I've Moved!

My blog has a new home at Wordpress. I kept noticing all these beautiful blogs & decided to check it out. It is perfect for an html illiterate like me - I am able to customize my blog without getting a degree first. Blogger, it's been fun, but I've found someone else... maybe we can still be friends. Click below for my new site.

Are We There Yet?

wfmw irish brown bread

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would post my favorite Irish bread recipe. Hubby & I lived in Dublin for a year working with a church there. It is a gorgeous country full of funny, friendly people.

Irish Brown Bread
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons toasted wheat bran
3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles fine meal. Stir in enough buttermilk to form soft dough. Transfer dough to prepared loaf pan.
Bake until bread is dark brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Turn bread out of pan and cool right side up on rack.

Check out this great website that sells Irish food. We had so much fun browsing & remembering all of our favorites.

wfmw - holiday bathrooms

Once again, I turn to my trusty Dollar Tree for this week's idea. They sell wired garland for every holiday (comes in a coil w/foil stars, hearts, shamrocks, bats, etc). I placed 4 push pins along the top of the mirror in the kids' bathroom. I just loop & drape the garland across the top of the mirror. I keep all of the garlands that I'm not using in colorful baskets on top of the cabinet over the toilet - I got the baskets at Dollar Tree of course! It makes the bathroom look so festive, but it's fast, simple & cheap.

While I've got a captive audience - does anyone have a great idea for a Women's Retreat notebook? We've always filled a folder with the schedule, notes, songs, etc. & I'm looking for a more creative idea.

~hymns ~ the way we'd sing them if we were honest

I Surrender, Some
There Shall Be Sprinkles of Blessings
Fill My Spoon, Lord
Oh, How I Like Jesus
He's Quite a Bit to Me
I Love to Talk About Telling the Story
Take My Life and Let Me Be
It Is My Secret What God Can Do
There Is Scattered Cloudiness in My Soul Today
Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
Just As I Pretend to Be
When the Saints Go Sneaking In
Sit Up, Sit Up for Jesus
A Comfy Mattress Is Our God
Self-Esteem to the World, The Lord Is Come
Oh, for a Couple of Tongues to Sing
Amazing Grace, How Interesting the Sound
Go Tell It on the Speed Bump
Special, Special, Special
Lord, Keep Us Loosely Connected to Your Word
Praise God From Whom All Affirmations Flow
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Much
O, God, Our Enabler in Ages Past
I Lay My Inappropriate Behavior on Jesus
Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
All Hail the Influence of Jesus' Name!
When Peace, Like a Trickle
I'm Fairly Certain that My Redeemer Lives
We Give Thee but Still Think We Own
What an Acquaintance We Have in Jesus
My Faith Looks Around for Thee
Joyful, Joyful We Think Thee Pretty Good
Blessed Hunch
Above Average Is Thy Faithfulness
We Are Milling Around in the Light of God
Spirit of the Living God, Fall Somewhere Near Me
Blest Be the Tie that Doesn't Cramp My Style

WFMW thin mint cookie alternative

Are you enjoying your Girl Scout cookie stash? Pretty soon it will be gone, but if you live near a Dollar Tree store you can satisfy that Thin Mint craving all year long. They carry a mint fudge cookie that tastes just like a thin mint. They are square instead of round - similar to a fudge graham cookie. Soooooooo yummy & only a dollar, that works for me!

home is a haven

This quote is from an 1867 Victorian newspaper column written by Mrs. "Jenny June":

"Even under the present imperfect conditions, home is the central attraction of every human heart, the inspiration of nearly all effort, the haven of all our hopes & desires. What would it be were women true to themselves, to their high destiny, to their great work? [What would it be] were the influences of home charged, as they might be, with the electric current of active love, faith, knowledge, strength, courage,and devotion to the interests they are bound to protect?"

Taken from Sarah Ban Breathnach's Mrs. Sharp's Traditions

the evolution of math

The evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

Teaching Math In 1950
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1960
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

Teaching Math In 1970
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

Teaching Math In 1980
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20 Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

Teaching Math In 1990
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes?(There are no wrong answers.)

Teaching Math In 2005
Un hachero vende una carretada de madera para $100. El costo de la producción es $80 ......
(author unknown)

science in the garden

I get to order a new booooooook!! (Can you tell I enjoy doing that?) I just ran this by Hubby to use as our new Science curriculum. He likes to get the kids involved in gardening every Spring, so I thought this was a good fit. We are going to study it together as a family, which is really exciting to me because Hubby is a great teacher!

We will be using
Exploring Creation with Botany, Textbook

By Jeannie K. Fulbright

Click on the link above to save $10 off the regular price!

e-books for kids

I love love love this new site I stumbled across. Tumblebooks

Kids can read along with the story and watch animated pages from the book. Lots of great authors like Robert Munsch.

Trust me, your kids will love this site!

homemaking meme

This looked fun so I thought I'd give it a try. If you want to do a list too, leave a comment so we can check it out!

Aprons – Y/N?
No, but I might consider it. I had no idea so many people still wore aprons until I started reading blogs.

Baking – Favorite thing to bake:
pumpkin bread

Clothesline – Y/N?
No, it is against our homeowner association regulations (which is ridiculous considering we live on an acre on the outskirts of town).

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
Only if poking a hole in canned biscuits and frying them counts as making donuts.

One homemaking thing you do every day:
cook meals

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
yes

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
yes

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
the internet and my mother-in-law

Ironing – Love it or hate it?
I don't hate it, but I do it as little as possible. We just throw wrinkled clothes in the dryer with a damp washcloth for everyday wear.

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
yes, in the kitchen

Kitchen: Design & Decorating?
birdhouses

Love: What is your favorite part of homemaking?
I love to make my home a festive, fun place to be. My mom filled our home with laughter & celebration, and I want my children to have the same memories.

Mop - Y/N?
Yes, although our favorite method doesn't involve a mop, but 5 pairs of socks. I got the idea from Michelle.

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
throw them away (I know, wasteful, but I rarely wear them & they are cheap)

Oven - Do you use the window, or open the door to check?
open the door

Pizza - What do you put on yours?
sausage & green olives

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
I go find out what my two youngest are getting into - that's the only time it's quiet.

Recipe card box - Y/N
No, but I do have a recipe notebook. I find most of my recipes on the internet & print them out.

Style of house -
I have no idea- traditional? red brick & black roof

Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N?
I usually have a seasonal table cloth, but we use paper napkins. I think I am going to try Shannon's idea soon.

Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?
Toxic wasteland. In addition to the usual toxins, I now keep our peanut butter & bubble bath under there.

Vacuum - How many times per week
every day

Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do a week?
at least 10

X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do and cross them off?
not usually

Yard - Who does what?
HaHaHa....oh, sorry. What I meant to say was Hubby is in charge of the grass & garden, & the kiddos are in charge of leaving their toys & bikes everywhere putting away their toys & bikes. I am in charge of whining about how hot it is and choosing which beautiful plants we will be killing this season.

Zzz's - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Making sure all toys & shoes are put away so the dogs don't have a party after we go to bed.

step away from the peanut butter

Hubby called me from work this morning with an urgent request to check the peanut butter. Turns out both jars in our pantry are part of the peanut butter recall.

Then my sister sent me this article about toxic children's bath products.

So, anyone up for learning how to make your own peanut butter & soap? I actually have a recipe for peanut butter soap, so we can kill 2 birds with 1 stone... or I guess we could also kill them with a PB&J sandwich and a bubble bath.

WFMW - candy cane hearts

I needed a little treat to take to our Valentine party this afternoon. Being the cheap lazy frugal person that I am, I decided to use what we had around the house instead of dragging 4 kids to the store in the freezing cold. This is the end result:

Preheat your oven @ 250. Unwrap candy canes & form hearts on a foil-lined baking sheet. Make sure that both ends of the candy canes are touching. S-l-o-w-l-y & carefully put them in the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes. Let cool & peel off of the foil.

Easy, cute & free - that Works For Me

**Updated to add: If you happen to forget that you put your hearts on the bed to take a picture, and if your two-year old happens to snap them all in half....... don't fret, just pop them back in the oven for a couple of minutes & they are as good as new!

it's an eeyore day

It's gloomy & cold & rainy. I just want to curl up by the fire with a book, but the dishes, laundry & kids beckon. (plus the wood happens to be out in the rain) If it's gloomy in your neck of the woods, here are some posts that made me laugh out loud. Hope they brighten your day!

She Likes Where She Lives is a tongue in cheek tribute to living in Texas. (It gives a new twist on our motto "Don't Mess with Texas")

Pathetically Uncool by Antique Mommy - she always makes me laugh!

i want candy

See that cute little heart up in the corner? Want one of your very own? Ok, here ya go.

WFMW - don't be selfish

This week's Works-For-Me-Wednesday has a theme in honor of Valentine's Day - Love, Sweet Love.
I remember as a newlywed being told that the first year is hard, but just wait until year 7 - that's when it really starts falling apart! (These encouraging people also believe that teenagers are genetically programmed to be moody, sassy & hate their parents.)

Our first two years of marriage went like this :
-DH doesn't call to let me know he is going to be much later than expected because he "didn't think about it"
-I sit up on the couch furious & worried that he's dead on the side of the road
-He walks in, sees my face, & says "What's wrong?"
-I reply "Nothing" , which of course is Wife-enese for "You better figure out what's wrong with me & fix it!"
-He says "Oh, ok!" because
a) surely his wife wouldn't lie to him &
b) if she did lie, he is not about to give her the satisfaction of playing along with her little game

Does that sound familiar to anyone? Well, we got bored with that rather quickly & decided maybe we should try it God's way instead. In a nutshell, that means put your spouse before yourself ALWAYS.

Self is such a hard thing to let go of, isn't it. When do I get a day off? Why should he get to do something with his friends when I've been home with the sick kids all week? I've had a long day, can't I just roll over & go to sleep? I'm not in the mood to fix dinner, can't you just pick something up on your way home?

I am happy to say that after 14 years of marriage, we still haven't hit that rough patch. We both try to always put each others needs before our own, and amazingly our own needs get taken care of or we realize it wasn't all that important to begin with.
Warning: Be prepared for no one to believe you if you choose to have a peaceful & happy marriage. I look forward to the day when they also don't believe that I have well-behaved, thoughtful teenagers who love me!

Speaking of love, you are going to LOVE this sale!
A fellow homeschooler is offering a special on her site to pay off medical debt. You get a variety of items like e-books, discounts to other sites, recipes, a lapbook - 24 special offers in all for the amazing low price of $29.95!! You must hurry because the offer ends February 10th. You can check it out here.

it snowed! - WFMW

.....for a whole 10 minutes.....but we take what we can get around here. It was beautiful to watch even if it didn't stick.

If you've never seen photos of individual snowflakes, you need to visit one of my favorite websites . My kids and I have had some great discussions about God's creativity while looking through these amazing images.

Want to make some snowflakes of your own? You can find tons of patterns here . Last winter we had a snowflake-cutting party and then pasted our results onto our dining room window with a gluestick - it washes off with a little warm water when you are ready to remove them.

If you are a homeschooler, you've got Bible, Art, & Science all rolled into one lesson - and that Works For Me!

I am so excited to be participating in my first Works-For-Me-Wednesday. I look forward to reading all the great tips every week. Head over to Shannon's to check it out, and to add a tip of your own.

creating a clean heart and home

My friend Kelli led me to a wonderful blog called A Clean Heart . There you can join The Colossal Clutter Clean-Up. A lovely lady named Amy created an Organizer for getting rid of clutter in your heart and home - and she is giving it to us for FREE!! Clutter is a monster I have been fighting for some time, but I am making progress. This organizer has been so encouraging to me. Thank you Amy for sharing your time and talents to help us create peaceful homes free of CHAOS & CLUTTER. God is using you to change lives!

A Big Howdy

Well, I guess I've put this off long enough- time to jump in with both feet. The thought of putting myself out there for all to see is a bit scary, but there are too many fun things going on in Bloggy World and I can't stand to be left out!

I'll introduce myself - My name is Amy & I'm a 36 yr. old stay-at-home Mommy. I have been married to my best friend for 14 years and I am so very, very thankful that God has allowed me to experience such an amazing partnership. I've got 4 beautiful children- dd 9 1/2, dd 8, ds 4, & dd 2. We also have a ds who is Forever 4 - he beat us Home 7 years ago after a courageous battle with leukemia - in our eyes he won the battle. We are in our 5th year of homeschooling and love it.

I am so excited to see where this blogging path takes me. Come on along and journey with me!

I have no idea what I'm doing!

But you have to start somewhere, right?