{It's a Typical Day Project} - Pamela

Hello everyone, my name is Pamela and I blog over at Pamela's Heavenly Treats where I make desserts that are healthy for you!  I am a wife of 16 years to a wonderful man and mama of 6 kiddies, 5 boys ages 15, twins 13, 9 and 6 and 1 baby girl 2 1/2 who are the loves of my life!  My life is so hectic, but I wouldn't change it for anything, I will try to share it with you!

~A typical day in My Home~

5:30am I wake up to get breakfast made for the kiddies, listen to my praise and worship music and read my bible and write in my journal, my oldest wakes up at 6:00am, and is downstairs by 6:20am, and then my twins are coming down to eat around 7:00am, and then my 3 little ones come down around 8:30am !

9:00am I clean the kitchen, and start homeschool (somedays we start homeschool at 7:30 or 8:30, I homeschool my 9 and 6 year old, we have been homeschooling for 5 years and I love it.

I try to get a load of clothes in the washer, start the dishwasher, clean the downstairs bathroom, while they are doing their seat work.  

What's good about my week is that my hubbie comes in on Monday morning from work, and he is here all week, and goes back to work on Friday until Monday morning!  So he is a great help doing the week.  He takes care of J while I homeschool, that's a plus for me!

It varies with the time that we are finish homeschool each day, mainly we are done before lunchtime, thats a good day!

 

12:30pm Lunchtime for the 3 little ones, I make lunch, clean kitchen!

1:30pm If its not too cold, the boys go outside and play, J sometimes goes out with them, if she is not napping.

2:30pm I start dinner, if I have meat to put in the oven, I prepare that to go in the oven so it can be ready for dinner. 

3:00pm - 5:00pm I try to sit down for a few (LOL) and watch a little TV, but 9 times out of 10 that doesn't happen.  I also have to go get twins from band practice at 4:30pm so then I might stop in at the consignment shop or library!

5:30pm eat dinner, clean up kitchen (all the kiddies have a chore in the kitchen, so it gets cleaned very fast, which is great)

6:00pm-8:00pm family time, shower time, study time, get ready for the next day!

8:00pm family prayer time, and kiddies off to bed! 

8:30pm Hubbie and I do our insane workout for 35 minutes

9:15 shower, go through my email, relax with hubbie until my eyes close LOL

Now my day is not like this every day, we also go to the library during the day, and on Tuesday we have homeschool co-op in the afternoon!

I also have a small cupcake and cookie business where I have a couple of orders during the week that I have to fill, and I also donate my treats to different organizations around my town.  So I am always in the kitchen baking!

I hope you enjoyed my It's a Typical Day Project

Please go tell Pamela hello and follow her blog.  She has become one of my best friends and favorite people here in blog land.  Her heart for the Lord is beautiful and she is an inspiration to me.  I love you girl! XOXO

{It's a Typical Day Project} Lindsey

Today's {It's a Typical Day Project} mommy has become one of my good good friends even though we live miles and miles apart; she in Ohio and myself in Virginia.  She is a beautiful woman with a sweet countenance and an amazing heart for the Lord.  I think of her OFTEN on my hard days.  As you read about her "typical" day you can't help but be encouraged.  Love you Linds!
Thank you so much, Kelly, for asking me to share a little about our (crazy) day with you.
I am a homeschooling mom to 7 blessings, ages 9-1, with a set of spunky 5 year old twin girls in the middle.

We don’t have a timed schedule, but certain things in our day our pegged to others. For example, my kids know they have to get dressed before they sit down to breakfast. They have to clean up the downstairs before they eat lunch, etc. The outline below is what I strive for our days to be like, but this is REAL life and we are always open for changes that may occur.

Morning: I get up when Kevin does. I pack his lunch and make breakfast. The kids meander down usually a few at a time and someone always asks, “What are we having?” I usually have to remind some of them to head back upstairs and get dressed. The kids help set the table, older ones fetch clothes for the two youngest boys, and it’s loud and busy! We say the blessing before our meal and then eat. I try to remind them of the agenda for the day to head off any surprises (meltdowns) that might occur. After we eat, everyone (those feeling cooperative) helps clear the table, unload clean dishes from the dishwasher & put their dirty ones in. If supper goes in the crockpot, I put that in. We head to the bathroom for teeth brushing, face washing, and hair fixing. I have 4 girls that need to have their hair done; this sometimes takes a long time. Next, we meet in the living room for morning prayers and religion (studying the Catechism).

School time: Gabriel (9) is using Teaching Textbooks for math this year. He does it on the computer and it doesn’t require too much help from me. If he has a question, I help him, but he can do it mostly without my help. I sit at the kitchen table with Sophia (7) and we work through Math, Handwriting, Language, and Reading. Gabriel joins us after he finishes math and does Handwriting, Language, and Spelling. Sophia is using Explode the Code online for phonics and heads to the computer to do this. Lastly, we do either history or science depending on what day it is. If it has been a crazy morning we wait until after lunch. During school, Hazel and Lucy (5) work on preschool (letter tracing and such) if they want. Otherwise, they might watch a Leap Frog video with Elizabeth (3) and Nicholas (2) or play in the playroom—make a gigantic mess. I have to stop school frequently to deal with fights, Oliver (1) getting into mischief, screaming/crying, you name it. Ideally Oliver takes a nap during this time but lately he’s been fighting that big time. I dread the transition from one nap to two!

Afternoon: The kids straighten up the messes in the living room, office, and kitchen while I make lunch. Sometimes the older kids complain that they didn't make the mess. I remind them that we serve Jesus when we serve others and what a blessing they are to our family when they all pitch in and help. We sit down to lunch, say the blessing, and I often read aloud while we are eating. Then it’s the same drill as after breakfast with everyone pitching in to clear the mess. We have chores that we do every afternoon after lunch. I have a chart (in my notebook right now, if I ever find the time I would like to make it bigger and hang it up in the kitchen) that I use to help me remember what needs done and whose job it is. The two little boys take a nap. When our cleaning is finished, it’s time free time. The kids might go outside, watch a movie, play Wii, If I’m really wiped out, I lie on the couch and doze off!

Evening: Dinner prep, bedroom and playroom pick up, Kevin gets home, craziness continues! Again, after dinner the kids help with clearing the dishes. They go brush their teeth and put on pajamas while I finish cleaning up the kitchen. We sit down and read books before bed. Then we say prayers and head to bed. After they are all settled, I get the baby to sleep and finish straightening up. Usually I have a load or two of laundry to fold!

No day is perfect. Some days are really hard, but I pray for grace to do a better job the next day. Yes, we are crazy busy. Yes, it’s really loud here. Yes, it’s hard. At the same time it is a fulfilling, amazing, grace- filled life that I am so am blessed to have.

A list according to a bestie

Happy Friday all!  I have a treat for you today!  One of my besties Cecelia is back on the blog today!!!  You might remember her from this post in December.

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Hello again friends of the Houtz House Party Blog! I wanted share a little more about myself in the shortest, sweetest way I know.......bullet points!

Ok, here goes!

I am a someone who...

-didn't even think she wanted kids until her mid twenties then wanted     them ASAP

-now has a 5 year old, 3 year old and 7 month old

-doesn't feed her kids all organic foods

-doesn't believe in making beds

-takes her kids to at least one museum a month

-oves Legos and grudgingly shares them with her kids

-married her jr. high and high school sweetheart

-lets her boys eat popcorn for dinner one night a week

-planned 2 home births and had 3 hospital births

-has a college degree collecting dust so she can be a SAHM

-hates to shop for herself

-embraces her faults and has no problem saying "You were right" to her husband way too often

-wants to be a librarian, trauma counselor or travel planner when she grows up

-is torn over decisions like vaccinations and home schooling

-recycles as much as possible because she used to live close to a landfill

-has a dog named Bob Barker, who isn't spayed or neutered

-thinks the ideal date is either a concert or canoeing

-loves original Syfy movies

-daydreams about living somewhere super secluded

-loves baby wearing and strollers

-is a horrible cook, has even ruined macaroni and cheese

-hates to be cold but has nightmares if she's too hot

-purges her house twice a year since she has hoarders on both sides of her family tree

-dearly loves dried mango, moscato and sharp cheddar

-believes a marriage is only as good as the communication between the couple

-wants to throw herself a birthday party with a jumpy house, a band and a cotton candy machine

-can't take herself seriously in lipstick

-puts her kids to bed at 8 and indulges in 3-4 quiet hours alone each evening

-believes the worst part about parenting is teething

-admits to using disposable diapers and a pacifier for her baby

-loves her gray hair

-thinks a cup of mint green tea, a hot shower and reggae music can fix even the worst day

-is glad to be sharing and guesting blogging here.

Thanks to Kelly for having me. I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about me!

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I LOVE this girl!  She is as REAL as it gets and ANYONE can be their absolute self around her and she accept you anyway.  

PS:  Isn't she BEAUTIFUL???

PPS:  Don't you think she needs a blog???

A real home SWEET home

There are certain people in your life that will forever be embedded in your heart.  My friend Cecelia is one of those rare people.  She and I have known each other since we were about 6.  We've went through school together, played soccer together and went on countless adventures together.  As adults we find ourselves on the very familiar adventure of being wives and mothers of little people.  We live our lives with very similar purpose and her heart is mine.  I am so blessed to have her tell one of her stories here today.  It is the first but it will most definitely not be the last.

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When you’re young you always think you’ll move away. Things will be better when you’re far from
home. People will be nicer, the grass will be greener. I was no exception to this rule. I was sure I would go to college, get a great job (college = dream career, right?), move far away and live a luxurious, more exotic lifestyle than I had growing up.

Things didn't work out that way. I got the degree but careers were elusive. I went away to college but ended up finishing closer to home when I realized that I had outgrown being a party girl. I married the perfect man for me who also happened to be my jr. high and high school sweetheart. I realized that people are people wherever you go and life is what you make of it. I wanted to settle down and raise a family more than I wanted an impressive, successful career. I began to realize that what I wanted for my future children was exactly what I had growing up.

My childhood home was back a long lane and over a bridge. My great grandparents had originally
purchased the property and built a house. Then they gave land to my grandpa and my great uncle. My great uncle built a house next door and my grandpa built the house we lived in. When grandpa got remarried and moved into town he sold the house to my parents. I got to live next door to my great grandma and my great aunt growing up, on property that had been in the family for three generations.

My back yard was field and fence. My brother and I played in the barns, smoke house, coal bin and corn crib. We walked in the woods and played in the creek. We built forts and hideouts in the ditches and shrubs. 

We had enough privacy that we took showers in the summer rain as it poured off the
gutters. 

We could run, shout, explore and wander to our heart’s content. It was an idyllic childhood and
I wouldn't change a single thing.

When my husband and I got married we didn't think we could afford to buy in the country so we started looking at houses in town (population 12,000). After looking at about a dozen houses in town I knew I would never be as happy as I was in the country. Then my parents made us an offer we couldn't refuse. If we would stay close enough for them to see their future grandchildren as much as they wanted they would give us 5 acres to build a house on. They made the same deal with my brother. It was an offer too good to refuse. When our first son was almost 2 years old we moved into our country home.

We live on what I like to call our commune. We live about a quarter mile off the road, back a long lane in the woods. There are three kids and three adults, which works out perfectly for us. We share meals and our lives with my mom who lives next door. We help each other with yard work, heavy lifting and chores. We all take care of the kids so it’s more like they have 3 parents some times. We collectively have 2 horses, 3 dogs, 7 barn cats, a pond full of fish and more turtles than we can count.

My children enjoy the same smells from my childhood, sweet feed, crops and damp woods dirt.
We have the same scenery, fields full of crops, woods full of wonder. They hear the same sounds,
woodpeckers, coyotes, owls and the occasional gun loving neighbor. They can go barefoot and feel our very own property under their feet. 

We will never drive a brand new car, wear the latest fashions or have a tv in every room but we are perfectly content. Where I come from life is simple and sweet.

The Little Stuff Matters

Hello everyone!  I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!  I am so so SO excited to be guest posting on Kelly's blog today!  We have been friends since high school and even though there are miles (about 900 miles give or take and about 15 hours away), I am thankful that we are able to keep in touch!  I love reading her blog and finding out what a day in the life with 4 kids under 4 is like and then find myself speechless when it comes to mine!  My husband would beg to differ I am sure!!  Anyway, here it goes...

My name is Rebekah and I am a 30 something (not revealing the something part just yet), married to a wonderful man who works hard so I am able to be a SAHM, and we have 3 kids.  Can I just say again how wonderful my husband is?  He picked up a part time job on top of his full time job because he knew that I did NOT want to go back to work after I had Abigail.  He worked that part time for job for about a year after Abigail was born.  I love him for that.  He sacrificed a lot of his time with his family and newborn daughter so that I would have the luxury of staying home.  I love that man!!

Now on to the kiddos!!  Our oldest, Peter, is 9 years old and in the 4th grade!  He loves reading those Big Nate books and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books!  He plays basketball and baseball!  It is a lot of fun to see him interact with his friends and realize that he is NOT the only hyper kid out there!!  He is my picky eater.  He rarely likes to try anything new unless we force him!  Oh, and he LOVES popsicles!  It could be below zero outside and he would still want a popsicle!!  Crazy boy!!



Now, on to our girl, Abigail!  Where do I begin?  She is 3 years old and occasionally she talks jibberish. She says one thing, "baht-ta-bahl" for things and neither my husband or I have no clue what it means.  So, if there are any English professors that would like to clue us in on what that means that would be great!  Other than that, she keeps me pretty busy.  She loves LOVES giving kisses and hugs!  Sometimes, my face is wet after all the kisses she gives me!  She is a little Mommy to our youngest.  I am so thankful I am able to stay home with her!

Last, but not least, is our little peanut, Maison.  He still loves to wake up once or twice a night for some Mommy and me time.  I am in the process of getting the Mommy and Me time changed to either before bedtime or in the morning.  Mr. Maison is almost 7 months old.  I love watching him explore and discover new things!  

Oh, and if you are in the mood for some useless knowledge, here are our crazy birth dates: 

Me - March 17

Peter - April 17

Abigail - March 30

Maison - April 30

Oh, and my husband is the odd man out and he is Dec 2!!  

So, I hope you enjoyed getting to know my family.  Please check my blog out over at 

www.thelittlestuffmatters.blogspot.com

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I just LOVE Bekah!  As she said, she and I have been friends for a LONG time!  Girl, do you remember when we would go up to Coral Video and want to rent a scary movie only to rent the same one ("Bad Moon") over and over again!!!  Bahahahaha!  That just cracks me up to this day.  Not sure if what is says about us or the VHS selection at good ole Coral!

Run on over and follow her blog, facebook & Twitter!  You will be so happy you did!

Love you girl!

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PS:  Don't forget to enter my current GIVEAWAY here.
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PPS:  Also, check out the November Sponsor Giveaway brought to you by The Vintage Modern Wife.  I'm giving away something SWEET!

Prizes Include: 

The Vintage Modern Wife- $10 shop credit to Vintage Modern Moments

Vintage Sunshine- 3" Ornament Hoop and 1 month medium ad space

Maddux Monologues- $25 Target Gift Card

Tales of a Twenty Something- 2 months large ad space

Ramblings of a Southern Belle- $20 Amazon gift card

A Bunch of my Nonsense- 1 month medium ad space

Kaitlin Leigh's- $10 target gift card

A Happy Wife in New Orleans- 1 month medium ad space, $10 Starbucks gift card

Island Living with One Haole Girl- 2 months large ad space

Houtz House Party- Mary Kay Satin Hands Set

Yours Truly- Custom blog post signature

Marcy's Mustache Diaries- 1 month medium ad space, $10 Starbucks gift card

Texas Lovebirds- 1 month large ad space with guest post

Green House on the Hill- 1 month large ad space

Berice Baby- 3 months 200x200 ad space

That's What She Said- 1 month large ad space, $10 Target ad space

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We Got Lost & I’m Thankful For It

First off...i'm sharing a little bit of my heart over at my friend Kelly's blog today!  Go check it out and read a little about her!  I promise you will enjoy her so much!!!

And next...

Lisa is a friend I've had since almost the time I moved here.  We clicked pretty quickly and no matter how much time goes by between visits we always have good heart to heart talks and enjoy each other’s company.  We always joke that we are grateful for each other since we are both “normal”.  Hm…guess you have to be there but if you knew our convos you’d understand…

We had the chance to go hiking together on Sunday and towards the end of our hike we must have missed a turn somewhere because about as soon as we started questioning where we were we came to this:

…SO not the end of the trail at the shelter house like we were expecting.

So we had no choice but to do this:

The GOOD thing is we DID know where we were and fortunately we just had a little extra time to spend together to get to where we “should have” come out.

Heck if we hadn't gotten off the “blue trail” we wouldn't of seen this suckerin the middle of nowhere!  I mean seriously odd placing but STILL cool!

We agreed it had to be SUPER creepy at night.  It IS in the middle of the woods…

...ok the woods by the side of the road…but STILL…AND it totally looks like a headstone.

I am thankful for the time outdoors with a good friend.

I am thankful for the exercise and therapy session.

I am thankful for getting lost so I could see a little slice of history I wouldn't of otherwise gotten to see.

I am thankful for BIG water pumps.

I am thankful for the freedom to be a bit random with my writing.

THANKFUL to be linking up with Tico & Tina & From Awkward To Art for BLESSED this week.  

PS:  I am BLESSED to call both of them my friends!!!  LOVE you Christina & Julie!

Copy Cat Closet - Sweaters, Some Cuties & a Giveaway

Cozy sweaters are one of the BEST parts of cooler weather IMO.  I LOVE them!  When Natalia threw out a sweater challenge for Copy Cat Closet this week I was all about it!

My version incorporated a long thin sweater perfect for layering and loose curls in my hair.  I'm really happy with this outfit.  Excited that it'll be a do in real life.  I actually DID this in real life...2 days in a row...SHHHHHHHHH...

Sweater – Old Navy

Dark Gray Tank – Costco

Light Grey Tank - ???
Necklace - Lia Sophia

Leggings – Sears

Boots – Gift

In keeping with the fashionish theme going on on the blog today I thought I’d share a few of the fashionista’s sponsoring me this month.

Ch…ch…check ‘em out.

OH, AND…since they ARE so darn AWESOME they are giving away some AMAZING SWAG!  I TOTALLY WANT ALL OF IT!

Nichole @ Yeung Mother Hubbard.

Run on over here and vote for People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive and while you're at it enter her GIVEAWAY too!

You can say hi to her via her blog above as well as via Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Nichole is giving away AN AMAZING Thanksgiving subway art print!!!!! I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Shane @ Whispering Sweet Nothings.

Check out her FANTASTIC encouragement project Operation Beautiful. I LOVE this and am signing up myself!!!

You can follow Shane via her blog above as well as Facebook & don't forget to check out her shop!  Christmas IS coming up you know!

Her favorite Thanksgiving recipe can be found here.  YUM!  YUM!

Shane is generously giving away a 200x100 Medium Ad Space!

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Megan @ And Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson.

Megan is one of the kindest most genuine bloggers I've had the pleasure of talking with.  Every comment and email is so sweet.  Love this girl! And he has the cutest little guy!  You can snag a peek here.

You can follow Megan through her blog above as well as Facebook & Twitter.

Her favorite Thanksgiving recipe can be found here.  MY FAVORITE!!!  

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Danise @ Danise Jurado.

Danise is an AMAZING encourager and we are becoming fast friends! Check out her sweet words here.

You can follower her via Twitter & RSS.

Danise's favorite Thanksgiving craft can be found here.

She is GENEROUSLY giving away a $20 Target Gift Card!

What ARE you waiting for????  Rafflecopter's below!  

Good luck!

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