Blog Shout-Out Week of February 11th

Time to head over to Pinterest to see what awesome things I have pinned this week!

Articles

1.  Mom Guilt is EXCELLENT!  It was posted on MommyJenna's blog and written by Marie Pugh
2.  Article Love in Green Child Magazine on keeping time outs positive.
3.  I love positive thoughts.  One thing I have learned being a SAHM, is that I must say daily positive affirmations - which is why I love These Positive Thoughts which were posted on Taking Skinny for Granted

Blogs

1.  The Kid Lit Blog Hop, I am still thinking about.  Awesome!  Connect with some awesome authors and some rockin' literature!  Check out the website, visit the blogs and connect! 

Love it!

2.  Not exactly last week, but I thought this is an interesting must read.  Don't do it.  Don't Text and Drive - period.  I would think it would be a no-brainer, but apparently not.

Recipes
Personally, I'm getting sick and tired of the Valentines day posts.  I mean, come on now.  It's been dragged through the dirt and pounded into the ground (not to sound like a Grinch).  I know, I'm super cranky.  Probably has something to do with being up for the day at 1 AM.

Anyway, out of all the recipes that I pinned, saw and oogled over - there was one that was the "stand out" recipe.  And it's so uber cute!

1.  The Allergy Friendly Heart Shaped Donuts posted on Chockababy's blog!  I'm thinking if you don't need allergy friendly, you can make them using any delicious donut recipe you can dream up or find. 

Yummmmmmm, dooooooooonutttttts!

<Drool>

Since I am so cranky and am tired of the Valentines Day hoopla - tell me - what is your most favorite Valentines day recipe or craft (as I can't stand to even look at one more Valentines Day project)?  Perhaps we can build a list and I can torture others with it next year!

L
 

Awesome Blog Shoutout! Week of February 4th

 You know, there are some AWESOME blogs on the web!  I totally love reading them - even the recipe ones.  They so inspire me to be a better mother and blogger.  I just love them.

Here are a few posts that I really really loved last week!

Recipes
1.  I made the Shrimp Chowder from Jess Is More.  It's a crockpot recipe.  Yum, Yum, YUM...even my husband loved it, and that's saying A LOT.  Actually, I deviated from the recipe and allowed it to cook on low overnight.  Oh My Gosh, the flavors were AMAZING, and it was nice and hot and spicy.

It really was delicious, and it didn't take forever to cook - which is a plus for me.

Best of all, the kids can help with this.  I cut up all the stuff, but they can put it in the crockpot.  No heat, so SCORE!

2.  Chockababy had some awesome Vegan chocolate cupcakes going on in her part of the blogosphere!  I loved these because my boy is allergic to cows milk, and eggs - so another SCORE!

3.  For Valentines Day, Family Food Finds had some heart cake pops that were really super cute!

Crafts
I haven't been at this too long, but I am sure craft posts are very popular around Valentines day.  Let me tell you that these shoutout days are the only time you will see awesome crafts on this blog, cause I am...ummm....the anti-crafty.

1.  First, let's head over to There's Magic Out There for the very COOL Potato printed valentines day cards.  So clever!  Best of all, the kids can help - and the materials - you already have in your home.  You really don't have to go out and spend a bunch of money on stuff.  LOVE THAT!

2.  These are really super cute from Diary of a Working Mom.  Love that blog!  If anybody knows where you get the heart punches, please comment and let me know.

3.  Uber creativity from Family Focus Blog.  Awesome inexpensive but cute Valentines Day craft ideas!

The kids and I are going to have a blast making some of this for Daddy!

Blog Posts
 1.  This one I love...love...love from Green Child Magazine.  If we just touched, held, carried our children (in a sling) more, I think this world would be a better place.  LOVE IT!

2.  This post from The Parent Place made me exhale.  It's impossible to know how difficult it is to be a Mom - unless you are one.

My challenge for you this week is to take the time to visit these posts and these blogs.  Trust me, you will enjoy it - so it won't be work.

L

Virtual Super Bowl Party Shopping!

I am envious of everybody's awesome Super Bowl recipe suggestions.  They look so delicious and some of them are super healthy.  Since I never watch the Super Bowl, and don't plan on starting to watch this year- I thought I would share a very special recipe as if I were going to cook.  This will be classic - trust me.  This is such a great recipe.  What's so great about it is it minimizes cooking  time and maximizes family time (which is what we are all about in these parts).

So, first, I am going on a virtual shopping trip to obtain all of my ingredients, and then I will give very detailed cooking directions.

The wonderful thing about virtual shopping is I don't have to go out in the cold.

Score!

Okay, ready to go?

So, first I get into my van which right now is covered in snow (reference the cold remark above)

and I will drive to the...

I have a few choices here, but this one is the closest one with the best produce.  I will get my...

and start shopping.

First, I must buy the....

 Since we will be having a few people over, I will get a few bags of these.

Then I will buy...

for the dipping sauce!

Whew, that was hard.

Now, to the chip aisle!

Next,  I will buy....

and

for dip.

And then buy...

for the kids to snack on.

WOW, this is a lot of work.

Whew!

To the drink aisle we go.

Since I want to set a good example, and show the kids that we can watch the Super Bowl and have a lot of fun with friends and not drink...

I am going to bypass the alcohol and go directly to the...

Oh yeah!  I just love sprite.

And since I don't want the kids jumping off the walls, I'm going to opt for this more kid friendly but good...

So now, we got all of our ingredients.  So, we will go to the....

Really?  Ugh, I shouldn't have waited till the last minute.

When I finally get through that awful line, I will get back into my...

which apparently still has snow on it - and drive home.







When I get home (this is very very important so listen carefully), I will turn on the...

to 350 degrees so that it can heat up.

When the oven reaches temperature, I will put my...

on a...

and bake them for 20 minutes.  Remember, they are already done, so you don't want to overcook them.  They get hard.

While my wings are in the oven, I am going to make...

the old fashioned way.

After that is done, I am going to get a variety of...

to put all my ingredients into.  I then put them in various places.

After 20 minutes, I take the...

out of the...

and put them on a plate.

As a finishing touch, I wash off all the cans of...

so nobody gets infantigo.

So, there you have it!  My superb Super Bowl day recipe.

Now, that's cookin' Lisa Nelson style!

If you make it, please comment and let me know how much you liked it!

L

January 28th Blog Shoutout Day!

Being a new blogger, I have read many many blogs and many many tweets looking for articles/recipes/crafts that support the "coming together" of families.  These are articles that advocate bringing your children closer together/spending more time with them - or recipes that are easy enough that you could cook together - even with younger children.

You'll hear me say this over and over again - but a healthy happy family life is central to everything.  If your family is sick - all aspects of your life will not work - whether it be work or play.  If you are having problems with your spouse, don't you think it will affect your work?  Of course it will.

So, here are some excellent articles for Mom and Dad and, crafts and recipes for even the smallest of little hands!

Articles
Here is an excellent article from Hip Homeschool Moms eliminating the myth "I don't have the patience to homeschool".  It speaks to the way we view children in our society.  Loving this article.  It's worth reading - even if you don't homeschool.

Recipes
Jungle Trail Mix from Living in the (mom)ent 

Nutella Donuts from Crazy Adventures in Parenting   

Crafts
 The Do-It-Yourself Inspiration board by There's Magic Out There

Tell me what you think of these.  Do you like them?   Please tell me, cause I do want to know!

L

Thank you Crazy Adventures in Parenting for the Good looking picture!  YUM!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! Or Not

Good morning friends!  What a beautiful day!

I laid in the bed thinking that we had homeschool co-op classes for Hadyn today.  Oh joy!  Ava, Grayson and I get to sit in the car - in the freezing cold - for 4 hours while Hadyn attends band and classes.

So, I got up, looked out and saw this

I just adore snow, but there is not much of it.  Didn't really think anything of it.  It's just 2 cm of snow - literally.

I fired up the ipod - and found out that the public schools have been delayed and the homeschool co-op classes were cancelled!  Hooray!  YES!  Woo-Hoo!

Oh.

Bummer!  Hadyn will be so disappointed that we have a full day of regular school today!  Math...phonics...cursive...oh my!

I find it amazing how little it takes to delay the school system.  Must be icy out there or something.  I don't know, I am staying here, in my warm house.

So, I settled down with another cup of rich hot chocolate

 

at my chaotic table and tended to the Shrimp Chowder - that I got found in the Jess and More part of the blogosphere -  in one of my daily blog reading sessions a few days ago.

I haven't yet put the shrimp in - but it tastes AWESOME!  Thanks Jess!

And I write - and I read!