Going somewhere?

So my husband and I have been talking about taking the kids somewhere this up coming summer. As you all know we have 4 kids. Four kids in one car can be a major major headache if you are traveling a long distance.When we do go from state to state we have to find something for them all to do. Sometimes that can be hard if you do not want to make a million stops along the way.

We normally stop maybe once every two hours unless we need to change a diaper then we stop as soon as we can. But it seems like every time we stop one if not all of the kids want you to buy them something. For our kids most of the time they want us to buy them something sweet to eat or a meal from a fast food place. But I have some awesome ideas that should help your trip go a lot smoother. Weather you are just going to your ex's house to drop off your child or going on a family vacation.

 If you save the small zipper pouches from things you buy you can put your games together, snacks together and so on. You can even make yourself a small first aid kit for the car.

If you have a jar that is almost empty cut up some carrots or celery even apples and place them in the jar and now you have a snack on the road. Once it is empty you can toss it out.

When you are packing for traveling or even for just a weekend at grandma's house. Put your little one's outfits in a bag. Make sure it includes the outfit and accessories. It makes it easier for the child and easier for you to keep track of where things went.

If you have more than one child and you are like me and limit how many snacks they have during the day but your kids are old enough to handle their snacks on their own. Get a big baggy and write the child's or children's name on the bag. Each child gets only one bag. Put their snacks for the day in it and let them get a snack out of their bag whenever they want a snack however when the bag is empty it is just that. They do not get anymore snacks.

If you have a fisherman in the house (I have a hunter not a fisherman) you can use a CLEAN bait box and fill it with all kinds of goodies for the kids or even yourself. 

Now this is my favorite because this is what keeps my kids busy the whole trip. When the kids are not looking (most of the time you will have to do this the night before while they are asleep) Stuff a backpack one for each kid full of toys even their favorite toy. Place it in the car next to their seat that way when they get up set and asking how much longer over and over again they will have some fun toys to play with. I normally pack color books, color pencils, barbies, hot wheels, reading books and so on. It has saved me so much time and hassle with going back and forth between states. However when it comes to infants you will not be able to pack them a backpack with toys that they can get to themselves. You will want to get a few toys for the car like a mirror that hooks to the seat and so on but also make sure to bring a cuddle toy like the little animals in the baby section of your local wal-mart that are made for chewing. They work wonders. 

Never forget to get some kid friendly music like the wheels on the bus. I know it will drive you nuts but remember if you make a deal with them like if they are silent for 30 minutes they get 20 minutes of their music.

Ways to save money on cleaning products

As you know I like to save money anywhere I can so I am giving you a few of my favorite recipes for homemade cleaning products. Do NOT use these in anyway they are not suppose to be used. Use them only as the store bought kind are supposed to be.


Drain Cleaner and Declogger
1/4c Baking Soda
1/2 c Vinegar
 Pour baking soda down the drain and then follow by pouring the vinegar down the drain. 

Clean a toilet with coke
Pour coca cola in your toilet going around the rim.
Let it sit for 60 minutes (If you have stains and need a deep clean let it sit overnight)
Clean toilet with a scrub brush
Flush

Disinfectant Spray
1/2 teaspoon lavender castile soap
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
2 cups hot water
Mixed it up in a squirt bottle.

Glass Cleaner
1/4 cup vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon liquid dish or hand soap
5 drops lemongrass essential oil (optional)

1. Place all the ingredients in a bottle.
2. Attach a spray nozzle to the bottle. Shake vigorously to fully combine.
3. Spray onto glass surfaces.
4. Wipe clean using a cloth or a coffee filter.

Bleach Gel
3/4 c water
3 Tbsp corn starch
4-7 Tbsp household bleach
Mix water and corn starch together in a small pan. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously until mixture becomes translucent and pudding-like. Let cool. If you need to make it more than a few hours ahead of time, cover the pot with plastic wrap so it won’t dry out. Start adding bleach by the Tbsp, until you have the consistency and strength you desire. Gel will thin a little bit after sitting. Use as you would regular bleach gel.
***You’ll need to let this cool before adding the bleach. While I was waiting, I mixed up a bowl of ketchup, barbecue sauce and chocolate syrup.***

Lemonade Kool-Aid as Dishwasher Cleaner 
Clean lime deposits and iron stains inside the dishwasher by pouring a packet of lemonade Kool-Aid (the only flavor that works) into the detergent cup and running the (empty) dishwasher. The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains; you don't have to. 




 

Cheap eats

So I started doing some freezer meals. I love it... well... most of it. I am feeding 6 people total unless we have people over for dinner. So it is a lot of cooking up front but it does save sooo much time during the month. It even helps with time and all when it comes to the kids lunches for school.

Right now in the freezer I have Italian chicken, BBQ pineapple chicken, BBQ chicken, potato soup, taco soup, pizza pockets, ham and cheese pockets, peanut butter and jelly (4 different flavors) sandwiches, muffins (3 different flavors), pancakes and I have some stuff that I need to make the day of. I spent very little on all of the stuff I needed to make these. So here is how you start doing this and saving money!!!

Step 1 Recipe Selection
So this month I decided to go with new recipes. I always make my husband and kids try things they have never had. You can get your recipes from anywhere cookbooks, internet or even family recipes. Make 3 lists.

List #1
Prep no cook- 
No cooking at all just throw it all together in a bag and toss in the freezer.

List #2
Prep Minimum Cook-
Very little cooking. Like maybe you have to cook the meat and then toss it all together and place it in the freezer.

List #3
Make the day of-
This is what you will have to make the day of and freeze any leftovers.


(Extra list) List #4
School Lunches-
This is a list of things you will need in order to make your little ones a lunch for school. Most of the time you will have sandwich stuff here. But don't forget that you can pack soups salads and more to change it up.

Step 2 Planning
Once you have your recipes chosen it's time to compile your lists! 

List #1 consists of ingredients. I wrote/typed out every ingredient required for each recipe. This will help you start a tally chart for your grocery list. Using your ingredient list you can tally up all the different ingredients you will need to purchase. 
List #2 the grocery list. Using your tally chart of ingredients you can compile a master grocery list. Once you have your grocery list ready you are good to go!

Step 3 Grocery Shopping
Buy in bulk to save some money, use coupons and take advantage of "discount days". Also don't forget if you shop at dillions look for manager specials you can get meat that way really cheap. Once you have done this a few times you will be able to cut the cost of your meals by a lot!

Step 4 Label and Plan
Now that you have everything it is time to label your freezer bags. Each bag will need to be labeled with the name of the meal, the cooking and serving instructions.

Step 5. Cook

You are about to cook a million dinners all at once, and when it feels like the chopping, frying and grating will never end, just remember you will get a whole month off of cooking. WARNING your kitchen will be a royal mess to help with this make sure you have a sink of soapy water so you can wash as you go along. 

 

MY RECIPES

Burritos

    2 lb. ground beef
    2 cans re-fried beans
    1 1/3 c. enchilada sauce
    1/2 c. water
    1/3 c. minced onion
    1 Tbsp. chili powder
    1 Tbsp. garlic powder
    1 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. dried oregano
    3 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever)
    20 flour tortillas (burrito-size)

Brown ground beef; drain.  Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas).  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Heat 3-4 tortillas at a time.  Spoon 1/4 c. beef mixture down the side of each tortilla. 

Roll up.  Wrap each burrito in a paper towel, then wrap in foil. 
 

Refrigerate or freeze.  I like to pack them in the tortilla zip lock bag.  I can usually fit 10 per bag. Not such a good thing for burritos.

When ready to eat, remove foil and microwave for about a minute.  The paper towel keeps the burritos moist.  If you don’t use a microwave, skip the paper towel and just wrap in foil.  Then heat burritos in the oven with foil.  

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

    10 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
    4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
    4 cups chopped broccoli, lightly steamed
    2 cans cream of mushroom soup
    2 cans cream of chicken soup
    4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

To freeze: Divide into four zip lock freezer bags and seal tightly. Freeze flat.

To serve: Thaw overnight (or for 8 hours) in the refrigerator. Dump into a greased casserole dish (each bag will fill an 8×8-inch pan; two bags will fill a 9×13-inch pan). Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

This recipe makes around 15-18 servings. Each freezer bag serves 4-5 people.

 BBQ Pineapple Chicken

4 - 6 pound chicken (or some pieces of chicken)

all purpose seasoning 

one bottle of barbecue sauce 

15 ounce can of diced pineapples, undrained
Rub pork shoulder all over with all purpose seasoning and place in slow cooker.

Dump can of pineapples (undrained) over pork.

Pour bottle of barbecue sauce over pork.

Lift pork a little to let the sauce get underneath.

Cook on high for six (6) hours or low for ten (10) hours.

Shred in the pot and mix with the juice.
Strain & serve!

Baby weight

So I had been thinking about what to post today. I was deciding between freezer meals and weight loss. I ended up deciding to post about weight loss because I know there are a lot of women that want to lose weight after a c-section. I have had 4 c-sections. My newest c-section was 5 almost 6 months ago. I have been working out and controlling my eating. I have lost 19 pounds and a few inches.

So everything thing that I have read says what will help you get rid of the pooch and loose skin are the same work outs. So I am going to give you them and a little motivation. When I got married to my husband I was 210 pounds and 5 feet 6 inches. Now just a year later and a after having a baby. I am 191 and 5 feet 6 inches. Here are some of the exercises I used to help aid my weight loss.

4 Point Tummy Vacuum
Get on your hands and knees take a deep breath in and then breath out. Pull your belly button in to your spine and hold for 10 seconds and do 10 reps of this.

Pelvis Tilt
Lay on your back with your hands out or on your stomach. Put your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent and breath in deeply and breath out. Tilt your pelvis and hold for 10 seconds. Do 10 reps.

Plank
After a c-section it will be easier on you to do the modified plank. (On your knees) Do this for 30 seconds on your elbows and knees. You will want to make sure your tuck your pelvis under.

Reverse Crunch
Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Slowly lift your hips and feet towards your head lifting off the floor about an inch and then back down to the starting position. This will help your lower abdominal muscles.

Now I have been doing these along with cardio to help melt off the extra pounds. I am still far from thin but that is because I am over weight.But I am getting there. What I do to keep motivated is I have a motivation board in my house. I have a photo of me in a swimsuit (Eww) and a lot of photos for motivation plus I found this little website that is awesome and it shows you what you look like now and what you will look like when you reach your goal weight. Here is the link to it. Model My Diet 

If you need a workout for cardio here is a killer one.

• Jump rope- 1 minute
• High knees- 1 minute
• Butt kicks- 1 minute
• Jumping Jacks- 1 minute
• Burpees- 20 of them
•  RUN FOR 10 MINUTES
•  Jump rope- 1 minute
•  High knees- 1 minute
•  Butt kicks- 1 minute
•  Jumping Jacks- 1 minute
• Push ups- 10 of them
• Tricep dips-  10 of them
•  RUN FOR 10 MINUTES
•   Jump rope- 1 minute
•  High knees- 1 minute
•  Butt kicks- 1 minute
•  Jumping Jacks- 1 minute
• Mountain climbers- 1 minute
• Burpees- 20 of them 
•   RUN FOR 10 MINUTES

Photos for motivation!!

My Wonderful Dad

He may not have been my birth father but he raised me as his daughter and always treated me with respect and love even when the rest of the family didn't he was the one man that stood up for me no matter what. He will be truly missed. My heart and soul will hurt forever. No one can take his place. Here are some comments from friends family and myself. (I signed with his last name and that was the last name I was born with.)

July 24, 2013
We were very sorry to learn of Gayle's passing. We've known him for many years as both family and friend. He will be missed.
~ Brian and JoAnn Damron

July 22, 2013
I remember Gayle as a very Kind Man worked with him many years ago at Weyl Bausch Tire Co. Sorry for your loss
~ Gary Perry

July 21, 2013
Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this very difficult time. Gayle always had a smile and a hello every time I saw him. He will be missed. God be with you all!!
~ David and Sheri Horn,

July 20, 2013
I will always love you. You may have been my grandfather but you took care of me. To me you were my dad. You took me in when I was 2 and for that I will always love you and have you in my heart. No one will ever replace you for me. You were my rock in so many situations. I will miss you dearly papa.
~ Ashley Hablitzel,

July 20, 2013
I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of a great man, he meant a lot to me. He will always be remembered dearly by those who truly knew him. Your family will be in my prayers. He did a great job taking care of my daughter, I will always love him for that.
~ Sonya Faucett

DADDY I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU! NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY FATHER I EVER HAD! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART!!!

My dad's passing

I know I have not been on in a long while. Well the reason why is my computer crashed and then my dad passed away.

My dad passed away on the 18th of July. He was in a motorcycle accident. He passed instantly. I am glad he felt no pain. He never got to meet my newest baby. That upsets me. I went to his funeral and I cried like a baby because I had not seen him in a long time and when I was able to he was not there just his ashes. I had been trying to get a hold of him so we could meet up and he could see all my kids and I. 

I went to the funeral and I thought it was disrespectful to say the least and so what his obituary. It did not say that he was a great man that adopted my biological father and it did not say that he was such a loving man that he took me in when I was 2 years old and the state had taken me away from my bio dad and bio mom. If it wasn't for my father I would have had no where to go. But he stood up and took me in and raised me as his daughter. He was the one that I made and gave all the fathers day stuff to growing up and he would keep it on the fridge until the next year.Here is what it read:

Hablitzel, Gayle, 70, loving father and grandfather passed on July 18, 2013. Gayle worked at Steven Chrysler Jeep Dodge in west Wichita as a Sales Representative. Gayle was a proud U.S. Army veteran and former Belle Plaine city councilman. Gayle was preceded in death by his parents Adolf and Neta Hablitzel of Wichita and his brother Ron Hablitzel also of Belle Plaine. Gayle is survived by his Aunt LaVerna Grant of Canon City, CO; his sister Cheryl Seyler of Wichita; his children David Free and wife Rochelle of Wichita, Kristi (Hablitzel) Sanders and husband Brent of Fort Worth, TX, Amy (Hablitzel) Rose of Missoula, MT, and Margie Lakin and husband Shane of Belle Plaine. Gayle is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial will be held at Oatville Community Church, 3814 S. Hoover Rd., Wichita, KS 67215, on Wednesday, July 24 at 6:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent to 3128 S. Hiram, Wichita KS, 67217, before the services. Donations may be sent in his name to Oatville Community Church or Mount Olivet United Methodist Church.
 
The children it does list is crap! David Free and Rochelle Free made his life a living hell they made most of the family turn against him and then when his funeral was going on they showed up and put on a show. He wouldn't have wanted them there and they knew that! Amy Rose never talked to him after what David and Rochelle did and she should have known better.

As for counting me as a grandchild and my kids as great grandchildren was wrong. I was his daughter and my kids were his grandchildren and they have seemed to have forgotten that. They didnt even care about me enough to give me a photo of my dad.

I guess you can tell I am still not doing to well with accepting his passing.

Hablitzel, Gayle, 70, loving father and grandfather passed on July 18, 2013. Gayle worked at Steven Chrysler Jeep Dodge in west Wichita as a Sales Representative. Gayle was a proud U.S. Army veteran and former Belle Plaine city councilman. Gayle was preceded in death by his parents Adolf and Neta Hablitzel of Wichita and his brother Ron Hablitzel also of Belle Plaine. Gayle is survived by his Aunt LaVerna Grant of Canon City, CO; his sister Cheryl Seyler of Wichita; his children David Free and wife Rochelle of Wichita, Kristi (Hablitzel) Sanders and husband Brent of Fort Worth, TX, Amy (Hablitzel) Rose of Missoula, MT, and Margie Lakin and husband Shane of Belle Plaine. Gayle is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial will be held at Oatville Community Church, 3814 S. Hoover Rd., Wichita, KS 67215, on Wednesday, July 24 at 6:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent to 3128 S. Hiram, Wichita KS, 67217, before the services. Donations may be sent in his name to Oatville Community Church or Mount Olivet United Methodist Church. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=gayle-hablitzel&pid=165938856#fbLoggedOut

Read more here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=gayle-hablitzel&pid=165938856#storylink=cpy

Hablitzel, Gayle, 70, loving father and grandfather passed on July 18, 2013. Gayle worked at Steven Chrysler Jeep Dodge in west Wichita as a Sales Representative. Gayle was a proud U.S. Army veteran and former Belle Plaine city councilman. Gayle was preceded in death by his parents Adolf and Neta Hablitzel of Wichita and his brother Ron Hablitzel also of Belle Plaine. Gayle is survived by his Aunt LaVerna Grant of Canon City, CO; his sister Cheryl Seyler of Wichita; his children David Free and wife Rochelle of Wichita, Kristi (Hablitzel) Sanders and husband Brent of Fort Worth, TX, Amy (Hablitzel) Rose of Missoula, MT, and Margie Lakin and husband Shane of Belle Plaine. Gayle is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial will be held at Oatville Community Church, 3814 S. Hoover Rd., Wichita, KS 67215, on Wednesday, July 24 at 6:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent to 3128 S. Hiram, Wichita KS, 67217, before the services. Donations may be sent in his name to Oatville Community Church or Mount Olivet United Methodist Church. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=gayle-hablitzel&pid=165938856#fbLoggedOut

Read more here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=gayle-hablitzel&pid=165938856#storylink=cpy

Hablitzel, Gayle, 70, loving father and grandfather passed on July 18, 2013. Gayle worked at Steven Chrysler Jeep Dodge in west Wichita as a Sales Representative. Gayle was a proud U.S. Army veteran and former Belle Plaine city councilman. Gayle was preceded in death by his parents Adolf and Neta Hablitzel of Wichita and his brother Ron Hablitzel also of Belle Plaine. Gayle is survived by his Aunt LaVerna Grant of Canon City, CO; his sister Cheryl Seyler of Wichita; his children David Free and wife Rochelle of Wichita, Kristi (Hablitzel) Sanders and husband Brent of Fort Worth, TX, Amy (Hablitzel) Rose of Missoula, MT, and Margie Lakin and husband Shane of Belle Plaine. Gayle is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial will be held at Oatville Community Church, 3814 S. Hoover Rd., Wichita, KS 67215, on Wednesday, July 24 at 6:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent to 3128 S. Hiram, Wichita KS, 67217, before the services. Donations may be sent in his name to Oatville Community Church or Mount Olivet United Methodist Church. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=gayle-hablitzel&pid=165938856#fbLoggedOut

Read more here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=gayle-hablitzel&pid=165938856#storylink=cpy

Hablitzel, Gayle, 70, loving father and grandfather passed on July 18, 2013. Gayle worked at Steven Chrysler Jeep Dodge in west Wichita as a Sales Representative. Gayle was a proud U.S. Army veteran and former Belle Plaine city councilman. Gayle was preceded in death by his parents Adolf and Neta Hablitzel of Wichita and his brother Ron Hablitzel also of Belle Plaine. Gayle is survived by his Aunt LaVerna Grant of Canon City, CO; his sister Cheryl Seyler of Wichita; his children David Free and wife Rochelle of Wichita, Kristi (Hablitzel) Sanders and husband Brent of Fort Worth, TX, Amy (Hablitzel) Rose of Missoula, MT, and Margie Lakin and husband Shane of Belle Plaine. Gayle is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial will be held at Oatville Community Church, 3814 S. Hoover Rd., Wichita, KS 67215, on Wednesday, July 24 at 6:00 p.m. Condolences may be sent to 3128 S. Hiram, Wichita KS, 67217, before the services. Donations may be sent in his name to Oatville Community Church or Mount Olivet United Methodist Church. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=gayle-hablitzel&pid=165938856#fbLoggedOut

Read more here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansas/obituary.aspx?n=gayle-hablitzel&pid=165938856#storylink=cpy

She is gone

How is it she can be gone already? She was only 58 years old and had beat cancer twice but this third time it got her. Why did God have to take her from us.



You were the best mother in law and grandmother. I loved you like a mother and I hope you knew that. My heart hurts and cries. I hope you are sitting next to God. I hope you are not hurting anymore. I will everything I can for my kids to remember you. I love you.

The photo is a photo of my mother in law, husband and father in law that was taken a year ago. Before the cancer.