Mindful Monday's 8/30/10

I thought today (and perhaps on other Mondays), I would share things that I read or find that help me as a mom.  Being a mom like any other job, is something you have to keep learning and training.  I have learned that not all kids are the same and not even your own children who make look alike they will act completely different from each other.  They are individuals and you have to adapt and re-work your parenting sometimes. 
Today, I thought I would share two links that I have found.  One of them I learned about in Family Fun Magazine (which is by far my favorite magazine for families). In one recent issue they mentioned a website called www.amazingmess.com. It is a blog written by a mom who used to be an early childhood educator.   She has such cute and fun ideas for the home and also for helping your preschooler learn.
The other link is actually something I just found about 10 minutes before I wrote this.  I was looking up for some information for a friend of ours on Lakewood Church here in the Houston area and I ran into a blog written by Joel Osteen's brother, Paul Osteen, M.D.  I had the honor of listening to Paul speak last December about being a positive force in your child's life.  While reading up on him I found this blog entry that he wrote.  I think it brings up some great points on how we can be a blessing to our children. 
On a totally unrelated note...I had to share how my child's principal asked me to make her lunch (in jest of course).  She loved all the cute lunches I made last week for the first day of school (sandwich on a stick, snail wrap sandwiches, and heart shaped peanut butter sandwich)  It's nice to hear stuff like that! 

Foodie Friday....on Saturday

So I had planned to write this recipe in my blog yesterday, but I just ran out of time.  However, it is too yummy and easy not to share...plus, it isn't all that bad for you either.

This week I made the Yum-Yum Brownie Muffins featured on the Hungry Girl Newsletter.  This recipe is sooo easy and it requires only two ingredients!  You use a can of pumpkin puree (like for pumpkin pies) and a box of Devil's Food Cake Mix. 

NOTE:  I had to buy organic pumpkin.  Apparently, there is a shortage of pumpkin!  So start buying now if you make your own pies.  Bonus! I got double box tops on my box of cake!

I mixed the batter by hand.  It get pretty thick and takes a little elbow grease to get mixed.  The best part of the batter though is that everyone can have a taste and you won't have to worry about bacteria and uncooked eggs!  Once I had it mixed I poured it into the cupcake/muffin pan using an ice cream scooper.  It worked pretty well...I bet if you have one of those scoopers with the scoop sweeper in it it would come out even easier. 

After it was all scooped in I put it in the oven according to the recipe and out came these awesome cakey muffins. 

They are soo delicious and you can't even taste the pumpkin!  It's like magic!  :-)

Themes/Thankful Thursday!

I haven't been posting on here that much lately.  I feel like I have so much I could write about, but don't have the time or don't get inspired enough.  Especially this week!  School started and it has been hard adjusting back to a set schedule.  Waking up at 6am or earlier has been rough especially with a baby who occasionally still wakes up in the middle of the night and a two-year old who for some reason has got into the habit of waking up at about 3am to have a sip of juice or eat a piece of sliced turkey cold cuts.  YAWN! 
Anyway, I thought I would add themes to the days of the week, so when I do have some time I can work on that theme and maybe be a little inspired. So, if you haven't figured it out Thursday will be about things I am thankful for. 
Today's shout out will be about family and my husband.  My husband's job has had him out-of-town for four weeks.  Although, I do stay at home with my children everyday, it's quite the different thing when you are alone all day.  Thankfully, my nieces are so great about helping out when I need a hand.  It's been such a help!  I am also thankful for my husband.  I know he misses his kids so much and being away, eating out everyday isn't what it's cracked up to be.  He works hard so I can stay home with the kids and it is such a blessing to be able to do that. 

You Can Quote Me on That....

I LOVE quotes and sayings.  I have signs all around my house with cute saying or inpiring words.  For example, one is above my daughter's dance picture that says, "In a world where you can be anything, be yourself."  I would like to share some of my favorites on here every once and awhile...hopefully, I can make it a weekly thing. 
Today a lot of kids started a new school year.  My eldest started first grade.  I was a little teary, but not as nearly as bad as last year.  That was full on Niagra Falls!  A lot of my friends had kids who started school for the first time.  One friend in particular mentioned that she felt like she had half of her heart was walking outside of her body and it reminded me of this quote from Elizabeth Stone:
“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”
This quote is so true, especially on the first day of school.

Mom, I think I am a vegan

So, tonight while we ate dinner (chicken noodle soup, warm whole wheat rolls and salad) my daughter told me she thought she could be a vegan (she didn't use that word, but explained what she meant).  She confidently said that she thought it could be easy.  I didn't tell her otherwise but listened to her.  She said Mexican food would be easy since she could just cut out fajitas and chicken.  I informed her that frijoles a la charra and refried beans usually contained pork.  She said, "Oh."  She then said she could just eat salad (salad for her is just lettuce) with Ranch dressing.  I told her the dressing was out since it contained milk.  She started to think.  She then perked up and said, "Well, I think I could do it."  She then spooned up some soup and carefully picked off the peas and green beans and spooned it into her mouth. 

Recipe- Betty Crocker Key Lime Cupcakes

So I signed up to receive BettyCrocker.com emails.  They send recipes and other helpful tips.  I got this recipe for Key Lime Cupcakes and since then I couldn't stop thinking of how yummy they sounded.  Last night I made the recipe for my nieces. Instead of cupcakes (since I didn't have enough liners), I made it as a whole cake (baking time according to box).  It is so yummy...highly suggest it cold.  

It's What's You Put Inside that Counts

I have been wanting to watch the documentary film, Food Inc. for awhile now.  It is about what is in our food (you'd be surprised) and where it comes from (even bigger surprise).  There were multiple times that I was so grossed out.  The conditions in which our food is grown and how it's processed.  What is even more saddening is how big companies are smothering the small farmer and poisoning us, the consumer.  It also covers the subject how eating healthy is more costly.  It made me think about what I feed my family.  I wish I could afford to buy all organic, but I am going to try and make better food purchasing decisions.  I highly recommend you watch the film.  If you have Netflix it's on the Instant Queue list.  Also, if you are interested in buying local and fresh check out localharvest.org  My good friend from Fort Worth showed me this website...I found a lot of local farms and farmer's markets that I didn't even know existed.

Always surfing the net....

 Okay, confession of the day.  I am always on the internet.  Not, like every hour, but at least three times a day.  I do check on my Facebook (who can resist?! lol) and check my emails but mostly what I do is a lot of research.  I believe the internet is one of the biggest blessings (sometimes not) that a modern mom can have to her use.  I review products before buying them, research prices, find tons of recipes, connect with other moms, learn about prescriptions and even find doctors (that's how I found my OB/GYN who I love).  However, you need to be weary of where you look-up your information.  Not all sites are reliable.  Also, when reading product reviews keep in mind that there will always be one or two bad reviews.  Sometimes the product isn't what that particular family needed or they got a bad version of the product.  Plus, people are always more like to write a bad review than a good one.  So if a product has one or two out of a few dozen then that is not too bad, but if a product has more negative than positive, stay away.  I also wanted to share one of my favorite sites that I am so glad to have introduced to me.  It's the U.S. Government's recall website.  With so many toys and other household items being recalled it's hard to keep up, especially if you don't watch the news that much.  Even if you don't have kids, sign-up for their email updates.  I will tell you that you will get a lot of emails about stuff you don't own, mostly about hoodies that are being recalled because the drawstrings pose as strangulation hazards (which makes you think why they even sell them in the first place).  However every once and awhile you will get an announcement that makes a difference.  Click Here for the Recall website.

Stepping Forward With Both Feet

The idea of writing this blog has been on my mind for quite awhile now.  I wanted to write a blog about what I do...being a housewife/homemaker/stay-at-home mom.  It is after all what I know best and yet it is the subject I know so little about.  I recently took a deep look inside as to what exactly I was doing at home with my children.  For the past six years or so I have struggled with my role as a homemaker.  Part of me felt as if I was letting down someone.  Not myself, but someone out there.  Maybe all the women who fought for equality in the workplace, for women's suffrage.  Maybe all the teachers who said I would go far in my education.  I had several jobs that were on my list of what I "should" grow-up to be.  A teacher, a doctor, a nurse.  They were all impressive jobs when asked what I wanted to be.  In high school I entered a magnet school that concentrated on medicine.  I wanted to be a doctor.  Looking back now, I realize that I never really wanted to be one.  The title just sounded awesome.  I never had that deep down passion for medicine that my friends had.  It just seemed the thing a modern, smart girl should do. On the other hand, the other part of me is so in love with staying home with my children.  With seeing them grow, be silly, feeding them, dressing them, watching all the firsts.  All of it.  But yet, I carried this little badge of shame when asked what I do for a living.  That little badge is what bothered me.  I asked myself why.  What was it about being a stay-at-home mom that bothered me?  It was until recently that I realized how unfair I was being to my children, husband and ultimately myself for not appreciating my "job".  I realized I was letting other people's views of what a woman should do affect what I was doing.  I realized that doing what I do is not for everyone just as being a doctor, a teacher, a cook, etc. is not for everyone.  I may not get paid, I may not get a vacation, but what I do is a job...a real one.  I am incredibly blessed to do what I do.  Like any job there is room for improvement and growth.  So, here I am.  This is my self-evaluation time(I know about those..worked in HR for almost 6 years ;-) ). I am taking a step forward with both feet.  I am a SAHM and I plan to do the best I can.  I realize I am a minority in today's world, but I plan to embrace it.  I plan to share what I find that helps me as a mom.  Hoping what I share helps another mom out there, all moms.