Supper, Dinner, That Meal You Eat at the End of the Day...

Whatever you call it, the meal around the family table really is important.  For instance, I would never have known that a "cheffer" is someone who "cooks real good food" or that Peyton got his pretty eye-lashes at JayC if not for the family meal.

As I continue my adventure with this whole Freezer-Cooking Series, I have realized more and more each day how special this time is.  The days rush by so quickly, and often we're busy at work or at home, or we're rushing to an activity of some sort - and we miss those funny, cute moments with our families.  Supper-time is becoming more and more obsolete, and it's a shame.  The meal around the table is our time to connect.  It's our time to rid ourselves of distractions, gather together, decompress, enjoy good food, and most importantly - enjoy each other!  

"Regular family mealtime also is linked to better emotional health, fewer risk-taking behaviors, such as alcohol and drug abuse and better school performance."  Taken from Mealtime.org - The Family Table

We all have busy schedules, but the Freezer-Cooking series can help!  When your main dish (or whole meal) is cooking all day while you're doing other things, it's easy to get a nutritious, yummy! meal on the table in no time and get back to the Family Table!

See my previous post for the whole Freezer-Cooking scoop; and then head over to my The Family Dinner blog to check out the recipes as we try them!

Even if you can't get to the table as a family every night - start small, and choose one or two nights that you can get there, and make it happen!  Or, if breakfast is a better time for a family meal, do it then . . . I am not a morning person, so not that's not my bag; but if it works for you and your family, that's great!  Bottom line, it doesn't matter the time of day; just get there together!  And don't rush - choose a time that you'll have time to get the full experience!  Good luck!

What the @&$% Was I Thinking? Oh Wait...This Is Awesome!

Recently I got it in my head to try this idea of prepping and freezing (in 1 day) a whole month's worth of meals to make dinner easier during the week.  I have seen quite a few blogs on this and thought many, many, many times that I should try it, but I never committed to it and the idea eventually fizzled.  But, for some reason this time I thought, "I can do this."

Anyhoo - I headed out to Sam's Club, the local 'buy in bulk' store to get all the meat that I would need for this venture.  Then I hit up the local grocery store sale for the rest.  My advice - if you want to give this adventure a try, do plan ahead in order to get the most bang for your buck!  This can actually prove to be a cheaper option than weekly grocery shopping if you do.  Also, have a friend (or brother-in-law - Thank you, Patrick!) who can help you determine just what in the hell hoisin sauce is and what aisle to find it in!

*Helpful shopping list hint - on a piece of paper as you go through the recipes writing your list, don't write it out as 3 onions, 2 chicken breasts (or whatever), instead mark it like this:
Onion -III
Chicken Breast - II
By doing it this way, you can just continue adding tally marks to items as they appear in the recipes, thereby making it MUCH easier to see how much of an item you need instead of writing them ALL from each recipe and then trying to go back through the list and add things up.
 
Last night after putting the kids to bed, I stare at all the bags of food sitting around my kitchen and almost have heart failure.  What was I thinking?!  But I take a deep breath and start sorting.  All the raw meat in one area, all the veggies in another, the spices in another, etc.  Then I take my gallon Ziploc bags and start writing the names of the meals on them.  

Can you tell I'm stalling at this point?!

Finally, I get down to business.  For me, the easiest way to do this was to first sort the meat (cutting it as I went, if needed) into the Ziploc bags and put them on the table out of my way.  Then I scanned the recipes to determine how many onions I needed to chop, how many to slice, etc.  And I did that with all my veggies and did all the chopping at once.  After I completed all the chopping, mincing, blah, blah, blah ... I moved on to filling the bags.  I opened each recipe (I did not write them down, some people do; I bookmarked the link on my computer and just opened them as I went) and grabbed the bag of meat that corresponded and added my veggies and any other sauces or spices that were listed.  Then I smooshed it all around to mix it up and stuck it in the freezer.  I simply repeated this step until I used the last bag of meat!  *Some recipes call to serve with rice or pasta ... you just leave that out and cook that part when you're ready to eat.

When it was all over, I thought--good grief that was crazy!  I don't know if I'll ever do that again.  But then, I thought - wait a minute, I have my main dishes all ready for almost the ENTIRE MONTH.  So all I have to do is grab them from the freezer the night before, throw them in the fridge to thaw overnight, and then in the morning put them in the crockpot on low so supper is ready when we are!  I did all my prep-work in about 3 hours instead of spreading it out into an hour this night, a half-hour that night, etc.  Three hours in one day and I'm finished!  I do have to give credit to my husband for helping me for about an hour and a half ... but then I had to release him for "The Walking Dead," (eeeeewwww) and I finished up by myself.  

AWESOME!  

*A few recipe notes -
1.  I did not brown any of my meat.  Some of the recipes call for this, but based on others' experiences, it is not a necessary step.
2.  I used some fresh herbs, but not all.  Fresh does have that extra oomph, but it won't destroy the meal if you use dried herbs.  I did this because I have quite a few dried herbs already in my spice rack, so it cut down on my cost.
3.  I was confused at first because not all of these meals are 'crock-pot' meals, and I was concerned that this wasn't going to work like I'd hoped.  But just ignore the cooking directions, throw the ingredients in the bag, smoosh around, and freeze.  Move from freezer to fridge the night before to thaw, grab it from the fridge in the morning and give it a good squeeze to mix it up again, and put it in the crock-pot on low.
4.  There are 19 recipes total on the list I used.  The author of the blog (see below) doubled each recipe (except the ones that were already doubled by the original author) so that she'd have almost 40 meals.  I did not double them because we're just trying them out for the first time.  If we like the recipe, then next month I'll double it.  I'll also be looking for other recipes to add to the rotation!

If you're feeling brave enough to jump right in (and I encourage you do so), visit Who Needs a Cape for the complete recipe list.

If you're not feeling so brave just yet and want to see how it turns out first, follow my Family Dinner Blog for the individual recipes and verdicts on taste as we thaw and cook them!  

I believe tomorrow night we'll start with Teriyaki Chicken or Cilantro-Lime Chicken...

Romance is Dead. ...Or is It?

I recently had a friend tell me she hated romance movies because no man was actually like any of the men in the romance movies.  I happen to love romance movies.  So I was thinking about our conversation and (most) women's love of this genre.  

Now, I'm not saying that men don't possess some good qualities, but a lot of men really lack the "romance bone."  And when we watch a movie where the man makes this big, romantic gesture, we sigh and wish our significant other would perform such a gesture.  Do we realize that you will never be Hugh Grant?  Yes.  Hugh Grant isn't even Hugh Grant.  So then why do we watch, and why do we hold on to a tiny glimmer of hope that one day we will get that gesture?

Why else would we date?!  Ha.

But seriously.

22 Days of Thanksgiving

This "game" is taking Facebook by storm.  Every year it begins on Facebook -- every day, beginning November 1st, you post something that you're thankful for.  I did it last year.  But this year as November 1st came and went, I made a somewhat conscious decision not to get into it this year.  Why?  Because some people (myself included) see the posts and think, "Congratulations, you have...  Why do you feel the need to post it on Facebook?  Maybe we don't care." 

And I still felt that way as I saw the barrage of comments about thankfulness on November 2nd and most of the 3rd.  Seriously - I'm happy that you have stuff to be thankful for.  So do I.  Why do we feel this need to share it all over Facebook?  It's not really people sharing their blessings.  It's bragging about the people in our lives or the things that we have.  It's a big "In Your Face!" to everyone on our friend list.  For example, we post that we're thankful for the wonderful husband we have who works hard, etc.  And secretly we're thinking, "Because I know Janie So-and-So's husband is a real loser...maybe she'll get the message when she reads this." 

Then, last night (November 3rd), I spent the evening working at our Church's Annual Turkey Supper.  I talked to people I've known forever, some newer friends, and some I'd just met.  As I looked at all the people working with me, all the people enjoying the dinner, and all the camaraderie in general happening around me, I realized what a bad attitude I had about this harmless game.  Here I stood in the middle of a room with nearly six hundred people that came to eat, to share their time with others, and to be thankful together.  I was so ... THANKFUL! to be part of it.  

And it dawned on me - people aren't bragging or writing these posts to make others feel bad.  They are truly sharing with the world (or at least our online part of it) how they feel to be surrounded by the people that they love, and how much they enjoy the things they have.  For a change it's not a post about, "This person makes me so mad," or "I wish I had ..."  It's a simple statement about being satisfied and appreciative of who and what we have.  Instead of taking time to be negative, they're taking time to be positive and share the experience of being thankful with others.  And couldn't we all use a little less negativity and a lot more happy?! 

So, look for me to start posting what I'm thankful for!  And Facebook friends, I'm sincerely happy that you have so many wonderful things to be thankful for in your lives! 

Money, Money, Money ... Mo-ney!

"Some people got to have it.  Some people really need it."  -O'Jays

Being a stay-at-mom is incredibly rewarding in so many ways, however, money isn't one of those rewards.  Which means budgeting becomes way more necessary than it did back before marriage or kids.  And it's hard sometimes.  It's hard to watch your friends or other family members do things and buy things that you can't do or buy right now because you're a one-income family.  

Some people say, "Well, go get a job."  Well, I have a job.  Just because it doesn't earn a paycheck doesn't mean it's not a job.  And in our situation for me to get a job wouldn't really add to our income - it would just pay for someone else to be with my children instead of me getting to be with them.  Let me clarify:  I don't regret for one single second my decision to be at home.  I get to see every milestone, hear every silly story, and teach them the things I think are important as they grow.

That doesn't mean it isn't hard some days.

But I have found something to make it a little easier.  

Mvelopes.com.  It's a FREE website that helps you manage your finances and makes it easier to save for the things you want/need.  If you are struggling to make your finances work for you (whether you stay at home or not), I urge you to give this site a try.

Now, I'm not perfect, and there has been a time or two when I've spent money but I've already maxed out my mvelope budget for that particular category.  But the good thing is that after I do it, I see a big, ugly red number that says, "Hey - you overspent.  Tsk, tsk."  And the following month when I "fund" my mvelopes, instead of $100 in that budget, I'll only see $75 because I overspent last month.  After you see those big, ugly red numbers a time or two, you'll really strive to do without if you've already spend your budget.  Because it's amazing how those numbers can sound like your mom in your head. 

Using this site, we've come a little way from the days where we lived paycheck to paycheck, which is no fun.  And speaking of fun, don't forget to give yourself a little fun money or you'll never stick to your budget!  

*If decide to use Mvelopes.com, please leave me a comment here to let me know how you liked it!

Headed for Crazy . . .

Being a Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM) is very rewarding ... most days.  

However, you have days where it seems like all hell breaks loose and you want to run screaming down the street - and the only thing that's stopping you is the tiny shred of sanity (somewhere) reminding you that if you do that, when you get back to the house it will be in an even bigger state of disaster than it already is (which is part of what caused you to run screaming in the first place) because hey--when Mom's away, the toddler will play!

Those days happen, and at the end of those days, I fall into bed wondering an array of things from "I just need one day to myself..." to "When did I become Mommy Dearest?"  And then I cry.  Well - I would cry, but I'm too tired.

The next day, which is usually back to normal, I find myself wondering if I am terrible mom because I just want that one day to sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, enjoy a cup of coffee and a couple chapters of a book, go shopping for myself, have lunch with a friend, go to dinner and movie with my hubby, and then head home where I can pamper myself a little before bed and then sleep, not having to worry about one of the kids getting up sick or scared in the middle of the night.  You know - one day where you can be who you were before kids.

When you're with your children 24/7 it's easy to forget all about that person you used to be because it's so easy to focus on those sweet little faces who need you.  And it's really easy for all the people around you to forget that, too.  I find that often when I want a day to myself (and I don't mean a trip to the grocery store or doctor's office without kids, I mean a day to something for myself by myself), friends and family tend to say things like, "I can't believe you want to be away from your kids," or "What do you need a break from, you don't work?" or "I never got a break."  And then in addition to feeling worse about myself, I also now want to strangle someone.  Because, if you never got a break, then you know what I feel like and don't you wish someone would have offered to help you out?  And I do want to be with grown-ups for a change, and it doesn't mean I don't love or miss my kids when I'm away.  AND - What do you mean I don't work?!?!

Then guilt sets in.  Are these people right?  Am I a terrible mom?

No.

I'm human.   And it's okay for me to want time to myself once in a while.  It's okay for me to take that time.  Because if you never take time for yourself, that's when Mommy Dearest creeps up on you.   

*Mind you, I've never beaten my child with a wire hangar, but there are days when that sink overflowing with dishes taunts me from the kitchen and I know I can't get to it because no one is napping today; or a toy out of place sends me over the edge so I threaten to throw every single toy in the house in the garbage if I trip on that stupid Joker House one more time.*

Yes, time to yourself for yourself is important.  And it helps me decompress and refresh myself.  That way, I'm not Mommy Dearest, but rather Fun Mommy who loves playing with the Joker House and doesn't stress if I don't get the dishes done until tomorrow!  

So if you're a fellow SAHM, don't beat yourself up because every now and again you dream of a day children-free...find that friend or family member who gets it and let them enjoy your children for a day while you go do something for yourself.  And if you aren't a SAHM, put yourself in our shoes for a moment and instead of beating us up for wanting the time (we do that enough ourselves), offer to give us a day, or even just an hour or two.  It often means more than you realize.  

And understand that no one loves our children more than we do -- but even mommies need a kid-free bathroom break once in a while!

At the beginning of this blog I made mention of how I was following "A Slob Comes Clean" in an attempt to get my own house in order.  Update:  I was doing some things, but I really hadn't made much progress until last week when my grandmother (thanks, Mamaw!) came over and helped me get started.  When I looked at my house, I would just be paralyzed by all the things that needed to be done, and my brain could not even focus to figure out how to get started.  So, I just didn't start.  But then Mamaw arrived with her famous "toy rake" and plunged right into my living/play room.  I tried to keep up.  Several hours later the living/play room was clean and (since my dishwasher is broken) my kitchen was free of dirty dishes.  After she left, I didn't want to lose my momentum so I got out my little vacuum and finally conquered those pesky cobwebs way up in the corners of the ceiling.  The next two days were really nice, and I won't lie -- we headed to my parents' house to enjoy the pool!  But when I came home in the evenings I straightened the kitchen (and cleaned up completely after supper), and then I even began work on the dining room, which I also use as a make-shift office.  It isn't finished by any stretch, but just the few piles of papers and files being sorted, picked up off the floor, and moved to their proper place in the organizer bins has made a huge difference.  Mikaela's room continues to be my Achilles' heel.  She is about ready for the crib (she's been in a bassinet in our room), but I have not yet finished cleaning her nursery; I have not painted; and until a couple days ago, I hadn't even picked out bedding and a color scheme.  I feel a bit better though because I finally did choose bedding, and when it arrives in the next day or two I will head to the store for paint!  This weekend the hubster and I will finish cleaning and begin taping for paint.  Next Thursday his family will be helping us paint at the weekly "art night."  They just don't know it ... yet.  :)  

*Happy Sigh* I am starting to see results, and that keeps me heading in the right direction.  Today I am going to tackle Peyton's bedroom.  And maybe the desk in my kitchen.  Yeah, me.  Here I go!

Two Sides to Every Story

So, I just read this really obnoxious blog about how this girl hates her stay-at-home mom friends' posts about how hard they work, etc.  The blog itself and the following comments stunned me.

"If it were an actual job, every mom would do it."
"So?  I work and then have to come home and do all the stuff that you do."
"It's a luxury because being a working parent is more work because there's work and household duties which is more difficult than just having to child-rear and maintain the household."
"Big deal.  I go to work and make decisions that affect hundreds of people every day.  I don't need a parade."
"Why do they (stay-at-home-moms) think they deserve some kind of award for raising children they decided to have?"

And the list goes on.

My first issue with that whole blog is this -- it's Facebook, who cares?  People are allowed to post whatever they want...you don't have to read it.

My BIG issue is -- why does it have to be a competition?  Why aren't we allowed to post about our particularly busy day?  Why are you allowed to vent about your job, but we aren't allowed to vent about ours?  Why is it okay to bash each other for the lifestyle choices we have made for ourselves?

A lot of times stay-at-home moms are undervalued in society.  People look at us and think/say, so you 'just' stay at home all day?  I want to slap those people.  
No, I don't need any reward or monetary compensation for staying home and "raising children I decided to have."  Which is a statement in itself that really burns me up.  I love my children dearly, and yes I wanted a family...but that doesn't mean every day is a song or that staying home with my kids is the easiest job in the world.

And yes, I understand that you have responsibilities at work and then come home to responsibilities there; but that doesn't mean stay-at-home moms have half the responsibility that you have ... it just means that we have different responsibilities.  I, for one, run a home-based business in addition to my stay-at-home mom role.  I am also a student.  I also volunteer at my church and help run some of the ministries there.  I am a photographer in my spare time.

I don't judge you for working instead of staying at home.  So don't judge my choice to stay home because you don't know what my daily responsibilities are.  Instead of tearing each other down because "I work harder than you" or "I do everything you do plus..." all women/mothers should be supporting each other.  Let's be grown-ups and realize that we all work hard and every job we do has value whether it's outside the home or in.

Sensitive

Worked at the hospital today taking newborn photographs.  Planned on hitting the pool at Mom's house with the kiddos when I finished, but today was an ozone alert day.  Meaning since I have asthma, I'm considered part of the 'sensitive' group advised to stay indoors.  So instead of pretending I didn't know about the alert and going anyway, I was a responsible (bleh, who knew I had it in me?) grown-up and we stayed home.  We had lunch with Miranda and a fun indoor playdate with Baby Loucie (my niece), Peyton, and Mikaela.  

After they left I began working on my cleaning list ... which I had conveniently misplaced for the last three weeks as I worked on the wedding and Vacation Bible School.  I started with dishes, since our dishwasher is still broken and I haven't had a chance to go look at new ones, AND our sink is starting to pile up.  Next, my plan is to clean out the pantry and make my grocery list.  After the kids go bed I'll clean the living room, or the 'playroom,' as Peyton calls it.  I secretly call it the disaster zone.  :/  Wish me luck.  Because my reward to myself for finishing those goals tonight, is pool-time tomorrow!!!

A Day of Nothing

The weekend of June 9th was an infamous weekend that will go down in the record books as possibly one of the worst weekends of all time.  I am trying to remain somewhat professional, so I won't go into further detail, but suffice it to say that some people are just toddlers walking around in adult's clothing.  That behavior at three isn't pretty sometimes, but there's time to teach.  It's really ugly at twenty-something, and sadly, probably too late to correct.

And there's no rest for weary (or is that the wicked?) because on June 11th we kicked off Vacation Bible School and that went from 5:30pm to 8pm from the 11th through the 15th.  I am lucky to have some wonderful ladies to work with in planning this particular event.  And we have a lot of great help during.  It was fun while it lasted, but I'm breathing a sigh of relief that it's over for this year.  

Of course yesterday was Father's Day, so we made our rounds doing all the Father's Day meals, including the one I cooked at my house.  

All of that being said - I had wonderful aspirations today to do a bunch of laundry, wash dishes (oh yes, because I need one more problem...our dishwasher is broken), and clean the bathrooms.  Guess what I've actually done?  

Played with Mikaela and Peyton.  I also took a nice long shower while they were kind enough to nap at the same time; and then I watched a sitcom and ate a couple of Hershey's toffee almond nuggets.  Just call me the quintessential soap opera-watching bon bon-eating housewife today.  But I think I earned it.

Clorox 2 for Colors, you are NOT my friend.

Some days I wake up and realize all the things I have to be and do ... and whew!  Most of the things I do are for people I love, or I do them because I enjoy them.  But - just when I think to myself, "I'm a good person.  I helped ..." whomever with whatever.  And it feels good.  And then a random written statement (from someone who apparently does not think I'm a good person today) slaps me in the face and it ruins my whole day.  If it came from someone I didn't care about, I'd just shrug it off because whatevs.  But I do care about the person.  And it bothers me that when I'm having a rough month, I can't get any slack.  Just because I do other things, doesn't mean I don't like or care about you.  So yes, I sometimes forget to make a phone call or send an email ... and I understand feelings get hurt because I've responded to something or someone else and not you -- but it's truly not because I don't care.  I just have a lot on my plate right now, and my focus is on getting through the very next day as best I can (I know it sounds lame, but I can't even look ahead to the day after tomorrow right now).  So to all of my friends out there - if I haven't called, or texted for a while, please don't judge me and think I'm being a terrible friend.  I do love and care about each and every one of you.  I try to be a good friend, but I'm not perfect.  And sometimes, I need my good friends to be understanding.

There is nothing worse than waking up to the realization that there is no coffee in the house ... anywhere.  Not even the instant junk.  

Had a good time at art night last night with the family; we celebrated a birthday and a retirement!  My sister-in-law made fantastic orange and lemon cakes.  Very summer-y.  Some of my husband's out of town family was in and it was nice to catch up with them and get to know them a little better.  My nephew and my son had a good time together--and are becoming quite the little team of masterminds.  I just haven't decided if they're going to use their powers for good or evil . . . 

 

Boo.  Being sick is no fun!  Any other mommies out there who feel like the few times they do get sick, it lasts way longer than usual because you don't get to ignore everything and everyone else to rest up and recuperate?!?! 

Bedtime last night was a SUCCESS!  There were no tears, no whining.  How did I do it?  Well, Peyton loves to race.  So, we raced the clock.  I timed him putting on his pajamas.  I timed him picking out a book to read.  I even timed our rocking - three minutes (1 song) with me, three with Daddy.  When time was up, he was nearly asleep because he was trying to beat the buzzer to sleep!  He was in bed and asleep by 8:15pm, which hasn't happened for some time.  The past few weeks it's been 8:30, 9, 9:15 before he was in the bed and actually eyes closed asleep.  So this is one HAPPY Mommy!  Tonight we'll shoot for a little earlier start time so he can be in bed and asleep by 8pm.  :)  I'll let you know how it goes.

Busy, busy, busy!  The past few days I have been helping my sister (Melinda) plan a wedding ... for June 9th - yes, this year!  Melinda is out of town so that's why I've been recruited to do some running for venue contract signing, etc...and I'll be the photographer on the Big Day!  And she has been tirelessly working on the centerpieces which will have some real flowers, but also these really cool paper flowers -- and I'm not sure how many she's made, but the picture she sent looked like a lot!  I don't know how she's doing it!  I must say that even though it's been a little crazy with the date so close, I'm really enjoying our Barrelhouse (her event business) - Avonlea Events (my event business) collaboration!  In addition to that, I'm rebuilding my lia sophia business after baby!  All that (and yes, I'm still working on the house cleaning checklist!), and I'm making sure to make plenty of time for my kiddos!  There's never a dull moment around here!

 

It's a funny thing about checklists ... sometimes life happens and that list gets lost in the shuffle.  So yeah - I didn't complete that checklist.  But I did accomplish a lot more than I would have if I hadn't made a list and tried.  For instance, Mikaela's room is almost completely cleaned out and ready to be painted.  She's only three months old tomorrow...  I mean, she's been sleeping in our room in a bassinet and I haven't felt the pressing urge to move her to her own room yet since she's still waking up for a four o'clock feeding.  But the time's a-coming when she'll be sleeping through the night and will be too big for that bassinet.  Oh well.  Today, I'll sit down and re-evaluate my list, make some changes, and get back to work!

Switching over to Peyton - he used to be great about bedtime.  We'd go in, read a couple books, turn on the music, rock for one song, and then he'd get into bed and go to sleep...or talk to himself until he fell asleep.  Lately, not so much.  I can't decide if it's because of Mikaela, or because he had been having health issues.  Whichever it is, he just wants to rock and rock and rock until he falls asleep.  Don't get me wrong, I love rocking with him, but we can't be rocking him to sleep every night - he has to learn to put himself to sleep again.  And when he was little, the first few times we left him to do that he cried for a while and then got over it.  Now, he will cry and scream and just freak out.  On one hand, I feel like he's playing me; but on the other, sometimes the cry isn't like "Oh, I'm crying because I'm mad that it's bedtime..." but "I'm really freaked out here, and no one is helping me!"  *Sigh*  I guess I'm just going to have to harden my heart a little (or buy earplugs) and break him in like we did when he was little.

 

Okay, so now that I have corrected my profile and all that jazz, I'm ready to share.

It amazes me how on the Real Housewives show, these women are almost never seen with their children doing family things.  And, I'm sure they probably do (hopefully...maybe...), but I can't imagine being so self-centered that all my time is spent on me.  Don't these ladies know what they're missing out on?  For instance, last night we had our Friday night movie night with Peyton - we made pizza and cookies and watched "The Tale of Despereaux."  We snuggled on the couch and enjoyed our simple dinner and Netflix choice.  Well, the pizza, cookies, and snuggling were good.  The movie?  Interesting...but that's a story for another day.  Then this morning we got up and made chocolate chip waffles together.  Okay, that's a lie - he watched me get out the ingredients and then wandered into the living room to watch Transformers Rescue Bots, and I made the waffles alone.  But so far it's been a lovely, family-togetherness kind of morning.

Unfortunately, once I finish writing this blog it will be time for me to continue on with my 'Checklist.'  One task at a time.  Ooohh - paused for a moment to hold Mikaela.  Love snuggle time with my kiddos!  Okay ... I've stalled long enough.  Off to work I go.

So, I'm still learning the "Blog" thing.  And this should have been my first post, not my "About Me" as I have two blogs and people reading my Family Dinner were probably confused when they saw this.  HA HA.  So - what my first post SHOULD have been.

I must preface my description of this page with a disclaimer - This blog is in no way affiliated with The Real Housewives Television Series or its' affiliates.  This is simply my own views and opinions on the life of a true stay-at-home mom and housewife.  Because let's face it; most real housewives aren't reality TV stars with millions to spend on nannies, cars, clothes, etc. while being able to sit around drinking wine all day whining about our superficial problems.  Most real housewives are (maybe) stay-at-home moms as well, raising a family on a super-tight budget.  We're cooks, housekeepers, parents, teachers, referees, nurses, Mrs. Fix-its, taxis, comforters, and a whole lot more.  Now, if you were lucky enough, or devious enough (whatever the case may be), to marry a rich man and your life truly resembles the TV show - then this blog probably isn't for you.  However, if most days you want to strangle the person who came up with the series because "YEAH RIGHT" there ain't nothing real about that, then read on and enjoy!

So yesterday I was pretty pumped about my new plan to get this house into shape.  Today that excitement wanes a little as I realize just how much I have to do.  And this is my problem...instead of looking at my list and taking it one task at a time (like I lined out in said list), I start looking around and see the WHOLE picture, and I want to faint...or curl up into a ball and mumble incoherently about 'damned spots.'  

I remind myself to Breathe and concentrate on my list only.  I will get through this.  Every time I finish one task, I feel good.  So when it's all completed, I know I'll feel great (and I won't panic every time my doorbell rings).  And I'll actually call and schedule that flooring estimate...  I just have to focus.  Easier said than done - but not impossible.  Wish me luck today.

Well, I got the bathroom cleaned and checked off of my list.  The rest of the kitchen will have to wait because Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's off to shower I go!  

PS.  Scrubbing Bubbles - We have a love/hate relationship.  I do love the product because it cleans well; but that whole "We work hard so you don't have to..." yeah right.  The new stuff that starts out blue and changes to white when it's clean, changes to white almost after immediate contact.  And I know for a fact that toilet isn't clean enough for that quick of a clean!

My journey begins today.  

I should explain.  

Well, in addition to blogging about my real experiences as a housewife and stay-at-home mom, I'll also be sharing my personal goal to whip my house into shape and regain my sanity...or some of it, at least.  Most of the methods I'm using are either taken right from A Slob Comes Clean, or else they're modified versions of her suggestions to fit my personal needs.

One of my first goals is to blog at least every other day, because then I'll be holding myself accountable to really reflect on what I've accomplished each day as I make my way to the goal finish line.   And I really hope to inspire and entertain my readers, and even to say, "Hey, you aren't alone."  Real life, unlike "reality" life, isn't perfect.  Oh no.  Far from it.


So this morning I sat down and created my "Whip This House Into Shape in 5 Days" Checklist.  Now, this isn't a deep-clean, total reorganization kind of checklist.  It's just a Get This to a Manageable Size Issue, instead of the TOTAL DISASTER ZONE that it is now.  I have shown this checklist below...hopefully I will figure out at some point how to just attach the document.  Until then, here ya go - copy and paste it into Word.  If your house is already manageable then this checklist isn't for you.  You can probably get by with my Weekly and Daily Checklists which will come later.


And just so everyone is up to speed - after creating the list, and between feeding Mikaela, putting her down for a nap, giving Peyton a bath, and feeding him lunch, I've accomplished what you see checked off below.  And now that everyone is situated (fingers crossed they stay that way), I'll finish the kitchen and kids' bathroom chores before getting ready for my Mary Kay party tonight!  Wish me luck!