ALL HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS UP!

I have gotten pretty much all my Halloween decorations up! I am so excited that we are entering into the Holiday Season once again! I have added a little more to my ghoulish decor this year. On one side of the house is the graveyard scene and on the other side I just have my cute blow-up ghost. It is funny because it looks like the ghost is screaming with his hands waving up in the air.

The yard is completed! Notice my flying ghost and grim reaper! ooooo Scary!

The foyer is all spooked out! The table is all set for a "ghoulish" good time! The mummy sitting at the table will be a tutorial soon. He looks like someone sitting at the table and I sometimes forget about him and freak myself out when I see him! Especially at night!

The "mad scientist laboratory" is above the china cabinet.

More Halloween crafts to come...plus if I add anymore decorations I will be sure to post updated pics.

Cemetary Fence

I had been waiting on this stuff to go on sale all summer! In August it was 50% off so I bought 4. 2 weeks later it was 70% off so I bought a couple more. On Monday, Dollar General had it 90% off! I was so disappointed that they only had 1 leftover. I would have bought up all they had and made up my entire yard if they would have had more! Maybe it's best they didn't!:-) I do tend to go a little overboard when it comes to Halloween! This was a very simple Halloween decoration. All I did was spray it black with some matte black spray paint. Some of it chipped off a little but that doesn't matter. You want it to have that "aged look" anyway.

I glue-gunned peat-moss around and on the fence to give it a more "spooky" feel.

Halloween Statue

I made a Halloween Statue out of some summer clearance items from Dollar General. It is made from a garden angel and a cheap-o plastic planter. Every year I check the dollar stores for anything on sale that I might can make a ghoul or tombstone out of.

I thought this angel would make a perfect statue for my "cemetery".

I used Liquid Nails and some other kind of silicone sealant glue to hold them together.

I painted it white with cheap .99cent spray paint from the dollar store. I was going to do a faux finish of some sort to make it look more like stone but when I put the green spot-light on it, it really made it stand out. I think I may just leave it white. If I decide to change it I will repost updated pictures.

Halloween is Here!

I finally got most of my outdoor Halloween decorations up! I worked all day on my "grave yard". The kids were so excited about the new fence and statue I made this year. I am going to have a hard time keeping them out of it!

I'll post more pictures as I finish decorating.

TEENAGERS!!

Updated with some of the wonderful advice I have received via facebook...
If you had but one bit of advice on raising teenagers, what would it be?

PICK YOUR BATTLES WISELY! With teens, drama comes and goes like a breeze. the more you feed it the bigger it gets. Learn to pick your battles....let the little stuff go. Save the drama starting for the things that matter.

Just simply remember: the more you tell your teenage daughter not to date that 24 year old construction worker, the quicker she'll jump into his Camaro

JUST SAY NO!!!!!!

Keep them talking...no matter the subject, make sure the lines of communication are always open

If you don't like the guy/girl, and you think they are inappropriate in some way....act as though you like them, and really play it up in front of the kid. Reverse psych works wonders...In the case of teenage girls, and this advice is for the dads, make sure the high school boys get the impression early that you are absolutely psycho and willing to make them disappear early in the girls high school time. I can only say it worked for me....lol.

Be their "PARENT", you can be friends when they're adults.

If they are close to you growing up, as in talking to you openly about stuff, you are far better off not to betray that so you can keep tabs on them than to ruin it and get nothing.

What my mom always told my sisters' and I was .. "I would rather you not ,but you make that decision" ..and we didnt have anyone to blame if we did it . sooo it kept us most of the time out of trouble..

Don't have kids!

TOO LATE! HAHAHHAHAHA

Think of what you put your parents through, and let the teenagers continue to do what's best: raise you! Ahhhaaaa

A lot of prayer, trust and patience!!

I try not to think of all the hell I put my mother through...lol. If my kids pulled half the crap I did I'd have had a heart attack long ago....lol.

Enjoy every moment, even though you could pull their heads off.

Speaking from personal experience with being a "teenager' or Martian From Hell, as my mother so lovingly refered to me as, when they turn 12, ship their butts off to military school until they turn 18!!!! Teenagers are horrible little people and they should be hidden from the public....

Choose your battles carefully!

Always rember you were once a teen yourself then you know all the tricks enjoy them you can take a break in about 10 years
I let one know he'd treat my oldest like a gentleman, and let her know the rules long before she was allowed to date. 1) He will come to the door and introduce himself like a man, shake hands like a man, and have you home in the same condition that you left in.2) The first one that pulls up in the driveway and honks the horn can expect a big, red, bald, blur to come flying out hte door to rip them out the crack of the drivers side window to pummel them on the hood of their own car.3) Rule two applies to any and all pickups, same boy or different one.... Read MoreShe had one bf I liked. Nice kid. Followed the rules. Had her home early (15 minutes) every time. He showed up with a buddy driving for a double date. his buddy pulled up and blew the horn. I was half way to the car when her bf jumped out of the back seat screaming "He didn't know! he didn't know!" hahahahhahaNever be afraid to enforce your rules on someone elses teenager. the life you save may be your kids.

It will get better...

PRAY!

First and foremost remember....when they are little -they step on your toes and when they grow up - they step on your heart.....if you want to talk to them calm down, take a trip in the car and lock the doors....that way they can't escape....dont show your hand too quickly and hold some of your cards close to the vest.

We were complete idiots. Think they are smarter than we were. We survived somehow.
We were complete idiots. Think they are smarter than we were. We survived somehow.

Realize there are no perfect children and if there were, your life would be so boring!

Make them believe you will drop them off at the psych ward and leave them there.....AND....you will put their heads through a brick wall

Fear the wrath of mom......but always wish for them to be happy........give em enuff rope, they will hang themselves.

I got a million of em....my kids gave me lots of real life experiences.....and I'm still learning.....wish for grandkids, they are easier and you will let them by with more.

I'm right there w ya girl. Mine is 15 going on 25. PRAY!!!!!

Remember st monica is the patron st of wayward boys and only have one so it only hurts once.

Ok the best I remember was waking up about 2am with Mom beating with a belt, at that point I did not realized that no matter how big and bad I was I had to sleep at sometime, and just thought Mom was crazy at the time. Now I look back on it and know that she was a smart woman because no matter what I thought crazy or not it worked. I never again wanted to get woken up again with a belt.

Patience is a virtue!

Don't pretend like they don't or won't have sex. Teach them how to be responsible about it instead of telling them not to, because they will anyway.

To generalize what she said above, because it applies to more than just sex....If you tell them no to something expect the exact opposite. If you are going to say no make sure you can clarify on their level the reasons why you say it. if you don't you can expect them to go looking for the answer for themselves."Because I said so!" is not a significant reason to do or not do anything....

RUN..hehehe
Thanks Everyone for All Your Advice~

I've noticed that I am always writing about the 2 younger kids and not a lot about the older ones. It is mostly because I spend the greatest amount of time with them, but also it is because, to be honest...teenagers just aren't that entertaining. If my blog was a complaint infested, yelling, fussing, nagging site...then maybe I would post more about the teenage debacles...but I prefer to keep it a little more light-hearted!:-) With that being said, I have decided to dedicate this post to the RAISING OF TEENAGERS! I have posted a question on my facebook page asking for any advice that anyone has on the subject. It is all qreek to me. Even though my oldest is 15 years old, I must say that he has been a joy up until now. It is like someone has jumped in his body and taken him over. The body snatchers! That must be what happened...maybe I need to have a seance and exorcism. I just don't understand how Mommy could go from the sweetest, smartest, most beloved, beautiful person to the stupidest, dumbest, "don't know nothing" person in the course of a summer! If you don't believe me, all you mom's with teenagers, think about it. How many times did your younger child give you love letters, heart drawings, kisses...now think about how many loves letters your teenager has given you?? NONE! We'd probably fall over dead if they did give us one!
But, I am going to take the high road, except defeat and try to change my ways, hoping that I can somehow regain peace in the household. I know it is a hard time...puberty hormones and all that stuff...He is now bigger than me and almost bigger than his dad. I know I must not treat him as a little kid anymore and start treating him like the young man that he is...I am open for any words of wisdom...I will also be updating this post when I receive advice on my facebook page so check back soon!:-) Wish me luck...

Sour Cream Chicken

This is one of my most favorite meals. It is also one of the first "real foods" (not hamburger helper) that I ever cooked. My ex roommate Stacy Richardson-Hunter taught me this recipe. It is a really easy recipe that goes a long way and can feed a lot of people. It is easy to double it up too. Tonight I made it but I used fat-free ingredients and brown rice. It probably won't be as good since it is better for ya!;-) I am just gonna give you the original recipe and all you dieters out there can just adjust it however you choose.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken
1 Can Cream of Mushroom (2 if doubling up)
8 Oz Sour Cream (16 if doubling up)
Bacon
1 Cup Rice

Preheat oven between 350 and 375 degrees
Wrap Bacon Around Chicken
Lay Wrapped Chicken in Pan
Mix Cream of Mushroom and Sour Cream together and Pour over Chicken
Bake for About 2 hours or until Chicken is Done
Cook Rice Separate
Pour Sour Cream Gravy over Rice When Serving
I always serve it with English Peas and Green Salad...
Enjoy!

E-mail blackmail

Today Brady was digging thru my dresser drawers, pulling out a bunch of pictures. He brought one to show me that was of me in a bikini...it was from about 7 years ago...after Katie but before Brady. I had lost weight back then and was rocking the skimpy swim suit. Then he brought me another one of me in a bikini from last summer...boy what a 4th kid will do to a woman's body! Of course, it could have been all the cheeseburgers, french fries, nachos...but I'm sticking to the 4th kid story! Anyway, I told Brady to give me those pictures so I could put them up. He asked me "why, mommy?" "why you not wanna show nobody?" I told him because I would be embarrassed and he said to me with a little devious smile"I'm gonna email them!" WTH? My four year old is gonna blackmail me? How would he even know to say that? Much less know how to email anything, let alone pictures? And no, I am not going to scan those pics to post...yes I will publically humiliate myself by posting my nasty garage all over the Internet but that is as far as I will go!LOL Needless to say, those pics are way up in my closet now!:-)

Chicken and Salsa

Easy Peasy Recipe

This is a recipe that is so easy that it is almost embarrassing to post! It tastes really good and it can be very versatile. I make this on days that I know I won't be home to cook since it is cooked in the crock-pot. You can adjust the spices by using mild or hot salsa.

Chicken and Salsa
Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
Jar of Salsa
Grated Cheese
Flour Tortillas

All you do is put your chicken in the crock-pot and pour the salsa over it. Cook on low all day. When done, pull the chicken apart and stir. You can make Chicken Soft Tacos or Chicken Nachos. Top with whatever you like on your regular tacos.

The kids like this and it is so simple to make. Some people say they can't cook, but anybody can do this. The crock-pot should be every one's best friend! It makes cooking so easy. Sometimes I even stick the chicken in frozen! I have tons of recipes for the crock-pot so I will be posting many more soon~

Look What My Hubby Made!

I don't know if all of you are lucky enough to know what an awesome cook my husband, Brian is...but he really is! He cooks Cajun dishes to die for and he makes the most scrumptious sweets! I remember when we first started dating, he made pralines from scratch! I knew then I'd have to marry that guy! Cute and can cook!!LOL He made a Key Lime pie last night that was "slap yo mama" good! AND all from scratch! I don't think I will even attempt to post that recipe!LOL But I will show you a picture so you can drool!:-),

It was delicious! He even made the whip cream home-made and lime zest!!

I had to have me a piece for breakfast!!

Congratulations to McKensie!

My BFF's daughter won a "beauty" at her high schools Beauty and Beau Pageant. Congratulations McKensie! I am so proud of you! You are beautiful inside and out!!

Snippets of Katrina

This is mostly a fun blog that's not too deep. Don't wanna be getting all serious and stuff!LOL But living on the Gulf Coast changed quite a bit after Hurricane Katrina...and I'd like to start documenting some of my memories weekly. Many little known things stand out in my mind. Please feel free to comment on your own memories if you'd like. These are things we will be discussing with our grand kids one day so I'd like to keep my memories in tact. You know, the "I remember back in the day" sort of things.

Many people lost their homes and were displaced after the storm. We were one of the fortunate families that did not. But, we lost our school, church, grocery stores, gas stations, library...I could go on and on...but one thing everyone shared that was not lost was their perseverance. We have come a long way baby...

A year after the storm, my oldest son, Patrick, started 7th grade at St. Stanislaus in Bay St Louis. The Bay bridge was still out so we would have to drive the LONG way around to get him to school. It usually took about 45 minutes to get there and 45 minutes back. Needless to say, your whole day was driving. They ended up putting a temporary ferry in Pass Christian for people and cars. Looking back, I now think, "how cool was that?" Being able to ride in your car, on a boat, rolling your windows down to feel the breeze, you could even get out of your car if you wanted to. Sometimes we would drop Patrick off at the ferry with some other St.Stanislaus boys and they would ride on top of the ferry and drink coffee (a rare treat for a tween)! My younger kids especially liked it. They loved riding on it and when we had to wait on the ferry we would get out and walk on the beach. I know they will look back on "those days" fondly when they are older.

Breakfast Po-Boy

Last weekend when visiting Steph, her neighbor Margaret brought over the best breakfast sandwich. This is one recipe I plan on cooking alot! It is so good and easy. It would be perfect for a brunch pot-luck too since it is so easy to transport.
Thanks so much Margaret!

Breakfast Po-Boy
Rolled Ground Sausage
Po-Boy or French Bread
Grated Cheese
Scrambled Eggs (optional)

Brown saugage and drain
Spread saugage over bottom half of lightly buttered bread
Sprinkle grated cheese over saugage
Layer scrambled eggs on top
Put top of bread on and wrap in tin foil
Bake @ 350 - 375 until cheese is melted
Cut in slices
Enjoy!

Helpful Hints

I am also going to start posting helpful hints weekly. Of course, having 4 kids, I have been around the block a few times. If I haven't seen it, done it, had it or been it, then I know somebody who has! I have often been referred to as"Martha Stewart" on crack (thanks Steph) so be warned that my hints and tips arr probably not the norm. Maybe I'm more like the redneck "Martha Stewart"...I do love me some duct tape!LOL I have been made fun on occasions for taking it to the beach!!:-) But you gotta admit, when in a bind...duct tape can just about fix anything!
My hint for today is a new one. I have been cleaning the house like a fend, trying to get rid of all the sicky germs. I was refilling the anti-bacterial hand soaps in the bathrooms when I came upon an empty one and had a brain-storm!

NOTICE: this one is for people with young kids that are old enough to start trying to wash their own hair, but young enough to waste you ENTIRE bottle of shampoo thinking it is bubble bath!

Fill your empty hand-soap pump bottle with shampoo! Tell them only two pumps per shampoo! If you have boys that don't need it all that sudsy, you can even dilute it some with water to save money. I filled mine up today and can't wait to let them try it out tonight at bathtime!:-)

Bar-B-Q Roast Beef Sandwiches

Easy Peasy Recipe

I am going to start posting recipes weekly. They will vary from being frugal, healthy, easy or just one of my favorites. Being a family of 6, we rarely eat out, even at fast food places. It is just too expensive. So that means I or my hubby must cook almost every night. I have a few staple recipes that I couldn't do without. I will start sharing them being the sweet and sharing mommy that I am!!LOL Actually, most of them came from my Mom. She is the pioneer semi-homemade chef. Sandra Lee has nothing on her! I have tried to cook from scratch, and sometimes I do...I have been trying to impersonate my Grandmother's homemade biscuits for years, to no avail. But usually I cook semi-homemade myself. It is just easier and usually taste just as good...

Today's recipe is super easy, taste great and very quick to make. It is one of the few meals the whole family will always eat.

Bar-B-Q Roast Beef Sandwiches
1 or 2 cans Armour Canned Roast Beef (I think Dinty Moore makes one too)
Bar-B-Q sauce of your choosing
Mayo
Hamburger Buns

Pre-heat oven 350
Drain can of roast beef
Stir in pan over med heat
Salt & Pepper as needed
Slowly stir in Bar-B-Q sauce (you can put in more sauce to make it go further)
Spread Mayo on Buns
Fill Buns with Bar-B-Q Roast Beef and toast in oven for just a few minutes
That's it! Perfect Roast Beef Sandwiches in less than 15 minutes! I usually serve with Ruffles and Ranch Dip:-)

My Best Friends!

I had the best time this past Labor Day weekend. I got to see both of my very best friends! Brian went to the ballgame in Memphis, so I rode up to Jackson with him and visited with my best friend/twin cousin, Melissa and my best friend Stephanie.

Having your girlfriends is so important, especially for crazy maniac mommies who always need someone to vent too! I am so fortunate to be blessed with all of the friends who are in my life. But these two gals have been with me thru thick and thin so I am dedicating this post the them!!

I was so happy to see Melissa! I miss her so much and I hate living so far away from her. But no matter how far we live away from each other, we always know the other one will drop whatever they are doing to be there if the other needs them. My mom and her dad were twins so we always refer to each other as "twin cousins" and that pretty much sums it up because we are way more than just "cousins". I have lots and lots of stories from our youth, but I'd have to start another blog to write them on...they wouldn't be appropriate for my "mommy blog"!!LOL We always laugh when we are together and no matter what we are doing or where we are...we have fun everytime we are together.


My best friend Stephanie is my friend who I've always been pregnant with, except for Brendan (she sat that one out!:-) We met when I was pregnant with Patrick and she was pg with McKensie. They are now 15 years old! It is hard to believe it has been almost 16 years ago that we were young mommies-2-be, so naive to motherhood! We would lay up in the bed daily with her little dog, Fee, between us, imagining what it would be like to be a mother. Boy, that does seem like ages ago, me without kids?? I can't even imagine that now. I actually credit Stephanie for getting me pregnant with my 4th child, Brady. Credit is a nice way of putting it, I really refer to it as her cursing me or putting a hex on me!LOL It is just such a funny story, (and when I say funny, I mean strange, odd, weird haha). It's just that Stephanie has never been pregnant with out me. Patrick and McKensie were 4 days apart. McLain and Katie were a few months apart. So when Stephanie got pregnant with Wyatt, I laughed and joked and made fun of her getting pregnant again! We had both just lost all our weight from the kids so of course I dogged her out telling her she was gonna gain weight again! We went to a St Paddy's day parade and I called her and told her how much fun we were having and that I wished she was there!! I know I am a mean friend!! (she knows I love her) Brian made fun of Warren, laughing at him. I swear Stephanie must have gotten a voodoo doll and impregnated me because it wasn't a month later....I was PREGNANT! I guess the little fella was meant to be because I was planning to get my tubes tied in May and got pregnant in April. Of course now he is the apple of my eye, but it was quite surprising at first!

I really am fortunate to have these wonderful people in my live. I love them very much! They have both always been there for me, but they really pulled thru for me after Hurricane Katrina and I appreciate all that they did for me and my family so much! There was many a late night phone call during that time period and I thank them both from the bottom of my heart!

The BarbieDoll House 2nd Generation

When I was a little girl, I would play with barbies for hours. I had the coolest barbie doll house and my imagination would run wild. Katie has not been into barbies the way I was, but I am hoping that is about to change! When my parents moved this summer, I found my old barbie doll house in the attic...of course I had to bring it home with me! Too many memories to part with. Sure, it might be a little pseudo-seventies, but they don't make 'em like that anymore! I have threatened bodily harm to anyone who damages it though...just the thought of Brady trying to climb in it or jump on it gives me chills!

Me with my brand new barbie doll house on Christmas morning.

Katie with her not-so-brand new but new-to-her barbie doll house:-)

I sure do hope she enjoys it and gets as much use out of it as I did!

***NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE***

Saturday, October 3rd 2009

Old Savannah will be having a neighborhood-wide garage sale. Each person will have their own sale at their own individual house. That way everyone will not have to pack up and move all their stuff. If you and a neighbor want to combine sales, that is completely up to yall. I know personally, I have way too much stuff to be moving all over the place.

We will also be having a Lemonade Stand that the kids will be heading up. Please let me know if your child would like to participate. All proceeds of the Lemonade Sale will be going to the National Children’s Cancer Society. We would also like to donate a % of the garage sale profits to them. Please give me your input on how much yall would like to donate…if we should have a set percentage or should we just let people donate whatever they wish…all ideas and advice welcome.

I do not know the cost of putting the ad in the paper yet, but I am sure it will not be much if we all chip in as well as chip in for the lemonade stand. I will let everyone know how much when we get a total count. I will also be calling Home of Grace to schedule them to come pick up un-sold items.

If you want to participate in the Garage Sale, please e-mail me @ christiewlogan@yahoo.com

Thanks Everyone, I’ll be in touch soon!!
Christie Logan