Oh the wonderful weekend

I am so glad that the weekend is here.

Miss Pear is still not feeling well, but her ear does not seem to bothering her as much, so that is good. Of course she is feeling just well enough to look for mischief!

We finally had much needed rain today. I am so thankful.

We started putting up the Christmas tree tonight, and will finish in stages over the weekend.

There is an item that I must seek God's will on, and so far I am hearing little, so I will be seeking Him and enjoying my family this weekend.

See you on Monday.

Nurse Mommy

I just wanted to pop in to tell you that my dear friend MomRN2 at My Quiet Corner is having a wonderful blog party today sharing our Christmas Traditions! I plan on participating after my little patient with her ear infection is in bed tonight.

Until then I am Nurse Mom on duty!

Cleaning Lists - Zone 2

The kitchen zone is kind of a funny one. A lot of these things I do more often but want to make sure are done well once a month, but some things get skipped to every second month or broken up into a multi-month rotational project....

Zone 2 – Week 2
Kitchen
Start by decluttering!

1. Empty Fridge and clean thoroughly
2. Clean front and top of fridge
3. Clean microwave inside and out
4. Clean stove / oven
5. Wash down front of dishwasher
6. Empty dishwasher filter
7. Wash small appliances, knick knacks
8. Empty toaster oven
9. Straighten cupboards and drawers
10. Wipe fingerprints off wall
11. Clean blind
12. Wash inside window
13. Clean fan/vent, hood filter, hood
14. Scrub down a couple cabinet fronts
15. Clean lights
16. Tidy under sink
17. Fill baking supplies
18. Fill and reorganize spices
19. Vacuum beside and under fridge
20. Vacuum under oven
21. Tidy top of cupboard pantry
22. Wash out garbage can
23. Wash down step stool
24. Clean out Coupon/Flier shelf
25. Toss out all old coupons
26. Tidy Home Management Binder
27. Clean phone
28. Return cookbooks upstairs


Monday is Kitchen Day (with Daily tasks included)
Tuesday is Errand Day
Wednesday is Downstairs Day
Thursday is Upstairs Day
Friday is Project Day
Saturday and Sunday

Zone Plan
Zone 1

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

Christmas Update

We took Miss Pear to the doctor's this morning, and the good news is that she does not have strep, but the bad news is that she has a very bad cold and the start of an ear infection. We are hopeful that we caught the ear infection soon enough that it will not be painful!

So while she has been resting I have been working on Christmas stuff.

So far:

1. All presents that have to be shipped are shipped
2. Christmas shopping is done except an angel tree gift (we just got the tag)
3. Cards are almost done (International is done, Canada is ready to mail, US is addressed but not quite done yet)
4. Baking is started

Leaving the rest of the cards, that one present, gift wrapping, decorating and baking.

Not bad for the last week of November.

We always try to have our Christmas shopping done for Thanksgiving so that we only have a few online things left with no mall ventures, and then we polish off the online shopping with the Black Friday / Cyber Monday specials.

I also try to have all the cards done that first week in December with the international ones being done first and hopefully before that!

And ideally everything is wrapped and under the tree, and all the baking is done a week before Christmas.

Now if I could just make up my mind about holiday menus.....

What kinds of guideline dates do you use to help avoid the last minute craziness?

Last Day of Free Shipping....

You all know that I LOVE to shop on line for presents and books and lots of other stuff, so when I came across this little tid bit below, I had to share. Of course I am pining for their tea set for Miss Pear, and the dolls, but am trying to restrain myself.....

Doug Phillips and Vision Forum are sponsoring a giveaway at inashoe.com to help get word out about the FREE SHIPPING Vision Forum is offering until Midnight tonight

Help spread the word on your website or blog then leave a comment a

Life in a Shoe to enter!

Cleaning Lists - Zone 1

I had intended to post this list this morning, but our daughter is sick again today, and it turns out she was exposed to strep, so tomorrow morning we will be at the doctor's office for 8 AM.

In the mean time, here is the list for cleaning in Zone 1 during that partial week 1 of the month!

Zone 1 – Week 1
Front Porch

1. Sweep down cobwebs
2. Sweep off Front Bench
3. Sweep the porch
4. Throw away dead plants
5. Prune back the front bush as needed
6. Get rid of unwanted items
7. Return stray items to their rightful places (toys)
8. Add welcoming items!


Entrance

Start by Decluttering!

Then start at the ceiling and work your way down to the floor!

1. Clean Cobwebs
2. Dust windowsills and front door
3. Clean switch plate of hand prints (walls too if needed)
4. Dust Baseboards
5. Straighten Coat Closet and return items to right places
6. Sweep, vacuum, or mop the floor
7. Vacuum entry carpets outside and air them out
8. Add touches to make it more welcome!

Laundry Room

Start by decluttering and returning stuff to it’s right place!

1. Tidy cupboards and check supplies
2. Dust/Vacuum corners top and bottom
3. Vacuum sides of washer and drier
4. Vacuum dryer vent
5. Wash top of washer
6. Clean out washer detergent dispenser
7. Clean out detergent cups

Downstairs Bathroom

1. Dust cobwebs away
2. Wash area rug
3. Dust base boards
4. Refill Toilet Paper Basket
5. Dust lights

Monday is Kitchen Day (with Daily tasks included)
Tuesday is Errand Day
Wednesday is Downstairs Day
Thursday is Upstairs Day
Friday is Project Day
Saturday and Sunday

Zone Plan

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

Christmas Baking Lists

Two years ago I sat down and wrote down all the Christmas baking I do each year. This kept me from having to sit down each year and try to remember all the baking I do. So now, each year I just pull out the list and get started! It saves me SO much time!

On my list is:

Christmas Cake
Shortbread Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies
Cookie Square
Pink Icing Cake
Vinatarta
Mars Bar Square

Each year I also bake Cinnamon Buns ahead of time and pop them in the freezer, then Christmas Eve after supper I pull them out, let them thaw over night, and then warm them up in the morning for breakfast (with fruit and stuff, to tide us over to a big brunch).

If I make changes, or add stuff, I just update the list for next year!

And of course, I store it all in the freezer, and then use my special snowman plate and pull it out a plate at time so we always have variety!

This year I am going to also plan out my menus and then type them up so that I have a list because every year it is the same thing of asking myself what we do again!

My plan is by this time next year to have menu lists for all the special occasions in our lives! Of course, birthdays will still be a case of "What special thing can I make you?"

So that is it, it is a kitchen tip that works for me!

Praying for Noah

I am sure you have noticed my little button on my sidebar about praying for Noah. Well, I just was over there reading, and Noah is very sick and has been rushed to surgery, he is a very sick little boy. Please pray for Noah and head over here for updates, his parents are great about updating when they can.

Cleaning Lists - Zone Plan

Now that Thanksgiving is over, and we have almost recovered, I wanted to resume sharing my new cleaning lists by sharing the zone schedule and then zone lists this week!

Zone Cleaning Schedule

Zone 1 - Week 1 – Entrance, Front Porch,
Laundry Room, Downstairs Bathroom

Zone 2 – Week 2 – Kitchen

Zone 3 – Week 3 - Miss Pear’s Room, Guest Room, Upstairs Bath, Loft

Zone 4 – Week 4 - Master Bedroom and Bathroom

Zone 5 – Week 5 - Living Room, Dining Room

Monday is Kitchen Day (with Daily tasks included)
Tuesday is Errand Day
Wednesday is Downstairs Day
Thursday is Upstairs Day
Friday is Project Day
Saturday and Sunday

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

Menu Plan Monday - November 24 - December 1

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And now Miss Pear is sick with a cold that includes very big sneezes, so we are laying low right now, again.

Saturday

Breakfast - Maple Scones (from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook on the sidebar, they were so delicious!)
Lunch - Leftovers
Supper - Orange-Apricot Glazed Porkchops and Yam and Carrot Casserole Leftovers

Sunday

Breakfast - Maple Scones made Saturday
Lunch - Pancakes
Supper - Lemony Chicken with Pasta

Monday

Breakfast** - Toast and fruit
Lunch - leftovers - we seem to have lots of breakfast leftovers from the weekend
Supper - Soup and toast

Tuesday

Breakfast - Granola and Yogurt
Lunch - Tuna Sandwiches
Supper - Hamburgers and Homemade Hamburger buns (both of which we have to make)

Wednesday

Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Supper - Farmhouse Chicken


Thursday

Breakfast - Granola and Yogurt
Lunch - Tuna Sandwiches
Supper - Spicy Chicken Chili and Rolls

Friday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - Chili Leftovers
Supper - Chicken Cordon Bleu, Rice and Veg

Saturday

Breakfast - Orange Overnight French Toast
Lunch - Costco Pizza
Supper - Philly Cheese Steak Wraps and salad

Breads
Hamburger Buns
French Bread
Winnipeg Rye Bread (recipe to follow)


Cookies
Granola Chips
Oatmeal Raisin

Loaves and Muffins
Tropical Muffins
Berry Oat Muffins
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Other
Hot Chocolate (for gifts)
Lemon Pie

Work on Christmas Baking list! Christmas Cake is done, now I just have the rest of the list!

~ from the More with Less Cookbook (can be found on my sidebar if you want to check it out) I am trying to cook through this cookbook a bit, so I am trying to make one thing a week from it but am really not being successful at that with all that is going on.
** During the week it is just Miss Pear and I for lunch, so we eat some strange lunches....

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Psalm 118:29 (NKJV)

Happy Thanksgiving!

$2 Sale!

Crystal at Biblical Womanhood is having a huge $2 sale! It goes through the end of this week and is on all her ebooks and CD's, plus she is giving away a free copy of Make Ahead Batters!

Definitely check it out!

And might I recommend Secrets to Supermarket Savings??? It helped me SO much!

New Homemaking Binder

I am so glad that I spent all that time updating my cleaning lists because the old ones were just not good enough for the wonderful package that arrived!

PicketFenceMom at Ponderings from Picket Fence Cottage held a Bloggy Giveaway in the Fall Y'all Celebration, and I won!

It is such a wonderful prize!

It is a wonderful binder with a beautiful picture of sunflowers drawn 16 year old Elizabeth, and it PERFECTLY matches my kitchen! I would not be exaggerating to say that all my papers were transfered from one binder to the other within 15 minutes of opening the package!

And The Hidden Art of Homemaking looks absolutely wonderful, so I cannot wait to dive into that!

The whole package has blessed me so much! It has definitely spurred me on to finish updating my home binder, and that is helping me so much!

Thank you!

Fresh Nutmeg

Yesterday I posted about our Christmas Cake Baking experience, which was wonderful and resulted in our whole house smelling wonderful! One of the tricks I use is to buy the nutmeg "nut" instead of the already ground stuff. It is not technically a nut, so it is okay in our house!

To use it you just grate the nut on the fine part of your box grater or whatever you have to grate fine! The nutmeg has no outer shell, so you just go for it.

It smells so delicious, and with the Christmas season starting, it is wonderful on eggnog!

However, have a very light hand with it because it is much stronger and more delicious than the pre-ground stuff!

Yummy!

Our house smells so yummy today. I say this every year on Christmas Cake baking day!

I am using a family recipe, and I am the third generation to bake it. It is my husband's family's recipe, passed down through his dad, and it is so delicious. Keeping in mind that I loath fruit cake, it is surprising that I love this one! But we call it Christmas Cake because it is not the traditional fruit cake. It is not soaked in liquor so you can actually taste all the delicious fruits and spices.

This was the first year that a forth generation baked this recipe. Miss Pear was old enough to help stir the fruit, and then help stir the fruit into the batter. Of course I helped a lot, and was the one to pour the batter into the pans.

The cake is now in the oven for the last hour if its three hours of baking. The whole house smells so good!

We are expecting company this morning, so before we made the Christmas cake I made up Devil's Food Cake with Fudge Icing - although I have not iced it yet, it is still cooling!

But our house is all ready for guests, so now I am going to get myself ready, and finish my BSF for tomorrow morning!

Super Savings Saturday

I am really enjoying this whole sharing your deals thing with Super Saving Saturday, I am picking up tips and tricks, and it is helping me and encouraging me a lot!

Last Saturday we went to Costco and stocked up on milk, cheese, fruits and veggies. So when I went shopping to Pavilions (Vons/Safeway family) on Tuesday it was really just to shop the sales, I did not need much. But here is what I got!

Pavilions - Tuesday

Curve's Cereal (on sale for $1.50 minus $1.1o coupon doubled) Free

Doritos it was supposed to be 2 for $3 after coupon, but when I got home I saw that my coupon did not go through, so it was 2 for $5

2 x Fruit Loops and 2 x Rice Crispies (4 for $10 minus $4 store coupon - 4 x $1 off coupons, one of which was doubled) for $1

4 large cans of Dole Crushed Pineapple for $5 (no coupons, just needed it for baking)

6 boxes Ritz crackers (large boxes, $3.99 ea. but BOGO, minus 2 x $0.55 coupons, one of which was doubled, minus $6 in store promotion) 6 for $4.32

5 cans Swanson Chicken Broth (Sale was 5 for $4 minus $2 store coupon - 0.25 coupon that was doubled) 5 for $1.50

4 Boxes of Uncle Bens rice (on sale for $1.50 each minus 2 x $1 off 2 coupons, one was doubled) $3 (Also gave me a $1 off Catalina on my next shopping trip to Pavilions/Vons/Safeway)

2 Boxes Barilla Pasta (on sale for $1 each minus free coupon entered at $1.89) $0.11

1 Jar Barilla Pasta (on sale for $2.50, should have been free after coupon, but it was only entered at $1.89 and the gal was so frazzled I just could not argue with her, and the pasta was only supposed to be entered at $1, or the actual value I paid, so it balanced out in my favor) $0.61

Totinos Pizza Rolls (big bag on for $6.99 - $0.50 coupon that was doubled, and we have some crazy plans over the next two weeks where a couple easy lunches, this with carrot sticks, would be good) $5.99

2 x 24oz Sun Ripe Raisins (On sale for $3 each minus 2 $1 off coupons, one was doubled) $3

Total Spent = $29.53
Total Savings = $77.67 or 72%
Savings from just shopping the sales = $52.24


Target - Wednesday
(I stop at Target on a day when I have the car and am going to pick up my husband from work, usually this would have been done on Tuesday, but we ran out of time running errands)

5 x Betty Crocker Cake mix (Devil's Food was on for $0.97 then I had 5 x $0.50 store coupons) = $2.35

4 x Stove Top Stuffing ($0.79 - $0.50 store coupon each, but my fliers did not have the extra $1 off) = $1.16

Kraft Marshmallows $0.89

Wilton Gingerbread Man sprinkles $3.99 - $0.50 store coupon (not sure where this one came from) = $3.49

Lindt Truffles for someone special's stocking = $2.50

Total: $10.39


So now I am going to try to do this week's shopping tonight so that I am not caught in the mad crunch of Thanksgiving shoppers - I am praying for it to go well!

Cleaning Lists - Saturday and Sunday

You will probably laugh at my lists, but doing it this way allows me to stay focused on what is important. Obviously some of the daily tasks disappear too, but I will just focus on my "assigned" Saturday and Sunday tasks!

Today is Saturday
1. Grocery Shopping and Errand Running
(if not done during the week, or if I will not be able to go on Tuesday, like this week when we will have company))
2. Gardening
3. Catch up activities
4. Family Play Time!
5. Prepare for Sunday


Today is Sunday
1. Church
2. Family Play Time
3. Rest

On Sunday I try to have a crock pot meal or something I can just microwave for lunch as we get home hungry, I try to have the preparation done on Friday. I try to always have a supper from the freezer so it is usually thaw, put in oven, serve with rice from the rice cooker and veggies.

Monday is Kitchen Day (with Daily tasks included)
Tuesday is Errand Day
Wednesday is Downstairs Day
Thursday is Upstairs Day
Friday is Project Day

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

Saving on Cheese

I read a great article on saving money on fancy blended cheese by grating your own, and I had to smile to myself because I had just realized that I really do save money by buying my cheddar cheese shredded already! I guess it just depends on where you live and which cheese you are buying, but here is what I found.

The BEST price on cheese I can find in my area is 3 Albertson's brand 8 oz blocks for $4, or $2.67 for a pound.

At Costco I buy a 5 pound bag of Tillamook cheddar cheese, shredded, for $5.99, or $1.20 a pound, less than half the price!

So the frugal lesson is that we have to be careful to compare apples to apples when receiving tips on line and remember that just because it saves money in some ares of the country does not mean it will save in your area too, so be sure to check it out and be sure that it really does save you money in your area of the country!

(But I will be using the great shredding tip to make fancy blended cheese as I cannot find a good price on that!)

Updated: Martha A. you were right, this must have been a sale because the price is now back up to $10.99, or $2.20 a pound according to my friend who went this week. Still a savings, but not as much. It makes me wish I had picked up 2 at that price. Needless to say I just started checking the cheese prices again very carefully, and will have to keep my eyes open for a bit longer to make sure I know what the usual price is! (I have noticed that Costco will drop prices to clear out some older stock, but I keep my cheese frozen, so it is not that big a deal for us.)

Cleaning List - Friday

Well, here is where I make a big confession, I cannot always keep my schedule perfectly, so I keep today a bit on the light side so that I can get some projects done and also be ready for the weekend!

Today two friends are coming over and we are having project Friday - it will be about an hour to an hour and a half and we will all leave with pie dough and cookies dough in cookie size drops to freeze and use whenever we need! It is different every week, and we don't meet every week either.


Today is Project Day
1. Sewing and Mending
2. Projects that need to be done
3. Prepare gifts/parcels for mail
4. Extra Baking
5. Laundry:
a. Whites
b. Colors
c. Darks
6. Ironing
7. Plan and Prep for Sunday’s meals




Monday is Kitchen Day (with Daily tasks included)
Tuesday is Errand Day
Wednesday is Downstairs Day
Thursday is Upstairs Day

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

Until Midnight tonight...

...you can save an additional 15% off your order at Biblical Womanhood with coupon code SAVEMORE

Famous Mushrooms - Revised

I am going to a lunch today where we are to bring a dish we would serve at Thanksgiving. I am choosing to take my Famous Mushrooms because they are the absolute best appetizer - delicious, easy, and most importantly, you can pop them in the slow cooker and then move it out of the kitchen so it is not taking up valuable kitchen counter space!

Plus, they always get rave reviews, so that is good too! And this way there is no whining when supper will be ready as there is a snack out! Pairing this with a veggie plate and dip rounds out a small appetizer table beautifully!

Famous Mushrooms

4-5 packages of whole button mushrooms, cleaned (the white ones in the blue tray, if they are really big I halve them or even quarter them so the finished product is a bite size)
2 sticks of butter
2 envelopes Italian or Ranch salad dressing mix.

Add all ingredients together in a Crock Pot. Turn on low for about 3 hours, stirring every now and then. Mushrooms will shrink and get nice and juicy.

Cleaning Lists - Thursday

Today is Upstairs Day
1. Clean Master bathroom (change towels)
2. Clean Master bedroom (change linens)
3. Clean Miss Pear’s room (change linens)
4. Clean Upstairs bathroom (change linens)
5. Vacuum Upstairs
6. Dust Upstairs
7. Mop Upstairs
8. Laundry
a. Master Bathroom towels
b. Master Bedroom sheets
(Week 4 – mattress and pillow protectors
c. Miss Pear’s Sheets
(Week 3 – mattress protector and quilt)
d. Second bathroom towels

Monday is Kitchen Day (with Daily tasks included)
Tuesday is Errand Day
Wednesday is Downstairs Day

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

Cleaning Lists - Wednesday

Today is Downstairs Day

1. Clean downstairs bathroom
2. Change downstairs bathroom towels
3. Mending
4. Vacuum Downstairs
5. Mop Downstairs Floors
6. Laundry – Catch Up Day
7. Dust downstairs

Monday is Kitchen Day (with Daily tasks included)
Tuesday is Errand Day

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

I just cannot do it!

We are having warm days, if it were August I would be turning the air conditioning on, but in November it just seems WRONG!

Especially considering that Sunday night I could not sleep so I went downstairs to read, and it was so chilly I had to turn the furnace on! Monday it went to 33C. So weird.

On the plus side, the heat from the day keeps the house warm at night, and if you open everything up for about half an hour in the morning and then close it all up the cool from the night keeps the house cool in the day.

But it is so weird.

Growing up in Canada I never thought I would find myself saying, "I just cannot bring myself to turn on the air conditioning in November!"

And when we first moved to Southern California I never thought I would be grateful for my stash of curling up under blankets!

Am I the only one with weird foibles about air conditioning and the thermostat based on what month it is?

Cleaning Lists - Tuesday

Tuesday is deliberately kept on the light side as Miss Pear and I are out most of the morning with BSF! We are working on finding a way for the two of us to be able to go to the grocery store without it being a huge production. Miss Pear does not want to sit in the cart on the little car in front of the cart, she wants to walk and put EVERYTHING in our cart, so while we work on that, grocery shopping is a family event!

But basically our day is out the door by 7:20 to get Daddy to work on time (we have one car, so we share like this), back home to finish getting ready for BSF (7:45-55ish), be putting on shoes and loading up the car with our bags at 8:30. Home at 11:20ish, have lunch, nap, run errands, pick up Daddy, finish shopping, home for supper. We tried being completely ready except for Miss Pear getting dressed this morning before we left the house the first time, and that worked well. Today is the day I use the slow cooker, and if possible I get it ready the night before and put the whole crock-pot insert into the fridge.

Today's errands include getting parking passes to park on our street during the parking with pass only ban, stopping at the post office, and Target. Then grocery shopping.

Today is Errand Day
1. Run all errands
a. Non-grocery shopping on way to pick up Mr. Pear
b. Grocery shopping on way home or after supper
2. Update budget lists
3. Laundry:
a. Miss Pear’s face clothes
b. Tea Towels and rags
c. Placemats, napkins, aprons

Monday is Kitchen Day (with Daily tasks included)

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

The Kitchen Bible

Now, maybe this is just me, and if it is, bear with me.

But sometimes, especially when I have A LOT to do, my attitude in my kitchen falters. I may not grumble, but I lose my focus of why I am doing this (to care for and bless my family) and cease to do my work to the glory of God (Col 3:23). Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, and sometimes I feel like just ordering pizza instead.

However, with the Fabulous Holiday Trifecta coming up (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) and all that goes with it, and all the extra baking we do, I REALLY need to make sure I do this.

To help keep my attitude right in the kitchen and stay motivated I have my kitchen Bible. Gone are the days of morning long quiet times, and that is okay, but I still crave that feeding of the Word! So I keep a Bible open on the kitchen counter to whatever I need most. I read a couple verse and keep going, mulling them over as I go. I talk to my daughter about them, I think about it while I just keep going.

That Bible's only job is to get mussed and dirty because honestly, it does. Not badly, but occasionally there are spills or splashes, and pages get bent (thankfully not ripped, but tape would fix that too).

My kitchen Bible is not my study Bible, it is my kitchen partner, and while I prepare to feed my family, the Lord uses it to feed me. It never leaves my kitchen unless it is to be put on the kitchen table in the dining room, and then it quickly returns to the kitchen.

When I am done working in the kitchen I will close it, but it stays on the counter, just upright by the phone. And soon comes out again.

By the way, I started doing this in a kitchen so very small that I would put a cutting board across the sink for more space! I simply propped the Bible up against the wall and used something I was already using, like a cutting board, to anchor it!

This tip definitely helps me in the kitchen, especially during holiday season when I am in there all the more! So it is one of my best kitchen tips, plus it Works for Me!

Cleaning Lists - Monday

As requested, I am sharing my cleaning lists, by day. They are still a work in progress, to say the least!

This week I will share my daily lists, and then next week my zone cleaning lists. They are not final yet, and there will likely be somethings that got left off the list, and some things I have as monthly zone cleaning items that may really need to be done weekly, but adjustments will be made as we go along and see how it works.

Oh, and on the daily portion I have prayer, Bible reading, devotions with my daughter, and schooling activities, I did this so that they were constantly in front of me, reminding me because I get discouraged if I get to the end of the day and realize it has not been done yet. This is how I help myself! I will just include the daily and evening stuff today!

Monday
Daily
1. Pray (family, through home) (I pray through our home bit by bit, not all in one day, everyday!)
2. Bible Reading
3. Bible Reading with Miss Pear
4. Reading / Schooling with Miss Pear
5. Make bed
6. Daily Baking
7. Sweep kitchen floor (will be mopped on downstairs day)
8. Dishes (Dishwasher filled, put through, emptied, filled)
9. Put all laundry away
10. Tidy rooms
11. Check bathrooms
12. Zone Cleaning!
a. 15 minutes in this week’s zone
b. 10 minutes at desk

Today is Kitchen Day
1. Restock Baking Supplies, Coffee
2. Dust counters and appliances (spot cleaning as needed)
3. Empty and Tidy Kitchen Freezer (move to the bigger freezer whatever I can and tidy what remains)
4. Freezer Meal Stocking
5. Weekly Planning
6. Menu Planning
7. Update “Recipe Keeper’s” lists
8. Organize Coupons
9. Shopping Lists
10. Water Plants Inside (Week 1 – Fertilize)
11. Laundry – whites, darks, colors
12. Ironing

Evening
1. Put Miss Pear’s toys away (technically her job, but I pick up the strays)
2. Pour Miss Pear’s milk and water (so much easier to just grab out of the fridge in the AM)
3. Take out Mr. Pear’s lunch for tomorrow (thaws in fridge overnight)
4. Clean Kitchen (basically clean up from supper so the kitchen is clean in the morning)
5. New Kitchen Towels
6. Clean off today’s list (I keep it in page protectors so I can cross stuff off with a dry erase marker)
7. Quick tidy

Lists are based on a combination of what works for me and:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

Christmas Gifts for 2 Year Olds

Finding toys for any child is not easy right now with the constant news of recalls, but we found a couple gems in the bunch!

We are big fans of the Learning Resources "Smart Snacks" toys because they are fun and, don't tell our daughter, educational! We find that she keeps returning to these toys again and again! So they are high on our list to pick up for other children!

The first three have been in our home for a number of months, are still in regular rotation, and well loved, they also seem to spark imagination.

Or all three!


Or a new one to us that is not quite as time tested, but looks promising!


And of course we are huge fans of crayons and coloring books!

Oh a crafting we will go....

...if we just knew the way!

I really enjoy crafting, and Miss Pear is old enough to do some projects with me as long as they are not too complicated.

I am on the hunt for easy, inexpensive Thanksgiving and Christmas crafts to do with little ones. If it is a book I would like it to be one that we could use for the next few years. Links would be great too!

Do you have any suggestions for crafts for the fall through winter season and holidays?

Saving at Michael's and Joanne's

It seems I am always making something, or planning to make something, or both. I enjoy crafting tremendously, but if I am not careful it can be very expensive.

We live near both a Michael's and a Joanne's (a super one, with all the extra stuff like knitting, scrap booking, cake making, etc.), and almost every week in the paper there is one coupon for Michael's and one for Joanne's - usually 40% off one item, sometimes 50%.

The nice thing is that you don't have to go to each store as each store takes their competitor's coupons!

Joannes will let you use both in one transaction! Michael's will often make you do two transactions.

I love it - it saves me money and the time hand hassle of going to both stores!

Plus we were there last night to pick up the few items we needed for Christmas crafting (a lot we already had on hand), and the Christmas baking stuff was all 25% off.

Head on over to Crystal's for more Frugal Friday Tips

Another Week, Another Recall

I was reading over at Crystal's and over at Shannon's about these recalls, both have some great discussion in their comments sections, and I have to confess, I am a bit alarmed by all these recalls, many of them by reputable companies! Between the food recalls and the toy recalls, the sad statement preceding talk of recalls in our house is, "another week, another recall."

It is very sad.

I understand the pressure on companies to remain cost competitive, but what are parents to do when names we know and trust, that we grew up with, are letting us down?

Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes

I tried to make these this week without the cheese for my husband, and without the cheese they are nothing special, but with the cheese they are pretty good for a last minute meal idea when you remember after lunch that you have to run errands and you will not be home until exactly supper time!

Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes

2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
1 sweet pepper finely chopped
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
4-6 hamburger buns

Brown ground beef and add to slow cooker along with the next 7 ingredients (up to, but not including, the cheese), mix well.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, high for 3 hours.

Reduce heat to low, add cheese and let cook for an addition 10 minutes.

Spoon mixture over hamburger buns - best served open face.

Cleaning Lists are FINALLY Updated

So you might have noticed two things, one is that I still insist on starting posts with the word "so" and I have no idea why, and two is that I have been feeling very behind on everything lately!

Well, I cannot do much about the "so" except to stop writing like I would talk, but that would make this blog very formal sounding, and that does not sound like fun.

As to the second, I thought about why I have been feeling this way, and to be really honest, one of the reasons is that I don't feel organized! I had not updated my cleaning plan since we moved and I had to change my days around, plus I had not implemented the zone cleaning plan I kept promising myself I would!

So yesterday while Miss Pear napped I did it!

I made up all new cleaning lists, I made up zone cleaning lists, AND I typed up my plans for schooling with Miss Pear and chores with Miss Pear.

Of course, to make up my lists I used my two favorite books for this very topic:

Sink Reflections: Overwhelmed? Disorganized? Living in Chaos? The FlyLady's Simple FLYing Lessons Will Show You How to Get Your Home and Your Life in Order--and It All Starts with Shining Your Sink!

More Hours in My Day: Proven Ways to Organize Your Home, Your Family, and Yourself

I feel so accomplished!

Now let's see if it helps!

Is anyone interested in seeing it or am I just silly to be so enthused about it?

Knit Knit Knit

I have been working on a beautiful afghan that is supposed to be a Christmas present for my parents. Actually it was supposed to be a Christmas present last year, but here we are.

It has been so hot that it has actually been too warm to work on it, even with the air conditioning on, so I have been knitting dish clothes. The logic being that I can tuck a couple dish cloths in with a copy of the pattern, sample of the wool and picture of the work in process afghan.

First I knit 3 cloths with the Chinese wave pattern (thanks to Jodi for the link)

Now I am finishing the fourth of Grandma's Favorite, the traditional one that you usually see.

But as soon as I am finished it, I am going back to the afghan full speed ahead to get it done!

Target Playdoh Deal?

Update: Thanks for your wonderful input - I am going to skip this one....The more I look at it, the less I like it....

I am trying to decide if this is a good deal, and if I REALLY want to have this to clean up.

Target has the Play-Doh Creativity Center on for $24.99



Which has had it's price drop by at least $5 in the last couple days.

But I also have a coupon that is for a free 24 pack of Play-doh when you buy the Creativity Center. It was priced at $20, but the price has just dropped to $10.

The coupon was in the Target flier/catalog in this week's paper.

What do you think? Good Deal? Do I really want all those pieces?

WMFW Backwards Day! Family Night

Today is another BACKWARDS edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday. Which I love! You all gave me such wonderful ideas and tips regarding starting to home schooling that I have to try again!

I am trying to make one night into a special family fun night. Our daughter is 2 and a half. And I am just looking for some fun and easy ideas! Preferably frugal too!

What do you do for family fun night? Or to do something special as a family Sunday afternoons?

Must Click Over NOW!

You all know that I love My Quiet Corner, and I am thinking that this week MomRN2 is READING MY MIND! I kid you not! I have know for a long time she is special, but this is exceptional!

The evidence for these wild claims?

Why, click here to see the Precious Promise she posted yesterday that I am convinced God intended just for me (and of course the couple other hundreds who read her blog and gazillions who read His word.....)

Then this morning, I raced like a crazy woman to get us to BSF on time - my hair was done but iffy, and I was in sweatpants and a t-shirt, and we were barely there on time! Then after a great class I am all blissed out about the Lord seeing my work, and doing my work as per Col. 3:23! And of course just as I get down to it because my daughter is napping blissfully, a car on the street has a car alarm go off that BEEPS IN INTERVALS! So I called the school trying to be gracious, but was really grumbling inside, but the secretary thanked me about 6 times, so I don't think she caught on that I was not really trying to be a good neighbor, I just wanted a bit more quiet. So I am internally grumbling just a bit at these rude parents at the school, and my good attitude is sinking fast.

But then I read my bloglines, and My Quiet Corner has a new post, so I click over and find this!

I laughed so hard I cried!

Good Mood Restored!

See, what did I tell you, I think she reads my mind!

Cleaning Dough Bowls

I love baking bread. Actually, I love baking in general. With our daughter's allergies we have taken to baking everything from scratch that we possibly can. I think we only buy tortillas, but those are next on my list to learn to make.

I love pulling out my Bosch and making breads, rolls, and other delicious stuff. But I don't like the clean up!

If I put the bowl and accoutrement's right into the sink the dough seems to turn to glue and clog up my scrub brush, and make my dish cloth a mess!

So I found a new method. I just put my bowl and anything else with dough on it to the side and let it dry - even 30 minutes is usually enough! Then I just flake the dry dough off with my fingers and dump it into the garbage.

Then I can clean my dishes without "dough glue" floating around!

It works so well that with the one hindrance to my baking joy removed I feel like baking more often rather than just making myself do it because we need it and I want to bless my family!

CBD Coupon

May I help you with your Christmas shopping, or just a couple books to read before Christmas?

Christian Books (over on my sidebar) has a new coupon out for 10% off your order of $35 or more!

Promotional Code: 251447AD
Expires December 19

Just enter it at check out!

Happy Shopping

Oh, and as always, we would appreciate it if you would click through our site to theirs!

Menu Plan Monday - November 3 - 10

We went to Costco on Saturday, and I decided that with the fruit, veggies, and milk we got there that we were done as the sales are a bit lackluster this week, so we are just making it up as we go along this week, using what we have on hand.

Saturday

Breakfast - Toast and Cereal
Lunch - Pizza Rice Casserole Leftovers
Supper - Garden Supper Casserole

Sunday

Breakfast - Overnight French Toast
Lunch - Pizza Rolls
Supper - Pepper Steak and Rice

Monday

Breakfast** - Toast and fruit
Lunch - leftovers
Supper - Hamburger Casserole

Tuesday

Breakfast - Granola and Yogurt
Lunch - Leftovers
Supper - Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes (Cdn Slow Cooker, pg 93)

Wednesday

Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - Out with friends
Supper - Pasta


Thursday

Breakfast - Granola and Yogurt
Lunch - Tuna Sandwiches
Supper - Tortilla Soup and rolls (using fresh cilantro from our garden - for the soup, not the rolls)

Friday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - Chicken Packets
Supper - Taco Pie

Saturday

Breakfast - Home made bagels
Lunch - We are still not sure what are plans are for this weekend
Supper - BBQ Hamburgers

Breads
Whole Wheat Bread
Oatmeal Bread ~


Cookies
Mrs. U's gingersnaps
Chocolate Crinkles
Lemon Cookies
Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin
Granola Chips
Fruit Cocktail Cookies

Loaves and Muffins
Tropical Muffins
Banana Berry Muffins
Berry Oat Muffins
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Other
Granola
Granola Bars

~ from the More with Less Cookbook (can be found on my sidebar if you want to check it out) I am trying to cook through this cookbook a bit, so I am trying to make one thing a week from it but am really not being successful at that with all that is going on.
** During the week it is just Miss Pear and I for lunch, so we eat some strange lunches....

Shopping This Week

I have really been enjoying Money Saving Mom's Super Saving Saturday Series. There is something encouraging about having found a deal good enough to share, and to read other's stories as well! It is nice to learn from others and know that there are days you are not the only one struggling to do a better job with the funds of your household!

One thing I love to help me is stacking great coupons with sales. I was thrilled to realize that Vons/Pavilions/Safeways that are doubling coupons are actually now doubling everything, even if says do not double, up to $1! So we had some great savings there this week!

1. AquaFresh Toothpaste $1 minus $0.75 coupon, which is then doubled = profit of $0.50
2. Totinos Pizza Rolls 4 for $5 minus 3 x $0.50 coupons and 1 x $o.55 coupon which were all doubled so the final cost for 4 = $0.90
3. Alka-Seltzer Plus Congestion and Mucus cold medication was $3.99 - $3 coupon doubled up to 0.99 = free
4. Danon All Natural Yogurt 4 packs were $1.99 minus $1 doubled couponn = free
5. Doritos were the best price they ever get which is 3 for $4.98

Plus a lot of produce was on the 10 for $10 sale! Butternut squash was $1 a lb, so that was great. Oh, and we shopped on Tuesday, so I guess these were technically last week's sales.


A second place I love is CVS! I have been working at building up my extracare bucks to cover other stuff too, not just the extrabuck sales! This works great because occasionally you need something that is not on sale, but you need it NOW! That was the situation we found ourselves in. Miss Pear always has sensitive skin, but with her allergic reaction last week it is extra sensitive, so we are doing lots of oatmeal baths, and we were out and needed more! Thanks to our ExtraBuck savings, it was not a problem!

I had an ECB of $6.58 I had to use or it would expire, and a stack of others, so here is what we did:

4 x Soy Joy bars 4 for $4 minus 4 x $1 off coupons = free ($4 in ECB's)
2 x Colgate toothpaste 2 for $4.98 minus 2 x $1.50 coupons = $1.98 ($2 ECB's)
2 x Softsoap Body Gel 2 for $6.98 minus $1 coupon = 5.98 ($2 ECB)
2 x Aveeno Baby Soothing Oatmeal Bath for $10.58 minus $1.50 coupon = $9.08
2 x chocolate bars for filler = $1

Subtotal (after sales and coupons) = $18.04
Minus $4 off $20 coupon (it was before the coupons) = 14.04
Minus $2 off $10 coupon = 12.04
Minus $6.58 ECB that was expiring in 2 days = $5.46
Minus $5 ECB (Reason I needed filler) = $0.46

What messed up my planning is that my coupons would not scan, so they entered in all by 1 manually, and they showed up as CVS money, and therefore not taxable, whereas I had counted them as taxable, so I had to quickly buy 2 chocolate bars or be paying $4.50ish.

Oh, and I have $40 in ECB's left over from previous shops, and from this shop for future purchases. I am hoping to get a large bottle of the shampoo my husband loves there as we have a $4 of $20 for hair care, and now I can do it without taking a big hit on my ECB's to keep rolling. (I try not to drop below $15, but don't feel the need to use all of them every week, but I also don't let them expire).


A third place we stopped this week, today actually, was Costco. The gas there today was $0.21 cheaper a gallon than most other gas stations, the cheapest we saw other places was $0.15 more expensive a gallon. Seeing we were there it made sense to get gas too! :-)

I get a lot of my baking supplies there as their regular price for flour, sugar, brown sugar and yeast is better than any store sale, plus I get 2 gallons of milk for just slightly more than I would pay for one gallon of milk anywhere else! I also do better on meat there, but then again, this is California, so it is harder to get some of the good prices on stuff that is not nationally branded (plus I just get jealous I hear the national average on gas because we cannot even get within $0.50 of that price, usually it is almost $1 off. (We paid $3.09 a gallon this morning)

But the reason I bring up Costco is we found a terrific gift there! The COMPLETE set of Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit was $27.99! We were thrilled!

P.S. If you not a regular reader to my blog, please click here for an inexpensive, easy way to provide comfort to those who lost their homes in the Southern California Wild Fires.

Comfort for the Southern California Fires

I posted earlier in the week about a church in Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, CA. One of the hardest hit areas by the fires last week. This particular church has 57 families who lost their homes which is a huge number. This is also a church that continually reaches out beyond their own walls to the community beyond!

One great ministry they have is called Tied in Prayer. This group is making comforting quilt squares to offer to the families who have lost their homes. They need people to make the quilt tops and then mail them to the church, they will do the rest! There are patterns on the website, as well as instructions.

This would be a great way to use up some of your quilting remnants!

Please pass the word on!

A Sweet Surprise

I have enjoyed reading Country Roads since before I started blogging. So when she had her 500th post contest I had to play along! The rules were simple, tell her your favorite post!

So I did - My favorite was when she did a whole post answering my question about sewing with little ones, and all her homeschooling posts too.

And guess what, I won!

So information was passed on and I eagerly awaited while reading how to beautifully wrap items that were in the package!

I was so thrilled when it arrive I forgot to take pictures! But true to Revee form, it arrived precisely when I needed the encouragement of a surprise!

Thank you so much Revee, it is a care package my whole family is enjoying!

Orange Cookies

Oh, one of my favorite things to bake! I try to always have a full cookie jar and refills in the freezer! A couple months ago I asked for Cookie Help! and some sweet readers gave me some excellent recipes!

In getting out of my cookie rut I found a great one!

Orange Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp orange flavoring
1/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp grated orange rind
1 cup raisins

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add orange flavoring and milk.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen


What is your favorite cookie recipe?

Printable Coupons Stick

If you have been reading here for a while you will know that I am trying very hard to make my grocery budget go further, even covering all our household expenses! I was even able to get all the canning jars I needed this year to fit into the budget! One of my tools is coupons both from the paper and printed.

I cannot tell you the number of times my printed coupons have stuck together! Usually I would catch it right at the cash register, but frequently I have arrived home and not noticed until I reviewed my receipt.

It is so frustrating!

But the fix is easy!

Just slightly crumple each coupon so that they cannot stick together! That way the cashier does not accidentally miss one!

This may be a silly little thing, but I have had a $4 coupon missed and not been able to get the money back!

Head on over to Crystal's for tips from the experts!

Well Done

I have had a lot of things on my mind lately, thoughts that rolled around, popped up when I could not sleep at night, and remained largely unanswered.

I have been thinking thoughts that challenge me, thoughts with answers I don't have that send me to the Lord asking Him for perspective.

My latest thought, the one on my mind that continually comes to the front of my thoughts is this:

How do I live my life with such consistently that each moment is one that causes my Lord to smile at me and say, "Well done good and faithful servant"?

My worst nightmare is standing before my Lord knowing that I disappointed Him, and I know I have.

Yet despite that, it is the deep desire of my heart to stand before Him and hear the words "Well done" with the love and approval that can only come from the Lord.