TiP fOr TuEsDaY

Take Your Vitamins!

I am a huge fan of the daily supplement. I attribute this to my man and watch as he gets sick a lot less, has more energy and keeps chronic ailments at bay, such as migraines. It really works as far as I'm concerned...and definitely find myself sick less, having more stamina, etc. Doing a little research on the effectiveness of certain supplements really goes along way a decent resource would be here. Here's what I take on a daily basis:
A multi-vitamin. The one I take is formulated for specifically for women and contains all the necessary daily nutrients plus calcium, iron, and zinc.

Acidophilus. The same "friendly" bacteria that is found in the intestinal tract and helps promote healthy intestinal function. Basically the same stuff as in yogurt without all the fat and calories and without having to eat gallons of it! I use it to keep me regular and it is also effective for keeping yeast infections at bay.

600 mg Calcium with Vitamin D. Calcium is a must for a woman's bone health and especially when osteoporosis runs on both sides of your family (as it does in mine) this supplement is a no-brainer! 600 mg is the recommended daily dosage and make sure it contains Vitamin D, as this helps with absorption.

Super strength Cranberry. This is a must for urinary tract health, especially when you are prone to urinary tract infections...as I am! As long as I take this on a daily basis and drink plenty of water, I have no worries...well about bladder infections, (which suck BTW!)anyway! =0)

Fish Oil. For years I suffered from migraines, they came on from stress and run hand in hand with hypoglycemia (unfortunately) and I would still get one about every other week, unless I make sure to take my 1200 mg of fish oil daily. I was actually taking 1000 mg, but noticed I was still getting migraines occasionally. I upped the dosage to 1200 mg and that seems to have done the trick! If you are concerned with any fishy after taste take the enteric coated kind and take with milk or yogurt.

L-lysine. L-lysine is a must if you get canker sores, cold sores, or any kind of mouth sores. I no longer get canker sores when I'm stressed and my oldest boy, who suffers from chronic cold sores, takes it when he's getting one and it clears right up! I'm actually amazed at how quickly it clears up too!
As you can see I really love the benefits of taking my vitamins and in such a busy world where it's easy to get run down, I believe they are a must. I mean I hate being sick or run down and it makes me ornery when I can't get things accomplished like I want! So here's your tip for Tuesday...give it a try, who knows? It may just work for ya! =0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe

Trader Joe's!
This great grocery store paradise is full of many "hard-to-finds", healthy choices as well as a wide variety of vegan/gluten-free options! I get excited just thinking of all the great things we can get there! Of course the pic shows Veggie and Flax seed chips which are really yummy (if I do say do myself!) and there are great bags of dried fruit, gluten-free pastas and breads, fresh veggies, you name it! If you are looking for a great place to feed your family healthy, this is it! My one compliant would be the lack of stores in my state, luckily I live pretty close to Vegas and definitely make sure to stop at Trader Joe's on my way home! So if you're listening Trader Joe's...build one in my city...you would do great! I know many people wanting a great place to shop for healthy eating! This is what I like...try it! I'll bet you'll like it too! =0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy

"Judge not, that ye be not judged", Matthew 7:1.

I know what you're thinking...why is she quoting from the good book? Hey nothing wrong with being well-read I say and the good book is packed with a plethora of great advice, so it is what is.=0) The point, oh yes I do have one of those...it would be not to be so quick to judge others. You know as in situations, appearances, what not. You never know what is really going on behind people's actions unless that person is you. I try so hard not to be judgmental of people, I know what it feels like to be singled out for not being like everyone else. I spent a good part of my childhood not knowing that it really is okay to be different and try to encourage my kids to stand out and shine bright as well. Being a little more open minded might very well be the key to saving the human race from eternal damnation...maybe not! That's it. Just a thought!=0)

wHaT's FoR dInNeR?

How many of you heard this today? "Mom, what's for dinner?" Some days it's just enough to try not to tear your hair out! Okay, well maybe not that bad...but, doesn't it seem like you eat the same things over and over again? I know it most likely true at my house...the kids only willingly eat certain things, my man has Celiac's along with a few different food allergies...I'm never hungry. So what do you do? I asked my FB friends for a little help with the what's for dinner question and here's what I got:
Jessica Johnson Lamb: I know it's a tad early...but, what's for dinner? (I need some help for blog purposes BTW!)

Janae Yorgason:
Nachos - Chips, refried beans, cheese and sour cream. Doesn't get much better than that!

Jessica Johnson Lamb:
my kind of dinner! yum!=0)

Mary Harshaw Rindlesbach:
a variation on the campbell's three cheese pasta skillet (you can look it up on their site) - I add cooked chicken and broccoli for a one-pan dinner. my husband LOVES this.

Jessica Johnson Lamb:
sounds delicious! thanks Mary! =0)

Jamie Willden Schoppmann:
frozen shrimp sauted with some garlic and then rice and probably corn or some other side, kids love it!

Jessica Johnson Lamb:
if I could get the kids to eat shrimp that would be great...my man would LOVE it though! ;0)

Dorey Pierce Ponce:
MMM! I made Navajo Tacos on Sunday and I am craving some today! :D So easy...Let Rhodes Rolls rise for 3-4 hours and then throw them in a fry daddy! Yum! :D

Jessica Johnson Lamb:
Awww...I totally miss me some Navajo tacos...yum!;0)

Lura Dulaney Glover:
Salad w/ chicken on top...too hot to eat hot food!

Jessica Johnson Lamb:
yeah, we go for the non-cook type meals frequently in the heat! =0)
3 hours ago ·

Bernita Mckinney:
So what's for dinner? Desiree and I will be on the next flight ha ha!!

Jessica Johnson Lamb:
nah, I wouldn't worry about it B...we went for the Wendy's all the way! Go Mom of the year! ;0)

Bernita Mckinney:
Woo hoo! LOL McDonald's is right around the corner. Desiree says that I am her "best mom!" LOL

Jessica Johnson Lamb:
I love it! LOL! =0)

Bernita Mckinney:
We're suckers for their pies, ice cream and sweet tea!

Sometimes life gets in the way of actually making dinner...like it did tonight, I had a child who had a concert this evening and it was much easier to stop on the way home than it was to try to make something afterwords! I have a few ideas for always kid friendly ideas that even my picky brood will eat and I'll put them over on the quick recipe guide to the right of the page for you to try! Chin up we all have to have dinner at some point and don't feel bad if that includes a drive-thru window occasionally! =0)

What's is a Mom?

Well duh, if you have a pulse I'm sure you know what a Mom is! I mean no one would be alive on this planet today, if they didn't exist...I'm serious! Think about it, unless you were hatched...you have a Mom someplace. Look up Mom in Wikipedia and it looks like this :
Mom (disambiguation)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mom may refer to:

Mothering

* Mom (or mommy), is a term used predominantly in North American English speaking countries in reference to a mother, the female parent
* Soccer mom, demographic group of women with school-age children, a term used in North America

(I like the soccer Mom added in there too!) But, kidding aside does your Mom really have to be YOUR mom? The short answer is no. A Mom could be really your aunt, or a grandmother who raised you...a Mom could be the person who took care of you as a child. I have a friend who was raised by her Grandparents and in her mind her Mom is her Grandma. She raised her, cared about her well-being, was and still is there for her when she needs her. My man lost his Mom a few years ago and has an Aunt who took over for her, sending birthday cards and presents at Christmas...he sends her a Mother's Day card every year.
Here's a reminder from a "not so average Mom", make sure you thank your Mom this Mother's Day. Send a card, flowers, give her a call and tell her how much she means to you...it doesn't have to be much and it doesn't have to cost a thing. I'm looking forward to semi-behaved kids and three tight hugs and I love you's...because honestly, the smiling faces of my children is thanks enough.=0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY

I'm not going to lie to you. I am not a great and glorious spotless clean house of a Mom! Too many years of working full time and cleaning in the half hour I had not taken up by running various children to where they need to be, running to work, etc...all of which has taken a toll on my clutter free skills. This being said, I have found myself with a little more time on my hands as of late...and have had to reevaluate my way of doing things. This is what I've found that seems to work:

1. If you walk by it and it doesn't belong there, pick it up. How many times do you walk past the sneakers left by the front door before you actually pick them up? Exactly. When you walk past grab them, deposit them where they need to go...grab what ever else is out of place along the way. I actually have found if I walk the public spaces of the house with a laundry basket, I can easily pick up what doesn't belong and start at one end of the house and work to the other putting the errant items away.
2. Start the kids out helping early. My kids all learned to clean up after themselves as toddlers. We sang the clean up song and made it into a game and now that they are older, I give them a small allowance each week to clean up after themselves. My kids are 11, 9, and 7 and I use them to help. Not only are teaching your kids life sills that they can use into adult-hood, you're helping yourself out by not spending all day cleaning! My kids, empty the dishwasher, rinse off their dishes after any meal and load the dishwasher, clean their bathroom by wiping all surfaces and the toilet, they clean their rooms and help put away laundry as well. The kids also empty trashes throughout the house and make their own beds.This helps me out tons!=0)
3. Pick a room a day to deep clean. I pick a bathroom to scrub or deep clean the kitchen, or reorganize a closet. Don't get me wrong, I wipe down everything when it's dirty, but occasionally things need a good scrubbing!=0)
4. Do at least 1 load of laundry everyday. This includes, folding and putting it away! I feel like I do laundry more than just about anything else...with five people in the house and the kids not getting any cleaner, I imagine this will be the case for quite some time to come! As long as I do at least one load from start to finish daily, it is definitely manageable!
5. Chill. I know so many Mom's out there that stress out about the cleanliness of their abodes...let me share a secret...don't. This is how I think about it: My kids are happy, everyone got fed, everyone has SOMETHING clean to wear, nothing smells horrible, and I deep cleaned something today. So, I'm good...and if your in-laws have something to say about your house, invite them to clean!
Here's your tip for Tuesday...it works for me, maybe it will for you too! =0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe

Bath and Body Works Pocket Bac with holder!

Okay I'll admit it, I'm a bit of closet germaphobe. Well, I'd be a lot worse if I didn't have three germy kids running around! The thought of touching disgusting, body fluid encrusted surfaces is enough to make me me want to hurl! Yuck! Okay so how does one navigate in society knowing that there is no possible way to avoid coming in contact with such...dare I say it?...germs? Why with Bath and Body Works Pocket Bac of course! Great for killing germs, great for not killing my poor hands! With a menagerie of signature scents, you'll be sure to find one that you just love! I love Coconut Lime Verbena, just in case you were wondering! ;0)
Now I know if you are hardcore, kid hauling Mom such as I...you no doubt have a good sized purse slung over your shoulder most of the time...great for carrying all the Mom essentials, not so good for your sanity when they've all magically fallen to the bottom of it! That's where the Pocket Bac holder comes in so handy! I attach this puppy to side of my purse loaded with antibacterial goodness and I instantly become armed for anti germ-warfare in a flash!
So if you are in the need for germ fighting in a flash, try Bath and Body Works Pocket Bac with holder...I'll bet you like it! I know I do! =0)