When to say when ?!

I am sitting here and its quiet. I have had my quiet time with the Lord and now I am enjoying looking at my beautiful Christmas tree (bottom heavy with decorations from little hands, of course!) and drinking a hot cup of coffee.

I am thinking how very, very blessed I am. I have a wonderful husband who provides a wonderful life for us and tries to please me a little harder each day. I have two HEALTHY children who are full of life and energy. They both sleep through the night, feed themselves and take 2 1/2 hour naps at the same time everyday. So I am wondering why when I saw my friends baby earlier in the week, I felt a tug. At my heart and my ovaries.

So here is my question. Does that tug ever really go away? Are we as women made to always have that maternal drive to nestle a baby at our breast? I so much as see a fussy baby during church service and I start rocking. Yep, its instinctual!

So when do you say when?

I feel so blessed that I almost wonder if we would be pushing our luck. I know this is not a healthy way to look at things since God's blessings are not limited. I just think of the comfort we all have now. We have a good budget. One is totally out of diapers. We have no problem finding a baby sitter. Everyone has their own room in our very comfortable 3 bedroom house. You would think I would throw my hands in the air and scream "done, done, done!!"

I have to confess right now that I am not a newborn gal. The thought of getting up every 2 hours to breastfeed does not appeal to me. Don't get me wrong I think the little squirming bundle of joy is cute as all get out. I just don't enjoy leaking breasts, no sleep, not fitting into any of my clothes and feeling a general feeling of frazzled... all the time. The reality is however that the little red squirmy thing turns into one wonderfully cute little person whom I wouldn't trade for the whole world.

There are days when I look at the newborn at the mall and think "ahhhhh". I get that familiar ache in my nether regions. Then there are times when I see the very tired mama at the same mall and think "No way Jose!" So how do you know what to do?

For me its a test in faith. I pray that the God over the universe would be the God over my womb. I pray that I will be obedient in HIS will and not my own. I won't lie to you, its a hard one for me. I am a planner. I like lists, calendars and being in charge. To submit something so important is VERY hard. To not know what the future holds is even harder.

So I will pray, listen and try to be still before the Father. I will be content where I am sitting right now, knowing that God has the most perfect plan for me and my family.

But if you see some crazy lady at the mall stalking babies.... yeah, its probably me.

Teacher Knows Best: Holiday Spirit

I am blessed to live next to a elementary school teacher who loves my kids and we love her!! She has multiple education degrees and is the first person I run to when I am worried about speech, development or anything learning related!! She has agreed to write a weekly post for me on some common concerns involving little ones and just great tips! If you have a topic that you would like to see addressed, please e-mail me at everythingmom@live.com

Holiday Spirit

With the holidays quickly approaching, now is a great time to get your kids in the spirit of the season. Most kids equate Christmas with gift-giving and sometimes need a reminder that Christmas and other winter holidays traditions are about spending time with family and friends and sharing the good things in life.

Encourage your children to pick some of the toys they no longer play with and clothes they no longer wear to donate someone in need. A trip to the closet might reveal outfits that no longer fit with the tags still on them!

If you’re able, head to the toy store or even the dollar store and let your child pick out a new toy to donate to a children’s toy drive. Remind your child that every child loves to have new toys and we need to help people in need – it reminds us of how lucky we are to have what we have.

Mama Knows Best: Waste What?!?!?

We as mamas have to be innovative and thrifty all in the same beat. Somehow we find new ways of doing things that save us money, time and maybe if we are really blessed.... sanity!

I have a thing with waste. With each thing I throw out, I cringe a little. Don't get me wrong, I am far from a pack rat. When it comes to food, however, I just hate waste.

Often I will have a recipe that calls for chopped onion, celery, green pepper or other veggies. I try to find other recipes that calls for the same ingredients so there is no waste but often I just have leftover celery or green pepper staring sadly at me through the glass. :(

So now when I have leftover celery or other veggies that I know I am not going to use, I know what to do!

I chop them into pieces, place in a freezer bag and freeze the little suckers. Then when I make noodle soup or other recipes that calls for chopped veggies, I can simply take the baggie out and add it to the recipe. There is no waste and it save you chopping time!

It also make great pizza toppings!

Do you have a money/time/sanity tip to share? E-mail me at everythingmom@live.com

Recipe for Thanksgiving Leftovers!

I looked in my fridge tonight and sighed. Hubby home from a 4 day hunting trip, kids going crazy and a very tired mama. I saw several leftovers mocking me from their cold crypt.

That being said I typed in some ingredients in a search engine and used my leftover broccoli, heavy cream and dinner rolls. I had all the ingredients without going to the store and you can totally substitute shrimp for chicken. It was delish!! The only drawback was the 3 pans to wash..... I am soooo a one pan girl :) (I also left out the hot sauce and used dried Parsley) I took the rolls, split them, spread them with butter and garlic salt. After toasting.....Wahlah... garlic bread!

I always feel so much better when things like leftover dinner rolls and heavy cream get used instead of being thrown out :)


Hope you enjoy!

Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package angel hair pasta
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons pesto
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce
1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Melt 1.5 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in milk and cream; simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in pesto, parsley, garlic, Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer.

Meanwhile, place broccoli in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Saute shrimp, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt for 5 minutes, or until shrimp are pink.

In a large bowl, toss pasta, shrimp and broccoli; pour sauce over and serve.

Teacher Knows Best: How to handle bad behavior

I am blessed to live next to a elementary school teacher who loves my kids and we love her!! She has multiple education degrees and is the first person I run to when I am worried about speech, development or anything learning related!! She has agreed to write a weekly post for me on some common concerns involving little ones and just great tips! If you have a topic that you would like to see addressed, please e-mail me at everythingmom@live.com.

Lessons from School You Didn’t Want Your Preschooler to Learn

The wonderful thing about school is that children as exposed to so many new ideas and new friends. Of course the downside to that is when your little scholar picks up a new idea you didn’t really want him to learn.

Whether it’s hitting, not sharing, or something naughty to say, the answer is always the same:

“That is not ok in our house. In our family, we only (use kind words, soft hands, share our things).”

Repeat as needed, which will probably be often for a while.

A great Recipe for Thanksgiving... and your waistline!

I just got back from my son's Thanksgiving Feast and all I have to say is YUM !!! One mom brought a Thanksgiving Mousse that was so delicious that I was tempted to lick my cup clean.....

Turns out that she works for weight watchers and its a low point recipe! Top that with an easy recipe and you have a winner!!!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Mousse
2.5 Points

1 sm pkg vanilla sugar free fat free instant pudding
1 sm pkg butterscotch same as above
3c 1% milk
1 14oz can pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1c fat free or sugar free cool whip

Beat first 5 ingredients with a whisk. Fold in cool whip. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Teacher Knows Best: Thankful Hearts Placemat

I am blessed to live next to a elementary school teacher who loves my kids and we love her!! She has multiple education degrees and is the first person I run to when I am worried about speech, development or anything learning related!! She has agreed to write a weekly post for me on some common concerns involving little ones and just great tips! If you have a topic that you would like to see addressed, please e-mail me at everythingmom@live.com.

We seem to be on the same wave length this week with out Thanksgiving Placemats! ENJOY :)

Thankful Hearts Placemats

It Thanksgiving week! A week full of good smells and full tummies! Here’s one of my favorite ways to get kids in a thankful spirit.

You will need:

large plain pieces of paper (you can also buy plain paper placemats)
magazines
scissors
glue sticks
crayons
clear contact paper or access to a lamination machine (available at most copy stores)

Read a thanksgiving book and ask your child what they are thankful for.

Have them cut pictures out of the magazines and glue them down or draw them on the paper.

I like to include a traced hand print, their name, and the date.

Laminate or cover in contact paper for the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table.

Deal at Wal-Mart

I have had my eye on a digital camera at Wal-mart. I decided to take the plunge and order it today and had a pleasent surprise.

It looks like Wal-Mart has shipping to your home for just $.97. You may want to check it out !!!

Its just my opinion.... growing up too soon!

I wrote this about 6 months ago. I guess I just forgot to post it :) My son is now in a toddler bed but I still liked the post. :)

My little boy is three and he still sleeps in his crib. Its not that I am against moving him to his big boy bed. Really. Its that he has never, not even one time, tried to get out. My little man doesn't like change and is happy as a clam to just call out " mama" when he would like to get up.


I have asked him several times over the last year if he wanted a "big boy bed". Each time he giggled, smiled and said nooooooo. That was just fine with me! I would gladly pack up his crib when he went away to college. I am sure his roommate wouldn't mind. It doesn't take up much room.


I recently had a friend who was determined to take away the binky before her little one turned 3. I asked "why?" She got a blank stare on her face and said because it was time. Whose time? Our kids get attached to little comfort items that do just that... comfort. I can totally understand if it was affecting her speech or teeth or you didn't want her walking around "plugged up" all day. This is just one mamas opinion, but what would it hurt to give it to her at nighttime? Have you ever seen a college graduate with a binky on a chain? They get rid of it when they are ready.


You see I am all about letting them be little when they are little. Because one day you will wake up and they won't be any longer. I don't rush my little ones to pronounce words correctly. ( I ask them to say it again and again b/c its so cute that I bend over in a fit of giggles.) Or to be more grown up then they need to be ( I am big on manners- make no mistake) or push them to learn more than they need to be learning at this point. I feel like in our quest to raise the most smart, athletic, grown up children we have somehow taken away some of the fun of just being little. I would rather see my little prince pretending and being creative than trying to learn skills that are 3 grades ahead of him. Because he will learn them and he won't want to rescue his mama (the queen, of course) from the tower any more.


One day, sooner rather than later, they will pronounce all their words correctly, know the periodical table and would rather spend the Friday family night in their room than with their family. It makes me sad.


So I will cherish the mud pies, gooey kisses, "Play with me mama's", bear hugs (complete with grrrrrrr's), mispronounced words, dancing wildly in the living room and collapsing in a fit of giggles, and sleeping in a crib as long as my little man wants to! He will be ready when he is ready and not a minute sooner. I am not about to mess with his time table.


Now... I have a tea party to attend with my 1 and 3 year old. Rumor has it that this is the most hoppin joint in town and I have reservations. Complete with a crib in the room, binky in my daughters mouth and a stinky, used to be green frog, on the chair beside me. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Kids Craft: Thanksgiving Placemats

I want my kids to have thankful heart. I want them to grow up with the knowledge that all they have is a blessing. Not an expectation.

I try to do something "crafty" each week with my kids. It helps break the days up and it lets their creative juices get movin!

Since Thanksgiving is around the corner I thought that it would be a great idea to make Thankful place mats. They will look lovely and the kids will be proud as peacocks.... ooops I mean Turkeys.

You will need wax paper, scissors, an iron and then whatever your little ones can find :)

We started by going for a long walk. Well I walked... the little people took a monster truck.

We collected pretty leaves. (Good thing we had a big truck bed to haul with.)

When we got home they had a ball decorating their very own place mat. I also took an opportunity to talk about the things that we have been blessed with this year. ((Let me just tell you that some of the things my son came up with had me stifling fits of laughter.))

This is what you do:

Take one sheet of wax paper. Place whatever you wish to be in your place mat. For this project I used 3 of my leaves. I also took some construction paper and cut it with scapbooking scissors. I then placed a sticker that I found in my stash.

Place the other piece of wax paper directly on top of paper and iron with a warm setting.


Wahlah! It looks great on a tablecloth :)

Here are some helpful hints:

**Save trimming the edges until after you have ironed. This will save time.

** The more bulky the item in your place mat, the harder it will be to adhere. The more flat the better.

**You can use crayon shavings to really make your place mat colorful!

**You can also use photographs and or magazine cut outs. Have the kidlets go through magazines and cut out things that they are thankful for!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Menu Plan Monday.... on Tuesday

Well its happened. I had to go to the grocery store in the first time in 3 months. I was actually excited to start couponing and such since its been so long :) So I am back to official meal plans!

I am blessed to be a part of a small playgroup each month. We have a party once a month where the kids run-a-muck and we get to talk. (Well between breaking up sword fights and wiping boogies) I held the Thanksgiving party. I actually made a turkey breast that I got for $5 and it was so delicious!! It also provided enough for 3 meals this week!! I hope some of these recipes help with your turkey leftover. Happy Eating Y'all!!!

Monday: Roast Turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green beans

Tuesday: Beef tacos, Spanish rice, black beans

Wednesday: Turkey Tettrazinni, Broccoli, Rolls

Thursday: Grilled chicken breast w/ green peppers, onions and melted provolone, potato

cakes (made from leftover mashed potatoes) Mixed veggies

Friday: Pizza Night!

Saturday: Hot subs, baked fries ( GO BUCKS!! )

Sunday: Turkey Noodle Soup, French Bread

Join the Bob Evans Twitter Party Tonight!

Monday, Nov. 16 from 6-8 Bob Evans will be having a twitter party !!!

"Bob Evans New Single Serving Sides and Timesaving Holiday Helpers."

We'll be using the hashtag #BEFSingles to talk about everything from prepping for holiday meals and other fabulous timesavers.

We'll be giving away a coupon for free product every 5 minutes, at random, via use of the hashtag. It's redeemable at any grocery store. We'll also be sharing some great coupons with everyone.

I hope you can participate!

New Items from Bob Evans... and a giveaway!!

I recently have been given the opportunity to sample Bob Evans new single serve products. Read the review here.

Leave a comment and you may win free Bob Evans products!

Teacher Knows Best: Thanksgiving Books

I am blessed to live next to a elementary school teacher who loves my kids and we love her!! She has multiple education degrees and is the first person I run to when I am worried about speech, development or anything learning related!! She has agreed to write a weekly post for me on some common concerns involving little ones and just great tips! If you have a topic that you would like to see addressed, please e-mail me at everythingmom@live.com.

Thanksgiving Books

What am I thankful for? Books! There are some great books for Thanksgiving! Happy Reading!

P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane

This is the Turkey by Abby Levine

‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey

The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing

Thanksgiving Mice by Bethany Roberts

We Gather Together…Now Get Lost! By Diane de Groat