Ghost Cookies!!!

This is one of the easiest cute cookie recipes.

You need:
- Nutter Butter Cookies
- White Chocolate or White Almond Bark (melted)
- Mini M&Ms

Dip the top half of each cookie in the white chocolate. Place it on a sheet of wax paper. Pu the M&Ms down for eyes. Repeat. Leave until set.

See? EASY!

Tidy Tuesday (How I Get Things Done)

Okay, first of all here are a couple of my favorite blogs:
http://myblessedhome.blogspot.com/
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/blog/
http://thehappyatheisthomemaker.blogspot.com/

Don't get caught up in reading all day! Set a timer and read for a set period of time (an hour?)


Some tips:
- Set a schedule.
Don't overwhelm yourself. Only do a few things a day. I have a Daily Three Load of Dishes, Load of Laundry, Load of Diapers I try to get those three things done each and every day (well, sometimes I can only do diapers every 2 days..but you get the idea) If nothing else, I get THAT done! and I try to clean the kitchen every day (because it's the most used room in the house)

- Pick a Daily Task.
This is the one I'm trying to get used to...My week looks like this:
Monday
Master Bath

Tuesday
Kitchen Appliances

Wednesday
Master Bedroom
Kid Bath

Thursday
Guest Bath/Room

Friday
Living/Dining Room

Saturday
Sweep/Vacuum House
Shopping
Kid Bath

Sunday
Light Cleaning

If I don't get that goal done for the day (like, I didn't clean the bathroom) I just move on and do it when/if I have time. OR I wait until it rolls around again.

-Don't do it all at once
I do it in chunks. I set timers, give myself goals, or just work as long as the kid will play on the floor. Put on 15-30mins worth of your favorite music and get started. Just pick a point (maids will tell you work top to bottom, left to right but do whatever works for you) and go! Or, set a goal like: I will clean off the dining table, or gather all the laundry/dishes, or clean X corner of the room. When you're done be DONE for a while. If you look at your house and go "It must all be done TODAY" you'll get overwhelmed and talk yourself out of it.

-Assign chores if you can.
Split things up with your husband if you both work. I'm a stay at home wife/mother so taking care of the house IS my job. If you both work then assign chores. Example: If your daily chores are dishes and laundry split it up. Person A unloads the dishwasher and gathers laundry and handles transferring it to the dryer. Person B loads dishwasher and folds laundry. (My husband and I split up the laundry. He hates folding so the deal is he puts stuff on hangers and I fold everything else. Cuts it in half for both of us) Stefan's family has a rule: The person that cooks doesn't do dishes. Maybe that can apply in your house too?


I am NOT superwoman LOL I should upload photos of how cluttered my house is right now. There's clean laundry (folded) to my left, an empty chip bag/Sonic bag/bowl to my right, and a bin of clean (unfolded) laundry behind me. My kitchen looks amazing, though!

My husband's post on Swine Flu

President Obama has officially declared H1N1 a national emergency, and I'm left shaking my head and laughing at people that actually worry about this. Read the news, and you'll find headlines like "Over 1,000 Dead in US from Swine Flu," or - to tug at more heartstrings "Over 100 children Killed." These numbers mean absolutely nothing. One thousand out of how many? A report I read recently says "millions" of Americans have been infected. Really? Okay. Let's do a little math. For the sake of argument, let's say that only 1,000,000 people have been infected. With around a thousand dead, that gives H1N1 a mortality rate of 0.1%. To put that in other terms, you have a meager 99.9% chance of surviving swine flu! Well, in fairness, the headline did say "over 1,000." Let's go crazy and say by more than, they meant ten times as many. With ten thousand deaths, that brings the mortality rate to 1% and your odds of survival are now reduced to 99%. Remember, they're saying that millions, that's plural, have been infected. Forget about death for a moment. There have been a reported 20,000 hospitalizations. Again, numbers-wise, that's 2% of our proposed one million cases (even less in reality). Now, of these thousand or so deaths and tens of thousands of hospitalizations, how many of the infected had preexisting medical conditions that would make them more susceptible to complications from swine flu? What's that? No one seems to be taking that into account? But surely the media wouldn't just throw numbers out like candy for the sake of ratings...

Now, one hundred dead children is sad. Let us not forget, however, that during the 2003-2004 season, there were 153 deaths in children seventeen and younger forty states that were studied. Estimations give a grand, country-wide total of around 200 child deaths. That's twice the amount of what we're hearing now, but I don't recall a national emergency back then. Never mind the fact that the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (people that count flu deaths) include deaths from pneumonia in their flu mortality count.

While I'm talking about flu, please don't be foolish enough to get the flu-mist vaccine. This is not like the shot in that the mist contains a live virus. After getting it, you're contagious for a few weeks. Most people don't seem to know that one. In conclusion, there is no need to worry. Calm down!

Meals for the Week Oct 11-17

Last week's meals didn't work and got tossed around...and I know I was MIA all week. Franklin has been a Velcro Baby lately...


Sunday: Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes!
Quick, easy, but messy...I do need to clean the kitchen anyway...

Monday: Pulled Pork (BBQ) and Roasted Potatoes
First time trying this...maybe I'll be better about pictures this week.

Tuesday: Chicken Fried Rice
Another easy one dish meal!

Wednesday: Mexican Shepherd's Pie
Recipe Here So GOOD! It's one of our favorites!

Thursday: Chorizo, Egg, and Bean Tacos
This is one of my favorites. I'm the little white girl that loves chorizo!

Friday: Roast Chicken
I didn't do it last week so I'm doing it this week!

Saturday: Homemade Ravioli with meat sauce
That's right, homemade! I'm trying my hand at it because I can't have normal ravioli (it all has CHEESE) I'm making chicken and mushroom ravioli and a tomato/meat sauce...we shall see!

Meals for Sept 5th-10th

We still haven't made the Mushroom Cube Steaks! So that goes up today!

Tuesday: Pesto Tilapia

Wednesday: Pan Seared Pork Chops and Mushroom Sauce

Thursday: Spicy Sausage and Rice Casserole

Friday: Salmon and Rice  (I've been craving this lately)

Saturday I'll be roasting one of the chickens I got on SALE (88 cents per pound!!!)


With a few of the meals I'll take pictures and put them up on Saturday :)

Frugal Friday

I know, I missed posting yesterday. Franklin is working on a new skill (pulling himself to standing...yes, I'm serious. Yes, I know he's not quite 6 months old) so he's been frustrated lately. The same thing happened when he wanted to learn to sit up by himself. He's also been a very Velcro Baby as of late. This keeps me from doing a lot of things around the house...


But I'll try to get some frugal tips in today!

Breastfeeding and Cloth Diapers/Wipes

Most Americans spend tons of money on formula and disposable diapers/wipes. With my son, it would have been extra expensive as he has a dairy sensitivity. The way we do it, I just have to avoid dairy. The formula route means buying special formula (special = expensive). I have a friend who's son is allergic to dairy AND soy...so if she's used formula it would mean the super expensive allergenic kind. That's crazy. Plus, all of the bottles and brushes and blah blah blah.
My son also has sensitive skin (another genetic gift from Mommy) We've done disposables a few times here and there and he gets a horrible rash each and every time. We even tried the "All Natural" kind only to get a bad rash. (We also can't use Johnson's anything...but I've heard that's normal for a lot of kids...apparently, it's bad stuff) The only time he gets a rash now is if I have dairy (food allergies cause diaper rash), if I have too many acidic foods (orange juice for example), or if he sits in a wet diaper too long (sometimes he'll have a slight rash for the first part of the morning). However, this is the exception and not the rule. I love that we don't have to spend money on expensive diapers AND creams.

Honestly, we save thousands a year just by making these choices...think about it.

Word For Wednesday Sept 30th

The theme today is breastfeeding...it's a topic that is VERY important to me.

Genesis 49:25 By the God of your father who will help you,
      And by the Almighty who will bless you
      With blessings of heaven above,
      Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
      Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

Right there it talks about breasts and the womb being a blessing.


There are numerous passages that reference breasts and nursing.


Why would I choose this subject? Breastfeeding is a very important topic to me. Most women choose to not breastfeed AT ALL, and most of the ones that do only do it for a short while. Breastfeeding for an extended period of time is beneficial to the mother and child.

Now, I'm not going to knock formula. For women that are unable to breastfeed, formula is a life-saver (literally).

However, I will say that I believe that pushing formula as better than breastmilk, downplaying the importance of breastfeeding, and making it shameful or wrong to breastfeed in public are tools of Satan. Yep, I said it. Anything that tries to take away your gifts is a tool of Satan. Think about it, if breastfeeding no longer happens there is one less thing to connect a mother and child; so why not let someone else raise him?
- Formula cannot totally replace breastmilk. Science cannot replicate the antibodies it provides. Science cannot cause formula to change its composition during a feeding. Science cannot do better than God!
- Breastfeeding for at least one year is recommended. Two years is better. It helps the mother with healing post-partum, it lowers her cervical/uterine cancer risk, and it protects the child against diseases for which they now require vaccinations.
- Nursing in public is a God-given right. I've heard people say that in Islam, breastfeeding is a child's birthright. I've also heard that in some Moslem communities where the women full cover breastfeeding in public is okay. So I propose this question: Why, in the land of tank tops and daisy dukes, is nursing in public viewed as trashy and shameful?

America has sexualized something that isn't sexual at all. It has taken something beautiful and made it dirty. We need to take it back and make it how God intended.

Tidy Tuesday Product Recommendation

I LOVE the product Bar Keepers Friend! It is the BEST cleanser and polisher I've ever come across. I don't have any personal before and after pictures...but I found some (and yes, I've seen it do this on my personal pots and pans)

Click

Amazing, right?


I only have a minute so this is a quick post. I'm going to send you here to read more!

Meals Sept 27th-Oct 3rd

This week is a fairly easy week because we were out of town the past weekend!

Sunday: Out of Town

Monday: Chili (my mom's recipe...sorry, can't reveal!)

Tuesday: Chicken Fried Steak (pretty basic)

Wednesday: (Stefan's Birthday) "Chinese Night" Oriental Pork, Rice, Patty's Green Beans (can't reveal that last one either...we're sworn to secrecy)

Thursday: Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Friday: Chicken Quesadillas

Saturday: Mushroom Cube Steaks (I'll give that recipe out if it's good...we've never tried it)

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for my beautiful son. :)

Sometimes I get nostagic because I didn't do something big with my life. I didn't become a model, I didn't finish the acting thing, I didn't get to go to medical school, I didn't travel the world (YET!), and I didn't get into the Air Force...

However...

I get to listen to baby giggles over the simplest things. I get to enjoy "hugs" and "kisses" (he doesn't "know" he's doing them but I take it anyway) I get to see his face light up when I come in after he wakes up from a nap.

That's when I realize that THIS is what I was meant to be doing; and THIS is where I'm supposed to be in life. Nothing is more fulfilling than watching my son grow up. Nothing warms my heart like thinking about him growing up and about us having more children. Being a doctor couldn't do that, being on stage (or back stage) didn't do that, and I'm sure that the Air Force wouldn't have either.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust the Lord with all your heart,
       and don't depend on your own understanding.
  Remember the Lord in all you do,
       and he will give you success.