September 2019 – Life with the Lawsons

September 30, 2019October 2, 2019

Toy Cleanup! From chaos to organized in 25 minutes!

Toys, toys, everywhere!

With five kids in my house and two of them younger than school age, we always have an abundance of toys! It can be such a pain to keep everything organized and cleaned up, and if I’m being totally transparent, on the weekends I don’t even try.

That’s why the 6 & 3 year old bedroom looks like THIS! No, don’t worry, there weren’t tornados in Arkansas this weekend, this is just what a few kids can do over the course of a few days!

On week days, I have a pretty consistent routine. We do our morning activities, play, and then pick up toys before nap. Then after nap, we play and do our afternoon activities, but we pick up toys before bed.

On the weekends, it’s pretty much a free for all and the kids feel the need to dump out everything they own!

This is why my Monday morning routine is so important! That is the day where I take the kids to school, do my usual morning chores, and then I clean the kids’ rooms so we have a good start to the week. By looking at those pictures, you’d think it’s hours worth of work, but it’s really not and it is all because of our toy organization.

Every single thing has a place. There are bins for barbies, bins for trains, bins for stuffed animals…and so on. With that being said, the after results aren’t perfect! Not even close! My end goal is a clean place with space for the kids to be able to play without clutter. My house is far from perfect and could use a good purge, but we try to keep it somewhat together!

Because each thing does have a specific place, I cleaned this entire room, changed sheets, dusted the furniture and fan in under 25 minutes and I’ll walk through how I did it!

First I start at the doorway on my hands and knees. I seriously use my hands and rake ALLLLLL those toys towards the closet!

Everything has been pushed to the closet!

Once I make my way to the closet, I can start with the closest items to me and I start putting each thing it it’s proper bin.

Although it looks like a lot, this part takes me around 5-6 minutes, depending on how much they’ve pulled out.

We use a bin like this for stuffed animals that is actually made for duck hunting, but it works great to hold our ever-growing pile of stuffed critters! A hamper, pop up bin, or anything would work. Just find something that will fit your space.

We also use one of these shelving units with canvas bins for toy organization. It isn’t very expensive, easy to assemble, and keeps items separated by type.

I also keep a basket next to me and if I find anything that doesn’t belong in this room, I toss it in the basket and will distribute where it all goes after this room is done.

My little “helper” pulling out what I’m putting away!

After the toys are put away, I strip the beds and spray with Odo-Ban, sprinkle with a little lavender baby powder, and put clean sheets on.

I then dust the fan and furniture and vacuum.

ALL DONE!

In less than 25 minutes! Nowhere close to perfect, but perfect enough for this wild crew!

Truthfully, I probably shouldn’t take this long, but I had a little helper who kept pulling things out as I put them away! Also, if I stuck to my week day routine during the weekend, there wouldn’t be such a mess on Monday, but for now this is what works for us!

(This post contains Amazon affiliate links to help you find items that I find useful and helpful in our home. When you purchase using these links, it helps fund this site at no additional cost to you!)

September 26, 2019September 27, 2019

Mamaw’s Fresh Apple Cake

With the onset of cooler temperatures, rainy and cloudy days, and hints of fall in the air, I have been craving all things fall and all the nostalgia that comes with it!

One of my favorite things to do on cool mornings is enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a piece of my Mamaw’s Fresh Apple Cake. It’s warm and filling and oh, so delicious!

This recipe is a favorite of many of my family members and I get lots of requests for it this time of year!

It’s a very simple recipe and very easy to make, but will impress folks every time.

I start by peeling and dicing my apples into small bits like this. (And saving the peels, cores and egg shells for my chickens!)

Diced apples for our cake, peels and cores for the chickens to enjoy!

In my stand mixer I use the whisk attachment to mix together the oil and sugar, and then add beaten eggs.

I mix my dry ingredients in my Mamaw’s sifter.

I love using my Mamaw’s tools & utensils!

I then switch attachments on my mixer and fold in the dry ingredients. I do this because this makes a very thick batter, and the whisk attachment won’t mix it well and it will just get clogged up.

Slowly fold in the apples and nuts.

I use a spatula to scoop somewhat evenly into greased bunt pan because this makes a very dense, thick batter. It won’t be perfect, but as it bakes it will even out!

Now it’s time to bake! In my oven it takes just under an hour. I would start checking this at about 45 minutes just to make sure it doesn’t over cook and dry out.

Let cool and dump onto a plate or cake dish.

Enjoy!

Fresh Apple Cake:

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups diced apples
1 cup of nuts (optional, I use walnuts)

What is your favorite fall treat? Comment below and let me know!

(I’m including a link to the KitchenAid Mixer I use. This one is on Amazon and is an affiliate link. If you purchase, I will earn a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you!)

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019

Homemade Laundry Soap

As a momma of five incredibly nasty…I mean precious children, laundry is a big deal. It’s always there! Even when I have tackled it all and the basket is empty, it’s a guarantee there will be something else dirty and waiting to be washed in less than 5 minutes!

Laundry soap is a big expense for my family…or it used to be!

Now I make my own laundry soap. It’s stronger and more effective than standard detergent and it works well in my HE machines and it’s way cheaper!

I’m sure that sounds like a huge undertaking but seriously it’s not at all! It’s super easy, takes me about 10 minutes, and lasts us more than a year, even after washing for our large family, plus sharing jars of detergent with some of our family members.

I start with a box of Borax, a box of washing soda, a bar of fels naptha laundry soap, a bar of zote, a pound of oxy clean, a container of fabric scent booster of your choosing, and a box of baking soda.

I use a hand grater to grate my bars of soap into flakes, and this does save money with a small time investment and a little elbow grease, or you could forego the bars of soap and add soap flakes.

I pour all of the ingredients into a large plastic container with a lid and shake and stir until well incorporated.

(this fancy one used to hold those nasty little cheese balls my kids love!)

For a high efficiency washer with normal clothing, 1 tablespoon is enough for a load. If the clothes are heavily soiled, I will use 2 tablespoons and add some color safe bleach.

I also use vinegar as my fabric softener to cut costs and it disinfects the clothing and leaves them soft and smelling clean!

Ingredients:

1 Box Borax
1 Box Washing Soda (I buy THIS combo from Amazon when I’m pressed for time and don’t want another trip to the store!)
1 small box of baking soda
1 pound OxyClean
1 bottle scent booster crystals (I love how these smell!)
1 bar fels naptha soap
1 bar Zote soap

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. My referral helps you to easily find the products you need, and it helps finance the publishing of these helpful tools and tricks for you!

Have you made laundry detergent before? Share your tips with me in the comments!

September 23, 2019

Easy Three Bean Chili

I love chili! I love that warm and filling feeling that it has on my body and my soul, and I rank it as one of my top comfort foods of fall!

On a cold rainy weekend, for a football celebration, or even for a snow day, chili always wins!

I make chili with beef, deer, ground turkey, or ground chicken just depending on what we have on hand.

I brown my meat seasoned with cumin, fresh garlic, onion powder (because my husband had a huge dislike of actual onions), salt and pepper.

I drain the excess fat off of the meat and add in a couple of cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies (blended, of course, for my picky ones). Stir in your favorite chili seasoning and add beans if you’d like, or none if you prefer meat only chili.

My family loves a variety of beans so I will typically add in a can of chili beans, ranch style beans, and black beans (rinsed).

And that’s it! This can be simmered slowly on the stove top for an hour or so to incorporate all of the flavors, it can be cooked in an instant pot to speed up the process, or can be cooked in a crock pot all day.

I usually make a large batch of chili so I can save the leftovers for an easy meal later on. I have canned and frozen chili with success so whichever process works best for you will be much appreciated on a cold night when you want a quick and hearty meal!

I use my food sealer to freeze my chili. I fill the bag and vacuum seal, then lay flat to freeze so it is easier to stack in my freezer! When you’re ready to serve, you can thaw it in the fridge overnight and heat on your stove top, you can put directly into a crock pot to thaw and cook during the day, or you can put into an instant pot and cook from frozen and it will come out delicious every time!

I have also used my pressure canner to can chili and it tastes fresh and delicious when served.

Does your family like chili? Comment below and let me know your favorite ingredients!

Three Bean Chili Recipe

2 lbs. ground meat (turkey, chicken, deer, beef, etc.)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 clove garlic
1 can ranch style beans
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can chili beans
2 cans tomatoes with green chilis
2 envelopes of your favorite chili seasoning (I use Williams)

September 20, 2019September 20, 2019

Guacamole Live!

I love guacamole!

Anytime we go out for Mexican food, or when my girlfriends and I go out for margaritas, I always order Guacamole Live with our meal!

I have tried multiple times to make a good guacamole, and it’s always ok, just not quite what I want, and now I think I’ve figured it out! I have always bought seasoning mixes and tried various recipes, and they always come out good, just not great.

I really think I was overcomplicating it!

This week on Taco Tuesday, I wanted some good guac, but didn’t have any seasoning packets or special mixes, but I DID have some fresh ingredients I thought I’d try.

I used my pastry cutter to mash the avocados.

I diced up some jalapenos and serranos I grew in my garden, some leftover red onion I had for another recipe, squeezed in some fresh lime juice, and I diced some leftover cilantro from my salsa recipe.

That’s it, ya’ll! I was so easy and it’s my new favorite! I guess I was overthinking and over complicating the whole thing! (I tend to do that!)

Try it and let me know what you think!

September 17, 2019September 17, 2019

What is a homestead?

There’s a lot of talk going on these days about modern homesteading and the desire to be more self sufficient…but what is a homestead? If you’re picturing acres upon acres of row crops, grazing cattle, and roaming chickens you might be right…but not entirely. Homesteading is simply becoming a settler on a homestead…which is a house and it’s outbuildings. That’s it! So homesteading, in my mind, is simply making a home!

In today’s hustle and bustle, everything is super fast paced and tailored to convenience, which isn’t always healthy. Many of us are looking for ways to live more simply, more healthy and frugally. This desire fuels our modern day homestead!

My family lives on a very small homestead that is just under an acre that includes vegetable gardens, fruit trees, chickens, cats, a dog and five kids! We are always looking for ways to cut cost, improve our health, and become more self reliant. I love to share tips on gardening, raising chickens, cleaning and organizing, meal prepping on a budget, canning and so much more!

I love being able to share what works for our family, as well as hear new ideas on ways to make our home run as efficiently as possible.

What is your idea of a homestead? Comment below and let me know!

September 16, 2019September 17, 2019

My Momma’s Salsa

In many of my posts, I’m sure you’ll see me talk about my love of Mexican food, so here is one of the staples in my house that adds delicious flare to all of our favorite Mexican dishes!

It’s my momma’s salsa!

This is one recipe I know by heart and can make in my sleep. Anytime we are invited to a family gathering or cookout, I’m asked to bring salsa!

This recipe can be edited to make it spicier or milder, based on your taste. If you like your salsa with a spicy kick, use a fresh jalapeño and leave some or all of the seeds from your jalapeño in the mix. If you prefer a milder salsa, you can use a fresh jalapeño but omit the seeds.

If you’re using canned tomatoes, you can use a can of mild diced tomato and green chili and not use a fresh pepper.

This recipe is really versatile and can be made with either canned tomatoes or fresh, depending on what you have on hand. When I made the salsa for our taco bar this weekend, I didn’t have any fresh tomatoes so I used canned tomatoes with green chilis and it turned out wonderfully!

For this batch, I used canned tomatoes with green chilis

(If you’re using fresh tomatoes, I do recommend peeling them first for a smoother consistency. I have a super easy method I will share in a future post.)

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until the consistency you like! For super chunky salsa, it only takes a few pulses. For picky eaters like my crew, I blend until totally smooth!

I love to make this recipe in bulk and can it and have on hand anytime we like!

Ingredients:

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
2 Tbsp minced dried onion

3-4 fresh peeled tomatoes
1/2 – 1 small fresh jalapeño, depending on how spicy you’d like it
3 Tbsp of fresh chopped onion

AND

1 Tbsp cilantro or more to taste (I prefer fresh)
1 Tbsp whole cumin seed
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of garlic salt
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Good squeeze of fresh lime juice, to taste

September 16, 2019September 16, 2019

Easy Beef Enchilada Casserole

In our family, Taco Tuesday is a tradition that doesn’t often get bypassed! Even the pickiest of the Lawsons love Mexican food!

I usually brown some lean ground beef or even ground deer, turkey, or chicken and season with our favorite taco seasoning. I lay out a variety of toppings from shredded cheese, fresh tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, and any peppers we have ready from our garden!

I will steam some flour tortillas and everyone lines up and builds their own favorite creations!

Sometimes, in addition to our standard tacos, I will make homemade salsa or even some homemade enchiladas.

These enchiladas are wonderful and easy! They can be served fresh, or can be frozen in these handy aluminum pans with these lids for a quick and easy meal later!

18-24 Corn tortillas
2 pounds of browned Taco meat
1 large can Enchilada sauce (you can use canned, or homemade, my recipe is coming soon!)
3-4 cups Shredded cheddar cheese

This is super easy and so yummy!

Spread a small amount of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Layer tortillas, beef, shredded cheese and repeat until out of tortillas. Sprinkle more shredded cheese on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melty and bubbly!

September 16, 2019September 20, 2019

Make-Ahead Entertaining – Taco Bar

Who doesn’t love a good taco bar?!

Ya’ll, my family’s love of tacos runs deep, so of course, a taco bar is my go to menu when we have people over for parties, football games, or any other family gathering!

I love doing tacos because of the variety that pleases many tastes, as well as the ease and ability to prep everything ahead of time which enables me to enjoy the function instead of spending the entire time in the kitchen. Win win!

Here is a list of what I include:

Taco meat

Spanish Rice

Refried Beans

Black beans

Cheese dip (type recipe)

(I make these first five items ahead and leave in a crockpot on “Warm”)

I will turn my oven on very low and keep some crunchy taco shells there so they stay warm and fresh throughout the game!

I will also keep flour and corn tortillas set up with a steam rack and a pan of water simmering so we can steam a fresh tortilla before making a plate.

The day before I will grab serving bowls and fill with these toppings and cover so all I have to do is set them out right when it’s time to eat!

Guacamole

Sour cream

Shredded cheese

Lettuce

Diced onion

Sliced black olives

Roasted red peppers

Taco sauce

Fresh peppers from the garden

Lime wedges

My Momma’s homemade salsa

This is always such a hit with our family because it caters to such a wide variety of tastes. People can add as much or as little of the various toppings they like, and the leftovers are just as delicious the next day and it saves this busy momma from cooking!

Sometimes, if we are having a big crowd, or if I want to have more variety, I will thaw one of my make ahead Beef Enchilada Casseroles and serve as well!

What are your favorite taco bar items? I am always adding or taking away toppings based on our tastes at the time, so comment or message me and share your ideas!

September 13, 2019September 13, 2019

Raising Chickens: Getting Started

Bringing home baby chicks is such an exciting time! They’re so fluffy, tiny and oh so cute! If you have kids, they’ll no doubt be so excited they can hardly stand it, but as the momma, you might be a little nervous about this new venture. Let me reassure you…don’t be nervous!

Chickens are so much fun!

During the baby/child phase, or until they’re about 6 weeks old, you do have to pay pretty close attention to your baby chicks and make sure they’re happy and healthy. After that, they’re considered adults and can pretty well tend to themselves if they have a steady supply of clean water and food!

Here are a few things to pay attention to:

1. Handling:

During the first 24-48 hours, you’ll be so excited and will want to hold and handle your little babies all the time…but don’t.

Give them a little time to settle in and calm down after being transported to and from the store and home. Once this first couple of days is over, right the opposite is true.

Hold them all the time!

The more they’re handled, the more they’ll grow to love and trust you, which means they’ll be much easier to handle when you need to put them in their coop, vet them, or any other reason for handling.

2. Bedding:

The first couple of days, I use paper towel or newspaper. This prevents you handling your chicks unnecessarily and stressing them out! I will check on them every few hours a put a layer of paper down over any areas that have been soiled.

After the first couple of days, once we have started handling our babies, I will pull them out of the brooder and clean it well. I will put the soiled newspaper into my compost pile, wipe out the bottom of the brooder, and fill with pine shavings.

We have also used straw, and that works really well, but the pine shavings are much easier to scoop and clean, they break down easily in my compost, and I can get them cheaper. At our local feed store, I spend about $5 on a bag that lasts anywhere from 6-7 months!

I usually will scoop out any really dirty spots I see throughout the week and put into my compost, and I will clean it all the way out and replace shavings weekly.

3. Feeding:

What you feed your chicks is totally up to you, but I prefer to stay as natural as we can.

The first week, I only feed them unmedicated starter/grower feed.

Check your local feed store for what is available in your area. Purina has worked well for us and is available in most areas!

This first week will let you know if everyone is healthy and eating well, and if so, I start giving them treats like diced boiled eggs or vegetable scraps. The boiled eggs are also good to help perk them up if they are sickly in the beginning.

I also like to add electrolytes to their water for the first 6 weeks. There are special supplements you can buy, but I use products that we would eat. In a pinch, you can dilute some Gatorade or Powerade in their water, but ideally, you’ll want a healthier electrolyte source. I mixed my own and it was super easy!

Electrolyte mix:

1 c hot water
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda

Mix to dissolve and let cool. Add 1 tsp of liquid mixture per gallon of water.

If you have a baby chick that is acting lethargic or sleepier than the others, sometimes an electrolyte boost will help! I’ve even had to administer with a baby syringe and it worked wonders!

Once they’re a few weeks old, I like to give them a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. They eat far less commercial feeder, plus I feel like natural food is better! They also love to eat bugs and worms they find in our yard. We let ours roam free as much as we can and then lock them in their chicken tractor at night.

4. Overall Health:

Some baby chicks are easier than others, just like human babies!

I’ve had a baby die within the first 24 hours of being home, even after electrolytes and tender care. Sometimes it just can’t be prevented.

I’ve had other babies that never needed a single thing from me besides food and water…and I’ve had all the ones in between too!

The best way to make sure your babies are off to a good start is to visually check them over 3-4 times a day, or more, if time allows.

Check them to make sure they’re not pecking each other or harming each other.

Make sure they’re not sleeping more than the others or acting lethargic.

Check their butts! A pasty butt is what happens when soft baby poop sticks on the feathers and stops up their vent. This can be VERY dangerous for a chick. Imagine if you couldn’t poop!

Sometimes a simple, gentle wipe with a warm cloth will be enough to clean them up and get them pooping again, but sometimes they get pretty irritated. I’ve found that over the counter hemorrhoid cream will work wonders!

Just keep an eye on your babies if they get pasty butt because they could die if it’s not corrected.

5. Brooder:

Your baby chicks need a safe and very warm environment to live in.

Many places will try to sell you expensive brooding boxes and accessories, but really it’s not necessary.

Use what you have on hand!

My husband cut a few 2×4’s to create a barrier around the wall of a dog crate. We bought some new heat lamp bulbs for a clamp light we had on hand, hung a thermometer, and we were good to go!

Keep your chicks warm and they’ll be happy! Here is a little list of age appropriate temperatures so you can keep an eye on your babies, but their behavior will tell you a lot. If they’re huddling together under the lamp, they’re not warm enough. If they’re staying to the outer edges of the brooder and away from the lamp, they may be too hot! You can raise and lower your lamp to adjust the temperature for them.

Minimum temperature for baby chicks:

Week 1 – 90
Week 2 – 85
Week 3 – 80
Week 4 – 75
Week 5 – 60
Week 6 and beyond – they should have adult feathers and be able to regulate their own body temperature

Our babies are now 20 weeks old and I gathered our first two eggs this morning! They are like members of our family and they each have their own little personalities. I’m so glad we have them!

Do you have any tips to share about raising baby chicks? Do you have questions or suggestions about more information I can share with you? Let me know!