is just the beginning...

Sarah wanted to show her teeth for the camera too!

Ciao,
J

Homemade Deep Dish Pizza Dough

2009-07-16T21:33:00.016-05:00

This homemade pizza recipe is so yummy! It's from my sister-in-law, Beth and she taught me everything I know about it. :) [Editor's Note: this recipe was NOT actually created by Beth. It is adapted from a book called: Breaking Bread with Father Dominic 2 by Father Dominic Garramone, OSB]

It makes 2 large cookie sheet size pizzas. When I make it just for my family of 4, I cook one pizza and refrigerate the other dough for the next night. Then I have two meals prepared! Gotta love that!

1 c. warm water (120-130 degrees F)
1 pkg Active Dry Yeast
2 T sugar
1 c. warm milk
1/2 c olive oil (you can use veg or canola oil)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1 T Italian seasoning (can do more or less depending on taste)
1/2 c. corn meal
4-5 c. AP flour

Combine water, yeast, and sugar in large bowl. Stir to dissolve and let stand 5 minutes.

Add warm milk, oil, salt, garlic powder, italian seasoning, corn meal and 3 cups of flour. Stir until well blended.

Add 1 cup of flour and mix thoroughly.

By hand: Add additional flour 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time until soft dough is formed that pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 6-8 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep dough manageable. Dough should end up soft but spring back when pushed.

By mixer: Use your electric mixers' dough hooks and follow manufacturers directions for speed. Add additional flour 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time until dough is smooth, not sticky but tacky, consistent texture, spring backs when pushed etc. This will take a while to do...maybe about 10-15 minutes. Add some flour...go wash some dishes...add some more flour...chat on The Thrifty Mama's chatroom...add some more flour...until the dough is finished. I love using my mixer to knead dough--it frees up my hands to do other things!

Oil the bowl. Place dough in and flip to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and towel. Rise 60-90 minutes until doubled. (I like to turn my oven on to warm, then turn it off and place my dough in to rise. A warm oven makes a wonderful place to rise dough! Make sure it's not too hot, though.)

Second Rise is optional: Punch down dough and rework into a ball and place back in bowl. Rise again for 30-45 minutes.

OR if you are lacking in time, then you can move on to next step.

Divide dough in half to make two pizzas.

Lightly grease a 14 in deep dish pizza pan or a large baking pan for each pizza. Stretch out dough being careful not to tear the dough. Place it in the pan and use your hands to spread the dough to the edges of the pan. If it tears, then just smoosh it back together.

This next step is one of the most important, in my opinion! Let dough rest for 15-20 minutes. Gather up toppings and sauce and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add sauce to dough, place toppings on, smother in cheese. Be creative or use tried and true toppings. Go veggie or meaty. Who cares! It's your pizza. Own it! :)

Bake 12-15 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Cool slightly; cut and munch!

**If you are saving half of the dough for another time, then wrap dough (after first rise) in two layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 days. Take out of fridge a couple of hours before you want to cook it and let the dough come to room temperature. Then, place in a slightly warm location (like your oven) to warm and rise again. Then proceed with the above directions.**

Have I mentioned how much I love Kroger?

2009-07-16T13:29:00.006-05:00

When they have deals...they have good deals! Here's a quick rundown of what I purchased today at Kroger. I forgot to take a picture before I put it all away--we were running late for lunch, so I was focused on getting my kids fed before they had a meltdown!

3 bottles of Sunny D smoothies
4 packages of Yoplait kids yogurt
2 boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
2 packages of Keebler cookies
1 bag of Chex Mix Snacks
2 bottles of Softsoap
2 Speed Stick Deodorants
2 packages of Lender's Bagels
2 Kraft Dressings
1 bag of tortilla chips Kroger brand (these are $1 all the time!)

Subtotal: $48.03
minus coupons and sales: $37.41
Total OOP: $10.62!!
(savings of 77%)

To see great coupon matchups at Kroger for these items and more visit: SouthernSavers.

Baked Mini Corndogs Recipe

2009-07-15T18:55:00.013-05:00

My husband loves corndogs, but I don't love the fried aspect of it. Or the nutritional value of frozen ones. However, I found this recipe on The FoodNetwork website and made some changes that work better for me. (Feel free to visit their site to see the true recipe.) My family liked them a lot and I think they'd be a great dish for a football party or appetizer night!

1 cup milk
1 package active dry yeast
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T packed light brown sugar
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour;
plus more for kneading (about 1 1/2 c to 2 c)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
9 hot dogs, cut in half
1 large egg, beaten
1 T black sesame seeds (optional)

Heat the milk in the microwave until warmed thoroughly. Pour into a medium bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and let soften for about 2 minutes.

Stir in the olive oil, brown sugar, and cornmeal with a spoon. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir thoroughly.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead. Add more flour as needed until the dough is smooth but slightly tacky. (I had to add almost 2 cups of flour so don't be alarmed if you have to keep adding flour.) Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel.

Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cut each hot dog in half. (Side note: this is where the original recipe said to insert a wooden stick or skewer into each hot dog half, but I chose not to use skewers...because...I didn't have any.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 18 equal pieces. I rolled my dough out into a rectangle and then used a pizza cutter to divide into equal slices.

Wrap each piece around a hot dog half, tucking and pressing the edges to seal. Place them on the baking sheet.

Brush the dough-wrapped hot dogs with the beaten egg; sprinkle with sesame seeds (I didn't have any so I just used the egg on mine.)

Bake until golden about 12-15 minutes. (I cooked mine for 13 minutes and it was about a minute too long...the bottoms get easily darkened so watch them.)

I served these with bowls of ketchup and bbq sauce. But, I think they'd be great with a fun sauce. Can anyone think of one? Feel free to leave a suggestion in the comment section.

Ciao,
J

Amazing how a new haircut...

2009-07-15T10:19:00.002-05:00

can change someone's look so much! My son's hair was SOOOOO long before I cut it tonight. We weren't trying for a new look or adopting a fad hairstyle. Just laziness on my part and lack of social awareness of my son's. He's only 5, you know! :)

Anyway, here's our before and after pics!

(I love the punk rock look though!)

(And, now he looks like my little boy again...)

So not perfect...

2009-07-14T16:41:00.008-05:00

Just in case I've ever given the impression that I'm perfect or that I make the best choices all the time, allow me to let you in on a little secret...I am so NOT perfect! There, I feel so much better. I'm really glad I took the time to clear that up. And, just in case you need proof...here's my example from 2 hours ago...

My son got up from his afternoon nap/rest time/roll around in bed playing with every toy he won't possibly lower himself to play with when it's actually play time and said, "Mom, may I have an apple, please?" [those really were his actual words...woohoo!]

I responded with, "Oh, not an apple. We need to save those for Daddy's snack while he's at work. How about a poptart?"

To which he responded with, "Are you serious? YES!"...

and then ran to get one and tore it open before his idiot mother could change her mind. How his world just opened up knowing that he could choose a processed sugared food over a God given fruit just because his mom is too lazy to go back to the store and buy more apples and for some unknown reason, she only bought enough apples for Daddy to eat.

Good times!

Ciao,
J

My purpose in CVSing...

2009-07-13T14:36:00.015-05:00

I've been doing CVS deals for almost 9 months now. I've saved literally hundreds of dollars and have a great stockpile of toiletries and cleaning products that will last us for months. However, this week, I really had to rethink my purpose in shopping at CVS. Last week, I had a wonderful trip and made a great profit in ECB's (extra care bucks). I had lots of ecb's to spend this week to help make my OOP (out of pocket) as low as possible. However, I got frustrated when I had to purchase items that I wouldn't receive any ecb's back on so I essentially "lost" ecb's this week.

I had to really rethink my thought process on this because I wasn't looking at what I WAS able to purchase. I was merely focused on what I "lost" out on. I WAS able to purchase the Sunday paper double edition (which has frustratingly risen in price to $5!), some much needed contact solution that is expensive to begin with, tylenol products, and school supplies for only $0.11 OOP! AND, I still have $14 left in ecb's for next week.

When I was able to get over my ridiculous thought process, then I was able to see that God truly did bless me this week with my purchases and mere cents in spending. I had to remind myself that my purpose in shopping at CVS is to make enough ecb's to buy things we really need without having to spend cash on them. It's not about raking in the ecb's and bronzing them all over the house. :)

I think we are this way in real life too. We easily get caught up in moping about what we've lost in our lives, that we don't see what we've gained through God's perfect design on our life. For example, I can easily get into a wayward thinking funk by considering all that I'm "losing" out on by being a stay-at-home-mom: not interacting with adults regularly, being surrounded by child talk all day long, feeling like my "job" never gets completed because it just starts all over again tomorrow, being looked down upon by others who "work" for a living...and the list could go on and on. However, when I start clouding my vision with that kind of thinking, then I miss out on the wonderful blessings of being home with my children. In fact, when I focus my heart on loving being home, God shows me all kinds of things that I would truly be losing out on if I wasn't exactly where He wants me to be.

I know this post delved away from CVS shopping and deal finding, which is how it started out, so thank you for hanging in there. I had to go to two different CVS's to get all the items I wanted. Here's my transaction rundown for CVS:

5 pocket folders
1 Twin pack of Clear Care contact solution
2 spiral notebooks
3 Tylenol products
1 Sunday paper double edition
2 packages of pens
1 glue

Used $8 in coupons and $30 in ecb's
My OOP was $0.11
Have $14 in ecb's remaining for next week!

Ciao,
J

Old Navy and their weekly coupons...

2009-07-12T23:29:00.007-05:00

I don't know if you've heard or not, but Old Navy puts out major coupons almost weekly right now. Some of their coupons are very high value coupons like $45 off $100 purchase or even $65 off $100! They also have lots of smaller coupons with less out of pocket too. However, the way they give them out is through a search and find website (http://www.oldnavyweekly.com) that thousands of people flock to when the coupons reset. It's not impossible to get the coupons, but you do have to be on the computer at the right time and THAT can be very difficult. A lot of people (based on comments throughout the internet) get VERY upset when they don't get a coupon. So, The Thrifty Mama wrote an excellent post about this issue and explored the idea of whether these ON coupons are truly thrifty or not. I would encourage you to read her entry and even her entire site! (I've learned so much about the coupon world through her!)

Obviously, if you are able to get one of their coupons, then you have to decide for yourself whether the out of pocket you spend is worth it for you and your family even with a high valued coupon. There have been a couple of weeks that I've been able to get a coupon, but Old Navy is not a store that I frequent regularly. However, with these coupons burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to check it out. I am working on increasing my thrifty ways in all areas of my life and so I wanted to make the best choices in what to buy. I had to really consider what was the best way to use this opportunity to get the most bang for my buck (or coupon).

I thought to myself, "I can always find a pretty dress for my sweet baby girl, but does she really need more? Or I'm sure I can find some cool, trendy t-shirts for my handsome boy, but again, his closet is overflowing with thrifty bargains that I've already found. Or I could try to purchase summer clothes for the kiddos for next year, since we already have this year's summer clothes stocked." That last idea is definitely a wise use for this coupon, but I have a really hard time estimating my kids' sizes three months down the road, much less 12 months!

And, then, in a moment of wonderful inspiration, my sister-in-law, Beth announced that she was going to stock up on socks, undershirts, and underwear for her family in their next sizes. Kids always need those items of clothing and our kids are obviously always growing, so PERFECT idea! This was also during the time that Old Navy had all men's clothes for 50% off! So, my sweet husband also got all new socks, undershirts and underwear for super CHEAP. I paid about $1.27 for each package of socks and underwear. I honestly can't think of a cheaper way to purchase these items that I personally choose not to buy used no matter how gently worn. :)

Two other ideas to use quality coupons from Old Navy (or any clothing store for that matter) in a thrifty way, would be to purchase new beach towels for summer swimming [Beth's idea, again!] and to purchase Christmas presents with clothing items that can be used in layering during winter months. The Christmas idea is always a helpful one for me so that (A) my Christmas shopping gets done earlier than Christmas Eve and (B) the money that I'm spending on Christmas doesn't all have to come out of one month's budget or paycheck. Hooray!

I would love to hear from you on more ways you've been able to use Old Navy coupons (or another clothing store) in a frugal way. Please feel free to leave your ideas and suggestions in the comments section of this post.

Ciao,
J

Draw Me Near

2009-07-10T10:00:00.004-05:00

I am doing a bible study with my mom and two sister-in-laws right now. It's a study written by Nancy Douglas called Draw Me Near. It has truly been the most amazing bible study I've done in years. I grew up in a Christian home and I've done regular bible studies throughout my life (with a big gap in the middle...but that's for another post someday). However, I have to say that God has opened my eyes and heart more in this study than any other study I can remember. Not to minimize this bible study, but it could be that God prepared my heart knowing I'd be delving into this study of His word. So, He had me at the right time and place to hear these words of conviction. And, of course the conviction that God gave Nancy when she wrote this study. :)

It's sad how easily we get caught up in the rut of life...thinking we are doing okay. I go to church, I pray at meals and bedtime, I teach my children bible stories, I know where my bible is, I tithe regularly, I support missionaries, I pray for friends and family and even enemies occasionally, I can quote bible verses and perhaps I even volunteer at my church. Sounds good, right? Sounds better than a lot of people you can think of, right? I'm saved...going to heaven and not hell because I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was ten and meant it. I'm doing okay. I'm doing good. Status quo is gravy.

However, this study has really opened my eyes to seeing how easily I can get complacent with my spiritual walk. I get lazy in my daily bible readings or prayer time. I get bogged down in my "real life" to focus too much on God. I've got other things that I "need" to spend my time and energy on. All the while, ignoring the One who created me in His image. Who longs for me to turn to Him in every aspect of my life. Who patiently waits for me to realize how much I do need Him and that I truly do desire to be close to Him. God is such an amazing God. I am so unworthy of His perfect love and grace, yet in His perfect will, He continues to Draw Me Near.

Hallelujah! :)

Homemade Tortillas

2009-07-07T14:49:00.035-05:00

I love tortillas especially homemade ones which are considerably cheaper than store bought. (And, have a better taste...in my opinion.) We grilled up 5 lbs of bbq chicken over 4th of July, so I was trying to decide what to make with all that yummy chicken. Tonight, we are going to have bbq chicken quesadillas with mozzarella cheese, onions, and peppers served on homemade tortillas. Here's my recipe that I adapted from Cooks.com.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup lukewarm milk

That's it! That is all the ingredients you need. Easy as pie...no, that's not true...these are WAY easier than pie crust! :)

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil to the lukewarm milk and whisk together briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the milk to the flour mixture and work in a sticky dough. You can use your hands or I just use a fork. Place dough onto a flour dusted surface and knead for about 2 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky. You might have to add a tad more flour but not much. It's a pretty dry dough. Return dough to the bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 10-20 minutes. This makes the dough easier to roll out.

Divide dough into 8 balls of equal size. I use a pizza cutter to evenly divide the dough and then roll into 8 balls. Cover them with the same towel and let them rest for another 20 minutes. Don't let them touch each other or they can stick together.

Preheat a dry skillet or griddle on medium.

Dust your counter with flour again. One at a time, remove each ball of dough and press it out into a 5 inch circle. Using flour dusted rolling pin, roll out the tortilla from the center out, turn the tortillas 1/4 turn, roll out again starting in the center, and repeat until the tortilla measures a little less than 1/4 inch thick and is a 7-8 inch circle. (It's okay if your circle isn't really a circle...remember these are homemade not machine made!)

Transfer the tortilla to a dry preheated skillet or griddle. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on first side. Flip it over when it's lightly browned. Cook the other side a little less time than the first. Remove tortilla with a spatula or tongs--they do get really hot! Place the cooked tortillas on a paper towel and cover loosely with foil. (I use my tortilla warmer that we got for a wedding present almost 7 years ago...finally I have a use for it!) You can also butter the tortillas before covering.

Repeat for remaining tortillas. As you get comfortable rolling out the dough and remembering to check the cooking tortilla, then you can cook one while rolling out another. Don't stack uncooked tortillas because they will stick together. Side note: these tortillas freeze great! Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to freeze. Enjoy!

So, here's our finished dinner: bbq chicken quesadillas with bacon (for dh), mozzarella cheese, red, orange and yellow peppers, and purple onions. They were so GOOD! :)

I love getting paid to shop...

2009-07-05T21:25:00.003-05:00

I really am not a fan of shopping. I've never liked going to the mall or window shopping. Or trying on 49 different outfits only to buy none of them. I've never been one to touch or smell everything. I'm a list kinda girl--I know what I want to get, I get it and then I'm done. HOWEVER, grocery shopping is a completely different story. I still use a list clipped with dozens of coupons, I get what I need and get out...but I love it. Especially when I get paid to shop.

Here's my trip to CVS today:
2 bottles of Dawn dish soap
3 boxes of Post cereal
1 box of panty liners
1 box of toothpaste
2 tape dispensers
1 pencil sharpener
2 Glucose monitors (which I'll donate)
1 Schick Quatro Titanium razor
1 cartridge of refills for above razor.
2 Dry Idea deodorants

Subtotal: $115.23
minus sales: $25.61
minus coupons: $75.50
minus $10 ecb's (extra care bucks--cvs coupons that act like cash)
= $4.12 OOP (out of pocket)

I walked in with only $10 ecb's and walked out with $27 ecb's for next week! Awesome!

Kroger Shopping Trip

2009-07-03T18:17:00.006-05:00

I love Kroger especially when they have great sales. (AND, I have time to go!) Here's this week's trip:

3 Purex laundry soap
3 bags of sugar
4 boxes of fruit snacks
2 pkgs of strawberries
1 jar of Ragu
1 Santa Cruz organic lemonade
2 containers of Breyers Ice cream
3 big tubs of Country Crock
1 pkg of yeast
30 pkgs of Lemonade Koolaid
2 Velveeta mac and cheese cups
1 box Nabisco Cakesters
3 bottles of Kraft BBQ sauce
1 tub of frosting
3 cans of Manwich
1 box of Ritz crackers

Total: $78.18
minus coupons and sales: $53.39
OOP (out of pocket): $24.79

That's 67% savings! (Normally, I do more like 70-80% savings, but I had to get a couple of items that I didn't have coupons for and several coupons didn't take off the correct amount, but I missed those errors until I got home. Taking kids during their nap to the store...so not a good idea!)

Shopping is fun even on a budget when you use the deals and coupons! Woohoo!

Happy Almost 4th of July

2009-07-03T18:10:00.005-05:00

It's been awhile so let's catch up. My dd (dear daughter) fell two weeks ago and badly hurt her arm. The doctors put it in a cast to protect it while her body healed. She is such a trooper. It didn't seem to bother her at all once the cast was on. In fact, she was running and jumping almost as soon as we got home from the doctor. No wonder she got hurt in the first place!! We returned to the doctor this week and they reexamined it with another set of xrays and declared it healed. After the first night without a cast, she's done great. No problems or issues. Praise the Lord!

Of course, this is all without insurance because of Chris' job situation and her pediatrician was not working when it happened so we had to go to Urgent Care. They were very nice, but pricey. I guess that's life with kids! Here's a picture of her total cuteness with the cast. Hopefully, this will be her only cast ever! :)

Ciao,
J

Couponing and new friends...

2009-06-11T10:42:00.005-05:00

I love couponing and coming up with new ways to save money for my family. I've probably saved several hundreds of dollars this year alone by being thrifty at grocery shopping. But, it can get overwhelming sometimes. I've spent literally hours before getting coupons together, finding deals, matching up sales with coupons, cutting or printing the coupons, searching for the best price on something we need....and that doesn't include getting the kids ready to go to the store or getting me ready etc. It can be a daunting task and give me a spirit of frustration if I let it.

When this happens, I have to remember my purpose behind all of this "work". The reason I strive so hard to save money is to be a blessing to my family and work on being a Proverbs 31 woman--providing food for her family. If I get stressed or frustrated or crabby while working to be a blessing to my family, then am I really being a blessing?

So, just like everything else in life, you have to figure out how to accomplish things in a way that works for you. I think the most important thing for me to be successful at couponing is to be organized. Now that sounds like an easy step, but have you seen how many coupon inserts you can accumulate over say...3 months? 48! (That number comes from a double edition of the DMN every week for 12 weeks.)

I used to cut out only the coupons I needed and throw the rest away. Horror, I know! Well, now I know. LOL. Now, I keep all coupon inserts until they expire--I have yet to find a store that takes expireds but I hear they are out there. There are SO many websites out there that have great coupon matchups with store sales. They tell you exactly what insert each coupon is in and how to match it up with a store sale to get the most out of your savings. What would we do without the internet?

Speaking of the internet, I've been going to a site created by The Thrifty Mama herself for almost a year now and I LOVE her deals. She has so many great deals and ideas that have taught me a lot about being thrifty as well as a new feature on her blog...a chat room for couponers like ME! I have really enjoyed getting to know the regulars on there and hearing about all the deals they've found or ideas they have on being thrifty. It's been so much fun, so thank you, THRIFTYMAMA, for giving us an outlet for coupon talk. :)

More later...

Ciao,
J

Crafty Irony

2009-06-05T09:27:00.007-05:00

I am not really into crafts and doing crafty things, which is humorous because I am surrounded by women in my family that are very creative and make beautiful things! You know who you are!

Anyway--even when I taught school, I never liked decorating or doing crafts. The girls I taught would decorate the bulletin boards for me or else they'd stay the same all year long. Lol! But, my kiddos LOVE crafts and making things. Yesterday, we spent 2 1/2 hours coloring, cutting, gluing, veggie tale characters and then put them on craft sticks for puppets. They both loved it and kept wanting to do more. So, we did. :)

[You can't really tell in the picture but the characters come in 4-8 pieces that have to be cut out and assembled after coloring. That was the tricky part for the kids, but we did it!]

Too cute!

2009-06-04T08:55:00.004-05:00

This photo was taken for Chris' birthday in May. This is one of two that I took that day that made the cut out of about 89! I have a new appreciation for kid photographers!

Wonderful start to my morning...

2009-06-03T20:48:00.004-05:00

I'm not really good at keeping up with my kids' firsts. I don't do baby books or memory books. I barely develop our digital prints and when I do develop them, I definitely don't rush to put them in albums so they just end up stacking up in a pile...make that a dusty pile on my dresser. I have a very keen memory and so I personally remember events and details very well. Not that those memories would stand up in court but...

Anyway, I just watched a video advertisement from Karen Kingsbury (one of my favorite Christian fiction writers) about her children's book called: Let Me Hold You Longer. It's a book about celebrating not only our children's firsts but also their lasts in the midst of our busy lives. Last time they are small enough to crawl up on your lap. Last afternoon nap they take. Last day of Kindergarten. Last time they come to you with a boo-boo. And so on. It's a very thought provoking and sometimes tearful book that seems like a wonderful gift for any mother. The link for the video is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeDfcvTRnA

But, anyway, this all led me to appreciate today's moment with my daughter much more than I might have otherwise. We were in the kitchen getting ready to be gone all day with errands. I was packing the diaper bag with extra underwear and clothes for Sarah, since she is still learning how to tell me ahead of time when she needs to use the potty. Filling up their water bottles, getting everyone's shoes on, grabbing a banana for me since I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, putting my contacts in while making sure Josiah went to the bathroom before we left and trying to get Sarah to get a ponytail holder, when all of a sudden Sarah says, "Mommy, I love you." And, then scampers off. Probably not going to do what I asked her because she still tends to get distracted by anything shiny on her way. :) So, it took me a couple of seconds to realize what she said and to realize that this was the very FIRST time she said "I love you" without any prompting or in response to someone else saying it first. Wow! What a precious moment for me to treasure up in my heart for the future.

And, then what struck me later this afternoon is that I might not have even realized the importance of that moment had I not watched Karen's video the other day or if I had cut her off from speaking because she wasn't immediately doing what I said or if I had tuned her out while going over my 18 million to-do items in my head. But, instead, God prompted me to listen to her at that exact moment and I did. Just think what I would have missed if I hadn't. So, I know this isn't a last like Karen's book talks about, but it is a first that I will definitely remember. Maybe not the exact date but I'll remember how it made me feel and how special it was to hear, "Mommy, I love you!" for the very first time from my sweet 2 year old angel. :)

Ciao,
J

See...I told you so!

2009-06-02T17:45:00.003-05:00

I knew I wouldn't keep it updated regularly. Which is relatively amusing because I check about 10 blogs every day...sometimes multiple times a day, but I can't seem to find the time/motivation to write on my own. :)

Well, today I am, so perhaps that can count for something.

We've officially started homeschooling...as of yesterday. I've been schooling my son for months now but not on a regular schedule. I felt compelled last week to change that and worked for two days on lesson plans, researching what I wanted to accomplish over the summer, printing out everything I needed etc. It was well worth the work because this week has gone wonderfully smooth. I was worried about having planned too much for a 5 year old. I used to teach 5th graders so I am working on slowing down the activities for my son to keep up with. However, he has done great and is asking for more. He's very eager to learn and "do school".

Now, I'm working on how to keep my two year old occupied without letting her just watch a movie or something equivalent while I teach my son. (I do work with her as well, but I'm wanting some individual time with my son.) I've found a couple of sets of manipulatives that she likes to play with at the table where we are and they do keep her engaged for a time.

I found a great science curriculum that I really like from Christian Liberty Press called The World God Made (kindergarten level). I've always taught public school in the past, so it's so refreshing to me to be able to teach everything from a Christian perspective.

I better be off to finish dinner before my hubby comes home.

Ciao!
J

A new day...

2009-02-23T15:53:00.002-06:00

Hello and welcome to the world of my thoughts. :)

I've been wanting to participate in blogging for awhile now especially after being an avid reader of several people's blogs relating to homeschooling and couponing. I've learned a lot from people who I don't really know--the internet is an amazing thing.

As a young girl, I often kept journals pledging to faithfully write in them every day...you know the kind..."Dear Diary, I just received a new journal for [insert major holiday or birthday] and I'm so excited about the idea of writing in you every day..." Only to find out that my stamina for keeping a journal didn't match my initial enthusiasm. So, then four months later, my next journal entry would read..."Dear Diary, I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last entry..."

Well, I'm not pledging to write in this blog every day or even once a week. I'll write when I feel like it and not a moment sooner. :) No guilt this time around.

My son just turned five. We've been kicking the idea of homeschooling around for a couple of years and only recently in the last four or five months have I seriously been considering it. Then, in January of this year, God gave me a revelation about my ability to homeschool. Then, He provided me with several books, blogs, and people who inadvertently (on their behalf anyway) confirmed His revelation leading me to believe that if I don't homeschool, then I might as well stick my head in the sand and refuse to speak again about desiring God's will for my life. Good times!

I'm off for now, but I leave you with this...Have you hugged someone today?

Love,
J