Homecoming Happiness

This weekend was an exciting one as Vic had her Homecoming game, dance and celebrated her 17th Birthday! Victoria always enjoys when Homecoming rolls around because her school has spirit week and each day is filled with fun things to dress up as. This year she was actually more involved in spirit week and I was happy to see it; I think she dressed up all five days! I like when she is involved with school spirit activities because those are things she will look back on when she's my age and smile about. It's great memories that you hold on to for a lifetime.

Another lifetime memory she will carry with her is the annual Homecoming dance! She always enjoys this event (not so much the dance) because she's able to get dolled up in a semi-formal dress, have pictures taken and then eat out a nice restaurant with her date. I can also say that I enjoy this event because I get to help her with picking out the perfect dress, shoes and accessories for the dance! We always have a great time shopping together and unlike most Mom/Daughters we don't tend to argue about what she chooses. Usually I have been the one to find the dress that she actually chooses to wear! It's weird having a "semi-prom" Homecoming dance because when I was in school it was just your typical dance in the gym. Nothing fancy. It's crazy because here the guys go all out when asking the girls to the dance (almost like a wedding proposal); for instance Vic's date asked her with a box of cream filled donuts from Krispy Kreme and "homecoming?" was written on each donut. It was super cute. Of course Vic said yes and they actually decided to forgo the dance itself but still wanted to do pictures and a nice dinner with friends. Luckily, we had not shelled out a ton of money like in years past so it wasn't too bad but I did tell them that next time we need to make a decision before buying everything and ordering flowers because it still cost money that we didn't have to spend.

This brings me to her date, Robbie....I call him her boyfriend but whatever. I say they're dating because they spend almost every single day together. I guess the guy has to ask the girl now to make it "official" so I guess he hasn't "officially" asked her yet. Kids these days, crazy. I can actually say that she has found a great guy who treats her like a lady. He would do anything for her, respects her and is a perfect gentleman. I can't tell you how much of a welcome blessing this is because I have been on the end where I couldn't stand the boyfriend and I would actually pray that she would find a good one. I know that sounds insane but until you have been a Momma (or a Daddy) where you couldn't stand your child's love interest then you would understand. It's even more of a blessing when your child smiles and you see pure happiness and excitement. She is a better person around him, sweeter to her little brother and has been a joy to be around in general . She stays happy for the most part and enjoys being around us with him. I love the fact that she has him over and they just hang out watching movies....I am not naive either, I was a teenager once but I do trust the two of them. He comes from a good family and seems to have good morals so I think he's a keeper. It's also awesome that Mike is happy that she's happy and actually likes the boy. He has mentioned to me several times how much he likes Robbie and loves to see him treating Victoria like the princess she is. That is HUGE coming from this Marine Dad! Not everyone is perfect for his "little princess". I think he would like for Robbie to open up more around him but I told him he can be intimidating so he's probably just a little scared/uncomfortable. Mike is looking forward to attending some of Robbie's baseball games this year at LCHS so I am sure by then the two will be close.

Today was Vic's seventeenth birthday and I can't believe it! Time has flown by and long gone are the days of little girl parties! We didn't go all out for this birthday since it wasn't a milestone one like "Sweet 16"! We took her to a nice lunch and open presents afterwards. Robbie was taking her to a nice birthday dinner this evening. As usual, she got about everything she asked for on her birthday wish list! She always does well on her Birthday and Christmas as far as presents are concerned! Lucky girl.

So all in all, this has been a wonderful weekend spent with those that I love the most!

Tasty Tuesday Recipe: Vegtable Beef Soup (A day late!)

I completely forgot to do my "Tasty Tuesday" entry yesterday so I will do it today...better late than never, right?!? Today was the first "real" day that it felt like Fall (cool & crisp) and with Brody being under the weather I thought that a comfort food would be a great dish to make for tonight's dinner! I wanted something hearty, warm and easy so after looking in my pantry I saw that I had everything I needed for Vegetable Beef Soup. I had to visit my trusty Pinterest site to give myself a refresher course on the spices because I couldn't remember what else I put in mine other than the most obvious; ground beef, vegetables and beef broth! So here is the recipe that I used today! Now, I need to state that when it comes to spices I always try to add the correct amount listed below but I tend to add a little dash of this and that too :) So adjust it however you like but the gist of it is below!

Vegetable Beef Soup Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1/2 onion chopped

1 tablespoon flour

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can beef broth

2 cups of water

1 can whole new potatoes (drained and cut into bite size pieces)

1 large can of Veg-all

1 can of sliced carrots

1 - 5.5 ounce can of V-8 juice (I used Hot & Spicy)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

 1 - 2 Bay Leaves

 1 Beef bullion cube

 A few Saffron pieces (This can be completely omitted but I wanted to try it)

1.  Brown ground beef and chopped onion, drain off grease.
2. Add flour and stir until incorporated.
3. Add all of the ingredients into a crock pot a cook 6-8 hours on Low or 4-6 on High

I would serve this with corn bread normally but for tonight saltines will have to do as I was out of cornmeal and I wasn't heading to the store with a sick child! This is so easy to make and something even your husband, boyfriend or teenager could follow if you were in a pinch for dinner! You don't even have to add all of the spices listed above so don't fret if you don't have them because it would be good with just good old fashioned salt and pepper! I hope that all of you are having a fabulous week! Until next Tuesday....Happy eating!!!

xoxo,
Jamie

Playing Catch-up plus New Adventures!

I've been meaning to post about our last minute trip to Destin, Florida two weekends ago! My parents came to visit and we decided since we weren't able to take Brody to the beach in June (he got sick and was hospitalized for a week) that we would make a quick trip down to Florida and take advantage of the nice weather and our friends condo that they so graciously let us use for the weekend! We didn't get into Santa Rosa beach until late Friday evening so that day was shot so we made the most of Saturday and Sunday! Saturday we woke up and ate our favorite breakfast place, The Donut Hole and then we hit the beach! It was so much fun watching Nannee and Brody play on the pretty snow white beaches and walk in the aqua blue waters that the gulf has to offer! My parents have not seen the gulf so they were amazed by it's beauty. It's so much nicer than the murky waters of Myrtle Beach!! After spending an hour at the beach we went for a late afternoon nap before dining at "The Backporch". If you are ever in Santa Rosa or Destin you need to try out this place because it's a great restaurant and it sits directly on the beach so you get a nice view while dining on the freshest seafood! Afterwards we headed to Brody's favorite place; the fun park! He loves riding the kiddie rides and he was able to race go-karts with Pappaw and Daddy so he was super excited! On Sunday we headed to Eglin Airforce Base because my Momma wanted to see where she was born. It was really important for her to see where my Papa and Granny once lived when she was born. That made her entire trip and I was glad we were able to do that for her because it meant so much to her.

While we were at Eglin AFB we went to the PX (a mini mall on base) and I found a killer deal on a Canon camera that records videos. I have been wanting to vlog for a while now on YouTube and Mike being such a supportive husband made that a reality by buying me the camera! He always pushes me to do things that show my creative side and so he's usually willing to do whatever when it comes to stuff like that. Vlogging is basically blogging but it's done in video format and I'm using YouTube for mine. I want to vlog about my life in general, beauty reviews, recipes, crafts and more! I am really excited about this new venture so please check out my new video and subscribe to my channel because it will be a hoot!! Watch the video by clicking here! I know that I have a ton to work on but I am learning as I go. It's going to be a fun process and I am "super excited" as Brody says!

Victoria has homecoming this week and their dance is on Saturday. She got the cutest dress for $20 and we were in/out of the store in a jiffy! We ordered her shoes online so it was a very stress free shopping event. Her date, Robbie, is precious and I call him her boyfriend but it's not "official" yet but I am sure it will be soon. They are really a cute couple and he brings out the best in her and she's so happy. That's all I can really ask for is a great guy who treats her right and who makes her smile from ear to ear! She also turns 17 this Sunday which is CRAZY! Time has flown by and it needs to slow down some!!!! I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that she is a junior in high school.

Well, I should probably wind things down for the night! I am tired and I have an early morning tomorrow :) It's almost the end of the month so I will be doing a blog and vlog about my beauty hits & misses for October soon!! Stay tuned!

xoxo,
Jamie

Tasty Tuesday Recipe: Baked Teriyaki Chicken with Bok Choy

I am going to highlight a great dinner with an Asian flair that is easy and quick to make during the week! This is actually one of my daughters favorite meals and she requests it often. I hope you can find the time to fit it in your dinner rotation because it truly is a great meal!

Baked Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients

1 tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tbsp. Cold water
1/2 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 clove of Minced Garlic
1/2 tbsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp. ground Black Pepper
12 skinless Chicken Thighs (I have used bone in and boneless)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine all of the ingredients (minus the chicken). Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.

2. Preheat Oven to 425 degrees F.

3. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Brush both sides of chicken with sauce.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush chicken with sauce every 10 minutes or so during cooking.

Hint: I make double the sauce because my family loves to put it over the rice!


Sautéed Bok Choy Ingredients

1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
2 cloves of Minced Garlic
1 - 1.5 lb. of Bok Choy, leaves and stalk cut into bite sized pieces
Soy Sauce and Salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the garlic until hot and fragrant (1-3 minutes). Mix in the Bok Choy pieces, cook and stir until the green leaves turn bright green and the stalks become slightly translucent (5-10 minutes). Stir in Soy Sauce and salt, season to your liking. * You can completely omit the Soy Sauce if you do not care for it *

I serve this meal with Jasmine rice but you could do any type of rice you prefer (white, brown, fried) and I top the rice and chicken with chopped green onions. This is a quick meal that is on the table in an hour and fairly inexpensive to make. Wal-Mart and most grocery stores now sell Bok Choy and if you like leafy greens you should definitely try cooking it because it's a nice change.

Rules for a worn out Momma ❤️

I did not write this lovely set of "rules" to follow but I felt they should be shared because it's pretty good advice! I wish I could give credit to the original source but after searching online it seems this has been shared by numerous people and the author has been lost in sharing!! I hope you enjoy these as much as I did and I'm going to try to follow a few of them!! 

1. Lower your standards for cleanliness and order.

2. Did that? Lower them even more.

3. Your house will never look like a magazine spread, period. Embrace that.

4. No matter how many baskets you buy to contain toys, they will always be visible. Embrace the Toys ‘R Us/ frat house-chic decor….

5. You can never have too many Popsicle in the freezer. How many bad moods have been fixed by a simple Popsicle?

6. If you can’t change them, change your perspective. For example I read recently – probably on Satan’s website Pinterest – that toothpaste is great for cleaning things like faucets. So now when I go into the bathroom every day and see toothpaste splatter all over the bathroom faucet I think about how my children have done half the chore of cleaning for me. How considerate of them! Then I wipe it off while cursing.

7. Those chores that no one ever wants to do. Decide if you would rather do it yourself, badger your child to it, or let it go. If you are confused about what to do, see Number 1 on this list.

8. No one cares what is stuffed under your child’s bed, why should you. Unless it is old food. In that case, you should get a dog.

9. If you have boys, your bathroom will always faintly stink like pee. Invest in some Febreeze and count down the days until they move out and you can go visit them and pee on their bathroom floor.

10. Don’t buy white furniture. Unless you enjoy screaming at your children every time they go near it.

11. However bad a situation might seem, one day it will be funny. I have a few for which I am eagerly awaiting for the funny to kick in. Any time now….

12. When your child is a young teen there will be nothing more embarrassing than your very existence. Use this to your advantage. Start planning early.

13. Do not paint any walls in your house with flat paint.

14. Be okay with letting your kids stumble sometimes. Whether that is turning in an assignment late because they didn’t do it or wearing an outfit so hideous you have trouble looking at them without laughing.

15. Noise cancelling headphones are great for blocking out whining, bickering and the endless episodes of Sponge Bob.

16. Socks do not have to match. Every day is Crazy Sock Day at my house, which is infinitely better than Crazy Mom Day.

17. The crayons will break and it is okay to throw them away rather then save them to make some sort of craft that involves the hair dryer. In fact, I give you permission to not feel guilty about all the crafts you know you will never do.

18. Your children will not die from eating the occasional hot dog or frozen pizza. And by occasional I mean more than you are really willing to admit.

19. If your children are driving you crazy arguing with each other, start an argument with them. Then your children will bond over their mutual hatred of you and be quiet.

20. Children do not appreciate top sheets or high thread counts. Buy neither.

21. Homework time is the worst time of the day. Help your kids and yourself by having a designated time and a quiet place to do homework. Preferably in a neighbor’s home.

22. Just say No to ironing.

23. Last, but not least, some chocolate and some really bad TV makes everything seem a little better.

Tasty Tuesday Recipe: Five Alarm Chili with Spicey Topping

I have decided that every Tuesday I am going to write a blog post about a favorite recipe our family enjoys.....hence "Tasty Tuesday Recipe"!  This should be fun and maybe it will inspire you to try some new dishes that you may have not otherwise known about. I have been trying REALLY hard to incorporate new recipes at dinner so I don't get bored with cooking! I believe that I got burned out with cooking dinners because I was just tired of making the same old crap all of the time. I can only imagine how my family felt eating the same stuff every week -- sadly, we had "make your own" dinners a lot because I was so sick of cooking! Needless to say, my family is really loving the fact that I got my cooking mojo back and we've been eating good for a month now! Hopefully this new trend will continue for a long time because it's been fun and fulfilling for our bellies! I wanted to share one of my all time favorite recipes for Fall/Winter! I find that chili is such a good comfort food and it always makes me happy! You can't go wrong when cheese is added to anything so the spicy topping for this dish is a nice treat. I hope that your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine does. I make this at least 2 or 3 times a month once Fall and Winter roll around because it's quick, easy and cheap to make! Enjoy! Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef round 1 large yellow onion -- chopped 2 cloves garlic -- minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large red bell pepper -- coarsely chopped 2 jalapeño peppers -- minced 1/4 cup chili powder 2 teaspoons dried oregano -- crumbled 1 tablespoon ground cumin 3 cans {14.5 oz. each} diced tomatoes - un-drained 1 can  {10 oz. each} diced tomatoes and green chilies - un-drained 1/2 can of  beef broth 1 can {15 1/2 oz.} pinto beans -- rinsed and drained  1 can {15 1/2 oz.} dark red kidney beans -- rinsed and drained 1 can {15 1/2 oz.} light red kidney beans -- rinsed and drained    Spicy Topping1 cup sour cream 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3/4 cup shredded Colby cheese                               Directions for making Five Alarm Chili & Spicy Topping

Chili: In a large skillet, brown beef, onion, and garlic in oil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Drain off excess oil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to a slow cooker and combine with remaining ingredients except the Spicy Topping and cheese. Stir to mix well. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours. Stir once during the last hour if cooking on High. Topping: In a small bowl, combine ingredients for topping. Stir well to blend evenly. Refrigerate until ready to use. Return to room temperature before spooning a dollop onto each serving of chili. Sprinkle with Colby cheese and serve.

 

Tears, Tantrums, Tummyaches.....and Staph.

In typical Beemer fashion there is never a dull moment at our house and this month is no different. I welcomed Fall and October with open arms because I feel so alive when this time of year rolls around. There is something about this season that makes me feel like I've been given a fresh start and who doesn't love that? I also feel more creative and inspired when it's Fall; hence all of my cooking and blog posts! It seems that everyone feels the same way because a lot of my friends have been cooking up a storm and crafting away too!

Brody has had a rough start to October as far as his health is concerned. He has been having stomach pains almost every single day and has been sick (vomiting) a few times, too. His energy level depletes so quickly when he is not on his pump and he runs into trouble when he is active during that time. He had a class field trip to Mark's Melon Patch on Thursday and he ran around like mad for 3.5 hours only to come home, crash on the couch and wound up getting violently sick late that night. It was pretty scary and for the first time I saw real concern on Mike's face. My husband is so good about not showing fear and worry around Brody or myself but when he does it's alarming to me. I am so thankful that we have an appointment with the Neurologist on Monday to discuss Mitochondrial Disease. We also have an appointment with his GI specialist on Monday so we will be able to discuss his stomach pain issues too. I am so ready to have a concrete, solid diagnosis. I am tired of "searching" for what it could be and worrying about the unknown. I feel like I will be more at peace with the whole situation once I know for sure what he has and how we are going to handle it. With Mitochondrial Disease there is no cure but at least we would know what was going on and come up with some plan of action. Right now we have so many unknown and "what if's" that is about to drive me insane. I am worried sick about it all and it's starting to take a toll on my health. I don't eat when I get stressed out so I have only been eating one meal a day and that is my dinner. As you can imagine this doesn't set well with my family & friends because they can see my already thin frame shrinking. I am back down to a frail 85 pounds and my wardrobe is starting to notice. My jeans are a little loose and my once snug shirts aren't so snug anymore. PSA: Momma, I know you are reading this and I know I need to eat and I am working on it, so please don't lecture me :)

Tears!! Oh, the tears we have had this month! Both Brody and I have been emotional basketcases lately. He has cried about every single day and for no apparent reason. I feel like my son is suffering from PMS! I guess he takes after his Momma because I am a very emotional person too. Lately everything has made me want to cry or I've actually produced tears. Maybe I was doomed from the start of this past week when I got news that one of the sweet little ladies at the Alzheimer's Center had passed away suddenly in her sleep over the weekend. Maybe that should have been a sign my week wasn't going to be rainbows and unicorns? I cried myself to sleep on Monday night thinking about her passing away and how I wasn't prepared for her sudden death. I knew going into volunteering at the center people would pass away and I have already dealt with it on several occasions so it's beyond me why I got so upset over the whole thing. I've cried out of frustration because Brody has been so stubborn lately and doesn't listen to a word I say. I have shed tears over the fact Brody is getting older and he has 2 loose teeth. Thinking about Brody never being able to participate in sports like normal little boys has sent me over the edge on several occasions. Victoria is turning 17 this month and I've cried a tear or two over that! It's freaking ridiculous. I am just going to stop talking about it because I annoy myself even thinking about it.

We have had some FULL BLOWN TEMPER TANTRUMS that have resulted in a few pops on the bottom lately. It's been so bad that I had to get my trusty old wooden spoon out for reinforcement. Brody is at the age that my hand no longer stings his bottom and he usually ends up laughing at me stating "that didn't hurt" (that enrages me)! His temper tantrums usually end up with him flailing around on the floor screaming his head off about something as petty as the wrong SpongeBob episode is on the television. I am not kidding. We've also had a lot of hand/spoon meets bottom over the meaning of "No" and "Stop". Sadly, he still hasn't grasped those two words yet so his feelings will continue to be hurt until he does.

Plain and simple; Staph is the devil. I do not know how or why I ended up with it for the SECOND time since August!!! I woke up midweek with my nose hurting something awful and it was hot to the touch. I couldn't figure out for the life of me what was going on because I hadn't injured it and as gross as it sounds there was nothing stuck in it (of course I looked; you would have too). I found myself googling my symptoms and all signs pointed to Staph. Really??? It seems that Staph is actually present in most peoples noses because it is a bacteria but for some reason my nose seemed like the perfect place for the nasty bug to set up house and wreck havoc. I knew by Thursday that I had to go to the Doctor because the only way to beat it was antibiotics. Three prescriptions later I am happy to say my nose is a normal size and no longer hurts like hell. The downside is that one of my antibiotics makes me sicker than a dog so I've spent the past 3 days puking at least once. No fun.

That about wraps up how my week was and as you can probably tell I am ready for it to be over and move on to next week! I am crossing my fingers that it goes a little more smoothly for all of us! Prayers are always appreciated and welcomed. I hope all of you have a wonderful week!