Keep an Eye Out

All right, my Internet delima is almost over.  Keep an eye out for a hand full of post coming soon.  I have gotten a bluum box and some bzz kits that I need to review. 

Bluum Box

So I am a little behind as usual with work, school, moving and getting Grayson ready for school.  Well in July I set up a membership with bluum box to see how it is.  So far I have received one box. 

The first thing that I saw when I opened my box, was a coupon for $7.00 off any box of Pure Organic.  It is good for one month.  I did not notice that until today, so I will have to use it this weekend.

Next was a special for Bluum moms.  If you purchase Dr. Oz's YOU RAISING YOUR CHILD Workout DVD, you get OPRAH: NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED Workout DVD FREE!

 Next was the card that said that Fitness GURU Joel Harper curated this month's box.

Next is a promotional code for Bluum moms to get 35% off all MIO products.

Next was a sample of Dapple Baby Bottle and Dish Liquid.  This liquid is free of parabens, phthalates, SLES, and dyes.  It is made of Natural ingredients.  It is made with baking soda and is biodegradable.  A 16.9 oz. bottle of this is $5.99.  Also is a 2 oz. sample of Triple Paste.  Triple Paste is recommended by pediatricians and dermatologist.  It is Fragrance-Free and Hypoallergenic.  I have actually used this before and love it.  A 2 oz. tube of this cost $9.99

Next I got two samples of UDDERLY SMOOTH Body Cream.  This is a greaseless, stainless, water-based moisturizer with a light fresh fragrance.  A 12 oz. Jar is $6.00  I have not tried this yet, but plan on it today.  Will edit and update with my review.

Next was a Fruit Cool Soothing Teether from green sprouts brand by i-play., Inc.  It comes in a fun easy-to-hold fruit shape.  The textured surface encourages teething to soothe the gums.  You can freeze or refrigerate this.  It cost $4.00  Levi loves it!

Finally, was a Pure Organic Bar.  These bars are made with simple, whole ingredients.  They are also gluten-free, vegan, and kosher.  I did eat this and it was so good.  I will be buying more of these for sure.  A 1.7 oz. bar is $2.19.

Keep an eye out for my review of my next box whenever I get that in.

My Opinion!

Before you read this and give me hateful comments or remarks, keep in mind I am writing a post on my opinion of this Chick-fil-A controversy. I am entitled to my opinion just as you are. I welcome any feedback but be respectful, no where in this post will I be bashing anyone or putting anyone down. So I do not expect that to be done to me either.

  OK so here goes. Just as everyone else read about Dan Cathy's remark about his beliefs on Gay Marriage I did too. As everyone else I too have an opinion. I have tried mostly to keep it private but now I keep reading a lot of stuff about it that just makes no since to me. Given that, I feel I need to voice my opinion. First off, unless you are my husband or family and friends that I feel comfortable talking about some views with, you will never know what my real stance is on anything. If it is important enough for me to make a fuss over you will know. Secondly, I am Christian and have always been taught that God is the only one that can make judgement on any one. It is not my place nor is it the place of anyone else to publicly judge others and their choices.

The last article I read that made me decide to write this I found on Acworth Patch. "Chick-fil-A Controversy: 'My Taste Buds Can't Tell'" Don't get me wrong, I do not think that this article was awful, I just do not agree completely with it. It is opinion based and the author has every right to that. My thing is that a lot of the problem with the world today is that people do not care enough sometimes. The main point that this article made was why should the company be bashed for comments its owner made. Obviously the person that wrote this does not work in a field where they represent their company. I guess my opinion is backed by the fact that I have worked in retail since I was old enough to have a job, and the fact that I am in school to be a teacher. Both of these types of jobs expect me to represent them. If I do something or say something that could harm them in any way you better bet that there would be consequences for me. Well when the owner of a major company publicly says something, you better bet that there are going to be consequences. There is a such thing as public decency despite the fact that many people have seemed to forget what that is. I do not know if it is the fact that I was actually born and raised in the south. I have been taught how to respect people no matter who they are or what they do. Just because I may or may not agree with something, it is not my place to make a very public announcement about that. If I did, going into it I would have to know that there would be consequences.

I just do not understand so called Christians publicly agreeing with this are saying that what he did was right. That is taking judgement. You can agree or disagree all you want, but we do not have the right to determine how others live. We are not the ones that should be able to decide who has rights and who does not. Do you know why the children of this generation have become so awful? It is all our fault as their parents. We show them how to hate and judge. As a Christian and a mother, I teach my children that we do not hate or judge others. God loves everyone no matter who they are or how they choose to live. For the Christians that take it upon themselves to open judge others, shame on you. Yes I know whats in the Bible, I teach it to my children, but when it comes down to it. I am not God and neither are you. Despite what anyone does it is in Gods hands to handle not ours. It is not our place to determine how the Bible should be interpreted. Which, unfortunately happens a little too often. Maybe if people focused all of their hate and judgment to issues that actually matter, than maybe our world would be in a better place. Maybe we would not have children starving or homeless. 

 Now that I have voiced my opinion on this entire situation, I will go about raising my children to be Christians and to love everyone and to not judge anyone.  They can live their lives as they see fit just as anyone else.  

Be. Wines Bzz Campaign

Here is another Bzz Campaign. *To participate in this campaign, you must be of legal drinking age.* I get to get some perks from Be. Wines since I am a Bzz agent. In the mail today, I recieved my kit. It included 1 $10 MIR, 5 $3 MIR, 1 nail file, 1 compact mirror, 1 mint tin, and 1 lip gloss tin. These wines were created to pair with you personality or mood. There is Be. Flirty which is a Pink Moscato. It has rich berry and delicate floral notes. Be. Bright is a Pinot Grigio. It has sun-ripened citrus flavors and a crisp, fresh finish. Be. Fresh is a Chardonnay. It has crisp green apple flavors and zesty hints of citrus. Finally, there is Be. Radiant. It is a Riesling. It has tantalizing fruit flavors and bright floral notes. I will be trying at least Be. Flirty this weekend and will give an update on how I think it is. Also, like I mentioned earlier, I have 5 $3 MIR if you are interested in trying Be. Wines. Let me know. You can only use one per household, so I need 5 different households. Visit BeWinery.com to learn more about Be. Wines. Also "like" thier Facebook page.

Lawry's Bzz Campaign

So for those of you that do not know, I am a Bzz Agent and I get to try out products and tell you about them. I recently signed up to try Lawry's products. On Thursday I received my kit containing 1 full size bottle of Santa Fe Chili Marinade, 1 full size bottle of Herb & White Wine Marinade, a full size bottle of seasoned salt, an apron and some coupons to share. Here is some information for you to know. The "Santa Fe Chili with Lime and Garlic blends chili pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic and a splash of lime for robust Southwest-style cooking"(BzzGuide). The "Mediterranean Herb & White Wine features fragrant herbs like basil and oregano, along with white wine, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and sun-dried tomato"(BZZGuide). There are 17 different Marinades and 12 different spice blends. Visit Lawrys.com and the Lawry's Facebook page for some easy-to-prepare recipes, info on the marinades and spice blends, and tips. Visit Dinnertising.com to create a personalized animated commercial starring your own family. I currently have 10 recipe and coupon books to give away. Let me know if you are interested in them!

Sociology Discussions

I started sociology this week. I have loved sociology every time I have taken it, so hopefully I will love this class too. Well, since I love this subject so much, I think I am going to post my weekly discussions from my class. This week, I had to 1)Consider how "common sense" knowledge affects your every day decisions. 2) Reflect on how the sociological imagination challenges certain core values and basic beliefs in ones's own society and culture. and 3) Post a value of mine that studying sociology may challenge. Explain why I chose that value and how I would use my social imagination to bring awarenedd to other possible viewpoints of the value. So after some thinking here is what I submitted for class. I would like to know what your thoughts are on this topic also. All of us have things that we come across in our lives that we believe are “common sense”. According to our book, “In our daily lives, we rely on common sense to get us through many unfamiliar situations.” (Schaefer, 2011) I have a hard time accepting that what I think is common sense, others obviously do not. I work in retail and have since I was 16. To me it is common sense to treat the customers like gold because they are what keep the company going. Unfortunately that is not always the case with others. “However, this common sense knowledge, while sometimes accurate, is not always reliable, because it rests on commonly held beliefs rather than on systematic analysis of facts.” (Schaefer, 2011) Sociological imagination is “an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society, both today and in the past (Mills[1959] 2000a)” (Schaefer, 2011) When we use our sociological imagination, we can see how we as individuals fit into society as a whole. A great example that was used in the text was “in the aftermath if the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, many citizens wanted to understand how Muslims throughout the world perceived their country, and why.” (Schaefer, 2011) They were using their sociological imagination to try and understand why a group of people would do this. A common value that I think gets challenged in sociology is religious beliefs. I am choosing this value because it is very important to me. Every culture interprets the Bible and other religious documents how they want to interpret them. I am very open minded about what types of things other cultures do, but I stand my ground on my beliefs on religion and how I bring my children up into it. Since this is always a very touchy subject with many people, I would have to use caution when using my sociological imagination to bring awareness to other viewpoints on this value. All that I can really do is point out my beliefs and why I believe them. If the other viewpoints are open to hearing them and understanding them, then that is all that matters. To me, there is no right or wrong. You may not believe in what someone else believes in, but it is also not right to completely shoot down their beliefs as wrong. References Schaefer, R. (2011). Sociology a Brief Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill.

The Legend of The Leprechaun

If you should be walking along a wooded path some moonlit night in Spring and hear the faint tap-tapping of a tiny hammer, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an Irish leprechaun, the elfin shoemaker, whose roguish tricks are the delight of Irish story-telling.

According to legend, the leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden somewhere, and he must give up his treasure to the one who catches him. You'll have to step lively and think quickly to capture a leprechaun's gold though, because this sly little fellow will fool you into looking away for an instant while he escapes into the forest.

A story is told of a man who compelled a leprechaun to take him to the very bush where the gold was buried. The man tied a red handkerchief to the bush in order to recognize the spot again and ran home for a spade. He was gone only three minutes, but when he returned to dig, there was a red handkerchief on every bush in the field.

As long as there are Irishmen to believe in the "little folk," there will be leprechauns to reflect the wonderful Irish sense of fun, and many a new story of leprechaun shenanigans will be added to Irish folklore each year. Bibliography Unknown. (1983). Irish Blessings. New York: Random House Publishing, Inc.

The Legend of the Shamrock

Long ago, when Ireland was the land of Druids, there was a great Bishop, Patrick by name, who came to teach the word of God throughout the country.... This saint, for he was indeed a saint, was well loved everywhere he went. One day, however, a group of his followers came to him and admitted that it was difficult for them to believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

Saint Patrick reflected a moment and then, stooping down, he plucked a leaf from the shamrock and held it before them, bidding them to behold the living example of the "Three-in-One." The simple beauty of this explanation convinced these skeptics, and from that day the shamrock has been revered throughout Ireland. Bibliography Unknown. (1983). Irish Blessings. New York: Random House Publishing, Inc.

Tattoos

I am hoping to get a new tattoos soon. I am having trouble deciding though. I either want some kind of footprints on my foot with either the boys name or their birthdates, or I want a Wonder Woman symbol. Does anyone have any suggestions. I am trying to get paul to draw me up something, so we will see what he comes up with. Any idea is appreciated. There is one that I want really bad, but it will have to wait til I loose some weight, and get lots of money to have it done.

Vent!!!

Ok so it is time for a vent. Well Paul and I had to file a bankruptcy this year. Everything was going great and I felt a lot of stress lifted off of my shoulders. My main worry with the bankruptcy was if we were going to be able to keep our car. After our first meeting we were told that Wells Fargo was going to let us keep our car we just had to bring it current. About a day after that, we paid over $2000 to them for our car. About a week later, we paid the next payment that still had a few days before it was due. After we made this payment, we got a letter in the mail from Wells Fargo saying that they were going to court to take our car. The kicker is that today at 5:30 my husband got a call from our lawyers office saying that we had to be at court in Atlanta at 9:30 in the morning. Talking about short notice! We bough this car in 2007 and we only owe about 7000 on it, yet they want to take us to court to take it from us. Come on now! Oh yeah and to top this situation off, I got my first speeding ticket in about 6 years and I must appear in court no exceptions. Sometimes I wonder when I can have a break. Now that I have vented about those petty problems I feel a little less angry.

I Love this!!!!

Busy week!

So I was going to do a Pinterest meal a week, but since I started work, it has been very difficult for me to get a lot of things done. I am hoping that sometime in the near future I can get a routine down and not be so tired all the time. I am off today, so I am also planning on doing a few ideas from Pinterest that I will of course post. I will be making my own wipes, a weight loss goal jar, and setting up snack baskets in my pantry. Oh yeah, I am also doing the photo a day for February and hope to have those pictures loaded soon. Being a full time mom, student and employee, not to mention made, and chef really take a toll quickly. On another note, I just got the Baby Bullet and plan on trying it out today too. I am so excited to be able to make all of Levi's food. I feel bad that I did not try this with the other 2, but you live and learn and become wiser to what is in the products that we give our children. Tata for now. Look for some Pinterest updates soon.

February Photo a Day

I decided after coming across this on Pinterest, that I am going to do this. It is such a cool idea. Keep an eye out for my pics!

Pinterest Meal a Week: Pizza Casserole

This week I am making Pizza Casserole.

Source: formamas.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

This recipe is originally from For Mamas
I really hope this turns out as good as it looks!

Pinterest Meal a Week: Special Edition

So I am a little behind since I started my new job. This past week I did an extra Pinterest meal and a Pinterest desert since Paul's Birthday was on the 22nd. I made Crock Pot Meatloaf and Mountain Dew Cupcakes.

Source: orgjunkie.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Easy Meatloaf
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 slices day-old bread, cubed
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
8 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks (I just use baby carrots)
8 small red potatoes

In a bowl, beat egg and milk. Stir in the bread cubes, onion, green pepper, salt and pepper. Add beef and mix well. Shape into a round loaf.

Place in a 5-qt slow cooker. Spread ketchup on top of loaf. Arrange carrots around loaf. Peel a strip around the center of each potato; place potatoes over carrots.

Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 7-8 hours longer or until no pink remains in the meat and the vegetables are tender.

Yield: 4 servings

Source: Taste of Home’s Slow Cooker Classics
Retrieved this from Organizing Junkie

Source: allthingscupcake.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Mountain Dew Cupcakes
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup Mountain Dew
1/4 cup of lemon and lime juice (juice from 1 lemon and 1 lime)
zest from 1 lemon and 2 limes (separate into 2 piles, one for butter cream)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Beat butter on medium for 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar and lemon, lime zest. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, Scrape sides of bowl in between additions
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to mixer bowl. Turn on low for 5 seconds.
5. Add the Mountain Dew, lemon/lime juice, and lemon extract . Mix to combine.
5. Scoop into cupcake papers about two-thirds full.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.


Mountain Dew Buttercream
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Mountain Dew
Juices from half of 1 lemon and half of 1 lime.
Lemon and lime zest (rest of zest from cupcake recipe. Or zest from half of 1 lemon and 1 whole lime)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
neon green food coloring (yellow and blue if you dont have green)

1. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
2. Beat butter at medium-high speed until creamy
3. Add half of the sugar, turn mixer on low for 5 seconds.
4. Add the Mountain Dew, zest, and lemon extract . Beat until combined.
5. Add food coloring to the desired color.
6. Gradually add remaining sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.













I chose to make cream cheese frosting instead of butter cream frosting. Once I had my cream cheese frosting, I added all the ingredients above that gave the citrus flavor and color to the icing. Next time I will need to make the icing a little thicker but it was still very good!










These recipes are going to be added as keepers for sure!

RELG-2001-5 World Religions Reflection: Beliefs

Beliefs
I have grown up in a religious family. First I was brought up in the Southern Baptist Church, then my parents got divorced and I was brought up in the Catholic Church. As I have gotten older and explored life on my own, I have made my own decision on my religious beliefs. I am a Christian. I attend a nondenominational Church. I teach my children about the Bible and how it is written. The things that made me not follow a denomination was that sometimes they make up their own rules on what is right and what is wrong. I think that sometimes, the Bible is misinterpreted or the information that suits the denomination is followed and the rest is not.
In my beliefs, I do have a conception of Ultimate Reality. I believe in Heaven and Hell. My children are taught about Heaven and Hell also. We believe that the good souls go to Heaven and the bad souls go to Hell. We do not describe these places to our children, because we really do not know what they look like. It is not for us to assume.
My self and my family go to Church every Sunday. Most of the time, when there are special services, we attend them. My children attend Sunday school so they are taught about the stories in the Bible on their level. I do not think children should be taught on the same level as the adults. It is too much information for them to understand. They need to be taught a way that helps them understand and relates the stories to them. We believe that Jesus died on the Cross to save us from our sins. We use the Cross symbol to worship and remember this.
We follow one and only one Body of Sacred Writings. The Bible is the only book that we follow. What is written in the Bible is how it is. It is not the right of anyone to change the words written in there. Having a different religion is one thing, but if you use the Bible but you take from it what you want and disregard the rest, that is wrong.
I believe that when the body dies, that the human mind and spirit survives and goes to Heaven. I think that our physical body is just a vessel to take our spirit through this current world. One thing that was brought up to me lately by my mother was how “Old Souls” come about. She said that she read somewhere that our souls are sent to the physical bodies to learn a lesson. If they do not learn all that they need to learn before the body dies, then they are sent back to finish their lesson. I can see how that could be possible. My four year old is one that we classify as an “Old Soul”. He seems to have knowledge of things way beyond his age. I am very open-minded to learn new things and beliefs, as long as they do not go against the words of the Bible.
My view of Survival after Death is very simple and straight forward. All souls are saved and sent to Heaven. Jesus died to save us from our sins, so no matter what we do, we are forgiven. There is however one sin that will never be forgiven. Blasphemy is the only unforgivable sin. To me, blasphemy is speaking, writing or thinking of God or any religious artifact in a negative manner.
My beliefs of Moral Good are to follow the 10 Commandments. The King James Version of these Commandments is: 1)Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything. 3) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. 4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 5) Honour thy father and thy mother. 6) Thou shalt not kill. 7) Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8) Thou shalt not steal. 9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. And 10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour. Those are the rules that have been set forth for us to follow in the Bible and that is what my family lives by.
Finally, my view on who has Religious Authority is also very straight forward. There is only one person that has Religious Authority. That person is my Lord and Savior. He has ALL Religious Authority. I believe that he has helpers to spread the word and help us understand. When it comes down to it though, he is the only one that has a say of how things go.
References
Laws, G. T. (2012). The Ten Commandments Listed. Retrieved January 22, 2012, from Gods Ten Laws: http://godstenlaws.com/ten-commandments/index.html

Pinterest Crafts: Universe in a Jar

Grayson loves learning about the stars and universe. He also is afraid of the dark. So, what better project for us to do then a Universe in a Jar.

Source: hobbiesonabudget.com via Jessica on Pinterest

All you need is a mason jar or any type of clear jar. I happened to get a mason jar at Goodwill for 77 cents. You also need glow in the dark paint.


All you do is put lots of dots all over the jar and let it dry. It did several runs until Grayson felt that the jar had enough stars in it.


I tried getting a picture of the jar in the dark, but it just was not happening.

Week 3 outcome for Pinterest meal a week.

This week I made White Chicken Enchiladas. I saw the picture on Pinterest and got the recipe from Joyful Momma's Kitchen.

Source: joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Chicken enchiladas with green chili sour cream sauce
10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan
2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.







We loved these! We could not stop eating them. This will be added to my book of good recipes.

Kroger Comforts BzzCampaign

I am a BzzAgent. With that, I get to try samples out and let everyone know how they are. For this campaign, I get to try out Kroger Comforts brand. The Comforts brand offers the selections that many other name brands carry. We have tried the diapers for Levi. He has very sensitive skin, and so far of all the diapers that we have tried, these are the only ones that do not irritate his skin. There is formula, which we have tried also. It is much cheaper then the other brands, but it is just as good. Levi also has reflux and we used Comforts sensitive stomach formula and he did pretty well on it. They also have wipes and many other items like feeding tools. We will be trying out the wipes for free so soon I will let you know what I think of them. They are also priced very reasonably. Visit ComfortsForBaby.com for more information on this brand. You can also "Like" Comforts at facebook.com/ComfortsForBaby. If you use Twitter you can also follow them at twitter.com/ComfortsForBaby

Also, I currently have some coupons for 20% off on any ONE Comforts Diaper, Formula or Wipe, any variety. If you are interested in trying them out, let me know and I will give you a coupon.

Pinterest Crafts: Minky Blankets

There are so many crafts that I want to do from Pinterest. One I came across that got my wheels turning was Minky Blankets.

Source: icraftblog.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

This Pin goes to http://icraftblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/minky-blanket-tutorial.html
On here, Jenny walks you through how to make these Minky Blankets yourself. They are pretty easy. The most time consuming part is putting all the pins in so the fabric will not move.

The first thing we did is have a family trip to Joann's. I was just going to make one for Levi, but of course the other two boys wanted one two. They each picked out their own fabrics and I let them pick an applique that could go on it too. I did Grayson's blanket first. He picked green mink of course since green is his favorite color. Then he picked a Dino flannel fabric for the other side. When we went to look at appliques we had to find Dinos. He found three different ones and of course wanted them all. I got 1/2 a yard of all the fabric just to play around in case I messed up. When I got home, I cut the fabric to the shape and size that looked good for me. Then, I ironed on the appliques. After that, I lined up the fabrics right sides together and put in the million (at least felt like it) that it takes to make sure the mink does not move so much during sewing. Also when cutting the mink, cut it slightly larger than the other fabric so when you are done and it moves around you do not run out of edges. You cut whats left over when you are done. Then, I very slowly sewed it together leaving about 3 in open on one edge so I could flip the fabrics the right way. After that, fold in where the gap is so the edges match the rest of the blanket, and iron the entire blanket making sure to press the edges. Once you are done with that, put in a top stitch all the way around the blanket and you are done.





For Aaron he picked red mink and cars flannel. He also picked a Mater and a regular truck applique. For Levi I picked out a brown mink and a light green with green and brown dots. He also has a turtle applique. I have not finished the other two yet, but once I do, I will update this post with pics.

Pinterest Meal a Week(Week 3)

The next Pinterest meal I will be making is White Chicken Enchilada's.

Source: joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

We will see Monday how they turn out.

Week 2 Outcome for Pinterest meal a week.

This week I made crock pot lasagna. I got the recipe from pinterest.

Source: creatingthroughlife.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I have never made lasagna before in my life, and after I made this recipe I will make it a lot more often.

I made a few changes to the recipe to suit my likings. First off, I added mushrooms. To me everything remotely Italian has to have mushrooms in it. Don't know why, but I just love them.

Secondly, I used Ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese.

Thirdly, I put 6 cheese Italian blend on top of the lasagna when it was almost done cooking. I am of course a cheese addict so I would not have it any other way.

Doesn't that look so yummy? Well it was! :)Mine does not look as pretty as the one in the picture from pinterest, but I do not care since it tasted so good!

The final part of my meal since it was my Birthday after all, was Angel food cake with fresh strawberries and cool whip! There was also a glass of Sangria in there too, but since I had to take Aaron to ER, I did not get to drink it.

Vent!!!!!!!!!!

OK, so I have decided that one thing I am going to do this your to better myself if write about things that bother me. I normally keep them to myself or talk to my husband about them so I do not upset anyone else. For those of you that know me, know that I have to take antidepressants. I do not want to have to live my life taking medicine all the time to not be upset. If I feel the need to vent about something someone has done, I will not use names. If I post something please do not be offended. If you do not like what I have to say do not read it. This is the only way I feel that I can feel better. If I do write something about a situation with someone, it does not mean that I do not care about you anymore or that I think differently of you than I portray to you. Do not take it personal unless you truly did something wrong, then maybe you should take it personal. Most of the time is is just venting about my stress so there should not be too many instances involving specific people, but if there is, I will write about it to get it off my mind and relieve myself of the stress that comes with it.

To start of this section, I have to vent about college students that should obviously not be in college. I am now and have been for over three years now taking college courses online to finish my Bachelors in Early Childhood Education. These classes require a lot of discussion posting with my classmates about what we are learning. Obviously if I am in school to be a teacher, I am supportive of anyone receiving an education or furthering their education. My beef is when you are taking college courses to be a teacher and you can not use correct grammar when you write your college level discussion post for the entire class to read. Some of the literacy, spelling and grammar levels I notice in my classes are horrible. Please tell me that we do not have teachers like this teaching our children. If so, I will teach my own children. The main offenders do not even use spellcheck. Don't get me wrong, I make grammar and spelling mistakes too, but when I post something that still has a mistake, either it was one that spell check does not pick up, or I completely missed it while I was rereading my post to see if it was correct. My entire post are not riddled with mistakes. It really makes it hard for me to concentrate on doing what I am required to do for my homework because I can not even get through the post since it is so badly written. OK, my vent is done for now! :)

Pinterest meal a week. (Week 2)

Source: creatingthroughlife.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

This week I am making Crock Pot Lasagna. Lasagna is probably my favorite food and since my Birthday is Monday I figured why not make myself a Birthday meal. I will let you know how it turns out on Monday.

Levi Thomas McKinney

A little over three months later I guess it is time to tell Levi's Birth Story. I wish I had thought of this with the other two but I will make sure to do it now for Levi. Levi was my third pregnancy. I had a lot of problems throughout this pregnancy. Starting at about 35 weeks I was having severe braxton hicks contractions. There were times that I had to call the doctor because they were so bad. Since he was my third I was always told to wait them out, take some Tylenol and rest. Sometimes they lasted all day, then finally stopped. Every time I went into the doctor for my checkups I was at 3cm and 80% effaced. This didn't change for two weeks. The week before I had him, I was actually sent to the hospital because my blood pressure was so high. I was having pretty high contractions there too so they kept me all day and then per my request sent me home. My blood pressure had gone down. Besides the contractions I was not dilating and since I was only 36 weeks there was nothing they could do. Finally three days after I turned 37 weeks, I was cramping really bad all morning. Aaron and I laid down to take a nap before we had to get Grayson from school. When I got up to get ready, I was spotting a little which was normal since I had just been checked. I got my bag and Aaron and I were standing at the door about to walk out to get Grayson and my water broke. It was not a trickle either. It was a full on gush that was not stopping. There was not anyone close enough to be able to pick Grayson up by 2:30, so I had to go get him. I called his school and had them bring him to the car since I was having a little embarrassing problem. I had also called the doctor. They told me to come in to the office. Luckily my friend Natalie was around so she could meet me at the doctor to watch the boys while I was being seen. Paul was on his way home from work just in case since it takes him about an hour to get home. The doctor told me to go to the hospital because I was having Levi today. I still had not changed any in dilation though so they said I may have to be on potocin. I was not looking forward to that because I wanted to do this naturally and if I had potocin I was going to need an epidural because that stuff makes me feel horrible. Lucky for me, my contractions started on the way home to meet Paul. It got so strong that I was hitting my console and Grayson told me I shouldn't do that because I could break my car. Paul had made it home before me and had almost everything ready. We got bags ready for the boys and they went and spent the night with Natalie(My biggest lifesaver). Finally Paul and I headed to Northside. The entire pregnancy I was so nervous that when I was in labor we would get stuck in traffic on 285. Luckily we didn't because my contractions were pretty strong. We got to the hospital and I had to sit in the sign in area for a little while because they did not have any rooms open. My water was still leaking so I felt so gross. I felt like everyone was looking at me because I had to keep a towel between my legs so I didn't leak everywhere. We got in a room finally and my mom showed up shortly after that. She was also a little ways away when this took place. I told them that I was not going to take any pain meds and the nurses kept calling me a rock star. With this pregnancy, I was positive for Group B Strep, so I had to have antibiotics through my IV. Those burned so bad that they put a glove full of ice on my hand to lesson the burning feeling. My contractions were getting closer and stronger with each one. My dilation seemed to be going rather slowly. Finally around 7:30ish, the contractions became excruciating. I kept feeling lots of pressure and the nurse checked me again and said I still was not ready. Only a few minutes after this, with each contraction I kept feeling the need to push, then I felt like my body was actually forcing me to push. They checked me again and said I was only 8 cm. The nurses kept telling me not to push because I was not ready. Keep in mind I have had no pain meds still at this point. I was starting to get really pissed off and every time they told me not to push I yelled at them that I could not not push because my body was doing it. I remember my mom kept telling me that I had to breath. I guess I was holding my breath every time I felt a pushing feeling. I was also yelling frequently. I do not see how anyone could have a silent birth. Yelling was the only way I felt I could release the pain. When my midwife came in she told me to go ahead and do what I felt. They kept telling me not to push so I would not tear, but at this point I guess she felt like it was no use. Once I went with the pushes instead of fighting them, he started coming down pretty quickly. By this time, I was yelling for meds because I could not handle the pain any longer. They had actually put the order in for meds that would go in my iv. Throughout my pregnancy I talked about different options with my midwife, one of them being a local anesthetic to lesson the ring of fire you get. Well they didn't have time for that either. When his head started coming out it burned so bad. I remember actually yelling how bad it burned. I do have to say that beside the all the pain, the good thing about not having any pain meds was that I could actually feel him come out. In the middle of all the burning, all of a sudden I felt what seemed like a burst and then all the pain was gone. I actually felt his head come out and then the rest of the body. At 8:20 pm on 9/29/11 Levi Thomas McKinney was born. It was amazing to feel his entire birth, besides the pain of course. After all of that, I only had one itty bitty tear. He was our smallest baby. He was 8lbs 10oz and 21 in. He also looked completely different than the other two. Levi had barely any hair and it was red. The other 2 had heads full of crazy black hair. We did have a little hiccup with Levi. Several hours after he was born and they took us to our room, he started choking and turning blue. The nurse took him to the nursery to have him checked out. She came back and told us that they had to keep him for awhile because he kept having choking episodes. It started happening so frequently that they had to send him to transition so he would have his own nurse to watch over him. Every time they would feed him, his oxygen would drop and he would start having choking episodes. He was also spitting up a lot of amniotic fluid. They said because he came down so fast, that he was squeezed how he should have been to get it out of his system. He was in transition for almost 48 hours before they released him to us. Once he was released to us, they actually sent us home that day. Our hospital stay was for 3 days. Oh yeah and on a side note, we had a brief freakout moment on our way home. We made it all the way to the Wade Green exit safely. All of a sudden while we were sitting at the red light to turn onto Wade Green a truck came speeding up the exit ramp just barely missing our car and went up the hill across Wade Green and into the emergency lane on the bridge. God had to be watching over, because he did not hit any car. I was so tense until we got home after that.

Week 1 outcome for 1 Pinterest meal a week.

For week 1, I made Crockpot Italian Chicken. I got this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything It was very easy to make. It tasted great. However, this is a meal I would probably only make once in awhile. It was kindof a heavy meal and without looking up any nutritional information I would have to say very fattening. I am glad though that I have a new recipe to add to my list of ones I like. I am an extremely picky eater so finding something I like to eat is hard!

1 Pinterest meal a week!

This year I have to decided to make one meal from Pinterest a week. This week I am making Crockpot Italian Chicken. We will see how it turns out.

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Jessica on Pinterest