Family Activities: Fall Pumpkin Carving Fun
The girls carved pumpkins glowing on the front porch! Can you guess who designed which one?
It has been a tradition for our family to carve pumpkins around Halloween. A lot of times we carve the pumpkins the weekend before Halloween, but with everything going on this year it was a little later this year. On Halloween afternoon our family went out to search for the perfect carving pumpkins. After stopping at three stores we started to wonder if we were even going to find any pumpkins to carve. Finally, we ended up at Publix and thankfully they still had a lot of pumpkins including some huge ones. All the pumpkins, not matter what size were $5! Of course the kids picked the biggest ones they could find. We came home with one 25 pound and one 26 pound pumpkin!
This year instead of dressing up and running around doing trick and treating the kids decided they would rather spend the evening as a family celebrating Halloween. So thankful that the girls wanted to hang out and spend a relaxing evening with us. We let each kid pick out their favorite bag of candy, a pumpkin to carve, some fun games, and family activities to do Halloween evening. For Halloween dinner we picked up Chinese take out as a special treat.
My brother and sister-in-law brought my nephews came by dressed up as the cutest little lion and minion! It was the first year we had trick or treaters because usually we are never home for Halloween! It was great getting to see them and spend some time hanging out with them on Halloween!
The pumpkin is fresh, washed, and ready to be carved!
Cleaning out their pumpkins! They did the majority of the cleaning, designing, and cutting on their own!
Brina saw a cat designed she liked online and used that as an example to draw one on her pumpkin! We used wet erase marker to draw on the pumpkin before carving it out.
Karlie couldn’t find a design she liked online so she drew a rough draft of what she wanted on a piece of paper than drew it again on the pumpkin! She really wanted a rocket, Saturn, and a star on her pumpkin so this is what she created!
Brina carving her cat pumpkin out!
Karlie carving her space pumpkin out!
We have a space and cat pumpkin glowing on our front porch!
The girls chose more non-traditional pumpkin designs. Brina got her cat idea from another pumpkin she saw. Karlie designed her rocket, Saturn, star, and space one completely on her own (and fit her personality and interests perfectly)!
The pumpkins! I am pleased with how well the girls pumpkins turned out and they really did most of the work on them!
Recipes: Worcestershire Flavored Pumpkin Seeds
Our kids love getting their pumpkins every Fall before Halloween so we can carve them and roast the pumpkin seeds. Due to traveling and other activities that have taken up our time we were a little later getting our pumpkins. Finally, on Halloween we got the girls pumpkins, after going to three other stores we found pumpkins at Publix! After cleaning out their pumpkins we had enough seeds to make two big patches of roasted pumpkins seeds, another favorite tradition of our family.
Every year we used at least one of our favorite pumpkin seed recipes and try to experiment with a new one. Some years the new pumpkin seed recipes are amazing and they become a new favorite while others are a flop. This year we made the Cinnamon Apple Cider Pumpkin Seeds and I tried a new pumpkin seed recipe using a touch of worcestershire sauce. The worcestershire flavored pumpkin seed recipe was a big hit with all my family members. They agreed it was one we could add to our collection of favorite pumpkin seeds recipes.
Worcestershire Flavored Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 cups fresh Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Butter or Margarine
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon liquid Wood Smoke
- 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
Rinse the fresh pumpkin seeds. Saute pumpkin seeds in the butter for about 5 minutes (until they start to turn brown). Add the worcestershire sauce and liquid wood smoke to the mix of pumpkin seeds. Saute and stir continually for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the seasoned and garlic salt onto the pumpkin seeds and mix until evenly coated. Spread seeds into a shallow baking pan and baked at 250 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy. Stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and put in a dish to serve.
In our house if the pumpkin seed recipe is good about half the pumpkin seeds have disappeared before they have completely cooled and been put into the bowl to serve. The kids especially like to come by the stove as they are cooling and “taste test” the new recipe and provide their feedback! Some of the pumpkin seed recipes we have made are sweet while others are salty. The worchestershire flavored pumpkin seed recipe fits into the salty range. You can adjust the amount of seasoning based on your specific tastes. Enjoy!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Last week was busy with all the extra doctors appointment, but thanks to the help of my family we got through all the activities that needed to be accomplished. I have quite of few appointments and other after school activities again this week as well. Although the girls have both Monday and Tuesday off of school so I am looking forward to spending some extra time with them. I plan on doing at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1 Meal” (make one to eat that night and freeze one to eat at a later date) this week. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Shepherds Pie, Fresh Salad (Make 1 & Freeze 1 Meal)
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Homemade Pizza, Fruit Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Curry, Naan, Steamed Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Baked Tilapia, Steamed Vegetables
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was busy week full of many extra appointments that were added into the schedule, some of them last minute, like doctor’s appointments. The hot water heater decided to pick this week to stop working too. Thankfully, it stopped on an evening when Jake was home, not traveling for work. Jake and my brother Lee were able to get a new one back up and working in one evening!
I was finally able to get an MRI and figure out specifically what is going on to cause all the pain and numbness. It has been over three weeks since I have been able to sleep in my own bed, the recliner has been the only comfortable spot to sleep lately! The doctors have found out that I have a severely herniated disc in my neck which is also clamping down on nerves causing the shooting pains down my neck, back, arm, and causing numbness in my fingers. The doctors are going to try and do a steroid shot directly into that specific disc this week and if that does not work than they want to do surgery. Praying that the shot will work because the surgery is much more evasive and permanent. Surgery would require a hospital stay not to mention recovery and effects on my future with mobility, movement, and other issues (obviously not my first choice).
It is getting old not sleeping well, taking medicines that me feel foggy and not myself, the pain is at times very intense and has limited me in a lot of areas, and numbness in my fingers can eventually lead to permanent damage if we don’t get that fixed as well. It hurts getting older! I am ready to be back to my normal self soon. Praying that they can fix it with the simple solution and without surgery. There are some areas I did okay with this week on my goals and others not so well. Either way I plan on proceeding forward with all my goals, activities, and tasks as much as possible!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Pick another book to read to the kids– I picked out Double Fudge by Judy Blume to read to the girlsJake finish reading Last of the Mohicans to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Fall Events & TripsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before- Ride Bikes with the kids – I was not able to ride bikes this week due to my neck, back, and arm issues
- Go for a Walk with the Kids – we did not go on walks this week because I was limited in extra moving around on top of my normal activities
Play a Game with the Kids– played Halloween BingoAttend School Board Meeting– Jake attended for me because I was not able to go due to health issues- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – was not able to get to this one
Plan Family Halloween Dinner & Celebration– enjoyed a relaxing Halloween evening and weekend with my familyOrthodontic Appointment for Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)- Exercise at least 5 times this week – doctor did not want me doing any additional exercises at this time
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – I got it done, but it took more than one day due to me moving slower and needing help carrying items
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekDo at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)- Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & Freezer – didn’t get it done
- Clean House (Focus – Basement Floors) – didn’t get the basement floors clean, but I did a more “deep” clean of the laundry room due to hot water heater dying on us this week!
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – was not able to get this done
- Put Spring/Summer Clothes in the Attic – need help to get these in the attic so was unable to finish it
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – thanks to my brother letting us borrow his mower Jake was able to get the yard mowed, but we still need to get the pool put away
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin & Make Homemade Treats with the kids for Skipper) – we made homemade treats for the dog, but still need to refill the goat food bin
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – still have some that need my attention and a response
Keep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – got started on it
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkMake an extra payment on Outstanding Debt– we were able to make an extra payment this week which helps us inch forward in the right direction!- Earn some Creative Cash – I wasn’t able to get any extra creative cash completed this week
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – I did go grocery shopping for the first time in THREE weeks, but I did go to more than one store and I went a little over our budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Double Fudge by Judy Blume to read to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
- ENT and Eye Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
- Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & Freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Basement Floors)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room)
- Put Spring/Summer Clothes in the Attic
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away)
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Make an extra payment on Outstanding Debt
- Earn some Creative Cash
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Free Audio Book: “The Attributes Of God V1: A Journey Into The Father’s Heart” by A. W. Tozer
For the month of November Christian Audio is offering a free download of an audio book. This month the audio book is The Attributes of God V1: A Journey Into The Father’s Heart by A. W. Tozer and narrated by Michael Kramer.
In this first volume on the nature and attributes of God, Tozer defines God’s infinitude, immensity, goodness, justice, mercy, grace, omnipresence, immanence, holiness, and perfection. This classic is sure to deepen your understanding and comprehension of God. (information from Christian Audio)
If you have been wanting to a book to listen to throughout the day or while driving this is a great opportunity to get a book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in November. Make sure to submit your order by November 30, 2014 to get your free audio book. Thanks Christian Audio!
Relaxing and Reading
Relaxing and reading!
One of the best parts of having a relaxing Saturday morning is having extra time to read. This is what I saw recently when walked into Brina’s room! Brina was catching up on a pile of Berestain Bears books. Jake and Karlie were checking something out in the World Book Encyclopedia. The girls love books. It makes my heart happy to walk into the room and see the kids reading.
Brina enjoying her book!
Living on a Budget: Creative Cash (October Update)
October was a super busy month with me being gone for part of the month and out of commission with neck and back issues for several weeks. Thankful for my husband who pitched extra hours to take care of the kids while I was out helping my family in Kansas and out of commission health wise. It is nice to be back home and with Jake and the girls once again. Now that October is behind us it is time to give you an update on my Creative Cash and our special highlight.
What is Creative Cash? My definition of Creative Cash means finding a variety of ways to make extra cash each month to put towards my family’s current financial goal as well as having a little extra to share with others.
Why do it? I am working part time, a stay at home Mom, and wear many other hats from day to day, however, I feel that it is not only important to save money for my family by using coupons and buying items on sale, but to earn a little money to help with the family finances and to share with others. The extra amount I bring in on top of work is what I call “Creative Cash” and it is made by finding ways to make money creatively or with items and talents I have already. As I continue to challenge myself to make my life more simplified as well as find ways to bless others I have made it my goal to remain accountable for the Creative Cash I bring in month to month. My family has faced many obstacles over the years, however, we are blessed and have a multitude of reasons to be grateful.
How it Works: The creative cash will be made throughout the entire calendar month through various endeavors. As Creative Cash arrives the money, gift cards, and other extras are entered into my Creative Cash worksheet. The cash, gift cards, and other items are stored in a specific Creative Cash folder or marked in the account as Creative Cash. At the end of the month the money will be split with part of it going towards the current financial goal my family is working on and the other part will be donated to someone or a group of people such as a charity. It is important for me to find ways to be a blessing to people outside of our immediate family. In order to keep me accountable I will be reporting my monthly total and who I will be sharing the Creative Cash with that month. If it is a specific family or cause I may or may not be able to give all the details due to the amount of privacy they may want, but I promise share any details I can.
Monthly Goal: It is my goal to make at least $100 extra Creative Cash a month to help with my family goals as well as share with others.
Despite being gone and not feeling well the month October was still a wonderful month. I was able to accumulate more than anticipated during the time I was at home! I will share with you the ways I did it so if you are looking for ways to make a little extra creative cash for your family hopefully it will be an inspiration in getting your creative juices flowing:
- $100.00 – 20|20 Research for doing a Panel Discussion
- $24.32 – Credit Card Bonus Rewards (if you are looking to earn interest both on your savings and checking accounts as well as rewards I recommend checking out Capital One 360)
- $5.00 – Amazon Gift Card earned through Swagbucks
- $5.00 – Survey Cash
- $15.00 – Walmart Gift Card from SheSpeaks
October Creative Cash Total: $149.32
Our October Creative Cash Highlight: Our Creative Cash Highlight this month will be Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child!
Every year during this time we try to set aside money and special items to put together some Operation Christmas Child boxes. The boxes need to be ready by mid-November so October is the perfect month to focus on this ministry. Our whole family looks forward to doing this every year. We feel that it is important to share what we have been given with others and Operation Christmas Child is a great ministry. The kids get really excited about picking out special treats and goodies to go into their boxes. We pray specifically for the kids who will be receiving our boxes. We want to make sure that our boxes are filled with items that are perfect for each child and a blessing to those that receive them. There is so much joy in giving and sharing with others. In October I was able to earn extra creative cash along with some gift cards that will come in very handy when purchasing items for Operation Christmas Child. Your family can get involved too, check out the Samaritan’s Purse website for more information about Operation Christmas Child!
Current Family Goal: We are currently working to stay within our written budget and pay down debt! We recently had to purchase a new microwave and refrigerator. Plus, we had some additional expenses and emergencies that have caused us to have a little extra debt that we would like to get paid off!
- $24.32 Credit Card Bonus was applied towards a debt on a credit card.
- Any remaining money that is not going to our Creative Cash Highlight that’s listed above will be applied towards paying down additional debt!
It was exciting to go past the $100 goal!!! I know this will help us get a little closer to our goals as well as helps others along the way! A hundred dollars extra a month may not seem like a lot to some people, but every little bit helps! If I find that I am going over my goal every month (which would be awesome) I will make an adjustment. I have plan of action on ways to earn creative cash next month so stayed tuned, hopefully, it will be another great month of sharing. Each month I will do a variety activities to accomplish this goal, the items above are just the ones I did specifically this month. I look forward to sharing more of the things that work well for our family as I do them in the upcoming months.
I will share with you the challenges, successes, and updates as I go through this journey so you can keep me accountable or even go through it with me by participating and sharing your story. Taking the extra time to find ways to help my family as well as invest in the lives of others is important to me. I hope that I have been able to encourage you to find ways to come up with some creative cash for your household as well. Obviously, each situation and family is unique so decide what works for you and go for it! If you know of another way to earn creative cash I would love to hear it! Feel free to comment on how you earned creative cash this month or post a picture or link to what you did!
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff! We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, wear clothes we find at garage sales, etc…however, if our family is taken care of and has love in our hearts for others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Halloween Candy Buy Back Programs
Happy Halloween! Halloween is a wonderful time to create memories with your family. At least in our area there are a lot of Fall Festivals, pumpkin carving, hayrides, dressing up and candy…..sometimes too much candy. Every wonder if you’ll be able to eat, share, or giveaway all the candy before the next Halloween hits?
Dentists all over the country are participating in a Halloween Candy Buy Back Program. They buy the kids Halloween candy then donate it to the groups that send it to those in Military Service.
- Example: Holly Tree Pediatric Dentistry in our area (1334 South Hwy 14, Simpsonville, SC 29681 / Phone: 864-297-5585) is Buying Back Halloween Candy and giving the kids $1 per pound ($5 max per child) and a Treat bag. All the candy will be donated to our Troops Overseas.
If it is something you interested in participating in you can read more about on the FAQ page and search for locations near you!
Photo by Rochelle
Sweet Treats for a Spooktacular Halloween!
3 Easy Seasoned Pumpkin Seed Recipes
Wishing your family a Happy Halloween! I have been away for work the past couple of weeks so we decided to celebrate this Halloween by staying home and enjoying a family night. It is great to be back home and to see my handsome man and sweet kids! The only thing that the girls specifically requested for the our family Halloween celebration was some pumpkins for carving and something good to eat. I also picked up some caramel for making caramel apples!
Here are some of our favorite Halloween and delicious pumpkin recipes!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins (4 Ingredients)
Carmel Apple Dip
Pumpkin Dip
Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
Super Easy Halloween Punch
Fresh & Healthy: Halloween School Lunch
Every year for Halloween I try to spruce up the girls lunch. I try to put little goodies in their box that are fun for celebrating the Holiday. The girls always enjoy their special school lunch too. I typically use items that they would normally have for lunch and wrap them in special bags, boxes, or use Halloween duct tape.
Lunch Goodies:
- 1 container Taco Lasagna
- 1 “Trick or Treat” box with Pretzels
- 1 “Caution” Fruit Punch Juice Box
- 1 “Spider” Applesauce
- 1 Halloween bag of Baby Carrots
- 1 “Candy Corn” box Craisins
- 1 Water Bottle
They enjoyed their special Halloween school lunch. Love being able to give them something different for their lunch on Halloween.
