Tag: working mom

A Rhythm For Summer.

~ emetroka ~ 1 Comment

It’s my last day at school and I’ve got summer rhythms on my mind. As a teacher, of course I love a schedule. I think that most kids thrive when they know what to expect in their day. Summer is supposed to be fun though!! Throw the schedule out the window. Structure be damned!! You’re right, sort of. For me – if I go totally schedule free – it’s hard to toe the line between fun, carefree and go with the flow without losing my marbles on my three little boys. I’ve learned that the hard way. I like to meet somewhere in the middle between the rigidity of a schedule and the fluidity of free range parenting. And that’s where a rhythm comes in. What’s the difference between a rhythm and a schedule? Not much. A rhythm to me is more of a guide to your day. A schedule is more firm and typically has times.

Our rhythm may vary slightly from day to day because *hello* I still do want to be spontaneous and fun summer mom. I just don’t want my kids to wind up sitting in front of a tv all day because I haven’t thought of anything for them to do. The core piece of our summer rhythm is – in the morning we do a field trip outside of the house, and in the afternoon we stay home and get in the pool. The only firm times on my rhythm are that we need to be home from our field trip by 11am so we can have lunch and get Lukey down for a nap around noon and that dinner happens around 6pm. The other thing to remember is that my kids get up early. Like 6am early. So if your kids sleep in (you lucky duck), this outline might need some shifting to work for you!

Summer Rhythm 2023

Goals: Be flexible, have fun and live outside.

The Morning:
Work out first thing – take whoever is awake in the running stroller.
Shower and get ready before husband leaves for work.
Breakfast
Morning Chores
Art/Worksheets/Reading Time
Field Trip – home by 11am
Lunch
Nap & Quiet Time for boys – Prep Dinner now!

The Afternoon:
Pool & Water Play
Indoor play or movie while I make dinner. Planning to do lots of grilling/easy dinners during summer, so minimal kitchen time will be needed.
Bikes, Chalk and Scooter play on the sidewalk while we wait for dad to get home from work.
After dinner walk or evening swim.

That’s it guys – that’s our summer rhythm! I think I’ll do a couple more *summer* posts this week – lunch and dinner ideas, field trips, activities/art projects, summer reading, etc. Nothing but fun with the occasional meltdown thrown in. Lol.

What about you? What do you do for summer? Any special schedules/routines you follow?

An April To Do List.

~ emetroka ~ Leave a comment

April! The month of daffodils and misty rain and easter goodness. If you’re new here – at the start of each month, I choose four-ish things to do in different categories. Think of it like a bucket list for the month. Just a few things that I want to get around to doing without the month passing me by. I hate that feeling of “oh, we didn’t get to x, y or z”. This really helps me stay focused on the things that are important to me. Categories can be anything you choose, these are just my priorities! I hope you try it sometime!

Bake

  1. Rainbow Bread
  2. Lavender cake
  3. Lemon Meringue Pie (our Easter dessert tradition)
  4. Hot cross buns

Treats

  1. Easter Cookies
  2. Carrot Cake Loaf
  3. Bunny Pop-tarts
  4. Dutch babies with Lemon Curd and Blueberries

Meals

  1. Easter Supper
  2. Homemade Pasta
  3. Tulip Tarts
  4. Chicken lettuce wraps
  5. Panzanella

Cocktails

  1. Sazerac
  2. Lavender Lemonade
  3. Irish Coffee
  4. Boozy Beet Shrub

Boy Things

  1. Dye Easter eggs
  2. Beach Trip
  3. Cousin Visit!!
  4. Outdoor movie night and s’mores

Simple Joys Lately.

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A weekly post to remind myself to look for and appreciate the simple things that bring joy to my every day.

This hat – for being the solution in the matter of the pesky thermostat. Now you see it, now you don’t.

Weekend potatoes – for being a constant in the rhythm of our weekends. I’ll choose you every Saturday forevermore.

This basket of books – for being (almost) all good. And the joy of knowing that I’m headed back to the library with them tomorrow for a fresh stack.

This vintage croquet set given to us by sweet neighbors – because my parents have the same set at home and it makes me feel all melty thinking about my kids having the same memories about their childhood that I do about mine.

This sister cocktail scene – for filling up my literal and metaphorical cup every Friday. And because the Gimlets did not disappoint this week. Up next – Sazerac.

These warm sugar cookies – because I didn’t even barely have to lift a finger to make them. Forever thanking my past self when I pull frozen cookie dough balls out of the freezer to bake on a whim.

Goodnight, friends! I hope you remember to pause and appreciate the simple joys in your life this week.

For an Instant Birthday Party.

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Last week was Benny’s fourth birthday. Seems like eons ago already as it passed in the blink of an eye. I was also in the throes of a nasty fever (chills! swollen throat! a general lump of lethargy!), so I feel like I didn’t get to really enjoy the day with him. I didn’t even have cake! Almost sacrilegious. A big giant *praise hands* that my parents were still here and they and my husband could save the day. Actually though, the entire last year passed in pretty much the blink of an eye too. I’m left asking myself questions like – didn’t I just birth Ben just yesterday? And now he’s going to be in pre-k next year? What? I feel like that a robot that moves its arms around saying “DoEs NoT cOmPuTe” over and over. I guess it just goes to show that that old saying holds true – the days are long, but the years are short. I’m actually not here today to wax poetic about my kids getting bigger (insert sob) or how it’s all going too fast (insert fist shaking at the sky) though I could go on about those things for a mile. I AM here to bring you a simple little idea to make birthdays a bit easier.

I thought of this trick when Charlie was just a tiny guy, but it just so happens that all three of our kids have middle-of-the-school-year (two in October and one in March) birthdays which can mean *STRESS* setting in a few days before. That’s right around when it hits me that I need to somehow bake a cake in the middle of the week, pick up cupcakes for their class party, make their favorite meal, buy them presents, wrap them, and generally make their day filled to the brim with magic without myself becoming a stress ball mom trying to soak up the memories all while telling everyone who will listen how very busy I am – my biggest mom pet peeve. Ha! No short order.

So hear me out. It doesn’t solve all my birthday struggles, but at least one answer to this middle-of-the-week-school-year quandary is – The Birthday Box. Our birthday box is…just a shoebox. I should think about an upgrade at some point, but honestly the shoebox has been working for us for a very long time, so why overcomplicate a good thing? Okay, other than that time when we moved and I became panicked when I couldn’t find The Birthday Box. I was convinced that my husband had thrown it away – it being a shoebox and all. But it turned up (I think in the garage?) after a few prayers to Saint Anthony. Phew! But that’s also why it now says *do not throw away* in very emphatic writing. Anyway, the night before The-Birth-Day we just pull the box out, and decorate the dining room with abandon – setting hats out at each spot, hanging garland, inserting the age in the birthday crown, and blowing up balloons. Instant party. You should see the look on the boys’ faces when they get up in the morning. Pure childhood magic. And after each birthday, I just make a little list and restock the box if needed. Just makes life a little easier.

A list to build your own Birthday Box:

Other things to make birthdays special:

Just making things a little easier in any way we can. Do you have any ideas to make birthdays a little smoother? I’d love to hear if you do!

A Look Inside My Golden Coil Planner.

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A post I’ve wanted to write for a while, but am just now getting around to. The overwhelm when it comes to trying to choose a functional, well laid out, everything I need in my life planner is a lot every year. I spent years making and printing my own planning sheets out because I just felt like most planners didn’t cover every base. But then Golden Coil came into my life. A fully customizable planner from front to back. If you just want exact details – scroll to the very bottom of this post and I walk you through exactly what I chose this year and what I’m doing differently next year.

What do I need in a planner?

  • a place for meal planning – longer than just a few lines. I like to have space to write down ideas for the next week, things to bake that week, things to drink, snacks to have on hand, breakfasts we’d like to have. A tiny little box just isn’t enough for me.
  • a place for social media planning – as my following has grown, I’ve needed more space to plan ahead, to jot down brainstorming, collaborations that are coming up, things to follow up on.
  • a place for home – with so much going on, I need space to jot down things we need for the boys at daycare, sports, things to pick up, etc.
  • a place for school planning – I like to see my weeks laid out in full calendar format and each week. We have a six day fine arts rotation so it gets confusing unless I have it all written out.
  • a place for to do lists – I am a list maker extraordinaire. It was nice to use my planner rather than trying to use a notebook and a planner. I still do use my notebook, but less than I used to! But with a planner that also has room for lists, I just have to have one book on hand.

I think I achieved pretty much everything I was looking for this year in my set up. The only thing I will change this year is my weekly spread and a few of the “add-on” pages. I thought it would be nice to have three squares – one for school, home and social media, but I didn’t end up using it as much as I thought I would. I chose a different spread for this year that I’m looking forward to seeing! I shared exact details at the bottom of this post!

Love the monthly spread. Shows you what is up for the month. You can’t change this selection in the planner. It comes standard.

This is an add on “month at a glance” page that I have at the beginning of each month. I use it to plan out blog posts, social media, and my monthly list. Below is a (halfway) filled in month.

The Ideas page is an add on that I have at the beginning of each month. It’s called “Brain Dump”. I often use it for meeting notes, lists for when I have too much rolling around in my brain, and for ideas for the future.

This is an add on page called “Fillable List”. I show below how I use it for meal planning.

I chose the Weekly Double Spread – Vertical 2. It was great for having three different sections of my life – School, Home & Social. I’m choosing a different one this year that I share below!

To sum it up, here’s exactly what I chose for this planner and what I’m choosing for 2023:

  • Neutral Linen Cover. Getting the exact same again. I’m either very boring or I just know what I like. lol.
  • I chose a Monday start page. I’m going to choose Sunday this year!
  • USA Holidays. Nice to have it all written in there for you.
  • This year I used Weekly Double Page – Vertical 2. For next year, I’m choosing Weekly Single Page – Horizontal 2. I didn’t realize this about myself, but now I know that I prefer looking at the week from the top down rather than from left to right. Not sure why, but I think I’ll like it better top down! I like that the week outline is on the left, and the whole right page is just for notes. I am a list maker at heart, so this is helpful for me.
  • Added Pages – I’m getting all the exact same this year. I loved these extra pages so much.
    • Year at a Glance 3 – Start of Planner – helpful to have a full year on one page to glance at. I like having all the dates listed out.
    • Month at a Glance – Monthly – I use this for blog and instagram planning. Lots of people wouldn’t need this one, but it helps me plan out a full month of ideas on a page. I like working by the month. And when you choose this, you get a blank page on the right of the page that I use for my monthly list. Bake, Treats, Projects, Cocktails, Meals to try, Crafts all go on this page to help me visualize the month ahead and actually Get Stuff Done.
    • Brain Dump – Monthly – Again, I’m a list maker. When I have a rush of ideas, I jot them all down on the “Ideas” page for the month. I can also use this page for meeting notes during the month.
    • Fillable List – 2 Monthly – For meal planning each week. I write the dates at the top and then I write down what I plan to make, what we need, etc. If you add two of these, that gives you 4 pages – enough for a month. And I like that they’re all right next to each other so I can look at what we had the previous weeks, or jot down things for the next week when I have meals on my mind.
  • Added Pages that I used this year and won’t be next year.
    • Holiday Gifting – Didn’t even glance at it once. I’ve been using a notebook for list making for the holidays, and am eliminating this year.
    • Weight/Measurements – Thought I might use. Didn’t even a little bit. lol.
  • New Added Page this year
    • Goals – Start of Planner – I love making new year goals, and this seems like a good little spread to have to think things through at the beginning of the year.

To sum it up – I am a Golden Coil for life user. You can use the code BLACKFRIDAY for 15% off through November 18th!

Meal Plan This Week.

~ emetroka ~ 1 Comment

Sunday – Lasagna with Caesar Salad. I use this recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook. I’m sure there are much more complicated ones out there, but when I’m looking for a classic recipe I always look to Betty. She’s never steered me wrong. She keeps it simple enough that it’s manageable and she offers lots of tips and tricks. She’s very much for normal people like me.

Monday – Leftover Lasagna. Work smarter, not harder, friends.

Tuesday – White Chicken Chili. I’ve never tried this recipe before, but I love that it can be made in a crock pot. I love coming home to a meal already made. Feels like someone else has made dinner for us. I feel like white chicken chili is all about the toppings. Pulling out the corn chips, avocado, cilantro and sour cream to top it off here.

Wednesday – Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce. I bought the ravioli from the store because I’m a working mother, not a wizard. My husband is notttt a fan of butternut squash nor ravioli. He’s traveling this week though, so I won’t feel guilty making this for just the boys and I.

Thursday – Leftovers. Most likely the chili from Tuesday!

Friday – Pizza party!!

Saturday – Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Wilted Greens. Yum. The

Cocktail – Hot Buttered Rum. Had it on my November list last year and never did get around to it! So I’m going to get to it this week!

Bake – Cinnamon Rolls. These are the best I’ve ever made. There’s another recipe that I want to try from Sarah Kieffer, but I’m so scared to deviate!! I KNOW these are always good, so why try another? But what if Kieffer’s are better. Ack! The indecision – I’ll let you know on Instagram what I decide!

Treat – Chex Mix. My mom always always had a tin full this time of year, so I’ve always kept with tradition and had it around the house for my family too. Don’t you love tradition?

Happy eating this week, friends! Please share if you make anything amazing this week!

Meal Plan This Week.

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Well, it’s starting to seem like I don’t put anything but meal plans on here! But oh well, here it is! The week ahead. May it go smoothly for us all!!

Sunday – Chili. My husband makes a very classic version, and it’s so good. We pile on corn chips, cheese and onion. I’ll get him to type up his recipe someday.

Monday – Grilled Chicken, Cheesy Butternut Squash Casserole, & Kale Salad. The butternut squash recipe is from Feeding a Family by Sarah Waldman.

Tuesday – Burrito Casserole. Bit of a casserole theme going, huh? I saw a recipe on Diane Morrisey’s Instagram account that gave me an idea so I’m running with it! Will share the recipe if it’s any good.

Wednesday – Homemade Chicken Strips with Za’atar Ranch, and Mac & Cheese. One for the kids! The chicken strips and ranch recipe is from The Modern Proper cookbook which I highly recommend. If I have time, I’ll make the Mac and Cheese, but I have a box on hand just in case.

Thursday – Leftovers always!

Friday – Pizza night!

Saturday – Dinner in a Pumpkin. For Charlie’s birthday! Last year I made Ballerina Farm’s recipe, and this year I might switch it up a bit. You can really make any soup, and just transfer it to a pumpkin.

Bake – Charlie’s Birthday Cake. He’s gone from bat to witch to dinosaur, but the last week or two he’s seemed pretty set on dinosaur. I’ll probably make a layer cake. My favorite white cake recipe comes from Simple Cake by Odette Williams. Look for the Very Vanilla Cake.

Treat – Halloween Sugar Cookies. So excited for these.

Cocktail – Shrunken Apple Punch. We made this last year, and the apple carving was so fun.

That’s it! Can you believe we’re over halfway through October? I could cry!

Meal Plan This Week.

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Monday – Crockpot Carnitas Rice Bowls. We’ve gotten a carnitas roast from Aldi a few times before and it is SO good and so easy. You just toss it all in the crockpot and cook like a normal roast. I’ll make rice and a side of black beans when I get home from school and we’ll top with fresh salsa, guacamole, cilantro, drizzle sour cream thinned with lime, and a few dashes of sriracha and a dash of tajin on top if we’re feeling snazzy.

Tuesday – Carnitas Tacos. Kind of like yesterday, but on soft tacos that have been warmed in the oven and with pickled onions and a heap of taco slaw on top. Oof, yum.

Wednesday – Creamy Chicken Ramen Soup. Like a hug in a bowl.

Thursday – Leftovers always!

Friday – Pizza night! Plus family movie after, obviously

Saturday – Charcuterie Board. My favorite kind of dinner. I’ll pick up whatever looks good, but I do have a pinterest board for inspiration! It only has six pins, so I really need to go add some more. I think I’d like to master the fine art of charcuterie board building.

Sunday – Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup. Grilled Cheese on my sourdough, tomato soup from a can because call me crazy – that’s my favorite tomato soup. I think it just takes me back to my childhood! I’d be happy to hear suggestions for your favorite tomato soup – but don’t be offended if I don’t try it.

Bake –Apple Crisp with homemade vanilla ice cream. Nothing says mid-september best.

Treat – Molasses Cookies. I think I’ve put this on a couple past plans and haven’t gotten to them. I’m committed to them this time!

Cocktail – September Heatwave. I also had this on last week’s, but we switched to our pumpkin beer date night instead. Having this alongside a big fall puzzle on the coffee table for our weekend date & cocktail pairing.

Make anything good lately? Please share, so I can drool!

Meal Plan This Week.

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Monday – Flank Steak, roast brussels & crispy potatoes. My husband makes the best flank steak marinade. I dream about it! Doing Labor Day right and wrapping up summer with all the good stuff.

Tuesday – Chicken Enchiladas. We don’t really follow a recipe for this one. Put the chicken in the crock pot in the morning with taco seasoning, and use canned enchilada sauce for ease. All you have to do is shred the chicken and heat up some black beans on the side. To assemble – shred the chicken, spread a bit of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, into each tortilla shell put chicken and some shredded cheese (we like either Monterey Jack which melts really well, or taco cheese here), roll up and place seam side down into the dish, top with more enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes. Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado, tajin seasoning, cilantro, and a side of black beans.

Wednesday – Harvest Skillet. But with chicken sausage instead of bacon! But also looking at this recipe that I think I’ve used before, my recipe is actually not all that similar to this one. 😂 I usually do Brussels sprouts, bite size potatoes sliced in half, sweet potatoes diced, chicken sausage all cooked up in the cast iron skillet. Top with fresh parm and serve with a side of sourdough.

Thursday – Leftovers always!

Friday – Pizza night! Plus family movie after.

Saturday – Pulled Pork Tot-Cho’s for husband and I, pulled pork sandwiches for the boys.

Sunday – Whole roast onions, pork chops and mashed potatoes. Excited about this one. I’ve been thinking about those onions since I found them on Pinterest.

Bake – Salted Maple Pie. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Treat – Apple Chips. The boys will love these! They’ll be the perfect after school snack.

Cocktail – September Heatwave. Feels appropriate.

Make anything good lately? Please share with everyone in the comments!

A September To Do List.

~ emetroka ~ 6 Comments

Ah, September, the beginning of apple everything, darkening days, You’ve Got Mail viewings, sprinkling of stalks of wheat and mini pumpkins around the house, and that crisp feeling in the air that means only one thing – It’s (basically) Fall! I have so many things on my list for month. I’m so excited about it I could dance. I do have to make one tiny little disclaimer though that I may change a few things. I just got two magazines (this one, and this one) from the store the other day that have so many great recipes inside, I may have to make a few sub-ins. But I’m also so excited about the lists I already have that maybe I’ll just have to add rather than subtract. There is time to do it all, we just have to make our minds up to do it. So without further ado, The September list.

Baking

  1. Caramel Apple Hand Pies
  2. Pumpkin Bread
  3. Apple Crisp
  4. Salted Maple Pie

Treats

  1. Apple Cider Donuts
  2. Apple Butter with Sourdough
  3. Molasses Cookies
  4. Apple Chips

Meals

  1. Homemade Ravioli in a Sage & Brown Butter Sauce
  2. Whole Roast Onions with Pork Chops & Mashed Potatoes
  3. Mason Jar Chicken Pot Pies
  4. Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin
  5. No Recipe Galette

Cocktails

  1. Apple Butter Old Fashioned
  2. September Heatwave
  3. Fig Jam & Gin Cocktail
  4. Smoked Manhattans

Dates

  1. New Game Night – Anyone have a favorite game they want to suggest?
  2. Pumpkin Beer Tasting – We’ll probably try 4 or 5!
  3. Couples Book Club – I’ll share the suggestions I got and what we chose!
  4. Top Gun: Maverick Movie Night – Lots of ideas for this one!!
  5. Puzzle Date – I thrifted the cutest little fall puzzle, so we’ll do a puzzle together with drinks, music and chatting.