RECIPE: Inexpensive Freezer Burritos

I saw a recent statistic about how much more groceries cost right now than they did just a year or two ago (seriously...let's NOT discuss the reasons here ;-) ). The increase was absolutely staggering!

Anyone else feeling a bit of a pinch at the grocery store lately? Maybe this should be our new "me too" movement haha

Anyway - I thought I'd share a money saving tip that I pulled out of my past...I used to make a giant batch of these every month or two when we were single income family with 4 kids, and didn't know where the milk money was going to come from. FREEZER BURRITOS!

After shopping, I did some basic math...These end up being about $1.50 for the chicken burritos and about $1.00 for the bean burritos (with my store prices - might vary a bit for you). Not bad!

Whip up a batch for a quick and easy meal any time :-)

Burritos are pretty self-explanatory, but if you like a recipe, here you go:

Makes 8 bean and cheese burritos AND 16 chicken and cheese burritos  = 24 TOTAL burritos

Ingredients:

- 24 burrito size flour tortillas

- 8 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

- Nutritional Yeast (optional)

- 28 oz can of refried beans

- 1 bag (2.5 lbs) of frozen chicken breasts or tenders 

- 1 jar of your favorite salsa - I used a 16 oz jar of Medium Pace chunky salsa

- approx 1.4 lb of cheddar cheese - shred

- parchment paper

- Gallon ziplock style bags - you'll need 3

**I didn't do rice in these, but I will next time!  Feel free to experiment with whatever you think would be yummy in a burrito :-) 

Instructions:
1. Toss a bag of frozen chicken in the instapot and cook for an hour. If you don't have a pressure cooker, just cook the chicken however you like. Make sure it's cooked thoroughly.
2. Once cooked, dump a jar of salsa in with the chicken. Heat and stir to dice/shred the chicken and simmer until water is cooked off.
3. To save money and avoid that weird powdery stuff in pre-shredded cheese, I buy chunks of cheese and shred either by hand or in a food processor. While the chicken cooks, shred the cheese.

4. Time to assemble! I do in batches of 8 at a time for simplicity.

- Set out 8 tortillas

- add a dollop of refried beans and spread off-center for easy rolling later

- top with black beans, nutritional yeast, and cheese (bean burritos)

- top with chicken and cheese (chicken burritos)

- roll tightly and wrap with parchment

- store 8 burritos per gallon bag and freeze

To Cook:

1. Pop the burrito (still in parchment) in microwave to defrost

2. If you like a soft burrito, cook another couple minutes in micro

3. If you like a crunchy edge like me, unroll the burrito and place the burrito on the parchment in the oven at 375 for 10 minutes or so

4. I like to serve with a dollop of sour cream, salsa, and greens

** HOT! be careful! You are in real danger of burning your lips right OFF YOUR FACE if you don't let it cool before digging in!

Enjoy! :-)

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Me & Coffee...We Just Don't Get Along

Ahhh, coffee. I love how the stuff smells. Sometimes I like to just pull the big tin of coffee out of the pantry and give it a big whiff.


I've never really been a coffee drinker though. My first real experience with coffee was when I was in high school. I had a student internship at a local high tech company, and coffee drinking was a way of life. I decided to give it a try. I loaded it up with chocolate, sugar, an cream. I actually enjoyed how it tasted! I had several cups, and felt like quite the real grown up sitting there with my cup of coffee.


And then...I learned something very important about coffee. There is a LOT of caffeine in coffee. And do you know what caffeine is? It is a very...I mean VERY...effective diuretic. Especially for a young girl who is not a coffee drinker. I spent that day...well...not being a very productive employee. That's enough about that!


My relationship with coffee would take yet another turn during our first year of marriage. We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house (maybe Christmas? can't remember...must have blocked it out). There was the two of us and 5 other adults...hubby's mom, grandparents, brother, and sister-in-law. We had a nice dinner despite the hideous gravy and dry turkey. I gained a new appreciation for my own mom and her amazing ability to put a spectacular dinner together.


One thing that I was really proud of was my pies...homemade...from scratch...beautiful and delicious! But everyone knows you have to have coffee with your pie, right? I had thought of everything - even the coffee. I set the coffee to brewing while I cut the pies and whipped the cream. It was going to be perfect!


All I can say is that hubby's family is very gracious. They choked down that coffee with their pie without a word.


It wasn't until it was time to do the dishes that I realized that something was wrong. I went to clean out the filter and grounds from the coffee maker....but there was nothing there! Sure, there was a filter...but it was totally empty. I was baffled.


"Hey, I thought that there was usually coffee grounds left over after brewing coffee?!"

"There should be!"

"Well, there's not anything here!"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Look for yourself!"

"What the...well, let me see the coffee you used."

"It's this stuff" (I hand over the container of coffee)

"Daiquiri...this is instant coffee!"


I wish I could say that I immediately understood what that meant, but it took someone explaining the difference between normal coffee grounds and instant coffee. Ah, put the coffee maker away. I'm not doing that again for a while.

But coffee just will NOT leave me alone. A lot of people drink coffee. For a long time, I cited ignorance (I don't drink it, and don't know how to make it) for not brewing a pot of coffee. But then we started hosting a weekly Bible study at our house, and the coffee maker came out again. I finally figured out how to make coffee that most people seem alright about drinking.


Every now and then, though, the coffee gods have to show me who's boss. My brother and sister-in-law are in town again (ironically, the same couple who witnessed the Instant Coffee Fiasco of '97). I went to brew coffee for them before they came downstairs. I don't know how it happened, but I ended up dumping a giant Costco-sized container of coffee on my kitchen floor and rug.





Coffee is of the devil, I tell ya. The devil! (But I admit, it's pretty yummy with some caramel creamer)

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Organizing Puzzles

My friend, Becky, recently wrote a post with a great tip for organizing and storing kids' puzzles. She recommended cutting the picture from the box, and then putting it and the pieces in zipper bags. I was all over that idea! Our puzzles have been driving me crazy...the boxes are always falling apart and letting pieces sneak out. And they take up so much room for such small puzzles - just a waste!

I have to admit, it pained me quite a bit to cut the boxes. Even though they're not the most efficient and effective way to store the puzzles, there's just something so satisfyingly tidy about a BOX.

And my type A eldest child...well, when he saw that I had cut up the box for his puzzle...I didn't think he would ever speak to me again (even though we talked about it and he knew it was coming and had no objections...how much does he actually hear what I'm saying, anyway?)!!

In the end, I'm happy I did it. I plan to do it to any puzzle that is 100 pieces or less (Yes, that is an arbitrary # designed just so that I don't have to cut my boxes...wanna make somethin' of it??).

Here's a satisfying after picture. Oh! I just realized that this is the wrong after picture! I forgot to take a picture of the real "after". All the puzzles didn't fit in this small container, so I used a larger one...with a LID. Oooo...back to that wonderfully tidy box shape! You'll have to use your imagination though... I really did forget to take a picture.

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Quick Tip: "Green" & Frugal Cleaning

This is my bathroom. Don't be jealous...it's rarely this clean, just ask my husband! After I unearthed the counter top this afternoon, I realized that I needed to clean the counters, mirror, and sink. I had Sammy "helping" and Thomas chattering to me in his "I'm getting bored and irritated" voice. I was trying to be quick.

I went to the cabinet under the sink where I keep my cleaning supplies for that bathroom. I found paper towel and sink cleaner...but no glass cleaner (Windex, Glass Plus, Perfect Glass, whatever). I didn't feel like I had time to go out to where I store stuff in the garage to find some. So I just wet the paper towel with water and got to work.

It was then that I realized just how brainwashed I'd become! I usually douse the counter, sinks, and mirror with the blue stuff and then scrub 'till it sparkles. I thought I needed it to really get things clean. But as I cleaned today, I realized that the reason that the blue stuff works is just that it's...wet! Well guess what else is really wet? WATER!

I'd been spending money that I didn't need to spend. I had been spraying chemicals in my house that were unnecessary. You can't get much more "green" than good ol' water!

Now, I should be honest. When I had time later in the day I did use a tiny sprits of the blue stuff on the mirror and chrome. And I did sprinkle some sink cleaner in to really get the gunk out. But I used far less of the chemicals than I normally do. And I have a new mind set now: wipe things down with a damp towel FIRST, and then use the chemicals only if necessary. I'll save money and it will be healthier for my family. Give it a try!

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Organizing A Diaper Changing Station

Hey, to all you moms-to-be out there...you do not...I repeat, you DO NOT have to buy one of those fancy diaper changing pieces of furniture. Sure it looks like it might convert into something that doesn't look like a diaper changing station in the future. And sure, it's a great match to the crib you want. But do you really want to spend that money? Do you really want to have that furniture forever?

Honestly, I don't have anything against those diaper changing/dresser things. I just didn't have the money for one when my first was born (still don't for that matter!), so I thought I'd share what we did instead.

Here's a picture of "The Poop Station" at our house. Let's start at the left and move right.

First, we have a good old fashioned dresser. When I say old fashioned...I mean OLD fashioned! This was the very dresser that my Dear Hubby had as a child. It used to be dark blue with wooden knobs and remnants of "A-Team" stickers on it. It's particle board. I had to dig deep to see it's potential.

I sanded it down, primed it, and then painted it this gender-neutral green (we didn't know if we were having a boy or girl). I added some cute knobs, and splurged on the fancy changing table pad. You can buy these, along with fabric covers, separately. It's important to attach it to the top of the dresser for safety. The pad I bought came with a way to attach it. Most do.

Moving on...the diaper pail. We had a number of different diaper pails. This garbage can works as well as any. Here's a news flash: poop and pee? They smell gross. There is not a fancy container in the world right now...nor will there ever be a container or bag ever invented that makes poop and pee smell good.

Use a good garbage can with a plastic bag. The garbage can lid should close all the way with no gaps. My favorite part of using just the garbage can is that we can use plain old garbage bags. Those special diaper pail liners/bags cost a fortune. Save your money for college...or for a massage (for you, not baby)...or for a second honeymoon...or, if you're really lucky, a cool minivan!

And then there's the storage. You'll need a place to put the diapers, wipes, lotion, Kleenexes, etc. I found this cute bookshelf at Target for a reasonable price. It would have been more frugal to find a used/old bookshelf and refinish it too...but I only have so much frugal in me! I wanted something new, and I just loved this particular bookshelf with all it's little shelves and cubbies. I got one for my older kids' rooms too...makes a great toy/book shelf for the older kids.

Do you see that I have 2 Kleenex boxes on the shelf? One of them contains...Kleenexes (surprise!). The other one contains plastic grocery sacks. I use these for the real stinky diapers. Toss all the smelly stuff into the bag, tie it off, and bring it right to the garage. The Kleenex brand tissue box (or any other "one up" type tissue box) is a great way to store your grocery bags. If you put them in one at a time, they also come out one at a time (and you'd be shocked by how many you can stuff in there!).

So that's it! That's my organizing post for the day...week...month? OK, year. :)

I'm just kidding. I really love to organize...I'll share some more ideas later (can you hardly wait?!)

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When My Heart's NOT Content: What To Do?!

I've been feeling the need all morning to write a follow-up email to one of the posts I put up yesterday. Did I give the impression that from that point forward, I was totally content with what I have? If so, I apologize.

Although I sure wish that the amazing moment I had while standing in the middle of Pottery Barn would have been enough to sustain me for the rest of my life...it just wasn't! I still struggle plenty. And although I'm lucky enough to have the memory of that moment forever etched on my heart, I still forget sometimes. I forget about what's important. I forget that I have all I need. I forget that "The Lord is my shepherd, and I SHALL not want".

So I thought that I'd write today about what I do when I'm bitten by that "I-wanna-but-I-can't-afford-it" bug. Here's some of what works for me (not in any particular order) - maybe it will be helpful to you too:

1. Pray! As you've probably realized by now...I'm all about Jesus! Sometimes it doesn't feel like he's listening to me...or even there at all. But I have faith that He is. If anyone can straighten my heart out, I know it's Him.

2. Focus on Gratitude. I'm sure you've heard this one many times before...but that's because it's really REALLY effective! Sit and meditate on your blessings. Write them down if you have to (I usually have to). When you really focus on all that you have, the things you don't have seem much less abundant.

3. Take great care of what I already have. This is a big one for me. On the days when I feel really discontent, I get cleaning. I focus on the things that I have and how I can make them really sparkle. By the time I'm done cleaning, I'm usually so happy with the way things look around here that I don't want to go buy new things.

4. List my Priorities. I sit down and write down my priorities (I think while I write, if you haven't been able to tell already!) My #1 priority is my family. I want to take great care of them. I could do all the shopping I want...if I went back to work. But I want to be the one to raise my kids. It's mind-numbing and exhausting some days, but I truly don't want to do anything else. What's more important...making the house look nice, or being a SAHM? It's a no brainer for me. There will be plenty of time for beautiful new furnishings...later.

5. Kill Boredom. I love to shop. I love the superstores that enable me to buy a new CD, a new shirt, a bathroom rug, some yummy new soap...all on my quick trip to the store for milk. I'm positively addicted to shopping. But I've realized that what I'm trying to fix is boredom. How can I be bored with so much housework to do and stories to read? I have no idea. But I feel bored a LOT. Instead of heading to the store for "milk", I try to call a friend, read a book, take some pictures...something to kill the boredom. The "gotta shop" crisis usually passes when I just find something interesting to do.

6. Play "5x Why" I love this game. I ask myself "why..." usually about 5 times before I come to an eye-opening answer. An example:

Why do I want that new rug for the dining room?

I'd be excited and would make my dining room look nicer.

OK, why would I be excited about making the dining room look nicer?

I have fun making our house look nice.

Why do I need a new dining room rug to make the house look nice?

Our current dining room rug looks ratty.

Why does it look ratty?

It's got play dough and peas mashed into it.

Why is it dirty?

Because I haven't cleaned it in a while. Maybe I'll pull out the steam cleaner and give the rug a good once over instead of buying that new rug.

7. Have a pitty party. Sometimes I don't feel like doing any of these oh-so-wise things! I want pitty! I want someone to feel my pain with me! I want to cry and have a tantrum! So sometimes...I'm embarrassed to admit...I have my little pitty party. I whine and complain and cry...and just get it out of my system. Then I feel silly and immature, but I also feel a wee bit better. Hey, I'm only human.

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My Heart's Content

This post from Meredith at Like Merchant Ships made me think of a time that I went shopping at Pottery Barn. Is there anyone out there who is NOT a total Pottery Barn junkie? I love the place. I love their magazines. I love dreaming of what I'd like to do in my home to make it look beautiful. I rarely actually shop there because...well...I seem to have misplaced the "money tree" seeds. When I find them, I'll plant them in my yard and then I can shop at PB all I want. But for now, I just have to oogle at their magazines and improvise.

Anyway...I was shopping at PB when it first opened here. I was wandering through the store, just looking and smelling and touching. So pretty, so rich, so soft, so smooth, so cozy...I found myself staring at a woman who was loading...I mean LOADING up her basket with whatever she saw. She clearly had one of those trees in her yard.

I admit it - I was jealous. I coveted. I was positively green with envy. "Why not me, Lord? Why can't I do what I want to do in my house?" It wasn't a real question, and I wasn't expecting a real answer. But sometimes He answers even when we're not expecting it.

Suddenly I felt Him. You know the feeling? The feeling that He's right there? Like if you turn your head fast enough, you'll actually see Him. I love that feeling. And He spoke to my heart in that loving and gentle, yet firm voice of His. I love His voice too. Man, just telling you this story has put tears in my eyes.

He said simply, "Daiquiri, you have Me in your home."

That's all I needed to hear. I suddenly couldn't get out of there fast enough. There wasn't a thing in that store that I needed in that moment. I was so content. He was perfectly...enough for me.

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Recipe: Buttermilk Bran Muffins with Blueberries

These are the BEST muffins! I got this recipe from my friend, Beth. Thanks Beth! I've modified the recipe a little here and there. They are my family's favorite breakfast food, and I feel good about feeding it to them. A warning though...this makes a HUGE batch of muffins (around 6 dozen). Either cut the recipe in half, or freeze them. I pop them into freezer bags, and pull them out as I use them. They freeze and microwave perfectly. OK already, here's the recipe:

2 1/2 C sugar

1 C + 3T softened butter (I use Smart Balance Spread)

5 eggs (I use 1/3 cup egg substitute per egg)

1 qt buttermilk

6 C whole wheat bran (found in the natural foods section of your grocer)

2 C boiling water

5 t baking soda

2 t salt

6 C whole wheat flour

1. Combine sugar and butter

2. Add eggs and buttermilk

3. Add bran and boiling water

4. Add baking soda, salt, and flour

5. Fold in fruit, if desired. I use frozen fruit. It's important to bring the berries to room temp or higher before mixing into batter. Add only the fruit, not the juice that results from defrosting. Blueberries and raspberries are both excellent in this recipe.

6. Bake in greased muffin tins (no paper liner necessary) at 400 F for 13-15 minutes

7. Remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool.

8. Enjoy!

(Here's what the wheat bran looks like)

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Organizing A Mail Center

Remember this mail center project I told you about? I went to the store today to buy what I needed for it, and spent a couple of hours sorting through the pile of papers that was threatening to completely bury me alive. Before the project, a large chunk of my kitchen counter space looked like this:

And now it looks like (drum roll please)...THIS:

Yahoo!!

I admit, we already had a system in place for dealing with our incoming paper clutter, but it just wasn't working (as you can see from the "before" picture). As I was setting up this new system, I was thinking about what makes it different and why I think it will work where the other one did not. I think this is key...location, location, location. Our old system is based out of our office (a logical place, you would think). But the office is not where the school papers and mail is brought when it comes in the house. The kitchen is.

I think that changing our behavior to sort the mail into these folders will be a much easier and livable transition than changing our behavior to take it into a different room and sort it. How lazy can we be, eh?!

Now to tackle my drawer...

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Quick Tip: Making an OJ Bomb!

I know you've all been searching for the secret to making a bomb out of orange juice, right? (Now watch, I'll be on some government watch list for making a homemade bomb after this post!).

Well, here's how you do it...

1. Take a container of frozen OJ concentrate out of the freezer.
2. Place it on the edge of your sink to defrost it.
3. Forget about it for about 5 days.
4. Watch while it defrosts...warms up...and then ferments a little bit.

The container won't be able to contain the expanding (and very sticky) goo any longer, and at some random moment... KAPOW!!! You have orange juice everywhere, including the floor, the rug, the cabinets, the fridge (about 6 feet away), the ceiling, the mail, the plant by the sink...and you (because if you're anything like me, you'll be standing there innocently looking through the mail when you hear the giant "POP" noise and wonder why you're suddenly orange and sticky).

Added benefit to this project: it provides quality and wholesome entertainment for the kids. I promise...they'll laugh hysterically while you clean yourself and the kitchen up (and whisper a few choice words under your breath!).

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Tupperware Storage

Am I really taking the time to write about this stuff? Looks like it...

Meredith from Like Merchant Ships (scroll down) has been doing a series about organizing in this new year. She recently did a post about Tupperware, and I thought I'd weigh in.

I tried lots of different ways to store the stuff, including storing them with the lids on. Personally, that method drove me crazy because they take up lots more space that way than nested together.

I finally came up with this system, which I really like. The bottom shelf is where I store the containers, with like shapes nested together. I have a medium size Sterilite bin on the top shelf, where I store all the lids. It's easy to put them away and easy to find what I'm looking for when it's time to take it out.

How do you store yours?

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The Laundry Monster

I was just talking with a friend about the dreaded Laundry Monster. I never thought that dirty clothes could take on a life of their own until I was washing enough for 6 people! I now know that the Monster must be attacked every single day...or it will grow to house-swallowing proportions. Well...we'll at least be going without underwear, which might even be worse!

My mom is probably reading this and thinking, "Oh no she doesn't. She can't be giving laundry advice?!" By the end of this post, I'm sure mom will be rolling on the floor trying to control a belly laugh! She knows how bad laundry can get around here. She usually ends up doing several loads for me every time she comes for a visit!

I don't claim to be an expert by any means. But I do have a few little routines/tricks that seem to help me tame the Beast. So here they are...if you have any to share with me, I'd love to hear them.

1. One of the best purchases I ever made was several of these inexpensive laundry hampers. They're lightweight, but can hold a lot of laundry. The trick is to have at least 3 so the laundry can be sorted as they go into the hamper. Each morning (that's the goal at least), I grab whichever is the most full, and pop the clothes into the laundry. That's my load for the day. I might have to do more than one if I'm doing sheets and towels, but one load a day usually does the trick. Oh, it's also important that you can grab just one at a time unless they're stored IN your laundry room. If I had to tote all 3 together all the time, I'd be much less likely to "just throw in a load, real quick".

2. The Laundry room. As you can see, I don't have much room. I do, however, have a kick-butt washer and dryer! I'm amazed by how much I can stuff into these things and still have them work properly. I also have a rod for hanging stuff, and I try to keep it organized. I group each person's clothes together on the rods or on top of the w/d as I fold and hang. It makes it much easier to eventually put away. Speaking of putting away...a 6 and almost 5 year old are plenty old enough to put their own clothes away
3. See that grocery sack hanging from a hanger? It might not look like much, but it's a key part of my system. It's the rogue sock bag. Who doesn't end up with a few lone socks at the end of each load? If you're out there...I want to hear from YOU! I always have socks without mates. Instead of continually searching for the matches or dealing with some sort of system to pin them together before they go into the laundry...I just toss the single socks in this bag. Every now and then I'll take down the bag, dump it on the floor, and get the kids busy in a game of "match the socks".

4. It's no big deal to have clothes hanging in the laundry room. Mine is never empty, but it's usually full of clean clothes. I try to get stuff put away, but I don't beat myself up if I don't.

5. Dear Hubby. He usually ends up doing a load or two per week. It's primarily my responsibility, but that load or two per week is really helpful! With 4 kids (heck, with 1 kid) it's sure a lot more pleasant for everyone if Mom and Dad are a team. I also like the idea of my boys seeing Daddy doing some housework.

That's it. Those are my tricks. I'd love to hear yours...maybe if we put them together we can finally kill this beast!

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The 8th Wonder...

We have a mountain in our house! This is what happens when Mommy has a fun new camera. But hey...at least I can get a really nice picture of it!

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Sickeningly Sweet

This blog is irritating me today. It's too...yellow...too flowery...too sweet and nice. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in. I don't feel like buttery yellow with flowers and nice! So I'm rebelling and am NOT putting up another picture of a dumb flower!

Maybe I should switch to a stark white background. It might seem a little more real. Every time I look at my own blog, I think "Oh, what a nice cozy and warm home with a sweet mommy and beautiful children. I want to live there!" Wait...I DO live here. Like I said, maybe I should switch to a white background and start posting pictures of my kids with their bed heads in the morning and their fingers up their noses. Or maybe I should photograph my dirty kitchen floor or the dog hair that seems to be in every nook of this place. Or the wall that used to have a deep red wallpaper on it, until my then 1 1/2 year old decided to rip it off in big swoooping chunks (with a giggle of course). Or the lovely yard covered in dog poop. Or the boogers. Or the dirty diapers. Or the piles of toys and crafts and "art" that just seems to multiply and then attach itself to my counter tops. Or the chipped kitchen sink. Or the not so sweet mommy who still hasn't even had a shower...in fact, she's running around the house in a droopy ponytail, an old t-shirt and a pair of baggy blue velour pants she's had FOREVER and is in love with!

Get my drift?

On and up note...I'm excited today. My folks are in town, and my Dad and I are going to go camera shopping. I've been saving up my $$ for a digital SLR. Dad is in the market for one too...so we're going shopping together. Maybe getting an expensive new camera will turn me into a bona fide photography genius! I can hope...

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Quick Tip - Oatmeal

Here's another quick tip for you...

I make oatmeal a LOT for my kids' breakfast (quick, cheap, nutritious), and I like to mix some frozen berries in it for them. I ran out of blueberries recently, so started in on the bag of whole, frozen strawberries. At first, I was defrosting the strawberries a bit and then chopping them up with a knife before putting them in the oatmeal. But I came up with a better way:

After the oatmeal is cooked, I drop the berries (whole and still frozen) into the cereal. I pop it in the microwave for another minute or two until the berries are softer. Then I use my potato masher to mash up the berries and mix it all together. Not having to defrost and chop the berries separately saved me lots of time and effort. Give it a try!

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My New Best Friend!

My glue gun and I have become best buds lately! I've had so much fun decorating my house for Christmas using cuttings from our tree along with ribbon and used floral stuff I had in my craft room.

My first project was in our small bathroom - the bathroom that gets the most use when we have guests. I already have a wreath hanging in there - just small white flowers. I took it down and stuck pine branches and acorns in it. I didn't glue anything here because I want to be able to take it down after the holiday. I did glue together a little arrangement to spruce up the towels though. I was just hoping to make it look nice without spending any money...an added perk was how fresh it smells in that room with all the pine. Now, to just figure out how to help it survive with 3 little ones (not including their friends) using that bathroom every day!


(Sorry for the dark photos...light was just bad. I'll figure out PhotoShop one of these days!)

My second project was to make plain gift bags a little more special. I love pretty packages, and I was especially proud of these. Again...just clippings from our tree, a little ribbon, an occasional pine cone from my floral bin...and of course, glue!

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Decking the Halls

This post is for all of you picture-hungry grandparents! We put up our tree and finished decorating it this past weekend. It was great fun! We're sticking with a fresh cut tree. The fake ones are more frugal and more tidy...but you just can't beat the smell of a fresh tree. And really...what's Christmas without needles all over the house, and then a clogged vacuum when you try to clean them up?!

Last year we put the discarded tree in our backyard after Christmas. It stayed there for a bit, and became nice shelter for the birds that enjoy our bird feeder. I'd like to do that again this year.

Isn't Thomas' itty bitty stocking the cutest? (not to mention his dimply smile!)

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