Moving Day…

The time has come for me to journey into another season of blogging here.   Please come follow me at my new home.   Check out my new look!  I will continue to keep this blog up until I have transfer all my previous  posts, but won’t be accepting any comments.

Bye, WordPress

Simple Woman’s Daybook ~ June 15th

FOR TODAY~ Tuesday, June 15th

Outside my window… The wind is blowing gently and the sun is glistening hot

I am thinking… that I must get my house cleaned for Keno 2nite!

I am thankful for…My dh having a safe and successful business trip this past week

From the learning rooms…We are only doing Science, English, Spelling and Literature this week.

From the kitchen… I am fermenting Kombucha and Kefir.  View my weekly menu here.

I am wearing… gray capris with a green T-shirt (not dressed yet for the day)

I am creating… Just learned how to use my ruffle maker for my sewing machine.  This is a must if you have girls and like to sew!

I am going… work on my blog this week and get back into the swings of things

I am reading… The Art of Homemaking.  We will finish our read a loud today.  The boys are sad.

I am hoping… to win big at Keno.  All the gifts are red, white, and blue theme

I am hearing… my dh type and tons of noisy kiddos

Around the house…Must tidy the house for friends

One of my favorite things...is to read before I fall asleep

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Keno,

Fellowship Meal at our pastors home,

church,

work on Father’s Day gift

Visit Simplewomansdaybook to see what’s happening!




Menu Plan Monday ~ June 14th

These is kinda a crazy week for us. So here is what’s plan for this week…

Monday ~ Tator Tot Casserole, green beans, with cantaloupe

Tuesday ~ Keno Night ~ I will be bringing Salsa Fiesta Dip with Tortilla Chips

Wednesday ~ Southwest Chicken Salad with guacamole and tortilla chips

Thursday ~ Fellowship Meal ~ All I have to bring is ICE… YIPEEEEE!

Friday ~  Green Chili Chicken served over brown rice, salad, and apple with yogurt

Tatot Tot Casserole

(I double because I have a large family)

1lb of ground beef cooked (season as you like)

1 bag of any frozen veggies ( I use broccoli or green beans usually)

1 bag of tator tots

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

shredded cheese

Layer accordingly in casserole dish

beef

veggies

cream of mushroom soup

tator tots

cheese

Bake at 350 for approximately 45 min.

Orgjunkie has loads of menu plans.




For the Family’s Sake Book Review

This book was a tremendous encouragement to me as a homemaker who wants to make our home a haven.  Home is where I want to be and I want my dh and children to feel the same way.  Being a full time homemaker is my chosen career and where God has put me.  I’m so thankful that I saw the light before it was too late.  My oldest 2 children were 4 and 3 before I started being a full time homemaker and mommy.  When I had my first child, I never even imagined staying home.  After all, what did I go to college for? It was not even a topic of discussion between my dh and I.  Oh how the Lord changed our hearts significantly.

Susan Schaeffer Macaulay does a wonderful job in pinpointing the important elements in making a home run smoothly in a Godly way.  She stresses that making a home that is a joy, comfort, and encouragement is one of the most important things anyone can do.  She also mentions that the home is the basic building block of society. Homemaking in it’s self is a lost career.  No longer being a stay at home or a full time homemaker is a prestigious career.   However, I believe this one of Satan’s manipulative ways he uses to disrupt a Christian family home.  Homemaking may or may not be a full time, but I believe it needs to take priority over other things in our lives.  For me this means limiting our outside activities involved in homeschooling and extra-curricular activities for the children.  Yes, they are all fun, but attending every activity of interest would be detrimental to our family home life, as well as going against our family goals.  We must find balance in our lives which is such an imperative concept in training our children.  Bottom line….. You must be home in order to make a home a haven. Some of the topics discussed in this marvel of a book are..

*Home is the best place for growing ground for children

*Importance of bed time routine, meals as a family, and reading good books    together

* Daily Rhythms

*Keeping things in perspective

*Early and Vital Day

And there is so much more.  This book inspired me to read her mother’s book, The Hidden Art of Homemaking.  Admittedly, I skimmed through that book awhile back and really couldn’t get into it, but I am more than half way through and love it!

Also, the author is a Charlotte Mason advocate which I can totally appreciate.  Not so much in the way of education in this particular book, but as the means of treating children as people.

In a nutshell, this book will definitely be one I will be putting on my dd books to read list.  It would make a great graduation or wedding shower gift imop.

Let me know if you have any other good reads that have encouraged you in the lost art of homemaking in the comment section below.

Joyful Homemaking!

WFMW ~ Moon Tea

I make this almost every night before I go to bed.  It makes life so much easier for me than boiling water or transferring the sun tea container in and out the back door.

The night before:

First, I fill a jug of water ( I bought a plastic jug from Walmart, I prefer a glass one but I couldn’t find one at my one stop shopping store)  I am on a look out as we speak.

Second, I place my tea bags into the water.  I tie my tea bags together because I usually use 3 small green tea bags and 2 Constant Comment bags or make your own here.  However, you can use whatever type of tea floats your boat.

In the morning:

First, I remove the bags and trash ’em.

Second, I sweetened with Stevia (concentrated from the health store) or you could use whatever sweetener of choice.

Third, I always squeeze a fresh lemon.  An orange sounds divine to me.  Might try that.

And that’s all there is to it.  Simple and easy.  I leave my tea jug out on the counter all day, but on rare occasions we have some left over, so I remove the lemon and place in fridge overnight.

Thank you Wearethatfamily for hosting WFMW.

WFMW ~ Mom, I’m bored edition

Here are just a few of my suggestions for keeping 5 boys sane during the summer or should I say Mommy sane.  LOL!

1.  We always have one of those big blue pools.  This is our second one.  Read here. This is worth every penny and then some.  I have a smaller pool for the little ones.

2.  Get some good family movies.  I am very selective in regards to what my children watch.  In fact, I rarely let them watch TV.  Movie selections here.

3.  Have read a loud time each day.  Always leave off at a good point so they will beg you to read it tomorrow.

4.  My boys love building model cars.

5.  Study a different country and cook something from that particular country.  View this book here.

6.  Puzzles

7.  Book Basket Time ~ we set the timer for 15 minutes after lunch.  They are only to read the books in the basket.  We homeschool so I usually put some sort of books of topic that we are studying and tons of nature books.  My boys have learned so much from this special time.

8.  Set up a blog just for your kiddos. Amy suggested this brilliant idea.

9.  Purchase a typing tutor.  We use Mavis Beacon.  There are some freebies floating in cyberspace.

10.  Make them do chores.  This is a life skill.  So many people grow up not knowing how to do the simplest thing.  My children must complete their chores before free time.

For tons and tons of other ideas, visits We are that family.

Take A Moment To Thank A Veteran

When you see someone in a uniform
Someone who serves us all,
Doing military duty,
Answering their country’s call,

Take a moment to thank them
For protecting what you hold dear;
Tell them you are proud of them;
Make it very clear.

Just tap them on the shoulder,
Give a smile, and say,
“Thanks for what you’re doing;
To keep us safe in the USA!”

By Joanna Fuchs

This poem is such a good reminder that we should be thanking our  troops everyday and not only on Memorial Day.  I am so guilty of this.  For now on, I will encourage my children and myself to always make a point to just say thank you.

It’s kinda like when someone sends you a card when it’s not your b-day.  It’s such a blessing.  Or maybe when your dh sends you flowers “just because”, oh wait that was when we were dating.  LOL!

Enjoy your day with family and friends.  May you feel peace knowing that you will see your loved one again soon if you are in mourning.

Daily Prayer ~ Psalm 25

The Holy Spirit spoke to me this morning during my devotion time today.

Make me know your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths.  Lead me into truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I will wait all the day long.

Psalm 25:4-5

Oh how I want Him to teach me His ways and for me not to lean on my own desires.  My ways are often totally off the wall from His ways.  I truly want to live my life through Him and complete His desires for my heart while I am  here on this thing called life.

I have elected to make this verse my daily prayer.  Even if my devotion time is cut short for whatever reason,  I will say this prayer.

Teach me O Lord your ways!

WFMW ~ Never be late

This is one of my favorite things….  My mom had one and I had to run out to Wally World and get one, too.  This little gem of a night lite plugs into your outlet.  I have mine in my bathroom.  Unfortunately I always know how little of time I have left to sleep when I have to tickle in the middle of the night and I ALWAYS know how many more minutes I have in making myself look gorgeous before running out of the house with 6 kiddos.   So hurry to Walmart and purchase your cute little night lite for around 8 bucks.  It’s located in the hardware department.

Tips I want to remember:

3D Flowers

Ribbon Clip holder

Painted Counter Top

Our God is Greater

What a powerful song!  Such an inspiration to me!  Enjoy!