The Family Fanatic

My Last Blog Post

2011-02-19T12:03:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed writing about my adventures in parenting, cooking for my family, and all of the silly ups and down of our lives for the past year but I've decided to close down The Family Fanantic blog. I still have lots of ideas to share, but now that my third child is no longer a quiet little baby content to sit by my side as I type and my older children have more and more activities to

My Son is Getting Big

2011-01-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

Mason fell asleep in the car this afternoon. A few months ago this would have been the beginning of a story about the crazy tantrum my four-year-old threw, how I lost my temper and the stressful day we had. Thankfully (really, really Thank God!) today's story has happier ending. When I tried to wake Mason up so we could take Emily into her dance class, he opened his eyes, sat up and said in a

Help! My Kids Won't Eat Their Vegetables

2011-01-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

I bet thousands, maybe even millions of parents worry about the fact that their children don't like to eat vegetables. Kids hate veggies, right? Everyone knows that. Hey, not so fast. That may be a myth. Maybe it's true that some kids wouldn't pick up a carrot stick when they have a bowl of chips available too, but does that mean that they really don't like carrots? I don't think so. Jenna from

The Mystery of the Blue Footprints

2011-01-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

January 2011 Update: It is the one year anniversary of my blog so I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year. 2010 was a year of change for me in many ways. My blog documented most of those changes and it fun for me to be able to look back at my writing from the past year. I wanted to honor my one year mark by re-posting one of my favorite first posts below. The Mystery of the Blue

I Believe in Santa

2010-12-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

As a child, my grandparents hosted a big Christmas Eve party at their house. My numerous aunts, uncles and cousins filled the house with noise and excitement. After dinner there would be a knock at the door and who would be there with a big red bag full of gifts? Santa! My memories of Santa visiting us on Christmas Eve are some of my most precious. Even after, around age 9, I accidentally saw

Push Pin Art

2010-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

Looking for a way to keep your kids entertained this winter break? I found this fun and easy little art project and it kept Emily and Mason occupied long enough for me to put Ryan down for a nap, take a shower and get dressed. That's a winner in my book! Push Pin Art What you'll need: Push pins Colored construction paper Simple drawings with a dark outline (see photos for example) White paper

Holding Onto My Joy

2010-12-19T21:55:00.000-08:00

I recently came upon an interesting article through a friend on Facebook: You Cannot Steal My Joy by Elizabeth Duffy. The gist of the article had to do with staying positive while raising your children. It really hit home with me. The author has a friend who never yells at her children. I find this amazing. Never yells. Seriously? Never? As I read on, there were a few key points that struck a

A Four-Year-Old's Favorite Joke

2010-12-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

Mason loves to tell this joke. Over and over again. I can't help but laugh every time, not because it's that funny after the 50th time but because of the smile on his face. "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Banana." "Banana who?" "Banana." "Banana who?" "Banana." "Banana who?" "Banana." "Banana who?!?!" "Orange." "Orange who?" "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?" Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Here's

Target Toy Coupons

2010-11-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

What a deal! If you are like me and haven't started any Christmas shopping at all yet, then you might be able to use these coupons. I found a couple of 50% off coupons for toys my kids put on their Christmas lists, like the Littlest Pet Shop and $5 off an Easy Bake Oven. Yippee! Here's the link to the coupons. Target Toy Coupons You can select the coupons you want and print them out at home.

Homemade Pizza

2010-11-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

One of the most fun meals my family has made in a while is our own homemade pizzas. I made my own pizza dough for the first time and it was surprisingly simple. It turned out to be just as tasty as any pre-made dough I have bought. The best part was when the kids helped mix up the dough and roll out their own pizzas. We made little individual pizzas so they could add their own toppings. This

Home Improvements + Kids = Fun

2010-11-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

That's right, doing home improvements with your kids can be fun. Believe it or not! I decided to tackle our small half bathroom near our family room. It was in dire need of a paint job. The kids and I head off to Home Depot to find paint and supplies. This may be hard to believe but -- they were actually helpful when it came to painting. There is only one little streak of paint on the wooden

Photo Gallery (by Emily)

2010-11-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Maybe Emily will grow up to be a photographer. At least once a week I'll pick up the camera to upload pictures and find an interesting array of photos that have the tell-tale signature style of a 6-year-old photo enthusiast. Here's a photo gallery of her recent "work." Note the Halloween theme. I'm sure I'll be getting a call from a fancy-shmancy New York City art gallery any day now.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 6

2010-11-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

Day 6: 20 of My Favorite Things My first thought was that my favorite things are my family and God, but then I realized that they are not things -- duh! I had to debate whether to take this literally as "things" or just aspects of my life that I love. I decided to go with actual things, not people or places (the other types of nouns). Twenty of my favorite things, in no particular order. I feel

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 5

2010-10-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Favorite Quote: Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can;and wisdom to know the difference. (So this is actually a prayer, not a quote but it is a wonderful one to remember in tough situations.)

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 3 & 4

2010-10-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm already behind on my All About Me in 30 Days meme. No surprise there. Day 3 asks what my favorite t.v. program is. That leads me to the other post I'm behind on: The Biggest Loser Challenge. The Biggest Loser is one of my favorite shows and I started my own weight loss challenge. I've only lost 1 lb. in the past two weeks so I haven't been feeling inspired to write about it. I'm

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 2

2010-10-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started All About Me in 30 Days. The second day topic is my favorite movie. I love to watch movies. My husband and I used to have "movie night" every Friday, but now that we have expanded from just a couple to a whole houseful we don't get to watch movies together much anymore. With that said, if I'm picking a favorite movie I've got to go all the way back to a couple of 80's

All About Me in 30 Days

2010-10-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Thirty days, thirty facts -- all about yours truly. I follow a cute blog called Simply Stacie and she is doing this 30 day meme. I thought, what the heck? It'll give me something to write about for the next month anyway, right? Each day has a different topic. Day 1 – your favorite song Day 2 – your favorite movie Day 3 – your favorite television program Day 4 – your favorite book Day 5 – your

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins, doughnuts, pony rides! Oh my! We made our annual trip to Fir Pointe Farms pumpkin patch. I've got to say that this year was our best pumpkin patch trip yet -- nice weather, no tantrums, good friends, family, yummy food, and lots of fun. The pumpkin patch is always a great photo opportunity. It's not easy to get three kids to look at the camera and smile. In fact, it was pretty much

The Biggest Loser Challenge - Week 4

2010-10-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm a few weeks into my Biggest Loser Challenge I'm really starting to enjoy this new, healthy perspective that I've adopted. I lost two more pounds this week. I have always thought it is important to eat healthy and be active, but once I became a mother I let my own health drop down on my priority list. There are always at least ten other things on my "to do" list before exercise. Also

First Bike Ride

2010-10-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Only seven months old and already riding a bike! Well, getting a ride on a bike that is. Ryan went on his first bike ride just the other day. He loved looking over the side of his bike seat at the world zooming by. His big sister and brother joined us as we cruised around the neighborhood. They were even more excited than Ryan was!

The Biggest Loser Challenge - Week 3

2010-10-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

As I completed my second week of my weight loss challenge, inspired by the show The Biggest Loser, I was not very happy with my progress. This week's report: 1 lb. lost, only two days of exercise. My goal is that when I report for the next week of my challenge I will have lost at least 3 pounds. I can do it! I can do it! (That's my new mantra.) I watched my daughter participate in the

The Biggest Loser Challenge - Week 2

2010-09-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

It has been one week since I declared my commitment to my own Biggest Loser Challenge. Here's my report: I have lost two pounds and met my goal of exercising every day. Yippee! I had hoped for more than two pounds lost, but it's better than nothing. My goals for this upcoming week are to continue exercising every day and to be more diligent with eating healthy. I'm going to focus on eating more

Mailbox Monday

2010-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Mailbox Monday is a fun way to find other blogs and to gain more readers. Check out the blog hop at the Mailbox Monday host's blog: A Little of This A Little of That

The Biggest Loser Challenge

2010-09-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

I have been a fan of the Biggest Loser for several years. It is an entertaining show and inspiring for anyone who has ever had weight issues. During the last season I was pregnant and happily sat on the couch eating my snacks cheering on the contestants. Now, jump ahead several months - watching the new season premier Tuesday night I realized that I can no longer sit on the couch veggin' out

How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?

2010-09-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is a tough question for parents. Here I am on my third child and I still don't really have it figured out. I thought I would, by the way. Ha. I am at a crossroads. Do I let him "cry it out" or should I bring him to bed with Daddy and I? I've tried rocking Ryan back to sleep or comforting him while he's in his crib, hoping he would just fall back asleep, as you would expect at 3:00am, but

Mango Peach Salsa

2010-09-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Mango Peach Salsa is a delicious addition to many meals, such as fish tacos, nachos, or quesadillas. I made a batch without any hot peppers so the kids could enjoy the salsa without the spiciness. They especially loved the sweet mango chunks. This recipe, with the bright colors and sweet fruit, is a simple, healthy, and inexpensive way to make a common meal extra special. Mango Peach Salsa 2

Off to Grandma and Grandpa's House They Go

2010-08-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

There was peace and quiet at my house for several days this past week. That is a very rare occurrence around these parts. The big kids enjoyed a childhood rite of passage: the summertime visit to their grandparents' house. I was a little sad when I hugged and kissed them good bye, left alone in my quiet house with only my 5 month-old, then I had a reality check and jumped for joy! I love my

Tortellini Salad

2010-08-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite summer dishes is this delicious pasta salad. It is made with tortellini, a small ring shaped pasta stuffed with cheese, which adds a unique twist and makes it a hearty salad. This is a great side dish for a barbecue or a main dish for a light summer dinner. Tortellini Salad 12 oz. cheese tortellini 6 green onions, chopped 3/4 c. diced red bell pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1

Eat, Pray, Love the movie

2010-08-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

I watched the movie adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love with my best friend last night. We had been looking forward to seeing the movie since we heard about it a few months ago. We were even more excited after seeing Julia Roberts on Oprah, but I had to wonder: would the movie live up to the hype? We were not disappointed. The movie was wonderful, although as usual not quite as good

Risotto Milanese Recipe

2010-07-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

Risotto is my favorite way to fix rice, not to mention one of the few rice dishes that my kids enjoy. I think the kids like the creamy, cheesy texture of this delicious dish. This recipe comes from my Italian grandmother and she learned it from her mother who came to the U.S. from the Milan area of Italy in the early 1920's. Risotto Milanese 3 tbs. olive oil or butter 1 large onion, finely

Snack cupboard for Kids

2010-07-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Maybe all of you brilliant parents out there have already thought of this but it's a new and exciting addition to our household: a SNACK CUPBOARD! Are you tired of having to stop in the middle of whatever important activity you're doing (laundry, sleeping, emailing, changing a diaper, etc.) to get a snack for your kiddos? Then jump on the snack cupboard bandwagon. This was suggested to me by a

Eating Octopus

2010-07-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

Who woulda thought my little picky eater would be so brave in a culinary dare? Emily started out her childhood as a picky eater. Thankfully she has grown to love many new foods, in a large part due to our rule of taking at least one bite of everything on your plate. That has forced her to discover that new food isn't scary and that she could (gasp!) actually like something new. Well, you could

Whatcha Reading Book Review - The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

2010-07-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Stephenie Meyer, the creator of the Twilight series, has given us another little tidbit about the world of Twilight. She wrote a novella called The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner to give readers another perspective on Bella's story. I read an article in which Stephenie Meyer suggested reading Bree Tanner's version of events (Bree is a newborn vampire) before going to see the movie Eclipse, so

Busy, busy summertime

2010-07-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

Here we are in the middle of summer already. How did that happen? I had this idea in my head that I'd have more down time once the kids were out of school and we didn't have to rush out of the house every morning. We have a more leisurely morning routine now, but it seems like the days are filling up fast. Emily had a dance recital at the beginning of the summer, then she went to VBS (Vacation

W is for...Watermelon

2010-06-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

Now that we are on summer vacation there are so many things to look forward to: warm weather, sunshine, t-ball and tennis for Mason, swimming lessons and theater camp for Emily, visiting family, barbecues, going to the beach... I could go on and on. There are a few challenges that come with the change in schedule and season but one challenge that I had not considered until recently was the daily

A Father Is...

2010-06-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

There in every memory See his love and care Strength and hands to count on Freely he does share Provider, toil so faithfully To make our dreams come true Give strong and tender discipline Though it is hard to do A Father is God's chosen one To lead the family And point it to His will for life Of love and harmony. (by Sue Skeen) Emily made a Father's Day gift with this poem on it at school and I

Mailbox Monday

2010-06-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

Blog hop? What's that? The latest dance trend? It's a way to find other bloggers you might like and to share your blog too. It's a "you check out my blog, I'll check out your blog" kind of thing. I follow Simply Stacie's blog and so I thought I'd try out her blog hop. You never know what interesting stuff you'll stumble across out there in the blog-o-sphere.

I Heart Tori & Kate

2010-06-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have something to admit. I've become a reality TV junky. Not all reality TV - just a few shows that I'm obsessed with lately. It all started when after Ryan was born and I stopped working. No more sitting at the table grading papers all evening for me (high school English teachers out there will relate). I had time to watch some TV, especially while sitting comfortably on the couch

Homemade Hot Wheels Birthday Cake

2010-06-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

My big boy had his 4th birthday recently and he requested a Hot Wheels cake. (Then the day before his birthday he asked for a Spiderman cake but it was too late. Oh well.) So I decided to attempt to make and decorate my own cake. I made a two layer vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. The only real problem came when I tried to remove one layer from the pan and it stuck. I guess I didn't

King of the whys

2010-06-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

Mason has been rolling out the funniest sayings lately. It must be his age (happy 4th birthday to him last week!) - or just the fact that he's a big goofball. He is definitely in the "why" stage. We were driving down the highway and he had been asking me questions non-stop for an eternity (okay, 15 minutes but it felt like much longer). We were crossing a bridge so I asked him if he saw the

Wordless Wednesday: Happy baby

2010-05-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Just makes me smile. See more Wordless Wednesday at Life Down Our Lane.

Whatcha Reading Book Review - Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful

2010-05-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

"Wild and wonderful" definitely describes my four-year-old! Dr. Louise Bates Ames has written a whole series of parenting books on specific ages. These books were originally published back in 1989, but much of the advice is just as relevant today. Kids' behavior patterns haven't changed much in twenty years and good parenting techniques haven't either. Ames has written parenting books about

Fresh Spring Roll Recipe

2010-05-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite appetizers to order at a Thai restaurant are Spring Rolls. My favorite Thai restaurant Typhoon calls them Salad Rolls. I have wished many times that I could whip up those tasty rolls at home myself. Well, I finally took the time to find a recipe and buy all of the ingredients. I had to try three stores before I could find the rice paper spring roll wrappers. I was a little

Japanese Lesson

2010-05-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

As the kids were playing on the swing set in the backyard this afternoon I overhead an interesting conversation. There was a mini Japanese lesson going on right before my eyes. Emily was swinging and asking her 3 year-old brother, "Do you know what konnichiwa means?" Of course he replied, "Uh...what? No, I don't know." Then she tried to prompt him, hoping that he'd remember. "It starts with h.

Thoughts on birthdays

2010-05-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

What are birthdays like when you're a mom? Birthdays have taken on a whole new meaning at this point in my life. I can remember counting down the days until my special day and looking forward to presents and a party. Gone are the days of piles of presents and balloons and sleep-overs with giggling girlfriends. Now I enjoy my birthday by spending some special time with my husband and kids; and

Pineapple Salsa

2010-04-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Fresh pineapple...yum. It's the time of year to enjoy this delicious treat. I've had such a sweet-tooth lately that I'm starting to o.d. on cookies and candy. Thankfully the sweet, juicy pineapple I bought this week helped satisfy my cravings for the moment. The kids were so excited to see what was inside the big bumpy pineapple that they tried a bite without even hesitating. Mason is my fruit

Children Learn What They Live

2010-04-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Children Learn What They Live by Dorothy Law Nolte If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive. If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves. If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy. If children live with jealousy, they learn to

Whatcha Reading? Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love

2010-04-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was published 4 years ago and became a #1 New York Times Best Seller. Eat, Pray, Love is Gilbert's memoir about her journey around the world after her divorce. She was in her early thirties, unsatisfied with her life, and after her divorce she became very depressed. Her memoir tells the story of her struggles with depression and her search for meaning in her

Paralyzed mom seeks visitation rights

2010-04-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

I came across this tragic story. A mom who was paralyzed and brain damaged due to complications from giving birth to her triplets is seeking visitation rights in court. Her parents and lawyer are her representatives since she can't speak. Her ex-husband is not only refusing to allow the triplets to visit her and their grandparents but he is also seeking child support because she won a big

Chicken Club Pasta Salad Recipe

2010-04-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

Now that the sun has decided to shine in Oregon it is barbecue season. We enjoyed our first barbecue get together with friends last weekend. I was in charge of salads so I tried a new pasta salad recipe in addition to a standard green salad. The idea for this recipe came from one of my favorite recipe and cooking resources: Cooking for Your Family on babycenter.com. I changed a few things

Meal Planning

2010-04-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

I'm stumped. I usually do my grocery shopping on Fridays, but I didn't go today. I'm determined to have a weekly meal plan before I do my shopping for next week. The only problem is that I can't decide what should be on the menu for the whole week. I have three dinner meals planned: tacos, spaghetti & meatballs, and stir-fry & salad rolls (trying a new recipe). Any suggestions? Do you plan your

Outdoor Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

2010-04-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a creative way to enjoy the sunny weather and so I took the kids on an alphabet scavenger hunt. We made a list with all of the letters and then headed out for a walk. Emily brought a basket along to collect any interesting items she found along the way. We looked for anything outdoors that began with the letters of the alphabet. As we walked we would pause and write down what

Oprah's Replacement

2010-04-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

Emily walked up to me and said in a very matter-of-fact voice, "Oprah is tired so I'm going to do her show for her now." Then she went on to tell me about how she looks just like Oprah and they have the same voice and hair. Her first guest on the new Oprah/Emily show was Mason the famous tennis player. She interviewed him and then had him show some great tennis moves. I was the only person

Whatcha Reading? Book Review: The Happiest Baby on the Block

2010-04-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp is a book that all new parents should read. What should you do when your baby won't stop crying? Dr. Karp has a plan. It's a simple plan too. His strategy is called the 5 S's. The 5 S's are: swaddling, shushing, side or stomach position, sucking, swinging. These five technique work amazingly well when used together. At first your baby may appear

Mama's Wake Up Call

2010-04-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

How did you wake up this morning? The first words I heard this morning were, "Mama, Mason has poop on his foot!" "What?!?" In a blurry-eyed haze I sat up in bed. What a way to wake up. That's enough to make even the most tired mom leap out of bed. In his rush to continue playing with his sister early this morning, Mason jumped off the potty a bit too fast. Yuck. It was a "teachable moment"

Homemade Granola Bars

2010-04-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Homemade Granola Bars 4 cups rolled oats 1 cup flour 1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped 3/4 cup butterscotch and/or chocolate chips or 3/4 cup dried fruit, chopped Directions 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease or use cooking spray on 9x13 in. baking dish. 2. In a large mixing bowl combine

Whatcha Reading? Book Review Monday

2010-03-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

This week's book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson is a new favorite of mine, and what's the best news you can hear when you find a new favorite book? It's part of a series! This book was highly recommended to me by my best friend (she even gave it to me as a gift). We have similar taste in reading materials so I figured that I would like it. The first few chapters didn't draw me

Quote of the day

2010-03-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Mason was not happy the other night when he was expected to sit at the dinner table while we ate dinner. Here's what he had to say to me as he stalked away with his arms crossed and a big pouty lip: "I'm losing my temperature with you Mama!" Well, we wouldn't want him to lose his temperature now would we? Ha!! It made me realize that when I tell him that I'm going to lose my temper if he

Six Degrees of Blogging

2010-03-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

I came across a fun way to discover new blogs. Work, wife, mom... life has a meme where you start on your own blog and click on another blog's link. Then you keep clicking through to other blogs until you get to the 6th blog. I found a blog called "Deal"ightfully Frugal which has lots of great information about good deals, such as a link to a coupon for 30% off at Old Navy. I printed out a $10

Infantino sling recall

2010-03-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the recall of one million baby slings made by Infantino? There were three reported infant deaths due to suffocation in these slings in 2009. How sad and scary! As a mother of a newborn, I can imagine how devastating an accident like that would be, so I wrote an article to get the word out about the recall and about being very careful using baby slings. I used a sling quite

Friday Follow & New Baby Picture

2010-03-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday so I'm linking up with Midday Escapades Friday Follow blog. It's fun to find new blogs and share my blog with other Friday Followers. Today I'm going to just share a new picture of baby Ryan. He's almost three weeks old now. He's such a happy, healthy baby and we're all enjoying our first few weeks with him. The big kids are amazed by how tiny and cute he is - and by how much he

Recipe of the day: Grandma's Pasta Sauce

2010-03-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Nourishing Gourmet hosts a Pennywise Platter Thursday recipe exchange and I thought that this simple, delicious recipe would be a great one to share. For Christmas gifts two years ago I complied a whole bunch of our favorite family recipes and made a cookbook for my extended family. My aunt was able to get my grandma's recipe box for me (without telling Grandma so she could be surprised) and

Whatcha Reading? Book Review Monday

2010-03-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. I've always been an avid reader but I often end up too busy to read as much as I would like. Ironically, since Little Mr. Ryan was born two weeks ago I've had lots of quiet time to read. That's because when I'm nursing him I have to just sit still and relax. It's quite wonderful. I also don't have that pesky work stuff to worry about, which frees up lots

Giveaway: $50 Safeway Giftcard

2010-03-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Since I started blogging a few months ago I've learned that there are some terrific giveaway blogs out there. One of them is In a Kid's World, which is hosting a $50 Safeway giftcard giveaway. You can go to the website to enter the Safeway giveaway and to find a whole bunch of other great giveaway contests to enter. Good luck!

Recipe of the day: Scones

2010-03-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Scones are a delicious treat that I thought would be way too difficult for me to make myself, but I was happily surprised at how well this recipe turned out. Here's a recipe that is simple and quite delicious. I used dried apricots the first time I made them but any dried fruit would be tasty. My kids enjoyed helping with this recipe too, especially rolling out the dough and shaping the scones.

I wish I was a grown up

2010-03-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

My darling six-year-old daughter is so enthralled with her new baby brother that she wants to hold him every chance she gets. She can hardly wait for me to finish feeding him before she gets a chance to hold him again. Being a big sister for the second time has really brought out the best in her sweet little personality. She is suddenly more helpful, more polite, and more considerate. The

Fruit Smoothies for Kids

2010-03-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

"I like watching t.v. because I learn new things, like how to spell and how to make smoothies." That was the insightful comment my daughter made the other day. We do enjoy watching a bit of t.v. at our house. The kids like all cartoons, especially Nick Jr., I like cooking shows, and Daddy watches sports and the news. We are usually pretty busy with activities so the t.v. isn't on too much, but

Watch out for squirrels!

2010-03-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sounds funny, right? Not so much at our house last night. Just after we got all the kids to sleep, my mom and I sat down to watch Grey's Anatomy. My dear husband was tidying up the toys on the other side of the family room when I saw this dark thing fall down from the balcony by the stairs. "What was that?" I wondered as I saw our cat Fiona flash across the dining room. Then I heard my husband

Welcoming home new baby

2010-03-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

Our family was blessed with the arrival of our third child, Ryan Thomas, on March 7th. Now that he's four days old I feel like he's been here forever. How did we ever live without this sweet little guy? He was born at 4:40 pm, after only 4 fours of labor (and a few difficulties with false labor, see False Labor, Nausea, Incorrect Due Date). He is 7lbs. 7oz. and 20 3/4 inches of pure perfection!

False Labor, Nausea, Incorrect Due Date and One Long Night

2010-03-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

False labor, what could be more frustrating? After 9 months of waiting for my little bundle of joy, my body decided to tease me with contractions last night. Then they stopped. Unfortunately the nausea and vomiting were not so quick to stop. I woke up with contractions at about midnight Thursday night, then became very ill. I had nausea and vomiting during my labor with Emily so I thought, "Oh

Oh Boy a Bunk Bed!

2010-03-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

My two wonderful kiddos are enjoying a rite of passage for many siblings: sharing a bunk bed. We spent most of the day on Sunday shopping for the bed and Thursday afternoon when the big furniture truck pulled up in front of the house you would think that Santa Claus himself had just parked his sleigh outside. The kids were overjoyed with excitement. Eddy the furniture delivery guy was their hero.

I Can't Put My Socks On

2010-03-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I can but it sure takes a lot of effort. I've decided to forego socks until the baby is born. I'm trying to enjoy these last few days of pregnancy and savour the moments of my last time being pregnant (my husband made me promise that three children was enough), but I can't help but look forward to the days when I'll be able to put my socks on again. I'm also looking forward to bending

Green Eggs & Ham for Dr. Seuss' Birthday

2010-03-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! To celebrate the author who gave us so many of our favorite books, we're going to have green eggs and ham for dinner. Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904. For lots of ideas about how to celebrate Dr. Seuss with your kids check out this website: applesf4theteacher.com with lots of Dr. Seuss related activities. Here's my recipe for green eggs. You could always add

Canned Food Alliance

2010-02-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

TwitterMoms.com is hosting a recipe contest that relates to the Canned Food Allliance. From what I learned on the TwitterMoms discussion page, the CFA is a resource for information on the nutrition and versatility of canned food. The CFA also supports the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the Fruits and Veggies More Matters program. They also sponsor a website called mealtime.org. A

Am I Nesting?

2010-02-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

I just cleaned the refrigerator. At 9:15pm. The gooey grime on the shelves of the fridge have been bugging me for days and I couldn't wait one minute longer. As I got out the sponge, paper towels, cleanser, etc. and took all of the food out of the fridge I wondered: could I be nesting? There are only 12 days until my due date so I think the answer is yes. Either that or my fridge was just really

Fruit Rainbow

2010-02-22T22:02:00.000-08:00

My sweet little six-year-old daughter has been begging to have a sleep-over with her friends. Since the prospect of several six-year-old girls spending the night at our house and most likely having trouble going to sleep and then waking up missing their mommies in the middle of the night didn't sound very enjoyable to me, we came up with an alternative idea. We hosted a pajama party for Emily on

Monster Truck Jam

2010-02-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

What comes to mind when you think of monster trucks? Loud, dirty, maybe a little bit redneck... and a fun family outing? That's what it was for us last weekend. Some friends had extra tickets to the Monster Jam event at the Rose Garden so we decided to go check it out. The kids were excited to see the big trucks race and jump, but it was so incredibly loud that it took some of the fun out of it

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

2010-02-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

There's gnocchi-d-ing when it comes to how much my family loves this unique gnocchi recipe. (Did you get the no-kidding = gnocchi-d-ing joke, or was that too much of a stretch?) For the Life As Mom Potluck Recipe Swap and Real Food Wednesday Recipe Swap I thought I'd share a recipe that is simple, healthful, and surprisingly well liked by my kids. This is a recipe I've had for a few years and

Chinese New Year: Year of the Tiger

2010-02-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was February 14th - so Happy Valentine's Day! Another holiday happened to fall on that day also - the Chinese New Year. Not being of Chinese descent, I don't traditionally celebrate this holiday but I find it pretty interesting. It is said that people born in the year of the tiger are generally well-liked, charismatic, and straightforward. That's good news for my baby boy. There is a

Baby shower

2010-02-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

I'm such a lucky girl. Some of my dear friends and my mom pitched in to throw me an awesome baby shower to celebrate the newest addition to our family. When planning a baby shower a few questions come up. Should you have a shower if it's not your first child? Can children attend? Do you serve alcohol? What type of food should be served? What games should you play? Who should you invite? I

Green Stuff

2010-02-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

On Sunday afternoon we had friends over for a Non-Super Bowl Party while all the dads went to watch the big game together. We were getting some snacks out to share and I asked Mason what he wanted for a snack. He answered that he wanted some "green stuff." I wondered what kind of green stuff he meant. Out of everything he could have asked for he wanted green stuff. When I asked him what kind of

This is for the birds!

2010-02-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

We're going for the birds around our house. Well, things are going fine with us but we've been "bird-sitting" for our neighbors. It's been quite interesting to have some new pets around the house. Thankfully our cat Fiona and both of the kids have been intrigued but not intrusive. The birds were named Dora and Diego by our four-year-old neighbor but Emily decided that we should call them Ella and

Funny kid quotes

2010-02-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

I've been saving up a few funny quotes from Emily and Mason to share. I'd love to hear some other people's funny kids quotes so please feel free to share in the comments section below. Mason and I were in the car on our way to his sports class on Saturday morning and he wanted to tell me a story. He said, "I want to tell you a really good story, Mama. It's a really good one. I won't even say

Mommy Brain

2010-02-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

I was reading through another "mommy" blog recently (http://beingamommy.com/) and there was a post asking if mommy brain gets better. Then I saw a local news story about pregnancy affecting women's brains. That is a topic that hits home for me because I've been having a severe case of mommy brain for a while now - and it only seems to be getting worse. In case you're not familiar with the idea

I hate spinach!

2010-02-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

For the Big Words Little Foods weekly recipe swap I thought I'd share how Emily came to change her mind about spinach. My daughter is a pasta lover. Put a plate with cheese ravioli and garlic bread in front of Emily she will be in heaven. In fact, the whole family enjoys a good ravioli dinner and so I try to find variations that everyone will like. My dear hubby is not a vegetable lover (I

Healthy School Lunch Items Kids Will Eat

2010-02-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to write a guest post on a blog that I follow. Here's the link: Food With Kid Appeal Healthy School Lunches Check it out!Food With Kid Appeal is a great blog by a mom who has advice and recipes for feeding your family well. I wrote some ideas about healthy lunches and things that have helped me get Emily and Mason to eat some fruits and veggies with their meals.

Wintertime Picnic

2010-01-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

News flash: The sun was shining in Oregon during the winter! Believe it or not, on Thursday it wasn't raining and the kids were able to play outside. After playing a while they asked if they could have a picnic. Well, it may have been sunny but it was way too cold for a picnic. We decided to have a wintertime picnic indoors. They spread out the blanket and picked out some snacks: strawberries,

Help with our baby boy's name

2010-01-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

I need your help! With less than 6 weeks until my due date, we still haven't decided on a name. Naming a child is one of the hardest decisions and a huge responsibility and I'm really struggling with what the right name is. We have narrowed it down to a few favorites, although I keep thinking of other names that I like too. Here are our top two choices for our baby boy's name right now: Ryan

What should we make for dinner tonight?

2010-01-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

This conversation from earlier today came to mind when I saw the Big Words from Little Foodies post on a blog that I follow, Food With Kid Appeal. Jenna from Food With Kid Appeal asked for funny comments kids make about food and a recipe. I was talking to the kids about their Grandma & Grandpa coming over for dinner tonight. I asked what we should have for dinner. We chatted about some ideas and

Valentine's Day craft

2010-01-24T21:21:00.000-08:00

Emily was looking for something to do this afternoon so we got started on a craft project for Valentine's Day. Homemade gifts are great for kids - and not only because they don't have any money but also because they feel so proud of themselves when they give something special they have made to their friends and family. Tissue Paper Flowers 10 sheets of tissue paper 1 pipe cleaner Stack the

Health insurance frustration

2010-01-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

I feel like a statistic for the great health care debate. Whether you're a Republican or Democrat there's no denying that health insurance costs are going through the roof. For our family the cost just keeps going up and up and up every year. Our health insurance changed at the first of the year and so that means that even though I'm eight months pregnant I have to find a new doctor. That

Twitter Moms

2010-01-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

Twitter Moms: The Influential Moms Network

Favorite Foodie Websites

2010-01-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

If you're always on the look out for new recipe ideas and overall inspiration in the kitchen, here are some great online resources. These websites offer a ton of ideas and are pretty fun to check out. Food Network I've got to admit that I'm a Food Network junkie. I go to their website to search for recipes all the time. They have some easy-to-use features when it comes to searching for recipes

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

2010-01-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today is my dear husband's birthday so I had to give him a little shout out on the family fanatic blog. This morning as the kids argued over who got to say happy birthday to daddy first, I thought about how much has changed since the first time I celebrated Mike's birthday with him nine years ago. Two (and half) kids and lots of responsibilities make the birthday parties a little less exciting

Recipe of the day: Chicken Marsala

2010-01-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

One of my favorites! This is an absolutely delicious chicken marsala recipe that I got from my mom several years ago. I usually have everything on hand for it except for the Marsala wine and mushrooms so I just have to plan ahead a little bit to make this dinner that is fancy enough to serve to guests; and they'll never know just how simple it really is. Chicken Marsala 4 chicken breasts 8 oz.

Shopping with kids

2010-01-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

Any parents reading this are probably already cringing. Shopping with kids is never easy and in my infinite wisdom I decided that it would be FUN to take both of the kids to the mall on Friday night since Mike was working late. I had a plan all laid out for our shopping trip. Here's what I envisioned: Arrive at the mall at 5:00, shop for a new purse at Macy's (thanks to my wonderful parents for

Recipe of the day: Sugar Cookies

2010-01-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

Favorite Sugar Cookies 2 ½ cups sifted flour 2 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1 cup butter 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs Heat oven to 375. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients, stirring to mix thoroughly. Chill one

Recipe of the day: Peanut butter S'mores

2010-01-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

Warning: this is not a healthy kid's snack! But it's a yummy snack that Emily invented and loves to make by herself (with a little help from mom). Peanut butter S'mores 2 Graham crackers 4 large Marshmallows 2 tbs. Peanut butter Directions: Break each graham crackers into 4 small rectangles. Spread peanut butter on each graham cracker rectangle. Place a large marshmallow between two graham

Fish Tacos

2010-01-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

I discovered that my family loved this recipe when I had some leftover fish and whipped up this meal. Emily, my picky-eater, likes the tacos with just the fish & cheese. To get the kids involved they can help bread the fish and assemble the tacos. The fish can be either baked or fried in vegetable oil depending how healthy you want to be that day. We like to top these fish tacos with a salsa &

The Mystery of the Blue Footprints

2010-01-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2011: It is nearly the one year anniversary of my blog so I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year. 2010 was a year of change for me in many ways. My blog documented most of those changes and it fun for me to be able to look back at my writing from the past year. I wanted to honor my one year mark by re-posting one of my favorite first posts below. The Mystery of the