Life of a working mom: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Gardening- 7 and 8 Weeks After Last Frost- Weekly Goals

My used Book

Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook is still helping thoughout the week to say on base with my gardens. Week 7 and 8 are filled with many goals. I'm going to pick a few goals out an work on them this week.

1. Tomato - keep eye out for hornworm

2. Green beans, carrots, beets, kohlrabi, turnip, chard, Chinese cabbage and, leaf lettuce sow in vacant areas of the garden.

3. Radish seed pods- collect for cooking

4. Squash - hand pollinate to get a better yield

5. Potatoes- harvest some new potatoes

Gardening- 4 Weeks After My Last Frost- Weekly Goals

Gardening~ 5 Weeks After Last Frost - Weekly Goals

Gardening~ 6 Weeks After My Last Frost- Weekly Goals

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Kids Knorner- Farm Animals Lesson Plans

This week I only work 3 days. I have bought the each of the learning books for their learning level. This will help me work one on one with the kids and still challenge them.

Tuesday - work on cows

- make cows out paper

- sing Old McDonald

Wednesday - art class

- picnic in the mall

Thursday- work on pigs

- play 3 little pigs

- make pigs out of paper plates

* as always we go over the calender and count and sign

Here are three videoes we will watch while I' getting lunch ready.

During the summer were we going to work though our summer learning books, and have fun learning. In the next two weeks, we will learn about farm animals. Next Thursday we will go visit the Apple Orchard and see the baby goats.

What are you learing about this summer?

'Herbs and Spices - Garlic, Ginger & Chives (My Herbs & Spices)' by Colin West

'Healing Herbs for the Ornamental Garden (Herbal Medicine from Your Garden or Windowsill)' by Frann Leach

'Chrysanthemums and Marigolds' by Harshita Joshi

'Container Gardening: The Beginner's Guide to Planting a Vegetable & Herb Garden without a Backyard (Quick and Easy Series)' by Dogwood Apps

Get these while they are free and read along with me! Join me on Facebook at Pa Gardeners!

Daily Goals ~ Saturday, June 29, 2013

My Milk Thistle

Today’s Goals
1.       Gardening ~ plant the bean area. I don’t know if I will get any beans this year. I am behind on planting the beans. None of my spouts came up, so I kept pushing it off. Here hoping for an Indian Sumer and good yield of beans.

2.       Gardening ~ Plant my tomato transplants. I have no idea, if I will even get anything off it, but I need to try.

3.       Gardening ~ Cut the Milk Thistle. If their seed open up then I will have the everywhere, I just want them in one area. So I need to control the seeds.

4.       Go to the lake~ I think we are going to try to get the boat out today. I can’t wait.

5.       Cleaning ~ I want to get the wash away; it is over taking the couch.

My messy couch

Yesterday’s Goals

I only paid $2.57

1. Couponing ~ I want to go to the Giant, CVS, and Wal-Mart. I plan on spending $9, getting 33 different products, and coming back with $8 in store credit. Hopefully if everything works right, I will spend $1 on 33 products today. – Hubby add soda to our list, I spent $10.57 out of pocket and got $8 back to the store. I only spent $2.57 yesterday. You can check out how at Couponing- Only paid $2.57

Mmmm Mulberries

2. Gardening ~~~ I want to harvest more Mulberries today. Hubby is home so I can us the ladder~~. – I harvested about 3lbs of Mulberries!

In the basket are one we are eating in; my hand are my seeds for next year

3. Gardening~ ~~Harvest peas, my pea bushes are over grown and need to be harvested~~. I’ glad I got out there yesterday. The pea plants where starting to turn brown. I did harvest a lot for our family, some for seeds and some for the chickens.

Radish Seedpots

4. Gardening ~ ~~Check on my radish seeds. I have let some of the radish go to seeds, so if the harvest started to brown I want to pick them and save them for the fall~~. The radish seed are all over the garden, but not ready to be harvested for seeds. Did you know you could harvest the seedpods and cook with them? Check out what else I have harvested out of my garden at Gardening ~Weight in for Friday, June 28th

5. Pets ~ Chicks I want to let the chicks out of the cage and let them run around today. They are living in the smaller crate with the big chicks, but not mixed. The last time they were aloud out they didn’t go in on their own so I can’t leave them out. Plus they are too little, the hawks will take them. The baby chicks got out of their little coop, but really didn’t leave the big coop. The bigger chick did pick on the last night so they went back in their baby coop.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Couponing- Only paid $2.57

Hubby and My shopping trip

Today Hubby and I went shopping. He got to see my crazy shopping and how I save us money. This week there were a few great coupons that I used this week. Here is what we did to spend only $2.57;

Giant

Transition 1

7 Greek yogurt $7.00

2 Cupcake wrapper $1.86

2 Coupon cupcake wrapper -$2.00

1 Coupon yogurt. -$1.00

In store yogurt coupon when you buy 7 -$4.00

Total $1.86 + $1.00 back to store

Translation 2

2 bottles of soda $1.60

7 taco seasons mix $5.25

In store coupon when you buy 7 -$4.00

Coupon from yogurt -$1.00

Total $1.85

Walmart

Transition 1

6 bottles of Bayer $13.32

2 coupons 2/-$4 -$8.00

2 coupons 1/-$2 -$4.00

Total $1.32

Transition 2

6 bottles of Bayer $13.32

2 coupons 2/-$4 -$8.00

2 coupons 1/-$2 -$4.00

Total $1.32

CVS

Transition 1

Venus razor $6.99

Coupon -$5.00

Total 2.11 + $4.00 back to the store

Transition 2

Venus razor $6.99

Coupon -$5.00

Total 2.11 + $4.00 back to the store

Out of pocket

Giant $3.71

Wal-Mart $2.64

CVS $4.22

Total $10.57

Money Back to CVS -$8.00

Total $2.57

This is why I coupon! This would normal cost $57.34, it only cost me $2.57. I used $37.00 in coupons making up over 1 month of newspaper. I know for a fact $15.00 of the coupons came out of last weeks paper and I only spent $7.50 on it. So I'm made back double my money.

Here is what my time couponing was worth my making $47.27. I spent 1 hour couponing 1/2 hour looking up deals and 1/2 shopping. That means I made $23.63 an hour coupon worth my time.

Gardening ~Weight in for Friday, June 28th

This year I have pull stuff out of the garden and the yard to feed my family but haven't updated what I am pulling out. Here is what I have harvested so far this year.

My herb mix for dinner

Mix Herbs

5/26 - .63oz
6/20 - .5oz

Mint getting ready to dry

Mint

6/28 - .3oz

Basil

6/28 - .3oz

Dill getting weighted

Dill

6/28 - .1oz

Oregano Getting ready to be dried

Oregano

6/28 - 2.5oz

Look at all my Mulberries

Mulberries

6/2 - 13.9oz
6/22 - 36.7oz
6/28 - 43.8oz

Pea getting picked

Peas (We can eat)

5/29 - .2oz
6/14 - 18.55oz
6/20 - .1oz
6/24 - .2oz
6/28 - 15.1oz

Chicks peas being weighted, to long out on the vine

Peas for Chicks
6/28 - 2.6oz

White cloves getting weighted

White Clovers Flowers
6/15 - 1.6oz

Mmmm salad

Lettuce

5/22 - 1oz
5/26 3oz

Look at them

Strawberries
5/29 - 1.2oz
6/23 - 1.oz

Radish Seeds

Radish seeds
6/28 - 1.5oz

Radishes

5/8 - 5oz
5/9 - 4oz
5/29 - 19.65oz

Purple Asparagus

Asparagus
5/8 - 5oz
5/16 - 2oz
5/24- 5oz

Total 2013 yearly weigh in is 185.63 ounces or 11.6 lbs.

Free Kindle Gardening Books

'Blueberries in Your Backyard: How to Grow America's Hottest Antioxidant Fruit for Food, Health, and Extra Money (Booklet)' by R.J. Ruppenthal

'Backyard Aquaponics Made Easy' by Andrew Handley

'Jalapeno Peppers' by Roby Jose Ciju

'Sustainable Living Explained' by Sarah Burke

Get these while they are free and read along with me! Join me on Facebook at Pa Gardeners!

Daily Goals- Friday, June 28, 2013

Look at my corn! The rain and sun has been great for it.

Today’s Goals

2. Gardening ~ I want to harvest more Mulberries today. Hubby is home so I can us the ladder.

3. Gardening~ Harvest peas, my pea bushes are over grown and need to be harvested.

4. Gardening ~ Check on my radish seeds. I have let some of the radish go to seeds, so if the harvest started to brown I want to pick them and save them for the fall.

Living together

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Daily Goals Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Today’s Goals

1. Work~ I work 8am-6 PM plus time for boss to go out to dinner, and I have all the kids today

2. Meet Cass at the dentist, she got jealous me getting work done so she now need dental work. Just kidding, one of her teeth isn’t growing in right, so we have to get it checked out.

3. Have patients ~ Today is going to be a hard day, y bosses are redoing the upstairs, which means none of my three kids will have a quiet place to sleep. I am praying for patients to deal with this.

4. Call dentist~ haven’t heard anything and need to make sure Ican get the meds I need before this all starts.

5. Sleep~ I know I’m going to be worried about tomorrow, but I need to get sleep. I keep telling my hubby this can go two ways, really good or really bad. Ugh so worried.

Yesterday’s Goals

1. ~~Work~ I work 8am-6 PM and I have all the kids today~~. – Done we had a great day!

2. Gym- I want to get an hour in tonight. I work up with an upset tummy at 3am & 4am, Therefore I didn't feel like going this morning, as long as my stomach feels good night. – Didn’t do stomach just didn’t calm down. To stress, I think.

3. ~~Cleaning- Today I want to work on the kitchen. I want to get all the dishes done and all kitchen cleaned up today it's cleaning one less thing to worry about from the dentist Wednesday~~. - Done I work on the kitchen for 2 hours last night still have a lot to go but it getting there.

4. Gardening ~ Write my weekly gardening goals and posts it. I'm already a day behind. – Left book at home, ugh.

5. Gardening~ Get my main sprinklers up. I have sprinklers for all around the garden so that I wouldn't have to just water and stand there and the plants could get a good soak. With the heatwave we are going to face, I want to make sure that I give my plans and inch of water every other day. – didn’t get too, it rained yesterday.

Well off to work. How did you do on your goals yesterday? What are your goals today?

Monday, June 24, 2013

Daily Goals- Monday, June 24, 2013

Today’s Goals

1. Work~ I work 8am-6 PM and I have all the kids today.

2. Gym- I want to get an hour in tonight. I work up with an upset tummy at 3am & 4am, Therefore I didn't feel like going this morning. As long as my stomach feels good night.

3. Cleaning- Today I want to work on the kitchen. I want to get all the dishes done and all kitchen cleaned up today it's cleaning one less thing to worry about from the dentist Wednesday.

4. Gardening ~ Write my weekly gardening goals and posts it. I'm already a day behind.

Yesterday’s Goals
1. ~~Pets~ I need to clean chicken coop and take the dog for a walk~~. – Done, doesn’t he look happy? 4 miles we are getting there.

Skip ready for his ride to the park, and yes he has a seat buckle on!

2. Gardening~ I want to weed my herb garden box and dry some oregano. It is taking over the garden. – I didn’t get there a friend stop by with her daughter and we hung out. There is always tomorrow.
3. Gardening~ ~~I want to get my watermelon transplants planted.~~ – Done. Hopeful they have enough time to grow. The Sugar babys already have watermelons on them.

My Watermelons! 6 baby surgars and 3 orange

4. Gardening ~ Write my weekly Gardening Goals- I didn’t get there, I was out in the garden until 8pm it was quitting them when I got back in.
5. Family~ ~~Hubby really liked coming home to dinner on the table, so tonight I’m going to make sure I have it read of him again.~~ – It was ready for him. He loves it.

Even though I didn’t get two of my goals done I knocked out a lot of weeding and gave everyone a drink yesterday! How did you do on your goals? Did you get them done? What are your goals for today?

I had 3 of these yesterday!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Free Kindle Gardeing Books

'Superfood Gardening Guidebook: The Gardening Book for Healthy Families Who Want To Grow Superfooods From Home (Gardening Guidebooks)' by Will Cook

'Herb Gardens Made Easy: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Your Own Herbs' by Sarah Laird-McVeigh

Homegrown Humus: Cover Crops in a No-till Garden

How to Grow Squash: Planting and Growing Pumpkins, Zucchini, Summer and Winter Squash, Gourds, and Chayote' by R.J. Ruppenthal

'CONTAINER GARDENING: IDEAS & WOODWORKING PLANS HOW TO PRODUCE MORE ORGANIC VEGETABLES IN LESS SPACE' by Jack Pollard

'Off The Grid Hydroponics - No Power Needed' by Jon Woodward

Get these while they are free and read along with me! Join me on Facebook at Pa Gardeners!

Daily Goals ~ Sunday, June 23, 2013

My 1st flower on my Zucchini plant

Yesterday was a busy day. Today is going to be busy too. With my surgery I’m not planning on doing much next week. I don’t want to think about anything but lying in bed with some movies and my DVR. That way I’m pushing so much. I love this time of the year where I can walk around and see things starting to grow and my hard work starting to pay off.
Today’s Goals
1.      Pets~ I need to clean chicken coop and take the dog for a walk.
2.      Gardening~ I want to weed my herb garden box and dry some oregano. It is taking over the garden.
3.      Gardening~ I want to get my watermelon transplants planted.
4.      Gardening ~ Write my weekly Gardening Goals
5.      Family~ Hubby really liked coming home to dinner on the table, so tonight I’m going to make sure I have it read of him again.

Yesterday’s Goals
1. ~~Work on blog and Facebook ~ I haven't been showing a lot into them, so if I want to be the best I have to do my best!~~ – I had both my Facebook and my blog up and running yesterday!

2. ~~Gardening~ I want to harvest the fruit off the mulberry tree today. We have 2-3 trees in our back yard. 1 on each side and one mixed in with the other.~~ – I harvested over 2 ¼ lbs. of mulberry yesterday. You can read about it at Gardening~ How to Harvest Mulberries

3. ~~Gardening ~ I want to work on my flowers on the side of the property. I have so many to plant and they are looking to happy so I need to get them in the ground a.s.a.p~~. – I finished this goal and it looks awesome. I’m just hoping that one big storm won’t wash it away.

100 feet of flowers

4 ~~Family~ I want to help everyone out and put the pool up. Everyone wants it but we haven't had time to get it up. So it will be a nice surprise for everyone when the get home.~~ – I had it up but need hubby help to finish it. He was more than willing to help.

Our pool! Love Walmart type

5. Pets~ I need to clean chicken coop and hoping my legs stop hurting so I can take the dog for a walk. – I didn’t get to clean the chicken coops. I also decide not to walk the dog my calves were hurting me and I didn’t know how he felt that was the longest walk he went on in a while.

What are your goals for today? How is your gardening turning out?

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Gardening~ How to harvest Mulberries

One of my Mulberry Trees

I am blessed to have 3-4 (I found another one this morning) Mulberry trees in my yard. They came with the house and up to last year I didn't even realize we had them or what they were. I just thought the birds had something against my car. They poop on it all the time flying from the Mulberry tree to my Cherry tree.

Last year, we saw the fruit and send it to someone to tell us if it was safe to eat and what it was. They came back with its safe to eat and it Mulberry tree. Then my daughter was excited that she wasn't killing herself. Apparently her and the neighbor girl were eating the fruit for two years without telling parents. This one was a hard lesson to teach that you just don't eat fruit.

All I need

Today is the first time I ever wet to harvest the tree. We have lived her for over 5 years. I will most likely go out again tomorrow after hubby set up the later. I gathered what I needed my basket, and head out. I'm going to have ask hubby to set up the later tonight for me.

Just twist

It isn't hard to harvest mulberries. When the they are ripe they fall of the tree. If anything you might have to just twist.

Into the basket

Into they basket the fall!

This is my 1st basket

I collected 36.7 oz (about 2 1/4lbs) of Mulberries today. The trees has so much more to get!