Oct 10

Dude Food

Although desserts are my very favorite thing to make, occasionally I have to make a meal that is just for the guy’s.

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Since I have 3 of them in the house, I though I would share a few of their favorite Dude Food meals.

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Grilled Hot Dogs are one of their favorites. I grill mine indoors on a grill pan, mostly because I shouldn’t be trusted with a outdoor grill and fire. They taste just as good, and clean up is really easy too.

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Homemade Pizza is always a favorite of the boy’s.

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I make the dough fresh by using the bread-maker, and I like to see what is in the pantry for toppings. Dylan loves cheese, Thade loves pepperoni, James likes Chicken and Black Olives. I can’t eat any of it though, cause the little girl isn’t a fan. BBQ beef is also really tasty on homemade pizza.

I also love to serve meals “buffet style”. I set out a few platters, and everyone can make their own plate of their favorite foods.

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When I’ve got the coupons, I make an appetizer buffet. Take a look at the freezer section of your favorite store, and look for some good deals. I usually pick up 3-4 items, and call it good. The appetizer buffet is always different, but a big hit with the family. It is also super fast too.

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The Nacho Bar is one thing that you will see on my monthly dinner menu at least once or twice a month. It is super simple, and guy’s love it. Everyone makes their own Nachos, and no complaints even out of my pickiest eater.

Lastly our newest family favorite… Breakfast for dinner.

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Usually Breakfast for dinner night falls on a Friday, and every week it is something different. Bacon and pancakes are some of their favorites. I like biscuit sandwiches, and cinnamon rolls too.

Dude food nights are definitely fun, I wonder if I can convince the guy’s to have a vegetarian Nico’s favorite meal night…

Oct 8

Making Memories

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Occasionally mommy-guilt will kick in, and I feel bad that we don’t take many vacations… I have kids that love to go places, but not necessarily travel, and then there is me with a gigantic fear of flying, so that is a mess all together. Just because we don’t travel far doesn’t mean that we are lacking in family memories.

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Take the time to make every outing a mini-vacation. I like to treat the kids to a special treat while waiting for Dad at the airport, or try a new restaurant on the drive back home.

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Day vacations are one of my very favorites. You travel just long enough for the kids to get tired of being in the car, but you get far enough away from home that you miss it.

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Keep an eye out for local events to take the kiddos too. Many of them won’t cost you a penny, and the kiddos have fun too.

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Don’t forget to keep your camera ready to get all of those memory making photos too. I keep mine in the diaper bag (with extra batteries) at all times.

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Let’s be honest though… Getting the kiddos to school on time is an adventure all by itself. I won’t even mention taking a toddler grocery shopping, that is another adventure.

Oct 6

Starting To Change

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Last night the weather was amazing, so we decided to go for a drive through the park.

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The leaves are just starting to change.

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I hope that a few more cool days, and a few good Fall rain storms will bring pretty leaves our way.

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Either way, I’ll have my camera ready to get some pics of the Fall foliage.

Oct 5

5 Is Too Many

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It’s Monday and as Thade had told me many times over the weekend “we are out of EVERYTHING!” Time to go grocery shopping for the week, a task I’m not too fond of, but it has to be done. Dylan and I were browsing down the aisles, and I was fighting off the urge to fill the shopping cart with Baby Ruth’s and Munchos, and then we came to the Ice Cream aisle.

My ice cream in the freezer was in a sorry state, and every where I looked they were on sale, and they all looked delicious. I ended up buying 3 different flavors, I really wanted 5, but I decided that 3 was better, and I wouldn’t look like a crazy-preggers lady wiping out the entire stock in the Ice Cream aisle. I’ll probably go back for the other 2, but later on in the week…

Oct 4

Yard Sale Finds

This weekend was the City Wide Yard sale, and my hubby really wanted to go and check out the sales. We loaded up the kiddos on a cold Saturday morning, and drove all around town looking for some good deals.

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I found a few cute finds for the nursery.

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James spotted the Sugar and Flour canisters for $2.00 each. I think they are going to look great in the kitchen.

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I couldn’t pass up the Bowling Bag, Ball, and Shoes for just $1.oo! I love bowling bags, and this one came with a story too. The combo has never been involved in a perfect game, that made me laugh.

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I found the big blue crock for just $1.00, and a soup mug for a quarter. You can never have too many mugs for Fall soups.

The kiddos also came home with some new toys, and I also picked up a bag of baby clothes for under $2.00 at a friend’s sale. I also found a wreath for $2.00 that will be perfect for the front door when Christmas arrives.

The morning was a blast, and the kiddos did really well at all of the sales. I think we’ve got a couple of savvy bargain hunters on our hands.