Tuesday, September 25, 2012

FREE Download the COMPLETE Chronicles of Narnia Audio Books!

Free audio download of the Chronicles of  Narnia!!
I saw this and had to share it with you all!  You can download a free MP3 version of all these stories HERE or listen online from Ancient Faith Radio!  I LOVE C.S. Lewis!  His books are so full of adventure, character building, insight and wisdom all in a fun package.  Hope you enjoy them!  I am so looking forward to my oldest son having these to listen to at night!  I was planning on reading the books with him, and some nights my eyes are tired and this is a GREAT option!
These stories make wonderful travel entertainment as well!

To download into an MP3 format it is not as simple as the subscribe to this podcast Itunes button.  That doesn't seem to work, but here are the directions that do work.  You need to click on the title ie (Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe 1-2 )  Then when it opens right click on the "direct link".  It will allow you to save it in downloads as an MP3 file by clicking "save link as".  I just rename it with the book name and chapter numbers.  Once that is done with all the books you can open Itunes then click on file, then click on add file.  Then look under downloads and choose the files you want.  Now in Itunes they will show up in the "recently added" folder.  Now click on them and drag them to a new folder you rename with the books name.  Hope that helps!

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Saturday, September 22, 2012

Tons of Free Printable Labels! Think canning, notebooks, organizing, paper crafting, etc...

I don't know what it is but I LOVE free printables labels.  There are so many uses and whatever you are doing suddenly looks a million times better.  These would be great on cards and as gift tags too with the right wording!  There are blank customizable ones here as well.  ENJOY!!
mason jar labels
I LOVE these printable jar labels!  The possibilities are endless!  Use for canning, gifts, pantry organization, etc... Find them HERE from Limeshot Design


These adorable birdie labels from world label. Come in shipping label, address label, and circle sizes!  They are all a matching sets but slightly different.  Great for gifts, closet organization, pantry and crafty organization, canning, and whereever else your crafty  mind takes you!


These are perfect to print onto cardstock or sticker paper for scrapbooking, cards, or cute homemmade spa gifts!


Whatabout these?  Perfect for a circle punch!  You could print them out as stickers, gift tags, jar labels, etc... Find them HERE at i do it yourself.


Not enough options for you?  Check out my previous post Freebies Gorgeous Printable Labels of All Shapes and Sizes!  Here is a sample of what you will find...


 You can also follow me on Pinterest to see what I have in the printables board, not to mention all the other great crafty projects I have pinned on there!
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Monday, September 17, 2012

September is National Sewing Month celebrate with .99 shipping and coupons for Jo-Ann fabric online & in store!

September is national sewing month.  I love the change of season and the cooler weather that lets me feel like I can sew again.  Something about the heat and all the fun places in to go in summer keeps me from sewing much.  I did tear apart my desk and relocate it for a homeschool area downstairs so I am waiting to put my new counters in.  It is taking me far too long to do it but they should give me the space I need to sew and leave projects where I can sew a little at a time without having to put it all away every time!
60% off Entire Stock OttLiteĀ® Lighting - Web Exclusive
If you are new to sewing check out "Sewing Made Simple" at Joann.com with new projects everyday during September.

99cent Shipping

While you are there celebrate National Sewing Month with this savings code for Jo-Ann fabric that gives you .99 shipping using promo code UAS262 !  Better get on it if you want the cheap shipping as that code expires Sept. 18th.  This is of course good for scrapbookers too!  
40% off Entire Stock Holiday Inspirations Costumes & Accessories
Even if you are not big on sewing but are thinking of halloween costumes this shipping deal and sale should come in handy.  You will also find a huge "coupon commotion" with tons of 50% off coupons good in store and online!  I am planning on picking upa few things with a gift card I have been saving.  I don't have a Jo-Ann locally so I was waiting for a great deal on shipping, and here is my chance!  Happy crafting!  Hope you are enjoying the changing seasons.
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Thursday, September 13, 2012

What To Do With 6 Gallons of Ready To Expire Milk

I know this is a crazy dilemma but some of you money saving mamas out there must have run into something similar.  Here is how it happened to me...
I answer the phone and a friend says she has some extra milk from the soup kitchen and would I like some.  I say "sure!".  I get off the phone assuming I have an extra gallon of milk.  In actuality she shows up with her husband behind her carrying a CASE, yes a case of milk.  Six gallons of milk packed into a milk crate soon made their way to my table.  I was grateful for the thought so I smiled and thanked them as they walked out the door.  After they had I left I stared at my table for a while... I use almond milk, and at my house we don't drink milk we just use it in cereal for the hubby and sometimes the kids.  I love free food though as our grocery budget is a tight one with 6 people. What was I going to do with 6 gallons of milk that by the expiration date were supposed to be drunk in the next few days!!

A friend just stopped by as I was writing this post.  Perfect I sent her home with 2 gallons!  That just leaves 4!  Now if you have a large enough freezer you could just freeze them all.  Some people complain that fat free milk separates a little after being frozen.  You can shake the milk as it is freezing every 30 - 60 minutes to try to stop that from happening.  I never have a problem with 2% or higher fat milks separating.

As far as the freezer goes though it doesn't work for me at the moment because I have been processing apples from a friends tree and have filled it with several bags of apple pie filling.  So I could only cram in 2 gallons after much rearranging.  With two in the freezer that leaves 2 to use up.  I am thinking a creamy soup like chowder for the majority of one gallon.  Since we are a family of 6 we always make a double batch of soup.  The other gallon is in my crock pot making Homemade thick and creamy yogurt.
Ok it is 1% milk so it will not be as thick as the yogurt I usually make, however it will be yummy drinkable yogurt for the kids, and handy for making Ranch Dressing from Scratch (recipe here), used as buttermilk in pancakes
( I LOVE the healthy delicious Oatmeal Pancakes we make) and other baked goods.  You can make a huge batch of pancakes if you have time to cook them all up and then freeze them for an easy breakfast.
I also will use some in place of half of the fat in homemade biscuits or scones .
 I also use yogurt as a great addition to my smoothies (my recipe here) (my recipe here) to add some tanginess and a protein boost.  Anytime you have ready to expire milk on hand it is a great idea to make yogurt because the fermentation process extends the life by at least 2 weeks or so.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Need a  few other ideas to use ready to expire milk?  How about making rice pudding, cooked pudding, baked oatmeal to eat and one to freeze, quiche, cream of whatever soup from scratch to use in recipes ( you can freeze it), or bread pudding like my delicious pumpkin bread pudding recipe!  Making flan would be a good use as well of any extra milk.  How do you use extra milk when you find it on super sale at the store or have some that needs used up soon?
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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Great lunch box printables for National Encouragement Day!

Just wanted to remind you all that National Encouragement Day is tomorrow Wednesday September 12th.  This a great time to let your kiddos know how much you appreciate them and leave an encouraging note!  Homeschooling?  Leave a note on their desk or by their place at the table.   Sending you kids to school? Drop a cute little note in their lunch box.  Throw a note in the mail to a friend or family member.
I found some great little printables for loved ones young or old!  Your hubby would probably appreciate a cute little note in his lunch too.  So check these out and print some off and be ready with a quick little dose of encouragement. 
These are my favorite!  Print them off from get buttoned up



Found these little lovelies here at paper coterie,  Hope you enjoy them!


How about these cute little notes from moms by heart

Even if you don't have a printer or can't get these printed for whatever reason make sure to jot a sweet little note of encouragement to the ones you love!  A 3x5 card with a cute sticker and a sweet note will do the trick!

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Monday, September 10, 2012

Back in the swing of homeschool!

It has been a crazy few weeks!We got back from a family camping/RV trip in Colorado just in time to jump right into homeschool.  We had some home projects that needed attending to as well before we could get going.  It has been busy figuring out a new schedule with a brand new curriculum this year for homeschooling the older two while entertaining the younger two.  Meanwhile we harvested some apples that needed processing (think apple pie filling, and apple butter), had some family in town and tried to get the house and homeschool space more organized before the school year started.  Recipe for the apple butter to come soon!

Needless to say blogging had to take a back seat while I got down to business with all of that stuff.  I am happy to say that we are now up and running smoothly in the homeschool department.  It is busy and full on, but we are enjoying it.
Exploring Countries and Cultures Deluxe PackageWe chose My Father's World for our curriculum and are doing the first grade and Exploring Countries and Cultures for my older two.  They are really enjoying it and I am enjoying how much the curriculum really focus' on Christ.  We are learning a slew of Bible verses, godly principles, and learning to appreciate and love others in the great big world all around us.

I have to show you all how our camper turned out! Before we took our '83 Toyota Dolphin RV out on our family vacation we redid the cushions, curtains, floor, paint, etc...  We love it now!  It was a whole lotta ugly before!  The price was so good we bought it with only 23,000 original miles, but a hideous interior.  We figured fixing it up would be easier than fixing the engine and cheaper than a newer one.  Can't wait to show you the photos!

I also have some recipe ideas coming your way!  We have been LOVING all these apples we have been picking from our friends tree.  I am thinking of making apples muffins tomorow, processing more for pie and crisp filling, storing some away to snack on and canning some for future use!


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