Today...

Outside my window...I can see David Suggs car lol
I am thinking... I wish I had a maid
I am thankful for...modern medicine, and the NuWave oven
From the kitchen... Quorn
I am wearing... jeans and a tshirt
 I am creating...a photoshop project for my design and communication class
I am going... to take a nap soon!
I am reading... Little Women (again)
I am hoping... Daniel keeps feeling better and Alexis doesn't catch anything we've got!
I am hearing... The Ups and Downs Derby
Around the house... Lincoln logs
One of my favorite things... coke in a can
A few plans for the rest of the week... city market

Eating Organic

For the past year or so, I've made a commitment to provide the best food possible for my family.  We bought a quarter cow from a local farmer who uses no hormones or antibiotics. I buy chicken that came from Middleville. Milk and butter that comes from Lincoln Park, eggs from Bath, and produce from local growers at the City Market. It's like the 100 mile diet mixed with as many non-gmo's I can find. In the beginning, it really hit my budget hard and I had to adjust BIG TIME.  But soon, I realized the stuff that I had to cut out were basically the junk.  No more 12 packs of coke at the ready (we cut HFCS anyway lol), boxes of ready made dinners...basically convenience foods.  Cutting out those processed foods and stocking up on good sales has made buying local/organic totally possible. 
Tonight, Daniel wanted Mac and Cheese.  Here's the cost of regular old mac and cheese, made with milk and butter vs. the organic batch I made tonight!

Kraft total cost $1.51                             Annies total cost $0.89
$1.29 box of mac and cheese                 $0.44 box of mac and cheese
$0.09 butter (1 tbsp)                              $0.18 calders butter  (1 tbsp)
$0.04 1/4 c milk                                     $0.08 1/4 c organic milk

I happened across a sale of Annies Mac and Cheese at Kroger and got them for 44 cents a box!  I bought 50 lol
To sum up, it's not hard to eat well!  It does take effort to know what you're buying, and learn how to make some convenience foods at home:)

Super Saturday!

 

Saturday started in MSU at the Veterinary College, for Vet-a-Visit!

 
 We met some sweet doggies, one promptly rolled over for a belly rub:)

After we'd had enough animal fun, we headed over to Koney Island in Hanna Plaza. Daniel inhaled a 1/2 order of pancakes which was still FOUR pancakes, and Alexis enjoyed fish and chips.

Full of lunch, we all decided walking sounded good so we headed over to Fenner Arboretum for the Maple  Syrup Festival!

Alexis tried on a raccoon fur (it had been a stole in a former life)

The kids took turns learning how to tap a tree for sap

How does THAT become maple syrup??

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him

This morning, as the kids and I sadly watched the footage of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, I took the opportunity for us to pray as a family before we left for school.  We specifically prayed that people who were looking for loved ones would find them quickly.  Minutes later in the car, we were listening to Air1.com and heard a man calling the station to let them know, after calling earlier for prayer to hear from his brother in Japan, he had just received word from his sister that she had gotten a facebook message from their missing brother.  It was literally less than 5 minutes from when we had prayed!  I glanced back at the kids and saw their wide eyes and smiles.  Amazingly, a terrible tragedy has been used to show 2 children that their prayers are heard and answered.

It's almost SPRING!

Today's mail brought the Spring/Summer Parks and Recreation Activities Guide. The trick is, finding something for each kid that is at the same place, at roughly the same time so mama isn't driving all over hells half-acre!

A few of my favorite things...

Touched off by a post from Cat, I thought I'd post a few things that are making me happy these days.

I grew an actual cucumber.  This is big for me, I'm not known for keeping plants alive.  I planted a flat of pickle cucumbers and they're thriving!  Here is the first one I picked.

I bought a soda maker a few months ago.  Now, I'm not spending $$ on bottled or canned carbonated water, it has more than already paid for itself!

I love being entertained by people who can make fun of themselves.

 And by those who make fun of others.

She Worf

Keep Calm

Earlier in the year, my friend Mindi found this poster she felt was a great addition to her home. Besides being right up her history loving ally, it's a nice moral booster in the midst of life.

This week while in Schulers, a small gift bag caught my eye

I had a laugh, but it got me thinking that there were probably more amusing parodies of this particular piece of propaganda.  Indeed there are.