Mock Maple-Nut Poppycock

The first time I heard the word 'poppycock', was out of the mouth of my boys' great-grandmother. She used it as a slang word for- "you're full of it". (And she just might have said that too!) If she thought someone was giving her an incredulous story, no matter how serious they might have seemed, she would turn around while waving her hand at them and say with a scowl; 

"Oh poppycock!" 

Well, come to find out, the word means; nonsense or senseless chatter.

How on earth the word became associated with candied popcorn is a mystery to me ...but I would love to hear her say that again and she probably would if I told her you could MAKE homemade poppycock!

She was spunky.

 Mock Maple-Nut Poppycock

9 quarts of plain popped corn (sift our kernels)

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup real maple syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 t maple flavoring

dash of salt

2/3 cup pecan pieces (or more)

3/4 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 250.

Pour popcorn and pecans in buttered, lipped baking  pan.

In saucepan, melt butter and stir in; brown sugar, syrup, flavorings, and salt.

Stir until butter is melted and mixture reaches 250 degrees.

Remove from heat, whisk in soda.

Pour over popcorn and toss.

Bake for 25 minutes, tossing a couple of times.

You will want to remove from pan quickly, once baked, to avoid sticking.

Cool and store in air-tight containers.

Luke 6:1  And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

Some Gifts on the Frugal...

Recently we needed a "thank you/appreciation gift" of sorts. 

In keeping on-the-frugal, Swagbucks was able to assist me once again!

In case you haven't heard about Swagbucks, it's just a simple toolbar that you download. Not unlike Google or Bing or any of the others. You can use it as your main search engine/toolbar or if will show up underneath your main toolbar.

Once it's downloaded and installed, you simply do your internet searches through it. Occasionally, you will win Swagbucks. These Swagbucks can be used to purchase Amazon gift cards, Paypal gift cards, and so much more!
There are also several other ways to earn by watching advertisements, surveys, and more.

(The above is a referral link and in the event you decide to use it- I'm oh-so-grateful!)

With Amazon credits, I've recently been able to buy a book that was a gift as well as use a trial membership on Amazon, a coupon, and gift cards to score another gift for a sweet little baby.

On another note- I also recently needed to put another gift together and needed a pretty basket.
(I purchased some unique jars and made jams to place inside.)
This time it was Hobby Lobby to my rescue!
Hobby Lobby continues to offer their 40% off coupons (it's like Christmas in August!) on their website.
So- a $10 basket can be picked up for $6!

Now I'm looking for another frugal gift for a teen girl.
I'm sure I will think up something clever....and frugal ;-)
Where there's a will, there's certainly a way!
***
There is such blessing in giving, even if it's only on a small scale.
Acts 20:35  ...remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Our House: Random Acts of Kindness Week and Kid's Appreciation Day

This week at our house, I decided to do something exciting before we "officially" start back on a full load of school stuff. (We school all year, but do more reading in the summer than most other things.)

 It has been SO hot and humid outside that I didn't want to do another Field Day. (Maybe later.)

I really wanted to accomplish two things. One was, to encourage them to be nicer and more thoughtful towards one another. The other was, to show them that I appreciated every one of them for all the help they give me on a daily basis.

I started by declaring this week to be Random Acts of Kindness week.

For every kind and random act they do, I mark down a star beside their name in a notebook.

On Friday evening, we will have a celebration of all the kind acts done by each other this week.

 John 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

(The funniest random act so far was when one of the boys grabbed dd's hand and said, "I'll be right here holding your hand if you get scared!"-while we were just sitting around the dinner table.)

We will also have a party for Kid's Appreciation Day!

Yes, this is my own made up holiday.

They will be off all school work. 

It will be similar to our Mock Christmas(*see bottom of this post) in that I'm going to fix a BIG dinner with turkey, dressing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, pies, and cupcakes- and more!

We'll eat all weekend on these foods and play games and work puzzles- and celebrate the kids for ALL that they do to make life special and the help they are to their mom and dad every day of the year!

They will also get a few small presents. The boys will get a comb, dd a spray bottle.($1.50)

They will also get a pair of flip-flops ($6), toothbrushes that have been put up for a while, candy, and a couple of puzzles found in a fifty cent bin some time back at Walmart. ($2)

On Friday evening I also plan to let them play in a sprinkler that was found at the dump. It was semi-broken but still sprays.We don't usually "waste water" so this will be a big treat for them.

I also wrapped all the little presents in leftover Christmas wrapping paper - which is stirring the younger children just as much as it does at Christmas!

The final thing I will do will be to write each of them a personal letter, thanking them for their specific contributions to our home. (This is done in words, on birthdays too.)

Remember: Making memories is more important than stuff! Bringing excitement and encouragement into your home doesn't have to cost anything- just make a bigger deal about it! :)

Psa 127:4-5  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:

A Wild Wednesday Freebie:

You DO NOT have to have My Memories to use these freebies. However, they are for a limited time so I hope you all can snatch them up and save them somewhere in a safe spot on your computers (is there such a place?) or disc drives. 

I plan to save one to use for frugal gift-giving. Bookmarks were the favored stocking stuffer last Christmas, but these would make nice Easter basket stuffers as well!

Click here to get the FREE download that you can use with ANY program that will work with images.

Remember, you don't have to have My Memories, but IF you are thinking of purchasing the MyMemoriesSuite, be sure to use my promo code to get your special $10 discount.

CODE: STMMMS61766

Lavender Jelly

 I used this recipe to make Lavender Jelly today.

What a neat treat! 

It perfumed the house very well but Abby hasn't stopped huffing and sneezing since. :-)

If you've never made jelly before, it really is so easy.  It's really not much more than mixing, boiling, and pouring and you can start with bottled juice if you like.

I find it a great alternative to store-bought jelly and I love to make unique jams and jellies.

Year before last I made Green Mint Jelly and Basil Jelly.

Last year it was Violet and Dandelion Jelly and Syrup.

This year, I'm starting with Lavender and who knows where I'll go from there!

But it doesn't have to be spring, summer, or fall to make jams and jellies. I like to make them in the winter too.

I've made Cherry Jam, Strawberry Jam, Pomegranate Jelly, and Apple Jelly through the winter.

(The cherries and strawberries were from the freezer.)

It's frugal, it's fun, and it keeps you a little further away from HFCS,... if you're trying to avoid that.

Cloth Napkins- for the sake of frugality or beauty!

We had beautiful, store-bought fabric napkins years ago, but with gooey toddlers running around- they didn't stay bright and beautiful for long. Then, I used my dish towels for most messes but time had gotten the best of them too. And well, paper towels aren't quite so frugal, are they? So- whattaya do? Make your own napkins! 

I know, I know...I didn't think I could either. It was Brandy, who once again, inspired me.

They really are not hard. If you can sew a sorta straight line and cut a sorta straight line- you can do this!

You don't have to have a bunch of special, expensive fabric either. Use what you have! Old sheets, old shirts, old scraps, anything really. And to be honest, mine aren't perfectly square, but they're always folded so no one knows that but me..and you ;-)

And- while I hope to have/make some one day to have again for special occasions, right now, for every day life, they don't have to match. Mine are mint green, light and dark purple, and pastel stripes. I think the ideal size is 17x17 but not all of mine are that big, since I was using scraps, I did the best I could with what I had and you know what? It works ;-)  

And they really look pretty good and even he-who-loves-paper has come to LOVE these and feels like he's always 'out to eat' when he has his mint green napkin!

My biggest problem was- where to keep them! I drug out this old what-not, that's really supposed to house paper towels, and I stack them on there along with the salt and pepper.

I think these would make really nice gifts too. My oldest is now out on his own and I'm considering making him some for his kitchen.      

What? You don't think a grown-up boy would like cloth napkins for a gift? ;-)

 

 

Free Gingham Paper Dolls

These are beautiful! And they're so--- Little House-ish!

The Greenleaf Orchid Dollhouse

Usually after Christmas we spend about a week playing games, working puzzles, watching videos and the like but this year we had a new project!
By the Lord's grace, I was able to purchase one of these right at Christmas for about $18. We had so much fun with this!

*****

(Note- Hobby Lobby is running weekly 40% off coupons STILL but you must print from the internet before you go!)
***** 

 I hope you enjoy the video and if you have some young-ens around, I think they'll enjoy this cute little song!

*A special thanks to Brandy, ThePrudentHomemaker.com for the beautiful dollhouse printables!

More About Those Mittens...

These are those finished mitts that I made the kiddies at Christmas. I trimmed each pair in a different color. Now - to wait for the snow!

Homemade Elf Boots

These were a gift for the kids to go with their Santa hats from last year. What's more fun than a little "dress up" for Christmas?

I made them from a large piece of felted wool that had been given to me and the tassels I made with leftover yarn from the quilt that I made for oldest son.
 Speaking of boots and Christmas- Have you all ever seen:

(Felted) Wool Mittens

                                

These were made from a large piece of purple wool that was given to me. They could made from sweaters, jackets, etc bought at thrift stores or yard sales. There's all sorts of fun things you can do with wool. I have a book here from the library where they have fuzzed it/frayed it (not sure the exact word they use, some on the net call it 'felting') but once it's all frizzy, they wet it with a slightly soapy water, then mold it. One image in this book they do a booty on someone's foot. Once they've made the entire thing, they pull it off and allow it to to dry and it holds it's shape. Quite unique!

My kids mostly have knitted gloves right now, which is made like a sweater. They get wet instantly in the snow. I'm hoping these will help prolong their play over those knitted gloves, by keeping them dry a little longer since they're not supposed to be very absorbent! ;-)

Homemade Puppet Theater-

Attention: Mom's Frugal now on Youtube
 www.youtube.com/momsfrugal

My kiddies are going to LOVE this!

I was able to have Lowe's hold me a box, for free. It's a HUGE refrigerator box and I cut a cute little door in the back.
The fabric had been given to me years ago by my neighbor. I purchased some border paste to glue down the striped fabric for about $4.  Other than that- FREE!
I used yarn to string up all the curtains by poking holes in the side and tying.

I bought this set of puppets with my Swagbucks, although they were at a cheaper price. (I'm guessing the price is up right now so they can give quick shipping.)

                                                                  
This post is linked to SomewhatSimple, The Diaper Diaries, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Thrifty101, Delightful Order, Frugal Fridays.

Denim Quilt

Here's a little something that I've been up to lately.....

This is my oldest son's Christmas present this year. I don't think he sneaks peeks here so I can show you :-)

His little sister cut the "K" out for the center and also designed the pattern of the squares. The denim is various shades, the back is white, and it's tied with red yarn.  On the back of a corner is a patch with his initials, the year, and "Mom". I bordered the top with the white back to finish it. 

I have a few more little things for him but I can't show you because of the little snoops that are getting something just like those. They are homemade items as well and I hope to get up some sneak peeks at those next week when they are playing....instead of snooping ;-)

Rice Babies- bed warmers

I made these for Christmas, like I did our Bean Babies four years ago.
I used a pattern like a gingerbread man, cut them out on plain fabric, double stitched the edges so no rice grains can escape, turned them, filled with rice, stitched the turning and filling hole, and wrapped.
The kids are able to color them however they wish and at bedtime, they can be heated for 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave for a cozy bed warmer! 

Dh liked this idea so much that he requested one long rice bag for his neck and two small ones for his pockets so when he goes outside to check on the dogs through the winter, he can keep warm too! ;-)

This post is linked to:
Skip To My Lou

Combat Carl Has A New Jacket!

This is the jacket they talked me into making for poor ole Carl who had no shirt. This army guy is quite a character at our house. You see- he has had his arm replaced, a foot, and there is something wrong with one leg they said. He's a walking miracle- but at least he now has a jacket! ;-)

Making Barbie Clothes...

One day last week, DD and I spent some time watching youtube videos and making Barbie clothes. (The pink dress and floral skirt.) I have much more to make, by her request, and several ideas for gifts flowing through my overcrowded mind(fancy gown). She also has brought me an army man that needs a shirt. Gulp! Guess he's been drafted to be Barbie's new Ken!

(Hope she doesn't ask for shoes!)

There are a few printable patterns here and here to sew and several to knit on the first.

And speaking of dolls- wait til you see what Brandy's been up to!

Thinking Out Loud Tonight...Children, the Bible, and the Vipers that Await Them

During recent days, I took some time (too much really) to look around at the big, bad, and sometimes ugly world and see how things were ticking. Please don't get me wrong, I'm an optimistic person by nature. I can usually find something promising in a rock! But- looking at what others are saying here and there on the big WWW, I've nearly made myself vomit with nausea.

There are atheists and venomous vipers out there lurking and waiting for your children and mine, to come out of our warm, safe, Christian homes- and right into their traps.

They've made it their life's goal to educate themselves on logic, fallacies, ad hominem, and lunacy and rebellion against the Word of God....like NOTHING I've ever seen here in Smallville.

They know the Scriptures probably better than you and I, and they are so much like their father- the father of lies?- that you almost can't tell them apart. It's only a little flesh on their bones that gives them away... They take the blessed Word of God and they do just as our arch-nemesis did in the garden. "Thou shalt not surely die!" And they go on to say that "God lied" because Adam and Eve did not die right then and there. Do your children have an answer for that? The snakes have one that they are lying in wait to give to your children and mine.

Looking further my eyes and heart burned with indignation for our beloved God. And fear nearly rattled my brain at the thought of what this great God will one day do to those who refuse to turn from their sins. These vultures are lurking and they can't wait to pounce on our children and back them in a corner with; "If your God is so loving, why are kids starving to death this very night? And if your God is so loving, why did He order so many deaths in the Old Testament? And if your God is so much better than their god, then why did He say people who did certain sins in the Old Testament should die...after all, He is the same God as in the New Testament, isn't He? So what makes Him any better than their god?"

Oh but the madness doesn't stop there my friends in the faith! I had one tell me just today that the only things that mattered in the whole Bible were just the exact words that Jesus Himself spoke in the New Testament.... while telling me that I needed to go read my Bible. In my exasperation, I tried to quote some verses back to this person, but the Words of that precious Book were unacceptable on that forum. Seems that "Scriptures" are equated with "curse words" in many places today. But again I ask, do your kids have an answer for that?

I think of these verses and I'm convicted:
Deu 6:7-8 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

And I think of this:
1 Pet 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh..


And this one;
Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

I'm forced to confess my inadequacies to God and beg for His guidance, knowledge, and help.
He promises to help you and me!

James 1:5-6  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering...


Well- what about faith and asking in faith not wavering?
Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

His Word is our supply of faith and the more we go to It, the more faith we can gain. The more faith we can gain, the more we can ask for that "wisdom" in prayer and be "given liberally"- it is a wonderful cycle that He has created!

Oh that God would help us, because the vain philosophers are there, crouching and waiting.

I shared this because it was on my heart tonight (after reading so much filth) but it is reading these things that has caused me to add a couple of things to our reading list this year. (One
and Two and I would love to get the series
for younger kids.)

Let us pray for one another!
And please do tell me if you have other suggestions for preparing children, spiritually, for the wild world!

Homemade Toothpaste...

Easy toothpaste, from kitchen ingredients. I've dressed it up some, but you can use what you have on hand and certainly keep it more frugal!

2 T coconut oil

3 T baking soda

1/4 t (or to taste) peppermint extract or essential oil

Opt*1 to 2 drops tea tree oil (taste is a factor with this)

2 pks of stevia, xylitol, or other non-sugar sweetener

1t glycerin *opt (for texture)

Blend well.

Store in baby food jar or other lidded container.

Homemade Playdoh-

Mix in a large pot;
1 cup of salt
2 cups plain flour
4t cream of tartar


Stir in;
2 T oil
2 cups water
food coloring (or a pack of kool-aid) *opt

Mix well and heat, on medium-low. Mixture will start to stick on the bottom so use a large spoon to scrape.

Continue scraping until the entire mixture is no longer runny. Turn out onto waxed paper, knead several times to blend all flour lumps well.

***Allow to cool before you let your children stick their hands in it. It will be hot for several minutes.

A Scripture a Day Keeps the Zombie Away....

Our newest "game"! ....This my latest attempt to make memorizing Scripture fun...and mandatory!

After school work is complete, my kids almost turn into zombies trying to get to their video games- ugh!
Well, they get 1 big hour on it a day, so to them, that's the most important hour of the day. Now we moms know that it isn't, but sometimes its okay to wait until they figure some things out. In the meantime, I'm gonna make them do something that REALLY IS one of the most important things in life- in order to get that hour on their game! ;-)

Yep- a Scripture a Day Keeps the Zombie Away!
They have to tell me ONE Bible verse, by memory, EVERY day in order to get that hour.

-You don't know your verse? You don't play.
-You grumble and complain? You write the verse multiple times ...and you don't play.

Simple enough, huh?

I used an Awana system online to print the KJV Memory Verse Cards.
Here's one, and here's another.

You'll notice some are longer than others, so if you have littles, you can adjust the cards accordingly. I printed both lists, for each child. (Remember moms- if your child can talk, they can memorize Scripture!)

Each child has an envelope and a Ziploc bag. The envelope holds the cards that they haven't yet memorized. Once they are memorized, they are to fold them and/or check mark them and put them in the ziploc bag, along with the paper envelope. Every 1 to 2 weeks, they can take 5 minutes and go back over the ones they've learned. This will help keep them locked in!

So- you girls wanna play A Scripture a Day Keeps the Zombie Away? ....And by all means change the name to suit your kids' fancy!

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Scavenger Hunt: Here is a link to your third special My Memories Link! Have fun!