Now I remember why I hate cleaning my room

It's a manic Monday and already my day has been spent inside my closet digging through the chaos my lovely family has placed in there. Did I mention that my closet is a 7x7ish catch all for anything that may go in there. I did have it cleaned up at the beginning of the year and it was lovely. That lasted about a month and it just kept getting worse and I put it off over and over well now I can't, I have to put back all the Halloween decor. Yup that's right all holiday decor goes in my closet along with all the winter clothes and my own things. Which is how most of my stuff wound up on the floor next to my side of the bed and in front of my dresser. That area is for another day. With Christmas coming up I wanted a spot I could wrap presents in peace or hide gifts till I was ready to wrap. Slowly I'm purging my clothes, finding items I forgot I had so it's like Christmas just for me. I was very lucky to have a good friend bring over some hanger space savers and fabric hanging shelf which will come in handy for all the storing of seasonal gear and those just not ready to admit weight loss defeat yet clothing items. Yup I still have quite a few that I'm just not ready to say goodbye to. Which leads me to my next project, cleaning out the yard sale that we never seem to have clothes. I have bags upon bags of clothing taking up space in my house and garage. I think in the next week I'll invite all my friends and family over to pick through it for free and then freecyle the rest to get it gone. As much as I could use the money earned from a yard sale I'd love to have room more. One day I will down size every thing and enjoy a simpler life till then it's just me and the black hole areas. 

Last night I had already started work on my very unorganized pantry. It's amazing how many groceries I have bought but hadn't taken stock of. I have pages of items and most of them I'm in need of while other items I am so well stocked on I was amazed at how much I had. Yup the log is filled for the winter months to come but we still need a few of those pesky extras that we don't keep on hand all the time. The reason for the keeping a well stocked home, I'm tired of the what should I make dinner nights along with the this sounds good halfway through the recipe find out I'm missing something meals. I have been striving to be more organized with my life and monthly meal planning is a must now. Pretty soon I'm going from Domestic Goddess to major on the go sports mom and I need some control or I'm really not going to have the energy to get out of bed.  I'm slowly finding things that may work for me and getting them ready, next month is the big reveal and the plan is a good one if everyone gets on track. Which is as easy as talking to a lion in a meat suit LOL. 

That's it for now, I'm off to finish the closet purge and enjoy a night of quiet with the kids.

Life... it goes on even when you need a break.

Things have been hectic in the Lowry home. It seems that I can't catch a break and when I see that silver lining... I get sick. So I'm going to make this poor post quick and get back to my OJ and snuggling puppies. 

I am trying to organize my blog in ways that certain days will be about certain types of posts. So far I have Manic Monday's - posts that are all about the frazzleness of  home life from housework to shopping.  Workout Wedensday's - posts that focus on everything healthy for you.
Pinterest Friday's - posts that center on Pinterest: fails, crafts, tips.

I'm looking forward to working on theses posts and learning new things. Till then I'm off to take care of me.

Deep breath, don't look, and just jump

As you know, I've been trying to balance what I need to do with what I want to do and still find time to enjoy my life. Years ago I started flying with FLY Lady but after a week I gave up. I felt so overwhelmed with everything in life, I was just tired. Some things did stick with me. I get dressed to the shoes, do my hair, make my bed as soon as I can, even worked out what days to clean where. But now I need to start again and keep with it. Spending the weekend running errands and getting ready for parties only to start my work week with a messy house again is hard. I want to throw in the towel, sleep all day, and just forget about the house work. NOPE! Not going to let my inner lazy bones win. I'm gonna get up get moving and get my daily house blessing done. I'm going to shine my sink before going to bed, and I'm going to make sure I have my list of tomorrow's stuff handy so I can dive right in and eat my frog. I'm switching family meeting nights from Wednesday to Monday then we can just get it out of the way while things that happened over the weekend are still fresh in our minds. And well since our weeks really start with Monday it's best to think that our home life would start with that day as well.

I have a good feeling that I can do it this time. I can set my mind to being a better mom, wife, and person in general. I pulled out my journal again, made sure I had plenty of daily pages to use in my home binder, and even planned special ways to show my family how I love them. This is the new me. Now I'm off to shine my sink and live the good life. Till next time enjoy your own Susie Life.

78 days til Christmas...

 51 more days till Thanksgiving and 23 more days till Halloween.

Now normally I don't count down the days for holiday's instead, I count down the days till my Anniversary. 56 by the way, but this year I was looking for a cute Christmas wish list for the kids and came across some awesome printables from Pinch A Little Save-A-Lot, and I just couldn't help myself. I went nuts printing off everything she had that I may use. Which now means I need to either put a section in the Home binder for the holiday's or create a Holiday binder. I think creating a new binder is the way to go. It would be much easier to carry it around than the Home binder. Right now it'll just have spots for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. But give me time and I will have spots for all major holiday's by month as well as anniversaries and birthdays. I have turned into a binder queen that just needs to get the family on board.

Today is a catch up and get it done kind of day. Laundry has gotten out of control again, I have about 25 pounds of apples to turn into pie filling and sauce, several summer squashes to shred up if they are still good, and a house to pick up. The glamorous day of a homemaker is never a bore LOL. I may even give myself a manicure just to get rid of the ragged cuticles I have going on.

And somehow I need to fit in a walk with a dog so I can get in some exercise and they can get some fresh air. We've been cooped up for a bit with all the rain we had last week, now it's clear skies and no energy for me.

Well that's it for me right this second. I have a house to get in order and a life to live for awhile. Stay tuned for more from this Susie's Life.

Good family, good friends, & Black Magic cake

Saturday was an awesome day for the Lowry household. 

Good Family

After getting up and starting our day we went and spent time with Grandma and Grandpa. Even on a budget we decided to use this week as our play week. We went out to lunch where I earned double Plink points for using my debit card at Burger King. Thanks to that trip I now have enough points for a 20$ Amazon gift card. 

We then went to Home Depot for some of the smaller household items we need. Had to buy a new tile drill bit so we can start hanging items up in the kid's bathroom. Love the fact that the owners before us started the work, hate that they tiled up the walls and possibly over the outlets. That is another project for a later date with us.

The best part was getting to go out to an orchard stand outside of Marsing ID. Last year we wanted to go they were closed Sunday's and we never went back. I'm glad my Mother-in-law asked us to go because it was so fun. It wasn't you pick like we normally do but for 14$ a half bushel we were able to pick up a  mix of Jonagold and Honeycrisp apples that weight in at 27# When the pre boxed Honeycrisps were 20# for 25$ Even better, it has wine tastings for free!!! I got to try a new type of wine that I really want a bottle of so maybe I can get it for our anniversary. We plan on going back again next week to get more apples and maybe some pluots. We just love making homemade applesauce. 

Next we took another trip to Albertson's for a few baking items I needed to make cake and candy. up until now we had been very good with our budget and hadn't spent more than we really needed. But you remember the sale that made me Super Wifey... Well it was still going and they added to it. Everything we had left later, I had broken even with saving what I had spent. But once again I filled the log. I can fit no more in my pantry or freezer and it feels good to know my family will not go hungry for a while. Now I can focus on stocking my cake decorating items as well as some baking items we haven't kept on hand very often. 

Good Friends

After a productive day with the family, we got home just in time for Mike and I to cook and bake for some very good friends of ours. Barbecued chicken and s'mores around the fire pit, while the kids played. It was a beautiful night to be sure but the the pièce de résistance... 

Black Magic Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
2. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
3. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Fill and frost as desired.

Original recipe makes 1 - 9x13 inch or 2 - 9 inch round pan

I did mine as cupcakes, well it doesn't puff up like normal batter so they stuck together but they were still so good! Awesome without frosting as well as with. I had to do a bit of substituting on a couple things. I couldn't find my oil and I was not about to go back to the store so I used coconut oil which made the batter taste divine but you couldn't taste after it was baked and I added some chocolate extract as well as vanilla for more flavor. When they had finally cooled we frosted them with frosting Jessica brought that doesn't use powdered sugar. 

Chocolate frosting

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar 
• 1 cup milk 
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions

1. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature. 
2.  n a small saucepan, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar and milk. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, whisking frequently, until thickened. You’re looking for a pudding-like consistency. 
3. Remove from heat and use a fine mesh strainer to strain the mixture into another bowl (use the back of a wooden spoon to press it through the strainer). Cool completely in refrigerator or freezer.
4. In a mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Turn mixer off and add the cooled flour mixture. Beat until fluffy, about two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 
5. Add the melted chocolate chips and beat until smooth and fluffy, about another two minutes. 

So like I said, while we may not have actually saved this week, we got everything we needed to keep us going for a few months and made some pretty awesome memories. That's it for now. This Susie has to go supervise chores and get to work on canning. Have a great start to the week everyone.

Goooo meeeee! I'm SUPERWIFEY! I'm SUPERMOMMY!

I took it upon myself to tear into my bathroom yesterday. It was horrible, I haven't actually cleaned it out in months. Last time I scrubbed the shower and toilet was almost 2 weeks ago, it was bad! How bad? I refuse to post pictures. We couldn't find anything, Hubby was stepping on earrings, headbands, brush would go missing if you set it down. Not to mention the killer dust bunnies under the benches. 

*SHUDDERS*

Well it took all day and an entire bottle of industrial germicidal spray but my bathroom is spotless. I had to leave off organizing and throwing out stuff we don't use/expired for today. But that was a bit derailed for now. 

Which brings me on to why I am so SUPERWIFEY! Hubby came in with a little paper from the driveway with an Albertson's ad in it. YIPPY! They were having another mix and match box goods sale as well as a meat sale. Now I know that we're suppose to be saving and not buying anything that is not a necessity, but I couldn't believe it, for once A great sale, my coupons, and my pocket book matched up.

Hamburger Helper, Duncan Hines Cake mix, General Mills cereal, pork loin, energy bars, Barilla pasta... Total spent - 70.84$ Total Saved - 139.13. That means full price this mommy would have paid 209.97$

The hubby was so proud I filled the log LOL. 

Now to the part that makes me SUPERMOMMY!

At the PTC last night we stopped by book fair just to look, we found a 3 book set for 10$ and I got it to help Cadence with reading and writing. Figuring I'd just budget that back into the end of the month. Then my Mom let me know that Fred Meyer's has the Croods on sale $14.99 plus you get 2 candies, and a popcorn for free. Of course I get there and they are out but Blu-Ray (which we'd rather have) is 19.99$ and you get a stuffed plush belt toy. So here I am with a stocked pantry, a GREAT movie and I'm waiting for my wonderful monsters to get home to do their chores so we can have a family night.

For now, I'm tuckered out so I'll take a small nap before they get home and while they do homework finish up the bathroom. Then it's time to tackle the worst room in the house... 

THE BLACKHOLE!!!! AKA my room.

Let the savings begin!

      At the beginning of the year the hubby and I set a savings plan in place... Nope hasn't worked because of one thing or another always ending with got to use the savings. 

So right now as of today we have set up a new savings plan. Doing whatever it takes to get it done. 

Tracking each months total savings is a great idea. Even going so far as to adding in extra money when ever we have it instead of spending it on things we don't need.

 

First up is right out of each paycheck is usually an automatic 50$ that's good, but we need to go farther. We know that taking 10% out each check is what we should do, but some weeks that can't happen, so each week we'll put away 10% or 50$ which ever is more.

Cash wise each week I will take out a 20$ bill and set it aside for actual oops I forgot to pick up money. That way we are never using the savings account.

Setting up the 5$ plan as well when we use cash. We don't come across them often because we rarely use cash but from today on anytime we get a 5$ we have to set it in a savings jar as well. Just imagine the possibilities.

And lastly, I love the idea of the 52 weeks of savings for Christmas. We did start it last year but the money was used for this and that a few too many times so we're starting over. This Friday I will take week one and put it into a jar as well. 

Actually the jar is just a symbolic idea. I will have a few card sheets set up to hold money in my savings binder. Even with all the money we want to save we still have to keep track of what we spend. That is helped along greatly by a few websites with great printables.

Free monthly expenses tracker 

&

Free monthly cash flow tracker

Receipts go here, from now on everything needs some kind of receipt. Even if I have to make one.

 At the end of each month we'll go through each receipt and find what we could have cut out to save even more and store them away for later use 

I even have envelopes for Holiday shopping. So I don't spend more than I have. Christmas for the extended family is hand made only, everyone gets pretty much the same thing. Last year we made salt dough ornaments and jar mixes for a full chili dinner. This year it's mixes for breakfast. The kids are only getting 3 things, a need, a want, and a book. We'll still do our family traditions of small gifts through out the month but most of them will be hand made.

Next up, the monthly cash flow chart with large estimates for the first month, just in case. I'd hate to budget for less than what we really use in a week.

Monthly cash is followed by a better look at what we really spend our money on each day. Adding up to a basic pie chart of what gets spent where. Oh boy I have gone off the deep end.

 

We have decided one 3 weeks out of each month is a nothing but needs time. No going out to eat, no shopping for stuff we want, if it costs money we don't do it. We will be on a strict gas limit, trips to work and planning out the grocery shopping only. The last week/s of the month we get to have a little more fun and go a bit wild after bills and savings have been taken care of. This is where any extra cash can be set aside for the next month so we can have some fun outings on necessity weeks. So for the month of October we'll have NADA for the month as the plan is set up.
 

The holiday's are going to be the hardest, we have so many bucket list items and while most of them are free as long as we have a stocked home a few are not and will have to be dealt with accordingly. Not going to be easy for me since I just LOVE doing things and decorating for the holiday's. Right now I have so many Halloween crafts to do but no funds to finish them since I have to go buy the last items needed. 

The new year brings new troubles as well, we want to work on getting more of our debt knocked out as well as put more to our mortgage and pay it off early. But I have no doubt we will prevail and yes I'm sure there will be set backs but in the end...

BOOM BABY!!!!

The less stressed life will begin.

A change must be made.

Taking a look at a few things that have been going on and slipping through the cracks for this Susie, I have taken on a new personality. No more push over mommy, nice mommy, easy mommy, she's done!!! 

Last month the kids all helped out to make a new chore chart, and a rewards system. Something they swore they would never forget and always do. In that whole time they have gotten it right 2 times. TWICE in a month! I couldn't believe it, the other 28 days I had to yell, be mean, give up, bribe, or do it myself. All the while my own items were either not done or done poorly. I have spent the last month being mad, depressed, and tired.

 NO MORE I SAY!!!

I don't want to be a hard mean mommy but I can't do my job efficiently if I'm having to hold there hand each time. I have no brain power to help with homework, I find myself repeating things that I said before, forgetting important things when I really need them, or just plain losing my marbles when I look at my home. 

I spend most of my time out shopping to fill the void depression has given me. Filling my home with more things we really didn't need, just so I don't have to be at home alone with nothing to do but clean.

The rain here hasn't helped much, but something needed to change. Since the family won't do it it must be left to me. I know that I can't truly do everything. I may think I'm Super Mommy but I'm really just one woman. So I'm starting over, making a new chapter in my life. 

I want to be more active and not just to lose weight, I mean in all aspects of my life. Getting out and enjoying the world more. Taking a more active approach to my home other than to squeak by with the saying, "I have kids ya know so of course I have no time". I am looking to plan my hours better so that I'm not frazzled and haggard when the hubby comes home. I want to be poised and confident in who I am. 

Last week I dug out my poorly abused and dusty Home Binder and cleaned out my coupon binder. I made a perfectly wonderful chore binder and started working on a Savings binder to help out as well. 

I'm sitting down to plan out the best approach to my days that will not only give me the maximum time to get everything done, but will still allow me time to enjoy my life. 

I have already started in with today's room of choice. Going off the kid's chores it goes like this; 

Sunday - Cadence and Tydan's bedroom

Monday - Daytona's bedroom

Tuesday - Bathrooms and Hallway

Wednesday - Kitchen and Laundry room

Thursday - Living room and Entry way

Friday - Dining room and Pantry

Saturday - Office 

Every day is pick up day, animals, dishes, and laundry. The idea is to not be so overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done and have no time for the things that are fun. 

 So with my trusty to do list in my hand thanks to the wonderful site Cozi, I am feeling more in charge of my home today than I have in a long time. I will not stop until my list is cleared and I'm ready for the new day.

Someday, I will hold my perfectly coiffed head high and smile when someone asks me "How do you manage it all?"

Let the countdown begin!

     WOOT WOOT!! Tomorrow starts a very special day for the Lowry household, The start of the major holiday decorating as well as the countdown till each one. I love it. Tomorrow, ok, ok today I'm going to start putting up the Halloween decorations. I'll start designing the costumes and getting the costume trunk out donating all the old too small ones to make room for the new totally awesome ones. What are we going as you ask? I plan on being Anne of Bolyen while the hubby will be an executioner... get it LOL. Cadence and Tydan are letting me fully make their costumes and the even let me choose them, Cadence is a tornado and Tydan a clothes hamper monster. I plan on doing a post for each of them before Halloween. Daytona, my pretty princess for once isn't going to be a fairy. She got to get a store bought costume so she can be Rapunzel, now I just need to find her a Pasquale. I love Halloween, dressing up, sharing candy with the kids, being able to act like a kid myself sometimes. Even planning next years costumes.
   

  As I posted before our family is setting up a fall bucket list, it's been so rainy here that we really can't do anything that requires being outside. Though on Saturday we had a brief shining moment of no rain and was able to go to our state historical museum for a wonderful day with History Comes Alive. There we're games, and demos all throughout the ages.

Tydan told me he was sure but not positive this was Abe Lincoln. We got to see a cannon demonstration though we missed the war reenactment due to the boys having to watch the Knights fight. 

They played hoop rolling 

And of course loved all the different cars. My favorite being the prohibition truck.

Planning to go again next year and of course take more pictures. It was hard to do this time with only my little cell phone camera. Maybe by then Daytona will get over her shyness and participate. I have no pictures of her at all that day because she would hide whenever the camera came out LOL.

Next week I hope to take the kids to the Nampa Historical Museum for more wonderful history.

Next up on our personal bucket list is to make S'mores in a fire pit when the rain stops, drink cider, and make yummy Halloween treats. 

Are you ready for Fall? Stay tuned for more from this Susie's Life.

Southern Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

Sometimes you need something a bit different than the same old, same old box of mac and cheese. Some days it's just not worth it to open the box because the kids are screaming they want it.  if you're a mom like me and just can't take it anymore here's a recipe for you. Why? The crock pot does pretty much everything for you. Dry noodles, pre shredded cheese, and on dish. You may ask yourself, how is this Southern? Well my friends it comes out like a custard you can cut, which is great for picnics, gatherings, and home. It doesn't have to stay piping hot to scoop.

 

  Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

Cooking oil spray

2 cups skim milk

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

Directions:

Spray the pot of the slow cooker or if using a liner bag, spray the bag well.  In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, evaporated milk, egg, salt and pepper. Pour milk mixture into the crock pot.  Add cheese and uncooked macaroni. Stir gently to mix.  

Turn slow cooker on low and cook 3-4 hours, or until the custard is set and the macaroni is tender.  (Do not cook more than 4 hours, or the sides will begin to dry out).  Serve at once. 

FALL IS HERE!!!!

I love fall, the color changes, the nippy air, all the fun things to do. This year our family has a bucket list planned for all kinds of things to do. I got the idea from Tinker Lab and her wonderful bucket list printout. Last year we did a few but this year we plan on doing them all. Which made me wonder, how others do fall? Is it your favorite season? Can you live without it? Do you have any family have to do's? For us it's have to have pumpkin pie and make pumpkin cookies. Do you have any special crafts you like to make? Or recipes to use? Let's hear it from you, make your own bucket list and have a great 1013 fall y'all! I'm gonna make like a leaf and blow.

Stay tuned for more fun from this little Susie's world.

Some of the best sandwiches you'll eat

Called funeral sandwiches, the only thing mournful about these are when they are all gone. Great prep ahead snack for parties of all kinds. Small enough to be finger food, large enough to be filling, and sure to be the 'life' of the party.

{Funeral Sandwiches}

1 package of King's Hawaiian Rolls

1/2-1 lb. good ham deli meat

Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 c. butter, melted

3 T. worcheshire sauce

2 T. mustard

2 T. brown sugar

dash of onion powder

METHOD:

1. Cut the rolls in half and line the bottom of a baking pan with the bottoms of the rolls. Layer the ham slices, then cheese and place the top half back on.

2. Mix together the butter, worcheshire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour the whole works over the buns, drenching each one. Cover tightly and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes,uncovered,or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden.

Making your own dehydrated shredded potatoes

The hubby bought me a new fancy for me food dehydrator after telling him you can make your own egg powder and such with them. So of course the first thing I really want to try and do is make dehydrated meals for camping and emergencies. Taking the base instructions from here. I set out the night before to do my potatoes.

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes.  I always peel mine before cooking so I can see where all the bad spots are.

2. Boil your potatoes. Use a large pot and cook them thoroughly. Place your potatoes in the refrigerator for  5 hours to cool and firm them. Mine were left over night.

3.  Spread the potatoes onto your dehydrator tray. Place each potato slice at least 1/4 inch apart. With shreds put on tray in a thin layer. I started out with plastic wrap and switched to parchment paper about a quarter of the way.

4. Now eHow says on thing but I wanted to do it my way so my shreds were dehydrated for about 8 hours at 130 degrees.

5. Use a glass jar or seal able plastic bag and store your potatoes for up to six months. Vacuum pack your dehydrated potatoes to store them for up to three years.I used my vacuum sealer jar attachment and love it!