Friday Free-For-All

This week was confirmation that this mama will never be one who can reach her full mommy-ing capacity with a packed schedule.  Don't get me wrong, I work really well under pressure.  In fact, I kind of like the rush when life gets crazy, but when it is just therapy sessions, conferences at the school behind our house (more on that next week!) and other misc. outings and appointments I feel spent. Drained.  Downright grumpy, honestly.  Okay, so I'm working on it 'cause I KNOW that is just life, I'm just sayin'...

Every time I get around to posting about the next month in Jude's little life he goes and does something amazing.  A couple of months ago I posted that he wasn't interested in food at all.  Then, 2 days later he would ONLY be satisfied after 3 full meals a day!  Last month he went and grew 2 new teeth.  This month, just a day after his 7-month update he began talking.  Talking, people!  Bababamamaba and Babadababamada and a mixture of the two.  It is SO cute.  I like to turn the monitor up so I can hear the sweet sounds throughout the house.

Josh does love the sweet sounds, but he is scheming what consequences would be appropriate for this 7-month-old who refuses to obey and stay little:)

Last night we got home from rehearsal and Josh told me to go look on the front porch.  I was fully thinking I was going to walk out and see some endangered species in Rainy's bug catcher that he had caught for her.  Instead I saw these boxes!

We realized that the only thing keeping me from only having to go to the grocery store 2 times a month is the fresh produce.  We also like the idea of supporting our local farmers, but going to the farmer's market every week is just not practical.  So, we signed up for "The Produce Box".  I am SO excited!  Not only is it fresh, local, seasonal, produce, but it will force me to try new foods.  I've NEVER even bought some of these foods and am anxious to try the recipes that they gave me to go along with them.  Let me know if you are interested...we get a $10 credit for each person we refer:)

Weather...need I say more?!  We have all but lived outside this week!  The AC has been turned off and the windows have been opened.  I may have even gone out and purchased a couple of Pumpkin Spice candles to help move the fall along.  Hey, I missed my favorite season last year, I have a whole season to make up for!

I'm not sure what it is, but we always get "comments" when entering and exiting our chiropractor.  Several months ago a woman looked at me herding the colony out the door and she told me I needed more than a chiropractor, I needed a margarita...and a LARGE one, ha!  Last week we were keeping a couple of cousins and were walking in with our colony +2 and an elderly man looked at us and said, "Well, you just didn't know when to stop, did ya!"

I mean seriously, should you really say things like that to people you don't even know?:)

Well, I have one more conference before the week closes and then I'm home free...for at least 24 hours!

Happy Friday Ya'll!!!!

The Weather Nerd Dictionary For Dummies

This gust was pushing me over.

Here's a post for all you weather nerd wannabe's.  Just a few tidbits about Hurricane season and the definitions surrounding the storm.

Hurricane Categories -

■ Category 1 hurricanes have sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph. These very dangerous winds will produce some damage.
■ Category 2 hurricanes have sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph. These extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage.
■ Category 3 hurricanes have sustained winds of 111 to 130 mph. Devastating damage will occur.
■ Category 4 hurricanes have sustained winds of 131 to 155 mph. Catastrophic damage will occur.
■ Category 5 hurricanes have sustained winds greater than 155 mph. Catastrophic damage will occur.
 Source: NOAA


Storm Surge - a rise in level of coastal water - a rise in sea level above the usual tide as a hurricane or other intense storm moves over water, causing flooding when the storm comes ashore.

Deteriorating Conditions - for some reason everyone just likes to use this phrase...over and over...when talking about the hurricane conditions:)

Overwash - a deposit of marine-derived sediments landward of a barrier system, often formed during large storms; transport of sediment landward of the active beach by coastal flooding during a tsunami, hurricane, or other event with extreme wave action

Why is everyone freaking out about a Category 1 Hurricane?  Because of it's size and duration.

Eye Wall - The eye wall of a hurricane surrounds the eye of the hurricane with a wall of clouds that is considered the most deadly area of a hurricane. The eye wall removes any trace of a storm from the hurricane's eye and produces deadly winds more than 150 mph.

Eye - the center of the storm as well as the calmest part of the storm. When you see a photo of a hurricane, the eye is the empty hole in the middle of the storm that the bands of the hurricane surround. The eye is calm and almost serene, and is where the weather service flies its planes into to determine the ferocity of the storm.

 

Spiral Bands - Hurricanes have spiral bands that surround the eye wall of the storm. These bands are what produce the vast majority of the wind and rain that hurricanes produce and are the largest part of the storm.

 

Hurricane Season - Begins June 1 and ends November 30.

Make It Something To Grab

Life gets busy, ya know?

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, or work outside the home, or are newly married, or are about to take your mid-terms, life just gets busy.

And a lot of times the first thing to be neglected is food (and sleep).

At least for me anyway.

I get so tired of scurrying around the kitchen fixing 5 plates of happiness for the taste buds (you like that?) that by the time I sit down I don't want to fix myself anything to eat.

It's a terrible excuse, I know, but most of the time I just want to heat something up or go grab a handful of something out of the pantry, and we all know that those kinds of foods most likely are NOT in the 100-calarie department.

And then you'll find yourself in front of the mirror in the dressing room trying on new bathing suits and...
ahem, hypothetically speaking...anyway,

You get the picture.

But then I came across this blog!

It has been a great catalyst for being more proactive in conducing a healthy environment in my kitchen.

So, I thought I'd share my research with you.

Picture a nice springtime Saturday cold, rainy Saturday with the sounds of children playing happily in the background fighting over Mickey Mouse sunglasses and Elmo slippers, while I merrily therapudically chop produce...

I did a little research (because everything on google search is totally accurate) on the best ways to store prepared produce and decided to slice and dice what I had on hand.

HOMEMADE RINSE

1 part vinegar to 10 parts water

ORANGES

slice and store in airtight container

BLUEBERRIES

rinse and pat dry

i used the same container and placed a paper towel on the bottom to absorb excess water

EGGS

I've mentioned this before, I hard boil a dozen at a time to have them on hand

STRAWBERRIES

trim the tops off

rinse and pat dry

just like the blueberries, place back in original container with paper towel on the bottom

ONIONS

slice and dice a bag of onions

I froze the diced ones for future cooking

I stored the sliced ones in an airtight container

CARROTS

scrub the outer layer (I don't peel them)

rinse and pat dry

cut to snack size

cover with water and store in an airtight container

CELERY

rinse and pat dry

cut to snack size

wrap in a paper towel and place in saran wrap or produce bag

CUCUMBERS

peel

slice

wrap in saran wrap and place in airtight container

GRAPES

rinse

take off the stem

store in an airtight container

RESULTS

I've been very impressed.

Everything still tastes and feels fresh!

(Actually, I can't speak for the blueberries. They were consumed in less than 24 hr.)

I have opted for healthy eating and snacking since it is just as easy as grabbing a handful of goldfish or chips.

Meal preparation time has been cut significantly.

And THAT, my friends, makes this whole experiment worth it.

Moral of the story:

By making "it" something to grab, you can make "it" something to grab.

Chew on that for a while;)

Colony Thoughts On Essential Oils ~ Part 2 (Peaceful Child Blend recipe for ADHD included!)

*You might want to go back and read Part 1 to see if it answers any of your preliminary questions.*

I thought my previous post was getting a little lengthy so I decided to save my favorite recipes for a separate post.

NONE of these recipes are my own.  I have searched around the internet and talked to many friends who have given these to me, so I'll try to add links when available.

FACE SCRUB/WASH

by Rita Polk

most of a 14 oz. jar of unrefined, organic Coconut oil

***She used regular, not fractioned Coconut oil. It mixes right together.***

1/2 of an 8 oz. box of baking soda

10 drops of essential oils

***Rita used Geranium but I didn't have any on hand. 

She said you could also use, tea tree, lavender or citrus oils.  

I chose Lemon because I love the scent, it is great for troubled skin and I had it on hand already.***

BUG SPRAY

by Wellness Mama

Fill 8 oz. spray bottle 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water

Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top

***She adds 1/2 tsp of vegetable glycerin, but not only did I NOT have that on hand, 

but I don't even know what that is, ha!***

Add 30-50 drops of desired essential oil. The more oil, the stronger the repellent.

***She suggests using Rosemary, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Cinnamon or Eucalyptus.

I swear by Edens Garden "Pest Defy" blend, so that is what I used.***

PEACEFUL CHILD BLEND

Helps with ADHD, emotional trauma, fear, stress, anxiety and insomnia

***I have been given this recipe from SEVERAL resources and I LOVE it!  I use it on Zeke every morning and night and every once in a while in the afternoons.  We can tell a huge difference in his anxiety levels and attention on tasks if we don't give him his vitamin and oils consistently! 

 I also love the story behind this blend and this mama's heart behind helping others.***

I bought my first batch from HERE.  Zeke LOVES the soothing scent and how relaxing it is when I put it on.  I place it on the bottom of each foot, over his heart and on the sides of his spine.  The bottle didn't last very long so I ended up getting the recipe and making my own refill.  I will definitely be buying the original again though!

85 drops Vetiver

30 drops Ylang Ylang

20 drops Frankincense

15 drops Clary Sage

10 drops Margoram

30 drops Lavender

10 drops of fractioned Coconut oil as a carrier oil

Mix together in a roller bottle.

Rub on bottoms of feet, over heart, sides of spine and wrists 

first thing in the morning and right before bed.

My friend Stephanie gave me this resource, from DoTERRA oils, that is incredible as well!

ECZEMA

Jude's eczema can really get out of hand if we don't keep a constant eye on his diet.

But oil helps significantly!

I have found that Evening Primrose is a great carrier oil for skin conditions.

I mix it with Lavender, which is also great for eczema.

***simple but VERY effective***

PRODUCE RINSE

I wrote about a rinse I make to get chemicals and dirt off of fresh produce HERE.

Now I add a 5-8 drops of Lemon essential oil to the mix!

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These are my everyday favorites that I wanted to share.

It's easy to find what oils are good for what on Pinterest and Google.

Go ahead and dive in.

I promise it'll be worth it!

Friday Free-For-All

It's FRIDAY!!!!

Not that it's been a terribly long week...but TGIF anyway, 'cause Fridays are fun and it is proof that we made it through another week:)

Our crazy bed bug ordeal kind of put a kink in our routine, but hey, if it's not the bed bugs it's something else.  It really would be nice to be able to pick a routine and actually be able to let it play out for more than one day in a row.

When I was with my parents we watched a documentary on farming...I tell ya, the more I research about our food in America the more I want to go by a piece of property and just make my own food to sustain our family...except that would be really hard and I can't even keep my house plants alive...anywho...

We did make it to the farmer's market last weekend.  I've been wanting to go, but it's almost 30 minutes away and produce only lasts about a week, which means that we would have to go every week in order to support our local farmers in their endeavor, which seems a little daunting to me.  And that is why this was our first outing:)  I know, I have some major mental obstacles to break through sometimes, ha!

If you look closely you'll see that this is Beth Moore's Produce.
I had NO IDEA she was in this business:)

It was SO much fun though.  We let each of the kids pick out a fruit and a veggie, with the stipulation that one of the veggies was new and that we would all try it!  So, Alethia helped me pick out some yummy Okra and Cai chose the fattest purple Eggplant he could get his chubby little fingers around.  I had never bought either one of those veggies and we were pleasantly surprised.

On another note...

Jude ate Zeke's Iron Man mask yesterday.  Yup, like there's no sign of little pieces that would show that it was just ripped apart.  It's gone!  It was printed on card stock and wrapped around Zeke's head with a rubber band.  At least he didn't get any of the rubber band.  I wish I would have taken pictures of the remnants.  Probably 65% of it is now churning away in Jude's little tummy.  It should make for an interesting few diapers in the next day or so.

Josh is taking Rainy and Zeke camping tonight.  They are ECSTATIC!  I can't wait to hear the stories:)

Well, Happy Friday all you loyal readers:)

Lessons From The Lord - Praise Before The Blessing

Josh and I are very intentional when it comes to praising the Lord and thanking him for the blessings and provisions the Lord bestows upon us and making sure our children know just how good God is!

But as I was reading Deuteronomy 16 last week through my journey I came across something I hadn't really thought about before.  I came across this passage and had a brand new revelation, for me anyway.

Here is the context:
Moses is speaking to all the Israelites and laying everything out for them and explaining all that they need to do to keep right with the Lord while they take over the land the Lord has promised them before he dies.

Here is what he says in verse 15:

"You are to hold a seven-day festival for the Lord your God 

in the place He chooses, because the Lord your God 

will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, 

and you will have abundant joy."

You may not have caught it.  Let me write it like this:

"You are to hold a seven-day festival for the Lord your God 

in the place He chooses, because the Lord your God 

will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, 

and you will have abundant joy."

Moses didn't say, "because the Lord HAS blessed you", even though he continually had blessed the Israelites, he said the Lord WILL bless you.

They were instructed to Praise the Lord BEFORE the blessing!

How often do you rejoice in faith, knowing that the Lord promises to take care of His children?  I don't mean just praising God for who He is and what He's made, but intentionally Praising Him for the future blessings He is sure to bring your way!

Grocery Experiment - So Far So Good

In November I started a new grocery experiment.  I wanted to share my results with you.  Maybe it will be of some help to some of you.

Here are my rules...

***NOTE:  I don't have a separate budget for household items, diapers and medicine.  These are all included***

1-Go to the ATM and withdraw $140 cash.  (Not sure why I chose this amount, it's just a goal I'd like to keep) This has to last us for 2 weeks.  Why cash?  Because that is the only true way of keeping track of how much you've spent and what you've got left to spend.  Plus, if you run out of cash IT'S GONE; THAT's IT, and you are more likely to spend less money so you can stretch that dollar=)

2-Go to Aldi and stock up on pantry essentials to last us for 2 weeks plus produce and perishables to last for one week.

3-Hit up the rock bottom deals from the Grocery Game at Harris Teeter on the way home.

4-The leftover cash I have after I've made these 2 stops will be to get produce and any rock bottom deals at Harris Teeter the following week.

First 2 week results - Went $3 over budget (this included my weekly CVS trips)

Second 2 week results - Went $10 over budget (this included the food I made for our Thanksgiving get-together at the Via's, the stuff I made for Areyna's Thanksgiving feast at her school and the $1.86 I spent for a TON of FREE stuff at CVS last week)

I love that I don't have to feel rushed to get to the grocery store every week and that it takes less time to prepare for this trip.  I think I'll stick with it.

At this rate I'll be averaging right around $280 for groceries a month.  

Do you grocery shop every week, 2 times a month or 1 big time a month?  I'd love to hear your input...

Friday Photos

After 4 days of rain even the weeds looked beautiful!

Most of my days are spent here at this table teaching these little humans the basics of life and learning.

Rainy has officially completed 6th grade English and Science
(And Jude is ALMOST done with Preschool!) 

theColonyShop has been B.U.S.Y. this week creating dog tags, EO blends and Mother's Day gifts!

Our first strawberry was stolen by some critter before we could enjoy it...
but this SECOND one is about to be sectioned off in 7 tiny little tastes for each of us,
as is tradition with the first fruits of each type of food from the garden.

I always try to buy produce with the base still attached (not pre-cut and prepared)
so I can re-grow it in the garden and eat it again!
Celery is a great veggie to regrow.

Tea Time break with my homeschool kids

Our blueberries are ALMOST ready!

I promised Jude that he could make his infamous Strawberry Taperine today.
It did NOT disappoint!

Rain droplets (on the garden chives), oh how I love them.

A batch of Nonnie's homemade hot chocolate mix was a MUST after these cold rainy days

I told you theColonyShop had been busy this week.

Straw Bale Gardening Update

I am happy to report that we are having HUGE success with our little straw bale garden!

Nothing else has died...so far, ha!  

In fact, one of my original seedlings decided to take off after I planted the more mature ones in its place.  Now I have no idea what it is, but am excited to see what it produces:)

My original pumpkin seedling has totally taken over my garden!

It.Is.Huge.

Apparently the stink bugs like flowering plants and they have taken over too:(

I am working on killing all the little eggs they continue to hatch

under the huge pumpkin leaves.

 

These Marigolds were a surprise too!

They were part of my original seedling batch as well.

But

My tomato plant is my pride and joy!

It was an original seedling as well, just look at it...

We have over a dozen little green tomatoes that have begun to grow.

I'm guessing I found the perfect place to grow tomatoes.

Strawberries, not so much.

All but 2 of my strawberry plants have died in this same area.

Oh well, you can't have everything I suppose:)

But enough about the raised garden tomato area...

let's go back to the straw bale garden.

Just this week Rainy and I spotted a handful of our first batch of cucumbers!

How exciting it is to see how just one little seed can grow into such beautiful plants

and produce things that we can actually eat!

Know Where Your Organics Come From

Check out Josh's blog about the link between Malaria and Organic food/produce sold to the West.  Pretty eye-opening.  Makes you want to double check where all that Organic food you buy is coming from doesn't it.

Lessons From The Gardener ~ Perseverance

This whole gardening process can be pretty tedious.  Maybe it's just because I don't know what I'm doing and I'm just hoping with everything in me that some of those little seeds I placed in the soil will do something.  At this point I just want some healthy green foliage, I'm not even asking for the vegetables and fruit to produce bountifully, I just need those little seeds to start poking through the soil to let me know that they are doing something.

I have spent around 40 hours personally digging and ripping up old roots, vines, shrubs and trees from our "bunny bush" area that the kids loved to play in (but our neighbor despised looking at).  It was an old grapevine that had been under cared for LONG before the Colony moved in (and under-cared for it even more!).

Then another 20 hours or so was spent preparing the soil and covering the ground accordingly so it would be ready for a garden in the spring.

I waited all winter long in anticipation of what was to come.

Then February rolled around and I planted these tiny little seeds, following each instruction to a T.

Then, miracle of all miracles, several of my little seeds began to grow into beautiful little seedlings.
I know I shouldn't be shocked, but I typically don't do well with plants that die if I don't keep them watered;).  (I will say that I have gotten better over the years and last year's little garden did surprising well!)

So, I prepared the best way I knew how.
I consistently watered and fed those little seeds.

Next came the transplant, where I had to uproot the tender little seedlings from their safe home and take them out in the "wild" where they will have to strengthen their roots and grow strong to be able to withstand the impending storms (and fuzzy, hungry critters and probably even a peck or 20 from the Colony chickens) that will most certainly come their way.

Sadly some of the little seedlings didn't make the transplant so well.  And even after tucking the Colony garden in for the nights before the frost, some of them have not weathered so well.

It's hard not to get discouraged and even harder to push away the thoughts of defeat and desire to quit.

But wouldn't you know that this month's lesson for the Colony kids at Journey is Perseverance.

Perseverance to keep going when things feel impossible.
Perseverance in the failure,
and in the embarrassment,
and in the feelings of defeat,
and to keep planting those seeds, even when we feel like the roots will NEVER take.

Because the roots and fruit and growth are not OUR responsibility!
Oh no, we could NEVER do that.

Our job is to plant the seeds in faith.
Not knowing what is going on under the soil.
Maybe never even seeing the growth we think we should.

That is the job of the Lord over creation.
The author of life and the finisher of faith.

It's all part of the plan.
And we GET to be part of it.

Harvesting a garden and harvesting souls are so intertwined its no wonder why Jesus used this picture to teach his people.

This Colony garden has taught me more about my own walk with Christ and the mission HE has given me than almost ay other thing I've worked through.

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything,

but only God who gives the growth."

1 Corinthians 3:7

Little Corners Of My Mind

My mind has been a whirlwind lately and I can't seem to follow through on a single idea or thought.

So, it's your lucky day.

I've got a post filled with random thoughts from my mind that have been circling around for the past couple of weeks.

So, fasten your seat belts and rid yourselves of any type of organizational expectations you may have had while coming here today:)

********************************

It's August! Where in the world did the summer go? In fact, where in the world is 2010 going and why does it seem to be in such a hurry?

The weather was so nice yesterday. We kept all our doors open all day and the kids played outside, happily (well, most of the time), for about 95% of the day. The other 5% was spent eating and yes, they all finally got a bath last night!

Micaiah turns ONE on Friday. I'm not even going to talk about that one yet...

This past Sunday was "transition Sunday". I may or may not have teared up a little bit as I dropped Cai off in his new TODDLER class;) And I may or may not have snuck into Kidz GIG to peak in on Areyna as she danced and sang to Jesus with her new class (which she has been talking about non-stop, by the way!). Zeke, well he didn't transition much, seeing as he's been going to Areyna's class the whole time because he couldn't manage to stay put in his own class without her. But, now that he is familiar with his room and teacher we are working hard to make this transition pleasant for him as he ventures into life without his older sister and cousin in class with him.

Cai slept almost ALL DAY yesterday. He woke up at 8:30am, we put him down for a nap at 10am and he slept until 2:30pm! He was ready to go back to sleep by 4pm and slept until almost 6pm and was still ready for bed at 8pm. Not sure what all that means except for the fact that we've worn that sweet little boy out this summer!

School! AAHHHH...I don't even know where to begin. It's August and I need a plan...and fast!

I feel as though I'm veering more and more into the "simple life". I now dry my clothes on a line outside, I cloth diaper my child, I am working on getting our compost going, I feel the need to rid myself of all unnecessary appliances that "help" me do things more efficiently because I don't feel like they are all that much help anyway. My sister-and-law and I are checking into to a farmer's co-op to buy our meat and produce from. The world probably thinks I'm crazy!

Cai walked a full lap around our whole house yesterday without falling.

Radical is literally kicking my butt! All these feelings and convictions I've felt over the years are surfacing at once and this book is convicting me, even more, to put them into action. So many things to think and pray about.

I'm so glad we don't have to go to the beach this week. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the beach, the ocean, the salt water, the sand, looking for crabs and seashells, cleaning beach remnants from the creveaces of my soon-to-be-one-year-old's chubby rolls, but I am VERY thankful to be at home this week and get caught up on the normal, everyday things, that go weeks without getting done around here, like: mowing the grass, watering the plants (I'm down to 2 live plants inside...pretty sad), laundry, normal cleaning around the house...

Stuff...stuff...stuff...sometimes I just want to get rid of all our "stuff".

We think Areyna may be lactose intolerant. She's been getting really bad stomach aches and we decided that we'd try to weed out milk. She went all dinner and night without a stomach ache and no milk. We'll give it a few days to see what our next step should be.

Yesterday was a super-productive day! We finally got our newsletter done, Josh worked on the yard (it took him 5 hours!), I got caught up in the office...I LOVE productive, relaxing days:)

This weekend will be our church's last weekend in our current space. Josh and a slew of other people have and will be working around the clock, in the new space to put the finishing touches on it so we can get going in full swing right away. I LOVE that Josh gets to be a part of this. I kind of feel like I do when we are able to give, financially, to someone going on a mission trip. Even though I can't physically go myself (you know, with three kids and all the "help" they bring to the table) I still get to be a part of it. I don't get to go on the mission trip, but we can help enable someone else to go, therefore being part of the trip ourselves. I can't physically help out at our new space all that much, but allowing my husband the freedom to come and go is allowing me to be a part of the bigger picture!

I suppose that's all my mind has the capacity to process at the moment, so I'll stop for now.

Have a great, happy heart"ed", fun, productive, motivated, relaxing Tuesday!

Back With A Bang - Super Doubles Day 1

Total BEFORE coupons: $127.20

Total AFTER coupons: $57.61

TOTAL SAVINGS:  $69.59

I took a couple of weeks off due to Micaiah making his entrance into the world, but boy did I pick the right time to jump in!  Harris Teeter is doing another week of Super Double Coupons. This means that they double ALL coupons up to $1.99 (only 20 coupons per day).  Above is a picture of what I got yesterday.  I have another 10-15 coupons to use today since I made the 20 coupon a day limit yesterday.

Just to tell you how good I didn't even have a coupon for any of the produce, the 2 OJ's, or the cheese.  That should tell you that the rest of the deals I got were either FREE or SUPER CHEAP!

You can click HERE and HERE to get a list of freebies or super cheap deals you can do if you have a Harris Teeter near you.  I'll show off my booty stash after I get back today=)

Fun Facts For Friday

Thursday is cleaning day for us.  Most of the time I get a head start on Wednesday evening.  I just can't help myself.  If I can get a few more hours of no crumbs on the bottom of my feet in the kitchen I must indulge, ha!  But, lately I've been intentionally trying to involve my kids in the things I do on a daily basis.  So yesterday, I did most of the house on my own except I gave Areyna and Zeke their own assignments.  Areyna thrives when asked to "help", especially when organizing and cleaning are involved.  I don't know where she gets that from:)  Zeke, well...bless his little heart...if we can get him to remember his one assigned task until it gets completed we are doing pretty good:)

Areyna cleans the toilets and sinks/counters in both of the bathrooms.  Then she was in charge of going around her room and putting anything away that did not belong.  The last task, she vacuumed her bedroom all by herself.

While she diligently worked on her tasks at hand, Zeke and I worked on his task (notice this is singular).  I asked him to pull out all the crap toys, clothes, hardened pizza crusts and stuffed animals out from under the boys bunk beds.  After he FINALLY finished we vacuumed his room together.  It was fun.  I think I'll make this a regular routine.

When I posted the update about our garden this week, little did I know that little pumpkins were on the verge of appearing.  When I went out to water the bales yesterday evening Rainy and I were pleasantly surprised to find 3 little pumpkins beginning to take shape!  It will only be a matter of time before a handful more will be seen!  I think I like the whole transformation stage of this gardening thing more than the thought of actually being able to eat the stuff!  How amazing is it to think that just one little seed can turn into plants like these?!

I have been determined to keep on top of my couponing!  I had slacked off so much and our grocery budget (which had become no budget at all!) was really being affected.  It has really paid off!  I've stuck to Harris Teeter deals, Aldi and CVS.  If I venture out any more than that I end up spending way to much money, no matter how good the deals seem to be.  Just to put it in perspective, we still have 5 days left for this pay period and I currently have $12 remaining in our grocery budget to go and get fresh produce on sale!  This is huge ya'll...I usually run our of grocery money during the first week of our two-week period.

And just to put a fire under you coupon slackers like me, check out what I only paid $3 at CVS!

*DISCLAIMER-I DO still cloth diaper, but I hate making total strangers, who don't cloth diaper, change a poopy CD as they curse me under their breathe, even though sometimes I totally forget...sorry:)  So, I still get diaper deals, on occasion.  Actually this is only the 3rd time I've bought diapers since we started cloth diapering (it's been a year-and-a-half ya'll!)

We are off to play a college retreat in Maryland this weekend!  My kids are eagerly waiting as we pack up the car so they can go see their cousins:)

Happy Friday ya'll!

Before You Go Judging

My SIL has had a lot on her plate, and with her husband out of the country I knew she could be running on empty.  There really isn't much I can help with, since I tend to be shadowed with 5 extra sets of little hands and feet, but I could take her little shadows with little hands and feet and let them come play with mine for a while:)

So I asked if I could steel her kids for a day.

Alethia loved having some other girls to play with, Rainy and Zeke LOVED being picked up by the multitude of children at the cross walk after school, Cai "wuvs Kaywis", and Jude had endless people wanting to push him up and down the hallways on his little car.  Which means that all the kids stayed occupied and content the majority of the time.

It was a win-win for everybody!

There was one downside...it was the end of the month and I was in desperate need of a grocery store run.

Here is where you are going to have the tendency to think: "Uh-uh, no she didn't!"

But my refrigerator and pantry weren't leaving me with much of an option.

With two of the kids in school I was down to 6.

Totally doable.

I got my coupons together and piled them all in the car to head to Harris Teeter.

After we got all situated in the car I decided that we had better lay down some ground rules that were going to have to occur in order for this trip to be successful:

1 - Cooperation

2 - Obedience

(and reiterating that Aunt Tasha ONLY gets what is on "the list")

BONUS rule: you have to eat one of those yummy sugar cookies after we have success!

If these rules were not obtained I told them it was going to be very hard to keep Matilda in check. (she likes to flick little naughty noses;)

We made our way into the store and handed out assignments.

Kayil wanted to push the big cart, and every couple of aisles we rotated Alethia, Cai and Karis. Cana pushed Jude and the food and helped me pick out the best produce:)

We had plenty of time, so we took our time.

It really was kinda fun.

AND I saved $81!!!!!!!!

So now you are are REALLY thinking "NO SHE DIDN'T", and maybe a few other things like, "how does she do it?" or "I can't even handle my own kids, and I only have two!" or a multitude of other self-esteem deflating things.

And I'm always about trying to keep perspective, so here is my mini sermon to us all:

I wanted to help my SIL and this was the ONE thing I could do.  It's only 8 kids.  People have way more and function just fine, right? I can totally do 8 for a day.  Besides, outings like this go way different when they aren't all your own kids (and if a couple of them are older than 3) and if you make a game out of it, and if it is just one time (it's not like I take kids with me to the grocery store every week).  It was only for a short period of time.  It's not like I do this every day.  And as for the grocery shopping outing, my friend Kelly put it quite perfectly when she said that maybe I just needed a challenge for the day.  It was a challenge, something different, something to accomplish and it got us all out of the house for a little fun.

Besides any of ya'll out there could totally do it too.  The key is to have plenty of time, realistic expectations, and try to make it fun!

PS - I took the picture to document for the memories.  Not to prove something.  I mean, if I ran a marathon or made it through a week with my husband out of town (I think of my sister whose husband lives in Afghanistan 6 months out of the year...she's my hero in this department!) you better believe I'd be documenting that too, ha!

So don't go judging me, or yourself for that matter.  It's all about perspective.  Besides, everybody is a winner on my blog!

Gardening The Soul

Our neighbors are an elderly couple named Ed and Lois.  They are so sweet and patient with our kids.  In fact, Zeke wanted to invite Ed over for a sleepover for his birthday a couple of years ago:)

Anyway, they are outside people.  In the spring/summer we often find Lois push-mowing around her beautifully kept flower gardens, we've found Ed up on ladders fixing gutters and shutters more than once and they know their stuff about how to keep plants alive, which is a rare thing in this house, ha!

Areyna came to me last week and asked if we could surprise Lois and plant some "pretty flowers" in her yard.  I tried to explain that that was a sweet thought, but Lois enjoyed being in the yard and taking care of her flowers and choosing where to plant them, so if we REALLY wanted to give her a gift, we could take her some flowers or seeds and she could plant them where she would want them.

That sufficed Areyna's giving spirit and we decided that we would do that this coming spring.  Then she said, "'cause Lois is good at keeping her garden alive and pretty.  Hers looks a little better than ours. We don't really do very good at keeping our garden alive.  But I guess Lois doesn't have lots of kids that get in her garden and mess stuff up."

Every bit of that is true!  Lois is a good gardener.  It always thrives and is beautiful.  It does always look better than ours.  We are most certainly NOT the talk of the town when it comes to gardening. And Lois does NOT have kids going in and out of her garden because it makes for a good "prison for the bad guys" or eating the not-quite-ripe produce:)

Sure, it may look good for a few weeks, but I'm pretty sure I just don't have that "green thumb" that everybody always talks about.

I think one of the keys to my gardening downfall is the fact that I know NOTHING about proper soil (or straw, in our case).  There are certain levels you are supposed to maintain to make the ground less hostile and more conducive for producing the desired fruit and vegetables.  You MUST prepare the soil in order for the seed to grow and the roots to take hold.  

If you don't prepare the soil you may begin to see some fruit for a time, but it will quickly die.  It simply won't last.  I can try and try to do the right thing but it will all fail miserably if the foundation hasn't been prepared.

Hosea was really onto something when he wrote this verse:

"Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, 

and break up your unplowed ground; 

for it is time to seek the LORD, 

until he comes and showers his righteousness on you."

Hosea 10:12

Sidenote: have you ever heard A.W. Tozer's sermon where he quotes this passage?  There is something about the conviction in his voice that gives me chills every time I hear it.

If we are truly seeking for life change we MUST prepare the soil of our hearts!  We can try and try to do the right things or think the right thoughts or say the right words, but it will all fall short if we have not handed the soil over to God to plow and break up.

So, yes, desire for change and pray for renewed outlook and healing, but first allow the God who heals and restores to break up the hard soil in our hearts to allow the seed of God to grow deep in our soul!

Colony Thoughts on Essential Oils - Part 1

Oh Essential oils.

The "magic" that is supposed to happen when applying these oils to different parts of the body sounds too good to be true.

But the more I learn about them

and the more my friends teach me about them

and the more I see the first-hand results from them

the deeper in I get.

I am FAR from an expert on them, and I don't think I'll ever know all that I need to know, but I am now a HUGE fan!

I've been getting lots of questions about them so I am going to answer some of the top questions I get in this edition of Colony Thoughts on Essential Oils.

What brand of oils do you use?

I mainly use Eden's Garden essential oils and LuSa Organics.  I have several friends who are DoTERRA representatives as well as several others who sell Young Living essential oils, which are also excellent oils as well.

I love the Eden's Garden Essential Oils.  Not only is it excellent quality but it is affordable.  Our family couldn't do essential oils using many of the other brands because they are so pricey.  That being said, you can often find oils much cheaper on Amazon, so I'm not just partial to the Eden's Garden brand, I'll look for the deals too!  

Let me know if you are interested in DoTERRA or Young Living and I'll put you in touch with a representative for those wonderful oils!

Which oils should I get?

The first oil I got was the LuSa Organics Sleeping Potion blend to help my overly active children calm down and sleep.  And, YES, it works!

After a while I began hearing more and more about the benefits of essential oils and started doing a little more research (and heeding the advice of super smart friends) and purchased Lavender, Lemon Peppermint and Tea Tree (Melaleuca).  I'd also suggest finding a "Four Thieves" blend from a trusted brand.

I have now slowly weeded out just about everything in our "medicine cabinet" and switched to the alternative essential oil "medicine".  I can't remember the last time I actually gave my kids medicine or even took them to the Dr. (hello NO co-pay!)  I take that back, I gave Jude some Pepto last week, but it didn't do much and switched to a ProBiotic and  then a peppermint/ginger blend for his terrible tummy. And after 4 days on this regiment I am happy to say that Jude's tummy is FINALLY back to normal!

Start simple and work your way up.  You don't need tons of oils for it to be beneficial!

How often do you use them?

Every day!

Literally!

And it only takes a few drops at a time!

I diffuse them throughout my house all day and I'm constantly rubbing something on somewhere, ha!

What do you use them for?

Literally everything.

Tummy aches

Motion sickness

Muscle aches

Headaches

Migraines

Stress

Odor/Scent

Gas/Bloating

Hormone balance

Anxiety

ADHD

Eczema

Washing off produce

Making homemade cleaners, skin care products, laundry detergent, etc.

Acne...

You name it, there's probably an oil for it!

What are your favorite blends?

These are some of the Eden's Garden blends I use, but you can find the equivalent of these in many other brands as well.

FOUR THIEVES ~ natural immunity booster

HEAD EASE ~ for headaches

RESTORATION ~ a digestive remedy for tummy issues (I just got this one and am excited to see how it works)

CLEANING ~ I make a lot of my own cleaning solutions with this.  I also like to diffuse it after I spent a long day of cleaning.

STRESS RELIEF ~ one of my absolute FAVORITES to diffuse throughout the day!

CALMING ~ calms nerves and mental stress

BREATHE EASIER ~ helps to combat cold and flu symptoms

EXHALE ~ helps with respiratory issues

PMS EASE ~ hormonal balance and easing PMS symptoms.  I diffuse this in my girls' room every night, ha!

PEST DEFY ~ to make my own bug repellant 

*I've heard WONDERS about Young Living's M-Grain for migraines as well!*

If I use essential oils will I stop getting sick?

Well, not exactly.  But they will help with prevention and aid in a quicker, more healthful recovery.  Added with proper eating exercise and chiropractic care your health will be drastically different!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had so much to write about that I decided I needed to divide it up into segments.  So make sure you come back for more information like recipes to make your own blends and switching out your own medicine cabinets!

DISCLAIMER: This information is based upon my own personal research, information, and experience:)  In fact, I have since (actually about 6 months after this post was written!) switched almost exclusively to Young Living Essential Oils.  I know that they are safe to ingest so I only use YL for my allergy blend that I ingest every day and for major medicinal purposes.

Meal Prep - a little motivation and a brand new system

Meals are one of my anxiety triggers.  I know, that sounds so silly, but I'm just being completely honest.  Trying to keep our pantry stocked and my family fed is a never ending process.  And then there is the trying-to-figure-out-what-to-eat-for-dinner question that always makes me feel panicky if I'm not prepared.

I grew up with a full-time working mama who made it a priority to feed us well.  We spend many nights eating crock-pot dinners in the teacher's lounge after a long day of school and activities.  She taught me to grocery shop in bulk and plan ahead.

And I was pretty good at it for a while.  I remember sitting on the front porch with my notebook and recipe box planning out our meals every month.  But then we kept adding kids and life just got in the way.  Feeding my family healthy home cooked meals is still a priority for me but I neglected to be proactive about it so it became a constant struggle and stressor.

So when my friend, Magan, posted a photo of her meal-prep day last month it triggered some pretty good motivation.  She is a full-time teacher, wife and mommy to two.  She HAS to be on top of her game in order to get her family fed and her budget in check.  Her post was just the motivation I needed to get my butt back into gear and figure out a new system for this large family that never seems to get full.

So with her fresh motivation and my mama's example I think I figured out something that will work for my family in this season.

1 - I grab my calendar, my computer (because Pinterest) and my menu board.

2 - I list out the next two weeks (that is all I can wrap my head around, plus our budget will only allow for 2-weeks worth of groceries at a time).  I write if it needs to be a quick fix or crock-pot night and then place the weekly traditional meals on my list so I know that those are already covered (i.e. homemade Pizza/Movie night)

3 - I only have a  handful of recipe cards that we use now because the internet has completely taken over.  But sometimes I find it's hard to find my favorite recipes.  This is where Pinterest comes in handy.  I create a board for the month's meals.  That way I know exactly where to go for my recipe each night and I only have to sift through a few to find it.  After I use it I move the recipe to my other folder for "Cooking Repeats" or nix it if we ended up feeding it to the chickens because it was a recipe #fail.  (but of course that NEVER happens, ahem).

4 - I write the meals in the appropriate slots on my calendar (with a note as to where the recipe is...cook book, card or Pinterest) and add the next weeks meals to my menu board for easy access.

5 - Next I get two grocery lists going.  One for the big trip to get the ingredients to put the meals together as much as possible beforehand, and then a list for the next week to get the final ingredients or produce we might need for sides that might not keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.

6 - Go shopping.

7 - Come home and do as much prep for each meal as I can.  That means prepping the meat, ziploc bagging up the ingredients to throw in a crockpot, mixing spices with the meat for swedish meatballs or prepping a side such as cole slaw.

So far this system has been a HUGE stress relief when it comes to dinner.  I KNOW what I'm making each night, I have the biggest prep work done and with minimal prep time during homework/piano lessons in the evening we have much happier hearts all around.

Just Because Summer Is Over Doesn't Mean The Reading Has To End

I just finished reading three great books over the last couple of weeks.

The first one was Fit To Burst by Rachel Jankovic.  I love everything Rachel writes.  She writes with such whit and ease.  Her chapters are short, easy to read and full of biblical truth and wisdom.  I always read her books so quickly because as soon as I finish a chapter I just want to get a glimpse at what the next one is about and don't realize I've been sucked in until I've completed another!

Next on the summer reading list was a book that was recommend by many friends and family around us called When Helping Hurts: how to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor...and yourself by: Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.  This book has been very controversial in the Christian circles.  I agree  with many of the ideas and principals they are seeking to form around the poverty stricken people in the world, but I did find myself disagreeing with some specific things that I feel are God-given convictions for me.  I certainly do not believe that the guidelines in this book are the ONLY ways of accomplishing ministry (sometimes ministry happens FAST and decisions have to be made quickly leaving no time to set up the "system" they believe is the best way to do things.  I also don't believe that all "help" needs guidelines and prerequisites.), but this book has been a great resource for us over the past several weeks.  Last month the Lord handed our family a life interruption.  Josh met a homeless mother and daughter who were about to spend another night in their car.  Josh called me and told me their situation and immediately God gave us both a peace about them coming to stay with us that night.  Over the next 4 weeks we lived life together as they made our living room their home.  We provided shelter, food, a loving family atmosphere (man was the accountability of ALWAYS having someone watching great for the patient tone of voice I'd been needing to work on with my kids) and the love of Christ as we walked alongside them to help find a solution for their situation.  I'm quite certain we didn't do everything right, I mean, we'd never been in this situation before, but I believe we did what the Lord had called us to do.  This book helped open our eyes to specific directions in this fragile relationship that we needed to take.  So I'd say, read with an open mind, but read none-the-less.

Lastly, my Squad (that would be TRIAD with 4 members, who asked another to be a part of it, then one moved to Uganda and another soon-to-be member moved into town leaving us with 6 and who wants to say Sextet, so we kept it Squad...I digress) and I read through Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson's Desperate.  Instead of telling you how awesome this book is and how much EVERY woman needs to read this book, no matter what stage of life she is in I'm just going to write down a few of my favorite quotables from the book.

"A wise woman is one who copies wise women."

"We need advocates, someone who goes to bat for you, who watches out for you and protects you.  That person is on your side and wants the best for you...Going at it alone is, without a doubt, one of the most common and effective strategies that Satan uses to discourage moms.  Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, 'But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.'"

"No matter how wonderful a man may be, he is not crafted by God to meet all of a woman's needs."

"Rules, laws and boxes tend to kill the soul when it comes to expectations of motherhood."

"Give yourself to them [your children] without rush...let them know that you are on their team; that you are for them and not against them; that you will forgive, always, just as the Father forgives."

"What other people think of our path is irrelevant."

"A happy mom, who is secure in herself and at ease in her life is a rare gift that children love and appreciate."

"Children do not thrive with authoritarian, perfectionistic parenting, because they can never live up to perfection. And neither can you."

"many have not understood that the home is a battlefield where sin and selfishness must be overcome, and that the taming, subduing, and civilizing of a home will be a woman's honor."

"I believe that if moms understood how strategic their roles were in this battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation, they would grow in excitement about the great job God created them to fulfill."

"Wrong expectations produce anger and depression."

And that's just within the first 4 chapters!

I've got another round of books going that I'll share with you when I complete.

Happy reading!