First Day of Kindergarten!!!

Ahhhh so today is the first day of Kindergarten for my little 5 year old grandson!!  He didn't want to get out of bed and asked if he could just "skip going" haha....once he got up and onto the couch we turned on his favorite cartoon "The Backyardigans" he was a happy camper and ready to go!!  :)

We fixed his favorite breakfast,

Mickey Mouse Pancakes and some Sausage!!

We have to drive down red dirt roads to take him to school in the mornings!! :)

Payton with his Batman backpack and his pants tucked in his boots!! 

Our little man!!  He just HAD to wear his airplane shirt today!!

The mascot for his school!!  He is going to a 1A school and we are very fortunate that he has 15 kids in his Kindergarten class!!  We were so lucky to be able to have him go to this school!! 

His mom and I walked him to his classroom, and he went and sat down right away in his little desk.  He remembered where it was from "Meet the Teacher" night.  Each child had a piece of manila paper on their desk.  His teacher asked them all to color a picture.  While he was doing that his mom and I put all of his school supplies in all the correct places....there was a place for markers, crayons, watercolors etc.....(he's going to have soooo much fun this year)

Once we were done it hit me that we had to leave him there and I told him bye and he smiled and my eyes teared up and I had to turn my head the other way so he wouldn't see me cry, and then Jessica was like MOMMMM DON'T CRY YOU WILL MAKE ME CRY!! 

We were there just long enough to see the teacher walk around and start looking at the pictures all of the kids had drawn and we could see that most of them had wild squiggles all over their pages, and Payton told his teacher as she came to his desk "I drew a ROAD...and we could see a straight line across his page hahaha....at least he KNEW what he was drawing and did it PERFECTLY!!  He's so smart...I can't wait to see how he does and whether they think he's as smart as we do!!  :) :)

It's going to be a big adjustment for me today, Payton is in Kindergarten and my little granddaughter who is 2 1/2 is starting 3 day a week preschool!!  I will still have her on Tuesdays and Thursdays thank goodness!!  This MiMi won't know what to do with this much free time to do whatever I want!! 

Ack I'm gonna miss those babies today though!!  <3

Right now Payton is getting ready to go to lunch....they eat REALLY early ....

I MISS HIS LITTLE SELF!! 

Hope everyone else has an awesome Monday and a Super Fantastic first day of school for your little kiddos!!

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UPDATE ~ OFFICIAL "AFTER SCHOOL" NEWS

When he got home I asked him how his day was....and he smiled and said it was good.....and then he layed down in the floor and started kicking and crying and I couldn't imagine what was wrong...and his mom started laughing at him a little and explained why he was sooooo upset

All of the little kids in his class who will be riding the bus got a "bus tag" (which consisted of a piece of paper shaped like a house with their bus number)

Payton DID NOT get one of these because he is a CAR RIDER

He WANTS TO ride the BUS more than anything in the world.  Apparently when you are FIVE it's the

COOLEST

Because he is a "transfer" student into this district, he will never have that chance

(this school is actually closer to our home than the actual school he would have gone to had he stayed in district)

He is HEARTBROKEN

He was also upset that he COULD NOT bring his little "school box" home :) 

We asked him a few questions about the day and here are his answers:

1.  What was your favorite part of the day?  Watching the animal letters movie

2.  What was the worst part?  Not getting a bus pass

3.  Who did you play with at Recess?  "The flip flop boy"....we have no idea who this is haha

4.  What did you have for lunch?  (he wanted to buy his lunch and not bring it today)

Meat and salad and oranges.....(what was funny is that answer really did not resemble too much what was on the school lunch menu)

Yes, I'm a TREE HUGGER :)

I have some really old old Blackjack Oak Trees on our place and today I thought I would see if I could tell just how old they are.  I have been researching it the last few days on the internet, trying to find if there was a way to judge their age.  Apparently, there is!!

I've read several pages and most of them agreed that you needed to measure 4 to 5 feet up the base of your tree, and then measure the circumference. 

Tree #1 on the edge of our property next to the road

Hubby helping to measure it

What it looks like from far away, IT'S HUGE!!

124" AROUND....or in other words...

10 feet 4" circumference!!

Tree #2 further down on our property and next to the road

Practically the same exact measurement!! 

So, what I was able to calculate is

Here is one method I found

Our numbers are

124/3.1416 = 39.47 if you look at the charts below that would make those trees well over 200 years old.

Page for Calculating Trees Age

Here’s how to calculate a tree’s age. Warning: It helps to have a little botany background and some math skills!
1. ID the tree species (a tree field identification guide will be helpful).
2. Measure the tree’s circumference with a tape measure. Wrap the tape around the tree at chest height (about 4-5 ft up) to produce an accurate measurement.
3. Divide the circumference measurement by pi (3.1416) to yield the tree’s diameter.
4. Check the chart (below) to determine the specimen’s age.
Was your tree starting out life as DuSable was building the first cabin in Chicago in 1779? Or when Illinois was just becoming a state in 1818? Or was it sprouting from an acorn when engineers reversed the Chicago River in 1900?
This measurement technique is about 90% accurate for forest-grown trees listed on the chart.

If I use this method, and just go by the "general oak" ages on here....those trees are REALLY REALLY OLD!!  They only list the white oak and red oak sooooo I'm just going by their estimations. 

I found an alternate method as well


Estimating a Trees Age

The Tree Aging Formula
Begin by determining the tree species and taking a diameter measurement (or circumference measurement) using a tape measure at Diameter Breast Height or 4.5 feet above stump level. If you are using circumference, you will need to make this calculation to determine the tree diameter: Diameter = Circumference divided by 3.14 (pi)
Then calculate the age of the tree by multiplying the tree's diameter by its growth factor (see below): Diameter X Growth Factor = Approximate Tree Age. Let's use the hickory above to calculate age. A shagbark hickory's growth factor has been determined to be 7.5 and its diameter is 10 inches: 10 inch diameter X 7.5 growth factor = 75 years. Remember that the growth factors I provide are more accurate when taken for forest grown trees.

(the growth factor for our trees is about a 3.0...I THINK) so our number would be 119.1.  A 119 year old tree is also really old..... :) 

Now I'm of course wondering about the history of these trees since they are fairly close together and pretty close to the same size!!  Did a family plant them there many years ago??  I may have to make a trip to the courthouse to research who the former property owners have been. 

This was actually a pretty fun way to spend a Saturday Morning!!  :)

I am OBSESSED

I ADMIT IT

My whole family will tell you, if you come visit my home, you more than likely are going to have a photo snapped of the visit!!  

As much as I am obsessed, I have never really had a good way to "organize" the photos into something viewable by everyone, besides the usual "posting on Facebook".  Those pictures are just fleeting and they never tell the "real story behind the photo". 

I know I have mentioned Pinterest on more than one occassion :).  What an absolutley fantastic inspiration website!!  I found this idea the other day, and I think I will begin mine with the grandkids "Meet The Teacher" events this week, and keep it up until next school year, and then start another!! 

I would love to preserve those precious memories of the little ones with their photos, stories, art work, and all the little things that make up their days. 

It's really a cross between a scrapbook and a journal.  I can see the possibilities already!!  My grandson is starting Kindergarten, and my little granddaughter will be going to three day a week preschool. They both have so much to tell me each day with so many funny conversations that if they aren't "recorded" somewhere they will eventually be forgotten.  I love the idea of "pasting" important items and photos from that day to the pages, which is absolutely nothing unheard of, but ignites HUGE sparks of creativity in my brain of what could be done with one of these Journals!! 

I will start with a photo very similar to this one to document their first day of school and the "Meet the Teacher" day!!

I also found this "list" of photo ideas "month by month".  We pretty much make each day a celebration of sorts.  We try to enjoy each day to the fullest, and we are thankful to the Lord above for blessing us with such a wonderful family and friends to spend it with!! 

There are lots of fantastic ideas at this website!!

Creating Keepsakes

My Grandmother kept a diary in 1942 and I still have it to this day.  I often enjoy looking back through the pages and reading about what a day was like for my Grandparents and my Father who was ten years old at the time.  She often spoke of the weather, what was growing in her garden, who came to visit, and what my dad did that day. 

I am pretty sure I will be perusing the aisles of Hobby Lobby tomorrow trying to find the PERFECT JOURNAL to start my new adventure with!! 

Hopefully some day my sweet grandchildren will read it and smile and remember how much their MiMi loved them!! 

Happy Funny Monday!!

It seems like with so much craziness going on in the world, everyone is searching for something a little bit funny to take their minds off it all.  I have to share this story, even though it makes me sound like a crazy little old lady!!

Lately I've been gathering up the Sunday papers and clipping coupons.  It takes a while, and sometimes I come across products that I have NO IDEA what they are.  

That happened the other day.  

This is what the coupon looked like....except quite a bit smaller.  

 

For some reason, known only to my crazy self, I thought it looked like a coupon for condoms.  

I did not have my reading glasses on and all I could see was the

UP 2 U

part of it!!

I jokingly told my 24 year old daughter that I didn't think we needed a "condom coupon"...and she started laughing so hard she could barely breathe when she saw it...and she said MOM......THAT IS A COUPON FOR

 GUM

Now every time we go to the store she asks me if I want any of that  "gum" and we start laughing hysterically..... :::sigh:::

Hope you have a great Monday and remember to laugh at yourself once in a while :)

Yummy Back to School Breakfast Recipes

I have been searching for yummy kids back to school breakfast recipes and have just been blown away at all of the wonderful recipes I have found!!  Time for a little show and tell :) :)

Breakfast Split

(This looks so yummy to me)

 

You Will Need

• ¾ cup vanilla frozen yogurt
• 1 medium banana
• ¼ cup chopped fresh strawberries
• ¼ cup fresh raspberries
• ¼ cup granola

What to Do1. Put the frozen yogurt into the bowl.

2. Cut the banana in half crosswise. Cut both halves lengthwise into 2 pieces, for a total of 4 pieces. Arrange around the frozen yogurt in the bowl.

3. Sprinkle with the berries and granola.

1 serving: 472 Calories; 13.4 g Total Fat (3.6 g Mono, 5 g Poly, 4.2 g Sat); 11 mg Cholesterol; 82 g Carbohydrate; 7 g Fiber; 14 g Protein; 117 mg Sodium

Tip: What’s your favorite fresh or canned fruit? Use that instead of the berries. 

Quick Fruit Crisp

This will warm up your insides on a cold morning. Or serve with ice cream as a dessert. Now that's easy to swallow!

You Will Need

• ½ cup frozen mixed berries
• 4 oz. diced peaches snack cup, drained
• 4 oz. fruit salad snack cup, drained
• 1 tsp. liquid honey
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• ½ cup granola

What to Do1. Put the first 4 ingredients into the bowl. Stir until the fruit is coated with the honey.

2. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the fruit mixture. Stir until well mixed.

3. Sprinkle the granola over the fruit mixture. Do not stir. Microwave, covered, on high (100%) for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce is bubbling along the edge of the bowl.

1 serving: 477 Calories; 18.2 g Total Fat (5 g Mono, 9.3 g Poly, 3.1 g Sat); 0 mg Cholesterol; 77 g Carbohydrate; 11 g Fiber; 10 g Protein; 16 mg Sodium

Tip: The juice from the snack cups is too good to waste! Drain the juice into a large glass and top with orange juice for a special morning punch. Or add a splash of sparkling water for a fizzy drink.

Banana Monkey Crunch

 Bone up on calcium with the yogurt in this yummy snack. There's enough for friends, or save some for breakfast. Top with the granola and banana just before eating.

You Will Need

• 14 oz. can of crushed pineapple
• 3 cups vanilla yogurt
• 1 box of instant vanilla pudding powder
• 1 cup granola
• 2 medium bananas, sliced

What to Do1. Drain the juice from the pineapple into the large bowl. Set aside the pineapple.

2. Add the yogurt and pudding powder to the pineapple juice. Beat with the whisk for about 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add the crushed pineapple. Stir well. Spoon into the dessert bowls.

3. Sprinkle with the granola. Top with the banana.

1 serving: 356 Calories; 8.2 g Total Fat (2.3 g Mono, 3 g Poly, 2.6 g Sat); 7 mg Cholesterol; 67 g Carbohydrate; 3 g Fiber; 8 g Protein; 322 mg Sodium

Tip: Plain yogurt instead of vanilla yogurt makes this recipe a little less sugary.

Nut N Honey Granola

 A granola fit for whiz kids. Have a bowl with milk or yogurt for breakfast. Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

You Will Need

• 3 cups large flake rolled oats 3 cups
• ½ cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds 1/2 cup
• ¼ cup sesame seeds 1/4 cup
• ¼ cup sliced almonds 1/4 cup
• ¼ cup wheat germ 1/4 cup
• liquid honey 1/3 cup
• ¼ cup cooking oil 1/4 cup
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar, packed 2 tbsp.
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp.
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp.
• ½ cup finely chopped dried apricot 1/2 cup
• ¼ cup medium sweetened coconut 1/4 cup

What to Do1. Place 1 oven rack in the centre position and the other rack in the lower position. Turn the oven on to 300°F. Put the first 6 ingredients into 1 of the bowls. Stir until well mixed.

2. Put the next 5 ingredients into the saucepan. Heat on medium for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the brown sugar is dissolved. Carefully drizzle over the rolled oat mixture. Stir until coated. Spread on both ungreased baking sheets. Bake on separate racks for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Carefully switch the positions of the baking sheets. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Remove the baking sheets. Turn the oven off. Transfer the granola mixture to the other bowl.

3. Add the apricot and coconut. Stir well. Cool.

1/2 cup (125 mL): 319 Calories; 16.4 g Total Fat (6.1 g Mono, 7.3 g Poly, 2 g Sat); 0 mg Cholesterol; 38 g Carbohydrate; 5 g Fiber; 9 g Protein; 9 mg Sodium.

Crockpot Breakfast

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. frozen hash browns with onions and peppers
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 1/2 lb. regular bacon or vegetarian bacon (optional)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 12 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 6-8 drops hot sauce
• 1 tsp. dry mustard

Preparation:

1. Spray the slow cooker stoneware with cooking spray.
2. Place hash browns in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with diced red pepper.
3. If using, cook bacon until crisp. Crumble on top of the diced red pepper.
4. Top with cheddar cheese.
5. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour evenly over the mixture in the Crockpot.
6. Cook on low 10-12 hours.

Mini Breakfast Frittatas

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped turkey pepperoni
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir in pepperoni.
3. Divide cheddar cheese among 24 mini muffin cups.
4. Pour egg mixture into a measuring cup with a spout. Pour egg mixture over cheese, filling cups to the top.
5. Bake 10-14 minutes until mini frittatas are puffed and golden brown on top.
6. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before serving.

I can't wait to try these recipes out....I found them on these two websites, respectively:

http://rajib999.blogspot.com/2010/08/15-energy-boosting-breakfast-recipes.html

and

http://www.wikinewforum.com/showthread.php?s=ea2d8f1c7716261029ad77f270109bf2&t=14229&page=2

If you make any of these, take photos and let me know how they turn out!!  :) :)

Dallas Cowboys - Cowboy Stomp Video

READY TO SEE AMERICAS TEAM PLAY TONIGHT AGAINST THE BRONCOS....THIS IS GONNA BE THE YEAR TO WATCH!!

Time to Organize and Save!!

With the recent HUGE drop in the stockmarket, it's really hit home to me that I want to start saving and conserving as much as possible.  The word SAVE does not have to be a "bad" four letter word!!  I have never met a family who would not like to save money grocery shopping, or have an organized pantry at home so that you aren't duplicate buying something you already have, or completely forgetting to buy something you need. 

Today I want to focus my blog on some simple things you can do to save money at the grocery store, and neat ideas I've seen for pantry organzing!!  Now these are just basic ideas, I know I was in my thirties before I ever figured out how to do this, so if this blog helps anyone start to save and make their home more organized, then I am a happy camper :)

I've read many many articles over the years of basic "pantry" essentials and how to "stock" a pantry.  Because of the way my "logic" works, their ways are always impossible for me to do and make sense of. 

I can't stand to have lots of miscellaneous jumbled items in my pantry.  My pantry has pretty much only items we will use and they are organized into categories. 

*Breakfast

*Baking

*Pastas and Rice

*Canned veggies

*Soups and Kids canned foods

*Crackers, Kids snacks

*Boxes of kids drinks waiting to go in fridge

Just this week I have come across an idea that I ADORE for making a pantry that much more organized

Pantry Organizing Ideas from Better Homes and Gardens

Put baskets in your pantry and in each basket place the ingredients you will need for a complete meal!!  That way you know for sure that at a moments notice you will always have a meal available and you will realize when you need to restock for meals that you tend to eat a lot of!!  Suggested bins that would be easy to do

*Taco Dinner

*Meatloaf

*Spaghetti

*Chicken Casserole

I realize those are all very simple basic meals, but the possibilities are ENDLESS!!  I'm ready to go buy my bins today!!

I'm also currently thinking about putting one of these in my pantry as well...

This way I can make sure the oldest is cycled to the front and the newest goes to the back, and it 's so much easier to see when you are about to be out of a certain type of canned good.

I am currently in the process of cleaning out my laundry room to make a "stockpile" area.  I am not trying to be like those ladies on Extreme Couponing, whom I admire because they are very talented.... but rather I just want to buy extra when it's on sale, and items that I know my family will have a need for, because these are truly uncertain economic times. 

I intend to buy a small chest freezer to have a spot to put items that I find on sale.  Right now, my freezer in the fridge is really so tiny that even if I see a fantastic deal...I have nowhere to store it.  If you have the room to put one, I would highly suggest buying a small chest freezer.  They are about $135 at Lowe's....and I truly believe you will regain your money in the savings you get at the grocery store. 

With that being said, it brings me to a few pointers about grocery shopping. 

Many years ago I read about this idea, and took it to heart and used it consistently, and saved lots and lots of money.  Does it take some dedication??  Yes.  Is it worth it??  Ohhhh yes. 

Either get online, or go to your local grocery stores each week and READ THE CIRCULARS.  Get out your notebook, and make a list of the "loss leader" items they have.  The "loss leader" term means the things that are put on sale at a pretty big discount to get you into the store to do all of your grocery shopping.  What I would do, is go buy the loss leader items, and LEAVE, unless they also have other items that are a pretty good price and then I would continue to get some of my other needed grocery items.  If they didn't, I would continue on to the other grocery stores and purchase my loss leader items there as well.  I once saw where someone suggested carrying a cooler to put your "keep cold" items in while you are out and about. 

Some balk at this idea and say...ohhh but it will use so much gas to travel all around...no, it really doesn't take that much more gas...especially if your stores are all in the same town and they are not that many miles apart. 

Also, don't be too proud to buy some snack items and canned goods from stores like Sav A Lot and Dollar General.  I have found that the price of snacks and cookies at Dollar General is WAYYY less than at regular grocery stores, and that the price of veggies is so much cheaper at Sav A Lot that it warrants a trip to just go buy them there, and they are still of a good quality even though not name brand. 

An example of a few Loss Leaders in my circulars this week

Pilgrims Pride Whole Chicken .69/lb...that is a great price

if I buy a pkg and it weighs 4 lbs, it's 2.76.  I can feed my family multitudes of meals with chicken.  This is one of those "stock up and put in the freezer" prices!! 

Steamed Vegetables 10 for $10, another "stock up and put in the freezer" price!!

At another store, they have buy one get one free bread in the brand we like.  You can freeze bread, and it tastes the exact same when it thaws...so it's time to stock up for me!!

The same store has buy one get one free Ball Park franks.  Hot dogs are a great "whenever you are in a hurry and need a quick meal" item.  You can freeze hot dogs, so I will buy some to freeze. 

It's totally worth it to READ THE CIRCULARS each week!! 

Do I use coupons??  Yes, and No :)

I made myself the most beautiful coupon binder that would rival any that you see on extreme couponing several years ago.  I was "couponing" when it wasn't cool :) 

The most I have ever saved on any one trip is about $30 and I was super proud of that.  I will never be one to take in GIANT stacks and then try and get all of my purchases free.  I suggest you buy a few Sunday papers, clip the coupons that you might actually use, and then use them.  It's a great way to save, and if you check out some of the great coupon sites, they fill you in on what stores to match your coupons with to get the best deals. 

This is not my binder, but this is EXACTLY what mine looks like on the inside.  I bought trading card pages and put them inside a three ring binder.  Simple as that. Great way to store coupons.  I used page dividers and labeled an idex in the front to what "types" of coupons go with each "page".  For example Divider 1 is Canned Goods.  Divider 2 is Snacks etc. 

Don't forget that you can use coupons at your drug stores such as Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid.  Many times they have some pretty awesome offers and sales as well!!  Make sure to read their circulars as well.  Recently CVS had their bottled water, 24 count on sale for $2.50.  I stocked up!!

Here's a few of my favorite saving sites that I get updates on every day, and follow here on Blogspot and on Facebook!!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/StockpilingMoms

http://www.facebook.com/#!/DebbieDoesCoupons

http://www.facebook.com/#!/thefrugalgirls

http://www.facebook.com/#!/InspiringU2Save

Money Saving Moms

Don't be scared to buy in large quantities if you are indeed saving money.  After you've shopped for a while, you start to recognize what the normal price is on something, and you can kind of calculate in your head if buying in a larger quantity/size is really going to save you money or cost about the same.   Stock up on good quality freezer bags to freeze great meat deals you find....it doesn't help if you find chicken or hamburger meat etc. on sale, and then freeze it in the large quantity it came in, and then when you thaw it out it's way too much for your family to eat at one time and you end up throwing it out.  Divvy it up into what you think your family will eat and freeze it like that. 

If you have a friend/family member who wants to shop with you and share the cost of these great "stock up" deals, it makes life that much sweeter!!