The Night Before Thanksgiving: Charlie Brown Style

{Sorry about the pic...I took it awhile ago before I was planning on using it for the blog, you know, at night!}

This is going to be a short, sweet and to-the-point post! No blah, blah,blah, today!

My hubby is a complete Charlie Brown fanatic. All I can say is that it has been a good thing that our children have had him as a Daddy, because while I like culture...he is all about FUN! AND I mean lots and lots of fun. Jammie walks, adventures through Bear Country and the Scarry Forest.

Every Veggie Tale, the Little Rascals and The whole Charlie Brown Collection has been a must for his babes.

I have loved his thoughts on different traditions we could start for our children. He has had the best ideas. Another reason we wives should listen to our hubby's! :)

It always seemed that the evening before Thanksgiving was crazy busy in the kitchen! You know, making final touches before the big day to keep stress at bay on Thanksgiving.

Very seldom did we eat in front of the T.V, but it was nights like this that were "special". I would buy fish sticks and tator tots. Yep, the children are still alive, too! They loved it because I never bought junk food.

Their Daddy would put A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving into the video machine and they would get so excited. Like squirming excited! It gave me just enough time to kinda get things cleaned up and prepped for the next day.

Several years ago, we implemented Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving menu to our traditional fish stick and tater tot menu. WHAT A FUN IDEA! {not mine}

Even though we have one child in college now, I can guarantee our grown children and grandchildren will be coming home for The Night Before Thanksgiving. It is a silly tradition, but the memories and no clean-up make this a definite keeper!

Happy Memory Making!


Menu:
Buttered toast...mom's...no wheat bread allowed. You may get away with potato bread, but you will score BIG points if you buy WONDER BREAD!

pretzels

Jelly beans...BIG ones...no Jelly Belly's allowed, either.

popcorn

PINK Sherbet with whipped cream and DO NOT forget the cherries for the top! Trust me, your children will notice!

Fish sticks and tator tots

I serve everything in DISPOSABLE paper trays. That way there is no clean up. :)

Your children will think you hung the moon and your hubby will nominate you AGAIN for MOMMA and WIFE of the YEAR! :)


On a side note, it has been really fun to have family friends join us in our tradition. It seems to be a favorite...and especially interresting to see how others do add their own twist to it!













Shared with: WLW, comfy in the kitchen, stonegable

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Autumn Chopped Salad

One of our very favorite wedding gifts was a "YOU ARE LOVED" plate. Needless to say, like most wedding gifts that are used, it broke in the olden days when our wall phone cord stretched across the kitchen desk and pulled the much-loved and used plate right off the counter. It was my hubby who had answered my phone call. I heard the plate fall and then I heard the silence as my hubby quickly tried to figure out how to tell me what had broken. We searched high and low for another plate, but couldn't find the same one anywhere. A few weeks later my hubby made dinner for me with the help of our children and set the table with our new "You are special today" plate at my place setting. Our children were so excited to show me THE PLATE! It was a new memory and a new plate to be used to mark many new celebrations!

We use this plate when a family member or friend is to be honored in some way. It has even been used to celebrate a good report for the achievement of a difficult task having been accomplished. Yes, it was a "D" on a report card...but, one of the Pearson offspring passed a certain language class by the hair of their chinny chin chin!



For those of you who only cook with specific measurements, you aren't going to like this, but I promise you that YOU CAN do it. You will feel like a domestic diva when it is done. There is no messing up this salad. REALLY. And when your mother-in-law asks you for the recipe she will be so impressed because all you have to remember is what you put in it...no measurements required.

This salad is really versatile!

Ingredients:

Chopped Romaine and/or Red Leaf lettuce

Corn or shoepeg corn

Tomatoes, diced

Apples {soaked in salt water to keep from turning yucky brown} I like Granny Smith

Red onion, diced

Avocado, diced

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Craisins {I like to soak mine in boiling water for a minute or two and drain...they are plump and soft and not quite as sweet!}

Hazelnuts, chopped a bit

*don't forget the bacon if you aren't a vegetarian!



{Balsamic Vinaigrette}


1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

2-3 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste



An Autumn Lunch

Sparkling juice

Autumn chopped salad

Pumpkin biscuits or cornbread





Shared with: comfy in the kitchen

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Bird Bowls and White Slip Covers

Happy November!!

Hope you all are well and are looking forward to the holiday season! Can you even believe it is already here?

I think November is my favorite month of the year! Do YOU have a favorite month?

Sooo, we are back to rambling about whatever today. No agenda, no theme. just Y.O.U. and me...chatting. AHHHH!


THIS...

I am always curious what other people set their tables with or what they keep on their tables at all times. It could be a bouquet of flowers, old salt and pepper shakers, a seasonal table runner, Grandma's old butter dish etc. I think it tells a story. My Grandma Metko was extremely prim and proper. Nothing and I do mean nothing went on the table without being decantered. So, if we were having burgers, the mayo would go into a seperate dish. She kept her ketchup in a cute tomato squeeze bottle that was decantered from the ketchup bottle. Got the idea? BUUUT mealtime was always extra special because she took the time to do what she considered special and "acceptable".

Most meals include our bird bowls. Do you love the name? To get our babes to take bites of food when they were learning to eat table food, we would have them say "tweet" "tweet" and then we would give them a bite. Our momma did that with us and so we carried it on with our "little birds" so, we keep bird bowls on the table for small portions of side dishes that may be extra soupy like baked beans or for applesauce, salsa, dips etc. They are so much fun in the different colors. We also keep a small glass jar with bird spoons. It is just the little things at mealtime that can add a bit of whimsy and tradition. Guess what my children will be getting for shower gifts when they fly away and start their very own families??? Bird bowls and spoons!...


THAT...

We needed a chair in the corner of our bedroom. I don't know why...but we have always had a chair or couch in our bedroom. We bought one that we LOVE, but it was too big...so it is now taking up residence in the family room. It dawned on me that our outdoor deck chair would be perfect, but the terra cotta cushions were NOT moving into our bedroom. So, I bought a set of two white {actually not quite white and not quite cream, kinda in between} curtain panels at IKEA. They are GREAT! I just tucked it in to see how it would work and I LOVE it. They are nice and thick which means there is no need to double up on the fabric. It looks great! All I need to do now is wash the fabric, iron.iron.iron and for $15.00 we have the "just right" corner chair in our cozy, little bedroom!

Outdoor furniture usually goes on clearance in July and it is much more affordable than regular furniture and it is just as comfy with the big ol' cushions they are sold with!


BEFORE:




AFTER:



THE OTHER...




Have you thought about making mini pies for THANKSGIVING? I thing they are the cutest!

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A Sweet {first day of school} Tradition

Having grown up in Germany...I am still in love with TRADITION! It is something to look forward to and even more than that, it is something dear to you that you can not wait to pass down to your children and to their children!
On our first day of school, we {no pig in my pocket...my twinsie and I} got our very own "SCHULTUETE". It was like Christmas morning! Typically, they are filled with lots of sweet treats and erasers, pencils, crayons etc. but you could really fill them with whatever you would like!

If any of you are teachers, I am sure YOU could imagine how hyper your little students might be on the first day of school.

Since Laurissa's first day of college is this next week, I wanted to do something special for her...so, I filled her "SWEET SCHOOL CONE" with some things she will need in college...white washcloths, soap, post it notes, gift cards, a book of stamps and envelopes, chapstick, straws and some other little things that she loves! I can NOT wait to give it to my little bunny.

Her Daddy gives her flowers every year on the first day, so we included a little vase from him to her. That is when I "lost it" today...and I was doing sooo good!

On her tag, I stamped "with GRATITUDE" because I am so thankful for the daughter she has been, is and will continue to be...she challenges me, loves me unconditionally, takes Sunday afternoon naps with me, but most of all she loves the LORD with all her heart, and she shares it with everybody she meets. I know that if you met her, your life would be THAT MUCH better...just for knowing her. SO, my heart is full of gratitude and am reminded every day of God's grace in blessing me with the sweetest daughter ever!

This year will be the first year since she started preschool that we have not had our annual back-to-school dinner, so I am going to have to find something creative to do...not sure, yet. SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME!

BY THE WAY, my parents have a picture of my twinsie and I on our first day of school in Germany with our "SWEET SCHOOL CONES", so I will post that when my Dad finds it.

Do you have a favorite back-to-school memory or SWEET TRADITION?


I just guesstimated and used what I had on hand to make mine. That's why it's a bit Christmassy looking!

Directions for a Sweet School Cone:

1. Cut poster board to desired size. I left mine BIG.

2. Cut wrapping paper to the same size.

3. Using Elmers Spray Adhesive, spray a thin coat over poster board. Do NOT spray adhesive on flimsy paper. You will have a big.ol.mess!

4. Place wrapping paper on top of glued poster board. Working quickly, be sure to line up paper and gently smoothe out wrinkles and ridges.

5. Working from the bottom up, form cone shape. Be sure to have a pointy bottom, so that nothing falls through...or you can add a pom pom...like I did.

6. Using a large metal clip or clips, secure the top of the cone. Heavy duty paper clips may also be used. Use the clips to adjust it the way you want it.

7. Glue gun the seam.

8. Trim the top so that it is even and straight across the top. It will look just like a sugar cone.

9. Add the finishing touches with ball fringe, ribbons, grommets, fabric initials, stickers, stamps, photos...whatever. Use your imagination! If you made a mistake, this is your chance to embellish away!

10. Using your hot glue gun, glue small sections at a time across the top, inside lip. Quickly pleat tissue paper to the inside on top of the glue.

11. Fill with healthy school snacks, sweet treats, paint, stickers, fun papers, etc.

12. Present to your little ones {or BIG ones!} on the morning of their first day of school!


OH.THE.POSSIBILITIES: It may be fun to make mini burlap cones and tie them with jute for Thanksgiving favors...I think it woupld be a fun twist on the ol' cornucopia...hmmm!

Or for a different birthday present, you could fill the sweet cone with ice cream toppings, fun bowls, napkins and spoons!...and make homemade ice cream together!


My twinsie and I on the first day of school...1970's :}



***Posted from the archives!



Shared with: picket fence, women living well

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Ice Cubes and the Sick Tray

There will not be a f o o d post for awhile here. I think I got some nasty food poisonig and it has been just dandy! {bathroom remodel pictures will have to do! :)}

My sweet hubby called to have Rissa come home and help as he went to work today, and although I assured him I was fine, I am thankful I had both kiddies home today.

As I was laying around {between trips to the bathroom...perfect timing with having one toilet, by the way!} I had hours and hours to think while chomping on ice cubes.

This was the main thing today. When we are taking care of our little ones when they are sick...it honestly is a priviledge and a big deal. A VERY.BIG.DEAL. If we, as parents, are not teaching them compassion, where in the world are they going to learn it from?

As Caleb walked down the hallway, he started to come in the bedroom, turned around and opened a few doors {I am always re-organizing!} he then walked in with our SICK TRAY we have had since the children were LITTLE. He placed it over my legs, secured it, and asked me if there was anything else I needed. I just needed a big.old. BOUNTY paper towel to cry in.

Here is a 16 year-old boy taking care of his Momma...just the way I took care of him. As I took one bite and was done, I was so thankful that my Momma took time to nurse and nurture us...and that we were able to pass that down to our littles, because, those babes are now learning to take care of us.

As Rissa left to go back to college tonight, I overheard them talking about about me. Making sure all bases were covered for tonight. Again, not really a big deal, but a huge deal to me.

I know some people will disagree and may think that it is ridiculous to make light of scuffed knees, ouwies and sore throats, but I can't tell you how nice it was to be able to have the tables turned today. If for no other reason those hours and hours of "babying the babes" was worth the day I had today with my little boiled egg in a pretty little dish on the cheery yellow tray!

So, if you are nursing a sick child, or are having to get up in the middle of the night to wash sheets, bathe a babe, or help bring a fever down...it IS worth it. Every single exhausting second is one more opportunity to teach your child the worth of compassion.

P.S. If you don't have a sick tray, you need one. Thrift stores, garage sales, cash and carry etc. have them all of the time. Anything little will work just fine.
Have a happy Monday!

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Thanksgiving Punch {Cranberry&Orange}

Happy Four days before Thanksgiving!

What a weekend of Thanksgiving this has been!

I wont go into detail, but Rissa's honey showed up to surprise her on Friday night! Yep, he called us that morning to let us know he was on his way home. :)

Coordinating with her roommate, {smart guy!} he had it all figured out. We met him at the airport along with his family and we got to be on "THE VERY BIG DEAL"!

We are blessed!

Please keep this very special young man in your prayers as he will be leaving for South Korea...to serve our AMAZING country along with so many others who are willing to fight to keep the freedoms we still have!





We have this punch every.single.year. It doesn't matter if we are HOME or somewhere else. It comes right along with us.

I have gotten so many e-mails with readers who are frustrated with my ingredient list. I am VERY sorry. I also use a KITCHEN AID stand mixer and lots of Demarle products and TRADER JOES. I will really try to be a bit more sensitive to this.

THANKSGIVING PUNCH:

Cranberry Juice

Orange Juice {Do your family and friends a favor...NO PULP! THEY don't like it!}

Ginger Ale/Champagne

Directions:

Freeze cranberry juice in ice cube trays...or whatever shape you would like {IKEA has some fun star molds!} Make sure they fit in the glasses you will be using! {BEEN there, DONE THAT!}

Before dinner or during appetizer time {if that is what you do} drop frozen cranberry cubes into glasses. Fill glasses with half OJ and half Ginger ALE/Champagne! It is simply BE.U.TEE.FUL as the cranberry juice melts! :)

If you are planning a holiday brunch, you may want to try the "fancy Mimosas".



Shared with:  Stone Gable

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Grandpa Tom's Shrimp and Corn Chowder {Our Sipping Soup}

O.K. If there were to be one thing on my blog I would beg for you to try, it would be THIS.SOUP. No kidding!

Grandpa Tom and Grandma Judi {my mother-in-law's BFF for about 58 years!!!} have been part of our family since my hubby and I have been married {over 20 years!} They treat our children like their own, never forgetting a birthday, special milestones, and sport's games when they are in town!

They are amazing friends and amazing cooks. This soup has become TRADITION! It is so easy to make, but it is fancy enough in the taste department that it could be served to the Heads of State!

We like serving it in glass punch cups as an appetizer for our Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner! It has affectionately been dubbed "our sipping soup".

It is soooo good even our friends have adopted it as a family TRADITION in their homes.

ENJOY!!!!


Grandpa Tom’s Shrimp and Corn Chowder
{Our Sipping Soup}

1 cup unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped

2lbs. cocktail shrimp, rinsed and drained

2 {14.75} oz. cans cream style corn

1 can Rotel Tomatoes

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 pint half and half

1 half pint heavy whipping cream

1 lb. Velveeta Cheese {I KNOW! BAD.BAD.BAD...but the fami does not like the healthy version...and for the sake of TRADITION...it is okay!!! We will just be juicing for the next 10 days. That's all. DONE!}


Directions:

*Saute onion in butter until onion is soft

*Add shrimp, corn, Rotel and pepper to taste.

*Add remaining ingredients.

*Heat until cheese melts. It is ready to serve!!! YIPPEE!!

We have made this soup in the crockpot and it works great. Just add the shrimp about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with crusty Artisan bread and a nice dinner salad for a main coarse...just be sure to serve LINDA'S Chocolate Decadence for dessert!

Shared with: stone gable

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Back-to-School=Back-to Routine...Saturday

...hikes, parties, sipping tea, lemonade, and hot cider. Sleeping in, hot morning baths, reading in the afternoon, sports, friends, field trips, road trips, bike rides, museums, the beach, the mountains, the desert, a movie, family, homework, shopping, evening dinner guests, out-to-dinner, downtown, the river walk, night lights at the top-o-the-hill, dessert at twilight, picnincs, swimming, garage sailing, thrifting, visits and the list goes on and on...

What is YOUR very favorite thing to do or place to go on SATURDAY????

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Today, my hubby {the firefighter} is working and another dear person to our family, David is training to serve our COUNTRY. I must say that since September 11th, it has taken on a whole new meaning.

I was calling to wish my Momma a happy birthday on September 11th...not a happy day for anybody. So, it is difficult to go on with life...celebrating the ones you love so much...when there are so many people hurting to the very core of who they are for those that lost their lives. I almost feel guilty having a birthday cake and party!

So, as my hubby is at work today...along with all of the other First Responders, our U.S. Service Personnel, and unsung heros who unselfishly give to us everyday...I am so proud and grateful to those who are willing to sacrifice all they have for us who are at home reaping the benefits of the freedom they dilligently fight for. I love you, SCOTT and David!

Happy Birthday...to my dearest, sweetest Momma who also serves her family, friends and others unselfishly...you are an unsung hero...in my book. I love YOU!

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Back-to-School=Back-to-Routine...Friday

 

Yay for Friday!!!!

When our children were younger, it was Friday Night Date Night. Cheap dates, but dates. When Laurissa was a baby we didn't live near family...or anything else for that matter. {Nothing like planning ahead of time if you thought you may need a late-night snack at 3 in the afternoon! We lived so far out in the country at that time that there were not even street lights on our street!}
Anyway, we would give her her evening bath, jammie her up, put her in the car seat and have our baby with us in the car. Nothing beats listening to "Sleep Sound in Jesus" when you are the pround, sleep-deprived parents of a colicky baby who would finally give in to sleep! Almost falling asleep ourselves, we would spend the rest of the evening driving around...sometimes we would go buy donuts, get ice cream or just drive to pretty places to see city lights. We had so much fun.
After moving closer to family, we would sometimes actually have a real date without the kiddies. We felt completely spoiled, not to mention the feeling of newleyweds!
...But as our children got older, we wanted to have FUN as a family on Fridays even though they were still young...so we started having Pizza, movie and popcorn nights...and board game nights. As they have gotten older, their friends have joined us and we love it. Even as my hubby has to work some Fridays, we still will have Pizza night or I will take one or both of the children on a date. Traditions change with change in schedules, children going off to college, sports, work schedules etc. but I am grateful for the traditions we have had even though they have needed to be altered a bit at times.


How about you??? Do you have specific traditions? Are you a stickler with them or are you okay with changing things up a bit for the sake of family relationships?

I have to admit, it is really hard for me to adapt. IT IIIIS! I love tradition and I would love to say we have never missed this or that, but the truth of the matter is this: Life changes, and I had better be willing to do my best to provide tradition and stability as much as I am willing to not be so regimented and unable to be flexible to where I am actually causing more tension and stress for the sake of "tradition".

As our family dynamics change...and as Friday schedules get swallowed up in LIFE, I will always look forward to the times we are all together on Friday nights, but I am also looking forward to having Friday date nights again with my hubby. Maybe we will get jammied up...listen to Jack Johnson and drive around town...go through the drive-through for ice cream...find our favorite view of the city and her lights and enjoy the company of eachother...and our little, dappled doggie!

Happy Happy Friday!

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Back-to-School=Back-to-Routine...Thursday

SOOO, how is back-to-school week going? Today is clean house day...because this weekend is going to be spent doing some fun things...and it starts this evening with going to cute shops off Alberta and Mississippi Avenue. We are having dinner at our favorite food cart The Native Bowl. Not only are they our sweet friends :} but their food is AMAZING!!! Then to see Laurissa at college!






Here are a few pics from our back-to-school dinner:

I used a small Bio Pak Kraft take-out box and twine from Garnish to make a back-to-school coupon box. It contained coupons to be used during the school year. To mention a few: Maid Service {I KNOW!!!}, A day of grace, Starbucks before school, Skip School, Extended evening curfew, Lunch out with Mommy, Lunch out with Daddy etc. These are like GOLD.

We don't do the whole "back-to-school" shopping, so they get coupons instead. SAVES a lot of money and they love coupons!

For the tag: I sprayed chalkboard paint on a luggage tag and then used chalk for his initial.

Table decor: I took two mini chalkboards and made a sandwich board for the table. Two mini hinges and ribbon keep it together.

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Back-to-School=Back-to-Routine...Wednesday

Today is the first day of school for our son. OH.MY! Where has the summer gone?

First day of school TRADITIONS:

*The only day of the year {unless we exercise GRACE} they don't have to pick up their rooms before school! {we will talk about bartering,bribing and coupons another day!} I have it nice for them when they come home from school. Kinda a nice fresh start from me to them! Nothing like having a maid show up while you're out for the day, right?!

*Autumn decorating: Simple, but fun!

*Their favorite back-to-school dinner. They always had to agree on their favorite. With one child left, he got to pick his very own favorite...I think his daddy may have had something to do with the dinner of choice: Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, sweet corn, steak and baby red mashed potatoes and dessert!

*THE OFFICIAL CHANGING OF THE FILE FOLDERS!!!! SEE BELOW!






As I was looking through Laurissa's memory box, now that she is getting ready for college...it was a bit sad. Hard to believe everything from her baby shower to her graduation is in one box. It will be complete at the end of this summer. WOW! I am glad I took the time to save the things I did and even the things she wanted to keep that at the time I thought were really NOT necessary. Those little scribbles and "important" papers have become just as precious to me.
It is no secret that I have no patience for scrapbooking. I wish I had beautiful books gracing my shelves of well-documented pages and labeled photographs of my children growing up, but I don't.

Baby shower cards were wrapped in recycled gift ribbon, and put into an envelope.

My children each have a memory box that is basically a rubbermaid portable file box. Pretty sure it is not of archival quality either. :)


AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR, I put a new marked manila folder with their name and grade and keep it with my everyday files. During the year I file everything that is special to them: pictures, sports awards, birthday cards tied together, movie stubs, tickets to special events, notes, drawings, report cards, notes from teachers, yearbooks and summer memorabilia. At the end of the summer it gets filed into their memory box. It keeps their rooms cleared from clutter, doesn't get lost, and is a fun activity to pull out once in awhile.

I know it isn't fancy schmazy, but it is a fast, easy way to stay organized and "scrapbook" your child's memories without being too time consuming.

When we were putting Laurissa's senior memory board together, it was easy to go to the box and get what was needed for a detailed project. I would suggest always marking the year and grade on the back of filed papers etc, so it is eay to put back if it is used for something...

So glad I have one box filled with memories for each of the children. It is nice and compact, so that when they leave home, it will not take up too much space.

I have given two of these away as baby shower gifts and they were so appreciated. I know. Not very fun, but for a mom who hates organizing things, it is a welcomed gift. :) I pre-labeled all of the manilla folders and made a label for the front. They turned out adorable! For you crafty people out there, I am sure you could really have fun embellishing this idea!

How do you celebrate Back-toSchool?

How do you organize your children's papers?

Happy Wednesday!

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Back to School=Back to Routine...Tuesday

Good morning...Today is the first day of school here in Portland. I hope you all have had a good morning getting your children off to school. I am sure some of you could hardly wait...while others are reading this post through blurry, tear-filled eyes {in your jammies!}.

Yesterday, I started in on the topic of organization. We will finish that and then get on to today.

Unless you thrive in chaos...this does not apply to you. If you are like me and stress over the back-to-school CRAZINESS {a.k.a. insanity} keep reading.

No matter how you look at it, it is a complete shock. The beginning of school, that is. One day, you are sleeping in and if you are lucky enough, it was after eight in the morning and your children snuck into bed with you...along with the family dog. The only thing going that day was to meet up with friends at the swimming pool and enjoy late night ice cream! And all of a sudden...your mornings are out-of-control, rushing around, making sure the children are on time for school. I am not EVEN going into the details, because we all know exactly what I am talking about.

Here are a few suggestions that have soooo helped me to be less stressed.

MANILLA FOLDERS: INVEST IN THEM. COSTCO carries them...unless you want some really cute ones from TARGET. Make sure each child has one. When our children were younger, I had an upright file basket BOLTED to the kitchen desk and it was their responsibility to put their school papers in their manilla folder. {maybe I should have kept it a bit longer!!!! HMMMM?} It takes the pressure off you and helps makes them more responsible. After school, before homework and snacks...it was their job to clear out their backpacks. That allowed me time to see what was what, write dates on the calendar, write checks for school pictures etc. On most occasions, backpacks were ready the night before to eliminate extra stress in the morning. Extra manilla folders were used to send communication to teachers, art projects needing to be treated with t.l.c. etc.

LUNCHES: Night before. ENOUGH said. P.B. and J's can even be frozen. Our children had specific days to make lunches. It was their responsibility to make lunch for the other child. We started this in highschool. I made lunches for them through junior high. I wanted them to learn how to take care of eachother and how nice it felt to have a sibling do something special for the other one. I wont mention which child took his/her own money and bought school pizza for lunch on more than one occasion...it was the same child who opted to "sleep in" and pay the other one to clean his/her room before breakfast. I suggested it be done the night before, but I did not micro manage. I let them figure it out. There were times my hubby or I would surprise them and make them for them. They were truly grateful and it was a small way of showing them grace. YEP! Even in making lunches!



NOW for Tuesday: My hubby does not have a regular schedule, so it depends on if he has the day off or not, but on the Tuedays that he works, is my day to iron, bake and meet friends. I decided that after my son grew out of his clothes that were in the ironing basket...I needed to have a day that I would get it done. I learned to iron my dads hadkerchiefs and cloth napkins, and so I had my children do the same. YES...even my son. There is nothing more valuable than having a hubby who knows how to iron!

I love taking baked treats to friends and functions, so it is nice having a day to think ahead. Most things that I bake are great frozen. This takes pressure off when there are last minute appointments, change of plans, sickies, etc.

BLAH.BLAH.BLAH. It is your turn. How do you do lunches in your house? Do you iron? What ideas do you have to make back-to-school less stressful? We are all ears. I would love to change it up a bit since we only have one child left in our nest!

Happy Tuesday and Happy back-to-school!

Tomorrow is our sons first day of school, so...I will let you know about our traditions. IT includes decorating for AUTUMN! OUR VERY FAVORITE! YAY!

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A Gifted Vintage Picnic

I'm hoping one day my dear, sweet friend Lisa will forgive me for taking over her sweet little blog...I just couldn't let the day pass without honoring my beautiful friend and sharing these images that show the inspiring relationship she has with her equally sweet and beautiful daughter.

As I'm sure you've gathered from reading her blog, Lisa is insanely talented in every way. She is FUN and thoughtful and caring and so, so kind. She is a nurturer...a servant and a giver. She has a way of making people feel so special. The picnic she planned for her college-bound daughter was no exception.
She hauled her $10 dresser and bags of food and boxes of dishes across a very busy public park to the perfect picnic spot, laughing and joyful the whole way. She went all out with the beautiful vintage details, right down to the paper and string she used to wrap the sandwiches. What can I say??? She just rocks!

{photo credit: my BFF...Kim}

I hope you will take a few minutes and watch this video. I promise you will walk away feeling inspired to be a better wife, mom, sister and friend. What I love most about this video is that Lisa didn't know I was videotaping her. She spoke from her heart, uninhibited, and overflowed with love and emotion. It truly was a beautiful thing.

I hope that you are all lucky enough to have a friend like Lisa. Lis, I love you so very much!




Shared with: at the picket fence, wow us wednesday

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A SWEET TRADITION {first day of school}

My Twinsie and I on our first day of school! Thank heavens for organized parents who still knew where the picture was...all these years later!




Having grown up in Germany...I am still in love with TRADITION! It is something to look forward to and even more than that, it is something dear to you that you can not wait to pass down to your children and to their children!
On our first day of school, we {no pig in my pocket...my twinsie and I} got our very own "SCHULTUETE". It was like Christmas morning! Typically, they are filled with lots of sweet treats and erasers, pencils, crayons etc. but you could really fill them with whatever you would like!

If any of you are teachers, I am sure YOU could imagine how hyper your little students might be on the first day of school.

Since Laurissa's first day of college is this next week, I wanted to do something special for her...so, I filled her "SWEET SCHOOL CONE" with some things she will need in college...white washcloths, soap, post it notes, gift cards, a book of stamps and envelopes, chapstick, straws and some other little things that she loves! I can NOT wait to give it to my little bunny.

Her Daddy gives her flowers every year on the first day, so we included a little vase from him to her. That is when I "lost it" today...and I was doing sooo good!

On her tag, I stamped "with GRATITUDE" because I am so thankful for the daughter she has been, is and will continue to be...she challenges me, loves me unconditionally, takes Sunday afternoon naps with me, but most of all she loves the LORD with all her heart, and she shares it with everybody she meets. I know that if you met her, your life would be THAT MUCH better...just for knowing her. SO, my heart is full of gratitude and am reminded every day of God's grace in blessing me with the sweetest daughter ever!

This year will be the first year since she started preschool that we have not had our annual back-to-school dinner, so I am going to have to find something creative to do...not sure, yet. SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME!

BY THE WAY, my parents have a picture of my twinsie and I on our first day of school in Germany with our "SWEET SCHOOL CONES", so I will post that when my Dad finds it.

Do you have a favorite back-to-school memory or SWEET TRADITION?


I just guesstimated and used what I had on hand to make mine. That's why it's a bit Christmassy looking!

Directions for a Sweet School Cone:

1. Cut poster board to desired size. I left mine BIG.

2. Cut wrapping paper to the same size.

3. Using Elmers Spray Adhesive, spray a thin coat over poster board. Do NOT spray adhesive on flimsy paper. You will have a big.ol.mess!

4. Place wrapping paper on top of glued poster board. Working quickly, be sure to line up paper and gently smoothe out wrinkles and ridges.

5. Working from the bottom up, form cone shape. Be sure to have a pointy bottom, so that nothing falls through...or you can add a pom pom...like I did.

6. Using a large metal clip or clips, secure the top of the cone. Heavy duty paper clips may also be used. Use the clips to adjust it the way you want it.

7. Glue gun the seam.

8. Trim the top so that it is even and straight across the top. It will look just like a sugar cone.

9. Add the finishing touches with ball fringe, ribbons, grommets, fabric initials, stickers, stamps, photos...whatever. Use your imagination! If you made a mistake, this is your chance to embellish away!

10. Using your hot glue gun, glue small sections at a time across the top, inside lip. Quickly pleat tissue paper to the inside on top of the glue.

11. Fill with healthy school snacks, sweet treats, paint, stickers, fun papers, etc.

12. Present to your little ones {or BIG ones!} on the morning of their first day of school!


My twinsie and I on the first day of school...1970's :}

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Scott's Famous Homemade Ice Cream

 

Since I talk about him all the time, I thought I would introduce you to my dear, sweet hubby.

We met at Bible College in 1988 and got married a couple of years later. We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary in August and we are very excited!

He cooks at work a lot and when I meet people he works with, they tell me how famous he is for his homemade ice cream. So, I thought he could share his recipe with you! {firefighters are very picky about what they like and don't like!...Trust me!}

From Scott: I originally got this recipe from Lisa about 17 years ago when we bought our first ice cream maker. We were looking for a fun family activity and figured that making our own homemade ice cream would not only be fun but also tasty. Fast forward 12 years and I was looking for something special to make for the station on the 4th of July. Lisa had given me all the measurements and I was in the middle of adding ingredients when the alarm tones sounded and we caught a run. Upon arrival back at the station I headed to the kitchen where I realized I had no idea where I had left off! I had measured the sugar and milk but was in the middle of adding the 1/2 & 1/2 and whipping cream. So what was I going to do....... What I always do in the kitchen WING IT. I figured if I added ALL of the whipping cream and 1/2 & 1/2, it would be close enough. Since MORE is always better when it comes to these ingredients, how could it go wrong.... and boy was I right! That night my crew attacked that ice cream like it was the last time we would ever eat! Since that day I have gone through three ice cream makers and during the summer I will make ice cream about every other shift. So, if you're a fan of dump and run recipes here it is.
One more thing: this is a 6 Quart recipe because as I said before more is always better!


Scott's Famous Homemade Ice Cream



INGREDIENTS:
2-1/2 cups milk
2-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 quart half & half
1-1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 quart and 1 pint whipping cream


DIRECTIONS:
• Heat milk until bubbles form around pan.
• Remove milk from heat
• Add sugar and salt, stir until dissolved.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Place into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions.


This is such a versatile recipe! Eventually you will come up with your own variations.
One of my favorite things to do is crush a package of Oreos and fold them in at the end. {Don't tell Lisa, she thinks hydrogenated oil and preservatives are bad, VERY BAD!} I will make sure we have some fun things to eat around here! I have your back.
This was fun. Maybe she will invite me back.


From Lisa: Since we make sooo much, we pour extra amounts into these little ice cream containers {from Cash-n-Carry} and freeze them. They make a quick treat to take to people or if I am tight on time and don't have enough time to take a meal. During strawberry season, I take one container of fresh strawberries sliced, sugared and sprinkled with a bit of lemon juice. and a container of ice cream for each family member...unless they are little. Everybody loves to have their own, and they can save some if it is too much!

Next week we will talk about teacher gifts: strawberry shortcake, pesto with a basil plant etc. they are frugal, but beautiful!

Happy Friday to each of you!

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Soda Fountain Gift

How many of you remember the craze of Soda Fountains? Raspberry Flips, Pink Sodas and Patio Punch Soda's were all the rage. Well, here is a fun, frugal way to give an Italian Cream Soda to go as a gift.

This can be given as a shower gift, a graduation gift {teenagers love these!}, a birthday gift, a teachers gift etc.

They are great baby shower gifts as well. It is fun for the Momma-to-be to be able to take something home for the rest of the family or hubby to enjoy as well. You could even include a gift certificate for a pizza to be enjoyed on a day where cooking is not at the top of the "to do" list.

These Italian Cream Soda gifts are very fun to embelish. You can use colors or a theme to customize the gift.

As mentioned before we are talking FRUGAL, so I made mine for under $10.00.
white gift bag: .79 {Party Depot}
2 12x12 sheets of scrapbook paper: $1.00 {Paper Zone}
napkins: $1.00
straws: $1.00 at the Dollar Store {on hand}
cups: $1.00 {the Dollar Store}
Torani Syrup: $3.99 {Cash-n-Carry}
Club Soda: .87 with deposit {Winco}

Ribbon I had on hand.

DIRECTIONS:

Club Soda:
Cut scrapbook paper into 6x6 square.
Remove label from Club Soda.
Glue 6x6 sheet on to Club Soda bottle being sure to cover any leftover residue from original label.

Drink Tags:
Use any size craft punch and punch drink tags out of scrap paper from cutting down your 6x6 sheet of paper.
Punch a small hole with a regular sized hole punch for straw.

Straws:
Place a handful of straws into standard cellophane bag or tie together with ribbon.

Italian Cream Soda Label:
Cut second sheet of 12x12 paper into 8 1/2X11.
Print label with Italian Soda directions.


I put enough for 8 into each package, but always more straws. They are inexpensive and fun to have extras. Can one ever have too many straws?

Suggestions if you are NOT on a budget:

*Add a glass straw dispenser with colorful straws.

*Add cookies or biscotti to carry the Italian theme.

*Add an ISI whipped cream maker...you get the idea!

For Christmas: make it fancy with silver and gold decorations.

For a whimsical Christmas gift, you could include red and white striped straws, napkins and homemade biscotti etc. HAVE FUN!

Enjoy!

Shared with: Skip to my Lou,

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Senior Parent Dinner

I am not quite sure who came up with this AMAZING idea, but I think it is worth passing on!


It has become a tradition at the school where our children attend that every year, the parents and their senior have a special dinner out. I know it sounds like just one more "thing" to do, but it was so NICE!


We all met for dinner on the waterfront and enjoyed the evening talking with other parents and feeling blessed that our children all get along so well and that they will be friends into their college years!


The SENIORS all sat together at one big, long table and the parents sat in small groups at tables around them.


At the end of the evening we listened to their plans and some of their school memories. OH.WHAT.FUN. they have had together!

Happy Thursday!

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