Little Bitty's Holiday Fun: Valentine's Day Heart Attack Part 1

 Show someone special how much you care about them with a Heart Attack.

Starting on February 1st, my two younger daughters will wake up to new heart on their bedroom door that says something that I love about them. By Valentine's Day they will have 14 things that I love about them, plus a little Valentine gift. 





Supplies:
Foam Hearts
Markers
Tape

With having two teenagers in the house too, I figure I would text/snap chat/or FB message them Heart Attacks. I would think they might like that instead of posting them on their bedroom doors.

Little Bitty

Little Bitty's So Called Life: One on One Time

Being a mom of four, has plenty of challenges of its own, but when you add a full time management position in retail, makes it crazy. I have been working a crazy schedule for the last two months, and I can tell it is taking a toll on my youngest. She wrote me a letter wanting me to take one day a week for 'mommy and Sammy time'. After reading this letter, I felt heart broken. I have been working a lot and have not had a whole lot of time with my kids, one on one time with each.

The two of us find a quite spot and made a list of different things that we want to do together. We did not stop there, I opened up my planner and we started planning our first date. 

Twenty-Five plus date ideas with your kids:

1. Picnic: at the park or on the floor in the living room
2. Hiking or long walk with the dog
3. Coffee Date: Coffee for Mommy, hot chocolate for Sammy
4. Afternoon of Crafts: I have Pinterest Board full of them
5. Special Dinner/Lunch: out on the town or just stay in
6. Enjoy a sunset or stargaze
7. Movie: at the theaters or at home
8. Play a sport: shoot some hoops, throw the softball around, run a 5k, 
9. Spa Date: go get a mani or pedi
10. Shopping: shoe shopping, clothes shopping, or just window shopping
11. Plant a garden
12. Read: go to the library or book store and pick out a chapter book to read together.
13. Go to a water park or the YMCA pool
14. Bake something new together
15. Take a class: cooking class, basketball clinic, art class
16. Game Night: board, card or video games
17. Museum/Zoo
18. Photo Shoot: at home, dress up, do makeup, take some glamour shots
19. Volunteer together
20. Go to a concert
21. Write a story together, then act it out
22. Blanket fort in the living room or in the backyard
23. Tea & Scones and watch 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'
24. Bowling
25. Camp out: in the back yard or in the living room 
26. Start a Mother Daughter Journal
27. Overnight trip
28. Ice cream

There are plenty of other date ideas out there, all that really matters is that you are spending that one on one time with your kids. 

Little Bitty

Little Bitty's Recipe Box: Baked Tacos

Baked Tacos

This week's new Pinterest Recipe is 
Baked Tacos. I did not follow the recipe the exact way, added my own mix to it.

Ingredients

2 Pound lean ground beef
2 package taco seasoning mix
1 medium onion 
1 package soft taco shells
1 package Mexican blend shredded cheese
Taco Toppings:
lettuce
tomatoes
sour cream
avocados

Directions

Preheat oven at 375. Brown the ground beef and drain grease completely. Chopped medium onion and tomatoes, shred lettuce and cut up avocados.  Add the taco seasonings, water and chopped onion to ground beef. Let the ground beef mixture simmer for about 10 min. Scoop ground beef mixture into soft taco shells, standing them up side by side in a casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese in each taco. Bake in oven for 10 mins. Serve hot, don't forget the topics.

This recipe made 12 tacos, enough for a family of 6. I received 6 stars for this recipe. 

Little Bitty

Little Bitty's Book Shelf: 'No More Perfect Moms'

"You are not the only mom who feels worthless sometimes.

You are not the only mom who yelled at your children today.

You are not the only mom who is trying to blend two families into one and finding it far more difficult than you thought.

You are not the only mom who has struggled with infertility.

You are not the only mom who has had 

trouble bonding with an adopted child.

You are not the only mom who wishes her 

husband would just hold her and listen to her."

-No More Perfect Moms by Jill Savage (page 22)

No More Perfect Moms:

Learn to Love Your Real Life

As moms, we all struggle. We fall short to our own standards. You are not alone. You are among friends. Jill Savage in No More Perfect Moms provides the antidote to the Perfection Infection so that imperfect moms can be set free from impossible exceptions of life. 

Like most moms, we have this desire to be the perfect mom. We read books and magazines, we plan and prepare, we dream and determine that everything is going to be perfect. 'There are no perfect moms - just imperfect women who will fall off the pedestal of their own expectations more often than they can care to admit.' 

'We must understand that the imperfect parts of our lives are counterbalanced with the reality of a perfect God who longs to shine His light through the cracks in our lives.'

This is a must read survival guide for moms of all ages. And don't just read it alone, get a few other moms to read it with you. Jill has a leader's guide, discussion videos and other additional information to go along with this book.

www.NoMorePerfectMoms.com
www.hearts-at-home.org  
www.KnockItOffMoms.com

Little Bitty

Recipe Box: Philly Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers

Philly Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers

I love Pinterest, but the only problem is that I spend so much time pinning things I want to try and I don't try anything. Well that is going to change this year. I am challenging  myself to try one new recipe every week. This week is Philly Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers.

INGREDIENTS

24 oz. Thinly Sliced Roast Beef
12 Slices Provolone Cheese
6 Large Green Bell Peppers
1 Medium Sweet Onion
8 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms
2 Tbs. Butter

Salt and Pepper – to taste 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400F

Slice peppers in half (lengthwise), remove ribs and seeds.

Slice onions and mushrooms.  Saute over medium heat with butter and a little salt and pepper. Saute until onions and mushroom are nice and caramelized.  Cook time about 20 to 25 minutes

Slice roast beef into thin strips and add to the onion/mushroom mixture. Cook time 5 to 10 minutes

Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese. 

Fill each pepper with meat mixture until they are nearly overflowing.

Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown. 

Serves a family of 6.

Out of the 6, I got 5 stars on this recipe. My 9 year old would not try it because she does not like mushrooms or bell peppers. 

Little Bitty

Holiday Fun:Glow-In-The-Dark Style

Easter egg hunts no longer require sunlight. The hunt can be much more challenging for the older kids, if the eggs are hunted for under the moonlight. Adding glow-in-the-dark eggs to the mix is a way to add some excitement to

your traditional Easter Egg Hunt.

Add a glow stick 

Glow-stick bracelets are available at most dollar stores. We had used a dozen glow-stick bracelets, dozen med size plaster eggs, and some tape. Open the plastic egg, snap the bracelet, you might want to shake the bracelet a little. Roll up the bracelet glow sticks, put them in an plastic egg (you might need to put a little tape around the egg, depending on the size of the egg), then hide them around the yard. You could also do this in your house with the lights off.

So don't be afraid to try something new, step out of the box, out of the normal. Who knows, your teenager might actual enjoy playing along with the younger kids.

Little Bitty

Who is this 'Super Woman' of Proverbs 31?

Most who know me, know that I am one busy lady.
Between...
running a household
rushing to work
leading and coaching others
planning meals and shopping
volunteering my time
mentoring
all the while raising four kids and trying to charm my loving husband.
I wish I can tell you that I have it together. I don't. And if I tell you I do have it together, I just lied to you. 

In the Bible, it talks about the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon. He had left us a legacy of written wisdom in three different books of the Bible - Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. These three books gives us insight and guidelines of life. Turning to the book of Proverbs, it begins with a command to fear the Lord (1:7) and ends with this beautiful portrait of a woman who fulfills this command.

"the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline"

This 'Super Woman's' qualities are mentioned throughout the whole book of Proverbs...

works hard

has respect for her spouse

encourages others

cares for others

has a concern for the poor

shows wisdom in handling money

all the while she fears the Lord

These qualities lead to enjoyment, success, honor, and worth.

"an excellent wife is a rare find (vs.10)...can be trusted in every way (vs11-12)...is concerned for others (vs20)...is strong and stable (vs.25)...a woman who fears the Lord (vs.30)"

I feel that there are three important factors to learn from these verses that every woman needs to practice in her own life.

Wisdom 

Timeless wisdom comes from God, not just reading a book, or getting a degree. Knowledge is a good thing to have, but there is a big difference between "knowledge", having the facts and "wisdom", applying those facts to life. We might have all the knowledge of the world, but without wisdom our knowledge means nothing.
Looking back at Proverbs 1:7, 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge, but fools despise wisdom'...there is that word again, WISDOM. God wants us to be wise. There are two types of people, two different paths. The fool, who is stubborn and ignores God. The wise, who seeks to know and love God. When we choose God's way of doing things, he gives us the wisdom we need. His word helps us to live right, have the right relationships, and make the right decisions.

Priorities

We all have heard the phrase 'Too much to do, in so little time.' I am guilty for saying this just as much as the next mom. On those days I know I have committed to too much, I did not make wise choices, or I just plain out do not say 'NO'. Easier said then done, right. 

Proverbs 31 can be a fundamental part of becoming an effective woman. It is clear in the Bible what a married woman's life and ministry are to be: centered in her home. Centered, I did not say only. This 'Super Woman' of Proverbs 31, only 'brings her husband good' (vs. 12), 'provides food for her family' (vs. 15), 'she works vigorously' (vs. 17), 'she opens her arms to the poor' (vs. 20), 'she watches over the affairs of her household' (vs. 27), and most of all she is a 'woman who fears the Lord' (vs. 30). There are three major priorities that are within these verses: fear the Lord, be a helper to your Husband, and be a world-changer. Once these are in place everything else will fall in place.

Family

A strong marriage is built upon God's principles of love, respect, and teamwork. If the marriage is not strong, how can the family be strong. 

Turning to the book of Ephesians, Paul enlightens us with some relationship tips dealing with family life. In chapter 5, goes into how wives are to respect their husbands and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the Church (vs. 33). Oneness between the two. It means caring for your spouse as you care for yourself, learning to anticipate her or his needs, to help each other become all that he or she can be. This was God's plan in the beginning (Gen 2:24) and Jesus also had referred to this as well (Matt 19:4-6). 

This 'Super Woman' of Proverbs 31 has outstanding abilities. But her strength and poise do not come from her amazing achievements in life. It was a result of her reverence for God. I want to be a better wife and mother, a better woman overall. But my greatest desire is have a closer relationship with God, as his daughter.

Little Bitty