A day in the life of our family

Another Great Recipe

2010-02-22T10:52:00.002-05:00

So I have found another great recipe and tweeked it to our liking. If you love soft pretzels, you will LOVE these. Enjoy!!!

1 pkg Active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp if you buy in bulk like we do)
5 cups Flour
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/8 cup warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar

Water/ Baking Soda
Sea Salt

Dissolve yeast in 1/8 cup warm water

Stir 1 1/3 cup water, brown sugar and flour in mixer until smooth. (I use our KitchenAid with the dough hook)
Kneed dough until smooth and elastic but don't over beat because dough will become tough. If it is too dry (if you have crumbs at the bottom, add a little bit of water until it all comes together )
if it is too wet add a little more flour

Heat oven to 450 degrees

In a saucepan, add 2 tbsp of baking soda to each 1 cup of water- enough to fill the pan and bring to a boil. (example: 10 tbsp for 5 cups of water )

Tear off dough and form pretzel shape. I actually tie them in knots (make a snake shape then loop around like you're tying your shoes. Its a lot quicker and easier.

Place pretzels in boiling water for 15- 30 sec. each. ( do them in batches) and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

You can sprinkle them now with kosher salt, but we have done a couple of different things. We like them better when they come out of the oven to brush them with water and then to sprinkle them with salt.

Bake them for 8- 10 min or until golden brown. Be careful to watch them so they don't get too brown.

I will let you know how they freeze up. They haven't yet made it to the freezer. They are definetly a winner in our house served warm with Yellow mustard. We hope you enjoy them as much as we have:)

Craft ideas

2010-01-10T09:06:00.003-05:00

For the longest time, a group of us would get together weekly for Craft night. We had so much fun! Everyone brought something to work on, but if they were a new comer and didn't have a lot of supplies, we helped them out with supplies and ideas for a few weeks. Our tools and supplies were always tossed into the middle of the table for everyone to use as long as they were willing to do the same with there's. I truly miss our get togethers and apparantly so does everyone else. We all have some pretty hectic schedules, but have been trying to find time again to do this.
I thought for the next week or so, I would dig out some of my creations from those nights and post them with a list of supplies and directions for anyone interested in making them. Most of the cards that we made were done with Stampin Up items because I was a consultant for a while. You could definetly interchange those stamps for your favorites though.
Please check back and I will post some fun ideas soon! Have a great day!

2010

2010-01-07T12:44:00.002-05:00

So with the start of a new year, most of us start in with a new or updated New Year's Resolution. This year, I seem to have many. I will be changing my blog slightly to show how our family has changed from last year. I wanted it to be more of a fun place to check out new things, ideas and accomplishments but as 2009 slowed to a close, I found myself not posting as often or writing about things that weren't crafty, new ideas or something funny. I hope to post a lot more activities and photos to go with every entry. It will still be a journey of sorts to keep track of our family and the speed in which they are growing, but also a fun place, when you need a new fresh idea or just want to learn something new. Being a mom is the hardest, yet most rewarding job on the planet. We all learn from each other and sometimes need to read that what we are going through is not new and unique. Sometimes we also need a break from our busy and sometimes stressful lives to have a quick laugh. I hope my blog in 2010 will contribute to that along with all the other great blogs out there that I enjoy reading so much each and every time I sit to look!

To everyone who follows my blog, or for any new readers, I wish 2010 to be everything you want and hope for. To many happy, healthy days and to meeting new friends while keeping the old close by. Happy New Years!!

-Beth

Life is hard, but count your blessings

2009-11-19T22:06:00.002-05:00

Life is hard sometimes but I've realized in the past week that although we all have ups and downs everyday, we need to remember to count our blessings even when we feel like we have very few. We have blessings that we overlook in our busy lives that we take for granted sometimes. I have the best family. We do have very busy lives and sometimes we all feel overwhelmed, but we are happy, healthy and have a home with food on our table. We have great family and friends and each other. I am grateful of everyday that I get to spend with my family. My husband who makes me laugh even when I think I can't (or don't want to), my kids who try hard every day at school, sports & dance and make me a proud momma. I love them more and more everyday. I truly feel blessed!!! I wish everyone a happy and healthy, safe weekend!!!

Life is hard sometimes

2009-11-12T13:36:00.002-05:00

We have always been a close-knit family. We have always tried to bring our kids up with manners, love and God in our lives everyday. This past year has been a struggle. We have had issues that I never saw coming! Bullying, horrible language, friends that aren't really friends, but more acquaintances who have no one to tell them right from wrong. My heart aches for my son. I love him more than he will ever understand and want the best for him. We struggle each and every day to teach him that bad decisions always have consequences. Its hard for him to grasp when some of his "friends" have no parental influences in their lives! It makes me so angry that people ignore their kids! I don't want him going down the wrong path. I feel like lately, he has made some decisions based on what his friends want and not what he knows is right. He is a good kid. He works hard at sports and is great at school but is social life is not so great. I wish I could magically take all the hard-ache and pain away from Jr. High, but unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. I don't want him to be the kid that gets in trouble, I want the kid who is happy and helpful to others. That's how my son has always been. I'm hoping that he never goes down that road and knows that he can always talk to us. Kids are mean and I will not allow my son to be one of them.... no matter what it takes! I pray each and everyday for God to watch over our family especially my kids. I hope that Anthony realizes that "those friends" aren't real friends at all. Our little boy is growing up very fast! I know that I can't protect him always, but I can sure do my best to guide him along the way!

Almost another year older...

2009-11-09T12:07:00.002-05:00

My birthday is just a few hours away and I've been thinking a lot lately about my life and my family. We all get stuck in ruts every now and then, but sometimes we forget or take for granted what we have around us. I feel like the past year has flown by and things have changed, some for the better, some for the worse. The following is my reflection on the past year and how I'm going to look at the future....

*My kids are another year older, wiser, stronger, much more independent. They are beautiful!!!
*My husband, my best friend, is closer to me than yesterday, and will be even closer tomorrow.He is the most incredible husband anyone could ever ask for.. and hes all mine! I'm the luckiest girl in the world!!
*We have lost a very special family member that we stop each and every day to smile about and remember. She is sadly missed, but strongly remembered and will hold a special place in our hearts forever!
*We have met and made new friends and reconnected with old friends!
*We have gone on adventures, stayed at home in our pjs, been told we are unfair, and that we are the best parents in the world.
* I feel incredibly lucky that we have a home, wonderful friends and family around and jobs to support our family!
I have dedicated the next year completely to my family, keeping them healthy, spending Quality time not quantity time with them and taking lots of photos (too many as my children often say) even more than in past years. I love them more and more everyday even when I think that its just not possible. They are my life, my world. I want to protect them, love them, comfort them and enjoy them. They will always be my family, but life is flying by oh so quickly and they won't be little forever!

Fundraising and busy lives

2009-11-07T15:48:00.002-05:00

So I've taken on the task of planning a fundraiser for my daughter's dance school. Although at times I think to myself..."what was I thinking???" I really have been enjoying the planning portion of it. Many have asked me why I don't do it for a living, but I don't think that I could take money from an organization that is trying to make money for a good cause. I'll stick to volunteering my time:)
The kids have been VERY busy lately. We have something going everyday of the week! It is nice when we have a down day occasionally, but I often watch them sleeping and think to myself, I wouldn't want it any other way! I am lucky enough to be home with them to get them everywhere they need to be and to watch to see how much they have improved and how far they've come. I am one lucky mom & wife! Life is hard sometimes, but I feel so happy and content being a mom and to be lucky enough to have married my best friend!
I will post new recipes soon! I've got a lot of them to share!!

I LOVE UGG BOOTS- Win a Pair!!!

2009-10-01T09:44:00.002-04:00

Check out the new link on my page. You can enter to win a pair! Please take a moment and check it out!! They are the most comfortable boots! Have a wonderful day!

Homemade dinner rolls

2009-08-27T19:18:00.003-04:00

These dinner rolls were SOOOOOO good and the best part is they didn't have to be left to rise!!! I looked online for quite a while to find one that was quick and simple. Let me tell you it doesn't get much easier than these!! Throw all the ingredients in the bread machine, choose dough setting, grease the cookie sheet, cut dough apart on floured surface, place on sheet, brush with melted butter, cook at 375 for 15 min or until brown, brush with more melted butter and serve warm! Easy enough huh???!!

The Recipe....

1 cup water

2 tablespoons softened butter or margarine

1 egg

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tbsp yeast

Margarine or butter -- melted
Place ingredients into the bread machine. Choose Dough cycle.
When mixed, divide dough and roll each piece into a ball.
Grease a cookie sheet. Place your balls on cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter.

Heat oven to 375 F.( while oven was preheating a put the cookie sheet in)

Bake rolls until golden brown – about 15 minutes.

Brush tops of or baked rolls with melted butter.

That's it! Enjoy:)

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

2009-08-27T15:57:00.010-04:00

Kenzie has been begging for Cinnamon rolls every time we go to the store, so we decided to try to create our own. She loves to help in the kitchen, so I thought it would be fun. We were not sure how they would come out, but they were awesome! We worth trying.... we think:) I've seen similar recipes online, but none that tasted like the ones you get in the refrigerator section at the grocery store and didn't need time to rise. These are VERY close to the store ones. You can't taste the baking powder/ soda like you can in some recipes and they DON'T have to rise!!! Please enjoy!

2 Cups Flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 stick of butter softened (cubed)

1 cup of milk or cream (I used lowfat milk)

Mix dry ingredients together and mix in butter (Should not be melted). Add in Milk and blend being careful to not over mix. The dough will be sticky. Roll dough out onto a floured surface until fairly thin (think crescent roll thickness).

Filling for the dough is 1/2 cup of sugar and 3 tbsp of cinnamon and mix together. You can add brown sugar instead of the white sugar (same amount).

Spread melted butter (approx 1/2 stick) onto rolled out dough and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mix. Roll into log and cut into 3/4" to 1" pieces and place in well greased round pan or 9x13 pan.

Bake 350 for 25 minutes or so until browned.

Icing-

3 tbsp melted butter

3 heaping tbsp of cream cheese (softened)

1 tbsp vanilla

3 cups of powdered sugar

milk to thin

Icing should be the consistency of molasses. This will make it very easy to add to rolls. We add the icing to each individual roll instead of the entire top so everyone can have as little or as much icing as they prefer. There will be lots of icing (at least enough for 2 batches of Cinnamon rolls)

As you can see they didn't even let me get a picture when they came out of the oven before they tried one:)

Homemade Chinese Food

2009-08-11T17:46:00.003-04:00

All week long the kids and hubby have been begging for Chinese food. We have the best chinese food place about 5 minutes from our house, but no matter what we order from them, it seems to cost us between $30 & $40! That's why we only get chinese once and a while or for a special occation. I had made chinese food in the past, but not since Kenzie was 2 or 3 so I figured I'd give it a try. It turned out AWESOME and was oh so simple to do. Here are the recipes below. I hope you enjoy!!!

Pork Lo Mein (the pork could be replaced with any ingredients i.e. chicken or shrimp or more veggies)

2 tbsp oil add to pan

1 med onion diced

add pork into pan (cubed)

mix in 1 tsp chicken bouillion, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp ginger (ground) 1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves of fresh

4-6 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp flour to thicken

1/8 ysp black pepper

1 large can of mushrooms (8 oz) with the juice from can

1/2 cup of bean sprouts

4-6 tbsp mr yoshita's sauce (We got our's at BJs)

Pre cooked noodles (I used spaghetti)

Toss everything together and serve warm!

Pork Fried Rice

Pre cook rice and cool

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp chicken bouillion

1/2 cup onion

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ginger

1 tsp garlic

1/8- 1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup bean sprouts

4-6 Tbsp Mr Yoshitas sauce

1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp peanut butter melted together

precook rice, add oil to pan and saute onion when cooked add the rest of ingredients and serve warm.

Chicken Fingers

3 1/2 cups of Bisquick mix

1 beer of choice (we use corona or Sam Adams Light)

Add beer to dry mix and stir. Add water to mix as needed. You want it to be pancake mix consistancy. Fry in oil until browned.

Homemade Ice cream!!

2009-08-08T19:27:00.000-04:00

Homemade Ice cream!!
We've been making homemade ice cream in our ice cream machine lately. We've tried many recipes but our favorite so far is the following....
*2 Cups of Heavy Cream
*1 cup of whole milk ( I used lowfat)
*3/4 Cups Sugar
*2 tsp Vanilla
Mix in a bowl and add to your ice cream maker. It took about 30-35 minutes. I put it into the freezer in a air tight container for a couple of hours while we ate dinner. When we were ready to eat it, I served it and it was semi- soft (in a good way like Dairy Queen soft serve... not soupy). It tastes a lot like the base vanilla in Ben & Jerry's ice cream. It would be great with oreo pieces crushed or Skor bar etc. I found this recipe at greatpartyrecipes.com. Wanted to give them credit!! Enjoy!!

Summer, recipes and cleaning tips

2009-07-16T09:26:00.003-04:00

It seems like forever since I've posted anything! More than a month to be exact. We have been pretty busy up until yesterday. I have been cleaning and organizing each room of the house. It has taken quite a while and will definitely be an ongoing process, but each day is more gratifying and less crazy.... if that's possible.
Along with the 10 minutes that we clean each day as a family, I have 4 white laundry baskets in the family room that throughout the day, anything I find that belongs to that person goes into their basket along with any clean laundry. They are responsible for taking care of the items in the basket by dinner time or before if it is full. They need to bring the basket back and the items need to be put away, not just put on their bed, floor, chair etc. They love this idea and it has worked VERY well for us. If you need a cleaning helper, I suggest trying this at least for a week.
I have also been on a quest for new recipes. Snacks, dinner, bread etc. I have found quite a few good ones including some for paints, sidewalk chalk, laundry detergent, playdough.. all the fun necessities of life. I will try to post them this afternoon. Our new favorite is Reese's Peanut Butter Squares that are NO BAKE and taste EXACTLY like a Reese's peanut butter cup from the store. They are so easy that with supervision the kiddos could make them!
I hope all is well in the lives of any readers and wish you a happy and fun day:) ENJOY!!!!

Crazy but wonderful life...

2009-06-10T09:47:00.002-04:00

I feel like I haven't blogged forever! Life has been very busy with graduation for family members, baseball games, youth choir, yard work, girl scouts.... you name it it's been on our list in the past couple of weeks. Things are starting to slow down and I am very much so looking forward to summer. People tell me that I'm crazy to want the kids to be home everyday, but with all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I miss that special time we have to spend with them. They are both growing so fast and I'm afraid of that day when they tell me they don't want or need me around. They definetly are my everything and I want to preserve the time I have with them. Each and everyday is definetly special in its own way- even though sometimes we are too busy to see it until much later. Rob and I have some fun trips planned for this summer and I have found quite a few christmas gift ideas that I am going to try to do over the summer. Kenzie has taken an interest to sewing, so that will definetly be explored some more. A has taken a liking to drawing/sketching. Some of his drawings are amazing. I will try to post some of their masterpieces in the near future. Rob and I truly have been blessed with 2 of the most wonderful children. Now if I can just remember that when they decide to beat on eachother in the middle of the family room:)

Pools, Yard Work, House-Cleaning Oh MY!!

2009-06-02T09:02:00.002-04:00

With Rob being on vacation, we are really making a dent in our to-do list. It seemed to be growing in length instead of getting shorter, until this week. We've been able to do quite a bit. Now if we can just keep the motivation going for the next couple of days..... Maybe the list will be done!!! OH wait, a to do list never gets done, right?!
The pool is almost ready to go (the ladder needs to be put in), the lawn is mowed, trash is out and the house is really coming along. The 10 minute rule of everyone helping for 10 minutes a day, is really helping! IF you have issues with getting the kids to clean up, try this. One laundry basket for each member of the house and set the timer for 10 minutes. Have everyone take a different zone of the house, (ie kitchen, living room, mudroom, bathroom etc) Anything that is not in its correct place, goes in the basket. At the 5 minute mark, everyone gathers in a central location and all of the out of place items are divided up and given back to their owner or put away (if its a household product). Everyone is responsible for their own bedrooms. It is not part of the 10 minute clean up plan. Give it a try! It works for us:) Have a great day!

A new way to clean up with NO tears!!! Woo Hoo!!!

2009-05-28T21:37:00.002-04:00

So today I implemented a new schedule. It went as follows.....

3:05- off bus
3:30- leave for dance
4:00- Dance for Kenzie and free time for Dad and Big A (their choice)
5:15- Home from dance- eat dinner
6:00- EVERYONE HELPS PICK UP THE HOUSE FOR 10 min. I threw everything in the floor that was out of place and the kids put it away, table cleaned off, dishes in dishwasher. A True team effort.
6:15- showers
6:30- bags packed/ outfits picked for tomorrow
8:30- both kiddos in bed

It was GREAT!!! 10 minutes of cleaning-- they don't feel like they are cleaning all the time and Mom was happy that she had a clean house. It is definetly worth trying in your home! 10 min. and the MUST put the stuff where it goes. They actually made a game to see how much and how quickly they could do it before the other one! I thought that was quite funny, but hey, whatever works:)

My Favorite pick-me-up- for less moolah

2009-05-27T14:10:00.003-04:00

My favorite pick- me- up is the Caramel Latte from our local coffee/donut franchise (Wow that was hard to NOT use their name!!) I will post pics soon! I have played with the recipe a bit, but the outcome is the EXACT taste of this wonderful caffine filled drink for a whole lot less money!!! Feel free to adjust to your taste buds! ENJOY:)

You will need a stove-top espresso coffee maker (I found mine at Marshall's for $1 on Clearance)

You will need to follow the directions on how to make the espresso. I purchase my espresso already ground in the coffee section at walmart.

Prepare your espresso and let cool. Prepare your glass with a bunch of ice, sugar to taste(optional) and 2 tbsp of Caramel ice cream topping. Pour in your espresso and cream or milk and stir!! Enjoy:)

Lauren's Guitar Lesson

2009-05-26T12:42:00.001-04:00

Pool, Organizing, Yard Work and guitar lessons

2009-05-26T12:22:00.003-04:00

It seems like forever since I've done a new post. We spent the weekend cleaning out and rearranging the house. I was tired of the "THINGS" that never seemed to have a place. They found a place this weekend! My dad gave Kenzie another guitar lesson. She has started to write a song. It was the sweetest, cutest thing in the world! I really hope that she continues to learn from him. She couldn't ask for a better teacher! Rob worked so hard on the pool and it is looking like we could be swimming by the end of the week..... well maybe not because of the weather! It's funny how all of a sudden you look around the yard and find ALL kinds of new projects. I am going to attempt to do some gardening this summer. I have the blackest thumb. My sis got the green thumb of the family. Hopefully she'll give me some good pointers along with some of my closest friends:) They're pretty good and what they do!! We have quite a few projects planned for the summer depending on what time and money allow. We are trying as a whole family to save money and become more eco-friendly. It's nice to see the kids wanting to learn new tricks, new recipes or even coming up with ways to save time and money:) I will post all of these tips/ tricks, recipes and money saving ideas as we stumble upon them! Have a great day:)

Homemade Granola Bars

2009-05-19T11:35:00.002-04:00

2 Cups Oats
3/4 cup Cereal (puffed or rice krispies) You could use anything
3/4 cup of other (sunflower seeds, raisins, choc chips, dried fruit etc.
2/3 cup brown sugar packed
1/4 cup honey
4 tbsp butter, not margarine
2 tsp vanilla

2 cups of Oats
*spread on a cookie sheet (I put down parchment paper first) and toast the oats for 10 minutes on 400 degrees. Be sure to stir them so they don't burn.
When these are done, set them aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine 2 cups of oats, 3/4 of a cup of dried cereal (I used Rice Krispies) and anything else you want (choc chips, sunflower seeds, raisins, craisins, dried fruit etc) about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of these. **HINT** be creative:)

In a sauce pan, combine 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 4 tbsp Butter (it has to be butter, not margarine) and 2 tsp vanilla. Bring this to a boil stirring often to prevent burning or sticking.

When this is done, add to dry mix and quickly stir everything together. If you use chocolate chips, they will melt due to the heat. Quickly spread this mixture out in a 9 X 13 pan lined with wax or parchment paper and let harden (about 2 hrs). When hard, remove from pan and cut into bars with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container. ENJOY!!

Laundry, Cleaning, Planning & of course more Baseball

2009-05-19T11:26:00.003-04:00

Last night, I made homemade Granola bars. Very easy.... very yummy! The kids actually asked me to NOT buy the store kind anymore! I will post the recipe separately. I've actually found the bottom of the hamper. It's an amazing feeling to know that until the kiddos come home from school..... ALL, yes ALL of the laundry is done!!! Woo Hoo:) Today is Girl Scout planning day. I need to find something for the girls to do with their Journey books. Not sure what the next "key" is, but we'll find something fun for them to do. Tonight.... off to baseball. A's team is supposed to play but there is a chance that the other team will forfeit due to injuries. Is it wrong of me to hope that they reschedule the game??? I love baseball, but a night home would be very nice! No matter what, I will be happy. Seeing my cutie play or watching him and his dad practice in the yard. We're hoping to work on the pool this weekend! Summer is fast approaching! Have a great day, all:)

pita bread pics

2009-05-18T18:52:00.000-04:00

pics

Pita bread recipe- Definetly worth the wait!!

2009-05-18T17:33:00.002-04:00

Here is the Pita bread that I made.

2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups water (room temp is best)
1 tbsp sugar
1 pkt of yeast or 2 tsp if you buy in bulk
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups of flour

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl or mixing bowl. Mix all wet ingredients together. Slowly add the wet to the dry (it should form a ball). At that point you will need to place it on a floured surface and kneed for 10 min. (If you are busy like me, throw it all in the Kitchen Aid mixer on low with the dough hook and let it do its thing for 8 min. I then took it out and hand kneed it for another minute or so.
Place the dough ball in a greased bowl (you can use oil or cooking spray) and cover with damp towel or plastic wrap for about 90 min. or until doubled in size.
After dough has doubled, remove plastic wrap or towel and punch down. Divide into 8 balls and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Cover with damp towel and let rest for 20 min. or so. At this time preheat oven and stone ( or upside down cookie sheet) to 400 degrees.
After 20 min. of resting, roll out on floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Place as many in the oven as will fit on your pan. They take between 3-6 min. depending on how dark you like them. If the oven is not hot enough or preheated they will not bubble up as much. They will flatten back out as they cool. Place on cooling rack (wire rack) to cool. Store in airtight container or freezer bag. I don't know how long they will last in storage. They never last more than 1 day in our house! They are MUCH better than store bought. My kids think they taste like the pizza lunchables, but better! ENJOY:)

Church, Groceries & Cooking

2009-05-17T20:43:00.002-04:00

The youth choir sang today at 10:30 mass and did a great job! From there we did lunch and grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping! When we got home, I was quite motivated. I made Honey Oat Bread, Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, Homemade Pita bread (well worth it) and dinner. I will post recipes soon. The pitas were so worth making and not difficult. My kids won't eat store bought ones but the LOVED these. I have to stop typing now because DH season Finale is coming on! Until later...

cake picsc

2009-05-16T18:53:00.001-04:00

cake pics

2009-05-16T18:17:00.001-04:00

cake pics

Birthday parties, Baseball & the Weather in Maine

2009-05-16T18:06:00.002-04:00

Our day started off with attending my nephew's Star Wars birthday party. I made a Yoda cake for him which was cute, but by far not my best cake. It was warm and sunny (the perfect day)! We left the party to head to A's baseball game and froze. The clouds came, the wind whipped and we turned to icicles. They say if you don't like the weather in Maine..... wait a minute!! They are not kidding. A' s team lost but played a great game! We went to dinner with my gram after which was nice. I will attempt to post pics of the cake. Wish me luck!!

Organic Lawn Spray

2009-05-15T09:18:00.002-04:00

In my quest to use less pesticides, I came across this recipe for homemade Lawn spray. I was hesitant at first, but figured I'd try it any way. I was VERY pleased with it's ability to keep ALL flying bugs and ticks away along with keeping my grass looking better and thicker than ever. The downside is you need to reapply it after a heavy rain or about every 2 weeks, but it's worth it! I have even sprayed it on my deck (right on the wood) and it helps that much more. Enjoy!

The recipe is EQUAL parts of Epsom Salt, Listerine (both can be purchased at the dollarstore) and FLAT beer (we use the cheap stuff). Mix it together and spray in your yard. You can make a little or a lot as long as it's equal parts.

Loving Life

2009-05-15T08:32:00.002-04:00

It's finally Friday! We've got a very busy weekend ahead with baseball games, birthday parties and anything else that gets added to the calendar. It's crazy at times, but I often wonder to myself, "Would I have it any other way?". The kids are growing up so fast and I want to enjoy every moment.