From Squatters to Dave Ramsey

Yesterday we decided to investigate a couple of properties so my motley crew hit Hutto and Georgetown.  The first directions made me question things a little as we had to pass a landfill.  The property, or land I should say, was nice.  It had lots of trees and backed up to a horse and goat farm.  This land is not restricted at all, pretty rare, so I continued on. I guess pictures are a good way for you to truly understand.

Keep in mind the list price is only $95,000 and it's 6 acres! I just wonder how much gravel roads flood???

Yep...that would be the front porch...squatters have taken residence here.  For someone who is a little bit of a sanitation freak this is quite alarming.  I immediately stared emailing and asking about demolition...how much it costs to tear down a house!!!

Then we ventured on to a BEAUTIFUL piece of land right off 35 on the San Gabriel River....I had the house mentally situated on the land but....

So this picture may not do it justice, but this property literally backs up to the San Gabriel River. You are right on the freeway, but there is enough land for it not to matter.  So here's where the BUT comes into play.  It is unbuildable, apparently the structure of the rocks/cliffs can not support a house or building.  Why is this even for sale and what do you do with "look" only land???

Needless to say I left feeling like poop....feeling like this is never going to happen.  God's timing is always so spot on even when I grumble.  Anyway, some sweet friends teach FPU (financial Peace University) and we had pre-planned a dinner meeting with them to talk about budgets, investing, and such.

The Shimps here encouraging us to take more control of our financial future so we can bless others too!  Love how God places just the perfect people in your path at just the right time.  I am not gonna lie...I cried and cried last night.  I make my own laundry soap and cut coupons but this new lifestyle scares me.  I am a free spirit and having to know where each dollar goes literally makes me feel like I am loosing a little bit of me in the process. Isn't that so jacked up..I mean we are called to be faithful with what he has entrusted us, but really...me....really...budgeting ever dollar?

...and there you have it.... Now I sit, pray, dream big and get back to life which is homeschooling, cleaning, cooking, loving, and knowing that this path has already been charted I just need to stay out of the driver's seat!!

The "Fixer"

We live in a wonderful house full of potential, but for the average buyer they have to see the beauty not just  imagine it, so with that said, we decided to start fixing up the house to prepare it for sale.  Last week the granite counters went in the kitchen and master bath.  We chose the "cheaper chicken" option which involves us handling the plumbing hookup and gas stove hook-up.  In theory it sounds like no big deal, but with new under mount sinks it changes the pipe setup.  4 days later we still have no range or plumbing in the kitchen and the master bath vanity is still not yet plumbed. In other recent discoveries...I found out I had been touching up the trim work with ceiling paint....explains why there was no shine on 1/2 the baseboards. I think we will have this home improvement stuff down just in time to buy another "fixer".  I will post official pictures of the remodel when there is a finished product.  For now enjoy the work in action shots....my hair is white from paint, my ears are deaf from the cutting of the granite in house, and my tummy is rumbling not having our kitchen!:)  No pain no gain right?

 demolition....can I just say I am so pleased that we opted out of doing that part.  That DIY would have spelled DISASTER!!

It was a snug fit...heavy job but looks great!

This was a 6 hour job ........

yep...the wrong paint I hope was a nice primer:)

Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day

In December we went to visit family and I was first introduced to this concept of pre-making bread dough that can last up to three weeks in the fridge.  It was super yummy and VERY budget friendly.  I saw the book though and it looked to wordy.  Again, my ADD sometimes overrules my desire to be all homegrown. Anyway, a couple months later a good friend mentioned that she too makes this for her family.  I boldly asked her to teach me and here go...easy peasy bread (4 pounds for $.75)....and again yummmmmmy!

instructions for olive bread we made into french boules and pizza dough


Here is a quick video with some helpful hints:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vcG4PpG1LcQ

Super talented and ever so fun Amanda teaching me the basics!!:)

Ready to rise now....

So I kinda forgot to take a final "tada" picture, so it was an "in transit" photo but we had rave reviews on the bread!!

Duggar Laundry detergent

One way we cut down on cleaning supplies is to make them.  Here is one of my favorite, price reducer, recipes.  I invited my friend, Noreen, over to help document the process.  It is really simple to make! The hardest part, in my opinion, is grating the soap into the pan to melt it!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

(Front or top load machine-best value)

Ingredients: 

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar*
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda**
½ Cup Borax

Directions: 

-Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Visit the Fels-Naptha website to find a store in your area that carries the product.
**Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Stirring and stirring and stirring our soap!

This is how the melted soap and water should start to look!  I wish you all could smell my house when I make this....could almost claim that I have been cleaning all day!

transferring to the 5 gal bucket

adding the borax and washing soda

This is how it looks as it sets up overnight.  When they say shake or mix before using, they mean it!

So, Shipley Donuts, sell their almost 5 gal buckets with lids for $1.  This is a great investment if you need to store bulk items...just saying:() This is 5 gal concentrate ready to go and should last me a year and all for a whopping $9!!!

DID Ranch??

So I told you all I had a crazy, insane, busy week...Right?  One of the things we did was check out some local listings on both land and homes.  It is going to be a HUGE change for us.  You see, typically you either get a big beautiful house OR land, not both and especially not both in our budget.  Actually, in our budget, we hope to find a functional house, or diamond in the rough as we like to say, with a great view.  Here is one that I would love to place on the contender list, but it is still priced pretty high and only 2 bedrooms...eeek...  Can you see the potential??

House on 5 acres, 1700 sq. feet but I mean super cool land and room to add on!

View from the porch...

This is my patience being tested I mean refined....;0 I somewhat hate waiting...just thought you might laugh at how I am growing through this process!:) I would be making an offer on something, anything really, but my husband is the stable one helping us make more logical and less emotional decisions!

Mom Heart Conference 2013

Ok So I am wayyyyy behind on posting to this blog, but with good reason.  It has been a busy busy week at this house and then I ended the week traveling to Dallas for the Mom Heart Conference.  Ya'll, the energy of 815 women that want to raise up the next generation of godly leaders is not even describable   It was super fun to worship, pray, and plan on how to be more intentional with our families.  We heard from Sally Clarkson, Sarah Mae, and a host of other speakers. I met bloggers, writers, pastor's wives, educators, moms, and friends all wanting to make an eternal difference.  Amazing amazing amazing is all I can say, and if you have never attended a Mom Heart Conference, you should plan on it!! 

Am I enough "country"?

So the thing about making a major lifestyle change is that there is room for Satan to try and convince you that you are not able to do all that you feel God nudging you to do.  Had you all known me in High school, you'd never have guessed that I would have 4 kids, be home schooling them at that, and desire to own farm animals.  No, you would have found me life guarding at a country club more concerned about how I looked in the lifeguard chair than actually saving lives.  I guess that's the fun thing about walking with Christ. He calls you out of your comfort zone, refines and shapes you as he deems fit.  His plan is generally not our plan but its a perfectly orchestrated master plan.  I guess if God can use Saul/Paul, someone I wouldn't have chosen as a disciple, then he can use me out on some acreage.  OK, I better get back to watching my Mission Impossible VHS tape on our TUBE television...who are we kidding I am backwoods crazy already!:)

Williamson, Travis, Burnet county oh my......

I have thoroughly exhausted my husband and potentially Pat, our real estate agent.  So for those of you who don't know me, I am slightly ADD and very free spirited.  That leaves some room for improvement when it comes to details and preferences on locations for this blessed land!  Here's what I have mentally corralled:
1. The property has to have at least 4 acres.
2. The property has to be unrestricted or have the potential to someday be rezoned as light commercial property
3. Water is a huge plus but so is the view
4. Proximity to major roads is critical as is the allowance of farm animals
5. A ready to move-in house would be ideal
6. Commute for my husband is a huge obstacle which then is moves this up on the ranking of priority!
7. This is gonna be so fun
8. Scratch number 7 as this is becoming a little more complex to coordinate.

This is just about when I start to dream about our goats, donkey ( which in my mind will be a faux pet horse), the free range farm eggs we will collect as part of the farm chores and how nice it will be to have land for the boys to shoot the sling shots at versus the neighbors house!

For now we are prepping our current house for sale in the open market.  It is a tricky balance of only buying what will resell well versus what I like.  This is code for champagne taste on a beer budget.  Monday, we have the granite guys coming to measure the counters of the kitchen and master bath for the final template on our order.  I wonder if I will like it so much that it causes me to want to stay in the burbs cause y'all, the houses in the country have yet to have granite or fancy upgrades.  That again may be that beer budget but trying to remain focused on finding the diamond in amongst the coal! OK, off to clean, research, and convince my husband this is gonna be so super stinkin easy to pull off...HA