So much to do, so little time!

As life has gotten less simple around here, I've gotten better about how I organize my life. I'm trying to get the boys to do the same, but of course, that is just another struggle to add to my stresses!

I have always kept a family calendar, then also a personal planner. I put general family information on the family calendar, and more detailed info on my planner. My planner includes, things personal to me, such as school deadlines and my cleaning schedule all the way down to the little errands I have to run. But lately, I've found that we have so much stuff going on, that I've added a third method of organization to my system!

I now keep a white board on the back of my kitchen door. The top half is broken down by day, and keeps a color coded schedule for everyone in the family. It takes a bit of extra effort to compile the schedule each week, but after that I can easily add to it, and at a glance I can see where everyone has to go and when. It has really come in handy on days when I have several different people, going several different ways!

On the bottom half of the white board, I keep our weekly menu information. I put breakfast, lunch and snack options down, so that when someone gets hungry, they don't need to dig through the cabinets or the fridge. They can simply look at the board and see what kind of options they have. It comes in handy when I need a snack for the boys as we are running out the door, I can simply look, choose and grab and it saves me the time of searching! I also keep our dinner menu posted there. It helps keep us organized and our likelihood of grabbing something at a drive-thru or ordering in has gone way down!

While I'm not a huge holiday person, I'm gearing up for them. I'm more about the spirit of giving then the commercialism of it all. Well, let me clarify that...I'm about the spirit of giving to those who need it. I don't believe that Christmas should be about giving useless gifts to family that they never wanted in the first place. I would much prefer to take that money, choose a name off the local "giving tree" and provide Christmas for a child who wouldn't otherwise have it!

So in addition to doing that this year, I'm excited to be volunteering with the local hospice. Several times a year, they ask volunteers to bake up a bunch of goodies and then they package them up into baskets and send them out to the hospice patients and their families. So the first weekend in December, the boys and I are going to be baking up a ton of goodies. We plan to just spend the entire weekend baking! It should be lots of fun, and the bonus is that they will go to someone who will enjoy them, and not end up around my middle!

They are also doing a few jewlery making sessions. They then plan to sell their jewlery to raise money for a hospice in Africa. I'm hoping it will work out with my schedule that I can participate in this as well. If not, I'm going to ask if I can just make a bunch of jewlery and drop it off for them! Hopefully that will be an option!

If holiday stress gets to be too much for some, I thought I would share this link. It is a great meditation site, that has many quick guided meditations that can help remind you to slow down and enjoy your life! www.learningmeditation.com/room.htm

I hope everyone has a great day! And as you begin to transition into the holiday season, I ask you not to skip right to Christmas. Thanksgiving always seems to be the forgotten holiday, and I think it can be one of the best! So I will leave you with these words about Thanksgiving today:

"This Thanksgiving season, don't simply give thanks for all you have...give someone a reason to thank you!"

Simple Mommy's House has become a ZOO!

So I have been guilty of completely abandoning my blog for the last year. From what you've read previous to this post, you know that I prefer my life to stay simple, old fashion and creative. I do things to make sure our life stays simple....However, sometimes, there are just periods in our lives when things get hectic and we need to adjust.

Right now, I am going through just that. Both of my boys are now in grade school (Yea!), which is wonderful, but time consuming! Every night, we now have double the homework and double the reading projects! Which simply eats up many hours of the day!

We also lost our dog of 11 years over the summer. It was tough on the hubby and I, since Tyson was our first dog we owned together, and we had adopted him before we even got married. But as part of the "healing" process, the hubby talked me into adopting another dog. So Deisel, the Mastiff puppy came to live with us. I have started a puppy blog for him as well, just to keep a record for myself, of all the goofy things he does...at some point, I will link that blog to this one, as well!

Diesel is a huge sweetheart and he has attached himself to my side. He has definately bonded with me, since I'm home with him most often. We've been working really hard with him on obedience and I have to report that he is doing pretty well. We just need to make sure that he is a polite and well behaved dog before he hits 200 pounds! Oh, and he LOVES watching TV, which cracks me up! I've never had a dog who will sit and watch TV before. He especially loves watching all the dogs on the Dog Whisperer!

So, if that doesn't make me busy enough...I've gone back to school! I was pretty nervous about heading back to college at my age, but I was surprised to find that I was in the majority, at least in the night classes! So I didn't feel out of place at all. It's been ALOT of hard work and long hours of studying, but I do have to say that the hubby and the boys have been really supportive and I am not only passing all my classes, but I am getting A's! = )

So, my goal is to get back to blogging at least a few times a week. I would like to start getting my menu plans put back up, and just generally use it to keep a journal. I love being able to look at my own past menu plans for ideas and I like to be able to look back and have my own record of my own life. It's funny to see how I was feeling or what I was thinking at any given time!

So stay tuned. Hopefully, I will stay true to my word! And although, I haven't done much new baking or crafting lately, I plan to in December, when I'm on a break from school. So I should have tons of new Christmas crafts and LOTS of new Christmas recipes for you soon!

An Easy Taste of Simplicity

This past Sunday, we here at the Simply Mommy's house, had a rare day with nothing on the calendar. I forget how much I cherish these types of days, during the summer when they are few and far between.

While doing my weekly grocery shopping on Saturday, I found strawberries on sale. So I decided to spend a day making jam and bread. So Sunday, I spent the entire day in the kitchen making the most yummy strawberry jam I have ever tasted! And who can have homemade jam without fresh baked bread. So I had to try a new bread recipe and let me tell you...this is the most heavenly combination of delights I've ever had! So, of course, I have to share them here!

Easy Strawberry Jam:

*Makes 6 pints of jam*

1. Bring water to a boil in stock pot. Boil canning jars and lids to sterilize. Place upside down on a towel and let dry.

2. Cut up strawberries and puree in blender. Add to another stock pot or dutch oven, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Simmer about 20 minutes, being sure that mixture comes to a boil.

(steps 1 & 2 can be done at the same time)

3. Place jam into canning jars. Wipe rims clean to get a good seal. Place lids and screw caps on. Place into a stockpot full of boiling water (be sure that there is enough water to reach one inch above the jars). Boil in water bath for 20 minutes. Remove and place on cooling rack. Seals will pop, as the jars seal themselves! To check seal, press down on lid. If it pops up and down, jam is not sealed. If it doesn't move, then it is good to go!

Easy Sandwich Bread:

*makes 3 loaves*

3 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup, plus 1 teaspoon white sugar

2 tablespoons yeast (or two packets)

1 tablespoon of salt

1/2 cup melted butter (shortening or oil can be substituted)

9 cups flour

In large bowl, mix 1 cup lukewarm water with 1 tsp sugar and yeast. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then stir to dissolve yeast.

Stir in 2 cups lukewarm water, 1/2 cup white sugar, salt, and butter. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing well in between. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for several minutes until dough becomes elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and place in a warm area for 1 hour (top of the fridge works well). Once dough has doubled, punch down dough to remove air.

Cut dough into thirds. Place into 3 greased loaf pans. Cover with dish towels and allow to rise until double (about 1 hour). Once doubled, pre-heat oven to 400. Bake for 20 minutes. Bread should turn nice and golden and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and cool on a cooling rack! Once cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap or put into bread bags!

This is wonderful warm with the fresh strawberry jam!

Ahhhh, frugal cooking!

Not much is happening at the Simple household these days! We had a busy beginning to our July, but now with the heat upon us, we are simply trying to beat the heat while still saving our pennies.

I thought I might share some of our favorite summer recipes today. Because everyone can always use a good frugal recipe, am I right?

Homemade Gatorade
(thanks to my girls at Frugal Village for this one...it is a real penny saver)
$0.50 ~ 2 envelopes unsweetened kool-aid packets (your favorite flavor)
$0.25 ~ 1 cup of sugar
Negligible ~ 1 tsp salt
$0.24 ~ 1 cup Orange Juice
Neglibigle ~ 4 quarts water
Makes just over one gallon. Is best served icy cold.
Total cost for 1 gallon of faux gatorade = $0.99!

SimpleHubby's Famous Burger Rub
The hubby came up with this after watching some food network. It make a really nice flavored gourmet burger at home on the grill!
Mix equal parts of:
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
oregano
chili powder
salt (to taste)
Mix and cover both sides of burger before grilling!

Homemade Cracker Jacks
Taste even better than the real thing. I have to make sure I pick up "real" popcorn at the Farmer's Market each summer for this recipe!
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
3 TBS corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla
8 cups popcorn

Comine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup & salt. Cook over low heat until melted. Cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add baking soda and vanilla. Pour onto popcorn and mix until evenly coated. Bake for 15 minutes at 300 degrees.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
6 tsp chili powder
4 1/2 tsp cumin
5 tsp paprika
3 tsp onion powder
2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup
Great in ice cream or in chocolate milk!
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
Mix the cocoa and water in saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve cocoa. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and vanilla and pour into a pint jar. Keep in fridge!

Applesauce
3-4 pounds apples (granny smith or fuji) (cubed & peeled)
lemon juice from one lemon
3 inch cinnamon stick
1/4 cup brown sugar
up to 1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
Put all ingredients into a pot, simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes. Take out cinnamon stick and mash. Can be served warm over ice cream or cold like applesauce!

Homemade Hot Pockets
Hamburger buns
foil
1 cup cubed ham
1 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup mayo
1 squirt of yellow mustard
garlic powder to taste
Mix all ingredients except for buns & foil. Hollow out buns, to make "shells." Spoon filling into shells, and wrap each in foil individually. Place on grill or campfire for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm!

Homemade Chalk
1 cup plaster of paris
almost 1/2 cup water
liquid tempera paint
Mix plaster & water to form a paste. Add tempera paint to get desired color. Put into molds (muffin tins work great). Let dry for at least 8 hours!

As promised, here is a picture of our new garden pond! Since the majority of the hole was already dug from the old pond, this one was actually a cinch to put in! I still need to move the ajuga from the front yard to around the front of the pond in the mulch, but I think I can get that done this evening in a few minutes. Shouldn't take me too long!

Well, I think baseball season has finally come to a close. My oldest had his last game last night, which they won! It was their last scheduled game, but they got rained out once last week, so they may have a make-up game at some point. Everyone went out for ice cream afterwards and my son had a super wonderful time. Plus, they will be having a pool party in a few weeks.

As a bonus, I got to chat with my soon to be sister in law and my brother for a few minutes last night. They are out in Seattle, and I don't talk to them as much as I should...so it was nice to chat for a bit. Not too much else here this week. The truck is running on a "bum leg", so the hubster had to order a new shackle to keep it running for a while. Amazingly enough, the part was really affordable, so hopefully it will come in today and he can get it worked on this weekend. We'll see how many 4 letter words come out of his mouth while he is fixing it.

I started my new "job" today. I am now watching my neighbors baby, which adding a baby to the mix, doesn't change my daily routine much! ; ) We still tend to stick around the house and do the same types of things. Just have to take a break now and then to change a diaper or warm up a bottle. I thought maybe it would cure my baby fever...it did not. Just reminds me of how much fun it is to have a baby around again.

I still don't think we've officially made the decision that our family is complete, but I think DH is leaning that way. Honestly, I'm a bit torn still. It is so nice that our two are so independent now, and starting over with a baby would be alot of work. But at the same time, our house is so filled with testosterone, that I find myself still wishing for a girl! But I have to remember too, that there are no guarantees and if we have one more...more than likely, I'll have more boys in the house!

Alrighty...off to get breakfast for the masses!

Weekend in Review...

After some nasty weather at the end of last week, we were finally able to spend the weekend outside this week! I was able to snap some cool photos of the menacing clouds that came through on Thursday night. Lots of wind and rain, but not much else. I was able to save some money on watering my garden last week, with all the rain.

All in all, we had a good weekend. The truck has taken a turn for the worse. However, we've decided not to put 'er down...we are gonna patch her up and see if we can get some more miles outta her! The leaf spring is broken and after a lengthy search, the hubster was able to find the part for around $48! So, he'll spend a few days getting it repaired after the part comes in. Friday, I got my new sink installed...so no more leaking from the kitchen faucet. I am hoping to see at least a little bit of difference in our next water bill! My neighbor installed it for me. We've worked out a barter deal for babysitting his daughter! I'm loving this agreement so far!

We did well spending on groceries this week. I think my final tally was about $84 for the week and that included a "luxurious" meal of the hubby's favorite Potato Bacon Soup and Cajun Turkey Panini's.

We spent Saturday afternoon at a neighbor's 5th Birthday party. The kids had a blast and ran themselves ragged! Today, once again, we spent the day working in the yard. We have been saving to put in a new pond, since some neighborhood kids playing with our kids in the yard, threw rocks into ours and poked a hole into it. So, today, we were able to get out and put in a new 100 gallon pond, with some beautiful landscaping with the rocks from the old pond and the free mulch we have leftover from our tree removal. It looks absolutely gorgeous, I plan to get out and snap some pictures tomorrow, so I'll be sure to post them! We also found a great deal on some solar lights, so we were able to add some accent lighting to our pond!

I think that is our weekend in a nutshell. Busy, but not a ton going on! I'll update again tomorrow and post some pictures of our new pond! Next weekend, I think we are going to add a small patio around the pond and move the fire pit to the middle of the patio! It should look really nice and the patio bricks we want are on sale until the end of the month!

Exhaustion at Simple Mommy's House...

I have spent the last week updating every area of my yard. I thought I would post some pictures of my small veggie garden while it is freshly weeded and lookin' pretty. We have had a busy couple of days. I've spent the last two days doing yard work in the front yard, digging out a new very large flower bed and trying to transplant some of the grass into areas where it is needed. Needless to say...I'm exhuasted after all the manual labor! I'm just not used to this anymore!

My oldest pitched in his first baseball game on Tuesday night, I missed it, but the Hubby was there to cheer him on. He said he did great, I was home...working on my flower bed.

We are still working to be frugal this summer and have been doing a rather good job. We gave up our pool passes this summer, and put the extra $120 into savings instead. I updated my yard with free mulch from the trees we had taken down and just bought all my perennials for $1 each on sale. So all in all, I think I spent around $12 to upgrade the heck out of my yard this year.

Once I get the front yard cleaned and finished up, I'll be sure to post some pictures of the new flowerbed!