Recipe: Amber's Pasta Salad

Happy Labor Day! I hope you have fun plans to celebrate. My family is heading over to a friend's house for a BBQ. It is pot-luck style, so I signed up to bring a yummy pasta salad.

Pasta salad is so easy to make and there are a million different recipes out there. Today I'm going to share my own personal recipe. It's fast, easy and we usually have all the ingredients on hand at our house to whip up this tasty colorful salad. Hope you like it!

Amber's Pasta Salad

1 lb. Mini-Farfalle (Bowtie) Pasta (You can also use colorful rotini, small shells or mini penne)
1 cup of Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (I use Newman's Own Light Balsamic)
1 Cucumber chopped
2 Large Bell Peppers (1 yellow and 1 orange) chopped
2 Stalks of Celery chopped
1 Cup of Tomatoes chopped (I use cherry or any small tomatoes)
4 oz. of Feta Cheese

Boil pasta as directed and drain. In a large bowl mix pasta and vinaigrette dressing. Put in refrigerator to cool. Once cooled add cucumber, bell pepper, celery and tomato. Toss salad together until evenly mixed. Add feta cheese and toss lightly. Cover and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve and enjoy!

P.S.-This is a great recipe to make ahead of time (even the day before). My only recommendation if making ahead is to not add the tomatoes (they will get mushy), and stir the feta in right before serving (or you can serve the feta to the side as a topping).

Commercial Fun!

You've heard me say this before, but if you haven't joined some sort of local moms group, you really should! I have the joy of being a part of the leadership "steering" team of my local MOPS group this year, and it is an absolute blast! I have met so many amazing women who encourage my heart on a daily basis. New friendships are blooming, older friendships are becoming stronger, and I am becoming a better woman by having these incredible ladies in my life!

My role this year in MOPS is Publicity. Basically, my job is to get the word out marketing our group and keep up our communication through Facebook pages and our monthly newsletter.

My first project was creating a promo commercial for our church to attract new moms to our MOPS group. This was SO MUCH FUN! My husband happens to be the Director of Communications at our church, so he has the much needed skills we used to film and edit the video. I wrote and directed the piece, and my husband worked his magic to bring us the finished product. We filmed all of the video on my handy dandy camera that I mentioned in my previous blog post. I know...it does video too!!! So cool! I have always had an interest in film (yet another creative outlet for me!), so this is something I am planning to learn a lot more about. My husband is up to the challenge of teaching me his mad skills, so we have decided to start working on more projects together. It's been fun sharing something that we both have a love for, and it turns out that we make a great team!

I also have to point out that the super great music on this commercial was written and produced by T.J. Hill of Future of Forestry who is by far the most talented musician I have ever met! Check out his blog/music here.

Here is the commercial that we produced. Hope you like it!

Finally, Photography!

First off, OH MY GOODNESS! Did I seriously let a whole month go by without blogging?! So sorry for my absence. Between my son starting kindergarten and me taking on the role of Room Rep, my responsibilities as Publicity girl for my local MOPS group, and of course, the daily grind of raising three crazy little boys, I guess I got a little busy!

The good news is I am SO excited about life right now! I finally saved up enough money to buy my camera, a Canon Rebel T1i. Wu-hoo! I absolutely love it and have been practicing on anyone I can get my lens on.

I have an engagement session, some family/kid sessions and a wedding (as a second shooter) coming up, so I will be sure to post things as I go. There is so much information out there to learn, and I am a sponge right now trying to suck it all up.

I recently was able to go along on a family session with my very talented photographer friend, Stephanie Morgan, who has been teaching me so many amazing tricks and tips. Thanks Steph! This is one of the sweetest families I know. These little kiddos also go to one of the schools I substitute teach at, so I get to see their fun little faces fairly often. Here are some of my favorites from the session...

I still have a long way to go, but if there is one thing I've learned so far in photography it's that lighting is everything!!! I love working with kids because they are so fun and exciting, and let's be honest, they are just plain CUTE! I also love vibrant colors which I'm learning is part of my personality coming through in my photos.

I hope you like these! I am still in learning mode and am looking for people to practice on, so if you live in the Bay Area and are interested in being in front of the lens just let me know!

Recipe: Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

I'm always looking for easy meals to throw together that are filling and easy on the budget. I used to use Giada De Laurentiis recipe which is delicious if you want to try it, but it takes too much time if you're in a pinch, and the ingredients for the sauce can be pricey. I revised the recipe to fit my hectic and budget friendly lifestyle, so here is my version.

Recipe: Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

12 oz. of pasta (I use rotini)

8 chicken tenderloins or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch slices

8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms

1/2 small onion chopped

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup frozen peas

1 jar of alfredo sauce

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

bread crumbs (optional)

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta as directed. Drain and place in a large bowl. Lightly season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add olive oil to a frying pan and cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through turning once. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to pasta. Add butter to frying pan. Once melted, add onions and mushrooms and saute until they give off their liquid (they should be a golden brown). Add white wine and peas to pan. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add mushroom mixture to pasta. Pour alfredo sauce over pasta. Add milk to sauce jar and place lid back on jar. Give it a good shake to get all of the leftover sauce mixed in with the milk then add to pasta. Add cheese and parsley to pasta and mix everything together. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Pour pasta mix into a large glass pyrex dish (9x13 works fine). Sprinkle top with bread crumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

Hope you enjoy!

Book Review: Same Kind of Different As Me

It's rare that I read a book that literally changes the way I see the world and in turn changes my life. Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore did just that. A true story of two men and a woman who's lives weave together in a beautiful braid strong with unconditional love, strength, faith and friendship, this story brings both laughter and many tears (don't forget your tissues).

Denver Moore, a modern-day slave, grew up on a cotton plantation in Louisiana, unaware of the modern world of civil rights swirling just outside his grasp. The phonetical writing of his deep Southern accent dance off the pages as you hear his voice telling the story of his childhood, loss, loneliness, homelessness, faith and his encounter with Ron and Debbie Hall which results in a life-changing friendship.

Ron Hall, an extremely wealthy international art dealer, grew up in a lower-middle class section of Fort Worth, Texas, and spent many summers on his grandparents farm in Corsicana during the 1950's. He often worked the fields on the farm with "colored folks" and noticed that they were treated differently, but never gave it much thought. During his college years he set out to find a gorgeous "rich girl," but instead fell in love with his friend, Debbie, a very pretty brunette on an academic scholarship.

Debbie Hall grew up in a small town in West Texas. A shy bookworm next to her two gorgeous sisters, Debbie had a good sense of humor and a spunky determined spirit. Her faith and desire to do God's will strikes passion into your heart as you hear her story of compassion and love told by these two men who are forever changed by her.

Their three lives collide at The Union Gospel Mission where this amazing story of unconditional love, friendship, faith and Divine intervention takes place. Lives are changed, hope and passion are set ablaze and God is glorified.

This book is full of wisdom and makes you look hard at your own life to break down prejudices of all kinds, insecurities, judgements and fears you may have, and in the end helps you to see people as God sees them and love them where they're at.

I highly recommend reading this book! You'll be glad you did.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Woodland Theme Baby Shower

Sweet little Levi is a beautiful miracle! Without going into too many details, we'll just say that the pregnancy and delivery of this cute little guy had both his and his mother's lives at risk. Prayers of thousands wrapped around their sweet family, and I'm happy to say that mother and son are happy and healthy!

I was so honored to be a part of their baby shower celebrating a glowing new mom and her healthy premie boy.

His mommy, Melissa, loves the outdoors and chose a woodland themed nursery. The shower was a beautiful representation of the great outdoors with pine trees, bird houses, pine cones and woodland creatures peeking through little details here and there. I had so much fun making a cake to match the fun decor!

This cake took forever, but was worth all the effort. Unfortunately my bottom tier dowels gave way (one of a baker's worst nightmares), but it actually worked with the cake. Because of the woodland theme, the bottom layer took on a mountainous look. Though the bottom cake was "condensed" it still tasted yummy!

I used homemade marshmallow fondant for most of the cake except for the grass which is buttercream. The brown fondant is chocolate and was achieved by adding cocoa powder to the melted marshmallows before kneading in the powdered sugar.

A circle of pine trees adorned the middle tier along with some fun woodland creatures...a bunny, bear and raccoon. The top tier featured "LEVI" in fun lettering cutouts and was topped with a baby boy in a pom-pom beanie with pacifier and blanket featuring a little turtle on top.

I'm so excited for my dear friends Tyler and Melissa as they are adjusting to life as parents. And, of course, I love holding little Levi to get my "baby fix." I love you guys! Congratulations!

Photography by Stephanie Morgan Photography.

Wedding Cake

Okay, so I survived my first wedding cake! It was ridiculously stressful and did not turn out exactly how I envisioned (lots of unexpected bumps along the way), but I did it none the less. I learned a LOT of good lessons and am certain that with some good practice I might actually get good at this cake thing. Hopefully if I ever do another wedding cake it will be buttercream. I'm still learning the ropes with this whole fondant thing. Trial and error and of course a LOT of practice are needed to master this edible art form. For now, I think I'm going to stick with showers and birthdays for my cake making hobby. Less stress equals more fun!

The wedding was for my dear friends Whitney and R.J. Whitney is one of our favorite babysitters and was the very first person to bring me a baby gift when I was pregnant with my first child (only 5 weeks along). Five weeks?!!!! What can I say? She LOVES kids, and she is so great with them. Her fun bubbly personality is contagious, and you can't help but smile around her. R.J. grew up across the street from us, and is as kind and loyal as they come. It's been fun to watch this sweet couple fall in love!

They are passionate and fun, and I know they have a lifetime of fun adventures ahead of them. I can't wait for them to have there own little kiddos running around because they are going to be fantastic parents. For now, they are enjoying every minute of their sweet life as newlyweds!

My middle son, Owen, was the ringbearer at their wedding (He looked SO cute!!!), and my amazing friend, Stephanie Morgan, was one of the photographers. All of the photos you see here were taken by her. You can check out more of the wedding photos at Stephanie Morgan Photography.

The wedding was beautiful as was the bride! I'm so happy for Whitney and R.J. and wish them all the best as they begin their marriage journey together! Congratulations guys!!!

The Lonely Life

Photo by Stephanie Morgan Photography

I am finding more and more that the life of a stay-at-home mom can be a lonely one. Especially for those who are just starting out on their motherhood journey or have young ones who haven't entered the crazy world of school just yet.

I remember over the last few years how desperately I needed close girlfriends, a form of companionship, a lifeline to the world that swirled around my secluded life at home. I prayed and prayed for God to bring women into my life who could come alongside and share in my journey. Women who would understand what my morning to night routine was like with it's chaos, monotony and exhaustion. I felt alone. I had my amazing husband for support, but even he couldn't fully understand what I was going through. I was surviving, struggling to breath in what felt like a never ending wave of overwhelmingness. I was in a spiritual desert, and I was desperately seeking to get out.

As the boys got older things became easier, and I began to regroup and get my bearings on life back. I finally had enough "umph" in me to get out of the house and get involved to find the friendships I was so deeply needing. I signed up for my local MOPS group (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) hoping to just get out of the house and enjoy some adult conversation. I never would have guessed that some of these ladies would one day fill my soul with joy and laughter and share in the ups and downs of life that come so steadily. I get so excited every time I get to spend time with them because they truly are a breath of fresh air in my life.

Around the same time I began going to MOPS, I started a prayer group with a couple of women I had become friends with at church. They also had the same desire for companionship in this motherhood journey and were feeling alone in their life as a homemaker. Our little prayer group has now grown to seven women. Not everyone can make it every week due to sickness or other plans, but whether it's two or seven, I always come away from our meeting refreshed and so very thankful. We are committed to encouraging and supporting each other. We lift each other up in prayer, and we challenge each other to be the best moms and wives that we can be.

I know that God was walking with me through my time of survival. He is faithful. It fills my heart with joy though to say that my spiritual desert is finally experiencing rain, and He is using these women to bring refreshing drinks of love, support and encouragement to this thirsty soul.

Through this experience my eyes have been opened. I see these moms with thirsty souls all the time desperately looking for a place to belong, and I feel a mission to seek them out, come alongside them and bring them the encouragement that they need. God made us for the purpose of relationship afterall...relationship with Him and sharing His love through relationships with others.

It's so important to have close relationships in your life, people who you can count on and who will keep you accountable to be the best version of yourself.

This stay-at-home life doesn't have to be a lonely one. If you're not already involved in a mom's group or a group of women (big or small) who you can share your motherhood journey with, I would encourage you to do so. Many cities have mom groups, and MOPS is a worldwide organization with groups all over the U.S.

With all that being said, take a deep breath and go for a walk outside your comfort zone to seek out some fellow "mommy" friends. You'll be glad you did!

"For where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst." Matthew 18:20

For more information on MOPS or to find a group in your area, please go to www.mops.org.

Coupons

I recently attended a coupon class with some girlfriends and learned some great pointers on how to save on everything from groceries to cleaning supplies. With today's economy everyone can use some good pointers on how to keep your hard-earned money in your pocket! As a stay-at-home mom I don't have a paycheck coming in, but my time can be spent saving the amount of money going out. Here are my top 10 money saving tips when using coupons:

1. Get the Sunday paper. Although you can shop sales and find coupons online, the Sunday paper is the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to coupons! I currently subscribe to the San Francisco Chronicle (Sunday edition) simply for the coupons. Most of my toiletries and household item coupons come from the paper along with many food item coupons.

2. Look Online. Not only can you print coupons from online, you can also load ecoupons right onto your grocery shopping card. If you can't find a coupon you're looking for then contact the company and ask for coupons and free samples. The worst thing that could happen is they say, "No." 99% of the time though, they will be happy to provide you with coupons for their product! You can also buy bunches of coupons online for things you need which will still save you a ton. Some retailers offer special online deals that you can't find in stores as well, so keep your eyes open for these great deals.

3. Shop the 99 cent only store and other dollar stores. The 99 cent store carries fresh produce and many other perishable grocery items, many of which are name-brand quality! You can also find all sorts of other handy things at these stores for a portion of the prices you'd spend somewhere else.

4. Find freebies at drug stores. Most of the chain drug stores (CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid) offer rebates, money-back coupons and highly-discounted sale prices that when paired with coupons can get you FREE stuff or even make you some money back! It's worth checking the ads each week to find these amazing deals. Also, be sure to go shopping at the beginning of the week before these deals are sold out.

5. Stack coupons. Did you know that you can use a retailer coupon (from the store) and a manufacturer coupon (from the product company) on the same item? You can also use a manufacturer ecoupon with a printed manufacturer coupon on the same product. Anytime you can put coupons together on top of sale or clearance prices on a product, you are in for some big savings. Be sure to print out the coupon policies of the stores you shop at, so you can be familiar with their policies.

6. Use your coupons on the lowest priced version of each product. Sometimes bulk isn't better. If you can use a $3.00 coupon on a $10 pack of diapers rather than a $20 box of diapers, your savings are better. You may need to use more coupons on smaller amounts of items in order to get the best bargain.

7. Time is money. Only take time to cut/print coupons that you know your family will use. You can save the rest of your Sunday insert coupons by labeling the date they came on the front paper and keeping them in a folder/filing system. Check online blogs to see if there are any good deals you missed. They will let you know where to find your coupons (which week, ad, etc.). Keep things organized so that you aren't spending hours sifting through a hundred coupons looking for that one that you need. A binder with baseball card sleeve pages is a great way to keep your coupons organized. Remember if you can save $50 a week for two hours of work it's like making $25/hour!!!

8. Meal planning. Try to plan your meals around the sales/coupons you have for that week. By planning ahead, you can shop for exactly what you need at highly discounted prices. You will save money and save food! It's easy to be wasteful when you don't plan ahead.

9. Entertainment. You can find coupons and deals for more than just groceries. Theme parks, museums, restaurants and retail stores are a few of the places where you can use coupons and/or special rates. Look on their website or online to find just the deal you're looking for.

10. Trade and share. I have a few other friends and family members who are also into couponing and bargain hunting. Not everyone uses the same products, so put together a little coupon swap party. If you find a super great deal while you're out shopping, let them know about it! They'll start doing the same for you.

A couple of websites I have found extremely helpful are www.coupons.com, www.hip2save.com and www.thefrugalfind.com. Julia over at The Frugal Find is in the S.F. Bay Area and teaches the fabulous coupon class I attended (available soon on dvd). She feeds a family of 6 for $50 a week!!! I highly recommend taking her class. Please check out her website for more information on classes and frugal finds in your area.

I hope you find these tips helpful! Happy shopping!

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

Okay...let me first apologize for not having a photo on this one. We ate them up so fast that I didn't even think to take a picture until they were in our happy tummies.

I love to make up new things that are quick and easy, and it is so gratifying when I get a thumbs up all the way around from my family. This was a spur of the moment "I don't know what to make, and I don't have a lot of time...what can I throw together?" type of dinner.

I am a big fan of frozen chicken tenderloins simply for the fact that they fall in the quick and easy category. They don't have to be defrosted (you can just throw them in a hot pan frozen), they are always tender, and you can easily make a little or a lot without any extra trouble.

The ingredients for this recipe are pretty basic, so don't be surprised if you already have most of the items ready and waiting for you in your kitchen. My oldest son is five and after a few bites he announced, "Mommy, these things are REALLY good!" I couldn't help but smile. My husband agreed, and judging my my 3 yr. old and 2 yr. old's plates, they agreed as well. So here it is...

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

8-10 chicken tenderloins (or two boneless skinless chicken breasts)

1/4 cup or 1 package of taco seasoning (I get the big container of it at Costco...it saves a bundle!)

3/4 cup water

6 medium-sized flour tortillas

4-6 cups of shredded cheese (Mexican blend or whatever you have)

1 1/2-2 cups shredded lettuce (substitute fresh spinach for a healthier option)

3 Roma tomatoes (thinly sliced)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

In a saute pan pour 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over pan and cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through (turning once). Remove chicken and cut into small bite-size pieces. Return to pan and add taco seasoning and water. Stir chicken and coat with seasoning. Cook until liquid has evaporated being sure to stir often. In a frying pan over medium low heat place one tortilla and sprinkle with 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded cheese over entire tortilla. When the cheese begins to melt add about 1/2 cup of chicken (just enough to cover 1/2 of the tortilla). Cook for one more minute. Using a spatula slide the quesadilla onto a plate. Add about 1/4 cup of shredded lettuce and a few slices of tomato over the chicken. Fold cheese side of quesadilla over the chicken side and press together. Let cool for one minute before cutting. Repeat with additional ingredients.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa, or enjoy by itself.

Yields six servings. Total time: approximately 20 minutes.

Hope your family enjoys this one! I know I'm going to add this to our "regulars" list.

Finding Nemo Birthday Party

I have always loved making cakes, so birthday parties are a great time for me to enjoy the art of baking. It's even more fun with having young boys. I get to be creative, use bright fun colors and create a fun environment for them to enjoy on their special day. My oldest and youngest boys have birthdays only 3 days apart, so we decided to combine their celebration this year with a Nemo inspired party.

I made two separate cakes (one for each of them). The first was a 9 x 13 inch chocolate

cake with chocolate mousse filling and buttercream icing for my 5 year old. The second was an 8 inch round rainbow chip cake with vanilla pudding filling and buttercream icing for my 2 year old.

I used little Nemo figurines on both cakes that my mom found at the dollar store (I LOVE dollar stores!). Both cakes were iced in light blue buttercream and bordered with sea blue dots. I used a leaf tip to create green seaweed, a round tip for the pink coral and of course a star tip for all of my little orange starfish. I also used the star tip for the orange fish on the round cake and finished them off with a mini chocolate chip eye and sea blue bubbles. The mound on the 9 x 13 inch cake was created by cutting two chocolate cupcakes into thirds and then arranging them in a rock type formation. I then iced it with white icing and covered it in seaweed and coral.

For the party decorations, I covered the walls of our dining room with a beach scene (found at most party supply stores or online). The tables were covered in turquoise blue tablecloths. Centerpieces were a fish placemat in bright orange, lime green and blue colors and topped off with mini tiki torches and sea shells. I also found some adorable round paper lanterns in

lime green and turquoise blue (at the dollar store of course) that I hung around the house and outside. The party supply store also had a page of fish window clings (for 99 cents!!!) that

I used on our dining room mirror to create an aquarium scene. We also had Hawaiian leis for our guests to wear, and Jack Johnson music playing in the background.

Entertainment for the kids included a kiddie pool in the backyard along with water guns and water balloons. They had a soaking wet fun time in the warm sun! I printed out a Nemo fish (colored and cut out with their name on the fin) for each child attending the party and hid them around the party area (at eye level for their size). We played "Find Your Nemo". Once each child found their Nemo, they turned it in to me and got to pick something out of the prize basket. The basket was filled with fun disney water toys from the dollar store (floating rings, water frisbees, beach balls, etc.) and took the place of a goodie bag.

We barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs. No fish sticks were served because "Fish are friends, not food." Sides included potato salad and a fruit platter with watermelon, strawberries, blackberries and pineapple along with some yummy fruit dip (marshmallow cream and cream cheese blended together). I also made little aquariums for everyone by making blue jello in clear plastic party cups and inserting a swedish fish candy when the gelatin was about halfway set. I topped them off with a wave of whipped cream and put a sand bucket filled with blueberries in the middle for everyone to top off their "wave" with a few berries. Ironically, I think the dads found these even cooler than the kids did! Baby goldfish crackers were served in a sand bucket with a shovel (like the blueberries). For drinks we kept it simple with a tropical punch (mango, orange, pineapple and ginger ale), along with fresh brewed iced tea and ice water.

Overall, the party was a success, and the kids had a blast! It was a fun celebration of my two sweet boys getting a year older!

Now I'm in the mood to spend a day at the beach with a pina colada!

Photographers

I LOVE photography! It is an amazing way to capture moments and memories to treasure for generations to come. The digital world we live in today allows so many people access to learn and use this timeless craft. I've been saving diligently since Christmas to purchase a camera I've been drooling over the last year. I'm about a third of the way there. Once I have it in hand I am going to go crazy with my clicking finger and find anyone and everyone that will let me practice on them and their adorable little kiddos!

In the mean time, my dear friend Stephanie Morgan is my go to gal for photos. She has an incredible gift, and her use of color and lighting are fantastic!!! She took the photo of me and my boys featured on my blog as well as the ones you see here, and also recently took photos for me of the bridal shower cake I made for Whitney.

If you need some family, engagement, baby or senior photos done and live in the S.F. Bay area, I would highly recommend using Stephanie! I have other friends across the U.S. who also do fabulous photography work and are on all ends of the spectrum from just starting out to absolutely to die for professionals who have been in the business for years for those of you that are interested.

There is no time like the present to take some timeless portraits of your little ones while they are still little! We all know how quickly they grow. I encourage you to either find a great photographer in your area or find the amateur photographer in yourself and with a few clicks and a session full of fun capture the feeling you have when you look at those sweet little faces!

Please feel free to list your favorite photographers and their links in the comment section below.

Happy clicking!

For more on Stephanie Morgan Photography please go to www.stephaniemorganphotography.com/blog/

Whitney's Bridal Shower Cake

Wow! Blogging world, it's been a LONG time!!! Life has been a whirlwind lately. Sorry about my absence, but I'm officially back with a fun bridal shower cake to share.

One of my dear sweet babysitters is all grown up and getting married May 22 (pics of her wedding cake coming soon). Her bridal shower was so much fun and decorated in a pink, white and black zebra theme. This was my first experience using fondant and also my first tiered-cake. I was so excited that it turned out okay.

The top two tiers (6 and 8 inch squares) were yellow cake with vanilla mousse and raspberry filling and the bottom tier (10 inch square) was chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling. I covered each tier with vanilla buttercream icing and then topped them with a layer of homemade marshmallow fondant.

Decorating details included pink fondant ribbon stripes and polka-dots, a black chocolate buttercream dots border and black and sheer zebra ribbon. The cake was topped off with an engagement photo of the happy couple in a clear glass frame detailed with rhinestones.

I definitely learned some good fondant tips through trial and error, and am looking forward to doing their four-tiered wedding cake in just a few short weeks!

I'm so excited for this sweet couple and wish them all the best as they start their new life together! Congratulations Whitney and RJ!!!

Photos by Stephanie Morgan Photography

Recipe: Fluffy Lemon Raspberry Cake

I had to whip up a dessert quickly for a dinner I was going to Tuesday evening. In my rush, I completely forgot to take a picture. I think I'm going to make it again for Easter since it was such a hit, so hopefully I can get a photo up this weekend.

This is a great cake for summertime! It is fresh, light, just sweet enough and absolutely delicious!

Fluffy Lemon Raspberry Cake

1 box lemon cake mix (prepared as directed in 2 8-inch rounds)
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 large box instant vanilla Jello-O pudding mix (5.9 oz.)
1 pint fresh raspberries (12 oz.)
1/2-2/3 cup raspberry preserves (room temperature spreads easier)

Start with the boxed lemon cake mix and prepare as directed in two 8-inch round pans. I cannot stress enough how important it is not to over bake cakes. Bake just until a toothpick comes out clean. Another trick I use is tapping the cake in the middle with my fingertip. If it jiggles or the cake doesn't bounce back then it needs to bake longer. If the cake springs back to shape, then it's ready to come out. I usually line the bottom of my pans with waxed paper. It makes removal from the pan so easy and holds the cake together well while cooling. (Just don't forget to take the waxed paper off before assembling cake.)

While the cake is cooling, whip 1 quart of heavy whipping cream for a couple of minutes (just until it begins to thicken). Add 1 large box (5.9 oz.) of instant vanilla Jell-O pudding mix. Continue to whip on medium speed until peaks form and whipped icing has a good spreadable consistency. Put in refrigerator until cakes are ready to be iced. Icing will thicken slightly in fridge due to the pudding in mixture setting.

Level off the top of the first cake and then divide both cakes into two even layers. (You can do this by using a cake leveler if you have one, a large serrated knife, or my favorite, dental floss!). Place first layer on cakestand/plate and glaze top with raspberry preserves. Add second layer and top with a thick layer of whipped icing. Cut half of the raspberries in half and scatter a single layer of berries across the icing and push into icing. Add third layer and glaze top with preserves. Top with unleveled cake layer (rounded top). Ice entire cake with a thick layer of whipped icing. Finish by decorating with remaining raspberries. Enjoy!

Feel free to also decorate with mint sprigs, lemon slices, coconut or chocolate curls...whatever sounds good! Happy baking!

The Dirt on Insecurities

I use the term "dirt" because insecurities will bury you. You have to dig yourself out of them or they will literally suffocate the life right out of you. No matter how many times I try to steer clear of them, they always hunt me down. It's something that women in general struggle with from their youthful years to marriage to parenting to who knows when. It changes shape and hides behind different masks, but when it comes down to it, it always affects you the same. It makes you second guess yourself, it makes you feel not good enough, and it always hinders you from being who you were meant to be.

In most cases, insecurities are lies that swim through our minds and drown us one breath at a time. They are manifested by the littlest comment or the skewed view by which we see ourselves. Do you have insecurities? I know I do. I am a recovering people-pleaser. It's in my blood. I used to seek approval like a bloodhound. Although I have worked through many aspects of it, the way people view me still catches me off guard sometimes. Every once in a while an insecurity springs up, and I think, "Here we go again." So what do we do with them?

There are a few things I've learned over the years in dealing with my own personal insecurities that I'd like to share with you.

Communicate. Like I said earlier, insecurities are often lies. Plain and simple. It's important for you to communicate how you're feeling. Whether you confide in your spouse, a close friend or family member, it's important for you to voice out loud the thoughts swimming through your mind. Having someone you trust who can listen and act as a sounding-board will help you work through the issues you're dealing with. They can tell you if there is some truth to what you're feeling, if you are blowing things out of proportion or if you are misinterpreting things. They can also be a source of encouragement for you and help you along the way as you dig your way out of these filthy things that are so hindering.

Plan of Action. Insecurities can have a "snowball" effect. They make you feel bad which in turn causes more insecurities and so on. If you want to dig yourself out, then you need to have a plan of action. Whether it's telling yourself two good things you are proud of for every one thing you're not, setting goals to help you change something in your life that is causing insecurity or simply writing down your priorities and staying focused on the woman you are meant to be, find a way to push those thoughts from your mind and focus on the good things in your life. Then find a friend who will help you stay accountable and check in on how you're doing. Scared of what they might think? Well, guess what? They have insecurities too and probably need you just as much as you need them.

Pray. It may sound silly to some, but so often I find myself on my knees asking God to help me view myself the way He sees me. He created me for a purpose, and He wants me to be the woman that He destined for me to be. My insecurities stunt my growth and often keep me from being the wife, mom and friend that God intended for me. He sees me, the good and the bad, and He loves me just the way I am. I need to do the same. Accept who God made you to be and pray that He will take away any obstacles that will hinder your personal growth.

Accept Your Imperfections. You're not perfect. Nobody is! Accept the fact that there is always going to be someone "better" out there, you're going to make mistakes now and then and life is going to throw you some curve balls. Unfortunately, life doesn't come with a manual, so you just have to do the best with what you've got. There is nothing wrong with being thankful for who you are while striving to become the best version of yourself. Give yourself a break. You're unique. Be glad about it!

Life is going to have ups and downs, good days and bad days (can we say hormones?). Insecurities are going to pop up, but they don't have to overwhelm us. Take an honest look at yourself and don't let those lies bury you. You're better than that. Dig yourself out, dust yourself off and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air as you keep moving forward.

Weekly Meal Plan 3/28

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post! I took a break last week due to some personal stuff. I needed some time to clear my mind and focus on some priorities. I'm back now though with a weekly meal plan as promised!

Monday-Grilled Lemon-Pepper Chicken with Rice and Sauteed Zucchini
Tuesday-Homemade Veggie Pizza (always a fun one for the kiddos to help out!) with Garden Salad
Wednesday-Fettucini Alfredo with Shrimp Scampi and Steamed Broccoli
Thursday-Saucy Chicken Burritos with Rice and Beans
Friday-Beef Stroganoff with Sauteed Asparugus
Saturday-B.L.T's with Vegetable Soup
Sunday-Happy Easter! Enjoy your day with whatever traditional foods you love! I'll be chowing down on some ham, potatoes au gratin, garden salad and deviled eggs at my parents' house.

I'll try to get some of these recipes up throughout the week, so check back and let me know if there is one in particular that you are interested in trying. Happy cooking!

Recipe: Mahi-Mahi with Mango Salsa

I love fish, so this is one of my favorites! I usually save it for summertime, but with the warmer weather lately, I couldn't resist creating this tasty and healthy meal for my family this week. It's packed full of fresh fruit, protein, Omega-3's and a variety of vitamins and minerals. The best part is it's not a heavy meal (great for hot days), but still satisfies your tummy and tastes super yummy! The mahi-mahi with mango salsa goes great with sides of rice pilaf and black beans and strawberry spinach salad. To finish it off, I made up a refreshing glass of strawberry limeade.

Mahi-Mahi with Mango Salsa

2 medium sized mangoes
1/4 cup red onion (diced)
1 lime
cilantro (optional)
4 filets of mahi-mahi
salt
pepper
bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Peel mangoes and remove seeds. Cut into small cubes and place in bowl. Add 1/4 cup diced red onion to bowl. Add the juice of one fresh-squeezed lime. Add 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (I don't always have cilantro at home, so sometimes I skip it). Mix mango mixture together and set aside.

Season fish with salt and pepper. Lightly coat fish with bread crumbs. Add olive oil and butter to a large frying pan over medium heat. Place coated fish filets in pan. Flip fish when cooked halfway through (approximately 3-5 minutes on each side). Be sure not to overcook fish! You want it to be cooked through, but still be moist and tender. Cook just until flaky. Garnish fish with a few heaping spoonfuls of mango salsa and serve.

To make the rice and beans, I use one box of Rice-a-Roni's Rice Pilaf. Cook according to box directions. Drain and rinse one 15-oz. can of black beans. Add beans to rice 5 minutes before end of cooking time and stir. Cook 5 more minutes and serve.

For salad, toss together 4 cups of fresh spinach with 1 cup of fresh sliced strawberries and sweet vinaigrette to taste (I like Newman's Own Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette). I like to top it off with a few slices of fresh avocado.

Strawberry limeade is quick and easy. In a blender mix together 1/2 cup of ice, 1 can of cold lemon-lime soda (I prefer Sprite), 2 large strawberries and the juice of one lime for each serving.

Hope you enjoy this amazing meal!

Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie

Some girlfriends and I recently decided to swap some recipes and make our own little cookbook. This is a great idea to get some new recipes that are tried and tested by people you trust. I would highly recommend doing a recipe swap with your friends if you can. I got some great new things to try and am excited to add some new things to my weekly meal plans! Somehow in submitting some of my recipes for our "cookbook" I missed this one. After a friend recently requested it, I thought I would share it on my blog. This recipe seems to be a fan favorite of my friends and family. Personally, I don't make my own crust simply because it makes a mess and the store bought version saves me some time. However, I'm sure it would be super tasty with a homemade crust if you'd like to try it that way. I love this recipe because it's a comfort food, I can make it ahead of time and freeze it, and it always gets rave reviews. Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

One package of refrigerated pre-made pie crust (2 crusts)
2 chicken breasts (thawed if frozen) or 8 chicken tenderloins
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion
2 stalks of celery
1 baked potato (you can cook it in the microwave)
1 1/2-2 cups of frozen peas and carrots
1 cup of chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
salt
pepper
garlic powder
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put potato in microwave on baked potato setting (about 4 minutes?). Set out peas and carrots to defrost. In a large frying pan over medium heat drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken and cook through (juices should run clear). Season chicken to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder while cooking. Chop onion and celery while waiting for chicken to cook. Once chicken is cooked set aside and chop into bite-sized pieces. In same frying pan melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute onion and celery in butter until soft. Skin and cut potato into cubes, then add to onion and celery. Add peas and carrots to pan. Stir in chicken broth while scraping bottom of pan to pick up any seasoning left over from the chicken cooking. Add chicken back to pan. Add cream of chicken soup. Stir until mixed and let simmer for a few minutes on low heat. Add pepper and salt to taste if needed.

Line pie pan with one crust. Pour chicken mixture over crust (there may be extra that won't fit). Cover pie with second crust and crimp edges together. Cut 4-5 small slits around center of top pie crust to prevent bubbling. Place on top of cookie sheet in oven (cookie sheet will catch any leaks). Bake for approximately 30 minutes. It may take longer due to differences in oven settings. Cook until the crust is lightly browned. You may need to line the edge of the crust with foil for the first 15 minutes to prevent burning on the edges.

If you freeze it, baking time may take up to 1 hour. Cook it long enough to bake the crust (lightly browned) and warm the inside.

Tasty Rainbows

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I decided not to whip up green goodies, but rather some tasty little rainbows for my little leprechauns to eat. While there is no pot of gold at the end of these rainbows, the big smiles and happy tummies are enough "gold" for me. This is a simple treat that is super easy to make, but takes a little time. It's a great little recipe to work on while in the midst of laundry piles. Hope you like them!

Tasty Rainbows

1 box of red jello (6 oz.)
1 box of orange jello (6 oz.)
1 box of green jello (6 oz.)
1 box of blue jello (6 oz.)
5 cups of boiling water

I used two 2-quart glass pyrex dishes for this recipe. Start with your blue jello in a separate bowl. Mix with 1 1/4 cups boiling water stirring for approximately 2 minutes until mixture is completely dissolved. Pour liquid jello into pyrex dishes (1/2 of mixture in each dish). Place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes (until jello is set). While the first layer is setting, wash out mixing bowl and mix together green jello with 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Green jello can cool on the countertop while blue jello is setting in the fridge. Remove jello from fridge and add layer of green liquid jello (1/2 of mixture in each dish). Follow same steps with the orange jello and then with the red. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour. Remove from fridge and set glass dish in an inch of hot water for approximately 15 seconds to loosen jello from dish. Cut into bars or squares and enjoy! Yields approximately 72 1-inch squares or 48 1 x 2-inch bars.

P.S.-You can add yellow and purple jello to your rainbows as well. I was running short on time and threw them together last minute, so I opted for just the four colors.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

30% Off Coupons for Gap, Inc.

Many of you know that I work part-time for Banana Republic. It's a fun job that gets me out of the house and talking to grown-ups for a few hours a week. I have a blast with the people I work with and even though I'm "working" it seems to be a break for me from the chaos at home.

With that being said, Gap, Inc. is having their Give & Get promotion coming up this weekend (Thursday-Sunday), and I have about 30 coupons to give out! The coupons are good for 30% off your total purchase (including sale and clearance items!!!) at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime and their outlet stores. You can use the coupon an unlimited amount of times during the promotion period, and you also get to use it for one online purchase!

I am the ultimate bargain shopper, and I love getting a good deal. It's even more fun for me when I get to share great deals! So, if you want one of these fabulous coupons, send me an e-mail with "Coupon Please" in the subject line to alesmiley@hotmail.com. Hope you find some amazing deals, and of course, happy shopping!

Meal Plans: Any Takers?

Okay ladies, I was thinking about posting my weekly meal plans with recipes on Sundays. Is that something you all would be interested in? Leave a comment and let me know.

On the menu for this week:
Monday-Chicken Enchiladas with Side Salad
Tuesday-Chicken Marsala over Pasta with Steamed Broccoli
Wednesday-Beef Tips with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy and Side Salad
Thursday-Mahi-Mahi with Mango Salsa, Rice and Sauteed Spinach
Friday-Homemade Chili and Cornbread
Saturday-Chicken Parmesan with Bowtie Pasta and Marinara Sauce
Sunday-Sandwiches or Grilled Cheese and Potato Soup.

Meal Planning in Style

One of my new goals to save money, time and headaches is to do a weekly meal plan and shopping list. I'm still working on planning my meals based on weekly sales and coupons, but that's going to take a little while to find my niche there. For now, the simple act of having a plan and shopping accordingly is going to save my family money on our grocery budget. Not to mention that it will limit any last minute shopping trips!

While looking through my local Micheals' Arts and Crafts store for some supplies I need for upcoming cakes I'm working on, I happened upon these adorable and stylish meal plan notepads. They are absolutely perfect for what I need! They have a magnetic back (perfect for sticking on my refrigerator) and have the days of the week in one column and a shopping list in the other column. On Sundays I can sit down, list my meals by day and then make a shopping list according to what I need (after browsing my fridge and pantry for what I may already have of course). It also helps to have my shopping list on the fridge because I can immediately write down the staples that we need as we run out of them. No more accidentally forgetting that one item you don't often think of.

The best part...these cute little notepads were only $1.00 a piece!!! They come in a variety of styles, and there are 52 weeks on the notepad. I think my shopping budget can handle the $1/year price tag!

So, if you are looking for a cute and easy way to plan meals and keep track of your shopping, head on over to your local Micheals' and pick up a couple of these. They also work great as little gifts for girlfriends. Happy meal-planning!

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Treats

With Easter quickly approaching, I thought I'd try out some fun new treats for the boys. I like to make up recipes, and luckily, this one turned out yummy on the first try! Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Treats

3 cups mini marshmallows
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 cups rice krispies
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate or white chocolate...whatever sounds good!)
1 tablespoon shortening (optional to thin out chocolate)
Icing for decorating (see buttercream icing recipe under the Thomas the Train post)

Put marshmallows and butter in a medium size microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until marshmallows puff up. Stir melted marshmallows until smooth. In a separate small bowl mix peanut butter and powdered sugar. Add peanut butter mixture to marshmallows and stir until blended. Add rice krispies and mix well. Pour mixture out on a piece of waxed paper. Top with another piece of waxed paper and press down mixture until it's approximately 1 inch thick.

In a small bowl combine chocolate chips and shortening (I used semi-sweet because that's all I had on hand in my pantry, and I knew the decorative icing would add sweetness). Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave in 15-30 second intervals (stirring in between each) until chocolate is melted and smooth. Do not overcook (chocolate will burn). You can also melt chocolate in a double broiler on the stovetop.

Using cookie cutters cut out shapes in rice krispies mixture. You can roll leftover mixture into balls (I made ovals to look like eggs for Easter).

Dip shapes into melted chocolate (you can do one side or both depending on your preference). Place on waxed paper for chocolate to harden. Chocolate will harden faster if you put them in the refrigerator, but I just left mine out on the counter top for about 15 minutes. Once chocolate has set, decorate your shapes with icing. Yields 5-6 medium to large cut-outs and 8-10 truffle size balls.

Hope you enjoy these yummy treats! I know my family did!

Taking a Break for Priorities' Sake

I've missed blogging this week, but I'm not going to apologize for taking a break. It's been busy around here! My husband and I were able to get away for a couple of days to celebrate our 8 year anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long already! We went up to Lake Tahoe for a night, shopped, had a nice intimate dinner and finished off our celebration with a day on the slopes of Sierra-at-Tahoe. It was a much needed break for us, and we enjoyed every minute of our time together. There was a whole lot of laughing (which we seem to do often) along with reminiscing about our past and looking forward to our future. We had a great time! It's amazing to think back on the day we got married. We were so in love (or so we thought), but that is just a tiny portion of the love we have for each other today. We are so blessed! It will be interesting to see what our relationship looks like in 8 more years. I'm excited to find out!

I've been thinking a lot over this past week about priorities and how I use my time. My church is in the midst of doing a weekly Bible study campaign. Last week we learned about stewardship. While most often stewardship is linked to our finances, the lessons over that week focused more on our spiritual gifts and time. We need to be wise stewards of all things whether it be finances, time or gifts and skills. The time thing seemed to hit me the most. I'm guessing that's because it's my greatest struggle right now. If I were to keep track of every minute of my day, I would find a whole lot of waste going on. I'm not one for keeping a tight schedule or living by my day planner. While I think there are extremes on both sides of the time scale (being too busy or being too lazy), I often find myself somewhere in between lingering towards the lazy side. How can a mom of three kids be lazy you ask? By procrastinating, misusing my time on unimportant things and not being purposeful with the hours given to me each day. These are the same hours that everyone gets. You can't "make" more time or "save" time, you can only manage the time you have wisely. It's a balancing act.

I've decided that in order to use my time wisely, I need to sit down and make out a list of priorities. Once I have an idea of what I want to do with the hours in my day, it makes it a lot easier to accomplish my goals. You can set daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly goals. Overall, I just wanted to write down a general idea of what I want to accomplish each day along with goals I can work on in how I use my time. In writing it down, I can go back to it and stay mindful of it. Seeing it written out also somehow gives me a sense of accountability.

Some days will be different, and I still have my schedule of "out-of-the-ordinary" events on my calendar, but for the most part, my average day is the same. Some of my goals include spending more time focused on and interacting with my kids individually and as a family, using more of my time with my husband to really connect and focus on him, spending a set amount of time on my cleaning schedule each day, planning meals a week ahead of time to save time (not running to the grocery store last minute) and money (not wasting food), spending LESS time on the computer and watching t.v., and taking five minutes each morning to write down and go over what I need to get accomplished that day (in order to stay focused).

Everyone has different priorities in how they spend their time. The important thing is to not be wasting it! Remember when we talked about being mom's WITH purpose ON purpose? Prioritizing your time will help you become that mom! It will also help you to take the time you need for a break once in a while without feeling guilty about it.

Take some time this week to sit down and write out some goals and priorities concerning your time and how you want to spend it. If you have a hard time with this, try documenting your time over a couple of days and see if there are areas where you can be spending less or more time on things you already do. Don't set so many goals for yourself that you can't keep up with them. Remember to prioritize...what's most important to you? Once you've decided what you want to "shoot" for, put them up somewhere to remind you (bathroom mirror, refrigerator, nightstand), and review them daily to help you stay on track. If you're already very organized with your time, don't forget to schedule "fun" time and "relaxing" time in your day, so you can stay refreshed and healthy!

Here's to using our time wisely!

Teamwork

I am learning more and more the importance of teamwork within a home. It builds a sense of pride and unity/belonging with those involved and also allows for everyone's daily lives to run smoothly.

I'm a stay-at-home mom on most days. However, I do work part-time substitute teaching and also work one day a week in retail to help supplement our income. This week I subbed everyday and also worked one evening in retail, so it ended up being a 40+ hour work week. This is NOT the norm around our house, and it's always interesting to see how the boys do with the change in their environment. My mom watched the boys for two days and my husband watched them for the other three. I am so thankful to both of them for taking on my daily duties, so I can get outside our home to work once in a while. My husband gets an A+ by the way. He had the house clean and the boys well taken care of during my hours away.

With that said, I couldn't have worked and our family couldn't have gotten through the week successfully without the sense of teamwork that my husband and I share. Our schedule and activities are ever-changing, and it's very important for us to keep a balanced household. We also want to instill this philosophy in our children. When you are a part of something that is important to you and that you can identify with, there is a sense of accountability/responsibility and a desire to work hard at it. My husband and I have been trying to live by a simple saying throughout our marriage..."I'll take care of your needs, you take care of my needs, and everyone's taken care of." It's a simple idea that teaches us to put our focus on others rather than ourselves. Although it doesn't always play out that way (we are only human and do make mistakes), it's a good goal to shoot for in our relationship and has served us well in our marriage.

As a couple we want our children to feel like contributing members of our family. We want them to feel secure in it and begin to develop an identity through what our family stands for. We try to build confidence and independence in them by allowing them to try new things on their own. Through trial and error, they learn persistence (keep on trying til they get it), they learn how to deal with and overcome failure, and they build confidence when they learn how to successfully do something. We also want to teach them responsibility within our family and also taking responsibility for their actions. They are responsible for their own choices and are rewarded for good choices through positive reinforcement and are disciplined for poor choices through consequences.

Responsibility is also learned through helping around the house. My husband and I both take part in keeping our house in order, and we feel it is important for the boys to take part in that as well. Whether it's cleaning up toys, putting their dirty clothes in the hamper, throwing their dirty diapers away, or putting their used cups and dishes in the sink, they are responsible to help with the upkeep of our home. As they get older, we will adjust their chores according to their responsibility level. At these young ages, they really enjoy participating and helping out. It makes them feel "big", and in turn, that "bigness" will help them as they learn new life skills in the future.

The last few months we've been dealing with the issue of lying with our 4 year old. I explained to him that the Browning family members are not liars and that we do not want to be associated with lying. Each of us has to do our part to be honest and tell the truth. I also explained that he will get in more trouble for lying than he would if he just told the truth. It has been a consistent conversation with him along with appropriate discipline, and we are now starting to see our efforts pay off. When he's in trouble and asked directly, he now tells the truth.

In dealing with the issue of lying, recently I've been thinking about family values and the characteristics we want our boys to identify with. The list my husband and I have come up with so far is Integrity (honest), Honor (loyal, respectful, dutiful, chivalrous), Loving and Kind. Now that we have a list to work from we are able to use different experiences to teach and instill these characteristics in our boys. We are a team, and it takes both of us as parents as well as the willingness of our children to represent these characteristics as a family.

On a side note, I think chivalry is a lost art form. It still seems to be around in the South, but in California, it's a rare sight to be seen. Now that my 4 year old (soon to be 5) is big enough to open doors, we have been teaching him to hold doors open for girls/women and say "Ladies first." The other day we went to a restaurant with two sets of doors. He held the first door for me and said, "Ladies fourst." At the second door he stood there and said, "Now it's boys fourst." I had to giggle. While he's still learning, at least I know he's got the idea of "taking turns" down.

Of course we will have many bumps along the way on this journey of building family values. I have slip-ups of my own everyday, and God is constantly working on helping me become the best version of myself I can be. BUT, it is a lot easier to get to where you want to be if you set goals as a family to work towards. If you don't have a goal to shoot for, you're going to miss every time! We are accountable to each other, and it builds unity within our family.

I talked on my last post about being "moms WITH purpose...ON purpose." Take some time to write down some goals for your family. Talk it over with your spouse and those who are old enough to understand and get their input. What characteristics do you as a family want to be known for/identify with? By setting goals and building an attitude of teamwork within your family, I think you'll see some amazing things happen in your home. Enjoy your "team-building"!

P.S.-It is VERY important that you and your spouse get some one on one time on a regular basis to connect and get on the same page. The best gift you can give your children is a happy healthy marriage. Date nights are great! I LOVE them! However, if you can't get away from the house, then make sure you set some time aside as a couple to talk and spend some quality time together after the kiddos go to bed. And remember, you're a team!

Patience is a Virtue

I occasionally substitute teach for a private school about 30 minutes away from my home. Instead of going through the headache of sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on the clogged city highway, I often drive a twisty back country road called Marsh Creek. It was raining this morning and the clouds were gloomy, but the brilliant green of the rolling hillsides and valleys scattered with pale-blossomed trees and vibrant wildflowers along this curvy two-lane road presented a pleasant canvas of God’s amazing creation for me to enjoy.

I don’t get a lot of alone time, so I try to use my time wisely when I do get those sweet moments of peace and serenity (even if it’s just enjoying a small half hour drive to work). On this morning’s drive I spent some time in prayer and reflected on the woman I have been changing into over the last few months. I feel like things are coming together bit by bit, and I’m figuring out a little more about who I am and what my purpose is. As I’m letting go of my preconceived ideas of motherhood and what “the perfect mom” looks like, I’m finding an amazing new me emerging from the burden of unrealistic expectations I once put on myself. I am finally learning patience through love, and my view of God’s purpose for me as a mother is becoming much clearer.

I remember my “survival” days. I was sleep deprived, overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for three young children (I had three kids in diapers for 6 months) and on the brink of physical and emotional exhaustion. I felt alone as a stay-at-home mom and out of touch with the rest of the world. I remember my husband telling me one day that he wanted to watch the kids so I could take a day off and go do something fun. I thought for a brief moment, looked at him and said, “I don’t even know what I like to do anymore. I don’t know what’s fun for me or what I should do because it’s been so long since I had a moment to even think about me or what I want.” I felt like I had lost my identity.

My patience level was low and my fuse was short. I had days where I felt like the Incredible Hulk. I would be completely fine and have everything under control until something unexpected happened that pushed me over the edge turning me into this green growling monster. Frustration breeds anger, and those moments sometimes brought with them screams through clenched teeth in order to let off a bit of steam. Normally I would do this in a room by myself while taking a 2-minute mommy “time-out”. However, there was this one day...I was driving with my three boys lined across my back seat. They had been awful that morning getting into things and making a mess (you know those mornings when they scatter your kitchen floor with cheerios or paint your bathroom cabinets with hand soap). They were fighting and whining and crying in the car, and I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I let out one of my growling screams through my locked jaw and clenched teeth, and then when I was done I took a deep breath. After the initial wide-eyed looks of shock that my children gave me through the rear-view mirror, my four year old started giggling hysterically. He soon regained his composure a bit and simply said, “Mommy, you’re funny!” I apologized to my boys for my “outburst”, but as I look back, I have to say that I agree with him. It IS pretty funny to see a full-grown woman having a temper tantrum on par with a 2-year old. I remember that day clearly, because that was the day I decided something had to change.

I didn’t want to be a monster with my children, and my behavior certainly didn’t help them learn how to NOT be little monsters themselves. I lacked patience, and my lack of patience showed a lack of character on my part. Character is the very thing I want to build in my children. I began to pray for patience, peace and the ability to love my children to their core through my actions. Of course I love my children, it's natural. But to love them through my actions on a daily basis is a whole other ordeal. Having patience with them, spending quality time with them by playing and having conversations with them, building their confidence, teaching life skills...these are all ways of showing my love to them. As I thought about these things I realized that by letting go of the "control" I was seeking so desperately I was able to relax allowing myself to really enjoy my life instead of just getting through it and checking off "to do" lists. When I'm relaxed, I'm not uptight and I have more patience. I don't let things bother me so much, and I take the time I need to get things accomplished...the things that really matter like building character in my children.

I still have a long way to go, and I'm sure I will have more "outbursts" along the way. But I'm happy to say, they are few and far between these days. My attitude has changed to one of love and patience with a goal to raise up men who love God and people through their actions, and who are strong, confident, compassionate and patient individuals. The cool thing is God loves me (crazy I know) as he does you, and I find it ironic that one of the ways he shows his love for me is by teaching me lessons through these little walking talking miracles in my life. I also think it's great that He uses me in their life to do the same.

Take some time today to reflect on who you are as a mom. What are your goals as a mom? What type of adults do you want your children to become? How can you help them get there? What are characteristics that you can work on in yourself to be an example to your children? Let's be moms with purpose...on purpose...and try to have a good amount of patience along the way. Love you ladies!

Give Yourself A Little Credit

You just ran into her at the store. We all know her. That mom. The mom who from all outside appearances has it all together. She always looks perfect...cute hair and pristine make-up or naturally beautiful skin with manicured fingernails. Her outfits are trendy and well put together or a classic style that's always "in" with matching jewelry. She's calm, cool and collected. You look at her and think, "There is no way on God's green earth that she is a mom of young children." And yet, there they are. One, two or three little people in her stroller or shopping cart. They are well-mannered and as adorable as can be in their cute little clean outfits. Slowly, you feel your walls crowding in. You start thinking about your mangled ponytail and shabby outfit with a peanut butter smear on front that you tried to clean off with a baby wipe in the car. One of your kids is having a meltdown or being stubborn, one has something sticky on the side of their face and another one has a snot bubble blowing out and is taking off their shoe yet again for the third time. The oldest child who isn't in the cart is running around after you've told them for the tenth time to hang on to the cart and calm down when they turn to you and say, "I have to go potty!" even though you had them go right before you left the house. After reviewing this scene in your life you start questioning yourself. Insecurities spring up, and you think, "Why can't I get my act together like her? How does she do it?"

Have you been there?

I know I have. The thing is...motherhood is crazy! We seem to be these miracle workers with endless "to do" lists that need to be accomplished with lots of energy on little sleep. It's an overwhelming job at times (most of the time for some). We run circles around ourselves fixing the same things over and over as little people come right behind us destroying it again. It's a relentless job, but in the end it's also rewarding. I had my three boys in three years one right after the other. My husband and I didn't plan it that way, but that is what God gave us. I was in survival mode for a long time. Life was happening to me instead of me living my life on purpose. I felt like I was forever playing catch up just to keep my head above water. My once confident self was now rattled with insecurities in this new role of mother. I remember thinking how hard it was when I had my first, and now when I just have one with me it feels like a vacation. I have first time moms come up to me sometimes and say, "I don't know how you do it with three! I can barely handle my one!" I am quick to reassure them that I felt the exact same way when I was in their shoes. Once that first child comes, life is never "normal" again. I always say, "You just find a new normal." It continues to happen with each addition to your family. It's never the same, you just find your new normal. Now that I'm comfortable in my new normal, things are getting easier. As the boys get older and I continue to gain some years of experience under my belt, my insecurities are waning. I've learned some good lessons. It's been a physical, emotional and spiritual journey, but I've come out of my survival mode a better woman, wife and mom. I finally realized that it doesn't really matter what other people think about me. Sometimes I actually look like the mom who has it all together, and other times I look like I just escaped from the loony bin. What matters is that God gave me the children he destined for me to have. He will continue to use them daily in my life to help me grow and learn, and in turn, he will use me to help them grow and develop into what I hope to be amazing men who really make a difference in the world around them. I stopped carrying around such high and often unrealistic expectations for myself and replaced them with joyous victories in the little things I accomplish each day. My victories may be getting the laundry done, baking a cake for a party or playing kickball in the yard with my boys. It may be getting everyone fed, bathed and tucked tight in bed after storytime by 7:30 p.m., and on some days it's the simple fact that I actually got to take a shower! I am not an A-type personality who is extremely organized which is the category most of "those" moms fall into. I am a fun-loving, joyful, silly and adventurous mom. God made me unique, just like he made each of my children unique. And guess what? He made you unique as well! The more I let go of what I "think" I should be and just enjoy who God made me to be, the better I become as a mom. Not that I don't still set goals for myself and try to be the best version of me that I can be, but I don't stress about trying to be "the perfect mom" anymore. I also realized in befriending some of these "perfect" moms that what I see in them are their strengths. They also have weaknesses and insecurities as I do, and are often under a lot of stress because of the expectations they put on themselves. We all have strengths and weaknesses as parents, gifts that God gave us and things that we need to work on. Don't try to be something that you're not though, and please try not to compare yourself to other moms. Give yourself a little credit. Find those little victories in your day and be thankful for them. You are a special mom in your own way to those amazing little people God blessed you with. Love on them, appreciate them, spend time with them and (when you need to) take a break from them to find that confident woman you can still be. I love so many moms out there! Many of them bless me on a regular basis with their courage, determination and humor. So, gather round some other moms. Encourage each other, support each other and remind each other to give yourself a little credit. You're a good mom!