Decorating Help...

Over in my other life I am offering a new service this summer.  DesignPOST Interiors is my other baby and if you haven't visited that blog, please take a minute and head here.  I wanted to share my new service with you all in case any of you are struggling with decorating decisions around your house.

I would love to help beautify the spaces of some Momsie readers, so check it out and give me a shout!

Snack Bento Boxes for Kids

Summer is here, which in my house means a constant chorus of "Can I have a snack??"  It seems like every time I turn around my son is telling me he is hungry.  After awhile I run out of ideas to offer him.  I finally had an aha moment today and I think it may just save my sanity and his.

Ready-to-Eat Snack Bento Boxes

I made one "cold" box and one "hot" to be kept in the pantry and refrigerator.

I keep them low on a shelf where my son can help himself.

I explained that these are snacks he can choose from when he is hungry.

He can have 1 of anything in the box as long as he has asked permission.

This saves me from having to think up a snack on the spot and he is excited to be able to choose from a variety of foods.

Here is what I included in the "cold" box:

• plums (already washed)
• grapes (washed in individual bags)
• mozzarella cheese sticks
• cheddar cheese cubes
• yogurt

Here is what I included in the "hot" box:

• reduced fat Cheez-its (in individual bags)
• Honey Teddy Grahams (in individual bags)
• raisins (snack boxes)
• fruit leathers
• granola bars
• popcorn
• peanut butter crackers

Have you come up with any simple, sanity-saving, ideas lately??

Friday Laughs...

The same pose??

Not hardly!

It's one thing to show a little leg through a slit.

It's another to bring your leg along as your escort.

Awkward vs. normal

(in more ways than one)

Hope you all have a fun weekend, with nothing more serious than this on your minds!

The Verdict is In...

We will be adding some PINK to our house!!  We found out today that we will be welcoming a little girl this fall.  Not sure if IVF turned the odds for a girl in my favor or what but I am so thrilled!

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This is gonna be fun!!

Recipe Goldmine!!

Do you know these ladies??

Well, you should!

These 6 beautiful girls are sisters (their poor dad, right?) and they have 

a really cool blog called Six Sisters Stuff.

Really cool doesn't actually even begin to scratch the surface!

They all contribute to the content which is mainly recipes which means tons and tons of quick and easy meals!  I have already gone on their recipe index and planned my meals for the next 2 weeks!!

Their recipes are broken down in the index so you can quickly look for a salad idea, a crockpot meal, or just quick bites.  All of the recipes I have read so far seem easy on preparation and the wallet!

I feel like someone just delivered a new recipe box to my kitchen and it couldn't have been better timing as I have hit a major slump in the cooking department.

Thanks Ryan, for sharing with me...I am passing the love on to all of you!

Some of the meals I have on our upcoming menu are:

Korean BBQ Chicken and Broccoli

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Black Bean Casserole

Public Service Announcement...

While spending some time at the park yesterday I ran into one of my biggest pet peeves.  As I sat in the hot sun and watched and listened I became more and more frustrated.  And suddenly I realized that I have a mommy blog and I could rant in rave in print!  So, my big pet peeve is bratty kids.  Yes, I said it.  Bratty kids are the worst.  And let me preface this by saying that my kids have tantrums, act selfishly, and can push my buttons all day long.  So, I am not referring to the typical kid behavior.  I get it, I know that's part of childhood.  What I am talking about are the kids who are out and out rude, mean, and just general pests.

I should also preface all of this by saying that I fully understand that kids are a product of their environment.  They mirror what they see and their behavior most often reflects what is going on in their little lives.  I know that ultimately the kid is not to blame...it is their parents.  Yesterday we ran into Bratty Brat McBratterson.  He was intent on pushing my son's buttons.  Luckily my son is too young still to really get what was going on but I was fully aware.  Should I also mention fully hot and fully hormonal??  It started on the swings.  While I pushed Sullivan (my youngest) Oliver waited on another swing for me to come push him.  He has not mastered the whole pumping your legs thing so he just sat there still.  Next to him this kid was just dying for attention so he just repeatedly said things like, "Wheee I sure am swinging high!"  "I am glad I know how to swing by myself!"  "Swinging so soo easy!"  

You know how to spot a brat?  They are the ones who aren't intimidated at all by adults.  When I walked over to push Oliver this kid just kept up his commentary.  Staring at both of us just daring, WISHING, we would say something to him.  Oh, it was tempting but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.  I just tried to remind myself that he was in need of attention.  I tried to feel bad for him.  Tried.

So cut to the slide....guess whose there??!  Oh yeah, Mr. Brat and he was on a mission to make enemies.  This time just sitting at the end of the slide staring off into space so no one else could go down.  Then it was off to the monkey bars where he could swing wildly into other people.  And then finally a round of following some poor kid staying 2 inches from his face.  He went around just sucking all the fun out of the playground.  And best of all, is that I never saw a parent.  No grandmother, babysitter, teacher, no one!  I envisioned his mom on some bench texting or maybe sitting in her car reading a book.  Sure he was annoying but the real problem is that he had no adult around correcting him or reigning him in.

So maybe my rant should not be about brats but more specifically brats' parents.  Where are you people that let your kid run wild??  Where are you when they are being nasty to other kids??  Why is it everyone else's problem??  Man up and watch your kid!  If they have gotten too out of control, don't bring them to a park and set them free for God's sake.  Give them some extra love and attention.  Take them to a specialists if it is out of your control.  At the very least, don't let them ruin the playground for every other kid (and hormonal mom)!

          

Friday Thoughts...

Can I be this cool in my next life?

Say what you want about Gwenyth but girls got some serious style and a body to die for!

And I will take Reese's pregnancy style for $200 Alec.

Can she get any cuter?  She makes it look so effortless which I can appreciate these days since most of my mornings start off with my whining about all my clothes that don't fit.