Menu planning Monday...

What a wonderful weekend!  We had such beautiful weather and spent so much time outside & now the skies are clouding up and the temperatures are dropping - but the glimpse of spring to come was oh so nice & welcome!  Since it's still a little cold out, I'm planning some warm and hearty meals!  I've been menu planning for quite some time now but this week I'm branching out and linking up over at orgjunkie.com! 

Monday - Shepard's Pie
Tuesday - Chicken Cacciatore
Wednesday - Crock-pot Chili
Thursday - Date Night
Friday - Nacho's & a family movie

Visit orgjunkie for lots more menu ideas! 

A Six Week Challange... Week One!

Week one of our six week challenge was amazing! Alan did great :)  I love the movies, he loves the couch - but he surprised me and took me out to see a movie on Thursday night - and had his parents come over to surprise baby sit!  So little one got to have some time with his grandpa and gram and we got grown up time!  The best thing about a small coastal town in the winter - we were the ONLY people at the movies!  We were able to talk and just hang out without worrying about distracting other people.  I may regret handing the reins over to Alan so soon because now I've got some brain storming to do!  I'll let you know what I come up with for week two!

A few little Valentine's Day gift ideas...

How did we get from Christmas to Valentine's Day so quickly?  And how is it that time has flown by and I will have a two year old in what is really just a few weeks?  Oh the joys of toddlerhood!  I must confess that I'm not a big Valentine's Day person - we somehow can't seem to not get each other a gift and we do have a traditional dinner.  Every year we get lobsters and cook them at home.  This and New Year's Eve are two days we just don't believe in eating out!  Here are a few things I have and love, and a few more things I'd like to have - have fun hinting to your hubbies :)

 My Mommy Necklace

The Vintage Pearl

Surf Momma Square Zippered Pouch (The online store is still in the works - just email me to purchase!)

Posy Pins & Petal Pushers from the Pleated Poppy - I LOVE mine, but I forgot to take a picture!

Red Letter Words (I don't have this... but I would love to have "Hannah's Prayer" hint hint!)

Anything at all  from DaySpring - Hallmark's Christian line, they have some really beautiful and meaningful things - like this!

Disclaimer - This post is not sponsored by any of the products featured, with the exception of the Surf Momma Square Zippered Pouch and that is made by me!  The other items are just things that I love & hope you will too!

A Six Week Challange...

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There has been a lot of roller coaster riding at our house these past few months ultimately as a result of Alan loosing his job.  Thanksgiving was a hassle, Christmas passed us by with only headaches and worry, by New Year's we had retreated and were waving white flags.  And with mounting stress & worry Alan & I have become rather short and testy with each other - this is not at all us - and we both agree has gotten worse lately. 

So after some thinking and talking we have decided that once a week for the next six weeks we will take turns planning some sort of date.  We've not been on a real date since our anniversary (in September!).  And not that we don't love sharing every meal with our son but we'd like to eat every now and then without picking up forks, getting more napkins... you know.  We need to take time to be grown ups and hang out with just each other from time to time.  The "rules" are that you have to take care of everything - child care if needed, the little man's dinner, and making sure the other knows plans have been made.  And a most important rule - we don't have to spend any extra money or go anywhere - even if it's a dinner for two after bed time with a nice bottle of wine, it counts because we're each making the effort to plan something for us. 

I've given this first week to Alan - I'll let you know what he comes up with.  

Menu planning Monday...

Busy, busy this week - digging out from a ridiculous seven inches of snow, work for my day job, work for Surf Momma Sews (some big news coming soon!) - momma and wife duties... Okay, except for the snow it will be a perfectly "normal" week so I better make sure I can feed my boys good and hearty meals :)


Monday - Soup & Grilled Cheese for the boys, Momma has a work meeting
Tuesday - Pork roast in the crock pot with sauteed veggies and rice
Wednesday - Cajun shrimp linguine from Cooking Light
Thursday - French dips with homemade fries
Friday - Pizza & a movie



What are you eating this week? 

Menu - no but a recipe...

I didn't post a menu last week and so far I haven't done one this week - because we've had things going on non-stop!  And even though we've been eating at home it's been a quick saute here and some mac&cheese there (typical with toddlers, right?). 

We LOVE buffalo wings, dip, anything really :)  And my husband had a serious "need" for them one night last week.  Well, since he lost his job at the end of last year we have only eaten out once for a lunch date (though I did take little Allan to Chick Fil A to celebrate his giving up the paci).  I really hated the thought of ordering take out (read - spend money) or making the little man wait on food at a restaurant (read - my kid has no patience when hungry).  But I did have some chicken breast and Franks hot wing sauce in the fridge so I improvised!  And I didn't think to share this with you all until they were all gone (sorry, no pic)  but I do think they were at least a little more healthy than regular wings!

Big Allan's Buffalo Bites

4 chicken breast, cut into cubes
4 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of canola oil (just enough to coat the pan)
1/2 cup of wing sauce (we use Franks)
3 tablespoons of honey

Heat the oil on med-hi in a pan
Take the cubed chicken and place it in a gallon ziploc bag, add flour to the bag and shake to coat the chicken.

Add chicken bites - let them saute until done.
Mix honey with hot sauce and pour over chicken.
Keep buffalo bites on the heat until every piece has a good coating of wing sauce.
Serve with celery and ranch (or blue cheese) dressing

With more football on TV this Sunday - I see some more of these being eaten in the near future!

Little Reminders From Above...

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So we haven't been to our church this new year, this isn't something we've felt very good about.  This past Sunday I felt that little Allan was too far into a cold for me to let him go and play with his buddies in the nursery (I'm so over cold and flu season).  Then yesterday I had off of work and little one was feeling better so I let him go to daycare because the grown ups needed a day to get a few big things done at the house.  We went to the hardware store to look for some way to fix our horrible shower and thankfully we found something that was reasonable and easy enough.  This was a huge answer to some house prayers!  As we were walking around though we began to run into people from our congregation.  Three in the hardware store, all from different families, all of us checking in with each other and remembering to pray for each other.  Alan and I began to discuss if we were being given reminders from above.  Then two more (& very special to Alan & I) congregation members at the grocery store, all followed by a precious email from another member who just wanted to check in on our family.  Yes, we were getting reminders - rather bold ones we decided.  Reminders that God is watching over us and that he has put the right people in our life for right reasons.  Reminders that we can lean on our church family during hard times just as easily as we can celebrate good times with them. We are very thankful for our reminders...

 

Winner Winner :)

Happy Friday!  And boy do I need a long weekend.  Work this week (despite this week being shortened thanks to snow) has been plain awful.  Sometimes dealing with "the public" is not all it's cracked up to be.  I'm looking forward to sitting down and getting a little more sewing done this weekend and hanging out with family and friends.  I'm excited that I've got a few more projects in the works and some fun blog stuff for everyone too!  Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Our Winner:
comment # 3 - What a great idea.....I am looking forward to my Mom coming over at 3pm so I can have an adult conversation! :) 

Congratulations to the FITZ :) I'll send you an email shortly!

How about a giveaway...

As promised - it's my very first giveaway!  After seeing all the snow melt around here and having to remember that we've still got a little ways to go before spring arrives I needed cheering up!  What better way to cheer myself up than to share some of Surf Momma Sews with you!  Today I'm giving away a small zippered pouch that is perfect for holding and protecting your smart phone, point and shoot camera, or any other small everyday items.  To enter - leave a comment about what you are looking forward to right now.  I'll select a winner at random on Friday afternoon!

Rules & Disclaimer - One entry per person, please.  This product is a creation of Surf Momma Sews and this giveaway is sponsored by me.

Beach Snow...

Beach snow is a lot like Christmas snow - magical.  It almost never happens and when it does it's usually pretty grand.  The best part about this snow is that they were only calling for slushy rain and we ended up with somewhere between 3 and 4 inches at our house.  We wanted to go over the bridge to the beach but they were only letting one car over the bridge at a time due to ice so we stayed close so home.  We had movie time (Cars - again.), made hot chocolate in the crock pot, ate way to much snow cream, snuggled and napped, threw snowballs... you know all of the fun snow stuff and we loved it (though secretly, I'm wishing for summer)!!

 

Routine...

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Routine.  Oh - to return to a 40 hour work week has been grueling and good and exhausting and a blessing.  Is all of that possible in a week?  Yes, because routine is comfort.  Comfort is good.  Little Allan is so thankful to have his routine back too - he gives me the sweetest kisses and bye-byes every morning at drop off and the best hugs when I pick him up! 

For all of the return of routine there are still a lot of things up in the air at our house.  We're waiting on Alan's unemployment to start coming in.  There are jobs that he's applied for and waiting back to hear about.  The wait between interviews and the yes or no phone calls are grueling.  But he's taken a lot of initiative at home and gotten a lot of things done already that, because we work so hard got passed over a lot.  He's been pretty amazing about it all despite how he was treated.  I love him, so very much for being who he is! 

And then there's the six or seven post that are half way written in my draft box.  I can tell you now that some of them never should will see the light of day.  My sewing machine has been a little lonely this week.  There just haven't been enough hours in the day this week - sewing, blogging, working, wife, mother, cook (um, obviously not in that order). There have been several days though that as we drink coffee and play trucks in the morning I wish I could just walk in the next room, sew, and that be my work.  Until that day comes, I'll just keep enjoying sewing when I can and making the most of my day job. 

I'm so looking forward to this weekend though - I'll get to surround myself with my little guy, my wonderful husband, friends, books, coffee, and yes, I think I'll look forward to laundry too!  We'll get to celebrate a new home with friends, we'll get to celebrate the official relocation of some of my family to the area, we'll get to gather and pray on Sunday.  Maybe even some snow to welcome next week.  Yes, I'll take routine any day of the week.

Speaking of Grace...

It wasn't but a few months ago that I stumbled upon one of the most grace-filled blogs I've ever read.  Edie from Life in Grace is a beautiful example of grace in her faith, family, and friendships.  I've been so touched and inspired by her blog and how she shares her walk with the Lord and the everyday journey of her family.  But the Tuesday before Christmas Edie and her family lost all of their worldly possessions in a house fire.  Thankfully her entire family (dogs too!) was unharmed.  Today is Edie's birthday and I want to extend her wishes for a day full of grace, love, and peace.  I pray for Edie and her family that God reveals his plan for them as they journey down this new path laid out for them.

Resolved

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I've decided this is the year to have resolve rather than make resolutions.  Oh sure - the hubby and I have made some weight loss wagers via wii fit but finding resolve is a much better way to describe what I'm reaching for this year. 

Somehow, nearly two years (hold on, let me freak out about that for a moment) into this whole mom gig I'm still searching for to find my stride as a working mom.  I'm resolved to find that this year.  I feel like my struggle to balance life as a working mom and wife has strung along friendships and I miss them, and I'm resolved to work on that.  Things have been so difficult at our house recently because of events that we can't control and so our marriage, while it's fine and all, isn't great or grand because we've had no time or energy left to devote to each other lately and we're both resolved to change that because we agree that this is one place in life where "fine" just won't cut it.  We're also resolved to continue healing our former financial transgressions (read - debt).  We've come such a long way and even though we've been side tracked by Alan's sudden job loss we're determined to reach our goals.  We're resolved to be better parents - to stop and enjoy the toddler moments because we're only doing this once!  I'm resolved to make and reach some new goals with this blog.  Later this month I'll host my first giveaway and last night I cut 20 new pieces for the shop which led to a flood of other ideas for things to make and I can't wait to sew them up and share them with you! 

The biggest thing I'm resolved to do this year, be a better example of grace.  I pray that through grace I can accomplish all of my other goals.  I will pray for God's grace in my life and the lives of those around me and I will pray that God will use me as an example of grace to others.

What are you resolved to do this new year?

Menu Planning On Monday...

Yay for some routine around here!!!  I wish I could revel in what our holiday season was - but with everything we've had thrown at us since mid November we're pretty thankful that 2010 is behind us.  That being said - there's lots to do to start off our new year and lots of saying prayers that Alan lands a new job quickly!  Lots of love, happiness, and good eats in this new year!

Monday - Soup and Grilled Cheese
Tuesday - Ham with Mac&Cheese and Corn (Little Man's favorite meal!)
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Spicy Shrimp and Rice
Friday - Spaghetti and Salad
Saturday - Grilled Sea Bass with Taters and broccoli