Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Blue Apron

Tonight we cooked pork chops and apple mostarda using our supplies from our Blue Apron delivery. 
Blue Apron
It was easy to sign up and there is no long term commitment. We got the two meals for four, meat eater version.

The package came right to our door and was protected and packaged beautifully!

Everything we needed was perfectly portioned and ready to go.
The recipe cards are easy to follow and the pictures are very helpful. 
 First we made the apple mostarda...
Then we seasoned the pork chops and cooked them while our sweet potatoes were cooking...
Again, Christian was in charge of prep, cooking, and presentation...
This is really fun for Christian and I. It is easy enough for a 10 year old, but comes out delicious! 

If you go to the site there are videos to help you cook the meals as well if you prefer. I am sold on Blue Apron and Hello Fresh!!

https://www.blueapron.com/?cvosrc=email.Delivery+tomorrow+email.DeliveryTomorrow12_03_2015-AR&event_label=Order%3A+27457212&utm_campaign=DeliveryTomorrow12_03_2015-AR&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Delivery+tomorrow+email

Hello Fresh: Meal Subscription Service

I got my first order from Hello Fresh. We got three meals that serve two (perfect for dad and the two boys). It came in very nice packaging that kept it cool until I could get it in the fridge.
Each meal's pre-measured ingredients were packaged in a separate box.
 We chose to cook the smoky chicken fajitas first.
 This is what was in the box for this meal.
Christian is my little helper. He has helped me every night. I think it actually is going to teach him to be a great chef. I love that today he told his principal that he cooks dinner with his mom every night. Very sweet and special. 

 He does the chopping and the cooking.
 As well as the "presentation." He is so sweet!
 In the pan...
 On the plate...
 In the mouths...
Final verdict is that it tasted great and is easy enough a ten year old can do it! We since also did a steak and salmon meal. We are definetly going to continue this service. Our next shipment comes tomorrow of four more meals. You can pick your meals on Sunday to be delivered on Wednesday up to five meals. There is a veggie selection or meat.

If you want to try this for free (three meals) send me your email and I can send you three free meals to try! You just have to go in and cancel after you get them to not be charged for the next weeks shipment...you probably will want to be though! It is amazing!

I got Blue Apron too. I am trying them tonight so I can pick my favorite service. 

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Cultivate the Lovely

I have been so encouraged by my new "friends" on Periscope. I found Mackenzie Monroe through Crystal Paine and I am loving her encouragement to be bold and gracious. Her encouragement is to "be committed to pouring the labor, love, and study into creating more loveliness and beauty in every aspect of our lives."  I love the FB community where we go on each day and post three ways we are going to try and make our day more lovely. 

It is SO easy to get wrapped up in the BUSY of life. We MUST slow down and enjoy the ride. To enjoy the ride we must make it lovely! Our days are not meant to be survived but lived and enjoyed to the fullest. I used to create scrapbooks and projects that in recent years have fallen to the wayside because of busy and urgent. I am RECLAIMING beauty in my life. I know all to well life is too short. We are not promised tomorrow. Make today lovely. Do not wait for tomorrow, or more money, or more time, or perfect circumstances...those things will never come. All you have is right now. Look for the beautiful, strive for loveliness in ALL areas.

To me this looks like planning fun experiences outside of normal routine for my family, decorating, creating, writing, reading, listening, just sitting and thinking. I have spent many years rushing from one task to the next trying to be more efficient, get more done, rack up more accomplishments. At the end of the day I want my kids to look back on their childhood and say, "We had fun. Mom and dad were present and playful. They made life exciting." They are not going to remember if it was perfect; they will remember we DID it. 

I do not have long with them. I cannot wait. Today is the day to bring lovely back!

https://katch.me/BOLDturquoise
http://boldturquoise.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cultivatingthelovely/
http://dailyconnoisseur.blogspot.com/

Friday, November 27, 2015

25 Days of Christmas Family Countdown!

My favorite time of year has arrived!! Christmas! I spent Black Friday out getting in the spirit and getting everything I need for my 25 Days of Christmas celebration. We celebrate in many ways throughout the next 25 days; Advent, Hanukkah, Sinterklass, St. Nicholas Night, Los Posados... Currently, all of my supplies are bagged and in the back of my husband's car to be pulled out on the right day. Throughout the season I will update with pictures. Here is the list though (and I just put scraps of paper in our advent box so if something comes up I can easily change them out the night before). 
11/27-28-Decorations
11/29- Start of advent-Wreath and Jessie Tree begin
December 1st- Elf on the Shelf's return!
December 2nd-Snowman Breakfast/The Wiz
December 3rd- Rudolph Night
December 4th-Juliette's Birthday
December 5th-St Nicholas/Sinterklaas
December 6th- McKee Ranch
December 7th-Gingerbread Night
December 8th- Hanukkah
December 9th-Christmas Tree/Charlie Brown Christmas
December 10th-Sounds of the Season concert
December 11th-Glittering Lights and Minivan Express/Polar Express
December 12th-Jingle Bell Run/Candy Cane
December 13th-Light of the World party
December 14th-Los Posados
December 15th-Ethel M Cactus Garden
December 16th-Opportunity Village
December 17th-Grinch Party
December 18th-Secret Santa begins!
December 19th-Old Time Christmas at Spring Mountain Ranch
December 20th-Nutcracker
December 21st-PJ Santa Train
December 22nd-Cookie party/St Lucia
December 23rd-North Pole breakfast
December 24th-Christmas Eve Service at 3/Pageant
December 25th-CHRISTMAS

12 Days of Christmas Teacher Gifts

This year, with my kids in public school and not home schooled, we GET to give their amazing teachers gifts. I wanted to make it special and to last more than one day. When I googled "teacher gifts" I saw the ideas for 12 Days of Christmas gifts and I was SOLD! I still have to wrap them and attach the cards with the little clips, but you get the idea. 
 



I got the main printable from Janell Scraps, and I got some of the sayings and ideas from Marci Coombs. 

http://janellscraps.blogspot.com/2009/12/twelve-days-of-christmas.html?m=1
http://www.marcicoombs.com/2014/12/12-days-of-christmas-for-teachers.html

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

My love of Periscope and Podcasts

I did Chalene Johnson's 30 day challenge PUSH online course (http://www.chalenejohnson.com/30daychallenge/members/) 
this summer and it helped me see I needed to spend a little time in the area of self growth. I thought about it and found that reading and podcasts (expanded to You Tube and Periscope) was a great way for me to feed my need to continue to grow as a person. I listen to one Inspired to Action podcast every Sunday while I do my weekly cleaning. I listen to Crystal and Mackenzie's scopes everyday. I watch Jennifer's You Tube video every week when she puts it out. I feel like they are my friends pushing me to be a better me! They have recommended books that I have read, make up I have tried, blogs to read, planners to try...the list goes on. I love what they have added to my life. Go check them out.

Periscopes:
https://katch.me/moneysavingmom

https://katch.me/BOLDturquoise

https://katch.me/ChaleneJohnson

You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDailyConnoisseur

Podcasts:
http://boldturquoise.com/thepodcast/

http://inspiredtoaction.com/category/podcast/

Monday, November 23, 2015

Bullet Journal

OK, so I just bought my new traveler journal supplies and now I am turning it into a bullet journal! I am a planner junkie but I have not yet found the perfect one. SO, I will try the bullet journal fad and see if I can make the perfect one for myself! I started of course by watching podcasts, You Tube tutorials, Periscopes, Pinterest pins...all in search of bullet journal knowledge. Well I found a LOT! So here is my start (only a few days old). I am sure it will grow and change but so far I LOVE it. The freedom!! I need a much bigger notebook though. 

My habit tracker...genius idea!
 Weekly schedule
 Spartan training log
Sad life of a parent of a child with leukemia; We track blood counts. I will have to transfer my data from the past 13 months here from my other planner. 
 My weekly goals broke into areas. This was good to do on my "Sunday Retreat" AKA grocery shopping, drinking coffee and mapping out the week alone and in peace!
6 months at a glance. This is where I can log upcoming dates. I needed to make it bigger though to keep track of everything. 
I loved the idea of putting the grateful journal right in my planner. This kind of thing is where the bullet journal is just sort of amazing. So personalized. 
I had been keeping a list of advice in the back of my planner from podcasts, scopes, and books. I like having a place for this list. Now it is easy to reference.

I also have made a section for my Push goals, affirmations, Daily Ten (learning more now), Bucket list, books to read... I did not make my index yet because I am pretty sure I will be moving to a bigger journal soon. This is like a trial run.

This book was recommended on Crystal Paine's Scope so of COURSE I bought it and I am really enjoying it so far!