In a Galaxy Far Far Away....

One more night to roll with Nuclear Cowboyz!

2012-01-28T14:46:00.003-05:00

I hope our ticket winners had a great time last night! It was an awesome show, one you don't want to miss....so if you didn't head out last night to check out Nuclear Cowboyz then make sure you head down to US Bank Arena today to get your tickets for tonight's show! They have one more performance in Cincinnati before they roll out to the next city so get those tickets now!

Photos courtesy of Michelle at I'm Living the Good Life

Tickets can still be purchased at US Bank Arena and Ticketmaster outlets (these can be found in many Kroger stores)...adult tickets are $30 and children get in for only $15!

If you make it to the show come back and tell me about it! I know you and your kids are going to love it!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

{this moment}-a Birthday post

2012-01-27T08:05:00.001-05:00

Inspired by Soule Mama :

I find I need words for this moment after all because today's moment is inspired by my darling husband....Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I love you with all of my heart and soul and would be lost without you. You are the best husband and father there has ever been and you are my best friend.

The world of WIPs and a Giveaway!

2012-01-26T18:32:00.003-05:00

Since we were on the subject of battle with organization let's talk about WIPs. Works In Progress. Yet another organizational problem (at least if you are me). We all have them, there's no denying that...even if they aren't crafty WIPs, you still have them around the house. That closet you got the extra hangers for but never organized. The gallon of paint and fun wallpaper you got to redo the extra bathroom. Personally I think if you don't have at least one WIP hanging out in your house that you must be too organized and efficient. I tell myself this so I won't feel like a total project failure.

You see...I've had this pile of fabric on my craft/sewing table since last October...

....no joke. I wanted to take part in a craft fair at the beginning of December but one thing after another got scooted to the "must do NOW" list in front of the "WANT to do now" list and as a result I have this pile of fabric STILL sitting on my table...looking forlorn and unloved...yearning to be made into something fashionable or fun or functional. Okay that may be exaggerating, but you know what I mean...right? So instead of doing all of that organizing that I ~~want~~ need to do this weekend I plan on doing something I actually enjoy doing instead. Sewing!

And yes, I know that I have other stuff I really should be doing, but occasionally you have to do what you want to do instead for sanity's sake...I mean, the fact that my kids get caught in an avalanche of Legos and Nerf weapons when they put their jammies on at night is just part of growing up if you ask me, and who cares if we only have 4 clean towels left, that's one each! I still feed everyone on a regular basis...mostly.

So since I'm feeling a little bit guilty about playing with my "toys" instead of working I'm going to give myself a really good, legitimate excuse for crafting instead of doing housework: My readers need a giveaway! I mean, we had Disney Live! tickets, then we had Nuclear Cowboyz tickets and soon we'll have even more fun tickets! But what about NOW? We need something to tide us over...yes?

I made this little Kindle Fire cover for my hubby for Christmas to help him transport his new Kindle from here to there without being damaged.

He wasn't a big fan of the mushroom motif...can't really say I blame him. Hard to look manly in the office with this cover (even though I love love love the fabric), but it was the manliest fabric I had at the time so I whipped it together just to tide him over. He did eventually get his manly cover and he's much happier with it. However now my sad little mushroom Kindle cover is lonely and in need of a good home.

Don't have a Kindle? I might be talked into whipping up another of these Smart phone cases I made for myself when my new phone came. (By the way, please forgive the awful photos...I don't remember the last time I was able to take a picture when the sun was actually present...this is the rainiest January on record!)

Have no use for a case for your technology of choice? How about some cute handmade napkins! We have a set we use every day (I LOVE them! No more paper napkins to toss into the landfill...we just keep them in a container on the table, use them until they are dirty then toss them into whatever load of laundry is going in at the moment. Love it!) but I can make the extra fancy kind below if you'd like something special.

I'm just in the mood to sew up something cute and you are going to reap the benefits!

So for this giveaway you'll get to choose one of the sewn projects above, fabric choice will be my own but if you have an electronic device that requires a specific fit I'll get specifications from you on that when the time comes. (I will take gender into account when choosing fabric..don't worry guys, you won't get a pretty floral ipod case...unless that's your thing).

To enter you just need to do one (or both) of these two easy things:

Please 'like' In a Galaxy blogspot on Facebook. I try to post my fellow bloggers giveaways on my page plus you'll keep up to date on my next big giveaway there as well! Don't do Facebook? Please subscribe to my email updates over in the right side bar .
Tell me what WIPs you have of your own that you just never find the time to get working on. Just looking for some reassurance that I'm not the only person out there with a ton of projects that I need to make more time for.

And that's it! Two ways to enter mean two chances to win! Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, February 1 at 2 p.m. and notified by email and Facebook. Please make sure that either your email is attached in Blogger or you leave me your email with your comment so that I can notify you. Winner will have 24 hours to respond or another entry will be chosen. I will ship this item to anywhere in the world! Good luck!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T09:06:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday...

Once more into the fray...

2012-01-24T15:03:00.000-05:00

In the past few weeks I've started to feel ~~guilted~~ inspired by my friends and fellow bloggers. And you know who you are....ahem, Katie and Michelle, It's hard to admit this, especially in such a public forum so I'm just going to go for it.

HI. My name is Amy and I have an organizational problem.

Specifically, I ignore my children's room in favor of my sanity. Seriously...it's like descending into one of the Seven Rings of Hell in there.

Case in point:


Their room is what Cher from Clueless would call a 'Full on Monet'-From far away it's okay...

But close up it's just a big ol' mess...

This set of drawers was supposed to be helpful....yeah, not so much.

Wow, this one doesn't look too bad...unless you pick up that backpack and inspect the actual toy box. What is that smell anyway??

If you look closely at the photos you'll notice that ~~my kids have too much junk~~ I've tried many organizational techniques already, and they have failed miserably. I organized their books into separate boxes based on AR levels, and I labeled them. They were a jumbled mess within a week. I purchased that lovely Rubbermaid drawer set to keep their little action figure guys, cars, Bionicles, etc.separated and easy to locate...they shove every little thing they bring home into it, and unless I want to spend hours picking through it to keep them separated they stay a jumbled mess. I purchased the large blue tub in the photo above to use as their "Arsenal"-the huge stash of Nerf weapons they've accumlated. Last time I checked there was a family of dust bunnies living in the bottom and they had made a little fortress out of stray Lego pieces...pretty sure they are holding a few superheroes hostage at his point.

So what I need from you, dear readers, is some suggestions for taming this wicked beast of a room. Best way of storing Legos? How do you keep all of those little action figure dudes from roaming the house? How do you determine when a toy needs to move on to a new home? How in tarnation do they end up with SO. MUCH. STUFF?

Besides my friends over at the little things blog and I'm Living the Good Life there is also a ton of inspiration over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. I know help is out there somewhere...someone take pity on this poor mama and give me some good (and CHEAP!) ideas for easy organization!! And please tell me how you magically make your slobbish kiddos keep it organized once you've made sense of the lot!

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Another Monday, another menu plan. I've been participating in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday and what a difference it makes in the way our week goes! Not only do we eat better because we are eating home cooked meals but it saves us so much money. Looking for inspiration? Check out her Menu Plan Monday post and find tons of menus and new recipes to try out.

Without further ado, here is our plan for the week:

Monday-Asian Chicken, rice, veggies (this is being carried over from last week, things got switched and changed due to a busy week.)

Tuesday-Buffalo chicken sandwiches, baked potatoes, salad

Wednesday-Ravioli with marinara sauce, whole wheat baguette bread, salad

Thursday-Granny's Chili Soup, salad, grilled cheese (for the boys)

Friday-Happy Birthday to my hubby! He gets to choose his birthday dinner, and he hasn't made his mind up yet....so who knows what will happen!

Same goals as last week: drink more water, track all food, exercise 10 minutes a day.

The chili I'm making on Thursday is the best recipe I've found so far for a simple, easy chili. It goes together quick and you can switch it up in so many different ways...it makes for a great versatile chili base. My Granny used to make this soup but since then my Mom has made quite a few of her own adjustments...super delicious!

Granny's Chili Soup

3 pounds ground chuck (I always buy Laura's Lean ground beef in the 92/8 variety)

1 onion (chopped)

1 stalk celery (chopped) -this is the entire head of celery or at least 4 individual stalks

1 can diced tomatoes-I get the chili ready tomatoes

2 cans chili beans

½ package Brooks Chili Seasoning-I honestly don't know if this is a nationwide brand, I imagine any other chili spice pack would work as well

1 large can Tomato Juice

Chili powder (about 1-2 Tbsp. depending on your tastes), salt (I omit this entirely, but it's in the original recipe so I left it in) andpepper to taste.

Put tomato juice in largepot and warm on low. Brown the ground chuckand add to juice. Sautée celery and onionsand add to juice. Add tomatoes, chili beansand seasonings and let simmer 1 hour. This can also be prepared and put into a crock pot to simmer all day on low. I've made this with and without the beef (just add extra beans of your choice...pinto, red beans, etc.) and I've made it with turkey in place of the beef. It has a great flavor that Littlest says tastes like the chili they have at Frisch's Big Boy. Delicious!

If you try it out let me know what you think...we love it. I'm in the market for a black bean soup recipe, but not one that is loaded with a ton of cumin and little else. If you have one you've tried and love please share it!

Feels a bit like living in an ice machine

2012-01-21T14:12:00.001-05:00

The thing about living in Kentucky is that as a rule you get the best of all of the seasons. Spring is rainy and unpredictable, flowers blooming everywhere, trees and grass returning to life. Summer is hot and clear and perfect for swimming and other outdoor activities. Autumn is chilly and crisp, the trees are gorgeous as their leaves change...perfect backdrop for apple cider and pumpkin farms and trick or treating. And Winter is...well, winter is supposed to be cold and snowy and icy. You are supposed to be able to sled and ski and make snowballs and snowmen and...well, and do wintery type stuff. So far this winter we've had a few flurries and a lot of ice. Lots and lots of ice.

That's at least a 1/4 inch of ice.

Walking on the grass feels a bit like walking through an Icee swamp.

It's a Winter Wonderland! (except with super green grass...because it was 60 degrees last week!)

Hard to make a snowball or decent snowman outta that lot, lemme tell ya. All of those snow days the school system banks at the beginning of the year? Going to waste. Normally by this time of year we've had at least a good week or so off for snow days. I treasure those days. It isn't like a planned break from school always ends up being. Those are holidays so they end up with all of the attending stress and running about. No...snow days are unexpected days of sweet down time where we get to snuggle on the couch and watch movies in our jammies all day, do only the things we want to do instead of the things we have to do. Nowhere to go. No running to be done. Snow days are bliss.

Too bad someone pissed off Mother Nature and she revoked our snow day privileges. To be fair the school board should give us back those banked snow days if they don't get used and let us out of school early. I mean, if we have too many snow days they make us stay in school later, all the way into June....so turn about is fair play, right??! Riiiiiight.

I guess I should just be thankful that the ice storm pictured above happened on a night/day when we didn't have anywhere to go and could just stay in and ride it out in warmth and safety. Still...hoping someone kisses up to Mother Nature and she gives us some actual snow at some point this winter.

Hear that Mother dear? Just enough to get out the snow gear...pretty please?

{this moment}

2012-01-20T21:41:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Soule Mama :

We are having an icestorm around these parts tonight...I'm very thankful to be home with my babies and my man and out of the cold, and I hope that all of you are safe and warm at home as well. Happy weekend....

The Birth of a Dancing Machine

2012-01-19T20:45:00.000-05:00

As a mother of boys I've been faced with many unexpected things since the arrival of my firstborn. Many things have been seen, done, and spoken that I would never have dreamed would happen to me in my life. A few examples...

Baby puke in the mouth is just as gross as it sounds. Not his mouth, my mouth. Lesson learned: Never tip a freshly fed baby upside down while kissing him on the mouth. Ew. (I'm sure this applies to all babies, not just the ones of the male persuasion, however....EW!)
Popcorn kernels can be removed from a nostril by force of air. Yes kids it's true. Just lay that toddler down, cover the kernel free nostril with your hand and blow a little puff of air in the mouth. Out pops the kernel, pretty as you please. Warning: Toddler will NOT appreciate being held down and having his mouth blown into. Make a note to remind him when he's grown that he needs to thank you for saving him from having a corn stalk growing out of his schnozz...and that he needs to apologize for that tantrum he threw as a result of your kindness.
Legos, on the other hand, cannot be removed from the nose in this manner. Lego removal requires the attention of an ENT and a laproscope. Toddler (now no longer a toddler but a preschooler who should have learned his dang lesson with the popcorn kernel) will also not appreciate 2 or so feet of tubing and a little camera being fed into his nose. Nope, not happy. Since he is perfectly capable of knowing what an "Um, DUH!" face looks like feel free to shoot one at him while half the tube is hanging out of his mouth. Lesson learned: Boys never really get tired of sticking weird stuff into their nose and other bodily crevices.
No Weapons At The Dinner Table has probably been a rule since the dawn of time but it's not really one I thought I'd have to remind everyone of on a regular basis. That being said it does help hammer home the "eat your vegetables" rule when you have an actual hammer at the table to enforce with.
At some point yelling "If I trip over this damned battle axe ONE MORE TIME I'm going to throw it in the garbage!" loses it's novelty.
There are many, many "winky" related dance moves...most of them have to be performed buck nekkid whilst giggling maniacally. Who knew?

There is so much more I could share...but then you wouldn't buy my memoirs when they come out someday, and let's face it-some things once read can never be unread. However...the one thing I NEVER thought I would hear myself utter is....

"Don't forget....you have dance class at 5."

Don't get me wrong, I know there are millions of boys out there who love dance class and besides...where would all of the Mikael Baryshnikov's and Usher's come from if boys weren't interested in dance? But you have to know my boys. Eldest has been the rough and tumble, Star Wars loving, Spiderman suit wearing, karate kicking kid he is from birth. Littlest comes at you with fists of fury, wild punk hair flying...picturing him on the dance floor is a little difficult to do. Eldest though has come to a renaissance period of his childhood and wants to get his boogie on...so off to dance class we went.


Littlest is NOT in the mood to be photogenic as we wait for Liam to try out class.

Into the studio we went...and because I have boys, NOT girls, I had NO idea I couldn't sit and watch in the room while they did their thang...I'm a karate mom y'all. So off we went, down the hall, following behind the boys only to be shut down at the door. We were told politely we could watch from the lobby where we found a television that had live streaming video straight from the studio.


Just so you won't miss him...that's him with the giant yellow arrow pointed at his head. I am a proud mama!

So now I can at least say my son has been on television. He got his hip hop on for 45 minutes or so and hasn't stopped dancing since. He was already a Michael Jackson fan but now he's determined to be the next pop star. Who would have thought that my little Star Wars addict would want to get his groove on....and actually be GOOD at it!? I guess if there is any one thing that you definitely learn while raising children...girls OR boys...it's that you should learn to expect the unexpected...that and you should never overestimate the power of a Huggies diaper. Ever. The amount of pee that comes out of a 5 month old is never proportionate to the amount of formula he had at lunchtime. (I mention this because I had cause to remember this today while babysitting. Changing diapers ain't like riding a bike...you DO forget the capacity of a size 2 Pamper.)

My big guy is looking forward to his next dance class and I think eventually littlest will want to get jiggy with it too. Chalk this experience up to one of those things I never expected to happen as a mother of boys. I'm sure it's not the last time they will surprise me.

I shared some of my parental 'learning' moments....got any of your own? That you aren't too embarrassed to share?

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T09:17:00.000-05:00

Well...almost wordless Wednesday. Let me preface this by saying...the proper execution of the Vulcan Neck Pinch is pretty vital to your day to day living. Just sayin'.

Menu Plan Monday!

2012-01-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

Another Monday, another menu plan. I've been participating in Orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday and what a difference it makes in the way our week goes! Not only do we eat better because we are eating home cooked meals but it saves us so much money. Looking for inspiration? Check out her Menu Plan Monday post and find tons of menus and new recipes to try out.

So without further ado, here is our menu for the week:

Monday-BBQ Baked Chicken, wild rice and green beans (this is a leftover from last week when I suddenly got the stomach bug from Hades and didn't cook much.)

Tuesday-Tortellini with marinara sauce, salad, multigrain bread

Wednesday-Black Beans and rice burritos, fresh salsa (except we are making these without the rice this week and using them to stuff taco shells)

Thursday-super busy night for us so we're going to use this as our cheat night and grab something out.

Friday-Asian chicken (you can find the original recipe at allrecipes.com, I used Sparkpeople's recipe calculator to get calories per portion), brown rice, vegetables, salad

Saturday-Sleepover night! The boys are having friends over so we'll probably do pizza and snacks (salad for mama)
I'll also be making batches of oatmeal to reheat for breakfasts, oatmeal cookies for the boys lunchbox and we're going to try out this quinoa breakfast bar recipe (thanks Katie at the little things for sharing your find.)

As I mentioned above, I got an awful stomach bug at the beginning of the week last week which made it impossible for me to eat anything, let alone eat anything healthy. Upside? 10 lbs. of weight loss and I did stick to my goal of not eating all of those potato chip crumbs that fall into my mouth while I'm making lunches. Downside? I ate what I could manage to keep in my stomach and didn't seem revolting to me...aka, nothing even close to a vegetable. So I'm giving last week amiss and I'm picking up the weight loss torch this week and running with it. Same goals as last week-drink more water, exercise 10 minutes a day and track all of my food. Hopefully things will get back on schedule!!

Nuclear Cowboyz are riding into town!! CLOSED

2012-01-13T18:57:00.000-05:00

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I told you about Nuclear Cowboyz coming to town for the first time ever?! Well, that day has almost arrived! They'll be hitting the US Bank Arena on January 27 & 28 and you could win tickets right here!!

Here's a little about the show:

LegendaryNuclear Cowboyz FMXtribes, the Soldiers of Havoc and the Metal Mulisha® return for anever-before-seen action-packed event that takes place in the wartorn city of Los Angeles during the year 2150. The tale unfolds asthe two tribes’ survival is threatened and besieged by an evilforce, The Tempest and her electrifying Cyborg Army. Catapulted intothe heart pounding fury and frenzied excitement are the sizzlingNuclear Cowgirlz®,whose allegiance to their tribes only intensifies the Tempest’srage to destroy the Nuclear Cowboyz.The Soldiers of Havoc and the Metal Mulisha’s battle is foughtthrough fearless freestyle gravity defying stunts, combined withoutrageous pyrotechnic and laser displays synchronized to heavymetal, rock alternative and electronic dubstep music.

NuclearCowboyz 2012 has the greatest cast offreestyle motocross, trials and quad riders ever assembled,including recent X Games 17 medalists Ronnie Faisst, Adam Jones, MikeMason, and Winter X Games medalist Caleb Moore. Joined by world-classmedalist riders Taka Higashino, Beau Bamburg, Derek Garland, NixeyDanielson, Brody Wilson, Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Dustin Miller, Wes Agee,Matt Buyten, Geoff Aaron, Keith Wineland, Derek Guetter, and ColtonMoore, Nuclear Cowboyz2012 takes unleashed power to its massiveramps in a freestyle performance of pure danger and raw combat.

If you've got a couple of these around the house...

....you aren't going to want to miss this show!

The fun part is I have two family 4-packs of tickets to this show to give away!!!! How sweet is that?! It's easy to enter, and you've got 3 chances to win! Please leave a separate comment for each entry, and if your email is not attached in Blogger please leave me a valid email address so I can get in touch with you if you win! Here's how to enter:

Please 'like' In a Galaxy Far Far away on Facebook and then leave me a comment here telling me you did. Not on Facebook? You can also subscribe to my blog over on the right sidebar. Thanks!
Please share this giveaway with your friends. Facebook it, Tweet it (please include @Rosemamie when you Tweet), email it...just get the word out and then come back to let me know you shared.
Tell me....have you ever wanted to try out the crazy stunts and flips that Nuclear Cowboyz make look so easy?? Why or why not? Me...I'm crazy afraid of heights but I love roller coasters...I'd be tempted to strap on some protective gear and give it a go!

Winners will be chosen using random.org on Friday, January 20th at Noon. Winners will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Tickets will be made available at will call, details to come.

My bloggy friends will all have giveaways to post soon and Family Friendly Cincinnati has tickets to give away as well....so many chances to win! I'll post link to all of those when they post. Until then, get to entering and check out this video of Nuclear Cowboyz!

Increase your chances of winning by visiting my friends and entering their giveaways as well!

Kristin at MasonMetu
Karen at Little World After All
Michelle at I'm Living the Good Life
Family Friendly Cincinnati
and coming soon:
Kandi at Mommy Confessions

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. That being said, the opinions expressed on this blog are always 100% mine.

Menu Plan Monday!

2012-01-08T23:03:00.005-05:00

So here it is...another Monday, another Menu plan! I've been participating in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday and it's been a huge lifesaver! There is nothing better than knowing that you have everything you need in the pantry/freezer/fridge and you don't have to stress about dinner! I may not always post my menu, but you can depend on there being a menu posted on the fridge every Sunday night. If you are looking for some fantastic new recipes and great inspiration head over and check it out!

Starting with the new year Hubby and I are on the healthy eating plan from now on. That's not to say we don't still indulge in our favorites (we had curry from our favorite Indian place on Friday....oh MY was it delicious!) but we are making a serious effort to eat more mindfully. You won't notice a huge change in our menu items, but you would definitely see a change in the ingredients. I've become a huge fan of Skinny Mom's Kitchen. She does a fabulous job of making your favorite foods more healthy...we LOVE it! The black bean and rice burritos are my new best friend..I've been keeping it in the fridge for quick lunches for the past 2 weeks now....LOVE!! I eat them as a rice and black bean bowl..no tortilla needed! Add some fresh salsa and I'm good to go!

Here's our plan for the week:

Monday-Burgers on lite wheat buns with all the fixin's, Italian roasted red potatoes, roasted asparagus (who am I kidding, I'm the only one eating this!) and tossed salad.

Tuesday-Pasta with Trader Joe's organic Tuscan sauce, tossed salad and whole wheat baguette bread

Wednesday-BBQ baked chicken, crock pot baked potatoes (lifesaver!), green beans

Thursday-homemade chicken noodle soup, sandwiches

Friday-"cheat" night (We decided that in order to make healthy living a permanent change we needed to allow ourselves the freedom of an occasional "cheat"...curry from the Indian place, ordering pizza, etc. The thing is, we promise to make it the healthiest cheat we can and in order to qualify we need to eat healthy the rest of the week. Knowing that nothing is off limits is going to be the key to my own weight loss....I can not stand being told I cannot do something, I get stubborn...and that's not good in this case!)

I'm using Sparkpeople.com as a tool to my weight loss/new lifestyle. I'm trying really hard not to look at this like a diet....it's a change that needs to be made. Sharing the goals here will hopefully make me accountable for my actions. I'm not ready to post any "big numbers" yet, but I can at least post my goals. Keep me honest folks...I need a drill sergeant here!!

Goal #1-Track every bite of food that goes into my body. I catch myself eating little stuff throughout the day as I make meals for my family...that potato chip that fell off the plate onto the counter, one taste too many of the soup I'm making for dinner (after 5 or 6 bites you have to call that a half a cup of soup folks, not "a taste"...who am I kidding?).

Goal #2-exercise for at least 10 minutes a day. No, this doesn't seem like much right now, but to someone who has completely fallen off of the exercise wagon, bounced into the ditch and rolled over and gone to sleep this is a BIG step! It means I have to be mindful of moving my body at least once a day. Once I get the shoes on, mp3 player ready and get myself out the door am I only going to walk for 10 minutes? Maybe I will....or maybe I'll think "well, I'm out here, I may as well make it worth it!"

Goal #3-Drink. That. Water. Hello, my name is Amy and I'm a Coke Zero addict. Oops, did some bourbon fall into my glass! Oh noes! Guess I better drink it, wouldn't want it to fall into someone else's! I do drink a goodly amount of water, but honestly I could do better. This is probably the easiest thing any of us can do to improve our health. I had to give myself at least ONE easy goal!! C'mon people!

So there you have it. Call me on it...leave me comments saying "Yo, get your hiney in gear and out the door!" Ask me where my water cup is...oh, and did you track those 14 potato chip pieces that fell into your mouth while you were packing lunches?? I need someone to smack me around a little!!

As a way of saying "thank you" for your encouragement I'll continue to do awesome giveaways like the Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales giveaway that I have going right now! It ends at Noon on Friday....get those entries in!!! I have MORE great giveaways coming up soon...so stay tuned!

Disney Live! The GIVEAWAY!! CLOSED!!

2012-01-07T10:53:00.014-05:00

And the winners are.....#13 Charlotte and #43 Stefanie!!! Congrats ladies!! I will be emailing you soon to give you the details on your tickets. In the meantime...thank you to all who entered! I have another (and completely different!) giveaway to post a little later this afternoon, so stay tuned...and coming next month I have yet another fantastic ticket giveaway! (hope you like the circus ;)
I told you this past week that I would have not One but TWO Family 4-Packs of tickets to give away to the one day only event Disney Live! Presents Three Classic Fairy Tales and here it is!!! Coming to Cincinnati's US Bank Arena on January 22 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales is an event not to be missed, especially if you have little princesses of your own!

Here's a little about the show:

Prepare to step into a world of wonder where wishing is only the beginning and dreams really do come true in Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy as they bring the timeless fairytale adventures of Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life right in your hometown. Featuring dynamic storytelling, award winning music, stunning costumes and glittering special effects, audiences will be captivated by the humor, fun and adventure of these spellbinding stories. Dream with the princesses, cheer for the heroes as they conquer evil villains, and marvel as these classic tales are brought to life in a theatrical experience that’s pure magic.

So now that you are all excited and ready to go... want to know how to enter? I thought so! There are 3 ways to enter, that's 3 chances to win! Please leave a separate comment for each entry. If your email isn't attached in Blogger please leave me a way of contacting you.

Entry #1-Please tell me who your favorite princess is (or if you have a little princess of your own tell me who she loves the most!) It's hard for me to decide....Ariel, Belle and Aurora top my list. Let me know which Princess gets top billing in your heart and you are entered to win!

Entry #2- Please 'like' In a Galaxy on Facebook. Once you have leave me a separate comment letting me know!

Entry #3-Please share this giveaway...Facebook, Twitter, your own blog. Share it, let me know you did it by leaving me a separate comment, and you are entered to win!

I will draw 2 winners using random.org (and post in a separate blog entry as well as notify via email) on Friday, January 13 at Noon. Once notified the winner has 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. Tickets will be available at will call, details to come.

Don't forget you can still take advantage of the discount code MOM15 when ordering tickets from ticketmaster.com if you don't want to take your chances with the giveaway! That being said there are more giveaways out there to enter...increase your chances to win by visiting...

~~Katie at the little things blog~~ CLOSED
~~Michelle at I'm Living the Good Life~~ CLOSED
~~Karen at Little World After All~~ CLOSED

~~Kristin at MasonMetu~~ CLOSED
Kandi and Andrea at Mommy Confessions Blog

Good luck!!!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. That being said, the opinions expressed on this blog are always 100% mine.

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales-January 22 only!

2012-01-03T15:11:00.004-05:00

Do you know a princess? Want to live in a fairytale? Disney Live! can you take you there! Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales is coming to town at the US Bank Arena for one day only on January 22...there are 2 showtimes to take advantage of, 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.

I'm going to have 2 family 4 packs of tickets to give away to this event but I've also got a sweet discount code that gives you a great price..$15 flat rate per ticket! Just use MOM15 when purchasing tickets online at Ticketmaster!**

I have a just-turned-4-year-old niece who LOVES anything princess and this show is right up her alley! I can already imagine her reaction when the first princess hits the stage! My boys love a good fairy tale as well, and since you also get to see Mickey, Minnie and the rest of the gang they'll be super excited to get in on the fun too!

Prepare to step into a world of wonder where wishing is only the beginning and dreams really do come true in Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy as they bring the timeless fairytale adventures of Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life right in your hometown. Featuring dynamic storytelling, award winning music, stunning costumes and glittering special effects, audiences will be captivated by the humor, fun and adventure of these spellbinding stories. Dream with the princesses, cheer for the heroes as they conquer evil villains, and marvel as these classic tales are brought to life in a theatrical experience that’s pure magic.

Excited? Stay tuned for the giveaway details coming soon! In the meantime here's a fun coloring page to get your littles all ready to go!

Details: **Offer Valid toward regularly-priced tickets in seating Front Row and VIP Seats. Offer subject to ticket availability. Service charges and handling fees may apply. Valid on up to four discounted tickets. Not be used in conjunction with any other discount, premium or rebate offer.

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. That being said, the opinions expressed on this blog are always 100% mine.

Nuclear Cowboyz light up Cincinnati!

2012-01-03T11:10:00.006-05:00

For the first time ever in Cincinnati...Nuclear Cowboyz! They'll be lighting up US Bank Arena on January 27 & 28 and you could win tickets right here!

I'll be honest, I had never heard of Nuclear Cowboyz until I was asked to promote the event. If you aren't familiar with them either just wait until you see what they can do!

So now that you've seen what they can do want to know how to get tickets?? Tickets are available at U.S. Bank Arena box office, select Kroger stores, at all TicketMaster locations, www.ticketmatster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Adult tickets are $30, children get in for $15 but you can take advantage of a Family 4 pack price and save $20!!

I will have 2 (that's right...2!) Family 4 packs of tickets to give away next week! So don't forget to subscribe and come back soon to get your entry in!!!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. That being said, the opinions expressed on this blog are always 100% mine.

Who doesn't love a circus!??

2012-01-03T07:40:00.004-05:00

So it's getting to be that time of year again...the time when the circus rolls into town! We took the boys last year and they LOVED IT! (and so did we!) So much to look at and experience all in one place...they've been asking all year if we're going back!

Well the answer to that is YES! And you can go too! I'll have 2 Family 4 packs of tickets to give out very soon! You don't want to miss this fantastic show...so if you don't want to wait to see if you won you can take advantage of this fabulous discount offer!

Ringling Brother Barnum & Bailey Circus presents Fully Charged is sure to be a fantastic event. I can't wait to see what they've come up with this year! Be on the look out for it in the next few months....it's scheduled March 7-11 at the US Bank Arena. Don't wait until March to take advantage of this fabulous discount though! You can get tickets Right Now for as little as $10!! All you have to do is enter BAILEY when you buy tickets online at Ticket Master.

I'll have the giveaway posted very soon...but don't wait! Take the whole family...get some $10 tickets and invite all of your friends! The Circus is coming to town!!!

The Details! Offer Valid toward regularly-priced tickets in seating, excludes Circus Celebrity, Front Row and VIP Seats. Offer subject to ticket availability. Not Valid on Weekday Pricing Performances (Wed-Thursday). Offer valid on $20 Price Level Only. (Service charges and handling fees may apply. Valid on up to four discounted tickets. Not be used in conjunction with any other discount, premium or rebate offer.)

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. That being said, the opinions expressed in this blog are always 100% mine.

{this moment}

2011-12-09T09:39:00.003-05:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see."

Explanation is needed for this photo....you see, that sorrowful, pleading, Oliver Twist thing that Littlest is doing is what he calls the "Naggy Hugger". He nags for something, in that super cute "Please Mum, I am so sweet and innocent and good" way and when you give it to him you are rewarded with a hug. He has perfected this look over the years. I am so thankful that Hubby finally got good photographic evidence of it's existence. The Big Man back behind him is doing his best "Chuck E. Cheese" face...also long perfected. It's not quite as effective as the Naggy Hugger though.....just sayin'....

Happy Weekend..

Menu Plan Monday!

2011-12-05T18:51:00.000-05:00

Yet another Monday means yet another Menu Plan! I may not always post about it but I do always make a menu plan, shop for the week and keep us away from the fast food last minute stop as much as possible. This week I'm even further ahead of the game...I did all my grocery shopping for the week today so I'm ready and set for the whole week!

We've been pretty darn busy lately but this week we have a bit of an easy week and I am super grateful. I have a back log of crafty stuff I would really love to work on and the boys have been going going going with fun activities and that means we all go go go along with them. A quiet week before the Christmas storm is much needed!

Here's our week.....not fancy but certainly delish!

Sunday-Granny's Chili Soup (my Mom's updated version) My Granny used to make this and it was delicious then and my Mom has improved on it over the years to the point where I can say it's the best chili I've ever had and my whole family agrees, and it makes great leftovers for hubby to take in his lunch for the week. Recipe coming up later in the week!
Monday-Asian Chicken with veggies and basmati rice, salad
Tuesday-Rigatoni with marinara, garlic bread, salad
Wednesday-Basil Burgers with baked potatoes and broccoli
Thursday-Baked chicken nuggets with mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits

EDIT-Since I wrote this post we had a change of plans and visited a local burger joint named Bard's Burgers on a whim. (It was a delicious whim, by the way!) So everything here gets shifted forward a day.

Need some inspiration? Visit orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday and check out all of the fabulous menu ideas!

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T10:24:00.003-05:00

First...I just want to take a moment to thank each and every man and woman who has ever served our country for their sacrifice...whether they sacrificed their own comfort and time away from their families or their own lives. What you have given not all of us are able to give. It takes a special person to serve their country and fellow man. I admire all of you and will never forget your service. Veterans Day is a day we celebrate this gift we are given by a proud and brave few, but please always remember that while we may celebrate them a few times a year they are giving their time and their lives on a daily basis.

I would like to especially recognize my little brother for his service...he continues to serve with the U. S. Army and none of us could be any prouder of him. Little Bro...the boys idolize you, your family loves you and we miss you terribly.

Have a Happy Veterans Day...and please remember to thank a veteran, not just today but every single day. Where would we be without them?

{this moment}

2011-11-11T09:06:00.003-05:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Menu Plan Monday!

2011-11-07T12:09:00.003-05:00

Menu planning goes on, whether I blog about it or not. Today I find myself with enough time to share our plan for the week, as uninspired as it maybe. If you want real inspiration please check out Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday! Those ladies know how to do it up right!

We're in the midst of a long weekend (woot!) with one more day to go before we return to school on Wednesday. I'd like to say I'm making the most of this time change thing along with the extra 2 school/schedule free days but honestly it is Kicking. My. Butt! I was up WAY too late last night (SVU Netflix marathon and coupon organization anyone? Coupon clipping is much more tolerable when Elliot Stabler is keeping you company) and slept WAY too late today. The boys finally woke me when the prospect of eating frozen waffles while they are still frozen became unappealing. All that sleep really ought to make me energized and ready to go...really it's just wearing me out. I need a nap.

So while I sit at the computer and try to think of all of the things I should be doing to put on "the list" (you know that one you rewrite weekly but never seem to get rid of? Oh, that's just me? Nevermind then.) I will at least share our menu plan for the week! Look honey...I did work today!

We have a wedding to attend this weekend (congrats to Josh and Krista!! So exciting!) but not much else going on.

Monday~a command performance of Chicken and dumplings ala Michelle at I'm Living the Good Life. Served with okra and corn on the cob (requested by Eldest).

Tuesday~Turkey tacos with refried beans and mexican rice.

Wednesday~ Brinner! Pancakes, scrambled eggs and turkey sausage

Thursday~Baked rigatoni with salad and garlic bread

Friday~Potato Soup with grilled cheese (requested by the boys)

Saturday~ Wedding!!

Sunday~ YOYO (aka-you're on your own) Leftovers, sandwiches, whatever you can scrounge up...good luck with that! ;)

Next week I'm planning on making a pot of my Granny's chili soup (made even more delicious by the additions my Mom has made to it) and really want to branch out and get away from our "comfort zone". Any kid friendly favorites out there you want to share?

{this moment}

2011-11-04T16:41:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Happy (long, for us) Weekend....

Menu Plan Monday!

2011-10-16T22:56:00.003-04:00

I am making NO promises, but I am trying to think about possibly maybe perhaps getting back into this blogging thing. I am a HUGE slacker lately! I have a good reason.. I swear I do! But do you really care? Nope, and you shouldn't. Just hold me accountable people...someone has to!

I DO still menu plan weekly and it is SO very helpful! On top of that I have gotten into the couponing game. No, nothing extreme here...you will definitely NOT find 47 jars of mustard on any shelves in this home! But with the help of a good friend and encouragement from others I have found that taking a small amount of time to organize and clip those coupons CAN, however, save you a ton of money at the checkout! With my growing stomachs..er, I mean, boys... that is a definite must!!! I've also been looking for easy and cheap, but still delicious, new recipe ideas...especially those that involve the crock pot. Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday is a great place to get inspiration!!

This is a busy week...our school's Fall Festival is this Saturday...and while I am not one of the coordinators this year I did volunteer to help with a couple of committees and this week is crunch time for both of them! So easy, cheap and delicious was the order for the week this week...nothing fancy, and I did splurge on a couple of convenience items (requested by Daddy and the boys...you know they have to celebrate when Mommy isn't home)... but I had coupons for both so I didn't feel so bad!

Here's what our week looks like:

Monday-Chicken and dumplings ala Michelle at I'm Living the Good Life. Please pray that I don't screw it up this time...long story. Served with salad, green beans and corn.
Tuesday-Asian chicken with basmati rice and salad.
Wednesday-Breaded baked fish, macaroni and cheese and broccoli
Thursday-Cincinnati chili 3 ways
Friday-DiGiorno pizza night (aka-Mommy won't be home)
Saturday-Festival food!!
Sunday-Broccoli Alfredo pasta with salad and garlic cheddar biscuits

And there it is....simple and quick.

This is our busy week in a nutshell (no 'nut' jokes from the peanut gallery please):

Fall Festival Presale-every morning at school
Odyssey of the Mind-Wednesday after school
Festival Raffle baskets-we put these together on Thursday night
Festival set up-after school and most of the evening Friday
Festival!!! Saturday afternoon and clean up that evening

I'd like to fit the pumpkin farm in there on Sunday...please pray that I'm not catatonic by then. The Fall Festival is worth every minute you spend toiling on it, and the day of the event is a huge pay off.....just the look on the kids faces is worth all the work. But it IS a ton of work. And I get it easy this year! I'm only a committee worker! Those coordinators are going to need a flask of good whiskey and a chiropractor by Sunday morning! I know...I have done it for the past 3 years. This is my first year taking it easy!

So I will raise my giant glass of bourbon and cola to salute those two lovely, hard working ladies who are this years festival coordinators...you are rocking it out ladies, it's almost over! I will buy you your own giant glass of bourbon and cola the night AFTER the festival. You are going to need it!

It's Old West Festival Time! GIVEAWAY CLOSED

2011-09-28T07:36:00.005-04:00

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!
CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER HEATHER WHO SAID

"I'd like to have lunch with Billy the Kid - well Emilio Estevez' version from Young Guns! :-)"

HEATHER LOOK FOR AN EMAIL FROM ME IN YOUR INBOX SO I CAN GET YOUR TICKETS IN THE MAIL!

Some of you may remember last year when we visited the Old West Festival....we had a wonderful time and the boys have been begging to go back. Well they are in luck....because the festival is back in town and better than ever!!

The Old West Festival is located just east of Cincinnati at a permanent location built to look just like Dodge City circa 1878! Educational as well as a great time, you can't miss out on this experience! Read all about our adventure last year here.

Even better than just plain having a great time at this wonderful festival is that this year you can help a great cause at the same time!! This year, the Festival is teaming up with Donatos and A Kid Again to bring smiles to the faces of some extra special children.Greater Cincinnati Donatos will be selling coupon booklets for the Old West Festival from Sept 1 through October 9 for $1. The booklets contain 4 free children admissions for 1 paying adult admission to the Old West Festival and one free individual one topping Donatos pizza coupons. How can you beat that?? All proceeds from the coupon booklets will be donated to A Kid Again. Please visit www.oldwestfestival.com or www.akidagain.org for more information.

Want to check out this great festival? I can help! Enter here to win a family 4 pack of tickets to the Old West Festival...then head over to Donato's and purchase a coupon booklet and take the whole extended family! Uncle Bob, Aunt Martha and the cousins would love to go too!!

It's easy to enter:

First MANDATORY entry: 'Like' the Old West Festival on Facebook.

Extra entries...please leave a separate comment for each entry:

Become a follower of In A Galaxy Far Far Away for an additional entry.
Tell me (because I'm nosy) which famous Old West character you'd like to have lunch with. Billy the Kid? Jesse James? Annie Oakley? Inquiring minds want to know! (and like I said....I'm nosy)

That's it! Three chances to win and easy ways to enter! Winner will be chosen by random number generator and announced Saturday at Noon so hurry and get your entries in quick!

{this moment}

2011-08-26T18:54:00.002-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

{this moment}

2011-08-19T07:24:00.001-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Menu Plan Monday

2011-08-15T07:19:00.005-04:00

So here we are...ground zero for the 2011 school year. I am not prepared.

I am still taking part in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday. I didn't get my menu posted last week but I DID stick with the menu planning and grocery shopping and am proud to say we stuck with it and got through the week without any major problems or switches.

It's been a tough couple of weeks with ridiculous and repetitive car repairs (have I mentioned that my car is possessed?) and alot of staying at home time, but we've made the best of it and I'm nearly resolved to the fact that summer is over and it's time for the boys to get back to school. I know we'll get into the swing of things quickly but somehow that just makes it worse.

I will be asking your help in the next week or two on great lunch packing ideas, I'll have 3 lunches to pack this year with Littlest heading off to kindergarten, so I need some new ideas to mix it up! For now I have this week's menu plan for your perusal......

Monday-Homemade vegetable soup and grilled panini sandwiches (thinking of trying out pizza paninis!)

Tuesday-Grilled hamburgers, twice baked potatoes, fresh corn on the cob and green beans

Wednesday-First Day Of School!!! We're taking the boys to their favorite pizza place to celebrate :)

Thursday-Homemade Cincy style chili coneys with fries and salad

Friday-Veggie lo mein, salad

Saturday-clean out the fridge, leftovers, sandwiches

Sunday-crock pot pork roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, dinner rolls

I'll also be making this lovely for first day of school breakfast. Yum!

So there you have it folks...another week of food to get us through the first week of the new school year. Today and tomorrow I will be frantically making sure I have purchased enough underwear and socks and glue sticks and composition books to get us started and then frantically cleaning house so that on Wednesday I can have breakfast with my BFF and revel in the first day without children. Then try to convince myself it's a good thing to have child free time instead of pool time or park time or lazy lay-on-the-couch-in-our-pajamas time.

I do not hold out much hope that I will be able to convince myself school is better than summer, but hopefully I'll find something to entertain myself....you know, soap operas and bon-bons....

{this moment}

2011-08-12T07:26:00.002-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T09:44:00.003-04:00

Photo credit goes to a dear friend who actually remembered her camera. I am a bad mommy because I did not. I am thankful for dear friend. (not sure why littlest looks so concerned/distracted...he was extremely happy to head off to Jump Start this morning!)

Help the Carnegie teach our kids!

2011-08-09T10:59:00.002-04:00

We are lucky enough to live in pretty close proximity to a fantastic place called The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center. Not only do they have fabulous galleries full of beautiful pieces of art and present shows of all kinds (rock concerts, plays, musicals...next up is Pippin!) but they also provide art classes on site (the Artstop series...fabulous!) and they travel to bring art to many children that would not have access to it if they didn't. With school funding being what it is today many schools simply do not have the money for art programs at all, and that's where the Carnegie steps in to help.

Their instructors travel to schools in the area to expose children to art who might otherwise never get the chance. Incredible, right? They teach more than 400 classes a year to children on both sides of the river. That's a lot of traveling.

This is where you come in.

Toyota is generously giving away "100 cars for Good" to non-profits all over who do good works and The Carnegie is a front runner to win one of these wonderful cars!!!

All it takes it a couple of mouse clicks, and less than a minute, to help the Carnegie win a vehicle that can make a huge difference in the lives of kids and the teachers who give so much to help them.

Here's what the Carnegie has to say:

The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center has been selected as a finalist in Toyota ’s 100 Cars for Good program and they need your support! Help them win a brand new Toyota vehicle by taking a moment to vote for them at www.facebook.com/toyota TODAY!

Instructors with The Carnegie's education department teach more than 400 arts classes throughout the year at area schools. If the Carnegie wins this new car, they would use it to not only travel back and forth to the schools, but to also transport all of the supplies needed to execute its arts programs.

I hope you will please consider supporting The Carnegie. Voting will take place at www.facebook.com/toyota and the poll will be open until midnight.

I hope you will take that one minute and help The Carnegie reach its goal and win of the '100 Cars for Good'. Such an easy way to make a huge impact on the lives of our children.

{this moment}...from the vaults

2011-08-05T13:25:00.005-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see."

In honor of the upcoming kindergarten jump start that my "baby" is about to attend here is last year's first day of school....back when he was still just a preschooler and talked about visiting his brother's school. Now his brother's school is his school too. Where in the world has the time gone???

Happy weekend.....or, Happy second-to-the-last-weekend-of-summer! Waaaaa!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:23:00.003-04:00

Sleepovers...it wouldn't be summer without them..

Happy Wednesday...

That last bit of summer...

2011-08-02T16:10:00.004-04:00

I have been a little AWOL from this space lately, I know. I have posts in my head, but I can't seem to get enough time to get them into print. I'm not complaining though...I am too busy enjoying the last bit of summer we have left. In exactly 2 weeks from tomorrow we'll be in the process of doing our first after school routine. I'm not afraid to say, I'm not looking forward to it. We've been enjoying the pool, and lazy days, and outings with friends and family too much. I'm not ready to let it go. So although I really enjoy being here, in this space, right now I'd much rather be out 'there' with my boys, having one last water fight before homework and extra curriculars take over our every day.

So enjoy your last bit of summer, and I'll be back WAY too soon to start the back to school coverage. Until then...happy swimming!

Menu Plan Monday!

2011-08-01T13:55:00.004-04:00

Another week, and this one is pulling us oh so much closer to the beginning of school. I am sad about it this year. Ever since my oldest started school I've always looked forward to that first day...another adventure to go on! This year I just want another day, week, month of summertime instead. School adventures can wait...there are so many summer adventures we never got to!!!

Oh well, I can wish and complain and moan about it but The First Day will arrive whether I want it to or not. Might as well make the most of what we have left!

This week we are super busy so dinners are super easy and quick or something I can make ahead and throw in the crockpot. It's rather uninspired, I know, but again I'm on to those fall back recipes that I know everyone will eat and we can get on the table in a hurry. For lots of inspiration check out Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday...I've been participating for a few weeks now. I have a ton of stuff bookmarked to try out once school starts.

Monday~Spaghetti with marinara, garlic cheddar biscuits, corn on the cob and salad

Tuesday~Cincinnati style chili 3 ways, salad

Wednesday~Grilled panini sandwiches, garlic fries, broccoli and salad

Thursday~mom is out for the evening so the boys are doing frozen pizzas...original, right?

Friday~chicken curry with basmati rice, naan and salad

Saturday~dinner out-we have a busy day...yard sale, birthday party, role playing night for daddy...dinner on the run it is.

Sunday~sandwiches, leftovers, basically clean out the fridge day

There we have it, very unoriginal but it gets the job done. I keep telling myself that at least during the school season I will have more time for cooking but that's not really an incentive to want to see the end of all day pool days and lazy mornings. Hopefully I'm not rubbing my "school stinks!" attitude off on the boys!

Are you looking forward to the new school year? Do you tend to cook more during the school year or summer season?

{this moment}

2011-07-29T16:46:00.002-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T09:40:00.003-04:00

Happy Wednesday..

And I just realized that exactly 3 weeks from today I will be sitting in a quiet house because my children will both be back in school. I truly thought I would be happier at the idea than I am...I'm not ready for summer to end, school starts way too early anymore, too many days of rigid institutional instruction and not enough days of fun and play. Oh for the days when school didn't start back up until after Labor Day.....

I think this calls for a day at the pool.....

Menu Plan Monday! (On Tuesday!)

2011-07-26T10:51:00.004-04:00

So, I'm a slacker this week. We are having car problems and yesterday it was all I could do to focus on getting the van fixed up and back to working properly and so the grocery list/menu plan fell by the wayside until around 8 p.m. last night. Let's just say the 9 p.m. grocery shopping trip ended with a 10 p.m. trip to the liquor store. It was required (for sanity's sake).

So even though I am late I am still participating in Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie.com. Better late than never, right?!

Monday~Leftovers/Potato soup/Salad-it was clean out the fridge night (I ended up switching around night's last week and we had more leftovers than usual so we saved a meal for this week!)

Tuesday~Out to the movies and pizza buffet! Googy (what our kids call their Grandpa) is treating us to a movie at our second run theater (Thor...pretty excited!) and then the Cici's pizza buffet. The boys are pumped!

Wednesday~Grilled BBQ Chicken, roasted beets and sweet potatoes, swiss chard, salad (I'm really curious to see how this one ends up playing out. Pretty sure I'll be breaking out the mac 'n cheese before the night is over)

Thursday~Homemade vegetable soup and grilled cheese

Friday~Chicken sandwiches, garlic fries, green beans (and for mom some baked tilapia...I'm the only one who'll eat it, so I gotta take advantage and make it when I can)

Saturday~We're having friends over for a pizza buffet-thai chicken pizza, black bean nacho pizza and then your regular ol' pepperoni and cheese, salad with all the bells and whistles

Sunday~leftovers/sandwiches/clean out the fridge day

So there it is. I felt so healthy walking to the check out with all my fruits and veggies last night...so I had to fix that and buy a pint of the most ridiculously chocolate icecream I could find ;) Sometimes you just have to treat yourself a little, ya know? (and that's not just the bourbon speaking..I promise!)

{this moment}

2011-07-22T08:36:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

BBQ Chicken Skewers

2011-07-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

We don't actually get to eat grilled food very often. Unfortunately we don't have a gas or charcoal grill, honestly there's just not much room for one on our patio, and it seems to get put on the bottom of the "want" list more often than not. However I have the good fortune to live right across the street from my own dear Mum and she has a seriously elite gas grill with all kinds of goodies and gadgets and she has said we may use it anytime we like. So now I'm thinking....what all can you cook on the grill???!

This past weekend, in honor of my dear Mother's generosity we put together a little dinner spread with all of the most delicious flavors of the season and our centerpiece was a great Kraft Foods recipe called Sweet BBQ chicken skewers. I changed it up, but not much, and OH they were delicious!! Unfortunately I did not get pictures...I was too busy swimming, cooking and then eating. Silly me!

We had fresh corn on the cob, salad, fresh farmer's market green beans (no one can make them like my Mom...I could eat the entire pot myself!), baked potatoes and our chicken skewers. Here is the Kraft recipe, I only changed the recipe by adding extra veggies to the skewers. We used green pepper, red pepper, pineapple, sweet vidalia onions and white mushrooms. I did marinate the skewers for just a bit before grilling. The sauce was just enough to add a kick to the chicken and veggies. Delicious! I was craving a good home baked potato but these would be even more delicious with basmati rice!

So now that I have access to a whole new level of food preparation....tell me: What are your great grilling tips, tricks and recipes? I'm dying to grill everything I can get my hands on now!

And I can't leave you without some kind of photo to pull this post together...or at least give you a giggle...and I have just the picture! While I was chopping and marinating the hubby took our boys to the Cincinnati Art Museum. Let's just say that Liam was less than impressed with the Africa room....

I think it's a little blurry because Daddy may have been giggling....just a little...

The all new Playaway View at KCPL

2011-07-20T08:01:00.004-04:00

So, so hot here this week. I mean the kind of hot where it's not even pleasant to be at the pool because the water is 80 degrees by now and the wind blowing is so hot and humid it makes you feel like you are in a sauna. Add an overcast sky and occasional rain moving through and there's just no good reason to go outside.

Inside is much cooler but "boring" if you believe my kids (who, by the way, say this while tripping over a kazillion dollars worth of toys and Legos). Enter the Playaway View, a brand new handheld video player we picked up at the library. Honestly, you'd think my kids had never seen Elmo before...or watched a movie. Somehow putting in a little personal, handheld device makes it SO much more enticing!

We got the chance to check out a few of these little guys and my kids are hooked. I wrote about it in my post over at Family Friendly Cincinnati this week...check it out!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T07:36:00.002-04:00

Happy Wednesday...

Menu Plan Monday!

2011-07-18T12:33:00.004-04:00

I'm taking part in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday, don't forget to hop over and take a peek at everyone's menus for the week...serious inspiration!

I am having a very uninspired week. I just cannot seem to get on the "let's make this week interesting" game plan! Having had a screaming headache for the last 24 hours or so is decidedly not helping, I can say that much. Perhaps this plan will change before I make it to the store but for now I'm trying to stay with the program even though the only program I want to get with is the one that involves my bed!

Monday~homemade pizza, salad

Tuesday~Cincinnati style chili 3 ways, salad (requested by hubby)

Wednesday~From scratch pancakes, scrambled eggs

Thursday~Chicken sandwiches, mashed potatoes, green beans (requested by the boys)

Friday~Spaghetti with marinara sauce, garlic bread, salad, broccoli

Saturday~Burrito skillet nachos

Sunday~sandwiches, leftovers, whatever you can find!

Hopefully next week I will be more inspired. Now that it's in print I can really see how boring all of these fall back meals are this week...but what's a girl to do?? I do have a recipe to share later in the week...the chicken skewers we made Sunday on the grill were delicious!

Happy meal planning!

A trip to The BonBonerie

2011-07-16T10:35:00.000-04:00

The boys and I took a little ride up to The BonBonerie this past week and brought home some goodies...and I have to be thankful there isn't one just down the street because I could very quickly become addicted!

It took us quite awhile to look over all of the deliciousness they had out on display. I didn't even get pictures of the cakes and tortes and pies and oh SO many other things because we were spellbound by the cookie case and didn't get much further.

We came home with a small box of cookies, 2 for each of us. They were absolutely delicious and so adorably decorated! Unfortunately I didn't even get pictures of the rest of our loot...tuxedo brownies and opera cream cupcakes! I think that gives me an excuse to head back up sometime soon...it's not fair of me to tell you how absolutely mouthwatering the opera cream cupcakes were and not at least show you a picture. I must remedy that. Soon.

As you can see, we couldn't make it home without dipping into our stash. Daddy is lucky, we did show some restraint...we did manage to make it home without eating his share too.

If you get a chance to visit the BonBonerie I suggest you take your sweet tooth and your appetite. Not only do they have a delicious bakery but there is also a tea room/cafe perfect for afternoon shopping breaks!

The BonBonerie is located at 2030 Madison Road in Cincinnati. Check their website for directions and hours of operation. And then try to keep yourself from driving straight up first thing in the morning to grab a box of goodness. I dare you.

{this moment}

2011-07-15T06:54:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

When simple is best

2011-07-14T07:32:00.000-04:00

I happened upon a sale this past week...lovely fresh mozzarella on sale. And right next to the mozzarella? Beautiful tomatoes (okay, not farm fresh...we haven't seen those yet...but still so delicious and ripe). And next to the tomatoes? Fresh organic basil. That sounds like lunch to me!

A little salt, pepper and a drizzle of sweet balsamic vinaigrette and I had the perfect lunch. Sometimes simple is just what the doctor ordered.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T06:56:00.000-04:00

And this is what they call their "poker faces" ;)
Happy Wednesday...

Sweet treats!

2011-07-12T06:57:00.000-04:00

We made an impromptu trip to the Dari Crest this weekend...I had forgotten how important ice cream is, especially soft serve, during the hot summer months.

It was our first trip to the Dari Crest as a family. I remember stopping there for ice cream cones once upon a time. Truly delicious. The boys gobbled it up!

Of course, then we came home and bathed...because we wore quite a bit of our treats. But Oh, it was worth it.

Menu Plan Monday!

2011-07-11T08:53:00.000-04:00

Monday again...is it just me or do the weeks seem to be flying by way too fast this summer? I'm already dreading next January/February when the time drags to a standstill. Summer just doesn't go slow enough for me.

I'm taking part in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday, don't forget to hop over and take a peek at everyone's menus for the week...serious inspiration!

We made it through our whole menu plan last week with no substitutions! We even got to those Skillet Red Beans last week and oh my it was delicious!! If you haven't checked out The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook yet you need to! Since my menu actually worked with no switches this time that leaves us ready for a fresh start this week. I want to clean out my freezer a little so we are eating from the freezer and pantry quite a bit this week. Here's what it looks like:

Monday~The boys and daddy are on their own, I'm having a girl's night out with a dear friend! (Oh Boy is it needed too!) They are helping me clean out the freezer..chicken nuggets and fries for Oldest, Cincinnati style chili (homemade, one of my frozen dinners) for Daddy and Littlest.

Tuesday~Fish, mac and cheese, broccoli and fries...requested by the family (and on sale this week)

Wednesday~3 Cheese Pasta bake, salad, garlic cheddar biscuits

Thursday~Asian Chicken, basmati rice, salad (this is coming from the freezer stash as well)

Friday~Homemade pizza, salad-this is quickly becoming a standard for Friday

Saturday~BBQ Chicken Skewers, fresh corn on the cob, salad, garlic fries (if these turn out to be as tasty as I think they will a recipe will soon follow!)

Sunday~Leftovers, sandwiches, finish cleaning out the freezer day

Most of these dinners are quick to throw together or easily premade so we can spend more time enjoying our last month of summer break. My next goal is to find at least 2 weeks worth of easy, delicious crockpot recipes I can have on hand for our first month of school so that we can still take advantage of the warm weather and pool while we can. I'd really like to have dinner ready to go so we can hit the pool as soon as school lets out and not have to worry with making dinner. As a rule I give in and let myself be lulled into the school rhythm from the start but this year I intend on fighting that as long as possible and making sure we don't take these long, hot days for granted. It is important to get back in the school groove, but it's equally as important to make sure we enjoy every bit of sun and fun we can!!

Do you have a easy to throw together crowd pleaser when it comes to your slow cooker? Please share in the comments!

{this moment}

2011-07-08T11:00:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Easy, versatile pasta salads!

2011-07-07T07:39:00.004-04:00

During the summer months I like to keep easy but delicious side dishes in the fridge that I can grab to go into the cooler for picnics at the park or pool. I have a pasta salad recipe that my mom passed on to me, that is easy and that everyone loves. You can switch things up really easily-add, subtract, even completely change it by switching out veggies or dressing. So versatile!

The original pasta salad went like this:

1 box tri-color spiral pasta
1 large bottle Italian dressing, zesty
1 packet 7 Seas Italian dressing mix
1 container grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 green or yellow pepper, diced
8 oz. pepperoni, sliced into strips

Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside. Slice tomatoes in half, dice peppers, throw everything together into a large bowl, sprinkle seasoning packet, dump in Italian dressing and mix well. Chill and serve.

Easy, quick, no brainer. To that original recipe we started adding diced cucumber, onion and parmesan cheese. Delicious! Then my sister in law made it and added broccoli. Why didn't I think of that?!

Upon further searching I found this recipe as well....the same basic principle but such a different flavor! I substitute as needed depending on what I have on hand or what is easy to grab at the store and like most other recipes tweaked it until it suited us perfectly.

Southwest Pasta Salad

.5 box (approximately 8 oz.) tri-color spiral pasta~whole grain or wheat pasta preferably
1 can sweet white corn~drain and reserve liquid
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional..I always cut this at least in half)
1 green, yellow or red pepper, diced
Cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne~to taste I just sprinkle and mix and taste until it's where I want it

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Toss in drained/rinsed black beans, corn, salsa and bell pepper and mix. Adjust seasonings and mix well. If it seems a bit dry add a touch of the reserved liquid from the corn or even more salsa until it has the consistency you want. If I am taking this as a side dish to a party I top with the cheddar cheese and mix in when we arrive. You can omit the cheese altogether to lower calories and fat (I actually prefer to leave it out altogether)

Such a similar recipe, 2 completely different flavors! Now I can't stop thinking of other combinations! I think this will be our next combination.....pasta, fresh mozzarella, basil, diced tomatoes and a balsamic/olive oil dressing. Mmm!!!

Any ideas for me to try???

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T08:09:00.002-04:00

Happy Wednesday!

Menu Plan Monday! (4th of July Edition)

2011-07-04T10:47:00.001-04:00

Another Monday, another menu plan, but this week my schedule will be all out of whack since we're celebrating the 4th of July when I'm normally grocery shopping! I hope that right now you are out celebrating because that's exactly what I plan on doing today! However, we do have to eat the rest of the week so I figured I better come up with a plan. Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday keeps me motivated when I'd rather just blow it all off and wing it. Winging it usually lands us in the McDonald's drive though and I DON'T want that to happen!

Here's our plan for the week:

Monday~Happy 4th of July! We're having a taco bar lunch with my sister in law and niece...burrito skillet, tacos, tortillas, all kinds of fixings, pinto beans and mexican rice with homemade salsa and pico de gallo. Ole!

Tuesday~Potato soup and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches left over from Sunday's pork roast dinner

Wednesday~Cincinnati style chili 3 ways

Thursday~Italian sub sandwiches/grilled cheese sandwiches (for the boys) with salad and potato wedges

Friday~Homemade pizza and salad

Saturday~Red Beans and Rice, french bread, salad (yet again, another carry over...we ended up being lazy and eating leftovers one night instead of making the red beans. I'm not sure why it's always this particular meal that gets passed over...maybe because most of the ingredients are shelf stable so it's an easy one to save)

Sunday~Pancakes and scrambled eggs (because I got some great ideas for pancakes from last week's post!!)

I have a couple of batches of muffins to make still...banana nut and cinnamon streusel. I'm hoping to find some zucchini at the farmer's market to make zucchini bread with as well. It just sounds delicious, I've been craving it. Do you have a great quick bread recipe you find yourself going back to time and again? Not only do I go back time and again to zucchini bread (with icing sometimes, like my Granny used to make it) but I've also found a great banana bread recipe I stick to because I know it's always going to turn out moist and delicious. If you have a great bread recipe, please share!!

Have a great week and happy menu planning!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-03T10:38:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a minute to say Happy Independence Day to everyone, to hope that you all have a wonderful day full of fun, food and possibly even fireworks. I realize it's a day early, but I plan to swim and play tomorrow too and I didn't want to miss out on wishing you all a great day!!

We plan on hitting the pool for awhile tomorrow, then the boys are heading out to play a little Lazer Kraze for a friend's birthday celebration while Mom gets our taco/burrito bar ready for lunch (it became official when hubby bemoaned the lack of burrito skillet as of late). After our own little lunch celebration we are heading out to finish celebrating our friend's birthday with a cookout and maybe some fireworks. What a fun filled day!

I hope you all have a safe, happy day tomorrow! Happy 4th of July!!!

What's on the menu for your July 4th feast?

2011-07-02T10:15:00.004-04:00

4th of July 2009

Well the 4th of July has snuck up on me this year and I haven't got any idea what we'll have on the menu to celebrate! There is the old standby of burgers and hot dogs and typical cookout fare but I'm in the mood to change things up a bit this year. I've tossed around a few ideas in my head but none of them are hitting the mark, really, and now I'm 2 days from the event and stumped!

Something I can prepare in advance and either heat up or keep hot in the crock pot would be best...I don't want to miss out on valuable swim time because I'm chained to the kitchen chopping and cooking. Something everyone can personalize would be great too...that way everyone gets the perfect meal!

My ideas so far are:

pasta bar (though this isn't at the top of the list, it's a last resort)

baked potato and salad bar (um Yum! Definite possibility...can think of a thousand toppings for potatoes that sound delish!)

taco/burrito bar (at the top of the list! Homemade salsa, burrito skillet, re-fried beans, pico de gallo, and so much more!)

pizza feast (lots of different and unusual pizzas...BLT pizza, Mexican pizza, etc. This idea is actually stolen from my dear friend Katie at the little things blog, she comes up with the best ideas and always shares the best recipes!)

Trying to please a wide variety of tastes certainly factors in...hopefully one of these will fit the bill! Any ideas on great "bar" menus for me? Any you've tried in the past that were a huge success? Share please!

And just in case I don't have a chance to say it again...Happy 4th of July to all of you out there, may your weather be fine, your drinks be cold and your food be delicious! And may your day end looking like this:

And not this:

Happy 4th of July weekend!!

{this moment}

2011-07-01T08:17:00.002-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Super delicious pancakes!

2011-06-30T07:41:00.004-04:00

On Monday I promised you my delicious pancake recipe so I'm going to make good on my promise! I don't remember where I came by the original recipe, so I am afraid I don't know who to credit for how it began, but I've changed it up quite a bit since I first started making them. This recipe makes a pretty large batch of pancakes. As a rule we end up eating half and the other half goes into the freezer for quick breakfasts (or dinners!) down the road.

Super Delicious Pancakes

3 cups All Purpose flour
7 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
2.5 cups milk
2 eggs
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat your griddle or skillet to medium heat, I usually test by dropping a few drops of water onto the surface...if they skittle around before disappearing it's ready.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and blend well. Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients and add the milk, eggs, butter and vanilla and mix until all is incorporated. Batter may remain a bit lumpy and that's okay.

The thicker the batter the thicker your pancakes so if you'd like them a tad bit thinner then add a tad bit more milk. I experimented with the milk ratio until I found the perfect pancake thickness for us.

Pour onto griddle, about 1/3 cup at a time, and cook until the surface begins to bubble and the edges look a bit dry then flip and cook on reverse side for additional 2 minutes or so. Try to only flip once or your pancakes will get tough.

To freeze: place pancakes in single layer on a baking pan and place in freezer until frozen then you can stack and wrap them to store in the freezer for that night when you really need a quick dinner or you're craving pancakes for breakfast...and there they are waiting for you! If you would rather just throw a quick batch of pancakes on the table without all the extras just halve the recipe!

I haven't experimented too much with add ins but we have tried blueberries and strawberries with great success...and of course chocolate chips!

Give it a try and let me know how they turn out!! Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T07:57:00.002-04:00

Happy Wednesday!

Gone Swimmin'

2011-06-28T10:09:00.002-04:00

We've been trapped in an endless cycle of rain and gloom for a couple of weeks now. Rain, 70 degrees, more rain, more drizzle. Today, finally, this is what I see...

So today we are Gone Swimmin'...have to take advantage of those blue skies while they last!!!

Happy Tuesday!

Menu Plan Monday!

2011-06-27T10:05:00.001-04:00

I'm on a roll with the menu plans lately! I've had them ready and even had part of my grocery shopping done before Monday even gets here...watch me go! Since I've been taking part in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday I've found myself much better organized about mealtime and that's been a blessing. Even when we haven't stuck strictly to the menu (hey, I'd rather have Friday's pizza tonight, let's switch!) we've still had a great meal with all ingredients in house every night. That means if we had a meal away from home it was by choice, not out of necessity like it used to be. I love it!

This week's menu looks like this:

Monday~Grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup (from the freezer stash)
Tuesday~Skillet Red Beans with rice, salad, bread (Yeah, this meal has gotten carried over a couple of times...I just keep scheduling it on a night when we end up changing up the plans!! It's from the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook)
Wednesday~Veggie fajitas, Mexican rice, refried beans
Thursday~Homemade pizza (excellent dough recipe to follow)
Friday~Alfredo pasta, broccoli, salad, garlic bread
Saturday~Brinner! From-scratch pancakes and scrambled eggs
Sunday~Crockpot pork roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits

I also have blueberry and banana nut muffins on my baking list, hopefully early in the day on Tuesday before the heat sets in (can't believe I can say that..it's been in the 70's forever lately, so glad to see 90 degrees returning. Pool here we come!)

A super quick and easy pizza dough recipe is sometimes hard to come by. I tend to forget I'm making pizza until an hour before dinner and then it's a huge hassle to pull off a good crust. I've found this recipe to be super versatile and no fail. I've never had a flat or tough crust from this recipe, and I almost always have everything on hand I need for it because it's so simple.

Super Quick and Easy Pizza dough

1 package dry active yeast (I use the fast rise as well-both work equally well)
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm water (see yeast package instructions for water temperature)
1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I have used regular vegetable oil as well)
1 tsp. salt
3 cups All Purpose flour
Add Ins: I have added garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, basil..about a .5 tsp each. I imagine anything you add to this crust is only going to make it that much more tasty!

Add 1 cup warm water to the yeast and sugar and proof for 10 minutes (top will get foamy if your yeast is active. I do all of this right in the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer.) When yeast is ready add olive oil and salt. Place bread hook on your mixer and add flour in one cup at a time on medium low speed until all flour is incorporated. (If you are adding herbs this is the time to do it!) Turn mixer to medium high speed and knead dough for 5 minutes. (If you are using a regular mixer or none at all knead dough by hand for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface.)

Prepare a large bowl by adding 1 Tbsp. of olive oil to bottom and swirling to coat sides slightly. Form kneaded dough into a ball, place in bowl...turning to coat...cover loosely and let rise for 30-45 minutes. Punch down dough and proceed to roll out or push into pizza pan. (I prepare my pizza pans with a light coating of non stick spray and a light coating of cornmeal then simply work the dough into the corners of the pan with my hands rather than rolling it out.) Top with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes. Delicious!!!

And now..my question of the week! Do you regularly use store bought pancake mix or do you have a recipe you make from scratch? I'll admit, it never occurred to me to make pancakes from scratch until a few years ago, I always just bought the box mix. Now that I've had from-scratch pancakes though I would NEVER go back to the box mixes....and making the mix yourself is SO easy! I have a fabulous recipe I'll share later in the week. Until then...do you have a special recipe for pancakes? Can you share or is it top secret?? If you can share without 'having to make the unbreakable vow' (you Harry Potter fans out there will know what I mean) then please do share in the comments!

p.s. can you tell I'm excited about the last Harry Potter movie coming soon?? I'm such a geek!

Butterflies and Beer Cheese

2011-06-26T11:23:00.004-04:00

Not the most appetizing title, maybe, but an accurate representation of our weekend.

My boys helped me celebrate my birthday on Friday with our favorite pizza and ice cream for dessert then one of mommy's favorite movies..Harry Potter-Deathly Hallows Part 1-and yes I cried through parts of it, and yes they let me and didn't make me feel like a total geek for doing so. They must love me.

Saturday we hit Hofbrauhaus for a friend's birthday celebration and Ewan discovered the tastiness that is beer cheese with soft pretzels....and fried pickles, and sauer kraut balls, and potato pancakes. That child is a foodie!

Afterwards we attended Krohn Conservatory's annual Butterfly Show. I've never been but always wanted to attend. The butterflies are just amazingly beautiful, and they'll land right on you! We spent at least an hour walking from flower to flower waiting for one to land on our heads or noses and the boys really enjoyed it.

Overall it was a lovely day spent with good friends and my handsome men. Today Mother Nature decided to ruin our pool plans with more rain and cool temps so we are having a lazy Sunday. At some point I may think about getting around to those pesky chores that just won't go away...laundry, cleaning, etc...but for now I'm enjoying being just a tad bit lazy and snuggling with my boys.

Happy Weekending....

{this moment}

2011-06-23T08:59:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Summertime lasagna

2011-06-23T07:40:00.006-04:00

MOST of the time by June 23rd it's too hot outside to even think about turning on the oven. Not this June 23rd of course, because most of this entire month has been cooler than normal and rainy. Our pool bag has sat untouched for many days now...it's depressing. However, even with the cooler weather, it's nice to have a quick, easy recipe you can throw together and get on the table with little cleanup. You may not be able to run back out to the pool after dinner but that doesn't mean you can't find something else to occupy yourself!

Enter Skillet Lasagna. It's an easy, no oven required meal that you can get ready and on the table in around 30 minutes. I found the original at Spark People Recipes but did my own tweaking over time. This meal is actually popular with my entire family (and if you know my oldest you know that in and of itself makes this recipe worth it's weight in gold).

Skillet Lasagna

1 pound ground turkey
1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz. can of diced tomatoes (regular or the herb added Italian variety)
1.25 cup water
16oz. tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
10 oz. rotini pasta (or any medium sized pasta...bowtie, shells, macaroni) whole wheat if available
2 cups fat free cottage cheese
8 Tbsp. reduced fat grated Parmesan cheese
.25 cup Egg Beater's or other egg substitute (or 2 egg whites)
4 oz. part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Spray large, deep skillet with non stick spray (if needed) and brown turkey, add onions and cook until translucent, add garlic and saute for just 1 minute..do not brown garlic. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and spices and mix well. Add pasta and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer covered until pasta is done, about 20 minutes. Mix cottage cheese, Parmesan and egg substitute together. When pasta is done drop the cheese mixture by the spoonful onto the top of pasta mixture, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with mozzarella and serve.

Most of the time we end up having this vegetarian by subtracting the turkey and adding an additional can of diced tomatoes. If you happen to have cans of stewed tomatoes those work just as well..just chop them up a bit before adding. Add a green salad and a loaf of good, crusty bread or garlic bread and you are set!

This recipe is also something I almost always have ingredients for in my pantry, so it's a great "Oops! I forgot to thaw the roast" type of meal.

Do you have a good "pantry meal" that you keep in the wings for emergencies? Share it in the comments!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T08:11:00.002-04:00

Happy Wednesday...

A Star is Born!

2011-06-21T08:54:00.005-04:00

This past weekend found us in the audience watching our oldest make his acting debut. It was only 2 lines then he was swept offstage with his fellow actors so that the band could do their thing, but to us it was Oscar worthy.

that's my big man in the red shirt

He was part of a group of 4 young men ages 7-10 who did a little opening skit for a fundraising concert at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center. This was a Big Deal. It was a sold out show of over 400 people. That's alot of people to stand up in front of, even as an adult...for a soon to be 8 year old? Was he nervous? Nope. He stood in front of the mic and waited for his part like an old pro and we couldn't be more proud of him. He gets to do it one more time this coming weekend too. So cool! He even got his picture with WCPO news anchor Brendan Keefe who was the night's emcee!

We are SO incredibly proud of this super outgoing and talented boy! Bravo!! Can't wait to see him do it all again this weekend!

Menu Planning Monday

2011-06-19T22:09:00.004-04:00

Another Monday, another menu plan! I'm still participating in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday! I plan on hitting the grocery store first thing this morning so that I can enjoy the day outside with the boys (if the weather cooperates!) After a lazy day yesterday (at Daddy's request...I was happy to oblige him) I have a checklist of things I want to at least 'try' to accomplish today. Wish me luck ;)

Nothing extra fancy on the menu for this week...I'm enjoying the trend towards sandwiches for suppers as it keeps me out of the kitchen and we can head to the pool again after dinner instead of cleaning up!

Monday~Spaghetti with tomato sauce, garlic bread, broccoli
Tuesday~Potato Soup (requested by the boys...we haven't had it in forever) with turkey sandwiches
Wednesday~Asian Chicken with basmati rice and broccoli
Thursday~Grilled cheese sandwiches (again, requested by the boys)/BLT sandwiches (for the grownups)-I have a meeting this night, so quick and easy.
Friday~Homemade Pizza, salad
Saturday~Red beans and rice, french bread, salad
Sunday~Steak, twice baked potatoes, salad

I may throw in some pancakes for breakfast on the weekend and possibly breakfast sandwiches as well, but otherwise easy, simple fall back meals that we all enjoy.

Any 'go to' suppers that you rely on to fill in on weeks when you are busy or lacking inspiration?

A crafty Father's Day

2011-06-18T09:04:00.002-04:00

It's almost Father's Day...are you ready? I thought I would share the craft we did for Daddy last year. I can't take credit for the idea, my dear friend Katie at the little things blog invited us to participate in the making of handmade mosaic coasters. It was such a cute idea and I think they turned out great!

We used ceramic tiles, bits of cut up tissue paper and Mod Podge, along with those little felt circles you put under things to keep them from scraping/sliding. (I have no idea what these little things are, and I've tried to look them up but no dice. I'm sure Katie remembers and will provide the
answer in the comments...right Katie? ;)

EDIT: Imagine my surprise when I saw the "little felt thingies" tonight at Joann's. Guess what they are called? Felt circles. So much for my brain power. I guess I really wanted them to have some kind of cool technical name, eh?

You simply put an even coat of Mod Podge over the surface of the ceramic tile then let your artists arrange their bits of color tissue paper any which way they like.

Put another coat of Mod Podge over the top of the tissue paper to seal them and let dry. You can add another couple of coats of Mod Podge if you like, to make them extra glossy and water tight. Then simply attach those little round felty thingies (so technical) to the bottom of each corner of the tile and Voila! Cute, handmade coasters for Dad to sit his refreshing beverage on after a long day of work or play!

This craft only took one afternoon, so you definitely have time to run out and grab the supplies to do this for Dad this year! The possibility of colors or designs are endless...make a set for Grandad too!

Have fun and let me know if you try it out!

{this moment}

2011-06-17T07:46:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Breakfast for dinner=Brinner!

2011-06-16T11:00:00.006-04:00

I've never been a big breakfast person...don't get me wrong, I love breakfast just not AT breakfast. I am one of those people who ignores all of the "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" advice and forgoes that particular meal most of the time (even though I tell my kids it's most important on a regular basis).

When I do want breakfast it's generally at dinner time. So breakfast for dinner it is! We haven't had "brinner" on our menu for quite awhile now so I decided to add it to next week's meal plan. Just in case you want to do the same I wanted to share a great, easy recipe with you!

I found the original at allrecipes.com but have tweaked it a bit along the way.

Breakfast "Pizza"

1 lb. turkey breakfast sausage
1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup shredded frozen potatoes (hash browns)
1 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese
5 eggs (or the equivalent in Egg Beater's or other egg substitute)
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crumble and brown sausage in large skillet along with onions, cooking until meat is done through and onions are translucent. Drain and set aside. Very lightly grease a 13x9 Pyrex baking dish and press crescent rolls into bottom, pushing up the sides just slightly to make a crust. Sprinkle sausage mixture into bottom of crust, top with shredded potatoes and shredded cheese. Beat together the eggs, milk and pepper and pour over top of all. Top everything with the Parmesan cheese. Bake approximately 30 minutes, until eggs are set and top is starting to very slightly brown.

You can make this as an actual pizza but I find the eggs tend to run out over the edges (at least for me, I'm not the best pizza crust maker) so I prefer the baking dish method.

I hope you enjoy! I you have a great "brinner" recipe please share in the comments!

Warren County Splashground Vacation Sweepstakes!

2011-06-15T12:15:00.007-04:00

I don't know about you but we're doing the "staycation" this year....finding cool stuff to do within a short drive, having lots of park and zoo days, etc. My boys are all about the water fun lately and it turns out that it's great timing that they are...Warren County has a super cool promotion going on right now that could land you a great 'Splashground Vacation'!

It's so simple....for every so many new "likes" they get they will give away a great prize package. They started out at 150 likes, then 250 likes... Right now they are looking to reach 350 more "likes". Just visit the Warren County-Ohio's Largest Playground Facebook page and "like" their page. Hit the 'Splashground tab' and you can enter to win one of 3 more super fantastic prize packages! This promotion started earlier this month, so they've already given away 2 fabulous packages.

The next package to be given away at 350 'likes' consists of : A 1 night stay at Great Wolf Lodge and 4 passes to the waterpark, 4 souvenir MagiQuest game wands, 4 mission passes for Lazer Kraze, and a $50 gift card to Cincinnati Premium Outlets. All that...just for hitting "like"!!!!

The prize packages get larger as the "likes" progress.....so the larger the number of fans the page gets the bigger the prizes become! The prize packages aren't revealed until the next tier of prizes are given away...so who knows what's next??!!

You can get more info on Warren County's website, or follow the promotion on Twitter @WarrenCountyOh....search for hashtag #Splashground.

Check out all that Warren County has to offer...and good luck!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T11:38:00.003-04:00

Happy Wednesday!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-06-13T09:06:00.000-04:00

Another week, another Menu Plan Monday! I have been participating in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday and I'm finding it's a great way to get new ideas for menus and great recipes! We've been on the search for easy side items that I can make ahead and keep in the fridge....cold pasta salads, vegetable salads, etc. as well as just brand new recipes to try out for dinner. If you have a great make ahead side dish please share it in the comments!!

We had some car trouble this past week (which stinks!) that is all fixed up now thanks to a dear friend, and then received a dinner invite from the same lovely friends (and OH it was delicious!) plus we got invited to a spur of the moment cookout this weekend as well so my menu got twisted around and pushed forward a bit. Here's what our week coming up looks like:

Monday~Chicken Noodle Soup and sandwiches (carried over from last week)
Tuesday~Pasta, broccoli, garlic bread, salad
Wednesday~Sandwiches/subs, Southwest Pasta Salad, Twice baked potatoes
Thursday~Tacos, refried beans, mexican rice, homemade salsa
Friday~Homemade pizza, salad
Saturday~Chicken sandwiches, garlic fries, broccoli, salad
Sunday~leftovers/sandwiches

I have another dinner in the hopper should we need it (the cajun chicken/red beans rice from last week) but in the interest of using up leftovers we're going to save it for next week. Busy week again this week so I want easy to throw together or already made dinners...I'd rather be swimming than cooking!!

Have a great week!

Summer: Week 1

2011-06-11T10:02:00.005-04:00

So it's actually been a bit over a week since we finished with school for the year but I am already finding myself losing track of the days and I don't want to let that happen. We get down to the business of having fun and the next thing you know it's August 1st and I find myself in the position of wondering where my summer with the boys went and scrambling to buy school supplies and school clothes. I don't even want to THINK about the new school year yet! I want this summer to last the full 70-odd days and not go by in the blink of an eye.

Our first full week of summer held lots of fun...park playdate with friends, movie nights at home and lots and lots of swimming!

See that tiny frog in the upper right hand corner? There were HUNDREDS of them our first day at the pool. There's a pond just on the other side of the pool fence and apparently when they lost their tails they all came looking for water in the form of the sprinklers that were running in the new grassy area around the pool. I was scared to death to walk through the grass...I felt like I was wiping them out left and right with my huge foot! The boys had a ton of fun finding them, gently holding them, and then returning them to the grass (although they would much rather had kept them as pets....we had to have the "but don't you want your friend to be wild and free?" talk...yeah, they didn't agree but they grudgingly relented anyway).

We're looking at a few cooler days to start our second week of summer so I'm thinking it's a good time for catching up on our reading logs and maybe a craft or two. I'm hoping the boys are interested in making some friendship bracelets (in cool 'boy' colors of course) because I've been dying to do this again...brings back so many memories!!

How was your first week of summer?!

{this moment}

2011-06-10T07:30:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

The taste of summer

2011-06-09T07:56:00.010-04:00

I'm sure I'm not the only one who looks forward to summer and all of the delicious fresh veggies and fruits to be had this time of year. I can't wait to see those first tomatoes and green beans show up at the local farmer's market every year...it is, in my opinion, one of the best parts of summer!

It's not quite late enough in the season to start seeing those farmer's stalls full of veggies yet but I am still craving this delicious simple salsa...it's wonderful with ingredients straight from the grocery store, but when you start getting those farm fresh goodies it is complete heaven!! I'm not sure where this recipe originated, it was passed to me by my Mom and passed to her by some wonderful ladies at her church (thank you ladies!!) Whoever invented it needs a big hug!

Fresh salsa

~8 ripe roma tomatoes (you can use regular tomatoes but these seem to have more flesh/less seeds)

~1 whole sweet onion (I like to use vidalia's when they are available)

~1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I sometimes add MUCH more...love it!)

~2 tsp. salt (I've made it with and without this and honestly can't tell much difference so I usually leave it out)

~.5 tsp black pepper

~1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

~1 can white shoepeg corn (I almost always use regular white corn in it's stead)

~1 green bell pepper

~1 red or yellow bell pepper

~2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

~3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Chop all veggies into a small dice (or if you like it chunkier to whatever size you like!) Add all other ingredients and mix well. This salsa tastes best when it's had time to mingle and share flavors in the fridge for a few hours or even a whole day.

We use this salsa on everything....tacos, burritos, with tortilla chips. I can imagine a thousand other ways to serve it and the best part is that it's so full of colorful, fresh veggies I don't have to feel guilty doing it! I plan on keeping a batch of this in the fridge at all times...and a cup of it in our pool cooler too! What a delicious, fresh snack while you are at the pool!

Do you have a great, go-to recipe that you just can't wait to make in the summer? Let's hear it!

wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T07:39:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday....

Our weekend....

2011-06-07T07:52:00.004-04:00

Our first weekend of summer did not entirely go as planned.

Friday night was great..impromptu trip to one of the boys favorite places to eat followed by the summer reading kickoff at the library. Awesome! Lots of great books were brought home then much reading on the patio in the summer twilight commenced. It was a lovely evening.

Saturday was karate day and it ended up turning into a lazy, have a water gun fight then watch movies kind of day. Hubby went out for the night with his friends, so I cleaned the house and finished all the laundry then the boys went to bed and I caught up on my Netflix queue. Another lovely day. We had plans for Summerfair the next day...but that's when things went awry.

I noticed when I headed to bed on Saturday that my ankle was sore, I thought I probably took a bad step or twisted it while cleaning. No big, I thought. It will be better by morning.

Yeah, not so much. By morning I couldn't put weight on it. I had to hobble to the living room to prop my foot up and wrap it with a bag of spinach (this poor bag of spinach has turned into an ice pack instead of the breakfast frittatta it was destined for. Poor spinach.) Hubby still wanted to do Summerfair so the boys had a day out with Daddy instead of family day out as had been planned.

Now I won't lie. There are time when Daddy and the boys head out for the day and I'm tickled to have the day to myself. Generally I end up cleaning, true, but there is something Zen about doing it in a quiet house and not recleaning the same thing 10 times so I love it. This day though I was just bummed. I had REALLY been looking forward to summer fair (insert pout here). Luckily Hubby took lots of great pics, so I didn't feel quite so left out.

When all was said and done it was still a great weekend! How can the first weekend of summer NOT be great!? How was your first weekend of summer? Or if you are still in school...how are you looking forward to spending that weekend?

Menu Plan Monday!

2011-06-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here we are again, another week gone by.....but not just any week, the first week of Summer break!!!! We had a great, relaxing yet fun filled first weekend of Summer around here but now I'm ready to jump into some fun activities and actual work around here! (I know, the "w" word really ought to be off limits for summer, but there are certain things that are just so much easier to do when you aren't on that school schedule!)

I let hubby and the boys pick this menu. It's not exactly what I would have picked myself, but all tasty and fairly easy so I didn't argue! I'm taking part in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday and I can't wait to see everyone else's menus for the week on the MPM linkup!

Monday-Grilled Cheese and tomato soup. We took the kids out pretty off the cuff for a treat night so we're carrying this over from last week.
Tuesday-Baked pasta, garlic bread, broccoli and salad
Wednesday-Homemade Cincinnati style chili 3 ways
Thursday-Chicken Noodle Soup and sandwiches. This soup recipe freezes really well and heats up quick for lunches.
Friday-Homemade pizza
Saturday-Red beans and rice, salad and Cajun chicken-requested by hubby, using a recipe recommendation from Katie at the little things. You should check out the recipes she shares...Um, delicious!
Sunday-leftovers/sandwich night aka "mama ain't cookin'!"

Like I said, nothing super fancy but all delicious and hey...if they asked for it, at least they'll eat it..right!?

What's on your menu this week? Any recipes to share?

And don't forget...you still have time to enter to win my Lazer Krazer mission pack!

Summer reading

2011-06-04T11:25:00.005-04:00

I am super excited that both of my boys seem to be looking forward to reading this summer. Liam has made his way up to chapter books over the past year and is diving into the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and loving them! E is starting to sound out words and be able to work his way through some easy readers with a little help from mom and dad...and I hope by the time kindergarten rolls around in August he'll be even farther along!

We're taking part in some wonderful reading programs this summer and I'm sure there are some great ones in your neighborhood as well! Last night we attended Kenton County Public Library's Summer Reading Program kickoff and the kids had a great time! We even ran into some school friends, which made it just that much more fun.

Besides the library's program we are also doing a reading program for their school, they'll be able to turn in their reading log for great prizes at the beginning of the new school year. We're also taking part in Border's Double Dog Dare Challenge and Half Price Books Feed Your Brain summer reading program as well.

Seeing the rewards roll in from all of the reading they do is a great way to get kids interested in reading to begin with...and once they start they don't want to stop! I always had my nose stuck in a book as a child and I still do, even as an adult. I hope that when they see me read and look forward to a book I pick up from the library it reinforces the idea that reading is fun, no matter your age or reading level. It takes you places you might not otherwise get to go and some places that don't even exist except in your imagination!

I remember reading Nancy Drew and Are you there God, It's Me Margaret as a child but I really got hooked when I found the world of science fiction in my tween and teen years. Do you have a favorite book genre or series from your childhood?

And don't forget to enter my Lazer Kraze Father's Day package giveaway!!! What better way to show Dad you love him than to blast him in a great game of laser tag!

Let's celebrate summer with a Lazer Kraze giveaway!! NOW CLOSED

2011-06-03T14:40:00.007-04:00

The contest is now closed....the winner of the Lazer Kraze package is...#5 Jamie who said:

"james would kick all of our butts, he shows no mercy. I would run around and sweat my buns off just trying to stay out of last place, AJ and B would giggle and hide. "

Congrats Jamie!!! Don't forget, there are still chances to win! Visit my friend Katie at the little things blog and enter to win another Lazer Kraze pack!

The boys and I kicked off summer in style on Wednesday at Lazer Kraze with a little laser tag and video games and oh MY it made their night and was a great first night of summer! If you haven't ever played laser tag you are seriously missing out. Nothing like roaming around a smoky maze with a laser gun blasting the daylights out of your brother or dad!

Lazer Kraze is like a giant space station full of video games, a room with inflatables and of course the awesome laser tag arena! The arena itself is lit with blacklights and full of neon and a smoky haze from a fog machine...rather like a scene from Aliens, come to think of it...add in some fun techno music and OH is it fun! When you arrive and receive your mission passes they all have cool names like 'Endeavor' or 'Galaxy' and you are called over an intercom to come to the 'mission briefing room' to prepare for your mission.

Once in the briefing room you get the run down....no running, no pushing, etc. They make sure all participants play fair. You move on from there to the vesting room where you receive your gear. They get you outfitted and show you how your gear works...got to make sure you are ready for your mission! Every vest has a different name....our first mission Daddy was 'Vader', Liam was 'Skywalker' (hopefully that wasn't prophetic) and E was 'Quest'. You can play on teams or free for all...my kids of course picked free for all for the first round, but by the end they were taking on Daddy as a team and doing a pretty good job of schooling him.

They worked up a sweat and a thirst after their first 2 missions so we took a break to get a drink and play some video games and skeeball in between missions. There are also snacks and pizza, if you are inclined to make a night of it!

This wasn't our first visit to Lazer Kraze but it was the first one when we weren't part of a birthday party so it was fun to just take our time, play games and hang out a bit....but birthday parties are a blast too! And while the boys (I'm including hubby in there) were off playing I browsed around and discovered that they also offer corporate teambuilding, summer camp, Lazer Kraze To Go (they bring the lazer packs and bunkers to you!) and even fundraising for school or church groups!

The main reason I enjoyed this excursion so much was that I got to watch my hubby act like a big kid with the boys...he enjoyed it just as much as they did! So many times we end up places the kids love but they just aren't adult friendly..and that makes for a boring outing for Mom and Dad. This is something the entire family can participate in....and really love! It's great exercise too, you really work up a sweat while avoiding those laser hits! My hubby has mentioned this is something he'd love as his own birthday party....getting all of his friends together to blast each other into oblivion....but I'm thinking, why wait? Father's Day is just a couple of weeks away....why not take Dad out and have a blast!? In fact, on Father's Day....Sunday June, 19th...Dad's play free at the Erlanger location! I can't think of a better gift for Dad!

Want to treat your Dad to a mission or two? Just want to spend a fun summer afternoon blasting your friends with a glowy laser gun? Then I've got the hookup for you!!

Lazer Kraze has very generously given me a family pack to giveaway on my blog! The pack contains 8 mission passes and 2 passes for their inflatable's room (adults don't need tickets for this area if you pay for a child). Lazer Kraze has another location in Deerfield Township, and while you can use the mission passes there as well you can only use the inflatable's passes at the Erlanger location. Here are the contest details:

~~To enter just leave a comment on this post telling me which member of your family is most likely to reign supreme in the laser tag arena!~~ Is Dad the most strategic, or does your oldest daugther have the skills to win!? Just let me know who you think will bring in the most points during your laser tag missions!
If you'd like to share the contest and my blog on your blog, facebook or twitter that would be great and I would greatly appreciate it! But it's not required to win.
Winner must contact me within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. Tickets will be mailed to you. Contest open to local residents only...sorry :(
Winner will be drawn and announced in this post on Wednesday June 8th at 9:00 PM.
Winner will be chosen using a random number generator.

For more chances at winning enter here as well!
Little World After All
the little things

Good luck!!!!

disclosure: Lazer Kraze provided my family with mission passes to visit the arena as well as those to give away to my readers...however, my opinion is my own and was not swayed by their generosity.

{this moment}....Proud Mama moment...

2011-06-03T07:32:00.002-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

It's here! It's here!

2011-06-01T06:48:00.002-04:00

It really came after all! Summer break!! I am SO proud of my boys! They have both completely blown me away this past school year...and I am so thankful for the wonderful, nurturing, loving teachers who helped them realize their potential! Liam's teacher, in particular, has been a complete angel to our family and I am reminded daily of how blessed we've been to have had her in our lives for 2 whole years. I tear up every time I think of it. (if you are reading this Mrs. H I want you to know how very dear you are to us all...we love you!)

Yet...this has been a really looooong year for all of us for many different reasons. While I really enjoy helping at my son's school, even having a little free time while they are both off learning, I do really look forward to the summer when we can just all relax and put the tight schedule on a shelf for a couple of months. I like waking up and knowing I don't HAVE to run to get everyone ready and out the door unless I really really want to. Do we feel like having a pajama day? Well, that's fine. Want to put on our swim suits and have a water fight all day? That works too. I don't know if it's right or wrong, but I feel like a relaxed schedule during summer...including bed times...is just part of defusing that school year stress, and we've all earned it! (Just for the record, we aren't talking about crazy midnight bedtimes unless it's a super special occasion..but 8 p.m. just seems extreme for summertime when the lightening bugs haven't even made an appearance yet!)

I do want to keep us active though, even if we are having a relaxing pajama day I want to keep our minds sharp and busy, and we keep our bodies busy as well. There are SO many things I want to fit into summer...I just hope we can fit them all in!

Here is a partial list of activities we are really looking forward to. There are so many more that will come up as the summer progresses that I do try to be super flexible...but some things just can't get left out!

Library reading program-the boys are SO excited about this one this year! We have a school reading program as well that we are taking part in. I love to see them enjoy reading as much as I do! Plus there are a ton of great activities going on nearly every day at one of the local libraries, so much to choose from! Liam made the silver level AR reader this year at school....next year he is shooting for the Gold!
Summerfair Cincinnati-I've never been so I'm very excited to check this out this year!
Cincinnati Zoo trips! It wouldn't be summer without visiting the animals.
Playing at the park-just exploring some of our local parks has become a really adventurous outing for us. My friend Katie at the little things blog is a great resource for good parks in the area.
Trammel Dinosaur Park-This one is on the top of the list, I never even knew it existed until one of the Family Friendly Cincinnati contributors posted about it. LOVE the ladies at FFC!
Plain old water fights in the back yard!
Catching lightening bugs, then letting them go....this reminds me of my own childhood in my Granny's back yard with a butter tub with holes popped in the top. We use a mason jar, but we are careful to let them go again quickly...still, so much fun!
Blowing bubbles and chasing them!
Swimming!
Watching movies in the dark with the shades drawn in the middle of the day with our pajamas still on, homemade popcorn and a pile of pillows.
Laying outside in the grass and finding shapes in the clouds.
Picnics in the park
Crafts! We were so busy during the school year that unless it was for a special occasion we didn't get to do too many crafts...and I really love getting the boys involved in something creative (while I can!)
Planting-flowers or veggies, we're a little late to get going, but I think we can still find some gardening to do together.

This list is missing so much! I think right now I'm just so overwhelmed with the relief of summer break that I can't think past the next moment. And knowing in this moment that I don't have to set out clothes for tomorrow, or check a backpack, or practice a spelling list is gift enough. (Of course, in roughly 12 hours I'm going to start hearing the inevitable "I'm Bored" mantra starting. At that point I may edit this post...or delete it altogether).

What is on the top of your list for summer fun? What are the "must do's" for your family? Please share in the comments! I love exploring new ideas...there may be new traditions waiting!

Images from last summer....so looking forward to recreating these...and creating new ones...

{wordless Wednesday}

2011-06-01T06:48:00.000-04:00

I will just say....epic water fights bring out the 'best' in my youngest....

(Im)patiently awaiting the first day of summer

2011-05-31T07:53:00.006-04:00

Many schools in our area are already on their summer breaks but due to snow days we are still plugging away....2 days left (including today) and counting! My boys are like little pressure cookers and if the heat doesn't get turned down soon they WILL explode! Something about this time of year just makes you want to lay on the grass and stare up at the clouds and not worry about packing that lunch or checking that spelling homework. Seriously people....it's 90 degrees outside, how is a kid supposed to concentrate when he has visions of swimming pools dancing in his head???

We always plan a big start to summer...whether it be a trip to the zoo on the first real day of summer vacation or a special dinner. This year we'll be really surprising the boys with a trip to Lazer Kraze (I cannot WAIT to see their faces!) and then a trip to their favorite pizza place for the pizza buffet (something that we don't do very often so when we do go it is VERY special!) For those of you not familiar with Lazer Kraze it's a huge, 2 level lazer tag arena. Very sci-fi and outer spacey (is that a word?) You get cool names like "Optimus Prime" and "Yoda" as your handle while you are battling the other team. It is, quite simply, the coolest thing ever....at least to my kids. (That's Commander Kraze to the right, with my boys at our school festival)

I love giving them the big 'kick-off' to summer. It makes it all so much more official and then you can really relax and know that all of that school responsibility is really behind you for a few months. Of course, then the tough job of entertaining them and keeping them active all summer begins....but that's a whole different post!

Is there a special 'end of the school year' tradition you and your kids celebrate with every year? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

Menu Plan Monday! (Memorial Day edition)

2011-05-30T11:45:00.005-04:00

I know I've said this before..but I honestly DO menu plan every week. (and love Orgjunkie.com's link up...great ideas!) I just don't always think to blog it. To be perfectly honest I haven't had time to do much besides the absolute necessities these past few weeks. Who knew that the month of May could be SO busy?! The older the kids get the more we have going on at the end of the school year. Between talent shows and awards and graduations I can hardly breathe! I still do menu plan, but we rely pretty heavily on cheap and easy these last few weeks of the school year because I'm simply not home to actually cook. Sad, but true. Here's our menu plan anyway....

Monday~Memorial Day leftovers! We had a cookout yesterday and we have SO much food leftover....it's "your on your own" today.
Tuesday~Chicken Alfredo, broccoli, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday~Last Day of School Celebration! We're taking the kids out for something super fun and then having Snappy Tomato's pizza buffet...it's their favorite, and we don't do it very often. (and it's kids eat free, win/win!)
Thursday-My Mom's Lasagna, salad, broccoli, garlic bread. It really is my mom's recipe..I'll share below...delicious! And the leftovers freeze really well.
Friday-Baked BBQ chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, biscuits. This meal ends up feeding us for lunch/dinner the next day as well....the potatoes become soup and I like the baked chicken on salad.
Saturday~Burrito Skillet, Mexican rice and all the fixings. I shared this The Morris Tribe recipe here.
Sunday~super cheap and easy....tomato soup and grilled cheese. Now that I have found the trick to super good, crispy grilled cheese the boys love having this, and it's fast and no fuss...perfect for a lazy summer Sunday.

Now for My Mom's Lasagna. I grew up with this recipe, it's delicious (though decidedly NOT low fat although you can easily substitute). I don't make it very often, so it serves as a bit of a celebratory dinner...in this case, the first day of summer vacation!

My Mom's Lasagna

Sauce:
1 lb sausage or ground beef (my mother always used sausage..regular or Italian)
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes (I always use crushed)
12 oz. tomato paste
2 cups water
1 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. salt (I cut this in half, as a rule, to make it lower sodium)
1 tsp. sugar (I sometimes use brown sugar too)
1 tsp. garlic powder
.5 tsp. black pepper
.5 tsp. oregano
1 package lasagna noodles (not the no boil kind)

Cheese mix:
3 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. dried parsley
2 eggs beaten
2 tsp. salt (again, I cut this or omit entirely)
.5 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. deli mozzarella cheese, sliced very thin

Preheat oven to 375

For Sauce:
Brown sausage/beef and onions in olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven until sausage is brown and onions are translucent. Add all other ingredients except lasagna noodles (cook them according to package directions while making sauce), to meat/onion mixture and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

For cheese mixture:
mix all cheese mix ingredients together, except sliced mozzarella, until well blended.

To assemble:
Layer ingredients in lasagna pan (grease bottom and sides of pan before beginning)~lasagna noodles first, cheese mix, sliced mozzarella, sauce..continue layering, approx. 3 layers, finishing with a layer of sauce. You may top with shredded mozzarella or Parmesan if desired before baking. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is slightly browned and bubbling. Enjoy!!

I hope that those of you enduring your last few days of school get through them fast and easy and enjoy your first days of summer!

By the way, I'm on the lookout for healthy, delicious recipes that store well in the fridge for light lunches and quick side dishes....pasta salads, pilafs, you name it! If you have a summer recipe that it just wouldn't be summer vacation without please share!!!

Have a great week!

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T10:19:00.005-04:00

We have beautiful weather in the area today (finally!) and parades aplenty! There will be much grilling of hot dogs and burgers and eating of potato salad. Swimming and playing of many games. And while my family and I will be participating in ALL of these activities and more I will also be remembering what this day is really about.....taking a moment to thank those who have given their lives in service to this country.

My 'baby' brother just returned from his first (and hopefully last!) tour of Iraq. He proudly serves the U. S. Army, and I am proud of him for doing so. I will readily admit I am not built of the proper stuff to do such an incredibly difficult and demanding job...and so I am thankful for those, such as my brother, who find the path of service to be their calling. My Grandfather proudly served as well, during World War II, and my brother took pride in knowing he was following in some mighty big footsteps when he enlisted. It's not a job for the faint of heart, it requires sacrifice in so many ways...not the least of which is time away from your loved ones...and so today, especially, I wish to acknowledge the difficult choice so many men and women have made over the years and thank them all for doing so.

So Thank You. To the men and women of years' past, many of whom gave their lives in the process, who made the choice to serve their country and fellow man by taking on such a difficult endeavor. Thank You to the many who serve today, who are away from their families for many months at a time, who see so many horrors and become stronger for it. You are all our heroes.

To my Grand-dad....We love and remember you and always will. To my brother...thank you, we love you, you are our hero.

Happy Memorial Day!

{this moment}....double moment!

2011-05-27T07:40:00.004-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Post talent show, making his curtain call!

At the park enjoying his end of the year picnic!

Too much going on this week, I couldn't pick just one! Happy Memorial Day weekend! Let us not forget the true reason for the holiday....thank you to all of our country's heroes-past, present and future.

Summerfair Cincinnati 2011 Giveaway!

2011-05-24T23:22:00.014-04:00

This contest is now closed!!! Look below for winner details!

Lately I've been planning our "Intro to Summer 2011"! I give stuff like this big important names so that I can get the boys interested and excited...as though being out of school for 2.5 months isn't exciting enough (honestly, at this point in the year they would just be happy sleeping in past 8 a.m.!) But honestly, they do tire of the 'hanging out, sleeping in, playing games' thing pretty quickly. As a result I find myself searching for not only outdoor activities around town but fun crafts to do at home on those rainy summer days. At ages almost 8 and 5 we've done many, many crafts, and it is starting to get tough to find new and interesting things to do. Enter Summerfair Cincinnati 2011!

For 44 years now Summerfair Cincinnati has brought fine arts and crafts to Coney Island! Summerfair will feature more than 300 fine artists and craftspeople from around the country as well as regional performers, a variety of gourmet arts, and the Youth Arts Rocks! area for kids. (Hello?! LOTS of great ideas!)

I'll admit, this is an event that I've always wanted to check out but just never seemed to find the time for...this year, however, I plan on changing that! And the great news is that I can help you check it out too!!

Summerfair 2011 has graciously provided me with 2 free admissions to share with my readers! Children under 12 AND parking are free, so you can take the whole family and save your $$ for some fantastic art or great eats!

Contest details:
Giveaway is for 2 free admission tickets (valued at $10 each) to Summerfair Cincinnati 2011. Contest open to Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky residents only.

All you need to do to enter is comment on this post and let me know your favorite art/craft as a kid. If you'd like to share my blog with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, etc. I would be grateful, but it's not necessary to win.

~~A winner will be chosen using a random number generator and announced in this post at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 28.~~ Winner will have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Winner of the Summerfair Cincinnati 2011 tickets is #1, Michelle Hammers, who said:
"My favorite craft as a kid.....making pot holders with that little kit/loom :) "
Congratulations Michelle! Please contact me for the ticket details!

And Katie, a friend said the name of those beads is Perler beads...she wanted to let you know!

Thank you to all who entered, and check back soon...I have another GREAT summer fun giveaway coming up very soon!!

For more chances to win visit: (Katie's giveaway has ended but you still have a chance to enter the other 4!)

Summerfair Cincinnati 2011 dates and times are:

Friday, June 3~ 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, June 3~Little Black Dress Event (tickets are $15-details on the Summerfair site) 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, June 4~10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 5~ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Again, children under 12 are free as is parking (courtesy of Summerfair Cincinnati!) Advance one-day or multi-day tickets are available online at www.summerfair.org. You can also visit their facebook page for updates.

Good luck!!

Full disclosure~I was treated to 2 tickets to Summerfair Cincinnati to share this great event with my family as well!

{this moment}....Proud Mama moment...

2011-05-20T12:30:00.002-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

{this moment}....Proud Mama moment...

2011-05-13T12:53:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

{this moment}

2011-05-06T09:41:00.006-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

{this moment}

2011-04-29T09:56:00.001-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

Happy Birthday to my baby!

2011-04-25T10:12:00.004-04:00

So here it is. The much anticipated day has arrived. When your youngest is about to officially become a kindergartener you can no longer say "Yes, Ewan is my baby" because he's not a baby anymore. I won't bore you all with the long list of weepy, sappy things in my head this morning (I think there may be actual tears in his birthday cake...shhh!) but suffice it to say that this day is bittersweet for me. I am so proud of his independence and quirk and sassy smiles but so sad to see him growing so fast.

We love you Ewan, you made our family whole and we would be lost without you. As much as it pains me, keep growing and getting sassier and quirkier and taller and smarter and all of those other things you are. I'm so proud of you and always will be. Love, Mama.

Not ready...

2011-04-23T21:56:00.004-04:00

Much like my friend Katie at the little things I've spent the past day or two preparing....not just for Easter, though that's high on the list, but for a birthday as well. Unlike my friend Katie, I am not prepared at all....in more than one way.

My house is embarrassing from top to bottom at the moment. The sink is full of dishes, the carpet looks like wild animals have been scurrying though all day (and they have...the 2 legged kind anyway), the sheets aren't even on my bed so I couldn't go to sleep if I wanted to.

The deviled eggs and potato salad are at least ready, and many eggs were dyed and decorated, and the Easter Bunny is fast approaching. So there is an upside here.

However looking back at Easter's of the past I am reminded just how big my "baby" really is....my "baby". He's a big boy now. He is starting to read and add numbers and uses bigger words in his sentences than I do. He's outgrown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Yo Gabba Gabba and instead knows every Pokemon ever created and wants to "catch'em all". He doesn't need my help with much anymore, because he's big you see...big boys don't need Mom to help them with too much. And he's sassy. Have I mentioned how sassy he is??? He's far sassier than any 5 year old has a right to be. If I'm dealing with this now, what's it going to be like when he's a tween? Teen? 21 year old??!

So even though I may get up in the morning and clean the house to the point of being respectable, and set the food out, and perhaps hide some eggs with the Easter Bunny I don't think I'll ever really be ready for what the next 2 days hold. Because he's all grown up now....and Oh, I'm not sure I'm ready.

Just in case...

2011-04-19T19:04:00.010-04:00

The Family Friendly Cincinnati Cirque du Soleil OVO giveaway is over (congrats to the winner!) but there are still a few FFC contributors that have ticket giveaways open! My post has the full list of giveaways so hurry and check them out, enter and cross your fingers! (And hurry! deadlines for entering are coming up fast!)

However...if you don't win... there is a great package you can take advantage of so you can still check out OVO! (pssst....it might make Mom happy...there's an important Mom day coming up ya know!?)

This is what the folks at Cirque du Soleil have to say about their new show:

Celebrate Mom with a thrilling Cirque du Soleil experience!

Treat your mother to a memorable Cirque du Soleil experience by taking advantage of our special offer on show tickets—bring your family of four to a show for only $107.50!

Cirque du Soleil is pleased to announce that it has opened in Cincinnati with the big top touring production of OVO, now playing for a limited engagement. OVO is performing under the trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) at Coney Island.

OVO is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. The insects’ home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion. Fun for the whole family!

Click here to order tickets for a great price! Many thanks to Family Friendly Cincinnati for sharing this great Mother's Day package with my readers!

If you do head out to see Cirque's OVO please come back and let me know! We'll be heading to Coney Island tomorrow night for the big preview night and I can't wait to share photos with you!

In the interest of full disclosure: My family and I were provided a 4 pack of tickets to the preview night of Cirque du Soleil's OVO along with the other contributors at Family Friendly Cincinnati.

Menu planning Monday!

2011-04-17T20:04:00.004-04:00

So in an attempt to get back to this blogging thing that I've been woefully remiss in lately I've taken up the Monday Menu Plan torch and run with it. I do this every week, I know there are other Mom's out there that do this too...maybe we can inspire each other and share our favorite recipes as well!

This week being a holiday week was a little hard to plan for, at least for me. I want to make sure I don't have too many leftovers in my fridge so I can fit all the Easter food on Saturday evening! This week we are having:

Monday- Spicy Asian Chicken with basmati rice and broccoli/cauliflower blend.

Tuesday-Chicken Nuggets, steak fries and broccoli/cauliflower (this was a kid requested meal, of course)

Wednesday-Dinner out (we don't do this very often anymore but we are seeing Cirque de Soleil that night and have another appointment beforehand so Snappy Tomato buffet it is....it's Kids Eat Free night! ;)

Thursday- 3 Bean Chili, salad, grilled cheese (we use this recipe but omit the meat)

Friday- Homemade Pizza (one Mexican pizza, one regular ol' cheese pizza) and salad

Saturday-Burrito Skillet nachos (I'll share the recipe, SO delicious!)

Sunday- For Easter we are having families over..our menu will be: Ham, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, potato salad, croissants, assorted veggies with dip, lemon fluff for dessert

Monday-since this is Littlest's birthday I already know what he's going to order....homemade Cincinnati chili 3-ways with "lots of cheese" ;)

And now for that 'Burrito Skillet' recipe. I found this in a downloadable recipe booklet on a menu planning website that for the life of me now I can't recall. However, the recipe originated at The Morris Tribe so I want to give her full credit for such easy deliciousness! It's really such an incredibly simple recipe, you wouldn't think it could be SO good!

1 pound ground beef or turkey (we usually use turkey..and have even made this vegetarian by just adding an extra can of beans)
1 onion (this is my addition, we just love onion)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
1 cup water
1 can kidney beans (I've used pinto as well)
4 tortillas (we usually skip this part)
1 can corn (I've also used frozen or omitted altogether)
1 cup shredded cheese

Brown ground beef/turkey, add onions and cook until translucent. Add taco seasoning, beans, salsa, corn and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, simmer for 10 or so minutes.

At this point the recipe calls for cutting the tortillas into strips, adding them to the mixture and stirring well, topping with shredded cheese and serving. We usually either make burritos, nachos, tacos with the mix or serve it over rice. We add sour cream, jalapenos, extra salsa..just anything you like! It's simple, cooks up quick and is Delicious!!!!!

If you have a crazy delicious but easy and cheap recipe you'd like to share please do so in the comments! I'm always looking for great new meals! Happy Monday ;)

See Cirque De Soleil's OVO for free!

2011-04-16T14:13:00.003-04:00

The writer's at Family Friendly Cincinnati have been gifted with tickets to see Cirque De Soleil's OVO at Coney Islands big top coming up next week....but more than that, they along with several of the contributors have been given tickets to share with their readers as well. This means you have not one but 6 chances to win tickets to see OVO free of charge!!!

All of the following blogs have a pack of tickets to give away to various show dates/times....go enter one or all! The show opens on April 21, so hurry and enter!

The gals at Family Friendly Cincinnati
Shannan at MommyBits
Kristin at MasonMetu
Kandi at Mommy Confessions
Amy at Amy in Ohio
and Susan at Working Moms Against Guilt

You can read all about Cirque's newest show here and you can also find them on Facebook.

Good luck!

{this moment}

2011-04-14T22:41:00.005-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:

{this moment}

2011-04-08T07:45:00.004-04:00

Inspired by Soule Mama:
"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see."

Happy weekend...(and to some of us a happy Spring Break!)

right now, I am...

2011-04-06T09:36:00.006-04:00

Inspired by Earth Mama...

~thankful for our quickly approaching spring break...

~loving the weather forecast for the weekend...80 degrees? I'll take it!

~grateful for my generous and caring friends...

~excited that we are nearing the end of the school year...bring on Summer!

~enjoying a quiet day at home with little housework on my chore list...

~feeling the need to re-prioritize for the coming warm weather months...house cleaning and laundry can wait...catching lightning bugs cannot!

~welcoming the first buds of Spring on the trees in the backyard and the sweet smell of flowers in the air...

~happy to have what we need, and sometimes what we want...

What about you?