Don't Underestimate Mommy

This has become a favorite in our house. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical the first time I made this. My husband's favorite dish is Chicken Parmesan. What was I thinking trying to pull off some impostor Chicken Parmesan casserole thing? We sat down at the table to eat. I announced I was trying a new spin on an old favorite. The Mister looked at me with excitement and just a pinch of skepticism.  I held my breath as he dove his fork into the casserole. Well?, I said. "This is great!" exclaimed the Mister and the rest is history. This delicious, quick and easy meal has become a go to. I  even cut a few calories by using lower fat or part skim cheese. Every little bit helps, right? So take note, because this is going to be a winner in your house. Ingredients- 2-3 chicken breast cubed 2 cloves minced garlic 1/2 tbsp of olive oil 2 cups marinara sauce (this may vary depending on how much sauce you like and how much chicken you use) Parmesan cheese (sprinkled to tas...

{This is NOT a sponsored post, just my opinion, based on my experiences.} We have a lot of windows in our house.  I love the natural light it gives, especially in our kitchen nook. This particular set of windows happens to be a favorite with the boys. The height of the window is just perfect for their peering little eyes. What stinks about these windows is that the blinds are typically open, which means the blind cords hang extra long. Long enough for a little boy to play with, tug on and try to pull off the wall! Not to mention, probably some sort of choking hazard. In an effort to keep my blinds on the windows and the boys safe; I needed to find a solution fast. And I did! The good news is that it was a quick and cheap fix. Super cheap because I happen to have a package of Command Clear mini hooks  on hand. If you haven't used Command hooks before, you're missing out! They're great because you don't have to put holes in your walls and they're easy to remo...

Made with love... and lots of yummy ingredients! I was looking for an activity to do with O in the afternoon while P was napping. While perusing Pinterest, I stumbled upon Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke  and her recipe for Cookie Monster Ice cream. The hook, line and sinker was NO machine! We love ice cream, all of us, even P (he eats everything). We love it so much, that I know better than to keep it in the house. Instead we find any reason to make a trip to our favorite ice cream place, Kilwins . Reasons might be- It's Sunday, it's hot outside or let's go to Barnes and Noble...hey, what do you know Kilwins is next door! Always a reason. {Adapted from Capturing Joy with kristen duke} Ingredients - ice cream: 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1- 8oz package of lite cream cheese 1- 14 ox can of fat free sweetened condensed milk mix ins: 10 Back to Nature cream filled cookies 10 Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookies Blue food coloring Directions- Chill ...

I have recently been inspired by all of my Beach Body friends, who knew I had so many! While I am not ready to join the Beach Body family; I am learning a lot from my friends who have made the lifestyle change. I am enjoying seeing everyone's success, reading their tips and hearing their words of encouragement. Last night while perusing Pinterest, I saw my friend Sabrina, (who is also a Beach Body coach) was pinning a bunch of information about 30 Day Water Challenges and it got me thinking. Drinking water has always been something I've struggled with. Even while pregnant with the boys, I would have to force myself to drink the recommended amount. I would leave myself notes, set alarms on my phone and even mark my water bottle with times during the day to remind me that I should have drank so many ounces by certain times. It just never came easy to me. I've decided to change that. I have accepted the challenge. I have challenged myself to drink 60 ounces of water a day fo...

A must try! So delicious and easy. It was an added bonus for our family because it was something I could easily make an adapted version of for the boys. They prefer a much simpler, cheese only version. Not to mention, I already had all of the ingredients (besides feta cheese) at home. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures. It's was a little crazy, as it usually is in the dinner time hour, rushing to make and get everyone fed before they turn into gremlins and their heads start spinning. The picture that I am sharing below is from The Garden Gazer.  It was this photo that had me running for the grocery store to pick up feta cheese. Photo credit: The Garden Gaze r Ingredients: -sliced grilled chicken breasts -roma tomato, sliced thin - pesto -baby spinach -low fat crumbled feta -part skim shredded mozzarella -tortillas Directions: -Place a tortilla on a skillet over medium heat. -Spread a layer of pesto over tortilla. -Add a layer of shredd...

Too long, it's been too long since I've posted. Hard to believe it's the end of July and we'll be ringing in August at the end of the week. July has been a whirlwind. I honestly can't even begin to tell you where it's gone. I can tell you we've been busy and enjoying our summer despite some stomach bug that has run circles in our house, Ugh! That is finally(hopefully) behind us and will NOT return. Camp is over for O, so we've been trying to keep busy. Being busy = mommy's sanity. Plus it means less screen time for the boys. I am not super strict about the TV or iPad, but I know when enough is enough. We've made it a 1/3 of the way through our bucket list. We've got a ways to go, so it's a good thing the first official day of Fall is not until September 23. Here's a snap shot of a few of our Summer Bucket List Adventures and Activities! From L-R: Popping popcorn, S'mores,  Skunk feeding and activities at the Daggerwing Na...

I made this beauty last week, but am just finding  making time to share about it. It's not my best work. I wouldn't coin it a failure, but it's definitely a first attempt at its finest. Materials: -Wood letter -Paint- red, white, blue -Wire wreath (size is personal prefrence) -Deco Mesh- I used a burlap and then an actual burlap ribbon instead of mesh for my 2nd layer. -Pipe cleaners (appox. 20)- these should be the same color as your mesh. (This was my first rookie mistake with this wreath. Because I couldn't find a light brown pipe cleaner, I used a white pipe cleaner which you can clearly clearly see in the wreath.) This was a two part project. Painting the my wooden letter and then creating my mesh wreath. Part 1was painting the wooden "S". I bought a white "S" so all I need to do was add the red stripes, blue and white stars. I used a ruler to measure my red stripes. There is no science to this. It's really just ...