Happy Homemaker Monday #9

Hey y'all! Hope everyone had a great weekend! I know we did! 

Joining up with Sandra today for another edition of Happy Homemaker! 

The Weather:::
it was yucky this morning. The sun has finally come out, but weatherman says it could be stormy on and off all day :(`

Right now I am: 
Sittin' on the couch cuddling with baby and watching Dina's Party 

Thinking:
How I need to get back into my routine of cleaning

Something Fun to Share:::
I'm not one for the state fair. There's too many unsavory people and there are too many {food} temptations.
But the MIL called last minute and invited us to the Alabama National Fair {I get a kick out of that every time} so we went and had a fabulous time. Maybe next year I'll remember how HOT it was. I've never seen my big girl so happy :)

On my tv:::
Looking forward to Revolution tonight and SaconneJoly's on YouTube

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - sketti, salad, and garlic bread
Tuesday - garlic lemon chicken 
Wednesday - pizza
Thursday - BBQ pork chops, yellow rice, green beans
Friday - eat out
Saturday - taco soup
Sunday - steak, taters, and salad

On my to do list:::
laundry
dishes
make bills
balance checkbook
Replace air filter
Bathrooms
Clean Oven

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
finally finished all the octagons and squares in light blue now its on to the cream color :)

Homemaking Tips:::
Being a list maker has definitely helped me keep my sanity! I forget so many things, ALL the time. (I had a better one, but since I didn't write it down, I forgot... see my point now?)

Looking around the house:::
Kitchen lights are illuminating a messy kitchen
Toy corner needs to be tidied
light is streaming into the {faux} french doors
I really need to decorate my mantel for Halloween

From the camera:::

The girls and their Mimi at the fair! 

On my prayer list:::
There's a girl in my sister's nursing class who's husband was recently discharged from the military after being diagnosed with cancer. When my mommy told me my heart broke for them and I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. Hopefully I can add a few things to the grocery budget this week to get some freezer meals put together for them


Bible verse, Devotional:::
Matthew 6:27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? NLT

Worrying changes nothing. It's like a rocking chair... It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere. Turn your worry into prayer and action

God of Wonders

It's been a morning

a holy morning

Because the Lord spoke to me.

Well, actually He spoke to me two Sundays ago
He doesn't ALWAYS speak to me, but when He does, I listen

Every message I hear, I try to relate it to my role as a mother and encourager.

so when my pastor said "We're like children on a road trip to Disneyland. We know where we're going, but it doesn't stop us from whining and complaining along the way" it really hit home for me

That's so true. We know as Christians, as children of the Lord that we will step into eternity, we know our destination is Heaven,

and we have the nerve to complain about our lives on earth until that time comes

"Mom, are we there yet?"

"Dad, she's touching me!"

"IIIIII'm hungry!"

"IIIIII'm bored!"

You know you're on the way to Disneyland, but the trip isn't going exactly the way you want it to go and instead of being grateful that your parents are taking you to the "happiest place on earth" you're complaining.
Don't you think your parents would like a stress-free journey, too?

Well God used that little baby of mine this morning to show me another example..

baby isn't allowed in sissy's room mainly because that's where all of the girls' books are and I don't want baby ripping out those precious pages

So when she got quiet this morning, I knew exactly what had happened 

"See what had happened was" {Big Sissy left the door open}

and baby found the forbidden crayons

She was content playing on the floor and just picking them up, putting them down.

Picking them up and putting them back in the crayon box.

She was perfectly content, even though I, as her mother, knew it's not where she was meant to be

So I picked her up, picked up her crayons, with the intention of bringing her into the kitchen so she could color in her highchair with minimal damage to anything else...

What do you think happened next?

{She arched that back the only way a toddler knows how}

and about fell out of my arms

Isn't it amazing how quickly a toddler can turn into dead weight?

Granted, she thought she was in trouble

Granted, she didn't know where she was going

But I knew what I was trying to do for her

I wanted to move her so she could spend time with me while I worked on other things
{God moves you so you can be closer to Him}

I moved her so she would be safer

and that little stinker fought me the whole way.

and here she is, 5 minutes later, safely in her highchair and coloring away. 

Happy as a clam

She was never in any harm, she was never in any danger

She was ultimately getting what she wanted, just in a different way

So if it's so easy for us to understand something from a parental point of view, why is it so hard for us as Christians to understand that God wants what's best for us

and that we are never in any danger while we are under His care...?

homemade comfort meal

I had Patty Melts on the menu last night, but I didn't have any swiss cheese and I was NOT running to the store for just that so I improvised... and I give you, absolute heaven

if you knew me in real life you would know I LOVE chicken. especially dark meat.

when I found {this} recipe for perfect chicken via Pinterest I fell in love with it

But if I can avoid chicken breast, I will

so decided to put my twist on it

I'm thinking about making this a permanent spice in my cabinet

 because I've used it three times in the passed week

Cast of Characters

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Add the seasoning to a resealable bag full of thawed chicken legs

Next, add 3-4 TBS of lemon juice 

refrigerate for at least 2 hours

 Spray or butter 9x13 dish and bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turn legs over and bake 30 more minutes

I love to serve with broccoli and {homemade} mashed taters

Now on to your taters:::

4 Idaho taters

4 TBS butter

salt to taste

milk or cream to taste

1 clove garlic/ 1 tsp garlic powder optional

Peel and cube taters

Place in boiling water for 20-30 minutes or until a fork can pierce the tater easily

drain water

mash taters in bowl and add butter and salt to taste

mixture will be somewhat dry, so add milk/cream 1 TBS at a time until desired texture is achieved

{we like a lump here or there of tater}

if you like garlic taters add that seasoning now

Prepare your broccoli however you prefer it. We buy the frozen Winn Dixie brand and prepare it according to package directions

This meal is so simple on a night when you don't really feel like having to babysit your stove. It's simple enough that the kids won't be scared to ask "What's in this?" {even your husband-age children}

When I hear that, I know dinner's gonna be a failure! 

If you try it, leave me a comment and let me know how you and your fam jam liked it! 

how we save money {on groceries}

while in college we were bringing in two incomes. He from his job and me from grants, but since graduation last year and no job for me we've gone from two incomes to one.

In all honesty, I think it's a HUGE blessing because it's allowed us to cut out a lot of spending. Hubby still has a weakness for fast food, but don't all cops?

Since we bought a house in April and with me still not being able to find a teaching job that's forced us to cut back even more. Here's my breakdown from the amount of research I've done over the last few months and what really works for us! 

{Danielle}

{Callie}

These two women have been my biggest inspiration... but I shouldn't forget this guy either!! 

{BIG DAVE}

I haven't spoken much about this, but last year we were in major debt! we were able to make our payments every month, and we weren't behind on anything, but it was such a burden on us because we could never get ahead! 

We refinanced my husband's truck (mine was paid off), we moved in with the in-laws the day after Thanksgiving   , and used our tax refund to pay off some debt. I can't tell you how much money we saved doing that. We had no rent, no power bills, a very small grocery bill... it WAS fabulous {financially}

So now that you have the short version of our financial history.. here's the meat of the post! 

The month we moved into our house I was in the middle of taking Financial Peace University. I paid $89 {hubby was NOT happy about that} and received a hardback full of worksheets to help us budget and keep track of our spending/saving and misc purchases. {along with the CD version of the class, an envelope system, and a copy of his Money Makeover}

If you are interested in taking FPU, I suggest you look at flea markets or ask friends if they've taken it, because I honestly didn't think it was worth $89. It might not be a lot for other people, but that is a lot of money for us. 

anyways, the most helpful part of the class was the envelope system. I don't really use it anymore because it was too much of a hassle... I kind of modified it to fit our needs. Instead of actually using the envelope system for spending I use it for saving.... so when we take money out for the girls' clothing it goes in the envelope so we don't have to keep up with it in our actual savings account. 

We spend about $600/month on groceries for a family of four... which roughly comes to $125 a week, which I think is pretty good, because that includes cleaning products, toiletries, and diapers for the baby.

If there is any money left over, it goes in the envelope system, but most of the time, there isn't any.

Here is my system.

1. menu plan {I'm planned up for the year}

also, while menu planning, always have a leftover night every week {ours is Thursday}

we also eat out on the Friday nights hubby get's paid

2. write down EVERY INGREDIENT you need for the week/month

3. Shop your pantry first. Maybe you bought a meal that you didn't use one night and you have leftovers

4. withdraw cash out of your checking account, that limits impulsive spending {I didn't withraw this week because I really didn't feel like going to the ATM at 8 o'clock at night}

5. buy generic

6. When you see Buy One Get One, take advantage!!!

{from what I understand, Publix's BOGO is really two items for half off and Winn Dixie is truly BOGO}
7. Go by yourself 

Here are my receipts from last week's trip! 

I always go grocery shopping before buying toiletries because I feel like I can convince hubby to extend the budget if I ever need to since toiletries aren't really groceries. My grocery bill isn't usually this much, but I took out $10 so big girl could go to the book fair.

Once again, I usually don't buy food from Wal Mart, but hubby kinda sorta snacked on the food designated for big girl's lunch for the week.

If you add everything together for the week I spent &127.70 .... and if you subtract the $10 for bookfair, I spent 117.70

$8 under budget!!! 

I know that might not be much to you, but $8 can add up quickly... maybe a date night out for "free" in a month to 6 weeks! 

and when you see this USE ITT!!!! I cannot stress that enough. I started to get into the habit of it, and I remember they didn't print one out a few weeks ago and my heart was broken, HA!

Thinking about starting a menu plan series going like Danielle, up there. Anyone interested?

Happy Homemaker Monday #8

Go check out Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

The Weather::: 

61 degrees and sunny... absolutely gorgeous!

Right now I am::: 

sittin on the couch, with the tv in the background

just put the baby down for her nappy

still in my jammies

Thinking:::

how overwhelmed I am with maintaining the house today

My favorite blogpost of the week:::

I hate this e-card by The Mrs.

Something Fun to Share:::

Went to Mom's Marketplace this weekend (my first consignment sale, EVER) and I got so many amazing play clothes for the girls for fall and winter! I'm overjoyed! I even found a few things for my nephew and his mommy for Christmas! 

On my tv:::

I was told by hubby that I needed to catch up on Revolution so we could start watching it together... don't know 'bout that

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - spaghetti and grilled cheese

Tuesday - hamburger helper and green beans

Wednesday - shepherd's pie and salad

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - salmon, wild rice, asparagus (GB for kiddos)

Saturday - BBQ pork sammiches potato rings and Green beans

Sunday - honey lime shrimp, rice and salad (I'm a little worried about this meal so if you have any suggestions to make it a little more man-pleasing that would be AWESOME MOM!)

On my to do list:::

tidy up the house

make sketti sauce for dinner tonight

laundry

bathrooms

dishes

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

I give up! I never have the time want to make the time

Homemaking Tips:::

Don't know if this is a homemaking tip, but I thought it was really interesting

Homemade Nesquik

it's so yummy, very chocolatey! 

Looking around the house:::

the toy box is knocked over and toys are everywhere

kitchen is sorta kinda picked up from breakfast

the light is streaming in from the kitchen windows and backdoor.. no need for a lamp on today :)

From the camera:::

 

my front door decorations, why yes! I'm ready for autumn!!

On my prayer list:::

always for my hubby's safety at work

Bible verse, Devotional:::

This was the scripture that Jason preached from Friday night and it still resonates with me

⁹ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth.“Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9

I wish we had that kind of faith.

follow me around on my fantastic friday

So I have a secret that I’ve been keeping for about two weeks now and as much as I would like to say that I’m pregnant… that’s not my secret. But it is just as awesome.  Hubby got promoted about two weeks ago and today it’s official. He’s CORPORAL Croy with a law enforcement agency that shall not be named. Here’s the only picture we got from that event, mainly because mean mug on the left over there (big girl was in school, {insert sad face here}) wanted to take a nap.

Then it was off to substitute half a day and leave hubby and baby to do as they pleased (play video games and take naps). Oh, third grade, how I love thee!!

Go pick up big girl from school

Take a short nap because, let’s face it! I knew I was going to be WAAAAY up passed my bed time tonight.

Started dinner around 8 this mornin’ (French dip sammiches) in the crock, but started the trimmins’ around 5ish. Ate, gave the girls a tubby and it was off to Awaken at 6:30.

It was amazing, y’all! For it to be our first night.. Just simply amazing! 39 people showed! The music was awesome, the message was awesome. I knew this is where I needed to be tonight! I love my church, don’t get me wrong, I love my church family. I have confided in some amazing women because of that church and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

But, alas we are human, and because we are human there will always be judgment!  And a lot of times I have left feeling judged. Tonight was the first night that I didn’t really feel judged and I felt like I could “hang out” if I wanted to. I haven’t really explained what Awaken is, because I didn’t really know what the Lord wanted it to be until tonight. I still don’t know what the Lord really wants it to be. But I can tell you that this is what I witnessed tonight. We are a worship service for college age and 20 somethings. It’s a BYOC (bring your own chair), fast food, sit on the ground Indian style, praise the Lord on the top of a parking deck a block away from the most popular bar in Downtown Montgomery worship service!

 Im a SonShiner, and I think what Jason (I don’t know if you could call him a minister, but I will) had in mind is that we are supposed to help shine His light. What that meant for us tonight was basically this: we stood out in the street, OKAY the sidewalks, and directed traffic. We got a few weird looks. Some people pretended to be on the phone. It was epic! In the next coming weeks, if there is a college age or 20 something that needs prayer, advice, or needs help finding a church home, that’s where we come in!

I shared my testimony with you guys last week and I plan on sharing it with this group a youngsters roughly around December. Yes, still outside, and on the very top of the parking deck. Outside. I don't think you are getting the full affect here so I'll say it again. Outside, in December! 

We had an film guy out there and he’s gonna work on a short vid for us so we can get in on youtube and whatnot, but until then here are a few pictures from tonight’s event! I will definitely be sharing more in the weeks to come! 

our no name band, brooke guitar and vocals
Ashley, vocals

Thanks for comin out guys!

It's hard to see him, so I put a blip near his head... but look at that view!

Until next time y'all, 

Love God Greatly!

-Whitney

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