Busy Times

Yes!!  Those are eggs from our very own chickens.  We are now getting about 8-9 eggs per day from our flock of Americanas, Buff Orpingtons, Cuckoo Marins and a breed we are not sure of....I don't think the cuckoos are actually laying yet, and as there are about 26 hens out there we should be getting lots more, but right now we are thrilled and, if the ladies keep doing their job, we can take eggs off the grocery list!

We've been eating salads from the garden and even had some turnip greens last week.  We've harvested all the sage and thyme and must get our sage made into wreaths and the thyme spread out to dry this week.  I've got several plants of chives that I want to cut and put in the dehydrator.  Jordan dug up two rosemary plants and potted them to keep in the house over the winter.

I still have applesauce to can and my countertops are covered in habenero and jalapeno peppers.  This morning we'll be making up some Cowboy Candy and pineapple habanero jelly.  

And then there's the 16 or so pounds of black seedless grapes to take care of, the baskets of apples, the onions that need to be dehydrated and a box of sweet potatoes that needs something.

Oh, and then we have the school work to do, the laundry, the cleaning and the regular cooking and baking to take care of as well.  Which means I better get up from this chair and get some of the sleepy heads out of the bed!  Hope you all have a great week!

linking up at homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

It's a Wonderful Life

photo courtesy of Kaelan

My life as a wife and homeschooling mom to seven children has challenged me, strengthened me, broadened me, educated me and blessed me.  There has never been a time in the last 27 years of mothering that I have wanted to do anything else.  I am so very thankful that God, in His infinite wisdom, blessed me with a man who also believes that my "job" at home is the only career I need.

photo by Kaelan

“How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about the rule of three, 

and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be 

broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? 

No. A woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is 

minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for 

its smallness.”

G.K Chesterton

photo by Kaelan

I wasn't raised to be a stay-at-home mom.  In fact, I began working when I was only 14 years old.  My parents were divorced and my mom worked two jobs to make ends meet.  Am I resentful?  No.  I can see how God was working in my life...even then when I was running the drive-thru at our local McD's.

photo by Kaelan

I went on to college, majoring in music which was never really a huge desire in my life, but was something that interested me.  It was there that Jeff and I met....married, and had the first two of our large family.  I even went on to get a master's degree....but God had other plans for me....for us.

photo by me

We had heard a radio interview with Raymond and Dorothy Moore, modern-day grandparents of the homeschooling movement.  We listened.   We took notes.  We thought that would be something nice to do if we ever found the opportunity, but we were headed to Texas  where Jeff would be a full- time seminary student for three years.  I would have to work to support the family.  Or so we thought.

photo by me

A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.  Proverbs 16:9

But then God.....  (isn't that the way it goes.... we make our plans and then....God)  God, in His infinite wisdom, closed every door for me to work.  We finally saw that not only would it cost us financially for me to work outside the home, but would also be more difficult for our young children.  So God provided... support from our home church and several job opportunities for Jeff.  And I stayed at home with our daughters, taught a few piano lessons and babysat a few other children from time to time.  God has been faithful to provide and we have never been in want.

photo by me

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  Psalm 23:  1

photo by me

Not only has God provided us with every thing we need, but has blessed us abundantly with a home in the woods where our wonderfully talented children can be free to explore, learn, create and grow....where they can develop their own strengths and talents and become the men and women that God would have them to be.

photo by Kaelan

Unexpected blessings have come....this one was the best!  This child I felt too old and too stressed to have has blessed my heart and soul so very much.  I can't imagine NOT having this little man to snuggle with, to sing with, to watch him dance and play.  

photo by Kaelan

Or to see the world through the camera lens as some of my children do.  What beautiful sights they see and share with me.  And this is all just right outside our front door.  Our cups runneth over indeed!

photo by Kaelan

I thought I would share a few words written by C. H. Spurgeon on Hearth and Home.

Actually, I am not sure who said these words....I found them attributed to Spurgeon, but he died around 1894...before the 20th century!

Two of the most significant events of the twentieth century were women leaving the  home en masse for corporate America, and the subsequent transformation of the home from a bastion of Christian family life, domesticity and culture; to a mere flop-house of individuals co-existing under one roof.  For six thousand years, the home was the nerve center of society.  Men fought and died on foreign battlefields--not just for abstract--but to secure the living, ever-present memory of blessed family life, typified by the phrase "hearth and home."

In the Scriptural model, we see the home as an incubator for leadership and dominion, as a grand instrument for education and discipleship, as the first expression of Godly cutlure, as a place of industry and economic self-sufficiency, as the primary outlet for hospitality and even evangelism--not to mention its significance as the first law-enforcing institution to which man is exposed on his journey from childhood to maturity.

It is to the mother--as the vice-regent of the home--that the responsibility is delegated by the husband for cultivating its aesthetic beauties and virtues.  In the hands of noble womanhood, we can yet see--rising from the ashes of a broken culture--the glories of hearth and home, so that future generations will arise and declare its virtues once again.

 

Happy Fall Y'all!

Devin has been painting door signs and more for the last few months.  Lately she has been inspired by some entries on Pinterest.  I haven't ventured over there myself and I have a feeling I would like it too much!  ; )  

I know fall offically arrived a few weeks ago, but at our house it's not really fall until I climb up in the attic and bring our all of our boxes of Thanksgiving and fall decorations.  Then fall can begin.  Saturday,  while we were already neck-deep in various projects around the house and had our three grandchildren here for the weekend, I decided it was time for fall to arrive at our house officially. 

I climbed up into the attic and pushed all the boxes to the opening, then passed them down very gently to Aaron.  The boxes are too heavy and I really should put everything in smaller boxes to make it easier on myself.  After Aaron hauled everything into the dining room Jackson and I got busy.  He was so excited to finally get everything decorated!

Jackson and I did all the work and had a blast doing it.  As we pulled out item after item, he would make a remark about it or ask a question about it and would either place it on the dining table or put it where it normally would go.  I was amazed at how he knew just where something was supposed to go.  It really made me think about how important our simple family traditions are to these children of mine and to Jeff and I as well.  I discovered that Jackson has some favorite items that he loves and promised that he could have them when he married.  He quickly informed me that he would not be getting married!  LOL!

Now the garland is hung, candles have been lit, Pilgrims are all in place, wreaths are hung and our special Thanksgiving devotional box is in it's usual place.  The Thanksgiving season has officially arrived at the Chamblee home!

I'll take pictures to show some of our favorite items in the days ahead.  Right now we are still in construction/destruction mode with a renovation of our laundry area, so things are not quite in order.  Do you decorate for the Thanksgiving season in your home?   What are some of your favorite fall/harvest season memories?

If you are interested in some of our favorite Thanksgiving resources check out this post 

here.

And for some of our fall and Thanksgiving traditions, check out this post!



Check out some other Thanksgiving ideas at Learning to Live a Surrendered Life!

Checking

Checking things off the to do list, that is!!  This past week Jeff and the children were able to complete the chicken coop and run and moved the birds into their permanent home.  It was quite amusing to see them trying to move the chicken tractor from the front of the house (redneck, or what?  We do have a huge yard that is not seen from the road and the chickens were kept away from the house).  The back yard slopes down, so it was a long process to get the chicken tractor to the coop.  I don't thave pictures of all the little devices that Jeff came up with inside the coop, but will get  some later in the week.

Kaelan was walking behind to make sure the chickens were keeping up with the coop as Jeff was pulling it.

Kaelan climbed in the tractor to get the chickens out one at a time.

She passed the chickens to Aaron who thought it was quite humorous!

The passing of the chicken

Jackson got the final chicken out.

Caedmon was glad NOT to be participating.

This rooster got into a fight with another rooster and now has a broken leg.  He will be in the stewpot soon.

Since that big job was completed Jeff was able to begin some indoor work....on the laundry closet!  Our hot water heater had been leaking and finally quit working altogether.  To remove it meant moving out the washer and dryer.  So after all three were removed along with everything else crammed in there, the vinyl flooring was ripped out, floor and walls were bleached, Zinzer paint was applied to the walls and then a coat of regular paint.  It looks so much better than the bare tongue and groove board!  We are now even more excited to get the rest of the older part of the house painted. Next weekend the laundry closet and small mud room will be tiled.  Then we will install the new hot water heater and some new cabinets. I will be so glad when that is finished!

The Great Declutter Challenge continues and I have gathered up many more books, gadgets and other items to get rid of.   A huge part of the decluttering resulted in moving four sets of bookshelves and reorganizing four others.  There is actually some empty space on some!  We were also able to clean out and reorganize all the freezers and the refrigerator.  This week I will do some kitchen cabinets and maybe even do some in the master bedroom.  Jeff and the boys also found some time to start the decluttering in the barn and garage.  Our big trailer is full of items and trash to haul to the dump next Saturday.

In the midst of all of this we had our three grandchildren ages 4, 2 and 1 here for the weekend and we decorated the house for fall.  We are all a little tired this morning and several of us seem to be coming down with a cold.  I think we are more than ready for some downtime, just doing our normal day-to-day routine with school and housework.

So, did you have a busy weekend?  Are you doing some home improvement projects?  I would love to hear what you have been up to!

http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2011/10/barn-hop-31.html

The Great Clutter Elimination Week One

Don't forget to leave a comment on this post to win a $15 gift certificate to Lilla Rose!



I'm feeling pretty good about the progress that I have been able to make in just a couple of days.  I have mainly been working on the toys and school items this week.  My garbage man just took out a really big bag of trash from the school room.  I have to admit that I had gone through my desk, file cabinet and arts and crafts cabinets just a couple of months ago and eliminated tons of papers and other items there.

We moved all the construction toys out of the boys room.  That was a major source of clutter in there!  Legos, KNex, Erector Sets, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, FischerTechnic, and more....the accumulation of having boys in the house for almost 19 years!  The older boys don't use any of these construction sets anymore...except for the 15 year old who will occasionally build some with the huge KNEX set we have.  Every thing has a new home...in my room.( they are all in shoeboxes and are sitting on a narrow shelf behind my bedroom door--they are still accessible, but much more controllable!).  The huge box of KNEX and the huge box of dress up clothes that are now in the top of the closet.  I still need to go through or have the older boys go through all the clothes and eliminate old t-shirts and such, boxing up what we want to save and getting rid of the rest.  I added clothes to the younger boys closet that are too big for them and will have to box them up to keep the confusion down.  I hope to take out a large cabinet in there after we go through all the clothes.  Jordan's clothes are in that cabinet, but I think we should be able to have all four boys clothes in a dresser and chest of drawers.  They also have a huge closet that they share.  We could put a couple of storage drawers under a bed or in the closet if needed.  I hope to get their room painted and get new bedding and curtains for them for part of their Christmas.

In the kitchen I elimated some plastic dishes and decorations that were on the countertops.  Countertop space is limited and we have lots going on in the kitchen.  My decorations will have to be elsewhere!

In the school room, I was able to collect almost two boxes of books that I feel we can part with and I also have two or three in the attic.  Lauren (ore married daughter with three little ones) took several items home with her from the school room including three Melissa and Doug Magnetic charts...weather, chores and schedule, a big box of Little Tykes Waffle Blocks, a Fisher Price castle and farm along with a box of items that go with them....and a crock-pot cookbook!

In addition to mounds of laundry and other regular household duties, I hope today to finish de-cluttering the top of my desk.  Yesterday I managde to clear one stack that contained a collection of recipes cut from magazines and printed off from the internet.  All are now organized in a large notebook and tucked inside page protectors.  I weeded out several recipes from a recipe box and tossed the broken box away.  The recipe cards will be added to the notebook today and there are a handfull of frequently used recipes tucked inside a kitchen cabinet that will be typed up and put in the notebook.  I have a feeling I'll be sharing recipes with you for a while now!  We had a new-to-us recipe this morning that I will share with you soon.  It was delicious, but we think it will be even better with just a little bit of tweaking.

That's about all the progress I've made this week and I need to get going if I am going to get anything else done today.  How about you?  Are you tackling some de-cluttering projects?  Have you blogged about it?  Leave a comment with your blog ling or just let us all know how you are doing.

Linking up with Laurie over at Common Sense Homesteading.

Overwhelmed by Stuff

In this country we are so blessed to have so many material things readily available to us.  Books, clothes, toys, electronic devices and more are easily attainable.  However, those blessings can easily turn into hindrances when we accumulate so much that our lives are spent in taking care of STUFF instead of living our lives in service to others.

So many days it seems that I am moving STUFF from one place to another so that I can work with other STUFF. I have STUFF in the kitchen that must be moved from the counter tops so that I can get out other STUFF to make bread.  I must clear the school table of all the STUFF in order to get out other STUFF to do school work with the children.  We must clear the beds of STUFF in order to sleep in them at night.  I must clear my desk of STUFF before I can work on anything there.  STUFF is ruling our lives!!  And for some reason, we constantly think we need more STUFF!!  Why do we get into this trap?

If you've been here long you know that we are producers around here.  Musicians must have their instruments, music stands and music.  Artists must have their canvases, paints, paintbrushes, pencils and so much more.   Cooking from scratch and food preservation means buckets of grains and beans, canning jars and canners, huge pots that don't fit into cabinets, and jars upon jars of preserved food.  Homesteading brings it's own stuff with pots for starting plants, chicken tractors, books on homesteading, tools and equipment...more and more stuff.  Add in the clothes needed for eight people, bedding, food storage, a home business with lots of equipment, twenty-three years of homeschooling and twenty-seven years of raising children and you have a house overflowing with STUFF!!

I long for open spaces in my home.  For horizontal surfaces that are clear of clutter.  Shelves that have an empty space or two.   Open floor spaces.  Unfortunately, as my family has grown, my living spaces have not.  Now I have reached a point that I get so easily distracted by the STUFF that I cannot focus on the people as I should.  I have periodically purged our STUFF throughout the years, but I think we are facing a major purge soon if I am to regain some sanity.   Construction toys, homeschooling materials, furniture, books, games, knick-knacks and more need to leave my home.  And that's just the house!!  There is still the garage (once something goes in there it is never seen again!) and the unfinished barn that are all full of STUFF!!  Oh, and the attic as well!!  Oh, my!!

I have slowly been gathering items to get rid of, but think I will need to step up the pace as the walls seem to be closing in on me and when winter sets in it will only be worse.   I want to spend more time enjoying my family instead of shuffling STUFF from one spot to another.  And who knows!!  I may even start opening my home to guests more often if we aren't having to take an entire day or more to prepare for an evening of companty.  Every day for the next several months I hope to gather a bag of trash for the dump or burn pile or collect several items to sale or bless someone else.  Does anyone want to join me for the GREAT STUFF ELIMINATION?

I long to make my home a peaceful resort for my family and for myself.  I would love for us to have quiet spots to sit together, to enjoy a good book, a game or to simply listen to an encouraging CD.  The only way this will happen is to purge, purge, purge!  Please pray for me as I set out on this journey to reclaim my home from the STUFF.  I want my home to be filled with precious and pleasant riches....not with STUFF!

Through wisdom a house it built,
And by understanding it is established;
By knowledge the rooms are filled 
With all precious and pleasant riches.


Proverbs 24:  3-4




            

This Week and an Egg-citing Update!

Late-breaking news!!  After posting early this morning, we all got busy with breakfast and chores.  My chicken wrangler excitedly headed back into the house with the news that we have an egg!!  Unfortunately, the chicken wrangler is deathly allergic to eggs so another child gets egg wrangling duty.

I think Jackson is still a little sleepy!!

A small egg from an Americauna, but it's a start!

Now back to our regular post!

Hoping to get back to a more "normal" family schedule this week, I thought it would be helpful to type up all the projects that need to be started or completed for the week.  You know, those things that get put aside for the more urgent needs such as cooking, cleaning, laundry and school work.  Jeff and Jordan should have a few days off this week so I am really hoping some of these heavier projects can get completed.

-can applesauce--The applesauce is already made, I just need to heat it up and get it canned...this morning!

-finish clearing out the boys' room--Four boys whose upcoming birthdays will make them 3, 7, 15 and 19 all share a room.  We've pulled out all the toys and there is still much that needs to go.  I've got boxes of construction toys and train sets everywhere.  The grandsons will be getting some of them, some we will keep and some special sets will be stored away.

-yard and garden clean up--Much to do there....limbs and trash need to be burned, I need some beds built for herbs, an addition to the compost bin needs to be made and I want pine needles gathered from the woods to be used between the garden beds.

-chicken coop--Needs to be completed!  The layers need a permanent home before they actually start laying.

-laundry room  closet makeover--Everything will have to come out of the laundry closet including the hot water heater and the floor.  The hot water heater must be replaced, water damage repaired, new shelving installed, unused items gotten rid of and all will be painted.

--We did actually get some garden work done on Saturday now that my gardener and his dad have finished up the filming on their new project.  Cabbages, broccoli and brussel sprouts were added to the lettuces, turnips and spinach.  I want to have him make some coverings for the newer plants to protect them from the direct sun and to get started on making some miniature green houses to keep our harvest going longer.

--And when all of this is done, I have finally picked out colors to paint the kitchen, dining room, hallway and back entrance.  I've been holding off getting our home decorated for fall/Thanksgiving because I want the painting done first, but I may just have to decorate anyway.  Reality is setting in and I can see that time and resources are being stretched so that this project just may not get done. It's a huge project as the walls and ceilings are bare tongue and groove wood, but I am so eager to see it done!

homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

Preparing for September

Other than purchasing 5 cases of rice milk for my dairy allergic children, I haven't been in food prep mode this week at all.  I did purchase 40 pounds of Granny Smith apples for our daily consumption and I will be making applesauce with them as well.  I have several pounds of carrots that need to be dehydrated (loving having dehydrated carrots to toss into some soup!).  The last of the garden tomatoes will also be dehydrated.  I recently dried several trays, put them in a quart jar, added a handful of dried basil (from my garden) and covered with olive oil.  I think they will be a wonderful addition to our Friday night pizzas or to a pasta salad.  The oil will be used as well!  I am letting it sit for several weeks before trying them out.

As soon as the temperature cools down I hope to set up several canning days for seasoned white beans and beef broth.   I recently acquired Jackie Clay's canning cookbook and am eager to can some of the "instant" meals that she includes...soups, stews, meatballs, sloppy joes and more.  We have enjoyed some quick meals incorporating the pinto beans that I canned a month or so ago and I think having even more quick meals ready to heat from the jars will be a blessing on busy school days.

I do have a new food storage system that is helping me to see exactly what I have on hand and how quickly items are being used.  It seems that we are  using olive oil much more than I had anticipated so I will need to keep much more of that in stock.

The men in the family have continued to work on our permanent chicken coop, not to be confused with the chicken tractors.  Our layers have grown and look beautiful!  It's fun to feed them bread and vegetable scraps a little at a time and watch them run after each morsel.  I know they will enjoy having more room to run around once their new home and run are completed.  We still haven't ordered the meat birds, but will soon.

The fall garden has been planted.  I had intended to order more seeds, but I think we will stick with what we have on hand for now.  My 18 year old son is in charge of the garden and has set out lettuce, spinach, turnips, broccoli and cabbage.  The broccoli and cabbage were started in seed starter and are still on the porch.  It will probably be a couple of weeks before he puts them in the raised beds.  The other seeds were direct sown, but we will be using some type of covering to protect them from the sun as we will still be having very warm temperatures for another 5-6 weeks I am sure.

This morning I will be preparing for our next school week and taking care of some household tasks.  Today is my husband's birthday, so while he and the boys work on the chicken coop the girls and I will be preparing a hamburger feast with an apple cake for dessert.  Our oldest daughter and grandchildren will be here as well, so things will get a little chaotic as well.  Aaron's 15th birthday is on Monday, so we will need to prepare his special egg-free dessert tomorrow.

I also started my Christmas gift list for this year.  I always keep an eye out throughout the year and have a box full of goodies already purchased.  With seven children and soon to be four grands, shopping early is a must!

As I sit here I think of so many tasks that need to be completed.  I think I will list them here and then check back next week to see how much I actually got accomplished.

-defrost large freezer
-clean out refrigerator
-organize kitchen cabinets
-take inventory and make a list of needed bulk purchases
-choose colors and buy paints for our indoor projects
-can beans and broth
-dehydrate carrots and tomatoes
-make a list with prices of all curriculum and learning items that I have for sale
-floor to ceiling and wall to wall cleanings of all the bedrooms

homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

There's a lot more to do, but I stop here.  I must be realistic.  These will be good goals for the month of September.  What's happening around your little homestead?

It's Friday!

What does a typical Friday look like at your house?  Today we have tomatoes and okra to can (soup starter!), piano and violin practice, lessons to teach, school work to complete, big laundry day--washing all bed linens today, floors to vacuum and mop and some other major cleaning that will most likely not get completed until tomorrow.

Outdoor projects need to be completed, fall garden needs to be started, lesson plans and copies made for the upcoming weeks, a calendar needs to be revised as several of the children will be involved in a film shoot for Jeff in September which will take up two weeks, building materials need to be purchased, books read, boo-boos kissed, snuggles given, food prepared.....

Just a normal Friday around here!!  LOL!  How does your Friday look?

Life Learning

So much of our education comes from just living the life that God has given us.   Twenty-three years ago when we first started on our homeschooling journey I don't believe that Jeff and I had any ideas of where this walk would lead us.  Visions of two little girls learning to read, write and study God's Word and His creation floated in my mind's eye, but never would I have dreamed that we would still be on this journey 23 years later and still have at least 16 years to go as our family grew to include seven children and now, three grandchildren as well.

Our current life lessons seem to be focused on homesteading activities and I am really enjoying these lessons.  This week we have been canning applesauce and today we'll tackle beef and turkey broths, tomatoes, pickles and more applesauce.  We have potatoes to dehydrate and onions to freeze.  Kaelan made a big batch of dough yesterday for cinnamon rolls and I rolled them out for breakfast this morning.  I spread my own homemade butter over the dough, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and then rolled them up, sliced and baked.  Topped with icing made with more homemade butter, they were simply delicious.

Jeff commented after finishing his second cinnamon roll that our daughters sure could cook!!  Well, I reminded him that Kaelan made the dough, but I finished them up this morning!  There were/are extremely tasty and he also commented about the fresh taste of the butter.....and that we will soon be getting our own cow!  We have so enjoyed getting fresh milk for the last several months and I admit, have become a little snobbish now about our homemade milk products.  Oh, and we sit around drooling over cheese and soap making products from the Hoegger's Catalog and other products from Lehman's!!

This weekend we'll be busy building our first chicken tractor in preparation for ordering about 50 meat birds.  We're using a trampoline which was given to us just this week!  I'm sure I'll be posting pictures about that adventure soon.

Learning is more than just reading and writing.  Learning from real life is so much fun!  We are so very grateful that God as opened our eyes to learning in new ways with our children.  Yes, WITH!!  Our excitement for life learning is contagious and our children are catching the vision of becoming self-sufficient as much as possible and learning to live a more meaningful life that is not tied to the latest new-fangled toys, gadgets and clothing trends.   And in all this learning it seems that there is a much deeper awareness of the beauty and bounty that God as provided for us and a desire to use our resources for His glory.

So, what is God teaching you as you walk through life with your family?  Has your walk taken directions you would never have expected?  Please share!

http://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/

Essentials--Oregano

In the past two years we have been experimenting with growing our own herbs.  We have had peppermint and spearmint for several years and have enjoyed hot mint teas and iced tea.  Last year we added many more herbs to our garden:  sage, thyme, lemon balm and oregano.  This year we have gone even further with chives, stevia, rosemary, apple mint, chocolate mint, sweet mint and another mint that I can't recall right now!  One great benefit to these herbs is that they are all perennials!!  Only one purchase last for years and years!

I thought I would share how we are using some of these herbs in the next few weeks.  Today we'll look at oregano.  We all know oregano is terrific for Italian dishes like spaghetti, lasagna and pizzas, but it is also good used fresh in green salads.  It can also be added to bread doughs for a wonderful herbed bread or pizza crust.

Oregano also has a few medicinal uses that we hope to test as needed.  You can use the fresh leaves to make an infusion (think tea) that is claimed to help headaches, menstrual cramps, insomnia and aid in digestion.  Adding leaves to bathwater may ease aching muscles and hot compresses made with a very strong infusion can help clean and reduce the swelling of cuts and wounds.  In medieval times, oregano was strewn on the floor along with the rushes to help mask the smells of rotting food and unsanitary living conditions.

This week I began harvesting some of our oregano that was growing like crazy and dehydrated it.  I washed the cut stems and let dry on a towel then placed on the racks of the dehydrator.  After it was dry I was easily able to pull the dried leaves from the stems and gently crush them into a bowl.  I now have about 1/2 a cup of home-grown dried oregano to store for winter use.  I will be drying lots more in the future...it's a simple way to preserve for year 'round use.

Beautiful Bountiful Blueberries

This morning we are off on our annual blueberry picking adventure.  We've been gathering with friends at a local blueberry farm for the past few years.    We have to go early before it gets too hot.  It's been in the upper 90s here for the last couple of weeks, so when I say hot, I mean HOT and humid as well.

I try to get the children to gather about 5 gallons of blueberries and we typically freeze them for year 'round use.  Muffins, cobblers, jams and blueberry biscuits are some favorite berry delights here.  This year I am also going to dehydrate some blueberries.  I find them delicious in my homemade granola!  I also want to can some blueberry pie filling to make one of my favorite pies as well.

I expect to get about 2 gallons from our bushes here at home, so we should be pretty well stocked with what we gather today.  I thought I would share a quick and easy recipe for cobbler that can be made with any fruit, but is especially good with blueberries.

Fruit Cobbler

Place two cups of fresh or frozen fruit into a pot.  Cover partially with water and add 1/2 cup of sugar.  Place on stovetop and cook on medium heat until sugar is melted and fruit is softened.

Melt one stick or 8 oz. of butter in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Set the dish aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2  cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups of milk.  Mix thoroughly and pour into casserole dish.  Spoon fruit and syrup over the batter in the casserole dish distributing as evenly as possible.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.  Cool slightly and serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.  

This is so very yummy and so easy.  We usually make at least one cobbler every other week or so around here!  Let me know if you try this recipe.  You can be sure I'll be making one tonight!!

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Quit Spending

That really would be an easy way to start saving some money, wouldn't it?  However, in today's world it is almost impossible not to spend money.   There are many ways that we can spend less, though, and our family has been brainstorming ways that we can save a few bucks here and there.  I thought I would share a few of those ideas with you today.

-Stay at home!  

Sounds simple, doesn't it?  But no matter how much I desire to have every one at home all the time, it just isn't possible.  Jeff must travel to work each day and, as we are a two car family with four drivers, at least three days a week he must come home for lunch to pick up Jordan.  Jordan works with his dad so they at least are together while away from home!!  ; )  That means, though, that Jeff is able to eat at home on those days, so it does offset his eating away from home expenses.  For years I packed his lunch daily, but he really likes to get out of the office and see some blue sky and greenery instead of the four walls of his office.  He usually comes home even on days that Jordan doesn't work so he can visit with us, but every week usually brings a business contact that he has lunch with or he meets with one or two men and lunches with them.

I try to combine my shopping and errand trips all in one day.  We live out from town, so a trip in usually takes 15-30 minutes depending on where we are going.  During the school year our "town day" is on Tuesday which is when we have piano lessons, so we also do our library stop, health food store, Sam's and grocery store run all on the same day.  This means I must be prepared with lists of needed items, but it is a great help to get it all done in one day.  During the summer we don't have piano lessons and we drop the library stops.  (we have MANY books at home) I am then able to make a shopping trip every 2-3 weeks instead.

Devin combines all of her violin students into one day.  It makes a long day, but she is also able to run any errands she needs to take care of on that one day.  She also has one day a week that she tutors another homeschool family's children.

Shopping online is another way to stay at home.  Most of our curriculum and book purchases are done online as is most of our Christmas and birthday shopping.  I generally try to get book purchases and gift shopping done when I find great clearance sales on products we love.

Instead of going to the movies we subscribe to Netflix.  For just $10 a month we get great movies sent to our mailbox!  I can't imagine how much it would cost for us (8 at home) to see a movie!!

Create restaurant style meals at home.  Jeff and I love to have an evening out at a restaurant every other month or so, but for the last few years we have generally been disappointed as I have learned to cook so many of our favorite restaurant style meals at home.  Pasta meals are really very easy to replicate and we love our homemade pizzas.  We regularly have some fantastic Mexican meals with enchiladas, fajitas, chimichangas, rice, beans and all the trimmings.  Chinese food can also be made cheaply and well at home.  We still go out occasionally, but it is becoming a rare occurrence.

-Buy in bulk! 


We have been buying in bulk for years, but have recently upped our food storage so that we can make fewer trips to town.  If I have a large stock to choose from I don't have to make purchases as frequently which saves gas and/or shipping and gives me more options for meals.  What do I buy in bulk?

                    canned goods
                    grains
                    flours
                    sugar
                    honey
                   beans
                   oils
                   produce
                    toiletry products
                   and so much more!

-Homemade


Learn to cook from scratch instead of buying mixes, canned soups or bread products.  It is cheaper and healthier for you.  Make large batches of soups and sauces and either freeze or can them.  Make a double batch of muffins, pancakes, biscuits or waffles for two meals instead of just one.  Homemade cookies, cakes, pies and ice cream are so much better than the store bought versions!

Make homemade cleaning solutions and laundry detergent.

Learn to sew simple projects and make repairs to clothing.

Make homemade popsicles with reusable popsicle trays or paper cups and unsweetened juices.

Learn how to can, freeze and dehydrate foods for food storage.

-Start a garden


There is definitely some money involved in getting started, but there are so many ways to garden frugally.  Jeff and the boys go to a friend's house every year and bring back a large load of manure from his barn to add to our compost bin.  Our raised beds were built from either scrap lumber or from landscape blocks that we purchased on clearance many years ago.  We save scraps, rake up leaves and grass clippings to add to our compost.

We have been eating lettuce from our garden now for about 2 months.  I paid about $4 for heirloom lettuce seeds.  That is the price that I would have paid for one box of spinach from Sam's which would have lasted one week.  We will be eating tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, squash and much more from our garden this summer.  It has taken a good bit of work, but we count that as character training!!  For us and the children!

-Take care of what you have!


Maintain your car properly.  Make sure you change the oil when it is due, use the correct gas, go the speed limit and all those other things that will prolong the life of your vehicle.

Promptly take care of home maintenance projects.  That leaky faucet is not going to suddenly stop leaking and will cause more damage if left alone.  Been there, done that!!

Take care of your clothing.  Treat stains promptly and sort your clothes according to color.  Use the correct temperature.  We have outside clothes and shoes  and town clothes and shoes for the younger children.  Have work clothes and boots for those who work outside and aprons for those who spend lots of time doing kitchen work.

Have a method for storing toys, games, puzzles and curriculum.  My youngest children have some of the same toys, games, puzzles, curriculum and manipulatives that my older girls had 25 years ago!  My grandchildren come over and put together the same puzzles that their mommy had!

Save clothes for the next child.  My children have always worn hand me down and even though Jordan and Caedmon are 16 years apart, Caedmon does have some clothes that have been handed down through all four boys!

-Decrease use of electricity, propane or natural gas!


Hang clothes on the clothesline.  If you don't have a clothesline you can purchase a drying rack cheaply and hang some articles of clothing to dry on hangars hung in doorways or on shower curtains.

Fill the sink with dishwater rather than letting the water run while you wash dishes.

Turn the water off while shaving or brushing teeth.

We do not have central air conditioning and have 5 window units.  During the night we only run the units in the bedroom.  During the day we run the two ACs in the living areas and in the boys' room.  We use a fan to move the air from the boys room into the living areas as well.

Keep lights turned off.

 Cook outdoors on the grill or set up a table on the porch or deck to cook outside in your crock pot.  This will help keep the house cooler.

Cook more than one meal at a time.   Eat one/freeze one!

-Don't pay full price for anything if possible!


Search out clearance racks.  Almost all of our clothing comes from clearance racks.  I never buy clothing unless it is on sale (usually at least half off), clearance or buy one get one half off.

My strawberry plants were purchased on clearance last year as were many of my perennial herbs.  I also have three knock out rose bushes purchased on clearance and some salvia as well.   A very little amount of TLC and they are doing great!

Most of my meat purchases are from the reduced section in my grocers meat market.  I also buy lots of my produce this way as well.

-Homeschooling!


Yes, I really think homeschooling our children has saved us lots of money through the years.  Yes, we spend money for books and other materials, but in the long run I know we have saved.  Here are some tips to save money while homeschooling.

          Use unit studies....teach them all the same topic at the same, but at different levels.
          Use curriculum that can be adapted to a wide age span.....i.e. The Natural Speller and more.
          Use curriculum that can be passed down.  My six year old is using the same math program that three of his older siblings used.
          Use curriculum that can be reproduced.




So what are some ways that you use to save money in these days of the disappearing dollar?  Have you tried to cut back your spending?  I would love to hear some ideas from you!

The Family Who Works Together

We still have lots of projects going on around here.  I thought I would  post a few pictures of the actual work being done.  Devin is finishing up a couple of rogue shutters this morning and is sanding and painting the swing.

Yesterday, however, we left our home projects and went down to Lauren's and helped her move in to a FEMA trailer. You can read about the tornado that hit her house here.   I wish I had taken the camera with us so you could see what is left of the house.  Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised with the size of this trailer.  It has three small bedrooms provided with full sized beds and metal floor-to-ceiling closets.  It also has a large bathroom that is handicap accessible which means there is no tub only a huge shower.  The hallways are very wide, so she may be able to have bookcases along one of the hallways (if she thinks she can keep some monkeys from climbing on them!)  The living area consists of the dining room, living room and kitchen.  It is small and comes furnished with metal table, chairs and end tables, a hide-a-bed sofa and club chair.  The kitchen has metal cabinets but also has a full sized fridge, stove and microwave.  It is fresh and clean, so that is a great blessing!  It will be a change from their large home, but they needed to down size anyway!  Please continue to remember them in prayer.  There is still a HUGE amount of clean  up to be done and some big decisions to be made regarding her health issues and deciding where to go from here as far as buying/building a new  home.  They are both extremely thankful and grateful for the Lord's mercies and for many who have offered physical and monetary help.  It would be so very easy to sink into despair when you see the difficulties that must be overcome, but positive attitudes prevail!

Kaelan is priming the porch railing.

Jackson worked hard on the primer as well!

The next day the real painting began.  Kaelan is smiling here, but she still has paint all over her arms, legs and feet!

Jeff took over for Jackson.

Aaron was a hard worker.

The three beds in the middle to upper part of this photo have lots of compost in them are are doing really well.  Now we have cucumbers blooming in the first bed here along with onions.  Above is our lettuce bed that has been wonderful and beyond that are garden peas that we will be harvesting in the next week or so.  Just waiting for the pods to plump up some more.

While the others were painting, Jordan was adding more compost to some of the beds.  This morning when I checked a few of these tomato plants had tomatoes on them!

Blossoms from the garden pea bed.

Squash blossoms!  We have about 6 kinds of squash in the garden this year.  I hope we have a great crop!

Our two mature blueberry plants are so heavy with berries that Jeff had to stake and tie them up!  

We have a huge bed with mint.  I love mint tea!!  

On the deck we have lots of herbs and some more tomato starts.   Here we have two pots with lettuce, a can with 3-4 heirloom tomato plants and a pot with chocolate mint.  We have many more cans and pots with a huge variety of herbs that we hope will do well and can be moved to permanent beds later.

Jeff and I spent a few moments dreaming together about what we would like to do on our little homestead in the future.  So many plans that will require sacrifice and hard work.  We realize how beneficial this is to our own character and to the character of our children.  Putting up fences, cutting down trees, clearing land to garden, planting, weeding, hoeing, mowing, painting, canning, and just the day-to-day work required in living the "simple" life builds confidence, patience, diligence, obedience, orderliness, attentiveness and so very much more.  We are so grateful for the training ground that the Lord has blessed us with and for all these precious children he has given us to learn and work with.  We are all learning and working together!

  

Check out other gardens at Smockity Frocks.