lots to do, lots to do…

Well Mr. Miller turns 40 in a week and we have lots to do around here.  I was planning a surprise “Pirate Looks at 40” party but he found out about it.  OH we are still having the party but now his wife or should I say “the woman to blame…” has a few tricks up her sleeve for Saturdays festivities.

I have about 80 people coming to a Margaritaville Party in our backyard.  Mr. Miller is feverishly finishing the great project of 2010 and I might say it looks amazing.  I am busy making all the napkins today.  I found 2 twin flat sheets at Wal Mart for $3 a piece and was able to get 44 napkins out of each.  My lovah is working overtime on finishing these.

Mimi helping me on Sunday with some of the errands.  We found Tiki torches to line the walkway to the “Tiki Bar” for $1.49 at Party America.  Can’t beat that price.

Did I forget to mention that I had a tooth pulled yesterday on top of everything?  So sorry I was a little out of commission yesterday.   Leave it to me to cram a lot into one week.

The Deacon, Pops, Grampie and Grandma will fly in on Friday and I already have their to do lists.  Mimi and Poppa will arrive on Saturday with my Key Lime Tarts and the Potato Salad.  Aunt Erika and Uncle Randy will get here Saturday to help transform the backyard into the “Tiki Bar”.  All of this will be done by 5 pm because well you know the song, “It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere” and they are coming to Margaritaville for Cheeseburgers in Paradise and to Blow out their Flip Flops.

It will be a great time, now just to get everything done!

kurplink, kurplank, kurplunk…

As a girl I loved the book Blueberries for Sal.  It is about a little girl named Sal who while picking blueberries ate them faster than they would go into her bucket.  Last week the Guncles took their niece Madeline to the berry patch just south of us, they shared their bounty, 2 very large bags of blueberries.

I have spent the last week freezing berries and baking.  My boys have a permanent blue tint to them these days.

I found that if you lay the berries flat and freeze them first they won’t clump together when put in a bag for the freezer.

I am getting quite a bit of use from my food sealer that my Uncle Wayne gave us for Christmas. 

We will have blueberries for a while this winter.  Thanks Jeremy and Brandon.

the renegade

Last year I talk about my love for these lovely ladies.  I have a renegade lady this year.  We didn’t plant any seeds this year, and I am not sure why,  but look what has made her way into our garden.  I am referring to her as the renegade lady.

Look how tall she is.

I might just have 1 but I will cherish my time with her.

{this moment}

~ Oh how I love a good storm rolling in across the plains.

garden bounty

We have started to harvest from the Garden this year.  We picked tomatoes and fresh basil one night last week and made pizza.  See those beautiful zucchini and onions?  I got them in my veggie delivery last week from Fresh Connect KC.  I have not been a big basil fan in the past but this was amazing.  I would love someone to share recipes that they use basil in, I am curious now and want to start experimenting.

My boys love Pizza, but in our search of a simpler life it meant giving up a few things such as eating out.  Lately though I have decided that instead of using the phrase “giving up” I prefer new lifestyle change.  I found a GF pizza crust that works for us and is easy to make and easy on the wallet

Bob’s Red Mill GF crust is easy to make and makes 2 pizzas out of one package.  The boys like pepperoni or hamburger and me and Mr. Miller love a veggie pizza.

My assistant, Cameroni, had a great time helping me and boy they had no problem eating the results.

learning responsibility

This summer I have been trying to teach Cameron about responsibilities.  These can be as simple as brushing his teeth every morning and night, making his bed and picking up after himself.  The first two listed are going fabulously we are still working on the third.

I have been trying to explain to him also that we don’t have to get a surprise or toy every time we go to a store.  Mr. Miller and I truly believe that our society is spoiled and over indulged.  We are guilty too!  We really came to that realization on Sunday morning when we had a major storm blow through.  We had just been talking about the idea of getting rid of cable, not only to save money but to focus on us as a family, when the storm blew through.  Boom!  We lost power.  We were without power for only 5 hours where as our neighbors across the street were without for about 14.  We all came together, helping each other picking up downed limbs and making sure everyone was ok.  We sat and talked, laughed, the kids played and when our power came on we offered the coolness of our homes and freezer space.  This is what a neighborhood is about. 

So back to my original thought before I started rambling, we decided last night that Cameron, who loves to help, could start earning money or things by helping with small jobs.  Which brings me to this:

Yes, it was beautiful with all of its tiny blossoms of white, but now those are gone and I am stuck with a yard full of these tiny, half eaten, sour, rotting apples.  Henry loves to pick them up and bring them to me, so I thought why not have Cameron pick them up for 5 cents an apple.  I explained that we would keep tally and at the end of the week he could have the money for his piggy bank or in exchange for cars.  The decision is still out but it worked.  He picked up 73 apples last night.  This kept him busy and most importantly I didn’t have to pick up those darn things.

{this moment}

~ a brief moment from my week that warms my heart…

Fairy Godmothers are a very good thing indeed!

job jars, chocolate and wine

 

I have recently had several conversations lately with new Mama's and it seems their question for me is "how do you do it all in one day?"  OK time for confession, I DON'T, or at least not in one day.

One way that I keep my house in order, now I said in order and not immaculate, is to have a "job jar".  When I was first married and working full time I had Monday's off.  I used to cram everything into Monday's.  Laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, ironing and on and on.  I was so exhausted by the end of the day I didn't feel that I even had a day off.  I had a friend, K.C., and she was home with 2 kids and her house was always put together.  How in the world did she do it?  I mean if you are home with your kids you don't work, right?  Wrong, trust me I wish I sat around here eating "Chocolate Covered Strawberries and drinking Wine" (thanks for the analogy Melissa).  K.C. let me in on her secret, she said she had a "job jar".  She put down every chore, one by one, on a slip of paper and kept them in a jar and she pulled a couple out every day and did them at some point during the day. That way at the end of 7 days every chore in keeping house had been accomplished at least once.   Ingenious I say!   

These days I still practice that method.  Of course while using cloth diapers I am running laundry every other day, the dishes are done everyday and my OCD pushes me to sweep and vacuum.  This method has worked for me for over 10 years, both working at home and away from home.  These days I make a task sheet for the week and I divide up the chores that way, but none the less it is the same idea.  

Finding that your chores are overtaking you, give this a try.  It worked for me to give me more time and I am all about those "chocolate covered strawberries and wine".  No I am not perfect and some days well the dusting or cutting fabric can wait until tomorrow because "Mama" is needed at that moment, but my job is "Mama" these days and that is just fine with me.  After all Cameron said it best, “you are not a lady, you are just a Mama and Mama’s are special!”. 

“pasketti anyone?”

 

Big brother teaching little brother the proper etiquette of a spoon, with what else?  Spaghetti or as it is still called at Green Acres “Pasketti”.   We had spaghetti earlier in the week and Friday nights are usually leftover night since we are getting ready to go out of town for the Market.  I just added some extra tomatoes and fresh basil from the garden and you are good to go.  Very friendly in the wallet department too!

not my original post idea...

So today I am not doing my original thoughts because I cannot find my camera cord to upload pictures, so I am going to pat myself on the back and do a little celebrating.

Here it goes, I started doing the Farmer's Market about 6 weeks ago and have been having a blast. In the last few weeks some really great and positive things have happened with this adventure. I have been contacted by a Natural Parenting Store that has interest in wholesaling my diapers and I have a Mama that would like to have a registry with me for her upcoming baby shower. I never thought that this would even be possible. Now I know it is just some small steps but they are very exciting for me and well Green Acres.

I started this Blog to chronicle a simpler life, and well it just gets better every day. Our garden is in full swing, I have been helping some wonderful friends care for their children and I get to sew and answer to me and just my boys. Life is good and full of many blessings.

On Sunday we sang this Psalm. Little did I know how perfect it was for me and things that are happening here at Green Acres.

Psalm 30

1 I will exalt you, O LORD,

for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave ; you spared me from going down into the pit.
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may remain for a night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,

"I will never be shaken."
7 O LORD, when you favored me,

you made my mountain stand firm;

but when you hid your face,

I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I called;

to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 "What gain is there in my destruction,

in my going down into the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;

O LORD, be my help."
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

What blessings have been bestowed upon you lately? Look around I promise they are there.

{this moment}

~ a brief moment from my week that warms my heart…

a couple of visitors

On Tuesday afternoon I got a phone call from my neighbor Brad, he told me to look out my back door.  This is what I saw, a couple of young bucks helping themselves to an afternoon snack.  Thank God they were on the opposite side of the yard from the garden.  Pardon the poor quality of pictures but I took them through the window so I wouldn’t disturb them.