Using Pinterest to improve our home

I’m sure by now you’ve probably heard about Pinterest.  I LOVE Pinterest.  There are so many incredible ideas on Pinterest – recipes, organization, clothes, garden, home schooling, home improvement, crafting…and much more.

It is so easy for me to go crazy when I start “pinning” because there are so wonderful things that I just want to do it all!

Recently I’ve been going through my boards and removing things that were broken links or things that I probably wouldn’t do.

That’s when I got the idea to start a Pinterest Pins {DONE} board.  As I complete a project or cook a recipe, I am repinning the idea to that board.  I’ve not even finished going through the boards but out of the hundreds of pins that I’ve pinned, I’ve only got about 30ish on the completed board!  That’s just proof of how easy it to go “pin crazy”.  {smile}

I’m trying to focus on completing at least four pins a month and moving them to this new board.  One of our projects this weekend was to repaint the bottom of our small kitchen table to add some color to our kitchen.  Here is the finished project:

   

It was inspired by this pin:

source:  nesting place via Adriane on Pinterest

I pinned this because I love the colors in this photo by the nester.  Then I realized that I had some leftover paint in a similar color from a bathroom project that was just sitting in the garage waiting to be used!  We are not finished with the kitchen touch-ups yet but I was so excited about this little table that I had to share it.  It adds such a pop of color to the room!

I’m sure I’ll share our Pinterest home improvements as they happen.  Don’t forget there are recipes and home school ideas galore too! 

Have you tried any Pinterest projects?  What was your favorite project or recipe?

Simplifying to organize

The other day I read that to truly organize your home, it is easier to just simplify what you have.  The author (and I can’t remember where I read this) said it much better than I did but the gist was this:  instead of repeatedly organizing stuff, just simplify the amount of stuff that you have.  I believe that the author was talking especially to the stuff that we don’t use or that we are holding on to use one day – the stuff that takes up space but gives us little return because it’s not likely to be used.

Since our family lives in a small house, it seems that we always have to organize.

Always.

Seven people bring in a lot of stuff.  And it seems to easily get out of control and take over our home.

We seem to always be organizing our stuff.

Always. (I seem to be repeating myself too…)

It’s time to end the cycle.  Time to quit just putting stuff into a new container, box, or whatever and just leaving it there until the next time we organize {again}. 

This month I am starting a purge of the extra stuff and have started small.  I decided to simplify and organize my recipe binders.  If you look at them here, they don’t look so bad – just a little untidy and well-used.

But then you open them up and

It’s crazy chaos that’s quite hard to use.  Who has time to leaf through pages and pages of unorganized recipes?

So what steps am I taking?

• Purging recipes that we aren’t likely to try or recipes that we didn’t enjoy. (I am being very ruthless with the culling and am going to keep those that we know we like…this step is in progress)
• Reorganizing recipes into useable groups {main dishes, side dishes, desserts, canning…}  (coming soon)
• Making a section for recipes to try (these are recipes that I want to try before I put them into the binder.  If the recipe is not well received then it will meet the recycling bin.)
• Setting a budget for how much to spend on the simplifying/reorganization project  (I’m going to try to keep it at $10 for a new 3 ring binder and some scrapbook paper.  Planning to try to use dividers that I all ready have)
• Setting aside some time to make new, functional, and pretty recipe binders (still to come)

I’d like to have this project finished by the end of this week because the next area up for simplification is a biggie:

 The closets and the clothes!

Now you know that I’m keeping it real around here because I just showed you our messy master bedroom/craft/sewing/catch all closet.

(Can not believe I just showed you that! {smile})

In addition to the recipe binder and closets, I am trying to clean out and organize one drawer a day.  By choosing just one drawer a day, I am not quite so overwhelmed with the task at hand.

Before I go, I’d like to tell you about a great book that I am reading.  I have wanted to read this book a while and the other day it ended up being a free Kindle download.  The book is Organized Simplicity.

I’ve not completed the book but so far it has been quite an inspiration to continue on the path of simplifying in order to organize. 

Unfortunately, the free Kindle download version of this book seems to not be available anymore. 

**I also want to say that I am an Amazon affiliate.  I’m not entirely sure but I think if you purchase an item from Amazon through a link on my blog posts, I will receive compensation.  I’ve put a little note on the sidebar about this.  All money made will be used to support our homeschool.  I would still recommend this book even if I were not compensated for it in this way.  {smile}**

Do you have any areas in your home that you feel would be more organized if you just simplified the amount of stuff in those areas?

 

 

Wednesday is Laundry Day

Let’s talk about an area in our home that I truly believe is the nemesis of my days as a mom…

Let’s talk…laundry!  ~smile~

(For the record, I am not complaining.  I am extremely happy to have clothes to wash and a family to wear the clothes.  Laundry is just an area that I sometimes let myself get a bit behind and things pile up rather quickly.)

Truth be known, I can not do all of our laundry in one day.

For our family, I must wash 2 – 3 loads a day.  Our laundry schedule looks a bit like this:

• Monday – sheets and towels
• Tuesday – permanent press clothing
• Wednesday – towels, rugs, and special items
• Thursday – any special items not washed on Wednesday
• Friday – permanent press items
• Saturday – towels

So why do I have a laundry day if I wash all week long?

One reason is that I make sure to focus on the laundry area on that day.  The washer and drier are wiped down (and wiped out if needed).  The floor is swept (our laundry is in the garage so it gets dirty quickly).  I take inventory of the laundry detergents and such to see if we are running low. 

A second reason is that I need a day to focus on things that I don’t wash often.  Some laundry days, I will wash the shower curtains or certain window curtains.  Every other month, I will pick two children and wash their comforters and air their pillows on laundry day.  Then the next week, I will pick another 2 or 3 children so that the kids all get clean comforters and pillows every other month.  Every laundry day the bathroom rugs and small kitchen rugs will be washed. 

Since I sometimes get behind on the folding and putting away, I try to make sure that all laundry is folded by Wednesday night before I go to bed.  We all work to put it away the next morning. 

Sometimes Sunshine Girl likes to wash her doll’s clothing too!

Other posts in this series:

Monday is Cleaning Day

Tuesday is Kitchen Day

Tuesday is Kitchen Day

 

In the Little White House, Tuesdays are Kitchen Days.  Well, except for this past Tuesday which turned out to be get-a-phone-call-and-get-together-with-new-friends day!  Sometimes a Mom needs a day like that so Kitchen Day was a little different than normal. 

So this list…

will have to wait until next week.  (Except for the things that just can’t wait.  Those are being squeezed into Laundry Day.)

My main goal for having a Kitchen Day is to get some freezer cooking done so that it will be easier for me to get dinner on the table at night and avoid going out to eat.  I don’t know about you but once I’ve finished a hard day of work in our home and homeschool, sometimes the last thing I want to do is stand over the stove and whip up a meal.  And some days, I just don’t have time because we may be heading out the door. Mornings are also a lot easier for all of us if there are some breakfast meals in the freezer. 

Last week, kitchen day consisted of me taking inventories of our pantry and our freezers.  I used printable forms from Organized Home to help me inventory what we have on hand.  From these lists, I am planning meals using what we have and will use the forms again on Thursday as I plan our shopping lists on Office Day. 

Speaking of shopping lists, this “World’s best” grocery list is hanging on our refrigerator.  As we run out or get low of certain items in the kitchen, we simply mark what is needed for the next shopping trip.  No more forgetting what we need to buy! 

Next Tuesday (and probably another day too) will be a “fill the freezer” day as we prepare for school to begin the following week.  For more information on freezer cooking or once a month cooking, here are some great sites to visit:

• Once a Month Mom
• Life as Mom talks about the basics (tons of freezer cooking info on her site)
• Money Saving Mom

Other posts in this series:

Monday is Cleaning Day

Monday is Cleaning Day

I love to start the week with a clean house. 

One thing that I really like about using Motivated Moms is that the chores are broken down into a little bits and pieces over the week.  I remember at one time being able to clean our entire house in one day but those days rarely happen anymore.   

In the above picture, you can see the chores that were scheduled for Monday.  Normally, those chores take me about 30 minutes to an hour.  (Our flooring is wood so our house requires a mopping instead of just vacuuming.)

 

Since I’ve set aside Mondays for my main cleaning day, I made a list of the things I prioritized as most important from the list and then added a few extras that I noticed needed to be done today also.

My Mom told me a long time ago to put only six things on my daily to-do list (besides the everyday stuff like making beds, wiping counters, etc.).  She told me that most of the time, that is all that you will be able to get done over the course of a day.  I have found that to be true. 

In our home, my priorities are (1) a clean kitchen, (2) clean toilets, (3) clean floors, and (4) clean laundry.  I can live with dust but the above four things I need to keep clean.  ~smile~

H 

After lunch, all of the Motivated Moms list was accomplished.  I delegated the cleaning of the chicken coop and run to the guys in the family.  The mopping of floors usually waits until the kids go to bed.  (Or the wet floors become skating rinks.)  And the pots and pans cabinet never got cleaned out.  Sometimes there just isn’t enough time.  But I did get to hang out with the kids while they swam, took a nap with my Baby Boy, and did some bedtime reading with the kids.  They are why I am at home so I try to make sure that they get their time too.  ~smile~

Here are my tips for a cleaning day:

• Prioritize what is important to you in your home and focus on cleaning that.
• Only put six things on your list and don’t sweat it if you don’t finish.  It will be there tomorrow (as my sweet Mom always says).
• Delegate as needed.  Everyone can pitch in and help.  Just make sure the chores are age appropriate for the kids.
• If you homeschool, you will have to work cleaning into your day.  On Mondays, I usually start school an hour later so I can do some quick cleaning.
• When you finish cleaning, step back and smile knowing that you just showed your family some love.  Consider bringing in some flowers or lighting a candle. 
• (Talking to myself here…)  Don’t stress if the kids come behind you and track in dirt or make a mess right after you have cleaned.  Simply have them clean up after themselves.  ~smile~

Since Tuesday is Kitchen Day, I started a list of things I wanted to cook on Tuesday to make sure that I prepped what needed to be prepped before I went to bed.

More on that later.  ~smile~

Tips for living in a little house ~

We live in a little house.  Our house is almost 1200 square feet…and that’s for 7 people.  This week I’ve been doing some organizing and de-cluttering.  I thought that I would share some of the things we do to make this small space work for our larger than normal family. 

• Get rid of clutter. 

This is probably my number one tip for living in a little house.  The clutter needs to be controlled.  In a small house, clutter can take over quickly.  For me, if my home is cluttered I become very irritable and stressed out.  That’s not fun for anyone. 

However in a home with seven people, stuff starts to build up.  Usually about twice a year, I clean out clutter from all rooms.  ( I do this during the summer and right before Christmas.)  We throw away anything that can not be repaired.  We also donate items that are gently used to various charities or we have a garage sale. 

These are not the only times we de-clutter.  On occasion, I will give the kids bags and tell them to put 10 items into it that they don’t really play with anymore/can’t wear anymore or to put ten pieces of trash/broken toys into it.  This helps control the clutter on a smaller scale in between our big de-cluttering celebrations.  {smile}

• Have a place for everything.

There a very few items in our home that were not purposefully put there.  (Unless we’re talking about the floor when the kids have been playing.)  Knowing where things go makes it easier to put it back when you are done with it.

• Keep the house tidy.

We try to keep our home tidy… especially the main living spaces.  In our small house there is not much floor space, so if the floor is messy it is hard to walk.  Our house is not tidy all of the time due to the kids playing or a project we are working on.  So twice a day we all pitch in and tidy the main living spaces. 

• Find creative spaces to house items.

Living in a small house has really made us put our creative energy to use.  For instance, our kitchen is very limited on cabinet & drawer space so we use baskets on top of the refrigerator to hold plastic container lids, kitchen towels, mixing bowls, and a few small appliances.  The key is to be creative with storage but to not let it looked cluttered and we do that by…

• Use baskets and other containers for storage.

We use a lot of baskets.  ( I love Target’s basket and have found many on sale.  The thrift store is a good place to find baskets too.)  Canning jars are also good for holding smaller items. 

Here are some other posts that I’ve written on living large in a small home. 

 

Do you have any tips for organizing/living in a small home? 

 

This post is linked to:

The Saturday cleaning board ~

During the homeschool year, I have a hard time keeping the house as clean as I’d like it.  On most school days  I begin supper about the time that we close the school books.  There just tends to be little time left for cleaning the house.  Most house work gets pushed to Saturdays and it seems to consume the entire day. 

I’ve seen many other homeschoolers who spread the house work out over the week but I seem to only be able to stay on top of clothes, cooking, kitchen cleaning, and the little odds & ends that can be done in 15 minutes or less.

One of my favorite blogs to visit, The Lockwood family, uses a white board that the mom has written out chores for their Saturday cleaning.  I figured that I’d give it a try and have everyone pitch in to help get the house clean.  I wrote down the housework that needed to be done and gave the jobs to people that I felt could handle the work.  It worked wonderfully.  David and I helped some of the younger children with their new chores but I figure with time that they won’t need as much help.  When the weather warms ups, there will probably be more outside chores on the chart.  I’m also thinking of adding a few small deep cleaning chores that are often overlooked until they are out of hand.  Perhaps everyone will clean one dresser drawer a week or something like that. 

The board worked so well that we were able to all work together to clean the house in a little over an hour.  After that, we were able to spend more time together as a family and this mom was less stressed. 

* Please excuse the look of the board.  Sometimes little hands use permanent markers instead of dry erase.  Such is the life in a family with kids.  :0)

Menu Plan Monday ~ November 8 – 12

This week it will be back to normal in the kitchen since we are almost all over our illnesses.  I am so thankful that last week’s menu plan was all ready in place before I got sick.  The kitchen just sort of ran itself {with the help of my husband} while I was out of commission for a few days.  Menu plans are truly life (and money) savers!

Here is our menu for the week:

Monday:

• oatmeal with peaches
• grilled ham & cheese, carrot sticks, grapes
• sloppy cornbread, salad, green beans

Tuesday:

• oven french toast, turkey sausage, apples
• fish stick or tuna sandwiches, carrot sticks, pears
• David’s birthday dinner ~  hamburgers, oven fries, cheesecake & ice cream

Wednesday:

• fried or scrambled eggs, toast, applesauce
• ham sandwiches, popcorn & carrot sticks, apples
• turkey and rice, salad, corn

Thursday:

• peanut butter or cheese toast, fruit salad
• hot dogs, oven fries, applesauce
• stromboli, salad, corn

Friday:

• mini breakfast pizzas, oranges or grapefruit
• turkey quesadillas, black/corn/rice, fruit
• eat out after church directory pictures

I love pretty menu planning sheets.   A few weeks ago,  I came across this one at The Project Girl.   I really like how there is room for all three meals but what really sold me on this meal planner is the list at the bottom.  Sometimes when I am making out a menu plan and grocery list, I will forget to write an item on the grocery list.  I used this form during my last menu planning, and loved that it was all on one sheet and I didn’t have to dig through my lists & recipes to find the grocery list.  I just cut this one off of the bottom and took it to the store with me.  It’s a free download, so go check it out! 

To read other Monday menu plans, please visit  Organized Junkie. 

A post of randomness {and a little weight loss news too}

Even though the blog is quiet, I am still here.  Life has been busy {and I’m sure I am not alone} and I am still trying to figure out how to balance all of this…God, my husband, my kids, homeschool, blog, etc.

So I figured today was a good day for one of those random type blog post.  We’ll call it my catching up post.  Here is what has been going on in our lives lately:

The two older boys spent this last weekend down at my Mom & Dad’s house.  They visit every autumn to go hunting with my Dad.  But before they went, they built this hunting blind in our back yard.   {They did not actually use this blind for their weekend hunt.}  I sometimes cringe when I see them pulling out boards, hammers, and nails.  {My mind thinks: “big mess”. }  However, I realize that it is good for boys to be busy building, constructing, and creating.  My boys like to make useful things & inventions.  I let them make the messes but I do require them to clean up after themselves.

When we took the boys down to PawPaw & Grammy’s house, they needed to go out and put out a new deer stand.  While they were gone, the little ones and I searched for acorns, leaves, and such in PawPaw & Grammy’s backyard.  Here you can see Sunshine Girl telling me about the soil she collected.  Soil which now sits on the nature table.  {post about nature table, hopefully coming soon}

Little Man was drawn to the rocks and as is typical for him, he decided to throw them. 

The three little ones spent the weekend with MawMaw & PawPaw while the older boys were away.  So David and I spent the weekend alone.  And in typical Adriane fashion, we worked.  {smile}  But we had so much fun. 

Actually, we rearranged the front half of the house.  Sometimes we have to work miracles and think very outside of the box to make this little house work for our family.  This weekend we went back to an earlier layout with a few changes.  What we did this weekend invented a third bedroom in our two bedroom house.  I’ll try to post that later when I’ve finished putting school items on shelves and it is all straightened back up.  The above picture shows our new living room which is actually the dining room {but was serving as a bedroom}.  More on that later…

 

Early Monday morning, David had to go out of state for work.  He is home today and I am so happy that he is home.  I miss my best friend so much when he is gone.  I wish you could have seen the kids run out the door yelling when he came home today.    Partly because David was away and partly because the school area is under construction due to rearranging everything, school has been rather relaxed.  Today, we pulled out the do-a-dot paints and made pictures.  They sure do love it when I let them paint.  If I were brave enough or had more energy, we’d probably do it everyday…just so I could see the smiles.

One last thing before I go…I’ve missed my weigh-ins these past two Mondays so I wanted to do a little post here of my progress so far.

{I lost one pound last week!}

Ok, it’s not much but I’ll take it.  That one little pound takes me one step closer to my goal.  {Total pounds lost to date ~ 11.}

This week, I have started something new with my eating.  It’s an eating plan that my mom had and passed on to me.  I’m hoping to write a little more about it soon.  So far, it has been good for me because it is made to keep your blood sugar stable and that is a big concern of mine.  It is also supposed to increase your metabolism.  Hopefully, I’ll have a post about it soon.

So that’s what has been going on here in the deep south.  And as our local news says, “Until 10:00, you’re up to date”.   Or on the blog, “Until I post again, you’re up to date”!  {smile}

 

A Sunday lunch with the family

One of my fondest memories of my childhood is our Sunday dinners together as a family.  We sat down to a special lunch almost every Sunday.  Since my Dad was a pastor, there would sometimes be meals with other families at their homes but if not, Mom made a special lunch for us. We talked and laughed and got to know our family a little bit better. Those were special times that I will remember for the rest of  my  life. 

It is so easy in today’s rush~rush, hurry~hurry society to overlook the importance of connecting with our family during meal times.  It is sometimes hard to squeak out the time to actually sit and be still together for a few minutes.  But there are many articles on the internet (google for more) that sing the praises of eating together as a family.  Parents and children connect & build stability when they spend this time together.  And let us not forget the fact that children learn manners when they observe their parents and older siblings exhibiting those  manners during a meal.

~Our Special Sunday Lunch~

   Sometimes we keep it really simple but sometimes we dress it up.  I wanted the kids to feel like they were sitting down to a special meal so I started hunting for pretty things to spice it up.

 

A piece of flowery fabric from the stash… a vibrant saucer from the hutch… a candle from the counter…all little things from around the house to make it nice.  (And yes, it could use an ironing too but I only had so much time. ;)

Once the salad and watermelon were placed on the table, it looked so festive and summery.  It was calling us to sit, eat, and fellowship together.  It was a sweet, special Sunday dinner.  We had a beautiful time as we sat and laughed and talked.  And I believe that we built some precious memories.

 

I have many memories of my childhood and in my mind’s eye I see the trip my family took to Disney World, a big birthday party at Pipe Organ Pizza, and trips to the beach.  But the memories that stand out to me the most were some of the simple times we had together…Sunday meals, ICEEs after church on Sunday nights, fishing trips with my Dad…I could go on and on.  Yes, the big things were fun and they were special but I will always cling to my simple, precious memories with my family.  How I hope that I am building those kinds of memories for my children too.

 

Bringing the inside out

I wrote the other day about needing motivation to clean my house.  While I was in the midst of cleaning, I found some items that I had tucked away some time earlier.  I wanted to use these items to decorate but my small house didn’t really have the space to display these things. 

When I went outside to switch over laundry, I began to realize that I was looking a blank canvas that needed a little decorating so I brought the inside…out. ~

Plates on the side of the garage~

 I love decorating with plates!  Actually, I just love pretty plates…  I’m hoping to add some more plates in the future and maybe some wrought iron decorative planters like these that are on the front of the garage. 

 

Little platters and a colander in a shelf by the kitchen door ~

I added some vinca flowers and ivy to the heart shaped colander.  I have visions of the ivy trailing down from the little colander.

A decorative bowl filled with some flowers amongst the flower pots ~

 I haven’t gotten to this area yet, but I hope to have pots of flowers in this little corner of our yard.

A sweet little teapot hiding in the gladiolas as we await their blooming this summer ~

 That was a little peek at my bringing the inside out.   I’ve got my eyes on the look out for more “pretties” to decorate the outside of my house!

~A kitchen day checklist~

In trying to reclaim my household from the chaos that has taken over these past few months, I have decided to assign each day of the week its own tasks.  Since Tuesday seems to be a calmer day for me, it will be my kitchen day.  Here is a glimpse at Tuesday’s kitchen day. ~

~Prepare beef ribs and boneless chicken thighs for grilling. ~

I made a rub for the ribs using salt, brown sugar, seasoning salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, and dried mustard.  We coated them with bar-b-que sauce as they were cooking.

The chicken is being marinated in a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing dry mix and olive oil. 

~Set the bread maker to mixing up pita bread dough.~

 ~recipe here~

~Begin Artisan bread with a little help, of course.~

~recipe here~

~Cook black beans and brown hamburger meat for Wednesday’s lunch of nachos and taco salad.~

~Begin day 1 of sourdough starter.~

 

~Using directions found here~

~Clean out one drawer and one cabinet.  Clean out another drawer and cabinet next time.  It’s not so overwhelming that way.~

 

~Wash and chop veggies for tonight’s dinner.~

 ~Bake pita bread and discuss with husband how that pocket of air got in the middle.~

 ~Wash a lot of dishes and go to bed content after a day of hard work.~

A peek at a day in our home

I have a confession to make…I am nosy. Now, I’m not one to be all in your business but I love to see what people are doing in their homes. It’s like sitting and talking with my girlfriends and someone asks, “So what did you do today?” Except when someone posts it on their blog, it usually comes with pictures! And being the visual person that I am, I love it!

I have always wanted to do a “day in our life” posts so here it is:

We awoke on Friday to rain and dreariness. Dave offered to help me with breakfast (which he does cook for me as many days a week as he can) but today he suggested McDonald’s. So the kids awoke to a Friday morning treat and a little TV.

We have a no TV after 8:00 am on a school day rule so they soon were up and moving. Everyone got dressed, made beds, picked up their room, brushed teeth…all of the typical morning routine stuff.

While they were completing their morning routines, I tried to finish up my beauty routine. Of course, I had a little “help”.

I ran around the house like a mother hen trying to get my morning routine completed. But I didn’t take pictures of that. I’m sure you don’t want to see my laundry and dirty dishes! My older boys were great helpers too. They vacuumed, emptied the dishwasher, and helped with the baby when needed.

Now, Fridays are not typical school days for us. Usually, the older children have completed the bulk of their work on Monday – Thursday. So on Friday, we usually take tests and tie up unfinished business. They did need to finish history and do a math lesson, but I decided to surprise them. More about that in a bit.

As I’m running around doing this and that, I saw that we had a visitor.

He was probably a bit disappointed since that feeder is out of food.

Before school, we also cleaned the girls’ room with a little help from U2, Harry Connick, Jr, and the guy who sings the song, “I’m Blue, da ba de da ba da, dabba de…” (It’s an oldie from the 90’s or 80’s, not sure. It’s on my mp3 player though.) Music motivates us all to get the job done.

Yes, we dance while we clean and yes, we are Baptist! <gasp>

Then we settled in for our Friday Fun School. I told the older kids that they could do the activities that the younger children were going to do today. They are always wanting to join in on the fun. (and they sometimes do) It’s good to change it up now and then. Life is short, you know…

Since Sunshine Girl was learning the letter S, we did the following activities:

We painted to make snowmen and snowladies. ( Idea found here.)

We made snow using a little kit that I found at Michael’s in the dollar section. I believe it was called Mad Lab. Everyone had something to put in the snow like Barbie’s (who are most inappropriately dressed for the snow), ponies, and cars and trucks.

And we read books with snow themes…The Snow Lion, The Biggest Snowman Ever, and others.

We even made snowflakes out of tortillas (hat tip to Never a Dull Moment for the idea) and fried them in a little oil. Then we dusted them with powdered sugar. Sunshine Girl said that the powdered sugar looked like snow. This was our dessert after lunch.

After lunch, we usually try to go outside for a little while before the two younger children take naps. Today, the rain kept us in so we turned on the oldies but goodies on the TV. The kids played in the living room and I shoveled cleaned the mess in the kitchen.

Normally after this we get the kids to sit for quiet time. The older boys and I read from our novel for the week while the girls draw and color. While I do this, the Baby is taking a bottle before his nap. But today, I needed a little stillness and quiet so I sent everyone to a quiet place with a quiet activity.

I snuggled my baby boy.

Sweet dreams Baby boy…

While it was quiet, I searched for recipes and started planning my garden for the summer. Then I started dinner. It was a comfort food night for us. We had a big pot of beef stew, some homemade rolls (yum!), and a cherry cobbler that I made especially for David. He rarely gets dessert anymore since I’m <ahem> trying to lose weight. He on the other hand has lost a lot of weight since starting his new job. And I’m not the least bit jealous… ;)

After Dave got home, I flitted around trying to get things cleaned before the weekend. I was so tired last night. We try to have a family fun night kind of thing on Friday but Dave and I were tired. We sat around watching some old Underdog cartoons on the On-Demand freebie list. Then we got everyone in bed, including ourselves. Well, after we fell asleep on the couch, that is.

So there’s a look at a busy day at our house. Not your normal typical school days (that’s a whole other post) but a fun, busy day. To quote Kate Gosselin, “It’s a crazy life but it’s our life.”