Lovin' Ms. Dale

BK absolutely LOVES her preschool teacher. When I dropped her off this morning, she saw Ms. Dale standing down the hall, so she jumped out of the car and ran to her.

As I was driving off, I could see BK giving her a big hug. That does this mama's heart good to know that my baby is being loved and cared for so well.

Yesterday was Ms. Dale's birthday, so BK took her a gift and I took decorated cookies so they could have a party. It was a good day.

Smart Girl

My sweet girl loves to draw. Give her a marker and paper and she is ready to get to work. She writes, draws, colors, makes up stories, draws some more...

At least until the little stuffed puppy shows up...

And jumps on her head...just because little stuffed puppies are like that.

Tonight, after she beat her Daddy at Bingo, she ran in to get her drawing board and wrote her first sentence (without our help).

In case you need help deciphering, it says "Bonnie Kate win at Bingo." I think that's pretty good for a four-year-old.

Angel Food - October

You can find details about Angel Food Ministries on their website. You can also search for a pick-up location near you.

Here is their $30 box for October:

1.5 lb. New York Strips Steaks (3 x 8 oz.)

1 lb. Steak Fajita Strips

2 lb. Chicken Stir Fry Skillet Meal

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef

1.5 lb. Breaded White Meat Chicken Tenders

1 lb. avg. Center Cut Ham Steaks (Hickory Smoked)

1 lb. Bake or Fry Fish Sticks (32 sticks)

1 lb. Pasta

25 oz. Marinara Sauce

1 lb. Frozen Baby Lima Beans

1 lb. Frozen Mixed Vegetables

2 lb. bag Fresh Apples (8-10 ct.)

10 ct. Flour Tortilla Wraps

32 oz. 2% Shelf Stable Milk

Dozen Eggs

Dessert

Christian Women Online

I found a great website: Christian Women Online. You will find article on relationships, living well, recipes and much more. Check it out today.

Pioneer Woman - New Recipe Website

I love The Pioneer Woman. For those who have never heard of her (are there really people out there who have never heard of her?!), her name is Ree and here is how she describes herself:

"I’m a thirty-something ranch wife, mother of four, moderately-agoraphobic middle child who grew up on a golf course in the city. I attended college in Los Angeles and wore black pumps to work every day. I ate sushi and treated myself to pedicures on a semi-regular basis. I even kissed James Garner in an elevator once. Then, on a brief trip to my hometown, I met and fell in love with a rugged cattle rancher. Now I live in the middle of nowhere on a working cattle ranch. My days are spent wrangling children, chipping dried manure from boots, washing jeans, and frying calf nuts. I have no idea how I got here…but you know what? I love it. Don’t tell anyone."

The Pioneer Woman website is wonderful. It is full of humor, recipes, beautiful photos and stories of life on a cattle ranch that will leave you smiling and wanting more. Her reader base is incredible and once you check out the website, you will know why.

Today I saw that there is a new website called Tasty Kitchen. It is a site where all of Ree's readers can submit their own very favorite recipes. You can search for a specific recipe, or browse by category. I looked though a few and boy do they look good!

Ree also has a cookbook that will be released in October and you can check it out here.

School Girl

BK started Pre-K this year. She goes three half-days a week. Two weeks have passed and she is still as excited to go every morning as she was the first.

On Tuesdays they alternate going to Music one week and Computer Class the next. On Wednesdays, she is enrolled in an extra-curricular activity, TOT Basketball. On Thursdays, they go into "big church" and worship. Every day brings a new adventure.

Her teacher is a very sweet lady, who turns out to be a friend of a friend...it is truly a small world. BK is already crazy about her and she is making new friends.

I think this will turn out to be a very good year for her.

Frugal Advice

A friend asked for frugal advice for a friend of hers who wants to be able to quit work and be a stay-home mom. I wrote some things for her and decided to share it here.

~My strategy on groceries is to stockpile when on sale, preferably with coupons (however, oftentimes store brands are just as good and are cheaper even without a coupon). I keep up with the prices and when there is a good sale, I stock up on those items, then the next time there is a sale, I stock up on the sale items that week (for stuff I know weuse all the time). Using this method, eventually I don't have to buy much of anything unless it's on sales, because stores generally put about the same items on sale in a predictable cycle.

~Cut down on eating out. When you do eat out, use coupons or even go to www.restaurant.com and buy gift certificates cheap (they put them on sale for 80% off), so you can have a $35 meal and pay $10 for it. If you are married, or have kids, share meals. Always get a to-go box and take leftovers to eat for another meal.

~If you take over -the-counter meds regularly, check out www.cvs.com to sign up for their online ordering sale emails. I take Prilosec every day and the generic is just as good. Sometimes at cvs.com they put all their CVS brand items on sale for 50% off. If you order $50, you get free shipping, so I stock up on that and allergy meds. Great deals!

~Look around your house and see what you can sell. If you don't love it and haven't used it in a year, get rid of it. Craigslist.com is great for that. I have sold tons of stuff there, mostly BK's clothes and shoes she has outgrown. Better than eBay because you don't have to worry about shipping. Also, when you get ready to buy something, check out Craigslist first.

~Take advantage of the library. You can search your local library system online to see if they have a book (or DVD) you want. If you see it listed at another library, they can order if for you and call when it arrives. If you want to buy books, check out www.amazon.com. They sell used books cheap.

~Look for free or cheap community activities for kids. In Rankin Co. you can go to www.rankinledger.com and click on Plan Ahead to see what's going on.

~Don't be too proud to shop garage sales and thrift stores. I went in the local Goodwill a few weeks ago and found my husband 5 name-brand dress shirts and a pair of dress pants that looked brand new...in fact one still had the original tags on it. The total was going to be about $20, but when I got to the register, she said that adult clothes were 50% off that day...so I walked out paying $11 and change for all that. I was a happy camper. I have found BK lots of cute clothes there too.

~Plan your menus ahead...a week...two weeks...or even all month. Make a list of meals that your family likes. Print out a blank calendar and fill in the meals. Plan to use leftovers creatively too. Have breakfast one night a week...even if you use a whole dozen eggs, that's usually under $1.50. Plan a meatless night too. There are great recipes out there.

~Cooking ahead and freezing helps for busy days...you know, those days when you would normally go thru the drive-thru because you don't have time to cook. The easiest way is to double or even triple your fav recipes and freeze the extras. Label them and make a list of what you have in your freezer so you won't forget. Plan your menus around what is on sale. You can even make a game of it...see if you can make dinner for under $5. Yes, it can be done. Check out www.5dollardinners.com for recipes and great ideas.

Things That Bug Me

My son Jeremy told me this morning that I need to blog. I have been having serious writers block for a while now. Not because I don't have anything to say...quite the opposite. But rather because I try to keep my posts positive for the most part...and unfortunately these days I'm not feeling very positive.

I have decided to just go ahead and write about some things that are bugging me and then maybe that will clear the air to move on to better things. So here they are, in no particular order:

~The President is planning to speak to students at school next Tuesday. I, along with many other concerned citizens, have a problem with this. If the President has a burning desire to speak to the children of this country, then he should do so in the evening when their parents can be present. If I had a child in a public school that is planning to show this speech, they would be staying home that day.

~It was announced this week that the Duggar family are expecting their 19th child. While I know that I would not be an effective parent for that many children, apparently the Duggars have a God-given desire to accept with open arms as many gifts as they are blessed with. Yes, this goes against everything in our society that tells us to have 2.5 children and then stop, but it seems to be working for them. As far as I know, they are not taking any form of public assistance, so it amazes me how many people are so negative about their extra-large family. I read where someone this week called them freaks. The bigger outrage should be for the countless women who have multiple abortions. Why is that okay in so many people's eyes, when large families are not? Makes you think, doesn't it?

~Facebook is my favorite social networking site these days. It enables folks to stay in touch, even if they live far away...or just across town. I also think it's a great place to throw out topics for discussion. It is interesting to me to hear what others think and to get a chance to post my own opinions as well. Some people are intimidated by this process and become upset if others don't agree with their point of view. This week I had a comment deleted because the person didn't like what I said about the President, I guess. Debate is a good and healthy thing, as long as all are respectful of one another.

~Another note about Facebook...folks need to remember that even though they might be close enough to family and friends to be able to tease them in real life, comments made on Facebook can be hurtful and embarrassing...much akin to public humiliation in many cases, especially since all of both people's friends can read the comments.

~Since when, in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech, does it make us "right-wing terrorists" if we dare to speak against the President's radical agenda? This is still America, right?

~The last thing that I want to mention is that customer service stinks in most places these days. Case in point: I just got home from doing some errands and while I was out, I ran by Krystal. The woman at the window was in a bad mood and argued with the man ahead of me, so he drove off without getting his food. After I got my food and drove off, I realized that my Coke was not a Coke...or either their machine is messed up...in either case, I couldn't drink it. I drove back and went inside. After telling them that I just wanted my money back, I had to stand there for the longest time and I observed the young woman behind the counter slamming food in bags. It was obvious that she was in a bad mood too. I pondered asking for the manager, but then she came out to give me my money and fairly threw it across the counter at me, so I didn't think that it would do much good to talk to her about the lack of smiling service.

Another place that gets a zero on friendly service is our local water department. The women who work there look like they have been sucking on sour pickles and they don't even say anything when I go to the drive-thru. No greeting. Take the payment. Process the payment. Drop the receipt in the drive-thru drawer. Walk away. Heaven forbid anyone should call there with a concern about their water bill! I guess they feel like they don't have any competition, so they don't have to be nice.

Whew...okay...I feel better for getting all that off my chest.

Maybe next time I can be a little more cheery.

Thursday's Thoughts

Okay...I know that it has been several weeks since I have written anything. I'm not sure if anyone will even read this because they have probably long since checking to see if there is anything new here. It's not that I don't have anything to say (just ask my husband). I think the big culprit is Facebook. Whenever I get a spare minute, that's usually where I am...reading friends' updates and playing Farm Town (my latest stress reliever/obsession).

So today I am going to attempt to get back into a routine of posting regularly. I do miss writing.

Last night at church, my pastor said something profound that has been knocking around in my head all day. He asked us what we are doing in our lives that is so big and so impossible that we couldn't even dream of doing it if God didn't do it through us. He went on to say that if we could not answer that question, then we were probably not in God's will (my paraphrase).

As Christians, we are all ministers. We don't have to be ordained to share the good news. We don't have to Pastor a church to change lives. We don't have to have a PhD to make a difference.

What is your passion? It is possible that as you read this, God will bring to your mind something that has been burning inside you for a long time. Isn't it time for us all to step out and do something for the Kingdom?

Photos From the Trip

Here are a few of the many photos I took on our coast trip.

This is BK's first look at the beach.

This silly girl likes to have fun wherever she is!

BK dressed up like a train engineer at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center (LMDC). This is an absolutely awesome place for creative play.

Dressing up for a tea party at LMDC.

BK was amazed that the ball was suspended by the air coming from this machine at LMDC.

BK on a ride at Chuck E. Cheese.

There was an indoor pool at the hotel where we stayed, so BK and her Daddy got to swim every day. That might have been the highlight of the whole trip.

Extended Vacation

We have been planning and canceling vacations for four years now. Something always comes up that gobbles up whatever little money we managed to put back for fun. This summer, we finally decided to go down to the coast for a few days, just to get away before Mike has to go back to work.

About an hour before we got there, it started to rain and storm on us. Finally it was raining so hard that I had to pull over in the middle of nowhere, at a dump of a convenience store, to try and wait for it to pass because I couldn't see. While we were sitting there, my windshield wipers broke. I mean really broke...stuck together in the middle...bent...then finally would not move at all.

I called AAA and told them where we were and they said they could send a truck to tow us, but only two of us could ride in the truck with them. So I waited until the rain wasn't so hard and got back on the road...without wipers...in the rain. It was only about 4 miles to a Goodyear, but it felt like 100 miles, going 35 miles an hour with my flashers on.

The Goodyear folks said that the whole wiper assemblies were stripped and of course NO ONE had them in stock. They called two salvage yards, but they didn't have them either. We were planning to come back Sunday, but they said that if they order them they next day (Friday), they won't be there until Monday.

Not wanting to drive home and chance getting into rain, we had to extend our trip by a day. Who would have thought after a month of drought, it would be rain that messed us up. We tried to not not worry too much about it, and stopped by K-Mart to buy some Rain-X, so that if it rained on us over the weekend it wouldn't be so bad.

All of that aside, we have really had a great time. Friday we went to Lynn Meadows Discovery Center. That was the first time I have ever been there and I was SO impressed! BK had a great time and cried when we had to leave. It was full of fun things to see and do. Of course we went to the beach and took some pics. But probably the most fun thing has been that there is an indoor pool here at the hotel, so they have been swimming every evening.

I have been snapping photos all weekend and I will try to get some posted when we get home tomorrow.

Swap-bot Swapping Fun

I learned about something new yesterday. Swap-bot is an online community of folks who love to swap. Here is how it works: A member decides to coordinate a swap, so they create a post describing the details, such as what will be swapped, when the items must be mailed, if it is USA only or international and how many swap partners you will have. Then you can search the list of swaps and find the ones that might interest you.

I just opened my account, so I have not had a chance to look at all the swaps yet, but here are just a few that I have seen:

Postcards

Handmade Cards

Bookmarks

Stickers

Socks

Recipes

Poetry

Magnets

Stationery

There are many, many more than I can list here. If you would like to check out Swap-bot, the website is: http://www.swap-bot.com/

My New Addiction - Farm Town

When I opened a Facebook account a few months ago, I had no idea that I would find a new "hobby" that would take up so much of my time. Farm Town is a game that is so much fun.

I started out with a small parcel of land (12X12) and eight plowed fields. I planted and harvested until I saved enough coins to upgrade several times. Now my farm is 20X20 and full of all kinds of growing plants, trees, flowers and animals. It's really cool!

Living a Simple Life?

Unless you live in a cave somewhere, you have probably heard about the trend toward living a simple life. I don't know if it took the economy taking a nose-dive, or what, but it seems like everywhere I look there is something about living a simple life. One of our Associate Pastors even preached on it at my church last week.

My introduction to the simple living concept came from Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution, Living as an Ordinary Radical. If you haven't had the chance to read this book, you should consider doing so, but be ready to have your nice comfortable Christian world rocked.

My struggle is trying to figure out what a simple life would look like for me. I don't consider my life to be extravagant by any means. That is when I compare myself to the American standard. However, if I compare my life to the lives of the millions of people worldwide who live in utter poverty, then it seems that I probably do live in excess. Having too much "stuff and things" is not living simply.

But it isn't only possessions that complicate life. It is activities as well. So many things to do, so many places to go. Even good things like church can become a burden when there are services three times a week and meetings in between.

I think about how I've heard that life used to be. Neighbors knew each other. Families and friends stopped by to sit on the porch and visit for a while. When there was a need, folks pitched in to help each other. People worked hard, but I'm sure that they slept well at night (without the aid of sleeping pills).

It's very hard not to get caught up in the American way of life: A full Day-Timer + lots of stuff, stuff and more stuff = Happiness

Maybe it is time to reevaluate our priorities and make some changes. Putting first things first...sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?

Learned Something New Today

My family loves baby carrots. We eat them raw...plain or with ranch dressing used as dip...and we eat them cooked...steamed, then topped with a little butter and brown sugar or honey. There is usually a bag or two of baby carrots in my refrigerator veggie bin.

But I did not know until today that not all baby carrots are baby carrots.

HUH?

Yeah, that was kind of my reaction too. It seems that some (probably most) baby carrots that we buy are actually baby-cut carrots, which are cut down from larger carrots. Supposedly, if they are not true baby carrots (those who are harvested while still young) it states "baby-cut carrots" on the bag.

Apparently there was an email going around telling people that baby carrots were not safe to eat, but Snopes debunked that. If you are interested in reading about the process that is used to make baby-cut carrots, click here.

Now you learned something new today too.

This public service announcement was brought to you free of charge. : )