Harvest Lane Cottage

Hey Y'all! Did you enjoy your Memorial Day weekend? We celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary. I guess you could say it was thrifty, because we had to cancel our weekend getaway. Our van started making a noise (just had to be this weekend), so we had it looked at Saturday morning. It was something big in the wheel. Nothing thrifty about that! We had to cancel the getaway. We couldn't get it fixed until Wednesday. I paid $10 extra for high mileage oil. Yes, it was more expensive, but we have over 200,000 miles on our van. It's our only vehicle, so it's worth a bit more to keep it running. I want it to go at least 300,000. I speak life to it in Jesus' Name! The Scriptures say that all things are held together in Jesus. That includes my van! I received three review movies in the mail. Thank you, Edify!  I bought the Trim Healthy Mama book on Kindle. I already had it on my shelf, but it's over six hundred pages long. I thought the $15 to make it easy-to-re...

Join us at The Simple Woman! Dear Ladies,  Hello!  It's a beautiful morning. My my it's been raining and raining and raining! It's actually flash flooding in my front yard down at what the kids call 'Coon Creek. I think they saw a raccoon down there when we first moved to the property, and the name stuck. I'm trying to keep a happy attitude about the rain. I would like it better if it would stay outside my house! It is sunny this morning. I hope it stays that way for awhile. May God grant you the desires of your heart as you delight in Him. God bless you! ~~~~~ For Today... May 25, 2015 Outside my window... sunshine mixed with shadows covering my lawn and circle driveway. The trees have grown so much, I can barely see blue sky and white clouds peeking through. I want to enjoy it. The rain is supposed to return all week. I am thinking... about my rumbly in my tumbly. ~grin~  I'm going to make some Trim Healthy Mama pancakes as soon as my da...

Green Milkweed at Prairie State Park © 2015 Amy Lane Photography Dear Reader, Oh what a week it's been! I've been on the go so much. It's just the season of life we're in. I'm struggling to keep a happy attitude about being away from home so much. My husband reminded me tonight that I choose my attitude. Yep, I was frustrated about having to go out and drive tomorrow again. I wasn't very respectful in my response. I know he's reading this today. I'm sorry Honey. Well, anyway, I haven't been home very much, so I haven't done very much at home. Here are some of the thrifty things I've done lately. Mended a pair of shorts and a pair of slacks  I cut an old t-shirt in strips and braided the strips to make a dog toy for Penny . I shopped at Aldi for sale items. I bought two pretty dresses for Emily for a few dollars each. You'll probably see them in one of her Pretty Thrifty posts soon. I helped my Lowell find chicken breasts o...

Read other Daybooks. FOR TODAY May 18th... Outside My Window...  green grass, blue sky, still air I am thinking... I do wish the children wouldn't bicker. I am thankful for... children who get along well most of the time. They're best friends for life. From the kitchen... I'm going to go make a chocolate muffin in a mug from the Trim Healthy Mama book. I am wearing... my polka dot dress. It's light and cool. I am creating... I haven't had time to create anything lately. I am going... to do my normal Monday driving. I am reading... Beauty by the Book, Whispers on the Dock, and Trim Healthy Mama. I am hoping... that the cool (for May '70's) weather continues. I am hearing... birds, a lawn mower, traffic on the highway. Around the house... the girls just finished the dishes. School books will come out in a few minutes. One of my favorite things... Dasani water is my favorite bottled water. ...

Read other Daybooks. FOR TODAY May 11th... Outside My Window...  spring greens and a blue sky with puffy clouds peeking through the trees. I am thinking... about growing older. Tomorrow is my birthday. I am thankful for... A cozy safe house to sleep in. From the kitchen...  I'm not feeling hungry this morning. We ate too much celebrating Mother's Day. I'll have to keep the kids out of the carrot cake my husband made. It will make a nice dessert tonight. We'll eat eggs for breakfast, then I'll have to decide what else to make today. I need to make menus for the week and do some shopping. I am wearing... my black dress. I am creating... nothing today except, hopefully, this week's menu plan. I'll be doing too much going. I am going... I need to take my husband to work, my son to the bank, my son to work, return library books in the next town, pick up my son, pick up my husband, make a quick dinner, then go to my c...

Hello Ladies! Can you believe another thrifty week has come and gone? Spring is in it's height of beauty. We've had quite a few of these little dandelions popping up in our side yard. Do you remember the delight they brought as children? Oh how we loved their sunny brightness and puffing at their fluffy seeds and wishing. How do you see them now, glorious or annoying? It's all in how you think about it, isn't it? Living a thrifty and frugal lifestyle can be a challenge or a pain. We get to decide. How do you look at it? Honestly, I look at it both ways. I'm doing my best to see it as a rewarding challenge. My thriftiness allows me to be a homeschool mom, and it allows my husband to do the work he wants to do. Here are some things I did this week. ~  I received a DVD that my kids have been wanting, Everafter , for $.49 + 1 credit from Swap a DVD. You can join for free. ~ Oatmeal is always a simple low-cost breakfast. ~ My children found lots of yard sale...

Mixed greens Roma tomatoes Red onions Lemon juice I'll add a  wedge of light Laughing Cow style cheese (Aldi brand) and a  baked sweet potato with a teaspoon of butter for an Energizing lunch. Be blessed! Laura Fabulous Party

"Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic?" Phil. 2:1 I think that having friends is one of God's most loving ways of giving us encouragement. Friends can give a listening ear, a word of encouragement, an understanding nod, a compassionate hug, a card or letter at just the right moment, a gentle word of reproof, just being there during a difficult time. Our best friends speak our names in prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be that kind of friends. Speak your friends' names in prayer. Fabulous Party

My family is scattered today. So, for me, on this lovely day at home and about...   A little Bible...    I listened to several Psalms on Bible Gateway . I am currently using the Geneva Bible . That's the version that the Pilgrims used. A little errand running...   I took Lowell and Michael to work at Royal Delights.    A little treat... l unch out with my daughter  Emily of Teen for the Lord . A little cleaning...  just a general clean up. I also have been rearranging my room over the last couple of days. I still have some things to put away or declutter.  A little cooking...   While at the restaurant, I learned that Lowell needed oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies made. So, I mixed them up and a dozen of each went into the oven before I came home. We bake them fresh as needed. They joined his cherry pie, cinnamon rolls, and more cookies. He worked late last night making two coconut meringue pies, but they sold first thing...