An Apron Giveaway!

I know I've said this before, but I love aprons!  I love how useful they are, not to mention how domestic they make me feel.  The kids love it when I put my apron on, because they know something fun (and usually messy!) is about to happen in the kitchen, and they run to get theirs!  The only problem I have with my apron is... I only have one!  How have I made it so many years with just one?!

Leah, a sweet young woman from my church is having a giveaway for a homemade apron to celebrate 2 years of blogging at The Narrow Path... this might be my big chance to double my apron supply!  Or... for you to win it for yourself, and enjoy the apron love!

Want a sneak peak?

I *heart* this apron!  I really love the colors and pattern - pretty and feminine without being impractical. I don't wear an apron as a fashion accessory, I actually use my apron.  Which means it gets dirty!  So whenever I daydream about getting another apron (and yes, I do daydream about that, and window shop, too!) I definitely bypass the lighter, easier to stain ones.  This apron fits the bill perfectly!

Drop by Leah's blog and leave a comment over there to congratulate her on two years of blogging, and to enter her giveaway!  It ends on the 23rd, so don't dally!

7 Quick Takes Friday - Volume 5

I am participating in Inspired to Action's "Hello Mornings" Challenge! I had a goal of wanting to get back into getting up earlier, fitting in time for getting in the Word and exercising, but was struggling with motivation. The Hello Mornings Challenge has been great, because everyone participating is a part of a small, sub-divided facebook groups (based on our location and desired wake-up time) which we check in with every morning. At first I was hesitant, I figured I could just do it on my own, but I've been surprised by discovering I really appreciate the accountability and encouragement my group offers! So far, I've been getting up between 6-6:30 every morning (well... most every morning) and spending time in the Word. Exercise will be added to the list... hopefully, next week?

I'm currently working my way through the "Ministry of Motherhood Book Club" from Good Morning Girls. I'm not on track with the actual group, but I am working my way through the scriptures, following the "SOAP" plan, and reading through The Ministry of Motherhood. Sally Clarkson's books and blog are incredible! I haven't read one yet that hasn't encouraged me in this beautiful calling the Lord has given me as mother. I'm enjoying the focused time I spend each day on a specific passage - journaling about it has really helped me get deeper into it. I've found that I am so often thirsting for the Lord's perspective without realizing it - and then when I am in His Word, I find such refreshment, and think "Why don't I do this more?". So I am thankful to have a small plan to help me incorporate His Word into my day (and my heart!) even more.

I'm also starting the book, 31 Days to Clean. I have a desire to get my house in better shape, and I am undisciplined about it! This book not only breaks cleaning down into managable steps (just one challenge a day), but also addresses the spiritual issues that are behind things like laziness, the desire to keep clutter, and gets to the heart of the matter. Can I admit that I'm a little scared to start? Change is hard, and just from reading over some pages, I know this book is going to really challenge me! But I know it is needed, and will be good, so I'm excited, too.

It's official - he is smitten! Rachel officially has Michael wrapped around her finger. He's never been a "baby" man - yes, the father of 6 children is actually a bit afraid of infants! In all of the children before Rachel, he's been really hands-off during the infant stage. Of course, if I were needing him to, he would hold a baby, but it had to be a pretty dire need ;-) But Rachel has stolen his heart, and he has to get some snuggle time in with her everyday. He actually asks for it! I think it's the cutest thing!

It is HOT! Hot, hot hot! Spring was beautiful, as always in the South, but short-lived. It's been in the 90s for the past two weeks and there is no break in sight! Michael and I have had our 12th annual Air Conditioning war (he likes to see how long we can go without turning it on. Then, I try to see how long I can go without killing someone. I don't handle too much heat very gracefully!) and have settled on a moderate 80 degrees setting for the thermostat. However, because our house is old and poorly insulated, it can still creep up to 85 or 86. But the cool air circulating makes all the difference!

I thought this video was funny! Maybe it's because the more I homeschool the more I believe in the "better late than early" principle - so I get the sarcasm. Michael, on the other hand, thought it was boring and silly. Either way, the baby is really cute!

You didn't really think I'd do a whole post without an update on Miss Rachel did you? She is now 4 months old! She's a chunky monkey - she weighed 14 pounds, 8 ounces, a week before her 4-month mark, so she's close to 15 pounds by now! She's rolling from her tummy to her back, but only in her sleep - anytime I try to see her do it, she doesn't. Yet!

The 4-month mark always amazes me. I consider it the "magic number" - 4 months is when they really start coming out of their shell. Their sleep gets a little more organized, any colic and fussiness tends to fade away (we can ride in the car without screaming now!), they start hitting milestones and really taking off in physical development. It also tends to be when I start feeling "back to normal" somewhat - more rested, more organized, less hormonal... (I guess that's why half this post has been about my recent goals - I've got the 4-month "superwoman" high! Reality will set in quickly, though, probably once I start exercising!)

Anyway, here's some pictures, of course:

(Have you ever seen such arm rolls? Her legs are just the same!)

She is always smiley! What a joy!

Redeeming the Time - How to Manage Internet Time

I've confessed it before - I struggle managing my time online. It seems so simple - just stop spending so much time in front of the computer, right? Goodness knows I've got many, many other things to do with my time! However, it hasn't been that easy for me. A quick check of my email turns into replying to a friend, checking in on a thread on a message board I belong to, reading the other threads on the message board, popping in on Facebook, reading a blog I enjoy, following a link from that blog to another blog... and so on!

Suddenly my day is gone, my children are unruly, I'm irritable, the house is a mess and dinner isn't ready! How does that even happen?! I know I am not the only person who gets sucked in like this, so I wanted to share what I've done to combat it and control it.

First, I've prayed. I've confessed it as a sin to the Lord. Yes, I said sin! No, there's nothing in the 10 Commandments that says "Thou shalt not be online all day"! But, God has given me very specific responsibilities - to raise and train my children, to keep my home, to love and respect my husband - and all of these things require careful management of my time and energy. Not to mention the numerous scriptures regarding idleness! So, to waste my time online instead of being about His work IS a sin.

After confessing and acknowledging it for what it is, I've prayed for help to overcome this sin. One of the fruits of the spirit is self-control, and I know I need a big dose of it - but I can't obtain it without His help. Oh, yes, I can try to get it on my own accord, but ultimately, it always leads to failure. So I need His help, through the Holy Spirit.

Then, I've made myself accountable to my husband. I told him the struggle I've been having, and asked him to keep me accountable. Using a Firefox Add-on called Time Tracker, I am able to see how much time exactly I've spent online each day. And my sweet hubby can see it, too! And he can very gently, or not-so-gently if needed, remind me, scold me, or otherwise guilt me into being much more aware of where my time is going.

I'm going to go ahead and be real here - there were days when my online time logged in at anywhere from 4-6 hours in a day. HOURS! Now, it wasn't like I was sitting myself down for hours at a time staring at the monitor... no, it was just those "little checks here, little checks there..." and wow, did the time accumulate! So you see, when I say it was a problem... it was a problem.

The most drastic step I've taken has been to actually implement another Firefox Add-on, called "LeechBlock". This program allows you to block certain websites, block certain usage times, only allow certain websites and usage times, and so on. It's very versatile. So, I installed it and created parameters for myself - the internet is inaccessible to me from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm, with a small 15-minute break at noon. The kids can still access the sites they need for school, but that's it. If the temptation were to become too strong, I can even ask Michael to put a password on the program so that I can't access it to override my limitations! Thankfully, it hasn't come to that.

As the days have gone by with my enforced limited internet access, the Holy Spirit has also been doing it's work and curbing my appetite for screen time. Of course, the benefits of not spending all my time on the computer has shown up in all areas of my life, as well as my family's. School is running much more smoothly, I'm able to be more consistent in training the children, not to mention the little fun things we're doing that we rarely did before because I thought I "didn't have time". I'm better about decluttering and staying on top of my chores, and meals are planned and ready on time! It's amazing all the time I have now - I feel such much less stressed and rushed all the time, because I'm not so distracted. Go figure!

I know the temptation and lure is still very real in my flesh, so I won't be letting my guard down for quite a while. But I also know that the Lord is on my side in fighting this battle, and with His help, I will overcome this! Thank you for letting me "be real" and hopefully this can help others out there who may share the same struggle!

WFMW - The Best Kitchen Clean-Up Towels

Believe it or not, I rarely use paper towels or napkins in the kitchen! We've used wash cloths and hand towels for clean-ups for many years, and its amazing what a difference it makes. I find cloth to be much more absorbent and economical. While lately the biggest fad is microfiber towels for cleaning, I have something that works even better at getting up spills fast - prefold cloth diapers! Think about it - as diapers, they're designed to absorb ALOT of moisture, and quickly - and they do an awesome job at it. Not only that, but they're inexpensive, and super durable - they can hold up to all sorts of washing, drying, and other abuse.
Now, before you get grossed out, I don't use the same prefold diapers for kitchen clean-up as I do for diaper duty ;-) I buy a totally different size for the kitchen so that they don't get mixed up. Since I use infant and preemie prefolds for diapering, I buy the premium size for the kitchen. Toddler size are also useful - extra large for when full cups of water spill or the washing machine leaks everywhere or a helpful toddler tries to wash dishes (ask me how I know)! And, because they can be washed with bleach without any harm, prefolds are also good for bathroom spills and leaks, too!

It seems so simple, but it constantly amazes me at how fast prefolds suck up water, and how much they can absorb. They're the BEST kitchen clean-up towels, ever!

If you're thinking of trying some for yourself, my friend Gina at Little Lions is having a "secret sale" on many of her diapering products, including prefolds - even her "second quality" prefolds (which is what I've used and have never come across any defects)! I just ordered a dozen more to add to our use and even with shipping paid less than I would have for the same amount of quality kitchen towels that wouldn't work nearly as well! Awesome deal!

Using prefolds for clean-up duty definitely Works for Me! To get other great ideas, check out Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family!

7 Quick Takes Friday - Vol. 3

Over the past month, we celebrated two birthdays and have three more coming up in the next month! Mine was first :-) The day after Thanksgiving I celebrated my 31st birthday with Michael and the boys, and it was a wonderful, relaxing day. My big gift was a digital picture frame! I've always wanted one, but it was never one of those things I'd actually buy for myself, so it was the perfect gift. To be honest, though, I haven't even set it up yet - I have waaaaay too many pictures to go through and its really hard to narrow it down to my favorites! Speaking of pictures, here's one of me and the boys (goofy faces and all!) on my special day:

The next birthday in our house was another big one - Isaac turned 10!! It is so weird to think I have a child that is a decade old, into the double digits. He's growing soooooo fast! I think its going to be great, though - even though the challenges change as age increases, the blessings do, too. Isaac is such a helper, taking initiative to take care of things he sees needs to be done, and always eager to assist when asked. He's a voracious reader, and his appetite for books is hard to keep up with! While still young and carefree, his maturity is starting to peek out, and its such an awesome thing to think about what kind of young man he's quickly becoming. Here's his happy mug shot on the big day!

You know I've posted before about Motivated Moms and how much I love their inexpensive, easy-to-follow chore lists. Well... exciting news for those who are in the high-tech world, they've now come out with a Motivated Moms app for iPhone!! It looks so cool - the very features I wish I had on my paper list is available through the app - deleting tasks that don't apply, moving tasks to different days, that sort of thing. Here's a bit more info if you want specifics! The sad thing is, I don't own an iPhone. So for me, I'll be sticking to the regular pdf version for now, which is fine, since it has worked great for the past two years I've used it. But I can always dream of how fun it would be to have an iPhone and the new app!

School is going really well! I still love Sonlight, and we're finishing up our 16th week - already almost halfway done! My hope is to make it to 20 weeks before baby arrives, and then take a month or so off for some rest and recovery time. My biggest mistake is always trying to do too much too soon after a baby, which just ends up with me being exhausted, irritable, and burned out, so hopefully we can avoid that this time. Its been tricky trying to juggle our main curriculum choices with all of the neat things we've been able to review, but I'm practicing "going with the flow" and it seems to be working. All in all, this school year has been one of the easiest, most relaxed, but also productive, yet!

Speaking of homeschooling, I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but one of the reasons I love it so much is purely a selfish one - I *love* learning. And learning right along with my children is all the more awesome. I have discovered so much that I knew but had forgotten, or just never knew, by homeschooling. One thing that I've been loving is this year's science - Apologia's Exploring Creation with Anatomy and Physiology. Wow! I am so enjoying learning more about the amazing human body that God has created and given us! This week we've started on the cardiovascular system, and here's a fun project we're making to help us understand the components on the heart a little more:

Ok, so it doesn't look exactly like a heart, but come on, how can colored frosting, graham crackers, and marshmellows NOT be fun? And everytime I walk past our creation, I find myself repeating what the different parts are - "atria, ventricles, pulmonary veins..." (Oh, and for those who have noticed, yes, there are important parts missing - we are finishing it up a little at a time!) It is just so exciting to me to be learning this stuff! I don't know where my brain was during high school anatomy, but I'm absorbing all this stuff like a sponge. I love it!

I love this!

(HT: Fish in My Hair)

I've saved the biggest and (for me!) most exciting news for last, as a reward for those who make it this far ;-) Over the past few weeks, after much prayer and discussion, Michael has agreed that this baby can be born in the comfort and intimacy of our home!!! I have desired a homebirth for at least the past 3 pregnancies, but he has always been reluctant. I resolved not to ever nag him or try to manipulate the situation and had pretty much given up on the idea (although the desire never died). Out of the blue, I mentioned it in a casual comment a few weeks ago, and that opened up the discussion. He agreed to meet with a Certified Professional Midwife that lives nearby, and after the meeting spent another two weeks in alot of thought and prayer... and finally told me YES! I was floored, to say the least. And I'm so happy that the decision came about on his own accord, not because of any nagging, manipulating, or driving him crazy that I did. The years of my patient silence actually paid off, and I can't wait! It is making the arrival of our newest little one all the more exciting, if that's even possible. You can be sure you'll be hearing (reading) more about this new development over the next few weeks!

That's about it at our house lately! Thanks for stopping by :-)

WFMW - Keeping a Boy Bathroom Clean

In our house, we have two bathrooms. One for Michael and I, and the other for all of the boys (and guests). Needless to say, the "boy" bathroom is usually in need of a cleaning, no matter how often it actually gets cleaned. One of the boys' morning chores is to wipe under the seat with a bleach wipe and scrub the inside of the toilet, but there still remains the issue of the floor around the toilet.

As a side note, I just wanted to say that I do NOT understand the lack of ability to aim! It will forever be a "male mystery" to me, but in my logical brain, it seems that if you are only inches away from a large opening and have to direct a tiny stream into it, it couldn't possibly be that hard. Right?! Wrong, apparently.

So, oftentimes, and much to my embarrassment, the guest bathroom often has an... odor. I've tried bleach, Odo-Ban, 409, and other cleansers that promise to kill germs and smells, but to no avail. Little boy pee is stinky! Blech!

But then I came across a product that actually... *gasp*... WORKS! And it makes sense that it does - its the same stuff used for puppies and dogs so that their super noses can't smell their previous accidents!

Good ole' Nature's Miracle! Now, its a little more pricey than bleach or other cleansers, but it really, truly works, which makes it priceless to me! I got the "Hard Floor" kind because the boys' bathroom floor is textured ceramic tile. I use it once a week, after I've swept and wiped the floor - I just spray it all around the base of the toilet and let it dry. It smells pleasant while it is drying, and then... tada! NO smell at all. Ahhh... heaven! Truly a miracle!

It definitely Works for Me! To find other useful and fun tips, be sure to check out the other WFMW posts at We Are That Family!

A Recipe - Roasted Garlic Potatoes

I hope that everyone enjoyed a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for, but the biggest thing that fills my heart with gratitude (and sheer awe) is God's overwhelming, encompassing grace. There is not a day that goes by when I don't realize what a mess I am when left to my own devises, and am humbled before Him for His forgiveness and love. I am beyond thankful for Jesus' sacrifice in my place so that I can be a child of the Most High God!

I've confessed before that I don't have much when it comes to cooking skills, but here is one recipe that I've made for years, always turns out great, and I get repeat requests for at gatherings (such as Thanksgiving!), so I thought I'd share! Its easy and super yummy!

Ingredients:
4-5 pounds petite red potatoes - these can sometimes be difficult to find - you can't just use baby reds, they have to be "petite" as in, about the size of the "O" your pointer finger and thumb make when you put them together (I hope that makes sense).
1 head garlic
1 stick butter
1 TB salt
1 TB dried dillweed

Instructions:
Wash potatoes and pack (in a single layer) into the largest glass baking dish you have. Peel entire head of garlic and place cloves in between potatoes scattered randomly throughout dish. Slice stick of butter into 1/2 tablespoon slices, and place on top of potatoes, randomly throughout dish as well. Evenly sprinkle salt and dillweed over top of potatoes, garlic, and butter. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 2 hours (longer is OK, too).

Try to stop salivating as the smell of delicious roasting garlic fills the house! The potatoes will come out looking blackish brown, but they're much better tasting than they look ;-) The skin will be crunchy, and the inside will be soft and delicious. The flavor can't be beat!

I'd say this recipe can feed 10-15 people.

Enjoy!

Getting Lots of Practice

Last week, my in-laws had something happen to them that no one wants to go through - their hours caught on fire. We are so, so thankful that no one was hurt!! But the house is now ruined, and it is going to take months to repair (they're projecting November, but there are still insurance hoops to jump through and decisions to be made, so who knows?!). We live only 8 miles from them, so we were blessed to be able to open our home to them for a little while until they can get settled a little more permanently.

Did I mention that my brother and sister-in-law have 6 children?! So my house has been full - 4 adults and 11 children total - for over a week now! Of course, my brother-in-law has been at work all week, and my sister-in-law has been at their old house dealing with clean up and insurance stuff. So I've been having my own little brood of 10 children to take care of (my littlest nephew is only 3 months old, so he stays with mama, of course!), all by myself!

At first it was a little overwhelming, and then Michael said something that put it all into perspective for me - he said "Hey, this could actually BE us one day, with 10 children running around!" That made me realize that this is actually a wonderful "practice" time for me! That change in perspective has really helped me see the joy and fun there is to be found among the noise and constant motion my house has been full of.

And you know what? We're making it! Of course, it helps that my nieces and nephews are well behaved and respectful (another reason to train your children well, you never know when someone else might need to care for them!). We're not getting a lick of schoolwork done, but relationships are being forged and deepened that we'll share for a lifetime. And I have to say that the idea of having #6, which just a few weeks ago was frighteningly overwhelming to me, is no longer intimidating at all.

A few things I'm learning about large family life:

• Organization really is key. When 10 little people come up and say "I'm hungry" at the same time, there's no "lets dig in the fridge and see what we can come up with" - there's got to be a plan and enough food on hand to fill that plan!


• Laughter, smiles, and patience go a lonnnnggg way. When water has been spilled for the 8th time in 4 hours, and all of the kitchen rags are dirty - its not the end of the world! It just isn't! Use a bath towel and start a load of laundry, stat!


• Plans are good, but flexibility is just as important. My "plans" for this week were to buckle down and finish the last of our 180 days required for school. That isn't happening. But better things are! And there's time ahead to finish those days.


• Asking for help is a good thing. I have a fiercely independent spirit (often to my own detriment), but when this many people are relying on you, its ok to say "help!". Or "pick up some bread at the store, please!" to whoever is leaving the house.


• Sometimes an afternoon movie is a blessing ;-) Especially when mama's in the first trimester and 3 kids are napping and the rest are restless and its too hot to play outside. The TV should no be a babysitter, but can definitely be used as a tool!

One other important thing that has really stood out to me during this time is how much housekeeping really is a ministry. People will say it, and I sort of "got it" before, but now I really see how true it is. It was such a blessing that I had clean linens and towels, folded and put away, ready for guest use at the drop of a hat. Having the chore routines (mine and the boys') in place and running smoothly has really helped keep up on the craziness that 15 people in one house can naturally produce. I've also noticed areas that I need to work on for my house to be more hospitable in case of emergencies (for example, keeping foods better stocked). All in all, its been a blessing to learn what it really means to minister to others from within my home!

Please keep my in-laws in your prayers as they go through this stressful time of getting their home restored!

WFMW - Natural Ant Control

Every so often we get an invasion of those little, tiny ants. I have no idea what type of ant they are, so I can't get more specific, other than they are tiny, and once they show up, they seem to be everywhere and impossible to get rid of. I've tried many unnatural things (like spraying them with whatever chemicals I have on hand, including bleach, Windex, Shout, etc), and a few natural remedies, but never had much success until I came across the one I am about to share:

Cinnamon!

Yep! Plain old cinnamon! Whenever the ants start showing up, I follow their little line back to their entrance location, and then I sprinkle cinnamon all over their entrance spot and their marching line, and within hours they've dispersed completely. I usually leave it down for 24 hours or so, just to be sure.

It works every time I've tried it, and its totally safe and natural! Its also pretty frugal, and convenient, if you're like my family and think cinnamon is a topping that can go on just about anything (or, maybe my kids are weird?!). Now, its not the most aesthetically pleasing remedy (if you ever come to my house and see brown dust all over the floor, you know why!), but I don't have to worry about it if the baby plays in it, or the dog licks it (the dogs actually don't notice it, oddly enough). And it makes the house smell nice! Clean up is easy, it just takes a broom and a dustpan, or a wet washrag, depending on where you've sprinkled it.

So there's a simple, easy, cheap, and natural ant control that Works for Me! To see other Works for me Wednesday posts, visit We are THAT Family!

Motivated Moms Sale!

I've posted before about how much I love my Motivated Moms Planner before, so I won't go into all that again (recap: Its awesome, I love it, it has revolutionized my housekeeping!), but I did want to announce that since it is now July, all of the 2010 Planners are now half price! So instead of $8, you can get a full planner for just $4! That's a perfect price for anyone who has been wanting to try it but maybe not wanting to shell out $8 based on my excitement alone ;-)

To check out the different ebook options and some samples, click on the banner below, this link, or the picture on my sidebar! Its a great deal!

Kitchen Organization!

I recently became a Tupperware Consultant. Honestly, I had no idea that people still sold Tupperware until I was invited to a Tupperware Party over the summer. It was more fun than I expected, and there was a particular line of products I completely fell in love with. You know, one of those organizational tools that will make your life easier, less cluttered, your children behave perfectly and your husband wash the dishes for you every night? Ok, well, maybe not all that, but at least the first two ;-)

This line of products is called "Modular Mates" and they're for pantry storage and organization. I've mentioned it before - we don't actually have a pantry. We have two bookshelves in the kitchen which serve the purpose of a pantry... sort of. Space is tight, so I knew these would be just what I needed to keep things in place, save space, and make things look nice and orderly, too!


Do you see how beautifully uniform they are? And so neat and tidy? So compact! Ahhh... organization is such a wonderful thing!

And this month I am very glad I am a consultant, because that particular line of products is ON SALE! 40% off, in fact - what a GREAT deal! (And as a consultant, I get an even better price - score!) Because I am so in love with my Modular Mates, I couldn't not share this deal!

Here's the flier with the sale prices - click on it to enlarge. If you'd like to order anything, leave me a comment (I won't publish it, it will just be a way to contact me) with your contact info and I'll get back to you about placing an order. This really is a sale too good to miss, especially if you need more organization in the kitchen!

The sale ends February 12!

Oh, I wanted to add one more thing. A while back, I was trying to get on the "no plastics" bandwagon. I had a bunch of really cute jars holding things like rice, beans, sugar, etc. They were cute... until one day I dropped my sugar jar. Let me just say 5 lbs of sugar along with glass shards all over the floor is not fun to clean up, especially when trying to ward off two dogs and a crawling baby. So, my sugar is now safe and secure in a Tupperware and I won't have to deal with that scenario again! Practicality won out ;-)

WFMW - Grocery Shopping Simplified

Grocery shopping is something that has always been "the bane of my existance". Boy, I hate it. Boy, do I get stressed over it. Meal planning, budgeting, list making, shopping, checking out, loading the car, unloading the car, putting things away... every inch of it, I dislike... extremely.

However, being the mother and wife in a family of 7, it is something I have to do. Because of my strong negative emotions toward it, I've come up with a few things that have made the whole process decidedly less stressful and a bit more simplified. Necessity is the mother of invention! Here's what I've done!

• My goal was to only do the main shopping twice a month, since we get paid twice a month. I do have mini-trips to stock up on the staples (fresh fruit, etc), but even then, I'm only going to the store about once a week or once every ten days or so, and only doing a huge trip twice a month.
  

• First, I made several "two week" menus - sets of 14-day meal lists. Some meals we have every week. Every Sunday we have Spaghetti. Its easy and quick to make, a nice way to get ready for the week ahead without too much work or cleaning up afterwards. We have homemade pizza once a week, as well, because its super yummy and fun. Fridays tend to be a soup night, because I make challah for our Sabbath meal, which goes perfectly with some soup. Since we also use Friday for errands, library runs, and a deeper house cleaning, soups are also easy and quick to prepare. The other days I filled in with other meals that have been tested, tried, and approved by all. So in general, each "two week menu" list has about 10 different meals.
  

• Then, I made corresponding grocery lists that contain every. single. ingredient. I need for each meal - spices included! This took some time, but the end result is sooo worth it. I also created a "master grocery list" of the general day-to-day things we always need, such as bread, milk, eggs, fruits, veggies, etc. All of the lists are in excel spreadsheets, so I don't have to rewrite them.
  

• When payday rolls around, I get ready for shopping. I choose which two week menu plan I'm going to use, and print out the grocery list that goes with it. Then I go through the house and cross off the list anything I already have here. I combine what's left into my master grocery list, and I'm ready to go! I also organize the final shopping list by aisle in the store, so there's no more running back across the store because I accidentally listed flour at the bottom of the list and missed it while in the baking aisle. The whole process of meal planning, menu planning, and grocery list making only takes about 10 minutes every two weeks. That's a HUGE reduction in time, and mental energy for me! I literally used to spend days stressing over the whole ordeal. Sad, huh?
  

• Then I make sure me and the kids are well fed, well rested, and ready to go! The big shopping trip twice a month takes several hours (including drive time, as well as loading/unloading the groceries), so its still a bit exhausting, but the satisfaction of knowing I don't have to endure it again for another half of a month is priceless! Before I started this system, I was doing 1+ hour trips to the store twice a week if not more. Yikes!
  

The end results are:

• I no longer stress about menu planning, or the "what are we having for dinner tonight" panic

• Little things like random spices or miscellaneous ingredients aren't forgotten anymore, because I've made sure they're on the meal grocery list. No more sinking-in-the-pit of my stomach feeling realizing that I have to go back to the store for just one silly little ingredient

• I am shopping much less frequently. Oh, the bliss of knowing I don't have to dash out for errands every other day! The freedom in knowing I have everything I need to feed and sustain my family for two whole weeks! It is incredible, I tell you! It saves money and gas, too!

• More time, less stress = happy mama. Happy mama = happy family. Good food fixed on time = happy everyone. Awesome!

For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, be sure to check out We are THAT Family!

Meatloaf and Mac N' Cheese

Yes, that's really what this post is about! I rarely ever share recipes - cooking is not my forte and is something I'm working on my attitude about. I tend to get overwhelmed over menu planning, grocery list making, grocery shopping, and food prep in general. However, I am a "work in progress" in this area and know that good food is not only a blessing to those whom I serve, but a necessity! So I need to get over my attitude and decide to find joy in it :-)

Here's a meal that we love, and is super, super easy to throw together.

Meatloaf:
2 lbs ground beef (I actually use ground turkey because its usually cheaper)
1.5 cups Stove Top Stuffing
2 eggs
1.5 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (yummy!)
dried onion, garlic powder, and salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together, place in a greased loaf pan. Cook at 350 for an hour or until no longer pink. Some might like it topped with tomato sauce or ketchup, we don't. If you do, pour some on top before cooking.

Macaroni and Cheese:
(I found this recipe at A Year of Slowcooking, check it out for more great Crockpot recipes!)
1/2 lb uncooked macaroni noodles - I use whole wheat
4 cups milk
1 egg
4 cups shredded cheese (I use entirely sharp cheddar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried mustard

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. In mixing bowl, whip egg and milk together. Stir in spices. Add cheese and noodles, stir well. Pour into crockpot, cook on high for 1-3 hours, or low for 2-5. It can get a little mushy, so check it on occasion. Delicious and so easy!!

We like to steam some broccoli or brussel sprouts to go along with it. It makes a yummy, easy-to-make meal! Enjoy!

Excuse This House

I did not write this, but I love it! Especially since we're in full-time homeschooling mode now, my priorities have shifted a bit ;-)

Some houses try to hide the fact that children shelter there,
Ours boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows
Little smudges on the doors.
I should apologize I guess for toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children
And we played and laughed and read.
And if the doorbell doesn't shine,
Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I'm forced to choose
The one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife,
But first I'll be a mother.

The Big Reveal... and Signing Off

Tomorrow is our first day back to the grind of homeschooling! We *were* planning to start this week, but an exciting outing with Daddy one day, followed by a stomach bug in the family the rest of the week kind of derailed that plan. Which was OK, because it gave me the time needed to finish up the homeschool room!

We have a full finished daylight basement that up until now "functioned" (or didn't function, for lack of specific purpose and layout) as Michael's "work at home" place, the play/game room, as well as what I called the "couch graveyard" where somehow we amassed several couches that need a touch of work and we didn't have room for upstairs. I wanted to Craigslist/Freecycle them all, but my wise husband suggested they might come in handy someday. And, as usual, he was right!

So my homeschool furniture is not new and fancy - in fact, it is mismatched and somewhat ugly... but it works for us just fine! The best part is since they were already just sitting there, I didn't have to spend any extra money. In fact, even the paint we decided to use was a color we already had on hand! The only things I had to buy were some lamps, extra storage containers, and the gutter supplies for my gutter shelves.

So now our once terribly cluttered and non-functional basement is a decently suited homeschool room. I'm pretty excited about it.

Here are the before pictures (actually, before these there had been a huge ping pong table taking up the big open space you see. That was thankfully put away!) - prepare yourself for some major clutter!


And here are the after! (A few things are still in progress - the white walls will be painted a warmer color, the computer needs to be relocated, and I have a few things left to hang on the walls.)

Where preschool will take place - the coffee table is the perfect height for littles to work at, and the couch is great for reading stories on. Toys are also in this corner, behind where I stood to take the picture. Also in this picture is the desk where the computer will be. Next to the desk is a bookshelf. Those cluttery things in front of the sliding glass door there are our heater and dehumidifier, I didn't bother putting those away because they will be in use soon, and they also block anyone from being tempted to use the non-functioning door. My birthday request is nice patio doors to replace the glass door - it will really make things look SO much nicer, as well as give us instant access to the backyard.


A view from the preschool/toy area - the computer desk to the left, the table in the center is for seatwork. The wet bar in the back is where the arts and crafts materials are stored (it has a sink and everything - how perfect!) and the bookshelf behind the wet bar has our current curriculum - each boy has their own shelf. There is also the stacked drawers that contain our markers, pencils, papers, etc. on the left near the wet bar. To the right are bookshelves containing puzzles and some preschool supplies. The TV area is also to the right.


A close-up of the wet bar area.


The toy and preschool area from a different angle.


My favorite part - our reading spot! The gutter bookshelves will hold books relating to whatever country we're studying, and the basket next to the couch has additional library books. The cabinet there actually stores all of the board and card games.


A close up of the puzzle/preschool supply bookshelves. Can I just say that the treadmill is such a frustration for me? Whenever I see it, I start humming that song "One of these things is not like the other..." It just doesn't go with the flow of things! But it does get used, and we had no other spot for it, so there it is.


The TV area. We have no TV upstairs and no cable, so its a nice spot for family movie nights, and for when the kids need to watch their Math-U-See videos. Lots of couches make for more comfy reading spots. We do alot of reading!

And that's it! Its hard to give a really good view of the way things mesh together, but I'm pretty happy with it. It took alot of thinking and planning, but I'm so glad its come together! I'm really looking forward to giving it a go this week.

That being said, I am going to spend this first week of back to homeschool, offline, to help me to stay focused and use my time appropriately without distractions. So I'm signing off for now... but I'll be back with updates in a little while!

The Truth!

Brenda at The Family Revised posted "The Truth" about the current state of affairs at her house, and lest anyone think that I'm Miss Super-Organized-Ultra-Tidy-Housekeeper (ha! ha! ha! all of those who know me in real life can stop laughing now), I thought I'd confess a few things of my own.

Due to the recent obsession of setting up a homeschool room, the rest of my house has fallen a bit to the wayside. For example, I haven't folded or put away my laundry in... oh, maybe two weeks? I've gotten it washed and dried, but then it goes and sits on my bed. At bedtime, it gets put into a pile on the floor. Last night, that pile almost resembled a small mountain that might avalanche and crush Michael and I in our sleep. Obviously, it did not, as I am writing this post alive and well. But I can only thank God for that!

I can't remember the last time I swept the floors. Thankfully, the kitchen and entryway are done daily by the boys as part of their chores, but the rest of the house (we have all hardwood except for bedrooms)... well, I will admit that keeping them covered in homeschool supplies during the transition helped to hide that fact. But now that the transition is almost complete, I realized that I am without excuse.

There's more, too, but those are the biggest. Needless to say, today is going to be a "taking care of business" day instead of a "playing around in the homeschool room" day! I am thankful I have a husband who is "long suffering" and patient with me! ;-) And now y'all know The Truth!

Anyone else care to confess?

Chore Assignments

As promised in my previous post where I described our chore system, here are my and the boys' chore assignments. Now, writing this all out might make it look like a lot of stuff... and there is a lot. But we do have a large household, and Michael and I believe its important for every member to be contributing as soon as they can begin learning how to.

We've noticed with our boys that this has brought about several things. First, they're more appreciative of the house and the work that has to be done in it, since they are involved directly. Second, chores give them a sense of accomplishment and contribution, which is important for children to develop - they need to know that they are useful and can do work that is effective and helpful to others. It also teaches them that the world doesn't revolve around them, and that serving others is a blessing to those they are serving and to they themselves.

We feel its important for the boys to learn to rise up to meet the challenges of day to day work, as, eventually, they will be providing for a wife and family of their own, we pray. We don't want them to think of work as drudgery or something to avoid, but to understand that it is a necessity to life, and a big aspect in maturing into a man.

So here's their chore lists, broken down for simplicity, hopefully ;-)

Isaac (age 8.5):
Daily Chores:

Before Breakfast:

• Make Bed
• Brush Teeth
• Pray/Devotion
• Pick up personal belongings in room

After Breakfast:

• Clean Toilet area of bathroom (wipe seat and under seat with bleach wipe, scrub inside of toilet with brush)
• Dogs Out
• Empty glass dishes from dishwasher

Afternoon:

• Zone (his zone is the kitchen, so he sweeps, wipes table, and washes pots and pans)
• Fold and put away laundry, if needed
  
• Brush Molly (the hairy Lab)
• Vacuum Judah's room

Before Bed:

• Wash pots and pans from dinner
• Teeth
• PJs on

Weekly:

• Match mismatched socks
• Clean Trash out of Car
• Sweep Deck
• Straighten Bookshelves
• Take Sheets off Bed, Replace with clean ones
• Vacuum Stairs to Basement
• Clean Basement
• Sweep Garage
• Wipe Kitchen Floor

Ezra (age 7):
Daily:

Before Breakfast:

• Brush Teeth
• Make Bed
• Pray/Devotions
• Pick up personal belongings in room
• Serve Emergen-C to everyone
  

After Breakfast:

• Load dishwasher
• Start laundry if needed
• Trash out if needed
• Sink area of bathroom (wipe sinks and counters, change hand towel, shake out rug)

Afternoon:

• Zone (his zone is the front of the house - entryway, living room, office - he has to pick up items from those rooms and sweep the entryway)
• Clean and vacuum room
• Fold and put away laundry if needed
  
• Load Dishwasher
• Trash out if needed
  

After Dinner:

• Load Dinner dishes into dishwasher
• PJs
• Teeth

Weekly:

• Sweep front porch and sidewalk
• Pick up front yard
• Take trash can and recycle bin to curb on trash day
• Bring trash can and recycle bin back to house after trash day
• Pick up back yard
• Take sheets off bed and replace with clean ones
• Clean "stuff" out of car (non trash items that belong in house)
• Clean basement
• Wipe Kitchen Floor

Joel (age 4.5):

Before Breakfast:

• Teeth
• Make bed
• Pick up personal belongings in room
• Pray
• Feed Dogs and give water

After breakfast:

• Unload silverware from dishwasher
• Bring dirty laundry to laundry room
• Replace trash bag if needed
  

Afternoon:

• Zone (his zone is the family room, so he tidies this)
• Fold and put laundry away if needed
  
• Empty trash cans around the house into kitchen trash
• Replace trash bag if needed
  

After Dinner:

• Teeth
• PJs on

Joel doesn't have many weekly chores, yet, but he does help clean the basement and wipe the kitchen floor. He also helps with anything I ask him to :-)

Nathan (age 2.5) doesn't have a "chore list" yet. Every morning he is responsible for unloading the plastic dishes from the dishwasher. The rest of the day, he helps me in anything I'm doing that I can modify for his level. They all start out as "mommy's apprentice" until I can see that they're ready to do more things independently.

Oh, and before anyone thinks I sit around eating Bon-Bons while my children slave away, here's my chore list:

Before breakfast:

• Exercise
• Shower
• Quiet time with Lord
• Prepare breakfast

After breakfast:

• Help Nathan get dressed and change his diaper (or, since last week, help him sit on the potty!)
• Start my laundry, if the boys don't have laundry to do that day
• Check chores

Afternoon:

• Motivated Moms list
• Sweep the house (we have hardwood everywhere except the stairs, basement, and bedrooms)
• Vacuum either the living room rug, master bedroom, or basement (they rotate, and yes, I have a list of which day I do what, naturally! :-P Or else I'd forget entirely!)
• Fold and put away my laundry if needed
• Check chores

Before bed:

• Check that the dishwasher is loaded well and start it
• Wipe down the kitchen counters and sink
• Make Michael's lunch for the next day
• Get my exercise clothes ready for the morning
• Do a brief bit of Bible study

One thing I want to incorporate into the older boy's list is learning how to plan a meal to cook, make the grocery list for that meal, and then prepare it. I figure if I can do that with each boy as they get older, by the time Judah is 10, I'll only have 2 meals a week to plan and prepare, lol! They love helping with the cooking whenever they can.

So, there's a run down of our day! The before breakfast, after breakfast, and after dinner chores take about 15 minutes or less each. The biggest chunk of chores is in the afternoon, which take an hour or so for me and the two oldest boys. We try to always keep this in mind as we go about our daily work:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23

Our Chore System

My friend Manda asked a couple of questions about my chores, so I thought I would go ahead and elaborate. One of my goals over this summer was to streamline our chore process, because every day was a bigger-than-I-preferred ordeal. So I spent alot of time looking at what other larger families put into place for their chores. I liked the look of "Accountable Kids" but that wasn't in our budget. I also liked the idea of "Chore Packs", but the frugal side of me also thought I might be able to come up with something along those lines without spending too much money (although I do wish I had the Managers of their Chores book for some more ideas, I really appreciate the Maxwells' materials).

So, after much brainstorming, I came up with "our own thing". And its been working wonderfully! Here's what I did. I got index card boxes, colored index cards, white index cards, and adhesive tab labels. It cost about $10, I think. For us, we have chores that are done daily and also chores that are done weekly. Our daily chores are broken down into several portions of the day - before breakfast, after breakfast, afternoon, and after dinner. The weekly chores are done in the afternoon, as well.

So, I color coded the daily portions - before breakfast is on pink cards, after breakfast is on orange, afternoon on yellow, and after dinner on green, and they are all sorted in the front of the index card box. Weekly chores are on white cards, and are behind the daily chores, divided up by cards that have the adhesive file tabs on them with each day of the week listed. Confused yet?! Its much easier visually than for me to explain it, so here's some examples:


You can see the different color daily cards in this picture:

The weekly chore dividers:


On the front of each card is the name of the chore, and on the back are any specific instructions - to help those who don't remember easily, and also to help Michael to check that things are done correctly if I am not available. I also write the day or time of day on the bottom of the cards, in case of a chore box spill, which has happened more than once ;-)

The two oldest boys use this system, and it makes chore time really "hands-off" for me. We used to have a chart, but it was hard for them to read, and they always asked me 101 questions about each chore. Or it seemed that way, anyway. Now they know what to do, when to do it, and how it should be done. I just have to tell them its chore time, and they're off and running! Joel (who is 4.5) needed something more visual, since he is not reading yet. So he has a visual chore list posted on our bulletin board:


Also, I found that while this made the "what" of the chore process easier, it didn't help with the other issues that would arise - distraction, dawdling, and the occasional grumbling. So we have a reward chart to go along with the system. For each portion of chores done with good attitudes, good effort, and staying on task, they get a star on the chart. If any of the above issues pop up (I have to remind them to get back to work too many times, I find them playing instead of working, arguing instead of working, or a job left completely undone), they get a red "x" on their chart.

On Fridays nights after our Sabbath meal, we hand out allowance. For every star, the big boys earn 10 cents, and Joel earns 5 cents. However, for every "x", they have to give us back a dime or a nickle. If they've been able to go all week without any "x"s, they get a bonus of 25 cents. The child with the most stars for the week also earns a bonus 25 cents.

Adding this reward system has done wonders for helping people stay on task and grumble less! I've been amazed! Joel has won both bonuses two week in a row, and he used to be the hardest one to motivate to stay on task and do all his work.

Since it has worked so well for chores, I've also decided to do the same for behavior issues. Any initiative that is taken to do above and beyond their assigned chores, without being asked, can earn them a bonus star. On the same hand, excessive bickering, disobedience, or bad attitudes can earn an extra "x". This has come in handing for the more "tricky" issues of discipline that aren't serious enough for a major consequence, but that I have been frustrated by having to repeat all the time. (For example, door slamming - we've practiced how to shut doors quietly, but doors still slam all the time around here. While its not a deliberate disobedience, it is carelessness and a disregard for a rule. So to make them more aware, I've been passing out "x"s for door slamming... and the slamming has diminished significantly!) These extra stars or "x"s go in the corner of the chart - here's an example:


I know the issue of childrens' allowance can be controversial, but we decided to do it for several reasons. One, it helps them to learn how to manage their money. Second, they all have very generous spirits and want to buy gifts for others, and are sad when they can't. I like to encourage their generosity by granting them the ability to give to others out of their own earnings. Third, there are often little extra chores here and there that they do for me without any compensation, so they are not getting caught up in the mindset of "I'll only do it if I get something out of it".

To see how our house stays orderly even with 5 rambunctious boys in it, check out my Chore Assignments post!