Thinkin' Thursday

**I posted this on a ladies board I am on - but I thought it appropriate for today's "Thinkin' Thursday". Sorry for any of you ladies that get it twice**


My son doesn't know how to read.




In today's world of internet and blogging and showing only the 'perfect' side of our lives, I'd just like to be honest.

I don't think there's anything wrong with Isaac. He knows most of his letter sounds, only gets a few confused here and there. He hasn't shown all that much interest in reading until just a few days ago. He asked if he could read to his baby brother 'just like you read to us, Momma'.

He is home schooled - he is six - he is in Kindergarten (if you put kids in 'grades').

He is just the smartest little boy, loves spatial games and puzzles. Has a great attention span for things he wants to work on. He's a bit of a perfectionist (hello? neurotic momma here). He's also quite innocent from what I see of the other 6 year olds at church (most of them are not hs'ed) and I don't think there's a thing wrong with that. He'll grow up soon enough, too soon unfortunately....





Anyways, just wanting to keep it real. Not everyone's child learns to read at 3 1/2 - even when they're bright and cared for by loving parents. And that's okay.
*Michigan Momma*

p.s. see the 70's colored crocheted blankie on the back of the couch?? I told you, I've had this weird liking of 70's stuff lately. It belonged to a friend of a friend and I saved it from ending up at Goodwill - whew...... It's super warm!

Growin' Up

There is this pastor at our church, the pastor of young adults and the Venue, a more contemporary service geared at 20's & 30's. He had "crazy" hair (per my children). Today, after Isaac bath, we tried the 'crazy' hair. He looks, well, just adorable!

He, of course, thinks he looks 'cool'. I just keep thinking of him grinning and scrunching down 'cause I was "tickling" him when I put on the gel. Yea, really cool - I love my little man....

*Michigan Momma*

Workin' Wednesday

Here's something I've been S L O W L Y working on since just after Christmas time. While visiting my mom, I was peeking around in her closet (how rude!) ~ I found a HUGE stash of yarn. I also found this 70's looking toddler sweater jacket:

I don't know why, but I have been lovin' the 70's colors recently. This immediately caught my eye. When I asked my mom, I found out it belongs to my sister's extended family. She was actually hoping that I could copy it and figure out how to make one up myself. Well, of course!! I was excited!





If you know anything about crochet, it's just a bunch of granny squares, all sewn together then topped off with a few coordinating trim rows all around and around the end of the sleeves. It has belt loops, although it did not have a belt with it.



Mom sent me back to Michigan with TONS of yarn ~ I found some nice blues with sparkle yarn as a extra touch. I'm still working on making up all those granny squares (60 all together). Once that is done, the jacket will come together fairly quickly.







I tried it on my second daughter, Tali, who is 2 1/2. The original jacket is a bit small on her. I'm guessing it is a 2T. Maybe even a 24 month. My squares are a bit larger (just a bit) so I'm thinking mine will be a 3T.



I'll share pics later on in the process~
*Michigan Momma*

Tuesday continued....

In addition to my glass container tip, I wanted to share about beauty. Beauty in the kitchen (and all areas of your home) is super important. This is my job, my role, my heart!

Yes, I want to be organized, of course. I also want things to look nice, look pretty. With just a bit of extra effort I can do *both*. Using those interesting glass candle jars is one way. Just a touch of interest for the eye to look upon.

I also like to decorate with my children's artwork. Buying art can be expensive. Yet to put a child's drawing is fairly cheap - plus it encourages that child ~ you loved their work so much, you loved *them* so much, you hung up that picture on the wall!!

Use a table cloth (even if you have to wash it tomorrow). Use candles, put up high if you have littles. Don't let all your extra "spaces" (bedside table, dining room table, etc.) become filled with junk or loose papers. If you take just a bit of time each day, you can make these spaces look pretty, even larger. Especially the master bedroom - make that space beautiful!

I don't get flowers often but when I do, they are out on the table.

I know some young mommas have told me they can't do these things due to small children. Yes, some things may need to wait until the children are a bit older - yet it is also okay to expect just a bit more out of our children. My children have seen candle lit in our home often. They have learned they are not to touch the candles or blow them out. (of course, I am still cautious) They are used to seeing "Momma's flowers" on the dining room table. Yes, some flowers have lost their petals prematurely from toddler hands - yet my children are learning. And they are learning that beauty is important, love of home and family is important - not just orderliness or organization.

And hey, ya just feel better. I know I do. My home isn't ready for some decorating magazine cover (far from it) yet I try to have nice touches here and there. Just to walk in a room and see an unexpected spot of beauty - amazing!!

God Bless~

*Michigan Momma*

p.s. a huge "thank you" goes out to Janet & Gary. Thank you for the beautiful b-day flowers. I especially love the square vase ~ so cool looking! Thank you so much for brightening my day and making me feel special. Miss and love you guys....

Tasty Tuesdays

Ok, so here's my Tasty Tuesday Tip (plus my Kitchen Tip for Tammy - see my sidebar):

Glass Containers!

I use them for open-shelf storage. We have ZERO pantry space in our small, duplex kitchen. We do have a cabinet I use in the laundry room, but it is not connected to our kitchen - therefore it is not terribly convenient.

Instead, my dh bought and mounted (in studs) these wooden shelves from IKEA (love that store!). I have one vertical and one horizontal set. Yet I didn't just want to throw my food packages on the shelves. Not terriby attractive nor decorative. Someone mentioned using glass (instead of plastic due to the plastic not being as healthy/green/etc.). Yet I still couldn't just run out and buy a bunch of glass jars.

Instead, I waited. I was already purchasing some grocery items in glass containers, but I had always just thrown them away (terrible waste, I know). Salsa, pasta sauce, applesauce, you name it. So if I just waited for awhile, I would have quite the collection. At no extra cost!

I store all sorts of pantry items: split peas and beans, raisins, popcorn, baking chips, vital wheat gluten, milk powder, all sorts of dry pasta, even my yeast in the freezer is stored in a glass jar with a twist top!

I have even used old candle jars - they are in interesting shapes and have nice, air-tight lids. You just have to wash it *really* well and let it sit out a bit to get rid of the candle scent.

So there ya go: Glass Containers! Give it a shot!!

*Michigan Momma*

p.s. I have started using glass jars to scent my rice for my eye pillows. I currently have two jars, each with a different scent. The rice is soaking up the scent from essential oils. As I continue to collect glass jars from my grocery items, I will have to find creative ways to use them - any ideas??

My little Momma

My sweet Selah has always been a little mother.
Last night, as we were going through the kids' nighttime routine, Selah saw me yawn.



Are you okay, Momma?

Yes, baby, Momma's just very, very tired.

Oooooooooh, my poor-little-honey-Momma, it's okay.....


said in just the sweetest little 4 year old girlie voice you every did hear.
*Michigan Momma*

Time to start over...again

22The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
24"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."
Lamentations 3:22-24


I fail daily - no, more than that. Yet God is faithful, His love never ceases.

So as I look at my children this morning, I want to do better. I want to show them love. And I will do them no good at all bemoaning my failures, my struggles, my shortcomings. What I *can* do is give them my best everyday - give my best to God every single day. Yes, I'm still gonna mess up, but every morning, every moment, I know I can stop, pray and start anew.

How awesome is that??
*Michigan Momma*

(I saw this over at Holly's. It is exactly what I have been thinking of this morning.)
**on my sidebar, click on Seeking Faithfulness - my link button is STILL not working.....come on, blogger...**

New blog format

Yup, new blog format. I guess I just need to change things up every so often. I'm neurotic, whatever......

Soooooo, we're lookin' at "Theme" days.


Momma Mondays:
basic stuff, life, being a mom, being a wife, pictures, etc. (maybe I should have called it "Manic Mondays" - ahhh, the 80's......it's just another Manic Monday......)

Tasty Tuesdays:
kitchen stuff, Tammy's "Kitchen Tip Tuesdays", recipes, nutrition, healthy goals, etc.

Workin' Wednesdays:
crocheting, sewing, choir stuff at church - anything I'm doing to help out the finances for our family (or just creative, handmade items I'm working on)

Thinkin' Thursdays:
home educating, curriculum, life as education, anything pertaining to learning

QuiverFull Fridays:
creative organization, frugality, schedules (or not), embracing the chaos!


I may or may not take the weekends off, just depends on what we are doing - but they won't have specific themes. And I won't guarantee that I'll post every single day - but perhaps this will give me some inspiration and direction. Here's hopin'!!

I gotta go run to the store and then off to Lowe's to pick out some paint colors for our new place (the church maintenance guys are painting it - isn't that awesome!?!). Think coffee latte with muted blue accents for all the living spaces - then light pink for the girls and green for the boys. It's not that big of a space (albeit bigger than here), so we can pretty much use the same color throughout kitchen, dining and living areas ~ a nice flow.

God Bless ~ Have a great weekend ~ stay warm!!
*Michigan Momma*

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

Celery Extras

When I buy Celery, I always get the whole celery bunches, not the hearts. I cut up the bulk of the celery into sticks (fairly thin sticks, as it's easier to chew and encourages my kiddos to try it too), but I never throw away the tops. They have great flavor and work terrific in soups and stews.

So I chop up the tops and throw them in a freezer bag. That way I always have celery for flavoring in soups, yet I don't have to sacrifice any celery sticks (which are my healthy crudite snack of choice). I know it's a totally simple tip, but something I only recently started doing. I never knew you could use the leafy insides or the tops. Now, I feel as though I'm getting double duty out of my celery purchases.

Bonus~

*Michigan Momma*

as a side note: I have been encouraging my kiddos to try new healthy foods recently. This is not always easy. One way I have found helpful is information. I talk about what each food does for our body, how it helps our muscles, or our immune system (fights the bad guys), gives us energy, etc. My Selah loves this! She is learning about health and nutrition, plus is willing to try lots of new foods. How awesome ~ Lori

organization time

Whoo-hoo!! Boy, do I love to organize. With the move across the street happening in a few weeks, I'm getting psyched about how I can organize our stuff over there. I think about it as I try to fall asleep at night. I think about it as I go through our stuff here - what do I keep, where will it go, what can I give away, what should I toss, what new organizational tools will I need for the new space??

Due to our new money management recently, we will actually have some money to responsibly spend on our new place. We will be getting a new dining table and possibly a new washer & dryer. Because it is the parsonage, the church will be painting it before we move in (and we get to pick the colors!) - cool! This new space has a dishwasher (how excited am I?), an actual pantry and some storage space downstairs. Also, we will have a place to put our chest freezer - I've seriously been missing the extra space it offers. There's a large yard with a playground right behind it - again, cool!

SOOOOOOOOOOO.....with all this organization, I've been thinking about the blog. It's a bit too haphazard for me. I'm gonna organize it.

Each day will have a theme. I'm not sure of the format exactly - something like:

Momma Mondays
Nutrition Tuesdays
Education Wednesdays
Handmade Thursdays
Organization Fridays

or some such...I just want to have a topic for each day. Then, instead of trying to think of what to blog about, I'll just blog on today's topic (or save a blog for a particular day). I won't have to blog every single day though - if I got nothing on that topic, no blog necessary.

I'll get this set up asap ~ with the move, plus all the stuff we've got going on in the upcoming months (it's crazy!), I'll need to organized to make it all work!

talk to ya soon ~ let me know if there's something particular you want to hear about!!
God Bless~
*Michigan Momma*

Oooooo....I forgot to tell you

I got a haircut.

A new do to go with the new healthy eating, feel better about yourself and feel better in general.

It's super easy to manage (like nothing) and yet I still feel pretty. My hair looks super healthy - hey, that goes with the new me! Dude, cool.

*Michigan Momma*

p.s. can you see the infamous "Banana Bread Oatmeal Honey Wheat Bread" cooling in the background? I'll let ya know soon....

IKEA.....in a song??

According to my beautiful daughter Selah.

We were on our way to IKEA when my son asked "What is the name of the store again, Momma?"

IKEA.

"Hmmmmm....." says my sweet Selah, "I've heard of that before".

You have?

"Yup" she answered. "You know Momma - 'IKEA was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he......."

So adorable.

*Michigan Momma*

p.s. I seriously thought my dh was going to bust a gut laughing ~ when I explained it was actually Zaccheus (or Zachias, or Zechias, man, I found like 8 different spellings), Selah took it really well. She just kinda smiled at herself and "Oooooooooooh". Sweet girl.

A new dining table....

maybe.

Our dining table is a bit sad. It was used when we got it (thanks mom and dad). It has been moved oh, four going on five times. The legs have been *fixed* two. The chair spindles are coming apart. The leg supports are....less than supportive.

Basically, we need a new table.

But if you are a larger-than-average size family, you may have struggled with this issue. It's EXPENSIVE to buy a large table to fit more than six people. We have six people in our family right now. I'm 32. I'm betting we'll have more babies. We need something bigger.

Today, at IKEA, I saw a table that seats 10 - for under $350. Pretty good. It looks sturdy, nothing fancy (like we need fancy - we need be-able-to-withstand-all-those-kiddos). Since we are moving into a place that does NOT require a security deposit, yet we will be getting our current security deposit back - voila!

Well, almost voila. I've asked The Pastor (aka: the money man. aka: the head of the home. aka: our finanical leader.....ok, my husband) and he gave me the "we'll see". I know this means I have a fairly good chance. I've been married to the man for close to 9 years now ~ I know my odds......

Here's what it looks like: I'm so excited!!

Who ever thought I would be this excited about a dining room table??

*Michigan Momma*

p.s. Here's the matching bench. We would buy two, one for each long side (and lots of littles). Again, excited about bench seating? Who knew??

New Honey Wheat Bread

Ok, ya know that *great* bread I told you about? It has 1/2 c. of grains in it. I've always used dry, old fashioned oats. Today I used leftover oatmeal from the kids' breakfast. Interesting.

I've not tried that before, yet I did read that Vicki had done that before. No biggie. It required a bit more flour (duh Lori), but again, no biggie.

Until I remembered that we had Banana Bread Oatmeal. Ummmm....

So it looks like we will be having Banana Bread Oatmeal Honey Wheat Bread (what?).

It's in the oven.
I'll let ya know.....
*Michigan Momma

Menu catch up

quickly....

THURSDAY

B-fast:
English muffins with natural pb
topped with thin apple slices - wonderful!!
some V-fusion

Lunch:
basic salad

Dinner:
scrambled eggs with cheese
leftover english muffin
**dh was at a meeting, I was just going with what was easy

~~THEN, I overate.....I know, I know, but at least I overate on a salad. I had a honkin' salad, with lots of veggies, some sunflower seeds, some sliced almonds, and dressing. It wasn't the *best*, yet come on. It was SALAD!! If I'm gonna overeat, that's the way to do it!


FRIDAY

B-fast:
we all slept in, got a bit of a late start to our day's plans.
*stopped at Tim Horton's - got one of their Fiesta Chicken Whole Wheat Wraps, and split it with my dh. Also got a cappuchino.

Lunch/Dinner:
we went to IKEA, so afterwards we stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings. One point of this new eating style is to make it part of our *life*. Well, part of our *life* includes eating out here and there. So we got 8 wings, split the basket as well as a basket of Onion Rings. Not bad.

**Once home, we fed the kids a bit more before bed (since our eating times were so messed up). I made up a loaf of bread, fried up some bacon for breakfast tomorrow (omlettes), and cut up all the veggies for crudite. I ate probably two full slices of bacon while frying it up (whew.....I *love* me some bacon!!) and chomped on one or two veggies.

All in all, not great, not bad. Yet TONS better then my previous eating. I'm not stuffed, I'm not hungry, and I don't feel bad about myself. Hurray~
*Michigan Momma*

A Giveway ~ my favorite!!

Head on over to Hitting the High Notes, visit for awhile (lovely blog) and you too can enter her upcoming Giveaway.





On second thought, you don't *have* to enter the drawing. Really. I mean, *I* entered it, but you don't have to. Honest. No, you don't. Really. REALLY! Oh, all right......fine. Enter away.



Seriously, go on over and may the luckiest woman win (me - oh, or whoever)
*Michigan Momma*

p.s. ya nice, Lori, no link. Sorry about that - my Blogger link just hasn't been working these last few days. Sorry. Here's the link to her blog page:

http://highnotes.blogspot.com/

Wednesday's Menu

Here's the plan for today:

Breakfast:
Banana Bread Oatmeal
small glass of V-fusion juice
**I added just a bit of brown sugar and butter to our oatmeal. I tried it first without, but it was just a bit too....plain and icky (after I just get done saying how non-bland these recipes were...well, I still like most of it). I added just a bit to our oatmeal and bit more for the kiddos (I'll have to wean them off the sweet-stuff over time). With sliced banana, flax seed and bit of milk on top - just delicious!

Lunch:
Dh is having the leftover chili, cornbread and a small salad.
I am having a large salad (lots of veggies, some nuts & seeds), with some leftover refried beans.
The kids are having mac-n-cheese with peas stirred in.
Man, you'd have thought I just killed Isaac, as much as he was whining. Sheesh......he tried to complain one last time and I told him, "Look Isaac, I just added peas. TRY IT! It's not yucky, it's yummy! Get over it!!". He stopped immediately, said "ok" and that's the last I've heard about it. I'm guessing he's sitting at the table as I type just staring at his bowl.......let me go look.......yup. That's gonna be one hungry little boy......

Dinner:
Open-faced sloppy joe sandwiches, with green beans and raw veggies & dip.
These are homemade sloppy joe meatsauce on, you guessed it, that good ol' homemade honey wheat bread. I'm telling you - try it! It's delish - and bonus, it's really good for you!

I may go to Tim Horton's tonight before choir and get a cappachino (sp?). We'll see.....I don't mind doing this here and there as long as I am doing good during the days with the new, healthy food menu. Dh has requested that we still do pizza here and there - just try not to eat four pieces, just one or two. Hey, it's a learning process for us. We want it to be realistic, yet we want to eat healthy!! There's a balance there between obnoxious, health-food nut and food glutton.

Lookin' for that balance~
*Michigan Momma*

Tuesdays menu

Again, a bit late. oh well.

B-fast:
PB Banana smoothie
(it has natural PB, yogurt, banana, stevia, hmmm...not sure what else. My wonderful dh whipped these up - I was still snoozing....I had a rough night's sleep)
**the kiddos actually drank a bit of these, then Dean made them some toast - at least it was homemade honey wheat bread - thanks again, Vicki**

Lunch:
some burrito leftovers and some crudite (at least I think that's what you call it - that's what we call cut up raw veggies around here - with some natural PB to dip with the celery).
**kids asked for "picnic food". That means crackers, cheese, pb, nuts, seeds, mini-marshmellows - basic kid finger-foods. We spread a blankie out and there ya go - instant picnic!**

Dinner:
Chili & Cornbread
A nice, semi-spicy homemade chili (think beef, black beans, veggies, tomatoes, and lots of spices) with homeamde cornbread (again, made by dh - I was gone getting my hair cut). This is a really great chili!!
**kids actually tried and liked the meal - whoo-hoo!!**
It was supposed to include a green salad - but again, I was gone getting my hair cut. I made up a nice big salad for today! Dh had some "free food" in the evening: dill pickles. Ick. But he loves 'em!

There ya go. Thus far, the Hillbilly Housewife's recipes have been surprizingly tasty! I kinda was expecting bland, but not so. Good use of spices so far. It's her 1000 calorie menu if you want to check it out! (Blogger's linky thingy isn't working properly - so here's the link)

http://healthy.hillbillyhousewife.com/thousandcaloriemenus.pdf

We add things here and there, just small changes to fit our family, so I bet we're getting more than 1000 calories per day. Of course, the kids eat more than this - well, they eat more often anyway. I feed them snacks (healthy, at least I'm trying) in between meals. So they are eating 4-6 times a day, which I think is a great way to eat - as long as they are nice and small portions!

Ok, now I'll go post for today....
*Michigan Momma*

Monday's Menu ~ a bit late

Ok, so I'm going to try to remember to post our daily menus, at least for a while. We are trying out some menus from Hillbilly Housewife (on my sidebar). Yes, we (dh and I) are trying to lose the excess weight - but more importantly, we are trying to "learn" how to eat in a healthy manner. We know lots about eating carbs, eating "white" (flour, sugar, rice, potatoes, etc.) and HUGE portions. Not exactly healthy. So we're hoping that following this specific menu for a while will help us learn about portions, eating our veggies and how to look at food as fuel, instead of always as pleasure (not that it can't be both - but our view has always been fairly one-sided). We have changed the menus here and there, just to fit our family.

Monday

B-fast:
one english muffin spread with Neufchatel cheese and strawberry preserves
one turkey sausage patty
one glass of that new V-fusion (V8 that tastes like fruit juice instead of veggies)

Lunch:
oh, well, I had a leftover diet shake, as I was feeding the kids leftovers from Olive Garden. I didn't want to make up my own lunch, so I just grabbed a quick shake. Normally though, we will have a tasty, healthy lunch (although it will probably be some leftovers)

Dinner:
1 beef & bean burrito with salsa and cheddar cheese (a bit spicy, yet very tasty!)
lots of raw veggies with dip
*the kids also had some applesauce

**I also had a cup of coffee today with flavored creamer. It is one of my tasty treats that I just haven't been willing to give up (at least, not yet).

With that being our menu (dh and myself), I then simply offered my kiddos some inbetween healthy snacks. They certainly don't need to be on a "diet" - yet we want them to eat the same foods. We don't want them to suffer with poor eating habits their whole life. Tonight, my sweet Selah happily tried some celery and cucumbers. She very much enjoys learning what each food does for our body, how it affects us. And my little Tali, well, she'll eat just about anything (although we did just learn that she does NOT like black olives - from Olive Garden - she made an awful face and spit it right back out!).

My poor Isaac though....whew....this will be tough for him. He is already so skinny, and is just a horrible picky eater. I have offered him healthy snacks often during the day. He will simply have to learn that Momma and Daddy are serious about changing the way we eat. If he wants to eat, then he will have to try some new foods. If he wants to have priviledges (screen time, mainly), then he will have to *try* these new foods. He doesn't have to eat it all, nor does he have to "like it". He simply has to try it. He finally did try the burrito tonight, yet never did manage a cut-up veggie......this will be a struggle for him. Dh talked tonight about WHY we have changed our food - he let the kids know that eating this way may help us to live longer, stronger lives. That this is how we can take care of the bodies God gave us. At least they can learn some of this now, as they are children, when it is so much easier.

So there ya go - our first step. I'm guessing it will be kinda tough on this Momma & Daddy as well as Isaac. I added exercise to my morning routine as well, and we will go for walks as a family as the weather permits. Now if I can just get in enough sleep.......

God Bless~
*Michigan Momma*

My new favorite bread

Ok, this is my new favorite bread machine recipe. I got it from Vicki over at Joy Home Living (on my sidebar). I make it on the 'dough' cycle and form my own loaf for the oven to bake. It turns out perfect every time! The bread has that sort-of-sweet taste from the honey that makes it delicious with butter. This is a great compliment to dinner. Yet it also has a great consistency for slicing, which in our house means TOAST! My kids would choose toast any day for breakfast! I have also used it for sandwiches and it was delish!!

Honey Wheat Bread

1 1/2 c. warm water

1/2 c. honey

1 Tbl. oil/butter

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. grains (I have always used dry oats - old fashioned)

2 c. unbleached flour

2 c. WW flour

2 tsp. active dry yeast

**I have also added vital wheat gluten - I think the box recommends 4 tsp. per loaf - and today I added ground flax seed (maybe a Tbl. or 2). Again, just perfect bread!

Put ingredients in pan in order listed. Set to dough cycle. When done, punch down dough, form into loaf and let it rise in a greased loaf pan. I usually let mine rise until just over the top of the pan. I then bake it at 350 degrees for 30-40 min. (mine is usually more towards 40). Wow - great bread!! Thanks Vicki, for posting it!

Enjoy~

Lori

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

Here's a real simple one:

Whenever I have a recipe that calls for honey & oil, I always measure the oil INTO the measuring cup I intend on using for the honey. This way, when I then squeeze the honey into the cup, it just slips right out of the measuring cup - I get all the honey, no waste, no sticky mess.

There. How simple is that?

Oh, and a second quick idea:

When I buy my yeast, it comes in a bulk bag. The bag tends to be difficult to deal with - I end up spilling yeast, even though I tried to contain it in a small ziploc bag.

Instead, I now transfer my yeast into a small, glass jar with a screw on top. I got this from my mom - who actually buys her yeast IN a small glass jar. I just grab my yeast from the freezer, unscrew the top. No mess, no spills, no fuss - simple.

Two simple thoughts from the kitchen this week. Just two things that add ease to my bread baking days.

*Michigan Momma*

clothes, clothes and more clothes

Whew....my kiddos have A LOT of clothes.

I thought I had a handle on things, but taking a look in their closet, the storage bins, the under bed bins, etc......well, I think I need to get a better grip. We are greatly blessed by members of our church, our family, etc. and I am so thankful! Yet I need to rethink what I am keeping, saving and passing on to others.

We will be moving (just across the street this time) at the end of February, and I'd like to tackle the clothing issue before then. I will have the two girls in one room and the two boys in one room. Each room has your average size closet. I KNOW I won't have room for each child to have their own dresser IN their rooms. I've gotten a few bits of advice on this, but I'm here to ask you, my readers, as well.

If you have many littles (or even if you don't), how do you handle all the clothes?? Do you limit the number of outfits each child has? Do you keep all clothes out of their rooms (as in a family closet)? Do you use bins, dressers (in rooms or in laundry area), under bed space, closet organizers, etc? Share with me your clothing organization secrets............

Thanks ~ I'll be sharing pics later!

*Michigan Momma*

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

Okay, I'm not sure this is so much a tip......most people probably already know this......but I did NOT, until a wiser, older momma shared with me IN DETAIL her recipe for beans.

When I first thought about making any bean dish, I was scared. I know, I know, *scared* of beans? Come on. But I was. I just had never really dealt with dry beans before.

One of the things I was scared about was how long to soak/boil them. The first time I made them, I did not let them soak and/or boil long enough, seeing as how they never did get soft enough. I was now SUPER-scared of beans - I had messed up! I guess that's my first tip:

#1. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. It's only beans. They don't cost that much. No biggie.

So I finally decided to try again. I let one pound of beans soak in a large pot overnight (about 10 hours this time). In the morning, I drained them, rinsed them, then covered them again with water. I then boiled the beans for 30 minutes. Here comes the important tip:

#2. To see if the beans are soft enough to continue adding ingredients, blow on one bean. If the skin of the bean breaks open and peels back - you are good!!

Then take advantage of this cool little experiment and share this time with your kiddos. My children were entralled with the bean blowing. Selah called out to Isaac, "come on, you gotta come blow the beans, brother!"

Here's my recipe for Baked Beans (taken from Hillybilly Housewife's recipe and slightly altered):

1 pound white beans (northern, navy, etc.)

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. molasses

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 onion; peeled and chopped

bacon, ham, etc.; chopped (as much as you desire for your meal)

Soak the beans overnight in lots of water. In the morning, drain, rinse, then recover with new water. Boil the beans for 30 min. At this time, do the "blow test". If your beans pass, continue on. If not, continue boiling a bit longer.

Drain beans, then put in either a dutch oven or your crock pot. Add rest of the ingredients to the beans. Then just cover beans with hot water. Be careful with this - you can always keep an eye on your beans and add more water as needed. Not so easy to take extra water away.....just ask me how I know this......can we say 'Baked Bean SOUP'??

In your crock pot (my preferred method for it's simplicity), simply turn to low, place a heavy dish towel on the top of the lid (to get a better seal), then walk away for 6-8 hours. I do stir a few times during the day.

In your dutch oven, cover, put in a 300 degree pre-heated oven for 5-7 hours.

Enjoy with a nice wheat bread or corn bread for a great protein combination!! Whoo-hoo!!*Michigan Momma*

Momma's back!

Whew....we've gone through a few of those "Momma's back, so we need to do some touch-up training/disciplining". Ugh.....not very fun. And that cute lil' Tali below....well, she was honestly the most difficult to deal with. After a week without Momma, she had some bad habits that needed to be dealt with.


Now my dh is wonderful! He is not some lackidasical dad who lets them get away with anything - but he's not Momma either. He doesn't spend day in and day out with these babies. He simply doesn't put his foot down quite as hard on some issues as I do.


Anyways, I think we're almost back to normal. All the Christmas stuff is *finally* put away, and I am working my way into healthier eating. We, like just about everyone else whose blog I've been reading, have eaten pretty darn un-healthily this past month. Momma is about to step up to the nutrition plate and take a swing. It's certainly not our forte around here, but it's about time we made some changes.








I'm guessing the girls will take it in stride, Elijah won't ever know the difference, Dean knows what's coming, but Isaac.......oh, my poor little picky eater, this will be a difficult time for him. I say this in part-jest. I honestly know this will be hard for him. He will be just fine, of course, but I'll try to ease him into this new eating style as gently as a caring Momma can.








We will be working our way through some of the things we already have in the pantry, and I will be working on what to purchase in the future. I'm on the hunt for healthy, filling, tasty meals, so comment if you have an idea~

Happy New Year~
*Michigan Momma* (who seriously needs to break out the exercise DVDs again)

another Tali moment

My little Tali - oh my goodness, my heart just melts when I'm around her.

Now you have to understand, this is the messiest child I have ever known. I know, I know, you mother's of boys are thinking "no way, not that sweet looking little girl". I know, but looks are deceiving, especially in this case. She is a walking path of destruction. A F-4 tornado waiting to strike. A slightly clumsy, VERY messy 2 year old trying to keep up with her older brother and sister. scary.

Yet she sucks her thumb and twirls her red hair. She wants to be "big" yet she still wants you to carry her. She is the picture of adorable (okay, a *smudged* picture).

So the other day, as I was about to eat her up, she was just *that* adorable, I cuddled up to her and called her "my cute little peanut". She wriggled up her nose and told me "no" in a firm voice. Oh yes, I told her, you are my sweet, cute little peanut. She started to look a bit upset - "no" she told me again in an even more stern voice, "no". I just grinned ~ oh my sweet Tali, you are indeed my little peanut.

Finally she looked at me in exasperation.....

*sigh*......

Momma, boys have a penis!!

Why yes, daughter, boys do indeed. Thank you for that clarification.

Well, no wonder she was upset. You would be upset too if I called you my cute little 'male reproductive organ'.......

Just another sweet Tali moment~

*Michigan Momma*

p.s. The pic up there? That's Talitha getting into the fridge early in the morning and eating all the cheese slices. Even when she makes me want to tear my hair out, she's adorable~