Tuesday: Improve Your Marriage (Part 1)

As I tried to write a simple article on how to improve marriage, I realized that marriages are truly a complex beast and no one simple solution to improve marriage really exists (at least to my knowledge). The only things that have helped me surmount problems in my marriage have taken time, patience, and hard work. Because of that:

This April is my unofficial “Improve Your Marriage” month.

Meaning, that every Tuesday this month, I will put a small article on improving marriage. One tip each week. Take that tip, apply it during the week, and check back the following Tuesday for another article. Apply that tip, and, well, hopefully things are a bit smoother for you by the time May rolls along! These tips can help the best marriages AND the not-so-blissful ones improve.

This week:
Your spouse is an adult.

This can truly be a hard concept to internalize. Before you were married, you managed your money, you bought your food, you chose your job- really, you did it all on your own. Once married, it is all too easy to think of your spouse as an extension of yourself, meaning you still want to decide how you as a couple will do everything. You may still want to decide what money goes where, what restaurants to go to, what clothes should be worn, when and how the cleaning needs to be done:  the list continues. If one spouse is a little more forceful or dominant (I certainly can be), it is hard to let them make their own choices, since you may want to STOP them from wearing that AWFUL shirt, or NEVER allow them to let the baby touch the kitchen floor.

Because, well, that’s how you do things.

Remember, though, that your spouse is an adult. While some things need to be compromised on (you can only put the baby on the kitchen floor right after I mop or we can only spend $_ on entertainment each month, etc.) there are many other things that you need to just let go.

So, maybe your spouse eats those horribly fattening french fries? Or always spends their blow money on video games? Or loooooves that TV show that you just can’t stand? Let it go. While you ARE a married unit and DO need to make decisions as a couple, there are many things that you can just let your spouse do on their own. Maybe your spouse won’t choose what you do, but as long as it is a decision that won’t cause long-term issues in your relationship, just take a breath and let them choose.

Remember high school? Remember how you and your friends all wanted independence to choose for yourselves without the ‘tyranny’ of your parent’s rule? And how you couldn’t wait to move out and do things all for yourselves? It’s the same concept. No spouse wants to be treated like a high school teenager.

Try it out, if just for a week. When your husband comes home with that DVD that you can’t stand or you catch him wearing tube socks with Birkenstocks, just let it be.

Your spouse will appreciate it. Reply to this post with your results!

Doing great so far on Part 1? Check out Improve Your Marriage (Part 2), Improve Your Marriage (Part 3), and Improve Your Marriage (Part 4)! Good luck and best of luck!

Mondays: The "Pleasures" of Being a Mom

As a new mom, I do a lot of thinking about my own mother and how she raised me. I ALSO do a lot of thinking about what kind of kid I was growing up and speculate on how my daughter may turn out. Then, of course, I think of all those things I did growing up that probably just about killed my mom.

*Like the time my sister and I took turns wearing roller blades and pulling the other one around by sticking the plunger to the other’s tummy. I can just imagine my mom about threw up when she saw us.

*Like taking every folding chair and table out, plus every blanket not already on a bed outside to build forts- and then it started to rain

*Like how my brothers and I would build a pile of pillows at the bottom of the stairs and see how high we could jump from without getting hurt

*How I cut my hair to the root when it stuck out at the wrong angle (and blamed it on a neighbor, I might add)

*How we would pull the trampoline up next to the house and jump out of bedroom windows onto it

*Or, even better, about how once I turned into a teen, I took my daily shower using three clean towels, every day. No re-use. Meaning I put 3 towels every time I showered into the dirty laundry…. Good thing that I had a big family so my mom could never truly identify me as the culprit….

So, I can’t help but imagine what on earth my little one is going to grow up doing. I wonder sometimes how on earth she survived each day, knowing what HER little ones would sneak off to do. But, since it didn’t kill her- maybe I’ve got a chance.

What’s the worst thing you can remember doing as a kid that probably just made your mom want to throw up?

Cool Quote

Go John Lennon

Crafty Friday: Easy DIY Sugar Scrub from Ingredients in Your Cupboard

This is another simple way to pamper yourself- and for a far lower price than what you would get charge if you purchased this on your own.

MIX:

*1 cup of white sugar

*2 ½ cups of brown sugar

Next, ADD:

1 cup of olive oil

3 Tb vanilla extract

1 Tb of cinnamon/nutmeg mix

Pour into a jar for gifts or into single serving use pouches for yourself! The sugar softly scrubs away your dead, dry skin, and the olive oil soaks into your skin and softens tough, dry areas. WONDERFUL for a hand or foot scrub.

Mix ‘em up and have some fun! Makes great gifts, too!

Friday: Crazy Easy DIY Soothing Bath Salts

Today's Crafty Friday project is about as easy as you could hope for. 3 ingredients and BOOM. You have bath salts. It is nearly impossible to ruin these.

MIX:
*1 cup of ice cream salt/ rock salt

*3 Tb of almond flavoring (you can do vanilla, mint, etc. Whatever calms you most)

* 1/8 tsp of food coloring


You're done! I like to put my in single- serving bags, 3 Tb each. These bath salts are perfect for a foot soak or a nice, long soak in the tub. Aromatic and soothing!

Gotta love Conference....



I can live with this!

Just for kicks....

Thursday: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie! 5 ingredients- no bake!

Just starting out

This week, for Snacky Cakes Thursday, you'll find yourself in a rich, creamy, peanut buttery chocolate heaven. Reminiscent of T.G.I. Friday's peanut butter pie, this dessert takes just a few minutes to prep and a freezer.

Ingredient List:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 8 oz container of whipped topping
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
4 oz (1/2 block) cream cheese

Spreading melted chocolate

AND
of course. 1 graham cracker crust




*Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stopping to stir every 20 seconds or so
-spread 3/4 of the melted chocolate on the bottom of the graham cracker crust

Mixing the filling...

*Soften the cream cheese and peanut butter in the microwave (think warm, gooey, but not hot)

*Mix the peanut butter, whipped topping, sweetened condensed milk, and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth

Swirled chocolate

*Pour into graham cracker crust

*Swirl the remaining chocolate on the top of the pie

*Add Reese's mini peanut butter cups to garnish if you so choose

*Throw this bad boy in the freezer for at least 1 hour and pull out 10-15 minutes before you want to dig in. (Note: Because there will be a layer of solid chocolate at the bottom, cutting it will take a little bit of force.)

Makes a creamy, crazy-satisfying dessert. After all, if you are going to splurge your calories, why not make it something that will actually satisfy your sweet tooth?




Make sure to check back on My American Confessions every Friday for.... the beloved Freebie Friday giveaway!!!

Wednesdays: VOTE! Team Gale or Team Peeta?

VOTE!

Team Gale or Team Peeta

Wednesdays: 5 Ways to be a More Productive Stay at Home Mom

Let’s face it- being a stay at home mom IS work- but without the regulated hours or regular pay of a regular 40 hour work week, leaves YOU, the mom, in charge setting your own work, goals, etc.

Here are 5 tips on how to be more successful as a stay at home mom

1- When possible, wake up before the rest of your family (namely children) shower, dress, and get ready for the day. This will automatically set your mind in go-mode, preventing you from being sluggish and unproductive throughout the first hours of the day

2- Any physical exercise, even just 15 minutes a day, will release extra endorphins, giving you some extra energy. Additionally, a little cardio can help you work out anger/frustration (which can’t help but give you more patience with your children)

3- Each night, before going to sleep, jot down a to-do list for the next day. Even if you aren’t able to accomplish everything on your list, you will find that simply having them written down will help you to do more than if it was just on your mind

4- Have one long-term goal (eat better, work out, finish an art project, sculpture, quilt, garden, etc.) and do a little bit of work on it each day. Stay at home moms are busier than ever, so giving just a few minutes a day over time will result in a substantial result that will surprise you.

5- Tune out the TV. Have favorite shows? Ones you can’t miss? Just choose even one hour of TV that you normally watch and substitute it with listening to the radio for an hour instead- that hour of programming that you miss will quickly turn into something far more important: an hour playing with your kids, a cleaner home, a better dinner that evening….

However, make sure to remember that as a stay at home mom, your number one priority IS your children: If you ever have something that seems to come above your children, re-evaluate yourself a bit. In five years, will you remember that half hour that you laughed and chased with your children? Or your spotless floor? Just be careful to keep a balance.

It's important to be productive, but make sure that you are happy, too, or you risk resenting your sweet children. Here's 5 Ways to be a Happier Stay at Home Mom.

Tuesday Newsdays: Hunger Games Weekend and Baby Shots

Baby at the doctor's

This week was relatively eventful: baby had her well-child visit to the doctor where we learned she had acid reflux.... sad baby..... and got her shots. She cried right when she got her shots, but as soon as I picked her up, she was fine, as if she had forgotten the ordeal already. Which would make sense, as it seems she forgot ME this weekend....

They gave her silver bandaids-
Like they were WANTED her to
pull them off herself....

I took a mini road trip with my mom and sisters to visit my eldest sister for a Hunger Games viewing and party. I was away from her for a total of, what, 52 hours? And when I first saw her when I got home, it was like she didn't know who I was....

Which is entirely unfair, since I had taken her about a month ago for a week in Texas, and when we returned home, she was smiling and laughing with her daddy like she didn't know how she lived without him.

Ok, Sam looks a little tired,
but I love the little monkey baby

I guess she's just a daddy's girl.

The baby I missed this weekend

But returning to the Hunger Games.... we went with a fairly large group and as we discussed how we felt about the movie, the critiques were so mild that I am quite certain there is very little wrong with the movie at all. Like my sister-in-law's "In that one scene in the cave, the blood looked fake on his forehead." Yup. That was it. That was her whole critique. But I wonder- after having all those Twilight movies come out with "Team Jacob" and "Team Edward", will there be a similar "Team Peeta" or "Team Gale" debate? If there is.... I MIGHT just be Team Gale. Maybe. And let me just say that a weekend away with my girls- a blast and a half!

And looking over this particular blog article today, seeing only pictures of my baby- you can see where my mind was all weekend, even if I wasn't home.

Monday: Why I still have faith in America

America has its own set of problems, as most Americans are well aware. Economy seems to top our problems list, with education, crime, drugs, and healthcare clamoring after it. Some Americans may even be led to disparage their own country, seeing every dark smudge and all that could be better. They say that their faith in America is lost.

Lost? I say I still have faith in America.

Why?

Because Americans are still outraged when they discover a wrong.

I’ve lived in Russia and learned a code word for the mafia so you can talk about them without having any mafia members overhear you, as you live in fear that they might discover your words. I’ve seen the yakkuza (Japanese mafia) clearly recognized for their crimes but living with impunity. I was in a car in Bolivia where we were pulled over and expected to bribe policeman two times within as many hours. So many citizens of so many nations have come to accept corruption. They feel there is little or nothing they can do to protest it without fear of death, so they learn how to manage their lives within a framework of corruption and lies.

I have faith in America because our people still detest scandals. I have faith in America because stories of do-gooders still attract interest and attention in our news. I have faith in America because there still those do-gooders doing their best to assist others in need. I have faith in America because Americans still expect certain standards and rage when they are not met.

The day that we, as Americans, accept corruptions, crimes, and wrongs as inevitable may be the day that I lose my hope in America. However. As long as the people in America understand and act on their right to expect right, we cannot fail.

Thursday: 5 Minutes and 4 Ingredient Delicious, RICH Cheesecake! (No Bake!)

 It is as simple as can be!

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 8 ounce tub of cool whip

1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese



1 graham cracker crust

Everything BUT the lemon juice...

* Just take one softened 8 ounce package of cream cheese, mix in one can of sweetened condensed milk and an 8 oz tub of Cool Whip using an electric beater (or hand beater if you are feeling tough) until smooth

Adding lemon juice...

*Next, stir in ¼ cup of lemon juice (make SURE to pour in lemon juice AFTER the other three ingredients are already mixed)

It will be THICK!

*Pour into a graham cracker crust to set.

*Throw in the fridge for 2 hours and you have a cheesecake all ready to serve! Garnish with strawberries, caramel, cherries, chocolate… whatever you please!

Wednesdays: Momisms 3

Wednesdays: Momisms 2

Wednesdays: Momisms 1

Tuesday Newsday: Baby Sure Loves Her Daddy....

Just love this photo

Tuesday News Days!

This week, Sam and I had our first date night in over a month! And our first time away from baby longer than one hour together. PERIOD! All other date nights were shorter than an hour! We saw the VOW…. Something that I vow to NEVER make someone else watch it.

Baby and Turtle pal

Baby and I made a trip to the mall for shopping and stopped to play in the play-yard. She was so strong and stood up holding on to the turtle. Sam was extra proud of her for spending time with a turtle, since Sam is always trying to make sure that his baby girl loves animals like her daddy. (I keep telling him that ALL little kids love pets and animals….) Plus, mommy got to buy an awesome white pencil skirt. Mommy… looks like a babe. ;)

We also had a fun time with baby’s cousin, as we had a really fun game night- Sam FINALLY learned how to play Phase 10! I just hope I can make Sam play it again.

Exciting week? Well, maybe not that crazy- but we did get to spend a lot of time together, just dad, baby, and I.

Snuggles...

Especially daddy and baby- which is good, since he will have her next weekend while I spend time with my sister's in Idaho at.... THE HUNGER GAMES PREMIERE!!! SO sweet.

Loves to sit with papa

Just laying on daddy...

Mondays: Why I Donate Breastmilk

I have a little 6-month-old pumpkin pie. She is tall and skinny, but has little rolls of fat on her thighs. In my eyes (I'm her mom....) she is just the cutest, sweetest thing in the world.

When she was just a few weeks old and I was slightly more emotional than normal, having just given birth. I was up late feeding her and watching the TV. Some doctor show came on and in the course of the story, a premature baby died. Being a new mom, this seemed like the saddest thing in the world and all I could think was that if I could help a little, tiny, helpless infant, I would.

Now, some mother's are very successful breastfeeding. Great for those of you that are. My little one and I did not fare so well and I ended up pumping exclusively. As time went on, it was clear that I made far more milk than my baby girl needed. I had heard that breast milk was something that could be donated and thought I might like to donate my extras, but first, I wanted to know more. I called a mother's milk bank and this is what I learned.

*85-90% of all donated breastmilk goes to babies in the NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit) who were born prematurely. Often time, these premature babies were delivered so early that the mother's body was not able to produce breast milk to feed their own child.
*Babies born prematurely have very sensitive intenstines and formula can eat away at their insides. This can be fatal

Ok, so I learned more than just that, but those were the things that stuck out and made a difference. I thought that if I had the ability to make extra milk and if this milk could literally mean life or death for a new baby, I couldn't think of a reason NOT to donate.

And bottom line, being a mom, I just could not imagine the feeling of watching my own little girl, writhing in pain in the hospital, all because she didn't have breastmilk.


Is pumping a pain? Kind of. Some times. ALWAYS. But, for me, it is worth it.

http://www.milkbankcolorado.org/

Thursday: 4-ingredient Blueberry/Blackberry Cinnamon Rolls

This is an easy and cheap way to make blueberry cinnamon rolls!

Ingredients:

1 cup of blueberries or blackberries (frozen or fresh)

½ cup of sugar

2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg is a decent substitute)

2 packages of refrigerator biscuits (homestyle or traditional- either is fine)

Step 1

STEPS:

1- Wet your hands slightly and take 2 biscuits- flatten/combine them as shown in the picture

Step 2

2- Combine the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and berries in a saucepan on medium heat until warm

3- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the berry mix on the dough and roll it

Step 3

Step 3

4- Place the rolled dough in a round, lightly greased pie pan

Steps 4 and 5

5- Once all of the berry rolls have been put into the pan, pat the dough down to flatten it slightly and sprinkle with a dash more of pumpkin pie spice

Bake your rolls at 350 for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Spread some frosting on the top if desired, pull apart and enjoy!




PS- Don't forget Freebie Friday's this week, I'll be giving away a sushi making set!