Packing and Moving and Christmas......OH MY!!!

Hey Everyone! :)

Well, this Christmas season has definitely been a CRAZY one in the Jones' household!! I don't even know where to begin!

We recently have been looking for a larger house. Our 1,000 sq foot home was no longer large enough for our growing family of 6. (Soon to be 7....Yes we are expecting again! Baby #5 will grace us with his or her presence in August! :) ) So I happened to stumble across this gorgeous 1,700 sq foot home that has a kitchen and living room that will make any homemaker salivate!! (I will be posting pics of the house soon!) Needless to say, we decided to make the move, but the owner wanted us in ASAP. So we did it, along with it being Dave's finals week in school, Trey's last week of school before break, Emmaline's 2nd Birthday, and myself being involved in our church's annual Singing Christmas Tree Spectacular! Whew...all I can say is it we couldn't have done it all without my parents and my inlaws helping out! And I am so glad that it is over!!

So this week begins a fresh chaos-free week! I can now redecorate my house for Christmas and have some holiday fun with the kiddos. I may even get some last minute knitting done!! :)

Menu Plan Monday! (November 14)

Hey Everyone!!

Well as you can see I didn't post a menu last week....and it showed at our house! LOL...so this week its back to routine! Well I have been trying some new crock pot recipes every Wednesday since that is one of our busiest evenings and so far so good!! The loaded baked potato soup was AMAZING!! So this week I am going to try out another one of the Crockin' Girls recipes!

Monday- Barbecue Chicken Tenders, Scalloped Potatoes, and Buttered Peas

Tuesday- Lasagna, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Wednesday- Taco Stew (new recipe!)

Thursday- Leftovers

Friday- Homemade Pizza (Thank you Lora for this awesome recipe!!)

To find more recipes or to share your family's menu go to Menu Plan Monday!

Well I hope you all have a blessed week in the kitchen!!
Blessings and Love!!

Menu Plan Monday (October 31st)

Hey Everybody!!!

It's been a long time since my last post, and I apologize for that. We have been going through a season of change here at the Jones household!! And with that change, I needed to take a break. But now I am back and ready for some holiday fun. :)

Now that fall is in full swing, I am going to be trying some new stews/soups with my dear friend, my crock-pot! :) It is the best way to make some A-MAZING food without slaving over a hot stove for hours...and with having 4 kiddos that makes this Momma quite happy. So off with the menu we go :)....

Monday- Dinner out with the fam! :)

Tuesday- Homemade BBQ Pork Chops*, Scalloped Potatoes, and Buttered Corn

Wednesday- Loaded Baked Potato Soup (new crock-pot recipe) with Ham Steaks

Thursday- Surprise Dinner ;) (Dave and I's 4 year anniversary!)

Friday- Chicken Casserole* with Green Beans

Saturday- Beef Nachos (Football Food :) )

* Recipes and Pictures to come!!

Want to share your family's menu, or just want to find some great recipes? Go to Menu Plan Monday!

Lots of changes will be happening here at Life & Love soon :) So stay following for some fun stuff!

Blessings and Love!!

Attention All Parents!!

Hi Everyone!!

Well its that time of year again! Its time for the Fall/Winter Columbus Kids Resale!! I am so excited about shopping this time!! They always have such great stuff!!

It starts at 8 am(but I would arrive around 7:30 because there is always a line) and ends at 2 pm. Also some items go half off at 12! It is super organized and everything they sell is in great condition! Here are a few pictures to spark your interest. :)









Here is a list of items you can expect to see:

Crib mattresses

bedding

curtains

room décor

rocking chairs

twin headboards

bassinets

changing table

kids tables and chairs

bikes

cozy coupes

DVD’s

books

video games

toy kitchens

Legos

Leapster

trains

slide

sand/water table

costumes

sports equipment

pack and plays

strollers (including jogging)

infant carriers/wraps/slings

walkers

exersaucers

highchairs

booster seats

baby bouncers

baby swings

baby gates

baby monitors

Bumbo seats

designer diaper bags

maternity/nursing clothing

infant-teen clothing

shoes and accessories.

Well I hope you can make it!! It is a great way to save some hard earned money!! Happy Shopping!

Blessings and Love!

Homemade Granola Bars!

Here is a recipe that I must share!! It is absolutely delicious!! I found it at Three Many Cooks. They have some delicious looking recipes there!!

I did make a few alterations to it due to what I had in my pantry!

Here is the link to the recipe:

Granola Bars

Here are the alterations I made:

I substituted 1/2 c of milled flax seed for the 1/2 c of wheat germ

I substituted 1 c of pecans for the 1 c of almonds

I didn't add any dried fruit due to the fact my boys hate it! So I made it with an extra cup of chocolate chips....Although this is one substitution I won't make again...too much chocolate (if there is such a thing! LOL...) So I will probably add in different kinds of nuts in place of the dried fruit next time.

Well I hope you like it!! We sure did!! :)

Blessings and Love!

Menu Plan Monday! June 20th

Hey Everyone!!

Well this week's menu is going to be a tasty one!! I am doing some classic favorites that I haven't cooked for a while! Off with the menu!!


Monday- Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday- Chicken Spaghetti*, Caesar Salad, and Garlic Bread

Wednesday- Fajita-Ranch Chicken Wraps

Thursday- Broiled Lemon Herb Tilapia, Jasmine Rice, and Asparagus

Friday- Garlic Beef* and White Rice


*I will post the recipes as I cook them!

For more recipes or to share your family's menu, go to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie!

Have a great week in the kitchen!!
Blessings and Love!!

Menu Plan Monday! June 6th

Hey Everybody!!

It has been almost a month since my last post. Our house has been a little on the chaotic side and now with school being over I am ready for a complete change!! This week marks the beginning of some much needed changes in the Jones household. And that includes getting back to menu planning! This week I am going to be trying out some new recipes. I am going to be weeding out the prepackaged processed foods from my house. Although it is cheaper and helps save us money, it isn't something I want my family or myself consuming any longer. Of course it is going to be a process. I have to think practically too whenever it comes to the financial side of it, but you will be seeing more and more fresh foods vs. processed foods on my menu! Well here we go!

Monday-Fajita-Ranch Chicken Wraps

Tuesday- Ham, Mashed Potatoes, and Buttered Green Beans

Wednesday-Pulled Pork BBQ (Crockpot)

Thursday- Bean and Beef Enchilada Casserole

Friday- Date Night out with my Hubby!!

Saturday- Broiled Cod, Jasmine Rice, and Broccoli

Sunday- Trey is being baptized this day so I am planning on having a cook out as long as the weather permits!! The menu is still undecided! Although I know Grilled Corn on the Cob will be on it...it's his favorite!

For more recipes or to share your family's menu, go to Menu Plan Monday.

Have a great week in the kitchen!
Blessings and Love!