Life as Supermom

Yes, We Homeschool!

2012-02-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

When people find out that we homeschool ... family, friends, people at the grocery store, parking garage attendants, Sonic waitresses, flight attendants, brain surgeons, garbage men, movie stars, telemarketers, funeral directors, manicurists, hairdressers ... complete strangers I have never met in my life, they always have an opinion /:

I have heard comments that range from belittling, "I don't know how you do it," to encouraging, "Good for you!," to suspicious "Is that legal?," to downright rude, "Do your kids have learning difficulties", or "Are they shy, don't they need friends?," to my favorite, "Won't life be hard for them once they enter the real world?"

And then there are those who feel the need to compare some bizarre story about another family to my own, "My sister's cat's previous owner homeschooled ... they were really religious & their kids were weird ... they only showered once a week & only brushed their teeth at night, but they could recite the Bible from cover to cover!"

Seriously, if only I had a nickel /:

Okay, I admit, sometimes I find their curiosity interesting, but most of the time I am just annoyed. Everyone elses parenting decisions aren't usually open to public conversation with strangers. I am pretty sure if I started questioning their parenting choices, "Why is your child wearing a dirty Barney shirt?," "Why does your son have a bowl cut?," You don't teach your kids about God?," or "Your 32 year old son still lives with you & believes in Santa Claus?," they would be offended, but for some reason, everyone has an opinion on homeschooling & I have found that it is my job to listen, answer all of their stupid questions & smile /:

So here I am to de-bunk some homeschool rumors!

Homeschool kids are weird.

No comment /:

Homeschool kids have no friends & are un-socialized.

Super Julia has friends! She has one dog, two cats, two bunnies, an on-again, off-again boyfriend turtle, three brothers & fifty homeschooled cousins /:

Homeschool kids do school in their pajamas.

On hot days the Super kids are in their undies, but on cold days they wear their pajamas (o:

Homeschool kids have no schedule.

Super Noah, Monday, 12 noon, after a long night of partying (o:

Homeschool kids live way out in the middle of nowhere, on a farm.

We didn't live on a farm, but we did have a goat living in our kitchen, does that count?

4 a.m.

2012-02-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning, wide awake /: So I decided to check on the kids. I discovered Super Jacob with all his lights on, drooling on his dolphin Pillow Pet. Nope, I didn't get a picture, I regret that now (o; Maybe my Supermom senses woke me up, electricity was being wasted & that is a crime!

man-child with Dolphin bud (o:
Then I discovered Jessie, one of our kitties, locked in Harry Potter's room (the closet under the stairs). How she ended up there I don't know, but with three kids I can only imagine. Jessie is my little bed bug, maybe I missed her kitty snuggles & purrs. Hmmmm, is that what woke me up?

Still awake, with a growling tummy, I realized I was hungry. Thankfully I started a loaf of gluten-free bread in the bread machine prior to bedtime. It was still nice & warm, smelling up the entire house. So I enjoyed a slice with a little too much butter. Maybe the smell of fresh bread woke me up.

ZERO calories, no one saw, calories don't count (o;
After feeling satisfied knowing that the kids & kitties are safe, electricity is saved, tummy is full, I went back to bed at 5 a.m.

The kids & I ended up sleeping in until after 10 a.m (o:

It is the small & quiet moments that make me realize, I am so blessed (o:

Gluten-Free Coconut Pound Cake

2012-02-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

I was very excited to find a gluten-free recipe for coconut pound cake over at Girl Cook World: Gluten Free Recipes From Around The Globe. Coconut pound cake was one of my pre-gluten-free favorites. So, I will admit, finding a gluten-free recipe for this was an answer to prayer (o;

With a few minor changes, I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy this pound cake turned out. As a matter of fact, you wouldn't have been able to notice the difference between a non-gluten-free pound cake & this gluten-free version.

Here is my version of this amazing recipe (Thank you Cate!)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of organic virgin coconut oil (I used this in place of the butter).
4 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra large eggs, or 4 medium eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried, sweetened coconut, plus a little extra for sprinkling (o:

Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the coconut oil, cream cheese & sugar.
Add the eggs & vanilla, blend.
Add the rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum & salt.
Blend well until everything is combined & the mixture begins to become like elastic.
Mix in the dried coconut.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan & smooth the top.
Tap the pan on the counter to help break up any air bubbles that may have formed in the dough.
Optional ~ Sprinkle the extra coconut over the top of the dough.

Place on the center rack of a cold oven.
Set the temperature at 200 degrees & bake for 20 minutes.
Increase the temperature to 250 degrees & bake for another 20 minutes.
Increase the oven to 275 & bake for another 10 minutes.
Finally, increase the temperature to 300 degrees & bake until the crust has turned golden & a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove, cool & enjoy!

Are You Addicted To Pinterest?

2012-02-02T19:13:00.003-08:00

A Pinterest addiction can happen to anyone, anyplace, anytime regardless of race, gender or financial status.

Here are ten signs you have a Pinterest addiction & need to seek immediate help.

1. Your weekly grocery list is created from recipes you have pinned on Pinterest.

2. Two of your grocery staples are Nutella & bacon.

Fudgy Nutella Bacon Brownies, yummy!
3. Your friends & family have their own boards on your Pinterest account.

Superdad will look HOT in these (o:
4. Your husband knows what Pintetest is & after you make something fabulous & new for dinner or dessert your husband asks if you found the recipe on Pinterest?

5. Your husband shops for your birthday, your anniversary & holidays off of your Pinterest account.

6. You take pictures & brag about your Pinterest creations on Facebook.

Yes, I made that.
7. You drag your three kids into Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon just to get a deal on that much needed yarn for the wreath you pinned.

8. Your kids haven't showered in days, but they did make something crafty out of the toilet paper rolls.

No, my kids did not make these.
9. You get excited when someone likes your pin, comments on your pin or re-pins your pin.

10. You hide your Hobby Lobby receipts because your Pinterest projects have cost you more money than you care to admit.

Perfection

2012-02-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

Psalms 139:13 - 14

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

See that little boy? When I look at him I see absolute perfection.

Yes, everything about him, to me, is absolutely perfect. From his lazy eye down to his stinky little toes, to me, he is perfect.

I believe when God finished knitting my little bubble of perfection in my womb, he saw what he made & said it was very good.

There are times when I think about my little Super Noah & it literally makes my heart swell & ache. The thought of ever losing him kills me & I would die for him if need be.

Then I think about Jesus & the love that he has for us. You do realize that Jesus loves you more than I love my sweet little Super Noah? Remember, He did take your place on a cross.

And that also makes my heart ache & swell.

Supermom is Back!

2012-01-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

I know, it's been a while, almost a year & I apologize.

Looking back, the last time I was here I had 'springy fever.' Seeing those pictures now makes me giggle. The last year of my life has been exciting & full of changes (o:

For example ...

1st ~ We no longer live in our cute little farm house. In June we put our house on the market selling it to the first person who viewed it. They paid full price in cash, wanting us out in 30 days. We were not expecting that, but knew that it was an answer to prayer & a miracle in this economy (o:

bye, bye 2,200 square foot house
2nd ~ We bought a larger house in an awesome cookie cutter neighborhood. I love our new house, but I really love our new neighborhood. It has sidewalks (that was important to me coming from the sidewalk-free country), a huge club house (with a freakin' ball room), a gym, a huge pool with a slide, a water park, a park, bbq grills & more. With three, sometimes four (I will get to that in a few minutes) Super Kids home ALL. DAY. LONG. we needed (okay, I needed) some extra space (at least a corner large enough for me to rock in every once in a while) & somewhere close to take the kids to swim & run.

hello 3,000 square foot house
hello, HUGE pool that us homeschool kids rule during the school week (o:
Yes, I admit, was never 100% happy trying to live the farm life. My husband was, but I wasn't. I loved my goats, but I really am a city girl (o: I like dirt-free & poop-free manicures. I like being a stone throw away from Starbucks & Sonic.

Most of all, I REALLY like having a yard that only takes 30 minutes to mow.

3rd ~ Super Zachary, Superdad's 14 year old son, moved in with his mom, skipping a grade & entering high school. <<< This is not a bad thing, here's why >>> Super Zachary's mom is super awesome (o: But, she also has Lynch Syndrome. Lynch Syndrome is a gene mutation that makes you more susceptible to certain cancers. It is also hereditary, which means that Super Zachary (might) have Lynch Syndrome too. Zachary's mom has already lost her mother, her sister, her brother & her nephew to different types of cancer. After much thought & prayer, Superdad & I decided that Super Zachary needed the opportunity to live with his mom. We would hate if anything ever happened to her. We would hate even more if Super Zachary didn't get an opportunity to spend as much time as he can with his mom prior to anything bad happening. So, Super Zachary packed up & moved to Florida. He went from an immature homeschooled middle schooler to a mature, tan, mustache & back hair growing high school kid with a voice that sounds frightening on the phone /:

But, he still likes to build sand castles along the beach
4th ~ Once we moved into our fabulous new house I had the urge to enroll Super Noah & Super Jacob into public school.

Since the bus picked them up right in from of my fabulous new house. I got jealous seeing the other mom's freedom. So yes, I, Supermom put my little sheltered babies on a school bus every morning to go to a scary public school ... for two months, then I pulled their little butts out of school & returned to homeschooling them. I don't regret either of my decisions for a second. If I hadn't given them the opportunity to attend public school, both them & myself would always question the what ifs. But, putting them into public school for two months made them realize that they had it REALLY good at home (they were begging me to return home after about a month). It also made me realize that I REALLY like my kids. I missed them. I love having them home. I love knowing they are safe & I love knowing what they are learning & who is teaching them (that would be me, thank you).

Super Noah's 1st day of school, he was excited (o:
Super Jacob's 1st day of school
But now, I can now shout it out even louder & prouder
'I am a homeschooling mom & I am here to stay!!!!
5th ~ On a sad note, our sweet Eddie died )o:

RIP Eddie )o:
6th ~ On a happy note, we adopted brother & sister kitties.

meet Jessie & Woody (o:
7th ~ Sigh, I went back to Diet Coke.

8th ~ Then I broke up with Diet Coke.

9th ~ Now, Diet Coke & I are back together, but our Facebook status says that we are now in a 'complicated' relationship.

10th ~ Superdad convinced me to go gluten-free. Why? Because I love him way too much. On January 1st we (the Super Family) gave up all gluten. And I have to admit, gluten was much easier to dump than Diet Coke, go figure /:

Yes, lots has changed, but some things have stayed the same ...

I am still madly in love with Superdad.

I am still anxiety-ridden & obsessive compulsive (it's just being medicated now).

Super Jacob is still my sweet, over-affectionate ADHD poster child.

Super Noah is still my amazing little genius.

And Super Julia is still my crazy little girl (with crazy hair to match her crazy personality) (o:

I won't leave you this long again.

I Have Springy Fever

2011-04-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

The weather is absolutely beautiful here & there are so many springy things I have been doing & want to do before it gets to be over 100 degrees.

Unfortunately, that means that I have had no desire to sit down & blog. As a matter of fact, I have not only neglected my blog, but I have neglected to read my favorite blogs. I have even neglected to read my e-mails (there are 1,000 + & growing as we speak).

I have a lot of catching up to do )o:

So, for my ~~two~~ dedicated readers, I have put together a springy photo montage to show you what I have been up to this spring & to tide you over until I return feeling inspired.

~ Supermom's Springy Photo Montage ~
I saved these girls from becoming nuggets
plus I saved 11 more little nuggets from becoming bigger nuggets (o:
**********
I planted a bunch of strawberries & veggies
I weeded & planted lots of springy flowers around the house
**********
I jealously watched Super Julia jump in her undies
**********
I embarrassed the Superkids at several movies
**********
I helped Super Noah make springy crafts
**********
I have been doing a bunch of springy time shopping at my favorite book store, 75% off books (these 2 boxes full were only $30)
& reading every chance I get (o:
**********
I springy cleaned, springy organized & springy re-decorated the house
**********
I bought a new Supermobile
**********
and I have been have enjoying some springy time happy hour drinks (o:
like Sonic happy hour slushes with the Superkids
& homemade margarita happy hour with the Superdad

Spring is my favorite time of the year (o:

2011-03-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my mom's house in Tennessee (o:

Miss me?

2011-03-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Rachel you WON!
Please send me an e-mail ~ lifeassupermom@yahoo.com.

Thanks for entering!

2011-03-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

The morning before I went to get my hair butchered, Super Julia decided to take a pair of scissors to her own hair. She cut off all of her beutiful long curls, starting with the front & the side. Her fix job ended up being a small white girl afro.

Before
After

Gazpacho Soup

2011-03-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite summer recipes (o:

Ingredients:

3 cups of tomato juice
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
2 + clove garlic, minced (we like garlic here)
3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of dried tarragon
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon white sugar (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients on a chop setting. Blend until well-combined but still slightly chunky. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

I serve mine with fresh avocado & warm French bread on the side. Super easy & yummy!

The Posh Cut Curse!

2011-03-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made a huge mistake.

I made an implosive hair appointment that has forever changed my ~~life~~ summer.

Here is my story.

I arrived early to the empty ULTA salon.

I watched Tonya sashay in with her multi-colored, unevenly cut hair. In that instant, my hair's life flashed before my eyes. I knew that I should have turned around and ran, but I was frozen with fear. Somehow, I convinced myself to be brave. I told myself that my curse is a myth & that there was nothing to be afraid of. Tonya graduated from beauty school. She had a framed license with a photograph. I saw it.

But, I was wrong! I was very wrong!

Tonya butchered my hair.

Emotionally crushed, I rushed home to the open (& expecting) arms of Superdad. I begged him to tell me my hair did not look like a rabid dog chewed on the right side of my head.

Superdad never lies.

I tried to style it myself. I tried to hide the mistakes. I tried to convince myself that six months was not a long time to wait.

I even tried to find some alcohol to drown my sorrows.

Nothing seemed to work. Eventually, I gave up. I crawled into bed & cried myself to sleep.

I woke up at the butt crack of dawn shivering with fear. Tonya the butcher had haunted my dreams with her high pitched banshee laugh & sharp scissor claws.

I waited in stressed-out anticipation for my clock to read 9 a.m.

That is when I made my desperate phone call to the ULTA manager. I begged for a fix. I pleaded for a refund. I prayed for a miracle.

As soon as I hung up, hundreds of questions flooded my mind. Was my hair safe to return to the scene of the crime? Did the manager train Tonya the Butcher? What if Tonya was there? Would I be on her like white on rice to re-arrange her face?

A few hours later I stepped back into the scene of my nightmare. My eyes fluttered to a small pile of brown hair on the floor. It reminded me of the three inches that were stolen from me the night before. To my amazement, Tonya the Butcher had made a clean getaway. She was nowhere to be found, but her framed license & photograph mocked me as I waited.

Finally it was my turn. I sat & listened to the manager sigh & cluck her tongue as she carefully assessed the damage. I knew it was bad. I wondered if there was any possible cure. I wondered if I would ever look the same. I wondered if Superdad & the Superkids would recognize me. I wondered if they would still love me. I silently started to sob.

Then I heard the verdict I was most afraid of. The only fix for my hair was ... the Posh cut.

I felt like my beating heart was ripped from my chest. I had just wasted an entire year growing my hair out from the last bad hair cut & subsequent Posh cut fix. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted to slowly rock back & forth in a dark corner moaning. I wanted to personally call Posh & tell her that I hated her & her stupid hair. But I knew it was not her fault. Posh is an international icon.

I also knew that I had no choice. I had to get the Posh cut and suffer though it.

My curse is very real!

Every year I somehow end up with the same stupid fix-it hair cut. The infamous Posh cut. Darn you Posh & your poshness!

2011-03-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth." Mark Twain

I love how my children view the world around them.

As adults, most of us have become blinded by the fear & worry of the world. When we look out of our window, we don't see the beauty in God's amazing tapestry. Instead we only see the suffering that is caused by man’s deliberate actions. When children view the world, they are enchanted.

I watch Super Julia & Super Noah stop to admire the beauty of a rainbow, watch in amazement as a butterfly flutters by, pick wild flowers from the yard & jump in rain puddles.

Children don't worry about tomorrow, they only live for today. They can be wonderful teachers. What lessons could we learn if we paid attention?

Dance!
Be creative.
Don't worry so much about appearance!
Beauty fades!
Don't hide how you feel.
Always eat dessert.
Thank God for the simple things, like the sun & the color blue.
Over accessorize.
Pick your nose.
Don't worry about getting dirty.
Jump in puddles. Play in the snow. Dance in the rain.
Forget your manners.
Surround yourself with friends.
Don't be afraid to talk to pretty girls.
Dream.
Stop to smell the flowers.
Smile!
Love unconditionally.
If you need to cry, cry )o:
Take bubble baths.

Jesus said that, "... unless you become like little children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 18:3

Take this weekend to do something silly. Jump in a puddle, sing loud & off key, have a silly string fight. Whatever you choose to do, be sure you are grinning from ear to ear & if your sides hurt from giggling too much, that is even better.

Have a great weekend (o:

Hot Dogs & Mac n' Cheese

2011-03-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

Monday night I made mac n' cheese with turkey sausage for the kids. Mac n' cheese is normally a huge hit with the kids. Add sausage or hot dogs & my kids think it is a gourmet meal.

Superdad & I don't serve processed foods very often, but I was tired from the zoo & I did not want to cook anything extravagant.

The Superboys were all thrilled to know what was on the dinner menu, but when I told Super Julia (my resident vegetarian) her response was,

"Princesses don't eat hot dogs & mac n cheese!"
Yes, I doubt that princesses eat hot dogs & mac n cheese. So Julia was served a healthier (princess) dinner ~ whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce & fresh fruit with low fat yogurt.

She then proceeded to eat her princess dinner with all of her princess manners intact (o:

My little princess (o:

Can you spot the lollipop?

2011-03-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

On Monday I took the Superkids to the Dallas Zoo. It was FREEZING, but there were no crowds & the giraffes were hungry (o:

The Superkids know that as soon as we get to the zoo we hit up the (always over-priced) gift shop. And since it was warm in there, I had no problem allowing the Superkids to browse. I usually allow the Superkids to pick out something small from the gift shop. Super Julia decided on a stuffed baby tiger & Super Noah wanted a small bag of colorful rocks. I refused to pay $4.99 for a bag of rocks, so he settled for a lollipop. Super Noah loves lollipops & so do I. I ended up purchasing two lollipops, a bubblegum flavored one for Super Noah & a tangerine flavored one for myself.

But once Super Julia discovered my lollipop, she decided that she did not want her baby tiger anymore. Reluctantly, I traded.

And within a few minutes, she dropped the lollipop.

I am a firm believer in the five second rule.

The five second rule DOES NOT apply at the zoo!

So the lollipop ended up in the trash & Super Julia decided she wanted her baby tiger back.

"Give me my tiger back or I will scream!"
In the end, I got screwed! I ended up with no lollipop & no baby tiger )o:

"Jealous?"
The Superboys & the Super Lollipop striking a pose.

Back to business!

"We are running late!"
"We were scheduled to be at the reptile house at oh-nine-hundred!"

The Superkids' favorite part of the zoo is the reptile house. I am not a fan, but I ended up spending about an hour of my life looking at nasty snakes because it was toasty warm in there.

A nasty albino python.
This python is HUGE! (& nasty, did I mention nasty?)

A nasty rattlesnake.

Edward, the vampire turtle, was in love with Super Julia. As soon as he noticed her, he followed her from one end of his tank to the other.

Super Julia told me that he needed braces.

"I was a vampire & she had the sweetest blood I’d smelled in eighty years."
Yes, that is a quote from Twilight.

Yet another nasty python.
"Hey Super Noah, that python said you look like a juicy hot dog with glasses."

A nasty lizard.

Super Jacob, the charming snake charmer (with a nasty viper).

Alligator, crocodile or a new purse?

I prefer the purse!

Super Julia is not afraid of snakes & lizards, but she is afraid of
"the scary witch skull!"

Something's lunch. A slaughtered rat, not traumatizing to kids AT ALL!

Getting all four Superkids to pose without one picking their nose ... never gonna happen!

Super Jacob & Super Julia holding hands. This melted my cold heart (o:

"Think I need a beak job?"

"Whatcha lookin' at Shorty?"

"No, you cannot have my Precious!"

Super Julia was stuffing leaves into the elephant's trunk.
She thought the elephants looked hungry.

"I smell hot dogs & bubblegum!"
"Don't look at me!"

Super Jacob & Super Zachary in deep thought.

"Can someone pass me the toilet paper?"

"Is that a bubblegum lollipop?"
"One lick, it's all I need!"

"Don't tease me Four Eyes, my tongue is 20 inches long!"

The End!

Cheese Poem (copyrights pending)

2011-03-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Doug from I Like Cheese, honored me with one of his coveted "Your Blog Doesn't Suck" awards. Even though I am not convinced, I still wanted to say thank you to Doug. So, Superdad & I wrote this super cheesy cheese poem for Doug & his love of cheese (o:

Cheese Poem (copyrights pending)

As I laid my head down
I dreamt I was above the ground
Caught in a swift breeze
Soaring high above redwood trees

After closer examination
I'd like to make a proclamation
These were no ordinary trees
They all had trunks made of cheese

Then something flew into my eye
I started falling out of the sky
I cannonballed into a nacho lake
Near a mountain of cheesecake

As I pulled myself upon the shore
I realized this was unlike any folklore
Because I was trapped in a land of cheddar
And the cheesiness was only getting better

A cheese log cabin with a cheese stick fence
Deep in the woods were American cheese tents
A lactose intolerant person’s nightmare
Better than a bucket of turkey legs at the fair

They smell like stinky feet
Blue-cheese-berries taste so sweet
From morning to all hours of the night
I think I ate all the cheese in sight

Although I never wanted to leave this dream
I woke up to my toes feeling unusually clean…

Super Noah also wanted to contribute to our thanks. This is a picture he drew of himself holding a cheese stick. Super Noah doesn't just like cheese, he loves cheese.

2011-03-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

I have been having some internet problems, but it looks like I am back up & running smooth ... I have several things to post in the next few days for you, including a poem about chhese for my favorite non-mommy related blog I Like Cheese (o:

If you have not already done so, please take a moment to enter my newest give-away a set of super cute envelopes for Dave Ramsey's Envelope System

"It's A Social Parade!:

2011-03-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

While here, make sure you check out my newest give-away!!

Dave Ramsey's Envelope System

Dave Ramsey's Cash Envelope System Give-Away (o:

2011-03-03T19:37:00.001-08:00

I mentioned earlier today that I was looking to upgrade my cash envelope system from my cheesy accordion file & plain white envelopes to something more exciting.

Spending & saving should be exciting & fashionable right?

So, today I decided to order a new set of pretty envelopes from ETSY.

I was so happy when I found a pretty blue set at a very reasonable price from JennsWay on ETSY. I mentioned my blog to Jenn & she was kind enough to offer one of my lucky readers a set of cash system envelopes from her pink & green series (o:

Thanks Jenn!
One lucky reader will receive the above set. Five designer envelopes made with double sided paper (paper that is not too heavy or bulky & not too thin to worry about tearing easily). Your envelopes will include labels, a light weight clear plastic cover on both sides to protect them & an elastic band to hold everything in place. Each envelope is a different print (o:

And you will be allowed to choose your own labels.

Label option 1: pre-printed clear (1/2" x 1 3/4 ") on both sides of the envelope.

Pre-printed label ideas: Grocery $, Groceries, Food, Restaurant $, Eating Out, Gas $, Car, Auto, Clothing, Fashion Cash, Entertainment, Household, Toiletries, Gifts, Personal, Blow $$, Fun $$ ... or anything else you would like (o:

or

Option 2: plain white labels (7/8" x 2 7/8") on the front OR the back of the envelope. You can use a Sharpie or permanent marker to label it & they can be erased with a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.

To enter this awesome give-away "like" Jenn's Facebook page & tell her I sent you (o: Then come back here & leave me a comment telling me you are now a fan of Jenn's Facebook page.

For extra entries you can:

1. Follow me on Facebook. Life As Supermom. This will earn you one extra entry.
2. Follow Life As Supermom on Twitter, tweet about this giveaway & earn 2 extra entries daily.
3. Become a follower of my blog. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
4. Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends by posting it on your wall. This will earn you 2 extra entries.
5. Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post. This will earn you 3 extra entries. Please make sure you leave the URL in a comment where the post can be found (o:

*** Most importantly leave a separate comment for each eligible entry & Please include your e-mail address with all of your entries (o:

This give-away is open to US residents ages 18+, ends March 18th, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST. Your E-mail must be submitted when entering in the comment body. The winner will be notified by e-mail & will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

2011-03-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Mary you are the Green Giant give-away winner (o:

Please e-mail me your mailing address to lifeassupermom@yahoo.com

Thank you all for entering!

Superdad & Dave Ramsey Won!

2011-03-03T10:22:00.001-08:00

As I have mentioned before, Superdad & I love Dave Ramsey.

After Superdad begged & begged ... I finally agreed to convert to Dave Ramsey's cash system & I started paying cash for everything that was not a bill (which Superdad pays online).

So, at the beginning of every month, Superdad pulls out my monthly budget in cash. Once I am done rolling around with it in my bed, I separate & organize it in my envelopes. In the beginning, I only had envelopes for groceries & eating out, but recently I added a few more categories, like gas & fun. Right now I keep everything organized in a plastic accordion coupon organizer & standard size envelopes.

So, Superdad won!

And, I admit, he was right! It hurts for me hand cash to a cashier. It was always a lot easier to just hand over a credit or debit card & not really calculate how much was spent. Spending cash MAKES me keep track & it makes me want to change my spending habits because when the cash is gone . . . it is gone )o:

But, I can’t even begin to tell you what this has done for me. Not only did I discover that we can live on less than we thought, but we have actually been able to save more & give more generously.

If you are interested in learning more about Dave Ramsey's envelope system please visit the man himself at Dave Ramsey.com.

And stay tuned ... I am working on giving away an awesome envelope systems I found on Etsy (o:

I have an addiction ...

2011-03-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

I am addicted to plastic storage!

Perhaps it began when I was a teenager trying to organize my earrings.
Then later in life it was trying to keep my desk supplies organized.

Now, as an adult, I must confess to having spent a small fortune in plastic storage, but STILL feel the need for more (o:

Even my makeup is in stackable plastic totes.

Now, I know there are others out there ... IF you are brave enough to admit your addiction, too. Fess up!

My newest plastic purchases:

I bought these at Costco for my cereals, homemade granola, oatmeal, flour & sugar storage. I seriously cannot belive that I have lived 36 years without these.

These I bought from Amazon. I bought them for all of our CDs, DVDs, video games & computer games. We literally have hundreds of DVDs. Thank God I save space storing all of their cases in our attic (o:

I might possibly have a slight hording problem too, BUT at least my hording is organized (o:

Let's Celebrate!!!! Homemade Pizzas

2011-03-02T10:10:00.001-08:00

We decided to celebrate our health with homemade pizzas & ice cream sundaes last night (o:

This is a very easy pizza dough recipe.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package of active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water

Combine the flour, salt, sugar & yeast in a large bowl.
Mix in the oil & warm water.
Spread out dough on a large pizza pan.
Top as desired.
Bake pizza at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Banana & Mayo Muffins ~ Trust Me!!!

2011-03-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

This recipe sounds gross, but you have to trust me!!! The mayo makes these the moistest banana muffins you will ever taste (o:

2 cups whole wheat or white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup white sugar
3 or 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Grease 12 muffin cups or line with cupcake liners.
Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder & sugar together in a bowl.
Add the bananas, mayonnaise, and walnuts; stir until mixed together.
Pour batter into muffin cups ~ about 3/4 full.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.

2011-02-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks have been totally craptastic.

Craptastic

1. in a good sense, the quality of being so crappy that the object is humorous or desirable.

2. in a bad sense, extremely crappy.

etymology: blend of the words 'crap' and 'fantastic.'

1. This place is awesomely cheesy! It's craptastic!

2. The break-up was awful. It was craptastic.

Last week, I mentioned that we were all sick.
I had the flu, a sinus infection & bronchitis.
Superdad had a sinus infection.
Super Noah had the flu & bronchitis.
Super Zachary, Super Jacob & Super Julia had a stomach bug (or food poisoning from Superdad's cooking).

There has been a non-stop flow of bodily fluids these last few weeks.

Plus, while we were sick, we discovered that Super Jacob's kitty, Booger, was sick (which only contributed to the bodily fluids).

We did take Booger to the vet, but they could not find what was wrong with him & he had to be put down.

He was only five. We love orange kitties, but we seem to have an orange kitty curse. Our orange kitties never seem to live very long. We have had three orange kitties die throughout the years )o:

We think that Callie, our evil calico, is to blame.

Callie HATES orange kitties!
So, this is what the last two weeks looked like.

I did not leave the house, thank God for that Target trip a few weeks ago!
I eventually stopped getting out of bed, unless it was to use the bathroom.
I had non-stop bed head. I did shower, but wet hair & bed = SCARY!
I took afternoon naps every day. There were a few that lasted hours.
I sometimes went to bed really early (7 pm). I felt like a teenager again getting 12+ hours of sleep every night.
I cried for Booger.
I cried for the $500.00 I spent at the vet.
I stopped walking in the mornings & the evenings.
I stopped eating three apples a day.
I even stopped bathing my kids every day. (gasp)

Yes, I stopped cleaning (super gasp!)

I just wanted to lie in my bed with earplugs, Diet Coke, M&M's, Video on Demand & my Kindle.

Ice cream came to comfort me on occasion.

Yes, I fell back into the arms of Diet Coke. Diet Coke has always been there when I was in need. Thankfully, Superdad understood & turned a blind eye. He just wanted me to feel better. I believe he would have given Diet Coke to me intravenously if he thought it would have helped.

And yes, there were days I had M&M's for breakfast, lunch & dinner. But, I have to admit, death by M&M's is really not a bad way to go.

And yes, I laid around like a piece of poo, but I did muster up enough energy to read a few books on my Kindle, like The Trylle Trilogy. I bought the first book on Amazon for only $0.99. It actually had decent reviews, but I did not know it was about trolls until a quarter of the way through. Call me a masochist, even though I hated the first book, I still paid for & read the second & third books. I have a thing with closure & I will admit, troll love triangles are kinda intense! Plus, the third book included hobgoblins. Superdad thought any book about trolls & hobgoblins WITH a love triangle = genius! We are thinking of writing our own troll trilogy one day.

Overall, Superdad was a rock star & took control of the house. The Superkids did not care that I was sick. Video games, non-stop television & running around like crazy became routine. They did however miss my cooking. Superdad makes grilled cheese sandwiches with Pam (no butter). He also makes mac & cheese with only half the butter & half the processed cheese powder. That is pure blasphemy!

The good news, I think I am finally over my funk & today I found my mojo. It was hiding under the massive pile of laundry.

I am back from the dead ya'll!

"It's A Social Parade"

2011-02-25T09:04:00.001-08:00

2011-02-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

Noah & I were sick with the flu on Thursday, Friday & Saturday.

Sunday was the first day I left the bedroom voluntarily.
Sunday was also the day I discovered Super Jacob's kitty, Booger sick in our garage.

We took Boogie to the vet on Monday.

Today we had to say good-bye to Boogie.
We also paid a $500.00 vet bill.

Now I have a broken heart, an empty wallet, a sinus infection & bronchitis.

Trust me, sinus infection + crying = pure agony!

I seriously just want to go to bed & pretend these last few days never happened )o:

"It's A Social Parade"

2011-02-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

Green Giant Give-Away

2011-02-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

“With a new year comes a new you, and Green Giant® is here to cheer you on! Whether you´re already following a weight management plan or looking to start a new one, sometimes it´s the small changes that can make a huge difference. Green Giant Boxed Vegetables can help you stay on track to achieve your weight management goals in 2011. Twenty-nine delicious varieties are now endorsed by Weight Watchers®, and most have only a 1 or 2 PointsPlus® value per serving! Packed with flavor and ready in minutes, Green Giant Boxed Vegetables are available in a wide variety of flavors, many featuring mouthwatering sauces and seasonings. They´re a terrific addition to any meal and a delicious way to achieve better health in 2011. Don´t forget to visit Green Giant on Facebook and Green Giant on Twitter and “Like” or “Follow” the brand to keep up with their latest and greatest products! For more information and great recipe ideas visit http://greengiant.com/.”

The awesome folks over at Green Giant and My Blog Spark have graciously decided to give one (1) lucky Life As Supermom reader their own prize pack. The prize pack consists of one coupon for a FREE box of Green Giant Boxed Vegetables, in addition to an insulated tote bag, serving bowl, spoon, and pedometer.

To enter the giveaway visit tell me what your favorite Green Giant Boxed Vegetables are.

Please make sure you include your e-mail address with each entry (o:

Plus, for extra entries you can:

1. Follow me on Facebook. Life As Supermom. This will earn you one extra entry.
2. Follow Green Giant on Facebook. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
3. Follow Life As Supermom on Twitter, tweet about this giveaway & earn 2 extra entries daily.
4. Follow Green Giant on Twitter. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
5. Become a follower of my blog. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
6. Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends by posting it on your wall. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
7. Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post. This will earn you 3 extra entries. Please make sure you leave the URL where the post can be found (o:

*** Most importantly leave a separate comment for each eligible entry!

Open to US residents ages 18+, ends February 28th, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST. Your E-mail must be submitted when entering, or in the comment body. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

2011-02-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Naime, you won the Yoplait give-away (o:

Please e-mail me your mailing address to lifeassupermom@yahoo.com.

Thank you all for entering!!!

The Flu ... Again!

2011-02-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

My sweet little Super Noah woke up with the flu Tuesday morning. Fever, chills, body aches, barking cough ... all the fun stuff. I thought since I had the flu a few weeks ago that I would be in the clear, I was wrong! Yesterday at about 5 p.m. I started having the exact same symptoms as Noah.

Yes, I have the flu AGAIN & it feels like a double dose!

So much for stupid flu shots!

I feel like sun dried, crusty, walked on poo ...

The doctor's did not give me anything & I was told not to take Tylenol unless my fever reaches 102 or higher. So, every time I am feverish, I am delirious & this stupid song is running through my head, Enjoy (o:

The previous two posts were written yesterday, before I started to feel sick )o:
I might be MIA for a few days.

2011-02-17T13:28:00.001-08:00

I really wanted to booty call me some Diet Coke today! But, I had to think about my sweet, sweet husband & how it would make him feel coming home to Diet Coke & I on the sofa while the kids ran around. Superdad's heart would be crushed.

I withstood the temptation!

Our marriage is safe (o:

Ten Things I hear Every day!

2011-02-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Super Julia, "I need to see my friend Callou."
Super Julia has lots of television friends, Steve & Joe, Chris & Martin. Elmo & Big Bird ...

Super Julia, "I sick!"
Me, "What is wrong?"
Super Julia, "I can't find my Grandma!
Super Julia thinks sick means sad & Grandma & her must be playing a killer game of hide & seek!

Super Julia, "Mommy, hands!" (holding hands) "God, thank you for Aunt Sandi." "I love you, Amen!"
Super Julia's prayers at nap time & at night, she really loves her Aunt Sandi.

Super Noah, "Mommy, come look at my BIG snake poop!"
Super Noah is always proud of his poop!

Super Noah, "Mommy, I need you to wipe my butt."
After the poop view, while bending over & touching his toes.

Super Noah, "I love you to the moon & back, infinity & beyond!"
My favorite thing to hear from my sweet little Super Noah.

Super Noah, "Can I have a cheese?"
Super Noah would live off of cheese if I allowed him to.

Super Jacob, "Zachary started it!"
According to Super Jacob, Super Zachary always starts it.

Super Jacob, "This is not fair!"
It is never fair!

Super Jacob, "Mom, Zachary farted!"
According to Super Jacob, Zachary has some serious flatulence issues.

The Voyage of the Butterflies

2011-02-15T17:30:00.000-08:00

The Super kids' favorite new show is The Wild Kratts on PBS.

It is very entertaining & educational. I highly recommend watching it, especially when you need 30 minutes to yourself without melting the kids brains (o:

For me 30 minutes is precious!

One of their favorite episodes is Voyage of the Butterfly.

Super Julia & Super Noah have become fascinated with butterflies because of The wild Kratts.

So I ordered a butterfly garden from Amazon a few months ago.

Now I will admit, when our five little caterpillars arrived, they were kinda cute & fuzzy.

But, after a week of eating, eating, eating & more eating, they turned into five fat, stinky caterpillars. Our caterpillars were no longer kinda cute, they were kinda gross!

Once they were full, they started making their way to the top of their (temporary) home. There they formed their chrysalises and begin their transformation into butterflies.

Seven days later, we woke to discover five beautiful butterflies fluttering around inside our butterfly garden.

I loved that the kids were able to witness what they saw on Wild Kratts first hand. Super Noah even learned & uses the word chrysalises.

Our butterflies were released into the world on Valentine's Day (o:

God took five ugly caterpillars & transformed them it into five beautiful butterflies right in front of our eyes. God is truly amazing! Just think, if God can transform these ugly, insignificant little caterpillars into beautiful butterflies, imagine what He would do with us if we allowed Him (o:

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

I am a total sucker for holidays!
Valentine's Day is no exception!
We celebrated all day!

We ordered pizza for lunch.

We made crafts.

We exchanged gifts & cards.

We had a build your own taco party for dinner.

And best of all, Superdad's gift for me ... knobs (o:

Just call me ticketmaster ...

2011-02-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

I am trying to keep it fresh & exciting for Super Jacob, my little ADHD poster child (o:

So, last weekend I put together a new reward system.

The Supermom Ticket System!

We started using the new system on Monday & the boys think, "it totally rocks!"

The Superboys are able to earn tickets for chores, grades & good behavior. Then they trade their tickets in for super cool rewards.

They are keeping their tickets in these tiny little storage boxes I bought at Office Max.

I want to marry these little boxes!

Earning tickets is super easy!

Complete Morning Chores ~ 2 tickets
Toilet Duty ~ 1 ticket
Make Bed ~ 1 ticket
Unload the Dishwasher ~ 1 ticket
Load the Dishwasher ~ 1 ticket
Help with Laundry ~ 1 ticket
Vacuum the House ~ 3 tickets
Clean the Garage ~ 10 tickets
Sweep Outside ~ 10 tickets
Weed ~ 10 tickets
Complete Schoolwork (getting ONLY A’s & B’s) ~ 3 tickets
Get 100% on a Quiz or a Test ~ 2 tickets
Read a Book of Choice for 1 Hour ~ 2 tickets
Read the Bible for 30 Minutes ~ 2 tickets

Rockin' rewards!

Play video games for 1 Hour ~ 10 tickets
Watch Television for 2 Hours ~ 10 tickets
Play Computer Games for 1 Hour ~ 5 tickets
Stay Up 1 Hour Past Bedtime ~ 10 tickets
Rent a Movie ~ 30 tickets
Rent a Video Game ~ 40 tickets
Go to the Library ~ 20 tickets
Go to the Movies ~ 100 tickets
Go Bowling ~ 100 tickets
Eat Junk Food for Lunch (Fast Food) ~ 50 tickets
Get an Ice Cream Treat ~ 50 tickets
Get a Free Day (from school) ~ 200 tickets

Freebies!

Playing with toys, board games, drawing, playing outside & listening to music is free!

We are also allowing them to share tickets, hoping to encourage comradery (o:

And, as with the Discipline Ladder, there still is a sub zero zone, for those really bad days )o:

Apple Experiment

2011-02-14T07:37:00.000-08:00

I bought two dozen of organic Gala apples from Costco yesterday.

I am starting an apple experiment today (o:

My apple experiment is very simple. I plan to eat three (non-candy coated) apples a day, one before each meal.

Why? A medium apple only contains about 80 calories, no fat & no cholesterol.

The fiber in those apples helps you to feel fuller & eat less at your meals.

The sweetness in the apples helps to curb sugar cravings, so you don’t succumb to the brownie (mmmmmm brownies) that is full of fat, non-fiber carbohydrates & sugar.

Plus ... apples are loaded with additional health benefits (o:

10 Health Benefits of Apples!

Bone Protection
French researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis & may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.

Asthma Help
One recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.

Alzheimer's Prevention
A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Lower Cholesterol
The pectin in apples lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.

Lung Cancer Prevention
According to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high levels of the flavonoids quercetin & naringin in apples.

Breast Cancer Prevention
A Cornell University study found that rats who ate one apple per day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 17 percent. Rats fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39 percent & those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44 percent.

Colon Cancer Prevention
One study found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 43 percent lower risk of colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer & helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Liver Cancer Prevention
Research found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57 percent lower risk of liver cancer.

Diabetes Management
The pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body's need for insulin & may help in the management of diabetes.

Weight Loss
A Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting.

"It's A Social Parade"

2011-02-11T10:33:00.001-08:00

When lessons backfire

2011-02-10T11:53:00.001-08:00

I wanted to teach the boys a lesson.

I removed the toilet seat thinking they would hate the idea & feel a little sympathy.

I was wrong.

They actually like not having to worry about putting the seat down & claim that it makes toilet cleaning duty easier.

Super Noah's Snow Day Art

2011-02-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of sunshine!

2011-02-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

Diet Coke was a cheater!

Bill Clinton? Seriously? You told me you were a conservative.

How to Get Over a Break Up

2011-02-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Diet Coke,

I am dumping you!

You are a fake. I deserve a tall drink that is not made with unnatural sweeteners.

It is over!

Good Riddance!

Love, Supermom

PS. Tonight I plan to burn all of your pictures & next week I plan to have my 'I love Diet Coke' tattoo removed.

PSS. You suck!

Our first date.

I broke up with Diet Coke today.
Yes, I am sad & I am hurt, but it was inevitable. Diet Coke was bad for me.

Breaking up is hard to do, but learning how to move on after a break up is just as difficult.

This is my step-by-step plan to get over Diet Coke for good!

Accept it
Before I can move on, I know that I need to accept the reality of the situation. I broke up with Diet Coke. It is over! I know that I need to get over Diet Coke & move on to the possibilities of other thirst quenchers.

Distance myself
Maybe one day Diet Coke & I can be friends again, but right now is not the time. My heart is still freshly wounded & seeing Diet Coke will only make things worse.

Stop talking about Diet Coke
Once I have “let it all out,” I know that I need to stop talking about Diet Coke. Not only will I start sounding like a broken record to my friends & family if I constantly talk about Diet Coke, but I will also keep Diet Coke fresh in my mind & continue to dwell on its sweet, sparkling, caffeinated lure. I need to make an effort to talk about something else - or, better yet, let my friends & family talk instead.

Skip the blame game
I need to resist the urge to blame myself, Diet Coke, or anyone else (Superdad or the Superkids), for what went wrong in the relationship. Diet Coke & I tried, we both made mistakes.

Learn from it
I need to learn from the relationship between Diet Coke & me. Part of learning how to move on after a break up is learning from experience, which includes the break up itself.

Picture myself completely over Diet Coke
Picture myself looking & feeling fabulous, hanging out & laughing with my friends, meeting, talking to & maybe even flirting with other non-bubbly drinks (even if that prospect sounds downright scary) & just living life again.

Focus on me
Spend some quality time with close friends & family members. Take up a hobby, volunteer somewhere, or take a class. Keep myself busy. Do something to boost my self-esteem. Get a new haircut or hairstyle, get a makeover, go to the spa for a mani-pedi or buy a new outfit.

Get out there!
This doesn’t mean that I should try to pick up the first sparkling soda I spot at a bar, but I need to get myself out in the real world to socialize & possibly meet other decaffeinated beverages.

Don’t generalize & don’t compare
Don’t expect other drinks to be like Diet Coke. Remember, Diet Coke & I broke up for a reason. I need to have an open mind.

2011-02-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

During last weeks snow in ...

I shaved the Superkids (-Super Julia's) heads.

before
after

I played indoor hide & seek with Super Julia & Super Noah.
I hid, they seeked. I stayed hidden for a couple hours.

I built tents out of sheets for Super Julia & Super Noah to play in.

I added to my 'honey-do' list.
Yes, Superdad is thrilled!

I listed & shopped on eBay!
fyi ~ shopping is way more fun (o:

I made Super Jacob & Super Zachary clean for video game privileges.

Behind the appliances!

I played online Scrabble with my sister-in-law.
It became brutally competitive.

I sniffed & played with play-doh until it became hard & unmanageable.

One of my many creations (o:

I discovered Video on Demand, watching the entire 1st season (22 hour long episodes) of The Vampire Diaries.

My dreams were disturbing!

Sorry Edward, there is a new hot vamp in town!

I am tired of the snow )o:

Momma Needs A Fix!

2011-02-08T14:36:00.001-08:00

I love my family, but being cooped up together for an entire week with no escape in sight ... it has been a little depressing )o:

Because I homeschool, I already spend 90% of my time with the Superkids.

I look forward to my (10%) time away, I look forward to my retail therapy & I have not had my retail therapy in two weeks!

Momma needs a fix ~ BAD!

So tonight I plan to escape. I am going to brave the cold & make a late night trip into town to spend some time with Target before tonight's snow comes.

If I have to go another week without Target, I might crack. Seriously!

Hello Lover!

2011-02-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Amanda (o:
You won The Fresh 20 Give-Away!!!

We Survived Snowpocalpse!

2011-02-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

We were iced & snowed in for a week & according to the news, we are expecting more tonight )o:

Underneath this snow is the road we live on.

I have a small homeless man living in my bedroom!

2011-02-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

Super Noah has moved into the empty dishwasher box.

Motivation in a box ... Yoplait Give-Away

2011-01-30T19:14:00.001-08:00

Last week I complained about my lack of work-out motivation. I even attempted to enlist Superdad into being my personal motivator, but he failed miserably.

Yoplait & My Blog Spark must have heard my cries. Because today I received some motivation in a box (o:

My box of motivation included a VIP coupon to try Yoplait Frozen Smoothies (which are delish), a super cute drawstring backpack, an awesome water bottle and a fitness journal.

For those of you who know me, you know that 1. I am an organizing junkie & 2. I am technically old fashion. I like iPods & iPhones, but give me a daily planner in book form & I am happy as pie (mmmmmm ... coconut cream pie). So, imagine my delight when I received an awesome fitness journal, in book form. One that I can draw little hearts into & write, "I love Superdad 4-ever!"

Yes, I AM excited (possibly a tad scared too) about my fitness journal.

Friends of mine who have lost weight & who were able to keep their loss have often told me that recording what they eat on a daily basis was one of the keys to their weight loss achievement. Plus, let's face it, writing down goals works! Research shows that people who write down their goals are 75% more likely to achieve them. I could not agree more! I am a list maker. I love lists (especially in notebooks, where I can scratch my accomplishments off, makes me feel even more accomplished!)

Yoplait & My Blog Spark were nice enough to offer one of my lucky reader the same motivation in a box that I received. You too can receive a prize package that includes a VIP coupon to try Yoplait Frozen Smoothies (did I tell you that these are delish?), a super cute drawstring backpack, an awesome water bottle and a fitness journal.

Now before I give you the details on how to enter, please allow me to tell you about Yoplait Frozen Smoothies.

Including Yoplait Frozen Smoothies in your diet is a quick and easy way to help you get important nutrients, like vitamin C or calcium your body needs. And with seven out of every ten Americans not eating the recommended two to four servings of fruit per day, Yoplait Frozen Smoothies could help you reach that goal.

Each package of Yoplait Frozen Smoothies contains one full serving of fruit (1/2 cup) and 110 to 120 calories per serving. Not only does Yoplait yogurt contain live and active cultures, but when prepared with skim milk and made according to package directions, Yoplait Frozen Smoothies are a good source of calcium. So raise your smoothie glass and toast to a new you!

Found in the frozen fruit aisle of your local grocery store, Yoplait Frozen Smoothies come in four delicious flavors. Be sure to check out the newest flavor, Blueberry Pomegranate, along with other favorites like Triple Berry, Strawberry Banana, and Strawberry Mango Pineapple.

Don't forget to visit Yoplait Frozen Smoothie on Facebook to download a great coupon! And follow Yoplait Frozen Smoothie on Twitter to keep up with their latest and greatest products!

To enter the giveaway leave me a comment telling me what flavor of Yoplait Frozen Smoothie you would like to try. I love the Strawberry Banana. Superdad loves the new Blueberry Pomegranate. I plan to use my coupon to try the Strawberry Mango Pineapple ... yummy & with my current sore throat, hopefully that happens sooner than later!

Please make sure you include your e-mail address (o:

Plus, for extra entries you can:

1. Follow me on Facebook. I have two pages you can follow. The Mommy Place & Life As Supermom. Following both will get you 2 extra entries (o:
2. Follow Yoplait Frozen Smoothie on Facebook. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
3. Follow Life As Supermom on Twitter, tweet about this giveaway & earn 2 extra entries daily.
4. Follow Yoplait Frozen Smoothie. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
5. Become a follower of my blog. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
6. Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends by posting it on your wall. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
7. Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post. This will earn you 3 extra entries. Please make sure you leave the URL where the post can be found (o:

*** Most importantly leave a separate comment for each eligible entry!

Open to US residents ages 18+, ends February 13th, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST. Your E-mail must be submitted when entering, or in the comment body. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

2011-01-30T14:06:00.000-08:00

We had a very productive weekend.

Installed our new dishwasher.
Washed every dish, utensil, pot & pan in the house.
Steam cleaned most of the carpets.
Painted 75% of the dining room.
Listed a bunch of stuff on eBay.
Set up our butterfly habitat.
Woke up Sunday with flu symptoms.

Sigh! The kids & I gave in & got our flu shots this year. We did not want to take a chance & get sick before going to Disney World, so we gave into fear & got stuck!

We have gone the last few years without flu shots & without the flu. We even survived the infamous H1N1.

So, it would be my luck that the one year I give in & get my flu shot ... I end up with the flu.

I am not a happy camper right now & I feel like crap (surly look like crap too).

Thankfully just Superdad & I are having flu-like symptoms.

So, if I go MIA for a few days, it is probably because I am in bed, holding my favorite teddy bear, hopped up on meds, sobbing myself to sleep )o:

"It's a Social Parade"

2011-01-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

High Heat & Scrub!

2011-01-28T09:56:00.001-08:00

We have been without a dishwasher for six months.

Yes, SIX months!

When our three year old Maytag kicked the appliance bucket we ordered a new one immediately, but when they attempted to deliver it (a month later), it was damaged beyond repair.

Then, it took the company three more months to come out, agree it was damaged, pick it up, return it & ship out a new one.

Needless to say, I have not been a happy camper )o:

Super Jacob & Super Zachary have been washing the dishes for the last six months. They suck at washing dishes. They re-wash dishes on a daily basis because of their dish washing skill suckage. It is not due to the lack of training, it is pure laziness.

I know ... they are 12 & 13 year old boys, dirty dishes are not on the top of their care list, neither are dirty arm pits, dirty hair ... I could go on & on ...

But, I am determined to make them {clean} Superdads one day (o:

So, I finally received my new dishwasher replacement today. Yes, I did a happy dance!

The box is undamaged. Yes, I did another happy dance!

All I have to say is, this puppy better work or I might have a complete melt-down!

Once Superdad installs the new dishwasher (it better be tonight), I will be washing every dish, every cup, every utensil, every pot & every pan in this house on a high heat, scrub setting!

I have been so grossed out at the thought of what left-overs I am indulging in every time I bite off of a fork the boys have 'washed.' I have had nightmares!

I wonder if I could throw the boys in the dishwasher on a high, scrub setting too?

... so my weekend is planned & super exciting! Jealous?

Friendship Pins

2011-01-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

Do you remember friendship pins?

I remember when friendship pins were 'like totally awesome!'

I also remember not getting any )o:

I had to make my own & pretend they were from real friends. One of the cool girls in my class noticed all of my friendship pins had the same style of beads. That felt like getting a slushy in the face (we will get to this later).

Needless to say, I was not cool. My mom shopped at the local 5 & dime store, T G & Y for my clothes. Just sayin'!

So, you are probably asking yourself, why I am thinking & blogging about friendship pins & slushies.

I have recently become addicted to GLEE.
Last weekend I was sick. I spent Saturday & Sunday in my bed watching the entire first season. Alone. It was Heaven!

GLEE brings back memories. Memories of choir. Memories of friendship pins & pegged jeans. Memories of Aqua net & bangs.

Personally, I think friendship pins need to make a come-back & I am officially starting it!

I am going to spend the weekend making friendship pins for all of my super cool friends & secret crushes.

Superdad totally gets first choice. Yes, he will be forced to wear them on his laces.
Will Schuester will get second choice.
Edward Cullen will get third choice.

Yes, I just said that ... move over Edward Cullen, Will Schuester has stolen my heart.

I {heart} Will Schuester 4-ever!
If the You Tube link does not work above click here (o:

Super Yummy Sweet Salmon

2011-01-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 + pound salmon, cut into 4 portions

Mix soy sauce, vinegar, honey & ginger in small bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place the salmon into a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce & refrigerate. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the broiler. Line a baking pan with foil & coat with cooking spray.

Put the salmon into the pan, skin side down (if salmon has skin). Throw away marinade salmon was sitting in. Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, about 6 to 10 minutes. Once finished drizzle with the reserved sauce (o:

Superdad is in training!

2011-01-26T06:28:00.001-08:00

Superdad is in training!

He is not training to be super ... he has that mastered (o:

Before Disney World & before the snow came I was on a really good schedule. I would wake up every morning at 7 a.m. & venture out for my morning walk.

I was walking 2 miles around the neighborhood twice a day.

Now I am spoiled, lazy & fat. I stay in my bed, hugging my pillow & I sleep until Superdad leaves for work, usually around 8:30 a.m.

I really want to get back on my 7 a.m. schedule. Fresh air & exercise does my body good (o:

So last night I made Superdad promise me that he would wake me up at 7 a.m. & say 'get out of bed & walk, you are fat!'

Now I know that some men would jump at the opportunity to tell their wife they are fat, but mine does not. After some convincing, he reluctantly agreed.

This morning at 7 a.m. Superdad came in & quietly said (while rubbing my back in a loving manner) "it is 7 a.m. it is time for you to get up, you need to walk, you are fat."

I did wake up, but I stayed in my bed continuing to snuggle with my pillow for another hour.

Tomorrow is another day & another opportunity for Superdad to wake me up & tell me that I am fat. Eventually I will get my fat booty out of bed to walk again.

So Superdad is training to be tough!

He is training to say 'get out of bed, you are fat & need to walk' with conviction.

It might take a few weeks, but if he gets really good, I might just start running (o:

Midnight Chocolate Cake

2011-01-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

Last night I made a chocolate cake.

It was midnight.

I enjoyed several large pieces of chocolate cake, by myself & in the dark.

It was awesome!

Unplugging the Superkids!

2011-01-24T18:43:00.001-08:00

I recently finished reading The Winter of Our Disconnect: How Three Totally Wired Teenagers (and a Mother Who Slept with Her iPhone) Pulled the Plug on Their Technology and Lived to Tell the Tale & I have to admit, it make me think.

Book Description by Beth J. Harpaz with Valey News Live.

Susan Maushart lived out every parent's fantasy: She unplugged her teenagers.

For six months, she took away the Internet, TV, iPods, cellphones and video games. The eerie glow of screens stopped lighting up the family room. Electronic devices no longer chirped through the night like "evil crickets." And she stopped carrying her iPhone into the bathroom.

The result of what she grandly calls "The Experiment" was more OMG than LOL — and nothing less than an immersion in RL (real life).

As Maushart explains in a book released in the U.S. this week called "The Winter of Our Disconnect" (Penguin, $16.95), she and her kids rediscovered small pleasures — like board games, books, lazy Sundays, old photos, family meals and listening to music together instead of everyone plugging into their own iPods.

Her son Bill, a video game and TV addict, filled his newfound spare time playing saxophone. "He swapped Grand Theft Auto for the Charlie Parker songbook," Maushart wrote. Bill says The Experiment was merely a "trigger" and he would have found his way back to music eventually. Either way, he got so serious playing sax that when the gadget ban ended, he sold his game console and is now studying music in college.

Maushart's eldest, Anni, was less wired and more bookish than the others, so her transition in and out of The Experiment was the least dramatic. Her friends thought the ban was "cool." If she needed computers for schoolwork, she went to the library. Even now, she swears off Facebook from time to time, just for the heck of it.

Maushart's youngest daughter, Sussy, had the hardest time going off the grid. Maushart had decided to allow use of the Internet, TV and other electronics outside the home, and Sussy immediately took that option, taking her laptop and moving in with her dad — Maushart's ex-husband — for six weeks. Even after she returned to Maushart's home, she spent hours on a landline phone as a substitute for texts and Facebook.

But the electronic deprivation had an impact anyway: Sussy's grades improved substantially. Maushart wrote that her kids "awoke slowly from the state of cognitus interruptus that had characterized many of their waking hours to become more focused logical thinkers."

Maushart decided to unplug the family because the kids — ages 14, 15 and 18 when she started The Experiment — didn't just "use media," as she put it. They "inhabited" media. "They don't remember a time before email, or instant messaging, or Google," she wrote.

Like so many teens, they couldn't do their homework without simultaneously listening to music, updating Facebook and trading instant messages. If they were amused, instead of laughing, they actually said "LOL" aloud. Her girls had become mere "accessories of their own social-networking profile, as if real life were simply a dress rehearsal (or more accurately, a photo op) for the next status update."

Maushart admits to being as addicted as the kids. A native New Yorker, she was living in Perth, Australia, near her ex-husband, while medicating her homesickness with podcasts from National Public Radio and The New York Times online. Her biggest challenge during The Experiment was "relinquishing the ostrichlike delusion that burying my head in information and entertainment from home was just as good as actually being there."

Maushart began The Experiment with a drastic measure: She turned off the electricity completely for a few weeks — candles instead of electric lights, no hot showers, food stored in a cooler of ice. When blackout boot camp ended, Maushart hoped the "electricity is awesome!" reaction would soften the kids' transition to life without Google and cellphones.

It was a strategy that would have made Maushart's muse, Henry David Thoreau, proud. She is a lifelong devotee of Thoreau's classic book "Walden," which chronicled Thoreau's sojourn in solitude and self-sufficiency in a small cabin on a pond in the mid-1800s. "Simplify, simplify!" Thoreau admonished himself and his readers, a sentiment Maushart echoes throughout the book.

As a result of The Experiment, Maushart made a major change in her own life. In December, she moved from Australia to Long Island in New York, with Sussy. Of course, the move merely perpetuated Maushart's need to live in two places at once: She kept her job as a columnist for an Australian newspaper and is "living on Skype" because her older children stayed Down Under to attend university. Ironically, the Internet eased the transition to America for Sussy, who used Facebook to befriend kids in her new high school before arriving.

Another change for Maushart: She's no longer reluctant to impose blackouts on Sussy's screen time. "Instead of angsting, 'Don't you think you're spending too much time on the computer? Don't you think you should do something else like reading?' I now just take the computer away when I think she's had enough," Maushart said in a phone interview. "And now that she's been on the other side and remembers what it's like, it's less of an issue."

Maushart realizes that living off the grid for six months is unrealistic for most people. (She also admits getting her kids to go along with it partly by bribing them with a cut of proceeds from the book, which she planned to write all along.)

But she encourages families to unplug periodically. "One way to do it is just to have that one screen-free day a week. Not as a punishment — not by saying, 'I've had enough!' — but by instituting it as a special thing," she said. "There isn't a kid on the planet who wouldn't really rather be playing a board game than sitting at the computer."

... & Here is an interview with the family. Cute family (o:

Personally, I could never unplug to the extreme that Susan Maushart did. But, I also do not think that our problems are as big as Susan Maushart's were. The Superkids already have very limited computer & internet privileges (supervised school use only), have very limited computer & game system privileges (2 hours a day & only when earned) & they do not own iPods or phones.

But, I will admit, we are very plugged into our television.

We do not have cable or satellite, but we have local channels & hundreds of dvds. There have been days that our television is on from the moment Super Julia wakes up & stays on until she takes a nap or goes to bed.

It is not that we are watching television all day, the television is just on. Super Julia & Super Noah will color & play while Blue's Clues or Sesame Street plays in the background.

So I am committing to a partial unplug. I am committing to limiting the amount of time our television is turned on every day. I am committing to turning the television off & instead turning music on. I am committing to eating a quiet dinner together as a family, at the table instead of in front of the television.

I am also committing to unplugging our family from all technology every Sunday. Unplugging from television, computer games, game systems, the internet & yes, that includes Facebook {gasp!}

Instead of being plugged in on Sundays, we will spend the day together celebrating the unplug (o:

Black Bean Mushroom Veggie Burgers & Oven Roasted Potatoes

2011-01-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

Black Bean Mushroom Veggie Burgers & Oven Roasted Potatoes

Black Bean Mushroom Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
4 slices of toasted sandwich bread, crumbled to make bread crumbs
6 whole wheat hamburger buns

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion & celery to olive oil & cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, cumin & onion powder & cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes.

Spoon into the food processor & add the beans & cilantro, process briefly until well combined but still kinda chunky. Spoon into a bowl, stir in the goat cheese, & bread crumbs. Season generously with salt and pepper.

With wet hands, form the mixture into 6 burgers. Mist both sides with nonstick spray.

Grill the burgers until crisp and heated through, about 5 minutes per side.

Serve the burgers on buns with topping of your choice (o:

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, salt & pepper. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides (o:

Super Noah's Art

2011-01-23T16:55:00.001-08:00

Blue & Steve feeding their fish.

Three men thinking about hats!

Soul Warming Raisin-Bran Muffins

2011-01-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

There is something about warm muffins on a cold day that warm my soul (o:

Ingredients:

3 cups raisin bran cereal
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 400. Line 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper cupcake/muffin liners.

In a bowl, combine cereal with milk; let cereal & milk stand until softened, about 10 minutes.

In another bowl, stir together both flours, baking powder, cinnamon & raisins.

Once cereal has softened, stir in oil, eggs & brown sugar. If you are using coconut oil, I recommend heating the coconut oil on the stove until melted. Fold this into flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups.

Bake at 400 until golden brown & a knife inserted comes out clean, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Remove muffins from oven & cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm with a pat of butter, yummy! Makes 12 (o:

"It's a Social Parade"

2011-01-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Spinach Lasagna

2011-01-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

Made an amazing spinach lasagna last night (o:

Ingredients:

32 ounces ricotta cheese (I used 16 ounces ricotta & 16 ounces cottage cheese)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 10 ounce packages of frozen spinach, thawed & drained
6 cups basic marinara sauce
12 lasagna noodles, boiled & set aside
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together ricotta, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt & 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible. Add spinach to ricotta mixture. Mix well.

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with the last of the mozzarella.

Cover with aluminum foil & bake for 40 minutes - 1 hour. Remove foil & bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Allow lasagna to cool before serving & don't forget to sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Enjoy (o:

My Bubble

2011-01-20T11:19:00.001-08:00

Yes, I live in a bubble.
I like my bubble.

My bubble is safe & warm.
My bubble is clean & organized.

I left my bubble & I am in a funk.
I am sad.
I am depressed.

There is so much hurt in this world.

The shootings in Tucson have broken my heart.
Six people killed.

Christina Taylor Green.
A nine year old child is dead.

And a young man sits in jail.

So many lives wasted.

Caylee Anthony.
Haleigh Cummings.
Kyron Horman.
Morgan Harrington.
Zahra Clare Baker.
Unsolved missing children cases.
There are too many to list.

There stories are heart wrenching.

They may never be found.
The few who are found, the details are always horrendous.

Kermit Gosnell.
Most of his victims had no names.
Abortion.
Legalized murder.

Junko Furuta.
44 days of torture.

I don't understand this world, but I trust ...

Psalm 13:5
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Names are not linked. Do not google unless you have a strong & compassionate heart.

Pantry Bandit

2011-01-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

Very often children with ADHD have a great deal of difficulty falling asleep.

It is a nightly fight just to get Super Jacob to his bed. Bed time is at 9 pm, but there are nights that he will be found still wide awake after midnight.

Super Jacob also wakes up early, sometimes very early. On most days he is awake by 7 a.m., but there have been a few days that I have found him awake before 7 a.m. When Super Jacob is awake, everyone is awake. Super Jacob is not quiet!

Last night, I found Super Jacob wondering the hallways at 2 in the morning with my flashlight. Not only was I upset that he was up at 2 a.m., but I was upset that he snuck in my room & stole my flashlight, while I slept.

I guess he CAN be quiet.

I have no idea what he was planning to do. Getting a straight answer out of Super Jacob is like pulling teeth & I was not in the mood at 2 a.m.

I assumed he was planning to raid the pantry. Super Jacob likes to sneak 'permission only' foods (chips & candy) while everyone sleeps & then hide any evidence in cabinets & under the sofa.

As if I don't clean & vacuum every day!

The psychiatrist that I went to a few weeks ago told me to allow him to stay up late, as long as he is in his bed by 9 p.m., stays in his bed & is quietly reading or listening to music on his mp3 player. He is allowed to get out of bed to use the restroom, but that is it. If he gets out of bed after 9 p.m. for any other reason, his bedtime gets moved up an hour. She also told me to set an alarm for 8 a.m, if he has problems getting out of bed once the alarm goes off, then his bedtime gets moved up an hour.

At this point, using the above rules, Super Jacob should have been in bed by 3 p.m. today.

I am at my witts end!

The last time I went to our pediatrician, she told me to give Super Jacob the natural sleeping aid, Melatonin.

Melatonin is a natural hormone, which is produced and secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of many hormones in the body. Among its key roles, melatonin controls the body's circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour time-keeping system that controls when we fall asleep and when we wake up.

I hate the idea of giving something to Super Jacob for sleeping purposes, but I believe that we both need a solid night's sleep. On most nights I don't fall asleep until he is asleep, only to wake up wondering if the pantry bandit has struck again!

The Fresh 20 Give-Away!

2011-01-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

'Families are bombarded with “products” instead of educated about food.'

Meet Melissa Lanz, founder of The Fresh 20!

My story began with takeout ...

Or rather the high cost of not being prepared in the kitchen. It was tax time. I added up receipts. I was ashamed. Our busy, unorganized lifestyle had driven us to spend the cost of a brand new car on takeout food. It wasn’t my fault really. There are so many alternatives to cooking at home. If I could microwave it in 5 minutes, we ate it. If someone delivered it, we ate it. And yet, at the end of the year, my energy was low and my healthy living defenses were down. I did what all modern moms do. I went to the Internet well. There are millions of recipes available. There are dozens of meal planning services. I still could not find what I needed. Everyone wants a quick solution, but I just was not willing to serve mushroom soup casseroles or refrigerator dough to my growing family.

I wasn’t looking for fast and simple. I was looking for FRESH and simple.

The Fresh 20 is an alternative to food as products.

It’s about buying less and making more. It’s about loading your dinner table with delicious, preservative free food.

It’s about saving that takeout money for something more rewarding than takeout!

The Fresh 20 is a meal planning service. Our meal plans rely on simple, healthy and homemade dinners using just 20 fresh, seasonal ingredients per week. No more grocery lists with 80 items that will eventually go to waste. Our meal plans are carefully created to utilize everything on the list so you can stop throwing money down the drain. We don’t just grab 5 random recipes and call it a meal plan. The Fresh 20 mixes and matches a small list of ingredients to create 5 balanced dinners that play off each other.

We include detailed guides to meal prep, original recipes everyone will enjoy (even picky eaters) and motivation to help you stay the course on busy weeknights.

We can’t solve all your weeknight issues, but we are committed to getting the family dinner back on track.

Melissa sent me the same delicious meal plan that subscribers receive. It included a week's worth of recipes including sage butter salmon, stuffed mushrooms & red pepper penne ... yes, I am drooling as I type. I was sent a complete grocery list, recipes & the estimated cost of each meal. It had everything laid out in a very easy to read & orderly fashion.

I LOVE yummy food, easy recipes & order in my life. The Fresh 20 is a win-win-win for me (o:

One more thing that I love about The Fresh 20 - the recipes feature fresh ingredients, with just a few pantry staples like spices, sugar, or oil. Plus, your weekly fresh ingredients list is limited to 20, which makes shopping so easy!

Take a look at these ...

... are you drooling yet? These are just some of The Fresh 20 meals.

This month we are giving one lucky reader a FREE annual plan (a $49.00 value) to The Fresh 20!

The winner can choose between the classic version or a new gluten free version!

To enter the giveaway visit The Fresh 20! website & then come back & tell me how much The Fresh 20 would help you & your family (o:

Please make sure you include your e-mail address (o:

Plus, for extra entries you can:

1. Follow me on Facebook. I have two pages you can follow. The Mommy Place & Life As Supermom. Following both will get you two extra entries (o:
2. Follow The Fresh 20 on Facebook. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
3. Follow Life As Supermom on Twitter, tweet about this giveaway & earn 2 extra entries daily.
4. Follow The Fresh 20 on Twitter. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
5. Become a follower of my blog. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
6. Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends by posting it on your wall. This will earn you 1 extra entry.
7. Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post. This will earn you 3 extra entries. Please make sure you leave the URL where the post can be found (o:

*** Most importantly leave a separate comment for each eligible entry!

Open to US residents ages 18+, ends February 6th, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST. Your E-mail must be submitted when entering, or in the comment body. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Supermom's Discipline Ladder

2011-01-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned Super Jacob's ADHD before.

A few weeks ago I went to speak with a psychiatrist who specializes in working with children with ADHD & the parents of children with ADHD.

I was given some very helpful information. Some of it was very eye opening for me.

She told me I have to stop thinking of Super Jacob as twelve years old. Even though Super Jacob looks twelve & does twelve year old school work, I have to expect eight or nine year old behavior from him. Super Jacob has severe ADHD which puts him behind in maturity by at least three years.

She also told me that I have to change the way that I reward & disciple. I need to have a reward system for him to see. Kids with ADHD need things to be visual. I also need to change his reward system every few weeks. Kids with ADHD will get bored if the reward system is always the same. Keeping it fresh & new makes it more exciting.

After my appointment I met with my friend Super Michelle (she is totally a Supermom) & she told me about the Dilley Discipline Ladder that she had used in her home & loved (o:

For the past few weeks I have been using a revised version of the Dilly Discipline ladder & I LOVE it!

Super Jacob & Super Zachary read their Bibles every day & BEG for chores to do!

Yes, I am serious!

Here is my revised version of the Dilly Discipline Ladder

Full Privileges (o:
Includes:
2 hours of X-Box 360, Play Station 3, WII, PSP or computer play time.
2 hours of television, movie time.

Television Privileges
Includes:
2 hours of television or movie time.

Outside Privileges (with friends)
Includes:
Playing outside with friends.

Computer Privileges
Includes:
2 hours of educational game play time.

Outside Privileges (without friends)
Includes:
Playing outside without friends.

Play Privileges
Includes:
Playing in your room with toys, board games or puzzles.

Music & Drawing Privileges
Includes:
Quietly listening to music or drawing.

Reading Privileges:
Includes:
Quietly reading any book of your choice.
Bible Reading Privileges:

Includes:
Quietly reading your Bible.

Chore & Schoolwork Privileges
Includes:
Quietly doing chores or school work.

Sub-Zero
No privileges!
Spending time in your room by yourself, thinking about your actions.
If in the evening, going to bed early!

Here is how it works (o:

Super Jacob & Zachary will start each day at the bottom of the ladder. Here they only have chore & schoolwork privileges. If they do their chores & get started on school without any problems, they can move their push pins up two rungs. If they complete their schoolwork getting only A's & B's they can move up three rungs. If they get a C, they only move up two. If they get a D or an F, they move down the ladder. Throughout the day I give them the opportunity to move up the ladder, but they have to do chores. For example, washing the breakfast dishes will move them up one rung. Cleaning their toilet or vacuuming the house moves them up two rungs. I also move them up with good behavior or down with bad behavior.

Here are a few additional ways for them to move up the ladder.
Getting 100% on a quiz or a test earns them 1 rung.
Writing in their prayer journal earns them 1 rung.
Reading a book of their choice for an hour earns them 2 rungs.
Reading their Bible for 1 hour earns them 3 rungs.

I added Super Michelle's idea of a sub-zero zone. The sub-zero zone is for when Super Jacob & Zachary are very difficult (unfortunately we have those days). The sub-zero zone is a no privilege zone. Whoever ends up in sub-zero spends some quiet time in their room by themselves.

What Super Jacob & Zachary like about this system is that every morning they start fresh. Every day is a new opportunity for them to earn privileges (o:

Because I did not want to leave Super Noah & Super Julia out of the fun, I decided to put them on a modified version of a kindergarten behavior chart.

I keep the faces on the fridge. In the morning they start with their little picture magnets on the yellow smile face {happy}. If they misbehave (disobey, act up, hit) they get a warning & move to the green face {indifferent}. If the behavior continues they have to move to the blue face {sad}.

Super Noah does not like to see a sad face & will change his behavior immediately. Super Julia does not care.

If at the end of the day they have a yellow smile, they will be rewarded with a price from the prize jar (o:

Snow

2011-01-15T16:47:00.000-08:00

Snow, not exciting to most of you who get to see it every winter, but for us, snow is exciting ... for at least a day!

Last year we were blessed with 15 inches, that was a Texas record.

This year we were surprised to see 1 1/2 inches.

Don't deny the awesomness of my pants (o:

We were not prepared last year for snow, we were not prepared this year for snow. Superkids had to wear socks for mitts. Sad, I know.

Super Julia LOVED the snow!

Super Noah, not so much!
Super Noah hated the snow last year.

last year
Super Noah hated the snow this year.

this year

Super Noah, not impressed, even without the lame sock mitts )o:

My dreams of Super Noah becoming an snowboarding gold medalist in the Olympics, gone )o:

These grins = a fight! They are instigators!

Super Julia joining in on the fight!

Video! Listen for Noah at the end, he was not very happy with all of the 'fighting balls' being thrown at him. Poor little guy, lol.

After the snow came the melt-down & then we were blessed with rain (as if we needed any more moisture).

We are currently surrounded by acres of soft (get yourself stuck in it) mud & I have to go out into it every morning to take care of our poor goats & to dump our compost.

My beautiful new rain boots have been mudded & are no longer the same.

To top all of this fun off, we are going a little stir crazy being cooped up inside all day. Entertaining the Superkids has been fun.

I admit, we have watched too much television!

But, on the bright side, I have found a way to get the kids to exercise (o:

Julia running & running & running & running with the WII.

Noah workin' on his fitness (o:

Noah doing some awesome yoga moves!

With all of this extra family time on my hands you would think I would have a bunch more material & be bloggin' away ...

Thank God, I don't tan!

2011-01-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I blogged about my 2011 house purge & the discovery of my {slight} magazine hording problem.

Today I realized that I have a {slight} make-up hoarding problem too.

I admit, when Target has make-up on clearance, I have a hard time resisting the urge to buy, buy, buy. It feels good for me to think that I have every shade of brown eye shadow Target carries.

I think I have enough foundation & powder to get me through to my golden years (o:

Maybe I should be buying blue eyeshadow instead of brown?

The funny thing about this, I only wear make-up once or twice a week.

I am not someone who wakes up in the morning, blow dries & irons my hair & then puts my face on.

I am a shower, put wet hair in pony tail & put on sweat pants kinda gal.

If I have to make a fast trip to the grocery store or Blockbuster, I throw on a hat & some jeans.

I also discovered that I own a ton of face & wrinkle creams. I don't use face & wrinkle creams now, but I will probably regret that later )o:

I really should have used that wrinkle cream!

The main purpose of this post was to tell you about these awesome little stackable totes I found at Walmart the other day. They ranged in price from $1.99 - $4.00 each. I am using these to store {some} of my make-up stash.

Super Julia even has a tote for her beauty stash (o:

I am starting to think that posting about my {slight} hording problems is helping me recognize them as a {slight} problem ... more {slight} hording revelations to come (o:

ps. I am thanking God right now I don't tan!

My 4-Eyed Princess with Attitude!

2011-01-06T06:59:00.001-08:00

Super Julia is finally wearing her glasses (o:
It has taken us two years & three months to accomplish this great feat!

She was prescribed glasses when she was only ten months old. We have tried & tried to get her to wear her glasses, but she refused.

Super Julia is a stubborn little girl.

She calls this her 'princess with attitude' look.

After a while I gave up the fight. I would try every few months to re-introduce the glasses, but I never succeeded, until now. I told Super Julia that her glasses are princess glasses. Super Julia is OBSESSED with princesses right now & now wears her glasses NON-STOP!

This is Super Julia the night she got her glasses. You can hear Super Jacob in the background entertaining his sister while she takes a bath (o:

And here is Super Julia in her pink princess dress, asleep with her pink princess glasses.

My Sleeping Beauty

What does Kermit the Frog & Lady Gaga have in common?

2011-01-05T19:52:00.001-08:00

picture = ironic
Superdad is not a daily Facebook user, so it caught me by surprise when ...

Superdad likes Comic-Con Show Floor Gameplay - Castle Crashers on gametrailers.com
showed up on his Facebook wall.

As you know we homeschool & use a computer based curriculum. Internet was available for school usage (with a password) to Super Zachary. Because Super Zachary has never gave us any reason to not trust him, he had internet access. HUGE MISTAKE!

Superdad & I, having no clue what we might find, decided to do a history check on his internet usage. We were very surprised to find that Super Zachary was having a ton of fun hanging out on Superdad's Facebook page & googling ... all during school hours.

Here are just some of his google searches:

Who is the voice of Kermit the Frog?
Is 1219 a prime number?
Who is the actor that plays Harry in Harry Potter?
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Megan Fox's butt
How old is David Archuleta?
Lady Gaga
Meaning of Psalms 22
Is Chloe Moretza Christian?
Sexy pictures of Britney Spears
Are there any famous 13 year kids?

I have to admit, it was VERY hard for Superdad & I to keep a straight face while researching his history. We were upset that he was using the internet without permission & was looking at pictures we would deam inappropriate. But, googling "who lives in a pineapple under the sea" & "Megan Fox's butt" within minutes of each other = high-larious!

Until now we have denied the idea that Super Zachary, 13 & Super Jacob, 12 are going through puberty. Yes, random 1 inch wiry hairs have started to sprout under their pitts, but we figured it was due to the change in our dairy products. We went organic & you know what they say about organic dairy.

We can no longer deny the facts!

We have entered the years I am dreading!
We are not ready for this!

Super Jacob & Super Zachary are going through puberty!

Zachary's punishment for inappropriate internet usage:
Allowing him to wallow in self-guilt. Super Zachary knew what he did was wrong & he is a wallower.

We also asked that he memorize Psalm 101:3

Psalm 101:3 I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.

In case you were wondering we did change the password on the internet again. If you are a parents of a pre-pubescent or pubescent boy, you might want to check your internet history ... let me know if you find anything interesting (o:

this post has been superdad approved

2011-01-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Super Julia's recent art work

Super Noah's recent art work

Awesome new accordion file found at Target for only $9.99!
Perfect for saving valuable artwork (o:

My 2010 Purge

2011-01-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

We entered 2011 clean & organized ... I am so proud (o:

The day after Christmas I started a major house purge!
I went through every closet, every cabinet & every drawer.

I purged!

But, doing so made me realize that I have some {slight} hording problems.

For example, I totally horde magazines! I save magazines because I find articles I really want to read, recipes I really want to try & crafts I really want to make!

I bend a corner or two & then stash the magazine away.
I have great intentions, but I rarely follow through.

I just don't want to part with my magazines!

Seriously, what if this look comes back???
or
What if I decide I want to make this yummy looking cat litter cake for Superdad's birthday?

this is an actual cake
I made a compromise.
I went through each & every magazine & I ripped & ripped & ripped, until I had a huge pile. I ripped out anything that caught my eye.

Then I organized them.

I put recipes in sheet protectors & I am keeping them in my coupon/shopping binder.

Now when I work on my shopping list & menu for the week, I have new recipes to try at my fingertips! Hopefully these new recipes will get me over my cooking slump & inspire me (o:

And once I try a recipe, I can make changes or throw it away.

I made files for the rest of the ripped out articles & filed them in my file box.

They might never be looked at or read, but at least they take up a fraction of the space.

Tonight on the dinner menu is a recipe for black bean burgers that I found in one of my magazines. I will let you know how they turn out (o:

Free Christmas ~ 2011

2011-01-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

Current Amazon.com credit $15.00~ all courtesy of Swagbucks!
Current Walmart gift card credit $10.00~ all courtesy of My Points!
Current Target gift card credit $15.00

Total $40.00

Superdad & I love listening to Dave Ramsey & he has an awesome cash only Christmas plan. Dave's plan is to come up with a budgeted amount that you would like to spend at Christmas & then save cash through the year. Once Christmas comes you only use the cash that was saved. Credit cards are strictly forbidden!

Last year I decided to do Dave's plan, but I wanted to take it to the next level ... to the extreme!

My plan was to have a free Christmas ...

& this is how I did it!

Swagbucks

If you are not signed up with Swagbucks, do it! SwagBucks is a rewards site that allows you to earn virtual currency by doing the things you do every day, searching the web, shopping at your favorite online stores & by engaging in other fun activities such as phone recycling, submitting polls, and completing special offers.

I absolutely love SwagBucks!

I signed up March of last year & by Christmas I had already earned $225.00 in free Amazon money!

After a few months of being a Swaggernaut, I decided to sign up with My Points .

My Points

My Points is kinda like SwagBucks as you can earn points for doing what you already do online: shop, read emails, play games, search the web, take surveys & more! The more you do, the more points you'll earn. If you shop or book any travel on line you can earn points.

You can redeem your points towards rewards like Walmart, Target & Amazon gift card, but because I am more active with SwagBucks, I only earned $30.00 in free Walmart money. All I did was read the e-mails they send to me every day.

Extreme Couponing

I also 'extreme coupon' & Target is one of my favorite places to extreme coupon. Target almost always has a gift card incentive. A gift card incentive is where they will offer $5.00 & $10.00 gift cards if a specific quantity of a specific item is purchased. If the product with the gift card incentive is something that my family uses & if I have some Target or manufacturer coupons for it, I will buy it & keep the gift cards stashed away for Christmas.

Target also offers prescription incentive. $10.00 Target gift cards for new &/or transferred prescriptions. If I have a new prescription needing to be filled, I take it to Target.

Recycle Reuse & Reduse

I love consignment sales, consignment stores, eBay & garage sales. We save money shopping & we make money selling. We save at least half of the money we make selling & put it towards Christmas every year. The other half is saved & used towards our family vacations. Last year we went to Disney World!

I am very thankful that I was able to take my kids to Disney World & give my kids an amazing Christmas this year. I believe this was a year they will not forget (o:

Christmas

2011-01-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic Christmas this year (o:

On Christmas Eve Superdad & I stayed up very late putting the finishing touches on all of the wrapped gifts (ribbons & bows), setting up a doll house & putting together Super Noah's Toy Story stunt track.

It was a very exciting morning for the Superkids (o:

I know that I went a little overboard on gift giving this year, but it was so worth it. I really do love to give.

I think this will be a Christmas that the Superkids will remember forever.

Super Julia loved getting girly things this year, headbands, Tinkerbell lip gloss & body spray (o:

The infamous Christmas stocking toothbrush, score!

That purse is now filled with her Tinkerbell lip gloss & body spray (o:

Sir Super Noah

I remember having a Christmas like this. I was a little older than Super Noah living in Spain at the time. I can still see the living room my dad & mom set up. I remember that nothing was wrapped & each one of us (I have two older brothers) had a corner where all of our toys were out & ready for play. That was the year that I received my very first doll house.

I am very thankful to be able to spoil my kids, but I do make sure that the Superkids are taught that the true meaning of Christmas is not about getting, but about Jesus.

Happy birthday Jesus cake!

Homemade peppermint ice cream.

Super Noah thanking Jesus for our blessings (o:

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2010-12-24T12:04:00.000-08:00

Photos were taken by my talented friend Lindsay at Lindsay Lane Photography (o:

2010-12-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

Super Noah is having a long talk with Santa about Jesus (o:
We do tell the kids about Santa & the wonderful things he did when he was alive, but we do not celebrate Santa on Christmas. We tell the kids that Santa lived & died a long time ago. We also explain to them that there are some people who enjoy dressing up as Santa & pretending to be him at Christmas because they want to remind people to do the good things that Santa did when he was alive.

We teach the kids the real reason for Christmas. Christmas is not about Santa. It is not about getting presents. It is about the birth of Jesus, God's son. It is a day reserved to celebrate Him. Does it make sense to have a birthday celebration for someone and not invite the guest of honor? Please do not forget the reason for Christmas. Celebrate Jesus. Celebrate His gifts to you.

Isaiah 9:6
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

... and the winners are ...

2010-12-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Cheerios Spoonful of Stories give-away, chosen by Random.org (#3) is meeyeehere (o:

The winner of the Family Flick Night give-away, chosen by Random.org (#10) is Carole Spring (o:

Please send me your mailing address to ~lifeassupermom@yahoo.com.

Thank you all for entering & congratulations ladies!!!

Easy Dreamy Peanut Butter Fudge

2010-12-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in brown sugar & milk. Bring to a boil, boiling for two minutes. Make sure you stir frequently. After two minutes, remove from heat & stir in the peanut butter & the vanilla extract. In mixing bowl, beat in confectioners sugar. Beat until smooth. Last, pour into an 8x8 dish & chill until firm. Cut fudge into squares. Yummy!

Slow Cook Paella

2010-12-18T18:41:00.000-08:00

I made a slow cook version of Paella tonight. It was very easy & super yummy! Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups chopped sweet red pepper
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups uncooked regular brown rice
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 cup of frozen peas
3 cups of fresh or frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled, deveined & halved.

Put all the ingredients, but the peas & the shrimp into a slow cooker & cook on a low heat setting for 4 hours. About 1 hour before you would like to eat, stir in the peas & the shrimp.

Counting down to 2011

2010-12-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of a fresh new year, I always feel invincible, revived, refreshed & ready to take on new challenges. I feel like Super Supermom (o:

So here are a few of my hopes & desires for 2011!

I want to get {back} on a budget & I want to stick with it! Last year I made it through January & then gave up. This year I plan to make it through at least February (o:

I want to get back on a good schedule. Pre-Disney World I was proudly walking 2+ miles a day. I was feeling good, looking good, losing weight & gaining muscle ... then Disney World, the Disney meal plan, Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas stress & Christmas happened. I want to start waking up early, walking every day, going to bed at a reasonable time & getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night.

I want to continue reading my Bible. Last year I read {most} of the Bible. This year I want to read the entire Bible, cover to cover, including the books that I skimmed ~ the tedious Leviticus & Numbers.

Most importantly, I want to slow down. I want to spend more (non-school related) time with my kids & I want to spend some much needed one on one time with my husband (we need date nights).

Celebrate Super Julia's Birthday ~ Family Flick Night Give-Away!

2010-12-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

Reese's Puff's
Have you tried these? Super Jacob claims you’ve not lived until you’ve had a bowl of Reese's Puffs, so I decided to test his theory & I have to admit he is right! Reese's Puffs are amazing!

Right now if you purchase two participating Big G cereals ~ Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Trix &/or Reese’s Puffs ~ you can see a movie for FREE?

In each specially marked box of Big G cereal you will find a unique code to enter at generalmills.com/moviecash. Once you have two codes entered, print your free Movie Cash certificate which is good for one admission (up to a $12 value) at participating theatres.

If you think about it, you are pretty much getting the cereal for free & that = major score!

I admit, I totally stocked up! My kids love Cheerios, so with coupons in hand ... I cleaned out Target's shelf.

My Blog Spark & Big G cereals were kind enough to send me their “Family Flick Night” gift pack which included two boxes of participating Big G cereals & four Movie Cash certificates.

I decided to use my free movie passes to take my sweet Super Julia to see Disney's Rapunzel. Super Julia's third birthday is next Saturday. We are celebrating early (o:

Since we are celebrating, so should you.

My Blog Spark & Big G cereal has offered YOU the chance to win the same awesome prize pack that I did. You will receive two boxes of Big G cereals (with codes) & four Movie Cash certificates. That will be a total of five movie tickets for free!

To enter the giveaway leave a comment telling me your favorite childhood movie.

Mine was totally Snow White. I admit, I almost cried when we met her at Disney World a few weeks ago. She looked just like I imagined (o:

Just a reminder ~ please make sure you include your e-mail address when entering (o:

& (because I am nice) you can earn some extra entries by:

1. Following me on Facebook. I have two pages you can follow. The Mommy Place & Life As Supermom. Following both will get you two extra entries (o:
2. Following me on Twitter & Tweet about this giveaway! This will get you 1 extra entry daily.
3. Becoming a follower of my blog. How could you not want to follow me? 1 extra entry.
4. Sharing this giveaway with your Facebook friends by posting it on your wall or in your status. 1 extra entry.
5. Blogging about this giveaway, linking back to this post. 3 extra entries. Leave the URL where the post can be found (o:

*** Be sure to leave a separate comment for each eligible entry!

Open to US residents ages 18+, ends December 19th, 2010 at 11:59 PM CST. E-mail must be submitted when entering, or in the comment body. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I wrote this post as part of a blog campaign by My Blog Spark on behalf of Cheerios & was supplied with the above package & information through them, opinions are my own (o:

Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Give-Away

2010-12-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

ohdeedoh's Cheerios treats
Helping your child develop a healthy appetite for reading is one of the best things you can do to develop a strong mind. That's why Cheerios started the Spoonfuls of stories program 9 years ago. Since then, they have put more than 50 million books into the hands of children & donated more than $3.5 million to First Book to help provide new books to kids who don't have any books of their own.

To help grow kids’ love of reading at a young age, this fall Cheerios is once again inviting families to start the day with a nutritious breakfast & a new book. As part of its ongoing commitment to nurturing young bodies & minds & helping families connect by fostering a shared love of reading, Cheerios will provide more than six million children’s books, free inside Cheerios boxes, through its Spoonfuls of Stories program.

This year’s free in-pack book offerings, appropriate for children ages three to eight & written in both English & Spanish, include:

All the World, by Liz Garton Scanlon & illustrated by Marla Frazee, which discusses the many wonderful things a child can encounter in the world as well as the commonalities all the world shares.

Chaucer’s First Winter, by Stephen Krensky & illustrated by Henry Cole, follows a bear named Chaucer, who knows he is supposed to sleep through the winter but feels it’s much more fun to stay up & play.

Jump!, by Scott M. Fischer, chronicles the adventures of a bug, a frog, a cat, a hound, a crocodile, a shark, & a whale, who all love to jump!

No T. Rex in the Library, by Toni Buzzeo & illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa, is a story about a little girl named Tess & her adventures in the library with a boisterous T-Rex.

The Purple Kangaroo, by comedian Michael Ian Black & illustrated by Peter Brown, which is a vivid & humor-filled story that tricks the reader into thinking about a purple kangaroo.

As studies have consistently shown, children with greater access to books & other print materials are more successful in school & in life. However, one recent study revealed that in low-income neighborhoods, there is only about one age-appropriate book for every 300 children, a statistic that exposes one of the biggest barriers affecting literacy today – lack of access to books. In an effort to help combat this issue, Cheerios, as part of its Spoonfuls of Stories initiative, will also make a $300,000 financial donation to First Book, an award-winning national nonprofit that helps get books into the hands of children in need. Cheerios has donated more than $3.5 million to First Book over the past nine years.

To learn more about the Spoonfuls of Stories program or to donate to First Book, visit www.spoonfulsofstories.com beginning November 1.

Cheerios courtesy of My Blog Spark was kind enough to send me their awesome prize pack that included a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble, all five of the new in-pack titles & a box of Cheerios.

My kids LOVE Cheerios! I also LOVE Cheerios, especially when they are on sale. As you can see, I stock up! Having Cheerios in my pantry at all times is a requirement!

I also love the little in-pack books that Cheerios offers every year. I collected several sets last year (they make GREAT stocking stuffers). So, I was very happy when I received my prize pack with this years books. They showed up on my doorstep in enough time to pack into my purse for our Disney World trip. I have to admit that having these little books to entertain Super Julia & Super Noah during dinner & bus rides was a life saver & I cannot thank My Spark & Cheerios enough (o:

Look here for some fun Cheerio recipes?

My Blog Spark & Cheerios has offered you the chance to win the same awesome prize pack that I received. You will receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble, all five of the new in-pack titles & a box of Cheerios.

To enter the giveaway leave a comment telling me what your favorite book was when you were a child. Mine was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Please make sure you include your e-mail address (o:

For extra entries you can:

1. Follow me on Facebook. I have two pages you can follow. The Mommy Place & Life As Supermom. Following both will get you two extra entries (o:
2. Follow me on Twitter & Tweet about this giveaway! This will get you 1 extra entry daily.
3. Become a follower of my blog. How could you not want to follow me? 1 extra entry.
4. Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends by posting it on your wall or in your status. 1 extra entry.
5. Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post. 3 extra entries. Leave the URL where the post can be found (o:

*** Be sure to leave a separate comment for each eligible entry!

Open to US residents ages 18+, ends December 19th, 2010 at 11:59 PM CST. E-mail must be submitted when entering, or in the comment body. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I wrote this post as part of a blog campaign by My Blog Spark on behalf of Cheerios & was supplied with the above package & information through them, opinions are my own (o:

Home & Lazy!

2010-12-10T07:21:00.001-08:00

We are home. Thank you God we are home!

We pulled into our driveway the Sunday before Thanksgiving, with four sleeping Superkids & a TON of laundry in our over-stuffed, messy, stinky van.

Four boys, no shoes stinky.

We were welcomed home to a musky smelling, dusty house & a completely empty fridge )o:

We unloaded the Superkids, but decided not to unload the laundry & stuff until morning.

All I wanted was to crawl into my bed & sleep by myself.

For two weeks we ALL slept in one room, one room with two double beds. I learned things about my two older boys that nightmares are made of {shiver}. Plus, there were some mornings that I woke up with unexpected little people in my bed.

Your visual reference, thank me later!

My first mission was to go grocery shopping. Superdad's mission was to unload the van while supervising the Superkids. The Superkids' mission was to annoy Superdad so that Superdad gets just a taste of what I deal with on a daily basis {hehe}.

All three missions ACCOMPLISHED!

I woke up early Monday morning & ~~snuck out~~ took off in Superdad's ~~matchbox car~~ Super Scion. I not only had to fill the fridge with essentials, but I also had to shop for most of our Thanksgiving ingredients. Was the Super Scion going to be able to handle the job? I ended up at Walmart, Target & Costco with a huge list & without any coupons. {gasp!}

While out, I decided to ~~milk~~ enjoy every minute. This was the first time in two weeks I had some time to myself.

Super Scion saved the day!
While I was ~~milking~~ enjoying my time alone, Superdad was unloading the van. The Superkids were doing a great job ~~annoying~~ helping Superdad.

After a few beautiful hours alone, I came home to stuff EVERYWHERE!

My next few days were a nightmare! Superdad had to return to work on Tuesday {lucky}. So he left me with unpacked stuff everywhere, a HUGE pile of laundry & Superkids that were on a Florida, we wish we were still at Disney World schedule.

What kept my sanity? New sheets! Thank God I splurged & bought new 800 thread count sheets while at Target.

I love new sheets, but I lust 800 thread count sheets.

This is why I have been so lazy & unmotivated as of late. I have been so busy trying to get order back into my life. I do not function well without cleanliness & order. And I like schedules!

Anyway, here are some of those Thanksgiving recipes I promised weeks ago (o:

Green Beans with Garlic

3 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Cook beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes or just until tender. Drain well.

Cook 1/2 of garlic in 1 tbsp. hot oil in a dutch oven over medium heat until golden brown. Add half of the beans & sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt & 1/4 tsp. ground pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish. Repeat procedure with remaining garlic, oil, green beans, salt & pepper.

Pre-baked. I meant to take a post-baked picture, but forgot. I sorry )o:
Mashed Potatoes en Croute

4 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup milk
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 large egg
1 tbsp. 1/2 & 1/2

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring 2 qt. salted water to boil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add potatoes & next two ingredients. Cook 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes, discard bay leaves. Mash potatoes with a potato masher until soft & fluffy.

Microwave butter & cream in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 1 minute. Stir until smooth; add salt, pepper & nutmeg. Stir butter mixture into mashed potatoes. Stir in egg yolks & cheese until smooth.

Press 1 pastry sheet into a 9 inch deep pie plate, allowing edges to hang over sides. Spoon mashed potatoes into pie plate, and top with remaining pastry sheet. Crimp & fold edges inward, Cut several slits in top of pastry for steam to escape. Whisk together egg & 1/2 & 1/2; brush over pastry.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until pastry has risen slightly.

The Superkids fought over who could pop the dough pimple.

Upside-Down Pineapple Tart

1 cup cold butter, cut up
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cups ice-cold water
1 (3 + lbs pineapple), cored & cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cut butter, cut up

Freeze 1 cup of ct-up butter 30 minutes. Pulse cold butter, flour, salt & 1/4 cup sugar in food processor 7 - 8 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/2 cup ice cold water, 1 tbsp. at a time, and pulse just until mixture comes together & forms a dough. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap & shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap & chill for 2 to 24 hours.

Gently stir together pineapple, 1/2 cup butter & remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl. Place pineapple mixture in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (skillet will be very full). Cook over medium-low heat 1 hour to 1 hour & 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced, thickened, and turns golden, stirring only once every 15 minutes. Do not let mixture scorch at the bottom.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unwrap dough & turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough to a 12-inch circle; place over warm pineapple mixture, tucking edges into sides of skillet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown & flaky. Let cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of skillet; invert tart onto a cutting board or serving plate.

Our Thanksgiving was fabulous & I am very thankful for Superdad & the Superkids who were BIG helpers (o:

... and this is why I never eat the skin. Do you see the feather remnants on the wings? {gag me with a spoon!}

I hope that all of you had a fabulous Thanksgiving.

Did you miss me?

2010-12-07T11:46:00.001-08:00

Super Cool Drum Roll
The winners of the Christmas give-away are ... 1st place Sarah!
2nd place Julie!
The winner for the Lawry's give away is ...
Samantha!
Congratulations to the winners & thank you all for entering (o:

Sarah, Julie & Samantha, please e-mail me your mailing address @ lifeassupermom@yahoo.com

I suck )o:

2010-12-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

I am a very bad Supermom!
I totally spaced picking winners for the Christmas give-away & the Lawry's give-away this month ... soooooooooooooooooooooo I am giving everyone one last chance to enter.

I pinkie promise to pick winners tonight (o:

Go Enter!!!!!

Christmas Give-Away

Lawry's Give-Away

Disney World ~ Epcot ~ Day 7

2010-12-04T12:23:00.000-08:00

Day #7 was definitely my favorite. It might have had to do with it being our last day or maybe it had to do with the weather. It was gorgeous!

Early in the morning, before the park was opened, we had a Danish {all you can eat} breakfast with the princesses.

Super Julia is very princess shy.

Later on in the day, we had {all you can eat} dinner with the Germans.

I was in Heaven!

After spending close to two weeks with the Superkids 24/7, I deserved a reward.

Disney World ~ Hollywood Studios ~ Day 6

2010-12-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Disney World ~ Magic Kingdom ~ Day 5

2010-12-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

Disney World ~ Magic Kingdom ~ Day 4

2010-12-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

Disney World ~ Magic Kingdom ~ Day 3

2010-11-26T20:37:00.000-08:00

Disney World ~ Animal Kingdom ~ Day 2

2010-11-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving Menu

2010-11-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year (o:

This is our Thanksgiving menu.

Stuffed Celery
Deviled Eggs
Turkey & Gravy
Mom's Homemade Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes En Croute'
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Beans with Garlic
Leafy Green Salad
Rolls
Upside-Down Pineapple Tart
Pumpkin Pie
Coffee Milk Punch (made with a coffee liqueur)

I will try to post pictures & recipes tomorrow night (o:

What is your family planning this year?

2010-11-24T08:54:00.001-08:00

I am finally done with laundry. Thank the Lord (o:

I started my (pre) Thanksgiving dinner preparations last night & tonight I plan to make a tart.

I am still cleaning. Boy, was my house dusty after three weeks. I also decided to touch up the paint.

I think I might be high on paint fumes (o:

Disney World ~ Magic Kingdom ~ Day 1 (o:

2010-11-23T18:50:00.000-08:00

2010-11-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

Interested in awesome Black Friday deals & freebies?

Become a fan of The Mommy Place on Facebook.

I will be posting as many amazing Black Friday deals & freebies as I can there between now & Christmas (o:

2010-11-23T14:50:00.000-08:00

Unpacking.
Laundry.
Grocery Shopping.

Landry.

More laundry.

Laundry.
Cleaning.

Cleaning.

More cleaning.
More laundry.

I am tired.

2010-11-20T16:55:00.001-08:00

We are {finally} headed home.

It has been a very long couple of weeks. I will admit, I am very tired
of my kids (o:

I look forward to the return of my mundane life. It might take me a few days to get back into my familiar routine & schedule (oh, how I have missed you routine & schedule), but I will persevere.

I will be a busy little lady for the next few days. I have a ton of laundry to do, a fridge & pantry to fill, Thanksgiving preparations & dinner to make & bargains to shop for.

I am excited to say that Christmas is only 34 days away. Are you ready?

2010-11-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

I am cleaning out the fridge today.

I do not want to come home to an angry fridge after being gone for two weeks.

Thank God for our compost.

All of our perishables have just been disposed of in a guilt free way (o:

Packing (o:

2010-11-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

A day in the life of the Super Family + Dinner ~ Cherry Tomato Pasta Toss, yummmmmmy!

2010-11-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

Today was a peaceful day at the super lair (o:

The Super Lair ~ a secluded or hidden place, esp. a secret retreat or base of operations; a hideout or hideaway.

Super Jacob & Super Zachary did their chores without any complaints. Then they started on school with enthusiasm. Once they were done with school they read their Bibles & then played on their computers.

Super Noah played on the computer all day long. Quietly.

Super Julia & I got a long nap. Super Julia woke up with some serious bed head, sat on the counter & helped me with dinner.

I made a cherry tomato pasta toss for dinner ~ it was a HUGE hit (o:

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
2 packages of spaghetti noodles
4 tablespoons of olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced of pressed
1 teaspoon garlic powder (we love garlic)
1 bag or package of cherry tomatoes, halved
4 tablespoons of basil pesto (I buy mine pre-made at Costco)
parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in boiling water per package directions. Drain. Set pasta aside. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over mediun-low heat. Add garlic clove & stir until a golden brown (about 2 minutes). Add tomato halves, increase heat to medium-high & simmer until tomatoes are soft & huicy, about 6 minutes. Stir in pasta & basil pesto. Season with garlic powder. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Yummmmmmmmmm!

i am in love

2010-11-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last night while helping get Super Noah dressed in his sports themed pjs, I told him I loved him. Super Noah immediately got this huge grin on his face, so I asked him why he was smiling. He said that he was happy & that he loved me too {swoon}.

Superdad was close by listening, so I looked at him & told him that I loved him (I know that he could never hear those words enough from me).

Super Noah turns to me & said 'Mommy, you are smiling & happy too.'
Then he turned to Superdad & said 'Daddy, you are smiling & happy too.'

In that moment, I was reminded how happy I am with how my life has turned out & how in love I am with my husband & family.

Everything I have is a gift & a blessing ... I do not deserve any of it, but I will be forever thankful.

Thank you God for loving me so much {I say this with a HUGE grin, I am smiling & very happy}