A friend posted a picture of freezer jam she made, and referred to being like Martha (Stewart). I had to reply: Jennifer Goldberg Allen ♥ it! I have never felt more like Martha than this summer, its an awesome feeling :)
Saturday, July 30, 2011
So this is how we can
A friend posted a picture of freezer jam she made, and referred to being like Martha (Stewart). I had to reply: Jennifer Goldberg Allen ♥ it! I have never felt more like Martha than this summer, its an awesome feeling :)
Christmas in July
(free after $10 coupon)
($2.95 after $10 coupon)
($0.50 after $10 coupon)
We're well on our way to having a frugal and fun holiday season-and not getting sucked into buying stuff last minute, and at outrageous prices. I know not everyone likes shopping ahead, has the time, the storage, different rationale for waiting to shop. For me, shopping ahead helps me stretch our family dollars.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Mom moments
I brought over two diaper cases full of clothes to Miss K for her baby boy. I had quite a bit saved, not knowing if Rebecca was going to be a girl or boy. It was great giving it to her, glad someone else will get use from them.
I also gave a wipes case full of baby girl clothes to our neighbor for her baby grand daughter who's arriving in September. She was overjoyed- this is her first grandchild and can't wait to see the new little one.
I have been looking at reusable bags/containers on Etsy for our family, and finally decided what to get. While I love the soft snack/sandwich bags, its not practical for our family at this stage in our lives. I will go through the hard cases we already own, and replenish those. We'll use the totes we have for lunch sacks-since they can hold the Sigg-style water bottles.
A summer day is upon us, I wonder what adventures await. I think a picnic and bike ride are on the agenda for the morning. We shall see where the day takes us.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Summer continued....
Summertime is cruising by, faster than I thought it would. The kids and I have been going full steam most the time-but have had our share of laid back days too. Lately we've been getting in the groove of canning-first blueberries, then tomato sauce, and yesterday we canned peaches. Its always more fun with friends, and the kids have grown accustomed to traveling back and forth between our friends homes. I wish there was a pause button somewhere-its been so much fun, and doing activities that are so simple. We've been blessed with so much-and I'm learning everyday the value of friendship and teamwork.
It hit me yesterday-I could actually verbalize that I was happy with my life-and that I've worked really hard to get where I'm at-and where my family is at. Parenthood and life is far from perfect-but my friend Heather tells me-nothing ever is-and anyone that says otherwise is just lying to themselves. There's always a sense of imbalance-or seesawing-that takes place-right now-its just the matter of the ebb and flow, the current, the amount of upheaval- it makes the difference between rolling with the punches and soaking up the journey, and getting caught in a storm. Nine out of ten times I would think everything is great-but to be able to say it aloud (and that's normally not my style) is huge. There are the down times-but its how I face them that I want to remember-they give me perspective, gain wisdom, provide teachable moments.
I want the kids to hear me say I'm proud of them-of us-not just think I am. I want to laugh-not just giggle-but full on laugh-and that's happened a lot this summer. I'd like to think my kids have something to do with that. The event that happened last was Elijah got ahold of a marker, and drew all over himself-he thought that was hilarious. I did too. It was quite funny, especially when he drew in a mustache and beard.
Life is beautiful and messy, chaotic and busy. We have our moments/hours/days of slow time, but this season of our life is busy-and spending time together, is so very nice.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Inspiration-you never know when its going to hit
I left my camera at Heather's home with my pictures of us starting out, but here's a picture of some of the at least 12 jars of tomato sauce we made with just 5 of the flats:
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Thoughts while drinking coffee
Matthew is an awesome helper (when the mood strikes-and we're working on that). Yesterday I needed help getting the bike trailer out for our ride, and he helped me-made for a nicer ride.
Elijah-fishy kisses. I don't know how this got started, but it cracks me up.
Rebecca-went bonkers when she saw my sauteed spinach and tomatoes last night, and didn't settle down until she had some.
Robert-Love is dealing with a broken washer for three days in a row, each day figuring out something else is wrong thanks to youtube and google. Figuring out what it was, going underneath/inside the machine's body to use duct tape to hold the tiny clasp together just long enough so we can get to Fresno to purchase the replacement part. It did save us $50+ figuring it out ourselves.
Heather-how many friends would you let see your unmentionables? Seriously, she brought 3 loads of laundry to her home, and not only washed them, but dried them too. Love my friend, and what she adds to my life.
There are people I don't write about-people that remain a mystery to me, even today. I don't understand why things are the way they are-maybe that's the point. Maybe I just need to go with the flow once again-usually I'm good with that. Its been a struggle the past week-I wonder if my hormones are trying to get re-balanced now that Rebecca is eating more food/less nursing. I'm not burned out-yet trying to soak everything up to the point that I wonder if I just need to press stop. pause. go again. or reboot.
Yesterday going on a bike ride was the highlight-that and making spinach and tomatoes from Heather's husband's farm, and all the kids devoured it-I was floored. I thought for sure they'd make a face-how many kids do you know willingly eat spinach? No bribery here either-the bike ride was before dinner-so maybe that made them hungrier?
The weather has been beautiful here-making it easy to stay local. Robert made my day getting a bike trailer so I can go around town with all the kids on their bikes. Oh, and I have a bike now too. Both are second hand-but new to me-and that's just fine. Its been about 8 years since I stepped on a bike-and it was a cinch getting back on it. The most challenging part is getting the two younger ones situated-but with practice that will get easier. We went exploring the other day-and have made many bike rides to Heather's home so the kids could play and the adults could chill. I have seen some homes that stir up a drive for me to be creative-and others that seem like they are just.too.much (ticky tacky houses anyone?)
Another summer day here. Kids. Pool. Summer camp.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Cooking with kids
It’s Plank Pullin’ time! The one day a week that we strongly resolve to ignore the multitude of specks and sawdust around us and pull one bona fide plank from our own eye. Matthew 7:3-5, style.
One of the memories I hold dear to me is the smell of spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, brownies, and dump cake coming from my mom's kitchen. She was a stay at home mom whose pride was in her children, and her cooking a close second. I don't remember how it was with us being at home-I remember doing some cooking-but I remember too-being asked to stay out of the kitchen. With four kids underfoot of my own now, I can relate to that. I do it too. I don't mean to do it-I like having the kids learn-the science, the math, seeing how everything melds together. I think too that's part of why my kids are good, adventurous eaters- because they see how meals are made, and help make them.
Yet, I struggle with it. Every.day. Some days are better than others-some creations hold their appeal more. Making cookies and brownies, the kids are sure to want to help. Meats, sauces, vegetables-sometimes. Soups and stews, um, yeah, not happening. Making the food is the fun part for the kids and myself. The prep and cleanup-definitely tied for being the hardest. I'm aware of my struggle-I want to foster a love of cooking with my children-I want them to be able to share it with friends and family as they get older. I want them to see how we can take whole, unprocessed ingredients and make a flavorful, healthy meal. Yet I struggle.
I feel like I'm muddling my way through-maybe this is what personal growth is about. I'm working to let go of my desire to be Rachel Ray, Julia Child, etc. I'm no Next Food Network Star.
My kitchen leaves a lot to be desired today. Yet my boys made egg salad for lunch, and pumpkin muffins for snack/breakfast tomorrow. There was a lot of mess, a few tears when a tray of filled crackers were upended. Yet they had fun. There was laughter, smiles, and good food eaten with family.
These are the memories I want to make.
So, here’s the part where you make me feel better by sharing your planks, also. And if you're feeling really inspired, write your own post and link up below! (Don't forget to type the name of your post in the "name" box)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Happy Sunday
First transaction
4 lumene eye make up remover @5.98 each (use 4 $4 coupons)starburst candy (used CVS $2 off skittles/starburst bag of candy coupon)
use $4 off $20 ECB that comes this week when you swipe your card (before buying).
pay 4.36 out of pocket included tax, received $15 in ECB
Transaction #2one lollipop .50 (used because of not meeting $10 threshold prior to tax)
use $10 ECB from transaction #1, and pay .82 out of pocket.
I then received the 1.69 and $7.99 EBC for the balance bar and solution.
Grand total 5.18 oop, and $14.68 in ECBs for next week
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Making memories
Sunday, July 3, 2011
F is for family
Friday, July 1, 2011
June- First four weeks of summer
MOMS Club and Moms Time Out are on summer hiatus-but we're still having fun with our friends. I'm excited about the board for next year-and look forward to spending time with all our friends when we go out around town. We've run into friends all over-from the playground, water park, and summer reading programs. I think seeing our friends (and me connecting with other moms) has definitely added to this being a memorable summer. I have taken time for myself too-Robert has been spending time on his own with all four kids and making memories with them. Moms Night Outs and hanging out w/ neigbors post kid bedtime-I'm loving it! am soaking it all up-it won't be long before school and sports are upon us. We have found our groove with a summer routine-and having fun along the way. I defintely feel like we're making memories that will last a lifetime-and aren't breaking the bank doing it.
We have fun adventures ahead-just waiting for the heat to kick in so we can take advantage of them. Going to the coast, the aquarium, even a couple of theme parks. I also want to hit the mountain areas too. The list is long-but it doesn't feel overwhelming. We're enjoying our activities as they come, and not getting frazzled if we have a change of plans. We'll travel as a family-as well as with friends. I'm looking forward to all of it- I ♥ summer!