Nightlights

So I was at Walmart last night.  Getting lightbulbs.  Courtney's bedroom light has maybe been out for over 2 weeks now and I keep forgetting but what can you do?

I happen to glance over at the night lights.  And you have got to be kidding me.

When I was little I thought I was cool with this night light:

 I loved it! I may or may not have spent too much time putting my finger over the little light sensor so I could make it light up in the day.  I am a rebel like that! Solar power be damned.

Look at what kids get these days though!!!

Its a mini projector of their favorite characters.  They also had an ocean scene.  Are you kidding me people!?  KIDS- GO TO BED!!!!!!! Seriously just go to sleep already!

I also glanced at this fancy bulb:

And automatically started singing this: 

You're welcome. 

And on another note, remember drinking tea and koolaid out of these things?

I seriously need one in my life.  Who wants to make that happen?

Walmart did not pay me for this blog post.  Although with as much money as I spend at that place they should.  AND throw in a cool tea pitcher while they are at it.  So spill it how many of your kids have light projector night lights?  

Remember that time... finish the sentences

Hey yall!!!

Its Friday EVE LETS DO THIS THANGGGGG!!!!!

Remember that time I was at softball practice and a little brother on the team got shot by some random kid at the park wit a BB gun?  And then remember when the mom went to tell the shooters parents and said parents said that it  couldn't have been their kids because while the BB gun was gone his safety goggles were at home and he would never shoot without them? Yeah me too.  I also remember that the police came and took said BB gun.Don't worry though, the kid got to keep his goggles.  Safety first.

Remember that time I was trying to enjoy a delicious tomato soup from Panera and the spoon got stuck in the bread bowl and coated my hair, legs and arms, somehow missing my boobs all together which is unheard of?



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Unlike my sibling(s) (that I love very much)....

I have no problem letting my kids stay the night with others (I trust) for adult time.  It keeps us all alive.

My best friend says...

he is the reason I am so funny.  Its not true though.  This is au natural baby!

People call me...

Loud and Kimmyyyyyyyy and Loud Kimmyyyyyy

I most often dream...

That it is June 21st

The best part of my day...

my morning drive through the country at work.  The immediately ends once I hit civility.  

I really don't understand...

Why Hubby Jack would like Alabama.  I mean its just unexplainable.  The only worse offense would be if he were a Noles or Texas fan.  Guess I should count my blessings.

I get really annoyed...

in traffic.  every day.  I should open a driving school.  Like that chick on Sponge Bob

There's nothing like a...

Ice Cold Redd's Apple Beer

Lately, I can't get enough... 

See above.

One thing I am NOT is...

quiet. 

I spent too much money on...

eating out

I want to learn....

to wake up at 5 am and work out

If I ever met _________, I would...

Holly, I would probably drool.  So its coming.  Shes my pretty friend everyone needs.  You can't blame me!

I can't stop...

laughing

Never have I ever...

pooped my pants

Reese Witherspoon... is apparently an American citizen.  Good thing she got arrested and that video went viral or I would have never known. 

Wed NES day

Remember when at least once a week I was all serious sally all up in this piece?

Yeah, its happening a little bit again.  I always want to give you guys the real me.  One who lives for nothing but to bring joy and laughter (whether at my expense or yours :)) to peoples lives. 

But I also think its important to know that while I am bright and shiny and happy and live to make others happy.  I am still allowed serious sally moments.  And I still have them!

I ate donuts for breakfast this morning.  Yep a huge ol chocolate twist and a sausage roll (or kolache if you prefer)  You should also know that as soon as I hit publish I am texting mah ladyyy Jennlicious and telling her to kick my ass and hold me accountable.  If you haven't seen her blog, you totally need to.  Her journey is about overcoming her weight but it is actually so much more than that and can be applied to any vice or habit you are trying to get through in life.  She is an absolute inspiration. More importantly she GETS me.  

I do not know how I would be getting through my random dark and twisty times without some ladies I have connected with through this blogosphere.  Don’t get me wrong.  Jeremy is my very best friend in the world.  I can talk to him about everything, and I do.  But he doesn’t have to be the end all be all of my issues.  He doesn’t have to be the fixer of everything. I truly believe people are placed in your life for a reason and who am I to shut everyone out of all the facets that are Kimmy.  Just like I have so much to give others I should make sure I am allowing myself the opportunity to take and receive when the opportunities arise. 

S0 this week my focus has been on water and walking.  Just like last time I am not going full throttle in, because it is the fastest way to burn out. So, I am walking 2-3 miles a day and drinking at least 100oz of water as well.  

Meg is queen of the gym work outs.  I was going to say I don’t have time for the gym but I am not going to say that.  I will say that I am a busy mom of 3 who is constantly on the go and at this point in my life I can not dedicate more than 30 minutes to work out on almost any given day.  If you are like me NEVER fear because I have found some things to squeeze in on top of that until I am ready to join that 5am club everyone keeps talking about. 

1. Get any type of running app (I use Nike) and walk the halls or now that the weather is finally getting nice, parameter of your building.  6 laps around my building is 1.5 miles and I can walk that out in 10 minutes easy.  Some people take longer to poop than that so no one should even notice your gone if you are worried about that. 

1. I will take 10 minutes and run up and down my stairs at the office, its three flights.  I call them death stairs. I am not a sweater but if you are getcha some dry shampoo, a little deo and a pair of tennis shoes to keep by your desk.  

Those are two things I do to fit in activity during my everyday work day.  No excuses. 

Next week I will be back on MFP logging it up and letting Jenn call me out along the way. Feel free to join her. 

You know what the great thing about this post is?  I am about to link up with Skinny Meg AND Erin & Alex for WIW and I know neither one of them are going to be mad that I am doing both.  because they respect each other as women and humans and know that we are all just sharing the love! And I would go on and on about things that have been going on with HATE but just go read Hubby Jacks blog today, I endorse it fully :-)

Happy Hump Day!!! 

Top Ten Recipes

Hey yall! Today I am linking up with Trista for our favorite recipes.  You need to link up too.  I need your recipes because I am tired of cooking the same ol thing. I tried to finish this up last night.  But the teen and almost teen decided to lose their marbles both on the same night so my plans were foiled yet again.  Is it Friday yet??? :-)

First up is a recipe that is Near and dear to my friend Linz Chicken (as she is in my cell phone) Make sure you stop by her blog and say Hi! And how you cant wait to try her favorite chicken recipe :-)

1. Ritz Chicken

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Time: 15 minute prep + 35 minutes baking

Yield: 7 servings

Recipe from adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago via Pinterest

PRINT RECIPE  

PRINT RECIPE WITH PICTURE

Chicken:

4 large chicken breasts

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1/4 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1/2 C milk

3 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 t dried parsley

Sauce:

1   10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

2 T sour cream

2 T butter

2. Roasted Broccoli

2 large brocolli florets

1 lemon

1 pkg asiago/parmesan cheese shredded

bacon crumbles

chopped fresh garlic to taste (I use alot)

Trim all broccoli and spread our on a non stick cookie sheet.  

Coat with chopped garlic

Bake in oven at 450 for 10-20 minutes until it is as cooked as you like it (I like mine very al dente)

Toss in a bowl with cheese and squeeze lemon over it. 

3. Chocolate Stuff

1 package Devils Food Cake Mix

2 packages chocolate instant pudding

1 tub cool whip

Bake Cake as directed and let cool completely

Make pudding as directed letting set.

Crumble cake completely and layer cake, pudding, cool ship over and over until you are out of it all. 

Refrigerate for around an hour before serving

4. Banana Pudding

2 packages Banana Instant pudding mix

1 pkg cream cheese

1 tub cool whip

Bunch Bananas sliced

Nilla Wafers

Prepare pudding as directed and when set mix with cream cheese.

Layers Bananas, nilla wafers, cool whip and pudding mixture until all used

5. Enchilada Bake

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1pkg mexican shredded cheese

1pkg mozzeralla

chicken broth

salsa

sour cream 

cilantro

minced garlic

white corn tortillas

enchilada sauce

Boil chicken in garlic and broth until cooked

Cool and shred

spoon about 3tbsp of enchilada sauce on bottom of baking dish

Line with tortillas

mix remainder of enchilada sauce 1.5 cups of salsa and 3/4 cup broth together

Layer chicken, salsa mixture and mexican cheese until youve used it all up.

cover top of casserole with mozzarella cheese

bake on 350 for about 20 minutes until top is golden and melted.

Garnish with cilantro on top

6. Salsa

2 lbs Roma Tomatoes

1lb tomatillos

minced garlic

cilantro

jalepeno (1-3 depending on spiciness, can also add a serrano pepper)

one large white onion

I roast my tomatoes and tomatillos first in a pan super hot with garlic and olive oil.  You do not have to do this, but I like the extra flavor from the roasting.  I also roast the peppers

Put all of it into a food processor or blender and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. 

7. Tomato Soup

Quarter 4 pounds of Roma Tomatoes

Slice 1 Red Pepper

Spread over a oven pan Add salt and olive oil

Roast

Chop 1 onion, cloves of garlic and saute in 2ish tablespoons of butter

Add 1 quart of low sodium chicken broth

1 can of Muir Glen chopped Tomatoes w/ garlic and basil (only use this brand, I promise!)

4 cups of chopped basil

Add roasted tomatoes

Simmer for as long as you want. The longer the thicker and more fabulous it tastes....about an hour for me does the trick...

Use submersion blender until it's as smooth as you like and pour in about 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

Garlic Cheese Bread is a must to dunk....

Baguette (fresh) Sliced. Butter and garlic

Smoked Gouda, Parm, and Gueryer cheese on top

Broil until cheese is lightly browned.

8.  Potato and Leek Soup 

Now for my top two recipes.  I cook these ALL the time.  And please make sure to give me credit if you use them as I worked very hard to perfect them :-) 

9. Pizza

Drive to little Cesar's
Pick up as many Hot and Ready as you need
Go home and eat

10. Cereal

Go into the kitchen and get a bowl and spoon
Find the cereal of your liking
Pour
Add Milk

Eat

Repeat.  Because one bowl of cereal is NEVER enough. 

What are some of your fave go to meals?  Don't keep secrets from me!!!

9 Random things....

You would know about me if we were Instagram friends.  So you probably already know them.  But since I single parented it up for 3 days AND kept the kids alive, clean AND fed.  I am giving myself an easy blogging day :-)

1. We love the Thunder and have season tickets.  You should love them too, Jesus wants that for you.  He told me. 

2. I was a single parent for several years, including when I was a teenager raising my younger brother and sister for a good portion of their life.  Apparently Jeremy is truly my better half and that became apparent the 3 days he was gone and I was on suicide watch.  At one point I went to bed with my sunglasses still on my head.

3. We love games of all kinds in this house.  Video, card, board, Hide and go seek you name it we play it.  We try and keep the strip poker to when the kids aren't home though.  Andrew and I hit up the local arcade this weekend and he hit the jackpot.  Wich means We didnt go home with tootsie rolls and a spider ring this time, instead he got his 123454th ball he always has needed. 

4.  I am retyping and laminating this that I found on facebook.  It is nothing less than PURE GENIUS!

5. My youngest niece is the cutest baby ever.  She was totally making out with herself in a mirror at the library.  You might call it a germ fest but I call it boosting her immune system.  

6. I always have wax jokes.  There's this one below and my other waxing situation:

If youever decide to wax your ehrm… nether regions and the box calls for honey
to make things stickier to pull finer hairs.  READ THE HONEY BOTTLE.  If you don’t you will accidentally get Jalapeñohoney.  And I think it goes with out
saying you will become a HOTTIE for much different reasons.

7. I like to lean on the sink when washing my hands at the office.  Then I look like I peed myself.  Its amazing.

8. I love lists

9. I saw Iron Man on Friday.  It was amazing.  You need to go, like yesterday.

Happy Monday!!!!!!!

Human

Today is another milestone I'm supposed to swallow hard and be strong about. Today is the due date the gave me when I saw my sweet baby's heart beat on the ultrasound for the first time.

I contemplated not blogging.

I contemplated just posting something funny.

Instead I'm just going to type whatever comes into this ol noggin of mine.

Because I can.

I think as parents we need to recognize the village aspect that is raising a kid. We need to stop condemning and judging what other people do. Obviously if a kid is in danger or actually being abused we Ned to do something, that's not where I am going with this at all.

When we see a mom raising her voice or saying empty threats at her kid at target, because they just have to have that Barbie N O W. and she just can't take one more minute of the whining. Instead of automatically judging her muttering under your breath to keep your kid in check stop and give her a reassuring smile. Say an encouraging word. For all you know she just lost her job or her husband or both. Or maybe she is just having a bad day plain and simple.

That means she's human.

I don't know about you but I love me some humans. They add greatness to my everyday life and I think we need to be reminded sometimes that WE control what people take from our lives. So don't go blaming the negative people. If you let them steal your joy- YOU are the one with the problem. Focus on people adding instead of taking.


So to the:
Parent that collapses in their bed at night shocked they didn't lock their teenager in their room or tape their mouth shut
The parent of a toddler who screamed at their kid because they just couldn't handle one more second of the whining.
The parent who forgot it was their kids share day at school
The parent who didn't sign up for the class party
The parent who put the kids to bed 2 hours early just because they don't know how to tell time and you need some peace and freaking quiet

Your kids will always say they would never parent how you do. They aren't going to stop telling you how unfair life is in their eyes. They are going to keep whining and get a zero and kiss a boy way sooner than you'd ever like.

I have great news for you!

YOU ARE HUMAN. And you will never be perfect because that just doesn't exist. You just get to be an awesome human. All day everyday for the rest of your life.

When someone tells you to just wait for the next parenting stage you are about to enter assuring you that the one you are in now ain't got nuthinnnnn on whats to come. Let it roll off your back. While every year of parenting has different obstacles its true- they are forgetting something.

JOY.

The same kid you thought you could strangle will beam with pride when they hand you an A+ Test grade.

The whining you hear now never overcomes the joy of hearing the deep kid belly laughs.

And just know if I see you at target and glance your way during meltdown of the century episode 72567 - I am on your team. Team Not Perfect doing the best we dang can. The team has open enrollment so lets choose grace over condemning and instead of tearing people down, build them up.

Not because I said so but because its the right thing to do.

Unless you don't think it's the right thing to do and if that's the case just do it then because I said so!

Happy Friday people!

Remember that time........

Happy Friday EVE!!!!!!!!!!

Today Kira and I are hosting a Remember that time link up. Jeremy will tell you I did not invent saying Remember that time.... But I totally did. And right now as we speak he is on vacation chaperoning a field trip out of state for the next 3 days while I slave away and take care of the rest of the kids so I think we can all agree not only am I right but all stick our tongues out at him together!

 
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So without further adieu here are some recent "Remember that time....... moments" from me!

Remember that time.....
                            My sister text me these?

Isn't it good that we battle our childhood abandonment with jokes and sarcasm? :-) Perks of being left at an airport as an elementary school aged child!

Remember that time.....
                     that these ladies sent me cupcakes on my birthday?

They were trying to be really sneaky and asked me when I get home from work so they could be delivered but I failed to mention the detail that while when I leave work I get home around 515 I rarely actually ever go home straight from work. SO while I was at baseball til 8 they were praying stray cats did not come and ruin the surprise :-) Don't worry, they didn't. And I sure was a fat girl on my birthday eating half of one of every flavor like I was a professional cake tester or something :-)

Remember that time.......
                      Courtney insisted they were catfishing me until the cupcakes arrive and then she wrote and I am sorry note to them and brought it to me? This still makes me laugh.

Remember that time.......
                      I started my period an entire week early as a onus to my crazy work day?
                                               Yeah me too, that was yesterday.
Remember that time.......
                      I tried to sign our team up for a tournament and the tournament director just kept replying to all my questions with "your in"

 "Where is the park located?" "your in." 

"Where should I mail payment to?" "your in" 

"Can I punch you in the face?" "your in" 

Remember that time....... I was still peeling from a sunburn almost a month ago?

Remember that time....... Andrew got an award at school for the best singing and dancing and ironically its the same thing he gets his folder signed with in trouble for? Yeah, figure that one out! :-)

If you did not join in on the fun with us this week make sure to come back next week for the link up too! Can't wait to reminisce with you.