The quality of this planner is absolutely amazing!!
The quality of this planner is absolutely amazing!!
Love, Love, Love…
I decided to try a small Chic Sparrow Traveler’s Notebook as a wallet. I’ll post a video update once everything is set up. In the meantime, here is an unboxing and first impressions video. It’s even better in person. 🙂
We had a blast making these last night. I’ve made them before, but forgot how good and simple they really are. Any chance I get, I have Lane help me in the kitchen. This kid is the life of the party and is always entertaining. Plus, he is always more inclined to try new things when he gets to help prepare them. Last night, he figured out he likes onions, bell peppers, and banana peppers. Getting him to eat more veggies is always a good thing.
There is really no right way or wrong way to put these dinners together. It’s kind of an ‘anything goes’ meal. I just cut up a bunch of different veggies, and ingredients and let him have at it. Everyone can make theirs exactly how they want it.
Here’s a video of our ‘guest chef’ in action.
What we used:
Hamburger patty
Banana Peppers
Bell Peppers
Onion
Pepperoncini Peppers
New Potatoes
Carrots
Poblano Peppers
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Fresh Mushrooms
Salt
Pepper
Worcestershire Seasoned Pepper
Garlic Salt (only because I forgot to buy fresh garlic)
A Pat of Butter
To assemble, grab a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Make sure it’s long enough to fold up with all of your yummies inside. Place your hamburger patty in the center, season the meat however you like. Add veggies, and season again. Top with a pat of butter then bring both long ends together in the center (like a tent) and fold over repeatedly to seal until flat. Then roll ends to seal. I used a second piece of foil and folded it the opposite way just to give it a little extra seal. Place in the oven on a foil lined cookie sheet (or on grill). I cooked ours at 425 for 20 minutes then flipped and reduced the heat to 350 for an additional 20. Cooking times may vary depending on how thickly sliced your veggies are and the size of hamburger patty. These were a huge hit and so much fun!
This was Lane’s before. (Notice the face)
This was mine after cooking. Yum! It smelled so good!
“Like a record baby.. right round round round.”
Music has always been such a big part of my life, and my earliest memories revolve around the family turntable and endless record collection. Stacks and stacks of records propped up in a box.. flipping through them one by one… I loved that. One record in particular used to freak me out as a kid. It’s funny now, because what scares us as kids seems a little ridiculous as adults. I couldn’t remember the name of the album so I had a lengthy conversation via text with my Mom, trying to figure out which album it was. It was quite comical.
Mystery solved, now that that’s settled. Here is a closer look. I can totally see how that would freak me out as a kid. And it did…. it’s still kind of creepy… or at least the back of the album is.
See, now that is creepy.
Now, back to my original photo at the top of this post… I finally bought a record player. There’s something about vinyl.. the crackle and pop as the record plays. Any respectable music lover should have one. I’ve started a little record collection… but I just didn’t have anything to play them on. Until now. We were at a record store in Austin this past October and they had these record players for a little over $100. I didn’t get one at that time and I really was regretting it. But… today, a local ‘miscellaneous’ store that gets merchandise from stores that go out of business, or have closeout sales, etc. got a huge shipment of Urban Outfitters merchandise… I scored this player for $49. They had a ton of them. Yay me! I am officially one happy, happy girl.
Growing up, my Grandmother would always make Heavenly Hash at the holidays. It was just a tradition. When I came across a recipe from Mom On Timeout for Pina Colada Fluff, I knew I had to make my own because the premise for the recipe is really similar. Plus, any dessert that calls for coconut is a winner in my book. Of course, I had to tweak it a little. Here is my version.. Hawaiian Fluff. Be sure to check out her blog for the recipe for Pina Colada Fluff.. the inspiration for this recipe. Enjoy!
I’ve always been told that the responsibility of being a parent is the greatest responsibility you will ever be given… or at least it should be. I didn’t know how true that was until I had my own child. I love this kid more than life itself and sometimes I find myself looking at him and wondering if I’m getting it right… or at least in the ballpark. One thing I’ve learned is that I’m not perfect. I’m far from it. Perfection is an unattainable myth… one that guilts us, haunts us, and makes us question ourselves on a daily basis.
I know the kind of kiddo I want to raise.. I want him to be his own person, to find his own way, and decide who he wants to be.. but it’s also my responsibility as his Mom to light the path.
I want him to know God, and to know that all prayers are heard. Each and every one. If they don’t get answered, it wasn’t meant to be. Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.. this is so true. I want him to also be thankful.. prayers aren’t just for requests.
I want him to always be true to himself…. never caving to the peer pressure or going along with what’s popular just to feel accepted.
I hope his heart is always as kind and loving as it is right now. He is the most giving and loving kid I know. In a lot of ways, he’s wise beyond his years. He’s experienced a lot of loss in his short time on this earth, unfortunately. He lost his Grandma, which he was extremely close to and his Pa, all within a four month period.
I hope he always knows the importance of a sense of humor. Laughter is the best medicine. It’s always been said that mine is a little warped, and I own that. I come by that naturally, as does he…. and that makes me smile.
I want him to always know that not everyone is as fortunate as he is. There are people who have struggles that we could never even fathom.. where to lay their head at night.. where their next meal will come from.. Never treat anyone like they are beneath you, or ‘less than’. We are all equal in the eyes of God. Period.
I also want him to realize that no one owes you a thing. Anything worth having is worth working for, but that doesn’t mean that you will always get what you want. Disappointment is a part of life and life is sometimes unfair… it just is. It’s how you handle those disappointments and rebound from setbacks that define your character.
Lives matter.. all lives. Not just human. I do believe he already has this ingrained in him.. I can only take credit for a small portion of that. I believe for the most part, he was just made that way. For that, I am thankful. We definitely make a good team. We are excellent turtle spotters.. if there is one in the road, we move it to the other side. Kindness doesn’t cost a thing. We can’t save them all.. but we save the ones we can.
I am teaching him to accept people for who they are.. regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, the way they dress, what they look like, etc. We are all the same in spite of our differences. Different doesn’t mean wrong. I wish more people would adopt this way thinking.
I want him to know that he will always encounter people who have different opinions and viewpoints. You can respectfully disagree. It is never okay to belittle or resort to insults to make a point, because the moment you do.. you have already lost the argument.
I am also trying to teach him the old adage of ‘do no harm, but take no crap’. I want him to stand up for himself and what he believes, as well as standing up for those who can’t do so for themselves.
There are a lot of things I hope to teach him as he grows up.. but there are a lot of things he’s already taught me. I do believe that leading by example is the best teacher of all and kids keep you honest. They really do. If you mess up, they notice… and if they’re anything like mine, they will call you on it. I never knew how much having a child would make me want to be a better person and work on my short comings. I know I will still mess up.. there are things I will get more wrong than right. The point is, to keep striving for ‘better’… not perfect. Just better… because he is watching and taking notes. I thank God each and every day for the gift of getting to be his Mom. ♥