Simply Sara

In our bedroom, there are 6 boxes stacked at the foot of our bed. I like to think of them as a "foot board". Not really. These are boxes that we simply can't figure out what to do with. One is a box of clothes that I can't fit into yet. I'm still working on losing the "baby weight", while several other boxes contain scrapbook supplies, multiple photo albums, and an untold amount of photos that need to be put into an album. I am simply terrible with keeping up with family photos! The task is so overwhelming to me, I try not to think about it very often, let alone do something about it! Last year I made a pathetic attempt to stay on top of our 2010 family album. At the end of each month, I printed about roughly 20 photos capturing the joys and everyday moments of our lives, and I carefully put them into an album, complete with captions and dates. I got through the month of April before stopping and never returning to the project. I pulled the album back o...

Tonight, Ava helped me make baby food for Wyatt! Green beans and sweet potatoes! Over the years, I have found that making my own baby food is not only cost effective, it's super easy! Seriously, I popped a few sweet potatoes in the oven for an hour, blended them up in my mini-food chopper, and here they are! I like to store my baby food in canning jars! They are just so pretty! Green peas, which I buy frozen and them steam, are the prettiest! A gorgeous shade of green! This is just one way I try to be resourceful and save money for our family. I'm so passionate about being a stay at home mom, and I'm willing to do what I can to contribute to our family. I'm honored that my husband supports my passion and works so hard so I can be with our kids. Couponing is another way I feel like I "earn income" for our family. I am by no means a super-couponer, but on average I try to save 50% at the grocery store. I truly believe with all my heart that if you too want to be...

Since Lucas was a toddler, I've been making up stories for him, either before bed or whenever I needed to keep his attention and I was too tired to play trains. Our stories typically revolve around whatever interests him at the time, so we've covered snakes, dinosaurs, Buzz Lightyear, and "kill-off" whales. Our stories almost always include the same set of special friends, Sammy, Jenny, Lightbulb, Flashlight, and Flipflop. Sammy and Jenny are ducks and I'm not sure what the other three characters are supposed to be! This crazy crew has gone on quite a few adventures and typically gets into a lot of trouble! What I love the most about storytelling with Lucas is watching his imagination take off as he creates story lines and plots. His creativity knows no limits as he artfully crafts his stories! I love praising him and seeing that innocent joy on his face as he soaks it in! Tonight, as I was getting Lucas and Ava ready for bed, I told a story about a princess, a pr...