Peanut Butter Cereal Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/3 cups Reduced Fat peanut butter
• 1 cup white corn syrup
• 4 cups high protein crisp rice and wheat cereal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend syrup, sugar, & vanilla in a 2 quart microwave-safe dish. Cook on high 4 minutes, or until mixture boils and sugar dissolves.
2. Stir in peanut butter, then add the cereal.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool before storing.

http://www.recipesquickneasy.com/peanut-butter-cereal-cookies/

Raspberry Banana Bread

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Fat Free Vanilla Chobani Yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup Fat Free sour cream
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 3/4 cup raspberries, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat the yogurt and sugar until they are creamy. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Combine the baking soda and the flour and slowly beat in the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture.
4. Then stir in the bananas, sour cream, and raspberries until combined.
5. Pour the banana mixture into a sprayed 9x5 pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10-20 minutes in the pan and then remove and continue to cool on a wire cooling rack.

http://whatscookinglove.com/2013/08/raspberry-banana-bread/

Apple Praline Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup Fat Free sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 to 1 cup nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided

(OPTIONAL) For the praline sauce:
¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside. 

Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed for a couple of minutes until well blended. Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, & leavening agents. Continue to beat on low until well combined.

Fold in the apples and half the nuts into the batter. Transfer the batter into the sprayed loaf pan.
Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the loaf pan for about 20-30 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. So it doesn't get too dark, I suggest using a light colored loaf pan.

For the praline sauce:

In a small sauce pan, place the butter and brown sugar. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Cool completely.

Couldn't find pralines at the store so I used pecans instead.  Also didn't have Granny Smith apples, so I used what I had on hand, Cripps Pink.
 
I think I may add a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg next time, just for fun.


    Get Healthy Today~For A Better Tomorrow  

 https://www.facebook.com/KatGallea0613/media_set?set=a.2885327544675.2131385.1604754582&type=3

 

 

Household Uses For Lavender

Lavender has a secret, sweet-smelling double-life. You probably know that lavender can be all flowery aromas and calm effects, but it also has a serious side that packs a mean anti-bacterial and anti-fungal punch. Plus, this plant can help dispel unwanted pests, keep your laundry fresh and even improve the air you breathe!
Here are five of our favorite ways to use lavender in your home:
1. Laundry detergent. Add some extra oomph to your laundry detergent with this DIY lavender detergent recipe. It only takes two tablespoons to freshen up your bedding, towels or anything else you want to smell fabulous. Your laundry will smell like a valley of wildflowers!
2. Pest repellant. Moths and mosquitoes both hate the aroma of lavender. To keep moths at bay, fill small, breathable spice sacks with dried lavender sprigs and hang them in your closet. To deter mosquitoes, dab a couple drops of lavender essential oil on your skin before stepping onto your porch or attending your next barbecue. Bonus: Lavender is known to help improve your mood.
3. Furniture polish. If you have small children or curious pets in your home, try this non-toxic furniture polish. Mix two tablespoons of lemon juice with a ½-teaspoon of olive oil and one drop of lavender essential oil. Using a soft cloth, buff a small amount of the solution into your wood furniture. Note: Test your homemade polish on a small, unnoticeable part of your wood furniture before buffing the entire piece.
4. Eco-friendly air freshener. Make an all-natural lavender spritzer by combining a few drops of lavender essential oil with a cup of water. Stir and then add the mixture to a spray bottle. You can use this all-purpose air freshener anywhere in the house to dispel funky odors. Tip: Spray this solution in your empty vacuum bags to refresh your carpets and make your vacuuming experience a little more enjoyable.
5. Linen spray. Improve your sleep, reduce dry skin and freshen up your sheets at the same time. Three in one! Because lavender is naturally anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, it makes for a great linen spray. To make your own, mix 3 ounces of vodka with 30 drops of lavender essential oil. Add 1.5 cups of distilled water and stir the ingredients together.  Using a funnel, pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Shake well, and then spray lightly over your linens for a soothing night’s sleep.

https://brightnest.com/posts/5-lovely-ways-to-use-lavender-at-home

Cucumbers Instead Of Chips

Husband made the fresh salsa recipe on this blog today, from produce out of our garden.  I can't have store bought chips due to the high fat and salt content.  We had some crisp cucumber in the fridge pre-sliced so I used that for my chips.  It was delicious!  I don't know that it would work so well with the store bought cucumbers.  They seem to be so soft.  Still it would be worth a try!

Mosquito Bite

So I heard that if you used orajel on a mosquito bite that the itch would go away. Got a mosquito bite tonight, and so I put the orajel on it within about 15 minutes of the bite. About 15 minutes after applying the orajel, the itch is gone, but so is the bump from the bite. AMAZING!

Common Ingredient Substitutions

Out of baking powder? Make your own with our substitutions guide.

http://allrecipes.com/howto/common-ingredient-substitutions/

Ingredient	Amount	Substitution
Allspice	1 teaspoon	1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Arrowroot starch	1 teaspoon	1 tablespoon flour, OR 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Baking mix	1 cup	1 cup pancake mix OR 1 cup Easy Biscuit Mixture
Baking powder	1 teaspoon	1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar OR 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup)
Beer	1 cup	1 cup nonalcoholic beer OR 1 cup chicken broth
Brandy	1/4 cup	1 teaspoon imitation brandy extract plus enough water to make 1/4 cup
Bread crumbs	1 cup	1 cup cracker crumbs OR 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats
Broth: beef or chicken	1 cup	1 bouillon cube plus 1 cup boiling water OR 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus enough water to make 1 cup OR 1 cup vegetable broth
Brown sugar	1 cup, packed	1 cup white sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses and decrease the liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup OR 1 cup white sugar OR 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
Butter (salted)	1 cup	1 cup margarine OR 1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
Butter (unsalted)	1 cup	1 cup shortening OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil OR 7/8 cup lard
Buttermilk	1 cup	1 cup yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup
Cheddar cheese	1 cup shredded	1 cup shredded Colby cheddar OR 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Chervil	1 tablespoon chopped fresh	1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Chicken base	1 tablespoon	1 cup canned or homemade chicken broth or stock. Reduce liquid in recipe by 1 cup
Chocolate(semisweet)	1 ounce	1 (1-ounce) square of unsweetened chocolate plus 4 teaspoons sugar OR 1 ounce semisweet chocolate chips plus 1 teaspoon shortening
Chocolate (unsweetened)	1 ounce	3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening or vegetable oil
Cocoa	1/4 cup	1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
Condensed cream of mushroom soup	1 (10.75-ounce) can	1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of celery, cream of chicken, OR golden mushroom soup
Corn syrup	1 cup	1 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water OR 1 cup honey OR 1 cup light treacle syrup
Cottage cheese	1 cup	1 cup farmer's cheese OR 1 cup ricotta cheese
Cracker crumbs	1 cup	1 cup bread crumbs OR 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats
Cream (half and half)	1 cup	7/8 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon butter
Cream (heavy)	1 cup	1 cup evaporated milk OR 3/4 cup milk plus 1/3 cup butter
Cream (light)	1 cup	1 cup evaporated milk OR 3/4 cup milk plus 3 tablespoons butter
Cream (whipped)	1 cup	1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
Cream cheese	1 cup	1 cup pureed cottage cheese OR 1 cup plain yogurt, strained overnight in a cheesecloth
Cream of tartar	1 teaspoon	2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar
Crème fraiche	1 cup	Combine 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt. Let stand for 6 hours at room temperature
Egg	1 whole (3 tablespoons or 1.7 oz)	2 1/2 tablespoons of powdered egg substitute plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water OR 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute OR 1/4 cup silken tofu pureed OR 3 tablespoons mayonnaise OR half a banana mashed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder OR 1 tablespoon powdered flax seed soaked in 3 tablespoons water
Evaporated milk	1 cup	1 cup light cream
Farmer's cheese	8 ounces	8 ounces dry cottage cheese OR 8 ounces creamed cottage cheese, drained
Fats for baking	1 cup	1 cup applesauce OR 1 cup fruit puree
Flour--Bread	1 cup	1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon wheat gluten (available at health food stores & some supermarkets)
Flour--Cake	1 cup	1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons
Flour--Self-Rising	1 cup	7/8 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Garlic	1 clove	1/8 teaspoon garlic powder OR 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic OR 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt--reduce salt in recipe
Gelatin	1 tablespoon, granulated	2 teaspoons agar agar
Ginger--dry	1 teaspoon	2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
Ginger--fresh	1 teaspoon, minced	1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
Green onion	1/2 cup , chopped	1/2 cup chopped onion, OR 1/2 cup chopped leek OR 1/2 cup chopped shallots
Hazelnuts	1 cup whole	1 cup macadamia nuts OR 1 cup almonds
Herbs--fresh	1 tablespoon chopped fresh	1 teaspoon (chopped or whole leaf) dried herbs
Herring	8 ounces	8 ounces of sardines
Honey	1 cup	1 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water OR 1 cup corn syrup OR 1 cup light treacle syrup
Hot pepper sauce	1 teaspoon	3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper plus 1 teaspoon vinegar
Ketchup	1 cup	1 cup tomato sauce plus 1 teaspoon vinegar plus 1 tablespoon sugar
Lard	1 cup	1 cup shortening OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil OR 1 cup butter
Lemon grass	2 fresh stalks	1 tablespoon lemon zest
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon	1/2 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lime juice
Lemon zest	1 teaspoon	1/2 teaspoon lemon extract OR 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Lime juice	1 teaspoon	1 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Lime zest	1 teaspoon	1 teaspoon lemon zest
Macadamia nuts	1 cup	1 cup almonds OR 1 cup hazelnuts
Mace	1 teaspoon	1 teaspoon nutmeg
Margarine	1 cup	1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 1 cup butter OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
Mayonnaise	1 cup	1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup plain yogurt
Milk--whole	1 cup	1 cup soy milk OR 1 cup rice milk OR 1 cup water or juice OR 1/4 cup dry milk powder plus 1 cup water OR 2/3 cup evaporated milk plus 1/3 cup water
Mint--fresh	1/4 cup chopped	1 tablespoon dried mint leaves
Molasses	1 cup	Mix 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Mustard--prepared	1 tablespoon	Mix together 1 tablespoon dried mustard, 1 teaspoon water, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar
Onion	1 cup, chopped	1 cup chopped green onions OR 1 cup chopped shallots OR 1 cup chopped leeks OR 1/4 cup dried minced onion OR 1/4 cup onion powder
Orange juice	1 tablespoon	1 tablespoon other citrus juice
Orange zest	1 tablespoon	1/2 teaspoon orange extract OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Parmesan cheese	1/2 cup, grated	1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese OR 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Parsley	1 tablespoon chopped fresh	1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil OR 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Pepperoni	1 ounce	1 ounce salami
Raisin	1 cup	1 cup dried currants OR 1 cup dried cranberries OR 1 cup chopped pitted prunes
Rice--white	1 cup, cooked	1 cup cooked barley OR 1 cup cooked bulgur OR 1 cup cooked brown or wild rice
Ricotta	1 cup	1 cup dry cottage cheese OR 1 cup silken tofu
Rum	1 tablespoon	1/2 teaspoon rum extract, plus enough water to make 1 tablespoon
Saffron	1/4 teaspoon	1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Salami	1 ounce	1 ounce pepperoni
Semisweet chocolate chips	1 cup	1 cup chocolate candies OR 1 cup peanut butter or other flavored chips OR 1 cup chopped nuts OR 1 cup chopped dried fruit
Shallots, chopped	1/2 cup	1/2 cup chopped onion, OR 1/2 cup chopped leek OR 1/2 cup chopped green onion
Shortening	1 cup	1 cup butter OR 1 cup margarine minus 1/2 teaspoon salt from recipe
Sour cream	1 cup	1 cup plain yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough cream to make 1 cup OR 3/4 cup buttermilk mixed with 1/3 cup butter
Sour milk	1 cup	1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice mixed with enough milk to make 1 cup: Let stand 5 minutes to thicken
Soy sauce	1/2 cup	4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Stock--beef or chicken	1 cup	1 cube beef or chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 cup water
Sweetened condensed milk	1 (14-ounce) can	3/4 cup white sugar mixed with 1/2 cup water and 1 1/8 cups dry powdered milk: Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 20 minutes
Vegetable oil--for baking	1 cup	1 cup applesauce OR 1 cup fruit puree
Vegetable oil--for frying	1 cup	1 cup lard OR 1 cup vegetable shortening
Vinegar	1 teaspoon	1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice OR 2 teaspoons white wine
White sugar	1 cup	1 cup brown sugar OR 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar OR 3/4 cup honey OR 3/4 cup corn syrup
Wine	1 cup	1 cup chicken or beef broth OR 1 cup fruit juice mixed with 2 teaspoons vinegar OR 1 cup water
Yeast-active dry	1 (.25-ounce) package	1 cake compressed yeast OR 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast OR 2 1/2 teaspoonsrapid rise yeast
Yogurt	1 cup	1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup buttermilk OR 1 cup sour milk

Orange Creamsicle Yogurt Bites

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Fat Free Chobani Vanilla yogurt
• 1 (3 oz) package of Orange (or any flavor) Jello mix
• *optional, whipped cream to top

How to Make

1. Line a muffin tin with 6 cupcake liners.
2. In a medium microwave safe mixing bowl, combine yogurt and Jello mix, stirring to combine.
3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring after each minute.
4. Fill each cupcake liner with about 1/4 cup of yogurt mixture.
5. Chill cups for at least an hour until set.

Notes

You can easily mix and match different flavors of yogurt and Jello. Also, try making them in mini cupcake liners as well for a more bite-sized treat!

Store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Adapted from Jello

 

http://cookiesandcups.com/orange-creamsicle-yogurt-bites/

Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Homemade Chewy yet Crunchy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Low Fat/Low Sodium Version: 2 cups quick cooking oats 1 cup crisp rice cereal 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce or Fat Free Vanilla Chobani Yogurt, 1/4 cup honey 1 tsp. vanilla Method: Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Press into a cooking sprayed 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Try subbing nuts, cranberries, raisins, dried apples, white chocolate chips, etc.

http://domesticdaybook.blogspot.com/2013/03/homemade-chewy-chocolate-chip-granola.html?showComment=1365453996990#c8161780987747136542

 

211 Pounds

 
211 Pounds on 5-23-2011

How To Cope With Your Kids Going Back To School

      

My kids returning to school is always difficult for me. I miss them when they’re gone. I enjoy our time together during the lazy days of summer. Those times of staying up late, taking bike rides or reading books disintegrate and are replaced by schedules, carpools and homework.

However, I have developed some ways of coping with their absence. Instead of being anxious about my treasures leaving the nest, I try to focus instead on making the school year fun and memorable for them. The following are some discoveries I have made that help going back to school easier for our family.

Have a back to school tradition. My kids know when they return home from their first day of school they will find a dinner plate-sized, homemade cookie waiting for each of them. They eagerly look forward to this day and the treat that follows. Not only is this a fun tradition for them, but spending an hour making giant cookies gives me something to focus on other than their absence.

Other back-to-school traditions could include a special family dinner, outing or pre-school game night. The actual activity isn't important as long as it involves love and family memories.

Alleviate your apprehension by focusing on exciting possibilities. Instead of moaning about how much I dread having them gone, my children and I focus on the things they will learn and the new friends they will make. We talk about the possibilities of old friends returning and how to make new ones.

By envisioning a positive future and the steps they can take to ensure scholastic and social success, my kids return to school armed with plans to succeed. Also, focusing on the positives helps me remember how important school is for my kids in becoming competent adults.

Volunteer. Because I miss my children so much, I look for opportunities to be with them during the day by volunteering. Sometimes I’m lucky and my volunteering jobs take me in close proximity with my children. Other times, when I barely see them, I make sure to acknowledge them with a wave or wink. It’s important for my children to know that although I may not be helping them directly, they are still my greatest priorities.

For those unable to volunteer during school hours, there are usually other ways to help. I have corrected papers at home, helped with after school events, and made posters. When I included my children in these efforts, it helped emphasize the importance I placed in their schooling and my desire to be included in their lives.

Remember them. I try to let my kids know I’m thinking about them while they are gone. One of the ways I do this is by placing hand-written notes in their lunches. These small missives are sometimes heart-felt and other times, they are attempts at humor. Never lengthy, the notes hopefully remind my children of my love.

We can rarely know how our children will fare each day at school. Finding ways of letting them know we are thinking of them while they are gone can often be the boost they need during difficult days.

Prepare for emergencies. Make sure your kids know how to behave during emergencies. We talk about scenarios including bullying, natural disasters, illnesses and school shooters. Instead of fearing a potentially scary situation, my children are armed with the knowledge of how to handle such uncertainties.

By going over possible emergencies, not only will our children have more confidence regarding how to handle these situations, but we will as well.

Reconnect. I’ve noticed when I ask my kids things like, “What happened at school today?” I usually receive short, detail-lacking responses. However, if I start conversations by telling them how my day went, it is easier for them to reciprocate in revealing more about their day at school. Conversing about our time apart helps our relationship grow.

It is important to reconnect when children return home from school. Maintaining this habit can keep lines of communication open for other times when children need to disclose more serious matters.

Seek heavenly guidance. I pray for my children daily during my personal prayers and our family prayers. When my children express difficulties they encounter at school we pray together for heavenly help. During the day, when separated from my children, I can often be found uttering short prayers in their behalf. Not only do my prayers help them, but they comfort me as well.

Praying for our children not only makes them aware of our love, but it reminds them of the higher power they can appeal to during times of need.

The first day of school will never be my favorite day. However, by focusing on making the school year a positive experience for my children, I have in turn helped myself as well.

 

Elizabeth Reid Elizabeth Reid has Bachelor degrees in Economics and History from Utah State University. She has worked in retail, medical billing, catering, education, business, and various other fields. Her favorite occupation is her current job of wife and mother.

 

http://familyshare.com/how-to-cope-with-your-kids-going-back-to-school

Costco Muffins

Photo by Rumsey Liebes

1 Cake Mix
2 Tablespoons Flour
3 Eggs
2/3 Cup Fat Free Milk
1/3 Cup Fat Free Vanilla Chobani Yogurt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Mix in blueberries, chocolate chips, or whatever else you choose.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes in lined or sprayed cupcake tins.

Origanal Recipe I got from Costco Muffins on Pinterest.

Sweet And Sour Chicken

Photo by Rumsey Liebes

I wish we had a way to smell the recipes we post, because this one is making my whole home smell like heaven. 

Crockpot on High for two hours then on low for 2 to 4 hours.

4 Chicken breasts
1 bottle Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
1 bottle Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
1 Bell Pepper Sliced
1 Onion Cut Up
1 Can Crushed Pineapple with Juice
1 Cup Water

Shred Chicken before serving.

I'll also cook some brown rice to have with it. 

130 Pounds



Had the opportunity to attend my nieces baptism.  Always good to see my siblings.  This is me (130 Pounds) and my youngest brother.

 

Photos taken by Ethan J. Rumsey

 

   

Moms ~ Finding Joy

This pretty much sums it up for me.  Love this article.



Finding Joy
beautiful connected life

why being a mom is enough.

I'm talking about simply being a mom.

I'm talking about getting up in the morning, slapping your face with water, looking in the mirror, sighing, brushing your teeth (maybe), and picking up that toddler and wandering into the kitchen and pouring cereal in bowls, rinsing dishes, kissing the top of their head, and waiting for your coffee to brew.

There isn't much glamour.

There is you. You giving of yourself. Minute, by minute, by minute, by minute until those hours add up to create a day which adds up to create a week which adds up to create a month which adds up to create years which add up to create a life. A beautiful life filled with ordinary enough mom moments.

Somehow in this mixed up media world of things to do and places to go and dreams to follow the beauty of simply being a mother is completely lost.

Being a mom is enough.

It's enough, I say.

Sometimes we want to look to those big things and use them as a grade for success. We look at the cool science fair projects where our child got the blue ribbon. But, honestly, we miss the hours of interacting and holding glue sticks and looking up things and laughing side by side. We want the trips to Disney or American Girl Doll and discount the time spent in the backyard. The bar of success and joy and happiness gets pushed so high by culture that the little things, the enough mom moments, are lost.

Do you know what matters?

This.

The other day my 15 year old came to me and told me she missed me. Missed me? I couldn't believe it. I was a bit incredulous, actually. I told her about the trips to the movies, the trips to the yogurt bar (are those places ever cheap? I mean, seriously, $24 total for four containers of yogurt with a variety of too heavy toppings? End rant.), shopping together, getting Starbucks, and all of that. She looked at me and told me that's not what she meant. She told me she just wanted me present during the day.

Little things.

Like stopping my crazy busy mom and work agenda to look at the graphic design she made on the computer and really looking at it and trying to appreciate her talents. It's about me taking thirty minutes to play cards at the table with them and not checking email constantly on my phone. Email can wait thirty minutes. They cannot. It's in not worrying so much about the laundry and instead just letting that go and being thankful for a family to do laundry for. Just being there. Cooking together. Laughing. Giving of myself in the simple things.

Mom things.

The things that don't get celebrated on Pinterest that much. They're the just a mom things that I write about and celebrate. They're the things that most people probably won't see.

They don't see you stand in the bathroom and gather your resolve every morning. They don't see those of you who mother alone without much support. They don't see the trips to the car back and forth and back and forth. They don't see you counting to ten a dozen times before noon. They don't see you look at the bank account and sigh and try to figure out how to make three meals with what's left in your pantry. They don't see you walking into the principals office, doctor's office, friend's house and defending your child.

They don't see bandages placed on knees. Kisses on foreheads at night. Pillows pushed just the right way and blankets tucked to the perfect demands. Laundry folded and folded and folded. Tears that sting your eyes as your keep going. Dinners prepped over the stove. Times of laughter over silly things. Hair brushed and pulled back into pony tails. Prayers over wandering teens. Prayers over little babes. Nights spent sleeping in a chair holding a sick child. Days where the house is a wreck but you're reading books. The brave smile on your face when you're weary.

Those things matter.

Those things are the little things that add up and and up and up.

I say those things are enough.

Don't be weary, dear mother, in trying to keep up with a supermom agenda. There is no supermom, really - that whole supermom who has everything together is just a fallacy. There are real moms. Real, authentic moms who admit that they don't have it all together but keep on fighting. Scared and tired moms who keep fighting. Moms who are overwhelmed by keeping up with littles all day long. Moms like you and me who sometimes feel lost in a world of outward accomplishments.

A mother isn't based on external perfection. A mother is the person, the woman, just like you. The woman with little ones in her care that she loves, and sometimes wonders how she loves them because they're driving her batty, but still she does. She fights, gives, prays, works, and doesn't give up even when she wants to throw in the towel.
That's you. Today. Tomorrow. Yesterday.

I say that is enough. 

It is more than enough.

You are amazing.

http://rachelmariemartin.blogspot.com/2013/07/why-being-mom-is-enough.html?m=1