Thursday, April 30, 2015

A Quick To Make Recipe.

So, I thought I'd share a quick and way easy and simple recipe to make. I'm sure somewhere out in the world wide web there is another one similar to mine...maybe even identical. I can completely honestly though say that I made this recipe using just my imagination and the ingredients in my kitchen.




First off you will need:
  • pork cutlet
  • broccoli
  • mushrooms
  • green bell peppers
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • paprika
  • vegeta 
  • teriyaki sauce

For those of you who don't know what vegeta is it's a mix of condiments, I included the picture of the package below:



I used fresh mushrooms so that meant I had to wash and peel the outer layer before chopping them into fine slices. Not too thin because they become very small in the pan.

Following that, I also sliced the bell pepper into medium thin slices. I used green because that was on hand but had there been yellow and red in my fridge as well those would have joined the green bell pepper.

Next, I also sliced the pork cutlet into about pinky sized pieces length and width wise.

Now, comes the fill your house with yummy smells part, put some olive oil into a large pan on the stove. Add the pork cutlet. You want the heat to be on small so it will get thoroughly cooked. 

Then, after the meat pieces are cooked and lightly browned add the broccoli. Cover the pan and occasionally stir. 

After the broccoli is partially cooked add the bell pepper and mushroom.

Now, go ahead and add the salt, paprika, vegeta, and teriyaki sauce. Do all of this according to YOUR taste. 

Serve with a nice dish of white rice (or any other rice of your choice) and a wonderful tasty salad along the side.


Hubby declared it ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!

I Linked Up At
Tasty Tuesday Link Party @ New Mrs.Adventures

Blah, Who Needs Sleep? It's Way Overrated!

Today started off as a wrong-foot forward kind of day. 

Baby J. decided he had enough sleep somewhere around 4A.M. and since he absolutely loves his mommy so SO much he also made sure to wake me up with loads of giggles and kisses. Now, I don't mind the kisses or even the giggles. What I do mind is that this was all happening at 4A.M.!
The world is still sleeping at that time and we should have been as well. Of course, I tried all the mommy tricks that I could think up. 

First, I gently hushed him and tried offering the pacifier. A firm shake of the head and some more giggles let me know that wouldn't work. Next, I sat up took him into my arms and tried rocking back and forth while humming a soft tune. Once again, a few pinches to my cheeks and some giggles at my "OUCH!" pronounced this try a fail. Then, I stood up and paced the length of the room while still humming...another fail. Finally, I headed to the kitchen with a very awake Baby J. grabbed a bottle of milk and headed back to the bedroom. The warm milk did the trick. He immediately started getting drowsy and we got to lay in bed for another 30 minutes while he took his sweet time drinking his bottle. Best 30 minutes EVER!! 

What stunk was the fact that all the above tries took me around 30 minutes so by the time the bottle was empty it was only 5A.M. and Baby J. was still half-asleep and getting to the dangerous point of fully awake. 
Again the rocking and humming was tried and the pacifier was offered and thank goodness he fell asleep.

In my still half-asleep mind frame I decided not to risk the switch from our bed to the crib but to let him sleep with me. It worked well, until Baby#2 decided to practice some kicks and punches and landed some under Baby J.'s hand that was on my belly. I came fully awake when the screaming started. Apparently, it is of topmost importance to start screaming when your yet-to-be-born brother kicks your hand. 

So, 5:15 A.M. welcomed us with open arms. 

Ever since then Baby J. has been having trouble sleeping. His morning nap lasted about 15-20 minutes instead of the regular hour and a half. His afternoon nap also lasted about an hour instead of the usual two hours. 

What is happening to his sleep??? Any ideas?

I can't keep this schedule up, it's been pretty bad sleep wise ever since he hit 3 months old. But we both got used to the wacky schedule and have managed to survive. So, why the sudden change in his sleeping schedule?

 I'm actually praying we'll return to our regular schedule by tonight but I'm not holding my breath.





Monday, April 27, 2015

Gender Reveal For Baby # 2

Well, as I mentioned in a previous post, we at Everyday Mommy Headquarters have waited for quite a while to find out some really exciting news.

And the day finally came!! On April 24th we finally got to find out the gender of our Headquarters new Baby Vice President!!

Why not Baby President you ask? Because Baby J. loves being the man in charge.

But he's willing to allow the new baby in the house a healthy dose of authority.Just as long as he still gets to make the final decisions around here. Guess that means we're going to have to make some room for a Vice Presidents office pretty soon.

Anyway back to our exciting news BUT before I spill the beans. Let me just say that baby is healthy.Still sitting smugly head up - legs down. Baby also loves practicing some totally awesome and occasionally painful kickboxing moves in there. I wouldn't mind so much but my ribs are slightly bruised or at least feel like they are. I'm also sure the amount of drop-kicks Baby has been doing lately have quite literally obliterated my bladder because all kidding aside it seems that I have lost all measures of control.

And no that is not funny. Even though if Hubby were to be the blogging type of man I'm sure he would have quite a few "funny" stories to tell.

But he's not so lucky me! 

I am also doing well thank you my blog readers for asking. Yes, there has been some weight gain but so far I'm still way below what I should have gained. 3.5 kgs below just to be clear. I'm sure now that I've spilled that secret I'll probably have gained all that plus some by my next check-up.

Alright, now for the gender. Since obviously I can't have all my readers over for a gender reveal, I searched up some sweet photos on google image to tell if it's boy or girl.

Ready??



the answer is...


Baby Vice President will be a boy and we are so very excited!!!


Time To Deal With Insecurities.

Aren't We All Created In God's Image?

Thoughts on Insecurities.

The Bible clearly states that we are all created in God's Image. Genesis 1:27-So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Yet very few people take this message to heart. Actually, a more correct way of saying this would be very few women take this to heart. Yes, women are much more sensitive to other people's opinion of them and allow it to influence their lives in various ways. Which probably is one of the leading factors to why women become so very self-conscious. 

For myself personally this topic is very sensitive. I have struggled for the better part of half my life with various insecurities. It ranged from the fact that I was born with brown hair , to my sense of style, and most often my weight. Looking back I firmly believe that had certain things people casually said never been said to begin with I might not have had a struggle with half of these insecurities. Actually, I wouldn't have had to struggle with them because they wouldn't have existed!

Except, the fact remains that those things were said and I did end up having these insecurities and fighting with them over and over. And losing those battles over and over. Even now I often find myself thinking one of the many lies because that's what insecurities actually are lies that the devil so casually feeds to our minds that we cannot even tell the difference between our own thoughts and the lies he implants in our brains. 

The sad thing is that many women will not admit to their insecurities. Instead they hide them behind various excuses. For example, I would often times say
"I really need to diet it is extremely important to my health that I lose this weight." This in itself was not a lie. I definitely needed to lose weight for my health but I was using a truth as an excuse to diet so that the actual reason would never have to be spoken. I hated the way I looked and felt that if I could just lose several pounds I would finally be considered pretty or beautiful.

And each time I would look in the mirror I would feed myself the lies the devil planted in my mind. "You are ugly." " You are worthless in this shape." "You'll never be able to be really loved until you're skinny." Of course, I didn't think of these as lies at the time, I thought of them as self-motivation to help me want to lose the weight.

Like I said looking back now I realize how all these things worked to ruin something that God created perfect from the start. 

I've also come to realize that insecurities can form for various reasons. But when you stop and take a very VERY close look at them you'll realize that they're all pretty much made up of two things. 

The first being that people who suffer from insecurities cannot and sometimes will not accept the most basic of truths. Which is that:God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 

This is so difficult to accept because God is in Himself PERFECTION. There are no flaws in Him. And the verse clearly says that God created man in His OWN image. Which means when we were created God made us perfect as well. This does not mean we are still perfect down the road. As we grow we encounter situations and people that affect us in either positive or negative ways. These encounters leave marks on us and the lives we lead. They also cause us to make good or bad choices and thus they take away from what God originally formed. Jeremiah 1:5-"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...". 

But the fact still stands regardless of everything and anything that happens- God created man and women. And God does not make mistakes- therefore you CANNOT be a mistake. This then so effectively cancels out the insecurity/lie that - I am a mistake or God must have made a mistake when He created me.

There is also the fact that God created us with love. This alone should remind you that the pesky insecurity/lie that constantly makes you consider yourself not loved by anyone or worthless or even unworthy of being loved is exactly that-a lie. Obviously there is One who loved you enough to create you. He even found you so full of worth that He took the time to know you BEFORE He formed you in the womb. 

There are so many insecurities/lies that can be dealt with if we just accept God's Word for what it is- the truth and fully live by it. In the end this Bible verse says it so wonderfully and straight to the point: John 8:32-" And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Yes, knowing and accepting that we are created in His image and thus accepting all the "little" truths that are a part of this bigger one, sets us free of a multitude of insecurities, lies, doubts or whatever you choose to call it.

Being able to do this. To accept this and live by it would take care of the second half of the problem. 

The second half, you see lies within our ability to accept that other people can love us. Why would this be a problem? It is a problem because unless YOU can love YOURSELF, you cannot accept that others can love you. 
How could anyone accept that other people can love them when they are unable to love themselves? And what's worse if you can't love yourself than how can possibly love your neighbor? Matthew 19:19 - "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

Insecurities have a way of not only hurting the person who carries them but hurting the people around that person. Being able to love the people around you as the Bible commands and accepting that other people can love you is just one of the many ways insecurities can cause harm.

Once you are able to accept that God's truth is exactly that the truth and you start living by it you resolve a major part of the root problem that comes with an insecurity. After, that the ability to accept and love yourself for the way you are comes much easier. Ultimately, learning to love yourself for the season in which you are in life will allow you to, last but not least, feel the real love of the people around you. Allowing you to love them the way God commanded.

I hope my endless ramblings make sense to someone besides myself. Helping those who need it. I spent the better part of my life struggling with insecurities and ended up bringing some into my marriage. I would often times ask my husband- "Do you love me? Do you see me as beautiful? Am I as fat as I make myself out to be?"  And he would often times answer- " Why do you keep asking me if I love you? Of course I do. You are beautiful and special. And you are not the way you see yourself. Why do you allow these insecurities to trouble you and upset you?"

It took me a long LONG time to realize all the things I've written about above 
and to accept them into my life. The sad thing is that I always said I was a christian. You would think as a christian I would automatically know and live by everything from above. And yet, that wasn't the case in my situation. My mouth would spout out the words and to an extent I would live them. Yet, I was never fully able to accept them. 

Until recently.

Now, I can look back and recognize the internal as well as external struggle I had. I just wish that it wouldn't have taken so long for me to get to this point in my life where I can finally look at myself in the mirror and say "You really are a beautiful creation." ; and were I can finally really accept the love that everyone around me has been offering me without questioning its sincerity.

But I can also rejoice in a powerful way at the fact that I can now not only love myself but love my God, my husband and my children in a much deeper and profound way than I was ever able to before. Not only that but now I can teach my children to love this way and the real meaning of living a life by God's Word.

I visualized my own insecurities as a pair of shackles that bound my hands and feet keeping me from fully enjoying the life I was given. Once, I finally allowed myself to accept the power of God's Word in my life I literally could see them falling away broken by a love and truth so pure that the insecurities that had tied me down until that moment were no longer able to hold me captive.







Saturday, April 25, 2015

Avoid Texting The Grocery List.

Baby J. is currently napping, so I thought I'd do something useful with my time.

We here at Everyday Mommy Headquarters have fallen in love with becoming more and more organized. Now, it's completely true that some of us (hint: Baby J.) enjoy emptying the toy box and pulling shoes off the shelf much more than participating in a good cleaning session. That's perfectly fine for now, but the day is coming when my little baby will no longer be so little and pulling shoes off the shelf will no longer be acceptable around here.

Today after Baby J. fell asleep Hubby was so kind to offer to go grocery shopping which lead to the following conversation.

Hubby: Need anything from the store?

Me:Yes, can you grab something to write out the list?

Hubby: (looks around the room) There's nothing to write on, why is there nothing to write on around here?

Me: Never mind I'll text it to you.

Hubby: Sounds good hopefully I won't forget to check my messages. 

So, right after Hubby left and I managed to sneak away from Baby J.'s side I grabbed the laptop and got busy with my first of hopefully many more such projects. 

I had fun doing this and plan to print out several such copies to make a miniature pad of them. I'm also going to pin them to the kitchen command center and that way we'll always know where they are. 

Now please do keep in mind this is my first time making something like this so I stuck to the phrase "less is more" when I made it. But time and practice I'm sure will have me turning out some really nice stuff. I did want something pretty on there as well so that's were the flowers came in.

Well, I hope you all who are silently reading my blog get to enjoy this Grocery List as much as I will. We definitely needed something like this to help keep us organized when it comes to making grocery lists. We unfortunately, developed the bad habit of sending texts to each other with items that needed to be bought in hopes that one of us will remember the whole list or at least check their phone for it. Let's just say more often than not that method failed completely. Which is why I'm so excited about trying this out and hopefully it will replace the text method completely.

Feel free to print it out. 


Friday, April 24, 2015

Looking Back...

This week has been unbelievably busy and filled with stress.

And stress is a big no-no for pregnancy. Yet, is there really a way to completely avoid it? 

We started the week off great on Monday but once Wednesday and the stress got going.

Tuesday was spent trying to clean up the house as much as possible. We also spent a wonderful chunk of our time playing in the community park. Baby J. loves the swing and a big portion of our time was spent on it. We also tried out the slide but he's still a little to young and small to enjoy it the way its meant. Make no mistake, we still had us a good time sliding down it but only from the middle since any higher would have caused me to have to let go of him. 

Tuesday was also the day Baby J. turned 9 months old. Our little baby is getting closer and closer to his first birthday. We, hubby included, had a wonderful evening of relaxing on the couch with Baby J. and talking about our memories of Baby J.'s first minutes in this world and then the days that followed. We laughed and I'll admit I shed a few tears as well at the wonderful memories we were granted the grace to create and share together with our little bundle of joy. 

Wednesday showed itself as a bright and beautiful morning but sadly the events that followed took out some of the joy of the day. Actually, it was mostly just a single letter that came in the mail that caused us unnecessary stress. You see, no one here at Everyday Mommy Headquarters enjoys big bills. Especially when we've been trying to save money. After several stress filled phone calls to the company that sent us the bill, it was determined there was nothing we could do except pay it. So, I did and in the one moment all that stress was gone.

Of course, each day has its own problems and so Thursday found us with another letter from the phone company. It too wanted to get a hefty chunk of money out of us. After another series of phone calls, Hubby and I decided this was ridiculous so we wanted to talk to someone regarding this bill because the explanation for the amount due that we received was definitely not good enough.

Which brings us to today. After an early visit with a person that was able to give us some insight into what we could do about this bill; Baby J. and I decided to stop for a milkshake and cookie for me and a nice soft pretzel for him. Our walk home was nice for a good part of it but then Baby J. got really tired of sitting in his stroller so he put up such a fuss I had no choice but to carry him the rest of the way.

Which didn't sit well with Baby J.'s sibling-in-the-making who started kicking up a storm. The situation had me in tears from laughing...and caused me to get quite a few weird looks from strangers.

But in the end who really cares what strangers think? 

I prefer enjoying life and laughing than living a life filled with the worry of what everyone around thinks of me.


Monday, April 20, 2015

All About Lack Of Sleep

I am absolutely exhausted. 

Today was almost more difficult than a day filled with work is. 

Baby J. and I visited the hospital early EARLY this morning for my glucose test. Which if you've ever wondered is absolutely positively disgusting. It is a huge cup of some sugary drink that makes the stomach turn somersaults. It also has the potential to make you throw up if your stomach isn't very strong.

And oh boy, did I wish I could throw up during the time it took to do the test. I barely managed to choke down the drink and hold it in until two hours passed. But to be completely honest the first half-hour wasn't so bad just the last hour and a half were pure torture. 

Once we were done we came straight home because Baby J. was exhausted and overly whinny. Unfortunately, great-grandpa had one last visitor over before he left so Baby J.'s nap-time was put on hold.

Which let me tell you was not a good idea. The whining and crying was oh so very intense. It almost made me want to cry as well. After all, I was just as exhausted if not more.

Baby J. did end up getting an hour nap, but I am quickly coming to the conclusion that it wasn't enough. The continued whining is my main hint. Apparently, he's refreshed enough to continue protesting his lack of sleep in a very oh yes VERY loud voice.

What's somewhat funny is that between the fits of crying Baby J. will stop and kiss my cheeks and nose and forehead ... pretty much every part of my face. Then he'll stop the loving, scrunch up his nose, and let loose a high pitched whine before starting to cry. 

Oh the joys of messed up sleeping routines. 





Sunday, April 19, 2015

Sunday's Blue Sky And Great-Grandpa

Gorgeous. 

That's the only word I can think of to describe today. It was absolutely gorgeous outside. Such a bright blue sky, a few tiny little white clouds, the sun shining brightly, and a soft breeze.

Sundays are among my favorite days. I get to spend time with my Hubby with no stress. Each Sunday, Hubby takes Baby J. for 30-60 minutes after Baby J. wakes up so that I get to actually...GASP....sleep in!!! If you can call sleeping till 7:30 A.M. sleeping in. Then we start our regular routine. Baby J. and I get breakfast going or we kindly let Hubby know that a stop at the bakery is in order. Chocolate donuts have a way of calling my name even from a very long distance away.Afterwards we all start getting ready for church. Which we love and enjoy. 

Today was extra special. Baby J.'s great-grandfather was here visiting us and since he's a preacher we got the joy of hearing one amazing sermon. 
We loved seeing Baby J.'s excitement when he saw his grandpa up front getting ready to speak. And to be completely honest he wasn't the only one excited, Hubby and I were too.

After church we had lunch with some friends and oh the stories great-grandpa can tell. Some of them had us with our mouths hanging wide open in disbelief and others had us in stitches. 

Once we arrived home, great-grandpa went to rest for a little while; so Hubby, Baby J. and I all tossed ourselves on our comfy bed and rested as well. Hubby and I got to have some play time with little Baby J. and we had such fun playing tickle games. 

We got to talking and I asked Hubby " Could you imagine reaching great-grandpa's age and seeing your oldest child turn 51 years old? 51! That's past the half-way mark." We then turned to look at our babbling little boy and ended up sharing a laugh together. He's so small, 51 years old that's forever away. 

I'm so glad Baby J. has gotten to meet his great-grandpa. It warmed my heart to see him play with his great-grandpa, I loved every moment they had together. Baby J. and his great-grandpa did as well.

We're going to be really sad to have to say good-bye tomorrow when great-grandpa has to leave to go back home.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Cleanliness Comes Through The Use Of Elbow Grease

Thursday was a day of cleaning and putting the apartment in as much of a perfect order as possible.

No. I am not a perfectionist. 
But that doesn't mean I don't want to see my home as clean and orderly as possible.

I mean just check out the before picture of our laundry/storage room.




Can you see the obvious? IT'S A MESS!!

Oh yes, that is what it looked like folks. I am extremely ashamed of it but I am pretty positive that posting this on here will help me keep things in better order.

Unfortunately, for that tiny space we had A LOT of things that needed a home. Somehow they all found their way here. From dirty laundry to cleaning supplies and even to some of Hubby's tools, they all ended up here.

Well, after walking in on that pitiful situation on Monday I decided it was time to get a healthy does of organization going in this household. Of course, being the genius Everyday Mommy that I am, I first googled organization methods and tools and google lead me to Pinterest. 

Oh yea, Pinterest has become a large part of my life in less than a week. I ended up searching through various examples for the most complete spring cleaning list possible and found this wonderful list . Absolutely love it. It definitely works wonders just look at the after pictures below. Of course, just printing out the list won't help you'll need to apply some elbow grease to get things done right. 


Doesn't it look much better?

So, that started my Thursday cleaning. I followed through on everything that was on the list and was very pleased with the results. Another fine before and after example is my linen closet...just check out the before and after pictures.

Before

 After

Just looking at the pictures makes me happy.

And so, Thursday and Friday passed with me cleaning and organizing everything in sight. All the while applying generous doses of elbow grease to anything that needed it.

Baby J. was somewhat put out because he got a little less attention but even he got in the mood when mommy gave him his own box to fill with his toys.
But let's be serious, he LOVED tipping everything out of the box much more.

Today, we're getting to focus on cooking and baking.

But nothing was able to compare with waking up this morning to a wonderfully clean home. 





Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Wistfulness And Talk Of Expansions

The sun is shining and the sky is a brilliant blue. 

All that is missing is the sound of ocean waves crashing along the beach and a lounge chair for me to relax into with a good book. 


About as close as I'll get


Instead I get the joys of loading the dishwasher, unloading the dishwasher, loading a load of laundry, changing a dirty diaper, taking out the laundry on to my pride and joy the balcony of our first floor apartment. Of course I can't just take it out I also have to hang it to dry but hey those few stolen moments on the balcony with the sun shining on me and the wind softly blowing around me is almost bliss.

Complete bliss would be the lounge chair on the beach with a good book just waiting for me to collapse into. While forgetting all about the piles of laundry and the dirty dishes calling my name. 

What I did manage to do today for myself was bake some brownies. And I'll happily admit to eating three of them, they were just that delicious. I managed to snatch some ME time while Baby J. napped for 30 minutes in his crib. It was blissful. I took those brownies and almost ran to the couch then I reminded myself that my goal for Baby J.'s nap-time today was to relax. So, I slowed myself down and actually walked to the couch...I kid you not I could almost hear the clock ticking down the minutes left to myself.

I also have to admit that I almost did not stop at those three delicious brownies. I was sorely tempted to go back into the kitchen; grab the pan and wolf done the remainder of the brownies leaving none to Hubby. I blame this temptation on Baby J.'s soon to be Vice President. 

The Everyday Mommy Headquarters found out it would be expanding late last year. Now we're just counting down the weeks - less than 16 - until we meet our new Vice President. Right now, I get to look forward to a glucose test on Monday...not all that exciting. But then Thursday, ah yes Thursday we find out the gender.


Now that will be exciting.






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Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Please Fasten Your Seat Belts We're Ready For Take Off



I've read a lot of blogs. And I really do mean A LOT. Each has had it's own unique way of taking off. Some people jump right in with the story of the day, others prefer to give a short or in some cases long introduction of themselves and everyone important to the survival of the blog. Then, there is the remnant- people who are slightly intimidated by all the great blogs out there thought up by some truly brilliant minds. 

Can you guess which category I fall into? 

If you chose the remnant or terrified of falling short of my own expectations for this blog-you chose correctly. I'd give you a reward but I'm a tad bit short on cash at the moment. 

You see, my employer just asked me to buy him some more yogurt, crackers, oh and lets not forget diapers. He's totally out of the first two and really running low on the last. Yep, that's correct I said diapers and no I'm not referring to adult diapers.

My employer you see happens to be the cutest, sweetest, most loving almost nine month old on the planet, who shall from now on be referred to as Baby J. I couldn't ask for a better boss but I would definitely love an upgrade to my office. I mean there's nothing wrong with writing and paying bills from the dining room table but just something about sitting myself down to work at it reminds me of being 8 years old and doing my homework. 

My colleague would like an introduction as well. He's not around much for diaper duty but he sure enjoys taking over evening playtime and definitely loves participating in Sunday afternoon nap-time. I'd like for everyone who will ever read this blog to meet Mr. Husband also fondly called Hubby by me.

I guess that pretty much covers the introduction. Anything else that has been forgotten will for sure be mentioned in one blog post or another. 

So, for anyone tuning in to this blog please fasten your seat belts we're ready for takeoff. No promises of dangerous adventures but there might be the occasional air turbulence with just a hint of whinny, definitely some funny, and more often then not just the tales of an everyday mommy.