Quick Tip: Kick Up Your Boots

 I feel I can safely state that we are in full-on boot season and I couldn't be more happier. And my toes are thrilled. I don't have to paint my nails and my tooties will be warm and snug. But in order to make sure I look my best, there are feel things I need to do to step out in style!

1. Clean & Protect: Depending on where you've been hiding your boots, it's time to pull them out, wipe them down and spray a protectant on them. No matter the material of if you've sprayed them last year. To ensure longevity, protect them every year.

To clean, just use a soft damp cloth and for those more stubborn stains, you can use a baby wet wipe. I once used one to remove a stain from my leather coat! 

2. Repairs: Did you know there are still cobblers? Instead of tossing that pair of leather loveliness because the zipper is broken, find a cobbler. For me, boots are like my fall bestie and I have a hard time tossing them out when they're just not up to snuff. 

3. Daily Storage: Have you ever noticed how wonderful pool noodles are? They can be used for so much more than just laying around the pool and a snake hiding hole. Cut a pool noodle to size, making sure it's tall enough to keep the calf portion of the boot standing tall. Since I was only able to find a few noodles, I cut mine down the middle. If you take this route, be sure to put some tape along the exposed cut side. The noodle can fray and these noodle pieces are not as pleasant!

They also make boot sleeves to help. Google "boot storage sleeves" and you'll get an assortment. One thing to keep in mind, if they clip and hang, make sure they don't leave marks on your boots. That would be tragic. Research what fits your needs and closet space. (The clear ones were free with a pair of rain boots.)

I'd love to hear from you? What works? What doesn't? Share pics of your favorite boots. I'm always looking to expand my wardrobe!

What's For Dinner

Pandemic or not, figuring out what's for dinner is often my biggest struggle. When I was working, I'd have to meal plan otherwise we were eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Since March, things have gotten worse and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Not only is going to the store more stressful, but for awhile, the shelves were bare! But as we've started to settle into this new normalish life, there isn't a shortage, except for Dawn Powerwash Spray (what is up with this? I love this stuff!!!).

I'll get into grocery shopping later, but in an attempt to keep Mom sane and avoid meltdowns (for me. It's all about me), I told the family that they needed to give names of countries, or locations in the world, and a food item from that region. My son was the only one that suggested Taco Bell, which of course, I shot down, but even hubs participated and he's usually not so...creative (probably not the right word but this is a family blog...lets keep it clean). 

It just dawned on me. Maybe he was so helpful because he was bored with my cooking. 

No, that's silly. I'm awesome!

Anyway, we put all of the suggestions into a hat and after each creative meal, we take turns drawing. We haven't been as diligent with having these meals on a weekly basis, but we've managed to check a few off. And you'll have to forgive me if the food item isn't actually from the region. We didn't do any serious research. 

Mexico: Enchiladas (These were just okay. I think I need to use chicken thighs instead of breasts. Even covered in sauce and cheese, they were a little dry.)

Germany: Pretzels and Brats (I cheated and I didn't make the pretzels but I did the brats in a crock-pot with some beer and they were delicious. So juicy (I was gonna use the "M" word but wasn't sure if I'd offend anyone!).)

France: Crepes (These did not turn out as great. It took me several tries, but the family ate them with a variety of toppings. And they also did not freeze well. It was worth a shot.) Recipe Link: https://houseofnasheats.com/crepes-recipe/

Ireland: Bangers and Mash (These were awesome. Again, brats in a beer gravy! I highly recommend and it was so easy.) Recipe Link: https://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/bangers-mash-with-stout-onion-gravy/

England: Fish n Chips (These tasted great, but very time consuming. And honestly, the biggest pain is getting rid of the oil. If you're gonna attempt, make a plan. Also, the oil never got as hot as instructed. My uncle, who is an amazing cook, said to use peanut oil and you have to use an outside frying contraption. Even with not as hot oil, the fish was great and not greasy.) Recipe Link: https://howtofeedaloon.com/fish-chips/

Southern US: Chicken and Waffles (honestly, they didn't need a reason for me to make these. I love these things!) I cheated this time and used frozen chicken strips but I made homemade waffles (well, from a mix) and they were delicious. I did add a spicy honey siracha sauce and syrup to my plate. You can find the spicy sauce here: https://lifeloveandgoodfood.com/fried-chicken-and-waffles-recipe/

Up next is Italy and we're finding fun pastas and sauces! What are some fun menu items you've tried. 

Bon appetit!

4 Signs You Should Have Stayed Home

I consider myself an introvert and even going to the store can be a very uncomfortable situation. I often try to avoid going anywhere, which is why I love Amazon. But sometimes when I do have to venture out, I sometimes feel like I should have just stayed home. Here are a few signs that I'll pay attention to next time (learn from my mistakes):

1. Your car didn't start right up: this can often lead to you calling AAA and getting service on your car while you're trying to get fingerprinted for a new job. 

2. Your youngest tells you their head hurts: she continues to tell you she's fine and you want to believe her because you're on your way to pick up more girls for a Girl Scout event, where she throws up at the first stop.

3. Your daughter tells you that she's gone to the potty a few times but nothing comes out: again she tells you she's fine and wants to go to the store to look at Halloween costumes only to make you leave before you are finished shopping because she has to use the restroom and it's a pandemic and you can't use a public one. 

4. Trust your instincts when you think your child is fine: instead you call the doctor and they insist you come in, test her urine, which is fine but then suggest you get a belly xray to find out how constipated she is, when she can't be because she feels fine, except for using the restroom a lot. Only to find out that the costly test showed that she was only mildly constipated. (Normally I'm cool with whatever a doctor or nurse suggests but this time felt completely unnecessary.)

None of this was very extreme but each day I'd wished I'd just stayed in bed. Tell me about your days? 

Quick Tip - Traveling With Shoes

I have to admit that this wasn't my idea. I stole it from my husband who got it from a co-worker that may have thought of it on her own or taken it from someone else. But it's a pretty good idea and I thought I'd share.

When I pack shoes in a suitcase or bag, I always try to make sure the soles of my shoes line up along the interior walls of the suitcase, in an attempt at keeping them from touching my clean clothes. It's a terrible game of Tetris with shoes. This is where this great tip comes into play. You can use disposable shower caps (yes, the kind your grandmother probably used) and cover your shoes. I saw Amazon offer 30 for $5 or 100 for $10. 

Voila! Now you keep the dirty soles of your shoes away from your clean clothes. Because nothing says "hello vacation" like a streak of dirt across the front of your shirt. 

The First Day of School... Again Tips

If you're like me, your kids started out virtually learning from home, or wherever you  dropped them, and are slowly going back to school. For us, grades K through 2 started back this week with masks, social distancing, mask breaks in the sun, consistent groups for tracing, and no high fives or hugs from teachers. While I'm sad that we have to remember to send out kids to school with their masks, I'm happy she's able to go back. Fingers crossed that the older one can go back soon. Virtual learning has not been easy on him. 

So it's the first day of school...again and all of the emotions that goes along with that times a 1000! Think about it, for some of us, our kids have been home since March. That was 6 months of my kids with me all day long. And the little one fell into a routine of being home with Mom all day. 

And so did I. 

I may try to play it off that I'm some tough mom, joking about how I can't wait to get rid of my kids or how I had to push the oldest out of the house for college, but remember my first post? My family means everything to me. 

So after my youngest jumped from the car, loaded down like a pack mule, I bawled like a big old baby! But if you're like me, and tears are in your future for when you return your little (and big) ones to school, here are some tips to get you through. Don't worry, you got this! 

1. Mental Dry-run: I know this isn't the first time they've left your nest, but times are different and review your school's policies. You don't want to be "that parent" who screwed it all up. 

2. Brave Face: If your kid is a crier like mine, they may already be on the verge of tears, so you need to keep your brave face on while they're with you. For me, I don't want my kid to be the one that starts school crying so everyone can stare at her. I'd hope no one would say anything to her, but staring is just as bad (I've got a story that I'll share at a later date...oy!)

3. Tissues, Tissues, Tissues: This should go without saying.

4. Special Treat: Okay, so maybe you forgot that note in their lunch box. It's okay, you have many more days (hopefully) that you can use that pack of cards you bought from a school fundraiser that you thought was a great idea but now 2 years later and you've only used 1. If you are able to pick your kid up at the end of the day, take them for a special treat. Or you can do what I did, we stopped by a local bakery and bought fancy cupcakes for dessert. Who doesn't love a treat!

Look at these things! Me and little Miss split the orange one. There was whipped cream in the middle. Not healthy in anyway, and that was okay!

We got the s'mores ones for the boys. Neither one touched it yet, but if they don't act soon, they'll be Mommy's cupcakes!

What are some other ways that help you to "deal" with the first day tears? 

Thanks, Momma J