"Mommy Mondays"... Why are Flip Flops a Big Deal?

UPDATE: Don't forget to enter to win a bottle of Dial Coconut Water Fresh Mango body wash by 11:59 pm tonight!

Just a review... Last week I started a feature called "Mommy Mondays."  The idea behind it is simple. I'm going to use this to post about funny things my daughter has done, parenting advice that I have received or things that I have learned, or anything else having to do with being a Mommy. This is the time for all of you moms out there to share with one another. Need help with something? Post it on here. Want to share a laugh? Post it on here.

If you want to join in on the fun, post a link in the comments to your "Mommy Monday" post on your blog or Facebook, or wherever!

A few days ago I tweeted about my daughter wearing flip flops, and I said something about it being a big deal! Several people weren't sure why I said that, so I thought I'd post about it. Mainly because I don't want to forget about these days when she's 20. 

I can't remember when it started, but I think it was last summer. Being a flip flop lover myself, I tried to get Eliana to wear some. She thought it sounded like a great idea...and she proceeded to wear them for about 30 seconds. "No big deal," I thought, "I'll just try again another day." Which is exactly what I did. 

Oh my goodness! You would have thought I was trying to make her wear a pair of shoes with spikes on the insides! Eliana is 2. She has tantrums just like any other 2-year-old. However, these flip flops brought out tantrums unlike any I had ever seen from her (except when I tried to trim her toenails...Are you sensing a theme?). 

For months I tried off and on to casually mention the flip flops. We paid for them, I might as well try to get her to wear them before she outgrew them. Each time I was met with the same kind of tantrum. As more months passed, I even tried various flip flops. I even bought DISNEY PRINCESS FLIP FLOPS and TINKERBELL FLIP FLOPS! Nothing worked. I eventually decided not to try anymore this year, and thought maybe next summer she will have forgotten about her flip flop phobia (I wonder if there's an actual word for that). 

Which brings me to this past Saturday. The previous 2 days, Eliana only wanted to wear her rain boots (never mind the fact that it wasn't raining, and it was approximately 85 degrees outside). We thought it was pretty cute, and you're supposed to let toddlers pick what they wear to some extent, so we went along with it.

On Saturday after her nap, we were getting ready to go eat supper with Popsy & the Uncles. It was time to put on her shoes, and out of nowhere she said, "I want to wear my flip flops!" Tanner and I looked at each other like, "Who are you and what have you done with our opinionated 2-year-old that turns into a dragon when flip flops are mentioned?" We of course immediately agreed and scurried to put them on her as quickly as we possibly could before she changed her mind. 

She was quite excited that Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Ariel were all on her lovely pink flip flops, and she said she couldn't wait to show Popsy! In my head, I was thinking that these wouldn't even be on her feet by the time we got to Popsy's house. Boy was I wrong. She kept them on, she showed them to everyone, and she even wanted to wear them again the next day!

Apparently, I just needed to quit asking and let it be her own idea. Live and learn.

"Foodie Fridays"...A New Recipe for a Classic Meal

Reminder: Don't forget to enter to win a free bottle of Dial's Coconut Water Fresh Mango Body Wash. 

This week's final feature is "Foodie Fridays." This will include new recipes that I've tried, favorite recipes, restaurant reviews, etc. If you know me at all you know that I love to eat, and I love to cook/bake. I would love for us to share recipes with each other! 

Today's post is about Skinny Salisbury Steak. Did you grow up eating Salisbury Steak TV dinners and now that's all you can think of when you hear the words? Trust me...you need to try this recipe. It is so much better than that, and it's a healthier version! Eliana even loved this, and it's usually difficult to get her to eat beef! 

My husband has been on a kick to eat slightly healthier than we usually do. I'm fine with that, but I don't want to give up good flavor! This recipe offers both! Try it and let me know what you think! 

I got this recipe from http://www.skinnytaste.com 's January 12, 2012 entry: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/skinny-salisbury-steak-with-mushroom.html, and I will definitely be trying more of the recipes featured on there. Click the link if you want to see the awesome pictures she took as she prepared this meal! (Side note: I definitely need to remember to start taking pictures as I cook.)

Skinny Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 • Size: 1 patty w/ mushroom gravy • Old Points: 4 • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 247.5 • Fat: 11 g • Protein: 27 g • Carb: 10.5 g • Fiber: 1 g • Sugar: 2.5 g
Sodium: 357.5 mg (without salt)  

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp oil
• 3/4 cup onions, minced
• 1 lbs 93% lean ground beef
• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 cup water
• chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Sauté onions in oil over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. 
In a large bowl, combine half of the sautéed onions, ground beef, ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, egg white, 1/4 cup beef broth, salt and black pepper.
Shape into 8 oval patties.
In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties. Set aside on a dish.

Add mushrooms to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes. (Eliana even ate the mushrooms! I'm telling you, it's good stuff!) 

Return patties to the skillet with the mushrooms.

In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining broth until smooth. Mix in remaining onions, tomato paste, vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder.

Pour over meat and mushrooms in skillet.

Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

"Thrifty Thursdays"... Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango Body Wash

Today's blog feature is, "Thrifty Thursdays." There are all kinds of possibilities for what Thursdays will bring. It may be a giveaway for a product I am reviewing (as it is today), maybe it will be tips for how to save a little money, or maybe it will be budgeting tips. Regardless, come back each week to see what info I have for you.

Once again, the Purex Insiders have given me a body wash to review. This time it is Dial's Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash. Just so I'm clear, the Dial brand provided me with this sample of Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango Body Wash for a product review, but all of the opinions expressed here are my own. 

I love the smell of this body wash! Ask my husband. I am always on the hunt for a candle, lotion, body wash, etc. that reminds me of the beach. Dial has captured that with this scent! The mango and coconut combination make me feel like I am getting ready to go spend a few hours at the beach (I wish!). The scent isn't so powerful that it lasts all day, but it is quite nice while it's there.

According to Dial, coconut water is full of antioxidants and electrolytes that help hydrate your body. They also say that Mango is nutrient-rich. I would agree that this moisturizing body wash helps hydrate my skin. I have very dry skin, so it takes a lot to make it soft and smooth. This product does a decent job. I still need to wear lotion after using it, but it is MUCH better than simply using bar soap.

Now for the exciting part! I have 3 coupons to give away for a free bottle of Dial's Coconut Water Refreshing Mango Body Wash! All you have to do is follow the steps on the window below. Be sure to tweet about it and share my post on Facebook (you can earn extra entries for those!). If you choose to leave a comment on here, please come back and make sure that it posted. If it didn't, send me an e-mail and let me know (there's a contact form on the right side of the page). 

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Word Wednesday...Who am I?

As I've mentioned, each day this week I'll be featuring a new theme for my blog. Today's is called, "Word Wednesday." What does that mean? Well, let me explain.

My vision for "Word Wednesday" is that I can encourage you in your Christian faith. It may be a brief testimony of what's going on in my life, it may be a brief description of what I've been reading in The Word (The Bible), it may be song lyrics that have been encouraging to me, you just never know what it may be. Regardless of what format it takes, I hope that it encourages you as you strive to live more and more like Jesus.

Today I'm going to give a little history of me, or in churchy words, "my testimony." I figured what better way to start this feature than to let you know a little about me and my faith. God saved me when I was in the 8th grade. I grew up believing I was a Christian. I went to church and I believed in Jesus. I was a good kid, and I tried not to do anything wrong. However, one night at a Christian concert, God opened my eyes. I can't tell you whose concert it was (I never listened to him before or after). All I can tell you is that it seemed as though God was using the speaker to speak directly to me, and no one else was in the audience. While the band took a break, a guest speaker came out and began telling the audience what it meant to follow Jesus. I don't know exactly what he said, but what I do remember was him saying that it doesn't matter if you're a good kid, or you go to church, or you believe in God ("You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe - - and shudder!" (James 2:19, ESV)) (all of the reasons I had been using for calling myself a Christian). What matters is that you have a real relationship with Jesus. When he finished, I prayed that God would take over my life, forgive me of my sins, save me, and give me a new life with a relationship with Him. Through His grace, He did just that ("For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV).

I've since learned a lot more about what it means to follow Jesus. At the time, I believed that saying that prayer was enough. It's not. Being a true Christian means living sold-out to Jesus! It means being fully surrendered to His will for your life and whatever He has for you (whether it is what you would prefer or not). "And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it" (Mark 8:34-35, ESV).  Here's the awesome part though, the closer you get to God, the more likely it is that what you want and what He wants will be the same thing!

Am I perfect? Far from it. Do I show Christ to others like I should? No. Do I still sin? Yes. However, it is my desire to sin less and less and become more and more like Jesus.

There's a lot more that I could say, and I'll be sharing more throughout "Word Wednesdays." However, if you ever have ANY questions about what it means to be a Christian, the Bible, God, etc., please let me know. Leave a comment or send me an e-mail (there's a contact form on the right side of the page). I may not know the answer (I don't claim to be a Bible scholar), but I can definitely get you in contact with someone who does.

Travel Tuesdays... Disney Planning!

This is the week for new features on my blog! Keep visiting because there will be something new each day. I'm hoping having this schedule will keep me on track with writing!

Today's feature is "Travel Tuesdays!" If you know me, you know that I love to travel! Some of my favorite memories are from visiting different countries. I haven't gotten to travel as much in the last few years, but I think my reason is pretty valid...Eliana! We've been on a few trips with her, and they have been so much fun! Stay tuned for a post about our most recent trip to the beach! Anyway, "Travel Tuesdays" is the time for all of us to share posts about recent trips and travel tips! Just like with "Mommy Mondays," I want everyone that reads this to participate! Leave a comment, post a link to one of your travel posts in the comments, ask for travel advice, answer others' questions, etc. Just have fun and join in!

We are deep in the planning stages of our trip to Walt Disney World later this year. I'm hoping to post a lot of Disney tips as I learn them! Check back each week to see what I post! Maybe it can help you as you plan a trip!

Today's tip will be obvious for all of you Disney experts out there, but I wanted to help some of the Disney Newbies today. The #1 tip I can give you for planning a trip to Walt Disney World (WDW) is to PLAN AHEAD!!! I don't just mean a few months...I mean at least a year if you can. We booked our trip about 15 months ahead of time, and I'm so glad we did! For one thing, hotels fill up. I'm sure this doesn't happen all of the time, but during busy times of the year, you would hate it if you couldn't get one of the hotels you really wanted. Don't worry, if Disney releases a discount at your hotel you can still get it!

The other reason for booking so far ahead of time is so you can do your research! I know, it seems odd to have to do so much research for a vacation, but from what I've learned with WDW it is a necessity! You want to figure out which restaurants you want to try way before 180 days prior to your trip. This will allow you to create a plan for making your reservations! Booking your restaurant reservations exactly 180 days before your trip is a necessity! Especially if you want to eat at some of the busier restaurants (Be Our Guest, Cinderella's Royal Table, Chef Mickey's, etc.). I woke up at 5:50 am (EST) to make sure I was logged on and ready when the reservations became available at 6:00 am (EST)! My husband thought I was crazy, but he definitely appreciated it when I was able to get all of the reservations we wanted!

I'll be posting more detailed Disney tips as we go along, but be sure to follow my Disney Tips board on Pinterest! I have a ton of great tips on there!

"Mommy Mondays"... Back to School!

I've decided to start a new thing on my blog today (actually look for new things throughout this week!) It's called..."Mommy Mondays." I'm hoping if I eventually get enough response from it, we can start a link-up and we can feature all of your blogs.

The idea behind "Mommy Mondays" is simple. I'm going to use this day to post about funny things my daughter has done, parenting advice that I have received or things that I have learned, or anything else having to do with being a Mommy. This is the time for all of you moms out there to share with one another. Need help with something? Post it on here. Want to share a laugh? Post it on here.

If you want to join in on the fun, post a link in the comments to your "Mommy Monday" post on your blog or Facebook, or wherever!


So today's "Mommy Monday" is about Eliana starting a new year at preschool. Honestly, we didn't have much of a transition because her preschool offers summer school twice a week. The biggest transitions she had were a new teacher and switching to 3 days/week. She's seemed just fine with both of those!

Eliana LOVES school! Every day she has gone so far this school year she has taken off into her classroom without a hug or kiss for Mommy (sniff sniff). Actually, I'm thrilled that she loves it so much! It's much easier to leave without a hug or kiss than it is to leave when she's crying!

I can't wait to see what all she learns this year! She is super excited about being in Ms. Tara's class, and I am so thankful for the teachers at her school and how much they love my girl!

  

Being a little bit bossy...as usual.

And just for comparison. This year and last year's pics. Oh my word. Where is my baby???

Spellbinders Celebra'tions Collection Review...and Giveaway!

Recently I had the opportunity to try a different kind of product from the kind I normally review. This isn't a cleaning product or a body wash. This is for all of you scrapbooking fans! I have to admit that I'm one of those people that has a grand idea about starting a scrapbook, I buy all of the products, but then they all end up under my bed in a box because I don't have time to finish it. This project forced me to be a little crafty, and I enjoyed it!

I received a sample of Spellbinders' Celebra'tions Collection which included everything needed for two small craft projects. They also gave me a stamp set to give to one of you lucky readers! Keep reading for the details!

The first project was a party hat featuring the word, "celebrate." Spellbinders provided a step-by-step guide for how to make this party hat. I think it turned out to be super cute, and it would look great in a scrapbook! Below are some of the pictures I took of the process.

These foam squares were great adhesives! 

The finished product! Isn't it cute?

The second project was a treat bag that featured the words, "Celebrate," "Best Day Ever," and "Happy Day!" Both of these projects were fairly simple, which was great for a scrapbooking novice like me!

Now what you've all been waiting for...the giveaway! You can win a Spellbinders Celebra'tions Stamp Set. This set features 15 different stamps. You can enter in several different ways. They're all listed on the giveaway window below. One way you can enter is to leave a comment on here. Tell me what scrapbooks you've been working on or what your most recent one was.

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*The Spellbinders brand provided me with a sample of Spellbinders Celebra'tions Collection in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.