Today is a busy day that started late. Sean had a boiled egg in a cup, with a dab of butter and a pinch of salt. He also had toast, orange juice and on top of all that, he had a hot chocolate drink!!

Niall had juice, cornflakes and toast.

I had my usual, which is two crackers, yogurt, hot water & milk.

I know it is a strange mixture, but about six years ago I began to feel very tired. I would get up, make beds, teach Sean and would be fit to fall into the bed at twelve… I gave up drinking tea and my energy levels soared. After about a week they came down to normal so I stayed off the tea. However, I missed the hot drink, couldn’t stomach hot water on it’s own, so settled for hot water and milk. Sounds awful but I like it!

For lunch Sean had roast potatoes and chicken with butter and salt that was left over from yesterday. (He loved it!)

Niall got himself a snack.

I had a salad, one roast potato and a fried egg. (Not all together! I had the salad for brunch)

This evening we are a busy lot. Niall has the Church Christian radio show tonight and I am hosting the women’s meeting in my home so I plan to make a lasagne and eat it over the next two days…

Of course there will be snacks for the meeting so I will take a photo of that and post it tomorrow!

Here is a photo of something I like about my kitchen. I have it on my windowsill. When I got married almost six years ago a friend gave us a silver photo frame with Proverbs 3:5 inscribed on it.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding”.

My friend Jean stitched the scripture and a pretty “Niall and Ruth” on it and put it into the frame for me. It’s just lovely and reminds me of Mick, (who gave us the frame) Jean and the Lord!

Don’t forget to stop by Ruth’s blog. Thanks for opening your kitchen to us all this week, Ruth!

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This is the third of three guest posts by our friend Amy, who blogs at The Finer Things in Life. Her three part series focuses on getting things done with toddlers. As a mom who has had toddlers for the past 13 years I cannot wait to read her ideas.

So… we’ve all had a good laugh at my playground workout with the kids, and hopefully you were encouraged to let your kids help you with some household cleaning (while they still think it’s fun!), so to conclude this series, now what? What else do I get done with my toddlers and preschoolers?

Well, um… everything.

It’s going to be a few years (at least) before I can go about my day without turning around and tripping over a little person, or refilling a sippy cup with one hand while I stir gravy with another, or (insert any activity that needs to be done during the day followed by any sort of inevitible interruption)…

My challenge for you today: embrace this time with your littles. Don’t fight it. What a wonderful gift we’ve been given to be everything to our children. What an opportunity for growth and learning (for us and them!) just by including and encouraging them in the daily routine. I can hear the collective sighing (and is that a tear I see?) of all of you more experienced moms… this season of life won’t last forever. In fact, I’m willing to bet that in the end it doesn’t last nearly long enough.

And just a few thoughts on a sample of the everything that I try to accomplish with my littles…

• Cooking: It takes longer, and often presents a bigger mess, but I don’t know a more valuable skill for kids to learn. The earlier the better! My three year old boy is now in charge of all egg cracking at our house. I honestly don’t have to fish out any more eggshells for him than I do for myself. Suggestion: have your kids crack eggs into a cup (just in case you have a stray shell) and then dump them into the other ingredients or skillet.
• Running Errands: We’re old fashioned in Tiny Town. We get our mail at the post office, and there is no online banking. Our library is run mostly by volunteers. My kids love to ride their bikes or hitch a ride in the stroller as we take care of errands. I love that they are getting to know the “helpers” in our community; they know our postman, everyone at the bank and the city office, and most of the library ladies.
• Gardening: So what if a few green tomatoes end up in the bucket? Kids are supurb harvesters of produce! And it’s true ~ if they grow it, they will eat it!
• Shopping: Even I will admit that this is not my favorite chore to do with my kids. In fact, on Friday I found myself wishing there was another way to go about this task. But we survived. My suggestion: take lots of snacks. Lots of forbidden snacks. You know the ones. The ones that keep your kids relatively quiet and entertained throughout the store partly because they taste so good and mostly because the kids are in shock that they get to consume such a suger-laden, dye-filled treat!

In the end, getting things done with toddlers and preschoolers isn’t really about getting things done. It’s about the kids. It’s about teaching the kids and spending time with them. Afterall, kids really don’t care so much about high-tech, expensive toys. They just want to be with mama. Embrace this time. Cherish this time. Use this time to form that trusting bond with your children that hopefully will continue through the years when the tables turn… when you are seeking their attention. When you are asking a thousand questions to learn about their day, and their friends, and their hopes and dreams. It won’t be long!

Great post Amy, thanks for taking the time to share some of your wisdom with us! If you are interested in guest blogging for Happy to be at Home email the 3 Moms at 3Moms@happytobeathome.net.

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We are halfway through the End 08 Great challenge. Only 3 months left until 2009! So far we have challenged everyone (including ourselves) to Conquer the Clutter, spend some extra Face Time with the Kids, and Fix Our Finances.

The focus of the October challenge is Fall Into Cooking. We will be focusing on ways we can organize our kitchens and meal planning, find courage to try new recipes, streamline meal prep and kitchen work, and encouraging each other with tips on cooking for a crowd.

I am firm believer that the best place to start when it comes to cooking and other kinds of kitchen work is at the very beginning. For me, that beginning includes using a master menu plan, a monthly and weekly menu plan, and a master grocery list.

When I first decided to rule my kitchen instead of letting it rule me, I knew I had to spend some time preparing. I sat down and created a master menu plan. (You can see a copy of our family’s master menu plan here.) Over the course of a few days, and with some input from my family, I was able to write down all of the meals that make it into a semi-regular rotation. I included everything: breakfasts, lunches, lunch sides, snacks, dinners, dinner sides, and desserts.

After that was done, I created a master grocery list. I tried to make sure that my master list included all of the ingredients needed to make any of the meals on our master menu plan. (You can see a copy of my master grocery list here. You can also find a copy of a blank master grocery list here.)

Now every month I reap the rewards of all that hard work. Since I try to only grocery shop once a month (with the exception of milk and fresh produce), I go through my master menu plan and circle everything that we will eat for the month. I also indicate how many times we will have each item so that I know how much to buy of any specific ingredient. (Here is a blank monthly menu plan you could use to record your plans.) After I decide on meals for the month, I simply fill in my master grocery list. Between those two sets of pages, I know that my kitchen will be organized for another month.

If you shop weekly, a master menu plan is still a very valuable tool, especially for those times when you can’t decide what to make. Looking over a list of meals that you know are a hit with your family is great inspiration. Plus, you can use the same system that I use on a smaller scale. Pick your selections for the week, copy onto a weekly menu plan, and fill in your grocery list.

If you’ve ever thought about putting together a master menu plan or grocery list, we challenge you to do it this week. Then, post about your progress on your blog or here in the comment section so we can all be encouraged and inspired by your efforts.

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Today is Sunday, the first day of the week, and so, because I am a guest blogger on Happy to be @ Home this week, I am blogging about what we as a family are eating today.

Let me first explain that every Sunday, my husband cooks! I know, I am spoiled! Monday to Saturday the kitchen is mostly mine but Niall and Sean make Sunday truly a day of rest for me.

So to start with we had porridge, juice, etc. Niall always soaks it overnight in water and cooks it in the microwave first thing in the morning.

Niall and Sean cooked the dinner and Sean lit the fire. We normally eat our lunch on our laps in the sitting room in front of a fire and watch a DVD or play a board game. Today we had Conor with us (9 yo) and so we played a new board game called ‘Pilgrims Progress’. Then we visited my step-mum who is not at all well…

Today Niall put chicken legs and potatoes in the oven, turned on the timer and so, when we came home after the Church service, he served us dinner within ten minutes!

To finish off the evening, we go back to the Church building for six o’ clock, have the first part of our Bible study, (Self Confrontation) have our tea there ( I normally bring a sandwich for Seán, crackers and a yogurt for me and Niall eats whatever is there) and then we finish the study. We go home to have supper and then bed for Sean, and we are generally not long following him!

Don’t forget to stop by Ruth’s blog! Thanks for opening your kitchen to us all this week, Ruth!

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At Home In Mitford by: Jan Karon

Week3

I thought for this week, since we are now at the end of the book, it would be fun to discuss some of the Reader’s Guide discussion questions. I found these in the back of my book, but you can also find them on Jan Karon’s website.

What role does Barnabas play in Father Tim’s life? What other characters seem to invade Father Tim’s already busy life, only later to prove enriching elements? Are there any that are a permanent drag on his spirits? How does Father Tim come to terms with them?

Dooley appears on the scene untamed and uninvited. What is it that finally makes Father Tim and Dooley aware that they need each other? How does Dooley contribute to Father Tim’s life? Have you had “Dooleys” in your own life?

Choose two of your group members to read the dialogue between Dooley and Puny in the middle of Chapter Seven — the scene where they first meet. How does the dialect differ in your part of the country? Try reading a brief part of a Dooley speech in the dialect of your own region.

Which characters did you dislike at first, only to later come to appreciate or at least understand them? What characters in the book react that way to someone new?

Compare Miss Sadie and Miss Rose. They are very different characters, but both make a powerful contribution to the books. What makes them such vivid characters? What would Mitford be like without them? What unique contributions do they make?

Priests seldom have people they can confide in. Who are Father Tim’s confidants? What secrets does he entrust to them? What role does prayer play in giving Father Tim a chance to truly vent his feelings?

“Mitford takes care of its own,” says Mayor Cunningham. How does this happen in the book? Is this limited only to small towns? What other types of communities can it take place in?

Here are just a few brief thoughts of mine. I’m not going to go into each question as I’d love to be able to discuss some of these more in depth through the comments.

For #1, I felt that Barnabas was such a driving force behind Father Tim’s transformation from an unsure and unfulfilled pastor. Even though at first he was unsure of Barnabas, once Father Tim welcomed Barnabas into his home, he seemed to start viewing life differently. Not being a dog person myself, I had a bit of a hard time relating to this at first. But once I began to look at the situation from Father Tim’s point of view, I grew just as attached to Barnabas as he did.

As to #7, I loved the saying “Mitford takes care of its own” almost as much as I loved seeing that played out throughout the book. I don’t think this compassion and general care of neighbors is limited to only small towns, although sadly, is does seem to be dying out in our society. I think you can choose to create a community like this wherever you live. It only takes one person to reach out to someone else and start a positive momentum.

For that matter, if we look at the niches in the blog community, I think it’s safe to say that the “blogosphere takes care of its own.” I have been so blessed to see all the wonderful ways bloggers reach out to each other and help each other. I definitely see strong similarities between our little niche of blogs and the village of Mitford. Does anyone else agree with me on this?

Please share your thoughts about these questions, or anything else from the book, with us in the comments. We’d love to discuss all of these things with anyone who has read the Mitford books.

As for the next book we will be reading, Toni, Joy and myself are still deciding if we are going to continue the 3 Moms Book Nook. We may move on to different topics for our Sunday posts. We’ll let you know as soon as we decide. If we do continue this series, our next book will be The 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell.

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Super Surfing Saturday completely slipped my mind today. Here are a few blogs I have enjoyed this week. 

Amy gives us a frugal organizational tip from her kitchen. 

Visit the Debt Free Dowds as they continue in their 1000 ways to save posts. Lots of great tips in this one!

Kendra has a great post on helping our children become cheerful servants in our home. 

One of our favorite bloggers, Sonshine, shares her trail mix ideas, yum!

Perhaps I have an odd sense of humor, but this bedtime story cracked me up!

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Today started our “Clothing Exchange” day. That’s the day when we trade summer clothes for winter clothes. It is a HUGE job! And one that I really dislike. In case you haven’t noticed, I am not a details person. Look back and see how often the words, “I was going to make _______ , but couldn’t so I made _______” , or “Just dump a glug of vanilla in…” or whatever. Details are not my strong point. I’ll plan all day - just don’t make me execute it!

So it is exhausting to be surrounded with piles of clothing, some coming in, some coming out, and some waiting a year, etc.

But on to my meals!!

Breakfast was eggs and toast. And a banana.

Lunch was leftover spaghetti, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Some scooped hot apple butter in it instead of jelly, and said it was really good.

Fridays are our “family night”. For years we have had pizza and movies on Fridays. Pizza lends itself to being eaten in the living room on a sheet a lot better than soup. We used to alternate ordering out with frozen pizzas. But, as our family grew, our finances tightened, and we moved where there is no pizza delivery, we had to figure something out. So now we adapt our bread recipe and make Calzones. (Or Cow Zones as my 3 yo son calls them.) Calzones don’t take up as much filling ingredients, and fill them up a lot faster.

We start off making our favorite bread recipe. (See day 2). This time we made it with white flour, and added garlic, basil, and oregano straight to the dough. We rolled out fist sized rolls and put toppings right on them. Then folded them over and sealed them up. Bake in the oven at 425 * and you have Cow Zones. We all love them. There will be leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks Carri for opening up your kitchen this week. And don’t forget to stop by Carri’s blog and say hello!

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We are pleased to provide you with this guest post full of tips on saving money for Halloween. This post was written for us by Niki who blogs at Free 2 Be Frugal. Niki’s blog is full of great tips, freebies, and lots of information similar to what you’ll find below.

**Disclaimer: At Happy to be at Home, we realize that our readers participate in Halloween-related activities to varying degrees, whether it be by attending their church’s alternative to Halloween, taking their children Trick-or-Treating, or not recognizing the holiday at all. The following guest post is simply informational for those who might be able to benefit from the advice given, but we are in no way endorsing Halloween itself.

Have you been to the stores lately? Everywhere you look, there are reminders that Halloween is coming! With the prices of just about everything rising, people are looking for ways to cut corners. Here’s a few ways to avoid overspending without missing out on the fun.

Costumes
Refuse to pay $30-40 for your kid’s trick-or treating garb? I hear you! Check out your local Freecycle board and see who’s giving away last year’s costumes. And don’t forget thrift stores, Goodwill, and yard sales. Every year thousands of disguises are bought, worn once, then ditched! Dollar stores have great accessories, wigs, makeup, etc. and even costumes for little kids. Discount stores like Five Below, Big Lots, Family Dollar, and Christmas Tree Shops have carry a small selection of spooky ensembles this time of year. And you may even think outside the box and buy some simple dress-up apparel, which is sold in toy departments most everywhere for cheaper than elaborate costumes. Or you could always make your own! The library has books with ideas to help you get crafty.

Decorations
The great thing about holiday decorations is that they are an investment. Buy some great ones and store them well and they will serve you nicely year after year. Craft stores like Michael’s, A.C. Moore, and Jo-Anne’s often have coupons for 40 or 50% off an item. This helps keep costs down. The above mentioned discount stores usually have a decent variety of knickknacks and other decor, too. Of course you could always elicit the help of your kiddos to help you haunt your home. A pad of construction paper and some scissors can go a long way! A few nice pumpkins look nice and will make some great pies, breads, muffins, soups, and more once you gut them and carve them into jack-o-lanterns. Plant some mums outside your home and they will come back again and again.

Treats
Whether you are a room mom, scout leader, teacher, or just want to share a treat with some kiddos in your life you might be tempted to indulge in some Halloween loot. Avoid the pricey party stores and check out the dollar stores, Walmart, and Target for better deals on goodie bags, candies, stickers, and little toys and favors. Need a lot? Check out Oriental Trading! Buying in bulk has never been cheaper. Baked goods are always well-received too.

Candy
Not all those specially marked Halloween bags of candy are great deals. Check the weekly sales ads for grocery stores in the weeks before the holiday. Chocolate candy bars are yummy, but candy of the non-chocolate variety, like lollipops, Smarties, and Sweet Tarts are usually much cheaper.

There’s Always Next Year…
In the two to three days after Halloween, stores drastically mark down everything holiday-related. Grab plenty of stuff for next year at 70-90% off regular prices.

Thanks for the great information Niki! If you’ve never visited Free 2 Be Frugal before, I promise you it is a worthwhile stop.

For more Frugal Friday, stop by Biblical Womanhood.

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Happy to be at Home would like to introduce you to our next Kitchen of the Week guest blogger, Ruth from the MacCárthaigh Family. We’ve had guest bloggers from America and Australia before, but we’ve never had someone from Ruth’s part of the globe. It should be a very interesting week!

Hello, my name is Ruth from Ireland and here is a little information about me.

I have a husband, Niall and one son, Sean who is 10 years old and home schooled. I spent the first years of my life working and didn’t cook a lot, however, when I had Sean things changed a bit. I have to admit that I am still not a great lover of cooking, but I know I have to, so I try to just get on with it (gasp!!).

I have a small kitchen, a fairly big larder…

…and a chest freezer.

I don’t normally cook in bulk and freeze, but rather cook day by day. I go shopping weekly and spend little on sweets and cookies and plenty on fruit and veg.

My son likes most foods, but has his dislikes. He doesn’t like mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and anything runny! My husband is a brick and will eat anything!

I have a small cooking area…

…and a small dining area…

…which are bright and lead out to my small garden…

…in which I have tried to grow apples, potatoes (in a pot!) herbs and strawberries. I am looking forwards to sharing my simple cooking with you all and hope that doing this will encourage me to be more adventurous in my kitchen!

If you are interested in participating as a guest blogger for this 3 Moms feature, please leave us a comment or send us an email at 3moms@happytobeathome.net. We are looking for a variety of women willing to open their kitchens for one week to all of our readers. You do not even have to have your own blog in order to participate.

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