Rememberance

Tyler and I have had baby fever for awhile now but thankfully between family and friends we have gotten plenty of time to hold and snuggle with them! Who knows maybe one day in the future Tyler and I will add to our tiny family but until then we will keep enjoying all the photos from the kids being infants and snuggling with others babies! :)

The pictures make the memories so vivid for me it seems like just yesterday I was peeing on that horrible little stick and "patiently" waiting for the results! 

I remembered how sweet Tanor was when he was a child. Tanor was one of those babies that you stood and wished you had. The kind that slept threw the night, finished breast feeding in 10 minutes, was always laughing and smiling, and could just make you melt in a minute! He has continued to bless me everyday since he was born. If I could say one thing about Tanor it would be, "He is the most kindhearted person I know." He always wears his heart on his sleeve and this is one of my favorite traits about him!

                                                    This is Tanor the day after I had him.

Ahh. Sophi my little firecracker.... now she threw me for a loop! She was a feisty little bugger from day one! From the day I found out I was pregnant she continued to remind me that I was not in charge! This has been one hard thing to break.  She seems to be a mini me or so my parents tell me. Sophi is strong hearted and head strong, she knows what to do and when to do it without even blinking an eye. She talks from her eyes and has always been a very happy baby but very strong willed! She slept all the way through the night from 2 weeks old til she was 2....now she wont slept through the night tho!



                This was Sophi the first time I got to hold her after being release from Level 2 nursery!

Summer and School

This summer, I have been working my tail off with Photography and on Monday(a week before school starts) I woke up and realized how much I had missed out on with my kids! I still did plenty with them just nothing I had hoped or planned for! So I decided this week I was not talking, planning, or doing anything work related!

This week started a full week of "fun days" - Park play dates, lunches with the ones we loved, Zoo trips, Apple Orchard trips, Beach days/trips, Camping, Fishing, Swimming, and many more.
Tanor is starting his first day of school tomorrow and he cant wait to tell all his friends about all the fun we had this week! This makes this momma feel really good! :)

FIRST grade! Wow, fast forward 7 years ago... If you would have told me I would have a 6 year old today I would have laughed in your face! My little blessing has grown to be a amazing selfless little man! I may just cry tomorrow when he walks into school for the first time!

Then, I am sure I will be crying like a baby again on Tuesday when my little firecracker, Sophi starts preschool! Tyler and I were blessed to have this sweet little girl with us. Some of you may know this but Sophi was a twin and we lost one and barely carried Sophi to 35 weeks. To many visits to the hospital and a lot of medicine later and bed rest god blessed us with Sophi and after 4 days in Level 2 nursery we were able to hold her for the first time!

Where has all that time gone!! I wish I had 2 more of both of them! They both have taught Tyler and I so much about so many different things it has been a roller coaster ride! Bitter sweet!

Here goes it...

2 weeks from hell ... No joke!

It seems like the bad just keeps getting worse. Worse part is I don't want to trouble anyone with anything so instead of talking about any of this I am just keeping it all bottled up which is really starting to effect me. I have stopped talking to certain people because I just don't have the time/energy...I am really starting to feel like a terrible friend...but you have to do what you have to do for your family!

When does it get to be too much? Surprise, when I feel like it cant get any worse but then it does!

Everyday, I sit down and count my blessing. Everyday! Tyler, I and the kids truly are blessed and have been our whole lives really. It's funny how little stupid things effect your life so much!

All these stressful things that have happened and keep getting worse and they are just things...replaceable...fixable...things that don't matter but they still stress me the heck out. WHY! ?

All About Tanor

The last couple months we have been running like crazy between Tanor's karate and Sophi's dance class. A little more demanding of a schedule then we wanted for a "fun" activity but we all stuck through it and in the long run now its is paying off! Tanor is really enjoying karate now and seems to be trying his hardest to achieve green belt. Along with karate Tanor will be doing baseball this summer, he is so so so excited for this...seems to be all the boy is talking about lately!

Today, May 5th while riding in the car I was talking to Tyler about all Tanor has been learning in school and how well he is doing...example....while talking to Tyler I said, "we should go eat at Mexican today since its Cinco De Mayo." Tanor then jumped right in and was telling us all about it and what took place etc. Wow, was this mommy proud!!

This year in school Tanor has grown so much and learned so much! He is the youngest kid in his class and seemed to be falling behind alittle throughout the year but it seemed to be just a little "act" he was putting on because he scored the highest in his class on the Iowa basic test!! Seriously, I opened the results and it took my breath away! Wow...we have a smarty on our hands! He is a sponge soaking up all the new information! With the approval of his teacher Tanor is going on to first grade next year! We couldn't be happier with the news!

Tanor also is such a rewarding little boy, he is so generous and kind to everyone. We could not be more proud of who he is and is becoming! What 5 year old boy do you know that will wave 3 and 4 times along with blow us a kiss every morning before school? That's right mine does...and I'm going to Cherish this for as long as I can!! We have been told alot lately how polite our kids are what a wonderful compliment that is for a parent.

All about Sophi

Since I have missed so much blogging about certain things I decided to do a post about both kids!

Sophi has been a busy little girl lately! She is learning her letters and we are trying to work on her money skills as well! Sophi is enjoying lots of things at the moment but BUG'S seem to be her favorite...dead or alive she is always with one...which is really gross to mommy but I am glad to see she isn't scared of them!

I am proud to say both of my kids have the desire to help others as much if not more then I do! On May day 2012, the kids and I enjoyed a little gifting of flowers. When I was a kid we used to deliver flowers to houses and ring the door bell and then run away without getting caught! So this year I taught my kids the gift of giving for May day. This is one of my favorite holidays! What did you do for May day?

Even at a young age Sophi is one of the most polite people I know, hopefully it stays that way! She is as sassy as ever! Look at the picture and you will understand what I am talking about!

Here is Sophi in her dance recital outfit.

Sophi is so excited about her very first dance recital this weekend...May 5th and 6th! Wow, I really dont think i have ever seen her enjoy something so much. She is loving dance and getting to show off her moves to everyone is an extra benefit for her!

Miss Sophi is growing like a weed, one day she is going to grow into a beautiful independent women.  Her father and I could not be anymore proud of her!

Summer time "itches"!

Summer time itches is what I have! I know you love the wording dont you? 

We are on the count down til school is out! 14 days!! WOOT HOOT! I feel like a kid again...no more getting up and getting dressed at the butt crack of dawn, no more yelling and fighting  with the kids to eat breakfast, no more driving to and from school everyday to get Tanor! I am thrilled! I think Tanor might be just as excited as well!

This summer is filled with fun, fun, fun!! Jealous? Yes, its all a secret! Dont you wish you knew?!

Sorry for the lack of post lately, I have really really busy with business lately! 

Week 10-meals

This is what we ate for week 10....since eating out for 2 weeks didn't work our family is going to try to only eat out once a week.

Monday- Italian Beef, Noodles 7 potatoes

Tuesday-

Wed- Chicken Quesadillas-

Thursday- Tacos

Friday- Frozen Pizza, Mac & cheese

Sat- Meatloaf, diced potatoes, fried zucchini

Sunday- Leftovers and salad

Birthday Weekend in Nashville

A small trip like this is just what the doctored ordered!
I have been super flustered lately and unable to get anything done properly or at all! I have taken a step back from all my outside work and home activities to get things back to normal and it just wasn't working!

I wish I could say I have it all together but I felt like I was failing in every thing I was doing. Tyler says on the outside you couldn't tell anything was wrong but he knew I was struggling so we planned a get away to revamp. Just what I needed!! We got to see one of my best friends and spend quality time as a family...no fighting, nothing negative happened, everything was just great! All in all it was a relaxing weekend away and a wonderful time! One of my favorite things was getting to turn 25 in Nashville with my loves!

On Sunday, we got home and all I wanted to do was clean the windows...lol. Something must have worked because on Monday I end up finishing my whole to do list! Spring cleaning is done in one day and I mowed for the second time already! Heck yes!!

Week 9- Meals

Hey Everyone! So the 2 weeks without restaurant food went well for the first 7 days then downhill from then on! We enjoyed a weekend away in Nashville for my birthday but with our busy schedule leading up to the trip we ate out 2 times! :(

Monday- Rosemary Chicken & Potatoes(McCormick mixes) , Corn on the cob, Pineapple

Tuesday-Grilled Chicken, Steamed Broccoli

Wed-Out to eat

Thursday- ??

Friday- Nashville

Sat- Nashville

Sunday- Pork Chops, Baked Beans, Buttered cabbage

Week 8 - Meals

Monday- Chicken & Broccoli Bake, Baked Potatoes, zucchini and squashed(grilled)

Tuesday- Steak & Veggie Kabobs

Wed- Veggie soup & Grilled Cheese

Thursday- pizza & Salad

Friday- No idea what we ate:/

Sat- Roast- dinner

Sunday - Spaghetti & Garlic bread

Week 7

Okay so I skipped posting week 6, my husband was out of town all week. I still did my weekly planning but it was pretty simple meals like spaghetti, stir-fry, leftovers and homemade pizza. stir-fry

Wow 7 weeks of meal planning...its super easy and saves a ton of money! Let see I spend about $70.00 a week....this includes meals for the week, snacks for the week, and lunch food for my son and husband(just in case there isn't any leftovers). Feeding a family of 4 at $280.00 a month is huge for me! I would love to get it cheaper(I will be working on that soon!).  That's a huge improvement from my monthly shopping and spending of over 400!

Here's what we ate last week.

Monday- Cheesy Enchilada's(hamburger helper style-my hubby's favorite) & Butter bread.

Tuesday- Out to eat - Movie night with kids

Wed- BBQ Grilled Pork Chops & Sun dried Potato's

Thursday- Out to eat again(UGH!)

Friday- Ranch & Herb pork chops & Homemade mac & cheese

Saturday- Pizza for lunch
                -Homemade Hamburgers - dinner

Sunday- Spaghetti dinner @ Tanors school
            - Tacos/salad -dinner


My goal is to not eat out in the next two weeks(ending this on the 23rd)! Wish me luck because taming our crazy busy life so we can manage that is gonna be difficult! Hopefully I still have hair come the March 23rd!

My fancy - burn pile craft :)

I found this beauty in the burn pile behind our house when we moved in and couldn't help but take it and make it into a craft!

I saw something similar on pinterest so I snaked the idea a little. :)  I haven't found the right place for it in our house yet but it was fun to go through all the pictures again and pick out our favorites. The kids have been missing Layla alot lately so keep your eyes open for our next project!

Getting My Butt Into Shape

Ugh...I hate to work out I really do...its just so difficult to find something that keeps my attention!

I bought and tried the Zumba dvd's about 6 months ago...hated it...I really don't see what people see in Zumba...I mean sure its fun but I hit a point where it wasn't doing anything for my body anymore.

So I tried basic workouts again but I hit a wall nothing was working for me...I was bored!

I received this in the mail today...

I have heard great things about it but we will see!

I will try to update you all on how things go from here on out! June 1st is the big swimsuit reveal so I need to get this body toned up again!  I plan on doing this and a little of P90x as well (which is new for me as well)! Wish me luck!

Dollar Tree - my amazing find!

I have had silicon baking stuff before but I really  didn't like them much they are horrible and just not easy to use!

This is my Dollar Tree find!

I am a bit obsessed with the Dollar Tree, lately I have been finding great deals there and saving money while doing it! I am budgeting like crazy so we can become debt free again soon!

If you do alot of cupcake or muffin baking then go buy these now! We live on homemade muffins at my house and nothing has ever been easier then these! The muffin/cupcake comes right out of them with no effort and they are so thin and easy to clean!

I am in LOVE!! Seriously get your butt to the dollar tree and dont miss these(who knows how long they will be there)!!

I have been using them almost daily for 2 weeks and I am still in LOVE!

Meal plan week 5

Sorry, Its late again! I promise I am going to try to get better at posting things the day they are supposed to be but family time is way more important!  Any who, here is our meal plan for the week...Tyler is gone all of week 6 so this week my goal was to NOT eat out once all week! I almost made it but I ate at Mcd's one day for lunch!

Monday- Grilled Brushetta Chicken (LOVED)  and grilled cabbage, BBQ Baked beans

Tuesday- Eye of round skillet(LOVE THIS TOO), smashed garlic potato's and corn

Wed- Spaghetti and Garlic bread

Thursday- Steak, potato salad, green beans

Friday- BBQ Pork Sandwich & Italian Pasta(I made mine a little different tho) & left over potato salad

Saturday- Cheesy Hamburger Skillet

Sunday- Homemade Hamburgers & Mac & Cheese

LAUGHS - Date night

Do you find it hard to find a night out and enjoy time just the two of you? Or are you just looking for new date ideas? Then this is for you!!

Tyler and I had the worst day and really needed a night out just the two of us. Only problem is we waited til the last minute to decide we did and then it was to late to find a sitter so we had a date night with the kids! We enjoyed a nice dinner and after we played a little game. We both gave each other a $5.00 limit and went to the Dollar tree. While at the Dollar tree you are allowed 10 minutes to find 5 items that will make the other laugh in ANY way. At first I thought this was pretty... um stupid but it made us laugh all the way home and the kids enjoyed it!


Once the kids went to sleep we enjoyed a little drink and shared our "buys" with each other...I haven't laughed so hard with Tyler in so so long. I would share some of the ideas but that's cheating! ;)

Do you have any crazy date night ideas? We are trying to do new and exciting things so please share them with us if you do!!

Cheap Home Decor

Tyler and I have been looking for cheap decorations for our new house since we wont be living here for very long...so I have been searching the web like crazy for stuff! This is one of our projects we made for the bedroom. It literally cost me $1.50 to make...gotta love cheap projects!

All you need is a soda bottle, paint, and I used cardboard for the back(but I heard you can use poster board or canvas). I have no problem throwing these away if and when we move!

Trip to Science center

After going to Children's hospital for Sophi's apt I wanted to make the trip worth it! The kids sat in the hospital for 5 hours and needed to run off some energy. Tanor has been learning about space so we thought the science center would be a great place to start!

The kids LOVE it there...love is and understatement! There wasnt much for them to do really but they thought all the science stuff was so cool and neat...we walked around for hours enjoying all the history and telling them all I remember about it from school...I never thought that would come in handy but it did! lol. 

I am so happy my kids enjoy history and want to learn more about it, can you say proud momma! I am one proud mom!

Tanor's New Glasses

Tanor finally got his glasses in so we went and picked them up only to find out he hated them! 6 weeks ago he loved them - mommy even let him pick them out all by himself. :(

Well it turns out he loved the other ones better so he begged me to order them too...we will have to wait and see how he does with these first!

He just melts my heart when he wears his glasses he is such a sweety and looks so smart with them on!

Valentine's Day Sweet's

Tyler got me the best gift ever! My favorite Gobstopper hearts! I found this sweet box of candies on my door step when I brought Tanor home from school! I have such amazing husband!

Valentine's day was fabulous this year the kids enjoyed the gifts from Tyler and I and we made a dinner together that night along with a night of games. Tanor won 3 out of 4 candy land games...he must have a trick under his sleeve! ;) Hope you all had a fantastic Valentine's day with you sweeties!

Museum Fun Trip

-February 12th-

We decided to go have a fun day for the kids. So Sunday we took them to Decatur and enjoyed some family fun time at the "Decatur museum".Tanor and Sophi had such a good time, only problem with the museum was it was really to small to make it more then a hour of family time(I would recommend spending the extra money and going to St. Louis museum) but if you want something fast this is the way to go!.  Here are some pictures of our little day trip! The bubble room seemed to be a favorite of Sophi's and Tanor really enjoyed the climbing tree! If you want a little fun make the trip...there is a really cute zoo right next to this museum that we LOVE too!

Tanor's Got A Yellow Belt!

Friday night was so exciting, Tanor went to karate class and was awarded a Yellow belt!

He was thrilled to say the least! All his hard work paid off and his instructor gave him a little speech about how great he was doing and what the belt meant and how he was to respect it! I haven't seen him so happy in a long time he was jumping with joy! Here is the only picture I could get decent enough to show off.

Settling in to our new home!

Wow, moving has been such a emotional roller coaster! We are finally getting everything in order and unpacked and organized and it has been one month since we moved in!

Since moving into our new house we have had one sick animal after another, dog fights, things got broken in the move, we had the flu for 2 weeks, etc..etc...its been one thing after another!

Our most recent is the passing of our beloved pet Layla. She was hit and killed by a car on Friday February 10, 2012. In our family an animal is not only a pet but a best friend and truly is one of the family! She was like a daughter to me and I greatly miss her!

I am hoping and praying things settle down this next week so I can make a huge dent in our house "to do" list!

As for the kids....they are doing great! Tanor is excelling in school and Sophi has started her "homework" as she calls it.   Tyler is still working and enjoying all the new things he is learning as a carpenter. Brody(our dog) is now a inside family member and is loving all the perks! Well that's a quick update on us! :)

Week 3 Meals

I am really behind on posts and remembered I forgot to post week 3! Over the next couple days I plan on trying to get all the posts up!!

Monday- Buttered Beer Brats, Macaroni and cheese, Green beans - Cherry Pie

Tuesday- Foil Pack Chicken (WE LOVE LOVED this - super easy too!!) & Roasted Potato Wedges

Wed- Chili & Crackers

Thursday- Chicken Fajitas -Salsa & Chips

Friday - BBQ Pork Steaks & Crispy Potato's

Saturday- Cheesy Mostaccioli & Garlic Bread

Sunday- Out to eat or quick meal?

Week 4 Meals

Just now getting time to post this! We had quite a busy week so fast comfort food was the way to go!

Monday- Veggie Soup

Tuesday- Pizza

Wednesday- Out to eat

Thursday- Individual Meatloaf & Seasoned Potato's

Friday - Chicken Noodle Soup

Saturday- BBQ Chicken, Mac & Cheese, Spanish Rice

Sunday- Italian Beef & Crash Hot Potato's

January 6th - Sophi's appointment!

After waiting almost 3 years the day had finally came! January 6th was the day the kids and I drove up to Children's hospital to see if the hole in Sophi's heart had closed. After so long it was finally here! Wow!

The 3 of us get to the hospital and while sitting in the waiting room I noticed how so many of the people sitting around me are there for a "real" reason! I felt like we were there for this tiny little hole and it was being made a huge deal when most of the children in the room are in wheel chairs or fighting for their life....who was I to be here? I felt like we were completely out of place and had no right to be at that hospital! We got called back into our room pretty quick and they did there normal checks to listen to her heart and the doctor told me that she sounded great! Hole free and healed but wanted to be sure of it so we needed to do a echo.

While waiting in the heart room for Sophi's echo we met a family from Greenville,IL and they seemed like such a amazing family! Sophi and Tanor loved there little girl named Maddie ....which was great to have a friend to play with since we had to wait 1 in a half hours to get the echo done!  Seriously, by this point I would normally have been ripping my hair out for the kids going crazy...but God must have known I couldn't handle it because the kids did amazing! I was in awe...

The echo...Sophi hated and screamed most of the time(either lack of sleep or food) she was not liking this test at all, but the lady scanning here was AMAZING! She made Sophi calm down right away before it got out of control! She had a way with both my kids that I have never seen in a tech before! Once we finished with the scan we got escorted back to the "conference room" which right away worried me something was going down but didn't know what was to come!

The doctor came in shortly after and told us that he had bad and good news(not what you ever want to hear)!  Sophi's hole did not close up any at all and continued to be the same size as it was when she was less then a year old. The good news was she couldn't have surgery because her heart was not enlarged or inflamed and due to the nature of the location of the hole it makes surgery more risky so he needed to be 100 percent certain surgery was a complete fix for her.

I was feeling mixed emotions at this point until I decided to ask him if there was anything I needed to be worried about and he said "I don't believe you will have any issues but you need to be prepared in case something happens because it will get dangerous quickly".  Freaking out at this point! I mean what am I supposed to do wrap her in bubble wrap? How do I prevent her heart from racing or prevent a stroke? I have no control over that!! GRR!

Remember at the beginning of this post when I said it was just a tiny hole? Well this tiny hole could take my daughters life...

Wow, what a feeling it is to know something can happen at any moment and you have no control over the situation! God is in control( I know that, I feel that) but sometimes its just so hard...


We needed a little "fun" before driving home so the kids and I ran over to the Science center...this is the first time I have done anything like this without Tyler but I am so glad i got to enjoy this with them...sometimes memories are all we have.... We had such a great time and the trip altogether was amazing! Besides the news...we got there and back safely, got to enjoy a nice outing together and when we got home Tyler and the dogs where there to welcome us back(with supper waiting)!

Crafting with the kiddos

Last minute decision to craft at home tonight!

Tanor had to have a decoration for his Valentines day show in tell tomorrow that I forgot about so we had to come up with something quick! Thankfully pinterest is there to help when needed!

Sophi then decided she wanted to make a craft so we made a napkin holder! I have always wanted a place to put them so now we have the perfect spot and its made with love!

Sunday & Monday Family Fun Night (Slime & Playdough recipe)

When I was younger we used to make homemade gak(slime) so I decided to make it in to craft night for my family! Sunday night we made and played with Slime and Monday night we made play dough!

We all had a blast and it was such a cheap family fun night! Who doesn't love cheap!! Any who, here is my recipes:

GAK(SLIME) -

Ingredients
- Elmer's Glue(White is what I prefer) - 4oz 
- 1-cup of water
- 1 tsp of borax
- Food coloring


Start by dissolving a teaspoon of Borax in one cup of water(any size bowl)

In a separate bowl pour 4oz elmer's glue and (once the glue is all out of the bottle) fill up the glue bottle with water and pour in the mixing bowl with glue. Then add your choice of Food coloring. Stir

Then add your borax mixture into your glue solution bowl and begin to fold your gak(slime) until solid enough to pick up with hands and knead to a firm state. (you may feel as if you messed up the recipe because at first it feels like snot but I promise you its right!)

Enjoy! WE love this recipe!








Play dough recipe
( http://www.kristanlynn.com/2011/09/best-play-dough-recipe.html) I found the recipe here

Ingredients:
1 C Flour
1 C Water
1/4 C Salt
1 TBSP Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Cream of Tarter
Food Coloring (actual coloring or a kool-aid packet will do)
Sparkles (If you wanna be a fun mom!)
Sauce Pan and Wooden Spoon


First Pour all ingredients into sauce pan and mix until smooth.Once the mixture is (mostly) clump free. Heat over MEDIUM heat. Stir. Don’t stop stirring. After a few minutes it will start to clump up. You will be able to tell when it is finished it will form one big clump and change colors slightly.

(Only change I made to this recipe was on accident...I made it with only 1 tsp of cream of tarter on my first try and the kids likes that one the best! It was less sticky and more play dough like!)

Menu Plan - Week 2

This is what we had to eat this week!

Monday- Cheesy Beef - Corn Skillet - (http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy-beef-corn-chip-skillet-55264.aspx.)   (pretty simple and much like taco salad)

Chrushed Potatos - (http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/crushed-potatoes-roasted-garlic-70216.aspx)(I LOVED THESE)










Tuesday- BBQ Pork(really good), Grilled Potatoes & Corn

Wednesday- Bacon Cheese Burgers & Spiced potatoes fries

Thursday-  We had a dog emergency so we ended up eating out at Joe's Pizza :(

Friday- Birthday dinner

Saturday-  Stuffed Pork Loin(really yummy and easy), homemade macaroni, baked beans

Sunday- Fiesta Chicken Pasta & Steamed broccoli and cauliflower with cheese - Also making cheesy bacon potatoes because my husband isn't gonna like this meal!!


Trying new foods has been very difficult with my husband(he is extremely picky...mainly a meet and potato guy only!) so I plan on working our way in the world of new foods slowly!

Do you have any meals that you really like and wouldn't mind sharing?

Homemade Window Cleaner

Mix in a spray bottle( I used my old Windex solution)

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water

Mix water and vinegar together in a spray bottle.

You can use this spray to clean your counter tops, stove top, as well as the windows and the mirrors.Vinegar is acidic and it will cut grease, dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. It leaves no residue, is a natural deodorizer and it kills mold and mildew too.

I have heard not to use this on marble or other stone floors. Its acidic nature will damage the surface and actually permanently etch and dissolve the floor surface.


I have been using this solution for awhile now and I LOVE it!!  It lasts a lot longer then the normal Windex and cleans streak free! Perfect for a house hold of dog noses and little kid finger prints!

Homemade Soaps :)

After trying a sample of homemade laundry soap and loving it I decided to make my own and along with it try to make dishwasher soap as well! It turned out pretty well!

Shopping list
 - 1 box borax(4lbs 12 oz) - Cost $4.99 (I used 3/4 the box)
 - 1 box of Super Washing Soda (3lbs 7oz) - Cost $3.24 (I used the whole box)
 - 1 tub oxyclean (any size) - Cost me $7.54 (I only used half the box)
 - 2 bars of Fels Naptha - Cost $1.94
 - 1 bottle of Lemi Shine(12 oz - powder) Cost $3.77( used over 3/4 bottle)

 TOTAL COST - $21.48   ( This is total cost of ingredients to make Laundry and Dish washing Soap!




Laundry Recipe-
(he compatible - does 88 loads)

2 bars Fels Naptha
4 cups borax
4 cups washing soda
2 cups oxyclean

Finely grate Fels Naptha bars and mix with all other ingredients, ENJOY

Use 2 tablespoons per load


I estimated it cost me .11 cents per load with oxyclean.

Compared to purex sheets - It was costing me 19.88 to do 22 loads = .22 cents each.  Who doesn't love saving money!! :)

This recipe smells great very lemony and fresh...I washed my dogs bath towels and bedding and it came out smelling fresh! No wet dog smell at all! I am SOLD!




HERE is the

Dishwasher Soap Recipe
(80 loads)

2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda
1 cup lemi shine(powder)

For rinse agent you can use White vinegar.

Measure items, pour together, blend & Enjoy!

Use 1 tablespoon per load


This cost me .07 cents per load to make.

Compared to cascade action pacs(12.7 oz) -  it used to cost me $15.88 for 80 loads = .19 cents per load.

I have yet to try the dishwashing powder but I hope it turns out great!

Ugh Meal Planning Week One

I am not one of those people that can set a meal plan for each day and stick to it so I made a different way that was convenient for my family.  

First, I sat down and searched for new recipes via http://www.kraftfoods.com...then/ , then I made a list of meals and sides from 1 to 7, then a grocery list of all the items I needed(even if I had them already), and then I went shopping.

Instead of listing meals on a specific day from Monday to Sunday I did 1 to 7 so it would allow me to be able to change the meals to which ever sounded good that night and then when I used that meal I cross it out for the week.


Week one (Don't judge me on the food I decided at the last minute to do weekly grocery shopping!)
 I always shopped monthly to avoid unnecessary trips to the store but I ended up wasting more food then saving money!

1- Homemade Pizza & Chips
2- Stuffed Pork chops & Gilled Veggies
3-Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, & Salad
4-Slacked and went out to eat
5-Beef Stew and Bacon Tomato Salad
6-??
7-Chicken Quesadillas ( crazy bday party day no time for a good dinner)

I PROMISE Week 2 is a hundred times better and I will be leaving the URL's so you can check out the food we are trying!

Crazy 2011 to Hopeful 2012

Our family has been looking forward to bringing in 2012 for so many reasons. 2011 was crazy, painful, and an exhausting year.

It began by finding out early on in 2011 that I had Arnold Chiari Malformation, On Feb 16th 2011...I underwent decompression(brain and neck surgery) to which I ended up fighting for control of my body(this literally was the most horrifying, painful, scariest thing I have ever experienced in my life which has continued to be not only the most rewarding decision I have made but a very painful one as well.

Then, my husband Tyler got a new job and worked for literally weeks before getting laid off and then started working again only to get laid off weeks later...this has been going on most of 2011 we are hoping 2012 will be more consistent!

On August 5th, 2011 we lost our baby at 14 weeks gestation...on the day we were supposed to be rejoicing we were grieving the lose of our miracle baby. God has continued to be with us throughout all of our ups and downs and stressful situations without him we would be lost! To end the year out we sold our house and moved into a rental to get away from the old and in with the new! HERE'S to a hopeful 2012!!


Beginning a blog is sort of a way of sticking to my guns and doing all that I want to change to make life easier for 2012.

2012 is the year I start weekly meal planning for my family (instead of monthly)!! 2012 is also a year for many other things I plan to post on facebook once my crafty butt gets to it!

Make sure to check back for posts about our family!