Far Above Rubies

I cannot believe my last post was written in August.  Wow, how time goes so quickly and how quickly time changes many things. Today, I don't want to talk about how to save money (although a post on vacationing in NYC, taking a cruise and visiting Disney World on a budget is coming in the near future) or which exercise routine/meals (again, you will be reading about PiYo and my smoothie obsession in the coming weeks) I'm currently enjoying.  Instead, I want to talk about family...MY family! Since my last post I have; lost my Grandpa Russell to cancer, said a heart wrenching "good bye" to our foster lovie Little Man A, and (just yesterday) buried my Grandpa Howell, who at the age of 91, died of complications from Influenza A and Pneumonia. However, we also gained Eve and Vera, my healthy and beautiful twin nieces who bring joy to everyone around.  And, as of today, we welcomed 12 day old foster baby Aidan (while his birth name is something different, this is...

I usually write about how to save, save and save some more.  How to save money on groceries and gifts, how to save time by making lists and staying organized, however...tonight I want to talk about something entirely different. As I sit here, next to my husband with our girlies tucked sweetly into their beds, watching the Bills play tonights "Hall of Fame" game, I can not help but feel overwhelmed by joy.  The joy of GIVING! For several weeks I've felt the desire to write about stewardship.  God confirmed this idea in a conversation I had with my dad, over coffee at Burger King this past Friday, about the passage in 1 Chronicles 29  where King David says that all (yes, ALL) we have comes from the Lord, and should be given back to Him.   There are two aspects of this that have had an amazing impact on our family that I am compelled to share with you.  The first is giving with our finances.  It was a mind opening experience when Dave and I fi...

Recently I've been asked, by several different people, to write a post about how I organize and keep my house clean.  I am often asked the question, "Does your house always look like this?" and the simple answer is...yes.  From my small bedroom at my parents' home, to my dorm room in college right up through the four homes Dave and I have lived in since we've been married, keeping my home clean and belongings organized has always been a high priority.  Whether I was a; student, working wife, working mom, and now as a stay at home mom, our home has always been orderly.  For those of you who know my parents this comes as no surprise to you.  I am, indeed, a product of how they raised me and my sisters! The fist thing, in my non-professional opinion, is to get organized.  Organization is the key to keeping your house clean.  Everything should have it's own place and everyone in your home should know where things belong.  Use; baskets, bins, totes, ...

Sorry it has been weeks since my last post.  We have been busy in the Wilson household. It's summer vacation and your kids are looking to get out and do something fun!  The problem is, what is there to do that's affordable?  The answer is, LOTS of things!  Here is a list of some places and activities I do with my girls to break up our days, get them exploring and help them learn new things. Let's start with all there is to do in our area that's completely free! Any of our public libraries.   Local playgrounds. Greater Rochester Airport  - My girls love to watch the planes take off and land. Lollypop Farm . Spray Parks in Rochester ,  Splash Park in Webster , and  Spray Animals with Swimming in Ontario . Town parades, carnivals and fireworks.   Sodus Point Beach Erie Canal Trail Mendon Ponds Park Rochester Art Center High Falls Museum Movies In The Park I know that memberships seem like a lot of money upfront but, the ...

I'm a planner. I'm a planner, to a fault. I make lists of the lists I need to make. Because I'm such a planner, I used to really over-think lunch. It's hard to come up with healthy lunch choices, when all the traditional kid lunches aren't as healthy as I'd like. And when it comes to my own lunch, I'm usually trying to grab something, while I'm doing 10 other things. Enter: BENTO!  Bento is essentially, small portions of several different foods. I keep my fridge stocked with healthy foods and then just pull a few things out at lunch time. My "usual" is cherry tomatoes, a hard boiled egg, half of an avocado, leftover grilled chicken, and a handful of spinach (or whatever leafy green I have on hand).  My son's usual is cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, some fruit, cheese cubes, and crackers.  Obviously, you can mix it up, any way you want. The variations are endless.  And since there's no cooking required, they're great for th...

It is the middle of May and the time for farm stands is upon us!  I wanted to send a list of the ones I enjoy visiting.  Some are in Wayne County and others in Monroe County.  Regardless of where you live, there's something in your area just waiting for you.  Farm stands/markets are the local and natural way of eating your fruits and veggies, plus they're less expensive than store brands and your supporting the local economy.  Please read Sara's post on  Love Your Farming Neighbors  for a good overview of farm stands and markets.   Schutts Apple Mill - our favorite farming neighbor! Chili Green Acre Farms Fairport Chase Farm Market Henrietta Gro Moore Farm Market Hilton Zarpentine Farm Marion Morgans Farm Market   Penfield Sunscape Farms   Wickham Farms   Scottsville Stokoe Farms Spencerport Whittier Fruit Farm   Walworth F R Amsler & Son   G & S Orchards   Long Acre Farms ...

It seems appropriate to write about exercise since I've officially lost 15 pounds and 2 inches in 123 days.  I have done this naturally and without spending any money.  I have an exercise routine of 30 min a day 4x a week and consume, on average, 1300 each day.  Of course, I do allow myself a cheat day once each week since  studies  have shown it helps you long term in creating healthy eating habits.  I am, by no means, an expert when it comes to diet and exercise.  I simply found this is what worked (and is still working) for me. I have always enjoyed the gym.  There's something invigorating about burning off stress while making your body stronger.  Most places we had memberships for were on the inexpensive side, but all that changed after our first child was born.  We discovered, very quickly, that if we wanted to find a gym that had childcare than we were going to pay...a lot...of money.  (I would like to give credit to the Ont...