We're going to Disney World!!

I'm going to Disney World!

 

(When Madeline officially became an annual passholder)

I am a total kid at heart and absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Disney.  I am not sure who gets more excited to go my kids or I.  We have the luxury of living in South Florida only three and a half hours away from Disney. Although not close enough to do day trips, it is close enough to go at least four times a year.  We also have annual passes so these trips don't break the bank.  If anything having the passes makes me want to go more often in order to get my monies worth.

 

We are picking up Madeline Thursday after school and surprising her by telling her we are going.  I have always wanted to do this and I have almost slipped several times.  I hate keeping secrets.

 

My kids are professionals when it comes to going to Disney.  I swear they behave better there then when they are at home! Jonathan was only two months old the first time he went. (Before anyone says are you crazy for taking a two month old to the germ infested place he only went for lunch and for a firework show.  My mom staid with him in the hotel the remaining part of the trip. ) We have gone at all times of the year, including the dreaded summer and they handle it like champs.  While others are having melt downs by noon mine are going strong (mommy and daddy not so much).  OK enough tooting of my own horn. 

 

Now I need to start my many to do lists and organize myself before we leave.  Follow me on instagram (Alexandradanielle13) to see pictures of our trip.

 

 

Healthy Dinners, Kids Approved

Whenever I need a break from reality I go and search on Pinterest.  Whether it be for cute outfit ideas, workouts, school projects, or recipes.  I am by far a Martha Stewart in the kitchen.  Give me glitter and glue and I can make anything happen, but in the kitchen I'm a no go.  With that being said I am always looking for easy recipes that are healthy and my picky daughter will eat.  I am trying my hardest to move our family into a clean eating family.  Wish me luck!

 

I came across a creamy cauliflower sauce that I though would be great to try out on the kids.  My daughter loves pasta and could eat it every day.  Only bad part is she doesn't like red sauce which means less opportunities to sneak vegetables into her meal.  At least I have been able to switch our pasta to whole wheat.  She will however, eat it with butter and cheese, with olive oil and cheese, or with cheese sauce and more cheese.  (If you have haven't realized she LOVES cheese.  Just like her mommy.) Long story short it was a huge success!! I didn't mention anything, just added the sauce to her pasta and sprinkled fresh Parmesan cheese on top. 

 

On top of it being kid friendly it was super easy to make.  I got the recipe from a Pinch of Yum and followed it through.  I did use the vegetable broth instead of the water and added a drizzle of olive oil.  I am sure that is why the flavor was so good. 

 

I read the comments and heard that is freezes well.  I will definitely try that next time since now I know it is a hit in the household. 

Valentine's weekend

Happy Tuesday everyone. Hope you all had a nice Valentine's weekend. My hubby had to actually work Friday night so we went out Saturday. 

Friday I had my daughter's class party. She was a little disappointed she wasn't able to wear a special shirt (they usually can wear a holiday shirt on class party days) because it was their class picture. We made up for it by wearing heart bangle bracelets and a bow with hearts on it. 

Per our usual crafts we had the sticker sheets that the kids absolutely love. 

I also printed out sheets of bingo and we played a few rounds. Thank you Pinterest for having free printable sheets, more importantly twenty-two DIFFERENT sheets! Once again you saved my life. 

I ended up doing the donut idea for Madeline's class gift and it was a big hit. 

Friday night I spent it at my usual spot, kickboxing. They had a shred your ex theme night where they would tape a picture of your ex on the bag. Since I obviously didn't have a picture of my ex they taped a picture of our trainers on the bag. 

Saturday the hubby and I went to dinner. One of my best friends joined which definitely made for a fun night. The kids spent the night with the in-laws which was nice because I was able to sleep in. Something I rarely do. 

While others got to enjoy a long weekend I was back to work yesterday and back to three hours worth of cheer practice. As always my weekends seem to fly by. Thankfully it's Tuesday and only three more days left in the week. 

Starting the day off right

I have said before and I'll say it again, I am NOT a morning person.  I wake up with just enough time to get dressed and out the house.  I am one of those people who does their make up in the car. Don't worry I wait until the light is red to do anything. 

That being said, I am always trying to think of things to eat for breakfast that is quick and healthy.  My smoothies in the morning is pretty easy when I make them the night before and blend it in the morning.  Sometimes those don't work because my son is still sleeping and I do not want to wake him.  He is a pretty light sleeper.  Instant oatmeal is always an option but that gets boring after a while.  Since I gave up bread for my challenge ( I need to follow up on that in a later post) my english muffin with peanut or almond butter and agave is out. Mmmm I miss that!

Per my usual to get more ideas I turned to pinterest.  Not only did I find a few great ideas but I found a great blog by another mom.  If you haven't tried over night oats and actually like oatmeal you are missing out.  It is quick and easy and tastes amazing.  For a good recipe click here.  I took the blogger's suggestion and make it in an almost empty jar of almond butter.  OMG it was delicious.  I also picked up some of the chia seeds from Whole Foods.  I added it in the morning rather then the night before since the package said that the seeds can change the consistency of the food sometimes.  I actually liked it more added it the day of because it gave a little crunch to the oatmeal.

(The picture REALLY does not do it justice. It may not be pretty but it tastes amazing!! This coming from a picky eater)

I am going to try to make the quinoa breakfast bake next.  I'll let you know how that goes. 

My crazy Saturday night

I remember when my Saturday nights consisted of waking up at seven pm from hanging out at the pool and doing me time. At that time my girl friends would come over and we would do dinner and then start getting ready for a long night out. Fast forward eight years later and my usual Saturday night consists of something much calmer. 

My not so little anymore cousin decided to cook us dinner tonight. Not only is she llcooking us dinner but she is making two dinners. One for us and one for my little ones too. 

She is very patient and great with the kids so she even involved them in the process. 

The grown up are enjoying grilled shrimp. Pictures to follow and reviews on the food. Either way I'm happy, I don't have to cool and the kids are entertained.