Minivans and McDonald's Drive-Thrus

So you must be thinking...what in the world do minivans and McDonald's have in common? 

Jon.... My husband.

Huh?

Oh yes, you read this correctly. 

So a real quick story. 

Last night Jon and I happened to finish dinner early, had an hour to kill (still don't know how that happened with a baby...but we did!) So we decided to head out in our new van! Oddly enough, Jon loves driving the thing (but would never admit that to his truck-driving friends). So, we unanimously decided to go to McD's for a hot fudge sundae.

Okay, quick back story on this...Jon loves to talk in different voices when we go through drive-thrus. You know, he does this weird accent when the person on the other end taking the order can't see him...he thinks he's hilarious. He sort of is, actually.

Well, when he used to do this, it would just be the two of us in his SUV...both of us acting like kids, right? 

Now, imagine Jon last night yelling as loudly as he could into the ordering box, "HI YA'WL, I'D LIKE'N SOME OF THAT THER ICE CREAM! I'LL TAKE A 'ER FUDGEY SUNDAAAAEEEE! 

Except...imagine a thirty year-old man, in a minivan, with his wife and baby in the back seat doing this. Yes, this is my husband. This IS my husband.

I seriously thought I might pee my pants. I was laughing so hard.

The look on the face of the poor high school kid taking our order as we went through to pay... priceless.

I was very worried the kid thought we were completely insane, but as he handed back Jon's credit card he did say, "Well, there you go pardner." He was good...almost said it with a straight face.

Oh how I love my husband... I am one lucky lady. :-)

All Things Baby: Do-It-Yourself Baby Food! (4 months+)



Being new to the “mom situation,” I have learned so much in such a short time! Being the teacher type, I am constantly researching, reading, learning and practicing things. Some things work, some things don’t, some opinions are way over-the-top, and other opinions are helpful.


All that to say, I tend to share waaaaay too much information with those around me. My close friends like to say, “You know so much random information!” They are sweet. The reality is... I just talk a lot. So, here I am…dispensing more info. Yak, yak, yakking away.

None-the-less, I hope my information is fun, helps make your life easier, gives you confidence or simply encourages.


Today's Food Tips...

 Food Tip #1: Seems silly to say this, but use a plastic bib… I pretty much ruined most of his cloth bibs (the ones that match his outfits) with food stains in the first few weeks of feeding him! What was I thinking!? Plastic bibs…genius! Wipe and go! My favorite…Summer Bibbity Rinse and Roll.

Food Tip #2: Make sure to puree each food separately…babies like individual tastes at first…too many combos can be confusing and unsatisfying!

Food Tip #3: Don’t buy fancy food trays for the freezer (I did and they don’t work as well as the cheapy ice cube trays from the grocery!). Just use BPA free trays and cover with plastic wrap before placing in the freezer! Use cubes within a week for peak freshness.

Food Tip #4: Making your own baby food saves you $$$! On the safe side I will save $20 - $30 per month by making my own baby food instead of buying it! If you calculate it… 15 min. x 4 weeks = 1 total hour. In 1 hour I make $30 not bad!!! Not to mention that babies LOVE eating fresh food!

 Yes, this is a bib I ruined...should have been using the Bibbity!

My little man LOVES avocado! 

On the Go… no prep foods!

Easy Stow, Go and Smash:

Bananas and avocados – simply take a ¼ avocado or ½ banana with you in a Ziploc baggie, a container to mash in, and a spoon for feeding! I usually add a pinch of warm water (optional) to “mash.” They may turn a touch brown throughout the day, but it will not affect the quality or taste of the food.

For the Week…

Puree, Freeze, Pop and Thaw: (Makes approx. 20 oz. of puree for each food when using the following guide.)

Avocados (3-4 med.), Bananas (3-4 med.), Cooked Peas (3-4 cups), Pre-peeled Cooked Carrots (3-4 cups), Peeled Baked Sweet Potatoes (2 large), Peeled/Cored Baked Apples (3-4 large) -

Cook food item if necessary. Puree desired amount in blender (with small amount of water if needed) and pour into ice cube tray to freeze and use throughout the week (each cube is about 3 oz.)! Once I pop a cube out of the tray, I defrost it in the microwave (in glass container) for about 1 min. (or thaw for 2.5 hours at room temp.) Add 2 tsp of warm water (optional) and stir.

Average time for prep: 2-3 different foods for entire week = 15 min. including cooking time (in microwave).

Side Note: Okay, let me be honest here…do I really “bake” or “cook” my baby’s food? No. I usually nuke it in the microwave for two-three minutes or until “tender” and then puree. Easy as pie…or um, easy as baby food!

And the reality is...

So, I was reading a very popular blog the other day called "Thrifty Decor Chick"...and oh how I love this blog! The gal uses her home as a canvas of sorts to show how it looked "before" and "after". It is incredible how this lady turns Goodwill finds into works of art... making her home look absolutely magazine worthy!

Well, as with many things in life, I like to take things and look at them from a different perspective...you know just to keep things interesting. So, this morning as I looked around my house I thought to myself, "Self,
you should use your home as a canvas too! Ha, ha!

So, today my blog is not about turning things from drab to fab, but rather what a REAL home looks like, what a REAL mom looks like and what the REALity is for 99% of us out there! (If you are the 1%...I'd love to meet you!). Nothing I'm about to share with you is magazine worthy.

Do I like to post the picture on my facebook that makes my home look clean... or the family picture where you cannot see my double chin? You bet I do. Do I scramble around and try to create an image of perfection when my family and friends come over to visit? Um, ye-ah. (The REALity of it all is that I vacuum just enough to make those fresh lines, I dust just enough so that people with allergies won't get sick, I stuff things in closets and drawers... and...I hate to say it, but even my toilets often have that funky ring of mold -or whatever it is- until guests come over...at which point, I quickly scrub those bad boys out so no one will want to vomit when they use my toilets!)

Why? Why do we have to project perfection. God never once said in his Word, "Thou shalt be perfect" and believe it or not He was NOT the one to coin the phrase "cleanliness is next to Godliness." Thank goodness!Because...as much as I'd like people to think I've got it all together...I don't (I think my admission of the toilet thing solidifies that)!

So, today I've used my home and myself as a sort of canvas. A canvas that portrays reality...a canvas that is funny and at least from my perspective...is in its own unique (and figurative) way... BEAUTIFUL (Well, again, minus the toilet thing I mentioned).

Enjoy taking a peek into my reality... I hope you find it encouraging.


Here we have the before and after photo of "Kendall With Her Coffee Pot". Yes, that is what we call true "bed head" and me with no make up people...and that is the reality. What a beautiful blessing it is to stay up late and wake up early with my beautiful baby - and the ability to make and drink my coffee. Can I get an AMEN?!



Next up is a picture of what I like to call "Garbage". The reality is... I do not have shoes on to take it out right now (not to mention that it is currently 25 degrees and snowing out!), so it will probably sit there until my cute hubby comes home. What a beautiful blessing it is to be married to a man who is the "trash master!"

In this unique - yet oh so intriguing - picture... we have "The laundry room". The reality is... this is what it looks like to be "almost caught up" on laundry (see...there is nothing in the washer - go me!!!) Ha! What a beautiful blessing it is to have clean clothes to wear...and multiple outfits for my baby to poop, pee and spit up on each day! :-)

This next picture is a classic. This is what we call, "The Unmade Bed!" Now, to some of you this may look like a big mess. Actually, it's not. The reality is...according to much research (from a source I cannot remember), an unmade bed is a "healthy bed"! Did you know that bacteria and germs grow much less rapidly if you DO NOT make your bed?! Yes, this is one of those random pieces of information I keep stored in my mind for a time such as this. (Side Note: My hubby likes to toss his t-shirt over the lamp to "set the mood"... you know...creating a more dimly lit atmosphere... frankly, it just makes me laugh thinking about it now!)

Okay, so this next picture is how I like my coffee. My husband likes to say, "How much coffee would you like with your  creamer?" To that I say, "There is nothing wrong with a little more dairy in my diet!" The reality is... I'll definitely be the one with stronger bones when I'm old. Mmmm...hmmmm.

Ah yes...this next picture is one of those that I'm sure you all can relate to... the "Chair as Hanger" picture. I don't know what it is about chairs, but they make the most convenient hangers - of all time. The reality is...when advertising chairs manufacturers should really emphasize the duality of these fantastic creations! What a beautiful blessing it is to own a chair upon which we can hang our coats.

Ah, now it's time to get personal. I had a baby (over 2 months ago now) and this next picture is the "I've finally bought bigger jeans admission" pic. Yes, the reality is... babies change your body and the saying, "9 months on 9 months off" is ringing ever so true for me. The beautiful blessing is that my baby was born healthy, chunky and very cute thanks to my substantial food intake during my pregnancy. :-) On the left are the jeans I'd like to wear again someday...on the right is my reality. It may not be completely obvious, but they are four sizes larger...yes indeed.

Alright, if it's one more you want, it's two more you'll get. Yes, the reality is, my hair is not done, I have dried sour milk on my shirt, and I have a very strong urge to go fix the things in the pictures I've shown you, but...the reality is...I plan to finish eating my burnt peanut-butter toast and my coffee (which I do realize contains way too much creamer)... and then go pick up my sweet sleeping baby boy and snuggle with him. I'll probably get a shower in by...oh, say 3pm.

Well, I hope you're encouraged today. It's okay not to have it all together, it's okay not to be perfect and it's okay to not pretend you are... it's okay to be real. And that is the reality of it.

God's greatest blessings to you today!