Before kids...

So I've been thinking... what DID I do before THEM (my children)?! I'm stumped I really don't know, but I DO know what I didn't do before I had kids.

Uh one thing is FOR SURE I did not wipe butts! No way, no how! Not even for the cutest of my nieces or nephews!

I didn't allot "extra" time in my day just for meltdowns. Although I probably should have!

I didn't have a membership to every child entertainment facility in town. you know...the zoo, discovery center, wonders of wildlife, jump mania, pool etc...

I didn't fret over holding hands in parking lots or freak out when I saw a speeding car.

I didn't think that I would ever allow the t.v. to babysit "my kids". Turns out, it's my favorite form of distraction for...my kids.

I didn't value my sleep, or my "alone" time, or the sound of complete stillness.

I didn't look at other women as soldiers of the same army.

I didn't know how love multiplied.

I didn't have little faces to remind me of the goodness of this life.

I didn't cry as much OR laugh as much!

I'm so grateful I no longer have a life "before kids"!

Stand Up and Get Paid!



How awesome would it be to see this at the end of every hard week?!



I have been thinking recently about the "broke mothers of America". Not to say that we need to be paid for what we do....but YES, I am saying that we should get paid for what we do!!

Don't you ever get tired of thinking about that new fragrance or those cute pair of jeans that you happen to see in the store...stopped to fantasize about you buying it and then putting it back because you have to be practical and spend that money on diapers?!?!

What is wrong with this picture?! DOES YOUR HUSBAND THINK THESE THINGS? Ummmm, NO!

And so, I think that we should take into consideration what others do and what they get.

For example :

Husbands: they mostly go to work and get paid for doing their job.

Kids: most kids these days do chores and get paid for doing their 'job'.

Moms: they take care of the Husband and the Kids and the House and they DON'T get paid.

Do you see where I am going with this?


Now, I am not suggesting a riot or strike. All I am asking for is $10-$20 per week ALL TO MYSELF! A fund from which diapers, food, soap, children's toys or clothing, car repairs or any kind of bill may NOT be purchased or paid. I am talking about MOMMY MONEY, and at least 2 hours each month in which to go out with my girlfriends and spend my MOMMY MONEY how ever I want. Sounds like a deal to me.


Mommy Money :)

Fight for your right to get Paid!
Cuz We Are Worth It!

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

So me and the hubby have been trying to eat a little healthier. So here is one of our favorite NEW recipes. Enjoy!!! It is so delicious.

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper. Bake asparagus 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus to serve.

let it go...

i am kind of a grudge-holder. not my best quality, and i'm not even a little bit proud of it. but i have worked on it pretty intensely over the last few years and wouldn't you know...i'm getting much better at letting it go.

as i have navigated this world of a stay-at-home-mom, it has become increasingly clear to me that "letting it go" emotionally is a lot harder than "letting it go" physically...i can hold a grudge with ease, but holding in my tummy is a bit more challenging. don't you agree?!

don't we all know a mom who has "let herself go" when the babies started coming? maybe we are that mom? i'm no fashionista, my husband and friends and children will attest to that :) but being home and doing laundry and reading stories and shampooing carpets is hardly an excuse to dress in gym clothes and live sans makeup all day. dress for the job, for sure...but do it with some makeup on, k?

it's the basics, the things we insist our children do before they go to school (or anywhere in public)...brush your teeth, wear deodorant, do your hair, wear clean clothes, wax your facial hair (really)...put on an unstained shirt and some earrings.

so join me! let's let it go and hold it in, all at once!

Chores as Blessings?!

Do you give your kids chores?
Good for you!

Do they complain  about chores?
That's kids for ya!!

Here are some suggestions that might help your kids look at chores differently!
It's helping my kids look at chores as blessings!
Yup!  That's right, as blessings!

Ask them to think of a blessing for each chore...

Why is it a blessing to take out trash?
Because you got something new and had to throw away the package and the bag filled up...

Why is it a blessing to do dishes?
Because we have been blessed with food to cook and to fill our bellies...

Why is it a blessing to vacuum?
Because we have bodies that can go enjoy the world and bring nature into our home...

Why is it a blessing to clean the toilet?
Because our body functions properly...

Why is it a blessing to make our beds & pick up our toys?
Because we are reminded of what we have that other children do not have...

What are some more blessings you can come up with that I can use for my children?!
Remember, if we complain about our blessings...our children will too...

Till next week...

the Car Nap Property

Now is it just me or does riding in a car take kids to another demention?!

I have found that they either go NUTS, or fall ASLEEP!
My little guy is one of the "fall asleep" type...and I dont think I like it. There is a car nap vortex that takes over when he starts to snooze. As if this black whole of time takes over the inside of the car and allows him to sleep, for what we believe to be 5 MINUTES, yet, to him it has been 2 HOURS!

WHAT THE CRAP?!?!?!

So, when I take him out of the car and put him in his bed (thinking, "Oh, he is super tired. Maybe he will sleep for an hour of two".) he lays down as if he is the heaviest sleeper in the world. To my dismay, he wakes up about 15 minutes later refreshed and bursting with energy.

What do I do with this?
I know the truth, that he has only slept a TOTAL of 20 minutes and I feel like that has not been enough. YET, he knows that the Car Nap Property was in effect for 5 minutes of that time which made his nap really about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

If only I had the intellegence of my 1 year old.

everything i need to know, i learned at parent/teacher conferences

a wealth of information, i tell ya...

my son has found out that if he puts a toy in his pants, the owner rarely wants it back. and that explains the abundance of hot wheels cars and mcdonald's action figures in his backpack.

my daughter is helpful and kind and someone the teacher can count on. i know you think that's a nice report, and it is. except that i think he had someone else's file out, because that doesn't sound at all like my child.

that eye-rolling that i thought my son reserved for only me...turns out, i'm not alone. way to broaden your horizons, son.

oh, the pride and joy i feel.

How do you know that Heavenly Father loves you?

I want to share this little story with all of you!
It's absolutely precious and dear to my heart and to my family...

My father is a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
He is a wonderful man and I'm grateful to call him Dad!
Not too long ago my mother decided to look up one of the Elders that baptized my dad...
After a little FB searching she found him!  We will name him, for the sake of his privacy, "Dad's Angel"...

Well, Dad's Angel wanted to know how the family was doing...
So my mom wrote him a brief (however brief you can make your life story with 7 kids and 2 grandbabies) letter on our lives...She mentioned that my brother was serving his mission in the San Bernardino, California Mission...

That's all it took!
Dad's Angel called mom right away!
Dad's Angel lives in that exact mission!
Dad's Angel also found out that his wife's brother's mother-in-law was actually in the Ward that my sweet brother is serving in!!  How cool is that?!
Apparently she loves my sweet brother, it's not hard to do, and was saying how he is such a hardworker and great speaker! 
So, Dad's Angel got the missionary's number...
He called...
And my sweet brother answers the phone!
At first he didn't believe Dad's Angel...he thought he was being pranked...
Then he soon realized that he was talking to the man that baptized his father!
He was talking to the man that was righteous enough to be an instrument in the Lord's hand to help my father feel the Spirit to know the truthfullness of the Gospel.
Dad's Angel actually ended up to be our family's angel! 

To Dad's Angel (and his mission companion):
I'm so grateful to you...
For the choice you made to serve a mission for the Lord...
For the desire you had to be a good missionary and to obey rules on your mission...
Do you know that my father went on to hold many callings in the Church?
That my father raised 7 children with strong testimonies?
That my father had the desire to change his health and therefore being with us longer in this life?
Do you know that my father was so excited to take his eternal companion to the Temple to be sealed for time and eternity?
Do you know that my father being baptized has directly affected the lives of my children?
Do you know the many lives you brought to the waters of baptism when you took my father there?
Do you know that I love you?
Thank you...

I believe that the Lord knew that my sweet brother would be serving a mission in the same area where Dad's Angel happens to be living...long before Dad knew he would be baptized...
I am humbled to know that the Lord truly does micro-manage our lives for our benefit when we do what's right...
I am so grateful that He is aware of our family and this little connection across the country is a small way to show us He loves us and looks out for us!

Till next week...

Aww it's VALENTINES DAY!!!

Actually I am like the Grinch that stole Christmas on Valentines Day. I know it's sad, but I just don't get too wrapped up in this holiday. Flowers, jewelry etc...just don't do it for me. I won't get on my soap box....with that said, I do enjoy MAKING homemade valentines for my kids and hubby. I guess it's maybe just the commercialization of the holiday I don't like.

So last night we geared up for a long crafty, glitter, glue making session at the table. I have to say our Valentine cards are perfect!

If you feel the same way that I do, try getting creative with the things you have at home. Expressing our love for one another is something we should do daily, but it's always fun to put a little sparklie on it! You still have all day to MAKE a fun card for those little people and honey you LOVE so much!!! Happy Valentines Day!

How to Please your MAN on Valentine's Day!

Like many men, my husband is difficult in the gift department. I know a lot of things that he likes and would enjoy, but there are only so many occations that are good to get a video game.

So, as I did a bit of searching I found some great ideas on the Martha Stewart website. I also got a great idea from her magazine (Martha Stewart Living- February 2011 issue).

Here is how I added some of my touches to it...feel free to seal the idea and mark it as your own as you customize the look and products.

10 Things I Love About You Envelopes

You simply start with 10 envelopes of the same size (dont have to be the same color) open up the flap and glew it to the bottom (outside so opening to envelopes are all on one side). Continue this process untill you complete your line of 10, leaving the top envelopes flap alone.

Martha used red envelopes and put white pieces of paper in each envelope with a note or gift. I chose to use white so that I could decorate the actual envelope. (as you can see in the picture I have not finished the decorating process...but I did have my son draw on one with an outline of his hand for me to put about him being a great Father, ahhh♥.

A few things I chose to put in some of the envelope are: $10, some Movie Passes, Chipotle gift card, and some chocolate candies. These are some of my husbands favorite things...just think of your MAN and stick some things in that he would like. (PS: you dont have to actually buy anything to put in it either...this could also just have slips of paper in it that tell him things you love about him, like a homemade card). I will be hanging this up on our bedroom door when I go to bed on the 13th so that he sees it when he gets up on VDay!

May LOVE Inspire you,
May your HEART guide you,
And may you HOLD your loved ones close
This Valentines Day! ♥

Valentine Suckers

I found this idea in my Family Fun magazine. I made a few changes but it was super easy.


So start by using those left over candy canes from Christmas. Arrange 2 of them on a cookie sheet with a sucker stick inbetween, making a heart shape.

After all of them are on the GREASED cookie sheet, put them in the oven at 350 for about 2 to 3 minutes until they start to melt. Take them out of the oven and pinch the top ends and the bottom ends to the sucker stick. Then let them cool.

Next take some white chocolate and melt it. I used chocolate chips and melted them in a plastic bag so I could just cut off the end to fill the hearts.

Place your suckers on a piece of wax paper and pipe the chocolate into the center. Sprinkle with sprinkles and let cool.

There is a cute super simple sucker the kids will love!

take this, kiddo...

when i found out i was pregnant with each of my babies, i started the typical dreaming about my impending motherhood...being a mom meant having a baby. having a baby meant all kinds of adorable things like onesies and strollers and gas drops. i got prepared...i bought stuff, i talked to other moms who had babies, i read stuff in all-knowing magazines. i was totally ready to be a mom to a baby.

a baby.

i forgot that babies grow into kids. kids that (sometimes) need discipline.

eek! i didn't read about the discipline stuff! i mean, time-out...sure. but i'm finding out that discipline gets bigger and much much much much more complicated with every birthday. you ever tried to sit a 10 year-old on a "naughty mat"? yeah, he totally learns his lesson :)

sigh.

so we get creative around here...

can't quit touching your sister? fine, you get to be tied together for 30 minutes.
can't think of anything nice to say? fine, you are grounded from speaking all day.
can't stop jumping on the couch? fine, you are only allowed to sit on the floor.
you wanna pick on your brother? fine, write him a compliment letter.
you wanna sneak a piece of gum? fine, you owe me a whole pack.

and wouldn't you know, those kiddos are always thinking of new ways to need discipline! they are amazing that way, those babes of mine.

got any good suggestions?

...OMG...

Reasons why you'll see me in the corner...in a ball...rocking back and forth...losing my mind:

1)  My beloved Pittsburgh Steelers are only 2nd in the country...and the Superbowl was not much of a party...

2)  My daughter cut all of her barbie's hair off! 
I walked into her room to find a pile of blonde and brown hair next to her on the floor...
Sorry I don't have pictures...she was so nervous she cleaned so quickly!

and drumroll...

3)  This is what I found on top of my dryer...
On Sunday night...that would be the night of said non-party party...

 What's that you ask?!

What's all that gooey
sticky stuff all over
my curling irons
and flat iron?! 

That would be my GiGi Wax!!!  It was tilted JUST enough to spill ALL OVER the extra socks, my curling irons, and flat iron... 

Do you understand my corner rocking now?!

Hair extensions, snow days and the twilight zone...

I keep catching myself in this weird funk. I don't know what it is but it feels kind of like a twilight zone. Like I've been here before but I haven't,  and I'm not really sure what is going on around me. It frequently hits me when I hear my kids calling "MOM", "mom", "mommy", "mother". There are times I don't respond because I don't realize they are calling for me! I think "Am I the mom?" It scares me, but at the same time it surprises me and excites me. It freaks me out but it also brings me back to "earth". You would think by now this name would be so natural and easy to respond to. Maybe it's just a phase. Do you ever forget that YOU are "the mom"?

Speaking of "twilight zone" and hair extensions...I got my husband to do this: (i think he liked it)

Isn't he adorable?!

Snow days. Need I say more? Boo! Don't give me the "I love spending time with my kids" crap. I mean really? I love spending time with my kids too, but I'd much rather them be in school learning and growing their brains! This is what our snow days look like...

wake up, eat, play wii, watch a movie, play wii, eat, play with toys, play wii, eat, play wii =MUSH!

Live Large with a Tight Purse

Although I fantasize about the way awesome job he will have one day when he finally gets out of college....there is a part of me that knows that we might be lucky to hit anywhere over $40,000.
So, the more I think about the future, the more I realize that how well I want to live then depends on most of the choices that I am making NOW!


Here are a few ideas to help you make an awesome future:

1. Host a potluck with friends - Who needs to go drive out to a fancy restaurant and wait for 45minutes to sit and eat some "pretty good" food?! Why not get all dressed up and invite over some great friends with a themed potluck.

2. Get rid of the fake color - Even though they say "blonde's have more fun", that does not mean that you have to be an 'unnatural blonde' to participate in the fun. Embrace who you are naturally and get your colorist to dye you back to your natural hair color and give up the $200/year (or more) habit of trying to look like someone you are not. - or you could just become a "box dye" kinda girl -  .

3. Kick it up a notch in the kitchen - Why make the same spaghetti and meatballs for the 3rd night in a row...get a little gutsy and try out one of your favorite dishes from your favorite restaurant. There are tons of great recipes at copykat.com.

4. Make the trade - Everyone has something to give...so find a way to 'give it up' for something you need or want. I have made many trades with friends, doing photo sessions in exchange for a new winter hat, scarf and gloves. Get creative. Take an inventory of your friends and family and rub elbows with them. Letting them know that you value their skills and are willing to make it a WIN/WIN situation!

How do you Tighten your Purse?

Super Bowl Food Ideas

I love the Super Bowl especially because it gives me a reason to make some good food. Here are some ideas for you. I am also making Stromboli and that recipe is in a previous post.

Taco Dip
Layer the following in order on a large platter
1-16ounce can refried beans
1 pint sour cream
1 small carton avocado dip
1-16 ounce jar of picante sauce
½ pound shredded cheese
Garnish with black olives
Cover and refrigerate.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
1-8 ounce package cream cheese
½ cup butter (no substitutes) softened
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¾ confectioner sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¾ cup miniature semi sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
Graham crackers
In a mixing bowl, beat cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars, beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, roll cheese ball in pecans. Serve with graham crackers.

Warm Pizza Dip
1 (8oz) container whipped cream cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup marinara sauce
1 (2 ½ oz) pkg. pepperoni, chopped
Spread cream cheese on bottom of a 9 inch round baking dish. Top with layers of marinara sauce, cheese and pepperoni in given order. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over top. Microwave on HIGH 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pretzel Turtles
1 bag pretzels
1 bag Rolo’s Candy
1 bag M&Ms Candy
Place pretzels on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place a Rolo on the top of each pretzel. Bake at 350 for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and place an M&M in the center of each Rolo. Let cool completely and then remove from wax paper and enjoy!

my face thanks you, carpool line

if it weren't for the long pick-up lanes at my childrens' schools, i would never...get my fingernails clipped and filed or tweeze my eyebrows (thanks, natural lighting!!)...

what do you do in the pick-up lane?

The Apocalypse?

Can anyone tell me where January went?!  Really?!

HAPPY FEBRUARY!!!!!

I'd love to know what some you think about this:

Click Here =)

 

I'm curious to know what other S@HMs think about that!  I don't know what I think about it....All I know is that I'm curious enough to find out!!!  I kind of can't wait until next December now!  Still kind of nervous, too!  They seem to have been correct on other predictions...