What's Been Hiding in My Closet {and our weekly meal plan}

Half of my KCC stash for tomorrow's sale

I have been busy, busy, busy the past few days preparing for the Kid's Closet Connection consignment sale. I have been saving the kid's out-grown clothes, toys, and baby gear for the last year in preparation for this sale. This is my third time participating (our move prevented me from getting in on their last fall sale), and I love it more every time! Each Spring and Fall, Kid's Closet Connection holds several sales around my metropolitan area. Moms from all over price and tag their gently used kids' items, and drop them off at their local sale. KCC takes care of the rest, advertising (often on the news, etc.), and manning the sales. Consignors can even volunteer to help out in exchange for a KCC gift certificate. At the end of the sale you have the option to pick up any unsold items, or KCC will donate the leftovers to a charity of their choice. In addition to the obvious benefit of de-cluttered closets, consignors can earn a nice return on their time & item investmen--a whopping 70% of their sales, minus a small ($12.50) advertising fee.

I LOVE these sales because I make money, but they're also great for saving money. With over 200 families participating in each sale, there are SO MANY great deals to be found, whether you are just starting your family, searching for maternity clothes and baby gear, or are outfitting your middle-or high-schooler. First-time, foster, and military moms, as well as volunteers are allowed to shop the night before. And if you like their Facebook page, you can get an early-shopping pass and enter to win a $100 gift certificate! {Click here to find a sale in your area!}

Unfortunately, I have really procrastinated this time (which I swore I wouldn't do!), and I have about 200 items to prep and drop off tomorrow afternoon--my local sale starts Wednesday. As a result, I have slacked a bit with my dinner planning for this week. My parents watched our kiddos on Saturday so we could go out on our anniversary date, so I didn't get to the Mongolian beef last week. We'll be having that tonight. Also on our table this week will be:

• Spaghetti squash with some Aidell's sausage I scored at Costco last week
• fish tacos
• ground {grass-fed} beef tacos (I'll have these & the fish on top of a salad. Kids will have them deconstructed, and Hubby will eat them with tortillas.)
• Orange Chicken (I'll sub coconut aminos for the soy sauce)
• Blackened Skirt Steak BLT Salad

{I am in no way profiting from this post--unless you attend the sale & buy some of my stuff this week!--and KCC has no idea I was planning to write this post. Just wanted to pass on some great deals!} Have you ever participated in a consignment sale? What's on your table this week?

Today I'm linking to Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com and Menu Monday.

WFMW Bonus: Modest Middles {Giveaway!}

I know I already posted this morning, but I want to share this AWESOME giveaway with you. Life In a Shoe is giving away a Modest Middles nursing tank! This is a great way to discreetly nurse in public (or around your older boys!). Every nursing mom should have one. Check them out for yourselves or for the nursing mama in your life! Modest Middles nursing tanks work for me!

WFMW: Baby Wearing

Did you know that last week was International Baby Wearing Week? I have been meaning to post about wearing my babies, and thought this was a perfect opportunity. I'm not sure where I heard about baby wearing, but it was soon before Bubba was born. I had an uncomfortable Eddie Bauer front carrier with Sissy, but I do not consider that baby wearing. My first real experience was with a Moby-style wrap, and that remains my favorite. 

Baby wearing is great for getting things done when your little one wants to be connected to you 24/7, but you need your hands free. Many studies (& my experience!) have shown that babies who are worn are happier and cry less. (It can even help with colic! I wish my mom had one when I was a baby--sorry Mom!)

Baby wraps are great because one size fits most, and they are so comfortable! If I spread the fabric out over my shoulders, even with my 3 year old, I don't feel the strain on my shoulders or neck. And there are SO MANY was to wrap them, though the one in these pictures has been our favorite. A great place to go to learn about baby wearing is wearyourbaby.org. They show all kinds of baby wearing positions and techniques.

Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship posted some great videos of how to use a Moby wrap last week. I have yet to be successful at nursing in mine, but her vlog really helped me understand it better.

Of course, please take precautions when wearing your baby. Baby's head and neck should be supported by the wrap if he cannot hold it up himself, and baby should always be "close enough to kiss."

Baby wearing works for me!

WFMW: Colored Hampers

One thing I have not yet mastered as a mother is assigning and following through with chores for my kids. As a result, I have created much more work for myself, when I would rather spend that time playing with my kids. Once our new girls arrive, I plan on implementing a chore chart {again}, but for now I'm taking baby steps in that direction. I know that I need to get my kids contributing to the household soon, while they still find it fun. The chores that they currently enjoy include sweeping, mopping, washing dishes (with supervision) and sorting laundry. In an effort to simplify the laundry monster, I recently purchased color-coordinated laundry hampers. 

This is an idea I got from my mom when I was growing up, and I am so glad I finally did it. Now it's easy for the kids to sort their laundry. Lights (mostly blues/greens) go in the light green hamper, darks in the dark hamper, reds, pinks & purples in the red hamper, and whites (& beige sheets!) go in the white hamper. If the clothes are not put directly into the hamper (and end up on the floor), I make a pile in front of the hampers and we have a sorting party. Learning and cleaning at the same time works for me!

Our Family Closet {with HONEST pictures!}

When we were looking at houses to buy, one of my favorite features about this house was our closet. It has nice built-in shelving, and is HUGE compared to all of our previous closets. However, I did NOT plan on filling it as full as it is now!

I also liked Sissy's closet, which was also customized, but after a few weeks with clothes at her level, I knew a change was in order. Like many little girls, Sissy would change clothes fifty several times a day, leaving me up to my ankles knees in laundry if I ever stepped foot in her room.

So we tried out the family closet. Although I still have to pick kids' clothes up off the floor once a week or so, I find it's much easier to manage than 3 separate closets. I also like the simplicity of putting clothes away.  So here you go, in all of its cluttered-glory, our family closet:

On the top shelf are Bubba's pants and shorts, as well as some of my fabric stash (in the tote). You can't see it behind the door, but we have Ikea hanging storage compartments for Bubba & Sissy's underware, pajamas, etc. This side of the closet also hold's Bubba's shirts & Hubby's dress clothes.

The shelves on the left hold Hubby's computer books, some blankets, Hubby's pants, too-big clothes for the kiddos, Hubby's shirts & Budders' shirts.

Directly as you walk in the closet are shelves holding purses, our sock basket, the iron, etc. To the right are my tops, dresses, skirts, and Sissy's dresses and skirts.

And to the right are my maternity clothes (in totes), my coats, Sissy's tops and hanging compartment, Budders' clothes in the hanging drawers, and the changing table, which houses our cloth diapers. With the exception of Sissy's undies, this is how I found the closet when I went up to take the pictures. It's not completely organized, but I love it--a family closet works for me!

WFMW: Chicken by the {BOX}

When you have a large family- or just feed a lot of people- you're always looking for a good deal. Last year, around the time we ordered the cow, I discovered Zaycon Foods. Zaycon Foods cuts out the middle man and brings you farm-fresh (never frozen!) chicken, bacon, and fruit for less than you'd pay at the store. Their service is not for everyone. You need to have space to store your {frozen} chicken, and you have to do some prep and portioning, so it's a bit of work. The chicken comes by the {40 lb.} box, and is "100% natural with no added hormones, additives, or artificial ingredients." I know this still is not the healthiest chicken out there, but at this point, and with our growing family, I can't afford to purchase free-range birds. For us this is the next best thing.

Right now Zaycon is having a giant boneless, skinless chicken savings event in all 48 continental states! I'm not sure how much the prices and dates vary from state-to-state, but I am ordering my chicken breasts for only $1.49/pound! I wish I had a picture to show you. I promise I'll document it this time!

If you're at all interested, hop over to the Zaycon Foods site, register, and see when they will be in your neighborhood. Buying quality chicken at a great price works for me!

Disclaimer: While this was not a sponsored post, I do earn $1 (toward future chicken!) for every event you purchase from if you register from my link or with the referral name "Klein Haus Chaos".

Our Apple Orchard {& PIE!}

Okay, so maybe it's not our apple orchard, but it's where we pick our own organic apples! This was the second year that we've gone, and we plan on making this a yearly tradition. I shared yesterday about Date Creek Ranch and their yummy beef. Today it's about the apples! We loved visiting the apple orchards while we were stationed in Nebraska, and when we moved home, I thought that was one thing we would be missing out on. Needless to say, we were very excited to see this:

I'm all for seeing where our food comes from, and it doesn't get much better than organic apples for $1/pound!

All of these pictures are from last year. 

Because of course we forgot the camera this time.

 Last year we went toward the end of the season. Our fifty pounds of apples made some yummy pie, applesauce and syrup, but were a little tart to eat fresh. This year we made it up there the first weekend, and that made ALL THE DIFFERENCE!

 Thirty-seven pounds of delicious apples! I made a small crockpot full of applesauce (peel and quarter the apples and turn on low for six hours or so) for the kids, the rest of the apples that we didn't eat were turned into Dutch Apple Pie! 

Not quite the same as what we bought in Julian, but excellent nonetheless.

Dutch Apple Pie

Crust: 

1 1/2 c. flour

1 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. oil (I prefer coconut, but whatever floats your boat)

2 T. milk

Mix together and press into pie pan.

Filling:

6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. flour

Dump sugar and flour over the apple slices and mix gently. Pour into pie pan.

Topping:

1 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

Mix flour and sugar, then cut in butter until it's crumbly. Bake at 375 for about an hour or until a knife slides in easily. Best served with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream, preferably homemade.

Picking our own organic apples works for me!

WFMW: Vacation on the CHEAP!

This summer we finally took a real vacation! We spent 5 days and 4 nights in San Diego County. My parents, 2 of my sisters, Hubby, Sissy, Bubba, Budders, Baby F, a friend who hitched a ride to see his grandparents, and myself all piled (with our bags!) into our 12-passenger van, and headed west.  So I ask, how many hotel rooms to you have to rent for 4 adults, 2 teens and 4 kids?! Our answer: zero!

I was overwhelmed and frustrated when I checked into the cost of hotel rooms or vacation condos in San Diego. Not in our budget! Fortunately, I knew where to look: vrbo.com. Instead of just searching near the attractions, I searched all of San Diego County, and found a great deal in the quaint town of Julian, CA. We rented a 3 bedroom house (with pull-out beds in the loft and living area, as well as a half-bath/laundry room perfect for Baby F's pack'n'play) for much less than we would have spent on hotel rooms! We also saved money cooking our own meals in the fully-stocked kitchen instead of eating out. We enjoyed exploring the 15 acre property, playing on the playground, and exploring downtown Julian, known for their delicious apple pie. And we only had about an hour drive to the beach and Sea World! For a large family on a budget, Vacation Rentals by Owner works for me!

Sissy & Bubba playing on the playground near the house

Hubby searching by the creek for berries

My boys panning for gold

Swinging with Sis

Gold panning with Daddy--pans were provided 

Grandpa helping Bubs pan

WFMW: Shopping with a Purpose

If you know me very well, you know that I support The Mercy House. It is such a blessing to not only watch God transform lives around the globe, but to be a part of it!

The Mercy House reaches out to young pregnant girls in Kenya who would otherwise likely turn to backstreet abortions. This maternity home cares for the girls and their babies for a minimum of two to four years, educating and teaching sustainable skills so the girls can support their families. They provide a safe house, nutrition, prenatal care, counseling, and-most importantly-discipleship.

There are so many ways to help, but my current favorite is to shop Mercy! If you are on my Christmas list (does anyone else start shopping in September?!), don't be surprised if you find some of these under the tree:

These are made by the girls at the Mercy House, and the girls earn 25% from each item that is sold to help them start a business or further their education once they graduate from the program. You can even help by sending in your discarded magazines for them to turn into more beads!

Shopping with a purpose works for me. Will you join me in shopping Mercy this year??