I'm Back!

Sorry to have been MIA! So much has been going on. End of the school year coming up, holidays, ect. Whew! I've been busy!

Mother's Day

Yesterday was a pretty crummy day weather wise. Our usual plan is to bar b que at a park while the kids play on the playground. However, grey skies, wind, and misty rain foiled our plans this year. Instead, we met at my parents house. Of course, an hour after we got there and started eating, the sun came out. A nice time was had by all and the gifts were appreciated. Here's what the moms got:











My mom got the Elvis bag and my MIL got the denim bag. The denim one was made from that jumper I thrifted a few days ago. Pretty cool, eh? Mom got chocolate cookies with hers and MIL got oatmeal scotchies.

ATC Swap Fun!

Amy doesn't think I read her blog, but I do! Now I am impatient for my ATC to get here. In fact, I know exactly where I am putting it. I really don't think she reads my blog though. So, without further ado, here is the ATC I made for her.
I apologize for the poor picture. There was a terrible glare. It's almost the size of a "standard" ATC. I think it ended up being 3.5x2.5. Amy mentioned to me that it would be going in her craft room and that anything "girly" was good (she lives in a houseful of guys!) She also mentioned that she liked the colors of pink and chocolate brown. So here we go. I used a picture frame and took out the glass. Glued down some chocolate brown scrapbook paper to the back and the small piece of pink to that. I found little round wooden "buttons" that I painted cream and then glued into bottle caps. On those I put pink stickers to spell out Amy. I glittered those, although it's hard to tell in the picture. Below her name is a crown (to let her know she's queen!) that I also glittered. And that little thing on her name is fairy princess. There's some glitter on her as well. I finished the whole thing off with some pink ribbon threaded through the holes on the sides of the frame. Ready to hang!

A-muse-ing Quiz

I found this quiz through Darla's blog. Apparantly my muse is

I took the "The Nine Muses" quiz on gURL.com
		My muse is... Polyhymnia Polyhymnia is the patron goddess of sacred poetry. Her name means "She of Many Hymns" and is often depicted with a pensive look upon her face. Polyhymnia is said to bring immortal distinction to writers. Read more... Who is your muse?

Which is odd since I didn't answer any questions with a spiritual answer. Hmmm....

Thrifted Finds

I know Mary Ann is ready for Mother's Day but who else is? Not me! I didn't figure out what I was making until yesterday! lol! It doesn't help that my mother's birthday is on the 18th. I decided to finish what I was making for her birthday for Mother's Day (a tote made out of Elvis fabric). Now to figure out her birthday gift! Ugh! So anyway, once I had her decided I, of course, needed to come up with something for my MIL. I wanted to make a tote for her too, but couldn't figure out what to use. The budget is tight and I really don't have a fabric stash. What I do have isn't really "her" either. What to do? Finally I had the bright idea to use denim! Brilliant! Where was I going to get denim fabric? Enter the good old thrift store! It's not my favorite one to shop at, but it's the closest. Got a denim jumper that I can get the required yardage from and I have some daisy fabric to line it with. Also found: a great strawberry print skirt (not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. I bought it for the fabric and the fact that it was $1!) and stacking bunny boxes. Thinking I will keep one for my Spring decor and refurbish the other ones (perhaps?)

On another note, I really enjoyed making my ATC for Amy. I'm thinking of creating more. In fact, over at Craftster, there is a list of 100 ideas. Haven't checked it yet for this brilliant idea I had...fairy tales! Yes, I think I'm going to make some ATC's based on fairy tales. Just have to figure out which ones and how I'm going to do it!

I finished my ATC!!! I will post a picture once I have sent it off to Amy, which won't be until Friday. So you'll just have to wait! It got good reviews over at Craftster (no peeking Amy!) where I've been spending oddles of time lately. Who knew there was so much crafty goodness?

Needful Things

I almost forgot! I was tagged by the marvelous Mary Ann to do this. You go to google, put in "(your name) needs" and post what you come up with. Since my first name is widely popular (I've seen seveal on blogs already!), I decided to just go with the simple "mom". And here's what I got:

Mom Needs A Break!
Response:No truer words have been spoken!

Mom Needs an A.
Response:Hmmm...I probably do deserve one!

Mom Needs A Perm.
Response:Oh, I don't think so. Curls aren't a good look for me. Wouldn't mind a manicure though!

Mom Needs Help.
Response:Always

Mom Needs a Haircut.
Response:Why yes, yes I do!

I set up a new blog. It's for the recipes I've been collecting. Check it out!

Decisions, decisions!

I'm participating in an ATC swap hosted by the talented Miss Vallen.
For a very long time I saw the term ATC flying around blogland and had no idea what it meant. For those of you who don't know, it stands for Artist Trading Cards. Fun little pieces of artwork. So anyway, I've never made one but when Miss Vallen decided to host a swap I just had to join in. Especially after I saw the cute little ATC she sent me. My partner is Amy. I was stumped for ideas at first, but now I've got so many flying around I have no idea what to do! Well, whatever I come up with, I sure hope she likes it!

A Long Time Coming

So, first of all, most of the month of April was pretty rotten. It started with Mr. P and Miss A getting ear infections. Then, Miss R and I got strep. Then DH got food poisoning (not from me!) Then we had a good friend visit from England for a few days and another friend came home from Iraq (civilian) for a visit. Spent some time trying to get the house back in order from that and DH and I got a cold. Then to top everything off my dad had a heart attack. He's doing well (thankfully!), but it was still a tough thing to go through. Now on to better things!

The Pink and Green Swap!
This is what I got from my swap partener, Dolores. A whole plethra of goodies! Stickers, soap, seeds, sponges (Miss R took the pink one and made an elephant out of it!), post-its, post cards, tissue paper, pez, plant holder, hot pad, raffia, ink pads, note cards, vintage grapes.

In case you've forgotten, the premis was to send things that spell SPRING in the colors of pink and green.


This is what I sent to her. A saucer for trinkets, scrapbook paper, a polka dot bag (I made that), ribbon, ice cream bowls, note cards, glass cutting board (can you believe how perfect that is? Not only is it pink and green and fulfill the letter G nicely, I thrifted that baby for 1.95!!!)

I'm looking forward to the next swap. Nothing has been spilled yet, but I have a feeling about what the colors will be. At least I'm hoping as I've already started buying! lol!


Last, but not least, here are some items I thrifted when I got the cutting board.
A polka dot skort (isn't it cute?) with great shoes to match, some books, a sorting toy for Mr H, and some Stampin' Up stamps!

Lots to report

Lots to report but no time right now! Will update soon, I promise!

Could it really be?

I think the fog has lifted!! I'm feeling less blah today without having to force myself. Yeah! Thank you all for the kind, encouraging comments!

Also, I realize that this is my 100th post! Now, I don't have a lot of readers, but I'm feeling less blah-y and generous, so if you leave a comment you will be entered into a drawing for something from moi :)

Last but not least, I finally got off my lazy posterior and put new batteries in the digital camera. I will be posting some pictures of the fabulous finds I got today later on.

Now, I need some help. Please give me any imput! I need to make something for someone and I'm not sure what to make. Ideas? Here is what I have come up with. If anything jumps out at you or you have something in mind...let me know! I'm at a complete loss! Oh yeah, what I've come up with. A tote bag, an apron with matching pot holder, or a pillow.

That's it for now. Mr P is begging for the computer and he's been a pretty good kid today!

Feeling Blah!

Have you ever just felt blah? That's the way I've been feeling for the past several weeks. Just haven't wanted to do much of anything. I've been doing minimal homekeeping and it shows. Meals have been thrown together last minute. I've been quick to become annoyed too. Health-wise I've been okay though. Just blah. Today, thankfully, I seem to have shaken it! I have renewed enthusiasm for the home and a lot of other things!

This week:

~Miss R has an ear infection :( She's such a trooper though!

~Mr H had his first haircut! He looks like such a little man now!

~Miss M's vocabulary is steadily increasing. She constantly amazes me with what comes out of her mouth. She really is such a sweet, sensitive little girl!

~Mr P started soccer this week. He's so excited and he looks so cute in his uniform! His team is the Cosmos.

~I tried a delicious sugar cookie recipe this week. I'll be sharing it with you later on as it's getting late and I need to get on to bed.

~I've decided to once again revamp my routines just a tad. I'll share that with you as well as time permits.

So, I mentioned yesterday that this week I will be sharing my cleaning activities with you.

Monday's are the day I use to do my home blessing. If you are familiar with Flylady, then you are familiar with this concept. However, I don't do it just like she does! This is what is done on Monday:

In the kitchen-

• Sink gets scrubbed
• Any hotspots are cleared
• Counters are wiped down

In the bathrooms-

• Toilet cleaned inside and out
• Spot clean walls
• Wipe baseboards
• Wipe down door
• Wipe counters and sink
• Scrub tub
• Wipe switchplates
• Sweep and mop floor

In the Living Room/Dining Room/Play Area

• Polish furniture
• Windex glass surfaces
• Straighten entertainment center
• Wipe switchplates
• Wipe baseboards
• Spot clean walls
• Vacuum

It sound like a lot, but it actually does not take that much time at all. I also have what I call projects. These are things I rotate weekly.

These are the projects for the Living Room/Dining Room/Play Area:
Week 1-Clean under the couch and chairs
Week 2-Vacuum under chair and couch cushions/vacuum along baseboards
Week 3-Straighten toys
Week 4-Polish inside of china cabinet/vacuum along baseboards

Again, this doesn't take much time once the routines are established.

In My Home This Week

It was a fairly quiet week this week. Miss R did an outstanding job on her flag project. The bell choir played at church this morning, so that was nice. Had a nice chat with the Pastors wife. Hmmm....

*I amazed my FIL this week when I poured baking soda and vinegar down the garbage disposal to clean it.

*We had unexpected company yesterday. It was a nice surprise!

*I've been working very hard at making a menu every week and trying to stick to it. It's nice to have an idea of what's for dinner. I use forms from this site to help me keep track!

*Mr H has been under the weather the past few days but seem to be perking up, thankfully!

I think that's about it for the week. As I said, it's been quiet. Starting tomorrow I will be sharing my cleaning schedule.

Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it? I have a very, very tiny white scar under my nose that was caused by a cat.

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle? My first child and I lived through her birth (an emergency c-section)

Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves. Kathy Lee Gifford

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")? Bamburger for hamburger

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought ______ was ______. I have always thought certain food was meant for certain times.

More from the CAI Encyclopedic Cookbook(1964)!

Meal Planning

"The modern homemaker knows that meal planing offers her a chance to use all her artistic ability and food knowledge to keep her family happy and healthy. Modern standards require the following musts to be included in each day's menus:

Milk:(rich in vitamins A, B and D) at least 1 pint for each adult, preferably 1 quart.
Vegetables and fruits:Green leafy or yellow vegetables(rich in vitamins A and C), 1 or more servings. Tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, and fresh cabbage(rich in vitamin C), 1 or more servings. Potatoes, other vegetables or fruit(rich in vitamins A, B and C), 2 or more servings.
Eggs:(rich in vitamins A, B and D) 3 or 4 a week.
Meat, Fish or Poultry:Lean meat, fish, poultry(rich in vitamin B), 1 or more servings. Liver or kidneys(rich in vitamins A and B), served at least once a week.
Cereals and Bread:Whole-grain cereals and bread (rich in vitamin B), at least 2 servings.
Fats:eaten as butter and cream or cheese (rich in vitamin A).
Sweets:Needed in small amounts.


Besides protecting health a good menu should take into account the contrasts in color, texture and flavor. The color of spinach is attractive with ham. Soft custard is a good texture to follow the crunchiness of raw carrots. A tart relish contrasts in flavor with sweet fritters. Today's homemaker is well aware not only of the need of budgeting money, but also of budgeting her time and energy. Meals planned for a week mean more efficient and economical purchasing, leftovers used to better advantage and simplified food preparation. Monotony is avoided when a record is kept of menus. One way to keep a menu record is in a loose-leaf notebook.

Here are samples of menu's for February:

Meatloaf with tomato sauce
Buttered shoestring carrots
Creamed broccoli
Celery
Cherry cottage pudding


Sausage and corn casserole
Lyonnaise Potatoes
Endive with French dressing
Baked Apples with ginger whipped cream

Chicken fricassee with dumplings
Buttered cauliflower
Pickled beets
Cranberry molded salad
Baked custard

My Home This Week

Well! Lots going on this week. We had Valentine's Day, of course. The children and I talked about St. Valentine and touched a bit on St. Patrick. Miss M got registered for Preschool for the upcoming year. We submitted an application for Mr P to attend the same school as Miss R. Mr H had a Dr. appointment where we found out he is in the 75th percentile for his height and the 97th percentile for his weight ~smile~ He's my chunky monkey boy!

*I found some plastic bowl covers at my local drugstore. A set of six for only $1!

*Miss R is doing excellent with her reading and math skills. I'm so proud of her!

*Mr H is talking more and more every day. He amazes us with what comes out of his mouth! He also had his first taste of sushi and he loved it! (Just to clarify, sushi does not contain raw fish!)

*I decided to take up One Stroke painting again. I did some self teaching years ago and took one class. It's a lot of fun; I just put it away for whatever reason. I've taken out again for me!

*I tried a new piecrust recipe today. Very easy:Mix together 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in 1 stick of butter until crumbly. Press into pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until brown.

*I revamped my routines! I've taken ideas from here, here, and here and have come up with a plan that I think is going to work well. It's been a week and so far every thing is going smoothly!

I think that's it for this week!

Sunday Supper

Appetizer
What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make? I'd like it to announce who is calling! That way I wouldn't have to run to answer it if it weren't important or someone I wanted to talke too!

Soup
Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.). I'm usually sunny with a chance of clouds.

Salad
What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects? Nothing really. I know a little about a lot of stuff.

Main Course
Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read? Oh goodness! I have no idea!

Dessert
If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it? It would be similar to those old Sky Bars. A bar of chcolate divided into sections. One section would be very dark chcolate with a hint of orange, one would be a dark chocolate with a hint of mint, one would be dark chcolate with flecks of milk chocolate, and one would be a milk chocolate and white chocolate swirl. I think I would name it Indulgence.

It's Here! It's Here!

My box for the pink and brown swap arrived today! Thank you so much to Colleen for all of the wonderful goodies! There's two cute mugs, a bag of Dove chocolates, two little crocheted flowers, ribbon, stickers, a beautiful card she made, a fabulous little journal she crafted, and a fantastic tin (filled with flavored hot cocoa mixes I might add!) I love it all!!!



To add to my wonderful day, my sweet DH brought this home to me. I was very surprised!