NYLT

My handsome Mike just finished up National Youth Leadership Training 

with the Boy Scouts.

Honestly I know about nothing when it comes to scouts and scouting.

His leaders tell me stuff and other parents talk about things and

I smile and nod.

I am Charlie Brown and they are the adult.

Whaa wah Wah wa. 

(Mike looking rugged and needing a shower)

So the way I know that NYLT is amazing and something to be proud of completing.

Is the fact that said leader and parents give approving smiles and nods

and a job well done pat on the back.

All of which is foreign to me when it comes to scouts.

I am use to the Dallin should be working on his Eagle project  or

the you really should sew on some rank badges on your boys shirt looks.

I am sure most people could careless that I am mediocre when it comes to scouting.

To those of you trying hard to help my boys out with all things scouts, a huge thank you.

 (Awards Ceremony)

Mike spent a week up at Camp Fife learning and growing.

He loved it, which what more could I ask for.

On Saturday we got to pick him up and see the camp.

I love driving to places I have never been, especially when its just me and my man.

 I love catching up with no kids distractions 

and on the way home hearing Mike's stories from the week.

My fav is the kid who got mad, flipped over a picnic table and then sat on the ground next to it.

No one seemed to know why he was mad.

Also the water taste like eggs, yuck.

This stop sign was on the way to camp and oh how it made me laugh.

Great job on the spelling my young friend.

I love that I also got this cowboy in the shot.  He was chasing a horse that had

gotten out and wasn't likely to give up his new found freedom easy.

P.S.  Just to prove my lacking when it comes to scouts. As I was writing this I put down NYL.

Mike came up behind me and said mom you have that wrong it's NYLT.

Whatever. 

Pantry Taco Soup

Don't you just love a meal that is budget friendly,  super easy, and lick your bowl clean good?

Then you my friend are in luck!

I first had this Taco Soup a few years ago at a home warming luncheon. 

It became a fast favorite.

So when a friend of mine had her 3rd little boy,  it was a no brainer what to make.

Pantry Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 can Tomato Sauce

1 can Diced Tomatoes 

1 can Corn

1 can Chili 

(I do 2 cans Chili)

1 can Black Beans

2 T Taco Seasoning 

(you can add more or less if you like)

Dump all cans with liquid in to your crockpot, add Taco Seasoning and stir.

Cook on low 6 hrs or high for 4 hrs.

So easy but yet so good.

Sometimes or all the time you have a 3 yr old, who the second you start cooking or anything, needs you to stop everything and be her minion.

So as the great mom you are, you snap a somewhat fuzzy picture of her prefect patheticness.  

Because no meal is complete with out desert.

Apple Crisp 

Ingredients

1 can Apple Pie Filling.

Or make your favorite Apple Filling.

1/2 stick Butter, soften 

1/2 C Brown Sugar 

1/2 C Oats

Cinnamon to taste.

Poor apples into a greased backing pan.

Mix butter, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon together.

Sprinkle mixture over apples.  Cover with foil.

Place in a 350 oven until bubbling, around 30 min.

Altogether I brought 

Taco Soup

Watermelon

French Bread

Apple Crisp

Vanilla Ice cream 

Almost everything I had on hand, so this meal fits in prefect with the save $100 challenge, I am doing.

Just goes to show you don't have to spend a lot to make a wonderful meal.

A great way to save some mullah when taking a meal to someone is to team up.

This what I usually do.  Sometimes I bring the main dish, sometimes the sides.

Why not share the work and the joy of serving with a friend.

Camp out (almost)

The plan.

Have a super family camp out, with my super siblings and parents.

What actually happened.

My mom and dad where so stinking nice and took my 5 kids up the night before

to save an extra spot at the campgrounds.

Having no kids = perfect date night with a side of food poisoning.

Lame I know.  I was so sick all night.

Knowing we couldn't leave my parents with 5 kids.

We made the trek up to the Unitas.

(About 2 hrs away) 

This place was so pretty.  Wish I could of had the energy to explore more.

Oh and this handsome boy had a fever off and on,  sorry mom for sending you

with a sick little boy.

Playing that throw the golf ball thing on the pvc pipe thing game.

So needless to say we didn't camp out.  My brother who's little girl hurt her

arm right as they were leaving to come up, didn't camp out.

Way to tough it out to my sisters and parents.

Better luck to us all next year.

We stopped by an old cemetery  in Poea (sorry if I misspelled Poea)

The story of this bolder in a nutshell, is that Brooks was pretty much

a jerk and took from everyone and never gave back and bragged about

helping in the martyrdom of Joseph Smith.

When he died and was lay to rest this bolder rolled down the hill and landed

on top of his grave.  

You put the lime in the Coconut

When we put our house on the market, we decided to make

one small room not feel so stinking small buy good willing 

Evie's toddler bed.  She shared with whoever she felt like that night.

Which usually was Lauren or Milo.

That was fine for Little House on the Prairie (big time fan)

and for while our house was on the market.

Thanks to KSL, I was able to find some

used bunk beds for only $75.  Awesome!!! 

 

I love the shelf and have dreams of banners and books.

The only problem and its kinda a big one.

They were super old looking.

I wanted to paint them but wasn't sure

what color?  I haven't figured out what bedding

or art or really nailed down anything for this shared room

just yet.  Lots of ideas but nothing in concrete just yet.

Knowing I want to paint them, I didn't want to hassle with stripping and staining.

All was lost I had nowhere to go.

Wait a moment.... PINTEREST

My friend Heidi had just pinned something about refinishing wood with coconut oil.

It works amazing!!!

It is super easy.  Just rub it in and then just wipe off.

 Before.

After.

The best laid plans

Breakfast for dinner, one of the best ideas

mankind has ever had.

Needless to say I love it and I had planned an

amazingly yummy one for dinner the other night.

French Toast made out of sweet Challah Bread

Orange  Julius 

(I have the best recipe for this, will share)

Super Fresh Mellon

 Scramble Eggs

Fresh Strawberry Syrup! 

Wait no fresh strawberry syrup?

The kids had eaten all but 2 strawberries.

By kids I mean Milo.

My first thought was to run off to the store and by more and curse the

little Devils for ruining my amazing breakfast for dinner.

Then I remembered the fcf $100 challenge. 

This was the perfect way to save money.

I have syrup and I am trying hard to not run to

to the store everyday for little things that I really don't need.

I am so bad at going to the store almost daily for things that I should have planned for.

I tell myself its not lack of planning, its just I am European at heart.

This also what I tell myself when I don't shower everyday.

Thank you little devils for helping me out with 2 of my goals, you rock.

Mi!o gets an invite

Milo went to his first birthday party..

Wait for it....

All by himself.

No little sister, no big sister

and no big brothers. 

Us walking to his friends house.

(Milo says his hair is magic because its both light and dark)

Wish I had magic hair.

Milo and his friend.

Milo's gift. 

As you know from here, I am doing the FCF $100 challenge.

Here's how I was able to rock the challenge birthday party style.

We usually have a $5 - $15 friend birthday budget.

Older kid stuff just cost more so we give our teens more to spend.

Back to what I spent and what I saved.

Milo would usually have right around $5, but

Target had a bunch of toys on sale for 70% off.

(Thank you Megan for the Call)

Which made it so we didn't sacrifice on the quality of gift, but

still only spend slightly less then $2.

The raping paper is actually scrape booking paper that

we already had.  So no money spent.

Which means I was able to save $3.

You only have to save $3.25 a day to make it to your goal.

Easy Peesy 

Why not save $100 smackaroos in August?

Why not save $100 smackaroos in August?

I love this challenge and also Fun Cheap or Free blog.

I have gotten so many great ideas from Jordan, 

and this is perfect timing with my 3 oldest starting school.

I am jumping into this challenge with both feet.

 Why? You ask.

Because I seem to bleed money!!!!

I don't mean to. I have great plans but for some reason I find myself

completely ignoring my budget.

I am trying hard to be more of a planner.

I am naturally a go by the seat of your pants and hope everything works out kinda gal.

Not so anymore.  I have finely realized that I have to make my life

what I want it to be. 

Putting our house on the market taught me this.  

(I'll go more into this later on).

I am going to try and post all about my ups and downs with this challenge and I'll

post thing related on my Instagram.

This will be fun!!!

21 days to break a carefree are you still a child habit.