Don't be discouraged, you do more than you think!

For every mom out there...this just about sums it up:

This was the perfect video to watch this morning as I lay in bed for any additional second I could get while hearing my kids playing and bickering in the background.

Last night we had a Relief Society (women's group for my church) activity about "the seasons of our lives".  There was a panel of a great women, all who I know (some better than others) and they discussed what stage of life they are in, what they like best, and what kind of things they have learned at their stage or looking back on other stages of life.  It was so great to listen to the discussion and better appreciate everyone's season of life - even my own.

My season of life consists of 4 kids, meal planning/cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, homework help, driving carpool, not sleeping enough, mountains of laundry, too much stuff in too little space, the list goes on...

....which reminds me of these songs by Hilary Weeks:

But, the one thing I love about parenting is that it's always changing.  Sometimes it feels like we're stuck in a stage for so long, but when we look back, we realize that it went so quickly.  I think of all these stages as learning opportunities.  We can only do the best we know how and we just need to take what tools we can learn from each season of our life and do our best to along the way.  Maybe what we learn at any given point is just so that someday we can help someone else who is going through the same thing.

A friend reminded me today that I need to give myself more credit for things.  We're all our own biggest critics and sometimes we're so focused on what we're not doing.  Today, let's celebrate something that we do well!

Easy Roasted Veggies

"Planning ahead" might just be the answer to most of life's problems as a mom of 4.  Yet, somehow I always feel like I'm just playing "catch up".  Meal planning isn't my forte, but I'm attempting to create some habits that will pay off.  

One of my favorite go-to's for getting veggies in our meals is roasting two huge pans after I make a big produce run.  Sprouts has awesome deals on produce and if you shop on Wednesdays, you get the deals for both last week and the current week!  

So, before even putting any produce in the fridge, I do a quick sink wash with my homemade fruit and veggie wash.  Then I just chop up everything that's going to be roasted so it doesn't even get to the veggie drawer (and get long forgotten because I don't feel like cooking veggies later). Each time I roast vegetables, it's always a little different, depending on what I have on hand.  Today it was red, green, and yellow peppers, yellow squash (on sale for 50 cents/lb!), baby carrots, yellow onion, and red potatoes.  

Since I had a package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix just waiting to be used, I decided to throw that into the mix as well, but usually I just add olive oil, salt/pepper, and balsamic vinegar.  

Today's Roasted Vegetable Recipe:

6 Bell Peppers (I used 2 of each - green, yellow, red)

4 handfuls of baby carrots

2 yellow squash

6 red potatoes

1 onion

2 pkgs Lipton onion soup mix

Olive Oil to coat veggies

Balsamic vinegar - a drizzle over each pan

Garlic salt (optional)

Chop all vegetables into bite size pieces.  Divide veggies onto two large baking sheets.  Sprinkle 1 package soup mix over each pan. Then drizzle enough olive oil plus a little balsamic vinegar to coat veggies.  Gently mix thoroughly with clean hands.  (you may also choose to add veggies to a ziplock bag or bowl to mix, but I wanted to have one less dish to wash)

Roast at 450 degrees for 25-30min.

Eat and enjoy for dinner, but then SAVE all the rest for LEFTOVERS during the week.  Great for bringing in a container for lunch as well!  You can add them to salads, pastas, or any meat dish.  

The only hard part is getting my kids to eat them!  

Easy Fruit and Veggie wash

I love eating my fruits and veggies, but my least favorite part is doing all the grocery shopping and then having to wash all the produce.  For a long time I just rinsed my produce with water, thinking it was "clean enough". Then, for more peace of mind (since we can't always afford organic) I started buying ready made veggie wash from the store.  Once my first bottle ran out, I figured I'd just make my own.  

Here's a simple recipe that helps get rid of some of the wax on the produce as well as dirt and bugs.  The vinegar even helps preserve the food! 

Large bowl or sink of cold water, enough to mostly cover produce

1/4 C Distilled White Vinegar

2 Tbsp salt

Just fill the sink or a large bowl with water, add the vinegar and salt and swish around.  Add the fruit and vegetables and soak for 25-30 min. Then rinse with fresh water. 

I usually do mine in the sink because I'll throw everything in while I'm unloading the rest of my groceries from the store.  That way you know that when you take a nice apple or celery stalk out of the fridge to eat, it will be clean!  

Buon Appetito!

[Fitness/Safety] uSwim Free online swim lessons

This summer we have been in a pool almost every day.  I have two kids who are water safe but two who are not.  Prior to summer starting I decided to offer a few swim lessons to some friends in an effort to get my own kids water safe as well.  I've never really put my older kids in swim lessons because I just taught them along the way and they eventually learned to swim.  My lifeguard job as a teenager required that I teach swim lessons during the summer so besides being a swimmer myself, I had a few extra resources to draw from to teach my own kids.

As I was refreshing some of my knowledge and planning out my swim lessons this time around, I came across this great resource called uSwim.com for parents to use to teach their kids how to swim. It covers all the basics and gives clear explanation and  supportive video.  It doesn't give you ideas for games and songs to incorporate with the little oneself make it more fun, but it teaches you step by step the stages for beginning swimmers, both infants/toddlers and school age children.  You can even print out the lesson plan of your choice.  

I think this is an amazing resource.  Of course, if you're not comfortable in the water yourself or if your child refuses to take lessons from you (like my 4 year old) then I would highly recommend swim lessons with a professional or a trusted friend.  My daughter was only capable of taking direction from "a swim teacher" (not her own mother), so went that route while I gave most of her preschool friends  individual lessons.  But we were all better off that way!

Check out uSwim.com for a great summer water safety resource. 

2 years later...

This blog went into a deep sleep almost two years ago.  The saying is true; there is a time and a season for everything.  Blogging wasn't in season for me the last two years, though I do wish I had stayed with it a little bit.  There's a part of me that feels the strong need to get things documented in my life; I just need to get thoughts, ideas, memories, and experiences down on paper.  There's no time to write with a paper and pen anymore.  Sometimes I get a few words of gratitude down in my paper journal, but I think my typing skills need to contribute to more digital journaling.

Last year we had our 4th child.  He maxed out completed our family.  He arrived one day after my hubby's birthday in April and already he's a booming toddler.  My life now consist of 4 kids...and chocolate.  The 4 kids are always there (especially now during the summer).  The chocolate usually shows up by the afternoon, mostly in the form of handfuls of chocolate chips.  But I keep going.  And of course, my best friend and hubby is there to support me and keep me sane.

It's hard to even sum up the last two years.  I suppose it consisted mostly of being pregnant and having a baby.  There, that was easy.  Just this year, however, I jumped back on a health and fitness kick and managed to get back in really great shape.  I started by signing up for a local boot camp class Groupon.  Then, a crossfit Groupon.  Loved it.  A friend talked me into training for a half marathon.  So, I started running.  (I've never been a runner...hated running, but somehow it grew on me - it was convenient).  The first couple months went great, then I acquired a pelvic stress fracture from overuse/hormones.  That was in April.  Running - and almost all exercise stopped for a while.  I could hardly walk for a couple weeks.  Doc tried to put me on crutches, but that didn't quite work with three kids and a baby who just barely started walking.  Fast forward 3 months and I finally got an MRI and diagnoses.  No running for a while still, but I can swim and bike, which I also enjoy so now it's about recovery and easing back into the fitness world.  I lost my drive for a while because I went from working out every day to barely walking the next.  But this trial will only make me stronger.  For now, I'm refocusing on my priorities and trying to keep my life in some sort of balance.  

Where to from here?  I guess we'll find out.  Life is one day at a time around here, but I know there are plenty of "tools" I need to recognize, use, and share along the way.  Here's to a new beginning!