Megan's Hair

My tackle for today (one of them anyway!) was cutting Megan's hair. I liked her hair the way it was as long as she would keep her barrette or pony tail holder in but the problem was that she would for a while and then out it would come (like in the middle of church, etc.) and then she was left with hair falling in her eyes and she would be constantly brushing it out of her way. She was tired of hair in her eyes, I was tired of it and Grandma (My mom) was too. SO... I decided to cut it.

This is the before picture:

And a couple of after pictures:

I am not overly thrilled with the way it ended up (I think she looks a bit like a child from the 80's - think me when I was little) but it does do the job it was intended to do, it keeps the hair out of her eyes. AND she is quite happy with it. She has been talking about a haircut for a while (when she has a scissors in HER hands). Maybe someday after lots more practice I will be really good at cutting hair. :-) Or maybe I'll learn to ask my sister to do it for me!

A beautiful Fall day at my parents

Last week we enjoyed going out to Mom and Dad's for the morning. It is such a pretty time of year and their road has especially pretty leaves on it. Dad also has quite a few apple trees, above are some of their beautiful apples.
Here are some views in the Buck Goats pen.

Gorgeous maple leaves!
While we were there the kids helped Dad harvest their pumpkins and squash. They didn't get as many squash as normal but he got some BIG pumpkins! The largest is 150 lbs. I think they look a little obese as they don't have a real firm looking shape but look like they just sat down like a bunch of jello. Mom "Butchered" one of the 80 pounders and filled two big kettles up and then asked me if I didn't want some as she didn't know how she would cook it all. I cooked a bunch up too and put 16 containers of pumpkin puree in the freezer.

We certainly have an awesome Creator who continues to amaze me with the beauty and abundance that He gives to us!

19 more Ways to have a Wedding on a Budget

2 weeks ago I wrote about 30 ways to have a wedding on a budget where I gave ideas for saving with Invitations, Clothing, The Cake and Food and Drink. Today I thought I would share a few more ideas on saving money while having a beautiful wedding. I won't be able to share all my ideas today so I will try to be back soon with another addition to saving money on your wedding. Today however we will talk about:

Location~
This can take a lot of money so here are various ideas to think about when finding the perfect place for yours. On this one it is hard to say that one way or another will always be cheaper as that varies a lot from place to place. A good idea is to not be set on just one place but be willing to look around as see what special place there is in your community that doesn't cost a lot to use. Here are some ideas:

1. A church building. It seems from what I have heard and have seen, if you are a member often you don't have to pay anything. That makes it very economical! Also a lot of times you can have your ceremony and reception there which makes life easier and saves you money. Another advantage is that church building usually looks nice and is set up well for a wedding so you don't have to do a ton of decorating or renting of chairs, etc. In our case the church where we went was not large enough so we ended up renting another one. I called quite a few places and was told a wide variety of prices up to around $500. We ended up with one that worked very well and after we got our cleaning deposit back it cost just $50.
2. A park. I think the price here can vary a lot too but it can be very economical. It is also usually very beautiful. An advantage is that you don't need to do a lot of decorating as it has a natural beauty also it is quite likely that it would be fine to have a reception there as well. Disadvantages would be the weather factor. Outdoor weddings can be really screwed up if it should rain. (Though I have seen many outdoor weddings and so far at none of them have we had to sit through a rain storm or go to another location.) Do be sure to always have a back up plan. Another disadvantage is the the possibility of having to rent chairs. Be sure to count that cost in when choosing your location.
3. A museum, or other historical location. I have heard that old mansions or schools or things like that can be a neat and economical place for a wedding.
4. A backyard. My sister Martha got married in my parents back yard and it was beautiful (That is the spot I would have chosen as well but we decided to get married in December and thought that might be a little chilly! :-). They were able to borrow chairs from the church so that wasn't an additional cost. My husbands sister also chose a backyard ~ one of a friend. It was very pretty as well. There was a small group and it felt very personal and fun.
5. A town hall. I have not seen these used for a wedding (though it could work just fine) but some friends have used these for their receptions. Town halls in our area are very reasonable to rent. They already have tables and chairs available.
6. A barn. A friend has a neat old barn that they have been cleaning up, they recently had a party there and made me think that would be a rather fun spot for a reception. You could have a wedding there to if you wanted too. The decorating of a spot like that could be very fun and economical.
7. Restaurant, Hotel or Country club. I don't know if this should go on an economical list but I guess it never hurts to check. :-)
8. A Zoo. I have never seen this but have heard of it. For an animal lover this could be perfect.
9. On a beach. This makes for some beautiful pictures. I think a lot of times these are short and sweet and they make everybody stand up (thus no need to rent chairs)
10. On a big boat. I think this would be cool if you live near a big body of water (or even at the headwaters of the Mississippi there is a touring boat). I don't know that this would be cheap or would work for a very large group but you can always check.
11. A campground or resort. This could be very handy with places for guests to stay as well as a pretty outdoors and a place to have a reception.

Photography~

1. With Digital cameras becoming common I have seen lots and lots of people take a huge interest in photography. I have many friends that have become quite good at it. That said I am sure you probably do as well and there probably a few of them that would love to take pictures at your wedding. Having non professionals take the pictures is definitely and option but you do want to have a plan of action, don't just ask everybody to take some pictures and then send them to you. Here are some things that I recommend.

• Appoint a head photographer. Don't just have a bunch of people trying to be in charge and then get pictures with the people in them looking every which way.
• Do have more than one photographer though and several cameras. I think it is a good idea for the posed pictures to have 2 cameras that take turns (so that everybody looks at one camera at a time). This is to make sure that even if something happens to one camera (and things do happen) you still have the pictures. Also have somebody going around getting lots of candid shots. Sometimes these can be even more enjoyed than that regular pictures.
• Have a list of the pictures you want. (with the names of people in each one and then any fun posing ideas) Go through this list with the photographer before the wedding. Have an organized person (that also hopefully knows most of the people) be in charge of getting the people rounded up for each picture. My advice is to start with a large group (like the whole family) and then slowly pull people out (and release them!) until you are left with you and your parents.
  

2. Hire somebody that isn't necessarily a professional but enjoys photography as a fun side job. Be sure that you have seen some of their work first though. We did this and were able to get nice pictures for a very nice price!

3. Hire a professional for the posed pictures and have friends take pictures of everything else.

4. For neat looking picture albums you could get a photo book made. Snapfish and other places have them for not that much money and your picture is printed right on the page and the pictures can be in all different sizes from using up the whole page to have around 9 pictures on one page. I got one done for my wedding flower business and I found it to be very neat. I think it would be very neat for your wedding album. Google photo books and you will find quite a selection to choose from.

Transportation~

1. An old car. If you have a friend who has an old collectors car, that could be a very fun way to leave your wedding. The friend could be your chauffeur to take you to your home or wherever you need to go to get your car.
2. A horse and buggy or sleigh. If a friend has one of these that would be very nice. They are also available to rent. Check around to see if you can find a horse club near you, they could probably give you names of people who could help.
3. A boat.If you wedding or reception is near a lake a boat would be a fun way to leave. In our area there are lots of lakes and lots of boats so getting one would be no problem at all.
4. Think creatively: I think a bicycle built for two would be pretty cute (The bride might need to do some changing first!), I have heard of using a school bus, a motorcycle, a snowmobile....

I still hope to talk about flowers, decorations, favors, gifts and more, so come back soon!

I would love to hear your ideas and what worked for you on the topics above!

Our Country's Leaders and what the Bible says about Life.

One of the big issues in our upcoming election is whether the candidate will protect life from conception on or not. Though many other issues interest me in the political field, this is a huge one for me. I am hoping to write a series on political issues and how they match up to what the Bible says and so I thought I would start with this one.

First I will show you some scriptures that I have found on the subject:

Psalm 139:13-16

For Thou didst form my inward parts;

Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb.

I will give thanks to Thee,

For I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Thy works,

And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from Thee,
When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.

Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Thy book they were all written,

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them."

Genesis 1:27
"And God created man in His own image,
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them."

Humans are not just something that happened be chance. God made us and we are in His image.

Psalm 127:3
"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord;
The fruit of the womb is a reward."

Babies are not sent as punishment, God gives them as a gift. Maybe they don't always come at the time you think they should but they are still a gift.

Psalm 22:9 and 10
"Yet Thou are He who didst bring me forth from the womb;
Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother's breasts.
Upon Thee I was cast from birth;
Thou hast been my God from my mother's womb."

Read Matthew 19:16-21
"And behold, one came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?"... And Jesus said "You shall not commit murder..."

Where Do the Candidates
Stand on Abortion?

Abortion on Demand~

Barack Obama:
 Co-sponsor of the "Freedom of Choice Act," (S.1173) which would make partial-birth abortion legal again, require taxpayer funding of abortion, and invalidate virtually all state and federal limitations on abortion, such as parental notification laws.
 "I have consistently advocated for reproductive choice and will make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President."

John McCain:
 Voted to oppose Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that allows abortion for any reason.
 "I have stated time after time after time that Roe v. Wade was a bad decision, that I support... the rights of the unborn. I have fought for human rights and human dignity throughout my entire political career. To me it is an issue of human rights and human dignity."

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban~
The partial-birth abortion procedure — used from the fifth month on — involves pulling a living baby feet-first out of the womb, except for the head, puncturing the skull and suctioning out the brain. The great majority of partial-birth abortions are performed on healthy babies of healthy mothers.

John McCain:
 Voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

Barack Obama:
 Did not vote for the Illinois Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act when it came before the Illinois State Senate.

Protecting Abortion Survivors~

John McCain:

 Voted for legislation that provides care and protection for
babies who are born alive after an abortion.

Barack Obama:
 Voted four times against legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would have provided care and protection for babies who are born alive after an abortion.

Taxpayer Funding of Abortion~

Barack Obama:

 Voted against legislation in the Illinois State Senate that
prohibited taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortion.
 His campaign has stated that he "does not support" the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding of abortion through Medicaid.

John McCain:
 Voted in favor of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits
taxpayer funding of abortion through Medicaid.
 Voted consistently against federal funding of abortion.

Parental Notification Law

Barack Obama:

 Voted to block a bill that would have required an
abortionist to notify at least one parent before performing an abortion on a minor girl from another state.

John McCain:
 Voted to support a bill that would have required an
abortionist to notify at least one parent before performing an abortion on a minor girl from another state.

The Vice-Presidential Candidates views on Abortion~

Joseph Biden:
 Voted to endorse Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that allows abortion for any reason.
 "I strongly support Roe v. Wade....That’s why I led the fight to defeat Bork. Thank God he is not in the Court or Roe v. Wade would be gone by now."

Sarah Palin:
 Opposes abortion and believes unborn children should be protected. As Governor of Alaska, supported pro-life legislation.
 "...I am pro-life and have never wavered in my belief in the sanctity
of every human life."

This information can be found at National Right to Life. Another great source of information on the Candidates stands is Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life.

We also have in MN a Senate race with candidates who have huge differences of opinion concerning life. Check out what they think here.

Using up green tomatoes

One of our thrifty and green activities this week was to use up our green tomatoes. We had a hard freeze at our house so the time of covering crops up while we have a frost has come and gone. We had to pick everything we wanted to save. One thing we don't do when a freeze comes is to leave all of our green tomatoes out there, thinking that we can't use them. We can use them and we do! Here is how we like to use them:

Nice green tomatoes we place in boxes with layers of newspaper under them and we set them in a cool dark place (under our bed) to ripen. We check on them often to get out any red ones and any that have started to go bad. Last year we were able to eat red ripe tomatoes clear into December using this method. These tomatoes don't taste as good as the ones right out of your garden but they are quite equal with the ones you buy at the store.

Another thing my Mom and I like to do with them is make Mince pie filling. Yesterday the kids and I went over to their house and we had fun doing that. Above is some of our finished product, canned and ready to use throughout the year. Mince pie filling is something I really like but not everybody does. It seems like most people have either, 1. Never heard of it, 2. Love it, or 3. Hate it. There are some people that don't really care but for the most part it seems to be divided in the above groups.

Here is the recipe for it in case you think you would like to try it:

Mince Pie Filling

(Also known as Mince Meat but we don't include meat.)

10 cups chopped green tomatoes.

10 cups chopped apples (we leave the skins on but core them.)

3 cups lard

3 lbs. raisins

9 1/2 cups sugar

7 teaspoons cinnamon

4 teaspoons each of: allspice, cloves and salt.

Mix everything together in a large pot and cook until soft. (This smells really good while cooking!) Then put in jars and can using a water bath or you can freeze it. When you want to use it place it in a pie crust and top it with another one and bake like you would an apple pie. (You may want to add a little flour to the filling to thicken it.) There are also other recipes like bars or cookies that you can use mincemeat in. I saw mince pie filling for sale at the grocery store for $7 a quart. When you make it at home it is way cheaper!

Another use that I know of for using green tomatoes is making a mock apples pie with them. Do you use green tomatoes? What do you do with them?

For more Thrifty Green Thursdays visit Green Baby Guide.

WFMW ~ getting out ink and fruit stains

Last week Megan was wearing on of her outfits that I liked best and she decided to draw on it with an ink pen (Naughty girl!) not only did she do that but we also were out at my parents working on grapes and she squished some up against herself and she had this large purple splotch on it. I felt really bad about it but we had a very busy day (it was Mara's birthday) and I didn't get around to do anything about it until that night. But guess what?! The jumper is now stain free. Here is what I did:

For ink stains I learned a long time ago that rubbing alcohol will take them out or if you don't have that (which I don't at the time) you can use a bit of hairspray instead. It worked wonderfully.

For the Grape stains I remembered that Mom had soaked fruit stains in a watered down milk solution. I wasn't sure if it would work but I decided to try it overnight. The next morning it wasn't all gone but it was much much lighter. I decided to rub it with a little bar soap and then threw it in my load of wash. I thought there would probably be a tiny stain left but there isn't! I was so excited.

That is what works for me this week! For more Works for Me Wednesday tips go to Rocks in my Dryer.