Ahhhh. Summer. The time where you try to balance the outdoor fun activities with maintaining the house, a little. Or in my case, barely. I’ve got to admit, this has been the best summer so far. The kids are at a great age to FINALLY do fun things without a million interruptions; blow out diapers, nursing every few hours, two naps a day, just baby stuff in general. We have taken FULL advantage of the nice weather so far. And we are grateful for the time and resources to be able to do so. Anyway, yesterday was busy with errands and then water table in the afternoon. Dinner had to…
Fast Fajitas
I was in the middle of making dinner tonight (a whole 20 min) when the paper towel ran out. Lately I’ve been finding the good in everything. So. What good comes from running out of paper towel? Restocking, only to find out that ITS TIME TO GO TO TARGET AND BUY MORE BULK PAPER TOWEL!!!! Target. Ahhhh. Bliss. The big, red comforting shopping cart that sweeps me and my diaper bag right off my tired feet. That smell of something new around the corner that I don’t really need but will probably buy anyway. And the HINT of STARBUCKS that I shouldn’t have at 8pm, but it’s a Chai, so…
Crazy Kid's Caviar
On our way home from Nashville, we decided to see if we could get as much of our immediate family together as we could. And lucky for us, everyone could make it to our impromptu cookout at the condo. It was wonderful to come home to all of our family and get caught up, celebrate, have some wine!!! One item that was fun to make and very easy (Chloe did most of it alone) was what most of us know as Cowboy Caviar. Becuase Chloe made it and she was a wild child yesterday, I’ve renamed it Crazy Kid’s Caviar. Crazy Kid’s Caviar Ingredients 1/2 cup evoo 1/3 cup white…
Road Trip Diary – 6
Here we are, all packed up, ready to start our 10 hour drive home tomorrow. I debated for a while about blogging or not tonight because I’m a little bummed. But here I am. It’s the good, the bad and the ugly. Life isn’t perfect. Yesterday the hub’s came down with a bug, so Ive been solo the past twoish days. Yesterday afternoon I took the kids to see an Italian Car exhibition at the local art museum. It was cool. A bit hair raising becuase these cars are VERY rare and in MINT condition. These are cars I’ve never seen on the street. Each car had their own security…
Road Trip Diary – 5
Well, hello again. You know that point on vacation where you just need some alone time and are are just DONE with non-stop stuff. I’m there. But we only have two days left here, so I’m sucking it up (maybe a good coffee and chocolate are in order? Two things I forgot to pack for myself….ugggg what was I thinking??). Hoping to have a little down time when we drive into Milwaukee. Last night’s plans changed a bit. Carter ended up taking a super long nap until 4pm. We walked what seemed like forever in the heat, but was only 15 minutes. It’s hot. Science project hot, 92* hot. Too…
Road Trip Diary – 4
We are all beaming today after sleeping so well. The kids have their own room, and own beds, and Doug and I have a nice large room connected to a family room and kitchenette. Sleep is so important. Especially when kids are still napping! We had a free breakfast downstairs this morning that was completely nut-free. Who knew eating nut-free at Hilton was so easy? Chloe and Carter were pumped about selecting their own food and drinks. The dining room was beautiful with a waterfall and indoor/outdoor seating. Hard to believe it’s free. Super family friendly, too. We all took a shower (the kids were afraid of the old fashioned…
Road Trip Diary -3
Finally, a great night of sleep. A feeling we have ALL been looking forward to since Saturday. Yesterday was our 3rd day of our trip. I kind of gave it away on Facebook, but we ended up moving into a Homewood Suites by Hilton, about 2 miles from Bungalow 9. First, yesterday was AMAZING. Hanging out with John and Vicky was the best. After a morning of bugs on the floor, crappy homemade breakfast and a shower with pressure so hard you could loose your lady parts, it was so nice to be somewhere comfortable and fun, their home in Franklin, TN. If you’ve never looked at the History behind…
Road Trip Diary – 2
Remember that “no technology” rule? Yep. That’s gone. We think Carter has motion sickness becuase he ended up getting sick all over the place! The drive from Champaign to Nashville was fine. Watched a few movies and stopped to eat at Arby’s. Woah. Arby’s. Totally threw me for a loop by changing the bun on the kids sandwich. Luckily, Arby’s is amazing and has a very elaborate and up to date allergy info sheet. Chloe could enjoy her lunch. Quick stop in Paducha, KY, for Harley swag for papa Joe. Last night we checked into our Bungalow and headed over straight away to see friends John and Vicky. Their house…
Road Trip Diary
Day 1: We left the house, after what seemed like a month of packing, and headed toward our first stop, Champaign, Illinois. This was a little over 4 hours and the longest the 4 of us have ever spent in the car together. While we have done a bit of travelling with the kids, this is our first real road trip with them. Along the way, we only stopped at McDonalds’ since I trust their bathrooms most and it’s on our “safe snacking list.” The kids did AMAZINGLY well in the car, thanks to these one-step ahead smushy trays. I was hesitant on the purchase, but well worth it to…
Make A List to Stress Less
Have you ever had a million things running through your mind at once? Yes. We all have. Personally, I find it helpful to just write it all down. Making lists helps me de-stress, unclutter my brain, free my mind and focus on what’s really important; the needs of my family. If you follow me on Instagram, you see my week usually planned out for food, the refrigerator chalkboard doors are my go-to. On the right side is menu items and left side is usually snack ideas or “to-do” items. I also keep a paper planner to randomly jot down, “pick up Rx, get gas, Mani/pedi, send card, vacuum car” and…
Campbell's Soup Sauce Starter
My pantry always has two or three Campbell’s Soup Sauce Starters in it. These are great for nights like tonight where nothing is thawed and I’m not in the mood to cook a big meal. At 4:30 we decided to make Chicken Marsala using the Campbell’s Soup Sauce starter and the microwave to thaw chicken. The allergy information is always clearly stated under ingredients, which I love. Thanks, Dad. Chicken Marsala 1 pound chicken Campbell’s Sauce packet Favorite vegetable Pasta, rice, or couscous Directions In a pre-heated 425* oven, add your vegetable to roast for 30-40 minutes. Tonight we did asparagus. Broccoli, brussel sprouts, baby carrots, etc. All taste amazing roasted.…
My Passion for Writing this Blog
Today I received the phone call all nut-allergic (or any allergy/ailment/illness) parents dread. It was just as nerve wracking as I thought it would be. Rewind to this morning. I dropped Chloe off at school, like I always do on Wednesday mornings. Carter and I came home, did some yard work, had lunch and I put him down for a nap. While I was in the middle of emptying the dishwasher, I received a call from Chloe’s school saying they gave her the epi pen, she had been in contact with an allergen and 911 had been called with paramedics on the way. I’ve always imagined this phone call. But…
Quick Rhubarb Crisp
When your lovely neighbor brings 5 pounds of rhubarb over, you definitely make a rhubarb crisp! Or pie, or sauce, or whatever floats your boat. Things are coming full circle for us this weekend. For the first time since we moved into our house 3 years ago, we opened all 4 blinds in our Master bedroom. Two of the 4 windows had blinds that were broken. Its been pretty low on our priority list to fix them, but we finally figured out what we wanted to do. The Levelor website was great to work with and had very fast delivery! Miraculous to be able to see out all 4 windows…
Preschool Cupcakes
Today is my daughter’s pre-k end of year party. As a parent of a nut-allergic student, I find it critical to the success of classroom events to be part of the Room Parent Committee. Unfortunately, Chloe was up all night sick, and is having a couch day with Paw Patrol. I feel so bummed for her that she is missing her party. This morning I did a quick food drop off and the other room parents took over at the party. We have a great room parent team this year, and I’m so grateful for these really helpful families. Devil’s Food Chocolate Cupcakes 1. Bake the cupcakes as directed. I…
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