The Simple Woman's Daybook. . .

Outside my window. . .rain and snow.

I am hearing...Lela's PC educational videos.

I am thinking. . .Vince isn't going to get home in time for meeting.

I am thankful for. . .being able to have such a wonderful program for homeschooling Lela.

I am remembering. . .how awesome my kids are.

I am hoping. . .the kids can play outside more soon.

I am creating. . .nothing, I need to make some blouses, but not happening.

On my mind. . .losing weight again.

Noticing that. . .The house needs a cleaning top to bottom.

From the kitchen. . .shepherd's pie.

One of my favorite things. . .having energy.

A few plans for the rest of the week. . .Not much. I need to go to World Market and back to Food For Thought. I guess making popcorn and trying a new idea of sprinkling cardamon on top!

What I am reading. . .blogs about muffin tin meals and bentos.

Picture for thought I am sharing. . .

Sleepy RJ! hahaha

Muffin Tin Monday. . .

I for sure have to improve on my photography. But, we have been loving doing Muffin Tin Meals.  Today's theme was supposed to be April Fool's on the MTM group, but I went ahead and did spring again.

Top row:
Animal Cracker & Bunny Grahams
Plastic Cupcake-with lemon heads
Ham roll ups on a bunny pick & Pretzel

Bottom row:
Heart Shaped Strawberries
Bunny Mix-Cheddar Bunnies, raisins, dried Cantelope
Tulip shaped Cucumbers


They were completely polished off! Even the tulip cucumbers.

Outside my window. . .blustery wind.

I am hearing...children playing.

I am thinking. . .What a awesome, brave, and over whelming sacrifice Jesus made for us.

I am thankful for. . .Jehovah and Jesus loving mercy for us.

I am remembering. . .Jesus' torture his last hours as a man.

I am hoping. . .that the children will feel Jehovah and Jesus love for them tonight.

I am creating. . .a new skirt-yup finished a new skirt just minutes before memorial, haha I really love it, it's a nice sweater knit very warm.

On my mind. . .teaching my children about Jehovah and Jesus enough they will want to dedicate their lives to God, and truly love him.

Noticing that. . .I need to clean this house!

From the kitchen. . .sandwiches.

One of my favorite things. . .knowledge of the truth, and God's purpose for our future.

A few plans for the rest of the week. . .Cleaning the house, collecting more bento, an healthy food things.

What I am reading. . .My Book of Bible Stories.

Picture for thought I am sharing. . .

Vince and RJ at Disney on Ice.

Muffin Tin Monday

In the tin-
Top Row-
Green Pea Pod, Yellow Bunny Peep, Ham Roll Ups.

Bottom Row-
String Cheese, Chicken Biscuits, Baby Cucumbers.





Whew, been a long time since I have posted. I've been working on trying to eat healthier again, I need to lose weight badly! Looking around online for ideas for healthy kids lunches, I found Muffin Tin Meals. And a link up party for Mondays on them. This week I mainly just started getting a few of the items needed for them. So this week it's a little lame, but as time goes on I'll work on getting more things in them, and buying more accessories to make them cuter too. This week wasn't that healthy. But, the kids loved them! I had really wanted them to have strawberries too, but the ones at the store looked awful, so they were out. Again hopefully I'll improve as time goes on. So to get to it, here's the kids MTM this week. They ALL loved it. And ate every bite. they asked for more meat several times, so they ate about 6 times the amount of meat you see in the photo below. But, other then that, this is basically what they ate. Surprisingly enough only RJ went for the bunny first, the girls saved theirs for last.

I also worked on a healthy lunch for myself as well. I didn't take a photo but maybe I'll start. I had a ham and cheese sandwich-whole wheat bread, organic smoked cheddar, and the olive oil mayo. With hummus and sliced cucumbers. My dessert was two Lemon Lavender Miss Meringue Cookies, they were awesome!  

We have had a awesome couple of weeks. Saturday before last we seen Disney on Ice with the kids. They loved it. Had a ton of fun.

Then Wednesday was Vince and I's 12 anniversary. He brought me some really hilarious cards. I bought him some tie tacks from the antique mall. On Saturday he took me to Yoder to celebrate. We ate at the Amish restaurant and I went to the thrift store there that was so much fun. They moved locations. But, their prices were as good as ever. I got a vintage thermos with the glass inside, for 50 cents! I love the vintage ones. Lela a hand made sweater. She's been needing one for meetings cause she outgrew all her meeting ones. Myself three really cute sweaters. And real tupperware for only 25 cents. A cute little coat rack for the girls. And Belle another dresser scarf as well. Myself some really cute hot pads, and on and on. Two full bags, plus the coat rack all less then 15 dollars total. I love that thrift shop! I can't wait to go back again.

Then today we went to the Dillon's Market Place in Derby and ate dinner. Their salad bar is awesome. I loved the spinach egg salad. And Vince really liked the prime rib dinner he had. Then I was able to get the grocery shopping for the week done as well. I think that will start being our lunch/dinner spot on Sundays. The salad bar is so tastey. And they have pork loin or prime rib at the deli (hot meals) on Sundays and Vince really liked his. And then I can right there get my shopping done too. Stores used to have cafeterias when I was growing up and that's how my mom always did the weekly shopping too. But, then they went away for a while. I'm kind of glad Dillon's brought it back. They have a really nice organic and health food section too. I especially like the bulk dry goods section.

House or a Home . . .

I haven't posted in forever! Any way, lots going on. Some one in the family has been sick for weeks! ARG!

Went to Lela's 100 day field trip, she loved it. I thought it was ok, but kind of wish we had went to the cosmosphere instead. But, oh well. The upside is we did get to meet her teacher in person for the first time. Then we went to Yoder and spent the rest of the day, thrift shops, gift shops, hardware stores, quilt shops, a ton of fun, I need another whole day there, ran out of time to go to a few more of the antique shops, the art store or the furniture store. I told Vince I want to spend one of our anniversaries in the B&B there. But, we did eat lunch there, oh so yummy! mmmmmm The tollhouse pie is just over the moon amazing! The fried chicken best ever!

But, it's still been a fun few weeks. Finally thanks for Dollar Tree, Craig's List and Freecycle my home is finally coming together to look better then the refugee look we had for so long!  Almost every thing is organized, I have some awesome bedroom furniture, I've even been able to decorate a little bit. I am quite sure I'm going to refinish a old dresser I have this week. I took off two of the nobs that the screws were stripped and replaced them with really cute ones, but left all the antique knobs that were still in good condition on the dresser, next I'm going to tear off the rest of the veneer that is already peeling off horribly and oil up the wood underneath it and see what I have when I'm done. I'm just so happy that my house is actually starting to look like a home....in NY the only room I was happy with decor/furniture wise was the kitchen. Now my bedroom is coming along, ALMOST done, I need a few picture frames and some artwork and new nightstands I will be having custom made this year, a coat of paint on the wall, and I'll be HAPPY with it. The living room, needs a coat of paint and custom made book shelves done. School room I'm pretty happy with, but want to add more storage and a coat of paint! Lela and Belle's room, I want Lela a new dresser that my mom said she would give me one if I can get to it, will match Belle's other then that a little organization in there too, and art/pics and boom it will be done too. The bathrooms I would like to paint, but other then that I have art from dollar tree in them that look amazingly good for a dollar! I'm going to add a shelf I already got from Craig's List in the small bathroom, maybe a little more art work in there and it will be so done!

Any way, super excited that the house is coming along. After this year, the only thing left to work on will be the study. But, it doesn't even look bad, just would be nice to personalize it and spruce it up. But, other then that I am just so excited to finally know the whole house is going to look like a home and one I want to live in this year!

Glory School Days. . .

Whew, been busy!

EVERY one in my family has been sick. Just over and over again. ARG!

Me at my Aunt Gerry's 1976.

My aunt that I was super close to as a child died last week. She and I looked a lot alike. In some ways Lela looks like she did as a child as well. Her and I even had the same birth mark in the same exact spot. A lot of ironies between us. Funny it's the same for Belle and my sister Amber, they have the exact same scars, etc on their faces. She used to always com and get me and I would stay many weekends at her home. And summers in Alabama with her as well. She loved antiquing and entertaining. And....she was my first introduction to JoAnna Lund! A real life changer for me and my diabetes. I can't wait to see her again, when she will be healthy. She was the second of my mom's siblings to die. It's really shook her up. She has one sister and one brother left...that's it.

RJ's desk and new dollhouse bookcase

I went thrifting weekend before last and found RJ a desk! I would like to get Belle a different desk, I got hers for free on freecycle, and it's not as nice as RJ and Lela's. BUT, for now they each have their own desk! I was also able to find a bookcase I have been wanting for Lela for 5 years! It's a dollhouse and so cute! So all that meant I had to redo the classroom so that it could fit. Well, I'm in love with my make over. I was even inspired to print new labels for all our boxes of school stuff. And now I'm going to redo my sewing drawers, which a bonus when I reconfigured the room I was able to get all my sewing drawers into the classroom which is also my sewing room! I am going to do a make over on the drawers too with scrap book paper a idea I seen on pintrest. Then I will print some more vintage labels for them as well. I just love this site I found such cute vintage images and vintage inspired labels.

New Labels

I made Lela her first lapbook last weekend as well, it was on Moses, I liked it so well I am going to design some of my own. I want to make one on all the books of the Bible, paradise, and so many more. Lela put in a request for one on Jonah, her favorite Bible person! haha A sister already sent me a Jonah worksheet as a jumping off starter for the Jonah lapbook. So far it's a whole lot of fun. Kind of like scrapbooking but doesn't have to be as perfect. So it's working out even better for me. However, it has pushed me to buy more scrapbooking supplies, like cutters and such. Man these new paper cutting systems makes it so much easier to cut things to look so nice. I used them in cutting the new labels for our boxes too, and will use them for cutting the scrapbook paper for my drawer makeover as well. I was looking online at other lapbooks for ideas, when I seen another classroom that was so cute, now I know exactly the direction I want to go with ours. I have things in my ikea cart right now! Can't wait for our income tax return to come so I can get the stuff, and really bling the classroom out. haha.  I want shelves in the closet too! And I think I will have Vince take the closet doors off and spray paint them with chalk board paint too. Then I seen these renovations of old school desk that I just have to do. Glitter spray paint the metal, and make cute little fabric covers for the seat and backs, I want to make the pocket backs so they can put little treasures in them too. Oh so much stuff I want to do. But, it's fun!