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Being a Mom is a Full-Time Job

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I got sick yesterday and realized that I never really get a break from being a mom. There are no sick days anymore. Sure, I can call into work and claim sick, I can tell the organization I volunteer for that I’m sick, and my husband can take care of us when he gets home at the end of the work day, but the rest of the day, I still have a job to do; I still have a little babe to take care of.

Luckily the kiddo is old enough to play on her on – I don’t have to hold her and carry her around everywhere I go anymore. I was thinking back to the first few months of her life and how while she was awake, she never really left my side. If she noticed I was missing from the room, she would immediately cry until I came back and picked her up.

Now I set her down on the floor or in her exersaucer and she really couldn’t care whether I’m in the room or not. I mean, it’s safer if I am but when I have to run to the laundry room or the bathroom, she doesn’t even know I’m missing until she sees me walk back into the room and then I always get a smile. But this doesn’t necessarily mean I get too many breaks. She still needs me to get her food for her, I still have to change a diaper, and I still have the job of consoling her when she bonks her head on her toy box or she’s so tired that the fact that she rolled over brings her to tears.

I wouldn’t change being a mom for anything though. I keep thinking how in love she’s going to be with her little kids when she grows up and what a great opportunity this whole motherhood thing is for me and will be for her.

Freezing Temperatures

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I guess we’re pretty lucky here in Utah to not have snow with these freezing temperatures but it is pretty cold outside! I went to deliver some fliers in Spanish Fork this morning just as the sun was coming over the mountain. My car said it was 6 degrees Fahrenheit which made me really grateful for my car!

So with the cold temperature today, I’m thinking we’ll make some Valentine’s day cards with colored papers and markers.

Kawaii Diapers

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I finally received my Kawaii Diapers in the mail. So far I am loving them and it’s so nice to finally have more than 8 diapers. They come in fun colors but I’m definitely trying to adjust to having diapers that aren’t just white. I am a fan of white diapers.

Cloth diapering is going much better than I expected. I am absolutely loving CDs and I am taking a lot less trash out to the garbage bin each week!

Leaks?  Not anymore!

Toy Story 3 Review

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My husband and I recently watched Toy Story 3 (we got to watch it free through Amazon – I didn’t even know they did movie rentals!) and I have mixed emotions about it.

Before we watched it, we read some reviews posted by Amazon members.  I enjoy the other Toy Story movies and was excited to see this third movie.  However, we read the reviews of those who gave it 1 star and they made the movie sound so evil.  In fact, after watching it, I’m still not sure what references they were making to WWII and all of these intense themes.  But I understand what some reviewers are saying.

Toys are very special and can seem very real to children.  The fact that any toy may be in danger to a child could seem very scary.  And as always, these toys got themselves into some trouble.

I don’t think this movie is one I would want to watch too often but I think it’s mostly because of one creepy doll in the movie – dolls just scare me.  I can see that this movie could give some children nightmares but I don’t think I’ll have a problem letting my kids watch it – but probably not until they’re older.

Menu for the Week

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This week’s menu is super easy.  Four of the five meals use a crock pot.  There are many savings to take advantage of as well as printable coupons for several of the ingredients.  Make sure you print this menu (with recipes) and the corresponding grocery list at www.SavingSupperSolutions.com.

Monday – Creole Shrimp and Rice
Tuesday – Crock Pot Chuck Roast with Potatoes and Carrots (Crock Pot)
Wednesday – Easy Cheesy BBQ Chicken and Asparagus (Crock Pot)      
Thursday – Three Bean Beef Chili (Crock Pot)
Friday – Bring on the Comfort, Chicken (Crock Pot)

Target Deal – Sweet Potato Fries

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Here’s a great deal for Sweet Potato Fries from Target. Thanks to havingfunsaving.com!

Joe Vera’s Mexican Restaurant, Provo

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We finally decided to try the restaurant, Joe Vera’s on Center Street in Provo, last weekend. I drive past it all the time since it’s on the way to work and have always wanted to try it, especially because they have a sign that seems like a pretty good price for a lunch special (although we didn’t go for lunch).

It was not the best Mexican food I’ve ever had but it was pretty decent. I loved the chips and salsa and I tried the Chicken Chimichanga while my husband tried the Carne Asada Burrito. I love chimichangas and although I would have preferred a homemade chimi, this one wasn’t too bad. They also made it nice and cheesy which I absolutely loved.

The atmosphere isn’t quite the typical Mexican Restaurant type. They had some Mexican decorations but it their decorating seemed simple and clean.

The staff was friendly and although our waiter wasn’t the quickest with remembering our food or drinks, he was very kind and seemed very busy.

Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

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We took our babe to the Bean Life Science Museum on BYU campus on Monday. Since she’s only 6 months old, I was worried that she wouldn’t care too much about being there but boy was I wrong! There were so many things to look at that she absolutely loved it!

We also made it there just in time for the 6:30 pm reptile show. A worker talks to the group about reptiles, how to tell the difference between certain reptiles, and lets you touch some of the reptiles. It was definitely fun for the kids and our babe enjoyed looking at the various reptiles. Plus I learned a few things – like how to tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator.

Each day they have a different animal show that you can attend and it seems as though you can even request one!

Target Deals

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Thanks to Tracy for these Target deals!

Menu for the Week

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Yall are going to be eatin’ REAL good this week! What’s new, right 🙂 My favorites this week are the stuffed peppers and the crock pot chicken biscuits. Your kids will especially enjoy Tuesday’s “Breakfast for Supper” and Friday’s “Mini Pizzas.” It is my hope that your Friday nights are made simple and filled with family fun. Happy eating!

Here are the suppers for the week of 1/24. They are all based off of Publix’s weekly ad deals in hopes of saving you money. They are time-saving, simple meals that will get the job done. Please make sure to visit the “Grocery List” page, as you can print the page and take it with you to the grocery store. I have put everything on that list that you should need to make your suppers.

Monday

Stuffed Peppers (prepare the stuffing the night before if you make dinner faster)
For the peppers: Preheat oven to 400º F. Cut the peppers in half, top to bottom. Remove seeds and ribs. Wilt the peppers in boiling water for about 5 mins. Set aside.
For the stuffing: In a medium saucepan, cook 2 ½ c rice according to package. In a medium skillet, brown 2lbs ground chuck, ½ (medium) onion diced, and two cloves of garlic, diced. Drain the meat. In a medium saucepan bring the 1 can diced tomatoes (w juices) to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, tomatoes, ½ tsp pepper, and 1 tsp salt and mix well. (if you are doing this night before, cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate).
To finish: In a 9×13 pan, place the bell peppers skin side down. Evenly divide the beef mixture among the pepper halves. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 15 mins. Remove the foil and sprinkle the peppers with 4 cups of sharp cheddar cheese. Place pan back in oven, uncovered, for about 5 mins, so the cheese melts.

Tuesday
Breakfast for Supper!
For the Omelettes: Cook your bacon ahead of time if you want to add it into the omelet. Otherwise, begin cooking it on the stove top in a covered skillet to desired crispness. Then set aside on paper towels to absorb grease. Wash and slice the mushrooms (you can use leftovers Fri), tomatoes, and green onions (add to your heart’s desire). Crack two eggs in a medium bowl and whisk. Then mix in veggies and cheese (save 2 Tbsp for tomorrow’s dinner) and bacon pieces (or save the bacon to eat in strips). Coat a pan with non-stick spray and add eggs mixture (we will be cooking one omelet at a time) and cook over medium heat.
English muffins: toast and top with butter, jelly, or peanut butter

Wednesday
Southwest White Chicken Chili
Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb chicken breasts, cubed, along with 4 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 large onion chopped, and 1 medium green onion, chopped. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, making sure to stir often. In another saucepan add can of condensed cream of chicken, ¾ c water. 1 ½ c frozen corn kernels and 2 cans, rinsed and drained, white kidney beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese.

Thursday
Crock Pot Chicken and Biscuits
Take 1 lb of chicken breasts and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in crock pot. Pour 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup over chicken. Cover and cook on low or until chicken is tender and not pink in the center. Stir in the bag of frozen peas and carrots. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer until the vegetables are heated through. Bake the biscuits according to package. Slice biscuits in half and spoon chicken and veggie mixture on each half. Serve.

Friday
Mini Pizzas
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Take the extra English muffin package (that was FREE) and lay the sliced muffins on a baking sheet. Spread Ragu sauce on each slice of muffin. Top with mozzarella cheese, mushrooms (if leftover from Tues), pepperoni, and anything else you’d like to add. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Enjoy your Friday!!!

TheCook Brooke
www.savingsuppersolutions.com

CD Stores in Utah County

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Are there any stores in Utah County that sell cloth diapers? So far my answer is no. I spent some time going through forums looking for one store I could go to so I can buy some high-quality pre-folds but so far I haven’t found any. Maybe I just need to go look in some stores but I would think places like Babies ‘R Us or some smaller local stores would sell some that I could just walk into and buy them. I read somewhere that Target may have some all-in-ones, but when I was there yesterday, I didn’t see any. I’m a little disappointed, Utah County.

If you know of any places, please share the love!

By the way, I am two hours into my first cloth diapering experiences and the babe has already gone through three diapers. I hope she slows down a bit! But maybe I’ll just be a pro by the end of the day!

Cloth Diapering

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After a lot of research and a little bit of cash, we are making the switch to cloth diapers!  They just arrived on our doorstep this afternoon so we’ll begin the washing process and hopefully try these out soon!  Any suggestions or comments?  Let us know by leaving a comment here or emailing at [email protected]!

Pass of all Passes – Discount Extended

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4/5/12 UPDATE:  Looking for the Pass of All Passes?  Must Have Giveaways will be giving away FOUR Pass of All Passes away on 4/19.  The giveaway will run between 4/9 until 4/19.  And currently they are giving away gift cards to Cafe Zupas!

 

August 2011: $29.95 for a Pass of All Passes until Labor Day, September 5. Look at the FAQ to find out how to get this deal!

May 13, 2011:  Screamin’ Deals is offering the Pass of all Passes for $39.95.

 

KSL.com is extending their Pass of all Passes deal – only $39.95!  This saves you $10!

Amazon Gift Card 50% Off

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Today, livingsocial.com has a deal in the Washington D.C. area for $20 GC for Amazon for only $10.  Is that a steal or what?!

image courtesy

Managing Time

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I’ve always been pretty good with managing my time.  I remember making schedules when I was younger to manage my television shows and then squeezing in homework, piano, and a few other things in between them.  It all only got worse once I got to college and although I no longer watched too much television, I had a lot of other things to get done instead.  I used calendars, planners, and notes of things to do could be found all over my class notes, work notes, and bulletins from church.

My whole organizing world was turned upside down with my first baby.  I had no sense of time and was late to almost everything.  I’ve found the key to my successful days though.  I have to get up after her first feeding of the day.  Normally she eats sometime around 6:30 am and then goes back to sleep for 2-3 hours.  I love to sleep during that time but I’ve found it’s a crucial part to my day if I want to get anything done.  In that time, I can exercise, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, and get a good head start on my work for the day.

Mornings like yesterday’s remind me how crucial mornings are to me.

I slept in.  I couldn’t shower until about 1 pm because the babe woke up and I didn’t have time to exercise until her next nap.  This threw my whole day off.  So this morning when I woke up with her at 7 am but had not had enough sleep, I made myself stay awake to get things done.  Today went a lot better but boy, I’m tired!

Chinese Birth Calendar

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You’ve just got to love the Asians. They always come up with the most random things and this is one that I found. Apparently it predicts the baby’s gender according to the age of the mother at the time of birth and the month of conception. So far everyone that I know who has had a baby recently has checked it or I’ve checked it for them and it’s been correct!  One friend mentioned that it has a 50% chance of being correct (and he’s definitely right) but I’ve been surprised thus far with how correct it has been!

Chinese Birth Calendar – gender predictor

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