refrigerator shopping

Our new refrigerator arrived the end of last month and I really like it!! Our old one was almost 10 years old and dying a slow death. Not only was it struggling to maintain the CACFP mandated 40 degrees, the dispensers had not supplied ice or water for over a year, it had sagging baskets in the freezer section, a stolen ice storage compartment, a meat drawer you could not pull out all the way without it falling, and door storage bins that fell off at will. After yet another storage area was lost when the plastic shelf support pegs gave out, we decided it was time to go shopping.

My uber busy spouse had less than zero time to help so this task ended up in my lap. I shop for major purchases just the way my dad does. First you decide what you need and then you research your best options. All before setting foot in the store.

I married into our current model, a side by side. I never preferred this type but it came with a real prize of a husband, so I settled for it. This time around I knew I wanted to replace it with a freezer on the bottom style, the kind with the drawer on the bottom.

After picking out a couple of options based on the most recent reviews in Consumer Reports, I googled the models for individual reviews. The LG I preferred (only very slightly due to the alarm that went off when the door is left open too long) seemed to have some issues with the ice maker being too prolific. I also came across a few who had issues with the seal in between the fridge and the freezer. I decided to be happy with the very close second choice, a Whirlpool Gold.

George and I went around a few stores to price the fridge out. The local independent family owned appliance store was our first stop. The price was hundreds more than I had seen online, they gave no financing options and no discounts for cash. Also they charged to haul away your old one.

The big box home store was next. The salesman was knowledgeable but pushy. The prices were right and haul away was included. They also had financing 6 months same as cash.

Sears was the last stop. Their price was a little higher and you got to pick from 18 months financing OR delivery/haul away. I got bold and asked the unassuming saleswoman if they would match the big box deal. She did that and more with an additional 10% off price matching guarantee, free delivery/haul away and an extension on the financing from 6 months to the 18 months Sears was offering.

The only glitch came when the delivery guys pushed the fridge into the hole. I had measured at the edge and knew there was only 1/8 inch clearance at the top. I did not know the upper cabinet was bowed in the middle, just enough so that the fridge would not go under. The Sears guys left it there and Kevin stopped home between sports commitments to sand the cabinet down enough to slide the fridge under.

And now everyone is super happy to have automatic ice once again.

Today's words of wisdom...

1. An entire box of prunes eaten in one day is really just too much of a good thing. Trust me. ;)

2. When you leave for vacation and hide your external hard drive from potential thieves, write down where you put it. It's really no fun to come back from vacation and have to tear the house apart looking for it.

3. Participate in your local public library's summer reading program for a chance to win big prizes. Like the overnight trip for 6 to Kalahari Resorts that I just won!

Clotheslined

I realize the green movement has gained a lot of ground in the last decade but now there is an entire movie on the fight for the right to have a clothesline in your yard. Drying for Freedom is a film about the politics and restrictions on how Americans dry their laundry. It was much simpler and environmentally friendly when everybody used a clothesline but then the public was wowed by the introduction of the electric dryer and all the convenience that seemed to come with it. Now some people are waking up to the wisdom of the old ways to find that clotheslines aren't an option because they live in a planned community that doesn't welcome them.

My first encounter with this was during the short time I lived in Magnolia TX. We had just moved in and our dryer was not set up yet. I strung a rope in between two tree trunks in our back yard. The hot Texas sun baked my laundry dry in about 15 minutes. A few days later there was an envelope in our mailbox with the return address of our homeowners association. I imagined it was a welcome to the neighborhood greeting. I was a little put out when I opened it to find a warning about forthcoming fines and legal action regarding the Little Tikes picnic table next to the garage and the "gasp" clothesline I had hung in the back yard.

I swore I'd never buy another property with deed restrictions again but I few years later I married into one. This time I read all the fine print in the homeowners' agreement my new husband had neatly filed away in a box in our basement. In my new community, not only was I not permitted to hang a clothesline, I was not even allowed to hang items over my front porch railing to dry. I was full of newly wedded bliss at the time so I couldn't be disappointed. A gas clothes dryer was part of my dowry and hubby came with two drying racks so even with the 6 kids between us I figured we'd be all right.

I will admit it would be nice to have the option of an outdoor clothesline. Dryers do use energy and that costs money. Money that could be better spent on a new handbag or some school supplies. Line drying also saves you money because your clothes stay nicer looking for a longer time. And those clothes just smell so darn good after drying in the sunshine. Until we move, I'll just have to compromise with the same Lehman's Best Floor Clothes Dryer from Lehman's Hardware that my sister-in-law uses.

Now I've seen everything

Spending money on this type of stuff may be one of the reasons you need two incomes. Believe it or not, the Peter Potty Toddler Urinal is SOLD OUT all over the web.

Gimme 5 Recycling: another reason to love Whole Foods Markets

We have a large blended family AND I run a home business taking care of additional children. Saying we produce more trash than the average household would be an understatement. I try to recycle as much as I can. While most of us agree that this is beneficial, many community collection efforts only accept plastics labeled 1 or 2. That's a great start, but leaves me feeling guilty about what to do with all my 5's. Products like yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding and the ready-to-eat BBQ pulled pork I served for dinner last night all come in 5.

Leave it to Whole Foods to come to my rescue with their "Gimme 5" program. You can bring clean 5's to the store and they will mail them to Preserve. Preserve makes toothbrushes and razors out of them. This started in 2009 as a pilot program at a few stores and is slowly expanding to additional locations. Check this link to see if your local Whole Foods is participating.

While I'm on the subject, it really blows my mind when one of my kids tosses their Gatorade bottle in the trash. One would think all Al Gore's efforts to indoctrinate our young people about the coming environmental Apocalypse would have been a little more successful. All I got when I was young was the crying Indian on a hill and I was SOLD.

Homemade Detergents

I have been making my own detergent since September. I was very intimidated with the process when I first learned of it. Visions of failed 11th grade chemistry experiments danced in my head. After seeing two young Duggars from 19 Kids and Counting making it on their own, I had to give it a try.

After a little research, I settled on this homemade laundry detergent recipe. I thought it was cool that it was posted by a guy who seemed to be having a ton of fun with this chore.

Although I have since used many varieties of soap, I've found that an entire bar of Fels Naptha soap works best. It is a soap specifically made for laundry purposes and has powerful cleaning ability.

If your family wants the fake chemical "clean" smell like mine does you can put in one capful of Suavitel fabric softener as a final step. I've tried adding a couple different essential oils instead but they don't leave the lasting impression that the fabric softener does.

I also have tried making dishwasher detergent. I see a lot of people on the web claim that one tablespoon of a powdered mixture of 1/2 Borax and 1/2 washing soda works well. I have tried this. Even when I add the recommended citric acid I do not get good results with my water. So I continue to purchase Cascade in bulk for now. I am open to any new suggestions on this though.

One week of dinners for 4 from Aldi

You will spend about $50 for these 7 dinners. That's about $1.80 a dinner not taking into account the leftover food. You will have a stack of precooked breakfast sausage, a couple servings of turkey ham, 1/2 bag chicken nuggets and at least 4-6 hamburger patties/buns leftover for the next week. Also a stack of precooked breakfast sausage.

This menu includes meat at 6 meals. You can save a lot more by substituting spaghetti for one of the more expensive beef meals.

Menu

Riblets, corn, applesauce, instant mashed potatoes.

Chicken nuggets, instant mashed potatoes, applesauce, carrots.

Stew meat with broth and sour cream, bread and butter, lettuce, peaches.

Turkey ham, mac and cheese, green beans, pears.

Hamburgers on buns, French fries, peaches.

French toast sticks, sausage, pears.

Chicken Kiev, mashed potatoes, green beans, applesauce.

Shopping list

1.29 sour cream

1.99 bag lettuce

.99 each 2 boxes instant mashed potatoes

.95 each 3 jars applesauce

1.29 each 2 cans pears

1.29 2 cans peaches

.49 each 2 cans green beans

.49 can carrots

1.69 French fries

.49 can corn

3.80 turkey ham

4.99 stew meat

2.69 rib pork patties in BBQ

3.99 chicken nuggets

.99 each 4 chicken Kiev

6.99 hamburgers

3.89 sausage

.35 box mac and cheese

1.99 French toast sticks

.79 bread

.85 hamburger buns

Family of Nine Garage Sale for Van Down Payment

Hallelujah we have found a van. AND the fish stick buyer did send us $80 after all. Sports Luxury Motors in North Ridgeville has graciously agreed to "hold" a Mercury Villager (with the fish stick $80 plus $20 of our own) until our tax incentive check comes May 2nd. We still need about $2000 so we are raising it the old fashioned way, hard work.

The picture is one almost identical to ours but at another dealer.

Come out and support our garage sale May 1-2-3 8:30-5pm.

online offerings are HERE.

Tons of kids clothing most .25 a piece. Sizes 3T to 10. Mostly Boys. Some Girls. Limited amount of baby clothing. Books. Coats. Like new backpacks. Baby Bjorn Carrier. Car seats. Kids Shoes. Toys. Bikes. High Chair. Toddler Bed. Happy Days Board Game, Toddler Bike seat (for adult bike), Barbie A Frame house, Winter boots. Linens, Household.

Donations Accepted. PM us for immediate pickup.

All proceeds go to van down payment for family of 9. PM us for directions.

Angel Food Ministries Food Review March 2008 Menu

This is a review of the menu items supplied in March of 2008 by Angel Food Ministries. This was the first month we purchased the plan. I would purchase again. Real "Foodies" will want to stay away from this plan but that isn't who it's intended for anyway. If you marinate and tenderize the meats, you can't go wrong for $30. I will participate in this again.

Hamburgers. 6 burgers were cooked to perfection on our George Foreman grill. I didn't expect much as they seemed from their appearance to have a lot of fillers and the fat pan almost filled up with the 6 burgers. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the first bite. JUICY and tender. I ate 2. Needless to say, there weren't any leftovers. Would definitely purchase again.

Frozen Mixed Veggies. Came packaged in clear plastic. No labeling. Microwaved in Pampered Chef Batter Bowl. Good color and flavor. Uniform in size. Would purchase again.

Borden Shelf-Stable Milk. To me, there is something inherently wrong about boxed milk. However, this came in very handy when we ran out of jugged milk. Baby did not complain. Drank greedily as always. Nice thing to have on hand in a pinch.

Macaroni and Cheese. Boxed. Hospitality brand. Stove preparation. Similar in quality to Kraft. Would purchase again.

Waffles. Pillsbury brand frozen. Toaster prepared. No complaints.

Dessert Item. Mrs. Smith's Apple Pie. Delicious consumed at room temperature. This had sugar crystals sprinkled on the top. High quality. Would definitely purchase again.

Boneless Pork Fillet. Second meat item I cooked that was tough and dry. These meats are obviously cheaper cuts and I see now the need to marinate and tenderize. We are making the rest of the steaks the end on the month so I'll see then if that works. Disappointed.

Breaded Chicken Breast Strips. Southern Style. Directions called only for deep frying but I baked on Pampered Chef large bar pan. Very tasty and crunchy. Nice change from the usual nuggets.

Marie Callender Chicken and Dumpling Soup. Opened can. Dumped in bowl. Heated in microwave. Nothing very special. Nice big soft chunks of celery. Edible.

Frying Chicken Leg Quarters. Baked in the Pampered Chef rectangular deep baking dish. Very large. I wasn't expecting a lot after my latest disappointments but these turned out to be quite good. And there was enough left over to make a Chicken Noodle Casserole the next day.

5 lb. Thick Cut Rib Eye Steaks. Initial 2 were cooked Medium on George Foreman Grill. Very disappointing. These were very dry and tough. Will tenderize and marinate the other 6 the end of the month and update this post.

**UPDATE**The remainder of the rib eyes were tenderized with a meat cleaver and soaked in a marinade for 12 hours. Cooked up on the George Foreman because we were out of propane for the outdoor grill. SURPRISE SURPRISE They went from a F to a B- in quality! I think the Angel Meats just need a lot of TLC.

Sherwin Williams Review

The interior of our entire house was painted in Antique White and Navajo White when it was built 7.5 years ago. The paint used at that time was a scrubbable Sherwin Williams paint that is no longer being manufactured. It has held up great but with 7 kids in the house, the walls are really calling out for some color.

A few weeks ago I used the Color Consultant service provided by Sherwin Williams. You contact your local Sherwin Williams to schedule a designer to visit your home. Additionally, you may need to purchase a $75 gift card to Sherwin Williams to reassure them that you will actually purchase their paint and not just take advantage of their designer. An old college friend turned me on to this service.

Last night I painted the kitchen with the three recommended colors (Butter Up, Baize Green, and Papaya) from the Color to Go 31 fl. oz. sample containers(only $4.99 each). Baize Green was quickly vetoed by Kevin. My favorite for the kitchen is the cheerful Butter Up. Kevin feels this isn't enough color and would prefer the Papaya. I love the Papaya too but feels it's a better match for the family room although it does look REALLY nice next to the wood cabinets.

One thing we ALWAYS agree on is the EXCELLENCE and UNMATCHED COMPATIBILITY of the environmentally preferred Sherwin Williams Duration Home Interior Latex. More for it's great coverage, low odor and superior wash ability than it's Greensure label. Now if we could just decide which color to get it tinted...

Conflict Resolution in Blended Families

This is a follow up to Sunday's post on eating habits. If you weren't already familiar with this marriage saving concept, the following is from wikipedia: Agree to disagree or "agreeing to disagree" is a phrase in English referring to the resolution of a conflict (usually a debate or quarrel) whereby all parties tolerate but do not accept the opposing position(s). It generally occurs when all sides recognize that further conflict is unnecessary, ineffective or otherwise undesirable. They may also remain on amicable terms while continuing to disagree.
While this is a helpful method for resolving conflict in many areas of life, it is VITAL in a blended family environment.

Dinner: A Logistical Nightmare

My husband has been a "selective" eater all of his life. So when it comes to feeding our group he feels they don't need to eat if they don't "like" it. As you can imagine, we never have healthy salads and some of our children rarely consume any veggie except corn, which I personally consider a starch not a veggie.

I serve chicken nuggets over 10 times each month. Other popular dishes are: hot dogs, hamburger, hamburger helper, and pizza(every Friday). This diet has led to among other things, a frequently clogged toilet in the children's bathroom.

This is one of those "agree to disagree" issues. I am a very adventurous eater who enjoys all different types of cuisines and lots of fresh veggies. We have come to the compromise that the children are allowed to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when they don't like what is for dinner. This has worked fine until Brooke recently converted to her own brand of vegetarianism, which for some reason does not include an intense appreciation for the vegetables at the root of it's name. Also, Emma came home from the church's youth group spring break trip to Myrtle Beach with the same conversion.  (I'm not sure that's the conversion the leaders were hoping for.)

Now in addition to having a houseful of selective eaters, I have to pander to two girls who won't eat the main dishes most often served at the "Family of 9" dinner table. Our own personal Golden Corral annexed to the back of our house is unfortunately out of the question.

Angel Food Ministries

I learned about this nationwide grocery ministry on my Cafemom group Dave Ramsey Fans. Angel Food Ministries began in 1994 in a rural Georgia community. Now it is in over 35 states. The best I can describe it is that it is a HUGE grocery co-op. Angel Food partners with churches and community organizations throughout the country to distribute reasonably priced food items.

We are giving this a trial run this month. Today was the once a month "pick-up" day. I walked in the door after my workout at Curves and was warmly welcomed by a gentleman who had been on the lookout for me all morning. He had seen my name on the order list and knew about the Good Friday Miracle Fishsticks. He called me a local celebrity.

Then I came home to find a message on the machine from an old friend in Florida. Seems we were a trivia question on a NPR radio show.

But Oprah hasn't called yet....

The Mother's Helper

It's times like these, I wish I was Amish.

Today I had the great pleasure of having Catherine here to help us out. I have a home daycare so on days off school, in addition to our 6 youngest children, I have up to 5 additional daycare clients. After last summers big changes to my husband's visitation schedule, I realized that every other full week during the summer with up to 11 kids was going to quickly overwhelm me.

With Kevin's help I located the modern day equivalent of the old fashioned "mother's helper". An ultimate overachiever from the local senior class, Catherine is amazing. Today was a dry run for her. We took a field trip to the NASA Glenn Visitor's Center. If she wasn't scared off, she'll give me a hand entertaining the kids this summer. We decided on a rate of $7 an hour plus $.50 a mile.

I wish I could afford her everyday.

Busy Friday

Dad had a holiday from his day job but it was still a very busy Friday for the Family Of 9. The main task of the day was a bedroom swap. Emma moved downstairs into the extra bedroom. Meanwhile Brook & Rachel moved out of the extra bedroom and into the room Emma left. (This room had been Rachel's, then Emma's, and now is shared by Brooke & Rachel.)

This was a difficult job as we moved stuff out of both rooms, and cleaned them well, before moving anything back in so we had 2 bedrooms worth of stuff piled in the living room and family room for most of the day. Emma plans to paint her room in a few weeks so much of her stuff is still in the living room.

Meanwhile, Mom had a doctor appointment and needed to do some shopping, so Dad fixed lunch for the kids, while supervising the moves and carrying most of the bigger stuff. We had Ramen noodles, chicken nuggets, curly fries, jello beans, with a few leftovers mixed in.

Then around 5 Dad went to his pizza delivery job and Emma went with her father to the Detroit Cobras concert. Shortly, the rest of the family followed Dad to his pizzeria for dinner but Dad was so busy making deliveries that he didn't even get to stop to see them.

My husband the genius, OR How to get control of your kids' gaming.

One of my goals for 2007 was to get some sort of control over exactly how much time our brood sits in front of electronic screens. I suggested to Kevin that I'd like some help on this. He didn't get back to me for a while, but when he did, I was very impressed with what he came up with. It is now posted on our refrigerator.

Last night at my monthly card club meeting, the early childhood psychologist in our group suggested I post it on the web for the enlightenment of others. Here it is.

Family of 9 "Screen Time" Policy

[Screen time includes: Video Games on TV (Xbox, Playstation, Sega, Nintendo, ...) TV Shows, Computer Games, Internet, and Handheld Games (Nintendo DS, Gameboy)]

Exemptions:
1. School work done on the computer
2. Movies watched as a family (4 or more people)
3. Sporting events
4. Reality TV, Award Shows, and similar events may or may not count (PARENTS DECIDE)
5. Video games as physical activity (i.e. DDR)

School Night Limits (Monday - Thursday)
1. 2 hours(elementary students) or 3 hours(7th-12th grade) per person
2. Maximum of one and a half hours at the same activity
3. Homework must be done first
4. Bed must be made and room must be neat
5. If you play without doing #3 or #4 you may receive a 2-3 school night suspension

Grades:
(This will apply to interim reports and quarterly grades, and will last until the next grading period. 7th grade and above will have penalties doubled.)

1. If you have all A's and B's you will get 2 hours.
2. If you have any C's you will lose 1/2 hour.
3. If you have any D's you will lose 1 hour total (you will get 1 hour).

Weekend Limits (Saturday & Sunday)
1. Four hours per person of screen time
2. Maximum 2 consecutive hours, then you must do another (non-video) activity for at least 1 hour

Friday Nights: No limits.

School Holidays / Snow Days, etc Same as weekend limits

Reserving the TV:
1. If you have a show you want to watch, you may reserve the main tv for 1 hour per day at a specific time. We will have a reservations sheet and reservations must be made at least the day before.
2. If you have a weekly show, you can have a standing reservation (example, every Thursday night).
3. If more than one people want to reserve the same time slot, a parent will decide (by taking turns, etc)

Sharing Game Time:
1. If you are taking turns or playing a multi-player game, that counts as your time.
2. If you are watching someone else play while waiting your turn, that counts as your time.
3. If someone is waiting to play, there is a 1/2 hour limit.
4. If 2 or more people are waiting to play, they both must be given a choice to play (as partners / opponents). If they do not want to play together, one may choose to wait again for the next open turn.

Summer Limits:
1. Same as weekend limits
2. Must do 1/2 hour physical activity before each 2-hour block of screen time.