Weekly Meal Planning

I decided to get back to my bi-weekly meal planning. I find it to be much easier to spend an hour planning meals for 2 week and generating a shopping list, than to spend time every day just deciding what to make and making 5 trips to the grocery store in a week. In the past I have just charted my meals on a meal planning print out sheet, but decided to search for a web-site that I can store all meal ideas on a calendar. I found it here. I can enter my meals and add recipes if I would like which would link the recipe ingredients to a shopping list. I'm not using the shopping list as many ingredients I already have on hand, but I do like the idea of being able to link to a web-site to access my menu wherever I am. Plus, if you use a Mac, you can link your menu calendar to your iCal. Check out their site if you are looking to streamline your time in the kitchen. If you use any other sites for meal planning...let me know!

Boy or Girl...Time to Find Out!

I had an ultrasound done yesterday at 19weeks 1 day and found out shockingly...it is a BOY! I had such a feeling it was a girl! My daughter cried when I told her but that just means only one special princess in the house...those words did not console her...lol! We are super excited to have a third little guy running around the house, and so are the boys!

The first pic is a 3D picture and the one below shows clearly a penis between the legs.

What to do when hubby and kids are away....?

Last Friday, on my husband's birthday, he decided to take the kids several states away to visit family and give me a break at home. Yes, you heard right...HUSBAND-LESS AND CHILD-LESS for 3 days! Although absence does make the heart grow fonder it also brings peace and quiet and creativity. The creative juices have been flowing...maybe it's the whole pregnancy hormone thing, but it was great to get back to sewing. I learned to sew in high-school, but my Nana had been a fantastic seamstress all her life and I have certainly learned a lot from her. She recently gave me a new serger she had purchased and I got excited! So it was off to Hobby Lobby and Jo-Anns to get inspired.

Since I had so much "me" time, I also went to the library and checked-out some books on knitting. What better time to learn, than when the kids are gone. With shopping list in hand, I headed to the craft stores in search of my inspiration. Oh I was like a kid in a candy store...so much to choose from! I knew my first project would be something simple-a baby blanket, so I started in the fleece section and found a cute apple print. Then I found a fabric that would look great for a dress for my soon-to-be 8yr. old. Then I had to find a pattern for the dress, then the zipper, then the trim and then there was this great fabric for a hand bag and then...oh my! Was I in over my head? No way!

The weekend was relaxing at the very least. I learned to knit and started a scarf for myself, sewed a cute baby blanket, cut out the fabric for my daughters dress and cut the fabric for my handbag. I even got to enjoy "Gentelmen Prefer Blondes" without any interruptions. It may have been my husbands birthday weekend, but it was certainly my gift. Thanks honey!

Natural Ant Removal

A couple weeks ago I was turning over the dirt in my vegetable garden and came across more ants than I'm comfortable with. Anymore than one I do not like! I wanted to get rid of the ants before I planted and so...I was on a quest to find natural ways to rid my garden of ants. I came across this site that had suggested instant cream of wheat, which I had readily available, so I started sprinkling. I used 2 packets over the area. Several days later I went back to check the dirt. After raking the ground...there were no ants found. Woo hoo, now I can do some planting. Listed below are some of the ways suggested to get rid of ants. Happy trails...or lack of! :)

There are several methods of ridding your lawn or garden from the hazards created by ants beginning with organic methods. Start by drowning the ants with boiling water. Approximately three gallons of boiling water to each mound should do the trick. Follow with a natural repellent of citrus peelings and water. Blend in a blender and pour it over the anthill. Another natural remedy is to mix equal parts of sugar and borax. Place the sugar/borax mixture strategically around the yard in small containers (jar lids work just fine). The ants are attracted to the sugar and carry it back to the mound and within a week or two the borax will kill the mound. One other natural remedy is to use instant grits or cream of wheat. Sprinkle the grits over the mound. The ants will eat the grits and the grits will expand and blow up inside them. This method has been known to remove an ant hill within a day or two.

Some of the information was found here.

Summer Handwriting

Found this link...great for young kids to practice over the summer. When I click on "Basic Print" I can type the sentence or words to be practiced. Great for sight word practice or for learning those sentences that are repeated often. In our house it's "I love soccer". Check it out and keep your kids busy!
http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/