Confession is good for the soul...

So, I have a few confessions to make. I think it's time to get them off my chest.

#1 My meal planning went out the window. I wrote out a month and didn't do hardly any! SERIOUSLY! I had such good intentions. I'm going to have to start all over and get back on track. UGH! Maybe I'll just try for a week at a time. Baby steps.

#2 I have only done 1 of my pay it forwards for 2011. I planned to do 2 a month however I requested boxes from the Post Office almost 2 weeks ago and they just now arrived. The timing works out though since it's the weekend. I'll be able to get busy baking or something especially since my boys are going out of town.

#3 I am not sure that I have a third confession which is kind of sad. Do I not have more goals for myself? Wow! Oh wait. Maybe I should focus on the 2 goals at hand, but what kind of fun would that be?!?

#4 Wait...I thought of 1 more. It's not really a goal I've slipped on. It's just something I want to share. So, the Children's Choir at Church is starting a new play called "Sermon on the Mound." I have been listening to some of the songs and they are super catchy. I find myself wanting to sing a long and do the Cheer. :)

Again, in case you didn't notice the glee in my typing, my boys are going out of town with their Daddy this weekend. Is it wrong to be so happy about that? Momma needs a break. I'm sure my weekend will be filled with wonderful mounds of laundry and other types of cleaning. It's what Moms do.

Until next time...
Amanda

Long time no blogging...

Well, It's been a while since I've blogged. I haven't really had too much to say and I haven't been doing anything exciting. It's been kind of nice. 

Anyway, tonight was the kick-off party for the Children's Choir at Church. We were going to do it last year and just kind of didn't follow through. This year we will even if I have to pull all my hair out to do it.

You see, I love my boys. I really do. However, they are BOYS through and through. They can't sit still for 2 seconds to listen. Well, mainly one of them can't still. It drives me crazy!!! I know people probably look at me and think 1 of 2 things. 1 - She really should get control of her children or 2 - Maybe she should take a chill pill since he is only 4. I probably should calm down but it drives me crazy when my children run around acting, well, like children. I know you probably think I'm uptight and I am. I think I expect too much out of my boys and then I get frustrated when it doesn't happen.

I will tell you that my children are good! They are sweet to each other when they want to be. They help me if I ask. I love my boys and feel very blessed to have them. I think it's more about me having unrealistic expectations. Plus, I have issues with running in Church. I think that adds to it. :)

Does anyone else feel this way??? Am I the only one? Have you found a secret that lets you be laid back about stuff? I'm going to make it a goal to calm down so I can enjoy my children more. But, if you have any advice, feel free to share.

Till next time...
Amanda

P.S. I have not been baking much this week. Just haven't been inspired. I will hopefully get back on track soon.

I Love Recipes!

So, if you can't tell, I love to bake things. Cookies, cakes, whatever! I love to bake. I have no idea why. I just do.  I don't mind cooking but baking is much more fun.

When I was growing up, I loved to make cookies. I didn't do it that much though because Momma liked me to clean up after myself. I'm not a fan of that part. Still not. Oh well.

A couple Christmases ago, I received the fancy Kitchenaid mixer. I LOVE THAT THING! However, I still use my hand mixer that we received for a wedding gift almost 12 years ago. (Thanks, Jill!) My dream is to one day have a kitchen that I can keep all that stuff handy so I can bake easily. Someday...

Anyway...my friend asked where I've been finding recipes lately. So, I thought I would put together a list of my favorite sites! I love to look at blogs, websites, etc. to find new recipes. If it's simple and has ingredients that I like, I'll try to make it eventually.  :)

The Pioneer Woman http://thepioneerwoman.com/
I was so excited the day that I received her cookbook!! The Chocolate Sheet cake is probably my favorite recipe in the whole book.

Tasty Kitchen http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/
This is a link on The Pioneer Woman's page. It's recipes that other people have submitted. There are some great recipes on here and it always fun to look through it.

Southern Plate http://www.southernplate.com/
This is a site that a friend posted on Facebook the other day. I have found a lot of good stuff on there. Simple, southern recipes. YUMMY!

A Year of Slowcooking http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
This is a blog that my friend from Church suggested. I have printed a lot of recipes from it too.

Kraft.com and Pillsbury normally have really good and simple recipes too. I use a lot of them or at least check them out. You can sign up for their weekly emails and they will send you recipes for FREE!

Normally, if I can't find something I want, I Google it to find a site. Allrecipes.com and Cooks.com usually have something if all else fails.

These are just a few of my favorites as of right now. If you have a site you think I might like, let me know. I love recipes!! I had to get a new, bigger, better binder last year for all the ones I have so there's plenty of room to print out more. :)

Thanks for reading.
Amanda

Pay it Forward 2011

So, having nothing to do (other than laundry and cleaning) on this snow day has me thinking. That normally gets me in trouble. :)

I wasn't going to do the whole "Pay it Forward 2011" thing on Facebook. I thought it was just too much pressure to make something to send to 5 people. I mean, that's 5 people that you just promised you would remember to send something HOMEMADE! Whooo...that's a lot of pressure. But, I had a friend that just needed 1 more. And, since I know her homemade stuff is super cool, I caved to the pressure. So, I had to repost it to my FB status. Then people signed up. Oh the stress of it all.

But, you know what? I thought this might actually be fun. And then I thought, why stop at just 5 people? Why not send 1 person something each month? It will most likely be food so if you're on a diet, you probably don't want to be a part of this. :)

So, I will start with those 5 (actually 6) people and add 6 more. The only catch is that when you receive your stuff, you have to do something for someone else. If everyone did something nice for someone different each month and that person did something nice, what would the world become??? We all know how much fun it is to receive but I want to have fun giving too.

Anyway, long plan short, do you want to be in on my "Pay it Forward 2011?" If you do, comment below or message me on FB. If I get more than 12, that will be great too. I am so excited! This is gonna be fun!

My Birthday Boy

Today is Grant's 8th birthday. Wow! Eight years ago today at 3:51p, I had a baby. He was a little guy, too. He weighed 5lbs 13oz and was only 19 3/4 inches long.

It was so hard to imagine how much he would grow and change over these 8 years. He's such a sweet kid and so smart. And, he's pretty cute too.

I can't wait to see what he will do as he grows even more.

Pre-K Graduation

 1st Day of Kindergarten

1st Day of 1st Grade

1st Day of 2nd Grade

As you can see, Grant has grown quite a bit over the years. He's almost to my shoulder and weighs a good 80lbs. He's becoming quite a big boy. We stay pretty stocked up on the PB&J around here.

And, soon, he'll no longer think I'm a cool Mom. (I like to think he thinks that now, ok?) He'll grow up and go his own way. I pray he makes good choices and becomes the man that he is meant to be.

I love my boys more each day even though they test my patience through and through.

It's fun and interesting to watch them learn and grow up.

So, Happy 8th Birthday, Grant!

Love, Your Mom

Amazed.

So, do you ever have one of those days where it's just a day? Or, so you think.  Then you realize, huh? This wasn't just any day. Today, God showed me, AGAIN, that he is mighty and works in ways that I am not meant to understand.  It's amazing that God does not give up on showing us these little miracles since we are so hard-headed!

Anyway, today was just another day at work. Another drive into work. Another drive home. I was thinking about how I was going to budget money for this weekend. It's Grant's 8th birthday and we are having a small get together, etc. I'm trying to start the year off right and not be excessive. So, I get home and what do I find in the mail? A refund check from a doctor we took Grant to last year to be diagnosed with Aspergers. A REFUND CHECK! I just laughed. I thought, God just keeps blessing me and my family and what did I do today to deserve it??  And, then, I said Thank You Lord!!! :)

That would have been wonderful in itself but then I watched the interview with Ted Williams, the man with the Golden Voice. If you haven't seen him, he was Homeless as of yesterday. Today, he was offered a job and a house and is finally able to go see his 92 year old Momma again. And, he knows that God blessed him with that voice! His story is amazing. I cry just hearing him tell his story of being 2 1/2 years sober. People can change! Miracles do happen. And, he knows that God has a plan for him. Simply step back for a moment and say WOW! Because to me, that's all you can say. Other than, of course, THANK YOU LORD!

Anyway, I know we all have those stories or moments that slap us in the face. Some of us need that more than others. God knows the right time to send those messages too because it is all part of his master plan.

I hope you had a blessing come your way today. If not, the day's not over yet. :)

Amanda

Meal Planning 101

Ok. So, I, more than likely, will never post 2 blogs in 1 day but I have a project that I'm working on and I need some input.

I've been reading a lot about people planning their meals for the week. This helps with their grocery store purchases and, I would think, their sanity. But, being the overachiever/overorganizer/crazy woman that I am, I thought WHY NOT PLAN THE WHOLE MONTH!?! Yeah, that's probably a bit much but I'm trying.

The problem is I'm not very creative with meals. I get stuck in a rut. Chicken or Hamburger? Soup or Soup? I need some help but I'm not a chef so it really needs to be simple. And, since I work, it really needs to be quick.  I use my crockpot some so I am planning for some meals using that but I normally only associate a roast or chicken with the crockpot.

See! It's hard to get out of your comfort zone.

So, do you plan meals for your family? Do you have a go to meal that everyone loves? Give me suggestions. Give me recipes. I really want to be better in 2011 and not waste so much money on eating out.  And, who knows? Maybe you'll find some recipes on here that you like and we can all do better together.

To blog or not to blog...

So, I've been thinking about starting a blog. I don't know that I have anything more important to say than anyone else but I thought it might be fun. Plus, everyone else is doing it! Might as well jump on the bandwagon, RIGHT?

Anywho. Here's something to talk about. Tomorrow is the BIG GAME! The Hogs and the Buckeyes. Sugar Bowl. New Orleans. BCS Bowl. What else can I say to describe it other than I'm pumped to watch. I think this is going to be a great game and I'm proud of the Hogs either way. What a great season.

Well, this first post is short and "sugary" sweet. I have to go fix my family some fine cuisine cause that's how we roll around here. Only the finest for my boys. Hmmm...sloppy joes or fajitas tonight?? Fajitas it is!

Thanks for reading and hopefully I'll remember that I have a blog so I can post another time. :)