It's That Time

For the great clothes exchange.


Chuck pulled out the summer clothes and we had a little fashion show to see what fit. I was surprised how many of the 3T clothes fit. Yeah! I have been on laundry duty. I have done seven loads and am finally done!

I have almost all of the clothes put away. The bad or good thing depending on how you look at it is that I can't just throw the clothes in the closet. I have to clean out the closet and the drawers as I go. I now a huge mess, I mean pile of stuff in Megan's room. Oh well, it needed a good cleaning anyway!

Finishing Megan's room is my top project today. Maybe this will motivate me to get spring cleaning started. Am I the only one that is having trouble getting spring cleaning done?

Have a great day!

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Sabrina book two of the Big Sky Dreams series by Lori Wick

On my TV:
Veggie Tales

On the menu for tonight:
Chicken & Noodles, Green Beans, Rolls

On my To Do list:
Organize Megan's closet
Take outgrown clothes to Once Upon a Child
Finish laundry
Match coupons to grocery list
Babysit

New recipe I tried last week:
Easy Cheesy Potatoes
BBQ Chicken Pizza

In the craft basket:
Clothespin holder

Looking forward to:
Getting all of Megan's summer clothes organized.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
When your can opener get all gunky (is that a word?) use a toothbrush clean it. The toothbrush works great to get in all of those tight places.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
I didn't have a favorite.

Favorite photo of the week:

Future Blogger

Lesson learned the past few days:
It is okay to say no to outside activities. You might even find you have a great, relaxing weekend if you do!

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter
My parents. Good luck on Thursday!

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
We were made for calm, not chaos, and that is why we long for simpler times. Somewhere deep inside we know that simpler times are better times. ~Thomas Kinkade

This quote is on Sandra's header and I just love it!

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I have seen this pizza on several blogs and knew it was something I wanted to try. It is super easy and very tasty! Instead of making one large pizza I divided the dough in half and made two pizzas. I love to do this since everyone is able to personalize their pizza.

Pizza Crust

1 Tbs active dry yeast
1 c warm water (105-115)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Add rest of ingredients and mix together. On floured surface knead until smooth. About 5 minutes. Roll out & press down on greased pizza pan. (For my personal pizza I divided the dough in half and then used a plate to form the dough. The plate helped my to keep the circular shape.)

Spread barbecue sauce on pizza. Add diced, cooked chicken. Top with cheese and bacon. Bake at 450* for about 12-15 minutes.

This crust recipe is from http://biblicalwomanhood.com and is my favorite recipe. I love that I don't have to wait for the dough to rise.

Are you all shocked to see two recipe post one right after the other? Funny what you can accomplish when you actually stay home! I am now motivated more then ever to slow down and spend more time at home.

Happy cooking!

Easy Cheesy Potatoes

I saw this recipe in the newest Kraft Food & Family magazine. My mom currently has the magazine so these were not made per their recipe. I just winged it.

3 Russet potatoes
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 slices cooked, diced bacon
salt

Slice potatoes into thin rounds. Coat skillet with oil and add potatoes. Add salt to taste. Cook potatoes until tender. Turn off skillet. Add cheese and bacon. Put lid on skillet until cheese is melted.

Oh my, were these good. The only thing I would do different is add a little more cheese. That was a request from hubby. Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home

Home is certainly where I plan to be for the next couple of days. For a week that had nothing on the calendar we have sure been on the go!

Nothing earth shattering. I spent Monday and Wednesday at my parents house. Just visiting. Tuesday was spent outside until dark. A little planting was done and the to do list grew a little. Okay a lot! A quick trip to the grocery store and lunch out yesterday. Before I knew it the week was almost over!

Just the basics have been tended to at home. No time for the tender loving care that makes a home, well feel more like home!

Today is Chuck's Friday off. The plan is to catch up on my housework, do a little work on the kitchen and hopefully the rain will hold off so that we can spend some time outside.

Here is a quote that sums up exactly how I feel.

"Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort." Jane Austen

Wishing everyone a great weekend!

Plantin' Lettuce

We spend last night planting nine iceberg lettuce plants. We were trying to get them in the ground since rain was moving in last night.

Megan was my right hand lady and had so much fun helping out.



Instead of planting these in the veggie garden they were planted in the flower bed behind the house.


The peonies are coming up and will be behind the lettuce. Normally I would plant some annuals in this bed. I love flowers, but I decided it is best to spend money on plants that will feed my family.

I will still be planting annuals in some pots out back and in the front flower bed. Just at a minimum. I love that I will still get to see things growing in my flower beds and lower my grocery bill at the same time.

Are you planning to grow more of your own food this season?

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Cassidy by Lori Wick It is part of the Big Sky Series. I am almost done and can't wait to move on to book two in the series.

On my TV:
Tonight will be Jon & Kate Plus 8

On the menu for tonight:
Spaghetti at my father-in-laws.

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Work on painting kitchen cabinets

New recipe I tried last week:
No new recipe tried last week because I didn't feel well. I have several on the menu for this week.

In the craft basket:
Nothing this week.

Looking forward to:
Finish the painting on my kitchen cabinets. I am almost done!!

Homemaking Tip for this week:
I live in an area with hard water. Often when I boil water I am left with a deposit in the pan. To remove boil water with lemon juice in the pan. Let boil for two minutes and then empty pan and clean as normal. This should remove the deposit with minimal scrubbing.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
I didn't do much blog reading last week.

Favorite photo of the week:



Welcome Spring!

Lesson learned the past few days:
Cherish your family. While I was in so much pain with my kidney stones my family stepped right up. My parents came right over to care for Megan and my childcare kids. Chuck came home to take me to the doctor and hospital. He even took the next day off to be home to care for me. It is great to know that I have such a loving, caring family that will drop everything when needed!

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
"Rejoice evermore." 1 Thessalonians 5:16

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Trip to the Hospital

My week certainly didn't turn out like I had planned. On Tuesday morning Megan and I ate breakfast, started a load of laundry and head out to Kohl's before 9am. What a great start to the day! I returned tiny's 2T capris, picked out a couple of shirts since they didn't have any capri pants in size 18 mos. We loaded up and headed home. The weather was fantastic and I had the whole day planned.

On the way home I felt weird and thought maybe I was getting a stomach ache. I went home and the pain moved to the left side of my back. There was a constant pain, but at times it was almost unbearable. To make a long story short I ended up having a MRI and have kidney stones. Ouch!

I have been drinking lots of water and taking pain medication and right now I feel pretty good. I am suppose to call the doctor's office tomorrow and get my next set of instructions.

We had plans to go for chinese on Saturday night with some friends we went to China with. I have cancelled those plans and we will be spending a nice, quiet weekend at home.

That is my excitement for the week. I hope there isn't quite so much excitement in the next week. Have a great weekend!

Around My Yard

Spring is really trying to make her appearance here. Today was the kind of day where you could open some windows and go outside with a light jacket. It is suppose to be nice like this all week. Yeah!

I took my camera out with me after dinner and took a few shots to share.

This is my new flag that welcomes you as to come up the walk to the front door.


I have several patches of daffodils. These are ready to pop.


Some crocus that are next to the flag.


And some more that are in a backyard bed.


The lilac bushes are budding out. I can't wait to have a bouquet for my table.


Hope you enjoyed a peek of Spring in my yard!

Have a great Tuesday!

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Cassidy book one of the Big Sky Dreams series by Lori Wick

On my TV:
Tonight will be Jon & Kate Plus 8

On the menu for tonight:
Round steak, leftover macaroni & cheese, green beans

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Pick my niece, Kayla up from Kindergarten
Clean out the flower beds while Megan & Kayla play outside

New recipe I tried last week:
No new recipe tried last week. I have two new recipes on the menu for this week.

In the craft basket:
Easter cards. I never made them last week.

Looking forward to:
A week of warm weather!

Homemaking Tip for this week:
I place extra trash bags in the bottom of my trash can. When I empty the can I have a new bag ready to go.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
Cheryl @ Coppers Wife

Favorite photo of the week:


Lesson learned the past few days:
Cherish every moment because it only takes a mere second for things to change.

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter
Brian, my brother-in-law

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 10,12

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Gardening: Iceberg Lettuce Seeds

Last night Megan and I started our iceberg lettuce. We planted those teeny tiny seeds in six peat pots.


I made sure to label the pots with the item and the date planted. That way I will know when the seeds should have germinated. If not we can start over.

I think this was Megan's favorite part.



I don't any kid that doesn't love the spray bottle!

The pots were then placed into some plastic trays and placed in the kitchen window.


Megan had lots of fun and I can't wait to see her excitement when they start to grow.

Have a great weekend!

Whatcha Workin' on Wednesday

It is that time again to share what we have been working on. I hate to say it, but I am still working on the kitchen. This has turned in to the project that won't quit! I know that it will be worth all the work in the end.

The back splash has been installed and has been painted. Here is a peek.



The yellow isn't quite what I wanted, but I like it. The first coat was much too bright. I toned it down with some white and am satisfied. The plan was to paint the walls the same color as the back splash. Now I think it will be too much. I am going to add more white and paint the walls a paler yellow.

I am excited to get all the painting done so that the fun stuff can begin. For now I have just thrown stuff on the counters. We were tired of not having a table to eat at.

One of the things that was on the table was this crock with a candle. The candle had been used up for some time, but I couldn't part with it.


My solution was to clean out the candle and see the crock on the counter to hold dishwasher tablets.

Well, that is what I have been working on. Be sure to stop by and visit Leslie to see what other have been working on.

Have a great Wednesday!

Vacation Day?

Monday ended up as an unexpected vacation day for Chuck. I would like to say it was full of fun and exciting things. Sorry can't. I guess when Chuck up he went into the kitchen to get a drink and heard a hiss sound. He didn't pay much attention to it since he was still in that not quite awake state. When he went to leave he heard it again and went to investigate. Somehow the water line to the ice maker had sprung a leak. What a mess!

I had no idea any of this was going on. Daylight savings time along with a very busy Sunday left Megan and I very tired. It was eight o'clock and we were still asleep!! When Chuck woke us up I was surprised. I asked what was going on and he said he would tell me when I was more awake. I first thought was that he lost his job! I couldn't think of any other reason why he would be home. Thankfully that wasn't it. Whew!

We are still uncertain about the wood floor under the frig. It was very wet. A fan was ran most of the day and we will just have to hope for the best.

This unexpected day off did allow me to get some stuff done in the kitchen. The back splash is painted. The pantry is ready to be moved back in and I am ready to start prepping the cabinet doors for paint. Yeah! I will be back tomorrow with some picture of our progress.

Have a great day!

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Prairie County Fair A book with four novellas by four different authors. A gift from Monica. I wasn't able to read much last week, but hope to finish this book soon.

On my TV:
Tonight will be Jon & Kate Plus 8

On the menu for tonight:
Rigatoni, Salad & Garlic Bread

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Dust & Vacuum Living Room
Work on painting kitchen cabinets
Babysit

New recipe I tried last week:
No new recipe tried last week.

In the craft basket:
Easter cards

Looking forward to:
Finishing the painting on my kitchen cabinets.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
Keeping a basket by the door to keep keys, library books and items to be returned will save time when trying to get out the door.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
I love what Georgia Farm Woman did with her feed bags. Clever!

Favorite photo of the week:


Can't you just taste those garden fresh veggies!

Lesson learned the past few days:
It is important to pause our busy lives to savor the simple things. It is the simple things that make life most pleasurable.

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
"Be kind and compassionate to one another,forgiving each other,just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Think Spring!

Think Spring! Think Spring! That is certainly what I have been doing. It was 50* and sunny yesterday. Today and Friday is is suppose to be 60*. Yes, I know we still have a way to go to spring here in Central Indiana, but a girl can think spring. Right?

We took a break from our kitchen last night and headed out for dinner at Cracker Barrel and then a trip to the hardware store. While there I couldn't resist picking up some of these. (I took this picture on my new counter top.)


I plan to start the lettuce seeds this weekend. I want to be ready to transplant seedling in a few weeks.

This is what is left on the back splash. I think Chuck said he has eight boards left to cut.


I am loving the way it looks. He should get the rest of them cut tonight and then he will remove them all and number them. Starting Friday he will be able to start to glue them up. Then the fun painting part begins! Slowly, but surely it is coming together.

Have a great Thursday!

Shoebox Swap: Clean

I was lucky enough to not only swap with one, but two swappers. What fun!! Here is what I received from Monica.

*Cute homemade apron
*Book, Prairie County Fair, which I am halfway through and really enjoying.
*Hot chocolate mix
*Sponge (which Megan claimed as her own and uses to wash her dishes)
*360* Swiffer duster
*Spray bottle and cleaning mit. Which are crafts from Monica's Proverbs 31 Craft Series
*Plastic basket to hold all my goodies.

This is what I sent Monica.


My other swap partner was Mary Ann. This is what I received from her.


Everything came with an attached scripture.
*Dust wipes
*Scrubbie
*Dishtowel
*Plastic organizers
*Glade air freshener - clean linen
*Lotion & wash
*Clothes pins that had my family members names on them. To remind me to pray from my family as I hang out the laundry. Neat!
*Sign
*Plastic carrier to hold everything. Sorry I forgot to get a picture, because the little lady claimed it as her own!

Here is a close up of the sign. I love it!

This is what I sent to Mary Ann.


It was alot of fun to put the boxes together. I appreciate all the thought and time Monica and Mary Ann put into their boxes. I can't thank you enough!!

Thanks Monica & Carrie for hosting this. Be sure to visit Carrie to see other swap boxes.

Kazoo!

I saw this idea at Kindra's and knew we would give it a try.


I loved that it was a fast and easy project. The kids had fun and it really works!

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments and encouragement on our kitchen project. It is slowly coming along. There have been some questions and comments from some people I haven't visited before. I haven't had alot of time to be on the computer. I am hopeful to have some downtime soon to visit everyone. I really appreciate every comment that I receive. Honestly I still find it hard to believe that I am interesting enough for people to read!!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Prairie County Fair A book with four novellas by four different authors. A gift from Monica. I am enjoying it as it is a quick entertaining read.

On my TV:
Tonight will be Jon & Kate Plus 8

On the menu for tonight:
BBQ Boneless Chicken Breast, Green Beans & Rice

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Dust & Vacuum Living Room
Work on painting kitchen cabinets
Babysit

New recipe I tried last week:
No new ones last week due to stomach bug. I barely eat and didn't cook at all last week.

In the craft basket:
Sketching some ideas for Chuck to make for the kitchen.

Looking forward to:
Finishing the painting on my kitchen cabinets.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
When painting an item that you need to lay down place it on wax or parchment paper instead of newspaper. It will peel right off of the wax/parchment paper, but will stick to the newspaper.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
Amy had some good ideas on living within your budget. I love what she says about "ditching the Joneses." Something I need to work on.

Favorite photo of the week:

Sneak peek at my kitchen. The new counter top is in, the back splash has been started and the bottom cabinets are almost completely painted.

Lesson learned the past few days:
Rest is a good thing, even when your to do list is a mile long.

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:1 ion)
"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." Proverbs 30:31

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!