My Siblings

Though I would share a photo of my siblings. This is my brother and my two sisters, they are 9, 8 and 6 years older than me. Yes, I am the baby. They seem to think I was spoiled, I remember differently. I am second from the right, but I didn't have to tell you that did I? It is so obvious who the youngest one is.

Being a Yes Mom

This summer has been unbearably hot. If you are outside for any amount of time and are not in a pool, then you are sticky, sweaty and cranky. The kids have been begging all summer to go to the local "castle" park. But with the heat, I had no desire to go.

Today however, it was only 80 degrees and zero humidity. Perfect weather. So after we ran a couple of errands, I treated them to McDonalds and we took it to the park for a picnic and then spent the next couple of hours playing on the playsets!

Being a yes mom definately works for me.

Wow, I need to work on my posture! This is right as we were leaving. Little man was getting tired.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Delicious Egg and Dairy Free Pancakes

I have been searching for a pancake recipe that we would all eat. In the past, I have always made a store bought mix and then a baking mix from the health food store that was egg and dairy free. I kept thinking I needed to find a recipe that I could make for everyone.

Well, I have found it, after a little tweaking with the multiple recipes that I have found. I combined them and came up with one that we all love.

I made 12 pancakes for my 4 kids, thinking I could freeze a few after breakfast. While there wasn't as much left as I expected, I was able to freeze 4 for another time.

Here is the recipe.

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 T butter (melted)

1 1/2 cup water

2 T soy flour and 2 T water

Mix all together in bowl. I cooked on a non stick skillet with some Pam spray. However, they tend to burn easily so make sure you burner is on low-medium.

Enjoy.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Weight Watchers Update

(okay for the record, my hair did not look that bad that night, I am in a holding pattern of deciding if I should grow my bangs out, get it highlighted, get it cut, not sure but I don't like this look that is for sure)

This is me and my family at a wedding over the weeend. Yes, the photo turned out goofy, but I still love it, it is the only one that my baby was actually looking at the camera. And yes, we are a very tall family. My oldest daughter is only 10 and is 5 ' 2", they my other daughter is 7, the stinker is 5 and the boy who loves giving me morning gifts is 15 months old.

Okay back to the point, I posted this photo for you all to see, I have lost 25 pounds so far! I am super excited and have never felt better. I feel confident that I can lose the remaining 15 with ease considerable work. Considering I just started this the first week of May.

One thing I did notice is that I need to start upping my arm weights, and of course figure out what to do with my hair!

Menu Plan Monday, Week of June 27

So, this week we finally have nothing. Don’t you just love how that sounds?


Nothing.

And I plan on spending that time swimming, crossing off some items on my to-do list, and reading. And I plan on doing every bit of it with the kids. I love days where I can spend time just hanging with my kids.

This is what we have planned this week:

Breakfasts: simply sweet corn muffins, egg-free and dairy-free pancakes (I will share the recipe soon!), cold cereal and fruit

Lunches: leftovers, Spanish rice and watermelon, packed lunch at the zoo!

Dinners: grilled pork loin with roasted potatoes, spaghetti with homemade garlic bread, chicken stir-fry, (the rest will come from the meat I find at the store tonight, I am out of almost all my meat!)

Funny story: do you ever have recipes memorized so that you never actually get out the recipe? Well Sunday morning I made homemade French bread so that I could make garlic bread. However, when I got them out of the oven, they were brown, dried and deflated. I couldn’t figure out what I had done. Later on, I decided to try again, since I let my Kitchen-Aide mixer do all the work, it is no big deal. So I got out my recipe to make sure I made it correctly. I noticed the problem immediately. I was supposed to bake it for 25-30 minutes, not the 60 minutes that I baked it for! So that went in the trash, you could have used them as baseball bats!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Mondays.

Super Saver Saturday

I have discovered Costco! For years we had a Sam's card, but just let it run out last year and expire. I have been reading alot lately that Costco has been rated the number one discount store and alot of their store "Kirkland" brands are very competive with the store brands, if not rated better!

I found some very good deals but two that I had to jump on was this:

See those cans? The Tomato Puree is 5 lb 10 ounces for $2.79 and the Diced tomatoes was 6 lb 6 ounces for $2.85. I used half of each to make Vinnies spaghettis sauce and then I froze the other half of each. What an awesome price, you seriously cannot beat that!

What deals did you find this week?

This post is linked to Super Saver Saturday.

Little Boys

NOTICE: Those of you with sensitive stomachs may not want to read further.

You have to understand that my first three children are girls. And yes, even though I have been raising this little stinker. I still feel ill equipped to deal with this.

Look closely at the photo. No I didn't give him a cupcake with chocolate icing to eat in his crib. That my friends is POOP!

For the last three days he has decided to do unmentionable things in his crib in the morning.

First, on Tuesday, I went in tho him giggling thinking "how cute, he is playing by himself" only to find he had pulled down his diaper so that he could pee on everything and was laughing as it was squirting down his legs and spraying the blankets, pillow, railings and wall.

They yesterday I woke up to him holding his diaper out for me to see. To see the poop that was stuck to it and almost falling out.

This morning's gift got even more creative. Yes, he decided that poop indeed is good for the complexion as he smeared it on his face. It was under his fingernails, all over his hands, the railings, the linens. Every where except amazingly his two stuffed bears that he sleeps with.

So while I dreamed of leisurely waking up to some hot tea and my blog. Instead I had to bath him and remove the poo (of course he started peeing in the water the second his feet hit the bath). Then I had to drain the water, since it was full of, well you know. Then I had to refill it and bath him to make him actually clean. Once that was done, I took him to his port-a-crib that we keep up in the main room, put him in there with his sippy cup while I tackled his bed!

So I am finally drinking my tea and eating breakfast. Who knew that the girl who once almost vomited becuase her nephew sneezed birthday cake out his nose could not be knee deep in poop one minute and eating breakfast the next.

So, moms out there with boys, thanks for the warning! Boys in fact are different than raising girls. I wonder what gifts he has in store for me tomorrow.

And yes, I will be looking for some iron clad pajamas today! And sorry about the graphic detail, but I did indeed give you a warning.

This post is linked to The Finer Things.

Body Image

I posted here about joining Weight Watchers. And I am doing pretty good. To date I have lost 22 pounds, so I am a little over halfway to my goal weight. I picked my goal weight based on what is considered healthy. Ever since the birth of my fourth baby, I have been struggling with high blood pressure, I am hoping that by losing weight it would reduce my need for medication. I also had become uncomfortable in my own skin. I would look at photos of myself and think, who is that old, heavy woman? Well it was me!

Some background info for those that don't know. I am tall, 5 ft 11 inches to be exact. When I was little (up to when I was in junior high), the neighborhood kids used to tease me and call me "stork" because I was so skinny I had bird legs. You know what those look like? Skinny, skinny legs where your knees are knobby and are bigger than the rest of your leg. When I was a kid, I hated to wear sandals with my shorts, I would wear big thick socks and gym shoes, thinking they made my legs look less skinny. I remember I used to pray to God that he would give me normal legs.

Then as I started to "develop" my hips took all my growth hormone my chest however is still sadly lacking. My sister and I are convinced that our hips wouldn't look so big if our chest was bigger, it would balance things out. My grandma used to tell me I had "birthing hips" and that someday my hips would come in handy.

Well guess what, grandma was right. Turns out that being this tall and having monster birthing hips really is a good thing. Where most of my friends had to push forever, I think the most I had to with my first was 5 times, then with each one it became less and less. Then finally, I think my 4th one just slid out. Good thing too, since it was a natural childbirth (no, not by choice) and he weighed in at 8 lbs 13 ounces. Thankfully much smaller than the 10 pound boy they were predicting.

Any-hoo, I love being pregnant. I love every minute of it, including the birth. I mean, I can't think of another reason you actually go into the hospital and come out with a precious gift. However, pregnancy has NOT been kind to my body. I have so many stretch marks that quite honestly I would have to wear a turtleneckini bathing suit. You know how they have tankini's? Well I would need one of those, but with a turtleneck attached. I have some areas of my belly that very much resemble Freddy Krugers face. You know, the guy from Nightmare on Elm Street.

The only time I have breasts are when I am pregnant. So after 4 kids, they have turned into little deflated balloons. Thankfully there are wonderful bra's out there to hide these imperfections.

Not to mention, I am 37 and varicose veins very much run in my family. I am starting to have those, ever so slightly, but they are there. Soon I won't need built in navigation in my vehicle. I will simply use a ball point pen and keep track on my legs.

So clearly I don't have alot to work with when it comes to my body. But somewhere in the back of my brain I had delusions that as I lost the weight, all of those problems would go away. Um, really? Did I have a fifth of Jack for breakfast? If anyone knows about weight loss, it is that when you lose weight, the skin becomes even more loose, as there is no fluff to fill it in. But I am exercising, so some of my "fluff" (as my kids call it) is being replaced with muscle.

Although it seems that no matter how many crunches I do, six pack abs just aren't in the cards for me. Nor is a bikini, not in my non dreaming hours anyway. I once had a co-worker tell me that moms are supposed to be squishy. I will never forget that profound statement. That is so true, how else are you going to hug your babies and comfort them, if you don't have a little fluff? I don't remember how awesome my mom looked in a bathing suit, but I do remember how her hugs used to make me feel so safe and loved.

I have earned those battle scars, there is a reason that we have the babies. We are made for this job. And I for one, wouldn't trade my four kids for anything. Not even an awesome bikini body. After all, life is about enjoying it and being able to laugh at your self.

So I will be excited with my weight loss, as I have been working really hard at it. But I will give myself some slack if for the rest of my life when I run, I have jiggly things moving, hey I'm trying right? Or if even after I reach my weight goal, my kids can still play the game where they stick their finger into my belly and it disappears. I never get tired of that one. After all, I earned those. It is what makes me a mom.

Now if you'll excuse me,  my 15 month old is hiding in the pantry trying to eat some potato chips. Little does he know that sound travels.

I Used to be Cool

Back in the day, I actually dressed cool. I would combine articles of clothes that were hip/artsy and cool. I went to an art college and have a fine art degree for crying out loud.

Then somewhere between college and having 4 babies I have found myself in the mom rut. My coolness cup is empty. I am trying to find that again and working on my weight loss goal (I have lost 22 pounds so far) has inspired me.

This lady at The Pleated Poppy dresses so cool! Her coolness cup runneth over! She does this post where she takes photos of her outfits every week and it is called What I Wore Wednesday. I want to dress like her when I grow up.

However I pose a question. Am I too old to be wearing funky clothes? Or are you ever too old for that? I am 37, so you tell me.

So, in honor of Works for Me Wednesday, stepping out of my comfort zone, literally, definately works for me.

Tackle It Tuesday

Since I cleaned out my van last night, I decided to post a Tackle it Tuesday.

Am I the only one who, after soccer season is over, has a car full of empty water bottles, empty snack bags and crumbs, grass and dried dirt on the floor?

I couldn't take it anymore and it had rained this afternoon and the humidity had dropped some. So I went out and started to clean. Then I had a brilliant idea, I made my older two (who were the only ones awake at the time) help me clean.

I have put a ban on food in the van. Does anyone else do this? Part of me thinks, get over it, this is a family car, it is going to get dirty. But the other part is, the kids should not be this messy and absentminded with my van.

So I am interested if anyone has banned food and drinks in their car. Just curious.

Here are the after photos, honestly I was too embarrassed about the before photos. I think I had half a box of Fruit Loops on the floor of my van.

This post is linked to Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Favorite Frugal Book

This past Christmas my husband bought me a book. He thought he was buying me a new book, as it showed up on Amazon when he was ordering another book for me. Turns out it is the same book I already owned.




However this book has been updated to include prices of today. This book has been read, hilighted and dogeared to many times. My first book is falling apart, and now I have a new one!
 
In 2005 when I first bought this book and started looking into living a bit more frugally, I could not put it down. I read it cover to cover. Then I read it cover to cover again, highlighting everything that I thought was a good tip.
 
This book has so many tips in it, even though it was originally written in the 1990's it is still applicable today. Like I said she went back and updated it so that it is current with the day.
 
Tips on saving money at the grocery store, cooking, baking, and entertaining kids. She has something she calls her eleven guidelines. You have to read it, it is my all time favorite frugal book.

Father's Day

This is my dad with my youngest when he was about 4 months old.

My dad is a man of few words. He is a lay low and take it all in kind of guy. He is very much a man of God. I don't know of anyone else who spends as much time with the word of God than my dad does. He is probably one of the smartest men I know, yet he didn't go to college. He simply has lived life and was never afraid to ask questions. He is absolutely the hardest working man I have ever known and my dad can fix any engine and knows about any home project there is. Growing up I thought my dad was hard to please, thinking there was no way I could live up to his expectations.

Now that I am an adult, I still look back and think my dad was hard. However, I look at it a bit differently. I appreciate it now because it has turned me into the hardworking and honest person I am today. While I do not posess his wisdom, I am smart enough to ponder his words of wisdom. Oh and for the record, my dad has turned into a big softy. You should see him with the grand kids. And who knew that as a 37 year old, you never get tired of your dad telling you how proud they are of you or that they love you.

I love talking with my dad. We will discuss all kinds of issues of today. Very recently we were discussing the high divorce rate and pondering all the reasons people will get divorced. That is when my dad made this very profound statement. He said "people don’t realize that the reason you love someone at 50 and 60 years of age isn’t the same reason that you love someone in your 20’s and 30’s."


And wow, that is so true.

Take us for instance. I met my husband in Junior Highschool. We "dated", witch was junior high speak for talking on the phone, but ignoring each other in public places, like school and dances. We of course broke up and both "dated" other people. Flash forward to us working at the local grocery store, me at 16, him at 17 (he had been there a lot longer). I was a cashier and he was a stocker/bagger/cart boy.

Oh but my heart would flutter when he was near me. He was so handsome and sweet. A "bad boy" on the outside but with a heart of gold. He was like a big ol’ teddy bear. Well, one day he asked for my phone number and when he called we talked for hours. The rest as they say, is history.

Twenty-one years later my heart still flutters for this man. The newness does wear off. But with it comes a comfort and acceptance of knowing someone so well.

Now my heart flutters seeing him with our kids. Snuggling on the couch with a child that needs a little extra attention. Letting them "help" out in the garage. Coaching them in sports. Or simply helping them with a math problem because it is too hard for mom!

My heart flutters seeing him work around the house. There is something about a man who is all hot and sweaty from manual labor.

My heard flutters when he does something so sweet and selfless. Like the many hours that he would just sit, listen and hold me as I cried about the loss of our babies. Or the physical pain I went through with all the problems and complications I had with my fourth, fifth and then our sixth and final pregnancy that produced our 4th addition to our broad of kids.

To some, they just see the gruff exterior. The 6 foot 4 inch stern guy who can be quite intimidating.

But to me, I see the guy, who even after 14 years of marriage makes my heart flutter.

And yes, my heart still flutters with those quiet, stolen kisses when the kids are all in bed and settled for the night .

And that my friend is what we will be celebrating this Father’s Day. I will be celebrating a dad full of wisdom and faith. And my kids will celebrate an awesome dad who still makes their mom’s heart flutter.

I heard someone say once that one of the best gifts a dad can give their children is to love their mom.

No, life is not all candy and roses. But in honor of my dad, the reason I love my husband today is different from why I loved him as a kid. It is much, much more.

Back off ladies, he's mine.

Happy Fathers day everyone.

(Updated: this post was written ahead of time and schedule for Sunday. So you all don't think I live an unrealistic life, when this was posted, I was not speaking to my hubby, we were arguing. I still love him and everyone argues. I have to remind our kids of that, that even though we argue, we still love each other. I could have chosen not to post this, since I was so angry. However I still meant every word of this post and felt the need to post it as it was.)

This post is linked to Gratituesday.

Super Saver Saturday, Cheap Newspaper

Those of you that know me, know that we cancelled out newspaper subscription. Our bill just kept getting higher and higher. Our delivery was less than perfect. So we cancelled it.

I miss my paper. Yes, we can drive to the corner store and buy one. But that isn't the same as the joy of waking up Sunday morning and seeing it at the end of the driveway. Full of ads and coupon!

Well, Becky from Saving Bits and Pieces has a great tip here on how to get our local Sunday paper delivered for only $20 a year! Take a look. I know my fellow frugal friends will love this idea.

This post is linked to Super Saver Saturday over at Monday Saving Mom.

Wascally Wabbits!

I love rabbits, I really do. They are so adorable, fuzzy and just plain cute when they scrunch their noses. And for a long time, we discussed getting bunnies as pets for the kids.

However the bunnies threw the first stone.

They have made it personal.

Remember how I posted here about all the yard work we have been doing? See these beautiful lillies? They now look like this.

They started on the flowers and when those were gone, they moved to the leaves. And they are not even doing it in secret. Oh no, they have the gall to start chewing on those leaves when I am out watering the flowers in the front yard, not 10 feet from these sad little stumps of green.

Like I said, they threw the first stone, now it is personal.

(I would like to add that no bunnies were harmed nor will they be harmed in the making of this post.)

Deals, deals and more deals!

The coupon fairies were definitely smiling upon me today! I found everything I was looking for with a coupon today!

The kids and I had to drop off my oldest to soccer camp this morning, so since we were up and out the door by 8:30, I figured I might as well run some errands.

First stop was to Target to make a return. I bought some shirts and they were too big! Yeah me! While there, I got some deals.

I stumbled upon a markdown of the Tide free and clear. It was on markdown for $5.14, I had three $1 Target coupons so $4.14 for the 26 load isn't bad, especially for the high efficiency detergent. I also got:

3 Lysol wipes on markdown for $1.89, minus $1 coupon each, so 89 cents a piece

3 Lysol toilet bowl cleaners for $1.89, minus three 75 cent coupons, so  $1.14 each

Mr. Clean eraser (I ran out and really needed them) $2.59 minus 75 cent coupon

2 Pampers wipes, $2.39 each, minus two $2 coupons, 39 cents each

Then I went to CVS, again I found everything that I was looking for!

I didn't do the deals correctly, I wasn't thinking. I was trying to hurry so that I wouldn't be late to pick up my daughter from soccer camp. Had I been thinking I would have done multiple orders so that I didn't have to pay so much out of pocket. However, I did buy 3 packages of diapers and still earned $23 in extra care bucks to use on my next purchases. Here is what I got:

6 Renuzits air fresheners, 88 cents each, minus B3G3Free coupon, so 44 cents a piece!

2 Gillette body wash, $4 each, used B1G1Free coupon and earned $8 in ECB's so they paid me $4 to buy them

2 John Frieda conditioner, $5 each, used two $3 coupons and then earned $3 in ECB's when you spent $10 on John Frieda products, so they were 50 cents each

1 Colgate Pro Clinical toothpaste, $3.99, minus $1 coupon, earned $2 in ECB's so 99 cents

3 packages of Huggies diapers, $8.49 each, minus 2 $3 coupons and one $2 coupon, so $5.49 and $6.49 each

1 Schick Hydro 5 razor, $8.97, minus $4 coupon, earned $4 ECB and will send in for rebate for it, so I made $7.97 on that deal

1 Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor, $9.97, minus $5 coupon and earned $4 in ECB's so I paid 97 cents

1 pack of binder clips, 99 cents and earned $1 ECB for it (I had a rain check from this)

Stay tuned for Super Saver Saturday when I post about my Meijer deals!

Menu Plan Monday, Week of June 13

This week is a little less crazy, but still not a boring week like I am so looking forward to. On the calendar for us this week is soccer camp for 4 days, a doctors appointment for one of my kids. I work three days this week, we have a birthday party as well.

With our pool and the heat, I do not want to be inside cooking. I want to be outside in our pool playing with my kids. So, I am going to simply list what we will be eating this week and then make what we have time for or what we feel like eating.

Breakfasts: cold cereal, cinnamon rolls, toast

Lunches: leftovers, Papa Murphy's pizza (I have a coupon), or lunch at grandma's on the days I work

Dinners: cookout at friends house, spaghetti and meatballs, grilled pork shoulder, grilled chicken, Cincinnati style chili and whatever else I find in the freezer

As you can see, I am not very motivated to meal plan this week. I guess because I am simply tired of being so jammed packed with things to do. I want to just hang out with my kids and enjoy the summer.

Garage Sale Finds! For Saturday June 13

Those that know me know that I LOVE garage sales. I mean L-O-V-E them. You never know what you might find there.

Yesterday I headed out, knowing about 3 neighborhood garage sales. Four kids in tow. They now love garage sales also! I have converted them. We spot garage sale signs like most people spot "punch buggys!"

My favorite thing to find are decorations that I can repaint or repurpose and use in my home. So, here is what I found this week.

Globe-$1. Have you priced globes lately? Wow. They are very pricey.

Brand new, with tags still on, craft tote. We are going to use this to gather out crafting supplies and then have something we can simply bring to the kitchen table, rather than hunt for glue, scissors, colored pencils, and markers. This way they are all together. My price? $5.

Almost new pink Lands End crocks for my youngest daughter, $1.

Memory/photo board. My second oldest bought this with her own money to hang above her bed. $3.

White bathrood cabinet. I am going to repaint this to match the kids jungle theme. I have been pricing these out but the ones I really liked were $80-100, how much did I pay for this? $3.

Two pairs of pj's like new for my youngest daughter, $1 each.

Pair of play shorts for my son, 25 cents.

Table trivet that rotates, my mom bought one of these a few years ago at a craft show, she paid $20-30 dollars for hers, what did I pay? $1.

You can't really tell, but my three girls used their own money to buy these bags that zip up to make a small pouch and came with a change purse. They were brand new, the girl had brought them back from China. $5.

6 name brand shirts (Gymboree, Nautica, Cleveland Cavaliers, Gap, etc.) for my son. Ranging from $1 a piece to 20 cents a piece.

1 pair of like new jeans for my son, 25 cents.

Dress $1, purchased by my second oldest daughter.

Nike long sleeve t-shirt for my son, $1.

Adorable picture for my sons room. It is navy blue and has baseball like stitching in red on the frame, the background is green and has 4 magnetic images that can be moved around and 3 hooks on the bottom for jackets and hats. $2.

White sweater for me, brand new with tags, from the Limited, $1.

And our deal of the day, my oldest daughter and I split the cost of these little gems. I have already read them all, but I borrowed them. Now we own our own set. The entire collection of Twilight books, $12. And worth every penny.

For my son, a like new basketball hoop, $5.

I am going back this morning to see if they still have a jogging stoller that I loved but didn't have room in my van for. Yes, I am addicted to garage sales.

So, have I converted anyone yet?

This post is linked to Super Saver Saturday.

Deals I scored this week

These were my Walmart deals of the week:

Wishbone salad dressing $1.47 each, minus $1.50 coupon on 2, 72 cents each

Kraft BBQ (no coupon, I just needed it)

Pampers Wipes $1.97 each, minus $2 coupon on each, 2 free

Always Liners 93 cents each, minus $1 coupons, 2 free

Huggies wipes $2.17 each, minus $2 coupon, 17 cents each

Pampers diapers $8.00, minus $1.50 coupon, $6.50

Walgreens deals I got this week:

Raisin Bran Crunch, 2 for $5, minus $2 RR, minus $1 coupon on two, so $1 a box

Dawn dish soap, 99 cents each, minus 25 cent coupon, so 74 cents each

Always pads, $4.39, minus $3.50 Walgreens custom coupon, so 89 cents

5 Old Spice body washes, $4.99 each, minus 3 $1 coupons and 3 B1G1free coupon, 1 B1G1 deoderant ($5.79)  free, plus spend $25, get $10 RR back, so $1.97 for all 5 items

Target deals this week:

Pampers wipes, $2.39 minus $2 coupons, so 39 cents

Kotex liners, $1.02 each, minus two $1 coupon, so 2 cents each

Satin Care shaving cream, 99 cents, minus 50 cent coupon, so 49 cents

Suave deoderant, 97 cents, minus 50 cent coupon, so 47 cents

Olay body wash, $3.54, minus $4 coupon changed to $3.54, so free

Used coupon for buy one body wash get Ivory soap free, up to $3.00, so 59 cents for the 10 pack.

This is linked to Frugal Fridays and Super Saver Saturday.

Farm Fresh Delivery

Okay, so I said that I would provide feedback on the Farm Fresh Delivery. I will be truly honest and tell you that I have already cancelled it.

Here is the photo of what we got.

That is two heads of lettuce, two heads of broccoli, 1 pound of sucanat, 6 oranges, 6 peaches, 1 apple, 1 cantoloupe, 1 pound of red potatoes, 1 onion, a container of blueberries and a container of strawberries. All of it was organic and some of it was locally grown.

Yes, I did like the idea of buying organic and loved the idea of buying local grown food. However, it has been two days and all that remains are 3 peaches, 1 head of lettuce, the onion, the sucanat and the oranges.

We ate the potatoes, broccoli and a head of lettuce at one meal. So for me spending $51 on that little amount of food just isn't going to work for us. Not when I already have to spend extra on specialty food. There are three of us that require special diets in this house.

Add to that the fact that my oldest eats like there is a hole in her belly. And she is skinny because she is so active. My almost 15 month old eats more than my 5 year old. So I cannot justify spending that much money on so little food.

I do  however think it is a good thing. Buying organic, local food. And having it delivered to the house every other week. But it will not work for us, in this season of our life.

Farm Fresh Delivery

One of my friends had a photo of her delivery from this place, Farm Fresh Delivery. I thought it looked awesome, however I was skeptical, as I had checked out the local CSA'a and for our family of six, it was very pricey.

So I went to the website and looked around. And what I found was a very nice surprise. Their prices are very reasonable for the delivery. We went with the "large fruit and vegetable bin." It will be delivered every other week and we can add to it and swap some items out if we want to.

I am looking forward to trying some new vegetables that I have never tried before. I love that it gets delivered to my door. In our part of town, delivery will happen on a Tuesday, which is one of my non-work days.

I try to go to the grocery store every two weeks, however I usually have to go back for milk and fresh produce on my off week. I am hoping this will fill the gap. Plus, if there is fresh veggies and fruit, I always ask that my kids eat those first so they don't go bad. Before they eat canned or non-healthy food. So I can get more healthy food into my kiddos!

This is just another step in eating more healthy. I will keep you posted and take photos of what I get in my bin.

Having fruit and veggies delivered to my door definitely works for me! This post is linked to Works for me Wednesday.

Healthier Mashed Potatos

I wrote here about how I make my mashed potatoes allergy free. Well my friend Jeannie mentioned to me that she adds cauliflower to hers. So I tried just a little bit to see if my family would notice.

No one noticed.

So the next time I made them, I added even more. Now I am up to half potatoes and half cauliflower. I simply boil them together, drain and mash like usual.

They are delicious and healthy.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesdays.

Reading Early?

This is how I came in to find my little man the other morning. Isn't he adorable? And see that booboo on his forhead? He face planted on the driveway. It was his first official injury and being a boy, probaby not his last.

Our Yard Work

We have been super busy at our house. Trying to knock out as many projects as we can. Our long term goal being that of moving in the next year or so. Our short term goal is to get the yard in order and looking nice so that we can have a couple of pool parties this summer.

We have been busy planting new bushes like the swirly one above. There was an ugly bush there, it died. I didn't kill it on purpose, promise.

We have been busy mulching and planting new things, like the little knockout rose bush above. We bought the dye enhanced mulch this year. I am anxious to see if it fades or stays true to color like the bag said.

My husband put up our new house lights. Don't they look beautiful? I love them, they make the house so nice during the day. At night, the glow they emit just bounces off the brick. Very pretty.

Last but not least. We transplanted two large bushes. They got over six feet, much larger than we anticipated. And when I say we transplanted, I mean my husband did all the labor while I graciously offered suggestions on how to get them out easier. We replaced them with two boxwoods and the lilies above. The light post will be repainted to match the new light. This is the only light my husband has not replaced yet.

I jokingly told my husband that we are going to make so many changes to our house that it is going to look so nice and we won't want to leave! He didn't think that was very funny.

Garage Sale Finds Part Two!

This past weekend I stopped at a few garage sales on my way home from the hardware store, with my van full of bushes no less.

They weren't as good as the big town garage sale, however I did find a few items.

This adorable wooden star was $1, it says "Family" on the other side, but it is a light aqua blue, which is not my color, so I just flipped it.

These cute little bowls came in a set of four, two with animal faces and two with the stipes. They were adorable and best of all, they all fit together to create a cute serving tray. I paid $2 for the set.

I love this pitcher, isn't it cute? I know it has snowflakes on it, but I don't care, I am using it now.

This basket was $1 but I didn't have to do a darn thing to it.

This little beauty was $1, I hung it on my half bathroom wall. I just love the frame.

This basket was $1 but I didn't have to do a darn thing to it. I currently have it hanging on my pantry door as I have yet to figure out what to do with it.

This is my favorite find of the weekend. It was a little steep at $30, I saw it on Friday, but since I had my van full of bushes I had no room for it. I went home and discussed with my husband. So Saturday morning I went back and it was still there, so I snached it up! It is a toy box, looks brand spanking new. Won't pinch fingers and has a safety latch so it won't slam on my sons head! My husband pointed out the sharp corners so I will have to baby proof the edges but aside from that it is perfect.