A jar of dry beans can offer at least 30 minutes of fun for a three-year-old…
Enjoy yours!
Here’s another great easy and quick recipe. There’s great flexibility, too, such as using chicken instead of beef or not putting in any meat at all. Makes a ton, and freezes well.
Cook and drain:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 28-oz can Mexican tomatoes
1 large can pinto beans, drained
1 large can kidney beans, drained
2 cans of corn, with the juice
2 cups salsa
2 cans sliced black olives
2 cans beef broth
No, I am NOT Super Mom. And because I am not, I need a little help. So I take Super Mom! This is the first pregnancy in seven where I feel really terrific at the end. I have to believe that some of that is due to the regular chiropractic care I’m getting, but I also believe Super Mom is responsible for my high energy, great skin (for me), and lack of any swelling. No bulbous nose!
Bringing a little joy to our home, especially in the dreariness of winter, doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. We found these little buckets at The Dollar Spot in Target- yep, a dollar each! We made little tags with each family member’s name and then put them on the kitchen counter. The children sneak little homemade notes and treats into each other’s buckets and then they get to discover them on Valentine’s Day. Super cheap, super easy, super fun!
Christmas and birthdays consume a lot of our year. There are eight, soon to be nine of us in our immediate family, with two grandparents living on the same property. When six children each want to give a gift to the birthday boy or girl, we can easily spend the better part of a week transporting everyone to the store(s) to purchase the items they have in mind.
Several years ago, I created "Mom Store", an idea I gleaned from a mom on a board I can't remember. If you know to whom I should pay credit, let me know. Anyway, I look for things that would be enjoyed by the recipient and then stash them away. Typically the items are around five dollars, and the older children do save their money to purchase them. The last Mom Store contained two board books, a Pez dispenser with candy, bubble bath, a box of circus animal crackers, and a CD. I display the items on a counter and allow everyone to parade through and choose what they want to purchase, and once purchases are made, the children set to work wrapping.
The Mom Store has been very successful for us, simplifying and bringing peace to our lives in yet another area.
One year for Valentine's Day we spelled out "We Love You!" for dad using all the little people in the house. He loved it so much, we've done it several times since. This year I am too hefty to attempt getting everyone into position, so here are the photos from last year...
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