I thought that I’d take a moment to share a couple of new loves that I’ve discovered recently. New trinkets can sometimes make life easier and that is something that I am ALL for these days. However, I also like to keep things simple, so I try to only buy the basic necessities for operating and managing a home.

I love trying new things, don’t you? New recipes, new gadgets, new organizational tips, and lately, new foods. (I’m enjoying blaming it on the baby.) I also like to see and hear how it worked for others before I dole out the moolah. Perhaps you may feel the same way. If so, here’s my take on the following products. Enjoy.

Williams Sonoma

#1 Epicurean Pizza Cutter

I fell in love with this pizza cutter for many reasons. 1) Our old {cheap} one had rusted very badly and we needed a new one. 2) It is eco-friendly which I am thrilled about- all natural and/or recycled materials. 3) It will obviously not rust. Yay! 4) It is easy to store since is flat and easy to find due to its size. 5) It is more kid-friendly than traditional cutters which are very sharp. 6) And last, but certainly not least, it was made in the U.S.A. Yes, I love the red, white, and blue. It is a bit more expensive than the average pizza cutter but worth every penny in my book.

Target

#2 Room Essentials Y-Weave Plastic Storage Basket

The weave on this plastic storage bin makes this above and beyond ordinary bins. It gives detail and beauty while still offering  you the function and ease of a plastic bin.  I’m currently working on my “under the cabinet” areas (kitchen sink and bathrooms) and these are perfect for the task. I love the vibrant colors that you can choose from; however, I like the simplicity of the white in the kitchen. I may use something more cheery in the kids’ bathroom.

Method hand wash (Tomato Vine)

#3 Method All-Natural Cleaners

For some, the tomato vine scent may not be the one for them, but I love it. I am a huge tomato fan. Huge. Every time I wash my hands, it reminds me of the outdoors and harvesting a garden that I don’t (and usually never!) have. I guess that you could say that I find my green thumb/ garden fulfillment vicariously through this hand soap. Ha! Whenever I feel guilty about my lack of farming skills, I simply wash my hands. It washes away the guilt. Seriously, I love this stuff. Target has it for a little over $2.00. Not bad for an all natural, plant-based hand wash.

YummyEarth Organic Lollipops

#4 YummyEarth Organics: Organic Lollipops

This is a total splurge and treat for the kids…and truthfully, for me as well. As I mentioned,I don’t typically experience morning sickness, however sucking on one of these yummies can chase away any possible queasiness for me. We try our best not to have artificial flavors or colors in our foods and this certainly fits the bill. They are 100% vegan, peanut, gluten, soy, high fructose corn syrup, articical coloring and MSG free. YummyEarth lollipops are made with organic cane sugar juice and real fruit juices/extracts. They are incredible. I’ve linked to their website; however, a friend of ours from church bought these for us from TJ Maxx. I would imagine that their price would be cheaper than the website. I will definitely be frequenting TJ Maxx for these goodies in the future. Yes siree, I will never go back to dum-dums.

Target

#5 Glass storage containers

Hubs and I ditched plastic storage containers about two years ago and haven’t looked back. As my collection has grown over the months, I’ve fallen in love with storing in glass. I simply can’t get enough of them. I love seeing them all sparkly and clean in my cabinets, and also filled with delicious and colorful whole foods in our fridge. They can even make an otherwise grubby fridge interior look good. They’re magical, I tell you. I’m currently wanting to add these anchor glass containers for storing  snacks and such for the kids to my stash. They would be perfect for grabbing from the fridge for snack time.

So, what new things have you been enjoying lately? Any new products, snacks, and /or organizers to share?  I’d love to hear.

{I do not work with any of these companies or brands. I’m just sharing with you how much I honestly love these products. The opinions are 100% my own.}

XO,

Nothing.

The agony of waiting and straining my ears was heart wrenching. What if…..

But I then I heard it and my breath caught again. It was one of the sweetest sounds that life brings.

Thump, thump.

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I was once again in awe at the miracle of conception and the gift of life. I had learned about the fragility of pregnancy all too well last year with the loss of my “Angel Baby.”  Forget the fact that this is my sixth pregnancy, the first little thump of that tiny heart was precious beyond words. I had missed that moment with my miscarriage last February. I alternated between laughing with relief and crying with joy. My midwife had to keep finding the wee one since I was emotional and ahem, not lying still. She understood though. It was a blessed moment.

So yes, although my family has truly been sick off and on for the past two months, I was keeping this little secret from you. Taking care of ill family members, scrubbing out “sick” buckets on the back deck-in the dark, homeschooling, cooking and cleaning was just about all this extremely tired momma could handle.  The fear of miscarriage lingered in the back of my mind constantly. I’ve missed posting here terribly but did not want to jeopardize the new little one in any possible way. Blogging was on the back burner for a short time there and the basics of life was more than I could handle. Life can sometimes have very full moments and seasons, you know?

I am nearly 14 weeks along now and doing very well. The constant fatigue is still there but I’m managing. Eating lots of fruits and veggies, drinking water by the gallon, taking my prenatal vitamins and resting when I can (if at all!) seems to be helping. I’ve tried to enjoy and bask in every moment of every day with this little one, even the little discomforts of those early pregnancy symptoms. God is so good.

We have had the joy of sharing about our little blessing with family and friends this week as well as telling our own children. The munchkins were absolutely hysterical. It was a such a fun moment. There has been constant patting and rubbing of Mommy’s belly over the past few days. Love it.

{We’ve already heard a long list of name faves shared by our children…Dick and Sally seem to be top contenders by the kiddos. Perhaps a bit too much reading of their collection of Dick and Jane books over the years, I think. Ha!}

I’ll try to keep you updated on this amazing journey that I have been blessed to embark upon…yet again. Children are indeed a blessing from the Lord and we thank Him for every one of them:

Bunny, Fuzz, Zip, Pop, “Angel”, and  now,…our sweet little October baby.

Thanks for reading and for hanging in there with me.

]]> http://www.thriftystories.com/2013/04/thump-thump-2/feed/ 10 http://www.thriftystories.com/2013/04/thump-thump/ http://www.thriftystories.com/2013/04/thump-thump/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:23:53 +0000 Heather http://www.thriftystories.com/?p=2755

I am still here. Thank you guys for your questions and concerns over my absence on the ol’ blog for the past few weeks.

Can we just say the word sickness and be done with it? We’ve just about had it all in recent days. Here I was patting myself on the back for making it through the winter with little to no sickness. This is, or I should say”would have been”, a remarkable feat with four small children- two of which suck their thumb/fingers. Sucking can be so sweet in little tots, but it also serves as a wide open front door-with a welcome mat- for germs.

I’m hoping to bid a fond farewell to chills, vomiting, headaches, pink eye, sore throats, runny noses, coughs, fevers, and the pink eye again. Multiply all of this by four (and sadly some of them by six) and I’d dare say that we’ve had our turn of running sick bay.

Since the onset of our family being sick and also attending revival services at our church was simply too easy {rolls eyes}, we decided to make life more interesting and rip out all of our carpet in the main living areas.  Why now, you ask? Scrubbing puke out of the carpet and disinfecting everything in sight to contain the pink eye to only two family members in addition to keeping up the house, laundry, and cooking made life mundane and average.  By the way, what are the chances, when you pull out over half of the carpet in your house, that your child still manages to get sick on the carpet that you’re planning on keeping?  Evidently, the odds are very high at our house.

Yes, it was definitely a “wild hair” moment, but well worth it.  After two weeks of the living room in the kitchen and vice versa, life is beginning to settle back down. And so is the dust from construction. *sigh*

I’m really not complaining though. I love our new flooring-even though it’s not quite finished.  Hubs and I still need to replace some of the baseboards and put in the quarter round and transition strips leading into the bedrooms/bathrooms. I can nearly cross this project off our Home Goals 2013 list.

So how are you guys faring through germ season? Holding it at bay? If yes, please share your secret. I, for one, would love to know.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Perhaps I should be scared- the whole terrible two thing, ya know? But I’m not sweating yet. Day one and we’re doing well. =)

We also had two little boys that spent the night and day with us. Let me tell you, their presence was birthday present enough for Pop. He nearly went berserk when he saw them come in last night. He’s been all rough and tough, grunts and low manly voice all day long. He makes me laugh.

Call me crazy, but we did school today while having company. And I thought that homeschooling was somewhat challenging with just my four. Two more kiddos really rounded out my teacher’s hat well. After lunch, I had another “wild hair” moment and took the six munchkins to our local library. Nine, eight, six, five, three and the new “two” went skipping into the building ahead of me. They actually did remarkably well in this quiet zone. I was relieved.

We are now settling in for the night with just our family. The house is quiet once again. It’s nice.

I thought that I’d take a minute to share with you the organizational project that I squeezed in this morning. Lest you think that I’m super woman, it was extremely easy. I had planned this little job knowing that I’d be busy with childcare and would need something simple.

It was definitely a needed task.

See the goo? A spray bottle of commercial hairspray leaked out and I cannot get it to come up. I need to try hot water. Vinegar is not cutting it. My homemade hairspray would have cleaned up fabulously-love that simple, natural stuff.

While I was out shopping this week, I grabbed a roll of drawer liner at Target. I loved the swirl pattern of this design.

It was quick to just snip and insert.  This is a non-adhesive liner which made it a cinch to apply and will not leave any possible sticky residue. Simply measure, cut along the lines on the back of the liner, and lay it down.

I had picked up these baskets to keep our toothbrushes, floss, and toothpaste clean and sanitary. They were three for $1.00. This is our top drawer in our bathroom. We chose this for our own ease and also to keep little hands out of our oral care stuff. Unfortunately, our kiddos are tall like us and can easily reach in and pilfer through our things. Yes, sometimes brushing my teeth everyday is a step of faith. I close my eyes (and my mind to possible childish naughtiness) and fervently hope for the best. Bet that you didn’t know that personal hygiene could be so risky?! -ha!

I’m finishing up the rest of the drawers and will be moving onto under the cabinet storage next week. I’m excited. Over the past winter, I’ve gotten rid of a lot of bottles and extra stuff. It has not only made my life much simpler but also made keeping the bathroom organized and tidy so much easier.

Did you get your master closet organized? Mine is pretty much finished and I’m thrilled. Walking inside is a pleasure now. I still need to take pictures. Those are coming soon.

Let’s get that bathroom looking pretty now, starting with your cabinet drawers. Pick out a liner that will make you smile and baskets that will hold clutter at bay.

Do you use drawer liners in your house? Love them or hate them? Ever brush your teeth in fear? Tell me what you think.

Have a great weekend.

That makes us a good match, right? Fellow starch fans.

Russet potatoes are my absolute favorite, but I don’t mind the others. Truly I don’t. Gold, red, and white are really just as delicious.

Yes, the early 1870s was a good time in American history. Not only was the devastating Civil War over, but the russet potato was developed in Massachusetts. It would become the leading potato crop for the United States, P.E.I. and New Brunswick, Canada. It would also be a tremendous economical discovery for both countries.

I, for one, am thankful for its discovery. =)

A couple weeks ago, I was given several enormous baked potatoes that were left over from our ladies Bible study. This was under the assumption that I had a good use for three and a half leftover potatoes. Did I ever! I had tried the most delicious recipe a few weeks before that required baked potatoes. Possessing those foil clad delicacies made my heart extremely happy. I may have gone humming and skipping out the door.

Upon arriving home, I made the mistake of telling Hubs that I had them and nearly lost one to his potato loving appetite. Shameful, I know. I withheld food, potatoes no less, from a hungry man. I am despicable.

He forgave me a few days later.

I made a huge pot of this wonderful, starchy goodness: Baked Potato Soup.

Perhaps you’ve already made this recipe, or one similar, before, but I had not.

I was in love.

It was creamy, bursting with flavor, and deliciously filling.

I found the original recipe here.

I love being able to take leftovers and create an entirely new, delicious meal. Using leftover baked potatoes is not only extremely frugal but also makes prep time a snap.

The green onions make the dish, in my opinion. However, I love onions in most dishes. They bring just the right amount of flavor without overpowering the potato. Perfection at its finest.

The crumbled bacon made Fuzz satisfied. The girl loves meat. If you are serving a hot breakfast, she’ll request and happily devour bacon, ham, and sausage. She’s been known to snitch the last piece of venison steak as well. A more carnivorous child you have never met.

The bacon, cheese, green onions, and sour cream do truly make the dish taste like a baked potato. A liquid baked potato on a spoon. Mmmm.

Yes, one bite and all was forgiven.

My friend, Winnie, pretty much pegged my husband with this quote:

And that, my friends, is my hubs.

Anyone else LOVE potatoes? Have you been eating soup like it’s going out of style? What do you cook for comfort? Or for peace offerings? Share and make my day. I love to hear from you. If you’d like a simple potato soup recipe, try this one.

Thanks for reading.

I first met my future husband in the fall of 2000, but in reality, our love story began long before that fall Sunday morning. Let’s rewind back several years- ok, make that at least seven years before.

It all honesty, it started even before my thirteenth year. Parents begin training their children and preparing them for life at infancy. Nurturing your child’s heart and life is a precious and tremendous responsibility and it is never too soon to begin. Such was the case in my life, however, it was in 1994 that I began to take a personal interest in matters of the heart. So for the sake of this mini-series, I will start there, 1994. My newfound interest in the matters of love was not in a way that one might think. As a new, and might I add, normal teenage girl, I was beginning to notice boys.

Typical girl, I know.

You see, I was raised in a Christian home where Dad and Mom loved each other and it was obvious to all five of their children. It cultivated a desire down in the depths of my romantic, teenage heart to one day find a man like Daddy and to have a love-filled marriage like theirs.

It would be years, however, before I had my first date.

To some, that first date would be the beginning of their love story, the moment it all began. But for me, this was simply not true. I took that first step in my love story seven years before I ever took that literal step on my first date. It began on my knees instead of my feet.

I prayed for my future husband, whoever and wherever he might be, for seven years. Many, many girlish, albeit fervent, prayers were whispered into my pillow during the mid to late 1990s. “Dear God, please watch over my husband tonight. Keep him safe from harm tomorrow, help him protect and keep his heart and life pure.”…..nearly asleep I’d often add, “….and  please, Lord, let him be tall.”

Yes. I poured my heart out, big and small.

When I entered Bible college in the fall of 2000, my family and I attended church together one last time before they traveled back home. It was there that I noticed him, for the first time.

He sat in the choir loft with the rest of the single college guys. He was tall, dark, and handsome.

Even from my spot on the front pew, I noticed his wavy, brown hair and chocolate-brown eyes.  My heart definitely skipped a beat.

And for me, it was love at first sight.

Hmmm….wonder who he is?  I thought to myself.

___________________________________

 …to be continued…..

Thanks for reading.

I grew up in a double wide located on a ten-acre, wooded, West Virginian hillside. My parents, two sisters, two brothers, and I were as snug as a bug in rug. Life was at times crowded, that’s for sure, but we were happy.

The bedroom that I shared with my sisters was small. If I had to guess, I would say that it was 8 x 10. We had room for a bunkbed. a twin bed, a four drawer dresser, and nothing more. Some of you may be thinking, wow, where did you put everything?  Well, we shared as much clothing as three differing sisters could. Not an easy task with the three of us reaching the varying heights of 5’3″, 5’7″, and 6’0″. We learned to store things,…everywhere. No space was wasted. Under the beds as well as our closet was packed. I did not realize it at the time, but it was preparing me for my future.

When I got married, Hubs and I lived in a cozy, little one bedroom apartment that was simply perfect for newlyweds. In true Goldilocks fashion, it was just right. Not too big and not too small.

Then we bought our first home and let me tell you, we just about rattled around inside its 2200 square footage. It also had a full attic and basement-although neither was finished living space, but together they yielded an additional 1700 square feet of storage. Add another enclosed side porch that was about 6 x 12 and yes, we had tons of room to spread out. It was almost too big for us, but we brought home two pink bundles over the next several years and we were starting to fill it up all of the bedrooms. It was lovingly dubbed our Mansion on White Street. To some standards, it was a far cry from mansion requirements, but to me, it felt enormous and elegant with it’s 10 foot ceilings in every blessed room. *sigh* It was an old farmhouse in need of much TLC with a ton of potential, loads of character and a place to call home for five years.

We bought our second home when we moved south due to my husband’s job. We traded our old mansion from the north for a new cottage in the south. We’ve added two more bundles over the past four years, one pink and one blue, filling our 1500 square foot dwelling rather {ahem} nicely.We have stuff everywhere. I try to tell myself that we are just blessed, and while we are, it’s become more than mere blessings. Sometimes we’re simply hoarders. Pack rats, if you will.

During one’s years of marriage or lifetime, you collect things, often at an alarming rate. Unbeknownst to us, we sometimes fail to notice the paraphernalia of the years. Then one day it hits you, perhaps literally. You are no longer the master of your home, your belongings now possess you. They require time and effort to have them.

We have too much stuff and our closet confirms it.  Yes, today’s S.O.S. project for the weekend is dealing with closet organization. The following picture is kind. Our closet has looked much, much worse.

You see, our first home was old and lacked closet space. {I still loved it.} That was to be expected from a home built in 1860. Very old home, I tell you. Our new home had a number of spacious closets though. When I first browsed through it’s floor plan, I was thrilled to find a big closet in the master suite. Not just a big closet, but a walk-in one.

A walk-in closet, people.

Don’t pinch me, please.

During my lifetime of Goldilock homes, walk-in closets were an elusive luxury. I found it hard to believe that I would now have one of my very own. {squeal} Ok, maybe not all my own, but mine none the less. I can share.

Can I just say this for the record? Walk-in closets can create new dilemmas. You can fit a ton more in there than in an average closet. Not always a good thing. Organization and clutter control can go down hill in a hurry. In reality, it’s really another room to maintain.

Yikes. That pinch finally happened-four years later. My lifelong walk-in daydream has finally ended and the harsh reality has set in. Here’s what I’m left with: Walk-in closets are a lot of work, especially when you’ve gathered a bunch of things from your different homes.

So as of today, I’m declaring war on closets, specifically those of the walk-in nature.

I’m taking back possession.

Over nearly a decade of marriage, I’ve now seen it all- too small, too big and just right. Did the just right feeling stem from the newly acquired marital bliss? Perhaps. More than likely it was due to the fact that we were as poor as church mice when we got married and owned very little. Was the Mansion on White Street really too big or was it just perfect for new and growing family? Maybe it was both. Huge homes can certainly have their pros and cons.{Today, I will admit, I am missing the space for my wild youngsters to play.} Is our current cottage truly too small or have we simply accumulated too much clutter? Again, I could say yes to both reasons.

Homes are what you make of them and the same could be said of closets. Regardless of size, I’m aiming for that just right feeling again. Care to join me?

Let the War on Closets begin. (Week #1 of organizing)

Here’s the plan of attack:

• Clean light fixture
• Dust for cobwebs {yes, we all have them}
• Wipe down walls
• Sort items into keep, donate, sell, discard piles
• Dust/clean closet shelving
• Organize into sections, baskets, etc.
• Beautify it in some way to inspire you to keep it clean {that’s my hope anyways}

I’ve done all but the last two and it already has improved. I mean, like we can actually walk in again. A novel idea. I will have to finish mine this weekend and share the improvements with you next week. =)

Hope that your weekend is wonderful.

Thanks for reading,

{A. K. A. Goldilocks}

How simple is that?!

Today was a day dedicated to recovery, school, laundry, and recovery. Did I mention recovery??? Oh, okay.

Hubs and I had a very laid back weekend, but not in the sense that one might take it. We spent it flat on our backs, sliding down a slippery slope at WinterPlace ski resort, West Virginia. Sadly, no, we were not tubing. We were skiing.

Ouch.

It was quite shameful the number of times that I fell down. Pathetic, actually.

If there ever was a time that I needed a craft that required very limited movement, little muscle, and weighed almost nothing, today was the day.

Valentine’s day is just a few days away and I needed some “lovey-dovey” in our home. I rummaged around in my craft stash and found exactly what I was looking forward: fuschia yarn and glitter hearts. The yarn was from an old “white elephant” gift wrap and the glitter hearts were confetti from previous years. Woven together, they would make a cute garland.

I didn’t measure anything. I quickly cut a length of yarn and folded it in half to find the center. After arranging eleven hearts in a pattern, I picked up the middle glitter heart and slid it to the center of the yarn. Using two fingers, I created a loop from which heart could dangle freely.

It was a swift and painless project.

I love it. It was free. The cheery hearts make me smile.

You want to reach out to shake the pretty hearts on the string, making them sparkle in the lights. After all, what girl doesn’t love glitter and shimmer?

Then you remember. Your arm hurts.

Word from the wise: Learn to ski before 30.

So, did you have a good weekend? Do you decorate for Valentine’s day? Know how to ski?  Tell me. Help take my mind off of my sore muscles and bruised ego.

Happy Monday.

I let you down Monday and last Friday with my acronym series. I truly am sorry. My husband and I are transitioning into some new roles with his job {our church} and I am still sorting through my responsibilities in all of it. I’m trying to find the proper balance and schedule, so bear with me.

We are incredibly busy, but very happy and blessed. And that’s a good feeling, right?

______________________________

Anyway, last Thursday, Hubs and I had our 3T Evening {Time Together Thursday}. We had it all planned out and put the kids in bed early. The agenda for the evening was exercise and homemade smoothies. I had found a really delicious recipe that I wanted to try out. Just between you and me, I really just wanted to play with another new toy that I’d received for Christmas: my Ninja pulse blender.

The evening was totally about the smoothies and not the exercising. =)

I innocently suggested to my husband that he take the first round of exercising on our Xbox. I thought that I would make the smoothies while he began a grueling workout and then I would exercise. I was being kind. Others first was drilled into me as a kid.

He was huffing and puffing. The YourShape can be fierce. If you even try to step away, the machine will ask you where you are going. The Xbox lady is relentless, I tell you.

While he was sweating and groaning, I was mixing up the best. smoothies. ever. How could anything that is this easy taste so delicious? I found the original recipe here and tweaked it just a bit.

I was just finishing the smoothies when the power went out. Complete and utter darkness. Hubs quickly grabbed a big ol’ flashlight and went around lighting candles throughout the house. He gave me one in the kitchen so I could serve up our icy, fruity goodness into glasses.. The electricity going out could not have been timed better- in more ways than one.

After giving little LED tea lights to our girls- who were freaking out over the absence of their nightlight, we settled down with our cold treats.

Scrumptious. Truly it was.

It was like sipping raspberry sherbet through a straw.  Mmmmm-mmmm.

*sigh* I think that it was my favorite 3T time thus far. No lights, no TV, no internet, no computer work, nothing. Just listening to the voice of your sweetie intermingled with the occasional sounds of slurping. Smoothies in the dark = relaxing evening.

Perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that I never took my turn dueling with the vicious Xbox lady. I typically have evil thoughts of the woman as she’s pushing my body through necessary pain and contortions. The fact that it’s really just a voice on a machine never fully registers during my workout. At that point, reality slips away and she’s merely a relentless lady who is oblivious to my current affliction.  Sadly, no pain, no gain is not always a happy, motivating thought as I’m in physical agony and short of breath.

Not so on Thursday.

My mind {and body} were at peace. I totally enjoyed sipping my frozen treat in the flickering candlelight, chatting with Hubs. Whose idea was it to exercise anyways?

Oh yeah. That would be me, I guess.

Sitting in the dark, however, made you focus more on the pure deliciousness of the blend of the smoothie in your hand. It was tart,tangy, and sweetness all wrapped up in one frosty glass. I added 3-4 Tbsp of sugar to cancel out some of the tartness of the orange and raspberry to make my sweet tooth happy. For me, it created the perfect balance for the smoothie. You may just enjoy it with the fruit, OJ and yogurt. Natural goodness, so to speak. All in all, it was a wonderful evening together.

Hmmmm…I wonder if Hubs ever realized that I never had my turn sweating through YourShape.

Shhhhh. Don’t tell him, ok? Remember, I just shared this awesome recipe with you in exchange for your silence.

Enjoy. =)

So what have you been up to over the past few days? Make a commitment to exercise this year? Are you keeping up with it? Ever have a power outage work in your favor? Or we could forget about the necessary evil {a.k.a. exercising} and just talk smoothies. What fruity concoctions do you blend together? Share. I’d love to hear.