Sometimes I like to whine...

A warm wind is blowing. The windows are open...the lawn mower is humming and I feel like throwing everything away...it must be spring.

No matter how much I chuck it seems like stuff just keeps coming in...I really need to muster energy to go through closets again, take out winter wear and make sure everyone has what they need for summer. I need to limit the outfits in the closets so my laundry doesn't overwhelm me. I need to clear out our coat closet, which is overflowing...does everyone need 3 or 4 coats? I need to put some away. We do save coats to pass down to the next kiddo, it is hard to know what size they will be the next year.

Also on the organizing agenda...Christmas stuff. I used to have a big victorian house...long long ago and far away. I used to decorate a ton...but now that we are in our century old farm house and the kids are getting older and I have been simplifying so much of my life, it is time to let some of them go. I perfer simply and organic decorations now. I would rather have a basket of pine cones from the backyard than fake evergreen wreath. So that needs to be hauled out and use the space for something more useful.

Also hubby's tools. They are everywhere, but mostly near and intruding into my laundry area! WE need to orgainize them and find a place where they can be found and put away. By WE I mean him. :)

I can't wait to put up the laundry line again. It is coming soon. It is suppose to rain for at least the next week so I am not going to bother right now. I have a hankering for sun dried sheets and a nice clean bed.

Like I said already the windows are open and I seriously hope it is blowing the dust away as we speak. Sometimes I love cleaning, other times I get resentful and irritated.

I guess I just would like someone to respect the work I do around here, instead of just trashing everything and leaving it for me. Yeah I am complaining. sorry.

Back to spring....and nice things. I also need to rake up the flower beds, plan some sort of back porch/deck/ patio...and hopefully get a chicken run done this year.

Oh yeah and the garden...

Well by the fact that my list gets longer and longer the longer I sit here and think about it...I guess it is time to go!

Thanks for listening.

Feeling Crafty

I felt like being crafty last night.  I made this for over the mantle. 

 Now I wish I could tell you that I felt so crafty that I made this.  I have been trying to learn to crochet.  Let's just say I am crochet challanged.  Everything I make or try to make comes out crooked and weird.  I am only trying very simple things.  I don't think crocheting is in my future. 

I found this lovely throw at a store in town for $3.99.  It is what I hoped a throw blanket would look like that I was trying to make.  Sooooooo.  I got it.   For $3.99 I have a lot less frustration and  I couldn't have bought all the yarn for that price.

This is better.  The project of the throw is now done, and my family can stop making fun of my crooked and miss stiched creations.

Coupon Time

Here is my new coupon binder.

CVS shopping: Spent: $16.18 Saved $60.29

Giant Eagle shopping: spent: $25.42 Saved: $17.70 on specials $28.50 Coupons

Walgreens Shopping: spent: $ 27.04 saved: $50.59

Total spent: $68.64 Total Saved : $153.18

Tons of Fun...You should try it!!!

Pillow Update

I made some adjustments to the pillows. Mainly added more yo yo's. Steve said the first ones looked like eyeballs staring at him...Whatever!!!! I am sure he will come up with something for this design...but they no longer look like eyeballs. Good grief.

New Pillows

I thought I would spruce up some old pillows that matched the loveseat.  They were pretty flat and stained.  I made new covers for them and wrapped them with some batting to puff them up a bit. 

Food Storage on my mind...

I have been thinking about food storage lately.  I really need to start working harder at it, there is something about the cold of winter that makes me want to stay home and hibernate.  If I have everything I need, food wise, then I don't have to run to the store when it is  cold outside.

 We have been clipping coupons and really stocking up when we find good deals.  We even canned some this year.  We probably could have done a lot more.  I think I just need to stay more focused...I also need to clean out the food storage room...which has become a catch all.  We are working on storing both the basics, and the things we eat. ( and trying to combine the two categories)

I'll keep you updated with what we are storing...I will try and get the room cleaned out so I can take some more pictures.  Right now it is a mess   organized chaos.  Steve plans on making me a nifty rack that will rotate cans and always make sure we are using the oldest cans first.

Warm and Cozy at Home

Tonight is a warm and cozy night.  Well not real "warm" because I refuse to turn on the heat...but warm in my heart.  I love when the kids settle in and relax...fighting is at a minimum and we are all getting along.  Today we had soccer games.  The kids did well, but it was cold.  I was chilled to the bone.  Got home took a hot shower and the kids cuddled up with blankets to watch movies.  It gave me some time to clean up and take some pictures of some goodwill finds from this week.  My camera is giving me fits.  I have always loved the way it took pictures but now the little setting wheel has gone berzerk...it keeps changing settings in the middle of picture taking...so sometimes it does weird things...like take video when I have it on candlelight setting.  Maybe santa will bring me a new camera...oh and a toaster oven, and a new food processor...if any of you know santa will you pass that along?

Well here is some of the pictures from around the  house. 

I love to burn the oil lamps in the evening.

My cute chickens that I got at the good will.

I just love signs.

Love to have lots of library books  to look at and curl up with at night.

New lampshades from my mom.  Love them!!!!

Reminders of good friends...love this little statue.

cozy and warm evenings.

Stocking up...

I love having a stocked cupboard.  These are things we use in the bathroom all the time.  Shampoo, soap, papertowels, toliet paper and toothpaste.  I love having a stocked pantry too, but true love is not running out of toliet paper.

Much better....

So you are a stay at home mom...

You have four kids?

What do you do all day now that they are all in school?

Yes I live with slobs...

I still hate laundry...but I am getting better...

kitchen sink...did I tell you my kids have chores? One does include doing dishes.

Lovely...at least he took them off before tracking all the grass through the house.

Bathroom after church.  Can you tell...belt and tie thrown about...

Lovely dining room table after breakfast.  We love to read the paper while we eat.  We have no time to pick it up...

Bedroom desk...uuugh.  I am not cleaning that.

ok my plan is to clean this stuff up and retake some pictures.  You will know if I actually cleaned if I do that...if no pictures you will know that I am hiding in my bedroom for the day!

To Do List Today...

I feel the need to organize myself. 

1. Laundry (most done yesterday) but need to get to sheets etc.

2. Kitchen...shouldn't take too long...just have to get going

3. Pick up dining room and living room...sweep floors

4. Clean bathrooms

5. Pick up our bedroom...how does it get so messy when we only sleep in there???

There only 5 things on my list.  Problem is it could easily take me most of the day to do one of them.  Time to get dressed and get moving.

Yummy homemade bread.  Still experimenting with reciepes...wish it would look prettier...but it tastes pretty good.

Cherry Apple Pie ???

Today I made a pie.  Didn't have enough of one kind of filling.....so I used cherry and apple mixed.  I hope it tastes good.  I am not sure yet...after dinner will be the test I suppose.  Wish me luck!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I got this recipe from the internet world.  I thought I would give it a try.  I have done the liquid homemade laundry soap.  That worked just fine.  Here is the powder version.

1 Cup Shredded grated bar soap (I used Ivory)

1/2  Cup Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Borax

Use 1 Tablespoon per load in front loading machine.

****Just a disclaimer...THESE ARE NOT MY ARMS AND HANDS...THEY ARE MY HUSBANDS!!!!  I just want to clarify that I do not have manly arms. *****

This was a double batch.

****Just a disclaimer...THESE ARE NOT MY ARMS AND HANDS...THEY ARE MY HUSBANDS!  I just wanted to clarify that I do not have manly arms. ****

To Do List for Today...

1. Bills (Yuck)
2. Wrap gifts and figure out who has what and how many gifts. ( Yuck)
3.  Call the Doctor about what meds I can take before my surgery (yuck)
4. Laundry (double yuck)
5. Clean (yuck yuck)
6. Break down and get a new mop. (maybe depending on the bills this month)
7. Stocking stuffers (once again dependent on #1)
8.  Cash a check (yippee!)
9.  finish paperwork for surgery (yuck)
10. find a picture of Maggie when she was a baby for school.  (Uuuhhhggg)
11. Oh yeah I almost forgot...start refering to surgery as a "procedure."  :) I think that will help me.

I can't think of anything else other than stuff I can't do because of my back.  Paint the foyer, mop the floor, pick up junk.  Clean the basement.  Oh well that will all have to wait...maybe 12 weeks or so. :)

So much for my plan...

Who doesn't get to eat? The girl who dropped the bowls or the boy who accidently tripped her? So goes my week. Sigh.

Edit your Life...

I am sure I got this idea from someone in internet world...I was so sick of a MILLION dishes every day...all over the counter...all over the table...still in the dishwasher...etc. So I packed them all away. Yes, I am that mean! Everyone gets one plate, one bowl, and one cup. I color coded the cups with zip ties, wrote names on the bottoms of plates with marker, and each bowl has a ring around it of a different color. If you are caught with someone else dish...you are in BIG trouble. If you use your dishes and want something else...wash them yourself. They will be washed in the dishwasher each night.

This has cut down on the amount of dishes but it has cut down on everyone eating a million snacks each day. "I don't want to wash my dish" is returned with "then I guess you aren't hungry"

I am soooo happy. The children however...are not. :)

Sometimes it's the little things that make you happy

I love a clean junk drawer!