Front Porch

One of the things I love most about my old house is my big front porch. It's a lovely place. At least if you can ignore the motorcycles roaring by. I suppose getting up before they do would work too, but that's not a game I'm very good at. Every once in a while I manage to sneak out with my cup of coffee before any little people start running wild. It's a fantastic way to start the day.

The other thing I love about my porch is the picnic table right outside my kitchen door. It's quick and easy to serve the kids lunch out there and we often enjoy dinner out there in the evenings. There is just one problem. The sun likes to beat in right on that corner just about the time I like to serve dinner. We've had one too many squint-y eyed dinners with whining to boot. So I came up with a plan.

I purchased a couple packs of drop cloth from the home improvement store, put in a few simple hems, and wha-la, CURTAINS!

The patient hubs rigged up the wire for me. Not too thick. Not too rough. Not too redneck. Not too loose....fussy much? He did a great job in spite of my help. I dug out the package of little clips from IKEA that I really *needed* two years ago but hadn't open yet. They are perfect for the job. The metal holders, from a yard sale, to keep them tied back, were the icing on the cake.

I finished them just in time for my Mom's birthday celebration. Yup, that means I procrastinated all summer and then crammed the night before so they'd be ready. Sort of the same thing, right?

My other fun projects...

Frame -- yard sale $1
Chicken wire -- yard sale free pile
A couple of staples and 3 minutes later...

Thanks to Clarita's tutorial I was inspired to make pinwheels to add a little pizazz too. So simple. So fun. You should try it. No, not just one. One of every color, in a couple of different sizes!

Food is always a drawing factor, at least for my family.

It's not a birthday party without a cheesecake. I'm usually more of a chocolate, caramel, espresso kind of girl but this vanilla one with fresh peaches was worth every calorie too.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Party is over now, so  if you need me for anything, I'll be out on my porch, the coffee is ready!!

What I Love about Essential Oils

At the risk of sounding like I've gone completely crazy over this stuff, (I may have, I'll let you jump to your own conclusions) it's another Essential Oils post. This time, a few of my favorite things about EO's. Numbers 2-10 are not in any particular order. I don't mean to be annoying, I just feel like I've found a valuable secret and I can't help but pass it on. And so, without further ado....

at the park with the kids. they play. i read. we're all happy.

10 things I Love about EO's.

10. They are 100% natural. No synthetics, no harmful chemicals, no side effects.  [That is if you buy them from a reputable company. There are no standards in the U.S. for the production and sales of EO's. In other words, companies can write whatever they please on the bottle whether it's true or not, nobody is regulating that. 80% of the oils on the market are perfume grade, these are not going to work therapeutically. Do your homework. Know what you are getting! end of lecture.]

9. They are easy to use. Most of them (if not all) are used topically. There are other ways too, but rubbing a bit on the skin is so much easier for me than gagging down a horse pill or squirting nasty tasting stuff down the kid's throats.

8. They are handy. I can order whatever I want, whenever I want it. I keep my little supply stocked up so that when someone starts to get sick I can attack it early. I used to dread those first signs of coughing/runny noses in my kids. Can't say I look forward to them now but I don't live in that constant state of wondering whether they'll be able to kick this on their own or if this will be the time we end up in the Dr.'s office. I've never been one to run to the Dr. over every little thing. My Doc told me himself it's always better to let the kids fight off as much as then can on their own. But things changed when my kids started school. If the child is out for 3 days the school requires a Dr.'s note to return. My Dr. is a really nice guy but he hasn't taken to writing notes for kids he hasn't seen yet. So I'd have to take them in, and he'd give me a prescription, "just in case." Which brings up the next issue, antibiotics that don't work anymore because they've been overused.

7. They are "smarter" than the bugs. Since the growing conditions etc. are never exactly the same for the plants that the oils are made from, the oils themselves vary slightly. Mass produced pharmaceuticals are always exactly the same, which is why the bacteria/viruses get 'smart' to them after awhile and they no longer work. Not a problem with EO's.

6. You can't overdose. Okay, don't take that as a challenge, folks. Common sense is still the lead player here. But I don't have to be forever counting doses, and remembering what time I gave who, what. This is great news for a Mom of 5! I use them as needed. I make adjustments I till I find what works for me/us. I don't panic if I realize to late that I grabbed the wrong bottle. I've even used them on kids who thought they were gonna need hospitalization for a minor scratch, or so it seemed. Just like a band-aid makes it feel better even when it's not bleeding, a little EO solves a multitude of issues that don't even exist. :) But I don't feel bad giving it to them because I know it's not hurting them a bit.

5. They are economical. So when you first hear the price of a small bottle, it may sound like a lot, but a little goes a long way.  I purchased an EO in February to treat my high blood pressure. Prices vary greatly for different oils but that particular oil was about $40. I use it twice every day and I doubt if the bottle is more than half empty yet. (Okay, so just cause I'm weird like that, I went up and checked, it's almost exactly half full.) At this rate that bottle will last me 7- 8 months. I was paying $30 something a month for my prescriptions. Do the math. And that doesn't count the fact that I had to pay a Dr. to write that script and then run somewhere to pick it up every month.

4. They are versatile. One oil does MANY things. I think Lavender get the prize for most uses. It's great for promoting relaxation and sleep. It's good for burns, bug bites, rashes and cuts. I've heard it works for allergies and eczema and a host of other things. (See #6. If you can use Lavender in place of tylenolPM, cortizone cream, Neosporin, Zyrtec and Benedryl, which do you suppose is cheaper to keep on hand.)

3. They don't expire. If stored properly, out of direct light and heat, they will stay potent and useful. (See #6, AGAIN. :) How many times have you thrown out a half a bottle of tylenol because it was too long in between teething episodes or illnesses?

2. They don't just fight the "bad guys" they also rejuvenate the "good guys." So, if by chance you bought a bottle of EO to treat a specific issue and that oil didn't work for that issue in your body (everybody is different.) You've not done yourself any harm (see #1) or wasted your money, your body is still likely benefiting from the oil.

And my favorite thing about EO's....

1. God made them, for ME. It's just so neat for me to think about that. The God who made our incredibly complex bodies also made a whole range of (almost as complex) plants and he made them to work together. There are hundreds of different kinds of EO's and I have yet to try and research an issue that doesn't come up with an answer. Yup, there is an app oil for that! EO's have been around since Bible times. They are mentioned 180+ times in the Bible. My question for you is, "What do you suppose Sarah did when little Isaac was teething and spiked a fever?" Somehow I tend to just assume maybe things were different back then, maybe they didn't get sick like us. Maybe so, sort of, but they were human and I don't think they were so very different than we are. And I don't mean to answer my own question here, but I'm gonna take a shot that she didn't pick something up at the CVS on the corner. Let me know if you're interested in trading your trips to CVS in for some God given gifts. I'd love to help you figure out how to make them work for you!

Another one of God's gifts!

** I feel like I should probably remind you here that I am NOT a doctor. I'm not even an EO expert, not even close. And nobody is paying me to tell you this stuff. It's just that seeing is believing and I am definitely seeing results that I like.

Essential Oils -- Part 2

 In my last EO post (if you missed it you can find it here) I mentioned that it was the stories of how people have used oils successfully  that really got my attention. So if you read that whole post and still felt like you really didn't know what oils do, let me tell you some of our story.

 Thankfully my family came through this germ infested winter with amazing ease but when my 6 year old complained of a sore throat and an accompanying stomachache my Mama instincts instantly said 'Strep throat.' I used an oil blend called "Theives" and rubbed it right on his swollen glands whenever he complained. (A side benefit of most of the oils: being able to use them repeatedly as needed instead of waiting 4-8 hours as with tylenol or motrin.) Within 24 hours all of his symptoms were gone. Was that a little easier than dragging him (and several siblings) to the doctor, torturing him with a throat culture and 10 days of nasty tasting medicine? I think yes! Not to mention much cheaper!

  My favorite stories though are all part of "How EO's saved our Vacation." When our family traveled to Florida this Spring, I packed my little collection of oils and kept them handy. The hubs came home from work just hours before we left on our trip saying that his chest was congested and sore. Out came the Theives again and in a few days his symptoms were nearly gone too instead of mushrooming into an all out miserable cold/flu. I applied Thieves to all of us sporadically over the week as a precaution. There were a few complaints of sore throats but no one actually got sick except the Lil Miss. She spiked a fever one night right in the middle of our week long trip. My thermometer was acting all wonky that night but I'm guessing her fever was close to 103. One application of peppermint in the middle of the night brought it down noticeably and enough for her to sleep the rest of the night. By breakfast time she was fever free and back to her cheery little self. I started to loose my voice, oil of Lemon in my hot cup of tea please!

 I've had trouble with my back occasionally and it decided to "act up" the day we planned to go to the zoo as a family. I'm convinced the "Panaway" (an oil blend) and "Peppermint" saved the day.  I was able to walk all over the zoo and enjoy the day with my family. The peppermint was also kept handy during our many hours on the road through the night. A drop or two on the temples is great for helping to keep drivers alert, in addition to that steaming cup o' joe. And then for those nights when we did want to sleep but were missing our own bed, my  "Lavender" came to the rescue. If you're a mom and you know that feeling of waking up in the morning the first time your baby sleeps through the night, that "wow, that felt good, is it really morning?" feeling, (aside from the "is he/she still breathing" panic, of course) THAT is what I feel like in the morning these days, thanks to Lavender.

 I was originally disappointed with the results (or lack thereof) of the oil I purchased for my high blood pressure but a simple adjustment in how I apply it is now bringing me better results than my medication (which I had quit taking anyway because it wasn't doing what it was supposed to) ever did.

  These are just a few of my experiences with EO's. I've heard testimonies for using EO's successfully for everything from pink eye and ear infections to burns, allergies and Endometriosis. But again, I don't claim to be a Doctor or an expert on EO's by any stretch of the imagination. I only share these stories to give you an idea what is available, to make you aware that there is another option besides synthetic pharmaceuticals. And again I say, if you have questions feel free to message me. I'm happy to help any way I can. If I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to track it down for you.

I leave you with this link. It's one of my favorites, a list of over the counter meds and the EO that can be used instead. Fascinating and informative!

Inspiration Strikes

and at the strangest times I might add.


***I've been on my "knock-off Olive Garden Salad" kick for over a week now. It's my lunch almost everyday. Just yesterday it hit me, they've been missing the onions all along. It's just so sad! Today's lunch was so much better. :)

***I bought this  candle holder somewhere on clearance, certain that it would find a happy spot somewhere in my house. It's been sitting in the closet for years. I didn't want to get rid of it because I do like it. It's kind of different, unique. But it a strange size and I just wasn't willing to pay top dollar for a specialty candle to fit it. So it sat, collected dust, took up space.....

....until last week when I discovered the perfect use for it.

 plastic headbands hang over the one side....

elastic headbands hang from the curly-q's and the top is perfect for little clips and flower pins. Bingo!


***I treated the kids to "dinner and a movie" night, one evening while Daddy was working. In an effort to avoid ketchup on the beige carpet I did this. Worked like a charm! My one moment ingenious moment of the year.

***My kitchen/dining area is a coffee theme. The curtains and most of the decor is black/brown and I suddenly realized this fall that since we gleefully said goodbye to our red plaid couch their really isn't any prominent color theme in the living room either. Pretty much the only color in either room is accent pieces AND   **light-bulb moment** I could swap them out seasonally. With just a few new candles and quick changes I added a little bit of fall to my house. My fall decor in the past usually consisted of a mum and a pumpkin on the porch. I'm kind of loving the fall colors inside too.

[The mirror inside the front door & the reflection of the opposite wall.

I wish I had gotten about a dozen more of those little white gourds!]

***Last Saturday my husband mentioned in passing that an Amish lady gave him a homemade donut at one of his stops. It wasn't even that day. It was months ago. But he mentioned and I got inspired and that was that.

Mix

Roll

Rise

Fry

Devour!

Mmm. They're so good that first day now I think it's time to get back to that salad kick!


Your turn....what's your latest inspiration? I'm always looking for new tips and ideas to make a Mommy's life easier, prettier, more organized, more fun...............

Happy Friday!!

The Thrill of the Hunt....

  It all started eleven years ago. I clearly remember heading out early one Saturday morning. All. By. MYSELF! My firstborn was 5-6 months old at the time and I think it must have been one of the first times I had gone anywhere alone since his birth. I'm sure it was not thee first but it was just what I needed that day. I felt like I was off on some grand adventure that morning while Daddy and the little guy were fending for themselves back home. My "grand" destination?? YARD SALES!! Uh-huh, all this excitement over fifty cent treasures from someone else's junk pile. I came home that morning and declared (in a sweet, just a suggestion, kind of way, of coarse :) that Saturday mornings from hence forth shall be Mommy's morning out. My sweet husband (who is quite possibly the most unselfish guy around) graciously agreed.

Around here "yard sale season" is only a few months in the Spring and Fall. The rest of the year, I stay home and make sure there is some kind of hot breakfast deliciousness on the table for Saturday morning breakfast. But everyone in my house knows that, in April and May, Mom will not be here when they wake up and it'll be the standard granola for breakfast on Saturday morning. Every once in a while a small person will try to sneak along with me but it almost never works. There are two reasons for this....1. It's Mom's morning out. A couple of hours of "recharging" time for Me. And 2. The number of McDonald's happy meal toys available for purchase at such sales is out of control and they are NOT welcome in my house. Oh the things little boys need when it can be purchased for only a quarter, or better yet, discovered in the free box.

If you have opportunity to implement such a routine at your house I highly recommend it!

A couple of important things to remember....

**She gets up before dawn to prepare for her household......(Prov. 31:15)

Not only do you get to enjoy gorgeous sun rises, but the early bird truly does get the worm.

Here's the proof! 

I got to this yard sale just as the lady was unpacking this from it's box. 

She was practically giving it away and I was the lucky recipient!

**Take your quarters!

 Purgers everywhere will thank you for not clearing out there entire change stash at 7:05 a.m.

**Don't be afraid to "make an offer" but do it kindly and respectfully. If you get there half an hour before the advertised starting time don't expect someone to slash their prices in half for you. If it's almost lunchtime and you will be sparing them packing things up to take to Goodwill, that's a whole different story. If you offer a lower price and they decline be okay with that, it's their stuff, they get to set the price they are asking for it, ridiculous or not!!

**Beware of the inner hoarder that will suddenly rear it's ugly head somewhere between the free box and the quarter table. It may be cute, different, or just an incredibly great deal but if you don't have a use for it....leave it there! 

** Having said that, an eye for what could be is also must have. Be on the look out for things that can be up-cycled or re-purposed. An old travel chest makes an awesome coffee table.  Sheets or tablecloths are cheap fabric for lots of projects. And never forget the power of a coat of paint. Get creative and the sky is the limit!

**Always take an extra dollar or two for egg rolls. Yes, egg rolls are perfectly acceptable for breakfast as long as you've been up for a couple of hours first! :) If you live in this area, you will find at least one egg roll stand, the smell will be tempting and you will be famished from your early morning excursion.

**Aside from the sunrise and the great deals you can also count this as your exercise routine for the day. Wear comfy shoes/clothes and be ready to walk (at least if you'll be treasure hunting in a development, because by 7:30 the whole place will be one giant traffic jam!)

**Go often. Don't expect to find every thing you're looking for in one morning. I have gone out some mornings when it wasn't worth getting out of bed. But, there have also been mornings when I just had to quit because I didn't have a dollar left to spend. Yes, I know it's an investment of time but since it's my "Me" time too it doesn't feel like a total waste if I come home without amazing finds. (Besides, I got my exercise too. :)

**Don't overlook the tools and golf clubs. Bringing home a Dewalt cordless drill or a pair of almost new golf shoes will remind your babysitter (a.k.a. Daddy) that this is a worthwhile investment. I speak from experience!

 I realize this is a privilege not everyone enjoys. There are husbands who work on Saturday mornings.... towns where there are not people who are willing to set out their junk in the front yard and wait for people to come pay them for it....and lots of other reasons.... I am grateful!! God has provided many needs and wants for my family through yard sales. I have found everything from decorative items, to furniture and the kitchen stove, to snow boots and pants, and lots of thing in between.

 I have often felt a bit guilty/selfish for running out on my family to get my bargain fix, but recently it occurred to me that this is really my job. When it suddenly got toasty warm this spring, my daughter had no summer clothes. One trip to the mall and I was reminded really quickly that clothing my family well would not be possible without the time I invest in yard saling. I joke that my family never wears anything new (there is of coarse the occasional clearance sale items or short notice needs) but they do not suffer for it. Almost new Nike sneakers for $2 or the brand new, Walmart, "all man made material," type for $20....no question here!

[this is an old picture. ignore the baby stuff.  i just wanted to show you 

an example of the clothes i've found. this was all from the same morning.]

She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.

Proverbs 31:21.

It sure is nice to be able to go to the closet and pull out the next size coat, shoes, jeans or whatever when something wears out or is outgrown. And knowing it cost me a fraction of the store cost helps too! And if you happen to find a Willow Tree Nativity set along the way just consider it an extra blessing 

from God. Yup, I really believe He cares about the little stuff and He loves to 

give good gifts to His children!

Time Saving Tips

I feel like that title needs a disclaimer. Really, is it possible to "save" time. We all get exactly the same amount of minutes in each and every day. There is nothing we can do to to change that. And it's not like we can bank them. If I don't use up all the minutes I have today there is no tacking them on to a busy day next week, they're gone! So maybe it should say "Tips for Making the Most of the Time You Have."

I've been mulling over this subject for quite a while now. Collecting little tidbits from here and there that have been helpful to me and maybe will trigger some ideas for you too. And of course disclaimer #2 fits in here too. These are a few things that have worked for me, this should not in any way be interpreted as a "she has it all together, gets everything done and never wastes time," post. It's just not like that folks! In fact, I had almost decided that maybe I'm the only one who has these issues and these "tips" are things everybody else has known forever. But in talking with some Mommy friends recently I realized again that we've all been there. Some days go better, some fall to pieces. What works for you might or might not work for me but it never hurts to have a new idea or two in your bag of tricks.

So here we go.....


*If you can do it in 5 minutes or less, just take the time to do it right away. Think about it for a second, if you take 3 minutes to make your bed when you get out of it, your room will look MUCH more organized just like that. If the covers are on a heap on the floor you'll be more tempted to throw dirty laundry down there with it and before you know it you've got an hour of cleaning up that could have been done in much less time along the way.

*Look for ways to make waiting time work for you. You can probably empty the dishwasher in the time it takes to heat water for a cup of tea. I don't have a dishwasher so my dishes usually collect during they day and I often wash them while I'm waiting for the macaroni to boil or the hamburger to brown as I make dinner. I'm right there by the stove but I'm still getting something done. And don't write off time you spend waiting at the doctor or waiting for soccer practice to be over. You can keep a book, a couple of blank cards to write notes or coupons to clip/organize in the van where they're handy if you meet up with an unexpected 10-15 minute wait. Of course, if you have really little children waiting time is usually just a matter of survival. In fact there was a time when it happened so rarely that a book would not have worked for me. There's no use reading the second chapter if it's been 6 months since you read the first. Maybe a magazine with short articles would be a better option or a devotional with short stories, whatever works for you. Plus, the next time you have to wait longer than you expected instead of getting uptight and anxious you'll secretly be hoping it lasts as long as possible! =)

*Let the kids help! No, it won't be done the "right" way but it might be better than not at all. Even little  kids can dust, fold washcloths, put their own clean laundry back in the drawer, pick up shoes and toys and sweep up lunch crumbs with a dust pan and brush. It's tempting to think that letting the kids help will only make it worse, and there definitely ARE some things that work that way but there are plenty of things they can do too. I don't recommend turning your toddler loose with a bucket of water on the kitchen floor but hand them a wet rag and let them wipe (at least some of) the jelly off of the chairs.

*Set the timer. We had fallen into the rut at our house where it was more hassle to get the kids to pick up toys before bed than I had energy to deal with at that point in the day so it was easier to put them to bed first and do it myself. But I do want my kids to learn some basic principles like "clean up after yourself," and "Life is not always fun and games," so we started "Five Minute Pick-up." I set the timer for five minutes (bet you didn't see that coming. tee-he!) and they see how much they can get done. Sometimes they aren't finished when the timer beeps but they still get to stop. They enjoy the challenge of racing the timer and they like knowing that it will only last so long. Occasionally there is a reward if we beat the timer but not always. And sometimes we do have to work until we're done so we can vacuum or whatever but it's taken much stress out of my evening routine! The timer tip works for Mommy's too. If there is a job you're avoiding set the timer and tackle it for 20 minutes. Even if you only have half of that stack of papers filed and sorted when the timer beeps it's better than none.

* Do what you DO have time for. I tend to put off jobs like washing the kitchen floor until I have time to "do it right." That doesn't happen very often at my house but I've learned that it only takes a few seconds to grab a napkin and wipe up that sticky juice spot. So even if my floor isn't sparkling at least no one is sticking fast anymore. If you don't have time to scrub the whole bathroom you can still take 30 seconds to wipe the toothpaste off the sink.

* Do double duty. Make 2 recipes of whatever is for dinner tonight and freeze some for later. Or grill extra chicken tonight so you know you'll have leftovers to use in your recipe for dinner tomorrow night.
Heading upstairs for more diapers or another load of laundry?? Grab a couple pairs of shoes or some folded laundry from the last load and take it up with you. 

Your turn. Tell me your favorite tips for  "saving time." Trust me, I could use a few more!