For Once

Just once I would like someone, anyone to post on their blog a REAL menu plan. What do I mean? I want a menu full of fruits, vegetables, meats, minimum to zero carbs and possibly gluten free! Is that too much to ask? You see I LOVE it when people say, "yep, I menu planned and fed my family for a whole month for $400." Really? Then I LOOK at the menu to find it is full of white pasta, canned goods and other unhealthy items. I always want to challenge them with questions such as; does your family drink milk? Do they eat cheese? Those 2 items alone can throw anyone's budget out the door. I KNOW I am asking a lot. You see hubby has a wheat allergy so gluten free is a must. Then you throw in my problems. Well, you can see how hard it is for me to menu plan under $400 or even close to it. I don't buy gluten free products like the pastas and the breads. Too expensive. Plus, hubby has given up most carbs anyhow so that puts a damper on menu planning on the cheap even the healthy way! So, anyone know of a blogger that could come close to my requirements? I need YOUR help!!!!! Any ideas????

7-up Cake

Any excuse to use my KitchenAid is a good start to any day. I love making this cake! It is easy and perfect with almost any meal. I typically make it for ladies events, potluck and for a family with a new baby. I LOVE taking meals to people. There is something so rewarding in knowing that what you created will nourish someone else's body and maybe soul ;0). Also it is a great cake for freezing. In this recipe I greased the pan with Crisco so I had to pay special homage to Ms. Minny in the movie The Help. I love the part in the movie when she explains how to use Crisco and what for to Ms. Celia.

7-UP POUND CAKE
3 sticks of butter (margarine will not do)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons lemon extract
3/4 cup 7-Up


Cream butter and sugar for 20 minutes. 

Add the eggs, one at a time. 

Gradually add the flour slowly one scoop at a time. 

Should start to have a thick creamy consistency. 

Then add lemon extract. I FOLD in the 7-up otherwise adding it to the KicthenAid can cause a mess ;0). 

Should be creamy. 

Grease your pan with Crisco. 

I like to dust my pan with flour. My bundt pan is intricate with details so it requires some extra help. This way the cake with easily come out of the pan. 

I smooth the batter in  the bundt pan with a spatula so it will be even all around. 
Bake for 75 minutes(depending on oven) at 325 degrees. Cool for 20 minutes or more. 

Ta-da!!! Finished product! 

Versatile Blogger Award errrr..something like that

 

Well, one of my fellow blog friends nominated me for Versatile Blogger Award. I feel very honored by her that she would pick me as one of the blogs to participate. I enjoy reading Mrs. Robbins blog and all the happenings in her big family. To me it is big since we only have one. She is honest, sincere and always standing in her children's corner supporting them. If you have a chance go read her blog. I think you will be encouraged by the journey she has travelled and continues to tread upon.



Okay, I am supposed to give 7 random facts about me. Do you hear the laughter coming through this screen to you? No? Well, it is loud on my side. I don't know if I have 7 but I will try. Here goes nothing.

Fuzzy socks- I collect them!  I am that girl at Target whenever a Holiday or seasons changes because I know they will have a wall f fuzzy socks just for me! Okay, maybe not a wall more like a rack. I do have one rule about buying a new pair. I must get rid of the old pair before buying a new set. This is not hard to do since I wear them all year round and they get worn. 

Children-LOVE them! Not just mine but yours! I was always that friend babysitting or taking an extra pair of little hands in my home. Sometimes I believe I am more comfortable with kiddos than adults. I do believe my job in Heaven will be with children or rocking babies and my mom will be right beside me.

Organization-Oh to be but not. I love organized people. I am organized in some areas of my life but others not so much. I long for my home to be that place where everything is filed, put away, all items to have a place in my house, everyone can find anything in less than 5 minutes and maybe have a few of those oh so cute colored containers. Someday......

Scrap booking-LOVE it but no time.  Once upon a time in a land far far away lived a girl who loved to scrapbook her memories. If I were in a story I think that is how my chapter would start for this subject matter. Sadly, it has taken a back burner due to other priorities. It is okay for now but I will get my groove back into memory making! I love it for so many reasons. I get to be creative, tell a story and see memories stored on beautiful paper in books. It just takes time that I cannot give to it right now. Soon very soon.

Women Revealed-strong passion of mine! It is a ministry for women to release their burdens. It is beyond anything I have ever done or been a part of. I have participated in Level 1 & 2(WOW). My place in this passion for now is to continue to staff and grow in my walk with the Lord. Click here to learn more.

Boxing-"momma gonna knock you out!" This has been an addiction(good one) of mine for a couple of months now. If you have ever boxed you know what I mean! It energizes me, thrills me and challenges me! I thank my bf for getting me hooked! ;0)

Old stuff-turning to new. I love to take an old piece of furniture and make it new again or repurpose it. This is not hard to do since I only have to walk a few feet in my own home to find a piece that meets that criteria. hahaha! There is a lot of Biblical parallels for me in that. Jesus can take anything and transform it into beauty!  It brings a smile to my face to know that HE was a carpenter. Pretty neat.

Now, I am supposed to nominate blogs I read. These are just a few of the ones I read. I love to them for different reasons. Honesty, inspiration, true to themselves and they make me laugh! Here they are....

ErinLo

Who's At the Helm

We are THAT Family

Are We There Yet? 

The TD Family 

The Bean and a bit

DeCarlo News

Ambience inspired interiors 

Judd Stuff

Supermommy or not! 

Young House Love

Confessions of a Homeschooler 

For those of you nominated, here are the rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.

2. Include a link to their site.

3. Include the award image in your post. 

4. Give 7 random facts about yourself.

5. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award.

6. When nominating include a link to their site.

7. Let the bloggers know they have been nominated. 

now go...;0)

ThredUp & Mamapedia

Do you ever get tired of the "what to do with my children's old clothes" routine? Yes, I give them away, donate or trade them in at a local second hand shop. Sometimes, those options are less than stellar when you are in a time crunch. Lately people that I have passed clothes to don't need them and the second hand shops have been loaded down with mommies running in trying to get extra cash. I am not a fan of crowds or things that will suck more time out of me than give me what I really need! I could consider a garage sale but why do I feel the need to up my dosage on headache medicine when I hear those words? Well, I believe I have found a better way! At least for me!

ThredUp is the perfect idea for those in a time crunch and yet want to benefit from cleaning out old stuff and gain a little extra. Here is their concept.

1. You pay 4.95 for a big bag to stuff those clothes in to come to your door(you will get this deposit
    back when you return the bag)
2. Stuff the bag & send it back
3. Earn cash for every item that they can resell online

They have a "curious what you would get paid for" button. You can enter in brand name, clothing type and size to gain a little insight on what your child's clothes are worth.

OR SHOP....Yes, very brilliant idea! Simply brilliant. No crowds, save on fuel, save on clothes and maybe earn a little back. WIN WIN! (are you kicking yourself like me for not thinking of it sooner?)

Go here for rules, restrictions and all that applies

BUT WAIT! You can try ThredUp online for a discount! I believe it is to buy clothes but you can read the rules and restrictions on their site. 

I have a deal for you! Now, I know you are familiar with Groupon, Living Social, Rue La La and other such wonderful discounted sites. Do you know about Mamapedia? You probably do ;0(. I am always late in the game. I have subscribe to their deals for over 2 years now. I am very selective on what I do "buy" in to. This weeks deal has ThredUp in the line up. If you have not subscribe to Mamapedia then consider putting my name down as a referral. I would  appreciate it!

I will give you an update once I complete my ThredUp bag! Happy shopping and cleaning out!

Gidddy & UnGlued

Do you ever get excited about a new book from one of your favorite authors? I do too! When Proverbs 31 Ministry asked many of Lysa TerKeurst fans to participate in a conference call with her about the book UnGlued, I jumped right in! Now, in my very active imaginative mind I pretended it was her, her staff, a few(10 or less) of her best fans and me. I know not true but I still felt special. For some of you it would be the opportunity to meet Beth Moore. This morning her fans and I got to listen to Lysa talk about her new book for 10-15 minutes. It was awesome! I am so excited! August 7 is the release date. The best part I got to ask a couple of questions to her assistant! WOOHOO!!!!!!! Yep, I am all giddy. Oh, there was a woman named Kristin from Africa on the phone asking a question. Pretty neat how the Lord & technology can bring all of us sisters together from all over the world for something so special. 


To sum it up her book Made to Crave is about what you put in your mouth and UnGlued is about what comes out of it! Ouch! 


here is a video clip about her new book, UnGlued...

Mr. Independent!

Happy 4th of July! We had such a wonderful time in the Round Rock Brushy Creek bike parade! It was after that, that the challenges of a 4 yr old under extreme situations had us scratching our heads. He did fine, no really he did! You know that point in the outing where they go from "angels" to "that is not my child"? Yep, we got some looks! Ugh, so embarrassing but we stuck to our guns and left the fun! It is part of life so why not share it. No one likes to read a blog where the children appear perfect or even close. Look at the picture below and maybe you can tell by his facial expression the kind of behavior he  exhibited.  However, all the other activities before that were a blast. Lil man rode his decorated bike in the parade, played with puppies, rode a train, played in a bubble pit, was sprayed by the fire department's water hose and rode a merry go round. All in 2 1/2 hours! I hope you are enjoying your freedom today!  

Mr. Sweaty, hot and hungry! not a good combo

Getting in line for the parade!

All together! 

Even the puppies were festive. 

And we're off! 

Beautiful day full of beautiful people! 

Yay! we finished!

Drew's Party!

June 22, Friday early evening we adventured out to our new friend Drew's birthday party. It was an outside event at a Dinosaur Park. Yes, you heard that right! It is a sand and water play park. The sand has fossil bones laid out on the sand. The water park has a whale sprinkler for the area. I know a whale is not a dinosaur but that is what they call it here. Actually, the real name is Champion Park. The park itself is huge so they have named it by the variety of activities that are available. Pretty cool huh? My son loves Drew! They are in the same bible class on Sunday's for 2 hours. We have enjoyed this friendship with the family as a whole!

So sweet! 

Sand time or maybe plotting ;0)

Drew's sister, Payson. 

She is NOT afraid! Right in the middle with the big boys!

" I prefer my own stick, daddy!" 

Gifts!!!!

Thank you Drew for an amazing time!