Menu Plan Monday

I've GOT to get back to planning my menus each week!  I've been doing it here and there, but, not on a consistent basis and, boy, have I realized what a time saver it really is!!  So, here's to me trying to get back to it.  It's not too exciting this week, but, hey, it's a PLAN!

For Hundreds of other ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie

Monday:  Rib Eye Steaks, Baked Potatoes, Salad

Tuesday:  Brats, Homemade French Fries, Smoothies

Wednesday:  Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs, Salad, Homemade French Bread

Thursday:  Soup (some sort of soup I have in the freezer), Buttery Rolls (from the freezer)

Friday:  Homemade Pizza (I use THIS crust recipe), Root Beer Floats  

Here's to sticking to the Plan!

Frugal Container Ideas

***This is a post I wrote BEFORE I decided to take a break from this blog, so, it's 9 months old, but, ready to be posted!***

As I took a look at the kids' art closet, I sighed, looked away, and almost just closed the doors right away.  

BUT.  I didn't. 

I took a deep, close look at the chaos going on in there and decided to fix it.   But, boy, what a disorganized mess it was!!  I realized that the main problem was that, we didn't have enough containers to put items in.  For instance, all the glue and tape was in multiple places;  the markers overflowed in the container we had, therefore, spilling out everywhere;  the paints and glitter did not have a container and a true home, the "little" things were in multiple bins and hard to find, etc, etc, etc.  It really was:  CHAOS.

I scoured around the house for bins and did find a few, but, fell short of the exact amount I needed.  That's when I started to get a little creative

I looked around the house at what I ALREADY HAVE  (and/or, what I was going to recycle!) and made some super frugal art containers!!

Here's a few things I found around the house, that I re-purposed, to use as storage containers in the kids' art closet:

1.  Red Vines Licorice Container  (and yes, I'm sure I ate most of the contents inside.  Not all in one sitting, though.)

• I made this into a sort-of art project for the kids.  Every morning after breakfast we do an "activity" and this was a fun one for them!  I let them do whatever they wanted to do, and this is what it looked like:

2.  Plastic Milk Container

• This was super EASY-PEASY.  Grab a pair of scissors, poke a hole where you want to start the cutting, and cut away!  Once I cut off the top, I washed the bottom half, and, we used this to store pieces of fabric, felt and ribbon

 3.  Egg Carton

•  This worked well to house a lot of our little things!  

4.  Sour Cream/Yogurt/Cottage Cheese Containers

• These worked great for Pens, Markers, Scissors, and Glue Sticks.  If I were really motivated, I would decorate the outside with paper and Modge Podge, but, this'll do for now!!  :-)

Other ideas not shown:

• Glass jars---These work well, because you can see-through them to see their contents
• Coffee Tins
• Baby Food Jars (Great for the itsy-bitsy stuff!)
• Envelopes--Just write on the front the contents that are inside
• Yogurt containers

The possibilities are endless!!

What?! She's back????

Yes, my friends.  It's true.  Or is it???  Maybe??  Maybe not.

For today, IT IS!!!

For some reason, I rolled out of bed, got my coffee, sat down at the computer and felt an overwhelming urge to write a blog post.  THIS is what I have been waiting for!!!  I have taken a lot of time off (9 months, to be exact!), and have really spent time evaluating my life, my priorities, my family, and my time.  It has been a terrific 9 months in many aspects and a not-so-terrific 9 months in other aspects.  We all have our ups and downs, right?!  But, all in all, it has been a great time for me to learn more about myself without the worry/hassle/stress/grief/pressure of writing this blog.  Why did I feel all those things?  I didn't know then, but I do now.  Someday I might share with you my findings.

But, for now, I have realized that I am ME.  Just imperfect ME.  (I know, amazing insight, right?!)  I don't have to write this blog for anyone else, I don't have to conform to anyone else's ideas of what this blog should or should not be about.  I don't have to write anything for days or weeks if I don't want to! I will make this MY OWN and if people read it---awesome.  If they don't---awesome.  

I am not the most eloquent writer, nor do I strive to be.  Again, I want to be ME.  That sounds super cheesy, I know, but I feel, that, a lot of times we just struggle with just being ourselves and not conforming to what other people think or say or tell us we should be.  I want to continue thinking outside of the box, writing my feelings and thoughts on "controversial" topics, share with you about my life, my family, my kids and everything else in between!!

I may write once a day, once a week, once a month, or once a year!!!  At this point, I am so OK with letting this blog be what it will be.  I hope that maybe you will check back every now and then and join me, once again, on this journey!

Blessings to you all!!!

 

A time for everything

I wanted to be the mom, the woman, who could do it all.

But, frankly, in this season of my life, I don't think I can.

I feel like God is steering me in a different direction, and that direction is, away from this blog.

At least, for now.

I have LOVED doing this blog, for more than a year, now, but, it was starting to consume me.  It was taking up a lot of time, energy and thoughts, more than I ever thought it would.  I have stayed up late thinking about it and writing, I have lost sleep over what my next entry will be,  I have felt the burden of taking great pictures and providing good content, I have felt desperation to get something up, just so it doesn't sit bare for long.  I have wanted to bring good, relevant, helpful and thought-provoking content, but, through all of that,  it has brought on a lot of un-needed stress.  Maybe it shouldn't have, but it has.  Instead of it being fun for me, which is what it started out as being, it has become a burden.  I feel like other areas of my life have been left unattended.  It's amazing how a blog can have this effect on me.  Or, maybe I have allowed it to become what it has become.  Whatever the reason, it is what I have let it be, and I have to put it aside for awhile. 

I would never say that I have it harder than any other mom.  I know that many have it much "worse" off than I do.  But, I have three young children who need me and depend on me;  I have a home that I need to keep clean and orderly; I have a massive, daunting yard that needs enormous amounts of attention; I'm working two part-time jobs and have started back in on my Ebay business;  I have a husband who needs more of my undivided attention;  I have a special needs daughter who requires more from me than I can sometimes give her. There are all the trips back and forth to school, the play dates, the potty-training, the diapering, the disciplining, the cooking, the baking, the training, the playing, the cleaning, the comforting, the, the, the...........Being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job in the world, and even though I love it, it can be a struggle.


It was becoming an even bigger struggle as my focus was being taken over by this blog.

I question the timing of this decision, because I now have this new home for my blog, new followers, etc, but I have to rely on the promise that God's timing is perfect.  He put this on my heart for a reason and I can't pretend like it's not real.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace. 

Ecclesiastes 3:  1-8

Hopefully there will be a time when I come back to this blog, to continue on this amazing journey of sharing, learning, growing and cataloging life events.  But, until then, I must take some time off.  How long?  I don't know..............only God does.

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed,

for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for Him.” 

Lamentations 3:  22-24

Thank you for taking this journey with me and I hope and pray, that, someday, I will see you back here, again.  But, until then, keep on living life fully, frugally and faithfully.

God Bless~~~

Sarah

Check for the Dents!!

I just can't seem to get enough of clearance groceries.  

Seeing the 50% off sticker makes my heart skip a beat.

Here's what I saw that induced the skippage:

Most grocery stores mark down canned goods that have been dented, or that have peeling paper, but, that are still perfectly sell-able.  At my local Safeway, these little treasured goods were in the waaaaaay back of the store, close to the entrance to the back room, sitting so lonely and forlorn in a cart with other marked-down sundry items.  

Who am I to discriminate against a dented can?!  

I swiped these bad boys up!!!  Each can was less that .40 cents, each!!  
(And, a few of them are higher priced Organic tomatoes!)

Check for the Dents!!

WORKS FOR ME!!