Hummingbird Homemaking

Rules Schmules

2012-09-12T12:39:00.003-06:00

At Spearfish Creek

I received a sweet email the other day.

It came at the perfect time as I was contemplating the direction of my blog.

Warning:

This is going to be a very “hummingbird” post. Meaning it’s one big ole brain dump after not posting since July.

Rules

As a rule follower, I have a love hate relationship with rules. I love having clear cut instructions. I love to know exactly what is expected of me. When I found out there were a bunch of blogging rules I jumped right in.

Spend hours writing and editing a post. Check.
Make sure you add a cool picture. Check.
Make sure you add key words like homemaking so google can find you in your homemaking posts. Check. I am a homemaker. I can homemake. Homemaking is fun…yeah, not so much fun.
Good bloggers post consistently.
Good bloggers post on a schedule (with a cool picture).
Make sure you link to others. Blah blah blah.

I could tell you that I was so busy this summer that I had no time to post. That is simply not true. I was tired.

Tired of the blogging rules. What started out as a fun hobby turned into something it wasn’t meant to be.

Confession time.

I HATE HATE HATE writing.

Seriously HATE it.

If there is one thing in the world I hate to do is write. So why have a blog?

Because I believe I can help others in their homemaking journey.

Other rules that have been hounding me to death...if you want to be a good “Christian” (ummm isn’t that an oxymoron…if we truly are a Christ follower then we admit we are not good)…you should always be productive. If you are not productive then you should be doing something constructive with your time.

As if just sitting and “being” isn’t enough.

As if sitting and praying, letting your mind empty of thoughts (AKA reduce stress) is not enough.

As if being grateful for the cool clouds or the bright sun is not enough.

Lies….they are all lies. Whether someone actually said them or not, it’s what I’ve believed for far too long.

I also realized that I wanted to be normal. Well, no, I want others to THINK I am normal. My friends in real life are thinking "dude, you don't even believe in dinosaurs, you are NEVER going to be normal...but that is a whole different story.")

It’s okay to be a stay at home mom when your kids are home, but when they go to school you must make money. Well, if you aren’t making money you have to be productive. So….I must be focused on money all the time? Yeah, no thanks, I don’t want to be normal.

It’s normal to take care of everyone else’s needs, except your own. I’m not talking about going shopping because you are depressed. I’m talking about taking 10 minutes just to sit and be. Sit and enjoy your life ~ be grateful for the busyness of your life. 10 minutes to go for a nice quiet walk.

Rules are good when it comes to money. Don’t spend more than you make.

There…that is it.

It’s not a rule to tithe. Yes, we give 10%, but it’s NOT A RULE (yelling at myself.) I’ve had so much fun with some of that money lately. A self-imposed rule is to take some of that money and bless someone God puts on my heart. My rule is that they cannot know that it is me giving them the blessing.

Don’t even get me started on the “rule” of being on time. I think I’ve given myself a few heart attacks trying to get to church on “time.” As if God won’t be there anymore if I’m late.

Often times people complain about Flylady because she has too many rules (I’ve probably complained LOL). The rule you have when you start following her is to shine your sink.

Too many rules?

I think not.

Bad attitude on my part?

Yeppers. Maybe I’m not such a rule follower after all???

Where does this leave me now?

Well, I’m definitely not writing anymore for other people. I truly hope that I help someone with the tips I share, but I cannot focus on grammar or I lose the oomph to write. You have to read what Lisa wrote after someone corrected her in a post. Thankfully she got the hate note instead of me, she was much nicer than I would have been. One part that jumped out at me was:

And, the misuse of a comma, command or word does not equate to a lower intellectual ability or lack of accountability. Nor does starting this sentence with an improper beginning intend to upset you. We just love to write creatively and spontaneously.

You will have to read the rest of the post dedicated "to those who love grammar"….it was awesome.

Don't Read My Blog...

So I am back to the attitude “if you don’t like how I write” please don’t read my blog. I don’t mean that in an unkind way…you’ll go NUTS with my mistakes and I am only here to try and help people.

Look again at the first picture in this post...
crazy how we miss things when we move too quickly.

JOY

When I follow other people’s rules, I ALLOW them to steal my joy. They don’t steal it from me, I ALLOW it to happen. That is an important distinction for me. One feels like a hopeless attitude, the other allows me to choose the reality I want.

So here’s to a non-writer blogging again. You may see several posts in a day or one every three weeks. You just never know what you are going to get when you follow a hummingbird homemaking blogger!

Johnlyn

Recipe: Brazilian Cheese Puffs

2012-07-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Image Credit

It's been a while now since I've adopted a primalish/paleoish diet. Click on the following link to read part of my healing journey: HummingbirdHomemaking.Com

Along the way, I've gotten over (mostly) a horrible sugar addiction and I'm totally over wanting bread and/or pasta for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks (I'm not kidding.) I have found that there are tons of controversies out there. From "safe starches" to whether or not eating fat is bad for you.

I have no idea if the following recipe is actually good for you or not. It seems to avoid toxins that are out there and satisfies my family's desire to have bread (well, it helps them anyway...) These are considered a treat. They are expensive to make and we serve them with homemade whipped cream that has a bit of sugar (I eat them drenched in butter.) My daughter and husband thought they were really weird at first, but now they both like them.

Based on a Brazilian Cheese Puffs recipe... "ish" Crepes (makes 8 small crepes)

1/2 c. tapioca starch
2 eggs
cream

Mix tapioca starch and eggs together. Add cream until desired consistency - we make them runny like a pancake or crepe. I imagine it's a table spoon or two. Melt butter on a griddle and pour about 1/4 cup mixture onto griddle. Flip over when done and cook on the other side.

Note: You can also add Parmesan cheese if you'd like (up to 1/4 c.) as well as savory seasonings like garlic and oregano.

This non-recipe is based on the a recipe called Brazilian Cheese Puffs and another at Food.com.

Priorities in Your Life

2012-07-02T08:48:00.000-06:00

Before I "quit everything to win", my priorities were completely messed up. All I kept hearing was to be a "good Christian" you needed to serve others. In my little mind that excluded my husband and kids.

Now I realize how important it is to spend the majority of my time taking care of myself and my family. When I take care of myself (exercise, proper diet, reading the Bible, taking time to sit by the creek and LISTEN to God, etc) everything else seems to fall into place.

When I start volunteering more because I feel guilty, nothing good comes of it. I loved this post over at the Generous Wife: Get Your Priorities in Order Before Saying Yes. I would encourage you to read the whole post, but this quote jumped out at me:

It's easy to ask your husband to wait because he's more understanding than the kids or less needy than the friend in a crisis. Which is true ... to a point ... the point where your husband always gets the leftovers of your time and energy.

I wonder how different our world would look if we had our priorities in order. I know this continues to be a struggle for me even though I know what I'm supposed to do.

Easy Sweet Potatoes

2012-06-29T08:32:00.000-06:00

Image Credit: ForwardCom

Over at Mary Ann's House, I read a post about making sweet potatoes in the Crockpot. We eat sweet potatoes several times a week and I hate to bake them in the oven for an hour when it's 90+ degrees out.

What a brilliant idea to put them in the Crockpot!!! Here's how dinner worked Monday night:

Sunday night: I put a frozen roast in the Crockpot on low
Monday morning: cooked sweet potatoes in the Crockpot before we went to the pool. I also put frozen green beans in a pan.
Monday night: warmed up the roast and sweet potatoes. Sauteed the {defrosted} green beans in bacon grease. Dinner was easy and took all of 10 minutes to warm up.

Note: each Crockpot is different...I cook 2-3 sweet potatoes at a time and it takes about 1 hour 30 minutes on high.

This post has been linked to FoodRenegade:

Budgeting Principle: Letting Money Sit

2012-06-26T08:29:00.003-06:00

Christmas is about six months away. For those of you who celebrate Christmas, how much money have you put in savings?

There was a quote buried in a forum post over at YNAB that I loved. They said:

That's teaching the skill of letting money sit.

Such an important principle that we need to be teaching to our children.

If you spend money at Christmas time, you need to have a plan in place that allows you to have the freedom to celebrate without stress. Personally, we try to put a lot more than we need into our Christmas account so we don't have to worry about extra food costs, gas, gifts, etc. Definitely helps with the stress!!!

Paleo For Women

2012-06-19T09:24:00.002-06:00

Image Credit: gobran111

An article worth reading:

Women Losing Weight: How I’m a Liar,

and Why My Method of Weight Loss is Actually Hard as Hell

I really like the first comment:

I came to realize that you cannot eat toxic food “intuitively” and self-regulate your appetite. When you’re eating things that are not only harming you, but are truly addictive (like wheat and sugar), what hope is there to “eat sensibly”? Discovering Paleo clicked the key piece of information into my understanding and has left me with a blueprint for getting to my healthiest for the long term.

I love how her focus is on being healthy instead of losing weight.

How to Get Your Kids to Help Part 2

2012-06-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Here is the look of .... ummmm.... surprise? when using Jennifer's idea to get kids to help around the house.

Our conversation went something like this:

Me: You kinda got hosed buddy...you sure had to do a lot more than your sister.
Son: I know - it's not...{I interrupted him so he couldn't finish}
Me: Thanks for not complaining about it.
Daughter: Well, at least you didn't have to humiliate yourself and say "My mommy is so cool" in a mouse voice.

I laughed so hard I almost cried! Oh the simple things...

Good vs. Great: Kids in the Kitchen

2012-06-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

As a homemaker, my job is to manage my home. It doesn't mean that I do everything, it means that I make sure everything {that is important} gets done.

Menu planning got a lot easier for me this summer since I have my daughter cooking on Tuesdays and my son cooking on Thursdays. Kitchen clean up on the other hand, got a lot more time consuming. I'm teaching them to clean up as they go, but their level of clean is significantly different than mine.

Good VS Great

I can choose to have a clean kitchen {good} or I can raise kids who can create a menu plan and cook {great}. If I harp on them about every little thing they are doing wrong and/or different than I do, then we will not enjoy this experience at all.

In fact, I may teach them to hate to cook. Cheers to sticky floors!!!

Judge Johnlyn

2012-06-11T09:04:00.000-06:00

Image Credit: CreationC

While reading different blogs this week I came across three new commandments for you:

Thou shalt not wear a bikini.
Thou shalt not read romance books.
Thou shalt not drink alcoholic beverages.

There were really long explanations to support these new commandments. As I read the posts I couldn't get over the fact how much these imperfect people were judging others. I can totally relate because I judge others waaaaayyyy too much. My friend used to say:

Judge Johnlyn, we don't need you in the courtroom today.

All those gray areas in the Bible? You know the areas that people that call themselves Christians cannot agree on? Apparently people spend hours and hours trying to convince people that they are right about gray areas in the Bible.

It seems to me that we're Christians of convenience. Here...let me pull out one Bible verse that supports my theory.

Why aren't we focused on the cross and what it represents?

If you have established a relationship with someone and you believe that they are sinning...by all means PRAY about it. If you know for a fact that God wants you to speak with them about it then, by all means, talk to them about it.

Note to self: if not, then SHUT UP and focus on yourself and all the sinning that you are doing. There's something in the Bible about taking the log or plank out of one's own eye before looking at the speck in another person's eye, but there I go, pulling out a Bible verse just to support my theory.

Baptism

My 13 year old getting baptized.

This mini rant was prompted when I attended a baptism this weekend. Two different people had heart wrenching testimonies. Nobody told me I would need ~~a box~~ a case of tissues. The only way that these people learned about the power of God's love was through a group at our church called Celebrating Recovery. The amazing people in that group had profound affects on these two individuals. It wasn't the people telling them how screwed up they were, it was the people sharing how God loves them no matter how much they mess up.

I got to thinking about often I DON'T do that (more tissues anyone?) How often I look at other's mistakes without knowing anything about their background. Isn't the climax of the Bible something like this... Jesus dying on the cross, saying "please forgive them for they know not what they do."... rising from the dead ....conquering death?

Steps to Change

So how do I change? How do I fix the bad habits that I have? Where do I go from here?

Image Credit: Poppy Thomas-Hill

Mahatma Ghandi said:

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

Magnesium

2012-06-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Now Magnesium Citrate

I have been taking magnesium to help with an annoying eye twitch and a few other things. Lately I've had some trouble taking the magnesium citrate so I stopped taking it for a while. Sure enough the annoying eye twitch came back. I found this at WestonAPrice.org:

When excess calcium enters the cells because of insufficient magnesium, muscle contraction is sustained for too long, and we suffer, for example, twitches and tics in mild cases. When magnesium deficiency becomes chronic, we suffer the symptoms of heart disease such as angina pectoris, hypertension and arrhythmia, or the spasms and contractions characteristic of asthma, migraine headache or painful menstrual cramping.

A long time ago I bought some magnesium oil spray. It burns burns burns when I put it on so I hadn't been using it (doesn't burn my husband or son when they use it.) When the magnesium citrate stopped working I decided to tough out the burn because it seemed like a better alternative than the eye twitch.

It was burning so bad that I wiped the spray off. Shortly after that my eye stopped twitching. This revelation is FREAKING ME OUT!!! I just cannot believe that by spraying on the magnesium oil and wiping it off a few minutes later could help the eye twitch, but I've tried it repeatedly and over and over again I have the same results.

I always thought "those weird people" that claimed we are ingesting what we put on our skin were crazy. I thought they just wanted me to buy their products...ummmm I may have to rethink my position on this. CRAZY!!!

You can read more about magnesium deficiency over at MarksDailyApple. I know that it has helped people with migraine issues as well as muscle spasms at night.

Iherb

I buy a lot of my vitamins from Iherb because I've found they have the best prices. If you would like to use my affiliate code EDE958 you can get a discount the first time you order from them.

This post has been shared at FoodRenegade:

Love/Hate Relationships with Flylady's Routines

2012-06-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've mentioned a time or two {or a million} just how much I love Flylady.

Perfectionism: A Little Background

I didn't know I was a perfectionist until I "met" Flylady. I wouldn't do anything around the house until I could do it perfectly. Oh how I didn't like my husband when he would make my clean and shiny floors dirty.

Now, mind you, HE is the one who kept the house picked up all.the.time. I was the one who would spend HOURS making it shiny. But it was still a mess because I didn't pick up all.the.time like he did.

Routines

Thankfully I found Flylady and realized that my husband was onto something! For the past month I've let my routines slide. I've been working on automating my Clothe-A-Kid project, updating my blog, enjoying having my husband home more, etc. etc. etc.

My husband mentioned the other day that our son does better if he has routines. Little light bulb moment for me...so do I!!! So I spent a few hours (dang perfectionism) creating fun worksheets for my routines. Monday was a holiday and messed me up, Tuesday my husband got off work early and messed me up, Wednesday the kids and I volunteered at the food pantry and messed me up, Thursday I had a CAK project meeting and messed me up.

See all those "messed me ups?" That's stinkin' thinkin' as Flylady would say! Would I rather do my routines or hang out with my husband? Would I rather volunteer at the food pantry (with my kids!) or do my routines, etc. etc.

Here's the love/hate part about routines:

My routines show me how much time I have left in my day for other things.

Having a decently clean/"company ready" home is important to me...but that doesn't take much time once I have the clutter under control and really basic routines in place. After I'm done with an item on my to do list I draw a smiley face. I put a dash through it if I didn't do it or don't need to do it (ie. it rained so I don't need to water the lawn.)

For now, if I have more smiley faces than dashes, my routines are working. Baby steps will get me there. Because I *really* don't want to miss out on puddle jumping (even if I'm only taking pictures):

This post has been linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

The Battle vs. The War: The Teen Years

2012-05-30T07:50:00.001-06:00

Image Credit

Do I want to win the battle or win the war?

As we walked our dogs this morning we were commenting that our dog sure likes "weed" (it's been a subject since a girl in 7th grade was busted for having pot in her backpack.)

It hit me like a ton of bricks.

The Battle

My daughter LOVES anything sugary. My son does too, but not as much as my daughter. Interestingly enough she is the one that struggled with blood sugar issues as much as I did. This summer I was determined to make sure that she didn't make bad choices by eating too much junk food.

I wasn't forbidding her to have sugar, but wanted to limit the amount. My daughter is 15 (almost 16) and will be a sophomore in high school. What I *really* didn't want was to have her buy candy and hide it behind my back. I was trying to offer solutions that would be acceptable for both of us.

A LOT of energy was put into this battle on both sides.

The battle: sugar

The war: the teenage (possibly rebellion) years

The War

I want her to make wise decisions in every aspect of her life. Sugar is the glaringly obvious issue right now, but in light of the big ole war....I really think that I need to focus on the big picture. I know that I shouldn't compare her to others, but I do. It's natural (I hope!) She really is a good, kind, loving kid who occasionally throws a 2 year old temper tantrums.

She's finding her way in this life as a mini adult.

I hope that I can let her find her way without hindering her progress too much. For YEARS I dreaded the teen age years...I knew how I acted when I was a teen and I wanted nothing to do with it. When I'm not battling with her, she's fun and funny. I truly enjoy watching her as she gets older. She's not the perfect child, but then I'm not the perfect mother.

Every day I need to focus on the war,

NOT the battle of the moment.

This post has been linked to WeAreTHATFamily.

How to Get Your Kids to Help

2012-05-29T09:07:00.002-06:00

{click on image to enlarge}
This is my spin on Jennifer's ideas. I have a 13 and 15 year old who love games.

This is the best idea I've seen in a long time on how to get your kids to help out more...check out Jennifer's guest post at:

AnotherDayinaMomsWorld

Jack Kruse: Here's to the Crazy Ones

2012-05-22T08:37:00.001-06:00

Image Credit

When I wrote my blog post "My Life is a Mismatch", I called Jack Kruse crazy, but in a good way. I laughed when I read a comment from him on his blog.

Quoting from Jack Kruse:

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them, because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

I need to paste this on my mirror and read it every day. I really hate to be different than everyone else. I want to be "normal." So I wrote down in my journal what "normal" looks like.

Yeah, I have absolutely NO desire to be "normal."

So here's to the crazy ones!!!

2012-05-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

Image Credit: Zutphen

What do you hate to do, but know that you should do?

What do you love to do, that you'll actually take the time to do?

Action:

Create a love/hate habit. Before you do the thing that you actually love to do, take 5 minutes and do the thing you hate to do.

Here's how it looks in my life:

What do I hate to do, but know that I should do? Ride my bike up hills (there are hills everywhere in this town!)
What do I love to do that I'll actually take the time to do? Walk!
Create a love/hate habit: Before I can go for a walk I ride my bike up a ginormous hill. It takes all of 5 minutes and I absolutely hate about 30 seconds of it {when I'm almost to the top of the hill and my lungs are burning.}

My hope is that this summer I will be able to go for a bike ride and actually enjoy it.

I've done this with many different things....working out while watching NYPD Blue, reading a magazine while walking on the stairmaster....cleaning my house before checking the computer, etc.

Have you had success with a love/hate habit before?

This post has been linked to:

The Path....

2012-05-15T08:27:00.000-06:00

If you are only looking down at the path, you may miss the big picture...

My husband and I went up on a trail yesterday...he rode his bike and I walked. I wanted to make sure that I didn't twist my ankle on the rocks so I kept a close eye on the trail. I had to force myself to stop several times to look at the amazing view.

I realized that this could be an analogy in my life as a homemaker.

When I don't take time to look at the big picture and focus on getting my chores done (cleaning toilets, washing clothes, dishes, etc.) I miss out on the importance of being a homemaker.
When I don't take time to look at the big picture with my budget, financial goals aren't realized.
When I don't take time to look for God in the craziness of life I miss getting any kind of direction from Him.

It's good to keep an eye on the trail,

but it's more important to keep an eye on the big picture.

Linked up:

Menu Plan / Routine May 14, 2012

2012-05-14T09:23:00.000-06:00

Image Credit Double--M

I had a wonderful Mother's Day, but to be honest, I haven't been a big fan of Mother's Day in previous years. I had VERY high expectations of my husband the first few Mother's Days. Then my Mom died and Mother's Day was awful. Then a friend of mine wanted a baby sooooo bad, but couldn't conceive so I couldn't stop thinking about her on Mother's Day.

Over time I was able to get my focus back on God,

but it took a while.

Here's my favorite present from Mother's Day:

Yes, it's a can of green beans. No Salt added either ~ wooo hoooo!!! My family asked me to write down some gift ideas so I wrote "Green Bean." Clearly I needed to write "I would like a gift certificate from the coffee shop called the Green Bean." Next year I'll know better!

I made the Horseradish Sauce last week and oh my....I had forgotten how much we love it! Anybody have any ideas for the beef brisket I bought?

Menu Plan AKA Menu Routine

Breakfast Menu Plan

Lunch - leftovers or meat over salad. My husband now eats at home a few days of the week, but I never know when it's going to be.

Dinners (we eat a primalish /paleoish diet - limited grains/sugar).

Menu planning in action:

1. Outside Activities
What will conflict with supper preparations this week?

1 band concert

2. Pantry
What's in my cupboards, fridge and freezer?

Hamburger
Roasts
Beef Brisket
Fish
Bacon
Shrimp
Cooked breakfast sausages
Raw chicken
German sausage links (now cooked)
Frozen veggies (beans, peas, cauliflower and broccoli)
~~Frozen (cooked) pinto beans~~ I finally threw these out. Why do I keep making/buying things that aren't paleo/primal? I did NOT buy the Doritos that are in my "green bean" picture.
~~ham broth~~

3. Ideas for Dinner

What can I make that my son loves?
What can I make that my daughter loves?
What can I make that my husband loves?
What can I make that I love?
What recipes have I found online that I want to try?

4. Make a Plan

KISS night (keep it simple silly - same thing every week). Roast beef, mashed or baked potatoes (sweet for hubs and white for the kids) and roasted veggies.
Leftovers and salad
Meatza
Shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic....may add a bit of cream. My daughter will be in heaven!
Stir Fry Beef Salad from PaleoPlan.Com
Open (we might be out of town, but I'm not sure)
Husband cooks (I'm sure he'll BBQ ~ the weather looks awesome!)

Snacks:
hard boiled eggs or leftovers

Tried and true recipes:
Josie's Shepherd Pie, Thai Sauce over Meat, Comfort Roast and Horseradish Sauce, Asian Beef, KalynsKitchen

Recipes to try soon:
Ranch ~ healthier alternative.
Salt and Vinegar Chickpeas

MarksDailyApple (buried in the massive post) Chimichurri sauce {they said "I think it is great on eggs in addition to flank steak.}
1 bunch Italian parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup a mix of lemon and lime juice
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Remove tough stems from fresh herbs. Puree all in food processor

Check out other menu plans at:

Orgjunkie

Homemaking: The Dreaded Question

2012-05-11T09:39:00.001-06:00

Photo Image by D Sharon Pruitt

Homemaking

And what do you do? I stutter and mumble...

"I'm a stay at home mom....well my kids are in school all day, but I still stay at home...no wait....it seems like I'm never home."

Often times the person will just look at me with a blank look on their face. What is supposed to be a conversation starter, is a conversation stopper.

A lot of people are completely baffled that I still want to be a homemaker even though my kids are in school. I don't think that they are being judgmental, people just don't understand how I don't go crazy being at home all of the time.

13 years ago, I was one of those people...my husband is still one of those people. He's ready to get out of the house after being home for a day. I could stay in my house for days on end if I didn't have errands to run. I had someone once say to me "I could never stay home, I like to be busy." There are days that I look at my to do list and I wonder how I'm going to get everything done.

So when people say, "what do you do?" I think what they really mean is "how do you occupy your time?" For me, that's a much easier question to answer. I volunteer a little bit, I write occasionally, but mostly I spend my time keeping my family in line.

I wonder if I'm alone...am I the only one to blunders their way through such a simple question?

You might be interested in the post I wrote a while back called:

"Homemaking: Your Job Part 2."

Menu Plan / Routine How To May 7, 2012

2012-05-07T08:57:00.003-06:00

Image Credit Double--M

It's been a while since I've written out a menu plan. The longer I do menu planning the more "routine" it becomes. It's only taken 10 years!

When my life becomes hectic, I don't even attempt new recipes. This week we only have one track meet to go to so I'd like to try a few new things. You might want to check out a post I wrote over at WeeklyGroceryShopping that included a few tips to help you during busy seasons.

I still haven't tried any recipes at PaleoPlan.Com. I may try homemade beef broth this week depending on the weather. Over at KalynsKitchen I found a method of making a roast in a crock pot was fabulous (I didn't use all of the vinegar called for in the recipe.) I kept all of the fat on my roast.

Menu Plan AKA Menu Routine

1 track meet
volunteer at the food pantry

2. Pantry
What's in my cupboards, fridge and freezer?

Hamburger and Ground Pork
Roasts
Beef Brisket
Fish
Bacon
Shrimp
Cooked breakfast sausages
raw chicken
German sausage links
Frozen veggies (beans, peas, cauliflower and broccoli)
Frozen (cooked) pinto beans
ham broth

3. Ideas for Dinner

What can I make that my son loves?
What can I make that my daughter loves?
What can I make that my husband loves?
What can I make that I love?
What recipes have I found online that I want to try?

4. Make a Plan

KISS night (keep it simple silly - same thing every week). Roast beef, mashed or baked potatoes (sweet for hubs and white for the kids) and roasted veggies.
Leftovers and salad
Meatballs with ground pork and beef in spaghetti sauce
Mexican or Cajun seasoning/cream sauce with the burger crumbles.
Broccoli / Cauliflower / Chicken soup???
Chicken and egg salad at the track meet
Husband cooks (pretty sure he'll "cook" at a restaurant this week for Mother's Day)

TRY THIS WEEK?

Snacks:
hard boiled eggs or leftovers

Tried and true recipes:
Josie's Shepherd Pie, Thai Sauce over Meat, Comfort Roast and Horseradish Sauce, Asian Beef

Recipes to try soon:
Ranch ~ healthier alternative.
Marinade from SoSimplyGood
Salt and Vinegar Chickpeas

MarksDailyApple (buried in the massive post) Chimichurri sauce {they said "I think it is great on eggs in addition to flank steak.}
1 bunch italian parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup a mix of lemon and lime juice
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Remove tough stems from fresh herbs. Puree all in food processor

Check out other menu plans at:

Orgjunkie
11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven always has a lot of homemaking posts to read as well!

My Life is a Mismatch

2012-05-04T10:05:00.000-06:00

Image Credit: Poppy Thomas-Hill

I've been following Jack Kruse for a while. I think the guy is crazy. Crazy in a good way (that's possible right?) Brave in a way that I want to be...I want to stand up for what I believe in, but far too often I don't.

He talks about using cold thermogenesis and a paleo diet based on circadian cycles to cure neolithic disease. Half of the time I have NO clue what he's talking about. I have to read and re-read what he writes about ten times before it starts to sink in a bit.

He writes about biological mismatches...that we're too smart for our own good. Our bodies weren't designed to turn on the lights so we can stay up later. Our bodies weren't designed to eat a banana in December because they don't grow in December (or something like that...)

I like to read what he writes because it challenges me to THINK.

For far too long I believed the medical professionals who told me to eat more grains to be healthy (just be sure to eat whole grains) and DO NOT eat fat or you'll have a heart attack. As I got older my hypoglycemia / low blood sugar issues got a lot worse. I was eating constantly trying to stem off an attack. Once I started eating fat and protein and stopped eating grains and sugar my hypoglycemia issues disappeared.

What does this have to do with my life being a mismatch?

I say or think one thing, but my actions tell a different story.

Image Credit: Poppy Thomas-Hill

Recently I saw this quote from Mahatma Ghandi:

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

What a wonderful way to look at life! Although goal setting tends to backfire on me, when I focus my priorities, everything else seems to fall into place.

Action Step: Who or what do I want to be?

Homemaker: Focus on my family before others.
Minimalist: Relationships first!
Frugal / Wise with time and money
Healthy: Primal / Paleo Diet and taking time for myself so I feel great
Encouraging (blogging and volunteering)
Loving: don't be judgmental...extend grace to others and myself

Homemaking Tip: Cleaning Your Microwave

2012-05-03T09:59:00.000-06:00

Image by SmartGoat

Just a quick homemaking tip for you this morning that will take you just a few minutes:

Put a soaking wet washcloth in the microwave (no soap).
"Cook" for 1-2 minutes (every microwave is different).
When the washcloth is steaming hot, wipe down your microwave. Please note that I'm a wimp so I wear a glove to do this.
Rinse out your washcloth.
Hang washcloth over your kitchen faucet to dry.

Not only have you cleaned your microwave, you've disinfected your washcloth (so people say...I hope it's true!)

Other homemaking tips:

How to Create a Menu Plan

How to be a Good Wife (Put Yourself First)

Spring Cleaning Tip (DON'T Do it)

Coming Soon...

Is Your Life a Mismatch?

This post has been linked to We are THAT Family.

Weekly Roundup

2012-04-28T11:19:00.000-06:00

Photo by JamiesRabbit

Earlier this week I wrote about the bon-bon day I had this week. This morning I read the following posts that helped me understand my own need for time to myself:

Sometimes a Light: To Do: Nothing
Jennifer Dawn McLucas: True Rest

Oh how I needed to read these posts this morning! They are fabulous!

Another Bon Bon Day

2012-04-25T10:25:00.001-06:00

Why do you suppose I am so obsessed about homemakers taking care of themselves? I've written the following posts about this subject:

Am I obsessed because my mom died at the age of 50 and didn't ever have time/make the time to read a book?

Am I obsessed because I think there are so many blogs out there that show homemakers how you can be more productive?

Am I obsessed because I see the 50% + divorce rate and wonder if there is a link?

I really don't know why I'm obsessed about it.

I do know this....when I don't have time to sit and be still, exercise or read my Bible, I realize that I get through life okay, but I certainly don't enjoy it. I don't want my life to be OKAY. I want my life to be filled with JOY regardless of the circumstances.

Yesterday these are the words that jumped out at me (Ephesians 3:1-21):

grace
mystery
together
strengthen
DWELL in your hearts
wide
long
high
deep
love of Christ
surpasses knowledge
fullness

and finally...

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

I want take time to be aware of this each and every day of my life.

YNAB: Followup

2012-04-23T11:50:00.002-06:00

YNAB (You Need a Budget)

I have to admit, on Saturday I was ready to throw in the towel. The first couple of weeks that I used this software, I was so excited about it. I could see where our money was going and the changes that we needed to make to our budget.

Unfortunately, my perfectionism kicked in. On Saturday morning at 5AM I was ready to change everything back to the way it used to be. Thankfully I fell back asleep and had a conversation with my husband later in the morning (that went something like this...I'm changing everything back, no you're not, yes I am, no you're not, yes I am...we're mature that way LOL.)

I was frustrated because on paper I have a monthly budget, but my husband is paid every other week. They don't match and they never will.

Right now we are living paycheck to paycheck and I wanted everything to work perfectly in the software.

After reading the YNAB forum, I found a post about the "rules". If you scroll down to the username "Patzer" you'll see a great response about letting money sit. I have no problems letting money sit as long as the amount in the software matches the budget I have on paper. If it doesn't match, apparently I want to throw in the towel.

Perfectionism can rear it's head in many different and ugly ways!

The solution? I write down the average monthly amounts on paper and my husband fills in the budgeted amount on the software.

Here are the rules of YNAB (and my note to self:)

Give Every Dollar a Job
Save for a Rainy Day

Note to self: even if the amounts are not the perfect amount. Make a habit of putting SOMETHING in the category. Ie. $10 in gifts. No, it's not going to buy much of a gift, but it's the habit you create that will make a difference.

Roll With the Punches
Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Even if you don't buy or use the software, if you follow the rules of YNAB, I imagine your financial situation will be better.

Weekly Grocery Shopping

The latest grocery tips:

This post has been linked to WeAreThatFamily.

Sunrises and Kiddos

2012-04-17T10:22:00.001-06:00

Photo Credit

Had I known how quickly the sunrise was going to change, I would have taken a picture. The picture above doesn't even come close to how beautiful the sky was this morning.

I put my dog out on his leash, gasped at the beauty of the sky....poured myself a cup of coffee....took my dog off of his leash and the sky was back to normal.

Life changes that quickly.

Just yesterday {so it seems} I was working full time and running around chasing a 2 1/2 year old while nursing a baby...EXHAUSTED! Now that 2 1/2 year old is a 15 1/2 year old who drives a car.

Apparently there was yet another comment made about stay at home moms vs. working moms. I'll let you read what was said as I try not to get involved with anything political {thankfully some people enjoy that!} Here's what jumped out at me though...why do I waste my energy on things that just don't matter?

Getting angry doesn't do me any good because I'm not going to debate the issue with anyone. I am very thankful that someone corrected the woman who made the comment. My point is this: I get to choose how I spend most of my time and energy.

Time

Flylady wrote this yesterday:

All any of us need is the balance that comes from having effective habits that build into solid routines that keep our day running on a smooth and even keel. There is no such thing as perfect. We can never reach it, so why are we killing ourselves and our family in search of it!

Effective habits CREATE solid routines. Here are a few habits that have helped me:

Habit: Remember that my value/self worth comes from God...He created me.

Routine = ignore what others say

Habit: Don't volunteer for ANYTHING until I have thought about it for a few days to see how it will impact my family.

Routine = look at the calendar, pray, keep a lot of margin in my day

Habit: ALWAYS put myself first even if it's only for a few minutes {Bible time, exercising, time out by myself}

Routine = get up before my family, realize the importance of exercise and time walking along the creek.

Habit: Always put my marriage before my kids.

Routine: when kids try to interrupt my conversation with my spouse ignore them until our conversation is done (still working on this one)

Of course I don't always make the right choices, but when I do my life is much better. Time is soooo precious!

Easter 2012 with my kiddos and Dad

When Flylady Doesn't Work:
I know some people say that Flylady doesn't work for them. I honestly can't understand this because her system has worked so well for me. I'm not saying it doesn't work for some, I just don't understand.

Step 1: Shine your sink Do NOTHING else until your sink is shined. Why? It doesn't matter. If you won't do this step, then you are not ready to change.

Here is the getting started page from her website: Getting Started

I'll be the first to admit that I do not do everything she does. For me Flylady has meant this...create routines and use your timer so you can get over your procrastination AKA perfectionism.

Here are a few more posts I wrote about homemaking.

Find more tips and tricks at WeAreTHATFamily.

Hummingbird Homemaking

Rules Schmules

Warning:

Rules

JOY

Recipe: Brazilian Cheese Puffs

Priorities in Your Life

Easy Sweet Potatoes

Budgeting Principle: Letting Money Sit

Paleo For Women

How to Get Your Kids to Help Part 2

Good vs. Great: Kids in the Kitchen

Good VS Great

Judge Johnlyn

Baptism

Steps to Change

Magnesium

Iherb

Love/Hate Relationships with Flylady's Routines

Perfectionism: A Little Background

Routines

The Battle vs. The War: The Teen Years

The Battle

The War

How to Get Your Kids to Help

Jack Kruse: Here's to the Crazy Ones

Action:

The Path....

Menu Plan / Routine May 14, 2012

Homemaking: The Dreaded Question

Homemaking

Menu Plan / Routine How To May 7, 2012

My Life is a Mismatch

Action Step: Who or what do I want to be?

Homemaking Tip: Cleaning Your Microwave

Weekly Roundup

More Awesome Posts

Another Bon Bon Day

YNAB: Followup

Sunrises and Kiddos

Time