So, as all of you know, I was trying to shoot for 365 days of eating at home.  I happily made a calendar for the month of January, did some pretty heavy duty shopping to make sure I had ingredients for all of my meals, and got off on a pretty good start.

A lot of the meals were fantastic and blog worthy, however, time just doesn't allow me to sit down very often in front of the computer, and when it does, I don't always have a quiet moment to compose my thoughts.

So, for those who are wondering, did I make it through my calendar of meals, I can honestly say, "NO!" I did however make 14 of the 31 meals.  I see that as an accomplishment.  I mean, with as busy as our family is, that was a pretty good effort to get everyone to the dinner table.

I have learned that I can't control everything, even making dinner.  I really thought telling the world that I am going to do this (365 days of meals) made me accountable for following through.  But I guess I am perfect being imperfect.  Tonight? We are ordering pizza!

And because I let go and said Chicken a la king can wait, I am sitting down writing.

I am not perfect, but I am honest with myself.  Do I fail at things? Most definitely! Imperfections make us unique.

I wouldn't want to be anyone else. Who do you want to be?

A Lunch with a Purpose - Sack Lunch Sunday

Have you ever wanted to be a part of something bigger than yourself?

Have an opportunity to help others?

Change a stranger's life?

Change your life?

Well, I found this amazing place where it all can happen! 

and it's called Sack Lunch Sunday!


What is Sack Lunch Sunday?

Many of the volunteers will tell you it's not an experience that can be put into words, but I am going to try.  If you don't think I sum it up perfectly, come check us out and put it into your own words.


Sack Lunch Sunday is one man's dream.
An experience like no other.
An opportunity to bring people together.

A way of looking forward to something amazingly different each week.

Sack Lunch Sunday is a hug.
It's not just a lunch.
It's making new friends.

It's opening your heart and your mind.

Sack Lunch Sunday is a Smile on the Streets.
It's an amazing story that started with an amazing person.

Sack Lunch Sunday is my family!

So, does Sack Lunch Sunday sound like something amazing to you?

Every Sunday a group of volunteers meet at the SLS Headquarters, a.k.a. Nick's house.  We meet to make over 100 sandwiches, to be packed along with water, chips, sweet snacks, sometimes fruit, and always a note!  

Friends of all ages are welcome to participate.  Younger kids are delegated to write notes and make pictures to go into the lunches.  Then we have the sandwich station (kitchen table), which sandwiches are assembled and bagged.  Next, they make their way to the garage where the remainder of the assembly and packing occurs.

Once the sack lunches are made, what's next?

That is where many hands make light work.  

All of our volunteers come with back packs, even the kids, and we fill up as many lunches as we can.  Next, 2-3 extra-large duffle bags are filled with the remaining lunches, and warm extras, such as hand warmers, hats, gloves, and scarves.  Toiletries are another much needed necessity on the streets that get added to one of the bags.

We discuss safety of encountering homeless on the streets, a little of what to expect, and how we all need to go with an open mind and heart, and be ready to change some lives.

We discuss who will be in each group, then we get ready to hop on the train, my son's favorite part...All the way to Chicago's Union Station!

Nick and Colin on the train looking for airplanes!

Once at Union Station, we head out on our mission, to warm a few homeless hearts.  
It can be the lunch, the warm outerwear, the handshake or hugs that we provide to make someone's day just a little bit brighter.  

 Every week, I encounter a new reason why I love volunteering for SLS.  Whether it's bonding with my family, making new friends, or changing the lives of others, my reason is forever changing.  Making the homeless feel just a little less alone, is one great reason why I do this, I know I have many smiles to share.

Sack Lunch Sunday, doesn't stop at the streets, but also volunteers at some shelters as well.

Due to our ability to get over 100 sack lunches out each Sunday, our wishlist is ever growing.
If you are interested in participating by donating needed items, please check out the link below for where to send your donation to.  
There is always a weekly wishlist and update posted as well.  

Some items that we need on a weekly basis include, but are not limited to:
small bottles of water, bread, mustard, sandwich bags, brown paper lunch sacks, variety of chips, snacks such as granola bars, fruit snacks, individually packaged cookies, crackers, etc.

But we don't stop at lunches.  We have already provided many of these homeless men and women with warm winter gear, such as hats, gloves and scarves, and many many sets of hand warmers.  Hygiene products are also needed.  
So please consider donating those items as well!

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about Sack Lunch Sunday!  
If you would like to make a new friend, warm a heart, or share a lunch and a smile, contact SLS below, or you may contact me directly at jmccarte@sbcglobal.net.

Click the link below to learn more about SLS, how to donate, volunteer, etc.
Sack Lunch Sunday - Facebook Page

365 Days of Dinners...sometimes things don't go as planned!

I learned something this weekend that reminds me, I am not perfect.  Life doesn't always go your way.  And I CAN adapt to change.

My 365 days of dinners at home has already gone awry.  

Two meals into my challenge and things were great.  
Day 1: Potato Soup (see previous post)
 Day 2: Pork Chops.

Simple Pork Chops with apples.
Great recipe from Southern Food.  Kids loved it!
Check out link for complete recipe.
http://southernfood.about.com/od/porkchops/r/simple-pork-chops-apples.htm

Day 3: We went out to the Children's museum, and ended up eating pizza out for lunch, instead of my homemade pizza that was planned for dinner.  Okay, I can adapt, we will just have something else, right?  

Well...My 7 year old decided to stay the night at my mom's.  My 5 year old ate Chef Boyardee mini raviolis.  And by the time we got home from my moms, I let my 9 year old get away with eating banana pudding for dinner, it was cereal for me and left overs for my husband.  

Yes, I was defeated on Day 3.

Then on Day 4, sloppy joes were pushed aside for that homemade pizza.  I was happy, at least I was back on track making something at home!  Later, I found out that no one really ate, but what can I do. (I got to have a night off with a relaxing mom's night out!)

Day 5, I was defeated once again.  I never defrosted our whole chicken for that special Sunday Roast Chicken dinner.  What did I make instead?  Mac n cheese!  

Sigh!

Well, today is Monday...back on track right?  Well, sort of.  I am making dinner at home, however, it is not the planned Spaghetti dinner on my calendar. 

Today, quickly turned into boiled chicken and jasmine rice, as my son's crohns has flared from either his antibiotic or the mac n cheese from last night.  So, cooking plain as possible is the best for his 5 year old tummy.

My kids loved dinner tonight!  Success!

I usually get upset when things don't go as planned, and it takes me a real long time to get over not being perfect, but I am learning.  I am stepping back, letting others help me and finding myself being a little more relaxed and having more time to do stuff I want to do!

Maybe Spaghetti tomorrow?

It will be a surprise to you and me both! (oh yeah, my kids have another day off of school due to the extreme cold.)

Star Wars Party

So LUCKY for me, my kids LOVE having parties at HOME!

And lucky for me, my son's birthday is in the Summer!

But I don't know a thing about Star Wars!

So with a lot of research, prepping and calling in reinforcements, 

a Jedi Training Party was held at our home!

Started with the invite and we invited all of the boys in our son's preschool class!

At the same time, we asked for Jedi help from my younger cousin, my husband and brother in law!

Next, was prepping.  

We needed medals, robe, light sabers of course and a plan of action!

Below are the items I used to complete the Medals 

that were awarded at the end of the Jedi Training!

I printed out pictures, cut them with a 1' circle punch and used clear hot glue to assemble.

These were a big hit.

 Robes were made easily out of some brown fabric that I cut about 18" - 22" wide 

and free hand cut a "V" for the neck hole.  Later we added some rope to tie at the waist.

Now for some fun.  Thank goodness this party was in the summer, because where else would I have found pool noodles any other time.  (The Dollar Tree).  I used my bread knife to cut the pool noodles in half to make these perfectly sized "Light Sabers".  With a little Duct Tape, and electrical tape, and my husband's help we had these done fairly quick!

Yes a lot of behind the scenes work went into this party!

But on the day of the party was when it all came together!

Decorating for the party was pretty easy.  I used the Jedi font and printed out the banner.
I used back card stock to attach it too.  The Storm trooper head belongs to my son.
 I found giant bags of Star wars fruit snacks at Walmart.
Darth Vader is a pinata and the table cloth I over spent on, but it does look great!

Also, The food had to be themed!

We had Wookie Cookies (chocolate Teddy Grahams)
Light Sabers (Pretzels dipped in Red and Green candy melts, wrapped in foil)
Princess Lays (Lays potato chips)
Galatic Cheese ball (cream cheese and cheddar cheese blended and formed into a ball)
Yoda Soda (Green sherbet mixed with sprite)
The light sabers on table were made out of a large glowstick and duct tape.

Then the guests arrived! and the training began!

As the young Padawans arrived, they were given a robe, and a mission to defeat Darth Vadar by the end of the training.

Not Pictured: We practiced mind control with a light up ball and some Star Wars music 

(like hot potato) - Everyone earned a Star Wars fruit snack.

Next, we needed to know our enemy (Darth Vadar).  

The Padawans used silly string to practice there defeat to earn their light sabers.

Next, with light sabers in hand, we had a light saber training course with helium filled balloons. 

Next, we were ready for some endurance training with an obstacle course.
Each child went through the obstacle course with Yoda on their back.
1. stepping mats for balance
2. through the tube
3. hanging from bar strength
4. back and forth through cones for quick foot work.

Time for some treats!

Finally, it was time to defeat Darth Vadar

 Each Padawan was given a 

Certificate of Completion to say they were now a Jedi.

One Happy Jedi!

Happy 5th Birthday to my little Jedi Knight!

365 days of Home Cooked Meals....

It's official, yesterday I began my 365 day challenge of eating home cooked meals. (However, with my kids running wild, I am thinking Chuck E. Cheese sounds really good right now.)

I thought up this challenge as I was thinking of New Year's Resolutions.  I wanted to find something that was going to benefit my entire family and not just me.  Whenever we look to the checkbook to see where all the money has gone, it has generally gone to "Eating Out!"  So, I am hoping this will help with the budget, also allow my kids to enjoy different foods, and get the entire family eating healthy.  

I will say, I am not a cook by any means, baking is my thing, but with Betty Crocker, All Recipes, and Pinterest at my side, I am sure to dish out a few edible meals.

So, I sat down with my recipe box, and a crock pot cookbook and set up meals for the month of January.  You will see as I got to the end of the month, the meals got easier, and I even set up a day to go out to eat.  Hey, I will deserve a night off by the 23rd of the month!  

This isn't set in stone, but for the first month a good plan to follow!

Day One:  Baked Potato Soup with Indian Flat Bread

I got the Soup Recipe from Pinterest and followed the recipe in the link below:

http://erinrach.blogspot.com/2011/09/crockpot-baked-potato-soup.html?m=1

The Indian Flat Bread came from Costco.  The kids love it!  And it's so easy.

I get these in the refrigerated section of Costco.

I heat in a dry pan, I keep turning till hot.

My Girls chose not to eat the soup.  My 5 year old son, loved it, and my husband said the recipe was a keeper!

Day Two:  Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, glazed carrots.

I can't promise any of my meals will be gourmet, but I can guarantee they will be home cooked!  

Good Bye to 2013!!!

It's been a while since I had an opportunity to post as Supermom? That's Me!  Maybe because I didn't feel like such a supermom.  The year was just filled with one bad moment after the other, and no matter how hard I tried, it didn't get better.  I was defeated in 2013! 

I don't think it was the whole year that was bad, but enough of it was that I can't remember anything else but to be happy to say, "Hallelujah, it is over!"

I have had my share of tears
At times they wouldn't stop
Every woman does
I had reasons to give up

I tried fighting through the pain
and the anger that was inside
I looked for my strength
in people who had died

I wondered who I was
who had I become
no matter what I did
everything felt wrong

But everyday I would wake
I'd look forward to a new day
I knew I wasn't supermom
but I'd be back someday

Well that someday is now
the New Year has started
and I am happy to say
2013 has departed!

Please look for greatness in yourself.  Don't underestimate your strength when you are feeling defeated.  

A mom is never weak, I think it's called exhaustion.  

Allow yourself time for fun, time for girl talk, time for peace, time for good food, and definitely time to express yourself!  What do you love to do?  Well do it in 2014!!!

(look forward to some great posts, I promise 2014 will be a great year! - fingers crossed)

Starting the day with DIVA!

My day started with Diva
Yeah, she's only 8
Told her to get dressed or we would be late

"What should I wear?"
I said to look nice
Your brand new skirt
the one I put away twice

"I cannot find it!"
She said, with a head shake and whine
I'm losing my patience with this child of mine

She comes down the stairs
with the skirt in plain sight
Why is life with Diva always a fight?