Good Egg

The other day we were at the park and Ella befriended a little girl who is a year or two younger than her. I kind of know the family and I know this little girl has had some health issues, which has led to some developmental delays and behavioral problems. Actually this little girl reminds a lot of what Hunter was like nine months ago. Anyway Ella and this little girl had a really sweet connection and Ella asked her to come over and play, which went great and they played really cute together.

As I saw these girls play, I also saw that Ella was pretty patient and understanding. Not only is this little girl younger than Ella, but she was also moving from one activity to the next much quicker than Ella is used to. I wouldn't have been surprised if Ella got frustrated or angry, but she didn't.

Then I realized that I had a good egg. I have a daughter who sees people for who they are. I have a daughter who is patient and loving. I also have a daughter who knows how to be a true friend.

I also realized that Ella is the perfect older sister for her siblings, and they are very lucky to have her.

I'm pretty lucky to have her too :)

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Here is another spiritual snack:

We had a great lesson in church today about diligence and consistency in our own lives. I really took away the idea that I need to work every day on my self. It is the small and simple things that we do on a daily basis that builds strong foundations. If you would like to check out this great article and get some great ideas click here.

Recipe 23: Peach Clafouti

Ingredients:
-3 cups peeled, pitted, and sliced peaches
-3 large eggs
-3/4 cup milk
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-3/4 cup all purpose flour

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan, or a 9-inch pie pan at least 1 1/2 inches deep. Place the fruit in the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, melted butter, vanilla, and sugar. Whisk in the flour, stirring till most of the lumps are gone. Pour the batter over the fruit.

Bake the clafouti for 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove it from the oven, and serve it in wedges, warm or at room temperature.

This recipe was pretty tasty and super easy. It takes some time to cut the peaches, but other than that it is simple and quick. This is probably the least healthy healthy recipe I have made, but it was worth it. And as long as you can get a good deal on peaches it is not too expensive to make.

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Recipe 22: Sour Cream Pork Chops

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 4 (1-inch-thick) boneless pork chops
3. 1 1/2 cups sliced onion, separated into rings
4. 1 (8-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
5. 1 cup beef broth
6. 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
7. 1 teaspoon paprika
8. 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
9. 1/2 teaspoon salt
10. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
11. 1 cup sour cream
12. Hot cooked rice
13. Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until browned. Place onion evenly over pork chops. Spread mushrooms over onion.
2. In a small bowl, combine broth, parsley, paprika, mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour broth mixture over pork chops. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir in sour cream, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Do not let boil. Serve over hot rice. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

This recipe was very yummy, although my kids were not impressed, I thought it was delicious. It was really easy to make and I thought it was decently healthy. Mostly because it wasn't heavily breaded or fried and pork is a pretty lean meat. I also thought it was inexpensive to make. I had most of the ingredients and I left out the mushrooms, plus the pork chops were on sale. Overall I thought this was a keeper and I will make it again.

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I Need a Hair-vention

I need a hair-vention, you know an intervention for my hair! I am so sick of it and I am very close to shaving my head.

Here is my problem:

I want hair that looks like this:

But... I have hair that looks like this:

and this:

all thanks to losing my hair nine months ago and having a serious bald spot on my head:

So you see my problem? Ever since I lost ALOT of hair a while back, it has just never been the same. It has started growing in all wild and curly (which translates into frizz) and because my new little twigs of hair are so fragile, I thought I might try a more natural look. I thought that if I just gave my own hair color a try, maybe I would end up loving it, and think to myself, "wow I didn't know I had this gorgeous color all this time".

But you know what I ended up thinking? "Wow, I look like Charlize Theron in Monster".

So if you see me walking down the street, or we bump into each other somewhere, and you think to yourself, "this chick's hair is crazy and she looks like that girl in Monster".

Just know that I already know this... and I am working on it!

It's a Fun, Fun, Sunny Day

Does anyone else know the Barney song, Its a Fun, Fun, Sunny day? I have it stuck in my head constantly, which I don't really appreciate, but I do appreciate the fun and sunny days of summer.

My sister came and stayed with us for a week and we had lots of fun taking the kids to the water parks, riding the historic carousel, eating cotton candy, and seeing Harry Potter together. We had a fabulous time playing!

P.S. My sister is having a giveaway on her blog, so if you love Cocoa Bean cupcakes you should check it out!

Spiritually Fed

I'm not going to lie, I have been a little spiritually malnourished lately. I feel a little frustrated and bitter that things just don't go the way I want them to. I have been asking a lot of questions, about why things have to happen the way they do and what is the meaning in all of it?

I don't have all of my answers and probably won't get them any time soon (would it matter anyway?), but thank goodness for small things that nourish my soul and keep me spiritually fed. Today at church the lesson was perfect for me, as though it was prepared just for my ears. The women who lead our Relief Society were extra warm to me today and asked if they could visit and check in on me, something I found myself realizing I really needed. The music that was played was inspiring, and overall I felt a sense of peace and contentment.

Today I walked out of church feeling lighter and recharged. I felt less frustrated and bitter. I also felt that I had some of my questions answered, even though it was in ways that I had not expected.

Yes, today I am very grateful for the small and simple things that feed my soul.

Here is a spiritual snack. Enjoy!

Recipe 21: Homemade Strawberry Popsicles

Recipe:

10-12 medium sized clean whole strawberries

1 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk {we used Nature's Place}

2 tablespoons Agave Nectar

Popsicle molds

Directions:

Place all the ingredients into a blender a puree until smooth

Taste the mixture for sweetness and adjust if needed.

Pour into mold and freeze.

I found this recipe on a blog and I thought I would try it since I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. I think this recipe was awesome and it is definitely a keeper. It was so easy to make, it was cheap because I had everything on hand, but I think you could substitute these ingredients if you don't have them with whatever you do have. This is super healthy and the kids loved them. They felt like they were getting a real treat and I knew they were getting some good fruit! I love this recipe and will make these more often!

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Recipe 20: Patriotic Berry Trifle

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 premade angel food cake, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
• 2 pints blueberries
• 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in asaucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.

Brush both sides of each slice of cake with the syrup. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.

Beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Add the cream and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and the consistency of whipped cream.

Arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a decorative pattern. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

We made this recipe for the 4th of July and it was a hit. We simplified it by not adding the cream cheese or almond extract or lemon. We also made our angel food from a box rather then buying a pre-made one. Everyone really liked this, and it was so easy to make! Also if you leave out the ingredients we did, it is pretty cheap to make as well. And because it is angel food cake and berries, I totally think this counts as healthy :)

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Little White Lies

I think of myself as pretty open and honest when it comes to talking about Lily. I don't mind talking about our experiences, or discussing lily, but sometimes (mostly with people I don't know) I just don't want to deal with certain questions or comments. So there is a little white lie that I tend to tell when asked by complete strangers about Lily's age.

Usually when someone asks me how old my baby is, I simply say, "she's a little over 6 months". I have been saying that since she was about 9 months and I will continue to say this for as long as I can get away with it.

I feel a little bad about lying, but if I don't tell people this, the conversation will continue with more questions and comments about why she is so little, and if I am feeding her enough. If I realize how small she is. This can go on for quite a few minutes.

And so I tell this little white lie. Tell me I am not alone? Tell me there are others out there who tell their own little white lies?

The Winner Is...

The Winner is:

Josh and Tiff!

Congratulations! Email me with the item you want (under $10) and your address and I will make sure it gets shipped to you!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this giveaway. I hope you will keep checking out Organize it Mom and fall in love with their stuff as much as I did!

Recipe 19: Corn with Lime-Sage Butter

Are you looking to get organized? Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Directions

Mix 4 tablespoons softened butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped sage and 1 tablespoon each lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Boil 4 ears of corn, about 5 minutes; drain and spread with the butter.

This recipe was amazing! I made it for the 4th of July and everyone seemed to really love it. If you have to bring something to a barbecue this is a winner. It is also very easy to make and I quadrupled the recipe and the whole thing only cost about $13. I also think this recipe is actually healthy. It is a very yummy way to get some vegetables.

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http://savvysouthernstyl www.whipperberry.com/ http://todayscreativeblog.net/

Recipe 18: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

2	cups uncooked elbow macaroni (7 ounces)
1/4	cup butter or margarine
1/4	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon pepper
1/4	teaspoon ground mustard
1/4	teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2	cups milk
2	cups shredded or cubed Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cook macaroni as directed on package.
3. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constanly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.
4. Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

This recipe was really easy and the kids seemed to think it was just like the kind that comes out of the box. It was pretty inexpensive and I liked that it had a few extra ingredients that made it taste a little more gourmet. It's probably not super healthy so I won't give it a star, but I have to think it is better than the box kind.

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You Need to Win This!

This Giveaway is now closed.

I love finding great products that make my life easier. When I do find these products I want to tell everyone about them. Today, I have one of those goodies, and the best part is I get to give one of them away!

One of the greatest pieces of advice I got from Hunter’s Occupational therapists is to create a visual schedule that he can look at. Something he can be involved in, and something that will help him understand what is coming next. We were told this would help him with transitions and in turn would help with the meltdowns.

Once I knew what we needed to do for Hunter, I started to research the Internet to find the perfect idea that would help us create a visual schedule.

I soon found a great website called Organize it Mom. I wanted EVERYTHING from this website, and with the awesome prices I almost cleaned them out! But one of my favorite things I found was a visual schedule that was just exactly what we were looking for. It is called Today’s Fun. As soon as I received it in the mail I set it up and I explained to Hunter how we were going to use it. He has loved being involved and helping create his own schedule for the day. Plus it has totally helped with his meltdowns and it has given him a sense of control in his own day.

So if there is anyone out there that has a little one that needs help with the meltdowns I highly recommend this chart as a tool.

I love everything from Organize it Mom so much I even bought some of the other charts there as well. My favorites include: The job chart and the Nutrition chart (for any picky eaters this is a must). Check out their website and you will see what I mean. You will want to buy everything there, I promise!

Now for the best part! I get to giveaway a $10 gift certificate for one item valued at $10 or less. Here is what you have to do:

Every comment you leave is one entry, you must leave a separate comment for each entry otherwise it will not count. You can enter up to 6 times:

1) Leave a comment on my blog telling me your favorite chart from Organize it Mom.

2) Become a follower on my blog.

3) Become a follower of Fools Rush In (me) on Twitter.

4) Become a fan of Organize it mom on Facebook.

5) Become a follower of Organize it mom on their blog.

6) Share this giveaway on your own blog, facebook, or twitter account.

This giveaway ends July 18^th 2011 at 5:00 p.m. MST

Good Luck!

To Infinity and Beyond!

Hunter got some new Buzz Light Year pajamas. He of course loves them and pushes the buttons on his shirt, pretending to fly, and saying the line, "to infinity and beyond!"

This kid cracks me up!

Picture Overload

If you are here to see all of the fun pictures from our July Extravaganza, I suggest you start here.

There are a ton of pictures and lots of posts, so I hope you enjoy the madness!

Thanks again to all of our family and friends that came out to help us celebrate, it just wouldn't have been the same without you!

XOXOXO

July Extravaganza 2011: The 4th

The 4th of July was a great celebration and we were able to partake in all of our wonderful traditions. First we went to the local diner and ate a yummy pancake breakfast. Then we headed to the parade, which I love and the kids love even more because of all of the treats they get. Plus I love to see all of the local businesses that make such creative floats and dress up. My favorite is the car wash guys (they are towards the bottom).

After the parade we relaxed and got ready for our big barbecue and firework show. We had tons of people this year and it was so fun to have so many people around. Dinner consisted of the classic summer barbecue treats and we ended the evening with sparklers and fireworks.