My husband has me in a torture chamber. He tells me he's giving me "clues" for our getaway, but they're just confusing me and making me angry. (Okay, that this-is-sort-of-fun/how-can-google-help-me-figure-this-out angry, but I digress.)
So, I thought I'd share them with you incase you have any ideas...
Jan 8: On the road again (Dang, not going to Colorado!)
Jan 9: Head West, but you won't need your cowgirl clothes (Chicago?)
Jan 10: The epitome of relaxation, but you'll still need your walking shoes (A spa in Chicago?)
Jan 11: A long road trip or a short one? Hmm... depends. (This is where I start getting ticked! Depends on what? The weather? Traffic?)
Jan 12: Toenails, fingernails, whole body? You choose. (Ooo- la-la. Nothing really matters beyond this clue. It involves some sort of pampering. For all I care, we could go to Romney, IN. Just give me the terry-cloth robe, aromatherapy scents, and some of that meditation music...)
Jan. 13: You don't normally like to do this, but perhaps this weekend's circumstances will change your mind. (I like to think I'm a pretty easy going gal, and enjoy most everything. There's really only one thing that I'm openly unhappy about doing... shopping. Hmmm...)
Jan. 14: An appreciation for lines and angles... from the water. (This one was a stumper at first, but I think I'm on to him now. This HAS to be referring to the Architectural Boat Tour in Chicago... something we've always wanted to do!)
Jan. 15: Dinner's a repeat-- but you asked for it. (OH LORD HAVE MERCY! I think we're going to my ALL TIME FAVORITE restaurant in Chicago... Chicago Q Restaurant. Hold on while I wipe the drool off my face...)
and more...
Jan. 16: Just the two of us, building castles in the sky (Well obviously the kids won't be there, but what castles is he referring to? Sky scrapers?)
Jan 17: Brass Band (Ten hours later, I GOT IT! Chicago! Our favorite brass band, ever!)
Stay tuned...
Jan 13, 2012
Deceptively Delicious Oatmeal
We LOVE breakfast. The problem is, if we eat cold cereal-- though it's quick and easy-- we're usually hungry again in just a few hours. Oatmeal is great and fills our tummies, but it can get boring day after day. So, if you agree, try this:
1 C nonfat (skim) milk
1/4 C firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 C canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 C old fashioned oats
2 tsp natural peanut butter (option, but give it a try!)
dried fruits and nuts (optional)
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla- if using, and spice. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the oatmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oatmeal is soft and creamy. Sir in the peanut butter, if using. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with dried fruits and nuts, if you like, and serve with warm maple syrup. (We've never had it with the syrup... it's always plenty sweet without!)
Enjoy!
Jan 10, 2012
The Big 3-0!
Though I'm always bummed when Christmas is over... and I despise the task of dedecorating the house (almost as much as I despise changing a crib sheet with a crib bumper!)... January and February bring lots of great things: new year/fresh start, snow (but not this year, which is just bizarre), and MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
I'll be honest, I love my birthday. I don't care what I do, or where I go, or even if I "get" anything. I don't care that I'm one year "older." We don't even have any "traditions" that must be carried forward. What I love is that on that day I hear from both of my parents and my siblings (usually in the form of a musical voicemail recording), I hear from many of my dear friends, and I get bombarded with love on Facebook. It's pretty great.
This year is a big one. It's the end of an era... or a decade. I've been reflecting these past few days on allllll that has happened in the last 10 years, and there has been a lot! (That will come in a later post...)
This fall I surprised The Hubby with a joint birthday AND anniversary celebratory getaway. He had NO idea. He thought we were going camping, and we ended up with our toes in the sand in FL. Oh yeah. Pulled the wool right over his eyes!
...but now it's my turn. My hubby is taking me somewhere (he knows I'm anal enough that he had to give me some details- all I know is the dates we'll be gone- so I can pack up the kids, not plan meals for that time period, etc.) but he's giving me precious little beyond that--- or so I thought.
Two nights ago he handed me a piece of paper. "From now until we leave, you're getting one clue a day." I. LOVE. THIS. MAN. That's food for my soul. It's fun. It's secretive. It's adventurous.
I open the folded paper one crease at a time... and what do I read?
Jan. 8: "On the road again..."
Really? That's just brutal. Cruel. It gives me NOTHING! Ugh.
Next one is a bit more helpful...
Jan. 9: "Head West, but you won't need your cowgirl clothes."
Hmmmm.... so many ideas are swirling in my brain. I can't wait. I'm so so SO excited!
I love birthdays. And I really love birthday surprises.
17 more days...
I'll be honest, I love my birthday. I don't care what I do, or where I go, or even if I "get" anything. I don't care that I'm one year "older." We don't even have any "traditions" that must be carried forward. What I love is that on that day I hear from both of my parents and my siblings (usually in the form of a musical voicemail recording), I hear from many of my dear friends, and I get bombarded with love on Facebook. It's pretty great.
This year is a big one. It's the end of an era... or a decade. I've been reflecting these past few days on allllll that has happened in the last 10 years, and there has been a lot! (That will come in a later post...)
This fall I surprised The Hubby with a joint birthday AND anniversary celebratory getaway. He had NO idea. He thought we were going camping, and we ended up with our toes in the sand in FL. Oh yeah. Pulled the wool right over his eyes!
...but now it's my turn. My hubby is taking me somewhere (he knows I'm anal enough that he had to give me some details- all I know is the dates we'll be gone- so I can pack up the kids, not plan meals for that time period, etc.) but he's giving me precious little beyond that--- or so I thought.
Two nights ago he handed me a piece of paper. "From now until we leave, you're getting one clue a day." I. LOVE. THIS. MAN. That's food for my soul. It's fun. It's secretive. It's adventurous.
I open the folded paper one crease at a time... and what do I read?
Jan. 8: "On the road again..."
Really? That's just brutal. Cruel. It gives me NOTHING! Ugh.
Next one is a bit more helpful...
Jan. 9: "Head West, but you won't need your cowgirl clothes."
Hmmmm.... so many ideas are swirling in my brain. I can't wait. I'm so so SO excited!
I love birthdays. And I really love birthday surprises.
17 more days...
Jan 7, 2012
Dill Pot Roast
The best part... it's really two meals in one. I use the leftover juice (and meat, if there is any!) as a base for vegetable soup! Dump in whatever veggies you can find in your freezer or pantry and voila... meal #2.
3-5 lb rump roast
1 can mushroom gravy
1 large can whole, peeled tomatoes
3 clove garlic
4 Tbsp A-1 steak sauce
1 onion cut up
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
2 Tbsp dill weed
Mix together all ingredients and pour over roast. Bake in 350* oven at least 3 hours. (Use a meat thermometer.) Baste during cooking.
Hamburger Stroganoff
This is a nice change to a classic meal. I almost always have all of the ingrediants on hand, too.
1 lb. ground beef
3 slices diced bacon (I use about 3 Tbsp of bacon bits instead)
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 C sour cream
Brown beef with bacon. Add onion. Drain fat. Add salt, paprika, dash of pepper. Stir in soup. Cook slowly 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Heat, do not boil.
Serve over a bed of brown rice, with a side of fresh or frozen green beans.
Yum!
Serves 4-6.
1 lb. ground beef
3 slices diced bacon (I use about 3 Tbsp of bacon bits instead)
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 C sour cream
Brown beef with bacon. Add onion. Drain fat. Add salt, paprika, dash of pepper. Stir in soup. Cook slowly 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Heat, do not boil.
Serve over a bed of brown rice, with a side of fresh or frozen green beans.
Yum!
Serves 4-6.
Jan 5, 2012
Attempted Pins
1. Not to sound redundant, but I love Pinterest.
2. I cannot sew. It pains me. In an effort to "get over it" I gave away my sewing machine.
3. I have a TON of crafting materials (that don't involve #2 above) and have really enjoyed getting my hands dirty again!
4. There's no extra funds in the budget. None of this has cost me more than $5 per project.
Here's a sampling....
2. I cannot sew. It pains me. In an effort to "get over it" I gave away my sewing machine.
3. I have a TON of crafting materials (that don't involve #2 above) and have really enjoyed getting my hands dirty again!
4. There's no extra funds in the budget. None of this has cost me more than $5 per project.
Here's a sampling....
Canvas + Tacky Glue + White Spray Paint= Adorable wall art for nursery
$2 Goodwill Frame + Sandpaper + black paint + Scrapbook paper = Menu for kitchen
Old toy box + paint = Fun wall art for b-day gift
The "T" Word
Alright people. I'm going to do it. I'm going to blog about the "t" word. It's a word that makes many Christians cringe. It's a word that many churches would prefer to murmur. Can you guess what it is? The "t" word...
tithe...
money...
giving a portion of the abundance you have been given.
Jesus preached a whole lot about money. Some biblical scholars say He had more to say about this than many, if not all, other topics. A biblical scholar I am not, but I certainly have some thoughts on the matter. It boils down to this:
In our little corner of the world, that "t" word is directly tied to another "t" word.... testimony.
Let me preface this by saying, we have NEVER been without. Not even close. We are Americans. It's not possible.
A few months ago I started a page in my journal titled "Manna from Heaven." It was sort of a joke, as one day my hubby and I were in the midst of a bathroom re-do and had to make yet another trip to Menards. Before doing so, he climbed into the attic and found baseboards... which is what we were about to go and buy. As he passed them down the fold-up ladder to me standing in our garage I said, "It looks like manna falling from Heaven!" It was that much less money we had to spend at a store I was beginning to feel like we should have part ownership of!
Have you ever realized that when you want something you see more of it around you? Example: You decide you want a new, black Volkswagon. Everywhere you go, it's there. Grocery. Interstate. Church parking lot. (And with that you're like, really God? Even here!?) Well, the same has gone for my "Manna" page in my journal. I'm seeing God's provision over and over and over and over again.
There are the little things: Threw a birthday gathering for a friend. Had no extra grocery money in my budget that week. Got a $15 giftcard in the mail. Ran to the grocery to grab only what I needed. Grocery total was $14.94.
And then the big things: Water coming into our basement window. $450 repair bill from waterproofing company. Got a notice from our mortgage holder than our escrow account had a balance of $442, which was being refunded to us.
It's no coincidence. My list goes on, and on, and on. How many have I missed?
My cup runneth over? Not even close! My jug runneth over. My barrel runneth over. There's no container that's big enough for God to keep from overflowing.
So, here's my testimony. TITHE! I'm not going to get legalistic and put a number to it. God will tell you. It's in His Word. It's placed in your heart by His Spirit. Here's what we've done:
We give until it hurts. We give, even if it means giving something up. (Yes, the local news guy does not have cable in his own home.) Does this make us saints? No! We play to an audience of One. We're doing what WE need to do. It's between He and us. But the JOY that comes and the provision that we're given over, and over, and over again is Undeniable. Be encouraged, dear friends. God will provide. God always provides. Just recall His standpoint before you start shaking your fists and shouting "where are you, God!" He provides out of knowledge of our NEEDS.
I have sooooo many more thoughts and comments on this topic. But I'll spare you... for now...
Ironically (or not) I heard this song this afternoon as I went to pick up The Hubby from work. Today we had the joy of being released from one of the biggest financial mistakes of our life, thus far. Our leased car has been returned, and we are no longer slaves to a car payment.
Freedom. Thank you, Father.
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
"Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!
Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/19#ixzz1ie2chAdz
tithe...
money...
giving a portion of the abundance you have been given.
Jesus preached a whole lot about money. Some biblical scholars say He had more to say about this than many, if not all, other topics. A biblical scholar I am not, but I certainly have some thoughts on the matter. It boils down to this:
In our little corner of the world, that "t" word is directly tied to another "t" word.... testimony.
Let me preface this by saying, we have NEVER been without. Not even close. We are Americans. It's not possible.
A few months ago I started a page in my journal titled "Manna from Heaven." It was sort of a joke, as one day my hubby and I were in the midst of a bathroom re-do and had to make yet another trip to Menards. Before doing so, he climbed into the attic and found baseboards... which is what we were about to go and buy. As he passed them down the fold-up ladder to me standing in our garage I said, "It looks like manna falling from Heaven!" It was that much less money we had to spend at a store I was beginning to feel like we should have part ownership of!
Have you ever realized that when you want something you see more of it around you? Example: You decide you want a new, black Volkswagon. Everywhere you go, it's there. Grocery. Interstate. Church parking lot. (And with that you're like, really God? Even here!?) Well, the same has gone for my "Manna" page in my journal. I'm seeing God's provision over and over and over and over again.
There are the little things: Threw a birthday gathering for a friend. Had no extra grocery money in my budget that week. Got a $15 giftcard in the mail. Ran to the grocery to grab only what I needed. Grocery total was $14.94.
And then the big things: Water coming into our basement window. $450 repair bill from waterproofing company. Got a notice from our mortgage holder than our escrow account had a balance of $442, which was being refunded to us.
It's no coincidence. My list goes on, and on, and on. How many have I missed?
My cup runneth over? Not even close! My jug runneth over. My barrel runneth over. There's no container that's big enough for God to keep from overflowing.
So, here's my testimony. TITHE! I'm not going to get legalistic and put a number to it. God will tell you. It's in His Word. It's placed in your heart by His Spirit. Here's what we've done:
We give until it hurts. We give, even if it means giving something up. (Yes, the local news guy does not have cable in his own home.) Does this make us saints? No! We play to an audience of One. We're doing what WE need to do. It's between He and us. But the JOY that comes and the provision that we're given over, and over, and over again is Undeniable. Be encouraged, dear friends. God will provide. God always provides. Just recall His standpoint before you start shaking your fists and shouting "where are you, God!" He provides out of knowledge of our NEEDS.
I have sooooo many more thoughts and comments on this topic. But I'll spare you... for now...
Ironically (or not) I heard this song this afternoon as I went to pick up The Hubby from work. Today we had the joy of being released from one of the biggest financial mistakes of our life, thus far. Our leased car has been returned, and we are no longer slaves to a car payment.
Freedom. Thank you, Father.
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
"Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!
Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/19#ixzz1ie2chAdz
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