Thursday, April 4, 2013

Chicken, chicken and more chicken!





 So in an effort to constantly keep our food budget in budget we have discovered, thanks to a friend, Zaycon Foods where we can buy meat in bulk. Its a good middle ground for quality (chicken is 100% natural chicken with no added hormones, additives or artificial ingredients) and budget friendly. The only catch is you have to buy in bulk so you need to be prepared. The first time we ordered some we ordered just 1 share at 40 lbs and we went through that faster than i had planned, so this time we ordered 2 shares and arranged a split for half of one of them leaving us with 60 lbs of chicken breasts. Needless to say, my husband was cutting chicken up for 3+ hours this weekend....hehe

They offer more than just chicken and if you haven't checked them out i encourage you to do so to see if it could work for your family at www.zayconfoods.com

 

And I found a great FREE kindle Slow Cooker Recipes book with 30 easy recipes!
Top 30 Easy & Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes






I'd love to know any of your great chicken recipes~im always up for somethin new :)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Power of Imagination

One thing that I thank God that He gave me was a great imagination~Oh as a child I spent hours upon hours playing games with my sister and cousins using our imaginations. It was so much fun and the memories are something to be cherished. Tea parties in dress up costumes, putting on plays, roller coaster down the stairs and just playing whatever comes to mind was so much fun.

One thing that I absolutely LOVE about homeschooling is it gives my children the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild! I find that when something we are studying or reading something that sparks their interest, the rest of the day their world is engulfed into it. We do not believe that by them taking a few hours to really "get into" their game all together is wasting time, on the contrary the learning that is taking place is irreplaceable. When they are playing they can be whatever they want to be, whenever they want to be it, wherever they are...there is nothing like it. There is such beauty in that and if only we adults can rekindle our imaginations a little, oh just imagine how our days would go sometimes!
Our living room many times has been transported into a ship, the prairie, wagon trails, trains, airplanes, camping trips and many many other things! I have been witness many days to games in which they are pioneers, cowboys, doctors, mothers/fathers, children in Victorian times, Bible characters, cooks.......the possibilities are endless!

I think that when our children are playing using their imaginations, they are experiencing a touch of eternity. Think about for a minute the vast extent of God's imagination and look at all he has done with it.
Maybe we should stop and use ours more often, bask in the beauty of His, and join in on those of our children.
If you would like to find some more encouragement, I'm linked up today with these wonderful ladies at:
Raising Homemakers Deep Roots at Home Walking Redeemed

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

These past few weeks have been like a giant blur around here. There has been so much going on from sickness, to health scares, to death in the family, to lots of visiting family and then of course Easter.
So after this major whirlwind of events that have left me physically (since the health scares were mine), mentally and emotionally drained, I have decided that for the next few days I will be "getting back into the swing of things".

Sooo how does one do that when all one wants to do is vegetate??? LOL
I do my favorite thing to do....I make a List!!


Its the best way (in my opinion) to collect everything that goes on in your mind that you need to get done all in one place.
There are several advantages to being a list maker such as myself:
  1. You can prioritize what is the most important thing(s) you must do that day.
  2. You don't waste as much time throughout the day.
  3. You stay motivated!
  4. You get to cross stuff off the list as you complete, this one is my favorite because it gives me such a sense of accomplishment!
Whatever you don't get to that day that wasn't on your most important things to do just gets put to the top of the the next days list. There are a few things however that you need to keep in mind if you are an overachiever/perfectionist.....Its supposed to help not add more stress...:)

Being flexible with it gives you the ability to be productive while at the same time stopping throughout the day to enjoy the moments that God has placed before you that day.
So let us always remember as we go through our busy days, lazy days, crazy days or "getting back into the swing of things days".....
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 

So are you a list maker? Do you find them helpful?


Looking for some extra encouragement today? Im linked up with these wonderful blogs!
Time-Warp Wife   Growing Home