twingle mommmy

Instant Pot Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

2019-01-21T13:28:00.001-05:00

I love my Instant Pot! It has made my life so much easier on weeknights and for meal prep. This year we go in two different directions on Monday nights and we aren't all home until 8 pm. My kids cannot wait that long for dinner so I make Monday night's dinner every weekend in my Instant Pot and divide it up to reheat at the dance studio or home.

Makes my life so much easier.

For the first six months of using it, I stuck to tried and true recipes and didn't change a thing. The pot is intimidating at first. But as I got more comfortable, I started making changes subbing out ingredients and then creating my own meals.

This chili is one of our family favorites and I used to make it in the Crock Pot. I still could but it's nice being done in two hours instead of 10 and I don't have to soak the beans overnight. It's creamy and with just the right heat.

Do you know how to pick a jalapeno in the store? The ones that are bright green with no brown lines are the mild ones. The darker green with brown lines are spicier. For this chili I like to get one milder jalapenos and two spicy jalapenos so I have all the flavor of jalapenos without too much heat. Go with your spice tolerance when choosing your jalapenos.

Notes
1. I have used 8 oz of cream cheese instead of 4 with only regrets to my waist line.
2. Chicken breasts can be used but I prefer thighs.
3. Use HP if you don't have a soup setting
4. If you're a real spice whip cut back on the jalapenos and cayenne pepper.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

1 pound great northern beans - sorted and rinsed
3 bone in skinless chicken thighs -fresh or frozen
5 cups chicken broth (4 if you prefer thicker chili)
15 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies
3 minced jalapenos
1 small chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
1T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 can corn - drained
4 oz cream cheese

Directions
1. Put the first 12 ingredients into the Instant Pot and stir. Closed lid and turn value to closed.
2. Select bean/chili setting and set to 45 mins.
3. When the timer goes off allow the pot to natural release.
4. Open value to make sure all the pressure is out of the pot and open.
5. Remove chicken and shred.
6. Using an immersion blender give the chili a few pulses to mash the beans.
7. Add corn, cream cheese, and chicken. Stir and melt cheese and serve.

Hormel Gatherings® Party Tray - Delicious Snacking

2017-11-30T17:49:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when life gets busy and there are several parties to attend. It feels overwhelming at times with all the work, school, and family activities. But you can make life a little easier by letting someone else do the work for you. I received free product in exchange for my honest review of Hormel Gatherings® Party Tray. A Hormel Gatherings® Party Tray just might be the answer to making your life easier and tastier this holiday season. The trays have meat, cheese, crackers, and possibly olives depending on the type you purchase.

We tried the Hormel Gatherings® Party Tray on Thanksgiving. Our family likes to eat the turkey dinner closer to dinner time than lunch. Which means we need something substantial as a snack around lunchtime. But who wants to cook snacks when you're busy cooking for the main meal? Not me, I want something easy. I bought a salami, pepperoni, cheese, and crackers tray which was perfect to have as our lunch. No need to slice or chop, all the work was done for me. A recipe for perfect snacking. It took 2 minutes to set up the tray and everyone loved it. Talk about a win.

I love that the trays have built in containers for the cheese, crackers, and meat. No need to use your own tray and have another dish to wash, this one works perfectly. Plus if there is any food left over the lid pops right back on so there's no need to pack away any leftovers. My kids devoured it, so we didn't have a single cracker left.

With three kids in school the holiday parties are very close together this time of year. I'll be honest, normally I'm the mom who volunteers for paper goods or rolls. Now I can add party tray to the list because it's easy, affordable, and delicious. I love that I can look like a mom who went the extra mile, without actually going the extra mile. A pre-made snack that the kids love will make me a winner for my kids, and their teachers.

If you're looking for something to bring to a party or potluck, Hormel Gatherings® Party Trays will be a huge hit. You can buy them at your local grocery store. Check Hormel's website to find a retailer near you. And follow them on Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube and learn about new products and get get ideas for entertaining.

Why are Kids Being Bullied at a Younger Age

2017-10-24T16:53:00.001-04:00

Due to a recent bullying incident with my daughter, I've been reading about bulling and how to handle it. One thing that struck me was that every article said that bullying is on the rise, especially among girls.

I understand that being a mean girl is one way to increase your popularity in middle and high school. Also that social media makes bullying easily accessible. I just don't understand why our girls are being so mean at a young age. How is it possible that bullying is so common in elementary schools that the anti-bullying programs begin in Kindergarten?

What's changed?

When we were kids we were free range kids before that was even a thing. Learning to ride a bike was a rite of passage. Once you could ride a bike you had more freedom to roam the neighborhood unsupervised. Of course we made sure to return home when the street lights turned on. And friends? We played with the kids that were around. Who remembers knocking on doors looking for kids who could come out and play?

Today my kids don't play with other kids unless the parents have arranged for a playdate. Which really requires the moms to friends. Or at the very least friendly.

Which makes me wonder if that's not part of the problem with our girls. Our kids don't just play with anyone they encounter in the neighborhood. There’s no knocking on doors until you find a friend or just heading to the park and playing with whoever was there. They’re only playing with a select few kids.

Before our kids start school their friends are our friends' kids. Then they go to school and they make their own friends at school but for the most part they only play with the kids outside of school when we are friends with the mom.

And I am as guilty as the next person. I work at my kids’ school and I have to be careful around parents outside of school. Teacher moms are reminded often that we are teachers first and parents second. Kinda hard to make connections with that hanging over your head.

I have no answers to this problem. I don’t even know if my theory is even a tiny part of the problem. It’s just something on my mind as I help my daughter through this horrendous stage of life.

I do know that as a mom I feel so helpless and all I want to do is wave a magic wand and make everything ok. Anyone have a magic wand I can borrow?

Summer Journals - How to work on Writing Skills over the Summer

2017-06-30T19:14:00.002-04:00

Blame the teacher in me, but I just can't let my kids go through a whole summer without writing. Reading is easy for my kids since they all like to read but writing is another story.

Enter summer journals.

This is our second summer making journals and I'm getting the same push back this summer from my kids. Whining, complaining, making me want to scream at them.

You know, they're being kids.

I finally got a brilliant idea and pulled out last years journals for them to look through. And to quote my daughter Isabella "oh now I get it, we are recording our memories so we will know what we did during the summer."

Big spender with my 10 cent notebooks I stock up on at the beginning of the year.

Yes, and working on writing all summer long.

Here's how our journals work. I print out pictures of what we are doing that week. I glue the pictures to the top of the page and they write about it. Some days we are just hanging around the house and I don't have the kids journal on those days. But usually we do something worth printing a picture over a few times a week. Sometimes the picture isn't something special but it's a picture of the cool bug they caught at the park.

They aren't writing everyday and that's OK with me. But they are writing 3-4 times a week and they will have a great memento of their summers to look back on one day.

This was an entry from Molly's journal last year after finishing Kindergarten.

"When we went tubing we saw a ??? and we had fun"

And this her first journal entry this summer after finishing 1st grade.

I love seeing her growth! She was pretty amazed too. I'm hoping today was a turning point for my kids and they'll stop fighting me on these journals. Either way, we are doing them so they might as well have a happy heart about it.

How do you encourage summer reading with your kids?

Food Lover and Nexium 24HR Relief

2017-06-10T20:16:00.001-04:00

My husband jokes that I don't have a culinary style, I just like food. In fact I've been known to plan the next meal while eating the current meal. It's ok, I usually eat healthy and exercise so I'm not in any trouble with my love of food. Yet.

But as I get older my favorite foods no longer love me back quite like they did in the past. The delicious Tex-Mex that I love with all my heart, now turns into heartburn. So does almost anything fried, buttery, or spicy.

Not cool food, what did I ever do to you?

Thankfully I don't have to live in pain. I can take Nexium 24HR for heartburn relief. This blog post is sponsored from Smily360 in exchange for my honest review. I received a promotional kit in exchange for my review, all opinions are mine.

The perfect grill set for camping!

Nexium 24HR treats frequent heartburn and can take 1-4 days for full effect. You only take one pill every 24 hours, which is great when you know you're having a weekend filled with trigger foods. With Nexium 24HR, you can treat your heartburn before you feel the pain. Nexium 24HR is only approved for adults over 18.

Yesterday was the last day of school and we went to our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant to celebrate. Here in Cary, NC it's hard to find spicy salsa and where we went the salsa is good and spicy. The queso has a little kick too. I love it, and my kids do too.

In the summer we are all about grilling out on the weekends. It's too hot to cook indoors and food just tastes better off the grill. Tonight we are having cheeseburgers with all the fixings. I just love a homemade cheeseburger loaded with toppings. And nothing says summer quite like grilled corn on the cob.

This meal needed a big grill.

Mmmm jalapeno popper stuffed burger, so tasty.

Just a plain cheeseburger for this young man though.

On Sunday our pool is having a summer kick off party with a BBQ potluck. I love potlucks since you can take several sample sizes of different foods. I always bring spicy beans to potlucks. My family loves them and since they cook in a Crock Pot it's an easy no fuss side dish.

After dinner, they are stuffed to the gills.

We had a great weekend kicking off the beginning of summer. Thanks to Nexium 24HR, I didn't feel any pain from my indulgent weekend. You can learn more about Nexium 24HR here so you can #SeeHeartburnDifferently

I received these products for free from Smily360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smily360 at www.smiley360.com.

Buy P&G at Costco

2017-05-11T17:12:00.001-04:00

I love Costco! It is the greatest store. You can buy food, clothes, and cleaning supplies all in one trip. On my last trip I bought my kids bathing suits, food, and picked up cleaning supplies. I love that I can buy almost anything I need in one place. Plus when you're a twin mom like myself the lure of the double child seat is almost enough to make you want to shop there.

Another reason why I love Costco is that it's one of the few stores my kids enjoy. For them the lure is the samples, checking out the middle section where the toys are located, and taking home a box to color and use in whatever imaginary game they are playing.

Costco is the perfect place to stock up on cleaning supplies. A family of five goes through items like laundry detergent and dish detergent fast. It's more practical for me to buy these items in bulk so I'm not constantly running to the store. Thankfully my favorite P&G products are sold at Costco.

I have three children and I do about 6 loads of laundry a week. Even more laundry in the winter is just another reason to love summer. There's nothing worse than needing to do laundry and being out of detergent, which is why I like to buy it in bulk. I'm better off buying it once every other month than buying small bottles more often. Plus you save money when you buy it in bulk. I love using Gain on my kids' clothes, the stains come out and it makes their clothes smell fresh.

I also buy dish detergent and dish soap at Costco. I love the convenience of having large containers that don't run out very often. That bottle of Dawn will last for months in my house. It's too big for my counter so I just refill a smaller bottle for everyday use.

Now the best part about this particular shopping trip is that all four items where on sale. This is the wonderful sign you want to see when shopping at Costco.

Who doesn't like saving even more money? You're already buying these items at a great price but when there's a coupon the savings are even better. You might think that buying that many Swiffers at once is excessive but it's not. With 3 kids we need to clean the floors everyday. I know it sounds excessive but we essentially live in the woods and our floors take a hit from all the pine tree debris my kids track in.

Make your life a little easier and shop for your favorite P&G supplies at Costco. And follow Proctor and Gamble on Twitter and Facebook.

I received these products for free from Smily360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smily360 at www.smiley360.com.

Disadvantages to Having 3 Kids

2017-04-11T14:51:00.000-04:00

I have three kids. I think that's a fairly normal amount until I see the look of horror on stranger's faces when I tell them I have 3 kids. It might be the fact that I had three kids in 21 months more than the actual number of kids I have, Maybe.

Probably.

Occasionally I think about what it would be like to only have two kids, the culturally accepted amount of kids. It occurs to me occasionally that there are some disadvantages to having three kids.

Like when

Kids eat free
I love when restaurants have a kids eat free night. Saving money is one of my favorite things to do. But when you have three kids only two meals are free. I get it, it's a one for one kind of thing but it still sucks. Especially since my kids are getting to an age where they can't share kid's meals anymore.

Elevators
Did you know that the goal for many kids is to sit in the back corner of the elevator? And that there are only two back corners? This is a major source of annoyance for me in every single elevator we get into.

Hotel Rooms
Ahh the pain of the pull out couch. Your hotel room says it sleeps up to 6 but that means two suckers are on the fold out couch. Or in the case of a family of 5 one sucker. No one wants the fold out couch, no one. My poor son, he always gets the couch since the girls don't want to share a bed with him.

Amusement Rides
We just went to Great Wolf Lodge, and we had the best time. But with an odd number of kids we couldn't ride all together on one ride and on the others someone always was alone. Same goes for roller coasters and Disney.

Restaurants
I'm not sure who decided that restaurants should have very few tables that seat more than 4 people. One of our favorite restaurants has exaclty one table that seats more than 4 people. Which means we cram into a small table or try to move tables, not easily done when it's crowded. And don't even get me started when we see a family of 3 sitting at that one table.

Are these things the end of the world? No, they don't even blip on my radar most of the time. But I had some time on my hands today with only two kids and my trip to the store was much easier. Of course later when we picked up my third child from her after school club all was right with the world again.

Parenting Gold - Anything Goes Thursday

2017-03-30T16:53:00.002-04:00

Occasionally I stumble on parenting gold. A few weeks ago I had one of those moments after having a rough day at work and I didn't want to cook dinner. Normally I would ask my husband to cook dinner or grab some takeout but it was a Thursday when he had Bible study and wouldn't be home. I was on my own, tired, with 3 kids who insist on eating dinner. Every night! Every single night!

I know right?

That was when Anything Goes Thursday was born. I told my kids that they could eat anything they could make for dinner. After dinner they needed to clean up the kitchen and once that was done they would get some tablet time.

This is a huge reward since we are a screen free house during the week.

Now imagine if I said kids I'm too tired to cook so make your own dinner and clean up the kitchen.

They would have started a revolution, there's no way they would have gone for that.

But Anything Goes Thursday was a huge success. My kids were so excited about being in charge of their dinner and getting to use tablets on a weekday. Two weeks later when my husband's Bible study rolled around they begged me to have Anything Goes Thursday again.

Done!

So now it's what we do when Daddy isn't home. It's nice getting a night off from cooking. Plus I get reading time while they are on their tablets which is a win for me. The best part is they think this is a reward for getting homework done and getting ready for school the next day without bickering.

It's parenting gold. Try it and tell me if it works for you.

Visit MinuteClinic for Fall Allergy Relief

2016-10-24T17:16:00.000-04:00

It's finally beginning to feel like fall here in North Carolina. Last weekend I opened my windows just to have our first fire of the season. I love it when the temperature begins to cool down. I'm not one of those weird people who love winter, but I do love the cool down of fall. One thing I hate about fall is my allergies, which are worse this time of year than in the spring. Thankfully there are several things I can do to fight my allergies, I teamed up with MinuteClinic to write about fall allergies. All opinions are mine.

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish a cold from allergies. If you have a fever, it's not allergies. If you're coughing it's most likely a cold as well since very rarely is a bough a symptom of allergies. A cold lasts 7-10 days so if you don't feel better after 10 days it's probably allergies.

I didn't realize I developed allergies as an adult until I saw a healthcare provider. I just thought my first year teaching was making me sicker than usual. Turns out all the colds I thought I was catching was actually just allergies. Now I know when my allergies are going to bother me. The fall is the worst for me and my misery begins mid-October. Over the years I have learned a few things that help me get through allergy season.

The best way to treat allergies is to avoid the allergen. Sadly for me this means spending more time indoors and not opening the windows to let the air in. While I love the feeling of having all the windows in my house open in the fall, I know it lets the allergens in my house so I don't do it very often.

Fall is also the time of year when we start snuggling under blankets that have been stored away all summer. Wash your blankets before using them to get rid of dust mites, a common allergen. Clean and change air filters every three months to reduce the amount of dirt, debris, and allergens that you come in contact with everyday.

Since I know my allergies are going to start bothering me in mid-October, I start taking allergy medicine at the beginning of October. If I wait for my symptoms to occur before I start taking medicine I feel awful. Allergy symptoms can usually be controlled with treatment. Nasal saline, decongestants and over the counter or prescription antihistamines may help relieve symptoms as well. At MinuteClinic, their nurse practitioners and physicians assistants can recommend the right over-the-counter medications and write prescriptions when medically appropriate. If you’re diagnosed with allergies, medication may help relieve your symptoms.

A great option for getting help from a healthcare provider is going to MinuteClinic located in select CVS Pharmacy. There you can see a nurse practitioner at a convenient time. MinuteClinic is open 7 days a week and they have evening hours too. It's a walk in clinic so no appointment necessary. Find a MinuteClinic near you: http://bit.ly/1tizodF. While you're there, pick up a J&J coupon book and save up to $40 on brands you can trust.

Learning Disability and a Huge Win

2016-10-13T20:40:00.001-04:00

Last May my son's teacher came to my classroom to talk to me. That is never a good sign. She let me know that it was my choice but she was recommending him for summer school. My heart sank. I did not want to hear that.

Now he wasn't in danger of repeating Kindergarten, but she was afraid that without summer school he would struggle in first grade. My husband and I decided to send him mostly because he's a twin. Down the road if he ever needed to repeat a grade it would be devastating. Plus it was only 13 days long so it wouldn't kill him summer.

Best Decision!

Seriously the best decision.

One of his good friends was in the class so he had fun. Lunch was included and buying lunch at school was the highlight of his day. And not to mention the fact that his reading level went up. At the end of Kindergarten he was a D, and on the second week of first grade he was an E.

And he wasn't there for reading, he was there for writing. His learning disability causes him to have problems writing. But the reading level was a huge win. He struggled all year in reading until the fourth quarter so seeing his reading level go up over the summer was great.

Yes we went to the library every week and they also wrote in a summer journal everyday, but I know summer school made a huge impact. He had an amazing summer school teacher who knows how to push kids. She told me that she saw a night and day difference in Mark between the first few days of school and the last few days of school in his work habits.

Mommy gets books too and sometimes has a cute little creeper.

Oh how he struggled with work habits in Kindergarten. Being able to work independently in first grade is very important.

This new reading level is a huge win for Mark. He struggled so much in the beginning of Kindergarten and now he's on target right where he should be in first grade. Any special needs parent will tell you that this is the moment they long for. When the progress report only shows good news.

I'm so proud of this little guy!

12 Year Anniversary

2016-10-10T17:20:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday my husband and I celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary.

We look like babies

I cannot believe it's been 12 years. In some ways it feels like yesterday, but mostly it fells much longer than that. Especially when you think about all we've been through together both good and bad.

Personally I don't think any anniversary is more important than another. It would be nice if we could take a trip every year to celebrate, but that just isn't possible. We did get a night away which was great.

What is it about waking up and not having to be parents that really recharges you?

Oh yeah, the sleep. Now I remember.

So Happy Anniversary to my husband. Here's to 12 more years.

No longer looking like babies 12 years later

Pizza Party with Gluten Free Freshetta

2016-09-08T20:30:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you but by Friday night I am done. My energy is gone and the last thing I want to do is cook dinner. Which makes Friday night the perfect night for a family pizza party night, And yes, it still counts as a party if we have a pizza party every Friday night. I received a Freshetta pizza kit as a Smiley360 blogger in exchange for this review, all opinions are mine and no further compensation was provided.

I teach special ed preschool and I'm a mom to three young kids. By the end of the week I am fried. I don't want to cook dinner and worry about what I can make that everyone will like. Which is why Friday is pizza and movie night in my house.

Camping out in front of the movie is a fun treat!

There is nothing like snuggling up with my family and watching a movie at the end of the week. We always make pizza for dinner. It's easy, no one has to order or answer the door when you make pizza. We just pop two pizzas in the oven and eat in front of the TV. It's really the perfect way to end a work week with my family. There's almost nothing to clean up, good bonding time, and everyone can relax. What else could you want on a Friday night?

A few years ago my twins were diagnosed with Vitiligo and they went gluten free as part of their treatment. Let me tell you, going gluten free is a hard transition. It's not impossible but it is tough. Especially for kids who love things like pizza, pasta, and bread. If there's a gluten free product most likely we have tried it.

Of course not all gluten free products are made equal, especially when it comes to pizza. We've tried every gluten free pizza on the market and the Freshetta pizza got rave reviews from all 5 of us. Like all gluten free pizza it's a thin crust. Unlike many gluten free pizza's it does not taste like a cracker. The crust is thin and very crispy but it has a more breadlike texture than a cracker texture. This is very important for my twins.

As a mom I liked that the pizza wasn't greasy when it came out of the oven. There is nothing worse than pulling a pizza out of the oven and seeing tons of grease. I took this picture straight from the oven, no blotting needed.

My kids said they liked that it didn't taste gluten free. Which means that they are used to gluten free products being inferior and this one wasn't. Trust me that is high praise coming from my picky kids. My husband and I really liked it too. Our oldest liked the pizza but didn't like the crust. That was the only complaint that the pizza got from the five of us.

So now you know, you don't have to give up flavor to get a great gluten free pizza. Freshetta Gluten Free pizza is available at your local Wal-Mart. Pick one up today for your pizza party. You can follow Freshetta on Facebook and Instagram for more updates on their products, savings. and more information.

I received these products for free from Smily360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smily360 at www.smiley360.com.

The Last Two Weeks of Summer

2016-08-17T14:23:00.000-04:00

I love summer! I always have especially since I'm a teacher and summer means time off. Is there anything better than 84 days of no work?

No.

No there is not.

But now that I'm in the throws of the last two weeks of summer the honeymoon is over. We are over being with each other all day everyday.

The kids are bickering more.

Who us?

We are all a little tired of the pool.

The heat and humidity is keeping us inside too much.

Even electronics are getting old for the kids.

What is it about the last two weeks of summer that make parents realize that it's time to go back to school. I'm actually almost ready to go back.

Almost.

Kinda.

Not really.

But I am ready for my kids to be in school again. We need to be on a schedule again and have more routine in our days. And the kids need to spend 7 hours away from each other so maybe the bickering can stop.

Yes the last two weeks of summer allow me to be ready for school again.

But nothing, and I do mean nothing will make me ready for homework again.

Pass the wine please.

Go Ape Tree Top Adventure Course in Raleigh

2016-08-02T13:33:00.001-04:00

My husband and I want to have a family that plays together. Our goal is to have fun with our kids and spend as much time together as a family as possible. Not an easy task with three kids and both of us working full time. But it's important to us so it happens. Last weekend I got the opportunity to try the new junior course with my daughter at Go Ape in Raleigh in exchange for this review. I am very happy we went, Molly and I had a great time.

Go Ape is a tree top adventure course. It's more than just zip lining, you navigate between courses up in the trees. They recently added a junior course for children under the age of 10. The junior course starts out easy and then gets more challenging as you go through it. I cannot tell you how happy I am that we started low to the ground so Molly could get used to the equipment before she was up high. It was a great confidence builder for my daughter.

It might be the junior course, but you are still pretty high off the ground.

My favorite part of our adventure was watching my daughter overcome her fear. She was afraid in the beginning, the height combined with the swinging steps was too much for her. With the help of both employees running the course, the three of us were able to encourage her to take the first step. And then another until she made it across the first path.

All of us cheered her first victory and then she stopped being afraid and just went for it. It made me so proud as a mom to see her step out of her comfort zone and do something that scared her. Plus my oldest who is terrified of heights wants to come back and "face her fears just like Molly." I'm planning on taking her as soon as the heat goes away, I want to capitalize on this bravery before it disappears.

By the end there was no fear!

I was very impressed with the staff at Go Ape. I can tell that they are trained in encouraging the children to complete the course. They were so kind and patient with Molly when she got scared. They told how to position her arms and feet so she was steadier on the course. It was very helpful and appreciated. I can tell she is not the first kid to get scared on the course.

Molly said her favorite part was the rope obstacle that we crawled through and the zip line at the end. She though it felt like flying.

I highly recommend taking your family to Go Ape. We had so much fun together and watching my daughter step out of her comfort zone was fantastic. A couple of things I will do differently next time. First I didn't wear my hair in a ponytail and I had to do it there. So my hair could have looked better in the picture if I had remembered to do it at home. Just a vanity thing on my end. Wearing long shorts was definitely a good idea with the harness but I should have worn a lighter weight shirt. It was a hot day and my thick cotton shirt didn't breath at all. Lastly I want to try the adult course. My husband wants us to return in the fall for a day date.

Visit Go Ape's website for more information on their tree top course.

Why Aren't Moms Allowed to Have a Bad Day Anymore?

2016-07-20T16:26:00.001-04:00

I've noticed a trend in our society; no one is allowed to have a bad day anymore.

Moms especially are not allowed to have a bad day. We see the judgment all the time over social media.

A mom snaps at her child in the store; she's a terrible mother.

A kid melts down in the store; clearly he has no disciple at home.

Two siblings are fighting; clearly they aren't being raised right. Bad, bad mommy.

And on and on the examples go.

Oh we read about compassion and some people actually have it, but generally speaking we expect mothers to be on their best behavior and near perfect at all times regardless of the circumstance.

I saw a post on Facebook that perfectly points this out. It was a video of a mother yelling at her child to stay by her side. Of course the part that the "good samaritan" left out was that the kid child ran into the street and was almost hit by a car. Yep my panic and fears would have me yelling at my kid too.

But hey, just another bad mom right?

According to the comments from the trolls the woman deserved to be thrown in jail. First for the yelling and then later for "allowing" her child to go in the street.

The truth of the matter is simple; sometimes people just have a bad day. Kids get away in the blink of an eye. Maybe your kid had a nightmare and you didn't get enough sleep. Perhaps your kids woke up fighting and you just need to get out of the house for a change of scenery, only that didn't stop the fighting. Or maybe your kid is just grouchy today for no reason that you can see as a parent.

Parenting has softened my edges and made me far less judgmental than my premommy self. Now I understand that you can tell you kid a million times not to run away, but a loose balloon will make them bolt. I also know that children are just young humans who are still learning. They're learning everyday just like the adults.

They have bad days and so do we.

A bad day does not equal a bad mom.

Maybe next time we will remember that when the impulse to pass judgment occurs.

Loving the Lazy Days of Summer

2016-06-22T15:09:00.000-04:00

By June this teacher and mommy is done. Just done. It doesn't help that dance amps up right at the end of the year with recital season and all three of my kids are in dance. By summer I just want to sleep in and relax.

Sadly for me I still have kids so I'm not exactly sleeping in, but I am sleeping later so that's a plus. And we are doing lots of relaxing so far.

There have been many lazy days at the pool. Some with friends like this one and others with just us. I'm attempting to swim laps during adult swim to squeeze in some exercise.

The kids are still making their own lunches. Their choices are a little unusual but as long as I don't have to make it and they eat it, I'm ok with their choices.

This week the kids started VBS. Not exactly relaxing since so far I've one for my annual exam and gotten new tires. But at least I didn't have to drag the kids with me to these things. I can't imagine getting my annual with my kids there. Just no.

And in big news for the boy, his mohawk is really getting long. He gets compliments everywhere we go which makes him blush. I love it.

Keep bringing those long, lazy days of summer! Next week the kids go to sleep away camp and my husband and I are taking a vacation alone.

I can't wait!
Happy Summer Everyone.

Purex plus Clorox Giveaway

2016-05-31T19:46:00.000-04:00

This is the truest statement of my life. I really can't figure out where all this laundry comes from, how do 3 little people go through so many clothes? It's a mystery and one that I won't figure out any time soon. Thankfully the cold days are behind us and my kids are no longer wearing layers which translates to less loads of laundry.

Summer brings less laundry, just another reason why I love summer.

Now with three young children, I have seen my share of stains. My kids aren't exactly neat and dainty. They all love playing in the mud which my yard has an abundance of after it rains.

Now some moms would flip out over their kids getting that dirty, but I get a kick out of it. I have hundreds of picture of my kids all muddy.

Or dirt.

For years I've used Purex laundry detergent and I love it. It's priced reasonably, it works great, and it's available everywhere I shop. Those are three very important aspects for me. I was a sent a sample of Purex plus Clorox to review in exchange for this blog post, all opinions are mine.

Right away I liked that the Purex plus Clorox is safe for colors. I have no time to try to use two different detergents let alone sort my clothes. It makes my mother in law shudder, but I don't separate my colors. I just throw everything in at once. And it comes out clean in case you were wondering.

I knew that this detergent would be a good stain fighter. For the majority of my kids clothes, everything came out clean. But my daughter spilled cherry icee on her yellow lace dress and that didn't come out. I even rubbed some of the Purex plus Clorox directly into the stain and waited 5 minutes before washing it. But even that old stain fighting trick didn't work. In all honesty, I tried 3 other products on hand and none of them touched that stain. So warning to all parents lace and cherry icees do not go together.

If you would like to try this stain fighting detergent for yourself, you can enter my giveaway. Three lucky readers will win a coupon to buy their own bottle of Purex plus Clorox. Enter on the rafflecopter form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I Just Want my Kids to be Kind

2016-05-09T19:58:00.003-04:00

It's every parent's nightmare when you learn that your child is being bullied at school. It's even worse when your child doesn't tell you for weeks.

I never thought that I would have to deal with a mean girl at this young age. I expected in in junior high, but second grade???

Sadly my daughter didn't tell me about her bully until said bully told the other kids in the class not to be friends with my daughter. Once the other (not all but many) started being mean to her, Isabella finally told me what was going on.

My heart sank. My sweet girl the target of a mean girl was just too much to take. I know that my kid won't be friends with everyone she meets, but this goes way beyond just not being friends.

I went to the school immediately and to the mom of this girl.

Which leads me to the point of my post.

The mother didn't care. Flat out told me that she wasn't going to make her daughter stop. That her daughter didn't like my daughter and that was it.

Excuse me?

Do our kids need to be friends? No.

Do our kids need to be kind? I think so.

I'm still shocked by this mother's reaction a week later. Especially after learning that Isabella isn't her first target of the year. She's done this to 2 other girls, just this year!

I know you don't truly know how you would handle a situation until you're in it, but I do know that I will never allow my children to be unkind. They don't have to friend every kid in the class, but they are required to be kind.

The older I get the more I want to surround myself with people who are kind. My circle of friends might be small but I know that they have my back. I know they will help out when I need it, and I will help them in return. I don't care how much money they make, or how clean their house is, or their dress size. Are they nice? That's the number one criteria for me.

I'm sure my children will feel the same way one day, but for now they are too young to understand. They just want to fit in, belong, and be liked.

I want that for them too.

But I cannot make it happen.

The only thing I can do is teach them to be kind to everyone. I pray that my children will act with kindness even when it's not expected or deserved.

I don't care for that mom or her daughter. I don't want to be friends. But today when that mom needed help getting supplies into the classroom, I gave her the help she needed. I was kind, even though I didn't want to be.

I don't regret my decision to help and I pray that my daughter will be a better person than I was today. One that doesn't mentally call her a witch with a b the entire time we walked into the school.

Baby steps friends. I am still a little bitter.

Grilled Brisket Pizza

2016-05-03T20:31:00.001-04:00

My favorite way to cook is to make a bug cut of meat on the weekend and live off the leftovers all week long. I love making pulled pork on the weekend and then making pulled pork tacos and pulled pork pizza during the week. It just makes my life easier as a working mom.

I love brisket! I'm Texas born and raised so it's practically mandatory to love brisket. The best part of brisket is that it's a huge cut of meat and the possibilities for leftovers are endless. Tacos, um yeah I'm from Texas! Enchiladas, do I need to say I'm from Texas again? Salads, yeah I'm from Texas but I'm still a girl.

Grilled Brisket Pizza???? Oh heck yes! Sign me up, this is a pizza that you're pizza wishes he could grow up to be like. The smoky flavor from the grill combined with the spicy BBQ sauce makes this the perfect brisket leftover recipe! I promise you will not regret making this pizza.

Ingredients
1 pizza dough - I buy it, feel free to make it
Country Bob's Apple Chipotle All Purpose Sauce is my favorite, use your favorite
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped brisket
1 medium sized red onion cut into thin strips
1 green or red bell pepper cut into thin strips
4 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat your grill on med heat.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and cook onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. These are going to cook down as you caramelize them.
3. Add bell pepper stripes to the pan and cook until soft.
4. Roll your pizza dough and spread a thin layer of olive oil on one side. Carefully put the oil side down on the grill and cook for 4-6 minutes. Watch the dough carefully as grill temperatures vary.
5. Remove dough from the grill and spread a thin layer of olive oil on the side you didn't cook.
6. Spread about 1/2 cup of apple chipotle sauce over the cooked side of the pizza dough. You want a thin layer but you may need more sauce depending on your crust size/preference.

7. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pizza.
8. Add the caramelized onions, bell peppers over the cheese.
9. Take about a tablespoon of chopped brisket and drop it onto the pizza. Strategically place the dollops of brisket around the pizza.
10. Grab that bottle of Apple Chipotle sauce and drizzle some over the top of the pizza. I didn't measure, I just drizzled it until it looked good to me. This is a preference thing on how much sauce you use.
11. Return your pizza to the grill and cook another 4-6 minutes.
12. Serve and enjoy!

I hope you like the pizza! My family scarfed it down and begged me to make it again the next night.

Beat Spring Allergies with MinuteClinic

2016-05-01T13:59:00.000-04:00

Allergy season is here in North Carolina. After living here for three allergy seasons I can assure you that allergies are no joke. We have 37 60 foot+ pine tress on our property. Which means every spring we go through a few weeks where everything is coated in yellow pollen. It's disgusting being outside and miserable if you're allergic to pine trees like I am.

I'm a mom of three very high energy children . They don't like being inside and I don't like it when they don't burn off their energy. Plus I'm a special ed preschool teacher, there is no staying indoors to avoid the allergens for me. Besides if we stayed indoors we would miss out on fun activities like strawberry picking.

I know the only way to survive is to start my allergy medicine early. This way it's already in my system when the pollen starts to drop. I also come home and shower if I've been outside for too long. A few weeks ago I took my students on a walk through the wooded area at our school. My black shoes turned greenish yellow that day from the pollen and I literally shook off a cloud of pollen when I moved my shirt. I knew I was covered and I wanted to wash all the pollen off. There's nothing worse than going to bed and getting the allergens on your pillow and sheets.

In addition to my usual allergy medicine, I started using nasal spray this year. I don't know what took me so long to take the pharmacists advice on nasal spray, but it really works. You really take for granted being able to breath through your nose until you can no longer do it.

Learning how to treat my allergies took me a long time to figure out after moving to North Carolina. I didn't have allergy problems in Vegas like I do here. Turns out if I had just gone to a doctor or RN right away I could have saved myself some suffering. Avoiding allergens is the best treatment option, it's not always practical or even a realistic option. When avoiding your allergens is not an option, head to MinuteClinic. Their nurse practitioners and physicians assistants can recommend the right over-the-counter medications and write prescriptions when medically appropriate.

Here are some tips from MinuteClinic to help you survive allergy season.

How to Survive the Allergy Season

1. If you're like me and you know you suffer from allergies start taking allergy medicine a few weeks before your symptoms start.

2. It's impossible to keep your kids from coming into contact w/ pollen, but it is possible to get relief - fast!

3. Shake it off! Before coming inside, rid your clothes of pollen with a good shake.

4. Did you know hair gel could be a pollen magnet? Skip the sticky stuff during allergy season for a little extra relief.

5. Avoid window fans! While convenient, they tend to bring in unwanted pollens or mold spores.

6. Don't accessorize w/ itchy red eyes! Visit MinuteClinic for the allergy relief you need:

7. Pull out the shades! Sunglasses protect your eyes from pollen, while keeping you looking stylish at the same time.

8. Fall asleep on clean sheets. Wash your bedding every two weeks to help ease allergy symptoms.

For more information about allergies you can visit your local MinuteClinic at CVS. They are opened 7 days a week so you can visit when it's convenient for you.

Perks of Having Kids in the Kitchen

2016-04-28T19:37:00.001-04:00

We joke in my family that our son's whole life revolves around food. It's not very far off from the truth though. He's always hungry and he eats just about anything. Except American cheese, the kid won't touch it with a 10' foot pole. #foodsnob

It's no surprise to me that he loves to help me in the kitchen. I call him my little sous chef. At six he has some serious knife skills and he knows how to make basic things. I'm pretty impressed with his ability to make perfectly seasoned green beans even though we've deemed him not old enough to put the pan into the oven yet.

It's also no surprise that my son would rather watch cooking shows that cartoons. Who needs Paw Patrol when you have The Pioneer Woman? Last year he got to meet his cooking idol and he still talks about it.

So tonight when he asked if he could make macaroni and cheese for dinner I should have listened a little better. Yeah, yeah, just a minute ok buddy was my response.

I found him in the kitchen a few minutes later boiling water for the macaroni and cheese. I wish this surprised me. But as tired as I am tonight, I just let it go and decided the kids could have mac and cheese for dinner.

The best part was that all I had to do was drain the water. It's too heavy for him and call me crazy but allowing my child to burn himself isn't something I want to happen. Mark did everything else, including measuring the milk and heating up the corn. His sisters were happy with dinner too, especially Isabella who really didn't want pulled pork tonight!

I could get used to having a kid that cooks dinner.

Teaching Confession

2016-04-21T20:03:00.001-04:00

I confess....
There are days when I don't think I'm going to make it through the school year.

I confess....
Wednesday was one of those days. It started with a parent slamming the door open (which would have hurt someone if they were standing f.y.i.) and storming into the room screaming. Not exactly the way to start the day when you teach preschool. Did I mention it's also special ed?

Awesome.

I confess....
It threw the entire day off. The. Entire. Day!

I confess....
We just couldn't get the kids back and it didn't help that all three of us (the teachers) were already crabby.

I confess....
And then we have a day like today and it was awesome.

I confess....
The kids were extra sweet today and 11 out of 14 napped! Say what????? Kids that never and I mean never nap napped.

I confess.....
It's probably because they were trying to make up for Wednesday. #LiesITell

I confess....
Tomorrow we have our family partnership day when we don't have class and we have a playdate with their parents somewhere in the community. It's my favorite day of the month.

I confess....
I just might make it to June with my sanity in tact if we have more days like today.

What are you confessing this week?

Emergen-C Review and Giveaway

2016-03-22T17:17:00.001-04:00

My family lives a healthy active lifestyle. Generally speaking of course. I try my best but there are some times when life happens and I'm not eating as healthy as I should. As a mom to three kids and a preschool teacher it isn't good when I'm not eating right. That's when I start to feel run down so I'm always looking for ways to support my immune system. Trust me, I need all the help I can get being surrounded by little ones all day. I was sent a sample of Emergen-C Immune Plus to facilitate this review as a member of Smiley360.

There are times in my life when I know I need an extra boost to my immune system. This time of year with so much going on at school and with my kids' activities is one of those times. It's the perfect opportunity to give my immune system a boost.

Emergen-C Immune Plus comes in a chewable tablet. I was sent the Orange Blast flavor which I really liked. It tastes like citrus and not chalky at all unlike many other supplements. I liked that this supplement has other vitamins besides C. You will also get Viatmin D, E, B6, Biotin, and Zinc with Emergen-C Immune Plus. Emergen-C is available at your local big box or drug stores, so you can easily pick it up when you're out shopping. There are other lines in the Emergen-C family that are safe for kids, but this product is for those over the age of 14.

Learn more about the benefits of Emergen-C immune Plus on their website. Want to try Emergen-C Immune Plus for yourself? One lucky reader will win a bottle to try it out. Just enter the giveaway on the rafflecopter form. Contest open to US residents only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I recieved this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 at smiley360.com

How Taking Trips Change After Kids

2016-02-18T21:41:00.001-05:00

I remember when Brett and I took impromptu trips before we had kids. We cold be out of the house in less than an hour. Now that we have three kids it takes several lists and hours of preparation to go on the trip. Mostly because we stay places where we can cook so the packing has really gone up a notch. Here are how things are different now that we have kids.

How to Pack Before Kids
Clothes, Toiletries, and Shoes. You are finished.

After Kids
Make lists of what clothes you'll need everyday. Pack back ups in case of accidents and excessive spills. Research if there is any possible reason you need a bathing suit even though it's January, bring it anyway. Pack first aid kit, medicine, hair bows, toiletries, loveys, baby blankets even though your kids are in school, snacks and more snacks, toys, DVDs, tablets, books, a cooler, and enough drinks to ensure at least 4 bathroom breaks.

Road Trip Snacks Before Kids
Grab some food at the gas station. You're not all that worried, you can stop if you're hungry.

After Kids
Strategically plan out sugary snacks versus healthy snacks. You know you can't feed them pure junk or you'll pay later but the junk is what actually bribes them to get through 20 more minutes. Decide that Fruit Loops aren't that bad and chocolate covered raisins are basically fruit and call it a day. Bring enough food to last a 12 hour trip when you'll only be in the car for 4 hours. You can never be too careful.

Getting the Car Ready Before Kids
Gas. Check tires. Load up and leave.

After kids
Hook up the portable DVD player. Make sure the DVDs are close enough to the passenger seat to change them out on the drive. Fold down one seat to fit all the crap you need for a single weekend. Marvel at how much crap you need for a single weekend. Arrange car seats to ensure everyone can see the movie but they're not on top of each other now that the seat is folded down. Arrange the snacks so the passenger can hand them back to the kids but the kids cannot reach them. Give up on making everything fit comfortably and focus on making everything fit.

Bathroom Breaks Before Kids
Oh look we are getting gas or some food, now is a good time to pee. -Adult Logic

After kids
Oh look we are in gridlock or the middle of nowhere and 15 minutes ago when we passes a gas station and mom asked if I needed to pee wasn't quite the right time. Must pee now mommy! -Kid Logic

The Trip Before Kids
Listen to music and talk to your spouse. Ahhh isn't this lovely?

After Kids
Oh my word why are these kids so loud? I have Inside Out on, why are they fighting? Here have some fruit snacks, candy, anything just please stop bickering! Ne we aren't there yet. No, still not there. Why are they crying????

Sleeping kids are rare, don't count on it.

Hotel Arrival Before Kids
You arrive excited and ready to hit the ground running. Ooo look, they have happy hour, don't mind if we do!

After Kids
You've been to hell and back but you made. Thank goodness you packed a bottle of wine, you're going to need it soon and there's no way you're making it to happy hour. But first you have to check in and unpack about 100 bags so that wine will have to wait.

Now if you'll excuse me I have one more load of laundry to do before we leave for our trip.

Ten Things to Smile About in January

2016-01-26T17:36:00.002-05:00

January was a pretty good month for us. 2016 is off to a much better start than 2015, the main difference is that my husband is not unemployed this year. That was a stressful time last year and I'm glad it's behind us.

Here are 10 things that are making me smile this month.

1. My husband and I did better on our no processed foods challenge than we ever have in January. We made it to the 23rd before we quit. I'm convinced we would have made it to the finish line if we hadn't lost power during the snowstorm. It was just too much for me at that point.

2. The memory of our power going out is already wonderful. The power went out at 11pm and we moved two mattress into the family room and slept in front of the fireplace. The kids took that as a sign to wake up and party so I was very tired in the morning. I decided to change my attitude since I couldn't change the power situation and we ended up having a fun day. I was very happy when the power turned back on in the afternoon.

3. Watching my kids play in the snow is always fun. We don't get very much snow in NC so it's a treat when we do. The even mastered the snowboard which is huge for my son with Cerebral Palsy.

After our sled broke they used the cookie sheets.

4. My younger daughter is the daredevil of the family. I got the progression of her wiping out on the driveway which she declared was the "best crash ever mommy!" I just love her! She is so goofy and willing to try anything new.

5. After a few snow days and the district taking away one of my days of spring break as a make up day, I was very happy to go back to work today. No more snow please. My sanity cannot handle losing my spring break this year. I almost lost my mind last year.

6. My son was the picked for the Wall of Fame at school. I was able to switch my lunch to celebrate with him and my husband made it too. We are proud of this little guy.

7. I took my sweet Molly to Duke Lemur Center on a mommy/daughter date. We had a great time even though it was below freezing and most of our tour was outside. Just look at that excited face before we left, priceless.

8. After our power went out we had several friends reach out to us and offer a place to stay. Two even called me after I didn't answer them on FB. We may not have family here in NC, but we do have great friends.

9. Mark and Molly had their homecoming days this month. Born in November, they finally came home from the hospital in January. On different days of course just to keep us on our toes. I love celebrating their homecoming days and remembering just how tiny they were at 6 and 7 weeks old.

10. And last but certainly not least watching the Broncos win. That game was awesome and there may or may not have been screaming at the TV involved.