Favorite Things Party

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

This past Saturday I hosted the 4th annual favorite things party! It's seriously my favorite day of the year! We have such a blast!



And the favorite things list includes:
Heather: Meyer All Surface Spray and Target gift card
Amanda: Mason jar soap dispenser and crocheted dish cloth
Rochelle:  9x13  stone casserole dish
Lyndsey: infinity scarf
Val: World's Softest Socks
Angie: dish drying mat, mug and travel cup
Trisha: Amazon gift card and Ebates
Me: Rachael Ray lazy spoon and ladle set
Anne: make your own laundry detergent (borax, washing soda and falsnapha soap)
Marcie: variety pack of her fave hard ciders, beer
Lisa: Trader Joe goodies, peppermint green tea, and cookie butter (with graham crackers)
Mindy: Vanilla Caramel tea and variety tea pack and mug
Emily: sweet and salty popcorn mix and The Body Shoppe body wash
Heidi: Youngblood eyeliner (Salon Centric)
Lydia: Long beaded strand necklace and fuzzy socks

Such great variety!! 

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What I like about Aldi's

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

I've gotten a few requests about doing a post about shopping at Aldi's, and I've been putting it off because it seemed like a daunting task to list everything I buy at Aldi's. So instead of an ever long list, I thought I would instead tell you that there isn't much I don't buy there. (Beef and most of my fresh produce I get at Meijer, the butcher shop, or through a local CSA share in season. I've found it to be fresher and last longer before going bad. And they don't have as wide as a selection)
I do 80% of my weekly grocery shopping at Aldi's and go to Meijer once every couple weeks to stock up on the things Aldi's doesn't carry or we prefer from there (for example salad dressing, A-1 sauce, pizza dough, specialty products)

I've been a very happy customer and here is why:

*Their food is cheap~ I don't want to take the time to coupon or wait for sales, if you do, you probably can get your groceries for cheaper than I get mine. I've seen the coupon blogs and I wish I had the patience for that, but I don't. So I get what I want, when I want, and easily spend less than I would at Meijer for similar products.

*Their food is good~ I get a lot of organic, healthy food there. It's not name brand (although you can find some name brands at times) but if I can taste a difference I usually like it better. For example I especially love their animal crackers and chips better. And I hear the owners of Aldi also own Trader Joe's which is cool!


*I can shop quickly~the store is small, and they don't have half an aisle full of peanut butter options to choose from, so no standing in the aisle compering prices and ingredients for 20 minutes. When I shop with up to 3 kids along with me, this is huge!

Here are some recent lunches I served my kids with food from Aldi's:

peanut butter on whole wheat bread, cherry tomatoes and mandarin oranges

steamed carrots, cheese sticks and hot dog with juice 

hard boiled egg, roasted turkey slices (nitrate free) and applesauce pouch

cheese sticks, carrots and hummus and apple slices 


A few things to know:
*You do have to pay a deposit to use their carts, it's a quarter but you get it back when you return the cart. This is so they save money on cart corrals and can save us money on the groceries. 

*You need to bring your own bags, or pay a dime to buy them. I use large utility totes from thirty-one and I love it! I actually don't mind that a bit because I can take several less trips from the van to the house by carrying one (or two) big bags in instead of several plastic shopping bags. 

*They do not except credit, checks, WIC or coupons. You may pay with cash or debit. 

One last thing to add: It's not for everyone, I totally get that! 
I'm sure I'll get some comments about their food coming from China or whatever and to that I'll just say that their labels say from Bativia, IL and I choose to believe it!
I don't think I've ever eaten horse meat, because I'm sure I'll comment get that too :) 

We all make our own choices and do what works for us! 
I'm happy to answer any questions, just leave me a comment or send an email!







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Family favorite foods

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Here are a couple recipes our family loves that I was asked to share:

Goat Cheese Salad (from Jenn) 
it makes a lot so I usually cut the ingredients in half.

Salad:
1 1/2 Cups dried cranberries
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Cups glazed or honey roasted pecans or walnuts, chopped 
5 1/2oz soft fresh goat cheese crumbles
Two 5oz bags/containers of baby greens

Dressing
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (leaves only, I chop them up a little for more flavor)
3/4 Cup olive oil (I use a light or tasting olive oil)

Directions: 


Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
For dressing, whisk first three ingredients together then gradually whisk in oil.
Pour dressing over salad, mix and serve. 



Taco Pie  (from Allrecipies.com)

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) package of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning mix (or make your own)
1 8 oz container of sour cream
8 oz shredded mexican style cheese blend
1 small bag of Doritos, crushed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Lay crescent dough flat on the bottom of a pie plate and bake according to package directions.
Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. And the taco seasoning and stir together well. When dough is done, remove from oven and place meat mixture on top, then layer with sour cream and cheese and top off with the crushed chips.
Return to oven at bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top with toppings of your choice, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, salsa, black olives, onion, more sour cream, etc.


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Insta Friday

Friday, January 2, 2015


The last couple weeks of Instagram pics


Pj and pancake party at Aunt Lisa the Saturday before Christmas. The 2 little girls didn't stay, but we had to put them in the picture!

It was a great time to wrap the Christmas presents that morning while the boys were gone!

First day of Christmas break and this cute pirate slept til almost 9am!

oh Sadler!



taking all 3 kids to get groceries and run some errands 2 days before Christmas had me a little nervous

a Meijer employ asked Sadler if he was lost when I was standing right next to him. I tried hard to not let it bother me, but it did. 

We had Makenna over for a sleepover one night, we got the kids sugared up on cupcakes and they still went to sleep really good!

princess stories before bed!

cutie cousins sharing a sleeping bag and pillow

company Christmas potluck with these cute baby girls!

who looks that cute when they sleep!!??

A frappe to get me through last minute stocking shopping

sweet boy made us this cute ornament at school. I love the packaging just as much!

poor sweet love had to have bloodwork done last week as a routine check now that she's one. 

enjoying a mild winter day

boys love being in the woods with daddy, when he sent me this picture I got a little nervous!

 making good use out of sister's princess stable!

snuggles with sadler and his electronics!

snow sleds for christmas! can't wait for them to have a little snow now, but just a little!

you know you're getting old when new cozy pjs and fuzzy slippers are near the top of your Christmas wish list!

the boys used their Crazy Bounce gift cards with friends earlier this week. Such a blast!

Watching the big kids on the slides!

so addicting 

this Lego table is a dream come true, Robb made it out of an Ikea table. 
He followed a tutorial you can find here


we should probably buy a bigger couch so these boys aren't so crowded when they watch a movie!

a rare moment playing with toys and not being held by mommy. poor love is teething and super clingy. 

or maybe it's because she has an ear infection! poor thing. I took her to the dr. on Tuesday and she screamed so hard I had to pull off the highway into a rest stop on the way there to calm her down. 

his first magna tiles creation

my last client of the year, Avery, got some bright pink streaks put in! SO fun!

Robb had the day off on New Years Eve so he took Jovie in for her repeat blood work,  the lab messed up the first time, what a bummer!

after leaving the lab we headed to grandville for some lunch at Olive Garden, and a little browsing at the sporting good store. 

big kids mid-meal on NYE

 and Jovie ringing in the new year!


with the exception of Robb, who took down the Christmas trees and even put away laundry, the rest of us had a lazy start to the new year! 

pizza and bowling with my family on New Years Day.


love him to pieces 


waiting patiently for their turn 

doting on the babies



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2014 {Year in Review}

Thursday, January 1, 2015

January:

I host my favorite things party

Robb turns 30

February:

Brenham celebrates 6 years in Heaven 

March:

Jovie is baptized

We go to Indy with my family for a truck show

I have some health issues, have a kidney biopsy done. Kideny is still working great!



 We have a blast on a Disney cruise

April

I have my gallbladder removed

Sadler turns 3


 Easter

Boys have a race car birthday party


May

We spend a few days in Key West for a work trip with my family.

 Grayden turns 5!

 Mother's Day with my 3 babies

We walk in the Great Strides walk as a family to raise money for cystic fibrosis and support our little friend, Elliot


 Grayden graduates Preschool


Memorial day weekend at the cottage

June
Jovie turns 6 months old and has some photos taken with her adoring brothers

Gray learns to ride without training wheels!

We take our first camping trip of the Summer to Cran Hill with a group from church

Father's Day!

Camping for a week at Hungry Horse!

July

Fourth of July fireworks

Camping trip to Traverse City

cottage week with IG friends

August

camping week at TriPonds 

 Hudsonville Fair

Visit Holland State park for a day

Grayden starts Kindergarten 

Sadler rides without training wheels


Amazing Race with the Flokstras  

Watch the Whitecaps 


September

Labor Day Truck Parade


 K&R celebrates 25 years in business

I start a new Bible Study

Sadler starts 3-school 

I turn 29

 We pick apples and make applesauce 

October 

We celebrate 9 years of marriage


 Robb and I have our first annual Lubbers Hungry Games cooking competition 

 Halloween with our Kratt Brothers and little Owl 

Spend an afternoon at Post Family Farms

November 

Robb and I spend a few days in Punta Cana for a trip he won through work 

 We get tons of snow and have the 1st and 2nd snow days of the year.

Thanksgiving

We welcome a new niece, Ella

December 

Jovie turns 1!

She has a Winter Wonderland party. 

The boys preform in the Christmas program at church 

Christmas


We ring in the New Year with cousins
 


Thank you, Lord for blessing us so richly in 2014.

I thank you for keeping our family safe, I praise you for our health, and for restoring our bodies when we’ve been sick. Thank you for our jobs and for providing all that we need, and more. Thank you for the awesome opportunities we’ve had to travel and see the beauty you’ve created around us. Thank you for our children and blessing us with them.
Thank you for our marriage and for giving us 9 wonderful years together. Thank you for all the fun times we’ve spent this past year with friends and family and for the blessings they are in our lives. 
Lord, I pray for your protection over our family in 2015, and for continued health and happiness. We ask you to guide us in the year to come seek your will for our lives. We look forward to what your plan holds for us in the coming year. We know whatever comes our way, you will be there through it all. Help us to live our lives in a way that may please you in the year to come.
Amen


Happy New Year!!

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