Plastic bags consumed this year:

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Menu Plan Monday August 31-September 6 (Granola Bars)

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August has been busier than I expected. I think Back to School sneaks up on me every year. We’ve been in school for 3 full weeks now, and everything is going well. Everything but getting the kids on a routine after school. We are trying, but heck, its just not working. This week we start cheer practice 3 days a week. The plan is to have a healthy snack in the afternoon while we start on homework. I will try to get everything up and running for dinner so that when we get home from practice, we will be able to eat and relax before bed.

On top of everything, I would like to make this a eat from the pantry and freezer week. I will need a few things I”m sure, but I think that I can make it through the week with only spending a few bucks on food.

Monday: Homemade Hamburger Helper

Tuesday: Homemade Soup

Wednesday:  Pot Luck at Church (trusty Chocolate Pound Cake)

Tuesday:Grilled Hamburgers and Homemade buns

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Kidless Weekend (Out or Pizza)

Saturday: Kidless Weekend (Hamburger at the Creek Bank Restaurant)

Sunday: Kidless Weekend (Steaks, Baked Potato and Salad)

*NOTE* We have 17 Giveaways ending August 31 at Sensational Divas Review. Please check it out and join us for our twitter party.

*NOTE* I am going to be posting a LOT of Recipes this month, subscribe so that you don’t miss any of my family recipes.

Breaking Plates

Yesterday afternoon I had a few small sake cups fall and break and this morning one of my favorite plates broke. I started updating my twitter account with the new happenings and realized that it was little more philosophical than broken glass.

In my family when you are 18 (male) or getting married(female) it is said that the father breaks that child’s plate. Meaning that he is no longer responsible for taking care of you. You are a man (or have a husband) and can provide for .

After praying for months, talking it over with friends and coming to a really hard decision, I broke the plate of a friend. It was one of my favorite plates to use, although not something antique or that held many memories. It just held a lot of sloppy food very well.

Ha! Well the plate is now a symbol of that relationship. This wasn’t a friend of many years, or did we have many good times together. Its just a friend that held a place in my life that I enjoyed on occasion.

Some plates are wonderful and hold memories of birthdays and holidays, and even have little chips around the edges where something went wrong. There’s also a stamp on the underside showing what they are made of and giving you the details of things about the company and dates and such.

This plate was chipped around the edges. One rather large chip was missing, and I’m not sure why. There was a hairline fracture running through the plate but something was holding it together for what reason I don’t know. I still used it and took care of it even more gently than I had ever before. Why? Because I cared about it. I would hand wash it, so that the plate would stay together. On the back were no markings. I had no idea of the life that my plate had lead before. I really don’t even remember where I got this plate.

There are so many similarities between this plate and this friend. No matter how I coddled our relationship, it was still chipped and fractured. I don’t know what held it together after these years of friendship. Oh when did we meet? I don’t remember? How did we meet? The circumstances are not important right? How about their family? I’ve learned a few things, but not many. The cracks and chips in their life? I know not how they got there, but I see them, I feel them.

When a friendship is abused to a certain point nothing will keep it from breaking.

Then comes the cat pouncing on the plate.

The plate came crashing down and broke into a million pieces. I swept up the pieces and threw them out with the garbage. I miss my plate, but now there are no worries of the fractures and chips getting worse than before.

For the love of pizza

What would you doooo for a klondike bar?

I’ve always been a sucker for pizza. When I was 8 years old, if you asked me I’d say that pizza was my favorite food in the world. I say that because if I’m in my mama’s kitchen its fried chicken, a seafood place its grilled shrimp, but in the world its still pizza.

My love of pizza started at an early age. We would go to pizza hut and order me a personal pan pizza. My mom and sister would order something for themselves and I was on top of the world when my personal mini-me sized pizza was presented at the table. I would eat all of it that I could hold then the toppings that were left.

Melty stringy cheese, oh my! My sister would sometimes forget to give me the cheese that strings down from the hot pizza, and I would be so disappointing. I still love this phenomena/food product.  Even when it ends up on the pizza pan or in the pizza box from takeout, I try to gobble up every single melty bit!

Coming up around these parts, the choices for pizza were slim. We had the local Pizza Hut and grocery store. Back then we ate what I call pizza in a box. Really its Chef Boyaredee Pizza kits. This is a love that my sister and I share along with my bff M  from K-12. It sounds gross, and really its more like a pizza product than the real thing, but when you consider that the only difference  between the cheese version and what they sell for pepperoni at Panera Bread is the fresh basil and gourmet pepperoni, I guess we aren’t the only ones. I would tell you to let Alice pick one up for you, but she apparently hasn’t ever tried them either.

I one day discovered frozen pizza. WOW what a thought! Not having to make the crust or go to town was such a great idea.  Whomever came up with that idea was a genius, right? Well I don’t think so, because I still haven’t found one that I really like. Fresh if even from a box is so much better.

The fresh pizza at Walmart has become my go to for cheap pizza at home. Its really the closest thing to takeout without the pricetag, and its hot right out of the oven instead of cold from a 15 minute drive home.

I’ve had some great pizzas. The best was at Pickle Fish in Mobile, AL. Its a little hole in the wall right off of campus but the pizza is amazing! From time to time I try pizza here and there I love Papa Johns, and like Dominoes. Pizza Hut is a last resort, even If I eat there more than any other pizzeria, but only because its close by.

Lately Scott and I have been getting Hunts Brother’s pizza from the local gas station, and it is awesome! A few times I’ve asked to go out to eat because of not wanting to cook or one thing or another. We’ve ended up in a sit down place and not satisfied with the service, bill or pizza. We have decided on gas station pizza from now on out.

Although I’ll eat a few different varieties of pizza, Pepperoni and extra cheese is what I call a real pizza. Its how I started out and how I will finish things. I’m looking to get a little more sophisticated in my pizza eating lifestyle by grilling pizza. My sister has told me some wonderful stories of this, so soon enough I will try it out. I can’t wait!

So I’m off for now, Its 9:30 a.m.  and there’s a little pizza left from my Pizza in a Box that I made for breakfast!!

What’s in the bag?

Once Again offered one of their reusable grocery bags. I was a bit skeptical of her bags only because it was a one layer bag with no lining and made from vintage fabrics. Boy was I wrong! This is one of the best bags that I use today, and use I have! The fabric is very sturdy; the bottom isn’t a seam but the fold of fabric which means that your bag won’t split like its plastic predecessor. All of the edges are searged instead of folded over for a finished hem. Don’t let that fool you, it’s pretty AND strengthens the bag!

I didn’t want to unfold this super cute bag and get it out of its perfectly ironed little package. The bag had been pressed so that it was folded so perfectly, but guess what? Even after you have used it and washed it, it folds up almost as nicely as the first time you pull it out of its minimalistic packaging.

Once Again uses recycled/upcycled materials such as vintage linens and clothing to make their products. I love this and have started picking up my own vintage linens from the local thrift stores, and scouring through my mother’s stash that she left me a few years ago.

I don’t like carrying those plain bags that you buy at the big box stores, but I also don’t like to bring home a ton of plastic bags. Our county doesn’t recycle, so that means I have to lug those plastic bags back to the store. Now I do like to keep a few of those nasty plastic bags to tie up stinky things for the garbage can, but all in all I really could live without them, especially after finding so many bags that work for me.

Now not all reusable bags are made equally, but this bag is the one I grab to stuff into my purse. It’s cute, it’s strong, it’s in my purse!

Alice, can you pick up the T.P.?

Growing up watching the Brady Bunch I thought that Alice was the best. She was always cooking and cleaning. I guess these days I’m the Alice of our Brady Bunch. In fact we look like the Brady Bunch when we are doing family activities most of the time, because with Scott’s niece we have the third girl with blonde curls.

I always seem to forget something at the store, and it’s a 30 miles round trip to pick up the laundry detergent that I forgot just yesterday. That’s money people! I do make my own detergent a lot of the times, but I have to order some of the products and shipping makes it almost impossible to make it affordable. On top of it, in this small town hE laundry detergent isn’t always the stores best deal or is there a great selection, much less getting something that’s natural. I know I have a laundry list of my wishes for my laundry detergent.

In walks Alice, or Alice.com that is.

I found this website that has everything! Well not everything, but those things that you use constantly like laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, dog food, snacks, etc. They have a great selection of natural and organic products to choose from on top of the regular every day brands we are used to seeing in the local WalMart. To top this off, they show the prices of the same item from other stores and are usually the better buy and add a coupon on top of that! Wow! I’m in love with Alice! Move over Scott! Lol!

I am placing an order for some natural cleaners that I can’t get locally, and I have added them to my product list. There is also a reminder that you can set that will remind you in 1-6 weeks or 2-6 months that you need toothpaste or TP.

What could be better than that? Well Free Shipping of course! And for signing up you get $10 back after you spend $50. So my total is cheaper than if I were to drive to get anything, much less the 110 mile round trip to the natural food store in Mobile! I’m doing the happy dance!

Would you use Alice to pick up your TP?

Works For Me Wednesday

Disturbed Tuesday

I was supposed to be doing Do Not Disturb Tuesday today, but I’m Disturbed. Well Disturbed by the computer. Next week its going off and staying off. I’ve gotten a lot done, but my mood is very disturbed.

Especially the afternooons here are being disturbed. Kids not wanting to do homework or follow rules. I’m emplementing a strict afternoon routine until their actions change. My routine has changed somewhat also, but mainly in the mornings. I’ve been waking up at the butt crack of dawn and getting online to handle bussiness such as my school work and such, then I’m worn out in the afternooon and take a nap. When I get up from my nap, I’m moody and then my kids come in and I’m moody with them because of their behavior.

I guess I need to change my moood before it takes over and then give the kids extra chores since they skipped them yestterday.

Tomorrow is a new day, and I will work on things for tonight. For today, I give up on Do Not Disturb Tuesday.

Kid”s Clothing List

This month on Flylady, we are tackling the laundry habit. I do pretty well with laundry these days, but if I miss a day its horrible trying to catch up. I’m still tweaking things for it to run smoother.

I was overwhelmed a few years ago and contacted the Flylady crew, and they sent me a list to help, and it does help. I thought that I would share this, and maybe even try to tackle this on my own over the next week.

(I have been given permission to share this list with others btw)

Children’s clothes.

Think about this as you would your own clothes. 7 outfits and 2 nice dress-up outfits for church.

Underwear for a week.

Socks for a week, all the same color. Get each child a different style, so you have no problems matching them at laundry time. You can also use colored permanent markers to give each child a different colored stripe on the toe or their initials.

• 3 pair of jeans
• 5 pair of shorts
• 2 jumpers or everyday dresses for girls
• 7 T-shirts or long sleeved shirts for winter.
• 2 sweat shirts
• 2 dress up out fits for church
• 1 casual outfit for going out to dinner, party etc.
• Optional a sweater for cooler evenings.
• 1 winter coat

They will also need a couple of outfits for yard work or hard play time. Get them used to changing out of their good clothes when they get home from church or school.

Introducing Man’s Best Friend: Dottie

In early January my mom called to ask if I wanted a dog. I was like “Um, no. But, why?” We had talked about getting Payton a dog, and hoped it would help him relax and sleep at night. One of my mom’s friends found this little red and white dog, ran it in the paper, posted flyers and no one claimed her. They had her shots done, and it was determined that she was of mixed breed, and listed her as a Corgi mix (she looks like an over-sized Jack Russell terrier.

My mom said that she wanted her, and took her to have her fixed. When I found out more details I said that I would take her. Mama didn’t want her to be put to sleep, even though my mama isn’t a dog person.

So that morning my mother delivered the dog that was perched on a large dog bed along with a bag of food and a bottle of pain pills. I took her inside to the kitchen while she was still on her pillow. She’d just been released from having her surgery.

She seemed to drift in and out of sleep, but started getting well enough to join me in the den. Within a few days she was sitting with me on the couch, although she was still in some pain. When the kids got home from visiting with their dad, they were very careful with her, and watched her closely.

We were all afraid that she would run away again, as she was a stray when she was found. Come to find out she had already given birth to at least one litter of puppies and was at least 3 years old. She was house trained, and was very dosile.

I’m not a dog person. I don’t like dogs to jump up on me, and lick me in the face. Most dogs are either too big for me to handle, or lick un-controllably. At least that is how I’ve looked at them in the past.

In time we fell in love with Dottie. I named her Dottie because on the scruff of her neck she is white with very light red dots, and I thought it would go very well with my Polka Spot theme.

She doesn’t like men…can’t you tell? She runs to Scott as soon as he pulls his truck into the driveway. He’s the first man that she’s ever liked since we adopted her. He doesn’t like dog’s either, can you tell? I guess she isn’t a dog since we LOVE her so.

Even though its taken me months and months to write this post and take some decent pictures of her, it was worth it. Dottie is camera shy and looks away from the camera if I pull it out. So here is to our Dottie. She has really put up with us since we aren’t dog people.

My Day Off, wait a minute…WHAT!?

Yesterday I joined Amber and LaDonna for Do Not Disturb Tuesday. The concept was to get things done without the internet interfering. I know that I sit at the computer for much longer than I should a lof of days, but in retrospect I have started staying offline a lot more at night and weekends lately. That could have to do with being super busy during those times, but I like it.

So I decided to make a to do list I DIT IT list. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do, but this is what I did while no one was watching yesterday:

• Laundry
• Polished Silver
• Made a Home Improvement Notebook
• Found Pillows in storage and washed them
• Made Austin a new Binder for school
• Culled Books and cleaned and organized the Bookshelf in the Den
• Cleaned a BCBGirls Purse I bought at a yard sale over a year ago and forgot about, used it too
• Washed Dishes
• At Home Mani and Pedi
• Bought Groceries
• Found some things at the Thrift Store that I couldn’t live without
• Made a Chores Store
• Made Chicken Stock
• Grilled Chicken
• Gathered things for Scott’s new apartment, for temp living until the weekend.
• Watched Fast and Furius: Tokyo Drift
• Watched The Punisher
• Registered for classes (I had to check my email and get online to do this, but it was less than 5 minutes in all and was a MUST DO)
• Dressed Dottie (the dog)
• Cuddled (as best could) with my 12 year old boy! (If only for a few minutes)
• Took pictures for blog posts.
• Sat outside

Whew! I was busy! I really enjoyed my day unplugged…well mostly anyways. Amber and I did text in the afternoon and evening, but all in all, I really am impressed with myself. I can’t wait until next Tuesday to try it out again.

Don’t forget all of the giveaways over at Sensational Divas Review!

Works For Me Wednesday

Do Not Disturb

Today I’m taking the day off of the internet. I’m sure I’ll have a good story to tell when I get back online from all of the withdrawals I’m going to experience. I may start a new project in the house, or go take a walk with my camera like I used to, or do all of the laundry and dance. I may may bake a cake, or read stories to the kids, or even watch tv *gasp!* I could get caught up on some paperwork, or take the day for pampering myself. I could rip up the carpet by myself or pull weeds. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I do know that I WON”T BE ONLINE!

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