So, have you heard the good news yet? We're moving! We have found our "forever home" as one person called it, and I loved it, so I'm stealing it now (Thanks, Tina!) The last two times I moved, I didn't have to be out in one day, so this should be very interesting...
Packing is hard enough, but I am not used to packing up a house while having the day-to-day activities of 2 school-age children and a toddler. I am a stay-at-home mom, so packing up toys could prove difficult. Also, the day before our settlements (one settlement for selling, and one settlement for buying), the older kids still have school and homework, plus my daughter has play practice that night. I am quite interested to see how smooth this whole process goes. I know many people do it every day, but that is them, and I am me! :)
I've asked friends and family for packing tips. I've gotten everything from where to get good boxes, to suggestions of joining the military so someone else takes care of everything! LOL!! I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we have 7 weeks to pack up a house with a family of 5 in it. I've packed about 15 boxes so far, and it doesn't look like there is any change. I am hoping that we can do quite a bit this weekend, at least enough to make me think that this is actually able to be done.
I am trying to focus on the "one day at a time" way of thinking instead of the big picture, and I do pretty well during the day....until nighttime comes. At night, when I SHOULD be falling asleep, my mind wanders to how much actually has to be done in just 7 weeks! I know as the time ticks on, my mind will go to these stressful thoughts more and more, but I just need to keep reminding myself that God doesn't ever give us more than we can handle, and that includes this move.
The good part is that at the end of this, my family and I will have a wonderful home where we can relax. So, while the next 7 weeks may be stressful, and I may wonder at times why we got ourselves into this - the end result is SO worth it!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
"I Believe"
"I Believe"
By: Jane Daugherty
I believe in children's laughter, the sweet perfume of a newborn baby's skin and that every child is entitled to happiness, decent housing, health care, proper nutrition and good education.
I believe that our schools should be places of discovery and growth, not of danger, that teachers should be paid more than lawyers and that parenting should be a required course in every high school.
I believe that "quality time" is a phony notion that cannot substitute for substantial time spent with our children.
I believe that baseball and other children's games can be magical and should be wrestled from screaming, competitive coaches and returned to play.
I believe that childhood should be a time of sand castles and celebration and that the defense of innocence is as important as the defense of our borders.
And I believe that our most urgent mission should be putting the needs of our children first.
By: Jane Daugherty
I believe in children's laughter, the sweet perfume of a newborn baby's skin and that every child is entitled to happiness, decent housing, health care, proper nutrition and good education.
I believe that our schools should be places of discovery and growth, not of danger, that teachers should be paid more than lawyers and that parenting should be a required course in every high school.
I believe that "quality time" is a phony notion that cannot substitute for substantial time spent with our children.
I believe that baseball and other children's games can be magical and should be wrestled from screaming, competitive coaches and returned to play.
I believe that childhood should be a time of sand castles and celebration and that the defense of innocence is as important as the defense of our borders.
And I believe that our most urgent mission should be putting the needs of our children first.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Cheesy Volcano Meatball Sandwich
This is a great recipe I am going to try for the Super Bowl this Sunday. The Super Bowl, to me, is all about great food, great friends, and great food....oh, and I guess great football, too! This is food and fun all in one! It's a recipe the kids can help with, too! (They'll love pushing the cheese cubes into the meatballs!)
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
6 Ritz crackers, finely crushed
1/4 C parmesan cheese
3/4 C spaghetti sauce, divided
12 cheddar cheese cubes
hot dog buns, split
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Mix meat, cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce in a bowl. Shape into 12 meatballs, using about 2 Tbsp. meat mixture for each.
2. Place 2 inches apart in shallow baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Press 1 cheese cube deeply into the center of each meatball.
3. Bake 14 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Meanwhile, microwave remaining 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in microwaveable bowl on HIGH for 30 seconds.
4. Spoon sauce evenly onto hotdog buns. Fill each with 3 meatballs.
Makes 4 servings, 1 sandwich each.
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
6 Ritz crackers, finely crushed
1/4 C parmesan cheese
3/4 C spaghetti sauce, divided
12 cheddar cheese cubes
hot dog buns, split
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Mix meat, cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce in a bowl. Shape into 12 meatballs, using about 2 Tbsp. meat mixture for each.
2. Place 2 inches apart in shallow baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Press 1 cheese cube deeply into the center of each meatball.
3. Bake 14 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Meanwhile, microwave remaining 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in microwaveable bowl on HIGH for 30 seconds.
4. Spoon sauce evenly onto hotdog buns. Fill each with 3 meatballs.
Makes 4 servings, 1 sandwich each.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Examiner Article:
Use Flowers of Eden for Your Valentine Gifts
Flower's of Eden is a local floral shop in Douglassville, PA. The above link will take you to the article I wrote about them for Examiner.com.
Thank you!
Flower's of Eden is a local floral shop in Douglassville, PA. The above link will take you to the article I wrote about them for Examiner.com.
Thank you!
Humor for the Day - Pun Intended
Need a smile? Read these funny puns. You'll be smiling in no time.
1. A woman ran into a doctor's office, yelling, "Doctor, I'm shrinking!" The doctor replied, "Now calm down, you'll just have to be a little patient."
2. A thief broke into the police station and stole all the toilets and urinals, leaving no evidence behind. A spokesperson for the police offered this public statement, "We have nothing to go on."
3. There were three Indian squaws. One slept on deer skin, one slept on elk skin, and the third slept on hippopotomus skin. All three became pregnant. The first two each had a baby boy. The one who slept on the hippotomus skin had twin boys. This just goes to show that the squaw of hippopotomus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides.
4. A man entered a local pun contest. He entered ten different puns, in order to increase his chances in winning. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.
5. Mahatma Ghandi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him frail, and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him...a super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis!
I hope those made you smile. :)
1. A woman ran into a doctor's office, yelling, "Doctor, I'm shrinking!" The doctor replied, "Now calm down, you'll just have to be a little patient."
2. A thief broke into the police station and stole all the toilets and urinals, leaving no evidence behind. A spokesperson for the police offered this public statement, "We have nothing to go on."
3. There were three Indian squaws. One slept on deer skin, one slept on elk skin, and the third slept on hippopotomus skin. All three became pregnant. The first two each had a baby boy. The one who slept on the hippotomus skin had twin boys. This just goes to show that the squaw of hippopotomus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides.
4. A man entered a local pun contest. He entered ten different puns, in order to increase his chances in winning. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.
5. Mahatma Ghandi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him frail, and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him...a super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis!
I hope those made you smile. :)
Italian Broccoli & Pasta
Italian Broccoli and Pasta
Servings: 4
Cost per Serving: $0.88
Time: Preparation - 10 minutes, Cooking - 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 C. fettucini noodles
3 Tbsp. chopped scallions
2 C. broccoli florets
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes
2 tsp. grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and saute scallions and broccoli for 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the thyme, oregano, pepper, and stewed tomatoes, and simmer until heated through.
4. Spoon vegetable mixture over noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve.
Servings: 4
Cost per Serving: $0.88
Time: Preparation - 10 minutes, Cooking - 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 C. fettucini noodles
3 Tbsp. chopped scallions
2 C. broccoli florets
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes
2 tsp. grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and saute scallions and broccoli for 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the thyme, oregano, pepper, and stewed tomatoes, and simmer until heated through.
4. Spoon vegetable mixture over noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve.
Healthy Eating on a Budget
It is a common misconception that if you are on a budget, you can't eat as healthy. Sure, fresh fruits and vegetables can cost a lot, and there are rarely coupons for them, but there are ways to get around this, and still eat healthy.
1. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. The prices will be cheaper this way, and if you are not going to use them immediately, you can always pick out a few that still need some time to ripen.
2. If you make stews and soups, you can use less meat, which can be pricey, and store-brand frozen vegetables work just great.
3. Buying in bulk is cheaper, so if you have the freezer space, this is the way to go. You can save time, too, by preparing the same meal in bulk - make one casserole for dinner this week, but double the recipe so you have 2 casseroles. Freeze one to use at a later time.
4. Learn what foods are less expensive all the time. Beans, potatoes, carrots, bananas, and apples are usually low in price year-round. Add in the produce that is in season right now, and you've got a healthy variety of lower cost foods.
5. Plan your meals for the week or for two weeks at a time. In doing this, not only will it make preparation easier for you because you will already know what you are having that day, but you can plan on using leftover chicken from one night's dinner to make chicken salad for the next day's lunch, or left over meatloaf can be crumbled over a salad to turn it into a taco salad.
6. Making things from scratch is almost always more cost efficient than buying it already made at the store. If you can, plan to cut up your own vegetables, make your own oatmeal, etc. Some meals take longer to make (like lasagna), but they are a whole lot cheaper making them yourself. This is a great one to make extra and freeze. Saves money and time.
This week I will be adding some low-cost recipes to my blog, so stay tuned. Have a wonderful day!
1. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. The prices will be cheaper this way, and if you are not going to use them immediately, you can always pick out a few that still need some time to ripen.
2. If you make stews and soups, you can use less meat, which can be pricey, and store-brand frozen vegetables work just great.
3. Buying in bulk is cheaper, so if you have the freezer space, this is the way to go. You can save time, too, by preparing the same meal in bulk - make one casserole for dinner this week, but double the recipe so you have 2 casseroles. Freeze one to use at a later time.
4. Learn what foods are less expensive all the time. Beans, potatoes, carrots, bananas, and apples are usually low in price year-round. Add in the produce that is in season right now, and you've got a healthy variety of lower cost foods.
5. Plan your meals for the week or for two weeks at a time. In doing this, not only will it make preparation easier for you because you will already know what you are having that day, but you can plan on using leftover chicken from one night's dinner to make chicken salad for the next day's lunch, or left over meatloaf can be crumbled over a salad to turn it into a taco salad.
6. Making things from scratch is almost always more cost efficient than buying it already made at the store. If you can, plan to cut up your own vegetables, make your own oatmeal, etc. Some meals take longer to make (like lasagna), but they are a whole lot cheaper making them yourself. This is a great one to make extra and freeze. Saves money and time.
This week I will be adding some low-cost recipes to my blog, so stay tuned. Have a wonderful day!
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