Random

       Hey everyone!  Sorry I have been a bit neglectful, with planning a wedding and Holiday stuff, I have been crazy swamped with numerous projects, but I promise to get all your cute Christmas recipe cards up and running on Monday.  How are the recipe cards working 2 to a page?  Let me know if you want me to change it back to the old 5X7 way.

     Okay this post is more of a vent rather than a tutorial but I have some fun things to post tomorrow, promise :)  I often get questions where people ask me "How do you do it all?"  The answer is "I don't!"  I really don't.  No modesty there...I am no Superwoman, Supermom or Superwife for that matter :)  I have learned many things from  numerous mentors over the years and I have learned that adding a little organization will add some order to the chaos but that it is completely impossible to be everywhere and to do everything at once...and I have also learned that it's okay to not finish things sometimes...as hard as that may be!  Trying to be everything to everyone and spreading yourself out so thin just sets yourself up for stress and failure...and who wants to feel like that?  I love, love, LOVE being a stay at home mom! Is it hard??  Of course it's hard!  Is it worth it??  Of course it's worth it to me, but that doesn't mean that I don't have my moments where I completely meltdown and need a "time out" from the everyday little things that happen around the house.  Just last week I completely broke down at the end of the day after my kids were in bed, I started crying and telling my husband that I felt like I had completely failed that day, failed at being a mother, a wife, a daughter and kept saying "why do I always let everyone down?" My husband...if you know my husband he really has a hard time with sensitive subjects ;)...being the greatest guy just put his arm around me and reminded me that I was the only one looking at that day as a failure.  He pointed out that Satan's easiest weapon against each of us is to point out our flaws and we, as women, fall so easily into that trap of using that as a burden against us.  I realized that what he said is true and thought over that day and realized that there were so many amazing highlights of that day!  Things I overlooked because I was too busy worrying about what I "didn't do" and what I believed I had "failed" at.  Little things like playing "monster tag" with my kids, play dough at the counter, taking my kids to the library and so many more! I then felt the need to thank my Heavenly Father for all that I had and realized that it far out-weighed all the things I didn't accomplish for that day.

       I also did a "refresher" course on all the great advice I have received over the years.  The most recent being from a Kids Behavior Specialist who had been working with Dominic to help him walk.  She is such an amazing woman and I learned so much from her in the short amount of time that she was here.  The biggest thing I can pass on is she taught me the meaning of the phrase "Does it really matter all that much?"  This has helped me tremendously with dealing with my kids and myself as well!  Each day our kids have the opportunity to make choices, our whole lives are based upon choices.  As a mom I feel that I am constantly on the lookout for my children, as I'm sure you do to.  I can't even count the times I say "No, no" or "Please don't do that" etc...This also goes for me as far as feeling like I haven't accomplished something or feeling frustrated with someone...that I need to just stop and reflect before I take action and ask myself "Does it really matter all that much?"  It's not always easy to do but it has helped me to feel so much more relaxed with my decisions.  For instance, if my kids are dumping out every single toy in the house..."Does it really matter all that much?" No not really, however if I told them to clean it all up and chose to be frustrated then we would miss out on a fun day of creativity and learning!  Like I said, it's not always easy to do, and there are just days when things like that don't work, however toys can always be cleaned up but unfortunately that moment can't be recreated.

       I have a child who is definitely a little crazy and rowdy!  I love her spunky personality and all the fun things she says but she also is the one to test my patience.  She really knows how to push my buttons.  I really have made it a point not to yell at my kids but she is the one that always gets me right to that point.  The thing I forget sometimes is that she is never intentionally trying to do something bad...sometimes kids make mistakes, just like me :)  I get so frustrated at her that I discipline her unfairly sometimes.  Overwhelmed by it all, I felt the need to tell my kids "I love you" before I started to take action on the crime...taking those 2 seconds to tell them I love them really reminded me that even though I am angry, I love them so much and I need to discipline out of love rather than anger and just sending them to "time out" without any explanation.

       Lastly I learned (from a wise old man :) ) that kids need to be told "why" they can't do something.  If you just tell them no, then it is harder for them to understand than if you explain to them the reason behind your decision.  It helps them to grasp the concept.  "No you cannot stick your toothbrush in the toilet because it has oodles of germs and will make you sick" is easier for them to accept than if you just tell to not stick it in the toilet (and yes I really did have to say that to my child...she has this crazy obsession with toilets :).)  It definitely also gives me a good perspective on why I am telling them no in the first place.

       See, I told you I needed to rant :)  I am no expert in parenting, at all, and in no way have professional advice for anyone because I seriously feel that more often than not, I have no idea what I'm doing :)  This post was actually more for me than I am sure it was for anyone else!  I will however tell you, don't compare yourself to others!  It's easier said than done, but there is always someone who is going to be more accomplished or less accomplished...we all work at our own pace and have different talents and those are all unfair comparisons.  You have to give yourself credit and remember that you are doing your best!  Don't try to change everything all at once or do everything by yourself because then you end up getting nothing done at all :)

       I hope you all are enjoying your holidays so far and having a relatively stress-free time!  I have some fun DIY projects and recipes coming up that I will post soon :)  Definitely try out the Barbecue Chicken Salad if you haven't yet, so yummy! Enjoy!

- Kristin

Helpful Hints and Halloween Decor Tutorial

      Helpful Hints and Halloween Decor Tutorial

       Stay awake until the end, I have a fun Halloween Decor Tutorial for you!  I have to share a quick "foodie" story with you that might entertain you.  I can cook my kids all the yummiest food in the world yet they are the pickiest eaters and would probably eat Ramen every single day if I let them.  Yes, Ramen, the most elegant of the "fast food" items we have in our house.  My daughter believes with all her heart that they are called Rotten Noodles.  So as she is playing with her friend the other day, I hear her tell her "My mommy always makes me Rotten Noodles.  She is really good at making them!  You should have her teach your mom!" Ha...I can't imagine what her mom thought when she ran home and told her to get some cooking tips on making Rotten Noodles.
     

       Okay first things first!  Did you clean out your fridge before you went shopping??  Always make sure you clean it out BEFORE you go...that way you know exactly what you have and what you  need.  That way there are no "surprises" waiting for you when you get home.  It is much easier to stick everything in there organized then to just throw it in there and not know where it belongs.

       Next I just wanted to throw in some of my helpful hints for cooking to make it easier on you!  I have a secret...I don't like cooking bacon!  I don't like the way my house smells for days after I cook it, I feel like it permeates the fabric in my couches and just lingers for days.  I buy Fully Cooked Bacon by Oscar Meyer.  It is more expensive...but definitely worth the money for me to buy this since all you do is microwave it and you are done.  I always microwave it a little more than it calls for because I like crispy bacon.

       
       Okay so I know some of you had trouble finding this Homade Chili Sauce.  It is found in the barbecue sauce section of Walmart or you can buy it at Macey's as well.  If you live out of state, I am not sure if they sell it anywhere else but here so you might want to fill me in.  This is my favorite sauce to use!  We are using it in this rotation for our tortilla chip dip and it is seriously delicious...try it...you'll like it...I promise :)

       
       Next I have included a list of spices that I use all the time for seasoning.  I always have these on hand in my house along with the Fiesta Lime Seasoning by Mrs. Dash found here.  The Fiesta Lime is my favorite but any of these are great!

       
       Okay, are you ready for some Holiday Cheer??  No it is not Christmas but Halloween is a Holiday and with all this candy how can you NOT be cheerful??  I was searching for something to fill my apothecary jars with for Halloween.  I went to numerous stores only to find that they are already putting their Halloween stuff away and are on to Christmas...totally bypassing Thanksgiving!  Come on people! Anyways, I am sure someone somewhere has already thought of this but since I couldn't find anything I finally found some clear glass Christmas Balls on sale at Hobby Lobby for $3 for 12 and the ideas started spinning.  Here is what you will need.

       
       You will need a glass measuring jar...or any glass jar with a spout for easier pouring.  The trickiest part is getting the paint inside these little ornaments.  You will need 3 colors of Acrylic Paint in Black, Purple and Orange.  These are the 3 I used.  You will also need Clear Glass Christmas Ornaments like the one below..  I used glass, plastic might work but I didn't try it so don't take my word for it.

        Okay here is what you do and I am sorry I didn't take pictures of the whole process, it was a little tricky with just me as the camera man.  Choose which color you want to do first.  Squirt quite a bit of paint in your glass measuring jar.  Pour in just a TINY bit of water.  Seriously, don't overdo the water because it looks terrible inside your jar, all runny and you want it more opaque.  You can always add more water but you can't take it out.  Make sure you mix it really well after you add a little water.  Next remove the top of your ornament.  Pour the paint inside...yes inside the ornament.  Now you just turn your ball to spread the paint until it is evenly coating the whole ball then flip it upside down to dry on top of 2 paper towels.  Mine took 2 days to dry so you have to have some serious patience for this. While they are drying, paint the top part of the ornament that you removed...you know the part where the hook would go? I don't know all the technical terms for it :) Do that with all of your balls in different colors and you have this below!

     
 Now if that doesn't make you excited for Halloween I don't know what will :)

   
Enjoy!!

- Kristin

Organization

I have had a lot of people ask me about some organization techniques, wanting some helpful hints on making and keeping an organized house. For those of you who do know me, I have my little quirks of organization, however I am no expert in this area. But here are some helpful hints that work for me. Just know that everyone is different. All situations are different and this is what works best for my family. There may be better ways or ideas that are efficient for your family and needs but this is what works best for me, so hopefully it will help you as well :)

#1: Lists!

- If you can't already tell, I am a big fan of lists! I like to have my weeks mapped out and my lists of "Things To Do" set to go at the beginning of the week so I know exactly what needs to be done around the house. This not only helps me to remember things since I am slowly losing brain cells the more kids I have, but it also helps me feel accomplished which in turn motivates me to get more things done!

#2: Tupperware!

- If you know me, then you know my obsession with tupperware. I would literally pack my whole house in tupperware and label it if I could. I love tupperware and how it makes everything feel clean and in its place. Tupperware is expensive to buy all at once so just build up little by little. Soon you will have a collection. Don't limit yourself to just boxes, there are food storage containers and bottles for cereal and such. It really makes such a difference on the appearance. If you look at my pantry above I like to have my boxes in order of height and all facing the way (okay maybe I AM a little OCD :) ). I bought red bins from Walmart to stick all those loose bags in that don't have a place. I also bought candy jars from Walmart to stick in cereal and other items and have little scoops in place to scoop them out. Regardless of how you do it, make sure everything has a place. I also have tupperware in the girls closets to place all their toys in on little shelves. That way all the Dora toys go in one and Ponies in another etc...

#3: Never leave dishes in the sink...

- Okay to be honest this is one of those tasks that is super hard to do but will result in a much better outcome for you. Whenever you eat breakfast, wash your dishes right after you are done. Same with lunch and dinner. Who likes to wake up in the morning to a sink FULL of crusted on dirty dishes and stinky wash cloths? Definitely not me! It makes the task at hand so much worse. But if you just finish right after then you are done! At our house we wash dishes by hand...yes, yes, I know we are crazy. I used to think so too but now that I have been doing it for so long, I honestly prefer it that way. I wash them and then stick them in the dishwasher to dry. That way there are still no dishes piling up in my sink. When my sink is empty the kitchen feels a lot cleaner. Don't stress, there are some days it is just impossible to get the dishes done. Just do what you can and what makes your family happy. Family is first :)

#4: Deep clean once a week!

- Okay here is what I do, but again this might now work for everybody. I choose one day out of the week and I completely deep clean my house on that day. This includes laundry, scrubbing toilets, wiping down baseboards, mirrors, sinks, sweeping and mopping floors, dusting etc...Everything that needs to be done is done on that day! The girls get to help do their chores and then play the day away while I finish all the cleaning. I involve them as much as I can with laundry and things like that but this is the day they know to go out and play or just have fun bonding as sisters time :) The reason I do this all in one day is that I have the rest of the week to relax and enjoy myself...and I am not doing laundry one day, toilets the next, floors the next etc...it makes life a lot easier on myself and I get to enjoy my family instead of feeling like I am constantly cleaning every single day!

#5: Pay attention, this is the most important...Don't compare yourself to others!

- Life is crazy. We are all different. We have different skills, different backgrounds and different ideas. Use your creativity to think of ideas that work for you! You have to remember that even though your neighbor next door seems to have the perfect life, I am sure her life is just as crazy as yours and she probably looks at you thinking you have it all together. We all get stressed. We all have different talents. The point is to share what you have and use your talents as your strengths! Some days are going to be too crazy to clean and so maybe for that week your Deep Clean will have to wait, you have to remember that it's okay.

Hopefully these tips helped you get some ideas for organizing and I will post more pictures and ideas soon. I have a bunch of fun pre-school ideas to help your toddlers have fun! Now go have fun with your family and get organizing on Monday!

-Kristin

Helpful Hints

My friend Andrea asked me a good question today that I thought I would straighten out for all of you and just give some helpful hints for our next 3 week menu rotation. You will be joining me won't you :) Anyways so she called and asked me some questions today and I thought these were good questions that some of you might be wondering as well.

#1: Q - How do you keep your produce fresh for three weeks?

A - I don't! I only buy what I know my family can consume before it goes bad. I don't buy 3 weeks of fresh produce at a time otherwise it will go bad because we can't consume it that fast and fruit especially tends to go bad. I really haven't had a problem with veggies such as carrots, lettuce etc. So I only buy what I KNOW we will eat before it goes bad. If you see your fruit starting to go bad, slice it up, wash it and freeze it and use it for smoothies or after school snacks! My kids LOVE frozen grapes, bananas, peaches and strawberries! On my 3 week rotation you will notice that I usually do most of my freshest recipes at the beginning of my rotation so that I can use my fresh produce first and then towards the end I have other menu items that I can use while rotating my food storage. For example at the end of the 3 weeks I might have a Fruit Salad but obviously I don't have any fruit so I pull out my canned fruit cocktail from my food storage, whip up a little cream with a tiny bit of sugar and that's my fruit salad for the side. Occasionally I goof up every once in a while (shocking I know ;) ) and I might put a side down or ingredient that was supposed to be at the beginning of my menu...no stress! Substitute it with something from food storage or choose another side altogether with ingredients you have on hand.

#2: Q - I find that I run out of snacks, do you have to run to the store in between rotations?

A - This is a good question. The more you do this rotation and build up your storage, the easier this is. You can still do it without having to run to the store, just pick up and store your items. My trick is that every time I go grocery shopping I buy all the things I know we are continuously using...fruit snacks, flour, sugar, butter, crackers, etc...When those things are on sale, such as cream of chicken soup, I buy a lot of them while still keeping within my budget. So even if I have fruit snacks at home, I still buy 2 more boxes each time I go. This way I am building up my stock each time. For instance, in my basement right now I have 15 bags of flour. when I go grocery shopping at the end of next week, I will probably still have 14, however I am going to purchase 2 more like I always do and store them downstairs. Same with sugar, fruit snacks, soup and all those things I use on a regular basis. I also find that if I keep ALL my snacks upstairs at once, my kids want to eat ALL day long which is probably not the best idea. But if I keep one box of each snack upstairs at a time they limit their portions and eat what they really want! Then I still have some downstairs when I need to bring it up. This also helps me to encourage them to eat the fresh produce snacks first such as celery with peanut butter and raisins, and then at the end of my rotation I have the other boxed items needed.

#3: Q - What do you do about milk and bread and things?

A - The only thing I have to run to the store for in between rotations is milk. That is the only thing I find that doesn't taste the same after I freeze it. Since it's only one item, when I know we are going to need some I just have my husband pick it up on his way home from work. Simple list...no stress...no ordering around required ;) For bread, when I go shopping I purchase 4 loaves of bread (you may need more or less depending on your family's needs) and I freeze the other 2 loaves that we are not using so they don't go bad. Trust me it still tastes the same and saves you a hassle! In the winter, I make my own bread loaves so I can make them fresh when needed or make 6 loaves at a time and freeze the unused portions. Don't worry, I am going to convert you to homemade bread this fall and you will love it...that's my goal!

Things To Remember

- Don't stress! You will get the hang of this, I promise! It is really super easy even though the first time may have been tricky, the second time is going to be a breeze!

- Freeze your fruit and produce that is going bad for a later use in a recipe or as snacks!

- Remember, this is not doctrine! Make changes where you need. This is here to help you and give you ideas, suggestions and guidelines to make your life simpler.

- If you have any questions, I am always here to help so feel free to ask. Whether it be with a recipe or meal planning, don't be shy!

Starting Tomorrow!

Just a side note really fast. This is the rice I always buy. It is a little more expensive than minute rice, but if you don't have a rice cooker and you make rice a lot, this is absolutely the BEST rice to buy. My sister introduced it to me and we will never buy anything else. You just add water and rice and microwave it and it comes out perfect every single time. My husband and I like to add a TINY bit of canola oil and salt to give it some flavor but this honestly is the yummiest rice. It is just found in the rice section.

Here is the updated shopping list that just has the items you will need so that way you don't have to look through all my additional items and it has just what you need for all the

recipes on the 3 week rotation menu...it may look longer because I decided to included all the spices

you need as well as I put special instructions in there for ingredients that may be hard to find. Plus for some reason google docs wouldn't let me put it into columns, so I apologize for 2 pages, but normally it would just be one! Remember to check your pantry, spices and fridge just in case you already have these items, there is no need to purchase more spices than you need :)

Okay everyone! Tomorrow is the big day, I know you guys are all excited ;) So if you are all starting tomorrow with me on this 3 week rotation there is one more trip you have to make...the Costco trip. I have to say, I am not a big fan of Walmart meat. In fact to say that I detest it and gag when I walk down the meat aisle is an understatement. When we were first married I didn't know any better and purchased my meat from there...I couldn't understand why EVERY single meal I made turned out horrible...until one day my sister introduced me to Costco meat and Macey meat...my life has never been the same. Trust me! Anways, you can go wherever you find it is the best deal for you, but for me I find that Costco can't be beat on quality and price for what I buy. So my Costco trips are very rare and when I go, I just go to purchase my meat, diapers and wipes. I try to abstain from everything else so I don't always spend so much money on stuff that my small family won't eat. Okay so here are the 3 things you need from Costco.

#1: A 4-pack of their pork roasts. They only come in a 4-pack and they are small roasts found in the fresh meat section. Cut off one and put it in your fridge for tomorrow and then stick the other 3 in your freezer until our next pork recipe comes up. These last us for so long!

#2: Jack's Salsa. As I said before, you can use fresh salsa and it will turn out great, but honestly this saves a HUGE step and you can't beat all the flavor it gives to your pork!

#3: A package of their frozen chicken tenders. I LOVE these! They are in the frozen/refrigerated food section of Costco. They are individually frozen so that when they are put in there they don't stick together. You definitely could always do the frozen chicken breasts because they are bigger and if you have big eaters, that is the way to go. But for my kids who are so little, the chicken tenders are definitely a perfect portion size for them. They are easy to defrost and cook and are super lean so it saves me all the hassle of always cutting off all the fat on anything else I would be buying. Definitely worth my moo la, but they are super cheap anyways :)

Okay, one last thing. I have had a lot of people ask me if I halve the recipe since I have a family that has tiny kids who don't eat a lot or if I make the full, what do I do with the rest? Here is what I do and find that this works great for my family. I almost always make the full recipe. Why? Because then whatever leftovers I have, I set aside a lunch portion for my husband to take to work the next day and then I freeze the rest in a container with the name, date, contents and how much is in there. For instance, the other day for breakfast I made homemade pancakes. This is obviously something I wouldn't send my husband for lunch but is something I can pull out on a crazy school morning and toast the pancakes to defrost them and they always turn out soft and delicious. So I stuck them in the freezer with this written on it: "Pancakes; September 1st, 2011; 6 pancakes." That way I know exactly what is in there and how much and which items to use first so they don't get old and yucky! I updated the grocery shopping list with items that didn't contain my personal items so that way you could just focus on recipe items and add your items in between. Let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy!

p.s. tomorrow we will start the pork at eight in the morning so that way it is done by four, right when we get home from church....if you have an early nine o clock church and want your pork done to eat by the time you get home, i suggest you start it tonight around eleven and then turn off your slow cooker at 7 so it stops cooking that way you just have to warm it up in your slow cooker when you get home...tomorrow i will post the recipe for the cilantro lime ranch dressing and the rice...see you then

- Kristin