Sunday, September 30, 2012

Pioneer Woman in the Making

As I've noted in previous blog posts, a lot of things started changing in my heart and home this summer. In my reaching out to others about the ins and outs of being a SAHM, I began to learn a few money-saving tips that I've started to apply to our lives in the Mitchell Household. 

I decided to begin learning about couponing, and have found a few websites that have really helped cut our grocery budget down some. If you're interested in having someone do most of the work for you, check out Fabulessly Frugal. These gals will shop for you, and then share all of their amazing deals! We don't take it to the extreme that a lot of people do, but saving $10-$20 per grocery trip certainly helps a lot! I've also gotten really good at MENU PLANNING! My poor husband...for 6 years he has lovingly and patiently dealt with my utter HATE for cooking. But I'm telling you, since I've found Pinterest, our lives have certainly changed in the kitchen! Every other Sunday, I sit down and search my trusty Pinterest Food & Drink board for the next 2 weeks of meals. (I even have a board dedicated specifically to my menus.) It is SO simple, and it helps me (a very forgetful person) remember to actually thaw that meat out that I have in the freezer! The menu gets posted on the refrigerator every week, so there's no excuse for not getting a home-cooked meal every night. This has helped cut down spending, too, because we're not running down the road to Dairy Queen for dinner every few nights. 

Another big part of my money-saving venture has been creating homemade cleaning products. (I also have a Pinterest board dedicated to this! Find me on Pinterst!) Here's a list of the recipes that I use around my house:
  • For a bathroom cleaner, I use 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of Blue Dawn Soap. I heat the vinegar in the microwave for about 2 minutes, add the Dawn, and pour both into a spray bottle. Sometimes I have enough left over to use for 2 weeks of cleaning, but usually I add another new batch to the spray bottle each week. This solution works WONDERS on a grimy bathtub and dirty counter tops. You can sprinkle baking soda before spraying to add some extra scrubbing power!
  • I use a simple baking soda and vinegar combination to clean our toilets. 
  • To clean my kitchen sink, I sprinkle baking soda, add a little water to make a paste, and work it around with my hands. The first time I did this, I was amazed (and disgusted!) at the dirt that came off of my sink! Now I do this every week or so in my cleaning routine. About once a month, I put vinegar ice cubes down my disposal and run cold water through the drain. You can also add citrus slices to your disposal for freshness and cleaning.
  • For my granite counter tops in my kitchen, I use a simple solution that lasts a LONG time! I mix about 1/2 cup of Blue Dawn Soap with about 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol. Add water until the mixture is diluted to your satisfaction, and scrub away! The alcohol helps the cleaner dry quickly, eliminated streaks on your counter tops. Again, you can add Baking Soda to your counters before spraying if they need a little extra scrubbing. Even with using this daily, a bottle lasted me all summer before I had to make another batch.
The best thing about all of these cleaners is that they are SUPER inexpensive! When you break down the cost of these cleaners, it is quite literally pennies per use. My next venture is to make my own floor cleaner, invest in some microfiber cloths, and hopefully stop throwing my money away on my Swifer refills. (And I DO love my Swifer!)

Another big thing that we have started to do around here is make our own laundry detergent. It is RIDICULOUSLY easy! There's no reason NOT to make your own detergent! I made my first batch in early summer, and just had to make my second batch 2 weeks ago. Here's my easy-to-follow recipe. Just set aside approximately 20 minutes for cooking. Here's what you'll need:

  • 1 bar Fels Naptha soap (found in the detergent aisle)
  • 8 cups of water
  • 1 cup of Borax
  • 1 cup of Washing Soda
  • 2 empty containers
Start by grating the bar of soap into a large pot. Add 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, and continue to cook until all of the soap is dissolved. Add the Borax and Washing Soda. Bring to a boil one more time. Use a funnel (or any cup with a spout) and divide the soap evenly into the 2 containers. It doesn't have to be perfect measurements, just guess! Let the soap sit in the containers overnight, and then add water until the containers are almost full. Shake well, and enjoy the mere pennies that you're spending every time you wash clothes! Don't fret about chunks and such, it's perfectly normal. Every few washes, I add a little more water to make the soap last longer. Most recipes call for storing the mixture in a 5-gallon bucket, but if you're like me and have your washer and dryer in a small closet, there's just no room for that! This is the same concept, and the soap lasts just as long because you are constantly adding water. I haven't added up the costs, but I estimate that my detergent probably costs $5-$6 per large-sized detergent container. Try it! I dare you!


Trek washed dishes while Mommy cooked the soap. Sometimes my plans to do these projects during nap time don't pan out. Especially when my busy boy only sleeps for an hour. Thank goodness for simple entertainment!

Also, (side note) I'm learning to sew! I've literally learned one step, but hey...it's better than where I was! Here's hoping I can get fairly good at this new endeavor!

 

Friday, September 28, 2012

Alexander Alligator

We have been having a ridiculous amount of fun around here lately! Lorelai and I are still focusing on the letter A. While I absolutely believe that children have incredible capability to learn at a very early age, I also firmly believe that some of the best learning experiences come simply from living and exploring the world around us. This is the simple philosophy that I'm following when teaching Lorelai. She's only 2, so she does get burnt out quite quickly when she feels like I'm "teaching" too much. But she really has enjoyed singing our ABeka alphabet song, flipping through my simple, homemade construction paper flashcards, learning how to recognize all of our family's names, and coloring and painting A LOT! Check out this super cute Alexander Alligator that we made to help reenforce the letter A!



Lorelai had so much fun making this little project! Alexander Alligator is part of her ABeka song, and every alligator that we see has the name Alexander! She was incredibly proud of herself, and we had to send everyone a picture of her art work.

Let me just take this opportunity to share a few of the blogs that I am L-O-V-I-N-G right now! These moms are absolute GENIUS in teaching playing with their children! These 3 sites have shortcuts on my iPad. I look at them nearly every day!

This site is excellent for anything you can imagine. She has lots of sensory ideas that I really like. This mom LOVES to make a mess, a total philosophy that we live by in our house! And her blog is super organized and easy to use!
I haven't perused this site as much as the others, but I really like her bath ideas!
This blog has got to be the most extensive resource that I've found so far. I LOVE THIS BLOG! This mom used to teach, and her list of credentials is really impressive. 

Lo is really getting good about recognizing the letter A in the world around her. She likes to point it out in everything! She will say "Hey, that's an A! It says a, a, a!" Of course it makes Mommy super proud! Our next stop will be the letter B. Hopefully we can keep this excitement going all the way through Z!

Oops!

I feel like I closed my eyes, and when I woke up, I found that I'd missed an entire two weeks of blogging! We have been super busy on the days that I've missed, so I'll do my best to be brief in our update.

I work every Wednesday and Friday, so on those days, the babes go and stay with our family. I am so excited to be able to "use" my family to keep my kiddos! And I am so very excited that my kids will have so very many memories of the grandparents! Last night, as Nanny & Pappy were leaving our house after dinner, I said a little prayer of thanks for the simple fact that we are still in town with our parents. I am so thankful that we don't have to wait weeks and months to have those precious visits with them! I'm prayerful that I do not begin to take such a blessing for granted!

Several days ago, I decided to begin to try and introduce the alphabet to Lorelai. I talked with her teacher from school about ways that they approach learning in their classroom, and I even got some left over curriculum workbooks to bring home! Lo is still having trouble understanding that I am her "teacher" now, but we're working on it! To get things started, we explored Apples! We talked about how God made all of the plants, including Apple Trees, and then we decided to try Apple Painting.














 
Later, we had fun exploring sensory bottles, playing with fine motor manipulatives, cooking a yummy supper, and taking a GREEN bath.


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Morning Walk, Rice Play, and Pizza Cupcakes

What a beautiful Tuesday we were given today! It's just another reason why I'm so thankful for the blessing of staying home. I get to enjoy days like this with my babies.

I decided last night that I would set my alarm for 30 minutes earlier than I had been on my days at home. Initially, I was letting myself sleep til 7. I based that decision on the fact that my kids usually slept til 8 or later during the summer. So I figured I had at least an hour to have some coffee, read my Bible, and prep for the day. Naturally, as soon as I made a plan, they changed it! Instead of sleeping until 8, both Mitchell Munchkins were bright-eyed by 7:30, at the very latest. So, this morning I was fully intent on beating them at their own game, and I was awake by 6:30. And then my sweet Trek-man began babbling at 6:45. How do they do that?! Since we were up so early, we hit the farm road for a walk before breakfast. I try to make this part of our routine, but we usually don't go until closer to 9:00. This morning, we were out the door before 8:00! The kids even needed light jackets! And it was lovely!

They really do like it...you'll just have to take my word for it

After our nice, brisk walk, we kind of took it easy. I worked on laundry and straightened up the house while the kids "watched a movie." They're always requesting movies, but they never actually watch them. I don't mind, though. I like Disney movies from my childhood playing throughout my home!

About mid-morning, the natives got a bit restless, so I decided to break out the rice that I dyed last night. Check it out! I found the recipe here, via Pinterest. Mine didn't turn out as bold as I would have liked, but I was a bit too conservative with my food coloring. Lesson learned.

Ignore the cookies. Or don't...they're simply slice-and-bake for my chocolate-obsessed husband. So while I was busy making these,

(Totally forgot an after picture)
the kids were VERY occupied playing with their rice. Initially, I buried puzzle pieces in the bigger bowl, intending for Lorelai to hunt for them and put the puzzle together. Yeah...that didn't even last 5 minutes. Instead, all of the rice was mixed together, and my floor was covered! I believe my last words to Lo before she started playing were, "Try and keep as much in the bowls as you can." Oh well! Fun was had, and my broom got a workout!




 



I think Trek would have played here all day if I would have let him. He was thoroughly engrossed in the movement and texture of the rice. And I know for a fact that Lorelai Roxane would have covered the house in it had I let her. She is fascinated with pouring things and watching how they change depending on the container that is holding them. 

The babes slept most of the afternoon, and then we made a quick trip to visit the Walkers. Meatloaf for supper, and an evening walk on the farm road with Daddy. Ahh, what a perfect Tuesday!


Monday, September 10, 2012

Fine Motor, Sensory, and Science! Oh my!

Our first Monday at home was a busy one! Last week was technically our first week, but since Monday was a holiday, it didn't really count. Daddy got to be home with us, so it was just like an extra Saturday! Today, however, we did our best to stick to our "schedule" and be somewhat productive in our play. FYI, Mommy still has to work out some kinks in this schedule thing...like changing my alarm clock. Baby steps...

We started our day with a trip to the Dollar Tree. I've been itching to get my hands on some materials to start learning playing with! We left the store with a pretty decent load, but I'm already planning my next trip. Naturally, as soon as we got home, Lorelai was DESPERATE to open EVERYTHING! I wish I could have videoed her while we were shopping. She was absolutely mesmerized by all of the goodies on the shelves! I'll have my camera ready for our next trip.

I managed to hold Lo off until lunch was eaten and Trek was napping. After that, I just couldn't say no anymore. So we broke open the pom poms and muffin tin. I got 160 pom poms for $2! Score! Lorelai loves to sort, so she immediately started using her "alligator fingers" to move her piles around to different muffin cups. 
 










We purchased some tweezers today, too, for fine motor skill practice. I decided to go ahead and give them to her. Honestly, I didn't anticipate much success. It's a difficult task to undertake, and the girl is only 2! But, as per usual, she proved me wrong! I only had to show her once how to hold them correctly, and she was hard at work, resorting her mixed-up colors.


This task kept her busy until Daddy got home for lunch, and then she was quite distracted. I anticipate that, if left alone, she would sit and work with these for 30-45 minutes! 

While Lorelai was busying herself and perfecting her fine motor skills (thanks to her sneaky mom), I was working on making sensory bags for the kids to squish and squeeze when they need some cool-down time. All I needed was baggies, hair gel, and random things to mix into the bags. Cheaper is NOT better where the baggies are concerned. Lesson learned! I'll spare you the pictures, because they didn't really turn out as well as I had hoped. But I have high hopes for my next attempt, thanks to my fab sister-in-law! 

After nap and a quick Creation art project,


we headed outside to play with our Ivory Soap Experiment! Let me just say, my family and I LOVE Pinterest! They may not know that they love it, but their bellies know. And my kiddos know because they're learning playing constantly! I found this idea here. It was ridiculously simply. Microwave a bar of IVORY (it has to be Ivory brand. I don't know why...just go with it) soap on high for about 2 minutes. You can watch it and stop it sooner if need be. The consistency of this stuff is crazy cool. I think next time we play with it, we're going to make it snow in the bathtub! Outside, I let the kids mash and squish this blob to their hearts' content. The plan was to then have them add a little water and food coloring, reshape the soap, and use it in a few days in the tub. But Lorelai had other plans! Once we started adding water, she decided that all of the globs needed to be put into our pitcher. And it just went crazy from there. My natural inclination was to correct her, but I restrained myself and just let her play. It was totally worth it! The girl entertained herself for nearly an hour, stirring and pouring and mixing and mashing. I count this sensory play a HUGE success!













 

Times, They are A-Changing

The Lord has opened doors for our family that I continue to marvel at every single day! A brief explanation is in order. 

This summer, I began to feel the call on my heart to stay at home with my children. Initially, I thought that I was only being selfish, and that it really had nothing to do with following the Lord or being a better wife and mother. But the more I listened, the more I prayed and read and studied. I inquired of people who live this lifestyle, and sought wisdom from them as to why they feel it is necessary for them to stay at home with their children. Throughout the summer, God continued to convict me about where the majority of my time and energy went during the school year. Check out this brief overview of a typical day for me: 

5:50 - Alarm 
7:15 - Out the door 
4:00, 5:00, or 5:30 - Off work and headed home 
6:15 - We're lucky if supper is on the table yet 
7:00 - Bath time 
8:00 - Trek is in bed 
8:30 or 9:00 - Lorelai is in bed 
10:00 - CRASH! 

Where is there time for my family in this scenario? Sure, we MIGHT have 45 minutes at the dinner table together. And we MAY have 30-40 minutes of play time after baths. But not usually! The more I considered my life, and the struggles that I actually took the time to notice, the more I realized that my job was getting the best of me. And I LOVED my job! God has given me the ability to teach, and He's given me a love for young, energetic students. So why on earth was I spending 8-10 hours per day with OTHER people's children?! Why was I investing all of my time and energy into serving them? and then coming home completely exhausted, at the end of my rope, and honestly, just plain mean!? So I continued to pray. Fervently. I began to ask very close friends to pray for specific things in my life. And God began to move. He began to soften Jeremy's heart to the importance of me being in the home. He began to show us ways that we could cut back financially in order to survive on one income. He began to open up avenues of communication between the two of us, so that we could share our hearts in a more clear way. God is a miracle worker! 

But I did end up going back to work. After talking and praying and "crunching numbers", we decided to give it until December. That was our compromise, and I thought that I could be okay with that. But I was not. After 1 1/2 days of work (both kids ended up sick almost immediately), I had had enough. Not because I had a "bad job", but because it was not the right job. My mother, in all of her wisdom, suggested I cut my work week to 2 days per week, pull the kids out of school, and stay home with them part-time. Genius! Why didn't we think of this sooner?! Immediately, everything fell into place. And last week, I began my journey of being a part-time Stay at Home Mom. This is not the end of my journey. I am pushing for full time, but that will happen in God's time. I believe that He is faithful. And when He calls you so clearly to something, through His Word and other believers, He will make a way for things to happen for His glory. 

I am still learning. Still searching. Still seeking wisdom. I'm finding it in Scripture, in preaching, in reading, and in women who are traveling this road to the glory of God. I am seeking to honor Him with my life. It is not my own. I have been given the most precious gift in all the world. The gift of children. I desire to maximize my time with them! I will do without earthly comforts and treasures, if only to spend more hours investing in the lives of my babies. I desire to serve my husband better, by being home more and dedicating my time to maintaining our household. I am committed to walking beside and behind him as he leads us in the Lord, and I only want to encourage and strengthen him as we grow together in Christ. I pray that God will use me to minister to others. 

I have no desire to mince words and make everything all sunshine and rainbows. This is hard. This is messy. This is a struggle. But we will do it, and we will do it to the glory of God. May His name be made famous in us. I love to read, and I especially love to read books from which I can gain wisdom. I encourage you to check out these books about the biblical call of wives and mothers. I found both of them in the Amazon Kindle store. I am always looking for more suggestions about where I can gain wisdom and biblical knowledge that I know is necessary to raise our children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." 

Welcome Back

To say I haven't blogged in a while would be an understatement. I just looked back at my most recent posts, and I was last seen updating about my 10 month old...who is now almost 16 months. Yikes! I believe a quick, relatively brief update is in order! My sweet babies are growing like crazy! Actually, I think at this point in their lives, they're changing more than they're growing...but I digress

Lorelai Roxane is just over 3 months away from her third birthday. WHAT?! She's 2, going on 16. Lorelai is the funniest kid I know. She is so very animated, and she absolutely loves to tell and retell stories. We also love to sing...no surprise there! Lo thinks she's one of the adults, and would usually much rather hang out with Mommy and Daddy's friends rather than the wild bunch of kids we run with. She's very bright, but I'm a bit partial, too. I'm very excited to nurture her ability to remember and recall...who knows where that will take us! 


My wild mad is now RUNNING everywhere! He has quickly caught up to his peers, despite my continuous worry over him in his first 12ish months. Trek Hamilton is a big ball of energy. He's a loud, rough-and-tumble Mommy's boy. He has a temper that might surprise you...especially if all you've ever seen of him is his sweet smile and deep dimples. The boy can bite and head-butt like a pro! He loves hard, and he plays hard. T-man loves to climb and jump and wrestle, and he has the bumps and bruises that go well with being a tough boy. And I wouldn't have it any other way! I love that, despite his fits for Mommy, he really is a rough, rowdy boy! Trek has an incredibly contagious laugh, and a surprisingly still-gummy grin (we still only have 6 teeth). He is brave and sweet and funny and trying. He is my child that tests my limits, and always has a lot of love to give :). 


Jeremy and I are so very excited that we get to be Lorelai and Trek's parents. How lucky are we?! God is doing great things in our family! Lots of changes are taking place! But that's for another post, on another day.