CrockPotting

In an effort to help preserve whatever sanity and serenity I can ... I've been crockpot cooking anything and everything. Here's lunch: pasta w.sauce! Desired amt of uncooked pasta, cover w.watered down sauce of choice.

One hour (I've eaten this same dish after 30-40 min too), on high,  ¡viola! Ready to eat pasta!  I put it together just before leaving to pick up from PreK, it's ready when we arrive.   Prep time: 30 seconds to 1 minute. Yeah!! My kinda dish!

*update: add a scoop of cottage cheese to the bowl, seems much like lasagna! Mmm!

Time flies

Well, I'm shocked it's been 9 months since my last post. Life gets busy with two toddlers, phew!

I have created many Pinteresting things, including the cinnamon-bun-pancakes that I said I would make once my husband found them and pinned it on his own Pinterest board! (He did it!)

Most recently I made a weekly menu board. Being impoverished and unable to spend $10 to make this cool menu board, I made due with what we had on hand... cardboard from a previously used box, markers, paper, clothes pins. I color coded the papers to make sense for our families needs.  It may not be the cutest, but it functions and makes my week a smidge easier. Hooray! ((Used glu stick to adhere clothes pins to the cardboard, some office clips stapled to the wall -- yes, that's right-- stapled.)) [McGuyverette here]

Crafting: kiddos

 Crafting with garbage, foods, and recyclables!

As I tossed an empty chip bag towards the garbage, my baby abruptly turned, starring at the crinkley bag, reaching in the air as if to say "momma, I want that!". Hmmm... what can I make with it? I got it! A shakey crinkly bag! I cut the top half of the bag and threw it away (some things actually do make it into the garbage, lol).

With the bottom half, I turn it inside out [shiny side out] and gave it a hot rinse and dried. Then put  about 1/4 cup of uncooked rice into the inside-out-bag. Folded the top edge over, folded the corners in to avoid pokey points, and sealed with a long thin strip of duct tape [don't ya just love that amazing wonder-all tape?!]

Viola! an impromptu shakey toy! Both kiddos were pleased for many days on this piece of 'garbage' turned toy! I'd say it was a hit! And well worth the monies spent! (ha!!)

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Toddler was uber bored with me one day... so we tried some fine-motor-skill-play time!
Spaghetti Dough Mounds!

Stick spaghetti into a mound of dough (playdoh shown, can use homemade salt dough too!), have toddler place cheerios onto spaghettis. Of course, she came up with her own rendition... shortened the spaghetti [because she was rough-housing them and they snapped], counted a few out, and  *precisely*  replaced the newly shortened pieces back into the already-used holes. Nothing else would do.

SUCCESS!

Zoo

Some lovely warm weather has filled our winter, a trip to the zoo was a must! I love our local zoo, we are blessed to have a fantabulous and yet manageable zoo nearby. I can't wait til warm spring and summer months and all the Zoo-ing we will do!

Eagles the size of toddlers...

Diving Polar Bear Cub

 Doesn't every zoo have a lovely state-of-the-art Polar Bear exhibit? With a 30 foot pool? With above ground surround windows? With a wall of window looking into said pool?!?  It's awesome! We  *love*  it!

Striking beauty Goose

Artsy Fartsy II

As a breastfeeding mommy, I have pockets of time that allows me to search Pinterest, [Pin like crazy], doodle on my phone, anything quiet (sometimes I'm calm enough to actually rest too). Here are some of my doodles / drawings/ sketches.

Rosary

Celtic

Pnk n Grn

Pnk n Brn

Brn n Grn

Pnk n Grn n Brn

Purple Vaz

Pour

Curve

Hammock

Palmy

Palm

Prpl O

pastel

Kings Circle

Prpl on Black

Sq2

Spring Heart

Springgy

Buttercream

Cncrs

Purple Drop

Peacock Cross

BluGreen Cross

EspressoBlu Cross

I do hope to print some of these and display, craft with some, and wrap with others! For the novice I am, I have been thoroughly enjoying this discovery process... what will I doodle next??

Homeopathic Remedies

Who needs all the otc drugs for sinus issues?.... just buy a bag of onions and start chopping! YEAH! Who doesn't tear up or start a nose running from chopping onions? I know I do! When hubby and I recently had sinus and cold symptoms, after chopping some onions, he received hours of relief, well worth the crying and runny nose whilst chopping [keep tissues handy and wash wash wash those hands]. Plus there are ready-chopped onions you can bag and freeze for future use!

Also, how about some sinus clearing with homemade staunch mustard on your next vittle... or, some Asian horseradish otherwise known as Wasabi!


And this, I have not tired but am eager to: MilkOfMagnesia as a deodorant, ringworm ridder, treating athletes foot or other bacterial issues... hmmm? Seen in a comment at the very bottom of this blog, I am willing to give this a try (at least the homemade deodorant and perhaps the m.o.m. deodorant).

Anderson's Natural Honey  for sore throat coverage! Did you know honey is antimicrobial, therefore ickies cannot grow in honey? Why not coat the ailing throat [for those over 1year of age, NOT acceptable for babies!] with straight honey. Also helps reduce cough due to post-nasal-drip, and helps to minimize allergy related irritations... triple bonus!

Artsy Fartsy

While I am so not an arteist, I do appreciate it when I can make something artsy. These are some cool prints I've just created, doodling on my phone...

Ribbon

Zoing

Doot

Mezm

Luv luv luv