Category Archives: Family

Creature Comforts.

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“Knitting, he thought, was a comfort to the soul. It was regular. It was repetitious. And, in the end, it amounted to something”

–Father Tim from At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

There is a certain comfort to be found in the familiar.  A steamy morning coffee.  An old song laden with memories.  A dependable friend.  

And today is a noteworthy day in my little world.  Eleven years ago, I began the most remarkable of journeys with “my dependable friend.”  

It’s our date-aversary.  

Perhaps we are among only a handful of couples that celebrate the anniversary of our first date, but it’s a pretty big day in my mind.  Without it, there certainly would have been no wedding and no children.  We spent the day at an apple orchard in Minnesota and then he took me to Applebee’s.  (We love apples… and by association, Applebee’s.)

I don’t write about my stellar husband very often and I think he prefers it that way.  

Because of the nature of his line of work, we frequently moved around the country early on in our marriage (four states… one of them twice).  We soon learned that no matter what happens, what relationships are formed, what connections are made, the only thing we took with us when we moved was each other.  We made a decision to more intentionally invest in our relationship and our marriage, because in the end, it would amount to something.

This road has not been perfect.  It has not been easy.  But I would gladly do it all over again.  

(We know a married couple that claims they never have an argument, but instead engage in “intense fellowship.”  Beautifully stated.  I must admit there has been a little “intense fellowship” along the way, but I suppose that is how we keep things interesting.)

I choose to love this man.  Every day.  Even when I don’t feel like it. (Even after he has forgotten to rinse out his cereal bowl.  Again.)  And I am grateful he chooses to love me back.  (Even after I forgot to iron his Sunday shirt.  Again.) 

It’s a beautiful partnership.  I respect his work, his provision, and his leadership.  And he loves me.  No matter what. 

And then there’s the coffee.  Our mutual love for this celestial brew is unmatched.  You are a treasure, my dependable friend.

HAPPY DATE-AVERSARY! 
I love you madly.

 
“Hang my locket around your neck,

   wear my ring on your finger.
Love is invincible facing danger and death.
   Passion laughs at the terrors of hell.
The fire of love stops at nothing—
   it sweeps everything before it.
Flood waters can’t drown love,
   torrents of rain can’t put it out.
Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold—
   it’s not to be found in the marketplace.”

Song of Solomon 8.6-7 (MSG)

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Season of change.

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It is nearly the middle of October, yet the cool, fall temperatures remain elusive here in the Heartland.  At this point, I desire little more than to be drowning in a warm, oversized sweater with a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a cozy book in the other.

“Autumn, you are late to your own party.  The trees are already colored for you…”

I adore the season of change.  I love the winding down of the year.  I welcome the vibrant colors.  Now, if it could just be colder…

This time of year also awakens in me a sense of renewal, inviting me to purge my house, my closet… my life!  Almost like spring cleaning.  But not.  Knowing full well that I will likely be spending a lot more time in my house with winter coming on, it seems a good time to get things in order.

So I’ve started by changing batteries.  LOTS of batteries.  Funny how you can give a something new life just by changing the batteries.  (Yes, even for Dead-Batty-Dora!)  After lying unnoticed in a dark corner for months, suddenly, Baby Alive is beloved again.  A flashlight stands ready to serve.  An old clock is again useful. 

Generally, I use rechargable batteries.  Especially AAs, because those seem to be most popular these days.  Often times, though, we still have the other kind laying around and I have decided to get the most out of every single one. 

A “dead” battery may not have enough juice to power a camera or get Elmo to giggling, but its probably not truly dead.  I toss spent batteries into an old shoe box marked “Clock Batteries.”  Clocks require very little power to run and will run for a long time on a supposedly dead battery I have pulled out of an old toy.  Batteries cost good money so make ’em count ’til the last drop!

So while I anticipate the true arrival of fall, I pour another cup, fall wardrobe at the ready, and I smile…

Do I like my coffee black? There are other colors? 
This post is a part of the Frugal Tuesday Tip.

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Blue Jeans & Coffee Beans.

Reboot.

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Thankful to be alive.  Thankful for a fresh day.  Thankful for the warm coffee cup in my hand.  Thankful that my past does not dictate my future.

Yesterday was… less than ideal.  I spent a full day in the city with meetings, dentist appointments, and a GPS (whom we have affectionately named, Susan) that sent me through an old, abandoned parking lot named “36th Street” en route to the aforementioned dentist appointments (which we were already late for) and tried to convince me the dentist office was located in a residential area.  Most of the time “Susan” is helpful.  And most of the time she is my friend.  Yesterday, however, I would rather have tossed her out the window, never looking back.

By the time we arrived back home, my little darlings were of sour disposition and mama was just plain tired.  We were barely home for 10 minutes before the toilet was clogged and my toddler had dumped an entire glass of water down the heat register.   Oh boy.

But this pretty much made my day:  “Draw a Stick Man”

Now it’s nap time.  And coffee break.  And I have chocolate.  Things are already looking up.

Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee. ~Stephanie Piro

Continue the coffee love by joining my facebook page: 
 Blue Jeans & Coffee Beans.
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Upside down and sideways.

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The last 7 days. 

I have braved a less-than-stellar report from my dentist (Lord, help me!), a household of sickies (thank God for hot peppermint tea and honey!), two days of an internet outage (who knew I was so addicted?), and a freak accident involving my toddler, hot coffee and my laptop (which now has a permanently sticky space bar.  Ugh.  Perhaps, I should take this as a sign to use a trifle less sugar in my coffee.)

My 7-year-old also sweetly informed me that my dancing is embarrassing and not cool.  The middle one heartily agreed.  I’m not gonna lie… it pretty much felt like an intervention.  And I thought I was one of those cool moms.  I am at a loss as to when my supreme cool factor crossed the threshold into absurdity. 

It’s barely Monday, but I can see that it’s going to be one of those upside-down-sideways sort of days.

So I’m thinking Breakfast for Dinner???

And here is my favorite Breakfast Casserole recipe which was bestowed upon me by one of my fabulous sisters.  This is by far the easiest and best I have ever come across!

(Note:  I often halve this recipe and bake in an 8×8 pan.)

Breakfast Egg Casserole

1 bag (6 oz) seasoned croutons
2 rolls sausage, browned
2 cups sharp cheddar
6 eggs + 2 cups milk, mixed
1 small can cream of mushroom soup + ½ cup of milk + 1 can of mushrooms

1. Layer casserole in order of ingredients listed above. Refrigerate overnight or for awhile.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min to 1 hour.

(You can find this recipe and more available on my Recipes page as a downloadable/printable .pdf file.)




I orchestrate my mornings to the tune of coffee. ~Terri Guillemets

This blog has been nominated for the Best Mom Blog Awards at Parents.com! Be sure to vote by clicking on the button below or by using the button on the top right side of this page! And tell your friends!

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While they were sleeping…

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After my beloved coffee machine is empty.  After my most cherished mug is freshly washed and resting in the cupboard.  After the lights are turned low and the house is finally hushed. 


The stillness of this October evening is welcome as I try to unwind from another bustling day.  But I just can’t keep myself from sneaking back in to peek at my little angels nestled warmly in their beds. 


One with a fever (so sorry you caught mommy’s cold, but its ever-so-hard to not kiss your sweet little face), one with an injury (wish I could have been there to rescue your little finger from that heavy door), and one just oh-so-snuggly cute (can hardly tear myself away from you). 


My little peanut, how is it that you are seven already?  Wasn’t it just yesterday that you asked me to read to you about “Christmas-ter” Robin and his little Pooh bear?  And didn’t we just dance the night away to “John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt” about a thousand times?


My sweet ladybug, how can it be that you are in kindergarten this year?  Are you sure you have outgrown your trademark red glitter shoes?


My loveable bear, is it true that you can now mostly button your own sweater?  And say your ABCs?  And count to ten? 

Can. It. Be?

I love you forever and always.

“When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there’s no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain.”

John 16.21 (The Message)

This blog has been nominated for the Best Mom Blog Awards at Parents.com! Be sure to vote by clicking on the button below or by using the button on the top right side of this page! And tell your friends!




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Little Miss Clean.

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God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done. 

And well, I am not exactly a gardener (you can read more about that whole shenanigan here:  Greenthumbery.), but I do enjoy a good foul-weather day that forces me to actually get a few things done around the house.  I am sure this is God’s way of keeping in line.

I fancy a clean house just as much as the next person, but it’s definitely more of a challenge these days.  I once heard someone say that cleaning your house before the children are done growing is like shoveling before it’s done snowing.  Couldn’t possibly be more true.

However, it must be done (and frequently requires copious amounts of coffee). 

I quickly learned that my third child is much different from her older sisters.  She is cunning, precocious, and really, really fast.  (I imagine she is exactly like my husband was at the tender age of two and if you know my husband, you know exactly what I mean.)  She is continually bubbling over with incessant vitality and spirit (also the reason I am consuming greater quantities of coffee these days.)  She readily scales walls, cupboards, fences, and furniture.  I removed the ladder from my older girls’ bunk beds to help curb her desire to climb.  Now she just climbs into the top bunk by scaling up the side.  (Is she part monkey???)  I am convinced that nothing could ever be completely my kind of toddler-proof.

She loves to eat my all-natural deodorant and once sucked the ink out of Sharpie marker.  Trust me, I have poison control on my speed dial.  Most importantly… I. Love.  Her.

I was making an effort to “green clean” before, but it’s certainly become more of a priority in our home since this sweet baby arrived.  (You can read more tips here:  Super Secrets.)

Natural cleaning products are in abundance these days, but they are so darn pricey.  I have everything I need right in my kitchen.  I can clean my whole house with just vinegar, baking soda, salt and lemon juice.

Here are a few of my favorite natural cleaning recipes:

Drain Declogger

Pour 1 c. of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1 c. of hot vinegar.  Place a cloth over the top of the drain and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Flush with hot water.  Works like a charm!

Air freshener

Place baking soda with lemon juice in a small dish to absorb odors around the house.

Fabric Softener

Use 1/4 c. white vinegar in place of liquid fabric softener.  Softens and freshens clothes and removes odors. 

Sticker Remover

Sponge full-strength white vinegar over stickers several times and wait 15 minutes.  Then rub off.  Also works well for sticky residue left behind by labels or price tags!

Window & Mirror Cleaner

Mix 2 tsp. of white vinegar with 1 quart of warm water.  Use crumpled newspaper (black and white only, not color) or a cotton cloth to clean.  (Don’t clean windows when the sun is on them or if they are warm or streaks will show.  Be sure to follow recipe.  Using too much vinegar will eventually cloud windows.)

NOTE:  You can recycle old baking soda used for deodorizing the refrigerator and freezer by using it to clean around the house!

Happy cleaning!!!
NOTE:  If you haven’t already noticed this blog has just been nominated for Best All-Around Mom Blog at Parents.com!!!  Please, go cast your vote by clicking on the button below (or at the top right-hand side of the page)!  Voting is open until October 15!

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Makes me go hmmmm.

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There are definitely a few things (give or take) in life that I do not understand.  One thing, in particular, has me utterly perplexed.

Glow-in-the-dark flossers. 

You know, those little plastic contraptions that are pre-strung with floss to make flossing your teeth easier and more convenient.  You know, because it is already so difficult to cut the waxy string on your own.  You know, because you might pull a muscle. 

And now… they glow in the dark?

Seriously?  Who flosses their teeth… in the dark?  I fully understand these are marketed to children, but again I pose the question… in the dark? 

Pouring another cup so I can contemplate this further…

And just for good measure, because I find this entirely all too familiar…

Recharge.

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My daughter has one of those nifty play kitchens in her room.  Honestly, it’s been some of the best money we have ever been spent because this kitchen is one of those things that has actually been played with like crazy and it’s now been handed down to kid #3. 

And when seen through the eyes of a child, it has become much more than a kitchen.  My girls have showed me that if you remove the sink, it can be used as a washing machine, stuffing the laundry down inside what should be the refrigerator.  If you pull it out from the wall and someone stands behind it, the kitchen is transformed to a drive-up bank window.  The stove also doubles as a school desk.  Who knew???

Did I yet mention it is a “Dora the Explorer” talking kitchen?  Not my first choice, but we got an amazing deal on it at the time.  There’s nothing necessarily wrong with Dora except for the fact that she YELLS ALL THE TIME!!!  (Just like that.)  Clearly, someone has not properly taught that child how to use her “inside voice.”

And the batteries are dying.  So Dora has been behaving especially erratically.  And I never think about changing her batteries until around 2:30 am, because that’s when Dora delivers an impromptu cooking lesson… “LET’S MAKE BANAAAAANA NUT CAAAAAKE!  YOU NEED BUUUUUTTTEEEEER!  MAAAANTEQUIIIIILLLLA!… and so on and so forth.  I have it memorized by now and quite frankly, I don’t think her recipe would make a very good banana nut cake. 

However, dead-battery Dora has taught me a thing or two.  Sometimes, I just need to take some time to recharge my batteries.  When my juice is low, my behavior can be just as erratic and off-the-wall. 

Recipe for Recharge.

1.  Grab a cup of coffee. 

2.  Go here:  The Prayer Garden.  (Take some time and click on everything.  Every page holds hidden treasures… and make sure your sound is turned up.  You won’t want to leave…)

(For future reference, The Prayer Garden link can also be found on the left-hand side of this page under “Happy Places.”)

“God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired, 
they walk and don’t lag behind.“

Isaiah 40.29-31 (The Message)

This post is a part of Simple Lives Thursday.

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Water, Water, Everywhere…

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… and not a drop to drink.  -The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

When I was young people drank something I like to call water.  And we didn’t purchase it in bottles.  And it wasn’t flavored.  And it wasn’t carbonated.  My parents paid for it each month by way of a utility bill.  It came straight from the tap.  And it was good.

It seems that now more than ever we are daily bombarded with a barrage of beverage choices.  Soda pop, juices, sports drinks, etc.  I can even purchase artificially flavored powders to dump into my pre-bottled water just so I won’t have to bother tasting the water.  Seriously.

Maybe it’s just me, but I cannot imagine anything more thirst-quenching than a good ol’ glass of cool water.  These days, we filter our water mostly because it just tastes better.  (I like the Brita Ultramax.)  Given that our bodies are over 70% water, it just makes good sense to drink it.

When we are dining out, I order water.  Yes, it saves me money, but I am one of those people who actually prefer it.  You will hardly ever find me without my stainless steel water bottle by my side. 

Water.  Is.  My.  Friend.

I especially dislike how fruit juice is touted to be such a wholesome drink option for my kids.  In most cases, it contains just as much or more sugar than a can of soda!  In a perfect world, I would rather them be consuming whole fruit with a glass of water or milk… a more beneficial choice. 

However, my husband is crazy about his juice… and so are my girls.  In an effort to curb the sugar intake (and pad my pocketbook since the cost of fruit juice is frighteningly absurd) we use the half and half principle.  Half juice.  Half water.  Yes, it’s diluted, but my girls don’t know any better.  Even my hubby has grown to love his juice less-than-full-strength.

So I raise my water glass to good health, joyful moments and hot coffee!  Cheers!

  This post is a part of the Frugal Tuesday Tip and Fresh Bites Friday.     

Pleasantries.

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Oh, sweet Saturday.  It was one of those days.  Any woman would understand.  That feeling of being completely overwhelmed by life and the daily tasks at hand, not knowing exactly where to start.  (I should also mention that I was running on little to no sleep from the aforementioned sleepover which may or may not explain what happens next.) So I tear into my chores with the vigilance of a soldier.  I throw the stray shoes from the entryway into the closet (saving the sorting for later), tossed the first load of the laundry mountain into the washing machine, and began washing dishes like mad. 

I was feeling oh-so-pleased with myself.  You know that feeling you get when you are actually getting things done.  Things were going well… too well. 

And that’s when it happened.  I heard of rush of water.  A deluge.  It sounded just like it was raining… in the house. 

I soon discovered a waterfall in the basement.  Not only was water pouring in, it was directed at the neatly stacked boxes of books, pictures and keepsakes we had stored in the corner.  Ay yi yi.  I automatically assumed there was a bathroom plumbing problem and naturally started to have a breakdown.  My awesome hubby soon found evidence to the contrary…

Apparently, this overzealous mama overfilled the washing machine (BIG oops!), causing it to overflow in the first floor wash room, which, in addition to flooding the entire room, leaked into the basement.  Well, at least it wasn’t raw sewage, right? 

I immediately went into rescue mode, moving soggy boxes and salvaging what I could.  Most things were okay and in the process, I found a few long-lost treasures that I was sure had gone missing in one of our many moves, including the Unity candle from our wedding (still intact!), the missing piece to the Christmas tree stand (which had gone rogue years ago), and a box of my old journals. 

As it happened, I was able to rid my basement of two large piles… one for the trash man and one for Goodwill.  Not an expected event, but I will still call it a good day.

Exhausted and happy, I did the only logical thing I could think of that night… collapsed onto the couch and read the manual to my 9-year-old bread machine.  I know.  Weird.  I was looking for a new recipe to try in the machine and that’s when the lightning struck…  MY BREAD MACHINE HAS A DELAY TIMER???  May I remind you that I have had this thing for 9 years… it was a wedding gift.  I am even one of those people who actually uses my machine quite regularly to make everything from pizza dough to peach jam to… bread!  Imagine my surprise. 

Consequently, I arrived home from church yesterday to a warm, freshly done loaf of bread (and, of course, a crock pot of hearty beef stew).  And it was heavenly. 

As much as I love surprises, I would love for Monday to be slightly more predictable.  I have had all the excitment I can handle for a couple of days. 

It’s amazing how the world begins to change through the eyes of a cup of coffee! ~Donna A. Favors

This is my grandmother’s old bread recipe and it’s amazing… perfect every time!


Grandma’s Bread (bread machine)


3 c. (level) flour (cracked wheat or white)
2 T. sugar (slightly rounded)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. butter (divided into 4 pieces)
2 tsp. active dry yeast (slightly rounded)
1 c. + 2 T. milk


1.  Warm milk to lukewarm.  Place in pan.  Spoon in dry ingredients (do not mix in).  Smooth out.  Pat pan to settle dry ingredients on top of milk.


2.  Make a slight well in center and spoon in yeast.  Place 4 pieces of butter in corners.  Close lid.  Set crust setting (light, medium or dark) and bake.


Makes 1.5 lb loaf.

For a downloadable/printable copy of this recipe and many more, visit my Recipes page.