For Good

So, I have been really missing my BFF lately. She lives way too far away. I was making dinner tonight and listening to Wicked. I'm not gonna lie, I almost got tearful. This song always reminds me of her.

 I'm limited
Just look at me - I'm limited
And just look at you 
You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda
So now it's up to you
For both of us - now it's up to you...

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me 
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring 
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

Because I knew you

I have been changed for good

And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the thing I've done you blame me for

But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share

And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

Like a ship blown from its mooring 
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

Who can say if I've been 
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

And because I knew you...

Because I knew you...

Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good. 



This reminds me of singing in the car with her. It was one of my favorite things to do. Then she made the "no clapping" rule;-)

I am so thankful that God gave me such a good friend. I feel like we are similar to David and Jonathan in the Bible, friends so close that our souls have been knit together. I love you, Kay-ran! 

Homemade Laundry Soap

Last summer, one of my friends made some homemade laundry soap. She shared the recipe and then I compared the cost of making my own or using store-bought soap. The price difference was unbelievable. I made a big batch of it this summer and it cost less than $10, and that included the container to keep it in. I still have about half of it left. A generic bottle of laundry soap that washes 40 loads is about $4.99. The homemade laundry soap costs less than a penny per load. Here is the recipe that I used:

1 cup 20 mule team Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda
2 cups grated bar soap (I used Ivory soap. One bar is about 2 cups grated.)

Once the soap is grated and mixed with the washing soda and borax, I put it in the blender to get it to a fine powder. Store it in an airtight container. You only have to use 2 tablespoons for each load of clothes. You can even use this soap in high efficiency washers.

Giant tub of laundry soap

What are some money-saving ideas that you have tried? 

A New Look?

Perhaps I love my slippers a little too much. Mornings are always hectic at our place. My husband and I leave at the same time. It is usually a mad dash. I like to stay in bed as long as possible. Then I go take a shower while he starts lunches and breakfast. Then I start the hair/makeup/clothes process while he showers. This morning it was so hectic. I was trying to be early (story of my life) but I was still running late. I grabbed my purse and keys and coffee and lunch. My husband was right behind me. Everything seemed normal. I had taken 2 steps out of the house when I realized I was still wearing my pink, fuzzy slippers. I immediately turned around and ran back in to change and what is my sweet, precious husband doing? Laughing. Hysterically. Pointing and laughing. Holding the door frame and laughing. And pointing. And in between chuckles he is muttering that he can't wait to post this on Facebook. I am just thankful that he didn't reach for his phone to take a photo. I just knew he would have. 

Then as I was leaving for the second time, I was suddenly in a better mood. I had had a pretty rotten day on Wednesday and pretty much thought that Thursday would be the same, if not worse. But I am convinced that God has a sense of humor. He let me leave the house in my slippers to give me a good laugh. It certainly changed my disposition. 

Even though my husband didn't get a picture, I took one when I got home just to show the obvious contrast with the slippers and my skirt today. My 6th graders would have never let me forget if I had come to school in pink slippers! 

A new look? 

Space savers for the loo

I have been wanting to share some ideas about space savers for months now, but I haven't been able to locate any before pictures of my bathroom. So, try to picture the smallest bathroom you have ever seen (I mean so small you could sit on the toilet and put your feet in the tub while leaning on the corner sink.) and then fill it with a cabinet with drawers, a back-of-the-toilet shelf full of stuff, and now you are beginning to get the idea.

When my husband and I got married, we both had a lot of stuff. He is, by nature, a pack rat, and I am a minimalist. I don't like clutter at all. At first, we tried to both keep all of our own things and we tried really hard to make it work. After about a year, it was time to rethink, reorganize, and rectify the situation. I wanted to find ways to make the bathroom look nice. I wanted everything to have a place. I wanted everything to have a function. And I wanted to accomplish all of this on a shoestring budget.

First, we decided that the rack behind the toilet had to go. This made a considerable improvement. In its place I wanted a piece of art that would bring some color into our very drab black and white water closet. I searched the clearance racks at every store imaginable and then came across the perfect piece at Kirkland's. It was only $16! What a deal! It is large and it is a much nicer focal point than our toilet:)

gorgeous! I love the dark frame! 

Then it was on to some things to really make everything fit back into the teeny room. There is a really great wooden box on the back of the toilet. I found it at Hobby Lobby for 50% off. I think it was only $10. We keep Q-tips in it. They fit perfectly and I think it looks a whole lot nicer than an open box of cotton swabs.

a closer look

I love the look of it! It is resting on a red placemat that is folded in half. Again, the red really brightens up the room. I already had a great cabinet that I bought at Pier 1 a very long time ago. It is really perfect since we don' t have a lot of under sink space or a very large medicine cabinet. It holds everything! There is an entire drawer full of medicines and vitamins. It even has my blow dryer and straightener in it. It is a perfect fit in this tiny space.

Perfect! 

On top of this cabinet, there is a little box that is so cute as well. It holds some more bathroom essentials. I love that it is accessible, but not out in the open. Again, I love for everything to have a place.

Here is a better look. On top is a candle holder, sans candle. 

The box was something we already owned and the candle holder was another Hobby Lobby find for $2.50. Then for the finishing touches. Our shower curtain was a wedding gift, and it was just what we wanted, so not wanting to get rid of it, I opted for a modification. I bought ribbon for $1 a spool. It took 4 spools to do what I wanted, but I love the look!

Ta-Da! So cute, right?

I absolutely love this look! And I love that I could add that much color for only a few dollars! Then I added some red hand towels to the rack by the sink (4 @ $1 each at the Christmas Tree Shop in Indy), a red ceramic cup for the toothbrush holder ($1 @ Hobby Lobby) and a ribbon to the top of the towel hanger (free! It was used to tie a gift together. I took it off and reused that bad daddy!).

new red towels

a cup for toothbrushes (it really is straight, but I was contorting my body to get the pic)

So for less than $40, I have a great looking bathroom and I have a place for everything. I love it!

What great space-saving tips have you tried?

Chicken Parmesan

This week at my house we have tried 3 new recipes. I don't normally feel so adventurous, but this week we tried chicken marsala, chicken parmesan, and a new spaghetti recipe. They were all phenominal, but the chicken parmesan was my favorite new thing of the week. I didn't have a real recipe to follow, but it turned out pretty well and my husband was more than pleased. Here is the recipe that I used...feel free to give it a whirl.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 jar of marinara sauce (I used Bertolli olive oil and garlic...so good!)

mozzarella cheese

First, put the chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound it until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Mix the flour, parmesan cheese, and spices in a shallow dish. Heat some olive oil in a skillet until it is nice and hot. Dip the chicken in the flour/spice mix and place in pan. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until it is a nice golden brown color. Meanwhile, warm the marinara. When the chicken is done, put it on a plate, cover with marinara, and top with some mozzarella cheese. I served it with some steamed broccoli. It was amazing! 

YUMM-O

What new recipes have you loved recently? 

My favorite kitchen things

Oprah gets to publish a favorite things list, so I thought I would give it a try. Since I love to cook so much, I love a good kitchen gadget. Here are 5 of my favorite things in my kitchen (at least right now...I have my eye on some other great things)

Silicone basting brushes

These are so fantastic. I actually have a blue one too, but I can't find it right now. I love these for putting some bbq sauce on chicken or ribs. I also use them to add some butter to the tops of fresh biscuits and cheesy garlic biscuits. I think I love them so much because I hate the thought of bacteria growing on a brush with real bristles. These are dishwasher safe so I feel that they are really clean when I am finished using them.

mortar and pestle 

At least that's what I think it is called. This is really small, but it serves one single purpose in my kitchen. I hate to eat rosemary because it is like little sticks stabbing me in the mouth. So, whenever I make my granny's lasagna, I use this to pulverize the rosemary! Works like a charm. I get the taste of her yummy pasta but without the stabby feeling in my mouth

Strawberry leaf remover

I don't really know what this is called, but it works really well. And it is super cute! It doesn't hurt that I found it on clearance for about a dollar. You just grab the top of a strawberry, twist and pull and viola!

metal scraper

This is another utensil that I cannot live without. I use it every time I chop veggies or fruit. It gets everything on the cutting board so you can easily scrape it off into whatever you need to. It also works to cut dough for rolls or bread. I love it!

And now...drum roll please...my favorite kitchen gadget...

ceramic knife

This was a gift from my brother-in-law. It is AMAZING! It is remarkably sharp...my fingers can attest to that! It chops and dices with such ease that I hardly use any of my other knives anymore. The only downfall to this knife is that you can't sharpen it yourself. You have to send it away to be sharpened. But, to be able to use this knife on a day to day basis, it is worth it.

So there you have it, a few of my favorite kitchen things. Now I wish I could go to Crate and Barrel to look for some new things that I can't live without!

A very belated Valentine's day

Valentine's Day has such special place in my heart. Two years ago, the love of my life asked me to marry him. This year we celebrated our second Valentine's day as a married couple. This year, my husband was so very good to me. Last Saturday, he gave me some super new slippers. I have been begging for some new ones for a very long time! They are super comfy and pink! Then on Sunday, as we were leaving for the church, he handed me a new Bible! I have needed a new one for a while now. He is just so thoughtful.

Then, on Monday, he had flowers delivered to me at school. He is such a romantic! I am so blessed to call him my husband.

So beautiful! 

We spent a lovely evening together. We ate some amazing chicken marsala. It was such a great time together. I am so thankful for the man that God has given me. I am so excited to spend every Valentine's day with him!

Football, Fun, and Food...now I'm FRAZZLED!

I hate to start a Monday like this. My house is a mess. There is laundry to be done. I have piles of leftover grading from last week. There is a mountain of dishes in the sink. And of course, no matter how frazzled I feel, I have to go to school. I felt like I was a kid again this morning. I whined that I didn't want to get up. I pouted about having to get ready. I complained about my clothes, the weather, and anything else I could think of. I just didn't want to go to school. I love my job. I really do, but today I was just not feeling it. I sometimes wish that I could have a desk job where I could just be by myself all day and ease myself back into being at work. Unfortunately, at precisely 7:45, the bell rang and in walked my class. Monday was here and I couldn't do anything about it.

I have great excuses for feeling so lousy this morning. I have been incredibly busy this weekend. We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday on Saturday and we cooked some amazing food for the occasion. Then I stayed up late watching the big game last night! (GO PACKERS!!!)

So, now it is Monday evening. The house is slightly less messy. The mountain of dishes has disappeared. The pile of grading is gradually getting smaller, and the dryer just buzzed. Just a few more hours and this Monday will be completely behind me! Hallelujah!