Whats For Dinner?

Too often I struggle to figure Out what to make for dinner.

Let me start by saying I am by no means a good cook. In fact I am

a Pretty dreadful cook. Added with the lack of interest and 2 boys constantly hanging on my leggs equals a recipe for disaster.

More often then not one kid is annoying the other causing me to step in and referee and solve the problem....30 minutes later the thin sliced chicken breast is well over cooked. But problem with the boys solved! One point for mom!!

So after feeling completely horrible that my poor hard working husband comes home from work, time and again to a lousy meal I started to look at my options...cooking classes; these are usually costly and alot of the ones i found were very specific, 'learn to cook authentic Italian' i need every day cooking!

I also looked into having pre-made meals delivered; Again costly and I just didn't see this as a fix all. I wasn't going to have food delivered forever. In the end i knew i had to refer to the big guns! Veteran moms and wives who have lived to tell.

What I needed were a few TIPS and some SIMPLE & QUICK recipes i can make my go to meals. Here is what we came up with:

Shake n bake is a girls best friend. It's really so easy and you can keep it as simple as 'shake n Bake' or you can make it a bit more interesting by adding marinara sauce, mozzarella and oregano... voila!! oven-baked Chicken Parm!!!

Have a few good spices on hand...McCormick's Roasted Garlic & Bell Pepper is great and even has a few simple recipes on the label! Bonus!!

Meatloaf is easier then you think. Make it turkey meatloaf for an even healthier choice. Add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup bread crumbs and bake for an hour. Add a jar of gravy and you are good to go!

Now this one is one of mine...If you can get your hubby to eat tofu a quick an easy meal consists if boiling rice, sautéing cubed tofu in olive oil. Add a bag of frozen mixed veggies and the cooked rice. Throw in Sun-Bird Stir-Fry seasoning mix and done! It really is delish!

And lastly if you have a crockpot...USE IT! If you don't have one you might want to consider investing in one. You can literally throw anything in there let it cook for hours and it's virtually impossible to overcook! 

Remember to Set the timer!

And lastly when the smoke detector goes off, wave a dish towel at it and order out!

I Know you can Relate to This

I may be a mom, I may be 30...3!  But I am by no means over the hill or out of touch!  So when someone says to me "you look good for being a mom" frankly i get offended! I look good period!

When I am out to dinner with my family an I order a 23oz beer instead of the pint glass don't be shocked. 

I could still party like when I was in college… If I wanted to!  It just might take me a week to recoup.

And I still listen to Rihanna and Usher, it just might be the kids bob version! 

So just because I am a mom don't assume I am a minivan driving (although extremely practical), mom jean wearing, June Cleaver! Do however assume, I will give my kids everything they need and do anything for them!

Got Nothing to Wear?

I always hear people saying, I have nothing to wear to work out, I feel the same way, so I did a little informal poll to find out what people are loving for workout gear. I polled all women, some were moms, some were workout-ahoholics, and some women who just casually work out. For the most part the answers that I got were similar to my own tastes. But I was also happily informed about some cool new brands and tips. 

I found that for the most part we don't really like to spend too much money on workout gear, I get it... Why bother when we are only going to sweat in it and we found out the other day that we all really want to spend our money on shoes and bags!  It is, however, difficult to find inexpensive things that are still cute. And let's face it, looking cute counts!

Here's a tip, try TJ Maxx or Marshals. What a great place to find name brand tops and pants for less. You can find, Nike, Under Armor, Adidas, Champion, New Balance and Puma, many of which were top fave's of the women I polled.  

I often turn to Gap or Old Navy, for cuteness and price. Gap sends out coupons practically every week…. Score! Other brands to check out are Altheta, Marika, and Lululemon. These shops are great for the cuteness factor, not so much for the budget. Keep an eye out for sales.

Other must haves for working out according to these ladies are IPhone or IPod armbands and a great playlist, Pump it by the Black Eyed Peas gets me motivated every time!  The Nike plus adapter for running is a great way to keep on track of your milage.  And don't forget those weight lifting gloves to avoid calluses!

Now, not having anything to wear is no longer an excuse to not workout! 

Should we use Social Media to help reach our goals?

They say having a workout buddy helps keep you motivated, and I think that's true. But is it too much to have all 400 of your Facebook friends as your motivational buddies? 

If you're proud of running 3 miles in your fastest time yet, why wouldn't you post it and get all the positive feedback? Right!? But what happens when you slip up (because we all do) should you post that also?  I bet if you do post it, you will still get positive feedback and suggestions on how to get back on track from your Facebook friends.

So what's the harm?