Smells like lemons

I have a fantastic herb growing in our yard that has some great uses. It's called Lemon Balm. I highly recommend growing it if you can. I learned last year that it's a good mosquito repellant and also good for bug bites. Jubal gets attacked by mosquitos during the summer and I feel so bad for him. I have tried all kinds of bug sprays (good and bad) and they have not worked. After I got the lemon balm (because of the smell and hardiness) I learned about the bug repelling properties. And boy does it work. Just take some leaves and rub them on your skin. It's amazing. Jubal was mosquito bite free after this little treatment and he smelled good too. For on the go families, you can make a spray out if it too. Just grab a handful of leaves and boil them in a little water. The stronger the better; you really can't go wrong. Drain the leaves and let the water cool. Put in a little spray bottle and you've got your very own homemade mosquito repellant.

Lemon balm can also be made into a tea for adding some calmness and relaxation. Throw a handful in your bath water and you can have a relaxing bath. There are many recipes that you can use Lemon balm in as well. The possibilities are endless.

So there ya go! Bye Bye mosquitos!

Rainy days

Is it just me or do rainy days make ya'll sleepy too? What a relaxing feeling. I love rainy days.
Happy monday everybody.

Crazy fast

This weekend, Jubal went to spend time with his grandparents. So, with our free time, Stephen and I went to GA to see the Brasstown Bald stage of the Tour de Georgia.

We saw a few famous cyclists, hung out at the feed zone (can you believe there is such a thing as energy jelly beans? I learn something new everyday) and Stephen even pushed Tyler Hamilton up the mountain a few hundred yards. It was pretty cool. (I guess he'll never wash that hand again or maybe he will after Tyler rode 82 miles in the hot Georgia air.) Then after that race we headed to Athens, GA for the Twilight Criterium. It was absolutely exciting. If you have never been to a bicycle criterium it is really fun. Basically a bunch of men (and women) ride their bikes really fast on a course and try to beat everyone else. In this particular criterium, the course is set up downtown and the cyclists rode as fast as they could for about an hour to an hour and a half. I cannot imagine pedaling for dear life for over an hour. And the crazy thing is that the cyclists turn the corners at around 30-35 miles an hour. We saw a few crashes in the men's race; it was tense. Some of these guys have no fear or at least appear that way. It's nuts. It was a fun time and Stephen and I enjoyed visiting the town that we used to hang out in during our college days. Awwww, the memories.

Back to the grind tomorrow. I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and enjoyed the warm weather. Take care!

Bike Day

Jubal had bike day at school this week. The kiddos had lots of fun. Stephen even got to come and ride his bike. I think he had as much fun as they did. It was really cute. They were going all different directions and having a blast. What a cute idea and it was such a beautiful day too.

What a great day

This weekend was pretty amazing. My hubby completed a 100 mile mountain bike race. I am so proud of him.

We woke up around 5 AM Saturday to the sound of rain. Poor Stephen, it looked like he was going to have a wet start. We headed to the Ocoee Whitewater Center where the 100 mile adventure started.

At 7 AM Jubal and I cheer Stephen on as he races up a long ascent to get to the trail. I am so excited about his determination to do this.

(my little sleepyhead)

About an hour into it, Jubal and I get to see Stephen come through again at the whitewater center. Since the course is a big loop, this will be the last time we see him until the finish.

Until then we play, save a snail, take a nap, play in the Ocoee river and wait.

Stephen thought that it would take approximately 10 hours for him to finish. After the much anticipated wait (10 hours and 55 min), Jubal and I see Stephen go through the finish line. I am so relieved, (last year he ended up in the hospital) excited and giddy that he finished. Jubal is yelling at the top of his lungs, with cowbell in hand, "Go daddy go!!!!" It was really cute.

Needless to say, Stephen is amazing and full of determination. I am so proud of him.

It might be a while

Hey ya'll. It may be a while before I can get out another post. I am loaded down with sewing for Quilt Baby (that's a good thing) and will be sewing every moment I get. Hopefully I will reconnect in a few days. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

A fun little project

I have been wanting a cute little cloth headband to wear but have not worked up the nerve to buy one. Even though they are pretty cheap, it's hard for me to buy something I think I can make myself. So, I got out my big box of scrap fabric and started to experiment. It was so easy that I ended up making 3 of them in about 20-30 minutes. I just saved at least 18 bucks! You can't beat that deal.

Since I have a lot to do today, I will try to post the directions another day in case any of you would like to try. It's a lot of fun.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Why I love Spring

The Colors


The Smells



The new growth



Aaaahh! Sandals........

Hope everyone is enjoying Spring like I am.

Passing this along

A friend of mine, Julie Byers, posted on her blog ( http://inexplicableways.wordpress.com/) a recipe for some delicious granola bites. They are so absolutely scrumptious, easy to make and healthy. My kind of snack! Thanks Julie for sharing.

Chop and set aside:
1/4 C oats
2 tbsp flax seeds
2 tbsp nuts

In large bowl, mix:
1 1/2 C quick oats
2/3 C dried fruit
1/3 C pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C nut butter of your choice
1/4 C honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

With moist hands, roll above mixture into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in set aside crumb mixture.
Refrigerate overnight. Delicious!!!!!

Delicious Fajita Marinade

Here is a wonderful marinade that I use to make fajitas with. Enjoy!!!

1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in shallow glass or plastic dish. Add about 1 pound of boneless sirloin steak or chicken to mixture. Turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Remove meat from marinade. Cook meat as desired. Add onions and peppers to meat and cook until tender. Pour rest of marinade onto veggies and cook 1 more minute. Spoon mixture into tortillas, add the fixins and eat.

A sweet little blessing

This morning I was really craving a Chai latte from Starbucks (as I do most mornings ;). I made it a plan to go get one before I picked Jubal up from preschool. In the back of my mind I was thinking that maybe I should pass so I didn't have to spend the money, $3.15 to be exact. Can you say penny pincher? As I was cleaning up the house, my neighbor stopped by to ask for some help loading boxes in her car. Knowing that I had some sewing to do, I was a little reluctant but I knew God wanted me to help her. So I went over to her place to help. We loaded her car up and she ended up handing me a few bucks for helping. When I got home, I counted out the money...it was 4 bucks! Woo Hoo! Enough money to get a Chai. Some may say that was coincidence or luck, but I say it's God caring about my every little desire. Thanks God!