Beansntatersmama

Grandma Mary Bell's Spice Pickles.

2011-08-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

1 quart of apple cider vinegar
1 quart of water
1 quart of sugar
pickling spice

Bring all 3 quarts of ingrediants to a boil. Slice cucumbers long ways and stuff them as tight as you can into your jars. Make sure your jars are clean before hand. Add 1 teaspoonful of pickling spice to each quart jar or 1/2 teaspoonful to each pint. Add lids and put in a hot water bath. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Remove and let jars sit overnight before storing or sharing!

Summer Heat!

2011-07-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

Just how do you keep kids cool on hot days? We have tried everything around here, and it seems that heading to the creek everday is out because of the cost of gas. Heading to the pool was out on Friday because it was at full capacity inside and out. We have been doing the kiddie pool/sprinkler thing at least once a week with familyWe have airconditioning thank God! But how many more days can I listen to "I'm bored,"? If anyone has a different plan and it's working please let me know!

What a wonderful life!

2011-07-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I last posted and so much has been happening. I am still a part time student, house wife (not very good at the house part of that phrase) and am expecting our fourth child. I am still looking for ways to save money and still trying to train myself to be a better homemaker. I must say that even though we don't have a lot of money I am happy. Not to say things don't sometimes get me down, but as usual I realize there is more to life than what I don't have. I have to be happy with what I do! Will post again soon, with pictures of my husbands bountiful garden!

Have you heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?

2010-11-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

As I was sitting in my Intro to Business class this morning listening to Professor Kelly talk about motivation. He had us turn to page 263 of our text book.(Understanding Business eighth edition)It blew my mind! I do believe it's the most excited I've been in that class yet. Professor Kelly drew a triangle on the board that was seperated into five levels. They list as follows.
1. Self Actualization
2. Esteem
3. Social
4. Safety
5. Physiological

He went on to explain that starting at the bottom of the chart, the physiological need is that you need shoes. Then we move up to safety, which is where you pick the shoe that best fits your need. If you are more social you may buy a brand name shoe that everyone is wearing so you can feel like you fit in with your peers. If you are motivated by esteem then you would want to pick the shoe that is going to be the next big thing! So you can be seen as the leader. Then there are the few that fit into the Self Actualization, these people don't care. They are comfortable with themselves, and don't base their selfworth on what other people thing of them. So I have one queston for you.
What Motivates You?

Just breath.

2010-09-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life the most precious moments are overlooked because we are to busy. Sometimes a milestone is passed without our knowledge. I tend to get so busy with life, family, friends, homework, housework, ect. that I forget to breath. So as I'm sitting here typing these silly thoughts I am taking deep even breaths and listening to my daughter giggle. I can think with no television/radio blaring. I can listen to my child playing and just enjoy the way her little self thinks things through. My advice to all mothers is to just breath and listen.

LIfe as a wife, mom, student.

2010-09-19T05:25:00.000-07:00

I gotta say that it is very hard. Ofcourse if you were to just pick one of those things on any particular day it could be very hard. I am trying my best to keep my kids first. I am failing horribly at keeping my house clean, but as my mother in law would say I probably wouldn't clean it anyway. My husband is unhappy, because I am getting us into debt, and not doing my job at home. I am unhappy because he makes me a nervous wreck, which is piled on top of the growing pile of dirty/clean laundry, and my 12 chapters of unread homework. Not to mention living on a budget that is so tight that it actually is hurting us for me to drive out two extra days a week. We are blessed with parents that love us though, so I know we will not starve, and I will have gas to get to school. I keep telling myself that I can't do this, then my husband says something stupid and I am more determened than ever to make something of myself. I want to be able to have a good career that I will enjoy. I want to help my children pay for college. I want to be able to take my kids on a vacation, or buy what I want at the grocery store for a change. I guess by now you can tell that I am ranting some kind of crazy BS (bs stands for bull snot). Sometimes you just have to get it out. Now I am off to rewrite a paper for the third time even though the professor has yet to look at it he wants a third rewrite. Pray and if you know a student mother please be supportive.

The best summer ever!

2010-07-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Anyone who reads this, (and I think that is mostly family) knows that I have three great kids! You also know that we live on a very tight budget. Due to that budget and our goal to stay debt free other than our house note, we have decided not to take a family vacation.... Let me tell you it really blows. I love this little place called Holden Beach in North Carolina. I wish I owned a home there or at least had a relative that did.(hint Uncle Charlie, Mamaw, anybody that would claim us for a week) It isn't anything fancy or extravagant, but to me it's pure heaven. It's a week without t.v., internet, phone calls. It's stress free family time. No one has to be anywhere at anytime. We get up every morning and have a great breakfast after which everyone helps clean up. Then we move out to apply sunblock on the deck and watch the ocean. We lay in the sand and watch the pelicans flop into the water. We play with our kids until lunch time. Then we repeat the beach phase. Followed by dinner, which again goes so smoothly because there is just so much help! Then we either take a walk on the beach or sit on the deck and talk. The grand thing is that my husband is hands on all week. He becomes my fantasy husband. Ofcourse with no stress or work or coming home to a dirty house with screaming kids it is a lot easier to be a relaxed helpful person. The kids are all in a good mood with no meltdowns because they are getting their parents full attention! So this whole lack of a vacation has really got me down. However I have been taking the kids to swim lessons.(thanks Mamaw) I also have them signed up for a couple other things and we have been going to the creek with family and friends. So my question is how do you do the staycation? Any helpful tips or ideas are needed, any free or cheap ideas are appreciated, you got any?

Aunt Jen's (should be famous) Banana Bread.

2010-06-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

What you will need:
1/2 stick unsalted butter softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites (if it's for my family I just use 1 whole egg)
2 bananas mashed
3/4 cup white flour sifted
1/4 cupwhole wheat flour sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 cup raisins (I have also used dried cherries)
3 Tablespoons of oatmeal
2 Tablespoons of proteien powder (I omit this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, mix all ingredients and pour in a buttered loaf pan. Spinkle the top with more oats and slivered almonds(I use pecans).
Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Rosemary's variation is to omit the butter and use 4 Tablespoons of olive oil. She also leaves out the bananas and adds 1 cup of pumpkin.

This is the best pumpkin and banana bread I have ever eaten and super easy to make. Love this with coffee for breakfast or a after school snack for the kids!

I passed!!!!!

2010-05-21T11:21:00.001-07:00

I am now out of school for summer vacation, and I passed my first two college classes! I was so relieved you have no idea. All I could think was that I would fail, and have to retake the classes, and have to watch my husband do the told ya so dance. I have to say it was a lot harder than I imagined it would be, but now I've decided to try full time in the fall semester. Can it be any more stressful? We will see. I plan on cracking down on my menu plan for the summer, just to make sure my two growing fellas have plenty or real food here to eat. I want to send out a GIANT HUG and THANK YOU to my mother in law. I really couldn't have done it without your support. It really makes me feel blessed to know that my family (both sides) have really supported me and helped out in so many ways, makes me all sappy. Any way I am determined to have a great summer with my kids and as much family and friends as we can spend time with!

Grandma Bell's Strawberry Cake!

2010-04-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix
1 small box of strawberry Jello
4 TBLS flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 box frozen strawberries drained (save the juice)

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. (she has use three round pans but use what you have on hand)
Split each layer and add icing and strawberries between each layer.

Icing

16 ounces sourcream
16 ounces coolwhip
1tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
a little strawberry juice if wanted

Update on life.

2010-04-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

I had absolutely no idea how hard college classes would be. I am constantly in a struggle between homework and housework. I am blessed to have a Mother In Law who loves my children. You rock Rosemary!!! I am also blessed to have a best friend whom I trust with my Little Prissy Princess. Thanks Chastity!!! I have many other people whom I love and have been so supportive. I am a very lucky woman. I am ashamed to admit that lately I haven't been budgeting very well, I haven't gone into debt or anything, but I haven't been watching my grocery budget either. I even broke down and bought dryer sheets! That's right you read correctly I Mrs Hate to pollute the earth with all these used dryer sheets has bought some. They smell like lavender and vanilla, and I must admit that I quite enjoy not having static. The dryer balls did not rid my laundry of static so before you go and buy some thinking that they are sooo cool I want you to think about the amount of static in your laundry. If you have a lot of static I do not recommend that you purchase dryer balls. Hope everyone is good and healthy.

Update on life.

2010-03-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

I have been taking two classes at Hollins University. It is way more homework than I could have ever imagined. I have so much info swirling around in my brain I just pray it all comes out on the correct midterm test next week. It has helped me feel like a better person, I feel like for the first time in my life I am doing the right thing. My kiddos are proud of me. My husband is learning to accept it. I want any adult out there who thinks that it can't be done to rethink it. You can do anything, with God's help and your determination it can be done. Not to say it isn't stressful or sometimes chaotic, it is worth it. I pray that I can make it to the end. Somedays I ask myself if I have totally lost my marbles, but then I have to remind myself if something is easy then it's probably not worth it.

Support.

2010-02-05T04:56:00.001-08:00

I want to thank all of my family and friends who are being so supportive of me lately. I am taking just two classes, so when I registered for them I had the idea that I would commit 6 hours a week toward class that I would have to be out of the house and then a couple hours a week toward homework at home. Oh how wrong I was. I will be doing so much reading, research, attending plays, (that I didn't know about) and more that is yet to come. My husband isn't happy about me going back, needless to say when I informed him it is mandatory for my theatre history class to attend plays some on and some off campus, that we will have to pay to attend, he was really not happy. I feel very interested in school. I guess one of the reasons is that most of the time I am home with my kids without adult conversation. I talk daily to my Mother in law, Mom, and Chastity. I text my sister daily.(she is the reason I even have a cell cause I ain't got no money) Another reason is I love to learn. I read just about anything I can get my hands on, which I believe is really going to help me the next 8 years. Any way I want to thank all of you for the verbal Go Angie's, you can do it's, and the texted Hooray's! I wish everyone supported each more in this world. Just imagine how great it could be.

Wordless wed.

2010-02-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

Paula Deen's Sourcream muffins

2010-02-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

2 cups of self rising flour
2 sticks of melted butter
1/2 pint of sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter, blend in sour cream, stir in flour. Do not over mix, just get it all wet and blended. Again I used the ice cream scoop and plopped it into ungreased muffin pans. Bake for 20-30 minutes till starting to brown a little on top.

These are great to use as biscuits and go wonderful with chicken salad or soup!!!!

Home made tortillas!!!

2010-02-03T06:34:00.000-08:00

4 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of salt

2 Tablespoons of shortening (I used bacon grease or you could use butter)

1 and 1/2 cups warm water

4 teaspoons baking powder

Mix all dry ingredients, cut in shortening, stir in water until well mixed may still be a little wet.

I used an ice cream scoop to scoop out perfect sized balls of dough and on a floured cutting board I rolled them out trying to keep them round and as thin as I could go.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan over med high heat and cook each tortilla till it bubbles a little, flip, and check for browning on that side and you my dear are a genius in the kitchen!!!

These are great for burritos, eggs, sandwiches, chicken salad, or even pbnj.

College on a budget.

2010-02-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

I am now registered for classes that start tomorrow. I have decided to go part time because I have two kids in school who get off the bus in the afternoon and I have a two year old who will be staying with her Mamaw. I am blessed to not have to pay for childcare, because if I did I wouldn't be able to attend college. I am however worried about the extra gas money and making sure both of our cars are up and running. I'll take those situations as they come, and pray that as usual we slide through them. I got both of my classes on the same days of the week so I only have to drive out two days a week, and I will try to do any other errands ect. while I am already out. I will be keeping things posted periodically to let you know how things are going and if I find any other ways to save while doing this. I have got to come up with some quick cheap dinners so if anyone has any please send them to me. I can use all the help I can get right now! I had to buy five books for two classes and they cost 275.00 dollars.(that was used by the way, and I won't even buy a five dollar paperback for myself) However, my registration was on Monday and my first class starts on Thursday so not alot of time to find them cheaper, I just pray I can sell them back or maybe on ebay when this semester is over. I will get to regester for my fall classes months before hand so I hope to price shop for those books and get a better deal or rent. Hope everyone is having a great day.

No egg sugar cookies

2010-01-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

This recipe is for egg less sugar cookies. I made these for a P.T.A. bake sale and I have made them since just for us. These are really good and you can decorate or just plop on a pan and bake.

1 pound butter room temp.
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar. Sift dry ingredients together then stir into butter/sugar mixture. Roll into 2 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. press down with a fork dipped in sugar. We added sprinkles and colored sugar for Christmas.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Wait about 2 minutes then remove from pan while still warm so they don't stick.

Teaching our young.

2010-01-31T07:39:00.001-08:00

This is the mechanic with the first big fish he's ever caught! It is a Rainbow trout and even though my kids won't touch tuna with a ten foot fork they ate this up like chocolate. It is amazing how much better things taste when grown at home or caught on your own. The kids are much more interested when they have a hand in it and see exactly where their food comes from. I plan on setting more time aside daily to get my boys to help more in the kitchen and with laundry. I want them to leave the nest with all household skills down pat. I seem to have gotten a little lax since school started and I see the error of my ways. It makes kids want you to be an unpaid waitress on call twenty four hours a day. So I figured I can show them the light of how a family should learn to help one another or I can go on running myself down in the dirty clothes pile. So say some prayers for me and my sanity. I will need it.

Easy Quiche

2010-01-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Bake crust 15 minutes and remove from oven. I prefer the Kroger brand already made made in the section with the canned biscuits. You have to use your own pie pan. Or you can buy the frozen pie shells or make your own.
Layer your meat (ham, hamburger, sausage, Bacon, whatever ya want already cooked)
and your veggies (onions, peppers, squash, again what ever you want or have on hand)
Around a cup of each or whatever you wish, then top with cheese (I prefer cheddar but again whatever you have on hand)
Beat together 6-7 eggs with a cup of milk and pour into pan over you meat and veggies.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.
Lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake another 10 minutes.

This is great for get togethers, brunch, and even dinner!!!Super easy .
(this recipe was sent out to my sister in law Turkey Head)

Life in general.

2010-01-27T13:01:00.000-08:00

I am sick, with one child sick, and the house falling in around us. To much life has been going on lately and not enough time to blog. I will be going to orientation on Monday for college. I am worried about how I will manage time away from home, how I will manage homework when I am home with three kids running around, and how I will have the money for gas to travel out a couple of days a week. All I can say is the Lord will provide. Now I just have to say it enough that I quit worrying about it and just let God handle it. Hope everyone is healthy and happy!

Grandaddy Bell's pound cake

2010-01-04T10:22:00.000-08:00

3 sticks of butter at room temp.
2 and 1/2 cups sugar
8 eggs also at room temp.
3 tsps vanilla
Blend until well mixed and then add
3 cups plain flour sifted.
Grease and flour a bunt pan or two loaf pans and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for a hour, or until starting to brown on top and pulling away from sides of pan. Make a big pot of coffee and enjoy!

New Years Eve party on the cheap!

2010-01-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

Since having more than one child I don't remember the last time I was out on New Year's Eve. So I decided to invite the family over for a Wii party! I put the makings in the crock pot for chili beans and bought Frito's and sour cream. Everyone wasn't able to make it due to bad weather, or being sick, but we had a great time. I hope I continue to build good relationships with our family through out this New Year! My wish to all who read this is that you have a healthy, happy 2010. You don't need money to make you happy just each other.

Christmas is over.

2009-12-28T05:43:00.000-08:00

Well I thought that I had done so good by keeping things low key and not spending alot of money. It would have been a truly stress free holiday had my husband not charged some things for our boys that he thought necessary. It caused alot of stress on me and my stomach to have come so far without charging anything and then for him to go out and do it 2 days before Christmas. I find it hard to live frugally when your spouse is not on the same boat. It causes hurt feelings and resentment. His feelings were hurt because I didn't go gaga over the gift he bought me and my feelings were hurt that he charged something when he knows how it goes against my will. I pray that everyone had a great Christmas and I hope you have a Happy New year!

Thoughtful Thursday.

2009-12-17T06:27:00.000-08:00

Why is it that you spend your money on things to give to someone else and they spend their money on things to give you?

Lamp Unto My Feet: The CHRISTmas Pageant

2009-12-17T06:23:00.000-08:00

Lamp Unto My Feet: The CHRISTmas Pageant God I love this!

Home made dryer sheets

2009-12-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

I have been reading up and trying different things for my dryer, instead of buying dryer sheets. Here is my latest. I took an old coffee can with a lid and added 2 cups of hot water, 1 cup of white vinegar, and 1/2 cup of hair conditioner. Mix it all together with a whisk and then I added squares of fleece that I had been saving for no special reason. I add one with every load and wow it really seems to be working! No static!!!! Very quick to make and reuses household items, can't ask for more around here.

Wordless Wednessday.

2009-12-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

Thankfull Tuesday.

2009-12-08T04:54:00.001-08:00

I am thankfull for my sister, who really gets me.

I am thankfull.

2009-11-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

I am thankfull for family.

I am thankfull.

2009-11-24T12:14:00.001-08:00

I am thankfull for peace and quiet.

Something to be thankfull for.

2009-11-23T11:10:00.001-08:00

I am thankfull for laughter. My kids are hilarious, and I gotta say so if my husband when he wants to be.

Happy Tuesday!!

2009-11-17T06:17:00.001-08:00

How can you not be happy when these little varmints are your peeps. I am truly blessed to have healthy, happy, and funny kids. I have now applied to Hollins and hope to know soon if I will be accepted or not. I pray that I qualify for financial assistance through Hollins and now must start looking for all sorts of grants or scholarships. I am totally excited. The campus is absolutely beautiful and small enough to not get lost, but the aura of camaraderie amongst the ladies I met last night stunned me. It was as if they really cared about one another and understood that everyone has different hurdles to jump or rivers to cross just to be there. I liked that it is a small environment and I fell in love with their library. Please wish me luck and send up prayers that they take me and my husband becomes more supportive about the whole thing! My only regret is that my Grandma isn't here to talk too.

I'm yours

2009-11-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

http://www.deezer.com/music/joey-b/i-won-t-wait-237770?provider=website I love this song!

Here come the Christmas Bells.

2009-11-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

I love Cristmas carols. There I said it and it didn't even hurt. However when I hear them I get all teary eyed and sometimes sob.I cried today just trying to sing along with a Walmart commercial. I guess it's because I remember all my childhood. We were not a wealthy family growing up, much like my own household now, but oh the excitement I always felt around the Holidays! I am excited to teach my children the meaning of Christmas. We enjoy decorating our tree the first week of December. My children know that we always get a tree because Jesus died on a cross for us. We have what I would call a minimalist gift exchange. At home we get each child 2-3 gifts and normally my mother in law stuffs their stockings. We have our coffee and cinnamon rolls and take turns opening one gift at a time. It seems to build excitement, and you feel good being able to watch someone open the gift you bought or made them. The kids are happy and we are happy knowing that we are helping our kids to not depend on materialism for happiness. Throw all that into the fact that we don't have the money to blow and it makes for a good Christmas. I always read the Christmas story to our kids and this past year my husband actually read it from the Bible. When I was little my mom would allow each of us one gift to shake, gently to see if we could guess what it was. Ofcourse we never did get it right, but it was just the magic of the season. My mom would set out her fancy candy dish and fill it up with hard candy and chocolate covered cherries. My Dad would sit and crack nuts for us kids to munch on, which we now do for our own kids. I want them to remember the family time not what they got for Christmas. So as the Holiday Season unfolds I wish you all a wonderful one filled with laughter, love, and no debt.

Helen's real italian pizza sauce.

2009-11-05T08:16:00.001-08:00

This recipe was given to me by a lady named Margret that works at the Troutville Thriftway. I had told her one day that I love homemade pizza better than store bought because it tasted better and was healthier. The next time I went in she had made me a copy of this recipe, that was shared with her years before by a friend in her church. It's the little things like this that really makes you appreciate friendships. Just the fact that she took the time and made the effort to share a recipe makes me smile, and makes me want to pass it on.

3 TBSP olive oil or mazola oil
4 cups tomato juice
1 can tomato paste (6oz)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Bring all liquid ingredients to a boil then add all dry ingredients. Boil over medium heat until thick. Around 30-45 minutes stirring occasionally. Add 2 TBSP parmesan cheese and boil 10 minutes longer.

Save money by buying at Sam's Club

2009-10-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

I went to Sam's with my mom this past Friday, and wow! I got a 25 pound bag of flour for around 8 bucks, a 26 pound bag of sugar for under 15, and 2 pounds of yeast for under 6. Not only did I save money by buying in bulk, but I won't be running to the store every week because I'm out of flour, sugar, or yeast! Now all I have to do is figure out a menu plan that I can stick with. Wish me luck!

What a wonderful fall day.

2009-10-07T05:02:00.001-07:00

I am so ready for fall. It's the most magical time of year. The leaves are swirling around in the wind. The cool air is refreshing. It's perfect for pants and sweatshirts. Oh yeah did I forget to mention the punkits? To all you people without a little mechanic in your house that also goes by the name pumpkins. There is nothing like taking your kids out to get a punkit and go through a corn maze. So excited! O.k. maybe the trip is more for me than them but it beats having to clean your room. We will be going to Jeter's Farm off of 460. They have a deal going that for six bucks you get to go through the maze and pick a pumpkin. I read that somewhere, but don't take my word for it call ahead 540-977-2128 Hope it helps with a fun family day! Happy punkit huntin!

My baby is two!

2009-10-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

I want to wish my girl a great big happy birthday! She turned two yesterday. It has been the quickest two years of my life. I can hardly believe that my little baby love child is officially a toddler. Wow!(great big mommy sob)It really makes me want another one. Anyway here's to you my little one. May you always laugh, dance, and not care what other people think! I love you more than all the stars in the sky.

Good morning on a Monday.

2009-09-28T07:05:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of my beautiful sister and a couple of her chickens. As you can see the Negotiator is totally in love with the birds also. My Grandma loved her chickens, I guess that's where my sister got her idea that they make great pets. I am not a huge fan of chickens. Well actually I'm not a huge fan of any barnyard birds. That is to put it mildly. They freak me out! However I do enjoy farm fresh eggs. Talk about some good eating. I have kinda slacked off on the posting lately because I've got alot of balls in the air. I have decided to go to school part time in the spring, attended tons of soccor practice/games, and I've been working as a sub for our county. I have so far been a substitute cafeteria lady, and twice filled in as a custodian. I recommend it to anyone who needs a part time job or has kids in school during the day and need to be home in the evenings. There is so much you can help your local school with. I thought that since I didn't have a teaching license I couldn't be a substitute teacher but you can in the state of Va. Good luck to ya!

Life hands you lemons.

2009-09-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life you realize that you may not get to do what you want, sometimes you do what you have to. The hard part is sucking it up and not letting yourself feel crummy or angry about it. I have been on the sub list at my kids school and so far I have helped once in the cafeteria and today and tomorrow scrubbing another school. I don't particularly want to clean, scrub, and miss time with my kids but I need the money. I mean you can't turn away money when you need it.

Hamburger three ways.

2009-09-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

My husband bought a huge package of burger. I browned some for sloppy Joe's for last nights dinner. Made six hamburger patties, separated them with nonstick foil and froze. Then put the remaining in a big bowl with meatloaf fixings for tonight's dinner. There is three no think meals ready to go when I am. I love it when there is a little meal planning, it just makes things so much easier on me.

Yummy quick dinner

2009-09-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a day and a half. In other words I was trying to fit a lot into too few hours. So when we got home at seven thirty I still had to make dinner. We had a good semi quick meal. I opened two cans of corn and heated it with a little butter and pepper. I had two pick taters from my husbands garden. They had already been baked and were left over from a previous dinner. I cubed them and threw them on my big skillet with some leftover bacon grease and salt and pepper. I had pork chops but no seasoned flour, so I crushed up some croutons and yummo what a nice coating! It was done in around twenty minutes and my kids ate everything. It's amazing what you can throw together when you're in a hurry and hungry! Don't forget to save that bacon grease, works great when frying taters, meat, or I even used it once for making tortillas.

The pros and cons of public school.

2009-09-08T14:54:00.001-07:00

This list is just for fun. In no way has it been endorsed by our local school board office.
Pros: 1. The bus picks them up.
2. They can eat breakfast there if needed.
3. They can buy lunch there.
4. The teachers really seem to care.
5. They form relationships with other people.

Cons: 1. They pick up other kids bad habits.(to add to their own I'm not raising saints ya know)
2. They find out about sex.
3. They get poked in the eye by another child who is coughing and has snot on the front of his shirt.
4. They can chose to eat only yogurt for lunch if they want.
5. The bus brings them home. That is only a joke the real number five is I miss my boys all day long.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

2009-09-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a great and frugal holiday weekend! Sorry about being horrible in the last post, but as we all know sometimes life is not all sunshine. I am sitting at home sipping coffee and eating a brownie and waiting on the rain. For lunch today I had cucumber and tomato sandwiches and then an afternoon snack of carrots out of my husbands garden. Yumm!

Being broke is depressing.

2009-09-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that sometimes I feel a little bit sorry for myself. Like now for instance. We seem to be in a financial rut that we can't seem to climb out of. It sooooooooo depresses me. It is hard to live on one income. It is very hard to live on one income and always be happy and cheerful. I get tired of making do sometimes. I want to go to the store and go wild!(the grocery store thank God I'm not into clothes or I would seriously depressed) I want to get up sometimes and put on nice clothes and meet someone for lunch or coffee. I want to slip away and see a movie with my husband or maybe go to a bookstore. I have to remind myself that I am doing the right thing. I am home with my little prissy ruler of our world, I am home when the older two get off the bus. I know what my kids are doing. I take them to practice with my husband and never plan on missing a game. I read to them, cook their meals, and try to enforce homework. If I got a real job how much of that would I miss. I keep telling myself just a couple of more years but sometimes when money is really tight that isn't so reassuring. I lose faith in God. I lose faith in my husband. I lose faith in myself. I am not materialistic so don't get me wrong it's not things I want, just peace of mind. I feel for all parents out there trying to make it and only scraping by.

Easy Squash Casserole

2009-08-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

This is going to be easy and maybe a little confusing if you have to go by exact directions when you cook, but trust me you can not mess this up.
Slice and boil about 5-6 small to medium squash. (around 15 minutes)
Drain and add 1 can of cream soup(any kind will do whatever you have on hand)
Add 1/2 can of milk, 1 cup of cheese(again whatever ya got) 8 oz sour cream.
Mix it all together and salt and pepper to your liking.
Plop it all into a casserole dish and top with cheese or my favorite dry stuffing mix. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly on top or stuffing is brown around 45 minutes.
Serve with anything you want or just stand at the stove and eat it straight out of the dish. Yummy!

Changes are good. Right?

2009-08-26T11:19:00.001-07:00

I really don't know what has come over me lately. I don't know if it's because I stay home all the time, don't work anymore, or losing my grandma but I've changed. I have no patience for morally corrupt people. I am tired of people being rude, pushy, whining, or feeling sorry for themselves. I'm tired of my husband passing judgement over me. I want to raise my kids and be calm and not have to worry about all the crazy stuff going on in the world. I want to go to the grocery store and not have to worry about how much money I spend. I want my husband to be as nice and funny with me as he used to be, but at the same time I really don't care. I hope everyone that reads this just takes the time to think about how you act and how your actions will affect the person you are dealing with.

Marybell Muncey.

2009-08-25T07:16:00.001-07:00

My grandmother was buried yesterday. She was 89 years old and lived a great life. Her body was laid to rest beside my grandpa's. Way up on top of a mountain under some shade trees with a beautiful view.

The rewards of my husbands garden.

2009-08-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken last year, but my husband's garden looks just a beautiful this year. I thought I would be much more help to him this year than last, but due to the fact that miss priss is forever moving I can't seem to keep her on the same side of the house much less in the garden. His tomatoes are starting to ripen and every few days he brings in a cucumber. Yummy! I toast my bread, slather it with mayo while the toast is still hot. Then I layer slice cucumbers all over it with a big slice of tomato. Shake on some salt and pepper and scarf it all up. Talk about your cheap lunches. I also wash and slice the squash, add a little water and boil them until they are done. I take the potato masher and mash them all up and boil the remaining water out of them. My sister in law the teacher taught me the potato masher thing, it never even occurred to me before. She then adds lots of butter, salt, pepper, and a little milk. Sooo good. I'm off to fold cloths and clean bathrooms. Wish me luck.

Thoughtful Thursday.

2009-08-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

The mechanic asked me yesterday if I remembered when his little sister was just born? I said yes. He said I loved her as soon as she was born.(sob with mommy affection) I said she was perfect wasn't she? He replied yeah that was before she got mean!

A real good read.

2009-08-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

I checked out The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. My six year old loved it. It was a very good book. I loved it as much as he did. Anyway, the mechanic got a mohawk and it's the cutest thing. When I told him that Aunt Turkeyhead would be over to give haircuts that was all the could talk about for two days. So my hubby said why not. I thought about it and figured it could always be cut later. Well when it was done I realized that it suits him. He looks cute with it and not really redneck at all. Go Aunt Turkeyhead!!!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

You will be missed.

Chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

2009-07-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

You will need the following ingredients.
1 cup butter softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup chopped walnuts (pecans also work)
1 cup semisweet chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, mix all ingredients and drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. I suggest you eat them warm out of the oven with cold milk or coffee!

Good bye Woodrow

2009-07-25T11:09:00.001-07:00

Friday July 24 2009 our dear Woodrow went to be with the Lord. He was the best old man we've ever had the pleasure to talk to. He could make you laugh and was always ready to laugh himself. Things will definitely be different for my mom and the house already feels a little empty without him. So here's to ya Woodrow, I hope your rambling shoes found their way through the pearly gates and you don't have the jello roll blues.

Happy birthday Turkey Head!!!!!!!!

2009-07-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

I hope you get cake and icecream. I hope you enjoy it as much as miss priss enjoyed those oreos.

I'm baaaaaccckkkk!

2009-07-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

We had a great vacation, which left me wore out. I got to see my little bright eyes everyday for a week and she really puts a smile on my face. My in laws also went which made me happy because I just love my mother in law, she's a hoot and was brave enough to let my two boys apply her makeup.(right before we went to a nice restaurant) My mom also went and spent time digging in the sand making a hole for the tiny little black crabs the boys spent the last couple of days catching. Oh what a week! I can't believe how vacationing has changed since we had kids. It used to be just us chillin, now it's sunblock, snacks, drinks, and you just spend all your time trying to relax.(who can relax with their child running into the ocean?) Anyway we survived and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Hope you all are having a wonderful summer.

The crazy little things I pack!

2009-06-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

So I am busy packing to leave for my second favorite place on earth. The first being home, and the second being Holden Beach North Carolina. I have a bag in which I pack all the stuff I may need during the week. Here goes.
deodorant,sunblock,lotion,tampons,hair bows,toothpaste,tweezers,neosporin,band aids,gas relief pills,Rolaids,matches,toothbrush,razor,comb,soap,battery charger,camera cable,qtips,safety pins,benedryl,thermometer,oragel,hydro cortisone cream, and children's Motrin. That is my go to bag for all the crazy stuff that seems to happen on a daily basis with children.lol! Hope everyone is having a great Thursday.

Retry to add Tammy.

2009-06-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

I hope this comes up! If not it's www.tammysrecipes.com

Yummy cookie bars.

2009-06-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for good and easy cookie recipes. I have found one over at I hope that comes up correctly on this post. Anyway she has some wonderful recipes and I would love for you to check her out. My current favorite for the kids(who am I kidding I love them) is her recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars so please head over there and print it off it is great!.

Cheap good times!

2009-06-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well on Monday I am having my friend and her kids, and a new friend and her kids over to run through the sprinkler. We have a slip and slide but I'm not sure it will survive the weekend. We will be drinking tea and eating sandwiches and laughing at the kids. What a way to spend a summer day! I still have a huge amount of work to do before vacation and have decided that I am human and am only here for a very short while. That being said I want the house straight but have decided to forgive myself for anything beyond that not getting completed. I have ordered books online from the library and can't wait to go pick them up. If you have tried it yet I totally suggest it, so many things to choose from and our local library will get the books from other libraries for you. Oh and don't forget the movies, books on tape, and cd. I wish you all a great Thursday!

Indoor activities.

2009-06-04T11:51:00.001-07:00

My boys never played with their train set until I got rid of the train table, now it's out all the time. They also love blocks.(the same blocks they've had since being babies) Today we pushed two kitchen chairs into the center of the room to make a net and I blew up a balloon and we played balloon volley ball. It is hilarious and even though I'm an adult it's still tons of fun. The object is to not let it touch the floor on your side of the chairs. Sometimes I even let the boys play dodge sock, they take rolled up socks and basically play war by throwing them at each other. I do have to be in a really good mood for that one though because who wants to find socks strung everywhere for a month. We are counting down the days till vacation. 16!!!! Anyway hope everyone tries the balloon thing and laughs at it as much as I do.

Using conditioner.

2009-06-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

I love conditioner, my hair really feels smoother and I love it! I always apply my conditioner and then shave my legs, that way it gives it time to do what it's got to do. I also use conditioner instead of shave cream or foam and I always rub some into my elbows while I'm at it. I have been reading alot about the no poo stuff going on in the world and I believe I may dare try it eventually. My husbands comment was "are you crazy?" Anyway wish me luck with getting over the crud, my lungs sound like they are on their last leg, but on the bright side the phlegm is starting to break up and come out.(yucko smucko) Try shaving with conditioner and let me know if you like it.

T-Ball

2009-05-30T11:40:00.001-07:00

I love T-Ball! It is a very good thing to get your kids into and it's great entertainment. All you have to do is pack a snack and drink and go watch, you're sure to get a few laughs and also see some proud moments. This is a picture of the mechanic, he is the smallest on the team. One of the coaches just refers to him as little man. I think with his batting helmet on he resembles a bobble head. I know what kinda mother refers to her child as a bobble head? The honest kind of course. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

What a weekend.

2009-05-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

We decided at the last minute on Friday night to join some family for camping. We got up on Saturday morning and busted our rumps to get everything done and all our stuff packed. We drove, and drove, and drove. We looked high and low for a camp site at Lake Moomaw and just when all was lost we found the very last site available. Why was there one left at eight at night on a holiday weekend one should wonder? It was a mud hole. We stayed anyway and thanked God for our good luck. It was a good day! The kids love playing in the water at the beach.(it's a lake but man made beach) Then we packed up on Monday drove home unloaded and repacked and went to stay with mamaw so me and the kiddos could go see our newest little family member on Tuesday. What a busy weekend we have had. Oh the laundry I have done. I hope everyone had a good one.

2009-05-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

Please help out, it only takes a few minutes and may prevent someone from being terminally sick. If any of you can explain to me how to put this on my page instead of just an entry I would forever be grateful.

Boys, boys, boys!

2009-05-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

My dear child the negotiator informed me that his winkie is going to have a baby. I said WHAT? He said the part of his private that hangs down has two hard balls in it and it must be a baby because they were hard like my belly when his sister was in there. Of course my husband was out mowing the yard. Where else should he be when there's a penis question. I always seem to get these great questions or fears and I don't even have one. So I answered the truth. Those are testicles and they are normal and not a baby. So strike that up to teaching my child a new word for the week! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Too many eggs? Bake a pound cake!

2009-05-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

So my baby sister has chickens, good for her but great for me. She likes the chickens and I love the eggs. They are free by the way. Even if they weren't free I would pay for them because once you get used to free range you'll never want another store bought. So for about 5 months out of the year we get lots of eggs. I eat egg sandwiches, egg salad, quiche, waffles, pancakes, boiled, scrambled, and yes I use them for baking. I am on the search for the perfect pound cake. My husbands grandfather made the best one I've ever tasted and Aunt Pammy if you have it and read this I would love to have it. Here is the easiest I've made so far.
Pound Cake.
1. 1 2/3 cups sugar
2. 2 sticks of butter
3. 5 eggs
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6. 1/4 cup milk
7. 2 cups plain flour

Let all ingredients reach room temp. Blend sugar and butter until well mixed. Add one egg at a time until well blended. Add salt and vanilla and milk. Mix well. Add flour a little bit at a time until well blended. Bake on 325 degrees in a greased and floured loaf pan for 75-90 minutes. Great with coffee!

Thoughtful Thrursday.

2009-05-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

So lately I have been trying to accept myself for who I am, something that I think most people do after they reach a certain age or at least maturity. I got issues man! Anyway how do you go from being a little princess like this to being a middle aged, overweight, stressed out lady? I guess you do it just one day at a time, so that's me plan. I will watch what I eat, try to fit in exercise, clean more, and visit with my family more one day at a time. I pray that my daughter grows to enjoy the woman I am becoming, and it gives her confidence to love who she is. (the thing on her head is a tutu made by enchanted dandelions from etsy)

Monday Monday!

2009-05-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

I am sick. I have this horrible sinus crap that is really dragging me down. I am tired, cranky, and full of phlegm. My kids are also having mini meltdowns at opposite times of the day so that someone is crying, yelling, or throwing something every fifteen minutes. The house is it's usual wreck. Days like this I really wish I didn't have to get out of bed much less try to make an effort at cleaning, washing, or disciplining anything. Mothers day came and went and nothing special happened here. I got up and with the help of my Mother got all the kids ready and went to church for an early morning breakfast. I felt so horrible that we all snuck out before the sermon.(while the preacher was praying)On the plus side and believe me there is a silver lining to every cloud, my husband got the boys bed set up, and some stuff done in the garden. I hope everyone had a great weekend and an even better week.

Life gets in the way.

2009-05-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you will be overwhelmed. I find it hard sometimes to have faith in God. I can't just say oh well God will make it all better. No instead I worry and toss and turn. I get irritated, cry, and get a horrible stress headache. I have trouble just letting the past go, I know you are suppose to forgive and forget but when someone really hurts you how easy is that to do? I've been praying and cleaning and baking. I can't really say any of it is taking the edge off. I know that for now all I can do is trust that God has a plan. I know that I won't always be cleaning up someone Else's mess, or losing sleep, or rewashing clean laundry because someone didn't put it up when asked and the wet dog rolled around on it. I know that my little problems are nothing compared to what others go through everyday, and I am thankful. I am still cutting back on my portions and have started walking again. Feeling healthy!

Recycle those yougurt cups!

2009-05-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

First you have to eat the yogurt. Yeah I said eat the yogurt. It's super healthy for you and kids love it! My friend Chastity likes it frozen and if you have some that's about to go bad add it to your pancakes, rolls, cake batter, or just use it in a smoothie. After getting rid of the stuff, you will be left with the cutest little cup. Now this drives my husband nuts but I wash them and save them and warn him to not throw them away.(I think he does every chance he gets) Anyhoo, now the list.
1. Use as cups! Duh, right.
2. Start flower or veggie seeds in them.
3. Transplant plants to give away.
4. Use as take along cups for picnics they fit great down in a small cooler.
5. Use for the kids to drink out of in the yard.
6. Use to make Popsicles.
7. Use for single serve jello or pudding
8. Perfect for little hands, I give Miss Priss her goldfish crackers in them.
9. Use as a scoop in pet food bags, flour canister, or sugar canister.
10. Use in bathroom as a rinse cup.
11. Let kids play with them in the tub or kiddie pool.
12. Let kids use them for stacking.
13. My mom keeps on in her car with a lid for loose change.
14. That's all I can think of right now I just didn't want to end on the number 13.

Well that's all folks, if you have any suggestions please feel free to leave em here.

Blessed again!

2009-04-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

We now have another beautiful niece, courtesy of my sister in law Jen and her hubby. She is so adorable I just want to squash her up and hold her close and never let her go. I have competition though because my other sister in law wants to sneak her home with her. That's the way it goes with babies around our family. I just saw bright eyes today and she is going full steam ahead in her walker and pulling herself up into a standing position. She is growing so fast, almost as fast as my own. I am truly happy and thankful for the four nieces and one nephew I have. There is nothing on this earth like the smile from a child.

Starting your own compost bin.

2009-04-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

I got a wild hair last year about this time and decided to start my own compost bin.
I took a rubber tote that had a lid, I used my husbands drill to drill holes in the bottom and up the sides of the tore.(a lot of holes) I keep it at my kitchen porch and throw all my scraps in there and this year we will be putting it around the tomatoes. My husband also brought home a big metal barrel that he had drilled some holes in the sides and cut a square out of the bottom so I have started filling that one up.
Things to put in your compost.
coffee, filters and all
tea bags, just take the staple out
newspaper, after you use it to clean the windows
paper scraps as long as they aren't all shiny
Hay, straw, or grass clippings
Old bread, baked goods, pasta
egg shells
sawdust
veggie peels, scraps, leftover soup, or beans
lint from the dryer
And worms leftover from any fishing trip, the boys find them in the yard and put them it the happy worm home.(all you can eat buffet)

That's all folks, hope it was helpful, you should also stir it up periodically but if you dont that's fine too it just takes longer. Keep a lid on it and don't freak because there will be bugs galore!

Weekly Weigh In.

2009-04-27T05:58:00.000-07:00

So I forgot to weigh on Friday, so I weighed on Sunday instead and I am down to 216.9 so I've lost four pounds total. I really gotta increase the water and I'm doing all right on smaller portions as long as I eat more than three times per day. I am working hard a trying to wean the tank which I think I will start calling miss priss, but she kind of wants it on tap. She just likes to know it's still there.lol Worked in the garden some this morning and hope to have pictures real soon. Have a great Monday!

Discipline.

2009-04-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Provers 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.
So does anyone else have trouble with discipline? I do the ten minute time out, and an occasional spanking. I am having trouble with my 6 year old and his mouth. I really don't know if it is just public school, his fathers tone towards me sometimes, or the kids in his class. I am getting it under control, however I have seen parents not care to get their children under control. The kid next door is always telling my boys that they don't have to listen to me. He tells them to just do what they want not to worry about what I'm telling them to do. He gets off the bus here every afternoon, and even though I am trying to teach my boys to always do the right thing I wonder about all the other kids that they are associated with. I wonder if parents correct their language, teach them to blow their nose, teach them not to spit, teach them not to hit, kick, bite, lick or kiss other kids. I am by no means a perfect mother. I lose my temper and on occassion cuss. I am not a tidy house keeper, I don't always have dinner ready when it should be. I am trying to teach my kids that life is not fair. You have to work for what you get and be thankful for it. A persons feelings are more important than yelling and screaming. Never brag on yourself. And always treat people the way you want them to treat you. This Proverbs rings true when my son helps his little sister, tells someone good luck, or says his prayers and is thankful for his family.

Pumpkin Bread

2009-04-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Bread!
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of melted butter
3 eggs
2 cups cooked pumpkin ( I just use a 15 oz can)
2 cups self rising flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Melt butter, then blend in sugar and eggs. Blend in Pumpkin. Sift in all dry
ingredients. Mix well and bake for about an hour on 325 degrees.

I took pictures but they were kinda shiny on the top.(maybe due to the butter) Anyway I meant to take more but it was gone. My husband and the mechanic really liked it and after I shared one of the mini loaves with my mother it was just plain gone.

Keeping it real

2009-04-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am keeping it real. I have overeaten alot lately due to the wonderful cooking of my mother in law, the large amount of pizza we had on hand, and the fact that my kids don't eat marshmallow bunnies. I have slacked on drinking water, or enough of anything really because I've been doing alot of running. My current weight is 218.5 I really thought it would be worse and have chose not to beat myself up. I plan on increasing my water intake and my fresh fruits and veggies. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Using your windows.

2009-04-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

As you can see my husband has planted dill, and basil. The seeds were maybe a dollar a pack and the pots were given to us. He bought the soil at Dollar General for three bucks. So for a few bucks we will have fresh herbs and enough to dry for winter. It's not hard just water and make sure not to overwater.

Thank the good Lord!

2009-04-14T09:43:00.002-07:00

Woodrow came home to my parents house today. He has been diagnosed with cancer and he is blessed enough to come home for my mother to take care of. Please pray for him, we are just so thankfull he's home.

Life in general.

2009-04-10T09:55:00.001-07:00

Life is good for me and my family. I have a roof over my head and food in my cabinets. My house is warm or cool depending on the outside temp. I have a husband who goes to work and children that bring me great joy. I think most people forget to be thankful for just the little things. It's the little things that can be taken away in the blink of an eye. It's the little things that we take for granted. I just hope everyone thanks the good Lord for what you have, and please tell the people in your life how important they are to you. I pray that everyone has a great weekend and wonderful Easter.

Things I've learned being a mom.

2009-04-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

1. A cantaloupe rind on the floor is the real life equivalent of a banana peel on cartoons.
2. There will be a day when poop no longer grosses you out.
3. Hairy legs are not the turn off I assumed they were.
4. I will never leave the house in clean cloths again.
5. My bathing routine would be squashed into 5 minute segments throughout the day.
I will have more later, right now I have to get youngins off the bus and start dinner. I'll try to post the roll recipe I'm using later on.

Quick update.

2009-04-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

The weather is wonderful here in Va. today. I weighed on Friday and was down to 218.7 so that's 2 pounds less than last Friday and no dieting! Just alot of water, increasing fiber, and cutting portions. I hope everyone has a great Sunday full of sunshine.

Works for me Wednesday

2009-04-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

While on vacation last year with a baby who was too little to walk and too big to sleep peacefully I had a dilemma. Do I let the baby crawl and eat sand, or stay in the house with her? Neither. I bought a cheap kiddy pool and added water and toys and it kept her busy all week. I just sat on the sand beside her and we had a great time.

The mechanic turns five today!

2009-03-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is five, I can hardly believe it. The time has flown since he was born. We had a hot dog dinner for him yesterday and again I feel blessed with the family God has given me. My family is very lucky to have people that love us and live close enough to visit. We really enjoyed it, and the boys really enjoyed the super soakers. I am just kind of winging the weight watchers thing, I can't count points. I can count them, but I hate it. My husband is tired of me dieting all ready and doesn't want to hear another word about it. I have been sticking close to my thirty points a day but have gone over once. I probably get extra points for breastfeeding but some days it doesn't happen often so I didn't count it. I want to change my lifestyle not just live on a diet the rest of my life. So I have taken a small town city girls advice and cut my servings in half. I have also started using a small plate so I can trick myself into thinking I've had a lot of food. I have gotten in my exercise and will walk the track this afternoon while the boys have tball practice. I want to change the way I view food not just have columns of healthy and not healthy. I have been praying and drinking so much water that I spend half the day in the bathroom.lol I hope everyone has a great Monday!

The weight.

2009-03-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

I stepped on the scales at my mom's yesterday, I wish that I didn't. I weigh 220.9 I knew I had gained some weight because here lately I've just been eating like a starved dog. I haven't been sleeping lately so I feel crappy and then every time I turn around I find myself eating something. I also finish what the mechanic leaves behind, I just can't seem to throw food out. I really want to be healthy and tackle this problem while eating good food. I hate the thought of a diet, however I am going to give weight watchers a try. I won't be going to their meetings or paying for it but I will try to go by their points system and try to add in more healthy eating for my whole family. The problem is I don't want my kids to think they have to diet or be a certain size to be happy. I've accepted myself better since being overweight than I did when I weighed 113lbs and wore a size 3. Now I am highly overweight and wearing a size 20. The question is how am I going to do that on a budget? I feel like this will be interesting to see what I can eat that is truly healthy and not breaking the bank. Wish me luck. Angie

Homemade Cleaning disinfecting wipes

2009-03-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

I love the convenience of have these at my fingertips. I keep these in the kitchen, and then a baby wipe container in the bathroom. I just cut up old cloth that was either to stained to use or not needed and then I added 1/4 cup of Lysol cleaner to about 1/2 gallon of warm water. All you need is a container with a lid and you're set. I have also used Mr Clean in place of the Lysol, and next time I'm going to try vinegar and a touch of dish washing liquid. You can grab one to wipe down the stove or sink. When my kids are in the tub I grab one to wipe down the toilet, floor, sink,and even the door knobs. The beauty is you just throw your rags in the wash and keep reusing so it's great for going green too.(not to mention sooo cheap) I hope this was helpful. Have a great weekend.

Wordless Wednesday!

2009-03-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays are so great!!!

2009-03-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

O.K. so maybe I am a little over optimistic but why not? I expect to have a good day at home with my two little ones, I expect to wash some dishes and make waffles to freeze, and I hope to see my little bright eyed niece. I want you all to check out http://usloves.blogspot.com she answered a question about having more children I had for her. I love her answer. I try to enjoy my children every day. I try to do right by them and not lose my temper. I am human and I am not in a high tax bracket, but does that mean that I am an unfit mother? I know that it does not. I am always telling my kids that it takes all kinds of different people to make the world go round. If God made us all the same with the same wants and attitudes this old world would be a pretty boring place. I think that it's hard to turn the other cheek when you've been offended. I am human and I strive daily to not worry about what everyone else is doing and just do my best at doing the right thing.
Proverbs 12:16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. This it what I need to remember, sometimes people say things that they don't even realize have offended someone. I have on numerous occasions I am sure. I also know that when someone does the same to me I am bad about getting offended and riled up and want to cuss.(that's what I do when I get angry) So I have been trying to hold my tongue. Sometimes I have to hold it really tight between my teeth but it's working. I take deep breaths and tell myself that only the Lord knows what is going to happen and no ones ideas or opinions amount to much. It is not worth it to let other people offend you or put you in a foul mood. So yay for me! Sorry try this link. I hope everyone takes a deep breath and lets it go when you get offended this week. Just try to think about what I blabbed about and keep your peace. Have a great one. Angie

Beautiful Monday!

2009-03-23T12:45:00.001-07:00

The weather is great and no one is sick! Yippee! The only thing I'm missing is a great big hammock in my yard. I hope to have some pictures of tilled ground after this weekend, we'll see my brother has my sister's tractor which is what we all use to do our ground breaking. I am also going to start volunteering at my son's school on Wednesdays to get out of the house a little and be more involved with the school. I hope to enjoy it! I will be making chicken and dumplings for dinner.(it's one of my comfort foods) Hope you all got out and got to walk around a little in this wonderful weather. Sherry, thanks for checking on me. I don't seem to have it yet so please send up a little prayer, because you know when mama is down the ship kinda goes under.lol

Have a great weekend.

2009-03-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

Well we now have a pretty healthy negotiator, but(at my house their always seems to be a but) the hubby has a bad sore throat and headache. I plan on getting out today and hitting Kroger's for some of the great deals they have going on this week with my coupons of course. I have to admit that I have slacked off on the exercise which I plan on trying to get back on track today. I missed a couple of days when everyone had the flu and then I've missed some sleep because the tank has been teething. I have also been running and doing errands and things like a crazy woman so we have all been on the go alot lately. When I don't get enough sleep I have no extra energy, None, zip, zero, nada. On the plus side today is the first day of spring! The sun is coming up earlier and going down later and I love it. I can feel the cool breeze and the warm sun and just wish I had a book and a comfy chair to sit and read all day.(wishful thinking)I want to try to add some new recipes this week and hopefully they'll be good enough to blog about. I have been making waffles for freezing and I'll take a picture and post a recipe later so look for it. Thanks for the award Stamper couponing couple, as soon as I figure more of this bloggy stuff out I plan on putting up a button for you. I hope everyong is healthy and remember it's strep season so wash those hands!

Wordless Wednessdays!

2009-03-18T07:19:00.001-07:00

Strep Throat.

2009-03-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

The negotiator has strep. The good thing about strep is that the Doctor says with a couple days of amoxicillin he will feel good again, the bad news is my poor kindergartner is missing even more days from school and the number is getting large. I keep getting told that this is normal for kindergarten. It sounds kind of crazy if you ask me. The kids have been sick since school started, and not a lot of time between virus' Anyway hope no one else is sick and I hope everyone stays healthy.

Being thirty one.

2009-03-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

Well as most of you know I just turned 31. Not a very exciting birthday, I don't get all crazy about gettinig older. My hubby got me a very thoughtful gift of 2 bottles of softsoap bodywash, and a photo album. The photo album because we have a plastic tote full of b/k (before kids) photos that need so badly to get out of the box and be put away. The softsoap is another story. I very seldom buy myself anything, let alone any kind of girly smelling soap. It is a splurge that I have learned I just don't have to have to survive. I usually just use soap and whatever kind of shampoo is on sale. I found softsoap on sale last week at kroger's and with a coupon I got a large bottle for $1.50. In my own little world I was stoked! What a great deal, and I would smell like a coconut! That very night my two little boys took a bath in my tub. They decided they really needed to pour the whole bottle of bodywash in the tub. I walk in and two youngins that know better, are sitting in the middle of a bubble bath from hadies. I almost cried. Sad, is it not? It's times like these when I think I need a job. I never worried about the cost of soap when I worked. I never did without anything when I worked. When the all the crazy emotions pass I also realize that I missed out on my kids when I worked, I missed out on alot of booboos, hugs, kisses, jokes, and cuddles. If I have to use plain old soap until they are all grown it is something I will gladly do. So it was a great gift to get two girly smelling softsoap bodywashes from my husband. I believe it took alot of thought on what would make Angie happy, and he thought right. My sister took me to see a movie and out to dinner, it's the one day per year that we spend any alone time together so it totally rocks. We always get the giggles until we literally cry. I decided that for my birthday this year I would cut myself some slack. I would do what I could at home and try my best not to freak or nit pick, I decided I would try to love my body the way it is. I can try to eat healthy and get in some exercise daily but the truth is unless I actually starve myself I will most likely never be skinny again. I decided to accept myself the way the good Lord designed me. I am a mother and wife and my kids and my husband don't expect me to look like a toothpick with cantelopes. As always though as soon as you start to feel allright with yourself someone or sometimes more that one person start to knock you down. I have heard everyone's opionion on my wieght, house cleaning, child bearing, ect. I have heard more information on what I should and should not do, and how to go about it that I came home and felt sick. I wish people stood together more, I wish family was more understanding, I wish people didn't try to force their beliefs on everyone else and just realized that God made us all different for a reason. I know it's hard sometimes but I try my best to accept people for who they are, and lately I try to just stay focused on the good things they do even if I don't agree with some of the things they do. It's hard to not judge, but we aren't here to judge.

Happy Birthday to Faye, Emma, and oh yeah Me!

2009-03-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

I want to wish Faye a wonderful birthday and I hope you enjoy looking out your window and watching the snow. I hope you have a blessed and healthy year ahead of you. I want to wish Emma a great big Happy Birthday for her number six. I hope you get everything you need to make you happy and may you be the best big sister in the whole wide world. I want to let everyone know that I am at home in my robe trying to down my third cup of coffee. I turned 31 while rocking the tank and trying to get her to see how yummy a binky could be instead of a boob. She didn't fall for it. I had a really rough night.(no sleep, period, coughing) I would like to crawl back into the bed and pull the covers up with a good book and a babysitter ofcourse to play with the kids.lol It's amazing how unmaterialistic I am. I think you really change after having kids and I think it's for the better. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Have a happy period. My foot.

2009-03-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

So I keep seeing these Always pad commercials that are ending with "Have a happy period". As if that's not bad enough it is also written on their little paper that holds the wings together. What kind of person came up with that slogan? I mean seriously. I have had a period for over 16 years, except for when I was pregnant or breastfeeding. I have had my period on my birthday,(like I will this year) I have had my period on my anniversary, vacations, camping trips, my kids special days, and even on days that were beautiful and full of life. However I have never had a happy period. For one thing you have to wear some form of protection, for me that means pads so I have to wear underwear to bed which I hate. I bloat and my belly hates having anything on it during that time of the month which includes my stretchy pants and my granny panties. I have horrible cramps, and stay irritated the first couple of days. I lose my appetite and live off of water, ibuprofen, cereal, and usually chocolate. I was laying in bed last night around midnight when this slogan popped into my head and I just got so irritated that it makes me want to quit buying their product. Do they really need a slogan to sell sanitary napkins? I mean come on everyone is using them. So I guess I'm over my whole hormonal rage thing, but I'm telling you whoever came up with that one has probably never had a period a day in his life.

Wordless Wednessdays!

2009-03-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-03-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

So I was reading one of my favorite blogs, I have many but I love the ideas this lady has on supper. Right up my alley!(or maybe I should say on my gravel road) Anyway she has awarded me with the Kreativ Blogger Award and that means I am suppose to list seven things I love. I am also suppose to list seven blogs I love but I just can't do it, I love too many so I ask that you take the time to check out my list of favorites or blogs I read, so informative and very helpful. So here goes on my list.

1. God although I always feel that I should be a better person, I know I have nothing without God.

2. My husband after half my life with him he still does it for me.

3. My lovely messy very funny children, because they always crack me up.

4. My Momma because she loves my children as much as I do, and my Daddy because he's the best one in the whole world ofcourse.

5. My brothers because they crack me up and they're grown men. lol My sister in law the teacher because she brought my bright eyed niece into this world, and my sister in law turkey head cause she enjoys my kids so much. 6.My sister cause we're so close we're almost twins. No kidding!

7. My mother in law because she listens to me whine, she doesn't judge me, and she loves my babies.

So now I'll tell you seven more things that are just things that I love not as important as people though.

1. Coffee with two scoops of sugar and whole white milk. Daily lot's of it.

2. My heating pad from April over at enchated dandelions (also a favorite blog)

3. My mama's pancakes with sausage and eggs with the noses runny.

4. My mother in laws chicken salad.

5. My Longanberger coffee cups expensive buy before we had kids and are great.

6. My Granpa's coffee cups I have two of them both very different one actually says #1 Dad. It helps me remember him and childhood in general.

7. My kitchen aid mixer. Knead I say more.

Thank God it's Tuesday!

2009-03-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

I just got home from another day of errand and visiting today, this make the fourth day in a row. My house looks like a tornado has flown through and left other peoples junk.(because I know my children wouldn't leave so much stuff all over the place) I went today and took a volunteer class at the negotiators school so that I may be able to go on field trips, help the teacher in class, or donate my time cleaning outside and planting flowers. Then I went to visit my Grandma for a bit before heading home with a sleeping tank and grumpy mechanic. Upon entering my messy home my first thought was have I over done it? Do I really have time to donate at the school when my house is always running away while I chase it with the broom? Then I start to get a little anxiety flowing, I feel the guilt of being gone doing other things the past four days when I should have been here cleaning and getting furniture moved about. All of a sudden I had an epiphany! Duh, I'm living my life. I am doing exactly what God intended. I let the guilt go.(goodbye and good riddance) I will do what is in my power to do, but I will not miss time with my family to clean. I do like things in order but most of the time I go around freaking out that as soon as one mess is cleaned up another waits. It can totally ruin a good day if I let it and so I will be trying my hardest not to let it. So I will think a little like my dear Grandma and be thankful for what I've got. So thank you God for this beautiful Tuesday and letting me spend a little of it with my mom, niece, woody, grandma, uncle olbern, and of course my youngins.

Bamboo flooring!

2009-03-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

This is my dear hubby putting down our new flooring, actually this is about two weeks old but you all know how it is with kids.(sick kids) He worked hard and that hard work has definetly paid off with a beautiful floor. we live in a modular home which is prefabbed and then joined together in the center of the house, the floor was raised where it was put together and it was like a hump. That means that you can't lay wood floor over it without issues, or it busting, leaving cracks where it should lock together ect. He had to take up the floor boards and use a chisel to level out the floor joists, then he had to replace floor boards and lay the flooring. The results are wonderful. I gotta tell ya I've spent more time cleaning the new floor that I've spent cleaning the whole house probably within the past six months. Also you have to use a special tool to nail the the special nails in it is called a pneumatic stapler. My husband was going to rent one which would have cost $130.00 for a week. I checked prices at home depot and lowe's and a new one would cost around $560.00(way out of our budget even though we still have three bedrooms and a hall to do) So he went by the Harbour Freight store on his way home and found and bought one for $139.00. That's right folks we have our very own pneumatic stapler for nine bucks over the rental price. Just because he chose to take a chance on a different company, so I recommend that you check with other stores like Harbour Freight or Norther tools if you ever need a special tool.