Its in the Bag

Or should I say the Boat & Tote!  Here I have a few pictures of ways we currently use our Boat & Totes, plus a list of ways we have used them in the past.

-Picnic bag
-Children's books
-Family gift
-Car tote
-Library books
-Mobile bill paying station
-Helmets (when we were younger)
-Bedside tote with books, flashlight etc.
-Mail bag. If it comes in, it goes in the bag
-Child paraphernalia, you know what I mean!

Now for the pictures...

We use three medium totes as school bags for the girls

And like everything in our house, they are color coded.

They are just the right size for their books and pencil boxes

We use extra large totes as laundry hampers. 

Color coded too! Each kid has one and then brings to the laundry room.

This large tote is a mainstay in the car.

It coordinates with the cooler perfectly.

 

The is what we call our "Travel Tote". 

A friend of Mom put the names of the places we have traveled to on it.

And this is my pink collection.

I use my medium for magazines. Southern Lady, Southern Living, Real Simple, Tea Time, Paula Deen, and believe it or not,  The Hockey News.

The small always holds my cross-stitch projects.

we use Boat & Totes for just about everything, even our bathroom tissue!

The medium holds 9 Charmin Family Rolls, in case you were wondering.

One last reason to love these bags...

Fabulous Friday Find+Giveaway!

Today I'm sharing and giving away an item that our home could not be organized without, L.L. Bean Boat & Totes!

These are absolutely indestructible, a must in a busy household.

We use them for everything, storing school supplies, carry-all for the car, corraling crafts and believe it or not, laundry hampers. I'll explain all of these next week with pics, but for now take my word for it, and enter because... I'm giving away 3 Medium Boat & Totes!

3 winners will receive a monogramed tote in the color of their choice!

How to enter:
Each person can have up to 5 entries. Please leave a comment for each entry.

1) Leave a comment and tell you favorite color tote and how you would use it
2) Follow "Southern Homemaking"
3) Like Southern Homemaking on Facebook
4) Share this giveaway on Facebook
5) Share on your blog

The winner will be selected using Random.org on Saturday March 3rd.
International entries welcome!

Fabulous Friday Find + My thoughts on Goats

I'm am SO excited about the incredible blog I have to share with y'all today!

Amy of Homestead Revival, shares stories about how her family is seeking to live a simplified life, and use more natural methods to be self-sufficient. There are sections devoted to Kitchen Organization, The Family Table, Gardening, Chickens, and my personal favorite Aprons.  But my favorite thing about her blog is the Scripture she has on the side, Titus 2:4-5 "...so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, love their children, to be sensible, pure, keepers at home, kind, subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored."

Delicious looking recipes...

Beautiful pictures of farm life...

The aprons, oh the aprons!

But to be honest goats just aren't my thing.  I'm a small town girl, not a farm girl.  To me, goats eat dynamite and then get lead out of town by Andy and Barney. 

But that's just me....

What I love about you

photo credit:Google Images

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I had so many wonderful plans for this week.  Lots of baking, sugar cookie hearts, cakes, you name it.  Then the oven decided to go on strike!  So for now I will have to commemorate Valentine's Day by writing about the people I love, instead of baking for them.

Dad, I love...
the way you provide for our family
your sense of humor
your commitment to the Lord's Word
your encouraging spirit
beating you at Monopoly

Mom I love...
your incomparable devotion to our family
all the inside jokes we share
your giving heart
your loyalty
our "big girl" nights

Brant, I love...
watching you become a man
your thoughtful gestures
the way you interact with children
your patience
plotting world domination together

Caroline, I love...
your quick wit
being your big sister
seeing you read your Bible
your constant energy
having you as a roommate

Lizzie, I love...
your sweet spirit
watching you be a "Mommy"
when you lip snyc
your dimples
tickling you

Abbey, I love...
your bubbling joy
the way you welcome me home
your vocabulary
the twinkle in your eye
your kisses

My Family, I love...
singing the Doxology at dinner
"Marathon Monopoly"
movie nights
cutting up together
changing the world together

I hope you have a very special day with your Valentine, if you have one or six.

10 ways to enjoy a sunny day

-Open a window, or pull up the blinds if you have allergies

-Sit by said window and read a book or drink in the beautiful day

-Play outside with the little ones, or big ones

-Turn on some "happy music"

-Take a walk and visit with the neighbors

-Wear a cheerful apron while doing your housework

-Change the sheets. Seriously, there is something so wonderful about putting on fresh sheets in a sun filled bedroom.  While wearing your cheerful apron!

-If the sun isn't coming in well, wash the windows

-Sit on the front porch with a glass of Iced Tea

-Before you go to bed, pray for more sunshine tomorrow!

My cheerful apron for today.  The fabric is called "Cherry Soda". It doesn't get much more cheerful than that!

Fabulous Friday Find

Thanks to my Mom and Paula Deen, I have the cutest find for y'all today!

Ladies, allow me to introduce to you The Sugar Diva!

Isn't this stuff flat-out adorable?  Cupcake toppers, liners, old-fashioned paper straws, be still my beating heart.

The straws are great by themselves, but....

Pair them with flags and labels, and they can't be beat!

And last but not least, the Baker's Twine, in 12 colors. I'll take one of each please.

Goals for 2012

Well the first month of 2012 is behind us.  Have you broken your New Years resolution yet?  If you haven't, give yourself a pat on the back! Statistics show that 58% of people break their New Years resolution after only one month. Statistics also show that 43% of statistics are made-up on the spot, not that is the case here...

All kidding aside, I really enjoyed reading about all of the goals y'all have set for yourselves, and  I sincerely hope that you achieve everyone of them.

I have been working on my list, and to be honest having some trouble.  There are so many things I want to do.  Thinking over this has brought me to my biggest goal this year.  More than ever before, I want to seek the Lord's will.  I realize that my time at home is ticking away, and I want to make every minute count.  I want to make sure that I am "redeeming the time".

I put some things down on a list and thought I would share them with you.

Goals for 2012
-Read through the Bible, and journal it this time
-Begin learning a new language
-Memorize Proverbs 31
-Visit a new state
-Redecorate the girls bedroom
-Listen more, talk less
-Focus and complete tasks
-Be a good role model for my sisters
-Go to a football game
-Read 24 books
-Celebrate my 20th birthday
-Redesign my blog
-Make memories
-Take on more responsibilities
-Start baking bread regularly
-Write a letter to someone I admire
-Learn to make French Knots
-Clean out...everything!
-Organize and inventory our massive DVD collection
-Organize and inventory our even more massive book collection
-Volunteer with 3 different organizations
-Send a care package to a soldier
-Write letters to people that have touched my life
-Watch a sunrise from the rooftop
-Start writing that classic movie guide
-Take a ballroom dance class
-Create a recipe section
-Buy red shoes
-Reach 100 followers
-Get my drivers license
-Run a race, any race.
-Visit an Art Gallery
-Cook one thing out of all the cookbooks on my shelf

Well that is my list. Now I'm off to finish it...after I finish this cookie!

Love y'all,
The Southern Homemaker