"hippie chik designs" is born!

I had a very good friend move to Georgia. We met when our first born boys were babies. We got pregnant at the same time and had girls 2 days apart. I got pregnant with #3 and she waited three months , but not to be outdone, she had twins: a boy and a girl! I finally caught up with Bunnyboo.......and we are forever even! Our kids are very close and were devastated when they moved "home" to Georgia. Georgia is where my friend was from and she met her husband at Georgia Southern University. After marrying, they moved here to his hometown in Florida. She remained a country girl at heart and couldn't wait for the opportunity to move back.



We did everything together and had minds that just worked together. You know what I mean? Once we got those brains going there was no telling how high we could go. It definitely scared our husbands!



We were forever putting all of our kids together, throwing food on the table and getting going on whomever's house we were at that day. Furniture was being moved, closets reorganized, rooms painted, or new recipes tried. One of the things we loved to do together was Yard Sale. We went to plenty and even hosted quite a few! She is taking this to the next step and though I am jealous, she is allowing me to be a part ~ vicariously.




"hippie chik designs" is born. She has opened her own booth at a antique shop in Loganville, Georgia. I am making her start a blog so I can keep track of what she's doing and add my 2 cents! Please go visit her and leave a comment. Tell her what you would buy if you were shopping her booth!



Obviously, if you are lucky enough to live near Loganville, Georgia you MUST hurry over to Bygone Treasures antique mall and buy all her good stuff before someone else gets there!

WFMW: Laundry Quandary

With 6 of us laundry is a daily chore. I do at least a load a day. Most days it's two. So if I didn't get a system it would quickly become overwhelming.

Here is how I solve the Laundry Quandary in Bahama Shores: Laundry Baskets!

Each basket serves a purpose. I have four of these big mamma jammas. In addition each of my older children have smaller baskets. My Man and I have another of the big mamma jammas we use as a hamper. Bugaboo also has her own hamper that is cute and matches her nursery. I also have a traditional basket with the side handles that sits on top of our front loading washer.

Here's the process:

In the morning, the kids bring me their baskets with the dirty laundry in them. They leave their baskets in front of the laundry room door. I drag my hamper over and start sorting the clothes.
We use three of the big mamma jammas to hold clothes once they've been sorted. The one closest to the door holds most colored clothes. The middle basket has whites that WILL be bleached. The last basket is for items that need to be washed in cold water. The basket that resides on top of the washer is for towels and sheets.

Whichever basket is most full gets thrown in that day. If there is more than one brimming, two will get done. Never more than three because I know realistically I won't have time to fold and put away that much. I time them so I am constantly flipping laundry. We upgraded to a front loader and a high efficiency dryer last year, but I am convinced the dryer uses more energy as I usually have to do two cycles to get the clothes dry!

On to the folding! I use the fourth big mamma jamma to bring the dried clothes into the living room. I set up the kids baskets on the trunk and turn on a DVR'd show I've been wanting to watch. I fold the clothes and put them into each child's respective basket. I then take my man and my clothes and any towels, etc. and put them away during commercials. When the kids get home from whatever activity/school they take their baskets to their rooms and put their clothes away. I have trained them to lay the clean clothes out on their beds and sort them into what drawers they go into. Then put them in the RIGHT place. I will do spot checks. With Boo Bear, I still have him come get me once he's organized his piles so I can watch him put them in drawers. When I've been lazy at this step, his drawers have no organization and everything just shoved into whatever space he has. He is also famous for returning clean clothes to the laundry room to be cleaned again instead of putting them away!

They then use their baskets as hampers for the night and everything starts over again the next day. I do the baby's laundry separately for now and so when her hamper gets full I pull it to the laundry room and wash hers in a baby laundry detergent. Then it goes into the big mamma jamma and back to her room where I fold and put it away. I have bought her a basket like the big kids and as soon as I finish this last bottle of baby laundry detergent, she'll be in the rotation!

This is what totally works for me........let me know if you have any questions. If not, go see what works for others at Rocks in my Dryer.

SPT: Home Sweet Home

This week's assignment is Home Sweet Home.

I could have gone with the obvious and taken a picture of our house. However, we are in the process of painting our house and she is currently stripped down and primed. She is showing her private parts and is not comfortable with baring it on the internet.

So in honor of my blog name, I chose to take a picture of the street sign that says home to us. Sweet.

Wave to me if you find yourself doing a driveby! If not, STOP at Amuse~Bouche to see other's homes.

Fifteen Years Meme

Domestic Spaz tagged me for this meme. I am grateful as this is my first.....yup, a virgin meme~er (I'm pretty sure that's not a word, but works for me).

Here's the deal. Think back on the last 15 years of your life. What would you tell someone that you hadn't seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life?You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize you. At the end of your list, tag 5 more people and send on the love.

June of 1993....... I just moved back to Florida to be near My Man. I was 24 years old.

~I married My Man in 1995. Some would be surprised by that and others.......not so much. My Man was my college roommate's boyfriend for a short time in 1990, and he and I remained friends after their break up. I remained unaware he had a thing for me until 1992. I'll save that story for a post on it's own.

~We have four children~ two boys/two girls. I would have had more but My Man was done at two......so the fact that we have four show my powers of persuasion.

~I've not held a full time job since the summer before we were married. I've had the occasional part time job but prefer not to work. I am a total live and let live person, so I have no opinion on whether YOU work or stay home with your children. This is my dream job. I wanted to be a wife and mother when I grew up and it's what I do. I need to remind myself of this occasionally when I get lazy or feel overwhelmed and undervalued. I have the best job. For me.

~I have lived in this city longer than I have ever lived in any city before. I have lived in this house for 4 times as long as any other house in my life. This is not my dream house, but others seem to find it desirable. If I won the lotto I would consider remodeling this house to become my dream home. It is close to my kids' schools and My Man's work. I find something admirable in staying in the house you raised your family in. Of course, I would also consider razzing this place and totally rebuilding. Or, if My Man got another job which necessitated a relocation for us, I won't settle until I find THE house. We could rent if we needed to.

~I'm so boring that it's hard to come up with 10 things to tell you! I need to get a life.

~I still love to cook, entertain and read. I am still finding ways to use my creativity. I've taught myself to sew and am still trying to learn the hard stuff.

~ I have been every size between when you knew me 15 years ago to the present size I am ~ at least twice!!!!

~ I still procrastinate.......but manage to usually pull it off. I only work under pressure. Some things never change from college days!

~ I'm still too much of a people pleaser. Except with my kids. I have no problem with disciplining them.


~The last thing: I may have the goods on anyone we once knew.........and I want to hear all about anyone you can deliver on. Come over, I'll fix us something sweet and we can start right where we left off.......

I am gonna spread the love by tagging my RL friends I pushed into starting a blog: Neurotically Yours, The Keeper of All Things, and By The Seat Of My Pants. The other two tags will have to go to Well Behaved Krissy and Cheaper Than Therapy as they always leave great comments and I'd love to learn more about them!

I am still alive.........

just a bit overwhelmed. I've had a baby with double ear infections AND getting 2 new teeth, a extremely active boy with a cast from fingertips to elbow who is not supposed to be moving fast (yeah right), and I've been doing it all with PMS and without much sleep OR coca~cola!

To give you the abridged version of the last few days:


I got mail! The goodies from the giveaways I won. Now I can put my apron on and whip up some baked goods and read while it's in the oven! Thank you again to Grace Violet and Domestic Spaz!

(can you believe she deconstructed a dress and made the apron? yeah, me either!)

I have been trying to keep distracted from the loud repeated crying (and the kids are also guilty of this) by getting creatively crafty!

I yard saled for the first time in years and had a great time. Chickiepoo went with me and she got her first sewing machine. It's actually so nice I may jump on it today while she's at camp. I got a few tables, chair, and a picture frame to paint and shabby up, some chairs for the pool deck, a bag full of ribbon, some winter jackets for 2 of my kids, a new cookbook, some cute dishes and some pillows I may or may not recover.



I saw this tutorial from Chocolate on My Cranium and decided to try it out. I am a self taught sewer and though I can complete a project, one must never look too close! I don't have the perfectionist gene that gives straight lines or stitches. But it works good enough for me. I look forward to learning as I try to teach Chickie Poo. Here's the bag I made. It's reversible, but I really like it inside out (meaning the pocket is on the outside).


Last night I whipped up some cute burp cloths for a friend who just had a baby. She didn't know the sex of the baby beforehand, so I was even more last minute than I usually am. With all that's been going on here, I haven't gotten over to see her or little Jace yet, so we are going today.

Domestic Spaz tagged me and I'll be completing that later today and tagging some of you as well :)

WFMW: Soft Feet

It's WFMW and I've got a tip for those of you who don't have the time or money for a pedicure.

Whenever you have to wear socks and shoes, put thick lotion on your feet. Whether I am cleaning the house or going for a walk, I will slather a thick body butter that comes in a tub on my feet. Then add socks, wipe the remaining lotion on my elbows and put my tennis shoes on. When my feet heat up from the exertion, it's like a mini spa going on in my shoes! By the time I change shoes my feet are newborn baby soft!

Works for me!

Go check out Rocks in My Dryer for more things that are working it today!

Are you gonna hate me?

I just began reading this new to me blog, Grace Violet.

She has tons of cute craft ideas. She totally gets my creative juices flowing.

I added her to my google read last week and noticed she was asking readers to comment between two blinkies she and her husband has created. I put my 2 cents in. She randomized the comments and I won a adorable apron she was giving away. It's her first giveaway and I am soooo excited. Just look at it:

Can't you just see me whipping up a batch of..........ANYTHING wearing this?? Yeah, me too!

Thank you so much to Grace Violet!

But, do you hate me? Have I overstayed my welcome at the land of the giveaway. The girl who wins NOTHING in real life, has now won three, yes, 3, giveaways. I don't even enter alot. Maybe 10. So that's like a 30 % winning percentage. And at least 5 of those were for Pioneer Woman and statistically, I have a better chance being Obama's running mate than winning one of her giveaways. So should I stop entering and give others a chance? I only enter giveaways on blogs that I already read, and only if I am hyperventilating about the prize. Tell me, readers, what should I do?

SPT: The twilight's last gleaming..........

Yesterday was Tuesday. Tuesday is SPT day. Yesterday was a crazy day in Bahama Shores.




Due to all the thunder storms (mini hurricanes, as my kids like to think of them, since they have to help clean the yard afterwards) I was unable to get a new shot to fulfil this week's challenge. I planned on digging into my files and coming up with something fitting. I found it..........however the universe transpired against me and prevented me from posting on Tuesday.



So now it's Wednesday and I need to quick put this up and pretend it's been up since yesterday.

Here's the twilight's last gleaming last summer in Florida when my nephews (in the hats) were visiting. Notice Boo Bear throwing the gang signs? You may have to click on photo to make it large enough to notice the details. Yup, more on that later.

We love to go to the beach at twilight. We will often send a mass email to everyone local and turn every Friday night into beach night. Meet after dinner and bring dessert and drinks to share. Spread out a blanket and a few sand toys and RELAX. Add a couple of flashlights, or neon necklaces or big jar candles and once the sun sets, it's a real treat for the kids to be playing flashlight tag or kickball on the beach. Sometimes only 2 families show, other times we've had close to 25 families. You just never know. It's always a great time. I have yet to start back up this summer, but as soon as the evening storms pass ~ it'll be on!

This pictured Friday night beach night last summer we changed things up a bit since we had my brother and his two boys visiting. We went to Caddy's, a casual restaurant right on the beach, where the kids can play in the sand, or volleyball or swim in pairs in the shallow part, and the adults can sit at the outdoor shaded tables, enjoy a drink and listen to live music (while keeping an eye on the kids) We had dinner there this night and the sun was just beginning to set when I took this picture. I have better pictures of the kids from this night, but this showed the "twilight's last gleaming" the best.

I had gone so far yesterday morning to find this picture and scan it, but before I could start writing a post the phone rang. Boo Bear had jammed his finger at basketball camp. I got the baby and myself dressed (hush, I'd only been up for a FEW hours) and hurried over to pick him up. I took him to our pediatrician who thought his hand was actually broke. She referred us to the outpatient radiologist at our local children's hospital where we waited. And waited. And waited some more. My Man took pity on Bunnyboo missing her nap and came to relieve us. Boo Bear came home with a McDonald's McFlurry and in need of Motrin and ice. We then had to wait all day to have the Xrays read. Yup, he broke his hand. My Man took him to the pediatric orthopedic today and he is now the proud owner of a bright orange cast! Just look:

Summer has just begun and EVERYTHING is over for him for the next 6 weeks. No camps, no ball (he plays on a travel baseball team), no skateboard, no scooter, no bike, no running (remember he's my active one), no anything. Except swimming. THANK GOD for the waterproof cast.

One more thing to add to the No list: No more gang signs!

(Now he just needs to get to work cleaning up the pool and yard after the last few nights of storms)

Head over to Amuse- Bouche to see more twilight!

Today I start on a familiar journey.......

The weight loss journey. It's Monday and I'm in dire need of losing weight. I've had four kids so I've gained and lost weight in the past. I know what will work for me. I just need to do it and do it everyday.

My biggest challenge: MENTAL! I have to fight this everyday. I have horrible negative self talk which eventually leads to either giving up or cheating so often that I get so far off track, there is no going back.

I'm usually great the first two weeks, but today I am struggling right out of the box. I know I HAVE to do it, but I don't want to do the work it takes. And maybe that is not all it is.......maybe I would do the work if I could be guaranteed this would be the LAST time. I know it doesn't work that way, but I've yet to emotionally accept it. More than having to do the work, I HATE the yo-yo of it.........the lose weight, gain it back, lose, gain, lose, gain.......etc.

So anyone out there got any sage advice for me? I need the help....I've weighed and measured myself.....and I'm one coke away from failure on the first day :)

I'm so excited! I won a..........

book!

Domestic Spaz held a giveaway last week and I was the winner. She is taking books she has read and liked and giving away one a week. I won week 3's contest. If you are not already a reader of hers, go check her out. She's got some great stuff!

I am so excited as I LOVE to read and read alot, but have yet to get to this popular author. Others have recommended her to me, but I just haven't gotten the chance to read her.

Thank you, Domestic Spaz, you've made my weekend!!!!

Saturday Sweetness: The Sweet Tooth Cure

I'm cohosting a couples baby shower and these goodies have been requested. I found the recipe on AllRecipes.Com and doubling it for today!


INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 2/3 cups sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and coconut until well blended. Press dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Have you or Have you Not?

I found a new to me blog yesterday, Everything is Pink, and since I had nothing to blog about today, I figured I'd take her up on her idea. It seems she came across this list from Neighbor Jane Payne who encouraged anyone with a blog to journal some of their experiences to date.

All you have to do is copy the list and bold what you have done.

Here's mine:


200 Have and Have Not's........

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars (loved it!)

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper (4 of my own kids x 100's of babysitting jobs)

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity (accidentally)

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said "I love you" and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise (night of my wedding)

15. Seen the Northern Lights (unless you count the movie Brother Bear?)

16. Gone to a huge sports game (weekly!)

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables (doesn't it count that my mom grew them?)

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worse possible moment (often)

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping (again, often)

27. Taken an ice cold bath (not on purpose)

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar (at least not sober)

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (can you say intoxicated?)

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (I'm sure you don't mean North Carolina, right?)

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (pay it forward!)

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume (everyday, my friends, everyday)

49. Sung karaoke (not well)

50. Lounged around in bed all day (with a good book?, absolutely)

51. Gone scuba diving (you saw me snorkel, right?)

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don't (I'm sure)

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie (Not that I am aware of :)

60. Gone without food for 3 days ( not even 3 hours)

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone ( I chose not to count my divorcing parents)

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy (again, 4 kids)

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (thanks MOM)

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job (just once, I swear, I was told I was too efficient!!!!)

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi (just once!)

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school (though I repeat each grade as my kids goes through it)

89. Changed your name (married!)

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands (yes, daniel-son)

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language ( I suck at foreign languages........so there is alot of Non ASL sign language going on)

97. Been elected to public office (PTA probably doesn't count)

98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair (the home show, though)

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ (but I dated one)

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four

106. Raked your carpet (stop it!)

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child (thank god, tap, tap, cross, spit, hooey, cross)

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird (the kind with your hand, right?)

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style (not consciously..........so I went with the no)

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon (maybe one day..........ok, stop laughing!)

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking (don't even want a definition, thank you very much!)

144. Learned how to take a compliment (still working on this)

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted (an abandoned psych hospital, but I staying in the car)

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle (just my schedule)

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life (little boy choking)

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint (needlepoint)

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier (I was the fastest LOTTO cashier around!)

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter (although technically, this may count)






Are you going to do it? It takes a lot less time than you think. Post a comment so I know to visit you and see if you are more experienced than I!!! *ahem*

Sincerely Fro Me To You: Can you spell ACTIVE?

Thursday has become my favorite day of the week again. As a kid it was Saturday for obvious reasons, then in High School Friday night took over. Once I hit college, Thursday Nights were THE NIGHT. Once I started dating and early in our marriage Sunday was the only day My Man usually had most of the day off so it was our day. When my kids were old enough to go to school I started loving Monday morn's after they left me to do my house work! It seems like I am the only one who doesn't get a weekend without work around my house so once they are all off to school I get my weekend! But now, Kristen over at We Are THAT Family has brought Thursdays back for me. I love to see what everyone dug up this week for Sincerely Fro Me To You ~ go on, you know you wanna see too!

I present you with a picture of Boo Bear. He and Chickie Poo were mad that I hadn't done a picture post of them yet. Be careful of what you wish for.


This was taken this past winter. I just got my camera and Boo Bear was his usual self ~ some would say ACTIVE. He had a litany of "MOMLOOKATME!" with a few "CANYOUDOTHIS?" thrown in for good measure. He is what my grandparents would call "ALL BOY!". He is constantly in motion. He forever has bruises, scrapes and scratches. He busted his chin open, which is why the ill fitting bandaid is on. I'm not sure what he was jumping off of........but he could probably give the whole back story. And then some. That kid can talk!

This pic of him captures his personality, with his hands in motion, jumping off something, face busted up and mouth open wide shoutin'!

It's our Boo Bear. And we wouldn't trade him for anything (today).

Riddle Me This......

How does a 10 year old girl, (shall we call her Chickie Poo?)go to get her hair cut and comes home with longer hair?





Answer: Go for a trim and rock the flat iron. Oh boy, are we in trouble!

Look What Came In The Mail............

My kids love to get mail. But they were over the top excited to get this in the mail today....

I can't take a picture of the personalized rolls since they show our last name. But the kids held the majority and changed what I had planned on saying. So instead of saying "The (last name) kids Mom ROCKS!", they say " This is how we roll in the (last name) house!"

Thank you so much to Frantically Simple for holding the contest. My kids are for some reason so proud that I won these! You'd think they finally found out I had a talent, but nope, it was random. Now if I could just stop them from telling people I had no intention of telling I have a blog and that's how I won them......

WFMW: Mom, I'm bored edition

It's time for Rocks in My Dryer's summer fun edition of :

She is asking for ideas of what to do with your kids now that school is out.



What works for us is to have a Kids Rule Week. I take a week and assign each day to a kid. I have four kids and I take the last day, (actually, Bunny Boo can't actually verbalize her wishes yet, so I plan her day, too). When it is your day we do what you want. You plan the meals and snacks and help me cook. We do a "free" activity like swimming in our pool, going to the park, going to the library or the beach, etc. And you can choose another activity that may or may not cost anything, like going to the movies, miniature golf, family kickball, a video game arcade, the mall, etc. As you can imagine, we have to have a few family meetings to get all this planned. Once your day is locked in, you can't change it just because you've thought of something better. On the off day that I plan, I try to do something everyone enjoys that wasn't chosen and for our other activity we gift card shop. I'll make a map of all the stores they have gift cards to and we will try to hit as many as possible. I even encourage them to do some online research so they have an idea of what they want to buy while they are there.



We have used the Kids Rule Week for spring breaks, Christmas break and beginning of summer and end of summer. About 4 weeks a year spread out seems to work well for us.



I can 't wait to get other ideas......
wanna answer for when the kids say "Mom, I'm bored"? Click here!

SPT: The Emblem of the Land I Love

June's challenges will prove to be a bit more of a well, challenge to me.

This week's: The Emblem of the Land I Love

I told my husband last night that I was struggling being creative with the theme and he gave me a suggestion. I immediately dismissed it. I am so a black/white thinker!

I decided I wanted more direction so I went to look up the definition of emblem so I'd have a stronger guideline.

So according to Merriam-Webster online:

emblem (I've shortened the answer)

1: a picture with a motto or set of verses intended as a moral lesson

2: an object or the figure of an object symbolizing and suggesting another object or an idea

3 a: a symbolic object used as a heraldic device b: a device, symbol, or figure adopted and used as an identifying mark

After that research I realized My Man's idea wouldn't leave my head. I thought about it and what it meant to me. I took his advice and shot:

That's right, the All American Dollar.

Money stands for America in many different ways to me.

~It physically depicts our nation and our nation's leaders.

~It is majorly confusing to me to try to convert currencies used in other places. (So I'm not a math wiz, sue me )

~We are truly a country that gives opportunity to all. I love that.

~ We are currently working Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps and cash has become king in our home.

~ I credit my work ethic and gratitude to not having as much money as I wanted, but somehow always managing on what I had. It's been a great outlook to have.

Go to Amuse- Bouche and find out how others interpreted this week's theme.

Goodbye School.......Hello Summer!

Tomorrow is the last day of school for my kids. It's only a half day. So I've made thank you gifts for all the teachers (support staff included).



I made chocolate chip cookies and bagged and tagged them. I used Meredith's recipe from Like Merchant Ships for the cookies. (Karen, here's the recipe you asked for).





I put my Mother's Day gift to good use.







I used Jumbo muffin cups and put four cookies in each.





The kids and I then placed each cup in a cellophane bag and tied it with a sheer ribbon. I printed tags that said: Thank you for the "sweet" school year! ~ Chickie Poo. ( I subbed Buga~boo and Boo Bear for theirs). Each got a different colored ribbon to tie their tag on with. The boys did knots only and Chickie Poo did a bow with long ends hanging down.




I placed each child's gifts ( 6 for the elementary kids, 7 for the middle schooler) in a handled bag for them to take to school tomorrow. (I took a pic of this, but the kids names kept showing in the pic, and My Man is adamant I keep that out).


I am now secretly working on their summer fun in a bag gifts! I picked a few things up at Walmart today ~ customize your own pool noodle, sunscreen, journals, a book, water bottles, sno cone flavors, etc. and will hit the dollar store tomorrow for a few more things and a big tub for each to finish it off.

Who knew I could find an occasion to shop as an everyday occurrence? Oh, you did? So did My Man :)