barefoot and sometimes pregnant

7 Quick Takes

2012-01-27T13:41:00.000-05:00

I can't believe my little baby is a year old today. Greta is a little on the serious side, but also loves to smile, dance to music, clap, eat, and act coy when she is getting a lot of attention. You can read her birth story here.

I love the fact that no matter what I put in a quiche the kids will eat it. Since there is a crust they think it is a pie and I have gone crazy and served pie for dinner. I love this recipe for an easy quiche.

I bought this on clearance at Target and it was a HUGE hit with my three year old.

Here are some articles that I think are worth reading:

Little Catholic Bubble - Parenting What I Have Done Right

Testosterhome - Dare to (not) Compare

National Catholic Register - The Death of Pretty

The Atlantic - How to Land Your Kids in Therapy

The Daily Buzz - 25 Clever Ideas to Make Life Easier

Betty Beguiles - Beautiful Joy: for you

5.
Speaking of Betty Beguiles, she has a great FREE e-booklet called Dressing with Intention. It is totally worth reading.

6.
Never pick up 2 kids when you are 30 weeks pregnant...your back may not like it. I did that stupid thing without thinking and now am paying for it. Yesterday it was really bad, but today it is better. I am able to get around and get stuff done. I am hoping and praying my back will be back to normal by tomorrow.

7.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I know I will since Greta's godmother is coming to spend the weekend with us. All the kids love her so they are also excited about seeing her and I am looking forward to catching up with her.

Read other Quick Takes here!

Menu Monday

2012-01-23T18:29:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone,

This week is a little busy for me...play dates, pediatrician visits, birthdays and Greta's Godmother is coming to spend the weekend with us so I need to make sure the house is actually clean and not just passable. I also would like to paint and finish fixing up Frank's room. So dinners aren't too exciting this week. However, I did try out some new recipes last week that came out really well.

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup - Super good!! It was a slightly spice soup that you couldn't get enough of and super easy to make. I actually put everything in the crock pot and let it cook up for 5 hours on high. It was too spicy for the kids.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken - I shredded the chicken and used it for burritos. It was very good and all the kids ate it.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce - Yum, yum, yum!! All the kids ate it right up and wanted more.

Now this is what we will be eating this week for dinner:

Sunday - We ate out.
Monday - Jerky Chicken with Pineapple Cilantro Rice and Salad
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - BLT's with some sort of soup from the freezer
Thursday - Breakfast for Dinner
Friday - Spaghetti, salad and birthday cake (Greta's birthday)
Saturday - Enchiladas, rice, beans and salad (Company over for dinner.)

Read other menus here!

Books for 2012

2012-01-11T10:55:00.004-05:00

I have always loved reading. I recall hiding under the covers as a child to read the Little House on the Prairie series way past by bedtime. When I was single and living on my own it wasn't rare to find me spending a whole weekend curled up with a stack of books. Then came three little munchkins and free time slowly disappeared. I am lucky to read a magazine let alone a book. However, after the 12 by 2012 and I finished two books in a month, I realized there is time I just need to find it.

I saw the Booking it in 2012 on Life as Mom and while I liked the idea, the books listed just aren't my cup of tea so I decided to pick 13 books (one for each month and a bonus one) that I have wanted to read and read them this year. Of course I may change books as the year goes on based on what is going on or new books I may find.

I am not listing these in any particular order or dedicating one book to one month since I like to read a couple books at once. I will limit myself to only reading two books at one time so I don't end up with a bunch of half-read books.

1. Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI
2. In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir by Dick Cheney I started this one.
3. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
4. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
5. The Death of the Adversary: A Novel by Hans Keilson
6. Style, Sex, and Substance: 10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter by Hallie Lord
7. Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre by Brett L. Markham I also started this one.
8. Homemade Living: Keeping Chickens with Ashley English: All You Need to Know to Care for a Happy, Healthy Flock by Ashley English
9. Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables by Mike Bubel and Nancy Bubel
10. Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures by Amanda Blake Soule
11. The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons by Amanda Blake Soule and Stephen Soule
12. Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman
13. NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

I will report back here once a month to let you know how the progress is going.

What do you plan on reading this year?

12 by 2012 Round-up

2012-01-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

This is a little late, but here is how I did on the 12 by 2012...
1. Finish painting the great room. The main room is painted, but there is a part of the ceiling that needs to be painted. Right now I have put it on hold and will finish by the end of the month.
~~2. Build 4 Ikea bookcases.~~ Done!
~~3. Redo my craft area.~~ Done! Check it out here.
~~4. Design and make my 2012 planner.~~ Done! Check it out here.
~~5. Make Christmas cards and mail out by December 19.~~ Done! Check them out here.
~~6. Have all Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by December 16.~~ Done!
~~7. Build bunk bed for Edith and Greta.~~ Done! Check it out here.
~~8. Paint the girl's room.~~ Done! Check it out here.
~~9. Make the girl's Christmas dresses.~~ Done! Check them out here.
~~10. Finish all the sewing project stated this year.~~ Done! Check out some of the project here!
~~11. Finish reading the two books I am reading...Jane Eyre and Bringing up Boys.~~ Done!
12. Take the kids to the zoo. The whole family got a nasty cold right before Christmas so we have spent the last week or so trying to recover. We will have to go to the zoo one weekend this month.

I must say I really liked doing the 12 by 2012. I got a couple of things done that I may not have otherwise. It also helps when I have to "report" to someone each week on the status of items. I have a tendency to wait until the last minute to finish things, but this way I was able make sure everything was getting done in a reasonable amount of time.

Thanks Zoe from SlowMama for the motivation to get things done!

Menu Monday

2012-01-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I should be doing my weekly grocery shopping right now, but it is rainy and close to freezing right now and I don't like driving in that type of weather. Plus, there are too many suicidal deer out there. :) So instead I thought I would share with you what we will be eating for dinner this week.

Before I list my menu, I have a favor to ask...could you suggest some meals with ground beef? I am having a lack of ideas when it comes to ground beef. I normally do tacos/burritos, hamburgers, chili, and pasta sauce. I know there has to be other ground beef recipes out there. Of course, my hubby and kids would be fine eating the same thing everyday, but I get bored of eating the same thing all the time.

Here is what we will be eating for dinner this week...

Sunday - Pasta and salad

Monday - Roasted chicken, potatoes and salad

Tuesday - Tortilla Soup and sandwiches (Trying a recipe from the current issue of Cook's County)

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Spicy Pork and Broccoli over rice (Also, from the current issue of Cook's Country)

Friday - Tuna Casserole and salad

Saturday - Beef burritos, refried beans and salad

Share or read other menus here!

Aprons

2012-01-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

I gave my mom and sister aprons for Christmas.

I followed this tutorial for my sister's apron. It looked better in person than on the hanger. I did do things a little differently, but pretty much followed all the directions. This was my first time working with bias tape and it was really annoying. I don't think I will use it any time soon. It did give the apron a nice finished look to it.

This is the front of the apron.

This is the back.

This was the apron I made for my mom. I didn't follow any directions and just figured it out as I went along. Her only requirement was for the pockets to be deep enough so things wouldn't fall out if she was on her hand and knees cleaning a floor.

I am happy with the way they both came out and hopefully my sister and mom like them too.

Girl's Room

2012-01-08T10:52:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the girl's room and am very happy with the way it came out. The room is painted with a Martha Stewart paint called Carnation.

It is very pink, but Edith likes it.

It is very much a girl's room. I hope to find a small round table for the girl's tea parties. Maybe when garage sale season starts again, I will be able to find something.

This week I hope to work on Frank's room.

Christmas Recap

2012-01-08T10:10:00.001-05:00

Not only are my kids cute, but so are the girls dresses. I followed this tutorial for making them. They were very easy to make.

My daughter has been asking for a Diesel 10 figure (from Thomas the Train) for the last 2-3 months and we finally gave it to her for Christmas. She has taken that train everywhere with her including to bed. She was very happy about receiving it.

This was Greta's first Christmas and like any almost 1 year old she didn't care of the toys she got, but preferred the tags, tissue paper and wrapping paper.

Here is Jesus' birthday cake.

I got the idea from this recipe. I used my own white cake recipe, but did use her recipe for the frosting which was very good. Also, I didn't puree the cranberry sauce, but left it whole. Everyone really liked the cake even the kids.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas season.

7 Quick Takes

2012-01-06T11:29:00.000-05:00

This piece of furniture is the best purchase I made last year.

Every person gets one bucket for their gloves, hats, scarfs and hoodies. Then we put our every day shoes in the bottom row. It is great since the kids know which one is theirs and they can put there things away and get them when they need them.

I think I forgot to mention we did have a nice time on our DC adventure. I took the kids to the Natural History Museum and the American History Museum. They were about a mile from the hotel so I decided to walk there. Going there was fine since Edith walked the whole way and I had the other two kids in the double stroller. However, on the way back Edith was tired and didn't want to walk back. It was a good thing I brought the Ergo with me since I was able to put Greta in that and then Edith and Frank were in the double stroller. However, I was laughing since I must have been quite the sight...5 months pregnant, with a 10 month old attached to me and then two other kids in the stroller. I got a work out on that walk back.

Here are Frank and Greta looking at dinosaur exhibits.

After 15-20 mins I had to take Edith away from the fish tank. She could have spent all day there.

I needed to take a shower while Vinnie was still at work so I put a movie on for the kids and went into the bathroom figuring the kids would be okay. After a few mins I started to hear the door to the balcony open. I ran out and there was Frank who figured out how to open the door and about to run out. (They did have a lock on the door, but it wasn't very secure.) I grabbed him and put him in the pack-n-play. Then Greta started getting into stuff so I put her inside of the pack-in-play too. This gave me about 10 mins to quickly take a shower and know no one was going to be able to leave the room.

I must say that everyone I had contact with in DC were very nice. Plenty of people to open doors for me, said pleasant things about the kids and there was a very nice gentleman in the cafeteria we ate at, who helped carry our tray of food, found us a table and got high chairs for me.

My husband's work party was nice, but the food wasn't as good as the year the party was at a Brazilian steak house. There is nothing like large quantities of meat especially when you are pregnant. :)

6.
Random thought...I am thinking about getting chickens for the backyard. We will see if it actually happens.

7.
Finally I leave you with a little story that you shouldn't read if you don't like gross humor. The kids are sick with a cold so there has been a constant use of tissues in our house. The kids were in the kitchen and I heard Edith screaming "Mom, Frank has a slug on his face! Clean it, clean it!" I went into the kitchen wondering what the heck she was talking about and there was Frank grinning from ear to ear while blowing a large quantity of snot out of his noise. He thought it was very funny to be grossing his sister out.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks Jen for Hosting 7 Quick Takes.

Sick

2012-01-05T14:16:00.001-05:00

The blog has been quiet because everyone came down with a nasty cold. My husband had it before Christmas and then Greta got it then Frank then me and finally Edith. Hubby is almost back to full health, Greta seems to be getting better and the rest are still in the middle of it. Any free time I have found I had devoted to sleeping.

Please pardon the silence for the rest of the week and hopefully I will be back up and running next week.

The 2012 Planner

2011-12-28T13:27:00.000-05:00

I again made my own planner for 2012. You can check out my 2010 planner here. This year I changed some things and removed some of the pages that I realized I didn't use in 2011. Also, I decided to make two...

The Household Planner has five sections:

1. Calendar which has a monthly calendar, weekly chores, weekly menu with shopping list and a monthly chore list.

2. Baby L - everything I need for the home birth in April along with a list of the freezer meals that I will prepare to have on hand for the few weeks following the birth.

3. Emergency Information - In an emergency, I don't want to be looking for numbers and it is helpful to have everything in one place.

4. Kid Information - information for babysitters or when Dad is on duty and needs a little help remember who needs what and when.

5. Medical Information - It is much easier to have all the medical information in one location if case I need to call our health insurance.

For the weekly and monthly chore list I found this neat program called Donna Young's Chore Chart Maker. You can totally customize it for one person or a number of people and it is completely free. Here is a copy of the weekly and monthly chore list I made for myself.

In my birthday and holiday planner, I also have five sections:
1. Birthdays - list of birthdays through out the year, birthday party planner for each member of the family.
2. Gifts - gift ideas planner and gift closet inventory.
3. Easter - to do list, menu planner and wardrobe planner
4. Thanksgiving - to do list and menu planner
5. Christmas - to do list, menu planner, wardrobe planner, Christmas Card list, holiday baking planner and a number of various forms for orginazing Christmas gifts.

I am really excited about 2012 and with my two planners I am hoping for my most organized year yet.

12 by 2012 Up-date

2011-12-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

The up-date on my Twelve by 2012...

1. Finish painting the great room. All most there...
~~2. Build 4 Ikea bookcases.~~ Done!
~~3. Redo my craft area.~~ Done! Check it out here.
~~4. Design and make my 2012 planner.~~ Done!
~~5. Make Christmas cards and mail out by December 19.~~ Done! Check them out here.
~~6. Have all Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by December 16~~. Done!
7. Build bunk bed for Edith and Greta. Not started yet.
8. Paint the girl's room. Not started yet.
~~9. Make the girl's Christmas dresses.~~ Done! (Will post pics later.)
10. Bake Christmas cookies and deliver to all the neighbors. Cookies are baked. We are going to drop them off tomorrow.
11. Finish reading the two books I am reading...~~Jane Eyre~~ and Bringing up Boys. One down, one more to go.
12. Take the kids to the zoo. I am saving this one for when the hubby is on Christmas vacation.

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-12-22T13:39:00.000-05:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{pretty}

Our Christmas Tree

{happy}

Greta eating her first Christmas cookie. I love the cheeks!

{funny}

We went to Colonial Williamsburg and had a great time. There is a chicken under the basket and Frank so wants to let him out.

{real}

I finally finished the girls Christmas dresses. This was a pic of the dress before the final hem. Edith's has a slightly different top. I will most more pics of the dresses later.

Christmas Cards

2011-12-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

Here are the Christmas cards I made this year...

They were actually very simple and inexpensive. I had the green card stock, the twine and ink pads already. I just bought two stamps from Hobby Lobby when they were on sale. I thought they came out very cute!

12 by 2012 Up-date

2011-12-16T08:01:00.004-05:00

The up-date on my Twelve by 2012...
1. Finish painting the great room. All most there...
~~2. Build 4 Ikea bookcases.~~ Done!
~~3. Redo my craft area.~~ Done!
4. Design and make my 2012 planner. I went to print it up and realized we are all out of paper so I need to buy some then I can print and have it bound.
~~5. Make Christmas cards and mail out by December 19.~~ Done!
6. Have all Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by December 16. Everything is bought and I have around 75% of things wrapped.
7. Build bunk bed for Edith and Greta. Not started yet.
8. Paint the girl's room. Not started yet.
9. Make the girl's Christmas dresses. I am going to work on this over the weekend.
10. Bake Christmas cookies and deliver to all the neighbors. Not started yet.
11. Finish reading the two books I am reading...~~Jane Eyre~~ and Bringing up Boys. One down, one more to go.
12. Take the kids to the zoo. I am saving this one for when the hubby is on Christmas vacation.

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-12-15T00:29:00.002-05:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Four years ago I married by best friend.

{pretty}

I loved the flowers at my wedding. The bridal bouquet is dried and still sitting on my desk.

{happy}

I am pretty sure I didn't stop smiling that day. :)

{funny}

This was our wedding cake...an ice cream cake. We also had a dessert bar.

{real}

In our four years of marriage we have been blessed with many things, but the most important are our children...Edith, Frank, Greta and Baby L due in April.

7 Quick Takes - Early Edition

2011-12-08T16:00:00.004-05:00

I will be gone tomorrow so I am posting this today.

1.

Tonight we are leaving for our DC adventure. It is only for a couple of days, but my husband will be working so I will have all three kids on my own during the day. I am actually sort of scared since I don't often have all three kids on my own for the entire day in a city. I am hoping for the best.

2.
Now I could just sit tight in the hotel and not venture outdoors, but my husband is having his work Christmas party on Friday evening and we found a babysitter to sit with the kids. My kids need outdoor play everyday or they are bouncing off the walls by the evening so I didn't think it would be nice to leave them with the babysitter after a day of sitting in a hotel.

I look forward to the yearly Christmas party since they pick out good restaurant (places we wouldn't normally go to due to price and three kids with us) and we get to get all dressed up. Seriously, I am pretty such this is the only time each year I get to wear a cocktail dress and not have a child attached to me...okay, for the last couple of parties I have had a baby inside of me, but that is different.

When I was packing I was thinking how different packing is when there are kids involved. When we were first married, I could easily pack in around 15 mins and have one small suitcase. Now it took me a couple of hours and we have 1 suitcase for everyone's clothes; another suitcase for bottle stuff, snacks for the kids, extra diapers & wipes; a backpack for the kids books, toys, DVD player; my husband's work bag; my diaper bag; the pack in play and the double stroller. And this is for 3 days! One would think we were going to be gone for a week.

Edith is very excited because she loves staying in hotels. I think it is because she always gets to stay up late, eat food she wouldn't normally get and she gets a queen bed to herself.

6.
Oh and one other funny thing...when I was packing I realized I don't have a small black purse! I only have diaper bags...haha! That tells you how often I get dressed up and go out without the kids.

The up-date on my Twelve by 2012...
1. Finish painting the great room. All most there...
2. ~~Build 4 Ikea bookcases.~~ Done!
3. ~~Redo my craft area~~. Done!
4. Design and make my 2012 planner. Working on.
5. Make Christmas cards and mail out by December 19. Envelopes are all addressed, cards are all made and I am just signing them now.
6. Have all Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by December 16. I need to figure out gifts for three more people and wrap everything I have.
7. Build bunk bed for Edith and Greta. Not started yet.
8. Paint the girl's room. Not started yet.
9. Make the girl's Christmas dresses. Waiting on something I ordered.
10. Make myself a Christmas dress. I have decided to not do this (just don't have the time). I will think of something to replace it.
11. Finish reading the two books I am reading...~~Jane Eyre~~ and Bringing up Boys. One down, one more to go.
12. Take the kids to the zoo. I am saving this one for when the hubby is on Christmas vacation.

Read other Quick Takes here!

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-12-08T08:49:00.001-05:00

{pretty}

The kids helped me put up the lights on our house. Sorry, not that great of a picture.

{happy}

Frank was very happy with our resent purchase of a rocking horse. All the kids actually like riding it even the 10 month old.

{funny}

This picture is a month old, but I still find it funny. My 10 month old had her arms up in the air since she wanted to be picked up and the other two thought that was hilarious and started doing it too.

{real}

St. Nicholas came to our house this week!

Share your pictures here!

My Special Place

2011-11-29T20:59:00.001-05:00

We have a ridiculously large master bedroom. Since we moved into the house I took over a corner of it for my own area to do crafts and my sewing.

Here it is right after I cleaned it.

It doesn't normally look that neat. While the space was nice, it still wasn't perfect. There wasn't enough room for everything so I had kid craft items in another room which was a problem sometimes since I couldn't find things and would sometime buy things that I already had, but didn't know it. I realized that I had to redo my corner and add some other items.

My birthday was Saturday and Vinnie watched the kids so I could set up my craft area. I got some bigger bookcases from Ikea, some more containers and things for the wall. I am still waiting for two things to arrive in the mail, but I am so happy with the way everything came out. Take a look...

Don't pay attention to that one shelf that has random things on it. This is the shelf for the items I am waiting for.

Isn't it awesome!

Not only do I have these, but I also have a mini-fabric store. I wanted to get all the fabric out of the boxes my cousins gave me since it is easier for me to keep tract of what I have when I can actually see it so I set everything up on another bookcase. Here is the fabric bookcase...

Plus, the top is another surface I can put the projects I am working on instead of taking up room on my desk. I still have another box of fabric that I need to go through. I am washing it before I put it on the bookcase so when I feel the urge to make something I can just grab the fabric and start.

It might just be the introvert that I am, but I need a special spot were I can get away from things for awhile and pursue my own interest. It normally is when kids are taking naps or have gone to bed for the night, but this is my little haven were I can get some peace and quiet. And if anyone knows me they know I like quiet however that is hard to come by sometimes when there are three kids in the house.

How about you? Do you have your own special spot?

12 by 12 Up-date

2011-11-25T22:33:00.001-05:00

Here is my Twelve by 12 up-date:

1. Finish painting the great room. I am around 75% done. Painting has taken me for FOREVER since I have three kids running around the house most of the day and can only paint when they all go to sleep.

2. Build 4 Ikea bookcases. I have two of them built.

3. Redo my craft area. If all goes as planned this will get done on Saturday.

4. Design and make my 2012 planner. Not started yet.

5. Make Christmas cards and mail out by December 19. The Christmas card list is made. I am currently deciding what type of card I want to make.

6. Have all Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by December 16. I really need to start this one.

7. Build bunk bed for Edith and Greta. Not started yet.

8. Paint the girl's room. Not started yet.

9. Make the girl's Christmas dresses. I need to pick up one more thing before I can start this one.

10. Make myself a Christmas dress. Haven't even thought about this one yet.

11. Finish reading the two books I am reading...Jane Eyre and Bringing up Boys. Still working on this.

12. Take the kids to the zoo. Haven't done yet.

How is your list going?

7 Quick Takes - The Thanksgiving Edition with Pictures

2011-11-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving dinner came off without a hitch and only 15 mins "late." It would have been done on time, but I was talking with my family on the phone and lost track of time so started the final preparations a little later. Here is the plan of attack:

Edith was very eager to check out the turkey before and after it was cooked. She did wonder where his head went and I had to tell her they cut it off and showed her the turkey's neck. I think she was a little confused and thought she was going to see a live turkey. We named him Tom.

Before dinner the kids "helped" my husband rake the leaves. From all the laughing and yelling I heard, I think they had a great time playing in the leaves.

The feast included turkey, gravy, bread stuffing with bacon and apples, sweet potato casserole, succotash, mashed potatoes (my husband said it wasn't Thanksgiving unless there were at least two types of potatoes), cranberries, rolls, and pumpkin pie.

This was Greta's first Thanksgiving and she really enjoyed all food.

Frank enjoyed the turkey leg.

Here is the dress I made for myself.

I hope this dress really is cute and people aren't just saying that...haha!

Read other Quick Takes here!!

A Day of Thanks

2011-11-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Everyday should be a day of Thanksgiving, but once a year we spend a day with family and friends remembering all the many things that God has blessed us with. I didn’t get the chance to make the 30 Days of Gratitude board as I wanted to, but we did make a Tree of Thanksgiving. Each leaf is something we are thankful for...here is a picture before all the leaves were glued on. The kids came up with some pretty funny things they are thankful for such as juice, train tracks and tents.

I was planning on making a more elaborate banner, but I was pressed for time so had to do a simpler version. I used some felt and pipcleaners I had around the house and am pleased with how it came out. The pictures didn't come out very well and it looks like I am missing some letters, but I am not. The banner is much cuter in person. :)

I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!

12 by 12

2011-11-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

Good heavens, I don't know where my mind has been lately. It is a few days until Thanksgiving and I just bought the turkey. This time last year I had all the pies and sides made AND had all my Advent things ready, but alas I am not even close to that this year. I am not sure what it is maybe it is because I have 3 kids this year and am 5 months pregnant or maybe I am just lazier this year. Who knows?!

What ever the reason, I need to get on the ball or things are just going to get worse. I saw Zoe over at SlowMama was doing a Twelve by 2012 (Yes, I am very behind in reading post too. You should see my Google Reader!) and thought it was a great idea.

Here are the 12 things I am really going to try to get done by the end of the year.

1. Finish painting the great room.
2. Build 4 Ikea bookcases.
3. Redo my craft area. (We have a huge master bedroom so I took over half of it and am making it my special place.)
4. Design and make my 2012 planner.
5. Make Christmas cards and mail out by December 19.
6. Have all Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by December 16.
7. Build bunk bed for Edith and Greta.
8. Paint the girl's room.
9. Make the girl's Christmas dresses.
10. Make myself a Christmas dress.
11. Finish reading the two books I am reading...Jane Eyre and Bringing up Boys.
12. Take the kids to the zoo.

I will up-date my progress every Friday until the end of the year.

What about you...do you have a list of things that you would like to get done by the end of the year?

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-11-17T13:19:00.000-05:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{pretty}

A large bowl of dried fruit that was going to be added to an even bigger bowl of granola.

{happy}

My 10 month old is a very happy child. You have to love those cheeks.

{funny}

My son was caught trying on my shoes.

{real}

Before...yellowish paint.

After...the new paint, Honey Nougat.

I finally started painting the foyer and great room. The foyer is done and the great room is around 50% done. This weekend we are going to pick up some more bookcases and hopefully finish up the painting. The room is going to look great!

Heart of Gratitude - Day 5

2011-11-13T06:39:00.001-05:00

Day 5 – Love Coupons (Sunday)

"Create a booklet of coupons for your guy to redeem at a date and time of his choosing. Does he like to sleep in? Include a coupon for a morning of rest. Does he have a favorite meal? Give him a coupon for a dinner of his choice. You know he thinks you’re pretty cute! Include a few coupons for physical affection. You know him best – give him coupons tailored to his preferences and desires."

------Betty Beguiles

Heart of Gratitude - Day 4

2011-11-12T06:38:00.001-05:00

Day 4 – A Little Personal Time (Saturday)

"Offer your husband the opportunity to get out by himself for a while to do whatever it is he likes to do. If your schedule doesn’t allow for him to head out today, look for a day in the next week or so that would work with both of your schedules. Pen it in."

-----Betty Beguiles

Heart of Gratitude - Day 3

2011-11-11T18:37:00.000-05:00

Day 3 – Date Night

"It’s Friday! The perfect day for a very special at-home Date Night! Spend your day picking out the entertainment (with him in mind – no chick flicks!), preparing a feast of delicious food, drink, and dessert, and turning your bedroom into a romantic love nest. Put your best sheets on the bed, remove clutter, and add candles, flowers and the like. (Oh, and one more thing: when the time comes, initiate. Wink, wink.)"

-----Betty Beguiles

Heart of Gratitude - Day 2

2011-11-10T08:10:00.000-05:00

Day 2 – Rise and Shine

"Rise and shine, girls! Get up with your husband and get his day off to a cozy start. Warm his towels in the dryer while he showers; make him a hot breakfast; and if it’s cold outside turn on his car a few minutes before he has to leave so that it will be warm when he gets in. And don’t forget to give him a smokin’ hot kiss before he departs!"

----Betty Beguiles

Heart of Gratitude - Day 1

2011-11-09T23:09:00.001-05:00

I noticed at Betty Beguiles that today was the first day of her Heart of Gratitude - the 14 day challenge (I have been behind in my Google Reader reading) and I think it is something definitely worth doing right now. Things can get crazy and sometime being thankful for your husband can fall to the wayside. It is all to easy to see the negative in someone and be blind to all the positive and helpful things they do. So for the next two weeks I hope to give my husband all the love and gratitude that he deserves.

Day 1: A Day of Prayer

"Pray for your husband in a special way today. Light a candle upon rising. Each time you pass by during your day, let it be a reminder to you to lift him up in prayer. Pray, too, that God will inspire you with ways to demonstrate your gratitude to him over these next two weeks."

----Betty Beguiles

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-11-03T20:30:00.001-04:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Here is the Halloween edition:

{pretty}

My three year old dressed up as a princess. I got the dress from Target, but made this petticoat to make the dress puff out. I picked up the crown on clearance at the Children's Place. She also had a scepter, but she isn't holding it in this picture. She was so excited about her rosy cheeks. For some reason she thinks all princess have rosy cheeks.

{happy}

Here is my 9 month old as a dragon. It was fairly cold out so this costume kept her nice and warm. As you can tell by the look on her face she was a happy camper. She actually likes wearing the costume which is sort of funny.

{funny}

My almost 2 year old was a pirate and spent most of the evening saying "argh". I picked up the white shirt, black sweatpants and vest from Goodwill. I cut the pants with a jagged edge and then sewed on some fake patches. The vest is actually blue, but I turned it inside out because the inside was black and then added the red trim. There is a patch on the vest (can't see it very well in the picture) which says "pirates don't have bed times." The hat and sword came from Target. I attached the sword to his belt, but since there are no belt loops on sweatpants, his belt keep falling off because he is so skinny.

{real}

The loot!

7 Quick Takes

2011-10-28T15:11:00.001-04:00

It is a couple days until Halloween and my three year old tell me this morning she wants to be a hot dog for Halloween. Yes, you read that right...a hot dog. I have no idea where she came up with that idea. I told her she already picked out her outfit, but maybe we can have hot dogs for dinner. She seemed to be happy with that arrangement.

Edith (the one who now wants to be a hot dog) is going to be a princess. I was going to make her a dress, but didn't have the time so got her one at Target. I did make her a petticoat to go under the dress so it has a nice amount of puff to it. She told me she wants rosy cheeks and a bun in her hair. However, I am not sure how I am going to do the bun since her hair is so short.

Frank is going to be a pirate. I picked up some black pants, white long sleeve shirt and black vest from Goodwill. Then I made everything look like a pirate would wear it. It will make more sense when you see it. Plus, he has a hat and sword to go with it.

Greta is going to be a dragon because she makes awesome dragon noises.

I was thinking about what I am going to make for Thanksgiving dinner and I recalled the first Thanksgiving dinner I made for my husband. I made all the traditional items which included homemade cranberry sauce. After everything was said and done, my husband said everything was great, however, he likes the canned jelled cranberries better. You know the one that looks like a log when you pop it out of the can and cut it into slices. I laughed and thought...my husband is awesome.

Does anyone have any good Thanksgiving recipes? I am thinking I might want to try some new things this year.

Do you know what I like more than the big Thanksgiving day dinner? The cold turkey sandwiches on rye bread the next day. Yum!

For an added bonus...check out this Giving Thanks Board! It is a great idea and I already have everything I need to make it.

Read other Quick Takes here!

Menu Monday

2011-10-24T11:30:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it is the final week in October. Time is just going way too fast. Before I know it, it will be 2012.

This week I am really hoping to get the living and entry way painted. I have been putting it off, but I really would like to get it done. I should probably also take down the rocket decorations left over from Edith's party. Yes, I have been a slacker lately.

Here is what we will be eating this week:

Sunday - Spaghetti and salad

Monday - Pork and Hominy Stew with Biscuits

Tuesday - Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes

Wednesday - Turkey Tetrazzini with salad

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Zoe's Easy Breezy Quiche with fruit and potatoes

Saturday - Leftovers or something from the freezer

I have used a couple of new recipes in the last few weeks so I thought I would let you know what I thought of them.

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken - This was really good chicken! The kids and the hubby really liked it and it was really simple to make. I didn't grill it, but threw it all into the crockpot for the day. Next time I think I will try it on the grill.

Slow Cooker Smoky Pea Soup - Everyone, but my three year old liked this soup. She said it was too green...haha! I had one large ham hock in the freezer leftover from Easter so I through that in whole and then once it was cooked through I cut off the extra meat and returned it to the soup. It was really tasty!

Amish Meatloaf - I didn't like this meatloaf, but my husband said it was good. It didn't have enough taste to me and was too sweet. My kids also didn't like it and it was like pulling teeth to get them to eat it.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas - These were really good, but they reminded me more of burritos than enchiladas. I made a mild version for the kids and they REALLY liked them. My 8 month old ate a whole enchilada herself.

Crock Pot Brown Sugar Chicken - This was a HUGE hit with the husband and kids! I didn't have the lemon-lime soda so used some ginger ale. It really had a great taste and was not overly sweet. I served the chicken and broth over some white rice and the kids ate it up right away.

Peperoncini Beef Sandwiches - My husband and I loved this beef. I am pretty sure I could eat the whole roast on my own...haha! I gave the kids the beef and they ate it, but I could tell it wasn't as big of a hit as some other recipes. The meat itself had a wonderful taste, but wasn't spicy. It only had a little kick when you ate the peppers with it.

Have you tried any recipes lately that you like??

Read other menus here!

7 Quick Takes

2011-10-21T14:57:00.008-04:00

How did it get to be Friday already??

I picked up this dresser for our guest room a few months back for $5 at a garage sale.

After a coat of paint and some new handles, the dresser looks pretty nice. Now guest have some place to put their clothes.

This weekend is going to be awesome weather-wise. It is supposed to be in the mid-60's with plenty of sunshine. I think we really need to do something outside.

Yesterday, I wanted to finish up the pockets on the apron I was working on and of course Frank didn't want to cooperate. In my hurry to get it done before Frank got into something he wasn't supposed to (for the hundreth time) I acidcently sewed the apron to it's self. I need to remember that I should never try to do anything quickly.

6.
We have 5 acres of woods around our house and our Quaker Parrot got out of his cage and flew into the woods. We were able to local Mojo (the Quaker Parrot) a couple time yesterday, but he would fly away every time we tried to catch him. We had to give up looking for him once it got dark and sort of figured he wouldn't make it through the night due to the cold and all the wild animals that would try to eat him. This afternoon I went out and called for him and to my surprise he called back. After a few attempts, we were finally able to grab him and bring him back home. I am pretty sure he hasn't stopped eating and drinking since we put him in his cage.

7.
I love this picture of Greta after drinking her bottle. It just looks like she drank so much she fell asleep while holding her stomach and even has some milk spilling out of her mouth.

Read other Quick Takes here!

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-10-20T11:56:00.001-04:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

pretty

The tree along our driveway are starting to change color and everything looks so pretty. Frank looks so tiny compared to the trees around him.

happy

A stick and some chalk...what else could make a three year old so happy?

funny

I wonder what my husband is going to do in a couple more years when all four kids are going to want a horse ride?

real

Here is Baby L at almost 16 weeks old. We decided not to find out the gender, but we do have names picked out. If it is a girl, she will be named Harriet Rose. And if it is a boy, he will be named Harold Edmund.

Rocket to the Moon Party

2011-10-12T13:34:00.001-04:00

Remember I was throwing a Rocket to the Moon party for my daughter's 3rd b-day party...well, it was a great success. Sorry for the sort of dark pictures.

Here is the beverage table. I forgot to take a picture of it before the party so this was taken after the party when all the beverages were gone. I served sweet ice tea, mint ice tea and lemonade.

Here is the Happy Birthday sign with a rocket on the left and Curious George on the right.

I made paper rockets following this link. At first, I didn't think they were going to work since I tried it once and the string just broke off. I landed out having to prick the tissue paper on the bottom with a needle and they worked fine.

Here is the proof that they worked. See the mess on the floor. Even weeks later, I have been finding the confetti!

You can't have a party with out party hats! Edith got a special hat with a rocket all the other just got stars.

This is the display I had over the fire place. My brother drew the rocket for me and then I had it made poster size at Costco. The sky paper I got a few years back from Hobby Lobby. The moon is a foam ball. I really like the way it turned out. I am going to hang the rocket and moon in my daughters room.

Finally here is the birthday cake!! I will admit it was way more sugar than I ever let my kids eat at one time, but it was a birthday so I made an exception.

This is my favorite picture of the party...someone bought her a tea set (something she has wanted for some time) and immediately it was set up and tea was served.

The party was really fun and I hope all the guest had a fun time too.

Fun with Fabric

2011-10-12T07:00:00.003-04:00

I am super happy that I finally got my room cleared out of all the junk and was able to look through three large bins full of fabric my husband's cousin gave me. There are some really nice fabrics in there and now just need the time to start sewing.

I found one fabric that I am going to use for the making the girls Christmas dress and a tie for Frank. Here is the fabric...

I am going to make this dress for the girls because I like the fact the top part is a shirt and I just have sew the skirt part.

I will use this top I have for both of the girls and then use some red fabric for the stash.

Do you think it will look cute or am I the only one who thinks so?

I saw this fabric and I am thinking a 50's type dress might be in its future.

I also like these two fabric and think I might make some maternity dresses for myself with them.

There was also a number fabrics that I think will be used to make some pjs for the kids and some dresses for the girls.

Now all I need to do is to get sewing.

Our Honeymoon

2011-10-11T13:10:00.001-04:00

I thought I would join Betty Beguiles and share with you what we did on our honeymoon.

For our honeymoon, almost 4 years ago, we drove to Orlando and then on our way home we stopped at St. Augustine FL and Savanna GA. Since we were married in the middle of December we wanted to go some place warm with plenty of things to do and Orlando seemed to fit the bill.

Right after our wedding reception we drove to Rocky Mount NC.

Here I when we stopped for gas. After a long day of driving we spent the night in a fancy Hilton Hotel (fancy for us) eating Subway and salt and pepper chips. It was perfect ending to a very busy day.

While we did relax a lot on our honeymoon, we did do a lot of other things too. We went to Ripley's Believe it or not.

Visited a model train museum.

Played mini-golf while the crocs watched.

Spent the day at the Fun Spot where we rode go-carts, played more mini-golf and went on carnival type rides.

Here we are on the ferries wheel.

We went to Kennedy Space Center.

We went on a river boat cruise where they fed us super yummy food. This was pretty funny since we were the youngest ones on the cruise by around 40 years.

We visited a number of lighthouses.

We went to Disney World!

We went to Fantasy of Flight...an airplane museum. This was my husband's favorite spot.

We went to a car show.

We went to the Fountain of Youth.

We saw the oldest school house.

We went to Castillo De San Marcos.

We went to the beach at night.

We went to the Alcazar Hotel which is now a museum.

And we went to a railroad museum.

.
We had an awesome time on our honeymoon and I wouldn't change anything about it. On our honeymoon we not only brought back wonderful memories, but we also brought back a little gift that made her appearance nine months later. :)

What about you...what did you do on your honeymoon? Share it here!

Menu Monday

2011-10-10T06:41:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been so long since I posted a menu for the week. Things have been crazy, but I am hoping this weeks begin to get back to normal. I didn't get as much fall cleaning done last week since we got sick with a stomach flu when we got back from CA so I will be spending the week doing everything I wanted to do last week. I am hoping by the end of the week I will have a few bags to take to Goodwill.

I really love fall and have a couple of fall weather meals for this week. Two of the recipes I am making this week are new so I will let you know how they come out.

Here is what we will be eating for dinner this week:

Sunday - Chicken Caccicatore over white rice and cantaloupe
Monday - Spaghetti and steamed vegetables
Tuesday - Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas and salad
Wednesday - Split Pea Soup and Biscuits
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Chili Hominy and cornbread (We really like this chili.)
Saturday - Hamburger, roasted vegetables and leftover chili

Read other menus here!

7 Quick Takes

2011-10-07T16:42:00.003-04:00

We had a great time on vacation in CA and we got back to our house around Wednesday at midnight. Then by around 7pm Wednesday night, I had a really bad stomach bug…and I mean really bad. Even when I am sick I can normally still take care of the kids and do things around the house, but this time I wasn’t able to do anything. My husband had to take the day off work so he could watch the kids. Today I feel better, but still not 100%, but at least I am able to keep down water and toast. It seems like Vinnie got a more mild case of it, but he still isn’t feeling very well. I am hoping it doesn’t pass on to the kids, because that would not be fun for them or me.

The kids must have really been worn out during vacation because they have been going to bed at 7:30pm and not waking up until 9am or so. Plus, taking 2 hour naps. I am certainly not complaining.

While on vacation we were in many public places with all the kids and that has taught me a number of things...I am going to have the kids wear shirts that have their ages on them and then I will wear a shirt that says “Yes, I had them that close together. Yes, I wanted all of them and they weren’t ‘mistakes.’ And, yes, I am having another one.” I think it might save some time.

Second thing, I learned...people don't understand math very well. They will compare me to Mrs. Duggard, but the last I checked she had 19 kids and I only have 3.5. If they mean it as an insult because she is a Godly woman, who loves her kids, loves her husband and believes he is the head of the household and a thinks a woman’s place is at home caring for her kids…well, sorry I take that as a compliment.

And finally...I would never think to ask someone "Are you ONLY have one kid?" but others seem to think it is alright to ask "Are you going to have MORE?" The size of our family is really none of your business, but if you really must know…we believe every child is a precious gift from God and if He will bless us with 13 kids then we will happily welcome them into our family and get another set of bunk beds.

I will hopefully get the post about Edith's Rocket to the Moon party finished next week. Everything came out great and am looking forward to showing the pictures.

Fall is here and I am loving the cooler weather. Once I am back to normal and things start getting back to routine, I hope to post a little more often. Until then, have a great weekend!

Read other Quick Takes Here!

CA Here We Come!

2011-09-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

It is finally time for out trip to CA! I am very excited and nervous at the same time. This will be the first plane ride with all three kids and I am not sure how they are going to handle the 6+ hour flight. Please say a prayer that all goes well!

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-09-15T09:24:00.000-04:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

This wasn't only pretty, it also was very yummy. Whole wheat pasta, chicken, summer squash, zucchini and tomatoes.

{happy}

I love how happy my daughter looks when she saw this gift. It was a tea set and she hasn't stopped playing with it.

{funny}

I don't know why seeing my 7 month old eating a burrito is so funny to me, but it is. She really liked and ate most of it. I picked it up at one point to roll it back up for her and she was quite upset about it and gave me a "don't touch my burrito" look.

{real}

My little Greta is going to be a big sister and by the look on her face she isn't too sure about it. Baby H (his/her name will start with H since we have an Edith, Frank, and Greta) will be due in April.

FYI...this is the main reason I haven't been posting much lately. Between morning (all day) sickness and being so tired I take a nap whenever possible, I just haven't been up to posting very often. Normally after week 15 or so I start to feel more like myself so hopefully posting will be done more often in a couple more weeks.

7 Quick Takes - Natural Disaster Edition

2011-08-27T11:18:00.001-04:00

We had an earthquake earlier this week and the epicenter was located in the town where we go to church, Mineral VA. Even though I grew up in CA and have been in earthquakes before I still don't like them. This particular earthquake seriously made the house sound like it was going to fall on us. My husband looked around the house and there was no structural damage. I hope we don't have another one for a very long time.

Now we have a hurricane coming our way. Well, not really our way...it seems like everything is going to come east of Interstate 95 and we are just west of 95 so if anything we will get a couple inches of rain and it will be windy.

Everyone on the news said to be prepared for power outages by having non-perishable food for a couple of days and plenty of water. That is when I realized...I don't keep canned food in the house! I like to make everything from scratch or buy things fresh so besides for some cans of tomato sauce and a couple cans of cream of mushroom soup, there was nothing really edible on its own in the cabinet. I figured it would be wise to buy some canned food just in case we ever did have an emergency and were without power for a day or so.

Which bring me to a great tip I heard from a friend...fill up Ziploc gallon bags with water and put them in your freezer. If the power goes out, they will keep things cold and when they completely defrost you then have water to drink.

My husband actually has a generator, but it isn't the most reliable. Plus, my husband thinks we would use the generator to run the well so we would still have water since we have a gas stove and could use it to heat up food.

Another thing that I decided to do for future emergency was get some supplies ready and keep them all in one location. I still need to organize them a bit and collect a couple more things then if Armageddon happens we will be prepared...haha!

Finally, I hope everyone that is in the direct path of the hurricane is safe!

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-08-25T08:56:00.001-04:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

{pretty}

This is the view from our front porch. Edith spread out a blanket and was enjoying a good book and snack. She looks so tiny among the huge trees.

{happy}

I finally got the curtains in the kitchen nook done!! I still need to make sashes for all the windows (I am just using some ribbon now), but at least they are up.

Here is a close up of the curtain. Hopefully, other people think they are cute and I am not the only one.

{funny}

Look at the faces of these two...they are clearly up to no good!

{real}

Did you know if you put a bunch of chicken in the slow cooker and let it cook for 7-8 hours on low you get fall off the bone juicy chicken? I didn't until yesterday. I was able to make up three bags of shredded chicken for the freezer.

7 Quick Takes - The CA Vacation Edition

2011-08-12T21:16:00.000-04:00

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

I can't believe it is Friday night already. This week just flew by. I am actually kind of glad because this means our trip to So Cal is coming up in 47 more days. If you didn't know, I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters. My older sister, Bobbi, lives in Northern CA, but everyone else lives in So. Cal. I haven’t seen most of them for over 1.5 years.

The only part of this trip that I am worried about is flying with three kids. We are going to get Edith a personal DVD player and we hope that will help her get through the plane ride. Plus, we will have lots of books for her and her birthday will have just happened so she will have some new toys to keep her busy. Greta is still content sitting in your lap and playing with toys so I think she will be fine. My real worry is Frank. He is a ball full of energy that doesn’t like to sit still for longer than a couple minutes. He doesn’t like movies so the DVD player won’t do him any good. If anyone has any ideas for keeping an 1.5 year old boy quiet and happy for 6 hours, please let me know!

This leads me to another question for you readers…does anyone have any tips or suggestions for getting through the airport with ease. I am still just trying to figure out how we are supposed to carry everything…a couple suitcases, backpacks for everyone, a car seat (my parents have two car seats that they will let us borrow so we only need to bring one with us), probably a stroller, the kids and us. I told my husband I think we are going to need to give ourselves 3 hours or so to get through the airport.

We are going to be spending most of the time with my family, but one day we are going to take the kids to San Diego (a couple hours drive from my parents). I know the big stuff that is down there…Sea World, Wild Animal Park, the Zoo, but was wondering if anyone recommends anything down there to take the kids too. I will look through the San Diego website, but always like personal recommendations.

We also plan to go to the beach one day with my family. My husband has never been in the Pacific Ocean and both kids LOVE the beach. Plus, it will be nice to have extra hands to help out with the kids while we are there.

Another thing that I am looking forward to during this vacation...we will be able to watch cable TV. Hahaha! We don't have cable and only watch local TV so it is always fun to watch shows we don't normally get to watch on vacation.

Finally, how are you spending this Friday evening? My hubby and I are spending the evening eating peaches and watching a 4 disc set on World War I. We really know how to live it up on Friday night. :)

Have a great weekend!!

Menu Monday

2011-08-08T03:33:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it has been two weeks since the last time I posted. Time sure is flying.

Last week was very unproductive for me so this week I have a huge to-do list to get through. To save some time on making dinners, I will being using the crockpot all week. Most of the recipes are new for me so I am hoping they will taste as good as they look.

Here is what we will eat for dinner:

Sunday - Leftovers

Monday - Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili and cornbread (not really a summer meal, but I want chili)
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Black Eyed Pea Soup and sandwiches

Wednesday - Lemon and Herb Chicken with Baked Lemon Pasta (I am going to change this recipe a bit to suit what I have on hand) and steamed vegetables

Thursday - Slow Cooker Chicken Posole Stew and BLT's

Friday - Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles with steamed vegetables

Saturday - If I get more propane for the grill then we will have Baltimore Pit Beef with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob, if not then we will probably have leftovers.

Read other menus here.

I hope everyone has a great week and hopefully when I post next it will be about how productive I have been. :)

This Week

2011-07-25T23:24:00.000-04:00

This is what I am working on this week...

1. Finish refurbishing a dresser.
2. Finish sewing Edith and Greta's dresses...yes, I am still working on those.
3. Start sewing the curtains for our kitchen.
4. Start painting the foyer, hallway and great room.
5. Bake some whoopie pies for my husband's family reunion
6. Pack for our trip to PA
7. Try not to loose my temper with a almost three year old who has really been testing her limits.
8. Try not to loose my patience with a one and half year old who thinks it is funny to rub food in his hair and run away from you when you call him.
9. Be thankful that I have a six month old who is perfect and always brings a smile to my face.
10. Take one day at a time.

Needless to say, I won't be posting much this week. I everyone has a great week!!

7 Quick Takes - Party Edition

2011-07-22T08:46:00.000-04:00

We have finally decided on a theme for Edith's 3rd birthday (we are not changing it again!)...Curious George takes a rocket to the moon. Yes, I know that is very long, but she recently watched the Curious George takes a Rocket Ride DVD and now she is hooked. I am thinking of doing a more rocket theme and then just putting Curious George here and there.

Speaking of Edith's birthday, this is the cake I am going try to make...

What do you think...am I going to be able to do it??

I found these cute little felt party hats on Etsy.com and I am going to try to make them for the party since Edith loves party hats.

Speaking of Esty.com...I love looking through that site for ideas for party decorations. Sometimes I will buy things from people, but most of the time I just get ideas and then make them on my own.

I did buy a couple of things for the party from sweetestelle on Etsy.com. I got the package yesterday and was so excited. Here is my loot...

I got the rocket cookie cutter to make decorated cookies as favors. All the food coloring and decorations for the cake and cookies. And my favorite thing...the paper straws with flags on them...how cute are those!!

Okay, now I have a question if anyone would like to answer...do you think it is necessary to have planned activities at a kids b-day party? We do have a play room with tons of toys and hopefully will have the play set outside set-up by then. I don't want to waste time planning games or crafts when the kids would rather just run around and play with toys. FYI...there will be around 15-20 kids ranging from 1 year to about 10 years old. Plus, a handful of babies, but they can't really do anything but look cute. :)

Finally, this doesn't have anything to do with parties, but I had to check out Pinterest because everyone was talking about it and now I am hooked! It is a good thing that I can't use the internet during the day or I would waste way too much time. Here I am if you would like to follow me. However, I will warn you now...I don't pin things very often since I am not on-line all that much.

Have a great weekend and read other 7 Quick Takes here!

A Perfect Wedding With Money To Spare

2011-07-22T07:00:00.004-04:00

I recently came across our wedding pictures and it reminded me how much I enjoyed our wedding and it wasn’t just because I was getting married. I was happy with how everything turned out and we didn’t go into debt paying for the wedding reception and honeymoon…like it seems some people do. I decided we wouldn’t spend more than $5500 for everything…rings, dress, ceremony, reception and honeymoon. I don’t know how I came up with that number…it just seemed like a good amount.

The first way we saved money was to keep the guest list down. This was easy since we didn’t want to invite everyone we ever knew, but only those people that are very important to us. In the end, we invited 40 people.

The second way we saved money was to do things myself or I asked my friends and family for help.

Invitations and Stationary

I bought blank invitations from Michael’s when they were on sale and printed them up myself. I made the programs with cardstock paper, vellum paper and ribbon. For the guest book, I bought a clearance scrap book and loaded it with various pictures of my future husband and I then I left a few blank pages in the back for people to write well-wishes.

Our wedding programs

Our table chart, basket of bird seed and guest book.

Fashion

I spent the most on this category. I originally thought about buying a simple white dress and not getting an actual wedding dress, but after much thought I decided to go with the actual wedding dress. I didn’t want to think back and regret not getting the dress just to save money. I bought a wedding dress on-line at a discount website. I had to have it altered so the cost of the dress + alterations was slightly more than I wanted to, but at least I was happy with the dress. I had to buy some undergarments for the dress and that was annoying. The veil I bought from Ebay. The shoes, earrings and necklaces were things I already owned.

My dress.

Yes, I wore red shoes! No one was able to see my feet.

My veil.

I didn’t bother with paying someone to do my hair and make-up for me. I actually don’t wear make-up so that wasn’t even an issue. The night before my wedding I decided I wanted to straighten my hair and my sisters did that for me. If they weren’t there to help me, I would have done it myself.

My two sisters doing my hair for me.

We saved some money by having the guys wear suits rather than renting tuxedos. However, I did buy my husband and groomsmen matching ties at Kohl’s. The ties also matched the bridesmaids outfit.

Ceremony

In this category, most of the charges were set and we couldn’t really save any money. We got married at our local Catholic Church which had a site fee and Officiates fee. Plus, the state of VA had a set fee for the marriage license.

The outside of St. Joseph's Catholic Church

The inside of St. Joseph's Catholic Church

I did want an organ player for the ceremony so we hired the lady that normally plays for the Sunday Mass. She had a set fee which wasn’t very much compared to other organ players we looked at.

We didn’t buy any flowers for the church since they normally always have flowers there. I bought a bouquet for me, my maid of honor and bridesmaid. Then we bought corsages for our moms. My husband didn’t want to wear any flowers so we didn’t get anything for him or the groomsmen.

Flowers

Reception

When I first started looking at reception sites, I was very discouraged! Everything cost an arm and a leg and nothing was pretty. We didn’t need a large place since we only had 40 people coming, but still nothing was coming up in the price I wanted to pay. I started looking at state parks or historical places since I knew there had to be something out there that was nice and reasonably priced. I did finally find the perfect place…the Fairfax Train Museum. It actually was a perfect fit since my husband loves trains. To make the deal even sweeter, they just had their annual Christmas train exhibit so it was completely decorated and I didn’t have to do anything. Perfect!

There was a caboose outside.

They even had a Christmas tree.

Even though the museum it self was decorated, I did decorate the tables. Since we were at a train museum, I did a train theme (obviously). On all the tables we had tracks and some model trains set up along with lanterns. I bought all these items, but it was a good investment since we still use the trains every Christmas around the Christmas tree. Plus, the lanterns have been used a number of times when the power goes out or walking around outside in the night.

The lanterns also served as holders for the table numbers.

Instead of using paper place cards I used this little wooden signs.

One of the train scenes on a table.

I bought paper/plastic glasses, plates, silverware, mugs, flutes and napkins from Costco. I bought real tablecloths on sale from Ross. After, the reception I gave them to various people who wanted them. Since I got them at such a great price, it was actually cheaper than buying paper tablecloths. My one mistake was trying to iron them myself. I should have sent them to the dry cleaners. It took WAY TO LONG to iron them and to top it off I did it the night before the wedding. Big mistake!

One of the tables.

Another thing I decided to buy were white platters for serving all the food. I went faithfully every week to Bed, Bath & Beyond with my coupon to buy white serving items in the clearance section. This was a great investment since I use these serving platters almost everyday.

For food I wanted something simple and yet yummy. I also planned on making everything and not having it catered. The menu was water, iced tea, strawberry lemonade, coffee, tea, Salt & Pepper chips, various sausages and cheeses, vegetable platter, salad, sauerkraut and kielbasa and Subway sandwiches. I thought the food was good and hopefully my guest thought so too.

Some of the food we ate.

For dessert we didn’t go with your standard wedding cake, but had a dessert table. The dessert table did include an ice cream cake (my husband’s favorite) along with brownies, cheesecake, cookies, pies and muffins. Except for the cake and the cheesecake, I made everything else. It was a lot of work, but I think it was worth it in the end.

Our "wedding cake"

I spent around $12 a head for the food, drink and dessert. I am not sure what people normally spend per head, but it seemed like a good price to me.

For the favors, I made little stockings out of felt and ribbon then put in a package of hot cocoa and a peppermint stick.

I think they are very cute.

We didn’t hire anyone to play music for our reception. Rather, I made a play list on my ipod and had it playing in the background. My future husband had some friends who have a band so we were able to borrow their speakers and other items to have the music heard throughout the reception site.

I must say I would never have been able to pull everything off if it wasn’t for a group of friends who took care of setting everything up for me. In the morning, I dropped everything off at the reception site and then they took over. It was nice to know I could go get ready for the wedding and not worry about anything else.

Thanks gals!

Gifts

I couldn’t think of what to buy our attendants so we bought the groomsmen their ties and the bridesmaid’s earrings and necklaces for the wedding.

Photos

We went back and forth if we wanted to hire someone to take pictures for us or just rely on family members to take pictures for us. In the end, we decided it would be best to hire someone. My brother had a photography business at the time so we of course asked him. This was money well spent.

Rings

I didn’t want my future husband to spend a small fortune on my engagement ring. I actually told him the one I wanted. It was a simple ring with a pearl instead of a diamond. I also didn’t want him to buy a separate wedding ring so this greatly reduced the cost in the ring department. Yes, my husband is lucky to have someone so "cheap." :)

You can see our rings here.

Honeymoon

We drove to Orlando FL for our honeymoon. We stopped a couple times on the way to visit various sights, but for the most part spent the whole time in Orlando. When I booked hotels I looked for places that would give us free breakfast so it was one less meal we had to buy. Also, for our long stay in Orlando I booked a hotel room that had a stove, fridge and microwave so we went to the grocery store and bought food to make instead of eating out for every meal. This was actually nice since I get tired of eating out all the time.

We played mini-golf with the gators.

On a Ferris wheel.

Kennedy Space Center

We went on a river boat cruise.

We saw a couple of lighthouses.

MGM Studios

Epcot

Fantasy of Flight - One of my husband's favorite stops.

The Fountain of Youth

All in all we spent $5202.51…$297.49 under budget! I was very happy with my success and to this day don’t feel like I didn’t have the wedding I wanted because I cut back here and there.

Read other Frugal Fridays here!

How about you…did you have a strict budget to stick to or were you able to spend without worrying about the cost? What was one thing you had to have at your wedding despite the cost?

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

2011-07-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

I love the sky in this picture. It was a great day to go to the beach.

{happy}

It makes me very happy to see the kids playing together nicely. Edith still has her moments when she is a little mean to Frank, but for the most part they are really starting to like each other.

{funny}

I love my husband and I put graffiti on the driveway to prove it!

{real}

Greta recently started eating solid food. She is eating zucchini and chicken here.

{pretty, happy, funny real} - Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Summertime Pantry Challenge - Up-date

2011-07-20T22:20:00.003-04:00

This is the midpoint (well, a little past the midpoint) of the Summer Pantry Challenge and so far it has gone quite well.

As far as goals go…

1. I have been able to use up a number of things in the cabinets and freezer that I didn't even know I had in there. I have only gone to the store to by milk, cheese, yogurt, fruits and vegetables. I did make an exception last week and picked up some chicken that was on sale at a good price. I put it in the deep freezer and don’t plan to use it until the challenge is over.

2. I have been good about making sure there is plenty of fruits and vegetables in the house for everyone, but have not been buying them from the Farmer’s Market. The last couple of weekends we have been busy and I just haven’t had the time to make a trip out there (50 mins round trip). But, I have been buying fruit and veggies from the “local grown” section of the produce department at Krogers. I figure that is better than nothing.

3 & 4. I have gone through most of the cabinets in the kitchen and have gotten rid of a large bag of items I don’t use anymore. Plus, I finally cleaned out my spice cabinet and now all my cabinets are clean and organized.

Goals for the rest of the month…

1. Continue with buying essentials from the grocery store.
2. Make at least one visit to the Farmer’s Market this month.

7 Quick Takes

2011-07-15T09:37:00.001-04:00

My brother is still in the hospital and it looks like he will be there for a few more days. Please continue to keep him in your prayers! He is not out of the woods yet, but is improving greatly.

I love the break from the heat we had yesterday and this morning. We opened all the windows yesterday and this morning it was a nice 71 degrees in the house. The cool down is supposed to last until Monday and then it is back to hot sticky weather, but until then I will enjoy it.

It is the middle of July and this weekend will be our first trip to the beach for the summer. We are currently debating if we should go to the man-made beach at Lake Anna or drive out to VA Beach and spend the weekend. Decision, decisions!

Remember my lament last week about the state of my spice cabinet, well...it is a bother no more!! Here is my organized spice cabinet...

I love it! My husband saw it and said "Wow, you have gone crazy with that label maker. Can I borrow the label maker?" "Why?" I asked. "Because I want to make an OCD label and put it on you." Haha...yes, I am slightly OCD, but just wait until he has to find something and he can do it with ease.

I have been thinking about taking the kids blueberry picking, but I need to find a place that offers it first. BTW, I really need to visit my local Farmer's Market tomorrow because the cost of fruit and vegetables at the supermarket is getting crazy. I am hoping the fruit/vegetables will be cheaper straight from the grower.

We are finally set on a party theme for Edith's birthday...Curious George takes a Rocket to the Moon. This is about the 100th time she has changed it, but we aren't changing it again. I decided to go with a red, white and blue color scheme which is great since I was able to get a bunch of stuff from Michael's and Target who had their 4th of July stuff 50-75% off.

She also told me she wants a rocket cake so that is going to be interesting. I think this is going to take some planning. Has anyone every made a rocket cake and can offer some advice??

Share your Quick Takes here!

Thanks Be To God!

2011-07-13T21:19:00.000-04:00

It has been a long last few days...my brother was admitted to the ER on Sunday and not until last night did he start to really improve. I have been very worried and I can't even imagine how his wife was handling it all. My brother was moved from the ICU to a normal hospital room this afternoon and was finally able to see his 2 month old son. If all goes well and he continues to recover, he will hopefully be home by Friday.

This event has reminded me that life can change in an instant and never take anything for granted. I will try get back to posting next week and in the mean time I will be giving my husband a few more hugs and a few more kisses to the cheeks of my little munchkins.

7 Quick Takes

2011-07-09T00:15:00.001-04:00

I am waiting for a zucchini bread in the oven and it smells awesome!

I took the kids on a field trip with the local Catholic Homeschooling Group to VA Science Museum and it was a lot of fun. We spent almost 3 hours there and the kids were very well behaved!


Here is Frank making a tower.

Edith put the final block on top.

Today Edith “read” me a story for the first time. It was very sweet and I was amazed at how well she remembered the story because I had only read it to her once before.

Speaking of Edith…she is driving me crazy!! She is chewing on everything. I am starting to think I need to buy her some dog chew toys. If she was chewing on baby toys I wouldn’t mind so much, but she has already ruined a number of books. Today she got put in time-out for chewing a book and while she was in there she chewed off a logo from her shirt. If you have any suggestions on how to get her to stop, please tell me!

5.
I finally finished Baby Led-Weaning and I liked it. I will write more about it next week...if I remember.

6.
I am tired and can't think of things to write. I think my brain is already asleep.

7.
We are going to visit with my husband's cousins tomorrow and it should be a nice visit.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Read other 7 Quick Takes here!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-07-07T08:58:00.000-04:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

I was going through my wedding photos and found this one. I really like this picture and it makes me want to go put my wedding dress on...haha...I am sure my husband will think I have truly lost my mind!

{happy}

Every time I see this picture it just makes me smile. I know I am probably slightly biased, but I have the cutest kids.

{funny}

I told the kids to go play outside because they were driving me crazy in the house and this is what I found around 15 mins later. To make it worse, it was a very humid day and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get all the sand off them by brushing them off. You can't tell too much in this picture, but Frank had clumps of sand in his hair and it was all over his face and mouth.

{real}

This is my spice and baking supply cabinet and it is the bain of my existence. It never stays clean, I hate all the random sized spice containers and no matter how I organize it, I am never happy with the outcome. I finally decided to buy these spice jars and use my trusty label maker to bring some order to the cabinet. I am still waiting for the jars to arrive and hopefully in about a week, this cabinet will no more haunt me at night. (Yes, I know I am being overly dramatic, but it seriously bothers me when I have to find something in this cabinet.)

{pretty, happy, funny real} - Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Works for Me Wednesday

2011-07-06T20:26:00.000-04:00

I don’t like toys on the floor and only now am I beginning to realize it isn’t going to be possible to keep toys off the floor at all times. However, I do normally make the kids pick up all the toys at the end of the day and put things where they belong. There are days when for one reason or another it doesn’t happen and for those nights, I pull out my trusty basket. I walk through the house and pick up any books or toys on the floor. Then I will either put them away or leave it in the playroom and make them put the things away when they get up.

A large basket works for me.

Share what works for you here!

Menu Monday

2011-07-04T22:46:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone had wonderful long weekend. We had a nice relaxing weekend at home.

This is the first full week of the Summer Pantry Challenge. It wasn't very hard planning meals for this week since the pantry is pretty full. I did have some dairy items (sour cream, heavy cream and cottage cheese) that I need to use up before they go bad so the meals this week will finish them up. This week I also hope to go through all my cooking gadgets and get rid of anything I haven't use in awhile.

This is what we will be eating this week:

Breakfast - cereal, fruit, yogurt, eggs

Lunch - cheese & crackers, sandwiches, fruit/vegetables, yogurt, quesadillas

Dinner:

Sunday - Hot Dogs, Grilled Potatoes and Corn on the Cob
Dessert - Brownies bought from our church bake sale

Monday - Steak, macaroni salad and corn on the cob
Dessert - Strawberry Short Cake

Tuesday - Meatball in Chipotle Sauce on top of quinoa and a side of steamed vegetables
Dessert - Greek yogurt with sliced strawberries

Wednesday - Easy Breezy Quiche with a side of bacon and a fruit salad
Dessert - Banana Muffins

Thursday - Green Chile Beef Stew and Cucumber Avocado Salad

Dessert - Zucchini Bread

Friday - Easy Meatless Manicotti with salad
Dessert - Greek yogurt with granola

Saturday - Leftovers

Read other menus here!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

Happy Independence Day!!

2011-07-04T16:30:00.001-04:00

My three little munchkins wish the USA a happy birthday!

Have you ever actually read the entire Declaration of Independence?? If not, you should...

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:

Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:

John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:

Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:

Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:

William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:

Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:

Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:

Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:

Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:

George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:

William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:

Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:

Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Summer Pantry Challenge

2011-07-02T11:57:00.002-04:00

I read over at Good Cheap Eats that they are doing a Summer Pantry Challenge and I decided I am going to join in. If you haven’t heard of these challenges before you basically only eat what is in your cabinet, freezer or fridge for a month.

Here are the rules for my challenge:

1. I will only buy fruits, vegetables, milk, bread, eggs and yogurt for the month of July
2. I will make an exception for those summer items that come and sale and I want to stock up on. A good list is here.
3. I don't want to stress myself out so if I have to bend the rules a bit, I will.

The goals for my challenge are...

1. To plan menus that are based around what I have in the freezer and pantry
2. To make more trips to the Farmer's Market and buy local fruits and vegetables
3. To look through my kitchen gadgets and small appliances and give away or sell the items I don't use
4. To finish reorganizing my cabinets and make more room for stock-up items

I will post weekly up-dates of my progress.

Are you up for the challenge?

7 Quick Takes

2011-07-01T09:38:00.001-04:00

I need to clean up the house. I normally try to keep up on the house cleaning daily, but lately I have been slacking. Today, I will clean up the house so I don’t have to think about it over the weekend and have plenty of time to enjoy my family and husband who gets a long weekend.

There are two things I want to get done this weekend. First, I need to clean out and organize our filing cabinet. It is a mess or at least by my standards. Second, I got a $5 dresser at a yard sale and I am going to try to refurbish it for the guest room. I have never done it before so I want to see if I can. If it doesn’t work out then I don’t mind since the dresser was only $5.

I think Frank will be Frankenstein for Halloween. He sometimes walks with his arms out in front of him and because he likes to destroy things. Greta is going to be a chipmunk because it always looks like she has nuts hidden in her cheeks. Haha!

Edith’s birthday is coming up in two months and I am starting to plan the party. I asked her what type of party she wanted and at first she said a flower party, but this morning she told me she wanted a Curious George party. I might go with the Curious George theme since I think that would be cute.

We finally bought a play set for the kids. Costco had a set we liked and it was marked down as they were trying to get rid of them so we decided to buy it. It is really nice and is currently making our garage smell like cedar. We need to find a few guys to help Vinnie put it up so hopefully in another week or so we will have it up.

I hate when people asked me “are you going to have another kid?” or “how many kids do you want?” I don’t understand why people think it is any of their business. Sorry, I know it shouldn’t bother me, but it does.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July.

Share in the fun at Conversion Diary!

It Is Not Always How It Seems

2011-06-30T12:05:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, while the kids were taking a nap I read this post by my sis, Bobbi. It was funny because it is true. There have been a number of times when I read other people’s blogs and wonder how in the world they do it all and then start to get depressed when I look at the current state of affairs at my house.

I will admit, I am guilty of sometimes only posting the nice things that go on at home. Those reading the blog might think that everything is peachy keen over here and I have a perfectly run home, but that is actually very far from the truth.

If you had walked into my house on Tuesday you would have found…Greta wearing the same clothes for the last couple of days; Edith and Frank “having a picnic” and eating the random food under the kitchen table; so many things in the washroom that I had to spend 30 mins trying to get to the washer; Edith in her PJs and when told to go change her clothes she replies “why, are we going somewhere?” and finally you would have found me, a half crazy woman looking up boarding school for the kids as I yell at someone to stop climbing into the fireplace, stop sitting on your little sister, reminding them poop goes in the potty and yelling out the classic “you better stop whining or I will give you something to really whine about” (okay, I don’t actually say that, but I have thought it a couple of times).

Yep, you can’t judge a book by its cover and you can’t judge a family by the blog postings.

{pretty, happy, funny, real} vol 2

2011-06-30T11:10:00.000-04:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

Greta's Godmother came to visit and she babysat the kids so Vinnie and I could go out on a date. We brought out the nice clothes and went to a non-kid friendly restaurant. We also didn't look at the price on the menu and just ordered what we wanted (something we don't normally do). I had the Hawaiian Ribeye. It was awesome! Vinnie and I were laughing because we didn't want to swallow it, it was so good.

{happy}

The kids playing together made me happy. Edith received a new toy and she very nicely let Frank play with her.

{funny}

Vinnie, Frank and Edith went on a train barrel ride and the funny part was when Edith was done with the ride. She came to where I was sitting and had all this trash with her. Apparently, it was in the barrel and she decided to take it out and throw it in the trash can.

{real}

Not the best of pictures, but here are all three kids in the shopping cart at Costco. For the first time since Greta was born I went grocery shopping with all three kids. Not only did we go to Costco, but we also made a trip to Kroger. It was a success!! Everyone behaved and we even got a couple "your kids are so well behaved" from various people.

Check out more over at Like Mother, Like Daughter

7 Quick Takes

2011-06-24T09:11:00.001-04:00

I don’t remember if I mentioned this last week or not (I don’t feel like checking), but Greta’s Godmother (a dear friend from college) is coming to spend the weekend with us and I am very much looking forward to it. The kids love her and we call her Super Nanny since she is so good with them. On Saturday, we are going to our church’s Summerfest and then we will see what else we decide to do.

Last week we spent Saturday night in a hotel which is always fun especially with three kids! One of the favorite things I like about hotel rooms is cable TV…haha! We don’t have cable at home so it is always a treat to see shows that I have never seen. Of course, it is hard to find shows you are able to watch with three kids in the room. We landed out watching a few episodes of “Extreme Couponing”…good heavens, those people are amazing! My coupon usage doesn’t even come close.

Only 96 more days until our trip to southern CA! If you don’t know, I am from CA and all of my family still lives there. Sadly, my oldest sister, Bobbi, lives in Carmel CA and won’t be able to come down while we are there. I haven’t seen Bobbi since my brother got married which was a year ago. We each have had babies since then so it would have been nice to visit with them, but alas it isn’t going to work out this time.

While we are in CA it will be my hubby’s birthday and my mom is going to give him the best gift ever…babysitting all the kids so we can have a day without the kids! We are planning on going to the Ronald Regan Museum. I am very much looking forward to it

I can’t decide on fabric for the curtains in the kitchen. I am thinking about something like this from Fat Quarter Shop, but I am going to check out my local Hobby Lobby to see if they have anything I like.

If you haven't checked out Betty Beguiles, you should. She has a personal shopper service and I wish I could take advantage of it, but don’t think I would be able to talk my husband into spending the money. All the outfits she creates are so pretty!

Finally, congratulations to Jen from Conversion Diary on her new little bundle of joy!

Join in the fun here!

The Kitchen

2011-06-23T20:44:00.001-04:00

I finished painting the kitchen, but I still need to sew curtains for the windows and put up a couple of things on the walls.

Here is the kitchen before:

Here is the kitchen after:

Sorry, this pic is a little dark.

I love the new color. I am going to follow this guide on Sew4Home, but I am still trying to find the perfect fabric. I want fabric that is similar to the one in the guide.

I am now going to take a little break from painting and see if I can refurbish a dresser I bought at a yard sale. Once I am finished with that I will continue painting the house.

The Finished Playroom

2011-06-23T20:34:00.000-04:00

The playroom is 95% done. I am just working on one last sewing project. However, I thought I would go ahead and post pictures since I am not sure when I will be done with the sewing.

Of course I forgot to take pictures of the room before I painted it and moved everything around, but I was able to find some old pictures so you can sort of get an idea of what it looked like.

First, my husband replaced the chandelier with a ceiling fan and now the room doesn’t feel like an oven on a hot day. Thanks, hubby!

Wall One – Before

Wall One – After

I love the clothesline for the kids artwork. I got the idea from some magazine.

Wall Two – Before

Wall Two – After

I am making fabric bunting to go on the top of this wall. The last project to finish…for the play room that is.

Wall Three – I don’t have a picture of this wall before I painted it.

Wall Three – After

The curtain I made for the window.

Wall 4 – Before

Wall 4 – After

The puppet theater was very easy to make and the kids love it. I like that it fits in any doorway so I can move it to another room if I need to. I used Sew Many Ways for the basic pattern to make the theater. I did change it a bit by making hems on all the ends of the fabric (I wanted to be able to wash it and not have it unravel) and made the top a different color.

I also like that I can remove the bottom part and then the kids can use it as a little stage.

One final picture of the playroom.

I am very happy with the way the room came out and now it is on to the rest of the house.

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-06-23T20:13:00.000-04:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

We visited the Natural Bridge over the weekend and it was huge and pretty amazing. However, I don't think it was worth the price they were charging you.

{happy}

When ever Frank sees a camera he will start to smile and say what he thinks is "cheese."

{funny}

The thumb isn't enough she also has her big toe in her mouth. Greta is crazy!

{real}

The kitchen is painted and I LOVE the color!

Busy

2011-06-22T08:33:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. Things have been busy. Why did I decide to paint the inside of the house?! Oh yeah, because I am crazy!

I do have a number of post that I need to finish up and including a tribute to my Dad (yes, I am late), a before and after of the school room, how we saved money on our wedding reception and some other things. I promise I will get around to finishing them before the end of the month. Which reminds me...how in the world did it get to be July in a little over a week?!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

7 Quick Takes

2011-06-17T16:18:00.000-04:00

We are going to Roanoke and the Natural Bridge for the weekend. I am very much looking forward to it. Traveling with three kids is always a challenge, but it will be nice to get away from the house and that means there will be a few meals I don’t have to cook. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook for my family, but it is nice to get a break every once in awhile.

The weather has been awesome for the last few days and I am sorry to see it leave especially since the AC is broken in the minivan. My husband is going to look at it and see if he can fix it. I hope he can. Otherwise it is going to be one long summer.

I bought some musical instruments for the kids and among them was a harmonica. It is hilarious to see Edith play it. It actually sounds like she knows what she is doing. Frank on the other hand just puts it to his mouth and makes grunting noises.

I should have been doing things on my to-do list this afternoon and instead took the kids to a petting zoo, followed by a picnic lunch and ice cream. It was much more fun than cleaning a bathroom.

I really need to get a haircut, but first need to find someone to cut it for me. I have very curly hair and if it isn’t cut right it looks horriable so I have just been avoiding it. However, it really needs it. Back when I worked in DC I had the perfect hairdresser, Danny. It cost a little bit, but I thought it was worth the money since he always cut my hair just right. For obvious reason, I can’t drive 2+ hours to get my haircut so I really need to find a new person to do it. If anyone is in the Richmond area and knows of a good one, let me know!

A friend and Greta’s Godmother is going to be spending next weekend with us and she offered to baby-sit the kids so Vinnie and I can have a date night. Hooray!! Any suggestions on what we should do?? Dinner sounds nice since I won’t have to worry about the kids making noise or having to cut up someone’s food. Maybe we can get all dolled up and go to a fancy restaurant.

I am going to have a family over for dinner and the mom is a vegetarian. What is a good meal that would please both meat and veggie eaters.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Read other 7 Quick Takes here!

Canvas Log Carrier

2011-06-17T15:46:00.000-04:00

My husband requested I make a canvas log carrier for him so I did. I followed the directions at An Oregon Cottage which can be found here. They really are very simple to make. I made it in a day and if it wasn’t for the fact I have three little people under foot, I could have finished it in a couple of hours. Frank found the dowels in my room and of course started swinging and hitting everything in sight.

Here is a picture of the finished product.

If I make another one, I think I will get stiffer material. This material sits a little oddly when wood is inside of it. It works fine, it just doesn't look pretty when you are using it...haha!

I need to check my receipt, but I think it was around $20 to make two. I also made one for my dad.

Clean-up Time

2011-06-14T18:28:00.000-04:00

I went in my room to do some sewing while the kids were taking their naps and this is what I found…

I am still looking for the one who did this.

Needless to say, I couldn’t get any sewing done until it was cleaned up so 2 hours later this is what it looked like…

Now I can get back to sewing.

FYI…the extra bookcase and baskets came from the school room since I wasn’t using them in there anymore.

Menu Monday - Late

2011-06-14T13:20:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I haven’t been posting much lately. I have been busy. I have a ton of projects that I am trying to get done, plus the kids have been extra active lately. It seems like Greta has finally woken-up from her hibernation and is staying awake more. She only spends around 17 hours a day sleeping as to 20 hours...haha!

I have been able to paint the school room and am now setting it back up. I am just waiting on some things I ordered to arrive and I have two more sewing projects to do for the room…a theater for the doorway and some fabric bunting for one of the walls. I am still debating if I should post pictures now or wait until I am done with everything which might be a few more days depending on how the sewing goes. Why do I have to sleep? That is a whole 6-7 hours I could be doing other stuff.

Anyway, here is what we will be eating this week for dinner:

Sunday – We had pizza at a friend’s house.

Monday – Hot dogs, roasted potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables

Tuesday – Chicken pasta and salad

Wednesday – Hamburgers, corn on the cob and yogurt sundaes

Thursday – Breakfast for dinner

Friday – Tuna Casserole and salad

Saturday – We are going to be gone for a special Father’s Day weekend.

I hope every one has a great week!

Painting

2011-06-08T23:52:00.000-04:00

Project Color the House is under way! And no, I am not letting the kids run wide with markers…haha!

My goal is to get all the rooms in the house painted by the end of the year. While I don’t mind the paint colors too much in the house now (done by the previous owners) I don’t like the fact that it is flat paint and with kids it is impossible to keep them clean. I want a nice semi-gloss paint that is easy to clean when there are dirty little fingerprints on them.

My plan is to go room by room and paint them along with making curtains to match the new colors and adding some wall décor. The first room I am going to tackle is the school room, followed by the kitchen, washroom and the main living area. Once those are done, I will move on to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

Here are the colors I picked (they are all from the Martha Stewart Living Collection at Home Depot):

Honey Nougat for the main living area. Maine Lobster for the kitchen area and Cloudless day for the school room and wash room.

Magnolia Grandiflora for the girls room, Popcorn for the kids bathroom and one of the hallways, and Stratosphere for Frank’s room.

Pink Granite for the guest room and Cement Gray for the guest bathroom.

Let the fun begin!!

Kitchen Cabinets

2011-06-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

I recently bought a label maker and set out to reorganize my kitchen cabinets. Seriously, a label maker is awesome.

Cabinet 1 before

Cabinet 1 after - There are a few things I want to store in Mason jars, but I ran out of jar tops and need to get some more.

Cabinet 2 before

Cabinet 2 after

Cabinet 3 before

Cabinet 3 after

Close-up of the labels.

Cabinet 4 before

Cabinet 4 after - I love how the labels make everything look so neat and organized.

I have one cabinet that I haven't fixed yet because I can't figure out how to organize the spices. I have so many spices from various stores that I would like to get little jars so they are all the same, but not sure where to find them. I might see if I can find some used baby food jars, but am wondering if those might be a little small. Any one have any ideas??

Overall, I am very glad I bought the label maker. At some point this week, I need to tackle our filing cabinet.