Back to School Centerpiece

Grabbed my last bits of back to school items and made up a simple centerpiece on our dining room table.

We eat dinner here each night so I like to make it seasonal and fun but it can't take up too much space as there are six of us.

An apple scented candle sets off the right mood for those approaching September days.

A nod to all the teachers that have patiently taught my girls over the years.

Linking to:
Rednesday
Coastal Charm
Not Just a Housewife
Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Tuesdays Treasures
Wow Us Wed.
BNOTP
Shabby Nest

More Mountain Fun

Just wanted to show some more of the beautiful scenery from our weekend. This was taken at inspiration point viewing Mt. Baden-Powell. We are at 7400 ft.

It was windy can you tell by my hair?

Love this photo of my hubby and two of his girls.

Believe it or not that is the valley we live in right below there.

I thought this tree was fascinating. The entire thing was covered in wood pecker holes.

"Maaaa why are you taking my picture?"

Silly hats are always appropriate when camping.

Q was a little wary of this bear. I think she thought it might come to life at any second.

Lots of hands on displays at the Visitor Center.

My daughter who is really into birds loved all the stuffed displays.

My 13 yr. old kept running off with the camera. She took some lovely shots of the sunset our last night.

Linking to:
Time Warp Wife
Not Just a Housewife

Lunch at Lemon Lane Cottage

I was invited by Patty of Lemon Lane Cottage to a small luncheon at her home. Isn't her front porch darling?

Besides myself and Patty her sister in law and long time friend joined us for a lunch of taco salad, fruit and yummy cupcakes.

Patty is in the middle.

Look at the darling place settings set for each of us.

 After lunch we moved inside to make a craft.

Patty sent each of us home with a lovely heart pillow she made. Thanks Patty for a lovely day!!

Sorry this post is so wonky but Blogger is giving me some problems with spacing right now.

Frugal Challenge-Contacting Companies With Our Thoughts

Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned how disappointed I was when my hubby and I went for lunch at Chili's? The food and service were fine but the restaurant was dirty and that sort of makes you loose your appetite. I decided to send them an e-mail about my thoughts. Told them food and service were good but that they may want to know that we felt the restaurant was dirty and not up to their standards I am sure. Low and behold they sent me $15 in gift certificates and a very nice letter thanking me for my comment and what they were doing to follow through. I was very pleased. Nice to know they were listening.

But I do not only contact companies with complaints. I also send e-mails to companies that make products we really like in our house. In our family we only use Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce so I sent them a note telling them how much we loved it and that we use it on so many things and they in return sent me a coupon for two free bottles. I have also contacted and received nice coupons from diapers companies, Starbucks (for really bad service on a four dollar coffee-I don't think so) and for a shampoo I used and loved. I don't send these comments regularly though I know some do to try and get coupons but I do contact them when a product stands out good or bad and I have something I want to share with them. Our opinions are valuable to these companies or there wouldn't be so many surveys out there wanting to know our thoughts. I simply go to the companies website and find the contact info. So easy these days to contact them.

Linking to:
New Nostalgia

Friday Was a Very Good Day

Not only did I receive flowers on Friday for my anniversary and get to head out of town, but I received this...

I won my very first blog giveaway from Ricki at Art @ Home. She is one of my best blogging buddies too so how fun that was to win her lovely giveaway. A pink lemonade candle perfect for hot August days and some tropical smelling soap. Ricki it smells so good it makes me want to eat it. That would not be good. Thanks Ricki!!! Check out her lovely blog full of visual beauty and loads of book reviews. If you are a reader, her blog is a must.

Mountains...Food for my Soul

Friday we headed up to our local mountains for a weekend of camping. But first, it was our anniversary so look what my honey surprised me with? Always a yellow rose in the center as that is my favorite color of roses.  I told him the flowers had to come with us so I put them in my parent's old camping coffee pot. It is about 60 years old.

We're here! We are lucky to have so many nice places to camp so close to our house. After an hour we arrived.

Had to have an anniversary kiss.

Told ya' I was bringing those flowers. They graced our picnic table.

Nothing like a dinner out in the fresh air. My brother and his wife live near by so they came up for dinner.

We were over 7000 ft. and the views of the surrounding desert and valleys is gorgeous. Especially at sunset.

Have to have a campfire and marshmallows for smores.

The highlight of her day.

Early the next morning while up sipping my coffee, clouds rolled in. I then spotted a rainbow up in the clouds.
So beautiful. I get up early everyday but I love getting up before everyone else and making coffee on our camp stove and just sitting enjoying just being there.

I am so excited. Tomorrow I am going to lunch at the home of Patty from Lemon Lane Cottage. She has included me in a little luncheon she is having. We discovered we just live down the road from one another.

Linking to:
Seasonal Sundays
Met Monday
House in the Roses
Dittle Dattle
KISS
Show and Tell
Mod Mix Monday
Barn Hop
A Stroll Thru Life
Coastal Charm

Heading Out for the Weekend

Gone for the weekend camping. Just our family and my brother and his wife. I love the mountains. Sitting in my chair with a new magazine, the breeze blowing through the pines. One of my most favorite sounds on earth. Today is also my 22nd anniversary. We always camp this weekend so hubby and I plan an alternative weekend away usually in the fall. This year we are going away for a weekend in October to celebrate. But you know I am a simple gal so as long as he is with me, it's a party. With his, job we have celebrated many a Valentine's Day and anniversary apart. You just adjust. Have a great weekend everyone! Soak up these last days of summer.

Why Oh Why?

Why oh why must they put things that look like this in the bakery section of the grocery store. They were like little bits of devils food chocolate doughey goodness with pretty clothes on. I think I ate four of them the first day and at least that the second day.  Then I came to my senses and just set them out in the den with all the teens watching TV and thankfully they were gone. And I wonder why I never loose any weight. Hmmm.

BHG Newsletter

We all know BHG.com is a great online resource for home decor and inspiring photos but recently I signed up for their weekly e-mail updates. You can choose whatever category you'd like to receive and this week's was on bathrooms. Here are a few of the wonderful photos. 

How sweet is this sunny bathroom?

 How about this colorful one? Just wanted to share this wonderful resource.

BHG.com

A Trip to the Beach and Crisis Averted

Went to the beach yesterday with some of my girls and their friends. We arrived nice and early as I like to get there and get out of there before the afternoon traffic. It was overcast and cool for about the first hour of our day but that did not deter the hardy who went in anyway.

Finally the clouds started to burn off. There was hardly anyone there even by around noon. Hello, it is August and this is the beach? Our weather has been mild and maybe that is keeping people home. We had plenty of room for ourselves.

Here is where I sat while Q got her feet wet. Dragged my chair right down to the water.

We had a nice day, perfect weather and you are on the beach so how could it go wrong right? On the way home the little light on my dash went off warning me of a flat tire. So off the freeway I went into a gas station and sure enough my tire was very low and huge screw was in the tire. Called hubby who said they often leak slowly like this so to fill it up with air and head home. So I did. Put air in that tire and hustled home though traffic. Now if you read this blog with any regularity you know I am a homebody. I don't really like to go too many places on my own. Have lived in Southern California my whole life and rarely head out to all it has to offer. I am happy at home. I force myself to take day trips so the girls can have fun but as the tire issue popped up I was thinking that is exactly why I don't go anywhere. Now camping is an exception. I will go anywhere if we are heading out camping. And we are heading to the mountains this weekend.

Linking to:
Simple Pleasures
Time Travel Thursday

Rooster Party

I am joining Sheila at Note Songs for her rooster/chicken party. I have a long love affair with these feathered friends and I did a post about that here: roosters post. My mom had roosters in her kitchen so I suppose it has been ingrained in me that you need a few in every kitchen.

I even have them in my china cabinet.

On pillows.

Here are some kitchen fellows watching over me as I cook.

They keep watch outside.

And even grace the garden.

Thanks to Sheila for hosting this fun party.

Linking to:

Notesongs

Tabletop Tuesday

Rednesday

Not Just a Housewife

A delightsome life

Very Merry Vintage Style

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Wow Us Wed.

Transformation Thurs.

BNOTP

Primp Your Stuff Wed.

Show & Tell

Farmhouse Friday

You Have to Train Them Young

You have to train them young if you want them to help you when they are older. And I am totally serious about this. Because I used to work part time while we were homeschooling, I had to have help from my daughters to keep the house up. I wasn't going to be gone nine hours and come home to a disaster, so the girls learned young that they had to help in the house. My mom would be here of course when they were young and she was instrumental in giving them regular chores that they still do to this day.

You cannot wait until they are older and then ask them to help you and expect them to not only know what to do but to have the discipline to do it without a hassle. I have friends whose kids do nothing around the house and they say I am lucky cause my girls help. Yes, I am lucky, but I put the time in when they were young teaching them how to clean and how to do it without complaining. Basically, if they complained then they got more chores until they stopped complaining. Sounds mean but you only have to do it once or twice and if they know you are serious, they will take you seriously. Don't give up because it is hard work to teach them to do it the right way but they will get it. My 17 year old has been largely in charge of our laundry for years. She does a wonderful job and when I chip in to help her fold she says she hates the way I do it. I mean she brings our laundry folded in perfect squares with tight corners. She is a bit OCD about orderliness so she is perfect for this job. I hire her to organize cupboards and drawers, she is so good at organizing.

Hard work when they are young will pay off immeasurably as they get older. My girls will move out and know how to cook and clean. Doesn't mean they will, but it won't be because they didn't learn here. My oldest is sort of a slob in her own space but she can cook, do windows and even fix a lawnmower. She is a stud. She works three jobs this summer saving for a car. Hard work never killed anyone and our kids are soft these days. They need a strong work ethic instilled in them if they are going to survive. I may sound like a slave driver, but I really am not. I have a full plate as well, especially with a husband that works out of town and long hours. I have to do what a lot of husbands would normally do at times and my girls, at least the younger ones, have more free time due to homeschooling. This is just a bit of motherly advice for those raising young ones right now and some encouragement to keep at it when training kids to help around the home. I don't have perfect kids and they sure don't have a perfect mom but don't hesitate to get them started young as it will pay off for you later and really for them too. They may never admit it but you will have taught them valuable life skills.

Linking to:
Time Warp Wife
Domestically Divine Tuesday
Tip Junkie
Bowl Full of Lemons
Barn Hop
A to Z
Not Just a Housewife
Raising Homemakers