This weeks song - If We've Ever Needed You by Casting Crowns (update!)

I originally posted this earlier this week BUT I learned a lesson - always listen to the song you put on your blog LOL  I had a friend say "that's a really fun song" which made me think . . .something isn't right because "If We've Ever Needed you" is a more serious song!  So, apparently the song listed as this in the player is not correct!  I've removed the obnoxious song that was on #1 and instead added a YouTube video with RIGHT song!  So if you want to listen to it, make sure and pause the player and than play the video.  I guess sometimes, you learn as you go!

This weeks song is "If We've Ever Needed You" by Casting Crowns. When thinking about a song for this week, I had about 4 in my head to chose from; so how did I chose?  Simply - this song I sang ever since I first starting thinking about it.  I sang it in the morning while getting breakfast, while in the car, while making jam - it just was always in my head.  I think it has a great message, it's a great reminder, and it's just a great song!  It is the first song on my Play list this week so unmute your computer and take a listen :-)

It's amazing what music does to different people.  I was reading another blog and she posted a song that made her cry - "Blink" by Revive.  The concept behind the lyrics is that everything happens in the blink of an eye.  When she hears that, her life plays like a little power point (remember when we used to say slide show?) in her head - meeting her husband, getting married, and now watching as her babies grow.  It touches her heart to the core.  When I hear it - it does nothing !!  Seriously, I've heard it many times and just always thought it was a peppy song and we needed to remember that life goes fast.  That's it.  So maybe you have a song that touches you - what is it and why?  Music is a great outlet and a great way for God to touch each of us - make sure your heart is always open - not just your ears! :-)

Simple Italian Skillet Dinner

Here's an easy dinner recipe for you to try - make sure and read the notes, tips and ideas at the bottom!

Simple Italian Skillet Dinner:
1 pound Italian Sausage
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups Vegetable Juice
1 1/2 cups instant rice
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In large skillet cook sausage 4-6 minutes; breaking it up as it cooks.  Drain excess fat.  Add green pepper and onion; cook until crisp-tender.  Add diced tomatoes and vegetable juice; cook and stir utnil mixture boils.  Remove from heat and stir in rice.  Cover and let stand for 6-8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed


Tips:  I usually use regular white rice and just let it cook until the liquid is absorbed.  I have noticed my rice still has a "bite" to it so adding some water might be a good idea. 
Do NOT use brown rice - it takes much too long to cook (I tried it, not good!!)

Ideas:  This is a main course as it is but, we LOVE it with Tacos.  I leave out the sausage when I make it for Tacos and it makes a great spanish rice.  We put it right inside of our tacos - it is sooooo good!.  ALso, mix leftover taco meat into the leftover rice to make lunch the following day either by itself or on tacos shells. 

For spicey rice, choose the tomatoes with chilis - did this one too; not such a fan of burning my mouth off :-)

Note:  When you buy a can of Vegetable Juice (I just buy the Meijer brand - Vegetable Juice; not V8 or anything like that) There is enough in the can to make three batchs of rice.  I freeze the extra in 2 cup containers to use on future batches.  Makes making homemade "Rice a Roni" a breeze!

31 in 31 - Day 8

This made me laugh out loud.  My dog China was busy eating and than walked away.  Now, notice the empty bowl? But, look next to the mat on the floor??? Six pieces of dog food in the shape of her mouth??  LOLOLOL  She does stuff like this all the time - she'll carry one piece of food from the dish and drop it in the living room.  Than if we try to pick it up, she starts playing with it.  It's all fun and games until the latest crawler (currently Nate) gets it, that it's just a big soggy, mess.  YUCK!  So this falls into the "just for fun" category!

How are your pictures?  Have you taken the challenge yet?

My Favorite Cleaning Products

Since I indroduced some cleaning/organizing things yesterday I thought the next logical step is to show you some of my favorite things.  Don't get me wrong - I don't love cleaning but I do LOVE cleaning products!  I've been working the past 6 months not to keep buying random things but to figure out what I love and just buy that even though I also forced myself to finish up some things I bought that I didn't like. 

Starting from left to right:

1.  The Works Toilet Bowl Cleaner - nothing gets rust stains out better

2. Scrubbing Bubbles - I really like all scrubbing bubbles products but this is the new Extendi-Clean for the bathroom.  It really does seem to help the shower to stay cleaner longer

3. Iron Out - due to our extremely hard water which is  being treated by a water softener, we still get terrible rust stains in the tub (especially with 4 people taking at least one shower/bath a day sometimes two!) Nothing removes rust stains in the tub like Iron out; it really does wipe right out.  My disclaimer - you really need to wear a mask when using it . .. or just don't breath until you are done!

4. The Works - Yes, I have 4 things I use in the bathroom - I use the works more day to day to try and keep the Iron at bay.

5. Fabreeze Dusting Spray - It works great and it smells awesome!!

6. Windex - it is my go to All Purpose Cleaner - I use it daily to "Swish and Swipe" - I spray the toilet daily and wipe it down, and I spray the sink and mirror and wipe those down as well.  I also use it just for spot cleaning - it really works well.  It is also what I use to clean my stainless steel kitchen items

7. Clorox Anywhere - I use this in my kitchen.  I actually love cleaning with Clorox Clean up but because it has bleach in it and stains my clothes, I've switched to the Anywhere product. 

8. Glade Air and Fabric Spray - I love the smell of Glade :-)

Back row:

9.  Paper Towel - Yes, I still use paper towel for cleaning glass.  I've tried Micro Cloths and have yet to find one that I like.

10.  My Bucket - I keep all my cleaning supplies in it plus if I really need a bucket I have a great one

Front Row:

11.  Rubba Scrubba - It's a rubber brush that you can use anywhere - I use it mostly in my bathtub but it's also greate for spot cleaning the carpet or running along the baseboards to get animal hair out where the vacuum doesn't reach (It is  Flylady tool!)

12. Dusting Mitt - I've tired Feather dusters, rags, dusting clothes - but love this mitt.  I love that I can hold things in my hand and dust them. 

Just a few more :-)

 

My last three favorites:
1.  My Shark Steam Mop -  best thing I think I've ever bought for cleaning.   It's easy to use, heats up quickly and it doesn't matter if my kids crawl on the floor right away - it's dry and clean!
2. My Swiffer Sweeper Vac - ummm . .it competes with my Shark Mop LOL  I love how that I don't need a broom - it vacuums up all the little stuff and the cloth gets all the animal hair!.
3. And My toilet brush (who knew you could love it?) - It is a Rubba Swisha (also from flylady)  I like it because it is rubber so it dries quickly; it has a little piece that sticks up to get under the rim.  I clean my toilet daily - squirt a little dish soap or cheap shampoo in there and swish it around.  It makes a huge differance to do it daily!

Do you have favorites?  Maybe you'll inspire me to try something new - I'd love to get down to one thing to use in the bathroom but I haven't found a product that takes care of the rust like I need it to!

31 in 31 - Day 7

Decided to be random today and photograph the first thing that made think "peacefulness".  What a better picture than my sweet cat Misty sleeping in front of an open door with black-eyed susans in the background.  Just another view that I enjoy :-)

Cleaning and Organizing

This is kinda an intro post more than anything.  Several years ago I was introduced to a cleaning/organizing concept by a friend called "Flylady".  Really it isn't a concept but rather a person!  The Flylady gives all kinds of great ideas to help set routines for our homes so that we aren't constantly cleaning or have CHAOS ( Can't have anyone over syndrome) in our homes.  Over the years my plans and routines have evolved, changed, and grown based on my life at that point.  When it was just Darryl and I and we both worked 60 hours a week, I had one set up focused mainly around the weekend.  When we added Josh and I cut back to only 40 hours a week, (ONLY 40? LOL) my plan changed again but still revolved around most cleaning on the weekends since I didn't get home until 6;00 most nights and had limited time to get dinner on and spend time with Josh before he went to sleep.  Than, when I quit to stay home, I reworked my entire routine/cleaning concepts since I had more time.  One of the things that I'm able to do is weekly deep cleaning.  Each room in my home is assigned a week on a rotating basis throughout the year and it gets deep cleaned.  The Flylady divides our homes into 5 zones and assigns missions to the weekly zone - often the things we never get too.  (I found I didn't have time to get through my deep cleaning on weeks that she includes two rooms such as the laundry room and the bathroom so I broke my home down further.   I plan on including some deep cleaning lists and other cleaning helps.  If nothing else, maybe it will help you think of how to make your cleaning load lighter!

31 in 31 - Day 6

Today, the boys and I went on our weekly adventure.  I decided last week that once or twice a week we are going to go on an adventure so we can get out of the house while the weather is nice.  Normally Monday and Wednesday will be at home/outside days, Tuesday will be park days, Thursday will be our adventrue day and Friday's will walking day.  But, we had to go out this morning anyway so we made it our park day today.  We also made a stop at a great farmers market and got some more peaches plus went to Dairy Queen for lunch but this picture captures the moment, I think. 

Two brothers hanging out at the park.