Ten Little Muffins

While my mom is here visiting, we have been busy in the kitchen, restocking the freezer with baked goods. Mom has a great little cookbook of muffins from the Gooseberry Patch. Oh, the recipes! Oh, the yummy goodness! Ladybug (2.75 years old) hasn't met a muffin that she doesn't like!

Here are ten muffin recipes from Gooseberry Patch. We haven't made all of them yet, but they all sound so good. Grab a cup of coffee and dream of muffins!


1. Anytime Bran Muffins - very yummy and a great way to get some fiber!

2. Spicy Applesauce Muffins - these are my mom's favorites, they taste like apple cake

3. Crunchy Almost Butter Muffins - haven't made these yet, but they sound so good!

4. Cheesy Bacon Corn Muffins - we'll be making these today to go with the soup for supper

5. Harvest Pumpkin - you can add roasted pumpkin seeds on top. I like them with the seeds, Mom likes them without.

6. Lemon Raspberry Yogurt Muffins - these are VERY yummy!

7. Brown Betty Peach Muffins - one of my faves, for sure! when they're warm they taste like peach cobbler!

8. Sweet Dream Muffins - they taste like a wonderful sour cream coffee cake. Very yummy with coffee! (which, I suppose, is why "coffee cake" is called "coffee cake!")

9. Bumper Crop Zucchini Muffins - I can't wait until my garden is producing tons of zucchini. I know some people get tired of zucchini in the summer, but not me. I'm saving this recipe for my over-abundance of zukes!

10. Mocha Chip Muffins - I'm really trying to be good and not indulge in sweet stuff, so we haven't made these. But don't they sound yummy?


The great thing about making muffins at home is that you control the ingredients! There are so many tricks to "healthifying" baked goods recipes. I'm not saying they will be "health food." But you can enjoy one with a piece of fruit for a nice snack without a whole lot of guilt.

And piece of advice from the muffin recipe book - It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), so no fighting over the last muffin!

For more great Top Ten lists, visit ohamanda.com

PS. A random opinion survey: if recipes come from a copyrighted cookbook, is it okay to post them on a blog if you give credit to the source? I always feel like this is a gray area in blogging.

Mamavation Week #13

Lucky week #13. I've always thought 13 is a lucky number instead of being unlucky. And I feel like it was a good week!

Exercise: Goal was to do cardio 5 days out of 7 and I did that! Very light strength training on the exercise ball. AND I started JOGGING! I know! Thursday and Saturday I was able to get out and walk/jog about 1.5 miles. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be. But it was definitely a challenge! On Friday, I did a 30 minute Pilates workout and I was more sore from that than from the jogging. I'm very pleased with this week on the fitness front.

I also got some yard work and gardening in this week, and those are definitely good workouts! I've planted two kinds of basil, chives, spinach, and a few radishes so far. I have a lot more work to do to prepare for more plantings.

Food Journal: I'm still keeping up with my daily food journal on SparkPeople. However, it was a stressful week and I indulged in too much Easter candy. I shouldn't even have it in the house; I cannot be trusted! I think I did better this week with my fruits and veggies. But that chocolate did me in. Here is my healthy menu plan for the week, including our Easter dinner menu.

The Scale: I'm down .5 lbs this week, for a total of 13.5 lbs in 13 weeks. I'm sure it would have been more with the great workouts I had, but like I said, the chocolate did me in. I will be re-checking my measurements this coming week.

Inspiration: This week's inspiration comes from my MP3 player. LaRue is a Christian duo and their song "Theory of Flight" totally inspired me as I jogged this week.

Even though I'm firmly planted on the ground
I still run
And even though I face these mountains I still soar
To the
Sun
But I need you here
To show me how to feel
'Cause I'm
Tired of living for myself

The song reflects on the fact that as humans we fall and we fail, but when we look to God, He is our strength. I definitely felt His strength this week!

I'm so excited that just by sharing this Mamavation Monday post with y'all, that I am entering for a chance to win a pair of Earth Footwear! Woohoo!!

My spring allergies were tolerable this week. I'm hoping they end soon! Thanks so much for your support and encouragement!

Sunshine

I love sunshine. One of the many reasons that I love living below the Mason-Dixon line is the extra days of sunshine. Makes me feel like singing ... Sunshine on my shoulder, makes me happy! Oh, sorry. Where was I?

I also love the sunshine that good friends bring into my life. Friends keep me sane when parenting gets tough. They encourage me when I've had a rough day. They cheer me on when I want to give up.

I haven't done bloggy awards in quite a while, but this week I was given a few virtual awards that I'd like to share with some of my sunshiny friends. I know there are a few other awards that I have neglected to blog about, and I can't remember who they were from. My sincerest apologies. My main excuse is that Ladybug's toddlerhood is causing me to slowly lose my mind. (that's a whole other post!)

First, from Beth at Life with Two Little Vikings, the Sunshine Award. Beth has become a wonderful friend as we have shared parenting struggles, the joys of seeing our husbands succeed in graduate school, and our journey of faith.

And second, from Minnesota Mami, One Lovely Blog Award and the Beautiful Blogger award. I am just getting to know Mami through the Mamavation program. She is so positive and encouraging! And I'm looking forward to sharing this journey of getting healthier together.
Because I'm not very good at following the rules, I am not posting "the rules" of these awards here. If you really must see the rules, then follow the links to the respective blogs. I would like to take the rest of this post to thank several special friends who are sunshine in my life.

Amanda at Oh Amanda! - She is an encouragement to me when parenting gets rough. She reminds me of the wonderful blessing from God that Ladybug is. Plus she has great ideas for sharing faith with our children over at Impress Your Kids. (And she's a Lost fan!)

Mandi at It's Come 2 This - She's a Christian mama as well who is always so supportive and up-lifting. And you totally have to go visit her blog. I big-puffy-heart-love her blog design. Someday, my blog might grow up to look like hers!

Wendy at Life of a Barefoot MomLady - Oh, Wendy. We found each other on Twitter last summer and became instant friends. And we live sort of close to each other and hopefully we'll have a chance to share a real coffee together someday soon!

Heather at Desperately Seeking Sanity - Heather is one of my bloggy friends that I have had the privilege of meeting in real life. And she's like a real friend too, because I needed shoes for this swanky affair that Hubby and I are attending tonight. And she sent her cute silver shoes to me in the mail! We all need girlfriends who let us raid their closet, don't we?

Lisa at Simply His - I read Lisa's blog a long time ago, when I was a brand new blogger. For one reason or another, I stopped reading it (Sorry, Lisa!). But, through the power of Twitter and the mutual friendship of Heather (see above!), I've reconnected with Lisa. She is leading a virtual book club of sorts for a few of us reading through The Power of a Praying Wife. I'm so glad that I've reconnected with Lisa!

There are so many other bloggy friends that bring sunshine into my life. I couldn't possibly mention everyone. Thanks so much for your support and encouragement here in the virtual world. True friendship knows no bounds.

That's My Girl

This morning, as I struggle to breathe through my nose due to seasonal allergies, Ladybug is playing with her play food. She brought her tricycle into the living room to go grocery shopping. She gathered up all the food and went to the checkout to pay. She put the food on her table and said, "Time to pray." So we held hands and she prayed.

"Dear Jesus, thank you for food. Amen."

That's my girl.

Wordless Wednesday

Either the Easter Bunny is on a new (and unusual) diet, or someone has been practicing their chip shots in our backyard.

Wordful Wednesday at 7 Clown Circus
Wordless Wednesday HQ
5 Minutes for Mom

Mamavation Week #12

Time for me to do my impersonation of a sheep: this week was BAAAAAAAAD! I'm not going to beat myself up for missing the mark this week. Time to learn and move forward.

Exercise: 4 out of 7 days cardio, some light strength training with the exercise ball. I think I pulled a neck muscle on Thursday morning, which resulted in a 2 day headache. Not fun. Then Saturday, we spent most of the day outside doing yard work on the beautiful first day of spring, which led to a severe allergy attack Saturday night/Sunday. I can't take most OTC medications because I am sensitive to some of the ingredients. I could breathe, I couldn't sleep, yet I was exhausted.

Lessons learned: don't overdo the pushups, I think that's what caused the strained neck muscle. And I'm giving Afrin a try as a decongestant to treat my allergies. I had been staying away from decongestants because of breastfeeding. But Ladybug weaned a few months ago, so I'm willing to give it a try.

Food Journal: I did keep up with my food journal every day, although it was a challenge this week. Because I wasn't feeling well, I reached for a lot of comfort foods, especially breads. I know that I didn't get my 7-8 servings of fruits and veggies more than twice last week. And I felt blah. Blah, blah, blah. (Lesson learned: eat fruits and veggies and you'll FEEL better!) Here is my healthy menu plan for the week.

The Scale: No surprise, up .5 lbs. Like I said, I'm not going to beat myself up over this. It was a rough week. Time to move on. (Total weight loss since Christmas is 13 lbs.)

Plan for this week: Cardio 5 days out of 7, still do some light strength training with the exercise ball, but take it easy on the pushups! Eat 7-8 servings of fruits and veggies EVERY DAY. Drink at least 80 oz of water every day.

Inspiration for this week: Proverbs 3:7-8, because I feel like I wasn't smart this week. I pushed myself too hard, resulting in a pulled muscle, and didn't eat the right foods. This isn't an all or nothing race. This is a marathon called "life." (right, Leah?)

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom....
Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.

I'm looking forward to catching up on everyone's posts. Sorry that I didn't make the bloggy rounds and that I wasn't on Twitter much. Thanks so much for your support and encouragement - I couldn't do this without you!

The Importance of Naps

We've read it in all the baby books, haven't we? Babies need naps. And at our La Leche League meetings, the leaders always stress the importance of napping when baby naps so that Mama can get her rest too. Even if we are not accustomed to naps as an adult, when your nights have interrupted sleep because the baby needs fed and changed, it will catch up to you. Even Mamas need naps.

When baby grows into a toddler, there comes a certain point when the toddler "out-grows" the need for a nap. Why some kids still nap at age 5 and others are bent to give it up before their 3rd birthday, is something I just don't understand.

Ladybug will be three in May, and she is trying to give up her nap. Most days, it's obvious (to me, at least) that she still NEEDS a nap. She is tired and cranky. But a late nap these days is translating into a late and difficult bedtime. But she still needs a nap. I need the down time in the mid-day and after she goes to bed. (That sounds so selfish, please tell me it's not.)

Here's the new plan.

"Quiet time" is to be every day from 1pm to 3 pm. If she naps, great. If not, she can cuddle with a baby doll and read books. At 3:00, quiet time/nap time is over. If she naps later, bedtime is too frustrating for me. Bedtime begins at 7:00. Yes, that's early. But that includes getting ready for bed, reading stories, bedtime prayers, and hopefully she is asleep by 8:00. That gives me an hour before my brain shuts down.

I've always been an early to bed-early to rise person. I love mornings, and I don't mind if Ladybug shares the mornings with me. However, that means that my ability to think coherently and/or be productive shuts off around 9pm. And I have discovered that if she is up with me at 6am, then I need the nap time and after bedtime to myself. (Again, I sound so selfish.)

So, that's the plan. I really hope it works. I've discovered that while nap time is essential to Ladybug's growth and development, it's also essential to help me be a good Mama.

If you have a child who has out-grown naps, how did you deal with that transition? (Other than a stiff drink) I'd love to hear what worked for you. Thanks.

Dealing with Daylight Savings Time

Every year it's the same. Daylight Savings Time is a royal pain in the patooties of mothers everywhere. DST messes with our internal clocks, and our kids don't "get it" that the time changed and therefore they need to go to bed an hour EARLIER than before. Getting a child to bed when they are not tired is not fun for any parent.

Last year, I was cursing the existence of DST and whatever sadist thought of it. This year? Not so much. It's actually been a smooth transition for our family this year.

One thing that throws kids off is that it's still daylight outside at bedtime. The light streaming in the windows tells them that it is still time to play, not time to sleep. How can we convince these precious little ones that it is indeed bedtime?

Room darkening curtains.

We invested $40 last spring in a pair of room darkening curtains. And it was a very good investment. It doesn't block out all of the light, but it makes a HUGE difference in the amount of light in the bedroom. The light that sneaks through is similar to the intensity of a night light, unless the sun is shining directly on your window.

If you or the kiddos need help transitioning to a different bedtime for Daylight Savings Time, I highly recommend room darkening curtains! They definitely Works For Me!!

Ten Things I Want to Learn

I love learning. I'm not talking about the kind of learning that comes with parenting a toddler. That's baptism by fire kind of learning. I'm talking about new hobbies, broadening my horizons, kind of learning.

Here are ten things I would like to learn or learn more about:

1. Backyard composting

2. Knitting - I tried knitting when I was a kid, but never figured it out. I taught myself to crochet, so I'm pretty sure I can teach myself to knit (when I don't have a bazillion other things clamouring for my attention!).

3. Photography - my skillz are certainly lacking, as is decent photography equipment in this household.

4. How to make yogurt - I've tried twice and failed twice. I'd like to try again, just haven't been brave enough yet.

5. How to use Stumble Upon

6. How to be organized without spending lots of money on cute organizers

7. More about the Montessori method

8. How to not get stressed out when my child is disobedient

9. More American Sign Language

10. How to be a better mother, a better wife, a better bloggy friend, etc, etc. I didn't say these were skills I want to master, just learn more about!

and a BONUS! How to make cloth diapers for baby dolls. Ladybug wants to diaper all of her dolls and I can't afford to keep them all in disposable diapers!


What about you? What is something that you would like to learn more about?

For much more interesting Top Ten lists, visit the awesome ohamanda.com

Mamavation Week #11

It was a so-so week for me. It was a busy week, spring allergies decided to rear their ugly head, I felt pulled in so many directions. I'm thankful that so many of the changes that I've made are now habits, so I didn't fall off the wagon totally. But still, it was a challenging week!

Exercise: 5 out of 7 days cardio, no strength training. And most of my cardio sessions were short, 15-20 minutes on the exercise bike or a 15 minute walk. I always add intervals on the bike, but time was so crunched this week, I always felt like I couldn't do more than the minimum.

Food Journal: Still food journaling, still staying within my allowed calories. But I had way too many carbs this week and not enough fruits and veggies. The monthly visitor was definitely influencing my carb craving. Here is my food journal on SparkPeople. And here is my menu plan for the week.

The Scale: No loss, no gain. Luckily, because I drink so much water, I don't battle the bloat as much as I used to. Another great "side effect" of drinking lots of water!

Inspiration: Last week, I needed to remind myself that my body is meant to glorify God. I've been feeling weak in my motivation so I need to remind myself that He is all that I need.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Psalm 34:8

Thanks, as always, to everyone for their support and encouragement in this journey. I'm so excited about the changes that I've made in my relationship with food and fitness. I eat to live, not live to eat. And I actually enjoy exercise. Who woulda thunk it?

Photo Story Friday

She's growing up before our eyes. Ladybug will be 3 in May, and she looks like a little girl now. She loves to dress herself, wear beads and sunglasses, dance in circles, flip upside-down. She puts her babies to bed like a good mama. She rocks them and sings to them. She plays with her horses, loves to draw, loves to pretend. She uses a big girl cup at the table and gets her own spoon from the drawer.

And I fall more in love with her every day. She is amazing. And I am blessed.







Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

On Grief and Death

When you lose someone close to you, the topic of grief and death is sometimes a constant companion. Maybe not always talked about, but always present.

If you have suffered the loss of a child, what do you say when others ask you about your children? If someone you know has lost a child, what words to you offer to help your grieving friend?

When your child asks questions about death and heaven, how do you answer? Some great bloggers have approached that topic today. As usual, the comments I leave on other blogs sometimes deserve to be blog posts of their own. In response to the post on Her Bad Mother, I shared:

We haven’t talked about death specifically with our 2 year old, but we do talk about her sister who is in Heaven. She knows that Susie is in Heaven with Jesus and that Jesus will come tell us when it’s our turn to go to Heaven.

I don’t want her to be afraid of death, although I know we all are to a certain extent. I want her to approach death with eyes of Faith, that there is life after death, life in Heaven with our loving God.

Even though she’s not yet 3, her questions challenge me already and remind me of my own grief of burying a child and a best friend, and beloved aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I am learning more and more not to be afraid of grief as I’ve learned not to be afraid of death. I believe that grief keeps us in touch with who we really are, and not the facade that we show the world around us.

Grief is good, even though it hurts. Death is not an end, it is a doorway between this life and the next. Faith in God allows me to know this and believe this. Without faith, I don’t know that I would be strong when talking about death. But then again, life is not for the faint of heart either. We need faith to face both life and death.

Of course, I approach the topic of grief and death through the lens of faith in Jesus Christ. That is also how I approach life. We want to share that faith with our growing toddler so that she can also approach the tough stuff of life with eyes of faith.

We don't have all the answers. What is the right thing to say when children ask about death and dying? IS there a "right thing" to say? I definitely think there are "wrong" things to say, depending on the age of your child. Or we could choose to ignore the topic. But I don't thinking ignoring the subject of death is particularly healthy for you or your child.

Death is a part of life. And I want to live, not with fear of the unknown, but with faith. Faith that there is a God who does have the answers. Faith that there is a God who loves me. Faith that there is a heaven, a life after death, and a joyous reunion waiting for us when we get there.

I can imagine the day that I pass from this life to the next. When I arrive in heaven, I know the first person I will see is my daughter Susie. She'll take me by the hand and say, "Mama, there's someone I'd like you to meet." And she'll lead me to the throne room of heaven, where Jesus waits to take me into His arms. I look forward to that day.

Thinking Spring

Spring-like weather has certainly sprung in our neck of the woods! Yay!! Here are ten things that I love about spring.


1. Sunshine!

2. Daffodils

3. Trees budding

4. It's warm enough to play outside A LOT!

5. Did I mention sunshine?

6. The days are getting longer.

7. Achoo! (Actually, one of the things I do not love about spring is spring allergies.)

8. Garden planning

9. The singing of so many birds

10. Did I mention the sunshine???


What is your favorite thing about spring?

For more Top Ten lists, please visit ohamanda.com (who thinks I'm an over-achiever for writing this post in the morning - thanks, Amanda!)

Mamamvation Week #10

Wow. Ten weeks. Lots of changes in ten weeks. Exercise has become a daily habit. I am eating more fruits and vegetables, and less bread. I am eating less processed foods and little to no refined sugar. I have the great support of my Mamavation sistahs and the loving encouragement of my husband. All of this makes a difference in how I feel physically and emotionally. All for the better, of course!

Weekly recap:

Exercise: 6 days out of 7 for cardio, strength training included push-ups and some exercises on the ball. I'm starting to think about long term fitness goals. I know I definitely want to be able to play golf. I had started learning before I got pregnant with our first daughter. Hubby loves to golf and we are teaching Ladybug about the game. So we are looking forward to family fun together on the golf course.

Food Journal: Still keeping up with my food journal. I had lots of carb cravings this week, but I managed to stay within my allowed calories every day. I am SO ready for in-season fruits and veggies! We signed up for the local CSA and will start getting a weekly box in mid-April. And I am planning to do some container gardening as well. I had great luck with cucumbers last year, and I am going to add zucchini, spinach, and mixed greens at the least. Here is my food journal on SparkPeople.

The Scale: Down 1 lb. this week, for a total of 13.5 lbs in 10 weeks. I'm pleased with my progress. I know that overall improved health is more important than the scale, and I have to remind myself of that before I step on the scale every week. I don't want unrealistic expectations de-railing me, ya know?

Inspiration: This week I am reminding myself to treat my body well.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Thanks again for all the support and encouragement that you give me.

Mine, Mine, Mine

Oh, how I hate hearing these words come out of my daughter's mouth. They make me cringe. How could MY sweet daughter be selfish?

With my counselor-husband and from my own remembrances of educational psychology and human growth and development classes, I know that this is a phase that all humans go through. The world revolves around them.

To me, it is also evidence of the sin nature that is within all of us. We all have a tendency to say "mine, mine, mine," when it comes to our possessions, or positions, or people. We are selfish beyond the ego-centric phase of development.

As adults, we have to reign in that ego-centrism. (Children need to learn to reign it in too, but that's a different post.) How long can we operate in this world by thinking only of ourselves? Not long. Ego-maniacs are not very popular. No one likes being with someone who only thinks about themselves.

Also, as Christians, we have to learn to put the ego-maniac on the shelf and leave her there. Luke 12:34 tells us, "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." If all we see are the THINGS, if all we say is "mine," then that tells us where our heart is. Selfishness ties us to this world.

And while I hate hearing my daughter say "mine," I hate hearing myself say it too. Time to let go of selfishness and find my treasure in heaven.

Top Ten Fruits & Veggies

In my Mamavation posts, I have mentioned that we are having a healthy eating challenge. Janice, the Fitness Cheerleader, has challenged us to eat 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Yes, the US recommendation is 5-6 servings, but Janice is Canadian, and I think we need more fruits and veggies and less processed foods.

I'm really enjoying this challenge. Not only to get 7-8 servings every day, but to keep a variety of fruits and veggies in our diet. I am definitely looking forward to spring when more produce will be in season. But for now, here are the Top Ten Fruits and Veggies that we have been eating recently.


1. Broccoli - even Ladybug loves broccoli! So we eat it raw, steamed, sauteed, or even roasted - yum, yum!

2. Carrots - I usually keep carrot sticks ready and waiting for when I need a quick snack. Ladybug doesn't really like them raw, but will eat them steamed or roasted.

3. Spinach - oh my word, I LOVE spinach! I make spinach salad with just a small drizzle of lemon juice instead of dressing. Plus I love making green smoothies with spinach and frozen fruits.

4. Raisins - one of my favorite snacks as a kid, now they are one of Ladybug's favorite snacks.

5. Dates - I buy whole, pitted dates because the chopped dates have an additive to keep them from sticking together. I'll chop them myself, thank you!

6. Tomato-veggie soup - oh my, yum!! I never liked tomato soup before, this is really good!

7. Apples and/or unsweetened applesauce - One of my favorite ways to make oatmeal is with chopped applesauce and unsweetened applesauce instead of sugar. And Ladybug loves to eat applesauce!

8. Dried apricots - sometimes I chop them up for my oatmeal as well. They were on close-out at our grocery store last month, so I stocked up!

9. Bananas - of course.

10. Edamame - yum, yum, yum!

Oh, and a bonus! 11. Brussel sprouts - Hubby and I fight over the last few every time!


For more Top Ten lists, visit ohamanda. com (actually Mandi @ It's Come to This is hosting this week).