Curtain and Duvets

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The duvets and one curtain are finished for the boy’s room.  I’m just waiting for matching  snaps from Serenity to come in the mail to really finish the ends of the duvets.  Right now they are safety pinned shut.  The duvets are so soft, espcially on the Minky squares.

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The curtain is my favorite.  It is made from one white flat sheet and one gray flat sheet ($5 each from Walm-mart) cut into strips and then flat felled back together.  It really makes the room look taller and I’m so glad it didn’t end up looking like prison stripes :).  I have one more curtain cut out, but for now at least they have some privacy.   The curtain rod was $1 from a garage sale (actually $1 for 2 which I used in two different rooms).  I spray painted this one chocolate brown with some splatters of black to match their beds.

I invisioned painting the whole room light gray with white trim and then adding fun fabrics on the walls either in applique, name monograms or just fabric covered canvasses.  At this rate they will have graduated high school by the time I get it all done, lol.  I wish I had a better interior design mind and a wherewithall to finish the project quickly.

Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

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These delicious cookies are a great way to use fresh frozen cranberries.  These would be wondefully festive for your Thanksgiving or Christmas snack table.  When I buy fresh cranberries, I immediately put them in the freezer in their original bag.  They are easier to chop or grind this way for recipes and keep for over a year.

Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

In an electric mixer cream together: 1 cup softened butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup milk Add slowly, mixing well after each addition: 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 3 cups wheat flour 2 cups quick oats 2 cups chopped frozen fresh cranberries 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden around the edges.  Cool on a wire rack.  Makes 4.5 dozen at 133 calories each.

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Replay of the radio show available

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Hi friends, if you were busy during the radio show and missed it, you can listen to a replay here.  Vickilynn just joined the private Grocery Shrink email group too.  If you own a copy of The Grocery Shrink ebook, you are eligible to join and can ask her questions there.  Vickilynn is an expert on cooking from whole foods and making it tasty!

Join me on the Get Real–Get Prepared Radio Show

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I’ll be a guest this Saturday 6pm Central (7pm Eastern) on Vickilynn Haycraft’s show:  Get Real–Get Prepared.  I would love to know that you will be a listener.  You can click here to listen in on Saturday. You might remember Vickilynn for her books, Wrapping It Up!: Making Sensational, All Occasion Wraps and Naturally Healthy Cuisine:  Real Food for Real Families.  You can see Vickilynn’s blog here.

 If you have any questions you’d like me to answer live, you can add them as a comment to this post.

My Personal Fit Yummy Mummy Challenge Results

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I just posted this over at Club FYM and wanted to share my joy with my Grocery Shrink friends.  I wrote in an earlier post about how I discovered Fit Yummy Mummy and how it’s changed my life.  The last 12 weeks was the FYM Fall Transformation Challenge that I participated in.  As an exclusively breastfeeding mom, I doubted my ability to make quick changes in my appearance.  But I stuck to Holly’s basic program and lost an average of a pound a week.  I still have 20 lbs of excess fat to lose and a lot of muscle to build and should reach my final goals in March.  What I’ve experienced gives me hope that I will reach those goals if I keep living the FYM lifestyle.  Planning and Consistency is the Key to Where I Want to Be.

Here’s my final entry for the challenge:

FINAL STATS

Mom to six ages 11, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 6 months
Height 5’6”
Weight 157.6..145.4       -12.2 lbs
Size 12…8 -2 sizes
Bust 40…38         -2 inches
Waist 34…32.5       -1.5 inches
Mommy Belly 40.5….34.5    -6 inches!!!!!
Hip 40.5….38.5       -2 inches
Thigh 23 7/8…..22       -2 inches

Total 12.2 lbs and 13.5 inches lost   

Reflection:
I’m a different person than I was 12 weeks ago. Not just smaller, but stronger inside and out. Emotionally I dealt with being a 7 year veteran homeschooler and putting 2 of my kids in Christian school. The transition was heart wrenching but has been good for our family. We also had the stress of inviting a reality TV crew into our home for 2 days. That 2 days of filming required 4 weeks of prep—cleaning out the spaces that get little attention and no one ever sees. Holly’s program is so perfect, because it only requires 15 extra minutes a day. I can do that even amongst the stress.

The FTC took place over 6 birthdays in our family (including mine) and I learned how to remove sweets from my definition of celebration. Saturday night before the end of the challenge, my oldest daughter scored her first goal in soccer. My dad took us all out to IHOP to celebrate. I was really worried about it, but ordered the spinach omelette with fresh fruit and was able to enjoy the moment with everyone without sacrificing my goals. I had an aha moment:

No matter where I go, there is a positive choice in the options. And when I make that good choice, it FEELS better than anything sweet can taste.

I could enjoy watching the others eat mounds of whipped cream over fluffy white flour pancakes with 6 different syrup choices, and it was okay, because I am reaching for something that is bigger than the moment.

My youngest baby is 6 months old and this is the smallest I have ever been with a 6 month baby. Even though it is my 6th baby! Before FYM I had some thoughts whether it was ever possible to have a trim figure with 6 babies and 35 years old. It is possible!

I feel so strong. When I move, my back is straight and I can feel the muscles in my posture. My legs are strong and powerful. I can run the stairs in my home doing chores and not get winded. I’m so excited because I will only get stronger, yet I will weigh less. It’s like putting a huge engine in a little red sports car. I can MOVE!

Losing weight has always been a battle for me. I had childhood onset obesity and currently weigh 3 pounds less than I did when I was 12 years old. My daughter is almost 12 and when I shared that with her today as she helped me with my photos—her jaw dropped. I’m so thankful she has lived an active healthy childhood and not dealt with the emotions of childhood obesity. Genetics and my past don’t matter as much as my NOW habits. I can have a better body than I did when I was 12—even after 6 babies.

My goals this challenge:
1. To Lose 12 lbs—Met!!!
2. To be able to do real push-ups (I can do 6!)
3. To balance my posture so my shoulders are level—Yes!
4. Consistently Plan My Meals—I would go with spurts on this one. For several days in a row I’d plan it all out, and then for a few days I’d record what I would eat instead. While I prefer planning ahead, both methods worked well for me. I’ve been used to eating 6 small meals a day for several years so the biggest change was upping the produce and decreasing the bread.
5. Do my exercising first thing in the morning for a metabolism boost all day. I did great with this one until the early morning crazies got to me. If I didn’t get it done first thing in the morning, I did it before lunch. Still a huge improvement.

The biggest dare I took, was doing my exercises no matter what. Which meant sometimes I was the only mom jogging around the soccer field at 8am on a Saturday morning. I had to get past the fear that people would look at me and think I was weird.

Guestpost: The Pros and Cons of Layaway

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Stacey Makes Cents is back today to talk with us about layaway.  (Hey–I’m a poet :).

 

By now you should know that Barry and I are NOT fans of credit cards. If we don’t have the money for something, we don’t buy it. For some people, this is a problem at Christmas time. I try to combat that problem by buying Christmas gifts all year long – when I can find them on sale, at yard sales, and used. However, I know that most people are not planning freaks like I am. Shocking, huh? If I can’t plan for something, it makes me want to go nuts. I would like to give you a challenge this Christmas. Here it is…..ready? Don’t put any of your gifts on a credit card. I know, I know. Some of you know you have the money to pay for it and just put it on the credit card for points. But, here’s a thought – if you have the money to pay for it, why don’t you? Why use a credit card if you have the money in the bank? Points for pondering. Some of you have good intentions on paying off that card, but you get carried away with the holiday festivities and find yourself in a bind once the bill comes due in January. Then you have to pay interest, making the decision to put the gifts on your card a very bad one. Oops.

For those of you who didn’t plan and don’t have the money to buy all your gifts at once, there is a program out there that can help, without the interest rate of a credit card – layaway. Layaway is a good alternative for those of you who don’t want to use credit cards this Christmas. Several retailers are now offering layaway again and it’s become very popular around the holidays.

 How does layaway work? Each store will have their own policy, but basically you pay a small fee (most stores charge around $5-10) and the retailer holds the item for you while you pay it off in installments…..interest free. I’m a fan of this because I don’t like the high fees that credit card companies charge. The only fee for this program is your up-front charge for participating. Even though I am a fan, there are several disadvantages that you also need to keep in mind. Below I’ve listed several pros and cons about layaway so you can make the decision yourself.

-You are able to pay for Christmas gifts, interest free, even if you don’t have all the money immediately.

-You avoid credit card interest fees. The fee is usually lower than interest rates, unless you’re only buying one or two small ticket items. The fee should be less than 10% of the item.

–The store holds your gifts so you don’t have to find a place to hide/store them at home. A big plus if you have inquisitive children…..or spouses.

–You get a better selection. You can put your items on layaway before the holiday rush starts. You won’t have to brave the crowds or pick from what’s left.

-You avoid the January blues when a credit card bills comes due. You can actually ENJOY the New Year.

-If you change your mind about the item(s), you don’t have to return it to the store. You can just give it back to them (some stores MAY charge a cancellation fee).

-If you find a great sale but cannot afford the purchase at the time, you can “lock in” the price and pay for it in installments….interest free, did I mention that?

-If the item goes on sale later for a better price, the store will usually let you take advantage of that sale. Some stores limit this price adjustment to one time.

-If you don’t complete the sale you don’t have to worry about credit card companies calling you in the night threatening to eat the bread off your plate.

 

Of course, there is the flip side to the coin.

–Limit ONE to the price adjustment (in most stores).

-If you cannot afford it all at one time, should you really buy it?

-If you have NO discipline, layaway could cause you to spend more…..especially if you dream big.

–If you miss a payment, your items will go back on the shelf and you’ll be out of your service fee and perhaps have to pay a cancellation fee. Most stores aren’t so hard core that they keep your money. It will usually be refunded, although sometimes it’s returned in store credit.

–If the store goes out of business, you’re in trouble.

 

Barry and I will always prefer to shop with cash, but if you don’t have that option then maybe layaway is for you.

Remember, don’t use your credit card this holiday season. Are you with me?

Stacy and husband Barry are debt free bloggers and recently gave their debt free scream on the Dave Ramsey radio show.  You can read more about Stacy at her blog:  www.Stacymakescents.com

Thanksgiving Snack Mix

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Thanksgiving Snack mix

I’m so happy the holiday season is here!  This recipe came home from school on the kid’s school lunch menu and I modified it to be even more festive.  This recipe serves 30, but you can halve it if you want to.

Thanksgiving Snack mix 3

2-4.1 oz packages of bugles (approximately 8 cups–$1.18 each at Dollar General)

1-8 oz can of party peanuts (approximately 2 cups–$1.88 at Dollar General)

2 cups of roasted pumpkin seeds (free if homemade)

1 pkg. 22 oz candy corn (approximately 4 cups–$.89 on clearance at Aldi)

4 cups (8 oz) of mini pretzels ($1.00 from Aldi)

1 cup Craisins ($3.89 for 11 cups from Costco–or $.35 for this recipe)

4 cups of Goldfish crackers ($8.15 for 24 cups from Costco or $1.36 for this recipe)

Mix all and pour 3/4 cup snack mix into individual baggies.  Seal.  Yield 25 cups or 32 servings.  Cost of total recipe:  $7.84  Cost per serving:  $.25

These would be nice to have in your to go bag (or diaper bag) to hand out to the kiddoes while running errends to stave off the chants of “McDonalds, McDonalds…”

Thanksgiving snack mix 2

The school paper gave this symbolism:

Bugles represent cornucopias, the symbol of our nation’s blessings.

Pretzels represent hands and arms folded in prayer.

Candy Corn represents the corn t the early Pilgrims survived on during the harsh winter.

Seeds represent future harvest if we are diligent.

Cranberries represent the bountiful land in which we live.

Fish Crackers represent the blessing that the abundant sea life provided for early settlers.

Easy Pumpkin Cake

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This cake can’t get any easier.  It’s super moist, low in fat, and has only 3 ingredients.  To save money, stock up on cake mixes when they are on sale.  I snagged mine at a 1 day sale when the store brand mixes were $.59 each.  Also, making your own pumpkin puree is really easy if you have a kitchen aid food mill attachment.

Speaking of pumpkin puree…Does anyone know where there are pumpkins on clearance cheap in Kansas City?

Easy Pumpkin Cake:

1 box spice cake mix (other flavors are nice too, such as white or yellow with 2 tsps of pumpkin spice added; or chococolate :).)

1 cup of water

2 cups (or 1 15 oz can) of pumpkin puree (not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling)

Mix all for 2 minutes in an electric mixer on medium speed.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 dish (or muffin cups) Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes (30 minutes for cupcakes) or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cake will be very soft.  Frost with whipped cream or cream cheese frosting.

A few Photos from October

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We had our annual History party at the farm October 30th.  It was overwhelming to make 8 costumes, so we went really simple.

Darren and I went as ourselves :).  Heidi gathered hers from the dress up box.  Dub and Brandon wore their outfits from last year.  Caleb borrowed a hat and we only made the beard from drections from the Family Fun website.  And Heather’s was made from two etsy patterns that were too fun to pass up.   The best part about making the wings was all the scraps I used up–plus I cut out a second set at the same time for a birthday surprise for my neice.

The best costume of the night was my cousin Rachael who came as an olive tree and her son was the grafte in branch–so cute and creative!

Heidi and Brandon were a trio with baby Grant (who slept through most of the party.)  Heidi was the Egyptian princess, Grant was baby Moses, and Brandon was the frog plague :).

Caleb went as Abraham Lincoln.  He loves history and war games.

Heather was an owl.  I forsee lots of dress-up play value in these wings in the future.

Dub was a tiger from the ark.

Here’s the Olive tree, grafted in branch, and lily of the field.

There were some other cute costumes like Shadrack, Meshack and To-Bed-We-Go ( a cutie toddler in her footie jammies.)  I wish I had taken more pictures!

Guest Post: Getting Ready For Christmas

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By Sinea Pies of Ducks ‘n a Row 

 

Do you believe this title?  “Getting ready for Christmas?”  Come on.  Are you like me when you walk into a store in October, or early November, and see Christmas decorations? Is your reaction like mine?  “Christmas! Can’t we at least do Thanksgiving first?”  I feel the pressure just thinking about it, and Christmas is my favorite holiday!

Perhaps it’s the “mom-thing”.  We moms are planners.  We like everything to run smoothly.  We want all of the bases covered — nobody left out, every event a winner.  We hate rushing around at the last minute, though it inevitably seems to happen, whether we like it or not.

If you start your planning now, it should lighten the load when the holidays do arrive.  Early preparation eases the tension later on.  Moms deserve to enjoy Christmas just like everybody else, don’t they?

So what can you do in October? 

Start with a schedule! Pull out a blank calendar, or find one online, to use for holiday planning only.  It feels good to start with a clean slate.  Don’t lay your other calendars aside, though.  You’ll need to refer to them to see what the family “must-do’s” are.  This will keep you from double-booking.

Now, write in Thanksgiving, Christmas eve, Christmas day, New Years Eve and New Years Day.  If your family also celebrates other holidays such as Chanukah, which is Dec. 20-28 this year, write that down.

Birthdays:  Do you have birthdays in October, November, December or early January.  My family has 9 birthdays, 1 anniversary, Christmas and Chanukah.  There should be a law, don’t you think?  LOL.  I love every one of them but it can get tiring, and expensive. This year my 5 year old granddaughter is dancing in the Nutcracker. Now, that will be an important night-out! 

Now that your overwhelming social calendar is set, what needs to happen?

Plan! There will be gifts to buy, cards to send, schedule-coordinating with others, food to purchase and prepare, decorations to get out and display.  How about special clothing needs? Does a winter coat or suit need dry cleaned or are there little sewing projects that have been put off way too long?  Pencil in when these things need to occur.  Use a pencil because this part of your schedule can be flexible.  You can change it, if you need to.

Think about what you can turn into a family memory.  Not everything has to be work.  The holidays are more about people than anything else. Make a little party around whatever you can to build lasting memories and warm-fuzzies, as I call them. 

 

Shopping! Shopping can include a stop for a bite to eat together.  How about writing out Christmas cards together at the kitchen table?  Put on some holiday music to get everyone in the mood.  Tree trimming is always a fun family event.  Finish it with a pajama party.  Everyone in the family gets on their comfiest p.j.s or sweats, grabs a fuzzy blanket, some popcorn & hot chocolate and watches a great holiday movie together! Remember to include a treat for the dog.  All of the family gets into the spirit.

When it comes to shopping, pace yourself.  If you truly enjoy going out to shop, plan it and make plenty of time to not feel rushed.  If online shopping is more to your liking, be sure to leave plenty of time for the merchandise to arrive and an exchange be made if something doesn’t work out. If you mail gifts to out-of-town relatives, that shipping time also needs to be considered.

Cookies!  What’s a holiday without decorative cookies?  Even the youngest tot can do something to be a part of the cookie baking process.  Your little ones do what they can do and you do the rest.  Make sure that everyone gets to have a hand in the decorating.  Again, you are making great memories, not just good food! 

If you have time, invite family and friends to join you for a cookie swap.  It’s a party where everyone brings several dozen of one style of Christmas cookie.   One or two dozen is brought for sampling at the party, the others you bring are your “swapping” cookies. You switch them out for an assortment of other kinds of cookies to take back home with you.  This kind of holiday party can be so much fun and much of your baking has been done by somebody else!

So, there you have it. It may be October but the New Year is right around the corner.  Get organized now and it will be easy to get into the holiday spirit…when the time comes!

Sinea Pies is a freelance writer for a popular parent magazine, social media manager and blogger.  Please visit  her website Ducks ‘n a Row and “like” her Facebook Fanpage, too.

Feel like you need more help with Christmas Planning?  You’ll love How to Have a Grocery Shrink Christmas  It is full of printable forms; recipes; gift ideas and more to help you stay organized and sane on a limited budget this holiday season.