well hello there

After a hiatus with ups and downs and an overall feeling of stress, I think I need to come back to this blog little by little. I have been enjoying summer with my kids and husband, as well as dealing with some lows with many headaches (Joe was in a car accident!) and keeping both kids occupied on those St. Louis "too damn hot to to anything" days! 

Vacation is a foreign word to me, I guess the closest thing resembling one of those, is a day trip to the lake/zoo/Arch or a weekend to see the new aquarium Springfield (which is pretty cool!). We are so lucky to have two family members with subdivision pools because that is where we end up spending most weekends, and a few playgrounds nearby in which S&Z make friends for the couple hours we are there, then ask if they can come over to our house the next day! {It's funny to watch little ones interact on the playground}

So while there is nothing much to say here, I would suggest looking back at my JUNE 2017 post about great summer places to check out! Enjoy the last days before back to school!

AUGUST IS LIKE THE SUNDAY OF SUMMER

xo

ugh

i just spent the last 3 hours ... THREE HOURS ... writing a, what i considered, awesome post about spring events in St Louis and what's coming up around town ... THREE HOURS AND NOW IT IS ALL GONE!

even though i saved and tried to preview it here on blogger, i refreshed even though the warning popped up, i went ahead and refreshed and lost everything ... EVERYTHING I JUST SPENT 3 HOURS WRITING!

i might be done with this, i might feel different tomorrow, don't know ...

I'M PISSED OFF

xo

random acts of kindness

My kids and I talk about random acts of kindness and I try to give them the opportunity to show random acts of kindness each day. When kids are young, I feel that it is simple, like sharing a bite of ice cream, helping with chores without being asked, holding the door for someone at the store. A lot of it goes hand in hand with teaching them common courtesy and respect for your fellow human being. I also find lots of great advice here on raising a kind kid and here for inspiring articles!

Even though random acts of kindness is intirgrated into daily life, each holiday season I make our Christmas calendar a Random Acts of Kindness calendar and instead of filling it with treats, I fill it with ideas to bring others kindness. I got this idea from the Kindness Elves and we fashioned it into our own Kindness Angels with some creative crafting ... and Target!
I found these really great ornaments and couldn't resist, then came across little fabric wings and viola, the perfect little companion for our new family tradition!

This activity kicks off our new year, and we continue donating what we can to local and national charities, like food banks, homeless shelters, veterans, diaper banks, and animal shelters, or fill helping bags to keep in the car when we cross paths with someone in need. But not all acts of kindness have to be big gestures or big amounts of money, just a a small smile and hello will do just fine. Some other great ideas are,

visit great grand parents, help make sandwiches for a homeless shelter, donate clothes and toys to families in need, keep your local park clean, write thank you notes to the police station or firehouse, set out water and snacks for UPS, FedEx, etc, make a bird feeder, leave a ball at the park for the next kid that comes along, plant a tree, send a care package to a soldier oversees ... 

Another idea that I wanted to do one day with the family was take all our loose change and feed the street parking meters downtown, but they don't exist anymore! Ha! I did that a few times as a kid but now it's just a memory of yesteryear, along with the wall hanging land line phone and ten foot spiral cord! 

I can't tell you how excited my two were to help out with these activities, to get their hands in there and make something with the grown ups or take their own idea for coloring a picture to send to one of the "helpers" (thank you Mr. Rogers Neighborhood!) Getting to be part of the project was just as exciting to them as sending our kindness out into the world, it really leaves an impression on little minds!

So many organizations need help and I have a found that a lot of our friends are good resources when it comes to getting the low down on who is in need or who is a reliable group. I also looked up a list on PBS here to get a few ideas. Not only can you pay it forward in your community, but now there are so many groups that help around the country and the world by sharing unique housewares and jewelry, gifts that give back! Some of my favorite that I've come across are pura vida, beautiful bracelets that are daily reminders of what you want to put out into the world; Expedition Subsahara, amazing baskets and jewelry; and love your melon, great hats that give back to kids fighting cancer! Find more in this post from Real Simple!

DO SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE

xo

  

saying goodbye

I've had this idea to write on the topic of loss in a family for awhile now and there is no one way to answer the question ... how to talk to your kids about death. After reading here and there about lots of ways to talk/explain/console, I'm just going to put out there what we ended up doing and a few of my favorite articles about the subject. 

We had an uncle pass way before the holidays as well as two family pets and last week my husband's friend, who is only a few years older than us, suddenly passed. All have been hard on my kids in different ways and we explained what we thought is appropriate for them about each. My uncle they only knew from pictures, and we talked about how he had been sick for a few years fighting the cancer and visiting doctors to help him. The two pets were the animals my kids played with the most and it was a missing piece when they visited grandparents homes, so we talked about how that's what happens when you live a long life. For more talking points on grieving a pet, I found this post. 

Our friend they knew and we all hung out from time to time but he wasn't close with S & Z, but they have both heard us talking about the visitation and have seen me cry the last few days, asking what's wrong and why are you crying. This one has really hit close to home because it was so sudden and unbelievable, the thought of his wife and their newborn and will they be ok takes over my whole body, this is the first friend of ours who has passed away, I mean the majority of our group of friends are early-mid 30's. It also brings up questions of what we have in place if something happens and a sudden need to make sure all affairs are in order! With that panic, I headed over to What's Your Grief to calm my mind.

My responsibility to my children is to teach them and on this subject I feel there is no sugar-coating it. Nobody is "sleeping", the animals did not go to a farm, my kids are smart and life is not all rainbows and candy, so I feel a basic truth is what they can handle. There has been talk of heaven and their soul is in good hands free from any hurt, we have also told them the body just stops working when it is sick and can't fight anymore or has been around a long time (which then prompts the question, will gram gram die soon?!) I think my kids understand things more when it is plain and simple science explanation, when we talked about heaven, they kind of went off on a storyline like it was a pretend/imagination/movie, like they know Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc are not real it's just pretend and they don't really live behind the closet door in the monster world. I found myself referring back here for a checklist of points to make clear when talking about death.

But, every kid is different! Some might dwell on it and stay in their room, others might have lots of questions and you can see the gears in their head turning, others might just end the conversation and continue playing. It seemed like, for us, the questions were spread out and they took about a week each time to understand it, ask some more, come up with scenarios they had concerns about. It also helped that we have had a bit of conversation about death when it was about a squashed bug or a deer on the side of the road to ease into, in the years previous.
And now as I'm writing, we don't have any books that tackle the subject, so finding some good references at the library would be helpful to any child at any age! There are a few story books to get us started at Parents.com.

I also want to add a side note about how to help a grieving person. I feel if I were on the other side, these are words I would want to hear and actions that would truly help.

So, in the end, what I gather from all that I read, I did it right (yay parenting win!) when I talked briefly, plainly, and distinction between death and illness. I always let them know they can talk to us about anything and that there will be somethings that we just don't know, but we will figure it out together. 

THE TROUBLE IS, YOU THINK YOU HAVE TIME

xo

new year, slow start

Well December and January sure disappeared in the blink of an eye!

And let's face it, I don't have this blog scheduled out with official "work days" or help for creating content and graphics. I wonder what a full time blogger work schedule looks like, and how they get everything researched, written, and photographed to put out by a certain date? Hmm, maybe that is what I should look into this new year ...

But in the mean time there a few things I'm working on that I want to talk about as well as making sure I get back into this routine of posting!

BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE WHILE WORKING FOR WHAT YOU WANT

XO

cheap date nights part 1

Date nights are important, but there are dwindling funds to go out on a Saturday night and rack up a tab of $60 just on drinks these days! We have been able to go out the last five years and just spend on the date it's self, no babysitting because we are lucky enough to have family nearby that can take care of our two for an evening away. I can't imagine a large portion of the date night budget set aside for child care! But regardless of that, we still keep our night out low cost as much as possible.

I've come across lots of ideas for cheap date nights, and sad to say, most of them are cheesy and seem boring to me {watch, I'll publish my ideas and they will turn out to be boring ones to someone out there!}, but we have had some pretty good ones with minimum damage to out wallets over the years, so in no particular order, here are some cheap {and fun} date night ideas!

*Stargazing! Checkout a telescope at your local library {ask what else they rent our, it's amazing!} and find a great stargazing spot with a small picnic, have a great playlist on the phone and relax under the stars for a few hours enjoying each others company, talking about everything and anything!

*ITap (International Tap House) and a pot luck! Both ITap locations are great and you can bring in your own eats, or order from the restaurant next door, and have a couple beers with friends!

*The Game and a Bucket! Most places will have specials on game day, so we go somewhere low key with a good menu and hangout, meet other fans and share a few laughs!

*Cocktails and a Comedy Special! I love all the comedians on Netflix, even if we don't know who they are, we pick one at random and see what their hour special is like without the cost of a theater ticket!

*Binge watch and some Beers! Yes, classy I know, but if we want to catch up on a couple of our favorites, let's make a night of it!

*New snack and a Board Game! Whether it's something on Pinterest I've been eyeing or something spotted at the grocery store, we bust out a board game (or puzzle!) or two and our new found snacking items and relax the night away!

*Ice Skating, Bowling, Mini Golf, or the Trampoline Park! All are pretty simple and not much gear required, just spending time together. We usually pair this evening with an errand we need to do like the tech store or Home Depot!

*Themed Movie Marathon! Halloween or Christmas or action-adventure, a trilogy perhaps. With a huge bowl of popcorn, this night in, snuggling on the sofa, is a nice and quiet date!



*
*College Sports or Community Theater! Some of the productions and concerts are top notch! Check out pricing ahead time for door pricing, but a local eatery and local talent help support your area!

*Volunteer! It's nice to have a day date from time to time and why not spend time together helping others? Volunteer at a food pantry or soup kitchen, giving feels great!

*Thrift Shop Date! I have seen this ideas before and we did it a few years ago for a friends birthday party. Each person gets $5-$10 to buy a thrift shop outfit for each other! Hilarity ensued and we had a great time with friends!

*Outdoor Festival! There are so many free ones to choose here in St. Louis- Twilight Tuesdays at the History Museum, Shakespeare in the Park by the Art Museum, The Great Forest Park Balloon Race Glow on Art Hill, look up the Parks & Rec schedule for lots of different concerts in the spring and summer and pack a cooler bag for a beautiful night!

*Go for a Hike, or Geocaching, or the Gym! We have friends who are into Geocaching and Marble Hunting and it sounds like a lot of fun! My favorite place to walk/hike in the summer and fall is Castlewood State Park, but in the winter being each others spotters in the gym, with babysitting available, is more my pace!

DATE SOMEONE WHO IS HOME AND AN ADVENTURE ALL AT ONCE

xo

easy cooking

The hustle and bustle has begun, and plans are in place for events, gatherings, and making meals! We are attending three Thanksgivings all on different days, because I will not bust my butt and schlep across town to try and make it to two events in one day ... that is madness and no fun for anyone! I have not done it and I will not do, especially now with kids. 

So, meals have to be easy, ready to go, and appeal to many. Where do I find recipes to suit my needs, Pinterest, of course! I don't see why anyone would look anywhere else! Type in key words for what you want and in a click you have tons of ideas! The only easier thing would be to sign up for one of those meal ingredient delivery subscriptions. I tend not to order from the grocery store or deli, I have a feeling the prices are the same and I do not dispute the convenience, it's just not my go-to for holiday feasts.

My favorite crock-pot recipe is turkey breast, super simple and you can add whatever seasoning. Buy turkey breast {from frozen section}, defrost in the fridge the night before, turn on crockpot set to high in the morning, put in bird {but take the gravy packet out of netting first}, put on lid and leave it alone for 6 hours. That's it!! Juicy, shredded turkey that everyone will love! We add liquid smoke sometimes, another seasoning I like is parsley, butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Also, paprika or a mesquite blend gives a little kick, really nice with baked beans and cornbread {yum!}

Sheet pan cooking is another favorite and I have found some really good recipes requiring one cookie sheet and minimal prepping! Pork chops with green beans and potatoes, you can't go wrong! Some substitutions are, carrots for potatoes, zucchini for green beans, chicken for pork, you can really change it up and baking time is the same, but I would recommend cover the sheet in foil so there is no drying out. You can change up the seasoning easily on these ones too! My favorite is a drizzle of maple syrup with butter, but my family loves garlic and parmesan cheese that becomes a bit crusted, and then I make a pot of pasta with it and there are no left overs!

Chicken is what we have for dinner 4 nights out of the week, and it can become old news! But I have been pretty satisfied with the variations that I have come up with over the months ... burrito bowls, stir fry, inside out pot pie {bake biscuits in bottom of bowl with typical insides of a pot pie spooned on top!} diy shake and bake style, but I think my favorite is a play on a paella that is savory with some heat! I get a pan with some oil and garlic going and a pot of water boiling for the rice {or pearl couscous goes well too}, then turn on another burner to set the red bell peppers on while I chop up green beans, fresh green beans taste so good with this dish!


Turn the chicken over, toss in green beans then chop up the bell pepper, now nicely roasted {yum!}. Check to see how the chicken is coming along and add the peppers, sometimes I toss in corn because it adds a nice flavor. All this time the rice is simmering in tomato sauce, so keep stirring it and tast for seasoning. Once everything is done, I mix the rice in with the chicken and veggies and I'm done! This one is not the quickest but it is so worth the time, even as leftovers!


When I'm in the kitchen during the week, I really don't want to spend more than 30 minutes, so the board of recipes I have found on Pinterest from various bloggers and foodies and moms, is awesome and has made life so easy! So now, what about dessert ... well hop on over here for ANOTHER page of food that I love!

GOOD FOOD GOOD LIFE

xo