Does Your Kid Believe In The Easter Bunny?

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Mine do.

And it's starting to be an issue.

My oldest is eight and I'm beginning to wonder if we should tell her that The Easter Bunny, Santa, The Tooth Fairy etc. are all made up.

I have heard lots of horror stories from other parents about what could happen that I am a little scared.

What if she cries? 

What if she never believes another word I tell her?

What if she runs away, joins a gang and ends up selling crack on a shady end of town?

Or worse yet...

What if she tells her sister.

I just think that she is starting to get to an age that other kids might start making fun of her for believing. And I would hate for her to find out that way.

Plus there's that whole lying thing.

I guess I really didn't think this all through before jumping right on the make believe train when they were babies.

So, do your kids believe?  Have you told them?  If so, how? 

Would You Eat The Placenta?

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Okay, I know this title may be shocking for some of you, and it was for me, too!

Last week, while out to dinner with some friends, I found out that some women, lots of them in fact, actually eat the placenta after their baby is born.


And I'm not talking about tribal women in Africa or something.  These are suburban moms just like you and me.  (And apparently famous people, too!  Did you hear about January Jones?)


My jaw dropped.

This was just about the craziest thing I had ever heard.  And I wouldn't have even believed it if I didn't know the women I was talking to so well.


I made a note to myself to do some research on this, and it turns out, they were right.

The technical term is Placentophagia.  Most mammals eat the placenta after childbirth, to get nutrition.  And throughout the past couple of years, it has become a trend among western moms who follow a more holistic or wellness approach to life.  The belief is that by consuming the placenta, it will help with post pardum depression, milk production, and a host of other issues.

I am all for a holistic approach to life, and solving problems with less medicine etc., but I have to admit, I would never consider eating the placenta.   It just seems icky and gross to me.

BUT, for some women, this is completely natural, and doesn't seem weird at all.  I give them props because they are clearly willing to go further than I am to live a more natural and healthy life.

If you want to read a great post about someone who had a good experience with this, I encourage you to head over to Mama and Baby Love.  Stephanie is one of the moms I met at Blissdom, and she has a wonderful blog that helps moms to think about making different and healthier choices for ourselves and for our children.  {And BTW, she doesn't seem "weird" at all to me!} :)

But I'm curious, did you know that some women were doing this?  What do you think about it?

Slow Cooker Sante Fe Cheesy Chicken

A girl can NEVER have too many slow cooker recipes...that's my new motto!

And my Slow Cooker is getting plenty of use these days because it's either that, or we get used to the idea of weighing 500 lbs. each because we'll be eating fast food every day.

But the thing with slow cooker meals is that I had to figure out how to get creative after a while, because everything started to taste like some variation of chicken soup.

So, I put my thinking cap on and tried to come up with a new slow cooker meal that I thought the fam would enjoy, and by golly, I DID IT!

In this house, we love Mexican food.  My husband and girls could happily eat tacos, taco soup, taco pasta, (I'm sensing a theme here...), enchiladas, burritos, fajitas etc. every night.

So I decided to put together a little something that would kind of fit into that flavor profile.  (Like my big words?  I've been watching a lot of Top Chef!)

Here's what I came up with...Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

3-4 Chicken Breasts (I used frozen)
1 10.5 oz. Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 10oz. Can of Rotel Tomatoes
1 15oz. Can of Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
1  package of Ranch dressing seasoning mix
2 TBSP Taco Seasoning
1 TBSP. Seasoning Salt
8oz. Cream Cheese, softened
3 Slices of Bacon
1 Cup of Cheddar Cheese (or more if you like it really cheesy!)

Place Frozen Chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. 

In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, softened cream cheese, tomatoes, black beans, taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, and seasoned salt. 

Pour on top of chicken and then lay the Bacon over the Top.  (It gives it a GREAT smoked flavor!)

Cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove Bacon and chicken and add cheddar cheese into slow cooker and stir until melted.

Serve chicken with sauce spooned over top!  (We like to make ours with Mashed Potatoes because the sauce is really good over those, too!).

If you try this recipe, make sure to come back and comment and let me know how it turned out!

Pinterest Fads...What Do You Think?

Every day I pop onto Pinterest and see a new fad popping up.  Some I like, and some I think are just silly.  But here's my two cents on a few of them...
1.  Couch to 5K:  I need more of a couch to the curb before I attempt a couch to 5K.  Just not sure this program is quite at my beginner level...(Or perhaps I should call it below beginner level?)

2.  YoureCards:  These are the cards with all the funny sayings on them.  I love them because they cater to my personal brand of humor, which is called sarcasm.  It's like all the stuff I am thinking, but because I'm Christian, I can't say.

3.  The Ultimate Outfit: Tons of great outfits that no one can afford.  Plus, what looks good on the 90 lb. model wearing the outfit will probably look a little different on my, how should I say...slightly larger body.

4.  The best________  Ever!:  We've all seen the recipe that claims to be the best (whatever) ever.  I mean, how do you even prove that?  I'm going to start calling my blog the best ever and dare you to tell me otherwise. 

5.  The DIY tutorial:  Here's the thing, we're not all DIY kind of girls.  Some of us need to face facts and realize that we will never be able to make a skirt of out of old postcards.  So lets just all give ourselves a break and admit that we actually still buy our clothes.

6.  Ryan Gosling:  Hey Girl, Ryan Gosling thinks it's creepy that you keep pinning pictures of him saying weird stuff about homeschooling and crafts. Stop it.

7.  Gorgeous Hair:  Oh how we all wish we could pull off those cute little hairdo's.  But the fact is, most of us are lucky if we even get to grab a shower and actually wash our hair, much less do anything with it.

8.  Word Art In The Bedroom:  I love all these beautiful sayings like, "You & Me"  and "You Have My Whole Heart For My Whole Life" hanging above the bed, but I think those are just fluff words.  Now maybe if it said something like, "I Love You Because You Get Up With Our Puking Kids" or "I Can't Believe You Still Think I'm Attractive  After 2 Kids And An Extra 50 Pounds", then that would really be romantic.

9.  Layered Desserts: I am guilty of making these obscene desserts too.  Cookie bars, topped with Oreos, covered in brownie batter and a layer of lard on top.  I mean, why waste our precious time gaining that 300 pounds one cookie at a time?  This way will be much faster!

10. 101 Fun Things To Do With Your Toddler:  Here's an idea, How about we get off Pinterest and do just 1?

Hope you enjoyed my take on some of the latest Pinterest fads.  What do YOU think of them?

I will be linking up with Many Little Blessings for Top Ten Tuesday and We Are THAT Family for Works For Me Wednesday.  Be sure to check them out!

I Love My New Shoes

While at Blissdom, the blogging conference I went to, I received a free pair of Dr. Scholl's shoes from Famous Footwear.

Now, I know what you're thinking, (because I thought it, too).

"Isn't Dr. Scholl's some kind of orthopedic shoe for old people?"

Yep, I had that same thought.

But, no, apparently, they're not!

I was surprised when I saw them, that they were actually really cute.  In fact, I had been wanting a pair of similar shoes for a while.  This is the shoe we received:

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Peeps, I am here to tell you that I AM IN LOVE!

These shoes are sooo comfy!  They feel like slippers, they're so comfortable.  And they are cute also!

Because I loved these shoes so much, (seriously, you just have to try them to know the level of comfort I am talking about!), I decided to check out the Dr. Scholl's site and see if they had other cute shoes, or if this was a fluke...something just made to grab our attention at a blog conference.

But I was super surprised to see lots of cute shoes, especially these fun little wedges:

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All moms know that it is hard to find cute and stylish shoes that can keep our feet feeling great even after hours of pushing a stroller and running after our kids.  But ladies, I think we may have found a winner, because Dr. Scholl's is no longer your grandparents shoe! 

Oh, and also, just want to clarify that while I got the one pair of cute shoes for free, I was NOT asked to blog about them, and I was also not given anything else for free from Dr. Scholl's or Famous Footwear.  I just REALLY love these shoes, and want to share this great find out with all my other momma friends!

If you want to read my full disclosure page, feel free to do it here!

Confessions Of An Angry Momma, Part 3

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Here is my own, personal, Angry Mom story:

I wanted children more than anything. I truly believed that my life wouldn't be complete until I had therm.

I prayed for them, and when I had them, I was over the moon in love with them.

And don't get me wrong, I still am.

But let me be honest and say that there was so much I didn't plan for or expect.

Like no sleep, (those who know me, know I don't fare well with little sleep), constant complaining and whining, kids that bite and scream, and the constant feeling that you aren't doing a good enough job.

Those are just a few of the million things that I hadn't considered.

And before I knew it, I was pretty much angry all the time.  Oh sure, I loved my kids like crazy, and not all days were bad.  But there was this underlying rage that was just under the surface and at a moment's notice, it would show up.

It came in the form of yelling, of nagging, of being short tempered, and sometimes being just plain ugly to my kids and husband.

But did anyone else know?  Not really.

Because of course I could never admit that this was anger. 

No, I gave it socially acceptable names like, "my kid's are having a rough day", and "we are working on discipline", and "I'm PMSing.".

Never would I have said, "I'm angry and I don't know why and I can't stop."

That would have meant that I was a bad person...a bad mom.

Not true.  But I didn't know it at the time.  All I could do was be angry, and then feel guilty that I was so angry.

But then something happened.

There was a little boy that was dealing with some serious health issues.  We knew of him because my husband worked with his parents.  I followed his story, and prayed for him to get better.  But he didn't.

And about 2 years ago, that little boy passed away.

I didn't even know the boy, or his family, personally, but I was broken for them.  I cried as I thought of what they were going through and for how that mother's heart must be breaking.  And I could literally feel an ache inside of me when I wondered how they would go on.

And one day, soon after he passed, as I was getting ready to explode on one of my children, I just thought of that momma.

What would she give to have her son back for just one more day?  Even if he was being cranky and disobedient.  Even if he spent his entire day whining and crying and never letting her have a second to herself.  What would she give?

Probably everything.

And in that moment, I knew I had to change.  I knew that I never wanted to regret a single second with these precious gifts.  I knew that I had been allowing anger to rule me and that it had to stop.  I knew it was all on me.

So I looked for answers.  I looked inside my heart, I prayed, and I read.  I spoke with friends, and shared my anger, and I got wise council.

And here's what I discovered:

First, I discovered that my kids don't make me complete.

Shocking, I know!

But seriously, our kids can't complete us.  They can't be the definition of who we are.  Remember when I said above that I felt like my life would be incomplete if I didn't have kids?  I believed that, but it wasn't true.

Am I glad I have children?  More than I could ever say!  But could I have had a "complete" life without them?  Yes!  It isn't our child's job to "complete" us.  And it's not your spouse's either.  I believe that the only person that can complete us is God, and if you are looking for it anywhere else, you'll just continue to find disappointment.

The second thing I learned is that I'm not perfect, and I don't have to pretend to be!

I think that is why so many moms are afraid to admit that they have anger issues, (or any other issues for that matter), because they are terrified that someone will think we aren't #1 Mom like our coffee mug says. 

Newsflash: No one is #1 Mom.  It's a lie!

Here's a little secret:

If you come to my house unannounced, you will find dirty dishes in the sink, a filthy bathroom, clothes piled high in the dirty laundry basket, and complete disorganization.  My kids are probably screaming, homework is late, and dinner may be from Taco Bell that night.

I'm not perfect.  And I'm okay with that. 

And Life isn't perfect either!!  All the times, I hear moms who say things like, "Today was SUCH a bad day", but instead of stopping there, they feel like they have to qualify it with a , "But I know it's just the stage of life we're in", or "But I really am thankful to be a stay-at-home mom.". 

QUIT QUALIFYING!!!

Sometimes life really does just suck.  And it's okay to say that, and leave it at that.  If someone else judges you, then that's their issue, not yours!

And the final Thing I learned is that guilt never helped anyone! 

If I am feeling guilty about my behavior, that is only furthering the problem.  But if I feel convicted about my problem, then that will lead to change!  If you mess up, don't spend your time feeling guilty.  Recognize the problem, and then come up with a plan to change it.

If you are struggling with being an Angry Momma, I encourage you to reach out.  You can share your story here with us.  You can talk to a friend.  You can go to a counselor.  Whatever you choose to do, I hope that you truly commit to getting help as you work through it.

And of course, if your anger has ever gotten physical, I plead with you to tell someone who can help you and hold you accountable.  Your child deserves better and while you may be afraid of the consequences, if you love your child, as I'm sure you do, then you know its the right thing to do.

Here are some resources that may help you as you begin your journey of dealing with Anger:

 A.N.G.E.R. Workout
5 Ways Parents Can Handle Their Anger
When Moms Get Angry
I'm becoming an Angry Mother...Can I Change?
Emotions Anonymous

Confessions Of An Angry Momma, Part 2

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Yesterday, I started this series called Angry Moms.

If you didn't get a chance to read it, I encourage you to go back and take a look. 

It's about feeling angry all the time at just about everything, and not understanding why.  And feeling guilty because you do.

But today, I want to tell you, it's okay. 

It's okay to admit that you're angry.  You don't have to suck it up.  You don't have to push that feeling down inside and pretend it doesn't exist. 

Because in case you forgot, you are a human. 

A person with real feelings and emotions. 

And anger is an emotion, just like any other.  It's as normal as feeling happy or excited.  And by ignoring your anger or pretending it isn't there, you are giving it way more credit and time than it deserves.

I heard a quote that said, "If you are harboring anger or bitterness, you have made it an idol, (or God), because it is now the thing that is consuming your mind."

That's what you are allowing anger to do if you try to ignore it instead of deal with it.

{Warning:  we're now at the warm and fuzzy part.  But I hope you'll just go with it...}

If you are a woman who is experiencing this right now, I want you to stop right here.  I want you to take a moment and tell yourself it's okay to feel angry.  Give yourself permission to admit that, without guilt or shame.  If you want to pray about it, do it!  If you just want to talk to yourself, do that.  If you need to journal, go for it!  Whatever it is that you choose to do, just let go of the guilt and shame.

Have you done it?

If so, good for you! 

If not, why?  Why do you think that you have to punish yourself for feeling angry?  It's my hope that if you haven't done it, that you will take some time for yourself, and really consider that.

And now we come to the real question. 

Because you're thinking, 'Well, that's great and all, but now that it's okay to feel angry, what do I do with it?". 

And the answer is: once you've been honest about it, you have to deal with it and then let it go.

Not gonna lie, it's gonna be hard.

Because the truth it, sometimes it's just easier to be angry. 

Right?

It's easier to spank your child and get instant results.  It's easier to slam your fist on the table and yell because things aren't going your way.  It's easier to curse the cashier at the drive thru because she got your order wrong.

All of that is easier than taking a hard look at yourself and realizing that you chose this.

That's right.  You chose this life. This life with kids, and activity schedules, and minivans, and homework, and diapers, and dinner menu's, and laundry.  You chose all of that.  And while you love so much of it, there is so much you didn't bargain for.  And that makes you furious. 

Have I hit a nerve?  Does any of this ring true for you? 

If so, then we are on the right track.  Because that means you are being honest and you know that things need to change.

We are gonna help each other with that. 

Tomorrow, I will be sharing my personal story of being an Angry Mom, and how I am overcoming it. Perhaps some of my story can help you. 

I will also be giving you some ideas on what you can do to begin your own process of discovering why you are angry and what you can do about it.

I hope you'll come back, and maybe even share your story with us. 

Until then, Love and Hugs!

Confessions Of An Angry Momma

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I was talking with a friend the other day about being an Angry Mom. 

You know what I mean, right?

We are yelling at our kids because they won't take a nap.  We're frustrated because they are misbehaving in the grocery store.  We're snapping at our husbands because we're exhausted and our day is nowhere near over.  We're ticked off because our kid has an hours worth of homework, gymnastics, a girl scout meeting and a piano recital all in the same night.  The list goes on.  In fact, it could probably fill a novel's worth.

But why are we so mad?

Because surely we knew that our kid's would resist nap time, they would scream in the grocery store, we would lose plenty of sleep, and that our schedule would be full...

or did we?

I think for a lot of mom's, when considering motherhood, we imagined sweet, sleeping babes, hugs and kisses, silly songs, picnics at the park, and family vacations. 

Things like cleaning up puke in the middle of the night, colicky infants, toddler tantrums, and kids that like to bite weren't the images that filled our minds.

And now we feel robbed.

Robbed because somewhere in the middle of changing poopy diapers and cleaning permanent marker off our walls, we realized that there was no going back to life as we knew it.

Our time was now their time.  And while you love them more than you ever thought possible, you are also mourning the loss of the independent, fun and carefree woman you used to be and also the great little life you imagined.

And then you feel guilty.  Because you would never in a million years change things.  But you can't seem to shake this anger, and you don't know why.

Is this you?  Are you feeling this way? 

If so, you need to know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! 

Lot's of moms are feeling this same way, and they are afraid to talk about it.  They are afraid to admit it to anyone, even their husbands and closest friends. 

But I am going to talk about it.  I am going to share my own story with you, and hopefully, we can all help each other!

Please join me tomorrow as I continue this series.

Love and Hugs! :)

Staying Sane when You Travel With Kids



In just a couple of weeks, my family will head out for our Spring Break trip to Destin, FL!

While it's our first time to Destin, my family is no stranger to road trips and vacations.  I love getting away with my husband and kids and we do it as much as our small budget will allow.

And through the years, I have developed a few tricks to saving time, money, and my sanity for when we travel. 

Hope they can help you, too!

1.  Meal Management:  We ALWAYS pack our lunch and snacks in an insulated tote for that first day of travel.  It saves us at least $25, and that way, the girls can eat when their hungry, and not just when it's convenient for us to stop.  I also go to the grocery at home before we go and take along things like cereal, fruit, bread, PB&J, spaghetti, etc. so that we can make some of our meals at the hotel/condo/house.  I know part of the fun in traveling is eating out, but by eating just a few meals at home, you can save lots of money and also ensure that your kids are eating at least some healthy meals!

2.  Clothes for Kids: A great system that I use for packing our kids clothes is that I lay out 1 outfit for each girl per day, plus a few extra (in case they have a spill etc.).  This includes underwear, socks, hair accessories etc.  Then, I put each outfit into a separate zip-lock bag and seal it and pack it up.  That way, when it's time for them to get dressed, they can just choose a bag and put on that days outfit.  I don't have to worry that it will all match and they have the freedom to choose which outfit they want.  It's a win-win!

3.  Keep the Kids Happy:  Before we leave for our trip, I head out to Wal-Mart, Target and The Dollar Store and stock up on little presents for the kids.  I put them all into a "surprise bag" that stays with me.  Then throughout the trip, (especially the drive to and from), I reach into the bag and pull out the little gifts I got.  Most of the gifts are small and inexpensive, like a sticker book or activity pad, but I also try to include a few big ones like a new DS game or a DVD they will like.  It makes the time pass much quicker and the girls love getting the surprises one at a time.

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4.  Watch The Weather:  Make sure that you check out the upcoming weather of your destination!  You can go to Weather.com and look at the 10 day forecast to get a good idea, and pack accordingly.  One year we went to Disney and fortunately, I had looked ahead and we knew that they were having unusually cold weather (like highs in the 30's!), so I packed coats etc.  Other families didn't and were forced to try and find coats to buy there, which was VERY expensive!  Plus, the kids will get cranky really fast if they are too hot or cold.

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5.  Develop a Plan: I write up an itinerary for our entire trip before we go.  I research places we want to eat, activities, sites we want to see, and I get the kids involved in the planning too.  And don't forget to include activities that are just for them!! For example, when we go to Destin, we are taking the girls on a surprise Dolphin cruise because they have developed a new interest in them, (thanks to the movie, Dolphin Tale...).  It's not something my husband and I are particularly interested in, but I know they will love it, and I want them to know that what they like to do is important, too!

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6.  Be Flexible:  I know I said to make a plan, but within that plan, build some flexibility!  If you have a full day of shopping on the agenda, but wake up to find that the kids are having a whiny and fussy day, maybe change it to a beach day or a park day.  Remember, this is their vacation, too, and they might just need to relax. 

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7.  Let Your Little Photographers Loose:  My kids LOVE to take pictures, but I don't want them breaking my camera.  So, a few years ago, we got them their own.  We use the Fisher-Price Kid Tough Cameras, but if you don't have one of those, they still sell the disposable cameras at most drug stores.  The kids will love the fact that the grownups don't get to have all the picture taking fun, and you can even give them "assignments" like get five pictures of different shells, or find 3 different flowers to photograph, or make 10 silly faces!

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8.  Bring The Essentials From Home: I know that sometimes we feel like we have to pack up the entire house when we take our kids.  But sometimes, we get so focused on all the stuff we have to bring, that we forget the things that will keep our kids on track.  For example, don't forget that special blankie or dolly.  And if their own pillow will help them sleep better, bring that too.  Also, don't forget the medicines (and a measuring spoon!)!!!  You never know when Benadryl will be needed or when your kid will get a fever.  Other things to keep on hand will be bandaids, a thermometer, an ice pack, and nausea meds if your child is prone to car sickness, (which we had to find out the hard way...)

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9.  Bring a Trash Can for The Car:  Ummm, this kind of relates to the car sickness thing, but also, you wouldn't believe how much trash you accumulate on a little car trip with kids!  A great idea I saw on Pinterest was to get a Tupperware cereal container (that has a sealed top), put a plastic garbage bag in it, and then put the top on.  That way, the top seals and you don't have to smell the garbage the whole time, and it won't fall over and spill out!

10.  Plan Your Travel Time:  You can only watch so many DVD's, play so many video games and listen to so many songs on the radio.  Plan ahead for some fun car games to play with the kids.  This will get everyone involved and break up the drive a little.  For example, after an hour of driving, I usually tell the girls to put away their games and we play the Licence Plate Game for 15 minutes.  After fifteen minutes, they get a surprise, and then they can watch a movie.  After the movie, we play another game for fifteen minutes and then we get a snack.  The day goes on like that and the time flies by!

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So tell me, do you have any travel tips to share?  I would love to hear them!!

I will be linking up to Many Little Blessings for Top Ten Tuesday and We are THAT Family for Works for me Wednesdeay.  Be sure to check them out!

Chocolate Pretzel PB Bites

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For Christmas, a friend brought me these yummy little treats that I fell in love with.

They were mini pretzels with Hershey's kisses and M&M's on top.

Can you say out of control?

They were soooo yummy, and soooo addictive!

So this past week when I was trying to think of something quick, easy and yummy to take to Cheer Madness, (more on that another day...), I remembered these little treats.

But since I am having a full blown love affair with Peanut Butter right now, I decided to substitute the regular M&M's for the Peanut Butter filled M&M's.

And instead of the mini, twisted pretzels, I used the Snyder's of Hanover Butter Snaps.

Why?

Because anything with butter is better!  Just ask Paula Deen!

Anyhow, here's the recipe for these little bites of heaven and if I were you, I would make 2 batches...one for you, and one for everyone else!

1 bag of Hershey's Kisses (unwrapped)
1 bag of Peanut Butter M&M's
1 bag of Snyder's of Hanover Butter Snaps

Place the Butter Snaps out on a baking sheet.

 Place one Hershey's kiss on top of each Pretzel...you may need a helper for this :)

Bake in a preheated 275 degree oven for 3 minutes.  Remove and immediately press one M&M on top of each kiss.

Allow them to cool at room temp for about 30 minutes, and then place them (still on the baking sheet),  into the freezer for about 30 minutes more, or until chocolate is set.

Carefully remove them from the baking sheet and into a storage container.  I placed my conatiner in the fridge until I was ready to take them with me, but they are fine at room temp also.

Hope you enjoy!!

Want The Real Truth? Ask A Kid!

You may not have noticed, but I re-wrote my 'About Me' page the other week.

The original write up was done when I first started this blog, and while good, it was sort of generic.

After some prompting from friends, I decided to make it more my personality.

If you read it, (which I HOPE you do...), you'll see that at the end of the first paragraph, I let you know how awesome I am.  :)

It was meant as kind of a joke, and to show that I can poke fun of myself and have fun with this little blog.

But on the day I wrote it, I was reading it to my husband, aloud, and just after I read that part, my five-year-old, (who I didn't even know was listening), piped up and said, "Well, you're not that awesome!".

Ummm, excuse me?  Who asked you?

I just had to laugh. 

I may have days that I get a little full of myself.  I might think my outfit is great, or my hair is just perfect, or that I just wrote the most amazing post int he whole world. 

But The Good Lord knew that I needed some back-to-reality kind of truth in my life.  So He gave me 2 kids :)

My husband, I, and my 2 Truth Tellers!



So do you have any funny 'TRUTH TELLING' stories to share? 

And The Winner of The Hershey's Easter Basket is...

Congratulations to Su Nela!!!! 

You are the winner of the AWESOMNESS that is the Hershey's Easter Basket!! 

{I will be emailing you soon to get your shipping address!}

And if you didn't win, no worries...Hershey's has you covered!!  Make sure to check out their site to get lots of ideas on making your own creative Easter Basket and lots of other crafty, (and yummy!), ideas!

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10 Things To Do With Your Kids This St. Patty's Day





For those of us with kids, St. Patrick's Day isn't usually about getting wasted on green beer.  But sometimes, it's hard to think of 'family friendly' ways to include the kids in on this fun holiday, beyond wearing green. 

Here are 10 ways that you can celebrate with your kids that will have everyone feeling Lucky!


1. Catch the Crazy Leprechaun!  Legend has it that the Leprechaun always comes during the night on St. Patty's day.  It's fun to let the kids make a trap for him and try to catch him.  (At our house, though, the tricky leprechaun manages to never get caught...)

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2. Wake Up to a Green Mess!  When the Leprechaun comes in the night, he always makes a complete mess of the house!  Some things he might do are: leave green toilet water, turn the furniture around, leave toys all over the floor, hang socks up on the walls, and turn pictures around.  I'm pretty sure the leprechaun can get very creative!

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3. Show Your Shamrock Pride!  It's always fun to find creative ways to wear green.  Sometimes it's with hair accessories, sometimes a green shirt, pants or socks.  Or you could go all out and wear all green on this fun day!

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4. Have a Top O' The Morning Breakfast!  This year, we're going with Lucky Charms and green milk, (this idea I found on Pinterest!).  You could also do green colored eggs, green pancakes or even green sprinkled donuts. 

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5. Find Your Treasure on a Scavenger Hunt!  You can start by giving them the first clue at breakfast.  Then have the kids follow clues until they find the treasure, (maybe chocolate coins or a special toy!)

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6. Make a Clover Craft!  There are a TON of crafts all over the web for this fun day!  I think we are going to try this one.  Be sure to check out my Pinterest Board for lots of craft ideas, (as well as recipes etc.!)

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7.  Dance a Jig!  Find some fun Irish music, (think Riverdance), and have a family dance party. 

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8.  Watch a Lucky Movie!  A few movie's that are family friendly for St. Patrick's day are: Leapin Leprechaun's, A Very Unlucky Leprechaun, The Magical Land of Leprechauns, The Luck of The Irish, and The Secret of Roan Inish.

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9.  Have a Potluck Supper!  Everyone gets to pick one dish to include in the evening meal.  You might end up with all desserts, but it'll be a fun time for everyone!

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10.  Tell an Irish Tale!  This is a great way to end your Lucky Day!  Find a great St. Patty's Day story to share with your kids, and they'll be dreaming of Rainbows and Treasures for the rest of the night!

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I hope you all have a great St. Patrick's Day Celebration with your family!

I will be linking up with Many Little Blessings for Top Ten Tuesday and Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.  Be sure to check it out!

Do You Like Changes?



You may not have noticed, but I made a change on the blog.

It's not the colors or layout I'm talking about, (but I did change those, too).

It's that I'm no longer using different fonts, and limiting the size changes of the text.

I made the change because several people told me that they preferred that I stick to one size and font.  Some because it tended to run together on their screen, and others because they just preferred the look of it.

I took their advice and started making the changes...but it's been MUCH harder than I thought it would be.

You see, I tend to write like I talk.  And when I talk, I am very expressive! 

It's like someone telling me not to use my hands when I talk...I would feel awkward and I don't think it would work.

That's kinda how I feel not using all my font changes and text sizes. 

But I'm sticking to it because I want to make my readers happy.  Although, I have been noticing that I am using the bold and italic buttons a lot to make up for it :)

So tell me, are changes hard for you, too?  Do you like that I'm using one font and one size (mostly)? 

Who's Ready For Easter Baskets? {Hershey's GIVEAWAY}

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I am!

I'm ready for pastel colors, baby chicks, peeps, chocolate bunnies, and the decorated eggs.

I love Easter and especially The Easter Baskets!

For our girls, we fill them with eggs, toys, books, and a little candy, too.

Because, after all, what's an Easter basket without candy?

And Hershey's is the perfect candy for Easter!  The Peanut Butter Eggs, (MY FAVE!), the Chocolate Bunnies, The Hershey's Kisses, Twizzlers...It's everything your kids want!

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And I am Giving Away A Hershey's Easter Basket filled with these yummy treats to Celebrate!  It's a Green Basket with green grass, (gender neutral!), with all the Hershey's goodness you can imagine!

Want to Win?

Here's How: (And Don't Forget, you can enter as many times as you like!! Just leave a comment for each entry!)

-Sign up to Follow my blog and leave a comment below!
-Like Family Fun Mom on Facebook (see the Like button on the right?) and leave a comment below!
-Follow Family Fun Mom on Twitter (also on the right) and leave a comment below
-Like Hershey's on Facebook and leave a comment below
-Follow Hershey's on Twitter and leave a comment below
-Leave a comment telling me what you like in your Easter Baskets!
-Visit The Celebrate With Hershey's site, look around, and come back here and comment on what your favorite products/ideas are!

But HURRY!  The winner will be announced on the blog Next Wednesday, March 14th!  (Plenty of time for me to get it to you before The Big Day!)

Happy Easter, and I'll see ya on the bunny trail :)

I have received this basket as a promotion from Hershey's.  Read my full disclosure policy here.