Packing a "To Go" bag

Every time we travel anywhere I always think, "I wish I had a "To Go" bag that contained all of our normal toiletries that I did not have to pack and  unpack every time.  I pulled a few things together while I was driving back and forth across the state every weekend and like the ease of it so I decided to finally do this project.

First, I found a bag.  I have a ton of Thirty-one bags from a few years ago when I was in a monthly club and had to spend $31.00 a month.  (Don't ever do that because you ALWAYS spend more!!) I chose one of the few zippered bags that I have so that I could close it up and not worry about it spilling.

Second, I am in the process of purchasing full size bottles of everything we use if I don't already own an extra bottle.

Third, I found bags to use to house certain things like toothbrushes/paste, my contact things, my husbands shaving things, ect.  I had a few of the bags but had to purchase a couple things as well.  I use this pink, plastic bag for the shower.  I will fill it with our soap and shampoo and it can be easily carried to the showers as needed.

Fourth, I put it all together.

Now, this will be a rotating bag of supplies.  Very simply, when we run out of something at home, I will pull the item from the bag to use and buy a new one for the bag.  This will make sure that nothing sits in the bag for too long.  This little bag will come in so handy for everything from traveling to my moms, to camping, to last minute weekend get aways that we would love to take!  I have a home for the bag too so it always has a place to go.  The only things that have to be added to the bag when we leave is my glasses.  I even put an extra contact case in the bag so I don't have to take my normal one.   

What we are Eating - Corn Salad

Corn Salad
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

On Father's day, we had a picnic at the beach.  I went searching for some easy but tasty new recipes to try and this corn salad was a huge success.  The bowl was empty by the time we were done . . . and only three of us ate it!  It's fresh and light and easy to make.  I did not add fresh basil too it but that would take it to a different flavor level.

Summer Corn Salad

Yield: Serves 6

Note: To julienne the fresh basil, stack 4-5 basil leaves on top of each other and roll them up to make a long tube of basil. Slice every 1/8-inch down the length of the basil roll and as the basil unfurls, it will be sliced into thin long strips. The corn could also be grilled to turn this simple salad into a grilled version. This salad is very adaptable – you can increase the corn, add a few cloves of finely minced garlic, flat leaf parsley, and/or julienned baby spinach (in place of the basil). Go crazy!

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup julienned/chiffonaded fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon vinegar. Add the cobs of corn to the pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the pot. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
2. Toss the kernels in a medium bowl with the red onions, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.

 

End of the Year Party

One of the things I have enjoyed about Connections Academy this past year has been the interaction with the teachers.  The school plans great field trips every month and we were able to take part in a few of them throughout the year.  The last trip - a big party - was held this past Tuesday and it was so much fun.

 Josh with one of the first grade teachers.  She stole the boys hearts at the very first field trip and they both considered her "their" teacher even though she just taught writing every other week.

 Nate's K-5 teacher.

 There were tons of activities for the kids to do - they loved the parachute and beach balls.

 Josh with his teacher. 

 Some of the other things they kids got to do was feed the fish along the boardwalk, play in bounce houses, play on a huge playscape, chase butterflies (ok that's just what Josh did above!) and swim in the lake. 

The day ended with a picture of everyone who attended.  It was a great group of homeschoolers and we had an awesome day!

Father's Day

Yesterday was Father's Day.  We spent the day at the beach with my mom.  We needed to all just get away from everything and do something different.  Before we had kids, my husband and I often skipped church on both Mothers and Fathers day because, well, it didn't apply to us.  This year, we skipped Father's Day because, well, we didn't want that reminded of what we have lost.  My dad has left a tremendous legacy and for that I'm so beyond thankful and I know he is far happier in heaven and wouldn't want to leave but boy, do we miss him! 

 To say the water was cold is an understatement but we all got in it anyway.  My mom was a trooper - those boys were dragging her all over the place and had her playing in the sand.  They make her smile.

 Nathan loves the beach and the water.  He's my water bug.

 Josh loves the sand.  He likes the water.

 Happy Father's day to this guy!  He's our rock and the guy that makes us all laugh. 

And of course, in honor of my Pops.

My Playlist

I love this next song.  Ironically, I had never heard it prior to my sister-in-law sending me link to it just a day after my dad's funeral but, since then, I hear it played at least once a day on our local Christian station and have had multiple people share the link for various reasons through Facebook.    This song is "Thy Will" by Hillary Scott and just speaks volumes.  It's so easy to get lost in the questions and the anger when a life event doesn't go as we want it to but ultimately, even during the darkest days, I still return to these four words, "Thy Will Be Done". 

Family Fun - Nate's Birthday

Nate was very excited for his birthday to arrive. He had it all planned in his head.  We picked out his cake from Meijer (which we didn't eat on his birthday because we weren't hungry HA) and he wanted mac and Cheese for Lunch even when I tried to convince him to go out to lunch.

 He loved my sunglasses.  I love his shirt!  Hard to believe this little cutie turned 6!

 Nate had 6 balloons to pop - each with $1.00 inside. 

 Darryl showed him how to throw the balloon at the tree to pop it and Nate thought it was awesome!

 After dinner, Nate opened his gifts from the family.

 He got a giant stuffed bear, legos, games and . . .. .

Avengers dress up gear!  The Hulk and Captain America!  Nate had specifically picked these items out and every time we went to the store he would look at them.  He was very excited :-)

Weekly Menu

I don't have anything exciting to add this week :-)  I'm thankful VBS is done and Baseball is winding down.  I love all of the fun and excitement but I'm also reading for normal evenings with the family. I'm planning on getting the boys back into Tae Kwon Do as a refresher course in July so that will add to our Monday's but one night is better than three :-)

Here's what's on the radar for the next week:

Friday - Ham and Cheese Pockets and Mac and Cheese

Saturday - My mom will be here for the weekend so I think we will do burgers on the grill again along with a pasta salad and Fruit.

Sunday - We are taking off for the day.  The plan is to head to the beach unless we change our minds HA! But, with that in mind, I'm planning a picnic to take with us to the beach and then we will eat dinner somewhere, with our sun-kissed faces and sandy feet, along the way home. 

Monday - BBQ Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas and Mexican Beans and Rice

Tuesday - Cheesy Bacon Pull Apart Breakfast Biscuits and Fruit Salad

Wednesday - Seven Layer Southwestern Salad

Thursday - Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Broccoli Grape Salad