My Spirited Adventure

Preschool Homeschool part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:53:00 +0000

I've wanted to home school for a long time now. I've looked at so many resources and read so many forums that I have been excited to jump in. So what if I was looking at curriculum when The Kid was barely 3? But there is no more "browsing." This is it. I am starting homeschool next week (yes, at the end of March...).

The Kid will be 4 in a month. The Other One will be 2 in June (though he is mostly a tag-along). I know that formal preschool is not really necessary. But you know what? Who cares?! I think it is going to be fun! Plus it will add a little more structure to our days (something we all need) while giving The Kid the engaging and educational interaction he needs.

It is no surprise that we are on a tight budget at the Spirited household. For the foreseeable future, the plan is not to buy a curriculum (unless it is one that can finally teach me to use commas correctly, because I would pay anything for that!) but rather use the great resources available on the internet. I think that this is pretty achievable, especially in the early years.

One reason I put off doing preschool for a while is that, honestly, I got overwhelmed with what was best. Some say you shouldn't do anything formal, to just let kids be kids and learn through play. Then there are packaged curriculum teaching all kinds of life lessons along with art, science, math, etc. One popular option homeschoolers pick for preschool (especially those wanting something cheap-free) is the Letter of the Week curriculum at Confessions of a Homeschooler. I really liked it and originally was just going to go with that (especially since it is so stinkin' cute!), but it just wasn't exactly what I was looking for. The Kid has known his alphabet for quite some time and it all just seemed a little too repetitive and easy for him at the time.

Then I read about Lesson Pathways, which is a completely free curriculum. I thought that would be perfect, since it would give The Kid the challenge he needs. But then I realized that perhaps that would be too challenging. Then I thought about unit studies and creating my own. But then all the possibilities just got too darn overwhelming. And I gave up. For several months.

But now I have decided what I am going to do. I don't care if it is the right way to do things. I am doing mostly fun, interactive activities with the boys, just with a learning aspect to it. I went back to Letter of the Week curriculum as my base idea. Even though The Kid knows his letters, I am still going to focus on one letter a week as a sort of base to phonics/reading that we will start with in kindergarten. But in my version, there will be two different twists.

The first is based on Confessions of a Slacker Mom's Walk Beside Me preschool curriculum (an LDS twist on LOTW). Just like with LOTW, I will pick and choose the aspects that I want to include in our homeschool.

The other twist is based (very, very loosely) on the Before Five In a Row curriculum. Basically it gave me the idea to choose a book every week to explore and do activities based on. But keeping with the ABC theme, the book will correspond with that week's letter.

A lot of preschool/pre-k activities and curriculum you find online involve a lot of printing and using (wasting) a lot of paper. The LOTW and Walk Beside Me curriculum involve a lot of the same pages with only slight variations for each letter. There are also tons of tot packs you can find out there that are also great free resources, but unfortunately involve a lot of printing with only slight variations among packs (like one has pumpkins and P's while the other has rainbows and R's). These are great. I am not knocking these or anyone who uses them. When I see a new pack posted online my first thought is "print it all!!!" But I don't want to waste my paper, ink, or create all that waste. While I could make most of it reusable (which I will talk about), that would still leave me using lots of paper and ink while having to store lots of pages.

My solution is to pick and choose just a few from each letter. Many pages I will make reusable by either laminating or putting in page protectors. I will be very selective in what themed pages I print so that my resources can be used again and again in various situations and times of year.

Part 2 of this post will go into a little more detail of what I have planned for my curriculum. I am really excited about this and can't wait to share how it goes next week!

Ebay Is No Joke!

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:08:00 +0000

It has been over a month since I have posted - a month! Not because I want to quit blogging, I really enjoy it, but because I just haven't had the time!

After getting sucked into an Ebay post on Diaper Swappers, I decided to try my hand at selling. At the end of July/beginning of August I decided to get my feet wet by listing a couple things I had around the house. Then when those sold, I decided to brave the world of buying to resell!

While I certainly haven't gotten rich, and never will, I have made a little profit and am enjoying it. I even decided to stop wading in the water yesterday and jump right in and make a store! It made financial sense to do that with my plans for my inventory, so I figured why not?!

Selling on Ebay is no joke. There is some real money to be made selling online, but it takes work and knowledge. I am still learning the ins and outs of listing as well as taking the best pictures and what items sell best. I have a few long-term goals for my store, but at the moment, I just want to be able to pay my bill (Ebay bill) and give myself a little bit of spending money every month. A modest goal for the beginning, I think.

I've also been busy lately trying to prepare for a move. We are selling our home and renting a house closer to The Husband's job, cutting his commute in half! That means less time spent in a car for him (gas is not a concern, though) and more time with us! Yes! We are also just kinda ready for a change in our lives and think that this move will be just the thing for our family.

Let me tell you, packing is no joke either! Boxes and bins are stacked to the ceiling in the playroom and I feel like I have gotten nothing accomplished! There are some things that are just being packed and we will ultimately decide when we unpack whether to keep or not, but I am trying to take this time to really go through a lot of our things and throw out and get rid of! This is in turn growing my yard sale and Ebay piles. Fine by me!

I am going to try to make more of an effort to blog at least weekly. My life just feels like it is up in the air right now and I can't wait until we get settled in the new house so I can get back into some sort of a routine and really carve out time for Ebaying and blogging instead of just dashing to the computer when I have a minute.

Shaving Cream Pool

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:04:00 +0000

I few weeks ago I had a friend of mine over who has a 5 year old girl that The Kid loves to play with. The plan was to have an outdoor playdate with pool time and a shaving cream slide. The weather, however, wasn't aware of our plans. It was cold. And windy. So there was going to be no bathing suit time outside.

The kids did play outside for a little while on the swing set, but I was still disappointed to not get to break out the shaving cream. Until it hit me that we still could! We have a small, hard kiddie pool that I brought in the house and put in the middle of the living room floor. Then I filled it with shaving cream!

The Little One was the first to try it out. The Kid and his friend weren't so sure about it at first, but quickly decided that it was super fun!

I should note here that I intended to put some swim trunks on The Little One as well, but he had different plans and was too impatient for that!

I dropped in toys like little dinosaurs and legos and added a rubbermaid box of water that they could use to clean the toys off.

They played in this for so long! And when it was finally time to get out, the older two decided that a game of crawling chase was in order.

Boy, am I glad that we ripped up the carpet last year!

After all this there was no wiping down of these kids. A bath was in order! So I filled the tub (luckily the bathroom is right off the living room!) and in they went. Again, they had a blast!

While the kids played and splashed, we mamas wiped down the floor. Let me tell you, that was a workout!

I'm pretty sure that this is what ended the shaving cream pool. Poor little guy put his face down in the cream! I tried to wipe it off but he kept trying to wipe it off as well...with his shaving cream covered arm. So yeah, the problem only kept getting worse! So into the tub he went!

How about you? Would you ever consider having a shaving cream pool in the house?

Shape Mats

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 12:45:00 +0000

So I saw this pinned a couple weeks ago and immediately clicked over when I saw the shape mats the kids were using. I figured that there would be some printable shapes for me or a link to where I could find them. Nope. Neither. So I of course had to immediately make my own.

Only it wasn't immediately. Because in order to make my own I had to use the actual computer. And mommy doesn't get much computer time. Unless it is to tear The Little One (the new name for Michelin Man since he isn't so Michelin Man-y anymore) away from it - since his new favorite thing is to climb up on the computer chair and press as many keys as he can - and try to close out whatever he opens. And did I mention he thinks that all computers are touchscreens? Yeah, somebody likes the Kindle.

Where was I? Oh yeah. So eventually when I was given more than two minutes to use the computer by myself I whipped up some colorful shape mats. Then I got to laminate them! I use an exclamation there because I LOVE to laminate things.

When I was finished I excitedly showed them to The Husband, very proud of what I did. He was watching Battlestar Gallactica at the time so I figured he was ignoring me. I expect him to pause the show and give me his full attention as I explain to him how these mats are going to help our boys get into Harvard...only he doesn't. I go on about how they can use yarn, pipe cleaners, and play-doh to mold around the shapes, and yada yada yada. When he continues to look at the television and doesn't respond I add "And you really don't care do you?"

His response? "I do, I think you did a great job. And since they are laminated you can also trace the shapes with a dry-erase marker."

I hate when he does that.

I've had these done for about a week now but just finally got them out today during The Little One's nap and The Kid loved them. We used the dry-erase markers first on them. He wasn't very confident in his ability to do it at first so I had to trace them all first, but then I finally got him to try it on his own (after helping him do it a couple times) and he continued doing them even after I had to leave the playroom.

These are great for shape recognition and the different colors means you can also turn it into an activity with colors, too. The mats are also helpful for strengthening fine motor skills as kids have to manipulate different objects to form the shapes.

In case you are interested in making a set of these for your own kids, I have uploaded my printables for you. Just click the picture to get started.

Christmas In July

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 01:14:00 +0000

Every year I try to at least start planning for Christmas earlier. I hate trying to get presents made/bought/put together at the last minute. I have several ideas for people in my head (I actually started a list in Google Docs on January 3rd lol) and I've actually started on one that I am making (well, I actually make most of my presents at least in part).

Aside from the obvious not having to rush thing, starting early on Christmas presents means that you can take advantage of sales and online deals throughout the year. I try to keep an eye out for the photo deals that are run throughout the year (especially the last few months) because those make great gifts. I just got done ordering three personalized photo grocery totes from York Photo for $1 a piece. After shipping I paid $10.97, but I still thought that was an awesome deal. Now the hard part will be trying to not keep them for myself ;)

I thought the apple one would be cute for my mom since she works in a classroom...and since she is a grandmother she loves showing pictures of her family :)

I'm not exactly sure when this promo ends, but if you are interested in doing it, use code YORKTOTEAD at checkout to drop the price from $8.99 to $1 each. You don't have to get three, you can get two or just one if you want. If you are new to York Photo you get 40 free 4x6 prints, but I opted not to get those because it added around $3 to my shipping. I know, I know, that is still a really good price. But I am cheap and I know that free print deals come around all the time so I just have to be patient.

Hopefully I can get finished with the gift that I started like 2 months ago soon so I can show it to you guys. I am excited about it and hope the recipient loves it. That is the hard part of gift giving, being unsure about whether or not the person likes their gift. Sure, most people are very appreciative of whatever you give them. But I don't just want people to appreciate my gifts, I want them to enjoy and use them. Hmmmm....

This Is The Life

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 23:45:00 +0000

In the middle of the day today, Wednesday, I was sitting out in the sun next to the pool with my feet up, a cool breeze on my face, and a Kindle in my hand to explore Pinterest and read whatever I felt like. Just the thought of what I was doing made me feel guilty about being a stay at home mom while my loving husband slaved away at work.

Then Michelin Man walks over to me and starts fussing at me because, well, he is 11 months old and that's what they do, playing with my belly fat and wiping dirt/mud all over me and The Kid joins in the fun by spitting at me (well, not spitting exactly, but making noise with his lips that also happens to make him spray saliva everywhere). Then The Kid drags me over to the pool (um, a kiddie pool) and makes me get in where they both decide to attack my chest (darn halter tops and their accessible boobies!).

Guilt gone.

$40 Ecomom Voucher as Low as $18

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:03:00 +0000

Plum District has brought back one of my favorite deals - half price Ecomom.com vouchers! Ecomom has all sorts of eco-friendly products, from toys and lunchboxes to baby carriers and food.

The current deal is a $40 voucher for only $20, but if you pay with a Visa card you can use code visa10 to get 10% off. Shipping on the site is free on orders over $50 and make sure to read the fine print on the voucher as always.

I think this is a great opportunity to get started Christmas shopping!

How Old Is Too Old? pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I wrote about how extended breastfeeding and promised part two of the post the next week. Well that didn't happen. Life got in the way but I am finally doing it. I suppose this is a good time for me to write my feelings on the subject as there are dozens of extended nursing posts right now because of the Time issue.

As I said, I still nurse The Kid, at 3 years old, even though I used to be grossed out by the idea of nursing an older child. So what changed my mind?

Nursing. That changed my mind. Does that answer sound like a cop out? Let me explain. We all can say what we would or wouldn't do in a situation as much as we want, but until we are actually in that situation we can't say with certainty how we will react or conduct ourselves. That is how it was with me. My attitude gradually changed from "I'll stop nursing when he has teeth" to "I'll stop nursing when he can ask for it" to "I'll cut him off at 4 if he hasn't weaned yet." Currently I am going back and forth between weaning when he is ready and weaning when he is 4 or 5. I see no need for him to stop nursing now. It is not hurting him and is actually beneficial.

There seems to be this widespread belief that breastmilk suddenly loses all nutrition when the kid turns 12 months. Not true. Nursing obviously does not make as big a nutritional impact on an older toddler as it does a newborn or even Michelin Man, but it is still beneficial. Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters, and breastmilk can help fill in the gaps that are left in your child's less-than-ideal diet. The Kid has always eaten a pretty decent and well-rounded diet for the most part, but nursing him kept me from worrying that he was still missing some important nutrients. Check out these cool facts from Kellymom.com:

In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:

29% of energy requirements

43% of protein requirements

36% of calcium requirements

75% of vitamin A requirements

76% of folate requirements

94% of vitamin B12 requirements

60% of vitamin C requirements

In fact, Kelly Mom has all the reasons why breastfeeding a toddler is important, so I will not repeat them. I will just get back to why I breastfeed.

When I started this post, The Kid was still a toddler. Now he is a preschooler. That means that about once a day I stick my breast in my walking, talking, mostly potty trained kid's mouth. The Time magazine cover has been the topic of much conversation this week. Some people say that I am harming him psychologically by still nursing him. They compare what I do to having sex with him. They say I need to let him grow up and gain some independance. Some say that I need to let him sit at the table and eat some real food.

Let me just say that many of the things I have read and been told personally over the past week are hurtful. But I do understand. Our culture is obsessed with sex and it is natural to be scared of the unknown. And most people don't know what it is like to nurse a baby, much less a child.

People forget, or don't understand, that nursing is not just about getting food. Breastmilk is unique in that it changes to best suit your child's needs I do not nurse The Kid when he is hungry. He eats solid food just like the rest of us for that. I nurse him for comfort. Not mine, as some people are quick to say, but for his. When he is hurt or afraid, he tells me "need mommy" and I know what he needs. He needs to be held and to be shown that he is loved. He needs a special person in his life to let him know that everything is ok, just as any other 3 year old would. Only the way I do that is by nursing him.

My breasts were one of the first things he encountered when he entered this world. They provided him with food when he was hungry and comforted him when he was sick, tired, or scared.

The Kid is at a really hard time in his young life. He is able to do and say so much, but there is still so much that he can't do and that he doesn't understand. And he doesn't understand why he can't do them! So why, in this upsetting time, would I take away the one thing he has been able to turn to for comfort his entire life?

I understand that a long nursing relationship is not for everyone. Sometimes the child weans on his own and sometimes mom is touched out and wants to stop. Those relationships are fine, too. But for The Kid and me, our relationship is fine how it is, so I will not be stopping it anytime soon.

Gratituesday: Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:52:00 +0000

I am going through a hard time in my life right now. And at times I feel very alone and need support. So support I am getting. I have a good friend who is stepping up to ensure that I am kept busy and always have someone to talk to if needed. A friend who has offered just about every kind of help you can think of and apologizes that she can't do more.

But this one friend is also just part of a small group of ladies that I feel connected to. I tend to be rather sarcastic and makes jokes, particularly when talking about things that are serious. I do not open up to a lot of people, but this group makes me feel that I can. There is no judgement and they understand what I am going through. We are all different and have different beliefs, but we are kind and understanding towards these differences. And I love that. Until these ladies came along, I never knew that friends could be so different yet still get along.

I had friends growing up, but looking back on my younger life, I realize that I never had a really good friend. Looking back I can't call my best friends "good friends." I never really felt comfortable really being serious and talking about things that were real with them. While I still care for some of them and would help them out if ever they needed it, they feel more like they were just friends out of convenience. I am from a small town and there were only so many people to be friends with :)

I think friends are important to have, no matter how young or old. Everyone needs at least one other person they can laugh with and share not only their struggles but their successes. Today I am truly grateful that the Lord not only led me into their lives over two years ago but also helped me know, through my struggles, what friends really are.

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

PS: This lack of friends does not include my very first friend and playmate, my fabulous sister, The Boss :)

Wordless Wednesday: Peanut Butter Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:29:00 +0000

This is what happens when you leave the top to the peanut butter within reach of the baby.

4 Weeks To Fill Your Freezer: Day 8 (cornbread mix)

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:40:00 +0000

I think today's freezer cooking took all of about 5 minutes from start to finish. While mixing up cornbread muffins (from a mix) at my mom's house to go with dinner it occurred to me that I could do this same thing at home. But healthier and cheaper. So I did.

I measured out the ingredients for cornbread and put them in mason jars that are sitting on the door of my freezer. I used masking tape and a sharpie marker to make labels with the contents and what needed to be added.

Now all I have to do when I want cornbread is dump, add milk and eggs, mix, and bake. Just like if I was using a store-bought mix!

Whole Grain Cornbread Mix

3/4 c whole grain cornmeal
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 tbsp bakind powder
3/4 tsp salt

Mix ingredients together in a jar or bag. Store in freezer since using whole grain flour. To use, mix with one egg and one cup of milkpour into prepared pan/muffin tins, and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes if in a pan, 10-12 if in muffin pans.

*This is obviously not a sweet cornbread but tastes just as good with about a tablespoon of sugar or maple syrup added to the batter if preferred.

4 Weeks To Fill Your Freezer: Week 2 Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:03:00 +0000

Another week is here, which means another plan for filling my freezer! I've decided to make this week much simpler and hopefully focus more on some other things in my life. So here are the 7 foods I have planned to freeze this week:

cornbread mix
cake mix
tortillas
rice/bean burritos
mashed potatoes
chicken nuggets
oatmeal muffins

4 Weeks To Fill Your Freezer: Day 5 (mini chicken pot pies)

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Sun, 06 May 2012 15:16:00 +0000

On today's agenda was mini chicken pot pies and mini broccoli and cheese pot pies. The chicken pot pies were pretty simple to whip up but I wasn't completely thrilled with them so will be tweaking the recipe a little bit to try at a later time. They were also a pain to get out of the pan.

I based the broccoli and cheese mini pot pies off of the chicken pot pie recipe but tweaked it a little after not being satisfied with the original. I am going to play with it a little before posting. I greased the muffin tins with oil for these so they came out of the pan much easier.

These were fast to whip up and I didn't really spend much more time in the kitchen than I would have anyway since we ate some of these for lunch. These are good warm or cold so they also make a good lunch box food.

4 Weeks To Fill Your Freezer: Day 4 (spaghetti casserole and homemade skillet meals)

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Sat, 05 May 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Day 4's cooking was just supposed to be spaghetti casserole and Mari's Magic Freezer Meals, but last night I wanted to bake some oatmeal for a quick breakfast so I decided to double the recipe and freeze some. I got 11 muffins (all the silicone liners I could find in my house), an 8 x 8 dish, and a small rectangle Pyrex dish...let's go with 5 x 7.


Chocolate Banana Baked Oatmeal

I also made a double batch of meatless spaghetti casserole and froze it in two Pyrex dishes. Then I made two bags of Mari's Magic Freezer meals. Some time ago, I believe it was when I was pregnant with The Kid and she was pregnant with Robot Boy, The Boss (my sister if you are new here) had the great idea to make our own homemade versions of Birdseye Voila meals. Well, she never got around to making them, but I did. And while discussing names for them, The Husband dubbed them "Mari's Magic Freezer Meals" since all you do is dump a frozen bag of food in a pan and a few minutes later you have a complete meal.

Aren't those peppers pretty?

The key to making them is cooking all your ingredients separately, flash-freezing, then combining. For this one I froze spaghetti sauce in my cute little silicone ice cube trays (you could use plastic or even just plop globs of sauce down on a silicone/foil/waxed paper lined baking sheet to freeze. I then froze al dente pasta in a single(ish) layer and also bell pepper strips (you could saute these first but I like the crunch this way. You would do meat the same way (I didn't get a picture of the chicken).

When everything is frozen you just plop it all in the bag and squeeze out all the air. When you are ready to cook, you just pour out the contents of the bag in a large skillet, add ~1/4 cup water, then heat over medium until warmed through, stirring occasionally.

How easy is that? Cook, freeze, dump. Then you have your very own skillet meals! You can use any pasta you like (shorter ones work better) and any combination of sauces, meats, and vegetables. Much cheaper, much healthier.

Lunch In A Box

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I love the idea of bento boxes. These little boxers with their various compartments are based on the classic Japanese takeout or home packed meals filled with lots of different, nutritious foods. The word "bento" originates from a word meaning "convenient" or "convenience" and that is just what bento boxes are.

They are an easy and convenient way to pack an assortment of appropriate portion sized foods. Bentos allow the user to have all their food in one place instead of carrying around several different packages/containers. These are especially popular for kids because they make food more fun to eat and allow for more kid-friendly sizes. They are also great for packing healthy lunches and snacks (who wouldn't love to open up their container to find a rainbow of fruits and vegetables?).

LunchBot Quad with dates, cucumbers, yello/green bell peppers, and a trail mix of almonds, sunflower seeds, and mini chocolate chips

The popularity of bento boxes has exploded in the past few years, and along with it, the bento box market.There are sets that have multiple pieces, such as Laptop Lunch, and sets that are one piece (other than the lid) with built in compartments, such as Goodbyn and Easy Lunchboxes.

If you are a plastic-free house (or nearly so like us), you still have choices. We use (and love) stainless steel Lunchbots - we have an uno, duo, trio, and quad! I think the trio is my favorite. These work equally well for snacks or small meals (though most of the kid's foods really are just snacks). What I really, really want is a Planetbox Lunchbox, but I can't swing that one-time cost right now (if anyone ever finds a great deal on these, let me know!).

Pyrex with peanut butter & jelly, animal grahams in a silicone muffin liner, bell pepper and cucumber slices, veggie dip in a 4 oz canning jar and pineapple chunks in a baby food jar

Another product we use and love is the To-Go Ware stainless steel 3 piece carrier. Though it is not a bento box per se, it is still great for packing luches. I originally bought it for The Husband a year ago, but the design doesn't work well for him now at work. So now it is The Kid's and mine. Which is fine by me. It works well to hold an entire lunch for us to take somewhere. When I want to separate foods or add something liquidy, I use baby food jars or 4 oz cannnig jars.

When I'm not sending random leftovers and odds-and-ends with him for lunch, I really like to make my own bento boxes from Pyrex dishes for The Husband (which is why I ordered another set with my giftcard). I like to use silicone muffin liners to separate smaller items.

The Husband's lunch of corn, carrot sticks, mandarin oranges, an apple, a brownie, and taco meat. The meat and corn did not get an additional lid; the pyrex lid kept the food in the smaller containers.

Spinach leaves and cheese to go with the taco meat above.

While I do not have a kid in school to pack a lunch for school, we are on the go a lot and since we live in the middle of nowhere, packing a lunch or at least a snack is a requirement. Whether we are running errands, going to the zoo, or just visiting relatives. I've shared how we pack meals for on-the-go, but what about you?

How do you pack food on-the-go?

4 Weeks To Fill Your Freezer: Day 3 (LaraBars)

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:41:00 +0000

I love LaraBars. Aside from being tasty they are pretty darn good for you, as they are just dried fruits and nuts ground together. Some flavors have spices and a few have chocolate chips, but they are still a great snack alternative. But they are pricey. So for the most part I stick to making mine at home. Of course, they can still get expensive at home depending on what you put in them {have you SEEN the price of unsweetened, dried cherries?!} so I tend to make mine with lower cost ingredients. No cashews or dried blueberries for me...

This evening I made chocolate chip brownie larabars and oatmeal raisin cookie ones. Both are very yummy if I do say so myself. I do not have any pictures of the real thing to show you since I made these late at night, but how about some pictures of the boys from our trip to the children's museum this morning? That's almost the same thing, right? Right? :)

Chocolate Chip Brownie LaraBars

2 cups almonds
2 cups pitted dates
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Blend together first three ingredients in food processor.
2. Mix in chips by hand until well distributed.
3. Press firmly into 8 x 8 square pan and chill until firm. Cut into desired bar size. I cut mine into 10 bars.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie LaraBars

1 cup almonds
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup dates
1 cup raisins
pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup raisins (optional)

1. Blend together all but optional raisins in food processor.
2. If desired, mix in optional raisins by hand until well mixed.
2. Press firmly into 8 x 8 square pan and chill until firm. Cut into desired bar size. I cut mine into 10 bars.

Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or put in a snack size baggie and throw in the freezer to pull out later. The only problem you will have is not eating them right away!

4 Weeks To Fill Your Freezer: Day 2 (enchiladas & refried beans)

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:46:00 +0000

Today started with finishing yesterday's list: tortillas. And they are delicious if I do say so myself.

I also had more than one thing on my list today, three to be exact. BUT, I had to make refried beans to make the enchiladas, so I might as well make a double batch so I have plenty to freeze. And while I was making enchiladas I figured I should make the ones I saw last week that intrigued me.

benas being mashed...beautiful, huh?

Nothing today was very labor intensive at all. The slow cooker did all the work for me with the beans pretty much and I had already made the tortillas. All I had to do was scoop and roll :) I got two pans of barbecue pork enchiladas and one of bean and cheese. I wanted to do another pan of the beans, but I ran out of enchilada sauce. Oh well!

Three meals waiting to be frozen. I don't normally use round pans for this, but it is what I had to work with!

Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Tortillas

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:11:00 +0000

You know how I said I was trying a new tortilla recipe and I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out? Well I finally got around to rolling out my tortillas this morning and I am very pleased. Next time I will probably add a little more salt since the flavor was a tad on the flat side. The recipe below reflects the addition of more salt. The texture of these is phenomenal. They are light, soft, and very pliable, even after they have cooled. I love the addition of the squash. You can't taste it at all but it ups the nutritional value of these just a tad.

24 dough balls just waiting to be rolled out

I have a confession. I've never been the biggest fan of homemade whole wheat tortillas. I always prefered storebought. I know that everyone says that there is nothing like a homemade tortilla, but I still preferred to buy mine. Even though I generally didn't since they aren't cheap. And they have questionable ingredients including trans fat. Don't get me wrong, I loved the ones I used to make. They were buttery and delicious but they just weren't right. And the texture once they had cooled left something to be desired. But now that I have made these, I think my desire to buy them is gone!

tortillas on the griddle

3 cups whole wheat flour (I prefer white wheat for this)
1/2 cup butternut squash puree*
1/2 cup water + more if needed
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 tsp oil

1. Mix dry ingredients well. Add liquids and stir until dough forms a ball.
2. Knead a few times. Divide into 12 pieces and let rest 10 minutes.
3. Roll each ball into a circle. Place them, one at a time, onto an ungreased skillet (I prefer cast iron for this) and cook until bubbles just start to form on the surface. Flip then cook one to two minutes more on the other side.

* You want a puree that is on the thin side. Either add a little water when pureeing yours or use a 4 oz jar of baby food, like I did :) The squash contributes to the soft pliability of the tortillas, but you could also just use all water for the liquid if you want to leave out the squash. If you do that, start the water at 3/4 cup and add more if needed.

pile of deliciousness

Make sure to stack them as you get done with them. I find that this really helps to keep them pliable. Tortillas freeze well on their own. You can just put them in a freezer bag and squueze all all the air out or, to make it easier to get them out separately, put a layer of waxed paper between them.

Linked to Hearth and Soul Blog Hop and Your Green Resource.

4 Weeks To Fill You Freezer: Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:45:00 +0000

I
had two major things planned to do today: baking mix and tortillas. I got the baking mix done and the tortillas mixed. But then Michelin Man decided he needed me. And then after he went to bed I was scared to get started on rolling and cooking them for fear that he would wake up as soon as I got busy and not let me get up from him. So they will get done in the morning. I am really excited to get them cooked, though, because I experimented a little with a new recipe. Fingers crossed that it works so I can share it with you guys (and you know, not have wasted all the flour!)!

I also cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker so I can shred that for later this week and also make stock. Oh, and I soaked my beans. I used both black and small red kidney and I wish I had taken a pretty because they looked so nice together :)

I would have gotten the tortillas done if it hadn't been for a darn thing called cooking dinner ;) I baked some tilapia and it was actually pretty good. I love tilapia. It is easy, versatile, and pretty darn hard to mess up! I placed it in a pan, sprinkled with minced garlic, pepper, oregano, and a little cayenne pepper. Then I put a few cubes of butter on top :) I then baked until flaky. The kid gobbled his portion up...you know, once I convinced him to actually try it since he seems to always forget that he likes fish.

4 Weeks To Fill Your Freezer: Week 1 Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Due to popular demand, Money Saving Mom has brought back freezer cooking posts. Only this time the challenge is to cook/bake something everyday to put in the freezer. While that may seem like a lot to ask, it really isn't. If you are already going to be cooking anyway, you might as well double it or make something similar to put in the freezer.

She posted about the challenge yesterday and this morning I woke up and made out my list for the week. I tried to group similar items together on the days (some days may seem a little ambitious, but I am determined!) to make my cooking efficient. So here is what I have in mind. Other than days 1 and 2, I may not necessarily do these days in order.

~~baking mix, tortillas, soak beans, cook chicken~~
~~bbq pork enchiladas, bean & cheese enchiladas, refried beans~~
broccoli & cheese mini pies, mini chicken pot pies
spaghetti casserole, Mari's Magic Freezer Meals (funny name...I will explain when I make them)
manicotti
animal grahams, chocolate grahams
~~lara bars~~

I hope to post every evening what I got done for the day. Now to get dressed and go grocery shopping :)

Why I Will Never Play The Lottery

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:25:00 +0000

I will never play the lottery. It is not because I think I have bad luck. It is not just because it conflicts with my religious beliefs. It is because I don't want to win the lottery. What?! Who doesn't want to be thousands of millions of dollars richer? Me. So I will not be playing the lottery. Here's why.

The chances of me winning are very slim.

There is obviously no exact figure for the odds of winning number I can give you here because it varies between the different games and even based on number of people who play. But let's simplify things and say that I have a better chance of being hit by a bus. People win the lottery, sure, but the vast majority of people are doing great to recoup or even perhaps double their initial investment.

It is a bad investment.
Speaking of investment, there are much more profitable things for me to do with my money. While it won't break most people to spend $5 or so a week or even a month to play a game, that money adds up and can be put to better use. L. Marie Dubuque gives us some better ideas of what to do instead of buying lottery tickets.

I don't want to become addicted.

I know that there are plenty of people who play the lottery who have no problem controlling themselves. I might be one of those people who could...but maybe not. I am a compulsive overeater and battle with depression. I don't want or need anymore temptations that can threaten to take over my life. Only about 2%-5% of all lottery players are addicts, but considering that almost half of Americans play some form of the lottery, that is far too many that have ruined so many lives by playing a hopeless game.

Money changes people.

Suddenly having lots of money makes it much harder to be content with what you currently have since you have this newfound ability to buy whatever you want. But when I say it changes people, I'm not just talking about what it does to the winners. For some reason, most likely jealousy, some people seem to expect that those friends/family members/acquaintances with more money should just be willing to give it to them. For no reason. Then getting mad when they don't. And believe me, people have a way of coming out of the woodwork when a person they know wins the lottery. There are lottery winners who have had their lives and the lives of their families threatened and who have had to put bars on their windows to keep people away.

And the most important reason:

I want to be happy with what I have.

Some people think it is fun to sit around and talk about what they would do if they won millions and millions of dollars. I may have played this game in the past, but I don't anymore. Though this isn't the case with everyone, thinking about everything I want but don't and can't realistically have just makes me feel unhappy that I don't have it. And I want to he happy now, even if I don't have much in the way of money or material goods.

My Favorite Pins of The Week

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:51:00 +0000

I have been cutting back on my Pinterest time lately. I swear I have! But that doesn't mean I haven't taken the time to find some really cute ideas that I want to copy. Here are three of my favorites I have found this week:

Backyard Volcano - We all have seen, and probably made, "volcanoes" out of clay as a science experiment, but this version is done outside. How clever!

Handmade gifts by kids - Here is a compilation of 25 gifts that your kids can help make, or make themselves, to give. The Kid is getting to the age where he really wants to help with everything and making his own gifts (well, helping me) to give will be so fun for him!

Mesh bin "shelves" - Apartment Therapy had another great idea for storage, anchoring mesh bins to the wall. These would be great for holding kids' books and toys or whatever else you can think of!

Forget Not To Be Happy Now

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:49:00 +0000

This past fall, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf {2nd counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints} gave a wonderful talk entitled "Forget Me Not." I will admit that I did not hear this talk when he first gave it, but we had a short lesson on it Sunday during Relief Society. I love hearing President Uchtdorf speak and always walk away feeling so inspired by his words. It also doesn't hurt that he is funny and his messages are so straight-forward :) .

source

In this particular talk given to women, Uchtdorf gave the metaphor of the 5 petals of the forget-me-not flower as five principles we need to remember. While they are of course all important to remember, there was one that stuck out to me in particular Sunday in class - forget not to be happy. Our teacher talked about how we always say that we will be happy when we have more money, when we lose 10 pounds, when our house is clean, etc. We get so wrapped up in the "whens" that we forget about the "nows."

Goals are important, don't get me wrong. They help keep us doing the things we need to get where we want to go and help us to push through trials. But they can also make us very unhappy in the now if we aren't careful.

Take for instance a couple that says they will be happy when they are debt free. That is a wonderful goal to have, but their happiness shouldn't rest solely on that one thing. They will be completely miserable the whole time they are paying down debt because, more than likely, they will be on a tighter{er} budget so they will feel poor and depressed because they can't buy as many clothes or go out to eat as often or take as many trips. Unless they choose to not be. They can choose to be happy that they have each other, that they have jobs, a roof over their heads, and food to eat. They can choose to make their own inexpensive/free fun. Because what would happen if a wrench got thrown in their debt-free goal {major illness, job loss, what have you} and it doesn't happen as fast as they would like or even at all? Are they going to spend the rest of their lives miserable because their lives aren't exactly how they want them to be?

In his talk, Uchtdorf gave the example of the golden tickets in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. In the book, almost everyone lost sight of the simple joy of biting into a delicious chocolate bar in hopes of maybe being able to visit the chocolate factory.

None of us have lives that are perfect but that doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy them. We all do the best with what we are given. We may not make much money and we may have a few extra pounds than we would like, but if we are constantly looking forward to that next thing that will give us happiness, we might very well miss all the wonderful things going on around us now.

It is the little things in life that will make us truly happy. A child's laughter, a smile from across the room, a helping hand when we have had a bad day. Let us all strive to find happiness in these small things everyday instead of focusing on what we do not have.

Gratituesday: Giveaways

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:39:00 +0000

Every week there are about 3,087,362 giveaways on various blogs, give or take a few. And I know that there are many, many of you out there that think that it is useless to enter these giveaways. I mean, only one can win out of thousands of entries. That used to be what I felt like. But a few months ago my thinking changed; I figured someone was going to win, it might as well be me.

I don't enter every giveaway I see, but if it is something that I would really like then I give it a shot. Especially if it is a super easy one to enter. In the past year I have won not one but two giveaways (if you look at how many I have entered the percentage stinks, but hey, it is something!). The first was a gift certificate to a local restaurant from 100 Days of Real Food (I still need to use that one!). Then in December I won a giveaway from $5 Dinners. It was a prize package from Smuckers with a cheese board, a spreader, a 6 pack of their Orchard's Best jams (delicious!!), and....a $100 gift card to cooking.com! I couldn't believe it when I won!

For the next month and a half or so that it took me to get my package I drooled over the website. How was I ever going to narrow down my choices. Then when I finally got my card I continued to weigh my choices. How was I ever going to decide? It took me forever to decide what to buy. I would add products to my cart then think twice about something else. I only finally hit checkout last week. And yesterday....I came home from running errands to a beautiful box on my front porch!

I tried my best to buy useful products. While it wasn't my money I was spending, I wanted it to be really useful. The budget is tight right now so there is no wiggle room for splurges like kitchen gadgets. I wanted to use it to buy kitchen products that I needed or that would help me out. But I also wanted to get a few things that I wanted instead of just needed. Here is what I finally decided on:

a cast iron dutch oven - I have been lusting over one for years but just couldn't bring myself to buy one. While it isn't a super fancy or big one, it will work just fine for us. Among other things, a cast iron pot is required to turn a plain ol' bag of pinto beans into one of the best things you have ever tasted. That is what The Husband's grandma says and her beans are out of this world delicious.
3 rectangular Pyrex dishes with lids - I can't get enough glass storage! While this wasn't an urgent need, I really love Pyrex because it is oven safe (so great for reheating leftovers in the toaster oven) and the two larger dishes make great bento boxes for lunch. The biggest one fits perfectly in The Husband's lunch box.
stainless steel measuring cups - Again, not an urgent need, but I have been using crappy plastic measuring cups for the past 6+ years and I really wanted nice ones. I compromised here by buying a less expensive set.
candy thermometer - Okay, this one was definitely a fun splurge. I am always finding recipes that require one and now I can finally make them. It is also a tool to share with my mom who ~~lets me steal~~ gives me lots of kitchen gadgets/bakeware from her supply.
2 silicone perfect square ice cube trays - I have been wanting these for so long but haven't been able to justify the expense before. They will really come in handy when I need to freeze small amounts of ingredients, like chicken stock (sometimes I only need a couple tablespoons for a recipe and hate wasting all that homemade goodness) or sauce for freezer meals.

I am so thankful that I won this giveaway! It allowed me to buy a few things off my wish list without feeling guilty (with a coupon code I found online and the giftcard I only spend like $3.xx out of pocket). It also encouraged me to keep on entering giveaways because you never know when you are going to win!

Join us for Gratituesdays at Heavenly Homemakers.

A Birth Story

noreply@blogger.com (Marishannon) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:17:00 +0000

Three years ago today I became a mom. These three years have been the best, worst, most rewarding, hardest, most defining years of my life. I have learned more about myself in these three short years than I did in the 22 years before. Sometimes I wonder what the heck I got myself into. The Kid is so very spirited and has a super strong personality. But through all the bad, I love it. I love being his mother. I love seeing him grow and learn. I love seeing his (super strong) personality blossom.

I thought about what I was going to write for his birthday and I decided that I am going to do what I should have done nearly three years ago: I am going to write out his birth story. Some details will be fuzzy (though to be honest, many were fuzzy that day since everything happened so fast!) but if I don't do it now, the details will only get fuzzier.

Three years ago I was finishing up my last semester of college. My original due date was actually the day of graduation. The morning of April 23rd I was driving to school and at about 7:30 I felt a really strong pain in my side/back. I kinda brushed it aside because, well, I was 9 months pregnant and I was supposed to be in pain. When I got to campus I went straight to a computer lab to try to finish a project that was due soon (that evening I believe). Every so often I would feel a sharp pain in my side, but nothing too bad and certainly not enough to stop me.

At around 9 that morning I left campus and went to my internship. I needed to finish up the last of my 200 hours (or was it 300?) at the Children's Attention Home (a home for abused and neglected children). I started off working with the preschool age kids - my favorite age group. It was the morning that they did crafts. I remember feeling very uncomfortable as I walked around the table trying to help them out. I was slow and kept leaning over, holding my back. Finally I went and sat down on the floor to play with the babies/toddlers. But I didn't last too long there because they kept wanting to sit on my lap and jump on me and I just couldn't take it. I said my goodbyes and went to the volunteer coordinator's office where I worked when I wasn't with the children.

I wrote thank you cards for donations. I filed papers. I kept up with volunteer hours (which was especially important for me to know since this was crucial for me to graduate!). At around 11:30 I went to the cafeteria to eat lunch with the little ones, but again, I just couldn't last long being so uncomfortable. When I went back to the office I think I finally admitted that I was having real contractions and started timing them. They were rather sporadic at first but kept getting closer and closer together. At noon they really started to pick up but I didn't want to bother or alarm anyone until I was at 4-1-1 - contractions four minutes apart, lasting one minute, for one hour. I mean, that's when they said to call!

I went back to work and tried to concentrate on what I was doing as best I could. But it was getting harder and harder to do that as I sat wriggling in my seat and grimacing in pain. The last half hour I was there I probably went to the bathroom every minute. That is no joke. I would walk across the building (not a big one), pee, come back, sit down, then repeat. It was getting so embarrassing. Finally at around 2:00 when my contractions were where they were supposed to be, I mustered all the courage I could, put on a brave face, and went to find Ms. Janet (the volunteer coordinator I worked under). That brave face didn't last long. While trying to choke back tears of pain I told Ms. Janet that I needed to leave. She didn't want me to drive myself but I insisted that I was fine and that I could handle myself.

I got in the car and call the GYN-OB office and explained to the receptionist my situation and told her I would like to come be checked out. She told me she would have someone call me as soon as possible. I was driving to my grandparent's house half in a daze to go "chill out" when the nurse called me and told me to come right away. I get in there and get my hand scanned in (so I would be ready to go at the hospital) and signed in and then am called back. That was about 2:3- When my most favoritest OB (honestly I can't stand this woman for reasons that will probably not make it onto my public blog) checks me it turns out I am like 7 cm dilated and she tells me that I shouldn't even have come here that I should have gone straight to the hospital. Did I mention that I was terrified of being one of those women that goes to the hospital multiple times with a false alarm? Yeah, I wanted to be sure.

She asks me if there is anyone she can have me call in the area to come drive me (the hospital was about 30 minutes away) and I told her my aunt and grandparents lived in the area. But I didn't want to bother them or deal with them so I told her I was fine and would drive myself. She wasn't happy with that but what was she going to do about it? I called The Husband at work and told him it was time (in hindsight I should have called him sooner but I didn't want to bother him if it wasn't the real thing) then called my mother at work (who probably did some sort of mad dash for her purse and the door). I then called my sister who pretty much thought I was lying since I sounded so calm (yeah, I'm tough...). Once I convinced her that I was, in fact, in labor, I continued to talk to her the rest of the way to the hospital. Did I mention that I was driving a 6-speed?

So I get to the hospital, park, and walk in. I'm very calm as I tell the ladies at the front desk that I think I'm in labor and they tell me they were expecting me and show me to my room. I was still smiling and you would think nothing was wrong. The nurse handed me my gown to put on and I told her I needed to use the bathroom. Once in there I tried calling Justin to see how close he was. That was about 3:15. Then I felt like I, um, really had to go. And I was trying. The nurse was concerned about me and I told her, very pitifully, that I really needed to poop . She got very concerned then and told me that I needed to get into bed NOW. I, of course, wanted to stay on the toilet and poop.

So I'm led to the bed. I'm hooked up to the monitor. I was checked and I was ready to go. They asked if I wanted an epidural and I screamed (despite not wanting any medication) YES! But it didn't matter because it was too late anyway. I was told to push. I switched positions. I lost all sense of modesty with my bare booty shining in the air when I'm on all fours. Between contractions I was very sweet and nice (and apologetic...read on) but during contractions I said mean and nasty things. I asked one of the nurses how old she was and how long she had been doing this (she looked YOUNG and I didn't want her helping me!). Did I mention that I had about 15 nurses in there along with the midwife since everything was happening so fast? Okay, maybe not 15, but there was a lot!

All this time I am asking about my mother and my husband. I was not having this baby alone! My mother apparently got there in record time but was not being let back because they thought she was my mother-in-law (so? why did that matter anyway). Not sure on this point, but my mother probably came pretty close to being arrested since I'm sure she wanted to punch out a couple nurse to get back there. Finally she was ~~able to push her way~~ led back there. She told me all sorts of wonderfully helpful mom to think-she's-dying daughter. She stroked my hand. She held back my horribly shaking legs when I needed to push.

Finally it was time. The baby was coming. The door flew open and in came The Husband as The Kid was crowning. He held my hands. I bit his hands very hard until I was told (not by him) to stop. I told him mean things and blamed him for this and told him that I was never doing this again (you know, just like you see on the movies). Then finally, in a few pushes, The Kid arrived at 4:09 pm. Perfect. Disgusting looking. But perfect. As weak as I felt (I had to tell them to take him away from me after a minute when they handed him to me because I felt like I was going to drop him), I felt so strong. So empowered. I felt like I was on the biggest high of my life (okay, I don't really know what is feels like to feel high). I felt the biggest sense of relief and euphoria and looked over at my family and told them that I would do this again.

And I did. And I would again.