Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful readers....

Check out my gifts from my family... They definitely know me well!
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So with Mothers Day being tomorrow... Wrapping paper is on my mind. It can get REALLY expensive and although sometimes it is beautiful, in the end it will always be ripped up and thrown away.

Instead I buy the large roll of brown craft paper!! It's way less expensive and personally... Maybe because I love all things vintage... I find it more beautiful than most wrapping paper I've seen. Doll it up with stamps if you must but I love plain and simple... tied up with string just like the song. Typically I don't do the writing but there's going to be more than one mom around tomorrow so I need to write names on it but a small tag is way cuter... I was just in a hurry because my mom was going to walk in!

I have another secret on how to do this spending even LESS money... What you see above... Is actually a paper grocery bag!! Need some gift wrap? Ask for paper next time you go grocery shopping. I typically have reusable bags but any time I forget them (which I do a lot!) I always ask for paper! There are SO many ways paper bags can be utilized and my new favorite are brown paper packages tied up with string!
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"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at."
~Bruce Lee~
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So I've got lots of stuff going on right now which is keeping me pretty darn busy!!  I'm with family and attending graduations left and right!!  I just got an email letting me know that Weebly now has a mobile app which means I can post from my phone!!  Even still it's gonna be pretty hard to keep up this month but I will do my best!!! 

A quick few updates... I'm not doing the "no poo" currently but not because it wasn't working... it was working GREAT... but I had a large bottle of expensive, toxin free shampoo sitting there staring at me every time I did my no poo rinse.  SO... I decided to finish it up and more than likely I will continue the no poo once my shampoo is all gone.  Or I might even creating my own shampoo who knows!

Something funky is going on with my face and I'm not quite sure what the cause is... I'm breaking out a bit and getting rough patches on my cheeks and I think it is due to a new tinted moisturizer that I started using.  However... during the same time I was also using the oil cleansing method and using a calendula infused grape seed oil as a moisturizer.  SO... I've eliminated all three of those things and I've completely cleared up.  I'm gonna stick to cleansing with honey for now because I know it works and it's a lot quicker than doing the oil cleansing method.  I'll save the oil cleansing method for a deep clean once or twice a week.  I'm going to try using jojoba oil as suggested by Crunchy Betty for a moisturizer but there's a lotion recipe that I've been wanting to make that I think will be a great lotion from head to toe but I just have to get a few ingredients still.

So I'll update when I can!  Now that I have the Weebly mobile app I may make short and sweet updates more often!
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Seeing these little guys everywhere!
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The Ziploc Vacuum is now one of my new favorite things!!  I have wanted a vacuum sealer for quite some time now but I've avoided getting one because of their price.  Well... this weekend we did our grocery shopping for our month's menu and I wanted to try freezing some prep work (chopped up vegetables) as a lot of my friends do.  So I went ahead and bought some vegetables in bulk at Costco and then we went to Walmart for some other essentials and I went to go get some freezer bags knowing I was going to freeze some veggies.

Well on the bottom shelf this Ziploc Vacuum caught my eye!  I had not heard of it nor have I seen a single commercial for it.  I honestly have no idea how long it's even been out but because it was so inexpensive my husband suggested I give it a try because I was so excited about it.  So we brought it home and I immediately began chopping.  I cannot believe how easy using this thing is!!!  Take a look!
I chopped up my mushrooms...
Pulled out a bag... they look just a tiny bit different than the normal ones.
I put the mushrooms in the bag and sealed it like normal at the top.  Then you just put the little pump on the big blue circle and start pumping...
And Voila!  It sucked all the air out of the bags and the mushrooms were so tightly vacuum sealed... I couldn't imagine a machine doing any better!  Not to mention... you get a tiny workout!! :)

Now I'm not saying I don't still want a vacuum sealer one day... the reason I wanted one in the first place was because I saw an idea on Pinterest on how you put chopped up lettuce in jars and then vacuum seal them shut and the lettuce stays fresh and crisp WAY longer than normal.  So for that specific purpose I'd still like one but for everything else... this little hand pump works wonders!! 

I was concerned with the whole freezing in plastic so I DID do some research.  I could not find any red flags for doing so... especially when you're putting room temperature or slightly chilled items into the bags and not hot items.  Also... Ziploc is my go to brand because on each package they specifically state that their products are BPA free! 

So with this new method of mine I see a lot less work for me during the week when I begin dinner, a lot less middle of the week grocery runs for one or two fresh items that we need to complete dinner, and a lot less food being wasted!!! I LOVE it!!!
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Words to Ponder 04/15/2012
 
and forget not
that the earth
delights to feel
your bare feet
and the winds
long to play
with your hair

~kahlil gibran~
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Menu Planning 04/12/2012
 
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I've posted in the past about menu planning for your family... Well we are still doing it and it's working GREAT for us and saving quite a bit of money.  The way we do it is MUCH more simplified than I think the way most people do it.  We have a different meal for each day of the week and just continue that exact week throughout the whole month... So basically we what we have is the following:

Mondays 

Veggie Fajitas w/ Beans & Rice

Tuesdays

Veggie Tacos w/ Leftover Rice

Wednesdays

Black Bean & Caramelized Onion Quesadillas

Thursdays

Spaghetti w/ Salad and Bread

Fridays

PIZZA NIGHT!

Saturdays

Grilled Veggie Sandwiches w/ Chips & Baked Beans

Sundays

Mushroom Stroganoff w/ a Potato Dish
For the most part we've kept each month the same... which I know some people would consider somewhat boring but our goal is mainly saving money.  Month to month we may change a meal or two but for the most part we enjoy what we have planned out!  Another benefit to keeping the same meals week to week we can buy in bulk at Costco and things last well into two months most of the time with the occasional weekly trip to the store for the fresh ingredients.  Oh and on Fridays we usually make some yummy and sweet baked goods for weekend desserts.  This method works for us and we love it! 

However... if you want more variety I found this EXCELLENT blog where she not only plans an entire week of menus for you but she also gives you the shopping list for that week as well!!  When money is better for us to where we can change our menu on a weekly basis I'll definitely be using this method, although I will probably be throwing most of my own recipes in there.  For those of you who would do the same she has a cute printable to write out the week's menu and shopping list.  I haven't tried any yet but when we do decide to switch up a meal or two I'll probably look on her list of recipes to see what she has!  So here's the blog for those of you who just want all the planning done for you!  A great idea!  Oh... and on a side note... a friend of mine takes a couple of days (typically a weekend) and cooks up the weeks meals and freezes them.  This is very intriguing and I may try this after doing some more research! I'll definitely share with you if I do!
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Okay... I think I've finally come up with a schedule that will really works for my Lil' Man and I!  Let me first say that where I've gone wrong in the past I think is being too detailed.  Don't get me wrong... you'll notice my homemaker's schedule is quite detailed but it's not hour by hour... it's more by time blocks.  I found that if I scheduled out sections of the day it would be easier to follow.  For example... for the morning block, I know it starts with breakfast and whatever we do afterwards just has to be done and ready for the next block of time by 10:30.

I've also scheduled days of the week for certain activities or outings... leaving two days of the week free for any outings that come up such as playgroups or last minute errands.  I've also listed my night time routine which includes my shower.  I've found that if I shower at night, I can "prep" my hair in a way that makes it already styled when I wake up in the morning... Sometimes I put my hair in rollers and when I'm really feeling adventurous I'll do pin curls, but the easiest thing I do, which gives me great results is the sock bun! 

Something else I want to point out are the Ten Minute Cleanups... out of all the things that I've seen regarding cleaning schedules this one REALLY works for me.  I set my timer for ten minutes and I do everything as quickly as I can.  In order for this to work well for you... it might be necessary to do one real good deep clean on the house.  That way... the three ten minute cleanups a day will keep things tidy!  I'm still using FlyLady but I'm tweaking it a bit by adding the daily missions into my Ten Minute Cleanups... That way different parts of my house get their cleanups without me having to figure it out. 


Keep in mind... Even though I laid this out in detail... nothing is set in stone.  As a homemaker with children you have to do what you have to do when you have to do it.  For me... this is extremely helpful because I am a blue print type of gal and I need a schedule like this to look at and follow on a daily basis in order to be productive.  Otherwise I'll find myself sitting on the couch letting my Lil' Man watch tv as I surf the internet... yeah bad I know.  So it's necessary for me... but that doesn't mean if a day comes where things need to be switched up a bit that I say no way because I have a schedule to follow... no not at all.  I go with the flow and do what needs to be done... but for the typical, non-eventful, every day sort of day...it's the perfect guideline for me.  Not to mention I'm sure as time goes by I'll be switching a few things around... for example I'm planning on fitting going to the gym in there somewhere but I need to figure out more details on classes I want to take etc and figure out how to work those times into the schedule. 

When I first became a homemaker shortly after my son was born I was sort of left clueless on how to balance my day.  I searched and searched for a routine or schedule like this and was never able to find anything... So I hope that this helps someone.  You do not need to follow it to a T but if it helps you to organize your thoughts and create the perfect schedule for yourself then that will make me happy.  So here ya go... check out my Homemakers Daily Schedule and take what you need!
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