Passion

Do you have passion in your life? Do you wake up every day unable to wait to start your day? Do you love what you do with your life? Do you feel fulfilled, motivated? If not, why?

It's easy to get lost in the minutiae of life. It is easy to lose yourself in mundane, every day tasks and forget that you are a miracle. We view our children as miracles, yet as we get older we forget that we were once those children. Our parents once viewed us the miracles in their lives, and they probably still do.

Do you view yourself as a miracle in your own life? I know I don't. I have a whole complex where I put other people's needs first and then wonder why my own needs are not being met. It's something I am working on. Do you make yourself your own first priority? Odds are I would bet you view your children as your first priority. But, if something happened to you, it would hit them i the most profound way possible. So do you not at least owe it to your children, and yourself, to make YOU your top priority. You are teaching them self-esteem, self-confidence and independence. You are showing them how to treat themselves. When your children see mommy or daddy taking care of themselves first, they learn they too have to care for themselves first and foremost.

This will help your children not find themselves in abusive relationships, co-dependent relationships, or unhappy situations in general. Your children will grow up loving themselves too much to allow anyone to take advantage of them, or treat them with disdain. Your children will see their own value, early on, and be able to confidently go into the world and know exactly what they want and how to get it.

All that simply by making YOU a priority. Is that not a powerful feeling? You have the capacity to change your own life, and your children's simply by taking the best care of YOU that you can. Why oh why do we all not jump on this bandwagon?!  Because we were taught somewhere along the way that this is selfish. We were convinced that selfish behavior is ALWAYS bad. There are some positive aspects to some selfish behavior.

Being selfish is okay when it does not come at the expense of others. You can have a spa day as long as your bills are paid, and your kids are cared for first. You can go on vacation as long as the mortgage payment is on time and you have food in the fridge. Your selfish behavior has to match what your abilities are first. If you can only swing a self-manicure due to money being tight because you are a one income family, then you find the joy in that. You allow yourself the pampering and care that your life can support.

If you cannot afford to join a gym, find some stairs to run up and down, do push-ups and crunches, or jump rope. But take care of yourself! We have to balance taking care of ourselves, and making ourselves our first priority with what we can realistically afford monetarily, emotionally and mentally.

The lessons your children will learn are invaluable, and all you have to do is make yourself your first priority. It is a win-win situation.

To Stay Home, Or Not To Stay Home....

This is always a tough question for me, regarding when to let the kids stay home when they do not feel well.  I have two polar opposites when it comes to my school age girls.  One stays healthy pretty much all the time, and suffers most from stress.  She is home today, not feeling well.  My other school ager suffers daily from allergy issues, sinus pressure, general stuffiness and constant issues, she is at school today. 

The younger one is currently on medication for an ear infection, and I have to say I completely expected her to want to stay home when she found out that her older sister was staying home.  She did not, kudos to her.  She packed her backpack, gave me her rundown of the 10 things that hurt or are bothering her (she is a bit of a hypochondriac), and hopped into the car to go to school. 

The older sister got up, looked like she was not wanting to go anywhere but back to bed, and started getting ready for school.  The baby and I went up to check on everyone, and upon entering her room she became wet eyed and proclaimed she did not feel well and wanted to stay home.  She was dressed for school except for one sock.  She proceeded to climb into her bed, one sock still off and pull the covers up over her head.  I hemmed and hawed, and felt her forehead.  She felt a little warm, but probably from being under the covers.  I let her stay home.  She said her head, sinuses, and stomach hurt.  She took a nap and seems okay now, although she is still tired.

I went back and forth in my head over whether to make her get up, take something, and go to school, or just let her stay in bed...the staying in bed won.  When she reaches the point of not wanting to go to school, whether she is really sick or not, she really is not well.  Maybe she just needs a mental health day, maybe she really is sick.  I cannot be sure.  But either way, I let her stay home.

If they other one had asked to stay home would I have let her?  I cannot say for sure.  That sounds terrible right?!?!  They are so different.  The younger of the two would stay home every day and in her pajamas all day if I let her.  The older one stresses about missing school because of what she will have to make up. 

What do you use as your parental parameters regarding when you let your kids stay home?  Is it the same across the board for all the kids in the house? 

She just coughed, maybe that is her token symptom trying to convince me she really did need to be home today due to illness....or she just had to clear her throat.

Money Saving Tips

Who does not want to save a few $$$ here and there, and everywhere!!  I know as a family of five with a single income it can be tight sometimes.  Especially following a time like Christmas, where spending seems to skyrocket even when you have a budget and do your best to stick to it. 

I have some money saving tips I would love to share, as well as asking you to post your tips in the comments section.  Any and all sharing of good information is always welcome.! 

One thing I have done is to download the grocery store apps on to my tablet.  Often they have electronic coupons on the app, and they keep track of what you typically purchase, so the coupons are geared towards what you actually buy.  Safeway goes one step further and puts the coupons directly on to your rewards card, so the second you scan your card at check out all the items you have coupons for are discounted by the value of the coupon.  Couponing was never easier than that!  I find since I spend a good deal of time online that online couponing is great, and actually helps me use those coupons, instead of clipping them only to be forgotten behind in my little organizer.  Let's face it, when trying to leave the house with a toddler and often the two older kids in tow, it is hard to remember my name, let alone the coupon organizer.  Having these money savers available electronically is a great help, and just shows that even the grocery stores need to evolve into the new age.  I signed up at sites like Red Plum that email me the coupon inserts that are received in the mail.  If I need to print them out I can.  But I only print the ones I intend to use, and bypass the others. 

I also sign up for email coupons at sites that I typically shop at for the kids clothing, like Kohls and Target.  I use the online coupons, and shop their sales to get the most for my money.  The other day between sales, coupons, and Kohl's cash I was able to get a jacket that retailed for $180 for $20.  I literally did a happy dance in the store.  I know couponing itself is no new idea.  But my point is that we need to become smart shoppers, not just shopping with coupons, but also finding the sales that go along with the coupons, and utilizing every deal possible to get the most bang for your buck. 

Another option that may not be all that popular is becoming a one car family.  For families that live in large cities this may not even matter if they do not own a car to begin with, but for us suburb dwellers a car is necessary to be able to adequately function.  I am a stay at home mom.  We are usually a two car family, but we are down to one car temporarily.  It has been a huge adjustment, I will not lie, but it is money saving.  I took the second car off the insurance until we can use it again, which cut the insurance bill in half.  The gas spent on the first car will surely increase, as will wear and tear, but if done correctly there should not be a doubling in those areas.  It is an option, and often a good one especially if we are talking about a one income family.

   Speaking of automobiles, another money savingn tip is to shop around for insurance when your renewals come up. Even if you do not end up switching insurance companies, the shopping can lead you to a lower price, and hopefully your current company can match the lower price. If not, it may be worth it to switch, if the savings is significant.

Cooking more at home is also a way to save money.  Not only is it healthier, but costs can be trimmed dramatically by some simple changes.  My children do not drink juice, but instead flavored water, that I flavor with real fruit.  I make apple cinnamon water, or cucumber lemon or lime water.  It is significantly less than buying juice, plus it is vastly healthier for them in the long run! 

 

These are just a few little tips.  Throughout the year I will be sharing more cost cutting, and money making tips.  I am making some large changes in my own life this year, and I will be sharing my experiences along the way.  Please feel free to jump in where you can, and I hope you take away some helpful information on our journey together.

Dr Oz

Restart Your Body! | The Dr. Oz Show

I'm a huge Dr Oz fan. I will be dvr'ing this episode. Want to restart your body, tune in!!!

Get Your Exercise On!!!

One of biggest resolutions of the year for people this season is weight loss, or exercise in general.  I am no different.  I have about 10-15 pounds I want to lose.  I never quite made it back to prebaby weight, although I am only 6 pounds from that.  I wanted to lose about 7-10 pounds before I ever found out I was pregnant. 

So, here is a contribution today to exercise. 

 

 

 

This routine does not take more than 20-30 minutes, and trust me you will feel it immediately.  I was doing this earlier this year, and I was really seeing some results.  I do not know what happened, life I guess, but I fell off that wagon.  I will be putting myself back on with a variety of workouts, for those of us that are exercise ADD.  for now, this is my first contribution.  Take care of your physical health, and your mental health will be better also.  Get those endorphins flowing and you will be shocked at how happy you feel, and when you start looking better you will be more motivated to keep it up.

 

There is no magic cure for weight problems.  No matter what road you take the key is the same, you have to be careful what you put into your body, and make sure you exercise.  You have to dedicate yourself to making your health a priority.

 

 



The First Day of The Rest of My Life

Happy New Year!  Up and ready to roll out the first blog of the new year at 8:00AM this morning. 

I am dedicating this year to myself!  I am constantly doing things for others, which I love, but I put myself on the back burner way too often.  I am going to make myself my first priority this year.  I am going to set the example for my girls.  Like Dr. Phil says, "You teach people how to treat you."  This is insanely true.  If you find yourself constantly being taken advantage of, then you need to locate the welcome mat on your forehead and remove it. 

I am going to start TODAY and make some changes, and make my world a better place.  I have a lot to offer, and it is about time I did.  I am creative, funny, dependable, smart, and lots of other great adjectives.  I am going to make 2013 the year of the Mom.  And by Mom, I mean me. 

So stay tuned all year for the journey of my life.  The journey of my family's lives, and a whole lot in between. 

I am going to be talking, physical health, mental health, emotional health, and every other kind of health I can think of.  If you ever thought you were unfulfilled in some aspect of your life, stay tuned, because we are going to address that area this year.  Want to help me?  Then you have to be here, with me, in the trenches making it happen.  I welcome you, heart and soul. 

Ready.  Set.  GO!

Apple Cinnamon Water

I am always trying to find more ways to get more water.  I came across this on Pinterest, and I am so going to try this!!!

I think flavored water, NATURALLY flavored water is the way to go for kids too.  I do not give my kids juice, but you can better believe they can drink some water infused with apples and cinnamon!  I am so excited to try this out!!

 

  Think of the possibilities!  To top it all off, both apples and cinnamon are natural metabolism boosters.  So it can also increase the odds of weight loss!!  I cannot wait.  If it wasn't 10:00 PM, and I would be up all night, I would go make some now!  But tomorrow morning while my coffee is brewing you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be giving this one a try!!!
**EDITTED TO ADD**  Made it this morning, and it is DELICIOUS!!  All three kids love it too.  Yummo!!

When exactly did 9PM start feeling like midnight?!?

I just looked at the clock a minute ago...about 5 times.  It is only 9p.m. and yet my body says it feels like it is midnight.  I feel like I have been awake for days.  I got up around 4:30 this morning, maybe that has something to do with it.  Yes, I know, I was being sarcastic.

I have always been an early bird, never really a night owl.  But I used to be able to stay up until at least double digits without a problem.  Man, I really must be practicing my way to the early bird special at 4pm when I am 90 years old or something. 

So, our doctor appointment went pretty well.  Not sure how many of you have kids with reflux, but that is what the doctor thinks the issue is for my middle peanut.  He wants us to keep a food and symptom diary and keep track of everything she eats and drinks, and every time she complains of a stomach ache.  If we do not see significant improvement in a month, we take our log and go to the doctor. 

I hope that this is really simple.  I hope it is reflux and the solution is as easy as watching her diet and monitoring what she eats and how it affects her.  She complained about 1 1/2 hours after dinner tonight that her tummy hurt.  She ate a couple crackers and was fine.  I guess only time will tell.  She is excited about keeping the log, thank goodness!

If anyone has any experience with reflux in an older child I would appreciate some input, and if you are willing to answer some questions, I would really appreciate it!
Now, I think I am going to watch the most interesting thing I have seen all day, the backs of my eyelids. 

Am I Made Of Silly Putty?!?!

Today I feel like I am being pulled in 12 different directions.  We are down to one car, we have Christmas programs, Christmas shopping, moms coming in to town within the week, I have had to drive the kids to their dads and back (which is an 80 mile round trip venture), nursing a toddler, chasing a toddler, trying to clean the house, AAAAHHHHH!!!!

Today is one of those days that the Art of Being Mom looks like a Pablo Picasso painting on crack.  I am writing this while nursing the baby to sleep, talk about multi-tasking.  I have to go pick up Christmas cards, pick up the kids, pick up the hubby, dinner, get the kids dressed and ready for the Christmas program tonight, make myself presentable, toddler, hubby can definitely dress himself thank God. 

I just feel very stressed, and like I am unable to enjoy this time of year.  With all the running and chasing, and doing and going, I feel like I cannot even enjoy what this season is supposed to be about.  I need a break.  Maybe I need to just start earlier, like March.

I hate to sound like a BAH HUMBUG, but sometimes, that is how I feel.  Of course that all changes when I look at my kids and see how excited they are for Christmas to get here. 

Okay, baby asleep, check!  Now, to lay her down for a nap and grab a shower....I hope that smell isnt me, I am pretty sure it is the dog...another task for my ever growing TO DO LIST. 

Dark Chocolate Bark

I gave up desserts for Lent, and lost 10 pounds...WOOT.  Well, now that I am allowed to partake again, I was looking for a dessert that would calm the sweet tooth, but not pack those 10 pounds back on, plus some. 

My friend gave me a recipe for Dark Chocolate Bark....OMG!  Delicious, and not too bad for the waistline either!! 

DARK CHOCOLATE BARK RECIPE:

24 OZ DARK CHOCOLATE MORSELS
1 CUP DRIED BERRIES (CHERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, OR  CRANBERRIES)
1 CUP NUTS (ALMONDS, WALNUTS, OR PECANS)

Line a 12X15 pan with wax paper.  In a glass bowl, microwave the chocolate morsels for 3 minutes, stirring every minute.  Spread the chocolate out in the pan, sprinkle the berries and nuts throughout, and use a spoon to press them in.  Refrigerate for 2 hours, and there ya go!!!  Cut it up and enjoy!

Ever Wish Your Two Nostrils Would Cooperate???

We have been fighting a cold around this house for about a week or so now.  I am getting better, but back to the one open nostril, one closed nostril situation.  What is up with that?  Why does that happen?  Just how much snot can one nostril produce in one day???  Okay, okay, that was too much...lol..

The baby is finally napping.  I vacuumed the first level of stairs, cleaned the foyer, threw in laundry, showered, walked the dog this morning, and have done some dishes....I feel like I have sooo much more to do and yet feel like I have done so much already. 

I also wrote to the school regarding the Hunger Games issue.  Waiting to hear back on that one.  I need to dust, vacuum some more, fold more laundry, create a clone....haha...no really.

You know, often times stay at home Moms feel like the forgotten souls.  I know I struggle with feeling inadequate because I do not contribute financially to our household.  I feel a bit insecure when I think of being completely financially dependent on my hubby, and worry about the what ifs of my life.  But I could not, and would not, want to stick my baby in daycare to work.  I would love to work from home, but right now, with Gabs not napping reliably....well, I would need a good deal of flexibility.  I am pretty good with typing, so data entry would be great, if I could do it at my leisure, which is usually 4 am.  As Gabs gets older, I will be hunting more voraciously for something I can do from home, legitimately, and make a decent buck, or two.  Right now, here I am....doing what I can to take care of my family the best way I can. 

National Beef Recall...

Apparently this mostly affects those in the South/Southeast regions.....

http://www.igobogo.com/Portal/featured-articles/national-beef-recall-affects-publix-winn-dixie-walmart-sams-club-more/

A Mother’s Nightmare: Bacteria Resistant To Antibiotics | Healthy Child Healthy World

A Mother’s Nightmare: Bacteria Resistant To Antibiotics Healthy Child Healthy World


This article just got me. As a Mom, the health and well being of my children is so incredibly important to me. This is why I try and turn to organics and locally grown produce and meats as often as possible. As a SAHM the cost of both is a concern to me, but really, the benefit outweighs the monetary cost. I think if we all adjust our eating habits so that we are once again eating to live, not living to eat...well, it's the best relationship to have with food.
Whether you have children or not, read this, it is eye opening, to say the least.

Yummy! Baked Teriyaki Chicken

I get the recipe of the day from allrecipes.com, and today is Baked Teriyaki Chicken.  It looks delicious!!

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

 

By: Marian Collins 

"A much requested chicken recipe! Easy to double for a large group. Delicious!"

Rate/Review | Read Reviews (2,397)
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Prep Time:
30 Min

Cook Time:
1 Hr

Ready In:
1 Hr 30 Min

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 skinless chicken thighs

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 278 | Total Fat: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 88mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database