Teacher gifts

With the school year coming to a close. I'm always looking for a nice, easy, affordable teacher's gift to thank Bubba's teachers for putting up with him (though I'm told he's an angel most days). Check these out:

What I did was take a washcloth that I knitted, fold it in a triangle and then wrap it around the top of a Dawn Dish soap that I picked up from the Dollar Tree. Who doesn't need dish soap or new wash cloths?

What are some of your ideas??

Chicken Stock

I love chicken stock. I mean seriously, I think there is something healing about it. It's just plain old yummy!

And the best part is, it's super easy to make. I mean, crazy easy. I take my bones, leftover from a chicken roaster or the $5 rotisserie chickens, toss them in the slow cooker, cover with water, turn on low, and let it sit for a day or 2. Strain, add more water and repeat. Seriously, I find that I can get about 4-5 slow cooker's worth of stock out of 1 set of bones. 

Talk about getting bang for your dollar. I freeze it in yogurt containers, then thaw when I'm ready to use. Our favorite application (other than soup) is for rice or Polenta....mmmmm.....Yep good stuff, and like no work.

Sometimes I even add my vegetable scraps to the slow cooker as time goes and I prep food at home. Onion ends, carrot peels and tops, celery pieces....the sky's the limit and it just adds to the flavor. This is one of my husband's favorite uses of the slow cooker. When we run out of stock he instantly asks when the next time we are having chicken it :) 

First Hair Cuts

As a mom of boys you wouldn't think this is a tough subject, but let me tell you. It's HARD. I mean the first hair cut is almost like a right of passage or something. I feel like after that haircut I move from mom of a baby to mom of a toddler, even if he has been toddling around for months now.

But seriously, the kid changes before your eyes. Trouble went from baby, with cute little baby curls, to toddler. I mean I think he grew about 4 inches. But it was time. The kid is almost 18 months old and I really put it off long enough.

Check out that curl!

Sooo much hair!

Moms of boys, how long do you put off haircuts? Am I just overly sentimental (I know I am, this is totally rhetorical).

Pancakes...

Bubba has a love of pancakes. Not just any pancakes...chocolate chip pancakes. I mean seriously. He LOVES them.

I wish I could say that he loves them because he love my recipe (I gave up pancake mix 5 years ago), but no. I know the truth. He's a chocoholic, just like his momma. Yep....Here is what happens when you go to change a diaper and turn your back for 5 minutes...okay 10, it was a pretty messy diaper.

Happy Monday friends. Hope you got a nice smile.

My pancake recipe. Mix each ingredient in the order listed then rest the pancake batter for 5-10 minutes (if you can wait that long):

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1 egg
1 T oil
1 c flour (1/3 wheat, 2/3 white)
1 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Labels

So it's really important to read your food labels. Not just to know what is in your food. But to be aware of the portion size. I know this. I practice this. I've had a lot of success losing weight with this. But today in my haste I overlooked this small factor. Ahhh well. Wh

Snow Days

Snow Days. The bane of my existence. When did these days of childlike joy turn to dread?

When my child was enrolled in school.

I'm sure your asking yourself why? I mean my children are perfect angels all of the time, right?? Insert sarcastic laugh here.

I have learned to love and look forward to my afternoons with only one child at home (who naps most of the time). And as much as I truly LOVE my 4, almost 5, year old, I love him at school...He has a zest for life, and energy that sometimes just wears me down so quickly when we are cooped up in the house due to unfavorable road conditions. And heaven forbid I send him out in the neighborhood alone....a topic for another day.

That's one reason snow days in our house have been nicknamed Preschool Mom Days. I need to focus his energy on something positive. Not to mention I hate the idea of him losing an entire day (all 2.5 hours of it) of learning. Typically it's no where near as long as his normal preschool time, but I've found that he loves these set aside times. And this week he actually requested one of our activities, a repeat from last year.

Preschool Mom Days typically consist of a few different activities, some of them building on skills I know he is learning in the classroom. Cutting practice. Writing practice. Workbooks. Story books. Science experiments. Art projects. Baking cookies. All are fair game. I've found that Pinterest is my best friend on these intentional fun days.

Here are some highlights of our most recent Preschool Mom Day. Hopefully you could be inspired ;)

Popcorn Dancing

We mixed water with baking soda and added a few kernels of popcorn then added white vinegar and watch the magic happen. I was skeptical at first as the kernels didn't do anything, but once we tapped the sides of the container the kernels started dancing. Both Bubba and Trouble found it pretty interesting.














Writing Practice

This was fairly straight forward as we used a writing mat and he traced all the letters that he's learned in school thus far and the letters in his name. Just once, but that seemed to be enough and he was pretty proud of himself and enjoyed showing off his new skill.

Bathtub Art

We used shaving cream mixed with food coloring and just let the boys go to town, Bubba enjoyed this a little more that Trouble, but they both enjoyed the bath afterwards (a major perk for me). This was the requested messy activity.



How do you survive a Snow Day?

Freezer Meals

     This coming week I have the pleasure of going to a freezer meal exchange. Tonight was prep night. Funny that I made dinner to freeze and the family enjoyed leftovers. Guess who still got stuck cooking and cleaning up after cooking...yep...this girl. But let me tell you how seriously awesome this is. IT ROCKS! Why? Because I do the work for 1 meal, double...errr...quadruple the recipe, and I come home with totally different meals, that I didn't have to prep. Plus I can buy all my supplies in bulk. And as the holidays are coming on us that is one less meal a week that I have to stress about, and I think we all could use a little less stress around the holidays.
     So how does this freezer meal exchange work? Well, My group takes a count of how many individuals want to participate, and then you make that many meals, freeze in 1 gallon Ziplock bags, and meet for some well deserved mommy time out while you exchange your meals. Easy-peasy. There are other ways of doing it, but this works for us and our group number.
     I believe the toughest part is deciding what you would like to make and can afford to make for a group. Last time my meals worked out to about $10 a meal. Not too bad. And the seriously great part is that you get to try out all sorts of different recipes without having to do much of the work. Some are home runs for the entire family, some are not. And that's part of the fun.

 So here are some tips I have for you:

1. When making a large quantity (in other words multiplying your recipe by 8-10) try to do your mixing in the bag of each individual portion. Less dishes, and lets be honest, I do not have a bowl big enough to mix 20 cups of rice, nor a spoon strong/long enough.

 2. Make something that you know your family will like. That way you know you have at least 1 meal that your kids will eat.

 3. Freeze your bags flat or folded in half. It takes up less freezer space that way, and folded in half is easier to put into the crockpot when the meal is frozen. Also freeze with cloth between the bags so that they don't stick together.

 4. Make sure that you can read your label. Either print the directions onto stickers or double bag and slide the instructions in between the bags if your food is dark (I learned this lesson the hard way when I made Mexican chicken rice bowls and just wrote on the bag with brown sharpie...oops). It's okay to write with sharpie, just make sure that it will be easy to read with the color of your food. And on that note, label before you fill the bags. Trust me on this one.

 5. Don't be afraid to try something new. It's good for you and good for your family.

 6. Make an extra if you can. That way you are set and prepared for when you are taking a meal to a friend after surgery or having a baby or whatever hardship may befall someone in your life.

Oh and on a side note: A rotisserie chicken from Costco yields about 4-5 cups of chicken...yep...my family will be eating a ton of chicken in the future. Praise God it freezes!

Are you inspired to try this out with your friends?

Christmas Simplified

Tis the season. I don't know about you all, but we are inundated with lots of ads, commercials, flyers, you name it, telling us and our kids what we need for Christmas. I seriously think my 4 year old wants everything he sees. Seriously. While watching TV in the afternoons, he'll see an add for Barbie and tell me "Mommy, I need that." Oh to be 4. Well, a few years ago, my husband and I decided to "simplify" Christmas. We decided to combat the consumerism that drives the holiday season that we had had enough. Christmas is about so much more that getting, and even giving gifts. So we set out for a way to still enjoy some of this giving to our child (now children), but tame it down. I'm sure you know what I mean if you have a child, because man, my son's first Christmas it looked like Toys R Us threw up under our tree. And he was seriously done after opening about 2 gifts. So we decided to nip it in the bud early, that way he wouldn't know the difference as he grew up ;) So, with the help of Pinterest we came up with our new tradition, 3 years strong in our house. Christmas Eve we exchange a new set of PJs. For everyone in the family. Why not wait until Christmas morning you ask? Well, this way the entire family has on fresh, CLEAN pajamas on Christmas morning for pictures and whoever may be stopping by. Plus, I don't know about your family, but mine relishes the PJ Day. A day where all you do is hang out in your PJs. All. day. long. Yep, best day ever, plus it cuts down on some laundry ;) Then Christmas morning the kids get something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. A Santa gift, which is usually educational. A gift that the boys pick out for each other. And their Christmas stockings, filled with snacks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bubble bath, and a few knickknacks. Then we do a family gift. One for each child to unwrap. Usually a movie and a game to watch and play together. Done. I find that my oldest really only plays with a few gifts anyhow and sometimes he would rather play with his old toys. Not to mention grandma and grandpa are really good at loading him down with toys, and we really want to simplify. What do you do to simplify the season?

I'm back :)

It's been quite a while, and man has my life ever changed. Funny that I am picking this up again when my second child (Trouble) is in about the same stage as my first was when I stopped writing on this blog. Recently, since about the beginning of October, I have felt a pull, small tug at my heart, to start blogging again. Maybe it's the crazy roller coaster of events in my life right now, and my desire to sort through my feelings. Maybe it's the craziness of taking care of 2 little wild things, AKA boys. Maybe it's the change in my life from working mommy to stay at home mommy (a job I feel blessed to be able to do). But whatever it is that is calling me back to my random blog after a few years of not working on it, I'm here, more scatterbrained than ever, and with way less time than before (who knew that littles demanded so much of your time and energy? I say this as trouble is currently throwing his lunch on the floor to make me pay for putting him in his high chair as I try to remember my password to log onto this thing). But most importantly, I'm here. I don't plan on picking up from where I left off. Mainly because I am not the same woman I was back then. I have learned so much about myself and life since then, and it would be a shame to try to be a previous me when I am so happy being the current me. And isn't that what we should all be doing? Growing, changing, learning from our past mistakes and successes so that we can ultimately be the best versions of ourselves? See you all soon :) I say that like there are really people reading this. Maybe someday soon there will be :)

The state of our Union

It is a sad day when we face a shut down of our government. I don't want to get all political, so I won't because I can truly say that Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, Independent or whatever you want to call your political views, it is sad that we live in a country where we continue to push back what is needed to be done. Had the budget been finished when it was suppose to we would not be facing this scary time in American History that we are facing today. I am ashamed that no one is stepping up to the idea of a compromise, but rather focusing on pointing fingers and saying "It's not my fault." I only pray that our country learns from this, and creates backups so that this does not happen in the future.

As a military wife, who has a husband overseas, I am scared beyond measure. But I know in my heart that God will provide for me. He never gives us more than we can handle, and my hope is at the end of this dark moment in our history we will all step into the light stronger, resilient, and ready to face the future, with some new lessons learned.

I was reading many blogs, discussions boards, and friends Facebook statuses today. We all have lessons to learn, and for me the most profound post I read was found on the Wives of Faith Page (and in my inbox). So in answer to their request, I leave you all with this, and know that I will be praying for each and every person out there. That we may set aside our differences and come to a place where we can agree and compromise, to be able to take care of not only our military, but everyone who is affected by this shut down.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Jesus Christ" Philippians 4:19

Meal Planning Monday, Week 2

Sorry it's been so long!! Here's what I'll be eating this week :)

Monday: Hot Wings with Broccoli (IF you want to make your wings at home, buy some wings, bake at 450 for 40 minutes turning once then coating in your hot sauce, I promise I won't stear you wrong, the wings are so tender and juicy this way).
Tuesday: Mannacotti
Wednesday: Chicken on a salad (You can use leftover wing meat)
Thursday: Salmon with sugar snap peas
Friday: Pizza (homemade or store bought)
Saturday: Burgers with fries
Sunday: Quiche (Toss in all your leftover veggies and meats from the week. This is a great clean the fridge meal).

Resolution Foods, #3 Chayote

What in the world is this crazy food I found? As I was walking through the produce section at my commissary I came across this vegetable, at least I assumed it was a vegetable it was sandwiched between the peppers and the cucumbers. For a whopping $0.69 and a resolution to keep, how could I resist? After google-ing, I learned that Chayote is a gourd that can be eaten raw or cooked. It is also full of amino acids and vitamin C. How could I go wrong? I elected to cook it after tasting it and finding it to be quite bland, though it would be a nice crunchy addition to any salad.

After cutting it open and slicing it up, I just had to taste it. I agree with the Internet on the bland flavor and would say that it has a texture of a pear and apple combined. IT wasn't bad, but I wouldn't want a bowl full of it either. After reading may recipes I decided to treat it like summer squash. I sauteed it up with some garlic, salt, pepper, and a little bit of red chili flakes for heat.

It was scrumptious! It had a slightly sweet taste to it and paired well with my salmon (even it my plate wasn't as colorful as I usually like). This may just become a more regular part of my diet!

Jamey Long book review

I can honestly say it is rare for me to ever win anything! And recently I won a free book from a local blog :)

Let me say that I LOVE books and am determined to foster a love of books into my son. So I was excited when I was allowed to pick any one of a series of books by author Jamey M. Long.

Long writes children's books, starring a possum named Opie. Opie introduces children to historical events and different holidays in a fun and creative way. It was difficult to pick a free book and I'll be honest I came home with 1 other book and intentions on picking up a few more (the books were autographed, how could I refuse).

I got the book pictured here as my free book and was excited to get home with Bubba and start to read. I loved how Opie overheard Noah talking with God, being told to build an ark. Opie decides to help Noah by gathering the animals in the forest. The pictures were wonderful and the story correlated well with the Bible.

And if Bible stories aren't for you, there were other adventures Opie went on as well. The 2nd book I picked up was A Possum's Pirate Tale and His Pieces of Eight (Pirates are huge in our house, more the Hubs than the Bubs). These are books that will grow with Bubba and are definitely worth the read!

Time

My goodness time flies! You know that saying, time flies when you're having fun? Well, I'm convinced time flies whether you're having fun or not. Bubba and I have been keeping ourselves busy! He's wearing me out! Toddlers sure do have a lot of energy! Hubs is still stateside, which is a blessing and a curse (if you are a military momma I'm sure you understand that). We were all home on leave a few weeks ago, which was mostly good. My job hunt is going no where :( But I've decided that I am going to try my hand at selling Pampered Chef (why not right? What's not to love about earning free products, and can I just say that I desperately need some new frying pans).

Bubba has been going back and forth between 1 and 2 nap days, which is driving me crazy! It's so hard to plan any activities when I can't predict what kind of day it's going to be. Example, today we were planning on going to a local bookstore for their story and craft time at 11. Well, wouldn't you know, Bubba decided at 1015 that it was nap time. I didn't have the heart to wake him, maybe we'll try on Friday.

I find that as we enter Toddler-dom I am yearning to start taking Bubba to more and more activities. Not to mention taking on a few myself (Pampered Chef Party anyone?). With summer around the corner I want to spend lots of time outside! I've been looking into Stroller Strides. I've attended a few classes when visiting family and I love it! There's a class offered twice a week about 25-30 minutes from me which I am seriously considering once MOPs ends...okay, I'm excited...maybe once the tax return hits. There's story times offered all the time at local libraries, and then there are a bunch of mommy groups I'd love to join. Nothing like keeping myself busy!

How do you balance the desire to get involved without over scheduling yourself?

Aghhh!

Wow! Time really can run away with you when you get busy! I am sooo sorry!!! Bubba is doing much better now that the bug has passed, and now he has picked up a cold mixed with allergies and I'm sure some teething thrown in there!

We did family pictures today as we are starting to prepare for daddy's deployment :( So, if you don't see me around here for another few weeks I'm enjoying my husband. I hope you can forgive me! And if you do, don't be suprised if it's very sporadic (when Hubs is out working out, trying to lose weight for an upcoming weigh in).

So, some things I learned from Bubba's illness.
1. You can never push too many fluids.
2. Popsicles are wonderful! Though they do come out the same color that they go down.
3. Jello jigglers weren't my best idea (they count as a liquid and I though they would add some variety.
4. Pedialyte is not for every baby (and is super expensive).
5. Chair covers are great for washing out vomit.
6. Wash all vomit out of clothes, sheets, blankets, ect . at the END of the day, not as you go.
7. More than 2 sets of sheets would be nice.
8. There is nothing worse than baby vomitting and then wanting to cuddle up to you in the puddle of vomit on your shirt.
9. Showers and baths are wonderful!
10. Nothing is worse than watching your baby suffer!

Train him Early

Since I've already shared some of our dorkiness, I thought I'd share my husband's second proudest moment in the last few weeks.

Bubba discovered the PS3 remotes. He's even figured out how to turn on the machine.

I think it's more the buttons than anything, but he is fascintaed with the controller. Only a few more years and I'll be limiting the time he spends in front of the tube playing some Star Wars games with his father (Lego Star Wars anyone?)....I am so not ready for this!

Alive

Just wanted to stop by and say that we're alive. I apologize for the lack of posts, we've been fighting a virus that has Bubba going through about 3 outfits a day, mixed with a trip to the ER and doctor's office. My first priority is as mommy, so we've been enjoying the cuddles and trying to keep down fluids this week. Hope everyone is doing well.

Resolution Foods, #2 Curry

I'll be honest, curry is something that's always scared me. I can't explain why. I think it's because when I heard curry I always thought it would be spicy. And yet this month I decided to conquer my fear. I tackled curry...and without a recipe...

Okay, so it's not a true curry. I am well aware of this, but I really have been wanted to try out this spice (especially since I saw Ina Garten use it here). And Hubs can be a human food disposal (seriously, you should see the eggs he makes), so if I screwed up he'd eat it anyhow (probably over eggs).


Let me start by saying "IT WAS GOOD!" It wasn't spicy the way I'd envisioned it. It had a warm smell about it. But not a heat. When I opened my container, I was shocked at how good it smelled!

So I sauteed up some peppers and onions in some EVOO with a little S&P (salt and pepper).

And cheated when I made my rice.

Then added the Curry to my Chicken which I sauteed cut into little strips.

The chicken turned out tender, so I shared it with Bubba. He seemed to enjoy it too! Now maybe I'll have the courage to try that soup!

Seperation Anxiety

We have been dealing with a lot of separation anxiety since Bubba was about 7-8 months old. It seems that every time I leave him he screams (he is quite a mommy's boy). He would cry on and off the entire time I would be gone (or so I am told by the nursery workers at church and the MOPPETs volunteers). This anxiety has caused us many problems, to the extent of changing churches (another story entirely).

I read that this is just something that needs to pass. To deal with it with a lot of patience (and prayer) and love.

But once he was almost 12 months old, it seems we have turned a corner. He still screams bloody murder when I leave (and clings to my shirt for all he's worth), but he then adapts. He is fine. At church this past week I didn't think we'd be able to leave him for 2 hours (Sunday School and the service). So after Sunday School, Hubs and I crept to the window of the nursery and peeked inside. What did we see?

Bubba playing with the other little boys, no tears, and no notice that we weren't there! What a relief that this phase might soon be over!

First Light Saber

Okay, I'll admit it. Hubs and I have a touch of dork-dom in our lives. We are (read him more than me) big Star Wars fans. Hubs is so excited for Bubba to grow up so that he can share this passion with him. Actually, I am convinced that Hubs will be crushed if Bubba decides to like anything else (and if he ends up a Trekkie my husband's world will crumble). While I was off on some mommy time, Hubs took Bubba to Target. Of course he couldn't leave without buying something...

You would have thought it was a national holiday in my house.

I had to properly document the occasion.

At least Bubba seems to enjoy it :)