Frugal Fridays

Yup it's frugal friday again. This week I want to talk about how to save money on patterns and sewing. I like to make things with the kids. We recently made the girls aprons and the boys pillowcases and curtains. I am also currently helping my sister make a beautiful cloak/cape. Most patterns when bought at price are about $15. Wow at that price I don't know who can afford to do any home sewing. Luckily there is a solution. If you watch the sales ads for Joann Fabrics they have pattern sales quite often. Most of their pattern sales are $1.99. That's $13 savings on just one pattern! And the limit is 10 for one transaction. So if you need to stock up you can get 10 fun patterns for just $20 as opposed to $150! The website is www.joann.com and it will show the weekly sales. You can also sign up for their free coupon mailer which always has a 40% or 50% off one item coupon in it. The savings just add up! For more frugal fridays ideas visit www.biblicalwomanhood.com/blog.htm

Ugh...There are weeks...or days

It seems like the everyday life of a mother is a very different thing each day. Some days you feel like you are just gliding along doing so well with your chores, your children, just everything. Then there are days where you feel like it would take a month to accomplish what you need to try to do in one day. Today feels like one of those days. Well really it has been feeling like that all week long. My two stepkids who are homeschooling started school this week and it's been hard getting in that routine. They attend an umbrella charter school called Ohdela and while it's nice, it's been quite a journey helping their mom get everything set up and getting into a schedule. I'm sure that life will settle down soon. In the meantime I thought I would blog about the idea of christians and homesteading. While I see the merits of living off the land and by that token really depending on God, I can also see how there are Christians who are not able to do this and yet are still able to fully depend on God and his timing. For instance (I know it's not food but it's the same principle) we really needed a vacuum. All we had was a really cheap thing from walmart that didn't even have a beater brush. We waited and waited. We even were window shopping in walmart and found one we liked and it was on sale, but the money just wasn't there. Then my dad calls and says he has a present for us for our anniversary. It was the same exact vacuum that we had picked out! There are so many more examples of how God has provided for our family, but I only have time for this one right now. Needless to say whether you live on a farm or anywhere else God will still look after you.

Frugal Fridays

Hosted by www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm Frugal Fridays are where you post an idea about something you are doing or that you have found that is frugal. So for my first Frugal Friday post I will post about homemade baby carriers. If you don't have a lot of money but you want a nice carrier for your little one you can go to Jan Andrea's site : www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/index.html and she gives you instructions on how to make your own carrier. I just made the mei tai out of a beautiful cami pattern and it turned out awesome. I love it! (Remember she asks that you only use this pattern to make it for yourself, not for a business.)

Bees and Kids

Yeah, I know I haven't blogged in a few days. Sorry about that. I have a cold that is making me tired so when I'm not doing things around the house I'm trying to rest. But to make up for the lack of blogs I will tell you two funny stories to make up for it.

Story 1: K (the 2 year old) was over by the computer desk and I notice she has something in her hands that she is putting on her lips. When I go to check on her I realize it's not chapstick. "K, you can't use a glue stick on your lips! It's not chapstick!" Well then I look at her older sister who is right next to her and I ask why she let her use it as chapstick. Her response? "I thought it was butt cream" (for those who don't know butt cream is a type of diaper rash ointment). Umm.....so it's now okay to put butt cream on your lips? Hmm......

Story 2: It's been so nice lately that we have been opening the house up to let the breeze come in. Unfortunately that means that bees and flys have also found their way in. My husband thought it would be a good idea to try to kill them with a dishrag. So he's swatting bugs and is about to go for a bee right beside me. I told him that if he missed and the bee stung me I would be upset. We laughed and he hit the bee. Then the bee flys away mad and lands on my arm and stings me as it is dying. Ugh!!!! It was actually kinda funny too, even if it did hurt.

Where were you?

It's that anniversary again, Sept. 11, 2001. The day of our generation that no one will forget. I was driving home from my honeymoon, ready to enjoy one last day with my new hubby before he shipped out to Navy boot camp. We arrived home to my grandfather watching the tv and eating his cereal. I asked him what was happening and he said he wasn't sure, he had just turned it on but it seemed that some planes flew into the World Trade Center buildings. I can remember watching the news as the next plane hit the Pentegon. I remember being so scared for my husband. Yet after that day everyone seemed so united. I can remember being so proud that my dh was going to be in the Navy and serve our country. His recruiter said that many young men and women were calling and trying to go fight the "people who did this". What a time, and to think it was six years ago. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday. I hope that everyone can stop and say a prayer for those families who lost so much on this day. And I also hope that you can say a prayer for our brave servicemen and women who continue to put their lives on the line so that we can have freedom and fight in this war on terrorism. Sept. 11, 2001 We will not forget!

Menu Plan Monday

I saw on lily of the valley's website this Menu Plan Monday and I figured I would post my menu as well.
Mon. Hamburger Green Bean Dish with Rice and a salad

Tues. Leftovers

Weds. Tacos

Thurs. Beef 'N Shrooms with Veggies

Fri. Leftovers

Sat. and Sun. a big Roast

I do leftovers a lot because some of these recipes are from the MOMYS cookbook and they are made to feed an army. Since I only have, oh, half an army the meals last me a little bit which is nice because I watch two little kids every weekday and it's nice to have some of the meals precooked.

The things kids do

You have to love the things your kids do to you. The kids were in a rare mood today. Basically it was...oh it's mom and dad's anniversary? well that means we should act as wild as possible! And for my anniversary what do I get to do? I get to send my husband off to work and stay home and clean. I jokingly told him that he would have to call off because I was leaving for a vacation. Oh on a side note I've found the best way to get kids to clean--buy a new vacuum. My dad got Steve and I a new vacuum for an anniversary present (and an air matress for camping! I am moving up in the world now!! :) All the kids were present for the opening of the box and they were all fighting over who got to use the vacuum first. Of course that only lasted about five minutes. What did I get to do tonight for my anniversary? I took a bath. Yup. I layed K down for a nap, let the others play and I enjoyed a bath. For those of you who don't have kids let me tell you how hard it is to get to enjoy a nice hot bath. Take today for instance. I started by arguing with my 2 year old that naptimes are not a punishment but are mandatory. After getting her to lay down I did some laundry and some other chores. I draw the bath and find a good book. I was in there for about ten minutes when K comes in and announces "I awake!....That hot water? I take a bath?" This is why mom's don't get to take baths very often. Oh, and all this isn't even mentioning the desitin that she found earlier today and thought would make a great polish for the front door and for her hands. Now she's standing here telling me her brother took her sock. The best part is she has the sock in her hand. Okay one more funny moment for you. So S is telling me about school and looking at the United States map we have on our kitchen table and she announces that she didn't know Montana was a state until a few days ago. I looked at her astonished and asked "what did you think it was?" her answer was "I thought it was like Wyoming" "Well what is Wyoming?" " A state, duh" I just sat there scratching my head and looking at her. Okay well K is trying to go potty in the living room so I've got to go.

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Okay, so I haven't posted in awhile

But here I am. I've been enjoying my hubby and kids. Yesterday for example K decided to take a pen while I was folding laundry and use the pen to draw on the new (to us) couch. Then when I was cleaning that up she went into the bedroom and dumped the baby oil all over the bed.
On a different note I've decided to use this blog as a launching point for small scale money making. It would be nice to be able to bring in a few extra dollars for my family. Any ideas? please leave me a comment. Thanks. Welcome back those who read my blog.