Casey Crocker

Love is the Air: Favorite Valentine's Day Traditions

2012-02-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

I'm not even going to mention this latest blog-iatus (that's a blog- hiatus for those of you just tuning in) because it's become standard procedure for me nowadays.

Wait, did I just mention it?

I did, didn't I?

Any-whooo, I thought I'd take a moment to share a few favorite Valentine traditions that are simple and easy (and cheap!)

There are SO many cute ideas out there for Valentine's Day, but I've had to learn the lesson the hard way that I just can't do it all! When I try to do every little idea I see, I often end up "going to the party but missing the celebration," so to speak. In other words I become so focused on my doily table runner that I forget that the point of this holiday is to cherish the ones we love! Leslie wrote a great blog post about this subject the other day.

So, with that in mind, here are a few favorite, simple traditions that encourage togetherness.

1. 'Roses Are Red' Valentines:
A year or two ago, we started the tradition of making our own Valentines for each other (no store bought allowed!), and the rule is that the Valentine needs to follow the format of the poem "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue." I like to re-write the poem depending on what the kids are into that year.

Here are the Valentines I made the kids last year:

And here's the cute one Bennett made for me (with Daddy's help):

I've no idea what that crazy kid was talking about, but I like the way his mind works. Cake sandwiches? Yes sirree!

I also made one for the McPreacher of course, but it was a little scandalous so I'll just keep that to myself. Hehe.

2. Special Breakfast on Valentine's Day:

I LOVE breakfast, and in my book, any holiday is a good excuse to make a special breakfast! This is something I've been doing since McPreachy and I first got married. Even though this is kind of labor intensive, I LOVE cooking so it doesn't stress me out. Here are a few of the Pinteresting things I'd like to try for this years special breakfast:

Heart shaped Cinnamon Rolls

Strawberry /White Chocolate Cocoa

Heart-shaped Bacon

Convo Heart Bingo

And finally, our last little V-Day tradition...

3. Love Notes Jar

On our kitchen counter we have a jar where we can write little love notes to each other beginning the first o' the month. Then we read them during our Valentine's breakfast. Simple and sweet.

Here's the little bowl of love notes, waiting to be written on:

And here's a note that Mallory dictated for me to write for Bennett.

And yes, I know the pictures is sideways... I have issues.

Also, while we're at it, let's take a peek at a few of our simple Valentines decorations.

I think that about does it: Valentine's Day at our house in a nutshell... or any other shell that seems Valentinesy to you.

Either way, I love this holiday!

Happy New Year: A Plethora of Updates

2012-01-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I'm back after a month-ish long Christmas blog-iatus. Sooooo welcome back to me! I feel like I have a zillion updates to share, so let's begin, shall we?

1. I am sad the holidays are over. Boo Hoo. But I love getting rid of all the "Christmas clutter" around the house and getting things fresh for the new year. I love the new outlook and possibility that another year brings. This is the first year in a while that I haven't spent a lot of time reflecting on my goals for the coming year. Not sure why. It could be that I am just so focused on adjusting to/coping with being pregnant and trying to enjoy every moment with my kids at this stage, which would be a good reason. Or if could be that I have just given up trying to meet goals because I am so bad at it, which wouldn't be a good reason.

Either way, I truly believe that 2012 has amazing things to offer. I am entering this year very hopeful at what God has in store. Last year I had 3 words that I focused on for 2011's goals. For 2012 there is one word that really encapsulates what I'd like to work on this year, an it's STOP.

Yep. my goal for 2012 is to just stop being so busy and doing so much... to slow down and enjoy the stage of life and mothering I'm in right now. The stop and smell the roses and not be in such a rush. To stop beating myself up with Mom guilt and stop comparing myself to others. To put the phone down, play with my kids, hold my soon-to-be-newborn and not try to cram so much into these fleeting years. This should always be a goal, but it feels more necessary this year with the baby coming. I'm already making preparations to pull back a lot from commitments and spend this next year just enjoying being a new Mom again.

2. Moving on to less meaningful matters, I'm in full-on nesting mode and tackling all kinds of decorating/organizing projects around the house! Here is a peek at some of our winter-yet-not-Christmas decor:

3. I made these these other day. They were heavenly. Annnnd since the recipe said "healthy," I naturally ate them all in one sitting. Can't deprive the wee one in my belly, now can we?

4. Speaking of my belly, it is in full bloom these days.

Here it is outside H&M, pining over clothes it won't fit into.

Here it is in shadow form, along with two precious ones. (I love the way Benny has his hand on my belly.)

I had my 20 week ultrasound last week, which was SUCH a different experience since we aren't finding out our baby's gender until the big day! Everything is looking healthy, and despite my abnormally large belly, baby is measuring right on target.

4. A few weeks ago, a friend and I were talking about how we could make homemade cinnamon rolls that were a little healthier for everyday eating. So on Bennett's first day back to school after Christmas break, I came up with a healthy(er) cinnamon roll recipe to start the day off right.

Here's what I did:

I took a package of Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough and rolled it out into a rectangle. I wanted to add protein, so I smeared it with softened cream cheese.

I wanted the rolls to be free of refined sugar, so I added a generous drizzle of raw honey.

I wanted to add even more protein and vitamins, so I pulverized raw almonds in my Magic Bullet and sprinkled them on.

And of course, I wanted delicious cinnamon flavor, so added a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon (also very healthy and good for normalizing blood sugar levels.)

Clearly, I wanted a lot out of these cinnamon rolls, and they did not disappoint.

Then I rolled that bad boy up into a delectable log o' goodness. I sliced the log into rolls and placed them in an 8x8 baking dish. I dotted the top with just a smidge of butter, then I baked them at 375 for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I made a little glaze for the top. I melted a few tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and then added a few big spoonfuls of raw honey. I brought this to a boil and then reduced the heat to low until the rolls were done baking. When the rolls came out of the oven, I poured this sweet syrupy goodness over the top. Yum! The kids LOVED them!

Christmas Time is Here {Insert Hallelujah Chorus}

2011-12-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

Is there anything in the WHOLE world better than Christmas, I ask you?

I think not.

Normally I am ALL about the fall. But this year the fall treated me horribly. I was nauseated all fall long. I couldn't eat, socialize or move. Fall is dead to me, I tell you, dead to me!

But Christmas is another story. I am now feeling loads better and able to enjoy making merry, eating goodies, and celebrating out Savior's birth.

We got our tree on Tuesday, and slowly but surely things are getting Christmasy around here. Come... let me show you!

Here is our tree:

These 'Peace' blocks were a handmade gift from my friend Lizzie. I LOVE them!!!

*Insert grandiose-sounding trumpet*

THIS is the banner I bought from tidbit at our MOPS group's Christmas Boutique last night and I AM IN LOVE WITH IT! I smile and feel merry and bright every time I see it!

The mantle all decked out with our stockings and advent calendar (I put it up high so no wee ones can peek ahead) :0)

A few of my favorite decorations and ornaments:

I made these silhouette ornaments of the kids last year, and I cherish them.

Goodbye Stinkies! (Another Awesome Product I'm Loving)

2011-11-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

Had to give yet another shout-out to a product I've been loving over here at Casa McPreachy.

Does your potty training toddler or puppy piddle all over the carpet? Has anyone had a tummy bug lately that has left you with a yucky mess (thankfully, this has not been us...) Does your toilet ALWAYS smell like pee no matter what you do to clean it? (GRRRR!)

Then you NEED this AMAZING product:

(insert trumpeting)

Kids'n Pets All purpose Stain and Odor Remover!

Not only is this stuff non-toxic, it REALLY works! I've used bottles and bottles of it! (We have a doggy who is very naughty... but we love her!)

You just dab up the yuckies, saturate with the cleaner and let it air dry.

I get mine at Walmart. Just do yourself a favor, and stock up on few bottles at once! You'll use it, trust me!

LOVE this stuff!

2011-11-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

I have found an AMAZING natural hair care line for kids (and adults) that I LOVE, so I thought I'd pass the info on.

The company is called Original Sprout.

So far we have tried the natural styling balm, which has kept Bennett's hair out of his eyes and looking very handsome. I LOVE this stuff!

Also, I got a free bottle of the deep conditioner and have been using it on Mallie and myself. It is naturally lice-repellent (don't worry, it smells great!) and it even did a incredible job conditioning my thick mass of hair!

After using these two products, I am sold. I have had a difficult time finding a shampoo and conditioner for the whole family that I love, so this place is a goldmine.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

The Fetus Heard 'Round the World

2011-11-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hello Faithful and Devoted Readers,

You may have noticed that this recent blog-iatus has been longer than normal.

And you, O' observant one would be correct.

The reason being... I am with child!

And excited to death.

And sick as a DOG. (That's dawg if you are gangsta.)

So I really don't have much to write about these days except:

1. All I have been able to eat for the last 7 weeks is graham crackers, cereal and cran-grape juice. I've gone through an entire Costco box of graham crackers, and if I never see one again it will be too soon.

2. Yes, I've been sick the other two times I was pregnant, but it has gotten worse with each pregnancy, this one being about 10 times worse than the last.

3. I am 10 weeks pregnant... so it should only be 2 more weeks of sickness and misery. Yahoo!

4. The rude pregnancy comments have already started. I'm trying to tell myself not to take them personally this time. To just enjoy being pregnant since it's my last one. But it is hard when people are just so darn rude. One lady told me that the third child would "make me or break me." She said it all dramatic-like for emphasis. Thanks so much for the encouragement, person I barely know!

Then on Facebook another dear soul commented that my husband and I must be doing well financially in order to bring another mouth to feed into this horrible economy. Yes, seriously. I am not paraphrasing.

5. I really can't wait to eat again.

So until that day, my dear ones, these mundane details will have to suffice.

The First Day O' School. Or, The Beginning of the End

2011-09-12T14:42:00.001-07:00

Is it melodramatic that I'm feeling like life is over because this is Bennett's last year before Kindergarten?

It may be, but I'm freaking out nonetheless.

It's the beginning of the end. The end of his toddler-hood, the end of being home all day every day, the end of his whole world being our family, the end of him thinking Mommy and Daddy are the coolest people in the world. Pretty soon he'll be moving away and marrying some girl from the University.

I object.

I often voice these objections to Benny-boy.

Me: "I don't WANT you to grow up. Please stop."

Bennett: "Moooom... it's OK! I'll still give you hugs and kisses, even when I'm big."

Sigh.

Do you see now why I refuse to accept him growing up?

Nonetheless, school started today, and I decided to get over my temper tantrum and make it a special day. After all, I do love a good reason to break out traditions!

Like the "Special breakfast on the First-Day-of-School" Tradition.

I made these apple cinnamon muffins. They were amazing (I made mini muffins instead of biggies, just FYI). I served Benny's up with some yogurt.

Along these lines, we also celebrated the "Bring-the-Teacher-an-Apple-on-the-First-Day-of-School" Tradition. Also known as "My-Mama-is-a-Kiss-Up" Tradition.

I packaged up 12 of our Apple mini-muffins in an egg carton. I found this cute idea on Pinterest. Benny was excited to give them to his teacher Miss Mary!

Moving on... to the "Picture-on-the-Front-Steps" Tradition. Our pics were a little sub-par this year. We were rushed, and we have two young children. Enough said.

Still we got a few semi-cute shots.

Getting a semi-decent picture...

When we got to school, it was all craziness and hustle and bustle, which is not Benny's favorite.
He likes it calm and quiet like his Daddy.

He said hello to sweet Miss Mary, who greeted each child outside the door with a big smile and hug. Love her already.

She oohed and aahed over the gift Bennett brought her, and I saw his little eyes twinkle with pride.

Inside the classroom, Bennett found a quiet corner where he played Dinosaurs and "Guys" (which basically means action-figures in Bennett-speak").

For the first 10 minutes or so, he kept asking me to stay, and then all of a sudden, he said very calmly, "Mama, can you please leave me here now? You can go."

So I kissed him (twice) and told him to be good (10 times) and drove away.

When pick-up time came, my buddy emerged from the classroom wearing a green Birthday Crown since he just had his birthday. He had a great first day of school and told me all about the special snack, the toys and the friends.

We then went and celebrated with our final tradition of the day... the "Special-Lunch-After-The First-Day-of-School" Tradition. This was one my Mom always did with me, and have fond memories of the first day of school!

He picked "Pandamania Express" :0), and we had a really nice lunch and playtime at the park afterwards.

After lunch he said, "What a beautiful day this was. I love this day."

Enough with the preciousness, kid. Can't you see your Mom is hanging on by a thread today? Sheesh.

5 years ago today...

2011-09-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

...God blessed me with the most amazing gift.

It was this.

And this...And this.

A precious little baby boy who would change my whole life, deny me of sleep for 5 months straight, smear dirt on everything I own, melt my heart and kill me every day with his preciousness.

I like to call it Death by Bennett.

Because I die a little bit every time I look at his precious, little face.

As he grows up, I get to see more and more of the unique, special boy God has made him to be. God has given his such an amazing heart, character and conviction. Just like his Daddy.

Of course I can't sum all of Bennett up in one blog post, but here is a glimpse.

My Bennett is:

The kind of boy who just likes to sit back and watch sometimes...

Imaginative!
Lover of bad guys. He wants to redeem them all so they won't be bad anymore.

Loves to play, play, play!

A quiet and complex little boy. And old soul... He loves to sit quietly and play by himself away from the chaos of life.

Lover of the outdoors...

Lover of adventures...

Always holding a stick or gun... he is ready to defend and protect others!

Sweet and thoughtful... he loves to cuddle and is always telling me he loves me.

Sometimes precocious...
Loves quality time with his family. Here he is with his Bobob.

A very sweet brother to Mallory (most of the time) :0)He melts my heart and he knows it. He is the joy of my life.

Happy Birthday, Benny-boy. I can't believe how quickly these 5 years have gone by and how many special memories we've had. You are SUCH a blessing to me. I am so blessed to be your Mama. I pray that God will continue to bless and keep you and grow you into the young man He has designed you to be.

Summer Learning: Rooty Tooty Fresh-n-Fruity

2011-07-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my blog with scrutiny may have seen that "Learn the Fruits of the Spirit" was one of the items on our family's "Summer To-Do List."

"What is this all about?" you may have asked yourself.

Well, I'm glad you asked, O Scrutinous Blog Reader.

The idea came to me a few weeks ago when I was trying to describe to Bennett how we needed more peace in our home. He asked me, "What is peace Mama?" And while I was explaining it to him, this simple idea was born. I didn't want to overwhelm him or myself with tons of elaborate summer preschool curriculum like I used to. I though that focusing on a new "Fruit of the Spirit" each week could provide some opportunities for spiritual growth for the whole family as well as some arts&crafts, cutting, math and music along the way.

So here's what we did. First we made a big blank tree on butcher paper and hung it on the playroom door. (This is also what I do for my thankfulness tree in the fall.) I'm no artist, and my tree is proof of that, but the kids don't care.

Then, each week, we choose a fruit that begins with the same letter as the virtue we are learning. For instance, a lemon for love.

And a pineapple for peace. I also wrote a simple, easy-to-understand definition on each fruit that I keep repeating to my kids every day at breakfast. The kids get to paste the fruit up on the tree, and this helps us to continue reviewing all the fruits we've learned.

I also choose a Bible verse that corresponds to the Fruit O' the Week and post it on the chalkboard in our eating area. Here's the verse for love.

The verse for peace was "Live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18)

Again, those scrutiny-filled readers may notice that we skipped "Joy" on our tree. This is because I did "Peace" early... we've had a lot of fighting around here lately, and I thought we needed some peace ASAP! So I broke the order for the greater good.

And now we're doing Joy this week.

Our fruit for Joy is actually going to be "Jelly" because there are no fruits that begin with the letter J! Jelly counts as fruit in my book. Long live jelly!

And my kid-friendly definition for Joy is: Having a happy heart no matter what happens.

Joy's verse is: Proverbs 15: 13 "A happy heart makes the face cheerful."

Also: Throughout the week, I really try to phrase things using our 'Fruit O' the Week,' so the meaning will really sink in for the kids.

For instance, I use it to lovingly correct, as in, "Bennett, is that a good way to seek peace with your sister? Or are you stirring up fighting?" OR "Mallory, that wasn't a very joyful attitude." OR "Bennett, those weren't very loving words."

Or better yet, I use it when I'm praising the kids for great behavior. As in... "Bennett! I'm so proud of the way you handled that peacefully!" OR "Great job, Mallie! I love your joyful attitude!" You get the picture. This serves as a good reminder of what we are working on.

So there you have it... our Rooty Tooty Fresh -n-Fruity Summer Learning!

DIY Art: Eye Chart

2011-07-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

I need to fill the blank walls of my boudoir with some art! I've seen all this super cute "eye chart" art on Etsy lately... like this one and this one. Love them.

So I decided to make my own using a song we are always singing at our house.

It was super easy, and I love how it turned out! I downloaded a font called "Eye Chart" and then just wrote out my text and set to work making lines of descending size.

I think it will look awesome matted in a white frame.

Can't wait to add some personalized love to our bedroom.

Pizza... You Singin'-a My Song!

2011-07-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

I love my Dad. The title of this post is an ode to him and all the funny little inside-joke phrases we have together.

I don't really know where the phrase originated, but EVERY time I have eaten pizza with my Dad since the day of my birth, he always loudly proclaims in a pseudo-Italian accent, "Pizza! You singin'-a my song!" It's a silly little tradition that I love.

I hope that when my kids are grown, we have a lot of little family inside-jokes like that. These little things are what truly add up to create tight family bonds for life.

Anyway, back to pizza. I experimented with a few favorite flavors and came up with a pizza that I LOVE!

It was inspired by my favorite pizza from Mandy's Pizza... the Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza!

So, without further adieu, here's the how you make it.

First, take yo' pizza crust. This one is the whole wheat from Trader Joe's. (Love P-Dub's recipe too! ) Spread the dough on your pan, and spread on a layer of ranch dressing... like so:

Next, add your toppings: chopped, cooked chicken (I used leftover grilled from the night before), crispy chopped bacon and diced tomatoes. I would have thrown some green onions on there too if I'd had any. Next... the cheese! I used grated mozzarella.
Then bake it in a 475 oven until browned and crispy!!! (about 8-10 minutes)

Look how delicious!!

And now, before I take my leave, one more time... all together...

Pizza! You singin'-a my song!

Just when you've given up all hope on motherhood...

2011-07-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

This last week has been difficult, parenting-wise. After last week's busy-ness (VBS, staying up late at our family reunion, 4th of July and sickness all around), the kids have finally hit their limit. There has been fighting and grumpiness non-stop... and my patience has been waning.

But just when I had given up all hope, something magical happened.

I came downstairs and found this:

My son, without any parental prompting, made me a "present" complete with Star Wars "gift bag" and took paper and a marker to his Daddy to dictate a message to me.

Here's what my sweet boy put inside the present he made for me. Some favorite little toys and trinkets. He was so excited about giving it to me.And here's the card.

It's hard to photograph the words because he used blue marker on blue paper.

It reads:

Dear Mom,

We love you, and it's Bennett Clark Anderson and it's Daddy.

I love you for the sweet words you say and because you're so beautiful and pretty. We love you so much!

Sigh.

And just like that all my frustration melts away, and once again, I am reminded why motherhood, despite its many difficulties, is such a precious gift...

...moments like these.

Blogspiration: Shameless Copy Cat

2011-07-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

I am a shameless copy cat, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

Why re-invent the wheel? If I love the way someone does something, I figure... why not completely, utterly and shamelessly copycat them?

Such was the case when I saw this post from Leslie.

I LOOOOOOVE this idea of planning out intentional summer fun and prioritizing your favorite activities for this season.

I loved this idea so much, that I copy-catted.

And when I say that I copy-catted, I mean, like super specifically copy-catted. You will notice that I even copied the way she wrote "Summer List" at the top with the little sunshine. Like I said, if it ain't broke...

Bottling Up Summer Fun: "I'm Bored" Jar

2011-06-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a craft for our MOPS group this year, but it didn't happen.

So I just threw one together for my own family. And you can too.

It's too simple to even be classified as a craft. It's basically a 10 minute project.

First, grab a jar. I'm using one of my favorite chalkboard jars, but any old jar'll do ya.

Label the jar with the words "I'm bored."

Next cut up a bunch of little strips of paper. On the strips, write down activities that are doable for your family on any given day. Have a good mix of chores and fun things... you don't want to encourage the kids to constantly say "I'm Bored."

Some of my strips say:

go get frozen yogurt
paint a picture
roast marshmallows
clean 2 windows :0) (mwah ha ha!)
dust
sidewalk chalk
make play dough
make cookies with Mama
get in swimsuits and play in the hose
go on a walk
play a game of crazy eights
make popsicles

Basically, anything that will break the daily routine, jot it on a slip o' paper and fill that-there jar up.

Then the next time your kids say those infamous words: "I'm Bored!"

Yep, you guessed it... they grab one strip of paper from the jar and the bored child (or the whole family) does whatever is on the strip.

Try it out! At the very least, you will have very clean windows before the summer is over.

Love, Love, Love, Love: Crazy Love

2011-06-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

Remember way back when in this post where I talked about all the different natural beauty/skincare products I was trying?

You do?!

Great!

Well, remember how I said I would report back with my reactions to said products after trying them for a while?

You do?!

Great!

So, as promised, I'm back to let you know that after testing a few duds, I have found the best natural skincare line. EVER.

I know I am prone to overboard-crazy love for everything. I know I often exaggerate. But trust me when I say this skincare is awesome.

It is called Be Natural Organics.
I purchased the 4-Step Anti-aging Collection and have noticed much improvement with my skin, with better skin tone and very few (if any) breakouts. I have noticed that I'm not wearing as much makeup because my skin is looking so much better.

I LOVE all the products I got, but my favorite is the "Daily Botanical Enzyme Peel."

The peel uses lactic acid to eat away all your yucky, blah dead skin and is also great for acne and anti-aging. I love it and totally notice a difference after using it about 5 times a week for the past 5 weeks.

Just make sure you use a good natural sunscreen every day on your face when you are using this because you are more prone to sun damage after you expose that fresh, new skin!

I've been using this sunscreen for face and love it. I use it every morning mixed with a bit of my moisturizer. Don't freak out about the price. A little goes a LONG way, and remember, you're only using it on your face. So it should last you several months.

If you, like myself have been on the search for an awesome, natural skincare line, search no further. This is the one, folks. Prepare for Greatness.

The Big Girl Bed: A Tale of Denial and Heartbreak

2011-05-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

Once Upon A Time...

There was a precious baby named Mallory. She won hearts wherever she went with her smiles, giggles and all-around sparkling personality.

She had a sweet little bald head and the largest teeth this side of the Mississippi. She was a dream baby.

Then, out of nowhere... she started to grow into a big girl. Her mother and McPreacher father delighted in the big girl she was becoming but also felt so sad to see her growing up so fast. They wanted her to stay their little baby forever.

Then one day, she did something to prove to the world once and for all that she was NOT a baby anymore... she karate chopped two of the slats on her crib and broke them clean in half, rendering her crib completely unsafe.

With heavy hearts, two living-in-denial parents realized that their baby girl was growing up into a princess, and it was time for her to have a big girl bed.

If you listen very closely, you might just hear their hearts breaking.

Her parents searched the whole kingdom of Craig's List for a worthy bed for their princess. Such a precious princess needed an equally precious bed to rest her little head on.

Finally they found the perfect one. The McPreacher rode his noble steed, named Toyota all the way to the kingdom of Fullerton to acquire the new bed.

Behold now... the events that transpired on the eve of her christening into Big Girl Bed-Dom.

A Little Trip to Heaven: My Trader Joe's Shopping Swag

2011-04-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

Just took a trip to TJ's today and thought I'd share a few favorites and some new items I bought. It feels like Christmas came early over here!

Come on... I'll give you a little tour.

So here on the right we have one of our favorite cereals... Oat n' Wheat Bran Swirls... they are cinnamony deliciousness, and - might I add- the only cereal Benny boy likes.

In the middle, you will see some jelly beans I picked up to fill our Easter eggs. No articfical colors or flav-ahs!

And then on the left, you will see a mysterious package o' wonder. What is inside, you might ask? Here... let's take a closer look.

Well looky here! Balsamic grilled onions conveniently packaged and frozen for my culinary pleasure? Come to Mama! I'm planning on copycatting one of the recipes from the TJ's demo kitchen... pizza with bacon, cheese and caramelized onions. Yes siree, Bob!

Moving on...

On the right, we have our new favorite coffee creamer. I made sure to include it here because people are always asking me which one we like from TJ's. This is it... pretty much the same flavor as vanilla Coffeemate without the icky preservatives and hydrogenated oil. They have hazelnut flav-ah too, but we like this one.

And now, a moment of silence for the Cinnamon-Vanilla Coffeemate I desperately love but try not to drink anymore because it is sooooo bad for me. Rest in peace, my beloved.

Back to TJ's delicacies. To the left of the coffee creamer, you will notice a stack o' malted delights: Malted Milk Eggs, just in time for Easter and (hubba hubba) Marvelous Malted Milk Ball Cookies. Yep, you heard me right. Just look...

I already cracked these puppies open, and let me just say, they are amaaaazing! Marvelous, in fact. They remind me of a good old Famous Amos cookie with whoppers added to the mix. YUM!

Oh Joe, oh Joe.... why do you make me love you so?

...which leads me to today's mysterious movie quote o' the whenever.

"Joe lies! Joe Li-ies! Joe LIES... when he cries... when he cries."

Be the first to name that movie, and I will buy you a tub 'o malted milk ball cookies!

P.S. Trader Joe never lies, just in case you were wondering. This quote is in reference to a different Joe.

Au Natural: The Saga Continues

2011-04-11T23:44:00.001-07:00

Hello Peeps,

After my last post (12 million light years ago) on my growing interest in au' natural living, I've had a few people ask me about which natural beauty/skincare products I'm using. So I thought I'd share of few of my new favorites.

My criteria when looking for beauty products are:

The product needs to be free of all the yucky items listed here. This really limits your choices, but it is so worth it!

The product needs to be reasonably priced. This limits things even further because in my experience, natural products can be REALLY expensive. Now I'm not necessarily looking for cheap products, because I'm a big believer that you get what you pay for with cosmetics, but I also can't afford to buy a $85 bottle of face cream. Capeesh?

Needs to smell good and have cute packaging. I know, I know... this seems ridiculous... at least the packaging part. But, hey... I'm an aesthetics girl. The way things are presented matters to me, and if I'm going to be looking at the same old shampoo bottle day after day, is it too much to ask that it look pretty?

A few disclaimers... because I'm weirdly obsessed with people-pleasing:

It's important to note that I'm making these changes slowly, not wasting what I have and incorporating new natural items as I run out of the old stuff... except for my chemical-laden sunscreens, which I threw away and replaced immediately.

For any ingredient-police who are reading, I just want to get it out there right now that not all of the products listed below are 100% all natural. While they are free of the major no-no ingredients, they may still have a teensy weensy amount of less-than-perfect ingredients, and I'm okay with this. I'm all about balance in what I eat, what I purchase and how I live. We can't live in a bubble... it can't be perfect all the time. I don't want these natural choices to become obsessive or isolating (read an awesome post on this here), and as long as I'm doing my best to eliminate as many chemicals as I can, I feel satisfied. :0)

So without further adieu... here are the new products I'm trying and enjoying:

Sunscreen: Dr. Mercola's

Like I said before, this seemed most urgent to me, as traditional sunscreens have so much junk in them, and we use so much sunscreen in the summer. There are a lot of good chemical-free ones out there, but I decided to go with Dr. Mercola's version since I'll be using this a lot on Bennett and wanted to get something that would be extra gentle on his eczema. We've used it a few times, and I really like the smell (coco-nutty and tropical)and the way it goes on. I'm thoroughly satisfied so far.

Shampoo/Conditioner: Yes to Carrots

I recently purchased this shampoo and conditioner from Target and I really like it! (please, for those of you who know my hairdresser -- don't tell him! He will disown me for getting rid of my 'salon' shampoos!!) For me, shampoo is a hard one, because the scent really matters to me, and I also have very thick hair, so a lot of the natural shampoos I've tried just don't cut it. This one smells great, does the job, has cute & happy packaging and is very reasonably priced!

Moisturizer: derma-e

This is the newest addition to my natural collection, so I will report back after I have been using it longer. But so far, I am hopeful. It meets all my criteria with flying colors... Free of the major no-no's? Check. Reasonably priced? Check. Cute packaging and Smells good? Check. So far I'm excited about this product, and the girl at Henry's (where I purchased it) highly recommend this line at this price point (If you have more money at your disposal, then buy Dr. Hauschka... it is the best!!!) Anyway back to reality and derma-e... I got this serum and this moisturizer. And no, I'm not obsessed about wrinkles... the Henry's gal (yep... just said gal) said this was the best anti-aging cream for the price (only $11 at Henry's!).

Face Wash: Still shopping

Right now I'm using this face wash from Mother's Market (Henry's sells it too). I bought it during a time when my skin was breaking out a lot, and it works great if you break out or if your skin is oily. But now that my skin is pretty much back to normal, I'm looking for another cleanser, as this one is drying me out a little. If I'm happy with my derma-e stuff, I will probably get this toner and cleanser next.

Acne Treatment: EradiKate by Kate Somerville

Okay, I must confess I bought this before my interest in natural products began, but I did check the ingredients and though it might not be %100 natural, it doesn't seem to me to have any of the super dangerous ingredients. And seriously this stuff is MIRACULOUS! It works better than any acne treatment I've ever used, and trust me, I've tried a lot. Seriously, if you EVER get breakouts, just buy this stuff. It is amazing!

Sunless Tanner: Lavera

This is the natural sunless tanner recommended by Sophie at Gorgeously Green. I love Sophie. I have her book Do it Gorgeously, (thanks, Gina!) which was one of the first things to get me interested in living more naturally. I highly recommend the book, especially the make-your-own house cleaners and cosmetics recipes! Now back to the sunless tanner at hand...er body... er face. I started with the "Faces Summer Glow" so I can get my face nice and sun-kissed for summer without all that sun damage. So far no orange streaks. I'm liking it a lot. :0)

Face Scrub: DIY!

I make this myself with white sugar, lemon juice, honey and coconut or olive oil. Or you could use oats, cornmeal or baking soda. Play around with it until you find the right combination for your skin!

Body Scrub: DIY!

Did you know that your used coffee grounds make an awesome (though kinda messy) body scrub that detoxes and fights cellulite? Don't believe me? Well just take a look at this! 25 bucks for sugar and coffee grounds? No thanks, I'll just make it myself!

Here's how. But these are just ideas... there really is no formula. Just combine Coffee grounds, sugar and oil (I like olive, coconut or sweet almond best). Mix it together, and that's it. Simple!

Face Mask (once a week): DIY!

I make it myself using a combo of any/all of these ingredients. I just use whatever I have on hand at the time, throw it in the blender and slap it on my face for 10 - 15 minutes.

Canned Pumpkin (my favorite)

Pineapple or Papaya

Plain Yogurt

Avocado

Apple Cider Vinegar

Oats

Cucumbers

I also like this mask from Henry's/Mothers for deep cleansing.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. If you know of any great, natural, cutely-packaged and reasonable beauty products, please... do tell!

Hippie Mommas Unite: A New Favorite Website

2011-03-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

Before I had kids, I Never EVER thought I would be interested in doing things the natural way.

I am sad to say I definitely had a stigma about "those Moms."

You know those 'Hippie Moms' that wear Birkenstocks and have hairy legs and always smell like patchouli and breastfeed their babies au' natural in the open... you know what I mean.

Before I had kids I ignorantly associated any interest in natural health with people who fit this description.

And now, after having kids and seeing the world differently (and hopefully growing up and becoming less judgemental), I am here to report that I am now on the Hippie Mama path myself :0)

Okay, don't get your knickers in a knot... I am still far from Hippie. I'm still shave my legs, and I haven't been breaking out the incense. I still enjoy junk food (working on that one), and I love my beauty products. But I am becoming more and more interested and passionate about natural living and homeopathic medicine.

My trip down the Au' Natural Path is a different story for a different time, but the driving force leading me in this direction had been Bennett's eczema and numerous pediatricians' lack of desire to do anything to heal it. This lit a fire under me to find true healing for our son, not just "live with it" or slather on dangerous steroid creams.

Also, a word of warning: once you start investigating the products you are using and how harmful they can be, your eyes are opened, and it's hard to look at your counter top cleaner or Cheetos or sunscreen or (sniff) lipstick the same way ever again. So consider yourself warned. If you head down the au' natural path, you might not like what you find there.

Hey... wouldn't that be an awesome movie line? I can just picture myself in a dingy old saloon saying it to a cowboy-clad Jeff Bridges.

But I digress.

Here is the awesome website that has helped me to make sense of ALL the information out there. I REALLY appreciate Dr. Mercola and all the insights he provides. If you, like me, are a newbie to natural medicine, there is a wealth of knowledge here to get you started.

Here are a few of my favorite articles as of late:

On exercise and how to maximize your cardio time safely
On sunscreen and the importance of natural sunlight!
On skincare and how toxic most of your products are (even my Trader Joe's ones... sniff!)
On microwaves and how dangerous they are (I told you, you might just not want to know these things...)
A new perspective on taking fish oil

These are just a few of the great articles that have been really interesting and informative to me. Hope they are helpful to you as well!

Discovering Greatness: Some Fantastical New Recipes

2011-03-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd do a quick post-a-roo of a few new recipes I've tried lately.

First there was this recipe for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Come. To. Mama.

(P.S. - I just used regular chocolate chips instead of the variety o' chips she uses.)

Then when my lovely In-Laws were here last weekend, I made this fab-oooo Apple Coffee Cake. It will knock your socks right off. Unless of course you aren't wearing socks, in which case, you will just exclaim, "Oh my, this is delicious!"

Finally I made these AMAZING Hawaiian Turkey Burgers, using this homemade Teriyaki sauce. And all I can say is, Alooooha! It made me do a little hula.

And while we're contemplating the greatness of these turkey burgers, can I just give a quick shout out to my FAVORITE recipe blog, Our Best Bites? I have never made anything from their site that didn't come out completely delicious. Some of my favorites are Spicy Honey Chicken, Baked Potato Soup, Tortellini Sausage Soup, Coconut Chicken Fingers, Mint Brownies, and Candy Corn Cupcakes just to name a few.

That's all for now. Just a few stellar recipes to add to your collection.

Have I mentioned that my collection takes up most of my hard drive and an entire large kitchen cupboard?

I need recipe-hoarding intervention. Please someone help me before it's too late.

Every time my baby turns two... I die a little.

2011-03-15T17:47:00.001-07:00

Mallory turned two last weekend.

And it made me happy and sad all at one.

Happy to be nearing the end of the difficulties of the infant stage... happy that God has blessed Mallie Gal with another wonderful year of life.

And sad that it's going so fast. Sad that she's no longer a baby.

Little Miss is definitely a toddler now. A little lady, a pretty princess, a genu-ine heart-stealer.

Sigh.

And now, in acrostical fashion, I will tell you a bit about my favorite little girl in the whole wide world.

Maybe in a little bit? -- This is her favorite phrase right now... especially when I tell her no.

Animated -- She is a precocious little charmer! Already quite dramatic.

Language -- Our Chatty Mallie is quite the talented little talker.

Loving -- She often lays down on my shoulder and still loves to be rocked and cuddled.

Outgoing -- She makes friends everywhere she goes and is always saying "hi!" to everyone.

Really REALLY cute... Seriously, her cuteness is dangerous and epic.

Yeeees! Yaaaaay! -- She is prone to darling exclamations of excitement!

Chompers -- Her gigantic front teeth have bitten straight through my heart. I LOVE them!

Laugh -- She has an infectious, silly-dilly little laugh.

All Girl -- We are very into baby dolls, princesses, sparkly shoes and pink over here nowadays.

I do it! -- Mallie Gal is developing a very independent spirit, wanting to do everything herself.

Relational -- Always seeking out someone to be with, Mallie is such a social butterfly.

Eat! -- Our girl's favorite pass-time. She can out-eat everyone in our family!

Well, there you have it. Just a few of the things that make my girl so special.

I love you, Mallie girl. You bless me every day with your smiles, giggles and all-around happiness. I am so blessed to be your Mama.

32 Things: Happy (Belated) Birthday to the McPreacher

2011-03-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, the McPreacher turned 32.

We just had a simple celebration, but the McPreacher likes things simple, so it was perfect.

I surprised him by inviting two of his best friends, Brady and Alden to come to dinner. They hid in the garage with silly string and accosted Neil when he went out to get me some "sour cream" I needed out of the fridge. "Sour cream" is in quotes because there really was no sour cream. I am stealth, yo.

After scaring the blazes out of McPreachy, they came inside and we enjoyed a birthday dinner of steak, garlic mashed potatoes (best, recipe ever!), Caesar salad and bread. It was a simple, man-pleasing meal, and the men were mighty pleased.

They we enjoyed birthday cake and just being together. The cake Mcpreachy chose from the birthday cake book this year was called "Ambrosia Cake." It basically a coconut cake with an orange/pineapple filling. He chose it because he LOVES ambrosia salad, and though there was not much of an ambros-esque quality to the cake, it was still delicious.

So, without further ado, I would like to present 32 things I love about my husband in honor of his 32nd Birthday:

I love that he is *slightly* nerdy. It warms my heart and makes my pulse race. There is nothing foxier than a hot, nerdy man. Come to Mama, professor.

I love how dependable and trustworthy he is. My husband is a man you can always count on.

I love that he makes decisions based on what is right rather than how he feels. That makes one of us. :0)

He is slow to speak and quick to listen.

He is the wisest person I know. I value his advice more that anyone else's.

He is so easy going about stuff around the house, and that is such a blessing to a Mama of young kids. He is totally fine with eating cereal for dinner and doesn't care if our house gets messy.

He never whines or complains.

He makes me laugh.

He loves me for who I am, and doesn't expect me to be someone else. He even humors me during my frequent song and dance routines!

He always puts our family first, despite the demands of being a pastor.

Given the choice between tasks and playing with the kids, he almost always chooses playtime. I admire and envy this quality. :0)

He is so wise with our money and provides so well for our family.

He is easy to please and appreciates simplicity.

He is a deep-thinker and helps me to look at things more critically.

He is amazing with directions. He can instinctively and immediately figure his way around a new place.

He has an amazing work ethic.

He is gifted at saying things that are hard to hear with honesty and graciousness.

He is an amazing teacher. I feel blessed to have him as my pastor.

He is a man of honor and integrity.

He is an AMAZING father and is intentional about his role as a parent.

He has great taste in music.

He over-researches everything, and I think it is so cute... er... manly.

He is such an affectionate, romantic husband. He never ceases to make me feel loved and special.

He makes great Swedish pancakes. :0)
He respects and empowers me as a mother.

He seeks my advice and takes my opinions seriously.

He's a great gift-giver! He always picks out thoughtful, creative gifts.

He is fiercely loyal. Do not mess with someone he loves.

He is passionate, and that passion drives everything he does.

Even though logic is most important to him, he often humors my need for doing it the 'fun and pretty' way instead of the logical way.

He is a visionary, and I am inspired and motivated by his dreams, goals and big-picture perspective.

He is a godly man, and I am SOOOOOOOOO blessed to be married to him.

I love you, husband o' mine. Like I always say, I'd be lost without you.

Happy Birthday!

Valentine's Day: I Love to Love you, Ba-bay!

2011-02-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Cupid has been spreading his Valentine cheer over here lately. Thought I'd share a few pics!

Here is our "Love Jar," which we have been filling with love notes to each other for the past few weeks (learn how to make them here). On Valentine's morning, we will have a special breakfast (maybe this or this or this!) and read all the notes inside. We've been doing this tradition for two years now, and it is by far one of my favorites! I love how affirmed and encouraged everyone feels after reading all the love notes!

I don't do too much decorating for Valentines, but I did decorate the little hutch in our breakfast nook...

And our kitchen table...

There are SO many cute ideas around the blogosphere for different Valentine's garland. I've really been wanting to make one, but sometimes I just have to stop and remind myself that it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. My Mom never decorated for Valentine's Day with handmade garlands, and still I somehow managed to have a very happy childhood. :0)

Craftiness and holiday traditions are all well and good, but when they start to make me feel overwhelmed and like I'm not doing enough, it's time to take a step back and get some perspective! :0)

One fun thing the kids and I did the other day was Valentine Making.

Little Miss Mallie Gal already loves arts and crafts!!! Yay!

Also:

1. In the picture above there is a play food item (a banana) that looks a little odd... and... er... anatomical. Ahem.

2. Little Miss's outfit here was self-chosen... she also had her bathing suit on underneath.
3. Ranunculus are my favorite flower. In case you're wondering.

Moving on...
I seem to have found one of the ways to get Bennett to be excited about crafts: stamps! He sat there and stamped his little heart out for 30 minutes straight! I knew all those back-in-the-day Stampin' Up purchases would be money well-spent.

Finally, I will leave you with a picture of my precious boy and his first set of boxed Valentines. Star Wars, of course.Now that he's a big preschooler, boxed Valentines are a part of our life.

Bennett boy invited me to a Mommy-and-Me Valentines picnic at school on Tuesday, where we will hand out said Valentines to his friends and make a cute little mailbox out of a shoebox for his Valentines and bring a treat to share with his class. I will probably make these Valentines parfaits.

Is it dorky that this is very exciting to me?

Don't answer that.

Our Kids and the Power of Our Words

2011-01-30T19:57:00.001-08:00

Something that has been on my heart and in my thoughts a LOT lately is the power of our words when we speak about our kids.

We've all done it... or at least heard someone do it...

You are out and about, and your child is behaving really well. A stranger or maybe a friend stops to comment:

"She is such a good girl!"

And then it happens. You reply with a "Well, she's not always this good. You should see her at home. I'm just waiting for her to fall apart any minute."

I don't know why we do this as mothers, but it seems like we often feel the need to temper positive, glowing comments about our child with more realistic ones that remind others of our child's many imperfections.

I have definitely been guilty of this on more than one occasion and have also heard many other Mama's do the same thing.

Lately, it has really come to my attention how much these words affect our children's behavior.

We may not realize it, but our kids hear the comments we make about them. And it really does affect their behavior in a negative way.

Kids live up to the reputation you give them.

If you are constantly referring to them as a troublemaker or a sassy-pants, they will live up to it. That is why it is SO important to speak positive words about our kids every chance we get, look for the best in them and give them a good reputation to live up to.

I was recently talking to my friend Cassi about this, and she recounted a child psychology study she read that really impacted her. It went like this: (sorry if I butcher it, Cas!)

A couple had a little girl who was quite the little discipline problem. She was always getting into mischeif. Therefore, they had given her the nickname of "Little Devil." They would say it affectionately, like "Here comes our little devil!" I'm sure they didn't mean to be critical and just thought it was a silly nickname for a sassy little girl.

Upon asking for advice on how to deal with their child's behavior issues, someone suggested that they begin calling their child a more positive nickname. So instead of "Little Devil" they began calling her their "Little Lamb."

And the miracle is that within a week or two, this little girl's behavior completely turned around. Just from that one change. Her parents gave her a reputation of being a sweet, gentle girl, and she lived up to it.

Isn't that amazing? We as parents are largely responsible for our kids' self-esteem and helping them to identify who they are. When we speak positive words into their lives, even if it's not always true in that moment, we are helping to shape their personality is such a positive way.

Of course behavioral issues need to be addressed and dealt with. Those of you who know me know that disrespect and disobedience are not acceptable in our home. BUT the words we use when we deal with these things are HUGE in determining our child's behavior.

I've really noticed with Bennett how down he gets when I use negative words regarding his behavior. He shuts down, and I really can't get through. For instance one of the issues we have been dealing with is play-hitting and being too aggressive at school. My natural tendency is to say something like:
"Bennett. You NEED to stop hitting your friends at school. You really have a problem with keeping your hands to yourself. That is unacceptable."

All of those things are true. Hitting is not acceptable. But the problem is, this statement gives my son the reputation of being an aggressive hitter. It doesn't really help him. It just makes the problem worse.

So lately, I've been trying something more along the lines of this:
"Hey Benny, I want to talk for a minute about hitting your friends. You are a sweet, gentle boy, and that's not the way sweet, gentle boys treat their friends. I know your heart and that you don't want to hurt others. You want to please Jesus! Let's really work on keeping our hands to ourselves next time."

Notice, that I'm still addressing the behavior as unacceptable. I'm not giving him the impression that he is perfect and can do no wrong. And he will probably still have a consequence. ("I know you want to do the right thing, so Mom is going to help you remember not to hit by taking away your TV privileges for the rest of the day.") The main difference is not the end but the means. There are still consequences, but just explained in a different way.

And you know something... it works! A few weeks ago, Bennett's teacher pulled me aside to tell me how great he has been in school and how he has blossomed and developed so much more self-control. I really see so many more behavior improvements when I am using positive words.

Think about it. What do YOU respond better to? Let's say you said something really unkind about another person and a friend approached you about it.

Would you respond better to this,
"Wow, that was mean. I didn't realize you were such a mean person. I'm so disappointed in you."

Or this?

"I was really surprised to hear you say those unkind words, because you are such a sweet person. Is everything okay?"

Which one would turn your behavior around and cause you to have a change of heart? For sure, the second one. The first statement would just make you angry, embarrassed and probably cause you to say more unkind words.

I'm definitely no parenting or psychology expert. I get it wrong more often than not. But this just makes so much sense to me and has been so helpful that I thought I'd share. Maybe you have a recurring problem that your child is dealing with. I really encourage you to speak as many positive words as you can in that particular area, giving your child a great reputation to live up to. Please let me know if it works for you as well as it has for me!

Today: A Pictoral Guide

2011-01-29T15:52:00.000-08:00

Here's what we've been up to on this beautiful, sunny Saturday...

Nothing earth shattering... just playtime, coffetime, playtime, lunchtime and playtime again. But as mundane as they sometimes feel, I think these days and moments are the memories I will cherish most when my kids are grown up.

Sniff.

So today we...

...made Gotham City on our chalkboard table. I had a very particular architect guiding the city plans and all the dwellings for the bad guys.
Then we made heart-shaped multi-colored crayons using old crayon pieces. Find out how here.

Didn't have time to take pics of the finished products of these because we were off to...

...ride bikes and have a picnic in the front yard.

Excuse us... we are still working on sitting like a lady. But isn't she precious?!

Finally, after Mallie went down for her nap, Bennett and I worked on making/compiling a "Riddler" costume for him. He is SO into Batman right now. The Riddler is one of his favorite characters, and he has been begging me for a Riddler costume. So I went the cheap route and decided to piece one together for very little money.

Here's what the Riddler looks like:

And here's my Riddler.

The main thing Bennett wanted was the hat, which I got at the party store for $2. It's just one of the plastic Leprechaun hats they sell for St. Patrick's Day. But boy was my little man excited about it.

To complete the costume, I cut a quick mask out of leftover stretchy black fabric I had. Then I did a freezer paper stencil of a question mark on a green shirt we already had (which had a big stain on it, so it was perfect for this project!).

Now I have a few more precious minutes of quiet time, and I'm off to read a few pages of my book and drink an afternoon cup of coffee to the sounds of my little Riddler playing in the other room.

Hope everyone had a great Saturday!

STUFF: A New Policy

2011-01-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

My friend Gina just wrote this post asking for ideas on how to limit all the stuff that accumulates in our homes, especially once we become parents. I shared with her and thought I'd also share with my myriads of readers (hardy har har) a new policy I'm implementing in our home.

Here's what I shared with Gina:

I'm trying to implement this new policy at our house...
For every new thing I bring into my home, I donate one old thing. That means that if the kids get a new toy, one old toy gets donated. Or if I buy a new pair of shoes or a new shirt, something else from my closet has to go. I like it because it not only encourages us to have less stuff/clutter and be generous to those in need BUT it also really keeps my buying in check when I know that I'll have to get rid of something else. It really helps me to stop and think before purchasing something. "Is this item really worth bringing into my home? What other item will it be replacing?"

We've had this policy for a while in regards to Christmas and Birthdays. But lately I've been trying to use this rule of thumb in all areas and seasons. Of course there is room for flexibility here, but for the most part, I am sticking to this rule on a daily basis (with the exception of groceries, of course).

I'm hoping that the more we stick to this rule, the less clutter we will have around the house and the more my children will learn the virtue of gratefulness and the value of money.

Get BACK to Work, Woman: Re-Vamping My Weekly Chore Chart

2011-01-26T15:40:00.001-08:00

Ever since Bennett started school, I've kind of fallen off the bandwagon with my weekly chore chart. That wagon o' melodies just keeps on keeping on, and I'm left in the dust holding a rusty Banjo.

I think the main reason is that our schedule has changed so much this fall, and the old chore chart didn't really fit with our new schedule.

So here is the new chore chart in all it's organized glory. I've kept all the elements the same. Basically I just moved things around to different days that make more sense for our family now. For instance, grocery shopping got moved to Tuesday because that's the day that I drive the school carpool. (oh my gosh, I sound so matronly when I say things like that) Anyway, it's the prefect day to run this errand because I only have one child with me, and I'm out anyway with time to kill.

Laundry got moved to Thursday because this is the day my friend drives the carpool, and I'm home with just Mallie Gal for a huge chunk of time, which is perfect for washing, sorting and playing sock basketball (more on this family favorite later).

Sunday:

Day for God and Family. No work!

Monday:

Plan Meals for the Week and Make Grocery List
Clean Out Fridge (making room for new groceries tomorrow)

Tuesday:

Grocery Shopping
Dust

Wednesday:

Clean Bathrooms

Thursday:

Wash and Put Away Laundry

Friday:

Vacuum
Mop Floors

Saturday:

One Monthly Chore (see below)
Catch Up on Any Missed Chores or 30 Minute Organizing Session

Monthly Chores:

Clean Out Kids' Closets/Store Clothes That Don't Fit
Clean Out Pantry
Spot Clean Carpet
Clean Windows/French Doors

Obviously not every week will look exactly like this. Knowing me, most weeks will not.

But at least I have a plan in place, and that allows me to be flexible and still accomplish some key tasks around here.

And the best part is, once my daily chores are done, that's it for the day... no need to stress out over all that needs to be done. And I can be one step closer to my goal of being fully present with my kids when we are playing, instead of running though a mental list of tasks.

By golly, I feel back on the old Bandwagon already!

Trader Joe's Product O' the Whenever: Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies

2011-01-25T14:57:00.000-08:00

I purchased these little gems for the first time the other day, and they are definitely "Product 'O the Whenever" worthy.

Each tub o' deliciousness includes the alphabet from A to Z and even some numbers too!

In addition to their delicious snicker doodle-esque flavor, they have been great for encouraging my Bennett boy to sound out short words.

He is more than eager to learn his blends when a tasty cookie treat awaits him at the end!

Wow... that rhymed! I'm a poet and I didn't know it!

Anyway, there is a lot of fun to be had with these cookies. Like this morning... Bennett found a surprise waiting in his yogurt at breakfast.

Think about how many fun things you could do with these cinnamony confections... I found this fun recipe online, which features said cookies. I will be making these treats for Bennett's class in February!

You could also use them to spell out a message on your child's birthday cake, play edible scrabble, send a secret message in your child's lunchbox...

Or you could just spell out your own name and decorate it with doodles... if you are slightly pathetic and hopelessly dorky like yours truly!

Yes, that is a backwards 3 taking the place of the "E." Hooray for improv!

Whatever you do with them, these cookies spell out WONDERFUL every time!

10-Minute Makeup for Busy Mamas

2011-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

I often hear Mamas say that it takes too long to put on makeup, that they just don't have time to mess with makeup since they've become a Mama.

So, being a busy Mama myself and a lover of ALL things makeup, I thought I'd share my favorite 10-Minute Makeup routine.

Now, don't get me wrong. I have many a day where I stay in my PJ's all day without a lick of makeup.

But I do find that getting ready and putting on makeup, even if it's just a little, does make me feel more put-together, productive and ready for the day. As nice as those "pajama days," are, they often leave me feeling "blah."

At the same time, I personally don't think you need a full face of beauty-pageant-ready makeup when you're wearing your track suit and chasing your kids through the park.

So I reserve my "20 minute makeup" for special occasions and evenings out and do "10 minute makeup" on a daily basis.

Also: Dont expect rocket science, here. I'm no makeup expert... just a Mama searching for the balance between playtime and beauty time.

Here's the Breakdown:

Step One: Moisturize (1 Minute)

I recommend: Trader Joe's Regenerating Antioxidant Face Lotion -- You could spend upwards of 75 bucks at Sephora for a similar face cream. I can't believe TJ's is able to offer something so high quality for so few dollars. Wait a minute... yes I can believe it! I love the cleanser too!

How To: Gently massage your moisturizer into your skin, using upward motions. Don't skip this important step! It will make your makeup go on SO much better! I like to do this step right after getting out of the shower and then get dressed, do my hair, etc. before applying my makeup. That way your moisturizer has time to soak in before you put your face on, so to speak.

Step 2:Foundation and Concealer: (2 minutes)

I recommend: Bare Minerals. It provides perfect coverage for a Mama on the go... you won't have that foundation-y look. As a bonus, it has a built-in SPF!

How to: Lightly sweep foundation on your whole face in circular motions. Then use a concealer brush to cover up any blemishes using the same foundation. (Often makeup experts will say to conceal first, then put on your foundation, but I personally think it works better this way.)

Step 3: BLUSH! (1 minute)

I cannot tell you what a big difference I think blush makes in the overall healthy look of your skin!!! If I only have time to put on two things, it is without a doubt always foundation and blush! It will take you from drab to fab in not time!

I recommend: Benetint. Buy it! Seriously. You won't be sorry. I absolutely LOVE this stuff and can't live without it. It is so quick and gives you the perfect, natural rosy glow!

How to: Apply three dots of Benetint to the apple of your cheeks and pat to blend in. Add more if necessary.

Step 4: Extra Eye Help (1 minute)

Let's face it, we Mama's need a little extra help around our eyes... so that all the sleepless nights, crying in the pantry and plain old stress don't show.

I recommend: Ooh La Lift by Benefit. This little miracle is just what you need to perk up your eye area and make you look like a more well-rested and vibrant version of you.

How To: Apply three dots to the under eye area and outer corners of eyes (the crows-feet area) and lightly blend in. Do this after under-eye concealer to help combat that "reverse raccoon-eye" effect that concealer can sometimes give you.

Step 5: Eyes (3 minutes)

How To: I'm giving you the how-to first this time so the products I'm recommending will make sense. First you want to apply eyeshadow. For sake of time and not looking too made-up, I usually just do one light shimmery color all over my eyelids. Next curl your eyelashes to open up your whole eye area and make you look more awake. Finally apply a coat of black mascara. Super quick and simple.

I recommend:

Mac eyeshadow in "Gleam"

Sephora Eyelash Curler

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

"But wait!" you say. "That's only 8 minutes!"

Right you are, old chap! I came in with two minutes to spare! Boo-ya!

So go ahead, take your time! Relish those extra two minutes! Or rush and be done in 8 minutes.

Either way, you will look positively radiant, I do declare.

On Motherhood and Priorities: A Musing Examination

2011-01-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

I began this New Year o' 2011 with some resolutions.

Sigh.

I am SO good at making resolutions...

...and so bad at keeping them.

So this year, to help whip myself into resolution-keeping shape, I decided to journal my progress of said resolutions bi-weekly.

Yesterday I had my first "resolution-check in" session during my morning quiet time. And I'm doing okay. Not perfect, but okay.

I think one of my problems is that I try to make big changes overnight as opposed to looking at the resolutions as a process. For instance, I'm not just going to become an organized person overnight, but I CAN become more organized, little by little so that when 2012 comes around I can look back and say, "Yeah... I have definitely made some progress in this area."

That's what I'm shooting for in 2011... not cut and dry one-time changes, but slow and steady progress.

I wanted to share some musings from my journaling evaluation o' resolutions from yesterday:

Isn't it interesting that I'm doing the worst at keeping the goals that matter most (like reading my Bible and praying more consistently and my parenting and marriage goals) and doing the best at keeping the goals that really don't matter in the long run (getting organized, blogging more consistently, etc.) Lord, please help me to prioritize! Please give me a vision for each day and the self-discipline to see it through. God, help me to pursue what really matters first each day and then move on to other things if there's time.

I feel like some buzz words for 2011 are:

consistent

priorities

simplify

These are words which really describe the heart of what I need to work on in my life. Each and every one of the goals I have written down in some way relates to one of these words. So I guess I can consider these my real resolutions for 2011.

Here's hoping that when 2012 rolls around, I can look back and, with God's help, say that I'm a more consistent person, more focused on the things that matter and living more simply.

Pow! Bam! It's Batman!

2011-01-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

While hunting through our DVD's the other day, Bennett happened upon our copy of "The Dark Knight."

You know... the Batman movie Heath Ledger won an Oscar for after portraying a very dark and sinister Joker?

Bennett, seeing Batman on the cover, began BEGGING me to watch it.

In a word, NO.

Obviously, I would never let him watch it, but he has been SO persistent, thinking it is a Batman movie for kids. He will absolutely NOT let up on it...

Bennett: "Mom, can I watch it when I'm 40?"

Casey: "Yes."

Bennett: "Can I watch it when I'm a Daddy?"

Casey: "Yep!"

Bennett: "How about when I'm 5?!"

Casey: "Nope."

The sight of our brokenhearted, dejected little Batman -lover moping around all forlorn spurred me to action. Or should I say...

Bat-ction!

I purchased the amazingly corny, non-violent and PG-rated "Batman the Movie" with Adam West from 1966. I got it for $4 on Amazon, and Bennett LOVES it!

I surprised him Thursday at the beginning of "quiet time," and after many gasps and awe-filled "Thank You, Mama!"s and of course a detailed examination of the cover including a comparison between each of the characters with his own Batman figures, we began watching it.

I watched with him for awhile and then excused myself to get some work done around the house. As I worked in the the next room, I kept hearing him cracking up and saying "Woo Hoo!" when Batman "Pow! Bam!"-ed the bad guys or "Whoa!" when Batman did something exceptionally noteworthy. It was more precious than words.

And afterwards, we played Batman Castle and acted out Batman (I'm Catwoman... Meow!) for the rest of the night!

It brought me such absolute joy to see the delight in his sweet little face.

I love Batman Clark Anderson!

A Personality Revelation: The Languages of Apology

2011-01-14T14:24:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, my husband and I heard about the book The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, and we really think it is an awesome marriage/relationship tool. It helped us understand ourselves and the ways we give/receive love. I highly recommend reading it, if you haven't already.

Well, now I just discovered that the same author has another book called The 5 Languages of Apology and WOW! What a revelation into myself and what I am looking for when others have wronged me. I took the assessment at the bottom of the page, and I scored highest in the "Expressing Regret" category.

My secondary language was "Accept Responsibility."

I definitely resonate most with the "Expressing Regret."

I am super interested to see what McPreachy scores, and I think this could be very helpful to me as I try to apologize in a way that is meaningful to him.

Check it out, and let me know what your results are!

10 Years Ago...

2011-01-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

... I married the love of my life.

Happy 10th Anniversary to my wonderful, thoughtful, honorable, endearingly nerdy, logic-loving, pancake-making, problem-solving, sermon-preaching, penny-pinching, rule-breaking, over-researching, makes-me-laugh, loves-me-unconditionally, hot stud of a man.

You are the most amazing husband, and I'd be lost without you.

Vintage-esque Necklace: A Christmas Gift Re-cap

2011-01-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

This year I made 80% of our Christmas gifts, which was 95.5 % wonderful.

The .5% big bummer is that I couldn't post all the fun crafts I was making since several of my 5 blog readers were future recipients of said crafts. So now that Christmas has come and gone, all the gifts safe and sound in their new homes, I can come out of hiding and show you a fun necklace I made for a few BFFs.

I got the idea from this darling blog/store. I Love the AMAZINGLY cute necklaces they make... but couldn't really afford that price tag.

So I ordered some 1 inch chandelier crystals here.

Then I ModPodged fabric on the back of said crystals and attached them to a chain purchased at Michael's. Simple!

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

For the packaging, I just took some cream-colored ponies... er... card stock and made 2 slits in the top, which I slid the chain into. Then I tied it all up in a cellophane bag with a pretty ribbon.

The gift tags were made using Trader Joe's Holiday Bags, thanks to a tip from my friend Katie. They were free and SO fun to make. Here's how.

Another fun gift I made this year were coffee cozies! I made a few for friends and also for Bennett's teachers. They were so cute wrapped up with homemade chai tea mix or with a Starbucks card tucked inside the cup.

Here's a picture of the cozie I made for myself.

I was inspired by these darling cozies sold on etsy.

So there you have it... those are just a few of the things I was up to all December long!

Blogspiration: The Best Chapstick Ever!

2011-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

For Christmas stocking-stuffers, I made this chap stick recipe from Passionate Homemaking...

...and it is seriously the best chap stick I have ever used.

Now I know I am prone to exaggeration, but this time I'm serious. If you don't believe me, let me first mention that I am a complete chap stick snob. I am very particular when it comes to my lip balm. I don't just lose my head in wild infatuation... I am very level-headed when it comes to such serious matters.

But this one stole my heart... I am in love.

It is amazingly moisturizing, but not greasy or waxy. It has a subtle scent and creamy consistency. It is free of dyes, perfumes, chemicals and most importantly, petroleum (which is NOT good for your lips, though it's in almost all chap sticks). It is the perfect chap stick.

It was very easy to make even if you aren't into making your own beauty products.

A few notes:

I made mine on the stove top in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water (not a crock pot like Lindsay did).

I added a bit (not too much) of peppermint and vanilla essential oils. Cinnamon would be scrumptious too!

I purchased all my supplies on Mountain Rose Herbs.

Make a bunch and give them as gifts... or hoard them all for yourself! :0) Either way, your lips will be luscious and moisturized.

Happy Smooching!

A Trader Joe's Fandango: My New Cookbook!

2010-12-31T11:44:00.001-08:00

Remember when my sweet thoughtful Mom bought me this cookbook last year?

Well she did it again!

Looky Looky what I got for Christmas! I am SO excited.

Ingredients from my favorite place in the world?

Check.
Simple, easy recipes?

Check.

Meals that have been thematically planned around every season/holiday?

Double Check.

Can't wait to get cooking!

Here are a few that caught my fancy:

Chicken Chile and Super Chili Dip (part of the Super-Bowl-themed menu)
Bananas Foster Baby Cakes (part of the Mardi-Gras-themed menu)
Bow Tie Pasta with Ham (for an Oscar night Party... get it... bow ties?! Oh my word... I LOVE themed food!)
The St Patrick's Day Menu of Cider-Glazed Corned Beef and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes. I've been wanting to tackle Corned Beef on St. Patty's Day for a few years. I think this is my year.
Heart of Darkness Chocolate Torte. Need I say more?
Bountiful Berry Tart (from the Spring-themed Menu)
TJ's Tortilla Soup (Cinco de Mayo Menu)

Those are just a few of the new recipes I'm excited to try! :0)

Thanks, Mom!

Merry Christmas To You (Although It's Been Said Many Times, Many Ways)

2010-12-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

What a fun Christmas morning we had celebrating Jesus' birth! There were presents, traditions new and old, and merry-making a-plenty!

It seems that Bennett's Christmas presents every year have a theme. When he was 1 it was Thomas, when he was 2 it was Lightening McQueen, last year was dinosaurs and this year was all about Star Wars!

Mallie got her first doll house...

... and a princess bean bag chair.

Princesses need thrones after all.

And they need pretty fingernails too!

I know this Princess is certainly happy to have such a studly knight in shining hoodie (that's hooded sweatshirt for those of you who are no longer hip).

For breakfast we had sausage egg casserole and this DELICIOUS Christmas Coffeecake. I am definitely making this coffeecake a Christmas morning tradition. So festive and scrumptious!

I prepared the batter the night before, stuck it in the fridge and just popped it in the oven in the morning.

Here it is after we hacked into it.

During breakfast, we read through the Christmas story and reflected on the meaning behind Christmas.

Then we spent the rest of the morning playing, playing, playing with our new toys! And crying, crying, crying when nap time came.

Now everyone is fast asleep, and I'm drinking my third cup of coffee and reveling in the beauty and peace of this wonderful, chilly day.

Merry Christmas to all my wonderful friends and family! I hope your heart was touched by the miraculous truth of our Savior's birth.

Christmas: A Pictoral Guide

2010-12-09T17:56:00.000-08:00

Like all of you, I have been busy, busy BUSY during this month o' Christmas. But it has been a good kind of busy... a joyous, merry, can't-find any one's shoes, don't have time to blog or do laundry, sticky-fingers from candy canes, hustle-and-bustle-kind-of-busy.

We've been baking up a storm, listening to Christmas music, learning about Jesus' birthday, picking out our tree, going to Christmas Pageants, decorating the house, driving around looking at Christmas lights, drinking cocoa, reading Christmas books, eating candy canes, singing "We Three Kings" a million times :-), sending out Christmas cards and loving this wonderful season. Here are a few pictures of the Christmas season so far...

Use Up That Leftover Pumpkin: My Favorite Homemade Face Mask

2010-11-27T11:49:00.001-08:00

Friends, Romans, Countrymen! Lend me your ears... er... faces!

I have a wonderful, easy recipe to share with you for a fantabulous face mask. If you are anything like me, you have accumulated a dozen cans of pumpkin that are now taking up space in your pantry. The solution?

Pumpkin Pineapple Face Mask!

Did you know that pumpkin is FABULOUS for your skin? Pumpkin and pineapple both are full of enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids. When applied to the skin, they literally eat away all the dead skin cells on your face, leaving you with more radiant, smooth, youthful-looking skin!

There are a LOT of expensive masks out there that claim to be full of alpha hydroxy acid, but most of those products are diluted and ineffective after all the processing they've been though. This mask is full of pure, effective ingredients that cost a fraction of the price of one of those store-bought masks and have better results!!!

Here's how you make it:

You'll need:

oats

honey

1/4 c. canned pumpkin

1/4 c. chopped pineapple (I use the frozen from Trader Joe's)

heavy whipping cream, milk or water

In a blender or food processor (I used my magic bullet!) combine a handful of oats, a big spoonful of honey, pumpkin, pineapple and a small bit of your liquid. I use heavy cream or milk because they are full of anti-oxidants that are so great for your skin. But you can also use a little filtered water. You don't want much, just enough liquid so the mixture is blend-able.

That's it. Blend it all together and you're ready to use it.

To use, generously apply the mixture to your clean face. Leave the mask on for at least 20 minutes, so those little Alpha Hydroxies have time to work! You may feel some tingling, and this is good... it's a sign that the mask is working.

Refrigerate the unused portion of your mask and use within 10 days. I use this mask 2 times a week.

Enjoy!

Lemon Garlic Chicken: Another Awesome New Recipe to Try

2010-11-23T23:25:00.000-08:00

Hello My Pretties,
Just thought I'd pass on a delish recipe I made for dinner tonight. It was SO quick and easy and took me like 10 minutes to make!

Here's the recipe.

Also, I made a few small changes... I used bone-in chicken breasts and drumsticks (so no thighs). And I added about 2 tablespoons of butter on top of the chicken as it roasted. I thought it just needed a little bit more moisture in the pan. You could also add a bit of olive oil instead.

It was so succulent and scrumptious and any other "s" word you can come up with that means delicious! :0)

Satisfying!
Superb!
Savory!
Superior!
S'Wonderful!

Any way you say it, it was good!

Trader Joe's Product O' the Whenever: Nitrate Free Hot Dogs

2010-11-22T22:40:00.000-08:00

For dinner tonight I made these baked corn dogs, and I must say they turned out pretty gal darn tasty.

I love that they were baked instead of friend because:
a. it's healthier, of course...
and
b. it's much less time consuming to just pop all the corn dogs in the oven, rather than having to stand in front of scalding oil, frying them individually and fearing oil burns.

Here's a cut-open view of the delicious corn-doggy goodness.

For the hot dog portion of our recipe, I used my new favorite hot dogs... Trader Joe's Nitrate free!!!

You may be asking... What are nitrates? Well, I don't mean to get all hippie-earth-mother on you, but nitrates are pretty scary and they are in almost ALL processed meats. It is very important to watch your family's intake of this toxic chemical! Nitrites are preservatives used in the processing of hot dogs, lunch meat, breakfast meat, etc. Nitrites are known carcinogens, and are especially known to bring on cancers of the oral cavity, urinary system and bladder, esophagus, stomach and cancer of the brain.

Seriously... can you believe this chemical is in our meat?! Well have no fear because good old TJ's makes an array of wonderful nitrate-free bacon, lunch meat and hot dogs! These hot dogs are delicious and nutritious without all the added garbage in most hot dogs.

Thank you, Trader Joe, for allowing me to pursue my love of processed meat without fear of brain tumors or oral cancer. This is yet another reason why I love you.

Domestic DIY: Spicy, Fall Air Freshener

2010-11-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Peeps... I just learned a scary fact.

I recently read that air fresheners are among the top three most toxic chemicals in your home.

Yep, air fresheners are right up there with oven cleaner and drain cleaner. Yikes!

Being a girl with a strong olfactory sense and a love for fragrances, this was quite disturbing to me. One of my favorite things is to come home and be greeted by a delicious, seasonal scent; cinnamon in the fall, coconut in the summer and crisp, woodsy scents in the winter.

So I've been trying to figure out a way to fragrance my home and still get rid of all those icky toxins. The solution?

Essential oils!

While fake-o fragrances are harmful to your body, essential oils, in addition to smelling amazing, are actually good for you when you inhale them!

A while ago, I purchased an oil warmer at Bath and Body Works. They have some really cute ones. (Don't buy their oil though, as it is also full of ickies).

Instead blend 2 or 3 delicious essential oils together to create your own unique home fragrance.

For fall I chose clove, cinnamon and orange essential oils. To burn just place 5 or 6 drops of each oil in the top of your warmer. Then add water to fill the top portion of the warmer (this is to keep the oil from burning). Now in the lower section of the warmer, add a tea light (unfragranced) and light it.

And now, a bit about each of the oils in my favorite fall scent...

Cinnamon Leaf Oil:
This oil is germicidal, antiseptic and anti fungal. It is a physical and emotional stimulant and gets the blood and mind in motion. It is considered an aphrodisiac as well as an antidepressant. Aroma in a room reduces drowsiness, irritability, pain and frequency of headaches. Makes a warming balm to relax tight muscles, ease joint pain & menstrual cramps and increase circulation.

Clove Oil:
Clove Oil contains antiseptic properties, best used in a diffuser or vaporizer to help purify the air during cold and flu season. Kills parasites, is antibiotic, antioxidant and antiseptic.

Sweet Orange Oil:
Orange essential oil is refreshing and invigorating fresh orange sweet aroma. Its scent and properties are energizing and invigorating and may be helpful in reducing fatigue. Used as a room freshener, orange contains antiseptic qualities. It's scent may calm and soothe the nerves. Orange essence helps refresh the mind and raise the spirits.

A few other delish scents for fall:
Vanilla Absolute
Vanilla is calming, comforting, and dispels anger, frustration, and tensions. Its relaxing influence can help during menstruation. It is recommended to use in massage blends, particularly when there is tension in the female reproductive system. (AKA... feeling PMS-ish, Ladies? Burn some vanilla!)

Ginger
Inhaling this scent is said to be stimulating and helpful in clearing your head. Used in a compress, lotion or massage oil, it's heating action relieves pain from arthritis, sore muscles, menstrual cramps and headache. Ginger stimulates both appetite and poor blood circulation and helps relieve nausea and motion sickness. Reduces drowsiness and irritability, increases concentration and mental energy.

So in summary, burning these oils purifies the air, especially during cold and flu season. It also helps enhance your mood and calms you down while fighting off drowsiness and fatigue (don't we all need that, Mamas?). Plus your house will smell like a freshly baked loaf of pumpkin bread!!!

My favorite place to buy essential oils is Mountain Rose Herbs. Great prices and awesome quality!

In closing,
goodbye.
:0)

A Mo-month of Silence: The Mommy Time Warp

2010-11-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

Wow.

It has been over a month since I've posted anything on this here blog.

Wow.

A friend mentioned the other day that she missed reading my blog posts, and I thought, "Oh yeah, it's been like a week or two since I've posted. I should get on that."

But a MONTH?

Does anyone else just feel like time is flying by? Like it's Thanksgiving, and I still haven't gotten to that Fourth of July craft yet?

I often have moments where an entire week (or month, apparently) is gone and I have no idea where it went.

I can't speak for other Mamas, but for me, I am learning that this is just how life is in this season of mothering young kids. And that's okay.
Some days it feels like all I can be is Mommy to two kids and wife to McPreachy. That's it. I get so into Mommy-mode that I don't realize how fast life is going by outside our ~~sparkling clean~~ somewhat clean, ~~peaceful~~ somewhat chaotic home.

We had a great speaker at our MOPS group the other night who reminded us that it's okay if certain things in our life are chaotic, forgotten or not done as well as we would like. It's just a season. And during this season, our most important job is to love, respect and honor our husbands and love, care for, nurture, guide and play with our kiddos. That's it.

Such a simple lesson... why can't I learn it?

So that's all I have for you right now by way of an update.

I'm a Mama giving it my all, trying to balance the most important things while ditching some of the lesser-important things (can we say pine cone Christmas trees and edible, homemade Cornucopias?)

Balance and Consistency are two things I'm not very good at.

But I'm working on it...

...and I am SO sorry if I forgot to call you on your birthday. You know who you are.

Au' Natural: A Few of My Favorite Home-Remedies

2010-10-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted on my blog for weeks, and the main reason is that we've been hit hard by the cold and flu bug in the last month.

So, I thought I'd take a minute to share a few of our favorite natural remedies at our house. I am by NO MEANS an expert on all things au' natural, but I am becoming more interested in doing things as natural as possible for my kiddos. There are a lot of scary chemicals in our everyday household medicines and products, and I'm just definitely more conscious of what I'm putting into my kids' bodies. So of course I give my kids Tylenol or antibiotics if they really need them, but I'm also trying to use natural products first to see if we can bring about healing via God's creation!

So here are a few of my favorites that I've stocked up on for cold and flu season this year.

*Hylands Cough Syrup for Kids (I take it too!) - I'm scared to death of over-the-counter cough syrup, so I LOVE this natural one from Hylands! And Bennett loves it too... it tastes amazing!

*Black Elderberry Syrup - We are loving this awesome immune -system booster. Read about it here and learn how to save money by making it yourself.

*Essential Oils - Lately I have been learning more and more about essential oils and their miraculous ability to heal everything from respiratory problems to digestive problems. I am coveting this amazing essential oil diffuser. Basically it creates a fine mist of your essential oil into your home. You can vary the oil you are diffusing depending on the issues you are dealing with. For instance, if you diffuse an essential oil like "Theives" into your home during cold and flu season, it will boost your immune system and make you less susceptible to sickness, all the while cleansing your home from impurities and making your house smell amazing!

Another awesome way to promote healing from a cold/flu is to add 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil to a bowl of boiling water, cover the bowl with a bath towel and stick your head under the towel, breathing in the steam for as long as possible. These oils are anti-bacterial and anti-viral, and the steam will help loosen up your nasal passages. Do this twice a week until symptoms subside.

Also, I can attest to the amazing power of essential oils when it comes to skin problems. Last month I was having some real skin issues. After trying everything I could get my hands on from the drugstore, things just kept getting worse. Then I simply started treating it with rose and lavender essential oil and BOOM... problem solved! Basically my favorite method for treating any kind of breakouts or skin issues is to first steam your face with 5 drops each of lavender and rose absolute (expensive, but worth it) essential oils. Steam using the same method described above with these oils instead. Then you can apply these oils topically to your skin as well by adding one drop each to a palmful of grape seed or sweet almond oil and massaging into your face. Keep this up until your problems are gone.

Make sure you buy good quality essential oils that are undiluted. Also make sure that you research the oils you are using before you start so that you are using them safely. You can learn more about different essential oils and how to use them safely here.

*Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath - I was recently given a sample of this all natural, old school remedy for colds and flu, and after using it, I'm a believer. Soaking in this blend of ground mustard seeds and detoxifying essential oils draws impurities out of your body and promotes healing. And it smells delicious and herbal, not at all condiment-esque like the name suggests. Learn more and order it here.

Now don't worry, folks. I haven't become a crazy, Birkenstock-wearing hippie. I still shave my legs. I still wear makeup. I still eat Cheetos.

I'm just making an effort to use more natural, God-made remedies when possible to save money, stay healthy and make our home a more natural one.

If anyone has any other home remedies they swear by, I'm all ears. Please share!!!

Frugal Frannie's Revenge: Brown-Bag Microwave Popcorn

2010-09-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

We've been Duped , people.

We've been tricked by Pop Secret and Jolly Time, and even... dare I say it... Orville Redenbacher.

They have tricked us into buying expensive, little baggies filled with popcorn kernels and imitation butter-flavor. I used to think this was the only way to make microwave popcorn.

But now I know different, and I just can't keep silent.

I feel like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix, when he wakes up in that weird, womb-like pod, only to discover that everything he knew about life was a big hoax.

Well, I'm sorry to be the ones to tell you this, my darlings. But everything you knew about popcorn was a big haox.

Are you ready for the (Pop) secret? Here it is...

You don't need to buy microwave popcorn to make microwave popcorn!

All you need is a brown paper bag and popcorn kernels.

It's cheap. It's simple. It's healthy.

It's going to blow the lid off the entire microwave-popcorn industry.

Here's what you do:

Get your brown paper bag...

...and take a picture with it.

Next you will need some corn for popping. I used 1/3 a cup, which seemed to be the perfect amount for my brown bag.

Just pour the kernels in your brown bag...

Fold it over a few times.

Make a pretty sharp fold in the bag so it won't come undone.

Now place the bag o' corn in your microwaveMicrowave for about 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Make sure you listen carefully and stop the cooking when the popping slows down and is sporadic. And.... this is the end result! Don't you feel proud that you stuck it to the man and did it yourself?!Now, I will admit, the popcorn doesn't taste very delicious as-is. But the fun part is, this is where you can customize it to your heart's content. Now of course the way I like my popcorn is with melted butter and lots of salt! Mmmm! This is the way to do it for a special occasion!

But in order to make it a little more healthy for everyday snacking, I like to top it with canola oil spray (or olive oil spray if you have an olive oil spritzer!) and salt. You need a slight amount of fat on the popcorn or the salt won't stick. So I like to just spray the popcorn with canola oil while it's still in the bag, then add salt and shake it up. This is the best way to lightly coat it with fla-vah!

I hope all my fellow Frugal Frannies out there enjoy this delectable snack!

FALL-ing in Love With This Season: Favorite Fall Traditions

2010-09-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times... I LOVE traditions!

I'm obsessed. It's a sickness, really.

I'm also obsessed with the fall. It is most-definitely, without a doubt my favorite season. So what happens when these two obsessions collide, you may ask?

Magic, my friends.

Pure, autumnal magic.

Here, in no particular order, are a few of our favorite fall traditions:

Decorating for Fall

This is actually on the agenda for today. We usually decorate in the last week of September. We put all our fall/harvesty stuff out along with a few Halloween things I have. Then after Halloween, I put away the Halloween stuff and bring out a few Thanksgiving things I have. But all my non-specific fall decor stays up from late September though December 1st!

Here are a few pics of last year's decorations.

Apple Picking

This will be our 3rd year taking the kids apple picking, and Bennett LOVES it! Before we go, I really like watching this Johnny Appleseed video. I love this fall-ish, educational tradition!

Making Fall Goodies!

A few of our favorites are pumpkin bread, homemade applesauce, caramel apples, pumpkin cookies, molasses cookies, hot apple cider, apple pie... and many more! There are lots of apple recipes here because we have a LOT of apples to use up after apple picking! The spicy, warm, delicious tastes of this season cannot be beat!

Some new recipes I'm looking forward to trying are:

*Monster Munch

*Candy Corn Cupcakes

* Chocolate Owls
*Pecan Pie Muffins

*Tuscan Style Potato Soup

*Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread

*Maple-Walnut Chicken
*Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies

Charlie Brown Movies!

A fun family tradition is definitely watching Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin in October and A Charlie brown Thanksgiving and The Charlie Brown Mayflower Voyage in November. These remind me of growing up, and I love the nostalgic feeling I get watching them with my own kids. Also, the Mayflower video is very educational!!! I think these will be our Family Movie Night picks for October and November.

Pumpkin Patch

Visiting the Pumpkin Patch has become one of our favorite October activities. I especially love photographing the kids among the pumpkins. Look how tiny Mallie Gal was last year... sniff.

We also love the "How Tall This Fall" photo ops... such a great way of documenting the kids through the years. I'm thinking it would be really fun to put all these pictures together in a coffee-table book one day. Here's Bennett last year...

Pumpkin-Carving

Of course no Halloween/Harvest season would be complete without pumpkin carving! We do ours on Halloween morning accompanied by some Pumpkin Pancakes! I loved seeing Bennett's face as he stuck his hands into the slimy goo inside the pumpkin. We like to read The Pumpkin Patch Parable before we carve our pumpkins. It brings a spiritual focus to this fun tradition.

Thankfulness Tree

This was a new tradition last November, and it really was an awesome way to cultivate grateful hearts during the Thanksgiving season. I drew a plain fall tree on butcher paper, and then every day we each wrote down things we were thankful for on leaf cutouts. Then we taped them to the paper. By the end of the month, our "tree" was full of thankfulness!

Crafty McCrafterton: Re-Purposed Necklace

2010-09-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hello My fellow Crafty McCraftertons!

Just wanted to share a fun, re-purposed craft I took on last week (before my entire family became sick with an awful flu bug! Thank you, first week of preschool...)

It all started with this tutorial on fabric-rosette-making. I was so inspired, I decided to raid my supplies and figure out a way to make something right then and there!

I dug up this old necklace I haven't worn in a while.

First start by taking the necklace apart.

Now take a long piece of thread (I used embroidery thread), and tie it to a long thin strip of fabric. Tie a needle to the end of your thread.

Now begin by stringing a bead onto your thread. Then sew through that same side of the fabric strip. Once your string is on the other side, string another bead. Then just keep repeating this pattern.

It's kinda difficult to explain in words, but VERY easy to do. Here are a bunch of pictures, which will probably explain it better.

Please excuse my hideous cuticles. Remember I've been sick.

Once you've used all your beads up, just attach your fabric flower rosette (mine is made of the same fabric I used for the necklace) and...

You're all done!

This was my first attempt at fabric rosette making, and to be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the way this one came out. After more practice, I think I've gotten the hang of it. Here are some fabric-flower-making tips I've discovered through trial and error:

Use the right glue. Fabric glue is the only way to go and worth the purchase if you want to make these right.

Use thinner fabric. Thicker fabric, like the one I used, just ends up looking bulky.

Keep it loose. In this flower, I was rolling the fabric too tight as I glued. When I finally figured out how to keep it looser, it started looking a lot prettier and more flower-like.

Back to the necklace. Despite my not-perfectly-perfect flower, I still really like the way it turned out. Very artsy and shabby-chic!

A Tale of Bennett Turning Four... or "How to Live in Denial That Your Child is Growing Up"

2010-09-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Bennett turned four last week... sniff.

I am amazed by how big and independent he is now. When did that happen?! I am amazed by his loving, sweet heart and the new ways he blesses my life every day. He is constantly telling me: "Mommy, I love you. Mommy, you are the best Mommy in the world." Also, lately he has been singing me this free-style song that he makes up as he goes. It usually goes something like this: "Mommy I love you... Mommy is so beautiful, Mommy is so cute. I love my Mommy."

I am amazed by how thoughtful, analytical and focused he is. He loves to read his Bible. After reading a story, he will usually ask me an amazingly mature, thought-provoking question, such as "Mommy, why did Judas do that wrong thing to Jesus? Why didn't he believe in Jesus?" or "Mommy, why is the mean snake evil? Why can't he be good?" Bennett is very, very concerned with good and evil, right and wrong. He is naturally gifted as a protector/defender. He is ALWAYS telling me that he is going to protect Mallory and I from scary things with his sword. This trait definitely comes from his Daddy!

I am also amazed at what an incredible imagination he has. All day long he is playing pretend with his dinosaurs, pirates, sword and shield, trains, cars... he is acting everything out and making up stories and songs about everything. He sees a movie, and he acts out all the scenes for weeks. He takes every toy we own apart in order to make them into something else... a dinosaur cave, a sword, a fort, a spaceship. He is constantly creating and playing.

Then... as if turning four wasn't enough to send me into a cry-fest, Bennett started preschool this week! This just makes him seem even older and bigger, seeing him skip off to his classroom, backpack on his back... with barely a "Bye, Mom!" Sheesh, it is like a dagger to my heart! And pre-school is just the beginning. Pretty soon he will be moving out and getting a condo and marrying 'some girl' he meets in his English 101 class.

Okay, I know, I know... I'm getting ahead of myself. But I can't help it. I love my boy. As happy as I am to see him growing up into such a wonderful, precious and independent little boy, it is very hard to let go of my baby.

Alright before I start having a separation-anxiety attack, let's look at some pictures of Benny's birthday, shall we?

Here's the birthday sign I made for Bennett. I also made one for Mallie Gal when it was her birthday. The plan is to hang it every year for the kids' birthdays!

It is super simple and in my opinion not as cute as those fancy-schmancy banners that I often see people making. But I don't have the talent necessary to make felt banners. So my kids will just have to settle for a Mod-Podged hunk 'o wood.

To make your very own sign, just get a rectangular piece of wood from Home Depot. Have your masculine hotty of a hubby drill holes in it for you. Then schalack it with ModPodge, cover with wrapping paper, ModPodge again, add cut out letters (Yes, Crystal... I have a Cricut!) :0) Then Mod Podge again.

Get it?

Got it?

Good.

Here's the fam in front of said sign.

Here's Benny's "Dinosaur Dig Cake." You can find the recipe here. It was so fun to make, and Bennett loved it!

Here I am being silly with my boy.

Here's Benny playing with his "Batman Castle." He played with it all. day. long.

Seriously, he played with it for 8 hours straight.

Birthday Donuts!

Mommy and Daddy got him the Full Armour of God, and it is awesome! I highly recommend this as a gift for a 4 year old boy! And it's going to double as his Halloween costume this year. Gotta love the gift that keeps on giving!

Love him SO much!

Bennett and his sister. So precious.
Bennett in his birthday shirt.

I made the shirt using a freezer paper stencil, the same way I made some artwork for my bedroom. Super fun!

And now the First Day o' School pics:

Seriously this is the best picture I have EVER gotten the two of them to take together! And they match!
Could you just die?

I know I could...

Bennett, I love you and I LOVE being your Mommy. Thank you, Lord for blessing me with this precious little boy.

Man, I Feel Like a Woman: Re-purposed Artwork

2010-09-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

I truly believe Shania must have recently completed a DIY-home-improvement-project before penning those infamous words.

Seriously, there's not much that makes me feel more empowered than creating something myself and having it turn out super cute (or at least semi-cute and straight). Among my recent mega-woman moments are the bathroom stripes I painted, the chalkboard kitchen table McPreachy and I painted together... AND this simple artwork I made for my bedroom.

A few months ago, I found some old, gross frames lying around in the garage and decided I wanted to re-purpose them into something anthropologie-esque for our boudoir.

First I spray- painted the frames black.

Next I found some cute, vintagey images off of google images and made some freezer paper stencils by printing directly on the freezer paper and cutting out with an exacto knife. Here's a good tutorial on freezer paper-stencil-making.

Then I painted the stencils onto burlap, using black fabric paint.

Once dry, I removed the stencils and trimmed my burlap to fit in the frame. Finally, I framed and matted them.

Here they are all finished...

And here they are in their new home.

And remember...

The best thing about being a woman... is the prerogative to make your own artwork.

By the way, is anyone else shocked that 'prerogative' is spelled like that? I always thought it was 'perogative.' Thank you Spell check.

And what the heck, Webster?

Taking a Chalk on the Wild Side: Reinventing Our Kitchen Table

2010-09-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our house last summer, we soon discovered that our kitchen table didn't quite fit into its new surroundings. It was time for a facelift, but we could not agree on which color to paint it.

We've actually gone back and forth and back... and forth... about it for the last year.

That is, until one fateful day a few months ago when I was divinely inspired...

Okay so, maybe it wasn't divine, but it was inspiration alright.

We decided to paint our kitchen table... with chalkboard paint!

Here's how we did it:

Here's what the table looked like before painting.

We sanded her down...

Primed her...

And painted the top with three thin coats of chalkboard paint.

We painted the legs plain black, and....

Here she is all finished!

And here she is in her new home.

We still need to paint the chairs. Our plan is to paint them a Tiffany/Robin's Egg Blue.

A Few Tips:
*I highly recommmend using a roller instead of a brush for the table top so you don't get ridges and lines on the surface of the table.

*Also, I recommend letting the paint dry for a long time in between coats so it dries smooth and doesn't cake.

*Finally, I've found that the chalkbaord surface really picks up lint so make sure you clean the chalk off your table with a damp microfiber cloth, not a paper towel or white cotton towel.

The verdict: We love our chalkboard table! There are so many fun things you can do with the table. To name a few:

Greet kids and husband with a message when they come down to breakfast in the morning

When entertaining, use as a buffet table and label each menu item.

Similarly, use the table to make an awesome cheeseboard, labeling all the different types of cheese you are serving.

For birthdays, have everyone write things they love about the birthday boy or girl.

At dinnertime, write a question of the day that everyone has to answer during the family meal.

Draw your own place mats!

You'll have to forgive my forks. I'm not the best artist.

Allow kids to practice letter/number writing... or just color!

These are just a few ideas that have come to me... but there are unlimited uses for this practical, fun, kid-friendly addition to our home.

Easy, Microwavable, Homemade Mac and Cheese: The Holy Grail of Motherhood

2010-08-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

(picture courtesy of thekitchn.com)

My son is not a great eater. He really could do without eating most of the time. But one of the few foods he will devour happily without me force feeding it to him is Mac and Cheese.

So when I stumbled upon this recipe online, I literally made it right then and there. It was 4:00 in the afternoon, and I already had dinner planned and ready to go... so I gave it to my kids as a snack.

I just needed to know if it was too good to be true.

Oh no, my friends. It isn't.

Please go try this recipe immediately. The beauty of it is three-fold:

It is SO much healthier than the boxed version.
I always have these ingredients on hand, so I can always whip it up in a pinch.
Is is easy to customize and tweak to your liking.

Okay wait, the beauty is four-fold:

4. It's quick... it's made in the microwave for goodness sake!

Hope you enjoy it. I just know it will be a lifesaver for me.

Pick a Pack Of Pitas: Amazing Quick Lunch

2010-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever make a new recipe and become so overwhelmed with its deliciousness that you get obsessed with it, eating it every day for a week straight?

Well that's whats been happening with this simple lunch I've eaten for three days in a row now. I call them...

Greek Tomato Pita-wiches

It all started when I made up a batch of these AMAZING marinated tomatoes (look how many ways you can use them!!!).

I had them sitting around at lunch time and wanted to gobble them up, but I needed a vehicle by which to devour them. So I searched around in my fridge for worthy ingredients...

...and a pita-wich was born.

Welcome to the world, little guy.

Here's how you make it:

First, toast your pita. I cannot stress enough the importance of this step. Cold pita is a no-no. I just toasted mine in my toaster oven, and it came out perfect.

Next, cut yo' pita in half and open 'er up. Be careful... I have discovered that pita steam enveloping your hand hurts like a mother.

Now fill that bad boy with your marinated tomatoes (I guess making these is really the first step... consider it step .5). Throw a few spoonfuls of the marinade in there, just for giggles and grins.

Now add in a healthy sprinkling of feta cheese and a handful of kalamata olives. Other Greek-worth ingredients that would be delish include peppers, cucumbers and red onion. But I just kept mine simple with tomatoes, feta and kalamatas.

Isn't that so easy? And SO healthy, especially if you get whole wheat pitas.

And look... hardly any mess to clean up!

It's deliciousness is unparallelled.

Stripe It Up: Fixing a Bathroom Disaster

2010-08-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our house a year ago, we made a little paint blunder.

To put it simply, we painted our kids' bathroom neon green.

I was kind of shooting for a pistachio-asparagus-frolicking-in-the-springtime kind of green, but instead we ended up with a shade reminiscent of Shrek.

Our first thought was to just repaint the whole thing. But then I saw this post on my favorite decorating blog and decided that painting some wide stripes in a lighter shade of green would tone everything down while still keeping the bathroom fun and playful for the kids.

So, thanks to my Mama, who helped with the taping, and more importantly watching the kids, I finally finished the project this weekend.

Here is the kids' much-less-neon bathroom.

I am kicking myself for not taking a before shot... what was I thinking?!

Just trust me. You would appreciate the striped wall a LOT more if I had a good before shot to make you gasp in horror. Because, believe me... it was horrible. Just envision the whole room the color of the darker green stripe and then add Shrek slime and a squeeze of lime on top of that, and you will have a small idea of how squint-inducing it was. I practically needed to wear sunglasses when bathing my children.

The Moral of the Story: Never EVER pick a paint color online, even if it's the last color you need to pick and your sweet husband is pressuring you to pick a darn paint color already. Even if you're moving and you have a 6-week-old-infant you are breastfeeding. Even if life as you know it comes crashing down around you, just get your butt over to Home Depot and buy a sample can. If you pick a paint color online, disaster will ensue.

Family Movie Night: A New Tradition

2010-08-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the blog hiatus, peeps. In all honesty, the reason I haven't been posting is that my phone has been malfunctioning when I try to retrieve pictures off of it, and that's where I take most of my blog pics because it's so much more convenient. So I have several picture-less posts written and waiting. I'll post them as soon as my technologically-savvy hubby can fix my phone and retrieve the pics for me.

In the meantime, I used my point-and-shoot camera to document a new tradition we are implementing in the McPreachy household: Family Movie Night!!!

As most of you know, I LOVE traditions... almost to a fault. I can definitely go overboard when it comes to traditions, but I can't help myself. I LOVE THEM!

Recently, this post and this post inspired me to get a more regular tradition going in our house (not just during holidays, but year round). To be honest, weekly traditions are hard for us... as a pastor's family, our schedule really varies from week to week, especially in the evenings. So I fear a "pizza every Friday" tradition would get skipped so much that it wouldn't be a tradition anymore.

So instead, I decided to do a themed family movie night on the first Thursday of every month. This idea for this tradition came from Bennett. He is ALWAYS asking me:

"Mama, can we have special fam-iwy time on the couch with popcorn and hot chocolate and watch a show?"

Not much makes Bennett happier that when we sit down and enjoy a movie with him.

The thing I really like about this tradition is that it will grow so well with the kids. For now it's Curious George and Monsters vs. Aliens, but as the kids grow up, it can be Star Wars, ET, Goonies and Swiss Family Robinson.

The plan for our movie night tradition is to get creative and theme the entire meal/evening around the movie we are watching.

Tonight's movie was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. So for dinner, we naturally had spaghetti and meatballs! Here's the PW recipe.

Here's Mallie Gal enjoying her speecy-spicey meatball.

And here's Bennett playing with his spaghetti. He was cracking himself up sucking up the long noodles...

So of course, we had to reenact the famous scene from Lady and the Tramp.

For dessert, Bennett and I made these fab spaghetti and meatball cupcakes. SO cute and tasty. I used this recipe for the cupcake batter and this one for the frosting.

Aren't they darling?! And they look just like the real thing...

Cue cheesy comparison shot.

And the best thing about movie night... Bennett was SO excited. Just look at his little face.

He was practically beside himself with glee when it was time to watch the movie. And today he keeps asking to watch "Meatballs with a Chance."

Finally, before I go, a random note about cupcakes:

The cupcake recipe is for 36 cupcakes. I don't know about you, but there is no way my family can eat that many cupcakes before they get all gross and mushy. I usually make the mistake of baking them all, and then I end up wasting a bunch of cupcakes.

But not this time. No, not this time.

Instead, I baked only one dozen cupcakes. Look at poor, little gimpy on the bottom left.

Then I froze the rest of the batter in two labeled ziplocks. I just learned that you can freeze batter. Whoda thunk?

Now the next time the cupcake mood strikes us (meaning me), we (I) can just pop one of these bad boys out of the freezer, defrost and bake. Voila!

DIY Chinese Food: Super-Amazing, Incredible, Healthy Stir Fry... and Fried Rice!

2010-07-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, I mixed and matched a few different stir fry recipes to create this recipe for chicken stir fry. It was AMAZING! I served it with one of McPreachy's favorites: bacon and egg fried rice! YUM!

Hope you enjoy this healthy (well... except for the bacon) and delish meal!

Chicken and Cashew Stir Fry:

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into strips

16 oz veggies of your choice ( I used snap peas, red pepper, onions, shredded carrots and mushrooms. For an even easier meal, just buy a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies!)

3/4 cup whole cashews (or almonds if you prefer)

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 c soy sauce (I used low-sodium from TJ's)

1/3 c. pineapple juice (I'm sure you could use OJ in a pinch)

Directions:

Heat a few tablespoons of canola or peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cashews and stir-fry for 4 minutes, until chicken is browned all over.

Add your veggies and garlic to the pan. Cover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Don't worry if the pan seems crowded; the veggies will cook down. (Note: the above picture was taken before this step. The veggies will be more cooked down than this when you are finished.)

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce and pineapple juice. Add this mixture to the wok and cook 2-3 minutes, until thickened.

Serve over rice or stir the whole thing into cooked buckwheat/soba noodles for homemade Pick Up Stix-style Chow Mein! Enjoy!

Like I said, I served this delightful dish o' the Asian persuasion with my favorite bacon-egg fried rice. I'll tell you how to make it, but I'll warn you that this isn't really a recipe, more of a method. I just kinda sprinkle and dump until it tastes right. So if you are the type of person who needs exact measurements, do not keep reading. You will be frustrated.

Bacon-Egg Fried Rice:

Cook one cup of rice they way you normally would. Set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, cook 6 slices of chopped bacon until brown and crispy. Drain and set aside.

Add a few tablespoons of canola oil to the same pan. Over medium-high heat, cook one yellow onion and 4 cloves of chopped garlic until soft.

Add two beaten eggs and scramble until cooked.

Add your rice and stir everything together.

Start seasoning. I usually add a healthy shake of ground ginger, several generous shakes of soy sauce, salt and pepper. Just keep adding and adjusting until you get the fla-vah you desire.

Once your seasoning is good, just pat the rice down and let it sit for a few minutes to get a little color. Careful not to burn it.

Stir in your bacon and serve! Enjoy!

Well done, Grasshopper. You are now wise in the way of Asian cuisine.

Cookbook o' the Month: Deceptively Delicious

2010-07-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Casey and I'm a cookbook addict.

I have a gajillion cookbooks, and just recently, I realized that I rarely use any of them because there are so many darn recipes to choose from.

So I've decided to chose one new cookbook each month and cook my way through it, trying those recipes I had marked but never gotten around to trying.

This book o' the month for July is Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.

You know... THAT book that teaches you how to sneak veggies into your kids' food.

I've been using a few recipes from this book for a while, the pumpkin oatmeal and the banana bread... but there are lots of recipes I haven't gotten around to trying yet.

I kicked off this cookbook hootenanny by making Jessica's "Aloha Chicken Kebabs," which feature sweet potato, coconut and pineapple under their crunchy exterior.

The result was pretty tasty. I'd give it a 8 out of 10. The good news is: the kids ate it! So I got plenty of veggies and fruit into them just by feeding them chicken nuggets!

I think they would be even better with a little sweet-n-sour dipping sauce on the side. I will definitely make them again. They are going in the arsenal.

Other recipes I plan on trying:

French Toast with Pumpkin, Squash or Sweet Potato

Applesauce Muffins with Carrot

Pancakes with Sweet Potato

Coffee Cake with Butternut Squash

Fruit Punch with Raspberries, Pineapple and Carrot

Yellow Cake with Pumpkin

Frozen Yogurt Pops

Sloppy Joe's with Sweet Potato and Carrot

Tortilla "Cigars" (like Taquitos) with Yellow Squash and Carrot

Brownies with Carrot and Spinach (everyone says they are amazing, so I've just gotta try it!)

Well, I better get cooking!

I'll be sure to report back with my findings!

Death by Bennett: An Epidemic

2010-07-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

Just came across this video a few days ago, and I died a thousand deaths while watching it.

When my son is so precious it nearly kills me, I like to call it "Death by Bennett." This video is a prime example.

How did my boy possibly grow up so fast before my very eyes?

I love him so much, it hurts. He just can't grow up any more. I will not allow it.

Rainy Day Activity: Painting with Cars!

2010-07-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, so first of all... WHAT IS UP with all this dreary, Edgar Allen Poe weather we've been having the past couple of weeks?

It's July! I want to be outside sipping an iced coffee while my kids run through the sprinklers... NOT wiping runny noses, eating soup and baking bread in my sweat pants!

Okay, end of rant.

Since Mother Nature has thrown us such a curve ball this week, my kids have been getting pretty stir crazy. So yesterday morning we decided to make our own messy fun.

Here's what we did:

I taped butcher paper to the kitchen table and set out some finger paint on a paper plate. I had Bennett pick out a few of his hot wheels...

Then I let him have at it, dipping the cars in the paint and then driving them all over the paper.
He loved it!

Then afterwards, I let Bennett give his cars a "bath" in the kitchen sink to get all the paint off.

...with lots of bubbles, of course. This is a fun activity in and of itself: fill the sink up with soapy water and let 'em go to town.

Oh to be a child and take such delight in such simple things.

And remember... it's the spontaneous, crazy, silly, messy activities that your kids will remember years from now. I still remember the time when my sweet Mom let my friends and I go CRAZY with confetti for one of my birthday parties. It was so fun. I know it took her HOURS to clean it up... but it's a memory I will have forever.

If you are mess-phobic, just keep telling yourself: It's just a mess. It can be cleaned up. The memories I am making are worth it.

Throw caution to the wind and have some fun!

Blogspiration: Batch Cooking

2010-07-07T11:46:00.001-07:00

I was really inspired by this post on batch cooking over at Simple Bites.

So far I've tried the pesto recipe and the fruit crisp topping, which both turned out great!

Here are my fruit-crisp-topping jars, ready to freeze.

To make things easier, I just went ahead and labeled the jar tops with the baking instructions so I didn't have to look it up every time.

I also made an apple crisp with the topping right away. You know me, I can't wait.

Here it is:

To prepare it, I took 6 granny smith apples (peeled, cored and sliced) and threw 'em in a 13x9 pan with a handful of brown sugar, a squeezer of lemon juice (half a lemon), a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and a dash of grated nutmeg.

Then I plopped my fruit crisp topping on top and baked it for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Easy!

I Did It My Way: Macaroons

2010-07-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: If you don't like coconut, you cannot be my friend anymore.
END OF DISCLAIMER

Today I will be sharing one of my favorite go-to cookie recipes: Coconut-Almond Macaroons!
They are delicious beyond belief, only require a few ingredients and are so easy to make.

Let's create a little piece of Aloha, shall we?

Coconut Almond Macaroons
adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe

1/3 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (NOT shredded! This is of monumental importance.)
1/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions

Coarsely grind the almonds in a blender or food processor. Don't go too hog-wild, though. You want a few good chunks of almond in there.
Transfer to a bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine.
Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions, and roll into balls.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat (silpat) or parchment paper. NOTE: Normally, I say whatever! (insert valley-girl voice here) to these kinds of instructions, but in this case you really do need to do it. This can be a sticky cookie!
Bake macaroons until golden-brown on tops and edges, about 10-12 minutes. You want these suckers to be chewy, so don't overdo it!
Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes.
Devour.

ANOTHER NOTE: I usually double or triple the batch, because, come on... 8 cookies? What is this, Nazi Germany? Who makes just 8 cookies?

A FINAL NOTE: The picture at the top of the post is Martha's, not mine. Sorry... my cookies aren't around long enough to pose for pictures. Mine look the same, just with worse lighting.

Faux-Sew Project: Hand Towel Beach Bags

2010-07-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

We recently went on a wonderful vacay with McPreachy's family, the Mc-In-laws! We stayed at a beach house near Santa Barbara, and it really was heavenly.

I decided I wanted to make something fun for Bennett, Mallory and their cousins for the trip. I made these Hand Towel beach bags, and they turned out sew cute.

Get it?

Anyway, I call this a "Faux-Sew" Project because you do not need to possess any sewing skills whatsoever to make it. I am qualified to make this claim because:

a. I have no sewing skills whatsoever.

b. I made 4 of these bags quite successfully.

c. I snuck ten pounds worth of snacks into Toy Story 3 using one of said bags, and it didn't fall apart.

Here's Mallory's bag:

Here's Faith's bag (and Mallory's feet):

And here are the boys' bags. Aren't they darling?

Here are instructions on how to make them.

Supply List:

The towels and washcloths I used were from Target.

"Rope" for the handles was from Joanne's.

Embroidery thread and buttons were from Michael's.

I also prepared a few fun activities for the kids to do at the beach house. They turned out really cute. Here they are:

We made this Watermelon Jello and it was SO cute, SO easy and SOOOOO delicious! Seriously, if you want a showstopper, make it!

We also made these cute Octopus Crafts. The kids had fun gluing on the beads and google eyes.

I also really wanted to make this "Sand-Cast Bass" craft, but we just didn't have time... I'm still planning on doing it sometime this summer... so if you're in the neighborhood, come on over and make a Bass with us!

Which reminds me...

"I caught you a delicious bass."

Name that movie.

On the Road Again: Simple, Fun Travel Keepsakes

2010-06-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's Summer! Time for road trips, sunny days and making memories!

I thought I'd share a few ideas I got from Susan Peterson, a wonderful MOPS speaker I heard about a year ago. She wrote this awesome book and has some great ideas for souveniers that are memorable, easy and inexpensive.

Patch Quilt
The idea is that you start off with a "blank" quilt for each child and then purchase a patch every time you travel to a new place.

I am very blessed to have a BFF who is a wonderful seamstress, so she made these amazing quilts for my kids. I'm sure if you're not the sewing type, you can find plain quilts online.

Bennett already has two new patches on his quilt since this picture was taken (Disneyland and Santa Barbara). He LOVES his patch quilt and is really starting to understand the concept of adding patches from each new place, which is exciting for him.

Mallie likes hers too!

By the time my kids are leaving for college, their quilts will be full of wonderful memories from all the places we've been together. It's like a 3-D scrapbook!

Postcard Memory Books

This is as simple as buying a postcard for each child from the place your are visiting and putting them all together with binder rings to make a "book."

On the back of the postcard, write the date and your child's favorite memory from the place you visited. We usually do this on the way home while the day is still fresh in Bennett's mind. Since Mallory is too little for this, I usually just write a short summary of the day's events on her postcard.

I hope these simple ideas will inspire you to create some travel keepsakes for your kids!

A Problem of Epic Poop-ortion

2010-06-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

So, we seriously have a problem with Bennett pooping everywhere and anywhere... except the toilet. You may remember this story from a few months ago.

Well, we pretty much had a repeat performance of that scenario last Sunday... the only difference being that I was in my Sunday dress and heels whilst scrubbing poop off the floor, walls and carpet.

Then a few weeks ago, after running some errands, I arrived home and Bennett came walking by me. As he passed me in the hallway, he nonchalantly said, "Oh, Mama... I pooped in the playroom." So I raced the the playroom where, sure enough, I found a big pile o' poo sitting on the carpet. What in the world?!

Today was the kicker.

We were at the community pool splash park with some friends, and the kids were having such a fun time playing. After a while in the water, the kids started running around in the grass area behind the splash park. All of a sudden, one of my friends said, "Um, Casey... Um... Bennett is..."

Taking a DUMP in the grass, that's what he was doing!

While other horrified mothers looked on. And while his sweet, little friend stood there dumbfounded, staring at Bennett's booty with a look of bewilderment on her face.

I ran over to him, trying to remain calm, and we quickly made our way to the bathroom. But I am seriously at a loss for what to do about this. Any child psychologists reading this that might have an idea as to why my son doesn't want to poop in the toilet? And even if you're not a child psychologist, please give me some advice!

Both I and the community pool cleanup staff would be much obliged.

Trader Joe's Product O' the Whenever: Sundried Tomato Chicken Tenders

2010-06-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

Last week at Trader Joe's, I experienced a revelation of deliciousness that needed to be shared with the masses.

The wonderful man who does the demo cooking at TJ's whipped up a sandwich that can only be described as heaven on a baguette. The main ingredient is our product 'o the whenever:

Trader Joe's Sundried Tomato and Basil Chicken Tenders

As the name suggests, they are delectably marinated chicken tenders that cook up super quick.

As for the sandwich I mentioned, it was a Sundried Tomato Chicken Bruschetta Sandwich. All I have to say is, thank you, Trader Joe's Employee for discovering this culinary creation. You are the Christopher Columbus of sandwiches, and I salute you.

To make the sandwich, first bake or broil your chicken tenders until just cooked though. I broiled mine on a foil lined baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the tenders hang out for just a few minutes before cutting them into bite-sized pieces.

Next slice a baguette lengthwise and then into smaller sections. Lay the baguette halves on a baking sheet. Top with your chopped chicken, then spoon on some of this crazy goodness:

This bruschetta sauce really is to DIE for.

No, seriously, I would die for it. Not even joking.

After you've spooned till you just can't spoon no mo', top everything off with some sliced provolone cheese.

Now pop that bad boy in the oven at 375 for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is nice and melted and everything is heated through.

And there you have it. A delicious sandwich made with a delicious product o' the whenever.

Oh, and if you fall in love with these chicken tenders and want to try them in other ways, consider grilling them and serving alongside this pasta salad for a full-out sundried tomato jubilee!

Blogspiration: Choosing Joy in Your Homemaking

2010-06-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

I was really encouraged/kicked in the butt by what Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking had to say in this post .

If you are a homemaker or stay at home Mama, you absolutely must, must, MUST read it.

I hope it blesses you as much as it did me.

Simple Summer Treat: Make Your Own Popsicles!

2010-06-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Today Bennett and I picked up a pack of Popsicle molds at Bed Bath and Beyond.

We made this Popsicle recipe.

We used fresh pineapple along with a little pineapple juice in place of the canned pineapple.

Delicious. Simply Delicious. That's all I have to say.

Trader Joe's Product O' the Whenever: Aroborio Rice

2010-05-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Risotto Anyone?

I can't believe how few people make risotto at home. It is really quite easy and sooooooo delicious!

To make it, you need aroborio rice. Enter our product o' the whenever...

The best thing about this aroborio rice is the easy, delicious recipe for risotto on the box. It's the recipe I always use when making risotto. It is a basic recipe, so you can add different ingredients to change it up.

For instance...

I recently went to my friend's birthday party at a super-authentic Italian restaurant, and I ordered the most glorious rissoto. It was so good, I decided to try and duplicate it at home. I hit the jackpot with this recipe... McPreachy gave it a perfect 10!

Here's the Recipe:

Risotto with Sausage and Tomatoes a' la' Casey Crocker

1 package uncooked Italian sausage, casings removed
3 Roma tomatoes
12 oz. TJ's aroborio rice
4-5 cups chicken stock, heated
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
approx. 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese ( a couple of hand fulls... eyeball it.)
4 oz dry white wine
1/4 c. cream
salt to taste

Brown and crumble the sausage until cooked through over medium heat in a large stockpot. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate, and set aside.
In the same pot, (No need to wipe it out. Keep the fla-vah alive, yo.) melt the butter and saute the onion for a few minutes to soften it up. Then add your rice and stir to coat.
Add the wine and cook until evaporated.
Now begin slowly adding your chicken stock, one cup at a time, adding more only once the stock has absorbed into the rice. Continue until you have added it all and the rice is cooked through but not mushy. This should take about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop your tomatoes. First cut them in half lengthwise and gently squeeze all the water and seeds out of them so they don't make your risotto watery. That would be a travesty. Once you've de-seeded them, just give 'em a rough chop.
Once your broth is gone and your rice is done, add the cream, cheese, sausage and tomatoes and remove from heat. Salt to taste.

And They All Lived Happily Ever After.

The End.

P.S. Nik, if you are reading this, PLEASE do not let Chris see this. My risotto is embarrassed in front of fancy chefs. I'm just a truffle-less, haricot-vert-free laycook.

DIY: The Starbucks Experience

2010-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love me some Starbucks. I would go every day if I could.

But I can't. I just can't.

So I have devised a way to have the Starbucks Experience every day without spending the money.

Here are a few DIY copycats of My Starbucks Favorites:

The cups --A good cup is essential to the Starbucks experience. I wrote all about the glories of these cups in this post.
Iced Latte -- join my favorite Italian... Giada, as she teaches us how to make delish iced lattes flavored with cinnamon. YUM! This has been my go-to iced latte recipe for several years. Extra points if you say "latte" Italian-style like Giada.
Iced Coffee -- I recently discovered this great iced coffee recipe, which is a little less involved than the iced latte recipe and super delicious.
Petite Vanilla Bean Scones -- Leave it to PW to come up with an exact replica of the most delicious scones on earth.

Blueberry Oat Bar -- PW does it again. Just swap out the apricot jam for blueberry in this recipe, and you are on your way to wholesome Starbucks goodness.

Maple Oat Scones -- Here is a recipe I haven't tried yet... a copycat of one of my favorite Starbucks treats. I can't wait to try this one!

So go ahead... make yourself something special and have a wonderful, caffeinated day!

Blogspiration: Do As I Do

2010-05-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this great, perspective-changing post I read recently.

I was really challenged and encouraged by what the author had to say about how our toddlers will listen and pay attention to others the way we listen and pay attention to them.

Ouch.

We sometimes have issues with Bennett not giving eye contact or engaging with people when they are talking to him. This made me realize that I need to make sure I am giving him my eye contact and paying attention to him when he speaks to me. How often am I distracted and doing my own thing when he tries to talk to me? I might be telling him to pay attention to others, but am I modeling it? Now that's some food for thought.

It is very convicting and humbling to see that I am struggling with most of the things I am trying to correct in my 3 year old. I recently heard from a wonderful speaker at our MOPS group that God gives us our children not just so we can mold their character, but so they can help mold ours.

I really got a lot out of this. Hope you enjoy!

Obsessions, Doozies and Lemony Recipes: An Update

2010-05-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that this last blog-iatus (blog hiatus) has been pretty long. Sorry peeps... I've got butts to wipe, noses to wipe and floors to wipe. All that wiping doesn't leave much time for typing.

So, I thought I'd celebrate my return to cyberspace with a post choc full o' randomness for the masses.

To begin.... I am currently obsessed with (in no particular order):

1. These cups!!!!

They are reusable to-go cups, and they are amazing!!! I love mine sooooo much. They give you the Starbucks experience without spending all the money! I use the cold one for iced coffees, and it feels just like going to my favorite coffee shop!

P.S. More on DIY Starbucks in my next post! :0)

2. But if you decide you'd rather just buy a coffee.... then PLEASE for the love of java, go buy this one at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. It is SO SO SO delicious! It is my #2 Obsession o' the moment.

3. Traditional Olive Tapenade from Trader Joe's.

In all honestly, it deserves it's own post as a "Trader Joe's Product O' the Whenever" but I am being lazy. All I will say is that this tapenade's deliciousness cannot be rivaled. If you like olives, you will die a slow, tragic and happy death when you eat it on crackers or a sliced baguette.

Next, on to Doozies... a.k.a. things Bennett says that are cute, offensive or otherwise appalling.

Like the way he recently asked if a visiting male missionary at our church had a baby in his tummy...

Yep, my worst Mama nightmare happened recently. We were at church during our weekly kids club, siting in the front row. Like I said, a nice missionary couple was visiting that night, and the husband got up to give the prayer. After he finished, in the DEAD SILENT moment following the prayer, Bennett said in his loudest voice, "Mama, does he have a baby in his tummy?"

My reply:

1. Turn bright red.

2. Look around indignantly to see whose rude kid would possibly say something like that.

3. Once in private, teach Bennett the cardinal rule of humanity: NEVER ask anyone if they have a baby in their tummy. Just wait for them to tell you. This rule will never steer you wrong.

For more rules about what is and isn't acceptable to say to people who actually are pregnant, read this insightful post by my friend, Suzanne.

Here's another doozer:
A few days ago, we were in the car on our way to to store. Bennett brought a nerf gun with him and was "shooting" it left and right (Mama accidentally "lost" all the little foam darts, so he was just pretend shooting).

In a very proud voice he said, "Mama... I'm not going to shoot any of the people in the store."

Me: "That's good, Bennett. We don't shoot people.

Bennett: "I'm going to shoot you, though."

Me: Hey! I'm a person too!

Bennett: (in awed confusion) You are?

Apparently mothers are devoid of humanity in the eyes of their children

Moving on...

The final stop on today's Tour de Random is Lemon Recipes! I've been on quite the lemony kick as of late.

First I made PW's Lemon Pasta. All I have to say is this:
Heaven must be missing angels. And those angels have manifested as lemon-sauce-coated noodles.

I served the pasta with... you guessed it -- lemon-rosemary grilled chicken, which was scrumptious if I do say so myself.

LEMON GRILLED CHICKEN a'la Casey Crocker

one lemon, thinly sliced
juice of one lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
one big sprig of rosemary, take the leaves off and chop 'em good.
5 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
1 tsp salt
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded until they are an even thickness.

In a shallow dish, combine all ingredients (except chicken). Stir to combine. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinade for 30 minute to one hour... not too long.

Have your husband grill the chicken for you. Lovingly remind him to not overcook it. It won't take too long because you pounded out the chicken. The McPreacher did a fabulous job on the chicken... he has become quite the accomplished griller.

My last lemon recipe is for a DELICIOUS chicken soup that I made for my sick family yesterday. It is the PERFECT soup when you have a cold. I actually used some leftover rotisserie chicken instead of the chicken breast, and it worked great! (Thanks to my wonderful friend, Suz for bringing said chicken to us the night before. She brought us a delicious meal because we've all been so sick.)

Well... I hope you enjoyed this trip down Random Road. Ta Ta For Now!

Blog-spiration: Pantry Meals

2010-04-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

I just read this great post on Simple Mom about pantry meals. Thought I'd share it with you all.

http://www.simplebites.net/three-recipes-to-keep-in-your-pantry/

Basically the gist is, pick a few meals that you will ALWAYS have the stuff for in your pantry, and then you will never have to face that, "Oh no! I have nothing planned for dinner tonight!" moment.

The post gives three delish-sounding, easy-to-make pantry meals, but I thought I'd share a few of my favorite pantry meals also.

The first is my Mom-in-Law's recipe for Cranberry Chicken. I LOOOOOVE it. It is so delicious and easy! Only 4 ingredients!

Cranberry Chicken:

Take 4-6 frozen chicken breasts and defrost them. Place in a 13x9 baking dish.
Mix together 1 can whole berry (or regular) cranberry sauce, 1 envelope of onion soup mix and 1/2 bottle of Catalina salad dressing. (*note: I normally do NOT like this kind of dressing, but it is delish in this recipe, so don't be scared off!)
Pour mixture over chicken in pan and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes,or until chicken is cooked through.
Serve over rice with lotsa sauce!

My second pantry recipe is a quick meatloaf recipe (my sis in law told me about this one). I have a great from-scratch meatloaf recipe that I love, but I don't always have all those items on hand. This one only requires a few ingredients and is super tasty! And this recipe also uses a packet of onion soup mix... aka "envelope of miraculous wonders."

Lipton Onion Soup Meatloaf:
from the back of the Onion Soup Box... only gourmet around here...

1 envelope onion soup mix

2 pounds ground beef (I always keep this in the freezer)

1 1/2 C bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/3 C ketchup

3/4 C water (if needed)

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.

Form into a loaf and bake 350°F for about one hour in 9x13 pan, or about 40 minutes in muffin tins for individual servings.

I hope you enjoy these simple, easy meals! Now share the love... Please comment and leave some of your favorite pantry meals.

And remember, Moms don't let Moms order take out!

Just kidding... I love take-out.

Trader Joe's Product O' the Whenever: Multi-grain Baking Mix

2010-04-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, first off... How much am I LOVING my new TJ's cookbook, you ask.

Very, very much, I say. Very much indeed. (Thanks, Mom!)

After ferociously flipping through the pages and marking many, many new recipes to try, I picked out a few to try this week. One of them required that I buy a new product I've never tried before.

Enter our Product O' the Whenever:

Trader Joe's Multi-grain Baking and Pancake Mix

The wonders of this product are not to be believed...

...as in, I cant believe I've never used it before.

The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook uses this mix to make many delicious baked goods, like cherry-berry crisp, and the blondies I purchased it for.

Blondies are like a chocolate chip cookie bar, and they did not disappoint.

Here's the recipe:

Hairdresser Blondies (named after the author's hairdresser, naturally)

2 cups Multi-grain Baking Mix
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a bowl, combine baking mix, brown sugar, melted butter, egg and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Add the cherries, nuts and chocolate chips, and stir to incorporate.
Spread the batter in prepared pan and bake until cooked through, about 30 minutes ***I baked it for about 20 minutes, and it was done. Know thy oven.

What I love about this baking mix is that it adds so much more texture and flavor than using flour in your baked goods. It has big pieces of oats in it, and you know how much I love oats! Or maybe you don't know, but just trust me... Oats and I got a thang going on. I love them!

Anyway, I also love how convenient this baking mix is for us hard-working Mamas. For some reason, baking cookies, muffins and coffee cakes just seems SO much easier when you don't have to measure as many items. Even it it only cuts out a step or two, that can make a difference

And finally this mix is much more healthy than just using flour or regular Bisquick. It has several different healthy grains in there. BUT it actually tastes good. Most of the time when I bake with whole wheat four, I'm not thrilled with the fla-va... but this mix tastes excellent! Nutty, grainy goodness, ya'll!

I also came up with this healthy, delish banana bread recipe using the mix AND coconut oil instead of butter.

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1.5 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 + 2/3 cup TJ's Multi-grain baking mix
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (optional... it's good either way)

Mix all ingredients except the last three.
Add in baking mix and stir well to combine
Add in nuts and coconut (if using), and stir again.
Spread batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.*

*NOTE: Okay, so here's the problem I ALWAYS have with banana bread. It never gets done in the middle, but it gets super brown/burned on top, so that I am stuck with a charred top and soggy innards. So what I do is, after about 45 minutes, I check it... and if the top is brown enough but the inside isn't done yet, I cover it loosely with foil and keep baking. I check it every 5 minutes until just done in the center! This trick really seems to get perfect results!

April: Farm Month

2010-04-01T14:13:00.001-07:00

After considering many a topic for this month's school time, I have decided on Farm Month.

I wanted our theme to incorporate gardening/planting somehow, since April/spring is the time when things grow. I also loved Nik's idea of incorporating healthy eating habits into this month's theme. Hence... farm month. We can talk about farms and farmers, the animals, the barn, and the fruits and veggies that grow there. And at the end of the month, we plan on taking the kids to Tanaka Farms. They have a u-pick strawberry tour which we did a few years ago (Bennett was too young to remember), and that will be the perfect experience to finish off this month o' agricultural learning.

Some of the items on this month's adgenda are:

A few crafts from this site. I especially like the paper bag farm animal puppets and the printable farm animal book at the bottom of the page.

Here's another site that has a lot of free coloring pages. It would be fun to color a page of each animal and then make them into a little book about farms.

Make a healthy eating chart (great idea, Nik!), where Bennett gets to put a sticker each day when he eats a fruit or veggie!

I was thinking we could do a "Things That Grow on the Farm" collage, where we rip pages out of old magazines and paste them all month long on the collage. I've noticed that Bennett respionds better to things that are hands-on... and of course, destructive. If it involves trashing one of Mama's magazines, he's all in.

Of course we will be eating a lot of fresh fruits and veggies this month. I think it would be fun to try to visit a few farmers markets/farm stands in the area. Any good suggestions?

Love this craft, this craft and this craft too!

Okay, sorry... two more crafts and I'm done, I promise. This craft and this craft are just so cute.

Preparing for Easter: A Few Fun, Meaningful Activities

2010-03-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry Kiddiewinkies... no time to add photos to this post today.

My kitchen needs to be cleaned.

And I haven't uploaded photos from my camera since November.

No, seriously, all of our Chrismas pictures are STILL on the camera. For real.

Anyway... I thought I'd share my Easter plans for this year. I'm planning on doing a few simple activities with Bennett. I think they will really teach the Easter story in a very hands-on way.

First, I found this tip on making your own Resurrection eggs instead of buying them. SCORE! (Thanks Leslie for posting this idea on your blog!). You are supposed to start opening the eggs 12 days before Easter... I started yesterday. OOPS. Oh well, we've' just been opening two eggs a day. NO need to live by the rules as long as the kids are learning. Ah-men.
My friend Suz-to-the-Anne (I'd link to her blog but it's tre-exclusive) passed along a recipe for Easter Cookies, and I literally squealed with delight when I read through it. I can't wait to make them on Easter-Eve.

Also, I thought I'd share the mahn-u that my Mamasita and I will be making for Easter Dinner.

Appetizers:

Fruit Salsa with Cinnmon Chips

Deviled Eggs

Dinner:

Ham

Spicy Honey Chicken (For those non-pork eaters... Heathens.)

Creamy Herb Potatoes

Rolls

Green Salad

Dessert:

Strawberry Shortcake

That's all for now! Now go eat some Cadbury Mini Eggs and enjoy your Easter!

April's Theme: HELP!

2010-03-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hello Darlin's,

I need some ideas/suggestions for April's theme o' the month. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read this and this.

I'm stuck. Seriously. Easter is at the beginning of the month, and that threw me for a loop.

Umbrella (ella, ella... ehhh) month?
Spring Month?
Something-else-because-those-are-the-only-two-ideas-I-have-month?

I'm desperate. Please send help.

Healthy, One Ingredient Ice Cream: By Jove, I Think She's Got It!

2010-03-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

I tried this tip, and I had to share because it really is that amazing!

You basically just take a few bananas, peel and chop them, freeze them and pop 'em in the food processor. And AMAZINGLY you end up with banana ice cream... no joke! (see above link for more deets... that's "details" for those of you who aren't hip).

I'm honestly not really a banana person, but I AM an ice cream person. And this won me over. I also gave some to McPreachy, and he thought it was banana-flavored ice cream! He had no idea that he was in fact eating a frozen, pulvarized banana. Mwah ha ha! I am so sneaky!

This would be awesome for those of you who have kids with food allergies or intolerances.

Or for those of you who just plain eat too much ice cream.

Next time I want to try to throw some coconut oil in there for a delish tropical delight! And even if you throw a few chocolate chips, granola or chopped almonds on top, it is still MUCH healthier than eating a big bowl of ice cream. And it is VERY delicious and smooth.

Do not be a skeptic... just try it. Try it, and you will see.

Weekly Chore Schedule: Get to Work, Woman!

2010-03-19T16:36:00.003-07:00

I recently decided that our family needed a little more structure to run more efficiently. Up until now, I've been kind of a easy-going-do-it-when-ya-need-to kinda Mama. But since Mallory was born, it seems like I need a little more of a daily routine so that our home can be a restful, peaceful haven for my husband and kids (and me!)

A while ago I read this post over at simple mom, and it inspired me to develop a flexible daily routine and weekly chore schedule. I've been implementing it for a few weeks now, and I LOVE it!!! I feel like I am accomplishing more, but amazingly I have WAY more time to spend with my kids during the day! Here's what I'm doing:

Cocka-Doodle Doo! -- The biggest change to my daily life is implementing a morning routine, which starts before my kids wake up... as in waking up EARLY. For those of you who know me well (which is really ALL of you since only 5 people even read this blog), you know how much I HATE waking up early. I think it's downright unchristian. But I've got to say, after I actually get up and get going, I really love the result of being up an hour before my kids wake up. It starts the day on my terms, not theirs and allows me to read my Bible, exercise, and of course make and consume large quantities of coffee, all before Bennett comes clumping downstairs. It has definitely taken some getting used to and some adjustment of my usually-late bedtime. But overall, I feel that starting the day off this way makes for a much more productive and happy day.
Breakfast as a family -- This has been another things we've started doing almost daily, and it has been great. As soon as the kids get up, we all eat together and Neil leads the family in a little devotional. It really seems to start Bennett's day off better.
Weekly Cleaning and Chore Schedule -- I don't know about you other Mamas, but keeping the house clean AND balancing household responsibilities with making sure I'm spending enough time playing with my kids is hard for me. So I decided to make a schedule for household chores. Each day I do only what's on the list, not worrying about other things around the house. If it doesn't get done, then it will have to wait till next week. This keeps me from having things pile up and allows me to clean more often in smaller increments, which is much easier with kids! The best thing is, once I'm done with the day's job, I'm done for the day, and I can enjoy playing with my kids!

My schedule is:

Sundays: plan meals and make schedule with hubby for the upcoming week

Mondays: clean out fridge, grocery shop

Tuesdays: laundry, change bed linens and towels

Wednesdays: dust, vacuum

Thursdays: 30 minute organizing session (For instance, this week I spent 30 minutes going through our toys, throwing away broken pieces, putting games back together and pulling out choking hazards that have weaseled their way into the playroom. Other items on this agenda are: my desk, hall closet, kitchen junk drawer, etc.)

Fridays: clean bathrooms

Saturdays: swiffer and mop floors, do one monthly chore (see below)

Every Day: clean kitchen (wipe counters, do dishes, etc), make beds

Monthly: clean out kids clothes and closets, clean/organize pantry, deep-clean kitchen (burners, oven, wipe down cupboards, etc.), spot clean carpet... I'm still adding to this list, so I'm sure other things will end up on here.

Anyway, this has really been good for me as a homemaker and has helped me to accomplish small, realistic goals each day. The McPreacher has even noticed that things seem to be more peaceful and running more efficiently around the house!

Hopefully this will help out any of you stressed out Mamas as much as it has helped me!

Mallory: My Precious Newborn Baby Girl...Wait... She's One?!

2010-03-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

How does this keep happening to me? Mallory just turned one. I can't understand it. She was just born yesterday.

I though I'd write a little bit about our Mallie girl in honor of her first birthday.

Mallory was born on a Thursday morning after a very short and easy labor. I started having contractions about 3am, and about an hour later, I woke the hubby and called my parents to tell them to get their patooties in the car, STAT!

I really wanted to wait to go to the hospital until my parents arrived to watch Bennett (who was sleeping soundly upstairs... in a crib, wearing diapers, sucking a binky!!! Oh my, how much has changed in just a year... but I digress...)

Anyway, my contractions were pretty close together, but I was literally sitting on the couch with my legs crossed just waiting for my Mom and Dad to arrive. We got to the hospital about 7:30, and I was already nearing the end of labor (I'll spare you the centimetrical details). Within an hour, I got my epidural, which I still insisted on having even when the nurse tried to talk me out of it, and within another hour I was delivering our beautiful, healthy baby girl.

Here are some pics from that special day:

The first few months of Mallory's life were of course a big transition, especially since we were in the process of moving. Here's an email I sent to my Mom and a few friends after my first night alone with both kids:

So tonight was the dreaded first night alone with the kids, nursing and doing the dinner/bedtime routine on my own. My hubby had a meeting. Mallory was a perfect sleepy little angel all day, but of course the minute he left at 5:30, her tummy got gassy, and she basically cried all night long unless I was holding her. So everything you are about to read was basically done one-handed while saying, "Shhhhhhhhhh" and administering mylocon.

We got through dinner without any serious problems. Again, I was helping Bennett eat his spaghetti with one hand while trying to appease poor Mallie girl. But no major issues there.

After dinner is where it all started to fall apart. Bennett has been constipated for like a week, and I could tell it was really bothering him tonight, and I couldn't let it wait until morning. So I decided to give him a glycerin suppository after dinner. Normally this takes both Neil and I holding him down with all our strength. Tonight I basically had to sit on him and put it in while Mallory was screaming bloody murder in the background. Trust me, you haven't lived until you've put a glycerin suppository in your son's booty while your newborn is screaming in the
background!

At this point, Mallory was so upset, I decided to feed her. As luck would have it, the suppository started taking effect just as Mallory started eating. Poor Bennett is crying and asking me to hold him while he is pushing his poopys out. So I am trying to nurse and hold Bennett at the same time. At one point, he looked up at me with his red, sweaty little face and said, "Help me!" He finally got it out, and then proceeded to run around with poop in his pants for 20 minutes while I finished nursing. After getting Mallie settled (finally), Bennett and I went upstairs to put him to bed. To top off my night, I stepped into a puddle of [our dog] Daphne's pee on Bennett's rug! I guess she was feeling neglected and decided to take it out on me...

It was an interesting night, but we got through it. I know you girls have all been there. Now I'm going to go eat some carbs and watch Dancing with the Stars...

High Diddily Dee, A Mama's Life for me...

Even though this past year has gone SO fast, when I read that email, it seems like I wrote it FOREVER ago! How does that work? It's like I'm in some Mommy space-time continuum that makes no sense to the outside world.

Anyway, back to Mallory. What to say about our Mallie girl? She is delightful...there's really no better word for her. She is just delightful, through and through. She is honestly almost always happy and smiling.

Her two favorite things are social interaction, and FOOD! Our Mallie gal can out-eat any baby you send our way, hands down. My friend Lissa teases me because when I bring Mallory a snack for the church nursery, I don't bring a baggie of cheerios... I bring the whole bag of them, directly out of the box, closed with a binder clip... Yep, classy through and through, that's me.

Here's a few pics of the birthday girl, all grown up (sniff).

She LOVES her Daddy!

I've never, ever, ever seen a happier, more fun-loving baby than Mallory. She truly is a blessing, and I'm so thankful for the precious little person she is already becoming.

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!