Kids, Dogs, and Ticks

New and Exciting Things Coming in 2013

2013-01-02T14:00:00.001-06:00

We are still here! Were you starting to wonder?? Aacckk! How has it been so long since I blogged??!! So sad! We are just coming out of our Christmas vacation. We did lots of fun things while we were all on break. The holidays were wonderful! Lots of time with family! Gotta love that! Jadon was really excited to see Santa this year! It was adorable!

After the holiday craziness was over we spent several fun days on road trips... On Wednesday, Dec. 26th we hit the road to visit Long Lane Honey Bee Farm just past Champaign. Turned out that they were not in the office that day which was a bummer because we had a lot of questions for them but we did make the best of the trip by stopping at a few antique shops we had seen on the drive over. Woohoo! I love to hunt for Pyrex! I found a couple good ones too!

On Thursday the hubby turned 40! He got to pick what he wanted to do that day. He chose the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago followed up with dinner at the Weber Grill Restaurant in downtown Chicago. Yum!

And just because two days in the car was just not quite enough we decided to drive almost all the way over to Iowa to another place that sells beehives and beekeeping equipment hoping to talk to someone and get some help deciding what equipment to buy so we can start a new exciting chapter of our lives! We were in luck this day because we found a wonderful gentleman that helped us pick out all the stuff we needed and gave us a lot of good tips about beekeeping also. We were pretty excited to bring home those boxed and build our new beehives!

They are all built now and as of yesterday are painted! All ready to go! We can't wait to get our bees in the spring and start this adventure! Mmmm..I can taste the honey now!! For the second year in a row I was busy making a lot of my Christmas gifts! The difference this year is that I also sold a few signs to other people who wanted to give them as gifts also. It was pretty fun and now I want to continue to sell the things I love to make. Here are a few of the things I made recently.

Keep your eyes open for these items for sale on this blog VERY soon!! Happy New Year Everyone!

Focusing On Me

2012-04-04T10:02:00.000-05:00

Apparently I can't blog and take care of me at the same time. There have been lots of changes of here lately. I am in my 8th (or 9th...lost track) early morning workouts 4 days a week. It has now gone from something I had to drag myself out of bed for to just part of my routine. I love that! I feel great afterwards even though during some of these workouts I have been pretty sure I am going to die! I love that the workout changes everyday and it is never the same thing each day. Just when I think "Oh yeah...I got this" she has us do things that push us beyond our comfort zones. That is good though! I took a Nutrition 101 seminar a few weeks ago. It was done by a local OB/GYN. I brought home a lot of good tips and advice. One thing she said that stuck with me was that when women come to her and say that they are eating well and exercising but the weight is not coming off she asks them how much sleep they are getting. She said that your body needs at least 7 hours of sleep each night to repair and heal properly. So much to my husbands dismay we are going to bed earlier or as he says "when old people do". To get 7 hours of sleep on the night before a workout I need to be in bed by 9:30. We usually head that way around 9. That is pretty much an hour (at least) less then time in the evening than what we had before....so some things have fallen by the waste side....like blogging. I would much rather spend time watching a show with my husband than waiting for pics to upload and thanks to our slower than molasses internet I can't watch Netflix and upload pics at the same time. The funny thing is that since we implemented the earlier bedtime we find ourselves heading to bed early even on the evening we do not need to. Our teenagers think we are crazy! I do feel better in the mornings. I am trying to be more active in the evenings after dinner. If we have nothing else going on I try to take a walk or do a run. I like when my husband joins me because his legs are so much longer than mine I practically have to jog to keep up with him. I am really trying to create a more active lifestyle for all of us because if things go back to the way they were I feel like I am more likely to go back to the way I was. I have been doing way to much sitting around on my laptop seeing what everyone else is up to when I should be out taking care of myself! Each night I have been making a concous effort to get off my laptop and do something else. I have stacks and stacks of books I have picked up from garage sales or paperbackswap.com that I have never read because I have not been making the time. Starting now I am going to stay off my laptop after dinner and read more. Reading makes me happy and FB does not. That is one thing I am learning about myself. More often than not I leave Facebook frustrated and cranky. There is way to much whining and complaining! I just don't want to deal with it anymore but I do like keeping up to date with what family members and good friends are up to. So I am going to check in a few times a day but from dinner on I am going to be done. I need to be up and about moving or doing something that fills my tank up and does not empty it. The teenagers are doing less complaining about the lack of certain processed foods and more fruit/veggies lately. I have not bought any cold cereals except for cherrios in a few weeks. My oldest has started taking large containers of cut up fruit with her to eat on the bus every morning and I love that! I plan on making some homemade granola in the next few days. Took me awhile to find some natural shredded coconut for the recipe I was using. Finally found it at Kroger. We are still not loving brown rice but continue to give it a try. For stir fry nights I am making both brown and white to give the kids the option. I am just living with brown rice. I was really happy to find whole wheat egg noodles for my hamburger corn casserole (a family favorite). I had not seen it before. I started buying unsweetened vanilla almond milk for our smoothies. It is only 35 calories a cup so it decreases the calories of a smoothie big time when compared to milk. One other things I took away from the Nutrition Seminar I took was the advice to take liquid fish oil. It is great for your cardiovascular system, lungs, skin, AND when paired with exercise increases fat loss! It sounds gross but is comes in lemon and orange flavor and I just take it straight and I have had not problems with any fish taste. I have also noticed that I am not burping up fish taste like I have in the paste with fish oil pills. I feel like it is improving my dry heals and I have also noticed less water retention and swelling in my hands and feet since I started taking it. Not sure if that is the cause or just a coincidence. I am proud to say that I have lost 15 pounds to date! I keep checking each week to see if my wedding ring fits! That is going to be one of my biggest rewards the day that happens! I have not been able to wear my wedding ring in years. So sad! Clothes are definitely fitting differently. I have some "fat" jeans that I can't wear anymore because they are falling down. I also have other pairs that are getting loose. I have had to buy new workout clothes because some of the ones I was wearing started getting too loose! Woot woot! I am happy with the changes I am making. I feel better than I have in a long time and I know that the more weight comes off the better I will feel. I love the new friends I have made in my exercise class. It is an incredibly positive and supportive atmosphere. I look forward to walking in the doors every morning. I feel so lucky to have found this group of girls. I love how strong I am getting! We have done two intense cardio recently that I am pretty sure I could not have kept up with when I first started the class. I loved the feeling of accomplishment I had at the end when I realized I did every set without stopping before it was over. It was not easy but I did it! I want to continue to post of meal plans for the week on here so I am going to make an effort to be better about that. I am also going to post updates when I can, but I am not going to go crazy and stress about not posting daily. I need to step away from my laptop. Need to focus on myself and my family. When you make time for workouts and getting healthy something has to give and my family is of course not an option. I am not superwoman and have not desire to try to be!

You Can Find Us Outside!

2012-03-21T15:27:00.000-05:00

Sorry! No blogging lately! It has been 80 degrees here in our neck of the woods for 8 days straight! It's March! We are enjoying it to the fullest!

At the playground......

My handsome young man.

Jake took his remote control car to the park one day and Jadon had fun chasing it.

Jadon can finally to this ladder! It is straight up and down so it was hard for him. It still takes a lot of work but he can do it!

We raced hotwheels down the slots in the slide today!

Love this pic because Righty is holding a car!

We finally have our fish tank all set up! I love it! It is so relaxing to watch the fish! So glad we got a tank again!

Oh What A Beautiful Day!!

2012-03-11T21:08:00.001-05:00

The weather was amazing in our neck of the woods this weekend and today we enjoyed every minute of it! The kids spent the entire morning outside doing yard chores....well the older kids did chores.....Jadon played like crazy.

After lunch I did my very first Couch to 5K run/walk. This first run was for 20 minutes with different intervals of running then walking. I will do this same run two more times then next week it will be just a little harder. I got new running shoes yesterday. Aren't they cute??!! Super comfy too!

When I got back from my run which I think was about 1 1/2 miles since my average time was a 13 minute mile Matt said that he wanted to take Jadon and go for a hike. I said that I would go with them. I love taking hikes in the woods. We made Shelby join us too. Jake was at Grandma Cindy's doing yard work for her.

That hike ended up being about 2 1/2 miles so I ended up doing a total of 4 miles today! Hope I can walk tomorrow!!

For dinner we enjoyed a smoked turkey breast, some turnip greens, and sweet potato fries! Yum!

This Week's Meal Plan

2012-02-28T12:11:00.003-06:00

Oops! Where did Monday go? Sorry....Monday was..well...a Monday. I either ate something that made me breakout like a teenager or the new soap I started using on my face a couple of days ago did it. Whatever it was it is not good at all. It started on Sunday. I woke up and my face was fine and by 11 my face was covered in a breakout that has not gone away. I think today it is a little better. Fingers crossed!

As if I needed any other issues I pulled a muscle in my calf during my morning workout yesterday morning. It did not feel good at all. I was frustrated because I do not want any setbacks. I iced it a couple of times, took ibuprofen, and stretched it as much as I could. It feels much better today! In a few more days I am sure it will be healed. Probaby have to modify workout for a few more day though.

Here is what we have been eating and plan to eat the rest of the week!

Saturday:
Casey's Pizza (Matt won a free one in a drawing and we got a second on special for $10! Woot woot!)

Sunday:
Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Source: twopeasandtheirpod.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Pickles

Monday:
Grilled Pork Loin Chops
Roasted Red Potatoes

Source: browneyedbaker.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Broccoli

Tuesday:
Salmon Patties

Source: foodnetwork.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Collard Greens
Corn

Wednesday:
Chicken Philly Sandwiches

Source: food.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Homemade Oven Fries

Thursday:
Taco Salads (Taco meat, lettuce,black beans, avacado, tomatos, and cheese)

Friday:
Eat Out/Grocery Night

Planning on posting some pics from Jadon's fun b-day weekend tomorrow! Have a great day!

Jadon's 3 yr pics

2012-02-28T09:38:00.004-06:00

J-Man turned 3 this weekend! I really don't know where the time has gone! His party was on Saturday and we had his pictures taken on Sunday. I love how they turned out!

Birthday Shirt Done!

2012-02-24T10:43:00.001-06:00

I finished Jadon's birthday shirt! Hooray! I am very happy with how it turned out!

Have a couple more shirts in Jadon's size I picked up on sale at Hobby Lobby during a sale one time. Need to decide what to put on them! I used Silhouette Lime Green Heat Transfer Vinyl and part of a cute number train on purchased from the digital download shop. I can't believe how easy this project was!

I did not pin too much this week but here are a few things I found.....

I thought this superhero set was just adorable and so fun!

Source: aestheticoutburst.blogspot.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Love this pretend campfire set!

Source: market.poppytalkhandmade.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Always looking for shredded chicken recipes! Since we started making our own broth usually have some in the freezer!

Source: momsbyheart.net via Kiana on Pinterest

Love this quote.

Source: google.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Tomorrow is the big birthday party! Hoping the boy stays healthy. He continues to be very congested. Just hoping it does not get any worse! Cross your fingers for us!

Mr Fix It

2012-02-23T11:08:00.000-06:00

Jadon was playing solo today. His buddy John was not here. He plays so well by himself. I turned from doing dishes to find him in the dining room with a remote control car, sitting in a booster seat we sometimes use, wearing shades. When I asked what he was up to he said he was working on his truck. He is one cool dude! LOL!

Poor guy continues to have a stuffy nose. So does Mommy. Not seeing much improvement. Getting a little frustrated. Just want to feel good again!!

A Mommy's Daybook

2012-02-22T11:58:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Jadon requested that we paint. I told him he had to wait until today. He was pretty excited to paint today. We started our letter B activities today so we painted our "B" blue. Once it is dry we will glue our brown bears on it.

Outside My Window-
It is cloudy but for February the temps are pretty good. Can't complain too much about 40. Could be much colder.

I Am Thinking-
About Jadon's b-day party, Jadon's three year pics, the fact that I have still not made his b-day shirt. Darn this sickness!

I Am Wearing-
The usual sweats and long sleeve t-shirt.

From Tot School-
As I said we started our Letter B activities. We continue to work on counting and number recognition.

I Am Thankful-
For antibiotics! For my awesome fitness class. All the ladies are so nice!

From The Kitchen-
I tried out a homemade wheat thins recipe this week so my hubby and I had something to eat some yummy Sundried Tomato Hummus we got on. They turned out really good.

Source: emily-malloy.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Matt has a vanilla porter in the carboy doing it's thing. Lots of bubbling going on over there! Go yeast go!

I Am Creating-
Not much.....in a funk. Fingers crossed that I get Jadon's b-day shirt done!

I Am Reading-
Smokin' Seventeen (Stephanie Plum Series) by Janet Evanovich

I Am Hearing-
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Around The House-
I am trying to get the house in order for Jadon's party this weekend.

One Of My Favorite Things-
First thing that came to mind is my Lodge Enamel Coated Cast Iron Dutch Oven. I have had mine for two years. It is my favorite pot to cook in. I used it several times a week. Mostly on the stove but I love that I have the option to put it in the oven also! Highly recommend gettting one of these bad boys!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week-
Make a list of things I need to pick up for Jadon's party and then get all that stuff. Decide what Jadon is going to wear for his three year pics on Sunday. Make Jadon's three year b-day shirt.

Tonight we are going to look at a 55 gallon fish tank that someone has for sale. Hoping we like what we see. We have not had a fish tank in about 8 years at least and Matt and I decided that we really missed having one. So we have been on the lookout for a used one. This is the way to go if you find one in good shape because most of the time they come with everything and there is not much left to get but gravel, plants, and fish. I know Jadon will love it. The older two kids always loved looking at the fish when they were his age. We took him to a pet store not long ago to look at fish and he was really loving it.

Tot School

2012-02-21T20:39:00.000-06:00

Today during tot school we spent some time wrapping up our Letter A activities so we can move on the Letter B which I know Jadon is going to love. It is all about bears!

We helped our alligators find their colors. This was a worksheet with alligators on it. Each alligator had a color word on it in that color. So I would point to an alligator and say "This alligator wants to be pretty but he does not know what color he is supposed to be. What color is this word?" Each of the boys would tell me what color the word was. I tried to connect that the word was the color but not sure the boys understood.

Then because Jadon does not really care for coloring I did my best alligator impression and said "oh thank you for making me *insert color here*. You are doing such a great job". Gotta get Jadon's imagination going. He likes to draw but he does not care to color in pictures for long periods of time. We got the job done today though. Gotta stay creative. Sorry for the blurry cell phone pics. Jacob is still stealing the camera everyday.

We also colored in some Letter A flashcards....

And did some cutting practice which Jadon did not have much patience for today.

Tonight we went to one of Jadon's favorite stores only because of the shopping carts. They have little kids sized shopping carts. They look just like the adult ones and that is what makes them cool. He loves to push it around. Here is he waiting for Daddy to add more stuff to the cart.

Hoping Jadon sleeps well tonight. He was pretty congested by the time it was night night time. Really hoping he is not coming down with something and if he does it is gone by this weekend. This is his big weekend! He turns 3!!!

I am still coughing like crazy. Spent most of last night in our recliner so I would not keep my husband up all night. Hoping to get some rest tonight since it is a early morning workout day. Fingers crossed!

Meal Plan Monday

2012-02-20T19:52:00.000-06:00

Two doses of antibiotic and steroid down and I am feeling SO much better! Woohoo! My nephew came to play today. They were my only ones since today was President's Day and several of my families had the day off. It was a nice relaxing day. Tried to get Jake to play around with the camera and capture some pics of the boys but he must have not really been into it because none of them turned out really well. Here is J-Man though. Happy as a clam to have his cousin and buddy, Owen, here.

Now on this weeks meal plan:

Saturday:
Egg Rolls-We used some smoked pork we had frozen in these this time. They were good. Not flavors you would expect from an egg roll though.

Sunday:
Whole Chicken cooked on the grill (My husband's job)
Onion Soup Crock Pot Potatoes-basically just 6 potatoes diced up, shake up in a bag with some olive oil and a packet of dry onion soup mix and cook on low for 5 hours or until soft.

Monday:
Seven Layer Tostadas-these were Yummo!!!!! These may have been on an earlier menu and we ended up making something else. We do that around here sometimes.....

Source: kalynskitchen.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Tuesday:
Aunt Brenda's Spicy Potato Soup-will post recipe soon!

Wednesday:
PW's Mac N Cheese

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Thursday:

Crockpot Italian Turkey Meatballs

Source: skinnytaste.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Friday:
Night Out-Mom's night off

Bronchitis

2012-02-19T19:16:00.000-06:00

Ugh! We interrupt this blog for a round of bronchitis! Boo! Have been fighting it off all week! One day I would think I was feeling better and the next day I would be down for the count. Wednesday I after dealing with spells of the chills and then hot flashes, along with constant coughing, and a headache my husband sent me to bed at 7:30. I took some Nyquil before I went to bed and slept like a rock all night. Woke up feeling pretty good thought for sure I was getting better. The cough was still hanging around though I continued to not get much sleep. No more chills and hot spells though. Everyday I would tell myself if I am not better by tomorrow I am going to the doctor. Well today I finally gave in. I am so sick of coughing and now I have some head congestion on top of it. The prompt care doctor says that I have Bronchitis. I am the third person in our house to get Bronchitis in the last two months. Now that I have an antibiotic, prednisone, and a prescription (no codiene, I am allergic) cough medicine hopefully I will get some rest tonight.

I am pretty proud to say that despite not feeling real great all week I did make it to all three of my workouts. Yup....I finally decided last weekend that this was the week I start working my butt off (literally) and then on Sunday night I started coughing. Grrr...... I did it though! I was soooooo sore after the first workout. I am so out of shape! I had trouble doing stairs for about four days after the first workout and I had to one more workout while still being sore. The good news is that I have lost a total of 8 lbs! Now I need to get better by morning so I can make it another full week of workouts!

I did not really take many pictures this week because I was just trying to get through each day one day at a time. Most evenings all I wanted to do was veg out. Jake has been using the camera at school everyday this week. In the junior high they have 30 minutes that they did not know what to do with. It was too long to tack on to study hall so they created what they call 6.5. It is a "fun" class. They change themes. They just finished up a chess theme. Jake won the tournament I am proud to say. Now they are doing photography so he has been stealing the camera all week. We have had the camera we currently use less than a year and I have not taken the time to learn about many of the features. Well...now I will just have Jake show me. He now knows more about the camera than I do. Thought I would share some of the pics he and his classmates have been taking.

The group Jake is in found this little Darth Vador and they have been taking pictures of him all over the school grounds. I loved these two.

One of the other member's of Jake's photography group must have taken these motion pics of Jake. I got a kick out of them. I love that his learning so much and having fun.

Hopefully tomorrow I can return to my normal blogging schedule! Please pray I get a goods nights sleep!

Happy Valentine's Day and This Weeks Meal Plan

2012-02-14T18:46:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sorry I am late posting my meal plan! Yesterday was pretty crazy! Got up early (4:30) and went to my first workout at a local fitness and karate place. The workouts are three times a week and start bright and early at 5:00 am! It was a hard workout for me because I am so out of shape. It felt good to get it done though. Unfortunately I did not eat nearly enough before the workout (I only had a banana) and ended up feeling pretty sick by the time I got back home. Lesson learned. Need to load up on something with more bulk before I go workout. Going to try some almonds and an apple tomorrow. See if that is enough. Talked to my sister and she said it might take some trial and error to finally find something that will get me through. I have a hard time eating a lot that early in the morning. Not an early morning eater. Going to have to learn to like it though.

Saturday-Leftovers since the boys were gone at a Scout outing.

Sunday-Veggie Stir Fry

Monday-Cabbage Soup ( I was going to share the recipe but it ended up not being very impressive so I changed my mind.

Tuesday- Grandma Max's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wednesday-Seven Layer Tostadas

Source: kalynskitchen.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Thursday-Pizza Night

Friday-Eat Out

Today we did some fingerpainting. We had not done that in awhile. Jadon had not cared for it in the past. Did not care for getting his hands dirty. Today he got into it however. I was happy to see that. We finger painted with red and white paint. Then we sprinkled some pretty silver glitter over the paint while it was wet.

Friday Favorites!

2012-02-10T20:51:00.002-06:00

Was this week long for anyone else?? Ugh! I was so ready for the weekend! Think I am just worn out from potty training the little man. Good news! No accidents today! He has also made two trips with not accidents in big boy pants! I think he is potty trained! So exciting!

Here are a few of my favorite finds on Pinterest this week.

I love this pillow! Mainly the size of it but love the dots also!

Source: designsponge.com via Kiana on Pinterest

I like this nightstand and there is a tutorial for it! Hmmmmm.....

Source: shanty-2-chic.com via Kiana on Pinterest

I think these would be perfect in the basement!

Source: theochrelephant.wordpress.com via Kiana on Pinterest

I made these pancakes and they are really good!

Source: asproutingacorn.com via Kiana on Pinterest

I MUST try these brownies! So curious!

Source: keeperofthehome.org via Kiana on Pinterest

No pics from home today. Got sidetracked packing my husband for the Boy Scout outing this weekend. Have a great nighT

A Mommy's Daybook

2012-02-08T21:19:00.003-06:00

Outside My Window- There was just a light dusting of snow when we woke this morning. Saw a few more flakes fall throughout the morning. It was cloudy most of the day.

I Am Thinking-
About how good Jadon has done potty training this week. I am so proud of him.

Also wondering what chick flicks Shelby and I should watch this weekend while the boys are away on a Scout weekend.

I Am Wearing-
Same old same old. Sweats and a t-shirt. My job uniform of choice.

From Tot School Today-
We started our first letter lesson. We read about Abby The Alligator then the boys cut out some alligators and glued them on a letter A. After that we played the Parking Lot Game that I talked about in yesterday's post.

Parking Lot Game Action

I Am Thankful-
That Jadon is doing so good at potty training and that we will not be spending a ton of money on diapers anymore. I am also thankful that Jadon has been very cooperative with his evening stretches lately. Tonight he turned the pages in a book with Lefty will I read and stretched out Righty at the same time.

From The Kitchen-
I found a whole wheat pancake mix to try. Made and froze some for the kid's breakfasts for a few days. We will see what they say about them then I will know if it is a keeper or not.

Source: asproutingacorn.com via Kiana on Pinterest

I Am Creating-
A printable alphabet bingo game to play with the boys. Could not find one I liked on the internet.

I Am Reading-
Cookbooks. Looking for new somewhat healthy recipes to try. I love trying new things!

I Am Hearing-the washer run. Have been doing a late load of laundry ever since we started potty training so we have enough undies to start fresh tomorrow.

Around The House-
The floors are in desperate need of my steam mop but I really don't feel like doing it. Not that anyone cares just thought I would share.

One Of My Favorite Things-
Trying new recipes and learning new tricks in the kitchen. Especially ones that save money and are also healthy.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week-

The boys (Matt and Jake) are going to stay at a camping lodge with the Boy Scouts for the weekend. I am hoping to get some sewing projects done. The boys have been playing with the one dinosaur tail I made a lot. I really need to make a second one. Not sure if I have enough fabric though. This may need to wait a week. I do have some fabric waiting to become number bean bags. Fingers crossed I get those done this weekend! Need to work on some cutting files for vinyl projects also.

Tot School Tuesday

2012-02-07T21:15:00.002-06:00

Today was day four of potty training. I am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. We had a really successful afternoon. I think he is finally figuring out the control part of potty training. He even got up right after I put him down for nap to say he did not want a diaper on. He wanted his underwear on. Woohoo! Like the sound of that! Tonight he filled up all the squares on his potty chart! That meant he got to go to the store and pick out a new book!

He picked out How Do Dinosaurs Laugh Out Loud! He was pretty excited about it!

Only had to do one load of undies today and it waited til after bedtime! That is a lot nicer than the first two days when I felt like I was doing laundry every couple of hours! There was a big debate before we left for our trip into town to get Jadon's book about whether he should wear undies or a diaper. We decided that since he would very likely fall asleep on the way since he skipped his nap we better put him in a diaper. I was really excited to discover a dry diaper when we got home from our 45 minute trip!

I have not tot school action pics from today for you. Too focused on the potty training and forgot. Our Alphatales set of alphabet books came today so tomorrow we will be starting our letter A week with Abby Alligator. Got a great deal on this set on Ebay. The website 1plus1plus1 has a great set of blog posts and free printables to use with this set so we are going to follow along. You can find those on her Animal ABC page.

Source: 1plus1plus1equals1.com via Kiana on Pinterest

We are still working on counting. I have a Valentine's Day themed set of counting cards to go in our Education Cubes. I am sharing them if anyone would like to have a set. I am also getting ready to introduce a game called The Parking Lot Game to them that I found here. Hoping they like this one also.

Source: happybrownhouse.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Download HERE

Have a great night!!!

Meal Plan Monday

2012-02-06T16:13:00.001-06:00

Hi All!! Happy Monday! Here is our plan for this week!

Saturday:
Pizza Night-This weeks one pizza had turkey and sausage on it. The other had leftover grilled chicken, red onion, and green pepper on it.

Sunday:
15 Bean Enchiladas

Source: 5dollardinners.com via Kiana on Pinteres

Mexican Rice

Monday:
Chicken Noodle Soup

Source: browneyedbaker.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Tuesday:
Skinny Sloppy Joes

Source: skinnytaste.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Brussel Sprouts

Wednesday:
Crockpot Lasagna

Thursday:
Honey Sesame Chicken

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Friday:Leftover or Taco Night (just us girls and Jadon. Matt and Jake will be camping all weekend with the Boy Scouts)

I love this taco seasoning!! I have been using this for months and everyone likes it!

Source: smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com via Kiana on Pinterest

So now that you know what's for dinner I wanted to share some pictures from yesterday. We had an amazing weather day yesterday. It was sunny and upper 40's. It felt like spring. The bigs boys decided to get out of potty training central and have some fun. They went to our neighbors field to shoot some clay pigeons. This was Jake's first time. Sounds like they had a lot of fun. Wish I could have joined them. Always wanted to try it out but I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities when I am not in the middle of potty training. My husband tooks some pictures for me.

Happy Monday!!

Scrappin' Sunday

2012-02-05T11:50:00.001-06:00

Today the potty training continues....trying to get some things done while still be able to drop everything and rush to the potty. Jadon is going pantless for a few days while we get the hang of this. Bad enough I keep having to do loads of undies. Don't need anymore stuff to wash! Plus I read they really hate the feeling of pee running down the legs. It will all be worth it in a few days! I just know it!

Here are some scrappin' projects I worked on this week. The first one is the Layout A Month project that Simple As That is doing. Here is my January 2012 layout.

I love made a layout using an amazing template from Fiddle Dee Dee Designs! Love that more designers are making templates for those of us that love Storybook Creator. Thinking that I will order a print of this and get it framed for the wall.

Fiddle Dee Dee Designs also had a Facebook Timeline Template freebie on her fan page. I played around with that and made this for my Facebook profile.

Then I made myself a February Desktop for my laptop. Love the Capture Life February kit from Tracie Stroud!

Wish us luck with the potty training!!

We Interupt This Regulary Scheduled Weekend....

2012-02-04T18:33:00.000-06:00

For some potty training!

Jadon turns 3 in just a couple of weeks and I decided it is time to just jump in and get the potty training done! We have told him that he is not wearing diapers at home anymore (except naptime and bedtime). We started late this morning after returning home from running to pick up a 6 gallon stock pot my husband found in the classifieds (for brewing beer of course). Got the big boys pants on and set the timer. Thought I would start with 40 minutes. 7 pairs of underwear later (it is 6 pm now) we have had two successful number two's and one time making it to the potty to pee without getting some in the undies. Doing pretty well I would say! No plans for tomorrow so hopefully we continue to see more success. So tired of buying diapers!

I forgot to share some of my favorite finds from this week yesterday. Oops! Here they are!

Fixed Flat Roman Shade Tutorial

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Stuffed Animal Sleeping Bag-I think Jadon would get a kick out of me making some of these for him.

Source: conniekresin.blogspot.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Lowfat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread-gonna make this sometime this weekend.

Source: skinnytaste.com via Kiana on Pinterest

White Balsamic and Basil Chicken Pasta

Source: ohsweetbasil.com via Kiana on Pinterest

The next two are just fun! Love The Muppets!

Source: flix.gr via Kiana on Pinterest

Love Beaker!

Source: motifake.com via Kiana on Pinterest

This Peanut Butter and Jelly Game is absolutely adorable! Gotta make this one!

Source: whipup.net via Kiana on Pinterest

Getting Fit

2012-02-02T21:45:00.000-06:00

Three pounds gone!! That is what the scale said yesterday and just to be sure I was not dreaming it I checked again today. Same number! Really happy with that. I know that some weeks will not be like that but it was a nice reward for a tough week last week. I had a hard start last week. Felt deprived and grumpy. I had a good week this week. I am starting to figure out the best things to eat for me. Things that keep me full and still taste good. I am also learning that I need to spread my food out during the day. Instead of eating several things at lunch I am eating a sandwich or something similar and one other small thing. Then waiting an hour or two and having something else. This has been helping me get to dinner without binging on junk. This week has been a good week but I am sure they will not all be easy. I know this is going to be hard work.

I need to do this. As of yesterday I am on a beta blocker for my blood pressure. Boo! Medicine sucks. My doctor believes that if I loose the weight I can come off of the medication or at least give it a shot. The thing is I don't just need some gimmick diet so I can get the weight off. I need to change the way I eat forever. That just makes sense since I am obviously not one of those people who can eat whatever they want, whenever they want and be skinny. Is there such a person?

Luckily Matt and I like to play around in the kitchen and learn new recipes. The last week or so we have been making batches of beef broth and chicken broth. This is a much better of option for our family since there is a lot of sodium in the store bought brands. I also learned that I can buy dry beans, cook them, and freeze them for later use. I love this!! Now I don't have to buy canned beans either! Again more sodium. I am hoping to keep learning more and more useful information like that!

I spent part of naptime today trying to figure out what the heck quinoa is. Apparently it is very good for you. I keep seeing it on all sorts of healthy eating blogs. That is my mission for this weekend. Find this stuff and give it a shot. Anyone have any tips?

My favorite good food that feels like a treat for this week is a smoothie. Yummy! I got this bad boy at Walmart last week. It was a pretty reasonable price and I figured between Shelby and I it would see some good use. I really like it. It come with several containers and lids. I can make a smoothie at lunchtime, put it in the fridge, and have it during naptime when my hunger cravings (or boredom) start to kick in. Shelby prepares her breakfast smoothie the night before so she does not have to make time for it in her rushed morning.

What smoothie recipes do I use? Well, for the most part I just throw stuff in. I usually use 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt or greek yogurt, 1/2 cup milk, a dash of vanilla, and then throw in whatever fruit I feel like using. I buy the frozen bags of fruit at Walmart. I did find a recipe in a Biggest Loser book I am that I tried today it was pretty good. I adapted it a little to be lower calories.

Peanut Butter/Banana Smoothie-
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup milk (preferrably fat free but I only had 2%), 1 small banana, and 1 tbsp of peanut butter.

I tasted pretty good! The recipe called for 2 tbsp of peanut butter but I looked at the calories on the label of the peanut butter I have at home currently and that would have been over 200 calories! Holy cow!

I am curious about a few smoothies I have seen on Pinterest that have spinach in them. Gonna try that soon also!

Below is a pic of our smoked pulled pork and black bean soup we made the other night. That meal number three with the pulled pork before we froze it. Matt just wings it but so I have a hard time coming up with a recipe but I can tell you what was in it.

Ingredients: homemade chicken broth, the equivalent of 2 can of black beans (we used cooked and frozen ones), tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, diced potatoes, corn, pulled pork, celery. I bet diced zucchini and green pepper would also be good in this. He pretty much just keeps adding ingredients and taste testing until he is happy with it. He is talented like that. Me....I need a recipe.

I plan on having some of this yummy soup for lunch tomorrow. No crackers though. Decided those are totally not worth the calories or the sodium. A bummer.

One week down. Proud of myself. Hopefully I can keep up the good attitude. No whining!!! Time to call it a night!

Favorite part of the day-I let the boys run in circles around the table this morning to burn off some energy. Jadon decided that he wanted to wear his dinosaur tail and pretend to be a dinosaur and chase his friends. Then the boys started taking turns being the dinosaur. When I could not take anymore of the noise and was concerned that if I let it go on too long someone might end up getting hurt I declared that is was time for stories. Jadon decided that he wanted to listen to our stories as a dinosaur. Had to take a pic because this just did not look comfortable. He is so silly.

If you are reading this and are also on a weight loss journey you are sharing I would love if you left a link to your blog in comments. If you have any tips you have learned I would also love to hear those as well!

Have a great evening!

A Mommy's Daybook

2012-02-01T20:24:00.002-06:00

Outside My Window- It was a bright, sunny, very springlike day for the third day in a row. Very, very strange weather.

I am thinking- About what sayings I want to put on some signs I want to make to raffle off at a Boy Scout Spagetti Dinner that we are planning.

I am also thinking about Jadon's birthday coming up. Need to decide where to get a cake. Need to schedule an appointment for his pictures. Think he is really going to have a fun b-day this year. We have been talking a lot about how he is going to be 3 soon. He has been telling people.

I am wearing- PJ's right now. Actually wore jeans instead of sweats today.

From the tot school- Continuing number recognition and counting. Planning on starting letters next week. Noticed that Jadon needs more practice with tracing and fine motor control so we will be doing more prewriting activities.

I am thankful- For insurance. Three of us went to the doctor yesterday. One for a sports physical, one for a nasty cough that ended up being bronchitis, and myself for my blood pressure. Ugh!

For my mother in law who came and played with the boys I watch while I took Jadon to his early childhood screening this morning.

From the kitchen- The kitchen is pretty quiet tonight. Have made beef broth and chicken broth this week. They are in the freezer. Planned on a making a loaf of whole wheat bread tonight but don't think I am going to get to it. Maybe tomorrow.

I am creating- My mom's perpetual b-day calendar still. Some printables for the kids.

I am reading- Still reading Girl Hunter. Have not been in much of a reading mood lately. Darn you Pinterest!!!

I am hearing-
Silence. It is very quiet right now. Jadon is looking at books. Shelby and Jake are both in their rooms. Matt is on his computer.

One of my favorite things-
I love smoothies this week! They are a yummy treat while I am trying to eat healthy.

Around the house:

Found a duvet cover on the clearance shelves at Walmart that I like so I bought it. Guess I can take making a duvet cover off my sewing list! It was just the cover and two pillow shams. Put it on my bed last night and quickly noticed that I will be needing a new dust ruffle. The green one from my last set was clashing bad with the new colors. Yuck! Adding that to the list of things to look for when we are out and about this weekend.

Prayers and Intentions for the rest of the week-
*Praying that I continue to stay on track with eating healthy.

*Praying that Jacob starts feeling better very soon and that he does well on his constitution test next week.

*No big plans for the rest of the week. The beginning of this week was the busiest.

Cuteness:

Jadon playing under a blanket. He loves to do this lately.

Ms. Ella playing on the floor with some toys.

Tot School Tuesday

2012-01-31T13:44:00.000-06:00

We are still focusing on our counting and number recognition. Next week we are going to begin working on our letters also. Today we played a new game. It was a roll and build game. I cut out the parts to the snowman and laminated the chart. Each boy rolled the dice and counted the number of dots. Then we looked at the chart and found the picture of the die that looked the same. Once we found that we figured out which piece of the snowman it was time to glue on. The boys really liked this game. I think I am going to come up with some of our own versions.

We will definitely be playing a game like this again!

On our trays today were: Play dough, a circle mat, some garden stones and a rolling pin.

Dry erase pre-writing worksheet.

Tongs, containers, and zoo pasta for tranferring.

Now for my favorite moment of the day. Jadon wanted to help me feed Ella. He loves to be my helper. He did a pretty good job!

Meal Plan Monday

2012-01-30T22:06:00.002-06:00

This is my second meal plan for this week. I created one meal plan last week and then my husband said "I think I will smoke something this weekend". Hmmm...okay. Not gonna tell him no. Yum! We found pork butt (shoulder) on sale for $1.50 /lb and grabbed two of them. He figured if he is gonna take the time to do one might as well do two and freeze some. Sounds good to me.

So here is our revised meal plan for this week.

Saturday:
Pizza Night-Used the dough from my new favorite book "Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day". So easy! I will never buy a pizza again. Easy and quick enough to make daycare lunch even!! They actually have a book just for pizza's and flatbreads now. Definitely on my wish list! Of course used my Mock Papa John's Pizza Sauce recipe you can find HERE.

One pizza was turkey sausage and green olives. The second pizza was a Jalepeno Burn I found here. I thought it was yummy!

Sunday:
Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Corn
Baked Potatoes

Monday:
Pulled Pork Quesadillas (leftover shredded pork, diced onion, diced green pepper, and shredded cheese)

Mexican Rice (recipe from Mixes Ebook Vol. 1 from Savingdinner.com)
Mix ingredients:
In an airtight container, combine the following ingredients-
1 tbsp. dried onion flakes
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chicken bouillion granules (my husband suggested that next time we just use our homemade chicken broth in place of the water and chicken bouillion to cut down on sodium. We are going to do that next time)

Store in a cool,dry, place for up to 3 months.

To prepare:
Mexican Rice Mix
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups of water

Instructions: Heat oil in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid; add Mexican Rice Mix; cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. Stir in tomato sauce and water; bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 mintues.

Makes 4 servings.

Tuesday:
Matt's Smoked Pork and Black Bean Soup. I will be back with a recipe of sorts once I make it. My husband made it once and it was yummy. He has told me what he has suggested I put in it. Once I make it I will post it.

Wednesday:
Skinny Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Source: skinnytaste.com via Kiana on Pinterest

Thursday:
Grilled Chicken Breast (marinated in Italian Dressing)
Broccoli
Salad

Friday:

Grocery Night-Mommy's night off

Kiana

Scrappin' Sunday

2012-01-29T19:56:00.000-06:00

For the first time in awhile I got a layout done! Been so busy making the menu planner and education cube printables that I was not scrappin'.

I used Tracie Stroud's Sunshine In My Soul kit for this layout.

I also thought I would share with you the February page of my perpetual b-day calendar I have been working on for my mom. I am really happy with how it is turning out.

I used Tracie Stroud's Capture Life: February kit for this page.

Hope you had a relaxing weekend! Matt smoked two pork shoulders to make pulled pork. We used some for our dinner tonight and will freeze the rest for later meals. He figures if he is going to take the time (all day) to do one might as well do two! My dad came out to have dinner with us. My mom unfortunately got called into work so she did not make it. I sent home leftovers for her. Preparing myself for another busy week like last week.

Snow!!

2012-01-28T19:24:00.001-06:00

It snowed last night! This morning it was a beautiful site! It was a heavy wet snow that sticks to the trees and makes everything look like a winter wonderland. The bonus was that it was not so, so cold that is was unbearable to be out in it so Jadon finally got a chance to play in the snow! His Daddy pulled him on the sled behind our little John Deere garden tractor up and down the lane a couple of times. He loved it!

The doggies liked playing in the snow also! Can't believe I got them both to sit for this picture!

Hope everyone had an awesome Saturday! We just finished homemade pizza night. Jake has a friend over for the night, Shelby is at a friends house, and Jadon is trying to be one of the big boys til he goes to bed. Hope he does not annoy Jake's friend to much!