Day 3 started off a little rough with my five year old throwing a tempertantrum over her cloths not "feeling" right. Her "sock issue" has expanded to underwear, pants, shirts, and even shoes. Oh my, what a way to start the day.
Picked up my son from school, stopped by the store and home to make dinner and have some together time. Unfortunately, my daughter's attitude regressed and she had an early dinner and went to bed. The only positive to come out of this was my one on one time with my son which I believe every child needs with their parents. :)
My sweet seven year old brought me his walkathon papers with three dollar bills already inside. He told me that he wants to donate his money from the tooth fairy to people who need it more. I was so impressed with my little boy. How kind and generous. I asked him if he wanted to call some of our family to see if they would pledge any money for his walkathon. He adamantly told me "No, it is very wrong to just ASK people for money." He said he would do "kind" things for people without them asking and then he would earn money and give that to the walkathon charity. His first call was to his Grams. After a very long, detailed explanation of the walkathon he asked if he could come clean her living room. She of course said yes and asked if it would be okay to give him $5. He thought about this for a second and told her he thought $4 would be better. My sweet, sweet boy!
We had tickle time and cuddle time before bed. It was truly an awesome day!!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Day 2
Yesterday was Day 2....Valentine's Day. We had a such a peaceful laid back morning. The dogs woke us all up at 5:15 so there was plenty of time to get ready for our day. In addition to Valentine's Day parties my seven year old had a field trip to see a musical.
I'm not a fan of chocolate and candy for my kids. They get enough of that from school valentine's cards. I usually opt for something "reuseable" such as plates or glasses. I gave the kids each a special little box, a spiderman tool box for my son and a Hello Kitty "purse" for my daughter and a Dr. Seuss movie to enjoy later in the week. They loved having a new place to store their treasures which range from small squishy balls and Squinkies to cars and flashlights. They also each received their own special cup. (Dual purpose, having their own cup also makes it easier than both kids insisting they get the "yellow" cup.)
It may only be day 2, but I think all of us are enjoying our quality time together!!
I'm not a fan of chocolate and candy for my kids. They get enough of that from school valentine's cards. I usually opt for something "reuseable" such as plates or glasses. I gave the kids each a special little box, a spiderman tool box for my son and a Hello Kitty "purse" for my daughter and a Dr. Seuss movie to enjoy later in the week. They loved having a new place to store their treasures which range from small squishy balls and Squinkies to cars and flashlights. They also each received their own special cup. (Dual purpose, having their own cup also makes it easier than both kids insisting they get the "yellow" cup.)
It may only be day 2, but I think all of us are enjoying our quality time together!!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Hot Beef
Nothing Better than a hot meal ready when you arrive at home. This recipe is courtesy of my dear friend Jayne T. She told me it was amazing and I couldn't have been more thrilled with how simple it is to prepare and how incredible it tastes!
Ingredients:
Roast
French Onion Soup
Can of Beer (heavy is recommended, but it works with lite)
Meat Marinade
Garlic for extra seasoning (I have forgotten this before and it still tastes great.)
Instructions
Place all ingredients into a slow cooker first thing in the morning.
Add water to cover entire roast.
Set slow cooker to high.
The longer it cooks the better on this one. I usually average about 12 hours.
I place the entire roast into a 9" x 13" pan and shred, adding the juice after to keep moist.
What is really fantastic about this dinner is the variety of combinations.
Sandwhiches, Rice, Potatoes....any combination works well with this moist roast.
Even better, they ate everything and had seconds of steamed broccoli!
My son loves his bread so he opted for a hot beef sandwhich.
Bella is a rice girl. Perfect dinner to accomodate both their tastes.
Depending on the size of the roast and the size of your family you will have left overs. I keep some of this in the refrigerator for sandwhiches or a quick dinner and then freeze two to three packages (dinner size) to use later. I add a small amount of the juice to keep it moist when reheated. It defrosts and reheats extremely well and makes a great quick dinner paired with a steamer bag of veggies and some fruit. Love it!!! I can't thank Jayne enough for introducing me to this great recipe!!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Day 1
The first day of my 365 days was an interesting one. We started this happy Monday with my seven year old making his own lunch for the first time. Peanut butter and jelly, carrots, and grapes, excellent choices. The three of us then prepared dinner in the slow cooker. Loved starting the day teaching my kids how to make a fabulous dinner. There is nothing better than the smell of a roast cooking all day in the slow cooker.
The day took a turn when Bella's preschool called to say she was complaining more about her wrist she had hurt while visiting her father. A trip to the doctor and a few x-rays to confirm it was just a bad sprain. The exciting part of the visit, the doctor promised to show Cam the pictures once they were developed and they both were fascinated. She showed them x-ray A1, but when she set down the computer my inquisitive son, "May I see A2 and A3 please?" The doctor giggled and said of course. Bella informed the doctor that her fingers were phalanges, her knee cap is a patella AND she wants to be a doctor one day. WOW!
We raced off to the pharmacy and then dance class to pass out her Valentine's, home for our fabulous homecooked meal, then off to Taekwondo. Monday's are a little hectic around here.
Since my day was a bit sidetracked I am counting making dinner and x-ray experience as our special moments of the day. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!!
The day took a turn when Bella's preschool called to say she was complaining more about her wrist she had hurt while visiting her father. A trip to the doctor and a few x-rays to confirm it was just a bad sprain. The exciting part of the visit, the doctor promised to show Cam the pictures once they were developed and they both were fascinated. She showed them x-ray A1, but when she set down the computer my inquisitive son, "May I see A2 and A3 please?" The doctor giggled and said of course. Bella informed the doctor that her fingers were phalanges, her knee cap is a patella AND she wants to be a doctor one day. WOW!
We raced off to the pharmacy and then dance class to pass out her Valentine's, home for our fabulous homecooked meal, then off to Taekwondo. Monday's are a little hectic around here.
Since my day was a bit sidetracked I am counting making dinner and x-ray experience as our special moments of the day. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Valentine's Day Cards 2012
Three days to spare and I have the kids Valentine's Day Cards ready to to go. Another great inspiration from Pinterest! What I really love about these cards is that it shows each child's personality. I asked each of them what they wanted to wear for the picture and where they wanted to pose with their arm extended. Cam has been loving the air hockey machine so this was a natural. Bella sitting with her pom poms on the Husker couch was a fitting choice for my little cheerleader and Husker fan.
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Ping Pong Cleaning
Today is Saturday, February 11th about 7:00 am and the kids are already asking if they can pick their ping pong. Last weekend we received about 9 inches of snow. Saturday morning was spent clearing the driveway and patio, building a snowman and snow fort and then reclearing the driveway and patio. Once we were back inside warming up and drinking hot cocoa I decided to make our Ping Pong Cleaning Jar while the kids watched a movie cuddled up on the couch. I saw the original idea on Pinterest, made a few tweeks and voila a brilliant idea was born at our house.
The concept I discovered on Pinterest was as a clutter busting game designed as a little bit of competition. I chose to use the idea to make our weekly cleaning routine more fun and get the kids to help more. I bought 36 ping pong balls to get started.
First I made my list of all the items the needed to be done around the house on a weekly basis and broke them down into single items; cleaning the bathroom was broken down into five ping pong balls: Clean the Toilet, Clean the Sink, Scrub the Floor, Clean the Mirror, Clean the Tub. (My first mistake was simply writing Tub....my seven year old son grabbed this one first and went running to the bathroom yelling, "Can I have bubbles." Ooops, definitely need to be more specific.)
Second I went through the list and "color coded" each chore. For example all "Clean Toilet" ping pong balls were colored blue and all "Clean Mirror" balls were colored orange. This way I knew that if the kids took one of each color the cleaning items would be evenly distributed and they would each get to do a little of everything.
Once I had my cleaning list and color code list I started coloring the ping pong balls, filling in half of one side and writing on the other. My printing isn't nice and neat, but it gets the job done.
The kids kept peaking into my room trying to figure out what was going on. They couldn't wait to start picking ping pong balls.
I must say, I have never run around so quickly doing so much cleaning in my life. Each task took a little teaching, inspecting, and a touch of re-cleaning once they were done. I don't expect my 5 and 7 year olds to have perfect cleaning skills yet, but with a little practice their skills will improve. :)
In a short period of time, the house was sparkly clean, laundry was done and put away, and my kids were so happy and actually asked, "Can we do it again tomorrow?"
This brings us to today, one week later and the kids asking to start "Ping Pong Cleaning" rather than watch cartoons at 7:00 am. Mommy needs her coffee first. A little Saturday morning cartoons never hurt anyone. Ping Pong Cleaning can wait an hour or so.
The concept I discovered on Pinterest was as a clutter busting game designed as a little bit of competition. I chose to use the idea to make our weekly cleaning routine more fun and get the kids to help more. I bought 36 ping pong balls to get started.
First I made my list of all the items the needed to be done around the house on a weekly basis and broke them down into single items; cleaning the bathroom was broken down into five ping pong balls: Clean the Toilet, Clean the Sink, Scrub the Floor, Clean the Mirror, Clean the Tub. (My first mistake was simply writing Tub....my seven year old son grabbed this one first and went running to the bathroom yelling, "Can I have bubbles." Ooops, definitely need to be more specific.)
Second I went through the list and "color coded" each chore. For example all "Clean Toilet" ping pong balls were colored blue and all "Clean Mirror" balls were colored orange. This way I knew that if the kids took one of each color the cleaning items would be evenly distributed and they would each get to do a little of everything.
Once I had my cleaning list and color code list I started coloring the ping pong balls, filling in half of one side and writing on the other. My printing isn't nice and neat, but it gets the job done.
The kids kept peaking into my room trying to figure out what was going on. They couldn't wait to start picking ping pong balls.
I must say, I have never run around so quickly doing so much cleaning in my life. Each task took a little teaching, inspecting, and a touch of re-cleaning once they were done. I don't expect my 5 and 7 year olds to have perfect cleaning skills yet, but with a little practice their skills will improve. :)
In a short period of time, the house was sparkly clean, laundry was done and put away, and my kids were so happy and actually asked, "Can we do it again tomorrow?"
This brings us to today, one week later and the kids asking to start "Ping Pong Cleaning" rather than watch cartoons at 7:00 am. Mommy needs her coffee first. A little Saturday morning cartoons never hurt anyone. Ping Pong Cleaning can wait an hour or so.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Banana Bread
My kids love bananas but we don't always make it through the entire bunch. Banana bread is a great way to use those left over bananas the kids don't want to eat and have a nice alternative to cold cereal. I use a mini loaf pan so I can individually wrap each one and throw them in the freezer. The kids can enjoy homemade banana bread once or twice a week and you don't have an entire loaf tempting you on the kitchen counter top. This also makes great gifts during the holidays!
I quickly learned not to leave this cooling on the counter top.
My golden retriever loves my banana bread as much as the kids! :)
Egg Muffins
I found the original post on Pinterest and when I googled found several other related links. This idea was brilliant and I don't want to forget it so I am posting it here. The real surprise is that both my kids loved the egg muffins AND they reheat beautifully!!
Egg Muffins - According to my math (based on product packaging) two of these have approximately 175 calories, 10g fat, 2.5 carbs, and 19g protein. I made mine with 8 egg whites, 4 full eggs, some diced ham, and shredded cheese. They are fantastic! I did go out and buy the silicone muffin cups to eliminate the paper cups. A quick minute in the microwave to reheat and they are ready for a quick, healthy breakfast. You can also add vegetables or other omelet items to create your own perfect egg muffin. Baked at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
Egg Muffins - According to my math (based on product packaging) two of these have approximately 175 calories, 10g fat, 2.5 carbs, and 19g protein. I made mine with 8 egg whites, 4 full eggs, some diced ham, and shredded cheese. They are fantastic! I did go out and buy the silicone muffin cups to eliminate the paper cups. A quick minute in the microwave to reheat and they are ready for a quick, healthy breakfast. You can also add vegetables or other omelet items to create your own perfect egg muffin. Baked at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
Where does the weekend go?
Where does the weekend go? Birthday party and baptism for my new Godson started a great weekend. A little cleaning, laundry, and planning the menu for the week. Baked some egg muffins for some high protein breakfasts for myself or Bella when she's in the mood for some eggs and some mini loaves of banana bread for the kids to start their days with something homemade. Homework and book reports while I cooked was the perfect Sunday afternoon. We even had time to relax with a movie. Another great weekend!!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Bacon and Eggs
I saw this on Pinterest and made a few while the cake pops were baking. The kids loved them. Nice twist on a sweet treat. White chocolate, yellow m&m, and a pretzel stick. Doesn't get much easier than this for something so cute.
Cake Pops
I have seen all of the beautiful cake pops and got sucked in on Black Friday and bought myself a cake pop machine. My first attempt with a regular box of Pillsbury Confetti Cake was a good learning experience. The kids LOVED the cake pop bites. What wonderful little treat to be able to grab a little ball of cake. The actual "cake pop" process did not go as smoothly as I had envisioned. The cake was so light that the sticks did not want to stay in the cake. The cake tried falling into the frosting. The frosting did not "gracefully" coat the cake. (Yes, I am blaming the cake, sticks, and frosting for the failed attempt.) I made four and gave up dumping the frosting onto the rest of the balls of cake. Edible, but not a pretty sight.
Cake Pops Take 2
My son loved the cake pops so much he asked me to make these for his birthday as treats for his friends. Oh my goodness, game on. I decided to cheat and make brownie pops hoping that the thickness of the batter would grasp the stick better and actually hold on. It worked and they were delicious. Still not a perfect attempt, but so much better the second time around.
Brownies cooling.
Dip the stick in white chocolate before placing in brownie.
First set with frosting.
Finished, wrapped with ribbon and a school picture with a few left over.
Cake Pops Take 2
My son loved the cake pops so much he asked me to make these for his birthday as treats for his friends. Oh my goodness, game on. I decided to cheat and make brownie pops hoping that the thickness of the batter would grasp the stick better and actually hold on. It worked and they were delicious. Still not a perfect attempt, but so much better the second time around.
Brownies cooling.
Second set with frosting. (I recommend buying or making two drying trays as not all cake pops will stand up straight. I was holding the last four wondering where to put them in order to dry.)
The Beginning
What is it about being a mom that makes you think you can or should be able to do everything? To be perfectly clear, I absolutely cannot do everything, though I have become more adventurous in attempting new things. Working full time and keeping two very active kids fed, in clean cloths and on a schedule is enough for any mom. Who has time for new things?
As the kids have gotten older, 5 and 7, I have found that my and "our" interests have changed and I enjoy doing more and want to do more. Unfortunately it's all about making the time. So here it is. A quick blog for my own "organization." A little structure to the craziness of raising kids and constantly running.
As the kids have gotten older, 5 and 7, I have found that my and "our" interests have changed and I enjoy doing more and want to do more. Unfortunately it's all about making the time. So here it is. A quick blog for my own "organization." A little structure to the craziness of raising kids and constantly running.
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