What I'm reading Wednesday!

I have recently, over the past 2-3 years I guess, have really taken a liking to reading. You know, you're in school and you have to read crazy stuff like, well I can't even remember what we had to read in high school, but I do remember I hated  to read. I had other much more important things to do like, watch Dawson's Creek and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (the series). Or catch up on my monthly magazines, you know Teen and Seventeen.  And there was the ever looming drama of high school, the he said, she said what?! So I never made it a priority to read too much unless I had an upcoming test. But enter a new life, where I married my awesome, handsome, incredible husband. He loves to read. He was reading way above his reading level, I think, since he learned to read. So he reads all the time. I really started to read when ( I only semi-hate to admit it) the movie Twilight came out. I was thinking, this is a pretty good movie, I wonder if the books are any good? And of course, they were.They were 10x better than the movie. So I started reading more and more. Now I love it. I have already finished two series since the new year. I'm not a fast reader by any means, but this is a big deal for me.

The first series I read this year was: Inheritance Cycle. It has 3 books out already, with the fourth coming out this November. The first book is called Eragon.  (It even had a movie made after it but I really suggest you read the books because the movie is awful compared to the book.) The second is called Eldest and the third is called Brisinger. The author Christopher Paolini,  starting writing the books when he was 17. I was so surprised a 17 year old could be so creative.(Remember it was all about Dawson's Creek and seventeen when I was well, 17!)  It's your non-typical Dragon story. I never thought I would like that kind of book, but I love them. These books are about Dragons and their riders. It has everything from dwarfs to elves. And that's all I can say without  giving away the story. It's a really great series if you ever get to read them, I recommend them. My husband has read these books and has told me he gets to read the 4th one first. But since I'll probably be the one to make the trip to the book store to get it, I so have dibs! :)

The second series I just finished reading, today as a matter of fact, is the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series. It is a really great series. It is about a demi-god (half mortal, half god in Greek mythology) who has just found out who he is and has to basically save the world. { This was also made into a movie called Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief. Once again I suggest you watch the movie before you read the books or not at all. It is nothing like the books. The movie is really cute and is along the same lines as the book but I mean what book made into a movie is really ever better than the book?!(Not to many!)}It is ancient Greek mythology in the modern day U.S. It is an easy read, so it would be good for tween's  and teenagers. I read the whole series(5 books) in about 2 weeks. It would also be good, if you home school and your child is learning the history of Greek mythology. The books start out when he's 12 and ends when he's 16, the books are really age appropriate. I also recommend this series. It is really good!

So as I try to lay my anti-nap children down for a nap, I am to end this book post. I am trying to figure out what to read next, I'm  just not sure what to read...yet! So if you have any ideas on a really good, can't put it down book or series...let me know! Until next time....Happy Reading!



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It's Tuesday, part 2

It's Tuesday and I am in the mood to do absolutely nothing except be lazy. I don't hate to admit it, I love being a stay at home mom. I have the luxury of being lazy every once in a while and read a book, blog, play in a kiddy pool with my kids, you know sit around eat Bon-Bon's  and watch my Soap's all day long...ha...ha...ha. You know the housewives, stay at home moms, homemakers, etc. don't  have a real "job", so why should they be busy attitude is really annoying. I'm raising my kids and trust me, that is more of job than a lot of people realize. So there is my first random thought of Tuesday. (If you would like to join in on some randomness join up at whitney @ Honey Bunches of Oaks) So let's get started on some more randomness!

• I am slowly trying to cut sugar out of my diet. Some days it's easier said than done. I have brought it down to 1 cup of coffee in the morning and 1 glass of sweet tea a day. I once had a friend tell me,"Sweet tea is the wine of the south." And I do believe that is the truth. We drink sweet tea with everything, in the south, the way some people drink wine with everything. So here's to{ I'm raising my (water) glass} to less sugar and smaller pants in my future!;)
• I had a marvelous Mother's Day. I got to spend the weekend with my husband and my babies. I got a beautiful plant called a Giant Crimson Mandevilla. It has a really pretty flower that grows on it, it's crimson and you know we like crimson around here.(Dare I say it so far from football season? Yes, I do Roll Tide!)
• My 3 year just told me she is not a baby she is a kid. Good to know!
• I made homemade chocolate chip cookies yesterday! Mom of the year award goes to....just kidding! I did use chocolate bunnies left over from Easter(that I got for $0.75 after Easter! Woot!) instead of chocolate chips. They were yummy!
• My boy kept yelling," I want a chocolate bunny, I want a chocolate bunny!" Even after it was chopped up to little pieces. 
• He refused to eat a chocolate chip cookie until I called it a chocolate bunny cookie. Then said, " Mmmm, that's good."
• My Sweet Pea, colored a cheap, paper plate for me yesterday. It ended up being an alien flower. It had at least 20 googly eyes.
• I loved it!
• My husband is making me a clothes line so I can be all "green" and stuff.
• Actually it's because, I want to be cheap , frugal with my power bill. I mean, come on I do anywhere from 10-12 loads of laundry a week. 
• No I don't really know why I have so much laundry. I do have 5 people in the family. 4 beds. 5 daily baths. Well maybe that explains some of it.
• Anyway, the point being, My husband is Awesome!
• I love him.
• The End.
• :)

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Homemade Laundry Detergent

 As an adult there is a lot of stuff I do that I never thought I would : make meals from scratch, coupon to save money(and get excited about it!), have the lowest package available from Dish Network(we only have gasp around 20 channels..still a lot but not like most) and do laundry make homemade laundry detergent. I hate laundry but like cleaning, it's a necessary evil. I can't have my kids running around in dirty clothes even if they are going to spill something on them exactly 2.5 minutes after I put them in a clean outfit. So I rant and rave like a mad women about how I don't see the point in doing laundry if I just have to do it again tomorrow remember the scripture about doing all things as if you were doing them for the Lord and gladly wash my clothes and dry them.(After all, I could be like so many who don't even have a house to do laundry in or I could be completely with out a stitch of clothing except what is on my back, so in this I really am grateful for my laundry.)  So I came across a recipe for homemade laundry detergent on The Hud-sons and one pretty princess and decided to give it a try because A. I am all about saving money when I can and B. Holly has 5 kids and I trust any mamma who has to do more laundry than I do!

What you'll need:

I'm not sure why it's so blurry but you'll need:

• 2 cups of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 2 cups of Borax
• 1 bar of Fels-Naptha(or Ivory) soap

You shave the bar of soap, I used a cheese grater, this is the hardest and longest part of the process, it took about 5 minutes and soap elbow grease. Not really that bad!

My kids thought it was cheese and wanted to eat it. I told them no but they still looked at me like maybe I was keeping it a secret and it really was cheese and not soap.

Next you stir the grated cheese soap with the Borax and Soda wash and store it in your old way to expensive Gain laundry detergent box. (Yesterday, I did buy a plastic container with a lid at Aldi for around $2.00 to store my detergent in. It works like a charm!)

How to use it:
 The same way you do with Gain, Tide, etc. You add 1-3 tablespoons of the detergent to the wash,(depending on how large your load is) turn it on, add clothes and voila, you have clean clothes that smell, well clean! And the good news is, I bought another bar of soap and still have enough borax and soda wash that I can make another batch. So for less than $8.00 I have enough laundry detergent to last me around 2 months. Yay! So be adventuresome and take the challenge to save some money and do something you never thought you would!




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It's Tuesday...so lets be random!

It's Tuesday, so lets have some random thoughts and writings, shall we?! I got this idea from Whitney over at Honey Bunches of "Oaks". Sometimes it's fun to just let stuff roll off your tongue...um, fingers?...Anyway, go check her blog out and throw your own randomness out into the blog world!

Things going through my mind today are:

1. Lime + Salt popcorn from Orville Redenbacher's. All I have to say is I wish it came in the full size bag instead of the small bag. This stuff is so great! I didn't know how it would taste at first but, Oh mylanta, it is delish!
2. Grocery shopping. I know crazy right? Well, maybe it's just shopping in general that I like. But I do like saving money and preparing a menu that I know my family will benefit from and enjoy. It's a joy I never thought I would have. 
3. Homemade Laundry Detergent. I came across the recipe on Holly's blog called The Hud-sons and One Pretty Princess. It was so easy to make. It cost me right under $8.00(I got all of it at Wal-Mart) and I thought well, it cost almost that much for Gain or Tide, so I'll give a shot and if it doesn't work it's not a big deal. Well, it does work and I love it! I used 2 cups of Borax, 2 cups of Arm and Hammer Soda Wash, and one full bar of Fels Naptha soap, shaved. It took like 5 minutes to make and it's been 2 weeks and I've barely made a dent in it! I use 3 tablespoons in large loads and 1-2 in smaller loads. It smells really clean and does a great job of cleaning. So thanks Holly for the recipe! I'm saving money and I always love that!
4. I am loving the new Train album: Save Me, San Francisco. All of the songs are really good. Totally worth the $9.99 + tax on iTunes! :)
5. My cabbage plants, my pepper plants, and my tomato plants are so huge! They are growing wonderfully and beautifully. I can't wait to eat some cabbage!
6. I have several wild blackberry bushes in my backyard that are starting to produce little blackberries! I am so excited. I had a few small ones in my backyard last year but this year I think they have multiplied. I am ready to make some blackberry jelly now!
7. I love that my son is doing such a great job using the big boy potty. (Also something I never thought I would be so excited about!) Some things..ahem...are still not going in the potty that should be but hey one step at a time right! ;)
8. I love that the Alabama community is coming together for the victims of the tornado's that came through last week. We were blessed that we didn't see any damage and that none of my family or friends lost their lives. I know so many did and I still think about them daily and say a prayer every time I see the wreckage.
9. To be glad they caught bin Laden but also sad that he may very well be burning in Hell. God is all about love. I believe that he loved this crazy man just like he loves me. I also believe he despises the sin that was in his life and as well as the sin that creeps into my life. I do know that he died on the cross for the sins of the world, I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me but, Jesus died for him just like He died for me. He deserves to be in Hell but then again so do I. I think it's sad that Hell has gained a soul that will never be able to set foot in the gates of Heaven and into the arms of a loving Saviour.

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It's Friday, It's Friday!! Yippee! I still love the weekends. Even though I am a homemaker and 80-90% of the time I do stay in my PJ's. It's good to have the husband home on the weekends so I can talk to an adult about things other than cartoons, imaginary friends, and why one should not run around naked outside where the neighbors can easily drive by and see you in the nude. Thankyouverymuch. So here goes with some Friday fun with Mamma M.











1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?
    Ham. Just kidding.  I guess that would be hunting Easter eggs with my daddy's side of the family. He has 7 brothers and sisters and they each have at least one kid. That equals a lot of kids running around looking for the prize egg. Now it's all of our kids running around hunting for the prize egg which is a lot of fun to watch.


2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?
   I'm just happy if I have a bath at the end of the day. My kids think nap time is not important anymore so I have to sneak in a shower when a cartoon has them mesmerized. But if  I had the choice a long hot bath for sure.

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?
    You know, I don't know if I have ever parallel parked in my life. I don't even think I had to during my driving test. I did a three point turn that was really more like a 5 point turn..but I guess that doesn't count, does it?:)

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?
    By far Reese's peanut butter eggs....heaven!

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?
   We focus on the Jesus part of Easter and not so much on the Easter Bunny. Easter is about our Risen Saviour, Jesus Christ not about a bunny who sneaks into your house and leaves you eggs and gifts. Does not creep anyone else out? A big rabbit who carries eggs and sneaks into your house? It does me. We do give our kids a gift in their Easter basket's and it's because Jesus gave us the ultimate gift by loving us so much that he gave up his own life for our own.

I hope everyone has a very Happy Easter!!!





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The week in review..

I know the week is not up yet, but it was still been a long week. Last Saturday we worked outside in the yard. It was such a pretty day. We planted three roses bushes by our front porch and retaining wall. I can't wait for them to grow and produce some yummy smelling roses. We I picked some yellow roses, light pink roses, and some pink with yellow and white mixed in, they are going to look so great! I can't wait. We also planted some fruit trees and created a small flower bed around our mailbox(with sunflowers and morning glories). It was really fun getting outside and playing in the dirt like I was 5. Speaking of 5 year olds,( and 3 year olds and 2 year olds) it was rather warm on Saturday afternoon(almost 90)so we pulled out the garden sprinkler and the kids played in the water. They were in heaven! It made me think about our upcoming trip to the beach. So I counted the days and only....79 more days. :( Woo-hoo! The hubs and  I woke up Sunday with some serious cold issues. This resulted in a weeks worth(actually probably like 2 weeks)of clean laundry piled high in my living room floor. Eeck! It is literally a mountain of laundry. It has been a long time since I have been this behind on laundry. See, it does no good for mommy to be sick. When I am dishes are usually left until the next morning, afternoon, night. The laundry is slowly taking over your entire house and everyday you get to participate in a wonderful little game called: Laundry diving! What? You've never played laundry diving? It's where you search through a 5 foot tall mountain of clothes and search for underwear, socks, PJs, uniforms for work,  or just about anything you can think of. Because, after a week,   2weeks of laundry piled up,you are bound to find anything from toy cars, my little ponies, Barbies, or even an old diaper!(Don't ask!) This is my husband's favorite past time! Forget about baseball, it's laundry diving for him! :) But, today I am feeling much better. I am so glad because tomorrow night the kids are spending the night with Mimi and Paw and it's date night for mommy and daddy! Yes! So for now I am going to take a little hint from the little engine that could: I think I can fold and put away Mt. Laundry I think I can fold and put away Mt. Laundry, I think I can fold and put aways Mt. Laundry!!! Umm....It's not working. Stupid little engine! ;)


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Totally Random Tuesday

Today is Tuesday. There is nothing random about it, but the things going on in my life are totally random, most of the time!

• I have been having major Internet issues the last 2-3 months. Why, because we live in the country so we only have one Internet provider option. Who is that? Well the lovely company Windstream. I have been married for 7 years and have had to call more times than I can count and have talked to exactly 2 people who have been nice. My husband called once and had the nicest lady who had our problem fixed first thing this morning. Enough said.
• My son is currently running around naked...again.
• Note to self: potty training would be nice.
• I should be doing laundry instead of blogging.
• I should be cleaning instead of blogging.
• It's a beautiful day today. I have the windows open with a fresh breeze blowing in.
• My children have out grown naps. I am so sad for more than one reason: A)my babies are growing up, B) I no longer have a nap time. Oh well. At least they're asleep by 8:30 at night when they don't have naps now.
• I am now officially a soccer mom! I never thought I would be a soccer mom...yay for new things.*will post pics of the soccer girl later*
• My soccer girl is now 5....What? How did that happen over night?
• I am excited about our new adventure in homeschooling. Nervous a little but mostly excited!:)
• We are planting a garden again this year. Hopefully it will be more productive than last year. I love the idea of growing our own food. We've already started the process and hopefully will be planting, in full, this weekend.
• I love being outside.
• We also planted some Morning glory's and Sunflower seeds in a small greenhouse on Friday and on Sunday they had already started to sprout! They are so tall now! I can't wait to plant them outside soon.
• I'm seriously thinking about putting up a clothes line outside to hang my clean, wet clothes on during the spring/summer/fall*(Fall is a lot like summer around Alabama you know...hot!).
• Am I becoming a "granola mom" ? Hmm, maybe...If I am, I think I like it!
• I love my life!
• That is all!
• For now!

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