31 Days To Clean - The Reboot

I'm doing it.  I'm going to work along side Sarah Mae to get my house in order.  Except, she'll be working on her house, but, you know what I mean!  Anyhow, I got the 31 Days to Clean ebook last year, right around the time that we moved in with my parents.  I started reading it, but didn't finish, as the tasks didn't seem to apply to me.  This time around, we are in a large rental house (the largest we've ever had), and it's all getting away from me.  Let's see what Sarah Mae has in store, shall we?  If you're interested in joining, too, see her blog post on the subject.

What I Did Yesterday - Time Well Spent

So, I mentioned a few days ago that I have joined Weight Watchers.  I don't know if I've lost any weight yet - it's only been a week, and I am not weighing myself at home, since my scale will not be quite the same as their scale.  Why drive myself crazy?  Anyhow, I have really been craving raw veggies since I started it, especially salads.  Healthy salads - not ones laden down with loads of creamy blue cheese dressing and piled high with bacon bits and croutons.  Lettuce?  It's just a vehicle for the tangy goodness of that blue cheese, right?  No?

Ok, so I also mentioned that I went on a produce buying spree.  However, I was passing up a lot of the stuff I'd bought, simply because I was hungry right that second and didn't want to take another 10 minutes to chop stuff up.  I also had some stuff in there to make baby food for #5.  My solution yesterday was to haul out all those fruits and veggies and just deal with them, rather than letting them go bad in my refrigerator.

I didn't get everything addressed before dinner-making went awry, but I did accomplish:

• roasting red peppers
• slicing carrots and peppers for snacking
• chopping peppers, radishes, and carrots to throw in salads
• roasting pears and peaches
• roasting turnips, parsnips, and carrots
• putting the pinto beans (which I made a week ago) into 2 cup portions and freezing them for future meals

The peaches and pears smelled heavenly (the peaches were a little over-ripe and very juicy).  They're in the freezer right now, waiting for me to turn them into a chunky puree for #5.  The roasted root veggies are also in the freezer, for future use.  I'm thinking of maybe adding them to some mashed potatoes some time.  The roasted peppers - they were recently on sale for 99 cents a piece, so I got 7 or 8 of them.  Several of the Weight Watchers recipes I've been looking at called for a jar of them, so I thought - why not roast the ones I've got?  I still need to peel them and all, but they're roasted!

Between other housework today, I hope to finish the rest of what I wanted to do yesterday:  roasting sweet potatoes and butternut squash, chopping/slicing celery and jicama, steaming some carrots for #5, and cooking some white beans.  It's so nice to be able to pull something I need out of the freezer!  I'll have to roast some more fruit for a dessert some time - Super Girl was a bit disappointed to hear that it was already in the freezer!

I'm linking up here:

And also here:  A Bowl Full of Lemons

Christmas Helps For a Busy Season

I don't believe I've said before, but the church we belong to is The Salvation Army.  Mr. Man grew up in it, and my family joined officially when I was 15.  It is the church that Mr. Man and I were pastors in, and are now working on rejoining as pastors.  

If you know anything about The Salvation Army, you know that they do a LOT of social service ministries, especially around the holidays.  With all the planning and work that goes into ministries like bell ringing and angel trees, Christmas really gets going by the beginning of October for many Salvation Army officers.  The most important thing to me during this time is that my children not grow up feeling that the season was "ruined" for them by how busy their parents were and the lack of time spent together.  I know many families see an increase in activities during this time of year, however, whether they are in "the ministry" or not.  I'd like to share some tools that may help cut down on some of the craziness, and even help keep the focus where it should be - Jesus!

Photo Credit:  stock.xchng

• A tool I just discovered last year was The 12-Week Holiday Planner by Sheri Graham and Marilyn Moll.  It starts October 1st (whoops!), and has all kinds of goodies in it like check lists (shopping, cards, gifts, etc), menus, recipes, schedules, gifts to make, and more!  I'm excited to try it out this year!  You can also sign up to be notified of updates to the planner if you choose to buy it!
• On a tight budget?  There are free ones available, too.  The FlyLady has a holiday control journal, which starts before Thanksgiving, that you can print out and pop in a binder.  Organized Home has tips on how to create your own Christmas planner, as well as forms you can print out.
• I haven't tried it, but the Springpad app sounds like a useful thing.  I'm a list-maker (I'm making one right now!), and this seems like just the thing for me - if I had a phone that used apps...  I often have pieces of paper floating around with lists of things I wanted to remember or look into later.  I'm definitely trying Springpad out!
• Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam has a list of quite a few Christmas traditions to try with your family.  I really want to do some of them with mine.  I'd love to try out something she mentions in the "Candy Cane Trail" post - only opening a few presents per hour.  I'd love to slow down the whole morning, and make the kids really focus on what they just opened, rather than flinging off the paper and then moving on to the next present.  It just sounds so peaceful!  And, lastly...
• Do you read A Holy Experience?  If not, YOU SHOULD!  Ann Voskamp has a way of connecting EVERY. LITTLE. THING. to living a more full relationship with God.  One post was about the power going out in their pig barn and her sons working together to keep the pigs from overheating.  Somehow, she found a spiritual application in it!  And, it touched me!  Anyhow, if you sign up for email updates from her blog, there is a link at the bottom of each one for her Jesse Tree Journey, which she wrote with Nancy Rodden.  If I do nothing else this Christmas season, I want to make sure I do this advent series with my family.  We need it.

I hope you've found something in that list to help you out this Christmas season - whether it is a way to stay better organized or an activity to help recenter your family on the true meaning of the season!


**Note:  The link to The 12-Week Holiday Planner is my affiliate link.

Birthday Giveaway: Fishsticks Designs

It's my birthday, and I feel like doing a giveaway!  This summer I ordered the Little Fishies Undies pattern from Fishsticks Designs.  The post office intervened, and when I contacted her, Bonnie gladly sent me a replacement.  When the original showed up only slightly mangled and still usable, I offered to send back the replacement, but Bonnie told me to go ahead and keep it.  

Today, I'm opening entries for one person to win their own paper copy of the Little Fishies pattern.  Here's how you can enter this giveaway:

• Follow this blog.
• "Like" the Believing God Facebook page (button on the far right).
• Follow me on Twitter at jens_busy.
• Tweet about this giveaway (one entry per day).
• Share this giveaway on your blog.
• Share this giveaway on Facebook.
• Subscribe to email updates (button on the right).
• Add my button to your blog (on the far right). 

One entry per item, except Tweeting, which is once daily.  Please leave a comment for each entry.  The giveaway closes at 11:59 pm (CST) on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011.  The winner will be drawn through random.org and announced on Thursday, the 22nd.

What's For Dinner: Tuscan Beans

One of the recipes I like to make for dinner is Tuscan Beans. I came across the recipe while looking for money-saving bean recipes. This recipe can be made inexpensively, or you can spend a little more on it - it all depends on your budget. It is based on a recipe I originally found on Food.com.


Tuscan Beans

Ingredients:

• 4 slices to 1 lb of bacon, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained*
• 1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes with juice (I use petite cut w/ some sort of Italian seasoning)
• 1 tsp dried sage
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• parmesan cheese, grated

*or equivalent of dried beans, cooked

Directions:

Saute bacon in a large skillet for 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic, saute until bacon is cooked and veggies are tender. Add beans, tomatoes, sage, salt, and pepper to the bacon/onion mixture in the skillet. Heat through, about 10-15 minutes. Taste, making sure to add seasoning if needed (the beans absorb a lot of it). Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan, serve.

The beans can also be baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated, if you prefer that method.



**Photo credit: stock.xchng

Sewing For Adults - and Fun!

Ok, so I did a list for babies, and I did a list for kids. Now I feel like I need a list for the rest of us!

• I put these headbands at Brown Paper Packages on the kids' list, but I also want to make some for me. I think they'd be great for housework and bad hair days!
• Amy Butler has quite a few free patterns on her website. They include several quilts (if you're into quilting...I haven't attempted that yet), a couple of scarves, a yoga bag, a portfolio, and a cloth necklace.
• There are a bunch of projects to choose from at You Can Make This. Pot holders, oven mitts, table runners, pillows, window coverings, holiday decor, a scarf, and even a mystery quilt!
• Homestead Revival has tutorials for a bread bag, a dinner napkin, and a reversible napkin.
• I originally bookmarked the "Poppy Top in 10" tutorial at Hungry Hippie, but I've just noticed that she has quite a few other tutorials. I really like the mug rugs! I may make mine a little smaller, though.
• I found a large (13"x12"x10") tote bag on All People Quilt. There seem to be a bunch more ideas for the home or gifts, too.
• Have a tunic-style shirt (or just a long t-shirt) that you'd like to add a pocket to? Made By Rae shows you how. Just scroll down the left side of her blog - I believe it's the last tutorial. She also has a couple of quilt tutorials and a purse that you might be interested in, too.
• Love pin cushions? You'll love the list of pin cushion tutorials at Craft Passion. Be sure to also click on the "Free Pattern," "Tutorial", and "Freebies" categories at the top of the page!
• Again, if you like to quilt, Pink Penguin has tutorials down the right side for things such as a wristlet, a lunch bag, placemats, and a tissue box cover. I'm sure you could also use the instructions with solid fabrics, too (rather than piecing them).
• I think the "Sailing on the Lake" blouse at Sewing Princess looks so comfy - and easy! There are also instructions for a couple of other tops and things called a "tailor's ham" and a "seam roll" - apparently these are used in ironing? I'm not sure I know what "ironing" is...
• Need maternity pants? There's a great tutorial at Grosgrain. I'd like to try these, but would probably make the knit panel rise higher.
• Prefer a maternity skirt? How about the one at Pink Picket Fence?
• The Prudent Homemaker has a lovely list of tutorials and free patterns that she's found online.
• Ok, the gal at Make It And Love It just has a great list of tutorials - some of them are for sewing from scratch, and some of them are for repurposing articles of clothing.
• Want reusable grocery bags without the cost? Want ones that are sturdier than those weird it's-not-quite-cloth ones that are often free or $1? Sew 4 Home has instructions to make your own.
• Check out mmmcrafts - there is a cute ruffled pillow sham, a messenger bag, and tutorials on how to repurpose trouser-style jeans into shorts, boot-cut jeans into skinny-leg jeans, and how to tailor the fit of a t-shirt.
• Are you a fan of glass or ceramic bowls? I am, and often find them second-hand, where they are either missing their lids, or "vintage" enough that they never had lids. I am definitely making myself some of the pot-luck bowl covers at The Cottage Home! I'm planning to try it out with PUL fabric, in hopes that it will keep food fresher in the fridge than just cotton. I'm in love with her other projects, too!
• If you are interested in trying your hand at making your own ... ahem ... unmentionables, there is a pattern you can download along with instructions at The L-T Experience (the elastic she uses is fold-over elastic - she doesn't give the name for it). There is also an option for boy-cut briefs.
• Want to make your own custom bias tape? I'd love to try this technique at Stop Staring and Start Sewing!
• Sarah at Welcome to the gOOd life is just too darn cute, and so very talented! She has all kinds of DIY posts on how to make store-bought clothes more modest, and how to knock off more expensive clothes (like Anthropology) for less.
• There are also Anthropology DIYs at Adventures In Dressmaking - you just have to wade through her other DIY posts about her wedding, though some of the things she's doing for it are really cute and creative!
  
• And, last up, there is a tutorial for a pieced shower curtain at Sweeter Than Cupcakes.

I know there are thousands more tutorials out there, and I'm sure some other time I'll do another post. But for now, this clears out my "sewing" category in my bookmarks. Plus, I've been working on this post for a few days, it's getting late, and I'm ready to be done. Kinda like pregnancy, but the labor was a cinch, in comparison!

What's For Dinner: Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Peanut Sauce

For the most part, since we moved in with my parents, my mom and I have been either taking turns making dinner or collaborating. Tonight was a "my turn" night. I came across a recipe for Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Peanut Sauce in the most recent issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, and thought it sounded yummy.


Since I can never seem to make a recipe the way it's written, here are my alterations:

• We seem to have a plethora of ground turkey in the deep freeze, so I chose to use that instead of chicken.
  
• My mom's cilantro has gone to seed, and the grocery store was out of fresh cilantro, so I used dried, and just guessed the amount.
  
• I used some sort of red spring onion, which I chopped, since that was what I had on hand.
• I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce. I will probably start out with a little less than the amount called for next time, as it was really salty the first time I tasted the sauce, causing me to add more honey.
  
• I used honey instead of sugar.
• We didn't have any peanuts, so I didn't use any for garnish.
• I didn't put 1/2 the sauce on the meatballs, as the recipe instructed, as my mom had stated that she doesn't care for peanut sauce. I served it on the side instead.
  
• I also added some garlic to the sauce, as I felt like it needed it, and cooked it on very low on the stove top, rather than microwaving it.

I will definitely make the recipe again. It was all really good, and I can see making the peanut sauce for other recipes, like Chicken Satay. I think next time I will try just baking the meatballs, rather than cooking them on the stove, however. I dished up my own plate by putting the meatballs on top of some rice, and ladling the sauce over top of it all. I doubled the recipe for 4 adults, 2 kids, and a toddler, but I guess I could have made more - the meatballs were completely gone when I went back for seconds!

**This post contains affiliate links.

Photo credit: Kate Sears

Sewing For Kids - A List of FREE Tutorials

Last week I shared some tutorials and patterns for things to sew for babies. I've still got sewing on the brain, so I thought I'd do up a list for kids, from toddlers to tweens. Some are practical things, some are things you can help your child make for themselves or a friend. Some are just plain fun!

• I think Super Girl and I need some of the headbands at Brown Paper Packages. I know I have all the stuff for them, and they would make an easy afternoon project for us! She also has a cute Memory game you can make, as well as LOTS of tutorials for little girls dresses.
  
• At Infinite Freedom, you can find a free pattern for an American Girl doll dress, as well as a doll quilt designed for a girl to make herself.
• Ellie Inspired has shared an apron, a couple of dresses, a beret and sailor collar, and a necktie for little boys. I think her Sweet Apple Frock is adorable!
• Find instructions for a capelet, pettiskirts for girls and dolls, another headband, an American Girl doll skirt, and a child's chef's hat at You Can Make This.
• If you look down the left-hand side of Fishsticks Designs, you will see tutorials for a tank top, several bags of different shapes and sizes, a fabric garland, and a pillow case, as well as hints on sewing with knits (something I need to look into!).
• Made By Rae has a fleece hat tutorial, and she also just posted a cute wristlet pattern.
• Make a dress for your little gal out of a men's dress shirt with the instructions at Made. She also has tutorials for several skirts, pants, shorts, and shirts. I think her 90 minute shirt just kept me from buying a pattern!
• Does someone in your house believe in the Tooth Fairy? How about this adorable Tooth Fairy pillow? Mmmcrafts also has a cute monkey doll pattern that is free.
• You can find all kinds of little bags and pouches at Noodlehead, including a boys wallet and a gun sleeve (Wonder Boy would LOVE the gun sleeve!). There is also a bike bucket and cloth sandwich bags to be made!
• Do your kids love to make forts out of the dining table? Then you need the tutorial at Obsessively Stitching! After that, browse through her whole list of other tutorials, including fleece stuffed animals, dresses, a toddler robe out of dish towels!, storage cubes, several other tents of varying shapes and sizes, and a shopping cart seat belt - I need one of these!
• Maybe you know a little girl that just "needs" a petty skirt? There is a tutorial at Make It and Love It! Then check out the rest of her tutorials - under "Making & Altering Clothing", there are several projects for kids such as skirts, t-shirt dresses, flag shirts for the 4th of July, making jeans into shorts, and embellishing t-shirts for both boys and girls. Be sure to also check out her "Re-Purposing" category, to see ideas of how to re-use clothing that might be stained or torn, but still has a lot of life in the fabric. And, even though the category is called "Baby/Toddler", there are quite a few things for kids older than that, like I Spy bags, belts, art smocks, and doll diapers.
• One thing I've been wanting to make for Little Miss is some felt play food. There are instructions for a few different items at One Inch World - farfalle noodles, lettuce, tomato slices, lollipops, and ravioli - just look down the right side of the page. There are also a few other things of interest - little felt doll chairs, candy corn hair clips, and fillable soft eggs (I would love to have had some at Easter!).
• Pink Penguin has several tutorials down the right side of her blog: a wristlet, a lunch bag, placemats, a pencil case, and fabric bins. She likes to quilt and use patchwork - if that's not your thing, I don't see why you couldn't just use solid pieces of cloth of equivalent sizes.
• I like the t-shirt ruffle scarf and ruffle necklace waffle shirt at Ruffles And Stuff. There's even something to make for boys on such a girly site - a hat and scarf from a sweater.

I hope you've enjoyed this list, and found something you just have to make! I know my sewing wish list just got longer! If you have a favorite tutorial that you don't see on this list, feel free to leave it in a comment!

Pamper Some Body!

I have been browsing through my bookmarks, and realized I have quite a few DIY bath and body recipes saved. With Mother's Day coming up, I thought it might be nice to compile some of them into one place. These recipes would be good for any gal in your life (yourself included!), or even just everyday use for your family. I haven't tried any of them yet, but I'm working on gathering the ingredients and can't wait to make some of them and replace some of the conventional products in my bathroom!

• First up are 9 recipes from Total Beauty. Recipes included are: an egg mask, carrot buttermilk mask, lettuce cleansing lotion (this one sounds interesting!), rose toner, body wash, flower petal steam facial, travel facial towels (I plan to make these with witch hazel and cloth wipes, instead of vodka and paper towels), sesame body butter, and gardener's hand cream.
• Make-Stuff has a post with a basic shampoo recipe, variations for oily and dry hair, conditioner, dry shampoo, and even hair gel! I'm not sure I could get Mr. Man to try homemade hair gel. Maybe if I didn't tell him...
• A Sonoma Garden has a lot of homemaking how-tos down the left side of the blog, including homemade deodorant, lotion, and chapstick. There are also printable labels down the right side!
• The gals at Gooseberry Patch have a recipe for vanilla brown sugar scrub, complete with a cute printable label, too!
• I'm really excited about this one! Stacy at Delighting In The Days has a bunch of great bath and body recipes, including belly butter and a homemade vapor rub! I can't wait to make that one!
• Leslie over at Crunchy Betty has a plethora of natural beauty recipes! I'm especially interested in her post about using soap nuts, and cinnamon as an alternative for bronzer. One word of warning, though - the image on her blog header is a 1940s pin-up girl, and I know some of you may not care for that. I thought I'd let you know ahead of time!
• There is another deodorant recipe at Journey to "Green".
• Lastly, have you heard of Made-On hard lotion? Well, they tell you how to make your own on their site! Just scroll down beneath the video for the instructions.

If you have a favorite bath and body recipe, be sure to leave a comment and share it!

Made By Me Monday & Pattern Review

Today I'm going to share the nightgown I made for Super Girl for Christmas, since I haven't done so yet! I intended to make pajamas for all three kids. I got 1 1/2 sets done. There is a partially finished fleece footie sleeper in my packed-up sewing stuff - thankfully it's neutral, so I can finish it for this new little guy!

I started with a flannel I found at Walmart. When I saw it, it SCREAMED Super Girl at me! She loves these colors, peace signs, and doodles/graffiti. I went ahead and bought some, stashing it away for this project.

Next, I looked at the pajama patterns I have, and chose McCall's Easy Endless Options #5744, which is now out-of-print. I decided on View C, a long-sleeved, knee length night gown. Once I had my fabric washed and started cutting, I realized I didn't have enough to do the entire gown from the flannel. [That's what I get for not choosing the pattern FIRST!] I dug a small piece of black jersey out of my stash, which I'd picked up at a thrift store, and made a layered-style sleeve. After I got it put together, I realized that Super Girl would feel like the neckline was a little too low, so I added a triangle of jersey to the neckline to give a little more coverage. It kind of adds to the layered look, too.

Please ignore my door knob, and the slightly crumpled flannel.

I found the description of "easy" to be true to this pattern. There were not many pieces to cut, and it went together quickly. The instructions were good, and it came out looking like the drawing (aside from my alteration of the sleeve). The hardest part was trying to edge the sleeve hems with bias tape, which didn't work, and I quickly removed. The original pattern did not call for this, I just thought it might be easier than hemming the sleeves. I was wrong! I will definitely keep this pattern in my stash and use it again, as the largest size still fits Super Girl, for now. Since the pattern I bought goes from size 7 to 14, I can use it several times for Little Miss in the future, if I want to.

Note: I am not affiliated with McCall's or Walmart in any way. I bought my fabric and my pattern - though I did get the pattern during one of JoAnn Fabrics' 99¢ sales! I am not affiliated with JoAnn Fabrics, either. ;)

Christmas Cards by Shutterfly

I confess, I haven't sent out Christmas cards in years. So long, in fact, that I can't remember when the last time was! I don't even give them out in person! Don't get me wrong - I always mean to. I just never get around to it! With a little one that seems to change every day, I find my desire to send some cards out this year to be even stronger! I was excited when I saw an advertisement for Shutterfly's blogger special - in exchange for writing a post about their photo cards, I will receive 50 cards free! I don't know about you, but this fits my budget perfectly!

As I have never ordered from Shutterfly before, I headed over to check out their selection of Christmas cards. I've seen numerous deals for photo cards for free or next-to-nothing, but I never really found any I wanted to pay the shipping for. That changed when I got to Shutterfly's site! They have page after page of card designs! There are options available for one photo, or if a photo collage is your taste, they have quite a few of those, too! It's so easy to customize your design choice with your family's names, and then drop your photo into your card. The cards are printed on cardstock, which appeals to me, as I've received bent photo cards from friends and family more than once. If you prefer photo paper, they have that option, too.


After making six different cards, this is the one I finally chose (except it will have our names and my own children on it, of course!). I liked so many of the designs, it was hard to only pick one! Shutterfly also has many other items you can customize with your photos - what grandparent wouldn't like a mug or calendar featuring their precious grandchildren?

If you haven't gotten started on your cards yet, you can click here and use the code ZP9A-4N4K-TWWZ-EUC5C5 to get 10 cards free - just pay shipping and handling, which starts at $5.99. Hurry, because this code only lasts through December 8th!


* I am receiving photo cards from Snapfish in exchange for writing this post; however, the opinions expressed are all mine.

Made-By-Me Monday

I submit to you today one of the two Roman shades I made for Super Girl's bedroom. I will not tell you what was hanging there before [***cough - black bed sheets - cough***]. We have lived in this house four years now, and I failed the one time I attempted to hang curtain rods in her room. My defense is that I did not have a good enough drill at that time. I plead the Fifth when asked about the time passed since then.

Since I am working on moving Little Miss into Super Girl's room, I needed to put something on the windows that would be safely out of reach of the crib. I began with the Roman shade tutorial at What's New?, and this VERY LARGE set of curtains (this is just one panel - it was as long as the twin bed!).


I bought them (and a matching valance set) at a church sale for $2, just for the yards and yards of crocheted cotton trim attached to them. My thoughts for the fabric was to use it as lining for clothing. I realized there was enough to use for these shades. I removed the ruffles, cut up the fabric, sewed the panels together, and added some panels of printed material. I also added sequined trim along the bottom, which I scored for 10 cents a yard. The end result was this, times two:


Super Girl is thrilled with them, and I think they turned out pretty well, too. I used some variegated purple thread to sew them, and I like the touch it adds. However, I think they still need something - like a valance. I still have enough of the printed fabric to make a valance for each side - I think I'll make a set. And, I still have the ruffles, both really long valances, and all that crocheted cotton trim to use for other projects!

If you have a project you'd like to share, post a link in the comments. Sorry - I haven't set the linky up yet!

Here For The Party!

Have you heard of the Ultimate Blog Party? I've checked it out in the past, but quickly got sidetracked, overwhelmed, what-have-you. Since I am trying to grow my readership and be more productive on my blog, I thought I would really give it a go this year! Woo hoo - a party without the mess!

For those of you checking in via the UBP, welcome! I am Jen. I am a 32 year old wife and mother of 3. There may or may not be more children in the future. I have been homeschooling my children for almost 4 years now. I am interested in all things to do with the home, the more natural the better. I am learning to sew, I like to garden and can, baking and cooking are fun, and I really don't mind cleaning, especially if I can use natural products. My baby usually wears home-made cloth diapers, and I am nursing for the first time. I try to be a good steward of what I have been blessed with by re-using things, and I love buying second-hand. I enjoy the thrill of couponing and walking out of the store having spent very little while getting a lot!

Most importantly, I believe God. I don't just believe IN Him. I believe the promises He's given us in His word, and I am striving to trust in Him more every day. Some days are easy. I love being home with my family. Others are harder. My husband has been unemployed since February 1st. However, I know that in all situations, my Savior loves me, has the best plan for me, and will provide all I need and more. I think patience is the hardest part of the equation!

So, thanks for stopping by, and please let me know you were here! I hope you'll come back soon!

Shopping at Home

Hand-me-downs. Most people have been blessed with hand-me-downs at some point in their life. With a husband who is unemployed, I am trying to be extremely frugal and resourceful. Here are a few examples:

Super Girl needed some new tennis shoes. She had outgrown her old ones over the winter, but she was wearing her snow boots 90% of the time, so it didn't matter. Once it warmed up, and the kids began playing outside again, she needed shoes. I thought we were going to have to wait a week to get them, and then I realized I just might have what she needed in my own closet! I had a pair of cute Converse sneakers which, try as I might, just didn't fit my wide feet well (sob!). I had SG try them on, and voila! She is now the proud owner of some very cute, green and pink, like-new (sniff, sniff!) Converse - which should last through the summer, as long as she doesn't out-grow them! Did I mention they were cute? Out-of-pocket cost: $0.

Wonder Boy has also suffered some recent growth spurts. He is suddenly lacking in the "long-enough pants" department. A funny fact about my children is that though WB is about 16 months older, he is a good 3" shorter than his sister. I have been able to pass a couple of unisex jeans UP to him that are too short on his sister. Since they've been inside all winter, the jeans are not really worn. Out-of-pocket cost: $0.

Lastly, Little Miss has not been spared in this growing epidemic (pardon my pun!). I have patterns which I picked up last summer during a sale at the fabric store. I have some t-shirts which are ill-fitting or stained. I am making her some new clothing out of this "found" material. Currently in the works: pants. Next up: a one-piece outfit. Out-of-pocket cost: $0.

So, let me challenge you to think outside the box when you have a need at home. If you can sew, you can possibly make what you need out of old items of clothing or linens you already have. Scrounge in your own and your childrens' closets for items that can be passed on to another member of the family. Check out Wardrobe Refashion for fun ways to make the old "new".

Review: Homestead Blessings

I recently became introduced to the West Ladies. Vicki West and her daughters Jasmine, Hannah, and Ce Ce are four gals from Tennessee with an instructional dvd series, Homestead Blessings. It seems that some friends of mine have been buying these dvds and passing them around.


The first one I watched was "The Art of Soap Making." It was very hard to not run out and buy all the supplies to make my own soap after watching this video! Topics covered were:

Basic soap recipe

Hand milled soaps

Soap balls

Incorporating herbs, scents, etc.

Finishing and packaging

Soap as gifts

I also borrowed "The Art of Dairy Delights" from my friend. Topics covered in this video were:

Ice cream

Butter

Milking

Mozzarella cheese

Yogurt

As a bonus, you can insert the dairy dvd into your computer and print or save PDF files of the recipes. Upon viewing this dvd, I understand now why cheese costs as much as it does - it takes a lot of milk to get a relatively small amount of cheese!

I like the laid-back, "homey" feel of these videos, and the way that Vicki says "It's a blessing" several times throughout! Little Miss liked the music - she bounced like crazy in her exersaucer every time she heard it! I have already ordered my own copy of their new sewing dvd, and am eagerly awaiting it. I also can't wait to borrow the bread, herbs, and candlemaking dvds from my friends! If you'd like to see clips of all the Homestead Blessings videos, check out Laura Williams' review.

If you'd like to win your own copies of the three newest videos (The Art of Cooking, The Art of Dairy Delights, and The Art of Sewing), then check out the review and giveaway at As For My House. Winner will be drawn March 28th, 2010.

You can also buy your own copy of the Homestead Blessings dvds from Homestead Blessings, Vision Forum, CBD, or Amazon.

Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation for this review. In fact, I do not even own any of these dvds, aside from the one I have on order (which I paid for myself). All opinions are my own.