21 day Yoga Challenge!!

I know many of you are interested in the practice of yoga!
I've been challenged to 21 days of yoga. - And then blog about it!

Click here  for the site, and info! I just hook my computer up to my t.v. But I would be able to do this on my lap top as well.

Who else is up for the challenge??

 I have completed day 2. And I'm blogging about it on my "running" blog. Feel free to follow my 21 days. :)

Namaste.

Whew! Moms, whatever you do....

DON'T GET SICK!

It's extremely hard when our babies are sick. We feel sorry for them, and want to help them get better in any way possible! But when we fall sick. We just want them to go in the living room and watch Elmo, until tomorrow!

This weekend, I caught what I think was the flu. Extremely high fever, terrible cough, you know all the symptoms. My daughter on the other hand caught a case of the tornadoes! She decided that while mommy is sick, she would destroy the house!

I'm very very happy to have my husband and family to help! Couldn't be more grateful. I literally didn't leave bed for days.

Last night, I got my first little sprout of energy back and what did I do? I swept, yes let me repeat, SWEPT all the toys in to a pile in the living room. I just took my big dust mop that I use to swiffer my floors before I steam them, and walked around the house and put all the toys in a pile. Therefore making it easier to sit, and sort them out, and put them away.

I also managed to get the kitchen and her room clean!

Yay, for feeling better! But boo for being so far behind!

Her Daddy did an amazing job keeping her out of the room so that I could rest. He kept me medicated,fed,hydrated,and stocked up on movies! And he did it all with a great attitude..  A big thanks to my fantastic hubby!
(I got him a gift certificate to get a massage next week as my appreciation)

I was just thinking of how different [like everything else] it is being sick with a small child.

Mama's red beans and rice recipe!

As requested. For you Mel!

I'll never take credit for recipes that aren't mine! --This is Mama's recipe..... when I say that it means she measures like this.....

" A pinch "     "A dash"     "Small hand full"     "Taste it"   " Eye ball it"

You get the point. So I'll do my best to convert from Cajun to English  for you.

Ingredients :

• 1 bag of light red kidney beans
• 1/2-1 green bell pepper
• 1 link of beef (you could use turkey) sausage
• half of a cap of liquid crab boil --- This is the secret ingredient!!!!!
• 1 large onion or 2 small onions
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper
• beef broth/water

Directions: 

• Chop onion(s)
•  I usually only do half a bell pepper, but it really does add lots of flavor, so use your judgment. I cut them in 4ths so I can just pull them out or push them aside when done. But you could chop them if you don't mind eating them.
• Chop your sausage links in little circles ( so they look like quarters ) 
• add every thing in crock pot.
• cover the beans with your beef broth and or water.
• Cook on low for 8 hours
• Serve over rice with cornbread!

This is one of my husbands favorites! We have it about every other week! It usually makes enough for us to eat on the next day, or freeze for a whole other meal. So if you're making a lot for a party or something, then just double everything!

ENJOY!

Birthday for a 2 year old!

Well, it's that time again! Time to start thinking about Anisten's birthday in April.

She's in to a few different things, that I think would be fun to theme the party in.

• Elmo
• Mickey Mouse - All of them, not just Minnie
• Monkeys

So, I figure, Elmo will probably stick around for a while, and she will probably ask for an Elmo party when she is 3 or 4...

I think I've narrowed it down to Mickey, Monkeys or a Spring theme, with flowers and butterflies.

She has a few other friends that are close in age, that I think would be fun to invite! I'm not sure what I'll do for the actual party though.

Any ideas on activities, or places that would be fun for a 2 year old. Some of the friends I'll invite will be a little older or a little younger- 

Last year it really didn't matter, b/c she was so small, that she didn't really care- But this year she has so many interests, and "preferences" that I think it'd be fun to do it in something she really enjoys.

Wish me luck!!

Slow cookin' Kind-0- weather!

I'm learning that the crock pot is my best friend right now! Really, as a working mama it really has made my life so much easier!

• I can cook in the middle of the day while I still have lots of energy
• I can feed Anisten earlier, and Daddy will still have hot food when he gets home.
• Dinner is made even if I'm working late.
• A lot of my recipes call for the same ingredients.
• I can make enough to freeze for another meal, in a few weeks!

85% of my meals for the week are going to be slow cooked...

Red Beans and Rice- a family favorite!

Chicken Noodle Soup- Great for 12 degree weather.

Southwest Chicken White Chili- A new recipe. It's actually a stove top recipe, but I am gonna make it a slow cooked recipe.

Pork Loin in Mushroom gravy with Rice- Made this last night! Served it over rice, with smashed red potatoes, and spagetti squash! YUMMY!  This WILL be a regular in my house.

I also like BBQ pork loin - Served on hoagies/buns for sandwhiches.

Chicken Veggie medely.




I'd like to get my hands on a few others that I've tried, like:

• Balsamic Roast
• Lima Beans
• Regular old pot roast - I've not yet mastered it ! 

What are some that you like? And what are some of your winter meals?
Since it's only the 3 of us, we always have left overs, for the next day or to freeze.

Recipes to follow!

I have found so many recipes on some of your blogs, so I want to share some of mine(or the ones I've gotten) in hopes that it might work for someone else! Who knew cooking could be so easy sometimes?

10 things that 2010 taught me

1. Always be open to change.
2. You CAN do , as long as YOU believe it.
3. To just stop and enJOY life.
4. I'm, ME, and that's okay! I'm not super human, or perfect.
5. Listen to my gut- It's always right.
6. I learned to bake cakes 
7. I learned the power of forgiveness.
8. Raising a toddler is so important- It will affect her whole life.
9. I picked the weeds and kept the flowers.
10. "Happiness truly does equal sucess" - Many never suceed. 

Here's to many lessons to be learned in 2011!
I'm feeling optimistic, and positive, that it will be a great one!

Realistic Resolutions-2011

So looking back at my 2010 Resolutions, I had mixed emotions... I felt great about achieving and exceeding many of them. And sad that  I just completely forgot some of them. So I'm going to try this again.

2011-It's going to be EPIC!

I feel like resolutions should be REALISTIC. I've learned in the last year of my life, that I must set attainable goals.

This year I only have a very few set of goals.

• Read a book every other month. I know this seems pretty petty, and simple, but I have read maybe 2 books all the way through since Anisten has been born. I LOVE to read, and never take enough time to do it. I've already started working on this one. I'm almost done with my first book! - And no, it's not a running magazine!
• Like last year, I'll be doing less Facebooking, and more blogging! I now have a total of 3 blogs. I have one for The hairdresser Kristen, and the Mommy Runner Kristen. So I have no reason not to have SOMETHING to yak about! It has been proven that blogging is very beneficial for me, and my mental state of being ;-) And besides that I'm so over FB and the "over FB'rs"  So usually around this time of year I take a little break from it. I will keep it up and running, b/c it is a great tool for my business. But I'll be checking a lot less.
• I will be finishing my 2nd half marathon.The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon will be on May 1st. This gives me plenty of time to slowly train. I have a feeling this will be a VERY memorable one! 
• Like last year I had intentions of setting 7 challenges for myself per month. This year, it will be 5. I will set them, and when I do
 

 So, there you have it, my baby set of goals!

I really didn't have a lot on my mind for BIG PLANS TO CHANGE THE WORLD. But I have tried to learn that change and growth have to be a part of every day life. Let's not wait to make it a "new years resolution" ... why not start, N O W.

Christmas 2010

Just a quick run down.. The pics pretty much speak for themselves.. We had a week of Christmas!  We had Christmas with Scott's Dad, and Teri. And shorty headed over to Scott's mother's house after. So we spent all of Christmas eve opening presents! It was a late night getting to bed. Oh, but when Christmas morning came!!!!!! Anisten was in TOY heaven!!! My mom and dad made it down this year. They missed Christmas last year due to the weather. =( So we made sure to make up for that this time! We then spent the whole day at my Grandma's house with the extended family. Feasting and opening gifts! Anisten got SO much this year, and was so tired from opening presents- But she loves everything she got! It was perfect! Thank you all for everything. We love you and hope that you all had wonderful times as well.

There sure are a lot of presents buiding up here...

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!!

COMING SOON!

I have sat down about 400 times to blog about our Christmas fun, and our New Years plans!

When they say " life gets busy when they start walking" they weren't KIDDING!

Needless to say, it's hard for me to get a few minutes to upload some pics and write some words on this blog. I am cozied up in my lazy boy pulled close to the fire, with a cup of blackberry black tea ready to go at it! And after posting 2 blogs on my runner's blog, I'm worn out!

It's almost nap time for Anisten, which means I'll have 2 hours to do........... Cleaning, Pay bills, Take a nap, Blog, Get dinner started, Finish laundry, Yoga, finish cleaning my closet..... YEA RIGHT!!!! So, instead of spending another hour on the computer, I'm going to lay her down, snuggle in bed, turn on the tv and close my eyes- I'm still fighting a sinus infection, so this will take lots of discipline to do!

When I awake, we'll talk "New Years, New you!" ;-)