Home: Inviting and Giving

I am joining Monica in her Lady Wisdom Series this week. Yesterday's theme was Inviting and Giving here is my list of accomplishments:

Quiet Time: TEA TIME WITH GOD pg 16&17


Breakfast: Chocolate Silk Coffee (Folgers), and Oatmeal Banana Cookies

Read: I finished A Carol for Christmas by Robin Lee Hatcher and started reading Gideon’s Gift by Karen Kingsbury


Tidy, tidy, tidy! I walk around my house and put everything away that is out of place each morning and again before bed.

Computer: read blogs & check email

Lunch: Leftovers

Giving: Make gifts for the kids to give for the gift exchange tonight and for the Mad Hatter Party tomorrow.





















HOTR: The kids went to the HOTR Teen Christmas Party and did a gift exchange, and they had a Taco Bar for dinner. My husband and I went out to dinner and looked around the town the party was in.

Computer: blog

Tidy, tidy, tidy! My before bed routine.

Holiday Cloche Party

The "Holiday Cloche Party" has arrived please visit A Stroll Thru Life to see all the gorgeous cloches and apothecary jars that have been created.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

Home: Fun!

I am joining Monica in her Lady Wisdom Series this week. Today's theme was Fun and here is my list for today:

Quiet Time: Tea Time with God pg 14&15

Breakfast: Chocolate Silk Coffee (Folgers), Oatmeal Banana Cookies, and Peach Yogurt

Read: I started a new book A Carol for Christmas by Robin Lee Hatcher

Laundry: Wash, fold, and put away 1 load of husbands & I laundry (You might have notice I do not do the kids laundry. They do their own when they turn 13 therefore I have no kid laundry to do any more.)

Tidy, tidy, tidy! I walk around my house and put everything away that is out of place each morning and again before bed.

Kitchen: Cleaned out the refrigerator, and then I set up my Noel Tablescape

Computer: read blogs & check email

Lunch: Leftovers

Kitchen: Pick up the kitchen and put things away.
(You may have noticed I have not done any dishes except Monday. That is because it is son #2’s week to do kitchen chores. We rotate chores Kitchen, Laundry, Bathroom, Living Room, and School Room between the kids and I. Whoever is assign to that room for the week does anything and everything needed to be done in that room for the week. We have a detailed list posted on the side of the fridge for each room but mostly they just know what is expected. The detailed cleaning in each room that I am doing this week is a seasonal project I do. I don’t always require them to help but most of the time they do in some way.)

Kitchen: Prep desserts for the Dip/Appetizer Party. Have each of my kids make a dip or appetizer. Print recipes for them.

Dinner: Baked Potatoes Bar

SWAM: Students With A Mission group meeting Dip/Appetizer Party at our house. We give prizes to the teens based on a quality checklist. We gave our cookie plates to the kids as they left along with a token gift.

Computer: blog

Tidy, tidy, tidy! My before bed routine.

Simplifying Christmas~Keeping Shopping Simple

The Simplifying Christmas Meme is hosted by Heather at Heart of a Mommy. If you would like to participate, or just read about how others are Simplifying Christmas, click here. Today's Topic is about Keeping Shopping Simple.

We don’t go to Black Friday Sales instead it is our tradition to stay in our nighties all day and watch movies on Sky Angel (No cable at our house) or we rent them from the library a couple days before. We eat leftovers all day so no one cooks.



















I watch for gifts at yard sales, thrift stores, dollar stores, and clearance sales all year. We mostly buy our stocking stuffers from the dollar stores. We sometimes buy electronics or jewelry from pawn shops. Mostly we shop at the Wal-Mart. I really don’t like shopping as a hobby so I usually can get it done in a day since my list is not very long. I usually make a couple things too with supplies that I have on hand. This year I am making mini felt stockings to attach to the packages with a candy cane in them.



















When the kids were little my husband and I would take them with us shopping. We would look at the toys and decide what we wanted. And then I would walk around in other areas of the store with the kids while my husband filled a cart and checked out. He would take the toys to the van and hide them in the back and then come tell us it was time to go. The kids were none the wiser. We have also put things in layaway for a few days until my husband could go back and get the stuff this worked well with big things like bikes. We also would buy many of their toys in like new condition at thrift stores and save them back for Christmas.

The last several years my husband and I have make a date out of it. We chose one or two Saturdays to go out and we leave early 8:00 and come back about midnight. We love it because we eat out and look at stores the kids don’t care about and get to shop alone. They are teenagers so this works well for us. They watch movies all day and we buy them junk food to eat like hot pockets & chicken nuggets. We give them money to order pizza for dinner and they walk the block to the pizza place to pick it up. Tip: We turn the internet off when we are not home (Always) since they all have computers of their own in the school room.

Noel Tablescape

I reworked my original tablescape to add two candles.

Cranberry: $5.00 each Wal-Mart
Candle Holly Shade: free Clothes Closet Yankee Candle Brand
Candle Holder Border Holly w/ Gold Trim: free Clothes Closet Unknown Brand

The first Noel the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay
keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night
that was so deep.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!

And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far,
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star
wherever it went.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!

This star drew nigh to the northwest

Over Bethlehem it took its rest,

And there it did both stop and stay

Right over the place where Jesus lay.

Noel Noel Noel Noel!

Born is the King of Israel!

Then did they know assuredly

Within that house the King did lie:

One entered in then for to see,

And found the Babe in poverty:

Noel Noel Noel Noel!

Born is the King of Israel!

Then entered in those wise men three

Full reverently upon their knee,

And offered there in His presence

Their gold, and myrrh and frankincense.

Noel Noel Noel Noel!

Born is the King of Israel!

Then let us all with one accord

Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,

That hath made heaven

and earth of naught

And with His blood

mankind hath bought.

Noel Noel Noel Noel!

Born is the King of Israel!

The First Noel
English carol, 17th century

Tablecloth: $2.00 Thrift Store
Placemats: Set of 6 $1.00 each Dollar Tree
Noel Word Frames: Noel Gift Swap
Nativity Snow Globe: Gift last Christmas from my sister
Candles: Recycled holders from old candles, and candles 6 for $1.00 Thrift Store

Listen to it on YouTube

Submitted to:

Tablescape Thursday

Home: Cared For

I am joining Monica in her Lady Wisdom Series this week. I am trying to make my way to a detailed cleaning of each room on the main floor before this weekend when we put up Christmas decorations. So far this week I did the master bedroom, living room, and school room. I still have the kitchen, laundry, bathroom, my husband’s office, and my office. I did not get to any of the detailed cleaning today so I will try to tackle the kitchen and bathroom tomorrow since we will have our SWAM group here tomorrow night. Today's theme was Cared For and here is my list for today:

Quiet Time: Tea Time with God pg 12&13

Breakfast: Chocolate Silk Coffee (Folgers)

Read: Continue reading The Gift of Christmas Present by Melody Carlson

Tidy, tidy, tidy! I walk around my house and put everything away that is out of place each morning and again before bed.

Computer: read blogs & check email

Lunch: Leftovers

Baking: I baked Oreo Cookie Brownies

Laundry: Wash, fold, and put away 1 load of laundry- towels

Kitchen: Pick up the kitchen and put things away.

Baking: I made a triple batch of Banana Oatmeal Cookies. We have our SWAM (Students With A Mission) group meeting tomorrow and the kids have a Christmas Party Friday with our homeschool groups teen’s. I packaged them up along with the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip I made yesterday.

Project: My kids are going to a Mad Hatter Party on Saturday and they are planning their costumes. I was helping them come up with something to wear and lending ideas. They are doing the work and enjoying themselves.

Dinner: Pork Lion Chops, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, with Green Beans and Garlic

Computer: blog

Tidy, tidy, tidy! My before bed routine.

Banana Oatmeal Cookie

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cream together the shortening and sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, banana, oatmeal and nuts. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients, mix well and drop by the teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until edges turn lightly brown. Cool on wire rack. Store in a closed container.