More Fall Decorating

Honestly, I think my home looks best decorated in Fall decor.

All the warm colours just makes it soooo.... cozy!

I took a vase that I had from this large candle holder, and filled it with tiny pinecones from outside. 

( I took little A and his friend on a pinecone hunt).

I used some flowers from dollar store from last year,

and some sticks left over from my little sister's wedding last year.

I glued the glass top/vase to a glass candle holder I had around.

(I've seen the project being done everywhere. Here's how to make them)

What Fall decorating have you been doing??

I'm partying at some of these places and Julia's party  and Jen's party too!

Please take a moment to visit my online Shaklee website!

Menu Plan Monday- Week of Sept 27

How was your weekend?

It was cool and crispy in my area.  Perfect Fall weather.

So, do you remember the my menu plan from last week?

For some reason we didn't get to the Chili on Monday or the Tuna Casserole on Friday.

Friday the kids decided they wanted Breakfast for dinner and they made it themselves (while I supervised).

S. made scrambled eggs and the other two made pancakes.

Sometimes, you just need to let them have their way, right?

Oh and the Thai Chicken Pasta was awesome. It's a keeper for sure!

So here is my menu plan for this week:

Monday - Schoolhouse Chili

Tuesday - Minestrone Soup

Wednesday - Tuna Casserole

Thursday -Pizza

Friday -Leftovers ( I need to clear out the fridge for the party on Saturday)

Saturday - Our annual Friend's pre-Thanksgiving Potluck Party **

Sunday - leftovers from our Turkey dinner (there is always turkey leftovers)

What is your plan for this week?

I'm linking up to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

** We have been having this party since 1997.  The day starts off with a golf game and then a Thanksgiving dinner at our house.  There was one year we had 30 people in our tiny little house.  Every year the menu is different, but it is a great time to reconnect with our friends after a busy summer and before the business of the Holidays begins!

A little Fall decorating

Have I mentioned that I love Fall??

I love the cooler weather. 

I love the Fall colours. 

I love a drive in the country to see Fall colours. 

Oh yeah... and I love Apple Crisp.

This weekend, while I waited for the telephone tech guy to fix our lines, I got my craft on.

I used things I had around the house.

Remember the console table I made??

I took a square plate , a bowl I turned upside down and made a candle holder thing-ma-jig.

I added black package netting left over from another project...

Add a little spider... (little A wanted in on the decorating)

Added some ribbon.

Then....

 I grabbed a terra cotta pot lying around from the orchid plant (that is now dead, ugh).

I tied a bunch of dollar store Fall picks together and...

Added them to the pot with a bunch of sticks from outside, stuck them on oasis foam.

Added some rope and some  moss and called it a day.

 (Ignore the empty frame)

So what do you think???

Does it need somethin' somethin' in the middle?

I'm linking up to Centstational Girl's Autumn Leaves Link-up

and to some of these parties

Have you checked out My Shaklee Page?

Have you noticed the changes?

Sorry for the limited number of posts over the last couple of weeks.  Something happened with our telephone and internet line and it has been kicking in and out for the past week or so.  Soooo frustrating. We were without a phone for about 3-4 days, and when the guy finally came out he says, "it's the box out on the street, so a different technician will have to come and look at it!!!"  Arrrghhhhh!! He ended up correcting something in the "house box" and at least I have internet for more than 2 minutes at a time. The phone is working too, but he says we have a weak signal, so it could happen again before the tech comes out to fix the outside problem.

Ok... I'm done venting!!

So, I've made some changes on the blog?

Have you figured it out?

I changed the header.  All by myself, may I add.  I know, I know.  You all probably did your own blog headers too.  I'm just too darned proud of myself, not to brag.  So give me my 15 minutes...  O.K.?

So what do you think?

All the pictures in the header are things around my home that have been purchased at garage sales, thrift stores, and those sticks were from my little sister's wedding table centrepieces.

I also created a Blog button with text box code. 

<center><a href="http://frugalmomx3.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Xt80uHDBmpierzrZw_JatjGqcpMLe73Ib9OysZtp4w4puayY719tMfYrYlKoK5QnT2Z82DK-nhueH50EnfYBaBrh36qgw41advQC1LtvjfgxrlX85VKod38AUvCRxMHlrJIFNY_A7es/s1600/Frugal+Mom+Header+button.jpg" /></a></center>
So what do you think? 

Did  I do good?

There will be more changes coming...so stay tuned.

Guest Post: Emily Patterson of Primrose Schools

If you have been following along with my blog for some time now, you are probably aware that my daughter H. was diagnosed this past spring with moderate to severe hearing loss on her right ear, and slight to moderate on her left side.  She now wears hearing aids.  It has been a struggle to get to this point, mainly because we have moved so much in her young life.

Recently, Emily from Primrose Schools sent me this article and asked that I share it with my readers. 

I think it was quite interesting.  Let me know what you think...

___________________________________________________________________________

Early Childhood Education – Acquiring Sign Language

One of the keys to surviving in a tilted economic system in which opportunities to achieve a decent standard of living will be limited is versatility – and the ability to communicate articulately in a variety of ways with the widest possible audience. This includes bilingual ability as well as the ability to communicate in non-verbal ways for the benefit of the disabled – primarily the deaf.

At the same time, a growing shortage of qualified interpreters fluent in American Sign Language has led to more career opportunities – and if current trends continue, it's likely that skilled ASL interpreters will have little problem securing lucrative employment in a society where such a commodity is destined to be in short supply.

Signing Before They Can Speak

A great deal of research has clearly demonstrated that the early years – ages 2 to five – are the best time to educate children in different modes of communication and language. This goes beyond the spoken word (though it is an optimal time for children to learn a second language); many young children have an aptitude for signing as well.

This is not as odd as you may think. As you know, many indigenous peoples around the world, including American Indian nations, have used sign language for centuries to facilitate communication with other tribes with whom they do not share a language. Some paleontologists and anthropologists theorize that Neanderthals – who apparently lacked the vocal mechanism to produce many spoken words – depended a great deal upon hand gestures to communicate.

In fact, recent research suggests that sign language is innate. An article published in the Boulder Daily Camera in 2003 presented strong evidence that babies as young as six months old communicate with their hands:

"...by 6 to 7 months, babies can remember a sign. At eight months, children

can begin to imitate gestures and sign single words. By 24 months, children

can sign compound words and full sentences. They say sign language reduces

frustration in young children by giving them a means to express themselves

before they know how to talk." (Glarion, 2003)

The author also cites study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development demonstrating that young children who are taught sign language at an early age actually develop better verbal skills as they get older. The ability to sign has also helped parents in communicating with autistic children; one parent reports that "using sign language allowed her to communicate with her [autistic] son and minimized his frustration...[he now] has an advanced vocabulary and excels in math, spelling and music" (Glarion, 2003).

The Best Time To Start

Not only does early childhood education in signing give pre-verbal youngsters a way to communicate, it can also strengthen the parent-child bond – in addition to giving children a solid foundation for learning a skill that will serve them well in the future. The evidence suggests that the best time to start learning ASL is before a child can even walk – and the implications for facilitating the parent-child relationship are amazing.

Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas

Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Zionsville child care facilities, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of Indiana child care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.

Winners!!! Winners!!! Winners!!!

I'm sitting here watching the new Survivor and I realized that I haven't announced the

5 Shaklee Basic H winners!!!

(So before I go back to all time fave reality show...)

I had one comment that was an awesome testimonial from a winner from my last giveaway, that I thought I would share...

LoriD said...

Hey Bette - don't enter me in the contest (because you sent me a sample the last time around). BUT, I wanted to tell you that I used two drops of the Basic H2 to descale my Tassimo coffee maker. It worked perfectly!

Awesome!!! I had never thought to use it on my Tassimo!  Thanks LoriD!!!

In order to win, I asked everyone...

"Tell me the most neglected part of your home and what Shaklee Product you would use to clean it!"

{  The Winners are... }

(cue drum roll, please)

.

.

.

.

.

.

1. Emily {Frilly Details} said...

Ok, you've totally inspired me to clean out the fridge! I'm not even going to tell you the last time I cleaned it! And I'm with you, I love me some condiments. :) Those pesky jars take up so much space though.


I would LOVE to win a Shaklee product.

I would say our bathrooms need a good sprucing up

    2.  faithplusnothing said...


My dishwasher. I would use the dishwash liquid

    3.  karasceviour said...


I would say the bathroom, I would use germ off disinfecting wipes. karasceviour at hotmail dot com

    4.  ruthhill74 said...


Our bathroom is horrible! We would use the GET CLEAN® STARTER KIT

   5.  Leanne said...


Uhmm,it's been a while since I've cleaned my fridge. Thanks for the reminder and thanks for linking to We're Organized Wednesday.

O.k ladies!!! E-mail me with your contact information at frugalmomx3(@)gmail(.)com.

Congratulations!!!

For more information abou Get Clean Basic H please visit my onlike Shaklee website.

Menu Plan - Week of Sept 20th

Don't forget to enter my Shaklee Giveaway ! 5 Winners

___________________________________________

I've been trying to be more organized this year (I mean this school year, by the way).

Being organized for ME means...

• I'm not stressed about "what" to make for dinner
• I save money by using what I have on hand instead of last minute ordering out
• I have leftovers for the hubby's and kid's lunches
• We have variety in our meals
• I have all the ingredients that I need for the meal that night

I usually go shopping on Fridays and buy our usual staples (milk, bread, fruit) and then I shop the sales. 

For my menu plans I shop my freezer and pantry.  If I'm missing a special ingredient, I'll make a quick dash over the weekend or substitute.

So here is our Menu Plan for this week...

Monday - Schoolhouse Chili
Tuesday - Thai Chicken Pasta
Wednesday - Italian Wedding Soup
Thursday - Meet the teacher at the schools/School Fundraiser BBQ
Friday - Tuna Casserole
Saturday -Leftovers
Sunday - Roast Beef, Mash potatoes, Salad

I also had freezer full of Bananas so I made some Going Bananas Muffins earlier today.

Here's the Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 2 cups mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Set oven at 350.  Grease and flour muffin tins (or two loaf pans).  Beat in sugar and eggs, until creamy.  Mix in oil. Sift in flour, baking soda, salt, cinamon and allspice.  Add to the creamed mixture.  Mix in bananas and raisins/choc.chips.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops are brown (1 hour for loaf pans).
Yummy!

What's on your Menu this week?

I'm linking to some of these parties.

Guest Blogger: Grace from Sense and Simplicity

Have you entered my Shaklee Giveaway??

_____________________________________

When Bette asked me to do a guest post, I was pretty excited - this being my first guest post and all.  I had to think long and hard about what I wanted to write about and even take some time to get more photos to accompany the post.  This post pretty much ties together some of my favourite themes - the colour blue, decorating, and taking photos.  You can see more of all three at my blog, Sense and Simplicity.

********************
Blue is the world's most popular colour, and just happens to be mine too.

I thought it would be fun to look at blues in nature and see how they inspire decorating.

The icy pale blues and gray-blues that you see in ice and snow:

can be seen in this lovely Swedish Gustavian-style dining room.

The soft gray seafoam blue in tumbling waves,

can be seen in this beachy blue bathroom.

The misty colours of rocks, lake, and the setting sun,

can be seen in this beautiful kitchen.

The periwinkle blues of the cornflower,

can be seen in this bathroom.

The pure blue of a summer sky,

can be seen in the simple blue and white bedroom.

The gorgeous blue in the forget-me-not flowers

can be seen in the blue of this cottage bedroom.

The darker purple-blue of a blueberry

can be seen in the blue backs to these bookshelves.

The deep blues of the sky at dusk,

can be seen in the inky walls of this blue living room.

What about you - what shade of blue inspires you?

Source:  All nature photos are mine.  Interior photos: Cote de Texas, Sarah Richardson via decor pad, Plain English Design, Completely Coastal, House Beautiful, Strictly Simple Style, House and Home, House to Home. 

How I Clean My Fridge & A Giveaway

Yesterday, I happened to open my fridge to put something away and I noticed that 'one' of the shelves was a little "messy". It stopped me dead in my tracks!!

When was the last time I cleaned the inside of the fridge? I'm thinking pretty sure it was at the end of June (just before end of school). hmmm... I think...

With the three kids (and their friends), family visiting from overseas, and the busyness of summer, my fridge has certainly taken a beating been worked to the max!!.

So I emptied the contents of the fridge onto the counter...

(Yes, I love my condiments!)

Then I took a moment to photograph the awful mess...

(Disclaimer: I'm really a clean person, I promise.)  

I think it's spilt milk that someone tried to wipe up... but didn't.

  

Dried-on juices... ( the pictures doesn't do it justice) 

No idea what this is... syrup... ketchup... don't know.

This was under crisper boxes.  eeeewwww

  

This is where the shelves slide in...

Fruit Crisper box:  Kiwi Fuzz!?!?

I know, it's gross!!

So I emptied it of its contents and then got my

 Shaklee Get Clean Hand Dish Wash Soap.

So, why did I use the dish soap instead one of the other Shaklee products?

A neighbor, long ago, once told me that the soap that she used to wash her dishes

was the same one she used to clean inside her fridge.

She figured if it was safe enough to put food on, it should be safe enough to keep your food... safe.

Anyhow, this has always stuck in the back of my mind and I've always cleaned the inside of my fridge with dish soap.

Plus...

• 
  
   It's Gentle & Safe & Biodegradable
• 
  
  It has No phosphates, borates, nitrates, fragrances or dyes
• 
  
  It Cuts grease on baked-on food without chlorine
• 
  
  It is Effective in hard water
• 
  
  It is used for fine washable
• 
  
  It is Economical – a few drops cleans your greasy dishes
• 
  
  And it is easy on your hands! 

So then, I used one drop of soap on of these scrubbers...

And put about 1/4 tub full of hot water in my sink to wash the shelves... and

The Walls and the inside of the doors.

I think total I used about 3 drops to clean the entire fridge (inside and out)!!!

Then I wiped everything off with a microfibre cloth.

Look how Clean it is!!! heavenly

( I can't believe how excited I am about a clean fridge) 

And now I feel it is safe to return the food back into it!!!

Then I wiped the front of the Fridge with Get Clean Basic H2.

  

And now for the Shaklee Basic H Sample Giveaway!!

5 Winners of a Sample of Basic H

With this sample of Basic H you can make 

two 16oz bottles of powerful cleaner.

(First you can, mix 2 drops to 16 oz. of water in a Spray Bottle for cleaning windows and mirrors.

Then, mix 1/4 tsp. to 16 oz. of water in a Spray Bottle for all-purpose cleaning).

To win you must be a follower of my blog.

How to Enter:

Tell me the most neglected part of your home

and what Shaklee Product you would use to clean it!

Extra chances to Win!

1. Mention the giveaway on your blog, twitter, or facebook, and comment to let me know you have done so. (1 entry)
2. Become a fan on my Facebook page. (1 entry)
3. Become a follower on my Twitter page.  (1 entry)
4. Order a product from my Shaklee Website. (2 entries)

( Please include your e-mail if it is not easily visible on your blog.)

I will keep the contest open until next Sunday, September 19.
I will announce the winners on Monday!

Good Luck!

Bette

Meanwhile to learn more about Shaklee or place an order visit my online Shaklee Website.

I'm Linking up to some of these parties!!!