Do you Need Mom Reassurance?

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for JOHNSON's Baby. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I'm pregnant with my 6th child, so you would think I would have outgrown "mommy insecurity."  Still,  it pleases me to get the occasional "you're doing a great job with your kids" or to hear that I've inspired someone else with their own parenting.  Is it a bit selfish to need reassurance?  Sure.  But it can go a long way in giving me confidence needed to do the tough job of mothering.

Do you often wish you had more reassurance as a mom?  Do you sometimes struggle to feel like you're doing the right thing in your heart -- even though you know you are in your mind?  As moms, we have a huge opportunity to support one another and be there to give one another an "atta girl" when we are most vulnerable.

I remember very recently finding out about our current pregnancy.  It was not something I was prepared for, and yet, I found myself searching to hear anyone tell me anything other than "Oh, you're having ANOTHER ONE?  Don't you know how those babies are made?"  I just once wanted to hear "Congratulations!  That's wonderful! Babies are a blessing."  I also struggled with fear over what a 6th c-section could possibly do for my health.

It was on my lowest day that I read a Facebook status from a friend I hadn't seen in ages.  She had posted Scripture that seemed to address my concerns and insecurities so well.  It was: "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!  Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.  And God granted his request. - 1 Chronicles 4:10"

See, others know what you're going through in some way -- even if they don't fully understand your specific struggles as a mom.  And you, too, could inspire another mom by giving them reassurance, encouragement, and prayer.  One way to do this is through a Johnson's Baby Cares Card! Not only can you encourage others with your message, for every card sent, shared, or liked, Johnson's Baby will donate $1.00 to Save the Children, up to $150,000 to benefit early childhood education.

Will you send a card?  Even though I had a fabulous Mother's Day, there are so many other days during the year where it is important to show our appreciation.  Who will you send your card to?

 

Michael Angelo's Italian Dinner Party Giveaway!

I love, love, love Italian food.  To be honest, however, I have not been very impressed with many of the frozen entrees available at my local grocer.  Either the ingredients are too salty, the meat tastes bland, or it is entirely too greasy for my taste.  I was asked by Michael Angelo's to sample some of their frozen menu items as part of a dinner party I was having for some out-of-town friends.  Since I only see these friends one time a year, I was really wanting to impress them.  I felt like I took a chance by blindly serving them products I've never tried before, but I took the plunge.

Here is how our dinner party went...

First, I served the Michael Angelo's Flatbread as an appetizer.  These are so delicious, because the pepperoni and salami pieces were substantial, and the cheese was authentic and gooey.  I sliced each flatbread into 3 pieces, and the kids really loved these the most!

Next, I put out a few Michael Angelo's entrees for the main course.  I wasn't too certain these would cook through with just the 45 minutes cooking time from frozen, but they did!  The eggplant parm (shown below) had crispy, golden edges, just like I like it.  This was supposed to serve just 5 people, but the portions are very meaty with eggplant and cheese.  We easily cut this into 8 servings.

Next was the Chicken Piccata.  This was a rich and buttery dish with a nice seasoning and chunks of artichokes.  I made some whole-wheat noodles to put it on, and it was perfect!  The chicken was tender and lemony!

Finally, the Meat Lasagna was very popular.  Everyone tried some, and it was your basic lasagna with real ground meats.  It tasted homemade!

We also enjoyed fresh salad and a warm homemade garlic bread.  It was so much food for the 9 of us, but our guests stayed into the evening, and we enjoyed the leftovers as a second meal.

Finally, we whipped up a homemade tiramisu.  I didn't have any marscapone on hand, so I improvised with some cream cheese, whipping cream, and frozen whipped topping.  It was delicious!

Our meal was warm, casual, and very relaxing. I can't tell you how nice it was to put everything in the oven the hour before they arrived, kick on our ice maker, and set the table.  When our guests got there, all of the work was done.  There was no checking on the food -- it baked itself.  I was proud of the meal I had made, and I have since purchased several of the Michael Angelo's items for my family while I'm away on trips.  (Plus, I have a secret addiction to the Eggplant Parm -- which I think is the BEST I have ever had.  I love to bake it up and snack on it throughout the next few days.  It's very good reheated!)

Michael Angelo's is available at Walmart, in the frozen Italian dinner section.  You can expect each dish to contain small batch, made from scratch entrees with no unnecessary additives, artificial colors/flavors/fillers/ or preservatives.  Just read the ingredients; it's a simple list of good stuff you are already familiar with -- and the flavor proves it!

Wanna Win?  We are giving one lucky reader 3 coupons good for a free Michael Angelo's Flatbread.  To be entered to win, just tell us which flatbread variety you would choose to try first!

You have until May 27th at 11:59 pm CST to get your entries in.  We'll randomly pick one winner to get the prize.  Open to U.S. residents ages 18+ only, one entry per person.  Full promotional rules here.

*Samples and gift card received to facilitate party and post.  Opinions are 100% my own.

5 Easy Steps to a Successful Freezer Cooking Session

By Melissa Batai

While you may be convinced that freezer cooking or once a month cooking will make your weeknights easier and will save you money, you may be overwhelmed by the process. Don't be. It's not really that hard.

Here's what you need to know to have a successful freezer cooking session:

1. Check your pantry. Check your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator to see what ingredients you already have on hand. Using up what you have will save you money when bulk cooking.

2. Find your recipes. A few days before you plan to do your freezer cooking session, find the recipes. If you don't know what will freeze well, find recipes that are designed specifically for freezer cooking. A few places to look include onceamonthmom.com, food.com (search OAMC to find the recipes), and hollyclegg.com (freezer recipes are denoted with a snowflake).

Ideally you'll choose 5 to 7 recipes, each of which you'll triple or quadruple. That will give you enough for dinners for the entire month. Make sure to find recipes that use different cooking methods--one slow cooker recipe, one oven recipe, a few stovetop ones, and a few that you don't need to cook on your freezer cooking day. These may just have you put some sauce in with frozen chicken breasts, for example, and freeze them and add them to the slow cooker on the day you'll eat them.

3. Go shopping. Don't be surprised if you have a higher grocery bill this week, but remember, you're buying ingredients to prepare meals for the entire month. In the long run, you'll likely save money.

4. Prep ingredients. If you have time, the day before your freezer cooking session, cut and prepare all of the vegetables you need. That'll save you time on the actually freezer cooking day.

5. Cook. On your freezer cooking day, make sure you have freezer ziplock bags and be prepared for several hours of hard work. However, at the end of the day, you'll have a freezer full of meals for the month. Now, the only groceries you'll need to buy for the rest of the month are perishables such as fruits, vegetables, milk and eggs.

 Have you tried freezer cooking before? Did you have any difficulties?

Melissa, a mom to three little ones (ages 7, 3 and 1) blogs at Mom's Plans where she writes about living a fulfilling life on less and focuses on cutting expenses, budgeting, paying down debt, saving money and once a month cooking.

Bike Month at Walmart - The Perfect Excuse to Equip the Family!

Even though we have just one single, short gravel driveway, and nowhere else to ride, my boys love going out to ride their bikes when the weather is nice.  As you can see from the photo above, however, they often need reminded to wear their helmets!  We realized early on that making sure each child has a bike and the proper equipment can be expensive; thankfully, we have turned to Walmart over the past year to help us get what we need for the kids' hobby without too much fuss.

This month is National Bike Month and Walmart is getting in the game.  In-store, you'll find some nice prices on bikes, equipment, and parts.  My kids could spend forever in there looking at all the fun accessories.

One thing that catches their eye every time is the bike horn.  While it's unnecessary, it's a fun extra that I have encouraged the kids to save their money for if they truly want it.  (They also have to follow the "no horns in the house" rule!)

The kids come in all sizes, so their helmets should, as well.  We were quite impressed with the selection of helmets the last time we were in the store.  There are character helmets for girls and boys, OR, if you need to save money by having kids hand down helmets, there are plenty of gender-neutral options, also.

Walmart has always held a special place in our hearts for biking memories; my son saved his money for a year before buying his first bicycle brand new from Walmart in 2012.  It's nice to see him taking such good care of the bike (something I'm not sure he would have done if we had bought it for him.)  With over a dozen bikes in stock at less than $100 each, we've enjoyed shopping brand names on bikes and gear -- and our kids have learned a valuable lesson about both bike safety and fiscal responsibility!

Does your family bike?  Are your kids properly equipped for safe riding?  


As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I've received compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.