::Dinner Plans #26::

Another week, another meal plan. I really do find a large amount of joy in coming up with a meal plan and doing the planning/shopping/preparing/cooking. The part I don't like? The cleaning! The cleaning is the worst part. I should be honest, though. I only have to do the cleaning up from dinner on the few nights that my husband isn't home. Like I said, though, that doesn't happen all to often.

Monday: Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Stew. I realized that, during my pregnancy, I made quite the stock pile of freezer meals. This is one that we eat pretty often--it looks kinda gross, but it tastes good and the kids love it!
Tuesday: Instant Pot Deconstructed Egg Rolls. My mother-in-law made this a few weeks ago, and we loved them. Even my picky five-year-old gobbled them up.
Wednesday: Lasagna! It's another one of those freezer meals. Unfortunately for our meals, the weather has turned and we have a lot of "winter" meals left to eat. I will gladly deal with "winter" meals in the nice weather...as long as the nice weather stays! We definitely put in our time this year--snowiest April on record for Minnesota!
Thursday: Summer Vegetable & Chicken Soup. I haven't tried this one yet; hopefully everyone likes it!
Friday: Homemade Pizza. If the weather cooperates, we will have grill pizza and eat outside. My kids love to eat outside. It isn't my favorite thing, but I do it anyway.
Saturday: Grilled Kebabs & Vegetables.

::Dinner Plans #25::

I've started to do my meal planning and grocery shopping on Mondays (well, sometimes the shopping doesn't happen until Tuesday) and it has been wonderful. The grocery stores are far less crowded--I used to tackle Costco and Aldi on Saturdays. Yikes. That's all I'll say about that.

Here are our plans for the week:

Monday: Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken OH EM GEE. We had this a couple of weeks ago, and it was delicious. I almost followed the recipe to a T, though I left out the sugar. While I had to pick around a few things for the picky kid (the big one doesn't care for peppers), this recipe was a hit and will definitely be added to the rotation.

Tuesday: Instant Pot Roast. I use this recipe because I don't really care for the recipes that use onion soup mix (I did leave out the A1 steak sauce). Don't get me wrong. I love the onion soup mix in sour cream as a chip dip. It just isn't my favorite for a roast!

Wednesday: Shrimp Alfredo -- easy peasy, from a jar. Simple, oh so simple. We cook shrimp, cook noodles, throw a jar of alfredo sauce over to top. When I'm super organized, I have a salad all set to go. But that doesn't always happen.

Thursday: Sheet Pan Fajitas. Apparently I'm on a sheet pan fix. They're so easy. Easy clean-up, low prep (usually), and fairly quick cooking times. I've found myself figuring out which recipes I can prep ahead of time to make the preparations go even faster when I'm back to work (man, that's going to come far to soon!). I'll be making instant pot rice as a side.

Friday: Beef Lo Mein. I just realized that I've provided a link for almost all of the meals. Yikes. I'm not doing super fancy recipes all the time. Most of these aren't so fancy-I am just still in the recipe following stage. I promise. Most of them are easy recipes.

Saturday: Chicken Noodle Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Another super-simple go-to meal we have every couple of weeks. Especially in the winter. And for some reason, winter hung around for a long time this year.

I intentionally leave Sunday open, as we usually end up at a family dinner at least once each week.

Perfect Little Family

My life has been flipped upside down for a third time.

That's right. We had another kiddo. M joined the family in quite the rush in early March, and we couldn't be more pleased (or tired). She's a beauty. Her older sister, H, and older brother, G, are loving every minute of sibling-hood (yes, I know that is not a word).

With that perfect-family sounding paragraph, let's take a moment to get real. M is awesome. That is not joke. She sleeps, she eats, she poops. She is just a few weeks old and is slowly becoming more alert. She's tracking us with her eyes, she turns toward sounds. Her newborn clothes are getting close to being too small--hard to believe!

The big man on campus, G, is loving his newest sister. It is so fun to see him interact with her and love her. He loves the middle kid, too, but it is great to watch him as a big guy. When H was born, he didn't have a huge interest in her. He was intrigued by her sounds, but didn't want to "play" with her much. With M, he is so excited to "read" her stories, to talk to her, to love on her. He's a sweet, sweet boy to his sisters.

And the baby-no-more? She's enjoying her role as middle child, though she is a bit more precocious than your average middle child. H wants to run the show, be in control, and be little Miss Mom to M. I love, love, love it. H wants to shower the newest addition with hugs and kisses, and sometimes forgets what "gentle" means. But what three year old doesn't forget that!?

My adorable little family has grown from four to five (six according to G because we always include the puppy). In the course of the last month, I've loved on a newborn, a newly three-year-old, and a newly five-year-old. FIVE! I have a five-year-old and it is SO hard to believe.

2018, Here We Go

We are starting 2018, expecting #3 to arrive in just a couple of months. That's right. Number Three is on her way, expected to arrive at the end of March. Hubs and I are so excited! The big kids? Also very excited, though it took the oldest a few weeks to adjust to the idea of having another sister. And the other one? Well, she's just excited to be older than someone!

Our Airstream is not going to get as much love this year as it did last summer. We will still be taking a few trips, I just didn't want to venture as far with an infant. There are a couple of minor projects we having coming down the pipes, too. Nothing major...you know, like replacing a floor, building a table, building some beds. This year's projects will be smaller-and more quickly to be finished! And I hope to bring the blog along for the ride.

2017, A New Year

The plans were for my to jump back into the blogging world without an explanation as to why I have been gone for so long. I've seen other bloggers do the same. I've even read blog posts about how you should not jump back into blogging with an explanation, and that you definitely shouldn't start with an apology.

I promise you all that I will not be apologizing for my absence. My absence, of nearly six months, has been an absolute delight. We've traveled, we've chased our two little munchkins around. The big kid start preschool this year. The little one let us know that she would like to be in charge. So I won't be apologizing, because I'm not sorry that I haven't even checked into the blog since July.

I don't even have an image to share today (goodness, I am breaking all the blogging rules). I just wanted to pop in and say that I'm here. And I'm back - not back in the sense that I will be posting daily, or even more than once a week. But I have missed writing. So I'm back.

Hi.

{Airstream Rehab} It's Livable!

As mentioned in a previous post, we got Marge's Barge to a workable and livable state. Our maiden voyage was a wonderful trip up to Acorn Hill Resort, on Leech Lake. The nearest town is Walker, Minnesota, which is about 4 hours north of the Twin Cities. It was the perfect distance for a first adventure with the camper and our new tow vehicle.

The few times that we had towed the Airstream with our Dodge Dakota, Hubs and I both knew that it just wasn't quite right. We told ourselves that we think the Dakota would make it up north with the camper. We think it'll be just fine. The gas mileage will be crap, but we think it should all be just fine.

But then we came to our senses. A 2007 Dodge Dakota. Towing a 31 foot camper? Really, people? Not smart. So we got a new vehicle. And now we own two trucks. A 2007 Dodge Dakota. And a brand spankin' new Ram 1500. And man, that thing tows Marge's Barge like a charm.

Oh. My. Is this what my blog has become? Talking about trucks? Ugh.

Back to our most amazing week camping with our Airstream for the first time. It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was awesome.

The camper made it up to Leech Lake without a problem. Hubs got Marge's Barge nice and level next to the cement patio. He got everything set up while I took the kids to the playground. Can I just say that I got the better end of the deal? Play on the playground with the kiddos while the husband sets everything up? Sign. Me. Up. I'll do that again every camping trip we have (especially since he's totally okay with me reorganizing and moving things around).

Marge's Barge did spring a few leaks. One was right over our bed, bummer. Especially since it rained for a majority of the time. We placed a bowl on our bed to keep everything dry and made notes of where to place the crack filler.

The fridge doesn't work, but we brought my husband's fridge from college. Worked like a charm.

The dinette, oh the dinette! In all her perfect glory, the dinette was the best thing ever. The husband worked endless hours to build the J-dinette. And then he spent a few more hours cutting and staining the table. I added a special touch to the top and the dinette was absolutely perfect. We fit eleven (ELEVEN!) people around the table one rainy day (keep in mind four of them were under the age of five). Two people played checkers, two more played backgammon. Seriously! We put a checkerboard and backgammon on the table!

As with most of our projects, it is still a work in progress. There are still a few things we'd like to do: curtains, paint. Paint, paint, paint.

That, and figuring out where everything needs to go. I also have 3 cushions that I need to finish (as you can tell by the random assortment of cushions and pillows at the dinette).

Oh, and. I'd like to re-do the counter tops. Orange is definitely one of my favorite colors. But not necessarily for the kitchen.

And this last picture. Oh, this last picture. My littlest camper. Isn't she just the cutest thing there is?

It's Summer!

We have been a busy bunch this summer, with endless projects and kid activities. To be honest, I'm bummed that it is already mid-July. But I look back over the last month and a half and am overwhelmed with how much we have accomplished.

The biggest accomplishment, you ask?

Our camper is livable! It's not 100% done (the fridge still doesn't work, but that's another story), but we can use it. It can be towed, it keeps is warm and (mostly) dry. Big huge props to the hubs - he worked night and day on that camper. We still have a couple of projects to go, but it was nice to have some time to enjoy the Airstream, instead of just work, work, work.

Kid has grown, grown, grown. He and I butt heads quite a bit. His stubbornness shines through many times a day. He's spirited, as they say. I know that it will one day be a strength of his, but right now, it is so, so difficult to parent. He tries my patience day in and day out. But, oh, how it pays off. His endless questions are a glimpse into his thirst for knowledge - how does that work?, what does this do?, do just caterpillars become butterflies or do bees, too? He's a bright boy. He's a happy boy. It's hard to believe that he is already three. And in the next breath, it's hard to believe that he is only three.

In just the last week, his bike riding skills have blossomed. His love for SCUBA diving (really, he's snorkeling) has grown. His interest in letters is just beginning to sprout - trying to write the first letter of his name and recognizing other letters.

Little Miss is dang near one and a half. Whoa, has that flown by. She's finally starting to use the sign language we've been teaching her since 9 months. Initially, she refused to use any and all signs. She knew exactly what they meant, but preferred to point and whine instead. Finally, though, she will sign "more" and "please." We're still working on "thank you" and a few others as well. She is also starting to use more and more words. She's said the typical first words for quite some time -- mama, daddy, ball, hi, bye-bye -- and is now beginning to use "pleee" for please, and "da-doo" for thank you. She has also mastered "bubble," which is important for any child in summertime.

She runs, she dances, she loves going down the slide. She's a daredevil, just like her brother. I doubt she will have any problems keeping up with him!

{This was posted on the go - I apologize for the lack of photos!}

{Airstream Rehab}

Yes, we still have the Airstream.

Yes, we are still planning to renovate and use it.

Yes, we are crazy.

There are some big things coming down the line for the Barge. Two new axles are on the way to our house as we speak. We have four new wheels coming, and five new tires.

The back floor section has been replaced, and we found another extremely soft spot near the front. As is expected, these soft spots are all located under windows.

My husband has found the plans we will be using for building our J-shaped dinette.

I'm still working on decorating. Being at the decorating stage is a long ways away. Especially if we continue to find soft spots in the floor.

My dad (we are currently storing at their house) is convinced we have a squirrel problem. That makes me extra nervous!

Yesterday was the first day of spring break. With the kids at daycare, we went to look at new-to-us cars. We don't currently have a vehicle that would be great for long-distance towing. I get excited about getting a new (to us) tow vehicle because my car would be the trade-in.

That's all I have for an update on the airstream....

It's definitely proving to be a slow process!

Same Old Story

There's not much to say, but there is so much to say.

It seems as though, every so often, I am drawn back to this blog of mine. But then, things pick back up and I am absent for a few months. Not surprisingly, this "schedule" of mine goes along with my school calendar. And, in case you didn't realize it, I am always drawn back to the blog when I'm on break.

It's spring break now ... my husband and I have enjoyed calling out "SPRING BREAK!" whenever we're stressed or adulting really hard. It just serves to remind us how much our lives have changed since we enjoyed spring break in college.

Daaang, we're just lucky we still get spring break.

A lot has changed since I was here last.

My baby girl is ONE! I cannot believe it. She is a hoot and a half. I'm 100% positive that her first word was "uh oh" and she first said it when she threw her "pato" (lovey) behind her. She likes to throw things, though she doesn't throw well (or, she throws really well because she adds a little backspin and can play "catch" with herself). She is interested in anything and everything her brother does, and she is not afraid to tell us her opinion.

She is, most definitely, a keeper.

My big guy is almost THREE! That's even harder to believe. I have a three year old person. And man, he is a great guy. Sure, he tests our patience (all the time). He currently says he loves bad guys, but is quick to remind me that bad guys never "winned." And whenever we're playing super heroes, he is Batman because Batman helps all the people. One minute, he is "yer-yer-ing" us (think lightsaber sound). The next minute, he is belting out: "It's a jolly holiday with Mary!" using a toy putter as a cane and attempting to dance like Dick Van Dyke.

Seriously, though. My kid is awesome.

We are currently potty training the big guy. He's a stubborn little dude, though, and often tells us that he would rather poop his pants. (thanks, bud.)

I'm planning a joint birthday party for the kids in the next few weeks and am toying around with the idea of 2 separate themes. I know that birthday parties don't have to have themes ... but I like having a little flair on the invite. Kid told me that he wants to have a spaghetti themed birthday party. I think that is perfect.

Well, hopefully the motivation I'm feeling to write will stick around for awhile....

Happy Easter!

{recetas} Crock Pot Hot Cocoa

I've had a couple cans of sweetened condensed milk hanging out in the pantry for quite some time. I never really knew what to do with them, until I realized nobody was bringing dessert for the pot-luck Christmas party I hosted earlier this week.

I've totally gorged on Christmas cookies and treats, and didn't want to make another pie, cake, or cookies. Plus, I don't really know what to use sweetened condensed milk for. So I asked my mom.

Moms really are the best, aren't they? I swear, mine knows everything. And if she doesn't, she makes something up for me and it sure as hell sounds like she knows what she's talking about.

This crock pot recipe is super easy. Like, pour a few things, stir a few times, enjoy. Yep. That easy.

What you need:

• 12 cups of milk (I used skim)
• 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
• 1 bag of mint chocolate chips
• Reddi-whip (or the store brand, doesn't matter)

I did not say that this was a healthy cocoa recipe. It's not even a little bit healthy. Skim milk is low-fat, though. So maybe that kind of cancels out the sweetened condensed milk and the heavy whipping cream?

What you do:

• Pour everything into the crock pot, except the reddi-whip.
• Stir it up, turn it on high for an hour, or low for 2 hours.
• Be sure to stir every so often, so the chocolate chips melt and don't burn to the bottom of the crock pot.
• Ladle it into mugs when it's hot (or just warm, you decide) and top it with the reddi-whip.
• Yum, yum, yum. Throw in a candy cane if you want to get fancy, but it is super minty already.

{Recetas} Lasagna Soup

Friends, the soup from last week was DEEEEEE-VINE! I made it for my closest girlfriends, and everyone gobbled it up. So I thought I would share the recipe with y'all. You should make it tonight. I'm serious. It's that good!

What you need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 packages mild Italian sausage
• 1 package baby bella mushrooms
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 32 ounce cartons of chicken stock
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 1 can fire roasted garlic diced tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 3 tablespoons dried basil
• 3 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 package noodles of your choice
• Cheese, cheese, cheese

What you do:

• Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add and brown the Italian sausage. Bring a pot of water to boil for your noodles.
• Once the Italian sausage is browned, add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes to the pot. Turn the heat to low.
• While the soup is warming, slice the zucchini and mushrooms. Add both to the pot. Return the heat to medium-high.
• Add in the garlic, basil, oregano, and pepper. Stir it all together.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and allow it to simmer until the mushrooms and zucchini are done.
• When the pot of water boils, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. I used rotini noodles, but you can use whatever you'd like. I've made this with bow-tie pasta, and with mini lasagna noodles. Anything works!
• I keep the noodles separate. You can easily throw them in the soup, but I think they get a little too mushy. Especially if you make enough soup to freeze half.
• Place a scoop of noodles in a bowl, then pour your soup over the top. Finally, load on the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Then, devour the soup like nobody's watching. Because it is that good!

::Dinner Plans #24::

I am going in a new direction this week: budget friendly. Well, it's more of a pantry clean out. We have a freezer in our basement that is beyond full, a pantry that is bursting at the seems, and a regular freezer that has not an inch of space left. My plan is to use what we currently have for as long as possible - and to see how long I can go without spending copious amounts of cash money.

Sunday - Shepherd's Pie: a repeat from last week, I know, but we didn't get to it.

Monday - Leftover chili: it's been taking up space in my freezer for a few months.

Tuesday - Stir Fry: this has also been taking up space in the freezer for a few months.

Wednesday - Family Dinner

Thursday - Pan-fried Venison Steak and Steamed Veggies

Friday - Spaghetti: I have 2 quarts of frozen marinara sauce in the freezer, too.

Saturday - Tater-Tot Hot Dish: another recently made meal. We typically have the ingredients for this on hand all of the time.

In looking at my current pantry, I think my bill for dinner ingredients will be about $3. Of course, I will need to purchase some fresh fruit for snacks in the upcoming week, but I think this might be the cheapest week (grocery-wise) of my life.

What are your go-to budget friendly meals?

How about your go-to pantry clean out meals?

...I'm always looking for new recipes!

2016

Every year, I enjoy reading blog posts about people's New Year's Resolutions. I think it is so wonderful to have a set of goals. It keeps the year focused and can really motivate. Some people.

Then, there's me.

I don't know why, but New Year's Resolutions are just ... lame for me. I never follow through. Like, ever. I can look back on resolutions past and think, "oh, that was a good one!" But it lasted until March or April and then ... well, it was forgotten.

I'm not writing New Year's Resolutions this year.

This year, I'm writing hopes and dreams.

I hope we get our camper up and running for our first trip scheduled in early July. The Barge (we're still deciding on names for the Airstream, so it may change) was welded back together yesterday and is in storage today. And we have a lot of work to do on her. A lot is an understatement. Either way, I hope she is ready to go by July. My dream is to someday (before Kid is 12) drive the Airstream up to Alaska.

I hope I make more sales on a teaching website of which I am a member. I would love to supplement our bank account with a little more cash. Our funds for camper renovations are pretty tight, so money from the website would be put toward The Barge (I swear, it's not just a random name; there's a story behind it).

I hope I can find balance for the rest of the school year. I have struggled this year with keeping things up and organized at home and at school. Unfortunately, school has come first. Which is great for my kindergarten students, but not so great for my family. We are always behind on laundry, we eat out more than I would like (which is why ::Dinner Plans:: have returned).

I hope I can bring more traffic to this little blog of mine. I'm still a little shy about the blog. I just shared it with my mom and sister rather recently. My best girlfriends don't know about it. For some reason it is easier to share with people I don't know in real life. I hope to build the blog and my confidence as a writer.

What are your hopes and dreams for 2016?

{Recetas} Chicken Pot Pie

Oh, goodness gracious. I typically write the plan knowing that the meals may shuffle days. That happened this week, when I just wanted to indulge in some comfort food.

Chicken pot pie is much more of a comfort food than what was originally planned, so I went for it. Since we had a change of plans on Sunday, I had all of the ingredients ready to go.

Ho. Lee. Cow. Holy cow, holy cow.

It was freaking delicious. Yum, yum, yum.

The little lady gobbled it up. Kid was a little hesitant. I've noticed that he has a very difficult time with new foods that are mixed together. It seems to be a new phase of his. Hopefully it doesn't last long. Hubs devoured it, and I was rather impressed with myself.

What you need:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 bag frozen vegetables (mixed veggies, or whatever you'd like)
• 3 cups cubed chicken, cooked (or, use a rotisserie chicken)
• 2 pre-made pie crusts
• 1 egg

What you do:

• Check the directions on the pie crusts. Preheat your oven according to their directions. My refrigerated crusts called for the oven at 350 degrees.
• Prepare your chicken. I took the easy route and purchased a rotisserie chicken from Costco. I used all of the breast meat, and all of the thigh meat for the pie. Set the chicken aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Then, add 2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning. Stir in the 1/2 cup of flour. Stir until combined and lower the heat.
• Once combined, whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Stir FOREVER. Seriously, don't stop stirring. Bring it to a boil, while still stirring, and cook for a few minutes. Keep stirring until it thickens. What the what! You kinda just made cream of onion soup! No need for a can of the condensed stuff!
• Remove the sauce pan from heat and add in the frozen vegetables and the diced chicken. Stir it all together and look at how delightful your yummy pot pie filling looks.
• Put one crust down, fill it, add the other crust on top. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk it all up. Brush it onto the top of the pie crust. Then, cut a few ventilation slits into the top crust and throw it in the oven.
• Now the hard part: follow the directions on the package of your refrigerated pie crusts. Mine called for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven. I left it in for 18 minutes. And it was absolutely perfect.

Four Tips for Handling the Terrible Twos

My sweet son will be 3 in April. To say we have been hit with the terrible twos is an understatement. In fact, the terrible twos began around 19 months - the tantrums, the "no!," the whole kit and caboodle. My fear is that he will continue with this pattern and become a "threenager" as well. Will my son outgrow this phase of always having to be right? Of saying the sky is purple, just because I said it was blue? Will it ever end?

If you're in the same boat, here is my list on helpful parenting "tricks" for young children.

I am, by no means, a parenting expert. Sure, I am an expert at parenting my children, simply because I do it day in and day out. I can "diagnose" my child as a terrible-two, a threenager, or even spirited. I am simply writing from my own experience and sharing with you what works for me.

1. Time Reminders

It is so important to give kiddos a warning before changing activities, even if they are too young to truly grasp the concept of time. Kids soon realize that "three minutes" means it's almost time to clean up. We usually give a five minute and a two minute warning. Kid tends to get "lost" in his activities. Without reminders, he feels jolted from one thing to the next. A quick reminder allows him to break away from what he was doing, but also gives him enough time to continue and finish.

2. The Plan or "The Ked-ule" (because a two-year-old cannot say schedule)

I began to notice that Kid was having many-a-meltdown when changing activities, especially after a long day at daycare. I have always used the trusted method of giving warnings: "five more minutes to play," or "we're going to have dinner in three minutes." Those were helpful. But there were still plenty of meltdowns.

Our new normal is to devise a plan in the car on the way home from daycare. We give a very vague schedule, or plan, so Kid is prepared with what is coming. A sample plan is this: get home, play, eat dinner, gymnastics, home, books, brush teeth, bed. Throughout the night, we remind Kid of the plan, and ask him to help us remember it. Having him repeat the plan provides him with some ownership over the events of the evening. I continue to use time reminders with the schedule, letting him know that there are five minutes left to read books, then its time to brush teeth.

Is this method fool proof? No. It's not. Do we still have meltdowns? We sure do. But they have become fewer and farther between since we started using a schedule.

3. Remember Your Child's Age

Be sure to keep in mind the age of your child. I know, I know. This sounds silly. But all too often I see parents schlepping their 2 year old on far to many errands. It's no surprise that said two year old is crabby after running into three different stores. The poor kiddo is 2! He needs time to run and play more than anything else.

It sounds like I'm lecturing. I'm not. I am very guilty of bringing my kiddo on far too many errands. The shopping needs to get done, after all. In a perfect world, I wouldn't have to bring the toddler with for any errands. But that isn't the case. When I do have to bring him with, I try my best to be as fast as possible. I also bring things for him to do. We have a notepad and pen that he only gets to use while running errands. This keeps it new and exciting so he will stay interested.

4. Be Consistent

This one doesn't really need an explanation, If you don't want your child to yell at you, don't let him get away with it. Ever. Do not hesitate to toss your kiddo into a time out at your sister's house, the library, the grocery store, anywhere. I truly believe that, if they get away with it once, they will try to get away with it again, and again, and again.

Consistency is key.

What is your tried and true method of dealing with the "terrible twos" or a "threenager?"

::Dinner Plans #23::

Oh, goodness did the holidays treat you as well as they treated me? I can tell by the more snugly fitting clothes. Oof. The chocolate. The cookies. The drinks. The pure yumminess that comes with family events.

And now, now we are back. It's time to get back on track. Back to healthy (well, healthier) foods.

Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie
Monday: Chicken Fried Rice
Tuesday: Lasagna Soup
Wednesday: Family Dinner
Thursday: Shepherd's Pie
Friday: Venison Tacos
Saturday: Italian Meatball Sandwiches

::Dinner Plans #22::

Whoops, it's Thursday. I normally post my dinner plans on Sunday - my shopping and prepping day.

It's amazing how busy the days and weeks before Christmas get! Better late than never, right?

Sunday: Rotisserie Chicken & Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels Sprouts
Monday: Spaghetti
Tuesday: Tater-Tot Hot Dish
Wednesday: Homemade Pizzas
Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas
Friday: Pesto Chicken with Mushrooms
Saturday: Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Now that it's Thursday, I can tell you that the Tater Tot Hot Dish & Homemade Pizzas were a huge hit! We make our pizza dough in the bread maker, and it is so delicious! I break the dough up into smaller chunks so everyone can top their pizzas. Kid was super excited about "popper-oni." I always top mine with grilled chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, and spinach. The husband goes for an "everything" pizza, without fail.

Eventually, I will write a post about how I prep for my week of meals. For now, I will leave you with this tip: group similar recipes together. Enchiladas, pesto chicken & mushrooms, and unstuffed cabbage rolls all call for rice. So, I am making a triple batch of rice tonight in order to cut the prep time for tomorrow and Saturday. I did the same thing on Monday: both recipes called for ground beef. I browned it all at once, then split it into 2 different portions. One went into the spaghetti sauce, and the other portion went into the fridge for tater tot hot dish.

What tips do you have for meal planning and prep?

Christmas Traditions

Ever since I became a mom I have been thinking about Christmas traditions. Everyone grows up with the traditions of their own families. Then marriage happens and traditions tend to bend and meld a little bit.

I had plenty of traditions growing up.

The season started with a visit to what is now Macy's 8th Floor Santa Land. As a kid, it was Dayton's 8th Floor Auditorium, and it was fantastic. Every year there was a new theme, Cinderella being my favorite. Dayton's became Marshall Fields, became Macy's and now, it is the 8th Floor Santa Land. The 8th Floor auditorium at Macy's in Minneapolis is converted into Santa's workshop. You can see the elves waking up for breakfast, feeding the reindeer. Some elves are the teachers at flight school, teaching reindeer to fly using hot air balloons. After getting through the entire story, there was a place to take a picture with Santa, and then the bakery. Oh, the bakery was so delicious.

Another favorite tradition we had was packing some treats and driving around looking at the Christmas lights. There are more than a few houses around my area that go all out with the Christmas lights. It's such a treat!

My husband also had traditions growing up. Now, we get to make memories with our own children and build traditions. Kid is old enough now, to get excited about Christmas and the Christmas season. He has been wearing Christmas jammies since Black Friday.

I'm excited to start traditions with my little man (and lady, too). Again, Kid is old enough to "get it."

I am holding on to the Macy's 8th Floor Santa Land tradition. Our plan is go early on Black Friday. So many people are busy shopping that the lines are nearly non-existent.

Cookie decorating. This year, we met at my parents house to decorate sugar cookies and have some lunch. It was so fun to get all of the cousins together. Kid has a cousin that is a few weeks younger-oh, goodness, watching those two "decorate" cookies was quite the sight.

Cookie making: this tradition comes from my husband's family. Each year, they all get together for a baking day. We make lefse, sugar cookies, spritz cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels, among many, many others. Kid (and the little chica) will probably enjoy snacking on all of those sweets on baking day!

Tree decorating/movie night. I love decorating the tree. We typically make appetizers and watch a Disney movie while decorating. Unfortunately, Disney movies are still a little too scary for the little ones, so we had to watch the Curious George Christmas movie this year. Eventually, we will watch the Disney movies again, but for now the toddler-friendly movies it is. But, oh. the joy on my sweet boy's face when we brought out our tree (yep, a fake one!). The next day, he asked if we could pack the tree in his backpack for daycare.

Oh, my heart.

What holiday traditions do you have in your family?

{Airstream Rehab} Cleaning

We've jumped right in to Airstream rehab. So far it has been a delight! Keep in mind this rehab project is of a 1973 camper. It's been sitting in a field for the last number of years, and unused for a good 10 years before that. Needless to say, the projects are numerous.

Take a few minutes to catch up:

Here and here.

First things first, a tour of the before. And, can I please give a warning? The after will be a long time coming.

Look at that beauty of a couch! Hello, 1970s. I wish we could have salvaged some of the fabric, but the condition was not up to snub. We plan to get rid of everything fabric. The curtains will stick around for awhile, as I will be using them as a template for new curtains. But everything else fabric related: gone, gone, gone. The couch sits at the front of the camper, with a little bit of storage underneath. With the cushions gone, the couch looks to be in fairly decent condition. Although the condition is good, we intend to get rid of it.

I suppose it's time for another disclaimer or warning: we will not be restoring this Airstream to its original state.

To the side of the couch sits the fold-away table, which I've learned is quite typical of the Airstream. Do you see the carpet!? Whoa! Ugly, FYI, and super tattered and worn.

 And the carpet is GONE! Woo hoo! I know the plywood will not be our final flooring choice, but I kind of like the way it looks. Can you picture it with a white couch and table? Freshly painted walls, and bright curtains? Oh, this camper will be so beautiful.

And here is the view to the back of the camper. Our kitchen, complete with stove, oven, and fridge. I have to admit that I love the orange counter tops. Again, they won't stay orange, but it's just so perfect (orange = one of my favorite colors). Just beyond the kitchen is the bathroom (honestly, I don't even want to show you pictures of the bathroom (gross!)) and an enormous closet/wardrobe. We've been throwing around the idea of changing the closet/wardrobe to some bunks, but then we would be completely out of storage.

Seasoned Airstream people: how is the storage?

And there, my friends, is a beautiful view of our first load of garbage. I know that this is only the beginning, and that there will be plenty more to come. Thus far, we've enjoyed the ride!

{Airstream Rehab} The Ride Home

If you're new to the series, my great aunt and great uncle owned a 1973 Airstream Land Yacht. As they aged and used the camper less and less, their hoarding took over. The camper was filled to the brim with junk. When my great uncle Bob passed away, my aunt purchased the Airstream from his wife, Marge. My aunt had the hopes of restoring it to its original state. When quote after quote came in far too high, she gave up and had the camper stored out in a field.

My husband and I enjoy camping and have lived out of a pop-up camper the last few years. Now that Kid is getting to the age of potty training, we thought it'd be nice to have a camper with a bathroom. So we asked my aunt about the old Airstream.

And she gave it to us.

Check in here for our first adventure - checking out the Airstream.

Now you're all caught up.

As mentioned, the Airstream had been sitting in a field year after year. Previous to that, it had been hanging out in a driveway, unused. It was finally time to bring her home (where she will sit in our driveway). She won't yet be used for camping, but the rehab process will soon begin.

We woke up early to get ready for our adventure. This meant borrowing a big (huge!) truck and gathering all of the tools we may have needed. The condition of the tires was unknown, so we had air compressors, jacks, a whole range of hand tools. I packed snacks for the kid and promised a stop at the "donut store" (read: gas station).

The ride up was uneventful. Hubs drove the big truck, I followed in our Explorer. The kids were with me. Little Miss slept the whole way, Kid and I chatted about getting the camper and where we should take it first. He thinks we should go to "Cola-ado."

We pulled up to the storage facility - some guy's house - and headed to his back field. There sat our camper, untouched form a few weeks ago. She was still dry inside, luckily for us because we had gotten a ton of rain!

I checked the tires for flats (looked good!), we hooked her up to the truck. And by we, I mean that the hubs did it. I did back the truck up a few times.

It sounds like it took 2 minutes to get her ready to go, but we were there for a good hour. And then, we were off. 

I had strict instructions to follow closely. To not let any cars between us.

Our ride home was slow. We were concerned with the age of the tires - how long would they last!?

It took us a good hour to get home, and it was uneventful. The tires held the entire way. The back panel didn't fall off. Our camper made it home in once piece - hooray!

And so begins the amazing (-ly slow) process of rehab-ing our vintage Airstream.