Fitblogger Challenge

It is time for another challenge over at Fitblogger.  You can see my first two challenges HERE.

So, on to week three for me - here is what I'm aiming for this week:

1.  Continue with my cut back on Pepsi - I feel like I am continuing with success on this challenge.  This past week, over a course of 7 days, I had two cans of Pepsi and both were thought about and it was something I really wanted.  We had pizza one night and there is nothing better than an Ice Cold Pepsi with pizza and than one night we had Tacos.  Soooo good LOL  I also find that I  have my "splurge" on the weekend, almost like a little reward from not drinking it all week! 

2.  Treadmill - this past week I walked for 3 days on the treadmill.  I ran into a problem and that was on day 4, I could not walk due to horrible blisters on my pinkie toes.  I put shoes and socks on and tried to walk and the pain was horrible so, I had to stop.  I tried again on the 5th day and they weren't healed enough yet.  I took the weekend off and will jump back on the treadmill on Monday.  I had hoped to pick up a better pair of shoes this weekend but we never went into town so hopefully, now that the blisters are healing, they will turn the skin tougher and I'll be ok this coming week.  My goal is to walk 5 days this coming week.

3. Snacking - I struggle with snacking.  It is a habit.  I should say, I struggle with snacking at night.  My goal this coming week is to not snack on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  You might think this odd but, Monday nights I go to the grocery store and, honestly, by the time I get home and unload everything and put it away, I am so ready for something to eat.  I am going to try and avoid the normal Frappe and Fries :-) and maybe pick up something a little healthier!  And Fridays are the first night my husband actually gets to stay up (he gets up at 2:00 am most mornings so he goes to bed well before me) and we enjoy sneaking a treat after the boys go to bed - a lot of times it is a bowl of cereal but more than anything, it's just a fun thing to do. 

As you can see, I like to continue to work on my older goals as well as add something new.  Check out Fitblogger to read all about the challenge.

Simplify Updates

Ahhhh Sweet Peacefulness :-)  Just wanted to update a few Simplify plans from past lists. 

First, I have a few projects on hold.  As many of you know, my husband recently started a new job which is fantastic.  One of the downsides is that for the first 90 days he is on "probation" which mostly means he isn't paid the full amount.  So, with that in play right now we are trying to cut back on any unnecessary spending.  That means we are not painting the outside of the house or doing any major projects outside this spring.  We are hoping that by Labor Day we will be able to paint the house.  I do want to show you these pictures though :

The bushes are gone!!!  Well almost gone, several were taken by friends of ours to burn and the others are in a pile waiting to be burned by them or anyone else that wants them :-) LOL

Second, my kitchen project has slowed down for this same reason.  I do have paint to finish painting the cabinets (and need to finish this up soon!) and have enough handles for all of the doors; just not the drawers.  I am short some hinges so I will either try to save a little to pick those up or I will put the old ones on until I can get the new ones.  The counter top, wall paint, floor, outlets, and back splash will have to wait until the fall, more than likely.  I also have some cabinet organizers I want to get that will be on hold as well.

Third, is my jewelry project!  Last Sunday (Yep, Easter!) I took time to really clean our room and reorganize quite a few things.  Several weeks ago I had purchased a couple of things to organize my jewelry.  Take a look at this :

The white canvas "bag" is holding all of my earrings.  The best part? It is two sided and the back side is completely empty!  I have room to grow!!  The other piece is actually a tie rack!!  I searched and searched for a necklace holder and when I saw this tie rack I knew it was perfect.  So all of my necklaces are hanging up as well. Again, the whole top row of hooks is almost empty so I have room to grow.  We also moved the old radio into our room and I keep the bin with my perfumes/lotions on top along with a couple of candles.  I am so happy with this little area plus it cleaned out a drawer for my husband's dress socks for which he is thankful :-)

That's where I stand right now!  I'll be doing a new Simplify Post (I think we are on #5) soon so look for my latest project list :-)  

Weekly Challenges

Normally on Sundays I like to post about challenges - one blog I follow was doing weekly challenges but I've noticed that the last few weeks she has not posted any.  She had said she would only do them if people were participating so maybe the couple of us weren't enough at this point or maybe she just need a break from planning them!  Her challenges really helped me get some things done which I'm thankful for but hope she does more!

There is another blog I follow, I Heart Organizing that has been doing monthly organizing challenges that I haven't participated in a whole lot because you can only do so many at a time!  I'm looking forward to seeing what her May challenge will be - hopefully it is something I can jump on board with at this point!

I guess for now, I may need to come up with a new theme for my Sunday posts . . . .maybe I'll move my own Simplify posts and my 40 x 40  updates instead.  It may surprise you that I actually do have a theme to what I post daily and plan even a month in advance for certain posts so I have time to get photos and such! 

In case you ever wondered, this is what I aim for each week currently but this will be changing I think due to the challenge change.

Sunday: Challenge updates
Monday: Simplify/40x40 updates; Family related posts - anything from saving money to date ideas to routines; Currently - I try to post the Fitblogger posts on Monday
Tuesday: Too Cute Not To Toot; Crafts; Misc posts about anything
Wednesday: What I'm Loving Wednesday; Devotional Posts
Thursday: Mommy Time Ideas; Educational or Toy ideas
Friday: Recipes
Saturday: Happenings in this House; Creative Memory Spotlight.

As you can see - there are a lot of days that I may put up two posts so make sure and scroll down to see posts! 

So . . this was a random post hahaha  I hope you have a wonderful week!  This is my husband's first week out on his own route each day so things will be a little crazy around here I think :-)

Happenings In This House

This weeks "Happenings" is pretty simple . .. . .

Sickness hit this house and has stuck around!  Josh got ill on Wednesday and it lasted until Friday afternoon; Nate got ill Friday night during the night and is still not better yet - hopefully by Sunday afternoon he'll be feeling good again.

So that's it - sorry for the lack of pictures but no one looked good enough for pictures this week :-) LOL



Creative Memories Spotlight - A Sneak Peek!

Where did the week go??  It seems like just yesterday it was Easter and yet we are almost a week out!  This week I just wanted to give you a sneak peek at some upcoming new items.  Most of them will be available on May 1st - which is Sunday :-)  It is a great time to stock up on Supplies and, as always, I would greatly appreciate any order!

The latest mini-catalog has come out with new items for May and June!!  I always get excited when this comes in the mail :-)

There are some new punches that are coming out that are pretty neat.  They have a removable bottom so you can put the punch anywhere on the page and make your punch.  These would also be fantastic if you make cards or invitations. 

I must confess, I don't own the creative memories cutter but it is on my wish list.  It is even more on my wish list now that I see all of the fantastic blades that they have - some they have had for awhile and there are new blades coming out too!

Are you looking for ways to organize your paper, embellishments and photos?  These organizers fit the bill!!

There is also new pricing for the 8x8 albums!

Over the coming weeks I'll share more about these new products.  All of the Creative Memories Products are great for scrapbooking and also for card making or other crafting projects too!

Feel free to check out my WEBSITE for other items and also for clearance sales!  Gather a few friends and place an order together to split shipping. 

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

This, hands down, is my favorite chicken recipe.  I found the recipe on AllRecipes.com and it is to die for!  The chicken gets crispy good with a sweet, sticky coating.  YUM!!  I also use this same recipe to make Chicken Wings - talk about heavenly!

(Sorry - this is a stock photo . . .it is so good I never get a picture before we've eaten it all!)

Bake Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 skinless chicken thighs

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking

Here's my one little "Cheater" - I don't use skinless Chicken Thighs . . .I use the bone-in, skin-on Chicken Thighs and yes, the skin gets so incredibly good . .   Chicken thighs have become my favorite piece of the chicken too.  They are so tender and juicy!  It's the perfect size :-)

Enjoy!



I'm also linking up over at Kelly's Korner with Show us your life Fridays! 

Mommy Time - Our Schedule and New Plan

Last week I shared my "confession" about planning and not doing when it comes to Mommy Time! And I shared my relief when I found an "out" and a wonderfully easy schedule to follow. This huge sense of relief settled in and I am very happy!! :-)

Throughout the past week I watched how the boys and I "lived" throughout the day and wrote up a simple little schedule that includes both of my boys and the little munchkin too. So, here's are basic schedule for each day.

So, now let me share a little more detail about each of the times listed.

8:00-9:00 – Usually my boys are still asleep. The munchkin arrives around 7:15 and gets some play time and one-on-one with me. He then gets his bottle and drifts off to sleep J  Depending on when my boys get up, I usually get some quiet time that I use to just relax.  

9:00-10:30 – Both of my boys are up somewhere around this time – sometimes earlier, sometimes later depending on how well they slept during the night. They get breakfast and get to have playtime. This is their best time of the day which is why I left it as free play. They are happy and often play together well. This gives me time to get things marked off my to do list and work on any projects.

10:30-11:00 – The munchkin gets up and has his lunch; my boys are very ready for a snack (can you say meltdown’s? LOL)

11:00-11:45 – So, what is focused playtime? I have no idea ;-) I’m molding this at this point but with summer coming here are a few ideas: We’ll head outside and play – sometimes it will be directed by me with things like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, pin wheels and playing ball. Other times, they will just play. I can also use this time to clean out flower beds (which is a great teaching tool too!), and other outside chores . Or just read ;-) On days we don’t go out I want to use the time to sing songs, read stories, and just play with toys that are “educational” with the kids. They have lots of puzzles and other toys that we can do together. We also have some games that the boys are starting to get old enough for that I want to start pulling out. This is also a great time to use a sensory bin (when I have one made!) My mom made them a couple of "fun" quilts awhile ago that I like to use on the floor - we can count buttons and look for shapes and all that fun stuff. So basically, it's learning fun :-)

11:45-12:45 – Time to prepare lunch, eat lunch and clean up the kitchen. This is the time that I eat too. Once I’m done, I empty the dishwasher (sometimes Josh helps!) and I also try to get everything ready for dinner that I can. This helps make that “Killer hour” between 4:30-5:30 a little easier (We all know that hour – when everyone is tired and hungry! – the kids eat between 5:00-5:30; if Darryl isn’t home, I wait and eat with him)

12:45- 1:30 – Nate goes down for a nap making this prime Mommy Time with Josh. This is the specific time that we will work on our mommy time lessons without an extra pair of hands grabbing at things. We’ll do lesson plans and I also want to get him more involved with doing some baking with me once a week. He enjoys it when he gets to help so I’m going to incorporate making bread (or other items like applesauce) during this time once a week so we can mix it, bake it and have some for our snack. The Munchkin is usually still awake at this time so I will also use this time with him as well – he is intrigued with Josh right now and loves to do what he is doing.

1:30-2:30 – Both little boys are down for Naps and Josh likes to play or watch Nick Jr. Sometimes he falls asleep so this is kinda “rest time”. I use this time to have my quiet time/devotions, catch up on whatever I need to do or just relax too.

2:30-3:15 – Nate normally wakes up; he’s ready for a snack so it is snack time and he also likes to sit with me for awhile meaning this is prime story time. He loves books right now so I want to take advantage of the one time my "energizer bunny" is still quiet and read books together. He also LOVES to sing songs (Twinkle Twinkle is his favorite!) so we'll sing too :-)

3:15-3:30 – Time for the Munchkin to get up and eat

3:30-4:30 – I have this listed as more “focused playtime” – again, we will either be inside or outside. My boys will have a little more free time and I will use this time to read to the Munchkin, sing songs, and other small activities.

I tried to incorporate some one-on-one time with each one of the boys – it doesn’t mean that it is necessarily just them involved but they are the focus (i.e. Story time after Nate’s nap is for him but I’m sure Josh will often enjoy listening too BUT he can also just be playing by himself too)

As we all know, plans don't always work out so even though we have this schedule laid out for now . . it will change and some days, not be anywhere close to this! But if you "Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail"!!!!

I've really focused my Mommy Time more on where Josh is at than where the two little boys are at because he needs a little more for the simple fact that he is older. The little boys will benefit from what they hear and see us doing. Plus, reading to them is the key learning took at this point. When I came across this idea from 1+1+1=1 that is built upon one letter at a time, I knew this was perfect!! Josh knows his alphabet and can name the letters already so this just builds on that (If he didn't know them, this would teach those letters!)! There is a "bonus" to this technique too - once Nate is ready to start this, he can start with the letter A and Josh can continue work on whatever letter he is on - it won't add too much work to my day because they follow the same basic idea in each packet.

We will work on each letter for as long as I feel like :-) Not only does 1+1+1=1 give her printables/ideas for each letter, she also has links for other activities to do with that letter from a few other blogs as well. I do have a goal to work on each letter for 2 weeks incorporating memory work, hand work, and crafts over the course of the two weeks.

So . . after that very wordy post - we will begin May with the letters :

I'm looking forward to sharing ideas that I find AND that work for us :-)