Being Thankful

When was the last time you sent a thank-you card? I must admit, I'm not the best at sending thank-you cards. Just ask my family! Recently, I received a book from a grandparent of one of my former students. It is a rather long story that I won't share today, but it is one in which I am very thankful and grateful!

Since we live in such an electronic time - we have email, e-cards, voice mail, electronic banking and virtual flowers, it seems paper mail is on the decline. I am thankful for the modern day electronic communication, but it is nice to receive a hand written card! That is why I knew that the most fitting way to appreciate this grandparent was by sending a beautiful thank-you card! Thanks to my sister, who just happens to be a Stampin Up Consultant, I was able to send a beautiful card!

So the next time you are about to send an electronic card for some one's birthday, think about taking the extra time and send them a card in the mail! I'm sure they will appreciate the extra step!

Thrift Is In!

Have you noticed that being thrifty is in? With the economy at its lowest in years, many people are taking measures to cut back on their spending. I have read a number of amazing stories on how real people are saving money! I will be highlighting a number of my favorite posts a little later.


One of the first places that we are trying to save money is the grocery store! I have started the coupon clipping and looking at the sale ads. If you can find an item on sale and you have a coupon, you are in for a great savings! Unfortunately, we do not have any grocery stores that double or triple your coupons. If you live in an area that does, definitely take advantage of this!! One other little hint is to organize your coupons based upon the layout of the store. Many stores have a written format, so it should make your grocery shopping with coupons fairly easy!

Two things I have found that I need to look out for in dealing with coupons are #1 - Can I purchase the store brand at a cheaper price? #2 - Is this a product that our family will use? I'm all about a "good deal", but if it isn't something that we will use, then it isn't a wise purchase. However, if it is a great price, consider purchasing the food and donating it to your nearest food pantry!



Another area of being thrifty is to purchase items, especially clothing, ahead of time. I'm taking baby steps in this area, as it is a new concept for me. If you shop for clothes at the end of the season, you can save a lot of money for the following year! Here is my latest deal! I purchased this Chaps purse for next fall. Can you see the price? If not, it is $3.95!! The purse was 90% off because of an end of the season sale! If I had been thinking, I should have purchased several and used them for future gifts!

I have purchased a number of small kid's toys, at discount prices, and used them for birthday celebrations. Besides saving money, I'm also saving time! There have been too many times that I had to run to the store for a gift. Those "little trips" can really add up!

I'm looking forward to the garage sale season! In our area, the sales should be starting in a few weeks and they will last all summer! I must admit, I need to work on this area of thriftiness. I get impatient when shopping at garage sales. If you aren't into garage sales, check out your local Craig's List or thrift store.

Here are some of my favorite posts on being thrifty! Please leave a comment with your favorite thrift idea or favorite thrift post!

Designing a wardrobe on a frugal budget!

Frugal Friday

Kitchen Make-Over

Perspective

I have been thinking about the home! The sight, smell and the feel of it! I'm passionate about making a house a home! I want my home to be inviting and comfortable, but I want to keep a healthy perspective on it. Does anyone else struggle with this? Where do you draw the line between an inviting home and being consumed by it? Am I trying to keep my home orderly to bless my family or because I want to impress others?

In my life I try to keep the order of God, my husband, my girls, my home and then my job. Notice I said "I try", because many times I fail and the order gets mixed up! Yet, I still strive to keep this goal with the right perspective. I am making some small steps to try and keep the correct order.

For instance, I'm setting my alarm earlier to spend time with God! I make a point several times throughout the day to focus on my husband and girls. I'm trying to keep the house looking presentable.

What have you found to help you keep a "proper perspective" in dealing with your home?

Easy Hospitality

* Update! Sorry, I was having difficulty with my "links"! This should be fixed and you should be able to link to my post!

If you are looking for some encouragement, on opening up your home to others, please check out my post here. Today, I have the privilege of being a guest contributor for Sandy at the Reluctant Entertainer.

To all of you who found my link from Sandy, "Thanks for stopping by!"

Seeing Red

Yesterday I mentioned that I'm going to be doing some posts on decorating! Well, if you haven't noticed - I love the color red!!! There is just something about that color that I am attracted to. It just seems to pop. Here are a few of my different "reds" in my home!







Because I love red so much, this shouldn't be a surprise! Any guesses? Stay tuned!

Wall Art

Lately, it seems that I have been posting a lot about food! Since my blog is about the home, I decided that I need to have a couple of posts about one of my other passions, decorating! One thing that I was wondering, "How do you decorate your walls"?

When I was single, and had my own place, I purchased some very nice pieces of framed art. My favorite piece was a picture of a church in New Orleans. However, it didn't seem to fit with the decor style in our current home. Thanks to a coupon from Hobby Lobby I was able to get the print re-matted and dressed in a new frame. It is amazing what this small transformation can do to update this beautiful print and complement our home!




Over the years I have noticed that my decorating style has changed. At one point I would have classified myself as a "country style decorator". Now, I would update it as modern country or cottage style! Either way, the point that I'm trying to make is that decorating needs to be on a budget if you're going to be changing things! It would be nice if money wasn't an issue, but today more than ever, we need to be thrifty! I have seen so many blogs that are sharing their thrifty decorating finds. Thrifty can definitely be beautiful!!

My favorite thrifty decorating item is my window! Or should I say windows? Some of you have commented about these before. I got these for free from my parents. After laying outside for years, they have been perfectly weathered! My Dad couldn't believe that I wanted to use these old items in my home. Well, after a little elbow grease, I think they are the best home accessory that I've got!




In our bedroom we have a cathedral ceiling. For the longest time, it has remained a blank slate. I just couldn't figure out what to do with this space. However, thanks to Upppercase Living, I placed the word "Dream" to fill some of this area.




Of course, pictures of your family members are always welcome throughout your home!




Here are a few more shots of my wall decorations!

Apron Giveaway

Sandy over at the Reluctant Entertainer is giving away an apron! Please check it out! This summer I sewed aprons for my two girls. I think it is time I spruce up my cooking attire! I've had this "An Egg A Day is O.K." apron for close to 15 years.

So, let's all head over to Sandy's blog and enter to win!

Camera Update

I would like to say thanks to everyone who gave me input about what camera to purchase! I found myself asking everyone, "what kind of camera do you have?" My desire was to purchase a nice point and shoot camera that has a number of options. So, what did I do? I purchased three different cameras! Can we say fickle? It seemed that each one I chose had little issues. Either it was too slow, not clear enough, or it didn't have the quality that I was looking for.

One little piece of information that I didn't share with you, is that our family is going on vacation in a couple of weeks. Ideally, a very small, fit in your pocket camera, would be great for our upcoming trip. However, most of the time, I want something with a little more substance in my hand. So, what I would really like is two different cameras! The hard part with this decision, is that money doesn't grow on trees!

So, here is what I bought a Canon Powershot SD790is! It is small and it will fit in my pocket. It meets our immediate needs for our upcoming trip. We were able to purchase it for a reasonable price and it takes good pics! As for my "second camera", I now have my sights on a Canon Rebel! Yet, I am content and at peace with being a one camera owner. In case you are wondering, I did return two of the cameras that I purchased.

Here are a few shots of my girls with the new camera!

Recipe Finder

Last week I took the survey for Kendra over at My First Kitchen. Hopefully you had a chance to check it out! One question that sparked my interest dealt with where you find your recipes. I wanted to check all of the answers! My recipes come from all different sources! Some are from my family, church cookbooks, friends, magazines, websites and blog land!

I have found so many recipes from reading other people's blogs. Likely this is why I find myself posting some of my favorite recipes. It is so encouraging for others to say, "I think I'm going to try that!" So, I thought I would share some of my favorites!

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls have to be one of the best! Just so everyone knows, I did not use all the butter that she calls for in this recipe!



Sandy over at the Reluctant Entertainer introduced me to this apple cake that I have made a number of times. I found it great for any potluck or event in which you need to bring a dessert! The beauty of this recipe is that you don't need to peel the apples! I'm all about saving time!! Also, with this recipe, I did use the homemade apple butter.

One of the most recent recipes that I have tried is from Amanda over at Baby Bangs. It is for a Chicken & Rice Bake. I made this with brown rice, but I think it would be great if you used a seasoned rice.

These are just of the few of the recipes that I have tried. I think we have such a wealth of great cooks out there, I would love for you to post some of the recipes that you have tried from the blogs that you read!

Real Quick!

I'm just stopping in to mention this survey. Please stop by! I believe the contest ends tomorrow! My hope is to do a follow up blog entry about something that "sparked" my interest! Stay tuned..........

Did Someone Say Pie?

I can't believe I have lived in the West Michigan area for almost nine years. I still consider Pennsylvania "my home"! In Michigan there are a lot of Dutch people, but in Pennsylvania there are a lot of Pennsylvania "Dutch" people, (meaning they are really German)! Along with being Pennsylvania Dutch comes a number of great ethnic recipes, such as Wet Bottom Shoo Fly Pie.

Since, I have been posting a number of healthy wholegrain recipes I thought I would switch things up a bit, and share one of my favorite PA Dutch recipes, Lemon Sponge Pie! Have you heard of it? It is different than a lemon meringue or lemon cream pie. It is fairly light and it is great in the summer time. Since I had an extra pie crust I thought it would be a welcome site for Spring! One of the great things about this recipe is that it uses so few ingredients and it is very economical!

Here is a shot of all the ingredients. I kind of feel like Pioneer Woman with the food line up shot! One disclaimer - I never put my ingredients in cute little dishes, it is just for the photo, and not a necessary part of the recipe.



Here is the Lemon Sponge Pie Recipe:
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups milk
Grated rind & juice of one lemon
2 egg whites
1 unbaked pie crust

Using a pastry blender work the sugar, flour and butter together in a large bowl. Beat 2 egg yolks with the milk and add to the dry ingredients. Next you will add the lemon rind and juice. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold the egg whites into the other mixture. Pour into unbaked pie crust and bake at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes. Typically I make my own pie crust, but there was a sale on Pillsbury for $.50 a box! My frugal self couldn't pass that one up!!

Just a reminder with the egg whites, there should be no trace of fat on your beaters when you are mixing them. Here is a picture of what they should look like.




Normally I cover the edge of the pie crust with foil for half of the baking time. This helps to prevent the dark edges. It seems that the bought pie crusts, tend to brown a little faster compared to my homemade recipe. I don't know if this is a scientific fact, or my own imagination!!



Here is the finished product. Don't be concerned about the dark top, it is suppose to be that way. If you are looking for a great blog about pies, check out Warm Pie, Happy Home!

Lost & Found

During the winter months I enjoy knitting. Even though I would classify myself as a beginner, I still enjoy giving some of my creations as gifts. Of course, having girls, they are the first ones to ask for a knitted gift. Earlier this winter I had them each pick out a color of yarn that they would like a new scarf made out of. My oldest chose pink, and was so excited to wear it to school the day after I finished it.

Now, I need to warn you, if you were looking for a knitting story, this is where it ends. You see, my daughter came home from school, and announced "I lost my scarf at school today!" This was the first day she wore it. My heart sank, and my mind filled with a number of different thoughts. This wasn't the first time she lost anything at school, she had recently lost her new mittens. However, we had bought them, but I couldn't help but feeling that I made the scarf.

It must have been one of those parenting moments, that just hit me. I didn't say much even though I wanted to. She was visibly upset and sorry, and all I could do was forgive her. I'm thankful that I didn't lash out at her. My husband overheard the entire conversation and I really appreciate the fact that he encouraged me in the way I reacted to our daughter.

We searched the lost and found many times at school. No sign of the scarf. We had almost given up on finding the scarf, until a couple of weeks ago. We were at parent teacher conferences and I thought why not look in the lost and found one more time. A majority of our snow had melted, and I thought the scarf might have gotten lost, under a pile of snow in one of the big snow mountains. Guess what? We found it! My daughter and I were both so excited! But, I also realized that I would be fine if we never found it.

There are many times that I don't say or do the right thing as a parent. Parenting is a learning experience for me. I'm thankful that I'm not called to be perfect in this area. So, how does this relate to the home? Above all, I want my children to feel loved, safe and secure in our home - and this begins with me!

Surprise Muffins

Here is my third, healthy, whole grain recipe that I told you I would share. So, if you purchased the whole wheat flour and wheat germ you are in luck! This is a very simple recipe and my entire family loves them.

The recipe: (Makes 1 dozen)
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup fruit jam

Preheat oven to 425 and grease muffin tin. Stir together the dry ingredients. *Notice my red mixing bowls, just love them! Thanks to my Mother-in-law!! In a separate bowl, mix together butter, egg and buttermilk.



Stir milk mixture into dry ingredients; mix just until combined. Fill tins half full with batter. Drop approximate 1 teaspoon jam on each muffin. Cover with the additional batter. Bake 18 minutes!


I used some of my homemade raspberry jam, but any will do. This is what I had on hand.



Finished Product! I would love to hear about your healthy whole grain recipes or your experience with whole wheat bread. Be sure to check out my recipes for the English Muffin Bread & Whole Wheat Pizza.

Wreath Questions

Last weekend I was busy making some interior changes for Spring. However, one area that I neglected was my front door! The snow is gone here in Michigan, but it is still cold. Currently, I still have my red berry wreath up, but I'm wondering when do I make the switch to my Spring wreath? Which is also my Summer wreath. Do any of you leave your door bare during a period of transition time?




Here is the Spring & Summer wreath!




* Just a side note, I am posting some photos and I finally changed my header picture, but I'm still not 100% ready to post about my camera dilemma. I'm not positive about my camera choices, so I am still open to opinions!!

Camera Help, Please!

Yesterday my camera died. At least I think that is what happened. For the past few months, I have noticed my photos have been on the blurry side, and that it won't focus from time to time. When I tried to take some pictures yesterday, I got a black screen. I tried new batteries, turning it off and on, etc. Nothing!

My camera is a five year old Fujifilm 500. It has served me well and for the most part it did what I wanted it to!

This is where I need your help, what camera should I buy? I'm a basic type of girl on a budget. Your help would be greatly appreciated!! I have a number of posts that I want to do, but without a camera I might have to take a little "blogging break".

Parenting Meets Organizing

Last Friday evening, my husband and I attended a seminar on parenting, that was held at our church. I always wonder what information we will glean, when attending such events. The emphasis that evening was looking at a child's heart in regards to motivating him or her to "do the right thing". One thing that hit us, is that we need to teach, coach and model the behavior we want to see in our children.

For instance, how many times have you said, "Go clean up your room"? We have told our girls that many times! The problem is that the ages of our girls are 4 & 6, we haven't effectively modeled and taught them what it means to clean their rooms! Yes, there are times we show them what to do, but we haven't taken the time, to help them develop these skills.

So the rest of the weekend, my sweet husband worked with the girls to clean and organize their rooms and play area. If you remember my post on the girls' bedrooms, I strategically did not show any floor shots of their rooms!

Here are their bedroom closets after they received some teaching and coaching from their Dad!

Skipping Bible Study

I'm skipping my Tuesday night Bible study! First of all, I am NOT advocating skipping your Bible study or neglecting your spiritual life, but I wanted to share with you, what I am doing instead. You need to know that I'm in the middle of the Beth Moore study on Esther, and it is so good, so it is a difficult choice for me not to attend.

You see, the neighbor ladies are getting together tonight! Living here in Michigan, it seems like people go into hibernation during the winter, so we don't get to catch up with our neighbors during the cold, snowy months. My husband and I desire to have a real sense of community in our neighborhood, and that is why I am making this choice for tonight.

One thing that we have found is that you need to work at getting to know your neighbors. Yes, some are easier to hang out with than others, but a lot of times, it just takes making a phone call, or planning a party. Our neighborhood typically has a summer block / pool party in August. We were first invited to this party, before we even moved in! What a great way to welcome new neighbors!

A swingset in the backyard is a great way for the neighbor kids to get together! We have found that it also brings out the parents, and we have met a number of neighbors this way.




For the past three years I've hosted the Christmas cookie exchange. It has grown to include more neighbors and it makes another way to stay in touch during the winter. Not everyone can make it every year because it is a busy time, but it is always enjoyable, no matter how many people can make it!



NOW all these things are a lot of fun, but my challenge is to get to know my neighbors on a deeper level! To see if there are needs that our family can help with, without being known as the "nosey neighbors"! We live in a time where we like to be "self sufficient" and we have difficulty "leaning" on other people. It is amazing how we can go for long periods of time without talking to our neighbors. I realized my inadequacy in this area when I was trick or treating with my girls during Halloween. We had stopped at a neighbors, and I found out the wife had her baby, prematurely FOUR WEEKS earlier. Thankfully the baby is now healthy! I had no idea and I missed an opportunity to reach out to them!

My encouragement for you is to get to know your neighbors! Even if it means taking small steps such as:
* Walking across the street, just to say "hi"!
* Bringing them food, which always seems to be a welcomed favorite!
* Offer to watch their home while they are away.
* Invite them over for an evening fire-pit, along with making smores.
* Snow blow their driveway! We've had a lot of opportunities to do this!

I'd love to hear how some of you have built community in your neighborhood.

Mail Call!!

I was so excited to walk down to my mailbox today and find this package waiting for me!



You see I won my first blog prize the other week, a bottle of Nettie's Vanilla Syrup! Sandy, over at Reluctant Entertainers, was giving three bottles away and I was won of the lucky winners!




Our family loves pancakes, so this made a perfect gift to win. Sandy shared her favorite buttermilk pancake recipe here. We already tried it and "polished" off all the pancakes, very good!

However, since I've been on a kick to share some healthier grain recipes, here is another buttermilk pancake recipe:

1 cup flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs

* If you want you can place the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. However, I omit this step. If you are concerned about the texture of the oats, I can almost guarantee you won't even know they are in there.