Summer is here!!!

So excited to finally have our pool up. The last two days with humidity we have been in high 90's or in the 100's. The kids love the pool and I am working on a great tan. I know by the end of summer though I will be wanting the heat gone. What fun things do you do with your kids in the summer?

A New School Year

The time came to buy school supplies, new clothes, and a new book bag. Then we had back to school night on August 16th and our first day of school was August 20th. I still can't believe summer went by so fast. But so far this first week things are going really well for my 3rd grade daughter. The only thing we are working on is our before and after school routines. Once we get those going well everything should run smoothly. How is back to school going for your family?

Beat The Heat

I remember when it was winter and all I wanted was for summer to get here. I think it is like that with every season when the weather gets to be to much. Right now we are in the middle of summer and I truly want it to be over. Getting up into the triple digits is no fun. Some way to beat the heat are to go in a pool, go to the lake, run through the sprinkler, or the easiest way stay inside in the AC. Hopefully the weather breaks soon and we can do more activities outside without feeling like we can't breath from the humidity. 

City VS Country Living

I can now say that I have lived in both a city and a country setting. At the current moment I am living in the country. I really thought I would miss the city so much if we moved to the middle of nowhere. The odd thing is yes I do have little things I miss but 95% of the time I love it in the country. With such a big yard for my kids to run and play in I did not know how awesome that would be. Yes the upkeep is a lot but well worth it. The part I miss about the city though is being able to run to the store whenever I need to. I actually have to plan my trips to town now. I do miss having all the activities inside the city though and the parks right there. But having our own yard is like having our own park. Plus if my kids start to have melt downs from cabin fever I can just let them outside to play and they can yell and scream and run around crazy till their heart is content and they are not bothering anyone since we don't have neighbors. Which do you like better, living in the city or the country?

Mondays Are a Drag!

The one day of the week that I hate the most are Mondays. It just seems like there is so much to do around the house after every weekend. Plus to me it feels like the longest day of the week with getting the kids back on our week schedule. Weekends we are more relaxed with our routine then we are on week days. So with all that said time to get many things done at the house and get it back in order. HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!!!

Stores So Far Away

This is the first time I have lived not in walking distance of stores. It is still taking some getting used to. I never realized how much I just ran to the store to get odds and ends throughout the week till we moved. Now I plan an errand day to save on gas. It has taught me a lot about planning for a whole week. Fridays are the day that I go to town and get everything done. The only down fall is that on this day I am in town for a good 2 to 3 hours getting everything done from our shopping to paying bills for the week. Do you think you could handle going to town only once a week? Honestly I am really starting to like it because I feel like I am not always on the go and can enjoy my family.

A Recipe My Family Loves

There are many nights that I need a quick meal because we are on the go. I have found that cooking at home saves us lots of money. So 7 days a week I cook at home or we have left overs. So here is one that my family loves to have. We call it On The Go Stew.

You will need:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cans stewed tomatoes (I used the Italian flavor ones)
1 can whole corn drained
1 can green beans drained
1 can beef broth
garlic powder (to your taste)
onion powder (to your taste)

You will brown your ground beef and then drain it. Next you will add everything into the skillet and make sure to mix it really good. Then heat on high and stir often until you get it to boil. Then you just lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 to 25 minutes and just stir it often. This will serve 4-6.

I hope you and your family enjoy!