September Acres

I've never been one to keep a journal or diary (as we called it back in the 70's).  I had a diary in grade school but wrote in it only sporadically.  It was one of those cute little ones with a lock and key that were so popular back in the day. I had some riveting entries like this one: Today I went to school.  I came home from school and Debbie came over after school.  I watched the Brady Bunch and  The Partridge Family at night. And this one: Today I went to school.  Dianna was sick today and didn't come to school.   Riveting.  Am I right?  Good thing my diary wasn't put in a time capsule lest future generations think kids in the 70's were super boring.   Since that first little diary I've tried to journal (the new millennium terminology) every now and then with similar luck.  Even I get bored with what I've written.  Over the years I've tried to figure out why I didn't enjoy this process.  In ...

~I just finished reading 'The One & Only' by Emily Giffin .  I've read all her books except her newest one ('First Comes Love') and I think 'The One & Only' is my favorite so far. I highly recommend it. I am excited to dig into 'First Comes Love' soon. ~Easter is Sunday and I know most of us are knee deep in preparation. *One of our family traditions is making these sticky buns for Easter morning.  I usually only make them on Christmas and Easter as they are pretty rich and I want them to be a treat.  Kind of how my Grandma made ebelskiver's for us when we were little - we wanted them everyday but she made them on rare occasion and everyone of her grandchildren remembers how special they were. If she had made them every time we asked (i e. every morning) they wouldn't have been special and we'd likely not remember them as fondly as we do. *I am forever looking for wreaths for our front door.  We have double doors  s...

Every year I write about candy-free Easter basket filler ideas. We are bombarded right after Valentine's Day with Peeps, chocolate bunnies and Cadbury Creme Eggs every time we enter a store..  There has to be more to an Easter basket than sugar, right?  No matter the size of the basket, non-sugar goodies are a must for Easter.  While I don't want Easter to turn into another Christmas-like gift giving holiday, I am always searching for gift ideas to pass on to the Easter Bunny.  Here are 25 non-candy Easter basket ideas (some new ideas, some are old stand-by's) for kids of all ages: For Little Kids (0-8 years or so) Coloring Books and Crayons - there are awesome Easter Bunny & Religious coloring books out there this time of year - a great place to check is your local dollar store.  Legos - I love the   'Friends'   line that is out for girls now.  The usual cars and trucks and airplanes are still out there for the boys. Small Play Charac...

Well, hello there! By the end of next week, most schools will be out and many of us will be itching to hit the road for a little vacation.  With extra time, many of us look no further than the family hot rod as our mode of transportation.  Make your road trip less painful and, dare I say, fun with these tips. Pack Right - Make sure each family member has all the comforts of home in the back seat.  Blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, books, toys, snacks & drinks make the hours fly by.  A backpack or tote bag for each family member is the way to go.  Don't forget a cooler and lots of water and charging supplies for phones, etc. Stop Often - Stopping every 3 or 4 hours may sound like you will never. get. where. you. are. going.  But you'd be surprised how a stop can put everyone in a better mood - especially the driver!  Rest stops are great places to stop - everyone can use the rest room and stretch their legs. Make a Game out of it - ...

It's March 1st which means our no spend month is over.  How'd we do?  Well, to be honest, it wasn't our most successful one.  Not awful but we did spend on things like going out and some new clothes. The clothes were needed.  The dining out not so much.  The middle school basketball season ended so there was a bit of celebrating in the form of eating out but it was at a Mexican restaurant so it wasn't pricey at all. We had company one weekend and I made lasagna instead of going out. That's a win in my book.  We saved a little bit extra. We didn't go crazy or buy things we didn't need so I'd call it a moderate success. Now I need to go work on that March budget.  I started using Every Dollar last month and think I will like it. I'm still getting used to it, just like with any new budgeting system but I think I'll stick with it. I'm such a pen and paper person that it's taking some getting used to but you sure can't help ...

Peeps, chocolate bunnies and Cadbury Creme Eggs.  There has to be more to an Easter Basket than sugar, right?  With the size of baskets these days (that's another post, for another time) non-sugar goodies are a must for Easter.  While I don't want Easter to turn into another Christmas-like gift giving holiday, I am always searching for gift ideas to pass on to the Easter Bunny.  Here are 25 non-candy Easter basket ideas for kids of all ages: For Little Kids (0-8 years or so) Stuffed Animals Bubbles Playdoh  Coloring Books and Crayons - there are awesome Easter Bunny & Religious coloring books out there this time of year.  Legos - I love the  'Friends'  line that is out for girls now.  The usual cars and trucks and airplanes are still out there for the boys. Small Play Characters - like  Little People  &  Polly Pockets . Sidewalk Chalk Bubble Bath Gardening tools - kid sized shovels, hoes and rakes in cute...

I can't believe that January is almost over!  And that means that February is almost here and our annual No Spend February.  It's our eighth year. I can't believe we've been doing it that long. I personally love it. Coming off the spending frenzy of the end of the year, it's a nice change for me. I am, quite frankly, done shopping. We have no birthdays, anniversaries, etc until June so I like the 'cold turkey' aspect of a no spend month. What, exactly, does 'no spend' mean @ September Acres? - No shopping  -that means we won't roam the aisles of Target buying stuff we don't need & sometimes don't even want. No trips to Costco. Grocery shopping is okay but limited as we will try eating from the pantry this month.  - No vacations  - Easy Peasy as school is in.  - No going out to eat  - If we are invited to go out as a treat we will go but otherwise we don't. I've also been really slack with meal planning since Christmas so...

This afternoon I was pondering the state of my house and thinking that I have so much to do to get it in order.  Then I rattled off in my head all of the things I got done today: Emptied the dishwasher Changed sheets on 2 beds Did 5 loads of laundry Vacuumed and dusted bedrooms & living room Organized items for hockey tournament raffle Paid some bills Then I thought 'maybe I wasn't as unproductive as I thought I was'.  I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge list maker but maybe I should start.  Even though there's so much to do I did accomplish some kind of important things (this list doesn't mention the cooking or taxi driving service I run!) and it might be nice to see them crossed off a long list.  Something else to ponder...

I was lucky enough to be chosen to serve on the launch team for "Breaking Busy" by Alli Worthington.  I received my advanced copy of the book right around Thanksgiving - a little crazy but at the same time it was the perfect time to start reading a book about breaking busy since that is the time of the year that we all seem to be extra busy and maybe even take on more than we really want to. The very first chapter is called 'Capacity'.  Boy, that was eye opening.  Alli compared us to our cell phones, which have a battery that gets depleted after use and has a 'finite capacity for storage and functionality'.  When our phone battery falls to 10% there's a little warning that the battery is low and needs to be recharged.  Our bodies do the same but how often do we listen to the signs and take the time to recharge?  For most of us the answer to that is 'not enough'.  We think we are too busy to take that time to rest.  After reading th...

Well, hello there!  I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year.  It's hard to believe it is 2016, right?  Even weighing heavier on my mind is the fact that my daughter will be 14 next week. 14.  High school in 8 months. How did this happen?  Moms of younger kids: believe it when people tell you it goes fast.  So fast. Faster than you can imagine.  That, my friends, is an entire blog post. Today though,  let's talk about decorating for winter.  I finally got my Christmas decorations down. Oh, how I love that red and green and those sparkly lights.  Yes, I love it.  But after putting everything away I realized that I also  like that bare, sparse feeling and really considered not adding anything back.  I'm still thinking about it but who am I kidding? I've been perusing the web looking for inspiration for winter decorating.  You know, not quite Valentine's Day but no longer Christmas.  I love using...

It's not quite last minute but when I was shopping this weekend I noticed things are really picked over (I'm talking to you Christmas sweaters at Target.)  And if you are truly a last minute shopper, many of the toys, electronics and clothing that are the HOT gifts this year will have been snapped up by the early birds.  But that doesn't mean that it's gift cards for everyone on your list.  In fact, this is about some fun, thoughtful and quick gift ideas to help you avoid the gift card abyss. Photo Gifts and Books - There's still time to download your photos and make cute gifts for everyone on your list.  Walmart.com offers a few  same day gifts:  prints on canvas, calendars and photo books to name a few.  Download your photos online and pick up your personalized gifts today.   Snapfish  also offers store pick up on some gifts at Walgreens.  Photo gifts look like you put much thought into what the recipient likes yet most sites are v...

December 1st can sneak up on us, can't it?  A late Thanksgiving can really throw me for a loop.  As in, December 1st is on Tuesday.  The Tuesday that is the day after tomorrow.  We have always had an advent calendar around here (or maybe even two) and most years I'm on top of things but this year, not so much.  So not on top of things that I bought our advent calendar last night. First time I've bought one. Ever.  With a 13, almost 14 year old I didn't feel so bad since she actually asked for this one and was thrilled I said yes. So, I've already put the guilt behind me.  But in the good old days gone by I would never have purchased an advent calendar.  I'm imagining it's November 30th and I don't have my calendar yet.  I've got the Elf on its Shelf but no Advent to be found.  What's a girl to do? Christmas Book Countdown I'll assume that you have all of your Christmas books handy.  I loved this countdown when LM was younge...

I have opened a shop at Society 6 .  I am super excited to share some of these fun holiday items with you!  There are pillows and prints and canvas and travel mugs.  Even clocks!  Head over and take a look.  I'd love to hear your feedback too. I'm also open to your ideas - I have a bunch swirling around in my head but I love to hear what other people think and would like to see. I can do custom items too.  Or just switch out colors to match your decor. These items make really fun and unique gifts.  And did I mention the free shipping? I've ordered a few things from Society 6 in the past and have been happy with the quality and I'm sure you will be too. I hope you'll head on over to the shop and take a look.  Thanks!

I spent too many years in retail to ever want to spend the Friday after Thanksgiving shopping.  All that traffic and pushing and waiting in line is great for retailers but not for me.  I actually went to W@lmart one Black Friday about 15 years ago.  I figured I'd zip in at 5 am, pick up the vacuum and TV and be back at home before my husband woke up.  This was before the days of being open on Thanksgiving day and even at 5 am, the store was packed.   Packed with mean, pushy, cart ramming shoppers.  I picked up the two things I came for as fast as I could (which wasn't all that fast) and vowed never to do that again.  Never.  Ever. These days my Black Fridays are more relaxing and fun.  If you're looking for something to do this year besides hitting the mall, consider one of these activities: Put up your Christmas Tree.   This can be a fun family event and if you have relatives in town you even get some extra help!  Tak...

Thanksgiving is a little more than a week away.  Cooking, cleaning, decorating.  Are you ready?  If not we can help you a little bit with the cooking part with our recipe exchange .  There are a couple of yummy recipes that have been shared on our Facebook page . Cleaning. We cannot help you with that by maybe the FlyLady can give you some pointers. :) Decorating.  We always want everything to look nice when our guests arrive.  I have a free printable for you that can help a bit.  Print it out and pop it in a frame and you're set. (Just click on the image below, right click, save image as and print from your computer.  Print on card stock or regular paper.)

I don't know about you but I love to try new recipes although I don't do it a much as I'd like to.  I think that's because on the average day it's all I can do to get something on the table and I just don't make the time to look for something new.  Even when I meal plan and add a couple of new recipes to the menu each month I usually end up scratching it and just cooking what I know (spaghetti, anyone?) Thanksgiving is a fun time to add something new because I usually have a little extra time with school being out and the excitement of the upcoming holiday season takes over.  So I thought this would be a perfect time to have a recipe exchange.  I'd love to see your tried and true recipes or even something new that you haven't tried but would like to.  I know there are many wonderful cooks out there with recipe boxes full of inspiration. Please share your recipes in the comments here or better yet, on the September Acres Facebook page . Fell free to...

Thanksgiving is right around the corner (3 weeks away!)   Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year or visiting someone for the day?

I am not a huge list maker.  I make a grocery list - which often gets let at home (anyone else?) - other than that I am hit or miss. I like post-it notes and use them in my Home Management Notebook for my "to-do's". I use  index cards  for making lists sometimes.  I have never quite gotten into using my phone or computer for my lists.  No matter where you keep your lists, they are a key to keeping organized.   Try making lists to keep yourself (and your family) on track for some of these tasks: Groceries - Saves money & time.  If you don't lose it! Errands  -Saves money & time.  And driving around in circles. Cleaning/Chores  -  Clean Mama  has some wonderful printables (some free) to help keep you on track. Gifts  - Saves money & time. Holiday Greeting Cards  - Keep track of who you send cards to each year and who you receive cards from if you'd like. I do keep this kind of list e...

I spent last weekend at a friend's house having a garage sale.  It's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.  It was fun hanging with friends and we each made a little money but I'm not sure it was really worth it financially.  We probably both ended up making way  less than minimum wage.  Are you thinking of doing a garage sale?  I'm no expert but if you're planning one soon let me pass on the things I've learned this time around. Books & DVD's aren't Huge Sellers.   I sold 3 DVD's and about 5 books.  I thought the kids' movies and books would sell but maybe with iPads and the like they just aren't relevant. I had a man offer me $5 for all of the books - there were probably 40-50 of them.  I declined but as I was loading them back into my car I was second guessing myself. I think you're better off donating them to a school or taking them to somewhere like Hastings for store credit. Furniture is a Big Draw . If I...

Source I'm a firm believer that you can put buffalo sauce on anything and it will taste good.  Cauliflower is no exception.  I have had this recipe hanging on my fridge for months and finally made it tonight. And just as I suspected, it was delicious. I didn't make the cheese sauce but I'm sure it's yummy too. Ingredients Cheese Sauce: 1/3 cup nonfat sour cream 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 1 tablespoon skim milk 2 teaspoons mayonnaise Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Buffalo Cauliflower: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt 8 cups cauliflower florets (from about 1 medium head) Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For the cheese sauce: Whisk together the sour cream, blue cheese, milk, mayonnaise, 1/8 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes For the Buffalo...