Squash

The other evening Steven and some of the kids went and picked squash in the garden. It was way too much for us to eat, so the kids helped me put some in the freezer. All four kids chopped while I blanched it and put it into freezer bags.




After it has been blanched and frozen, it is not good for much else than squash casserole, but that is how everyone likes it. I got 10 bags for the freezer and one for dinner that night.




I figure the more that I put up this summer, the less I have to buy in the winter!

Picking the Garden

I hate to admit it, but gardening is not my thing, I like watching the produce come in, but I hate weeding and watering and any other work in 100 degree heat. This year, since we have moved closer to my in-laws and my brother-in-law, Steven is doing a garden with his brother and father. They take turns working in the garden and share the produce. It works out well, especially since I am the only one who will put up any of the produce. I have already canned seven quarts of beans and frozen four bags of squash. I hope to do enough that I don't have to buy any this winter. I am also hoping I get tomatoes and peppers so that I can make salsa and can it. We will see how it turns out.

One of my least favorite sounds!

Monday night I was awakened to one of my least favorite noises. Yes, you seasoned moms guessed it. It was the sound of "Mom, I just threw up!". It is the thing no one wants to hear in the middle of the night. You also start thinking about how long it will take for the others to come down with it and all of your plans for the week are out the window. So yesterday I had two puny, puking kids and two well kids. The well kids tried to keep their distance and we kept cleaning and Lysoling behind the sick ones. We will see if it helped. The sick ones seem to feel better today so hopefully we are on the mend. I was so glad that I stocked up on Gatorade when it was on sale and I had coupons. I always try to keep a couple of two liters of sprite and some Gatorade on hand just in case there is a need. No one wants to take sick kids to the store or go to the store yourself when you are sick. I did go and pick up another pack of Gatorade last night at wal-mart just in case. Hopefully we will be in recovery mode today with no one else getting it.

Creative Fun

I don't spend alot of money or time entertaining my kids. We don't watch much TV either or have a video game system. We are too cheap for a big satellite package and I think too much TV warps your brain. As a result these kids get really creative with play. They were just dragging each other down the hall with a blanket having a great time. Earlier this morning Natalie got out the sewing machine and made some pants for one of the barbies. It was just something to do, but it was creative. See, not providing your child with every gadget and electronic toy not only saves money, but it is good for them. People at church always comment to me that they are amazed that these kids will just sit through church. I believe it is because we are not always entertaining them, so sitting for an hour of church is not a big deal. I will let the younger kids draw during the sermon, but they are still able to tell me what the message was and that is what church is all about!

Just Running to the Store is a bad idea

I ususally shop with coupons and a plan with a list. This week I was busy with the end of school and babysitting and a trip to the bigger city with coupons and a list just wasn't going to happen. Yesterday we were running low on the basics and we needed some fire ant killer, so I went to the Wal-mart in our small town. Big mistake! I spend $75 bucks and don't feel like I got much of anything. I did use some coupons, but Wal-mart does not double, so you don't get the same bang for your buck. Oh well, live and learn. This summer my sister and I are going to do one big shopping trip a week by ourselves. I just can't shop with the kids if I have to think even if they are this cute getting ready for church. This should help our budget stay in line.

On the home front it is Memorial Day and Steven is working, so we are heading to grandma's this afternoon to cook out and swim in their pool. We are bringing baked beans and potato salad, my parents are cooking hamburgers and hotdogs, and my sister is bringing dessert! It should be fun.

Clothing a teenager

One thing that I get asked is how do I keep these kids in clothes, especially a almost teenage girl who wants to wear the name brands to school? Well, my little secret is that we have friends that give us bunches of clothes. I am talking clothes that have barely been worn and are the name brands that my girls want. We take anything that someone will give us, even if we don't think we can use them. I then go through them and pass them on if we can't use them. I store clothes that are not our size right now in rubbermaid totes in the attic and we just look through those first before we buy anything. I do usually end up buying pant because me kids are slim and shoes, but not much else.

Do you coupon?

I thought some of you might like to see my coupon binder. I just upgraded to a 3 inch binder to hold all of my coupons. I am not one of those crazy people on TV who clear the shelves and buy 200 tubes of toothpaste, but I do use coupons on a regular basis to keep my grocery bill low.

I do like to buy alot of fresh fruit and veggies and there are not usually coupons for those items. I also rarely see coupons for meat, milk or staple items such as flour and sugar, so I usually look for sales on those items and stock up when the prices are low. I do however use coupons for most of our other items that we buy. Things like yogurt and snack items are often on sale and have great coupons with them. I buy most of our paper products, laundry detergent, and toiletries with coupons. I also find great coupons for sports drinks and sodas. I buy item with coupons that we would not be able to buy with our small grocery budget and that makes my kids very happy!