Long time no talk. Were the Holidays crazy or what?
I was feeling so down because of how different everything was and what we couldn’t do. So I just focused on myself and my family and what we could still do.
It was definitely needed but guess what!? I am back and I thank you for being so patient. I have so much news and so many new ideas I can’t wait to dive into.
The cutest news?
We added to our family in December, we have a fur baby!
His name is Boomer and he’s an adorable Golden Retriever. So now I am officially super outnumbered with all boys in my house.
It’s definitely been an adjustment with an 18 month old and a puppy but it’s been fun! I will definitely talk more on that in another post.
But for now I just wanted to hop on here and say hi and let you know I’m still here!
It’s a new year and I can’t wait to freshen things up and get some new content rolling out.
Also, remember we do Saturday guest blogs and would love to line some up for the new year so email us at quirkyworkinmoms@gmail.com if you are interested please!
Again, thank you so much for being patient and I’m so glad to be back to writing for you all!
I feel like this year I am more thankful than I ever have been before.
2020 has truly opened my eyes to what matters most in life and it’s definitely not any type of material things that matter even one little bit. It’s people. It’s our loved ones. It’s “our” people.
And it’s most definitely health.
I know the holiday’s will be hard for everyone this year. There’s just no way of getting around it. But I still hope you can find joy and happiness in your hearts and I hope you can still enjoy this wonderful season and the memories it will still bring.
I thought today I would share with you all what I’m most thankful for not only this year but every day. Because no matter what, you can always find at least one thing you are thankful for.
My Family.
I can’t even describe to you the love I have for my family. Not only my husband and my son but just all the ones so close to me. They show nothing but support. Nothing but love and a helping hand whenever you need it. The gift of family is the best there is and I am just so thankful for each and every one of them that I get to call mine.
Health.
The health of myself. The health of my family and my friends. Now more than ever I am so so thankful for health and I’m never taking it for granted.
Smiles & Laughs.
Oh how much I miss seeing a kind strangers smile. I am so thankful for the smiles I get to see this year. You never know how much of a good and infectious thing it is until it’s covered up.
Plus, laughs with my hubby and son have just been the best lately. My husband and I will crack up about something (he’s a jokester) and then all of a sudden our little man will start laughing with us. It’s so cute!
Messes.
As much as I love a clean house, I know I am doing great as a mom when my house is filled with toys all over. It reminds me that I’m raising a sweet, playful and adventures little boy and I would take messes over a picked up, vacuum lines showing house any day of the week.
Friendship.
My husband and I are blessed with some amazing friendships. I am so thankful for the friends who are always a call or text away. They will never know how loved they truly are!
There are so many more things I’m thankful for in my life but I just thought I would share the 5 most important to me right now.
I wish you all nothing but a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving and holiday season. I hope your hearts fill with joy and magic and that you can spend it the best way you can.
I know we hate to admit it as parents but sometimes you just need a break from being so up tight and being frustrated!
No one needs it.
So I put myself in timeout this past week. I sat down and thought of what I need to do differently to be better. To be more present and more understanding.
My son is at the age where he is bossy and learning so many new things. And along with those new things is temper tantrums. Who knew terrible two’s would start at 15 months!
It’s been exhausting. I’ve been short tempered, I haven’t been sleeping well, I’ve been working longer hours then normal. It’s just been an anxiety filled last couple of weeks.
So I put myself in timeout to figure out what needs to change and I came up with a great list!
Number one on my list was a social media break. It’s been fantastic! The relief of not seeing everyone’s opinions and problems can be refreshing when you need it. I can’t believe how toxic social media can be at times for your mental health.
I started my Christmas planning. I am a firm believer on do what makes you happy! And Christmas makes so many of us happy, so why not start decorating early this year?
I also started on my Christmas gift list. I love planning everything out and I really want to go small and meaningful this year. Especially the DIY gifts.
Taking time to get on my sons level and be more patient on what he is trying to tell me or show me even when he is doing it in a tantrum way.
Putting the phones down around my husband more and create time together even if it’s an hour of tv cuddles on the couch before bed. It’s crazy how much you can miss someone you live with when your schedules are always so opposite!
So do yourself a favor and put yourself in time out for a bit. Think of the changes you want to make as we come up on the holiday season and a new year.
There’s always room for improvement and to detox the bad out of your life! And who knew being in time out could be such a good thing as an adult!?
So, here we are back in quarantine. Yes, many things have opened in America, and now we have a third COVID spike happening in a lot of places. There are several reasons why you might have to quarantine, and it’s not necessarily because you have COVID-19. So, it’s something that we should all be prepared to deal with.
With this in mind- I am going to try to make this quarantine better than the last one. We all went a little crazy with the last one, didn’t we? Especially those of us that had to work at home. (Here is my post about working from home with kids.) I know that so many people have been stuck inside for unknown periods of time, and it can be such a struggle. But, do not give up yet! We can make this work for us and our families!
Here are some easy ways that you can manage quarantine as a mom:
1. Take a Break- I know this is easier said than done. Trust me. I know. But, part of being a good mom, a BIG part, means that you are in a good place mentally. If you’re annoyed or overwhelmed- then you need to find a way to take a break and regroup. But what do you do if you need someone to watch the kids? If you are uncomfortable with allowing someone else in your house, that is understandable. Then, the only option that I can think of is to put the kids to bed early. Make them run around for a while, give them a large dinner and send them to bed at 7pm. This way you can have a couple hours to yourself. I know that this may be impossible some days, but keep trying! You need and deserve time to yourself to do whatever you want!
2. Support Squad- Get yourself a support squad (that you can talk to about anything). Make sure that you have your besties ready in a group chat, Marco Polo, FaceTime, SnapChat, email- whatever! You do not need to be doing this alone. I would advise you to keep your friends and family separate. You may feel like you’re close to your MIL, but what about when you need to vent about your partner or talk about sex? See what I mean?!
3. Time Block- You don’t necessarily need a set schedule if you’re not that type of person. And honestly, a daily set schedule can get stressful in quarantine. But, do make sure that you have parts of your day blocked off for certain activities: play time, movie time, reading time, or everyone in their separate rooms- quiet time. Even a little structure is good for your kids. It will also help your sanity. Having a schedule, or some kind of plan, will give you hope when you think you just can’t take one more second, you don’t have to! Move on to the next activity!
4. Set Boundaries- This can be any type of boundary that you need. Maybe you limit snacks, time or spaces. Whatever works for you. But, let me tell you, you cannot live a free for all and have everyone make it out alright. It’s just not going to happen. With my husband and son, I make the kitchen off limits when I’m cooking dinner. They cannot come in for snacks or to bug me during that time. They can go anywhere else, just not the kitchen while I’m cooking. It’s a time that I look forward to every day.
5. Special Celebrations- When you don’t know what day it is in quarantine, and everything seems to be running together: no one’s showering, changing clothes or deciphering between meals… Then it is time for you to shake things up. You need something special to do! This may sound like extra work, but it does not have to be. Make it simple, but different. You could have a special movie marathon, like Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones- anything in a series works. Or, you could have a fun theme for the day. Just make some kind of doable plans that will get your family excited. It’s always important to have something to look forward to!
6. Refresh and Revitalize- This sounds a lot like a shampoo commercial, but I think it’s something that the whole family needs to do often (daily if possible) when in quarantine. A great way to refresh is to go outside. I know that this one is a hassle, and it’s getting colder. I get it, but you will not regret the fresh air. Also, think about having family yoga or taking an online exercise class together. Do something that gets the blood flowing and raises everyone’s spirits.
Quarantine is definitely a time to let things go- but not too far! Don’t lose yourself or your sanity. Make a point to keep some law and order- or invent new tactics if you need to. When everything shut down in the spring, I didn’t have a plan for quarantine. I didn’t know what it would be like or how long it would last.
Now that I know how dark things can get, I don’t want to go there again. If I find myself in the same clothes for 4 days in a row eating lasagna while my 2 year old is watching the Simpsons naked at 3am, then I know I have let quarantine get the best of me. This is not the kind of mom that I want to be.. again.
Get a little bit of structure and spontaneity in the mix if you can. Stay positive and know that if we all follow guidelines and quarantine rules- we will be okay!
I have always been a crafty person. I love doing crafts and DIY’s and I think they are the best type of presents you can give someone. Even better? Becoming a mom and doing crafts with my little man. It brings an even more special meaning to these cute little things we create.
As we come up into the holiday season, I will be sharing tons of crafts and DIY’s that you can do yourselves and with your little’s so I really hope you enjoy!
Today I am taking you along with me and bub on a craft we made the other day. A little pumpkin. We are working on his sensory and fine motor skills so lots of coloring is involved.
What you will need-
Empty paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls.
Pumpkin shaped paper.
Washable crayons (I highlight washable because….toddler mom life)
Hot glue gun
This is such a fun project that requires minimal effort and supplies and it turns out so cute. The empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls I had because I knew I wanted to do this craft. The pumpkin shaped paper I bought at the Target dollar spot.
I lightly colored the majority of the pumpkin and then for each one I let my little man scribble around and dot it all up. He was loving it!!
Once he was done coloring all of them I heated up my hot glue gun and got my paper rolls ready and then hot glued each piece of paper to the front of the paper rolls so they stand up.
They turned out to be the cutest décor!
We handed them out as cute little Fall gifts to some of our family and it was a hit.
So simple but I love it and I think it’s the perfect craft that you can keep and make more each year!
Please let me know if you do it with your little’s. I would love to see your pictures of the final piece 🙂
Since the holiday’s are coming up, I thought I would share a funny story with you all.
My husband and I are HUGE National Lampoons Christmas Vacation fans. It’s one of our favorite movies to watch each year. Almost 9 years ago when we started dating, we still lived at home at the time. So of course we would store our Christmas gifts at our separate houses.
Well my husbands dad went into their attic the other day and he found a Christmas present wrapped up, all dusty and the tag read to Amanda, From A.J.
He pulled a total Clark Griswold when he is stuck in the attic and finds a mother’s day gift to his wife from like 10 years ago.
We were both cracking up and the date of the gift was from 2012!
We just thought it was the funniest thing and even funnier since it happened in one of our favorite movies! So I had to share on here 🙂
Do any of you have funny lost gift stories? Please share in the comments!
As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed my post, until next Monday!
It is full on fall in Michigan right now. The crisp air, the leaves are beginning to fall and change colors, and unfortunately the days are getting shorter.
We do a TON of baking during the cooler months. My favorite is when we use our fresh apples from the orchard. I mean, why would I go to the local grocery store and spend $5 on apples when I can go spend $100 at the apple orchard?!
I made some apple pies, and those are delicious. It makes me reminisce about my grandfather that LOVED apple pie, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was his favorite. Every year for his birthday, my mom would bake him a fresh pie.
I still think apple crisp is easier, and in my opinion SWEETER! I still enjoy it with vanilla ice cream, but occasionally I’ll have some for breakfast.
I’m going to share my recipe with you today. I have a secret ingredient… still debating if I’ll share that!
First, you peel your very expensive apples. I picked them with my family, so they taste better, right?! I peel about 6-8, depending on the size. I feel they were a bit small this year so I went with 8! I then slice them, thinly. I had to hand the knife over to my husband. I almost chopped my finger. I’ll spare you the details, and pictures.
Second, you want to stir all your dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg! Yup, that’s my secret. I know it’s a very common spice, but to me it made the difference!
I then add the dry ingredients with my thinly sliced apples. At this point I also add a little bit of vanilla. It just makes the flavors a little more rich. I let those sit and “marinate” while I make the “crisp”!
Mix your oatmeal, brown sugar and cubed butter. I let my girls do this part and get messy.
I put mine in a smaller dish, then a 13×9! I used a 9×9. Not exactly sure why, it was just a pretty dish I guess! Then I plopped it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
I let it cool slightly, then served it warm with a pile of vanilla ice cream.
My whole family loved it. Well after the decided they weren’t afraid to try something mom baked.
I’m gonna share the recipe below! Enjoy, and let me know if you tried it!
6-8 apples, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter a baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and flour. Stir to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, add topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter). Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until mixture resembled pea-sized crumbs. Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture.
4. Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
5. Serve warm and enjoy!
In full transparency I used a Pinterest recipe, but I tweaked it a lot to my liking! Isn’t that what cooking and baking is about, though?!
I hope if you make it, you enjoy it as much as my family did!
Hello loves! Is anyone else’s tree’s changing?? I am so in love!
I hope you are all doing well! I have a fun post today and I am excited to share it with you.
Fall cooking and baking has been on my mind with the weather cooling down and ever since I decorated it makes It even more fun.
So I thought today I would share with you a new favorite crockpot recipe that is SO easy and yummy!
Plus take you along with me while baking and hanging with my little man. I love day in the life type of posts so I hope you enjoy 😊
Crockpot Baked Penne Pasta.
What you will need-
1 tsp of garlic salt, pepper and parsley
1 lb ground beef
28oz diced tomatoes
1 jar of marinara sauce
2 cups chicken stock or water
Penne noodles
Parmesan cheese
Cook your ground beef and then add it to your crock pot. Sprinkle your seasonings over the ground beef and stir it up.
Then add your tomatoes, marinara sauce and chicken stock and stir together.
Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
Once your time is up, add your noodles and give it a good stir. Put the lid back on and cook for another 25-30 min.
Serve and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.
It was so yummy! And SO EASY. Defiantly a family favorite and the best part is that it was toddler approved. Bub ate two small servings of it! I love when I can find meals that all of us will eat. Then I can actually sit down and enjoy it instead of having to find something my son will want to eat as well.
I think my favorite thing about crockpot meals is it gives you the whole day to do whatver you want. Spend it outside, spend it away from home. Plus it frees up your oven and stove space to do lots of baking.
Which is exactly what I did on this day. If you have not tried this cinnamon swirl crumb cake yet you need to! It’s perfect for a Fall treat 🙂
Meanwhile, I had an overtired toddler eating lunch who would not take a nap. I guess lunch must have tired him out though? I turn around and see this little ham passed out.
Fall days like these are why I love this season so much! Just full of beautiful weather, beautiful colors and it’s crockpot season. Like what could be better!?
What are some of your favorite crockpot meals? Or baking recipes you can’t wait to make this season?
Plus, what’s your favorite thing you have done so far now that it’s officially Fall?
We have yet to go to an orchard but I think just spending time outside with our leaves changing and snuggling up on the couch during chilly nights.
I really hope you enjoyed this post! As always, thanks for reading 🙂
Pumpkins, apples, Halloween, THANKSGIVING! It’s my favorite time of year.
I love waking up on a chilly morning with coffee in my hand, taking the pups out for a morning run (the dogs, not me!). I go check on the chickens, and Pauly our rooster let’s put his cock-a-doodle-doo!
Fall mornings seems like everything moves a little slower for me.
My youngest had me print out our fall bucket list! I’ll insert it below!
I created my own bucket list for fall. Mine is going to look a bit different.
Slow down
Enjoy the little things. Enjoy the way the leaves turn, and enjoy how the air gets more crisp. Enjoy family time with the hubby and my daughters. They grow so quick, so enjoy the little moments.
Make time for my husband.
We get so lost in taking care of the kids. We do everything we can to make sure they are happy and healthy. We often lose sight of what started it all, our love. Making time to enjoy each other is essential. Wether it’s date night, or just a quiet night on the couch.
Prepare for Winter
Winter is dark and depressing, honestly. It is not my most favorite time of year. I’m going to enjoy and mentally prepare for the dark ahead. Start taking care of my body, and my mental health. Do things for me, to make winter a little more bearable.
Get more organized
I can’t stand clutter! My goal this fall is to get more organized. That should always me my goal, but like I said, I hate winter. Hopefully being more organized will make me enjoy the winter months a little bit more!
Little changes can make a big difference. Hopefully my bucket list for fall will help me enjoy it just a little bit more!
Don’t get me wrong, my youngest girls bucket list sounds fun too!
Quirky Workin' Mom's 