Cooking Between Carpools - Italian Beef

4lb roast
2c water
2T Italian seasoning
1t each salt, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, dried parsley and pepper
1 bay leaf
French rolls or tortillas

Cut roast in half; place in a 5qt slow cooker.
Combine the water and seasonings; pour over roast.
Cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is very tender.
Discard bay leaf and shred beef with a fork. Return to slow cooker to soak up more juices.
Serve on French rolls or serve with cheddar cheese in tortillas.

26 Ideas For Lego Storage Containers

My two boys LOVE legos, so they naturally end up scattering lego creations and random lego pieces throughout the house.  Last weekend, we converted their closet to be a LEGO WORLD.  Now they can store lego (and knex) pieces in their lego world, they have instructions for all of their kits in a ziplock bag, and they have a place to display their favorite ships.  And I have a mostly lego-free kitchen and living room!!

I just stumbled upon a great article with ideas for storing legos, if you have similar struggles in your house!  Check this out:  26 Ideas For Lego Storage Containers

Easy & Healthy Breakfast Ideas

I love the idea of making hot breakfasts, but it's so hard to get things going early on school mornings.  This post has some simple and clever ideas for busy mamas:

10 Make-Ahead Breakfasts to Start Your Day Off Right
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-roundup/10-makeahead-breakfasts-to-start-your-day-off-right-recipe-roundup-155762

And here is a favorite that my friend Angie makes for her family:

Baked Oatmeal

6 cups oats
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups milk
1 cup oil
4 eggs

Combine and pour into greased 9 x 13 inch dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 – 35 minutes.



Happy day,

Natural Cold Remedies

Living in middle Tennessee's allergy bowl with 3 kids, it seems like someone is nearly always sniffly around our house.  And even though I am the daughter of a pharmacist, I still don't like popping pills all the time.  So I was blessed to read an article about natural cold remedies on one of my favorite money-saving blogs.  I can't vouch for most of the practices, as I've never tried them.  But I still thought you might enjoy having an alternate plan for treatment.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about natural treatments too!

Here's the full article:  Natural Cold Remedies from Faithful Provisions

Making Memories Through the Seasons

Living in Tennessee, I love watching the coming and going of the distinct seasons.  The changes offer so many opportunity to explore and admire God's creation. 

But it's easy to get caught up in the craziness of life and totally skip over the season's beauty.  I like the practical ideas for enjoying the seasons that Lindsey shares in the following blog posts.  See which activities your family (or even classroom!) might enjoy:

Simple Seasonal Family Traditions from Passionate Homemaking

12 Efficiency Tips in the Kitchen - repost from Passionate Homemaking

I've been following Lindsey's blog for several years now.  She has so many good tips for Christian moms!!  Check out one of her recent posts titled: 12 Efficiency Tips in the Kitchen.  And read more at

Passionate Homemaking.com.

Wanna Host a Dinner Party? Puzzled about Having Kids in the Mix?

We love opening our home to friends and family, but sometimes it's tricky to entertain with kids in the mix!  Check out this post for some practical ideas for hosting with kiddos around:

Tips for Hosting a Dinner Party (with Kids in the Mix) from Simple Mom

 

Shopping on Amazon this year?  You probably already know that most purchases over $25 ship free, but did you know that there is a free online service that will help you find items to fill the difference between your purchase amount and the $25 shipping minimum?  Whether you need 25 cents or $5, this site will list a plethora of items to choose from.  Then you won't go way over-budget on your purchase!

Nun's Twenty Third Psalm

I first stumbled upon this poem a decade ago. When I'm in the busy seasons of life, I like to ponder these thoughts because the message balances my soul, and gives me a spirit of tranquility that transcends to the core of my being. I definitely still struggle, but I know where I want my heart to be...

The Lord is my pace-setter, I shall not rush.
He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals,
He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity.
He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind.
And His guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day,
I will not fret, for His presence is here.
His timelessness, his all-importance will keep me in the balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity
By anointing my mind with His oils of tranquillity.
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruit of my hours, for
I shall walk in the place of my Lord and dwell in His House forever.

written by the nuns at All Saints Convent in Maryland

Unplugging to Rest

These reflections on the importance of Sabbath rest are from my brother-in-law.  I thought you might also appreciate them:

Dear Church Family,



I am currently on our family summer vacation at the beach, and I am wondering why I sometimes struggle to really enjoy vacation and unplug. Working without stopping has become our hallmark as Americans. We are among the most “productive” workers in the world. We don’t leave our post. We just work.


For others, the constant drive is social networking. We stay connected at all hours. I think that sometimes it is fear that fuels our “connectedness.” Maybe we think we’re more valuable as people and workers because we don’t unplug. Everyone can count on us to be there. If we weren’t there, everything would most certainly fall apart, or so we think. I believe our “productivity” costs us a lot in terms of our health, our lives, our families and our worship. From my viewpoint, we are a people who desperately need periods of time to unplug.


Genesis tells us that God rested on the seventh day. God didn’t need rest—we need rest. He provided an example for us. For many of us, taking time off takes faith. We need to trust that the company will go on without us. We will remain valued. People’s needs will be met. Others will answer the call. At the core, it is faith that God is sufficient and can take care of all of my needs.


When I stop and unplug, I find myself enjoying God and my family more. I am more thankful for the little things that He provides, things that I have been too busy to notice. God knows that we need to slow down and experience life. God gave us five senses to enjoy Him and what He has created for us. When I stop long enough to take it all in, I have a deeper gratitude for all of those things. I thank God and worship Him.


Hunter Murray
Elder

Wanna Be Less Frazzled?

I just read Mandi's blog post, titled Traits of a Frazzle-Free Mom at Our Busy Family Life. She offers several simple keys to keeping this crazy job called 'mom' a little more under control - and full of peace! I definitely think she's onto something!

It's almost time for Thanksgiving!

I'm getting very excited about spending the holidays with family and friends. I am grateful for opportunities to hang out with the people I love so much! Here are some articles I thought you might enjoy, as you prepare for Thanksgiving weekend.

Easy Make-Ahead Recipes for Thanksgiving Day from The Mother Load

Hosting Overnight Guests: 10 Easy Tips To Help Your Visitors Feel Welcome from Simple Mom

Preparing for Thanksgiving from Nourishing Heart & Home

And this one doesn't relate to Thanksgiving necessarily, but it's all about food:
Baby Steps to Nutritious Eating: 12 Steps to a Real Foods Diet from Passionate Homemaking

A Birthday Weekend full of Surprises

Today was my 3 year old daughter's birthday. I can't believe she's three!!! We had grand plans for the weekend, including soccer, a nephew's birthday party, weekend babysitting for friends, and my daughter's party with a few families. All of that came to a halt when my two of my kids (the birthday girl and her 7 year old brother) were diagnosed with swine flu Friday. The doctor gently informed me that our kids needed to be pretty much quarantined for nearly a week. Ugh!

Thanks to catching the flu quickly and medicine, we're doing fine. The kids are feeling much better, and we still had a great birthday celebration.

We started out the day by lighting a 'candle cake' at breakfast and singing to the birthday girl. Then we opened gifts about 10am, so the kids could play with the gifts before lunchtime. After rest/nap time, we celebrated with pink birthday cake frosted with a little princess on top. Then we had her favorite spaghetti dinner before popcorn and a movie night. It was a great family day that we all enjoyed - even without leaving the house.

While on the subject of birthdays, I wanted to share an article from my friend Aimee. "Simplified and Splendified" is full of simple ways her family has decided to celebrate birthdays. She is a whimsical, practical, creative and very loving mom - I think you'll enjoy reading her ideas.

Blessings,

Treasures I've Been Waiting to Share with You

I've been building a little treasury of posts to share with you. These women continually inspire me with their ideas!

20 Indoor Activities for Kids – besides TV from Simple Mom
Gift Ideas for Kids from Let's Explore
Chore Packs - Teaching Our Children to Work from Women Living Well Blog
Positively Speaking – Bullying from Pass The Torch
Deliciously Spiced Pumpkin Waffles from The Mother Load
Encouragement for Weary Mothers from Passionate Homemaking


For Middle Tennessee readers: Free fall fun from Ms. Cheap

I haven't abandoned the blogging world - I've just been blogging about positive child/youth development at www.TheAssetEdge.net and Twittering @TheAssetEdge. I'd love to chat with you on those sites too!

Mom's Best BBQ

This is the BBQ recipe mom makes when we go home. It's an easy dish to serve a lot of people. And because it's a crockpot meal, you can do the minimal preparation ahead of time.

5lb pork shoulder
1/2t cayenne pepper
1t ground pepper
1 1/8t garlic powder
1T onion powder
2T chili powder
2t salt
2c BBQ sauce
3c beef broth
12 hamburger buns

Rinse pork and pat dry.
Mix all dry ingredients together and rub into the pork.
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-12 hours.
Cook in crockpot on low for 10 hours.
Shred the pork (discard fat); then stir in BBQ Sauce and beef broth.
Cook two more hours then serve on buns.
For a southern twist, add cole slaw or tomatoes to the buns.

You can also put half the BBQ in the freezer to use later, or put some in tupperware to share with a friend.

Phone #s At Your Fingertips

Numbers you might need when you're out and about - save in your phone address book:
Dentist (you never know when you might have an emergency)
Doctor (with a sick child, you don't want to stop and look for a ph#)
Pharmacy (so you can tell the doctor where to call in your prescription)
School
Mechanic
Pizza place
Daycare
Your favorite takeout restaurants

Numbers you reference, but they change seasonally - save on a list in your planner:
Coaches
Babysitters (I sort these by favorites, homeschool (available during the day), and referrals)
Teacher's phone #s
I also keep a few phone #s that I would need if I lost (yikes!) my phone

Numbers you need, but not frequently - in an address book or on a computer spreadsheet
Neighbors
Neighborhood association

Last Tip
Ask your cell phone store if they will print out a list of your phone #s that are saved in your phone. This is a LIFESAVER in case something happens to your phone! And with little tykes running around, you never know what might happen to your phone!

Treasures for You

Parenting: How to Get First Time Obedience from Women Living Well Blog - my 4yr old really likes the idea of this 'game'.

Barnes & Noble: Earn A Free Book (Summer Reading Program) from Faithful Provisions - my 7yr old is going to love this program!

Lots of Kids and Extra-Curriculars: A Guide To Managing It All from simple mom - I agree with the philosophy of one sport per season, but I'm nervous about entering the phase of parenting when I have more than one child in sports!

How to spend $32 a month from The Simple Wife - this helps put perspective on our finances and making giving a priority in our lives.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from The Mother Load - I used to always make bar cookies, but I hadn't made them in years 'til I saw Amy's recipe. Yum yum!

Freezer Meals...Mexican style for Tasty Tuesday from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam - She shares some really fast & yummy-looking dinner recipes that she pulls from the freezer on busy nights.

Returning Home from Vacation - Having Everything Ready When You Return

My friend Kristen (super-organized mom!) wrote a great article about returning home from vacation. She sent this to all the families that went on the Disney cruise with us. It's a good strategy to use anytime you leave town for the weekend.

--------------------

One of the greatest laments my 'organized friends' and I discuss is the backlash of returning home from a trip! If you're kids aren't in school, it is no big deal! But Monday morning can come quickly for school age moms and stress is at an all time high! Here are 3 tips my friends and I have begun to put into practice before we leave on vacation.

Have 4 dinners planned & in the freezer for Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed., This gives you Sat. dinner out from the airport to home and 4 dinners covered until you can get to the store. These can be store bought or made and frozen by you! I tape a note to my kitchen cabinet to remind me of my plan when I return. Here is what I did:

Sat. (mexican restaurant on the way home from airport & krogers for milk)
Sun. (stouffer's lasagna, frozen garlic bread, canned corn)
Mon. (frozen chicken pot pie, cinnamon applesauce, crescent rolls)
Tues. (frozen spaghetti sauce, noodles, frozen green beans)
Wed. (frozen ham quiche, cinnamon applesauce, canned carrots)
Thurs.- Mothers Day Out and grocery shopping

Have 1 lunch & 4 school lunches ready for the returning week. I go for convenience and suspend the worry of the fat and chemical intake for this week. Here is what I planned for:

Sun. lunch- 8 can soup in crockpot & drop bisquick biscuits
Mon.-school kids & MDO kids- lunchables for everyone!
Tues.- school kids- lunchables
Wed.- school kids- lunchables
Thurs.- school kids & MDO kids- lunchables for everyone & go to grocery store!

Have 4 uniform days put aside for the next week. I took leftover 2 1/2 gallon size bags and put pant/shirt/undies/socks in them and labeled them Mon.-Thurs. I did have to go to Wal-Mart to buy a few more of these because many of them were taken up on the cruise but, the relief of stress was worth the $10 to me. If you're using their school clothes on the cruise- make a big note to yourself and tape on your bathroom mirror to remind you on Saturday night to run the clothes for school Monday on Sunday!

These 3 things will give you the breathing room to relax yourself on Sunday and start the mounds of laundry that await us all! You may get to the store before Thursday but, you don't have too! That is the greatest stress reliever of all!

Wrapping Wrapping Wrapping

I've been blessed to be at my mom's house with the kids for almost a week. My DH doesn't get to be here the whole time, but we're having fun on the farm. Since my mom had foot surgery Friday, I've been helping her wrap family gifts. It has me thinking about wrapping tips, so I thought I'd type them out:

• Wrapping Times: during naps or after the kids go to bed. I usually wrap for 30-60 minutes at a time, so it doesn't get overwhelming.
• Wrapping Station: dining room table (I leave a station with wrapping paper rolls, tape, scissors, and gift tags)
• Wrapping Environment: Christmas movies or Christmas music. My parents have Direct TV, so we've been enjoying the plethora of new and classic Christmas movies.
• Gift Tags: when I'm feeling creative, I recycle old Christmas cards into gift tags. This year, I've been spoiled by my mom's gift tag stickers. It's a little thing - but they seem to save so much time!!
• Gift Boxes: save them year to year, so you have plenty on hand.
• Recycling fun: my kids are having a good time pretending that the empty wrapping paper rolls are light sabers. Instant (and free!) Star Wars fun!
• Wrapping Help: Everything is better when shared with a friend! If you can wrap with your DH, a parent, or a friend, you get to share stories and build relationships while wrapping. It's a great perk!

Internet Search Engines and Philanthropy

I've heard about Goodsearch before, but I didn't know anything about it. It's a really cool way to designate funds to a nonprofit of your choice, simply by searching the internet. There's no fee to participate; you just need to sign up and use the search engine. You can read more about it at Above All, Love Each Other Deeply.

So which nonprofit organization or ministry would you like to give money to?
Why not start today?