Works for Me: Instant Volume Control

My daughter has aquired many toys that are LOUD. Most don't come with any form of volume control, and can really give you a headache after a while. So one day I covered the speaker with a piece of blue painters tape and presto - the volume is turned down to a more reasonable level. She can keep playing with her toys, and I can keep my sanity.

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The Little Things

Lately I have felt like God has been calling me to pray more about things, even the little ones that seem too trivial to bother Him with. I have had a had time finding clothing that fits right since having Princess2 - even though I am only a few pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight, my old clothes just don't fit right anymore. I was having an especially hard time finding something to wear to church the other day, and prayed that God would help me find something I liked that fit well and didnt cost too much. After looking through several stores yesterday and leaving empty handed, I stopped at Goodwill on the way home and found a cute skirt that fit me perfectly and only cost $2.49. I guess God does care about the little things after all :)

Make This Monday: Indian Chicken Curry

1 lb diced chicken breast
1 Tbl. Cornstarch
1 1/3 c chicken broth
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp red pepper
salt to taste

Toss chicken and cornstarch together. Brown chicken in skillet. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until carrots are tender. Serve over rice.

Outside freezer- Is it worth the money?

We moved into this house last summer, and brought our old refrigerator with us to keep in the garage. I have enjoyed being able to buy foods in bulk, and double meals when I cook and store them in the freezer for nights when I am too tired to cook ( which came in especially handy when Avalyn arrived).

Lately though I have been wondering if it is costing more in electricity than it is saving us? Our last electric bill was $274, and I think part of that cost is from trying to keep the fridge and freezer cold when it is 100 degrees in the garage.

It is about halfway empty at this point - should we try to eat everything out of it and then shut it off until the weather cools down? Or is the cost of running it nominal? I'd love to hear from anyone who keeps an outdoor freezer.

Italian Grilled Cheese

Wow. I came up with this on a whim the other day and loved it.

2 thick slices sourdough bread
sliced fresh mozzerella cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, cut in half

Brush bread with olive oil and rub with garlic. cook in skillet until bread is toasty and cheese is melty. Rub with garlic again and serve with a sprig of fresh basil.

Works for Me: Paying cash for groceries

Last week I tried something new - I only took cash to the grocery store for my weekly trip. It was a challenge to stay under budget, ad I was only able to buy the things I needed for our meals. But it worked, and how wonderful it felt afterwards to know that I didn't waste money on "extras" that are bad for our wallet and our diet.

I am planning to make this a regular thing in an effort to trim our grocery bill down. I know this isnt a new concept, but it is a new thing for me, and it really worked for me!

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Potty Training - What works for you?

I'm having a reverse wfmw today - I need some potty training advice.

Princess 1 is finally potty trained, yay! But we still have one problem. She is currently using the little kid potty, meaning we have to empty it out all day long - yuck. We have tried two potty seats for the big potty and both are too hard for her to climb onto by herself, even with a stepstool.

How did everyone else enable their little ones to get onto the big potty?

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