Pesky Pests!

Those Pesky Fruit Flys! I detest them but have found a great way to capture them. My method is a little different using an old 2 liter pop/soda bottle. Here is a great NATURAL and frugal way to capture those pests! Click Here

12 Week Holiday Planner SALE!

I have this planner and have looked it over and already LOVE it! I love the holidays and always get so busy during the season from Thanksgiving thru New Years. I plan to use this planner for the first time this year so I highly recommend it to you if you want to keep everything organized!

The 12-Week Holiday Planner will be on sale during the months of August and September for only $8.95.....that's $4.00 off the regular price!

The planner starts on the first of October, so you will want to buy your copy today!

To receive the special sale price, you will need to enter the following discount code at checkout:Discount Code: AUGSALE

To see a sample and purchase your copy today Click here

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Discount

How would you like to sign up for an AWESOME magazine, "The Old Schoolhouse Magazine" designed for homeschoolers but can be used by anyone due to its awesome content on Christian subjects and fabulous articles!

By using my special code, authorized by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, you can get a 2 year subcription (whether you are new or renewing) for $5 off. PLUS to the first 5,000 that subscribe they are giving away $400 in FREE gifts but you have to hurry as they have already had a little over 1,000 sign up already.

Now you may be wondering why I'm "advertising" this, huh? Well if 12 subscriptions are ordered using my code then I will be given a FREE one year subscription to the magazine. Now I will tell you that I had this magazine before and I LOVE IT! Please Order Here

So to get your subscription please go here and make sure to use code: MRSGL5OFF when you check out to get your discount and so that I get credit! Please Order Here

For the 19 FREE gifts please go here.

FREE Chocolate

Mars, Inc. Candy is giving away a coupon for a free chocolate bar TODAY! They limit the coupons to 250,000 a day so HURRY so you don't miss because it can take up to 6 weeks for the coupon to come it. But don't feel bad if you miss today because they will have it again next Friday and all Friday's until Sept. 25, '09. To get yours go to:

https://secure.realchocolate.com/

Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

I will be making Variations 9: Blueberry Pecan (I will add 1/2 cup of pecans to this variation), Variation 11 Banana Creme, and Variation 17: Zucchini Pineapple or 18: Zucchini Chocolate Chip or 19: Chocolate Zucchini.

To 1 cup Starter, add:

1 cup oil (I use Organic Virgin Coconut Oil)

4 eggs (Free Range is the best)

1 cup sugar (Sucanat is good or use Organic Sugar)

2 tsp. vanilla (I use Simply Organic brand)

1 large instant pudding (try and find an organic brand if you can)

2 cups flour (I use Bob Red Mill's Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)

1 tsp. baking powder (Bro Red Mill's Aluminum free)

1 tsp. baking soda (Bro Red Mill's Aluminum free)

Use Variations as previously posted or to make Traditional add:

2 tsp. cinnamon...1 cup raisins...1 cup chopped nuts

To the remaining batter, add oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla & pudding mix. Blend well.

Add the combined dry ingredients, nuts & raisins, mix well.

Put into 2 well greased 9x5 loaf pans that have been greased (if making Traditional then sprinkle also with cinnamon & sugar).

Bake 60-70 minutes at 325 degrees F.

NOTE: Cut the fat by using Egg Beaters in place of the eggs & applesauce for all or part of the oil.

Amish Friendship Bread Varieties

I thought I would post about this as I have some Amish Friendship Bread that I revived from the freezer. I love the original recipe that is cinnamon with a cinnamon sugar crumble on top, Delcious! But I wanted to have some variety as I have tons of starter and I don't know of anyone at church who would want any (about a year ago - this is how old mine is we did a lot of sharing in church). So in my search I found many delcious sounding recipes. So that I have a reference place for them so that I can try them all I'm posting them here and maybe you can try a few also.

So here they are:

Variation 1 Orange-Cranberry: Use vanilla pudding and replace 1/2 cup milk with orange juice, 1 Tbsp. orange peel instead of vanilla and 2 cups chopped frozen cranberries. This may bake better in the upper 3rd of the oven

Variation 2 Lemon-Cranberry: Use 1 small pkg. lemon pudding and add 2 cups chopped frozen cranberries.

Variation 3 Cherry Vanilla: Use vanilla pudding, add 1 can tart red cherries in water, drained, and add almond flavoring instead of vanilla.

Variation 4 Chocolate Cherry: Use chocolate pudding, add 1 can tart red cherries in water, drained, and add almond flavoring instead of vanilla.

Variation 5 Apple Cinnamon: Use butterscotch pudding and add 2 cups chopped, peeled, apple.

Variation 6 Caramel Pecan: Use butterscotch pudding and add 1 cup chopped pecans

Variation 7 Banana Walnut: Use banana cream pudding, 1 chopped banana and chopped walnuts. Can also add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips here or to Variation 11

Variation 8 Tropical: Use Almond extract to replace vanilla, 1 sm can of well drained pineapple, about 6 marachino cherries chopped up, 1/2 cup chopped pecans OR macademia nuts, and approx 2-3 tbsp of coconut (plus extra to sprinkle on top about half way thru baking)

Variation 9 Blueberry Bread or Blueberry Coffe Cake: Use 2 cups of frozen blueberries

Variation 10 Cherry Cheesecake: Use cheesecake pudding and add approx 6 chopped up marachino cherries with at little bit of juice

Variation 11 Banana Creme: Use banana cream pudding and add 2 smashed bananas (you may want to add a little bit more time and test doneness)

Variation 12 Lemon Poppy Seed: Use 2 boxes of lemon pudding and 1/4 cup of poppy seeds and bake for 1 1/2 hours

Variation 13 Caramel Apple: Use caramel (or butterscotch) pudding and add 1/2 to 1 cup of dried apples

Variation 14 Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bread: Use chocolate pudding and add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Variation 15 White Chocolate Macademia Bread: Use white chocolate pudding and 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips and 3/4 cups of caoarsly chopped macadamia nuts.

Variation 16 Zucchini Bread: Add 1 cup of grated zucchini with excess water squeezed out.

Variation 17 Zucchini Pineapple Bread: Add 1/2 cup of grated zucchini with excess water squeezed out and 1/2 cup of well drained pineapple. RESERVE pinapple juice and use this to replace the milk (add milk to juice mixture if not enough to 1/2 cup of milk)

Variation 18 Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread: Add 1 cup of grated zucchini with excess water squeezed out and 1/2 to 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Variation 19 Chocolate Zucchini Bread: Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, one cup of grated zucchini with excess water squeezed out and 1/2 to 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Variation 20 Coconut Macaroon Bread: Use 1/4 cup of coconut, replace vanilla with almond extract (real stuff), and 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped almonds.

Holiday Versions:

Variation 1 Gingerbread: 2 tbsp of molasses for equal amount of sugar and add spices for gingerbread

Variation 2 Orange Cranberry: Use 1/2 to 1 cup (your preference) of craisins and replace milk with orange juice (OR use milk but instead add a box of orange jello in replacement of vanilla pudding) and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans (this is similar to Variation 1 above but does have it's differences)

Variation 3 Orange Chocolate Raisin: Use orange juice (to replace milk) and add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chocolate covered raisins

Variation 4 Bundt Pan Date Pecan Cake: Add one box of chopped dates (not sure how big a box is) and 1 cup of chopped pecans

Variation 5 Fruitcake: Add glazed fruit mix with walnuts and almonds.

Happy Independence Day!

Chuck E Cheese Promotions

I thought I would post this here instead of sending out an email since my emails seem to be having problems getting to everyone I send them to. I know a lot of moms from my new co-op go to Chuck E Cheese as it is right next door so I especially wanted to post this for them.

So anyway-I was on someone's blog this morn and found where Chuck E Cheese will give you 10 free tokens via these promotions (http://www.chuckecheese.com/promotions/rewards-calendars.php)

Here they are listed:

Sports Awards NEW
Tooth Fairy Award NEW
Getting Dressed NEW
Reading Rewards NEW
Active Kid
Homework Helper
Potty Training

Sleep All Night
Magical Manners
Doctor/Dentist Good Patient Award
Stop Thumb Sucking
Clean Your Room
Teeth Brushing

Blessings!

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday:

Crock Pot Ham, Egg Noodles, Sauteed Zucchini/Squash/Onion in butter, Carrots that I canned this winter

Monday:

Soup beans flavored with onions, zucchini casserole, leftover ham, and 2 kinds of buttermilk cornbread (sweet for me and salt for my hubby)

Tueday:

Leftovers: Chicken Fingers, vegetable casserole (made from leftover veggies-green beans/brussel sprouts/carrots/zucchini), egg noodles and mashed potatoes.

Wednesday & Thursday:

Don't know yet

Friday:

Special Anniversary meal for my parents who just moved back from Oklahoma. They will be celebrating 37 blessed years together.

Saturday:

BBQ sandwiches, pasta salad or potato salad, baked beans, lemonade and kombucha, and Flag Jello cake (cake mix with red jello added spread with cool whip and topped with strawberries/blueberries to make a flag)

My New To Do List

NEW LIST in no particular order:

1. Work on home and church finances
2. Work on Ladies Day of Renewal blog
3. Check on kefir & buttermilk in brewing cabinet TODAY
4. Make more yogurt
5. Plan menu this week.
6. Work on laundry - wash/dry/put away. This will also include going through kids clothes to get rid of too small clothes and inventory for this coming fall what will need to be purchased (I usually try to do this in the Spring but I'm a bit behind this year).
7. Start reading book from Values Driven Family entitled, Values Driven Family :-). You can check out there books here. This family is awesome. I had the chance to meet them at CHEO and they are just like you and me. Down to earth but on Fire for God! I was also pleased to meet their 7th child, Jubilee who was born June 15. She is the littlest thing, no bigger than a minute! So be sure to order something from them as it will help support them in all they do and help them financially as they prepare to go to Kenya later this year. http://www.valuesdrivenfamily.com/ (oh yeah BTW-if you are looking to homestead and raise your children on beautiful acreage, they have a beautiful home for sale in Indiana 3,000 SF log home on 10 acres: 4 BR, 3 bath, with front and rear decks. Central air for $204, 900. In my opinion this is a GREAT price compared to some places in my area!
8. Work on implementing 2 key things from their book-Scheduling and Budgeting
9. Work on schedule for Fall - this will be for the day to include cleaning, school, and overall life.
10. Go through school book, My Father's World Kindergarten to set up schedule of supplies
11. Figure out how to implement their Child Training to include chores and allowances. We have purchased this bank, "My Giving Bank" and this book called "The Jingle In My Pocket" and will use them together to help our children understand the beginnings of how money works. It is all about Sharing It (Tithe), Saving It (for that special occasion), Spending It (to rewards yourself for your hard work).
12. Determine how I will implement these 2 lapbooks, "Harvest Festival" and "Celebrating Passover" when it is the appropriate time of year.
13. Research more lapbooking sites to get ideas for school and for my Sunday School class that I teach.
14. Research lapbooking for Spring Kindergarten Co-op. I will be helping/co-teaching with a friend of mine about things underground (insects/tunnels/pipes/buildings/roots/etc.) I think it would be neat do a lapbook on this.
15. Go through school room and get it organized
16. Go through my JUNK room and get it organized and ready to sell stuff in yard sale
17. Plan yard sale for non-hot day
18. Start a homeschool blog for journaling our days (when I can) over at Homeschool Blogger

Well I have to get off this blog or I will be on here all day. As you can see above I have quite a list of activities/chores to complete and it will take me some time to get it all done.

Blessings to you all until next time!

My To Do List Today (so far)

I have completed my entire list but have comments in Red today.

• Make Breakfast - free range brown and green eggs with a 1/3 banana on the side
• Soak whole wheat pastry flour in kefir for tomorrow's Spiced Zucchini Bread Muffins (harvested 5 zucchini's - 1 went to our Pastor for first-fruits and the other four will go into the muffin batter)
• Soak Oatmeal for tomorrows breakfast (to be served with butter and honey) - this didn't turn out so appetizing. I tried it the Nourishin Traditions way but it just wasn't all that appealing for any of us. I will try something else next time.
• Stir my Amish Bread Starter and find a new recipe using this - I found different recipes but just have to choose which ones I will try when my Nourishing Traditions Zucchini Bread is all eaten up.
• Make Whole Wheat Sour Dough Bread Starter-I started this on Sunday so tonight will be day 3 to add to it. Next week I should be able to make some sourdough whole wheat bread. How exciting!
• Check on my Kefir grains - I had to put my grains away when I went to CHEO but now I have a batch of kefir going in my brewing cabinet.
• Check on my Kombucha (see my picture) - my Kombucha finished brewing this past Sunday (7 days it took to brew). Now it is fizzy and a little strong but it is good! I added some concentrated cherry and have drank anywhere from 2-4 oz these past couple of days. Great stuff. Oh yeah, I now have a "baby" scoby which is actually much bigger than the momma but it is neat to look at. My 5 year old thought it was neat also and starting cooing to it talking baby talk :-) Kids say the cutest things!
• Make buttermilk - I put this in the brewing cabinet last night.
• Add strawberry jam & honey to homemade yogurt cream cheese - did this but it went from thick to really thin so I had to strain it to thicken it back up. But now it is time to throw it out as it is getting old and not fresh anymore. Will plan on makking more this week.
• Plan Lunches/Dinner for the rest of this week
• Choose workshops to attend while at CHEO - this is SOOOO HARD! There are so many I want to go to and most of them are offered in the same hour as the other ones. So I have to narrow it down even further to the ones I REALLY want to go to and maybe purchase the CD of the other workshop that would be 2nd on my list. I can't go overboard with this or I won't have enough funds for other things at the vendor tables that I will need for school. *Sigh* what's a girl to do?-I attended so many GREAT workshops but then my best friend attended some that I didn't and I thought, OHHH I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THAT ONE! But all is well. I am encouraged and excited to know that it is going to be an exciting first year of homeschooling!
• Pack for CHEO (I am so excited to go this year for the first time and I'm going with my best friend, Sherice. This will be the first time she and I have ever gone anywhere for ANY length of time more than a few hours to get together. We will be like school girls staying up late talking and catching up and talking about the conference, etc. Did I mention that I'm really excited about going to CHEO and going with my best friend? :-) - It was so much fun to go and reconnect with Sherice and meet some of the other ladies from my new co-op. I truly had a lot of fun but just wished our hotel was closer to the other ladies so we could have visited longer. I am excited to meet more ladies and get to know them as well!
• Make list for hubby to pick up groceries at Sam's-I did this but hubby will have to get the items this week for me.
• Wash/Fold/Put away clothes-well this is done for last week but now it is time to do this weeks. **Sigh**
• Take kids outside to play in pool while I hang laundry up on the line-I will be doing this again this week but later in the week as it is supposed to rain today.
• Research how to kill cabbage worms organically-we ended up getting diatomaceous earth at a recommendation from Lowes but it is NOT helping! Gotta find something else now as hubby is getting frustrated and wants to just get seven dust *POISON* to put on it! No way! Gotta find something that works and won't harm us in the long run!
• Order library DVD for Family Fun Night-they ended up going to Mamaw's and Papaw's to watch Wall-E
• A whole bunch of other stuff that I will find to do in between stuff
• Post this entry

Case against homeschoolers - HA!

May 30, 2009 Case against homeschoolers. Top 10 reasons why Homeschoolers are doing the WRONG thing. This is most ridiculous! But I do like Alexia's take on this over at OurFunHouseOfGod. Go have a look see. I'm sure you will agree with her comments. I sure do!


Now here are 20 GREAT reasons to Homeschool.

You may have to click on image and print image to see it better.

If you still can not see the words after pulling it up, here is the list from left to right. My favorites are #'s 7 & 16:

1. The only "gang" your kids belong to is your family...
2. The teacher-pupil ratio is great
3. You don't need security guards or metal detectors...
4. Your kids enjoy socialization with people of ALL ages...
5. You don't have to run to catch the school bus...
6. You can sleep in on rainy days...
7. School prayer is encouraged... "thank you for my family..."
8. You don't have to buy "back-to-school" clothes... "thanks for the hand-me-downs MOM!"
9. You don't have to develop a taste for cafeteria food...
10. You can celebrate your birthday with a school holiday...
11. Vacations can be called "extended field trips"...
12. You get to read more books than you ever realized existed...
13. The latest fads usually never make it to your house..."it's the 'fish lake' MOM! All the kids are getting it!"
14. You don't have to worry about what your kids learned in school today...
15. You don't have to raise your hand to go to the bathroom...
16. You can wear pajamas to class and not be kicked out...
17. Chores may be called "home projects"...
18. There's always time to bake cookies..."can I help?"
19. Learning becomes contagious..."Mom, listen, I taught Jessica her alphabet! A-B-C-D-1-2-3-Q-R-S-T-Do-Re-Me"
20. Your family is right where they ought to be...Home!
    

Kombucha (kom - boo - cha) and Kefir (keh-fur)

Well I just ordered my Kombucha scoby and my kefir grains (I will post about this later but I have already started making my own kefir (from powder) and homemade yogurt and have had fantastic results, at least from the yogurt, thus the reason for purchasing the grains).

So Anywhoo-- It is really exciting when you start doing things in your kitchen that is so much better for your family and for yourself too. Well you are probably curious about Kombucha so I thought I would post about it real quick. If you are interested I have a past post on kefir that I linked to someone else if you want to find out more "How to Make Kefir" and "Drinking Kefir and Probiotics" )

Here are some pics of my kefir I made about a week ago. I also made yogurt the same day.

I need to make some more of each. Kefir I will probably make tonight but the yogurt I will have to do tomorrow or Thursday is it is an overnight process.

Kombucha tea is natures probiotic in a real sense that the tea contains numerous beneficial bacteria, acids and yeasts that aid our bodies on a great many levels. A probiotic is a live bacteria that helps populate the

large intestine with friendly bacteria known as gut flora, which dissolve harmful micro-organisms. Kombucha tea provides the body with additional gluceronic acid which is what the liver produces to detoxify the body.

The tea also gives you an energy boost, due to the range of B vitamins in the tea, particularly B1, B2, B6, and B12. These vitamins also help the body to process fats (the tea is a great addition to any weight-loss regimen) and proteins. There is also vitamin C which is a potent detoxifier, immune booster and enhancer of vitality. Many have found they can wean themselves off caffeine once they start incorporating kombucha tea into their morning routine.

In addition Kombucha has a wide range of organic acids and enzymes. The health benefits of Kombucha tea may also aid the body to alleviate a wide spectrum of ailments and conditions; from the mildest indisposition to the most serious diseases. A cursory google search provides many many testimonies of those who have been healed of various illnesses, and attribute Kombucha tea to their recovery.

Considering all of kombucha teas attributes, it really makes sense that everyone who is concerned about their health should include this tea in their daily regimen. The best thing about it is that it costs only pennies a day to make and enjoy!

Because it is so great and it is recommened by Nourishing Traditions (to read reviews go to Amazon) and it will help my body to begin to heal and I will have more energy I can't wait to try it out. I should be able to experience the full benefits so here goes in a couple of weeks.

Blessings!

Vitamins & Supplements For My Children

This picture can be purchased here


Thought I would just put up a quick post.

I used to use SuperKids but my children don't like the liquid so we switched to chewables.

We now use Nature's Plus Source of Life Animal Parade (Children's Chewable Multi-vitamin & Mineral Supplement with whole food concentrates)

AND

Nature's Plus Source of Life Animal Parade KidGreenz (with broccoli, spinach, and other green foods)

Both are hypo-allergenic, vegetarian, and Gluten free

They seem to do quite well for my children and I like the price (I ordered another 3 months supply today via www.vitacost.com).

I also purchased today (from Vitacost.com) some Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil Strawberry -- 8 fl oz to go along with the vitamins especially since we will start homeschooling oldest daughter (kindergarten) this Fall. This will help with her attention/brain function/etc (and will also help soon to be 4 year old and 2 year old).

I also throw in a tsp every so often of concentrated Elderberry syrup to help their immune system if they are experiencing any signs of becoming sick. Today I purchased Nature's Plus Source of Life Animal Parade Immune Booster Chewables to go along with the Elderberry just in case I run out (I prefer the Elderberry but thought we would give this a go since it isn't liquid and try it out for a bit).

Well enough about us, what about your kids? What do you use?

Blessings!

Faithful Blogger Friends

Picture can be purchased here

I just wanted to send a note to let you know that I'm still here but due to it being the Spring coming into Summer season there is sooooooo much to do! Things I am currently doing and thus the reason I'm not on the computer much these days:

• Planted garden (put out another row of pole beans last night) - we ran out of room to plant things due to doing rows. I hope my husband will be convinced to try square foot gardening next year so that we can plant more.

--Garlic (1 bulb to make many little plants) - still need to plant in a sunny spot due to running out of room

--Strawberries -- one of those round 2 tiered strawberry plant things with the sprinkler in the middle (from gurneys.com) Comes with 50 ozark beauties (can't wait to make strawberry jam-pies-bread-short cake, etc.) - we ended up planting the strawberries in containers but due to not planting in time because of bad weather all of our strawberries died and we got a refund. We are going to try and find at least a few plants at a local nursery so that we can have some strawberries next year.

--Rhubarb (to go with the strawberries) - planted but these did not survive also and we received a refund as well.

--2 Elderberry bushes - these are little bitty but are thriving and growing fast

--4 Apple trees (2 of Pixie Crunch and 2 of Apple Goldrush) - doing wonderful and hopefully in a couple of years we will have lovely apples to eat and can.

--Blueberry bush (great for pies, pancakes, muffins, etc. and rich in Anti-oxidants!) - doing wonderful also. In a couple of years we should be able to have some yummy berries!

We tried growing some items from seed but due to poor lighting in the house they did not do so well and we ended up composting them and buying some things from the nursery.

--2 lbs each of Red potatoes and Yukon potatoes -from seed potatoes - these are doing great. A couple of days ago we mixed in some manure mix to get them good and fertilized.

--at least a row of Golden wax beans - from seed we planted 2 short rows, about 10-12 plants each row

--at least a row of purple pod pole beans - from seed we just planted these last night because of running out of room and not having anything to have them climb on. But a solution has been found. We used leftover fencing and planted a row about 10-12 seeds (one row)

--at least a row of trofeo green beans - from seed we planted 2 short rows, about 10-12 plants each row

--8-10 plants of Cucumbers - we have, I think, about 12 plants right now (planted from seed)

--2-3 plants of green peppers - we ended up planting 4 green bell peppers and 4 red sweet peppers that we got from the nursery

--1-2 plants of jalepeno peppers - we planted 1 that we got from the nursery in a container on the patio

--6-8 heads of Cabbage -we planted 8 plants from nursery

--4-6 plants of zucchini - I believe we have around 11 plants from nursery

--4-6 plants of squash - we have 7 plants planted from seed and my husband planted a few more seeds last night

--3-4 plants of Roma tomatoes - we planted 8 Roma plants from nursery

--3-4 plants of Golden rave tomatoes - we planted 8 yellow plants from nursery (it wasn't Golden rave but they will be just as tasty)

--Pumpkins - ran out of room but haven't given up hope to plant them in some sunny spot

--Watermelon - ran out of room but again, haven't given up hope to plant them - just have to get a little creative and put them and the pumpkins in places not normally seen in a garden.

--Lettuce - I have some organic heirloom seeds mesclun seeds that I received Earthbound Farms for free. I can plant these this fall when the weather starts to cool again

--radishes/carrots - I have some seeds but no where to plant. I'm trying to find a container that I can plant these in along with my lettuce so that I can have salad added to the menu this summer.

• Just finished putting up privacy/chain link fence
• Planted some sunflower seeds on the side of house where it is sunny. - I have a couple of bare spots in between plants so will plant 3 more packs so that we have good and plenty sunflowers to make it look beautiful on the side and so I can have some seeds for next year to plant.
• Working on laying down newspaper and spreading mulch over my flower bed - to prevent the onslaught of weeds/grass that has invaded. Now I have half done and need to get the other half completed by Friday.
• Just planted 13 lily's beside my shed - these are red/yellow/orange to go along with the 3 lily plants I already have planted and the giant red hibiscus that will be blooming this summer.
• Need to still plant on the other side of the shed that is partly shady - Asiatic Lily's: 2 lollypop, 2 Vivaldi, 2 navona - Oriental Lily's: 2 stargazer, 2 LeReve, 2 Mona Lisa - and another 7 Oriental Lily's that no names were given for. I will also be planting 10 pink Gladioli "Tout a Toi" and 10 cream with hot pink Gladioli "Priscilla"

Also working on:

• FGMA (Full Gospel Ministers Association, Inc.) Renewals - these are due by May 31 but they keep coming until the end of June
• Planning my soon to be 5 year old's Nemo birthday party for mid June
• Planning a mini vacation and needing to remember everything to take for 5 people
• Have to buy gifts for and attend 3 different graduation open houses (June 6th - my niece, 14th - my son's Uncle, and 20th - a lovely homeschooled young lady from church)
• Have to design Ladies Day of Renewal Info and Registration brochure to mail out by June 10 (and still don't have pics and bio's from the ladies-this gets to be near impossible with deadlines every year when you are waiting on others info :-)
• Also have to retype all addresses for all ladies that have attended past Renewals so that everyone gets an invite this year (last year some addresses were omitted by mistake). We have done this for either 5 or 6 years now so there is well over 100 individual's addresses to type and have ready by the 10th.
• Plan our new Titus 2 Home Ministry (the name is still in the works) - this will be the Titus 2 Woman teaching other ladies that have the desire to be a Proverbs 31 woman to be a Keeper of the Home. This will start this Summer with a canning session. We will be teaching ladies how to can fresh produce in order to prepare for the winter and save money in the long run. We have many other ideas in the works as well but have to plan dates, etc. as we want this to be an ongoing event and not just a fly by the night ministry.

Well I'm sure there are many more things that I'm not listing but this post has taken me more time that what I have with all of the things that still need to be done. So until next time, blessings to you and your family and may you have a wonderful and fruitful season of gardening as well (I will be posting off and on so don't give up on me!)

Memorial Day

In Honor of Memorial Day a couple of days late. God's blessings to all who served or who are serving and to all the family members!

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer (NDP), so we've got prayer on our minds.

We all want to effectively pray for the ministries God gives us to lead. So here's a helpful prayer guide that assigns a different area to pray for each day of the week. And it just so happens that each day's prayer "assignment" begins with the same letter as the day of the week. It's easy to remember and helps us ensure that we've got it all covered.

Sunday...Studies

Pray for the Bible studies, mentoring groups, book clubs and any other small groups that will meet in the coming week.

Monday...Ministry

Ask for God's direction for yourself and those who lead with you. Pray for specific ministry needs.

Tuesday...To Do's

Need we say more? We all have a list. Let's pray about it.

Wednesday...World

Pray for the nations, the missionaries, the persecuted church and governments around the world.

Thursday...Those in Need

Lift up those who are hurting, lonely or poor. Pray for those who need a Savior.

Friday...Future Plans

We all have dreams. Let's commit the future of our ministries to God.

Saturday...Sunday Services

Pray for your pastor, for others who serve and those who will worship with you this week.

Week 1 Home Managment Schedule

MONDAY:
FOCUS CLEANING: Upright Fridge/Freezer
PROJECTS: Organize Pantry

TUESDAY:
FOCUS CLEANING: Kitchen Counters
PROJECTS: Clean all indoor trash cans

WEDNESDAY:
FOCUS CLEANING: Kitchen Sink
PROJECTS: Bleach Tile Grout in Bathrooms

THURSDAY:
FOCUS CLEANING: Kitchen Floor details (under fridge, stove, in pantry, laundry room)
PROJECTS: Clean High Chair Thoroughly

FRIDAY:
FOCUS CLEANING: Vacuum cobwebs in corners/rafters
PROJECTS: Sort Toys

Resurrection Sunday, AKA "Easter"

In advance please forgive my rambling thoughts and questions. Just go with the flow --

I thought I would post on this topic since it is coming up in about a week.

Since my children were born I have not done the Easter Bunny thing (just like at Christmas my children see Santa Claus on TV but they know that he has nothing to do with the real reason behind Christmas and that he is make-believe. We decided from the beginning not to lie to our children-Strong feelings here: Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Halloween, etc. are all lies and if I don't want my children to lie then I will not lie to them about these).

So anywhoo--last year we started really focusing more on it being Resurrection Sunday instead of Easter. This is due to a strong conviction once I found out the history surrounding "Easter". My children are almost 5, 3, and 2. Now as they are getting older I want to start incorporating more of the traditional Biblical festivals/feasts associated with and around the time of Christ crucifixion and His resurrection. I will start this next year.

WHAT WE DO:

--We say: Happy Resurrection Day and if someone says Happy Easter we say back Happy Resurrection Day.

--We meet with our family (usually my mom and dad inlaw-my parents live in Oklahoma or they would be with us also) and have a "traditional" dinner with the ham and trimmins'. Next year according to how we decide to incorporate new ways of celebrating I would like to try to make lamb (does anyone have any good recipes they would like to share?)

--I usually will give my children something special on this day but it is usually Bible related. This year I purchased from http://www.cbd.com/ for my girls and me the neon green t-shirts with bright pink lettering that say "Yes, I am a Princess My Father is the King of Kings" and for my 2 yr old son a little t-shirt that says "Do not Underestimate Me in big letters and in little letters -with God all things are possible" and for Daddy he is getting an Army green t-shirt that has the "crown of thorns looking cross" that has "FORGIVEN" weaved into the thorns and the "i" is dotted with a little drop of red blood. For DS and Daddy's shirt they are already sold out so can't show you what they look like. Anywhoo-DD's shirts I want to (if I have time) sew onto the bottom some material to make it a play dress.

--We do give the children baskets but it is usually not done on Resurrection Sunday. My Hubby's b-day is March 20 (first day of Spring) and we give them what we call, "Spring Baskets" to celebrate Spring and Daddy's birthday. This is to give them some fun things and candy that they don't get often but we (especially me) do NOT say it is an Easter basket. Hubby was out of town for his birthday this year and we have yet to celebrate it. So when we have our "traditional" Resurrection Sunday dinner I will also throw in a special time to celbrate his b-day and give the children their "Spring Baskets" and Resurrection Sunday gifts.

QUESTIONS:

--Can anyone give a breakdown of the festivals/feasts during this time and what are some ways to celebrate each one? If you have a link to share please leave me a comment with the link.

--How do you deal with egg hunts at church? My Pastor allows them as they have been done for years before he came (he came to our church about 10 years ago) but he doesn't really agree with it. We have had a lot of people leave the church over the years for one reason or another but a lot has to do with the fact that he preaches the Bible Truth and doesn't sugar-coat-it. He doesn't mind stepping on toes when he preaches. He is a traditional Holiness Pentecostal Missionary Evangelist Pastor (he still evangelizes on Missionary trips-as a matter of fact he is in Belize right now on one). He never follows a book with pre-planned sermons. He follows the leading of the Holy Spirit and has been known to have notes all ready but have the Holy Spirit change the sermon literally at the last moment during Praise & Worship.

So anywhoo-He allows the hunts so as to not "rock-the-boat" anymore than it has been in the past but it is clear to those in charge of the hunt that we do NOT say the eggs came from the Easter bunny or anything like that which would take away from Christ's resurrection. I have mixed feelings about my children participating in the egg hunt but my husband thinks there is nothing wrong with it. So for the past couple of years I have went along with it. What are your thoughts?

Okay enough rambling - who would like to comment?

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY March 30, 2009...
Outside my window... I see a completed playset. My husband finished the tunnel and now the children can play all over it now. I just hope that the weather is warm enough today.

I am thinking... Of my TO DO list which is quite extensive. I have motivation today to get stuff done but I'm just not sure how much I will get done.

I am thankful for... my husband. He is a wonderful man, husband, father, provider, priest of our home. I appreciate him more and more every day. I am so thankful to God that he brought us together.

From the learning rooms... I have to start getting our curriculum, My Father's World Kindergarten, ready for the Fall. I bought my teacher's manual used and it is coming out of its binding a little bit so I want to transfer everything over to page protectors in a 3 ring. I also need to go thru the days and start getting them ready for each day and each week.

From the kitchen... I need to do an inventory of everything I have. I have decided that I need to do a PANTRY CHALLENGE. This is where I use only what I have in the pantry and in the freezer and only buy the items necessary at the store to supplement those meals. In other words buy dairy products, fresh veggies and any other thing that I might need. The goal is to USE what I have before buying anything else. I have stuff in the freezer (meat, etc.) that has been in there quite a few months and needs to be used up. So stay tuned as I post on my PANTRY CHALLENGE.

I am wearing... a dark brown almost like a broom skirt that has brown sequins here and there sewed on it. My shirt is an orange square cut dressy t-shirt. On top of all of that I have my reversable red apron on that my Mama made for me. It is red with little bitty yellow, green, dk blue and lt blue shooting stars all over it and on the other side it has bears at school (all the same colors). I am wearing my pink satin princess ballerina Isotoner slippers and my hair is in a braid down my back.

I am creating... a mess of ideas in my head. I have to work on our Reflections newsletter and have it "published" by April 11th. Plus I have a ton of other things that need to be done. Maybe I post on that later.

I am going... to try and make it to Sam's today before I start my Pantry Challenge. I have a few items that I need to get and now is a good time to accomplish that since I have to go pick my hubby up from work this evening.

I am reading... My Bible again- I woke up this morn at 5:30 and I feel refreshed (even though my DD3 got up once last night and I had to steer her back to bed. Then my DS2 got up 3 different times -he climbs out of his crib. This all happened between the hours of 2 AM and 330 AM. I came in the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee and sat down to read my Bible. Praise God! I'm getting back on track and rededicating my days to the Lord.

I am hoping... to get a lot accomplished today so I can't be on the computer too much today.

I am hearing... the crackling of my fireplace as it is taking the chill out of the morning air.

Around the house... I see a pile of this here and a pile of that there with some clutter here and some clutter there. That is one of my goals today is to get this tidyed up today.

One of my favorite things... Homemade bread fresh out of the oven with sweet cream butter and jam spread on it. I will try and make some bread this week as in a pinch yesterday I had to run to the store and pick up a loaf at WalMart.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Clean/Organize/Practice Play/Practice Song for Play/Work on Newsletter/etc.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

My 3 children with their cute little feet encased in their rubber rain boots around an special find. You can't really see it here so the next pic is the surprise.