Happy Sunday!
Just another Catholic mom blog - crazy, blessed, happy, silly!
My Sunday Best, Volume 65: Old Favorites
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Our compost pumpkin plant finished producing and the pumpkins had ripened enough that the girls decided to pick them. Four adorable little pumpkins that they carried around playing with for several days - who needs toys? This is actually one major reason we're growing so many gourds and winter squash; it's hilarious watching the kids play with them, making squash families, towers, sorting them by side... And then we feed them to the animals when they start to get mushy.
They were begging me to let them carve them. NO. It's July. And seeing how banged to they were getting, there was no way these would make it to October. Then one day I was putting Edith down for a nap and they took matters into their own hands! They found an old pumpkin carving kit somebody had given to us and did it ALL themselves. This was actually amazing, because I hate pumpkin scooping and carving more than just about everything.
However. Just as I told them, the pumpkins started shriveling up almost immediately after. The pigs have been enjoying their feast, and we're looking forward to the larger pumpkins growing in our pumpkin patch!
Edith has been fussing constantly while I try to cook dinner and hold her at the same time... It turns out she just wants to sit and crawl on the stone floor! I'm thankful that she's stable enough that I don't have to worry about her tipping over and cracking her head, and this buys me a few minutes of two-handed prep.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
I just got my 10th Stitch Fix box in the mail!
(10?? I suppose it *has* been more than two years since my first fix. Wow, time flies.)
My trusty assistant helped me set up the outfit shots - got this outtake before I started, which I had to include because of the "quality swine feed" in the background!
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Happy Sunday! How do you like my scenic background? Cat in the driveway, grill, brick grill (how do you USE those things??), stuffed owl by my feet, and kitchen herb garden. One of these things is pretty!
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Waaaaay back before we started having any sort of homesteading plans, we got inspired by Ma Ingalls and decided to try putting up jam. We had pounds and pounds of strawberries to use up... How hard could it be, after all?
Read the rest at Ginny's, then come back here for a supply list and recipes!
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Who just turned 8 and has a brand new mountain bike, pocket knife, and Cubs hat & jersey? This guy! (Hey grandparents, thanks for the awesome gifts!)
Monday, July 10, 2017
Apparently Prime Day being on July 11 is basically Christmas in July (or really, Black Friday in July?), and there are HUGE SALES that are not to be missed. And it looks like some other retailers have caught on too, because there are some pretty big sales at other sites/stores on Tuesday the 11th as well.
It's...
affiliate links below...
- 7-11 Free Slurpee Day
- Chick-Fil-A Dress Cow Appreciation Day
- 25% off everything at regular price at ModCloth
- 40% off everything J. Crew Factory (plus free shipping with code HEATWAVE - this gingham midi skirt is my favorite thing on sale, and these striped peep toe flats are calling my name!)
And of course, sale after sale after sale on Amazon! Curious about what to look for? Here are my bets about what'll be on sale:
Kitchen Appliances:
This is a big one!
- Last year the Instant Pot went on huuuuuge sale, and I'm betting it will this year as well (if you don't have one yet, you're missing out! Total game changer).
- I just upgraded us to a new Ninja blender and use it all the time now - works so much better than our old one, and I bet they'll go on sale as well.
- A programmable slow cooker is an absolute life saver for busy parents.
- I love our Griddler, and am really hoping it goes on huge sale so I can upgrade ours for Christmas! We've had it since we got married 9 years ago and it still works great, but the new model has waffle plates you can buy, so I could get rid of TWO appliances if I got this one...
Books:
- Last year they had a couple of high-value book coupons that you could use towards ANY physical book. I'd be prepared with a wish list of books you'd like to have around (this list of chapter books is a good place to start!) - box sets like this gorgeous Puffin in Bloom collection, this Winnie the Pooh library bound set, or maybe The World of Peter Rabbit might be good options for coupons. (Currently, the code PRIMEBOOKS17 gives $5 off a $15+ book order 😊)
- If you're not already on Audible, you can currently get two free audiobooks with a 30-day free trial
. Then there are also TONS of audiobooks currently on deep, deep discount that you can buy even without an audible membership. We've been listening to Little House in the Big Woods ($4!) and I've downloaded several others for seriously low prices. They've got All of a Kind Family, Mary Poppins, Charlotte's Web, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and many others all on serious sale right now.
So if you haven't already, now is the time to try a 30-day free Prime trial. There will be quite a few offers that are open ONLY to Prime members, plus Prime Members get early access to lots of deals (many of which sell out before they get opened to the general public).
Education:
- If your kids are even remotely into art, we've found that Prismacolor colored pencils are well worth the price, but I only buy them on sale. There were quite a few sets on sale on Prime Day last year, and these blend so beautifully you won't want to buy another brand ever again! Pick up some inexpensive watercolors as an add-on item, too.
- If you ever hear birds and want to be able to identify them by sight OR song, this book has been fascinating, and a great addition to any library! They have versions for other parts of the country, too. Then this nature drawing book is incredible and definitely worth owning, as well.
- I'm betting Kindle Fire Tablets will go on sale, and these are GREAT to load audiobooks onto. Grab an inexpensive bluetooth speaker (which I guarantee will also go on sale!) and you can put the kids in one room to listen to stories while you keep the tablet (and control!) in another room. Great for mandatory quiet time!
Toys & Games:
- We loooove our magformers, and they go on lightning deal pretty frequently. If you find a set for less than $1/piece, you're getting a good deal. I bet these will be heavily discounted at some point during Prime Day.
- Snap circuits are another one that I saw on sale multiple times during last year's Prime Day. These are amazing learning toys, and will keep creative kids busy for hours at a time!
- We've had a couple of incidents with scooters and cars so... It's time to grab a couple more! They were definitely on sale last year, and I'm hoping there are bikes on sale as well - we've got an 8th birthday coming up and John Paul has outgrown his bike.
Is there anything you're hoping will be deeply discounted? Are you going to be shopping, or staying off social media so you're not tempted? I'll be sharing deals that catch my eye on facebook and in my instagram stories if you want to follow along!
It's...
affiliate links below...
- 7-11 Free Slurpee Day
- Chick-Fil-A Dress Cow Appreciation Day
- 25% off everything at regular price at ModCloth
- 40% off everything J. Crew Factory (plus free shipping with code HEATWAVE - this gingham midi skirt is my favorite thing on sale, and these striped peep toe flats are calling my name!)
And of course, sale after sale after sale on Amazon! Curious about what to look for? Here are my bets about what'll be on sale:
Kitchen Appliances:
This is a big one!
- Last year the Instant Pot went on huuuuuge sale, and I'm betting it will this year as well (if you don't have one yet, you're missing out! Total game changer).
- I just upgraded us to a new Ninja blender and use it all the time now - works so much better than our old one, and I bet they'll go on sale as well.
- A programmable slow cooker is an absolute life saver for busy parents.
- I love our Griddler, and am really hoping it goes on huge sale so I can upgrade ours for Christmas! We've had it since we got married 9 years ago and it still works great, but the new model has waffle plates you can buy, so I could get rid of TWO appliances if I got this one...
Books:
- Last year they had a couple of high-value book coupons that you could use towards ANY physical book. I'd be prepared with a wish list of books you'd like to have around (this list of chapter books is a good place to start!) - box sets like this gorgeous Puffin in Bloom collection, this Winnie the Pooh library bound set, or maybe The World of Peter Rabbit might be good options for coupons. (Currently, the code PRIMEBOOKS17 gives $5 off a $15+ book order 😊)
- If you're not already on Audible, you can currently get two free audiobooks with a 30-day free trial
. Then there are also TONS of audiobooks currently on deep, deep discount that you can buy even without an audible membership. We've been listening to Little House in the Big Woods ($4!) and I've downloaded several others for seriously low prices. They've got All of a Kind Family, Mary Poppins, Charlotte's Web, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and many others all on serious sale right now. So if you haven't already, now is the time to try a 30-day free Prime trial. There will be quite a few offers that are open ONLY to Prime members, plus Prime Members get early access to lots of deals (many of which sell out before they get opened to the general public).
Education:
- If your kids are even remotely into art, we've found that Prismacolor colored pencils are well worth the price, but I only buy them on sale. There were quite a few sets on sale on Prime Day last year, and these blend so beautifully you won't want to buy another brand ever again! Pick up some inexpensive watercolors as an add-on item, too.
- If you ever hear birds and want to be able to identify them by sight OR song, this book has been fascinating, and a great addition to any library! They have versions for other parts of the country, too. Then this nature drawing book is incredible and definitely worth owning, as well.
- I'm betting Kindle Fire Tablets will go on sale, and these are GREAT to load audiobooks onto. Grab an inexpensive bluetooth speaker (which I guarantee will also go on sale!) and you can put the kids in one room to listen to stories while you keep the tablet (and control!) in another room. Great for mandatory quiet time!
Toys & Games:
- We loooove our magformers, and they go on lightning deal pretty frequently. If you find a set for less than $1/piece, you're getting a good deal. I bet these will be heavily discounted at some point during Prime Day.
- Snap circuits are another one that I saw on sale multiple times during last year's Prime Day. These are amazing learning toys, and will keep creative kids busy for hours at a time!
- We've had a couple of incidents with scooters and cars so... It's time to grab a couple more! They were definitely on sale last year, and I'm hoping there are bikes on sale as well - we've got an 8th birthday coming up and John Paul has outgrown his bike.
Is there anything you're hoping will be deeply discounted? Are you going to be shopping, or staying off social media so you're not tempted? I'll be sharing deals that catch my eye on facebook and in my instagram stories if you want to follow along!
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Me: We're not wearing shoes, so just take a picture above where they would be.
John Paul:
#nailedit