not everything needs a theme

The art of themed foods is not quite in my wheel well. I love food. I love to eat it, enjoy it, take pictures of it. BUT themed foods and foods I have to make into other things??? I am out. 

I see these cute videos on my Facebook reels of people twisting cinnamon rolls into Easter bunnies. There are donuts assembled together to look like snowmen. Don't even get me started on charcuterie boards. I can eat meat and cheese in rows and stacks. Don't waste your time making it pretty on my account! 

We needed a green food for a St. Patrick's Day themed potluck. Someone already took cookies. Pinwheels with spinach/herb tortillas was taken, so I took fruit. Lots of fruit is green! However... in March in the midwest fresh fruit isn't always fresh or reasonably priced. This ended up being more frustrating than I thought. 

Green grapes were astronomical. It annoyed me to get purple, but purple it was. Honey dew and pears were nowhere to be found. I only had to feed so many, so I wasn't about to hit a specialty food store. Our local Aldi was going to do it. 

Kiwi, green apples, and watermelon worked. The grapes were included just because. In the future, I will stick with a salad 🤣 Also, in the future, please be mindful of themes! Goodness gracious. Eating should be easy!!! 

the new trends I can get behind!

This family does not follow trends. Only one of us wears Crocs, I don't watch the Real Housewives or The Bachelor, and I don't give Boo baskets. That is okay. I do me, you do you, we all win. I appreciate all the effort others put forth and I enjoy all the pictures, stories, and posts, though! 

There are two new trends rolling through these parts and I am pleased to say that we jumped on board. In true fashion, they're non traditional. I jumped in wholeheartedly and I am pleased to say my family appreciates all the effort. Trend one is sourdough. Trend two is no more big birthday parties! Both of these bring me joy ;)

This sourdough thing... you feed your dough and when it doubles you bake/make/create with it. All I had to buy was parchment paper, a digital scale, and bread flour. I enjoy baking and creating something from nothing. The fact that I can make things my family actually eats and can pronounce every single ingredient also makes me feel good. Baked bread, sandwich bread, tortillas and flat breads are the only things I have made so far, but in 2 or 3 weeks of effort, I have done so much.   

Stay tuned for continued photos of baked goods. I am always on board for food and snacks. The measuring can be a bit much, but it's an easy way to ensure my family eats cleaner. It also gives me something to do each night that is just for me. No music, no TV, just focus so I can mix, measure and create. I love it.

Trend two: The party thing. I can name about 6 kids who do not have birthday parties. They do a special activity or just have friends over for pizza or do a small weekend getaway with family. How great is that?! I loved hosting parties, but the prep work and RSVPing and matching lost items to the proper child was a but much when it was all said and done. 

We are on year two of nontraditional birthday fun. Last year it was a sleepover with 2 friends and a fancy dinner. This year it was 24 hours of her bestie, so we shopped, went out to eat, and got a great rate at Mt Olympus to beat the winter blues. I made a banner and brought some balloons. The "cake" was homemade brownies and it went great.

Whether or not these trends stick through the new year is fine by me. I am always willing to try new things as long as it is not a waste of my time or efforts. So far, so good. No one is sad, lonely or hungry, so I would say it's working out quite well. Happy trending out there! 

The guilt is real...

I have a job. I like my job. I like to think I am good at my job. Then I come home and my job switches to "mom". And that job pays in hugs, smooches, snuggles and happiness. The pay is different. The hours are longer. The struggles are more challenging. The laughter is pure. The memories are endless. I work both jobs to the best of my ability. 

Sometimes my day job trumps my mom job and that breaks my heart, but my daughter knows this is our plan and we are on the same team so we work together to make the plan work. I never bring stuff home so that when I am home my mom life trumps everything else. 

Today I was unable to get to her school party. I signed up to donate the pretty decorated plates and helped fill out all the Valentines for her class. We don't really celebrate this particular holiday, but to a 9 year old, this is a big deal. I was able to get to her school right as the party ended. 

I ran through her school like a bat out of hell right as she was cleaning off her desk. She hugged me so long and so tight that I almost cried. I said hello to all the littles and helped clean up, made conversation, and took it all in. I helped get her ready for her next class and waved her off. 

15 minutes is what I gave. I felt guilty until I saw the smile on her face. I gave what I could and she accepted it willingly with love, a huge hug, and a tiny little smile. I stopped feeling guilty for a whopping 10 minutes to realize it really is all the little things. And this little thing was big for me and big for her. I showed up. That's it. That's all. No card. No gift. No bravado. 

That's all that counts. And I am okay with that. This mom thing is hard! I never thought a class party would make me reconsider my life choices, but it did. Stay strong moms! It's all about being present, being flexible, and being willing. 

trucking through winter with craft time

This is the time of year where every second drags on during the day and zips by at night and on the weekend. It's the time to keep your head up and remember that spring is coming! Find something, anything that keeps you smiling. My daughter wanted to do an at home painting party. It took a minute to gather the materials and figure out what the heck we were doing, but it was nice to come home and do a paint session each night until it was done. And what did we learn from this? Patience. We had to plan, wait for the paint to dry, wait for the details to dry, wait for the second coats to dry, and patiently clean it up correctly. They aren't perfect, but they are ours! We learned patience and had fun doing it.

our first sleepover

We turn 9 tomorrow and anyone who has raised a girl realizes this is big. We are having our first sleepover! The theme was decided in January of last year weeks after her 8th birthday party. Because, why not? We are hosting The Greatest Showman party. 

We decided to do circus themed food, red/white striped decor, show the movie, easy circus games, and karaoke (if you look in the special features, they have ALL the songs with lyrics!). This is probably the easiest and cheapest party we have ever thrown and she is in love with all of it. She picked the cake, the food, and helped me make most of the party favors, with a few fun extras like lip gloss and glitter rings. 

One thing that was a must was ball toss. So, I decided to paint a clown. My little dictator added insight and it ended up as something she screamed in glee to see and something I look at and sigh. People, people. I am crafty. I am creative. I am not, however, a painter. Yet, my kid saw this clown for the ball toss and told me she loves it. 

A parent's love for their child knows no limits and if I am going to sing off key to a room full of little girls with a fake microphone, I may as well own up to the mildly odd looking clown. Please think of me as you enjoy your peaceful evening and my home is overrun with 8 little girls. Our first sleepover!