Memory Bank

     Have you ever heard the expression, "kids say the darndest things"? It's true, they really do. My three year old is particularly good at this. There are so many times I find myself chuckling at something Turner says, and thinking to myself "never forget this moment". Unfortunately I don't have the greatest memory, so I do forget them.
   The other day I was rolling around on the floor with Turner, laughing at something he said and a light bulb went off in my head....write them down! Soo..I created a little something called the McVey Memory Bank. A place to store memories that I hold close to my heart. It looks a little something like this:

I had some cardstock laying around, so I cut it into little chunks and threw it into a box. I thought this would add a little decorative appeal to the jar. Yes, I understand this jar is on the small side, and I will eventually have to get a bigger one... But it'll work for the time being. I added a couple of pieces of paper into my wallet and into Kade's...just in case when we are out and about and we need to write a memory down.

Later down the road I plan on collecting our memories and making each kid a bounded book of the memories in our bank. To start it off I wrote a little introductory note to introduce it. It reads: "December 14, 2011. Turner, Ainsley and babies to come: This is the McVey memory bank. A place to put our memories of YOU. It will include funny quotes, stories, memories and advice to and from our family. This bank is unique because our memories, just like money, will increase in value over the years. Enjoy- Love Mom."

Me?....A recent College Graduate!

   
     Five in a half years ago I started my college career. And two weeks ago, I finally finished it. Shortly after I found out I was pregnant with Turner, I promised myself one thing....No matter what happened I would finish school. Finishing school meant I would have an education that nobody could take away from me. My degree would also ensure me job security (hence me choosing the nursing profession). With so many uncertainties in my life at that time, I needed something that would promise me a stable future, that one thing was a degree in Nursing.
    I went into the nursing program under the impression that nursing was the best career for me because of the job security and decent pay. I left the nursing program a changed person, with alternative motives to my nursing profession. I absolutely fell in love with the career. Nursing is a unique profession in that nurses have the opportunity to better a patient's hospital stay, educate them on the importance of lifestyle modifications or medication compliance, and mentor them through a challenging time in their life as all hospitalizations shake up a patient's normal routine. I feel blessed that I went into this profession with the notion that I would be promised a job, and left falling in love with my career choice.
   For anyone that has had the chance to go through the nursing program, they understand the amount of stress and time demands that school requires. Anyone with kids might understand what little free time you get to yourself, between the demands of a spouse and children. This made for a nasty combination. My role as a mother and wife came first and foremost. All of the duties that go along with those titles required me to be extremely organized. Between cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, shuffling kids to and from daycare and to needed Dr. appointments, paying bills, attending church and bible study classes on a weekly basis, my free time was far and few.  Since my role as a mom and wife came first, I tried my hardest to not do homework when my kids were around. The majority of the time, I waited until they were in bed. This allowed me to dedicate a few hours each day to spending time with them.  When everyone in my house finally fell asleep, my evening of homework had just begun.
  Sure there were instances where I would take a day to enjoy time with my family, but when this occurred I was plagued with a strong sense of guilt.  I guess the best way to describe that feeling is the idea of a big grey cloud (homework) following you around at all times, and when you did take the chance of taking time to enjoy time away from school it felt as if it was pouring rain on your parade.
    Even though nursing school is made out to sound like hell, it's not. I had to opportunity to meet some amazing people through school. It also allowed to me see a world that I didn't know existed...working with the homeless and those less fortunate as me. I remember driving to clinicals stressed out about whatever events in my life that seemed significant at the time, whether it be the inability to pay our bills, an argument with Kade, one of our kids being sick or an upcoming test. I would then be exposed to many people less fortunate than I, this really allowed me to keep my life in perspective. I usually left clinicals with a new attitude that in the grand scheme of things, my problems are insignificant.
     Two weeks ago I closed that chapter in my life and opened another. This next chapter is titled, "the real world". YIKES! I'm looking forward to entering the work force. I'm really looking forward to that first paycheck! I'm also looking forward to spending some much needed time with my family. I plan on working just part time until my kids are older. I also made myself a little list of things I want to accomplish for myself over the next two years. I want to learn to play my guitar that has sat in it's case for the past 4 years, take time each week to work out and delve into my spirituality; all things I'm passionate about! Did I mention that in my two weeks since graduation, I've read 3 books and been able to cuddle up with my kids in the afternoon to nap. WHAT A TREAT!
   

With each step, our love grows...

     I can't believe it, this upcoming weekend Kade and I will celebrate our first year of marriage. It seems like just yesterday my mom and sister were insisting on me going on a date with him. Me go on a date...with a cowboy? No way... Little did I know that cowboy had a heart of gold.
     Kade and I don't have a typical time line when it comes to us. Before we dated, I met Kade at an Easter get together with my brother-in-laws family. It was Easter, so Kade was dressed head to toe in his cowboy gear. I remember thinking to myself, "I didn't know young men really dressed that way, poor guy." My mom and sister tried to get me to go on a date for him for years. It took my Lex's (my best friend) simple suggestion of going on a double date with Kade and her boyfriend at the time Ryan. I called Kade and suggested that we get together in a couple weeks for a double date. He was so excited and enthused on the phone....and within thirty minutes he was at my parents house. This would be our first confusion with the "time-line". I was in shock, but agreed to a double date. We had some drinks, danced and had  a great time together. Kade's courtesy caught me off guard, he was always opening doors for me and was always to polite around me.  After our first date, we were inseparable. That summer Kade was working near Huron, SD. He was gone throughout the week, which I spent my time with my girlfriends being careless. Our weekends were spent as a big group; camping in various locations throughout the Black Hills. We were having the time of our lives! I was in love.
     Our first summer together came to an end, and I moved back to Spearfish, SD to begin my second year of college. A few short weeks after school started, I was surprised to find out that I was pregnant.  This was our second confusion with the "time-line". Initially, I was mortified, but Kade's outlook and support slowly turned all of my fears of the unknown into excitement. His parents were more than supportive of our new journey. I continued with school in Spearfish and Kade continued to work out of town. After the semester ended, I moved into his house in Rapid City and continued classes there. That spring Turner James was born, and our lives were forever changed. We struggled through the first months home with a newborn, learning parenthood together. Kade's parents guided us with all of the challenges a newborn brings. Overtime, being a parent got easier and we both realized this was what made life worthwhile. Turner brought so much joy to our lives. All three of us grew up, together that year. Kade and I become responsible parents, and rarely do we look back.
     During this time, Kade and I really started to learn about each other. Yes, most couples do this in the beginning but as stated before, our time-line is a little different. We found things that we both enjoyed and learned to do them together. I hunted before meeting Kade, and that was something he was always passionate about, every year we hunt together. Kade has always been an expert snowmobiler, something he has taught me. Now we each own a sled and spend our weekends in the winter out enjoying the Black Hills. We love camping in the summer, two summers ago we bought a 1985 Road Ranger from Kade's grandpa and camp as much as we can during the summer. It seems the majority of our interests are things we can do together. Kade suggested we start a garden and we learned together the art of gardening. This is the year that I actually learned to cook as well. We both suffered through numerous distasteful meals. Eventually my abilities in the kitchen evolved and I found a new interest. That first year was an important year in our story, it proved that we had the ability to change, grow and learn together.
     In September of 2009 I started the nursing program. During my first week of classes, Kade proposed. This is our third confusion with the 'time-line', as most couples get engaged prior to children. BUT--I was thrilled at the thought of Kade and I spending forever together. We set our wedding date, October 9, 2010. Between my first year of nursing school and planning a wedding...this year slipped by as a blur. We began taking marriage preparation classes through Kade's church, St. Rose of Lima. Kade was brought up catholic, something that meant a lot to him. I was raised a convenient Methodist, and the thought of me being catholic had never crossed my mind. Actually, I wasn't a fan of the catholic church at all.  I felt like it was a church full of robots, reciting phrases in unison. After many conversations, I opened my mind to the idea of becoming catholic. This was something that was important to Kade, my future husband. I thought, I'd rather incorporate a religion that meant something to my future husband than have none at all.  So we began taking classes educating me on the Catholic church. I learned the traditions behind the robot chanting and aerobic workouts during mass and understood it a little better.  This period of our history, is again, an important chapter to our story. This is when Kade and I grew together spiritually, and it an aspect of our lives now that I couldn't live without. I became catholic in September 2010 and joined a new family in our church. This is something we incorporate into our lives together, attending church every week. It feels so good to be able to call Kade in a time or worrying or stress and ask him to pray for me.
     The summer before our wedding Kade brought up the topic of another child. I still had a year and a half of nursing school, there was no way we could have another child. But somehow, it was something we both wanted and for once, we fit it into OUR time-line!! So we moved forward with our plan-- and began trying for baby number two. We tried for one week and one month later, I found out I was pregnant!!! Our wedding followed a month later and was perfect. After all of the planning and preparing, our day couldn't have been any better.
     The winter months came and went, and of course we had some bumps along the way. This chapter of our life, was called communication...or lack there of. It seemed like the months following our wedding day, we fought more than ever. It could have been the stress of school or my pregnancy or a little of both, but I found Kade and I butting heads constantly. We needed that, it taught us how to truly communicate with each other. I was always guilty of keeping things in, and when I finally deemed it time to address issues, it seemed like I mustered up six months worth. Kade always felt like brushing things under the rug would be better than addressing them with me. With this nasty combination, we fought. Over the course of a couple of months and many many many sit down conversations about our lack thereof communication skills, we sorted it out.
     Last spring, Ainsley joined our family. And for now, we are complete. I look back at our little steps to where we are today, and Kade and I have grown so much together. I think of all that Kade and I have accomplished together over the past 4 1/2 years and stop in my tracks to think that we have so much more to learn about each other. All of these steps in our relationship have given us the opportunity to grow together. I couldn't ask for a better father to my kids, a better husband to share them with or a better friend to spend my extra time with. We still have a long ways to go, but with each step our love grows.

Fall is Here

     As South Dakota residents we have the opportunity to experience four seasons. To some, a blessing. To some, a curse. To me, a blessing I look forward to every year! Each season has it's ups and downs. To me autumn only has it's ups. At the first hint of fall, I get butterflies and a smile that I cannot get rid of. I love everything about fall, the colors, the decorations, the leaves falling, the start of school, pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, the need for a sweater, 60 degree weather, getting up early to elk hunt with Kade, canning tomatoes from our garden...the list goes on and on. Honestly if it's related to fall, I love it.
      I stumbled upon a recipe for 'pumpkin butter' earlier today. I was instantly excited, as I thoroughly enjoy apple butter. I made a batch this evening and needless to say...I love it. Surprise, surprise.

Ingredients

• 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree (about 3.5 cups)
• 1 cup apple juice
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon whiskey (optional)
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

(I did make some modifications: instead of brown sugar I used artificial sweetener with a tsp of molasses and added 1/4 c. honey, I also cut back on the ginger.)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredient, except for lemon juice, in a large saucepan.
2. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 mins, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and let cool.
5. Pour into airtight jar(s) and store in refrigerator for up to 6 days.

I toasted a cinn. raisin bagel, mixed the pumpkin butter with a little cream cheese and spread it over the toasted bagel. TO DIE FOR! Also good with graham crackers! Gonna try it mixed in with some old fashion oats in the morning!
Enjoy!!

Cream of Anything Soup

       One thing in life that I'm passionate about is cooking. I love trying new recipes, and jazzing up old. I love cooking my "winter" meals, such as tator tot hot dish, creamy chicken noodle soup, chicken and dumpling soup, swiss steak, stroganoff. All of these yummy meals have one common ingredients...some type of cream based soup. Yes, I know...not the healthiest form of cooking. I recently stumbled on a recipe called "cream of anything" soup. It's a mixture of dry ingredients, when water is added viola! Cream of whatever soup! I had the chance to try it out on some tuna noodle casserole the other night, and it turned out great! This recipe is a great alternative to cream based soups. The sodium content is much lower than traditional cream based soup. Did I mention it's cheaper!? 

1 cup non-fat dried milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup bouillon cubes

4 Tablespoons freeze dried minced onions (I used the minced onions from Sam's Club)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme (I couldn't find the thyme so I used dried parsley instead)

1 teaspoon pepper

(For the equivalent of one can of condensed cream soup, mix 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cup water. Cook until thick)

 

Feel free to add ingredients as needed: mushrooms, chicken, celery, potato, etc!

Homemade Baby Food

     This past week, Ainsley turned 4 months old! Whew, how times flies! It seems like just yesterday we were spending our summer lounging around the house! With Ainsley turning four months old comes....REAL FOOD! We started to introduce rice cereal this week, which has been...best way to put it...MESSY! But Ainsley is slowly getting the hang of moving that little tongue around. Even though I don't plan on introducing vegetables and fruits for another month or so, I decided it would be nice to have a some food prepared for when we are ready. Also--fall harvest is here, bringing all sorts of delicious produce my way! I thought I'd take advantage of these yummy foods while they're ready!
Just as I did with Turner when he was a baby, I'll be making all of Ainsley's baby food. When it comes down to it, it's not that much extra work and in the long run it will save tons-o-money! Homemade baby food is frozen and can last up to 3 months in the freezer. There are obvious health benefits to making your own baby food. I won't go into detail, but I always kinda smirk when I see 'organic' baby food on the shelves in the store. Yes, the fruits and vegetables used in the baby food are organic, but then they are chalked full of preservatives and thickening agents. To each their own I guess. No judgments on my part, ya gotta do what ya gotta do! Whether you're making your babies food for the health benefits, to save money or just because you have some extra time on your hands..you're doing your little one a service!

I dedicated last weekend to start preparing baby food. I can honestly say nothing feels more comforting to me than having Norah Jones humming in the background while I'm cooking in my kitchen, sipping on a warm cup of coffee. Kade was in the next room playing with the kids, ready to lend a helping hand when needed. I remember thinking.."this is what is matters to me".  If you're at all interested in preparing your baby's food then, read on!

Required materials:
Fresh Fruits/Vegetables-(I chose to start with sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, peas, green beans, peaches and apples.)- I don't recommend canned, as the sodium content is high. Plus, if your going to make your little one their baby food by using canned, you might as well just buy baby food. Frozen vegetables are a better choice for produce not in season. I used frozen peas in this case.
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Food processorSteamer (or in my case, a pot of boiling water with a wire screen over the top)
Ice cube trays
Pint freezer bags
Permanent marker

1.Chop up your vegetables into chunks.
2. Steam vegetables until tender
3. Remove vegetables, make sure to keep the juice in the bottom of the pot. You will use this to add to vegetables to get the right consistency. ( the nice thing about making your own baby good, you get to choose the consistency that fits your baby's needs)

4. Move steamed vegetables into food processor. Puree and add water until desired consistency. Nice and thin to start introducing to your baby
5. Move pureed vegetable into an ice cute tray.

Top (Squash)

Bottom (Peas & Carrots)
6. After veggies are in tray, use spatula to smooth off the tops.
7. Freeze
8. After veggies are frozen, pop them out of ice cube trays. Might need to dip the bottoms in warm water to help them come out.
9. Place cubes of veggies in plastic freezer bags with label of food and date!


There it is baby food is less than 10 steps! Enjoy!

For the fruit, I didn't steam them... I just took about 5 medium apples/peaches and boiled them in about 1/2 c. water. Added the water and apples to the food processor. Worked like a gem!

Homemade Laundry Soap

With our wonderful new addition to our family, our monthly budget got...well...lets say a little bit tighter. So of course I'm always looking for ways to save money. This summer, I found a recipe for homemade laundry detergent. Since laundry detergent takes a large portion of my weekly allowance for groceries and household items,  I decided to try.

Laundry Soap:
1 c. washing soda (about 2.50 for a box)
1 c. borax (2.98 for a box)
1 bar soap (my recipe I found called for Fels Napa soap, but this soap has no smell, so I substituted with Dove soap)
(Borax and washing soda can be found in the laundry detergent aisle in your store.)

 Step 1. Grate your bar of soap using a cheese grater.
Step 2. Combine ingredients into container.
Step 3. Mix
--Yep, it's that easy!
1 tbsp./ load of laundry. I know this sounds like a small amount of laundry detergent, but that small scoop packs a powerful punch of cleaning power!

I tripled the recipe, making three batches. I figured if I'm making it, I might as well make a big batch!
I had the chance to try this on my laundry this afternoon, it turned out great! My clothes were stain free and smelled great!!

Breastfeeding Bliss

     I wish I had a wonderful success story for breastfeeding Turner, but I don't. Breastfeeding, like anything related to children, takes time, dedication and a little know how. I left the hospital after having Turner without a clue on breastfeeding. I wasn't aware of the benefits, how to breastfeed or how to troubleshoot when things went wrong. After a couple of days of attempting to breastfeed Turner, I gave up. For a couple of months, I pumped day in and day out and fed him with a bottle. My milk slowly dried up.
     During my pregnancy with Ainsley I was completely dedicated to breastfeeding her. Just like I researched my natural birth, I researched breastfeeding.I wanted to know everything about the topic to give myself a better chance at success. Being in nursing school, I had the great opportunity to do my maternal child rotation while being pregnant, which helped immensely.  I was like a human sponge, absorbing every ounce of material that came my way. All of the information being presented to me was going to be put to use! I thought breastfeeding would be a somewhat straightforward experience. Not exactly the case. It has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding endeavors I have embarked on. The first two weeks of breastfeeding were literally Hell. Ainsley wouldn't wake to feed, which resulted in a loss of a significant amount of weight, landing us an extra day at the hospital. The lactation consultant helped, but our time together was limited. My nurses would watch me breastfeed and said I was doing a great job, but I didn't have the confidence I needed. After my discharge from the hospital, all hell broke loose...I was on my own. With Ainsley's weight loss, I was in a constant state of worry, always concerned she wasn't getting enough milk. My latch wasn't correct, which resulted in pain. Our feedings seemed like they lasted an eternity, it seemed like shortly after I would get done feeding her, it was time to turn around and feed her again. None the less, most of our feeding ended in tears. I was close to giving up. But for anyone who knows me at all, after I have made my mind up and committed to something, I do not give up...no matter what.
3 1/2 months later, Ainsley and I are breastfeeding champions!!
I know many women who are in the process of trying to get pregnant, pregnant, close to delivering and new mommies. So I thought I would write about breastfeeding to give some tips that I wish I would have known when I started breastfeeding!

1. Breastfeeding is a learning process for both you AND your infant. Your newborn is born with primary reflexes, other than that he or she will need to be taught how to master the art of breastfeeding. Without doubt, your little should should be able to suck, make sure the nipple is placed correctly...this is your job! Go online, there are a ton of resources available to help you learn the process of breastfeeding.

2. Breastfeeding should not hurt. Not in any way shape or form. If it hurts, the latch it wrong. It's important to listen for your baby swallowing milk, which can happen with an incorrect latch. So if there's pain and you are hearing your baby swallow, the latch is still wrong!! I spent many sessions with Ainsley biting my lip, listening to her gulp, thinking to myself, this is what breastfeeding consist of? Remember you are BOTH learning the ropes of breastfeeding, your infant needs to be taught. Once again, go online, there are plenty of websites dedicated to breastfeeding. You tube helped me with watching the latch and how your infant should be positioned while latching on.

3. STOP WATCHING THE CLOCK!
I was told a good feeding was 10-15 min on each breast. So this was my set standard. If Ainsley would nurse for shorter than that or just on one breast, I would instantly being to worry that she wasn't getting enough. I would keep trying to latch her on, when she was finished. Instead of watching the clock, I watched my daughter nurse. She did a great job giving me cues she was full! I felt like after I quit timing our feedings, my stress about her getting enough milk melted away. This is when I really started to enjoy nursing her. Some of the best advice I've ever gotten regarding breastfeeding.

4. Dedicate this time to your infant
Yes, I know infants are demanding. But breastfeeding should be a time for you to kick your feet up, relax and bond with your new bundle of joy. TURN OFF THE TV, PUT AWAY THE COMPUTER, SHUT OFF THE RADIO. Dedicate this time entirely to your little one. If you're a parent already, you know time fly's by. Enjoy them while they are babies and depend on you....it goes by much to fast. Before you know it, they will be pushing you away. There have been so many times where I would be gazing at Ainsley and start crying in awe of how perfect she was....I will always cherish that time I spend with her.

5. Find a breastfeeding station
I found that my favorite spot to breastfeed was in the rocking chair in Ainsley's room. I would have a tall glass of water on the dresser always ready to go, a dim night light at night so I didn't have to turn on a bright light and burp rags within reach. Keep things that you might need during breastfeeding handy. It's a perfect time to run a emery board across their little fingernails or to brush their delicate hair.

Breastfeeding is hard, and a lot of work. But in the end it was the most rewarding experience you can share with your newborn. It gets easier, feeding by feeding....day by day. Have confidence in yourself and trust the you will learn how to do it! Lactation consultants are available at each hospital , free of charge. Use them, boobies are their job, they know what they are talking about and a great resource!

Pinching Pennies

     Our current situation (me in school full time and two kids) bought us a first class ticket to the poor house. I am grateful that we have a wonderful house over our heads and our bills get paid each month. Kade and I each have  vehicles that run and get us from A to B. So in the grand scheme of things, I can't complain. But, we lead a modest life. We don't have the best of the best, but we are happy...which is what really matters.

     Our tight budget has taught me how to be strict with our monthly budget. There have been many weeks where we were left with a small sum of $30 to live off of for the week. This includes our weeks worth of groceries and needed items around the house. This tight budget has FORCED me to be creative with our money! There are a few penny pinching tricks that I live religiously by! 

1.)Meal Planning**

Meal planning is one of the easiest ways to cut $$ off of your grocery bill! This is how I do my meal planning....

      I start with my meal data base that I've created over the past four years. Yes, I know I sound like a crazy lady...having a meal data base. All it consists of are all of the meals my family enjoys, separated into different categories. Recipes based around chicken go in the chicken category, hamburger based recipes in the hamburger category and so on. Each recipe has it's own recipe card in my box of recipes under the exact same categories. This part of my meal planning has taken me the longest, but soooo worth it in the end! Now when I find a new recipe I love, it goes on the database worksheet as well in the recipe box!

      Next pick out which recipes sound good to us for the week. I try to mix up the meat throughout the week, instead of eating 5 meals based off of hamburger. This is where those categories come in handy! I use this printable worksheet and lay my meals out. **Another tip is to take a peek into your fridge finding what produce/meat needs to be used before it spoils and pick meals that will use up those ingredients. 

     After I've figured out what meals we will be having, I grab the recipe cards and take a quick peek at the ingredients, and compare with whatever items I have on stock in my house. If I need an item, I put it on my grocery list on the right hand side of the meal planning worksheet mentioned above. 

      Kade gets paid on a weekly basis, so I do this each week before I go grocery shopping because I know what my weekly allowance is after I've paid my bills. Meal planning has made my life so much easier. I don't have a night where I find myself toying with that lingering question, "what to make for dinner tonight...." I know what we're having before the day begins!! Meal planning also helps you avoid having to run to the store throughout the week for that ONE item you need and don't have on hand. Those quick trips always end up being at least a $20 bill, those add up!!!

     -It doesn't hurt to throw in a leftover night every once in a while. MUST GO MONDAY'S, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT TUESDAYS, GONNA THROW IT OUT THURSDAYS, ETC!

2. Stick with your grocery list!!!

My grocery list is based on my meals as mentioned above, which has really helped me avoid those impulse buys with food. I try my hardest to stick to those items necessary to make my meals, and that's it.

3. Buy in bulk......when you can

There are a few items that I always buy in bulk. Chicken breast, pork chops, flour, sugar, vingear, peanut butter being just a few of them. I buy up to 20 lbs, and seperate the chicken breast into meal portions in pint freezer bags and freeze away. Nonperishable items are usually cheapest bought in bulk, i.e. Toilet paper, paper towels etc. etc. 

Be careful, some items are not cheaper bought in bulk! Watch the unit price to make sure you are getting the best deals! 

4. Recycle your food!

This trick has taken me a long time to perfect. As mentioned above in meal planning, try to use produce that is nearing it's expiration date. There is nothing I hate more than throwing fresh produce away, mainly because it takes up a big chunk of my grocery allowance. 

Another way to recycle food is to invest in a dehydrator. This has helped me save a lot of my produce. When I have fruit that is getting close to going bad, I pop it in our dehydrator. Apples, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, grapes, and peaches all work great for dehydrating. Turner loves our homemade raisins, they turn out much bigger than the store bought. This dried fruits work great in homemade granola, oatmeal in the morning or even for baking!!!

Ok- There are my money saving tips when it comes to food. If our family of four can life off of $40/week for groceries, yours can too! I challenge you to set a budget each week and try your hardest to stick to it! Good luck!

Homemade Cleaning Products

During one of our visits to our library this summer-- I came across a book published by Reader's Digest that offered "Everything Homemade" Love Love Love this book!

I came across a section dedicated to homemade household cleaning products. I love my store bought cleaning products but decided to give these homemade options a try. I completely fell in love with them!!!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Febreeze:
1/2 c.  liquid laundry softener (whatever brand you keep on hand)
1 Tbsp. baking soda
3 1/2 water
pour ingredients into a 32 oz. bottle and mix well!

Window Cleaner:
1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
1/3 c. white vinegar
3 1/2 c. water
pour ingredient into a 32 oz. bottle, wipe away with old newspapers
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE, WORKS 100 TIMES BETTER THAN WINDEX!

Kitchen Cleaner:
1/3 c. rubbing alcohol
1 tsp. clear ammonia
1 tsp. dishwashing liquid
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
fill water to top of 32oz. bottle
THIS RECIPE WORKS GREAT AS WELL

Bathroom Cleaner:
2 tsp. borax
1/2 tsp washing soda*
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp vinegar
3 c. VERY hot water
32 oz. bottle
*washing soda is different from baking soda, it can be found in the laundry section of your local store. I found mine at Walmart, and love it!

The McVey's

My family means the world to me, without them my heart would be empty. My husband and two kids are what give my life meaning. I wouldn't be the person I am today without their love and support.

For anyone that knows me, I'm sure they would think Kade is my opposite. It's true, he is. Kade is a cowboy, he was raised on a farm. It shows in his day to day life as well as his work ethic. His parents did an amazing job raising him, making sure to pay attention to details. His morals in life are contagious; I've never met anyone that has such a big heart and always willing to help anyone in need. Kade does an amazing job keeping me in line when I need it. He's quick to remind me to see every situation from different perspectives, one quality I am lacking in. There are so many qualities in Kade that I love, making me work hard at adopting them into my lifestyle. One of my favorite qualities is Kade's ability to become a kid when spending time with our children. This is something I noticed early in our relationship, and something that reminds me everyday why I love him so much. Watching him interact with Turner melts my heart. Kade has an abundance of patience with Turner, a trait that is not learned. I wouldn't be where I am today without Kade. He has supported me, both emotionally and financially, throughout my college career. He had unfortunately had to bear the brunt of my emotional break-downs from stress, but he takes them like a champ. 
During marriage prep, deacon Pat Coy stressed the importance of surrendering yourself to your spouse. At first, I took offense to this. Me, surrender myself to my husband? How dare he say that....it's the 21st century, women do not surrender to their husbands. Little did I know, I took this the wrong way. I watch Kade surrender himself to our family, everyday. He works 40-50 hours a week, and when needed he gives up his weekend to work side jobs. He does all of this so that we are provided with the things we need. Watching my husband do this day after day, week after week inspires me to do the same for him. I might not necessarily do it in the same ways, but each week I stop and think, what can *I* do for him that will make his life easier?-- Then I concentrate on those items.

Turner is my three year old. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for him. I've feel blessed that I was able to stay home with him over the summer. It gave us some much needed time to catch up with each other. We spent our days playing in the pool, going to the park, playing puzzles, weekly trips to the library and of course snuggling together at nap time.  When I'm in school, I feel like a "stretch arm-strong doll", being pulled in every which direction. There were times that Turner had to sacrifice time with me because of it. This summer has taught me to savor those moments with your kids, you only get them once. So instead of working hard to get an A on a project, take the time to play with him when he asks me. I should be flattered he wants to play with me!! Thankfully this summer has been a time that I've been able to catch up on those moments, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. Turner is so enthusiastic about everything he's doing, he always has a skip in his step and a smile on his face. This is a quality I would kill for. For now, all I can do is try to adopt it into my daily life. He truly is a good little boy.

Ainsley joined our family in the middle of May. After many months of preparing for her birth, we were able to work together to bring her into the world without any medical interventions. Instead of the typical 6 week maternity leave, I was able to spend 3 1/2 months home with her. Breastfeeding has been a great experience with Ainsley. The first few weeks were difficult, many breastfeeding sessions ended in tears; either on my part or hers. But eventually we both learned what we were doing and got a hang of it. My most cherished moments with her have been our feedings at night. I know this might sound crazy but those feedings are so peaceful. I don't have a phone ringing, chores that need to be done, a three year old screaming at me or testing my patience. When everyone else is asleep Ainsley and I get to stare into each others eyes as she quietly nurses. Then she falls back asleep as I pat her back. Some nights instead of putting her back into her crib, I just sit there with her asleep in my arms. With Turner being an independent three year old, it is so fulfilling to have another person depend on me. I love approaching her crib in the morning, seeing her face fill with a smile and her little arms start to wiggle in excitement! Last weekend we were camping, while playing at the campsite playground, I held Ainsley on my lap and swung with her as Turner climbed on the jungle gym. Ainsley belted out a big laugh! I shared her first laugh with her on that swing! What an amazing moment!



Last leaves me--
My family, as mentioned above, has molded me into the person I am today. I try my hardest to be the best wife to my husband and mom to my kids as I can be. Being home with my kids has taught me a lot about being a mom. There's nothing more that I love more than a clean house, a majority of my time used to be dedicated to keeping my house up to my standards. I can't say that's the case anymore. Leave the dishes, play with your kids. Chores can be done when they are napping or asleep. Cherish that time you have with them, as it slips by too quickly. I've also been concentrating on ways that I can pinch pennies around the house (more blogs to come on this). If we have to be completely broke for a couple of weeks in order to make a camping trip fit our budget, it's well worth it to me...
Warmly,
Kori McVey