Showing posts with label family

Preserving family traditions with Sunday dinners like Chicken Cacciatore with veggies

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, February 22, 2016
Sunday dinners hold a special place in both my husband and my hearts. Memories of dining at our grandparents homes, surrounded by lots of family members; tables stuffed with so much good food it was certain no one left hungry or without leftovers!  Even though time and distance keeps us from having Sunday dinners with our extended families often;  we preserve these family traditions and pass them on to our daughters with home-cooked Sunday dinners. Thanks to today’s post sponsor: Publix #PublixVivaItaliaSale, I whipped up my tasty take of Chicken Cacciatore last night and my family loved it!

Sunday dinner: Chicken Cacciatore w/veggies and french bread



Let me say right up front- this is not a traditional Italian Chicken Cacciatore recipe. This is one I’ve changed and perfected over the years using as many ingredients as I have on hand. For instance, in summer, I’m looking for dishes to use up my zucchini and yellow squash so there would be no need for me to use frozen bagged vegetables like Green Giant's in my Cacciatore dish.  

Raid your pantry for Sunday dinner ingredients


Sunday dinners are perfect for “raid your pantry” type meals, so don’t be afraid to try out new flavors or products in a dish. That’s how I found out that adding Progresso reduced sodium creamy tomato with Basil soup to my sauce imparts a light and flavorful creaminess my family enjoys with less calories and sodium! To make this an even healthier dish, I use chicken breasts rather than skinned chicken thighs.

Ingredients:
Serves 6
  • 2 cups dried pasta of choice (I used Farfalle)
  • 4 medium to large boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 2 cups fresh zucchini, squash, cauliflower chopped (use 2 bags frozen veggies if you don’t have fresh)
  •  ½ to 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • ½ yellow or white onion
  • 2 14.5 oz. cans Hunts Diced Basil, Garlic & Oregano Tomatoes (use juice)
  • 1 19 oz. can Progresso reduced sodium creamy tomato with Basil soup
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 sprig Rosemary
  • Grated Parmesan cheese to garnish
  • Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

In large, lightly oiled skillet brown salt and peppered chicken breasts till cooked. I cut my chicken into medium bite size pieces for faster cooking time.  
While chicken is cooking, chop up mushrooms, garlic and onion.
Once chicken breasts are cooked, pull from pan and set aside. Deglaze pan with red wine, then add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Lightly brown.
Next add fresh or frozen veggies to pan, sauté till al dente, about 10 minutes.
Put water with a bit of oil and salt on to boil.

Simmer Chicken Cacciatore veggie sauce till bubbly

Now that veggies are mostly cooked, add to pan tomatoes with juice, Progresso creamy Tomato and Basil soup.
Add chicken back to sauce. Stir until well covered.
Add Rosemary and any additional salt and pepper needed.
Simmer sauce for 15 minutes while pasta cooks.
Drain pasta, drizzle with olive oil. Cover.
Plate pasta, cover with Chicken Cacciatore Sauce.

Manja!


This hearty Italian style Chicken Cacciatore dish is a delightful Sunday family style meal! I served a loaf of Pillsbury French bread with our dinner that I’d picked up while shopping at Publix. You can save a $1.00 off any 3 Pillsbury breads and $2.00 off Publix fresh chicken and more when you shop the #PublixVivaItaliaSale in store and by visiting www.readyplansave.com to download coupons. Be sure to check out their great recipes while you are there too and you’ll be serving up smiles with your Sunday dinners as well.


Win it!

Thanks to our Sponsor, Publix, one lucky winner will receive a $10 PayPal cash transfer so they can go shop the #PublixVivaItalia sale and serve up something Italian soon.

Terms:

No purchase is necessary to enter using the Rafflecopter from below.  My WAHM Plan is responsible for prize fulfillment.  To win, you must have a valid PayPal email account. Winners will be notified by email used on entry form and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  This giveaway is not associated with nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social channel. 

Good luck!

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Wordless Wednesday: Good Eats

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, February 10, 2016
                            
 We cook, we laugh, we love, we eat together. #Family

Grilled burgers and fries
Grilled burgers and fries



Beef Broccoli Noodle Stir Fry
Beef Broccoli Noodle Stir Fry




Pork Shoulder Roast
Pork Shoulder Roast

What do you cook with your family? 
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Warm up your family with Caserecce Pasta & Red Sauce

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Sunday, January 10, 2016
Pasta is a passion with my family and is on heavy rotation at our dinner table.  When we shop, we’re on the lookout for unique pasta shapes to try at home and when dining out, at least one in our family of four will order a pasta dish.  My husband and I enjoy recreating favorite pasta dishes at home so last night I made a favorite to warm up my family- Caserecce pasta and Red Sauce. I even added some meatballs for good measure.  Thank you to Ragu for sponsoring today’s post and inspiring me to pass on my family traditions.

Warm up with Caserecce Pasta & Red Sauce #recipe #simmeredintradition




You’ll find Caserecce Pasta and Red Sauce on many restaurant menus, but don’t let that intimidate you. With a planning and a good Red sauce like Ragu, you’ll be serving up smiles in no time! Here’s my list of ingredients for you to make a shopping list from.

Ingredients to make Caserecce Pasta & Red Sauce #recipe


Ingredients: Serves 6

  • 1 container Caserecce Pasta
  • 1 small white or yellow onion
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 24 ounce Ragú Red Pasta Sauce. (I used Chunky Tomato, Garlic & Onion) 
  • 1 pound Italian style meatballs (optional)
  • Freshly shredded Romano or Parmesan to garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, add olive oil on medium heat until warm. Add onions and minced garlic and sweat until onions are translucent. When my family smells this, they know I'm cooking up something good! 

Sweating onions and garlic

Meanwhile, in large pot, bring water with a drizzle of oil of your choice and a pinch of salt to boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions.  As with most pasta dishes, Caserecce is best served Al dente.  


Once your onions and garlic are ready, add your Ragu pasta sauce. I usually put just a little water in the jars to get out every last bit of sauce and stir it in along with the salt, pepper and Rosemary.  Let your sauce simmer for about 6 minutes, then add your meatballs. You can either add meatballs you’ve made, or pre-made meatballs now, just make sure they aren’t frozen.

The making of a good red sauce with Ragu #simmeredintradtion

The great thing about using Ragu red sauce is that it has such a great flavor, it doesn’t require any fussing with. My pasta dishes turn out perfectly each time.  Assunta Cantisano, the founder of Ragu; sure new what she was doing with her recipe when she started out way back in 1937! This sauce is truly #simmeredintradition and I’m proud to serve it to my family and friends.  Plus, as a work at home mom and entrepreneur, I was fascinated to learn about her and this beloved brand. I invite you to read her story here. 

Continue to simmer your sauce while you make your sides. 

Simmering red sauce for pasta

I usually serve sourdough garlic bread and a large salad with my Caserecce Pasta & Red Sauce, but this dish also pairs well with roasted vegetables or whatever you have on hand.  

In less than 50 minutes, you’ll be serving up a hearty meal that will warm your family from the inside out and just may start a new tradition of serving pasta often as well. 


Mangia!


Please share in comments: What is your favorite pasta in red sauce dish? Is this a family recipe that's been handed down to you? 


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Turned up Turkey Tetrazzini recipe and $10 giveaway

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, September 09, 2015
By the Labor Day weekend, my family and I are ready to switch up our dinner fare and start adding some of our fall favorites to the menu. My family loves my classic Turkey Tetrazzini that I make with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, so when my husband smoked a turkey breast for our holiday, I decided to make turned up Turkey Tetrazzini as part of the #PublixFlavorExcursion, which showcases several brands my family loves. 



My WAHM Plan: Turned up Turkey Tetrazzini recipe




The great thing about making this Tetrazzini dinner is you may already have several of the key ingredients on hand. I was fortunate enough to have ample left-over turkey for my dinner, but you can purchase deli turkey for this recipe and shred it too. Here’s what you’ll need to make this tasty and quick dinner.

Ingredients:

My WAHM Plan: Ingredients for Turned up Turkey Tetrazzini


Makes 6 servings



Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add olive or canola oil to large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly brown and fork tender.


Next add Turkey, undrained tomatoes, soup, water, milk to skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine all ingredients. Heat until mixture is hot, and then simmer until pasta is done. Add half the cheese to skillet to melt. Drain cooked pasta and add to skillet. Gently mix all ingredients until pasta is covered. Top with remaining cheese. 

I served my Turned up Turkey Tetrazzini with French-style green beans and sourdough cheesy-garlic bread. This dinner was ready and on the table in just 40 minutes and my family loved it saying it was different in a good way. They really enjoyed the slight heat from the Ro*tel green chilies. If you love heat like I do, you can take it up a notch by adding pepper flakes to your serving.


My WAHM Plan: Ro*tel green chilles gives this dish its kick


Win It:

 This giveaway is sponsored by #PublixFlavorExcursion and participating brands because they want to help you take a culinary trip from your everyday menu! Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below.

Terms:
No purchase necessary to enter. Open to U.S. residents who are 18+ years or older. My WAHM Plan is responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners will be notified by email used on entry form and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  This giveaway is not associated with nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social channel.


Good Luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure:

My thanks to Publix and participating brands for sponsoring today's recipe.I received  monetary compensation for my thoughts, however, I only share content I feel will benefit my readers. I’m disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”


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Bring back Taco Tuesday and delight your family! #summerfiesta #ad

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, August 10, 2015
By August, our family meal plans have fizzled and we all are getting a bit bored with the same dinner fare. That’s why last week, I decided to go old school and serve up tasty tacos on, you guessed it! Tuesday- much to the delight of my family! If your summer dinner routine has hit a snag, maybe it’s time to bring back Taco Tuesday and delight your family too.




Bring back Taco Tuesday #summerfiesta


I wanted to keep dinner a surprise, so I headed to Publix by myself with the intention of buying the ingredients for good old fashioned beef and bean tacos. That’s when I noticed the Stand ‘n Stuff Taco shells dinner kit right beside their refried beans and green chilies that I normally buy. I knew these stand-alone shells would be a big hit with my girls, so in the cart they went, along with some avocados for guacamole.

My WAHM Plan: Avocados from Mexico make tasty guacamole

As soon as I got home, I started making some guacamole with these beautiful avocados. I’m fortunate that my family loves the taste of this fruit! Of course we aren’t alone- did you know that Americans eat 1.4 billion pounds of guacamole a year?! Yeah, I was pretty blown away by that number myself.


I keep my guacamole recipe really simple and easy to follow by using ingredients and spices I have on hand like ground garlic, cumin, Adobo and fresh squeezed lime juice. I’ve found it I stick to this recipe, the guacamole will get gobbled up and used for more than just chip dipping,  We spread it on sandwiches, dip our carrots and peppers and more.


My WAHM Plan: freshly made Guacamole


Avocados do ripen really quickly, so I used all 5 of mine in this batch of guacamole. If your family won’t eat that much, you can store uncut avocados in the frig for a few days, or slice them and squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on them to keep the avocado from browning. If you’d like to see some recipes for guacamole and other avocado dishes, just head on over to Avocados from Mexico. My guacamole tasted perfect with some Blue Corn tortilla chips I had on hand, so I set it in the frig to chill and got started on my stand’n stuff tacos.


My WAHM Plan: Taco Tuesday stand n stuff tacos

With the Old El Paso dinner kit that has shells, meat seasonings and taco sauce, my Taco Tuesday dinner was done in a flash. Besides cheese and sour cream, I make sure I serve tacos with lots of veggies- romaine lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, peppers, and more guacamole to help them be a bit healthier. 

When my family came to the dinner table, they couldn’t have been more surprised and delighted that I was serving tacos on Tuesday again. And the crunchy, easy to use stand n stuff shells were a huge hit!


My WAHM Plan: serve up a plate of crunchy tacos for dinner


If tacos aren’t your thing, you can find lots of quick and easy dinner recipes like Grilled Fajita Boats over at Old El Paso. They sound just as yummy as my tacos and I’m sure will be just as welcome at your next #summerfiesta dinner. 

Save!

From now, through the 19th, you can save on all Old El Paso products by shopping with Publix. Just upload, or print out the coupons at readysetsave.com to your loyalty card.


Win It:

My thanks to Old El Paso and Publix for sponsoring this $10 PayPal cash transfer giveaway! Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below.

 Terms:
No purchase is necessary to enter using the Rafflecopter form.  My WAHM Plan is responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners will be notified by email used on entry form and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  This giveaway is not associated with nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social channel. 


Good luck!


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Stocking the pantry with yummy snacks at Publix #snacksharesaveevent! #ad #giveaway

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, April 07, 2015


With a busy family of four, we seem to run out of certain pantry staples often. Anybody with a teen or a tween in their home know that pantry staples include snacks! These kids are hungry often because of their fast metabolisms. Add a few friends over on weekend or after school and a pantry raid is inevitable.



disclosure, bloggers, storytellers

snacks, after school, kids, favorite

Thankfully, I have Publix to help me restock and save each week. And right now, Publix is having an awesome saving event called Snack-Share-Save where you can save $5.00 by using their digital coupons, so you can skip the clip and head straight to the checkout line with your savings on your loyalty card.


 Here’s how:

  1. Go to SnackShareSave.com and choose a design to share on your social media account.
  2. Log In to your Publix Skip The Clip Account.
  3. Share the social media design via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
  4. Check your Skip the Clip Account for your $5 Coupon.

That’s it! 


granola, greek yogurt, Sierra Mist

You can save on favorites like:

  • Fiber One Chewy Bars
  • Nature Valley Breakfast Biscuits
  • Chex Mix Snack Mix, Chex Mix Chips, Chex Muddy Buddies, Chex Popped (a huge snack favorite here)
  • Cascadian Farms Cereals and Granola, Chex Gluten Free Granola Cereal and Nature Valley Protein Granola
  • Yoplait Greek 100 and Greek 100 Whips
  • Pepsi products including Sierra Mist and Dr. Pepper and many more!


Ready to save on restocking your pantry so you'll have great snacks on hand? Then head over to Publix  SnackShareSave.com and see all the great deals available!


banana, Greek yogurt, Granola


Before you do though, how about a giveaway? Thanks to the generous folks at Publix, one lucky reader will receive a $15.00 PayPal transfer from me. 


Terms:

Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below. No purchase necessary to enter. Must live in the United States and be 18+ years or older to enter. My WAHM Plan will email winner, whom must respond with valid PayPal email address or another winner will be selected. This contest is not associated with or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or any other social channel. 

Good luck!


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Family Night with General Mills Awesome Movies #biggcerealmovies #sponsored

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, July 11, 2014

Friday nights have been Family fun nights at our house for years. Now that the girls are in their teens and tweens, we let them decide if it’s game night or movie night and it just so happens, tonight is going to be movie night thanks to Big G Cereal Movies. This post is sponsored by General Mills but my love for their cereal and family fun is all my own.

Big G wants to inspire family nights together with classic movies that you can share with your loved ones anytime, anywhere by offering a free HD movie download when you purchase 2 boxes of these participating cereals:


  • Honey Nut Cheerios
  • Fruity Cheerios
  • Frosted Cheerios
  • Lucky Charms
  • Reese’s Puffs
  • Trix
  • Cocoa Puffs
  • Golden Grahams


We chose Lucky Charms and Frosted Cheerios.  We had to look through the Big G cereals available to make sure we selected boxes with the General Mills and Fox MovieDownload Promotion movie banner across the front to ensure we’d get the code needed. 


#biggcerealmoviesBig G Cereal Movies




Once you have your Big G cereal home, it’s time to decide what movie you are going to download. There are 10 great movies to choose from.


#biggcerealmoviesBig G Cereal Movies



We chose Mr. Popper’s Penguins.  Downloading our movie was easy.  

  • We found the codes needed in each cereal box.
  • Went to Big G Cereal Movies and entered codes.
  • Downloaded our free movie.



No family movie night would be complete without a snack, so we were happy to see snack recipes on both boxes of Big G cereal. The girls and I raided our pantry and came up with our own version of Lucky Charms Peanutty Good Luck Snack. We added Cashews, Pretzel bites and Frosted Cheerios to our recipe. It is so sweet and salty good that we had to put it away to wait until official movie time tonight. 


Lucky Charms snack #biggcerealmovies


Here is the recipe for Lucky Charms Peanutty Good Luck Snack from cereal box:


Ingredients:

4 cups Lucky Charms cereal
1 cup candy-coated peanut butter pieces
1 cup yogurt-covered raisins
1 cup peanuts

Directions:

Place all ingredients in resealable plastic food- storage bag; seal.
Shake until mixed. Store at room temperature up to 3 days.



Enjoying our family movie nights is just one of the ways we spend quality time together as a family, and now thanks to Big G, we’ll have Mr. Popper’s Penguins in our movie collection to watch again and again.


Please share in comments: What are some of your favorite family movies? 
Disclosure: Many thanks to General Mills for sponsoring today’s post and sharing their family fun with us. I will receive compensation for sharing my thoughts on Big G,. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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Picnic Basket with Goodies Giveaway

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, June 26, 2014

I have a quick question for you, when was the last time you went on a picnic? 

Has it been a while? 

Then you are going to love this giveaway hosted by Womensforum.com.  

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation depending on your participation.

The Giveaway:

womens forum sweeps

Gather your family and friends, because Womensforum.com is ready to set you up with the perfect summertime picnic! 

The Prizes:

Prize pack includes: a picnic basket, blanket, outdoor dining kit and even an outdoor MP3 speaker to create a fun, and delicious, day under the summer sun! 
Giveaway dates are 6-25-14 through 7-16-14 at 9pm PT for U.S. residents 18+. Please visit Womensforum.com for official rules. 


To Enter:

Entering is easy, using your email and Twitter account. Click here to enter and good luck!




Disclosure: This post does contain affiliate links, which may result in compensation for My WAHM Plan depending on your participation, however,  My WAHM Plan only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." - See more at: http://www.mywahmplan.com/#sthash.TcdaH4AT.dpuf
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The Lego Movie Blu-Ray Giveaway

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, June 20, 2014

It's Friday and summer starts tomorrow, so I figured that was reason enough to end this week with an Awesome giveaway! I've teamed up with PartnersHub and Warner Bros. to give one lucky reader a chance to win a copy of The Lego Movie on Blu-Ray! Plus, some winners may receive a Lego mini toy. 




About The Lego Movie:
"The LEGO® Movie, the first-ever, full-length theatrical LEGO® adventure, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller is an original 3D computer animated story that follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO mini figure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously under prepared.
Chris Pratt (Money ball) stars as the voice of Emmet. Will Ferrell (The Campaign) stars as the voice of his primary adversary, President Business, an erudite, anal-retentive CEO who has a hard time balancing world domination with micro-managing his own life; while Liam Neeson (Taken) voices the president's powerful henchman, known as Bad Cop, who will stop at nothing to catch Emmet.
Starring as Emmet's fellow travelers are Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), as Vitruvius, an old mystic; Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, Emmy nominee for 30 Rock), as tough-as-nails Lucy, who mistakes Emmet for the savior of the world and guides him on his quest; Will Arnett (Emmy nominee, 30 Rock), as the mysterious Batman, a LEGO mini figure with whom Lucy shares a history; Nick Offerman (NBC's Parks and Recreation) as a craggy, swaggering pirate, obsessed with revenge on President Business; and Alison Brie (Community) as a sweet, lovable member of the team, with a powerful secret."


Ready to get Creative?
Best Lego video Creation wins! Don't want to make a video? That's okay, you can still enter using the Rafflecopter form below.


To enter, create a mini 6 second LEGO GIF video and comment with the YouTube link to your video as a giveaway entry at this YouTube Channel .


Giveaway Guidelines:


 Each household is only eligible to win The Lego Movie Blu-Ray via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Open to U.S. residents 18+ yrs. No purchase necessary.  My WAHM Plan is not responsible for prize fulfillment. All terms can be found on the Rafflecopter form below.

 Good luck!

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Disclosure: My WAHM Plan was not compensated in any way to host this giveaway.



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Family Fun Magazine Subscription Giveaway

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, May 15, 2014

With summertime almost here and the kids getting out of school next week, this giveaway sponsored by Purex and Family Fun Magazine comes right on time for me and I'm betting you are going to love it too. As a Purex Insider, I will have a chance to win a gift card for sharing this, however all opinions are my own.



Free



About the Giveaway:
Ready, set, GO! Summer is right around the corner and what a great way to prepare for all that summer fun than with a subscription to Family Fun Magazine! Enjoy all things fun with a magazine that celebrates families, cooking, vacations, parties, crafts and more.

Fifteen thousand (15,000) grand prize winners will receive a FREE subscription to Family Fun Magazine. Enter to win a subscription for your family to enjoy!
Entering is easy peasy- just use this link and please share it with any family or friends you think would like to win as well. Giveaway ends on May 30 2014 at 3pm PST. 


 Enter Now and Good luck!



Share in comments: What section would you read first if you won this subscription?

  1. Families
  2. Cooking
  3. Vacations
  4. Parties
  5. Crafts


I'd pick crafts!

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November Finds Me- Many Things

in , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, November 14, 2013

Happy Friday Eve! This has been a growing sort of month for me and I wanted to share a little of it here with you in my monthly “feelings” post.


November finds me:

MyWAHMPlan.com

I know some of you are thinking that these feelings aren’t news worthy, or maybe even post worthy since practically everybody who has an online account on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest are sharing their hearts out. You could be right- maybe this type of sharing is being done too much- but today, this is where my heart is because of recent interactions with friends, family, acquaintances and complete strangers.

1. I have so much to be thankful for that I couldn’t possibly list them all here, but today I am especially thankful for: My own car that runs anytime I need it. This week I’ve chatted with a lady who doesn’t own her own car (or her own home for that matter) and has to schedule her day around others to get around. Another lady, who is a stay at home Mom is a one car family, so she’s stuck at home all day- everyday while her husband goes to work.

2. I’m happy that my life is an amalgamation of domestic know -how and business savvy which allows me to continue being a work at home Mom.  I don’t earn a whole lot of money- but I save us a lot!  With the rising cost of childcare- I am so very happy I can be at home for my kids and family.  
Look at these startling stats:
In 31 states plus D.C., the cost of center-based care for an infant is higher than a year's tuition at a four-year public university.- The average annual cost for two children (an infant and a 4-year-old) in a childcare center ranged from about $10,000 in Mississippi to nearly $30,000 in Massachusetts! You can read the full report here. 

3. I’m peace with my age and stage in life. I’m officially a Tween! I’ve moved past having children and I’m nowhere near ready to be a Grandma- so I’m a tween right along with my tween. 

4. I’m hopeful for what next year will bring. We are on the cusp of good, good things.  I can feel it.

5. I am blessed with the ability to be me. I’ve gone throw some growing pains this year and my wonderful husband- my best friend for well over 20 years, has remained my constant and true biggest fan, as have my daughters. To be honest- this blog would not still be here if not for their unwavering support. Blogging is a creative endeavor with a whole lot of moving parts. Growing a blog is like gardening, it is never ending, but with each season you see fruits of your labor. Some seasons are sweeter and more bountiful than others.  


6. I am loved. And I know it. I am secure in it. If all the material things our society seems to covet fell away and I had to face my tomorrows with nothing but this love I have and those that bestow it, I would be A-Okay.  


So as we edge ever closer to the end of November, I ask you – how does November find you?
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