St. Nicholas Likes Hot Cocoa?

Saturday night we celebrated the feast of St. Nicholas. This was our first year to do this and it was a lot of fun. The kids were so excited to participate in all the activities I had planned. I did not accomplish all I had on my list, but next year I will be 'on my game' and better prepared.

Jessica, Catholic Mom Extraordinaire, is soooo gracious and always shares her fabulous plans. Now that I am working fulltime - outside the home - MOST days I feel completely overwhelmed and underprepared. I love that I have Jessica as a resource. So it is with that disclaimer that I share what our family did on Saturday night. :)

We made St. Nicholas Hot Cocoa (cocoa was said to be his favorite drink), and the kids turned chocolate santa's into chocolate St. Nicholas'...

I really wanted to read, St. Nicholas The Wonder Worker, but I had a hard time finding the book (when I had free time to look). Note to self: Next year order online in advance!

At bedtime, the kids set a shoe at their doorway and woke to a nice surprise...

Altogether, I'd say it was a good evening.

God of joy and cheer, we thank you for your servant, the good bishop Nicholas. In loving the poor, he showed us your kindness;in caring for your children,he revealed your love. Make us thoughtful without need of reward so that we, too, may be good followers of Jesus.

Frugal Friday Tip

I am a member of our local Freecycle group and last summer a lady posted that she had a box of old gourmet cooking magazines. I love to be in the kitchen so I knew I could put those to good use. I was dreaming of all the fabulous recipes I'd be trying out in my new kitchen. I knew that I would tear out the 'good ones' and create a notebook of my new found favorites. What I didn't expect I'd receive was this...

Kitchen decor! The Cook's Country magazines have beautiful full-color photo's on the front. I cut out 6 of my favorites (trying to vary the colors utilized) and took myself to the nearest Dollar Tree. I found this burgundy wood frames and they happened to have 6! Bingo!

Now I have unique & colorful wall decor in my kitchen for a whoppin' $6!!

Check out more Frugal Friday tips at Biblical Womanhood.

Girls Night

The Coach has been at football camp this week so the kids and I have taken the opportunity to do some deep cleaning! It has been a lot of hard work...sorting through clothes that no longer fit Caela, sorting through Jaedon's tiny pieces of lego's, transformers & imaginex, and even vacuuming the stairs! My reward for it all....Girls Night! I sent an email to a bunch of ladies from church and invited them over for a movie. I made popcorn & cookies and we all wore our pj's! So fun!

Do you ever have 'girls night'? What's on the schedule?

Pardon Our Mess

Whittaker Woman put it out there today. She thinks we should all confess our dirty little hiding spots. *sigh* I think this could get ugly here in Texas!

Downstairs couch was my first spot to check...
...2 roll-up crayons, a small notepad, emory board, bracelet, snack size ziplock, coupon for dog treats (and it's NOT expired!), a popsicle stick, one piece of popcorn, 2 ponies (pony tail holder), 2 pink "x"'s (for tic-tack-toe), one pink monkey (apparently to some game), a cheez-it (or is it a cheese nip?), 2 dirty socks, and a pile of miscellaneous trash

wow. what can i say? (i'm typing in lowercase now since it's my way of shrinking back a little :))

Next I went upstairs to the "supply closet". When we first moved in a year ago I filled it with pens, pencils, misc office supplies, phone books, etc. I set up 2 wire baskets (one for each child) to collect school work throughout the year and utilized the upper shelfs for some of The Coach's keepsakes. Now it looks like this...

Heather said it best...


I am fine with the fact that I have areas in my house that are just dirty. H



Alright girls...let's see whatcha got! Check out everyone else's dirty little secrets at Whittaker Woman.

I Am Blessed

Once I posted the messy house pictures I got a little worried about letting everyone see them. A little 'photographer's remorse' set in. However, "Anonymous" wrote...

Our house is very clean now - and silent. Cleaner than its ever been. Our children are grown and we are stationed a continent from them.

I looked at your pictures with envy...

It put everything into perspective for me. It forced me to look at the pictures with a different set of eyes. Instead of the critical, self-examining vision that comes as such second nature to me, I had to see the mess through corrective lenses.

I have two healthy children who are active, smart, mess-makin' little people. They bring such joy and surprise to our lives. Veggie Boy is so smart, but we liken him to the little cloud of dust on the Peanuts cartoon. He is a bull in a china shop, Messy Marvin, etc. He dirties more clothes than any other person in our house and his heart is bigger than any other 9 yr old boy I know. He is very sensitive to the needs of others - bringing an extra jacket to school for the boy who doesn't have one, offering to be a partner to his classmate with whom no one would pair-up. These behaviors are normal to him. He is a natural born leader. All of this from the 3lb 15oz tiny baby we took home from the hospital 6 weeks before his due date. By all accounts he could be a special needs kiddo, instead God saw fit to bless us with his complete physical and intellectual health.

Saucy is such a princess and adores all things pink & sparkly. She meticulously selects her clothes and has such a distinct personality. She will "tell it like it is" to anyone who asks. (which is a clear reminder that to watch what we say around her :)) She is full of energy and seems to be a natural athlete. She is a good friend but is still definitely 5 when it comes to problem solving. She is our cuddle-bug and will brighten anyone's day with her beautiful smile.

The Coach loves football and is blessed enough to wake up each day and live his passion. Lots of people struggle just to find their passion and the reality of living may evade them forever, but not my man. He works 12 hour days in off-season and we don't even try to count the hours during football season. He misses a lot of life here at the house but we join him when we can. Fall Friday nights are the best. We're all decked out in orange and I have snacks and pom-poms shoved into my purse as we sit on the 50-yard line - about 6-8 rows up - and cheer our team on.

We are busy people. We are involved in our community, our church and the local schools. I may not always get to the laundry and the dishes may fill my sink, but Dear Stranger-Friends, I am blessed.

Full Disclosure - It's Ugly Folks!

Last week I worked part-time for my aunt on Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday and then I subbed for 4th grade at Veggie's school on Friday. It was a really long week and things around the house got pretty out of control. I hate not being home to stay on top of things. I've come to realize that the older I get the more of a homebody I become.

Periodically I decide that I'd like to work a little to earn some extra money. Our 10th wedding anniversary is coming up (4/18) and I'd like to actually go somewhere. A wonderful family from church has offered to let the kids stay with them overnight so we are deciding what we'll do. :) God's provision is always there, isn't it? He knows our needs and meets them (in accordance with His will). How blessed we are.

I digress. I've decided to post the pictures of just how bad the house got last week for a couple of reasons. 1) In the spirit of full disclosure - it's all too easy for my blog to portray my life as something it's not and, 2) As a reminder - I need visual reminders of what happens when I work too much. I'm human. Sometimes I slip into the "I wanna go back to work 'cause the money would really help us out" mode...I lose sight of God's constant provision.

I planned to show pictures of the "after"; however, I'm working this week. (Seriously, did I just type that? I know I said "full disclosure", blah, blah, blah, but...)

I know. It's ugly.

St. Monica, Pray For Me! :)

Easter Fluff

I can vividly remember the Easter dresses of my childhood. Mainly because each one is permanently documented in the traditional photo...

(let's not talk about the mullet hairstyles! :-))

I can also remember coloring eggs at my grandparent's house, hunting eggs in their yard on Sunday afternoon and the candy-trail left by the Easter Bunny from my bed to my basket. But...I can only recall one specific religious memory of Easter past. I can remember, in broken segments, the youth group at our church doing a passion play for the sunrise service. One particular young man, Todd, (whom I thought was quite cute - he was 16 or so...I was 7 or so!) played the part of Jesus and he hung on the cross they erected in the yard behind the church. It was quite realistic (at least to the 7 year old eye).

My point (and I do have one) is that the vast majority of what I remember was completely "fluff". I don't think my parents did anything wrong by spending a fortune buying us dresses, shoes, hose/tights, purses, hats, and pounds of candy, but I do think there's another way.

I'm striving to live a more simple life. A life with less fluff. I admit that it's not always easy. The girl with the most stuff wins, right? To voluntarily take yourself out of the game is contradictory to society as a whole. It frustrates me to think of myself as a pawn in the game of consumerism, but apparently that is what "they" intended all along.

from SortaCrunchy...

Annie Leonard quotes Victor LeBeau's statement that in order for the consumerist model to work, as we "make consumption a way of life," we must "convert the buying and selling of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction in consumption . . ."

ugh. It is sooo irritating! "make consumption of way of life"...well, they've succeeded. We associate stuff with nearly every holiday. Halloween (something like #2 holiday for retail sales), Thanksgiving (do we really need all that food?), Christmas (need I say more?), Valentines (created for consumers I believe), St. Patrick's Day (can you say public intoxication?), Easter, blah, blah, blah. If we're not comsuming large quantities of food, we're consuming even larger quantities of stuff. What do we do with all the stuff when we tire of it? when we outgrow it? when it breaks?

Exactly how does all this stuff at Easter remind us of Christ's resurrection? I know Saucy would love to go shopping and pick out a new something for Easter, but today it's not a priority in our house. She can look cute & frilly in a dress that's already in the closet. Trust me, I'm all about the girly thing - bows, sweet little patton shoes, precious bucket hats with flowers on it - but who says I NEED to go buy new stuff for this particular Sunday?

So, this year I will rummage through the giant bucket of hand-me-downs that have been given to Saucy and I'll let her choose a dress. She will look as beautiful as the others. I pray Christ's light shines through her precious smile.

The bucket o'stuff

Our casual options...

Our fancy options...

A Goodwill find...$2 & Brand
New!

Her choice...

Happy Easter, Stranger-Friends!

Resurrection Cookies

Several years ago I found a recipe for "Resurrection Cookies" in an Easter issue of Faith & Family. I thought it was a fabulous idea and resolved to make them with the kids. Yea. Ok. So. Ummmm.... 2 years later, I'm REALLY making them on Saturday. I promise. Really. Even told the kids. (do you believe me??)

You will need:

1 cup whole nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc)
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt

1 cup sugar

a zipper baggy

1 wooden spoon

scotch tape

Bible

Instructions:

These are to be made the evening before Easter.

Preheat oven to 300F before you do anything else.

Place nuts in baggie and beat them with the wooden spoon until they are broken and in small pieces. Read JOHN 19:1-3 and talk about how Jesus was scourged (another word for beaten) by the soldiers.

Put one teaspoon of vinegar into the large mixing bowl. Read JOHN 19:28-30. Have children smell and taste the vinegar and explain that when Jesus was thirsty, the soldiers offered Him vinegar to drink.

Stir egg whites into the vinegar. Read JOHN 10:10-11. Discuss how eggs are a sign of life and explain how Jesus gave his life so that we could have brand new life.

Sprinkle a little salt into the bowl. Read LUKE 23:27. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers.

Now add 1 cup sugar. Read PSALM 34:8 and JOHN 3:16. Explain that Jesus' love for us sweetens the sorrow of His death. Mix on high speed until stiff peaks are formed (about 15 minutes). Read ISAIAH 1:18 and JOHN 3:1-3 and explain that the white peaks represent our souls when sins have been forgiven by Jesus.

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed-paper covered cookie sheet. Read MATTHEW 27:57-60 and talk about how each cookie represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was placed after his death.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and TURN OFF THE OVEN (this is very important). Give each person a piece of tape and seal the door to the oven. Read MATTHEW 27:65-66 and talk about the sealed tomb.

Read JOHN 16:20-22 and talk about the sadness Jesus' followers felt when they left Him in the tomb. Leave the cookies in the oven overnight.

On Easter morning, break the tape seals, open the oven and look at the cookies. Read MATTHEW 28:1-9. See how the cookies are cracked like the empty tomb. Have everyone take a bite of a cookie. Notice that they are hollow. Explain that on the first Easter, the women were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Give thanks for the gift of Jesus and the Resurrection!

Menu Planning

Stranger-Friends: "Two weeks in a row? What? "

Me: "I know. It seems a bit out of character. I'm doing something - dare I say it? - consistently."

Monday - Chicken & Rice w/Green Beans
Tuesday - Spicy Beans & cornbread
Wednesday -Chicken Quesdadillas
Thursday - BBQ Baked Potatoes
Friday - Homemade Pizza

Be sure you check out the other great menus at Org Junkie!

GERMS!

Stranger-Friends,

What's going on with all the germs? Seems like everyone we know is sick, trying to get sick, or just got over being sick. Including me. I can't quite shake the congestion & coughing.

I subbed at the elementary school last Monday and I was one of about 5 or 6 subs in the building!! Then a good friend subbed Thursday and Friday and now, guess what?? Yep! She's sick. Taking "tami-germ" and trying to get as much rest as possible when you have 4 kids (ages 2-9) and a sick hubby! Ouch!!

Well, I pray this post finds you all feeling well. I hope no germies have come to live in your house or, worse yet, your body!

Love to you all,
Christie

Makin' My Menu

I've not participated in Menu Plan Monday in quite a while. I'd love to say that it had nothing to do with the fact that I wasn't actually menu planning, but.....Here's to gettin' back on track!

Here's what The Coach & kiddos will be munching on this week.

MONDAY

Breakfast...Blueberry Pancakes

Dinner...Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce, salad & garlic bread sticks

TUESDAY

Breakfast...Banana Bread

Dinner...Hamburger Pinwheels, green beans & steamed carrots

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast...Oatmeal Muffins

Dinner...Red Beans & Rice and corn muffins

THURSDAY

Breakfast...French Toast

Dinner...Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, edamame & corn

FRIDAY

Breakfast...Cereal

Dinner...Homemade Pizza

Be sure to stop by I'm An Organizing Junkie for other great menus.

Stuff

I have not always been the minimalist that I am today. The Coach sorta forced me into that role when, shortly after we married, he inadvertantly threw away several boxes of keepsake things (old piano awards, an entire box of piano music, yearbooks, etc) and even broke my mom's childhood piggy bank. I know it sounds really bad, but I must admit that nearly 10 yrs later I really haven't missed that stuff at all. Mainly, because that is what it was...stuff.


I was quite pleased with the fact that we are minimalists (by my definition anyway) everytime we've had to move and again last night. We needed a new couch for the living room since our IKEA futon/couch thingy was showing it's age and, frankly, horribly uncomfortable. The Coach was to bring home a new 45-degree sectional and I had to empty the living room all. by. myself. I've never been so happy to only have one cabinet full of stuff. Ok, there's that word again! Stuff.


Inspired by Megan's conviction (I'm still in denial regarding my stuff...because did I tell you? I'm a minimalist!) and Meredith's cheerful frugality, I searched Craig's List for days and found several pieces I'd love to have in my home, but not for the low-low price of 2K! But look what a couple of coaches brought to my house last night!



I was so excited about this piece for many reasons...1) it cost us $150 + $30 for the coach's gas and 2) it was re-upholstered in the last year and steamed cleaned before we picked it up.


Alright, stranger-friends I must admit that I'm feeling pretty good about buying a secondhand sofa. :) I didn't contribute to the consumerism conspiracy and I've kept a very large item from a landfill near you!


From The Story of Stuff...


"Buying used items keeps them out of the trash and avoids the upstream waste created during extraction and production."


"The more we visibly engage in re-use over wasting, the more we cultivate a new cultural norm, or actually, reclaim an old one! "

Success!!

Wouldn't you agree that sanctuary is in the small things? Rachel Anne at Home Sanctuary has been encouraging us to take it one small thing at a time! In joining this adventure with the other Company Girls, I'm feeling great about the idea that we're doing it "together".

Last week we re-introduced fruit to our family. (10 points for everyone who ate a piece) I eagerly put out my bowl of fruit - 2 pears, 2 apples and 3 kiwi.

Veggie Boy nearly knocked me over to get a kiwi right then (which is why there are only 2 in the picture), but after that....nothing! Since we're on the honest system with the points I'm putting it out there - we earned 10. That's it.

But success was eventually realized...

(see only the remnants of the hairy little kiwi is left!)

It only took 4 days - guess I'll be heading back to the store! :-)

Making My Home A Haven

I've decided to join Crystal in one of her new year challenges. Mondays will be "Making My Home A Haven" day! Crystal will post a challenge each Monday intended to help us make our homes the haven we desire. An accountability system of sorts!

My day started by making my to-do list. I'm trying to keep it do-able. Lots of times I have grand plans for the day and it doesn't allow for any interruptions or down time. So in the spirit of simplicity I'm keeping it short.

Here's the coat closet before... (don't make fun!)

After spending a few minutes cleaning and organizing, I'm pleased with the clean result!

Yea! Off to item 2! I've been using the tortilla recipe at Hillbilly Housewife and my family loves it. When I make the batch I usually get about 2 dz tortillas so it's more than enough. We had a neighborhood mexican-themed potluck and I tried them out there. I came home with a empty bag so I assume they were well received (in addition to the fact that there were 3 pkgs of store-bought tortillas which did NOT get finished off) :-)

During the fall semester I really struggled to get up early and get everything done before 8am that is necessary around here. My biggest problem was procrastinating at night. I really should pre-prepare (is that a word? lol) breakfast and iron the night before, BUT it seems I never get it done. So now that The Coach is back to school I'm trying to do better. Ironing today what he will wear tomorrow should help me tremendously!

Veggie Boy decided he wanted to do my pilates video with me. I pulled out an extra band for him to use and we got set up in the spare room upstairs - plenty of space. He lasted 5 minutes! What a weenie! Oh well, maybe he'll stick it out a little longer today.

Alright, stranger-friends quit looking all my messy spaces and get out there and Make Your Home A Haven!

Be sure to check out the others participating over at Biblical Womanhood.

The Story of Stuff

Calling all Stranger-Friends! This is a must see video!

The Story of Stuff

Click on the "comments" link below and let me know what you think.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Stranger-Friends!

We made cupcakes

...toasted with the kids (Ginger Ale) ...

...and I even got a pedicure!

Good friends, good food, family - what more could we ask for?

Home Management Journal

Ok stranger-friends, I freely admit to being an organizational freak. So in that spirit I am requesting your wisdom and experience with home management journals, binders, notebooks, etc. I've read of some calling it their "control journal". Do you have one? What do you include in it?

I know that Crystal uses a Homekeeping Journal and I've seen a few posts regarding it. I might have to buy one of her ebooks to get the 4-1-1. I thought maybe a few of you are as crazy about organization as I am and would have some fab idea's for me!