Weekly Menu

I am not sure why I didn't think of this before or realize that this would really help my busy family out, but we have started a weekly menu plan. The light bulb finally turned on after visiting a friend in Michigan and seeing her dry erase board full of dinner ideas for the week. I was getting pretty bored with my usual dinner routines and scrambling around at the last minute and making a mish mosh of random items for dinner. I also knew it was getting pretty boring for my family when my husband announced that we have tacos like 3 times a week!

I already have a dry erase board that I use to write down the activities for the month so I took the side of it and designated it the dinner menu side! The boys and I brainstormed on what we should have for dinner for the week. I wanted to include them because if it was up to me I would make vegetarian or adult dishes all week and I would hear the lovely whining of "I am not eating this! It is gross!". Including them really worked out well and they get really excited to check to see what is for dinner that night of the week.

It also really helped when going to the grocery store. I usually just had a mental menu that I would try to remember when going shopping. Or I would just get whatever and throw it together and see how it turned out. This way I was able to figure out what we had and what we needed. I was even thinking that it may help if I ever wanted to venture into the crazy life known as couponing!

Here is am amature photo of what our menu is like for this week:

 

 

With the boys starting soccer and tae kwon do, we are busy every night this week! This menu has been so much more helpful than I ever realized it would! And thanks to Pinterest and the All Recipes App for my phone, I am able to find new recipes when I am in a rut.

 

 

Here are a links to some of the recipes I am making this week:

*Kids Fave

 

 

Picture Via: Better Homes and Gardens

 

Meatloaf*

 

 

Picture Via Yummly.Com

 

Corn Casserole*

 

 

Picture Via SkinnyTaste.com

 

Lasagna Roll Ups

 

 

Picture Via Better Homes and Gardens

 

Tortellini Bake

 

 

I hope to make this post a weekly thing! Good Cookin' to ya!

 

Busy Bee

Hey friends! I have been so dang busy lately! Has anyone else? Maybe it's just that time of year.


If you know me, you know I always have something crafty going on. My goal is to have enough handmade and vintage items to setup a booth either at a festival, craft show, or farmers marker. This goal will be accomplished! I have been talking about it for a couple of years now and I am done being all talk and  all about getting my butt in gear!

Since my laptop is still on the fritz, I am using my grandpa-like home computer. It doesn't like to recognize the discs from my camera, so I have no pictures to put up of my accomplishments as of late :(. Sad face, I know! But... I can always do a pinterest montage of similar items of things that are keeping me inspired.

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I have been really digging making jewelry. I have only made a few earrings and I kept those for myself because I liked them too much :). But I have went to town on making necklaces.
There has been a big plastic tub of miscellaneous beads and baubles that I have had for years and I am so glad to finally dust it off and put those pretties to use! I actually did sell one necklace already! Pretty exciting. I have a pinterest jewelry board to keep the jewelry making juices flowing. Here are some that are on my board:

        


          

I really like charms and lots of different chains. You know, something funky!! I am going to work on getting my janky computer to put pictures of my creations as soon as possible!

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It seem like a lot of people got "busy" this winter because some great people I know are going to be having babies this year! It has been a bit since I have ventured into looking for items to make for a baby, and they are so darn cute!! I have made a few items for a friend whose baby shower I wasn't able to attend. Of course, janky computer won't let me post pictures, but here is what they are similar to:

I tie dyed a few onsies and added these cute little butt ruffles in white. 

A friend showed me the cutest burp cloths she had made at a show and I was like "Those are so cute! I can do that!" I did have a little help from the site Nashville Pug because I like to get a little overview of measurements and what not. They turned out so cute!

I have some other ideas brewing in my head, but I am pretty sure the person I will be giving the gift to reads my blog, so I am going to wait to post the pictures AFTER the shower :). I love surprises and don't want to spoil this one. 

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Those are some things that have been keeping me busy lately! On the family front, the boys have been taking gymnastics at the YMCA and I am now an assistant leader for L's cub scout pack. The dogs have been crazy and I am just trying to keep up with all of the Valentine's parties and fun times with the boys! Hope you are staying afloat too! Talk to you soon! 

Have You Missed Me?

The past couple of weeks have been so much fun, but required some driving which can be tiring on my part. We like to visit our friends and family members that are spread out over the Midwest so much that it is something we are used to doing. It makes me feel so great to see people I love and don't get to see a lot!

I have done so many exciting and heart warming trips in the past two weeks that it is too much to put down in a post. I will give you some pictures that sum up my adventures.

Good times = Good memories!!

My Feet In The Sand

Well, we made it to Florida! The boys, my Step dad from Michigan, and I drove (yes I said drove) from Indiana to Florida. We made it in about 15 hours. I was so impressed with how well the boys did seeing as they are 4 and 6. The only dire needs to stop were pooping and peeing. Which was ok with me. I would rather have those stops instead of puking and crying ones! We didn't stop anywhere cool on the way down because we just wanted to get to Florida. On the way home we will see how time is doing and we may stop at Dinosaur World or The National Corvette Museum. But I am keeping that to myself so no future whining ensues if we cannot go.

Speaking of whining, do any ones kids whine no matter what they do for them? I feel as though I am a pretty cool Mom. I like to take my kids to fun stuff and get them out of the house. But it seems that no matter what I do with them or what they get when we go somewhere, they ALWAYS want more. Which I am like "You are being very ungrateful. Be happy we are doing something." Enter whining from the boys. It just seems like what is right in front of them is enough for a little bit, and then they just want more and more. And if that doesn't happen it is back talking, whining, crying, and just plain being bad. I have tried to do everything, and I am pretty good at sticking to my guns. But all this threatening crap is getting old! Then the consequences just seem to make me feel like a bad person. There is consequences, but obviously they are not enough. Short of locking them in there room with nothing but a mattress, what else can I do?? I am adding this tid bit because this is how our vacation had started once we woke up in Florida. Hopefully this will change (No this better change!), suggestions are welcomed if you have this problem too!

Anyways...I am here visiting my Uncle who lives in Florida and his daughter and granddaughter who used to live in Florida, but currently live in Germany. My cousin is in the Air Force and is stationed there. It is really nice to see her. She was also close to my Mom and spoke with her a lot over the phone. The last time the boys and I came here was on an airplane with my Mom a few years ago. My cousin wasn't able to come to any of the funeral arrangements due to freshly being stationed in Germany. So it is really nice to be able to reminisce with her. Plus, we have tons of fun together and love to dance and sing karaoke!

The beaches here are BEAUTIFUL and are literally across the street from where we are staying! I love to see all of the laid back attitudes and styles of those living in Florida. And who doesn't like to hear a southern accent accompanied by some southern hospitality once in awhile? Where we are staying is in the panhandle on the Gulf Of Mexico. I am glad we came :).

I may post here and there this week if I have the time. Right now we are just bumming around doing some laundry and watching TV. We went to the beach yesterday and went out to eat at D'Wons which is right on the ocean *the food was SOOO good!*. Today we went and got postcards for family, friends, and a pen pal of mine and got some ice cream.

Hope you are all enjoying the start to your summer vacations! We are enjoying ours!

Birthdays From The Grave

January 9th. This Sunday. My mom would have been 54.


What do you do on the first birthday of someone who has passed? Throw a mini party? Look for a card you will never send? Cry?

I am not sure since this is the first time I have ever experienced it.


Things have been going good on the aspect of my Mom lately. Too good, at least that is how I feel. After awhile, things just kinda seem normal without her now. That sounds terrible, but I am just trying to be real. How can I dwell on the time without her, when I really did have a lot of time with her?
Don't get me wrong, I miss her A LOT. But after awhile, I realize, I am alive. I have living to do.
There will always be a lingering of my Mom everywhere in my life, but what good does it do me to be sad about it all the time?

Now, it does seem like I am so casually saying these comments like I am over the whole my Mom passing away thing. It is not like that. I am not like this all time. Shoot, not even the majority of the time! These words and phrases are something I feel I should to be telling myself.
There is always something in my life to remind me of her. But I feel like, why be sad about those things? Why not take that memory, scent, picture-whatever it may be-and store it in your memory, or better yet, a journal? That way you will always have something to turn to when you are down and miss her.


My beliefs are being tested from this past year until now. I know my opinions on life and death may offend some people, but I do not apologize for what I believe. Nor should anyone else, but I also do not look down on others for their beliefs, nor should anyone else. 
For a long time I have not believed there was a heaven or there was a hell. My belief in God has not been in my mind for a long time. I am not trying to push buttons by saying this, this is honestly something that I have just felt to my core being for a long time.


Seeing someone pass is nothing like I thought it would be. I thought it would be like a movie. Deep dramatic breathes, tearful goodbyes-but it was nothing like that. Simply, just the stopping of breathe. No sad music, no angels appearing, just silence.


Most believe she is an angel in heaven. Which I do tell my kids. I tell them this because as a kid, when someone passed away and my mom told me they were in heaven, it made me feel a lot better. Whether I believed it at the time or not. The kids and I even send balloons up to Oma on special occasions so she knows what is happening down here (or so my kids say). That is a comfort thing for them.
But I also tell my kids that everyone has a soul. And that the soul is who you are. That soul is an energy and energy never dies. Which, to me, is also spirit. A spirit can manifest itself into whatever it's next life is to be. Part of me believes in this, part of me doesn't. But right now I find comfort in this for some reason. When they get older, I will get into the deeper stuff. At 6 and 3, this is all they can handle right now.

I also believe your body is not made up to live forever. That is just life. Accidents happen, disease happens, cancer happens. This is the body you live in and once your heart is not beating to sustain it's life, then you are gone. That is why viewings at funeral's are a little creepy to me. That is a just a body. Not that actual "person" you are missing. But I do understand, for some, a viewing is seeing the person for the last time and remembering their time with them. 

Some may say your energy, or spirit, moves onto heaven. My previous thought of your spirit moving into another being or life force can probably be seen as the same thing. But as I said, I really only half believe that.


I have a mish mosh of things swirling in my head! (Confusing? I know!) I still can't say that I have a concrete belief in what happens to you after you pass. Or if anything even does happen. But does anyone really? I think what someone believes has to do a lot with personal comfort. The comfort in believing that we have some place after earth is helpful to people in times of sadness and stress.

We all will pass (which has been more of an in-your-face-reality to me this past year). Maybe it is helpful to just have the comfort in knowing something will happen to you. But it is actually more comforting to me, to know that I do not have to be a saint, or if I am considered a sinner the only one to be able to judge me, is me.

When I pass, maybe my soul will just become love and whenever you think of me and feel that love, you know I am there. That is what my Mom has become. That feeling of Love. Because in the end you are who are and the mark you have left on other's will be the most lasting memory after you are gone.

There is no real ending to these thoughts. Maybe I am just having them and being tested because I do need to do some research as to what I believe. I just know what feels comfortable to me and what doesn't. I am not ashamed of my beliefs and I am not saying I am right or wrong. They feel right to me and that is all that matters. Because in the end all there is, is me and my thoughts.

Yet, I will probably still get a Happy Birthday balloon to send up to Oma. Just so my kids will always have something to remember her birthday by.

Christmas Mantra

         Yikes! Christmas is already here! I was a late late shopper this year, but got everything finished and wrapped yesterday! That was a long, tiring day!


         As everyone gears up for the holiday season, it usually means family gatherings. Now, most of us don't mind them-me included. But there are a few of us that just can't stand doing them! Whether it is the traveling or a family member that just irks you, they just aren't for all of us. But that doesn't mean you have to skip out on them! I was speaking to one of my friends about this topic and she really made a good point. She said that every year she just expects someone in her family to give her the cold shoulder or someone get mad at another person for something silly. That's why she decided to adopt a mantra. A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of "creating transformation". Basically, a saying that can get your thru something and make you feel better in the long run.  I have a few mantras, one is Live, Love Learn. Live your life how you want, Learn from you mistakes, and Love who you are. *I actually have this tattooed on the back of my neck to remind me to always have this at the back of my mind*
        I watched Eat, Pray, Love the other night. Julia Roberts' character adopted the mantra Love and Light. Whenever she wanted to send good thoughts to something, forgive someone or was starting to think bad thoughts about something, she sent them love and light in hopes of good being sent their way. I think we all need a mantra to get thru the hard times in our life.
       Another of mine is just to send forgiveness. Whether you need to forgive someone or not, everyone has their own stuff going on. So whether they are being mean to you on purpose or they just have their own baggage, they need to forgiveness. In the end it will help your mind and body, and hopefully theirs, to feel better. (Just make sure it is a positive forgiveness. Positive thoughts attract other positive thoughts).

       I would love to hear some of your mantra's. Whether it be, "Love heals all." or "One day at a time." or "Don't say what I am thinking, I will write in my journal later!" Mantra's are a big part of stressful times whether you know it or not. 


          I am keeping this one short because we are heading up to Michigan for our Christmas extravaganza! Three Christmas' in two days!

And

Love And Light