Gratitude Sunday

Sunday's heart felt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

Here are some things I am grateful for this week:

1. To have this move over and to be working on settling in and getting organized.

2. That this house is more than I ever expected it to be.

3. Random visits from Notsosnowwhite

4. A playroom that will soon be organized but at least serves to try to keep the toy chaos contained.

5. Small town Canada Day Celebrations

6. Babies who like to snuggle and play together.

7. Late nights with Prince Charming and Little Prince

 

8. surprise deliveries the day I move. 

Saturday Photohunt: With what do you like to travel and Citrus

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The themes this week are:  With what do you like to travel and Citrus.  This was tough for me.  I have been so busy with everything with the move, I haven't been taking a lot of pictues of my travels.  So I went with one of Princess Magpie and Princess Snifflefritz.  In this move, they travelled in two separate vehicles and I have never seen two sadder girls.  They missed each other and it was really sweet.  They are so used to doing everything together that the thought of spending 24 hours travelling without being together was too much for them to comprehend.  So for this Photohunt, I am posting from the viewpoint of the girls.  They LIKE TO TRAVEL WITH each other! And as far as citrus goes, the closest I could get was their LEMON YELLOW shirts!

Fixing it Up on Friday

We are slowly digging out way out of all these boxes.  I have no semblance of a routine yet.  But it is starting to come together a little around here.  I have to say, I am thrilled to be living near Notsosnowwhite again.  It is good to have her nearby.

Prince Charming starts his new job today.  Keep your fingers crossed that it goes well and he likes it. 

I'm Back!!!

I am here now. I am posting on my cell phone, but I wanted to update you guys. The two bus trips were not too bad. I was very proud of my babies. They spent wr hours travelling and were SO good!

The house is so much bigger than I expected it to be. Notsosnowwhite did a GREAT job at helping us pick out a place. The location is perfect too. I have been working butt off trying to dig us out of boxes but I can already tell I am going to love it. The first two days we were here it was really sunny out and I let the kids run out into the fenced backyard as much as they wanted to and they love that freedom.

I am loving being back home. Everywhere I am, I see smiling friendly faces. It reminds me of all the best things about NL. We were given a perfectly good couch and two matching chairs for FREE! And a perfect stranger helped us pick them up for free too!

Canada Day celebrations are happening right in front of our house! I love this location! %

This Moment: Daddy and Me

A beautiful and fun Friday ritual. Inspired by SouleMama.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. – Amanda Soule

Loading up the Truck

We are loading up the truck today!  Keep your fingers crossed that it all goes okay.  I am super-stressed about this whole thing.  I will feel a lot better when we are on the road!

Wordless Wednesday: Little Prince

 

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Monday Mumblings

I am looking forward to getting this move done.  I am feeling a little more on top of things right now which helps.  I had a nice day of visiting with friends yesterday, where I didn't stress about the move, or worry, or accomplish anything constructive at all.  But it actually was good because now today, I am refreshed and getting things done. 

And can I share a secret with you . . . I can? . . . oh good!  Prince Charming has the possibility of a full-time job starting 5 days after we get there!  That would be wonderful!!!! 

And the day out provided an opportunity to get some great pics of the kids playing, which always makes me happy.

Gratitude Sunday

Sunday's heart felt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

Here are some things I am grateful for this week:

1. pancake breakfasts, loved by all.

2. Prince Charming knowing me well enough to know I have wanted to try plantains for a long time

3. Little Prince learning to cruise around on his own.

4. A little Princess who absolutely adores her baby brother.

5. Little Prince who is sweet and jolly even though he is hot and sweaty.

6.  One last visit with friends one last time before we move.

7. Two Princesses who love to spend all their time.

 

8. This sweet face greeting every day.

Saturday Photohunt: Unknown and Windows

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The themes this week are:  Unknown and Windows.  I actually had lots of options for these themes this week.  I decided to go with Princess Magpie and her fascination with looking out the WINDOWS in our house and watching all the UNKNOWN people in the world outside. 

Lemon Pie Oatmeal with lemon sauce

This was a huge hit in my family.  The girls all ate 2 or 3 bowls each, even Prince Charming had two bowls!

The picture isn't that pretty, I should have used my red bowls and should have garnished with a little lemon rind for color, but it really is super yummy!  And when the sauce is cold, it set up like lemon pie and Princess Belle and Prince Charming ate it like a dessert! 

Lemon Pie Oatmeal
2 cups oatmeal
4 cups water
1/4 sugar (or to taste, my kids have a sweet tooth so I added extra)
1 package instant lemon pie filling

Lemon Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons  cornstarch
1 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Butter

1. Combine ingredients for oatmeal in a pot over medium heat. 
2. Heat, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency is reached and then sit aside until sauce is ready.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch, water, butter and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat.
4. Whisk constantly, to keep lumps from forming.  Bring to boil.  Boil for 3 minutes until clear and thick.  Remove from heat.
5. Serve oatmeal with sauce over it.

This would be good garnished with a little lemon rind.

This Moment: Sisters and Nanny Knit Blankets

A beautiful and fun Friday ritual. Inspired by SouleMama.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. – Amanda Soule

USES FOR HYDROGEN PEROXIDE:

• Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2 to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water.
• In the dishwasher, add 2 oz. to your regular detergent for a sanitizing boost. Also, beef up your regular dish soap by adding roughly 2 ounces of 3% H2O2 to the bottle.
• Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash to freshen breath. It kills the bacteria that causes halitosis. Use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water.
• Use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to make a paste for brushing teeth. Helps with early stages of gingivitis as it kills bacteria. Mixed with salt and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide works as a whitening toothpaste.
• Soak your toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide between uses to keep it clean and prevent the transfer of germs. This is particularly helpful when you or someone in your family has a cold or the flu.
• Clean your cutting board and countertop. Let everything bubble for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean. (I’ve been using it for this a LOT lately!)
• Wipe out your refrigerator and dishwasher. Because it’s non-toxic, it’s great for cleaning places that store food and dishes.
• Clean your sponges. Soak them for 10 minutes in a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a shallow dish. Rinse the sponges thoroughly afterward.
• Remove baked-on crud from pots and pans. Combine hydrogen peroxide with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off.
• Whiten bathtub grout. First dry the tub thoroughly, then spray it liberally with hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit — it may bubble slightly — for a little while, then come back and scrub the grout with an old toothbrush. You may have to repeat the process a few times.
• Clean the toilet bowl. Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl, let stand for 20 minutes, then scrub clean.
• Remove stains from clothing, curtains, and tablecloths. Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a pre-treater for stains — just soak the stain for a little while in 3% hydrogen peroxide before tossing into the laundry. You can also add a cup of peroxide to a regular load of whites to boost brightness. It’s a green alternative to bleach, and works just as well.
• Brighten dingy floors. Combine half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with one gallon of hot water, then go to town on your flooring. Because it’s so mild, it’s safe for any floor type, and there’s no need to rinse.
• Clean kids’ toys and play areas. Hydrogen peroxide is a safe cleaner to use around kids, or anyone with respiratory problems, because it’s not a lung irritant. Spray toys, toy boxes, doorknobs, and anything else your kids touch on a regular basis.
• Help out your plants. To ward off fungus, add a little hydrogen peroxide to your spray bottle the next time you’re spritzing plants.
• Add natural highlights to your hair. Dilute the hydrogen peroxide so the solution is 50% peroxide and 50% water. Spray the solution on wet hair to create subtle, natural highlights.
• According to alternative therapy practitioners, adding half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to a warm bath can help detoxify the body. Some are skeptical of this claim, but a bath is always a nice way to relax and the addition of hydrogen peroxide will leave you – and the tub – squeaky clean!
• Spray a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide on leftover salad, drain, cover and refrigerate. This will prevent wilting and better preserve your salad.
• Sanitize your kids’ lunch boxes/bags.
• Dab hydrogen peroxide on pimples or acne to help clear skin.
• Hydrogen peroxide helps to sprout seeds for new plantings. Use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution once a day and spritz the seed every time you re-moisten. You can also use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water to improve your plants’ root system.
• Remove yellowing from lace curtains or tablecloths. Fill a sink with cold water and a 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Soak for at least an hour, rinse in cold water and air dry.
• Use it to remove ear wax. Use a solution of 3% with olive or almond oil. Add a couple drops of oil first then H2O2. After a few minutes, tilt head to remove solution and wax.
• Helps with foot fungus. Spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry. Or try soaking your feet in a peroxide solution to help soften calluses and corns, and disinfect minor cuts.
• Spray down the shower with hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria and viruses.
• Use 1 pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water to clean humidifiers and steamers.
• Wash shower curtains with hydrogen peroxide to remove mildew and soap scum. Place curtains in machine with a bath towel and your regular detergent. Add 1 cup full strength 3% hydrogen peroxide to the rinse cycle.
• Use for towels that have become musty smelling. 1/2 cup Peroxide and 1/2 cup vinegar let stand for 15 minutes wash as normal. Gets rid of the smell.
• Use hydrogen peroxide to control fungi present in aquariums. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt your fish. Use sparingly for this purpose.
• De-skunking solution. Combine 1 quart 3% H2O2, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon Dawn dish detergent, 2 quarts warm water.

Corn Fritters

My family loved these!  They were really good both savory or with a little added sugar and sprinkled with some icing sugar.

1 can cream style corn
2 tbsp. sugar (optional)
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients together then add egg to milk and mix with dry ingredients.

Fold in corn then drop spoonfuls into hot fat and fry until brown on both sides.

Drain well on paper towels.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: New Accomplishment

 

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Stressed

I am feeling stressed today.  This move is coming up soon and I am worried about the logistics of it all.  Agh!  It is making me a grouchy person.

No Fail Tea Biscuits

I made these for the kids and they loved them.  I cut them in semi-circles and called them "Moon biscuits" and the kids were very excited by them. 

 Preheat oven 450 degrees F.

• 4 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup of margarine (2 blocks)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup of milk (I like a wetter batter and used 1 1/4 cups)

1. Whisk together first four ingredients to blend together.
2. Then cut in margarine until it looks like cornmeal.
3. Add eggs to milk.
4. Bring all ingredients together with a fork, turn on to floured counter and knead a few times.
5. Roll or pat out until 1/2 inch thick.
6. Cut with floured cutter.
7. The thickness of dough and size of cutter determines the cook time, I start peaking at about 12 minutes. But they should be done between 12-14 minutes.

 

 

Gratitude Sunday

Sunday's heart felt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

Here are some things I am grateful for this week:

1.  Prince Charming coming home with yummy cucumbers, broccoli, avocados, and plantains for us to enjoy.
2. Little girls who would rather eat broccoli and cucumber than pasta and bacon.
3. Princess Belle surprising me by having done laundry for me.  (even if she used bleach when she shouldn't have. LOL)
4. Getting things done for the move.
5. Having a baby boy who is learning so much he surprises me every day.  On Friday, he stood up and stole his sister's plate off the kid's table and who greets me standing in his crib in the mornings.
6. Little girls who are very concerned with the welfare of each other.
7. Princess Belle who would rather spend her time in the room with the girls than in her own room. 
8. Princess Belle loving coming up with fun games for the little ones to play.
   
   
   
   
9. Little Prince who spends all of his time on the floor with the big girls getting right in the mix and having fun with them
   
   
10. Cleaning out our freezer for the move and coming up with all sorts of yummy things like broth, fat to render out to cook with instead of oil, bread crusts for bread pudding, more bread crusts for stuffing, then freezing the broth to make gravy, soups and sauces.