The Schires Five

Virtual Coffee.

2012-02-14T07:05:00.001-06:00

Hooray! It's virtual coffee day! It's always fun to meet a friend for coffee, don't ya think?
It's Tuesday today already, can you believe it?? Yesterday went by in a blink of the eye.

Not to mention that it's Valentine's Day! Do you have big plans??
My plans involve taking the big guy for this this afternoon.

Yes, I'll admit, it's probably more for me than him, because he isn't a huge fan of coffee shop coffee-- he's happier when I brew his favorite Starbuck's flavor at home-- but he usually goes along fairly willingly when Caribou offers their buy one- get one deal.

I found a new recipe to cook tonight for dinner. (click here for the recipe)
It looks good. And sounds easy enough. Maybe not the healthiest, but it's Valentine's Day-- healthy eating is off on Valentine's Day, right?! I'll let you know what we think of it......

Other than that, there isn't a whole lot going on with us.

I am going to Iowa with my Mom this weekend. Looking forward to a weekend away and hopefully a bit of shopping.

I am sort of questioning my decision to pile on the extra classes this semester for school. It's a lot more work than I was expecting. BUT the time is going fast-- only 3 1/2 more weeks this semester before I get a two week break. And THEN I only have four classes left.......nice!!!

I still need to get the kids' their Valentine presents. Not sure yet what I'm doing for them, but I imagine I'll figure something out as I roam the aisles of Target!

With that being said, I need to run. Thanks for meeting me for coffee today!

Linking Here:

Lucky Number 13

For The Love Of Chocolate!

2012-02-13T16:32:00.005-06:00

Oh my gosh, these look sooooo amazingly good, don't they?! Of course I can't have them, but I can still save the recipe for later.......and I can still drool in the meantime! (I wonder just how many calories drooling burns???)

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Recipe by Our Best Bites, inspired by Martha Stewart
1 chocolate cake mix (we prefer Duncan Hines)
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
2 eggs
12 large marshmallows
1/2 c. melted butter
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Make It!
Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, eggs, and shortening in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and mix until well combined. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies appear done but are still soft in the center.

While the cookies are baking, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut each marshmallow in half. When the cookies have baked, remove the pan from the oven and place a marshmallow half on each cookie, cut side down. Return the pan to the oven for about 2 minutes. Remove from oven and very gently push each marshmallow down. Allow to cool completely and repeat with remaining cookie dough.

When the cookies have cooled completely, combine the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Add melted butter, vanilla, and evaporated milk and beat on high until smooth, light, and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to an icing bag fitted with a large tip and swirl onto the cookies. Makes 24 cookies.

Thank you Our Best Bites! I couldn't have drooled without you!

If Wishes Were Fishes.....

2012-02-08T06:00:00.002-06:00

If wishes were fishes I'd wish for new clothes. Like this outfit.

Source: polyvore.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Or this outfit....

Source: polyvore.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Or even this outfit....

Source: polyvore.com via Jenn on Pinterest

So why haven't I bought anything new??? That my friend is the million dollar question! And if you know the answer, please, please, please share it with me.

Holy Buckets Of Love!

2012-02-06T11:00:00.003-06:00

I had so many extra heart doilies from my put-a-doilie-on-a-mason-jar project, (click here to see that post) that decided to see what other things I could subject to some Valentine decorating goodness. I didn't have to look far. Staring at me right from the kitchen floor (go figure that one!) was an empty IKEA bucket. So some jute, some Hershey's Kisses, three minutes, and one heart doilie later, I had this. I actually think I like it a little better than the mason jar project......maybe.

Linking Up With:
A Bowl Full Of Lemons
Chef In Training

Yes, It's True. We Rock.

2012-02-06T06:54:00.002-06:00

A few weeks back I mentioned that our house could really benefit from some "home goals" so I decided to participate in the Nester's Home Goal Challenge.

So how are we doing on this challenge you ask?? Ha! Check it out for yourselves!

The Master List!!
1.   ~~Finish putting up trim in the kitchen/living/dining room~~.
2.   Replace bathroom doors.
3. ~~Fix the hole in the laundry room wall~~.
4.   Paint the girls' room.
5.   Paint our room.
6. Paint Noah's room.
7.   ~~Replace broken light switch~~.
8.   Paint the garage.
9.   Put up the trim around the closet in our room.
10. ~~Install wire shelving in the closet in our room.~~
11. Repair the tub.
12. Install a ceiling fan in the living room.
13. Put blinds up on the living room windows.
14. Get cable installed in the girls' room.
15. Fix the upstairs bathroom sink.
16. ~~Take off all childproof locks.~~
17. Replace the light fixtures in our kitchen.
18. ~~Replace the blinds in the girls' room~~.
19. Fix the crack in the wall in the upstairs bathroom.
20. ~~Fix the crack in the ceiling in the kitchen.~~
21. Close off the "cubby" areas in our room.
22. ~~Replace sprayer in the kitchen sink.~~

Yes, I know, we totally rock! Seriously though, it feels so good to be tackling this list. We have even accomplished some tasks that didn't make the list. We're finding it's easy once you get started-- and even a little bit addicting! The key was to just get started.

Virtual Coffee.

2012-01-24T11:58:00.006-06:00

So, if I was meeting you at Starbuck's or Caribou (I'd let you choose, because that's just the kind of friend I am! lol!) and if I was actually drinking coffee today-- but I'm not because I really need to lose this weight, so I gave up coffee for the week and so I will only be drinking ice water from my customizable cold cup today-- I would talk to you about.......

How I can't believe how fast this little munchkin is growing up. It seems like just yesterday she was born yet on Saturday I sent in her registration form for preschool this fall. I know she could have gone this year, but I didn't think she was quite ready......or maybe it's more that I wasn't quite ready.....?!?! Well regardless of whoever wasn't quite ready, she'll be going to preschool this fall and I can hardly believe it.

Then I would tell you how I can't believe she'll be the LAST one we send to preschool. It's bittersweet, really. All three kids will have gone to the same preschool and with the same teachers-- how cool is that?! But she'll be the last one we send to preschool........ sigh......they grow up so fast.

I would ask you if you have seen this??? This has been the kids' favorite treat to have lately while we stream The Cosby Show on Netflix.

I would tell you I am still decorating for Valentine's Day. While we don't have much in the way of Valentine decorations, what few we do have we are really loving. Oh, where did I get the print, you ask? From here. Scroll through, the download should be on the right hand side???

I would also make sure you knew about Addison's new found skill of cutting out construction paper hearts. I kid you not, but I think she made 100 of these the other day. Kept her busy for well over an hour! And we no longer need blinds on our front window!

I would also tell you that we are totally moving along on our Home Goals List for 2012 and that there has been lots of high-fiving going on around our house. And that with any luck, a few more things will be crossed off the list this coming weekend. Feels so good to be getting these monkey's off our back!

But that I am totally sucking wind on my mission to send out one card a week to friends and family--just because who doesn't love getting a little bit of happiness in the mail, right?! Except, that I missed two birthday's, and three weeks worth of cards. grrrr......it seemed like such an easy mission too. So, my project this week is to get caught up with those-- after I head to Hallmark for cards--

and after I get my school work done that is. Only 6 more weeks this quarter. Yee-haw! Graduation is in sight-- only 17 more weeks!!!!!

I'd also ~~bellyache~~ talk about how this losing weight thing is tough. Why is it so hard to lose weight when you're......well......somewhere between the age of 35 and 45??? Short of not eating anything but kleenex and toilet paper, I don't know what else to do.......but I am determined to do it, so I'll figure something out!

And finally I would tell you I found this new recipe to try........this new bevvy to try.......and this other new recipe to try. And I wonder why I can't lose weight?! LOL!!!

Oh and this book to read........ they have one for sons too that I need to order......but haven't yet.

And then I would quick tell you how proud I am of Meghan for getting a part in her school's production of Annie and how I absolutely love it when she does these productions! They're always so much fun for all of us!

And then after my proud mom moment, I would tell you that I have to go. I need to get groceries at Target before I hit the Y for a workout. But hopefully we can do this again next week?!?

Linking: here

This Is NOT Helping!

2012-01-22T17:52:00.002-06:00

This is not going to help me lose the baby weight, but holy cow doesn't it just look so so good????? In my world it just doesn't get any better than when chocolate and popcorn are together. If you are one of the lucky ones who are not trying to lose baby weight, then feel free to click here and get the recipe and make some! I think I'll keep munching on a carrot stick and pretend that it's Snickers Popcorn!

So You Take A Mason Jar....

2012-01-22T06:00:00.027-06:00

Feeling like you want to create but don't have a crafty bone in your body?? Then look no further girl, because this little project has to be the world's easiest craft project ever!

I had originally seen this somewhere......I really wish I could remember where, but I can't......loved the idea and thought, "I can totally do this." So I did. In less than five minutes. For less than $2.00. And without needing a single drop of alcohol to reduce my stress level after I attempted it. So, how'd I do it??

Well..........

First, I conned Marty into taking me to JoAnn's and bought some Wilton heart shaped doilies. (you can read all about that adventure here) Next, I raided my mason jar stash, opened the package of doilies and taped one onto the jar with a piece of scotch tape. Then I grabbed my jute, measured how much I needed (and I use this term loosely as I really just eyeballed it), wrapped it around my jar and tied a knot. Then I repeated the process for two more jars, tucked the jars around the nooks and crannies in my dining room, and that, my friend, was that.

In under five minutes, for less than $2.00 and with absolutely no hissy fits or not-so choice words uttered, I managed to create a fun mason jar decoration for Valentine's Day!

Linking Here:
Me And My Boys
Not Just A Housewife
A Bowl Full Of Lemons
Chef In Training
Clean and Scentsible
Itsy Bitsy Paper
Oopsey Daisy
Ginger Snap Crafts
A Little Tipsy
Someday Crafts
Creation Corner

Virtual Coffee.

2012-01-17T15:49:00.001-06:00

So, if you were to come over for coffee, or if we were meeting at Starbucks or Caribou.........

I would share with you that life has felt crazy lately and I don't really know why. Our schedules have actually slowed down a bit. We aren't running around nearly as much. But yet, life feels like it's moving at lightning speed.

I would tell you that I am so ready to graduate from college. Only 17 1/2 weeks to go, but yet it feels like a lifetime away! It'll feel good to be done. I just need to get through the next 17 1/2 weeks.

I would tell you that I am mixing things up and actually decorating for Valentine's Day. Addison is loving it. I have to admit, the house feels very "lovey-dovey!"

I would tell you that I am on week three of my New Years resolution of finally losing the baby weight. The first week didn't go so well, but last week I lost three pounds. Not sure yet how this week will turn out. Too early to tell. But I am determined to stick with it this year. I'm tired of the jiggle.

I would tell you that our nightly family routine the past couple weeks has been eating popcorn made on the stove while watching The Cosby Show on Netflix then after the kids go to bed Marty and I stream Wings-- gotta love Netflix! I even discovered that one of my favorite childhood shows is on Netflix-- Emergency! I can hardly wait to ~~subject~~ introduce the kids to it!

I would tell you I got a little crafty and accomplished a goal and made some Valentine's garland. Super simple project, but looks darn cute if I do say so myself!

I would also tell you that Addison and I have been enjoying lots of "friend" time lately. Last week we even went to the Children's Museum. Good times. Good times. Totally love that she has friends. And that my friends and I all had girls at the same time.

I would also tell you that Addison has been so into the library lately. And board games. So the past few weeks we have spent what feels like countless hours reading library books and playing board games every. single. day. It's fun to see her so interested in these things right now. A few months ago she wasn't.

And it's so fun to rediscover all the books Meghan and Noah loved as a preschooler-- it's bringing back great memories for all of us. And providing some great family conversations. Love that.

And finally, I would also be sure to tell you thanks for stopping by or for meeting me, because to me there is nothing better than meeting a friend for coffee!

Linking up here

S-L-O-W.

2012-01-16T20:56:00.002-06:00

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

My word of the year for 2012?

S-L-O-W.

As in: slower is better.
As in: take the slow boat or the slow road.
As in: take your time-- there's no rush.
As in: soak it all in.
As in: stop to smell the roses.
As in: take the time to savor the moment.
As in: it doesn't all have to be done today.
As in: slow and steady wins the race.

Could be a tough year for me-- going slow is not in my nature! Or my vocabulary for that matter. I'm the nutcase who thinks the house needs to be cleaned and all the laundry has to be washed, dried, put away and ironed by 8:00am.

But then again, maybe I'll s-l-o-w-l-y adapt! Get it?! S-l-o-w-l-y adapt?!

Here's to slower adventures in 2012!
~Jenn

Totally Linking Here:
The Lettered Cottage

Fitness On Pinterest.

2012-01-16T15:46:00.004-06:00

Source: get-thinspiration.tumblr.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Discovered this awesome gem on Pinterest today as I was ~~procrastinating~~ enjoying some down time in between studying and getting things done. As I head into week three of my New Year, New Me journey I am finding myself needing to mix up my snacks a little. Carrot sticks alone can only carry a girl so far, ya know?! Granted those carrot sticks helped me to lose three pounds last week, but I just don't want to live on carrots (or apples or oranges) alone, nor do I really want an orange tint to my skin......so THIS is perfect!

Isn't it great to be a loser?!?!
~Jenn

Linking: here

Yup-- I Made Garland!

2012-01-15T22:35:00.014-06:00

And let me tell you, this was the world's most easiest garland ever. Not to mention that it was crazy, crazy, crazy cheap. Totally my kind of crafting project. So, are you ready for it??? Are you ready to learn how I did it?! Well......

First, I had Marty drive me to JoAnn's. Usually I don't drag him (or the kids) through JoAnn's, because we're all just happier if I don't, but we were already going to be driving to Lakeshore Learning for their Saturday Kids' Craft, so I totally spoke Marty's language and said that since we'd be right there, we might as well save the gas and stop in at JoAnn's now instead of me making another trip later in the week. So into JoAnn's we went........

A ~~few hissy fits because I couldn't find half the stuff on my list later~~....Twenty minutes and four laps around the store later, I came across these wonderfully awesome packets of pre-made sticky felt hearts. For 40% off. Making them a mere $1.79 a packet. Which totally made up for throwing the hissy fits, because I knew instantly what I was going to do with these awesomely fabulous felt hearts. All I needed to find was 10 minutes to myself.

Luckily, that 10 minutes came today. So, not being one to waste any opportunity......

I grabbed some jute from my craft stash, opened the package of sticky hearts, paired up the hearts because there were 4 different styles of hearts and a total of 32 hearts in the package, peeled the backing off and stuck them together making sure the jute was sandwiched in the middle. That was it. Easy peasy kindergarten easy.

I mean, we're talking so quick and easy that I didn't even finish the mug of coffee that Marty had both brewed and poured for me when I sat down to start this little project!

But the best part of all is that after having it on my "to-do" list since January of 2011, I finally. made. garland. Yee-haw! 2012 is off to a rockin' start!

Linking Here:
Today's Creative Blog
Me And My Boys
Not Just A Housewife
Chef In Training
A Bowl Full Of Lemons
Lolly Jane
A Little Tipsy
Finding Fabulous
Funky Junk Interiors
The Crafty Blog Stalker
Six Sisters' Stuff
Be Different...Act Normal

Will We Still Be Friends?

2012-01-12T09:00:00.014-06:00

Want the recipe to a super yummy hot apple cider drink?

We're talking you'll never want to be my friend again because I got you hooked on this amazingly awesome delicious drink and probably ruined your diet in the process kind of yummy.......

But then again, maybe you WILL want to still be my friend because you'll never buy a hot apple cider at Caribou again, so I'll be saving you oodles of cash.......

If you're willing to take a risk, then read on. If not, then quick! head to another blog!

Caramel Apple Cider
1 packet Apple Cider mix
1 cup water
1-2 teaspoons caramel sauce (depending on how caramel-y you want it)
spray whip cream

Make It!
Heat the water in your most favorite mug then add apple cider packet. Stir till dissolved. Add 1-2 teaspoons caramel sauce and stir till mixed. Top with whip cream and enjoy the sugar-high goodness!

If you want to feel really spoiled, drizzle a little extra caramel over the whip cream. Then send me an email telling me how awesome of a friend I am for sharing this treat with you!

Linking Up With:
30 Handmade Days
Every Creative Endeavor
Tater Tots and Jello
Lolly Jane Boutique
Today's Creative Blog
A Little Tipsy
Funky Junk Interiors
Finding Fabulous
House Of Hepworth's
Six Sisters' Stuff

I Wonder.....I Just Wonder......

2012-01-12T06:00:00.004-06:00

if making these would be beyond my crafting skills......I know my crafting skills are limited....but I do know how to use a rubber stamp thanks to 14 years of scrapbooking........and stamping on a towel can't be all that different from stamping on paper......can it?.....so maybe making these wouldn't be so out of reach for me........

I guess there's only one way to find out.......click here......follow the directions.......and hope that they aren't! If you hear lots of crying and yelling and stomping of the feet coming from my house........you know they were too much for me to handle!

Home Goals 2012.

2012-01-11T09:30:00.022-06:00

Now I don't know about any of you, but my home could certainly benefit from some goals. So I am taking the Nester's challenge and setting some Home Goals for the year. I'm pretty good at knowing what needs to be done, what could be improved, where I'd like to make changes, the direction I'd like to see our house go, etc. But where we lack is actually completing the projects.

When I was dating my husband the one thing I noticed about his parent's house is that it was full of half finished projects. In fact the best way to describe it would be "one half finished project." It used to drive me absolutely crazy! I couldn't figure out how someone could live in a house where nothing was ever finished. Outlets missing covers. Carpet missing in a few areas. Big holes in walls from who knows what........

Fast forward 20 years and what am I living in? Yup, you guessed it! A house full of half finished projects. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! I'll be kind and spare you the gory details, but just know that it's bad. It's really, really bad.

So! I am taking on this challenge and mapping out the projects that, for the sake of my sanity (and quite possibly the sake of our marriage!) we to complete. So, without further adieu, I present to you.....

The Master List!!
1.   ~~Finish putting up trim in the kitchen/living/dining room~~.
2.   Replace bathroom doors.
3. ~~Fix the hole in the laundry room wall~~.
4.   Paint the girls' room.
5.   Paint our room.
6. Paint Noah's room.
7.   ~~Replace broken light switch~~.
8.   Paint the garage.
9.   Put up the trim around the closet in our room.
10. ~~Install wire shelving in the closet in our room~~.
11. Repair the tub.
12. Install a ceiling fan in the living room.
13. Put blinds up on the living room windows.
14. Get cable installed in the girls' room.
15. Fix the upstairs bathroom sink.
16. ~~Take off all childproof locks.~~
17. Replace the light fixtures in our kitchen.
18. ~~Replace the blinds in the girls' room~~.
19. Fix the crack in the wall in the upstairs bathroom.
20. ~~Fix the crack in the ceiling in the kitchen.~~
21. Close off the "cubby" areas in our room.
22. ~~Replace sprayer in the kitchen sink.~~

Whew! I think that just about covers everything that's half finished or in dire need of repair......I just hope that this challenge leaves me enough time (and money!) to do some of the other updating and decorating I want to do........and that my marriage stays in tack in the process! (ha ha ha!)

Happy Home Projects you guys!!
~Jenn

Linking Here

Explosively Quick Read!

2012-01-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

Want a super fun quick read to get your "get back into reading" resolution off to a good start? Then here ya go! I loved this book! I bought it at 11:00 am on New Years Day. Started it at 1:00 pm that same day and had it finished by 10:00 that night. And that included stopping to make dinner, getting the stomach flu and doing 4 loads of laundry thanks to said flu.

Yup, it was that quick of a read. And that good of a read.

But then again, I love all of the "Stephanie Plum" books so maybe I'm a little biased.......

But whatever.

Read it. Enjoy it. Start your "reading" resolution off on a good note. Then feel free to thank me for it later!

Twenty Minutes To Done!

2012-01-10T06:36:00.015-06:00

A home cooked meal done in under twenty minutes?! Ummm, yes please!!!!

A home cooked meal done in under twenty minutes that costs less than $5.00 to make AND the whole family likes??? Even. Better. We're talking I'd give you my left kidney better.

I originally found the recipe here, but I am now sharing it here because it's just too awesome of a recipe to not share.

Chicken And Biscuits
1 stick of butter
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/2 c, flour
1 can chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
milk
1-2 cans tubed biscuits

Make It!
Combine butter, salt, pepper and chicken broth in a saucepan. Cook till butter is melted. Meanwhile, place chicken in a 9x13 pan. When butter is melted and hot, add flour and whisk until smooth. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little milk to thin it out. When the sauce is desired consistency, pour over the chicken. Top with the biscuits then bake the whole thing according to the biscuit directions. That's it!

Twenty minutes to done and you get to feel like Betty Homemaker because you made your family a home cooked meal!

On a side note, I don't know why I am on an inexpensive dinners kick these days, but I am. So I am rolling with it.

And yes, I know this isn't exactly "healthy" eating and won't really assist me in losing the baby weight, but for the record, I served it with brown rice, steamed mixed vegetables and cut up fresh fruit. I stuck to the rice, steamed veggies and fruit.

Linking Up Here:
Me and My Boys
Not Just A Housewife
Chef In Training
Ginger Snap Crafts
Oopsey Daisy
A Little Tipsy
Someday Crafts
Seven Thirty Three
The Crafty Blog Stalker
House Of Hepworths
Gluesticks
Every Creative Endeavor
30 Handmade Days
Tater Tots and Jello
Lolly Jane Boutique

New Year.....New Me.

2012-01-09T06:58:00.003-06:00

A new book.......

a couple of new work out DVD's....can only mean one thing......

This is the year I finally lose the baby weight. Addison is almost four-- I have no excuses. Working out is nothing new for me. I've religiously been working out daily since I was in high school. But ever since having Addison......well....I haven't really given it my all.

Yes, I got into running last spring/summer and loved it. But I didn't really give it my all.

Yes, I still have the discipline to squeeze in work outs at home, but I haven't really given those work outs my all, either. Or always made the effort to squeeze the work outs in.

Yes, I know I have the discipline to eat healthier, and I would really love to eat healthier again, but I have been lazy about it the past 4 years and it's sad.

So, enough is enough. No more excuses. This is the year I make the changes and lose the weight. I want those extra 20 pounds GONE! I'll feel so much better when they are.

Linking up here and joining in on the fun because the more motivation I have, the better I'll do!

The Easiest Dinner Ever!

2012-01-05T06:00:00.016-06:00

Want to make the easiest dinner ever--including dessert???? We're talking easier-than-logging-onto-Papa Johns-and-figuring-out-your-pizza-order easy. If so, then read on my friend, read on....

First up? Enchurritos.

Enchurritos
1 package of frozen burritos
1 can Enchilada Sauce of your choice
Couple handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese

Make It!
Put the burritos in a 9x13 pan, top with the Enchilada sauce and cheese, cover with foil and bake according to the burrito package directions. That's it! Easy peasy eggs over easy.

Then while your Enchurritos are baking you can whip these up so they can bake while you eat.

This is one of our favorite go-to meals when we're short on time or when I need one of the kids to make dinner. Not to mention that it's cheaper than the dollar menu at McDonald's. We're talking less than $5.00 for the Enchurritos and less than a dollar for the Blondies. But probably the best part of all is that everyone likes it-- and you can't put a price tag on that!

Linking Up Here:
The Crafty Blog Stalker
Ginger Snap Crafts
A Little Tipsy
Gluesticks
House Of Hepworths
Oopsey Daisy
30 Handmade Days
Every Creative Endeavor
The Shabby Nest
Finding Fabulous
Lolly Jane
Funky Junk Interiors
I {heart} Naptime
Blissful and Domestic

It Was A Target Extravaganza!

2012-01-04T11:03:00.002-06:00

It's no secret by now that I l-o-v-e finding good deals. And it's no secret that I especially love getting good deals at Target. So I was beyond thrilled when I came across these Target steals this morning.

Less than a dollar for a box of pasta + less than a dollar for a jar of spaghetti sauce + a coupon for $1.00 off when I buy both = this for a totally yummy and super easy dinner tonight!

A new shirt for Noah because you just can't beat $5.98 for a shirt for an 8 year old boy!

New pajamas for the big guy. No, he probably won't wear the shirt part, (too Rob Petrie for him!) but for $5.98 who cares!

And because every three year old needs to shop for herself once in a while.......and when what she picks out is a mere $4.98 and totally her at that.......it's really hard to say no.

Insta-Friday.

2011-12-30T23:00:00.002-06:00

This week was a busy one. Good busy. Happy busy. Fun busy. The kind of fun busy that makes you think there shouldn't be any such thing as school or work. Anyway, in addition to seeing We Bought A Zoo one day and going out for Chinese food at our favorite Chinese restaurant, and enjoying Cosby Show marathons on Netflix every night, we.........

hung out with friends-- and did things like create masterpieces with Becky's leftover Halloween candy. Yes, leftover Halloween candy-- I didn't know such a thing existed until Becky walked through our front door with a bag of it in tow.

played with all the new games/toys/gadgets that everyone got for Christmas.

donned our Kevlar's and went to Sea Life at the Mall of America.

had a cheap lunch at IKEA before tackling "the maze."

went for shakes at McDonalds a couple of times because it's never too cold for ice cream!

took advantage of the exceptionally warm and snow-free December and went to the zoo. For the record, Meghan was the only one who was wearing a coat, and to this very moment, we don't know why--it was almost 50 degrees that day!

looked at Christmas lights-- this was a favorite not so much for the decorations, but because they had their lights synced to Christmas music over the radio. It was awesome. I think we stood outside, without coats, for almost half an hour just watching and listening. So fun.

Then three hours after enjoying the synced Christmas lights, we looked out our window and saw this. Nothing like bringing in the New Year with the first blizzard of the season!

( linking up here )

A Couple More Christmas Ideas.....

2011-12-29T17:31:00.007-06:00

Just because I don't have enough ideas to remember (or implement!) for next Christmas, here's a couple more!

More Christmas book titles to be on the lookout for found here and here.

While Pretzel Hugs are nothing new around here, I love how she put them in the little Christmas trees to give out as gifts. Very clever! I had never been to this blog before today......I have to say I love it. I especially love that she has an Addison with a unique sense of style and blonde curly hair! :D

Some other ideas I think would be fun to remember are:

*The whole Elf On A Shelf thing. *Making Chocolate Chip Cookies on Christmas Eve to leave out for Santa. (found the idea here) *Putting together little boxes filled with activities such as printed off coloring pages and printed off dot to dots for the kids' advent box. I tend to run out of ideas (not to mention money!)half way through the month-- printing off a bunch of free activities and wrapping them up would be a fun thing to try. Not to mention quick and easy for those days when I forgot to plan on something for the box. * A Favorite Things Christmas Party. * And last, but certainly not least, a kids cookie decorating party.

Ahh, so much to remember and try out.......so little time!

Rockin' New Years Eve.

2011-12-28T07:42:00.002-06:00

Call us party poopers. Call us lame. Call us whatever you want, but we usually don't do anything for New Years Eve. Maybe, just maybe we'll splurge and buy a fresh bag of potato chips and a container of Deans Dip-- but that's a pretty big maybe. We have no real reason as to why we don't do anything for New Years. We just don't. Which really makes us pathetic I know. But all that is going to change this year. This year I made the executive decision that we are going to rock New Years Eve-- family style. Here is just a smattering of what we are going to do.

Basket of Confetti idea found: here

Bingo Game found: here

Time Capsule found: here

Add in a couple of new decks of cards to play War, Old Maid and Go Fish, a fresh box of Uno because ours is 12 years old and it looks like it's 12 years old, a few games of Ping Pong, a game closet raid and some fun foods and we are talking a Rockin' New Years Eve!

Christmas Ideas To Remember.

2011-12-27T08:04:00.009-06:00

Just a list of ideas I want to remember for Christmas next year. I usually keep a Christmas notebook where I write all my ideas down, but sometimes I like visuals to go along with the list. So, I present to you, my list of things to remember.

Hershey's Kiss stickers found here just because they are so darned cute and seem so simple. Great little gifts for the kids to hand out to their friends.

These jar labels found here because I am always on the lookout for fun and inexpensive gifts to make for neighbors, friends and teachers. (although sadly I didn't do anything for any of them this year)

Cookie Exchange printables found here

I think hosting a Christmas Cookie exchange would be so much fun.

Continuing to build our Christmas Book selection (my ultimate goal is to get 25 book so they can open one a day to read) and attempting to make these cute fabric bags. What a fun way to wrap advent gifts or said Christmas books. (both found here)

Balloons To Heaven.

2011-12-26T06:55:00.001-06:00

Sending balloons to heaven on Christmas Day. Priceless.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

A Last Minute Christmas.

2011-12-24T20:38:00.001-06:00

After finally having a bit of down time to catch up on some blog reading, I came across a couple of really great Christmas ideas. The kind that are perfect to implement if you need presents or gift toppers at the last minute. Or if you're like me and already thinking of things to "file away" for next year. The first idea is this:

Clothespin Snowflakes from here.

Family Game Night Gift from here.

The Cranberry Craze!

2011-11-24T21:50:00.006-06:00

This heaping mound of pure yumminess was today's favorite dish. Seriously, I don't think there was a person in the room (besides Addison) who was strong enough to leave it alone for more than a minute or two!! And for that, I fully accept all the blame.

I was introduced to this delicious dish of cranberry craziness a couple weeks ago while I was at the mom's group that I attend once a month. I swear, the second this appetizer touched my lips I knew I had to introduce everyone else to it, too. So, I vowed to make it for Thanksgiving. And I did.

Well, actually, Meghan did, and she did a fabulous job! In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone's hips are thanking her.

So, in keeping with my vow to make sure I have introduced everyone to this awesome (and-oh-so- easy) recipe........here ya go!

You wanted to join a gym in January anyway, right?!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Appetizer
1 8-ounce brick of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/3 cup slivered almonds
Assorted crackers

Make It!
In a small bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, honey and cinnamon until smooth then spread onto a serving dish or plate. In another bowl, stir cranberry sauce until it reaches a spreading consistency and spread over the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with almonds. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours. Serve with crackers and enjoy!

Linking to:
The Shabby Nest
Ginger Snap Crafts
A Little Tipsy
A Bowl Full Of Lemons

{Happy Thanksgiving!}

2011-11-24T06:56:00.001-06:00

from the Schires Five

{Trays of Thanks}

2011-11-23T21:36:00.009-06:00

These printables, some jute and a few "fallish" plates

plus.....

a few packages of these cookies from Target

equals....

these trays that we brought to a few of our friends today.

Quick. Easy. Perfect for the non-bakers like me. Yet a totally thoughtful way to let people know you're thankful that they are in your life!

Linking To:

A Little Tipsy
Someday Crafts
A Bowl Full Of Lemons
House Of Hepworth's
Chef In Training
Gluesticks
Ginger Snap Crafts
The Shabby Nest

Holy Holiday Inspiration!

2011-11-22T06:00:00.006-06:00

A couple of local garden stores were having their Holiday Open houses this weekend so my Mom, Meghan and I went......

Holy cow!

Talk about holiday inspiration.

I'm pretty sure I was drooling as I wandered through.

I mean really, could those birch log snowmen be any cuter?!?

Or what about the "skis" made out of pickets??

Or the grapevine balls in the planter???

Or the 6' tall birch logs???

But then there's the old milk bottles in the basket.

The candy canes in the bucket.
Or the presents and canisters on the old chair.

And my personal favorite: the jars hanging from the ladder.

The absolute best part, {besides all the free hot cider and cookies!} was the blizzard going on outside. It totally set the mood.

I am feeling so inspired to start decorating my house for Christmas!!!!

Hello Monday!

2011-11-21T12:21:00.005-06:00

Hello Blessing Mix that was brought to neighbors.

Hello packing Operation Christmas Child boxes with family during a Sunday Soiree!

Hello beautiful flowers that unexpectedly showed up at my doorstep and made my day! They're going to make a great centerpiece on Thursday.

Hello CrockPot meals that totally save the day--and the checkbook!

Hello bringing a good good friend some yummy cookies and a card. Then getting to spend the afternoon scrapbooking with said good friend. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Hello Peppermint Mocha's from McDonalds!

Hello bringing presents to little three year old friends who are not feeling well.

Hello Target and their Take Home Thanksgiving Feast. I can now host Thanksgiving without the stress and the mess!

Hello fall walks in the afternoon with one of my favorite people!
Linking here: Hello Monday

Happy Friday!

2011-11-11T06:28:00.005-06:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Write A Note!

2011-11-08T13:48:00.001-06:00

Well, jeepers, this one could go either way for me. I have lots of people I could write a note to, no problem. The hard part is finding the time to sit down and actually write the note.

Extra time is just not something I have a lot of. I think that's the the reason texting (or even email) is so great-- I can quick type out a sentence, hit send and move on to the next thing. Sitting down to write a letter? That's a whole different story!

Although I guess the note wouldn't have to be long.

And I guess I could easily stay up 15 minutes longer to get the note written.

And like I said, several people that I could send a card to instantly come to my mind.

And I don't have to send a note to everyone-- just one person. Or maybe two.

So I guess I really don't have any excuses.

I especially don't have any excuses because not only do I have stamps on hand, but there's even a printable card attached to the challenge.

I tell ya, Julie and Jeanett thought of everything to help make this challenge easier for us excuse finders!

Click {here or here} for the card.

Ha! Now you don't have any excuses either!

So tell me, who are you going to send a handwritten note to??

Fall Blessing Mix.

2011-11-07T18:21:00.015-06:00

It's a total blessing that there was even anything left of this Blessing Mix for me to even take a picture of because this mix is just that good. 

And addicting. 

And super easy to make. 

Fall Blessing Mix

1- Bag of Bugles

1- Bag of M&M's

1- Bag of Corn Candy

1- Bag of Sunflower Nuts

1- Bag of Pretzels

1- Box of Raisins

Combine above ingredients in a large bowl or ziploc bag in the amounts that appeal to you, then consume!

Just don't blame me when you need to attend a Blessings Mix Anonymous support group!

Linking to:
Today's Creative Blog
Chef In Training 
Me and My Boys 
A Bowl Full Of Lemons
Not Just A Housewife 
Ginger Snap Crafts 
Clean & Scentsible 
Someday Crafts
Every Creative Endeavor 
The Crafty Blog Stalker 
House of Hepworths 
Gluesticks 
RoCa And Company 
30 Handmade Days 

It's Here!

2011-11-07T06:53:00.002-06:00

Day one of the much anticipated Happy Day Project is finally here! Now for the hard part: deciding who to bring a treat to and what to make them. Oh, and then there's the whole "how to package it" question because let's be honest-- it's all about the packaging! Chocolate chip cookies delivered in a ziploc bag are just not as fun as chocolate chip cookies delivered in a mason jar with a tag. So, big decisions today. Big, big decisions for 7:00 am in the morning. 

Luckily, there are some ideas to help a girl-who-hasn't-had-enough- coffee-yet, out. 

If you click {here} there's a link for a fun printable card if you're making chocolate chip cookies, because who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie?!

 Or click {here} for the Delight In The Little Things tag that's shown in Julie's picture. 

Or click {here} to see what Jeanett did.  

It's still early in the day, not even 7:00am, but I think I am going the chocolate chip cookie route with the chocolate chip printable card. How about you?

Count Me In!

2011-11-05T15:08:00.000-05:00

The Happy Day project was launched the other day over at Joy's Hope.

I'm so excited for this I can hardly stand it!

Seriously, what an awesome idea and so totally fitting for November.

Granted I still haven't actually completed Julie's last challenge, which totally makes me a slacker, I know. 

I meant to do it. 

I want to do it. 

But life has been so chaotic and so busy the past few weeks. 

Which really isn't an excuse....but yet it is an excuse.....

But all the same, here's the tentative schedule for next week:

I have to admit I'm a little nervous though. 

Partly because I haven't finished last month's challenge yet. 

And partly because I think a couple of the things are going to be tough for me to do. 

But then again, it's always good to step out of your comfort zone at times...... I mean, isn't that how we grow as people?? 

Well, no matter what, COUNT ME IN!

Book Page Ornaments.

2011-11-04T13:18:00.001-05:00

I would so love to make these. I know, right?! Totally gives me a great excuse to hit this store!

Tutorial found here.

A Little Late To The Party.

2011-11-03T06:00:00.007-05:00

I know, I know, I'm a little late to the Crock Pot Girls party. All I can say is: holy cow!

I'm all about my crock pot these days. It's the only way I can get dinner on the table without having to call 1-800-DOMINOS every night or hitting McDonalds drive-thru.

So I "liked" them on Facebook, which is HUGE, because I rarely "like" anybody on Facebook. And I have been stalking their website. And I have been plowing through their You Tube videos.

And because we love baked potato soup in our house and because I thought this one sounded so good, I am posting the recipe and video on my trusty blog.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, diced
1 quart chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 cup cream or 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Garnish: chives, sour cream, bacon, and cheese

Make It!
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large slow cooker and cook on high for
4 hours or low for 8 hours (potatoes should be tender). Then you will
need to mash potatoes until coarsely chopped and soup is slightly
thickened. Stir in cream and cheese. Garnish with toppings.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T16:41:00.003-05:00

Thankful Garland.

2011-10-30T09:53:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it'll be November 1st on Tuesday? I'm so not ready for it. I mean, seriously, where did October go???

I guess the old saying is true-- the older you get the faster time goes. But, if I think time is going fast now, just how fast will it be going when I'm in my fifties and sixties???

I'm getting off point, sorry.

Anyway, I discovered some really cool Thankful Garland ideas this morning and thought I'd share them.

Simplesong Design

Simply Modern Mom

Simply Vintage Girl

Only Thing Better Than A Good Book...

2011-10-29T08:09:00.002-05:00

is a bunch of good books in mint condition found for dirt cheap at my new favorite book store: Half Price Books. Oh, and maybe some fun bookmarks for....wait for it......49 cents a piece.

This store is becoming my new addiction. Could pose some problems for Target and Barnes and Noble. So if you see their sales dropping, be a dear and help them out by putting a few extra items in your cart.

Drown My Sorrows Or Celebrate Halloween?

2011-10-28T17:14:00.000-05:00

(via The Pleated Poppy)

I can't decide if I should make up a bunch of these to celebrate Halloween or make up a batch to drown my sorrows in after my extremely stressful day.

Both sound great.
Both would be easy to do.
Might be best to just make up a bunch of these to give away to neighbors and friends.........

Hello Peppermint Mocha.

2011-10-27T15:24:00.001-05:00

Meet my new favorite love: McDonalds Peppermint Mocha.
Yup.
McDonalds.
I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I know it's probably pretty dorky to love McDonalds treats so much.
But that's me.

But I don't care.
Because they're good.
Because they're an inexpensive "luxury."
Because this mocha is just. that. good.

So.......
Try it.
I dare ya.
Then I dare ya to tell me it isn't awesome.

Fun Treat.

2011-10-24T11:30:00.000-05:00

Well these look yummy! Not to mention easy peasy. Pretzels dipped in white chocolate, then decorated with sprinkles. Might have to make these with the kids this weekend. So glad Eighteen25 has fun posts like this!

31 Days: $10.00 Dinners Out.

2011-10-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing in life that I am good at, it's taking the family out to dinner for $10.00 or less. Granted we aren't eating at Olive Garden or Texas Roadhouse, but frankly, I don't care. I'd rather not eat at those places with the kids and the kids would rather not eat there either, so Marty and I save those places for when we get to go out on dates-- it makes going out and eating there more fun that way!

So, just how do I take a family of five out to eat on $10.00 or less?
Simple!
We either order off the dollar menu or we go on nights/days when there are deals.

*For example, Papa John's always has a deal for any large pizza for $8.99 on Monday's if you're on their email list.

*Pizza Hut has their Tuscany Pasta deal on Tuesday's-- two pans of pasta and five breadsticks for $10.00. Since we don't order pop, our bill is never over $10.00. And because there's so much pasta, we usually have leftovers, too. It's an awesome deal. One of our favorites.

*Our usual total for McDonald's is $7.79. No Happy Meals or value meals here! Dollar menu only, baby! My feeling is that nobody needs their own "meal." It's just too much food. So, the dollar menu it is. (plus I'm not throwing away dozens of odd little toys every few months!)

Although, I should confess that sometimes we mix it up and get the 20 piece Chicken Nugget Value Meal Deal for $8.99, but that's not very often. Four nuggets a person isn't very much!

*Same for Wendy's. Dollar menu all the way. Although our total there is usually a little closer to $9.56. We're pushing it there, I know!

*Arby's has their dollar menu. Tough to beat five roast beefs, two curly fries and a pop for $8.00.

*Taco John's has their Six Pack and a Pound deal for $7.99.

I could list off more places, but I'll spare you! I'm sure you get the idea. Eating out inexpensively can be done, it just requires your to re-train your brain!

Struggling.

2011-10-23T13:30:00.001-05:00

These days I'm struggling.

Struggling with decisions.
Struggling with time.
Struggling with priorities.

I'm trying to find balance. But it's tough.
I'm trying to make new choices, but that's tough too.
I'm trying to go in a new direction, but that's even tougher.

I feel like over the past few years I have lost myself.
I feel like I don't know who I am anymore.
I think I have an idea, but at times I'm just not sure.
Could be age, could be stage of life causing this inner dilemma.
Or it could be lack of time.
Or maybe even exhaustion.

I find myself routinely going to bed between midnight and 1:00 am only to get up between 5:30 and 6:00, just so that I can have a few extra hours in my day to get things done.
I am continually finding myself trying to figure out how to squeeze in any sort of a workout.
Or my school work.
Or cooking.
Or cleaning.
Or just spending time with Marty or the kids without feeling the pressure of everything.
Or time to just sit still and breathe.

Time is going so fast.
Too fast. That may be part of the problem, too.

I just need to trust that I am where I am supposed to be and doing what I am supposed to be doing at this time in my life in spite of routinely feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

Rest assured, life is good.
It's just the "growing pains" that are not!

31 Days: Gift Cards.

2011-10-21T06:43:00.002-05:00

Today's advice for a better budget?? Gift Cards. Collect those gift cards!

Stores like Target and Walmart routinely run specials where if you buy a particular item or two in the ad, you can get a $5 or even $10 gift card at checkout. So my advice? When you see those deals, take advantage of them then save the gift cards throughout the year.

*This is actually how Marty and I paid for Christmas last year.
*And our Thanksgiving dinner.
*And our Xbox.
*Sometimes we even just give each of the kids $5.00 cards just because.
*And sometimes we use them to treat ourselves to fun food that we typically wouldn't buy-- like steak.
*Other times I will use them to buy clothes for myself or the kids. (Free clothes are the best clothes!)
*I have even used them to fund my reading habit. (Nothing like picking up a new book for free!)

So even though you may think those $5.00 gift cards here and there don't add up, I am here to tell you that they do! Besides, you're going to have to buy the items they have the deals on at some point in your month or year, so why not buy them when you can get a little something in return?!

fyi: this week Target is offering a $5 gift card when you buy 10 bottles of Vitamin water. Of course if you don't buy Vitamin water this isn't a good deal for you, but for us it is because Meghan really likes it. So, we'll be stocking up on Vitamin water for Meghan and getting a few gift cards in return.

Fall Cooking.

2011-10-18T06:00:00.031-05:00

I haven't officially started my "fallish" cooking yet.

In fact, I've hardly been cooking at all lately.

Just way too many things going on in life right now.

But these recipes are definitely inspiring me to maybe want to start.

Maybe.

Italian Chicken and Potatoes from here.

This vegetable soup found here.
Would totally love to make a big batch of this soup and deliver it to neighbors in an awesome mason jar.

Ranch House Crockpot Pork Chops and Parmesan Mashed Potatoes found here.
I'm thinking a Sunday dinner???

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup found here.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken found here.

Popsicle Stick Puzzles.

2011-10-17T13:20:00.004-05:00

After seeing these at a link party a couple weeks back, I decided to make some of my own.

I figured not only would they be a great car activity for our upcoming road trip this week, but they'd make a great restaurant activity or an awesome diversion to pull out for when I need five minutes of peace so I can get something done-- like emptying the dishwasher or mopping the floor.

Plus you could totally make them for any holiday, season or celebration.

Or give them as a gift. (I think I am going to make a few more sets for Addison to give to her friends for Halloween)

So, I downloaded the digital kit, uploaded the graphics that I wanted to Target's one-hour photo, treated myself to a package of popsicle sticks, a fresh jar of Mod Podge and a Starbuck's while I waited for the prints to be ready, then proceeded spend my Saturday night making my popsicle stick puzzles-- ten of them to be exact!

Overall, it was a fairly easy project. A bit time consuming maybe, but nothing that a Good Wife or Downsized marathon, a bottle of wine and a bag of Dove chocolate can't cure!

Linking to:
Chef In Training
Today's Creative Blog
A Bowl Full of Lemons

31 Days: Saving On Activities.

2011-10-16T21:42:00.006-05:00

I know I've been slacking in my 31 Days posts. Sorry. Life has sorta gotten in the way of all my grand plans to save you guys oodles of money. And for some reason, no matter how hard I try, I just can't figure out a way to add more time to the day......!

Anyway, I thought I'd write about activities today.

After having a coronary a couple of years over how much money we spent on various activities like sports, classes and family outings in one "season" Marty and I decided enough was enough and we brought that spending to a screeching halt. And I mean screeching halt.

We sat the kids down, told them that from that day on they could be involved in as many different activities as they wanted, but that they could only do one activity every three months that required cash to sign up. So for example, instead of signing up for two sports that cost money each season, Noah could only pick one. He could still do two sports, but the second sport had to be free.

Yes, I know I sound cranky. But trust me when I say this has been one of the best decisions we have ever made. The kids are still as busy as ever. But we at least aren't going broke anymore paying for their activities.

Yes, I know it's tough to find activities that are free, they're out there. You might have to look in odd places, but believe me, they're out there. Both Meghan and Noah are involved in at least three things each season, so they are living proof that the freebies exist!

And because we didn't feel like that was challenging enough........

Marty and I took the free activities rule one step further.

We also decided to spend less on family activities and outings. We decided that if we spend money on one outing, the next outing has to be free.

We have even announced at times to the kids that we are having what we call "a free weekend" and on these weekends absolutely everything we do has to be free. I'm telling you, these are the kids' favorite weekends! It forces them (and us) to be creative in what they want to do.

It forces us to use all those park passes and/or zoo passes that we seem to purchase but never use.

It forces us to do things we may typically not even think about doing. Like playing a long forgotten board game.

It even forces us to clean out our fridge. Since it's "a free weekend" we can't spend money eating out or buying snacks. I know, we're cruel, aren't we?!

But worst of all, because Marty and I are just that mean, we usually make Meghan and Noah pack the picnic or the snacks that we want to bring on our outings and call it a life lesson because:

It gets them working together.
It gets them planning.
It gets them thinking outside the box.
It gets them to realize that life isn't always about spending money.

Or sometimes we have a $20.00 weekend. We can do whatever we want as long as we spend less than $20.00. Talk about a fun twist!

All of a sudden going to McDonalds to get one or two sundaes to share sounds like the greatest thing in the world whereas typically they would all balk and sulk at having to share a sundae.

Or all of a sudden having a Redbox marathon with homemade popcorn sounds like the coolest way to spend Saturday evening when any other time they would be begging to go to the movie theater for a movie and popcorn.

Anyway, I challenge you to try this too. See if you can't get your family to trim down the activities spending! If you do, I'd love to hear about it!

Insta Friday.

2011-10-14T13:08:00.005-05:00

Welcome to Insta-Friday Fall Edition!

Where we discovered a new to us Apple Orchard less than 10 mile from our house.

And where they had the hugest, most delicious apples we had ever seen. (this was not one of them) Not to mention really fun things to do-- like a super long hayride, a petting barn, a playground and a huge tire swing.

We also took our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch.

Where the fields were literally PACKED with pumpkins! It was awesome. New family rule though: you could choose whatever pumpkin you wanted as long as you could carry it. Best rule I ever made, I swear.

And finally, we enjoyed our new favorite McDonalds treat: Caramel Apple Sundaes. It's so hard to beat $1.49 for a super yummy ice cream treat.

We are totally loving the fall weather we're having this year. It has made doing outdoor fall activities so much fun!

Guest Post By Just One Ministry.

2011-10-13T06:00:00.005-05:00

It's not everyday that you get asked to guest post on a blog- even if it  is for your big sis! While for grins and giggles, I might talk a big  game, in reality I don't toot my own horn all that much - so when  being asked to essentially do so, it feels a bit weird.

Jenn wanted me to write about a monthly serving me and a few friends do  every month down at a local shelter.  Great, I know what to write  about!  However, I'm not sure I know HOW to write about it.

After all, it isn't as if we are doing anything spectacular - it  couldn't be, not for our crew!  Great guys, but we couldn't pull of  "spectacular" for anything.  We're just a bunch of guys that feel called  to help out this way.  We bring food (usually pizza or grill some hot  dogs on the spot) and hand out clothes, socks, you name it to any one in  need.

Strange to think back, but this month marks the one year anniversary of  doing this.  A year ago this month, me and two friends took ten pizzas  and a couple cases of water down to our local shelter and started handing them  out.  It snowballed from there.

The more people we told, the more people wanted to help.  And help they  have!  From money, to a packet of socks, to clothing they no longer wear  - we have NEVER gone empty handed, and thanks to other's generous  spirit, we've only ever increased in the amount of food (and in turn  people) we have been able to serve!

I can't tell you exactly how many people we have served, not because  it's soooo many, but because we don't count.  If we help even a handful,  it's more than if we didn't go - and that's how we feel about it.

And all are welcome too - we don't judge, we don't ask...if you believe  you are in need, then we are there for you.  We've served people in  clothes that are rotting off, to people dressed in suits.

While we haven't been able to do this every month, for various reasons, we know that we will continue to do it again, and again...

I guess if anyone can get anything out of my sharing this, is this: anyone can do anything to help.

I'm serious.  We hardly plan these trips down.  We pick a date, pick  what we are going to serve, let people know and just show up.  Beyond  that - there's nothing much too it.  People tell us that we are "doing  God's work" - but I have to remind them, we couldn't do it without  support, so in reality WE ALL ARE. And we all are supposed to aren't  we?  If we can help, I believe we should - and it can be in any  way/shape/form.

Don't think you can?  I promise you, you can.  If you don't know how, ask God - believe me, he will show you!

There's really no excuse (believe me, I've tried to use them all - and  they all fail!) NOT to help - and I guarantee you, you WON'T be sorry.   It's true, I have never regretted any form of help I've been able to  offer.

It doesn't have to be hard, it doesn't have to be complicated, any help is good help.

I'm not sure what else to say, other than YOU CAN make a difference.  I  know, cliche, but it is true.  Big, small, God will use them all - if  you are looking for ideas, have an idea you'd like to share, or just  want to say hey, you can reach me at: justoneministries@hotmail.com

Or check out my "ministry" at Just One Ministry.

Thanks to Jenn for lending me some blog space!

Peace and Love

Chris

Thanks Chris for posting! And good luck Saturday on your next hand-out!

Doing Good.

2011-10-12T06:44:00.008-05:00

The past two weeks at church we've been talking about serving others.
Then last week, Julie over at Joy's Hope had a great challenge.

Which really got me thinking.

I need to do more good in the world. We all should.

*Whether it's as simple as mailing a card to someone.
*Serving in a soup kitchen.
*Bringing supplies to an animal shelter.
*Putting together ziploc bags filled with toiletries to hand out to the homeless.
*Babysitting for a friend or neighbor who's maybe going through a tough time.

We should all do more good in the world. The world would be a much better place.

Somewhat Simple did an entire series over the summer on this subject. So swing by her blog for even more ideas of ways to serve others.

Lips To Hips.

2011-10-11T08:19:00.001-05:00

Found this yummy looking fudge recipe here. Pretty sure I just gained 5 pounds just looking at the picture.

Scrap Board Pumpkins.

2011-10-10T07:21:00.012-05:00

Made some wooden pumpkins last week out of some scrap wood that I found in the garage. Such a simple project.

Not to mention quick.
And cheap.
(my favorite kind of project!)

All I did was have Marty cut the wood to the sizes I wanted, then gave 'em a quick once over with the sander before painting them with some orange craft paint that I had on hand. The whole project took less than two hours and cost less than a dollar. (turns out I didn't have any green ribbon so I had to make a run to Walmart for some cheap ribbon)

Linking to:
Skip To My Lou
Today's Creative Blog
Chef In Training
A Bowl Full Of Lemons
Ginger Snap Crafts

Poppy Seed Chicken.

2011-10-08T22:00:00.001-05:00

Don't you love it when you find a new recipe to try and you just happen to have ALL the required ingredients on hand?!?! That happened with this post on this blog last week. And now, thanks to Julie at Freckles and Fun, I have a new recipe to try this week--sah-weet!

Poppy Seed Chicken
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts--cooked & cut into pieces
1/2 cup cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup cream of celery soup
1 cup sour cream
18-20 crushed soda crackers
1/2 stick melted butter
2 tsp poppy seeds

Make It!
Mix soups & sour cream together. Once combined, stir in 1 tsp of poppy seeds and chicken. Once it's all combined, put the mixture into a 2 qt casserole dish or a 9x13 pan and set aside. Next, mix melted butter & crushed crackers together and sprinkle over the chicken mixture. Top with remaining teaspoon of poppy seeds and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Insta-Friday.

2011-10-07T17:33:00.007-05:00

We did a lot this week, yet we didn't do a lot this week it that makes any sense?! I will say we totally enjoyed the warm weather we're still having in Minnesota. Because let's face it, we could easily see our first blizzard next week. It's happened. No joke.

We spent lots of time hanging with friends.

We added two more books to our collection of Target $1.00 classics. Our collection is growing out of control, but it's so hard to say no to books. Especially when they're only a buck a book.

We spent a lot of time outside walking Addison's baby "Baby Esther." While I'm not a doll lover, I am totally loving the fact that Addison is. Meghan never was. And yes, Addie has two different flip flops on. This child rarely wears matching shoes. Not even to church.

Went snake hunting one night. This redbelly snake freaked out when he saw all our feet. Someone should have warned him that as soon as he stopped moving it would be every snake for himself.

I started my next quarter of school. The jury is still out on whether or not it'll be a good quarter. (get it?! jury?? And I'm taking law classes!?) I love being back in school, it just gets REALLY hard, as in super hard, trying to juggle school and family life.

Went on a really long bike ride with Noah and Addison and totally relished that we live in a lake town suburb where you can have the state of the art library on one corner and a farm complete with horses on the other. And all right smack dab in the middle of neighborhoods.

And where you can have a park totally hidden from the general public so you feel like you've escaped the day to day, but can still hear the horses neighing as you play-- and still be less than a mile from home.

After listening to this message at church I felt challenged and inspired, so I mailed off four cards to four friends just because they're so awesome.

Busted my running shoes out again. I hadn't seen them in about 2 1/2 weeks. I missed them.

Survived my second week of Weight Watchers online. Still not sure how I feel about it. Especially because I have yet to see any results other than extreme hunger. And I mean extreme!

Looking forward to having a nice relaxing weekend of church, a fall bike ride, caramel apple sundaes and maybe even the pumpkin patch.......and linking up here.

31 Days: Change.

2011-10-06T15:14:00.006-05:00

All right, so yesterday I rambled on about how I "painlessly" save money each month just by using less of things. Today I am keeping with that same theme of painless saving and sharing another painless way of saving.

So, without further adieu, (and because I'm short on time because my 14 year old is waiting to hit the stores to shop for an outfit to wear to tomorrow's homecoming game) today's saving tip is........ (can't you just hear the drum roll?!?! or maybe it's just awkward silence?)

Save your change each month.

That's it. Just save your change. Find an empty jelly jar, re-use an old butter container, wash out an empty soup can, anything-- just find some sort of container that can hold your change for a month and start collecting!

Then, at the end of the month, take that bad boy to the bank and cash it in. You'll be surprised at how much change you accumulated in that month. I've been doing this my entire married life (16 years for those who are counting) and each month I am STILL amazed at how quickly it adds up!

If you are used to using your debit card for all your purchases, this might be a little tougher for you and you may have to save two or three months worth of change (or raid your car and your couches!) before there's enough to cash in. But don't give up! Keep saving! It'll be worth it in the end, I swear! (We're pretty much a "cash only" kind of family so by the end of the month my Tootsie Roll Bank is pretty much filled.)

So, what do you do with all this cash you just so effortlessly saved you ask? Well, that's up to you!

I usually use mine to buy myself something fun like new flip flops or a new shirt or something fun for the house. But sometimes I'll use it to take the kids out for a fun outing or take Marty out on a date. I have even been known to just divvy it up and give it to the kids. Really, it just depends on my mood. And the month. And whether the stars are aligned correctly.

My in-laws used to sock theirs away each month to pay for Christmas presents.

If you're trying to get out of debt, you could put it towards that.

If you're trying to beef up your savings, you could just deposit it right into your savings account.

You could pay for music lessons or sports lessons for your child. I know my change collection would more than pay for swimming lessons for Noah each month-- if he wanted to learn to swim that is. Which he doesn't. So I'm not paying for them.

The ideas of what you could do with your new found cold hard cash are virtually endless. The trick is just to start!

Pumpkin Lights.

2011-10-06T06:00:00.012-05:00

Typically I don't decorate very cutesy, especially when it comes to seasons and holidays. It's just not my style.

Sadly, this cuteness aversion drives my kids absolutely nuts. I mean, don't I know "that you can get fog machines and coffins and plastic door covers for every holiday or a Santa Claus that waves to people from the roof??"

So last year, after seeing them all around blogland the year before, and deciding that my kids deserve a bit of cuteness in their life, I bought a couple of 99 cent trick-or-treating pumpkins, removed the handle, made a big cut along the back and hung them on our outside light fixtures.

Holy smokes, you would have thought I bought my kids the Santa Claus that waves to people! They were absolutely thrilled that I did something so fun and even more amazed that I thought of something so cool. I'm telling ya, I totally scored the Mom of the Year award here, people.

Anyway, as you can see from the picture, the pumpkins made another appearance at the Schires' household this year and the kids couldn't be happier.

Ah, what the heck, I'll admit it........they don't look half bad!

The only problem??

We live next to a recreational airport and our uber cool pumpkins can be seen like beckoning beacons from the middle of the runway..........

Linking to:
A Little Tipsy
The Idea Room
The Crafty Blog Stalker

31 Days: Use Less.

2011-10-05T15:16:00.002-05:00

Want to know an super easy and super painless way to shave a good $30 to $50 off your budget every month? Use less. That's it-- just use less of things! Less laundry soap, less fabric softener, less electricity; you name it. This is a trick I learned about 12 years ago when I was really trying to stretch our dollars and loved so much that I still use it today!

So what all do I use less of??

Well for starters, I use less laundry soap and less fabric softener when I wash clothes. Quite honestly, I've never noticed a difference in the "cleanliness" of our clothes-- they still come out clean and fresh smelling and we've never had anyone tell us we stink! But I do know that when the detergent bottle says "cleans 40 loads" I can easily make it stretch to 50 or more.

When I cook, I use less meat. Be it one less chicken breast or pork chop, a little less hamburger, one or two less ribs; I use less. I kid you not, nobody has ever noticed the difference in my household. The words "I didn't get enough meat" have never been uttered in my household. Not even by my meat and potato lovin' husband!

I reuse my Swiffer pads. Over and over again.

We reuse our toilet paper. (kidding!!!!!!)

I wash at least one less load of laundry a week-- I throw a damp towel in the dryer with 1/2 a dryer sheet and the relatively clean clothes instead and it works like a charm. The bonus here is you shave dollars off your water bill (usually around $15 every three months for us), stretch your Tide out, save on your electricity because you aren't using all that electricity from the washer or the hot water heater AND you're saving time because you don't have to sort and wash that load! Right there you have the time and the money for a Starbucks or Sonic fix!

I use less lights at night opting for smaller, more strategically placed lamps instead. FYI-- this is a great way to calm the kids down at night! Or ~~crueler~~ better yet, fool little ones into thinking it's later than it is so they'll go to bed earlier in turn giving you some extra quiet time! In all seriousness though, it does work on both counts. The kids are calmer AND you can easily shave a few dollars off your electricity bill. Then you can do what we do: take the savings and treat yourselves to a bottle of wine or order a pizza after you've ~~tricked~~ put the kids to bed early! :D

I reduced our milk consumption from 4 gallons a week down to 2 or 3 gallons a week a couple years ago by pouring just a little less milk in the kids' cereal each morning and by using smaller glasses at dinner time. Again, no one has complained or noticed about a lack of milk but I sure save a good $3.50 or more each week. (and I don't worry about the amount of calcium they get because they get milk at breaktime and lunchtime at school)

I cut Go-Gurts in half.

I only give half an apple or half a banana to each child.

I have even been known to make them split a sandwich at mealtime. Horrible I know, but by the time I add in fruit, yogurt and a small handful of chips they just don't need that full sandwich. Especially once I add in lettuce and cheese if it's a lunchmeat sandwich-- which it usually is.

Really, the things you could use less of are endless. These are just a few of mine. But it's a habit that I love with results I can see!

Wednesday's Wisdom.

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Source: None via Jenn on Pinterest

31 Days: Use It Up Week.

2011-10-04T08:17:00.002-05:00

So, one of the biggest ways I save money, time, and probably even my sanity to a degree is by having a Use It Up week once every 5 or 6 weeks. All I do is pick a week, declare to the family that it's Use It Up Week, and then..........take the week to use up everything that we have!

This means I only buy the absolute necessities as far as groceries and sundries. Meals are planned around what's in the fridge and the pantry. Cleaning is done using the products we have on hand-- which is usually more than enough because I usually discover that I had four containers of toilet cleaner, 5 cans of Scrubbing Bubbles and three bottles of Windex lying around! Crafts are made with whatever supplies we have on hand. And all family activities need to be free. This is a trick I've been doing for about 11 years and I love it. And even my family loves it. OK, maybe not love, but they're usually good sports about it!

But I kid you not, it saves us anywhere from $30-$100 every single time I do it.

We eat better those weeks than we do any other week in the month, that's for sure. Probably in part because I've uncovered all the steaks, roasts and ice cream treats that were hiding in the freezers along with all the fun snacks that I stashed in the pantry and forgot about!!!!! And probably in part because I've dusted off my 500 cookbooks that haven't seen the light of day since my last use it up week!

And in spite of protests, we always find ways to stay busy, too. The books we bought and forgot about get read, our bikes and the kids' outside toys get used. The toys that the kids "had to have" but never play with get played with. Heck, even the 5,000 bottles of bubbles that seem to accumulate even in the winter months and the bits of chalk that they wouldn't dare touch last week because they were the bits of chalk, get used! Not to mention that everyone usually gets fabulous looking at home mani's and pedi's-- I mean seriously, what's not to love!?!

Dare I mention the just-about-gone-but-no one-will-use-up bottles of shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste??? Miracle of all miracles people will finally use those up!

Or your husband's "Honey-Do" list?? Yes, even that will get done, too!

Or the time you save because you're not spending your days running errands? You can finally finish that scrapbook page or go for that run you've been dreaming about.

Sure, it forces you to think a little bit, but thinking never hurt anybody, right?! And sure, it forces you to say no--to yourself and your kids--but sometimes saying no is a good thing! And no doubt the cashiers at Target will wonder where you've been all week, but trust me, it's all worth it at the end of the week when you see just how much money you have saved! And then with your savings, you can take your family out for dinner or maybe even to a movie!

Quick Coffee Cake.

2011-10-04T06:00:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I found a recipe that I want to try on someone's blog a few days ago, but I'll be darned if I remember which blog. I copied down the recipe, I mean of course I did that, right?! But in all my excitement of finding something new to make, I forgot to bookmark which blog it was on so that I could give them credit.

I'm posting the recipe anyway because it just sounds way too good to keep to myself. But if someone out there knows what blog I found it on, please, please, please holler so that I can give credit where credit is due. Thanks! But in the meantime-- enjoy!

Quick Coffee Cake
1 cup oil
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 c milk
1 c sugar 3 cups flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 c brown sugar 2 tsp cinnamon 1 stick margarine melted
Make It!
In a large mixing bowl. combine oil, eggs, vanilla and milk together. In a medium bowl, blend together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Combine egg mixture with flour mixture. Pour half the batter into a 9x13 pan. In a medium bowl, prepare streusel by combining brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half of streusel on top of the batter. Top with remaining batter and then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top. Drizzle with melted margarine. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Makes 18-24 servings.

Car Travel Trays.

2011-10-03T16:00:00.027-05:00

For what feels like forever, I have been wanting to make Art on the Go Trays. When I saw them here, I instantly thought what an awesome idea for Addison and Noah on car trips! Cute. Easy. Functional. Practical. And cheap. Seriously, it just doesn't get any better than that!

So, because I am just that impatient, I immediately went out and bought all my supplies--spray paint, soup, spray primer, magnets and 98 cent cookie sheets. Only there they sat.... In the plastic Walmart bag..... On top of the freezer in our garage......Completely untouched...... Since the middle of August. Sigh. I know.

But yesterday! Ah, but yesterday Marty and I decided enough was enough and we got busy eating soup. Then we got down to business and primed the cans and the cookie trays. Then because we felt like we were on a roll, we took Addison and Noah on a 900 mile bike ride while the primer dried. When we got home from said 900 mile bike ride, we spray painted those same cans and trays then proceeded to go to my Moms house for Sunday Soiree.

By the time we got back the paint was nice and dry and not to mention texturized from all the bugs that flew onto the wet paint and got stuck. (yeah, I thought that was lovely too) So being the great guys that they are, Marty and Noah sent me off for a quick 4 mile run while they proceeded to glue the magnets onto the bottom of the soup cans and pick the crusty, dead bugs off the cookie sheets. Am I spoiled or what?!

Two months, 45 minutes and 425 calories later...... my travel trays are finished and ready for their maiden voyage in two weeks! Whew.

Linking to:
Get Your Craft On
Not JUST A Housewife
A Bowl Full Of Lemons
Chef In Training
Clean and Scentsible
Ginger Snap Crafts
A Little Tipsy
Digital Scrapbooking Made Easy
The Idea Room
House Of Hepworths
The Crafty Blogstalker
Skip To My Lou
30 Handmade Days
The Shabby Nest
Finding Fabulous

31 Days: Question Everything!

2011-10-03T12:53:00.002-05:00

So, have you made a budget yet???? Was it shocking?!?!? Today's post isn't as heavy. Or as time consuming. I swear!!! In fact, today's post is one of my husband's and my favorite parts about doing our budget. Just like I promised yesterday, today's post is about questioning everything in your budget.

When my husband and I re-do our budget every few months, we look at e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. We look at every penny that's going out and ask ourselves: is this REALLY where we want our money to go? Do we need or want to cut costs somewhere? Do we want to boost our savings for the next three months or do we keep it as is? Do we need to increase what we spend in other areas like our tithes or groceries? Are we paying for a service we don't really want, need or even use but have out of habit? (Netflix is our big example here!) Has my Target shopping gotten out of control? (again!) Did we spend more than we'd like on school lunches for the kids? Did we rent too many Redboxes? Were we too rigid with the kids' activities? Do we want to increase the kids' allowances?

Our questions are never ending. But here's why: Our feeling is that we'd rather control where and what we spend our money on versus being controlled by our money. So we scrutinize. We crunch. We set goals. We plan. And usually we end our crunch session with a new direction, a tweaked budget and if we've really done well, maybe even some extra cash to add back into the flow!

31 Days: A Budget.

2011-10-02T19:40:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, everyone cringes at the word budget. It's kind of like the word "diet." It conjures up horrible thoughts about deprivation, strictness and absolutely no fun. (Totally how I am currently feeling about my Weight Watchers program, by the way, but that's a whole different post) And for the most part, I agree, they aren't fun. But, I do think they're necessary.

My thinking is how can you tweak an area or better an area if you don't know what you're spending in it? How can you save if you don't know how much you have to save? Or worse yet, how can you go for your daily Starbucks run if you don't know how much you have to spend on coffee?!?!

Some categories are easy-- like the mortgage or rent payment or even the Netflix payment. They're fixed. We pay the same amount at the same time every month. But other areas aren't so easy. For example, electricity bills.

My family lives in Minnesota. It's a crap shoot what the weather is going to be like. Do we turn on the heat today? Or do we turn on the air? And whichever one we choose will affect what our bill is next month. So how do I combat those fluctuating bills???? My budget, baby!

The kind of budget you can create can run the gamut. You can be as detailed or as general as you want. Personally, my husband and I are pretty general in ours. We don't have time to list out every single possible category with every single possible dollar amount every single month right down to the last penny. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking that approach, not at all, we just learned through experience that that method doesn't work for us. It's too much for us to remember and it's too time consuming, so we just keep ours general. But I know this approach works for others so I guess what I'm saying here is: do whatever kind of budget works for you. Honestly? I don't think there's any bad approach. I think the key is to just do it so you know what you're dealing with.

So, how did we create our budget? Well! After brewing a vat of coffee because we figured we'd be pulling an all nighter...........

(1) We wrote out our big categories: Mortgage, Electricity, Groceries/Sundries, Gas, Cell Phones, Landline/Direct TV/Internet (we bundle through our phone company), Netflix, Water, Insurances, tithing and savings and miscellaneous (this includes school lunch money, daycare, clothing, etc).

We used to just do this the old fashioned way: in a notebook. But a while back we graduated to an Excel spreadsheet-- both work great in my opinion, but I definitely prefer the Excel approach because I can tweak it on a moment's notice, keep a file of every month right on my laptop or print it out.

To help you along, (and so that you don't have any excuses such as my two year old scribbled in all my notebooks!) I created a blank Excel spreadsheet for you to download and print off. Just click here and print off however many you need. We generally create one spreadsheet for every single month, but that's just us-- you do what works for you.

(2) From there we figured out how much we spent in each of our categories by using the bills, receipts and bank statements from the previous month then wrote that amount down next to the category. At the bottom of the list we totaled everything up. This gave us a good idea of what we were spending and where. (I'll admit, some of the numbers were very frightening, but we persevered and agreed that no matter what any of the totals were, they were still cheaper than divorce court or therapy!)

(3) Then, below that amount we totaled up what my husbands paychecks were each month, compared the two and learned if we were running in the red or the black and by how much. Again.... scary!

I should add here that some bills don't get paid every month, like our car insurance or our water bill-- those get paid every three months-- so we took those last statements, looked at the amount on the bill and divided it by three to figure out how much they cost us every month. Say your insurance is $400 payable every three months, divide that $400 by 3 and you get $133.33. That's how much your insurance costs you every single month so that's how much you need to include in your budget. Make sense? Good!

I should also add that for the fluctuating bills like our electricity bill, we took the highest bill we had in the last year and used that as our guideline. That way there aren't any big surprises.

(4) After we recovered from our coronaries, we looked at the budget and decided we needed to do better. And that will bring me to tomorrow's post: Question Everything!

*One last note on the subject of budgets. Because life and it's expenses are always changing, we update, reevaluate and tweak our budget every few months. Generally every January, April, June and September. It helps to keep us on track and adjust for whatever has come our way.

Sunday Soiree: Peach Cobbler.

2011-10-02T11:31:00.006-05:00

Every couple of Sunday's we have what we call Sunday Soiree's at my Mom's house. It's a new tradition that we started after my Dad passed away as a way to establish new routines, new memories and stay connected as a family.

While we have a fancy schmancy name for them, basically, all the Soiree's are is is the five of us getting together with my brother and his wife and my mom for food, conversation and maybe even a game or two. (lately it's been Xbox, go figure!)

Today is Sunday Soiree day. My Mom is making chili and even bought two new Xbox games for the occasion, and I.......am making dessert.

Why did I volunteer for dessert? I don't know. Because as I have stated so, so, so many times: I don't bake. But for some reason (maybe my inner Martha is trying to get out?!?!) bringing dessert sounded like a great idea.

Until I fully realized that I would have to actually make a dessert! Talk about panic setting in! I spent a good hour on Saturday stewing about what to make. Seriously. No joke. And then I realized there is one dessert that I can actually make fairly decently: this Peach Cobbler.

Whew! Crisis solved.

31 Days To A Better Budget.

2011-10-01T11:23:00.025-05:00

After a lot of hemming and hawing (is that spelled right???? it looks funny) I decided to take the plunge. I am joining The Nester's 31 Days of Change. My topic? 31 Days to a Better Budget.

Now, it has to be said that by no means do I claim to be an expert in the area of finances. I mean, I can't even balance a checkbook! (I'm quite sure my mom the math major cringed as she read that little statement) But as a family of five living on one income for the past 14 years, I have been ~~forced~~ encouraged to learn some tips and tricks that not only make it possible for me to continue to stay home with my kids, but that also allow us to do the things and buy the things that we want as we continue our commitment to ~~survive~~ live on one income.

Like I said, I am by no means an expert on the subject. Nor am I out to change anyone's financial life. Heck, I don't even have mine as under control as I'd like! My only goal here is to share some of the tips and tricks that I have cultivated over the years (such as how to eat out for $10.00 or less) with the hope that maybe, just maybe, you'll find some little nugget of inspiration to try in your own budget!

Linked to: 31 Days of Change

31 Days to a Better Budget

A Budget

Question Everything

Use It Up Week
Use Less
Change
Ones
Choices
Activities
Gift Cards
Eating Out

Love This.

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Source: brocantehome.tumblr.com via Molly on Pinterest

Wednesday's Wisdom.

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Source: tumblr.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Monday's Make It: Embellished Notebook.

2011-09-26T20:00:00.014-05:00

I finally found some time to "copy" Becky Higgins notebook idea using her free downloadable cards.

It was a super simple project. Seriously, it took me less than 15 minutes to make them~ and that included hunting down my white cardstock to print on.

All I did was print the download out, trim it to the size I wanted, round the corners using my trusty Creative Memories corner rounder, and paperclip it to the front of the notebook. That was it! Easy peasy!

I did add a little bit of ribbon to the Live, Laugh, Love notebook, just for some added dimension, but that was as over the top as I got. This was such an easy project, yet I still felt like I was being creative.

My goal now is to write a little note inside each notebook as a way of saying "thanks" to a couple of my friends for everything that they had done for me when my Dad passed away earlier this month.

Linking to:
A Bowl Full Of Lemons
Ginger Snap Crafts
Today's Creative Blog
Someday Crafts
A Little Tipsy
House of Hepworths
The Crafty Blog Stalker
Gluesticks
Funky Junk Interiors
Finding Fabulous

Saturday Night Pinning.

2011-09-24T22:16:00.005-05:00

Source: barbschram.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Love this idea! May have to make these with the kids in October.

Source: alisonm5.polyvore.com via Missy on Pinterest

Nothing to say here except how cute is this outfit?!

Source: thetidynest.com via Laura on Pinterest

I love making smoothies, but I don't always have the time to prep everything. This may solve everything for me!

Source: easiepeasie.blogspot.com via Tracy on Pinterest

I'm always on the lookout for things to keep Addison busy and what kid doesn't love fingerpaint?!

Source: etsy.com via Sara on Pinterest

This just doesn't need any further explanation~ way cool.

Wednesday's Wisdom.

2011-09-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

Source: ny-image3.etsy.com via Jenn on Pinterest

My Simple Saturday.

2011-09-19T21:14:00.003-05:00

So Saturday I tried something new: I kept my day simple. Very little running around. Very little "outside" activity. In fact, I did a whopping four things Saturday. Four things! (Five if you count the chicken nuggets and french fries I heated up for dinner, but I'm not, so you shouldn't.) I......

1) ran a 5k with a good good friend and running partner. My time was stinky, but it felt so good to be running again. Due to some family things I haven't been able to run since the middle of July, so it felt great to be back pounding the pavement even if I was a little rusty.

2) took some time to make the free Becky Higgins cards. Nothing fancy, just a print and call it good after-you-adhere-them-to-some-cardstock type of thing. But it was so awesome to make the time to do do the printing and the adhering! On her blog she has a couple of the cards just cut out and paper clipped to a fun notebook-- I loved that idea the second I saw it so I am hoping in the next couple of weeks to make a few of those myself. I'm thinking they'd make great little gifts?

3) I read a book. Well, maybe not the whole book, only 3/4 of it, but holy cow, was that ever nice. The best part was I even liked the book! I don't usually buy books "title unheard" or without a lot of research (I'm quite picky about my books) but this one for whatever reason caught my eye at Target one day a couple months back, so I bought it. And loved it. Makes me wish I could just sit and read like that more often!

4) and finally, I went to church. It was so great to enjoy some music and hear a good message while I drank a coffee (or smoothie, depending on the day!) It was just what I needed to feel re-charged and re-newed for the week ahead.

Our Kitchen Chalkboard.

2011-09-15T15:10:00.002-05:00

One thing I had wanted to make for quite a while now was a big chalkboard. We have huge walls in our house, the-kind-that-make-it-tough-to-put-things-on-because-they're-so-big-walls, so hanging a chalkboard on one of them seemed like the perfect solution.

So, a trip to Home Depot's cull bin and paint department netted us the necessary fixings for a large chalkboard for our kitchen wall and a free Saturday afternoon yielded us the time to actually make the chalkboard.

Long project short, we have been in chalkboard heaven ever since!

Linking to:

Wednesday's Wisdom.

2011-09-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind…let it be something good. Author Unknown.

2 Fun Fall Ideas.

2011-09-13T06:00:00.004-05:00

I am so ready for fall. I'm ready for apple picking, hot apple cider, crisp cool nights, the crunch of leaves, but most of all I'm ready to create and decorate for fall. Lucky for me I found two great projects to try to make right out of the gate.

These trick or treat boxes found here

and these scrap wood pumpkins found here.

Tile Coasters.

2011-09-12T07:00:00.012-05:00

I did it. I finally made some coasters. They have been on my to-do list for what seems like forever, and I finally got around to making them this weekend. I don't know why it took me so long to get to them, I mean, not only were they super easy, but they were so stinkin' inexpensive it wasn't even funny! Three sheets of scrapbook paper, 8 ceramic tiles and two sheets of white felt was all I needed to buy. Seriously people, this project didn't even cost $5.00 that's how economical it was!

Assembling them was just as easy. All I did was cut my patterned paper a little smaller than my tile, used a little spray adhesive to stick it onto the tile then covered the whole thing with mod-podge. Once the mod-podge was dry, I cut the felt the same size as my tiles then glued it to the bottom of the tiles with some tacky glue. That was it. Easy peasy. But very fun. Very theraputic.

Saturday Night Pinning.

2011-09-10T21:55:00.002-05:00

Source: foodgawker.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Source: None via Jenn on Pinterest

Source: keeperworthyrecipes.blogspot.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Source: americanfood.about.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Source: alexandracooks.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Source: sweet-verbena.blogspot.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Sheesh! You'd think I was hungry or something!!

Crock Pot Italian Chicken.

2011-09-10T07:19:00.005-05:00

I don't know about you, but I love my crock pot. Especially during the fall and winter months. The yummy smells coming from it all day long is so inviting, so homey feeling, plus they're just so easy to use~ dump everything in in the morning and away you go. So where am I going with all this??

Well!!!! Now that we're getting into the cooler months, I have been itching to get my crock pot out. I'm ready to make pulled BBQ sandwiches, taco soup, French Dips~ you name it. But I am also ready to try some new recipes and as luck would have it, I found one without even trying. Gotta love those link parties!

So without further adieu, I share with you Crock Pot Italian Chicken via Chef In Training.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed or frozen)
1 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package dry italian dressing
rice or pasta cooked according to directions

Make It!
Place chicken in crock pot. Combine softened cream cheese, cream of chicken soup and italian dressing and spread over chicken. Then cook on high 4-6 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over cooked rice or pasta.

I can hardly wait to make this this week!

Starbucks Goodness.

2011-09-09T06:30:00.019-05:00

Don't you just love it when you score a killer deal???

Earlier in the week I discovered that Target had a sale on Starbucks Coffee this week~buy two and get a $5.00 Target Gift Card. Sold!

Plus when you bring your empty Starbucks Coffee bag into any Starbucks (which I always do!) you get a free coffee~totally one of my favorite pick-me-ups!

So, one $5.00 gift card to add to my ~~hoard~~ collection of gift cards, two free coffees and two bags of coffee~love it.

This might be just enough coffee to get me through finals next week.......maybe........

Well Here's Something Fun.....

2011-09-08T06:19:00.004-05:00

Becky Higgins is offering these cards as a free download on her blog. How fun is that?! Use a Archivers coupon to get yourself some cardstock for cheap and you have yourself some cute and inexpensive cards. Love! Just click here to get yours!

Wednesday's Wisdom.

2011-09-07T15:10:00.003-05:00

Source: gusandlula.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Rubber Band Shooters.

2011-09-06T15:17:00.010-05:00

In a last ditch attempt to do something fun before school started, we made rubber band guns. Inexpensive, easy to make and have provided the kids with hours of entertainment.

To start, all we did was pick up a package of clothes pins, a bag of rubber bands, some craft paint and a package of pre-cut dowels from Walmart. Next, we painted the dowels and clothes pins. Once the paint was dry we measured where we wanted the clothes pins to go, glued them onto the dowels then let the guns dry for a couple of hours. That's it. Super easy. Makes a ton. Super inexpensive. And has literally provided all three of the kids with endless entertainment.

Linking to:

Ready For Fall.

2011-09-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

If I wasn't already ready for fall, after seeing these pages in Midwest Living, I definitely am!

How great would it be to have your front door all decorated like this?!

Or like this?

And these just look yummy......

This makes me want to take a train trip through the midwest. And since I don't like trains, that's saying a lot!

Insta-Friday.

2011-09-01T20:29:00.010-05:00

We tried something new this year for the last week of summer break. Instead of cramming dozens of things in in a last ditch attempt at making the most of summer, only to start the first week of school burned out and tired, we kept it low key. We stuck around the house. We started getting into our "school" schedule, we enjoyed lots of downtime and we:

went to church.

went out to dinner with relatives

enjoyed some free Starbucks

made lots of crafts at the dining room table

made this

rented lots of these

made lots of this to go along with the movies

but best of all, we FINALLY finished our chalkboard.

Linking up with:

Applesauce.

2011-09-01T18:40:00.004-05:00

A couple years ago I posted about making homemade applesauce in the crockpot. Today I am reposting the recipe because today just feels like an homemade applesauce kind of day.

Applesauce
8 apples, cored, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup water or apple juice {I prefer apple juice}
3/4 cup sugar

Make It!
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Mash to desired texture and ladle into jars.

We've tried a few other applesauce recipes, but this is the one we like the best.

Linking up with:

A Post (or two) To Remember.

2011-08-29T06:53:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in quite some time-- life has been a little busy. But in my few minutes of down time here and there I have found some posts that I want to remember.

These mini fruit pizza's found: here

This Art On The Go tutorial found: here

This tub paint idea found: here

This pizza casserole recipe found: here

This post about this store. Not that I live anywhere near Utah, but it's definitely my kind of store!

Insta-Friday.

2011-08-19T05:00:00.004-05:00

Hard to believe another week of summer vacation is over. :( We must have had a good week though because I can't believe it's Friday already! It feels like it should only be Wednesday.

Took a trip to the Dairy Queen after lunch one day and used our free ice cream treats/50 cents off mini-blizzard coupons that came on our kids' meals from a couple weeks back. I never let the kids get those desserts the day we're there-- it's just too much food in my opinion. Besides, it makes it more fun to go again another time and get some ice cream dirt cheap. And since we all order kids meals because I am too cheap to order off the regular menu, we usually have 5 coupons to use.

A 9:30pm pajama run for some french fries at McDonalds. It's been a family tradition since Meghan was about two. Without warning the kids are told to get shoes on and head to the car-- pajamas and all. Then we drive to McDonalds for some hot salty french fries. The later it is, the better the fries are and the more the kids love it.

Dinner at the Farmer's Market-- what could be better?!??! We listened to a quartet while we sat in a grassy area eating our fresh from the farm goodies. So relaxing. So enjoyable. So.......summery.

Experienced the laundromat several times since my washing machine bit the dust on Sunday. Up until this week I had never even stepped foot in it, this week I was there three times. I do have to admit that I like getting 4 loads washed at the same time though-- HUGE time saver!

Took the kids to the dentist. Always a pleasure since they all love getting their teeth cleaned. Weird for a kid, I know. But they get it from their mom. I love getting my teeth cleaned, too.

We finally went to the bakery in town. Only took us 11 years. Should have gone sooner. It was awesome. HUGE cookies for a mere 59cents........ gigantic cow pies for $1.25......and the most delicious breads. I can see that we'll be "regular" customers from now on.

Went to the pet store in town after our trip to the bakery. Again, only took us 11 years to get there! While I could have done without the mouse/rat section (it was disgusting), it does need to be noted that their fish section is amazing. I kid you not it is aisle, after aisle, after aisle, after aisle of exotic fish. The kids loved it.

Biked to the pedestrian bridge one evening and waved at all the cars passing underneath. It's always fun to see how many cars will honk and wave back. Even the police will honk and wave- which Noah thinks is the absolute best. Lucky for him three cops passed by that night.

After the pedestrian bridge we biked to our town movie theater and bought popcorn to bring home to eat while we watched The Big Bang Theory.

This was a common scene at our dining room table this week as I attempted to study. I use the word attempted loosely because I just wasn't feeling it. Which is a bummer because that means I now have to cram on Friday to get all my homework finished and turned in on time. :(

Took the kids to visit this sweet, sweet lady and her husband. I absolutely love my grandparents, I love listening to their stories, I love just getting to talk with them and just being around them in general and I think it's awesome that my kids think they're so great too.

This Week It:

2011-08-18T17:46:00.003-05:00

Source: google.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Tasty Tuesday.

2011-08-16T07:12:00.004-05:00

Life has been very hectic lately (read: the past 14 months) so my usual routine of cooking dinner every night has been virtually non-existent. No joke, there have been times when we have not had a home-cooked meal for two weeks. It's sad really, but it's the season of life we're in right now.

Anyway, I set a goal for myself this week to try to cook at home all week long. But the stipulation I had set for myself was that they needed to be easy meals. We're talking either 20 minutes or less on the stovetop or crockpot meals because that's about all I have time for.

For the most part the planning went well. I was only one meal short. It wasn't a big deal, the world wasn't going to end, but it was frustrating me a bit because I was so determined to be a domestic goddess this week and cook, and clean, and even bake some cookies and iron clothes. And then yesterday this recipe showed up in my email.

Whew! Food problem solved! Flylady saved the day and I have not failed as a wife and mom!

Five Minute Lasagna
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
1 (30 ounce) bag frozen large cheese ravioli, not thawed
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (optional)
1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

Make It!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 13-x-9-inch baking dish and spoon in about 1/3 of the
sauce. Arrange 12 of the raviolis on top; then evenly lay all the spinach
over the top of the raviolis. Top that with half of each cheese. Now cover
with another layer of raviolis, the remaining sauce and the remaining
cheese. Tent with foil (don't let cheese touch the foil or it will stick)
and bake 25 minutes; then uncover it and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more
until bubbly.

Peach Cobbler.

2011-08-13T07:26:00.005-05:00

Saw this recipe on this blog this morning and instantly knew that I had to make Peach Cobbler today.

Insta-Friday.

2011-08-12T16:19:00.014-05:00

We had a pretty quiet week this week. Lots of time spent close to home. It was a nice change!

Took advantage of the killer deals at Old Navy and took these two back to school shopping on Monday.

And because we worked up such an appetite shopping, the kids wanted Arby's for lunch. So, the dollar menu it was because I'm just cheap like that.

Spent an afternoon teaching this little munchkin the joys of flying a kite.

A favorite activity of ours this summer was mini-golfing. Gotta love Addison's granny stance!

Finally made it to the local farmer's market. There's just nothing better than fresh from the garden fruits and vegetables, in my humble opinion.

Stopped off at a new-to-us park on our way home from the farmers market. We seem to have found a few of those this summer. Makes me wonder what rock we've been living under these past 11 years!

Countless batches of these have been consumed this week. They have made especially tasty great afternoon snacks-- especially when eaten outside on a blanket in the yard.

Button Magnets.

2011-08-11T05:00:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I felt the need to make something but I didn't feel like making anything big. Or time consuming. Which is really kind of a lame thing for me to say because all projects feel "big and time consuming" since I'm not really a crafter, but all the same, I wanted to try my hand at something, just not something that required a lot of skill. (maybe that's a better statement!)

Anyway, my mom has these magnets on her fridge and all they are are buttons of various sizes and colors glued together. Easy enough. Cute. Useful. And something I could do without too much hassle. So that's what I did.

After making a quick run to Walmart to get magnets (gotta love that Walmart is open 24 hours and only a mile and a half down the road!), I gathered up all my spare buttons and Marty's bottle of Gorilla glue and sat down to make button magnets.

So easy. Definitely an "if I can do it, you can do it too" type of project. Only the next time I make them I think I will branch out and use better buttons.

Wednesday's Wisdom.

2011-08-10T05:00:00.002-05:00

Source: etsy.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Trying very hard to remember this right now.

Chocolate Club Bars.

2011-08-09T07:05:00.010-05:00

I decided these are a "must make" this week after finding them here the other day.

Chocolate Club Bars
45 Club Crackers
2 sticks butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup Peanut Butter chips
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, melted

Make It!
Place 15 club crackers in the bottom of an 8×8 inch square baking pan that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 cup peanut butter chips on crackers. Meanwhile, melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat stirring constantly for 4 minutes, until bubbly, smooth and creamy caramel forms. Pour 1/2 cup or so of caramel over peanut butter chips then add another layer of crackers, peanut butter chips and caramel. Top with one final layer of crackers then spread with melted chocolate.

Yields 15 bars.

Bleach Pen T-Shirts.

2011-08-08T05:00:00.013-05:00

Tie Dying t-shirts was on "the list" per Meghan's request. I was a good sport and obliged her request to add it to the list, but just like with Noah's bird feeder idea, I had no clue how to go about it. So again, just like with Noah's bird feeder idea, I procrastinated and I procrastinated until I just couldn't procrastinate any more. I finally had to break down and figure something out.

So, after a bit of research on the internet for alternative ideas, I found Bleach-Pen Drawing. It wasn't messy. It was inexpensive. And all three kids could do their own-- even little Miss Addison. In short, it was PERFECT!

All we had to do was buy some Clorox Bleach Pens and some dark colored tees from Walmart, figure out what we wanted to draw, slip some wax paper inside the shirts so the bleach wouldn't bleed through and draw. Once the bleach dried (about 45 minutes) we rinsed them out and popped them in the dryer. The kids have been wearing them ever since!

Linking Up With:

Insta-Friday.

2011-08-05T19:39:00.012-05:00

We had a good week this week! Definitely trying to make the most of our last few weeks of summer. And so, so thankful that I get to enjoy this time with my kids.
I took the kids hiking at a nearby state park. The peacefulness of the park was loved by all. So was the scenery.

Made fruit pizza as our summer dessert on our summer list. Forgot how easy it really is to make. Definitely need to make it more often.

Walked along the trail by our house for a bit before walking over to the library to watch a magic show. As we walked, I was truly grateful for where we live and all the great things it has to offer.

Went to a nearby park after dinner one night to shoot some hoops, play some tennis and play on the playground equipment. Much to Noah's chagrin, Meghan won every game of PIG and BANANA. I guess that basketball camp really paid off!

Spent a lot of time drooling over the goodness that is the IKEA catalog. Marty may need to get another job!

Went hiking along an abandoned dirt road by our house to collect rocks because you can never have too many rocks! Hopefully next week we'll have time to paint some of the rocks we collected.

Grilled mini-pizzas for lunch one day. Five out of five Schires' surveyed said they loved them and can't wait to do it again. Plus, we were able to cross yet another thing off our summer list. (whew-- lots of things still left on our list and not a lot of time to do them in)

Enjoyed some Good Mood Food at Arby's one afternoon.......if you can call Arby's good mood food that is. At least the price was right! Hard to beat $1.00 for a small shake. Their $1.00 apple turnovers aren't too bad either.

Partook in some free bowling with these two while Addison was at daycare. I swear, the kids bowl free program is the best thing around. You should look it up-- www.kidsbowlfree.com.

Had way too many McDonalds runs this week, but it's hard to say no when their ice cream treats are so good......and so reasonably priced.....and the weather is so hot.

Linking up at:

Service.

2011-08-04T06:00:00.006-05:00

The other day while Addison was at daycare, Meghan and Noah were bored and wanted to do something. I was fine with doing something, but had no interest in spending any money on entertainment. Especially after I heard them start fighting about what to do. And that's when it hit me. This was a great time to think of someone else other than themselves.

So, after offering a quick prayer of thanks that Somewhat Simple's Summer of Service idea was still fresh in my mind, I quickly brainstormed for something we could do that would be of service. And in the end I decided on donating supplies to our local humane society.

I told the kids to look up on the internet what the humane society needed as far as donations, then to work together to create a list of what they would like to purchase as a donation. Twenty minutes later we were on our way to Walmart to purchase the items on the kids' list.

When we got to Walmart they were told again, to work together. One person needed to be in charge of the list, one person in charge of the cart and together they needed to decide on the brand and price of what they were buying.

Their purchases included dog treats, dog food, cat food, bleach, paper towels and laundry soap. It wasn't a lot, but it was something, and that's all I was looking for in this lesson.

They were so proud of what they were doing. But it was when they brought their donation in and saw the joy on the volunteer's face that it really hit them: they were doing something good in the world. Gone was the wish for seeing yet another movie. Gone was the fighting over whether we should go bowling or play mini-golf. They were thrilled that they had made a difference.

And because in my mind no good deed should go unnoticed, especially when my kids are involved, I treated the kids to $1.00 shakes from Arby's.