2 months???

I am having a hard time believing that it has been 2 months since I blogged last!  Ahhh!  Where has the time gone?  I am not really sure...  April is a blur of quizzing, kid's connection, extra choir practices in preparation for Easter, homeschool evaluations, co-op and school.  We did watch the Royal Wedding online - it actually was perfect since we had been studying about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their royal wedding, so we were able to compare and contrast the two and count it toward school!

Then, there was May.  May - why did Mark and I get married in the same month as both of our birthdays?  I'm not sure, but it makes for a busy month!  Then add all of the above (except for Easter and a royal wedding) to homeschool convention, music lessons, birthday parties, field trips, planning meetings and a mini vacation and I guess that is where May went!

Now, here we are in June, looking forward to summer while still doing most of the above!  Over the next week or so, I hope to catch you up on some of the more exciting things that have happened since I blogged last including dates, surprises, friends, etc. so stay tuned!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

OK, for starters, you need to know that it was not just any birthday this year - I turned 40!  So, it was somewhat significant as birthdays go.  At least, I guess my friends thought so!  They decided that just going to a girl's lunch or having me over for dinner was not enough - not this year.  Nope, they felt that a surprise party was in order for the day.

Imagine being invited to a friend's house for dinner, on the presumption that they are keeping you from making dinner for yourself for your birthday.    Just your family and theirs.  You arrive, ring the doorbell and are greeted with SURPRISE!!!!!!!  From about 40 people.  I don't have that happen to me, EVER and it quite literally about scared me to death!

After recovering from the initial shock, reality hit me and I immediately felt so loved by these special people who took the time to recognize my day for me.  I never saw shock two coming as I was taking everything in.  As I turned to hug another friend, I realized that not only were many of my special friends from here at the party, but my very dear friend Kimi and her family were down from Alabama earlier than I expected and they were there too!  Could the day be any more special???

Well, they sure did their best to make sure that all of my favorites were covered - favorite people, favorite foods, favorite drinks, favorite activities represented with cards, notes, etc.  I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness for the blessing of true friends who I love dearly.

My lovely daughter Holly posted all of the pictures Here, so be sure to hop over and check them out. 

I have to say that 40 looks pretty good from here!  I think that it may just be the new 20. Or $29.95 + tax.  Or 30 with 10 years experience.  No matter what, I think it will be the best year yet!  

Strawberry Season

I know that it is probably a little early in some areas of the country, but in Florida, we are right in the heart of strawberry season right now.  We are firm believers in eating things in their season as much as possible and from as local as possible.  Thankfully, we can get strawberries in abundance from all around central Florida from local sources!  And we stock up on them too!  Some of our favorite ways to use them are (in no particular order!): Strawberry shortcakes (we use home made biscuits, fresh strawberries and cool whip - layered in yummy goodness), Strawberry jam, Fresh strawberries with cereal or toast or on the side of any meal, Added into a blackberry pie, or Smoothies (made with kefir, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, flax, honey, whey protein powder and coconut cream).

Today, we made another of my favorites - Strawberry Spinach Salad - Fresh spinach, sliced strawberries, chopped pecans, cranberries, croutons (if desired) and your favorite dressing.  To me, it goes best with either a vinaigrette like Raspberry Pomegranate or Poppy Seed.  This is what our lunch looked like:

Those are all just to name a few of the many ways we enjoy strawberry season.  If you have any amazing ways you use them, I would love for you to share!

Swanson Vitamins

Several years ago, I learned about a website as a great resource to buy good vitamins at a great price and buy them from there as often as possible.  Today, I got an email that I could win free vitamins just by sharing their site with you!  It made me wonder, why haven't I shared it already?!  So, click here for more info about their site:


Have a blog? Want to win a $100? Check out the Swanson Health Blog.

 

 They often put their vitamins on buy one get one free, always have great prices and often have shipping deals on top of everything else.  {I get nothing for telling you this, by the way!  Just the joy of sharing what I love with you!}  Check it out for yourself and see if you like it.

Blooming Blossoms

Our Orange tree has blossomed!  Oh, my goodness, I am so excited!  This may not seem like a big deal, but we have raised this tree from basically a stick with no leaves - for about the past 6 years!  Last year, it got about 2 flowers but they never did anything.  This year, it is just covered with blossoms and the first 2 have opened:

Maybe we will get some oranges next year???  That would be so amazing!  I only wish you have a way to smell through your computer - mmmmmmmm!!!! 

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Well, while I'm telling you about things growing, I may as well update you on our garden projects for 2011.  We changed things up a little from last year and are doing more of less things.

We will have more Tomatoes:

More Green Peppers:

And more Lettuce:

We have started some beans, spinach and basil from seed and have nothing to show yet. We will soon be adding some zucchini (this is our last year - if we don't get it right this time, we are DONE with zucchini!), spearmint, chives and grape tomatoes.   We added a new raised bed this year, so now we have 3 total and we are doing some things in containers as well.  Our plan is to grow more of less and to do it well.  That's the plan anyway!  We'll see what happens as we go...

My Best Deal Yet

Many of you know that I have been into Extreme Couponing for almost 4 years now.  I learn more all the time about how to be the best steward possible with the resources that we have at our disposal.  The competitive side of me comes to life when I am faced with the challenge of limited finances to feed, clothe, house, etc,. a family of five plus three pets.  It is so fun and rewarding, though, to rack up the savings!  Recently, I had one of the best shopping trips that I have ever had in all of my couponing - major stockpiling going on here!  Here is the lowdown of my steals buys!  (My kids once asked me if I ever felt like I was stealing when I leave the grocery store - because I pay so little!  Nope - I do this fair and square!)

Bought:

32 boxes of Muellers pasta - various kinds
8 lbs of chicken leg quarters
2 1/2 gallons of Blue Bell Ice Cream
16 cans of Green Giant Veggies
26 cans Hunts and Muir Glen tomatoes and tomato sauce
2 1/2 gallons of Silk Almond Milk
1.5 Liter Aquafina Water Bottle
2 cans of Skintimate Shave Gel
2 cans of Pam Cooking Spray
1 Publix Bakery Whole Grain Baguette

Total before coupons:  $148.27

Total after coupons:     $10.11


Total Savings:           $138.16


Not bad for a days work - I LOVE saving money and I LOVE Publix!  Now, off to menu planning with my finds - I think we may have some sort of pasta, what do you think?!

A Random Observation

This is kind of silly and completely random and mostly useless info, but every day when the girls and I work out in the living room, our cat goes to the back door to be let out on the porch.  Every day, I watch to see what she does and she literally goes out and does a lap around the pool!  We think that she is working out with us, but it doesn't seem to be helping her - she is still fat!  However, at 16 years old, I don't think she is doing too bad.

Ever notice your pets doing things like this or are we unique??