That is how I feel some days, but since I am a stay at home mom, that's not exactly fesiable. It's not, right? Okay, just checking. Ha! I recently got the most humbling/best/flattering compliment a person can get (in my opinion, of course :) ) It wasn't that I was beautiful, or super talented, or anything like that, (although I am all of those things) Kidding, just kidding!!! Anyway, what she told me was that I was a good (stay at home) mom. She went on to say that I am raising my 3 small girls, all the while, taking care of my husband, the house, and my small home based cupcake business. Uh, yeah, that's what I am doing, but what's so special about that? I was truly flattered, but I just didn't (and still don't, honestly) see what the big deal is. I mean, that's what all stay at home mom's do, right? Everyday: wake up, cook, clean, clean, cook, clean, clean. Repeat. It's pretty simple, really. My heart's desire is to just take care of my family, and our home. That's what I was made for. It comes very natural to me, and I understand that is not the case for everyone. But you know what, I don't wake up every morning at dark thirty, spring out of bed, pop into the kitchen and whip up a 4 course breakfast. Usually, it is dark, but I begrudgingly get up, go to the kitchen and make coffee, then get breakfast started for the kids, which is usually oatmeal or eggs. Sometimes its just cereal, and if my husband is home, (he works on call, so sometimes he is here for breakfast, sometimes he isn't) I will cook a big breakfast for all of us. And I do that because I WANT to, but also because it is my JOB. I don't have a normal 9 to 5, weekly paying job, but my job is just as important nonetheless. I have to feed my family, I have to clean the house, I have to do the laundry, I have to run errands, I have to grocery shop, but guess what, I look at it as I GET to do those things. There are many people in this world that don't get to do those things. I see it as a blessing.
As I have said before, I am old fashioned. There are some families that are more modern, and split the household chores, but that's just not what we do here. I am at home while my husband works, usually 12 hours a day, and usually 6 days a week. Why in the world would I expect him to come home and help me with the household duties when I have been home all day?? That just wouldn't fly! He goes to work without fail, sometimes when he is sick, to provide for our family, to allow me to stay home, and I, in turn, make sure that I am doing my part by keeping everything at the house running smoothly. Now, that's not to say that he don't help out at all. He will gladly do some laundry, or mop the bathroom, but I just don't "expect" him to do that. besides, he wouldn't do it the way I wanted ;)
I found an article from Good Housekeeping magazine from the 1950's that I really liked, and it was how a housewife should run her house and treat her husband. (You may have already read it) but this was truly how it was in the 50's. Now, I do agree that this is a little far-fetched, but I do agree with some things:
• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
• Be happy to see him.
• Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
• Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
• A good wife always knows her place.
Now before all you feminists (yes, I just said that) try to hunt me down, I realize this mind set isn't for everyone. But it should be. I'm only half kidding :)
Serioulsy though, my house isn't always perfect, and laundry piles up, but that is real life. I just try everyday to do my best to take care of things so I feel good, and also so I can set an example for my young daughters. And, because somebody's gotta do it!! And trust me, it won't be my husband :)
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
The Griswold's Go Camping...
Okay, so that title may be a little off, but not by much:)
When you say camping, some people are all about it, like set up a tent, use no electricity, etc. That's not me. And then you have some people who would not set foot on a campsite. That's not me either. I'm somewhere in the middle. Here is my camping style. We take the camper, we have electricity, I take the coffee pot, I love to lay out in the sun, and swim in the river, all the while making sure there aren't any bugs or crawdads near me. Hey, I'm spending the night in the woods, not in my bed, so that IS camping. You may think otherwise. And you're wrong. :) My husband, on the other hand, would sleep in a tent, use only flashlights for light at night, drink his coffee from a percolator, and really rough it in the great outdoors. He's a bit off...hehe!
Let me set the scene: every summer, my fam of 5 plus my mother in law, sister in law, her 2 kids, my husband's aunt and uncle, their grown kids and grand kids, and this year, my husband's uncle and aunt from Illinois go camping for 4 or 5 days at the Buffalo National Park near Yellville, Arkansas. It's roughly 2 hours away. Not so far that its a long drive, but far enough that we are getting away. It is breathtaking there. The bluffs, the trails, the river is so clean. It's just perfect. This year there were 18 people who camped. We reserve campsites side by side that way we are all together. We eat, swim, take walks, sunbathe, eat, play, eat, and did I mention, we eat?That's pretty much it. And it is glorious.
Okay, rewind about one month. I've said it before, so you know by now, I am a list maker. A planner. An organizer. So about a month before we leave, I started a list. Well, my first list of many. I think it was the "things to buy" list. I also started a "things to pack" list. I added a couple of things to that list, and never touched it again until about 2 days before we left. That's where it all went down hill. You just cannot make an accurate list only 2 days before you leave!!!! So long story short, I ended up just jotting things down at the last minute, and you know what that means, you forget things. More on that later. I'll give you a hint, it wasn't the camera this time! I just tried to fit too many things in this summer which has us going around like chickens with our heads cut off. This is the last summer we have together before my oldest starts kindergarten, so we are enjoying every second of it!!
We leave on Saturday night, (when the hubs gets home from work) and arrive at the camp at about 9:30. Not ideal, but we were so excited to get there, we didn't want to wait until Sunday morning to leave. We get the camper and everything set up, and hit the sack. I should also mention, that before we got there, it had rained for about 2 hours. That would set off a chain of events that almost made us pack up and come home :o
The next morning, we got up, made coffee, had breakfast, and then headed for the river. We stayed until lunch time, then went back to the campsite for lunch. It started raining. We had everything out. Chairs, dry towels and clothes on the line. And it rained. And rained. And rained. For THREE straight days. Now, it wasn't an all day and all night, build an ark kind of rain, although, that was considered. It would rain for a while, then quit, only to start up again. On Monday, I was listening to a local radio station, and they said that the last record for rainfall was set in 1964, and it was about an inch. Well guess what, that record was broke that day! It rained 2.6 inches. Ugh. Wet chairs, wet towels, wet clothes, everything was just wet. And it was miserable. We spent a lot of time in the camper. Playing cards, doing crafts (thanks to my mother in law for bringing those). It was just hard. The kids were ready to be out of there!!! And so were the adults!!
On Tuesday, we had planned to having cheeseburgers for dinner, and my husband had just got them on the grill, when, you guessed it, it started raining. Oy. At this point, he just said, "forget it. I'm cooking." So my sister in law, bless her heart, stood out there with an umbrella holding it over the grill while he cooked. I had to stay in the camper with the kids, and set up the table so we could eat in there. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make :) By the time they were done, they were both soaked. Wait, soaked is a huge understatement. I don't even know the word to explain what they were. But the burgers were fabulous! Thanks, babe!
It did rain a little Wednesday, but we were able to enjoy the sunshine most of Wednesday and all day Thursday. We have been camping together like this for the past 9 or 10 years, and this is the first time this has happened. It was nuts!!!
But, we did have a great time, and made memories, and that's what it's all about!! The hubs and I plan on going back in October for our 10 year anniversary, and hopefully the rain will stay away!! And I will remember the pillows this time. Yes, that's right, that's what I forgot. My husband's aunt came to the rescue, and had 4 extra ones for us. I love her. Hey, I definitely wasn't on my A game when it came to planning and packing this time. It won't happen again. I hope. :)
When you say camping, some people are all about it, like set up a tent, use no electricity, etc. That's not me. And then you have some people who would not set foot on a campsite. That's not me either. I'm somewhere in the middle. Here is my camping style. We take the camper, we have electricity, I take the coffee pot, I love to lay out in the sun, and swim in the river, all the while making sure there aren't any bugs or crawdads near me. Hey, I'm spending the night in the woods, not in my bed, so that IS camping. You may think otherwise. And you're wrong. :) My husband, on the other hand, would sleep in a tent, use only flashlights for light at night, drink his coffee from a percolator, and really rough it in the great outdoors. He's a bit off...hehe!
Let me set the scene: every summer, my fam of 5 plus my mother in law, sister in law, her 2 kids, my husband's aunt and uncle, their grown kids and grand kids, and this year, my husband's uncle and aunt from Illinois go camping for 4 or 5 days at the Buffalo National Park near Yellville, Arkansas. It's roughly 2 hours away. Not so far that its a long drive, but far enough that we are getting away. It is breathtaking there. The bluffs, the trails, the river is so clean. It's just perfect. This year there were 18 people who camped. We reserve campsites side by side that way we are all together. We eat, swim, take walks, sunbathe, eat, play, eat, and did I mention, we eat?That's pretty much it. And it is glorious.
Okay, rewind about one month. I've said it before, so you know by now, I am a list maker. A planner. An organizer. So about a month before we leave, I started a list. Well, my first list of many. I think it was the "things to buy" list. I also started a "things to pack" list. I added a couple of things to that list, and never touched it again until about 2 days before we left. That's where it all went down hill. You just cannot make an accurate list only 2 days before you leave!!!! So long story short, I ended up just jotting things down at the last minute, and you know what that means, you forget things. More on that later. I'll give you a hint, it wasn't the camera this time! I just tried to fit too many things in this summer which has us going around like chickens with our heads cut off. This is the last summer we have together before my oldest starts kindergarten, so we are enjoying every second of it!!
We leave on Saturday night, (when the hubs gets home from work) and arrive at the camp at about 9:30. Not ideal, but we were so excited to get there, we didn't want to wait until Sunday morning to leave. We get the camper and everything set up, and hit the sack. I should also mention, that before we got there, it had rained for about 2 hours. That would set off a chain of events that almost made us pack up and come home :o
The next morning, we got up, made coffee, had breakfast, and then headed for the river. We stayed until lunch time, then went back to the campsite for lunch. It started raining. We had everything out. Chairs, dry towels and clothes on the line. And it rained. And rained. And rained. For THREE straight days. Now, it wasn't an all day and all night, build an ark kind of rain, although, that was considered. It would rain for a while, then quit, only to start up again. On Monday, I was listening to a local radio station, and they said that the last record for rainfall was set in 1964, and it was about an inch. Well guess what, that record was broke that day! It rained 2.6 inches. Ugh. Wet chairs, wet towels, wet clothes, everything was just wet. And it was miserable. We spent a lot of time in the camper. Playing cards, doing crafts (thanks to my mother in law for bringing those). It was just hard. The kids were ready to be out of there!!! And so were the adults!!
On Tuesday, we had planned to having cheeseburgers for dinner, and my husband had just got them on the grill, when, you guessed it, it started raining. Oy. At this point, he just said, "forget it. I'm cooking." So my sister in law, bless her heart, stood out there with an umbrella holding it over the grill while he cooked. I had to stay in the camper with the kids, and set up the table so we could eat in there. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make :) By the time they were done, they were both soaked. Wait, soaked is a huge understatement. I don't even know the word to explain what they were. But the burgers were fabulous! Thanks, babe!
It did rain a little Wednesday, but we were able to enjoy the sunshine most of Wednesday and all day Thursday. We have been camping together like this for the past 9 or 10 years, and this is the first time this has happened. It was nuts!!!
But, we did have a great time, and made memories, and that's what it's all about!! The hubs and I plan on going back in October for our 10 year anniversary, and hopefully the rain will stay away!! And I will remember the pillows this time. Yes, that's right, that's what I forgot. My husband's aunt came to the rescue, and had 4 extra ones for us. I love her. Hey, I definitely wasn't on my A game when it came to planning and packing this time. It won't happen again. I hope. :)
Sunday, July 14, 2013
My Purpose Driven Life
WARNING: This post is going to talk about God. If that makes you uncomfortable, please just click the X button now. I am not ashamed of my relationship with God, and I have no problem talking about it. So, having said that, here we go! I should apologize in advance if I'm all over the place with this post..I have so many thoughts in my head, so it could bounce around a bit. Still with me? Ha!
Okay, so sometime last year, someone in my Sunday School class asked our teacher (who also happens to be our preacher) and our class if we thought we are to know our "purpose" in life. You know, what God put you on this Earth to do. She said she kind of felt like she needed to be trying to figure out what her purpose was, but was having a hard time with it. We all discussed it, and our preacher said he did feel like we were to know our purpose. At the time, I disagreed, saying that not everyone was destined to figure it out. I certainly hadn't given it any thought. I mean, trying to figure out why God put me on this Earth?? That was about like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Impossible. And even if you did think you figured it out, how do you truly know? Seemed kind of redundant to me. One lady in the class did say something that kind of made sense, she said that maybe my purpose was to be a mom. I agreed at the time, I mean obviously it is, as I have 3 kids! I never really gave it any more thought after that.
Fast forward to earlier this week. One of my friends on Facebook (of all places) posted this, and as I read each one, the feeling got stronger and stronger. I'm really starting to believe I am getting to know my purpose. This is what she posted:
For the days we are running on empty. For the days we just don't think we have it in us to read one more story, play one more game of Uno, wash one more round of sheets. For the days when we think everyone else has it together. For the days we're sure anyone else would do this job better.
For those days. You know the ones.
Repeat after me:
1. I shall not judge my house, my kid's summer activities or my crafting skills by Pinterest's standards.
2. I shall not measure what I've accomplished today by the loads of unfolded laundry but by the assurance of deep love I've tickled into my kids.
3. I shall say yes to blanket forts and see past the chaos to the memories we're building.
4. I shall surprise my kids with trips to get ice cream when they're already in their pajamas.
5. I shall not compare myself to other mothers but find my identity in the God who trusted me with these kids in the first place.
6. I shall remember that a messy house at peace is better than an immaculate house tied up in knots.
7. I shall play music loudly and teach my kids the joy of wildly uncoordinated dance.
8. I shall remind myself that perfect is simply a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land.
9. I shall embrace the fact that in becoming a mom I traded perfect for a house full of real.
10. I shall promise to love this body that bore these three children out loud, especially in front of my daughter.
11. I shall give my other mother friends the gift of guilt-free friendship.
12. I shall do my best to admit to my people my unfine moments.
13. I shall say sorry when sorry is necessary.
14. I pray God I shall never be too proud, angry or stubborn to ask for my children's forgiveness.
15. I shall make space in my grown-up world for goofball moments with my kids.
16. I shall love their father and make sure they know I love him.
17. I shall model kind words to kids and grown-ups alike.
18. I shall not be intimidated by the inside of my minivan this season of chip bags, goldfish crackers and discarded socks too shall pass.
19. I shall always make time to encourage new moms.
20. I shall not resent that last call for kisses and cups of water but remember instead that when I blink they'll all be in college.
... with love from one tired mother to another.
Thank you Emily for sharing this!
I read each one and said "yes, that's me" I went on about my day, still not really, really thinking anything else of it, but as the days went on, God was speaking to me, and telling me that being a mom was my purpose. To love, to nurture, to watch grow, to teach, to guide, to protect, to just "be" with my kids. That is what I am supposed to do! He has entrusted me (and I still question that!!) with these 3 lives that will forever be a part of me.
Okay, so how do I know that this is "my purpose?" I don't. I mean, God could have some other plan totally for my life, but right now, this is where He wants me to be. This is what He wants me to be doing. He gives me the strength, and all the right tools I need for this job. And you know what's kind of strange? Now that I feel like I have kind of figured it out, I find myself being a much better parent. Because this is what God has planned for me to do, I feel like I have to do it 110%. After all, don't we all want to please God by doing His will? Don't we want to do the best we can for Him? We don't have all the answers. I am not called to be an important public figure, or politician, or humanitarian, or ambassador for third world countries. But you know what? My job, the one that God has called me to do, which is be the best mom I can be to the 3 blessings that I have, it is just as important as those I mentioned. See, you don't have to save a life, or win the Nobel Peace Prize to have found your purpose in this life. It doesn't matter if you think what you are doing isn't as important or special or big as what someone else is doing, if God had made this your purpose, all that matters is that you give yourself to that, wholly, and be sure to give God the glory!
Now, don't panic if you haven't a clue what your purpose is..that was me just a few months ago. I had no idea. But right now, I feel like this is what I'm here for. When my kids are all grown up and move out of my house, (it will be a sad, sad day!!) maybe then God will have another plan for me. But I don't even think of that right now. All I need to worry about now is if all the sippy cups are full, diapers are dry, they've been fed, and that they are loved. Check, check, check, and check.
There will be days that I want to pull all my hair out...like when my 5 and 3 year olds are fighting. Or when my 18th month old wants to be held all day, or smears her lunch in her hair...again. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Like the Trace Adkins song goes, "You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good times, so take a good look around, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this..."
Okay, so sometime last year, someone in my Sunday School class asked our teacher (who also happens to be our preacher) and our class if we thought we are to know our "purpose" in life. You know, what God put you on this Earth to do. She said she kind of felt like she needed to be trying to figure out what her purpose was, but was having a hard time with it. We all discussed it, and our preacher said he did feel like we were to know our purpose. At the time, I disagreed, saying that not everyone was destined to figure it out. I certainly hadn't given it any thought. I mean, trying to figure out why God put me on this Earth?? That was about like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Impossible. And even if you did think you figured it out, how do you truly know? Seemed kind of redundant to me. One lady in the class did say something that kind of made sense, she said that maybe my purpose was to be a mom. I agreed at the time, I mean obviously it is, as I have 3 kids! I never really gave it any more thought after that.
Fast forward to earlier this week. One of my friends on Facebook (of all places) posted this, and as I read each one, the feeling got stronger and stronger. I'm really starting to believe I am getting to know my purpose. This is what she posted:
For the days we are running on empty. For the days we just don't think we have it in us to read one more story, play one more game of Uno, wash one more round of sheets. For the days when we think everyone else has it together. For the days we're sure anyone else would do this job better.
For those days. You know the ones.
Repeat after me:
1. I shall not judge my house, my kid's summer activities or my crafting skills by Pinterest's standards.
2. I shall not measure what I've accomplished today by the loads of unfolded laundry but by the assurance of deep love I've tickled into my kids.
3. I shall say yes to blanket forts and see past the chaos to the memories we're building.
4. I shall surprise my kids with trips to get ice cream when they're already in their pajamas.
5. I shall not compare myself to other mothers but find my identity in the God who trusted me with these kids in the first place.
6. I shall remember that a messy house at peace is better than an immaculate house tied up in knots.
7. I shall play music loudly and teach my kids the joy of wildly uncoordinated dance.
8. I shall remind myself that perfect is simply a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land.
9. I shall embrace the fact that in becoming a mom I traded perfect for a house full of real.
10. I shall promise to love this body that bore these three children out loud, especially in front of my daughter.
11. I shall give my other mother friends the gift of guilt-free friendship.
12. I shall do my best to admit to my people my unfine moments.
13. I shall say sorry when sorry is necessary.
14. I pray God I shall never be too proud, angry or stubborn to ask for my children's forgiveness.
15. I shall make space in my grown-up world for goofball moments with my kids.
16. I shall love their father and make sure they know I love him.
17. I shall model kind words to kids and grown-ups alike.
18. I shall not be intimidated by the inside of my minivan this season of chip bags, goldfish crackers and discarded socks too shall pass.
19. I shall always make time to encourage new moms.
20. I shall not resent that last call for kisses and cups of water but remember instead that when I blink they'll all be in college.
... with love from one tired mother to another.
Thank you Emily for sharing this!
I read each one and said "yes, that's me" I went on about my day, still not really, really thinking anything else of it, but as the days went on, God was speaking to me, and telling me that being a mom was my purpose. To love, to nurture, to watch grow, to teach, to guide, to protect, to just "be" with my kids. That is what I am supposed to do! He has entrusted me (and I still question that!!) with these 3 lives that will forever be a part of me.
Okay, so how do I know that this is "my purpose?" I don't. I mean, God could have some other plan totally for my life, but right now, this is where He wants me to be. This is what He wants me to be doing. He gives me the strength, and all the right tools I need for this job. And you know what's kind of strange? Now that I feel like I have kind of figured it out, I find myself being a much better parent. Because this is what God has planned for me to do, I feel like I have to do it 110%. After all, don't we all want to please God by doing His will? Don't we want to do the best we can for Him? We don't have all the answers. I am not called to be an important public figure, or politician, or humanitarian, or ambassador for third world countries. But you know what? My job, the one that God has called me to do, which is be the best mom I can be to the 3 blessings that I have, it is just as important as those I mentioned. See, you don't have to save a life, or win the Nobel Peace Prize to have found your purpose in this life. It doesn't matter if you think what you are doing isn't as important or special or big as what someone else is doing, if God had made this your purpose, all that matters is that you give yourself to that, wholly, and be sure to give God the glory!
Now, don't panic if you haven't a clue what your purpose is..that was me just a few months ago. I had no idea. But right now, I feel like this is what I'm here for. When my kids are all grown up and move out of my house, (it will be a sad, sad day!!) maybe then God will have another plan for me. But I don't even think of that right now. All I need to worry about now is if all the sippy cups are full, diapers are dry, they've been fed, and that they are loved. Check, check, check, and check.
There will be days that I want to pull all my hair out...like when my 5 and 3 year olds are fighting. Or when my 18th month old wants to be held all day, or smears her lunch in her hair...again. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Like the Trace Adkins song goes, "You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good times, so take a good look around, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this..."
Saturday, June 15, 2013
FriedChickenTacos
Okay, so it's actually fried, chicken, tacos. Not fried chicken, tacos. Make sense? The name can be confusing. It's not actually a piece of fried chicken on a taco. There, that should explain it. I found this recipe in the Pioneer Woman's cookbook. If you haven't heard of The Pioneer Woman, you're missing out!! She is a chef on Food Network, food blogger, writer, and just plain funny. Check her out at pioneerwoman.com. I love her show and her recipes. Definitely check out her cookbooks. I cook from mine all the time! Okay, so on to the recipe...
This is seriously so amazingly delicious. I wanted to make them again while I was eating them. YUM!! They are a little messy and time consuming, but worth it!! Here you go:
You will need:
Boneless, skinless, chicken breast (I used 2, but you can adjust according to the number of peeps you're feeding)
One 7oz can of diced green chilies
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, shredded (you could actually use what ever kind of cheese you like, these are what I used. And I always, always, always, grate my own cheese. Always. It's way better than that already shredded bagged stuff. And trust me, it may seem like a pain to have to grate it, but once you're used to it, it becomes a habit, and takes no time.)
Lettuce
Tomato
Corn tortilla (I used yellow corn, but white would work too)
Approx 1 cup oil (I use canola oil)
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the chili, powder, cumin, and salt. Set aside. Then, cut your chicken into bite size pieces, and put in a skillet with about 1 tablespoon oil. I used my iron skillet. Next, add the green chilies (with the juice). Cook on medium heat for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the chicken starts to lose it's pink color.
Now add the chili/cumin/salt mixture, and stir it all up to coat the chicken. Continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about another 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and sit aside.
**Ps. You should know that if you are grating your own cheese (which I highly recommend, had I mentioned that? Ha!) it should already be done at this point.**
In another deep skillet, put the approx. 1 cup of oil. I say approx., because I didn't measure, but her actual recipe calls for one cup. Turn on med/high heat and let it get hot.
Now, take one tortilla, and spoon some of the chicken into it. Fold it in half, (I found the best way to do this was to use tongs) and place in oil. You will have to hold the top of the tortilla down for just a minute, so it don't open. Fry it for about 30 seconds, and then carefully turn it over and finish frying the other side. About another 30 seconds. Remove from oil (again, the tongs done this job the best) and put into several paper towels to drain. Continue this process until you have made all you want to make. Then, carefully open the top of each taco, and put in some cheese. The idea here is for the cheese to melt. So what I actually done, was make like 4 tacos, then put the cheese in those while they were still hot, then finished frying the rest. Then, you want to add your condiments. Her recipe calls for sour cream, but since I am not a fan of sour cream, I used a mixture of ranch dressing, and Srichia hot sauce. For the kids though, I did use sour cream. Then you add lettuce and tomato. Then you just enjoy the crunchy, spicy, cool deliciousness that is about to come your way!!!! These were so very good. The next time, I will add black beans to my chicken. I think that will be fabulous! I served this with Spanish rice. My whole fam loved it! Let me know if you try them!
This is seriously so amazingly delicious. I wanted to make them again while I was eating them. YUM!! They are a little messy and time consuming, but worth it!! Here you go:
You will need:
Boneless, skinless, chicken breast (I used 2, but you can adjust according to the number of peeps you're feeding)
One 7oz can of diced green chilies
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, shredded (you could actually use what ever kind of cheese you like, these are what I used. And I always, always, always, grate my own cheese. Always. It's way better than that already shredded bagged stuff. And trust me, it may seem like a pain to have to grate it, but once you're used to it, it becomes a habit, and takes no time.)
Lettuce
Tomato
Corn tortilla (I used yellow corn, but white would work too)
Approx 1 cup oil (I use canola oil)
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the chili, powder, cumin, and salt. Set aside. Then, cut your chicken into bite size pieces, and put in a skillet with about 1 tablespoon oil. I used my iron skillet. Next, add the green chilies (with the juice). Cook on medium heat for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the chicken starts to lose it's pink color.
Now add the chili/cumin/salt mixture, and stir it all up to coat the chicken. Continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about another 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and sit aside.
**Ps. You should know that if you are grating your own cheese (which I highly recommend, had I mentioned that? Ha!) it should already be done at this point.**
In another deep skillet, put the approx. 1 cup of oil. I say approx., because I didn't measure, but her actual recipe calls for one cup. Turn on med/high heat and let it get hot.
Now, take one tortilla, and spoon some of the chicken into it. Fold it in half, (I found the best way to do this was to use tongs) and place in oil. You will have to hold the top of the tortilla down for just a minute, so it don't open. Fry it for about 30 seconds, and then carefully turn it over and finish frying the other side. About another 30 seconds. Remove from oil (again, the tongs done this job the best) and put into several paper towels to drain. Continue this process until you have made all you want to make. Then, carefully open the top of each taco, and put in some cheese. The idea here is for the cheese to melt. So what I actually done, was make like 4 tacos, then put the cheese in those while they were still hot, then finished frying the rest. Then, you want to add your condiments. Her recipe calls for sour cream, but since I am not a fan of sour cream, I used a mixture of ranch dressing, and Srichia hot sauce. For the kids though, I did use sour cream. Then you add lettuce and tomato. Then you just enjoy the crunchy, spicy, cool deliciousness that is about to come your way!!!! These were so very good. The next time, I will add black beans to my chicken. I think that will be fabulous! I served this with Spanish rice. My whole fam loved it! Let me know if you try them!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
My Clean Routine
Okay, this post may be borrrring to some, but if you're like me, a little on the ocd side, you will love this. It's all about cleaning! Lots of people ask me how I keep thing in order and (semi) clean with a 1,3, and 5 year old. The answer is lots of wine. Ha!! Just kidding, but one glass does help;)
Moving on, if you know anything about me, you know I like to make lists. Lots of lists. So it should come as no surprise that when it comes to my cleaning routine, I have a list. I searched Pinterest (my BFF) and found a printable list I could fill in to my liking. This is an example of what I came up with.
Moving on, if you know anything about me, you know I like to make lists. Lots of lists. So it should come as no surprise that when it comes to my cleaning routine, I have a list. I searched Pinterest (my BFF) and found a printable list I could fill in to my liking. This is an example of what I came up with.
Basically, there are things I do every day: make the beds, unload/load dishwasher {I run mine at night when we are sleeping. Gotta love the delay start:)}, manage clutter {just like it sounds, pick up stuff that just isn't where it belongs. and that does mean toys. Some people have different feelings on this, they say "why pick it up, they are just going to get it back out again" and yes, they are, but I just can't help it. And I'm just talking about the baby's toys here, the bigger girls pick their own things up. I really feel like managing the clutter is the key to not letting it get piled up and overwhelmed.} one load of laundry, sometimes two {I realize that this may not be feasible for, say, a household of 2, but with 5 in our fam, if I don't do at least one load of laundry every day, it get out of control in no time. And I don't want to spend a day that my husband is home doing laundry!}, wipe down kitchen counters {that is a constant!}, spot sweep {if there's a mess after lunch, I sweep it up, then after the kids go to bed at night, I sweep the whole floor. On days that I mop, I will vacuum the entire floor first. I don't have any carpet in my house except in the bedrooms, but I use the vacuum on the tile in the kitchen and the hardwood in the living room and hall to ensure that every little speck of anything is gone before I mop. There's that ocd again.} I also spot clean the bathrooms every day by just wiping down the counters and toilet with a Clorox wipe. {Wednesdays are the day I really clean them good} That's what I do every day. When you see it in writing, it seems like a lot. But, it literally takes me maybe 30 minutes...In addition, to the daily things, each day I have something different I add. For example, on Monday's, I also vacuum all the bedrooms, and clean the appliances. I have stainless steel appliances and 3 small kids, you can imagine the fingerprints...ahhhhhh! I use a stainless steel cleaner I get from Sears. On Tuesdays', I clean the windows, and all the mirrors in the house. You get the gist of it. On Saturday, I like to go back and do some of the things I may not have done during the week. Because, let's face it, I am human and life happens, so maybe one Friday, I don't dust, I make it up on Saturday. Sunday is a day of REST! I realize this may seem a little crazy, or weird to some, but this is what works for me. If I have a list I can reference, and check off, I am one happy mama! I love this approach, and find that usually, if I stick to my routine, then it's never really a chore to clean. Not letting it get out of control is the key. That's not to say that doesn't happen here, because it does!!! On the subject of the kids and cleaning, they are basically responsible for picking up their stuff from the living room {or where ever it may be} and putting it away in their rooms. This is a constant struggle because they are kids!! They do it sloppy, they don't put things exactly where they belong, they groan and complain about it. It is very very hard for me to not just do it for them, because then, it will be like I like it. Okay, maybe I have some control issues. But, I am trying to let them do it themselves. They will never learn other wise, and I don't want them to grow up expecting everyone else to do things for them because that's what their mommy did!! Lol.
I also am not a big fan of splitting chores between my husband and me. I know a lot of people disagree. They feel like everything should be split equally. Blah, blah, blah!!! I am old fashioned, and I feel like since I stay at home, that is my job! I cook, clean, and raise the kids! The outside is the hubs job! So don't expect to see me using the weed eater anytime soon! I will work in the garden and flower beds, but that is about it. Ha! Having said that, I'd like to give a shout out to said hubs for washing and cleaning out my car yesterday!! I do also want to point out that he will help me with inside things. He will do laundry, he will clean bathrooms, he will put dishes away. He doesn't mind at all. I just don't want him to. Obviously, it wouldn't be done the way I like ;) I know, I know, get over myself. But the measuring cups don't go there!!!!!! Hahaha!!!
So that's it. That's how I keep things going around here. Is it perfect? No. Is my house always sparkling clean? Uh, No. Would this approach work for everyone? Negative. This is what works for me. us. :)
Ps. one very important thing to me too, is for my house to SMELL good. Whether it is the smell of Pine Sol or bleach, or the candles I burn constantly, it has to smell good. You never know when someone will pop in unexpectedly, and it's easy for them to ignore that little pile of toys on the floor if it smells good! And that leads me to my last thought {thank goodness, right?!} I hear people say "I don't care what it looks like, people aren't coming over to see my house anyway, they are coming to see me" This is true, but when your surroundings look nice, and smell nice, you just feel good! Okay got to go, those windows aren't going to clean themselves. Unfortunately. Do you have any tips or routines that help you stay on track with your cleaning?
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Vacay, Baby! Florida 2013
Ahhhh, vacation. Sweet, sweet vacation. Why does it have to end? We just got back a few days ago from 5 days in beautiful Destin, Fl. So, now I'm gonna tell you all about it. Now, I do realize that most people couldn't care less about my vacation, but, eh, whatev! So here we go, ps. this could be a long post. Okay, let's start about 4 weeks prior to blast off. I started my lists. Yes, lists as in more than one. I am a list maker. An organizer. A planner. So I had a "to pack" list, a "to buy" list, a "clothing" list, a "snack" list, an "entertainment for the car" list, a "toiletries" list, and a "misc" list. By the way, when you have 3 little girls, you HAVE to be a planner/list maker. Well, I guess you don't HAVE to be, but it sure does make things a whole lot easier:) Back to the "list's." Okay, so for about 4 weeks, I would constantly check my lists to make sure I didn't miss anything, and I would occasionally add stuff to the list. There is one very important thing that I didn't add to the list, therefore, forgetting said item the day we left, and had to turn around after getting about 6 miles from home to get it. Try to guess what it was. I'll tell you later:)
Fast forward 4 weeks. The day was finally here. We were all so excited. Our plan was that we would get up at 2am Monday morning, and drive straight through. It's about 700 and some odd miles. 14 hours. With 3 little girls, 14 could very easily turn into 20, but I was determined to not let that happen. Plus, the hubs just said "I'm driving straight through" and who am I to argue since that meant I didn't have to do any of the driving?! Okay, so alarm is set for 2:00 on the dot. It goes off, I give it the ol' smack, and lay back down. You could guess what happens next. We wake up at 2:50. Now, this really isn't a big deal, unless you are my husband. Then it's a big deal. Ugh. So we get the girls out of bed, put them in the van (that we borrowed from my mother in law, which is already packed by the way) and we leave our house on the way to pick up said mother in law (she went with us, and what a great idea that was, one adult for each kid!!). At this point, everything is crossed off on my list, indicating that it has been packed. I checked this list at least 20 times in the previous 24 hours. I wasn't going to forget a thing. So we carry on, and about 6 miles down the road, it just hits me, I FORGOT MY CAMERA. WHAT?!?!?!? How is that even possible? I'll tell ya how, IT WASN'T ON THE LIST! Now, why it wasn't on the list, is beyond me. Needless to say, my driver, aka, my husband wasn't thrilled. Ah well, you win some, you lose some:) I don't think he felt the same way...
All right, on with the story, we pick up my mother in law, (who also overslept by the way) and we head east. First stop, Truman, Arkansas. We stopped to eat breakfast at McDonalds. While we were waiting for our food, a man walks by our table a throws down a 8 pack of cheese danish, and walks off. Uh, okay....then a lady comes over and explains that he is the local distributor to Wal Mart. So my guess is that he brings a package with him every time he comes into the McD's and gives it to someone. How nice of him. There are still nice people out there! And those bad boys were goooood! Thanks, Mister. Onward!!!
Lunch was in Meridian, Ms. at Chick-Fil-A. No free danish there, but a good lunch nonetheless:) I do want to add that on the way, my middle child ate some trail mix and about 5 min after that told me her tongue was "itchy". She also had hives on her face. Nice. Here we are in the middle of nowhere, Ms. and she is having an allergic reaction. And to something she has eaten millions of times before. Not to worry, I pull out my trusty first aid kit I made, and administer some Benadryl. She was back to normal in about 8 minutes. That was enough adventure for one day. Fast forward to 7:00pm, we finally make it to Destin! There was still just enough day light to head down to the beach to walk in the sand for a few minutes. It was heavenly.
We walked around for a bit, then headed back up to the condo to go get dinner. We had decided before the trip, we would eat breakfast and lunch at the condo everyday, then eat dinner out every night. That first night since it was later when we got there, we just popped into Five Guys. Holy fabulous cheeseburger. My first time at a Five Guys. So so good! Glad we have one in the 417!
After dinner, we headed back to our home for the week, and got the kids settled in bed, then I unpacked all our stuff and put it away, then went out on our balcony and just sat. It was amazing. We had a panoramic view of the ocean. The sound of the waves, and the smell of the salt water is so hypnotic. I could have stayed there for hours. But I was tired, so I opted for the bed instead:)
So for the next 4 days, our plans were to really do nothing but lay out on the beach. And eat. I'm sure I gained 10lbs that week. We did go the the Science Museum one day, and that was fun, but other than that, it was nothing but sand and sun!!! We went kayaking, and that was fun. Then the hubs had a shark swim literally 3 feet from him. True story. It was about a 5 ft shark, but to me it was Jaws. That was enough kayaking for me. I'll just stick to what I know. Getting a tan. On the shore. Where sharks AREN'T.
We built sandcastles, buried the kids in the sand, and just soaked up the sun. All while wearing SPF 55. Gotta stay safe.
It was just a fun, fun time to spend the with girls, and they loved every minute of it. They didn't want to leave on the final day. But I didn't either. So to soften the blow, we went shopping after we ate lunch at the Hard Rock Café. (get the nachos). That worked. Ready to head home! After about 14 1/2 hours, we.were.home. Sigh. I'm still trying to recover from thatdrive ride. It's been non stop since we've gotten back! I need another vacation!!! I'll put the camera on the list this time;)
Fast forward 4 weeks. The day was finally here. We were all so excited. Our plan was that we would get up at 2am Monday morning, and drive straight through. It's about 700 and some odd miles. 14 hours. With 3 little girls, 14 could very easily turn into 20, but I was determined to not let that happen. Plus, the hubs just said "I'm driving straight through" and who am I to argue since that meant I didn't have to do any of the driving?! Okay, so alarm is set for 2:00 on the dot. It goes off, I give it the ol' smack, and lay back down. You could guess what happens next. We wake up at 2:50. Now, this really isn't a big deal, unless you are my husband. Then it's a big deal. Ugh. So we get the girls out of bed, put them in the van (that we borrowed from my mother in law, which is already packed by the way) and we leave our house on the way to pick up said mother in law (she went with us, and what a great idea that was, one adult for each kid!!). At this point, everything is crossed off on my list, indicating that it has been packed. I checked this list at least 20 times in the previous 24 hours. I wasn't going to forget a thing. So we carry on, and about 6 miles down the road, it just hits me, I FORGOT MY CAMERA. WHAT?!?!?!? How is that even possible? I'll tell ya how, IT WASN'T ON THE LIST! Now, why it wasn't on the list, is beyond me. Needless to say, my driver, aka, my husband wasn't thrilled. Ah well, you win some, you lose some:) I don't think he felt the same way...
All right, on with the story, we pick up my mother in law, (who also overslept by the way) and we head east. First stop, Truman, Arkansas. We stopped to eat breakfast at McDonalds. While we were waiting for our food, a man walks by our table a throws down a 8 pack of cheese danish, and walks off. Uh, okay....then a lady comes over and explains that he is the local distributor to Wal Mart. So my guess is that he brings a package with him every time he comes into the McD's and gives it to someone. How nice of him. There are still nice people out there! And those bad boys were goooood! Thanks, Mister. Onward!!!
Lunch was in Meridian, Ms. at Chick-Fil-A. No free danish there, but a good lunch nonetheless:) I do want to add that on the way, my middle child ate some trail mix and about 5 min after that told me her tongue was "itchy". She also had hives on her face. Nice. Here we are in the middle of nowhere, Ms. and she is having an allergic reaction. And to something she has eaten millions of times before. Not to worry, I pull out my trusty first aid kit I made, and administer some Benadryl. She was back to normal in about 8 minutes. That was enough adventure for one day. Fast forward to 7:00pm, we finally make it to Destin! There was still just enough day light to head down to the beach to walk in the sand for a few minutes. It was heavenly.
We walked around for a bit, then headed back up to the condo to go get dinner. We had decided before the trip, we would eat breakfast and lunch at the condo everyday, then eat dinner out every night. That first night since it was later when we got there, we just popped into Five Guys. Holy fabulous cheeseburger. My first time at a Five Guys. So so good! Glad we have one in the 417!
After dinner, we headed back to our home for the week, and got the kids settled in bed, then I unpacked all our stuff and put it away, then went out on our balcony and just sat. It was amazing. We had a panoramic view of the ocean. The sound of the waves, and the smell of the salt water is so hypnotic. I could have stayed there for hours. But I was tired, so I opted for the bed instead:)
So for the next 4 days, our plans were to really do nothing but lay out on the beach. And eat. I'm sure I gained 10lbs that week. We did go the the Science Museum one day, and that was fun, but other than that, it was nothing but sand and sun!!! We went kayaking, and that was fun. Then the hubs had a shark swim literally 3 feet from him. True story. It was about a 5 ft shark, but to me it was Jaws. That was enough kayaking for me. I'll just stick to what I know. Getting a tan. On the shore. Where sharks AREN'T.
We built sandcastles, buried the kids in the sand, and just soaked up the sun. All while wearing SPF 55. Gotta stay safe.
It was just a fun, fun time to spend the with girls, and they loved every minute of it. They didn't want to leave on the final day. But I didn't either. So to soften the blow, we went shopping after we ate lunch at the Hard Rock Café. (get the nachos). That worked. Ready to head home! After about 14 1/2 hours, we.were.home. Sigh. I'm still trying to recover from that
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Glamglow
I admit, I am a sucker for anything makeup/beauty product related. I love it all. And when I read/see/hear about something that looks interesting, I run out and buy it immediately. have to try it. Enter Glamglow. A mask that works wonders on yo face! Now, so I don't have to go into the longest blog post, I've attached a link to another blog (which I love) where I first learned about it. I got mine at Sephora, and if you will go in and ask for a sample, they will give you one so you can see if you like it before you buy it. It is a little on the pricey side, but let me tell you: IT.IS.AMAZING. At least it has been for me anyway. I like to use it twice a week, and it doesn't take very much at a time. I just use it on the troublesome spots. T zone (across forehead, down nose), on my chin and a little on my cheeks. Go get yoself a sample and see if it works for you!! Because blackheads and ugly pores? Ain't nobody got time for that!
http://ivoryandolive.com/2013/01/the-dirt-on-glamglow/
http://ivoryandolive.com/2013/01/the-dirt-on-glamglow/
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