Cleaning up the Holiday's

The holiday's are fast approaching and I don't know about everyone but my house suffers from CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) With some tweaked help from the FlyLady.net and her wonderful Holiday Control Journal I have slowly started taking back my home just in time for the holiday parties and hub-bub of activities that never seem to happen for my family. Christmas cards... never sent because i missed placed the cards or address book. Hand made gifts... poorly done because I've used all counter space for dishes or projects. Not this year! This year I may not get everything done but I will feel better about having people over.

I have adapted the Holiday Control Journal to fit my needs for the next 2 months. I have thoroughly planned to spend the next 8 weeks in preparation for getting my home in order. I will be spending the next 5 weeks getting my whole home ready for the holidays and the 3 weeks after prefecting my routine while enjoying the activities I have planned. Please join me for each week for Cleaning the Holiday's by working on one area at a time.

Week 1- Living room and Entry. The first places your guest will see when coming to your home.
Week 2 - Kitchen and Pantry. A well planned meal or party starts with these two rooms.
Week 3 - Dining Room. Be able to sit down to your meal with flare and not exhaustion.
Week 4 -  Bathrooms and Bedrooms. This is mostly for your piece of mind.
Week 5 - Extra rooms or Extra care. If you have an office, your yard, or just need more time on another   room now is a great time to do it.
Weeks 6-8 - Work on a routine that works for you. While Fly Lady has a great starting point it doesn't work for everyone.  Take the time to get to know what works and why. Take notes for future use.

Now I'm a bit late in posting this so Day 1 & 2 will be posted right after this. I look forward to your comments and helpful tips.

Teaching our children valuble life skills

I'll be the first to admit I want my kids to be kids. There were times growing up that I hated my parents for giving me chores and I swore if I ever had kids I'd never make them do chores. Well it's been many moons later and I can say "Yep my kids have chores". Now their chores aren't big or strenuous for them, I believe that even at a very young age your child can pick up after themselves. I didn't start having my kids even pick up their rooms till they were about 6 and that was a big mistake, I'd still be cleaning their rooms if they had their way.  This chart has floated around the web for sometime now and while my Monsters now have a firm grasp on their chores, it has helped to make sure they are not doing more than they really can handle.

My kids do just about everything on this list and it's nice to know I can count on them to help around the house. 

Cadence is 12 and does most of what is on the list. He likes to shop with me and run up to the gas station if I run out of milk. He makes dinner and some weeks he cooks more than I do because he loves it. Now he can't sew but if it needs hammered, screwed, or stapled he's on it. If it's his normal daily chore... he's no where to be found but he'll help any other time.

Tydan is 11,  he'll do his chores if I'm watching but anything more is like pulling teeth some days. He'd rather be sitting on the couch in front of the tv or playing outside. He does a pretty good job when he puts his mind to it and even comes up with some great short cuts.

Daytona is 9 and Daddy has babied her a bit too much. I finally put my foot down with her chores so for now she's a chore floater. Since the boy's have set chores everyday she is to help them both. I even went and got her her very own pet to take care of. (Oreo the guinea pig)

While you may think my that list is super long we break our chores and even the house cleaning into days of the week.

Monday - Kitchen and Laundry Room. Everything scrubbed, organized, and a weekly fridge cleaning. Monthly we pull out the appliances and clean behind them.

Tuesday - Office and Pantry. This is a organize take stock type of area. Monthly we defrost the freezers.

Wednesday - Living Room and Entry - Big purge areas! You would not believe what my kids can pack into the entry way bins in a week. Dusting and monthly couch moving is a must.

Thursday - Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Hallway. Now if all goes as planned during the morning and evening getting ready for bed these  areas are already clean. If not now is the time to deep clean.


Friday - Dining Room - Another room that if cleaned daily is not a problem, but we tend to use this area as a catch all for projects.

Weekend - Yard work when needed.

The Monsters have a chore binder in case they 'forget' what they are suppose to really do in an area. Their binder even has a place to keep track of books they've checked out, T.V time, how much they have in allowance, and because I'm a cool Mom a place to ask a sibling to change chores with them. And just in case the binder goes missing, they have charts set up in the dining room that tells them what is to be done, when, and even for how long. We are big fans of the 15 minute pick up.

Chores are always red while fun things happening are green. This month's board is all about prepping for a Halloween party.

Chores, Cakes, and Coupons

Life has been hectic at the Lowry Household. Mr Mechanic is working long hours in preparation for winter layoff, the Monsters are driving me batty, and to top it off we got new pets...
                                  Meet Morwen the bunny 

                                                     and Oreo the guinea pig

Tink thoroughly hates both of them when they sit on my lap. With Oreo she actually growls, with Morwen she runs away. It's amazing that my 6 and a half pound Chihuahua is scared of a 3 pound bunny. Oreo happens to be Daytona's new chore, she really doesn't do much other than clean her room and help her brothers with their chores. Now to get the hubby to make me a feed/bedding bin for all the animal stuff. It has taken over my pantry, which is part of our 'homesteading' make over in the years to come. (self sufficient in 5 years)

Community Cakes is going great for me so far. Here's today's main cake. A bit of a problem with the top scroll work but a good job over all. Lot's of fun making it. It's chocolate cream cheese, with a caramel pudding center, cream cheese flavored buttercream. The piped rosettes on the side is 4 different colors and the daisies are made from hardened fondant.

That's not just my latest cake, I made this one for my friend's little boy's first birthday. Vanilla with Chery pie filling, covered in fondant. First time making boots, hat, and rope words but I loved it.

And of course his smash cake. Vanilla with buttercream and removable fondant decorations.

I heard both cakes were a big hit, even with the minor flaws that Only I can apparently see.


I'm getting back into couponing, it's been great knowing I can pay full price for something and not have it break the bank but winter is coming and the log isn't as stocked as it normally is this time of year.  Hopefully Mr. Mechanic and sons can bag us a deer next week to help offset some of our meat lackage. (yes I know lackage isn't a word but I like it)
 
Sometimes I feel I am all alone in the world when I'm doing my dailies, but then I find a group of women who feel the same way and slowly we begin to click. We have a coupon club, meet ups, coffee dates, and just like that I begin to new friends and get new ideas. Coupon apps and cash back apps are AWESOME! Really! it can be a pain to remember to grab each receipt plus enter it in to multiple apps and scan each product you bought but I promise it's worth it. Start slow and quickly gain speed. I'll periodically post items of interest here but for now I'm signing off to clean house.

When one door closes...

Some great windows let in fresh air.

I've been given some great opportunities this summer, I've had some downsides as well.

Good news
1. Our house purge ended with a clean garage and office area. However stuff from my Aunt as been piled in there for her second yard sale which isn't a problem for now but after this month it all must be gone. I got stock to build up and I need the shelf space LOL.

2. As of last month I am a Perfectly Posh consultant and I love my job. I get to use as well as share all natural beauty care. Making the family be my guinea pigs on every product I can get my hands on and it is great LOL

3. My trip to my Dad's was just the vacation we needed. Fell in love with some perfect spots for our vow renewal, and got to take our first ever huckleberry picking adventure. Got to see lots of wild life momma and baby White tail on the way up, baby bear while berry picking, and another baby deer coming home so close I could have touched it.

4. One brother got married and another one is having a baby.

5. School starts soon so major break time.

6. I've been asked to host monthly cake decorating meetings in my Homemakers group.

Bad news

1. We had to put Lily down. I was very sad, for days I walked around the house in a daze. My best friend had a wonderful poster collage made up of pictures to remember her by. It was a wonderful gift to come home to.

2. After only 3 short days I had to once again say goodbye to my Dad and come home. We had a nice long talk and I learned many things about me and him.

3. I have had to cut back on taking cake orders. Just too much happening and too many people taking advantage of me.

4. My house is a mess. I mean totally trashed.

5. It's official, my oldest has to repeat 6th grade.

Even with all this going on I'm trying hard to get out, live life, and of course just keep swimming LOL.
All and all life has been very good to me. I'm happy with things as they happen, and I see big things in the future for the Lowry household.

Challenges, Changes, and Finding Happiness.

Mr. Mechanic and I have started changing our habits for healthier, happier ones lately. We sit down to go over the budget together, which is a pretty big thing. He's always said he just makes the money so I can spend it but now he knows how the money is spent as well.

I started a mile challenge, at first I tried to beat my time but now I'm just working to actually walk my mile everyday. It's hard and some days I just can't do it but I try and that's what matters the most for me.

We're working harder at purging stuff from the house. We cleaned the garage out over the Fourth and started the office this week. So far I'm keeping more than I've purged but that's just the start. Getting used to purging daily or even weekly is one step closer to having a warm and inviting home for our guests. I'm so excited to show off my office later, it has come a long way from the catch all personal episode of Hoarders to a room I can be proud to use for business or parties.

I was approached with a wonderful job opportunity this week. I hope to hear back on it soon so I can officially announce it. I may mean opening my own bakery takes longer but it'll be worth the wait for me. In the mean time I'm making cakes and organizing all my tools. I find that I have so many I need to start making a shopping list of everything I have. I found I bought 2 of quite a few things because I thought I didn't have them.

In an effort to make getting on track fun I joined a site called HabitRPG. List making has never been so much fun. Just clearing out old emails and drinking water, I've gone from level 5 to level 20. It's a great way from me to actually stay on top of what I plan for the day.

All and all this Wonder Woman is on a roll and loving the life that is unfolding around her.

The not so glamourous day

Today is just one of those days where try as I might I can't bring myself to get dressed. it's not that I'm being lazy, I just have so much to do before I can even take a shower and I keep thinking how getting dressed to deep clean the house sounds ridiculous. Especially when it is so hard to scrub the floor on your hands and knees in a dress. But I did it, I got up, put on a pair of jeans, my Babe with the Power tee, my ballet flats, put on some earrings, threw a scarf around my hair, and added a bit of makeup. I am now ready to go tackle the top of the fridge for my 40 bags in 40 days challenge.

You can read all about it here.

Day 1 brings me to the top of my fridge. While I started clearing it off a few weeks ago it was never completed and honestly the last time it was fully cleared off  was when we got it 2 years ago.  

 Yup gross right, the closed cupboard was all our bar ware but I needed more shelf space for my vintage dishes as well as all my cake stands. The first thing I really need to do for the top of the fridge is to put all the meds away somewhere else. I have a cute little chicken drawer that I started putting the cold and pain meds in. It wasn't the real purpose I bought it for but it'll work for now.

 

Don't mind the colors, my dining room is yellow wall with a red table cloth.

Now I just need to find out where to put all the vitamins, for now they are in a small tote bin and out of the way. Next stop in the shelving area... more shelves in the master bathroom. Till then I will place this out of the way of the cleaning progress. and get back up to the fridge. I am so short I had to make sure it was ok with the hubby that I climbed on top of the fridge to get the cupboard and back of the fridge washed. He totally freaked at my last major cupboard cleaning when I hung off the shelves in order to clean the ceiling.

 

Yup that's me dangling 2 feet off my counter while my oldest takes a pic to send to Hubby. We thought it was funny he did not. Could also be because I had asked him to do it the night before and he forgot. 

So a few hours and a brief cleaning hiatus, later I can proudly say the fridge is cleared and the shelves have space. The hubby can decide if he wants to keep the oddball glasses or toss them. 

But there you have it, I did it. While most everything went into the trash not a donate pile some stuff only the hubby can say if it goes or not. I was also able to go through a few of the office boxes thanks to the kids and their awesome help. Tomorrow's task... the main dish cabinet. FUN FUN!!!

The fifties called, and how I answered

I love bygone eras, I always have. The clothes, the manners, the elegance that was. Times were much simpler. Even the rushing around they did then is slow compared to now. In a way to get in touch with that time of simplicity and beauty I have taken to doing everything I can to be a glamorous housewife, thanks to the blogs of 2 very special women. Brittney over at Va-Voom Vintage taught me that I don't have to be a size zero to look the part and Bethany over at  The Glamorous Housewife showed me that I can have my cake and eat it too.  Why is it so important to me to be as close to a Fifties housewife as I can? The answer is all to easy. Most days I felt and looked frumpy, even with a smile on my face I wore no jewelery, no makeup, hair in a ponytail (braided if I was lucky) same clothes I'd worn at some point in the week before getting them in the laundry. My life was disorganized and I was losing myself in it. I didn't like people coming over because my home was messy. I was a big ol mess and I had to change it. After reading a very important book I learned that it's ok for me to take the time for me and be who I want to be So with a little time and money I went from a frumpy, frazzled, and exhausted wife and mother...

To this...wonderful, lovely, well kept woman.

It's hard, and I don't own enough dresses or skirts to keep it up every day but my Hubby loves it and has given me the green light to by what ever I need when we have the money. And little by little my lovely home is getting a make over as well. I am kissing that old woman goodbye and welcoming this wonderful beauty back. Here's a few more pictures of the outfits I have worn.

                   A few weeks ago I surprised the Hubby with this outfit.

 And yesterday I dug out some pretty skirts that are so not vintage looking but pair them with accessories and makeup I still looked fantastic while cleaning out my cupboards. Even my apron made me feel pretty and not frumpy.

                                                            And now we have today, same idea of modern with vintage.

Most of my other dresses are cocktail or evening dresses so I have to make due with what I have for now. but stay tuned for more posts from this elegant susie homemaker.

Crazy life and other nightly news

It's been go, go, go, for awhile now. Not looking too calm anytime soon but oh the things that are coming my way. I got strep in December, broke my toe the end of January, tried a new restaurant for my birthday and fell in love with the food, have dealt with the kids and bad habits, started my wonderful new year new me goals,  the loss of a toxic friendship, new cake classes, and the start of getting my small business license. In all this life I have to find time for me, cake orders, and romance. It will be worth it so much in the end. Lately I have had to take a good hard look at my life past, present, and future to find that I want to change and I need to change. I have begun to weed out the negativity in my life, help my children to find better paths, and working to strengthen my marriage. Along the way I have come to embrace loving myself, self care, and no control dates. I am learning to let go my anger, hurt, and fears. I want to be the best person I can be for my family a better role model for my children to look up to and my husband to love.

I will not focus on the past for it distracts from the now. I will not hurt myself by letting others hurt me. I will love myself so that others may love themselves.

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.