Sunny Simple Life: July 2011

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Back to School Vignette

Okay, this was entirely too much fun to put together. Maybe it is the anticipation of fall, my favorite time of the year. Hubby and I collected things from around the house we thought had a school theme.

The little desk is actually an American Girl Doll desk and the typewriter is AG too. I thought it was perfect. The slate, an antique I bought, has been dropped by one of my kids and cracked, but I still love it.

My little Mia doll is reading her little Bible which was actually my dad's from WWII.

The microscope was hubby's grandfather's and is pretty old.

The old text books are from the late 1800's and belonged to my grandfather. He collected old books.

Although we have been a lifelong homeschooling family, I still like to make a big deal about back to school. This year I actually don't have much teaching to do. My oldest two are in college and my 13 year old is taking all of her classes from other teachers so all I will have is my three year old and I will do some sort of preschool program but mostly she will play and enjoy the other kids in our homeschool group.

Linking to:

Remodelaholic

Common Ground

Southern Hospitality

Susan Branch Blog

Poking around in my e-mails I found that Susan Branch now has a blog. I love her style. She is one of my favorite illustrators. I have many of her cookbooks too. Check out her blog. You will not be disappointed. More cute illustrations and lovely photos to enjoy.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Look What I Have Done

I know many of you will think I am rushing things but I wanted to do a back to school vignette in my dry sink and a little something on the dining room table. I started to pull some things out and I just kept going until it was done. Here is just a peek.

School for my kids starts the last week of August so they still have three sweet weeks left. Some of our friends started this week. I miss the days when everyone started right after Labor Day.

Not sure my kids were too excited to see the reminders but my hubby and I had fun putting it together.

This little plaque of the Pledge of Allegiance is a favorite. I have heard that not all schools bother to ever say it any longer. When I was in school we said it everyday first thing. I personally think that was a good thing.

I will reveal the whole thing in a few days when I am done tweaking it.

Linking to:

Singing It's Praises

I just am rubbing alcohols biggest fan. It is the best de-greaser around. I cleaned the backsplash behind my stove with it over the weekend. It works so great. Just look at my 53 year old tile shine. So cheap too. I already did a post on how great it is on cleaning my wood blinds in the kitchen the link is here.

Had a great time on Saturday hanging out with my husband. We saw a movie and then went to lunch at Chili's. Now some of you may be a big Chili's fan but the one we went to grossed me out. Is anyone out there like me? The table was sticky, the menus were gommy and the door looked like no one had cleaned it in six months. Even my husband who thinks I am OCD about these things said it was dirty in there. Now I know you are all going to think I am a crazy woman but I don't like to eat out much. It always grosses me out thinking of all the people that touched my food and silverware. I am like Jack Nicholson in "As Good as it Gets." I don't have fifty bars of soap in my medicine cabinet but I have threatened to start bringing my own silverware. Just funny about restaurants. I also don't like what may be lurking in hotel rooms but that is for another day.

It also works as a great glass cleaner and is all I use now. Just dilute about half and half with water with a little more water and mix. I use an old spray bottle. Works wonderful on shower doors too.

Linking to:
Homestead Revival
Homemaking Mondays
We are that Family
New Nostalgia
BNOTP

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Summer's Bounty

I love all the good fruit this time of year. You can just cut it up and serve for dinner and no cooking required.

We had the above with BLTs last night. So refreshing.

My impatiens and coleus are thriving as long as I water them daily. It is very hot and humid today so we are hiding indoors.

We picked two more bowls of these last night so I will make another batch of my homemade sauce for the freezer. The recipe is here.

My dogs have been busy at their water bowl in the yard as well as a lot of birds looking for a source of water.

But I tell you I am itching to change out some of my summer vignettes. I have a few ideas and am gathering things right now. I love the fun of changing these areas up. Grown up play for sure.

Linking:

Seasonal Sundays

Masterpiece Monday

Met Monday

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Sunday Blues and Reds

Happy Sunday everyone! Had a wonderful day with my hubs yesterday. We saw Harry Potter and it was very good. Two thumbs up!

I just saw this on Pinterest and had to laugh. So true!

I clearly don't know what I am doing with this camera of mine at times. Must take a basic class. I'll just add it to the list of must dos. But I do love playing with all the editing options.

Blurry again. Drat!

What is it about bird houses? I just love them. Maybe because they are "little houses."

I think we are narrowing down the color choice for the kitchen. I want to get started in there but you know how painting a kitchen is. First you have to wash the whole things down with TSP. Fun job!!!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Don't Puke

Don't puke but my man is home and I am ever so glad to see him. Want to spice up your marriage? Have your husband work out of town a lot. I sure miss him when he is gone. You realize when you have to spend time apart just what you are missing. So I am taking a little weekend break and spending some time with him.

Tomorrow though he is taking me on a date. Movies, lunch and then of course we will run errands we need to do together. We like to shop together when we can. Just hold hands and call it a date.

Banana Coconut Smoothie

We are making lots of smoothies these days to use up a lot of the fruit that is so plentiful this time of year. After the girls made theirs I made one for me. I added one banana, splash of soy milk, a pina colada flavored yogurt, ice, squirt of honey, couple tablespoons of shredded coconut and some protein powder. All I needed was a little umbrella.

Linking to:
Show and Tell Friday
Fellowship Fridays
Inspiration Fridays
Tidy Mom
SNS
Cherished Treasures
Faded Charm

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Frugal Challenge Update-Making Ground Hamburger Leaner

Once in a while I will pick up some ground beef on sale that is higher in fat content than I'd like so I just cook it up and pour it into a colander in the sink and rinse really well with hot water to get as much of the grease/fat out of it. Wipe the pan out with a paper towel and just pour the meat back in to reheat and season.

My mom used to do this and when I was a kid and I would always ask her why she was washing our meat.

Another trip to Georges. Three loaves of sourdough, lettuce, peaches, cantaloupe and watermelon the kids devoured as soon as I got home. $7.23.

Combined all my trips yesterday to save gas so I stopped at CVS. Total out of pocket including tax was $1.99 for the four items below.

Linking to:
Life As Mom

Life is Good

I am in my room sipping coffee as I hear a table of kids talking while eating the hundreds of pancakes I made for them. Friends slept over last night and the cousins have arrived for a 10:00 piano lesson for my two middle girls and the cousin. The piano teacher will arrive soon and I will assume my job of keeping the youngest happy in the backyard while lessons take place.

All sleepovers require chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast in our house. All the girls' friends have come to expect them. I have to hide my chocolate chips in this house as they seem to disappear if I don't.

Remember my tip: Put a plate under your batter bowl to catch the drips and then just put in the dishwasher with your breakfast dishes.

Onto my chores and I needed to get some dusting done on our built in bookshelves. There's my sexy hubby there when he first became a lineman. Yes, he has a picture of himself that he framed in our hallway. He put it with his insulator collection. I am crushing on him right now as he is gone this week working out of town and you know how absence makes the heart grow fonder.

The morning light catches all the colors of the insulators. So pretty for such a practical item.

I love summer and dirty little faces. I always said you could judge how hard your kids played by the dirt on their faces. Then off to a bath to get scrubbed clean. I miss my other kids being this young when some water from the hose and sand box were all they needed.

Linking to:

The Charm of Home

Common Ground

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Making Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I have had such a bumper crop of tomatoes this year. I wanted to make good use of them and decided to make some homemade spaghetti sauce.

First to peel the tomatoes make a slight X cut at the bottom of the fruit. Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop the tomatoes a few at a time into the boiling water for around 30 seconds. Immediately plunge in an ice bath.

Here are all the tomatoes waiting to be peeled. Get a helper if you can to help you peel it will go so much faster. They aren't hard to peel but there were just so many of them.

After I peeled them I cut them in half and just used my fingers to squeeze out as much water and seeds as I could. Place them in a colander to drain a little as you are finishing up.

I put them into my blender to puree them.

Into the crockpot they look a little pale at first but not for long.

I added a package of browned Italian sausage, Italian seasonings, Parmesan cheese, chopped onion, a bit of sugar to cut the acid and a splash of red wine. I also added a can of tomato paste to help thicken. You will need to add a little bit of salt as with fresh tomatoes you don't have the salt added as you would with canned tomatoes. You can add garlic but I don't as I don't like it.

Simmered in the crock pot on my back porch so the kitchen wouldn't get hot. I kept it on low for about six hours. Here is the finished product. It tasted so fresh and full of flavor.

This made enough for our dinner and for three containers more to be frozen and enjoyed later.

Linking to:

Looking Back and Forward

Went to Kohls with my kids this week to get some backpacks and other school supplies. Oh I don't want fall to come and bring back the hectic schedule of classes and meetings and driving, driving, driving. Though I love everything about the season, I don't love the rush of the school year. Love these lazy days of kids sleeping in and my quiet mornings before they get up.

Found these cute kitchen towels clearanced from the Fourth of July. So cute. Tucked away to be brought out next year.

But alas, here are the reminders of the coming school year. If you need backpacks the Jansport are the best. Last for years and you can throw them in the washer. Regularly $55 on sale for $39.99 plus I had a coupon so mine were even less which is a great price for these if you have ever priced them at Tillys.

So fit my kids personalities. On more conservative in dress and the other more adventurous should I say.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Slow Going

My bedroom is still not totally done. Grrr. I need to paint two nightstands as well as I would like to get all the plates hung on the walls which is hard to do when your hubby has only one day off and is too pooped to hang plates. Very low on his list. I guess I could do them but he is patient and precise about measuring things and I would just slap them up and have crooked plates so I will wait.

I did pick up this cute quilt in the perfect shade of green for my room. It was in the clearance bin at my fave store. $29. Great buy!

Love the colors and I think I will just keep it on my little green chair.

Managed to get one thing hung on the wall. My heart rug beater needed a home.

And so totally off topic but I was in the same room. How do you roll in the summer? From July to Sept. my hair has to be up. Too darn hot with it down. My kids call it my Sarah Palin look.

Blurry but hard to get a shot of the side of your head and keep the camera still.

Linking to:
Trendy Treehouse
Savvy Southern Style
A Delightsome Life
Show and Tell Friday

Facebook Page

Sunny Simple Facebook Page↓ ↑		I am attempting to set up a Sunny Simple Facebook Page. Not easy for this very tech challenged gal. I love my personal FB page and thought it would be fun to have one for my blog. Visit me if you get a chance. You can click on the picture to the left to go to my page. Leave me a little note so I don't feel so lonely over there. Thanks, Elaine

Monday, July 25, 2011

Decluttering the Kitchen

I have really been in a paring down, thinning out, simplifying mood lately. Well for about six months now. I really try not to buy anything we don't need (except home decor cuties but I have cut way back on that too).

Funny how when you clean out your drawers you discover things you forgot you had and that you often have multiples of. With the heat I have been cleaning out the drawers and getting rid of anything I don't use any longer. Ruthlessness I tell you is the key to organizing and simplifying.

Just a few of my pared down supplies all easy at hand when I need them. I can see what is in each drawer and grab what I need quickly. Funky and nothing matches but I am not spending money on matched organizers just using what I already have.

The pyrex was all my mother's. Love it all stacked and ready for use.

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Homemaker Monday
Stroll Thru Life
Time Warp Wife
Twice Owned Tuesday
Women Living Well
L.A.C.E.
Raising Homemakers

Movie Day!

Off to spend a little time with these guys. It is Q's first time at the movies so I am hoping a big tub of popcorn and an Icee along with the Hundred Acre Woods keep her happy for the hour long movie. Can't wait.
** Update: This movie is darling and at barely more than an hour, a perfect movie for the younger kids. We all loved it including my 17 and 13 year olds who loved Pooh when they were little.