April 27, 2012

short. and. sweet.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

So not sure what you're doing on this fine Friday evening. I just wanted to share a little of what I get to enjoy everyday. These kiddlings. Aren't they cute?


Have a safe and happy weekend. 
Make sure to stop and smell the roses ;)

That's all for now.

April 25, 2012

love me some iphone apps.

Apparently I've been without a new blog post for awhile. Guess those kiddos of mine have kept me doing the things I should be doing more of. Recently I've been convicted of doing too much social media and not enough of the important things. So I've cut out a little of the things that do me no real good, and have been giving my kids LOTS of fun attention.

 I've been trying to teach our 33 month old daughter a little pre-school. Even if I have no real structure in my teaching, I feel it's already helping her. A few weeks ago she was stuck with calling a "Banana" a "Mia". It's funny how certain sounds to kids come out way different then we would ever imagine. So we started with the letter B, for no particular reason, but I found a few free printable for that letter. We got started on painting, coloring, glueing pom-poms, whatever crafty thing I had around, all using the letter B and the printable I got. We learned some "B" words, what a "B" says, and how to write the upper and lower case ones. I think she very well knows everything about a "B", haha. Not that she can properly write the "B", she'll get that eventurally. But getting to the "Banana" problem, she went from "Mia" to "Ba-Mia", to now saying "Ba-mana". Yay!! We're getting some results of simply learning a letter of the alphabet. Now we're onto the letter "M". I just threw that letter out there because she always calls it a "W". I love teaching her, and watching her actually learn something. Makes me a proud Momma!

Here is a great site if you plan on teaching your preschooler:

http://www.hsprintables.com/ABC.html

So what else do I have to share...this is fun. 
Ready for it??

I came across a few apps for my iphone that have changed my life, well sorta. I wouldn't call it a transformation, but hey it made my life a bit more organized & fun.

One of them is the "Key Ring" App. Your know how your keys are getting all crammed up with lots of cards. Yay, I can finally get rid of those icky cards on my key chain. And...listen to this. It keeps track of all the bonus stuff you have on those cards. Did you know you actually can use the cards for discounts on stuff? See the little number next to each store name, the one in the orange box? Ya, you can get Drift Detergent 5 bucks off with your babys-r-us card. Seriously amazing! 
Another fun, "Mom" app was the "Phone 4 Kids" app. It basically turns your iPhone into a kids toy. The normal, basic version, is free. You can pay $1.99 for the full version. But the basic version does a lot. Like there is paint, call a fake friend, text a fake friend, learn the alphabet. It's really neat. And your kid feels special they have their "own" phone. 
Also make sure you download the Kindle app for your iphone, it's free. There are a lot of free books out there. It's not the best way to read the books, but who knows maybe one day you'll get a Kindle and you can read them and you'll have them. ;)

Hope this was helpful to you.



April 7, 2012

He is Risen.

Hello =)

Easter Sunday and the whole week/weekend is such a different thing when I was a kid. I'm so glad we have such wonderful memories. Sun rise services, football in my Easter dress, dying eggs with the family, family. I'm so thankful I was taught from birth the TRUE reason we celebrate Easter mostly. Now I have my own kids and I get to start new memories for them and teach them about why we do what we do. I love when A gets all excited when we read her the book "Easter at Our House". 
I totally recommend this book. I love how it has a good mixture of fun, Easter egg hunts, Easter dinner, getting dressed up, and the true meaning, Jesus's death and resurrection & worshipping God. No Easter Bunnies, not really a fan of them. I like bunnies, the cute one, just not those creepy ones at the mall, haha. (anyone else agree?)

Anyways I leave you with this:


Let's celebrate the reason we LIVE, because HE LIVES!! 

Amen =)


April 3, 2012

Artichoke Pesto Chicken

               ...with roasted broccoli

Some serious food is going down in our home.  I am so thankful we tried EMEALS. (<--Click there to see what I'm talking about) Changed the way we do meals. It's been a few weeks since I made this lovely meal, but I had to post it because it's worth sharing. 

Here it goes:

Artichoke & Pesto Chicken & Roasted Broccoli

1.5+ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
1 T olive oil
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained 
1/4 c pesto sauce 
14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed & drained


Season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over med-hi heat. Place chicken in skillet; cook turning once to brown each side. Remove chicken from pan; set aside. Pour tomatoes into pan. Cook 1 min, stirring occasionally. Stir in pesto & artichokes. Return chicken to pan. Cover; reduce heat to med. Simmer 5-10 min, or until chicken is cooked through.
(as you can see I used fresh diced cherry tomatoes, way better in my opinion & we served this meal over pasta)
Fresh Head of Broccoli, trimmed & cut into spears (or one pack of frozen spears)
3 T Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 ̊. In large bowl, toss broccoli, oil, salt & pepper together. Place broccoli on baking sheet in single layer. Bake 20 min, until tender & browned.
I have to say I've never had broccoli this way. And...I don't think I could eat it any other way after this. If you've never had it this way, you are missing out. 

Have a blessed evening,