Carolina Mommy

This past Saturday we sold 5 of our goats at auction.  Even four days afterwards I don't know that I am settled with having sold them, but trust that my husband made the right decision.  He grew up in the country and has a different outlook than I do with animals.  For me animals have always been pets.  I think that is the hardest thing for me to get used to with "farm life".  Around here animals can be "pets" but they have to also carry a purpose.  That still hasn't fully registered for me.  Either way, we had a first for our family in actually going to auction to sell our goats.  We sold one previously, however, Mama (my  mother-in-law) took him for us.  I told the children earlier in the week so that they could say their goodbyes.  They are just learning that there is more to the animal than just a pet.  It was an experience.  A few tears were shed by my Becca and myself.  All of them sold.  And we ended up br...

Last year I learned about Staples Back to School savings and have been looking forward to this years deals.  They started last Sunday!  If you are not familiar with them, they have items for $1, $.50, $.25 and even $.01!  Yes just a penny!  Last week I scored some binders for $1 and Insertable dividers for $.01, pens for $.25 among other things.  To get the penny deal you need to have a minimum purchase of $5, but they always have other items that I will use discounted - which works out for me.  I will not buy something that I will not need our use, for me that would be a waste of money, even if it is only a quarter.  However, I will buy items that we may not use that would be suitable for sending in the shoe boxes at Christmas for Operation Christmas Child , you can never start shopping too soon!  Today I spent a total of $20.60 out of pocket and picked up:  2 ~ reams of Staples Multipurpose Paper,  8 ~ 5pk. Sharpie Highlighters,...

Check out this Back 2 School Giveawa y and enter for your chance to win!  (Click link and scroll to bottom of Homeschool Giveaways page for different types of entries)  Even if there is something you might not use in it you could use it to bless someone else and get some for yourself.  

Just got these great thank you cards FREE at Shutterfly! I only had to pay shipping - but it was still a great deal. I love Shutterfly! If you don't already have an account you can sign up and cash in on the great offers that they are always sending out. Collage Of Gratitude Boy Thank You Card Say "Thanks," with personalized thank you notes from Shutterfly. View the entire collection of cards.

Newsworthy Boy Birth Announcement Shutterfly has cute birth announcements and cards for Easter . View the entire collection of cards.

Why I ventured into homemade laundry detergent, I am still not so sure. I think that my ultimate goal, as it is with most things, is to save money. I try to be a "savvy shopper" and for me that is not just about shopping. It is also about finding ways to save on things that we use every day. Maybe I should say I try to be a "savvy saver". Either way I had been hearing about laundry detergent from other moms at park day and read where a friend had made some. I figured what have I got to lose and my stockpile of detergent was dwindling. I purchased the ingredients and made it. Here is what I used. This recipe is supposed to last for approximately 4-6 months. I figured we would be around 3-4 months as we seem to have many, many loads of laundry each week. I prefer powder over liquid detergent so this fit. PROS: The clothes came out clean. I didn't have to put in anything extra. I did still use bleach for my whites. Not sure if it was needed or not...

It is hard to believe that two years have gone by already. But, alas it is true. My little man is two! I cannot even put into words what a blessing it has been to mother a little boy. I had three younger brothers growing up so I thought I knew all there could be about boys. Man was I wrong! I knew what it was to have brothers, but having a son i s a whole different experience. I have said it many times in the past two years, but I have to say it again. A boy is a boy from the core. Without instruction they play like boys. Little man has been surrounded by many women, grown and little. There is Mom (me J ), 3 sisters, Grandmother & Grandma. Then, there is Dad. As you can see, we women outnumber the testosterone in his world. But, he is still a BOY! He plays like a boy. Cars are no longer the "people" that my girls turned them into, they are cars. Wh ere he puts all his food, I have no clue! No one showed him how to make "grrrr" noises when he p...