Wordless Wednesday

Imma gonna getcha!

And she was having a blasty blast being chased

And then Daddy pulled out the legos, "Look I built a camera" LOL

There's really nothing better then watching the kids play with Daddy. This was while Daddy said "My castle is indestructible, just try and break it" which started the legos flying through the air.

Once Upon a Time Challenge

I love reading, it's one of the ways I relax after the kids are in bed. Okay I'll be honest, if it's a good book I have been known to read throughout the day and into the night. A friend of mine, Tena is also big into reading and regularly does book challenges. When I saw her Once Upon a Time Challenge it immediately perked my interest. One because how fun is it to read fairy tales from growing up but with a new twist to them, and two I've always wanted to do a book challenge. 

Here are a few of the details on this challenge:

*This challenge is quite simple..... read the fairy tales you grew up reading but from another view than Disney's version. There are so many great fairy tale books out there, that might take the same story we know but with an added twist.

These books can be Young Adult, Romance, Erotic, e-books, audio books.... your only limited by your own imagination.*

*Levels:*

* 1-3 books: Born into Royalty

*4-6 books: Princess in Training

*7-9 books: Awaiting Prince Charming

* 10+ books: Queen Bee

*The time frame for this challenge will be January 1, 2011- December 31, 2011. Plenty of time. Please do not start this challenge before the time, and don't use books you have already read. Cross overs are okay!*

 

So I decided that I will be starting off 2011 with the Once Upon a Time book challenge! If you would like to participate head on over to Crazy Book Slut and add your blog to the Mr. Linky she has set up.

Happy reading everyone.

Music Monday

I know there is a theme out here like this, I'm not sure what it is so I am doing my own. Yeah that's how I roll. I really don't get to listen to the radio much, usually it's on my drive to take my oldest to school which is about a 10 minute trip each way or out running errands and that's about all all the exposure I get to anything new out there.

The other day while I was running an errand I heard this song that I instantly loved. Of course they didn't say who the artist was or the name of the song so I searched on youtube and google like a maniac. Yes I am a little obsessive. Finally I found the information I was looking for. 

I present to you a new favorite song of mine:

Undisclosed Desires by Muse

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse

It's Christmas Eve here in California and I just laid my chitlens down for bed. It's been a long day, emotional and stressful for me but I finally said enough and remembered what this time of the year is all about. Family. I asked my sister to come over while I ran to the store so my youngest could nap and when she got back I invited her to stay for dinner and to bake with me. I haven't spent a lot of time with my sister lately so I am happy we got to do this today. So the pizza went in the oven while we went to work. I will post pictures and a recipe later but for now I want to share pictures of my kids. You can't help but smile at the excitement kids have over Christmas. Even while they're arguing over where Santa lives or the names of the reindeer's, it's all adorable to me.

This is our first year putting milk and cookies out for Santa and carrots out for the reindeer's because my oldest just turned seven and is just now grasping the concept of Santa. So without further ado, I present pictures :)

Short story, my sister, Tia (who I baked with tonight) made this cup for me when she was about 10 years old. So glad I kept it because it is now going to be Santa's cup when he visits every Christmas

Jr explaining to the younger kids what Santa is going to do LOL

Just a little warning, expect a lot of pictures in the days to come.

Wordless Wednesday

I haven't been taking a lot of pictures lately of the kids, just some random one's of the rain here so I thought I would go back in time and find one from last year. When I saw this one I immediately laughed and then saw it was taken exactly a year ago to the day I thought well now that's perfect. So here is a picture of my "little" man exactly one year ago.

So not a flattering picture of him but it just cracks me up every time I see it. This picture was courtesy of my husband, he has a knack for taking pictures when people have food in their mouths and well really just overall awkward pictures LOL (shhh don't tell him I said that haha).

Looking for appetizer ideas

Look no further. I have ten recipes I'd like to share today. With the holidays approaching (who am I kidding Christmas is only 4 days away) a lot of people only concentrate on the dinner and how much can they squeeze into their oven to make sure it's the best feast ever. While I see nothing wrong with  that people tend to forget about appetizers. They are great for serving by the kitchen area so while you are working away you can still interact with your guests. Also I firmly believe if there is any type of gathering appetizers are a must not just for conversational purposes but because some people don't eat all day just saving up to eat dinner. I do not recommend that because really all it does is make you fill up faster and gain weight quicker.

A classic appetizer is veggies and dip. A good way to change it up a bit would be to omit the dip and replace it with hummus.

Fondue is not only good but can be fun, especially for kids, and there are so many ways to do it, or should I say dip it. You can pretty much dip anything into fondue so creating your own little food on a stick smothered in cheese is always fun for everyone.

Fruits. Making a fruit tray or fruit bowl or fruit ship out of pineapple is always a crowd pleaser. If you put out fruit next to a fried option I can almost guarantee the fruits will be gone first.

Mini stuffed croissants. My sister made these for Hanukkah and my oh my were they tasty little bites. And they are super easy. Roll out Pillsbury croissants and separate the pre sliced pieces. Take a tablespoon of spinach dip and pinch the sides closed of the dough. Top with a light brushing of butter and cook according to directions.

Tomato Bruschetta. If you've never had this I recommend you trying some, especially if you love tomatoes. If not this might not be your forte. There are many recipes to be found online but the basics are the same. Chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil & olive oil. Chop, mix, let sit in the fridge for a little bit to incorporate all the flavors and then when your guests are there serve with a sliced french baguette.You can also add in some chopped mozzarella if you'd like. Who doesn't love cheese right.

Deviled eggs. I don't know about you but I love deviled eggs. I have to keep myself away from them or I just keep on eating them up. I know some people make them with relish in it but I like to keep them simple, classic. I just mash the yolk with mayonnaise (not cool whip), a dash of salt and pepper and whaalaa, deviled egg mixture. Put about a teaspoon of filling into each egg and top with paprika.

A go to appetizer for me is crackers, cheese, either turkey or salami and olives. It's very easy to throw together and not only to adults eat it up but kids love it too. I usually use wheat thins. And you want to use a full flavored cheese like sharp cheddar. You can use any type of olives you'd like but I prefer Spanish olives and/or kalamata.

Stuffed mushrooms. This is one recipe that can also be made many ways and is relatively simple. I found a Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushroom recipe from Martha Stewarts recipe page earlier this week that I am saving for a later date. I've never cooked with goat cheese but I've had it before and depending on what it is cooked with it is delish. 

Shrimp cocktails. This is one that never lasts long if it is anywhere near our family. Everyone except my oldest loves shrimp. I have to move my husband away from it sometimes because he will literally devour it all haha. Really you can't get any simpler then cleaning the shrimp and serving with cocktail sauce.

And last but not least salad. Salads tend to be forgotten at holiday meals for some reason. So if it's not on your menu for dinner add it to your appetizer menu. You can get creative and make a taco salad and serve in little taco cups or a Chinese chicken salad served in a leaf of butter leaf lettuce. There are so many ways to make salads your options are virtually limitless.

I hope my appetizer ideas have helped anyone lost for ideas on what to make. And now that I have talked about all this food I have made myself hungry.  Have a very Merry Christmas

A look back

To August 2008. Wow it sure has gone by fast. Shawn is now 2.5 years old. He was such a squishy rolly baby baby :)

Shawn is three months

I can't believe my little man is three months old already! Where has the time gone, obviously way to fast gosh dangit. I tell him all the time to stop growing up so fast, it's just not fair. And the fact that he is a HUGE baby doesn't help. HE weighs 18 lbs and is 26.5 inches tall. Jr weighed 18 lbs at one year old! And he only weighs 5 lbs less then Samantha.
He is a wonderful baby, happy as can be and just the best addition to complete our family. I couldn't have asked for anything better. His big brother and sister LOVE holding him and making him laugh. And I love watching it. It's so heart warming to see my kids play together.

Wordless Wednesday

YAY, it took four days and a lot of praying but my baby boy got to go home today. He was watching the ambulances down below and anxiously waiting to go home. 

Mothers know best, don't let anyone tell you otherwise

I am not one to publicly call someone out on something I feel is wrong, except when it's concerning my children. This actually involves my child's health so it's even more upsetting to me.

It all started last Thursday. My son started complaining that his chest was hurting. He has asthma so I thought he might be coming down with something and it was hurting his lungs. On Friday morning I brought him into see his pediatrician. Since he had no other symptoms except for chest pain, which was also sensitive to the touch the Dr diagnosed him with costochondritis. We were sent home being told to give motrin as necessary for the pain. When we were leaving to drive my husband to work my son started grabbing his chest and crying out in pain. Let me tell you seeing your child like that is not fun, it was very scary and all I could think about was that something might be wrong with his heart. We immediately turned around and went over to the local ER. Four hours and an xray later we were sent home with the same diagnosis and same treatment plans.

Fast forward to yesterday. He was running a temp of about 102. Not a huge deal. I try to let my childrens fevers run its course and not give meds unless it is over 102. I took him back to see his pediatrician since the fever was a new symptom now. My son sat around all day and you could just tell looking at him that he wasn't feeling right. I took his temperature around 3:30 and it was 104.6. Holy crap, you could imagine my fear. I was freaking out. I ran and gave him some Motrin and then picked him up and put him in a luke warm bath. While he was in the bath I called Kaiser and left a message asking specifically for our pediatrician to call back. Of course we got a call back from a nurse who screens his messages. I told her what had happened and I took his temperature again and told her that it had lowered to 103.6. She then told me that that is not a high fever for a child his age and that I could bring him into urgent care if I wanted to. I told her no I wanted to speak to his pediatrician. She then hmm'd and haw'd and said well it's the end of the day but I'll give him the message. I never received a phone call from his Dr. At 7:30 my son started to complain his heart was feeling weird. Again insert panic. So I grabbed him and off we went to pediatric urgent care.

Three hours, a blood test and another chest x-ray later my son was diagnosed with pneumonia. PNEUMONIA. Here is where I get pissed. This lady I spoke with tried to tell me that my son's fever wasn't a big deal. Oh really. I'm sorry you don't find it a little odd that his temperature spikes to almost 105. What happens if I would have been naive enough to actually trust you, someone who is not a Dr, someone who is not allowed to give medical advice.

I have had issues with this particular person at Kaiser before. In fact I have spoken to my sons Dr about her and apparently he along with the other nurses in his office all have issues with her, for example her not delivering a message from the Dr to me a few weeks ago about not needing to bring my son in since he was seeing a lot of patients with a stomach virus and since he had already seen him earlier that week and knew what was going on with him it wasn't necessary to bring him back and risk all three of my children getting sick. Of course I didn't find this out until I was sitting in his office with him.

So I guess that point of this post is/was for me to vent because I am very frustrated at being treated like just an ignorant person. I may not be a Dr or a nurse but I know when something is not right with my child. The other point to my post is to not let yourself be pushed around when it comes to your child's health. You are the child's mother and father and NO ONE but you knows your child better. If you know deep down something is off let your voice be heard!

Vent done, off to go cuddle with my little man.

KitchenAid Artsan Stand Mixer Giveaway

3 Kids and Us and KitchenAid want to make your holiday wish come true and offer you the chance to win a brand new KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, in your choice of over 20 colors, valued at $349.99!


Enter the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Giveaway and check out the Homemade Holiday Feast recipes that show all the ways the KitchenAid Stand Mixer and attachments can be used to create unique family dishes and save you counter space with one appliance that can be converted to meet your every need.

         Giveaway ends 12/17/10

Payback

Growing up I have always been, well not the best "lady". I burp, a lot. I know it's a normal thing but it used to drive my Dad nuts that I wouldn't burp with my mouth closed half the time. Other times we would have burping contests LOL My Dad was always on my case about burping with my mouth closed and having better manners. Of course being young then I blew it off. And then there were the comments from my pares "Oh you just wait until you have kids" and they roll with laughter.

Well my time has come. I know now how he felt. I have three kids, 7, 4, and 2 and the oldest has discovered how he can make himself burp so he does, and quite frequently I might add. And seeing as he's the oldest and the younger two love to repeat what he does my house is now filled with the wonderful sound of burping throughout the day. Not a huge deal but when we are eating it drives me just a little batty. I have to laugh internally because they might get the wrong idea and think I'm laughing with them and that it's okay to do that but gosh dang, my parents were right!

The joys of parenting and learning that your parents didn't just do/say things to torture you.

How do you incorporate fiber into your diet?

I know, not my normal type of post but it's actually something I have been thinking about lately, especially with the holidays coming up and all those tempting yummy fattening foods that will be cooked. I will be the first to admit my diet is not the greatest. I love carbs and have a sweet tooth. On the positive side I love salads and creating new one's each time I make one is a very simple way to keep dishes exciting. Not many people think about fiber when they are picking out their meals to make but there are many benefits to having fiber as part of your diet.

One that I'm sure many of you have heard of is that it helps aid in weight loss. But it also helps lower blood cholesterol levels, helps control blood sugar levels and helps maintain bowel integrity and the health of your bowel.  The recommended daily amount for women is 25 grams (50 & younger) and for men it is 38 grams (50 & under). How do you incorporate fiber into your diet? Well it's really pretty simple, here are a few ideas that I use to help you out.

The basics:

• Grains and whole-grain products
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Beans, peas and other legumes
• Nuts and seeds

Some of my favorites:

• Hummus
• Pistachios
• Avocados
• Substituting all pastas with whole wheat pasta
• Spinach (I saute garlic & onions and then add in the spinach but don't cook more then a few minutes)
• Brussel Sprouts 
• Cabbage (also great to add into salads)
• Fruit fruit & more fruit! The easiest way to get in your daily serving is to make a fruit smoothie with all of your favorite fruits. I usually use banana, blueberries, strawberries, orange, peaches, mango & pineapple along with a 100 pure juice, pomegranate cranberry taste great with the fruit combination

I make fruit smoothies about once a week because my kids love them and think it’s a special treat. I love that my kids gulp (yes they literally gulp it down) and ask for more. Knowing that I am giving them a healthy treat and one that is good for them on many levels is one of the reasons I make them so often.

The old saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day is very true. Making fruit smoothies is one of the ways I help kickstart our days for healthy eating it also provides energy to get you through the day. To keep going along those lines snacks are a big thing in our house. It seems no matter how big or small of a breakfast I make my kids are always hungry in between breakfast and lunch time. One snack that is easy and my kids enjoy is carrots and ranch. They will eat carrots without the ranch which I prefer but they sometimes request it. Also dried fruits such as dried apricots are a favorite in my house along with popcorn. Many people think popcorn is bad for you but if you eat it in moderation and if it is a low fat popcorn it helps you keep up with a high fiber diet.

You also have to remember not to overload on your amount of fiber intake. If you are planning on increasing your fiber intake do it slowly over a period of a few weeks and make sure you always drink plenty of fluids.





I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and Coach's Oats Fiber blogging program, making me eligible to win a $50 American Express gift card and free product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.