Wordless Wednesday - Locks of Love

Tuesday's Tip - Getting Rid of Fruit Flies

I am so excited about today's tip, and of course, it contains one of my favorite household ingredients - vinegar! So, here it is.

Ever go stir crazy because of those little fruit flies (some call them gnats) that love to hang around your bananas or any other fruit you have lying around? Well, I have found a remedy, and it works great! Take a small bowl and put a small amount of apple cider vinegar in the bottom (it has to be the apple cider vinegar, the white vinegar will not work) then add a couple of drops liquid dish soap (brand does not matter). The fruit flies are attracted to the vinegar and the dish soap changes the surface tension so that they can't fly out. This does kill the flies, they drown in the liquid. If you wish not to kill them, then use a tall glass and still only use a small amount of vinegar and no soap so that flies go down into the glass, then once you have a few in the glass cover it and take it outside to let them escape. I personally prefer to kill them so they don't come back, but you do whatever you like.

This works great! I am so excited that I do not have these pesky little things flying around my fruit, trash can and kitchen sink anymore. Put more than one bowl out in various spots that tend to attract them and catch even more faster than just putting out one. I have a picture below of a bowl that I set out by my sink. It was there less than 12 hours and look how many fruit flies I caught. I have since cleaned it out and done it again, as well as place another one around my kitchen and I'm having great success. Hope you will be pleased as well. Let me know how this works for you.

Yep, those are fruit flies in the bottom.

I placed a piece of paper under the bowl

just so you could see them better.

Climbing Wall

Last night after evening service our church had our End of the Summer Cookout. Some of the things at this cookout were inflatables, a climbing wall and volleyball tournament. It's always a lot of fun and good fellowship.

Well, this year I decided I was going to climb that wall. Last time I had been pregnant and was unable to climb. So, I decided I was definitely going to attempt it, and I did. I made it all the way to the top and hit the button that sounded the alarm that I had finished. Wow, what a sense of accomplishment! I felt so rejuvenated (after my legs and arms stopped shaking, that is). I felt like I could do anything and I felt so young :) It was so much fun! Made me wonder why I don't do more things like that more often.

Everyone got in on it. Even my husband Jim tried it and made it with flying colors. Josiah and Kaitlyn both hung out at the wall the whole time and each went up about 13-15 times. Christiana made it up, her first time climbing a wall t0o. Micah made it up after his 6th try (way to get over your fear of heights. I'm so proud of you!). Jonathan made it half way up and Matthew as well, so glad they tried it. Even Joshua got to try. Little guy thought he was suppose to hold the rope with one hand. Had he realized just to let go and hang on to the wall he probably would have scaled it all the way to the top, he has no fear.

I was unable to get pictures of everyone because we took a lot of video instead, but here are just of few of the pictures we did take.

Me beginning my climb.

Joshua, with some help to get started.

Micah climbing.

Jonathan climbing.

Fun at the Park

For Real Thursdays - Modern Technology, Worth It?

Sometimes I wonder if we're really better off with all this technology. I mean, really, did we stress so much before as we do now? The computer doesn't load pages fast enough, our phones don't have range when we need it most, shut downs happen at the most inopportune times.

The reason I mention this is because yesterday when I went to sync my phone with my computer in order to load a picture that I wanted for my Wordless Wednesday post, my phone decided for no apparent reason to go into recovery mode. Now we could have easily restored my phone but I didn't want to lose all the information (like calendar reminders, contacts and said photo) and have to restore back to before all my new information was added. My precious husband worked for over two hours trying to recover my phone without having to restore it, all the while our computers were not loading pages and freezing up on us throughout the whole process making a stressful situation even more stressful. He finally ended up having to restore my phone because nothing we tried worked. Fortunately, (I believe because I was praying very hard) all my contacts, calendar info and said photo were still there. But really, it made me wonder how much easier things were before all these modern "conveniences" came about. Don't get me wrong, I love my phone and computer, I just wish they always worked when you needed them.

How about you? What do you think? Were things easier and less stressful before it all or do you think it's all worth it?

Tuesday's Tip - A Little Bit of Down Time

Now that school is starting back up and things are a little more hectic than they were before, make sure you are getting a little down time in each day. With homeschooling many kids of various ages, I do have my kids take a little time each day to themselves, usually while the little ones are napping. It also gives me a while to rest and take care of things I need to do, like take a nap myself sometimes. It helps me to have a better attitude as well.

My tip for today is to make sure you stop for just a few moments each day. It helps so much in making your day run smoothly.

Maggie Moo's

Each time one of our kids has a birthday we (Mom and/or Dad) take them out for ice cream. Last year it was Baskin Robbins, this year it's Maggie Moo's. This past weekend I took the girls out for their birthday ice cream. Now those of you who keep up with my posts know that the girl's birthdays were in January. So why am I just now taking them out for their birthday? Because we were doing a churchwide fast in January and time has completely slipped away and we are just now getting around to taking them out for their birthday ice cream. I suppose it's better late than never. The girls didn't mind.

Do you have a special place you take your kids for their birthday? Does the whole family join or do you take the birthday kid out alone? I love input, so share your special celebrations. Maybe you'll inspire someone else to do the same :)

Maggie Moo's!

Yummy!

Mmmm Mmmm Good!

For Real Thursdays - Time Flies

Took the kids out today for a picnic at the park. It's a beautiful day here in TN and where it may be hot in the sun, the cool breeze makes the shade a perfect place to be. I cannot believe that this summer is already practically over. Seems like just last week we finished school and summer break began. Now the temperatures are beginning to SLOWLY drop and today my husband texted me a picture of some colors changing on some trees he passed while driving to his jobs. Amazing how times flies. I always have so many things planned in my head of what we will do each summer. Then before you know it, summer is over and it's time for school again.

I must admit that I do LOVE the fact that we homeschool and all those trips to the park and hiking, etc. can still be part of our plans, besides I enjoy those activities more in the fall anyway :)

It does truly seem that time is traveling faster than I can keep up with. Kyle is now 7 months old and it seems like just a couple of months ago we had Christmas. Before I know it Christmas will be here again, unbelievable.

I guess what I need to remember to do is to make the most of every day. Not to take things for granted and to remember that life is not all about me. If life is going to continue to fly by, I will just have to make it one great ride.

Wordless Wednesday - Pawpaw's Chair

Everybody LOVES Pawpaw's comfy recliner.

Tuesday's Tip - Packing

Since we've headed to NC three times this summer, I decided to try different packing methods each time to see what worked best. The first time I packed normally, the second time I packed each persons clothes in separate individual, labeled (Walmart) bags, the last time I packed a number of individuals clothes for a day in a (Walmart) bag and labeled them.

I think I liked the last method best. Our second trip in which we put everyone's clothes in separate labeled bags left us with what felt like a hundred bags all over the place. Our last trip we placed all the boys pants for one day in a bag together and their shirts in another bag, etc. This left us with less bags everywhere and the same accomplishment of being organized.

I do have to admit that this idea was not my own. I borrowed it from the Duggar's and it works. So the next time you're heading out on a trip try it and see what you think.

When Do You Go Back to School?

I noticed a lot of people are starting school around here today. We are not starting until next week. But I was wondering when you all are starting your kids back to school if you homeschool? I also noticed that lots of people take pictures of their kids their first day back to school. I try to do this every year as well. How many of you take pictures of your kids on their first day back each year?

Just wondering...

Wordless Wednesday - Pigs in a Blanket

Tuesday's Tip - Scrubbing your Bathtub

Ever had soap scum in your bathtub that eventually makes you wonder if your bathtub is an almond color or white? Well, I recently decided to do a good scrubbing of our tub and found something that worked that I hadn't thought of before. I tried a magic eraser (I have the extra power one that says it's 50% stronger). It was much easier than the Comet I was using and took less elbow grease than the Comet. Don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. I mean, even the back of the box mentions that a good use for it around the home is tubs. I suppose I always thought I needed to save them for marks on my walls (which are not showing up as much now that Joshua is getting older *yay*).

So pull out those magic erasers and use them on other tough spots around your house. They really work well.

Oh, and by the way, my tub is white (now).

Tuesday

Manic Monday

I know that my posts have been hit and miss lately and for those of you who read my blogs regularly, I apologize. We are now back from NC (after three trips in about a four week span) and settling in here at home again trying to get back to our regular routine. Along with trying to get caught up on laundry we are also trying to get our house in order for visitors. Kyle has had an ear infection and is cutting teeth so he has required a little more one on one time from me lately.

Last week we did some rearranging in our dining room and upstairs that left the house looking worse before it will look better and now we are working like crazy to try and make the house presentable before our visitors come later this week. Not only that, but it's time to get ready for a new school year so we are switching out books and preparing for school. By the end of each day I feel like my head is spinning with all the thoughts of things that need to be done, yet there doesn't seem to be enough hours in my day to complete them all.

I know that through Christ all things are possible and that everything that needs to be accomplished will be accomplished right on time.

In Loving Memory

Orene Stout

6/21/27 - 7/31/11