News In These Parts and This Weeks To Do List

The weekend was spent working and working and then working some more around here. Less time during the week has left chores for the weekends. I also made a tough decision about my chickens. For now, I am going to give two away and keep two. My friend Kris has agreed to take two to add to her flock and she has a wonderful piece of property that will make them happy so the two brown Easter Eggers will be leaving. At first I had thought I would get rid of all the chickens and then cried collecting the eggs one day and Kris suggested I maybe keep some and then my hubby the same thing. So two will stay.

These two girls will remain. When you have chickens roaming a small backyard, they can be destructive as well as leaving lots of poo all over where my little one needs to be playing. The yard had become the chickens and not ours as I hated seeing them locked up all day. We will erect an enclosure around the main coop and confine them to a back corner of the yard. They will have lots of scratching room and shade and we will have poop free grass. I was always hosing down but come winter do I really want to be doing that?

We will see how it goes. I love the chickens but as in all new things, am try to find a balance where they are happy and we are still using our back yard. The chickens can come out and play a few times a week so they get their fix. My husband is ever the patient man with this hobby of mine. Will keep you updated.

Hubby had to work on Saturday which was trailer washing day so the girls and I had at it and got her all clean and spiffed to put her up for sale. Hopefully it doesn't take too long and folks camp here year round so we will see.

Just cleaned and did laundry. I am trying ever so hard to get this orchid to rebloom. I am feeding it every two weeks which is what I read so maybe it will work this time. It has lots of new growth so something is happening there. Not much else. Waiting for this endless summer to well end. Hot and humid every day it seems. I want to work in the garden but can't bare it.

I am going to share my weekly to do lists in the future as a visual for me and you can read and share tips if you have any.
1. Finish going through Q's toys. Decide which baby toys to keep and donate the rest.
2. Call for thrift store donation pick up.
3. Mow back lawn.
4. Plant swiss chard, fall tomatoes and make a trip to nursery to see what fall veggies are available.
5. Continue dividing bulbs.

How to Refill Couch Cushions Cheaply

For Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House and this weeks Down Home Blog Hop, I spiffed up our den couch cushions the cheap way.

These inexpensive couches are about eight years old and they have held up well except the back cushions. Because of our little dog laying on them and just everyday use they had become deflated as you can see.

So off to Walmart where I bought a few cheap pillows for $2.50 a piece.

My husband took the stuffing out and first placed the pillow in the cushion adding back the stuffing to fill in and reshape.

Wa-la... I think they cam out pretty well.

Now to get a few more years out of these.

We had some left over stuffing and filled the chair's back cushion as well.

Linking with:
Met Monday
Tabletop Tuesday
Tweak it Tuesday

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Coastal Charm

Tip Junkie
Pinned It, Made It Monday
Wow Us Wed.
Success U Party
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Common Ground
Sat. Night Special

Sunny Simple Sunday

Hello and happy weekend! I am one happy woman as between my husband and I, the internet and some dirty work, we managed to repair our central air conditioner. I am so excited. I will share this week what we realized was wrong in case anyone else has the same problem.Okay, onto some highlights from the last Sunny Simple Sundays.

Oh my, you have to see the Cozy Old Farmhouses No Sew Burlap Curtains. I cannot sew so these really appealed to me and the have such down home charm.

I was so drawn to the color at Frugal Ain't Cheap when she shared Kitchen Decor on a Budget. I am always on a budget and this kitchen is so fun.

My heart be still. I have to make these once the weather cools down. Baked Banana Doughnuts by Treat and Trick.

And the most viewed entry was Country Girl at Home on The Simple Life. Now this was the most viewed post on any of the parties I have hosted so that is saying something. We are all yearning for a simpler way of life and find the Amish ways intriguing. I know I do. 

Great post. You will enjoy her take.

So onto the party. Please link up what you have been up to this week. Have a wonderful weekend.

Frugal Challenge - Cooking on the Busiest of Days

My days are so busy now that I am having to be very purposeful in making dinners at home. How I would love to cruise through the drive thru but that can get expensive and it isn't very healthy. We usually pick up dinner one night a week on our busiest day. Other than that we don't eat out much. We have been craving more comfort foods even though it is still hot here so I pulled out the crock pot and made this easy dish.

Crock Pot Chicken and Rice  (This is for our large family so you may want to cut in half)

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of chicken noodle soup (if you are halving the recipe then use the can of cream of mushroom soup and a half can of chicken broth)
1 full can of water
1 1/2 cups of white rice
generous sprinkle of Mrs. Dash

Butter or grease your crock pot. Use the largest one you have to spread the ingredients out. Pour in soups, water and rice first and mix well. Layer chicken breasts on top and season. Cook on high for 4 hours. My crock pot seems to cook hot so adjust your time as needed.

This recipe is great for variations. You could add a bag of frozen broccoli or mixed vegetables. Grate some cheddar cheese and sprinkle on top for last half hour.

I made a salad and drop biscuits and it was a hit.
Check my recipe page  for more quick dinner ideas.
Sunny Simple Sundays will be back this weekend.

Linking to:
Sat. Night Special
A Favorite Thing Saturday
BNOTP

Family Time - Cambria

I cannot tell you how good it was to get away last weekend. I think I had been going at full speed down here and up there there is no cell service hardly and forget WIFI. So I was totally in the moment and disconnected and really enjoyed just doing what we wanted at a slower pace.

We always head to the beach for sunset and tide pooling. This time the tides were wonderfully low.

Grandma and grandpa were there for one night with us and it was nice to spend some time with them. We ate at our favorite restaurant in there outdoor patio.

Afterwards we had to go in our favorite candy shop. A real treat. Every kind of malted milk ball you could want.

Trying to grab a quick self portrait of me and the kid.

Saturday dawned clear and sunny so we knew it would be beach day. This is the most gorgeous cove in San Simeon.

For most of the day we had it pretty much to ourselves.

Uh could we get any sandier?

The next day was more foggy and we went to town and did some more tidepooling. Our kids have grown up on these beaches. Our favorite spot in California.

Linking to:
Fantabulous Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Potpourri Friday
Home Sweet Home
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Farm Girl Friday
Weekend Whatever
Inspiration Friday

First Day!

Someone had a big first day of preschool. Actually it was the first time any of my kids did so it was exciting for both of us. She never had one reservation. She was ready to go.

A brand new lunch box was all she cared about.

All packed with a BPA free sandwich container. Everyone got these this year. They have a frozen piece you put in the top and it keeps the sandwich cold for a long time.

All ready to head in with her Popeye smile.

After placing her stuff in her cubby she wanted to play with the kitchen set. A girl after my own heart.

She never looked back. My independent girl.

When I went to pick her up the teacher said she sure was a girl her knew her own mind. Very independent. Yep she pegged her right. We will have to have some reminders that the teacher is in charge. All a part of learning how the classroom works.

Taming My Curly Mid 40s Hair with Dove

I was given the opportunity to try a new hair product. I jumped at the chance. You know me and my hair, it is everywhere. The older I have gotten, the curlier/more wavy my hair has become. I do have some grey so I also color and highlight. Not a good combination for soft, healthy looking hair but it is what I have to work with. I am always on the hunt for reasonably priced hair products to keep my hair in good shape.

The gods must have seen my hair because I was sent the Dove Damage Therapy line of conditioners and received the Intensive Repair Daily Treatment Conditioner. I was going to have my hair colored the next day so I thought I would wait and use it when I washed my color out. My sister in law does my hair here at my house and always brings me a salon deep conditioner to use but that day I used my Dove Damage Therapy conditioner.

You know how when you color your hair and especially put highlights in it like I do how it can really dry your hair out? This would be a good test. I had my hair done and headed to the shower to wash and rinse. I used the conditioner after shampooing and left it on one minute as directed. Not too bad for a deep conditioning treatment. After rinsing it was easing to comb out which for my hair was a good sign.

The ultimate test of a good conditioner for me is it has to make my hair smoother but not weighed down and heavy. This was a great product for my hair. I loved it and have used it ever day since. It has helped keep my hair soft and has been gentle on my color. I would definitely use this again and it is reasonably priced which is a bonus. If you click on the Dove link there is a coupon. Great for us on a budget.

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Changing Things Up

Hi am here! We decided to go ahead and go up north this weekend. Our friend said things were stable and life was too short to sit home and wait. He said, "Life is precious, enjoy your family." They were heavy on our minds though. We had a wonderful weekend just hubby, myself and our littlest. Grandma and grandpa were there for one night so she was the queen of the castle.

Cutting back on decorating will be a must for my new life. So for Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House this week I made some changes. Now that everyone is back in all our activities; school, dance, piano.....

I used to enjoy blogging in the mornings in the quiet but I will have to change things up as mornings are too chaotic now. I am just going to live this first very full week and see where some free time lies. I refuse to let blogging make me feel pressured as it is something I have always enjoyed. I never want to lose that.

Placed some end of summer color in the dry sink. I love it. Simple.

I removed the busy centerpiece I always had on the table. Placed a runner with napkin holder and salt and pepper and thrift store candlesticks. We eat here a lot and it needed to be simplified and less cluttered.
One day I tried something in the kitchen that I thought would make dinner set up easier and I asked my husband how he liked it and he said, "Whatever works for us." EXACTLY!! I told him that would be my new motto. Whatever works for us. If something isn't the most attractive but is helpful in keeping the house running better than that is what I am going for.

A simple pumpkin placed in the middle will be perfect for through November.

The house is in need of attention so I better get at it and then I will drop Q off for her first day of preschool. Have a great day!

I am linking with:
Tilly's Nest
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Open House Party
The Mommy Club
Share Your Cup Thursday
Katherine's Corner
A Return to Loveliness
Potpourri Friday
Sat. Night Special

It's Almost Here

First, many thanks to you for such nice comments on my previous post. Life is full of highs and lows and we must relish the good days. The simple things like going to the market and caring for our families. These are not days of drudgery but of joy. I am thankful to have such a great place to come and share thoughts and get such wonderful responses from like minded friends. So thank you.

Well, I looked at the calendar and can you see it? We are about to turn the page on August and to me, September 1st is Autumn to me. It may be 100 outside but in the house we will get ready for fall. After I posted yesterday, I just needed to process my thoughts and decided to tuck away some summer decor and pull out the fall things. I need to tweak it some but for now I am relishing my favorite decor, those warm colors I love the best.

Weekend Plans

We are heading to Elle Cottage for a long weekend at the beach. We will spend time on the sand and time just doing whatever. Because there is no phone or internet up there I will not be hosting Sunny Simple Sunday this week. I hope you all have a wonderful end of summer Labor Day weekend. I am so excited. All the older kids are staying home so it is just hubby, I and Q. Here's to sand in your toes. Are you all doing anything fun over the weekend? We come home early Monday so we can attend a friend's end of the summer pool party so fun all around. I am thankful and blessed. When life is going well we sure need to savor it and be thankful. Many are suffering through the hurricane and my husband's best friend, a coworker for almost 25 years, is spending some of the last days with his terminally ill wife. It has been hanging heavy on my husband's heart, this trial his friend is going through. She is home and under hospice care. What do you do? Life is full of tough times. We feel helpless with the daily updates. She is intensely private and has limited visitors so we just try and be there for our friend.
As I am typing this my husband called and the news is not good. We may have to rethink our trip. My husband wants to be available if needed. Well, I will sign off. Just don't know what to say really.

Change is in the Air

As the weather heats up again this week, and I long for cooler days, I feel change in the air. I have often fought change in my life but these are good changes and in life new stages bring new things that are important in our lives.

I look around the house and though I love all my collections, I feel them tugging at my limited time these days. "Dust me, put me away for the season." Things take energy to store, clean, keep neat and maintain. I have been feeling the urge for over a year now to cut down on the decorating. Can you believe when I went into the Country General Store fall open house that all I came away with was a new calendar and kitchen table cloth. No Halloween or fall decor. Just useful items. It was fun to go and see it all but I felt no urge to bring it home. I think my friends, I have hit the full up limit in my home.

Too much stuff saps our energy and I need all I can get to be the mother I need to be and take care of this house. I even want to get rid of a few pieces of furniture. I want to see more space, less stuff. Places the eye can rest. We purged some fall decor last year and I will do more this year. Times change, seasons in our lives change and going with it feels right. Here is to simplifying the "junk" in my house. Maybe the Amish and Shakers were onto something when they kept there belongings so sparse. I of course could never go that far but I am making some changes.

Another big change is that we are getting ready to sell our trailer. It was my suggestion to my husband but he quickly agreed. You see camping and having the trailer have always been more for me and he lovingly indulged me for many years but I have been feeling that simpler vacations of less work are in our future. Trailer or not, camping is WORK. I loved it and getting it all ready but by the time we were ready to go we were tired and it was work there so we were tired when we got home. Now, I don't want to deprive Q of some camping experiences so we will take her and any of the other kids that can or want to go for an occasional night of camping locally to our mountains. I told my hubby we can handle anything for a night and can drag out our tent and rough it for a night here and there. She gets the campfire and tent thing and we can just bring up some easy dinner, have some smores, sleep in the tent and be home by lunch the next day. We never even used the trailer this year. I will be sad to see it go but glad that we made this decision. My husband is a lineman and like he says, "Honey I work outdoors, I camp everyday." He is right. He much prefers a hotel or rental house and it is time I indulged him.

Linking to:
Heart and Home

Tweaking My Life!!

For Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House, I am going to talk about tweaking something besides my home decor this week. How about my life???? Here's the deal. This is the first year I have had a child in public school. My older kids have been in college but for the earlier years. I have never had to do the Monday thru Friday rush here rush there gig of a traditional school schedule.

Man how do all you mom's do this? I am a somewhat organized person but I feel like I am never home with meet the teacher, back to school night, orientations, school dances. Whew, and that is just the first two weeks. I have not even got to the concert season when my daughter will play the piano for her school jazz and orchestra bands.

I am used to school in jammies if we wanted, once or twice a week days of classes and a much slower pace of life with homeschooling. I am trying to get my legs under me and keep organized but this is an adjustment. It is exciting to do new things and I will keep a positive attitude in our new phase of life but I am tweaking my schedule to try and stay on top of household chores, meals that need cooking and endless carpools.

Q has not even started her preschool yet. We have meet the teacher this week. The girls excitement over this new phase makes me feel we have made the right choice for the time being. I know if need be we can always go back but for now I am in the trenches with you and would love any comments on how you keep the schedules going as smooth as possible. For now, we do as much the night before so in the mornings we don't feel as rushed. The kids seem to be doing fine but mom here is trying to find the best ways to make this new life as smooth as possible. Is anyone going to Starbucks? I will take an iced latte please. I am going to take the best suggestions and do a post on them so leave me your blog url so I can give you full credit.

Also sharing at A Stroll Thru Life

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Coastal Charm

Tip Junkie
Southern Hospitality

Sunny Simple Sunday

Hello! I wanted to get this up earlier but we had a super busy day and then we had dinner and when I thought I might get on the computer we all ended up in the den with my husband playing music from his Ipod and all the kids ended up down there and we talked and laughed for hours and I know you know that when your older kids want to just sit and hang out and share, you need to let it happen. It was the best. We were silly and serious and together, which is what was most important. Sorry I am late but I was hangin with the fam.

Jann of Have a Daily Cup with Mrs.Olson shared this most adorable playhouse. A friend rescued and redid this playhouse that used to be in Jann's yard. You have to see this. It will bring out the child in you.

Linda's Lens took this amazing photograph of a recent hike. She is my idol. I love how she is out there enjoying such gorgeous places on a regular basis. You can read this post and see where she took these photos here.

Chenille Cottage shared with us her darling children's aprons. Her fabric choices are so adorable and I think Q should have one of these. I will have to see if she sells them. You can see them all here.

So please link up whatever as long as it is family friendly. Have a wonderful Sunday.