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Family Fun Night

February 8, 2008 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

For me, it doesn’t get much better than a quiet night at home.

Huh. I have four kids…boys to be exact…I’m not really sure why I used the phrase:  quiet night at home.

Anyway, for today’s Frugal Friday tip, I thought I would share a fun, free way for your family to spend time together (quiet, loud…whatever)!

Our favorite family night activity is to play the “Acting Out Game”. Here are reasons why it’s a perfect game for both parents and kids:

1. Tired parents get to sit down the whole time and smile at their children.

2. Active children get to use their energy to be creative and use up all that drama they have built up inside.

3. It’s free.

It’s much like charades…and I don’t claim to be some genius to have figured out this “Acting Out Game”. But I’m tellin’ ya…it’s a great way to relax with your family for the evening.

So, here’s how we play: 

Parents sit down and put your feet up (like the game so far?!). 

Decide the order of who goes first, second and so on. 

Child number one either thinks of something to act out, or one of the parents whispers an idea to them. It’s usually something simple like usually like planting a garden, shoveling snow, scrambling eggs…that type of thing.

The child acts it out and everyone else makes guesses about what he’s doing until we figure it out. Then the next child gets a turn.

Even our littlest guy gets out there and takes a turn…he’s been playing since he could walk. (Although sometimes he says what he’s doing while he’s doing it, or right after we’ve whispered the idea in his ear!)

Sometimes we parents play too…just depends on our energy level! The kids LOVE it when Mommy or Daddy takes a turn! (I don’t always sit around and watch my kids have all the fun!)

My kids are always coming up with really great things to act out. 

And, maybe it’s just me….but boy, do we have some talented actors at our house!

(Yeah, it’s probably just me.)

Find more Frugal Friday tips at Biblical Womanhood.

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Thirteen Things I’ve Said to One (or more) of My Four Boys This Week (at least once)…

February 7, 2008 by Laura 10 Comments

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1. “Please take the swinging light sabers out of the kitchen.”

2. “We do not talk about poop at the table.”

3. “Can you please stop the extra sound effects while I am trying to have a conversation with Daddy?”

4. “Yes, it will be ready soon, but I can work much faster if you stop asking me when it will be ready.”

5. “How about we get you a napkin so you can use that instead of your shirt?”

6. “Will you please go change your shirt?”

7. “That’s a really good joke you made up. Can you explain it to me?”

8. “Please go back in and put the seat down and flush.”

9. “Did you brush ALL of your teeth?”

10. “Well, I don’t know what other snack you can have since you’ve already had an apple, two tortillas with honey and a graham cracker. Do you think you can possibly wait until dinner to eat again?” 

11. “If he’s screaming while you’re doing that, it probably means he doesn’t like it, and that you should stop.”

12. “Wow. Good job obeying me the first time and for doing it cheerfully!”

13. “You are my favorite _____ (fill in the blank with 3, 6, 7 and 10) year old in the whole world!”

More Thursday Thirteen here!

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Tagged!

February 6, 2008 by Laura 4 Comments

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I just got tagged by Christy…so now I get to share 7 facts about myself. Now let’s see…should I share weird facts, funny facts, math facts…?

I believe that I will choose weird facts. Here goes:

Weird Fact #1:  Once when I was a teenager, my (teenage) brother stuffed one of his sweaty socks from basketball practice right into my mouth…as I was waking up from a nap. He denies having done this, but I remember. Oh, I remember.

Weird Fact #2:  I REALLY enjoy everything about food. Like in a weird way. I get a real kick out of having a freezer full of meat and a pantry full of preserved foods…and sometimes, I like to just look at it. That’s right, I just go open the freezer and look at my meat. And it makes me happy. 

Weird Fact #3:   Lest you think I have lot’s of extra time on my hands after reading #2, weird fact #3 is that I hate wasting time and usually start brushing my teeth, and then decide to start a load of laundry with my left hand while I’m brushing with my right hand, then I’ll close the washing machine, continue brushing and put in my earrings or some other task that takes about 10 seconds that would be precious time wasted if I waited until after I finished brushing. In other words, I really like to multitask.

(I suppose I could kill two birds with one stone and go look at my meat while I’m brushing…)

Weird Fact #4:  While I am great at multitasking in almost every area and can get tons of stuff done at once…for some reason I am not very good at talking and cooking at the same time. Oh, I can do it, but my food just doesn’t quite turn out the same. 

Weird Fact #5:  I absolutely can not hear you if I don’t have my glasses on or contacts in. Yes you read that right. Can’t see=Can’t hear. I guess I’m just that visual of a person. So, when my husband comes into the room and starts talking to me after I’m laying down in bed and have already taken my glasses off for the night, I have to say, “Wait honey, let me put my glasses on so that I can hear you…okay now, what were you saying?” (ah, bless his heart.)

Weird Fact #6:  Once, in college, two of my friends and I went and TP’d (how do you abbreviate “toilet papered?”) the homes of our Bible professor and Biology Professor. I promise you that this task is very uncharacteristic of me and that no one could believe I had done it (and if you know me and you’re reading this, you don’t even know what to think, do you?). Let me just admit to you that while I never in my life have the desire to do something that is so wasteful (both of time and money) again, I did enjoy myself and almost wet my pants laughing that night. (It would have been okay, there was TP aplenty.)

Weird Fact #7:  I love reading comments on my blog even more than I like looking at the meat in my freezer…so leave me comments! Just make sure I’m wearing my glasses so that I’ll hear you.

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Favorite Online Food Sources

February 6, 2008 by Laura 3 Comments

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 Over at Rocks in my Dryer, everyone is sharing their favorite places to shop online.

I decided to share my favorite online sources for health food! Yeah, ’cause I’m one of those weird health nut, granola crunchin’ tree huggers.

(I’m actually sitting here eating a cookie while I type.) (But, um, it’s made with whole wheat, of course.)

There are others in my community as weird as me, so we have joined up and formed co-ops with these companies. Therefore, the prices you see on these websites are actually not the prices that I get through my co-op. The co-op  prices are much cheaper!

My primary source for groceries is  Azure Standard …. I LOVE it!

Here are some specific reasons that I LOVE Azure Standard:

*They have many varieties of organic, seasonal fresh produce. It is always delicious, high quality and unbelievably well priced.

*They box up each person’s orders individually. When we take boxes off the truck, all we have to do is look at the name on the box and put it in the correct mini van.

*They rarely make mistakes, but when they do, I’ve never had trouble with them correcting it.

*I can buy food by the case, or individually. If I don’t want 12 bottles of ketchup, I can order two. Cool.

*They have great things on sale each month.

The other source we use around here is Frontier.

Frontier has wonderful prices on high quality spices, soaps, shampoo, detergent and the like. Because many in my group order the same brands. we watch for a sale, then team up and buy something like 272 bottles of Giovanni shampoo and 148 boxes of Ecover dishwasher detergent…I’m sure they love us.

Oh, and another site I have to mention. I LOVE Shaklee and their great SAFE cleaning products. I get my laundry detergent and household cleaning products from them, and I don’t feel a bit scared letting my kids help me clean…they are perfectly safe. Oh, and Shaklee products really get stuff clean too…what a bonus!

And, while I’ve got you, I’ll mention my other favorite online shop:  HeavenlyHomeMakers Shop, where you’ll find cookbooks (to learn how I cook all this great food I get from my online sources) and crafts and many other fun things!

Be sure to go check out the great places others are recommending for online shopping!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

GRATITUESDAY: Appreciating My Children

February 5, 2008 by Laura 2 Comments

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Today, I want to remember to appreciate my children. My four beautiful, precious, messy, loud little boys. 

I want to appreciate that they are healthy enough to make messes.

I want to appreciate that they are strong enough to fight with each other.

I want to appreciate that they are comfortable enough to question things.

I have a dear friend who is going through incredible difficulty with her adopted child…a child she loves with all her heart. A child who has been hurt so badly in the past that she struggles just to get through the day. Ah, if she only had to struggle with the things a child should normally have to struggle with.

So, my kids? Yeah, they fight. They leave messes behind almost everywhere they are. They don’t always listen . They frustrate me at times to the point of pulling out my hair. They do things that are annoying, selfish, thoughtless and ridiculous. 

But, today, I want to appreciate that my kids are secure, happy and safe. I want to appreciate that all I have to deal with during the day with my kids is NORMAL stuff. That’s all.

And, I want to appreciate that my God loves me even though I am messy,  loud, selfish, thoughtless and ridiculous. Thank you God, for loving me anyway.

Bellajoy has a great Gratituesday post up too!

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Getting Ahead

February 4, 2008 by Laura 5 Comments

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I have a houseful of BIG eaters…we go through lots of  groceries! My four boys eat like their daddy, and their daddy has a big appetite!

To make my home a haven this week, I decided this weekend to really focus on getting as much food prepared ahead of time as I could so that at snack and meal time, I wouldn’t feel frustrated and worn out.

I began by planning my meals for the week like I usually do. Then, I got to work!

I baked four loaves of Honey Whole Wheat Bread,  made a double batch of Whole Wheat Tortillas, baked a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies to put in the freezer, made a pan of homemade Graham Crackers, put together the Layered Beef Enchiladas we’ll be eating on Tuesday and cooked and deboned a chicken so that we’ll have the meat and broth to work with. I also cut up a fresh pineapple and a bunch of carrot sticks.

Many dirty dishes later, this is what I have to help me this week:

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Not that you’re counting or anything, but you will notice that there are only three loaves of bread pictured…(see above description of my family of big eaters).

I look forward to more efficient meal prep this week! And now…I’m off to do more dishes!

See what others are doing to make their homes a haven this week at Biblical Womanhood.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

This Week’s Menu Plan

February 3, 2008 by Laura 6 Comments

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Here’s what’s on the menu for this week!

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You’ll find my Cream Cheese Salsa Dip recipe here.

Come get your own free downloadable menu planners here.

More Menu Plan Mondays here.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Love is in the Air at Heavenly Homemakers…

February 1, 2008 by Laura Leave a Comment

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I would LOVINGLY like to invite you to visit and take advantage of all the FREE valentine fun at Heavenly Homemakers! 

I think you will LOVE all of the yummy recipes you’ll find here…a great way to treat your family this Valentine’s day! Here’s a sampling of your very own whole wheat heart shaped crackers that you can make!

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On our Clever Creations page, you’ll find several fun ideas for making valentine crafts for your family…and for you and your kids to make to give to others. You’ll LOVE spending time together on these crafts!

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And, grab the kids and head over to the For Kids page…where they’ll find even more fun activities! They’ll LOVE it!

It doesn’t get much more frugal than FREE…and we know we all LOVE that!

For more Frugal Friday tips, be sure to spend some time at Biblical Womanhood today!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Picture This…

January 31, 2008 by Laura 2 Comments

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Picture This Number one:

As my husband was leaving for work this morning, I was telling him that I would call him on his cell phone at a certain time…

Sure (he said).

Then he went on to let me know that if he didn’t answer the phone it would be because he would be unable to do so at the moment.

Because he’s so bundled up with about 16 layers of clothing and big insulated coveralls to stay warm as he works outside in the never-ending winter…and it would be hard to reach the phone in time (I thought).

Nope. 

Because (and he acted it out a bit as he explained) he would probably have a hammer in one hand…. something else I can’t remember in his other hand…. nails in his mouth…. and be holding the siding that he and his coworker are putting on a house with his head as he stands on a 20 foot ladder.

Never mind, I won’t call you. (I will, however, pray without ceasing).

Picture This Number two:

(Prerequisite information:  on Thursday nights at our house, we have “sleep-overs” in which the boys grab their sleeping bags and camp out in the “game room”  and usually have a movie and popcorn.)

Justus (the seven year old) asked me last week if for the next sleep over, we could have it in the living room….under tents…which are really just every blanket we own draped over every piece of furniture we own. 

And I was working on the computer only half listening to him but I thought, oh why not. So I said sure. And he said, all of us? And I said, sure. And he said, really? And I couldn’t figure out why me saying yes was such a happy thing because it was at least the third time in his life that I had said yes to something fun.

And then I realized that he meant the all of us that includes the parents all of us, not just the all of us that includes the all of us boys part of us. 

Oh.

So, I guess Matt and I will be sleeping in a “tent”  having a sleepover on the living room floor tonight.

Picture This Number Three:

Matt’s face when I told him the plans for the evening (after he got down from the ladder…).

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Alu Paratha

January 31, 2008 by Laura 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

The boys and I have been studying the country of India for several weeks now. Fascinating! We’ve all learned a lot…me  most of all.

One thing that has been a good lesson for all of us is the fact that there are so many people who want to live in the cities to get a job (not that there are enough jobs)…that there is not nearly enough housing…and so tons of people will live in one tiny apartment…and sometimes it is just too crowded and someone has to go sleep outside. 

So I’m reading this information to the kids while we sit in our kitchen, which is probably the SIZE of some of the apartments in India, and looking around at the rest of my house, which is probably the size of the country of India (not really, but I DO have a very big house) (for which I am thankful) (even when I have to clean it). 

So, that is your social studies lesson for today…and I hope you gained an appreciation for the size of your home and the fact that you can read and have enough food to eat and that you don’t have to sleep outside when we don’t have enough room for you in the house because we are packed in here nose to nose like a bunch of sardines. (Oh, sorry. I forgot I was not talking to my kids. Sorry ’bout that.)

(“Mama, what’s a sardine?”)

Okay, so ANYWAY…one of Asa’s assignments this week was to make an Indian dish. He looked some up online and found one here. He chose to make something called:  Alu Paratha which is kind of like a tortilla (although just flour and water) with mashed potatoes with spices inside. 

It was a bit time consuming to make, but not toooo bad and Asa did awesome making them. He had to peel potatoes, cook them, mash them and put spices in, knead the dough, roll out the dough, plop some potatoes inside, flatten them out a bit and seal ’em up, then fry them in butter. 

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Daddy got home for lunch just as Asa was finishing! Perfect! (Of course, it always happens this way…I am pulling a beautiful lunch from the oven just as my darling husband walks in the door, and so he is greeted by my perfect hair and smile and the aroma of the wonderful meal that awaits him…)

So, we had Asa’s Alu Paratha for lunch and they were delish! 

Now, I have to admit that there were a few of the spices that I didn’t have in my cupboard…and I wasn’t able to make a quick trip to the store for them, nor was I able to make a quick trip to India for them…so we settled on just leaving them out and using what we did have.

So, it probably wasn’t a true Alu Paratha. And also, when it said to put the potatoes into the bready part and then flatten it…I just wasn’t sure how to instruct him to do that without potatoes squishing out and getting all over the rolling pin, so we just sort of pushed them down a little with our hands to flatten them. 

I’m pretty sure women all over India were rolling with laughter yesterday at me when I was telling him, “See Asa, you do it like this.”

Yes, those Indian women were saying, “Girlfriend, that is SO not a Alu Paratha…” (tehehehe)

That’s okay, they can laugh. We had fun and enjoyed trying something new! 

Wonder what country we’re supposed to study next?!

P.S. Now, I know you’re all thinking, “Huh. Here she is trying to sell us this Funky Kitchen book on how to keep an organized and functional kitchen…just look at the background in all those pictures she just posted. Dirty dishes everywhere. Huh.”

 (And you’d be right, I do need to do a few dishes.)  Hey, we dirty up a lot of dishes at our house. And I was helping to educate my child and allow him to create a native dish from the country of India so that he might have a heightened awareness of the cultures around him….

(I know what you’re doing, by the way. You didn’t even notice the dirty dishes before since you were really just noticing the fine strapping young lad in the pictures…and now you’re all going back to look at the dirty dishes in the background. Yeah, I’m on to you..)

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