7 quick takes

* 1 *

I've been meaning to do this for weeks, even months.  A new friend hosts this, and it is 7 quick takes from your life this past week.  So take one, I'm actually posting (something to do at 5 am too).

* 2 *

This year for Lent I've been trying to do something different - try to add and item each week.  I think it has been very fruitful for me.  I always hear of great things others are doing, but tell myself next year you can do it.  But this year I am.  Things are getting quite busy - for some reason I have added daily tasks each week.  I think one of the best was no tv one evening which I added last week.

* 3 *

We are making progress on the garden!!  Ryan and his dad built me another bed last weekend, and last night we got some plants and seeds to get started!!  Now to start planting this weekend.

* 4 *

And we have decided on a plan for the landscaping for the rest of the backyard - more bushes, trees, etc.  It was something we were going to do when we moved it, and that has been 7 years ago!  But, we have a plan that we both agree on - and that is the best!

* 5 *

Special prayers for my father-in-law today.  He is having surgery.  Ryan went up to be with him and my mother-in-law.  Let us pray that it is successful!

* 6 *

My baby brother turned 26 yesterday!  Wow!  How does that happen?  Have a great year Ted!

* 7 * 

This is pretty fun.  A little glimpse in our lives.  Now something with Nate...I tried my hand at making finger paints this week.  Didn't work out that well.  But, there were make of sugar, water, and cornstarch, so Nate really enjoyed eating it up.  The blue beard he had was too cute!!

Small Successes - February 11

It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph.  


1.  Finally put away last week's laundry and have this week's done and put away!  Seriously, this is quite a feat for me!!


2.  Was able to make some important phone calls regarding financial issues (homeowner stuff and life insurance) that has been on my list for weeks.


3.  Met with a friend this week who shared her struggle with infertility with me.  Figured out that I don't have to fight with the devil, just need to work at pushing him back.  And found a great article on one woman's fertility that truly gave me hope!  

another blog...

So, I've decided to start another blog to share some of the things we cook at our house. I'll also add some tips and tricks that makes our budget go farther,as well as anything else cooking related I can think of.

So, click here and let me know what you think!

I wonder...

When I was single, and then when I got married, I had many chores to do. But, at the end of the day, I seemed to get most things done. Now with a toddler, my life has changed.

I wonder if I will ever have a house

without laundry to do,

dishes to wash,

emails to respond to,

blog posts to write,

photos to get printed,

gifts to wrap,

thank-you notes to write,

clutter to remove,

rooms to pick up,

diapers to change,

clothes to put away,

vacuuming,

sweeping,

dusting,

ugh!

I guess it is one of those days, when it seems like my to-do list keeps getting longer and longer and longer. I thought I was finally getting on top of things, doing only 2 loads of laundry (easy enough to put away right), when I realize that I didn't put away the last load, and then Nate falls and gets a bloody lip and bleeds all over my shirt. More laundry!!

I like following FlyLady but even doing that seems overwhelming at times. For those experienced wives and mommas out there, what do you do to keep yourself sane when the list seems endless?

lazy post...

it's been a week. i haven't posted. been crazy. highlights - lost my rings and watch (Ry found 'em last night), Nate has figured out how to crawl into and on top of almost everything (boxes, dryer, chairs, table, etc.), boot camp is kicking my butt, and we decided kinda last minute to host an Advent party (tomorrow!). Will work on Nate's 17 month post...teaser for next week!

Small Successes - Nov. 12

Okay, these are few and far between, but fun to do! Gotta give myself props :-)

1 - Already have in hand our Advent/Christmas gifts to our godchildren! Just need to wrap and mail before the first Sunday of Advent!

2 - Created a meal schedule this week and stuck with it! Also made lots of spaghetti sauce, so we are stocked in the freezer for awhile.

3 - Had a fun Pampered Chef party on Sunday for my friend Laurie who is just starting out. Been trying to plan this since August. Got the house all clean for it, and it has stayed that way!! yea!

For more small successes - click here.

i won!

yea! all the freebies and contests have paid off - I won this week a free grooming for our dog Charlie. I'm super excited - it is the best thing I've won yet!

The company is Bow Wow Hair Salon and they come to your house to groom your pet! Charlie is going to look super cute this Christmas.

If you want to find more info on the freebies I get, check my post from last month!

argh!

If y'all could keep us in your prayers - I came home yesterday to find my back door kicked in. Called the police from the neighbor's house and found out that they stole our brand new tv, blue ray player, wii and my sister's computer! They came through the fence behind our house (5 panels had been taken off) and kicked in the door with the dead bolt locked.

We are fine, just really shaken up. The good news is Charlie our dog didn't run away!

what a day! criminals suck!

if y'all have any recommendations on a good alarm system company, please share. That's the only advice the police gave me to ward this off in the future.

Small Successes - Oct. 8

Yea! Did this again!

1 - Finally fit in my "skinny jeans" and already have a pile in my closet of the "safe" clothes to get rid of. Time to purge!

2 - Finished 3 meals last night to take to friends who have recently had babies (and froze 2 for us). Meals complete with pasta, bread, homemade sauce, salad and banana bread (courtesy of my sister). Now to deliver 'em all this afternoon.

3 - Continuing on my "going with the flow" from last week, I decided not to make a "to-do" list this week and see what happens. I actually feel I have been more productive - wrote a long overdue letter, did my home blessing, laundry, etc. Will I continue this next week? Hmmm....

I was pondering what to write...trying to see if I could think of 3. Guess I was more productive than I thought!

For more small successes - click here.

$47 in coupons...

is what I saved at the grocery store last week (and I didn't get the HEB meal deal or purchase items that were not on my list). I posted this on facebook and got lots of comments, so I'll share some secrets.

1 - save coupons and use all on the same day. I stocked up on a few items, and did my "big" shopping trip for the month on this trip. I still did spend about $140 (but that's about a (25% savings).

2 - lately I have been the freebie queen. I love getting things in the mail, being the first to sample items, etc. Sometimes they come with the item and a great coupon (like $2 off), or a coupon for a free item (we got 2 free boxes of tea). Here are some of my favorite sites:

• Freebies for Mom
• Free Sample Freak
• VocalPoint
• Kraft First Taste

3 - I've even won coupons in contests, like this one for Lean Cuisine (in which I won 7 free dinners).

4 - utilize the in-store coupons. I don't really care which toothpaste or deodorant we buy, so I'll just use whichever has a coupon.

5 - have family members save their coupons. My mom had a stack of 'em waiting for us when we came to visit.

6 - put a dot next to the items on your list that you have a coupon for in your stack.

Hope this helps! What suggestions do you have in saving money with coupons at the grocery store? Next week I'll try to post how to save money without coupons...

Small Successes - Oct. 1

Seems like I missed this in September, but can easily start again!

1 - Went to my first Zumba class last night! yea! Been meaning to go for ages, and finally found a class. This may just be where you can find me on Wednesday nights!

2 - Finally called the car insurance about 3 little cracks in the windshield. Seriously, this has been on my list for months! And they are coming to our house tomorrow to fix it! yea!

3 - I've decided this week to just "go with the flow" this week, and it has blessed me greatly. Nate and I had a spontaneous trip to storytime at the library (which we hadn't been to in ages), went on a little retreat at church, was surprised by a lunch out with my husband, went through the grocery story backwards (and saved $47 in coupons), had a great massage, and enjoyed a fun lunch with my sister. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

For more small successes - click here.

Small Success - August 27

Here we go! Been a couple weeks since I did this, but I think we are back on track now!

1 - Started to work out again this week. I keep using the excuse that I have Nate and can't workout, so I've decided to do some of the downloadable workouts on our digital cable. They seem fun and I can vary 'em every day.

2 - Got my gift for my newest godson (who will be baptized Labor Day weekend) already so I can have it blessed for him this weekend!

3 - I woke up with no problem at 4:45 am Tuesday morning to take my sister to the airport. Now if I could only get up to work out in the morning... :-)

For more small successes - click here.

Small Successes - August 6

Here we go, week 2:

1 - Took the day off on my birthday and enjoyed it!

2 - Got through my first week of swim lessons with Nate.

3 - Had coffee tonight with a friend, which happened almost spontaneously. It was long overdue for us to get together and chat and had a great time. It's amazing how much you can chat when you don't have kids interrupting or having to chase 'em around!

Small Successes - July 30

I thought this would be fun...here are 3 little successes for the week:

1 - Successfully took 2 meals to friends with new babies today, and made dinner for the fam too!

2 - Finally got Nate's 1 year pics done.

3 - Did the vacation laundry and put it in the respective rooms...now just need to put 'em away.

pesto?

Anyone got a good pesto recipe? The garden has lots of basil, and I was wanting to make some for us to eat now and freeze for later. I know some recipes use walnuts, and I have those on hand too! Suggestions?

Baby food...

First and foremost - wanna give props to my boys! I had a great Mother's Day yesterday!! Love the beautiful earrings and will get good use of the Starbucks giftcard!

Okay, back to food! Since Nate began eating solids at 6 months, I've tried to make them for him as much as possible. Then life happens.... So, I need some feedback from my readers... what are your "go-to" foods - easy to make and prepare for the little ones? My favs are yo-baby yogurt, organic applesauce (thanks to Rowena - cheaper than "baby food") and baking a sweet potato in the microwave.

Looking forward to some new ideas!

time for my review...

Well, it will be 1 year on Saturday that I have been a stay-at-home wife and mom. Guess it is time for my review! Anything you want to share, Ry or Nate?

out of 1,164...

I won! Well, I won one of 3 gift certificates to Baskin-Robbins in a contest at Freebies for Mom. It's a great blog with lots of good info. She often has contests, and this time I won! You can read more about it here.

One thing I have loved to do since I started staying at home was to get freebies off the internet. I've gotten stuff from diapers to wipes, rolls of toilet paper to paper towels, shampoo, lotions, food samples, vitamins, a cutting board and even some skewers. It's been fun to see what I can find, and getting the mail is lots more interesting now!

SAHM

Since college I have been a fan of Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I've listened to her radio program and bought her books. For Easter, I got her newest book, In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms. I knew growing up that I always wanted to be a mom, and Ry and I spoke that if and when we were blessed to have children, that I would stay home with them.

Well, as cliche as it sounds, it has been the best and hardest job I've had. This book has been wonderful, helping me to see better what role I have in the family, since I haven't been bringing in a paycheck for a year. She focuses on how it is good for the kids, for the marriage and for me!

So, in doing my daily chores today, I did them in another way. The laundry basket became a race car, driving Nate from the laundry room to our closet. We jammed to music and after I was done just laid on the floor looking at the ceiling. And when it was nap time, I rested right next to my son, with Charlie the dog squeezing me on the other side. I laid there and thought, I wouldn't have these special times if I was working. These days in which the most I crossed off my list was putting away the laundry. But I have the great memories of Nate dancing to "Ice Ice Baby" and figuring out how to flip the switch to turn off the light. Thank you Ryan for allowing me to have this wonderful job.

I can't believe on May 2 it will be a year since I left my paying job. Guess it is time for my annual review!

newest gadgets!

I love trying new items, and now that I'm the "domestic engineer", I have found some to make my life easier. Here are a few of my new favorites. Feel free to comment on yours!

1. Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel - this stuff is super great! You just put it in the toilet bowl and it cleans with every flush. And the toilets smell super clean! And no scrubbing!

2. Ziploc Zip 'n Steam bags - these are super great! A great way to steam veggies, and no need to add water. Has instructions right on the bag to tell you how long to cook. Made potatoes in them this week and in 7 minutes they were perfect! Also used 'em for asparagus and doing carrots tonight!

3. Reynolds Handi-Vac - I've been trying to prep meals ahead, and this is great! We bought 1/4 of a cow last fall, and this has been a great way to reseal the meat to save it for a future use. Gave one to my mother-in-law and she just loves hers!

So, those are my top new items. Can't wait to see what yours are!!