Goose and Monkey

Addy (3) and Faith (1) 

My Dearest Goose and Monkey,
                               I have loved you from the moment God placed you perfectly in my body.  You have challenged me, loved me, and changed me, and for that, I am forever grateful. 

I'll be honest with you and tell you that some days, I wonder if I will make it.  Parenting is so much harder than I ever imagined.  But it also comes with greater rewards than I ever thought possible.  Your smiles, and giggles, and silly faces make me feel joy I didn't know existed.  And you definitely know how to melt your momma's heart with the sweet way you say, "I love you momma".  I cannot imagine a life without you, and yet it literally takes my breath away when I think on the fact that God saw me as worthy to be your mommy.

Every day I pray that I am able to live up to that calling.  You deserve the best, and I hope you know that I am trying to be that for you.  Some days, I am sure that I fail at that, but I will never quit trying. 

So when I celebrate Mother's Day today, really, I am celebrating you.  Because I love you.  Because without you, I wouldn't be a mommy.  And because being your mommy has been the greatest joy of my life.

All My Love Forever,
Momma

Goose and Monkey

Purge!

It never fails that when it's time to switch from one seasons clothes to the next, I realize that I have a TON of stuff to get ride of.  Bins are literally overflowing in my garage with dresses, swimsuits, PJ's, jeans, shoes, and jackets/coats that are ALL TOO SMALL for my girls.  I don't know why I hang on to this stuff. 

Maybe it's because I can't seem to let go of all the memories that I have of my girls in those clothes. 

Maybe it's because if I get rid of them, then I have to admit that they are growing older. 

Or maybe it's just because I'm lazy and don't want to spend the 4 days it will take me to go through and organize all of it. 

But no matter what the reason, the truth is, I know it needs to be done.

But all the money we spent on all those clothes!

And all the money we will have to spend to replace them!

How will my wallet ever forgive me?

Those are the questions we all ask, but there is one good idea...re-sell your old stuff!

Now I know that mom/consignment sales have been around for a while now, and many of you already sell your stuff at them.  But for those of you who have not gotten in on this yet, then you need to check into it.  It is a great way to empty out the closets and clothes bins, and make a little extra money for the new stuff your kids need.  Plus, at most sales, sellers get to shop before the public so that you get first pick of the things others are selling in the size you need.

These are also a great place to buy gently used toys, books, and movies.  I have been to many of them in the past, (and even sold before!), and I can assure you that you can easily LOAD UP on lots of good stuff!  In short, it's like a GIANT, quality-controled garage sale of just kids stuff!  Perfect for a Garge Sale Diva like me!

So, you think you might be interested in checking one out?  What about selling at one?  Lucky for you, I have the inside scoop on a NEW sale that will be starting this Fall.  My friend, Blake, is organizing a sale for Tots, Teens N' in Between!  She is looking for moms to sell their kid's gently used clothing, toys, books, games, equipment, ect....

This huge, semi-annual mom's sale will be held Saturday, August 13th at Parkview Church of the Nazarene located at 4701 Far Hills Ave. in Kettering.

If you are interested in selling, please contact Blake Garrett by emailing her at totsnteenssale@aol.com

There will also be an informational meeting held Sunday, May 29th at 3pm. (Details will be given when you contact Blake.)

In addition to mom's, they are looking for vendors who have small businesses (generally geared towards women, moms and children) to set up booths in the entry way. For more information on vendors booths, you can also contact Blake.

And if you DO decide to sell, there is a good chance I will see you there, because this momma can NEVER resist a good sale!

Papa John's Winner

A Big Congratulations goes out to Gail Hawley for winning the $20 Papa John's gift card!  Hope you enjoy your Family Pizza Movie Night!

Gail, please email me at thefamilyfunmom@yahoo.com with your address, and I will get that gift card in the mail to you.  After all, I'm sure you're gonna want to use that card ASAP!

Also Peeps, don't forget to check out the updated Upcoming Events page (you can always find it to the right!).  There are a lot of fun things going on around the Dayton area, so you don't want to miss out.  And remember that if you know of an event going on that is not listed, please email it to me!  We want to list as many options available to families as possible!

AND, the Disney Deals page has been updated, (also to the right!), and there is a new deal available offering a FREE Disney Dining Plan with your trip!  You can save Mucho Dinero!!

Congrats again to Gail, and if you didn't win this time, no worries!  There will be another Giveaway coming soon, so stay tuned :)

Don't Forget...

to enter the Papa John's Giveaway for a FREE $20 Gift Card!  You KNOW you don't want to miss out on your chance for some yummy pizza goodness!  Soft dough, zesty sauce, gooey cheese, a mound of toppings of your choice...makes you want to order some right now, doesn't it? 

Today is the last day, and the winner will be announced tomorrow.  There are a few ways to enter, but make sure to click here to leave your comment.  They must be on the original post to be a part of the drawing. 

And remember that you can enter more than once!  The more you enter, the better your chances to win!  Good Luck!

Once A Month Mom Guest Post

Okay let's start with a quick survey, which of the following sounds least appealing to you: 1) cleaning the greasy grime out of the drain in the kitchen sink, 2) visiting the dentist, or 3) preparing a meal for your children?

Lunch lined up and ready to go on the table!

My answer? Number 3 hands down! There is nothing as daunting to me as facing down my children and trying to come up with something that they *might* consume. And let's face it, that sandwich they can't live without today is tomorrow's old news. Their tastes and desires are always changing, leaving me pulling my hair out on most afternoons.

I will say that lunch and dinner have gotten better around these parts due in large part to my new approach to mealtimes. That was half the battle. The other half of the battle was coming up with a rotation of meal ideas that would keep my kids engaged, but eating nutritious meals. Part of my new lunch plan was to create a selection of meals that I draw from each week. In addition to that, I try to work in a new recipe here and there as well. Variety is the spice of life, right?

And here are some tried and true Once A Month Mom Kid-Friendly recipes that you might also find helpful to have in your meal rotation. The great thing about all of these is that each and every one of them is freezable! That means that you can make large batches of them, freeze them and have them on hand when the hunger riot breaks out in your home.

Breakfast

• Homemade Pop Tarts
• Frozen Fruit Cups
• French Toast Sticks
• Strawberry Orange Smoothies
• Granola Bars (Gluten & Dairy Free)
• Breakfast Cookies
• Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones
• Apple & Banana Pancakes

Lunch

• Individual Mac & Cheese Cups (aka Macaroni Cupcakes)
• Pizza Croissants
• Corn Dog Muffins
• Fish Sticks
• Tacos in a Sleeping Bag
• Cheesy Ham Biscuits
• Pizza Casserole

There are also a ton of recipe and menu ideas at Once A Month Mom if you are looking for ways to save time and money in the kitchen. We offer Traditional, Diet, Gluten Free & Dairy Free, Whole Foods, Baby Food and soon Vegetarian menus. In the next few months I will also be coming out with a eCookbook specifically for breakfast and lunches for kids, so head on over to the blog and get signed up to follow along so you don't miss out on that.

Cookin' Up Some Fun!

I can remember when I was a little girl, sitting at the kitchen table watching my momma cook up a meal for our family.  They were usually pretty big, and always yummy, (yes, I blame her for ALL my poor eating habits!).  Some of my favorites were BBQ ribs, chicken noodle casserole, cabbage rolls, and vegetable soup.

Great, now I'm hungry.

Anyhow, I enjoyed watching my mom cook, but what was really fun was when she let me help.  It started with simple things like adding ingredients to a bowl.  Then she taught me how to make some basic things on my own, like eggs and french toast.  Before long, I was making complete dinners for my family, and I LOVED it!  It was a way for me to be creative and I also loved that with food, you can make people happy and show them you care.

These days, I am cooking for my own family, and let's just say it doesn't have exactly the same feeling as it used to. 

I mean, I still love to cook, but it gets a little frustrating when you have four different people who have four different tastes.  And everyone has an opinion.  An everyone likes to share their opinion.  Loudly.  Right after I have spent an hour in the kitchen cooking.

See my point?

But one thing that seems to help is letting my girls do some of the cooking with me.  (Could this be why my mom had me helping her in the kitchen too?  Hmmmm...)  They are definitely more likely to eat the food without complaining if they had a hand in preparing it.  Plus, I like spending the time with them, and creating memories for them that they will have forever. 

I can totally imagine them sitting down to blog some day about how their momma used to let them pull up a stool to the stove so that they could stir the soup, or mix the cake, or mash the potatoes.  I love thinking about that.

So even when it's not convenient, I try to let them help me as much as I can.  And one thing that makes it easier is having lots of kid-friendly recipes around.  These are recipes that are easier for little hands to help with, and also ones that they will like to eat.

Fortunately, I have a SUPER FAMOUS blogger friend who has a site that has TONS of kid-friendly recipes to choose from.  If you aren't already following Once A Month Mom, you TOTALLY should be!  Her site is mostly dedicated to meals that are freezer friendly, (you cook once, and you have a bunch of freezer meals to pull out all month long!).  It's super easy because she does all the work for you, (grocery lists, directions, etc.).  Plus, she has diet meals, food allergy meals, and KID-FRIENDLY MEALS!

And aren't you Lucky because tomorrow, Once a Month Mom is going to be guest posting right here!  I am so excited that I can hardly contain myself!  I mean a real blogger.  Uber famous.  Right here!

So make sure to come back tomorrow to check it out!  You DON'T want to miss this!

ALSO, if you haven't already, don't forget to enter for the Papa John's Giveaway!  Because we all know, a momma can't cook every night! :)

Memory Monday- Of Winter's Past

I know we are all trying to forget the gray cold of winter, but I came across these pictures the other day and it melted my heart.  My two little girls playing in the snow.  These were taken in January of 2009, and I CANNOT BELIEVE how much they have grown since then.  If only I could stop time...