Home Made Pumkin Spice Coffee Creamer

Oct29

Yummy:)

 

I’m not sure about anyone else, but when it gets cold out… I want some flavor in my coffee! Instead of paying $4 for a cup why not make your own? One of my husband’s favorite flavors of coffee creamers is pumpkin spice. When we can we usually head over to Caribou Coffee. Its much cheaper than Starbucks, but with the same feel to it. We go there if they are having a bogo or its a special occasion.

Try this recipe for one of those days you don’t want to get out :)

1 Cup of whole milk

1 Cup of heavy cream

3 Table spoons of purred pumpkin

1 Teaspoon of pumpkin Spice

4 Tablespoons of maple syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over Looked Blessings

Oct27

For the past couple of weeks I have been having a pity party in my head. Over things that in the moment I need to do and need to deal with. I have prayed over and over asking

“God, why?”

In the past few days, God has been giving me the answers that I needed. All though my life is not perfect, I do have enough to be thankful for. I shouldn’t overlook the small blessings that I take for granted all the time. I forget this and then he reminds me. A few things on my list of blessings…

1. My family

2. A place to call home

3. Food to put in our bellies

4. Two running vehicles

5. I have a full-time position with benefits

6. In a few weeks, I have the opportunity to go on first shift, working three – twelve-hour shifts… woohoo!

7. My husband is continuing his education to bring me back home

8. With our crazy schedule we are still able to home school our children

9. We are a close family

10. We are healthy and happy

My Kids Drink Their Veggies

Oct16

At our house it is known that Hero doesn’t have to eat carrots. It was a constant struggle when he was younger to eat all his veggies so I let him pick one food item that he could pass. It has been so much easier to explain to him that he chose carrots so he will have to eat the other veggies on his plate. Princess isn’t as picky as her brother, but I’m sure there will be a time in the future.

One way of making sure they are getting their full amount of veggies is by making a Green Drink, as my family calls it. We bought a Vitamix last year and it was worth every penny. I have used this at least once a day since we purchased it. We make one in the morning and on most days in the evenings. I’m sure most people measure out things, but not me. lol. I just throw things in what I think looks good :)

A typical recipe looks like this…

100% Cranberry Juice

spinach ( I fill this up to about half full )

Frozen Strawberries/Blue Berries

Broccoli ( Not too much, this has a strong taste)

Stevia – ( This stuff is awesome! )

If I can find anything else I add that too.

Oh and when we visit our parents they give us weird looks when we drink these. The look on their faces are priceless when the kids ask for seconds. LOL!

Our First Week Of Home-Schooling

Oct13

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We finally got our package from K12 earlier this week! We have been learning right along with Hero of how every thing works, and so far its set up is really easy. My favorite part of it so far is how you can document your attendance for each subject. I’m a stickler on schedules – which of course could change at any moment with a two-year old in the mix.

I should tell you that we had been wanting to home-school the kids all along, but in recent events I had to go back to work. At the time we didn’t think we would be able to do so with our schedule. We went ahead and signed him up for public school, and had every attention to pull him out after we had things worked out financially by the time he was in second grade.

The school we had sent him was the same one I had attended. As well the same kindergarten teacher as I did! At first I was relieved he would be going to a small school that I was familiar with. After a month of going, we couldn’t stand it any longer. With working and him going to school I was losing so much time with him. It was time to pull him out and take more control over our child’s learning.

We are so happy of what we are doing now, and what is to come! My children are both back at home and this is what I have been wanting for a long time. At some point in the future I hope to be back home full-time, it’s just not an option at this moment. With my husband going to school and working part-time, I have to be the main bread-winner. I feel blessed that my husband is 100% behind me in everything and that includes the homeschooling. If you couldn’t tell, he is the main teacher at the moment. What a guy :)

I should also add, that I am in no way condemning public schools or parents who chose that option. I know everyone has different situations and season’s in life. This is just my own opinion of what my family wanted.

Review for First Bites: How To Instill Healthy Eating Habits During Your Baby’s First Year

Oct8

After reading First Bites I had to tell my husband about it! We have been “Health Nuts” for years, so I was excited to get my hands on this.

Hilary Bernstein’s book is packed with great information (with some truths that may surprise you) on what you need to know before fixing a meal for you or your children. A few things Hilary goes over -

  • Benefits of making your own baby food
  • Explanation on why we need to read labels and take notice of what we eat
  • Healthy snack ideas for toddlers
  • What the Bible says about eating the right foods

If you would like more information on Hilary, check out  www.accidentallygreen.com and http://firstbitesbook.com/.

A Praying Child

Oct6

Sometimes when the children are arguing over a toy, or being disobedient, I will second guess my self if we are doing this parenting thing right. Although I’m 27 years old, I still feel like I’m a kid. What in the world am I doing??

Then there are those moments that make me think  that we have done a few things right. We have always prayed with our children and encouraged them to do so. For several years Hero was always wanting to lead in prayer. We try to take turns so that he knows that he can’t always be the one to do it. His prayers are also extremely long. lol. this is usually what he goes over with Jesus…

  • What he had for breakfast
  • What he had for lunch
  • What he had for dinner
  • What Princess and him did that day
  • Any unusual events that might have happened (for example that he talked to grandpa from Tennessee)

I love his enthusiasm in his talks with Jesus! I really can use these moments and learn from my five-year old. Now tonight Princess was wanting to tell her day to him as well. lol.

If this is the only thing we do right as parents…I’m good with it :)

Busy Week!

Oct5

This was a busy week for this mama. My family moved into a new place and had many things to do in between. With moving we pulled our son out of public school, and are set to go with K12 as soon as the shipment arrives. We are excited to be able to start homeschooling with our son! We were unsure of which program to start with but this seems to be a good start for now.
Happy Friday everyone :)