Just in case you missed it on Facebook, or an email...

There seems to be a plethora of "getting to know you" emails and Facebook notes these days. So, just in case you sent me one and I forgot to respond to you personally (which I am sorry for!) Here it is for you!




1. I can write with my left hand almost as well as my right.
2. I am the youngest of 4 children.
3. I have lived in 14 states, and have lived in Indiana the longest, being 5 years now.
4. I finished high school at the tender age of 15.
5. I went to beauty school, and college for accounting, and use neither skill.
6. I homeschool my 3 wonderful children.
7. We have 2 dogs, 2 cats, and this weekend are adding several baby chicks to the "zoo".
8. I bake and cook from scratch a lot, but don't eat most of what I make.
9. My kids think that brussel sprouts and broccoli are treats to get at dinner time.
10. I can give directions well, but can get lost very easily!
11. One of my friends claims to be part Hobbit.
12. I usually can shop for a family of 5 (food-wise) on a budget of $60 a week, getting it to $40 if necessary...just ask and I'll tell you how!
13. My mother and father live in Arizona...the weather is about in the 70's and 80's right now.
14. I drink diet Dr. Pepper.
15. I like my house to be neat and tidy, but haven't dusted since Clinton was in office.
16. I have one sister and 2 brothers, all of whom I haven't seen in the same room at the same time since 1993.
17. I am an aspiring writer, and write 2 blogs of my own, and for Heart of the Matter online and Rock Solid Place.
18. I don't have a lot of free time to write some days, and "cheat' by using pictures of my kids and calling it "wordless wednesday". :)
19. My kitchen is yellow and green. Hubby and I fought about adding blue to it, but couldn't reach a compromise of the shade....so we left it as is.
20. I learned German in the 9th grade and still remember most of it. We had an excellent teacher!
21. I like to watch Battlestar Galactica and get upset each week when I am left hanging.
22. I would rather watch a comedy than an action adventure, but usually watch the action movies since that's what hubby and our friends all like.
23. I eat eggs for breakfast every day.
24. My hubby proposed to me at Burger King over onion rings and we still go there each year for our anniversary.
25. I can't believe that I was able to come up with 25 things to write about!!!!

Free Coffee at Panera

Enjoy your free coffee at Panera Bread tomorrow! Thanks, Marcie!!

Free Dr.Pepper

Get your coupon for a free 20oz bottle or a 2 liter of Diet Dr. Pepper here.

Menu Plan Monday

I have to tell ya'll...I am sooo tired of the same ol', same ol' week in and week out.
I went to the library this past Saturday and checked out a few cookbooks to see if anything jumped out at me. Not to much, really, but I am going to try a couple of new ideas.

So, without further ado, here is my menu plan for this week. I am leaving a little room for flexibility more than usual though. I really don't want mutiny on my hands if they are truly tired of pancakes and meatballs :)

BREAKFAST

scrambled eggs with strawberries, pancakes, cereal, whole grain coffee cake, yogurt and fruit, oatmeal

LUNCHES

hot dogs with pears and cold veggies, grilled cheese with applesauce, lunch at Pizza Hut (with Book It rewards), "cold plate" lunch (crackers, cheese, carrots, celery with peanut butter, sliced apples), sandwiches at school, leftovers

DINNERS

mozzarella meatloaf, chili over rice with crackers, chicken and broccoli casserole, BBQ pork over cauliflower couscous*, spaghetti with cheese bread, chicken nuggets with green beans, tacos, dinner out


Well, that's it. I am really looking forward to trying some new recipes. Maybe ya'll can share one with me?








* new recipe from a cookbook I checked out

DayBook

FOR TODAY January 26, 2009 ...

Outside my window...it's still winter...snowy and coooold

I am thinking...that it's deceiving that the ladies on the cover of the Pilates DVD are smiling...

I am thankful for...tylenol!!!

From the learning rooms...helping a new homeschooling mom, schoolwork ourselves

From the kitchen...chocolate chip cookies later today!

I am wearing...workout clothes, simply because I am currently too sore to get into the shower!

I am creating...a healthier me

I am going...to Pizza Hut (for the kids-not me)

I am reading...Come Thirsty by Max Lucado

I am hoping...for some time alone this week

I am hearing...boys getting up, dogs whining, cats meowing

Around the house...laundry piled up on me again, but the kitchen projects are all done!

One of my favorite things...a good book with a hot cup of tea

A few plans for the rest of the week:homeschooling, library, Pizza Hut, call Lisa, clean up the laundry room

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Menopause Woes...

As a woman entering the "change" of life, the hair seems to grow a slight bit faster than it used to. The hair that is falling out of the top of the head seems to show up in different and unusual places. Shaving becomes a daily thing. But, what I want to know is if you can't see the hair, are you still considered "Hairy"?

And, just for the record, why do some women pluck their eyebrows completely off and then draw them back in with a sharpie?

Coffee-Mate and Cottonelle Coupons

Go here to print out a $1.50/1 Coffeemate coupon. My local Meijer has these on sale quite often for 2/$3 so that would make them free!

Also, go here to print out another $.50/1 coupon for Cottonelle. Kroger has these at regular price for $.99 so if your store doubles, that would make them free! And free toilet paper is always a good thing!




thanks MoneysavingMom!

Swagbuck Revolution!

I have heard about Swagbucks before, but finally decided to take the plunge and see what it's about...you earn swagbucks to redeem for prizes just by searching the web. I have used Mypoints for a while and like it, so we will see how this goes.
To sign up for yourself, click here.

Fried Sea Kitten???

Well, it looks like PETA is at it again. They no longer wish to see fishermen, fishsticks, or even sea food. They want you to think of the creatures of the sea as cuddly little animals that are just too cute to eat.

PETA is wanting us to call these sea animals "SEA KITTENS"...can you believe that???

I don't know about you, but aren't there more important things to worry about? Seriously, can you imagine the ramifications of the name change really taking place? No more books with "F" for "Fish", or learning that "S" is for "Shark" or "Seahorse".

Can you imagine what the dietitians will say when they have to tell people that salmon is no longer on the menu? Or eating fish sticks at the school cafeteria?
Maybe we should call them "kitten sticks"?

What about the names of all these creatures? Do we no longer call a "shark" a "shark"? Is it now a "big kitten"? How about the shrimp? Maybe we call that one "little sea kitten"? And do you change the name of "catfish" to just "cat"?

And, you are no longer going "fishing"...now is it "seakittening"?

To read the full story, check it out here.

DayBook

FOR TODAY Jan 19, 2009

Outside my window...snow, but the sun is trying to poke through.

I am thinking...that I wish I had gotten more sleep last night.

I am thankful for...hazelnut creamer in hot coffee.

From the learning rooms...school today:History, Math, Science

From the kitchen...beef and rice for dinner...yum!

I am wearing...jammie pants and sweatshirt.

I am creating...a quiet place

I am going...to stay home this week as much as possible.

I am reading...Come Thirsty by Max Lucado

I am hoping...to get some time to read my new book.

I am hearing...daughter eating breakfast, sons watching a movie.

Around the house...laundry piled up again on me...take a day off and see what happens?

One of my favorite things...cuddling with my kids

A few plans for the rest of the week:school, watching the inauguration, lunch with a friend on Friday.

A picture thought I am sharing:

Is this the new math????

Ok...so maybe I need to get out more or maybe I need to get a new calculator. But my friend came over the other day with a 24oz. bottle of Coke. I was just jabbering, and read the back of the bottle's label quickly. I had to do a double-take on this one!


Sorry if the pic is hard to read. But I will try and explain what confused me so. First of all, you see that a serving size is 8oz. And that there are 3 servings or 24oz. per container. Yes, that makes sense since 8x3=24.

Here's where it gets confusing. If you look at the label, you see that for a serving of 8oz, the caloric content is 100. But, the caloric content for the container, which is 24oz. or 3 servings, is 290. If 8x3=24, then why doesn't 100x3=300? Where did the extra 10 calories go?

As if that wasn't confusing enough, if you go further down the label to the carb count, for 8oz. there are 27g of carbs. But for the container, again 24oz or 3 servings, the carb count is 79g. I double checked this on my computer, and 27x3=81. Where did the other 2 carbs go?

Then, if you read the caffeine content for 8oz, it's 23mg. But for 24oz., the content is 68mg. Ummmm....help me here! 23x3=69!

So, is that to say that to save yourself calories during the day, you should drink an entire bottle of Coke at one time vs. spreading it out over 3 servings? Because, if you drink 3 8oz servings, you are consuming 100 calories each time or 300 calories total. BUT, if you drink it all at once, you are only consuming 290 calories!

Is this the new math??? Or just another reason that so many people struggle with weight/calorie issues?

My Meijer Trip!!!

I had a great time at Meijer today with their sales! I even got to give some coupons to other people, "sharing the love"! It was so fun!!

Here is what I got for only $79.36 total!




And another view...since my kitchen table was FULL! Yeah!!!

Free Suave

Proverbs 31:10-12

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

Most of us know what a "Proverbs 31 lady" should be like. Or at least we have this idea in our head of June Cleaver, party dress and pearls, baking away. (that was my image!)

But, as I was reading this a couple of days ago, these three verses seemed to stick with me. How can I bring my husband harm? I don't hit him, or haven't shot him, or run him over with the van (although there was this one time:)

What does it mean that my husband has full confidence in me?

This is what I came up with:

Am I willing to forgive his mistakes? After all, he is just as human as I am, and is prone to messing up once in a while. Can my husband know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am going to forgive him completely and forget about it? Or is he going to live with the worry that I will bring his past mistakes up again and throw them in his face?

Does he know that the mistakes he makes will not be told on the 6:00 news? Can he be assured that when he does mess up, that it will stay between us, and not all my friends? Am I willing to work out things between us, and not involve a third party? After all, if you complain to your best friend about what your husband does wrong, and she agrees with you, doesn't it seem like his faults multiply? It did for me, at least. I heard once that you should tell your husband only the good things about him, and only tell God the bad things.

And can my husband trust me with his time? Meaning, I am a stay at home mom. We would joke about how he couldn't afford to pay me what I am worth. But, can he know that I am not just spending the money he works so hard to bring home recklessly? Can he know that I am doing my best to be wise? I have heard that money is the biggest reason for divorce. I want my husband to know that the time he has to spend working isn't in vain, that bills are taken care of and needs are put ahead of wants.

Does he know that I am of "noble" character?
The dictionary defines noble as

: 3possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties b: very good or excellent 4: grand or impressive especially in appearance 5: possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals

Can he know that I have morals? That I am not going to cheat on him, either literally or in my mind? Can he know that I am true to my word, and that I am not a liar? Can he know that at the end of the day of hard work, he doesn't always have to come home to a wife still in jammies and the house a mess? (hey, I have days!)

I want my husband to know that HE is my number one human relationship, above everyone else. He can trust me, that I am going to do what I say, not be a total spendthrift with money, and that he can be human and get forgiveness from me. Even if he forgets my birthday or an anniversary. (which he hasn't) I want my husband to know that I will love and respect him all the days that we have together....

I think that is the true meaning of a happy marriage.

Iron Chef "MOM" series

Come on over to my other blog today to see our new series, Iron Chef "MOM"! Join in the fun with us!

And thanks bunches, Karen for this awesome idea!!!!!!

Iron Chef--the MOM series!!!

My friend had this REALLY GREAT idea! Why not have the "super chefs" make food that is on a family budget that a real family would eat? What fun it would be to see what they could create out of a can of spinach, a pound of hamburger, and a box of mashed potatoes, right?

Well, I am going to run with that idea! I am looking for people who would like to help get this off the ground! We would post ideas of how to make a "family-friendly" meal out of what you have in the pantry!!! It looks like it'll be lots of fun!

I will get us started: here is a recipe that I used before, but had only things that I had on hand...


This week's recipe comes to us courtesy of Miss Amanda of The Daily Planet.
She has coined this delicious concoction "CcubedN". I had to make a few slight modifications, due to ingredients on hand, but it was wonderful none the less!

First, the ingredients.

3-4 Chicken Breats (I actually used thighs)
1 box noodles (I used Penne...would work well with elbow or bowtie, too)
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c shredded cheese

First, begin cooking pasta according to package directions.




At the same time, brown the chicken breats.



Then, take them out, dice into pieces, and place back into pan. Add cream cheese, milk, and 1/2 the shredded cheese. Stir until all melted together. Drain the noodles, and add to pan and stir until all the noodles are coated with the sauce.




Place in greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over.



Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.


We served this with broccoli. It was a hit at our house!




Then, for dessert, my daughter had baked cranberry orange muffins early today. They were supposed to be for a breakfast, but they looked soooo good.



Come join the fun and let us all know what YOU can make out of the ingredients that you have on hand!

DayBook

FOR TODAY Jan 12, 2009...

Outside my window...snow, melting snow, and dirty snow

I am thinking...that it is very easy to fall into sin, but difficult to get out of!

I am thankful for...the Lord's grace, mercy, and strength when I have none.

From the learning rooms...school is done for the day! Yeah!

From the kitchen...golden potato bake for a carry in supper tonight

I am wearing...jeans and a sweatshirt

I am creating...garden ideas for this spring

I am going...stir crazy with cabin fever!

I am reading...I need to get a new book from the library this week.

I am hoping...that the temps don't fall into the single digits like they are predicted to.

I am hearing...boys playing and jumping on the mini trampoline.

Around the house...daughter crocheting, dogs sleeping, boys jumping

One of my favorite things...spending family time cuddled up under a big blanket, watching a movie together.

A few plans for the rest of the week:4H meetings tonight and tomorrow, grocery shopping, schooling, date with hubby on Saturday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

New Pictures....

I FINALLY cleaned off my camera's memory card. I had pre-Christmas, Christmas, and New Year's pictures on there!

And there is a bunch of other stuff, but you can ignore them... I got lazy...sorry! I had over 150 pictures to download!

Enjoy!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Free Coupon Spreadsheets

Head on over to Mommy Snacks for free downloadable spreadsheets for coupon and grocery store savings!

I personally would never be able to keep up with that...I can barely keep my phone numbers and addresses up to date! I tried for a while to keep a price book and the prices changed sooo often around here (like every other day!) that I completely gave it up and figured that I would go off sales to get the best deal. But, if you like spreadsheets and keeping track of that is important, then I really suggest these.

Am I cheap or just being frugal?

I don't like high electric bills. In the winter, here in the north, it's almost as certain as snow that electric bills soar as the cold temps take over.

I can't take it anymore!!! So, I decided to be more frugal with my thermostat and turned it down a touch. The only problem is that my family feels that I am being cheap.

They feel that the following reasons warrant calling me cheap and a mutiny is about to take place to turn the thermostat up to the 60's:

1. The dog's water dish needs to be thawed on a regular basis. That chore is easily tackled by my four year old.

2. I drink iced coffee from the pot, instead of hot. Well, I like iced coffee, so that doesn't bother me.

3. The kids wear boots, coats, and scarves to bed. Hey, they are reducing their chance of losing said items this way!

4. I send the kids outside to warm up. For some reason, they say they are able to take a off layer or two when they go outside.

5. When I need to thaw something, I take it off the counter and put it in the fridge. For some strange reason, it works. Keeping the meat frozen on the counter saves me room in the freezer, you know.

So, whatcha think? Am I being "cheap" or just "frugal"? My family would like your opinion, since my daughter is getting tired of having to melt the dishwater while she is doing the dishes....