Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe

We were superexcited to have visitors a little while ago and I wanted an easy to put together meal that would be kiddo friendly.  There were 4 kids almost exactly a year apart from 5-2 years old!  What a grand time was had by all!  I found this little gem tucked away in my recipe folder.  It wasn't M's favorite, but she mowed down the rice and C wanted seconds, thirds and leftovers the next day!  This recipe COULD NOT be easier.  Seriously. 

Ingredients:
32 oz package of precooked, frozen meatballs
13.5 oz can of unsweetened pineapple chunks (save juice)
1 lg green pepper, diced
1 c brown sugar
2 TBL cornstarch
2/3  c white vinegar
2 TBL soy sauce

Directions:
Place meatballs in crockpot and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks.  In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and soy sauce.  Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.

I made brown rice for the side.  Yum-o!

Love me some lists!

I think I've written about this before... like a long time ago... but I really love lists.  They make me so happy to get my crazy to do's out of my head and down on paper.  I feel motivated crossing things off and excited to have a starting AND (maybe more importantly) ending point.

I have several lists currently going.  One is my cleaning list.  I got this idea from my sweet SIL, who uses an index card system of daily, monthly, semiannual and annual chores.  I just simplified mine into a 4 week system - I have some chores that repeat weekly, some that show up every other week and some that are once a month.  Again, love crossing things off, seeing what I have left for the week, etc.

Another list is fun things I'd like to do in the evenings, aka Mommy Time.  Some items currently on t that list include: sew M''s jammies, read the next book for Book Club, print off recipes from a stack of fun Taste of Home mags my SIL borrowed me and add them to my new recipe binder that was on my to-do list last week, and finish our family digital scrapbook from last year.  All fun things, but all things I'd like to get done.

So.  The reason for this post?  Several times while visiting the library I've admired this "100 Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten" poster (put out by www.pla.org) while my kids have played in the Wiggle Room.  One time I took a few pictures of the poster along with the website so that I could print my own list.  I wasn't able to find the list online.  Today my kiddos and I were at the library again and I mentioned this to a great librarian I've seen several times.  She said they used to have a similar list available for parents and went in the back to see if they had any more.  She came back and said that apparently people have to buy the list now.  BUT, she was able to find me some left over posters (identical to the one I had oogled over to begin this whole process!).  I got "100 Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten" (which sorts the books by genre like Animal Stories, Imagination, and Stories in Rhyme), "100 MORE Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten" and even "75 of the Best Books for Young Children".  Hip-hip-hooray!  I understand that I am a big geek, but I am superexcited about this!  Now I have to decide how we're going to tackle this list.  There are big circles next to each book, so I think I might have the kids put stickers next to the books we read.  Happy Reading!!  

A nighttime poll!

Scenario: Your child wakes up in the middle of the night... wet.  : (  I'm assuming everyone's first step is to get the kiddo clean and put on new jammies. 

I couldn't figure out how to put the poll IN my post, so look right for the poll!

Operation: No More Tears

Transitioning with a move can be hard. I think our kids did an awesome job. They miss their friends and favorite KS hangouts, but they're jumping into life here in the north. The biggest thing we needed to rein in post move was bedtime. It got a little out of control in transit: sleeping on a mattress on the floor until we got beds, later bedtime because Dad was a single Dad for a week and then Mom & Dad were busy unpacking, transitioning to sharing a room in a new house, etc. What came to life was "Operation: No More Tears".

We sat down and had a family meeting to discuss our bedtime routine and how it wasn't working for anyone really. We brought up some ground rules, like kids need to sleep in their own room, Mommy & Daddy need to sleep in their own room, and no kiddos leaving the room post bedtime unless they have to go potty (or poopie, C chimes in).

Here's our bedtime routine compromise, put together by our family:
1. Brush teeth, go potty, get jammies on
2. Each kid picks out one book to read
3. Kids get tucked into bed
4. Lights out, M turns on her book light (she likes it LIGHT, C prefers the dark!)
5. Mommy (usually - or Daddy!) reads the next Bible story from our favorite Jesus Storybook Bible 6. Mommy (or Daddy) reads M's favorite Psalm 23
7. We pray, Mommy sings "It Only Takes a Spark" (sung something like this... not sure what key I sing it in... hehe!) and then Mommy leaves the room while kiddos go to sleep.

It may seem like a cumbersome system, but I personally love it. I enjoy that quiet wind down time with my kiddos. With a few different steps, if Daddy is home, we can sub in and out, too!

What is your routine like?

Clothespin Craft

First of all, Happy 4th! I hope you have some fun family plans! Hubbers is on call for the first time... And on a holiday no less. Prayers to him, but he can do it because God has prepared him each step of the way! My kids are ALL about crafting lately. They love painting especially it seems. I love crafting too so it all works out! As long as we have ample clean up materials, we are good to go! ;). This latest project came from a need to get some clutter off the counters! I "made" three areas with command hooks and ribbon: one for cards (above the sink), one for the kids' artwork (behind the front door) and one for notes and drawings from their friends and relatives (behind their bedroom door). But with what to hang all this important stuff? I came across the perfect solution at Target: a pack of about 50 (smallest they had!) plain wooden Clothespins. Aha! A project within a project- M & C had a blast painting the pins, adding glitter (M) and finally putting foam shapes on them. I think they're wonderful. My counters are thanking them as well!

Jamberry!

One of my sweet RAs (MW) from when I was an RHD in college became a Jamberry Consultant.  Not familiar with Jamberry?  It is a "home party" business I think similar to Thirty-One or Mary Kay, but this one is all about nails.  They have regular nail polish, but they also have fun wraps.

Anyways, MW hosted a "Mystery Hostess Party" via Facebook.  There were fun ways to earn free sheets of Jamberry nail wraps and also one person was drawn to be the "Mystery Hostess".  That person took away all of the hostess gifts earned from the party sales.  WELL... drumroll please... that mystery hostess was ME!  :)  I'm so superduper excited!  The party "totals" were outstanding and I can't believe the amount of stuff I got!

Here are a few of my favs that are on their way!!!

I even have some gifts on order, and MVJ got to pick out a favorite as well!  She chose this:

I think it is WAY too grown up!!  Ugh.... my baby is not a baby anymore!  I suppose if she's going to choose a sophisticated style, choosing one for her nails is the most "ok" with me!  :)

If you're interested in finding out more about these, check out MW's site or let me know and I'll get you in contact with her -- there's a Buy 3 Get 1 Free promotion!  (I think it's always on, but not sure about that part!)  Here's a plug from me, if I (!!) can put them on, anyone can!  And this last time I did four fingers with wraps and one finger with nail polish - my OPI stuff (so not super duper cheap polish!) and the jam wraps totally outlasted the polish.  In fact, I put mine on a week and a half ago (first time by myself!).  Today I trimmed them (and my nails) with just a regular nail trimmer and they look like a fresh application.  Yippee!

Rosy Applesauce

It feels weird to say that in my "old life", I was a teacher, because we always get a summer break.  Surely nothing has changed just yet.  It will really set in in August I'm sure.  I already promised C that when we got Back to School shopping with Miss M, we can each pick out something too.  :)  hehe  Not that that is what I'll miss most about teaching, but just sayin', I love me some office supplies.

One thing I that is not high on my Things I'll Miss About Teaching list is school lunch.  Granted, I found some things I loved in the cafeteria (did I mention that I was a lunchroom supervisor for most of my teaching stint in KS?), but overall, not the highlight of my day for sure.  So one of those loves was "Rosy Applesauce".  Sounds weird right?  Just reddish applesauce... why would I be writing a post about reddish applesauce?  I came across this recipe on pinterest the other day, and well, chalk it up to another win for Team Mommy!  So, basically, you just add jello to applesauce.  And that is it!!  My kids gobbled it up, and with unsweetened applesauce and sugar free jello, I happily scooped more on their plate!