WFMW: Having Friends, Maintaining Your Sanity

Here's a little Works for Me Wednesday idea...

Find a group of friends who share the same interests as you to get together with as a regular group. What? Okay...true, that's not clear when I say it like that, so let me give you the example in my life.

Several years ago (four or five years ago), a girl that I knew who worked at a scrapbook store that I shopped/cropped at (which has long since closed) decided that she was lonely. She was young and the mother of two or three. (That sounds like we're not friends, but she has had a couple since that point, so now I can't remember how many she actually had at the time.) She decided to throw herself a birthday party, but just asked that guests bring along 10 (mostly) identical homemade greeting cards with a birthday theme. We would then exchange them so each of us would leave with one of our own cards and then one each from the other nine people.

The party was fun, and the birthday girl suggested that this should be a regular occurrence. And, thus began our card group. There were some changes in membership over the years (with the biggest change from the initial birthday party to the next party). We began meeting every 6 - 8 weeks, each time someone else would host (and provide refreshments) and the host also got to choose the theme of the cards.

And, it was more than just a card group -- we have had baby showers galore, one wedding shower, one housewarming (for our only member who was old enough to definitely never need a baby shower), and just general sharing in each others' good times and bad.

It was only finally last year that we decided that we were tired of making cards so often. (Admittedly, some newer people in the group were not tired, but some of us had been doing it for a LONG time.)

But, here's the best part -- we still wanted to see each other! So, now we meet once a month and share hosting duties. We always end up with a big spread of food, and now there's always a fun activity planned -- a game, a craft, or just general visiting.

And, so I challenge anyone who thinks this is a fun idea to just do it! You never know what might happen or what friendships might blossom!

It's like Autumn is My Middle Name..

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

h/t to: Praying for Grace

I will admit, this is right on. I would have had to have argued with my computer if it tried to tell me any other season. LOL

(Oh...and for the record...Autumn *IS* my middle name. Ironic, huh?)

Huh...well...that was eye opening.

Okay, first, let me admit -- I will probably wish for an addition on my house again in the future. But, I had an eye-opening moment the last night and it made me realize that it certainly isn't something we need.

I watched hurricane coverage, and they showed a family in Mexico that lived in what looked like to me as a small barn-type structure. They were very thankful to not have too much damage to their one room, thatched roof home that houses thirteen people. And, then I thought, "There are people that would think those people are so lucky to have that 'house.'" And, here we complain from time to time about our home which is just under 1600 sq ft for the five of us. How silly.

Yes, it would be nice to have a multi-purpose type of room added on to the house that is separate from the main (open concept) living area. But, darn it -- if we never get a chance to do it, we'll be just fine. Sometimes it so hard in our culture to be happy with less...happy with what we already have. And, so, I think I will need to pray to slow down on always wishing for more.

Best Church Ever

Before we went to Mass this weekend, I said, "Are we ready for church?"

Two year old Molly jumped up and down, "I love church! I have best church ever!"

What wonderful enthusiasm. Although, I admit that it would be even better if that enthusiasm would mean that she actually sat attentively (or at least didn't try to make a spectacle of herself) during Mass.

Menu Plan Monday: August 20th Edition

Lots of repeats this week! We ended up making something that was further into the month on our menu list, and then we also had two surprise invites to dinner (one was a birthday party cookout for one of our nieces and then another was a sudden invitation to have dinner at my parents house).

Monday: Quick Chicken Teriyaki

Tuesday: BBQ Drumsticks (crockpot)

Wednesday: Spaghetti with Meatballs

Thursday: Loaded Baked Potatoes

Friday: Dinner from Out

Saturday: lunch ---> Pancakes dinner ---> Boys' Choice

Sunday: lunch ---> Sandwiches dinner ---> Beef Noodle Bowls

What's for Dinner?

I just posted this online on a message board I frequent (though, I will admit, I haven't been frequenting there too much either -- it sure has been busy at our house!). Here is a list of the 39 (mostly) dinners that I have listed for the upcoming month (this is a few lunches too). I post my weekly menus on Mondays, but I thought it might be helpful to someone to see the big list too.

1. Pancakes (with scrambled eggs and bacon)
2. Pancakes, etc. -- yep, it's on there twice
3. Quick Chicken Teriyaki (from Kraft.com)
4. Lasagna
5. Meatball Subs
6. Lunch Meat Sandwiches and Soup
7. Crockpot Chicken & Rice
8. Spaghetti with Meatballs and Homemade Bread
9. Steak with Red Potatoes and Mushrooms
10. BLT Sandwiches (we'll probably have this open to have some times if we don't get to a meal, since we have tomatoes growing like crazy. LOL)
11. Beans and Cornbread
12. Burgers on the Grill
13. Beef Enchiladas (from Kraft.com -- you can search for Better-than-ever beef enchiladas or something like that)
14. Loaded Baked Potatoes
15. Eggs, Toast, & Bacon
16. Stir Fry (Maybe with Steak in it)
17. Baked Chicken (whole)
18. BBQ Drumsticks (crockpot)
19. Chicken and Rice-a-Roni (baked in stove)
20. Popcorn Shrimp (from frozen prepared)
21. Club "Sandwich" Quesadillas
22. Roast with Potatoes and Carrots (crockpot)
23. Cobb Salads
24. Asian-style Chicken and Broccoli
25. Beef Noodle Bowls (from Kraft.com)
26. Creamy Rice, Chicken, and Spinach Dinner (from Kraft.com)
27. Meatloaf
28. Chicken Fried Rice (from Kraft.com)
29. Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken and Vegetables
30. Honey Chicken Sandwiches
31. One-Pan Chicken & Potato Bake (that might be from Kraft.com too)
32. Spaghetti Casserole
33. Made-over Chicken Tetrazzini (from Kraft.com)
34. Italian Pie
35. Taquitos (from frozen prepared) with Spanish Rice
36. Taco Salad
37. Frozen Pizza
38. Ribs with Mashed Potatoes & Broccoli Salad (we made this when my parents came over the other day)
39. BBQ Chicken Wings (from frozen prepared)

Menu Plan Monday: August 13th Edition

There are at least a couple of carryovers, but here is the plan:

Monday: Quick Chicken Teriyaki

Tuesday: Roast (crockpot)

Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Drumsticks (crockpot)

Thursday: Meatball Subs

Friday: Grill Out Burgers

Saturday: lunch ---> Pancakes, etc. dinner ---> Food From Out

Sunday: lunch ---> Honey Chicken Sandwiches dinner ---> Loaded Baked Potatoes

As I said to Eric last night...

"I seem to go between being either very eloquent or a babbling moron, and I blame the children for that."

Categories, Archive, Both, or Neither?

What do you list on your blog side bar -- your label categories, archives, both, or neither?

I have the archive list right now, but I have been thinking for quite a while to try to sort through my label categories and straighten them up a bit and list them in the side bar instead.

Any personal thoughts on this?

Hmmm...which one is it?

Last week, the kids and I went out to run some errands. I knew that Eric would be more than happy to meet us for lunch, since it was getting close to his lunch time. So, we discussed our options, and ended up deciding on meeting up at Culver's.



Eric offered to leave right away (to beat us to Culver's) and place our order as soon as he got there. This made me smile.



As I continued driving, I just got to thinking more about how excited I was to see him. I felt like I wasn't going to be able to wait until we got to Culver's (just about another 10 minutes away). I felt like I might burst. And, then all of the sudden, I did almost burst...into tears that is. Yep, there I was with all three of our kids in the van, so excited to go see the man that has been "my man" for 15 years now (and that's a bunch considering that I am only 30! LOL), about to sob because I was so overcome with emotion at the thought of seeing him.



And, then I couldn't help to think -- is this the ultimate sign of love or extreme co-dependence? LOL

WFMW: Learning New Skills

I will be the first to admit -- I don't usually like to try new things. I like routine, and I get nervous trying things when I don't know what to expect. I also can't seem to figure out things just by reading about them. This fact only makes me wonder how in the world I was able to get not one, but two degrees from a nice university.

Anyway -- with that said -- I will tell you what has been working for me the last couple of years: I have been trying (gasp) new things. I am thinking that, perhaps, it was turning 30 that changed me. Or, maybe I just got tired of wanting to try things and not doing it.

And, so I have been trying to do the things I have wanted to do. I now cook more than I used to, and I try making things that I would have never tried making before. Because...darn it...what's the worst that can happen? I'll make it, and we won't like it. Well...then I just won't make that again.

And, speaking of food -- I started a garden last year, even though I had never had one before and didn't know anything about it. I just got a book and gave it a go. It has been so rewarding! Although, it sure was funny the first year when we told people all the different things we were growing. They would look at us like we were insane. And, then I would say, "Since we don't know about gardening and have never gardened before, we just thought we would try a little of a lot of different things to see what we enjoyed." I got a lot of, "Oh -- well that's a great idea!" And, you know what? It worked! We were able to see that while we liked gardening and wanted to do it again, there were things we never wanted to grow again! LOL

But, the more exciting thing to me is the crafty things I have been learning. In just the past few months, I have been learning to sew (which is something I have been dying to do for YEARS), make jewelry, and make soap. And, guess what? I love them all! These are all things I thought would be fun, but thought, "I don't want to invest the time or money, and I couldn't do it anyway." Well...I just bought a little bit to start in any new venture, and then decided if I liked it or not. I will admit -- I tried making some jewelry with resin, and I failed miserably. So, then I tried again. And, I still failed. And...um...yeah, okay...I'll say it -- I tried one more time. I really did think I could do it. Guess what? I couldn't. But, that's okay, because now instead of looking at a cool bottlecap necklace I own and thinking, "Maybe I could make something like that," I can think, "I'm glad I bought this, and I have no desire to try to make one like it." LOL

Whether you succeed or you don't succeed, if you try an art or craft or something completely different that you have been wanting to try, then you will know if you actually like it or not. You will no longer have to desire after it -- you will know you want to do it more or you will know that it's nothing you want to invest your time and money into. You just might find something that you love to do! (And, if you follow my suggestion of just buying a minimal amount of things to start out, you hopefully won't be out too much if you hate it!)

Oh...and even though I have been trying all kinds of new things, I will admit that I have now had my eye on polymer clay. I have seen too many cool things on Etsy to not give it a try. But, alas -- buying some things to give it a go will have to wait. But, darn it -- I *will* try it.

As Promised -- Honey Chicken Sandwiches

I promised that if they were tasty, then I would post the recipe. They were tasty, so here it is (from EAT Magazine):

Honey Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed (I used about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced (I didn't use as much as it called for)
12 ounces cut-up cooked chicken
4 baked biscuits, split

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, combine honey and thyme; stir in red onion. Cook and stir over medium-low heat just until hot (do not boil). Stir in chicken; heat through. Arrange chicken mixture on biscuit bottoms. Add tops. Makes 4 servings. (*We actually made a tube of big biscuits, and had *plenty* of chicken for about 7 sandwiches)

Something to ponder while paying my student loans

Saw this test on Sharon's Blog (The Bird's Nest) and this is just the kind of thing I never seem to be able to pass up.

I do have to admit...although the test apparently took me 4 minutes and 5 seconds (and no, I didn't look up any answers), I got them all correct. I'll try to remind myself of this the next time I am shaking my head in disgust as a pay my student loans.

Am-I-Dumb.com - Are you dumb?

Soon...Very Soon... (aka Adults Misbehaving during Mass)

The last hymn was announced at Mass this weekend as "Soon and Very Soon."

Eric and I couldn't help but turn to each other and smirk. And, then I leaned toward him and said, "And Much Sooner."

And then, I must admit, we were unable to sing because we kept trying not to laugh.

Menu Plan Monday: August 6th Edition

A couple of carry overs from last week, as usual. LOL

Monday: Honey Chicken Sandwiches (new recipe)

Tuesday: Honey Mustard Steak

Wednesday: Lasagna

Thursday: Quick Chicken Teriyaki

Friday: Meatball Subs

Saturday: lunch ---> Breakfast (eggs, toast, bacon) dinner ---> Food From Out

Sunday: lunch ---> Lunch Meat on Crusty French Bread dinner ---> Crockpot Chicken and Rice Casserole

Fabulous Finds Friday: Recycling the Easy Way

We have been recycling for several months now. As you may recall, we actually have to pay $5/month to recycle, which is just silly. But, that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, to crush our aluminum cans, we have been saving them up on our counter until it just gets too much (yes, Eric and I drink too much soda), and then one of us will finally wash them all out, put on tennis shoes, and then go into the garage and crush them all by stepping on them. This was a pain!

I kept looking for a can crusher, but I was having a horrible time finding one. But, we finally bought the STL Can Crusher via Amazon.com (through Ace Hardware, I guess). Love it! I just wish we would have bought it sooner!

So...if you happen to be in the market for an aluminum can crusher, I would highly recommend this one!

Making some blog changes...

I love the way my blog looked, but it's slow loading was making my crazy. So, I'm working on some tweaking, and hopefully I'll end up back with two columns but with a similar look and a faster load time.

I have been trying and trying delete things to speed it up, but it just wasn't happening. Augh!

ETA: Okay...changes have been made. I still love the look, I still tweaked the template, but now it loads faster. Hurray!

WFMW: Taking a different outlook on your household responsibilities

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that Easter time this year was a time of great reflection for our family. One of the things that I reflected on and then decided to put my mind to was to become a more holy wife and mother. One of the ways that I decided to do that is what I want to share as my Works for Me Wednesday tip for this week (which has a theme this week -- parenting tips. Since what follows has sometimes changed my parenting and is important for a parent to think about, I wanted to go ahead and share it this week)...

I have started making a real effort to stop looking at chores as...well...chores. Instead, I think of them as ways to bless my home, my children, and my husband. Now, I will say up front -- this doesn't mean that I *enjoy* doing the tasks that have to be done. Oh, quite on the contrary, sometimes I down right dread doing some things I need to do. But, rather than grumbling (or feeling like I want to grumble), when I am working on a task, such as preparing dinner, I look at my family and think, "Look at what a wonderful gift I can give to my family by preparing them a warm meal that will nourish them." Or...at the very least, at times I can think, "Isn't it a blessing that I willingly give my time to give them food so that they stop complaining."

Seriously though...I don't want to sound like I walk around praising myself for doing household responsibilites. But, as I was chatting with a mother from school, we talked about how different your attitude can be just based on the way you look at what you are doing. If you get dinner ready and think, "Why do *I* have to do this? I don't want to do this!", then you will probably feel tired after doing it and you will feel like junk. But, if you think, "Well...maybe I don't want to be making dinner tonight, but it's a blessing to my children that they have a Mom who is able to have the time to make them a meal," then you leave the kitchen feeling a sense of accomplishment and a sense of purpose for what you have done. You have just made dinner, you have nourished your children.

So, while I still put off things, and I still would rather sit on the computer -- I have found that my outlook has changed when I am actually doing things. And, I have oddly found myself sometimes rushing around right before Eric gets home to make things look extra nice before he gets home from work, and...darn it...I think it is making me a better Mom too! Crazy!