christmas organization - getting it together

how are your organization skills? is planning your thing? are you good at it?

me - i'm a planner slash list-maker. i live by the list. in fact, i practically have a list of the lists. problem is, sometimes i'm not so good at it. sometimes i forget the list. or i lose the list. or i have plans for a list, but forget to make the list.

seriously, i'm not so bad at it, but i can tell you this... i don't plan like i used to.
these days i "selectively" plan. (sounds like a sister to selective memory, right?)
i plan what i have to, and hopefully don't miss any of those "have to's" if i'm lucky.

the christmas holiday is one of those things that i normally plan. i've tried different methods... kept lists, filled binders with ideas, made advent calendars... i've just plain filled the family calendar with all sorts of activities and traditions. none of these "methods" has stuck with me for very long.

back in 2006, when my youngest child was a mere 7 years old, he surprised me by giving me a lovely red journal for christmas. the truly wonderful thing about it was, although it wasn't on my christmas list, i really did need a journal to record all of our christmas traditions, activities, and gift giving. a christmas journal... it was perfect!

just last week i was wondering about last christmas, trying to remember the details of what we did, gifts we got our boys... that sort of thing. it also occurred to me that i was frantically searching for the perfect size christmas tins at the last minute. why was i doing that? did i write it down? i may still make my lists and write things on the calendar, but i confirm everything we did in that journal. it's my memory on paper.

so i pulled out my handy, dandy, christmas journal to see just what i'd done last year.

much to my dismay, i DID NOT RECORD CHRISTMAS 2010!
WHAT THE HECK? this just threw me into a tailspin.

HOW am i going to remember what i did last year?
WHAT did i need those tins for?
SURELY i needed them for a good reason - but what was it?
WHATEVER will i do????

{i fully realize the insignificance of the little things i obsess about, but this is how my mind works}

now, to remember all the details from an entire year ago. ouch.

to make things worse, last christmas was weird. i didn't plan anything new and we didn't stick to any of our previous plans. we didn't put up a tree - we were just.that.lazy. we thought that as long as the boys didn't care, we wouldn't even bother with getting it out. what's the likelihood that two people as lazy as us would have kids that weren't just as lazy? yep, we pretty much had that deal sealed from the start.

honestly, that is what happens when i don't plan. if we don't have plans or a schedule to follow, the bare minimum gets done. we would all just be blobs on the sofa or in front of the computer screens. nothing deliberate, nothing intentional.

so right now, i'm getting a leg-up on the plans. i'm not going to over-commit, but i'm going to put in an effort. i've got my christmas to-do list started and already have some plans in the works. i'm even thinking of braving a christmas-gift-list-less year. yep... no christmas lists.

this could be the new me... live dangerously, but with a plan.


*if you're thinking about planning and would benefit from an actual christmas planner, check out these cute diy christmas planners.

how i spent my summer and didn't blog about it

oh my goodness.
i haven't been on the blog since july. JULY.
this summer came and it went... soon we'll be getting ready for thanksgiving.

where has this year gone?

and i know very well that i'm far too old to be writing anything entitled
how i spent my summer, yet here i am.

honestly, i don't really want to talk about my summer.

but if i did, i could tell you about how we stayed home. a lot.
and that we only went swimming twice. all. summer. long.
i could tell you how our garden really stunk and the canning was almost nill.

i could also say that i spent nearly every waking moment researching for this school year, and making sure i was ready to officially home school a high school student. my brain literally hurt at the end of each day, but it was exciting.

i might also tell you that we saw all the big super hero/action movies (thor, green lantern, captain america, pirates of the caribbean, cowboys & aliens), but that might be a little too much insight into the real priorities in my life.

all i know is that i was busy and i did not blog.
and i really didn't miss it. {insert cringe here}

so, i've been thinking about blogging and about not blogging.
i think i'd really like to get back to it. i think i've got some things to say and maybe some resources that others might find useful.

i've got lots of ideas for posts ranging anywhere from ...photos that i'm loving, to teaching my guys greek & latin roots, to an art curriculum i'm designing, to why i tried the no-shampoo method of washing my hair this year.
(yes... yes i did & i know you can't wait to hear about it)

now, i know that all sounds just awesome, yet i find myself struggling just to keep the toilets clean these days!
just keepin it real, peeps.

so how am i going to fit blogging in there? i don't know.
and now i'm having a conversation with myself. ☺

so, give me a shout out. tell me how you do it all, if you do it all,
and what the heck... even if you don't.

throw some encouragement my way!

i could use it right about now.

my garden boys | nappanee photographer

how has your summer gone so far?

it's been kind of different for me.
i would really like to chat about why, but that will be a near-future post.

a normal summer break starts something like this:

clothes on the lines - check.
basketball camp for the over 6' crowd - check.
swim lessons - no more. (in the books as of last year)
summer camp - check.
mowing, and more mowing - check.
garden - check... err, kind of.

my flower garden is a disaster.
take-over of an ivy kind literally strangled out several of my perennials.
in my old age, i'm giving this up as "lesson learned".

our vegetable garden is mostly per the usual, except that my participation has been next to nill.

i went along to purchase seeds & plants as is the tradition, but i've done very little else.

post gardening rest...

did you know that a hoe can double as a light-saber or some other sort of weapon...?

although i had good intentions, the new strawberry patch was planted by the big guy alone.
i'm wondering about those new plants... i never really discussed the "proper way to plant strawberry starts" with him.
somehow i just don't have it in me to verify these facts.

so, i've been busy inside and my guys are doing all the gardening themselves.

*oh, hey... i did spread hair around the jalepeno plants, and well... that's a whole nother ball of wax.

i'm motivated | nappanee photographer

as the sun tries to pull itself out from under another dreary indiana winter, i find myself motivated to do many things.

my house is unusually clean right now.
i am so thinking spring clean... my walls are yearning to be dust mopped☺

my hard drive is almost full... again.

there's going to be a lot of sorting, deleting, and then deleting some more.
it must be done!

picture frames, oh... they are calling my name.

i feel a project coming on & it involves spray paint.

i'm just itching to get started.

and... i can safely say the most exciting purchase i made last week was a package of new clothes pins & a clothes pin bag to hang on the line.

i am sooo ready!

being that this is a relatively new year, i'm still trying to figure out my goals, but i think it's all just sort of falling in line.

{well, some of it anyways}

the whole meal planning thing... grrrr!
i was so organized last year, but i've let it slide.
i'm being lazy and it's not flowing very smoothly these days, but i'm about to wrangle it up.

and i'm still searching for a nutritious hot cereal option that #4 can stomach.

recently we tried a new recipe. maybe someone at your house will love it.
it's a rice pudding of sorts.

check out the recipe here.

so, are you motivated?
do you have some goals in the works?
what are your success stories?

i love a good list.
a list of goals is even better.
and achieving those goals... now that's the best.

i love being able to look back & know that there is proof - i've lived some of my life with intention.

too fast | nappanee children's photographer

my guys are growing up so quickly.
school has started & i have an 8th grader & 5th grader.

whoa.
i ask myself, "where has the time gone? they're growing up too fast!"

all you mama's with little ones out there, let me reassure you:
it will be gone... all too fast.

so i savor these moments today.

secretly, my oldest son blows my mind.

he chews gum. all. the. time.
he's into ac/dc. his father is so proud☺
he's officially taller than me - over 5' 11".
his new bike is the big deal in his life right now.
he plays "gaga ball". it's an actual physical game, not a video game. bonus.
he bought a $15 computer from his cousin. you'd think it was state of the art.
he is a quite the piano player, which makes me really proud!
he's a super speller & loves all things science.


my youngest keeps me sharp. he makes me work for every last bit.

he's imaginative & creative.
he likes all things egyptian.
he is the most thoughtful kid i know.
he loves history, which makes his father proud.
he's a self-professed author. he's always writing & that impresses me!
he loves to play gaga ball, even though his brother normally pounds him.
he wants a pet desperately. even if it's just a mouse, he needs one.
he got 5 milk duds for helping me work on my backlit shots. i love the results.

i love these boys so much.

god knows what he's doing when he grants you the desires of your heart; that he surely does. ♥

on their way out | nappanee photographer

this year was crazy hard on the gardens.
i suppose it didn't help that i didn't water the flowers once this year.

bad gardener... baaaad.

i like to think that by planting all perennials, the garden's on auto-pilot.

you throw a kid who's in trouble out there once in awhile to pull the weeds, and let those babies go.

that's my idea of flower gardening.... lazy style☺


they're on their way out now but these were some of my favorites...








love me a little flower bokeh!
mmmmm.....


so long, my pretties☺

rocking my kitchen today

some of you know that tacos, quesadillas & burritos are a mainstay at our house. we like us some mexican food!

lately i found myself buying packet after packet of taco seasoning.
each time i'd buy it, something nagged at me, telling me i should probably just make some myself.

sometimes, i hate it when that happens...


so here's the recipe i found & tweaked to my liking.
hopefully someone can use it as much as i can!

if you're like me, you already have all or most of these ingredients in your cupboard.

taco seasoning
6 tsp. chili powder
5 tsp. paprika
5 tsp. cumin
3 tsp. onion powder
3 tsp. garlic powder
3 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. seasoned salt

shake it up.
store in jar with tight fitting lid.
7 tsp. = 1 packet of seasoning
add to 1 lb. browned ground beef & 3/4-1 c. water.
simmer a couple minutes, shouldn't be runny.


tortillas.
we eat a lot of them & it always bugs me that the regular, made with your all-american bleached flour ones are pretty unhealthy for you & still have transfats in them.

even the recipes for homemade ones are made with either lard or shortening. i just don't like those options.

so i found theses...

now i'll be straight with ya... these aren't the healthiest of the possibilities on the market, but they're much better than the non-whole wheat alternative. i've looked, i've tried at least 2 other brands that offered a whole wheat option. but looking at all around consitency, feel, taste, etc. i like these the best.

and they fit my requirements, so i'm happy. they're also really affordable, get them on sale for $1.59 a pack of 8, 8" tortillas. that's not bad at all.

the piece de resistance:

i found these meijer brand chips on sale a couple weeks ago. as a rule, i don't buy a lot of chips, because lets face it, we do not need chips. but i needed chips & they looked good.

and they are good. bonus!☺

so have i got your wheels turning?
i hope so - this stuff is great!

summer hiatus is over...

if you haven't noticed, i took a little break this summer.
and by break, i mean break from blogging.
i didn't plan on it... it just worked out that way.

and seriously, i don't think it was that big of a deal, seeing as how my husband & 10 yr old were the only ones who noticed!

this summer has been typical of the last year and a half or so... very weird, lots of ups & downs... mostly i've dwelt on the downs. i truly haven't been "me", but i'm pulling myself back up there and getting back into the normal routine of things.

it feels like i've accomplished little, but actually i've achieved a lot.

often i've felt as if there isn't much to show for it with the disappearance of my camera for an extended period in july (depressing... emphasis on the depressing)

but i have survived☺

my youngest & i survived his time in casts. i'm so glad that experience is over with. i can't imagine this hot summer with casts on... lord help us!



my oldest turned 14 in july. i look at him (almost looking up at him, actually) and cannot believe i have a 14 yr old man-child. nope. just can't.


i have tried new recipes. many. maybe too many. i spent a crazy amount of time copying recipes from library books in a quest to find new salads, new summer dishes, new things to get me out of the hum-drum that is cooking.

i have to tell you, i had many strike-outs. most of our summer has been just me & my boys at dinner time & i think my husband has spoiled me. he happily eats anything that he's served and doesn't find a need to tell me that it's not really great, even if he feels that way. my boys... that's another story. my youngest would eat his first helping and be done. that was clue #1 that it's not too good. my oldest would flat out critique the dish as if he were an expert chef. a simple "i didn't really care for it" would suffice for me.

so... we're pretty much back where we began but i did find a few things that we liked & made their way into my recipe binders.

there seemed to be no problem devouring this peach berry cobbler, pretty much in one sitting.


yes... i caved to peer pressure & had mine with a little ice cream... i'll admit that it was pretty good.

so don't give up on me... my mind's just flowing with ideas for my next post☺

how our garden grows

last night we finally got corn & beans planted. we are soooo late. the priorities around our place have been severely screwed up for several months, at best. in my heart i thought there was no way the garden would get neglected, but things happen to the best of us.

between all the rain & the general absence of a certain master gardener - tiller extraordinaire, the big plant got delayed, and delayed again.... big time.

like i said, these things happen to the best of us.

but on other fronts, the strawberry patch is cleaning up nicely. 3 days straight of weeding, eyes burning, itching, sneezing, keeping my kleenex box in the garden next to me, the big boy and i did some serious damage to the clover population.

*note to self: find a way to keep the clover from coming back.... ever.


i think these are some of the sweetest berries we've gotten out of our patch. this variety is honeyeye. they are described as "sweet" but i generally think they're pretty tart. normally i find that the later part of the picking season produces the sweetest berries, but these have been really sweet so far.

***now, here's where things get reeeally boring unless you're into gardening & you've got nothing better to do than keep reading...

have i mentioned what's going on in the "no tilling allowed!" section of our garden?

well, 2 years ago i planted dill for my pickles. sources told me that dill would return (even though it's technically an annual). then, last spring we had the till-happy mishap where everything got tilled under, even the asparagus that was in it's 2nd year - major ugh! moment.

so just to be safe, i planted more dill, which, as we later discovered, probably wasn't necessary. the dill made it's way back, even after being tilled under. (alas, no asparagus survived.)

along with dill & some other herbs we also planted cilantro for our salsa & all the summer pico de gallo that happens here. cilantro would also happen be an annual.

now this year, since we learned our lesson, we now have a "no tilling allowed" section of the garden where the dill and asparagus reside. come time to buy seeds, i could not see any sign of the dill.

weeds, yes.
dill, no.

and last week i tried to find dill for sale, only to come home with one measly little pack. i was pretty bummed. i go out to the garden to check again for any sign of the dill popping up and i was pleasantly surprised to find many little starts making their way up through the "weeds" surrounding it.

upon looking a little closer (wake up girl!) i notice the "weeds" surrounding my little sprigs of dill are actually cilantro.... or rather what i like to call "cilantro gone wild"!

we're now the proud owners of a 8 x 4' patch of cilantro.
good. night. nurse.

so hey, if you're in the area and need some cilantro, you know where to get some☺

happy vengence

it's amazing how some things can take off & get away from you without your notice. that is what my perennials have done this spring.

i have one little flower bed that i have accumulated perennials in over the time we have lived here. i am so glad i went with perennials because i do not have the patience for the annual ritual. i like the renewal of these flowers each year, something to look forward to with expectations each spring.

the early birds have already finished blooming like my irises & ground cover. (if anyone is interested in a dwarf white/purple iris, let me know because i'd like to split it this year!)

i've been surprised to see that my globeflower has reappeared after a no-show last year. this confounds me! and i guess my poppies are not going to happen (i would really love to have some poppies!).

this year some of my plants have just gone ginormous on me. i'm not sure why. i'm sure there's a logical reason having to do with something like the climate over the past year... that's just my guess. but regardless, in the flower bed and in my garden (more on the herbal takeover later) things seem to have returned with a happy vengence☺

the blessed lupine has come back in a big way. i have never seen so many blooms on this plant. (these photos were taken almost 10 days ago, so by now they are maxxed out to full bloom. this is the stage where i like them best)

the salvia. i have found that i have an over-abundance of purple flowers in my garden☺

if the skies allow, i'll be posting more flowers as they arrive.

happy gardening ♥

the garden... first harvest 2010

last night i spent some time weeding the ever-loving strawberry patch.
we have out-of-control clover in parts of the patch.

it's terrible.

i have never seen anything like it!

the conviction of will that it took for me to spend an hour weeding just a tiny 3 x 1' stretch of patch was mind-numbing.
not to mention the hopelessness that came when i looked at the next 25 x 4' that still need attention.

ugghh!


so anyhow, the 2 casted boy came over to check out my hard work (since he's too handicapped to help with the weeding, don't you know).

he noticed that there were radishes that needed picking.
he explained that radishes & cucumbers are his favorites of all things to pick from the garden.
this doesn't shock me, whatsoever.

can we all say "very little effort required"?!

so here's the first crop. there's still more out there to pick, and once they're ready, we'll plant more. radishes are nice & they let us grow them pretty much all season long.

*i have no idea what happened to that reject in the lower right corner, but other than being a freakish shade of purple (which by the way bled off onto our hands like ink), it wasn't especially hot or strange tasting. it was devoured in one bite by the big guy, along with almost every other one we picked, at supper.

oh, and ps.... we did pick a couple of strawberries too. SO excited, i can hardly wait for them☺

excitement | part 2

as you know, i have piano players at my house. this is something that really thrills me as a mom and as a music lover. i played piano (and not especially well) most of my childhood & into the teen years. as my youngest showed interest in the piano, we searched for something we could afford & since bringing a piano into our home, i have renewed my love of the instrument and for learning with it.

both of my boys are finishing their 3rd year in lessons and they both have done very well. this past sunday was their spring recital.

a bit of a wrench was thrown into the whole situation this year because of "the broken arms". as luck would have it, the 2-casted boy broke his arms 5 days before recital. weeks of practice & hard work and he wasn't going to be able to play. this was truly a bummer, probably more for me than for my boy. it was so nice of their teacher, mrs. stichter, to play his songs on his behalf during the recital. it was really a special moment & i was proud, even though he wasn't able to play.

as for the big boy, for the first time since he's started playing he was really nervous about performing. as a kid, i hated recitals. a deathly-type of hate, i tell you. put me almost anywhere, but don't ask me to perform in front of people. i hated to have him feel this way and really want him to be confident. plus, he can really perform his work well & i didn't want that to be diminished by nerves.

so i had to hope & pray for my big boy. hope that he would do well & pray for his nerves to calm down. i have always been so proud of how well both boys have done performing... always.

at the recital he had 2 songs to perform and i could hear his nerves in the first piece, but the second song went smoothly. i was very proud of him!

little did i know, the really proud moment was yet to come.

each year at recital, mrs. stichter gives out 3 awards for different "bests" in her studio. when she started to describe the recipient of her "best technique" award, i listened intently. as she went on, she talked about how much improvement she saw in this student's technique, how diligent he was in working hard to do everything that she asked of him & how prepared he was every week. she described this student as being a lot of fun to work with and as growing up & getting so tall, and having to grow into his "man-sized hands".

my heart almost pounded out of my chest as i knew this had to be my son! (there aren't too many big boys in the piano studio)

when she said his name, i was brimming over with pride & so excited that my boy was being recognized for the work he's done at the piano. i'm sure most parents think so, but i truly believe he works hard (with a few nudges here & there from me) and is capable of going as far as he's willing at the piano.

if you know me, you know i'm not a gusher. but right now, i'm gushing!

i love ya dude & i'm so proud!

you can really work that piano if you want to☺

keep up the good work!

xo

mom

excitement | part 1

we have been keeping busy around here.

personally, i prefer hum-drum. really - i don't have a problem with mediocrity because frankly, i'm too lazy for a whole lot more.

lately, we've been losing lots of teeth. being the slacker that i am, i owe this kid about $5 over the past few weeks for all the teeth he's lost.

what else's been going on??? uuhhhh....

oh yeah. the arms. the broken ones. we've been dealing with that too.

two, no less. we're still trying to wrap our brains around this one. and really, it's kind of interesting the looks i get taking this boy anywhere.

not something you see everyday, i guess. ☺

*see that crud between his fingers there - yummy, don't you think? try not being able to really wash the hands of your boy for 5 weeks. truly, a mother's nightmare.

lesson to be learned: acrobatics are best done with belts & ropes, and at the very least, a thick & fluffy mat to land on when you go flying from a swing, head first in the wrong direction.

blueberry buckle

i have a confession to make. i seem to think there needs to be dessert. all. the. time.
it's a serious fault, i think.

but i'm picky. i don't like to make or eat just any old dessert, although you might not be able to tell by looking at me☺

i was flipping through the "cake" section of my dessert recipes to find there are only 3 cakes i make - pineapple upside down cake, texas sheet cake & pumpkin sheet cake. otherwise, there are a couple of coffee cakes and shortcake. that's it.

it so happened that i was in a cakey mood the other day, so i pulled out one of those coffee cake recipes. i know this as blueberry buckle.

it's yummy & it has blueberries in it. those requirements are way up there on my list of good.

blueberry buckle
2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening (which can be substituted with butter, or *gulp* lard if that's all you've got)
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
glaze & crumbtopping recipes, see below

cream sugar, shortening & egg. add dry ingredients alternately with milk. stir in berries last. spread into greased 9 x 9" pan & sprinkle with crumb topping. bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. drizzle with glaze after a few minutes of cooling. serve warm.

*for a 9 x 13" size cake (like i make), make 1 1/2 times the above recipe.

crumb topping (blend together with a fork or pastry blender)
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. soft butter

glaze(mix together to drizzling consistency)
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1-2 tsp. hot water

make it, bake it, eat it. you'll be glad you did☺

simple joys

simple joys are my favorite.... they keep me going☺

a clean house....

good music...



a finished project...

a yummy meal...

creative kids....

who are always thinking...

love that!

logic, justification & chocolate chip cookies

ok... so i tried out a new version of a chocolate cookie recipe because i think it's sort of the duty of any so-called baker to make the very best version of the chocolate chip cookie possible. this should be a required part of the baking arsenal.

that's how everyone feels, right?

amidst schooling & hounding people to do their chores, i fit in my cookie therapy. this recipe is really close to my standard, made-a-few-adjustments-over-the-years tollhouse recipe. there are a few tweaks here & there, but i think they made a real difference.

and just because i need to tell you, i always lean toward my oatmeal banana chocolate chip cookies as my standard cookie for these reasons:

1. i have bananas that need using. at this very moment, there are no less than 15 bananas in my freezer & that's kind of a norm. i buy about 10 lbs per week, but in warmer weather, they turn before we get em all eaten.
   
   
2. the standard choc chip cookie recipe uses 1 cup of butter & yields less than 3 dozen cookies. (no need to package those babies up, they'll get eaten before the day is over) so i have to double it to make it worth my time. see, there's no way i'm making 60 cookies with 2 cups of butter between them. buuuut... i can sub in bananas for some of the butter if necessary. and this, i like☺

so if you like are really nice, really soft for several days, guaranteed, chocolate chip cookie, give this one a try☺

groceries, meals & things...

i think i've mentioned it before, and i'll say it again: meals are not my favorite responsiblity.

now i realize that in a world of lots & lots of terrible things, it's just a good thing that we are all healthy, we have a job & a roof over our heads and we're able to have good food to eat pretty much every day.

but i still hate the whole meal planning, food buying, meal preparing grind.

i will admit that i do plan out a menu each week, making it easier to shop & keeping me from last minute runs to the store (which i hate).

i'm also listing my menu each week over in the sidebar for anyone who might be a bit like me, trying to find some inspiration anywhere they can when it comes to meal planning.

my favorite sources for recipes have been (in the past) old recipes passed down from home & the old red & white better homes & gardens cookbook(circa 1961) , the good housekeeping illustrated cookbook & taste of home magazine.

today, i find myself turning to allrecipes.com, tasty kitchen and (a current kick) the pioneer woman. i have found some other good sites too, especially for baking, but more on that later.

this week i made split pea soup. now i know what you're thinking.... yee-uuuck! well, think again. don't judge before you taste. seriously. back in the day before children, i used to make this for the two of us. we loved it. somewhere along the way, i stopped making it. but i've been on a serious, soup-once-a-week kick for months, so it was on the rotation. although the mere idea of pea soup was not appetizing to the guys, after tasting, they were in agreement: it's good stuff!

pure perfection, i am telling you. pure perfection.

{something about cooking with peppercorns & ham hocks. you just don't do it every day}

split pea & ham soup

1 ham bone or ham hocks with enough ham on them to make 1 1/2 c. of ham, approximately

16 oz. pkg. dry split peas

2 carrots, chopped fine

1 medium onion, chopped fine

7 c. water

1/4 tsp. peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1-1 1/2 tsp. salt

in dutch oven over medium heat, heat ham bone, split peas, carrots, onion & water to boiling. tie peppercorns & bay leaf in piece of *cheesecloth, add to soup. reduce heat to low; cover & simmer 1 hour. discard bay leaf & peppercorns. add salt if needed. remove bone, cut off meat & discard bone. cut meat into bite-size chunks and return to soup for serving. makes 6 servings.

*i don't use the cheesecloth, i just throw the peppercorns & bay leaf in & pick them out before serving. it's a good idea to count your peppercorns, otherwise, you live dangerously!

so i say, give it a try - report back later!

something else i do to keep organized is making my grocery list out around the menu & other things we're out of. i have a big spreadsheet that lists in order of the aisles and has space for price comparisons between my favorite stores. i'm liking this more & more as i am working on a new budget. this helps me see just how much i would save by running to more than one place to pick up any number of items. i am not a fan of shopping at 3-4 places to get my groceries. (seems to defeat the purpose of saving money, to me)

so, while i do not look forward to the whole grocery/meal planning experience, it's a necessity of life.... better make the most of it!

table talk

discussion at the dinner table last night as follows:

{in the background you can here the national news, talking about a tsunami warning}

troy: where's the tsunami?

me: i don't know, i thought they were talking about the earthquake in chile

big boy: did you know it's t-sunami

me: like o-possum... like k-nife

big boy: like g-naw

me: like g-nat

little boy: like dog-canine (get it, k-9)

troy, me, big boy: ***hysterical laughter***

LOVE that little boy☺

just for laughs

"we ain't 'ad nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"

this means absolutely nothing, in case you're wondering.

it's just a quote from lord of the rings: the 2 towers.

it pops into my head rather frequently, and it's just darn fun to say (so long as you use the proper rough and grumbly voice to say it in).

i recommend fitting it into your regular speech wherever you can.

come on, i know you want to☺

dear cons....

dear cons,

you know i love you.
you know i want you.

i miss you somethin fierce....
but right now, we just can't be together.

so hang in there my pretties.
one day, someday very soon when the snow has gone & it's not so cold....

xoxo