Eclair Express

Jo Wake is one of our resident chefs who joins us on occasion to share her wisdom and wonderful recipes...

Once again thank you to the Really Real Housewives of America for allowing me to burble on their blog.

Chocolate is one of my favourite foods as it is for many people. I have just read a report which says cocoa is not just a hot drink but is good for many things. One thing it is good for is mental sharpness. I drink hot chocolate sometimes at the bowling alley. Obviously I should drink more. Note to self, cut out the wine, add in the chocolate.  I like mine just plain without any milk in it and that could be the best way to drink it for health reasons.

I was thinking about edible flowers the other day. Are you aware that there are quite a lot of them which you can eat? One of my favourites is pansies and I often have them on the balcony so use them to decorate desserts. Violets are another, and I even tried making my own crystalised violets. Semi successful but they did work. Many people grow chives in their gardens, these too have lovely flowers which look great in salads and even taste somewhat of onion.  This website has a list of edible flowers with pictures so that if you are not familiar with them, you can see what they look like. It is always fun to surprise people, many of whom are unaware that you can eat flowers.

Knowing there are some readers of this blog who would prefer a really easy recipe, here is Kraft’s Graham Cracker Chocolate Eclair Cake.  Maybe you could serve it as an extra at Thanksgiving. You certainly have time to make it.

Graham Cracker Eclair "Cake"

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups cold milk
15 graham crackers, broken crosswise in half (30 squares), divided
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1 cup BAKER'S ONE BOWL Chocolate Frosting

1. Beat pudding mix and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, cover bottom of 8-inch square pan with graham squares, overlapping as needed to form even layer.

2. Stir COOL WHIP into pudding; spread half over graham squares in pan. Cover with 10 of the remaining graham squares. Repeat layers of pudding mixture and graham squares.

3. Refrigerate 3 hours. Spread with BAKER'S ONE BOWL Chocolate Frosting.

Tips
As an Alternative: Prepare using 1 pkg. (1 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Sugar Free Fat Free Instant Pudding, fat-free milk and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.

BAKER'S ONE BOWL Chocolate Frosting: Melt 1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate; pour into large bowl. Cool 5 min. Add 1 lb. powdered sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup milk with mixer on low speed until blended.

Shortcut: Substitute 1 cup ready-to-spread chocolate frosting for the BAKER'S ONE BOWL Chocolate Frosting

Source: Kraft

Have a great day

The Done List

Happy Halloween, everyone! and Welcome, welcome, welcome to Kimberly Vanderhorst! This week she's bringing sunshiny-ness from the inside out. I love this post of a to do list in reverse!

“You’re not horrible, you’re human. People are always getting those two confused.”

It’s a hallmark of human nature that we are sometimes too hard on ourselves. We mentally bludgeon ourselves into a state of despair because we're not doing and being all the things we think we should.

But if you worry that you are not kind enough, giving enough, AMAZING enough, then odds are you're pretty freakin' fantastic. Because you're striving, and you're yearning, and you're aspiring.

Please. Celebrate that.

And please, resist the voice in the back of your mind, the insidious whisper telling you what a slacker you are. One of the most beautiful, most joy-worthy aspects of humanity is that we have the power (with the help of our loved ones) TO DROWN THOSE VOICES OUT.

Be a loud voice. Be the bright and shining creature you have it in you to be. And when you can't, when the weariness brings you down so low you forget you ever had the power to shine at all, remember this:

"Feeling and being are not the same. You are not one dark thought, one sad moment, or one awful day. You are oh so much, so infinitely MORE."

There’s a dangerous cliché making its way through the world, which tells us that it’s silly to stare into mirrors and tell ourselves how wonderful we are. The idea has been mocked in countless TV shows and movies, and more often than not leads to abject humiliation for the person doing it.

But I found a loophole, and it’s a fabulous one.

Every day, I write down the things I do. “Unloaded the dishwasher.” “Answered seven emails.” “Edited two query letters.” “Wrote 537 words.” “Read three books to Gracie.” “Put on real pants!” “Put through and folded two loads of laundry.” “Decluttered kitchen counter.” “Shouted inside my head instead of outside.” Etc . . .

At the end of the day, I skim my “done list,” and smile. Because when it comes to my accomplishments, my memory is a sieve with really big holes. Writing them down helps me fight that whispering “You are not enough” voice. It helps me realize that I am. Even on my rough days, when “put on pants” is the highest of all possible accomplishments.

What sort of things would you put on your “done list?”

Kimberly Vanderhorst is a speculative fiction author who cherishes a love for all things strange and beautiful. Claims to fame include running Prism Editing, serving on the committees for the annual LDStorymakers Conference and The Whitney Awards program, and co-hosting the annual Pitch Slam contest. Despite being a city girl with a tendency to cuss too much, Kimberly is married to an LDS minister and lives in rural northern Canada. There, she helps raise her four lovely daughters while pretending not to be afraid of the neighbour’s chickens.

www.kimvanderhorst.com

BLING YOUR THING: Being You and Proud

This week we are Proud as Provolone & Parmesan as we welcome the Cheesy Queen CRYSTAL COLLIER to the House!

It's National Wear Something Gaudy day! (Do it!) 

What will I be wearing? Something like this:

Source

Cheese makes me happy. It's my THING. 

You have a thing too, so what is it? What makes you happy just thinking about it? What brings you fulfillment or sets you apart?

In the marketing world, we're told to brand ourselves so we stand out. (That was never my intention, btw, I just love cheese.) I think in life we do the same thing. When we're young, we search for what it is we love. Sometimes that shuffles us into categories or cliques. The older we get, the more that thing begins to define us, to shape us--not because we relinquish control, but because we build our lives to encompass it. (I'm not talking about sociopolitical issues.)

My other thing looks something like this:

I haul 4 kids around with me everywhere. Each individual personality teaches me so much, and they've completely changed my outlook on life. They also challenge me well beyond where I thought my sanity line stood. Each one provides me the opportunity to be fulfilled through service to them, AND each is growing my capacity. (That shaping thing really comes into play.)

However, it seems like the predominant mentality these days is for people to look down their noses at large families--like the parents couldn't figure out birth control or are single handedly trying to bankrupt the country. (Because those kids will have to end up in poverty due to neglect or something, right?)

I have news for those people. SOME OF US LIKE BIG FAMILIES--and man do they keep things interesting.

But they're not for everyone. Obviously. ; )

So here's your permission today. Love your thing. Let it define you. Don't apologize for it or diminish it because your neighbor feels differently. Bling proudly.

Are you blinging your thing? What bling would you be wearing today if you could express yourself on your sleeve?

Crystal Collier is a cheese-loving blogger & author who pens out funnies, deep thoughts, and book giveaways. She's the author of the Maiden of Time series, a 2012 winner of PitchWars, and a 2016 IWSG writing contest winner. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

The third book in her Maiden of Time series releases November 1, 2016. Find her and her books online.

Happy - Argh - Pirate - Argh - Monday - Argh!

The Really Real Housewives are proud to present DONNA K WEAVER as our guest this week! And starting on her birthday, no less!

Today is my birthday! I’m too old to take pleasure anymore in the increasing numbers, but I do have a couple of things I like to celebrate.

First

It’s Hermione Granger’s birthday too (if she’d really been born).  *shouts*

Happy Birthday, Hermione!

   

Second

It’s International Talk like a Pirate Day. 

This is a day of awesomeness. Did you know:

• If you live near a Krispy Kreme, you can get a free donut by talking like a pirate today and a DOZEN donuts by dressing up like one when you come.
• Facebook has a language option of Pirate (It’s actually called English, Pirate), so all your headings are in pirate. (Click here for instructions)

Here's what my header looks like in Pirate.

• Google also has a search page just for Pirate talk. Click here.
• There are language translators to help you if your pirate speech doesn’t flow easily. Here are a couple to try:

SpeakPirate

Syddware

To conclude, enjoy this humorous “how to video” on celebrating the day.

Donna K. Weaver is an award-winning author, wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Army veteran, karate black belt, and online gamer.

Blog | Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter 

 Pinterest | YouTube | Google+

Pink Stuff

We are very excited to have Jo Wake, one of our faithful friends at the House guest, join us to post this week! She has some sage advice and tidbits to share!

It was so kind of the Really Real Housewives to ask me to do some guest posts this week. I can claim Liz as a friend, but although I follow this blog, I don’t really know any of the other housewives. However, I have been a housewife for a lot longer than most of them so I have been learning to do things the easiest way for a few years now.

One Sunday afternoon I was sitting thinking I didn’t know what advice I could offer you when I looked at my carpet and thought I needed to do something about the spots on it. Lo and behold, I thought of something you might appreciate.

Many years ago, whilst living in the States, I bought some Pink Stuff – it’s actual name is Quick ‘n Brite – and I have been using it forever. It is the best thing I have ever come across for removing the spots and stains which occur through every day life. No, I am not being paid to recommend it, but I think it is wonderful stuff. Recently I visited our local Costco and found they were selling a similar product which the guy selling it actually called the Pink Stuff, although oddly enough it’s white. Something about the pink being from strawberries and people being allergic. I don’t think I believe that. I had loaned Quick ‘n Brite to the local bowling alley and they were impressed with it so the owner’s wife picked some up. I believe you can use it in a carpet cleaning machine these days. But for me, it will always be something I use as a spot cleaner. You can mix it with water or for really bad stains, use it undiluted.

Except for wine spills. Maybe you don’t drink wine, but I do and I found this tip a long time ago. If you spill any red wine on your carpet, don’t touch it; cover it with a thick layer of salt. Leave it for, maybe, 24 hours and then just vacuum it. Hey presto, no wine stain. I tried mopping it up with paper towel first. Big mistake. The salt does a wonderful job of absorbing the wine. Of course the moral of that is drink it don’t drop it.

That same Sunday I had to peel some garlic and I thought you might be interested to know that you can keep garlic forever in a Mason Jar once you have peeled it. I put a piece of paper towel in the jar to absorb any moisture.

Peeling the cloves is a pain and I used to be able to buy peeled garlic in the store but haven’t been able to do so for a while. I first started doing this when I bought huge jars of peeled garlic at Sam’s Club. Way more than you would have thought just two of us could cope with. Amazingly it keeps a very long time. I just wish I could still buy it peeled because peeling it myself is not my favourite job. I find a medium size Mason Jar holds three good sized bulbs of peeled garlic.

Jo Wake has been happily married for almost 44 years, originally from the UK, living in Canada now. She's interested in cooking, reading and wildlife conservation.

Her blog is "Jo on Food, Life and a Scent of Chocolate" When she first signed up with blogger, they would not accept her last name for some reason, so she used a family name.

If you need any more info about Jo, a friend wrote a blog post about her some time ago. Although it claims she's interested in gardening, she's not really. She likes to look at gardens, that’s all.

A Healthy Sense of Pride

This week we welcome Amber Argyle to the House! She's got advice, an awesome recipe, and fun, relatable beginning of school woes... I hope you'll join us as she shares this week!

All my life, I have been taught two contradictory ideas. One from my church: beware of pride, because it proceeds the fall (meaning your downfall). The other from my school: have pride in myself, my appearance, my team. I didn’t understand how pride could be both a good and bad thing. The question continued to morph as my life changed. Was it bad that I had such swelling feelings of pride in my son’s kindness? Or my best time at a 5K (32 minutes, with steep hills, if you must know)?

www.kevinspear.com

This seeming oxymoron came to a head when my career as an author finally began to take off. After years of struggle, I was finally making good money, my books were well-received, and I was respected by my peers. I was proud of myself. Of how far I’d come and how much I’d accomplished. Was that wrong? Was I doing something wrong?

And then everything changed. My income dropped by a third from one year to the next. And then dropped by a third the year after that, even though I had more than doubled the amount of books I had for sale. I began looking around at other authors (granted, there weren’t many) who were still succeeding, despite the indie market crash. I buckled down, wrote more books, and released them faster. I had a strict deadline and often pulled ten hours five to six days a week.

It didn’t work. My sales continued to hover right around unimpressive. I was devastated. I’d worked so hard, sacrificed so much, and I tasted success. And then it was gone.

For what had to be the 100th time, I wondered if it was time to quit. Get a real job with a steady paycheck. But I still loved creating stories. It was the schedule that was killing me. And maybe not making fantastic, life changing money was a blessing. Because I was free to stop. Or at least go to half-time. Free to say yes to lunch dates with friends or a spontaneous trip to visit family for a week. Free to add working out back into my schedule. Free to help others who need a meal or a cookie or a pair of strong arms to move boxes or wipe tears.

It was around this same time that I found a quote by C.S. Lewis and I finally understood. “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man . . . It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.”

The danger of pride is comparing yourself to those above or below you: “I wish I could be more like them!” or “I’m so much better than them!”. Neither is fair to you or the other person. The key for me was that even if that comparison was (mostly) to myself, it was still harmful.

I’m not making the money I was before. And that doesn’t change my intrinsic worth one bit. It never did. There are three things that are worth our constant efforts: working hard, being happy, and serving others. Everything else is just clutter.

Amber Argyle graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband and a two-year-old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less crazy larger people. Amber is the bestselling author of the Witch Song Series and the Fairy Queen Series. She currently has completed two series and is working on a third. You can receive four of her books for free. Simply tell her where to send them, here's her website.

This is Joy

Thank you to everyone who read my previous post, basically introducing my story to you :)

When I talk about happiness, I feel that the description is something felt deep within during moments that are lighthearted and fun. For example, happiness is losing that extra pound, getting that promotion, going on dates, or maybe getting some unexpected income. Life throws us a bone every now and again. It’s good to feel happiness.

But joy… I consider joy to be something that is much more valuable. It’s the quality that I fight for every day. I take comfort in the fact that joy does not require being happy one hundred percent of the time. Just as life throws us a bone, it also gives us challenges we are never ready for. To have something there to help us be happy in those times is what #projectgethappy is about.

After a steady five-pound-a-month weight loss, I stopped losing two months ago. At a standstill, I become frustrated, annoyed, angry even. But combined with all those emotions comes something even better—joy. Because I have been outright with my journey, candid about my weight, I have people to lean on and turn to for encouragement. Also, I’ve learned to lean on myself. Sure, I am at a standstill, but I am beautiful. I am strong. I’m all kinds of wonderful, really ;) These are things I never would’ve thought about myself before.

Joy is something that warms your soul when there is nothing else to keep it brightly lit. Joy is gaining a pound, but knowing how beautiful you still are. Joy is writing 10,000 words that your editor advises that you delete, and you do it knowing it’ll make the story better. Joy is getting fired and having someone to hold you while you worry about how to pay next month’s rent.
Hold onto your joy. It is the key ingredient to any weight loss journey.

Hugs and Love,
Cassie Mae

Cassie Mae is the author of a few hundred… okay, maybe not that many… books. Some of which became popular for their quirky titles, characters, and stories. She likes writing about nerds, geeks, the awkward, the fluffy, the short, the shy, the loud, the fun.

Along with writing, Cassie likes to binge watch Once Upon A Time and The Flash. She can quote Harry Potter lines quick as a whip. And she likes kissing her hubby, but only if his facial hair is trimmed. She also likes cheesecake to a very obsessive degree.

You can stalk, talk, or send pictures of Luke Bryan to her on her Facebook page

This is Happiness

Another wonderful guest is joining us this week - CASSIE MAE! She'll be sharing POSITIVITY with us. We could all use more of that!


I’d like to thank the lovely ladies here for the invitation to crash their party for a few days. When I was asked to talk about my weight loss journey, I was honestly at a loss for words, and I find myself feeling that way again typing this, so I hope that what I really mean to say comes out in a way that makes sense.

2015 was a rough year for me. It wasn’t so much my weight, though that was a contributing factor, as it was the fact that I felt so out of control. I fell into a hole I hadn’t realized I’d been digging for myself over the course of many years. Bad habits, including procrastination, laziness, emotional eating, and poor self-image buried me, and it was around this time last year that I hit rock bottom. And I sat there for many, many months.

I felt my entire world slipping away—relationships I’d established went neglected and uncared for, and the worst of it was that while I worried about it, it was not enough to change it. I holed up, kept my feelings (and lack of feelings) close to the chest, never wanting to admit out loud that I felt dank and dark much of the time. On the outside, I put up a wall, trying to make people laugh and hoping that no one saw through the façade. Those closest to me were not fooled, and it took a long while before I admitted the problem—If I wasn’t toeing the line of depression, I was indeed sunk into its depths.

Admission is the first step to recovery. The moment I confided in someone (my husband), a tiny spark ignited somewhere deep within. Over time, and with open communication, that light expanded. Realization that this was more common than I’d ever thought, an idea formed—In January, I started #projectgethappy, a very open, honest, and public way of my journey to not only lose weight, though that was a big part of it, but to find things that would make me happy again.

What started as a solo project quickly grew, and I could not be more grateful. The people involved have inspired me on my low days, have offered encouragement, and have found a safe place to be honest as well. We’ve found that weight is only a number—one that does not matter, at that. My 300 pounds may be viewed as many different things: unhealthy, ugly, lazy… Or to some who weigh more, it is viewed as goals and smaller sizes. To me? My 300 pounds is strength, beauty, happiness.

Over the course of these posts, I will talk about what is truly important in any sort of journey—not the numbers on the scale or the amount of words written a day (if you’re a writer like me) or the times you’ve been asked for a second date. It all comes down in finding happiness, joy, and strength along the way.

Hugs and Love,
Cassie Mae

Cassie Mae is the author of a few hundred… okay, maybe not that many… books. Some of which became popular for their quirky titles, characters, and stories. She likes writing about nerds, geeks, the awkward, the fluffy, the short, the shy, the loud, the fun.

Along with writing, Cassie likes to binge watch Once Upon A Time and The Flash. She can quote Harry Potter lines quick as a whip. And she likes kissing her hubby, but only if his facial hair is trimmed. She also likes cheesecake to a very obsessive degree.

You can stalk, talk, or send pictures of Luke Bryan to her on her Facebook page

Weight Loss Competitions: Motivation for Healthy Living

Huge thank you to everyone who read my last post, and cheered me on! I’m happy to be back today and talking more about weight loss.

From my heaviest weight ever (at nine months pregnant) I lost a total of 51 lbs, mostly thanks to two separate weight loss competitions. These things are great for jump-starting healthy habits, and even better if you’re competitive like me, and looking to shed a few pounds.

Disclaimer: Losing weight didn’t change how I feel, or my bad relationship with food. I still feel like me, but I also feel better.

How it Works
Participants form a group (both of mine were on Facebook.) Each member pays in cash (I paid $20 for the first, and $10 for the second) And the winners get the payout. I made a total of $100 so not a bad return. There are winners for whoever has the most points (a daily checklist of good habits like drinking water and exercising) and whoever has lost the most percentage wise. I won the percentage both times. I also won on points the first time around, but one person can’t win both categories.

These competitions were inspired by the Lifetime Fitness challenge. If you’d like full details of the competition email me and I’ll send you the everything.

What Worked For Me
Not every body is the same. Not everyone is going to lose weight by keeping all the points. When I began the competition, I was rigid about my points. I’m glad I was, it freed me from my sugar addiction (it took a full three weeks to no longer crave it) and it started me running.

I never in my life thought I would become a runner, but now I can’t live without it. I didn’t feel that way until both competitions were over, a four month span.

It was hard. I didn’t lose very much weight in the beginning. I had to try and follow the book until I could figure out how to break the rules to my advantage. It got me thinking more about what I put in my body.

But here’s the most important thing you have to know before starting one of these: After the first competition, I was mess. I ate everything in sight. I didn’t exercise as much. I gained 8lbs in 4 weeks. The thing was over. I won. So that was that. But it wasn’t. That’s why I did the second competition.

The second time around, instead of being strict about points, I worked on balance. I found a way to not feel like I was starving all the time, and still lose weight. The key was in letting myself live a little on the weekends, then being military strict during the week.

I discovered that when I held back, I actually enjoyed the times I could indulge more. That, was the best gift I could’ve been given.

Come back for my next post where I’ll be talking about everything I ate on my strict days, and share a few recipes!

Jennie Bennett is a hopeless romantic. Thankfully, her husband is willing to be cheesy now and again. It’s probably the reason they have four kids. When she’s not swooning over her favorite romantic television shows (Kdramas) she’s writing love stories. Well, in between changing poopy diapers. Her family currently resides in Houston, TX.

Weight Loss Journey (more like a train wreck!)

I can't tell you how much I appreciate Jennie Bennett's posts this week! She's being brave, telling us about her struggles with weight, which I had no idea she had. She always looks fabulous! It's a very common struggle for so many of us. Thanks, JA.

So happy to be on the Really Real Housewives blog for my first time ever! Thanks for having me ladies. I’m not the type to mess around, so let’s get straight to it, yeah?

In Feb 2015 I found out I was pregnant with my fourth child, and it was freedom.

I had a bad relationship with food for a few months leading up to the pregnancy. Nothing new really, I’d been through periods of starvation-binge-starvation many times before.

Finally, I had an excuse to gain weight, and no one would judge me for it. I’d had three other kids before and never a problem losing the weight afterwards. I should have known from the start that was a dangerous road to go down.

The recommended weight gain for pregnancy is 25-30 lbs. I gained that in the first trimester.  Before anyone starts thinking that weight gain is different for everyone during pregnancy, I agree. However, with my other three children 25-30 lbs was natural. I didn’t have to monitor my diet or exercise, it just was.

Turning 30+ and a 4th child was the recipe for disaster, the weight wouldn’t stop. I knew 198 lbs didn’t seem like the end of the world to everyone, but it did to me. I was only two pounds away from my worst nightmare. I was anxious to have the baby so I wouldn’t have to face that number on the scale.

That’s right, my thinking was so messed up I wanted to have the baby for the sake of my weight. After he was born, I knew it still wouldn’t be easy. I was counting on it. What I didn’t count on was that nagging 30+ age thing.

Some weight came off naturally. About 15 lbs. I had gained 45 when I was pregnant. If I thought the self-loathing and my relationship with food was bad before, it was multiplied by nothing fitting.

30 lbs overweight is nothing to sneeze at, but I had no idea how it would change the way I shopped for clothes. I love shopping, I always have. The shops I loved weren’t made for 30 lbs overweight.

It was Feb 2016, and now none of my clothes fit, and I couldn’t buy the clothing I really liked. I was going to a concert and meeting up with lots of friends, and I really wanted a cute outfit. It took me days and too many hours to count to find something. It shouldn’t be that hard.

After the concert, I decided that was the final straw, and I had to do something to change. I was fortunate enough to find the solution in a weight loss competition, where I lost 51 lbs! Weight loss competitions aren’t the answer, but I think they’ve helped me come closer to finding that answer.  If you want to know more about what they are, come on back for my next post!

Jennie Bennett is a hopeless romantic. Thankfully, her husband is willing to be cheesy now and again. It’s probably the reason they have four kids. When she’s not swooning over her favorite romantic television shows (Kdramas) she’s writing love stories. Well, in between changing poopy diapers. Her family currently resides in Houston, TX.

Where does the time go?

We are spiced to have the lovely, long-standing Leigh Covington as our guest this week! She going to lay some tips and advice and fun stuff down and pump us up!

How many times do you wish for more hours in a day? I think we all do! We have to run kids to soccer games and piano lessons while working on laundry, cooking dinner, and attempting to fit in our 10K steps for the day. This is also hindered by our attempt to make ourselves presentable if we leave the house or if someone stops by for a visit, let alone having our kids dressed and ready to take on the world.

I used to think that things would get easier as my kids got older and they could do more for themselves, but that's not true. Life stays just as busy and hard - just in different ways. Life is simply hectic! And while we're all wishing there was more time to get ALL of these things done and working ourselves into the ground day and night so that we can scratch things off our "to-do" list...

Are we making time where it REALLY matters?

Yes... I'm sure you know where I'm going with this... are we making time to be together? QUALITY time - not simply time when we are all in the same house on our various electronics working toward different goals. Unfortunately, that doesn't count.

While there are a million ways to make time for our littles, I'm going to take you all along on my family's camping adventure from a couple of weeks ago.

First, let me explain that I've spent the past 2 1/2 years finishing my teaching degree which has left me lacking in the T.I.M.E. department. Feeling like an epic failure, I decided we needed to get away from our regularly scheduled program and enjoy some quality time. This included me packing up my three kiddos (on my own, since the hubby had to work) driving them two hours away from home, into the mountains to attempt a camping and fishing experience. What happened?

1. No cell phone service! We had to be creative and be together!
2. We had to work toward similar goals. We could set up the tent together, unload the car together, cook meals together, & figure out how to untangle fishing line together!
3. When we all froze at night because I didn't bring enough blankets - we could snuggle together!
4. Talking, laughter, and spending TIME with each other. 

It's probably quite obvious that you don't have to go to the mountains to do any of this. That was just something I have wanted to do with my kids for awhile, but it worked and it was worth it! Taking time for one another - playing together and finding a sense of unity, is all worth it. While, I'd love it if that meant there was no arguing, that wasn't really the case. Lets face it - we are human, but the arguing was happening less and fun was happening more. Hallelujah!

How else can make time for each other?

• Eat dinner together - don't forget to talk in between mouthfuls!
• Read a book to one or all of your children.
• NO TECH TIME - make time to talk and play. Ask your kids about their day.
• Play games together. My kids are card sharks so we love card games at our house.
• Cook something together, or teach them how to cook.
• Work together.
• PUZZLES! (A new favorite for us!)
• Go on a walk, ride bikes, go swimming, etc.

Truth be told- spending time together helps our kids, and even our spouse, know that we genuinely care about them and what is going on in their life. It helps build confidence and security in who they are and what they are capable of. Don't we all feel more empowered when we feel loved and accepted? Doesn't someone taking TIME for us help build those feelings of love and security? The love and support of family will probably reach much further than we can ever truly know.

For me, time with my kids and husband is this important so I put it at the top of my priority list. Oh well if I'm behind on laundry. Oh well if I'm the weirdo who bakes 5 dozen cookies with her kids to take around for Christmas gifts. That's okay. Despite how we might feel sometimes --- being a mom is the best job in the world, and definitely the most important. Does that mean that everything else we do isn't important too? Nope! Not at all. It simply means that you shouldn't downplay your role as "mother." Embrace it! And make time to embrace the time you have with those you love.

So, how do you make TIME for your family? What does your family love to do together? I look forward to hearing your ideas. I'm always looking for new things to try.

Leigh Covington is the mother of three active children and a full time student at Grand Canyon University, finishing her Bachelors in Secondary Education emphasis in English. Fueled by Coca-Cola, she spends the majority of her time watching soccer games or gymnastics lessons, while sneaking in a sweet treat to satisfy her chocolate addiction. She also teaches the youth at church and loves spending time reading a good book whenever she can find a free minute.

Bountiful Baskets

Welcome back Shelly Brown and her...

Bountiful Baskets!

How does my family eat healthy? PRODUCE! So much produce.

How does my family get produce? Co-ops. Bountiful Basket to be precise.

I’m sure that many of you have heard of grocery co-ops but there is a chance that a reader or two is ignorant to the value of such organizations.

Be ignorant no more.

Grocery Co-ops have been around FOREVER. Like I’m sure one caveman claimed to be good at gathering berries and another had an eye for walnuts and they decided it would be wise for them to share. See! FOREVER! But they have had a recent resurgence in the past 10+ years.

Co-ops are volunteer run, non-profit, member-owned organizations. The idea is that you put in your time and money then there isn’t a store that pockets a profit and the savings can be shared among the ‘owners.’ It sounds complicated but most of them have this down to a simple science.

People like the idea of eating local, organic food and cutting costs as well. Why wouldn’t you? But usually with a co-op you can have two of the three of those awesome things. If you have a co-op that is able to hit all three then feel free to mention them in the comments because that deserves some accolades. Bountiful Baskets, the one that I use, is really good at costs and organic but not so great at local.

There are minuses to using a grocery co-op as well.

• They usually have a small ordering window and a small pick-up window. If you are busy during those times then you don’t get produce that week. 
• The pick up locations can be ANYWHERE. Our baskets are on the floor of the local fire station. That might weird some people out. 
• They need you to volunteer. Not every week but it wouldn’t work if nobody helped. 
• And one of the biggest concerns for most people with Bountiful Baskets (and some other co-ops) is that you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. The produce that comes that week is the produce that you take home. Do you have a family that hates brussel sprouts? Don’t know what to do with jicama? Well they were in your basket so…eat them, share them, or toss them. But they’re yours.

Personally I love this problem. It forces us to eat our rainbow. If my family only ate the produce that I typically bought from the grocery store they would be stuck with boring staples every week. I’m grateful for the opportunity to find out what a diakon is how to prepare it. Maybe I’m weird that way.

If you’d like to explore co-ops available to you CLICK HERE

If you’d like to explore Bountiful Baskets CLICK HERE

Shelly Brown is a mother to five crazy kids, caretaker of five crazy chickens, and wears the hat of children’s book writer at least 5 days a week. Her debut children’s book Ghostsitter comes out October 1st  but you can preorder today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local independent bookseller.

Family Council - Advice from the heart

This week we welcome the steadfast SHELLY BROWN to the House. And today she is giving it to us TRUE. Listen up!

Hello fellow housewives!
I’m about to get real.
Really real.

Conforto Family: Jason Conforto

Families are awesome. And tough. And worth it. And complicated.
Families are a team, right? Then how is it that we don’t always act like one?

Unity.
We can totally do this. We’ve watched Remember the Titans. How hard can this be?
Answer: Really, really hard.

Fortunately we do have some tools to help us. Like the family mission statement. It is a beautiful thing to help people realize that they are on the same page, working towards the same goals. But not everybody has one of these…yet.

So let me back up to the first tool that I would recommend: Family Council.

Family councils are just like they sound, councils for the family. They are time that has been set aside to allow each member of the family to be heard. Parents can’t govern their children without first understanding their children. Children will find it hard to obey parents that they hardly know. Each person, big and small, has a desire to be heard and understood. And love and compassion grow when we take the time to get to know one another better.

These councils shouldn’t just appear when there is a problem (though they are excellent at pulling everyone together). They should be a normal part of life in a family. They don’t have to be super formal either (though they can be.) You can council over dinner or on a car ride as long as rules about being respectful are being obeyed.

Some Do’s

• If possible set a time and place so that it isn’t sprung on family members like a ill-devised intervention
• Remember to focus on a lot of positives. You want them to come away feeling good about the experience. You don’t need to air every grievance in the first meeting. (That’s what Festivus is for!) Praise them for their attendance. Praise them for the things that they are doing to create a good family. Encourage them to praise one another.
• Some people use the pattern of starting with the best parts of the week, then the hard parts, then anything that they feel should be addressed.
• Start young. If you’ve already missed this boat then start at wherever you are. But there is a value in starting young that might be missed when parents think that small children can’t contribute to a council. Kids are smart!
• Consider taking the time in one of these councils to create a mission statement. It will guide subsequent meetings and guide your every day interactions.

Some Pitfalls to Avoid

• letting councils turn into heated debates
• allowing any form of disrespect, from interrupting to unkind words.
• allowing or becoming the Family Council Dictator. Everyone must feel free to express their concerns without the All-Powerful-Bossy-One coming in and deciding how to fix/rule/conquer everything. It’s a team of equals, not the Smart One cleverly disguising a lecture to the Stupid Ones.
• decisions should be made by consensus not voting. Each member of the group should feel comfortable enough to move forward. This is very tricky but it encourages unification in a way that voting does not.

In the busy world that we live in it means a lot for us to show each other that we believe our families are worth the time to hold family councils. That we believe that each person is an important member of our team. To show each other that we believe that our team will be successful and we are willing to put in the effort to make it happen. In a world of mind numbing television and app games, and distracting entertainment it would be much easier for us to let our families just kind of drift and become whatever they become but we teach our kids how much we value families when we put forth the effort to create a thriving family environment.

1950's family: Seattle Municipal Archives

You can SO do this!

Shelly Brown is a mother to five crazy kids, caretaker of five crazy chickens, and wears the hat of children’s book writer at least 5 days a week. Her debut children’s book Ghostsitter comes out October 1st  but you can preorder today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local independent bookseller.

From Smart to Sultry in a Blink...

Sorry for the delay! Technical difficulties!

Today's fun Friday post is a special video demonstrating how to go from business to bodacious with a few eye shadow tips! Lyndsay Johnson has a glorious Facebook page called "Beauty by Lyndsay" to help us look our best - and does the demos herself. Pretty amazing!

LINK TO VIDEO

She has a bunch of videos on her page - check them out!

Lyndsay Johnson is a stay/work/play-at-home-mom to three littles. She is a graphic designer, author, and beauty maven who helps women gain confidence and grow their business through social media. She loves secret naps, watching movies in the dark, and admiring the mountains out her window. She lives in Heber City, UT with her children and filmmaker husband.

Lyndsay’s Blog: www.lyndsayjohnson.com

Lyndsay’s Beauty Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1615220915368450/

It's been great having Lyndsay guest at the Really Real Housewives this week!

Now go out and celebrate a fun-filled Fourth! May your fireworks and cookouts be ooo and ahh worthy!

Essential Oils for soothing start to your week!

This week we have a fabulous guest. Jessie Andersen is a fellow housewife with a special talent for sniffing out the right essential oil for whatever ails you! Take it away, Jessie!


I’m so excited to be a part of the REALLY Real Housewives blog this week. My life is filled with being a mom, writing, and a small essential oil business. I thought I’d mix them up this week and share some of my favorite activities to do with oils.

If you have never heard of essential oils, they are plant oils used for all sorts of health purposes. Today I’m going to highlight a few oils that are essential for any mom’s “awesome mommy” repertoire. Keeping my family healthy is one of my main focuses. I do this with essential oils.

Let’s start with Peppermint:
This is one of my all-time favorites. I use this to ease the occasional headache or stomach upset. *

Lavender is another must have especially for kids. We use it for its calming benefits and to promote a restful night’s sleep.

We also use it for skin health, including soothing skin irritations. And when I’ve sat in front of the computer too long and my muscles are all tense… lavender does the trick to ease that tension. *

If I had to choose one oil above all else, it would be Melaleuca. Known for its antiviral properties, it’s a must-have to promote healthy immune function. I also use it for healthy skin.

Since I’m a writer, I have one more favorite: The focus blend. It enhances and sustains focus, which is a must when writing with a two-legged distraction constantly chattering in my ear.






*These statements have not been evaluated by the Federal Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.


I could go on and on about oils and what they’ve done for my family, but that would take way too long! So, I’ll leave you with this: If you have never tried a form of alternative medicine, step out of the box and give it a shot. I never thought I’d be an “Oil freak” but now, they are our first go-to. You might find they work well for you too. You can find them at www.mydoterra.com/jessieandersen

There’s not much to do growing up in a small town in Western, NY, so J. Andersen wrote stories and won high school writing contests. But in college her writing was limited to term papers. While teaching middle school she began to read young adult books and got serious about writing. J now writes full time, volunteers at the town library, helps to run a School of the Arts at her church, and sings in the church band. She enjoys good coffee—read: home roasted by her husband—crafts, baking, running a small essential oil business, and chasing after her children. You’ll rarely see J without a book in her hands, and that’s the way she’d like to keep it.

(author of THE BREEDING TREE)

Website -- Facebook -- Twitter -- Goodreads -- Instagram -- Pinterest

Micro-Breaks

Here on  Free-for-all Friday, we like to offer surprises! So, here's a surprise guest post from the incomparable Libby Heily! Life is full of responsibilities, and Libby has a great idea on how to keep up...

Micro-Breaks

Life is stressful, you don’t need me to tell you that. Work, errands, kids, groceries, work outs, bills, etc. It all adds up. Some days, you spend the entire day running around with absolutely no down time. It happens to us all.

Wouldn’t a nice three hour snooze on the couch be great? Of course it would, but we rarely have time for that. What we can usually sneak in, however, is a micro-break.

I started using this technique when I attended Longwood University as a theater major. Theater is an interesting field of study because not only do you spend your days attending classes and doing homework like a normal student, but you also spend your evenings working for free for the university (building sets, attending rehearsals, directing, what have you). Mix all that time in the theater with a hectic social life and some attempt at remaining in shape, and your day quickly fills up. I’m a person who stresses out, a lot. So, in order to avoid a melt-down, I took micro-breaks.

In concept, micro-breaks are simple. In practice, they’re easy to forget about. Every day, two to four times a day, I would take 1-5 minutes to myself. I would try to find some space to be alone, and I would breathe – long inhales and powerful exhales. If I was up for it, I would picture a yellow light entering my body with each inhale and spreading throughout my body. Why yellow? Because it reminds me of sunshine. Yellow helps me feel relaxed and calm but also energized. Visualization is a powerful and personal thing and if you choose to use it as at tool, it might take you a while to find the perfect image for you.

After each break, I felt relaxed and ready. During those minutes alone, the day slipped away and awareness slipped in. The hardest part – remembering to do it.

Are micro-breaks a fix for everything? No, but they do help. Sometimes, just giving your mind and body a break for a few minutes can help you re-center and re-focus. Go ahead, give it a try. At the most, you’ll lose five minutes. But you could possibly regain a margin of sanity.

Libby Heily began writing after spending years as an obsessive reader.  She's written plays, screenplays, flash fiction, short stories, and novels.  When not spending time in made up places with invisible friends, she enjoys reading, running, hiking and performing improv in Raleigh, NC.

libbyheily.com