Just A Night Owl

Category Archives: Random

Two Week Meal Plan

Written on May 17, 2012 by just a night owl in Random, Recipies

Since we gave up credit cards three years ago, we are committed to cash only and the grocery store is a place that I can go over budget all to quickly. To avoid this scenario, I began planning meals and snacks, so that I only buy what I need. This keeps me on budget and works like a charm. The added benefit is I no longer hear….”WHAT’S FOR DINNNNNERRRRRRRRR?” The kids can just look at the fridge and see for themselves.

With our new way of eating, I feel like a fish out of water sometimes trying to plan meals. This is only the start of the third month, so I am definitely slowly adding in new recipes, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and will continue to add more variety as we go.

My meal plan is nothing fancy. I download a free sample from this site, change up the lame font, and then fill it in accordingly. Once I am done, it is printed out and hangs on the side of my fridge. I have to say that I rarely go in the order of what its actually planned for that day. However, I always use all of the meals and snacks planned and cross them off after we eat that one. It all works out in the end.

Everyday I plan breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. The meals are in bold and the snacks are not.

When I say cereal-it is Shredded Wheat, Oatmeal from scratch not packets!, or homemade granola. The kids almost always add a few frozen blueberries, strawberries, or sometimes a bit of honey or maple syrup. I let them choose whatever they want to do for cereal days.

When it comes to sandwiches- it is grilled cheese, or pb and j, or honey. On occasion, we have sliced turkey.

I don’t deviate from the meal plan if the kids don’t feel like what is listed. They know they can skip it and wait until the next time to eat. I also don’t allow them to eat at any other time except those listed, unless it is carrots. They can always eat carrots, whenever they want, just because I’m nice like that.

Feel free to check out the link below. I am not technically savvy enough to have links on my calendar to the recipes for you. I am pretty impressed that I was able to even attach it! If there is a meal that looks yummy, feel free to ask for the recipe and I’ll get you to it!

May2012

How does meal planning look in your house?

Blocks

Written on May 11, 2012 by just a night owl in Life, My kids, Random

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Lately the days seem to end just seconds after I start them. Life has become super busy right now and I tell you what I realized the other day. My house has gotten R E A L L Y dirty. The kind of dirty that even sunset and glowing candles won’t camouflage. Big Bummer. Coincidently it is spring. I think you can guess what might be coming next.

The other thing I realized is that in the thirteen years since I have become a mother, I have become much smarter.

There is not a day that goes by, that I don’t stop what I am doing and sit down and build blocks with this fantastic little human. My house is going to remain dirty. My little man is not going to remain little.

Thirteen years ago, I thought I could do it all. Now I know I can’t.

And because there will come a day that stacking blocks and kicking them over with your mommy, ceases to become acceptable behavior… (my oldest child is living proof of that)

and the house truly never is going to be as clean as it “should” be…

I’m going to play and realize that is the absolute smartest choice that I can make.

Happy Friday.

A Little Bit Of This And…

Written on April 27, 2012 by just a night owl in Life, Random

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What would a good spring post be without me whining about allergies? I have never deprived you before and I am not about to start now. Allergies are ridiculous. I used to have allergies in the bay area, like normal ones. Annoying ones. However, since our move to Sacramento, I become terribly unfunctional and not a very nice person, for about two months out of the year. OTC drugs? I’ve tried ‘em all. I have tried local raw honey. I steam myself over a pot of Eucalyptus and in my delirious state I create crafty little plans to rid the world of the little minions otherwise known as pollen. I have personified them and given them pitchforks and tails.

Today, I had the most fabulous day ever. I drove about an hour away and got my hair did at the most fantastic little shop called Pin Ups. I am telling you, this crew could have had their own reality TV series. My hair cut? Fantastic. I was just SO entertained. The salon in Legally Blonde 2? Very similar. I seriously was waiting for the bend and snap session to begin at any second. Oh, the stories I could tell…..Great times.

Awhile back, my most favorite water bottle ever was discontinued and I have never found a good replacement. It’s the little things ya know? Last week I finally found a great one. Since my break up with soda this has become a very important accessory, as it is with me constantly. My new one is glass and wrapped in a funky little rubber design. I am however, a tiny bit terrified of dropping it. So far, the only issue has been a small incident involving a 17 month old sending it into flight and a mother’s eyeball that stopped it.

There is a perfect caption for this photo floating around in writer’s space somewhere. I can’t quite find it. All I know is that it does NOT start with those weird unsocialized homeschoolers…

I have the most fantastic friends. I am not kidding you. The people that I travel amongst in my day to day are those kind. The ones that will drop everything to help someone. Offer money, time, and talent to get the job done. The kind that pool together resources and make master plans to pick up the pieces of those in need. I am a blessed, blessed, SO blessed girl. There are few things that scream my love language louder than watching someone drop everything to fill a need. Big or small. With no regard for the should I, or whatevers…ya know? Ugh, how I love these people.

Have I mentioned my allergies have been somewhat troublesome? Tonight we used the grill for the first time this season. I made homemade tortillas, tons of veggies, and salad with a little bit of steak. We all sat around the fire outside for a picnic dinner. Now I am huddled upstairs in bed cursing the very existence of the little pollen men…The number of times that I have sneezed has now reached the thousands and I’m having some snuggle time with my visine. Pretty fabulous way to spend a Friday night. I know your jealous.

I am head over heals and madly in love with my 17 month old. He kisses me constantly, wraps his feet around me like a Koala bear when I hold him, is incredibly bashful with strangers, and says “shhhh” complete with hand motions. He just started shaking his head no, calls everything with four legs a dog, and dances like the little white boy that he is. He is as calm and peaceful of a kid that I can imagine. He just goes with the flow. He climbs on everything, crosses his legs constantly, and squeals with glee when the garage door goes up and down. He has the most fantastic curly blonde hair and is smitten with his sock monkey. My world is a better place with him in it.

I am giddy with planning and organization right now. The end of the school year and the wrapping up of a year’s worth of studies is around the corner. Multiple boxes of shiny new books are nestled in the corners of UPS trucks all around the country making their way to us. My classroom began the yearly makeover and clean up process. I am deciding on fresh paint colors, filling in new planners, and figuring out the great puzzle that upon completion will become our daily routine next year. I am dreaming up celebrations that will hallmark the final day of a year’s worth of fabulous effort on the part of my most favorite three students on the planet.

Speaking of people who will drop anything and help you out. I just texted my husband, who is downstairs, to ask him to fill up my water bottle and bring it up to me. Oh and to also to take a fabulous picture please before you bring it up.

Finally, I just prayed with my 13 year old before he went to sleep. It ended with “and please help pollen leave the world and never come back. Amen.” Miracles can happen, right?

Have a fabulous weekend.

Do something spectacular.

Blissful Blooms Drawing and A mopedINK WINNER!

Written on March 19, 2012 by just a night owl in Random

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ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!

Drooling? I know, me too!!! You can win this!!!

Simply for commenting below!

Go visit Amy at her darling Etsy shop. You will not be sorry. I have some of her blooms and the cuteness is killing me.

Hair, jackets, purses…really anywhere you can clip something or pin something is begging for a bloom!

I first met Amy online when I found a craft that she did with her daughters on Pinterest. I poked around her blog and was smitten with her happy, crafty, joy, lovin’ little self.

Thanks for this fabulous giveaway Ms. Amy!

Speaking of giveaways…

Someones day is about to get a little bit sweeter!!!!!

The high tech, completely safe and fair little system of drawings for my little ol blog has revealed…

You are the winner of one item from mopedINK!

Please email me to claim your prize!

Congratulations Pam!

Don’t forget to leave me a comment below and you will be entered for Blissful Bloom’s giveaway.

The drawing for the bloom pictured above will be held on Monday morning, March 26, California time of 9:00 am.

Happy Monday!

Musings From A Sickly House. Part Deux.

Written on March 14, 2012 by just a night owl in Random

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As my last two patients are enduring the remaining days of the straggling cough, I am grateful that this was a relatively no big deal type of sickness. There was 103 degree fevers, crazy bad sore throats and coughing. However, all bodily fluids remained where they were supposed to be and for that, I am eternally grateful. The hardest part was it lasted 6-7 days and I have four kids. Do the math.

Every little boy needs converse. I can’t wait to shove Greyson’s chubby little feet into these and watch him run in them. People always want little girls to dress up and while I love me some bows and tutus, after my last two babies were girls, I am thoroughly enjoying dressing my little man.

It has been recently discovered that my 11 year old makes a delicious peanut butter cookie. We had them for dinner. When something is that good, why bother cooking something else? Especially on the third week of a sick house.

Speaking of incredibly unhealthy dietary behaviors. We are starting our 10 real food challenge this Saturday. No processed food of any kind for 10 days. My husband and I asked our kids if they want to join us and they all said yes! My seven year old did make known that if she “just couldn’t stand it anymore”, she would be quitting. Thank you, Emma. Noted.

We expect to learn a lot during the challenge and continue working towards improving our health. Bottom line is, lets get as healthy as we can. I mean God created us to do things and we can’t do the things we gotta do when we feel bad.

So, wish us luck. If you don’t hear from me in the next few days, send a search party …and please make sure they bring an ample supply of Twinkies.

Anything Is Possible.

Written on March 12, 2012 by just a night owl in Favorite Posts, Life, Random

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“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”

I do not have an official bucket list. If I did, you would find some big, seemingly unattainable items on it. Such as tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain, exploring the hillsides of Tuscany, and getting new carpet in our rental home…you know, that type of thing. Then you would find the small things that I continue to say and rarely make an effort to do like sew a pillow case dress, make homemade jam, parasail, etc. Finally, you would find the things that have been on there for~EVAH that I am finally doing in the last year or two. Run a 5k, run a 10k, and improve my photography skills.

Feels good to cross things off. I am thinking of making an official bucket list because I am one of those weirdoes who likes to write things down for the sheer purpose of crossing them off. It is like putting the exclamation point on the end of a sentence and a cherry on top of the sundae. Something isn’t complete until that final bit of oh la la makes its appearance, ya know?

So, I have been reading and practicing, reading and practicing, going through tutorials, and having many a photography playdate with my Ashley to suck all the knowledge out of her that I can. I was over the moon when a sweet friend of mine emailed to see if I could take some pics of her beyond beautiful young ladies. These girls are as sweet as they are pretty and it was such a fun time with them.

We have GOT to do what makes us feel alive. As I was prewriting these jumbled thoughts in my head, trying to decide if they would magically turn themselves into a somewhat coherent post, I sat down and opened my computer. I instantly found that the articulate Kelle Hampton quite literally wrote a post entitled ALIVE, just today. For me, more often then not, when reading a Kelle Hampton post, I find myself trying to convince my body that it is not an appropriate time to jump up and burst into the Hallelujah chorus. Although, quite frankly, she seems like the type that probably would, even in the middle of a crowded library. That girl speaks my language. The one that lives in my soul, but struggles at times to get out. She inspires.

What makes me feel alive is to grow and stretch. To learn something new. To share important moments with people. To love on my family. To capture beauty. To find artistry. To live with uninhibited passion.

To… Do what you can

With what you have

Where you are.

-Theodore Roosevelt

There is a magical place.

That point where living becomes more important then just existing and you’ll do anything you can to get there.

Whatever it takes.

What is it that makes you want to leap out of your chair and sing the Hallelujah chorus?

My First Giveaway. mopedINK.

Written on March 12, 2012 by just a night owl in Random

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I am excited today.

Not because I am on day 15 of caring for sick kids. Not because its Monday and no NOT even because I have no idea what I am making for dinner tonight.

Today, I get to be a part of hosting my very first giveaway for a very dear friend.

She opened her Etsy shop mopedINK today.

I first met Monica at our church. We became insta-friends and ended up working together. I was an event director and she was an admin in the office. Every time I needed something it was like she just jumped inside my brain and did exactly what I was thinking. Monica is awesome at translating your vision to reality, not to mention always so much fun to be around.

At mopedINK you will find darling printables for all occasions. I highly recommend her for whatever your designing needs are. Keep checking back this week for new items. She’s a little genius, that one. I had the pleasure of testing out her goodies on my school paper organization project. SO happy with the results.

FOR TODAY’S GIVEAWAY

You will receive one entry for commenting on this post.

You will receive one entry for “liking” mopedINK on Facebook. (leave another comment on this post to tell me you did that.)

So, you can have TWO chances to win.

What will you win, you ask?

ANYTHING YOU WANT! You can pick from any item in the mopedINK store!

WOW!!!

Thanks to Monica and mopedINK.

Check back daily at mopedINK for new items.

DRAWING WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY MARCH 19th at 8a.m. in California

Happy Shopping and Happy Monday!

A Walk In The Park

Written on March 11, 2012 by just a night owl in Life, Random

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You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.” Joel Osteen

“Keep doing the right. God is building character in you, and you are passing that test. Remember, the greater the struggle, the greater the reward.” Joel Osteen

“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been’.” John Greenleaf Whittier

“When you face adversity, you need to remind yourself that whatever is trying to defeat you could very well be what God will use to promote you.” Joel Osteen

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Dr Seuss

“Second Star to the right and straight on til morning.” J.M. Barne

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” Oscar Wilde

Musings From A Sickly House

Written on March 7, 2012 by just a night owl in Random

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Greyson has his first cold. Not bad considering he turns 16 months on Saturday. He is SO pathetically sad. His little voice is hoarse and he is whimpering a lot. Breaks my heart. Although EVERY time he sneezes, he laughs. That boy is good natured to the core.

I put my four marginally healthy children in the car this morning and made a drive thru adventure to the one and only. I am not a Starbucks drinker except for an occasional Caramel Apple Spice. It is a perfect drink for the 11th day of caring for sickies. My patients requested cold hot chocolate. ONLY AT STARBUCKS. Who says cold hot chocolate? I almost choked on my own spit when they asked for it. Isn’t that just chocolate milk? This place is just too complicated for me.

The only one 100% healthy around these parts is my seven year old. She is officially going at 1 million % stir crazy. I am trying to keep her entertained and we played our first game of scrabble EVER this morning. The words that she came up with were very entertaining. When my kids went to school outside the home, I paid little attention to their academic milestones. Not because I am a dirtbag mom, but because I really took those milestones for granted. I had no understanding of what it took to get them there. I didn’t see the process and I never thought about it, quite honestly. They were supposed to learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. That they did and while I was proud of them then, it is just so much more rewarding now.

I was so proud of Em this morning. As she was surveying her letters trying to pick out the perfect word I was thinking back at all the hours we have spent studying and learning. I have watched every single step of it. I love the fact that she could sit here with seven little letters and figure out how to put them together to actual words, even if it is the word barf.

The lack of outdoor living is making me extra reflective. I have been thinking a lot about life. Where I have been, where I am going, and definitely where I am now. I tend to get these thoughts out of whack at times. The perfect scenario would be keeping the ahead in your sights, the past in mind, and focusing on the future. That is a tricky thing.

Sometimes I get stuck in remembering. Sometimes I think back to a time or place and miss it so much I can hardly breathe. Those are the times while living them you truly wish you could make time stand still. Everything happens for a reason and I try and trust that.

Speaking of remembering. Do you remember the moment you found out your parents were selling your childhood home? I keep reading of people on Facebook going through this lately. My parents sold ours a few years back. It was definitely the right thing for them, but I miss it terribly. Isn’t she lovely? I lived here from 5th grade on.

The only thing wrong with this home was that it was located on a street called Herbert. Who names a street Herbert?? In general, I have terrible street name vibes. I kid you not, it’s bad. I have lived on Hogar, Flood, and Guanache. Not kidding.

I have found two fabulous things on the internet recently.

First Ms. Amy over at Blissful Blooms opened her Etsy shop! Congratulations Friend! Check out her beauties! Amazing, right? Now you can get your hands on some!

AND

I AM THRILLED to have found this site. 100 Days of Real Food. It is so full of information on living without eating processed food or very little of it. They have a 10 day challenge and a 100 day challenge. My plan is to do the 10 day beginning on March 15th. I have noticed a huge difference in how I feel since cutting out caffeine and fast food. I’m telling you it becomes addicting. Feeling better and being healthy is a GREAT thing to be addicted to, right? I am on a quest to learn and make adjustments that are right for my family.

We have a very picky eater of a 13 year old son. After waiting 3.5 months to get into the child nutritionist, I was told at his appointment to try chicken mcnuggets from McDonalds for meat and french fries for potatoes.

YES, YOU HEARD ME RIGHT!!!

I promise you I looked around for the hidden camera. I thought I was on an episode of punk’d. No camera. Turns out she was serious. I think she might need to be retrained.

I am not settling for that for my kids.

NO WAY.

Despite the changes I have made, eating NOTHING processed scares me. That seems hard, but I can do anything for ten days. All the information on the website makes it easy.

Just ten days. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10. It is not that long!!!!!

Anyone wanna consider joining me?

It’ll be worth it.

Exciting News!

Written on March 6, 2012 by just a night owl in Random

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I have been praying for an opportunity to connect into some homeschool~y places! Boy did God answer with a resounding HERE YOU GO.

I am super excited to be joining the team of fabulous ladies over at Hip Homeschool Moms as a site contributor. I have been following them for quite awhile now and I am really honored to be a part of what is going on over there. I am telling you, I think homeschooling would have quite possibly eaten me right up my first year, if I did not have online support for information, resources, and community. I am not even kidding.

Take some time to check it out! There is so much info and lots going on with weekly link up parties, the ultimate homeschool blog roll, fabulous articles, and free classifieds. There are lots of ways to connect.

BLOG

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Join us! The more the merrier.

In other happenings around here.

~ I am SO proud of my Taylor. She battled through her oncoming sickness and made it to her drama auditions. She landed herself a part in an upcoming play this spring at a local church. SO proud of her.

~We are on day 9 of someone being sick in this house. I was JUST telling someone a couple of weeks ago that since we began homeschooling, we barely ever get sick. OH PA~LEASE remind me not to make such a bold statement ever again.

~Our city is getting a Chuck E. Cheese. Some people hate on the mouse way too much. I am thrilled. My munchkins LOVE it there. We are also getting a Children’s Place. Now if someone could just see fit to build us a Noah’s Bagels and a Whole Foods, I think I would be ok.

~I watched Xanadu last week. It’s a brilliant thing. Olivia rocks those roller skates and I still know 90% of the words and songs. Frightening, huh? My sister and I used to do quite the imitation.

~ I have my first opportunity to do a photo shoot with a brand new little angel, Levi, this Thursday! He will be just ten days old. Can. Not. Wait.

~ I am starting Turbo Fire today. I am adding this to my half marathon training. YEEAHHH for getting’ strong.

Happy Tuesday, my friends!