Posted in Thoughts Comments or Concerns

The Hurriedness of Hurricane Fay

Monday Madness! That’s what we are naming today. Hurricane Fay is headed this way and she has stepped up her time frame. Why is she in such a hurry anyway? I wanted to let all know that we will be in preparations for her arrival today. Busy, busy, busy. Vehicles to move, trailer to park, hanging plants to bring in, bikes to store, various and sundry things out and about, extra water and gas to get, and securing our RV. I will likely be the only person who WON’T be food shopping today. LOL! I always have food on hand. J

So, send out some prayers for us Florida folk as we all take time to prepare for her arrival. We are right in the center of the 2 perspective landfall areas, so either way; we will be getting some serious winds and rain. Also, I will likely not be able to answer emails today. If we lose power for any length of time, I may not be able to reply for a few days, so don’t think I am not getting them or am ignoring you…as if you would every think such things.

For my Digging Out of Debt students, you should still receive your class materials, regardless of Fay. They have been set to automated and all known glitches have been repaired. BUT, if you do have a problem go ahead and email and I will be available as much as possible!

For those who are kind of stunned by my relaxed issue with good ol Fay, she isn’t that big or strong. Once preparations are complete, we are looking forward to just hanging out and having some snuggly fun time. They have already closed my husband’s plant and we are definitely excited to have him home for an extra day. YIPEE! Fay is nothing compared to what we have dealt with in the past, but we don’t want to be complacent, either. J

Have a FABULOUS Monday, and I will see you back here ASAP! Back to Monday Madness!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Homeschool

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Mom, I’m Bored!

Rice Trays

Sand tables are a wonderful activity for littletons, but they can be a hassle. Cleaning up those sand granules seems a never ending job. No matter how many times you use your vacuum and broom, traces of sand are always left behind. Not to mention the fact that those little granules can get under finger nails and cause havoc when littletons rub their eyes, nose, or stick their fingers in their mouths. But your children can have this same type of fun with an inexpensive little thing called rice.

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Posted in Faith

What is IT? It’s “The It Factor”, of course!

My very sweet friend, Kathy Butryn is hosting “The It Factor” tomorrow (Saturday, Aug 16, 2008) This virtual seminar promises to be one of the BEST seminar’s I will take all year! Kathy is ready to lead us to a more simple life by helping us to get all the ITs accomplished. Kathy and I share a kindred spirit and I am so blessed that she has asked me to teach a session, SO if you have been waiting (ever so patiently) for me to have another online speaking engagement this is IT!

I am going to post the specifics in a sec, but first I want you to know that Kathy is happy to have any you as a FREE GUEST when you participate live. Ladies, this is a message EVERY WOMAN needs! There will below the info for you to click on that will take you to the registration area so you can get your FREE login info! Without further Ado…

Session 1: Discover "it"! (Goals)

We are often told we need to "set" goals. But what are the goals we are supposed to set? So often we set the wrong goals. Perhaps we base our goals on what other people tell us we should be doing. In this session, we are going to learn how to set goals based on who we are...and what God wants us to do...in other words, our life purpose. It will be an exciting process to discover the

goals that God has for you for this season of your life.

Session 2: Stick to "it"! (Priorities)

It's one thing to have goals...it's a whole other story to implement those goals. It can be easy to lose sight of those newly discovered goals.

Session 3: Build "it"! (Organization)

Sigh. Wouldn't you just love to "GET" organized? Actually, organization is a lifestyle...for a lifetime! It is something that we don't "get" as much as we "build" into our lives. And your "lifestyle of organization" will look different from mine...and from our other girlfriends. Regardless of our "style", let's learn some principles to "build" organization into our daily life.

Session 4:  Bonus Session

You will not want to miss this...as Leslie Valeska from "Simple Journey Ministries" joins me

in this brainstorming session. We'll try to answer some of your questions,

plus, Leslie has more great tips to pass along to us!

PLUS

You will receive a virtual goodie bag filled with downloadable extras!

REGISTER & GET MORE INFO HERE!

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Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

More Energy Saving

I have been working on getting you as much information about saving money on gas and electric as possible, since both of these energy sources have sky rocketed. This week my husband and I chuckled at the fact that we have been so excited to pay only $3.78 per gallon for gas. We will take the savings even if it is only temporary. But today I want to share another way you can reduce your electric costs during the hot months.

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Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

I Can’t Live Simply Until…

Visual Simplicity

Most women have some type of planner or calendar system that they use to keep track of their lives. It is a common and fairly simple way of keeping track of life. Some women use a multiple calendar system, while others use a one calendar system. Whatever system you use, you can use this visual tool to determine how you can bring the most simplicity in the easiest way.

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Posted in Organization

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep it Together Girl!

Teach Your Kids Responsibility

One thing I have noticed that moms regularly do across the board is to take on responsibilities that do nto belong to them. We have so many reasons for doing so. For me, it is just plain easier for me to do certain tasks than to take the time to explain it, demonstrate it, supervise it, and then have to do it all over again until they master the task. The time factor is the biggest one for me. So instead of persevering for the greater good of my children, I take their responsibilities on my own shoulders and then wonder why I become frustrated with my work load.

I thought long and hard about how I could create some simple ways for my children to own their responsibilities, without incurring the time and training factor. What emerged was a system that has worked for our children and may work for your family as well.

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Posted in Kitchen

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please?

Pad Thai Recipe

There is something about Thai curry that just makes my mouth water. Have you seen Ratatouille? Remember when he is with his brother and he tries to explain to him what it is like when just the right spices and seasonings are combine? The Fireworks? That is what happens inside me with Thai curry. It’s AMAZING! The complexity of the flavors of curry and and coconut, oh sweet Mama! Serenity Now! If you have never tried a Thai curry and you enjoy food with a bit of a kick, this is a dish you MUST try. It is so simple, it can be made last minute. I recommend letting it let sit, though. Oh my…if only I were making it tonight. I use an electric skillet for this recipe, but you could use a stove top pan.

Simple Pad Thai Curry

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (more or less)

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Posted in Homeschool

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Mom, I’m Bored!

Toothpick Fun

One day I was busy with my own brain spinnings, when I discovered something amazing to occupy the littletons…toothpicks. It happened quite by accident. I had left a box of toothpicks out on the counter. One of the littletons had picked up the box and transported it to another remote location in our home. The siren of silence (when the children are too quiet) rung loud in my ears and I began moving around my home to discover what was amiss. I was completely surprised to find that my littletons were playing with toothpicks! They each had a little pile of toothpicks and were taking turns making a picture out of their stash. Once the picture was made the other littleton tried to copy it. Imagine when my shock and almost disappointment that there was no mess to clean up.

This lead me to think if this would work with other simple projects. Amazingly the answer is YES! We have used toothpicks as embossing, scratch art, paint brushes, construction materials, pin prick art, and word building. Try one or more of these activities with your littletons and you too will find a great way to keep them occupied, while you take on little tasks!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

Which Teapot is the Most Cost Efficient?

Some time ago I posted about the fact that our kitchen is need of a serious facelift. One of our issues is that our appliances are on their last legs or, as in the case of our microwave, it is dead. Since I don’t know the first thing about microwave cooking, other than melting butter, it has always been a bread box. One thing I hadn’t realized was that I used the microwave daily to heat water for tea. After burning myself several times pouring water from my small saucepan into my cup, I resolved myself that I would need to get a teapot.

I was discussing this with one of my most wonderful friend’s and she let me in on a VERY frugal secret…an electric teapot. The savings she spoke of was that it heats water very quickly and is only 110 volts, instead of the 120 I would use heating a pot on my stovetop. That was enough to sell me on getting an electric teapot. However, upon further though, I realized that I could use this little gadget to save money on more than water for tea.

Here is a small list of the ideas I thought would make an EXCELLENT frugal electric savings with an electric teapot.

·         Jello

·         Stuffing

·         Hot cereal

·         Individual portions of pasta

·         Hot cocoa

·         Instant coffee

·         Ramen noodles

·         Instant Rice

Who would have thought that a little gadget designed for making water for tea could be so versatile AND save money!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can’t Live Simply Until…

The Small Time Approach

There is a well known fact that we will put off a large project that may be much needed to help provide some simplicity in our lives. We may put these projects off because they are ones we dislike, we can’t imagine actually doing the task, we want to hire someone else to handle to the task, the task is just too time consuming, and the list goes on. However, you can achieve your goals by a simple method that WILL fit into your life.

Schedule small bits of time to accomplish the task over an entire week. Cleaning out your cluttered bathroom cupboards won’t seem quite so daunting when you complete the task over a five day period using 10, 15, 20, or 30 minute increments. That overgrown garden can be weeded and looking well maintained by using the small time approach. Make the job simple and a simple life will be in the making.

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Organization

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep It Together Girl!

Mug Storage

There isn’t a one of us who doesn’t wish we had just a bit more cupboard space in our kitchen. It’s a fact that will remain throughout time. No matter how many cupboards, there just never seems to be quite enough. One way to combat this issue, is to store your mugs outside your cupboard. Years ago it was a popular practice to hang mugs from underneath a cupboard from mug hooks. However, they often took space away from the countertop and under the cupboard small appliances. So, what’s a girl to do?

Most kitchens are designed with at least one cupboard that has an outer side exposed. Attach mug hooks to the side of that cupboard and hang mugs. You can arrange the hooks in a whimsical design or in clean cut even pattern. This will add a cute dimension to that boring unused space while freeing up valuable cupboard space!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Kitchen

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More Please?

Storing Rice

This past week I learned a wonderful little trick from my most wonderful and groovy Aunt Barb! Recently, she had the opportunity to visit Tokyo her friend’s family. She noted that her mom was taking out these little Tupperware containers and asked what was contained in them. To her surprise she found that her mother made rice in larger quantities and then packaged them in little containers and placed them in the freezer. WOW! Now, THAT is convenient!

She then told me that since returning from her most fantabulous trip she has made rice and packaged it for freezing in little sandwich bags, for single portion servings. Simply place the rice in a pan with a bit of oil and stir fry for tasty NON-mushy rice!

What really interested me about this is that I can make a large portion of rice and freeze in appropriate portions according to my menu for the month. In this way, when it is time to make a meal that includes rice, I can simply take a package out of the freezer, saving time in the kitchen!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Homeschool

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Mom, I’m Bored

Sidewalk Paint

A few weeks ago I posted about a great outdoor activity, chalk drawing. Recently, I discovered actually the littletons discovered) a FABULOUS new way to use chalk.

This happened quite by accident. You see it’s the rainy season here in SW FL. This means it rains almost every afternoon. One day, the kids had forgotten to bring their bucket of chalk inside. When it rained that afternoon, the bucket filled with water. The next day we went out for some drawing, only to discover the marinated chalk. I was about to dump the water out and lay the chalk on the driveway to dry in the sun, when Tessa asked if she could draw with the wet chalk. Although I thought this was going to be messy, I allowed her to try. What she produced was AMAZING!

The wet chalk sticks were not mushy or messy. But the chalk was able to be used like paint on the cement. She created drawings that were FULL of color and more elaborate than those drawn with dry chalk.

So, if you don’t have rain, consider putting some water in your chalk bucket and let it sit overnight. The next day have the kids experiment with the wet chalk on the dry cement. Your budding artists will have FUN and you will cherish the drawings!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

Waste Not Want Not

If you have been reading here for any length of time or have read any of my books regarding household groceries, then you know that I try to reinforce the fact that if you throw food away due to spoilage, you may as well have thrown the money you originally spent on the food away. Since, its summer time, a lot of us are using fresh fruit as a snack and meal choice. This is frugal in and of itself because fresh seasonal fruit is quite low AND it’s a healthful choice! But how do you keep from wasting fruit? What if your kids don’t eat an entire serving? Here are a few tips to make your fruit dollars count!

·         Serve fruit that is already in small portion sizes, such as berries. Small apples or tangerines are also an excellent portion sized choice. Usually you can find smaller apples if you purchase by the bag.

·         For those fruits which are not eaten in their entirety, place in a fold over sandwich bag and place in fridge. If your children won’t eat a half eaten apple, because it looks brown, cut the left over apple into chunks and brown with a little butter to serve with toast, pancakes, or by themselves. Sprinkle on a little cinnamon for an extra kick!

·         Vary what you buy. Purchase blueberries and apples one week, bananas and oranges the next, strawberries and watermelon the next, etc. In this way your children will not tire of the same fruits and be less likely to leave it behind.

·         Use leftover fruit to toss into salads. Cut up apples, oranges, tangerines, & berries into a garden salad and you will have a truly delicious addition to your dinner.

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can’t Live Simply Until

Simple Living Resources

Normally, I post about ways you can begin to live simply or build on what you have already begun. But this week, the wisdom comes from another source. I have been reading a website called Choosing Voluntary Simplicity. I have found lots of great articles. I highly recommend that you take some time to check it out. Here are the articles I have been chewing on over the past week. They have inspired me, and they will you too!

How Can I Stay Motivated

A Sense of Balance

Getting Organized

Getting Out of Debt

Multitasking & Finding Quality Time

Are Buyer’s Clubs a Frugal Choice?

There is so much more I can’t wait to dig in to! Enjoy these resources and check out the rest of the site!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Organization

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep It Together Girl!

Closet Storage: Use it ALL!

Every time my kids are involved in an activity or we go yard saling, it seems we end up with a bag or ball cap. I would come up with baskets etc to store these items in. What I found was that my kids don’t grab fro these items on a regular basis. After a lot of brain power, I couldn’t come up with a solution that I thought was feasible, so the stuff stayed in baskets.

Then one day I was cleaning their closet and I was inspired! The back wall of the closet, behind where the clothes hang would be a perfect place to hang these items out of the way without interfering with the clothing. You can mount pegs on the back wall or use one of those old fashioned accordion coat hangers that looks like a series of diamonds when you open it. Simply hang the bags and caps there and place the hanging clothes on the rod in front.

One warning, if the hats are too large (like a cowboy hat), they will get knocked off the peg repeatedly. However ball caps, and bags hang nicely!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Kitchen

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please?

Full Brownie Recipe

Due to an overwhelming request for my basic brownie recipe, I am bumping this week’s post to next week and giving you what you have been clamoring for. Without further ado, here it is!

Leslie’s Scratch Brownies

 1 c butter. Softened

½ c mayo

5 oz unsweetened chocolate, in pieces

5 oz semi-sweetened chocolate, in pieces

3 c sugar, turbinado, or sucanat

3 TBSP ground flaxseed + ¾ c water, OR 3 eggs

1 TBSP vanilla

2 c whole wheat pastry flour

Optional: nuts

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.      Melt butter and chocolate in a pan over medium heat. Turn heat off.

3.      Beat sugar, flaxseed/eggs, mayo, & vanilla on high speed, until well creamed. Add butter/chocolate mix and beat on medium until well incorporated. Add nuts if desired.

4.      Beat in flour until blended.

5.      Pour into a 9 x 13 pan, muffin tins, or mini muffin tins.

6.      Bake 15-45 minutes depending on pan size.

Buono Appetito!

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Posted in Homeschool

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Mom, I’m Bored!

Break Boredom AND Get Your Kids Ready for School

School time is coming for all. Whether your children attend traditional school or you are a homeschooling family you are likely getting ready to get back into education. It can be a struggle for any mom to get their children’s minds back into the academic game. Here’s an idea to break those end of summer doldrums AND get their minds back in shape for school.

Consider Legos. They are so much fun, but did you know they can be used for educational purposes?

• Legos can be used for reviewing multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division.
• Use them to make patterns.
• Anything you would normally use Cuisenaire rods for can be done with Legos because they come in blocks that have a variety of pegs on them.
• Practice sorting skills. You can sort by shape, color, or number.
• Build shapes.
• Try constructing different types of buildings such as pyramids, skyscrapers, stilt homes, etc. Ask questions that will allow your child’s attention to be drawn to the different concepts that need to be taken into account for the construction of each structure.

Want a little inspiration? Check out http://www.weirdrichard.com/unitlist.html for activities and lessons using Legos!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

I Can’t Live Simply Until…

Prepare for Simple Time

Ever wake up on the morning of a busy day and feel so relaxed because you did so much planning and preparation the night before? It just makes the day go more smoothly when you can start off without a tremendous burden on your shoulders when your feet the floor in the morning. So why do you only make those preparations the night before a super busy day? Maybe you make preparations only before a day out of the house. Why only then?

The key to putting yourself in a simple mindset at the very beginning of your day is to do two things.

1. Make some preparations the before you go to bed. Have your school papers ready. Make certain your kitchen is clean. Have your school area ready to go. Place all the materials you will need for the next day’s activities in one location. Be sure to take anything that needs defrosting out of the freezer. Make a list of the five most important tasks you need to accomplish. Run a load of laundry so it will be ready for drying first thing in the morning.

2. First thing when you wake up, make time to spend with God. Even five minutes on a daily basis will make a difference you will be amazed with! I just chatted about this with a dear friend. We agreed that sometimes we find ourselves struggling to fight off getting through our email first thing. We both notice the difference in how our day runs when we don’t spend time with God first.

Make just these two changes in your daily routine and you will find that simplicity of mind comes swiftly!

These are my thoughts.

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Posted in Frugality-Simplicity

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Simply Frugal

Many of us are struggling with the rise in grocery prices. The crunch is on! Shopping at a farmer’s market can really help curb the costs. But what if you don’t have one locally? Check out roadside vendors. These are usually farmer’s who are looking to unload their wonderful produce for less than you would get at the grocery. It has been my experience that they are usually friendly and chatty people. Take an interest in their lifestyle and they will give you all the information you want about their farming practices. In addition, they will unload their produce VERY cheaply at the end of the day.

What if there is a farmer’s market within an hour or two’s drive. First you will need to find out if the produce is grown locally. If it is shipped in from any distance you will find that the prices will be lower than the grocery, but higher than what you can find that is locally grown. When you make your call or visit websites, determine what produce you may be able to find. Remember, eating locally is one of the least expensive and healthful ways you can feed your family, but that also means you won’t be able to pick whatever you are hankering food. Eating locally, means eating in season.

The next thing you need to determine is how much you will save comparatively with where you normally purchase your produce. When the savings is abundant, purchase as much as you can afford from the farmer’s market. The simple fact is that even if you do not have the means to can food, you can easily put food by with freezing and drying methods that will keep you in produce through the winter. Be forewarned that you will need to plan at least two days for putting food buy after a large farmer’s market purchase, so as not to have spoilage. Check your local library for resources on food storage. Shop at the end of the day, when you will get AWESOME bargains on the same produce you would have paid more for in the morning.

Now figure the cost of gas to drive to the market and back. Are there any other stops you could make along the way or activities you would want to partake in, that you would not normally spend the gas on if you weren’t in the area? Subtract your savings on groceries figure from the gas expenditure figure and this will be your base savings. Now, try to estimate how much the food you will put by would cost if you were to purchase in the off season. Add that figure to your base savings. Use this amount to determine if this simple & frugal day trip is worth your time. I bet you will find that it is!

These are my thoughts.

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