It's easy to introduce mass chaos into your home, if you know how.Step One: Ignore various design flaws in your home for at least eight years. Thanks to the Law of Entropy, ignoring these issues is sure to complicate things immensely down the road.Step Two: Imagine you might be able to do the repairs yourself. Actually attempt a few of them yourself, but leave them … [Read more...]
Mmm…Monday Food Report: Whole Chicken in Crock Pot (a mixture of personal beef with chicken)
I intended to compose some Friday Food Reflections, but Friday slipped away without time to post.So I switched to a Monday food report instead.Because I know you're all dying to know about my food discoveries, I'm such the chef.Ha.So here's the first report:Whole Chicken in a Crock(a mixture of personal beef with chicken)Wad up several pieces of foil in loose balls and … [Read more...]
Crock-Flops and Minor Crock-Successes
I was so eager to try some new recipes in the crockpot after being inspired by A Year of Crockpotting that I did a little online search and came up with this highly recommended stew: Crockpot Chicken & Quinoa. It looked soooo good in the photograph. The instructions were easy. I even shocked myself by having on hand in my cupboard a box of quinoa and in the freezer, … [Read more...]
Backyard Bounty
It isn't much, but given that I'm a novice gardener harvesting a small, weedy plot...Basil, cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoesI'm pleased. … [Read more...]
If You Want Something Done, Give It to a 10-year-old Girl
One time a speaker said that if you want to get something done, give it to a ten-year-old girl. They're enthusiastic, diligent, hard-working, determined, industrious, earnest...not yet consumed by the boy thing or makeup, yet able to tap into their childlike energy and accomplish a lot. As my kids have one by one turned ten, I've thought how true that is.They're … [Read more...]
Friday's Food: Crock-Thoughts
I've been having fun digging down into "A Year of Crockpotting." This gal, Stephanie, resolved to use her crockpot every day for a year. She's up to day 207.She posts the day's recipe with instructions and photos along with her verdict on the outcome with humor and honesty.The whole idea is hilarious.And genius.I mean, it landed her a spot on Rachael Ray. If that's not … [Read more...]
Thankful Thursday
Prairie Prologue reminded me that it's Thankful Thursday. She linked to the carnival hub at Sting My Heart.So I pause, in my thinking and learning and reading and writing and cleaning and planning, to give thanks: Laughter from upstairs. Two children putting dresses on stuffed animals. Neighborhood swimming pool. Having one's own pool sounds like a lot of fun, but sharing … [Read more...]
What’s Your Family Culture?
When I wrote this post about family culture, I offered a few simple thoughts and personal examples on the topic. For more, scroll to the bottom to see additional resources. When I ask "What's your family culture?" you might think I'm asking if you use cloth napkins and dress up for dinner; but I don't necessarily mean "culture" in the "cultured" sense of the word … [Read more...]
Leftover Spaghetti? Try a Spaghetti Pancake!
Sometimes the kids slurp up great gobs of spaghetti; other times, they nibble one small bowl and announce that they're finished. Because I never know which response is coming, I make enough for a "great gobs" night. Last week's spaghetti night, however, was a "nibble" night. I had a lot of leftover noodles. We don't mind leftovers for lunch or dinner, so heating … [Read more...]
Several Summer Solutions to "Mom, I’m Bored!"
To avoid hearing kids exclaim "I'm bored!" in the summer months, it's tempting to fill the weeks ahead with camps and clubs and outings and activities, isn't it? Maybe we think, Keeping them busy keeps them out of trouble. Or, They gain skills they wouldn't have time to develop during the school year. And although not everyone will admit to it, there's the argument, … [Read more...]
Crockpot Broth
** Excuse me...this should be titled Crockpot Stock **Turkey breasts were on sale last week at Kroger, so I bought one and cooked it all day in the crockpot.We enjoyed it as our main course this evening. After dinner, The Belgian Wonder cut every morsel of meat from the carcass. We'll use the leftovers in sandwiches.Then super-frugal, domestic Ann put the carcass … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Enjoy Everyday Fun with Chores
Daily life can be such a drag, so blah. The chores can be tedious. The drive to work, dull. Some days can be reduced to scrub, swipe, fold, wash, rinse, repeat; others, to conquering an overwhelming to-do list or in-box. One way to approach the daily grind is simply to take a deep breath and dig in, applying self-discipline, determination, willpower, and grit. … [Read more...]
13 Tips for Finding Free Time for Mom (without multi-tasking!)
Finding free time for mom—at least, for this mom—used to seem impossible. People would suggest multi-tasking as a way to gain time, but multi-tasking simply doesn't work for me. Research reveals the inefficiency of multi-tasking; as quantity of work goes up, something suffers. A 2008 report called "Cramming the Most into Time" on ABC World News with Charles Gibson affirmed … [Read more...]
Multi-tasking Doesn’t Work for Me
Multi-tasking has never really worked for me. I've tried. Over the years, I've felt like there are many times when I've had no choice but to do a dozen things at once. But when I do that regularly—when multi-tasking is my mode of operation, nonstop, every day, from sun-up to sundown, I get agitated. I feel all frenzied and harried. I leave one of the two or seven … [Read more...]
WFMW Containerize Kids Laundry
Shannon is suggesting a "Greatest Hits" edition of Works For Me Wednesday. While last week's overnight crockpot steel-cut oatmeal instructions were wildly popular, this post was a big hit in its day. It first appeared in February 2007.I’ve never liked doing the laundry–especially for six people–but what aggravated me the most were two particular steps in the process: … [Read more...]
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