Date Night On A Budget

Azalayah was on vacation for five days. That meant Chris and I had plenty of alone time. We aren't the type that go to fancy dinners or weekend date trips. So when we planned our date, we were looking for something affordable. In the town where we live, they have "dollar movies." It is a Cinemark Movie Theatre where they play movies that didn't make enough view the opening week. The theatre will also show movies that just came out on DVD. Chris and I planned to watch a movie and have dinner at El Pollo Loco.

First we went to eat dinner at El Pollo Loco. We EACH had chicken tostada combo which included a drink and a churro. I had a two coupon for 2 combos x $10. We then went to window shop at the mall and spent ZERO DOLLARS!!!! Once we got to the movies our total for the tickets was $1.50 that was $0.75/ticket!!! We then decided to buy large popcorn and a large drink and I also had a coupon for $2.00 off that specific combo.

Just to recap: Dinner $10.80 + Movies $12.50 = $23.30 total spent on date.

Its not always about how much was spent, but the time that was spent with each other. We had a great time on our cheap date :)

Do you have any other affordable date night ideas?

How To Remove Burnt Milk Off Pots

I have recently been making a lot of flan/rice pudding. These recipes require boiling milk. I really dislike how the milk will burn and stay stuck on the pot. I literally left a pot with soapy water in the sink for a week. When I was ready to wash the pot, I realized the soapy water was not enough. I also REALLY needed to use that specific pot. So I got on Pinterest and searched "How to remove burnt milk from pot" , the solutions were endless. Thanks to a wonderful pinner/blog, I was able to remove the burnt milk within 3 minutes.

1. Pour 1/4 cup of water in the pot with burnt milk and boil at medium heat.
2. Stir in 2 teaspoons of BAKING SODA or more into the hot water.
3. You will notice burnt flakes coming of the bottom slowly.
4. Use a wooden spoon to start scraping off the bottom of the pot to remove the burnt milk.
5. Thoroughly was the pot with soap and hot water as usual.

 I took the picture late so I had already started scraping off milk

Clean pot :)

Nostalgic Food

How has everyone been? Lets get into the new blog post...

Have you ever wanted to try food that is outside of you comfort zone? Or have you wanted to try a different type food?

I grew up eating hamburgers, hotdogs, and primarily Mexican food. My mother is Salvadorian and my father is Mexican. I vaguely remember EVER eating Salvadorian food as a child, and if we did it was my Grandma's tamales, pupusas, and platanos. Now that I am an adult with a family of my own, I am more curious about the culture. I have a co-worker that is Salvadorian and she has taught me so much about the culture and food. This morning, I decided to make my own breakfast. I premade the black beans in the crockpot the night before I added a quarter of an onion and one clove of garlic. 

Plantains and Black Beans with Crema, Hand-made Tortillas and over medium egg.

Is there any type of food that you wish you knew how to cook or tend to feel connected to?

Toddler Chores

Who enjoys picking up after their child and the disaster

of toys they have in  the house?

Azalayah is now 3 ½ years old and with that now comes additional responsibilities for her.

When she turned 2, I started to implement “picking up after herself” as a daily reminder. I made her aware that she was not allowed to play with another puzzle or toy until she picked up all her Legos first. At the time, I was ok with her only picking up a few items, because lets face it she was two! How much was she really going to pick up? I also started to implement throwing things in the trash. She would always leave her trash around on the couch or on the floor and we were able to tell her to take it to the trash and she would listen.

Now the tables have turned and she is able to do many more things and comprehend differently than when she was only 2 years old.

These are the type of chores we have Azzy do:

-Play with HER kitten (it is HERS after all lol)

-Give snacks to her kitten

-Pick-up her entire room (she literally just picks up the floor or any toys that are not put away. It may seem like a lot but she actually does it! She takes about 40 minutes because she plays with her toys as she is putting the away)

-Sort out her laundry (on occasions I have her put it away, but I have OCD and I like to place folded pants in her drawers lol)

-Set the dinner table (this is one of her favorite things to do! She loves to come in while I’m fixing dinner and will ask for forks, cups, napkins, soy sauce (we eat that a lol) and I will also give her whatever else we will need for dinner that night.

-Clear the table (she will toss our paper plates and puts things in the sink)

These are all toddler-appropriate household chores that we have Azzy do at our house.

What types of chores not listed, do you have your child do?

First Time Soccer/Team Mom

 

 

First Time Soccer Mom

This season we enrolled Azzy in soccer. Chris decided he would be the Coach for her team. He had to complete a Livescan (fingerprints) and application to be eligible to be a Coach. The league was a little unorganized at the beginning as far as pictures go. Picture day was scheduled the first day prior to their first game. Chris failed to give me my spot as Team Mom (in charge of all activities) so it was a little awkward for the first two games. I had read a blog prior to starting the season that gave tips on tiny tots. I just wanted to share one that the blog got to the “T”! “BE PREPARED TO WATCH YOUR CHILD SIT OUT THE ENTIRE GAME INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY PLAYING THE GAME” We have about half the team that does not like to play on game day. However, on practice days they have soooo much enthusiasm.

Being a part of a sports team can be a financial burden for some people because many teams like ours, do not get sponsored, therefore the team parents are stuck having to pay all the costs. As the Team Mom I have to organize the team party, order trophies, and create the snack schedules. I also have a quick wrap-up meeting with the parents after practice and after the games. We had an issue with parents paying us timely for the banner we had pre-purchased. Keep in mind that we actually consulted with the parents prior to ordering the banner so that they were aware they would owe us their part. I recommend if you are doing something like this to NOT pay anything in advance! Collect all your fees and have a set due date allowing you enough time to order trophies, jerseys, etc.

Other than collecting money from parents, I honestly do not have any other problems. It is a little disappointing not seeing your child play on game day because they are not feeling it. It is actually really fun for me to be really involved in the team. If you are looking forward to being involved as a team mom be aware of the demands and if you are a new sports team parent, then be aware of the fees and costs (snacks for the team, team party, pictures, trophies, etc).

Would anyone like to share any of their first experiences as a team parent?

Easter Basket Tips

Easter Basket Tips

Have you walked into your local superstores and noticed the aisles of Easter stuff already on the shelves? Are you getting ready for Easter?

This post will be dedicated to our favorite part of Easter as children…the baskets!!

Remember back in the day most of the baskets we received were already premade and had like ONE candy and stickers, bubbles, stationary, coloring books, etc. Today, you can create your own basket for your kiddos or for a family member and make them personal to the person it is for.

For example, for my Toddler I avoid sweets and candy at all costs. I usually fill her basket with books, play-doh, bubbles, chalk, snacks like (Goldfish, Cheetos, juice box, Cuties, etc). I feel like NO kid should be GIVEN a basket full of candy unless it is Halloween, and even then it does not mean they can eat all the candy in one sitting.  

For any child you can add Easter knick knacks and by this I mean going to the 99 Cent Store, Walmart or Target and going to their Easter section and grabbing a few Easter-themed items, pencils, bubbles, paper pads, markers, toys, cups, etc. You can also add the newest dvd/blu ray your child has had their eyes on. You can also use this opportunity to buy a video game if your child is older but you still want to make a basket. Bath and Body Works lotions/body spray and makeup kits would be great for a teenage daughter.

You can also make a basket for your spouse. A cool idea I found on Pinterest was making a basket out of a baseball cap. You purchase his favorite team cap, and fill it with goodies he likes (razors, beef jerky, seeds, beer, gum, etc).

If you want to create a family basket I would suggest gathering outside toys if they have children (chalk, kites, beach toys, gardening toys, water guns, etc) and getting popcorn, some candy (possibly some PEEPS to add an Easter accent), a gift card to Netflix to make a family movie night. Or you can add Easter accents like home decor, a gift card to a family restaurant like Dennys/IHOP or a gift card to a family store like Walmart/Target.

I like to compare Easter baskets to Christmas stockings. Make them personal yet include little detailed items your child, spouse or family member will appreciate. Whatever you decide to include in your basket just know your thoughts are always appreciated by the receiving person.

Happy Easter!

Picture courtesy of BING IMAGES.

Work Essentials

Work Essentials

We all have those moments when we get to work and realize “Darn it, I forgot something!” What items do you carry around to make your work day go by smoother? Or what are the essential items you keep at your desk/cubicle, locker, or personal work area?

I always HAVE TO HAVE Chapstick or some sort of lip balm! It is like a habit I have to make sure I have my keys, wallet, phone, Chapstick. I know it’s silly but I have really dry lips and I don’t like to leave them un-moisturized if that makes sense.

I also HAVE to carry my makeup bag. I have to have everything that I used on my face with me at all times! I am an oily girl and my face starts to melt off by noon and I constantly have to touch-up so that I look matte.

Other items I have at my desk are a mini fan, tampons, something sweet (usually chocolate), tea bags, mints, headphones, calendars/agendas, plastic utensils, oil blotting sheets, lotion, tumbler cup for water, mirror (more like 2 handheld mirrors lol), and hand sanitizer.

I do have a bunch of other random stuff like Lysol wipes, but I could live if I didn’t have those wipes at my desk. I’m curious to know what everyone else carries with them or has at their workstation.

Dealing with Difficult People

There are so many negative people in this world, and if we allowed all of them to take a piece of our soul, we would be no where. Have you ever heard of the hashtag #PositiveVibesOnly ? Sometimes we have to think in that sense to remain sane. There are many people that will put you down. People that will speak to you as you are incompetent. People that will envy you. And of course the typical "Debbie Downers." Negative people are like parasites, and unfortunately their attitude can reflect upon the most positive person. If you encounter negative people, just know that they are salty and unhappy with their life and find pleasure in bringing people down. Just because they didn't win the 4th Grade Spelling Bee Championship they decided to take it out on the rest of the world. Don't be the negative person that brings people down. Instead, pour some positivity in their life and try to change their perspective on life by giving them words of encouragement. Be the light to negative people! They may just need someone to speak into their life.

What's On The Menu

Are you struggling with dinner ideas?

Here is one that is super easy to make and very affordable!

I got the recipe off Pinterest, and it was so easy I had to share!

Meatball Marinara Subs (Subway Copycat)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While you wait, dump out the FROZEN meatballs in a saucepan on medium heat. I usually put 1 tbs of water to soften up the meatballs quicker. Cook for 8 minutes and then pour the Marinara/Pasta Sauce over the meatballs. Cook for another 3 minutes on low heat.

2. Prepare a baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange the rolls in the dish  and sprinkle some Italian seasoning over the rolls.

3. Fill each roll with as many meatballs as you can. Sprinkle enough Mozzarella cheese to cover the meatballs. (Optional: sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the Mozzarella).

4. Bake in the oven on the top rack for 5-8 minutes. You can bake longer if you want your roll more crispy, but as long as the cheese is fully melted, you well have nice crispy edges on your sub.

I wasn't able to take a picture of the rolls once the were ready because we were starving! lol If you try the recipe out, let me know how it goes!

  

2017 Goals

I wanted to share my top five things I would like to improve this year:

1. Financial Stability. Every year Chris and I share this goal. We always say with our income tax money we will pay off debt and then three months go by and we are stuck in the same pot hole we were in the year before. I get that sometimes LIFE HAPPENS, but I feel like "LIFE HAPPENS" to us all the time! I know we are not alone in this financial stability crisis, but it sure does feel like it sometimes.
2. Relationships. This goes for every type of relationship you can think of. Significant other, family, friends, work, etc. I feel like you can't expect something to work out if there is only one person trying. Chris and I are very private, we stay to ourselves. That's just how we are. We are shy and I have no clue why! Even with our own family we are shy. We need to work on building bridges rather than burning them.
3. Family. I would love to go on a vacation! This is another thing we say every year! I mean we go on weekenders, but never a REAL vacation. I would love to just go somewhere tropical, spend a week there and not worry about anything. Chris and I spend so much time away from home it's almost impossible to have a decent dinner without talking about work. I want to focus on building our bond as a family closer. Rather than always being focused on work.
4. Faith. I know that I have a strong faith, but I guess this goes right with #3 because its a topic I would like to expand in my immediate family. I wish we could pray during dinner without it being awkward. I wish we can pray as a family without it being awkward. I know everything happens in time, but I feel like we should never feel like God is judging us, especially when it comes to prayer.
5. Health. Becoming healthy is not easy. The year has just begun and Chris and I are already being diagnosed with health issues. We need to stop being selfish and put our bodies and health first. After all, our body is the temple of God. As Azzy grows each day, I think of how I would love to see her be 123 years old, but that's only going to happen if we take care of ourselves.

These are the top things I would love to improve to have a better lifestyle. Do you have any improvements similar to mine? I would love to know about yours!

Moms Night In

Ahhh! Finally home! I've had a long day at work, and just getting home. Chris is working late and Azzy is spending the night at her grandmas. What perfect time to start my first BLOG! I look forward to sharing with you bits of my life and things I find helpful. Food and beauty are my expertise haha so I will mostly be posting these types of things!