Mother's Awesomeness

Should be celebrated everyday...but of course, no one could keep up w/ that!!

So we dedicate one day a year (what's up with that, once a month would be doable, don'cha think?!?) to celebrating mom's, grandmom's, great-grandmom's...etc.

Yesterday, amidst all the arguing...it started with who was going to be making me toast (I quickly requested more for breakfast to even the serving field)...my little Frumpy House Family treated me w/ special treats & some quality quiet time!!

Went to church where the girl's were involved in a little Mother's day program & handed out carnations...sweetness!!

After church, I was dispatched to home, the girls & Greg headed into town to pick up ingredients for a Mother's day dinner!

I was instructed to "STAY IN YOUR ROOM, DON'T COME OUT" (sometimes my kids have a yelling problem)!!
Gladly I lolled around in bed w/ a good book & a nice restful nap!!

At 4:30 I couldn't wait anymore...it's a good thing the Frumpy Restaurant and Jazz Cafe opened @ 5 pm!!

Greg & the girls had gone all out; inviting grandma & grandpa, an auntie, as well as mom. After a couple more quick phone calls they procured 2 more guests for dinner...our Pastor & his wife (whose sons live with their families down in IN).

Here's how it all went down...



Grandparents have arrived!! The barefooted hostess leads them to their seats...



Dinner: starts with salad course, then spaghetti & garlic bread as the main course, choice of 4 deserts to satisfy your sweet tooth!!



Lauryn was a busy server...she made sure to ask each person what they would like to have for drinks, or if they were ready for their next course!!



Busted!! This hostess with the mostest, finished seating people & promptly pulled up a chair & enjoyed her dinner while big sister continued trucking food out of the house to the "cafe"!!



Ah!! My man...the father of my children, without him I wouldn't be a mom!! He shopped, baked, cooked, manned the iPod for the best jazz music @ the cafe!! He found out a bit of what it's like to be a mom, eh?!? The man of the Frumpy House came out when all were done & enjoyed his meal while visiting with us!!



L baked a cake with dad's help. Li made "cookies"....toasted "Slimwich" with pretty frosting & sprinkles...not too bad!
I don't know what the amount of money was spent on groceries for this wonderful Mother's day meal. Not sure I really want to know what it was!!

When all is said & done, I know my family loves me! They will go too extreme measure (if you knew my husband as well as I do you would know shopping & cooking is extreme)to show me that they love & appreciate me!!!
I'm very, very grateful for my Frumpy Family...I just need to remember that on those crazy momma day's when nothing I do seems as greatly appreciated!!!




Ze Menu!!

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There's always something...

going on in The Frumpy House...

Not all is great enough to write a post about! But, this past weekend...well let's just say...

Ziggy! The Goldendoodle....

Three hours after getting him home...uh yeah! Matted hair is gone....

He's looking super duper skinny now...but he's still smiling!

He is absolutely loving the walks in the woods!! Greg & I are too!! Even the girls....

When he's not snuggling you on the couch...he's watching the birds out the window!

He's a blessing...he's a blast... and he is such a good dog! He will look much better once his coat has grown back, and we will keep it brushed thoroughly!!

We already love him, the girls are even fighting over who he sleeps with....they don't believe me when I tell them that he will choose!

What about you? Do you have a pet that you are crazy about?

getting me down....

but not knocking me out....

gall bladder plushie

I'm waiting to see the doctor for the surgical consultation next Monday morning. This really doesn't sound like a fun week to me....

In other news....
--My mom and the girls have started planting the garden, they planted peas and beets. Next will come the radishes.  I'm anxious to start on the flower garden...when I feel up to it.

this etsy shop

--I'm still in the planning stages of getting the chickens. I'm probably going to go with the pullet stage, they will be laying faster. I have a chicken coop to build or buy tho'...something I've been putting off

from here...

--We are getting things planned for the girl's camp this summer. They are registered and sooo excited to be going...I must say I'm pretty excited they are going too. L will be going for a week at sleep over camp, and Li will have her first experience at a week long day camp!

--G, the Man of the Frumpy House, & I have our 10th wedding anniversary this summer and we are knocking ourselves out trying to come up with something that is romantic, budget friendly, and meaningful to celebrate....

find here...

On a lighter note, with this gall bladder problem I have been eating mostly fruit, veg and some complex carbs....that has equaled an 8lb. weight loss...finally!!

But, enough about me...How about you? Are you getting all your spring business started? Are you making plans for your summer?

My April Fools...

BABY!!

Wow, 6 years ago this past Sunday was the anniversary of the birth of the Frumpy Houses' youngest child...Liyah (or LiLi as she is graciously called, or Liyah Gail as she is called when not listening)!

SIX!! I can hardly believe it! Hardly believe that 6 years ago we were in Tennessee. Working with MD clients, running 2 households, caring for staffing problems...oh, those were the days (not).

We moved to Michigan when Li was a baby, because that would bring us closer to family. Everyone needs family to help raise kids, right?!

But Sunday, oh Sunday, we celebrated a birthday...a little girlies birthday!

We started out with some birthday pancakes for breakfast....

via Pinterest

They were a big hit!!

After Sunday School and church we headed south about an hour with the 2 Frumpy girlies and Liyah's bestest friend from school...Mia!

I read on another mommy blog about this new place that opened in the Grand Rapids area, Jester's Court. A child's dream come true, with inflatables and playscapes to  beat all inflatable and playscape places!!!!

The birthday girl in the middle doesn't look at all excited...yeah right!!

It was soooo huge!

I couldn't see the end of it all!!!

This area was probably the coolest thing! A projector on the ceiling showed images on the floor....the kids either had to stomp on things (like jelly beans, bubbles, balloons & the less humane things like mice and frogs) or kick a soccer ball into a goal. They came back to this time and again!

We were there by 2:15 pm and only left when they were getting ready to close for the night!!! What a blast, what a great birthday and what a fun time with family and friends!

 Much to Liyah's delight we got to celebrate her birthday with cake and ice cream and presents on Monday night too...since Grandpa and Grandma didn't get back from Florida til 1 am Monday morning!!!

Looking forward to another kiddies birthday in November, glad I spaced these babies out!!!!

When Healthy Eating turns

to Crappy Eating...then you know you may have to do something VERY drastic!!!

Well, I've been doing well this year changing the old eating habits. I've cleaned out the fridge, the pantry and the freezers. I've tried my hand at making recipes healthier, even making my own bread (THAT needs a LOT more work)!!

So, what goes down when momma's not in the house to cook? When there is no more of the processed, pre-packaged, mega multi ingredient foods in the house? Well, the man of the Frumpy House, packs the kids up and takes them to the closest fast food place...Ok, if truth be told, I have done the same thing after working a 10 hour day and picking the kids up from the babysitter.

So, I've determined to get back on the healthy, fresh foods, simple ingredient meals...if it kills my kids or not (seriously they think they can't eat this good stuff...).

Enter the "Make ahead Freezer Meal" frenzy on Pinterest....I have pinned 8 different websites/blogs that give you the lists to make anywhere from 10 -30 freezer meals for the oven or crockpot!! It mostly takes 1/2 a day (Saturday with the girls? or more likely on a school day when I can just get it done and cleaned up fast), chopping, measuring and packaging. I also pinned a place that gives you a list of things you will need for freezing your meals (freezer bags anyone!?).

The other day, while driving, I heard a show on the radio (Focus on the Family) with a guest speaker Mary Beth Lagerborg. She has a couple cook books out that are specific for once a month cooking/freezing meals. She believes it is always good to have a wonderful home cooked meal on hand, you never know when you may have company pop in, or your kids might bring a friend home (heaven help me when that day comes). So I popped over to Amazon.com and made out cheap by buying her book used!! Looking forward to browsing that, and getting my cook on!

Don't worry my friends, this does not mean that the meals at the Frumpy House will be pulled out of the freezer from now on! No, on my days off, I plan on continuing my love of all things culinary! I've also been busy pinning recipes to my "Tastes and Treats" board!!

Next up on the stove top will be this delish sounding "Creamy Avocado Pasta"....oh Yeah!!

                                                         Source: norikoburky.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Would you like to come for dinner?

The only thing that would make this even better is too be cooking on this beauty!

                                                                    Source: relianceappliance.com via Jeanette on Pinterest

Le Sigh!!

It's been a long time coming....

but I finally found the perfect console record player for our home!!

I've been listening to all our wonderful vinyl on an old portable record player...one that belonged to our small town library, back in the day when they would loan out records and record players!! It was still in working condition, but the speakers were getting shot & I didn't have the knowledge or money to fix them.

'Sides, I wanted a nice console that would hold our flatscreen. One piece of solid furniture, that would do 2 things!! Free up some space, if you know what I mean!!!

So, to tell you the back story. The man of the Frumpy House decided we should all go out on a Saturday night. The four of us Frumpies...get us some pizza (a favorite) & as we are paying I see this cute console player and a vintage stove. I jokingly tell the server "I'll take that and that to go, please!"  Turns out the owner of the family run pizza place has been trying to sell them for over a year!  I spoke with him and got prices...it was in the price range of what I've seen on Craigslist, eBay & other places on the web, but of course I offered him $50 less.

We went back this past Saturday with my dad and his truck. The owner said he'd knock off another $50 & wouldn't be held responsible if anything didn't work (it turned on but there was not good reception for the radio there in the restaurant & it hadn't played a record for that amount of time either). Fine by me!!!!

We got this pretty girl home, a 1958 Zenith, and popped a record on it. BLISS!
The radio even comes in decent in our house! Double bonus!!!

Enjoy the pics!

I had been searching for one that opened like this, so we could put the tv on top!! yeah!

Please, excuse the dust. I haven't gotten right down to the nitty-gritty of scrubbing her. Just a quick dusting for now!!

Part of the record collection on the old portable record player stand...some more in a basket by the console player!!

Huh, who knew you could go and have a pizza and find the vintage piece of your dreams at the same time!!  Have you got a great story about an unusual place that you found a great vintage (or non vintage) item?  Tell me about it!!

I will not be losing anymore sleep...

because I am studying this video from YouTube!!! Not just studying it, I'm teaching it to the whole family!!!!

Thanks to my good friend Paul who had this on Facebook this morning!