Dishwasher and Laundry Safe Labels for Kids and Baby!

Applied Labels LLC sent me washable labels to review which I'm excited about since my son attends church nursery 3 times a week.



Applied Labels™ are Applied Labels LLC's flagship and most popular product.  They're extremely tough, ultra versatile and perfect for labeling:
   *bottles
   *sippy cups
   *shoes
   *school supplies
   *gadgets
   *summer camp gear
   *all those little things that go to early childcare centers

Our labels are available with and without icons or with a second line of custom print.

To label clothing, sandwich an Applied Label™ with one of our blank backers. For shoes, stick on a Shoe Shield™ that will keep labels in place all year long.

It's always been a problem labeling his sippy cups.  Every single time, while checking him in I'd have to put on a new tape and write his name with black marker.  Then when I'd go to wash the cup, it would leave behind sticky stuff on it.  It eventually starts to pick up dirt so it's gross.  So I tried the labels for a week.  Believe me, this cup goes through a lot of abuse so here is pictures.  These LAST.

After 1 wash

After 12 washes

Trust me, these cups are carried around the house, the yard, to church, in the van, to bed, and washed sometimes up to twice a day IN THE DISHWASHER.  So it can take abuse and washing.  There wasn't even a scratch on the label and the edges are not wearing off.  It's as if I had just applied. Yay!

Since sometimes Caleb's shoes are also taken off in nursery or just lost, these work perfect to apply on them.  Just put a label on and then a clear sticker (shoe shield) over it.  His little feet are outside running around the yard right now and those labels aren't getting any abuse.  Remember, I kept my label simple for the sake of putting on my blog but you can also put your phone number on it.  I mean, these labels are good for so many purposes.  You can have it for whatever you want!  I am imagining them right now labeling my cupboards because I can wipe them without the labels coming off.


You can see more at their:
Website
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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Buttermilk Wheat Bread

I am trying different bread recipes and would like to keep track of them.  So I'll write them here.  :)   If you have a favorite, please let me know or give me a link and I'll check it out!  This makes 2 loaves.  The reason I used this recipe this particular time is because I was out of honey and and orange juice that I use in a different recipe whole wheat recipe.  Also, this recipe will work for me if I ever need to mix wheat and white flour together. Personally, I never eat white because...

"The whiter the bread the quicker you're dead"

Since I didn't have as much REAL wheat flour at this time I was able to mix together wheat and white with this recipe.

-3 cups buttermilk

• -3 tablespoons butter, melted
• -1/4 cup white sugar
• -1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• -3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
• -3 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• -1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (This recipe I used 2 tablespoons per suggestions)
• -1-2 handfuls of shredded cheese (In this recipe I used 1 but next time going to use 2)

Mix dry ingredients together before mixing in wet ingredients in large bowl.  Knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes.  In the original bowl I mixed it in, I let this rise by putting it in a slightly warm oven (covered with towel or Saran Wrap) until doubled.

I punched it back down, rolled up, and pinched down the ends.  

Then put it in these 9x5 loaf pans and let it rise a 2nd time covered. Being 

covered helps it to rise faster. 

It should rise about an inch above the pans.  Remove towel

and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  I didn't need to cover with 

foil.

Came out beautiful and soft. :D

What's really great is not only is it really soft but slices 

clean without crumbling.  

From Boys 2 Men

Baby Hangers

Men Hangers

Finally..... I had to change Chaz and Ryan's hangers from baby hangers to men hangers.  Can you believe I waited till their clothes were falling the little hangers before changing them?  That's how hard it is to acknowledge they are growing up.  Yesterday as I was transferring the clothes, I cried.  Man, what a big baby.  Sniff.

Since the weather is absolutely perfect the kids have been playing outside a lot.  I love seeing the girls play in the houses outside and the boys seem to think that their job is to make holes everywhere.  It was sooo cute to see Kyle walking with Caleb everywhere to show him stuff.  Caleb copies his brothers.  Since Kyle was digging holes, he figured he'd help.  Kyle said, "Mom, look at all my hard work!"  I said "Nice Kyle, it's fine if you dig holes but make sure you fill it back up when you're done."  his mouth dropped open and that was that with digging holes for the day.  Problem solved.  Heh heh.

We don't grow our grass till April because from January to March our water is monitored to determine our sewer bill for the whole year.  So we are being ultra careful.  Come April, the grass is coming.  :)

Can I tell you an article that sent me through the roof yesterday?  I understand a tiny bit what it was saying but some things it said I was shocked by.  It was before noon and, boy, did it tick me off.

My Facebook status: What selfish world are you coming from? Take your so called studies and look in the mirror. Your own personal issues do not apply to the rest. About Article "Parents who hate parenting: The latest trend?"


But seriously, should I really be surprised? The bible says "..and lack normal affection for their families. They will refuse to make peace with anyone. They will be slanderous, lack self-control, be brutal, and have no love for what is good." 2 Timothy 3:3

Makes me sad that in this day and age is so incredibly selfish.  YES, I do believe some people can be miserable as moms that are selfish in nature.  There came a point in my life, it last a few months, where my thoughts turned inward.  Poor me.  I can't go out, have fun all the time, buy whatever I want, do what I want when I want.  There are a lot of "I's" in that, huh?  Thank goodness I saw the ugly selfishness in me. When I repented of it, I realized how ungrateful I was being and selfish.  I LOVE having a family but had a moment of pity..that drug on for a couple of months.  I'm embarrassed by that.  Whenever my thoughts started to turn inward, I'd shake my head and do a heart check.  Okay, so maybe moms to need a break every now and then.  It's good for moms to have some fellowship with other women or even just go to a book store alone and have a coffee. Whatever it is, take that break.  BUT PLEASE don't go and write really DUMB articles like these and put a blanket on other moms just because you found 500 moms that met your agenda.  

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Bringing Up Messies

Kyle Sleeping

My kids did this hammock sort of thing to sleep in.  Everyone wants to sleep in it now even though it was Ryan's creation.  You know what I'm seeing here?  They are still my little babies that love that cuddle feeling. This is the cutest thing ever.  I can't believe they thought this up.

My facebook post today on Yes, They're All Mine said this:

"♥ Lord, you are going to have to help my faith. I work so hard yet it seems that I'm always behind. Makes it hard to get back up again over and over. I love having a big family but it seems the work load is over my head. ♥"


Some days the work load is huge with my kids.  Yes, they do chores.  You know what else they do?  Make HUGE messes.  Every time I say  "Wow, it's getting really messy" Charles says "Yeah, but chore time is coming."  Still, I would like it to stay nice for more than 1 hour.  As much as I watch and really try to catch who is making the mess, even if I catch one and correct them, another is making a mess elsewhere.  I truly cannot keep an eye on each person at the same time.  I'm at the point where i want to just pack up everything in their room except their clothing for a bit.  Then at least I can tell who left the trail of shirt, pants, then underwear in the living room.  Then all I have to look for is the kid running around with a naked butt.  Seriously.  Are my kids the king of slobs or what?  I've trained them for years on chores and getting after them.  It feels like the only thing they've learned is how to shut the back door in the summer.  And that's shaky.


Note to future spouses:  I really am trying hard to train them.  I hope with all of my heart that I will pass them to you, Oh wonderful-and-godly-spouse-who-is-so-organized, that they will have some self respect and clean up after themselves.  I promise to keep giving my best to training them so you don't hate me till I die. P.S.  I added the godly and organized part out of faith.  


My facebook entry later in the day: 
Kyle (7), Ivy (5), and Ashley (3) came up to me and said "Mommy, you don't have to clean today because we want to clean the WHOLE house for you. They've been working for a couple of hours already. They asked if they could have $1 and a chocolate bar. I think I can do that. ;) How did they know what my blog was about today?

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Yesterday I worked in the kitchen since 1pm to make these loaves of part wheat and white bread (with a handful of cheese in it).  All I can say is Wow.  Simply delicious and bread came out perfect and soft. My kids were in love.  Okay, one more thing.  I do believe "Whiter the Bread, Quicker You're Dead" but since I was missing key ingredients for my full wheat bread recipe, this had to do.  Was really good.  

Then, I turned my attention to making Fried Chicken from Tereza's cooking blog.  Well, I was out of plain bread crumbs and only had the one with Italian seasoning mixed in it. I canned the idea of it ONLY being Fried Chicken night.  So I got out my fresh eggs from my chickens:

dipped the chicken in flour, then eggs, then the Italian bread crumbs and fried it just like Tereza said (medium heat worked for me):

Then added some mozzerella cheese on top and Pasta sauce.  Had the YUMMIEST Chicken Parmesan!  Oh man.  Wasn't planning on making it tonight but, oh yummy, the family loved it.  :)  I normally would slice the chicken to make it thinner but forgot to.  Oh well!  We loved it.  

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Pick a Husband Buffet

My kids saw a show called Wizards of Waverly Place.  The girl got her heart broken by a boy and sought comfort from her mom.  The mother said "Oh honey, your heart is gonna get broken many times before you find the one."

Really?  That's kind of sad.  No, VERY sad.  We told the boys that they don't have to have their hearts broken over and over and over. There is a difference between courting and dating for that reason.  I can't believe the worldly mentality is to just date around until you find the right one.  Another point for Courting!

I brake for funny cartoons! Heh heh

Back to seriousness.
Another thing that I've felt God dealing with me about is something Kerrie touched on about Resentment Toward Your Spouse.  Then to top it off Zsuzsanna talked about how people are too quick to divorce.

She said, "...Besides all that, my personal observation has been that those who complain about their spouses all the time, or think to themselves what a jerk he is, really are not a pleasant person to be around themselves."

Oh ouch.  Sometimes that can be true. There are two sides to every story right? Her post was pretty controversial but many of hers are!  LOL.  The basics of it is that you can just think of finding a husband with a "buffet" mentality.  Of course we have the idea of a perfect spouse but that's REALLY hard to actually attain. "I want this in a man, that in a man, etc."  So after being married awhile, it's easy to start finding things to pick on.  Hence, you become that dreaded word.  Nag.  Seriously, are we even the PERFECT wife?  Do we not have mistakes, flaws, and annoyances?  I mean, maybe you're perfect but I certainly have things to work on.  One big one just flashes like a big annoying sign in my face all the time:

Yep. Actually you might think I NEVER organize but I constantly work on it allll the time.  I donate 10 items every day at a minimum.  Does that tell you something?  Yes, I get blessed many times over from other people. As God continuously meets our needs, the old has to be filtered out.  My husband tells me over and over that he can't believe how hard I work but all I see is how far behind I am.  Never in 12 years has he been critical of my poor organizational skills.  He's a perfectionist too.  THAT is amazing to me.  

To be honest, I've learned that being a perfectionist is something I can live without.  I've seen people torture themselves having to have everything perfect. One mom at church told me she can't go out unless everything in her house is in it's place.  Okay, for me that would mean I'd NEVER get out.  My goodness.  Being unorganized can be a thorn in my flesh but being a perfectionist would probably make me go crazy and I definitely would've stopped at 2 kids. I watched my Aunt scrub the floor constantly with a toothbrush.  I just want to buy a Scuba (picture above) SOOOOO badly!  It's been my dream for years!  ((Drool))  I've daydreamed about going to bed while letting the Scuba do it's magic.  Sigh.

Wow, I went WAY off track!  What I mean to say it, I have to look at the positives of my wonderful husband that works a job so I can stay home and be my crafty self.  I'm not really crafty but I do make babies well.  Does that count?  For an hour every night, my husband prays with the kids and reads the bible and they love every minute of it.  He plays with the kids and LOVES shopping malls just to window shop (amazing).  He constantly is trying to get me to go have my own night out and relax.  I never want to because I miss my family the entire time.  I just feel tortured till I reunite with them.  Charles was so happy with me to have the kids home for Spring break and we're both so bummed they have to go back to school again.  Since Charles works for a school too, he had the time off.  A guy at church asked him if he was going crazy being at home with the kids.  He said "Nope, I'm loving every minute of it."  Gosh, how did I get so lucky? 

Whenever I want to pick on something as little as the backyard needing some work.  I'll remind myself that I have quite a treasure right under my roof.  They total 8 and all but one is blonde. Family is better than having everything be perfect. I do have an idea though to always keep the yard clean from poo.  What do you think?  I was gonna stick this by my backyard to alert neighbor kids.  They all come visit, jump on my trampoline and pet my kids anyway.  But at least I can get the poop in the yard picked up.

Yeah?  Seems like a good idea to me.

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A Date with my Kids and Feeling Sassy

I won a gift card from Ellen on Ask Away so I decided to take four of my kids and make it a date. Charles and I rarely can get out alone together so I brought 4 little ones instead while he stayed and hung out with the other two.  Barnes & Noble is a little slice of heaven for me so this was a treat. I loooove books.  Don't know if you know that but it might be more obvious on my OTHER blog.

My favorite is a tall Cafe Mocha.  A magazine for just the pictures. Does anyone really believe anything they actually say?  Pfhhs!  I don't!  But I do like looking at the styles on people.  Plus, I find it weird that a they have these whole pages dedicated to proving these stars are normal.  "Look, they even drink coffee like us!"  or "They have a bad hair day sometimes just like normal people!"  

You think?

I'm glad no one follows me with a camera and says "Look!  She has baby barf on her shirt like a normal mom would. See?  Ohhhh, she is gets mad at her kids and tells them to stop wrestling on the floor in the middle of the mall.  Oh, look her face is red with anger.  Wow, she does have normal moments."  

I think mom issues are just universal.

Take Ivy for example.  Her idea of fashion is to wear a clown outfit and swim shoes to the mall.  Who am I do interfere with such budding design sense?  I have had to stop her from wearing her brother's clothes and a cap backwards.  I don't know.  At least I could say they were too big on her.  

The other day while getting ready she said "Mom, pleeeease don't make me wear a dress or a skirt. I just have to wear pants.  I only wear dresses because I have to at church."  I say, "It's okay, I'm gonna go dress up Ashley because she lets me."

Ashley always, always wants to look like a princess. So of course she wore her tutu.  She's my girlie girl THANK GOODNESS.  I have sporty spice and baby spice.  Just...more...innocent.  Heh heh.  

Ashley has this ear piercing scream that sounds like a jet is taking off.  Usually when she gets hurt or upset, everyone in the store knows it. It sounds likes someone is dying or is getting tortured.  So people run to the rescue but there is Ashley.  Upset that she spilled something on her shirt.  She did this about, ohhh, 4 or 5 times at the mall.  Each time I jumped a mile high.  Thankfully I can give a crud what people think so I have no idea of anyone's reaction.

Ryan

We are CONSTANTLY changing in games because we find out the one they got had cussing in it.  So I ask the worker if the one Ryan was interested in has cussing.  He said, "Well, of course.  It depends on what you define cussing.  Most of them do."  WHY????  Seriously?  For kids?  What's the point?  Can you just have heroes fighting crime without the cussing?  At LEAST they could offer a parental control that allows us to shut the talking off.  I don't need Batman walking around saying "D*mn".  Argh.  Seriously, I know they are trying to cater to the older guys with game tummies but you can't forget about the kids who don't yet have to actually hold jobs.  Just a pet peeve of mine.  

My embarrassing moment of the day?  Really I have many but here is just one.

I always have embarrassing moments. Like yesterday when I was working on stuff. I took an empty garbage bag to go clean out the van when a gust of wind blew the big bag over and onto my head, then started to blow my skirt up. I grab my skirt while trying to get the bag off my head. I look around to see if anyone saw. Yes, just happens to be a crowd of guys right in front of my house staring at me

Virginia 

What Happens When Your Camera Goes Missing

While unloading pictures from my camera, I noticed some that I had not taken.  You think maybe I can find the culprit?

 Well, obviously it wasn't Chaz because he was playing a video game and didn't even notice anyone behind him.

Um.... he or she took a picture of the toilet.  But it's clean!  Phew.  Thank goodness.  Especially since this was the boy's bathroom

Whoever it was took a picture of Chaz's sign in front of his door.

The bathroom again?

Aha!!!  It was my 7 year old Kyle.  Heh heh.  He couldn't resist the temptation of taking his own picture.  Did he think that one through?  

Pork/Shrimp Fried Rice

We love to have pork and shrimp in the fried rice but I included pics without the pork in it in case you don't like seafood.

• 5 cups uncooked rice
• 4  carrots chopped in small pieces (we like organic)
• 1 bag of frozen peas 
• 1 lb of pork
• 1 lb of frozen cooked shrimp

Pork, peas, carrots (without the shrimp) cooking in soy sauce.

I put my pork in my slow cooker with the chopped carrots and cook slowly throughout the day. Once it's finished I chop up the pork I use my rice cooker to start the rice.  

With the shrimp in it.

 While rice is cooking I lighty fry the carrots, chopped pork, frozen peas in soy sauce.  We love to add in cocktail shrimp.  :)

All mixed in together and lightly fried in oil

Once the rice is cook, fry with oil just until rice is a a little crunchy (tiny bit). Make sure all the rice is lightly coated with the oil.  Then stir in meat and vegetables. 

Makes a great meal with the rice, meat, and vegetables. :)

Serves about 12

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

I made this the other night and I've got so many inquiries about the recipe, I'll just write it out here.  However, I'm gonna put it for my family size (So this is 12 servings) and also double the sauce because we like a lot of sauce on our Indian food.  So here is what I made.  I also took down the spice because of my kids.  It still has a bite to it, just didn't want to kill my kids.  If you happen to visit an Indian food store and get get a hold of Garam Masala you can use instead of the cumin, ginger, and cinnamon.  Or add to it!  However, I didn't have it and it still turned out great.  My kids are devouring it.  Charles even had his best friend over to taste so it's a big hit.  We can always hit Indian restaurants all the time because they are expensive (and heavenly).

I made this size for 12 servings since we are family of 8. So you don't have to make this much!

The chicken in marination (I marinated for 5 hours rather than 1 hour)

• 3 cups plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons of salt, or to taste
• 9 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 12 long skewers (If you are going to grill rather than bake)

  The Sauce (This section I doubled this amount because we like lots of sauce).

• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (We took this down from 6 jalapenos)
• 1/4 cup ground cumin
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 3 tablespoons salt, or to taste
• 6 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 6 cups heavy cream
• 1-1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (Important!)

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. (I had time so I marinated for several hours)
2. Preheat a grill for high heat. (I don't grill so instead cooked in oven at 450 degrees)
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side. (This part I used one of those broiler pans to let the juice fall down while it was cooking)
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with cumin, paprika, and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Cilantro is really a key in this recipe so don't forget!  :)


Serve this over basmati rice.  If you want you can add naan, choli/garbanzo beans & raita (all from Trader Joes). 

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It Must be True Love

Yummy Chicken Tikka Masala I made
today.  I tripled the recipe and
then double the sauce recipe
on top of that for the rice. I halved
the amount of salt called for.

Okay, I calculated it and I spend around 6-7 hours a day in the kitchen.  Some days I wonder if I should just have a tall stool on wheels but then I wouldn't get any exercise.  Whether its running to the store to grab that forgotten ingredient for a recipe or cook anywhere from three to TEN hours a day AND have to clean up all the mess each and every meal, I just wonder sometimes.  What would cause anyone who is NOT that crazy about cooking be in the kitchen for that long?  It could only mean one thing.

True Love.

I love my husband who makes a living for us to even HAVE a house that has a kitchen and the stuff to cook the food with.  Without him there would be no electricity to even cook it.  Or water to drink or add to recipes.  He shows his love by bringing it home.  I show my love by making it a home. What makes a home feel homey?  Well, the smell of baking/cooking and a kept house.  Even if it keeps getting messed up, I keep trying. Sprinkle some children's laughter into that and you got quite a charming place.  :)

Tonights dessert.
Rasberry Truffle.

Who says your home has to be a big house or even a house PERIOD for it to be homey?  I don't care if all I could afford is a GARAGE to live in, I need to make it a home. If we lived in a tree house and it was just one little room, well, I need to make it into a home.  I truly, dearly, wonderfully with all my heart appreciate my husband for what he's given me.  EVEN on the days I have a baby on my hip, the kids are arguing, food bubbling over, the dog barking, the chickens bawking, mud footprints being tracked into the house, the bills stuffing my mailbox, the yard needing mowing, the baby needing changing... I truly appreciate that he's willing to work so hard for us..  Of course I care for so much.  But without him, I'm be dawdling my fingers sitting in that boring ol' office at that software company I worked at back before kids.  Blah. So what If I got a paycheck?  SO WHAT?  Yay, I could have a nicer car and go shopping and out to eat.  Then start back to work again on Monday.  No I don't EVER day dream about back in the day when I had a career.  I remember.  My pocket was full by my arms empty and I couldn't cook if my life depended on it.


Some days, by the time I sit here blogging, I'm so tired my creaky fingers hurt to type, My eyelids are drooping and I'm drinking coffee so I can write.  Blogging is my hobby and it feels wonderful to write down every memory these last 5 years and events.  75% of which I might have forgotten.  Some days I'm folding laundry past midnight.  Some days I want to just lay flat on the floor and take a catnap but then if I do, all the kids think it's an invitation to dog pile.

So what would cause a woman to work straight 16 hour days with very little breaks, sometimes only bathroom breaks?

True love.

Through all the work there is a deep joy and heart pounding for this family.  Thank God He blessed me with this job.  Boy, His design was beautiful.  I'm one lucky and truly blessed lady.

Head on over to Kerrie's blog titled "Resentment Towards Your Spouse" to read another encouraging post.  Sometimes we need to remind ourself that the glass is half full when we feel frustrated.  AND take a nap every now and then!  LOL

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