 |
| Before beginning the Launch pad project |
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
My new Projects
Today I am going to start designing our families launch pad are area by out kitchen door. So far I have come up with an idea using old door knobs as coat hangers and possibly a large frame as a dry erase board and message center. I really don't want to purchase anything for this project, so I am going to go up to my attic area tonight and look for inspiration. If that doesn't work, then I get to go shopping at the area secondhand and antique stores to find some objects I can repurpose. (Don't worry I will be posting pictures as I complete the project)
Today I am also making up my weekly batch of pumpkin bread for our family and I am also going to try to make some pumpkin monkey bread that can be used on Christmas morning. I am hoping that I can freeze the monkey bread until Christmas Eve. Then all I will have to do on Christmas morning is warm it in the oven and pour a glaze over it. If it turns out the way I want it to it will be a perfect tradition for years to come.
Now that we are in our new home another new tradition I am starting is the Shelf Elf. We are going to have the elves show up this Saturday morning. That morning the elves will be surprising our family with a traditional North Pole breakfast. So I will need to go to the store and get some small powdered donuts, large candy canes, mini marshmallows and bottled Starbucks coffee. I plan on using recycled Starbucks coffee bottles to put milk in, then I will place the candy canes in them and thread some donuts over the top of the candy canes. With the marshmallows I am thinking of making a winter wonderland fruit salad.
I will post pictures and more recipes as the projects are completed. So stay tuned.
Winter wonderland Fruit salad (serves 8)
Today I am also making up my weekly batch of pumpkin bread for our family and I am also going to try to make some pumpkin monkey bread that can be used on Christmas morning. I am hoping that I can freeze the monkey bread until Christmas Eve. Then all I will have to do on Christmas morning is warm it in the oven and pour a glaze over it. If it turns out the way I want it to it will be a perfect tradition for years to come.
Now that we are in our new home another new tradition I am starting is the Shelf Elf. We are going to have the elves show up this Saturday morning. That morning the elves will be surprising our family with a traditional North Pole breakfast. So I will need to go to the store and get some small powdered donuts, large candy canes, mini marshmallows and bottled Starbucks coffee. I plan on using recycled Starbucks coffee bottles to put milk in, then I will place the candy canes in them and thread some donuts over the top of the candy canes. With the marshmallows I am thinking of making a winter wonderland fruit salad.
I will post pictures and more recipes as the projects are completed. So stay tuned.
Winter wonderland Fruit salad (serves 8)
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce package fat-free cream cheese, softened
- 1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained
- 3 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 small container Cool Whip topping
- 1 jar maraschino cherries, drained and cut in half
Preparation
The evening before:
mix together the cream cheese, pineapple and
marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate overnight.The next morning:
fold in the thawed Cool Whip and the cherries and serve.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Frugal paradigm shift
We are now in our new home! And our family has enjoyed getting settled in our new home and getting to know our new community. It is so nice to be together again and I couldn't be happier with the house.
Now, that the transition is complete we have set some goals. Our first, and most challenging goal, is to become debt free and pay off the house in the next 10 years and the other more near sighted goal is to finish the second floor of our home.
For our first goal, we have decided to make some changes to our spending. I started couponing when our second child was born and I became a stay at home mom. It really does help stretch our money farther. However, I am now experimenting with recipes and trying to recreate some of the things my great grandparents and grandparents did to survive during the depression.
Some of the things my grandparents did, they did out of necessity, because they had no other choice. So I had to create a way to necessitate frugal behavior. I've done this by setting an extremely low food budget for our family, $250 a month.
I am finding that, yes, I am spending more time in the kitchen. However, the food tastes better, and is healthier than what we were eating. I make various breads, rolls and noodles every week. I am figuring out how many meals I can make with what ever is on sale that week and I am freezing left overs to be used in future weeks.
I know this is nothing new, lots of people do this every month. But, for us it has been a paradigm shift. It seems that every month we find new ways to incorporate being frugal to our lifestyle.
 |
| The kids looking looking at our new home. |
For our first goal, we have decided to make some changes to our spending. I started couponing when our second child was born and I became a stay at home mom. It really does help stretch our money farther. However, I am now experimenting with recipes and trying to recreate some of the things my great grandparents and grandparents did to survive during the depression.
Some of the things my grandparents did, they did out of necessity, because they had no other choice. So I had to create a way to necessitate frugal behavior. I've done this by setting an extremely low food budget for our family, $250 a month.
I am finding that, yes, I am spending more time in the kitchen. However, the food tastes better, and is healthier than what we were eating. I make various breads, rolls and noodles every week. I am figuring out how many meals I can make with what ever is on sale that week and I am freezing left overs to be used in future weeks.
I know this is nothing new, lots of people do this every month. But, for us it has been a paradigm shift. It seems that every month we find new ways to incorporate being frugal to our lifestyle.
Monday, July 25, 2011
It's been awhile!!!
Our home has been in transition this summer and my blogging has slacked off. In June we decided to move to my parents lake house so that our house in Bel Aire could be readily available for any showings. Then within about two weeks we got an offer and closed on the house July 14th. Oh and I had jury duty in July as well. So we had a very busy June and July. Now we continue to live at the lake house until our new home is completed.
Progress on the new home is moving quickly. But, not quickly enough. Although I love the lake, I want a permanent home and I want to see my husband every night. I'm so tired of being a single mom with him working in Kansas City away from us. The stress has really taken a toll on my body and I can wait to have time for me again.
However, I have discovered massages this month! Wow what a difference that is making! I recommend any mom that is feeling overwhelmed or on edge to take some time out to treat herself to one. It will make you feel better and put you in a better mood for your family. I hope to find a place to do yoga in KC and lose some of this weight I've put on since back and knee injuries began to plague me a few years ago.
The kiddos love the lake! They are excellent swimmers now, although I still make them wear puddle jumpers. The kids favorite pastime this summer swimming around our boat dock and going to the swim beach. I'm enjoying the slow pace of lake life and I enjoy finding new fun places for the kids to explore nature here in the Ozarks.
Progress on the new home is moving quickly. But, not quickly enough. Although I love the lake, I want a permanent home and I want to see my husband every night. I'm so tired of being a single mom with him working in Kansas City away from us. The stress has really taken a toll on my body and I can wait to have time for me again.
However, I have discovered massages this month! Wow what a difference that is making! I recommend any mom that is feeling overwhelmed or on edge to take some time out to treat herself to one. It will make you feel better and put you in a better mood for your family. I hope to find a place to do yoga in KC and lose some of this weight I've put on since back and knee injuries began to plague me a few years ago.
The kiddos love the lake! They are excellent swimmers now, although I still make them wear puddle jumpers. The kids favorite pastime this summer swimming around our boat dock and going to the swim beach. I'm enjoying the slow pace of lake life and I enjoy finding new fun places for the kids to explore nature here in the Ozarks.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Fun at the zoo!
After a few weeks of colder temperatures, yesterday was finally a warm day suitable for an outdoor trip to the zoo. So I contacted the mom of my sons best friend and we headed to the zoo. While at the zoo we ran into another great friend that has adorable twins that my son just adores. So us three mommies spent the day chasing 4 four year olds and my 1 year old daughter through the zoo for 6 hours.
The highlights of the trip were snack, lunch, and holding hands while walking. The kids really seemed to get a kick out of watching the Tigers, Gorillas and Hippos. Then towards the end of our day we decided to go into the indoor area of the elephant exhibit. I rarely go in there as there isn't usually anything going on in there. But, today we got to see them giving the elephants their baths.
It was amazing to watch these huge animals following commands to turn, sit down, and lay down so the trainer could wash them all over. I was amazed at the affection the elephant seemed to have for the trainers. She would almost hug the trainer with her trunk and seemed to reach to her when she got to far away. I also loved that the zookeepers in there were ready and willing to interact and talk to our children. So the kids asked about names, ages, gender, if they had babies, how much they weighed it was a great learning experience for them.
It was a great day spent outdoors and the kids had a blast exploring with their friends and I got some time to talk with other mommies. I think I've decided that the best way to experience the zoo on a weekday is when we have some friends along to share the fun with.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I'm blogging some of my "crazy" today!
I love to learn new things and I thrive when I'm learning things. In the past I've nurtured the learner side of me through college courses. (Hence the 3 degrees and mountain of student loans) Until the loans are paid off, returning to school to take more classes isn't an option. So I'm trying to train myself to learn about things that help me be better around the home.
I've started couponing and learning the ins and outs of the bargain hunting world. I love it and get some great deals and my husband is happy about it. Now I'm learning to sew. I'm taking a beginners class next week and I am excited to make my first throw pillow. I think it will be fun to create things that we can use around the house. You're probably thinking that I'm taking a positive approach to nurturing the learner in me, however I'm finding that there is another twist in the learner in me. I want to be graded on everything! That's right, I feel like I'm in need of some sort of feedback and critique on my new skills.
Ever since I can remember I've always had a way to measure my mastery of the things I've learned. From my dance teacher as a child I would get a positive word or a disappointed look, from sports I either won or lost, in school I got good grades or won awards and in my career I got raises and promotions. As a stay at home mom no one gives me a gold star for cleaning the kitchen, folding the laundry or not losing my temper when the kids act up. At the end of the day the kids don't report to my husband that mom made a fantastic lunch and played a superb game of hide and seek.
So why as a grown woman why am I looking for acknowledgment for my daily tasks? Am I the only one that wants a report card to come in the mail every 9 weeks that gives me a grade and constructive feedback? It could say that in cooking I'm getting a 95 and the lasagna was delicious, however in vacuuming I'm missing some spots and not doing it enough so I get a 78. I would then strive to improve the vacuuming so that I could make the honor roll someday.
I know this sounds ridiculous and I know its absurd. I have two great kids and a loving husband and a house that is cleaner than most, so that should tell me that I am doing fine. Yet I still have an irrational desire for feedback that tells me if I'm on the right track as a mother and wife.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Patience and Trust
So I'm super excited that we have finally decided where we will live when we move. For some reason I had a lot of anxiety about selling our current house unless I knew that there is a place waiting for our family to live in. I equate it to being a bird without a nest. (I have no idea how the settlers were able to set out not knowing where they were going to live) So we drove all over the KC metro area looking at homes and neighborhoods and we couldn't find anything that felt like home.
Finally we found Tonganoxie. We love the small town feel and it's close proximity to the metro area, we also found builder has been very helpful to us, customizing the plans and even cutting into the lot price so that we could increase the house size but not the home price.
So now I feel like I'm in stage 4 of the moving and building process. Stage 1, was deciding to move. Stage 2, was looking for a home and getting our home on the market. Stage 3, was choosing a revising plans until we found one we liked. And now Stage 4 of the process is going to involve a lot of patience waiting while I wait for the home to be built and for our current home to sell. And patience is a virtue I struggle with.
In todays society of instant gratification, I sure I'm not the only one that struggles with handling patience. Just think about cell phones, internet, t.v. and instant credit. We rarely have to wait for anything. But, in this case I must wait and ask the Lord for patience. This point in the process is also when I must give up control and trust that our home will sell and that the builder will do a good job building our home.
So last night I laid awake for hours wondering if our home would sell, and wishing that I didn't have to wait to move into the new house and wondering if the builder was going to remember to put in the gas line to the stove area, and if I needed to go up to KC to make sure that they are using materials I like and not cutting corners. But, in the end I came to the point of this blog.
It is in God's hands and in God's time. I do not control the universe, he does. So I must trust and have patience with what God provides us and be accepting of his timing. I will be praying to Saint Monica to intercede on my behalf for the next few months, I hope she can help provide me with patience and trust through this stage.
Prayers to Saint Monica:
Daily Novena Prayer
Dear Saint Monica, once the sorrowing mother of a wayward son, be pleased to present our petition to the Lord God of heaven and earth. (Pause to mention intentions in silence.) Look down upon our anxieties and needs, and intercede for us, as you did so fervently for Augustine, your firstborn.
We have full confidence, that your prayers will gain favorable hearing in heaven. Mother of a sinner-turned saint; obtain for us patience, perseverance, and total trust in God's perfect timing. In His appointed hour, in His merciful way, may He respond to your prayer and ours, which we offer through you. Amen.
Parents' Prayer to Saint Monica
Saint Monica, patron of Christian parents, we entrust to your protection, the children whose names you can read in our hearts. Pray for them, that they may be granted strength to combat weakness, victory over temptation, guidance to resolve their doubts, and success in all their undertakings.
May they enjoy good health of mind and body, see beauty and worth in all created things, and serve the Lord with firm faith, joyful hope and enduring love. Amen.
Prayer for Our Children
Dear Saint Monica, patroness of all parents, please take our children, especially those who have turned from the ways of Christ and His Church, under your protection. Let them always remain faithful to their Baptismal vows. Give them the strength to walk always in the ways of the Lord, despite the temptations and false values they find in the world today. Pray for them that they may share with you the joys of eternal life. Amen.
Prayer in Adversity
O Blessed Saint Monica, after a lifetime of tearful prayers, fasting and sacrifice, you were at last granted the happiness of witnessing the conversion to Christ Jesus and His Church of both your son and husband.
Intercede for us that we might experience the same peace, faith and acceptance of God's will so that we may live all our years in serenity and go joyfully to our heavenly home secure in the knowledge that our loved ones are on the way of Christ. Amen.
Prayer of Petition
Dear Saint Monica, once sorrowing mother of a wayward son, be pleased to present our petition to the Lord God of heaven and earth. (Pause to mention intentions in silence.) Look down upon our anxieties and needs, and intercede for us, as you did so fervently for Augustine, your firstborn.
We have full confidence that your prayers will gain a favorable hearing in heaven. Mother of a sinner-turned saint; obtain for us patience, perseverance, and total trust in God's perfect timing. In His appointed hour, in His merciful way, may He respond to your prayer and ours, which we offer through you. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We turn to you with grateful hearts, dear Monica, as we rejoice and render thanks for your powerful intercession. You 'have carried our pressing needs to God and have obtained for us the trust, perseverance and patience we desired.
Please continue to plead for us in all our needs, spiritual and temporal, and teach us to be truly thankful for all the blessing bestowed upon us. Amen.
Finally we found Tonganoxie. We love the small town feel and it's close proximity to the metro area, we also found builder has been very helpful to us, customizing the plans and even cutting into the lot price so that we could increase the house size but not the home price.
 |
| The home in Tonganoxie |
In todays society of instant gratification, I sure I'm not the only one that struggles with handling patience. Just think about cell phones, internet, t.v. and instant credit. We rarely have to wait for anything. But, in this case I must wait and ask the Lord for patience. This point in the process is also when I must give up control and trust that our home will sell and that the builder will do a good job building our home.
So last night I laid awake for hours wondering if our home would sell, and wishing that I didn't have to wait to move into the new house and wondering if the builder was going to remember to put in the gas line to the stove area, and if I needed to go up to KC to make sure that they are using materials I like and not cutting corners. But, in the end I came to the point of this blog.
It is in God's hands and in God's time. I do not control the universe, he does. So I must trust and have patience with what God provides us and be accepting of his timing. I will be praying to Saint Monica to intercede on my behalf for the next few months, I hope she can help provide me with patience and trust through this stage.
Prayers to Saint Monica:
Daily Novena Prayer
Dear Saint Monica, once the sorrowing mother of a wayward son, be pleased to present our petition to the Lord God of heaven and earth. (Pause to mention intentions in silence.) Look down upon our anxieties and needs, and intercede for us, as you did so fervently for Augustine, your firstborn.
We have full confidence, that your prayers will gain favorable hearing in heaven. Mother of a sinner-turned saint; obtain for us patience, perseverance, and total trust in God's perfect timing. In His appointed hour, in His merciful way, may He respond to your prayer and ours, which we offer through you. Amen.
Parents' Prayer to Saint Monica
Saint Monica, patron of Christian parents, we entrust to your protection, the children whose names you can read in our hearts. Pray for them, that they may be granted strength to combat weakness, victory over temptation, guidance to resolve their doubts, and success in all their undertakings.
May they enjoy good health of mind and body, see beauty and worth in all created things, and serve the Lord with firm faith, joyful hope and enduring love. Amen.
Prayer for Our Children
Dear Saint Monica, patroness of all parents, please take our children, especially those who have turned from the ways of Christ and His Church, under your protection. Let them always remain faithful to their Baptismal vows. Give them the strength to walk always in the ways of the Lord, despite the temptations and false values they find in the world today. Pray for them that they may share with you the joys of eternal life. Amen.
Prayer in Adversity
O Blessed Saint Monica, after a lifetime of tearful prayers, fasting and sacrifice, you were at last granted the happiness of witnessing the conversion to Christ Jesus and His Church of both your son and husband.
Intercede for us that we might experience the same peace, faith and acceptance of God's will so that we may live all our years in serenity and go joyfully to our heavenly home secure in the knowledge that our loved ones are on the way of Christ. Amen.
Prayer of Petition
Dear Saint Monica, once sorrowing mother of a wayward son, be pleased to present our petition to the Lord God of heaven and earth. (Pause to mention intentions in silence.) Look down upon our anxieties and needs, and intercede for us, as you did so fervently for Augustine, your firstborn.
We have full confidence that your prayers will gain a favorable hearing in heaven. Mother of a sinner-turned saint; obtain for us patience, perseverance, and total trust in God's perfect timing. In His appointed hour, in His merciful way, may He respond to your prayer and ours, which we offer through you. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We turn to you with grateful hearts, dear Monica, as we rejoice and render thanks for your powerful intercession. You 'have carried our pressing needs to God and have obtained for us the trust, perseverance and patience we desired.
Please continue to plead for us in all our needs, spiritual and temporal, and teach us to be truly thankful for all the blessing bestowed upon us. Amen.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Accepting My Limitations
The Most important priorities in my life are, and always will be God, my husband and my children. However, it seems at times that the world in which we live, pushes the notion that I should be all things to everyone.
It took me awhile to realize that it is impossible for me to be all things to everyone. Society, told me that I should have a successful career, be a great wife, a wonderful mother, active in my church, volunteer time in my community, be socially popular and fit into a size 7 pair of jeans.
Well, I only have 24 hours in a day and I require some sleep, so I just couldn't be everything to everyone. And I was stressing out trying to be all those things, and felt like a failure that I was only moderately successful (in my opinion) at juggling all those thing. I know some people might disagree and say that I was doing great, but I just wasn't happy getting pulled in so many directions. And being adequate at a lot of things isn't acceptable for my standards. I wanted to be great at the things most important to me, and it just wasn't happening.
So I prioritized my life and made some changes. Now that I have realized that in order for me to be happy and flourish I cannot be everything to everyone. I need to be true to my faith to God, the love for my husband and be the best mom I can be. For me to flourish I chose to change careers and become a stay at home mom.
I love that I had the choice to be a stay at home mom. Just like I'm grateful that many of my friends have the choice to be working mothers. I wasn't happy as a working mom, but that doesn't mean that other women aren't happy being working moms. But, I found that I wasn't happy in that role.
It took me awhile to accept that limitation for myself. But, I believe I have done this realizing what is important to me and trying to be the most wonderful wife and mother I can be, and in my case that was by choosing to be a stay at home mother.
I also don't worry about being the most popular mom,with an itinerary full of lunch and coffee dates. I love having friends, but I don't have the time to be a social butterfly. I'm happy with my small circle of great friends.
The quest to be a size 7 is not my priority, although it is a long term goal. So I try to eat right and I make an effort to do 15 minutes of exercise a day, I'm working on it.
I love volunteering, however it is time consuming and as a mommy of 2 small children I don't have a lot of time. So I still volunteer and help in the community when I can, but I have cut back on it and I've learned to say no. So now I do things like bringing food to a friend in need or volunteering at a local school.
Since accepting my limitations and prioritizing my life, I am much happier. And in return my family's faith has grown by leap and bounds, my husband is happier and so are my children.
It took me awhile to realize that it is impossible for me to be all things to everyone. Society, told me that I should have a successful career, be a great wife, a wonderful mother, active in my church, volunteer time in my community, be socially popular and fit into a size 7 pair of jeans.
Well, I only have 24 hours in a day and I require some sleep, so I just couldn't be everything to everyone. And I was stressing out trying to be all those things, and felt like a failure that I was only moderately successful (in my opinion) at juggling all those thing. I know some people might disagree and say that I was doing great, but I just wasn't happy getting pulled in so many directions. And being adequate at a lot of things isn't acceptable for my standards. I wanted to be great at the things most important to me, and it just wasn't happening.
So I prioritized my life and made some changes. Now that I have realized that in order for me to be happy and flourish I cannot be everything to everyone. I need to be true to my faith to God, the love for my husband and be the best mom I can be. For me to flourish I chose to change careers and become a stay at home mom.
I love that I had the choice to be a stay at home mom. Just like I'm grateful that many of my friends have the choice to be working mothers. I wasn't happy as a working mom, but that doesn't mean that other women aren't happy being working moms. But, I found that I wasn't happy in that role.
It took me awhile to accept that limitation for myself. But, I believe I have done this realizing what is important to me and trying to be the most wonderful wife and mother I can be, and in my case that was by choosing to be a stay at home mother.
I also don't worry about being the most popular mom,with an itinerary full of lunch and coffee dates. I love having friends, but I don't have the time to be a social butterfly. I'm happy with my small circle of great friends.
The quest to be a size 7 is not my priority, although it is a long term goal. So I try to eat right and I make an effort to do 15 minutes of exercise a day, I'm working on it.
I love volunteering, however it is time consuming and as a mommy of 2 small children I don't have a lot of time. So I still volunteer and help in the community when I can, but I have cut back on it and I've learned to say no. So now I do things like bringing food to a friend in need or volunteering at a local school.
Since accepting my limitations and prioritizing my life, I am much happier. And in return my family's faith has grown by leap and bounds, my husband is happier and so are my children.
Monday, February 14, 2011
House Hunting Continues
We have a goal! We want to be able to pay off our student loans and our mortgage within the next 10 years and have me continue to be a stay at home mom.
Keeping this goal in mind and finding a new home in the Kansas City area is proving to be difficult. We are trying to keep ourselves on a fairly tight budget, rather than becoming "house poor" (a situation where all your money goes to the mortgage). However, we want to be in a safe nice area and have a well maintained home that isn't on a busy street.
We've found that in order to stay in our budget we will most likely be in a small town outside of the heart of the metro. Unfortunately that means that my husband will have about a 30 minute commute to and from work everyday. But, his company allows him flexible hours so he can commute when the traffic is low and he should be home by 4:30 everyday.
Even after being flexible with proximity to town we still have to decide what things on our wish list for a home are expendable. This is proving difficult, as many homes either seem to need a lot of work or be extremely small. So we have begun considering new construction homes built on a slab rather than a basement. I'm just trying to get over the idea of not having a basement in Kansas. But, the decision for a slab saves us 20-40k over house built with an unfinished basement, which we would probably spend extra money in order to finish the basement so it would most likely make it more difficult if not impossible to reach our goal.
So currently our home search has our eyes set on one particular slab built home with a three car garage. What do you think? Will I go nuts without a basement? Our will it be worth it to be debt free in 10 years?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Day one, of feeling young again!
Well, this morning I woke up wanting be silly. So I'm starting my day off by sticking a "cutie" clementine sticker to my face. I really want to see if anyone mentions it too me. I know it might sound lame to other people, but I find it extremely funny to have something on my face and then act surprised and clueless when someone tries to help me get it off. It would be a bonus if someone else had fun with it and said I was a "cutie"!
My experiment went great! Some friend immediately told me and we laughed about it. It felt good. My son and I had fun with it too.
My experiment went great! Some friend immediately told me and we laughed about it. It felt good. My son and I had fun with it too.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
How to feel young Again.
When did I grow up? Sometimes I feel like I should still be about 16 with no responsibilities. Then I look around and realize that I have a husband, a mortgage, two kids and two dogs. I love my life, and wouldn't change a thing, but I don't know how I became so boring.
I was a crazy girl back in the day. Anyone that knew me "back in the day" can probably tell some stories. I was the kind of girl that saw a Jello wrestling competition as I walked across campus and thought it looked like fun. So skipped class and spent the day wrestling people in a pit filled with green Jello, and I ended up winning. I then celebrated my victory by going out with friends laughing and drinking Jello Shots.
I don't long to be that naive and careless again. But, sometimes I think I've lost that carefree spark of youth and I think I'm too young to not have that spark. I need to find that spark again! So here is my list of things I'm going to do to get the "spark back"
1) I'm making it my mission to do something fun and crazy that makes me laugh at least once a week.
2) I'm going to start working out so I have the energy to be silly.
3) Smile! Smile! Smile!
I was a crazy girl back in the day. Anyone that knew me "back in the day" can probably tell some stories. I was the kind of girl that saw a Jello wrestling competition as I walked across campus and thought it looked like fun. So skipped class and spent the day wrestling people in a pit filled with green Jello, and I ended up winning. I then celebrated my victory by going out with friends laughing and drinking Jello Shots.
I don't long to be that naive and careless again. But, sometimes I think I've lost that carefree spark of youth and I think I'm too young to not have that spark. I need to find that spark again! So here is my list of things I'm going to do to get the "spark back"
1) I'm making it my mission to do something fun and crazy that makes me laugh at least once a week.
2) I'm going to start working out so I have the energy to be silly.
3) Smile! Smile! Smile!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Snow Day Activities
So for the third time this winter we are "snowed in". As a stay at home mom, to a preschooler and a toddler, keeping the kids occupied and active with something other than the T.V. can be a chore, and a test of my creativity. These are 10 of our snow day activities, and I'd love to hear what other mother are doing so I can steal some of their ideas.
1) The kids made sugar cookie dough, I let them mix it with their hands.
2) After refrigerating the dough for a few hours, we used it as a play dough substitute and formed them into various shapes.
3) I then created paint for our creations using evaporated milk and food coloring. They had a blast painting!
4) finally we baked our creations and had a tea party
5) We made an obstacle course around the house. (Crawl under the table, through a tent tunnel, jump on a mini trampoline and land on the couch)
5) Cheap balloons from the dollar store have provided hours of extreme fun and some science experiments with static electricity. (making our hair stand up, rubbing on our hair and sticking it to the wall, running around in our socks to see if the static will transfer to the balloon and make it stick to the wall)
6) Snow ice cream! I sent the bundled up kids outside with a bowl and a spoon and gave them a task to fill the bowl with WHITE snow. When they came in we had warm milk and made up some ice cream.
7) The Wii game, Just Dance For Kids, has provided my kids with a lot of physical activity. Silas loves, Shake the Sillies Out, and Sydney loves, If Your Happy and You Know it.
8) Creating paper snowflakes and coloring them
9) I've been getting the kids involved in the kitchen
10) We read lots of books!
1) The kids made sugar cookie dough, I let them mix it with their hands.
2) After refrigerating the dough for a few hours, we used it as a play dough substitute and formed them into various shapes.
3) I then created paint for our creations using evaporated milk and food coloring. They had a blast painting!
4) finally we baked our creations and had a tea party
5) We made an obstacle course around the house. (Crawl under the table, through a tent tunnel, jump on a mini trampoline and land on the couch)
5) Cheap balloons from the dollar store have provided hours of extreme fun and some science experiments with static electricity. (making our hair stand up, rubbing on our hair and sticking it to the wall, running around in our socks to see if the static will transfer to the balloon and make it stick to the wall)
6) Snow ice cream! I sent the bundled up kids outside with a bowl and a spoon and gave them a task to fill the bowl with WHITE snow. When they came in we had warm milk and made up some ice cream.
7) The Wii game, Just Dance For Kids, has provided my kids with a lot of physical activity. Silas loves, Shake the Sillies Out, and Sydney loves, If Your Happy and You Know it.
8) Creating paper snowflakes and coloring them
9) I've been getting the kids involved in the kitchen
10) We read lots of books!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Reuben Casserole
In the past few months I've made this casserole a few times. My husband loves it! I usually make more than one at a time and freeze the extras. However, the frozen casseroles don't stay in the freezer long because my husband requests it so often. So, this month for the meal swap I decided to make Reuven Casserole. I hope they enjoy it as much as my family does!
1 cups Thousand Island dressing
1/3 cup sour cream
12 slices rye bread, sliced into 1-in strips
3 cups sliced pastrami in 1/2 –in strips (I sometimes use shredded corned beef instead)
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
2 cups shredded Swiss Cheese
Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine the dressing & sour cream and mix until well blended. Set aside. Layer one-half of the bread strips on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer one-half of the pastrami over the bread, then layer one-half of the sauerkraut over the pastrami, followed by one-half of the sour cream mixture and one-half of the cheese. Repeat the layers one more time ending with a layer of cheese.
Cooking instructions: Thaw. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the casserole is browned and bubbly and the layers are heated through.
1/3 cup sour cream
12 slices rye bread, sliced into 1-in strips
3 cups sliced pastrami in 1/2 –in strips (I sometimes use shredded corned beef instead)
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
2 cups shredded Swiss Cheese
Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine the dressing & sour cream and mix until well blended. Set aside. Layer one-half of the bread strips on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer one-half of the pastrami over the bread, then layer one-half of the sauerkraut over the pastrami, followed by one-half of the sour cream mixture and one-half of the cheese. Repeat the layers one more time ending with a layer of cheese.
Cooking instructions: Thaw. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the casserole is browned and bubbly and the layers are heated through.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)