Less...lesson 1 - FOOD

My first Lesson Plan for Living On Less is centered around food.

Tasty Snack- Labor Day Camping

I didn't realize how tough it would be to find pictures to go with this post!

When I became a (step)mom, something strange happened.  I became a food hoarder!  I don't really know how this happened, because it truly seemed to have just been a switch that was flipped. 

Just before I was married, I had been living on my own for TEN YEARS.  In that time, except that I kept a water filter pitcher in the refrigerator, I may not open my refrigerator for WEEKS at a time.  I was single, and life was simple.  I moved my foodstuffs over to our new home in two grocery bags.

Then, sometime during our first summer, I started NEEDING to buy more & more food.  My grandma's knack for a good deal started working for food and snacks instead of new shoes and handbags.  If I found a good deal on something my family would eat, I went crazy.  Is that Sweet Baby Ray's Barbeque Sauce on clearance two bottles for a $1?  I'll take twelve!  Sheesh - this liquid gold is usually $3-4 a bottle, so I just saved our future selves TONS of money!  Then, a week later, it's still on clearance?  I'll take 6 more!  I know we haven't cracked the seal on a single one yet, but we MIGHT SOON.  And, when that day comes, I'll be READY.

...yes, I'm serious...

Last winter, we decided to update our old ice cream freezer, and buy a real ice chest.  I moved (*gulp*) THIRTY packages of hot dogs from one freezer to the next.

In a YEAR, I haven't purchased any new - and we still have FOURTEEN packages, and that's after giving my sister a grocery bag full of her own.

But they were only 10 packs for $10...I bought them...constantly. 

I have learned that I can get them for this price about 4 times a year, so when I get in a pickle, if I'm only patient, they'll be cheap again.

But...wowzers.

When we were newlyweds, I had a small closet and our refrigerator for food.  Now, I have all of that, as well as a large deep freeze, and a massive shelving unit in the laundry room overflowing with food.

It's time to wrangle this in...the problem is that all of the food I've purchased is like the BBQ sauce - it's food fixin's to help MAKE other foods.  This is gonna be tough...

I've decided no "food makers" will be purchased until this is cleared by at least 50%.  That means LOTS of barbequed foods, and recipe searches that need black beans and beef broth - maybe not together. *wink*

Daddy's Helper...and a year of less...

I just love this little man!  He just  makes me giggle every day.  He wears me out every day.  He's the strangest little person, and it's just amazing to see him become a person.

 

 

What a great helper...

...

 

 

...

So, in my attempts at a year of less, there is one thing I'm really trying to make more...and that's posting.  I think I need somewhere to check myself - to see if I'm making progress, and record these moments in my life.

I like the idea of being able to connect to people on MY terms. In this format, it's always been a comfortable access point for me.  I think because the "time" I share with people in a blogging environment isn't dependent on me being in the SAME MOMENT as those I'm connecting with - in all honesty.  I don't have to take time away from that handsome snow removal man (and his Daddy), to truly connect with other people.  And, I truly feel I can connect this way.

I will be making a move toward LESS this weekend.  I haven't decided how I will use this blog in this process - to snap a photo or not?  Who knows...let's wait and see...

A Blended Christmas

This picture, of our children, speaks to me. 

This picture was taken on Sunday, during our Big Boys' Christmas Program at church.  Aside from the idea that these children are on the altar, and worshipping in their way during this holiday season, it's the fact that these four children will forever be connected by the choices of the adults in their lives, but that they are still just children.

The little girl is my big boys' sister.  They spend half of their time with her and their mom, and half their time with Ben and us.  When I think in terms of ME, the relation between us is irrelevant.  But, to them, they are a confused, strange unit.  Ben cannot understand how his brothers have a sister, and he doesn't.  He's been making up a sister, and her name changes every day.  One day her name was Olaf, and she lives in the "North Cold" in an igloo, another day her name is Monkey, and I've never met her because she lives with her mom in a treehouse.

I can't decide if this is cute, or sad.  So, I've decided that I'll let him decide that- that's not my choice to make. 

As a tiny guy, he realized the big boys went away to the same lady every week.  He's asked them who she is, and they, of course, have said, "That's our Mommy."  And so, he calls her Mommy.

This makes HER feel bad - she admitted that she would be heartbroken if her kids called someone else Mommy.  I guess that emotion never occurred to me.  When I questioned it once, I said, "But Ben, I'm Mommy."

His response?  "No, you're Mumma.  Her name is Mommy."  I realized that Mumma means something - Mommy is just a name.

These 4 kids will always be connected.  It's up to us, the grown ups that have tossed them together, to help them learn the values of that connection.

Welcome to 2015!

I'd like to say that I have big plans for 2015...but I don't.

Ben and Olaf inspecting the new Jeep

I'd like to say that I have big goals for 2015...but I don't.

 

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Our boys were loved and enjoyed.  Our house is so full of lego, and trucks, and R/C Jeeps that we can't begin to figure out where it all should go.  We took time to sit and watch movies - just hubby and I, as well as with the kids (we may have watched Frozen 3 or 4 times in the last week *grin*).  We spent time with our families, and a lot more time just in our house.  We even had one day that no one got our of their pajamas!  I think this is what this season is about - getting cozy, snuggling in, and sharing space with one another.

This new year has somehow managed to sneak up on me.  I absorbed the time I was able to spend with my family, time spent teaching my son to play Candyland, making baby gifts for the little ones we're adding to extended family this coming year, and dabbling in knitting for ME. 

I have loved the idea of One Word Resolutions since the first time I heard of it - you pick a single word as your focus for the year, instead of giving yourself yet another to-do list.

Just this morning, I saw one that - after my weeks spent searching - has FINALLY struck the right cord!!! 

That word? 

LESS.

I want less negativity.  I want less distractions, so I can find what God has planned for me.  I want less dependence on money, and its joy-sucking abilities.  I want less anxiety that we're doing right by our child(ren), and whether our house is clean enough, or educational enough, or loving enough. I want less clutter - both literally and emotionally - that gets in the way of truly knowing what they need in this exact moment.

I want less baggage that I carry around just to validate my worth, or to find unwarranted pity (if that's even the right word?), so I can sleep peacefully at night.

I realize this is an odd word to pick, but it's one that I can use as my focus, to help me start moving toward where I need to be.

 

He's So Proud...

You cannot know the joy when we passed this lovely "lady" at The Wal-Mart on a slow-paced Tuesday night before Thanksgiving.  Almost every evening, before bed, he asks, "Mumma, can you please show me my picture with Elsa?"

When I show him, he pets the phone, and says, "she's so pretty...she's my girl, you know..."

*grin*

Tiny House Dreams

In recent weeks/months, I have become OBSESSED with the idea of Tiny Houses.  Have you seen/heard of this?

Basically, people are building homes that would fit in the average family room these days, in pursuit of simplicity, financial freedom, and maybe a little bit of retaliation against "the machine."

:o)

Don't get me wrong - I love my home.  It's small, but not too small, in a wonderful neighborhood, close to all our family, and it keeps us warm and safe.

But, I feel myself being trapped by the STUFF.  Things.  I don't know if it's a phase, or a quiet scream for simplicity in my complex world, but it feels like a craving, in my soul, to find this simple life.

Every once in awhile, I get a gnawing pull to toss out everything that's not essential in my home, and start from scratch.  My fear is that in doing so, I'll only panic about not having said STUFF, and will have just thrown out things I thought I didn't need, and will create large sums of debt I don't NEED to get more STUFF that I don't NEED.  *sigh*

I guess I'm not really ready for a tiny house.  We have our boy(s), and that complicates things.  It's frustrating to know that all three would be just as happy with a box full of hot wheels and some free time versus an entire room in our home dedicated to JUST THEIR TOYS.  And that we have room after room stuffed with things that we rarely use, and still hear the words, "I'm bored," every week - whether they be from the mouths of the little ones, or rattling inside our own head. 

The idea of homesteading has rattled my cage a bit, but I don't think I'm THAT committed just yet.  I still want a grocery store nearby (we are both far too forgetful to abandon that convenience), but I don't want to buy 4 different kinds of cereal, so that each boy gets their fill of their favorite.  I think my biggest annoyance is TIME.  There never, ever seems to be enough free time for us.  And, when we HAVE it, we spend it exhausted and drained from all the work it took to create this free time.

We have created plenty of quantity, I want quality.  But, except for dropping EVERYTHING and just jumping in, I can't figure out how to do that.  I find myself SOOO envious of those with the courage to stop, look up, and say, "I'm done with life like this.  Let's do it OUR way."

There is no real REASON for this post...it's only my thoughts...and my desire to find a FIX.

Jesse Tree...ish?

Well, this year, I had every intention of doing a Jesse Tree (if you've not heard of it, google it - it's pretty great!)!

 

I was drawn to the idea of reminding our boy(s) what CHRISTmas is ACTUALLY all about, but still have the kitchy, fun vibe to go with it...bible lessons, placed on a special Christmas tree?  Perfect!

 

Well, I'm fairly sure that Halloween and Thanksgiving were only a week apart this year...and you won't convince me otherwise!  I think I blinked, and suddenly the next Holiday is upon us...then, I went and got pneumonia.  What it boils down to is this Momma never made the ornaments, found a spare tree, nothin'.  Go figure...I want to do something that focuses the holiday on Christ, and things pile up against me to make it happen. 

But I REFUSE to allow the devil the upper hand in this!  While at the drug store, picking up my FULL GROCERY BAG of prescriptions (even with excellent prescription coverage, the cost was still $80), I noticed this un-imposing, Mickey Mouse Advent Calendar thing.  Now, I have never known the purpose of these calendars, but I've always secretly wanted one to share with my kid(s).

A lightbulb exploded in my brain! 

THIS is PERFECT! Cheeto's chin and all!

 

So, when we got home, I made a mad-dash for google, and found these itty bitty Christmas ornaments that you're supposed to add a backing, and color all pretty, and hang on your adorable Jesse tree:

http://forthemommas.com/articles/free-jesse-tree-printables-3

 

But, why, oh why, can't we make it like a little trade?  Ben colors the picture, he gets the little snack treat to trade for the picture he colored, and hears the devotion for the day.

 

Coloring - Each day he's used a different hand :o)

Devotion - with the Bible to Guide

 

Sorry, I'm sick - I took the pictures over 2 days...this is the Candy Trade portion of the event.  :o)

Now, the biggest fear I had was to find devotions to use.  Unfortunately, because of my missing month, and pneumonia, I had a list of the scripture that was intended for each day, and the "tags" from the link above, but I hit a giant knot in my throat...how do I make this suitable for a 3-year-old??

 

On our drive home from the drug store, I prayed (yes, I do that a LOT...pray while driving...),"Lord, you know that I want to do this with my boy(s).  Please, help me find devotions that are simple, will keep their attention, and that are FAST - so we don't have the worry of running out of time, or making time an excuse not to do this...

 

And, boom!  When we got home, I found this:

http://onewiththepastor.com/2014/11/29/simple-jesse-tree-devotions-for-preschoolers/

 

It's perfect...it's accurate, but not too precise for growing minds.  It's only a half-page of "story" each day, not including the scripture, so it's quick (each day has been 5 minutes or less - which to a 3-year-old is PERFECT), and...my favorite part - it has a "Talk About" point, and a prayer for each day. 

 

The "Talk About" points are simple, but clear.  Things like:

 

Dec. 1: Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-2): When is it hard to wait for something? How can we be better at waiting when we are really excited about something?

 

Dec. 5: Abram to Abraham: What are some things that are hard for you to do?  How can God help you with them?

 

So far, it's just been Ben & I.  Tonight, we add the big boys...and I'm nervous about it.

 

Hubby gave me the genius idea that in future years, we can use Ben's Halloween candy to "trade" for the story/tag.

 

I'm excited to see what becomes of this!