3 Secrets for Going Out with Multiple Kids Under 3

We had a few errands to run this morning, so my kids were in and out of the car for a while. Six hours to be exact. For six hours and eight stops, I was taking a 3-month-old, 3-year-old, and 2-year-old in and out of businesses (that were not grocery stores). And at every single stop, I got the Oh-So-Southern "You got your hands full, don't ya?" The answer to that is "Obviously."  But I also got asked "How do you do it?" multiple times, at every single stop. One lady even said to me, "I have 4 kids, and they're pretty far apart.  I was never as calm and content as you are." 

Well, my friends, I have a 3-part secret. Part 1: I don't rush.  I hate errand days because I literally have to pull kids in and out of the car for hours. Just the thought itself is tiring.  But I mentally prepare myself for it, by reminding myself not to rush.  If I am at the post office, the person behind me can wait an extra 40 seconds while I put my money up, open my boy's well-deserved lollipops, and give Noelle her binky before we get out the way.  I am well aware they may not want to wait the extra time, but no one has ever tried to rush me out the way.  And I am not about to break a sweat and lose $10 trying to be a convenience someone else.  Most of the time people chuckle, wave or talk to one of the kids while I am getting everyone and everything together.  So it's not like I am putting a damper on anyone's day.

Part 2 of going out with young kids: I have a stroller.  It's a double stroller with three kids, but I make it work. One of my boys sits on the bench seat, and the other just stands and holds on while Noelle is buckled in. Yes, I take an extra five minutes (added to the extra time it takes to get everyone out of the car) and put everyone in the stroller at every stop.  It is tedious and exhausting, but it is necessary and makes the rest of the trip much easier. I can sit the baby in the stroller as I fix a bottle, or I can buckle either of the boys in when they act out or get sleepy.  I only have so much lap, so if we're stuck at the DMV the stroller makes it easy to get across the parking lot.  And it's a good place for them to sit and watch PBS Kids or play with their dinosaurs if there are no seats.  I literally have to fight every single door with my bulky stroller, but it's better than wrangling them up the entire time I have to wait wherever I am at for whatever I'm doing.   

My last secret is planning.  Planning is very important when you have preschoolers, especially my preschoolers.  Every time we get out the car: I check diapers and ask about the potty.  Because life can change so drastically in 26 seconds with toddlers, once we get inside, I ask if anyone needs to potty and I check diapers.  And I do that once again before we leave.  If it's been two stops since anyone has pottied, we go to the bathroom anyway.  Another tedious and tiring strategy, but I haven't had any accidents in a while.  And I haven't dealt with any long whining about having to pee. (The diaper baby poops at will, there's nothing I can do about that.)  I also plan out my route and what I have to do  and have a perfectly timed lunch in the middle.  Some days I even take them somewhere with a play place for an hour, other days we have peanut butter sandwiches and long stories in the car.  It depends on my mood and my budget.  Planning ensures I don't forget any tasks, and the consistency lets the boys know what to expect any time we do errands.  And the lunch is a real mood booster for everyone! 

There you have it! A little planning, a stroller, and taking my time go a long way when it comes to running errands and keeping my sanity with my three kids.  

Breastfeeding: 7 Reasons To & 4 Reasons Not To

Breastfeeding is one of the hot topics of parenting.

There's co-sleeping, breastfeeding, organic foods, "rough play", discipline, circumcision, ear piercing; you'd be surprised how easy it is to upset someone just because your parenting and opinions differ from theirs.

So today I'm going to bring up the hot-button of breastfeeding.  To do or not to do is completely up to you.  Just make sure your baby eats, whether it's formula or boob magic.  I pumped for my first son, and formula fed my second.  Noelle is actually the first baby that's gotten "on-the-boob" action outside of the hospital. She eats both formula and breastmilk since I don't pump, but she breastfeeds more than anything.

Here's why I breastfeed:
1. All though her poop is looser, leading to more accidents.  It stinks less, so I don't mind it as much.
2. She's my last born, and it seems to make her more baby-ish.  It keeps her in my arms longer.
3. Health benefits, blah, blah, blah.
4.  Pumping hurts.  So I just stick her on the boob.
5.  My boobs are not saggy when they are full of milk; although, they are leaking.  They just seem perkier, and I enjoy that.  They look like wrinkly old cantaloupes when I'm not breastfeeding.  Having babies destroyed my boobs.  Small price to pay, though.
6. If I forget a cup, milk or water; I always have milk. For FREE.
7.  I am lazy.  This is perhaps my biggest reason for breastfeeding.  If I'm asleep (we co-sleep), I can just stick my boob in her mouth.  No sitting up required.  If she's hungry, I don't have to make a bottle; I just stick my boob in her mouth. My boobs are always with me; I never have to find them.  I wash them in the shower so I know they're always clean enough.  Breastfeeding enables my laziness, so I continue to do it.

There are cons and a few reasons not to breastfeeding:
1. I have leaking boobs.  They are not fun.  Sleeping topless is not a comfortable option; that's how you awake in a cold, smelly pool of milk. Worse than a leaking boob is an evil engorged boob.
2.  They are no longer my boobs.  They are Noelle's.  They belong to her, I'm just allowed to carry them around...on my body.
3. I get pinched, nipple chewed, scratched, and grabbed.  Like I said they are no longer my boobs; my 4-month-old mistreats them at her will.  There is nothing I can do about that.
5. Another reason not to breastfeed is because you don't want to or you can't.  As long as the baby eats and receives the nutrition he or she needs, it does not matter.
  

I seriously can stress my last point enough.  I chose to breastfeed, some don't. That's OKAY.  Whether you do it or not, and are public or private with it: as long as your little one is getting proper nutrients you are doing it right. My reason for posting today isn't to encourage or discourage anyone about breastfeeding; I am just sharing personal reasons I have and have not breastfed. 

(The picture attached is her breastfeeding all wrong, she gets no nutrients this way.  But it was so cute I HAD to share. If my nipple offends you, get over yourself!)

Checks & Balances: My Family Chore Chart

Our living situation is a bit....crowded. People may judge (I don't care), but currently, we reside with my parents. The opportunity arose and we gave up our own place for a chance to save and repair our very poor credit. So that one day- sooner than later- we can buy ourselves a small home, instead of continuing to overpay and rent one.  It was the wiser and more fiscal (did I use that word right?) decision, so we took it! Isn't there a saying,  "a big sacrifice reaps a big reward" or something like that?  Well, we're sacrificing for our goal.
My parents are amazing for dealing with us and letting us stay however long we want.  And for the most part, we are one big happy family. As a matter of fact, we've been here since July, and there has been no real drama. We all get along pretty well. Allow me to add my sister stays here; as well as my brother some weekends.
But there is always the small, yet important issue of cleaning.
Who cleaned what? And when? If someone really did clean? Etc, etc. So today I made a cleaning chart, that is effective tomorrow.

Whenever someone does something, whether they: cleaned the kitchen, swept the bathroom, mopped the living room, dusted, or anything else around the house they sign the chart. Along with signing the chart, they date & time it (an estimate is fine), and another person HAS to witness it. It's checks and balances...for cleaning.  It'll solve any mystery or question of who did what last or who hasn't done something in a while. 

I figured if chore charts work for most children, they should work better for adults, especially if I embed some politics into it. While the chart isn't quite toddler-friendly, it would probably work well for children if you wanted to steal or tweak the idea. I made mine in Microsoft Word because excel stressed me out. I was going to put the PDF file up, but I could not figure out how to upload it. I guess I should stick to small problem solving and politics because technology is not my thing. 

...

This is a completely different topic, but I'd like to point out my small Archer reference in my photo; my oldest sibling will be proud. 

Kitchen Creations: Fried Whisky BBQ Nuggets

Usually, I use Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. It's my husbands favorite, but I decided to try a different sauce this week- just to switch things up. Because of my husbands love for straight liquor (unlike me), Jack Daniel's Barbeque sauce caught my eye and I thought he would love it. (It was also like 15 cents cheaper than Sweet Baby Ray's.) 

Despite insisting that he's tried and hated the barbeque sauce, I decided to use it anyway....on chicken, fried chicken. Because you can fry with Barbeque sauce, right? And because we always eat chicken; it's versatile and delicious. So it's always on-hand. Here's how I made my Fried Whiskey BBQ Nuggets. 

I didn't take any pictures, so you're going to have to pay attention. It's only like a 2, 3 step process.  I soaked 1 pound of nuggets (cut up tenders) in half a bottle of  Jack Daniels Barbeque Sauce- Master Blend, 1/4 cup of water, 5 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of malt vinegar, and seasonings of choice for 45 minutes, you can always soak them longer. My seasonings of choice were garlic powder, salt-free seasoning, parsley, pepper, and onion powder. 

Then I threw it in the fryer with the oil at the halfway mark. The oil rises every time you drop a batch, I'm guessing because of the sauce

I separated them into three batches, fried them 5-10 minutes each, and let them drain for a few minutes on a paper towel.  

Because of my sheer laziness and eagerness to take a bath, we just ate nuggets for dinner.  It took an hour to prep and cook them, but it was super simple.  And these fried nuggets were pretty awesome. You could taste a hint of everything: honey, BBQ, whisky flavour, even the garlic and pepper. It was mild yet flavorful, and not at all messy. I answered my own question last night: yes, you can fry with barbeque sauce. 

Wine-graritas, anyone?

I am in serious need of a drink today.  It's Monday; I slept horribly.  The boys have been a complete mess, I even skipped school and a doctor's appointment today.  I have checked a few important tasks off my to-do list, and for that, and that alone, I deserve a drink.
I deserve a Wine-grarita: Wine  (Cupcake Chardonnay), a wine cooler (I used Myx Sangria), Margarita mix, a Frozen FruitSauce, and lemonade.
Alcohol, a small amount of alcohol, and a bit more alcohol.

In a blender, I put: ice, 1/4 cup of wine, the entire wine cooler, 1/4 cup of margarita mix, 1/4 cup of lemonade. and one Frozen Fruitsauce. Blended it and poured it into my Myrtle Beach glass. This makes two cups.
I even got all fancy and put sugar on my rim and garnished it with a piece of watermelon...
The taste is really sweet with a hint of tang! I love it.

Now, I am going to enjoy my mixed drink, a nice hot bath, and my magazine.  It hasn't been the worse day ever, but I do feel like I deserve this hour break.

Four Crafts that Reuse Bottles

I've been kind of heavy on the soda- I know: bad, Kayla!- and I've gone through five or six plastic bottles in the last three days. Instead of throwing them out, I tried making a few things out of them.  I washed all the bottles, air dried them, and then we crafted.

1. Because we are also learning circles this month, the boys painted using the bottle caps; Either side makes a circle. They did not stay on the task at hand very long, but they loved painting and making a mess with the caps . This was also an excuse to put them in their cute wittle aprons.

2. I plan on making a jar from an old ginger ale bottle, and putting the few little things I bought back from the beach in it. I ran out of time today, but I will update this post with the finished product.  Hopefully, I'll have it finished up by tomorrow evening.  

3. With two bottles, I made reusable cups for the boys. I don't doubt that the sharpie will start to fade, but after one wash it still looks pretty good. To do this, I gave them Sharpie markers and let them go crazy. Meanwhile, on the bottle caps I traced around one of the many reusable straws we have lying around, then I cut the hole out. I used a box cutter; I have awful knife etiquette, but I got the job done. I washed the bottles 15 minutes after they were done coloring them. And viola! They've made their own cups! They are not spill proof, but there's a lid.

4. We also made the all-too-common sensory discovery bottle for Noelle. Instead of completely washing off the label, I colored a checkered black and red design over it.  Then the boys filled it with rice, feathers, pom poms, buttons, and cut up hair ties. The point is to find stuff in the rice, but we got a little carried away.  I sealed the top on with regular glue (I need a glue gun) and let it dry. Ours is not the most visually appealing, but Noelle seems to enjoy it, with supervision, of course. 

These ideas were all pretty easy and not over-the-top.  We do all our crafts at one time, and we only spent an hour of the day playing around with the bottles.  What does everyone else do with their spare bottles?

Christmas Gifts Starting at $1

I'm a fan of inexpensive or DIY gifts, even if I am awful at them! Since it's September, it's time for me to begin planning and budgeting on Christmas gifts.  I start around this time and buy things weekly so that we're not completely broke when December comes.  

So here's a list of gifts for family, friends, neighbors, or  teachers that don't break the budget, and they aren't too hard to make look good. My categories may be a bit odd, but this was the best way I could think of to organize this list. 

FOR THE PLANT LOVER
1. Recycle a can (from green beans, corn, etc.). Rinse it out, paint it, and plant some parsley (or any other indoor, windowsill herb.) Paint, parsley, and soil can be found easily for less than $3.
2. Vase and fake flowers. You can do this for $3-$7 at a Dollar Store.  It's a really sweet centerpiece.
3. A little plant. They cost around $1 at Walmart or K-Mart. And they're so adorable!

FOR THE OUTDOORSMEN (OR WOMEN)
1. My Outdoor Kit: fill a travel mug or reusable water bottle with a lighter, mini flashlight, a pack of nuts, and a box cutter. This only cost around $5-$7.
2. For around $3 you can plant a flower in a cute pot & slap a bow on it.  They can sit them on the edge of the porch, balcony, or deck.  Just make sure the plant you pick is in-season.
3. A few garden stones, a wind chime, & wine glasses in a cute basket. A $5 gift for the backyard adventurer.
4. Also, you can take Beef jerky and fill up a  travel mug.  Your $5 gift will be appreciated by any Jerky lover.

FOR THE KITCHEN
1. A cute kitchen timer is anywhere from $1-$5.  It is also pretty fun to go thrifting for.
2.A cute plastic basket with recipe cards, a cake decorating kit, & cookie cutters. This is $4 at a Dollar Store. And there are tons of baskets with a pop of color to choose from.
3. You can also do cookie cutters, an oven mitt with pot holders, and a pack of cookies. Also $4
(You can mix and match #2 & #3, depending on what you want to spend.)
4. Fill a jar with their favorite candy bars or candies, and decorate it.  I've done this for my day, and we decorated the jar with our fingerprints.  It was the easiest gift, and only $4
5. A magnet. My mother-in-law got me a magnet made one year, & it only cost her $8. It had pictures of my whole family on it & it was just adorable! Regular cute and funny magnets are great, too.  I know I appreciate magnets that don't have the alphabet on them.

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
1. Popcorn & a movie. This can vary depending on the movie, but (believe it or not) it can be done for less than $5
2. Small flannel blanket, these can cost $5-$10. Trust me, everyone will use it at one time or another
3. Playing Cards. Small and sweet gesture. Great idea for a neighbor or family you don't know too well, but still feel like you need to get a gift. $1, & you can just slap a pun on it and go!
4. Board Games. This is $3+. Dollar General usually has an awesome deal on board games the month of December!
5. Lincoln Logs. Again, around $5 or less at Dollar General during December. It's a cute gift for families with younger children.

FOR THE ATHLETE
1. My Sports Kit- Aspirin/Tylenol, sprain wrap, hot/cold pack, Icy Hot, Gatorade powder, deodorant, a little towel, protein bars (or nuts) all in a little drawstring. You can do all this for around $15.
2. T-shirt*
3. Basketball/ Soffe shorts*
4. Car Freshener & a drawstring for old gym clothes (to keep inside gym bags.  This is $2, it's cute, funny, and it is doing everyone a favor!

*Shorts and T-shirts are generally cheaper this time of the year (September) because they're out of season.  Anywhere from 40 to 75% of normal prices, sometimes more! 

THE DRINKER 
1. We all know the person who doesn't care what they drink. (I wouldn't consider myself THE drinker, but I fit in this category; there's nothing to be ashamed of.) A cheap bottle of wine, pour it into one of those beautiful colored wine bottles from Dollar Tree and place a festive bow on it. Keep the leftovers, and it's $4-$15 (depending on the wine), well spent.
2. 6-Pack of their favorite beer. Remove the labels & write fun messages like "Go home____, You're drunk". Add a bow to the case. And it's a gift you know will be appreciated and consumed.
3. Beer mug, wine glass, cocktail glass, shot glass, and a margarita glass. They'll be well equipped for their endeavors. And they can be easily found for $1 each.

FOR MOMS (AND A FEW FOR DAD)
1. Little figurines. They're sweet, adorable, simple, and can be as little as $1. You can even get a white one, and paint it to add your own touch.
2. Scented candle, bath salts, and a wine glass. Give the gift of an ultimate bath for $3-$10!
3. Coffee mug with hard candies. My mother is a fan of decaf and caramel candies, so she is the inspiration behind this simple yet thoughtful $2 gift.
4. Fuzzy socks and hot chocolate, in a coffee mug. Only $3,
5. A puzzle . You can do this 2 ways: either gift a puzzle or frame it.  This starts at $1
My husband's grandmother loves bees.  One year we bought a 20-piece bee puzzle, put it together, framed it, and gave it to her as a gift.  She thought it was adorable.
I, personally, would not recommend the puzzle for those with young kids.
6. Puzzle Books. I'm talking Sudoku, Word Searches, Brain Teased, Adlibs, and even Cross Word Puzzles. I'd even go as far as throwing in magic cards, for the inner dork in Mom (or Dad.)
7. Adult coloring books & coloring pencil - that's become a thing now. I have always colored, but now that it's socially acceptable, they have books tailored to adults to make you feel more adulty when you color. They even have swear word coloring books for the foul-mouthed mother hens like me.
8. Another unisex one.  A neat notebook and a devotion.  Whether for inspiration or religion, a lot of parents I know would actually appreciate and use this.  And it's an idea that starts at $2.

I'd even go the extra mile and gift #6-#8 in a reusable bag.

FOR GIRLY, GIRLS
All of these start at $1 or less, each
1. Mirror, sleep mask, book
2. Nail kit, nail polish
3. Hair bows, clips, and headbands
4. Body spray, lotion & soap
I'd bag all of these in a cute makeup bag or oversized pencil bag.  It's originally and an extra gift.

FOR KIDS 5 AND UNDER
I pretty much combine any of these in a stocking. All for $1 or less...
1. Kid toothbrushes
2. Board books
3. Crazy Straws
4. Tub toys
5. Fake money
6. Candy
7. Kid Cups
8. Kid Plates
9. Kid Bowls
10. Stuffed Animals
11. Puzzles
12. Bubbles (Yes, even in December-- if it gets cold enough they'll freeze.)
13. Crayons/Coloring Pencils
14. Activity Books
15. Small Ball
16. Dinosaur/Bugs/Cars
17. PlayDoh

 FOR THE WRITER 
 Again, any combination will make a great gift .  Most writers NEVER have enough notebooks, & they all start at $1 or less
 1. Stationary set
 2. Pens
 3. Pencils
 4. Notebook/ Journal/ Spiral/ Composition
 5. Tablet cover - I have actually put my notebooks in tablet covers to keep them from being destroyed.
6. This will take a little work. But find a print with a great quote.  Or print a great quote and frame it,

I know everyone isn't on the list.  But I am gift carding a lot of people.  Not sure if I want to take on the responsibility of shopping for my teenage brother-in-law. Some people prefer to buy their own things, and there's nothing wrong with that.  Hopefully, my list helps you get an early start or an idea for gifts this holiday season.  But if not, you can't go wrong with a card and a gift card.   

How I Kept My (Sick) Preschooler Still

Normally, I am an advocate for running, jumping, spinning, and anything that keeps my kids active and engaged.  But my sweet Skyland still isn't feeling well. He doesn't care; he wants to run around, play and spread germs. I, on the other hand,  feel as if his body needs rest. So here's what I've been doing to keep him still, and away from his sister.

1. Educational Work 
He actually asked, "Mommy, can we have school?" So I pulled it all out: coloring, flash cards, name spelling, writing, puzzles, letter and number review, we even did a science experiment. (We did this Sink or Float Experiment today; We loved it! I even made a game out of it using a chart; Whoever had the most predictions right, won. Azariah Parker was the champion!)
My boy loves to learn, so all of thes
e activities kept him busy almost two hours of the day!
2. Crafts
We are on the letter B in our schooling: so we made bracelets with beads. Simple, yet time consuming.  They were focused on this about 45 minutes, surprisingly.

3. Ginger Ale (or any other rarity) 
I don't give my kids soda, but when they aren't feeling well: I let them have small amounts of Ginger Ale. Because soda is a rare luxury reserved for the sick, my kids sat still for an entire 45 minutes sipping their quarter cup of soda.
4. Favorite Movies 
Today we've watched: Madagascar 3, Shrek (twice),  King King (circa 1970's), and Hercules.
They got to pick the movies, so they were more than happy to sit and watch them! And even though I've seen Shrek well over 600 times by now (I'm guessing), I am always happy to sit and watch it with them, the first viewing.  Around 6 hours of movies kept him still. It's okay to let the TV babysit some days, especially when you need them to sit in one place.
5. Stories
I told him the story of Cain & Abel, we did a joint story on Simba, and he told me a very long story that made no sense. (I don't have the slightest idea what his story was about.)  But he was still, and his body was resting like I wanted.  He also sat and read books out loud and to himself.
This kept him entertained maybe a half hour.
6. Bath Time...Alone
My boys usually bathe together, but not today. I put Skyland in the tub with a few tub toys, to be sanitized later, and he was content with that for a while. It wasn't the hour that he usually stays in the tub, it was only 25-30 minutes, but his butt is clean.  So time well spent.
7. Nap
He absolutely refused.  But I dug down deep, pulled my inner daycare teacher out, and he had to lay there for two hours.  (I made Azariah lay down too, and he had the audacity to fall asleep ten minutes before it was time to get up.) Anyhow, forcing him to rest made me feel like a mean mommy, but it was two hours of needed rest for my feverish baby's body.

In between those ideas, I became hopeless and, regrettably, talked to him with a fuzzy sock on my hand.  That only killed five minutes of the day, and the shame and desperation of it will live on.  Skyland did get to play and run  an hour or two today.  But I feel as if I achieved my goal of getting him to rest, without hearing him fuss about it all day long.  

Today I learned how different he is from me.  I pretty much have to be drug out the bed by my hair and given the entire bottle of Dayquil when I'm sick.  But he had me spending the day trying to figure out how to keep his little body from coughing everywhere and cutting flips.  But the day is ending; he's calm, and bedtime is in ten minutes. And I have successfully kept my sick little chap at bay, most of the day.  

That deserves wine, right? 

Parental Liberation

I'm going on a short rant today.  You were warned! Ideally, we- my husband and I- are not where we want to be, and I'm not ashamed to admit that.  Parents are always so pressured by others to be more sophisticated or "put together" just because they are parents.  But that's not what matters or even how life works out for most.
After children, whether you have one or nine kids, you are still a human with flawed areas. Almost automatically, you become a more loving, caring, and protective person, and that changes you. But the rest of your life goes on as usual.  What I'm saying is, having a child doesn't make your credit score magically skyrocket, and it definitely doesn't pay your bills or make your boss less of a prick.  I am admittedly still learning about being a successful adult. I have budgeting articles pinned and a not-even-half-way checked off to-do list from 2 weeks ago.  I forget to dust the window sills, and we regularly have to pay late fees, because I forgot to call the money in the day before.  I have plenty of growing to do; I'm far from put together. But I'm a continuous work-in-progress, and so is my husband.  Every day we get closer to our goals; every single day we are trying, not only for ourselves but for them.
Meanwhile, our three kids adore us; they're happy, decently clothed (when in public), intelligent, & well fed.  Because of this, I've completely given up on being the "best mom", and decided to just be "Skyland, Azariah Parker, and Noelle's Mom"- which I assure you I am more qualified for than anyone else on this planet!  As their parents, we give them all we can, every day. We support them, we love them, we cherish them, we encourage them.  We make memories, and we enjoy life together.  They don't care that we don't own a house; they don't care that our car is still in the shop.  All they care about is the now, and all that they see or know about is the present.  So taking a page from their books: I'm done caring about others' thoughts or opinions on how we should live or raise our children.  We will keep working towards a future, but we will focus on enjoying now.  As long as their health, happiness, and well-being are not at risk, we can make any decision about our family that we want and that we feel is best.
I know I'm kind of all over the place, I have a lot on my mind. I'm just posting today to say: there's something liberating about letting go of the impossible demands and expectations of the world and those around you and living for yourself and your family. I have freed myself and I thought I'd let y'all know.  

Kitchen Creations: Catalina Wine "Mincer"

I may or may not have seen a few scenes from Step Brothers recently. And from that movie, comes this chicken was made up only because of the name. The inspiration behind it is it played on the "Catalina Wine Mixer". 

Although I didn't mince the chicken (which I originally planned to) to make the name make more sense. 

But it's sweet, tangy & BRIGHT PINK! (I couldn't get a good photo of how pink it really is.)  Seriously, who wouldn't love trying fuschia chicken?!  (The answer is everyone; No one was eager to try the chicken. Everyone gave me really skeptical looks and asked 26 questions about why it was pink before actually eating the chicken. But that's not the point, everyone also enjoyed it, so I'm going to share my recipe, anyway!) 

I cut up 7 chicken tenders into little nuggets, seasoned them (to taste) with onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Put them in a skillet, and added 1/2 cup of Catalina dressing and 1/8 cup of Chardonnay. I let it cook about 10 minutes on medium, squeezed 1/2 lime in the skillet, and let it cook another 10 minutes (or just until all the sauce has soaked into the chicken). Making sure to flip and move the chicken around every 5 minutes or so. That easy & that quick. 

Because the chicken is made with salad dressing, it's perfect for salad.  We had it on top of salad with cheddar biscuits, and it was an extremely satisfying dinner for everyone.  As long as there is some chicken in every bite, you don't even need dressing! (Of course, that didn't stop me from adding it, but to each its own, right?)

UPDATE: For lunch, I fried the leftovers, and they were pretty good that way too! 

"Us, Me, or You": Relationship Game

I'm like 2 days late on this, and I'm sorry, guys! But my husband goes back to work tomorrow; so I will begin blogging daily (Monday through Friday) again!
Here's how it goes: I basically picked random questions that I either made up or got from the Internet. There are 2 questions on each card. You take turns picking a card from the top and pick one question to ask or answer (it's completely up to you whether you ask or answer) .  When someone picks up a card saying "[us, me or you]"  they can choose to end the game or ask/answer any question they make up. There's only one card that says that. So if the person chooses not to end the game, you'll have to play through the entire deck.
A few of the actions/questions on our cards are:
-what's something that can be improved in our relationship?

-what do I love about you?
-why do you love me?
-what's our biggest relationship problem?
-what's something we always agree on?
-what's something we always disagree about?
-if I could do anything what would it be?
-who's your role model?
-ultimate life goal
-rate your life 1-10 (1 being worse, 10 is the best) & explain why you picked that rating
-name one pet peeve
-biggest fear
-(kiss)
-(sit closer)
-(hold hands)
-(kiss forehead)

Note our wilted cards to the right; it's about time for me to make some new ones! 

It's a simple game, and it probably already exists somewhere. But the thing I love about this game is we've played it 3 times, and the answers are different every time. As you grow & life happens, you perspective changes. All in all, it is romantic & quiet. It's also very intimate. and since I made it: I controlled what questions and actions were put in the game (which kept it from being too corny, long, or stupid).  It's super easy to find questions on Google, there are literally thousands  (or you can think of your own). The game takes us about 45 minutes to play & it took me about 20 minutes to make. All you need is index cards and a pen . I used around 50 index cards, so I had 100 actions/questions in all. 

Romantic Antics

Last night, the kids went to bed early and I got to spend some quality time with my husband. Very rarely do we get alone time together to just hang out, so we take every opportunity we get. I'm extremely blessed because I married a pretty romantic man. Let me elaborate on why he's considered romantic, he just runs with my corny ideas, no hesitation.  He does sweet thoughtful things all the time, I won't take away from that, but his participation in my antics is what really melts my heart.  I'll share a few of them with ya'll.

2nd & Charles (or Mr. K's Bookstore or any secondhand bookstore).Yesterday we traded a few DVDs that we don't watch for store credit. (2nd & Charles also takes books, games, & tablets.)  Then we roamed the store and found a book of our own, and a few books to read together. This was my husband's idea & I loved it! I recently started a book club, that completely fell through. He remembered that, and said we were going to have our own book club. Together, we picked the books City of the Sun and The Last Good Man.  We begin reading Monday, and we have a week to finish each book.   

Last night, when the kids were sleep, we played a game I made for us about a year and a half ago. I named it "Us, Me, or You". (To keep this post from droning on I will actually post the game and instructions tomorrow: so you can make it yourself if you want.) But there are also plenty of couples games or just board games you can play.  You can get two decks of cards in a pack from Dollar Tree. A little intimacy mixed with competition is pretty fun. 

We're also supposed to be trading a box of letters, drawings. &/or cards. He keeps finding my letters laying around the house so my box is empty, and I am 100% sure that he has not written one thing. So we've arranged to trade them for Christmas.  It'll give us both 3 months to fill up our boxes with corny romance. (One day he had a box, I asked what was in it, and he said letters to you. I got all excited, and he informed me that he was joking. I then replied we now have to trade a box of letters.  So he got himself into this one on his own!) 

A dance in the backyard. We were actually supposed to dance on the balcony the night of the fire, with the sounds of the sea in the background it would've been so romantic. But I think a dance on the back deck under the moon and the stars will be just as beautiful. I don't care where we are, as long as I get my dance.  Add a few drinks or a meal and some candles and they will totally create some ambiance.

The jar of love, that we often forget & then remember about. It's got little deeds in it. Kiss forehead, run bath water, one dance together, pick a day to cook dinner*, pick a movie, ask about day, rub feet, massage back, sexual acts, draw a picture, write a note, sing to me, paint my toes/get your toes painted, dance for me, pick a day and a craft to do on that day*, give me money, take photos together, sappy social media post, send photos, send a sweet text, send a flirtatious text, compliment, pick a board game, hug, rub head, fix dinner plate, kiss cheeks, offer to help with something, etc. etc. Unfortunately, our jar is in storage right now, but I'm working on finding it.  It made every day slightly romantic AND it made me a less selfish partner. With this: I wrote deeds on scraps of paper, folded them, and put them in a jar. We'd alternate days picking out of the jar.  Whoever is the one picking is the one doing the deed, and they have to have it completed (*planned) within 24 hours. 

A false birthday party. I recently blogged about this one.  I made my husband feel special and loved and got on his nerves all at once: it was awesome! And the kids can get involved in this one too (if you want).  The most romantic part about this is, they know you've been thinking about them all day! 

Jeffrey's also been talking about exercising together. We've done it together, twice . The first time he laughed at me. The second time, he had the boys crying and breaking a sweat, because the walk was so tiring; it was awful and hilarious at the same time. Obviously, he pushes a whole lot harder than any of us do.  But there's a difference, this time, we're planning on doing different things for different reasons; we're just doing them together.  I'm planning on doing yoga and dance, while he lifts weights and works his body. I'm doing it for relaxation, energy & fun, and so I can spend time with him.  He's going to do it to tone his body and clear his mind. We also plan to begin walking around the neighborhood as a family (but I'll definitely have the stroller handy for when the boys get tired).  We will benefit from this activity as individuals, as a couple, and as a family. So I'm pretty excited to start this stinky, sweaty, romantic-ish family activity. And I am already prepared for him to drive me crazy during walks, but it'll still be pretty fun talking junk to each other. 

Video games. I don't care too much for them.  But he'll buy those video games that are made like a movie, where he has to choose actions, & he lets me decide what to do. Even if I pick something that'll probably get him killed- he goes with it. I have the power, & I find this entertaining. It's not romantic, but we're spending our time together & we're both enjoying the video game- which is something he loves! So I'll take it! 

Movies and drinks. For some reason, I really enjoy the comedies lately. Depending on the show or movie, pick a word or action and drink on it. We used the word "f**k" on the movie Train Wreck. And this party game just gets better the lamer the movie. We shall play this game again tomorrow night with The Brothers Solomon DVD that I bought from Dollar Tree.  We are gonna drink at every "joke" funny or not. The goal isn't to get drunk or tipsy either, it's just to enjoy the movie & have fun. I could do this with lemon or pickle juice and still have a great time! 

Mail a letter or a card.  How simple, right? Like send it in the mail with a weird return address; it's a fun surprise. 

Pop-up on lunch break.  That had to be my favorite thing when I was working.  Seeing him outside when I took the trash before break just made my heart skip a beat.  

The idea of romance is really what you make it.  I am easily moved and woo-ed by everything my husband does.  He is an amazing man, anything he does that lets me know he thinking of me makes me feel good.  The act of pursuing each other is the greatest (and most fun) way for us to keep the spark in our relationship.  When we were both working and with children, our relationship took a backseat.  It took realizing and stealing any moment we could, but we created a completely different, but absolutely beautiful romance  and I wouldn't change a thing. 

The Ride Home

On the ride home from the beach, I got on my husband & sister's nerves by asking a bunch of questions and recording the answer. So in true Q&A fashion, here are the random topics we discussed on our 2. 5 hour car ride. And what I did to make it seem so much longer.  I know no one really cares, but it's my blog so I'm going to share anyway. 

I was actually impressed by the way they bounced answers of each other.

Q: What makes you happy?

A: Kendra- Simple things. Honestly, peace 

makes me happy; as long as I have my peace. I'm

 good. Peace and stability....and football.

Jeffrey- You make me happy.

Q: What makes me happy?  

A: Kendra- Chocolate-

Jeffrey- Chocolate, food- 

Kendra- Your children-

Jeffrey- Me, random little cute surprises-

Kendra- Randomness, period. 

Q: What's your favorite color? 

A: Jeffrey- Black, white

Kendra- Purple 

Q: What's my favorite jewelry? 

A: Jeffrey- Pearls 

Q: What's your favorite jewelry? 

A: Kendra- Chocolate diamonds

Q: What's your favorite movie? 

A: Kendra- Green Mile 

Jeffrey- Saving Private Ryan

Q: What's my favorite movie? 

A: Kendra- The Lion King-

Me- You're trying to be funny. 

Kendra- What?! I like  Lion King!

Jeffrey-  Les Miserables- 

Kendra- Rent- 

Jeffrey- Girl, Interrupted 

Q: If I could go anywhere, where would it be? 

A: Jeffrey- TENNESSEE 

Kendra- TEN-NA-TEN-A-SEE

Q: What is my spirit animal?  

A: Jeffrey: A monkey 

Q: How do I annoy you? 

A: Kendra- You Talk too damn much.  Jeffrey 

can't say it cause he's your husband, so I'll

 say it for him. You. Talk. Too. Much. 

Jeffrey- *laughs* Yeah 

Q: How do you annoy me? 

A: Kendra- Oh I know how to annoy you, 

by putting a pot in the sink with grits in it

Jeffrey- And when I tickle you 

Q:What's romantic? 

A: Kendra-  What is this Plenty of Fish?! 

Are you making me a P.O.F account?

Me: Maybe. You never know! 

Kendra- Great food, great ambiance, and great 

conversation. I'm simple, I just like to chill, but the food

 has to be good though! 

Jeffrey- a fun time, I don't really care 

Q: What food would you eat everyday?

A: Kendra- chicken! 

Me- I would say the same thing; chicken is versatile.

Jeffrey- Steak. 

Me- Steak'll get old

Jeffrey- Yeah but I'll sell the steaks 

Me- You can't buy something else to eat

Kendra- You didn't specify that

Jeffrey- I'll sell the steaks and cook and sell steak

 plates for cheap. And then go get more steaks 

Kendra- It's a come-up.  

I'm Back

Hi, everyone, I'm back! I know it's late, but I'm just know getting comfortable and settled in. Well, slightly settled in- Jeffrey has his knees in my spine, currently. (He's such a bed hog!). My vacation was great, it really made me want to move out to the beach. Staying near the ocean and being able to witness the view, the sound, the smell at any time would be awesome.
My vacation actually ended up sending us home with a little stress, a few boo-boo's, a handful of life lessons, a better understanding of each other, & a completely different (but stronger) family bond.  I'm going to be honest: there was a small fire in our room. We're all okay, but it's crazy how life works. You plan for one thing, & God takes you in a completely different direction.
I've learned about my husband & how pure his heart truly is. I've seen his passion and his peace.  I've seen his sincerity.  I saw him in a way I've never seen him, and in a way, I pray, I never have to see him again!
I realized how trusting Azariah is.
How Skyland is extremely sensitive but so strong when he has to be.
I've witnessed Noelle's intuitiveness.
And I've noticed my sisters bravery, selflessness, & stubbornness.

I saw parts of my family's heart that I've never seen, & while I wouldn't put myself or my family in that situation ever again, I am thankful. Thankful everyone is okay; thankful for my new perception. Thankful for another day with those I love!  Life is all about the way you view things & the lessons you learn. It's a constant growth...& not only have I seen everyone for who they are, I have puns for days ( you just have to laugh sometimes)!
I've also realized that I have been caring too much what others think. You guys I was butt naked in a hallway, while an entire floor of people walked past me. I don't care about anyone's opinion on anything that I do or do not want to do anymore.  I don't care if people think I'm crazy or mean or stupid. I don't care if someone doesn't like my answer or opinion. I just don't.  I guess when your lady-parts have been seen by enough people to be featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan, you stop caring about anyone's opinion on everything else.
Kayla is back!! (And I mean that in every way possible)

BRB...

I'm actually on my way to the beach now!
As much as I love to blog, I'm going to unplug from the blog until Tuesday! My husband is off work, so it's only fair that I don't "work" as well!
I'm going to enjoy my family, mimosas, & the view of the beach!
I can't make any promises, but I may do a few short posts on my Facebook: Stay-At-Home Winer. (I would link it, but I'm typing this on a tablet, sorry.) Just search it on Facebook & should pop up!
Excuse me, "Work" by Rihanna just came on; I need to go do some backseat twerking! SEE YALL TUESDAY!

Baby Shower Games, Prizes, & Favors

Pretty generic post today, but I offered to help a friend of mine plan her friends baby shower.
She's really hands-off, to say the least.

 So after searching & looking for the 4 days I was given, I found 5 minimal work, non-corny baby shower activities & games, some prizes & favors .
And they're cheap!
FAVORS: Dollar Tree (there's that store again) has 8-pack "thank you" cards.  I bought those . And a pack of Kisses Hugs. You set up the cards up with a kiss in the middle. This is an overused technique. But it's also simple and sweet. Easy, quick & cheap! She just has to have the mother sign the card XO & with her name.
PRIZES: I have learned a secret. A lot of men like candles and hand sanitizers, too. So the prizes are different scented & styled candles & hand sanitizers.  It is great for women, and if there are any men they'll have an excuse to have one.
ACTIVITES & GAMES:
GUESSING GAME- I put lollipops in a vase with a single fake flower.  Guess how many lollipops are in there & you win it.
PLAYDOUGH BABIES- give the guests globs of play dough in a cupcake liner & tell them to make a baby. You can actually leave or do something else for 30 minutes then come back and judge the babies. I told her to do a prize for funniest and cutest .
FREE THE BEAD- freeze beads in an ice cube tray. (You can also get the little babies, but they freak me out).  And hand them to guests in clear plastic cups. First three to come to you with their free bead win.  Be sure to announce once you've had three winners
SIGN THE DIAPERS- tell guests as they come in to write on a diaper & put it in the gift bag. You don't have to pay this any attention, just make sure you mention it to everyone.
RANDOM PRIZE- put a sticker or tape a piece of paper under a random chair or two or three  before guest arrive. Whenever you're ready ask people to check under their chairs. whoever has the paper/sticker wins a prize!

  This stuff was super simple. It'll be pretty easy for her to do, and everything was under $30!  I can't wait to hear how the shower and games went! (I'll be beach bound for the shower) 

The Birthday Surprise

I have no idea what to blog about today, so I'll just tell y'all what I was up to! Well, I got my husband an awesome birthday gift.

It cost a whopping $1.90: a card, a movie, and a Crunch bar! 

Simple and sweet, like him. He absolutely loved the card...but it's not his birthday.  He was born in February.  

It all started when I saw this super sweet card in Dollar Tree (most of my fantastic ideas start in this marvelous store).  My Jeffrey deserves gifts for no reason. He's kind, loving, funny, hard- working, smart-- I could brag on him for days.  Just look at him dad-ing it up with little Parker.  I absolutely adore this man; ya'll see I took the first reasonable opportunity to brag on him. So I wanted to get him a card, "just because",  But the card I loved was, indeed, a birthday card not a "just because" card. I still decided to buy it and give it to him.  Originally I was going to cross out the "happy birthday". Tacky, but it works.  Then I was just going to leave it because he'd think it was funny.  Then I came up with the brilliant idea to kill my sweet, tiny gesture with a prank. I pretended I thought it was his birthday. I put the card in a gift bag with a cheap, corny DVD. (I also added fire to the flame by claiming that this movie that he had never heard of was his favorite movie.) The boys colored birthday cards- a great suggestion from a friend of mine.  And we baked brownies and sung to him.  I even wrote a sweet birthday message on his Facebook wall (yes, I took it that far).  

And you know what? It was so much fun! At first, he laughed; then he went crazy and kept yelling "it's not my birthday!".  Eventually, he kind of fell for it and sort of played along. Altogether, my husband had a great "birthday" surprise; he felt loved, important, and a bit frustrated! And that was what mattered most today!

My name is Kayla; I'm fun.

Counting Activity: Rolling Dice

We're covering numbers and  counting in our curriculum, as you already know.  I found these really cool dry erase dice at Dollar Tree-- for one dollar each- to use with the boys. I thought I'd share our activity of rolling dice. 
Because we're on number 1, I put one on all of the sides and let them roll it. When they get to 2, it'll say 1 & 2. And when we get to numbers like 16, it'll have two 16s & four random numbers that are less than 16.  
The red die has the actual number, the yellow one has dots. Kid A has the number block when he rolls Kid B has to find that amount of dots on his block. Then Kid B rolls and Kid A has to count the dots and find the corresponding number on his block.  Then they switch blocks: Kid A has the dots & Kid B has the number. Kid A will roll, & Kid B has to count the dots & find the number on his die. Then kid B rolls and Kid A has to find that amount of dots on his die.  I called this a "round"; we did three rounds.
My 3-year-old really liked the game and completely understood the rules. 
My 2-year-old enjoyed the game too.  Aside from erasing the side facing up every time he rolled, he did a pretty great job of following the rules too!  
As you see I tried to make a "circle" for them to roll the dice in (using a belt, how pathetic!), but that just distracted them.  They did better just sitting and rolling on the open floor 

The only downfall of this activity was the fact that I had to keep putting the dots and numbers back on them-- Thanks, Azariah!  And that's probably going to get a bit tedious when we get to bigger numbers, but HOPEFULLY, by then I'll have him convinced not to erase my hard work every roll. Other than that. it was really a fun activity, and I even got a few turns.  We will be doing this weekly, for sure. 

Update!

I like to keep things updated just in case there is one avid reader. 

I do try to post every evening, but with the holiday weekend: I bit off more than I could chew.  I've been shopping and to three cookouts in two days.  It's been such a fun weekend though!  On top of seeing and spending time with our awesome family and a few great friends, I found a Vera Bradley purse for $1.50 at a consignment shop, we went swimming, and I have had more ribs than I know what to do with (so has Azariah Parker).  Also, I have not cooked a thing; this mommy actually had a few-less-labors weekend!  But I have missed a day or two on the blog, and I apologize. 

I will be posting through Friday of this week. 

We are going to the beach Friday evening, and I won't be posting while on vacation.  I will not even be taking the laptop with me.  I'm going to enjoy a week with my little family, and I will gladly be back with a few vacation pics and anecdotes on Wednesday September 13. 

I'll probably make a poster and post another reminder on Friday.  But I just wanted to post an update and reason for my inconsitencies this past weekend! 

Kitchen Creations: Yogurt Parfait Dip & Other Yogurt Things

Okay, technically it's just yogurt with stuff added, but am I the only person who doesn't want to grab the spoon every time I eat yogurt? So I give you my "Yogurt Parfait Dip", a short list of things to dip in the yogurt, and a few personal and random yogurt facts .

One day we were out of granola, and I was craving a parfait.  So I took some cheerios & crushed them into my yogurt; I haven't looked back since.
To make my yogurt dip, I use these few items:

                                                                                                                                                           yogurt, strawberries, bananas. cheerios, and brown sugar

I put yogurt in a bowl, crush up a hand full of cheerios, slice a few banana pieces, and sprinkle some brown sugar on top.  Then I start dipping strawberries, & enjoy my snack! 

My kids are really big fans of the "dipping" thing too; I guess they get it honest!  But sometimes we don't have strawberries to dip, but luckily there are many substitutions.  We usually have a few on-hand. 

1. Any Other Fruit (Blueberries, Bananas, Pears, Oranges, etc.) 

2. Marshmallows

3. Graham Crackers 

4. Teddy Grahams-- aka Cute Little Graham Crackers

5. Granola Bars

6. Waffles 

7. Muffins-- this is something the tots do 

8. Pretzels-- again this isn't something I do personally 

9, Rice crispy treats

10. Honey buns 

11. Cookies-- one more toddler food

12. Sweet Potato Fries

13. Chocolate Candy 

14. Celery 

15. Carrots 

16. Cheese-- toddler snack, yet again

17. Pancakes 

18. Cupcakes

I believe, with my kids, I can slap yogurt on anything, and they'll eat it.  Does anyone out there have anything they like to dip in it?  Or any other ways they like to eat their yogurt?  I sometimes use yogurt as a craft, and let the boys make their own dip.  I freeze it, and eat it as a kind of sherbert.  I mix it with cool whip and make it into a heavenly concoction (especially if I add granola and strawberries); I freeze it this way too; it's probably my favorite way to eat it. What I love most about yogurt is it's delicious and it's also a pain-free and fast way to stop diarrhea when paired with a banana. It's a food we keep in the house; I may be posting other "kitchen creations" using it soon...   

Why I Give My Children Cups at 3 Months

At 3 months, I give my children sippers. I get looked at crazy & asked, "why?" & "how?" So I figured I'd blog about it. 

The "why". It all starts with Skyland, my oldest. He was 13 months when he finally got off the bottle, & 2 1/2 by the time I weaned him off the sipper.  And he gave me havoc during both weaning periods.  My doctor used to tell me to start weaning him around 6 months, but Skyland would not take the cup.  He was formula fed until 11 months (he had a hard time digesting food for a while), I didn't want him to risk missing meals.  So we waited until he was eating regular meals to wean him, and by then he was super attached.  

But I decided with Azariah, my second born, that we weren't going to put everyone through that, again. I didn't want sleepless nights, loud chaotic days, & an all-around upset child again. I swear Skyland went through withdrawals, and I just could not deal with that again.  Once was enough! 

So I bought cheap bottles for Azariah, and at 3 months-- with my pediatrician's blessing and encouragement--  I switched him to the Nuby with handles. It worked flawlessly. He held the handles and fed himself, & was fine with every switch of brand or style of sippy-cup. I kept a few different brands and styles in the house after 6 months so he never got attached to one. By the age of one, he was pretty flexible. He could use cups with straws, take-and-tosses, water bottles, anything. Poor Skyland couldn't even use a straw until he was 2! 

Because this method worked so well with Azariah, I'm sticking with it for Noelle. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? On the 24th, my sweet girl turned 3 months. And yesterday, I moved her to the sippy cup.  The "how" is pretty easy: I hand them the cup instead of the bottle. She grabbed it and held it the first time I gave it to her; I was impressed and sad at the same time.   But she seems to be liking her newfound independence and isn't putting up a fuss. Doesn't even notice her bottles are gone. Using sippers makes her seem like less of an infant, but it prevents a hard time for everyone later on. 

Frozen Strawberry Chardon-ade

The boys started their homeschooling today, and while they did awesome with the school work, they weren't too crazy about the new schedule.  Pair their uncooperativeness with the never-ending cleaning, and put a fussy Noelle in the mix, and let's just say Mommy needs a drink.
Around 1pm, my senses told me that I'd need a drink by dinner, so I prepped one and put it in the freezer.  (I won't lie: I took a few sips to hold me over; it's been a rough day.)
It's probably nothing new to some of you, but I named it something funky; so it's mine for the evening.

My brain is completely fried, so I have no smooth transition.  Here's how I made it.
You need:
-Lemonade
-Sliced Strawberries
-Chardonnay-- I used Cupcake Chardonnay today.
(I used lemon juice and made my own lemonade, so I could add extra sugar! Sweeter is better in my opinion, but regular lemonade would work fine)

...

I mixed all the ingredients together, blended them in a blender, and put it in a freezer.  I didn't measure anything. But you don't really need measurements: All I know is I used 5 strawberries, and the rest is really up to you!
4 LONG HOURS LATER: I had a Frozen Strawberry Chardon-ade waiting on me. That is also pretty yummy with pineapples, might I add!

...

I would say that my mixed drink was 1/4 lemonade and 3/4 wine.  Because I made my own sugary lemonade, it was still pretty sweet; I barely tasted the wine.  For me, that makes it a tad more effective.

UPDATE: My husband is anti-wine, and he hi-jacked my drink! Said it was "pretty good".