Thoughtful Thursday - Sibling Love

I found myself snarling the other day as I played referee between my son and daughter for what felt like the umpteenth time of the day. “Why can’t they simply leave each other alone!!” I shouted in my head.

The next day (mind you, after 2 weeks of Christmas vacation), I spent 3 lovely hours home alone with my daughter. While I had a glorious time playing with her, I may have actually gotten less “done” than I had the day before with both kids home.

Then, LIGHTBULB!

I thought this image was fitting for a number of reasons.

#1. I love the movie! If you haven’t seen it, you need to.

#2. Sometimes it actually does feel like we’re “in the trenches of motherhood”, recovering from battle after breaking up a sibling rivalry that matches no other.

#3. Click the picture above to watch the You Tube clip. So displays those aha moments and how magical they can be!

Okay…moving right along. My LIGHTBULB moment!

I realized that, while having to stop every 20 minutes or so to stop one sibling from pestering another, they did actually play amicably for 20 SOLID BEAUTIFUL MINUTES in which I was able to maybe, sort of, accomplish something in the adult world. AND, those siblings are LEARNING. Yes, they are learning folks! Learning how to play, share, love another human being. How precious is that!

And it is my responsibility to help them learn.

So…my “thought” today for Thoughtful Thursday is…think on that the next time you have to stop what you’re doing (or pardon yourself from a phone call because you can’t even hear the person on the line due to a screaming child) to intervene between your two (or more) children. =) The LIGHTBULB moment has certainly helped me pause, and not blow up like a crazy person when I do have to stop and intervene for the umpteenth time.

Hope this gives you new energy in your day tomorrow!

Trick of the Trade Tuesday

This is a pretty basic one with the idea stolen from a medicine bottle on Pinterest. If you’re a contact wearer like myself, you may or may not have a sketchy memory of when you’re SUPPOSED to switch out your contacts. And you may or may not end up over-wearing them.

So, this past year I decided to purchase exactly what I would need for the year at my annual appointment. When the shipment came in, I wrote the dates to change on each package, like so…Easy enough, right? Makes it a breeze to budget, my eyes are happy, my optometrist is happy. Go mark your contacts yo!

Meal Plannin’ Mondays

Sorry, no pictures from this past week. BUT…I’m super excited ‘cuz we’re working on sticking to our budget this year and I’m being diligent about ONLY buying what I will absolutely need/use for each week. Which means…a cleaner, more organized kitchen to boot! We’ll see how long it lasts, but I’m optimistic right now. =)

I used my optimism to go through my cook books. Do you really use any of your cook books? Especially with lovely Pinterest? The only one I really use on a regular basis is my Better Homes and Garden cookbook. It’s pretty much my cooking Bible. But otherwise, I haven’t opened the others in years. So, I thumbed through them, gave away about 4 to good will, and kept one or two. This was one of the keepers:

It’s a Time Life Book and I was super encouraged because many of my go-to recipes are from here, and I didn’t even know it! Woot! Go low fat! =) Click on the picture for the link, it’s super cheap, like $5 for a hard back copy, awesome! My other bonus? I’m pretty sure this was a wedding gift, so when I had originally thumbed through, I only felt like I could cook a handful of the recipes. Now, there’s a whole new world (sorry…you can go listen to something else on Pandora now, you KNOW the song is stuck in your head). How far I’ve come from having a Clueless moment in the grocery store, not knowing what a clove of garlic was. Happy dance!

Moving right along. One of my recipes this week is one that I hadn’t tried from this cookbook. Stay tuned next week to find out which one! So, here goes my meal plan for the week!

Monday: Sloppy Joe’s and A+ Cookies for dessert!

Tuesday: Soup Leftovers (Good Greens Winter Soup)

Wednesday: Cheesy Chicken Benchiladas

Thursday: Cheddar Chicken

Friday: Stir-Fried Pork with Sesame Green Beans

Saturday: EAT OUT (mac ‘n cheese at home for kids)

Sunday: Ground Chicken Taco Burgers

See ya on the flipside!

Simple Things Sunday

The “simple” thing I’m celebrating today is…

The word of God*Side note* Don’t mock my bookmark…I’m a Napolean fan, it makes me smile =)

I recently had a conversation in the car with my son about talking to God. Upon hearing the song “Live Like That” by Sidewalk Prophets, he asked, “What’s this song talking about?”

I replied, “They’re talking about living how God wants us to live.”

He said, “How do I know how God wants me to live?”

I said, “Well, we pray to God, ask Him, and listen to Him.”

My son follows up with, “But, I can’t hear His voice.”

“I know. But that doesn’t mean He doesn’t talk to us. He talks to your heart, you’ll know.”

“But mom…my heart can’t hear.”

“No, but just like when you feel emotions, God speaks to you through your heart. The other way we can hear what He wants to say to us is by reading the Bible. Those are words directly from Him, so in that way, we can hear Him. And it teaches all kinds of things about how God wants us to live. For example, He wants us to be kind to others. Obey our parents. And tell others about Jesus.”

And…out of the mouths of babes…"I’ll try mom, but I mess up sometimes.”

“We ALL do honey! That’s why Jesus came to save us!”

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This was a great reminder to me how amazing the Bible is! The actual breath of God, that I have the freedom, the ease of reading, whenever I so desire!

So, while I’m not into New Year’s Resolutions, I’m looking forward to reading through the Bible in chronological order this year. I’ve done it once before and learned so much!

How about you? Will you celebrate the word of God with me? Even if you don’t believe it, you can still revel in it’s ancient traditions, historical references, and continuity across years and years. Seriously…romance, adventure, battles, heartache, victories, sci fi…it’s epic! You certainly don’t have to read it in one year (in fact, if you’re just starting, I wouldn’t recommend it)! But broken down into stories, you’ll love it! Here’s a link to a list of popular Bible stories and the references. Read to your heart’s content!

Monday Plannin’ Mondays

Last week in review…

Monday – Butternut Squash Soup & SaladLooks yummy, right? It was, but here was the reality of our table...Opened mail, toys, old water bottles, flipped up pretty table runner (so as not to be ruined by little’s plate)…=)

Tuesday – Crockpot Honey Apple Pork Loin, Asparagus, & SaladThe asparagus was AMAZING – even my 4 yr old ate 4 spears!Check out the epic fail of the porkloin. Just overcooked it…It still tasted alright, just a bit dry. I’ll probably try the recipe again.

Wednesday – Family Advent Calendar Dinner Night Out –

Red Robin! So much fun.

Thursday – Chicken &Lemon Risotto with Peas and LeeksThe lemon risotto was delicious, and a lower calorie option for risotto. Normally they all have lots of cheese, not this one.

Friday – Crockpot Pulled Pork & Baked Potatoes (Didn’t get a picture, but click here for the delicious recipe. Yum!)

Saturday – Dinner out with family after Christmas Eve Service

Sunday – To Die For Crockpot Roast, Mashed Potatoes & SaladSeriously easiest recipe ever, and yummy (click link above)! Adjust the amount you use from each packet for your saltiness desire!

This week…

Monday – Cranberry Chicken, Salad & Croissants

Tuesday – Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas Breakfast &         Sweet Potato Casserole (My contribution to Christmas dinner)

Wednesday – Wednesday – NOT cook! I’ll be traveling. =)

Simple Things Sunday–Making Christmas Happen

This week I’m celebrating and appreciating all the behind the scenes people that make Christmas happen. Like this sweet actor from a Christmas Eve service who took a moment to make my daughter’s attendance just a bit sweeter.

Think about it…there are lots of them. Think about some of the things that help YOU really feel like it’s Christmas.

Perhaps it’s certain foods, maybe a special Christmas eve dish or a Christmas morning breakfast (who makes them for you?).

Or perhaps it’s certain traditions you look forward to…maybe a gingerbread house party (who throws it?), or a special mini-van ride to drive around and look at lights (who does that, or who gave you the idea?), or a special Christmas Eve service (who arranges the performances?).

This last one is the one that caught my attention this weekend. We attend a church who is holding a total of SIX Christmas Eve services this year?! That’s FANTASTIC! But…it’s the same musicians, actors, pastors, etc. that are there for every single one. While it’s a great experience for them, it’s also exhausting. And many of the people helping are simply volunteers. They like to celebrate holidays, too, and yet…they sacrifice a bit to provide an amazing service for the rest of us.

So..take a moment to thank the people in your life who truly help make Christmas, Christmas. =)