my blessed life

It's summertime!  And for our family that means a break from schooling for the kids and lots of planning for the next year for me. Of course, for me, that is something of a domino effect.  Planning means sorting curriculum and books that I already have.  Then I have to purge books we no longer need or want to keep.  And finally comes the organizing of what's being kept ( which is always too much ).   So that's what I've been working on for the past few days.  Cleaning off shelves, making piles of books to sell, piles of books and resources to give away, and since I've put this off for so long ...a piles of my kiddos' used-up books that I need to take samples from for their portfolios then dispose of the rest.   So a lot of piles.   I am trying to be a bit more ruthless this year with the purging.  I have such a tendency to collect lots of great resources, only to put them on a shelf and forget about them all toge...

  Here I go again with my summer school scrapboooking goals!  Last year I failed miserably and got nothing accomplished other than ordering a few photos.  This year I am much more determined ...and I have a plan ! :)  Anyone who knows me knows that I love to have a plan!   My plan is to get one grade for one kiddo done each week this summer.  For instance, the first week of June I was scheduled to do The Princess' K5 pages.  This past I was scheduled to do Mr. B's K5 pages.  This week will be The Princess' 1st grade pages ...and so on, back and forth, until I'm current.   OK.  I admit, I'm a week behind already.   BUT I did get The Princess' K5 pages completed!!  Whoo hoo!!  And I'm planning to make up some time this week and maybe get back on my schedule :)   I think once I get into a good rhythm I'll start moving more quickly.  Can't wait to be totally caught up!!   ...

(It's our dog Holly's first birthday today!) You may (or may not have) noticed that I never got around to posting a weekly plan for last week~and it's a good thing I didn't!  I would have blown it for sure.  It was quite a week! It began with a stomach bug~those are always fun, right?  Thankfully this mama didn't get sick even though everyone else did.  Obviously, everyone wasn't up to the usual meals~which was good since I hadn't planned them..ha!  But there was lots of chicken noodle cup-o-soup and homemade potato soup involved.   What was left of the week was very busy with schoolwork, co-op and our church family.  It turned out to be a good week.  Especially the early Thanksgiving dinner we had at church yesterday .... mmmmm ! Now this week is going to have to be much more organized~I've got lots to do to prepare for our family's Thanksgiving while also wrapping up schoolwork so that we can take next week off.  ...

Ah, the plan.  While I may not always follow it to the letter, this little thing sure does help keep my week on track. How about you?  Do you menu plan each week?  Sometimes I look back and think of how I ever did the whole it's-4 o'clock-what-are-we-having-for-dinner thing.  I did that for years, but after menu-planning for nearly 5 years I can't even begin to tell you how much stress I have avoided--and how much $$ I've saved by planning. Last week's plan went very well, but I have a couple of roll-over meals due to schedule changes.  Just makes this week's plan even easier! Monday: -Homeschool -Laundry -Change sheets -Dinner: Chicken Crepes with green beans Tuesday: -Homeschool -Clean bathrooms -Dinner: Individual Chicken Pot Pies Wednesday: -Homeschool -Some early trick-or-treating -Bible study -Dinner: Hawaiian Baked Ham & Swiss Sammies (my hubby has been just dying to try these since seeing them on Pinterest) Thursday: -...

Could somebody please slow this train down?!  Where does the time go?!  Each week when I sit down to write this post and I type that date I just shake my head in wonder at how quickly time is going by. I sure do hope I'm making the most of it.  I don't want to just rush through life hanging on by the skin of my teeth (whatever that is) .  I am currently working toward refocusing, reorganizing, restructuring, and taking some things off of my "plate" (more on that soon) .  I don't want to miss out on living ! In the meantime, we've got to eat, right?  So here's the plan, a little sketchy, but a plan nonetheless. Monday: -Homeschool -Do laundry -Clean bathrooms -Dinner: Pan-Seared Talapia, Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Broccoli Tuesday: -Homeschool - Put a chicken in the crockpot -Do laundry -Take a load to the Goodwill store -Dinner:  Individual Chicken Pot Pies with Cheesy Garlic Biscuits Wednesday: -Homeschool -Dust/Vaccum -Bibl...

Well, it's Tuesday already, but here's my plan for the week.  Just the bare bones, mind you.  I haven't had a chance to get really organized with all of the other stuff I need to do yet ...but I will!  I promise! Monday: -Homeschool -Dinner: Meeting family and friends at the Rainforest Cafe in Nashville Tuesday: -Homeschool -Dinner: Marinated Baked Pork Chops , Mashed Potatoes, and Steamed Broccoli Wednesday: -Homeschool -Bible Study -Dinner: Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs with Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes Thursday: -Homeschool -Dinner: Butternut Squash Soup with Salad and Crusty Bread Friday: -Homeschool Co-op -Dinner: Individual Chicken Pot Pies Saturday: -Dinner: Tomato Tortellini Soup with Bruschetta Sunday: -Church -Lunch: Fellowship Potluck at church

Fall has arrived here in Kentucky!  I am so loving the cool temps, not to mention my cozy pj's and flannel sheets.  Although this morning the three aforementioned things all conspired to keep me tucked in bed longer than I planned.  I totally didn't fight it though :) But here it is--Monday--and I'm menu planning again.  It just makes my week go so much more smoothly.   Last week's plan went very well, although I still didn't get those po' boys made..ha  I'm not even going to plan on those this week.  No carry-overs this week! Monday: -Homeschool -Laundry -Run a couple of errands -Dinner: Poppy Seed Chicken with Rice, Arkansas Green Beans & Roasted Carrots Tuesday: -Homeschool -Laundry -Dinner: Moms Night Out w/my homeschool peeps (Japanese steakhouse!!) Wednesday: -Homeschool -Housework -Bible study -Dinner: Sloppy Joes with chips Thursday: -Homeschool -Wrap-up housework -Dinner: Soft Tacos, Beans & Rice Bake, C...

Happy October!   It's time for soups and comfort foods!  I LOVE this time of the year:) We only made it through part of last week's menu plans~life happens, right?  So I'm bumping a couple of things to this week. My favorite meal from last week was Friday's homemade pizza night!  My sister came with brownies (& Cool Whip!) and we made the pizzas together (I tried it with gluten-free flour & it turned out really good!).  Then we all watched National Treasure together--it was a fun family night!  I love having my sister so nearby:) Monday: -Homeschool -Laundry -Grocery shopping -Start switching out the closets for the season -Dinner: Talapia Po' Boys with Roasted Potatoes Tuesday:  -Homeschool -Clean bathrooms -Continue switching out the closets -Lego store free build -Dinner: something cheap & fast Wednesday: -Homeschool -Dust & vacuum -Bible Study -Dinner: Tostadas Thursday: -Homeschool -Dinner: Cheese...

(dontcha love my espadrille tan?) This past week was a lovely little break from regular life.  We took our family on vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and I got to wiggle my toes in the sand all week long!  I adore the beach and it was such a beautiful week weather-wise with perfect temps and a great breeze.  Sitting on the beach, watching my children play in the sand and jump in the waves (they get along so well there), soaking in the sun with a good book ....well, that's my own little paradise:) I also got to enjoy a week of eating out ...mmmmm!  We had yummy home-style food at Lambert's , delicious fresh seafood at our Gulf fave: The Shrimp Basket , some of our fave pizza at the Mellow Mushroom , and we tried out two new-to-us places: LuLu's and Bahama Bob's --both very good!!  I think I could almost eat fresh Gulf shrimp every day!  I have to admit it, when The Princess asked what my favorite part of vacation was I had to say not cooking ...

Ahh...it was so good to have my plan to refer back to and keep myself accountable throughout last week!  I felt like I was back in my groove:) It was a very productive week, too!  Got lots of housecleaning done, got almost caught up on my filing/paperwork (one of my least fave things!), started my lesson plans for the beginning of school which is coming up very quickly), Vince finished up several yard projects ....see, I just needed a plan to keep me on track. I also tried a couple of new recipes last week that we really liked.  The Prairieland Pot Roast  was very flavorful and good.  I was curious how it would taste being cooked in Catalina dressing, but we liked it a lot. The Balsamic Honey Chicken was very good, too, although mine didn't get that delicious-looking outer skin that it showed in pics on the blog that I found it (could have had something to do with my using boneless/skinless breasts instead of legs).  It tasted great though and was th...

It's that time of the week again!  And our last couple of weeks have been so non-regular-schedule that I am "recycling" some of my menus that I haven't actually made yet (or recently). Monday: -grocery shopping -laundry -Dinner: Cuban Black Beans & Rice with Stuffed Banana Peppers -Moms Night Out with my homeschool peeps at Starbucks Tuesday: -house cleaning -Dinner: Grilled Fish Tacos with Grilled Squash Wednesday: -Dinner: Fish Stick Po' Boys  -Bible Study Thursday: -Dinner:  Ranch Mac & Cheese (gluten free) with Veggies Friday: Dinner: TBD Saturday: Dinner: TBD Sunday: Lunch: BBQ Chicken (crockpot) with Salad and Potatoes This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie .

Just a little note: I have recently created  a Facebook page for my blog   and I would so appreciate it if you would   click over  using  this link   or the box to your top right and *like* my page!  Thank you so much! ***** lovelies from my sweet neighbors' garden This week has the potential to be a whirlwind so I definitely need to be organized!  Besides my regular dinner plans, I have a few other recipes that I'd like to make this week, too.   Things like Gazpacho and Hummus are on the agenda.  Also I plan to make some new things with banana peppers since I have had quite a few given to me.  I'd love to hear what you like to do with banana peppers! Oh--and, of course, I'll be trying out some more gluten-free recipes also!  I am totally in learning mode with regard to that, but I'll get there.  Last night I tried gluten-free baking for the very first time and it was a success!  I'll tell you m...

First week of July and it is H-O-T here in Kentucky!!  I'm ready to see the triple digit temperatures gone ...but it may be a while.  In the meantime I'm incredibly thankful for A/C and  for our sweet neighbor who lets us use his pool! This week we have a friend from out-of-town visiting for the 4th, it will be fun to spend some time with her.  Of course, this past weekend was super busy and that means there's lots of housework to catch-up on in order to be ready for company.  What is it about weekends that things really just pile up?  ha!  I think that's why I like my Mondays at home. Monday: -Do some much-needed housecleaning and laundry catch-up -Dinner:   Bean Burritos with Campfire Potatoes Tuesday: -Finish creating my new planner for the 2012-2013 school year -Remaining housework and laundry catch-up -Dinner:   Ranch Mac & Cheese, Soaked Salad and Roasted Carrots Wednesday: {Happy Independence Day!} -Enjoy hanging...

It's definitely feeling like summertime around here!  Yes, that does mean that it's really H-O-T, but I think the fact that we don't have our regular daily schedule makes it feel more like summer. This week I'll have a few mornings to myself while the kiddos are at Vacation Bible School and, frankly, I don't even know what I'll do :)  I'm quite sure I'll come up with something though!  There is no shortage of things I need to do around the house.  So even though I'm leaving this plan a little sparse, I have lots of things swirling in my head with which to fill it up. Monday: -Catch up around the house -Dinner: Grilled Peach BBQ Chicken (new!), Baked Potatoes and Grilled Zucchini Tuesday: -VBS for the kiddos -Dinner: Cajun Pasta with Garlic Toast Wednesday: -VBS for the kiddos -Farmers Market -Dinner: Fish Stick Po' Boys with Chips Thursday: -VBS for the kiddos -Dinner: Ricatoni's Pasta , Fresh Bread with Bruschetta Fr...

I have been frequenting our farmers market a lot lately (since I didn't ever get a garden planted and all...) .  I absolutely LOVE going to the farmers market!  All of those beautiful veggies, herbs, homemade canned goods, and even crafts.  I've got a lovely stash of veggies in my fridge right now and have promised my dad a yummy country-style dinner today since my family is in for a visit.  I can't wait to eat that meal! Monday: -Last day of my family's visit, lots of hang time -Dinner: {a farmers market feast!} Green Beans with New Potatoes, Fried Okra , Fried Zucchini, Grilled Squash, Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob, Sliced Tomatoes and Cucumbers Tuesday: -Park Play Date -Library Summer Program -Dinner: Steak & Potato Scallop , Salad and Veggie Wednesday: -Get this house in order!! -Dinner: Tostadas -Church Thursday:  -{First Official Day of Summer} -Dinner: Stuffed Hot Dogs and Baked Beans Friday: -Preparing for friends visiting -Dinne...

( our summer fun list ) It's summertime!  Yea!! We are officially done with our school book work for the year (even though I have lots of learning planned for the rest of the summer:).  This week my sister is visiting though and we are excited about a nice break from our routine. Sunday: {what we did} -Lunch: Slow Cooker Stuffed Chicken Rolls , Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Squash -Drive through the elk and bison prairie in the Land Between the Lakes -Pizza at friends' house Monday: -Relaxing at home! -Go swimming -Dinner: Steak and Veggie Kababs , Salad, and Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob Tuesday: -Craft day at the library -Browsing our downtown -Go swimming -Dinner: Ricatoni's Pasta , Salad and Bread Wednesday: -visit the farmers market -Go swimming -Dinner: Tostadas Thursday: -Visit the Shaker Village Museum in South Union -Go swimming -Dinner: Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Hot Dogs with Baked Beans Friday: -Mini Chefs event at Opry Mills in Nash...

( Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins ) Guess what  ?!?  This past weekend we got a brand new range for the kitchen!  Whoo hoo!!  It's wonderful to have not only a working oven and stove, but one that matches all the other appliances in our kitchen (the old one didn't) . I promptly baked a batch of muffins--see above pic:) So Vince is off the hook for having to grill every night... heehee  Don't worry, I'm still putting plenty of grilled dinners on my menu plans, just not every.single.thing. This week is going to be a busy one!  We're wrapping up our school year (hopefully!) , getting ready for Mr. B's birthday party this Friday, preparing for extended family to come visit, and working on some projects around the house. Monday:  -homeschool -laundry -making dinner for friends with a new baby: Not-Your-Typical-Goulash -Dinner: Pinto Beans and Buttermilk Cornbread Tuesday: -homeschool -summer program at library -declutter master bedroo...

It's that time of the year!! I've been busy making my lists and crossing them off as I buy all the books I need for our next school year.  I've hit up a couple of used book sales and then last week I was able to go the Nashville homeschool convention and check out all those vendors.  Now I'm so pumped that I have everything we need to start our year!  There are a only a few books I'll need to order part-way through the year. Soon I'll be sharing all of my plans for next year, but right now I'm still getting organized.  I won't get my new school planner until next month and I can hardly wait for that!  Plus we're still finishing up this year. If you homeschool, are you busy planning for next year or are you just trying to get this year in the books? :)

(local field of wheat) Last week I took a little break from the menu plan.  I just didn't see the point since I was only going to be home to cook one night of that week.  It was kind of nice, I must say, but then again it was nice to cook on that one night.  We had breakfast burritos (a family fave!) and, oh, they were SO good!  We like to serve them in the create-your-own style, so the table was full of choices: tortillas, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon, guacamole, salsa, diced tomatoes and shredded cheese.  Mmmm....  We all love these, so it doesn't matter if it's breakfast, lunch or dinner we'll eat them whenever.   We also took a week-long break from homeschool last week.  We were out of town Monday through Wednesday, although we were able to squeeze in a field trip on the way home on Wednesday.  Then on Friday I attended a homeschool convention in Nashville.  So I was at home all of one day this week...well, two ...

( grilled salmon with pineapple salsa , rice, oven-baked zucchini fries and salad) Last week our *Home Ec* day was a HUGE success!  I'm sure the kiddos thought I was a slave driver, but we got A LOT accomplished!  In fact, I stuck to my schedule really well in most areas, except for the cleaning out of closets and ironing... ugh .  BUT I did get my car TOTALLY cleaned out and that wasn't even on my plan.  I have to say though I was embarrassed and humiliated to see how horribly dirty the underneath of the backseats was.. .ahem ...do I even need to say that it's not me who sits back there?  My children may never get to eat another morsel of food in the car again! Forgetting the fossilized food in my car and moving on...I did try some yummy new healthier recipes this week that were hits.  This chicken salad was amazing; we absolutely LOVE these turkey burgers and the baked onion rings were good--they just needed a little more seasoning, these o...