There are just some things in life that are non-negotiable. They are top priorities and unless the apocalypse occurs, these things won’t take a back seat to other stuff that might come up. Because our family has been struggling lately to find enough time to make everything fit in a 24-hour span, I thought I’d spend a few minutes today sharing some of our family’s non-negotiables. Here are our family priorities (in no particular order): [Read more…]
Archives for April 2013
Crock Pot Creamy Turkey and Quinoa
Remember that kickin’ awesome recipe I posted for Jerked Beef Stew? I said that I thought it was totally awesome, but Barry was just “okay” with it? Well, now the tables have turned. I was just “okay” with this dish but he LOVED IT!!!
I have a love/hate relationship with ground turkey, like I told you in the Sausage Patties post. I like ground turkey in some stuff and in other stuff it gives me the gag reflex. I hate the smell of it cooking. And I’ve discovered that I can tolerate the 93/7 fat but NOT the 85/15. I think this possibly stemmed from a bad experience I had with morning sickness when I was pregnant with Andy. Turkey trauma. [Read more…]
The Advantages of Babywearing
Written by Brandy Nichols, Contributing Writer
When I had my first child, I thought of babywearing as a way to be present for my child in a culture littered with baby-holding appliances. It seemed natural to me. I didn’t need (or have the budget for) a swing that mimicked my heartbeat. My mother-in-law gave me a ring sling as a gift and I made my first mei tai soon after. Like magic, my daughter fell asleep nearly every time I put her in either one. I didn’t understand it, but it sure was nice to feel her downy head against my chin.
Over the next year, I wore her much of the time, as first children seem to be the ones who don’t want to be put down. We did yard work, cooked (with her on the back), hung out laundry and went for walks to the store. I was able to get things done and offer the kind of presence she needed. I was also able to get her to sleep when she needed a nap. Golden. [Read more…]
Why I Babywear
Before I was a mom, I didn’t really understand stuff. Tons of things are clearer to me now in this state of life. I didn’t really understand God’s love for me until I experienced the love that a mother has for her child. I didn’t really understand why someone would go to the store with a smiley face stickers on their behind. I didn’t really understand why some of my friends could ALWAYS be late. But now I get it. I totally get it.
And now I totally understand why mothers babywear. First off, what is babywearing? Wikipedia says that “Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby in a sling or another form of carrier.” Stacy says that “Babywearing is the method by which a mommy gets stuff done without weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [Read more…]
Money Tips I Wish I’d Learned Ten Years Ago
When I was younger, I was sure I knew everything. Sometimes I still fall back into that mode and then something happens to prove (usually quickly) how stupid that thought is. However, if you’ll let it, experience and age bring wisdom and knowledge that just can’t be taught any other way. That’s the premise for this post.
I have been privileged to hire an intern at work. She is young – 18 – and VERY intelligent, but during one of our discussions, her comments reminded me that all the education in the world can’t beat out some good experience when it comes to learning about personal finance. With that in mind, I compiled a list of 10 things I wish someone would have taught me when I was 18 and things I will convey to her – even though they have nothing to do with her assigned job duties. I will admit many of them are not directly about money, but I included them because they had a very powerful impact on my financial life. [Read more…]
Crock Pot Jerked Beef Stew
I’m gonna be honest – this is gonna be a quick post…because after all, aren’t you mostly here for the recipe? At 7 months old, we’re still struggling to find a routine for Andy – mainly, he won’t sleep. Naps are like 30 minutes and he’s up a lot during the night. Mama tired, y’all. Any minute now he’s going to wake up…so, let’s do this thing.
I love tender chunks of beef. So, Beef Stew ranks pretty high in my book…but I like to defer for normal recipes and try new things. Barry thinks I should just leave good food alone, but I can’t help it. I always think, “I wonder how this would taste with yadda-yadda?” Sometimes it tastes great – sometimes it tastes like doo-doo and we end up eating a sandwich. [Read more…]
Homemade Sausage Patties
I have this thing for sausage…I like it. But I only like certain kinds fixed certain ways. Is that as clear as mud? Some sausage is just…bad – really bad. Like, full of gristles and nastiness bad. YUCK! Then some sausage is so good it makes you wanna slap your mama. That’s the kind of sausage I’m after.
My favorite sausage of all time is my mama’s home-canned sausage. You fry that stuff up and scramble some eggs. SHEWEE!!! It’s some good eatin’. We like to buy a hog from someone local and get it processed – better than the stuff from the store – although I’m not above the stuff from the store. Recently I found some “natural” sausage at Ingles and we like it very well. [Read more…]
Cleaning Strategies That No One Talks About
Before Annie arrived 3 years ago, I would spend a lot of my day, every day, cleaning. My mom used to tell me that I cleaned my toilets too often. People would say “When you have children, that will all change.” I just grinned and thought in my mind “Heck no…I like having a tidy bowl.” What did those people know anyway? Cleaning your home regularly also helps keep pests away, and you can also use services like Cascade Home Cleaning to help you with this. However, if you notice signs that pests like mice or scorpions have invaded your home, then you may to visit a helpful site like insightpestnorthwest.com/salem for a top-quality pest control service to help you take control of your home! You can also contact a mice control or a scorpion control company. We also highly recommend this bed bug treatment NYC we recently availed too.
[Read more…]Saving For (and on) Vacation
Last week I pumped you up about going to Disney World, which I realize for some of you was probably not ideal since your budget screamed you would be staying at home this year. I get it. That’s okay – we aren’t going on an extravagant vacation this year either because of some family responsibilities. But in the spirit of making sure you are able to make the most of whatever your vacation plans are, I wanted to spend some time today offering some tips on how to save for a great vacation.
Getting Started
Let’s set the groundwork first. To make sure you set goals that are within your limits, let me remind you of what a true and complete goal must be S.M.A.R.T.:
[Read more…]Crock Pot Texas Pork Chops
I’ve traveled to Texas with Barry a few times, and let me tell you something – I love it there! I’ve never been west of Texas…but that’s okay with me because Texas is where it’s AT. Barry and I have both agreed that if we had to live anywhere else besides here (and I love it here, so it would take a LOT to get me to move), it would be Texas.
Everything is bigger in Texas…so don’t buy any pansy pork chops for this dish. Go big or go home. When Victoria Gourmet asked me to test out some more of their spices, I was tickled when I saw that one of the blends was “Texas Red Seasoning.” That’s just an obvious choice for me. [Read more…]