7 Quick Takes: 7/30

1.) I'll start with a confession: I now spend more time on Twitter than I do on Facebook.  Some of my favorite tweeps are people who tweet about Type I Diabetes and Christian mom bloggers. ... so if you know someone I should be following, let me know!

2.) I had a very rare opportunity last week: I had lunch at Panera, on a weekday, alone.  I adore their food, but it's a little pricey to eat there with the kids, and DH doesn't care for Panera.  Seriously... good soup + fresh bread= my perfect meal.  Throw in some gourmet coffee or an icy Mountain Dew and I'm in heaven.    And no, Panera is not compensating me in any way for this post!

 photo credit: Pirate Johnny @ Flicker
This looks almost exactly like what I had!  :)

3.) My new dream job?  Some kind of writing gig where I can sit with my laptop in Panera  or a  bookstore and write while drinking fancy coffee... and get paid to do it.  If you see anyone looking to hire a coffee-shop lurking writer, let me know!

4.) My Saturday plans: make a big batch of refrigerator pickles, as requested by my DH.  And get the boy a hair cut.  That's it.  I'm soooo happy to have a "free day" at home.

5.) Somebody in this house... not naming names... has been wearing underwear without accidents for three days in a row now.  Whoo hoo!

6.) Giving away our crib this week was a little bit hard for me.  I can't have any more kids (medical reasons), but it was still hard to see it go.  Knowing that it went to a young couple who really need it helped.  Knowing that their baby is due THIS WEEK and they just now got a crib made me worry a little... ok, a lot... about how they will be able to provide for their new baby.  I pray that all goes well for them.

7.) I'm not usually too fond of nuts, but I've fallen in love with these 100 calorie packs of cocoa roasted almonds.  They're just the right blend of flavor without being too sweet, and they're only 4 carbs per pack. I originally bought them as a "free food" for my Type I Diabetic daughter, but she didn't like them,.  Now I may have to go buy more for myself. :)  And again, nobody is paying me to say this... that link goes through Amazon, where I might make a few pennies only IF about ten of you purchase something through that link. I just put it there so you could see what I'm talking about.

Visit Conversion Diary for more 7 Quick Takes and to share your own.

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  
You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

WFMW: free chore chart & game

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company and I am not being compensated in any way for this post.

A few weeks ago I was surfing online for a creative chore chart idea for my kids.  I came across a site called HandiLand.  This FREE site allows you to create chore charts for your kids, and when they complete their chores, they earn points. (They can also lose points for committing an infraction that the parent adds to the list, such as fighting with a sibling.) The points are  then redeemed for virtual items in HandiLand, where the kids create their own Cool Cat character.   They can buy clothes, furniture, etc. for their cat to use.  

I like this system for several reasons- it's easy enough for the kids to do themselves, and it's simple for me to log on and add or remove items from their chore lists.  I can print out the weekly chore chart (tip: shrink it to fit on one page) and keep track of points off-line.  There's also an option for "real world" rewards with points that the system tracks-- the site suggests basing your child's allowance on these points.  My kids don't receive an allowance yet, but I think this system could work for us.

My kids are enjoying their virtual cats, and I'm enjoying how easy it is to get them to do their jobs... this system definitely works for me!   Check out more WFMW tips here.

The Type 1 Mom Song

I LOVE this video! It makes me both laugh and cry every single time I watch it.

Summer Reading: She Walks in Beauty

She Walks In Beauty by Siri Mitchell 

She’s loved by all... and known by no one.

Clara Carter is a 17 year-old girl, unwillingly thrust into the role of social debutant a year earlier than expected.  Her Aunt and Father have made it very clear that she must win the hand of the most eligible bachelor this season in order to regain the family's honor.  Feeling that she has no other choice, Clara suffers through an endless season of calling on acquaintances, attending balls, and making polite conversation that goes no deeper than the weather or the latest fashion.  Clara holds her tongue, does as she's expected to do... and then finds out that everything she has grown up believing about her family is a lie.

This was another quick read with an easily predictable ending.  All of the problems were neatly tied up in the last chapter... a little too neat & quick for my taste, actually.   I felt like I had spent the entire book learning about every event in great detail-- right down to the color of trim on a ball gown-- and then, wham, several people's lives are suddenly wrapped up in a space of just a few paragraphs.

My copy of this book was provided by Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest review.

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

WFMW: online time= great snail mail

Besides social networking... making friends... learning about other lifestyles... do you know what else happens when you make good use of your time online?   You get fun surprises in the mail!

This box arrived last week:

Seriously, this is the biggest cleaning caddy I've ever seen- easily twice as deep as the one I already owned.  I had no clue what this box was when it arrived, but apparently I won one of the Right At Home prize packs.  That was simple to enter- just click and enter your details.  And they have another giveaway going on right now-- you can enter to win a back to school package!

I love to read.  And at least once a week, FREE books arrive in my mail box, because I've applied to various companies and been accepted to write book reviews.  If this sounds like something you would like to do, I know that both Bethany House and The Catholic Company are accepting applications for new reviewers right now.

I receive coupons and free samples in the mail almost daily.  I only request those that I know we'll use.. not every single offer available out there.  (I used to request anything I heard of, but that just resulted in a lot of mail going straight to the trash.)  Reading blogs like: The Freebie Blogger and Money Saving Mom helps keep me alert to the new offers that are available.

Blogs also alert me to great giveaways.  I've won several over the past few years since I started blogging. In the last few months I've won a gardening package from Simply Serve, some Wonder Hangers from Sarah, and just this week-- an American Girl doll through Blissfully Domestic!  (Shhhh- don't tell my daughter- she will be receiving this for Christmas!)  And I don't enter that many giveaways- maybe only 1/3 of those that I see. 

Now, of course, you have to be careful who you give your personal information to, or else you'll wind up with a mailbox full of junk.  I only provide my mailing address to reputable companies, and I opt out of receiving extra catalogs, fliers, etc. when I can.  

Finding fun surprises in my mail box definitely works for me!  Head on over to Works for Me Wednesday to share your own tips and read some others!

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

WFMW: $3 wall art

I needed some cheap artwork to hang on the wall of the kids' bathroom when we first moved into this house.  I had a country blue & red plaid shower curtain, and decided to go with a Raggedy Ann theme.  

 The pictures came from a vintage Raggedy Ann & Andy book that my sister had given me- she'd gotten it with a bunch of other books through FreeCycle.  The 8x10" frames were $1 each from the local dollar store.  I thought they were a perfect match to the country feel I wanted in that room.  (It's hard to tell from my poor camera phone photo, but they came painted dark blue with white spattered paint-- they  kind of look like enamelware.)

 

Sadly, these pictures came down this week.  We've just redecorated the kids' bathroom... again it was done  frugally, just in a theme that they chose themselves this time.   Check back soon for that post!  :)

Cheap and easy wall artwork works for me!  Check out more Works for Me Wednesday tips at We are THAT Family! 

Summer Reading: Sixteen Brides

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Sixteen widows are promised land of their own and a new beginning out west, but things don't turn out to be exactly as promised.   Five of them band together and  set out to make a life in this rough new world. 

This was a nice book for light summer reading. I found it to be predictable, but the stories of each woman's life were still interesting. Ms.Whitson somehow managed to write the interwoven stories of five different women without things becoming confusion or boring- that was no small feat, I'm sure! 

My copy of this book was provided free in exchange for my honest review by Bethany House Publishers.  Sign up HERE if you'd like to apply to become a Bethany House book reviewer.

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Menu Plan Tuesday

Yep, I'm a day late on this meme... but I still need a menu plan for the week, so I'm linking up anyway.  ;)  As you can see, I'm not doing much "real" cooking this week- these are all quick and easy meals.

• MONDAY: fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans
• TUESDAY: new recipe: Quick BBQ Beef Sandwiches,  potato wedges, celery, tomatoes
• WEDNESDAY:  lasagna (from freezer), garlic bread sticks (from grocery bakery clearance rack), tossed salad
• THURSDAY: kielbasa, macaroni & cheese, peas
• FRIDAY: roasted chicken wings (frozen), sweet potato baked fries, salad
• SATURDAY: homemade pizza -- using whatever toppings we're in the mood for that day & maybe this new recipe: Pizza Hut Style Breadsticks, salad  *We often do homemade pizza on Saturdays. This bread stick recipe has been on the menu plan for months now, but we never seem to have time to make it! I keep listing it in my menu plan to remind myself to try it.  :)

Check out more menus or share your own at Menu Plan Monday!



This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Menu Plan Monday 7/5

• MONDAY: new recipe: Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders, macaroni & cheese, broccoli
  
• TUESDAY: new recipe: Cheeseburger Pockets, tossed salad
• WEDNESDAY:  Chicken & Cheese French Bread Pizza, fruit
• THURSDAY: flank steak in crockpot w/ salsa, served on tortillas with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.
• FRIDAY: dinner out
• SATURDAY: homemade pizza -- using whatever toppings we're in the mood for that day & maybe this new recipe: Pizza Hut Style Breadsticks, salad  *We often do homemade pizza on Saturdays. This bread stick recipe has been on the menu plan for WEEKS now, but we never seem to have time to make it! I keep listing it in my menu plan to remind myself to try it.  :)

Check out more menus or share your own at Menu Plan Monday!

Happy 4th of July!

Thanks to Mandi for the graphic!

\