Who doesn’t like a good play dough recipe??
Basic Play Dough
Mix ingredients together. Add a few drops of food coloring. Heat with medium heat. Stir until play dough comes away from sides of pan. Let cool.
Want to follow the site on Facebook?
Look for the box in the lower right that looks like this:
and click “like”. 
Many thanks!!
Wow!
We finished most of our chores yesterday, as well as the “extras” I wanted to see done.
Today, we’re working on yet another list. I’m so ready to see some projects done here, but first we have to tidy everything up in our home.
For today, I’m focusing on the following:
Tutoring Jessica and Jacob on cooking breakfast for the family
School!
Clean off the attic steps
Dust/Polish/Vacuum house
Work on Emma’s dresses
(If I have time), work on Darby’s slips
Totally clean on, around and under my desk
Straighten tool closet
Order garden seeds for spring
Visit an elderly neighbor
Clean apartment kitchen bathroom
Clean another section of basement
Straighten, sweep front porch
Clean under little boys’ beds and vacuum, dust and straighten their shelves
Wash LR woodwork, door, and clean glass
Make a trip to drop off items at thrift store
Clean blinds in library
Plant additional vegetables
Post another month of archives on blog
Cut down dogwood tree in side yard
Cut broken limb off front dogwood tree
Have Matthew clean his portion of big boy’s bedroom
Wash sheets in the littles’ room
Clean under my bathroom sink
Wipe down food buckets
Fix curtains hanging in office
Look for missing pieces to bird feeder outside
Spray paint blades to the family room ceiling fan
Garden to be watered
Paint inside of cabinet above sink
Fold and place away laundry
Add dirt to herb bed
Move pansy to hanging basket
Left from yesterday:
Mail letters (they are written, just need to be placed in the mail)
Finish paint touch-up in LR
Straighten house for Paul’s arrival today
Finish cleaning the laundry room
Paul will be home from a trip today. Hopefully, we’ll have made progress by his arrival!!
Some quick pictures from Timothy’s birthday on Sunday:
Because his birthday fell on Sunday, we also took a cake to church. This one was really fun since it’s the first time we’ve worked fondant since our second cake course.
Courtney’s latest photos:
–Author Unknown
Courtney, is our resident cookie baker these days. She searches to find the best cookie recipes! This is a family favorite:
Chocolate Sugar Cookies (from the Martha Stewart COOKIES book)
Preheat oven to 375^. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high heat until pale and fluffy. Mix in melted shortening (or butter). Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until combined.
Using a 2 1/2″ ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4″ apart. Bake until edges are firm, 18-20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
We’ve been busy today.
Call it “nesting” or whatever…I have been seeing one thing after another that needed to be done. Here’s the list of what we’re working today:
Check Morning Chores
Pack Valentine’s Decorations
Pack Christmas Decorations (don’t ask…we’ve just had them stashed until I purchased Rubbermaid boxes)
Clean Backyard
Buy Chick Starter
Mail 2 Letters
School!
Remove Thrift Store Items From Schoolroom
Big Boys Need to Tidy Their Room
Straighten Locked Toy Closet
Re-organize Younger Children’s Hanging Clothing
Figure Our Clothes Dividing System
Clean Up End of Hall
Sort Meredith and Darby’s Folded Clothes
Sort Sewing Projects
Part of Basement Cleaned
Clean Top of Pattern Cabinet
Call About Piano Lessons
Price New Dishwasher
Take Pics of New Flowers
Blog (Which I’m Obviously Doing Now *smile*)
Post New Month of Archives
Order Replacement Books
Clean Out Changing Table
Decide on Dinner for Tomorrow
Touch Up Paint on LR Wall
Little Boys and Emma to Wash Hall Walls
Plant Mint
Straighten House
Sit Plants in Rain (it didn’t rain so we had to water them by hand)
Straighten Bottom School Cabinets
Laundry Room Needs to be Cleaned to Prep for Repair Work Paul is Doing Tomorrow
Post Ad for Mobile Home Sale
Work on Emma’s Dresses
Wash Baby Slips I’m Currently Sewing
Bring Baby Cradle Down From Attic (Hurray!!)
Clean Bottom of Bathroom Closet
It’s a little after 1 p.m. now…we’ll see how much we can get done. We’re going to give it our best try!!