September Acres

We try to eat healthy around here but still like a little snack every now and then.  I love chips and salsa and this homemade salsa is really quick and yummy (and makes me feel better about the chip part of the snack).  This is also a great way to use up excess tomatoes. Super Easy Salsa Recipe 3 Roma Tomatoes (or any ripe tomatoes you have on hand!), chopped 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped Banana peppers, chopped - to taste About 2 TBSP of juice from banana pepper jar Fresh cilantro, chopped -  to taste Salt to taste Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate for at least and hour. Enjoy!

I posted this a couple of years ago but it's almost time for the Easter Bunny to make his appearance again so I thought it might be useful to all of you bunny helpers out there. I've made a couple of changes to the post but some of the sugar-free treats are tried and true... 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 my 20 sugar-free Easter basket ideas for kids of all ages: For Little Kids (0-8 years or so) 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 fo...

Madame Chic I just heard about this book last week when my mom ordered it from Amazon .  I nabbed it first and finished reading it in the car on a recent trip.  It was a fun, quick read and chocked full of useful information. For me, this book was a chance to stop and think about how I live.  The French way of quality over quantity was stressed more than once.  I've heard so many people say they want to live with a less is more mentality - to get out of the keeping up with the Joneses lifestyle and say 'no' to excess.  This book really helps you figure out how it's done en France. One of my favorite chapters of the book talks about a ten piece wardrobe.  No more closets stuffed full and 'nothing to wear'.  Apparently it's tres French to buy a limited number of quality pieces of clothing that mix and match with each other as opposed to a bazillion pieces of poor or mediocre quality pieces that may or may not work with your existing wardrobe. ...

Source It's that time again.  The time when we turn to Spring Cleaning.  I know, some of you still have inches, even feet, of snow on the ground so it's hard to think that Spring is about 2 weeks away.  But it is and Spring Cleaning is a big deal for many people.  It's a chance to get your house and garden spic and span.  Time to open the windows, move furniture, turn mattresses, wash windows and comforters and mattress pads.  Fun stuff, right?  Maybe not, but doesn't it feel good to do that deep yearly cleaning? I have a weekly schedule - a flexible one, but this is what it looks like on the 'normal' week: Sunday  - Clean the fridge (trash gets picked up on Mondays so I pitch what I need to on Sundays), empty trash cans, clean dog doo (LM does the last two), mop kitchen floor. Monday  - Laundry Tuesday  - Dust, clean bathrooms (2), mop floors Wednesday  - Laundry Thursday  - Change sheets, wash towels,Vacuum, dus...

2015 is already flying by.  What happened to the days when January was a slow month that eased you into the year?  I sure do miss that... We are doing a No Spend February again and as you may imagine the family is THRILLED!  You'd think they would be used to it by now.  To us, No Spend February means no unnecessary spending. No new clothes No new home decor ( the folks at Hobby Lobby will miss me) No eating out No new hockey stuff No movies No unnecessary grocery purchases (Oreos anyone?) It's not as dismal as it all sounds because, truth be told, we need NOTHING (with the exception of basic food and drink).  And we all get an 'allowance' (budgeted) each week which can be spent as one wishes.  And my daughter has gift cards from Christmas and her birthday which she can use.   We have a hockey tournament out of town this month and that always bothers me because there is definitely some spending that needs to be done even though I br...

Seems I'm not the only one decorating early this year.  I have never decorated this early.  I mean. we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet!  But as I was going over my planner I realized that I needed to get started lickety split or I would be spending Christmas in an insane asylum. Take a look at some other bloggers who have started their decorating early this year: My Sweet Savannah Tatertots and Jello When do you usually decorate for the holidays?

Although it's cooled off a bit here, I'd hardly call it fall.  Even though the calendar says it is. Getting in the mood with an annual pumpkin carving party that friends of ours have. Do you recognize this as Winnie the Pooh? Working on Halloween costumes for Friday night. And anticipating all of the yummy treats we'll pick up Trick or Treating. Happy Halloween!