![What We Had for Dinner: Beef and Bean Chile Verde, Skinny Cilantro Lime Rice, & Clementines]()
by Catherine | Nov 14, 2013 | The Homefront
I thought I’d share our easy weeknight dinner from last night.
We had Beef and Bean Chile Verde
over skinny cilantro lime rice (you know, like that fabulous burrito joint makes?).
We always double the rice recipe to make equal amounts of the chile & rice.
Meal planning is much more fun with adventurous eaters. Hooray for little ones that will actually eat this kind of stuff!
 |
| The kids’ plates |
The Feast of St. Nicholas is almost here, so you know these have to be back in season!
Really, what is the Feast of St. Nicholas without a clementine (and some gold coins) in your shoe? Anyway, we feasted on some clementines as well.
What’s on the menu at your house tonight?
![Keeping the Christmas Season Organized]()
by Catherine | Nov 13, 2013 | The Homefront
Last year, I created a Christmas Planner and shared it on my blog here. I thought I’d share the information again in case anyone would find it helpful. Why do all of that work if you’re not going to share?!
My Christmas planner includes the following categories:
- Budget
- divided by categories: gifts, charitable giving, decorations, Christmas cards, etc.
- Master gift list
- recipient, where purchased, whether it has been purchased/delivered, cost, wrapped, running total
- Stocking stuffers
- recipient, where purchased, cost, running total – this helps to make sure things are “even” among everyone
- Room-by-room décor
- item, where placed, where stored
- Menus/Recipes
- Listed here (stored on Paprika)
- Our Holiday Traditions
- List of activities and dates we do each year
- Advent Wreath
- Booklet with reflections, lyrics to songs we sing, etc.
- Jesse Tree
- reflections to read for each ornament
- Ornament Journal
- the place to write down who give us our various ornaments and what they mean to us
- Holiday Favorites
- books, movies, music, wish list
- Recipes to Try
- Craft Projects
- Entertaining
- buffet lay-out ideas, cocktail recipes, bar set-up, Pandora stations or playlists, Christmas Minute to Win it games, etc.
- Christmas Card
- archive old favorites, keep list of recipients & addresses, shopping information for cards & stationery
- Post-Holiday Debriefing
- Write down what went wrong, what went right, and what you want to keep the same or change for future years
If you are interested in making your own Christmas planner, feel free to download any of my files via a shared Google folder here.
Today, I discovered on Catholic Icing that Lacy (the creator) made an ebook called “The Advent Christmas Planner.” I’m planning on buying a copy myself because it looks fantastic! I’ll let you head over to Catholic Icing to read her description. Some of the planner looks like mine (forms for budgets and that sort of thing), but she also has a ton of great ways to celebrate the season with activities and pictures.
 |
| From Catholic Icing |
If you’re interested, “The Advent Christmas Planner” is on sale for $10 for two weeks (reduced from $12). I supposed I should mention that I did not get paid or endorsing this planner!!!
As I wrote last year, I made my Christmas planner to relieve stress and keep things more organized. I am so glad I have this information archived in one central location. Remember to make the Christmas planner work for you and your family. If it’s becoming too much work, it might not be your style! Remember, the goal is to reduce your stress around the Christmas season and focus on “the reason for the season.” If this binder and organizing is your sort of thing, then great! If it’s not, then fuhgettaboutit and step away from the label maker!
![Impromptu Fall Photo Shoot]()
by Catherine | Nov 13, 2013 | Family
Our photographer for our family portraits had to cancel due to weather, and we are rescheduled for this Sunday. It’s not looking too good weather-wise, so we decided to do an impromptu photo shoot a few nights ago. Harold was taking a snooze in his swing, so we snapped a few shots of Jane and Walt (aka “the big kids”) in the backyard.
I had to include this adorable shot I snapped on the couch the other day while Jane was at preschool. How adorable is this love between the brothers???
![I’m Gonna Miss This]()
by Catherine | Nov 11, 2013 | Faith, Family
While doing the dinner dishes last night, I realized I had a choice: I could empty the clean dishes out of the dishwasher and load the dinner dishes, OR I could join Philip and the kids in the family room for some play time before bed. Before our Happiness Project, I probably would have opted for doing the dishes so that I could have a clean kitchen before bed. Last night, the new and improved me chose to leave the rinsed dishes in the sink and the clean dishes waiting to be unloaded until morning so that we could hang out as a family.
I brought the camera over and started capturing the moment. I said to Philip, “I’m gonna miss this.”
“What?” he asked.
“This. Before we know it, we’ll have kids in evening activities, kids staying up until 9 working on homework, and we won’t have this time anymore. We won’t get to just hang out as a family after dinner, and we won’t have our hour of couple time before bed every night.”
So, the dishes waited. And, you know what? It’s mid-afternoon the next day, and the dishes are still waiting. It turned out the kids wanted to learn about numbers today.
There was great music, lots of dancing, sunglasses, headbands, a tutu, and some trains.
Harry slept through most of it, but he woke up happy and giggling to the show in front of him. (Those sweet little baby giggles are the best!)
In the midst of the dance party, I noticed that dust was collecting on the entertainment center, the sliding glass door was covered in our pup’s nose prints, and the walls could use a good scrubbing. I know this sounds silly, but I was so proud of myself for allowing these things to accumulate. It meant I was learning to let a few things go in exchange for more quality time as a family. Things are still fairly tidy, but more often than not, I’m picking family over housework. The balance is increasing everyone’s happiness. If I’m gonna miss this, I better keep choosing this.
To transition to sleepy time, Philip read Jane and Walt a few of their current favorites from the library.
Then, it was off to the dinner table for sharing what we are thankful for, our family decade of the rosary, and prayer time. My favorite part of this time is hearing what the kids have to say as we gather around the table. They don’t know it, but the things that they say make Philip and I have to cover our faces in laughter or raise our eyebrows in surprise. The emotional pendulum swings from sentimental and sweet to absolutely hilarious every single night.
One of our November Happiness Project Resolutions is to share what we are thankful for each day. I record these items on looseleaf and store them in our family prayer binder. When Philip asked Jane what she was thankful for last night, Jane said, “Being loved by God.” Hearing my little one say something like that in her sweetest, most sincere little voice instantly brought tears to my eyes.
Right on cue, the emotional pendulum swung from sentimental and sweet to hilarious. After everyone shared what they were thankful for, Philip announced that we were praying the 4th Sorrowful Mystery – The Carrying of the Cross, and he displayed our laminated image of the mystery. Jane looked at the picture of Jesus carrying the Cross, and she said, “Aw, poor Jesus. That looks like it is too hard. I think he needs more practice! Where is his friend, Simon?”
I’m gonna miss this.
The days are long, but the years are short.
If I’m gonna miss this, I need to keep choosing this.
I’m gonna miss this if I don’t keep choosing this.
![I'm Gonna Miss This]()
by Catherine | Nov 11, 2013 | Faith, Family
While doing the dinner dishes last night, I realized I had a choice: I could empty the clean dishes out of the dishwasher and load the dinner dishes, OR I could join Philip and the kids in the family room for some play time before bed. Before our Happiness Project, I probably would have opted for doing the dishes so that I could have a clean kitchen before bed. Last night, the new and improved me chose to leave the rinsed dishes in the sink and the clean dishes waiting to be unloaded until morning so that we could hang out as a family.
I brought the camera over and started capturing the moment. I said to Philip, “I’m gonna miss this.”
“What?” he asked.
“This. Before we know it, we’ll have kids in evening activities, kids staying up until 9 working on homework, and we won’t have this time anymore. We won’t get to just hang out as a family after dinner, and we won’t have our hour of couple time before bed every night.”
So, the dishes waited. And, you know what? It’s mid-afternoon the next day, and the dishes are still waiting. It turned out the kids wanted to learn about numbers today.
There was great music, lots of dancing, sunglasses, headbands, a tutu, and some trains.
Harry slept through most of it, but he woke up happy and giggling to the show in front of him. (Those sweet little baby giggles are the best!)
In the midst of the dance party, I noticed that dust was collecting on the entertainment center, the sliding glass door was covered in our pup’s nose prints, and the walls could use a good scrubbing. I know this sounds silly, but I was so proud of myself for allowing these things to accumulate. It meant I was learning to let a few things go in exchange for more quality time as a family. Things are still fairly tidy, but more often than not, I’m picking family over housework. The balance is increasing everyone’s happiness. If I’m gonna miss this, I better keep choosing this.
To transition to sleepy time, Philip read Jane and Walt a few of their current favorites from the library.
Then, it was off to the dinner table for sharing what we are thankful for, our family decade of the rosary, and prayer time. My favorite part of this time is hearing what the kids have to say as we gather around the table. They don’t know it, but the things that they say make Philip and I have to cover our faces in laughter or raise our eyebrows in surprise. The emotional pendulum swings from sentimental and sweet to absolutely hilarious every single night.
One of our November Happiness Project Resolutions is to share what we are thankful for each day. I record these items on looseleaf and store them in our family prayer binder. When Philip asked Jane what she was thankful for last night, Jane said, “Being loved by God.” Hearing my little one say something like that in her sweetest, most sincere little voice instantly brought tears to my eyes.
Right on cue, the emotional pendulum swung from sentimental and sweet to hilarious. After everyone shared what they were thankful for, Philip announced that we were praying the 4th Sorrowful Mystery – The Carrying of the Cross, and he displayed our laminated image of the mystery. Jane looked at the picture of Jesus carrying the Cross, and she said, “Aw, poor Jesus. That looks like it is too hard. I think he needs more practice! Where is his friend, Simon?”
I’m gonna miss this.
The days are long, but the years are short.
If I’m gonna miss this, I need to keep choosing this.
I’m gonna miss this if I don’t keep choosing this.
![Keeping Score–No More!]()
by Catherine | Nov 8, 2013 | Marriage
This is going to be one of those posts where I reveal that I can be a pretty lousy person–especially to my husband. So, if you thought I had it all together and want to keep living in fantasy land, get ready to have your world rocked. (By the way, I think it’s the job of all of us “mommy bloggers” to keep it real and reveal how we deal with the less than glamorous aspects of marriage, parenthood, etc. It’s the stuff that makes us saints in the making!)
Alright, on to why I can be rotten…
After five years of marriage, Philip is learning that choosing the right moment to address these kinds of things is crucial. God bless the man! Two nights ago, after our couple bedtime prayer time (one of our November Happiness Project Resolutions), Philip decided it was time to discuss one of my terrible habits: keeping score.
When I started staying at home, I began to notice and pay closer attention to the goings on around the house. I began to see all of the things that were left undone, the projects that hadn’t been put away (or hadn’t even begun!), and the general messiness of a house that’s occupied by a family. Being surrounded by all of these things that I thought should be different stressed me out.
If I came across something that I felt I was responsible for or that the kids had done, I worked my hardest to finish it on the spot or circle back to it later in the day. By day’s end, I usually felt that I had accomplished as much as I possibly could. If I didn’t, I’d let myself off the hook for not getting around to that extra load of laundry or the wet diaper that didn’t make it to the diaper pail.
If I came across something that Philip said he would do or I thought he should be responsible for, I either added it to my mental grudge list, or I’d let out a big ‘ol sigh and do it myself, gosh darn it. I make a really good martyr. I’d routinely have these kinds of thoughts:
“Why couldn’t he pick up that glob of toothpaste he dropped on the counter? Does he not see the glob of toothpaste? Why does this not bother him?!”
“Is he ever going to repair that curtain rod that’s ready to fall down from the kids pulling on it, or should I just do it myself? He said he’d do it last Thursday! Ugh! Nothing ever gets done around here unless I do it!”
“Really? You couldn’t just walk the extra ten paces to the hamper? You had to leave your work clothes on the bed? Oh, maaaaaaaaan! That brand new shirt has a huge coffee stain on it! Why can’t he be more careful?”
After a bunch of sighs and silently adding each item to my mental grudge list, Philip would eventually come home from work. If he was unfortunate enough to have all of these strikes put against him on what was already a rough day on the home front (say, a teething or sick child), his wife transformed into Mt. Vesuvius. I’d be ready to erupt at any moment. Unfortunately for Philip, he didn’t know about my mental grudge list and all of the things that I’d uncovered during the day at home.
We’d have our usual evening at home. We’d be in the midst of our usual evening routine when we’d hit a hiccup. It could be something as simple as Philip getting in my way while I’m trying to make dinner and him accidentally spilling Jane’s cup of milk across the counter.
By that point, the mental grudge list reaches its limit, and Mt. Vesuvius explodes. “OKAY! Thanks! I got it from here! Just go and play with the kids in the family room.”
Being the sweet guy that he is, he usually returns my eruption with a nice voice and says, “Sure, I’d be happy to give you a break. I’ll take the kids downstairs while you finish. Let me know if you need a hand. Otherwise, we’ll be downstairs.”
I know, I know, I’m married to a saint. I mean it! Instead of returning his thoughtfulness with an adoring gaze, I’d focus on the task at hand and think something like, “Isn’t that great?! Now I get to be the bad guy because I’m grouchy from dealing with his messes all day, and he gets to be the fun parent. Great. Just great. Ugh! Now the vegetables are burnt because I was too busy dealing with the spilled milk.”
When the evenings go like this, we’re usually too busy with the kids to work through whatever is going on, so we say, “Let’s talk later.” I proceed to be a brat toward him until the kids are in bed. Once the kids are in bed, I end up rattling off a laundry list of all of the things I noticed around the house that ticked me off during the day. “You didn’t pick up this, you made a mess with that, you haven’t even started this, and when are you going to ever do this?!”
Philip, sweet man that he is, usually listens. He listens, and listens, and listens. When there’s a pause, he sweetly asks, “Is there anything else you’d like to say?” If I’m being a brat, I add a few more things to my laundry list if something else comes to mind. Even if I’m being 99.999999% irrational and he’s done a great job around the house and with the kids, he always starts with, “I’m sorry.” He goes on to say that he hears me saying whatever I’m saying, offers ways that he can be more helpful, and he promises to do the things I point out.
Two nights ago, we finally had our chat about my tendency to keep score. “Can we talk about something that’s been bothering me?” When Philip says that, you know it’s serious.
“Yes,” I said, waiting for the bomb.
We talked about h
ow it bothered him when I rattled off a bunch of things he had other done “wrong,” hadn’t finished, or made a mess of around the house. He made me realize that he doesn’t have the opportunities to circle back to things the way I do since I’m home all day. If he’s in the middle of some project and I need him to watch the kids while I finish making dinner, he’ll gladly oblige–immediately, no questions asked. This means whatever he was working on takes a backseat. When things are left undone, it doesn’t mean he’s being careless–it probably means he was being caring by taking care of the kids or helping me with something else.
This conversation made me realize that I can’t keep trying to change Philip and his habits that I find annoying. Sure, he did start tri-folding towels the way I like a few years back, but he’ll probably crack his neck forever.
 |
| Tri-folded towels. It’s a beautiful thing. |
If I keep trying to ask him to do things or change, he won’t feel the respect that I should have for him as my loving husband and fabulous father to our children. Instead, I can only change what I can change–my heart.
The next time I see the glob of toothpaste on the counter, I need to change my heart. I need to take that opportunity to be humbled, clean it up if I have the time (who doesn’t have the time to grab a tissue and wipe it up?), and say a prayer. It could be something as simple as:
- Do small things with great love.
- Lord, please bless Philip as he works for our family today.
- Work is prayer.
- Bless this mess.
- Blessed Mother, please give me a dose of your docile spirit.
- I am blessed with work.
- Humble me to serve my family.
I’ll probably start getting hate mail that says something along the lines of, “No, girl! You’re not a doormat! You’re nobody’s maid, and you shouldn’t be cleaning up after your husband!” But, you see, I’m not a doormat in our marriage. In fact, just the other week, one of my girlfriends said, “I know Philip is a prince,” when referring to all that he does for our family. I’m a lucky girl! Philip really is the best when it comes to helping out and giving his life for our family. If anything, he is the one who could be called a doormat. (Ugh. That’s painful to write and admit.)
Philip understands his call as a husband from Ephesians 5. You know, that’s the reading that a lot of people huff and puff about and love to nudge their spouses over when you hear it at weddings. If us ladies think we got the short end of the deal when we hear we should “be subject” to our husbands, we need to hear what our hubbies are called to. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…He who loves his wife loves himself.” Husbands have the waaaaaaaaaay tougher job! They are expected to sacrifice themselves completely for their wives–to the point of giving up their lives for them. I am proud to say that my husband is doing a heck of a job. I, on the other hand, need to work on changing my heart.
 |
| There’s my hunky husband in his scrubs after a 28-hour shift, hanging out with the kids and wearing our baby in a floral print carrier. What a guy! |
Lord, please help me to resist the temptation to keep score. Help me to serve joyfully. May I follow St. Therese of Lisieux in her “little way,” doing small, unseen acts of service for love of others and God. May I stop seeking “gold stars” for acts of service and instead only seek an eternal reward in heaven. May I be a better example of self-emptying love. Humble me through these acts of service. May my small life as a wife and mother glorify you with the graces you give me. Mary was “only” a wife and mother, too. Blessed be God for the gift of our Blessed Mother and her perfect example.
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
![“M” is for Mouse]()
by Catherine | Nov 7, 2013 | The Homefront
You know how they say, “The good borrow; the great steal”? Well, I always applied that to my time as a high school Spanish teacher, and I’m definitely applying that philosophy to my time at home with the kiddos. No need to reinvent the wheel with so many fun ideas out there!
Remember how I said I wanted to do more homeschool-esque activities with the kiddos as one of my November Happiness Project Resolutions? The kids are very into letters these days, so I decided to get back into making alphacritters (letters that look like animals).
Today, we made an “M” that looked like a mouse. I stole the idea from The Measured Mom. If you’ve never checked out that blog before, do yourself a favor and head over there for some great preschool crafts!
Back to the “M” Mouse…
First, I made my own mouse model while Jane was at preschool.
Then, I laid out my model with two blank “M”s for Jane and Walt.
I gave each kiddo a glue stick and a few pieces at a time to glue to their “M”s.
As I expected, Jane was super into attaching the pieces to her mouse while Walt preferred playing with the glue stick. He quickly lost interest in craft time and decided to play with his trains!
The ears and the nose…
The whiskers…
We couldn’t resist pretending we had whiskers!
Final touches…
Ta-da!
Silly monkey always smiles better when she can see herself on the iPhone!
Our mice creations are hanging together on the kitchen wall. Jane says, “They’re mouse friends!”
I like Jane’s “M” Mouse better. It has character.
!["M" is for Mouse]()
by Catherine | Nov 7, 2013 | The Homefront
You know how they say, “The good borrow; the great steal”? Well, I always applied that to my time as a high school Spanish teacher, and I’m definitely applying that philosophy to my time at home with the kiddos. No need to reinvent the wheel with so many fun ideas out there!
Remember how I said I wanted to do more homeschool-esque activities with the kiddos as one of my November Happiness Project Resolutions? The kids are very into letters these days, so I decided to get back into making alphacritters (letters that look like animals).
Today, we made an “M” that looked like a mouse. I stole the idea from The Measured Mom. If you’ve never checked out that blog before, do yourself a favor and head over there for some great preschool crafts!
Back to the “M” Mouse…
First, I made my own mouse model while Jane was at preschool.
Then, I laid out my model with two blank “M”s for Jane and Walt.
I gave each kiddo a glue stick and a few pieces at a time to glue to their “M”s.
As I expected, Jane was super into attaching the pieces to her mouse while Walt preferred playing with the glue stick. He quickly lost interest in craft time and decided to play with his trains!
The ears and the nose…
The whiskers…
We couldn’t resist pretending we had whiskers!
Final touches…
Ta-da!
Silly monkey always smiles better when she can see herself on the iPhone!
Our mice creations are hanging together on the kitchen wall. Jane says, “They’re mouse friends!”
I like Jane’s “M” Mouse better. It has character.
![Need to organize your recipes?]()
by Catherine | Nov 7, 2013 | Everything Else, The Homefront
I’m one of those people that has ZERO patience for new-fangled technology. I am terrible at taking the time to figure out how to use new software unless it’s something I’m really interested in. Fortunately for me, I’m married to a man who relishes playing with new gadgets, using shortcuts, and reading blogs or news sites about this stuff.
I was getting frustrated by having recipes all over the place–websites, e-mail & Facebook inbox, Excel doc, dog-eared cookbooks, etc. My brilliant and handsome hunk of a hubby discovered a fantastic app designed to organize recipes. The app is called Paprika. ***I DID NOT GET PAID TO DO THIS ENDORSEMENT! I JUST LOVE IT!!!*** Here’s what it does:
Paprika is pricy compared to other apps ($20), but, in my opinion, it’s worth every penny.
I’ve been transitioning away from using paper cookbooks (aside from a few of my absolute favorites), and I almost exclusively use websites. I had an Excel spreadsheet with my recipes categorized, but it was cumbersome and not very user-friendly. If Philip tried to find a recipe on the Excel doc, he struggled. With Paprika, I open up the app, and I can find any of my recipes using the categories that I created. The recipes can go into multiple categories, too. You’re making the categories and assigning each recipe a “home,” so it’ll all make sense to you!
If you’re putting recipes in, it couldn’t be easier–even for a non-techie like me. If it’s a recipe you’ve found online, you click on the “Browser” function. Then, you copy and paste the link to the recipe, and, VOILA, the ingredients and directions are inserted for you! Brilliant! If you’re like me, you’ve accumulated a bunch of random e-mails, recipe cards, or Facebook messages with recipes from friends and family. I am finally getting all of these recipes in one spot using Paprika. I love how easy it is to navigate and add/edit recipes. We like to switch things up a bit with our recipes, so I love that I can insert/delete ingredients or include a preparation tip. I love that you can scale the recipes up or down, too.
Here’s what the screen looks like opened up to my “Chicken” recipes:
In addition to organizing your recipes, you can generate a grocery list and insert your meal plan into the app. Helpful, huh?
Since Philip is such a tech geek, we have a bunch of Apple devices, so Paprika goes between all of the devices. If I need to look up a recipe away from my computer, I can access Paprika on my phone when I’m at the grocery store (if I’m not already using it to review my grocery list). It’s easy to e-mail recipes from the app, too.
It is SO NICE to finally have one place to access my recipes. I’m still in the process of putting my favorite cookbook recipes and a few others on there, but it is so satisfying to click on a category like “Beef” and see it all right there.
***AGAIN, I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT I DID NOT GET PAID TO WRITE ABOUT PAPRIKA! I JUST LOVE THIS APP AND HAD TO SHARE!***
![November Happiness Project Resolutions (and a quick October Resolutions Recap)]()
by Catherine | Nov 4, 2013 | Faith, Family, Marriage, The Homefront
Wow! Where did October go? I don’t know how it’s already November, but a new month means new resolutions to add to our Happiness Project. (If you’re wondering what in the world I’m talking about, read this post where I explain what our Happiness Project is all about!)
Like last month, it’s our hope that sharing the monthly resolutions via my blog will help hold us accountable. We are adding to the October resolutions, so that means we will continue working on the October resolutions.
In case you forgot, our October Happiness Project Resolutions were:
- Exercise
- Catherine: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Level 1 (Tuesday & Thursday after preschool drop-off, Saturday)
- Philip: Running/elliptical 3x per week before leaving for work (This will need to change for the month of November since Philip will be leaving EARLY in the morning to get to the hospital)
- Sleep
- Harry’s last feeding at 9:00 p.m. In bed by 9:45, lights out by 10:30.
- Faith
- 1 decade of the Rosary followed by nighttime prayers at the dinner table
Overall, I’d say October was a great month for our start to our Happiness Project. We need to make a few adjustments to our exercise resolution because of the kiddos’ schedules and Philip’s work schedule. Getting to bed earlier is wonderful! Being a night owl is for the birds–especially when the kiddos wake up at 5:30 a.m….and the newborn has a 4:00 a.m. feeding…and daylight savings times ends or starts or whatever causes us to have “fallen back” an hour. The nightly decade of the Rosary and nighttime prayers at the dinner table continues to be a regular thing around here. We even got to have our friend, Fr. Craig, join us for prayers one night when he came for dinner!
Having these resolutions gave me the energy to tackle a few nagging tasks. With a move to Lincoln on the horizon, I’m starting to purge and organize areas of the house.
- I cleaned out, reorganized, and labeled the kitchen pantry. Oh, how I love looking at the alphabetically ordered spices!
- I finally tackled the headache of going through my clothes and unburdening myself of all of the clothes I don’t fit into. Ironically, freeing myself of the clothes that don’t fit made me feel like I lost 10 pounds. Now, when I open my closet door, I can and will actually wear every item in there.
We also tried to incorporate more fun:
Onto a new month! Here we come, November!
November Happiness Project Resolutions
- Couple prayer time right when we get to bed–no dozing!
- “You can do anything for 15 minutes.” Work for 15 minutes daily on these 4 things:
- 1 Shutterfly album (To be completed & ordered 11/30)
- Add & edit recipes to Paprika (recipe organizing app)
- Return/draft e-mails
- Decide on & prepare activity to do with the kids for the next day
- Do at least 1 of the following activities daily with the kids, and do each at least once a week:
- craft
- baking
- library
- outing
- play date
- enrichment/homeschool-esque activity
- write letters
- Family thankfulness
- Share & record favorite moment of the day/what we are thankful for over dinner
- Budget
- Streamline
- Agree on limits
- Organize all passwords/account information
- Transition job to me
- Will
- Complete & make it official
- Philip’s Resolutions
- Eat four salads a week for lunch
- Do 10 pediatrics boards questions a day
- Put away all electronics from dinnertime to kids’ bedtime (for both of us)
- Read 1-2-3 Discipline book
I am working on a resolutions chart to post on the fridge that will help hold us accountable. I’ll share it as soon as it’s made. Please keep our Happiness Project in your prayers!
Do you have any Happiness Project Resolutions? Share away!
![Dating at Home]()
by Catherine | Oct 29, 2013 | Marriage
With a newborn, it’s easy to get stuck in an evening routine rut. Until last week, we were spending most of our evenings after we got Jane and Walt to bed watching our favorite shows on the couch while I nursed Harry. When you’re exhausted, it’s easy to take the path of least resistance and just veg out on the couch.
We decided we were sick of watching tv and needed to switch things up a bit. Enter the At Home Date Night Jar.
I grabbed a mason jar, a handful of craft sticks, some felt-tipped pens, and we brainstormed fun activities for the two of us to do at home other than watch television. We don’t have the budget to regularly pay for a sitter, and we want to keep things fresh by having regular date nights at home. When we’re looking for inspiration, we’ll draw a stick from the jar, and we’ll do whatever activity is written on it.
We had fun brainstorming activities together. Within 15 minutes, we had run out of craft sticks, and we had a jar full of fun, creative activities for future at-home date nights. While we were brainstorming, we discovered The Dating Divas. The Dating Divas is a site dedicated to strengthening marriages by encouraging couples to keep dating throughout their marriage. Rather than re-invent the wheel, we stole a few ideas from their site and came up with a few of our own.
Here are a few of the activities in our At Home Date Night Jar:
- Visit DatingDivas.com for inspiration
- Rearrange furniture in a room
- 30 minute massage
- Wine, cheese, baguette, & watch Life is Beautiful
- Living room dance lesson (consult YouTube)
- Online house hunting
- Do a puzzle together
- Dress up, takeout, candelight meal in the dining room
- Make family photo album on Shutterfly
- Mario Cart Wii tournament
- Share 5 goals over a snack
- Watch a pre-1960 movie
- Workout DVD & smoothies
- Watch a sports game & eat stadium food (nachos, hotdogs, pretzels, etc.)
- Read a book to each other
- Set up a practical joke for the kids
- No technology, no electricity
- Picnic in the family room
- Bubble bath
- Sit outside & read together
- Write a mad lib style story together
- Build a fort for the kids
- Read the same book. Discuss after each chapter.
- Learn & play a new card game
- Make a freezer meal
- Choose new photos for frames around the house
- Try a new cocktail recipe
- Bake cookies
- Board game tournament
- Tackle a problem area of the house (garage, storage room, etc.) with a bottle of wine
- Teach each other about an historical event or current issue
- Get some peppermint foot lotion & give each other a foot massage
We decided to kick things off that night by drawing an activity out of the jar. We played a game called “Head of the Class” that I found on The Dating Divas and opened up a bottle of wine.
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| From The Dating Divas |
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| From The Dating Divas |
Both of us filled out cards that had questions like, “What is your favorite movie?” Then, we took turns asking each other the questions and guessing what the other person wrote. The first person to get 10 questions correct won. It was TOUGH!
The funniest moment of the night was answering the question, “What is your biggest fear?” The conversation went a little something like this:
Philip: What’s your biggest fear?
Me: You dying at a young age. What’s your biggest fear?
Philip: (laughing sheepishly) Me dying at a young age.
Me: What?!?! Your biggest fear is YOU dying at a young age?!
Philip: Well…(laughing)…I wouldn’t want you to be sad!
Me: (Laughing so hard that I’m crying) Great, so you want me to die first?
Philip: I guess so!
Isn’t he romantic?
Unfortunately, for me, Philip won. Before playing, we decided to make it a high stakes game by putting a 10-minute back massage with Body Shop Body Butter (love that stuff!) on the line. Philip loves back massages, so he was a happy camper when he won. He got a lot of grief for the rest of the night for wanting to kill me off first. It was fun learning more about each other and revisiting questions that we hadn’t thought about in awhile.
Do you and your sweetie still have date nights at home? Do you have any fun activities to add to our list?
We’re looking forward to our next At Home Date Night!
![Picnic Lunch in the Family Room]()
by Catherine | Oct 26, 2013 | Family
Last week, I decided to switch things up a bit. The kids had been playing really well together, and I wanted to reward them for being so sweet to each other. Ever since Harry had his 2-month well-visit and our pediatrician said I needed to fatten him up, it seems as though I’ve been spending our entire days “just” nursing Harry on the couch. I wanted to do something special for Jane and Walt to let them know how much I appreciated their patience with me as I nursed their baby brother.
After I finished making lunch, I surprised them and announced, “Okay! Lunch is ready! Today, we are going to have a PICNIC IN THE FAMILY ROOM!”
Oh my goodness, you would have thought it was Christmas morning around here. Immediately, they started jumping up and down and saying, “YAY!!!” I laid out one of our blankets and set out our food. I decided to make their favorite–PB&J, sour cream and onion chips, and applesauce. It was all very, uh, organic and very nutritious….wink, wink. At least they had their milk!
Before we sat down to eat, Walt observed the food on the ground of the family room. He looked at me and said, “Mommy, we make a mess!”
This was his way of saying he was worried we were going to spill and make a mess in the family room. I told him, “It’s okay! We are going to eat on the blanket today. It’s fun!”
When he heard me absolve him of any fear of making a mess, an ear-to-ear grin came on his face. It simultaneously thrilled me and broke my heart. I was tickled he was so excited about the picnic, but it struck me that his first thought was, “Oh, no. What if we make a mess?” The family room picnic was my small attempt to let them know that it’s important to Mommy that we have impromptu fun together.
One minute into the meal, Walt dropped a glob of grape jelly on his jeans. A look of panic crossed his little face. “Oh, no! I spill!”
I smiled and said, “Accidents happen! It’s okay.”
He returned my smile and said, “Okay, Mommy.” Note to self: Reinforce to the kiddos that accidents happen and that’s okay–especially on the days when we’ve had 5 potty training wardrobe changes or spilled milk 3 times in one sitting. It’s good to learn how to be careful, but it’s more important to learn that Mommy will help you when you have an accident.
Jane and Walt did a great job eating, so they got to have their favorite treat–a Double-Stuf Oreo.
Ever since that day, they regularly ask for “more picnic time.” I hope when they look back on their childhood, they’ll think of moments like this. I want them to remember Mom joining them on the floor, doing “Criss-Cross Applesauce” on their backs as many times as they ask, reading all of the books from the library twice in one sitting just because, and telling them that I love being their mommy. If all they remember is me scrubbing toilets, telling them to pick up, or “Hurry!” it will have been a squandered opportunity.
I want them to know that they (and their dad) are my vocation; they’re not an obstacle to it. I hope they know that I chose to stay at home because they are my vocation–not cleaning the house, making meals, or any other secondary goods. They are my heaven-sent eternal gifts that give me everyday opportunities to help me on my own path to sainthood. Hopefully they’ll think of Mommy as helping them on their path, too. That is why I’m home.
“She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her.”
(Proverbs 31:26-28)
![Happiness Project: October Resolutions Progress Report]()
by Catherine | Oct 21, 2013 | Everything Else, Faith, Family, Uncategorized
Philip and I decided to get serious about changing a few things around here with our version of Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project. I wrote about it here. Basically, we’re doing small things to improve our own happiness to in turn increase the happiness of those around us. Philip and I decided to touch base last night before bed to see where we thought we were with our October Happiness Project Resolutions. To help hold us accountable, I thought I’d share our thoughts here.
In case you forgot, our October Happiness Project Resolutions were:
Exercise
- Catherine, 6:00 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred level 1
- Philip, running or elliptical 3x per week before leaving for work
Sleep
- 9:00 p.m. get ready for bed
- Lights out at 10:00 p.m.
Faith
- Weeknight family prayer time after bathtime before bed
- 1 decade of the Rosary followed by bedtime prayers at the dinner table
Let’s tackle these one by one…
1. Exercise
- Catherine: The 6:00 a.m. routine worked a few times, but my exhaustion got the best of me most mornings. The combination of the “big kids” waking up at 5:30 most mornings and Harry needing at least one feeding in the middle of the night made for one tired mama. I’m switching my routine to gain some snooze time. My new routine: Tuesdays and Thursdays once I get home from dropping Jane off at preschool and Saturday mornings, Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, level 1.
- Philip: My sweet hubby was so supportive trying to get everyone dressed and fed in the mornings that he put himself last most days. Unfortunately, he has a tough rotation on the docket for November, so we’re still brainstorming ways that he can get his exercise in daily. For now, Philip’s goal is to run or do the elliptical 2x per week.
2. Sleep
- Harry has changed his feeding routine since his last pediatric visit. (Translation: He’s low on the percentile chart and my pediatrician would like him to fatten up before his next weigh-in. This means he’s eating longer and more frequently.) He’s having his last feeding around 9/9:30. We start getting ready for bed immediately afterward, but we should get ready for bed before I start that feeding. We’ve been in bed most weeknights before 10, but we can work harder to reach that goal. Perhaps we could try to make Harry’s feeding closer to 9, make it a goal to be in bed by 9:45, and lights out by 10:30.
3. Faith
- We have said 1 decade of the Rosary followed by bedtime prayers at the dinner table *almost* every night since making this resolution. We missed a few times because of Philip’s work schedule, date nights, events with extended family that kept the kids up too late, etc., but the family Rosary is definitely a habit. On the rare nights that we missed it, the kids asked about it. Hooray for a regular family prayer routine that is sticking!
- Things that helped our family Rosary time be successful:
- Routine
- Low lighting and candles (with the promise that each child can blow out a candle at the end if they do a good job praying)
- Rosaries with cord and plastic beads for the kiddos
- Picking battles and accepting baby steps toward reverence
- Family Prayer Binder (stored on top of the fridge) with all necessary materials
- Laminating & displaying an image of the mystery of the Rosary that we are praying on a stand (flanked by the lit candles)
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| Our family prayer binder that holds our materials |
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| Our prayer binder tabs & pockets with prayer materials |
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| One of our laminated images we display while praying the Rosary |
- Here are few photos from our family Rosary time:
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| Baby steps toward reverence… Saints in the making, right? |
So, overall, I’d say we’re doing well. We can improve each area, but we are making strides in the right direction. Our Happiness Project is off to a great start, and we already have ideas for our November resolutions.
Do you have any suggestions for a future resolution? What’s something you’re doing to boost your own happiness & the happiness of others?
![Neighborhood Nature Scavenger Hunt]()
by Catherine | Oct 10, 2013 | Family
Philip was post-call today. That means that he worked a 24-hour shift at the hospital, and he had the day off once he got home this morning. Fortunately, it was a relatively slow night at the hospital, so he was able to get a good amount of sleep.
Philip is always so good at coming up with fun activities to do as a family. Jane came home from preschool on Tuesday with tales of a class nature walk. This inspired Philip to plan a family nature scavenger hunt around the neighborhood.
He created a picture checklist for Jane and Walt of things to find. Here’s Jane with her list. See anything strange on it?
It all seems pretty standard for a neighborhood nature walk, right? Tree, leaf, grass, acorn, sun, monkey… Wait, monkey? That husband of mine loves to make the kids laugh!
“Daddy! We’re not going to find a MONKEY!”
“Why not?” Philip loooooooves playing dumb so that they feel smart.
“Because! There aren’t any monkeys in our neighborhood!”
“Okay, we’ll see.”
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| Don’t mind us, neighbors. We’re on a mission! |
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| Checking things off — in purple crayon, of course |
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| I just love how rosy his cheeks get |
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| Still looking for that monkey! |
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| Monty’s glad we didn’t bring along any strollers |
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| Showing off some leaves she found |
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| Hooray for strong and tall Daddy! |
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| Whoops. Didn’t realize the view the neighbors were getting until I started walking behind them! |
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| “Look at our collection!” Proudly displaying everything they found. |
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| Karate chopping each other so that they can hold their favorite items. |
As much as I gripe about residency, I know I’ll miss these random post-call days when Philip is home in the middle of the week. After we came home from our nature scavenger hunt, we read stories and took a family nap. Oh, so glorious! After naptime, Philip made us breakfast for dinner. We had eggs, pancakes, sausage, and apples. Deeeeeeeeee-lish! Philip played with the kids while I cleaned up the kitchen. Jane and Harry even had some “tummy time” together.
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| Neither one seemed to enjoy it. |
After that was bath time, dance time, story time, family prayer time, and bedtime. Now, it’s Mommy and Daddy (and Harry) time. Off to hang out with my boyfriend before our bedtime!
![Practicing for Preschool Picture Day]()
by Catherine | Oct 8, 2013 | Family
Us preschool parents found out that picture day is on Thursday. I’m sure a lot of the other parents didn’t give this a second thought. If they did, they’re probably focused on things like what their child will wear or how they will style their hair. I’m concerned about other things. You see, Jane likes to give it her all when it comes to taking pictures.
She’ll do one of two moves:
- Evade the camera with all her might
- Give the goofiest face she can think of
Philip called today to check in over lunch. I gave him the usual report on what was going on around the home front, how preschool went for Jane, what I had been up to with the boys, etc. I mentioned I had been trying to “practice” Jane’s picture day smile with her.
“What do you mean?” Philip asked.
“Well, I’ll say, ‘OK, Jane. Pretend I’m the photographer. When I say ‘Cheese!’ what are you going to do?’ Then I ask her to smile.”
“Oh,” Philip said.
“I’m afraid it’s making the problem worse. Now she thinks it’s funnier than ever to be silly for the camera.”
After recovering from laughing, Philip said, “Well, maybe you could make it look like a real photo shoot with a backdrop on the wall, ask her to stand in front of it, and take real pictures.”
So, guess what we did this afternoon after lunch. Bingo! Preschool picture day practice photo shoot!
Wanna see how it went?
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| After I put up a few pieces of cardstock, my ready and willing subject, Walt, entered the scene. It looks like he’s saying, “Who? Little old me?” |
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| Moving subject with camera phone = blurry |
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| Way to go, buddy! Show Janie how it’s done! I love your use of pretend ice cream cone. |
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| Workin’ it |
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| This way, buddy |
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| I’ll take it |
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| Cutie! |
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| I think he’s about over it |
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| Yup. He’s had enough.
Enter my next subject… |
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| This is what I got when I said, “Smile!” |
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| Cheesy smile with a little lower lip biting action. OK, this could be a good start! |
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| Blowing kisses |
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| Well, this is sure going downhill |
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| Oh, dear |
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| After a little break, Walt’s back for more |
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| The trouble is, the girl who doesn’t want her picture taken won’t leave the scene |
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| I’m back, Mom! Keep taking my pic! |
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| “ME HOLD IT!” |
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| Jane used her time away from the camera to think up this pose |
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| And this one |
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| And yet another variation on that one |
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| Alright, folks! I think we might be coming back to cute |
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| Aaaaaaaaaaaaand, there you have it! Cousin It! |
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| How much do these preschool pictures cost anyway? |
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| At least we’re stationary and making eye contact |
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| Getting too distracted…the lazy eye is making an appearance |
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| The grand finale! Is it naptime? |
So, there you have it. I think we’re ready for preschool picture day. Practice makes perfect!
