Smart Uses for Plastic Grocery Bags

I'm not always good at remembering to bring my own bags to the grocery store....I think about it, but, it is obviously not high on the priority list, because I rarely ever bring them.  So, again and again I bring home my grocery haul in plastic bags and stash them all with the hundreds in my pantry.  At times I feel guilty for having all these plastic bags, but, because I re-use them, I don't feel that bad.  I use them for many things around the house and thought it might be useful to give you a few ideas on how to re-use your plastic bags:

1. Pack your lunch in them. I pack Mark's lunch in a plastic grocery bag every day.  It's, obviously, not the sexiest form of lunch bag, but it does the job!  He often brings them home, too, so that I can re-re-use them!


2. Use them as trash bags. Every Monday I empty all the trash cans in the house, and instead of using big, 'ol garbage bags, I just grab a couple plastic grocery bags and empty all the trash into them.  You could also have a plastic grocery bag already in your can and when it's full, just lift it out!


3. Poo-Poo bags. Ah, yes, we all love picking up after our pets, don't we?!  Ok, not.  But, instead of buying some fancy-shmancy bags to pick up your pets' #2, just grab a plastic grocery bag!


4. And speaking of poo..... You can also use them in your child/baby's room for all the diaper rubbish.  Just tie your plastic bag to the knob of the dresser and toss them in.  Side note:  This won't keep the stink at bay, so you'll want to change the bag frequently!


5. Planter Fillers. If you are planting a flower that is not deep enough for your pot, add a few plastic bags to the bottom as filler and pile your dirt on top.  This is much more frugal than filling it completely with potting soil, and, since plastic bags are much less heftier, you can carry the planters around with much more ease.  (Be sure not to cover the drainage hole!)


6. Shoe Protectors. Fashionable, no, but tying plastic bags around your shoes just might help aid in tracking in unwanted "stuff."


7. Wet Umbrella Holders. Stash one in your purse, and on those rainy, icky days, you can pull it out and store your wet umbrella in it.


8. And speaking of rain...How about using a plastic bag as a make-shift rain hat!


9. Packing Material. Instead of those pesky little styrofoam peanuts, just throw in some plastic bags.


10. Vacation Bags. These are so handy stashed in your suitcase and can be used to store dirty clothes, wet clothes, toiletries, etc.


11. In your car. Stashing a few in your glove box can help with almost any sort of mess disposal.

Menu Plan Monday

We're all on the verge......

Well, actually, I've surpassed the verge.  The rest of the fam is right on it.  Of being sick, that is.

I had a weird, wack-o, painful, yucky, just plain "not feeling good" kind of day on Friday.  But, it didn't last long---I slid through Saturday unscathed and am now back to almost 100%.

It's the sweet trio who are hanging by a thread----A short, skinny, unraveling thread.  I see signs of sickness coming for, at least, two of the three, so I'm just praying for a smooth, sick-free week for all of them!!!

So, now, we're on to a new week, and, I do have to confess that last week's meal plan was pretty much a bust.  I think I stuck to one of the planned meals.  Yes, folks, that's right---one.  It was just one of those topsy-turvy weeks where not much was going as planned and, therefore, the meal plan did not go as planned, either.  So, unfortunately, you will see some carry-overs from last week!

Let's see if I can get it back on track!!  Here's what we're eating this week:

Monday:  Mustard Grilled Chicken , Rice Pilaf, Roasted Carrots

Tuesday:  Meatloaf (freezer), Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Wednesday:  Turkey Dinner with all the fixings.  (Yes, if you can believe it, I still have one more Turkey taking up space in the freezer!!)

Thursday:  Turkey Dinner leftovers

Friday:  The start to my "Girls Weekend" with my sister, Martha, and my little Anna!  Dinner out for us (after our massage!!!)

For more menu planning inspiration, check out I'm An Organizing Junkie.

Natural living---Garlic Oil

Have your kiddos ever had an earache?  An ear infection?  Where is the first place that we, as parents, usually run?

Yep.  The good 'ol Pediatrician.

There's nothing wrong with that, I know we used to.  Ava and Luke have not had many ear infections, but the few they have had in the past have all been "cured" by antibiotics.  I have never liked giving my wee ones antibiotics.

Well, now that we have babe #3, and I'm thinking and doing things in a whole new, natural, non-vaccinated way, I keep thinking back to my childhood.  Thinking back to all the amazing, natural things my parents did for us.  So, a few weeks ago when Ava kept covering her right ear, wanting major pressure on it, putting winter hats on to make it feel better (and she's not a hat person), and just moaning "It huuuurrrts......", I knew I had to step into action.  It was a Saturday night and all the Urgent Care facilities in our area were already closed, and the 30 minute drive to the ER did not seem appealing, (albeit, if it was needed, of course I would do it!) so I had to think quickly.  I called my mom and talked with her, as well as, my sister and that's when an "aha!" moment came to me!

An image popped into my head.  This image:

I was reminded of my parents using a GARLIC OIL, such as this, whenever we had earaches/infections!

Garlic oil is amazing and can do amazing things!  It has super healing abilities, helps support the proper functioning of the ears, and is all natural!  We bought ours at a local health food store for around $9, (you can also buy it online or make it yourself!), followed the instructions on the bottle (you have to submerge it in warm water to heat it up a bit), dropped some oil in both of Ava's ears, and, voila---the next morning she was happy, smiley and pain free!!!  We continued with it the following day, as well, to make sure all infection was gone, and it was!  After you drop the oil in, you can also put cotton balls in the ears to keep the oil in and protect the ear, but, with Ava's sensory issues, she wasn't having that!!  The feeling of something in her ear was not pleasing to her, so, we skipped that step and it still worked beautifully!

Garlic oil can be used on all age groups, too, and, we have also used it on Anna.  A few weeks ago, Anna was really pulling at her ear, and every time I would touch it, she would wince in pain.  So, even though I wasn't 100% sure she had an infection, I wanted to nip it in the bud, if in fact she had one.  We added it to both of her ears for two days, and after that, there was no more pulling at the ears or wincing in pain!!

Garlic oil worked when I was a child and it's still working for my kids.  Remember, this is not professional or doctor's advise, so check this out for yourself.  But, I tell ya, God made natural remedies for us, and all we have to do is seek them out!!

Keeping up with the Joneses?

Hmmmmm, this quote made me think!!

If you don't know who Dave Ramsey is, please check him out HERE

Ponder this folks..........

"We buy stuff we don't need, with money we don't

have, to impress people we don't like."

~ Dave Ramsey

Menu Plan Monday

My dear Ava loves to draw and color, and she and I have been working on drawing people, lately.  We've been focusing, mostly, on faces and stick figures, and just the other day, this drawing emerged:



It may not look like much to the naked eye, but sweet Ava drew it like she was the world's greatest artist!!

She came up to me and said she wanted to draw Anna, and I told her I thought that would be a great idea.  Anna was sitting in her Bumbo seat on the kitchen floor playing contentedly with a few toys, and, Ava, with her notebook and pencil in hand, marched right up to her and sat on the floor next to her.  As if she were a professional artist doing a sketch, she proceeded to look up at Anna, cocked her head a little, squinted her eyes and peered at her........then down at her notebook working vigorously......then back up at Anna, again.......and then down again at her notebook.  This went on for quite a few minutes, including a few, "Anna...Anna, look at me!"  or  "No, Anna.....no, no, no....can't have pencil!"  A few minutes and a few giggle later, a joyful, excited Ava stood up and said, "See, Mama, it's Anna!!!"



Oh, the joy and pride in her eyes, knowing that she had just drawn her sister.  And, what a budding artist we have on our hands!!

What a sweet, lovely memory I will carry with me forever and I couldn't help but share it with you.

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Are we already to March?!  Wow.  Will it ever slow down??  I feel like we're always back to Mondays quicker than the week before!!  So, here's to another Monday and another Menu Plan:

Monday:  Homemade Lasagna, Green Salad, Homemade French Baguettes, Grapes

Tuesday:  Chimichangas, all the fixings, Fruit Salad

Wednesday:  Mustard Grilled Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Green Salad

Thursday:  Meatloaf (freezer), Mashed Potatoes (freezer), Corn Scallop

Friday:  Chicken Delight Casserole (freezer), Green Beans, Raspberry Muffins (freezer)

Have a fantastic Week!

~Sarah