Day 28

Well, I'm still here, still plodding through, though kind of slow as I have been spending time with my kiddos and staying away from the interwebs.

The time is flying, which I'm thankful for and we are now about 3 weeks away from having my husband back, I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to that and how much the kids are excited.  I think they're about done at this point, they just don't want to do this anymore, they tell me everyday how they miss daddy and how this sucks, and how they are just tired of it and want him home already.

It's tough because I know exactly how they feel and there's really nothing I can say or do to make it better, so I'm just spending loads of time with them, distracting them, having fun and just keeping their minds on other things.

Of course this means that I haven't been able to come by and say hi to everyone, but I'm hoping to do that tomorrow, I miss visiting you all and seeing what everyone is up to :)


::::  breakfast



:::: simple, but a delicious breakfast does not have to be elaborate



:::: some crocheting while watching movies with the kids



:::: followed by a little reading



:::: getting dinner prepared



:::: banana pancakes for dinner, another kid's pick



:::: palm trees in the yard



:::: another corner of my home



:::: my aloe vera which I always have at least 2 plants of, it's great for sunburn

EMR Design Studio

Come on in and sit with me for a few, I want to tell you about one of my blog readers who is a fantastic graphic designer.

Elsa is not only the designer behind ERM Design Studio, but she's also a wonderful Army wife and a mommy to a little one, and her specialization????  Design fantastic templates and logos for Wordpress and Blogger.

She is just starting out, and since she's such a sweet lady, I thought I would help spread the word and hopefully send some people her way.

Matter of fact, right now, she's having a Super Summer Sale and everything is 50% off.  You have to go check it out.

While you're there check out her portfolio, her tutorials and her freebies.

And just for my readers, she is offering this beautiful printable grocery list.

YOU WILL RECEIVE: • One high quality 8.5 x 11 inch (landscape) PDF printable files; a weekly meal/grocery list planner.

So go on, get over there and claim your free Grocery List :)

She's also got some new products up, like the Fourth of July Celebration

 Just in time for Fourth of July :)

I love helping out small businesses and friends and I think it's imperative that we help each other out, especially when trying to get the business off the ground.

So if you're in need of a new blog makeover or if you know someone who is, won't you go over and visit Elsa?  Tell her I sent you and I'm sure she'll work with you and deliver exactly what you're looking for ;) 

You can also find her on Facebook!

Day 27

:::: Morning battle with ants in the house. A new bag of dog food was completely full of ants, so out in the trash it went. Had to run out and get another bag to replenish the container



:::: a little mommy craving



:::: Mopped floors....she knows she is not supposed to walk on them while they're wait, so Miss Bella is patiently waiting at the edge of the rug



:::: Writing in her book for daddy



:::: simple dinner for the kids, one of their favorite easy meals which reminds me a lot of my childhood. Cheesy Burger patties and rice with peas.



:::: there's something so wonderful about a simple meal

Happy Homemaker Monday #24

Good morning :)

I'm a little on the frustrated side right now, nothing like waking up to a sea of ants in your kitchen and living room.  If there is one thing I can't stand, it's ants....they honestly gross me out.  Blech!
Anyway, ant problem taken care of, though I had to throw out a new bag of dog food that I just opened last night because it was infested with the ants.  Waste of money.

So now I have a cup of coffee that is wavering between lukewarm and cold, and before I go warm it up, I figured I would get this post up.

BTW, I removed the *Something fun to share* category, I just feel like there really isn't much to add to that one.  If there is something else you would like to see featured, let me know :)

If you want to save and use the new button, just click here.

The Weather:::

Hot!  That's it....just Hot!  Lots of promises of rain over the weekend and then more rain today and tomorrow but not a single cloud in sight and just plain, HOT.  I can't tell you how much I dislike Arizona and miss a really good rain shower.

On my reading pile:::

Nothing at the moment, have a few library books and a few to review but haven't really had the chance to get much reading done, maybe later today.

On my tv:::

The new episode of Starlings
My Portuguese soap opera
Eureka tonight

On the menu for this week:::

Still doing easy quick meals with the kids, though I really miss cooking for my husband.

Monday -  Banana Pancakes
Tuesday -  BLT Pitas
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Pizza
Friday -  Chili Dogs

Saturday - Clam Chowder
Sunday  - Pepperoni & Mozzarella Crescent Rolls

On my to do list:::

Laundry
Mop
Clean bathrooms

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Finished a few projects.
Have two potholders to make the backs for.
Little crochet boats
Work on my big beast of a ripple blanket

Homemaking Tips:::

Keeping Your Sponge Clean
1. Dishwasher Put your sponge in the utensil compartment of your dishwasher for the entire wash and heat dry cycle. This should rid your sponge of 99.9998% of the germs.

2. Microwave For an even faster fix wet your sponge and squeeze and place in your microwave for two minutes with a cup of water. Some sponges have plastics that can melt so please put your sponge on a paper towel the first time you try this! This is my preferred method of cleaning my sponge as its fast and kills 99.9999% of the bacteria present on the sponge. (According to the WebMD!) Note: It can take up to five minutes to kill mold spores however you must make sure the sponge stays wet or it can be a fire hazard.

3. Bleach This is actually a statistically less effective way to clean your sponges but some people just don't feel something is clean if it hasn't been bleached, so if that's you here's the best way to bleach your sponge: Make a 10% bleach solution with HOT water. Soak your sponge between 5-10 minutes squeezing every so often to help the solution penetrate the sponge. (Please wear rubber gloves for this.) After soaking rinse thoroughly under running water. Be aware that this has been shown to kill less than 94% of the germs.

Looking around the house:::

Smells like lavender vinegar right now....it's what I use to throw the ant scent off. I still have my vacuum out from battling the ants this morning. My coffee cup is sitting next to me and I just took a very nasty sip of cold coffee, GROSS.
House is clean, so not much to tidy up.

From the camera:::

Pretty flowers

On my prayer list:::

Friends and Family going through some hard times right now

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Oh, to be like Him, tender and kind,
Gentle in spirit, lowly in mind;
More like to Jesus, day after day,
Filled with His Spirit now and alway. —Ellsworth

Day 26

Had a very quiet, relaxing Sunday, which I very much enjoy :)

I am not one to go out and spend lots of time outside my home, I think I really am a homebody and am most happy when I'm in my home and surrounded by my things.  I would make a kick butt hermit....just saying LOL



:::: Homemade Mocha Frappe (don't have the recipe up on the blog yet, will tomorrow)



:::: a certain little man has been counting down every day dad has been gone



:::: cleaning the kitchen while watching my Portuguese Soap, Doce Tentacao, on the laptop



:::: fixing dinner



:::: kitchen window



:::: dinner was set up in the living room because the kiddos wanted to watch the new Good Luck Charlie



:::: my favorite part is always the sausage gravy



:::: you have to use a little bit of color and there's nothing like some fresh cut flowers to brighten any meal



:::: one of my favorite things in my kitchen, has to be my table

Sunday thoughts - The Deadly Joy Busters

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Another great devotional come through my hands the other morning.  It was about the Deadly Joy Busters, places where as Christians we should never even consider parking.

Parking by Life's Defeats

Parking by anger

Parking by Escape

Parking by Discouragement

Parking by Worry

Parking by Guilt

As I looked at the list, I thought, actually, I felt embarrassed because I've been guilty of parking, sometimes for long periods of time, at some or all of those places.

So looking more closely at those Parking Places, I was able to realize that I do to some degree, hold myself back, sabotage my own joy, bring myself down, because I can't seem to let go of something things. 

"Let it go and let God"!

How many times have you heard that saying?  I admit to telling myself and others that many, many, many times.  But it's easier said than done.

Parking by Life's Defeats - Things that have happened in the past that disappointed me, that brought me down.  Why would I want to continue staying in that moment, reliving that?  Move on!

Parking by Anger - Storing anger, holding a grudge, thinking about something someone said a gazillion years ago but that still hurts deep down.  What exactly does this do for me other than hold me down, and eventually boomerang back ten fold?  Time to let it go.

Parking by Escape - Things look tough, so I quit.  I run away, I turn my back, I don't want to deal with it.  I have to learn to keep going, keep pushing forward, not let the thought of a difficult task or issue keep me rooted in fear or even worse, make me a quitter.

Parking by Worry -  Well I have to say that I have not only parked myself in this spot, I have set up shop and I don't think I'm leaving anytime soon.  So the what if's, the what may's, the what will's keep me almost paralyzed at times.  I worry too much, even my husband tells me this.  What sense is there in worrying, in driving yourself insane by the unknown?  Let it go, how will we know what possibilities are around the corner if we don't allow ourselves to think that far or to let whatever may come, just come.

Parking in Guilt - Simply put, let it go.  Stop thinking about what you've done in the past, rather start thinking about what you'll accomplish in the future.  Don't let resentment hold you back, don't tear yourself apart because you feel you are not worth it, or that you should pay and continue suffering for something that you did years and decades ago.  Forgive, put the past behind you.


I never really thought much about these things, or what effect they may be having on my life, on how I perceive things, on how I live.  But when you really break it down and start putting it into perspective, it's almost scary just how much you sabotage your own happiness.  The only person holding YOU back, is none other than yourself.  Scary thought isn't it???

God knows about all my pains, all my worries, all my guilt.  He loves me no matter what.  But here's the thing......unless I confess all of these to Him, I won't be able to move on and to be happy.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" - Matthew 6:25

Day 25

::::  Morning, coffee and a little internet time



:::: another potholder, using this pattern



:::: Noon,watching soccer and another potholder was born from my mind



:::: she's never far, this is her favorite place to sleep



:::: Night, quick pasta dish that the kids love.

Day 24

Not many photos taken today, was busy, relaxing, crocheting, watching TV with the kids :)


:::: morning sewing



:::: paperless paper towels for my kitchen, I love these because I can work through my stash of fabrics and old towels and also end up with much prettier towels than the paper ones :)



:::: this is where I keep mine



:::: new potholder in the works



:::: fixing dinner



:::: baked potatoes

Everyday Contentment - #5

Take a moment to embrace contentment, to learn to love the everyday things that we tend to overlook or take for granted. 

I'm not referring to big things, or expensive things.

I'm talking about the nitty gritty, those everyday tasks, objects, thoughts that make our lives what they are.

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Cooking!

I know many out there despise it, don't know what the big hoopla is about, would rather be somewhere, eating out, ordering in etc.

But for me, cooking has always been a contentment.  It's a joy to get into my kitchen, put on my apron and prepare meals for my loved ones.

I guess cooking has always been a huge part of my life, starting when I was very little, about 4 years old.  I remember sitting on the floor at my greatgrandmother's feet as she prepared dinner for a full house....14 sometimes 20 people at a time.  The joy on her face was nothing like I could ever describe, she really did love being a housewife and the family matriarch.

  {image}

So from a young age, that love was instilled in me.  It runs through my veins, it seeps through my pores, it is part of who I am.

To be able to recreate a favorite dish, to be able to come up with new meals, to be able to try this ingredient with that ingredient and see what comes out.  It's pure joy for me and I could spend hours in my kitchen, matter of fact, I do, it's the one room in the house where I spend most of the time.

I wouldn't want it any other way  ♥