We're back in town from being in Atlanta. We are all tired, but had a wonderful time with our family. We're getting back in the swing of things, as we step over mounds of dirty clothes and suitcases to clean out and put away.
Today would have been a logical day to begin working on all of that, and it's very hard for me to "sit" in this mess, but honestly, the weather was AMAZING and we didn't want to miss out on any of it. So we scrapped all "responsibility" and went to two different parks, took naps and made fresh fruit and marshmallow k-bobs. It was a great day. I enjoyed my kids immensely and for those of you who know me, I KNOW you're proud of me for making that choice.
Tomorrow is officially our last day of school (speaking pre-school and Mother's Day Out). The boys will be home with me all summer. Honestly, I'm stoked! I'm really looking forward to it. I've been planning activities to keep their brains working for the summer, on top of swimming lessons and just plain enjoying the summer and each other.
As far as diet/exercise, all I can say about that (pertaining to the past 5 days at the reunion) is "diet/exercise, schmiet/schmexercise!" We DID, however, actually go running one day (in the hills we're so not used to) and nearly died, but we also ate like food was about to be extinct. So I "start again tomorrow"....(do I hear an amen out there?)
As far as our budget for the month.....traveling is hard on the pocketbook. There are always unexpected expenses. And some of the additional expenses are just plain old stupid tax! (A phrase coined by Dave Ramsey, that unfortunately we refer to more often than we would like.) It means, just plain stupid financial decisions or mistakes made. We discovered the night before we were slated to leave that I had booked the flight for the wrong weekend! So, we had to pay a fee (un-planned for, of course) to change our ticket at the very last minute, as well as pay the ticket price difference. Ouch! I was also really shocked that the airline now charges to check a bag (which really chaps me!). Obviously I'm not big traveler and didn't know, therefore I didn't plan. Another ouch! So, I suppose we didn't do as well budget-wise this month as I had hoped, but we'll talk about that another day.
Hope you had a terrific Memorial Day weekend as well! Back to the grindstone....
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Drooling for a moment...
Exercise/Diet Update: It's going fairly well. I'm on track for the exercising part. TRYING on the food part. (I'm actually doing pretty good, considering I have toddlers in my house whose favorite foods are cheese, macaroni and cheese and cheese toast!)
Hold on now!
So since I'm only allowed to "indulge" one day a week...and that is on my favorite day, Sunday....of which today is NOT, I thought I'd drool a little. Join with me, if you'd like. I'm not sure if this is considered torture, but it feels close.
Ah.....
Mmmm....
Oh yah....
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about...
Pass me a napkin, please, so I can wipe my chin.
Help me, Rhonda...
Oh yah....
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about...
Pass me a napkin, please, so I can wipe my chin.
Help me, Rhonda...
Hold on now!
Shew. Now that that is done, I can go eat my carrot stick.
On another note....my family will be at a family reunion for the next few days. I won't have blogging access, but I just wanted you to know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I'll be back mid week next week.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
All photos provided by Southern Living magazine
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Great healthy start to the day!
We're all back up and running today...feeling pretty much back to normal...and had a really healthy breakfast I wanted to share with you. We're a pancake family, so we're always looking for new and healthy ones. This one is great! It's different...texture-wise, but tasty. All the boys (big and small) in my house liked them...score! We added strawberries and blueberries to our plates as well.
Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes
1 1/2 cup soy milk (or whatever milk you prefer to use)
1 cup whole wheat berries (bought them in the bulk section at Sprouts)
1 T whole flax seeds (I used already ground milled flax seed)
3 T water
2 T oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup oats (not instant, again...bought in bulk at Sprouts)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp.baking powder
2 T. sweetener, such as sugar, honey, or molasses (I used honey)
Blend the first 6 ingredients in a blender very thoroughly. Could take awhile (I think I blended about 2 minutes), make sure the berries are crushed. (Disclaimer from the original post: Just make sure, however, that you listen carefully to your blender for change in your motor sound. If this mixture is over-blended, the gluten in the wheat will begin to bind and create a sticky substance that will wreak havoc on your blender. If this happens, stop the blender immediately.)
Pour the contents of the blender into a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
Pour on a hot griddle and cook both sides untl golden brown.
Top with your favorite butter spread, syrup or whatever else you'd like. The sky is the limit! Enjoy.
And enjoy your day!
Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes
1 1/2 cup soy milk (or whatever milk you prefer to use)
1 cup whole wheat berries (bought them in the bulk section at Sprouts)
1 T whole flax seeds (I used already ground milled flax seed)
3 T water
2 T oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup oats (not instant, again...bought in bulk at Sprouts)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp.baking powder
2 T. sweetener, such as sugar, honey, or molasses (I used honey)
Blend the first 6 ingredients in a blender very thoroughly. Could take awhile (I think I blended about 2 minutes), make sure the berries are crushed. (Disclaimer from the original post: Just make sure, however, that you listen carefully to your blender for change in your motor sound. If this mixture is over-blended, the gluten in the wheat will begin to bind and create a sticky substance that will wreak havoc on your blender. If this happens, stop the blender immediately.)
Pour the contents of the blender into a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
Pour on a hot griddle and cook both sides untl golden brown.
Top with your favorite butter spread, syrup or whatever else you'd like. The sky is the limit! Enjoy.
And enjoy your day!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Down and out
There is some minor bug going around our household. I say minor...because it isn't enough to make us bedridden, but just enough to make us grumpy and "off"....and headachey...and tired.
And of course, all of us have it, except one high energy, bounding little 4-year-old. God, please help me. Actually, help all of us.
Nonetheless, not much is getting done around here. Laundry is moving s-l-o-w-l-y through my washer. Dishes are up to my elbows. And yet...I find time to blog. Hmmmm. But all THAT requires is my sitting here. I can DO that.
Can I get a witness?
Hopefully I'll be back with something more interesting, creative or otherwise witty real soon.
And of course, all of us have it, except one high energy, bounding little 4-year-old. God, please help me. Actually, help all of us.
Nonetheless, not much is getting done around here. Laundry is moving s-l-o-w-l-y through my washer. Dishes are up to my elbows. And yet...I find time to blog. Hmmmm. But all THAT requires is my sitting here. I can DO that.
Can I get a witness?
Hopefully I'll be back with something more interesting, creative or otherwise witty real soon.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Homemade Buttermilk
I had heard about ways to make homemade buttermilk, but wasn't sure if they would work. They DO! It's so awesome.
I know...buttermilk isn't an expensive product. But I always have it on hand to use in my baking, so if there was a way to not ever have to purchase it again, then I wanted to find it!
I took a quart mason jar and poured about 1/2 cup buttermilk in it. Then I bought some goat's milk (but you can use ANY milk) and filled the rest of the jar with it. I set it out on the counter for 12 hours.
When I opened the jar 12 hours later, I was afraid it would smell sour, but it didn't, it smelled like buttermilk! It worked!
Then, when that jar was almost empty, I took the last 2 inches of buttermilk in my mason jar, poured it into a NEW mason jar, filled it the rest of the way with 2% milk, and did the process again.
Wa-la...free buttermilk!
It doesn't take much to excite me.....
I know...buttermilk isn't an expensive product. But I always have it on hand to use in my baking, so if there was a way to not ever have to purchase it again, then I wanted to find it!
I took a quart mason jar and poured about 1/2 cup buttermilk in it. Then I bought some goat's milk (but you can use ANY milk) and filled the rest of the jar with it. I set it out on the counter for 12 hours.
When I opened the jar 12 hours later, I was afraid it would smell sour, but it didn't, it smelled like buttermilk! It worked!
Then, when that jar was almost empty, I took the last 2 inches of buttermilk in my mason jar, poured it into a NEW mason jar, filled it the rest of the way with 2% milk, and did the process again.
Wa-la...free buttermilk!
It doesn't take much to excite me.....
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Progress Report and a High Five!
I told you I would start documenting our debt payoff woes...oops, I mean adventures. Well, here is the beginning....
I wanted to share, first of all, that we are 59% to our goal. We have a good long way to go, but we are FINALLY making great strides! It will now be fun to share the progress, as I know we will be moving forward in bigger steps each month.
I have so enjoyed the encouragement I receive from other family blogs out there. There are many like-minded women, walking the same tightrope. Some of my favorites are:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
http://www.mommyswishlist.blogspot.com/
http://www.freebies4mom.com/
http://www.goodtrueandbeautiful.com/
www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/blog/
http://www.moneywisemoms.com/
http://www.couponsavinggame.com/
http://www.grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/
http://www.smallnotebook.org/
http://www.econobusters.com/
There are many, many more out there, but these have given me guidance and inspiration for grocery shopping for next-to-nothing; inspiraton to "keep on keepin' on" (one example is being motivated by Chrystal who gives a savings update each month of progress made towards buying their next house with 100% cash!); many frugal entertainment and family ideas; etc. Thank you, ladies!
I look forward to sharing with you specific ways that we are saving each month, but I wanted to let you know that my sweet husband and I have decided to take the No Spend Month Challenge in July. This is following along with what Rachel's family does each July. This is a challenge to cut their spending down to the bare essentials. After paying bills, they allow themselves $250 for anything personal, which includes food, clothing, gas, coffee, and anything else their family wants during the month. They do this challenge to help take their eyes off stuff and spending for one month and to refresh their outlook. We're looking forward to taking this challenge for July as well. Our goals are to help us use any and all extra money we would spend that month...and throw it towards debt.
Lastly, I wanted to share with you Laura's High Five Recipes. I'm excited about trying these. These are healthy recipes, using 5 ingredients or less. Also, she has an Italian Roast Wrap that is featured today on Money Saving Mom . Let me know if you try any of these.
So,what do you think about the No Spend Month? Does it sound crazy? Does it sound do-able? Let me know your thoughts, if you'd like. I'd love to hear them!
I wanted to share, first of all, that we are 59% to our goal. We have a good long way to go, but we are FINALLY making great strides! It will now be fun to share the progress, as I know we will be moving forward in bigger steps each month.
I have so enjoyed the encouragement I receive from other family blogs out there. There are many like-minded women, walking the same tightrope. Some of my favorites are:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
http://www.mommyswishlist.blogspot.com/
http://www.freebies4mom.com/
http://www.goodtrueandbeautiful.com/
www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/blog/
http://www.moneywisemoms.com/
http://www.couponsavinggame.com/
http://www.grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/
http://www.smallnotebook.org/
http://www.econobusters.com/
There are many, many more out there, but these have given me guidance and inspiration for grocery shopping for next-to-nothing; inspiraton to "keep on keepin' on" (one example is being motivated by Chrystal who gives a savings update each month of progress made towards buying their next house with 100% cash!); many frugal entertainment and family ideas; etc. Thank you, ladies!
I look forward to sharing with you specific ways that we are saving each month, but I wanted to let you know that my sweet husband and I have decided to take the No Spend Month Challenge in July. This is following along with what Rachel's family does each July. This is a challenge to cut their spending down to the bare essentials. After paying bills, they allow themselves $250 for anything personal, which includes food, clothing, gas, coffee, and anything else their family wants during the month. They do this challenge to help take their eyes off stuff and spending for one month and to refresh their outlook. We're looking forward to taking this challenge for July as well. Our goals are to help us use any and all extra money we would spend that month...and throw it towards debt.
Lastly, I wanted to share with you Laura's High Five Recipes. I'm excited about trying these. These are healthy recipes, using 5 ingredients or less. Also, she has an Italian Roast Wrap that is featured today on Money Saving Mom . Let me know if you try any of these.
So,what do you think about the No Spend Month? Does it sound crazy? Does it sound do-able? Let me know your thoughts, if you'd like. I'd love to hear them!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
What's going on?
My husband asked me last night, "when are you going to post to your blog again?" I thought, "I'm not sure. I guess I don't have much to say."
We're just super busy doing life around here. I guess I can update you.
I have started hitting the gym again. And this time, it's not a "walk-in-the-door-look-around-and-decide-what-sounds-fun-to-do-and-do-that-exercise" situation...because nothing ever does sound FUN, so I aimlessly wander around for enough time to have some kid-free sanity, while half-heartedly "working out". Then, I go pick up my kids from the childcare area..and they are more sweaty than I am.
Nope. I am on a structured, regimented eating/work-out schedule. It's a 3-month committment. I KNOW I can do it, because I did it almost 7 years ago and felt and looked the best ever. So, I figured....rolling into the big 4-0 this fall, I wanted to go in swinging! I'll keep you updated on this. What I CAN tell you is this....3 days into it...and I'm still excited. Ask me again in 3 more days....
I'm still getting things organized around here. We're still cleaning up and cleaning out...hopefully to culminate in a yard sale on Saturday.
We've planted some tomatoes. I've enjoyed watching them grow about 2 inches in a week and a half. (I haven't actually measured them, so if that's not even possible, then know that I've only eye-balled them) Regardless, they seem bigger! Even with my 2-year-old drowning them with the water from the hose twice already.
For Mother's Day, I was given an hour massage, by my two little guys (which I plan to redeem at my earliest convenience!) and from their Daddy, I was given this fabulous book and permission to get the garden in the ground. I just need to collect my facts, my supplies, my help and then I'll have my gift. (Wow, this gift seems like a lot of work on my part) But I'm excited!
Lastly, and most importantly, I've been spending some treasured time with the Father in the book of Numbers in the mornings. What a full, rich and deep book! I am learning so much about the character of God...His provision for us...and love and devotion to us, yes...but also His undeniable sovereignty as the one true GOD, who must be worshipped and obeyed.
Summer is fast approaching. I am excited to have my boys home with me after June 1. I am planning lots of activity, to wear them out on a daily basis. I also hope to engage their minds and their hearts a little. I'll share those adventures as they occur.
Until then, I'm gonna go eat my celery for lunch. Totally kidding.
We're just super busy doing life around here. I guess I can update you.
I have started hitting the gym again. And this time, it's not a "walk-in-the-door-look-around-and-decide-what-sounds-fun-to-do-and-do-that-exercise" situation...because nothing ever does sound FUN, so I aimlessly wander around for enough time to have some kid-free sanity, while half-heartedly "working out". Then, I go pick up my kids from the childcare area..and they are more sweaty than I am.
Nope. I am on a structured, regimented eating/work-out schedule. It's a 3-month committment. I KNOW I can do it, because I did it almost 7 years ago and felt and looked the best ever. So, I figured....rolling into the big 4-0 this fall, I wanted to go in swinging! I'll keep you updated on this. What I CAN tell you is this....3 days into it...and I'm still excited. Ask me again in 3 more days....
I'm still getting things organized around here. We're still cleaning up and cleaning out...hopefully to culminate in a yard sale on Saturday.
We've planted some tomatoes. I've enjoyed watching them grow about 2 inches in a week and a half. (I haven't actually measured them, so if that's not even possible, then know that I've only eye-balled them) Regardless, they seem bigger! Even with my 2-year-old drowning them with the water from the hose twice already.
For Mother's Day, I was given an hour massage, by my two little guys (which I plan to redeem at my earliest convenience!) and from their Daddy, I was given this fabulous book and permission to get the garden in the ground. I just need to collect my facts, my supplies, my help and then I'll have my gift. (Wow, this gift seems like a lot of work on my part) But I'm excited!
Lastly, and most importantly, I've been spending some treasured time with the Father in the book of Numbers in the mornings. What a full, rich and deep book! I am learning so much about the character of God...His provision for us...and love and devotion to us, yes...but also His undeniable sovereignty as the one true GOD, who must be worshipped and obeyed.
Summer is fast approaching. I am excited to have my boys home with me after June 1. I am planning lots of activity, to wear them out on a daily basis. I also hope to engage their minds and their hearts a little. I'll share those adventures as they occur.
Until then, I'm gonna go eat my celery for lunch. Totally kidding.
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