Managing My Home

Almost two years ago, I left my job at a local public accounting firm in order to stay home with my two (at the time) boys and manage my home full time.  It has been my best career move yet and I LOVE my job!

While I love my job as wife, mother, and homemaker, I truly do view it as my "job."  Thus, my home is mine to care for and keep.  While I was employed for a paycheck, both my husband and I shared the household duties.  Now, for the most part, they are all mine :)  I try to remember that fact when I feel laziness creeping in on me.

About a year ago, we went on vacation to visit my grandparents.  After returning, I had a hard time getting back into my usual routine of housecleaning and caring for the boys.  When it was all said and done, I think our week-long vacation turned into a six week vacation for me!  Yikes!  With the new year though, I jumped back into it and got back to work :)  After that break, I noticed more that it was hard for me to stay motivated to clean the house, week after week, after week...  Mundane?  But I truly do so enjoy a clean house!  My husband will even tell you how much my attitude is different if my house is clean :)  So what to do?

Well just a few months ago I ran across another blog post about this very same subject.  This post mentioned a cleaning list for the full year.  The list is broken down into weekly increments.  It covers everything from window cleaning, refrigerator cleaning and meal planning, to daily cleaning activities, clipping your children's nails and pampering yourself!  The down loadable list was only $4.  I thought I could risk a $4 investment :)  Well I have LOVED my list!  I am such a list-driven person anyway.  If it is on "the list" it has to get crossed off!  So for me, I have found my motivational solution!  On to clean!

What have you found to help you keep motivated in your daily grinds?  In case you would like to check out the list I am using, I found it at:  www.motivatedmoms.com

P.S.  I have not been endorsed monetarily or otherwise for this post... purely my own excitement and desire to share things that have worked for me :)

Couponing Adventures

I have been around couponers for all of my life (my Grandma was a major couponer and I use to tease her endlessly about her foil, toothpaste and deodorant stashes).  I have even tentatively used coupons here and there through out my own life.  However, it's only been in recent months that I've been a little more serious about this money saver.  I suppose it's captured more of my attention now that we've been a single income home for over a year now.  Every little dollar here and there can quickly add up!  

I started asking friends what they were doing to score their major deals; I began to hunt down couponing websites and review their methods; and I began to make mental lists of how I would begin my own foray into the couponing world.  For the most part I stay pretty busy between a small accounting / tax prep business, homeschooling, mothering, wifely duties, keeping my home, Bible study, etc., etc.  Who isn't busy these days?  Consequently, I was doubtful on my ability to spend hours trying to find that elusive deal.  My first attempt at couponing took me a LONG time, partly because I was doing it according to my friend's method and partly because I was new at this and went slowly to try to eliminate any costly mistakes :)

Regardless, after my first drawn out experience, I quickly realized that in order for me to stick to this money-saving technique I was going to have to lay down some ground rules:

1. I file away all the coupons I receive (through friends, newspapers, and my husband's work - he's a newspaper pressman); I prefer to file by their print date (found on the spine of the coupon publication).

2. About once or twice a week I review a few select websites that match up the coupons with the deals (my favorites are www.southernsavers.com and www.krazycouponlady.com).  If it is a particularly tight week (on time), I'll try to narrow down my shopping to just one store.

3. I skim the deal lists and pick out what we would use and only those items that are about $0.99 or less; some weeks I stick to just the free items if I am tight on time.

I am definitely not an extreme couponer, but these rules have worked for me and have prevented coupon burnout or feeling overwhelmed (because there is a TON out there and it is easy to get overloaded with all the information!).  This week I scored my first pay-back transaction.  Yes, the store actually gave me money BACK instead of me giving money to them, cha-ching!

Don't be fooled though.  It is easy to see something that is a good deal and buy it.  In reality, it is just a good deal for that brand.  I am rarely loyal to a particular brand.  I am a cheapskate at heart and will follow where my dollar leads me.  I've often found that even though something is a good deal (even with the coupon), it still can't beat my faithful Aldi (and I LOVE their 100% satisfaction guarantee).

So keep your eyes open for the deals, they are out there!  Begin to learn the various product prices at each of your stores; and know the difference between a brand deal verses an actual deal.  Good luck and God's blessings! 

Cooking with Pumpkins

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year.  I love the sound of the leaves crunching under my feet; I love to watch the leaves swirl behind cars driving down country roads; I love the beautiful colors in the trees and all of the mums; and I love to cook with those beautiful round fruits that appear during this time of year - pumpkins!

I start my pumpkin fetish in the beginning of the fall season.  I usually buy several different sizes and types to sit around the house and outside for decorations.  After a while, I get weary of the decorations and begin to chop them up!

Did you know you can cook pumpkins in the crock pot?  I didn't until this year!  I have loved cooking with pumpkins even more after finding out about this handy way.  It is so easy too.  Wash the outside of the pumpkin before you start.  Simply cut the pumpkin in half.  Scoop out all of the seeds and stringy stuff on the inside (I usually scrape it out with a spoon until I hit the hard flesh underneath all that goop).  Then cut it into as many pieces as needed to make it fit into your size crock pot.  My crock pot isn't huge, but not small.  I can usually fit a medium-sized pumpkin, cut into quarters, into my crock pot.  Pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the pot in about an inch of water.  Turn it on high and cook for about 4-6 hours.  You know your pumpkin is done when the flesh can EASILY be scraped off of the skin.  I turn my pot off and let it sit for a while to cool off.  It's just a matter of picking up one piece and scooping out all the good stuff and tossing the skin away!  Easy peasy!

After scooping out all the flesh, I puree it either with a hand mixer or with a food processor (either method works fine).  Cooked pumpkin keeps in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for several weeks.  Over the next few days after cooking a pumpkin I enjoy making all sorts of different pumpkin recipes.  Two of my all time favorites are listed below.  I plan to experiment with a pumpkin cookie recipe, a pumpkin pancake recipe, and a pumpkin latte recipe in the near future :)

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Dessert

Process in a blender 24 graham crackers until fine.  Add 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 c. melted butter.  Mix well.  Pat into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Cream 8 oz. of cream cheese until smooth.  Add 2 eggs and 3/4 c. sugar.  Mix well.  Pour over crust and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool.

In a large saucepan cook 2 c. pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 c. milk, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Cook until beginning to thicken.

Dissolve 1 package plain gelatin in 1/2 c. cold water.  Add to pumpkin mixture.

Whip 3 egg whites stiff.  Add 1/2 tsp. cream of tarter and 1/4 c. sugar.  Fold into cooked pumpkin mixture.  Pour over cooked crust.  Refrigerate at least one hour.

Top with cool whip!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Cream 1 stick butter with 1 c. brown sugar and 1/4 c. white sugar.  Mix in 1 c. pumpkin, 3 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla.

Add 2 c. whole wheat flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Stir until just moistened / incorporated.

Pour into greased muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Welcome!

Hello Reader!

For quite a while I have thought it would be fun to start a blog.  So here I am!  I hope to fill my posts with things that I am passionate about, enjoy, find interesting, or would be fun to share.  My posts will definitely be random :) Hopefully I will have something new to share at least on a weekly basis.

I have a list of various things I would like to start off with.  In the coming weeks I plan to post about my blog title, being a keeper of my home, other sites I enjoy, things I've made , things I'd like to make, and home school adventures.  I'm sure I'll think of other things that I'd like to share with my cyber readers, but those are the subjects I've thought of for now.  If there is something you'd like me to talk about, just ask and I'll see what I can do!

Welcome to my crazy thoughts and I hope you find something here that interests you!