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! 

My late night t.v. viewing...

brought me to our local PBS station. The title Alone in the Wilderness 2, caught my eye as I was flipping through the 200+ stations that rarely have anything on them....
It was a story of a man, Dick Proenneke, who at 51, decided to leave the life he had behind & venture into the wilderness. The Alaskan wilderness, 1967/68, to be exact! Armed with his 16mms Bolex camera and tripod he filmed enough footage to make into 4 films (Alone in the Wilderness, Alone in the Wilderness 2, Alaska, Silence & Solitude & The Frozen North).

From what I saw last night, and what I've viewed on YouTube, he had plans for a year of living alone in the wilderness. I've gathered that he lived there at least 20+ years. You can read more about Dick Proenneke on Wikipedia.

Go to YouTube via this video or go there and search "Dick Proenneke" or the channel "swererbob" who is the voice and editing talent behind these videos.

I'm all giddy about them! I'm ready to move and live a much simpler life! The man of the Frumpy House says we must take my dad with us, as he would have the knowledge of building a house for us!!!
There would be something so utterly satisfying in building your dwelling from scratch and with all natural supplies, catching your dinner in the fresh water lake at your doorstep and making your dessert from the wild berries that you share with the wildlife around you!!!  Finding out that you don't "need" as much as you thought you did to live a long, satisfying and beautiful life!!

It's my Christmas wish list, not ON my list, this is my list!! To have all of these videos on DVD and Dick's beautiful picture book; "One Man's Wilderness".
My heart is all a flutter thinking of it....Christmas is gonna be a long time coming!!

ENJOY!

Making the Most of Winter Blahs...

by brightening up the house with lots of color!!

Found these items on recent thrifting excursions!!

This beautiful afghan is SO colorful, and big enough for our queen sized bed!

These delightful Japan stackable mugs still sit on the counter, who wants to hide them in a cupboard!

I couldn't let these get away!! I beautiful red/orange painted metal with plastic lids, made by Kromex.

Couldn't let these stay in the thrift either...they are currently hanging in Li's room!!

I will never pass up on a Bing Crosby record...ever!! Love his voice *swoon*!

And you?! Have you got a blog, Instagram feed or any other internet social sharing site where you post your thrifty finds? I'd love to see them!! Leave a link in my comments...Happy thrifting!