Baseball Season

I'm working really hard this year not to embarrass the lad. I just get really in to the game. Hansel needs to win a game this year. Last year, they lost every single cotton' pickin' game except one that they tied.

They almost won last night and I am hoping that he will feel the adrenaline of winning a game soon. He is doing great. He did score last night and he is enjoying it more this year. It was getting old dragging a kid to games and practices who did not want to go. This year he has his game face on. I am proud of him and did I mention we are just a couple of days away of finishing school!!

I feel the breeze blowing my way! Have a great day all ye faithful readers. I am off to a field trip today with Gretel.

Three Inexpensive Weekend Home Decorating Projects

Wow. . .I have had a terrific time lately decorating my home. I have been inspired by magazines, other's homes and of course my own creative genius! ;)

For the first project:
My room has an Asian feel and I am in love with fabric (and my husband of course). I saw this in a magazine. One of my favorites is Better Homes and Garden 100 Decorating Ideas under $100. I used fabric from the dollar table at the fabric store as well as a piece of fabric that I already had in my room. My mom actually bought the window pane for me for $15 from my favorite antique store in town, Judith Lee's. Even if you have to buy the pane yourself it is still a very affordable project that transforms a room quickly. I used my fabulous staple gun to secure the fabric to the wood.

The Second Project:
This next project is one that my Gretel requested as we were lying in bed for prayers the other night. She had seen a net canopy at a friend's house that she really liked and my brain went into overdrive on how I could make it inexpensively for her. It did cost me $21, but it gave me great satisfaction in doing it myself which is worth a million bucks.

• I used a hoop that you would use to hold material steady as you were embroidering something. It was a rather large hoop and was about $6 at the fabric store. I think you could definitely find it cheaper at Hobby Lobby but I live in the middle of nowhere so I had to just suck it up and pay for it.
  
• The fabric I got off the dollar table once again (cost $6). In using the hoop I just positioned the material between the two hoops and tightened the bolt to make sure it did not slip. I once again used my very cool staple gun to attach the pink fringe.
  
• We already had the light in her room and I used fishing string to hold the hoop to the ceiling.
• I had ribbon to pull the material up to the sides of the bed for sleeping

Voila. . .she loved it. She had gone away for the weekend with grandmommi and she walked into a clean room with that hanging from the ceiling! Very fun.

Last but not least . .. I saw this idea at a ladies home in Missouri last summer and I was determined to do it this year. I am actually getting ready to change out the flowers in it, but I liked the tulips for a short while. anyway, you get the jist. Happy Decorating!
Make sure to check out more posts on everything from chocolate and strawberry recipes to easy summer meals at Rocks in My Dryer's Works for Me Wednesday.

Gardening Moments with Gretel

The other evening I was in my front garden bed working on getting the weeds out. Gretel and I were having a tough day because she did not want to do her homework so she spent about an hour and a half crying. I was pretty fed up. . .in the most nurturing way possible, right?

She came up to me while I was de-weeding the flower bed and asked what I was doing. I started to say, "I am doing something I don't want to do, but doing it anyway," but I said "pulling up weeds." Gretel asked if she could help and I obliged. She started pulling the tops off of the weeds and I explained that she had to pull them up by the root so that they would not grow anymore. As I was explaining my own little parable I had a light bulb moment. . .if you watch Maya and Miguel. . .I had a SOS! :)

I explained to her that pulling weeds is much like life. There are lots of weeds in our life and if we want to get them out then we cannot just pull the tops off. The weeds will continue grow. BUT, if we pull the weeds up by the root, we will indeed be able to get rid of them. I could tell that she was getting the point in her six year old mind.

I inquired of her if she had any "weeds or bad habits" in her life that she needed to get rid of. She said very sweetly, "I whine a lot." I smiled and let her know that was something I struggle with as well. I told her that getting rid of the weeds by the root takes lots of prayer and friends (aka accountability) to help you pull up the roots. Later that night we prayed that God would help us to get rid of the weeds by pulling them up by the roots in our lives. As I was walking out the door she elaborated on the "parable" and said that if we got rid of the weeds then God could grow pretty flowers there instead. Ah, yes my dear. You got it!

What a sweet satisfaction it is to be a momma to Gretel.

Menu Plan Monday - Busy Week!!

Monday - WonTon Taco Salad; had it tonight and it was really good and fairly fast-the boys did not get to eat before the 5:30 game, but I took Prince Charming some and Hansel ate a PB and J and came home to finish the won ton's off.

• Hansel's first baseball game - did not win, but Hansel did very well and I am proud of him; pics to come. . .
  

Tuesday - deviled eggs; BBQ chicken;

• Gretel's practice; running club

Wednesday - pancakes, bacon, strawberries (on sale at El Kroger)

• Elder's Meeting, Awana

Thursday - 15 bean soup-I use the recipe on the back of the package and it is really good, cheap and healthy

Friday - Carbonara-the only thing I add to this is green onions and pepper; Texas toast
Carbin up for the big race

Saturday - hmmm. . .what to eat on Saturday's . . . I never feel like cooking. Maybe we can do the $5 Subway thing again this week. I pick up 2 footlongs and chips. . .there ya go!

If it is pretty out maybe we can grill something, but I will use Subway as my back-up plan.

• running another 5K! Hoping to improve! :)
  

Sunday - I have some Won Ton's leftover and if they stay fresh until Sunday I will do the Won Ton Taco thing again. I did not have lettuce tonight so maybe by then I can make it a healthier meal; add veggie refried beans and it is really yummy.