DIY: Soccer Goal/Kicking Practice Wall

When my boys started playing soccer almost two years ago, a friend of mine suggested the boys use a soccer wall to practice their kicks against. Her husband had constructed a hefty kicking wall in their own back yard, and I was impressed.
Sinking posts in cement and screwing a well-built wall to the posts would have been ideal. But to be honest, I didn't have the money for the supplies, and wasn't sure how much the boys would use it.
So, I simply used what we had on hand to try out the idea.  You can see the finished project below.
Here was my plan:

• First, find a good spot that can take stray balls sailing through.
• Use a string line to make sure the three posts will be aligned enough to attach the wall.
• Drive three or four large metal fence posts into the ground, spaced around 4 feet apart, along the line.  (We had fence posts on hand from an old cattle fence we took down.)
• Attach an eight foot by six foot section of privacy fence using large wire ties at top and bottom of each post. A wall with thicker slats would probably take more aggressive play.  But, I simply used a section we had taken down from another place in the yard.
• For a finishing touch, we used a few upright logs from the woodpile to help return wide kicks.

2011 Update:  What do we think after almost two years?
It has held up remarkably well, and has turned out to be the most-used feature in our yard!  Our whole family enjoys playing there. 
Soccer goals can be expensive, and frankly, this DIY Soccer Goal is working great!  The kids can still practice their kicking accuracy.  Plus, they can work on their reaction skills, even if they are practicing alone.   I like that.
Sometimes, it even gets used as a backstop for their base ball games!
I think it was a project well worth my time and effort!

May 10, 2012 Update:  We loved the wall so much, we just replaced it with a beefed-up more permanent version.  You can check out what we did here!

Since time is short (because of soccer, of course!), I’m letting this favorite (and updated) family project do double duty. I’m linking it up to Kimba’s DIY projects as well as Works For Me Wednesday.  (That is, if I remember to come back and link it up!  Lol!) 
Have fun with all the tips and projects!

Bob, B-O-B Bob

Kraft Foods has some simple free pumpkin carving patterns and tips you can print out.  Among them is one called “Batty Bob.”

The significance of this is best understood in light of our newest family member. 

It started last week when we were instant messaging with his dad (who was in Germany).

With all three boys interjecting, sometimes it gets crazy.  Especially since all the boys sound alike.  (We don’t have a video set-up, just audio.) 

At one point my husband said, “Who am I talking to now?”

To which, my five-year-old said, clear out of the blue, “Bob, B-O-B Bob.”  Just like that.  (Definitely NOT his real name Lol!)  We all burst out laughing, of course. 

We’re still not sure where he came up with Bob, or how to spell it for that matter. 

But he’s still Bob.

Even at soccer and church.  It’s very confusing, I might add, to the poor Sunday school workers filling in for his teacher.

So naturally, when I saw this pattern and title, I thought of my son.

It’s now printed out and awaiting the perfect pumpkin.  “Batty Bob” will make his debut on our campsite in two weeks! 

I wonder if Bob will still be with us? 

Pond Project Update: Do You See What I See?

Our new grass in the grove of trees is sprouting!  When my husband left for Germany a week ago, we had just completed the race to get the area raked and sewn. 

A week of wet weather has worked its magic and I see more and more green every day.  Almost every hour! 

I keep hearing scattered showers in the forecast, but it has been more like an eternal monsoon for the past 3 days!

My husband arrives back in the states this evening.  When he gets home tonight, I’ll bet dollars to donuts that if it’s still light outside, he’ll check on his baby grass before I get my hug! Lol!

But that’s O.K.  We’re two peas in a pod when it comes to the enjoyment we get out of projects like this.   

So, what are the Finer Things I’m celebrating today?  (Besides Amy hosting such a positive Meme)

1. My husband coming home from his business trip!
2. Our hard work paying off on our pond project.
3. The much needed rain to end our mini-drought.  And then some.
4. My son (who was discouraged about things at school) saying he prayed about it on the bus and he thinks it helped.
5. My little guy’s fever breaking and the Star Wars theme song I hear him humming in the other room.
6. Homesteader’s Heart and her Friday Funnies.  Her post made laugh out loud today! 

Finer things…All!

Photo Story Friday: Road Show

I almost always take my camera to soccer games and practices.  You wouldn’t know it, though, because I haven’t posted many of the pictures I’ve taken. 

At one game, no lie, the only decent pictures I captured of my kids were taken just before the whistles blew for fouls they committed. 

The shots were perfect pictures of what not to do!  Lol!

But we haven’t come home completely empty handed.  On the way to practice the other day, my son took this picture. 

Giant Strawberries are much better than soccer bloopers. 

And if that wasn’t distracting enough to drive behind…

Check out this car we followed on the way home!

My crew thought these neon lights were totally cool. 

I would have too, if they weren’t so awwwwfully distracting. 

I guess it didn’t help that I gave in to back seat pleas to get a better picture through the front windshield. 

I don’t much recommend trying to take a picture at night.

In a moving car.

While driving

But the effect is pretty wild!

And in case my good friend is reading this…No, I didn’t have your daughter in the car at the time! Lol!  I only endangered my own family!

For more photos and their stories, visit Photo Story Friday!

I’m Going To The Mat

Both my husband and I grew up in the public school system, and in some ways, it made us stronger.

So we have chosen the same for our boys.  Each day we wake them up, get them ready, and send them off.  When they get home, we listen carefully for things we need to talk about.

One of my sons has a good group of Christian friends, for which I am eternally thankful.   Together, they take heart and stand firm in the face of those who ridicule their values and academic dedication. 

Apart from his new found fondness for the shaggy-dog-look, he is pretty much unaffected by the mainstream kids and culture. 

My other son is not so lucky.  His peer group doesn’t seem to possess the same internal metal.  Even the kids who should know better are being swayed by the classroom bully.    

This son comes home discouraged, and wakes up begging to stay home.  It’s been getting worse.  But when I asked if he wanted me to talk to the teacher, he assured me it would only make things worse.

This week he brought home a new school-wide discipline policy for me to sign.  It outlined stricter guidelines and more specific consequences for certain behaviors.  I was heartened and a bit frightened at the same time.  Could it be that bad?

I’m counting on the teachers to reign supreme in their classrooms and remove any children that don’t follow the rules.  But I’m not naive.  I know how tough it can be to make kids treat each other with respect.  You can’t be everywhere, all the time.  And things get missed. 

Those who are hurt become masters of covering their pain.  And intervention from adults really can (in some cases) make it worse. 

So, what’s a mom to do?

Secretly, this Momma Bear wants to storm the classroom. Take the bullies by their ears.  And escort their little bratty behinds to the office.  Then dust the dust off my fuzzy slippers and post myself guard at their classroom door.  Lest the little hell-raisers be allowed to escape.    

However, for the moment, I’m going to the mat for my son in a different way.  I’m arming him with a truth he can remind himself of often.   

It has to do with self-worth.   

But now, this is what the Lord says…”Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned…

Isaiah 43:1-2

We have value because God has chosen us, paid the ultimate price for our redemption, and calls us His own.  And there is nothing on earth which we, or anyone else, can do or say which will ever diminish or change that. 

Especially not the hateful and antagonistic words of bully.

Of this, I will remind him every day. 

We will also pray together about the situation, and ask for wisdom.

Wisdom for him when these situations arise, as well as for the teachers and parents who can make a difference.

I’m going to the mat for my son, in prayer.   

Play Dough Recipe

Most kids love play dough.  My just-turned-five-year-old is no exception.  It might be obvious to you what he is making.  But I had to ask.“Mom,” he said, “dese are tanks an’ artiwery and d’ey’re having a battle!” 

I knew that.  

Heh-hem.   Anyways…

I love the smell of new Play-Doh.  And the feel of its soft smoothness in my fingers.  However, I usually have the worst luck trying to keep store-bought play dough (of any brand) fresh.  Often, it turns sticky or hard long before I think I’ve gotten my money’s worth. 

So when I began working with children, I experimented with different recipes for homemade play dough.  Many of you probably have a recipe tucked away.  But I wanted to share mine for those who don’t, or who have one which doesn’t work well. 

With this recipe, I could make a batch of homemade play dough at the beginning of the school year and it would stay soft and workable (without getting sticky) pretty much indefinitely.  I’d keep it until I imagined the germies from all those little fingers were breeding like bunnies.  :)   

It’s quick, easy, uses things most of us have on hand, and cheap to make!

Homemade Play Dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 T or less oil
• 2 t cream of tarter
• 1 cup water
• food coloring (if desired)

Stir over heat until it pulls from the sides of the pan, then turn it onto a piece of aluminum foil to cool. Store it in an air tight container.

You can read lots of cool stuff about Play-Doh at How Stuff Works. They even refer to the same ingredients that I've posted. They said the cream of tarter acts as a stiffener. I always wondered why cream of tarter was called for!

Saving a little money, having fun in the kitchen with your kids, and ending up with something that they’ll play with for countless hours-on-end definitely works for me! 

For other great Works For Me Wednesday tips and ideas, visit We Are That Family!

Browse Magazines Online?

Abundant Frugal Life posted this link for Taste Of Home Magazine (Thank you!).  It takes you to a list of back issues which you can browse online for free.  I thought it was worth sharing with you (in case you’re not familiar with it) to give you an idea what the magazine is like.   

I used to subscribe years ago, and there were a few themed issues with which I couldn’t part.  Like the one with tons of potato recipes.  Or the ones which featured chicken, beef, and pork recipes.  I still grab these issues when I’m looking for ideas. 

I love Taste Of Home!  And some of their pictures no doubt add inches to my waste just looking at them! 

That said, I went to this link, all excited, and got about 6 pages into it before I gave up.  Why, you ask??

With a hard copy of the magazine, I can flip through the pages with ease and skip over things I’m obviously not interested in.  (Like recipes which call for high priced ingredients like shrimp and lobster.)  I can also take a hard copy in the car to look at while I’m waiting for the boys after school, or during soccer practices.  Or just to sit on the porch and enjoy with a mug of coffee. 

But with an online file, you are tied to your computer.  You have to wait for each page to load.  And readjust the page to the part you want to see.  And enlarge it.  Where’s the fun in that?  There might be wonderful things to see and enjoy. 

But who has the time??

I’m fairly confident this is a teaser to get you to subscribe.  Because there’s a big old subscribe button at the top.  And perhaps the online versions do drive busy moms to do just that.  I don’t know. 

But it raises an interesting question.  How many people actually subscribe to online versions of magazines?    And can online magazines compete with hardcopy subscriptions? 

When I get invitations to try free online subscriptions, I delete them immediately.  Because I don’t want to be tied to my computer.  (Ironic, since I sit here typing.)  But that’s just it.  Most people spend enough time on their computers in their work and daily lives, that the idea of perusing a magazine online (for fun) loses appeal.  At least to my way of thinking.

Hmm.  Like how I start out recommending something, and then shoot the whole idea down?  I’m not sure how I got on this rabbit trail.  Oh, yes, I got impatient and gave up on a chance to browse one of my all time favorite magazines!

Anyhow, now I’m intrigued.

Before you hop on over to see how long you last browsing Taste Of Home’s back issues, tell me, how do you feel about online subscriptions to magazines?  

And…be honest, would something like this promotion inspire you to purchase a subscription?  Yes?  No? 

If you don’t have a strong opinion, maybe you will after- you give it a try.  :)  Lol!  Just don’t forget to come back and let the rest of us know!

Sunrise

My husband is in Germany for the week.  So it’s just me, my three boys, and our three cats.

I sleep lighter when he’s not home.  Sometimes, I wake up earlier.

Yesterday, I awoke to a strange yellow-orange glow in my room.  Just as I was registering something amiss, I heard the feet of my oldest thud to the floor (from his loft bed) and race down the hall to the front door.

The yellow was coming from the windows.  My white sheers were orange, as was the ceiling, the bed sheets, the walls and the dressers.  

With a rush of adrenaline, I hit the floor and dashed to the window.  Everything was so dry.  We haven’t had rain for weeks.  The first thing that went through my mind was fire.

But no, there didn’t appear to be any fire.  The sky, however, was a color I had never seen before.

I rushed to the front door just as my son was coming back in.

“Where’s the camera?!”  he said rushing past me.  “The sky is awesome!”

He was right.  The sunrise was stunning. 

By the time we got the camera and headed outside, the yellow was fading fast.  But you can still see a little of it.

In a matter of seconds, really, the color was gone, and the dawn turned grey.  And I thought, do I sleep through this every morning?     

Taking Care (or Something) of The Kitties

My youngest son feeds the cats.  As soon as they hear his little steps near the door, they line up.  And follow him everywhere.

Because he is the food man, they overlook a number of issues which any cat with half a brain would take cover from. 

Like the times when sticks come hurtling towards them, or when bike wheels race to run over their tails, or pretend guns stalk them from behind every bush.  To them, I suspect, it is just a hazard that comes with staying close to the food source. 

So they take the abuse in stride.

But when they allow a five year old to exhaust an entire can of aerosol bug repellent with sun screen on their little beings, you just have to wonder about their misplaced trust.

Giving three cats a bath was not on my to-do list.  And I suspect it wasn’t on their list either.

However, they’ve learned a lesson. 

They now don’t come near me.   

  

For more Photo Stories visit Photo Story Friday at My Chaos My Bliss.

Fundraiser Misery

It was 5:35 a.m. I shuffled through the hall, savoring the  stillness before the pre-dawn routine that gets everyone out the door on time.  I was totally unprepared for the frustrating and heated conversation I was about to have with my oldest son. 

“Mom, I need to have that fundraiser address book filled out so I can return it today.” 

He mentioned the fundraiser after school yesterday.  But with soccer and homework and a thousand other things going on, the paperwork got only a passing glance from me.

I yawned.  “Not now,” I said “You need to get ready for school.  But if you leave it on the counter, I’ll look at it today.”

“But it’s due today!” he said.Today, really?  Sigh.  “What does the form need?” I inquired. 

He pulled out the booklet.  “Seven addresses of people we know.” 

“Addresses?” 

My son explained that “the guy” (I’m assuming the representative of this fundraising company, who spoke to the kids yesterday) is going to mail magazine subscription offers to the people whose addresses we give.  The magazine subscriptions are supposed to be great deals, and forty cents of each dollar spent will be netted for the school.

I looked at the address booklet.  The front cover had a side note that stated…

“Don’t worry!  These notes will only be used for this one-time mailing and will not become part of a mailing list.”

Really?  Skepticism was rearing its ugly head.

In another note on the front, it said…

“Remember to include grandparents on both sides, aunts and uncles, other relatives and long time friends.”

I cringed.  The same family and friends who worry about how they will continue to pay for their prescriptions?  Or how they will make their mortgage payments?  Or pay for college? Or find work?  …But who would feel guilty about not supporting our son? 

Do I really want to ask them?? 

Along with this fundraiser address book, there were three other books/brochures of items to peddle, I’m assuming locally.  Three??  One isn’t enough? 

And of course there was an order form.  But the best sheet (or worst?) in the group of papers he was spreading before me?  A full size poster of the “Prizes” your child can “win” if he or she sells the required number of items.

“If I don’t fill out the address book,” he continued, “I’ll have to sit in class while everyone else goes to the two-hour party.”  (insert dramatic, pleading look)

Seriously?  A swirl of frustration mixed with anger sweeps over me at the spot in which I’m being placed.

“What is the money being raised for?”  I asked.

He paused with a look which suggested he hadn’t a clue and said, “Um, the school?”  

Really? The same school our taxes support and to which we dish out large sums of money in required book rental fees for each child? 

Now, I’m generally a pretty easy going parent.  Supportive of the schools and organizations that my children are involved in.  I don’t like for them to feel left out if there is something special going on. 

And if there are fees involved with certain activities, we weigh the value of our boys’ participation as a family.  And then make the decision together.    

We already had one fundraiser on the counter (Bags For Bucks, for the soccer team), and frankly, this one (and how it is being handled) pushed some buttons this morning.

So, instead of what I had planned to post, I find myself here.  Writing an…

Open Letter To Those Who Organize And/Or Design Fundraisers

Please, before you send that packet of stuff home, give the parents the option of contributing outright to a real need.  We are as busy as you are and would appreciate the chance to circumvent a bunch of extra work.  Because we all know who has to sell it.

 

Be specific about what the need is.  If it is worthwhile, we’ll make the right decision. 

Be selective.  We are ALL making cuts in our budgets because of the current economic times.  Determine if this a need that is pressing, or one that can be postponed, or worked around. 

Examine the budget.  Would cuts in other areas provide the necessary funds to meet this need?  I’ve worked in both the public and private school settings and I’ve seen the waste that can surely be curbed.

And please stop putting undue pressure on children to participate in your fundraisers. Throwing a special party for those that “do” punishes those who “cannot” for reasons out of their control. 

Maybe it’s just me.  But the fundraiser party/prize concept is manipulation at its worst.  Please stop.  

Have you considered those children who live in struggling rural areas with few neighbors?  Or, what about children who have no in-state relatives, and who may already feel badly about that fact?  And is church really the place to suggest they go sell??

Perhaps you should use the would-be money spent on party and prize supplies to fund your need?

And Finally, if you really must do a fundraiser which sells something, at least pick something that people can use. 

The “Bags For Bucks” trash bag fundraiser is good, because everyone uses trash bags.  And I know from experience that the bags really are of good quality.

 

But selling outrageously priced novelty items and magazine subscriptions?   In today’s economy?

 

I will not ask people I care about to buy things they do not need so that a pittance can be put towards an ill-defined goal.  I will not.

  

I will work through my son’s disappointment over not attending the party.  I will work through his disappointment at not winning any prizes. 

However, I am deeply concerned about the wisdom that put us as parents in this position.  And saddened, too.

Sincerely,

A Mom Caught In The Middle 

I can only add, that it is easy to ask others to pay for a need.  But isn’t that part of the craziness which is being decided in our government?? 

We need to start young, teaching our children that participation in some things costs money.  Allowing them to ask for handouts through fundraisers costs them nothing personally, except an appreciation of worth.  In fact, most times, it is the parent who takes the stuff to work to try to sell.

Why not organize a community service project where the kids can do something worthwhile for sponsorship?  It could be anything from having a car wash to doing odd jobs for the elderly, or even organizing a clean-up crew for a community property.   

• They will appreciate the cost of participating in their activities more.
• They will have been given the chance to give of themselves. 
• 100% of sponsors’ contributions will be netted. 
• And the sponsors, fully informed of the goal and the child’s part in attaining it, are left free to contribute what they feel led to, and can afford. Without being asked to buy items they don’t need.  For inflated prices.  Where only a small potion of their donation goes towards the child’s organization.  

O.K.

I’m done.

I’ll put away my soap box, now.

Cell Phones and Nail Polish

Now this is cool!  Especially if your teenage girl has a cell phone!

Because so many of her friends have the same phone, a teenage friend of ours decided to make hers different.  To personalize her cell phone, so to speak.  She took the front and back covers off the phone and drizzled neon nail polish in random patterns on both of them. 

She totally transformed her “looks like everyone else’s” phone into an “everyone knows it’s mine” phone!

Don’t you love creative minds?

We’re contemplating a cell phone in the near future for my oldest son.  I don’t think nail polish would work to personalize his phone.  Lol!  But my gears are turning to come up with something equally distinctive in the masculine hemisphere. 

If you have any other neat ideas for a girl OR a boy, do share!   We moms need all the help we can get in the area of helping our kids easily identify and keep track of their things.  Especially when the things they have become more expensive to replace!

Don’t forget to visit We Are That Family for other Works For Me Wednesday tips today!  You never know what gems you’ll find!

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs… Is Coming to IMAX!!!

I just got an email saying that Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is coming to IMAX!  The film, inspired by the beloved children's book, focuses on a town where food falls from the sky like rain.  It will be released September 18, 2009.

There aren’t any reviews out yet, and even the promotional material is sketchy.  But I have loved the book and will be watching for more information!  Hopefully,  Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation will do it justice and make it a fun family film!

Building A Pond: Disking, Raking and Seeding

If you have been following me for a little while, you know that we have been involved in a major pond building project.  So I wanted to give you an update!

Although the basin and banks were finished a few weeks ago, our wooded area adjacent to the pond was too wet to work.

Until late last week! 

We worked like crazy people, taking advantage of the great weather.  My husband did the final grading with the loader.  Then, we all raked around tree trunks, and hauled wagon after wagon load of big clay clumps and sticks to our ravine.  It was back-breaking work!

Then, we disked and raked the open areas.  A LOT.

To do all the work by hand would have taken forever! 

So we are very thankful for the help and generosity of our wonderful neighbors, from whom we borrowed the big John Deere, the big disk behind it, and that piece of chain link fence with the lumber on top.  In case you are wondering, we dragged that fence behind the Cub Cadet to smooth things out.  It worked like a charm and was SO much easier than raking by hand! 

By the time I had to leave for soccer last night, my husband was just beginning to put down the lime, fertilizer and grass seed.  The neighbor (who owns the pond) came over with another spreader to lend a hand and you can imagine how thankful we were for his help!!  

Here, I am standing at the back of our pasture looking in towards the pond.  You can see the newly green banks of the pond beyond the trees. And if you look closely, you can see my husband pushing the spreader.

An area that was nothing but bog is now a beautiful and usable piece of land.  We’re confident that many in our community will get to enjoy it!   

Don’t worry about the critters that lived there, we didn’t destroy all of their boggy home.  There is still plenty of that behind the pond.

Today, I’m thankful.

• First, to have the project DONE!! 
• Second (which probably should be first!) for the health which enabled us to actually do the work!
• Third, for our friends and neighbors who happily offered their help and equipment, AND encouragement.
• And finally, for the fun (Lol! Can we call it that??) as a community we have had working together.

What have you tackled recently, or are thankful for today?  Come share with us at Tackle It Tuesday, and Gratituesday so we can all be blessed by what God is doing for, in, and through you!

Two Quick Deal Alerts

I’m not primarily a deal kind of blog.  But if I come across something out of the ordinary that seems like a great deal, I’ll post a heads-up.

Advanced Auto Parts is offering a printable coupon for $10 off a purchase of $25 or more.  I printed out mine last night to use this weekend on car things we need.

Free Magic School Bus Book for the asking.  I haven’t done this yet, but plan to today since we have enjoyed other books in the Magic School Bus series.  Call 1-800-490-9198 and request item number EPA420-K-07-001. 

Thanks to Abundant Frugal Life for the tip on these two deals!

Raise Them Up??

Have you ever seen such a crazy thing?  This Lilly cracks me up every time I pass it in on the sidewalk.  When the little baby started growing up there, I kept thinking that eventually it would die off.  But it just keeps growing.  And growing!

This Momma Lilly takes the idea of “Raising Them Up” to a whole new (and literal) level!  (If you aren’t familiar with why I chose this blog title, there is a short explanation at the top of my sidebar.)

Maybe I should adopt them as my mascots!  What do you think?  Lol!

Seriously, though, have you ever seen something like this?

Visit Photo Story Friday and Give Me Your Best Shot, teaming up for even more fun!

Kicking It Up A Notch

All right.  I have a confession to make.  I’m falling behind in too many things to count.  I am pretty much up to my eyeballs in soccer practices, school reports, doctor’s appointments and home improvement projects.  (My two guys are facing towards each other in the middle of the above scrimmage picture.)   

The fact that we are about to kick it up a notch by throwing in two games per weekend has me wide-eyed and holding on as the shoe horn of life squeezes more “stuff” into our already bulging schedule.  

Sandwiches and cereal are commonplace dinners.  Clutter and dust have taken the high ground.  And progress on home improvement projects has slowed to a crawl. 

As a mom, I’m missing my evenings.  Because the soccer field is so far away, Little Peanut and I stay and “hang out” for the two hour practices.    Sometimes he is good, and I can bring a few things to do.  And sometimes, like below, he tests the boundaries.  I had to zoom in for this picture of him skirting the far reaches of where he is allowed to go.  Can’t you just see the look of challenge in his eyes??   

Sometimes we bring puzzles to do in the back of the car.  Sometimes story books.  Sometimes our portable sand box.  Sometimes my husband meets us there after work, like last night, and we just chat and watch the happenings.

But I generally like to use our waiting and driving time to get what we can done. If I can spare the eye, I spot check the boys’ homework while we wait.  Sometimes the boys can quiz each other for tests in the car.  And sometimes their mood is better suited for the boxing ring. 

But no matter how much we try, there are usually still things to do when we get home, making for late nights and cranky mornings.  And lots of catch up for me during the days. 

Sooooo, if you haven’t gotten a comment from me in a while, it doesn’t mean I’m not stopping by.  Because I am!  It just means that I feel guilty about spending the extra time on the computer.  Waiting for my incredibly slow connection to crawl through the screens necessary to say hello. 

Forgive me??

I hope to be back in the full swing of things soon.  But in the mean time.  Survival is the name of my game.

Speaking of survival.  I would appreciate your prayers for wisdom concerning our oldest son.  He did something to his knee at soccer last night and the pain is lingering.  Since there is no obvious swelling or bruising, I’m kind of playing it by ear and giving it a little time.  We’re doing the brace, ice and Advil thing.  But he is determined not to miss school. Or soccer.   

20 Tips For A Successful Yard Sale!!

A reader asked me about posting some yard sale tips.  Absolutely!  I’ve learned lots over the years, and I’m happy to share what works for me!   

1. Set aside a place to store yard sale items throughout the year. This allows you to compile things as you think of them. When you come across something you know you're done with, put it in a box marked yard sale. As your stockpile grows, you'll know when it is time to pick a date.
2. Choose your date to coincide with community events. We picked our date with our community's Homecoming Festivities and holiday weekend in mind. Yard sales abound this weekend, and turnout is heavy.
3. Make it a Neighborhood, or Multifamily event, if possible. Sales which are advertised as Community or Multifamily Yard Sales attract more attention. Check to see if neighbors want to participate, or invite friends from your church or extended family to join you and set up a table. Not only will it make your sale more enticing, it is more fun to do with friends!! 
4. Consider location. If you live in the country, consider having it at a friend's or relative's house who lives closer to town, or on a road with more traffic.
5. Make simple signs. It is tempting to buy readymade signs. But homemade signs work great and don’t cut into your budget as much!  Also, keep in mind, less is best. Putting too much information on a sign makes it hard to read from a moving car. Find out about signage laws in your area. Stapling/nailing signs to telephone poles are no-no's in most areas. I like to place signs where I can ask the property owner for permission to drive in a stake, or leave a freestanding sign board (pictured above).  To make one, take two similar pieces of plywood, drill two holes in the top of each, and one per board about midway down.  Connect them with wire ties at the top.  Then tie a cord diagonally across the middle to keep the boards from splitting too far apart.  Adding balloons is a great to draw more attention.
6. Advertise.  If your sale location is far off the beaten trail, consider putting an ad with your address in the paper so people can check a map before setting out.  Craig’s List is also a great place to advertise.  It’s free, easy, and you can draw attention to large items that need that certain buyer to appreciate…like the car we sold this time!! 
7. Price your items. People like to know up front what you are thinking. Avoid “best offer” tags, if you can.  If you are unsure of how much to ask for something, do a search on EBay of completed listings and see what similar items have sold for there recently. You can also price by group, for example, "This table, .50 ea." Know in advance what your rock bottom price is on key things.
8. Keep clothes and small items off the ground. It is much easier to look through things on tables. Sheets of plywood on saw horses work just fine. But if you must put things on the ground, place them on a blanket, or on pavement. We sometimes place a length of pipe between two ladders so we can hang dress clothes, quilts, and curtains on hangers. It works very nicely.
9. Set up the night before.  If your advertising says the sale starts at 8 am, you will likely have people showing up by 7:30.  Be prepared!  You may even have people stopping by the night before and asking to look as you set up.  I’ve learned to put cones in the driveway to keep people out along with a sign indicating Sale TOMORROW! Especially if I’m still pricing things and feeling frazzled.  Be sure to cover tables with tarps to keep heavy dew off things you want to keep dry.  Picnic canopies are also great shelters.  Plus, they draw attention to your yard.
10. Have plenty of change/small bills on hand along with a tablet and calculator.  Keep a spiral notebook handy if you have more than one family selling.  I make columns with each family’s initial at the top, and as a customer picks things up and lays them on my table, I record the amount in each family’s column and bag it.  Once she’s done shopping, I can quickly add each column, combine them, and give her one total.  We find it easier to divide the money appropriately and make change among ourselves after the customer is taken care of.  Then we draw a line across so we can start fresh with the next customer.
11. Supply plastic shopping bags to help your shoppers get their treasures to their cars.
12. Keep batteries and screwdrivers nearby to test items. Have an extension cord available for testing electrical items.
13. Clean your items. Launder clothes, wipe off toys, and dust furniture. A little bit of care ahead of time will allow you to ask the best prices.
14. Occupy your children. Older children are great helpers, but little ones can find it traumatic when their outgrown things are sold. Decide what will work best for you. With our family, the older boys are great at keeping our youngest entertained and out of trouble.
15. Be accessible for questions.
16. Greet people with a friendly "Hello" and thank them for coming.
17. Make Cookies.  If time (and your energy)  allow, have the kids bake some cookies to sell during the sale.  We made 4 batches, wrapped them in pairs, and charged .25/pack or 5 packs/$1.  They sold them all and were tickled with the money they made!
18. Make Lemonade.  Again, if you have older kids, this is a great way for them to make some money.  We made pitchers of lemonade and had ice in a bucket to keep things fresh.  They charged a .25/cup.  Since it was sunny and warm, almost everyone gratefully snagged a cup as they came to look.  Just keep a trash can handy for cups and wrappers.  Having the kids keep track of their own sales and money is great for their money skills, too!
19. Take Outdoor Pictures of things that don’t sell.  Before you clean up after the sale, take pictures where lighting is best.  You went to all of the trouble cleaning them up to sell, why not go ahead and list the big items on Craig’s List?  We did just that, and were able to sell a few more things very quickly.
20. Remove your signs promptly.  Don’t let them linger on someone else’s property, or confuse people about the dates.  Tuck them away in the garage or shed for future use.  If you already have simple signs made, it will make it that much easier the next time you want to have a sale!  

Did I miss anything?  If you have something else that works for you, please share it with us!

Check out more Tips at Works For Me Wednesday hosted by We Are That Family!

Clearance Sales!

This weekend, I happened to check the women’s clearance racks at Wal-mart and scored several pairs of jeans marked down to $3.00!!  They actually had quite a few.  But they probably won’t last long.

If you are like me, you check the children’s racks frequently, but rarely check for yourself.  You might want to swing by this week to see what you can find!!  $3.00 jeans are hard to pass up!! 

Oh, and these jeans actually cover my rump when I squat.  Happy sigh…   

Holiday Weekend Tackles

This weekend was pretty productive for us with two big tackles. 

It started out with a neighborhood yard sale which we hosted.  Out of those that participated, three other families joined us in our yard and we had such a great time!  Everyone brought their junk, along with some food for lunch, and we made a family picnic out of it. 

What can be better than getting rid of clutter, hanging out with friends, and making a little cash—all at the same time??

Sunday, I listed some of the bulky things (which we hadn’t sold Saturday) on Craig’s List.   And already, some of those things have sold!  It’s such a blessing!  Especially since we are making some big purchases soon.

Our other big tackle was in our play room.  We have two doors there which were poorly installed, majorly abused, and in need of replacement.  We’ve been meaning to do more than tape them up in the winter ever since we moved in (6 years ago!).  Isn’t it terrible that we are just now getting around to it??

Anyhow, Sunday, we tackled re-shimming a door and filling in the gaps with a can of GREAT STUFF (foam filler).  If you ever use the stuff, keep in mind that some types REALLY EXPAND!!!!  We apparently didn’t allow for enough expansion because the stuff kept bubbling out of the cracks! 

For more than a half hour!  Lol! 

My husband and I grabbed shims to scoop the ooze as it threatened to glop onto our carpet.  Which of course we didn’t think to cover before hand!  We just kept scooping. And scooping.  And scooping!

I was so relieved when the stuff finally slowed down!  The moral of the story is this…You CAN apparently have too much of the GREAT STUFF!  Lol!

Oh, the fun of DIYS jobs where you learn as you go! 

I think GREAT STUFF actually makes a foam that has less expansion, but I wasn’t sure which one to get…  I’ll look more closely at the labels next time!

So now we just need to finish trimming the cured foam and replace the molding.  Then we’ll be able to cross off the purchase of one new door from our shopping list.  Yeah!! 

I’m so thankful for the money we were able to make and save this weekend, and for a husband able and willing to help with it all! 

So what did you do this weekend for fun?

Linked to Tackle It Tuesday! and Gratituesday!

He Is Still In The Garden

My garden has suffered a hostile takeover by the thickest and most determined weeds that ever grew.  The tidy rows of vegetables which I planted with such hope and anticipation are now being strangled by tangles of vines and stalks of weeds.  If I had pulled them out when they were small, my garden would look much different.  But I got busy.  The weeds grew fast.  And then…

I gave up.

Even so, look at what we found… Yes, one perfect little pumpkin.  As I was preparing to mow over a large section of garden, this beautiful little harbinger of the fall splendor to come caught my eye.

It’s tiny, for sure.  And it may not last through September.  But that’s O.K. 

It’s here for now, reminding me that even in the midst of my weedy jungle, born of my own neglect, God can work a miracle.  I picture Him causing the pumpkin to grow, simply because it pleases Him.   

In a garden I was ready to abandon, He was still busy at work. 

It made me think of other areas I’ve all but given up hope of changing.  On a personal level, and on larger scales.   

Am I tossing down my gardening gloves while God’s hands are ready to bring the fruit?  Are the size of the weeds causing me to hang back in despair?    

Kind of reminds me of Joshua and Caleb and their unwavering hold on  God’s faithfulness.  Such a little pumpkin.  Such a big lesson. 

I needed this reminder today to keep working my little plot.  To keep praying for our schools.  And for our country.  Because God is still in the garden.

And that is a wonderful thing.

Friends I’m joining today:  Amy’s Finer Things Friday, Carrie’s Friday Foto Fiesta,  and Photo Story Friday at My Chaos, My Bliss.  Come join us!   

The Upper and Lower Case Alphabet Puzzle by Melissa and Doug

Wouldn’t it be great to find a puzzle that stands up to abuse, and engages the thinking caps of our little ones?  (Wouldn’t it be nice, too, if it kept them busy long enough for us to write a post or use the bathroom?)

One letter puzzle we are having tons of fun with is the wooden Doug and Melissa Upper and Lower Case Alphabet puzzle. 

It’s definitely sturdy, and it’s great for learning both the upper case and lower case letters.

What’s more, is it can double as a manipulative.  My son likes to take the letters out and make short words.  Like “Mom” and “Dad” and “Cat”, and “Fwrbiqetyp”, etc. Lol!  You could even trace around them.  

The pictures under the letters are colorful and fun.  Most, are easy to identify with the common letter sound.  Though it does use the Xylophone for X (something I wish wasn’t so often used in alphabet pictures).  And the upper case W picture was kind of hard to figure out.  We are saying wagon.  Is that right??  Am I missing something?

Anyway, what can be better than having your little ones learn their letters and sounds…without them even knowing they’re learning?! 

Happy sigh…

Join the fun over at The Diaper Diaries for Things I love Thursday!

Moist And Delicious Jewish Apple Cake

I’m feeling the crunch of preparing for a yard sale today.   So I’m pulling out one of my favorite coffee cake recipes and wishing I had piece (or two)  to prolong my procrastination go with my coffee ! 

This scrumptiously moist cake is the perfect way to use up all those apples that the fall brings! My whole family loves it, and it packs well in lunches for a special treat. It's also a big hit when I share it with our Sunday School class for refreshments/donut time! So pick up some apples today and give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup Mazola oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 4 eggs

Beat all ingredients together for 5 minutes on high speed.
In separate bowl, put 4-6 peeled and sliced apples. Make the apple pieces fairly small. Add 5 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of Cinnamon. Turn to coat.

Alternate batter with apples and bake at 350 degrees for about 75-90 minutes.  Adjust the time depending on what type pan you use. I used a 13 x 9 glass cake pan and it didn't seem to need the full 90 minutes. Don't over-cook!

Tip:  It's not in the recipe, but I like to dot the top with butter, and sprinkle with Cinnamon and Sugar before I bake. It gives the top a sweet and kind of crispy coating.

Beware!  This is a stick to your hips kind of cake!

For more Great Recipes, visit:  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!