Great Christmas gift

I got this at JoAnn's fabric a while ago. I love that I can put several pics in a beautiful large frame. I just saw it again and I realized that it would make an awesome gift for my grandmother. Its $99 but I wait until they run one of their 50% off one item coupon and it takes it down to $50!! You could always go in with a sibling to lower the cost further but just thought I would share on this great deal!! ( You know how I Christmas shop early... I'm a freak.. I know :) )

OOps

Did anyone notice that I did Works for me Wednesday on Tuesday? See.... this is what happens when you have babies. I think you lose a little brain matter with each one :) he he he

Thats not my child

I just got back from a play date with my sons best friend. I use that term lightly because all they are is mean to one another. I always set out with high hopes of getting to actually finish a sentence without saying " Don't yell at him" ( While straining my voice- hmmm that gets the message across!)

My sweet adorable boy somehow morphs into a crazed toddler as soon as he steps in the door of his "friend". I try really hard to think if we stopped at any stop signs or traffic lights. Maybe his pod person came creeping in during a stop while I was distracted. Maybe he became temporally insane because he acts like he has lost his mind. Do you think that he could be allergic to the air at his friends and is just having a bad reaction? :)

What seems to bother me the most is he acts like we don't discipline him. Like the rules at his house is to run around like a wild child who has been raised on some island without adults. When in reality is that we do have rules and we expect him to follow them. He does most the time. He is such a joy to be around... at home. What is it about other children that make our kids act like crazy people? My girlfriend is very sympathetic because she has been where I am before but I still feel bad.

It gets to the point where I just want to tell them to duke it out. To work it out themselves because they will have to anyway. I mean we have to step in to avoid hitting or pushing but with toys they are on their own. Doesn't it seem like some days we just say " no, don't drill your sisters head , or get your hand out of the trash" a thousand times.

When I explain to a loved one that he normally doesn't act like this unless he is sick or overly tired, they smile a weak smile. They look at me like " Yeah right... the poor woman is delusional. Too much breastfeeding... has sucked her brain right out" I am going to start taking videotape how my dear sweet boy acts like at home so I can prove that he is a very sweet child with guidelines and structure. I am sounding like he misbehaves all the time while we are out and he doesn't. Most the time he is very well behaved and sweet as pie. Its just been a rough day with my boy so I am venting.

I am still going with the pod person theory. Makes sense to me.

Works for me Wednesday - Saving space in a nursery

When I was planning our nursery I was trying to get the room to not feel so cluttered. We choose the smaller room to have our nursery so I was already trying to figure out how to put everything in its place. I got this great idea from a parade of homes so I thought.. why not? I love the way it has turned out! It saves space and is attractive so it works for us!

I decided to take the doors off of the closet and make the area into a cozy changing nook. I got a ridiculously cheap tension shower rod and some discount curtains at Target. We painted the inside of the closet the same color of the room and hung some star and moon touch lights. ( They are soft and give off a soft glow while changing diapers. No bright light to wake up baby! ) We kept the storage up above the changing table and keep baskets of clean sheets, diapers and extra wipes.

We then were blessed enough to receive a changing table from our sister in law. We took off the bottom part that housed a shelf so it was just a changing table. Out came another shower rod so we could hang baby clothes beneath the changing table. Here is a pic:







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Waste of ingrediants (Daddys recipe of the week)

I hate when a recipe calls for an ingredient that I usually don't use and its only sold in bulk. I hate it even more when I have to throw out ingredients that has gone bad b/c I didn't use it ! So in order to curb this, I have started to try to do recipes that calls for the same ingredients so nothing goes to waste.

This week I realized that one my recipe's called for fresh parsley. Unfortunately fresh parsley is only sold in a big bunch. Since I have already shared one recipe with fresh parsley this week, I thought I would share my other one :) Happy Cooking.

This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa - I love her recipes. This one is great because its a fresh veggie.

Roasted Carrots

12 Carrots
3 Tbs good olive oil
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
If the carrots are think cut them lengthwise, if not then leave them whole. Slice the carrots diagonally into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. ( The carrots will get smaller as they bake so make the slices big) Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet in one layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
Toss the carrots with parsley, season to taste and serve.

Menu Plan Monday

This week is not too exciting. Alot of chicken because I got a great sale on Tyson chicken at Kroger :) Nothing new to us this week. But some great recipes!

Monday: Grilled lemon chicken, Chicken noodles, broccoli and crescent rolls

Tuesday: Grilled steaks, Roasted red potatoes with bacon and cheese ( recipe included), salad

Wednesday: Ham, mashed potatoes and green beans

Thursday: Herbed chicken tenderloin mignons ( Recipe included), baked carrots, salad

Friday: Cheeseburgers, fries

Saturday: Pizza night!

Sunday: Basil Parmesan chicken and pasta, salad and garlic bread


Herbed Chicken ( or turkey) tenderloin mignons

6 slices of bacon
2 fresh turkey or chicken tenderloins ( about 3/4 lb each ) ** I use two chicken breast and cut them in half**
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

Heat Grill. Cook Bacon in medium skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until bacon begins to brown but is not crisp. ( Bacon needs to be pliable to wrap around turkey or chicken ) Drain on paper towels.

Cut each turkey tenderloin or chicken into four pieces. Wrap 1 partially cooked bacon slice around each piece of meat; secure with toothpicks. Brush both sides with olive oil; sprinkle with pepper and thyme.

When ready to grill, place bacon wrapped meat on the grill over medium heat. Cook 12- 15 minutes or until the center is no longer pink.Remove tooth picks before serving.


Roasted red potatoes with bacon and cheese

1/2 cup Kraft light ranch reduced fat dressing
1/2 cup Kraft 2% milk shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Oscar Meyer real bacon bits
2 lb small red potatoes, quartered
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dressing, cheese and bacon bits in large bowl. Add potatoes; toss lightly.

Spoon into lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish; cover with foil

Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 min or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.