Flower Power

Flower prints with vegetables?  That's right!  What a fun, cheap, easy idea for a Pre-K art project!!!

Here are some pictures I have found:

LOVE it!  :)  Do you have any other flower print ideas? 

Hope you had a great weekend!

xoxo
Summer

Doggone It!

My parents had a lab, Scooter.  He was the BEST dog ever-- but at times naughty when he was a puppy.  I'm sure many of you have already seen this video, but I cannot get enough of it.  Ironically, the lab in the video reminds me of Scooter.  SO funny!
Here is the link to the video:

Denver the Dog

Yay for Thursday!  Tomorrow is Friday, Ya'll!!

xoxo Summer

Life on the wild side...of rice!

I saw a recipe this summer that intrigued me because everything could be made on the stove top.  Basically it's a long grain rice dish with a meat and whatever vegetables are in season.  You chop everything up and cook it with the rice.  YUMMY!  I never add a lot of spices of my own because the meat and veggies take on the flavors of the rice. 

Here's what you need:

• 1 box of Wild Long Grain rice mix.  I have tried both the 'ready made' rices (Uncle Ben's) and the traditional cook for 30 minutes rice (rices?).  The best one thus far is Uncle Ben's (yes it takes a while to cook but worth it!).

I found it at Walmart and Food Pyramid.  I'm sure it's available anywhere.

• Meat- I buy what is on sale.  You will cut the meat up into bite sized pieces to cook it, chicken or cubed steak works well with the rice.  My favorite thing to do is buy marinated or pre-seasoned chicken in the fresh meat area of my grocery store (like behind the meat counter where you have to ASK the guy for meat).  I ask for 3 chicken breasts.  If it's cubed steak, I just buy the smallest package which normally has three steaks in it MAX. 
• Veggies- Since it's summer and squash and zucchini squash is on sale a lot, I always throw one or two in.  Baby carrots, green peas...possibilities are endless.  (I have even thrown in a can of diced tomatoes for a punch of color).

Once you have everything:
1.  Saute the veggies and meat in a bit of EVOO.  Give it about 7-10 minutes on a medium heat.
2.  Prepare the rice according to directions in the same skillet as your veggies and meat.  I almost always have to add extra water (like a 1/2 a cup at times) towards the end of the cooking process.  The box normally says it takes about 20 minutes to cook...I always end up cooking it for 30 or more...
3.  You will know when it is done because the rice will be chewy but not hard.  (If it feels funny in your mouth, it probably needs another 5 minutes!)

It's really an easy dish and so dynamic.  The flavor possibilities are endless!  My favorite part is it only takes a few ingredients.  My 11 month old also loves it...then again...Rylie loves any type of food.  HA!

My disclaimer: Although I am not currently on WW and I'm not sure the points plus values of long grain, wild rice, I'm sure it's better for you than plain ol' white rice... When I googled it, the closest thing I got was 5 points for half a 'pouch' of "Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Ready Rice". That's not that bad!

I hope you try the Wild Rice recipe.  Let me know what you think! 

Happy Cooking!
Summer

Keter Cart

   For Mother's Day this year, my sweet husband (and baby girl) gave me such a fun surprise!  I LOVE to lay out and enjoy the sun and garden when I am able.  So Zach bought me a very fancy chaise lounge chair for our deck outside and a plastic garden 'wheelbarrow' type cart for my gardening things.  Little did he know how much I would use the cart!

     It is all black (very streamlined!) and durable! The sticker on it says:  Keter Easy Go Cart.   I use it to haul around things I'm too pregnant to carry (laundry, Rylie's toys, etc.)  When school ended in May, I used it in my classroom to move things to my car to take home for the summer.  Zach has made his 'own' use of it:

He has even taken the cart disc golfing to lug around their water and discs! 

At Sam's Club, right now, they are about $14.  I googled "Keter cart" and Kmart sells them for $19.99; Sears $18.99...

All of the reviews have said the carts are very durable, can carry heavy loads easily, and rinse out with a hose.  Now that Sam's has them cheap, I may go buy another to use solely for gardening and keep my original cart nice and clean for errands and Zach's rendition of a redneck stroller/wagon.  HA!

Hope you had a great Tuesday.  We ended ours with another trip to the hospital.  In both of my pregnancies, high blood pressure has reared it's ugly head and I'm ready for it to be over!

xoxo

Summer

Blotches vs Blessings

I'm not going to lie. I'm so pregnant that I am miserable. I don't even feel like mixing water and angel food cake mix for angel food cake I've been craving. Blah. I do believe I've hit the end of this preggo tunnel. It's humbling to realize how much God has blessed us (4 miscarriages before Rylie and a SUPER easy conception with Zacharia. But I have been pregnant for two years! In Oklahoma summers! (notorious for miserable heat and relentless sun).

On the plus side, I am almost ready for school to start for my maternity leave substitute. My principal and I spoke on the phone last night and the woman taking my place is super competent and so sweet. My new batch of kiddos will be lucky!

I should also be grateful for my amazing husband. I was just thinking today, "He is so good to me and our family. I'll bet he never thought he would be a husband and daddy of two babies at the age of 25!?" (Zach is younger than me...). He is patient, helpful, and still maintains his sexy sense of humor after I have flipped out about something stupid. God bless him!!!

I am also so blessed to have amazing parents who have been über helpful and the sweetest in-laws that-thankfully- only live 10 minutes away!!!

So despite these horrendous contractions that will not let up or the fact that my bladder has turned into a squeeze toy, I am smiling. My Grandmother was right. Doughty women are strong!

Pop the bubbly, life is lovely!

     I love beverages!  Especially carbonated ones.  Being pregnant has been a challenge because my doctor strictly told me to avoid artificial sweeteners (diet sodas) and limited my 'Coca Cola obsession' down to one can a day.  I had to find another drink option-- fast! 

     I did realize that the caffeine is a much appreciated boost in my day, but it's not very healthy for me or my baby and I discovered the carbonation is what I truly enjoyed.  I tried club soda and juice (which is alright but juice has sugar in it) and several carbonated, flavored waters.  My big success was when I discovered La Croix at Whole Foods.  The only reason I tried it was because it was on sale...I'm glad I did!

     La Croix is literally sparkling (carbonated) spring water and natural fruit essence (flavoring).  Zero:  sodium, sweeteners {sugars or artificial}, and obviously free of fat and calories.  LOVE!  I have tried the Berry flavor and Grapefruit flavor so far..grapefruit being my fav.  I squeezed a quarter of a lime in with the water and drink it ice cold.  It's so refreshing!  But I must say, it is not sweet and has a 'required taste' to enjoy.  (My husband drank some of mine one day and made quite a face...not a fan...)

      They make a variety of flavors and upon doing 'shopping research', I have found select Walmarts carry the waters, Target might...the best options to find La Croix is Whole Foods (they have the biggest selection of flavors as well), Food Pyramid, and Reasors (a local Tulsa area grocery chain).  It's about $4.50 for a 12 pack (there are also 8 packs).  (Hence me fortunate for finding them on sale!)  Oh, Amazon.com also sells the carbonated goodness!

Here are the flavors:

• Lime
• Lemon
• Grapefruit
• Berry
• Pure (no flavoring, just sparkling water)
• Orange
• Cranraspberry
• Coconut
• Lemon Lime
• Peach Pear

Happy Sipping!

Summer



Bueno is Bueno!

     One of the great benefits (ok, one of the few benefits....) of living in Oklahoma is Taco Bueno.  Being on bed rest = Zach doesn't get dinner so we chose to Bueno it up.  I deterred from my normal "muchaco and bean burrito with sour cream' and chose a new menu item:  Southwest Empanadas.  They were yummy!

     I ordered mine with the cilantro rice (as in the pic) but I ordered refried beans instead because Rylie (my 10 month old daughter) would much rather gum those down.  Ha!

     The empanadas had great flavor and the rice was tasty also.  I had the option to add 'jalapeno ranch' to my order for 39 cents and I'm glad I did!  It was so delish and a great dip for the empanadas.  (It wasn't spicy, but a comfortable warmness...)  As for the beans? 

BIG hit :)

     Happy Saturday, Ya'll!  Hope you are being safe if you are in the way of the wild fires!  We currently have 15 people in our house...they were evacuated from their houses because of the fires and no power (which means no a/c!)

xoxo

Summer

Teachers Pay Teachers!!

   Teachers Pay Teachers?  WHAT?  LOVE the website I discovered (apparently it's been around for a while but I am quite new to it and so addicted!) 

    For those of you who don't know what it is, it is a website created for teachers to create and sell electronic packets/units they have made and you print them off (Christmas, Beginning of the Year, Phonemic Awareness, etc.)  They have everything from pre-k to high school. 

   The neat thing is once you find something you like or a seller you like, you can download certain things they have created for free (it's all on Adobe Acrobat) to see if you like it.  Most of the units are $3-5 and the BIG ones (some are month long units!!) are $10.  I would say 90% of the ones I have downloaded were completely worth every penny!

   My favorite person I have downloaded things from is Julie Lee.  Here is the link to follow her on TPT: TPT Julie Lee

    She is primarily a kinder teacher but I can tailor her things to meet most of my student's needs. I love her centers she creates (her Brown Bear, Brown Bear unit has rave reviews on several blogs that I have read and I have seen her products posted on Pinterest more than once.

    Erin Eberhart is another fav:  (also kinder)  TPT Erin Eberhart

Have fun exploring!  I hope you find a plethora of goodies!  :)

TGIF
Summer

Road Rage

Ever have days like that?  I feel this way often driving in Tulsa...  Hope it made you chuckle!

xoxo
Summer

Motivation Marbles

I'm a visual person.  So glad I found Motivation Marbles!

This weight loss tactic is a great way for me to get healthy.  It's easy to make and pretty wallet friendly.

Motivation Marbles:

• 2 vases (Hobby Lobby has them for a low price, even better when they are marked down 1/2 off!)
• Stickers (Dontcha just love the pink?)
• Marbles/pebbles/bling of some sort (I will use clear ones for 1 pound increments, pink for 5 pounds.)

When on the WW program, you weigh in every week and when you first start, you set your 5% and 10% goals (5% is 5% of your initial body weight, 10% is 10% of your initial weight).  That's when I will fill my vase.  I will start with my 5%.  When I meet that goal, 10%.  Then I will be able to set my lifetime goal. 

Judging by how much weight I gained with Rylie, this pregnancy will give me around 35 extra pounds...UGH.  It may be more.  I will really have to stay positive and try to keep my goals in mind!  Hopefully these vases will do the trick!

xoxo
Summer

**I got my idea from Pinterest.  This is the blog it was sited from:Motivation Marbles**