Baby Jack's delivery did not go as expected. I will share  little bit of the story with you and you will see:

  GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!

I was having contractions all Monday night. So bad that I couldn't even sleep. I was waiting, but my water didn't break. Jeff and I went to the hospital and arrived to be "induced" around 7:30 am, Tuesday. Around 10:00 I received my epidural and...
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15 Minutes is all it takes to Bless your Family!

Laundry/Office:
M~ clean baseboards with wet rag
T~ detail clean windows & sills (inside)
W~ detail clean washer & dryer, and computer monitor.
T~ clean ceiling fans and light fixtures
F~ clean and lysol light switches and door knobs 
 
*This will be my last post until next week!
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Breakfasts:
~ cereal
~ scrambled eggs
~ egg sandwiches
~ PB toast

Lunches:
~ turkey
~ tuna
~ PB & J
~ Fish sticks

Dinners:
S(25)~ Grilling!~ polish sausages, baked beans, chips
M(26)~ pork chops and mushroom gravy, peas, carrots, mashed potatoes
T(27)~ Tacos, chips & salsa (freezer meal)~ Baby's birthday, MeMe will be at home with the kids
W(28)~ BBQ Chicken, corn on cob, baked potatoes
T(29)~ Meatballs, egg noodles, green beans
F(30)~ Pizza
S(1)~ Grilling!~ Burgers, chips, beans

The next week I am not plannin...
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Okay, we aren't having a baby at this moment. Baby Jack has decided to stay a little longer than we thought! We will be inducing on Tuesday, April 27th at 7:45 am. I really don't want to be induced, but if I don't he may be very large. Or as I joke, I might give birth to a "toddler"!  My babies are normally between 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 lbs. Who wants to guess how big Baby Jack will be? Luke, my 3 years old, said he will be 54 lbs....Well, that explains the weight gain!! :)

April 27th is also a speci...
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I only spent $71.97 out of our money to buy groceries at Aldi. But, I did receive 2 gift cards to Kroger from our church that equalled $100.00! And what a blessing that was. A grocery gift card is one of the best gift cards you could give my family! I do not normally shop at Kroger, unless I can get good deals with coupons on things we like. But5, I went to Kroger and bought things I normally couldn't buy at Aldi, yet will help finish out my meal planning for the next few weeks.. I did not ta...
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 It's official. If Baby Jack doesn't decide to arrive earlier, then I will be induced on Tuesday, April 27th at 7:45 am. I am so excited! You would think this is my first! First of all, I HATE to be induced! I would much rather go into labor on my own. But, if we don't we might give birth to a toddler!

I love Baby Feet. Okay, well, I just love babies! But I love my babies even when they aren't "babies" anymore. That's why I came up with this idea to capture the growing feet of my "babies".
 
Her...
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15 minutes us all it takes to bless your family!

Beds/ Baths:
M~ clean baseboards with wet, soapy rag
T~ wipe fingerprints off of light switches and door knobs, Lysol to sanitize
W~ Clean ceiling fans and light fixtures
T~ declutter night stands, then dust and polish
F~ detail sweep, vacuum, mop

* If you have children, have them do these in their rooms, also!

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Breakfasts:
~ cereal 
~ scrambled eggs
~ egg & cheese sandwiches
~ oatmeal
~ malt-o-meal

Lunches:
~ School
~ egg salad
~ Pb and J
~ egg and cheese sands
~ chips
~ fruits
~ pudding

Dinners:
S(18)~ Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad
M(19)~ Penne, salad
T(20)~ Shepherds Pie, salad
W(21)~ Steak and Gravy, cheesy-bacon mashed potatoes, carrots, salad
T(22)~  Talapia, carrots, baked potatoes
F(23)~ Pizza
S(24)~ Breakfast for Dinner~ eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, fruits

Snacks:
~ popcorn
~ ice cream
~ popsicles
~ ...
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There were some really good deals at Aldi this week!!
 
Strawberries~ $.99
Milk 2%~ $2.09
Eggs~ $.79
Baking Potatoes ~ $.99
 
Walmart:

cereal $5.26
cereal $5.14
lip liner $5.97
tea $3.00
hangers $2.00
donuts $1.74
water (24pk) $3.98
TP $6.97
Total $26.95
gift cards $4.30
gift cards $8.97( Leftover from Christmas that I found!)
TOTAL $23.68

Aldi:

ice cream $2.19
strawberries (3)$2.97
fudge bars $2.19
mandarin oranges $.49
ice cream sandwiches $2.19
mandarin oranges $.49
bread $.79
bread $.79
mandarin oranges $.49
bananas $...
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Lately it seems all I think about is food, food, food! Well, when you live in a house full of hungry, growing boys like I do, it will become your obsession, too!  Actually, I think all of my boys are about to go through a growth spurt. They have to eat ALL the time. Even my tiny little 5 year old, Noah, is eating more and longer than everyone!
A few readers were talking about sports nights. Right now, we have no one playing sports, which is a first. But, I remember the days that the kids would...
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Lasagna:
1 lb ground beef or chuck
1 lb sausage
2 cans/jars spaghetti sauce
1 small carton cottage cheese
parmesan cheese
2-4 C mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
lasagna noodles, cooked
basil & italian seasoning

1. Brown beef and sausage. Add spaghetti sauces and simmer.
2. In medium bowl, mix cheeses, eggs, few dashes of basil and italian seasoning.
3. Layer: meat sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, noodles, meat sauce, cheese mixture, noodles, meat sauce, then top with mozzarella cheese.
4. Cover and bake at 375 deg...
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I spent Saturday morning doing my freezer meal cooking. It didn't go as I had planned in my last "Freezer Meal Cooking" post. Here is what I did.

1. Made a whole box of Hungry Jack Pancakes. 

 

2. Started all the meats~ Meatloaf, meatballs, salisbury patties, and burgers. 

All the meats prepared for cooking

The Northwoods Seasoned Chicken~ My favorite chicken seasoning, ever!

Maple Soy Pork Chops~ Maple Syrup, soy sauce, and garlic

Chicken Spaghetti, completed

 2 Lasagnas, completed and covered. Rec...

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15 Minutes is all it takes to bless your Family!!

Entrance/ Living Room:
M~ Sweep Porch, steps, walkway
T~ Clean Living Room baseboards with a wet soapy rag
W~ Clean outside light fixtures
T~ Clean ceiling fan(s)
F~ Plant flowers in pots for front porch/entrance!

If your area of the US is like mine, we have horrible pollen counts! I love to have the windows open at this time of year. But, this year is the first year I've had to worry about allergies. That is why I am making sure I keep the porch swe...
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 Okay, for the first time ever I am going to make and freeze meals. I have always wanted to do this before a baby was born. For one reason or another, I have just not been able to do it. Since, I have done well with my grocery goals and other areas of the budget, I have been able to have enough this week to justify buying another weeks worth($100.00)- money wise. I spent $115.48. Over my regular grocery goal, but I still think that's pretty good.

Here is my list of what I am making tomorrow:
1....
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Breakfasts:
~ cereal 
~ oatmeal
~ PB toast
~ malt-o-meal
~ yogurt parfaits
~ pancakes with homemade syrup

Lunches:
~ school
~ egg salad
~ turkey
~ leftovers
~ chips 
~ fruits 
~ yogurts
~ pudding

Dinners:
S(11)~ pinto beans and ham, salad
M(12)~ ham and cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese
T(13)~ round steak and gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, salad
W(14)~ sandwiches, chips (before church)
T(15)~ salmon, green beans, carrots, salad
F(16)~ pizza
S(17)~ grilled burgers, beans, chips

Snacks and Desserts:
~ puddings
~ fruit...
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I decided to use a few coupons this week. I had been out of the habit because I haven't found many great deals. But I had a Snuggle fabric softener couon for $3.00 off! and It was at Kroger for $3.99. I couldn't beat that! While I was there I bought a few more things.

Kroger:

snuggle $3.99
bisquick mix $4.99
mayo $3.00
butter (2)$4.00
butter $2.00
contact solution $2.49
crunch bars (2)$1.58- BOGO cpn later
yogurt (6) $3.00
piull ups $7.99
pepperoni $1.99
bread (2) $2.00
coupons -$7.24
bonus cpn -$1.48
(stor...
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I am 37 weeks right now. Not much longer! I can't wait to see my little guy in person. Last weekend I took some cute belly pictures that I wanted to share with you. They may be my last! Well, up until the hospital pictures. Also, I wanted to share some 4-D pictures that we got yesterday at the doctors office. I have more fluid than normal, so the shots came out even more great than normal! All the nurses and people we didn't even know were oohh-ing and aaaw-ing over his chubby little cheeks.
*...
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Now that the weather is warmer here, the boys have been spending much more time outside. We even turned on the sprinkler on Easter! So, I started thinking about ways to keep the fun outside.

1. Sprinkler Fun~ Set up a sprinkler. Give the bowls bowls, empty plastic flower pots, buckets, etc... Let them race to see whose bowl fill up faster. 

2. Water Guns~ Keep a large bucket or bowl filled with water. Let them refill their water guns in that. 

3. Sandy Feet?~ Fill a tub(large enough for little f...
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I was in such a hurry to make the slaw for Easter, that I forgot to take pictures. But, I do have pictures of the Strawberries and Cream. Personally I could sit and eat that all day. Strawberries were on sale for only $.99 at Adli last week! That's why I purchased 5 containers!

Crunchy Slaw
1 bag coleslaw mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 c sunflower seeds
1 c slivered almonds
2 packages Ramen noodles, chicken flavor

Dressing:
1 c vegetable oil
1/3 c white vinegar
1/2 c sugar
2 packages ramen noodles ...
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15 Minutes is all it takes to bless your family!!

M~ Scrub countertops
T~ detail dust, polish wood
W~ clean inside of fridge
T~ clean off the top of the fridge
F~ detail sweep, mop, vacuum

TIPS:
* Clear off the top of fridge. Lay a piece of plastic saran wrap on the top of the fridge. Simply remove the plastic wrap when you want to clean next time, then replace!

* Countertops~ Remove everything in one section at a time. Clean out crumb tray of toaster while you clean. Use soap and water, and scrub al...
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Well, I was worried I would go over my grocery goal. But, I didn't! Some weeks I did go over but in the end in was under goal!

TOTAL for APRIL
$377.07

$22.93 under goal for the month!

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Breakfasts :
~ cereal
~ cinnamon rolls
~ oatmeal
~ malt-o-meal
~ eggs

Lunches:
~ leftovers
~ turkey, egg salad, tuna, sandwiches
~ chips 
~ fruits
~ pudding

DInners:
S~ EASTER~ Crunchy Slaw(recipe Tuesday!), 2 chocolate pies(family gathering)
M~ penne, bread
T~ round steak , mashed potatoes, green beans
W~ sandwiches, chicken nuggets
T~ tuna patties, mac and cheese, peas
F~ pizza
S~ leftover buffet/ eggs
  
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Well, I went over my goal by $5.40! But by the end of the month I hope to make up for it. And I lost my Walmart receipt. But I will post a pic of what I purchased

Walmart:

TOTAL~ $29.17

Aldi:

salmon $3.49 
salmon $3.49
chikn nugs $3.99
strawberries (5@.99) $4.95
oranges $1.99
whipped topping $.85
bubble gum eggs $.89
fudge bars $2.19
mini m&m's $2.49
apples $2.89
ice cream sands $2.19
whipped topping $.85
posicles $2.19
milk $2.29
TP $4.69
milk $2.29
cereal $1.59
paper plates $2.29
eggs $1.19
eggs $1.19
eggs $1.19
su...
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This is an important part of Easter in our home. These are simple eggs filled with tiny items that describe what Jesus did for us. It is so important for our children to know the real meaning of Easter: it's not bunnies, cute chicks, and candy-filled eggs.


This is what I purchased at the Christian Bookstore. But, you can make you own by letting your child paint an empty egg carton and collecting colored plastic eggs and items.

 

On the inside, labels of the egg color and what is inside the egg. ...
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