Hooked on Web Helps!

What am I Hooked On this week?

I am hooked on a
couple of web sites that
have made my life easier
and less cluttered.

The first one is Biblegateway.com.
This site helps me almost weekly as
I design our church's service bulletin.

There are so many verse fragments floating
around my head and with this site I am able
to type in a search for either a word or
phrase and most of the time can find what
I am looking for easily...whether I want it
in the King James Version, NIV or others.

The other site that has become very valuable
at our home is allrecipes.com.
Take our Thursday Evening dinner for example.
The meal was to be chicken tacos, however,
the big problem that showed up after the chicken
was all cooked and shredded was that I discovered
we had no taco seasoning.

No problem!

A simple search for taco seasoning brought me
to this page.
Now I am wondering if there will ever be a reason to
purchase those little packets again.
The kids and a guest raved about dinner!

Other favorite recipes from this site are:


Amish White Bread I made this again last night to serve with spare ribs. It is one our family favorites since I made it several months ago.

Pizza Dough...a quick recipe if you are in a time crunch.

Chelsea made this Blueberry Cheesecake and it was great!


Pancakes...Now, out of habit,I usually use a mix for this. But during a sleepover with four of Chelsea's friends a week or so ago I found I was out of mix. A quick click on this site found this delightful and simple recipe. No more box mix for me...unless I am camping or something like that.

We just never know when we might be tapping into this
site for a last minute recipe or idea but we have not
been let down yet. I love reading the reviews.

Maybe you will get Hooked On this site too.

For More Posts featuring Favorite things just
stop by Julia's Hooked on Houses Blog.
She features the neatest things herself and
then there are all of her friends with diverse
interests.

Note: Photos on this page are taken from Allrecipes.com.

Being Faithful in the Little Things

Edited to Add today's accomplishments
to bottom of post.

I am challenging myself to something.

I need to slow down.

The merry-go-round has been going too
fast and I need to slow it down and pay
attention to some necessary details.

We have six weeks off from our homeschool
co-op. Of the kids,only Mikey is working right now
so that commuting craziness is done.
I am still in the midst of actual daily
homeschool and candlemaking but those are
responsibilities that I am willing to
continue.

My home has been neglected lately as I have
been overcommitted to this and that.
It is time to be faithful in the little
things around here.

So, my commitment to myself and my family
is to take some time and get back to basics.

Of course, this hits at exactly the same time
that Chelsea wants to put up the Christmas tree
but that is fine. We can do both things at once.
It is nice that she wants to help.

It takes a little while to notice but those daily
tasks like dusting, vacuuming and floor mopping
really do make a huge difference in how your
home feels.

There is a fine line between the comfy feeling
of a "lived in" home and a neglected home.
Mine has crossed the line in some areas.

I am discontented here, of late, because of the
lack of attention I have given my poor house.
My house just seems tired.
Do you know what I mean?
It needs to be freshened.

So, I will let you know how it goes.

Goals:

List a bunch of homeschool books on eBay.
Reorganize the candle mess in the kitchen.
Buy more Vacuum Bags...its a Kirby so this is a chore.
Sort and give away or throw away anything that is not needed.
Clean out the refridgerator.
Mop all hard floors.
Dust.
Use a spot remover on hallway carpet.
Clear out coat closet of all coats that are too small.
Create a menu for next week and shop accordingly.

That should get me started...don't you think?

It is not being out there in the world doing
great things that will make me great in the
eyes of my children. It is being faithful in
the small things of life that impact them
daily.

It also makes for a cozy environment for my ever
patient husband to come home to.

So...I am off...to tear into this list.

Blessings on your day!

Becky K.

O.k. so here is what I got done...

1. Listed 5 auctions of Homeschool material on eBay.
I have about 10 more auctions to list.

2. Freecycled 3 bags of outgrown Chelsea clothes
and a set of dishes that were hanging out in the
garage for a yard sale that didn't happen.
They have been picked up already.

3. Talked with two financial clients and did the necessary
things for them.

4. Taught two subjects of school. They worked on their
own for the rest of it today.

5. Let Mikey drive me to his work....yay!

6. Swept the leaves out of the garage.

7. Sorted a huge pile of paperwork that has accumulated
on the chair beside my/our desk. Threw a LOT away.

8. Went back and let Mikey drive me back home...we made it!

9. Made the usual meals and did dishes.

10. Got groceries.

11. Put together the bulletin and all the music for
this week's service. Pastor Mike usually does this...but I
fill in for him once or twice per year if he is away.

12. Made a PowerPoint slide as per Pastor Jack's request.

13. Am heading for bed soon.

Boys and Rockets Delay Fall Nesting Plans

There is a project happening here
and you are the first to know about
it. Pastor Mike has an idea for
our church web site that involves
his love of all things flight related.

He has a degree in Aerospace Engineering.
That was what he was studying when
he got saved in college.
He worked for a company that designs
helicopters for a few
years before he headed to seminary.

We are in the process of making a series
of pages that will have a sci-fi feel to them
and should be fun.

The hope is to do this using the regular
rockets that the guys launch regularly.
I will be learning a lot about Photoshop
to morph the photos.

Then inside these pages we will post
regular pictures of the rocket launches
and the times we fly the remote controlled
airplanes.

Just more of the fun times our church has
together.


So anyway, with this in mind, Warren, Mike and the boys went
out the other evening and launched a couple
of rockets.




With some rocket haze hanging in the background the most important thing to note here is how coordinated Mikey is with his rocket and shoelaces...lol!



Jonathan prepares his rocket.


As so often happens for us the rocket returns damaged.
Bummer!

That must make it time to launch Mikey's "Dragonfly".
Yes, it does have a name.


Unfortunately, his rocket also sustained damage.
The grass is too dry and the ground too hard
for easy landings...


Time to pack up and head home.

I'll be working on the rocket pages.
You'll be the first to know when they are available at the web site.

It strikes me that this could be one of the reasons my home is not yet
joining all of you wonderful people in the Fall Nesting Party.

Well, I have been filling my head with lots and lots of Music related to Thanksgiving and Fall. The leaves are falling outside our home. The
weather is certainly going to bring more down today.

I truly want to make my nest all fall-like.

Hmmm...I'll work on that today....
Blessings on your day.

Becky K.

Hospitality

When I was newly married and had our first home my ideas of entertaining guests were quite different than they are today. First, the house had to be absolutely spotless...there were no children then...now, there are children. If I waited to entertain until the house was spotless it would just never happen.
I used to think that guests wanted my undivided attention the entire time they were with me...wow, they must have been exhausted when they left! My current approach is that most are treated like family and can feel free to hang out in the kitchen as I prep or are free to hang out in the yard or living room whatever is most comfortable for them. Those who are in our home on a regular, even weekly, basis know where the coffee cups are and help themselves to the basics. I prefer it this way. It is not a huge event to have guests now so that I put it off. If after church on Sunday the idea hits to grab a family to invite for lunch I don't stress if the kids' schoolwork is not put away.
You know, it has occured to me that most people are more comfortable in a "lived in" home than a showplace. I guess that comes with experience.
As a result of my relaxation our home has become a frequent "hang-out" on Sunday nights for friends from church, whether they be singles, single parents, or young families looking for mentoring. I welcome them with open arms and point out the mug cupboard!