Scrapbook Getaway!

Brownie + Scrapbooking = Perfection

Partner in Crime

Some of my best friends on the planet

I never get anything done while I am here.

Things to do before I run away

Every spring and fall I organize a getaway for ladies. 

It started out as a scrapbook retreat & that is what most of them do but some sew, cross stitch, organize tax information, etc.   I am so grateful for this weekend to get things DONE that have been nagging at my attention.

Someone once told me that it was a party with all my best friends. 

What I have found is that there are people who will come who need something and there will just the right person who will be willing to give the advice or help that they need.  We will laugh ourselves silly. 

There will be tears at least once and there will be healing.  Sometimes I just sit back and watch the different people talking, laughing and praying and think “Thank you God for letting me be part of this.” 

Serving these ladies is something with which God has blessed me.

There is a lot going on this week! 

Here is my list to help me be ready.

1.  Pack clothes, towel, toothbrush, oh and my scrapbook supplies

2.  Run errands & do my coupon/grocery shopping

3.  Send a few emails to friends about how much fun we are going to have!  Who is riding with me?

4.  Go to Hobby Lobby or Michael’s to pick up some supplies

5.  Go to the dentist—yuck

6.  Clean the fish tank

7.  Stay healthy—have I mentioned everyone in my house is sick except the parents?  Emergen-C please!

8.  Go to bed on time so I can stay up late on Friday & Saturday nights!

9.  Buy some yummy/healthy snacks to take along

10.  Pray for each person coming & ask God to guide me in all ways this weekend.  What we get done is less important than what He is going to get done.

Salisbury Steak

This is one of my oldest’s favorite meals.  Everyone in the house agrees on this one. 

We made a double batch last week & divided the extra in to College Food.  It has worked really well to have some smaller sized meals for Michael to take & use on days he doesn’t want to eat dorm food. 

He lives in a house with a BUNCH of guys not a dorm so he has access to a kitchen.  However, time is in short supply so quick, healthy, easy meals are just what he needs.

Salisbury Steak

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 egg

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 can cream of chicken soup or 1 batch of DIY cream soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup—I do use this to help “thicken” up the sauce

8 oz sliced mushrooms

Mix together ground beef, egg, onion soup mix.  Make into 12 or more patties, brown patties in skillet.  Mix together cream soups with 1/2-1 can of water(omit this if you are using the DIY cream soup mix). 

Layer patties & mushrooms in a 9x13 pan.  Then pour soup mix over the top.

If freezing prebake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven, cool & freeze.  To bake after freezing thaw and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until sauce is bubbly.

If eating directly—bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Linking up at

Money saving website!

Did you know it’s a jungle out there? 

I am introducing The Savings Jungle today!

Do you ever have friends who start doing something and you just watch them thinking “Nope, not me I am SO not going to do that?”  You know where this is going—then you end up jumping in to do the same thing a few months later?  Well I have a story like that.

About 2 years ago or so a couple of my friends started talking about the money they were saving using coupons.  I thought “Coupons? Come on no one does that do they?”

I just watched.  Thinking that they were putting SO much effort in to something that could not be saving them that much money(snickering behind my hand).

Well I don’t remember what coupons she gave me or pointed out to me that I could get a free item at the store, but I am pretty sure that is what happened.  She also told me about someone’s blog who told were to go & what coupons to print & use.  Okay I could do that—that isn’t a big time thing.  She was very gracious & never pointed out my “bad” attitude & about face when I started saving money each week and telling her about it.(Thanks Gwen!)

Fast forward a couple of years. 

I do buy a couple of papers every Sunday.  

I do check a few websites(Money Saving Mom & Faithful Provisions) before I shop & I DO get FREE things we actually use in our house. 

It is a money saving strategy for me—its worth the time I put in to it each week.  I don’t blog about it here a lot because that really isn’t my focus on this blog but I wanted to introduce my friend’s website. 

I am recommending that you head over to The Savings Jungle. 

Especially my “real” life local friends because The Savings Jungle is focused on finding savings in Mid-MO. 

Enjoy saving some cash when you find some good deals!

Big Fish Little Fish

My fish tank always needs something. 

Well last week I learned two things. 

First, it doesn’t really take that long to clean it and refill it.  Half an hour tops—so why do I put it off?  I don’t know I just do.

Second, when you have only 1 fish( and he’s rather large and sometimes food deprived) and you add several smaller fish then he might just might think that the new fish are food.  Can you see where this is going? 

We bought 5 neon tetras after telling the pet shop guy(whom we really like!) about our 1 lonely fish.  He thought it would be fine.  Two hours after coming home we were down to 3.  Elizabeth found out what was going on when she looked at the big fish & saw fins sticking out his mouth.  She was NOT impressed!!  By morning our big fish was bigger and not hungry at all.

So this week I learned you shouldn’t deprive your fish of food.  And don’t put little fish in with the big ones.