Mother's Day 2013

I'm not going to bother making excuses for why it's been so long since I've blogged. I honestly feel like I've promised myself i'm going to get back to writing consistently about, oh, 100 times since the start of this year.

So instead I'll just jump back into it, and hope it's the start of a new trend!

Yesterday, of course, was Mother's Day. It was my 4th year celebrating being a Mom, and I think it was the best yet. The kids slept until 7:15, which meant I was able to drink 2 cups of hot coffee AND read my book in peace before they stirred. Seriously, that could have been all the celebration I needed. That's how much I had been craving that morning alone time.

Dan showed up an hour or so later and he came bearing bagels, donuts and more coffee, as well as flowers and gifts from the kids. We had a nice breakfast together, went for a family walk, had lunch and put the kids down for naps. Then he went outside, leaving me more quiet time to myself. I almost didn't know what to with such unusual amounts of me-time!

Later in the afternoon my parents and sisters came to celebrate. My amazing mom brought dinner, and we all had a nice time chatting and spending time together.

It was such a great day and i'm so thankful to have such a wonderful family. Being a mom is the best thing I've ever done with my life, as well as being the most challenging. It's made me understand my own mom so much more, and has brought me so much closer to my sister and all my other mom friends. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! I hope all of you had a wonderful day too, and I really hope to write again sooner than a month from now!

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February Meal Plan

I'm a little behind on this (I meant to post at the end of January) but I figured better late than never! I did really well sticking to our food budget last month, but not so well sticking to the meal plans. This month my goal is to stick to both!

Here's what we'll be eating for dinners this month:

1: Family dinner at the '99 Restaurant
2: Super Bowl gathering at my mom's house. (I made football pizza with my little helper!)

3: Super Bowl Sunday snack foods (pigs in a blanket, cheese with pepperoni and crackers, raw veggies, chips, brownies for dessert.)
4: Chicken Pot Pie
5: Pasta with Sauce and fresh steamed broccoli
6: Leftover Pot Pie
7: Macaroni & Cheese (Dan works late and isn't for dinner on Thursdays)
8: Chili
9: Leftover chili and some vegetables to supplement
10: Ham, baked beans, peas and applesauce
11: Stephanie's birthday dinner at a restaurant of her choosing
12: Leftover ham
13: Calzones or homemade pizza (I use the same ingredients for both so it just depends on what I feel like that night.)
14: Valentine's Day Dinner at my mom's house (I think she'll be making stuffed shells)
15: Soup & rolls
16: Stephanie's family birthday (we're having deli meat platters, chips and a raw veggie platter.)
17: Party Leftovers
18: Beef Stew
19: Tacos
20: Leftovers
21: Quesadillas
22: Cranberry Pork Chops (A new recipe I'm going to try)
23: Leftovers
24: Sausage and Tortellini Stew
25: Sweet n' spicy crock pot chicken
26: Lemon Pepper Pork with pilaf rice and a vegetable
27: Macaroni and Cheese
28: Homemade Pasta Fagiole

I lucked out this month because there are tons of celebrations and eating out opportunities. And most of my meals are of the one-pot variety, which is nice and easy! I'm really excited to try out the new pork recipe, and when I make my march meal plan i'm hoping to try one new recipe a week!  Feel free to share your meal plans or any new recipes you have.

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Stephanie and Joseph are full of anticipation and excitement today, as we scurry around getting last minute things done for our holiday celebration. Tonight we'll go to my parent's house to celebrate with extended family, and then tomorrow we're hosting dinner for my parents, grandparents, and sister.

I've crossed everything off my to-do list for today, which is both amazing and a little disconcerting. I'm racking my brain wondering what i'm forgetting, since it seems like there is no way I could have gotten it done this early. But, since I can't seem to think of anything i'm missing, i'm taking a minute to relax and check in with all of you!

Feel free to share your Christmas plans with me, i'd love to know what everyone is up to tonight and tomorrow. And for those of you travelling, I wish you a safe and secure trip. May you all find peace, joy and love this holiday season.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! xoxo

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