Get off that ladder and get back in the Cabinet NOW!

Okay awhile back my husband mentioned he was going to throw an old rickety wooden ladder away after purchasing a swank new metal one. -I said the heck you are! I am going to decorate with it. At which point laughter and "what are you talking about" remarks from my dear Husband ensued .

All I pretty much had to do was tell him "it's free decor" and I got my ladder!-evil grin!

But over the course of remodeling, the place I had in mind (to hang it on the wall flush against the ceiling with herbs dangling from it) was replaced...will be replaced with a wood stove.

And I don't know about you but a wooden ladder with dry herbs above a wood stove sounds like a fire hazard to me?

So my next idea, well why don't you see for yourself:

On the bottom rung I put magazines (because the ladder is right next to the toilet and everyone knows a toilet and reading go hand and hand)

Next rung toilet paper-again, toilet=need for toilet paper

Then I put towels and wash cloths on the upper rungs and in the bottom picture you can see I put some candles on the back rungs so if someone wanted to they could light them...


but I pray not on the ladder!

Sorry I did my pictures in sepia because the paint on my walls is just plain ugly and I did not want you to see it. -I will be painting over it the next few months.

So what do you think?
Latte

You want to put concrete where?....

I love rustic...absolutely love it! If you have read older posts you know I am a big square and I like things that are beautiful and well basic. So when my husband told me he was thinking of going into the concrete counter top business I jumped at the chance for a rustic counter top!

This is my main (main meaning the main one we use day in and day out) bathroom counter before:
Um...that is a hair tie in the sink, and do you see those black marks on the sink that is were I dropped something and it chipped the sink. I did that when we first got the house almost 10 years ago and not one time since!

Go figure!

Here is another:
you can see the chips better in this one and a the outlet without a cover...we are getting to that.

So drum roll on my new counter top!..............ththththththththtthththtthhttththththt



Don'tcha just love it! I asked for black, but it seems that charcoal was as close to back as they could get...dreamy huh! Did I mention it only cost him about $20 (counter top only) to make?

Here it is at other angles:
If you notice the crease in the counter in the picture above it's because my husband made this one upside down...and the tape (while flat when he laid it) wrinkled from the weight of the concrete. That is also why you see such color variations, that would not happen if you do it right side up-but I love it this way! I actually love it both ways!

So what do you think? You won't hurt my feelings none! My husband earned real brownie points in my eye! Now he HAS to do the whole house (all counter tops!)

Recipe Iced Latte

My favorite Iced Latte:

two shots of espresso (need espresso or cappuccino maker! or REALLY strong coffee )
2oz-3oz hazelnut creamer (I use Nestle cafe-mate liquid creamer)
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
ice

YUM! To find more great recipes check out The Grocery Cart Challenge

Menu Plan Day

Organic Gal!

My version of the grocery cart challenge!
Trying to live organically and naturally on $70.00 a week!

Well I was suppose to do this on Thursday...but I got lazy! NOT GOOD! We ended up eating out, which I don't know how to avoid on days we go to Springfield because it's 40 miles from the house and we already made breakfast and lunch to take, dinner would not last 10 hours! Oh well ya's do what ya's can do huh?

Please keep in mind I get all my recipes from America's Test Kitchen cookbooks so the ones below with links while they are close to my recipes that are not ATK!

Okay my meals for the week:

Breakfasts:
Smoothies
Strawberry muffins
Organic Cereal
Organic Poptarts
Eggs and bacon
Oatmeal


Dinners:
*Tuscan Bread Soup x's 2 but makes one meal
-Salad
*Potato & Onion Pizza x's 2 but makes one meal
-Salad
*Grilled Chicken x's 2 makes 2 meals
-creamy mashed potatoes x's 2
-green bean parmesan x's 2
*Pulled Pork x's 2 makes 2 meals
-honey glazed carrots
-mac-n-cheese
*Nachoes

Snacks:
lattes
organic popcorn
homemade pita chips
yogurt
cottage cheese
smoothies
strawberry muffins

Homemade ingredients needed for:
BBQ Sauce
Bread sliced sandwich bread
Caesar dressing

Come back tomorrow to see what I purchased and how much it cost me! Don't forget I will be adding my eating out from Friday!

Don't forget to check out the Grocery Cart Challenge for other great tips and recipes

New Years and Homeschoolingish News

Don't you just love a NEW YEAR. It's hope of a new start, to reflect on the wonderful and crazy past and to move away from bad habits. My New Years Resolutions are my favorite time of the year. Three years ago I always loved to sit down and make my list and I ALWAYS stuck to it-I miss the old me(sigh). But then I had my second child...and all was lost. I have spent the past 3 years trying to gain my life back by get closer to the Lord and in doing so I am starting to see the light of day. It's amazing what hormones and lack of Faith can do to you! I don't mean lack of Faith in the Lord I mean lack of Faith in myself. Bad thoughts bring bad habits that bring bad thoughts...on and on! NO MORE! I love when I tell myself to be happy...I generally am! This past year has brought me to such a closer walk with the Lord, and a new joy with my family. So here are my New Years Resolutions:

#1-To always try and walk joyfully closer to the Lord, Jesus Christ! and in doing that I must:
#2-Love and OBEY my husband in all things-no more back talk...it's just so hard!
#3-Cherish my children-no more "in a minute" while I do something so worthless
#4-Serve others-I like the appeal of saying we are doing missionaryish work...why not in my own back yard?
#5-Prepare my home for easy maintenance!
#6-To be frugal in my meal planning and Have dinner ready EVERY NIGHT!
#7-Eat much smaller servings (don't fret over NOT having an occasional latte-instead have a small coffee cup size instead of a QUART size...I know sad huh?)
#8-Work out everyday by playing with my children and 20min on tread mill. My prayer is that by doing #7 and #8 I will lose the 30 pounds I put on 3 years ago my goal is to be 30lbs lighter by April 26th 2009!
#9-Get school done 4 hours a day 4 days a week-God must be in all the lessons-even Math
#10-Not spend so much time on this computer (no more than 1 hour a day of personal time)


In really interestingly other news I wanted to share with you a video going around in homeschool circles. It's just a bit of information that I think everyone should look at, even if you don't plan on Homeschooling. This is a big reason why we homeschool.

Love Always,
Latte

A Godly wife fights with Santa about Global Warming and Evolution

Well I never thought I would be blogging about this but...it's that time I guess. Okay let me start by saying I had the most hilarious Friday! I almost peed on myself with laughter at my cute husband. While laughing to tears I told him I wish I could have recorded this whole day. So I thought man I just as well here...this is not for the faint of heart, or men, or kids....proceed with caution or just throw caution to the wind, that is what I did when I posted this.

Okay now to the funny crap!~

This Friday I had a doctor's appointment to get a monitor put on my chest due to palpitations-that I have had for oh A YEAR AND 1/2 and not one doctor would due much about-to which I told them this last visit 'do something or lock me in a padded room'-I actually said that, to a doctor-probably not smart huh, but I just don't care anymore.

Sooo anyho I get into the room and the nurse is so into herself, which is fine if they must talk about their wretched lives to every Tom, Dick and Faith that comes in then by all means lay it on me...I should be a good Christian and listen right? So then in the middle of her ranting about her horse or cows or something she says "pull off your top..."

long pause


Then I try and evaluate where the robe thingy is she is suppose to give me, and then look at her like she should leave the room so I can dress into my retard suit that I can't find.

Long stares at one another..."oh you mean now...?"


Yep just pull it all off! Stupid fear starts to hit me when I remember...Oh dear God I am wearing my jeans...that are TOO SMALL!-and taking off my long top will reveal that!

"okay but here is the thing, I have gained about 10 pounds since buying these jeans I have on and I have a serious muffin top! SERIOUS!"

She rolls her eyes and says "oh girl I've seen it all"...BUT I DON"T CARE!!!!!!!!!!!

So in frustration I just fling my top off and say to heck with it.

So there I sat with my jeans that are probably 3 sizes too small, my muffin top that is 10 sizes too big, and what does she do,

stops to TALK

About what you say...I don't know because I was too busy trying to suck in my muffin top in and trying not slam her head into the bench I was sitting on. Man do some people not get how uncomfortable it is to suck in, sit up straight, and this, of course makes your boobs stick way out so then you look like your trying to show them off- ugh! Not to mention just the sheer fact that I was in my bra, talking to this lady about BS! Happy thought Happy thoughts


Okay so then I head off to the health food market to get a few things and then it hits me, the need to go potty! Man why now! They probably don't have a bathroom and I have so much to get! So I tried to hold it but, after much walking around I realized I just could not focus on shopping with this need to go, so I ask and sure enough they do have a potty room-yeah me. SO I race off to the potty and when I turn on the light guess who is staring back at me?

A mental patient!!!!!!!!!! With cords and patches on her upper chest, she looked quite scary!

Oh no wait it's me!

Yep the monitor things are sticking out of the top of my shirt making me look like I ran away from my Psycho ward!!!!

I realized maybe I could use this to my advantage. Like I should just twitch my head and act goofy just to really freak people out. You should have seen the looks I got the rest of the day...I think people did not know what to think of all that junk near my neck...I wonder what I would have thought?

Okay so then I head to my friends house to visit her and her new baby, where I was reminded a little bit of what it's like to have a new born...you know the part where you boarder on being mentally retarded from lack of sleep and human interaction-where the only thing on your mind is poop, breast milk, and a strong desire for a bath. It was nice to visit. We talked about our past, drinking and drugs...what is so funny is that we are like the most straight, deep down Christians you will meet! We don't get drunk, we don't do drugs and yet...this is what we talked about. It was actually nice because it reminded me so much about how far God has taken me from that kind of life, and how much I really enjoy my new life with God, and Godly friends! We also talked about Santa, something that I realize some people need to understand about our family. For me I just can't lie to my children (or anyone) about anything.

Do you want to know why?

Because for years I was lied to by my spouse (old boyfriend), and that pain still affects how I act today! Finding out about Santa is one of my few memories of childhood-and I am one of those retards that remembers very little from my childhood-just ask my mom. Lying has hurt me in so many ways, that to this day I have a hard time trusting if people are being real with me.

I am not saying oh poor me, I am saying my kids will not hear a lie from me.

I just can't, even when it seems so 'innocent', it's really not. I know most people say oh I am sure you lie...and maybe to some I do but I try not to at ALL. About anything. Yes this means I tell people when I don't like their soup (only if they ask though...there is a difference between telling the truth and being rude) I always feel closer to those that are willing to tell me the truth, than say nothing or especially lie! It's just not right. How much closer will your children be to you if they know you were not willing to go with the popular census and lie to your child? Just a thought...

Well then after my visit with my friend my husband and I went out to do some shopping. That is our idea of a fun date, dinner and shopping...if it sounds pathetic it's really not, we love these dates!-We love being perfectly boring...seriously after cancer, life can not be more sweet than the little moments!

So we get to the end of our shopping trip and we decide on an item we want to get but we are unsure if it will fit into our car, so my husband and I are opening doors to the car and measuring the openings. I of course measure using my arm from my fist to my elbow.

Isn't that how you would measure?

"yep two arm lengths this way, and 3 that way." So we close the doors and head for the store.


To which my husband tells me: Don't forget this " two brown stripes past my nipples, and just above my knees"

Is that how most men measure stuff?

I burst into obnoxious laughter, oh the laughs and the stares! My husband unlike me who used her arm to measure the size of the opening...he used his nipples and knees...oh dear God is that not funny?


So, we get into the store and find the item, I put my arm up to it, looks like it will fit that way, so my husband turns it on it's side and sure enough he shoves his whole body into the box...it looked like he was humping it! Bahahahaahahahahhaahahah, you can't make this kind of stuff up! this is where I just about peed on myself! I was laughing to hard I was crying. I know people were staring because I laugh loud! And he just kept putting his body up to the box...oh dear God! You should have been there! After a bit he started doing it just to see my laugh more...ahhh

what a fun date

So that was my hilariously fun Friday night! It still makes me giggle!

Okay now my Global Warming and Evolution issue, if you already agree that evolution and G.W. are a farce you don't have to read on. Otherwise I am bringing up some topics that I have been discussing with others on another blog. They asked me to give facts to support my theory.

I don't really give facts to support my theory...that is why it's a theory. However I am going to give facts to disprove their theory.

Bare with me I do not have a science degree, but my info comes from some super smarty pants scientist that do give facts.

Okay these are the websites where I got my info...if you want to know what they said you will have to look through all their research like I did (some are even on video's that you either can buy or rent from the library), it's extensive but worth the effort. They give facts to disprove evolution and global warming.

Does this mean I think it's okay to not be environmentally friendly? Absolutely not! I still think we impact our environment in negative ways, just not the climate/weather...or at least no one has proved it to me yet.

Evolution:
http://www.drdino.com/

Global Warming:
http://www.oism.org/

Latte

Notuh! I'm Right, YES I AM!!! Yes! Yes! I AM!

Okay most of you might have read my last post, well I want to add/take away from it. Yes I personally have a problem with Christmas, however...it's my personal problem and not in any way should I reflect that onto anyone. To see what I mean I am Seriously asking everyone who is my friend (in real life or not) to please go read this profound example of what it means to be right as a Christian.

I still so struggle in the area of logistics when it comes to the bible. When it says 'don't do this' I just think everyone should fall into place. I need to realize...God leads me to one place and others to another place. And I need to try and stop putting everyone in their place...

With Love,
Faith