I took 30 minutes one evening this week and made FOUR Swiffer covers!  No joke – this is a super simple task for even a beginning sewer.  These have elastic around the edges.  They kind of look like a shower cap made out of microfiber – only they’re oblong instead of round.  =)  When it gets dirty you just pop it into the washer.  No more buying the pricey disposable cloths!  The microfiber really grabs the dirt and dust!  I’m super happy with the results.

Refresh your mop AND your wallet by making some covers for yourself…and maybe a friend!

I’m doing the Money Saving Mom 30 Day House cleaning challenge and have made some great progress this week. So far I have surface cleaned the living room, bedrooms, bathrooms and laundry room.  Wow!  What a great feeling! I will be adding some photos as we progress.  Stay tuned!

Is anyone else doing this?  Will you leave a comment to tell me if you are taking the challenge?  By the end of the month our houses will sparkle!  

See you in church Sunday!

Be refreshed,

Yesterday floods of memories filled my mind. As a matter of fact, every year on April the 3rd, my thoughts go back to 1974 when a tornado came streaking through central Kentucky and took the entire roof off of our house. My poor mom was the only person at home when storm came barreling through our neighborhood. She was wise enough to tuck herself safely into the basement during the worst of the storm. Once downstairs, she heard the sound of the “freight train,” as the tornado whirled and swirled through our house. She heard the explosion of glass and the timbers being blown off the roof, then all was quiet. Very, very quiet.

During the time of the storm, my dad was at work and my twin sister and I were on a band trip in Pennsylvania. Our symphony band was playing with many other bands. It was a concert of sorts. We were loving the trip to the big city of Pittsburgh to see the sights, hear other bands play, and enjoy the  luxury of being in a beautiful hotel with our friends.

That morning, I had my devotions, as I was in the habit of doing. I can so clearly remember that I read Matthew 6 –

And also later in the chapter:

I tucked those truths into my heart and went about the day. News began to spread in our group about the storm that had hit our city of Winchester, even doing damage to our high school. All the other 100 students or so were calling back home to talk to their parents to be assured that all was well in their families. However, my sister and I had a problem – we couldn’t reach our parents. No matter how many times we tried, there was no connection to that land line. Worry began to creep in. Little did I know that in the hours to come, I would be feeding off of the truths that God had revealed to me in His Word early that morning.

To be continued…

Wednesday.  What does this day of the week conjure up in your mind?  Hump Day?  Middle of the week?  Almost the weekend?  For all my life Wednesdays were always connected with “prayer meeting.”  Through the years that also included other activities like Pioneer Girls, Awanas, Patch the Pirate Club, Sharing Group, or Teen meeting.    We never planned anything else on Wednesday night but church.  It would have been odd for us to have even asked what we were doing on Wednesday night; it was a given – we were going to church.  That was the case from the time I was a child through today.

I have always looked forward to the mid-week service. What a blessing to be encouraged with corporate time in the Word, prayer and fellowship in the middle of the week.  So many Christians miss this special service because they’re too tired, but honestly, when I’ve had a rough week and go ahead to Wednesday night services, I am energized!

Do your plans include prayer meeting tonight?  Why not decide right now to head to church this evening?  Extract something from your day, if you can, to make it easier to get to church.  Excite your children about going!  Perhaps you could:

I have a reputation.  It’s not good.  Are you ready? I have been pulling little pranks on my family for years – especially on April Fool’s Day.  Yep.  I lie.  I trick.  I cause innocent people to be startled.  I have no reason other than …it’s fun!

This little rubberband around the spray nozzle was the cause of the wet shirt on my husband.  =)

I take that back – there is another reason, and that is  to keep the fun in every day family life.  We are so serious about raising our children.  We are serious about doing right.  We are serious about walking with God.  We are serious about discipline and homeschool and music lessons and budgeting and housekeeping and laundry and teaching manners and a million other things that fill our hearts.  There has to be an intentional ingredient added – and that is FUN.   It’s the kind that makes you belly laugh until your sides ache.  

Times of family fun are indeed good medicine.  Tell a silly joke.  Play a game.  Tell stories about hilarious moments.  Watch a funny movie.  Don’t let your bones (or your face) dry up!  Laugh!

I’m glad I have a husband who can take a little joke (not that I won’t get paid back, trust me).  After his shirt got sprayed at the kitchen sink yesterday morning, I heard him in the kitchen laughing – really laughing.  Of course, then he came after me to give me a hug  get me soaked too!

In the seriousness of life, don’t take yourself too seriously, and don’t let your family life get too serious either.  Look for opportunities to add some family fun, laughter, and yes, even a little prank or two!

What do you do to add some fun to family life?  Do you have memories of things your family has done to laugh together?

With love,

Can you believe that a “normal” piece of Coconut Cream pie has 423 calories and 23 grams of fat?  This one from Cooking Light has 281 calories and 9 grams of fat…and you would never know it!  I’ve changed over, friends.  This is my new “go-to” recipe!  It’s yummy!!!!!!

Coconut Cream Pie

Filling:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Italian Meringue:
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

Preparation

Prepare and bake Pie crust in a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare filling, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and eggs in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.
Heat milk and coconut milk over medium-high heat in a small, heavy saucepan to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Place mixture in pan; cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly.
Remove from heat. Spoon custard into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until custard comes to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from ice. Stir in extracts; spoon mixture into prepared crust. Cover and chill 8 hours or until firm.
Preheat broiler.
To prepare meringue, place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Combine 2/3 cup sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238°. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Spread meringue over chilled pie, and sprinkle with coconut. Broil for 1 minute or until meringue is lightly browned; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve immediately.

My girls made Easter dinner at their house yesterday.  Whitney told me about her salad, and after she described it to me,  I asked her to please share the recipe! I don’t like jello salads that take 50 steps. It sounds simple and they said it was really good!  Take a look – I think you’ll agree!

This is called Orange Fluff Jello Salad; she used Cherry Jello instead.  

20 oz can of crushed pineapple
small box of orange Jello
8 oz of cream cheese
8 oz of whipped topping

Add entire can of pineapple (undrained) to a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add orange jello and stir well.  Boil about 2 minutes.  Dice cream cheese and add that to jello mixture.  Stir until most of cream cheese is melted.  Pour into a large flat dish and put in the freezer or refrigerator.  Once your mixture starts to congeal remove and stir in the 8 oz package of whipped topping.  Put your dish in the refrigerator to set up for at least 3 hours before serving.

What did you serve up for Easter?  Did you have guests?

From my parsonage kitchen,