Friday favorites {cold weather edition}

This little space in our bedroom is my “office”.  I sit here to write and plan.  I watch kids out the window as they play.  Sometimes I watch the butterflies & hummingbirds as they zip around the garden flowers.  I love the way the sun comes through the windows in this room.  I just adore this little space in our room! 

As I was standing here, I realized that this little space held some of my favorite cold weather things.  (Under the desk, you may see a box of stuff.  That is actually a box of homeschool books that my friend gave to me.  They are in this spot so I will remember to sort through them and find a spot on the shelves.)

Some of my favorite cold weather things are:

• cozy sweaters

I love a cozy sweater!  We live in an older home and it can be a little drafty.  A cozy sweater is a must!

• knitting work in progress (The Weekend Scarf found on Ravelry)

Knitting is my new hobby.  I am loving it!

• Starbucks Caramel coffee (with half & half and sugar)
• things to read 

Books on the Kindle, real turn-the-page books, or blogs on the computer…I love to read!

• fleece

I love fleece and all of its coziness.  The big piece of green fleece is put on our windows at night because the neighbor’s light keeps me awake without it.  (Making some light blocking curtains is on my to do list…one day!)  My kiddos love to snuggle to sleep under fleece and have asked me to make blankets for Christmas presents.  {smile} 

What are some of your favorite cold weather things?

Five on Friday

It’s Friday!  I really like Fridays.  They are busy days for us as we wrap up the homeschool week, clean the house, and do weekend kind of stuff so I’m going to keep it short and sweet today by making five quick points.  (This also helps me have a place to put those random things that I want to share.)

~Number 1~

A while back I told you about a little girl named Tori who is fighting brain cancer.  Tori’s Mom, Penny, is a friend of mine from high school and college.  Tori is still receiving chemo treatments as she battles this disease.  Would you please pray for Tori, Penny, Todd (Dad), and Hunter (big brother)?  I’ve included a video that was made of Tori as she dances to a beautiful song.  I’m amazed as Penny tells stories of Tori as she goes through some tough times battling this disease.  Tori has such a grace and a strength that I honestly don’t know if even I as an adult could have during this time.  She is a special young lady.

 

~Number 2~

It has been incredibly warm here.  Tonight I sat with the seeds & seed catalogs and realized that I might as well start planting my early spring garden.  I’m probably going to do a lot of gardening this weekend.  I’m afraid that if I wait too long, it will be another very hot/very early summer (and it seemed like no spring) like we had last year.  Now watch, we will probably get the coldest weather we’ve ever had once I plant some veggies!

~Number 3~

 

A while back, we came up with a new chore system based on the one that I read about on a new-to-me blog, Sacred Mommyhood.  We’ve been using the plan and tweaking it here and there which is why I have our names written in pencil (the author of the blog used color-coded ink).  After we get all the kinks worked out, we will also color code our chart.  We recently implemented an incentive system to go along with the chore chart.  There will probably be more on that later.

~Number 4~

 

Do you pin?  I’m talking about Pinterest.  Have you heard about it?  I’m not one to jump on social media bandwagons too quickly.  (I still won’t touch Twitter…yet.) However, Pinterest is different.  It’s like a pinboard where you “pin” interesting and useful (and sometimes just funny) ideas from around the internet.  Some are crafty, there’s a lot of food and fashion, educational, gardening…pretty much something for everyone.  All of these great ideas in one pretty little space.  It’s pretty much awesome!  I’ve put a button above my picture in the sidebar.  You don’t have to follow me (unless you just want to) but if you’re ever interested in finding some good stuff, you can check it out by clicking there.  I’m going to try to plan next week’s menu just from my Pinterest pins.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

~Number 5~

I needed an incentive to help me get up and exercise.  (I mean besides the obvious ones like losing weight and being healthy! Sad, isn’t it? {smile})  As I thought on what would be a good incentive, I realized that I love cheap costume jewelry to add to my outfits.  So for everyday that I exercise, I’m going to buy myself a bracelet or a necklace or a headband at the {cheap} jewelry store.  Or I’m going to save up my dollars and buy a scarf or a flower pin because I’m really loving those trends right now.   Is it working?  Well, as of the time I wrote this post, I had earned one piece of jewelry.  I still have two more days to exercise this week so we shall see!

I hope y’all have a great weekend!  See you all again soon!

 

Fall fun memories

Last night was our church’s fall festival. 

David and I were accompanied by two ballerinas and a cowboy.  The older two boys didn’t get to join us because they are away for a weekend of hunting at their Grandparent’s house.  (But my oldest got to take his first shot at a deer today.  He missed but there’s always next time. {smile})

The fall festival always has our favorite things:  bouncy houses, cotton candy, snow cones, chili, lots of games, hay rides, and friends.

Today has been a wonderful fall day too.  The windows have been open, an autumn fragranced candle burning, little girls still in tutus running around, a little James Taylor or Bee Gees music playing, and a little dancing with giggly girls.

Fall is a wonderful time to make wonderful memories.

We sure do love the fall!

Our homeschooling “must haves”

We all love new school supplies at the beginning of the school year.

Some of my favorite “must have” supplies are:

  Sticky Notes

I {love} sticky notes and pretty notepads.  I leave notes for myself and the kids everywhere.  Sticky notes torn into thirds mark pages needing to be corrected or mark pages to be read.

 

 A Planner

I’ve talked before of how I {heart} binders and normally I just use a binder for our school planner.  This year, I bought The Well Planned Day planner.  I really like it.  It’s easy to use…and it’s pretty.  That makes me smile.

 

 Blank lesson plan forms

For many years, I’ve used a blank lesson plan form for the kids’ weekly assignment checklists that I’ve printed from Donna Young.  This year I’ve started using a lesson planner that I got from Mama Jenn’s blog. 

 Index cards

{especially the colored ones} We use index cards for many things…vocabulary, memory work, math facts, games…

 

 Paper Clips

I do use regular silver paper clips.  But sometimes I like a little pizzazz.   Some of my paper clips are the small colored paper clips.  And some are these larger clips.  The pretty one came from a craft store’s dollar spot. 

 

 Spiral Bound Notebooks

Right up there with my love of binders is my love for spiral bound notebooks.   They hold my to-do lists, my thoughts, shopping lists, price lists, budgets, the kids’ grades…and we can’t forget the kids’ work! 

 

  Color

I love color!  Lots and lots of color!  Colorful highlighters, colorful dry erase markers, color, color, color.  And a few black ones too because sometimes I need to be understated.

 Number Cubes

These are used daily around our house.  They are great for playing games, adding numbers, multiplying numbers, counting games, and on & on. 

 A good manual pencil sharpener

We are tough on pencil sharpeners.  We’ve broken electric ones and manual ones.  We aren’t picky!  I have found that a manual sharpener stands up to us a little better than an electric one though.  PS.  Check out this blog post where I posted our sharpener from the past…see what I mean about how tough we are on sharpeners? 

What are some of your “must haves” for your homeschool or your home?

I’d love to hear!

A cutting flower garden ~

I have always dreamed of having a cutting flower garden so our home would be decorated with cut flowers here and there.

 

Our garden is peppered with flowers here and there.  They are all beneficial.  Some like marigolds and nasturtiums help protect the plants from pests.  Many like the wildflowers and sunflowers attract the necessary pollinators to our garden.

 

Last year, we planted one little section with wildflowers and those wildflowers are now popping up all over the garden.  This year, we have also started collecting the seeds so we can control where they appear next year.  I have a feeling that we will be surprised with unexpected flowers though.

And I’m able to do what I’ve always wanted…

to decorate my home with fresh flowers.

You can’t help but smile everytime you see them.

 

A yummy snack ~

We have been so busy around the Little White House lately.  There has been lots of chicken coop building and issues with the chickens, church activities (more this evening too), and decluttering.  I have not been able to get to the blog very much to write or read but I’ve written many blog posts in my head as I’ve been busy around here.   Now to just get those posts on the blog…{smile}

At the end of the day, I’m pretty tired but not too tired to enjoy a little snack after a hard day’s work.  This snack is my new all time favorite yummy snack.

You see, a few weeks ago, I was with at a friend’s house and she said that we were going to have homemade Humphreys.  I didn’t know what a Humphrey was and found out that it is a frozen yogurt dessert found at a restaurant here in town.  I figured I’d give it a try and I am glad I did.  This is one of those desserts that had me saying “mmmmm” with every bite!

So what’s in this dessert? 

It has:

• a few scoops of frozen vanilla yogurt
• topped with granola
• topped with fresh fruit ( I like strawberries but some other choices were blueberries, grapes, and bananas.)

and the secret to all of the yumminess…

• it’s all topped with honey.

Seriously, this dessert is incredibly yummy.  I was craving it the next day…it is that yummy. 

And right now I’m wishing that I still had some frozen yogurt in the house!  {sigh}

If you try it, let me know what you think about it!  {smile}

Rolls ~

Lately, we have been eating a lot of rolls with our dinners.  We love rolls and they help round out our meals.  I’d like to share two of our favorite dinner roll recipes with you today.

 

This little roll is just about the tastiest roll ever.  It reminds me of the rolls we would have at the family of a church member from a little country church where my dad pastored when I was younger.  It is a quick to make roll and easy to get on the table in a little more than an hour.  I found this recipe years ago at The Sparrow’s Nest. 

Double-Quick Dinner Rolls

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 pkg active yeast
• 2 T. sugar  (I use 4 T)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used one cup whole wheat and 1 1/4 cup all-purpose)
• 1 t. salt
• 1 egg
• 2 t.  soft shortening (I use 2 t. of softened butter)

Dissolve yeast in water.  Stir sugar, half of flour, and salt into yeast.  Beat with spoon until smooth.  Add rest of flour and beat until smooth.  Add egg and shortening (butter) and beat.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and cover it with a cloth.  Set it in a warm place for a half-hour and let rise.

Grease 12 muffin cups.  Stir down raised dough.  Spoon into muffin cups about 1/2 full.  Again, let rise in a warm place, for a half-hour.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes.

When we pull the rolls out of the oven, I always rub a little butter over the top of each roll.  Yummy!  Everyone in my family loves these rolls and they disappear quickly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week I made another roll that I hadn’t made in a while. The kids came into the kitchen and were excited to see these rolls because these are some yummy rolls.  They were a little sad when I told them that these were going to some friends.  They made me promise to make them some this week.  {smile}

Mama A’s favorite rolls ~

• 1 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 T salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 beaten egg
• 4 + cups of flour ( I use 2 cups of whole wheat and 2 + cups of white)
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1 pkg of yeast

*A little note ~ I use my bread maker to mix the dough on this recipe.  Then I remove the dough from the machine and form into rolls before baking.

Put ingredients into bread maker in the order listed above.  Add more yeast in small amounts to machine as mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides.  After the machine is done (1 hour and 20 minutes), remove the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Knead for a few minutes before pinching small amounts of dough to create rolls.  Place into a greased pan and let rise again until double.  Bake in a 400 degree oven until browned.

*If you did not want to use a bread machine, you could follow these directions.

In a small bowl, add yeast to 1/3 cup of warm water and 1 tsp. of sugar.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of hot water, butter, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt.  Then add beaten egg and yeast.  Add flour until a stiff dough forms.  Cover dough with clean towel and allow to rise until doubled.  Put on a floured surface and knead well.  Make into rolls and place into greased pans.  Let rise again until doubled.  Bake in a 400 degree oven until browned.

I’m always on the look out for new recipes so if you have special roll recipe, please feel free to share it!

 

October Family Fun~

I can hardly believe that it is all ready October!  We are finally starting to feel like we are changing into the season of autumn here in the deep south.  Our family loves the season of fall ~ the cooler temperatures, the falling leaves, the warm colors…we pretty much love it all. 

We will be having some family fun this month.  Here are some of our autumn plans for our little white house.

{in the garden & yard}

• add some fall color with mums to the flower beds and front porch (and possibly kale or ornamental cabbage…new one for me)
• plant some more dark leafy greens, swiss chard, and root crops in the vegetable garden
• drain, clean, and store the pool
• rake leaves as they fall {and be sure to play in them too!}
• prepare unused portion of garden to rest until spring planting
• clean bird feeders and fill with seed

{in the schoolroom}

• make apple pie playdough
• make an apple print garland
• carve a pumpkin
• roast pumpkin seeds
• visit the pumpkin patch
• make leaf rubbings and a book
• learn with candy corns  {counting and patterns}

{in the kitchen}

• apple crisp
• taco soup & chili
• pumpkin spice muffins
• hot chocolate {with marshmallows} & apple cider
• fall flower cupcakes
• popcorn balls & caramel apples {oh, the childhood memories that these bring back}

{around the house}

• plan and begin making Christmas presents
• make autumn banner for nature table
• sew cloth napkins
• prepare windows for colder temperatures

{out and about}

• autumn nature walks
• pumpkin patch
• fall family fun fest
• the fair

{What are your plans for autumn?}

{All pictures were taken in autumn of 2009.}

~Everyday memories ~ playing with daddy~

Around our house it is known that Daddy is the one who is the fun parent.  He’s the get-down-in-the-dirt-and-get-dirty parent.  I’m the one who will let you get dirty and take pictures of it.  And I’m the one who will say “be careful” the entire time.  ;) But Daddy is in the middle of the play & participating in it. 

{Everyday memories ~ playing with daddy}

Daddy can make anything fun and adventurous.

Here’s the wind ‘em up and let ‘em go…

This is the double swing method.

Little Brother watches from a safe distance.

I’m sure he will be joining in the adventures very soon.

Everyday memories ~ rain

I haven’t meant to neglect the blog the last few days but life sometimes gets a little busy.  I’ve dropped in here and there, making a few changes and checking in but just haven’t had the time to compose a post.  Last night, I finally had the time to blog and I decided to watch a movie with my children instead.  And then, I was ready for bed after that!  (Is there anyone else out there who gets extremely tired when you sit still for a while?  Is it because we moms never stop?)

Tonight, I plan to write a catch up post that will include some BIG blog changes that will happen soon. (And I am very late with a certain little Baby Boy’s birthday post.)  Ok, that’s the plan if I don’t fall asleep early again! 

All right, back on topic…

{Everyday Memories ~ Rain}

Every time I pass a window in our home, I look out of the window.  It’s not unusual for me to grab my camera and run out and capture a picture of the sun shining through the sunflowers in a beautiful way or a squirrel playing in the yard. 

The other day it was raining when I looked out and I noticed these cute little bubbles dancing and popping on the top of the pool.  I rushed out to get a picture and was followed by Flower Girl.  (The above picture is one of my attempts to capture a bubble on the pool.  I was not able to get one because they are quick to pop!)

My children love to play in the rain.  Ok, so do I if there is no thunder and lightening.  Just yesterday, my ten-year-old son followed me out to the garden during a soft, gentle rain as I picked peas and beans.  We just talked and it was nice.  It is amazing the deep conversations that you can have in the rain.  It just seems to have a calming effect on me.  Well, if there is no thunder, lightening, and tornadoes.  :)

And that is one of our special everyday memories.

I hope you have a blessed day!

~ I love summer ~

If I am asked, I will actually say that my favorite season would be either spring or fall (it depends on the time of year).  But I can’t help but love summer.  There is just something about the “laissez les bon temps rouler” (“let the good times roll”) attitude of summer. 

I have started this summer with the good intentions of getting our home in good working order.  This large family needs some routine and simplification before we start a new school year. 

But I have been sidetracked!  Usually it is the garden but now it is the garden and this:

~ The Pool ~

~ And yes, they were eating watermelon while in the pool.  It’s summer and we let the good times roll!  :)~

With my thermometer all ready recording temperatures of 103 degrees, we spend a lot of time here looking for a reprieve from the heat.  I’m not complaining, mind you, but I sure could use a rainy day or two.  My garden and my messy house need the rain!  If it rained, then I would be forced to stay inside and clean.  Come rain, come…I have no power to resist the pull of the pool! 

The pool is not the only reason that I love summer so much.  Let’s look at tonight’s dinner, shall we… 

• potatoes & cucumbers – our garden
• fried okra – neighbor’s garden
• chicken – Wal-mart (ok, so not so special on that one)

What other time of year can you enjoy a whole meal that comes almost entirely from your or a friend’s garden?  I get such a thrill knowing that I have worked and toiled over this food.  And it’s a good kind of work that brings a unique satisfaction.  It is a work that I enjoy…most of the time. 

~Frying some yummy okra, mmmm, mmmm~

Did I mention that I also love that you can spend so much time outside in the evenings because of the late sunsets?  I love to be outside in the evening and listen to the insects singing their songs.  Tonight we headed out into the evening air with a special Farmer’s market treat.

~ Watermelon ~

 

 

And we swam a little more under the soft glow of the moon…

 

And I lay back in the grass and enjoyed the views because I’m a happy, contented, summer-loving momma.