Mellow Monday - Long Time No "See"

Wow...it's been a "hot" minute since I wrote anything here. I've been busy. Busy with kids, with the hubs and with life in general.

Today as I was working on the computer I suddenly felt the urge to check out my blog. Curious about it. Curious as if something had happened to it while I was away. Funny thing (insert sarcasm here) ...it is exactly as I left it several months ... a'hem years ago. The Mellow Monday post from June 2014 sitting alone on the page due to the lack of posting. A post, that seems a lifetime ago, that talked about our menu for that week and how hot it was going to be and the water park visit we were taking that day. And that family picture of us!!!!!!! Wow....my babies aren't those babies any more!!!!

These days our Mondays are not so mellow. My kids have grown sooooooo much since 2014. Tobin (Brother Goose) is in 2nd grade and Samantha (Lil' Miss Goose) is in Pre-Kindergarten. Our Mondays are one of the busiest days of our week. Of course it is the first day of the school week for Brother, back to work for Daddy Goose while Lil' Miss Goose and I attending parent support group called Gift of Blessings. We try to catch up on house work from the weekend during the afternoon. However, there ALWAYS seems to be something else we've got to do that day, whether it's sports programs or grocery shopping.

I am still menu planning and trying my best to stay organized. I recently bought a new calendar, The Mom on the Go Planner from (intheleafytreetops.com) and I LOVE IT! It is super cute and it has pages for every.thing. Including menu planning. Because of my new planner I'm even temped to plan and shop for the whole month! I am usually pretty good about planning for the whole month, but usually grocery shop once a week. We'll see if I ever tackle the once a month shopping trip.

Today has been such a productive day. I am feeling more ready for our week than I have in a while. Church, brunch with my little family, played outside in the beautiful weather, laundry done, kitchen sparkling, prepared for my parent support group, a new chore chart printed and filled out for the week, now pizza is ordered and to top it off...I'm writing a blog post.

A good day indeed.

Another change in my life...my weight. About 12 years ago I lost 30 pounds with Weight Watchers and have really done a great job of keeping it off between working out and eating pretty healthy. Until now. Since September, I have gained it all back. So, I'm back to my point counting and working out. It was a painful eye opener when I stepped on that scale the first week of February, but it was a good swift kick in the pants to get me Fit Before 40! (Eeekkkk...yup that's this year for me.)

Well, in case you've missed my menu, here's what we're eating this week.

• Monday: Crockpot Pulled Pork with mixed veggies and fruit salad
• Tuesday: Burrito Bake (ryleegrover.blogspot.com) with green beans and salad
  Everyone in my house LOOOOOOOOVES this one!) 
• Wednesday: Mini Turkey Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and peas
• Thursday: Trader Joes Corn Dogs with Alexa Criss-Cut Fries
• Friday: Sloppy Joe Bake (Drizzlemeskinny.com)
• Saturday: Family Date Night
• Sunday: Pizza

I've got all of my points calculated for our dinners will input dinner points into my Ultimate Food Value Diary the morning of so I know how many points are left over for the rest of my meals. It works well for me. 

Do you menu plan? I do because it saves me time, money and answers that daily, "What's for dinner?" question. Now that you've seen my meal plan, head on over to Orgjunkie.com and see some others.

Always ~ Momma Goose

Mellow Monday - Summertime Edition

Today is one of those summer days you just can't do much else, but head to the water park. It's gonna be a hot one at 105 degrees. We're headed there early so we can be home early to be mellow on the couch in the air conditioning when the REAL heat hits.

I'm also NOT cooking today because when its hot our appetite for warm food goes out the window, especially for Daddy Goose who works in the heat all day. But here is what we are eating this week:

Monday: Cobb salad and maybe leftover lasagna
Tuesday: BBQ hamburger
Wednesday: Slow cooker tacos
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: 4th of July pizza!!

The 4th really snuck up on me this year...even as I was menu planning I had to re-do Friday's meals because we'll all be home. (Not that I'm complaining!)

We havent done anything too spectacular for the 4th of July in the past couple of years...usually a boat trip to the slough and hangin with a few friends. Its usually a low key, but fun day!

What are your plans for the 4th?

Do you meal plan?  I do because it saves me time, money, and answers the never ending "What's for dinner?" question.  Now that you've checked out my menu plan go see others at Orgjunkie.com.

Always ~ Momma Goose

Timing

To say that timing is important is an understatement. I'm sure many of you have been in that situation where you had something to say or do, but when you were ready no one else was, or it just didn't feel right, or you just knew that the people around truly wouldn't appreciate your thoughts or ideas.

It's been one heck of a past few months for me and those around me. Many, MANY times I've thought,  "I should blog about this" or "Wow, that would be fun to share on my blog." But the timing just hasn't been right.

I was part of an amazing celebration today.  A celebration for a man I didn't know well, but a man that I am positive was known and loved by many. A man that from what I did know, was fun to be with, a fantastic dad and grandpa. A man that died way before what we think was his time to go.

As I was sitting here reflecting on the celebration and the rest of my day, I was thinking about all the unspoken words we often let go because we think its "bad timing," all the feelings we let pass because of "bad timing," or all the things we do say, but at the "wrong time." Those thoughts led me to an urge to write my words. To write my words here. I had an urge to appreciate my words and my ability to write. I didn't want the bad timing of my crazy, hectic life go by without writing my feelings, thoughts...or ramblings.

Life is such a short, yet ever-sweet, gift from God.  We cannot allow "bad timing" to affect how much we show those around us that we love them or how much we tell people that we appreciate them. Give the gift of your heartfelt words to those around you, let them know how much you mean to them, regardless of how badly you may think the timing is.

Always ~ Momma Goose

Lovin' Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Image Source

I've started something new today...  I've "claimed" my blog on Bloglovin!

What is Bloglovin, you say?

Well...it is a way to read all of the blogs you follow in one place.  Ever heard of Google Reader?  It's the same type of platform.  But...this "reader" is prettier, easier and a lot "funner"!

Look to the right -------> You'll see my new Bloglovin button!   Check out my blog over there and I know you'll find a few others to follow.

Always ~ Momma Goose

TGIF!

Getting an "early" start this morning on life. We've got a busy day ahead.

But...I did take a timeout to have a breakfast date on the back patio with sweet Lil' Miss and Daddy Goose!

I love fall mornings! Now that we are finally getting some cool weather in the mornings,  we can put on our slippers and have a breakfast picnic!

I promise that's just the color of my grout...it seriously looks awful in this pic! :(

Check out Lil' Miss' s Elmo slippers (hand-me-down from Brother) and she also had on a  Spider-Man sweatshirt because she wants to be just like Brother.

We're hoping to continue this cool weather trend, but it IS the central valley,  so I'm not holding my breath.

What's the weather like where you live??

Always ~ Momma Goose

Pasta Zero Plus ~ Review

I was so super excited when I found these in my grocery store:

Source

As the packaging says, they are a low calorie, low carb pasta, fortified with iron, gluten free, vegan and free from eggs gluten and dairy.  They are made of:

• water
• konjac flour
• chickpea flour
• potato starch
• calcium hydroxide
• reduced iron
• folic acid

I've been wanting to try them for such a long time.  Hungry Girl has been eating shirataki noodles for as long as I can remember, but they have always been really hard to find.  When they came to my grocery store, I grabbed them and changed my menu plan to include spaghetti.

They are really quick and easy to cook.  Let me just start by saying, the smell you encounter when you open the package is a little overwhelming.  Thankfully, I had been warned about it so I knew to expect it...and now you do too. To alleviate some of that smell, simply strain and rinse.  Several times.

I warmed mine in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Or you can par boil them for 2-3 minutes.  Drain again and it's ready to eat!  (I rinsed mine again with hot water...just to be sure.:)  You can also heat them a dry skillet for a couple minutes to dry them out.

Here's my bowl of spaghetti:

A giant bowl - I did not finish.  They filled me up quickly.

The texture is VERY different than regular spaghetti noodles, it is a little more slimy.  In retrospect, I probably could have heated them a little longer in the dry skillet and that may make them less slimy.

Overall, I'd probably give these noodles 4 stars out of 5.  A definite must try!

There are some great nutritional aspects to these noodles.  They have FAAAAAAAAAAR less calories than traditional noodles (shirataki = 15 cal per serving vs. traditional = 210 per serving), the shirataki have zero grams of fat, only 4 grams of carbs (compared to 42 grams in traditional noodles) and zero grams of sugar (compared to 2 grams in the traditional).  They do, however, have only 1 gram of protein versus the 7 grams in the traditional noodles.

We eat a lot of spaghetti around here.  It's quick, easy and Daddy Goose makes a killer pot of spaghetti.  I don't know if these will be my go-to noodles, but a good purchase.

Have you ever tried any of these type of noodles?  If so, let me know with a comment how you liked/disliked them.

Always ~ Momma Goose

Sunday Social

Happy Sunday friends!

While I'm working on computer "stuff," Lil' Miss is taking a nap and Brother Goose is hangin' in his fort next to me.  Sundays are my favorite day for relaxing, football and fun!  What are you up to this fine sun shining day?

I thought it would be fun to be a little social today. :)  So, I decided to link up with Neely & Ashley for a few questions about blogs. Check it out.

1.  What is the name if your blog? Momma Goose & Gaggle

2.  What do you love most about blogging? The freedom to let go of my thoughts.

3. Why did you start blogging? I needed a creative outlet.  And a way to

4. What is something you’d want to tell someone just starting out in the blog world? Write about something you love and don't let it become a "job."

5. Biggest blogging learning experience you’ve had? It's hard not to compare my blog with others.  My blog is about me and my family.  It is mine.  It is perfect for ME. :)

6.  Three blogs I love:  MamaLaughlin, (a super fun Texas gal who's all about her boys, fashion and fitness) OrgJunkie (Cleaning tips, organizing ideas and menu planning.  Yay!) and Absolute Mommy (a girl/blog I just met and can't seem to stay away from!  Love his SAHM!)

Always ~ Momma Goose

High Five for Friday

TGIF friends!

Can you believe it's Friday already?  I'm sure there are plenty of you saying..."Finally, this has been THE longest week!" But, for me, it has flown by.  We survived another week of Kindergarten...and the first week of homework.  I must say, Brother Goose is a genius! (I know...all momma's say that about their kids. LOL!)  He is already ready to take his first sight word test.  He's worked so hard this week.

Here's a couple of other things we're high five'n this week:

1.  Brother Goose had his very first soccer game of the year.  He is on the same team as last year, along with a couple of other kids, so its nice to be able to see some familiar faces.  AND, he did great!

2.  I made spinach cubes.  I love green smooties, but I always have a problem with the spinach going bad before I can get to it all.  So, I found this idea on Pinterest and FINALLY made it happen this week.

3.  Lil' Miss had her very first time out.  It was so hard not to smile at her cute little pouty face.

4.  We had a great time at a family birthday party for one of Brother's buddies.

5.  Daddy Goose had his three wheeler out last night and the goslings had a blast pretending to ride it.  This boy cracks me up - "I'm peelin' out, Momma!" he says.


What are you high five'n today?

Always ~ Momma Goose

Toddler Tuesday

Do you make juice from concentrate?  Or do you buy it pre-made?

I used to be a pre-made momma until a few weeks ago.  Then I realized something.  I know it makes life a little easier to just have the jug of juice ready when you are...but hear me out.  I have two REALLY good reasons why you should take the extra time and make your toddler's juice from concentrate.

Reason #1:

It costs less money.  A 64 ounce bottle of pre-made, Langers Apple Juice costs $1.99 at the store I go to, which is $0.03 per ounce.  The frozen concentrate of the same brand of juice when made per directions, makes 42 ounces, costs $1.00, which is $0.02 per ounce.

Not a big savings, I know.  But, when you're on one income, every penny counts.

Reason #2:

I can make the juice as strong or as weak as I want.  Just because the instructions read, "mix with three containers of cold water," does not mean I have to agree.  I usually fill the concentrate container 3.5 to 4 times, depending on the type of juice I'm making.  I promise you, filing the container 3.5 times does not make a big taste difference - in fact, I'd bet your family won't even notice. :)

We really try to watch the sugar content that comes from the juice our goslings drink. We do not allow our goslings to drink soda (Brother Goose doesn't like them anyway and Lil' Miss has never had the opportunity.) and we limit the CapriSun type drinks.  By adding more water, I am able to better control how much empty calories and sugar they are drinking.

Good news:  Reason #2 gives me even more of a savings.  When diluting the apple juice by only mixing in an extra 1/2 container of water it makes the cost go down to $0.01 per ounce! Woo-hoo!!

So, there you have it...costs less AND dilutes the sugar!  Two great reasons to take that extra step and make your juice from concentrate.

Always ~ Momma Goose

High 5 for Friday!

Woo-hoo, we've made it through another week!  This was a BIG week in our nest with us surviving our first real road trip, Brother Goose starting kindergarten, and soccer practice in full swing.  Our weekend is shaping up to be full with soccer, birthday parties and BBQs.  (Hopefully, we'll be able to squeeze in a little preseason football, too! :)

Here are some of the high five moments from our week:

High five for...unpacking this crazy mess in one day. The day AFTER we got home!

High five for...my beautiful sunflower!  We are getting really excited for seeds!!

High five for...the official "back to school" photo!

High five for...thoughtful and unexpected gifts.  LOVE my new coffee mug from my aunt.

High five for..."clownin'" around with my Lil' Miss!  Love these times with her.

What are you high five'n for this week?

Always ~ Momma Goose

We made it out alive...

I am so excited to report that all four of us happily survived a 16 hour road trip!

Don't you just love his fake smile! Silly boy!

We just got back last night from a 6 day trip to the state of Washington for a family reunion.  Not just any family reunion, but Lil' Miss's first reunion and our very first long road trip as a family!

I am also excited to report that my goslings did GREAT in the car.  Of course, we had a few, "Are we there yet?" and "How much longer?"  But that is to be expected.

You may have seen my post on Facebook last week about our hour chain...which helped Brother Goose to answer his own "How much longer?" questions.

I'm also very sure that the fact that we traveled with my parents on the way up helped out a lot, too.  In fact, I'm pretty sure Lil' Miss was only in our car for about two hours on the way to Washington.  Nana & Papa are waaaaay more fun than us. :)

I have so many things to share with you about our trip, but those will come later.  Today we've got a last minute doctor's appointment for Brother Goose and first day of school prepping to do!

I hope you'all had a great week...and I'll see ya soon!

Always ~ Momma Goose

I have a problem

Hello, my name is Momma Goose and I am an addict.  I am totally and helplessly addicted to:

That's right, Chunky Artichoke & Jalapeno dip.  Have you tried it?  It is absolutely THE BEST!  It's from Costco and they usually always have it.  I inhaled an entire 32 ounce container of this yummy-ness in just over a week!  BY MYSELF!  Yup, me, all by my lonesome ate that whole container.

I got crazy.  Every single meal had artichoke/jalapeno dip.  I would start the day with egg, toast and artichoke/jalapeno dip:

In the middle of the day, it was an artichoke/jalapeno dip salami sandwich:

If I was hungry for a snack, I picked up a chip or pretzel or carrot or celery and dip it. (My finger, really anything will do. :)

For dinner it was BBQ'd chicken with corn on the cobb, pasta salad all dipped in...yup you guessed it...artichoke/jalapeno dip:

One day, I even made up a pizza around this scrumptious dip:

To say that I am an addict is truly an accurate statement.  Once the jar was gone, I was sad.  Really sad. It was the end of a yummy week.  I immediately went put it on my shopping list for the next weekly trip.  When I don't have it around the house, I'm always thinking..."OOOO, this would be good with artichoke/jalapeno dip!"  Or..."I need to get some of that yummy stuff."

But...I haven't bought it again.  It's been almost a month that I've been off the artichoke/jalapeno dip. Why you ask?  I don't know.  I'm fighting it people.  I'm really fighting it

I'm so afraid of what I might put it on next!

Is there a food you do this with?  I'd love to hear so I don't feel so alone! LOL!

Always ~ Momma Goose

A beautiful lesson...

For the past few weeks I have been secretly second guessing and upset with my gardener.  Why you ask?  Well..for more than a month he has left this in our yard...

I must admit...I was more than a little upset.  I was getting really irritated with him.  He came to our house at least 3 times and didn't pick this GIANT weed.  How could he miss it?  He always does a good job on our lawn.  Why was he not picking this horrible thing?  I even took a picture to send to a friend, showing her what an awful weed it was.

Then one morning, I happened to catch my gardener here.  I tried really hard not to stomp out.  In my most well behaved attitude I asked, "What is the "scoop" with this!?!" as I waved my hand around the Redwood-like weed.  "It's a sunflower, Mrs. Goosev.  It will grow very tall and have a very beautiful flower at the top.  You will love it."

Whoa!!!

What?????

A sunflower????

AWWWEEESOMMMEEE!!!!

Sunflowers are one of my most favoritest flowers.  How did I get so lucky?  We didn't plant sunflowers in our yard.  Did someone plant one there for me, knowing how much I'd enjoy looking at it?  (It is litterally right outside our dining room window. Woo-hoo!)  Did we spit out one to many sunflower seeds this summer in our front yard?

Or...was it a plan from above to teach me a little bit of trust and patience!!???  Or kindness??!!!  Or of the beauty of his creations???

Yup...another great lesson from God...that's what I'm going with.  I should have trusted my gardener's knowledge and well-meaning efforts.  I should have been more patient with him.  More patient with nature.

Our sunflower has been so fun to watch.  Before the bloom opened, it followed the sun from east to west, the stalk grew to be about 2" thick and now it's taller than Brother!

Please don't make no-nevermind to the awesome blue socks in this picture.
It was get yourself dressed day at our nest. ;)

Our flower has become the talk at our nest.  Daddy, Brother, Lil' Miss and I all admire its strength (remember that 2" stalk), it's beauty (the gold and yellow are perfect), the randomness of the plant, and just the amazing ability of nature to thrive.

We have been blessed so many times over in this house we call a home.  I don't know why I even dared to second guess one of those blessings...our gardener!

In what ways is God trying to teach you something?  Or have you been taught a fun lesson lately?

Always ~ Momma Goose

Mellow Monday & Menu Plan

Happy Mellow Monday...late night edition!

It has been a very. busy. Monday.  Started at 7:00 a.m. with a good workout, continued with breakfast and kid "stuff" here at the house, then Lil' Miss and I headed into town for some errands.  Nails/toes done, oil changed, transmission flushed, car washed, Target shopped and Macy's shopped.  After which we rushed home for Brother's first soccer practice of 2013.  Home, dinner, showers, and bedtime for the goslings.  Are you exhausted?? I am!

Thankfully, dinner was ready when we got home.  Slow cooker to the rescue AGAIN!  I seriously love this kitchen appliance for days like today.  BUT...do you want to hear the awesome-est part of this dinner...I totally made up the recipe!  Yup, that's right!  I'm a full-fledged recipe creator! :)

Both Daddy Goose and the goslings loved my dish and I absolutely know that you'all will too.

Slow Cooker Tri-Tip

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds tri-tip roast (untrimmed)
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 white onion chopped
• Lawry's seasoning salt & Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
• 2 cups (+/-) water (Amount depends on the size of your slow cooker.  Cover tri-tip)
• Salt & pepper

Instructions:

Generously spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour olive oil into slow cooker.  Season, to taste, bottom of slow cooker with Lawry's and Mrs. Dash.  Place tri-tip and onions into slow cooker.  Again, season, to taste, the top of the beef with Lawry's and Mrs. Dash.  As with any meat, season with salt and pepper.  Add red wine vinegar and enough water to cover the tri-tip.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I used my tri-tip to make sandwiches.  You'll see below how else I plan to use it this week.  Sooo delicious!  I cannot wait to hear whether you like it or not!

Here's what else we're eating this week:

Monday:  Slow Cooker Tri-tip sandwiches with corn and potato chips
Tuesday:  Slow Cooker Tri-tip burritos
Wednesday:  Spaghetti with green salad
Thursday:  Frozen burritos and/or leftovers
Friday:  Calazone and cesear salad
Saturday:  Mac & Cheese with hot dogs and applesauce (kids pick :)  (I'll make the noodles and then pull some out for Lil' Miss due to her milk allergy)
Sunday:  Chicken & stuffing

Do you meal plan?  I do because it saves me time, money, and answers the never ending "What's for dinner?" question.  After you've checked out my menu plan and then see others at Orgjunkie.com.

What are you eating this week?

Always ~ Momma Goose

Mellow Monday & Menu Plan

Happy Mellow Monday to you'all!


We are starting a busy week in our house.  VBS at my momma's church starts today, a couple of afternoon dates and then it's Lil' Miss's 2nd birthday on Thursday!  Woo-hoo...my baby's TWO!  It is going to be really important for us to be organized and ready for the week ahead, so I've gotten my meal plan down and I'm ready to share.

Our Mellow Monday meal is a super duper yummy easy-peasy and versatile chicken dish that a good friend of ours made us while we were on vacation.  I'm making a big pot of it so we can use it several times throughout the week to save on time and money.  Check it out...

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 boneless chicken breast halves, skin removed, or other chicken parts
• lemon pepper seasoning
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Instructions:  Put chicken in slow cooker. Sprinkle generously with lemon pepper seasoning. Drizzle butter or margarine over chicken. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until chicken is tender.  I'm going then shred the chicken so it can be used in various ways.  I'm also going to double the recipe so that it will take us farther this week. :)

I totally wish I had a picture of this cooking...but I'm writing my blog a day early...sorry! 

It's kind of looks like this when it's all done:

 Check out my FB page later this week to see how it turns out...but trust me...you'll love it!

Here's what we're eating the rest of the week:

Monday:  Lemon Pepper Chicken over brown rice
Tuesday:  Lemon Pepper Chicken quesadillas
Wednesday:   Meatball sub sandwiches
Thursday:  Lil' Miss's birthday party at the waterpark...so I'm thinking Lemon Pepper Chicken on a green salad and snacks if we're still hungry.
Friday:  BBQ Hamburgers with green salad and frozen french fries made on the grill
Saturday:  Date Night!
Sunday:  Pizza!

Do you meal plan?  I do because it saves me time, money, and answers the never ending "What's for dinner?" question.  After you've checked out my menu plan and then see others at Orgjunkie.com.

What are you eating this week?

Always ~ Momma Goose

High Five for Friday

Isn't it awesome that it's Friday!?  Even though we are sort of on a perpetual weekend because Brother is on summer vacation and Daddy is off work, we are still TGIF'n and giving out high fives.  Here are some of the high five moments from our week:

High five for... Brother Goose catching his very first fish!!!!

High five for... all of us sleeping in 2 days til 9:45 a.m.!  (Woo-hoo!)

High five for... Daddy Goose's phone working after being dunked into the lake on Sunday!

(Double high five!!)

High five for... spending a great day at the water park with some new friends.

Horrible quality picture...but too cute not to share.  She was a tired girl after the water park.

High five for... Brother Goose finishing flag football with smile!

What are you high five'n for this week?

Hope you have a great weekend!

Always ~ Momma Goose

Fun Exercise

You'all know I'm a sucker for a good workout.  I've done the gym, spin classes, boot camp style classes and jogging/walking...all in the name of keeping in shape so that I can keep up with my goslings.  For the past few weeks, I've been walking with a good friend I've been friends with for about 25 years.  We meet up at the high school early in the morning (7:00 a.m.) - yes I know some of you may not think that 7:00 a.m. is "early," but "early" is all in how you look at it, and for me that's EARLY!

We usually, walk a lap (0.25 mile) and then do a set of stadiums (which is up and down two times).  Lately we've even been adding in squats, lunges, push-ups, tricep dips and a little ab work.  We're getting up to about 2.5 miles in an hour.  Including our little circuit. We've even talked about doing a half marathon in November.  I know, we're getting crazy! LOL!

Source

There is a group of ladies that I've known my whole life that have always gotten up and walk every morning at 5:30.  They would walk past where Daddy Goose and I used to live and every once in a while, if I was awake, I'd hear them chatting, chuckling and enjoying their exercise.  It always brought a half smile to my face (Only half a smile, cause lets face it...its 5:30 a.m.! Hee-hee!)

It's been so fun.  We get to chat AND exercise.  What more could you ask for?  A workout buddy who is super fun to talk to!!  I totally get what that group of ladies experiences.

BUT...on my way home this morning, I was thinking about what I was going to do when my friend goes back to work in a few weeks (she gets summers off) and Brother starts school or Daddy Goose goes back to work.  Will we get up and exercise at 5:30 a.m.?  Or walk in the afternoons when she gets off work?  Or will we just walk on the weekends?  I haven't even talked to her about it, but already I'm getting bummed.  I don't wanna stop our daily walks.  We gotta figure this one out!

For now, we'll keep up our walks and talks and enjoy the cool summer mornings while getting our exercise on!

Do you have an exercise buddy?  Studies have shown that those who do, workout more.  So, if you don't...you better find one! :)

Always ~ Momma Goose

What my Toddler Tuesday looked like

Yesterday was one of THOSE DAYS!  My beautiful, awesome, happy, amazing goslings and I went into town to have a little fun and run some errands.

We started the day with a visit to Chuck E Cheese...my favorite place on earth...NOT!!! That place has the right idea...waste spend a ton of cash on useless video games to get tickets so you can get useless awesome toys that will end up in my trash can within a week.  To top it off, their food is like cardboard....no, no...old cardboard.  AND...it costs a small fortune!  Double yuck!!  Yet, I find myself taking the goslings there every six months or so because $10 will buy us an hour or so of "fun" and they can't leave the building without me!  Brother Goose doesn't like their food either, so we get to eat somewhere else.

Our somewhere else yesterday was Subway.  While the food was better, the service was less than better.  In fact, I'm pretty sure the guy at Chuck E Cheese was fully trained in customer service and in kid language.  Back to Subway...as you know Lil' Miss is allergic to milk and even fake cheese, which sometimes is hard for an almost two year old to understand.  Brother Goose got Cheetos and Lil' Miss wanted some...can you see where this is going?  Screaming, crying sad, sad, sad Lil' Miss in Subway. Somehow she got a hold of one and in my mini-struggle to get it out of her hot little hands it bumped her face....annnnnd...now screaming, crying, sad Lil' Miss is now red faced and welted, screaming, crying, sad Lil' Miss. :(

Next visit was Verizon.  My cell phone was stolen last week and I had to return to the store to get my new one up and running.  What was I thinking towing along two hot and tired children?!?!  The poor guy that was helping me was a little clueless.  He must have been a "newer" employee, because he couldn't answer several of my questions, took 45 minutes to long to activate my phone AND was oblivious to my children - which is either good or bad.  Thankfully, there was a table with chairs in the store where we could sit and behave while the guy worked on my phone.

(P.S.  My phone still doesn't work right.  Hopefully, Daddy Goose can figure that out tonight.)

After Verizon was Costco.  A little glimmer of light thanks to a cart that seats two! LOL!  They treated each other with respect in the close proximity AND there were popsicle samples!  Costco must have known that crazy moms with their crazy kids would be coming in yesterday - a smart and successful marketing strategy.  Yes, I bought the popsicles! ;)  Half way through the warehouse, Brother says..."Mom, I'm starving!"  Whaaaatttt??  He ate an entire 6" turkey sub, half a bag of chips and a snack on the way to Costco!  This boy is definitely going through a growing spurt.  $1.50 hot dog to the rescue!

Finally, we were on our way home.  Chuck E Cheese crappy toys, activated cell phone, fed tummies and groceries.

I know this may all sound like not that big of a deal to some.  But...add in that it was 108 yesterday, we missed the friends we were supposed to meet at Chuck E Cheese and Daddy Goose wasn't with us, which we've become quite accustomed to.  Ooooo...and I wasn't mentally or toddler approved activity prepared to sit at Verizon for over an hour.

The silver lining = the day was not lost.  We got to have dinner with four of our favorite people, enjoyed watching Brother play football and then got a surprise visit from an old friend we really missed.

Here's a quick YouTube video of practice. :)

All in all it was just another glamorous day in the life of a momma.

How about you, what glamorous thing did you do yesterday?

Always ~ Momma Goose

Menu Plan Monday & (Not so) Mellow Monday

Wow...here we are almost 3 months since my last post!  Phew, time is flying by!

We are busy, busy, BUSY!  Our lives have changed so much since April.  Nothing that a little adjustment can't fix...but it's been just that...an adjustment.

Daddy Goose hurt his back in March and has been home with us since.  (We love having him here.  He usually works a lot, so we're taking advantage of his time. Hence the lack of blogging.)  Brother Goose finished his last year of pre-school, which means KINDERGARTEN in the fall!  EEEEEKKKK!!!!  Lil' Miss Goose is growing like a weed and says new words everyday.  (Including..."Uhhhh, no!"  Not my favorite! LOL)

So, all four of us are now home together. Every. Day.  It has been a whirlwind.  All my routines have been thrown out the window.  Everything from menu planning to daily house chores to exercise.  The only thing we want to do is hang with Daddy Goose.

W have settled into a new routine.  The go with the flow routine.  The take advantage of Daddy being home routine.  The clean the house once a week and do laundry only when needed routine.  The sit by the pool, go to the water park, spend extra time with family and friends routine.

I am still very much a Type A kinda girl, so there are plenty of days when I can't stand the "go-with-the-flow," but I am really trying to deal with that slowly.  I have my days.  And today is one of those days.  I am fed up with the mess in my house and need a menu plan for the week.  There will be no mellow-ness in our house today.  We are doing laundry, deep cleaning the kitchen, scrubbing bathrooms and washing floors.

I have figured out what we're eating this week and I figured, if I am doing a little work, you should be able to get the benefit too!  So, here ya go!

Monday:  Frozen Bean & Cheese burritos
Tuesday:  BBQ Chicken with Brown Rice Pasta Salad
Wednesday:  Ground turkey "sloppy joes"
Thursday:  Leftovers
Friday:  Camping!
Saturday:  Camping!
Sunday:  Camping!

With Lil' Miss's egg & milk allergy I adjust recipes or provide her with something else to eat. 

It takes a little more planning and caution, but it's just another reason why I meal plan!

Do you meal plan?  I do because it saves me time, money, and answers the never ending "What's for dinner?" question.  After you've checked out my menu plan and then see others at Orgjunkie.com.

What are you eating this week?

Always ~ Momma Goose

Momma Goose's DietingTip

Do you need to shed a couple pounds? Trim up for summer? Loose that beer gut?

I have THE best weight loss tip...

Are you sitting down for this AWESOME tip?

Here you go...

Eat near your children!!!

No matter what you have on your plate, they will like it more than what is on their plate.  Result: YOU EAT LESS and LOSE WEIGHT!

No fads, no measuring, no macro nutrients...easy pezy!

Your Welcome!  ;)

~ Momma Goose

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