Old & New- Walls, Dressers & Floor

Pictured above is how the room looked when we

bought the house. Ugh

But then...

HUGE, MASSIVE THANK YOUs
 for our many friends who
helped out in various ways as we redid
this room:
- rip out old carpet & 4 million staples
- strip horrid wallpaper
- rip off strange tile that was under carpet
- sand furniture
- tape the room for painting
- lay NEW flooring! (Friends did 100% of this job)
- Drill holes for new drawer pulls

( I learned alot from these projects and
still have a fascination for power tools,
though my knowledge has only
grown slightly!)

THANK YOU, FRIENDS, for sharing
your time & giftings with us.
We LOVE this little room!
We LOVE YOU MORE!

Big Family & Earth Day

Plus =

Recently my oldest daughter did some research for a class

regarding large families. Those opposed say that large families

leave "big carbon footprints" and that having a lot of children

is irresponsible & uses up too much of our resources. *

But, she also discovered in her studies:

Large families don't buy, spend or throw-away nearly as much

as an "average-sized" family does. Large families find new uses

for things, save more and waste less!

She found this proven true right here at home!

We're not huge recyclers (although we do recycle cans!),

but we fit the description of "large families" in the

above paragraph.

- Make MUCH of our own food products, so there's much

less tin cans, cardboard, plastic & chemicals brought into our home.

- Clean with Baking Soda, Vinegar & other types of products

- Reuse clothes (hand-me-downs, Baby!)

- Reuse sheets, fabric, table clothes, pillows, curtains,

worn-out clothes, etc by making them into various

other products for our family's use

-Use those horrid lightbulbs that save tons of money & energy

(but make everything look dark & gloomy after a few weeks!)

- Bring our own grocery bags to the store

- We're now making an effort to recycle more items & take

advantage of monthly drop off sites in our area. (Detroit

doesn't have curbside pick up for recycling. Bummer)

- and plenty of other things that I'm too rushed to think of now

Although I'm not a huge "Save-the-Earther", I wanna care for the

resources that God has given to us.... and this frees me up to focus

more even more important things/people....

"Saving the People of the Earth!"...

well, JESUS does the SAVING! I just do the telling & discipling!

* Note: I didn't take the time to link all the into to the sites

where we found it. Sorry. Pressed for time today.

Menu Plan Monday 10/19/09 & A CONFESSION

Confession....
Last week my "I'll think I'll use coupons-again" was frustrating &
time consuming. Neither surprised me. Sigh.
I spent tons of time on Sunday night & Monday AM
planning, cutting, sorting, etc. Sigh again.

Then, after a 2 hr. shopping experience inside of MEIJER
and a cash register that kept ringing things twice, but a
really kind employee who worked hard to make it right...
I realized on the way home that the coupons were never used!
I'd handed them to her, but could picture RIGHT where they
were sitting... unused! UNUSED!

My eyes filled with tears. I was ANGRY!
ANGRY with myself for NOT reminding her.
GRRRRR.... more tears.
What a stinkin' waste of time & money!
And approximately $20 of coupons... gone! GONE! Grrr... again!

When I got home, my kind & patient husband encouraged me
to call the store. I did... and I'm pleased to say that the manager
sent me $20 gift card! Ok, so I'll got back there... in a few weeks.

So,
The "Skip-Aldi-use-coupons-again-Challenge" continues
through the month. And my sister-in-law, Lana, gave me
lots of ideas about how to find on-line coupons & load'um
onto the store card of your choosing.

So, this week... it's KROGER. We'll see how it goes.
Next week I'll probably go back to Meijer again.

Ha... this was probably TMI.
You either think I'm totally insane or you completely relate.
RIGHT? WHICH?
____________________________________________

MONDAY
Lunch- Eggs & Gr. Peppers & onions
Dinner- Crockpot Chicken & Biscuits

TUESDAY
Lunch- Eggplant Parm, Spaghetti
Dinner- Veggie Wraps

WEDNESDAY
Lunch- Shepherd's Pie
Dinner- Hot Dogs, apples

THURSDAY
Lunch- ABC Sandwiches (Avacado, Bacon, Cheese grilled cheese)
Dinner- Crockpot Cowboy Stew, toasty bread

FRIDAY
Lunch- Giant Salad
Dinner- Homemade Pizza

SATURDAY
Lunch- Cheesy chicken & Biscuits (some form of this)
Dinner- Sandwiches

SUNDAY
Lunch- Crockpot Ribs, Potatoes, Carrots
Dinner- Open-faced sandwich melts

For more ideas check out www.orgjunk.com

DIY Confessions

Secret Confessions... that are no longer secrets:













1. My creativity far exceeds my actual ability

2. Storage tubs tucked around my house are filled with supplies
from projects I was dying to do... but didn't... yet :)

3. Most DIY projects I actually complete appear to be completely DYI

4. I have a secret desire to own, learn & master power tools...
(my Dad would be proud!)

5. I once patched a huge wall full of screw holes with tooth paste.
Following a good sanding & paint job... well, it looked great!
(my Master-drywaller-Dad would be horrified, and then proud!)

In a time where "do it yourself" means you're cool, creative
and a good steward of your resources, I have a few thoughts
on the subject.... as I'm sure you do, too. So...
YOU GO FIRST!

What projects have you done/will be doing yourself?
Have you always done that?
How did you learn them?
Why do you do them?
Are you satisfied with the finished product?

(NOTE: if you're having trouble leaving a comment
because you don't have a blog, that's OK.
Please make sure that you've selected "anonymous"
below the comment area.)

In a couple of days I'll be posting some things that
JESUS wants us to do ourselves!

AND... if you'd like to see a few pics of some of my more recent
"DIY" projects, click here, or over on the right side bar click
"Netta's NICHE."

(Another NOTE: if you're reading this on your email,
you can click on the title of this blog & it should take you
to my actual blogsite.)

Let us all know about your DIY Projects!

Berenstain Bears LOVE JESUS!

Hey, the books we've all read now have an even better
purpose... teaching Children about JESUS & the truths
from the Word of God!!

A great money-saving blog that I read is giving away
a set of Four! Check it out at a Frugal Friend.

Netta's Niche - Laundry Bags

A few months ago I decided that the
"ghetto-rigged" laundry shoot I made
out of a duct pipe & duct tape suspended down
the basement stairs just wasn't doing the
job anymore. We needed laundry hampers/bags
in each bedroom.

But there's a couple of problems with that...
1. Bedrooms are SO small
2. Even if I got laundry bags for $5 each
that's still more money than I wanna spend.
(and the $5 bags are ugly, too)

SOLUTION....

Quickly made laundry bags sewn from
old clothes, used sheets and unused fabric
from previous projects.



















The boys' bag (pic above) is made from the
pantlegs of husband's old jeans.






















This one was a designer flat sheet (above)
I got for $5 about 5 years ago. It was
made into a crib dust ruffle & curtain
trim. Now it's been remade once more
into a laundry bag for our room.























This adorable little bag is the one I
DID NOT make... because my sweet
daughter, Zoe (pictured), made it herself
for her room. She used fabric from our
huge storage tubs filled with leftovers &
unused portions of fabric.

I'm so proud of her! (and special thanks to
our friend, Jennifer, you has truly taught
all three of girls to sew beautiful things
with great skill and precision!)

So, the final cost of our new laundry bags...
$0 out of pocket!

YES!
(and it's a "Green" project, too... recycling at it best!)


Final note- My older girls do their own laundry and
have their own baskets & systems for doing it!
Training & delegating at work!

Just add Water!

While many of my friends out there in blog-land
and other states across the US are sending
their kids to school this week,
we in MICHIGAN don't begin school until after
Labor Day- it's the law!

(and we make our homeschool schedule similar to the public school.)

So, regardless of our weather (it's rainy today)
it's STILL SUMMER IN MICHIGAN!












Summer! Kids! Water!

















Those 3 words go well together.

This summer we've enjoyed fountains,
the small, inexpensive water park,
kiddies pools,
free city beach,
squirt gun fights,
homemade backyard water parks!














Just about any activity in the summer
gets better when you add water....
any form.
Just add water!













We used a "noodle", poked holes in it, put the
hose inside of it and hung it from the top of our swing set.
(The swing set idea came together because of our neighbor!
Thanks, Mr. Tom!)












And, of course the classic...
Put the kiddie pool at the end
of the slide!

Menu Plan Monday, Aug. 10, 2009

Our 2nd week of posting our Menu for the
week on the blog. It was kinda funny-
as I was preparing meals I'd think, "If
anyone wants to know what I'm cooking
right now, they can just look on my blog."

Kinda weird.

















Michigan weather changed from sorry 70's to
sweltering mid 90's. So, we're planning food
than does NOT involve the OVEN! (That
means I'm NOT making my own bread, either.)

MONDAY
Lunch- Thin Pancakes, Berries, Scrambled Eggs
Dinner- Grilled Chicken, Noodles, Veggie Salad

TUESDAY
Lunch- Spaghetti, Mtblls & Sauce in Crockpot
Crusty Bread & fresh cucumber & carrots
Dinner- Grilled Potatoes & Fresh Veggies

WEDNESDAY
Lunch- Grilled sausage & Veggies, Rice
Dinner- Turkey Sandwiches, chips

THURSDAY
Lunch- Birds Nests, fruit
Dinner- PB & J, pineapple, chips

FRIDAY
Lunch- T. Ham & Ramon Noodles
w/peas, onions
Dinner- Grilled Pizza

SATURDAY
Lunch- Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Dinner- Homemade Lunchables

SUNDAY
Lunch- Crockpot Corn & Spinach Enchiladas
Rice, Tortilla Chips
Dinner- Backed Potatoes w/broccoli & cheese

For more GREAT ideas click HappyHouseWife.com
and scroll down on this menu post. There's around
300 links to menu ideas. WOW!

Summer in The D

We love DETROIT!
Jesus has a plan & for whatever reason
He's called us to be a part of it.
It's been over 5 years since we moved
here... and we have fallen in love with
The D!

This summer we're taking in the
sites & fun. Here's a few things we've
done in the last couple of weeks!
(Not in order!)





















Chilly & I celebrated our 20th Ann.
at Comerica Park and even saw the
huge fireworks over the city that night!



















I love this man! xoxox


















Took my youngest 3 kids & visiting niece to
the Detroit Science Center! So fun!
(That membership Mom bought us has been
used over & over. We love it!)


















Dance party at home! Always fun!
Always Free! and always funny!

















HUGE playground at Belle Isle - have you
ever seen a double-decker merry-go-round?
Free Fun!


















A round swing? They loved it.
















Swimming in the Detroit River at Belle Isle.
(Hey, it's clean... well, I mean.. um COLD!..
just ask Zoe!) Free.
Freezing Water. But Free!




















Free Fun! Playing in the fountains behind the
GM buildings! (Those buildings behind
the fountains & across the river
are in CANADA! Weird, huh?)
















This kids inside the GM RenCen

And, below...
a little impromptu hide-N-seek at Old Navy!
(also free... not the clothes, but the hiding!)

35 Ways to Save Money

Hey, it's a full week here in the D.
Chilly's big brother, Vic & wife, Carole and
our niece, Annalyn are here. Their youth
ministry is here on a missions trip....
doing outreach in the city. Cool.

The kids and I are hanging out with Annalyn
and doing lotsa fun cousin stuff, and enjoying
some free stuff that Detroit has to offer
.... which will make a nice little picture post
for another day.















(Hart Plaza, downtown)

Speaking of FREE, and saving money...
here's a link to a GREAT site that
I read often. She's posted 35 ways to cut down
on your grocery bill, with links to all sorts of
info explaining each suggestion.

It's good stuff!

Happy Thursday!

Frugal is VOGUE!

After reading a great post from LIST MAMA about living frugally,
I started thinking about how the whole country is now trying to
live smarter & cheaper... stuff that I've been doing for 41 years.
(Well, my parents were PRO's at saving money & living on little,
so they started the whole thing, then I took over after about 18 years.)

After all these years it's FINALLY cool to be FRUGAL! Sweet!
Although I never really cared that other people thought, it IS
really wonderful that there's ideas & encouragement everywhere now!

Being frugal - "sparing, simple & plain, costing little"

BUT,the thing that keeps it from driving us crazy is ATTITUDE!

If I look at saving money as my sport... it's fun!
(and it's a sport that I can WIN! a rarity indeed! ha!)

If I look at living with less as a discipline that has eternal value...
then my family & I are better for it!

If I look at frugal living as an avenue to greater creativity...
then it becomes more fun, more colorful, more enjoyable!

If I revel in the face that the rest of the country is just starting
to learn what I've been doing my entire adult life...
then I can smile to myself! (and why not, I TALK to myself
all the time anyway! ha!!!!)

And, special thanks to my Mom (and Dad)
who lived on less,
loved A LOT,
from whom I learned how to do/make much on my own,
and always filled our home with lots of LAUGHTER!
That's what I remember.

It's cool to be FRUGAL!
I'm so VOGUE! :)

Frame It

This season we're trying to make more gifts and
be more creative and personal. It's fun... and to be
honest it can be a little stressful. But it's still better
than the stress of over-spending & angry malls.

Although I can't show you all that we've made,
(the recipients don't have them yet..shhhh)
I will show you the picture frame we made as a B-day
gift for Max's friend, Amir. Max helped with the cutting
and gluing.

We used cardboard from a box, an old pair of jeans and
school glue. The result? A picture frame that holds a happy
memory of two good buddies!












Also, I'm still giving away this Book:

If you're interested, please tell me how you're expressing
love for your family/friends this season. I'll give it away
on Thursday, Dec. 18th.

Happy, creative Christmas!

Currently Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women By Susan Hunt

Dinner for a Dollar!

Ok, I told you earlier that I'd read an article in Newsweek, Oct. 6th
issue, entitled "Flowers from Uncle Sam." The author,
from Baltimore, stated that her family of four (2 adults, 2 kids)
wasw now exceeding $1,000 a month for groceries!
WHAT???
That means that each person was eating $3 per meal 3x a day.

As a stay-home-Mom it's my job to save money, and slashing the
grocery bills without killing the palate while still making
healthy choices makes for FUN and challenge!

I've been tracking our family's food budget for years, but in the
springtime of this year I decided to experiment by boycotting the
large, mega-mart grocery stores
(weekly sales ads & time-consuming coupon cutting)
in favor of Aldi and Save-a-Lot and an
occasional trip to the amazing farmer's market.
GOOD CHOICE!

We have SEVEN in our family:
High Schooler,
Jr. Higher,
Elementary-aged,
Preschooler, Toddler
and Mom & Dad.
(and pretty often there's a friend or two at the table, also
but I didn't count that in my figures.)

Careful examination & calculations of my "Aldi Experiment"
have revealed that in our family,
seven people eat 3 daily meals for an average of...
dun, dun, dun...
$1 per meal!

It's actually even less than that because our weekly
grocery bill also includes diapers, pull-ups, most cleaning
supplies, laundry supplies and about 1/3 of our toiletries.
(but I didn't wanna figure all that out!)

"Thank You, Jesus, for helping us in the daily, ordinary
parts of our lives!"

In future blogs-entitled "Netta's Niche"- I'd love to share
my menus, recipes & ideas so that you won't be blaming
Uncle Sam for your crazy-high grocery bills.

Here's a recipe that was used in ALL YOU Magazine
in September. Taco Bowls

THAT'S INSANE!!!

I just read in Newsweek Magazine about an average family
of 4 (2 kids 2 adults) spends $1000 a month on groceries!
(and she was blaming the economy!)

WHAT?

THAT'S INSANE!

Stay tuned.... I have quite a lot to say about that.
My JOB is saving money... and since groceries
are a HUGE part of that...
well, yeah...
I have QUITE a lot to say.

Stay tuned.

Currently Reading The Shape of Mercy: A Novel By Susan Meissner