Aug 29, 2014

Fun Food Friday #2


It's Friday!

So here's something food related.  These bentos include chicken nuggets, potato smiles, veggies, fruit (not shown) and a little treat (marshmallows, part of a fig newton and part of a gummy orange slice).  The big kids also got BBQ sauce, in the pigs, and lowfat dip for the veggies, in the lego box.  

Not the fanciest thing in the world, I'll admit.  However, it illustrates how to fit basically the same foods into different shaped containers.

Aug 26, 2014

One Station to Charge Them All

Remember my post not too long ago "What we need here is some organization".  It was a call to action, to get my tush in gear and come up with some solutions to the disorganization that runs rampant in my kitchen.  You know like...



So, first up on my "Organize That"  to do list is finding a way to slay the ugly cord monster that lurks in the corner of my kitchen.  To do that, I'm going to need a charging station that can tame those cords and give my devices a permanent home, putting a  end  
(in theory)
to cell phone hide and seek.  It's such a one sided game after all, I'm always the seeker. 

I could buy a charging station.....

  But I don't really want to shell out the $$ for something that doesn't quite meet my needs.  My garage filled with wood scraps, and penchant for thriftiness, leave me only one choice.
It's time to get my build on.


Like it?

Those messy cords are out of sight, and now I have room to charge two phones, two ipads, and and a notebook, if I wanted to.  

  Now I'm one step closer to an organized and less chaotic kitchen.
Yay me!

Check back in the future.  I'll be posting free plans for my charging station, and maybe even a tutorial.    

Aug 22, 2014

Fun Food Friday Begins Now!

I'm trying something new, and fingers crossed I can keep it up.  This is the first in a series of posts called called "Fun Food Friday".  As the name implies: 

It's fun! 
It's all about food! 
and 
I'll post a new one each Friday!   

This first post is all about Bento, and you'll see more in the future, as inspiration for those friends of mine who are in a lunch packing rut.

Traditionally, bento is japanese for lunch box and refers to any boxed lunch, but it has evolved into much more.  If you're new to Bento, take a moment and check out my Beginning Bento post from 2 years ago.  

I am in love with Bento style lunches.  They are fun to make, fun to eat and the kids always praise my efforts.   
I'm praise driven, so that's huge!   

Here is one "bento style" lunch packed 3 ways.  Each includes:

1 lean chicken hotdog 
(cut in half so it looks like 2)
1 oz of cheese cut into tiny cubes
 carrots, celery, grapes 
and a tiny piece of a chocolate bar as a treat. 
  
The first is for my youngest, he loves his adorable teddy bear box.  He's super skinny, and if he grows any taller or looses another ounce he'll be technically underweight.   I give him about the same as my older kids hoping he'll eat more than I'd expect.  Don't tell the big kids, but he got more cheese than them. 

http://www.allthingsforsale.com/bento-box-lunch-box/2980-rilakkuma-die-cut-bento-lunch-box-with-removable-divider-4974413585637.html

This next one is for my daughter.  She picked out this pink sheep box herself.  She's not a huge celery fan, but loves fruit so she has less celery and more grapes.  
http://www.allthingsforsale.com/bento-box-lunch-box/2753-japanese-bento-lunch-box-set-sheep-4973307168987.html

This last one is for my oldest son.  He's not in to cutesy stuff, so this simple bento box suits him well.
He's a normal weight and loves crunchy foods, so he gets lots of celery and carrots.
http://www.allthingsforsale.com/bento-box-lunch-box/1786-microwavable-oval-2-tier-bento-box-lunch-box-blue-4560219031265.html

Want more bento ideas?

Check out these links for more ideas and recipes:

I'm not affiliated with the site below in any way, but I love their selection of bento boxes and accessories.

Do you have a bento picture you want to share?  
Let me know and I'll post it to inspire others. 

Aug 21, 2014

I must be doing something right.

My five year old just walked in the room, gave me a grin and stuck this sticky note on my hand.  


The penmanship is rough, the "AND" is a bit scrunched, the grammer is off and it's obvious that he ran out of room for "ND".  But to me and my mommy heart, this is perfection.  
If you can't read it, it says

"MOMY AND WILLIAM WAS BEST FRIENDS"

sigh.....I think I'm going to cry.


Aug 14, 2014

WHAT WE NEED HERE IS A BIT OF ORGANIZATION!

This is the kids first full, 5 day week of school.  So far it's going well.  I've even caught up on laundry.   But there have been some minor issues.  

For starts, my little guy has decided that 3 straight days of kindergarten is too much.  This morning he proclaimed "I don't want to go to school today."  Oh those dreaded words.   

For my big kids, the "minor issue" is the loss one of the 6th grade teachers.  He is leaving for another job within the school.  Sadly, the news comes just as the big kids had decided he was the "cool  teacher"  because he let them have snacks in class, and apparently, he likes candy.  He was one of the more seasoned teachers, they already have 3 who have never taught at our school before, so it's a bit disappointing.  Still, I'm sure it will work out.  

The note about the change came home yesterday, but it wasn't till this morning that I noticed the second note behind it about a lice outbreak! 

Sigh.....  Guess I'll be doing a head check tonight.  Makes me itch just thinking about it (scratch).

I suppose, I need to be a bit more focused when I look over notes the kids bring home and not just toss them on the counter after reading the first page.  I need to be more organized. (itch) I always need to be more organized.  

In my defense, I've made some progress through summer projects which I'll show off later, but my kitchen counters are still in disarray, a wasteland of papers to be sorted, tangled charging cords, half used notebooks, coupons without a home, and spices that just don't fit in the cabinet.  Missing the "lice notice" is just a tiny sign of a (scratchmuch larger problem.

What I really need is a plan to organize my kitchen, maybe even a charging station to corral those pesky cords and devices, and I have to do something about my spice storage/state of my cabinets in general. 
Better get to work......(scratch

But first, I think I'm going to wash my hair.  You know, just to be safe and all.

Aug 12, 2014

It's August!

and that means......

Time for school!

This year, my two eleven year olds are entering sixth grade, the last year of their elementary school days.

sniffle.... sniffle

How did they get so big?  I can remember changing their diapers and spoon feeding them like it was yesterday, and now my daughter is taller than my mother and growing what seems to be an inch a month.  Gone is the chubby cheeked, plump baby with the firey mop of hair, and in her place stands this beautiful willowy creature with perfect crimson curls cascading down her back.

Her twin brother, on the other hand hasn't quite hit his growth spurt yet, but he has added some height over the summer.  He's also added some muscle and width in the shoulders, so I know it's just a matter of time before I witness his transformation.  I'm in no hurry for that to happen.  Luckily, neither is he.


As if the trauma of watching them grow up  wasn't enough, my little guy is starting kindergarten.   

boo hooo... blubber blubber .....sob...sniffle.

And worst, um..  uh..., I mean best of all he is o.k. with it.  He confidently walked into class his first day, put his belongings in his locker, gave me an all too short hug, and went off to play in the activity center without so much as an ounce of hesitation, or the hint of a backwards glance toward me or his dad.  

I on the other hand, stood there outside the open door, waiting to see if I could catch his eye one last time.  I fought every urge in my mommy heart to rush in, scoop him up, and run off with him escaping to a land where little boys never have to go to school.  His eyes met mine one last time with a grin as if to tell me  "you'll be o.k. mommy."

I gave him a little wave 
and knowing I wasn't needed, 
left. 

Sigh......

Where did the last five years go?

And what on earth am I going to do now?