Glitter, Tutu’s, and Soccer Shoes

If your family is like mine they devour salsa.  Salsa and chips, salsa on tacos, salsa on breakfast burritos.  It’s such a staple in our house I decided to make a recipe out of things we had.  I did have to go the grocery store for a couple of things like fresh green pepper, onion, and tomatoes. This recipe gives us the right amount of kick without being too spicy....which our family does not like real spicy foods.  Well, other than my husband, but he can fend for himself, right?  I’m kidding, he will just add more spice to foods if he wants to. Ok, so, instead of boring you with too much of the background story of how this salsa came to life, I’ll cut right to the recipe!  And as a side note, I’m an Aldi shopper, so most of the ingredients came from Aldi, other than the spices! Recipe:  This recipe yields 2 jars~ I reused the salsa jars from Aldi (see I recycle too)  1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz) 1 can tomato with green chil...

Do your kids have a favorite snack?  The snack you bought in bulk before the quarantine.  Your kids have probably even eaten every extra box you purchased of their favorite snack because they are always hungry. Vanilla Wafers - or as my kids call them “my favorite cookies” are always in the house until we run out and you’re doing your best to stay home. My husband found a recipe for homemade vanilla wafers, and they taste better than the box!  They were also devoured in less than 24 hours and I made 2 dozen. https://www.thespruceeats.com/homemade-nilla-wafers-4776815 The only change I made was I used whole milk instead of heavy cream because I didn’t have heavy cream. They were soft and crispy, truly the perfect cookie.  I also am notorious for using salted butter in my baking recipes, and then I just don’t add salt to the recipe.  I find they taste better.   I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. 

Ok, so we’re day whatever of the quarantine, but I’m on day 3 of cooking from my pantry.  Today is good for 2 meals including BACON! Yep, bacon. I’m not what one would call a bacon fanatic, but, I swear there isn’t anything better than the smell of bacon cooking in the morning.  And when I cook bacon I like to get as much out of it as I can. I made homemade bacon gravy because bacon and biscuits is a thing.  I only cook bacon in my cast iron skillet and it then turns into delicious gravy afterward.  It’s a very simple recipe: Once the bacon is fully cooked and removed onto a plate for cooling, add 2 TBSP flour and 1 cup milk.  That’s it. I didn’t add any salt or other seasonings.  Keep stirring until it’s the thickness you want. Remember you can always add more milk so start pouring slowly and add more if needed.    This gravy is also decadent over eggs. Later that night I made dinner with bacon. Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch over ...

Ok, seriously, who doesn’t love donuts?  I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t.  But, if you don’t like donuts then this recipe may not be for you. My husband got me a donut pan weeks before the quarantine hit, and I just put off making donuts because I didn’t have time and was too tired.  Well...as most of us...I don’t have that excuse anymore. So, I broke out my donut pan and got to work.  I found an amazing recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. They are simple, basic pantry ingredients and they don’t take that much time. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bakery donut like everybody else, but when we’re on quarantine it’s hard to find that fresh, hot donut to comfort you during a time like this. Here’s the recipe I used and as you can see, an amateur baker can easily make this (if you have a donut pan). These are also fun for the kids to help decorate.  Mine ask me to make these everyday now and even had one of them saying, “You’re the best baker ...

Day1: As I’ve been quarantined I’ve taken this time to get quite a few things accomplished.  I decided to take this time and try new recipes and make food with basic ingredients found in my pantry. Yesterday, I made our simple and delicious chicken noodle soup.  I had all the ingredients except noodles. And don’t worry, I won’t go into a long story about how my aunt once made soup without noodles and it just wasn’t the same.  Or that I was out playing a game of catch with my kids while laughing and you could hear the birds singing and clouds parting. Nope, just a recipe to help you get through this quarantine, especially since people are buying up everything in the store. There are two recipes you could use for this soup, egg noodles or dumplings.  We’ve had dumplings a few times already so I didn’t want to make those....again.  I found a simple recipe for egg noodles, and I mean this, anyone could make these.  Even the most beginner cooks. https...

I would have to say if there is one thing I wish I could do is “Turn back Time.” And now we are all singing this song (you’re welcome).  Oh man....another song you’re probably singing.  Ok, I’m going to stop now. One of the many skills I learned later in life is how to properly cook.  Don’t get me wrong, my mom tried to teach me how to cook, but I couldn’t have been less interested.  Even after getting married, we would either eat out or my husband would cook (he’s quite good too).  It wasn’t until after having children and being able to stay home that I really delved in and learned how to cook.  Mainly because we were on a single income and I had to learn to budget (which I’m still learning).  But, I had to learn how to make a lot of food from scratch, such as, pizza crust.  A family can save a lot of money just from learning to cook from scratch. The reason I wish I could go back is because I would have taken pictures of the first pizza cru...

Not gonna lie, I got this next post idea is from Facebook - I mean it’s where most people spend the majority of their time, right? I saw this meme that talked about having daughters and to check in on moms of daughters because we are not ok.  I have 3 daughters, and I get it because having daughters is completely different stress level.  However, that should not negate the fact that having boys is just as stressful as having girls. Each gender comes with its own uniqueness. Boys have problems and so do girls (it’s called being a kid). Somewhere along the way between facebook and people wanting to go viral with their creative memes I feel as though people have learned to believe what they see and in turn create a competition between being a boy mom or a girl mom.  But, it doesn’t stop there. It continues with “well, my kid jumped off the couch.” To, “Oh, well my kid jumped off a 3 story building” (exaggerating, of course).  I write this to show the ridiculousn...

We all have friends, and if you’re like most people you have at least 1 friend who is in direct sales, also known as, mlm, or my personal favorite, pyramid scheme.  I’m not writing about pyramid schemes, because they don’t really exist anymore, proper direct sales companies are heavily monitored by the federal government and if they happen to get through the loopholes, they are quickly shut down. So, what I am writing about today is what to do when your friend in one of the thousands of direct sales companies approaches you. 1.  Ignore your friend, whether it’s via text, voicemail, email, Snapchat, instagram, no matter what media platform or how excited your friend is, just ignore him/her.  After all, they just found a way to possibly make an income and possibly found a product that you would like as well.  But, I get it, you’re bombarded with ads from multi million dollar companies daily.  You’re tired of being “marketed” too.  So, just ignore them. ...

We can deny it all we want, but Christmas is coming, and if we’re going by weather, it’s already here in Wisconsin!  Just about every morning the kids ask if it’s Christmas! We received toy catalogues weeks ago and they already circled EVERYTHING (well, it certainly feels that way) in the catalogue. They know they won’t get everything and I always ask them what is the one thing they want the most.  Keep in mind, we don’t have cable, and we stay out of the stores, if we can help it, during the holiday season so my kids then aren’t bombarded by all the toys they see in the stores. Lately, I’ve seen so many people posting and talking about asking family members to get experiences for their children instead of toys.  Don’t get me wrong, I think those are great, and I certainly wouldn’t turn it down.  But, I’m also not one to ask this because I know how much joy grandparents get from giving a wrapped gift and seeing their grandchildren’s eyes light up with excitement....

In business (especially sales) we encounter all kinds of people.  It’s just the nature of the beast.   In the past I would get insulted when people told me “no.”   Why is she telling me no? What did I do wrong? It’s not me, she just doesn’t know what’s good for her. Am I right?  These are things we tend to think when someone tells us “No, I’m not interested at this time.”  Over the years, I’ve learned to let a lot of this go, and when someone does say no, to just be kind and still move on.  A key thing to remember is that when someone says no at the moment, that doesn’t mean it’s no forever.  I also like remember times I’ve said no.  We all have, we all have boundaries.   Just recently I was told no by another mom to do an interview.  And at first I seriously didn’t understand because it’s an interview, I’m not asking for any money, but I was asking for her time.  Time is priceless - it’s something we don’t hav...

You know when you’re sitting down with your kids and you have random thoughts and questions? Well, this was one of them...Are there still skincare and makeup companies that test on animals? The shocking answer is yes.  I was quite shocked when I learned just how many still do test on animals. When I googled my question, peta.org was the first link to appear, and they are pretty reputable.  So, here is there list of companies that still test on animals. I have used pretty much all of these products in the past.  Clinique was my go to in high school throughout college.  I’m glad I stopped using it though.  I don’t share this to scare you or even force a belief on anyone, but why use products that are tested on animals?  I started using L’Bri 5 years ago and being tested on animals wasn’t really on my radar, but after learning these companies still do test on animals, I’m glad I don’t use them anymore and that I made the switch to an animal fri...

Somewhere along the way between childhood and adulthood we learn to compete.  It’s a part of life.  I love healthy completion, it builds character, strength.  It makes you want to work harder and be better.  Those are all amazing qualities to have. My kids (all 5 and under) even compete - who can run faster, pick up the toys faster, build their tower faster.  Yes, to a child - these are very important skills!  And as they grow they will get better and competitions will get harder. This past week I focused on people who own their own business (primarily network marketing). To me, that’s one of the biggest and almost fiercest competition out there.  I could be wrong, I imagine med school, law school, and other demanding careers are just as competitive - if not more. Personally, I’m a writer and I own my business, do you know how many writers and sales people there are out there?  A LOT!  Everywhere I look someone is selling a product or a...

Being a mom is not all roses and sunshine.  In fact, many days it’s weeds and clouds (maybe add in a thunderstorm too). Moms who say their kids are perfect and that each day is such a gift and then the clouds part and the sun shines through and you can faintly hear a choir singing hallelujah. THEY ARE LYING! Don’t get me wrong, the good days definitely outnumber the bad, but I have news for this mom with perfect children who never fight - I’m calling you out.  There is no way on God’s green earth your children never fight, never talk back, and I’m here to tell you that reasoning with a child is just not done.....well.  Tears are shed, begging happens, bribing, and when it gets to the point you can’t take it anymore you make a promise that you will soon forget in the morning, but your kids will not.  Take this as a warning - don’t make promises you won’t remember because they will ALWAYS remember. Today, is one of those days - I can’t wait for school to start ...

My dear daughter, You are about to embark on a new and exciting journey into kindergarten where you will see old friends and make new friends. But, this letter is not to you because I know you will be amazing and tackle this journey head on. No, this letter is to me, your mom who said she wouldn’t cry on your first day. Your mom who is holding back my tears as you walk away into your classroom learning to be more independent. Your mom who loves you more than you will ever realize. No, this letter is for me to read years later and remember the times you put a y at the end of your name simply because you wanted it to have one.  When your eyes lit up every time you went to dance class, or really anywhere because you love to go places. All the little things you did and still do to make life exciting and oh so enjoyable.  All the times we went to the library, the zoo, the park....those are the times I will remember. And if I’m being honest, all the times we fought or I h...

I’m quite sure most of you, if not all, have heard the saying “It takes a village.” I have never been more certain of this truth ever in my life.  Having 3 daughters and two of them only 14 months apart I learned rather quickly that I needed a community of other strong families to help.  There was a 2 year period in our lives where we lived in a different community.  Now, before I go on I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason and that God puts us in places for a reason and for a certain time.  When my oldest was only 6 months we moved about 2 hours away from any friends and family that I knew, which made relying on them more difficult.  But, God put me in the right church and right groups where I met some amazing moms that were there during, what I consider to be the hardest job EVER!  I’m forever grateful to that community for their help and guidance and through that I made some forever friends. In each of the communities we lived in, my pa...

Today started out like any other day.  The girls woke up (exceptionally early).  They fought over who was going to come down the stairs first, followed by who was the best.  At this point only 5 minutes has passed by and I could see the clock s-l-o-w-l-y ticking... After they consumed a delicious and nutritious breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup and milk they then wanted to watch TV (NETFLIX to be precise), which I, of course, allowed.  I mean how else am I going to get 5 minutes of peace to gulp down enough coffee to just make it through the morning? As time passed I realized there was only one thing I could do - take them to the YMCA and let them run around at “Wiggles and Giggles”. Thank you YMCA for having this so parents don’t go completely insane. I should go back and let everyone know that while some days are more painful than others I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.  I love and adore my children more than I could possibly describe...