Hello 2012! I've heard you were here, but I'm just not ready yet. It feels like life has been a little off kilter in recent months so I couldn't even get it together enough to make resolutions and I certainly don't feel like I have a grip or vision on this current year. Tough stuff going on with my family that makes my heart heavy for them. The loss of my dear grandfather less than a month ago. Weariness in the trenches of mothering and homeschooling. Physical tiredness from keeping up with a toddler and 3 big kids and growing the precious girl inside my womb. Celebrating Christmas, but not really "feeling" it this year. Finding it hard to make ends meet and provide what we want to for our family. Turning 35 and wondering who in the world I am and feeling some disappointment that I'm not really the gal I wanted to be, thought I would be by this age.
But this I know, for everything there is season (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) and God is with me in whatever season I am in. He sees me. He has compassion and love for me. What a comfort! I serve and worship and rest in the God of grace, not in a god of "Come unto me when you get it together, girl, and then you'll be acceptable and worthy of my attention."
So maybe I am ready for this year after all. Ready for resting in the abundance of God's grace and provision for me, letting His Spirit and Word sustain me.
Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9*)
*read all of Galatians 6 for better context
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
It's Time to Simplify...Again
I'm not sure if it's that after-Christmas "where I am gonna put the new stuff?" feeling or some kind of nesting, but I'm certainly feeling the urge to purge right now. When our home is in order, I just feel so much better, more calm and relaxed, more engaged with my kids rather than focusing on the stuff, and more energetic for accomplishing what needs to be done. Physical clutter greatly contributes to mental clutter for me, so I need to be proactive on this. I made a big list of lots of areas that need a good purge and cleaning. My aim is to do about one item on the list per day and have our home refreshed by the end of January. The list is posted on our fridge so I can cross it off when each area is complete and I'm also noting how many bags or boxes are leaving the house thanks to this effort. Here's my list.
Are you feeling the urge to purge this time of year?
| Space to Purge & Clean |
| DONE - Daughter's room |
| DONE - Sons' room |
| Linen cupboards |
| DONE - Medicines & toiletries |
| My closet |
| Husband's closet |
| Master bathroom |
| Kids' bathroom |
| Kitchen upper cabinets |
| Kitchen lower cabinets |
| Living room cabinet |
| Homeschooling shelves |
| Laundry room |
| Half bath |
| Kitchen & living room floors and baseboards |
| DONE - Christmas decorations |
| Coat closet |
| Toys |
| Creative space |
| DONE Gift wraps |
| Bookshelves |
| File cabinet |
| Baby clothes / saved children's clothes |
| Kitchen counters |
| Primary email account |
| Items to sell |
| Vehicles |
| Garage |
| Yard & Front Porch |
Are you feeling the urge to purge this time of year?
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Zesty Cheese Dip
I was recently asked to submit a simple recipe that could be made by our daughter for her American Heritage Girls group Christmas party. This was honestly a bit of challenge since I do so much cooking and baking without recipes or with recipes which are too complicated for a 7-year-old to do mostly on her own. The recipe I submitted for the little cookbook for the girls is below, just made up by me. But we did make it today and it is a keeper at our house. And in this season of an overload of sweets, this bit of savory hits the spot.
In a bowl, mix cream cheese and spices well. Add cheddar cheese and mix. Transfer to a small serving bowl and chill. Or shape into a ball and roll in shredded parmesan or asiago cheese, cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Zesty Cheese Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/8 to 1/4 t. cayenne pepper, to taste
1 C. finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 C. parmesan or asiago cheese, shredded (optional)
In a bowl, mix cream cheese and spices well. Add cheddar cheese and mix. Transfer to a small serving bowl and chill. Or shape into a ball and roll in shredded parmesan or asiago cheese, cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Serve with sturdy crackers or spread on bagels. Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Many of My Favorite Things
As I seek to live more simply and intentionally I have noticed that I have become a bit persnickety about items I select to use, which I'm sure is no delight to my husband as he searches for gifts for me. Sorry, my love. I just don't want to waste my time, money and energy using and maintaining products which don't serve me well. So while it may take me longer to shop for just what I am looking for, I am more often satisfied with what I do choose and keep those things which are non-consumable in use for a good long time.
Anyway, on with the list. These are just things I like to use and think are a good value for the use and enjoyment they see in our home. I'm not being paid for these endorsements, but I would welcome the opportunity. :) Since I don't want to steer you wrong, take this list with a grain of salt and consider that I am budget-and-value-minded, 30-something, family gal seeking a simple life.
Favorite things for the body:
* Kirkland Moisturizing Shampoo - paraben & sulfate free
* Kirkland Natural Citrus Body Wash - paraben & sulfate free
* SmartWool socks
* K.Bell socks - rival SmartWool in my opinion and at a fraction of the cost (2 pairs for $12.99 when Costco has them)
* Glysomed hand cream - The only thing I've really found to remedy my cracking, bleeding hands through dry Colorado winters.
* Keen sandals
Favorite things in the kitchen:
* Bosch Universal mixer and Nutrimill grain mill - The Lord provided an amazing deal on a gently used set 4 years ago and I use these all the time so even if I had to pay full price, I would definitely say it is worth it.
* Pyrex dishes with plastic lids for baking, serving and storing
* bowl scraper by Progressive - This makes managing large quantities of dough so much easier.
Favorite foods & flavors:
* Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Tea - great hot or cold
* World Market Extra Virgin Olive Oil - $6.99 for 1 ltr. in a dark glass bottle
* World Market coffee beans - We are part of their coffee perks program and often use high value coupons to get it even cheaper.
* Kirkland Saigon cinnamon
* Tillamook cheese
* Famous Dave's pickles - My current condition just might be affecting my taste for these. :)
* Jelly Belly jelly beans and most other fruity candies
* Dole Tropical Gold premium canned pineapple - to me it takes like fresh pineapple without all the work and guessing which one to pick in the produce section
* Dr. Pepper - old habits die hard
Favorite things for babies & children:
* Beco baby carrier - This was a big splurge for our fourth child, but I have no regrets. I especially love it for the back carry position when the baby is bigger.
* Hanna Andersson clothes - I've found some sweet and colorful dresses secondhand which have been well-loved by my little girl.
* Robeez slipper shoes
* Britax Blink stroller & Lands' End Little Tripper diaper bag - We were given these for our 4th baby and I've loved them for ease of use and compactness. The Britax B-Nimble model looks very similar to the Blink but is twice the price. Hmm...
* Lands' End hooded coats - I'm counting on these lasting through multiple children, they are well made and the hoods add warmth without keeping track of a hat all the time.
* Other random thoughts on caring for baby can be found in a post from a long while back here.
I'm sure I'll think of more after I hit "publish" but this list is a good start on stuff I like.
What are some of your favorite things?
Anyway, on with the list. These are just things I like to use and think are a good value for the use and enjoyment they see in our home. I'm not being paid for these endorsements, but I would welcome the opportunity. :) Since I don't want to steer you wrong, take this list with a grain of salt and consider that I am budget-and-value-minded, 30-something, family gal seeking a simple life.
Favorite things for the body:
* Kirkland Moisturizing Shampoo - paraben & sulfate free
* Kirkland Natural Citrus Body Wash - paraben & sulfate free
* SmartWool socks
* K.Bell socks - rival SmartWool in my opinion and at a fraction of the cost (2 pairs for $12.99 when Costco has them)
* Glysomed hand cream - The only thing I've really found to remedy my cracking, bleeding hands through dry Colorado winters.
* Keen sandals
Favorite things in the kitchen:
* Bosch Universal mixer and Nutrimill grain mill - The Lord provided an amazing deal on a gently used set 4 years ago and I use these all the time so even if I had to pay full price, I would definitely say it is worth it.
* Pyrex dishes with plastic lids for baking, serving and storing
* bowl scraper by Progressive - This makes managing large quantities of dough so much easier.
Favorite foods & flavors:
* Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Tea - great hot or cold
* World Market Extra Virgin Olive Oil - $6.99 for 1 ltr. in a dark glass bottle
* World Market coffee beans - We are part of their coffee perks program and often use high value coupons to get it even cheaper.
* Kirkland Saigon cinnamon
* Tillamook cheese
* Famous Dave's pickles - My current condition just might be affecting my taste for these. :)
* Jelly Belly jelly beans and most other fruity candies
* Dole Tropical Gold premium canned pineapple - to me it takes like fresh pineapple without all the work and guessing which one to pick in the produce section
* Dr. Pepper - old habits die hard
Favorite things for babies & children:
* Beco baby carrier - This was a big splurge for our fourth child, but I have no regrets. I especially love it for the back carry position when the baby is bigger.
* Hanna Andersson clothes - I've found some sweet and colorful dresses secondhand which have been well-loved by my little girl.
* Robeez slipper shoes
* Britax Blink stroller & Lands' End Little Tripper diaper bag - We were given these for our 4th baby and I've loved them for ease of use and compactness. The Britax B-Nimble model looks very similar to the Blink but is twice the price. Hmm...
* Lands' End hooded coats - I'm counting on these lasting through multiple children, they are well made and the hoods add warmth without keeping track of a hat all the time.
* Other random thoughts on caring for baby can be found in a post from a long while back here.
I'm sure I'll think of more after I hit "publish" but this list is a good start on stuff I like.
What are some of your favorite things?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Countdown to Thanksgiving Menu Plan
As Thanksgiving is just around the corner I thought I would plan meals from now til then, hoping to use up what we have on hand.
11/14
L - lunch with my husband, used a BOGO at Pei Wei...yum!
D - beef stew served over mashed potatoes, whole wheat bread
Prep: make batch of bread & cinnamon rolls
11/15
B - cinnamon rolls, yogurt & blackberries
L - turkey cheese sandwiches on whole wheat bread
D - beef stew (add chunks of potatoes this time around), garlic cheese buns, ceasar salad
11/16
B - w.w. toast or leftover w.w. waffles, yogurt, fruit
L - mac & cheese, fruit salad, carrots
D - beans & rice w/ leftover taco meat, lettuce, cheese, salsa, etc., apple slices
11/17
B - oatmeal w/berries, yogurt
L - rice bowls with assorted toppings (a hit with the kids and a good way to use leftovers), fruit
D - balsamic chicken, spaghetti squash, green salad
11/18
B - cereal, yogurt
L - soup, bread or sour cream biscuits (made w/plain yogurt)
D - chicken pot pie
11/19
B - "pumpkin" waffles - I'll use butternut squash puree I have in the freezer from this fall.
L - quesadillas, raw veggies
D - date night! It has been months, so when some sweet church friends offered to come watch the kids we didn't hesitate to say yes. I'll leave a prepped pizza assembly line for those here at home.
11/20
B - leftover waffles, yogurt
L - burritos, salad
D - buffalo chicken, baked potatoes, green beans
11/21
B - scrambled eggs, bacon, yogurt
L - chicken salad sandwiches, carrots
D - Colorado white chili, chips, sour cream
Prep: make batch of whole wheat bread (2 loaves) & cinnamon rolls(3 pans)
11/22 -
B - cinnamon rolls, berry/banana smoothies
L - birthday lunch
D - birthday dinner .....yes, I'll take full advantage of the day!
11/23
B - yogurt/cereal/fruit parfaits
L - turkey cheese sandwiches or quesadillas, chips
D - leftover buffet
For Thanksgiving Day:
green bean casserole
2 pumpkin pies & whipped cream (I'm gonna let Costco do this for me as they are delicious and big and priced close to what I would spend on ingredients alone.)
2 doz. cinnamon rolls
We have so much to be thankful for! Savor the season and count your blessings!
11/14
L - lunch with my husband, used a BOGO at Pei Wei...yum!
D - beef stew served over mashed potatoes, whole wheat bread
Prep: make batch of bread & cinnamon rolls
11/15
B - cinnamon rolls, yogurt & blackberries
L - turkey cheese sandwiches on whole wheat bread
D - beef stew (add chunks of potatoes this time around), garlic cheese buns, ceasar salad
11/16
B - w.w. toast or leftover w.w. waffles, yogurt, fruit
L - mac & cheese, fruit salad, carrots
D - beans & rice w/ leftover taco meat, lettuce, cheese, salsa, etc., apple slices
11/17
B - oatmeal w/berries, yogurt
L - rice bowls with assorted toppings (a hit with the kids and a good way to use leftovers), fruit
D - balsamic chicken, spaghetti squash, green salad
11/18
B - cereal, yogurt
L - soup, bread or sour cream biscuits (made w/plain yogurt)
D - chicken pot pie
11/19
B - "pumpkin" waffles - I'll use butternut squash puree I have in the freezer from this fall.
L - quesadillas, raw veggies
D - date night! It has been months, so when some sweet church friends offered to come watch the kids we didn't hesitate to say yes. I'll leave a prepped pizza assembly line for those here at home.
11/20
B - leftover waffles, yogurt
L - burritos, salad
D - buffalo chicken, baked potatoes, green beans
11/21
B - scrambled eggs, bacon, yogurt
L - chicken salad sandwiches, carrots
D - Colorado white chili, chips, sour cream
Prep: make batch of whole wheat bread (2 loaves) & cinnamon rolls(3 pans)
11/22 -
B - cinnamon rolls, berry/banana smoothies
L - birthday lunch
D - birthday dinner .....yes, I'll take full advantage of the day!
11/23
B - yogurt/cereal/fruit parfaits
L - turkey cheese sandwiches or quesadillas, chips
D - leftover buffet
For Thanksgiving Day:
green bean casserole
2 pumpkin pies & whipped cream (I'm gonna let Costco do this for me as they are delicious and big and priced close to what I would spend on ingredients alone.)
2 doz. cinnamon rolls
We have so much to be thankful for! Savor the season and count your blessings!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
This Week
Retreating
I'm so exited to be going on to our church's women's retreat at a beautiful spot in the mountains. It has been a few since I last attended and am looking forward to the break from routine and daily responsibility and looking forward to encouragement through the Word and fellowship. Oh, and I'm looking forward to the delicious food that requires no work from me, too. :)
Homeschooling
We are into our 10th week of the school year and I am losing steam. So this week are doing a review of all of our previous weeks of memory work and the kids will carry on with light to moderate work with their independent work. We are not part of a Classical Conversations group, but we are using their resources and we're all enjoying the content and approach.
Planning
I really need to get it together and make may plan of attack for Christmas shopping and for the items I am hoping to make for gifts, as well. I have a start but I am really in need of nice, but economical ideas for teacher gifts. Any ideas?
Cleaning
Really our whole house is need of a deep clean due to some neglect over recent months, but this week I'm going to focus on giving the bathrooms a good scrubbing.
Purchasing
I'm putting in my first order with Zaycon Foods today to order boneless skinless chicken breasts at $1.49/lb. I'm not sure how often they will come to Colorado, so this time I'm ordering 80 lbs. (2 cases). It is always nice for me to have options in my freezer and with our growing family I'm hoping 80 lbs. is a reasonable amount to stock.
Cooking For My Family
We are in a tight season right now so I am trying to get extra creative in feeding us relatively healthfully with what we have. Anyone else feeling the pinch with rising prices and growing kids?
Monday
B - cinnamon rolls, bananas
L - sandwiches & leftovers
D - pulled pork in the crockpot w/ homemade sauce on buns, green beans, garlic mashed potatoes (I bought a box of these at Costco for $9-10 and they are pretty good, especially considering how easy they are and how short the ingredient list is.)
Tuesday
B - cinnamon bread, yogurt, o.j.
L - quesadillas, leftover chili
D - pulled pork, spaghetti squash, green bean casserole
Wednesday
B - scrambled eggs, toast, o.j.
L - grilled turkey cheese sandwiches, leftover green beans & mashed potatoes, apples
D - ham & white bean soup w/veggies (I cooked the ham bone from a dinner last week so I'm starting with a quart of soup base from the freezer), whole wheat bread, chocolate chip cookies
Thursday
B - oatmeal, raspberries, yogurt
L - homemade mac & cheese (make 1 extra pan), peas
D - homemade pizza (large batch)
Friday
B - granola, apple slices
L - tuna cheese melts,
Weekend options for my husband to fix. There is no budget for him to take it easy and take the kids out to eat, so I want to leave lots of ideas and options for him. I'm so thankful that he is a great dad and that he takes such good care of our kiddos. I seriously have no reservations leaving the kids in his care for a weekend.
- leftovers
- burritos (freezer)
- fish sticks & peas (freezer)
- mac & cheese (fridge or freezer)
- pizza & frozen vegetables
- spaghetti w/sauce & maybe a little pepperoni?
- turkey cheese quesadillas or sandwiches
- breakfast items: scrambled eggs, bacon, cereal, toast, oatmeal, granola
Have a great week!
I'm so exited to be going on to our church's women's retreat at a beautiful spot in the mountains. It has been a few since I last attended and am looking forward to the break from routine and daily responsibility and looking forward to encouragement through the Word and fellowship. Oh, and I'm looking forward to the delicious food that requires no work from me, too. :)
Homeschooling
We are into our 10th week of the school year and I am losing steam. So this week are doing a review of all of our previous weeks of memory work and the kids will carry on with light to moderate work with their independent work. We are not part of a Classical Conversations group, but we are using their resources and we're all enjoying the content and approach.
Planning
I really need to get it together and make may plan of attack for Christmas shopping and for the items I am hoping to make for gifts, as well. I have a start but I am really in need of nice, but economical ideas for teacher gifts. Any ideas?
Cleaning
Really our whole house is need of a deep clean due to some neglect over recent months, but this week I'm going to focus on giving the bathrooms a good scrubbing.
Purchasing
I'm putting in my first order with Zaycon Foods today to order boneless skinless chicken breasts at $1.49/lb. I'm not sure how often they will come to Colorado, so this time I'm ordering 80 lbs. (2 cases). It is always nice for me to have options in my freezer and with our growing family I'm hoping 80 lbs. is a reasonable amount to stock.
Cooking For My Family
We are in a tight season right now so I am trying to get extra creative in feeding us relatively healthfully with what we have. Anyone else feeling the pinch with rising prices and growing kids?
Monday
B - cinnamon rolls, bananas
L - sandwiches & leftovers
D - pulled pork in the crockpot w/ homemade sauce on buns, green beans, garlic mashed potatoes (I bought a box of these at Costco for $9-10 and they are pretty good, especially considering how easy they are and how short the ingredient list is.)
Tuesday
B - cinnamon bread, yogurt, o.j.
L - quesadillas, leftover chili
D - pulled pork, spaghetti squash, green bean casserole
Wednesday
B - scrambled eggs, toast, o.j.
L - grilled turkey cheese sandwiches, leftover green beans & mashed potatoes, apples
D - ham & white bean soup w/veggies (I cooked the ham bone from a dinner last week so I'm starting with a quart of soup base from the freezer), whole wheat bread, chocolate chip cookies
Thursday
B - oatmeal, raspberries, yogurt
L - homemade mac & cheese (make 1 extra pan), peas
D - homemade pizza (large batch)
Friday
B - granola, apple slices
L - tuna cheese melts,
Weekend options for my husband to fix. There is no budget for him to take it easy and take the kids out to eat, so I want to leave lots of ideas and options for him. I'm so thankful that he is a great dad and that he takes such good care of our kiddos. I seriously have no reservations leaving the kids in his care for a weekend.
- leftovers
- burritos (freezer)
- fish sticks & peas (freezer)
- mac & cheese (fridge or freezer)
- pizza & frozen vegetables
- spaghetti w/sauce & maybe a little pepperoni?
- turkey cheese quesadillas or sandwiches
- breakfast items: scrambled eggs, bacon, cereal, toast, oatmeal, granola
Have a great week!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Life is full of surprises....
...and this is a good one. Surprising, indeed, but it is good. The kids are excited and those we've shared the news with have been excited for us...and maybe if they think we are crazy or aren't thrilled, at least have been kind enough to keep that to themselves. We surely love all the kids God has blessed us with and hey, is being a family of 7 going to be all that much more chaotic than being a family of 6?! God will provide.
I am feeling so much better now at 16 weeks. The first trimester was very difficult, but we all managed to make it through, even though naps were frequent and housekeeping was, well, infrequent. I have the bonus this time of getting to be categorized as Advanced Maternal Age as of next month. Yikes!
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