beginner knitter

For some reason, I have been thinking a lot lately about learning to knit. Maybe I saw a knitting blog. I purchased a pair of needing kniddles...uh, I mean knitting needles (it's like a tongue twister), and practiced watching online tutorials. I gave up quickly. I turned my back on knitting, and purchased a crochet hook. I like the finished look of knitting better, but decided that crocheting must be easier. I practiced crocheting for a few days and planned to stick with it until...I received a knitting kit as a Christmas present from Lori, my sister-in-law. I didn't get it directly.

We played a gift exchange game while reading the Christmas story. Everyone brought an inexpensive or homemade gift for their gender and drew a word that was in the Christmas story. When a person's word was read they were able to open a gift from the pile or trade with some else. It was Angie's, my sister-in-law, great idea to play this game. My gift was a plastic storage tub. Tim thought it would be too practical, but it was a big hit. I just bought something I could use myself.

Back to knitting. The next day, I went to my sister's house for Christmas. After talking with my brother-in-law and watching him knit a little (he's making a beautiful queen size blanket for his bed), I was ready to get going on knitting again. Sometimes, I think it takes seeing someone do something a particular way and it clicks. He made it look easier than the tutorials. I then spent the next day and a half working on a pocket purse for Makayla.

I am now practicing on a sunglasses case from my kit. I have a request list growing. Maybe I will post pictures as I complete the projects. My goal to knit socks. Well, I will be off to the library to look for patterns.

christmas cookies

Makayla and I spent yesterday afternoon making these cookies. Thanks to my mother-in-law for buying me a cookie press that's a few decades old from a garage sale a few years back. I may have used it once before, but I intend to use it a lot more often now. It will be fun experimenting with food coloring next time. As for those of you not coming to my house for Christmas this year the recipe I used is below.

Almond Butter Cookies

1 c. (2 sticks) butter

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. almond extract

1 1/2 - 2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

Cream together butter, sugar and almond extract. Mix in flour and salt. Form balls and roll in sugar (or use your cookie press if you have one). Place cookies on cookie sheet and press with fork in two directions. (I like to use parchment paper so my cookies don't burn.) Bake @ 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

recycled jeans

Yesterday was my niece's (Holli) 12th birthday. I made the purse below for her a few months ago. It's made from a pair of her favorite jeans that she outgrew.

1st grade reading list

Makayla and I have completed her 1st semester curriculum. It was great! She is really picking up on her reading. I was reintroduced to the variety of books you can check out from the library from a list that was provided for me from the teacher's manual. In January, we will be moving on to a more advanced curriculum, but while they encourage reading daily they do not provide a list of books to read. The library can be overwhelming if you don't have a plan and know where to begin.

• Can anyone help me come up with a list of books?

• Can you think of some favorite books from your childhood?

bbq meatballs

I made my infamous meatballs for my in-laws' anniversary dinner, and had several requests for the recipe.

Meat:
3 lbs. ground chuck or turkey
1 can evaporated milk
2 c. oatmeal
2 eggs
1 c. chopped onion or onion flakes
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Sauce:
3 c. ketchup
2 c. brown sugar
3 T. liquid smoke
1/2 c. onion flakes

Shape meat mixture in small (spoonful) balls. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Mix sauce and pour over meatballs. (I sometimes make extra sauce.) Keep warm in crock pot. Best refrigerated overnight. They freeze well.

40th wedding anniversary...surprise!

Last Saturday we surprised my in-laws a few weeks early for their 40th anniversary. It came together wonderfully. We all pretended that we were meeting to get a family portrait taken, but secretly we were setting up for the party.

Jack & Helen had no clue!

Tim's cousin, Yvonne, has made all (excluding Michael whose not married yet) our wedding cakes including this one. She does a beautiful job.

Makayla and the chocolate fountain...need I say more?

Tim & Katie

(she's not as old as she looks)

Katie & sweet little Noah

(this picture was too good to leave out)

This is my family...

Makayla (front), Ruben, Myself, Tim, Katie

(I don't have very many family pictures. Partly because I don't like pictures of myself and partly because Tim doesn't like posing for pictures as you may have noticed.)

Most of the in-laws...

Front: Collin, Makayla, Mason, Isaac

Middle: Katie, Ruben, Helen, Sophia, Jack, Lori, Jack

Back: Adam, Steve, Angie, Tim, Myself, Jason, Michael, Brian, Noah

* I stole most of my pictures from Steve.

zero to one

I can't believe the first year of Ruben's life has already gone by. He is starting to walk and babble. His birthday fell on Thanksgiving Day this year. With our house full of family, I didn't get to just stop and enjoy his special day. We did find some time in the evening to open presents, but we were so full of pie that we skipped the cake. I saved the cake for a little get together at my sister's on Saturday.

Thanks to Aunt Angie for the Sesame Street Doctor toy set.

I haven't tired of the Cookie Monster stethoscope.

I've been a beginner cake decorating for over a year now...

I don't get in much practice.

natural homemade cleaning products

"The topic for my Women's Meeting at church this month was on educating women that they can save money around the house without spending a lot of extra time doing it. Renee spoke about ways to save money and time on your groceries by making menus, a shopping list, freezing bulk and sale items and using the same meat for several meals such as a roast. She asked me to share ideas on homemade cleaning products, and, of course, I shared my laundry detergent recipe and brought some in to show everyone. It was a big hit! I never thought so many people would take to it."

We can clean our entire house using natural cleaning products that are non-toxic and a lot friendlier to our budget. Several solutions can be premixed within a couple of minutes, and stored safely in our cabinets. The options of products we may choose to use are endless.

Basic Cleaning Products:
Baking Soda: An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains and softens fabrics.

Borax: A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap.

Cornstarch: Starches clothes, absorbs oil and grease.

Essential or Scented Oils: For disinfecting and fragrance.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Disinfects and bleaches.

Lemon Juice: Cuts through grease and removes perspiration and other stains from clothing. A bleach alternative.

Mild Dish Soap: Removes oil-base stains.

Olive Oil: Picks up dirt and polishes wood.

Rubbing Alcohol: Disinfects.

Salt: An abrasive.

Toothpaste: A mild abrasive.

Vegetable Oil Based Soaps: Cleans everything.

Vinegar: Cuts grease, removes stains and is an excellent water softener.

Washing Soda: Cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. Increases the cleaning power of soap.

Cleaning Solutions:
"Honestly, I have not yet tried most of these so please leave reviews of how the solutions work for you in my comments for myself and others. I did try the Linoleum/Vinyl Floor Mixture and the Pet Stain/Vomit Remover once when my daughter got sick and was quite happy with both. I also use baking soda to clean all the time, especially for soap scum in the bath tub."

All-Purpose Cleaners/Disinfectants
Borax Mixture:
~ ½ c. borax (*1/8 c.)
~ 1 gal. hot water (*1 qt.)
Mix in pail until borax is completely dissolved. Wipe clean with rag. (*Quantity to prepare for spray bottle use.)

Borax/Lemon Juice Mixture:
~ 2 T. borax
~ ¼ c. lemon juice
~ 2 c. hot water
Mix together in spray bottle; wipe with clean rag.

Vinegar/Borax Mixture:
~ 2 T. vinegar
~ 1 t. borax
~ hot water
~ few drops dish soap
~ few drops scented oil (optional)
In a 16 oz. spray bottle swoosh around vinegar, borax and hot water until borax has dissolved. Add dish soap and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Add scented oil if desired.

Bathroom
Baking Soda Paste:
~ baking soda
~ water
Sprinkle baking soda directly on surface and scrub with wet rag. This works really well on soap scum.

Sink/Tub Mixture:
~ ½ lemon
~ borax
Dip the face of the lemon half in borax to create a hand-held scrubber. Rinse and dry the surface afterwards.

Toilet Bowl:
~ baking soda
~ white vinegar
Sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda. Add white vinegar and scrub with a toilet brush.

Carpets/Upholstery
Deodorizer/ Freshener:
Sprinkle baking soda over carpet or furniture and let set for 5 minutes. Vacuum.

General Stain Remover:
Soak spot with club soda immediately, then blot until stain is gone.

Grease Spot Remover:
Absorb spot with towel. Sprinkle corn starch over spot and leave overnight. Vacuum.

Pet Stain/Vomit Remover:
~ liquid dish soap
~ ½ c. vinegar
~ 1 qt. warm water
Soak up spot with towels. Spot with dish soap. Rinse spot with vinegar diluted in warm water. Absorb access moisture with towel. Leave towel over spot for 4-6 hours. Vacuum.

Vinyl Cleaner:
~ ½ t. – ¼ c. washing soda
~ 1 c. boiling water
Dissolve washing soda in boiling water. Apply with rag and wipe off with damp cloth.

Drains
Clog-free Method:
~ 1 c. baking soda
~ 1 c. vinegar
~ boiling water
Pour down drain in order: baking soda, vinegar, hot water.

Floors
Linoleum/Vinyl Floor Mixture:
~ 1 c. white vinegar
~ 1 gal. water
Mix in bucket and scrub floor.

Wood Floor Mixture:
~ ¼ - ½ c. white vinegar
~ 1 gal. water
Mix in bucket and scrub floor.

Furniture Polish
Vinegar/Olive Oil Mixture:
~ ½ c. white vinegar
~ 1 t. olive oil
Mix and apply with a clean rag. Reduce amount of olive oil if wood looks too oily.

Kitchen
Refrigerator:
~ 2 T. Baking soda
~ 1 qt. warm water
Dissolve baking soda in water and wipe down fridge.

Stove top/Oven Degreaser:
~ ½ t. washing soda
~ ¼ t. liquid soap
~ 2 c. hot water
Mix washing soda, soap and hot water in spray bottle.

Oven Cleaner:
~ baking soda
~ water
Sprinkle baking soda on surface, spray with water and soap several hours or overnight. Rinse with water.

Windows
Vinegar/Dish Soap Mixture:
~ 3 T. vinegar
~ ½ t. mild dish soap
~ 2 c. water
Put ingredients in a spray bottle, shake and use.

guard your peace

Wednesday night services at my church includes interaction from the congregation. My pastor starts with a topic and notes, but we are able to add our point of view. It's similar to a bible study. Last night the topic was "trust". Learning to trust God is something Tim and I have been dealing with for the past couple of years or so, especially now more than ever. We are in a time when we are letting God dramatically change our lives and lead us elsewhere. Most people, even Christians, don't understand why we are doing what we are doing. In the beginning, I didn't even understand, but God has given me more direction since then. Even though we loose focus a lot, we know to keep trusting God for he puts the desires in our hearts and then fills those desires in his timing (not ours).

While in service, one lady raised her hand and asked "Pastor, shouldn't we guard our peace?"

Guard our peace? What's that mean?!

Our pastor answered "Yes". He went on to say that you can loose you peace by getting anxious, worried or fret. Since then, I found the following verse.

Philippians 4:6-8
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Last night's service pertained so closely to what we are going through right now. It gives me strength and encouragement to keep going.

pie crust

A few weeks ago, Makayla asked me if we could make an apple pie. I was tired, but I was excited about the fact that Makayla is interested in baking. We just so happened to have some apples sitting on the table. We had just read The Little Red Hen in school so throughout the process I was able to reinforce putting out effort to get good things...especially the parts she didn't want to do.
I found a pie crust recipe in my cook book from church. The recipe is from the same lady as the "White House" Chocolate Chip Cookies. I had never made a pie crust before because I thought it would be hard and a lot more time consuming. This recipe has a nice flaky crust. I think it's just as good as Pillsbury's crust.

4 c. flour
2 c. Crisco (I used store brand)
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
6 T. iced water

Cut Crisco into flour, salt and baking powder with pastry blender. In separate bowl, add vinegar and sugar to egg. Stir until dissolved. Add iced water. Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir together with a fork. Divide dough into 4 equal parts for 9" inch crust or 3 parts for 10" crust. Add pie filling and bake according pie directions...usually 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

guilt free

I know. It's been a while since I've last posted. I feel so busy. My number one priority is homeschooling. I can't seem to keep up with myself lately and it's not even the holidays that's causing it. Actually, in my first year of being frugal, I feel the least stressed about the holidays. I have no guilt about not spending money on presents. My goal is to enjoy this time of year, and give as my heart tells my to. Maybe I will make a little something for everyone. Maybe I will sit down with Makayla and help her make a homemade gift for all of her cousins and friends. Maybe we will be too busy with every day family things to do any of these things. I don't know what will transpire, but I know I will have no guilt, no anxiety and no debt!

spreading frugality

My sister, Cheryl, asked me to show her how to make my homemade laundry detergent so she could save money. I have been giving some to my mom to use, but I wanted her to learn how to make it herself. Cheryl mention that we should get together more often with Mom so we planned a Saturday to get together and make laundry detergent.
While in the shower (my thinking zone) the next day, I decided to created a monthly mother and daughter's day. I named it "Creative Mother and Daughter's Day". I put together a sheet of rules and a motto to follow by like an official meeting. Each month we will take turns planning the 1st Saturday of the month. For October, I planned a frugal day. We took a trip to the Amish store and made laundry detergent. For lunch we went to Becky's Burger's and Cones in Pilot Grove. It's very good and inexpensive. I highly recommend this restaurant to any passersby. It's worth the 5-10 minute drive off I-70 or it's not far off the Katy Trail.
While we were preparing to make our laundry detergent, Cheryl's friend stopped by to cut Holli's hair. Cheryl told me a week later that her friend asked how our detergent turned out. Cheryl offered to make some for her and she accepted. How exciting! You never know who may be interested so share, share, share. It may not be realistic, but I dream that if a large percentage of people turned to frugality, then prices would have to come down on products. I was buying toilet paper the other day and thought how ridiculous it was to pay so much for a necessity.

picture @ the park

Makayla (6) & Ruben (10 months)

frugal weight watcher's

After discovering that I have gained 10 lbs. instead of losing it, I have decided to start counting Weight Watcher's points again. It's such a great program and it works as long as one has "will power". Oh, those dreaded phrases.."will power" and "self control"...the opposite of giving into temptation. Why does it have to be so hard? It's just food, right? Tim has agreed to support me by eating the food I make as long as it's not labeled "fat free". I am at the end of my second day and I feel great! I am so afraid of eating too much that I have points left over at the end of the day. Now I have the challenge of figuring out how to eat healthier and being frugal about it. Dieting or eating healthier can be more expensive.
I also get support from Dottie's Weight Loss Zone. There I can get points for restaurants, recipes, chat with other's and more. I heard about 3 Fat Chicks in a WW meeting a long time ago, but just now visited the web site so I don't know a lot about it. I notice that it provides recipes using mostly natural ingredients instead of fat free or substitute sugars. It also provides calorie charts for food, nutrition charts for fast food and metric conversions. Also, there is a section that explains different diet fads and how they work, and fitness articles and programs (including a walking calculator). Wow, I should have look this site up a couple of years ago instead of while typing this post. Uh, I think I will be going now. I have a new web site to check out ;)

vacation

This week we took a vacation. The first time in 8 years of marriage that we could say we were taking a family vacation without it involving moving a certain family member across the States. But this time we didn't travel that far. Tim has a fascination with southern Missouri hills so we took off. I was even able to incorporate some learning field trip time for school. Monday evening we rented a cabin on Table Rock Lake. The view is beautiful and the water is clear unlike our muddy river and lakes. I really enjoy landscape photos so I took pictures with my camera hoping to they would be good enough to hang on my wall.

The evening we arrive at our cabin we went walked down to the lake to take pictures and so Tim and Makayla could get some fishing time in.

The next morning, Ruben woke us up at 5:30 so we drove down to the lake for another view, but I forgot my camera. The fog sat very thick on top the lake and made it very beautiful.

Tim or I capture this picture about 8 am as we were leaving the cabin for our next destination. You can't see the beauty of the fog in this picture as well.

Our first stop for the day was the Conservation trout fishery by the dam that dumps water from Table Rock Lake into Lake Taneycomo in Branson. Here Makayla learned about different turtles, birds and snakes aside from feeding trout as part of her field trip.

Lake Taneycomo just before all the fog lifted. Again I forgot my camera and missed the heavier fog.

Then we moved on down to the Branson strip. I didn't take any pictures. Honestly, Branson nothing more the a blown up version of the strip at the Lake. There were I few things I would have gone to if planned like the Dick Clark Museum and the Oakridge Boys because they were comfort things from my childhood. From there we headed west towards West Plains. I felt sick almost all day from driving in the hills. We took a rest at Bull Shoals Lake just outside of Theodosia. There was a nice resort and camping area there right off the lake. We didn't stay more than an hour, but I would recommend it for a weekend.

Tim and Makayla down by the shore at Bull Shoals.

This is one of my favorite pictures. The clouds may look a little scary because of the sepia, but the skies were blue and the clouds were white and fluffy.

We came upon this rainbow somewhere in the hills between Gainesville and West Plains just before entering into rain.

This trip gave me an opportunity to review rainbows, fogs and clouds with Makayla. We stopped in West Plains for the night and continued back north on Wednesday. Eventually we found ourselves eating lunch at Ha Ha Tonka state park outside of Camdenton. Here Tim was able to teach Makayla about caves, springs and sink holes.

Tim and Makayla fishing the Lake of the Ozarks at Ha Ha Tonka.

Natural cave spring at Ha Ha Tonka.

From there we ventured home traveling the back side of the Lake of the Ozarks, and discovered some Amish country.

A thought came to me while traveling. I don't like to journal so I may not put my thoughts into practice, but it's an idea for others. I recall listening to my parents talk with other relatives about vacations and not being able to remember who all was present. I was thinking that creating a timeline would be helpful for my children. I could record the dates, places and events that we venture to with our children so when they get older they will know where they've been, and it may even help them keep their memories of where they went if we review the timeline every so often.

oops...still practicing

This time I gave Makayla a new haircut style instead of just a trim. It looks nothing like I was going for, but it still looks nice. Makayla really likes it because her hair is off her neck. I think it is good because she is getting old enough to start learning how manage and take care of her own hair, and short is simple. Maybe by next Spring it will grow out enough for me to try the cut I actually wanted.

beautiful missouri day

Genesis 1

11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree

that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the

tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was

good.

13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

Today is the first beautiful day we have had in some time. It was only about 50 degrees outside at 8 am. Our widows are open and we are enjoying the fresh air. This weather energizes me to clean and organize. I am getting a lot done inside while Tim is outside cutting down limbs and playing with fire...men like to do that for some reason.

Summer is coming to an end, and fall is moving in. I didn't used to think much about fall because I get cold easily, but as an adult you seem to look at things from a very different perspective. The cool breeze, the pretty leaves, apple cider, fall festivals... I could go on and on. The downside is that the sun goes down earlier. The sunlight makes me happy. Without it, I get depressed easily...and I'm afraid of the dark.

Also, Makayla's homeschool material, My Father's World, uses a different topic for each lesson (i.e. sun, leaf, apple) These all fall right in the season so we can go outside and explore these topics.

help for new homeschoolers

It is hard for new homeschoolers to get started. I have had some great help from others, and feel it's important to share with others.

1. Your state web site should have guidelines, but mine weren't explanatory enough for me.
2. I attended a homeschooling conference about 2 months ago. See my post on homschooling. Even though it was still somewhat confusing when I left, I came home with more information about curriculum than I ever needed, and I had a lot more confidence.
3. I have been asking a lot of questions from those who have been homeschooling for a few years or so. These people are the walking knowledge homeschooling. There is no better place to find out how to get started, and they love to help because they are passionate about homeschooling. The following are some links I have acquired from them.

• The Home School Legal Defense Association is packed with information. I found a useful article about contacting your school system here. Take a look, especially Elizabeth...this site falls under your research analysis. http://www.hslda.org/ads.asp
• Vegsource.com is where I bought my first used cirriculum: http://vegsource.com/homeschool/
• DonnaYoung.org provides you with useful forms such as calendars, logging, lessons plans, etc. http://www.donnayoung.org/

socialized homeschooling

While starting my first weeks in homeschooling Makayla and trying to figure it out, I fear that I will not be able to teach Makayla her reading and math well enough. I was driving by the school parking lot Monday evening while all the families were at Back to School Night. I felt numb. Am I doing the right thing? Then I remember we don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Romans 12:2 reads “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. God has put it in our hearts to homeschool. Acts 5:29 reads …”we ought to obey God rather than man.” My life has flourished so much since I started obeying God, but that’s for another post.

Surprisingly, the only negative thing people can seem to say about it is “socialization”. Let’s start with me for example. I spent all my schooling in public or private schools outside the home. At age 20, my socialization skills were very low. School outside the home did nothing for me. I could not concentrate and many times was not interested in the teaching because I was too busy dealing with peer pressure from other students and the teacher…yes, the teacher. Teacher’s can be quite harsh and single out the students they favor leaving the other’s unnoticed or picking on the student’s they don’t like. I spent so much time worrying about being picked on or wanting to fit in, it was ridiculous.

Why do we want to send our kids to a place where we have to work backwards to teach our children morals, values and truth? Kids pick up so much from other kids and teachers. The main learning source should start in the home and then taken out from there. How can I expect my children to follow my lead if they are spending most of their time in the school without me? I am still battling with Makayla that Santa Clause is not real because her teacher, babysitter and other kids say he exists.

Socialization starts in the home. Over the summer, my relationship with Makayla has grown tremendously. Even though I was home during the later part of her school year, we still dealt with misbehaving issues. I felt like I was working on someone else’s time clock...getting her to school, picking her up and trying to stay tuned in what was going on in her life while she was away. Makayla now listens to me well. We communicate, she does what she’s told, and we have quality time together all because she is not off to school everyday where she picks up bad habits from others and bring their attitudes home. Now my children will pick up MY attitude. So now it all relies on my shoulders to be the good example for my children’s socialization skills. Children pick up things from the one’s they are around the most.

According to Wikipedia.org, the term socialization is used by sociologists, social psychologists and educationalists to refer to the process of learning one’s culture and how to live within it. For the individual it provides the resources necessary for acting and participating within their society. For the society, inducting all individual members into its moral norms, attitudes, values, motives, social roles, language and symbols is the ‘means by which social and cultural continuity are attained’ (Clausen 1968: 5).

Culture starts in the home, which are attained in everyday activities and errands. I take my children with me to the store, church, family outings, extended family gathers, etc. My children get plenty of outside contact with other’s. It’s the immediate family who should be putting the most influence on kids.

I hope I have encouraged other’s out there like me, who are new to homeschooling and wonder sometimes if they are doing the right thing. As Christians, we may be “in the world” but we are not “of the world”.

LewRockwell.com has a good article on "Homeschooling and the Myth of Socialization".

I will post more updates on homeschooling later. This topic on homeschooling has been weighing on my mind lately.

quilt my grandma made us

bargains & quilts

Saturday, we went to visit my sister. We took the long way and stopped by the Amish store. I love that place! You can get almost everything you need there, and the price is right. I have been putting off buying orange peel from Walmart because it cost over $5. I got more quantity from the Dutch Bakery than I would have at Walmart for a much lower price. I also purchased lemon peel, dry mustard, white and yellow powdered cheese sauce, and wheat germ. Tim found some good knifes he can use for his wood carving, and Makayla chose some chocolate covered raisins for her treat. Something for everyone :) If we were settled in our own place, I could have used so many things from there for my frugal cooking and baking. In another direction from where we live, there is an Amish community that I have never been to before. There is supposed to be several stores with food, quilts, furniture, etc. I hope to venture that way next.

Speaking of quilts, I broke out my old quilt my grandma made for us when we first got married. It's still in perfect condition since I didn't use it very long before we converted to a king size bed. Tim and I were tired of waking up with very stiff backs so we decided to purchase a new bed Sunday. I have been wanting a new look on my bed, but not willing to fork out the funds for it. Since we downsized to a queen I am able to get that new look again. My grandma originally made the quilt for a full size bed, but it fits my new queen perfectly. On the downside, the main color is hunter green, which is the color I chose 8 years ago when it was "the color". I don't care for hunter green, but the quilt really gives a new look aside from the old comforter. Maybe I will post a picture soon. It almost inspires me to make my own quilt. I pieced together the top layer of a lap blanket 4 years ago. It's on my "finish projects" list once we get settled.

frugal birthday present

I think I have a new hobby...making bags, purses, etc. out of outgrown, damaged and unwanted clothing. The picture below is a hand bag made from Makayla's old shirt for Sophia. It's not pink and frilly, but I think she likes it.

This shirt tied around the neck. I turned the shirt inside out and sewed along the bottom to close it up. I tied knots in the strings because they were coming unraveled, and it actually gave it an extra design. I then sewed the straps along the top of the back of the shirt to create handles.

pretzels

Holli complained to me that her mom never uses her bread machine so this morning I asked her if she wanted to make cinnamon rolls or pretzels. I never made pretzels before, but we gave it a try. Although I was thinking of traditional pretzel twist, the girls had other creative pretzels in mind. The pretzels came out a little hard. I have been wondering how to make breads with a soft outer crust. It came to me today that maybe if I lower my oven temperature and bake longer the outside of my bread will be softer. Does anyone know if this is correct?

traveling food

Ahhh, I stepped on my scale this morning to find that I have gained 5 pounds! Tim and I have been traveling lately trying to find that perfect little town for us to move to. We are ready for our move, but we are waiting for God to open that door. Anyhow, as a result we have been eating a lot of fast food. Somehow, I believe that I can start eat whatever and nothing changes...WRONG. I tend to eat more when I am traveling. I guess I will have to downsize to kids meals and pack healthy snacks like: carrots, cheese sticks and fruit. Not to mention, Holli brought a big container of no bake cookies to my house this week.

latest happenings

Makayla's Electric Co-op...you know the thing that sends energy to make your TV work.

Makayla recently discovered that she can pick up her little brother.

My favorite...I'm not sure dad's ready for this.

"White House" chocolate chip cookies

These are the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had. I found them in my church cookbook. I told the lady from church who submitted the recipe that they were the best cookies. She told me that she obtained the recipe from an article. This recipe was used by the chef of the White House. It was said that President Bush would go down and have milk and cookies during the night when he was stressing over an issue. Because the cookies are made with molasses, they can be left out on a plate for a few days and keep their flavor without going stale.

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. molasses
2 eggs, beatened
1 T. vanilla
3 c. & 3 T. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. (12 oz. bag) chocolate chips
1 c. nuts

Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar and molasses in large mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Mix in dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt). Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by heaping tablespoonful on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.

I used salted butter and omitted the salt. I also did not use nuts since they are expensive. The original recipe read to bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes, but my cookies burned on the bottom at this temperature. I put these in baggies in the freezer by twos and throw into Tim's lunch box every morning, but I seem to be eating them faster than he is.

blue ribbon frame

Holli made this frame with Ruben's newborn picture as her 4-H project for the county fair.

She received a blue ribbon.

soccer and Makayla

Last week our church held a Mega Sports Camp for kids. Makayla and her cousin, Holli, chose soccer. Each night they had coaches that taught them how to play the game, and they had lessons about Jesus in between.
The first night I had to encourage Makayla to go with her soccer group. Tuesday, she couldn't wait to get to the field. By the end of the night Tuesday, she didn't want to go back. They played their first game that night, and she got attacked by the ball. I made her stick with it through the end of the week. Her coaches told me that she made the most goals at practice, and could do the "pivot" move really well. Soccer just might me for her...well, after we purchase some shin guards. At the end of the week, everyone received an award certificate with their picture on it which their coach had signed. It looks good enough to frame.

Makayla posing for mom

Makayla making a goal

Holli making a goal

laundry detergent revisited

I had a request for a picture of the Borax and Washing Soda boxes used in my Liquid Laundry Detergent recipe post.

one's trash is another's treasure

Last week I sent out an email looking for used games to used in Makayla's home school curriculum. A friend sent me back the web site: freecycle.org. This site is used for people to offer things they don't want sitting around their house any longer or ask for wanted things that other people may have laying around their house. The purpose is to keep down on waste and help others in need.
First you will need to sign up for a yahoo email address if you don't have one already. When you get to the site, you will need to find the area you are in and register with the web master. It's takes some time to get approved. Once you are in, you can have emails of offers/wants sent directly to your email.
I just replied to an offer for a weed whacker. I hope we get it. I was too slow on the last offer Sunday.

actions speak louder than words

As I was getting ready for church yesterday, I was watching Dr. Kennedy on TV talking about preparing our children before sending them out into the secular world. It is our job to teach our children Godly values all through the years before they leave our home. What stood out to me the most is "patterns". Our children take on our patterns. Our children see and hear what we do, a lot of times unknowingly taking those actions on themselves. He used many parent and child examples in the bible...Eve and Cain, Rebekah and Jacob, and Moses and his mother. I can see how this is so true, but I love to see examples pulled from the bible. Also, a parent telling their child to do one thing, but is doing the opposite themselves doesn't work. The child will eventually notice that the parent(s) does not practice what they preach. Actions speak louder than words.
I would like to think that I am not too much like my family sometimes, but surely I have taken on a few traits. Tim said that he noticed a pattern that happens - that either a child is very much like their parent(s) or different because they consciously made a decision not to take on their ways which were not good in their eyes.

getting snippy

I cut even more off Makayla's hair. Now that school is out, I could try a drastic cut and not embarrass her if I messed up. Having long hair in the summer is a pain to wear and take care of so I went quite a bit shorter, but still long enough to pull up. I wanted to do a more difficult style, but I decided I better keep it simple until I get the hang of cutting hair.

Lori asked me to cut her hair also, but she wouldn't let me post her picture. I'll just say that it looks similar to Makayla's only thinner and straighter.

homeschooling

Lately, God has been laying homeschooling on my heart. I'm not sure how this came about for us. Tim and I started talking about it one day. We want our kids to be raised with morals and Godly values. I am very nervous and excited at the same time. I talked to Makayla about it and she is very receptive.
I talked to a lady at my church who is homeschooling her boys. She is going to connect me with other homeschooling mom's who have children around Makayla's age, and send me some links of the local homeschool co-op. I also went to my state's web site to find out their guidelines and rules for homeschooling.
In the mean time, I am staying with Lori (my sister-in-law) for a few days so we could go to the big homeshooling convention in our area. Last night we went to the book fair. Wow! So much to take in. There is curriculum for all the different teaching and learning styles. You can follow an outlined schedule on a day to day basis from a teacher's manual, come up with your own lesson plans or anywhere in between by combining text book lessons and your own lessons. I found that Makayla is a little behind 1st grade homeschool material so I am going to work with her on reading and math this summer and start 1st grade lessons in the fall. I purchased "Scaredy Cat" materials. This teaches your child to read through making up stories for the letters of the alphabet and catchy sayings in different situations they are used. I like this because I think my children will actually learn to read better than just memorizing words. I am going to use workbooks from Walmart for her math this summer. Makayla looked through her new workbook when we got home last night and she is excited to get started. I think this program is reasonably priced. Go to http://www.joyceherzog.com/scaredy.html to get all the details.
If you are planning to homeschool or even already started, I would highly recommend go to a conference to help you along your way. The vendors will help you to understand their curriculum or what level your child should be at. I would still be lost if we didn't go. Go to Homeschool Convention 2007 to find a convention near you.

kindergarten graduate

Yesterday was Makayla's last day of Kindergarten. Who would of thought this would make me sad. Not because she's getting older, but because she made some really good friends that she may never see again. We will most likely move to a smaller community this summer. Even if we stayed she would not have her friends in the same class. It's kind of ironic because I cried her first day of Kindergarten because I didn't want her to go to school and deal with all the emotional issues and not fitting in like I had. But of course, she enjoyed it a whole lot more than I did.
Lately homeschooling Makayla has been on my heart. The more I learn about it the more excited I get. I plan to try it out this summer to see how well Makayla and I work together. She loves arts and crafts so I figure the more I incorporate that into our lessons, the better Makayla will learn.

a verse in my heart

By the Power of Your Love is a new song on the radio. Well actually I found out it's been around for a while, but it's new to me. The first part of the week I had the verse "...and as I wait, I will rise up like the eagle..." stuck in my head. Wednesday evening we sang it at church. Then I woke up in the middle of the night with these same words in my head as clear as if I had been singing them...actually I think I was almost singing them in my head. After that I decided that God was putting this song in my heart for a reason. The next day I asked Helen (my mother-in-law) about the verse. She recognized it and looked it up in her trusty bible. Turns out the verse comes from Isaiah 40:31...

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

I had to ponder what this verse means for me. Even though we have been waiting for a long time, I know that during this time God is strengthening us. Looking back two years ago, God has spiritually matured us and prepared us for our future.

Last night I was praying and thanking God for the blessings he has given me. It had occurred to me that God didn't just save me from the dark life I was living for myself. When I called out to him for help one day, he knew that I would follow through as his shepherd. He knew that I would let Him use me to bring others to Him. It's all for God's glory, not mine! Yes, we all benefit from obeying the Lord, but it's not for us but for Him. He is our creator and we must obey him, as we expect our own children to obey us.

homemade baby wipes ~ revisited

I found that my wipes were too soapy. Only 1 tablespoon of baby shampoo is needed. My original recipe for homemade baby wipes calls for 2 tablespoons. Also, 2 1/2 cups of water is need. I have been using wash cloths for wets only so I am even saving on my homemade wipes. I didn't have enough wash cloths set aside to last between each wash so I cut up an old towel. This helps me distinguish the butt cloths from my other wash cloths.

snip snip

I succeeded in trimming Makayla's hair last night! I checked a book out from the library titled Cutting Your Family's Hair. The steps are very basic and don't give much detail. I am going to purchase Haircutting for Dummies. It has so much information. Makayla has thick hair so I need to know the correct way to thin it with thinning scissors. I am going to wait until she is done with school in case I screw it up. I have trimmed Ruben's hair twice now since he was born...yes he has that much hair. I didn't think to take before pictures, but here are the afters.

where have the last 6 months gone?