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Random Thoughts

Since I have had site problems over the past week, I feel out of sync with the blog. Usually I have an idea of topics I want to cover for the week, but with all the site issues my mind has been elsewhere.

Grocery Shopping

Tonight I went to the grocery store and saved $26 in coupons. My coupon use had dropped significantly over the past few months because most of items I buy are things that don’t have coupons, whole foods, fresh fruit and veggies, milk, etc. Tonight at the commissary the shelves were loaded with coupons for things that were already on my list. I was able to get free razors, body wash, shampoo, and fruit. It was a good night.

Dishwasher Detergent

A few weeks ago Cascade sent me a sample of their dishwasher detergent to try along with their competitor Electrosol. I happened to be using Palmolive so I was able to compare all three products. I am not a brand name shopper and always purchase the cheapest brand. I thought I was saving money, but I could be wrong.

I have to admit that although I was skeptical at first Cascade blew the other two out of the water. Electrosol came in second, with Palmolive dead last. Now, I didn’t really conduct a scientific experiment, so you might have to do your own research. Basically, when I used Cascade I could put more dishes in the dishwasher and I had less dishes that needed to be rewashed. I also had to remove less food from the dishes before I put them in the dishwasher. Since Cascade is usually the most expensive brand, I have to consider several factors to see if it is a better deal.

If I use less water to rinse my dishes before I put them into the dishwasher, can load my dishwasher with more dishes, and have less dishes to rewash after the cycle is done, then I think Cascade is a better buy. But you can bet I will be looking for a coupon!

Dish Soap

I also conducted my own test with Ajax and Palmolive dish soap. I had been buying Ajax because it is so cheap. After a few months of using Ajax I realized that I was using more soap to get things clean. Even though Palmolive costs more, I use less to wash dishes, so they end up costing about the same.

Diapers

Last month I bought a package of Target brand diapers. They were significantly cheaper than any other brand. The problem started when I couldn’t open the tab without ripping it. Then almost every diaper leaked. The ones that didn’t leak fell off because the tabs didn’t stick. I ended up doing laundry after every single night my toddler wore a Target diaper because it leaked onto the sheets. I will definitely not purchase Target brand diapers again.

Web Hosting

I am sure that you have noticed the considerable site problems I have had over the past few weeks. My current hosting provider is Web Hosting Pad. I can’t even remember how much we paid for the hosting but it was about the same as many of their competitors. While they are very nice on the phone, they offer little to no help, can’t deliver the guaranteed 99% uptime, and do a poor job of responding to problems.

Shampoo

Suave Shampoo is current $0.45 a bottle at my commissary. There was coupon a few weeks back for $1/2. I was hesitant at first, because $0.45 is really cheap, but my family loves it! They even use it for a body wash. Check your local commissary to see if it is on sale.

Swim Shirts

UVSkinz, my absolute favorite swim shirt company, is running a July sale, one free swim shirt with every purchase. Their goal is to give away 3000 swim shirts this summer. I am going to order myself a shirt tomorrow. In case you are wondering, I do not make any money from them, I am just passionate about protecting our most valuable treasures from the harmful rays of the sun.

Raw Diet

My husband, who is well on the road to recovery (that is a topic for another post) has decided it is time to jump on the health train. I am excited because for years he has tried to jump in front the health train and derail it! As he attempts to rid his body of all the nastiness he has put in it over the years, his intake of fresh fruits and veggies has skyrocketed. The cool thing is that he has put me in charge of his diet. I would like to get him to about 75% raw foods but that is going to take some work. He is giving up soda, which is a big deal, and is decreasing his caffeine intake significantly. I would love to hear from any of you who eat super healthy, advice is appreciated and welcomed!

I made my kids a smoothie today. It consisted of carrots, bananas, whole orange, whole apple, whole nectarine, whole pear, frozen strawberries, and vanilla yogurt. They loved it. Even my pickiest of picky eaters downed his portion and asked for seconds. Tomorrow I think I will throw in some flax, spinach, and wheat germ. I think they had their entire requirement for fruits and veggies in one meal!

Homeschooling

Calling all homeschoolers, it is time to start planning for the next school year! I know there are some really motivated moms who have already started school, but for the rest of us… take some time each day to plan for the upcoming year. What character traits do you plan on working on this year? What does your schedule look like, daily, weekly, monthly? When are you going to clean and get the housework done? How many days off will you take at Christmas? The time to start thinking about these things is now! Start the school year off right and with a plan!

Completely Random Thoughts to Finish the Post

We had a great time on our trip this weekend. My neighbor had twins on Monday and is already home from the hospital. I saw one of the babies tonight, so tiny and precious. Have you ever been so behind on something that you don’t want to even begin to start up again? I have a few of those areas in my life. I have stopped reading my chronological bible and started reading Isaiah, Proverbs and Luke. I am reading Isaiah because my friend in WV is reading Isaiah, so I like to be prepared when she calls me with a verse. My kids are getting old. I can’t believe I have a child that will be able to drive in less than a year! Today I realized that my four year old can swim, and not just dog paddle. For a child that lives with endless irrational fears, I am shocked that she swims like a fish, has never had a swim lesson in her life and only has access to pools three months out of the year. I need to start exercising again. My energy level has been down and I think it is because I am not exercising.

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Off for the Weekend

We are taking a quick road trip this weekend. I’ll be back on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Just in case you wanted to see a recent picture of me, I’ll leave you with one for the road.

Did I mention that I don’t like to be rained on and I am not that big a fan of photos either!

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Am I Crazy?

Confession time… my kids dislike fruit and vegetables. Each child has a few favorites, but as a whole they squirm and grimace when something green in color is set in front of them. It is my goal to change this in my kids. I want them to like most fruits and veggies, and actually smile when they see a piece of broccoli on their plate. I have, in the past, hid fruits and veggies in other foods in an attempt to trick them into eating the good stuff. It has worked, but they haven’t developed a taste for all things healthy.

So, I have developed a plan. I am going to pay my children to try new foods. Laugh at me if you will, but I think my idea might work. Each day I introduce a few fruits and vegetables. If they try the food I pay them a dime. Yes I am cheap, my oldest kids actually laughed when I told them about the pay out, but it is working.

I made up a list with my kids names at the top and the fruits and veggies down the left side. When they try a food we put either a y (like it) or n (don’t like it) in the box under their name. I can keep track of which foods were tried and I now have a running list of healthy foods my kids like or dislike. Some of the items on the list are foods we eat regularly but certain kids don’t ever try them. Others are items I never buy because I don’t like them. My husband was excited about this plan until I informed him that grown-ups don’t get paid for trying new foods.

Our first food was yellow pepper. My child who loves yellow peppers was excited to earn an easy dime. The other kids were not as enthused.

Last night we tried sweet potato and broccoli. The broccoli was a big thumbs up, but the sweet potato was not a winner.

Today for lunch we tried strawberries and blueberries. My kids eat a lot of strawberries in smoothies, but don’t eat fresh ones very often. The blueberries were a big, big flop. No one liked them. At least they will eat the blueberries in smoothies. The strawberries earned a thumbs up.

We are heading out of town for the weekend so there will probably be little new foods tried, but I plan to start up again when we return home on Monday. If you are interesting in bribing your kids to try new foods, you can download my check-off chart.

by admin -

Gratituesday

Although I am thankful for her every Tuesday, since she is turning 14 this week it was time to send a little thankfulness her way.

She is my oldest, and was kind enough to ease me into parenting. I was a young mom and didn’t have any idea what I was doing with her. She was a happy, wonderful baby who was content anywhere, doing anything, she even attended college classes with me a few times in her stroller. As she grew up, she continued in her cheerful ways.

She is a wonderful daughter, big sister, cousin, granddaughter, and friend. She makes friends quickly and is always looking for ways to serve others. Over the past few years her dad and I have watched her turn from a cute little girl into a beautiful young lady.

I remember on your third birthday I cried after your party because I thought you were growing up too fast. Now that you are fourteen, I realize how quickly the time has passed. Although this year, I did not cry after your party. I realized that every year you have been in our family is a better one than the year before. You are a wonderful example to your brothers, sisters, your dad and me. Your positive attitude is contagious and we are a better and stronger family because you are in it.

We love you, and wish you another wonderful year!

For more Gratituesday visit Laura’s blog.

by admin -

Summer Routine

The past few days have shown me the need for a summer routine. Usually we school through the summer, but after this year we needed a little break. We will probably pick school back up the first week of August, so until then we need to find something to do with all of our free time. Well, I don’t need to find anything to do with my free time, I have countless sewing projects, emails to respond to, bills to pay, rooms to paint, clothes to sort, furniture to paint, boxes to unpack, shelves to build, blogs to read, school planning to do, and a garage to clean. My kids however, don’t seem to have anything to do but to get into trouble.

So I have decided to start a little summer routine.

  • Wake up
  • Check email
  • Make breakfast (I hope to start the older kids making breakfast for the family at least a few days a week by the end of the summer)
  • Get dressed
  • Go to the park
  • Leave the park and go on a walk
  • Come home, eat a cookie on the front porch
  • Color/ draw
  • Eat lunch
  • Toddler Naps

That is as far as I have planned out my routine. In the evening Dad has been coming home and either taking them to the pool or the park to wear them out before bed. It is working. The kids love this routine so far because they know they get to play at the park and the big kids know they will get to hike. My oldest is also earning some P.E. hours because she has been playing basketball during our park time. The other benefit is that I am getting some exercise pushing the double jogger all over the base.

Here are some pictures from our park/hikes this week.

I hope I can keep this up throughout the summer, the kids are behaving much better and sleeping soundly at night.

by admin -

Protect Your Kids

I want to begin this post by saying that if I endorse a product on my site it means; I own it, love it, buy it as a gift for others, and I want you to love it too. I do not promote products very often, but when I do, consider me a believer.

A few weeks back I wrote a post about swim shirts. My kids have been wearing them for several years, and I believe all kids should be wearing them when they are in the pool, at the beach, or running around in the front yard sprinkler. One million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, and every hour one person dies from skin cancer. Over 90% of skin cancer is caused by sun exposure. I have always known that skin cancer is dangerous ( I grew up in Florida), but I never really thought about how deadly it really is, until I met Rhonda.

Rhonda’s husband Darren was your typical outdoor guy. He loved to surf and snowboard and of course had many sunburns throughout his childhood. In 1996 Darren was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Darren stayed positive and lively for his three young boys, Ethan, Seth and Caleb and never gave up hope during his long five-year battle with the disease. On September 14, 2001, Darren lost his battle with cancer, at the age of 32.

Rhonda decided to take action with the hope of preventing another family from having to live through this type of tragedy. She started the Darren Lee Farwell Foundation on December 1st, 2001 to help fulfill Darren’s legacy. The Foundation was created to raise general public awareness of the ever-growing dangers of UV radiation from the sun; to educate children and adults as to how to protect themselves from over-exposure by using sunscreens, hats and UV protective clothing; and to facilitate early detection of skin disease by teaching people to be aware of their bodies and to look for the warning signs of skin cancer development.

After starting the Foundation Rhonda made a trip to Hawaii, and brought back some rash guard shirts for her boys. These shirts became so popular, but so hard to find, that Rhonda decided to start UV Skinz a company that sells swim shirts, shorts, hats and other accessories.

There are so many things I admire about Rhonda. When she was hit with a terrible tragedy, she made the best of a bad situation. Instead of looking back she set her gaze forward. Although I am sure she has had her moments, she has made it her mission to keep this from happening to others.

Her website is incredibly informative about why swim shirts are better than sun screen, and believe me as a long time user they are, facts about skin cancer, and her products are cute to boot. This month in honor of Darren’s birthday they are giving away A FREE SWIM SHIRT with any purchase for the entire month of June.

When my oldest son was little he had a severe reaction to sun screen. Every time we applied sunscreen his face would swell up and he would break out in hives. This kept us from taking him in the pool, except in the evening, for the first few years of his life. Thankfully he outgrew this allergy, but if we had known about swim shirts 12 years ago, things would have been a lot different.

I have been buying swim shirts for my kids for the past 5 years. I have purchased from many different companies including Target, Old Navy, Lands End, LL Bean, and local surf shops. The UV Skinz shirts blow away the competition. The sleeves are a little longer than most, for extra sun protection, and the fit is just right, not as tight as rash guard t’s but not so loose as to inhibit swimming. My son loves his UV Skinz shirt and wears it as often as he can, even if we are not going to the pool. In fact, tonight he is even sleeping in his shirt.

I would encourage you to check out Rhonda’s site UV Skinz. Skin cancer is 100% preventable if caught early! Protecting your skin during the first 18 years of life can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78%.

Your kids will thank you for it.

by admin -

Getting Settled

After a week of moving, I feel like we are finally getting settled in our new house. We still have a long way to go, (my bedroom and the garage) but we are making progress. This summer my goal is to sort through every bin, box and cubby we have in our house and get rid of the things my kids don’t use anymore. They have so many great toys, but they seem to get lost in the shuffle. I want to weed out the bad from the good so we can start using the good stuff!

Here are some pictures from our move.

Dining Room last week

Dining Room this week

Living Room last week

Living Room this week

Kitchen last week

Kitchen this week

School Room last week

School Room this week

The Garage (aka the black hole)

I hope to make progress on the black hole this week.

For more Making Your Home a Haven visit Crystal’s blog.

For more Talk about Tuesday visit Lara’s blog, she is having a giveaway!

For more tackles visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

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Monday Meanderings

Well, we are out of the old house and ready to turn over the keys today. It is a relief to have all the stuff moved and the old house clean. There is still a lot of work to do on the new house. We have almost unpacked, except for the garage, which is a total wreck. Here are some of my goals I hope to accomplish this week.

  • Finish unpacking
  • Finish kids’ report cards
  • Hang pictures
  • Paint school room
  • Order border for play room
  • Buy hardware for garage shelves
  • Start to organize the garage
  • Mail coupons for troops
  • Take the kids to the pool
  • Put away dishes given to us by ladies at church
  • RSVP to two baby showers
  • Plan oldest daughter’s birthday party
  • Finish mount laundry

If I can accomplish most of my list this week, I will be very happy. Things like the garage are projects that will take longer than a week, but I need to get started on them soon. We are taking a month break from school. I hope to plan for the coming school year (I have one starting high school) and then start back in July. I still need to order some curriculum but that can wait until next week.

Have a great week and don’t forget to visit Tiany’s blog for more Monday Meanderings.