Mommy Needs A Vacation

    I've come to a very real and very disturbing realization lately and that's that I have become to hate being a mom. Which, as a woman who loves her kids more than air, I'm mortified by this feeling. But yet, here it is like a tumor growing inside my brain, this love/hate relationship with my life. Yes, I love the hugs and kisses and laughs and smiles and giggles and.... but when it comes down to it... Mommy needs a vacation.
    I need a long hot shower. I need to be able to pee without it becoming a spectator sport.  I need to be able to remember just who I am without my kids.
    I'm sorry if this seems like a long rant about the evils of motherhood but honestly, I just would like to know am I the only one? Is this life from now on? Is there a trick to getting over this funk? Is it just a phase? I feel like someone let out all of my fun Mommy air and turned me into an old dud with no more patience.

Homemade Finger Paint

So Brilynn has been super cooped up the last couple weeks due to the horrendous heat and my intolerance of said heat. I decided to find a project to do with here that would allow her to play outside for a good portion of the day. Usually, she plays with her ball outside while I do laundry on the line but since her last million times of kicking the ball over the fence and into the alley, I decided to mix things up.

When searching the web for fun and easy things for preschool age kids to do during the summer, this particular one caught my eye. Homemade Finger Paint. It looked easy enough and quick enough that I could make it without a lot of fuss in my famous rolly chair (as standing too long causes severe Braxton Hicks which suck in this last trimester). It also seemed like a good idea, paired with a swimsuit, a sprinkler, and a very energetic and cagey 2 1/2 year old.

Here is the recipe if you would like to make this as well:

Homemade Finger Paint

1 cup flour

2 tbs. salt

1 1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 cup hot water

Food coloring

All you have to do is this:

1. mix the flour and salt together in a medium saucepan

2. add cold water slowly while mixing with a whisk thoroughly

3. add hot water and mix thoroughly 

4. turn on burner and continue mixing with a spreader until it comes to a boil

5. turn off burner and mix out all the lumps

6. let it cool

7. separate into containers (I used clean baby food jars) and mix in food coloring

AND VOILA! Finger Paint!

One thing to note on this paint, it must be stored in the refrigerator (I'm guessing to avoid molding).

I made four colors for Little Miss Brilynn: Green, Blue, Red, and Purple

I think they came out great! Except for some reason my purple is not very purple.

I think I didn't add enough red in with the blue. Maybe next time. :)

I also read that a fun activity for kids is to add a small amount of the paint and dilute it in a spray bottle of water for them to spray on paper for a very adorable art project. Will have to try some time soon!

My Favorite and Famous Burgers

My family loves these burgers and simply cannot get enough. They are nice and juicy and don't fall apart as soon as you pick them up (which when grilling them is handy). I have made them on the stovetop, in the oven, and on the grill and each come out AMAZING if I do say so myself. It's just a combination of a bunch of different recipes told by friends and family and me tinkering with them all to create the ultimate burger.

Now as a warning I DO NOT measure unless directed to by a recipe (which I honestly hate) so I'm just guessing here on how much or how little to add.

1 lb hamburger
1 egg
2 palm-fulls of Italian Breadcrumbs
2 squirts of Liquid Smoke (mesquite or hickory, both are amazing)
2 dashes of Parsley Flakes
1/2 an onion chopped up really fine
3 dashes of ground black pepper
2 slices of bread (doesn't matter what kind, white, wheat-honey or whole, etc.) chopped up into tiny pieces
3 slices of cheese (also doesn't matter what kind, american, swiss, havarti, asiago, etc.) chopped up into small chunks

Mix it all together, form any size patties (I make them big honking patties) and make however you wish to make them. When Steve is willing to grill, I have him cook them. When I am willing to actually cook and stand on my feet, I cook them on the stove. When neither are willing to cook, the oven works just as swell. :)

Enjoy!!!

Welcome, Welcome

As I have officially entered my third trimester with my second baby girl, a new goal has arisen from the ashes:

Get the house in tip top shape and get all baby items organized and ready to go.

Step number one to accomplish said goal, get all laundry done (including baby items already obtained and later baby items obtained from baby shower and what we get that's left from our list). Now, with my boyfriend being a roofer, having a messy 2 year old that hates being dirty (prissy little thing), and now adding a whole separate human being's wardrobe into the mix....this is a daunting task for me. I HATE laundry. I don't mind the washing and drying and sometimes I don't even mind the folding, but the putting it away...... Let's just say sometimes we have more clean clothes in baskets than we do in drawers. It's part of my ADHD that makes it seem almost damn near impossible to accomplish a task. I have to MAKE myself accomplish anything. I start it, then never finish it. So please be rooting for me to hopefully have them all put away lol. One thing that makes laundry bearable is this awesome homemade laundry detergent that I make. Here's my recipe.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1 cup Borax (yes this is safe for babies as long as they don't eat a whole box of it)

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1/4 bar (grated) of Fels Naptha Soap (Purex brand)

1/4 cup of Purex 2

2 capfuls of Purex Crystals

You only need 1 tbs. per load or if really dirty (which mine are) I suggest using 1 1/2 tbs.

I put all of this in a pretty little glass jar from Dollar Tree (soon will be labeled if I can steal my Mama's label maker for a while tehehe) and put a leftover scooper in it from a container of off brand oxy-clean (which measures exactly 1 1/2 tbs.) and voila! You are ready to go!

This soap cost me about $1.50 for 40 loads and is the only soap I actually LOVE the smell of AND gets all of our clothes clean without breaking out my little one who has horrible eczema.

Now for those of you wondering about fabric softener, at the moment I am using up the rest of my Purex brand fabric softener but I plan to switch to Vinegar mixed with some essential oils once it is gone (and of course I'll use my empty bottle).

*Yes, I know I'm low! I've gotta make some more today :)*

Thanks to whomever reads this!