Christmas Gift Ideas For Kids: From Birth To 5

This time of the year blogs are full of gift giving ideas for kids from the latest, greatest electronics, to digital toys, or to the latest fad or trend toy. We tend to like simpler and practical toys for kids, so I thought I would share a different perspective and ideas with you the next few days.

When it comes to gifts for kids, I like ones that will engage, educate, and cultivate kids' interests. I think too many people go for the expensive, electronic route and ignore the tried and true toys that have stood the test of time. So here are some of the alternatives to the latest and greatest toys out there. 

Infant - 2 Years Old

Birth to 5 months old: Stacking Action Blocks - These brightly colored blocks have ABC's and numbers on them. They make sounds and are stackable. These blocks will engage the baby's fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. While Fisher-Price has an age of 6 months and up, these blocks are listed in their toys for birth to 5 months.

Pic via Fisher-Price

6 months to 1 years old: Butterfly Shape Sorter - A brightly colored butterfly with chunky shapes to sort. This is a fun way to introduce colors and shapes to kids. It is for developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem solving and thinking skills. 

Pic via Fisher-Price 

1 year old to 2 years old: Laugh & Learn Farm Animal Puzzle -  Puzzles are a wonderful way for kids to develop thinking and problem solving skills. This puzzle has the added bonus of learning animal names and sounds. The bright colors, sounds, and music will help to stimulate many of the kid's senses. 

Pic via Fisher-Price

2 To 5 Years Old

2 years old to 3 years old: Lego Duplo My First Farm - Duplo's big chunky blocks are just the right size to start teaching construction skills. The first farm set is also a fun way to learn about farm animals, the noises they make, and the food they can produce. Duplo blocks also engage motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills, and spatial concept skills.  

Pic via Legos.com

3 years old to 5 years old: Lego Duplo All-In-One-Box-Of-Fun - This is a box of different size Duplo blocks with other items such as a wagon base, window features, a boy, and a puppy. This set allows the kids to create their own designs and use their imagination. 

Pic via Legos.com

I know most of these toys are not flashy, electronic, or cool, but they all have skills that can be gleaned from playing with them. All of these toys would be suitable for boys and girls. They are also toys that stimulate child/parent interaction and play. All of them appeal to the teacher in me. 

So if you have a special kid in your life, why not go a different route this year and try something new. Who knows toys like these might surprise that kid and you with how much fun they can be. 

Living life simply and looking for simple things to fill it with!

Our Christmas Traditions

Traditions are an important part of family life. Creating and passing down traditions help to knit the bonds of a family tighter. Traditions also are a way to provide comfort and a feeling of safety in children. It gives them a sense of belonging and stability. They are a way to pass on a faith, values, a work ethic, and personal responsibility. The Christmas season is an excellent time of the year to start new family traditions and pass on older traditions. 

When we started our journey of starting our family, we had some things to figure out. We had to blend our two families traditions and come up with some new ones of our own. Christmas was a great place to start. My family always alternated having Christmas with my mother's and father's family between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. DH's family always had a big Christmas dinner (lunch). So, we had to work out the times so that we could attend all of the gatherings. We had to compromise. There was also an opportunity to create a new tradition for my parents and brother. We decided to celebrate our Christmas together with a Christmas breakfast at my parent's house. When DD came along, we continued the tradition my parents started by allowing DD to open one present on Christmas Eve. DH's family never did this, but he was willing to take on my family's tradition, because he knew it was important to me. 

Over the years, we continue to pass along traditions from our family to our DD and create new ones for our little family. Here are some of our Christmas traditions. 

• We don't decorate the main areas of our home until Thanksgiving. We think Thanksgiving is a very special time of the year and we don't want to take away from its meaning. 
• DD and I get up on Thanksgiving morning and watch The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We watch it all the way to the end and greet Santa when he makes his grand entrance. 
• We don't watch any Christmas movies or special until after Thanksgiving and after the have appeared on tv. 
• We always try to watch Frosty and Rudolph on tv as a family when they come on, even though we have them on DVD. 
• DD always likes to put the angel on top of the Christmas tree. 
• We have an extended family reunion of my maternal grandmother's family on the first Sunday of December at their families home church.
• As soon as Thanksgiving is over, we pop Christmas movies in the DVD to watch during the day or a Christmas CD is the CD player to listen too. 
• We don't listen to Christmas music in the car until the Thanksgiving Day Weekend is over with, then it is Christmas music all the time. 
• We always open one present before we go to bed on Christmas Eve. 
• We are up early on Christmas  morning, but we have always had to wake DD up. (True story.) 
• We open the res of our presents before we head up to my parents house for Christmas breakfast.
• After Thanksgiving, we start using our Snowmen china and snowflake glasses. we continue to use them until the end of February in the hope that it they will lead to much loved snow. 

Those are just a few of our family traditions as they relate to Christmas. We have other traditions for birthdays and other holidays that we have shared and created. They all have been a part of bringing our family into its own and creating a sense of belonging. 

I would love to hear what some of your family traditions whether they are holiday related or not. Leave me a comment and let me in on them.

Living a simple life and enjoying the traditions that come with it! 

Decorating For Christmas

Thanksgiving morning, DD and I watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I start decorating for Christmas. Well, I finish decorating for Christmas. I start decorating the bedrooms and bathrooms for Christmas after Veteran's Day. I have a lot of decorations to put out and it takes me a while, so I start before Thanksgiving; but, I leave decorating the living room, kitchen, and laundry room until Thanksgiving Day. 

Decorating for Christmas throws our usually smooth running household into chaos and clutter for about a week, as I pull out the decorations and put up other items. I have to work hard at NOT being cranky while the process goes on. When I get started, I want to get finished and get testy when I have to stop to do other things. Sometimes, I wonder why I put myself through the hassle, but when all the decorating in done, I love how  our home looks. 

Most of the outside decorating is left in DH's capable hands. He puts up our lighted garland and the wreaths (once I have fluffed them. Our kitties like to lay in the middle of them mashing the flat.) He usually does this the Friday after Thanksgiving. I put up our two artificial trees in pots a few days later. 

We don't have a tree in our house up yet. We usually put up a tree the weekend after the Thanksgiving weekend. We put up a real tree which we usually purchase from our local Ruritan Club, but this year we may go and get one from a Christmas tree farm in our lovely NC mountains. DH gets the tree in its stand and puts the lights on it. DD likes to put the angel on top, then they leave the rest to me. 

Over this holiday season, I will be sharing pictures of how I have decorated every room. So be on the look out for them. Now, what I want to know is do you decorate for Christmas? Do you go all out like me? When do you start decorating?  Leave me a comment and let me know. 

Living life simple and enjoying this Christmas season! 

Thanksgiving Decorating

What I love about decorating for Fall with scarecrows, pumpkins, grouds, and other harvest themed decorations is that it is so easy to transition into decorating for Thanksgiving. You just need to add a few turkeys, some pilgrims, a cornucopia or two, and presto, changeo, the house is ready for Thanksgiving. Enjoy a few pictures of our Thanksgiving decor. 

A turkey family among the harvest. Do you see the little one?

These belonged to DH's maternal granny. I am glad we have them to decorate with.

The cornucopia picture was made by gluing torn pieces of construction paper onto a cornucopia template.

This pretty cornucopia was from the items I brought home from my maternal grandmother's house.

Do you decorate for Thanksgiving? If so, how do you do it? I would love to hear from you!

Have a simply wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Our Story

"Oh, I can't stand that Matt Sills! He is such a jerk!" I uttered those words quite frequently my 9th grade year. That Matt Sills had a major crush on one of best friends and ended up being the boyfriend of another best friend and I couldn't stand him. Little did I know some 4 short years later I would be married to him. My, oh my, how quickly things can change. Life is funny like that!

That change was slow in coming, because he was a year behind me in school and we weren't around each other for a full year. For a while, he was forgotten. That all changed my 11th grade year when he came to the high school and I saw him every day in band. Slowly, we became friendly and then friends of a sort. By my 12th grade year, we gradually became even closer friends. 

The week before school was to be let out for Christmas, a bunch of us decided we would all go out to the movies that weekend. We began to make plans. I was hoping another boy would be going out with us, but I was torn between him and what I was feeling for Matt. It just so happen that God had different plans and His ways are mysterious. The weekend plans wound up being a double date with one of my best friends, the boy she liked, me, and Matt. The rest as you say was history. We were almost inseparable from that night forward. Two months later, we exchanged class rings and were going steady. Three months in, we were ready to get married and spend the rest of our lives together. However, my parents saw things a little differently and started limiting our time together.

As the school year was coming to an end, my parents insisted I get a job to start saving money for college. Though they had never insisted before, I looked at it as an attempt to limit more of our time together. I graduated and the time for me to go off to college was drawing near. We knew we were about to be separated and we really didn't like the idea. We wanted to get married, but knew our parents would object since I was going off to college and Matt was starting his senior year in high school. We knew of only one way to force their hand and let us get married ~ to get pregnant. 

A month into my freshmen year in college, I was pregnant. We waited until October to tell our parents and by November we were married. We had gotten what we wanted, but life wasn't going to be that easy for us. In January, I went into early labor and our little girl was born. She was born way too early and her little body just wasn't ready for life. She fought hard but her small body just couldn't make it. She died 3 days later on Matt's 18th birthday. 

Life smacked us in our face and it smacked us hard, but we believe God allowed our little one to die to draw Matt and I closer together. I know that may sound cruel to some people, but to us it wasn't. That doesn't mean we were angered, or resentful, because we were, but in order to survive we had to accept it and move on with life. I believe her death drew our hearts closer together and made the bond between us stronger. 

Over the years with a lot  of inward reflection, we have shared our story with others. We tell people we know God meant for us to be together. He had a plan for us and our life, but instead of waiting on His plan to come to fruition, we went with ours. We tell them we know we committed a sin by having premarital sex and by defying our parents. We now know that they are consequences to our sin. While we don't believe our daughter's death was a punishment, we do believe it was a consequence. If we had waited until the end of Matt's senior year to get married and get pregnant, there would have been a drug they could have given our little one that would have helped her little body fight better and increased the chance of her survival. 

God has been at the center of relationship working things according to His plan from the very beginning. We have veered off that path a time or two, but He was still working in our lives. With each passing year, we strive to grow closer to God and to let His light shine through us. We try at all times to keep Him at the center of our love. With His help, we have such a bond between us that we often finish each others sentences and have the same thoughts. We have learned to laugh during the hard times, to set aside the angry and forgive, to resist the urge the wring each others neck when we are at odds, and to face things together. Matt has become my best cheerleader and worst critic. He tells me like it is and can speak to harshly to me at times, but through all the ups and downs, I know I am loved. He is my heart song and my soulmate. I am complete when I am with him. He is me and I am him. 

This weekend, we will celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. The 29 years have flown by, but they have been wonderful because we have spent them together. Happy Anniversary, Matt Sills! I can stand you now and can't imagine my life without you in it! 

Simply in love with my soulmate and simply the better for it! 

Simply Perfect Product: Barilla Sauce

Yesterday, I shared our love for Barilla pasta. Well, today I am going to rave about Barilla sauces. 

I make my own spaghetti sauce and rarely used other sauces. However, I have encountered a few recipes over the years where a good store bought tomato sauce is needed. The Triple Cheese Spinach Mancotti I make is an example of one of those instances. 

At first, I tried Ragu. It had a chemical aftertaste to it that I didn't like. DH even mentioned that it tasted like chemicals. I then tried Prego. It wasn't as bad as Ragu, but it still wasn't wanted I wanted. When Barilla started showing up on the grocery store shelves and we started using their pasta, I decided to give their sauces a try. 

We have tried three of their sauces so far; the Traditional, the Marinara, and the Tomato & Basil. We have liked all of them. The sauces have a fresh tomato taste without any chemical aftertaste. I have used them in many recipes and even used it with spaghetti noodles as a quick side dish. Barilla sauces and Barilla pastas are just simply one of those perfect products!

Simply Perfect Product: Whole Grain Pasta

In our effort to eat healthier, we have tried to switch all of the pasta we eat to whole wheat pasta or whole grain pasta. We have found that we actually like the texture and taste better than regular pasta. When it is reheated or frozen, it stays firmer than regular pasta. 

Muller's pasta use to be our choice of pasta and we still use it in a pinch, but I would much rather use Barilla pasta. I like the it cooks up better and it has a better taste than Mueller's. Barilla pasta comes in all the usual types of pasta and a few different kinds. All of their pastas are also GMO free. Barilla's website has a ton of info about their pastas, from how to cook it to how to measure it. They also have a recipe section full of recipes for every skill level of cooking. 

Barilla whole grain pasta is simply one of perfect products! Enjoy! 

Simply Useful: Plastic Linen Bags

If you are like me, you like things neat and tidy, and an organized house is a must for me. However, buying containers and storage tubs to help keep things organized can be an expensive. So, you have to look for creative ways to find storage solutions. One of my favorite storage solutions is plastic linen bags. You know those plastic bags that often come with the set of sheets or bedspreads you buy. There are so useful and are perfect containers to store linens in. 

I use these plastic linen bags to store all of our camper linens in. After they are washed, I fold them up with a dryer sheet placed in the middle folds. The dryer sheet keeps them smelling fresh and the plastic linen bags keep the mice out of them.

I use plastic linen bags to store all of my linens in. For example, all of our camper linens are stored in our camper in these bags. They help to keep the mice away from them. All of my Christmas linens from towels, to dish towels, to place mats, to napkins are stored in these bags. As well as, any antique linens such as my great-grandmothers handkerchiefs are stored in them. Since one of the concerns about storing cloth in plastic is that moisture can form inside the plastic, I make sure all of my linens are completely dry before I put them in the bags. I also don't zip the zipper all the way shut. To keep all of the linens smelling fresh, I place a dryer sheet in the middle folds of the linens.  

It may take a few years to accumulate as many as I have right now, but they are definitely worth starting a collection. Plastic linen bags are simply a useful item!   

Simply Useful: Ziploc Bags

Ziploc bags are simply the best, especially the slider bags. They are the easiest to close and the easiest to make sure they are close. I use Ziplocs for more than food storage. I use them to store a variety of items in. They are easy to carry and can be flattened out which makes them stackable. So, today I thought I share with you all the ways I use Ziplocs and why they are a simply useful item when it comes to organizing. I find the slider bags work the best.

Ways To Use Ziplocs

• Use them to store all the little pieces from board games. This prevents all the little pieces form being scattered. The bag can be flattened out to fit nice in the boxes. 
• Use them to store cards in your camper if you don't have a card holder. 
• Use them to put crayons, markers, colored pencils, pens, etc. in. This makes them easy to transport and helps keep them contained. It also makes it easy for kids to use in a car on a long trip. 
• Use them for snacks for the kids on those long trips. They are easy to open and easy to close. 
• Use a gallon size bag to store the item you may be embroidering or cross stitching in as well the embroider thread, scissors, and needles. The project can easily be transported so you can use those few spare minutes to work on it. 
• When traveling, store all those hair items you may need; rubber bands, hair clips, hair bow, as well as your brush and comb. 
• When traveling, store your toothbrush and toothpaste in them. This will keep those items from making a mess and getting all over your other items. 
• Use the gallon or larger ones to send a spare pair of clothes in to day care or school. It will also provide the day care workers or teacher a bag to send the soiled items home in. 
• Use the to store bows you use for decorating your house in the various seasons and holidays. 
• Use them to store those open bags in your cabinet or freezer. I use them for my opened bag of noodles or marshmallows. It helps keep them fresh and from critters getting in them. I do the same with bags that are opened in the freezer. 

  

I could go on and on, because Ziplocs are so versatile. The possibilities of how to use them are endless. So the next time you need something to store an item in, think about Ziploc bags. They are simply a good thing! 

To All That Have Served: Thank You!

On this Veteran's Day, I would like to thank all of the men and women who answered our country's call to serve in our military. Some of you were drafted and didn't dodge your duty. Others willing decided to serve. All of you, your efforts, your sacrifice, and your families' sacrifices are greatly appreciated. 

Pic via The Apopka Voice

American Solider

By Toby Keith

I'm just trying to be a father
Raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother
Everything to everyone
Up and at 'em bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed for success
From my head down to my boots

I don't do it for money
There's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway
Providing for our future's my responsibility
Yeah I'm real good under pressure
Being all that I can be

And I can't call in sick on Mondays
When the weekend's been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays
And sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready
When the wolf growls at the door
Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady
Hey I'm true down to the core

And I will always do my duty
No matter what the price
I've counted up the cost
I know the sacrifice
Oh, and I don't want to die for you
But if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with honor
'Cause freedom don't come free

I'm an American soldier, an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters
I will proudly take a stand
When liberty's in jeopardy
I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines
Sleep in peace tonight
American soldier
I'm an American soldier

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR AMERICAN SOLDIERS, PAST & PRESENT!  

Couponing & Saving Money

Clipping coupons is a good way to save money and has saved us quite a bit over the years. However, I do it differently than I have seen those that are extreme couponers. It seems to me that extreme couponers want to use every coupon that they clip, but that doesn't make sense to me. I never understood the wanting to buy something you don't need just because you have a coupon for it. In fact, I do it differently than any article on how to coupon I have read.

I clip coupons for those products that we use the most often, especially for those toiletry items that are so expensive. When I run across one of those coupons, I use it before the date even if we don't need it. Those toiletry item coupons are few and far between, so in order to save on these items I use the coupon and keep a stock pile of items underneath our bathroom sink. We have found that method to be quite useful because we always have a supply on hand. 

Another way, we coupon took a while for us to convince ourselves it was worth the effort and did it really save money in the long run. I am talking about those coupons where you have to buy 2, 3, or 4 things of the item in order to save the money. For a long time, we just didn't see how it could be worth to buy more than you needed just to save a few cents. We started using those types of coupons for items on sale and where the coupons would be doubled. We learned it saved us more money and a provided us with a well stocked pantry. That well stocked pantry has come in very handy and at times has gotten me out of a jam when it came to fixing supper. Now, we have no hesitation when we have to buy more than one items to save a little money because we see that it will save us even more money in the long run. 

Looking at sales papers and pairing up those items on sale with coupons is another way we save a lot of money. I shop at two different places, so I always calculate the difference between the prices at both places on sale with the coupon. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy the item on sale where the coupons are doubled instead of the other place and vice a versa.  I also look for opportunities where I can use a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on items that are on sale, which makes the savings even greater.

Another way, I save money is to buy items that we use everyday in bulk when they are on sale. For instance, Cheerwines ~ the only soft drink we drink ~ is on sale for $1.00. I have been buying at least 6 a week. We only drink between 4 to 5 a week, so when they go back up to $1.25 or higher, I have several extra stocked up so I don't have to buy some for a week or two. 

I am also learning to take advantage of the special ways to save at our local grocery store. I shop a Walmart and at Lowes Foods. I don't have a smartphone and didn't know I could take advantage of Walmart's Savings Catcher. All I had to do was set up an account and type in the bar code on my receipt. I started it in August and to date, I have received about $15.00 in savings. Lowes Food has a program where you can earn money off of your gas purchase. For every $100 you spend, you get 5 cent off of gas. They sometimes will run a special where if you buy 10 things of the selected items you can earn additional money off of gas. I do this when the items are things we will use and can stock up on just to get that extra money off of gas.  

Another way, I try to save money is when I buy meats. We don't buy meat from Walmart, we had a bad experience and just won't buy it there any more. However, we do buy meat from Lowes Foods and a local butcher shop. The local butcher shop is where we get most of our meat. It is really good meat and most of the time cheaper than Lowes. They also have really good sales. I also lookout for sales at Lowes and take advantage of them.  

Clipping coupons and the various ways that grocery stores give you opportunities to save is like anything else in life. You need to do some research and seek advice, then figure out what works best for you and your family, because what works for me probably won't work for you. It will only take you a little time to figure out what works, so get started today. 

Using coupons and looking for ways to save money on groceries is simply one of things to do when you are trying live a simple and frugal life!  

Making Out The Grocery List And Menu

When we set up our household over 28 years ago, one thing I had to figure out was how to come up with meals for the week and make out a grocery list. I came up with my own system and a few years later I saw the same type system in a household organization book. It is a simple system that has worked well all these years. The only kink in the system is me, because I have a tendency to put it off to the last minute. (This is NOT one of my favorite chores I have to do.) Here is how I do it.

The first thing I had to figure out is what day I wanted to do the grocery shopping. When we first started out, DH worked odd hours. So, I got groceries on Monday evenings when he had to work. Over the years and job changes, my grocery shopping day had shifted to Thursday. 

With my grocery shopping day set, I worked out a menu for the week starting with Thursday to the next Wednesday. I only plan the supper meals and Sunday breakfast, which I leave a space for on Sunday. So, Sunday has two spaces. Since we all get up at different times I don't need to plan big breakfasts. We all grab what we want for breakfast with the items that are in the cabinets. Lunch, for DD and I, is usually leftovers or some quick food we have on hand. I also add a line for a dessert of the week. This is how I write down the week on paper: 

Weekly Menu

Nov. 10th - 16th, 2016 

Thursday:

Friday: 

Saturday:

Sunday:

Monday: 

Tuesday: 

Wednesday:

Dessert:

Below my menu for the week, I write down the name of every place I go and leave room to add items. Currently, I visit 3 different places; our local Walmart, our local butcher shop, and a grocery store closer to our home. As I write down the meals for the week, I write down the items I will need to make the meals under the places where I am going to buy them. For example, I am planning on having cheeseburgers w/ slaw & chili and chips w/salsa for supper on Monday, so I write down the following:

Mays Meats                            Lowes Food

med. gr. beef                                   cabbage

Walmart

h. buns

chili

cheese

Once I have all the meals planned and checked the pantry for what items I need to get for that meal, I start writing down all the others items I need for the week. I run through my check list of staple items, toiletries items, cleaning supplies, drinks, fruits, breakfast and lunch items. To aid with the checklist, I keep a notepad on our bar to write down any item I can think of during the week. 

It is a simple system that works well. It is adaptable to any household or situation. It has been a time and money saver for us over the years. The only kink I can find is me! 

If you are looking for a system or a new system to try, give this one a trial run. When and if you do, let me know how it works out for you. 

Living a simple life and loving every minute of it! 

It's Election Day!

Well, the day has come. It is Election Day! The day where all American citizens should do their due diligence as a citizen and go out to vote. So if you haven't, please take advantage of one of the great rights we have as an American and vote!

For this country's very first federal election there was no federal law that specified when the election should take place. However, for the 1792 election, federal law permitted each state to conduct the presidential election within a 34 day period before the first Wednesday in December, which was the day set for the meeting of the electoral college. November was thought to be good month for an election because the harvest was over and it was before the really bad snowstorms started hitting. 

In 1845, the Congress chose an uniformed day for Election Day. The day chosen was the "first Tuesday in November". However, a debate took place because in some years the first Tuesday would be outside the 34 day period of time for the electoral college to meet on the first Wednesday in December. So the day was changed to "the Tuesday after the first Monday in November." (A fact that I did not know until I started researching for this post.) So now, the period between Election Day and the first Wednesday in December is always 29 days. The effect of the change was to make November 2 the earliest day on which Election Day may fall. This is why election day this year is on the 9th which isn't the first Tuesday of the month, but it is the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the month. Who knew!

We are luck enough to be in a state where there is early voting. DD and I did just that in late October. While I wasn't pleased with the choices we had, I did my duty as a citizen and voted. I based my vote on the principles I try to live and voted with a clear conscious. In the grand scheme of things, my vote may have not made a big difference, but at least I exercised my right to do so. 

So, please, go and do your duty even if you are disgusted with the choices. Vote your principles and vote your conscious, then you will have done your duty and what many people around the world don't get an opportunity to - VOTE!

Exercising your right as a citizen of the United States of America is simply a good thing! 

A Paperless Household

Our household is a paperless household. What does that mean? We use no paper products. No paper towels, paper napkins, paper plates, cleaning wipes, dust wipes, Kleenexs. None, nada! Well, we did draw the line when it came to toilet paper. We couldn't find a steady supply of corn cobs or knew off anyone that saved old Sears & Roebuck catalogs. LOL! 

So, how do we cope without any paper products? Remarkably well. It was easy to transition over and required a little money to get us started, but we phased it in gradually. Plus, it saved us a lot of money on groceries that we could use on stocking up on items. 

Paper towels were replaced with dish cloths and dish towels. I brought a stack of cheap dish cloths and dish towels to use to drain bacon on or other greasy items on. To clean up messes, I keep a ready supply of cleaning rags on hand for quick clean up. 

I slowly replaced paper napkins with cloth napkins. I was very hesitant about this one. I was afraid if I didn't wash the cloth napkins everyday, they would get all gross and grow stuff, but that hasn't happened. I wash them and change them about twice a week.

Paper plates, cleaning wipes, and dust wipes were very easy to replace. We use real plates and wash them. Cleaning wipes and dust wipes were easily replaced by using cleaners and cleaning rags. 

Kleenexes have been replaced with toilet paper. I don't know about any of you, but with all lotions and scents they use on Kleenexes now, I get stuffier using Kleenexes. Plus, they irritate my nose and are paper thin. When my allergies are bothering me, I need something super duty. Toilet paper works much better for me and our family. 

Transitioning our house to a paperless house has been a simply good thing for our home and our family. It took a while to get where we wanted to be and we are now reaping the rewards of the money saved by not buying these products. Also, we aren't filling up the landfill with these items and helping to reduce the number of trees being cut down. Or, we like to think we are.

Think of ways you could reduce the use of paper products in your house today. Make a plan for transitioning and reap the benefits. It is simply a green thing to do!

Snapshots: Part 5

I love taking pictures of the things going in our simple life. Sit back and enjoy a glimpse into how we live life simply! 

Laundry is the bane of my existence. I never seem to be able to get caught up. If you drop by for a visit, you will probably see a clothes basket sitting in the living room. Folding clothes is one of my least favorite jobs to do.

These are the last of tomatoes I picked before we pulled up the vines. I placed them on a baking sheet and sit them on top of the frig in the laundry room hoping some of them would ripen.

Several of them have ripen and we are still enjoying homegrown tomatoes in November.

We also harvested the last of our bell peppers. These red, yellow, and green beauties came off of our pepper plants. I sliced them up to put up in the freezer. It is so nice to be able to pull already slice peppers from the freezer for a dish.

I have also started roasting peppers. When I put peppers in any kind of tomato based sauce, it seems to give DH bad indigestion. I read somewhere if indigestion is a problem that roasting them would help. It has seemed to help so far. Fingers crossed!

We have been having some very warm Indian Summer Days, which my flowers have loved.

We really have been enjoying the last of the blooms.

I baked some homemade goodies for my daddy, my brother, my youngest in my oldest set of nephews, and my oldest nephew's girlfriend. I baked Banana Nut Bread for my daddy.  I baked Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for my brother. I baked Peanut Butter Fingers for my nephew. I gave my nephew's girlfriend a little of everything since she likes to cook and bake.

This is the cake stand I took while we were going through my grandmother's house. I have it sitting on our bar and have been filling it with the baking I have been doing.  I think these cookies look good in it.

Miss Oakley is getting old. She will be 15 in January. She likes to sleep A LOT.

She is getting very picky about the spot she sleeps in. Everything has to be JUST right.

Miss Bashful has recovered from her mystery infection she had before we left for Dollywood. I cornered her in the garden shed to get this picture. She usually runs when she hears my camera, but I managed to out smart her this time. Copper Cat was off sleeping somewhere when I took this pic, so I didn't get a current one of her. She is still fat and getting fatter.

My pee-pees have grown up into beautiful chickens and they are laying almost 8 eggs a day. I have been selling them to make a little extra money. I made $15 in one week. You can't beat fresh backyard eggs.

Last weekend it was cool enough and there was no wind, so we decided to build our first fire of the season.

A perfect setting for a perfect evening.

DH decided he would set up our tv for the camper outside so we could watch MacGyver while we sat by the fire.He first sat it on the back of his truck and decided it was too far away...

...so, he sat it on our little table which was just perfect.

True story, I tried to get a picture of the tv without a political commercial on it. It was a Mission Impossible.

A slight breeze started blowing carrying with it the sweet fragrance of our Angel Trumpet Tree. This is the most blooms it has had on it all spring and summer.

The fire was just warm enough that we didn't have to bundle up.

There is just something so mesmerizing about watching a fire burn.

I have been working on a little project. I am making cover sheets for the different sections of a cookbook notebook I am putting together.

I also tried a new recipe, well sort of. I used my Criss-Cross Peanut Butter Cookie recipe to make Peanut Butter Blossoms. Be sure to visit "A Life Lived Simply" FB page to get the recipe.

This was our supper last Sunday. Grilled sirloin steaks, baked potato, and sauteed vegetables. It was YUMMY!

Well, that has been life around here at our little home place! Have a great weekend and find some time just to spend with your family! 

Living life simply and blessed by every minute of it! 

Simply Green: Old, Empty Bottles

I don't drink but I sure do love the bottles liquor comes in. Liquor bottles have very interesting designs and shapes. I especially like the Crown Royal bottle and Patron Tequila bottles. I collect them as well as other old bottles. The oldest one I have found is a Pepsi bottle from 1929. We found it in the dirt where we were putting in our first home. The only problem is what to do with them all. 

Over the years, my bottle collection has grown. I have even added empty maple syrup bottles to it. Some the older soft drink bottles I have are being stored, but I still have plenty of others to do something with.  I have some uses for them, but I am still looking for some other ideas.

Here are some of the ways I have come up with to reuse them:  

• Use them as flower vases. This is my favorite way to use them. I arrange a variety of bottles filled with flowers on a table top or in a tray. Using bottle of different heights, you can create a unique flower arrangement. 
• Use them as candle holders. Stick candles in them and allow the wax to melt and run down the sides to create an add effect. The glass of the bottles will help reflect the light which is an added plus. 

As you can see, I haven't thought of very many ways. So I have done a little research and have found some very creative ideas. 

• Use them as photo frames. Once the bottle is empty, you can insert photos; along with beads, pearls, shells, sand, rocks or any other trinkets you can squeeze in through the neck.
• Use them as soap dispensers. You can even leave the labels on them if it will add to the decor of the room it will sit in. 
• Make bottle lights out of them. Drill a hole in the back of a bottle and run a string of lights through it. This would work great for party lighting. 
• Glass Bottle Candles. Cut the bottom off of the bottle and place it over a lit candle. 

I really like some of the ideas I have found and will have to try them out. If you have any creative ideas on how to reuse old glass bottles, leave me a comment. I would love to hear form you! 

 

Simply green is a good thing!

 

Sources: 

• 15 Ingenious Ways To Reuse A Liquor Bottle 
• 15 DIY Ways To Reuse Glass Bottles

Simply Green: Those Odd Glasses

All of us have them. Those odd glasses left over from a set of glasses that started out as a set of 16 but slowly dwindles down to 2 or 3. You go buy a new set, but aren't sure what to with the odd ones you have left over. Don't throw them out! Reuse them in a new way. 

One of the ways I reuse old glasses.

Here are some ways I reuse our odd glasses: 

• Use them as pencil/pen holders. I have several odd glasses setting on or around our desk areas. I use the smaller ones, as well as the big ones. 
• Use the to hold utensils in for a buffet,BBQ, or a cookout. I line them with a cloth napkin first to keep the silverware from hitting the glass and breaking it. 
• Use the small or medium size ones for condiments. Put ketchup, mustard, mayo, or salad dressing in them when hosting a dinner or party. 
• Use the small ones to hold food items for an ice cream sundae bar. 
• Use the larger, taller ones as vases for flowers. 
• Use the small ones as candle holders. I placed a candle in one and place the glass on top of an upside down glass. Instant candle holder pedestal. 

Here are some other ways I found to use them: 

• Use them in you bathroom for toothbrush holders. 
• Use them as a flower pot. Start out with a few rocks on the bottom, then some soil. Find a plant and plant it. 
• Use them in your office area as containers for paper clips, push pins, and other office supplies. 
• Use them on your nightstand to hold your glasses in while you sleep.
• Use them as an instant speaker for your smart phone. By dropping them in an empty glass, it automatically amplifies the sound. 
• Use them as drinking glasses for a dinner or cookout you are having. There is something whimsical and casual about mismatched glasses and dishes. 

So the next time you are thinking about throwing out those glasses, stop and think of another way you could use them! 

Simply green is a good thing!