Find your spontaneous place...

With the ins and outs of the daily grind, do you ever set aside time to be spontaneous?

Seriously, as much as I am passionate about living life to its fullest, getting older has its drawbacks. I've lost some of that spontaneous spirit that I used to thrive on, and I want it back.
So with only frozen pizza on the menu, I realized that tonight we would make a mundane moment magical.

Just changing scenery for meal time can make that memory happen, and it did.
Without spending an extra dime or anguishing over any preplanned details, I slipped the pizzas out of the oven, threw them on some trays, grabbed just paper plates, lemonade, chips and loaded up various children. :)
I really didn't "have the time" to be spontaneous tonight, but I realize in the long run, I don't have the time NOT to be.
I often forget that we have our own little treasure tucked away in the middle of our country living just 1/2 mile down the road.
Just because we don't have a boat, jet ski or house on the lake, doesn't mean we can't enjoy it's therapeutic effects.

Total Extra Cost? Nothing but a tiny bit of gasoline.
Total time? One hour
Spontaneous Memory Making? Forever...

You may not have a lake hidden down the road, but what spontaneous destination awaits you?

Share some of your brainstorming in the comments and see what one hour may open up in your family life this week or month.

A friend of mine shared a favorite memory. Her dad would pack them in the car with a picnic or snacks, hop on the highway and drive for just one exit. Then they'd find a fun place on the side of the road to picnic. Always someplace new, different and packed with memory making moments.

I love that...simple, intentional and fun.

It may be to just hop in your car for ten minutes and have your children (or spouse) direct you. Let them navigate your spontaneity and tell you left, right, go forward, back up and see where you end up.
I can't wait to hear the result. :)

Baked Oatmeal - Tasty Tuesday

For decades, women have shouted from the rooftops, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. " Yet, some how in the hustle and bustle of early morning activities, it's also the hardest for me to implement on a regular basis.
I have nightmares that my children will reminisce about their mom's special cooking which yielded early morning Eggo cinnamon waffles in the van...no syrup, since that would be a mess...but flavored because they can eat them like a snack. ;)

I know how important it is to get solid nutrients in our morning tummy and whole grains are a win-win in our household. There are so many health benefits to oatmeal, not to mention it's a wonderfully frugal breakfast alternative.

I have multiple recipes for baked oatmeal, and many of them taste like a sugary breakfast cake.
This is not one of them. It's intent is a wholegrain, healthy baked oatmeal breakfast that most of my children really love (4 out of 5 aint bad ;).
I have been preparing this since 1996, and have modified it over the years by adding seasonal fruit.
You can mix this up the night before and pop it in the oven first thing in the morning.
Baked Oatmeal

5 cups rolled oats (not instant...rolled and steel cut are where the health benefits abound)
2 cups milk
4 large eggs
3/4 cup honey
1 TB Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Seasonal fruit ( I have enjoyed strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, apples etc).

Mix together and pour into a 9x13 baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
We serve with milk and a bit of syrup (optional)
This reheats well.

One of my goals this school year is to plan my breakfasts more effectively.
I'll share as I master this. :) If I don't share...well, that's your answer.

So what are you cooking up for Tasty Tuesday?
I can't wait to be inspired.

Back to School Tradition ideas

FUN FROM BEGINNING TO END
Be sure to make a special breakfast to start the school year off right. Make an elaborate feast, maybe waffles with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, or eggs benedict - anything but the usual scrambled eggs and toast. Let your kids select the menu and do the grocery shopping together to prepare this special meal. Wake up early and set the table with your best dishes, turn on background music and really make this meal special. Do the same to celebrate the last day of school. Prepare a unique desert like German chocolate cake, strawberry cheesecake or something special to be repeated year after year. When you serve your children this ceremonial dessert, present them with a small gift. (This is a great time to introduce or contribute to a collection that your child may have, or want to start). This gift is not a reward for their performance, but a mark of accomplishment.

BUS STOP BREAKFAST BASH

Organize a neighborhood breakfast bash on the first day of school. Bring doughnuts, bagels, hot chocolate, juice and milk for the young students and their parents to enjoy as they wait for the bus. This is a perfect way for your children to get to know their classmates, and a great opportunity for you to meet their parents. This photo moment can be collaged into your “Back to School” book.
(Since we home school, we haven't been able to enjoy the Bus Stop Bash tradition, but memories of my own time at the bus stop are still strong.)

Bus Stop Wishes or Car Pool Wishes
Make bus-stop time fun! Ask each person to share morning wishes for himself and others in the car or at the bus stop. Watch how this simple tradition strengthens friendships and helps children be in tune to the important things in their friends’ lives.

School Years Book – organizing their best work
All good parents struggle with how many of those school "keepsakes" and projects we should keep. Give each child a very special book where they can place their favorite work from the upcoming school year. Let each child know that this is his or her book and it will be safe place to keep all of their favorite drawings, writing projects, and even report cards. This simple idea will show your children how much you value their work and it will make a wonderful keepsake for years to come. AND, it will keep you from storing boxes and boxes of paper!

School Year Memories
I have lived with "mommy guilt" over not scrapbooking every school detail. I have started a "school" album where each year you capture a handful of the year’s memories, and put them in an album. Have 2-3 pages per year...that's it!! Take all pressure off. The first page could hold special photos, i.e. the first day of school, a photo with your best buddies, a picture of your school, and a square that captures a cherished thought like “When I grow up I want to be…”
Have the student’s teacher write a letter which can be the last page for the year.
When graduation comes, you will be ready to display your collected memories. You could even keep it a secret through the years, and give it as a graduation gift. What a blessing that will be. Remember, only a few pages a year, and then all mommy guilt is gone. :)

Sunday Coupon Preview

Due to last weeks triple coupons, my pantry is overstuffed with cereal, granola bars, snacks, yogurts and a host of other goodies because I knew in advance what coupon items were going to match up with the sales. I then ordered (Ebay, couponing sites) additional coupons, asked around for coupon inserts that people weren't going to use, and stocked up on the nearly free items.
Check below to see the coupons coming out next week.




If there are a few excellent coupons on things I use a lot, I know to buy some extra papers or be a bit more diligent about asking my friends. Registering on the grocery forum below gives me the heads up on my favorite grocery store sales so that I know in advance what I want to stockpile.

Wedding Traditions

	Wishes to the Bride and Groom – When one of my nieces got married last year, I used this tradition idea at both her wedding shower and then again at the wedding reception. I had beautiful card stock with the words printed "Wishes to the Bride and Groom." I asked everyone to write a wish, blessing or bible verse to my niece and her fiance/husband. I then gathered the cards at the reception, joined them with the ones previously written at the shower, and put them in a toile drawstring bag so that they could read them on their wedding night... well, more realistically, on their honeymoon. ;) It was priceless, memorable and yet another frugal delight that money can't buy. I hope that they will pull those out and read them on every anniversary.
Our New Family – A loving way to start the new couple off in the right direction is to create their first Family Album for them. Collage the first few pages with photos and notes about the bride and groom growing up. Then follow with a few pages of their courtship. Now they are sure to continue with memories of the wedding and their life together.
Piece of Our Hearts – Many brides and grooms laugh or cry their way through their wedding vows, so most guests have no idea what was said during the ceremony. If you think about all the time you spent putting together these sentimental dedications, it just seems natural that everyone should share this precious moment with you. Place a printed copy of your wedding vows on every guest’s seat or as part of the take home gift. This also ensures that you save a copy and that the groom completes his vows more than 5 minutes before the ceremony. Don’t forget to include these printed sentiments in your wedding album as a treasured keepsake
Love Notes – Love notes is a box full of love; a delightful gift to give to new brides and grooms. Let them know how much they are loved by asking the bridal party to leave a love note in the box for the bride and groom on their wedding day. Perhaps the box could be left in their honeymoon suite or packed in their honeymoon luggage. We Were There – (This is for the extremely organized friend...see what I'd do below). Collect signatures from your guests in their RSVP envelopes and have them embroidered onto a white or ivory linen tablecloth with silver, gold or a matching thread. You can display this lovely keepsake at the wedding and bring it out every anniversary to adorn your special candlelit dinner table. This is a wonderful way to remember friends and family members who were present and shared that special moment with the two of you. (Since actually having the names embroidered would be beautiful, yet costly, the same tradition can happen with a gorgeous silver paint pen).