Energy Bars
Something I started making last year that I actually took a break from alllllll summer, are energy BARS. There are a million recipes and ways to make them, and most people I have heard call them energy balls. Energy balls are great and my kids actually prefer them, but let’s be honest…they take a lot more time! And they require a lot of touching! Ew.
So, last year I started dumping my mix into a pan or rubbermaid container of some kind, and then I would smoosh them with a big metal spatula and then slice them up with the same thing! It was so much easier and appealing to me to do this, that I actually started making them more! You can also cut them into different sizes which is nice for variety. Make sure to precut them before you put them in the fridge.
Do your kids love this snack, too? Maybe this is your call to switch from balls to bars?!
I love zinnias!
I have been growing zinnias for a few years now, and I just LOVE them. They are just plain pretty and make people smile. My backyard ones actually self seeded, but sadly it made my color selection more limited. This year I added a barrel to my butterfly garden and tried seeds in there to keep them better protected from the dang bunnies. It was successful, and my neighbors get to enjoy them, too. The other day, one of my neighbors was walking by and said she has something she finds success with to fight the powdery mildew. That is what can make the leaves kind of gross looking. I actually don’t mind the ugly leaves (sometimes I pull them off) on the stem because the blooms are just too good.
I have had good luck with various seeds, but do love the value for your money you get from a big amazon bag of seeds. It is probably too late to throw some out this year, I meant to before August suddenly ended, ha! But please remember for next year and try it!!!
King of Queens
Barry and I have been watching King of Queens from the beginning. We are in season 5 and I was sad, but then looked up and saw there are 9 seasons, phew! TV has taken a lot less of my time and interest the last several years I think mostly because of kids, and being tired, and enjoying reading more! But, this show is making me LOL. It feels so good to laugh out loud. It’s also fun to watch an old show from beginning to end…there are a lot I don’t remember seeing, and being older (wiser?) find it a lot more relatable or just plain funny. So many things I would never ever do, but it makes it hysterical. Arthur is my favorite.
Do you have a show that makes you laugh out loud?
Family Dinner
Last spring we had all four kids in baseball/softball. It was busy busy! We had a lot of fun and mostly were able to make it work logistically thanks to friends and family :). One thing I don’t feel like we were able to make very often though were family dinners. I love family dinners! I love having the table set, a meal planned (why is this so hard but so rewarding?) and prepared, sitting around the table, and hopefully listening to everybody a little bit! Dinner doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, and can even not be dinner! My kids love breakfast for dinner. We just made biscuits and gravy for dinner on Sunday.
At dinner, we like to share high, low, buffaloes, but also sometimes just talk. For those of you who do not know, your buffalo can be anything, its a free share. My family tends to share something they are looking forward to, which is nice to hear!
I have been craving this time lately and I don’t know if it’s the return of school routine or what, but I think it is special and important. This summer I found we often did this at breakfast or lunch…which works, too! Are you able to find a time for your family to all be together around the table? Are you able to find a meal that makes everybody happy😜!? Do share.
Everything Journal
I really always think a new planner is going to help me. It hasn’t and isn’t. Not to say a planner won’t work for you, but with my stay at home mom lifestyle, I am honestly all over the place! So keeping all. the. things. in one place is helping me more. We need to use google calendar to keep everything straight, and we have the Amazon show to display that calendar for everybody.
For a while this took over our dry erase board. But, I really missed the dry erase board for our family dinners! Everybody looks at it and it reminds us of what we have coming up, you know, for those buffaloes!
So, if I have a planner it’s is a THIRD place to do this, which just seems overkill. This summer I started bringing a journal to church to take notes (aka help me focus) during sermons. I decided to use the journal I was making random lists in and such and then just decided I needed to use it for, well, everything!
Bonus… when I stop using it or don’t need it for whatever reason, I’m not wasting any calendar pages and feeling worse about myself! Do you do that?
What do you love?
Do you have something in your life that you are loving lately!? Please share the love!
