Almost Missed a Day...

I said almost. Pretty tired and feeling like crap today. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

Pet Peeve

I really hate blog giveaways that have 10,000 ways to earn extra entries. What if I don't have a Twitter account? Or if I don't want to comment on another post? Or follow your friend's blog? Or vote for your husband's co-worker's friend's cousin-once-removed's whatever in a contest? Why can't everyone just enter once and take their chances?

By the way, I just won a giveaway where I "earned" 4 such extra entries..... :-P

Wordless Wednesday...A Day Late

Long Day

It has been a very long day. Daniel has tried my patience and brought me to tears...then he turns around and makes me smile. My house is a mess. Every time I thought I would have a few minutes to myself, one of my beautiful, well-behaved children would start crying. I had a cold chocolate chip pancake and chips and queso for dinner. Dr. Pepper helped me hang on to my sanity...if only by a thread. A hot bath and a Nora Roberts book helped restore a little bit more of that sanity. Singing Olivia to sleep made my heart happy. Now, sleep is calling my name with hopes of a better day tomorrow.

Patience

My husband always tells me, "Patience is a virtue," to which I reply, "It's one that I don't have." It's one that I feel like I have even less of lately. Unfortunately, I am the kind of person who wants what I want when I want it...and that is usually right now. This is especially true when it comes to cleaning the house. Like any good wife, I save some of the work for my hubby. The worst thing he could possibly do when I ask him to do something is say, "In a minute." Why?? Because someone will drop dead if the dishes aren't done right this second? Because the earth will stop spinning on its axis if the trash isn't taken out before the next commercial break? No....because I'm me, and I will have a super mega anxiety attack of sorts if it isn't done when I ask. And because I just know that if it isn't done right this very second, it probably won't get done at all. Reasonable? No. Crazy? Perhaps... I guess it's a good thing he loves me anyway.

I find this post very ironic. Why, you may ask? Because I am also the world's biggest procrastinator. I'm just a walking contradiction...

Dream Home

This posting every day business is exhausting...I have no idea what to write about, so I went to the NaBloPoMo website to check out their prompt for today: What would your dream house look like? Where would it be? Who would live there with you?

I don't necessarily know what my dream house would LOOK like, but I definitely have some requirements. First of all, a HUGE kitchen complete with state-of-the-art appliances, gas stove, double ovens, lots of counter space, plenty of cabinets, a pantry, and a bar/seating area. The next must have on my list is an amazing master suite. A large bedroom with room for a king-size bed (yes, Adam, a king-size bed), a sitting area for reading or whatever, LARGE closets, and plenty of natural light from big windows. The master bath would have to have a large jacuzzi tub, a separate shower, and most importantly, his-and-her sinks! Sorry babe, but you make such a mess when getting ready in the morning! Next, the craft room! Or should we call it my haven...a place where I can go and create without worrying about little hands getting into everything! I would also want a large family room with plenty of seating and large windows, a game/play room for the kids, a theater room, plenty of guest rooms for visiting family, an in-house gym, an outdoor kitchen, a covered patio area, a pool with a hot tub, a tennis court, a sport court, and plenty of land and trees.

Where would it be? I don't know...

Who would live there with me? The hubs, the kiddos, maybe a pet or two...

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that this is a DREAM house :-P

Meal Planning

I am going to tell you a secret...we are fast food junkies. And believe me, it is NOT because of the amazing food quality. Let's face it--between being pregnant, chasing after a 2-year old, and trying to keep my house from looking like a tornado passed through it, I rarely had the extra energy to worry about what we would eat for dinner, much less actually cook dinner. It was too easy to just stop on the way home from running errands or have Adam pick something up on the way home from work.

Here's the funny thing--I LOVE to cook. I love looking through cookbooks for ideas, and my TV is eternally tuned to Food Network (well, either that or Lifetime). I think part of the problem (aside from the lack of energy) is my tiny kitchen. Also, I am somewhat of a procrastinator...which leads to nothing being defrosted or not having all the ingredients I need. So, to try and remedy this problem, I have decided to try meal planning.

I have heard that meal planning will help you eat better and spend less. That is reason enough for me!! I came across this show on BYUtv called "The Food Nanny". Her approach to meal planning includes theme nights. She assigns every night a different theme, and you plan your meals accordingly. I like this idea because it gives me some parameters to work within. So, without further adieu, here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday (Comfort Food): Gumbo
Tuesday (Italian): Chicken Piccata
Wednesday (Fish/Meatless/Breakfast): Pancakes
Thursday (Mexican): Tacos
Friday (Pizza): Frozen Pizza (don't judge me!)
Saturday(Grill Night): eating at Mom's
Sunday (Traditions): Buttermilk Herb Chicken

I hope that this will help end the age-old question "What's for dinner?"

On another note: I am in desperate need of some quick, kid-friendly lunch recipes. All Daniel wants to eat is hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and cheese sticks. So, if you have any ideas, please send them my way! Thanks, in advance!!