Ugh!? Where do I start in this house!?

If you run a home these words have gone through your head a time or two (thousand) !

I came up with a really helpful way to manage a day where the whole house needs bit of attention past my normal routine. I do these in 15 minute increments until I get through the jar. So that is 15 minutes to each 'clothes pin' area. After two areas I take a five-ten minute 'break'.

 ( Depending on how good the book Im reading is... or the baby's nap is.)

Once I'm through with an area it goes back into the jar! Try it out! Let me know what you think!

A Typical Thursday

The only other ladies home with me today while the big sisters are at school down the road...

Eating bananas!

Lounging around...

Yes we still have Miss Dory! She didn't have to find a new home thank goodness she's proven herself well in the new house!

Signs of Fall around home...

Autumn is in the air!

 Place mats and tablecloths 

Beautiful Kitchen view

Off the Porch

Hunting Licenses

Pretty enough to eat

Blankets piled high in the living room for cuddling!

Appreciate the little things.

Yesterday, Arlene and I made an unplanned visit to Grammie Connie and we were lucky enough to have gone at the perfect time! A nice man from Augusta was there singing Karaoke to the residents! As much as the little one loves music, we still are surprised at her dancing and 'singing' talents! 

This morning, as I returned from the grocery store and tied on my apron to prepare for the busy task of baking multiple desserts for a family gathering tonight at the local lobster coop. I noticed in the reflection of the ceiling lights on the floor that little Arlene as some point had some wet little hands while crawling across the floor.

 Its moments like this that I stop and thank my God for blessing me with children and the simple fact that I even have little fingerprints to clean at all. A dear friend of mine has a child very ill and every night as I hold the girls before bed I think about how hard these days must be on her. It crushes me to even think about losing any of our girls. Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us, we must remember that. 

Check the Dates!

FUNNY FRIDAY!

Well! I had a fun realization just now...

You need to check the expiration dates on your herbs and spices! Most of them I go through fast enough that it doesn't matter, but some you just don't use as often, or you end up with more than one. This is definitely something smart to add to your 'Spring Cleaning' or 'Fall flinging'. (as I call it.)  I most certainly need to remember this as I had some items from 2010, 2011, and some with no dates at all that I don't use often.. like Poppy Seeds. Also, I highly suggest as you run out of one spice, refill it with a reusable jar at your local health food store, their prices are better, and the quality is better too!

Whats the rush?

Have you heard the song, "I'm in a Hurry" by Alabama?

I was cleaning the kitchen this morning with little miss Ari on my hip and this song was on Pandora in the background. Usually any music I have on during the day is just that, in the background. But I actually heard this today. 

The common question I'm being asked lately is 'Are you all unpacked?!' 

No. Not even close, and I've moved ten times in 7 years, I don't really feel like rushing, just knowing we'll be moving again. Hopefully next time just down the driveway though. As with every move, I tend to purge more each time. If you're looking for anything you need, let me know I'm in the mood to 'get things done' as the song says and I'm most likely going to part with it! 

But really... Whats the rush? "All you really gotta do is live and die.." Its pretty simple. You are born, you live a good life, and you die. Its not a secret to anyone. Why do we make it so hard though? We clutter our days endlessly with anything and everything and hardly ever stop to smell the roses. Even if your days aren't cluttered, most likely your mind is. Keep it simple, Stupid! 

Anyways.. Listen to the song.. HEAR it . I dare you.

Facebook FREE is the way to be!

GOOD MORNING ALL! As you may have noticed, last May we 'got rid' of Facebook, then we came back to gather more contact information and prepare to 'BE DONE' with it again. We're no 'Anti Facebook' anymore than you are deep down... Life is so much easier without it, in more ways than you might think. If you want to keep up with us, feel free to add this blog of ours to your bookmarks, or favorites. 

Our Email is :  realtreemommy@yahoo.com    --- Contact anytime for our address and other such info. 

We look forward to blogging with you!

AND GUESS WHO TURNED 7 !?

Miss Sophia May !!

XOXOXO

Consignment SCORE!

Every couple of months we travel down to a wonderful consignment store in Wiscasset Maine to bring and take home items for the kids. It works so well. We do not have a clothing budget for ourselves or the kids for this reason. Clothes are just clothes. It doesn't matter if they are 'in style' or name brand. It only matters that they fit and are appropriate for you age, gender, and the activity you'll be doing while wearing them. We came home with three large bags of items today and want to share with you our favorite purchase.

I had never heard of the Brand until now but it is called a 'Summer Infant - 3 stage Super Booster Seat'

I will definitely include a link: 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Summer-Infant-3-Stage-Super-Booster-Seat/10978943

Call around to your local thrift stores and/or consignment shops to see if they have one before you buy new.

Arlene is 4 months and this is perfect for her. She can sit up and play with toys around her and be around the whole family! She has wanted to be in a sitting position for months. She prefers it over anything else.

We were originally looking for a bumbo but when we saw this we put the bumbo down and immediately tried it out!

Diapers on the line

Hang it all one the line!

Today was the first day for us this year that we have been able to hang our cloth diapers out on the line in the sun to dry. It really is something wonderful. They smell so fresh and clean. They're so bright and ready for folding and a precious bottom. We favor prefolds and covers, we especially love our Indian Cotton prefolds. They're super absorbent and unbleached (that's why they're an off white color). So far our favorite covers are by Thirsties and Flip. Love!

Bacon Wrapped Cabbage

Add a little tasty something to dinner the next time you grill!

Okay, if you want something very simple, but to look like you may have slaved a bit, you need to try this!

Bacon 'Wrapped' Cabbage. 

Cut one whole cabbage into four equal parts, drape bacon across in an 'X' , add butter, any seasonings you feel would do the trick, wrap them in foil, throw them on the grill for 40 minutes on med-high heat. You have yourself a tasty addition to anything you've planned for the night!

You can see below the spices I grabbed first, and the butter on the cabbage. 

Get healthy, and try it with drizzled olive oil, minced garlic and sea salt!

::Warning! I am not responsible for any liquids lost while you laugh hysterically at how brutally honest I am going to be::

The last thing any of us want is for someone to drop by unexpectedly on a Monday morning, at about 9am when you've just woke up and fed the kids breakfast and you are starting to gather your thoughts on what kind of bomb was dropped during the weekend right into the center of your home.  Just hear me out here! I want to share with you every step of my journey through an average stay at home Mom's attempt to simplify, normalize, and organize my humble abode. All of the good days, the bad days, and the 'Ah ha' moments of getting a grip on being the 'perfect little housewife'. Pull up a chair, grab something warm to drink, and enjoy!

Don't wonder why I decided on April, 3rd. to start this blog, FINALLY. No, it is not a new years resolution, I have not hit a 'Quarter of the way through life Crisis.' It just suddenly hit me. So lets see where it goes, shall we?