I am bringing Monday Menu Plan back. I always plan our weekly meals, but lately I've been losing our list and calendar. I thought why not just bring it back here so I can always reference it! Here it is!
1. Honey Mustard Baked Chicken
2. Sauteed Meatballs, Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms over salad
3. Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Baked Tilapia
4. Crockpot Roast
5. Red Beans with Sausage
6. Orange Chicken with Asparagus
7. Spinach and Pepperjack Stuffed Chicken Breast
Snacks:
1. Fruit Cookies (similar to fig newtons)
2. Teddy Grahams copycat
3. Fruit Salad with vanilla sauce
Lunch:
1. Noodles with fresh veggies and Italian Dressing
2. Wraps with Hummus, Turkey, and Cheese
3. Baked Chicken Nuggets
As in the past if there are any requests for recipes, I will post them.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Soon I will be posting about our recent day travels!
Don't forget to go ask me questions here : Q&A
Monday, June 17, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Q&A?
Anyone interested in doing a question and answer? I have never done one before, but I figured since so much time has passed and some many new things have come about this would be a great time to do one.
It is easy to do. If you have any questions that you would like to ask me, just leave them in the comments. After about a week, I will come back and answer the questions.
There are no limits to what you can ask me. I just ask that you respect myself and my family, as well as my husband's career.
I love reading other people's question and answer videos, too. So you have recently done one or you have one opened for questions, please let me know! :)
It is easy to do. If you have any questions that you would like to ask me, just leave them in the comments. After about a week, I will come back and answer the questions.
There are no limits to what you can ask me. I just ask that you respect myself and my family, as well as my husband's career.
I love reading other people's question and answer videos, too. So you have recently done one or you have one opened for questions, please let me know! :)
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Wordpress
So I've been thinking. I started blogging here, but then as things in my life grew I moved on. My boutique blog is on Wordpress, my photographer blog is on Wordpress, and my Barefoot Book blog is also on Wordpress. I get a lot more exposure and interaction there than I do here. But I have more personal friends here that I feel like I would be leaving behind. I could always read and comment (most of the time I don't even get replies anyway), so I was thinking why not just move over. I technically would not be losing the "friends" because I come back here to read anytime. But would I?
Anyone else thought about this and made the decision? Would I lose all my stuff here and literally start over? Is there a way to move all this stuff over to there?
I am so website/blog silly so I have no idea where to start to even really consider doing something like this. I'm sure it would be a lot of work, or I could hire someone. But really... is it worth it?
I would love some insight! :)
Anyone else thought about this and made the decision? Would I lose all my stuff here and literally start over? Is there a way to move all this stuff over to there?
I am so website/blog silly so I have no idea where to start to even really consider doing something like this. I'm sure it would be a lot of work, or I could hire someone. But really... is it worth it?
I would love some insight! :)
Friday, June 7, 2013
We went sledding.
Back in December, we went sledding. This was part of A's Christmas present. We didn't do much from her because we had barely moved into the house and still sorting things out here. Anyway, this is a small trip we took with some friends and it was such a great time!
Again, pictures...
Again, pictures...
Her all dressed in her snow gear.
She rode on her Daddy's shoulders since she had a hard time walking in all the gear.
She knew to hold on tight!
This is what she did while Mr. Man pulled it back up the hill.
Getting ready to go again.
Break time... and she kept eating the snow.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Terrible Two's?
Lately, I feel like we have really entered the stage of the terrible two's. I say this in a very positive and accepting manner. A has always been very independent and has always done her own thing, but lately she has been such a mess. I am just not use to it at all, so it is something I am learning to adjust to. I really hope it is just a phase.
She has always gone through nap time phases. Generally when we would go through nap time phases, she was just trying to adjust to a new schedule. I have always allowed her to have her own schedule and create her own schedule because I felt it was best for her. It was easy for me to do because I stay at home with her. Over the last few months, she really has been fighting her naps. She refuses to nap for me. I try to lay down with her with or without E. I have allowed her to lay on the couch and watch TV, which is something I rarely allow. And I have even just let her decide when she is tired. She did good for a while. She would tell me when she was tired, but she never actually would go to sleep. I figured it was just a learning stage, but once she understood she would not fight it and would happily lay down. That never happened. We have many napless days, which makes for long evenings when Mr. Man gets home.
We are also going through the stage of her wanting her Dad all the time. That is fine by me. But it becomes hard when she will not allow me to assist her with things. She demands Mr. Man do it, and if he is not immediately available, she will whine and get upset. If I try to help her, she will just get more upset. I know she doesn't get much time with him and she is with me all the time, but it is so frustrating for me when I try to do everything she wants to make her happy and content only for her to decline and demand her Dad. Mr. Man thinks I am nuts. Not really, but sort of. He wonders why on the weekends she will take naps for him without a problem. She will just lay down with him and within seconds she is snoring and sleeping like a baby. He keeps telling me I'm not doing it right or I'm not approaching her in the right way. How aggravating when I am indeed the one who is with both girls all day every day.
Lately, she has really been voicing her opinions and thoughts. Her vocabulary is expanding big time. I absolutely love this stage, except that when she wants something she screams and demands. She isn't one to throw tempter tantrums in the sense of sprawling on the floor, but she definitely hollers. I thought maybe she picked it up from Mr. Man and I always calling for one another or talking to each other loudly if one is upstairs and the other is downstairs, but after thinking about everything else I kind of think it's just part of this stage.
Majority of our days are amazing. When it is just me at the house, she listens, she lets me help her, and she is fun. She's very helpful with Baby E and she definitely has no jealousy or resentment towards E. I was really afraid of all that, but thankfully she shows no hatred or resentment towards her.
So.... I always thought of terrible two's in a completely different way. I always said that if this is terrible two's, then it is nothing. And I definitely do still feel that way. But my question is... is this her version of terrible two's? I know all kids are different and express themselves in different ways.We are so blessed to not have full on tempter tantrums, yet. But these moments of begging for her Dad and screaming her demands is so frustrating.
Here's to Terrible Two's.
She has always gone through nap time phases. Generally when we would go through nap time phases, she was just trying to adjust to a new schedule. I have always allowed her to have her own schedule and create her own schedule because I felt it was best for her. It was easy for me to do because I stay at home with her. Over the last few months, she really has been fighting her naps. She refuses to nap for me. I try to lay down with her with or without E. I have allowed her to lay on the couch and watch TV, which is something I rarely allow. And I have even just let her decide when she is tired. She did good for a while. She would tell me when she was tired, but she never actually would go to sleep. I figured it was just a learning stage, but once she understood she would not fight it and would happily lay down. That never happened. We have many napless days, which makes for long evenings when Mr. Man gets home.
We are also going through the stage of her wanting her Dad all the time. That is fine by me. But it becomes hard when she will not allow me to assist her with things. She demands Mr. Man do it, and if he is not immediately available, she will whine and get upset. If I try to help her, she will just get more upset. I know she doesn't get much time with him and she is with me all the time, but it is so frustrating for me when I try to do everything she wants to make her happy and content only for her to decline and demand her Dad. Mr. Man thinks I am nuts. Not really, but sort of. He wonders why on the weekends she will take naps for him without a problem. She will just lay down with him and within seconds she is snoring and sleeping like a baby. He keeps telling me I'm not doing it right or I'm not approaching her in the right way. How aggravating when I am indeed the one who is with both girls all day every day.
Lately, she has really been voicing her opinions and thoughts. Her vocabulary is expanding big time. I absolutely love this stage, except that when she wants something she screams and demands. She isn't one to throw tempter tantrums in the sense of sprawling on the floor, but she definitely hollers. I thought maybe she picked it up from Mr. Man and I always calling for one another or talking to each other loudly if one is upstairs and the other is downstairs, but after thinking about everything else I kind of think it's just part of this stage.
Majority of our days are amazing. When it is just me at the house, she listens, she lets me help her, and she is fun. She's very helpful with Baby E and she definitely has no jealousy or resentment towards E. I was really afraid of all that, but thankfully she shows no hatred or resentment towards her.
So.... I always thought of terrible two's in a completely different way. I always said that if this is terrible two's, then it is nothing. And I definitely do still feel that way. But my question is... is this her version of terrible two's? I know all kids are different and express themselves in different ways.We are so blessed to not have full on tempter tantrums, yet. But these moments of begging for her Dad and screaming her demands is so frustrating.
Here's to Terrible Two's.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
10 Essentials for Summer w/ Two under 2
Summer is one of the best times of year. For kids, it is their favorite. Since Mr. Man and I have been living in England for the last four years, we have completely forgot what is needed for summertime. I have been doing some research to make sure I have everything we need for our little ones. This post is specifically what I find to be necessities for our family. Hopefully this list will spark any considerations of what you may need for your family and/or introduce you to some new products!
Summer is hot, especially in Italy. Mr. Man and I traveled to Italy about 2.5 years ago before we had kids. It was hot, very hot. We got lots of sun and gained a tan immediately. Here we are all these months later living in Italy. Who would have thought?! And this time with kids. Here is our list of must-haves. This is mostly focused around the kids, but I do plan to do another list for myself (or adults).
Top ten must have items for our summer:
1. My item is bug repellent stickers. We have tried sprays, but most of them have too many chemicals and tend to wash off in water play. A has very sensitive skin and always had, so I tend to stay as close as I can to all natural products. These stickers have been great! We started using them this Spring, and they work amazingly. You can find them on Amazon and many other all natural websites.
2. The next must have item on my list is sunscreen. We have been using the Badger brand, and particularly the one pictured.
Summer is hot, especially in Italy. Mr. Man and I traveled to Italy about 2.5 years ago before we had kids. It was hot, very hot. We got lots of sun and gained a tan immediately. Here we are all these months later living in Italy. Who would have thought?! And this time with kids. Here is our list of must-haves. This is mostly focused around the kids, but I do plan to do another list for myself (or adults).
Top ten must have items for our summer:
1. My item is bug repellent stickers. We have tried sprays, but most of them have too many chemicals and tend to wash off in water play. A has very sensitive skin and always had, so I tend to stay as close as I can to all natural products. These stickers have been great! We started using them this Spring, and they work amazingly. You can find them on Amazon and many other all natural websites.
2. The next must have item on my list is sunscreen. We have been using the Badger brand, and particularly the one pictured.
3. This item is an item that I have been using a lot! This is the JJ Cole picnic blanket. This was a gift was given to us as a welcome to the world gift for Baby E. I bring it outside in the yard, place the bug stickers around on it, and lay Baby E to roll around and play. I will put a sun shade over her if the sun is very bright. She seems to love it, and it gives me somewhere to set her so I can play with A. And the best thing about this is the easy fold up and carry!
4. All kids need swim diapers, and all girls need bathing suits. I put these together because the suits I buy have the diapers built in for the infants (Baby E). For toddlers, I have to buy the diapers separately from the suits. I really enjoy the Imse Visme side snap swim diapers. They are cute, yet functional. When we are around the house, I don't always make A wear a swim suit over it. In public, of course she does. For Baby E, I use the iPlay suits with the built in diapers.
5. To go with the swim suits, you will need towels when getting out of the water! A is 2 years old, and E is 4 months. Both use hooded towels. I absolutely love them because it keeps them super warm and helps drive their hair as well.
6. Protection for their eyes is definitely a must have. A sometimes fights wearing sunglasses, but if they have a strap on the back and Mr. Man and I are also wearing, then she will also. I make sure they have protection on the lenses and are suitable to get wet.
7. My next must have is appropriate shoes. I have two listed because I think both are very crucial to have during this time. Swim shoes are a given for beaches and public pools - at this age anyway. I prefer ones that have grips on the bottoms. The other type of shoes is something similar to crocs - jelly shoes that are breathable but can get dirty and worn down without hesitation. I bought A these caterpillar shoes this year. I actually bought two pairs because last year she went through her one pair fairly quickly. She wears these outside to play. They stay on her fit and I make sure they are a good fit so they aren't too big. I make her wear the strap around the back so she doesn't lose her shoe while running and playing. She wears these fishing and so forth. They can get dirty and smelly because they are so easy to wash off and clean. Absolutely love having them on hand at all times.
8. We love to go to the beach. We also love to picnic, even in the yard. This leads me to my next necessity for summer - reusable sandwich and snack bags. I love that I can pack things in these and easily clean them out. I like to buy ones that have loops on the ends, so I can attach them to the stroller without having to worry about the kids dropping them if we are on the go. I use these for our picnic lunches as well as our daily "on-the-go" snacks.
9. The next one is in relation to both swimming and fishing. We love the outdoors, we love the water, and we definitely love to be on a boat. With that said, A needs a life jacket. Last summer we bought her a life jacket that went around her neck and she absolutely hated it. This year we are going to give the Puddle Jumpers a try.
10. Lastly, always stay hydrated. A nice water bottle is always nice to have. These are the two types we use.
What are some of your summer must haves?
I hope this post has helped you prepare for summer.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Planning for Spain - Barcelona
Mr. Man and I have decided we would like to go to Spain towards the end of the Summer once we have Baby E's passport is ready. I have been doing some research and planning what we would like to do and see. I want to do some things just for the kids and other things that are more of what us parents would like to see. I kind of wanted a place to store my thoughts and also ask opinions.
My two favorite places to check for things to do and places to stay is TripAdvisor and European Destinations. I have been reading up on forums and blogs to see other people's experiences, and I even found a pretty neat website for seeing Barcelona with young children. Right now, I am working on Barcelona. Then I will move to Madrid once I have the details planned for Barcelona.
Here is a basic itinerary for now. Again, this is just what I have found so far and it may be altered as time goes on. After all, we won't be going until about the middle to end of August.
Day 1 - Arrive first thing in the morning. Check into hotel. Walk around the city to get a feel for our location. Find small things close by to do. If early enough, we could walk to Gothic Quarter - http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/areas/gothic-quarter-barcelona.html.
Day 2 -
Parc Guell - http://www.parkguell.es/en/historia (as of right now, free of charge, approximately 2 hours)
La Sagrada Familia - http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_serveis/informacio.php (13.50 euro, offers a guided tour - 1 hour long) - purchase tickets in advance.
Lunch
Pablo Espanyol - http://www.poble-espanyol.com/en/visitors (11euro, offers kids activities and educational adventures)
Day 3 -
Start towards Montjuic (Mountain of Jews) - http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/Parc-de-Montjuic/_dHcEaVlbphwE-UMd45leEd5DlUsztdocdW4LHetpKP8
See either the castle or any museums in the area.
Head to Plaza Espana - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187497-c113581/Barcelona:Spain:Plaza.De.Espana.html or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pla%C3%A7a_d'Espanya,_Barcelona
Lunch
Walk down to Barconelleta for some beach time.
**Hop on, hop off bus is always an option - http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/spain/barcelona.htm#tourlandingposition (24.50 euro)
**Barcelona Card - http://www.barcelona-card.com/en/index.html
**Maybe Tapas Tours? http://www.tapastoursbarcelona.com/
I haven't done much searching for a hotel yet. I can't decide if I want to stay in a hotel that has a restaurant and offers room service or if I would rather find us an apartment and cook ourselves. For all lunches, we will be eating out and it seems we could experience the food. However, the convenience with the babies of room service has always been nice, but also expensive.
My two favorite places to check for things to do and places to stay is TripAdvisor and European Destinations. I have been reading up on forums and blogs to see other people's experiences, and I even found a pretty neat website for seeing Barcelona with young children. Right now, I am working on Barcelona. Then I will move to Madrid once I have the details planned for Barcelona.
Here is a basic itinerary for now. Again, this is just what I have found so far and it may be altered as time goes on. After all, we won't be going until about the middle to end of August.
Day 1 - Arrive first thing in the morning. Check into hotel. Walk around the city to get a feel for our location. Find small things close by to do. If early enough, we could walk to Gothic Quarter - http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/areas/gothic-quarter-barcelona.html.
Day 2 -
Parc Guell - http://www.parkguell.es/en/historia (as of right now, free of charge, approximately 2 hours)
La Sagrada Familia - http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/docs_serveis/informacio.php (13.50 euro, offers a guided tour - 1 hour long) - purchase tickets in advance.
Lunch
Pablo Espanyol - http://www.poble-espanyol.com/en/visitors (11euro, offers kids activities and educational adventures)
Day 3 -
Start towards Montjuic (Mountain of Jews) - http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/Parc-de-Montjuic/_dHcEaVlbphwE-UMd45leEd5DlUsztdocdW4LHetpKP8
See either the castle or any museums in the area.
Head to Plaza Espana - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187497-c113581/Barcelona:Spain:Plaza.De.Espana.html or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pla%C3%A7a_d'Espanya,_Barcelona
Lunch
Walk down to Barconelleta for some beach time.
**Hop on, hop off bus is always an option - http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/spain/barcelona.htm#tourlandingposition (24.50 euro)
**Barcelona Card - http://www.barcelona-card.com/en/index.html
**Maybe Tapas Tours? http://www.tapastoursbarcelona.com/
I haven't done much searching for a hotel yet. I can't decide if I want to stay in a hotel that has a restaurant and offers room service or if I would rather find us an apartment and cook ourselves. For all lunches, we will be eating out and it seems we could experience the food. However, the convenience with the babies of room service has always been nice, but also expensive.
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