The "Mommy Bible"

All through my growing up years, and for the majority of my single life, I was notorious for being late and forgetting to do things. My mother's answer every time I was late, or forgot something was "why don't you start making lists and writing things down?". "Make a list!" "Make a list!". It was a broken record mantra! I LOATHED 'The List' with a passion!! I swore to myself that I would never be a list/note maker. 

Ever heard the saying,"never say never"?

When I got married and became pregnant, my ever faithful list-making mother went to the store and bought a mommy planner for me as a gift. :)
 "I know you probably wont ever use it, but I thought it might help." was what she told me as she handed it over.  
"eh, we"ll see. Since you bought it, I'll give it a shot."
and I did.

It was surprising how quickly I became attached to it! I mean, this thing could do ANYTHING! From weekly to-do lists, and grocery lists- to  activities, menu planning and even a note making section. Not to mention the one week a page calender system! 
Without even realizing it, I stepped into the world of family management, which included LIST making and PLANNING! Although, I didn't really see it like that at the time. :p

I carried that planner with me everywhere! I even took it with me to the store because I would attach coupons I had clipped to the shopping list. I was constantly referring to it. It was, and is, my 'Mommy Bible'.

"Oh, my gosh! she's making lists and is actually on time!" was the common response I got from friends and family. 

My mom's response was first one of shock because I was actually using it. Followed by an 'I told you so' comment. Which was something like, "See! Making lists and notes isn't that bad! What have I always told you? Make a list! It helps to write things down!"

Since becoming attached to my paper planner, I thought I'd give the planner apps a go. But in the end, there's just something about writing  it down that does the trick for me! I'm kicking it old school, much to my mother's amazement. 

I have been bitten by the planning ahead, menu making, to-do list writing, bug! And I love it!!

As I said, "never say never!"

Did I mention my planner has stickers!? :)

Anything Fried Rice

Anything Fried Rice

(A.K.A. Special Ham Fried Rice)

 I LOVE this recipe!!  Like most people, I'm sure, I am always finding my refrigerator full of random leftovers that I wind up throwing away at the end of the week. Mentally calculating the amount of money I just dumped into the trash always makes me frustrated. I find myself wishing I was brave enough and creative enough to make a recipe utilizing all these leftovers. 

Well, I found a recipe that does just that! It's called the "Special Ham Fried Rice Recipe" and I found it in Company's Coming: 3-1 Cookbook Collection- Meals in No Time.  I renamed it Anything Fried Rice because I have deviated from this recipe by adding, substituting, and even leaving out ingredients. It's quick, easy and very cheap! Plus, it uses items that pretty much everyone has in there freezer, fridge, and pantry! 

I hope you enjoy! 

Cooking oil  1tbs.

Chopped onion (I have used frozen onion too) 2/3 Cup

Chopped celery 2/3 cup

Cooking oil 1tbs.

2 Large eggs

Pepper 1/8tsp.

Cold Leftover rice 3 cups

    (about 1 cup uncooked)

Chopped leftover cooked ham

     ( I have also used chicken or turkey)

Soy Sauce 2 tbs.

Leftover cooked (or frozen, thawed) peas 1/2 cup

     ( I have also used 1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies, thawed)

2 Green onions, sliced 

* Carrots also make a good addition!

Heat wok or large frying pan on medium-high until hot. Add first amount of cooking oil. Add first amount of onion and celery. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes until onion starts to brown. Transfer to small bowl.

Add second amount of cooking oil to wok. Add eggs and pepper. Break yolks but do not scramble. Cook, without stirring, for  1 minute. Flip. Immediately start chopping egg with edge of pancake lifter until egg is in small pieces and starting to brown. 

Add rice, ham and soy sauce. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, breaking up rice, until dry and starting to brown. 

Add onion mixture, peas and green onion. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until heated through. Makes 5 Cups. Serves 4.

As a new mom, I want to make sure I'm serving up nutritious and delicious meals to my family. I've found this recipe to be both! I like serving it with a portion of the meat that I mixed into the rice, along with another serving of veggies.  Although, I will admit that it's perfectly good all on it's own!!

 Bonn A petite!

Beware the Baby Eaters!

The following is a breaking story for all children 3 years and younger!!!

Beware the Baby Eaters! 

For all you babies out there, be on your guard for the baby eaters! They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. Although, typically they are women over the age of 20. But don't be fooled! Men have been known to be baby eaters too!

 Baby eaters are usually easy to spot because they get right in your face until you go cross-eyed! There are a few who are more mindful of personal space. These baby eaters are all bark and no bite. ( you don't have to be as cautious with these individuals). Should you encounter a respectful baby eater, just smile and coo and just be happy! They LOVE that!! After a few minutes you'll both go on your way unscathed.

A real baby eater approaches with a big smile and usually a coo or some sort of exclamation. 

For example: "Oooh!" or a smacking of folded in lips. ( a sure sign of a baby eater)

Once the exclamation has been made, they POUNCE!!!

If you're sitting, the feet are the first thing they grab! This insures that the victim won't be able to make an escape. The best thing to do in these situations is to  look at your mommy or daddy pleadingly with tears pooling in your eyes. Generally, this will cause the parent to swoop in and rescue you.

Should this not work for some reason, the baby eater will proceed to the next level:

comments such as:

"Oh my God! You're so cute! I could just gobble you up!"

"What a cutie pie! I could just eat those chubby cheeks!"

 "You're so delicious! Mmmmmm!!! Yum! I want to chew on those sweet cheeks!"

Then there's hand grabbing, raspberry blowing on your cheeks, and leg squeezing. 

There is only one thing left for a baby to do if they want to be saved. CRY!!!! 

Full on crocodile tears and hearty sobs are most definitely enough to stop any baby eater in their tracks! 

Keep this things in mind, and you'll never have to worry! 

This has been a special news update

 

Noise Maker

Every week it seems my son discovers a new sound that he can make. From snorting to growling and every noise in between, he is a constant music box of noises! The most recent addition to his noise list is the tongue click. 

In the past, the noises (not including consonants and vowels) he made have never been mixed up at one time. They were always independent of each other, if you know what I mean. Once the tongue clicking was added, a whole new dialogue was invented.

It sounds something like this:
 "Grrrrrr! (snort!) Na-na-na-ba-guh. Da-da-da-da.( tongue click) Mmmmm! Wa (tongue click). Grrrr! ma-ma-na-buh! (tongue click. snort!)"
On and on it goes! 
 
It was suggested by a friend of my that he was speaking some kind of code, and I needed to decipher it. (Yeah, right! Fat chance!)

I have no clue what my son is telling me. Nor  does it really matter at this point. For now, I'm just enjoying the nonsense  ramblings of my son. However, I'm pretty sure that the tongue clicking and snorting are strategically placed, and therefore a vital part of the conversation.

"ummmmm. Na-ma-ma-ma-guh. Uhhhh! (tongue click)."
possible translation: "Make time to smile!"

Learning to Live in the Moment

 "Having more joy does not necessarily require a life overhaul- 

you may just need to create more space in your life for moments of joy."

         ~Debrena Jackson Gandy

  I believe most of us need to keep in mind throughout our day. I know that for myself, I'm always thinking that if I could just be: more organized, more scheduled, more _____... then I would be a happier person. And that some how by doing those things I would be better able to enjoy life. Sometimes, however, I get so caught up in trying to make time to be happy that I miss out on it.  Then I watch my son and for a moment see life through his eyes.  He doesn't TRY to make to time to be happy. He doesn't let schedules, or daily tasks interfere. He lives purely in the moment. 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we shouldn't schedule or plan. These are very important and necessary. They do play a role in our mental well-being and happiness. It's just that we need to not get so caught up in them; so attached to them, that we fail to LIVE. 

I know I can learn a lesson from my son. The lesson is to learn to live in the moment. Allow for the spontaneous moments of happiness to happen :)

 

Campbell's Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I came across this recipe in a newspaper flier not that long ago and decided to give it a try. As a fairly new wife, I rely on recipes frequently in order to ensure a good outcome. I do have those moments of inspiration where I prepare an 'original creation'. But those moments are rare, since I am not that confident, as of yet in my own cooking. This is one recipe that I discovered to be cheap, quick and easy to make! My husband really liked it, and he hates pot pie's! So, I thought I would share it with all of you. :) 

 Easy Chicken Pot Pie

(A Campbell's Soup Recipe)

Prep: 10 minutes ~ Cook: 30 minutes ~ Makes: 4 servings

1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

     (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 cup milk

1 package (12 ounces) frozen vegetables, thawed 

1 cup cubed cooked chicken or turkey

1 egg

1 cup biscuit baking mix

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the soup, 1/2 cup milk, vegetables and chicken in a 9-inch pie plate.

2. Stir the remaining milk, egg and baking mix in a small bowl. Spread the batter over the chicken mixture.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

 

 

The 45 Minute Rule

Everyone has heard the age old rule, "don't swim for 30 minutes after eating". There is a new rule, though, that I'm sure no one has heard of before. Veteran parents are probably aware of it. If they are, they have not shared it with the Newbies, like myself. I call it 'The 45 Minute Rule'.
 I stumbled upon this rule quite by accident one morning while bathing my son. He had just eaten breakfast about 30 minutes earlier and had food smeared all over!
Sitting him in the tub, I gave him some toys and let him play. After 15 minutes of playing contentedly, the grunting began. Quizzically, I tipped my head. "No, he can't be." I thought to myself. That's when I saw his face turn red and heard another strained grunt.
My brain scrambled to make sense of it!
"He couldn't be!?"  
But to my utter horror, he was! And he did!
Dumbfounded, I stood there staring. Then in a burst born out of disgust and panic, I snatched him from the water!!
As I emptied, cleaned, and refilled the tub to rewash my son, I realized I had learned my lesson.

No Bath's until 45 minutes after eating!!

A friend of mine just recently shared this quote. It isn't funny, or sad. Just thought provoking. I thought I would take a moment and pass it on to you.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves,'who am I to be gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?"

~Unknown

Everything 'Da-Da'

My son has recently reached the stage all parents wait impatiently for. 

The first word stage!

Like any normal parents, my husband and I are anxiously awaiting this historic moment.

 When will he say it? What will his first word be??

Of course, there is that age old battle in the mean time where each parent vies for the child's name recognition. From my husband and I it sounds something like this:

The Hubby: "Son, say 'Da-Da'!" 

Me: "No! Say 'Ma-Ma'!"

In the mixture of baby babble that is my son's primary language, there are the beginnings of possible first words. Sounds like 'ba-ba', 'ma-ma', and 'da-da' can be heard flowing from his little mouth now. However, he seems to repeat one sound more than the rest. Much to my dismay, it's 'da-da'.  

Everywhere he goes and no matter what he does, 'da-da' is the main focus of most conversations. Watching him play with his toys you hear his chitter-chatter, "da-da-da-da-da. na-ma-ma-guh. uh-da-da-da!" The same can be heard as he eats and crawls around the house. It becomes more pronounced once daddy arrives home. 

While I am quite certain now that our son's first word will be 'Da-Da', I am not ready to concede defeat!

Daddy may have won the first word, but Mommy will win the second!! :)

  

Ode to Target Diaper's (Revised by Daddy)

Oh, Target diaper you're the one
You keep my floors dry and then some
Though my child has tested thee
Never did you flee
My pocketbook thanks you
So Cheer's to you
Target diaper, you're the one for me.

Ode to Target Diapers

Target diapers you're the diaper for me!
You have great structure and absorbancy.
You boldly go where no other diaper I've tried has gone before!
(except for Pampers, of course)
Your product is reasonably priced, even without coupons.
And the protection you offer gives me peace of mind.
Target diaper you have passed every test my child has given.
From nap-time and playtime to outings and bedtime,
 you have successfully done your duty!
Cheer's to you Target diaper!
You're the one for me! 

'B' is for Batman!

I knew my husband had fully embraced fatherhood in every aspect, when the following scenario played out:

While looking through our DVDs, which I had alphabetized, my husband pointed out that the Batman DVDs were out of order. He then proceeded to pull them out and put them where they should have been. Looking at me he stated, very clearly, "B' is for Batman! B! B! B!" I couldn't help but stop and stare. It was apparent that he made the comment unwittingly. I allowed myself a little laugh. "What?" he asked. "Nothing" I replied. "I just think you've been brainwashed by our son's alphabet train!"  

Chicken Finger Pasta

Chicken Finger Pasta

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup

Milk

Bag of frozen chicken finger's

Frozen Broccoli 

 Frozen Peas

Some type of pasta

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to temp on chicken finger's bag. Place desired amount on baking pan.  Bake for required amount of time (Usually about 12-15 minutes).  While chicken finger's are baking, mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup and one can of milk together in a pot. Heat to simmer. 

Boil some water and add the pasta of choice. Cook pasta about 7-9 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

Cook up your Broccoli and peas. (I prefer the microwave to save time) Then set aside.  

Once the chicken finger's are done cooking, set them aside and let them cool.

When they are cool enough to touch without burning your fingers, break them into chunks. 

Mix the chicken finger chunks, broccoli, and peas together with the cream of chicken soup.

Pour over pasta and serve!

I don't have any specific amounts to suggest. I always 'eyeball' everything. Since it's just my husband and I, I only make enough pasta to serve 2. Then add the other ingredients until I feel I have a good ratio of ingredients to soup. Feel free to increase any of the ingredients to fit the amount of people you plan to serve. I think the recipe is pretty much fool-proof!! I hope you enjoy it! :) 

Lullaby Needed

A sleepy baby was put down for a nap. For a few moments all was quiet. Then the soft strains of music could be heard floating down the hallway. "What's was it?" you may ask. Well, it's the crib mobile playing. 

Taking a moment, I realized I hadn't turned it on. A quick check of the baby monitor confirmed my suspicions... Little Man was holding on to an animal and pulling it around. Winding up the mobile himself, he grew tired and fell asleep. :) <3

Baby Gates vs. Doors

There are a lot of doors in our little house. When we first moved in, people suggested that we take a few down. But my husband and I both looked at the doors as money saving objects. 

More doors meant fewer baby gates to buy when our baby started crawling. I also looked at it as a health investment. No gates meant no tripping when attempting to climb over. 

Well, our baby has started crawling! And I am happy to report that I do not trip over baby gates! Instead, I walk into doors... :p

Dear Baby Bib

Dear Baby Bib,

I never thought I would use the 'f' word with you. But here it is...
You are FIRED!! You have frequently failed to do your job. Which, I might add is a simple one! Time and time again your work performance has failed to meet the easy requirements of catching my son's drool and spit up. Therefore, I see a promotion in the near future to your friend, the mop. Please don't take this too hard. This is more difficult for me than for you.

Sincerely, 
  Mom

Hi Everyone!

 I am a first time blogger, and admittedly nervous about starting one. Still, friends and family have encouraged me to give it a try. They felt that my ramblings were entertaining and needed to be shared. Time will tell!

The majority of my inspiration comes from my experiences as a new mom, wife, and homemaker. As for the name, well, my husband unwittingly provided it. How is that? It goes like this:
 A few months ago, shortly after Christmas, our then7 month old son was playing with an empty orange juice carton that my husband had given him. The carton proved to be entertaining enough to produce full out belly laughs!! It was such a priceless moment and my husband was lucky enough to get it on camera! He affectionately titled the video clip "Orange Juice Giggles".

I have found mommy-hood to have many ups, downs, and unexpected turns! There is certainly never a dull moment! I look forward to sharing some of those moments with you.
I hope they bring a smile to your face like they have for my friends and family. And may you look at life and find your own reasons to smile and giggle! :)