Yesterday at my house was quite...shall I say...good chaos. Is there such a thing as good chaos? I believe so. Let me share...
A few months back, God started weighing heavily on the heart of my husband and me. We knew that God was prompting us to go to a different church. We could hear Him quite clearly because we spent 5 years out west in the mission field so we are fairly familiar with God's call to move. No matter, change is hard and we had been in our church (at that time) 2 years. We had made friends and so had our children, so, as usual, we knew this wouldn't be easy. Nevertheless, we were obedient and made the change and have not regretted 1 single second of it! (Our teens are very happy also!)
Our new church is only 2 miles from our home (compared to the 12 or so of our last church) so it's much easier to be involved with the people that go there. We have been greeted with open arms and so much love that it's overwhelming at times.
The teens here, many being baby Christians, have taken Beth and Zack in and made them part of the family so quickly it's made my head spin. Any given evening will find one or several teens at our house doing anything from homework to hanging out and it is really great!! Let me share yesterday.....
God has directed Beth, our 17 year old, to lead a drama team at church. She is passionate about this ministry. She has always loved performing and directing others as well and she is very talented in this area. Her youth pastor paired her up with an intern of his and together they are making great strides with this team.
Yesterday afternoon, Derrick came over so he and Beth could plan out some future dramas and skits, plan for some fund raisers and get all of their ducks in a row, so to speak. After the "business" was taken care of, the fun began. Zack, Derrick, along with Beth at times, could be found playing video games watching movies, listening to incredibly loud music...you get the picture. Chaos..but it was good.
As it got closer to time for my husband to get home, even with company, the rule applies.....when Dad gets home from work, it must be calm and quiet for at least 30 minutes. The calm quiet was successful, and we sat down to supper. We were cleaning off the table when another teen from church showed up to do some homework and hang out.
By now it's around 7 pm, and I've got one teen texting a boyfriend and listening to music, one teen on the phone with a girlfriend and playing video games (multi-tasking??) two others going between the refrigerator, the computer, video games and music. It was exhausting and great!!! About 9 pm (everyone has to be gone by 10) these 4 teens decide to do the Cha Cha Slide. I'd never heard of it so I was in for the performance of a lifetime! The music was loud but the smiles and laughter were unending. The energy coming off these teens was contagious and even had my tired husband smiling and laughing. For 30 minutes or more the floor space connecting my living room and dining room became a dance floor and it was great!!
By 9:30 the 2 visiting teens were going home and my 2 were settling down. Philip and I were exhausted, but so thankful that teens who really hardly know us, feel so comfortable and so welcomed that they love being in our home. It's very humbling to us.
Good chaos? Yes, there is such a thing and my prayer is that each one of you will get to enjoy that over and over. All you have to do is be willing to love those teenagers for who they are. Show them that the Christian life doesn't have to be all rigid and solomn faced. I don't believe that we will all be flatlining in Heaven, why should we be here??
Blessings.....
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hot Dog Bun Rolls
We buy most of our hot dog or hamburger buns from the bread store in town. We lovingly refer to this place as the "Day Old Bakery". They sell bread, buns, snack cakes, donuts..just about anything you can imagine like that...for a reduced price.
While we do eat hot dogs, we don't eat a lot of them. We do enjoy rolls however, and I don't always have time to make them from scratch, so we use hot dog buns (and I'm sure you could use hamburger buns to make rolls....or maybe individual pizzas??? Hmmm......)
I tear the hot dog buns apart and put some butter on each side. We love garlic, so I put quite a bit of garlic powder on each bun. I top that with chives or cheese or just about anything we enjoy. Broil until the tops are lightly brown and enjoy!!!
By the way....if you see those buns are going to ruin before you can use them up, stick them in the freezer. Thaw them when you want to make the rolls. They haven't gone bad, you haven't wasted any money and it doesn't change the taste at all!!
Blessings....
While we do eat hot dogs, we don't eat a lot of them. We do enjoy rolls however, and I don't always have time to make them from scratch, so we use hot dog buns (and I'm sure you could use hamburger buns to make rolls....or maybe individual pizzas??? Hmmm......)
I tear the hot dog buns apart and put some butter on each side. We love garlic, so I put quite a bit of garlic powder on each bun. I top that with chives or cheese or just about anything we enjoy. Broil until the tops are lightly brown and enjoy!!!
By the way....if you see those buns are going to ruin before you can use them up, stick them in the freezer. Thaw them when you want to make the rolls. They haven't gone bad, you haven't wasted any money and it doesn't change the taste at all!!
Blessings....
One Little Spoonful
If your family is like mine, cleaning up after supper will often find a bowl with only a spoonful of veggies. Maybe a few green beans, or a little corn....not enough for another meal, but when you're watching those pennies, the thought of throwing out anything makes you cringe!
Let me share what we do with those little spoonfuls of leftovers. I keep a plastic bowl..or sometimes a gallon zip bag..in the freezer. Everytime there is just a spoonful of veggies left, I add that to my bowl in the freezer. When that bowl gets full, it's time to make vegetable soup!!
When I make my soup, I put the frozen veggies in the microwave and thaw them out. I brown some ground turkey, usually seasoned with salt and garlic powder. I put all of this in the crockpot with 3 cans of tomatoes. If I see there is not enough veggies, I add a can or two of our favorite ones with this. I usually add 2 or 3 cups of water to this also, depending on the room left in my crockpot. Remember, I'm filling a 6 quart crockpot. I cook for dear hubby, myself, 2 teenagers and usually a friend of my son's or my daughter's boyfriend...so it takes a lot of soup! I set the crockpot to low and let this cook for 6-7 hours. About an hour before the soup is done, I add alphabet noodles to the soup and finish cooking (or crocking???). Add some crackers or hot dog rolls and the meal is ready to eat!!
Blessings....
What are hot dog rolls???? Post to follow!!
Let me share what we do with those little spoonfuls of leftovers. I keep a plastic bowl..or sometimes a gallon zip bag..in the freezer. Everytime there is just a spoonful of veggies left, I add that to my bowl in the freezer. When that bowl gets full, it's time to make vegetable soup!!
When I make my soup, I put the frozen veggies in the microwave and thaw them out. I brown some ground turkey, usually seasoned with salt and garlic powder. I put all of this in the crockpot with 3 cans of tomatoes. If I see there is not enough veggies, I add a can or two of our favorite ones with this. I usually add 2 or 3 cups of water to this also, depending on the room left in my crockpot. Remember, I'm filling a 6 quart crockpot. I cook for dear hubby, myself, 2 teenagers and usually a friend of my son's or my daughter's boyfriend...so it takes a lot of soup! I set the crockpot to low and let this cook for 6-7 hours. About an hour before the soup is done, I add alphabet noodles to the soup and finish cooking (or crocking???). Add some crackers or hot dog rolls and the meal is ready to eat!!
Blessings....
What are hot dog rolls???? Post to follow!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Run to Kmart!!
Call your local Kmart!! Find out if they are offering this awesome opportunity..
In some flyers this week is a coupon that advertises double manufacturers coupons from September 21 through September 27!! This is good for manufacturer coupons only (no internet coupons) and they are doubling them up to and including $2!! This is very exciting as you can get many items free or very low cost.
So grab those coupons and sort through them. Don't let a money saving opportunity like this pass you by!!
In some flyers this week is a coupon that advertises double manufacturers coupons from September 21 through September 27!! This is good for manufacturer coupons only (no internet coupons) and they are doubling them up to and including $2!! This is very exciting as you can get many items free or very low cost.
So grab those coupons and sort through them. Don't let a money saving opportunity like this pass you by!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
96 Shopping Days Left!!
Only 96 shopping days left until Christmas!!
What!! Does that send a wave of panic in you? Do you find yourself checking the balance in your checkbook in the middle of the night? Do you hear those plastic demons screaming at you from within your wallet, "BUY THIS!! CHARGE THAT!!"? Do you toss and turn wondering what you're going to do? So many people to buy for, so many people to please....
Just relax...96 days is more than enough time to get those gifts ready for Christmas. The question you must first ask yourself is who do I need to get a gift for. In our house, we, of course, give gifts to each other...Dad, Mom, Beth, Zack....then we look to our extended family...2 grandmas, 1 grandpa, 1 step grandpa, 2 couples, 2 single sis-in-laws, 1 single bro-in-law, 3 nieces and 4 nephews.
We usually purchase something for the grandparents and nieces and nephews, but for the couples and the sis & bro-in-law, they usually get a gift from the kitchen. In years past we have done cookies in a jar and homemade Christmas ornaments. I also watch for amazing sales throughout the years. One year I found grilled cheese toasters for $2 each. I bought 6 and took care of 5 gifts for $10 (I kept one of those toasters for myself!!)
I also watch througout the year for sales for the nieces and nephews. In our area different toys, books and clothes are on sale all the time. Even though I have teenagers at home, a normal shopping day will find me in the toy aisle, simply because most of my neices and nephews are under the age of 10.
One pit to avoid is buying those gifts for people you don't really know....you know who I'm talking about....the mail person, the newspaper delivery person, the bag boy...you can really rack up some expense or (forbid it!!) debt when you are buying for everyone you know or have had a slight meeting with. My teens and I usually spend a couple of days in the kitchen a couple of weeks before Christmas baking cookies and bars and making candy. We put in a couple of Christmas cd's and heat up some hot chocolate and we're off!! After we're finished with our baking, we put a few cookies in some plastic wrap, a few pieces of candy in some plastic wrap and the same with a few of the bars. I buy Christmasy (?) bags at the dollar store and we put a little of everything down in those bags. We tie up the top, add a Christmas card (one that actually says MERRY CHRISTMAS)--another soap box I'll address later-- and start sharing.
We give a bag to our newspaper lady, our mail lady, the piano teacher, the Sunday school teachers, anybody who has touched our lives in a special way. We even give a bag to our garbage men! I'll never forget the look on their faces (we were peeking out the window!) when they stopped and saw a "Christmas present" for them. Let's face it....if it weren't for them, think about the mess we would be living in!! I am very thankful for them.
For our immediate neighbors, I usually bake a loaf of homemade bread and some type of pie. All of this doesn't take much money or effort and the blessing we receive far outweighs anything we give out.
Christmas has gotten so materialistic and there is so much hype about buy this, get that...our lives will be so much better if we only had.....I just can't stand it anymore. We wonder why there is so many who are dissatisfied with their lives...when is enough, enough??
Christmas is about Jesus Christ. The Ultimate Gift. Nothing any of us could ever buy or make could surpass the gift He gave us so long ago. And once you've recevied the Ultimate Gift, everything else pales in comparison anyway doesn't it??
Blessings.....
What!! Does that send a wave of panic in you? Do you find yourself checking the balance in your checkbook in the middle of the night? Do you hear those plastic demons screaming at you from within your wallet, "BUY THIS!! CHARGE THAT!!"? Do you toss and turn wondering what you're going to do? So many people to buy for, so many people to please....
Just relax...96 days is more than enough time to get those gifts ready for Christmas. The question you must first ask yourself is who do I need to get a gift for. In our house, we, of course, give gifts to each other...Dad, Mom, Beth, Zack....then we look to our extended family...2 grandmas, 1 grandpa, 1 step grandpa, 2 couples, 2 single sis-in-laws, 1 single bro-in-law, 3 nieces and 4 nephews.
We usually purchase something for the grandparents and nieces and nephews, but for the couples and the sis & bro-in-law, they usually get a gift from the kitchen. In years past we have done cookies in a jar and homemade Christmas ornaments. I also watch for amazing sales throughout the years. One year I found grilled cheese toasters for $2 each. I bought 6 and took care of 5 gifts for $10 (I kept one of those toasters for myself!!)
I also watch througout the year for sales for the nieces and nephews. In our area different toys, books and clothes are on sale all the time. Even though I have teenagers at home, a normal shopping day will find me in the toy aisle, simply because most of my neices and nephews are under the age of 10.
One pit to avoid is buying those gifts for people you don't really know....you know who I'm talking about....the mail person, the newspaper delivery person, the bag boy...you can really rack up some expense or (forbid it!!) debt when you are buying for everyone you know or have had a slight meeting with. My teens and I usually spend a couple of days in the kitchen a couple of weeks before Christmas baking cookies and bars and making candy. We put in a couple of Christmas cd's and heat up some hot chocolate and we're off!! After we're finished with our baking, we put a few cookies in some plastic wrap, a few pieces of candy in some plastic wrap and the same with a few of the bars. I buy Christmasy (?) bags at the dollar store and we put a little of everything down in those bags. We tie up the top, add a Christmas card (one that actually says MERRY CHRISTMAS)--another soap box I'll address later-- and start sharing.
We give a bag to our newspaper lady, our mail lady, the piano teacher, the Sunday school teachers, anybody who has touched our lives in a special way. We even give a bag to our garbage men! I'll never forget the look on their faces (we were peeking out the window!) when they stopped and saw a "Christmas present" for them. Let's face it....if it weren't for them, think about the mess we would be living in!! I am very thankful for them.
For our immediate neighbors, I usually bake a loaf of homemade bread and some type of pie. All of this doesn't take much money or effort and the blessing we receive far outweighs anything we give out.
Christmas has gotten so materialistic and there is so much hype about buy this, get that...our lives will be so much better if we only had.....I just can't stand it anymore. We wonder why there is so many who are dissatisfied with their lives...when is enough, enough??
Christmas is about Jesus Christ. The Ultimate Gift. Nothing any of us could ever buy or make could surpass the gift He gave us so long ago. And once you've recevied the Ultimate Gift, everything else pales in comparison anyway doesn't it??
Blessings.....
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Savin' At the Store!
My husband gets paid every two weeks, so every two weeks I make a day of buying groceries and household needs. It takes a few hours to scan the sale papers, match them up with my coupons and go throughout the cabinets to see what I need to purchase and usually about 5 or so hours in town buying what's on that list.
Since we are a one income family, I try very hard to make those dollars stretch. I usually do a good job sticking to my list and finding those hidden sales. But there have been just as many weeks that I totally blow it and I come home with a lot of things that weren't on my list, or even on my mind until I saw them in the store.
I'd like to share some things that work for me that help keep me on track.
1. I always make a list. My kids lovingly (?) call my list my "brain". One thing that has really helped is I always try to keep at least one of everything "in stock". In other words, in our bathroom I have a cabinet where I keep all of our soap, shampoo, shave cream, toothpaste...etc. In that cabinet are say, two cans of shave cream. We take a can out and use it. When that can gets empty, we pull out the next can and immediately go to the list and write it down. Even my children do this because I have taught them since they were little that when they pull out the extra, you need to write it on the list. This does a few things... a) it keeps me from running out and eliminates those extra trips to the store. If you are like me, a trip to the store for a 1.50 deoderant turns into a $40 shopping spree!! b) it allows me to take advantage of sales and not needing to pay full price for anything c) it saves gas in my car. I drive a small compact car, but with gas prices it still takes $45 to fill it up!!
2. I shop the sales. In most places the sales for the week come out in the paper on Wednesday and I usually do the shopping on Friday so it gives me a couple of days to.....
3. Make a menu. Read the paper, plan your meals for the next two weeks according to the sales. By making a menu, you know what ingredients you will need. Check your cabinets for those ingredients. If you don't have them, write them on your list. Again eliminating extra trips to the store. Also making a menu keeps me from having the "I don't know what to fix" mentality and keeps me from spending needlessly on heat-n-eat items.
4. By our house we are fortunate to have a trade center or the more familiar name is a "Bent-n-Dent". They have items whose packages are 'gently' damaged. Maybe a box has been a little damaged or a can (be very careful here) that is slightly bent. At our particular store most of the items are in good shape and still well within the expiration date. Because of this though, most things are dramatically reduced in price. Check around in your area to see if you have a local "Bent-n-Dent".
I am also fortunate that all of the stores I shop at are within 2 miles of each other. If you have to drive for miles to save a buck, you may not be saving anything at all.
I'm interested to know how you save money on shopping day. Share your ideas with me. I'm always interested in learning new ways to save.
Blessings...
Since we are a one income family, I try very hard to make those dollars stretch. I usually do a good job sticking to my list and finding those hidden sales. But there have been just as many weeks that I totally blow it and I come home with a lot of things that weren't on my list, or even on my mind until I saw them in the store.
I'd like to share some things that work for me that help keep me on track.
1. I always make a list. My kids lovingly (?) call my list my "brain". One thing that has really helped is I always try to keep at least one of everything "in stock". In other words, in our bathroom I have a cabinet where I keep all of our soap, shampoo, shave cream, toothpaste...etc. In that cabinet are say, two cans of shave cream. We take a can out and use it. When that can gets empty, we pull out the next can and immediately go to the list and write it down. Even my children do this because I have taught them since they were little that when they pull out the extra, you need to write it on the list. This does a few things... a) it keeps me from running out and eliminates those extra trips to the store. If you are like me, a trip to the store for a 1.50 deoderant turns into a $40 shopping spree!! b) it allows me to take advantage of sales and not needing to pay full price for anything c) it saves gas in my car. I drive a small compact car, but with gas prices it still takes $45 to fill it up!!
2. I shop the sales. In most places the sales for the week come out in the paper on Wednesday and I usually do the shopping on Friday so it gives me a couple of days to.....
3. Make a menu. Read the paper, plan your meals for the next two weeks according to the sales. By making a menu, you know what ingredients you will need. Check your cabinets for those ingredients. If you don't have them, write them on your list. Again eliminating extra trips to the store. Also making a menu keeps me from having the "I don't know what to fix" mentality and keeps me from spending needlessly on heat-n-eat items.
4. By our house we are fortunate to have a trade center or the more familiar name is a "Bent-n-Dent". They have items whose packages are 'gently' damaged. Maybe a box has been a little damaged or a can (be very careful here) that is slightly bent. At our particular store most of the items are in good shape and still well within the expiration date. Because of this though, most things are dramatically reduced in price. Check around in your area to see if you have a local "Bent-n-Dent".
I am also fortunate that all of the stores I shop at are within 2 miles of each other. If you have to drive for miles to save a buck, you may not be saving anything at all.
I'm interested to know how you save money on shopping day. Share your ideas with me. I'm always interested in learning new ways to save.
Blessings...
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