The Pleasures of Home And Family

Today I am thankful for.....

2009-11-13T15:21:00.003-05:00

My loving family.....

What YOU are thankful for today?
Until Next Time,
Julie

Today I am thankful for.....

2009-11-10T12:47:00.004-05:00

Every day this month until Thanksgiving, I am going to post one thing that I am thankful for. "Today I am thankful for..." The longer you do it, the harder it gets!

Today I am thankful for my 2 healthy, happy kids!

What YOU are thankful for today?

Until Next Time,

Julie

Meal Plan Monday!

2009-11-02T10:04:00.007-05:00

Here is our plan for this week. Last week we got of track with me being out of school, trick or treating and other life happenings. This week I am determined to to stay on track to make life a tad bit easier. So the plan is....

Monday: Soupy Joes, green beans and salad.

Tuesday: Spaghetti, bread sticks, salad.

Wednesday: Poor Mans Steak, mashed potatoes, and corn.

Thursday: chicken, salad and rolls.

Friday: Potato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches.

Saturday: Hamburgers, Onion strings and baked beans.

Sunday: Shredded beef sandwiches, Cole slaw and green beans.

Please visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/ to share your weekly menu.

Hope you have a great week! Happy November!

Until Next Time,

Julie

Bed Makeover

2009-10-30T10:24:00.005-04:00

This white iron bed was mine when I was little. I forgot the take the before picture of the foot board before I began, but you get the idea. My mom bought it at a yard sale and my Dad painted it white. I never liked it growing up because it was old. My Mom always had antiques in the house and like any typical little girl I wanted what all my friends had and that was a canopy bed, not an antique iron bed. So I decided to paint it green and use it in my daughters room. She is only 4 and hasn't discoved canopy beds or whatever is cool nowadays!

I used this paint. I bought this paint because it said it had 2x's the coverage. I don't know about that. I only got the footboard painted with one can. I thought I could bo both foot and head board. But I was wrong. It is called Green Apple.

Here is the in progress picture. OK so maybe if I got more paint on the bed and not the cardboard, one can would have worked. :)

I still have the headboard and rails to paint.

Here is the finished product. I think it turned out cute! What do you think?

The next project will be a step stool to go with it.

I have posted this over at A Soft Place to Land.

and at Between Naps on the Porch

Go check them out and enter your DIY project!

Until Next Time,

Julie

Just because I thought it was pretty....

2009-10-15T12:42:00.003-04:00

I took this picture the other day, it is just down the street.

Until Next Time,

Julie

Meal Plan Monday

2009-10-11T11:07:00.008-04:00

Here's our plan for this week.

Sunday: Pot Luck at Church, I am taking Sweet & Sour Green Beans from Southern Plate.

Monday: Chicken and Corn Quesadillas, Spanish rice

Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Salad

Wednesday: Shredded Beef Sandwiches, Coleslaw

Thursday: Broccoli/Cheddar Soup, Crusty Bread from Mommys Kitchen

Friday: Pizza Bits and a green salad.

Saturday: Chicken Fajita Potatoes.

Visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/ to post your weekly menu .

Happy cooking and have a great week!

Pumpkin Farm Field Trip

2009-10-11T10:53:00.008-04:00

Lindsey's First Field Trip

Lindsey is in preschool this year and went on her first field trip to a pumpkin farm. She was so excited! She was like the little boy in the Disney commericial that said "I'm too excited to sleep" That was Lindsey. The funny thing was she was most excited to ride the school bus.

All the kids wore green shirts made by there teacher. A little big don't ya think!

She picked her perfect Lindsey sized pumpkin.

She is growing up way to fast!

Until Next Time,

Julie

Homemade Fabreeze

2009-09-17T01:00:00.001-04:00

I love Fabreeze, but it is just so darn expensive. So today I thought I would try a recipe for Homemade Fabreeze. I LOVE IT! Now I have only just made it this weekend, but it seems to be working great.

Here are the ingredients you will need.

1 Cup Water, 1 Cup Baking Soda and 1 Cup Fabric Softener (I even used the cheap stuff!).
Mix the baking soda with the water. Stir until dissolve. This may take awhile. You might need to heat it up in a sauce pan to get it all to dissolve. If it doesn't all dissolve it will clog your sprayer.

Pour in the softener and mix well.

Pour into spray bottle.

Remember to shake it well before each use.

Until Next Time,

Julie

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2009-09-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

Yum Yum Yum!!!

I made this for the first time tonight. I was delicious, but what isn't when it has bacon in it. It was super easy too! I got the recipe at Cooking During Stolen Moments. She has some really great recipes.

Phil always laughs at me because I never have all the ingredients for what I am making so I improvise. This was the case shortly after we got married and my brother was visiting us when we lived in Denver. I was going to make spegetti for dinner. I was out of ground beef but I had a package of maple saugage. I have never used it before and I figured the maple would be very sutle and the spegetti sauce would dround out the maple flavor. Boy was I wrong. They both took a bite and looked at each other like, what in the world has she done to us now. Never the less we went out to eat that night.

Yes this is because of my lack of planning ahead. Today I didn't have the chicken stock so I used beef stock instead and it still turned out great.

Until Next Time,

Julie

Meal Plan Monday

2009-09-14T01:00:00.003-04:00

Over at I'm an Organizing Junkie, Monday is Meal Plan Monday.

So I thought I would give it a try in the hopes of simplifying our weekday schedules.

Also check out The Project Girl. She has a great planner I used for making my menu and grocery list all one one sheet. Here is a link to her menu.

She is full of great ideas, make sure to check her out.

Heres my menu for the week of September 14th

Monday: Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Crusty Bread.

Tuesday: Tacos & Spanish Rice

Wednesday: Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Thursday: Grilled Chicken Tenderloins, Corn Casserole & Green Salad

Friday: Chicken Stew, Crusty Bread

Saturday: Hambugers, Onion Rings &Pasta Salad

Sunday: Baked Spegetti, Breadsticks & Green Salad

Have a Great Week!

Until Next Time,

Julie

God the Sovereign Savor

2009-09-13T09:07:00.006-04:00

I will love You, O Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. My God my strength in whom I will trust. My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3

Until Next Time,

Julie

A fairy in my Garden

2009-09-12T09:57:00.012-04:00

This morning I woke up and a

ballerina/princess/fairy was in my garden.

Until Next Time,

Julie

Yard Work and Worn out Kids.

2009-08-31T23:36:00.009-04:00

Today really felt like fall. The temps were only in the 70's and it was beautiful outside. Lindsey had preschool until 11:30 and then she played outside all day. I did manage to rangle her inside for Dinner and then she was back out until dark. She is a true outdoor girl. After bathtime they both fell into bed.

The picture at the top of my blog was taken last fall. They were patiently waiting for the columbines to come back by. Harvest time is a big deal in our farming communtiy. Lukas loves to watch the trackers working. Tonight they worked with there Daddy taking down that fence between us and the field. This year it was soy beans, next year it will be corn. It looks so much better now that all the weeds and other depree are all gone. We will eventually put up a new fence, but I am kind of liking it without it.

Today I am feeling so blessed to have two healthy, happy, loving children. They are growing up a little every day. Tonight Lindsey saw Taylor Swift on TV and asked if she could have a dress like hers when she was this many, she proceeded to put up all 10 fingers. I told her she would also have to put up her toes along with her fingers! I know I get frustrated with all the fingerprints, dirty clothes all over the bathroom and picking up sippy cups, but before I know they will be all grown up and I will miss these days. Our plan all along was for me to stay home until Lindsey goes to Kindergarden, which is all day here. I am already thinking this school year is going to by way to fast. I wish I could freeze time in its tracts.
Until Next Time,

Julie

Todays Thrifty Treasures

2009-08-30T14:22:00.000-04:00

Over at http://southernhospitalityblog.com/ Rhoda has Thrifty Treasures every Monday. This is my first time participating. Every week I can't wait to see what great finds she will post. I have always enjoyed yard sales and flea markets, but in the recent years I have gotten away from it. This summer she has really motivated me to become more frugal. It has really become a game for me. I hope you enjoy seeing my finds.

Two brand new Pottery Barn Shams and One pillow case. They were $2 each and still have the tags on. I got these at our thrift store.

This is a Carmel color suede chair. So comfy and only $40 at our local thrift store.
I got this wrought iron clock for $1. I am going to spray paint it black and it is going in the Bathroom. The pumpkin holds a tea light candle and was .10. The shelf is also going to be painted black and will be in the bathroom, it was .50.

Hope you had fun looking!

Until next time,

Julie

Showing our Roosters!

2009-08-27T16:20:00.000-04:00

One of the blogs I enjoy is Bella Vista. She has great style and is very creative. Tomorrow, Friday she is having a Show your Rooster Party. I have a more Roosters than I thought I did!

My camera broke a few weeks ago, so my pictures are from my sons Crayola camera. I am sorry for the poor quality.

This is a wall of three rooster pictures at the end of my kitchen.

These Roosters are on top of my hutch in my kitchen.

This is a cabinet in my family room, next to a thrift store suede chair.

This Rooster arrangement is on top of my computer Armour.

Stop over at Bella Vista and share your Roosters! http://barbsgoodlife.blogspot.com/

Thrift Store Sale

2009-08-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

At our local thrift store the last Wednesday of the month is half off day. I have been on sale days before but have never experienced the mayham of today. The store opens at 9am so after I dropped off Lindsey at preschool at 8:30 I headed over. I thought I would get a cup of coffee and wait until 9:00. Well when I got there there was already a line of about 6 people. I was meeting my friend Linda there, so I figured I would go ahead and get in line. By the time the doors opened there was probably close to 50 people in line. As the doors opened you would have thought it was Black Friday at the mall. A mad rush of stay at home moms and elderly women racing for the carts. Now this calm group of women who waited out side the door, were not so calm when it came to getting a cart. I managed to get to the front and got 2 carts one for me and one for Linda. As I was trying to get out of the way, I heard one lady say "She has TWO carts" I must have broken a the cardinal rule of thrifting by getting two carts. A few minutes after the store opened and the initial mayham was over. I looked toward the front door and noticed a line of approx 15 people, in line to get a cart. I new the counties thrift stores and consignment shops were doing really well due to the down economy, but wow, a line for carts!

I ended up getting a few really good deals. Two shams and a brand new pillow case from the Pottery Barn for Lindsey. They still have the tags still on. They match the quilt her Grandma Dawn got her when she was born. A Ralph Lauren, Jos A Bank and a Haggar shirt for Phil at 3$ each they were a steal. A few other misc thing for the kids. The biggest hit of the day were the Superman PJ pants for Lukas and Strawberry Shortcake PJ's for Lindsey.

Linda and I have decided to make this a monthly outing. Next time we will be sure to wear our combat clothes.

Until next time,

Julie

PS I will post pictures shortly!

A bad day turned around.

2009-08-25T12:54:00.000-04:00

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

Today we started our day by the alarm not going off, so we were late getting up, which lead us to missing the school bus. Then when we finally all got in the car and buckled up. The car wouldn't start. Thank goodness for AAA. They were here in less then 15 minutes, jumped the car. We were off to school. Only 30 minutes late for school and Lukas was happy he didn't have to ride the bus.

Today's lesson is if you let the circumstances around you effect your attitude, you are bound to have a bad day. So today I made the conscience decision to have a positive attitude, because in the end all that happened was Lukas was 30 minutes late to school, no big deal.

Until next time,

Julie