I saw it on Pintrest - Food/Craft review

This week's "I saw it on Pintrest" features the "healthy alternative to McDonalds' McMuffins.

I was supper stoked to have these since we are always on the go and we love mcmuffins as well as the Jimmy Dean Delights we get in bulk from SAMS.  But, if I don't have to spend that kind of money, then I'm happy.  However, I ran into couple of snags with this recipe.  First, since I don't have time to make my turkey sausage, so I decided to buy.  The Tennessee Pride brand turkey sausage isn't a very good price, but I still come out way cheaper making these myself...but wish I had an alternative source for this sausage.  The eggs came out petty good.  I made half with yolks and some with egg beaters (take note of this later in my conclusion.) As the directions state, the sandwiches should be wrapped up and put in the freezer. We found out that especially the ones with egg yolks didn't thaw very well at all.  To get the middle egg portion to thaw and cook, we had to completely disassemble the sandwich.  This took all the "saving time" out of it.

So here are my conclusions on this review:

I will get the Thomas' regular english muffins vs/ the whole wheat next time.  The whole wheat just throws off the entire taste.  A regular english muffin is decent health-wise.  The egg idea is good...just make sure you just use scrambled or egg beaters.  Sargento thin-sliced cheddar is the way to go.  One slice is 45 calories.  I guess I'll keep on buying the Tennessee pride turkey sausage patties.  Maybe I'll try making patties from ground sausage that I get on sale sometimes.  I will keep you posted.  In all, we will probably not freeze the sandwiches.  I will make a dozen, wrap them and place them in the fridge.

(check out the fridge I want! perfect for my family!)

Have a great Memorial Day weekend folks!
-Beverly

My perfect day...

What do Nate Berkus, super sets and Justin Timberlake radio have in common?  They're all part of creating the mood of my perfect day.  You see, now that I've come out of my "baby fog", I'm getting back to my "old self."  I know I'm inching back to my "old" (but awesome:) self when I get Organized, energetic and pulled-together!  Each day has a focus...not soley to get through the day breastfeeding the baby!

My whole point for sharing these ideas with you is for you to think about what things would be included into your PERFECT DAY.  We all want to live out our purpose and part of our purpose is to make sure we are doing things that make our heart happy.  Post-baby, my heart was happy because of the baby obviously.  Then little by little I start to integrate aspects back into my life so I don't "loose myself" as so many mothers do unfortunately.

Here are some ideas on how to narrow down what you can imagine as your perfect day.  What are your favorite tv shows/magazines/websites that get your creative juices flowing?  Real Housewives is a favorite tv show for me, but doesn't get my creative/soul juices flowing.  It's strictly mind-veg at 9pm for me, so this would not be an accurate example.  What things do you enjoy in the physical activity department?  Do you like to run, work-out to certain music, yoga/stretching and "ehhchhem...mommy/daddy time"?  Lastly, what things do you need to do in your say, household that are essential to orderliness?  These are tasks that are important enough that if they don't get done, they cause problems that can bring down your day (and mood)?

Here is my "perfect day" to give you an example:

I would wake up early in the morning around 6am, read my blogs, emails and facebook. As I sipped my water and coffee, I would respond and/or make any thought provoking or interesting posts and responses.  Then, I would put some LAUNDRY on to wash/dry. I would go upstairs and do some circut/superset training while watching Nate Berkus on the tv (this would help eleviate some of the pain of the workout)  then off to do a jog while listening to Justin Timberlake on iHeartRadio/phone app.  I would then come in, make a delectable post-workout Vi shake and clean up the kitchen from breakfast and the night before.  If it were friday, I would get all my dry clothes and fold them while I watched hgtv (best shows are on fridays.)  At noon we'd have lunch then either make errands while out-and-about or if we stayed home, go lay out by the pool.  That night, I'd go on a date with my hubby to Longhorn Steakhouse.  Afterwards, we'd come home and releive the babysitter, read a story/kiss the kids goodnight, play with the baby, put him down for bed and then snuggle and watch a movie.

All of these things are aspects of my life that are what make my heart sing and keep me on a positive wavelength.  Are they EVERYTHING that does that? Of course not, but it's just a snapshot.  Will I every have a perfect day?  No.  However, we can at least shoot for it. God has blessed us with only one  life.  Figure out what and how you want to LIVE that life then your mind can figure out how to make it happen. I'm not hyping you up to imagine things like going to fiji for the day, or shopping while spending millions of dollars because for most of you, your mind will not go there.  So I focused on real events that happen in our lives that are attainable in the here and now.  Who knows, if you can get yourself to that "old" but good, self and your soul's "happy place" you are unstoppable.  You could very well move to that next place where you are motivated to work towards those big dreams.

Happy Friday ya'll!
Beverly

My Heart's Desire: Beagle Bagel Chicken Salad

I love some Mississippi gals a bloggin!  I really like this whole blog.  I definitly a follower!
My Heart's Desire: Beagle Bagel Chicken Salad: If you live in the Jackson, Mississippi area or have spent any significant time there, you have probably dined at The Beagle Bagel Cafe  ...

The Essence of Motherhood

Recently I saw the most hideous Newsweek cover and an article explaining a certain "type" of parenting.  The obviously sensationalised photo on the cover is of a 3 year old boy standing on a chair with his mom standing next to him with her breast in his mouth.  I won't link the picture to my blog b/c I don't want to give it anymore attention that it already has got for the magazine.  I mean, the young and attractive mother in the photo is standing as if she's posing for a fashion mag showing off her outfit...and oh, btw, there's a child attached to her.  Anyway, it's so awkward and misrepresentative.
What really aggrivates me is here in the south, breastfeeding is still such a taboo kind of thing.  My heart skips a beat with joy when I hear of another mom deciding to breastfeed and carry  it out.  In North Carolina it was so easy to call up and make an appointment with a consultant on staff with the OB/GYN office.  There's just not half as much help to the mothers in my area.  There is definitly not enough teaching and training prior to the baby being born.  As a nursing mom of four, my reaction of the photo is that I cringe!!!! The thought of nursing a boy that age!  How demanding that must be for the mom of a little busy body little guy.  However, I do respect the fact that she can let him do that as long as she pleases...I mean he is HER son.  If it makes me cringe, then how must it make the tens of thousands of other women feel? What about the young women whom I will try to educate on the advantages of breastfeeding who have a hard time seeing themselves doing it if all they can picture in thier mind is this photo.  Around here they usually don't have an image of their mom doing it...nor another woman in their family displayed the sweetness of nursing their baby.

Images are so powerful.  We all can motivate ourselves into doing something new and possibly uncomfortable if we can just see someone to whom we relate, doing that very thing.  Suddenly, it doesn't seem so bad after all.  It's the whole "if they can do it then I can do it" paradigm.    What this photo does is make mothers look like selfish weirdos.  It tarnishes the positive efforts and images of breastfeeding.  This magazine, Newsweek, did not at all capture the essence of motherhood but it definitly gave the wrong visual image of motherhood to forever be locked in veiwers' minds.

On that note, I thought I'd share this recent Johnson & Johnson commercial.  This is the Essence of Motherhood.  Warm, compassionate, caring, tender, loving...Enjoy


Happy Mother's Day, Mom -- You're Doing OK from inspiredfaith on GodTube.

 

"I saw it on Pintrest"

This is my first Pintrest project review. I've tried a few different things, but this morning we had these "overnight-no cook oatmeal." I used Greek yogurt as directed by the recipe.  One of the twins isn't all about the tanginess of the yogurt but the other two gobbled it up!  I even had one for lunch since I had a peanut butter cup VI shake as breakfast.  The oatmeal was filling especially with the added protien of the low-fat greek yogert and almond milk.  If you make up a few at a time then it's a quick and healthy meal.

My rating:  A

goodnight ya'll!
Bev

The highest calling for a woman...

Good morning everyone on this fabulous Monday!  This is for all of you who are full-time mommies. What you do is ENOUGH!  Here is a  poem that will warm your heart!  I appreciate what you do each and every day.

The Girl I Used To Be
Rowena K. Lewis

She came tonight as I sat alone
The girl I used to be....
And she gazed at me with her earnest eye
And questioned reproachfully;

Have you forgotten the many plans
And hopes I had for you?
The great career, the splendid fame,
all the wonderful things to do?

Where is the mansion of stately height
With all its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you
And the jewels in your hair?

And as she spoke, I was very sad
For I wanted her pleased with me...
This slender girl from the shadowy past
The girl that I used to be.

So gently rising I took her hand
And guided her up the stairs
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay
Innocent, sweet and fair.

And I told her that these are my only gems,
and precious they are to me;
That the silken robes is my motherhood
Of costly simplicity.

And my mansion of stately height is love,
And the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls
For the dear ones who come and go

And as I spoke to my shadowy guest,
She smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw the woman I am now
Pleased the girl I used to be

Thank you, Rowena, for letting me post your beautiful poem!

And thank you, all you work at home moms and stay at home moms. You're doing a great job. I hope your family appreciates all the effort it takes to stay at home or work at home.

Looking Hotter/and younger tips...

How many times have you seen on Dr. Oz or online features on how to look 10 yrs younger?  They all say the same things:  use this retinol cream, take your vitamins, get your spider veins zapped...yada, yada, yada.  Well, today I've got a new list.  Since being a makeup artist for almost 10 yrs now and always being into that sort of thing, I've tried to stay current on things that really and truly make a difference.  Lately, i've learned of some not-so-common techniques and procedures that you can put to use.  All of us want to look hot right?!  Even as a stay at home mom/business owner, I still want to look hot sometimes when I get a chance! I'd like to be hotness everyday but that's out of the question until little guy gets older. Okay so here it goes:
(warning: these aren't cheap, but who cares...it's worth it)
Hair Extentions:  clip in, linked in...either way...adding at least 12inches, preferably 16-18inches will have you looking like a goddess...and feeling like one too!  I recently had some incredibly long extentions while pregnant and there wasn't a day I didn't feel hot...there's just something youthfull about long hair grazing past the shoulders.  It is proven to add 10yrs at least to your age.

The eyes have it!:  get some false lashes.  Preferably Ardelle 110 or 53 style.  They're not too Kim Kardashian-looking but will give you that doe-eyed look that instantly says "I don't live in the carpool line...I rock the carpool line."  A super-diva mom stylist of mine wears her's at night too...I haven't been able to pull this feat but, I take mine off at night and re-apply.  Wig glue or Duo lash adhesive is the way to go. It's pliable and you can pull it off the lash line after taking them off at night.

Makeup:  Keep it warm.  Women of color, if your makeup isn't yellow toned, then you look ashy.  Use a good, warm-colored foundation and don't look too Matte.  PLEASE don't go too dark all over.  If you are tanned, then use a bronzer on the areas of your face that typically get tan.  Nothing more

Body:  Spray tan.  I'm purchasing a spray tan gun and solution TODAY!  Not only does tan make you look thinner but younger also!  But spray okay?!  UV tanned skin looks like leather and that's not attractive either!

I hope some of this was new to you.  If you need help finding the where and how of the latter, then  message me and I'll help in any way I can.

Yours truly,

Diva mamma :)