The Dust Has Settled

Finally. Three days after our big Christmas morning and I've begun to, slowly, sort through all the gifts the girls received. You see, they have three Christmases- One on Christmas Eve with my family (my parents, sister and her family, brother and his wife, my uncle and my grandmother), OUR Christmas on Christmas morning after Santa has visited the night before and another at my husband's parents' house later in the day. By the time we arrive home on Christmas night we're all just too beat to organize anything, throw away boxes/packaging or to even pick it all up off the floor!!! It's such an exhausting process. Rewarding and sooo much fun, but exhausting.

In the past few days we've combed through princess dolls, fairy dolls, building blocks, books, musical instruments, games, clothes, tents, pull-string dolls and stuffed animals. It's outrageous- they don't know what to play with since there's so much and I don't know where to put it all!

My goal (wow, that's an intimidating word!) is to get some of their old toys put away into our growing pile of "old toys" in our basement. The next step will be to get all the new things onto the toy shelves...I just don't know how to do it!
So...I'm looking for ideas. How do YOU organize your child(ren)'s toys? What containers? What kind of shelving? Drawers? Any, any, any ideas are welcome. The hurricane has passed, but the recovery MUST begin! :)

Random Thoughts

So, here we are and it's been awhile since I've posted again. I have a few arts & crafty types of things to post and share, but finding the energy to do so isn't coming to me. :)

Instead, I'd just like to share a little promise I've made to myself and to my children:

Girls, someday you will be tweens, pre-teens, teenagers and eventually adults. I have no idea what those days will bring- what heartaches you will endure, what your accomplishments will be, what level of education you will earn, what career you will pick or what your favorite hobbies will be. But I promise to always love you and accept you unconditionally.

I may disagree with you or your choices sometimes and you will most definitely disagree with me on occasion, but no matter how you choose to live your life I will be supportive, promise to lend an ear if you need to talk, promise to offer advice if you want it and learn to keep my advice to myself if you just aren't in the mood to hear it.

This is my vow to you. I may forget to honor it sometimes, but no matter what- you are my children and I love you. Always and forever.

Love,
Mama

Yummy, Tasty Treats!

My disclaimer is this is not my own recipe and I found it here, but these are really great tasting and even easier to make!!! They are calling them Parmesan Knots, but I'm renaming them temporarily this Sunday for K's 3rd birthday party (themed for The Incredibles) to Omnidroid Knots. :)

• 1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1/4 cup canola oil (I will be changing this to use melted butter instead this time around)
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

• Cut each biscuit into thirds. Roll each piece into a 3-in. (I rolled them out to probably about 6 inches) rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add the warm knots and gently toss to coat. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen

I would assume any bread dough would work just the same, but these aren't bad. :) I am always looking for EASY and tasty additions for dinner time and these will be making a comeback every once in awhile!

The Sunday Word

Not to be confused with the THE Word...I have no religious wisdom to offer at this time of day :), but I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce a new word, or at least a favorite word of mine, at the start of each week. So...this Sunday's word is: Persnickety

As defined by Merriam-Webster: a) Fussy about small details b) Having the characteristics of a snob

I've always liked this word. Not sure why, but every time I see a Sargento cheese commercial I smile a little. Their tagline "Persnickety people Exceptional cheese" is amusing. I'd like to think I like the word some much because it is so much UNLIKE the person I am, but I'm afraid some people would argue. Although, I hope my "fussines" and "snobiness" is what makes me such a fun person to be around. *laughs*

I hope you've enjoyed this installment of The Sunday Word. Please feel free to use our "new" word at your earliest convenience. :D

Ahhh...My first blog post. Well, I suppose that's not completely true since I started a blog a couple years ago, but never posted more than twice. I had a grand fantasy of updating once a week about my children and life in general, but then taking care of my children and life in general kind of took over. Oops!

Anyway, so now I'm committed to updating my blog often, or as often as possible. Having three girls under the age of five makes for some great, fun and exciting, but exhausting and crazy times, but I'm really hoping to keep up on this one.

I haven't quite decided where to take this blog. I've considered arts and crafts, money-saving tips, recipes and various other topics, but haven't been able to settle on one so I guess I'll just start updating and see where I end up. In the meantime, you might just find a mix of all the above plus a few other topics thrown in for good measure! :)

How, you may (or may not) ask did I choose the title of my blog- Every Mama Works? Well, it's true, right? Whether you are a mama who works out-of-the-house and in an office, one who works out-of-the-home or a stay-at-home mama YOU ARE WORKING. You are working 24 hours each day. If you're preparing spreadsheets, organizing a fundraiser, cooking dinner for your family, caring for your sick baby, nursing a teething baby almost 'round the clock or running your children to and from school and other various activities...you're a working mama!

I've had the experience of working outside-the-home and, while I'm not "technically" a stay-at-home mom right now I'm in a position that allows me to be with my girls all day, every day and I love every minute of it. Ok, some days are better than others, but I still wouldn't trade it.

While some mamas enjoy being at home with their kids, others find they enjoy having an outside career in addition to being a mom. Seeing as I've been on both sides I know the advantages and disadvantages of the two lifestyles. I hope no matter how your life is shaping up you find some enjoyment in my blog and know you are welcome here anytime. :)

As I journey through the blogging world I will be adding pictures and links to interesting subjects. Please hang in there with me and let me know what I can write about to keep you hooked. :)