How I Minamalize - A step at a time

If you have been reading my blog for long, you know that I am constantly working on Minamalizing our home.  I don't enjoy clutter but in a small house it is a constant challenge to get rid of things yet keep what we need and love.  It's hard to find homes for things when there isn't much room and, often, being creative with storage equals needing to buy things and yet we also try to spend as little as possible.  Yep, it creates a circle that is hard to break so things pile up!  Throw in the fact that we homeschool so we need to use space for that too, well, things are often tight around here!  I'm hoping to share not only some before and after photos of what is being accomplished but also to share some articles and ideas that work for me!  Everyone home is different; every person is different - so, obviously, ever plan needs to be different too!

No Mad'er How Far shares some more great ideas.  Not all of 12 struggles apply to me but the over all concept is a good read when you are trying to figure out where to start.  

Something Yummy - Raspberry Lemonade Punch

Raspberry Lemonade Punch
from my niece, Alicia Miller

When we visited in Ohio over the 4th weekend, my niece made this simple punch that was so refreshing and super easy to make!  I picked up the supplies to make it for dinner at my in-laws and then again on the 4th of July for our cookout.  It is super tasty and there are lots of tweaks you could make to it to change it up too. 

1 can of frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate (leave it frozen to add a slight slushy mix in the punch.)

1 bottle of cold 7-up

Slices of lemon and strawberries (you could add raspberries or blackberries too!)

Ice cubes as needed

Just mix everything together and enjoy!

Scripture Sunday

Our Week in Photos #3

 Our week was filled with trips, family fun, holidays, swimming, library fun and fireworks!

We started our week with a trip to Ohio for a family get together.  The boys absoluly love family so get togethers like this are precious especially since we see many of these family members only once or twice a year.

Before returning back home, we stopped by my dad's spot (as I call it).  We always stop when we are in town so that we can make sure his stone is clean.  The boys also like to water the flowers.  It is Nate's ministry to water all of the flowers in the surrounding area.  It's such a little thing but yet it brings a lot of joy to the boys to do something like this.

 The boys love swimming in the lake

 We had fun being part of the boat parade

 The boys worked on their Kayak skills

We spent the evening of July 3rd at my in-laws where the boys got to swim, ride the boat, play with fireworks and we ended the night back on the boat watching some fireworks over the lake.

July 4th, we spent the day at home and then at the campground.  We enjoyed a few hours in the pool and then had a cookout at my mom's camper.  Of course, I had to get photos of Molly too!

 The boys were the first to arrive so they got to help set-up all of the cups

Wednesday was full of fun!  We attended another Library event - this one brought the fun of stacking cups.  The leader had cups for all of the kids and they got to stack them and then work as teams to build a variety of buildings like a castle, a pyarmid and more.  Later, we went to town and the boys got to FINALLY get a Fidget Spinner.  Not just one either.  They picked out three each.  It made up for them thinking they were the only kids in the world without one ;-)

The rest of our week included swimming, a trip to the library and . .. . more swimming!!!

Weekly Menu - the one where I keep it simple

The last two weeks were busy and we had lots of stuff going on.  This week calms down slightly and we get to eat at VBS a few times which is fine by me!

Here's are plan for the coming week:

Friday - Pizza Hut.

Saturday - BBQ Cups and Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Sunday - We will keep it simple after church and just have easy enchaladas.  Tonight is the first night of VBS so we get to eat at the school before the events begin.

Monday - VBS :-) (This is a little risky with kids because if they don't like it . . ..now what?  Which is why I always carry a Peanut butter sandwich for each kid! )

Tuesday - VBS

Wednesday - VBS

Thursday - Now I have to cook again!  Chicken on the grill, Corn on the cob, and baked beans

How's that for an easy week?

July Goals

I was going to share what I accomplished in June from my goals but when I looked at them I realized that I didn't do what I had written HA!  Oops!  Guess I had better print it off this time so I remember what I say.

So, here's the plan for July. (I pulled up my Goals Post to make sure I'm working on my year goals too!)

1. Reading - I want to work on the books for the reading challenge I'm in as well as read "Listen, Love, Repeat" and "Wait and See"

2. Scrapbooking-
     A. Finally order the shelf I want and get all of my scrapbooks organized and put on the shelf.
     B. Sort the photos I had ordered back in March AND finish ordering all 2014 and 2015 photos.
     C. Order June 2017 photos and scrapbook them (my goal is to do the previous month of this year before I work on the past years so that I can journal things that I actually remember!)
     D. Order a months worth of digital pages; order 1 set of page protectors and put all of the ones I have on pages that are missing them (to make sure I don't order more than I need) ; order 1 set of pages for the digital pages I have and also put those in place; Order 1 more album (I'm behind on albums so I just need to order one a month until I'm caught up
    E.  Get family photos taken (this is scheduled for July so it "should" happen!)

3. Bible Study - Start the Bible study on Pslams

4. The House
     A. Get back into my Flylady groove focusing on declutting/minamalizing the house.
     B. Living room - Work on the photo wall I want to put together (basically just getting the frames I need at this point); Paint the front door; Paint the trim; Work on getting the art work I want for the walls
     C. The Basement - my only goal this month is the laundry room and playroom.  I want those two areas totally cleaned out, organized and useful.  I have a shelving unit to put in the Laundry room to help with organizing too.

5. Family
     A.  Camping
     B. Attending an event at the Free Fair if the budget allows but at the least - attending the fair for fun!
     C. Finalize some plans for mine and Darryl's get away in August.

6. School (I know it's summer)  - The goal in July is review!  Handwriting and Math are key goals!  Oh, and I also HAVE to return some books to Connections!  Oops!  That is top on my list this first week of July so that I can check that off my list!

What I'm Reading

This summer, just like the kids, I decided to try and be part of a reading program.  I thought it would be no problem to accomplish this except I got sucked into a series after reading the first book HA!  Personally, I'm always looking for a new book to read so I thought I'd try to share more of what I'm reading again. I few years ago I tried keeping up with a pinterest page linking all of the books I've read . . .maybe I'll try that again too.

I found this series through a facebook I'm in because it is Free!  Yes!  (As of this writing at least!).  Reading free books is a great way to find out whether you enjoy an author or a series.  I love that this series takes place in Michigan (Which also marks off one of my required reads for the reading program I am doing!).  I love that the characters carry on through each book; they not only carry on but, for the most part, they all remain strong characters within each of the stories even though each book is about a different set of characters within the town.  I love that this set is a solid Christian set of books and that they verses and "lessons" are integrated within the story but are not forced in just to make it "Christian".   Book 1 and book 4 are my favorites but I still have to read book 5 :-)  If you are looking for a new series to read -check this set out!

 Book 2

 Book 3

 Book 4

Book 5