boredom busters

cloud dough

tis the season for stir crazy kiddos.  either it's too cold, windy, or rainy out or worse...the kids are sick AND the weather sucks. anyone knows that oftentimes when the kids are sick they are still mobile and extremely stir crazy.  which makes parents crazy. at least it makes me crazy.  enter my tried and true ways to bust boredom in the balls.  i'm sharing them with you today, but also recording them for myself...so i can look them up and implement them instead of having a meltdown.

cloud dough 
slightly messy, but worth it. store it on one of those "under the bed" storage containers. (found here)

fish for letters
fill the tub up and throw a bunch of those magnetic numbers or letters in it.  have your kid fish the letters or numbers out with a kid fishing pole that has a paperclip attached to the end of the line.  older kids can spell stuff out or practice math.  younger ones can identify the numbers or letters.

shaving cream
this cheap stuff is your friend.  in a tub, cover a toy in it and have your kid shoot water at it until they find their "prize".  OR put some on baking sheet and let them add color with those water tubes that come with flowers.  just dilute food coloring in some water.  then let them go to town.  very easy to clean up.

tub painting
strip the kids to their underoos.  cover the tub walls in paper and make some edible finger paint or just color some cool whip with food coloring.  let them create a masterpiece.  when they are done, remove the paper and start bath time. OR make your own bath paint by coloring shaving cream with food coloring and let them paint during bathtime.

rice game
fill a bowl up with uncooked rice and hide things like magnetic letters in it.  have the kid dig around until they find all the treasures. give them some smaller containers and let them transfer the rice from container to container.  keep it all contained on a large, rimmed baking sheet for easier clean up. (i used this one for all of hendrix's 2nd year so that i could get dinner made)

pompom game
find some unbreakable container with a lid and preferably clear.  cut a smaller hole in the lid.  give your kid some pompoms and have them stuff the pompoms in the container.  use different colors and sizes then have them practice colors and sizes.  (this was also great when hendrix was about 1 1/2 - 2 1/2)

balloon pong
things can escalate quickly but it gets a lot of energy out. see here for how to.

make granola or animal cookies
easy recipes for kids to help with and they freeze for up to 3 months.  granola recipe is here and animal cookie recipe is here.

clean up relay race
at my house, everything that is supposed to be upstairs is always (somehow) downstairs.  so i get a tub and set it by the bottom of the stairs.  i go through the downstairs and collect everything that needs to go back upstairs.  while i do it i have hendrix RUN the items to the box.  gets energy out.  sometimes he falls, but he loves it.

paper highway
tear off a big piece of kraft paper.  draw roads and a town on it.  give your kids some crayons and cars.  have them add to the town and go for a drive.

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what are your boredom busters? let's all share so that we have some arsenal this winter and upcoming rainy (hopefully!!) spring.



  

i love it when i'm clever

the bathroom in our house was a total afterthought.  like sometime in the late 50s, early 60s someone looked around and saw that EVERYONE else now had indoor plumbing and thought they should go along with the trend.  so they put up a wall on a porch and some drywall in the now "bathroom".  no insulation, though.  it is about 25 sq ft. with a full sized bathtub, sink, toilet, wall storage cabinet and a full sized water heater.  so, yeah.  it's kind of the bane of my existence in this house.  i love this house, but that bathroom. oh my god.  as you can imagine, there are no towel bars or places for towel bars, or wall space. so....after 3 years i have actually figured out a cute, easy option.  yes, it took me 3 years to be clever.
remember these from our wedding?

well, since i am not planning any dinner parties anytime soon. they are now cute, monogrammed towel hooks.

weird thing is...mike still used hendrix's towel this morning instead of getting a new towel.  why? boys are gross.  that's why.  new "systems" take awhile to take hold in our house. so, hendrix should have it down by yesterday and mike by next year. ha!
up next...turning an old door/entrance into a craft corner. sounds weird.  but it is going to be awesome.  let the nesting begin!!!  

feeling festive

this weekend we saw santa and got a christmas tree.  i even wrapped all the presents we have bought so far.  it's beginning to feel very festive around here.  now if only it would snow.
christmas will come a little earlier this year for our family.  my MIL is going to get to come home from the rehabilitation facility tomorrow and we have our ultrasound on thursday.  send us lots of positive energy and love for a nice, healthy, happy growing baby.  i am 19 weeks along now.

i got some cooking and prep done this weekend, too.  i made some granola, breadcrumbs, hard boiled eggs, and marinara.  i think i will start on holiday baking and homemade gifts this week since our christmas cards arrived last week.  what are you all making for the holidays?  i am going to do some of my hot cocoa mix, applesauce chocolate chip cake, granola, rosemary olive oil bread, and everyday bread with compound butter.  i don't have a giant list of people...so i like to mix it up. i am also looking at doing some of these busy bags and this hand scrub for some folks.
i hope your weekend was grand and your week is even better...
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if you are in the omaha or lincoln area and would like to make the holidays brighter for some families, consider donating soup or pop to PLaiD's 2nd annual holiday souper supper.  PLaiD will be providing soup, rolls, dessert, and drinks to sick kids, their families, and the staff that takes care of them on friday, december 20 at UNMC. check out PLaiD's website for more about what they do.  go here to sign up.

christmas countdown

i had many grand plans for a grand advent calendar this year.  then life got in the way and none of them came to fruition.  every year, as hendrix gets older, christmas gets more exciting around here.  kids make even the biggest scrooges (ahem, mike) get excited for christmas.  i love advent calendars because they help the kid countdown to christmas and they help me stay focused on what matters.  i always like to include special activities like: get a christmas tree, decorate cookies, or go ice skating in his calender.  then for the days when we can't quite DO something...he gets a special treat.
anyways, there i was standing in the kitchen at the end of november wondering how i was going to whip out a calendar quickly and cheaply...when i spotted hendrix's christmas stocking.  it has a calendar on it. ta-da! the christmas advent stocking!  so every day since saturday, i have been putting little treats in there.  he's really been loving it...and so have i.  the santa pez dispenser was a big hit yesterday. thursday is saint nick's day so i will putting a picture of a shoe in his stocking and telling him to check his shoes for a surprise. do you have an advent calendar in your house? how do you fill it?

a month of meals

i've either entered the nesting phase or have WAY too much time on my hands.  however, i have read on quite a few blogs lately and talked with a few friends...apparently planning meals out and doing the shopping for a month of dinners is a money saver/time saver.  i already spend very little on groceries, but lately we have been going over our budget.  mostly, because with this pregnancy comes pregnancy brain, morning sickness, and "ohmygodiamsotired i can't even make a sandwich". it all leads to eating out more and/or prepackaged dinners bought at the last minute. both not all that delicious.
also, i think by not really planning out snacks and lunches and times that i can't bear to prepare food, i end up leaving myself with a kitchen with no back up plan.  supermom isn't making as many appearances these days. hence, the frozen pizza and ravioli on my grocery list.
so....i went down the road of crazy and planned a month of meals. feel free to poach any or all of these for your own planning purposes.
a few things... this plan took me about an hour to do.  i stuck with mostly staple dinners and threw a couple of new recipes in there. i typically have a pretty well stocked pantry so i just needed to replace a few items.  it may vary based on your pantry. the meat, frozen food, and pantry items will be purchased once this month.  some of the produce that keeps well, like carrots, potatoes, onions, and sugar snap peas, will be purchased once. the same with the dairy...some like shredded cheese i can buy once and freeze or some like buttermilk have a long shelf life. otherwise, i will (of course) be making small, short trips to the store weekly based on what perishables i need to stock up on. or telling mike to do it. finally, i  did 26 dinners instead of 31 to allow room for leftovers and the holidays.  also, i will be picking 4 - 6 dinners from the list weekly to make instead of planning every single night of the month. the bulk of my shopping is done at costco, aldi, and fareway.

here is the meal plan:

snacks
cut veggies + dip (ranch seasoning with yogurt)
fruit
quick bread gone healthy (check pinterest)
granola + yogurt
hummus
bean dip
hard boiled eggs
cottage cheese
smoothies (i just buy a bunch of cheap frozen fruit and wing it)
granola bars ( we love these nature valley brand protein bars they sell at costco)
goldfish crackers (i'm succumbing)

lunches
leftovers
grilled cheese
noodles or cheese ravioli
sandwiches

breakfast
whole wheat pancakes
french toast
eggs + breakfast meat
toast
yogurt
biscuits + gravy (clearly reserved for the weekend. i'm not that much of a fatty.)

dinners
1. crockpot chile colorado burritos with rice
2. chili rellano casserole
3. lasagna with salad
4. crockpot chili
5. crockpot beef stroganoff with salad
6. beef satay with ramen in peanut ginger sauce
7. baked sausages with apples, onions, and potatoes
8. italian sausage meatball sandwiches with salad
9. sloppy joes with baked fries and cut veggies
10. baked penne with salad
11. crockpot stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes
12. sausage, bean, and kale stew
13. (venison) steak salad with tomatoes, onion, and bleu cheese
14. tuna noodle casserole with salad
15. venison roast with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots
16. shepard's pie (with leftover roast & potatoes from #15)
17. crockpot korean ribs with rice and braised cabbage
18. baked sausages with colcannon + applesauce (use cabbage from #17 for colcannon)
19. greek burgers with pita, cukes, tomatoes, feta, and onion
20. sausages with latkes + applesauce
21. braised short ribs with polenta and roasted veg (christmas dinner?)
22. venison enchiladas with rice
23. crockpot chili
24. baked fried chicken drumsticks with rainbow salad
25. macaroni + cheese
26. black eyed peas with leeks and kielbasa and cornbread (new years eve)

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so far, i have spent about $100 - 150 less than i typically would for the whole month. we shall see how the rest of the month goes...i will give updates.  also, let me know if you all try this or already do it.  i'd love to hear your thoughts.  so far, i really like having a fully stocked kitchen with all the ingredients to make over half of these meals. now if only we could get a massive snow storm...
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check out january's month of meals plan and to read more about what i learned by planning dinner out for a whole month!

tilapia with mustard cream sauce

years ago, when mike and i first started dating i used to make him dinners that included fish or chicken. then i learned that he thinks fish or chicken are diet meat. he's a farm boy, what can i say? sure we still eat fish or chicken, but not as often as i'd like. most of the time it is red meat or vegetarian with a side of meat for mike. plus, nothing sounds less appetizing then chicken when you are pregnant.  fish, though, i crave and love when i am pregnant. i have been craving this recipe that was one of the first meals i ever made for mike.  back then i am sure i served it with something very expected like rice and asparagus.  this time i served it with roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts.  it was as delicious as i remember and so easy.  wonderful for this holiday season where we need something fast, easy, and healthy for dinner. sure it has cream in it, but it is a minimal amount so you won't die. also, last night i felt baby #2 move for the first time (and boy was it having a party!!) so perhaps we have another fish lover in this family. hendrix chose to dip his dinner in the sauce because that's what toddlers do...they dip their food.
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tilapia with mustard cream sauce
4 tilapia fillets (or any similar white fish)
salt
pepper
fresh thyme
3/4 c. of chicken broth
2 T. cream
2 T. Dijon mustard
heat olive oil in a skillet.  season fish with salt, pepper, and thyme.  cook fish for 1 minute each side in  heated skillet. add chicken broth and bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes. carefully remove fish and keep warm.  at this point you can add a bit of sliced mushrooms or chopped spinach if you like.  if you do then just cook until veg is cooked through. whisk in cream and mustard.  cook until warm, about 1 minute.  serve sauce over fish. 

thankful tuesdays

good advice if you are preparing the feast.

we're all thankful for something this time of year. hopefully.  even in my family's darkest moments we have found gratitude.  i know this year has been full of ups and downs for everyone including my family.  i do hope that we all have a chance to gather on thursday, eat good food, and take a moment to give thanks.  here's what i am most thankful for...

• my husband, my son, and the growing, very hungry baby in my belly 
• the super folks  heroes at the heart ministry center that delivered thanksgiving meals for over 400 families in the omaha metro last saturday
• my brother and his family who are making our thanksgiving feast
• all the coats the preschool parents, parishioners, and CCD children at our preschool collected for the heart ministry center's clients
• my MIL is getting better everyday and can use a walker and get herself out of chairs.  she'll be home in a couple of weeks!!
• that i live a world where a parent can overcome his greatest grief to celebrate his children and make life better for other kids through art.
• that it is tuesday which means it only two more days to my favorite holiday!!

have a happy thanksgiving all!

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feeling guilty about all the yummy food? drink a smoothie.  smoothies solve almost all problems.

blueberry banana smoothie

1 frozen banana

1 c. frozen blueberries

1 1/2 T/ ground flax seed

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1/2 - 3/4 c. milk 

blend together in blender and feel the guilt melt away.