Just Be Yourself.

This is going to be a bit of a different blog post for me as it's a bit more serious and it's on a somewhat sensitive subject. But this thought has been weighing on my mind a lot lately and I feel the intense need to "get it out."

I think as women, no scratch that, I think as humans, we sometimes feel like everyone else is better than we are. Or has their life more together than we do. But really? They don't. They may seem like they have it all together, but do we really know what's going on in their private life? If we're close friends with the person we might. But generally speaking, what we see on our Facebook, Instagram and blog feeds isn't really real. It's one sided. It's their best parts. It's an image or an ideal that they are portraying.

What's real is everyday life. What's real is messy houses, dirty dishes, piles of laundry, bills to pay, cranky kids, crankier spouses, and expired food products--and everyone experiences it. No one is immune; regardless of what they portray to the outside world.

Keeping with that line of thought....

I think as women, we need to remember that. I think we need to stop comparing ourselves to other people. We need to stop trying so hard to imitate what they do to in order to gain their acceptance. Copying someone's every move, action, decision or whatever isn't going to make us feel any better about ourselves. Nor is it going to make someone like us. I actually believe we're going to feel worse about ourselves as a result because we're trying so hard to be someone we're not. God designed us to be ourselves for a reason. I also believe that if we copy what others do just to gain their approval, then they weren't really a friend in the first place because a true friend likes you for who you are; not because you're trying to be a mirror image of them.

I guess what I am trying to say is: Be yourself! Cherish the fact that you're not like anyone else! We were all created differently; embrace that fact! Embrace those differences. Own the fact that you use a certain kind of shampoo; even if no one else you know uses that brand. Who cares if you "like" different pages on Facebook? Go with it! Enjoy it! Own the fact that you like different stores, brands, styles and have different tastes and habits than someone else. Be strong in the knowledge and acceptance of what makes you different than someone else. It's those differences that make the world go round. It's those differences that bring so much variety and fun to our everyday life.

Having said all that......

Do I think this means you can't ever copy what someone else does? Heck no! Afterall, imitation is the highest compliment you can give someone. Honestly? I fully believe that as you grow in friendships you naturally take some of the habits, interests, verbage, and even a thought or two as your friends. I know I have friends who's habits/interests/verbage/line of thinking I have picked up over time, and I know some of my friends have done the same thing with my habits/interests/verbage/line of thinking.
The difference though is that it's done over time-- as the friendship grows. It isn't forced. Or done with the hopes that someone will like you or want to be your friend. Or done to try to "one up" someone else. It's done as a natural progression.

So what am I really trying to say??

I guess I am just saying you need to be yourself. Don't try to be someone else. If you were meant to be them, that's who you would've been. But you aren't. You're you. So be the best version of  "you" you can be. 

Hogan Sliders.

So my friend Paula has spent the better part of a year trying to get me to start cooking and baking again on a more regular basis. It's to the point where she's either emailing, texting, or posting on Facebook, recipes she thinks I need to try on an almost daily basis. And God bless her for that. I mean really. I love that she is so determined to win me back to cooking. And I love that she takes time out of her day to think of me. To me that's the sign of a great friend!

So, fast forward to the other night when I had some people over for a fashion party. (One of my friends is a personal stylist and she does home parties as a part of her services. Look her up on Facebook. Her business is called Style Me.) Anyway, like I said, fast forward to the party........

That night, Paula being Paula, (as only Paula can do!) was giving me a hard time about my lack of cooking, then spouted out (from memory no less) this recipe that she thought I needed to try. So the next day? I did! Partly just so I could stick it to Paula and tell her that I made it. (ha!) And partly because I didn't know what else to make for dinner..... and I knew it was going to be a busy day..... and that getting dinner on the table was going to be tricky.....and because I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand....so essentially dinner was saved thanks to her. (And Paula could not have been any happier to know that, by the way!)

So, without any more babble from me.......and because you know I can't keep a good recipe to myself to save my soul.......especially when it's an easy one.....and where you, like me,  probably have all the ingredients on hand....... here is the recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Sliders. (Or as we coined them: Hogan Sliders because Paula's last name is Hogan and 9 times out of 10 that's actually what I call her)

Crock Pot Chicken Sliders
3-4 Frozen Chicken Breasts
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce
1 can of Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom Soup
Some Hamburger Buns

Make It!
Put the chicken breasts in your crock pot. Add the soup, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the bottle of BBQ Sauce, then cook on low 6-8 hours.  (Be sure to enjoy the delicious smell coming from your kitchen all day as it cooks, because that's important!) About an hour before serving, shred the chicken and put it back into the crock pot. If you think you need to add more BBQ Sauce, this would be a great time to do that as well. When you're ready to eat, put a dollop of chicken on each bun and enjoy!

Note: If you wanted you could even add some sliced cheese to your sandwich. Noah and Marty did and they loved it. The girls and I opted to eat ours plain and we were just as happy. Personal preference is the name of the game there!

Serioulsy though, this was a yummy meal that took less than three minutes to assemble. It maybe isn't the world's most healthiest, but who cares! It was delicious and it saved us from eating out! Not to mention that it forced us to use some ingredients that we had on hand but were just sitting in the freezer and pantry; and you just can't argue with a meal that does that!

Ten Little Ways To Save.

Since we're a family of five living on one income, I'm always looking and thinking and dreaming of simple ways I can save money. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not into coupons, for various reasons I'm just not. Kudos to those who are though! You're a tougher more disciplined person than me!

Luckily coupons aren't the only way to save! In the past I've posted about some of the little ways I save (click here and here) but because I have dozens of these little tips, I thought I would share a few more. Partly to keep myself in check because I need that from time to time, and partly just to share on the off chance that you're looking for a few easy ways to save.

So, having said all that, here are ten more little ways to save:

1. I once heard it said that the most expensive food in your fridge is food that gets thrown away. So, keeping that thought in mind, when you have fruit or vegetables that are about to spoil, toss them in the freezer to use at a later date for things like smoothies or this chili. If you wanted to, you could even throw the leftovers from dinner into the freezer; they make great quick lunches!

2. Along those same lines of thinking, see if you can put off going to the grocery store by a few days. If you absolutely need milk, fruit and bread, by all means get them, but as for everything else, try stretching your shopping trip out by a few days and use up those bits and parts pieces you have lying around your pantry or fridge instead. Who cares if one person has a bologna sandwich for dinner and another person has the leftover meatloaf and a third person has that one odd hotdog. That's money you're not throwing down the drain right there! I figure I save a good $20.00 (or more) every time I do this.

3. Save the smallest denomination in paper money you have each day. Whether it's a one dollar bill or a ten dollar bill, go through your wallet every single night and save that smallest denomination. At the absolute minimum you will have saved $30 by the end of the month. Not too bad if you ask me! If you don't think it sounds like very much, just think, that's a minimum payment on a credit card, date night money, heck, it's enough money to buy a new shirt or even just to get a haircut or a pedicure.

4. If you can convince your husband to do #3 as well, then voila, you have effortlessly just doubled your savings!

5. Think outside the box when it comes to family activities. One of our favorite family activities is to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children. Another one is to volunteer at our church in any capacity we can. We're doing a little bit of good in the world, yet enjoying a family outing~ it's a win-win situation!

6. Another outside the box idea is to try shaving just 10% from your entire budget each month and putting the difference into savings. Can't do 10%? Shoot for $50, $100 or whatever you can swing from your total monthly budget, then. The point here is to shave a few dollars here and there instead of stressing yourself out by trying to save $100, $200 or $300 in one large chunk. Quite often I'll do this on top of putting away our usual savings; it makes for a nice little boost in the savings account!

7. Keep a price notebook in your purse or car. In it write down what salon has $10.00 haircuts for kids on what days. Or what restaurants have kids eat free nights and when they have them, what day what grocery store doubles coupons, what restaurant is offering what promotion right now, or what day the Goodwill has half off kids clothes or books, etc. It may seem a bit tedious to jot this stuff down at first, but in the end you'll be glad you did! If I can wait two extra days before taking Addison or Noah to get their hair cut and save $5.00 in the process, I'm all for it! That's $5.00 I can spend on something else like books at the Goodwill, lunch out, a coffee date with a girlfriend, or just put into savings.

8. Water down your liquid laundry detergent and fabric softener. You don't have to add a lot of water, but every little bit will make your laundry supplies last a few loads longer. And that, in my opinion, is a great thing! Another oldie but goodie is to cut your dryer sheets in half; simple, yet effective!

9. Challenge yourself to find free things to do to keep yourself busy and from spending money. Text a friend to meet you for a walk, invite your friends and their kids over one morning for one big playdate, grab your empty coffee bag and your Kindle (or a magazine) and head to Starbucks to read for a while, ask friends to send you their favorite goodie recipe and make one or two of them, organize your closet, print off those recipes that have been piling up on your computer, take up running or biking, upload pictures to Shutterfly; anything to keep you from actually spending money.

10. Do for yourself what you pay others for you. For example, instead of plunking down $25 for a pedicure, give yourself a pedicure at home. You could even splurge and buy a box of Epsom Salt, a dish tub to soak your feet in, a Ped Egg, some new nail polish and even some $2.99 nail decals from Target and still not spend the $25 you would have originally spent and you can treat yourself to your at home pedicure multiple times with what you spent. Granted you don't get that amazing calf massage, but......you can always have your husband rub your calves for free! 

Like I said, painless. Easy peasy stuff, yet they work. You can easily save a sweet little chunk of change by doing each one. So what about you? Do you have any tips or tricks for saving money??

Linking Here:
I Heart Naptime

Deliciousness Found.

A few weeks back a friend of mine gave me a batch of homemade Caramel Corn. No joke, but this Caramel Corn (or Porn Corn as my good friend Kimberly calls it!) was heaven on earth it was that yummy. Shelley was awesome enough to give me the recipe and since then I have made my own batch of deliciousness three times. I even served it to the volunteers at our church one weekend. Rumor has it, it was gobbled up within minutes?

Because I think everyone needs to enjoy some of this deliciousness, here's the recipe. Just be sure to share, though, that's all I ask. Why? Well because it makes a ton. We're talking more than even a family of five who loves the stuff could possibly eat. So, make some, then go out and make some friends! Ha!

Caramel Corn
2 cups brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
3 bags microwave popcorn

Make It!
Heat the sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes; stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add baking soda. Stir into popcorn. Put into big roasting pan  bake uncovered at 250 degrees for 45 min. Stir every 15 minutes. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in Ziploc or air tight container.

Happy Munching!!!


Linking Here:
Sumo's Sweet Stuff 
Under The Table And Dreaming 
I Heart Naptime 
Today's Creative Blog
LollyJane
Not Just A Housewife 
Chef In Training 
Him And Her
Ginger Snap Crafts 
Clean And Scentsible 
Six Sisters' Stuff 
Be Different Act Normal 
Thirty Handmade Days 
Life On Lakeshore Drive 
Coastal Charm 

Breakfast: It's What's For Dinner.

I have a goal to eat what we have in our pantry and freezers before all the snow melts in our yard. So far the snow is winning.

I wish I could say it's getting to be slim pickings around here. More than anything I'd love to be able to say that because that would mean we made a dent in our food supply. But I can't. Because we haven't. It's pretty sad. For so many reasons.

However, I will say that I'll be making this for dinner one night this week because I have all the ingredients on hand. And I need to use them up. And because I think it will be a nice change of pace from all the meatloaf, stew, chili, soup and pasta we've been eating!

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
6 cups milk
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Garnishes: milk, brown sugar, powdered sugar

Make It!

Combine oats, milk, brown sugar, salt & eggs in a large saucepan. Mix well and simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly until thickened, 15-20 min.

While oatmeal cooks, grease a 9x13 inch pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

When oatmeal is thick, add blueberries & pecans and stir to evenly distribute. Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared pan; pour yourself a cup of coffee and bake 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set.

For each serving: Place a portion of oatmeal in a bowl and top with warm milk, brown sugar & powdered sugar.

So, yup. Breakfast. It's what's for dinner around here!