my review:: jillian micheals 6 week 6 pack

as you may or may not know i am a huge fan of the jillian work out dvds. they are awesome, fast paced and hard ( come on, look at her!) like really hard. if you are short on time you must try the 30 day shred. it is composed of three 25 minute levels that get progressively harder. level 3 is crazy!

i'm going to tell you a secret. i freaking hate ab work. i loathe crunches and pretty much any core exercise ( except for the plank hold. that i hate but love) but i also have a gross mom tummy. yep, three kids and not much ab work will do that to you! 

when i saw that jillian was coming out with an ab video i hoped that it would force me to work my abs out but not get bored.

let me tell you this... it was not boring at all! in fact it was really fun. no , really. an ab video fun! it was pretty fast paced with no breaks. i was constantly moving from laying on my back, to stomach, to plank, then standing. the exercises were tough! there were some familiar moves and some i had never done before. what i liked about this and every other jillian video is the interval training. in this one we did one really long set and then repeated it for a second time. i am so sore today it hurts to laugh or cough. and oddly enough i am sore in other places like my booty and my always lovely love handles.

i hope jillian continues to pump out these awesome videos because for less than $10 and under 45 minutes you cannot find a better workout.



random

this is know for sure. the flu, the real flu you know influenza? it sucks...bad. my baby got it friday night and i got it saturday. i don't recall ever being so miserable in my life. my poor little guy was so miserable and sad. it breaks your heart to see your kids sick we are on days 3 and 4 and still not better. oh and did i tell you that the day after thanksgiving my oldest son came down with strep throat and wait for it.... scarlet fever?! i didn't even know that was possible to still get! we keep getting sick and i don't know how to stop it. it seems to be since my oldest started kindergarten.

i am in love with this locket from varabel etsy. husband if you are reading this i really want a locket for christmas or my birthday.

this is by far one of the tastiest soup recipes i have ever made. and i love soup. i have been dreaming about making it again. but right now meat sounds icky. actually all food sounds icky. except for a fresh lime from artic circle.
ps. every single recipe on that blog is delicious. it is my favorite food blog by far. try her chicken tiki masala.oh and her cream cheese filled pumpkin muffins, zephyr pancakes

sadly i haven't but up my christmas decorations yet. i wasn't going to do it until we finished painting. we are so close to being done. just part of the ceiling and one wall in the kitchen. but i can't stand it anymore. if i feel a tiny bit better tonight it will be a family home evening activity.

i would love to make these, seen on luvinthemommyhood

theraflu is nasty, really nasty

i watched lost for 7 years. lost ended about 8 months ago. i am still super mad over the ending. the episode itself was good but i am angry that they never answered my questions and then had the nerve to say all the mysteries weren't important. really! pretty sure that's how you got people to watch the show, it was a major draw. so mad right now!

that's it! i have been talked into trying body for life again. how amazing is her transformation? love that blog  by the way. she has some great exercise routines.

my favorite oatmeal.
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt
ripe mashed banana
either- nuts and maple syrup or even better justins maple nut almond butter

Combine milk, water and salt in a medium saucepan; heat until almost boiling. Add oats and cook, stirring, until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in mashed banana and toppings.
another recipe from my mom.

speaking of justins nut butter have your tried it? delicious! but expensive. i tried making my own almond butter in my food processor. i think i added the maple syrup to soon because it got all sticky. it is still really good just not creamy. i went to winco last week and grinded my own almond butter and added pure maple syrup and sea salt, much better!

speaking of winco, do you shop there? i looooooooooooooooooove it. i drive 13 minutes to drive there i love it so much. the bulk section is the best. i always spend way less money than anywhere else.

have you tried popchips? they are yummy.

look a rug that matches my wallpaper! Love!

Help me pick my wallpaper!!

I have lived in my house for 3 years. and for 3 years i have been wanting to redo some things. well all of a sudden i have the go ahead. we have a little extra money now thanks to my awesome grandma and a sweet part time job cleaning her house. i want to paper a wall that covers my tiny dining room and into my back wall of the kitchen above my cabinets. can you help me decide which direction i want to go?

either-

A. keep the room light and cohesive with this creamy wallpaper. the ceiling and walls are cream and the floor is a light wood color. i love it because it keeps things light and warm.you have to click on the pictures to see a close up {nevermind i did it for you!} so very pretty right? almost like a doiley.

B. make a statement with this bold gray paper? i love it because i think it will anchor the room and make a statement! i am also loving gray right now. i am a bit worried that the dark will add to my lovely seasonal depression but since everything else is light i'm thinking it won't.

help me out! which one do you like best?

spring wreath to christmas wreath!

so- the dollar store spring wreath ended up being a very nice, non traditionally colored, festive Christmas wreath!of course you could make it in the more traditional reds, greens, white and silver but this actually matched my Christmas decor!

and you can't beat $2 right?

no tutorial is really needed but here is the quick how-to.

flower tutorial here

i'm hoping to make it to this tomorrow... anyone else going?

pumpkin oatmeal muffins

via

my mom gave me this super easy and tasty pumpkin muffin recipe. it is a weight watcher recipe and i guess that each muffin is only 1 point. i added the oatmeal, flax, nuts and chocolate chips to make it even better!( but probably more than 1 point) my boys just downed 3 each! they wanted another one too,but i had to save some for later. try them, you will love them!

 pumpkin oatmeal muffins-

1 box spice cake mix

1 cup water

1 egg

2 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 cup oatmeal

scoop ground  flax seed

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 cup mini chocolate chips

mix together.scoop into muffin tins with paper or sprayed with pam. makes 22 muffins. bake at 400 for 16 minutes.

10 minute blog header tutorial

like my new header?? i really liked my old one but needed a change for fall. want to know how to make a super duper easy 10 minute blog header too?

here are the 9 easy steps to having your own cutomized blog header-
* join picnik if you don't already have an account

* upload pictures. for my banner i googled "retro wallpaper" and this is what came up. if you want a plain and simple header without graphics you can do that too.

* once you have your photos uploaded go to the collage tab, pick the 4 horizontal squares layout. you can keep it the same size or re size it to fit your blog. for my blog layout ( minima lefty stretch) the way it is already set up is the perfect size.

*drag the spacing all the way to the left ( if you want it to look like one long banner) if you want it to be a collage you can play around with the spacing until you like what you see.

* your pictures should be in the bottom left corner. drag them to your collage. you can fill them all with the same picture, different pictures or leave some blank.

* if you want a different color click on the small box next to the spacing tab. you will be able to pick any color you want.

*when you are happy with the way it looks click done ( upper right hand corner)

* from there you go to the create tab. add text, add stickers, you can even draw a picture!

* save and use as your new header. it should be the right size for a header too. easy peasy.

here are some other ones i have made... hope that helps someone out! if you have any questions i'll try to help. i'm not a tech person at all and i figured this out all on my own. if i can do it so can you!

linking: be different act normal, tatertots and jello,  a little lovely, my repurposed life

kristi approved progress...

day one:: goals

my vision::   i will be 4lbs lighter. i will have more energy. i will sleep better.

my mission::  kick the sugar habit ( it's a pretty big habit!). finally getting rid of those darn pesky 7 lbs ( after this last week, more like 10 lbs!) for good. i want to feel good about my body again.

my affirmation::  i will be in better control of my portions. i will go into the holiday season with a plan! i will rock my skinny jeans again. i will have more energy to run around with my boys.

i can't decide if i want to share my weight and measurements on here. let's just say it isn't pretty! but i do want to be held accountable for during the 7 day challenge, so i plan on posting something about it every day.


day one-
followed the eating/nutrition plan to a -T-. i was very pleasantly surprised by how good the food is. yum! and i didn't really feel hungry at all. surprisingly enough i didn't even crave chocolate come 4:00, which is highly unusual for me! i had alot of energy after the workout and really liked it. they have you do "supersets" on her upper body, and it was quick but effective. i also did the body for life style of cardio. it's only 20 minutes but man is it tough!

starting the 7 day kristi approved challenge monday. i'm so excited. they have everything planned out for you... meals, grocery list, workout. i need a boost, maybe this is it.one thing is for sure, those ladies have some rockin mom bodies. dare you to join! let me know if you are, we can form a support group or something. thanks to meg for pointing me in the right direction.

My Review:: one n' only argan oil

back from cali! it was a blast. my boys were sooooo good in the car. seriously amazing. we used the dvd player as a last resort, but made it most the trip without it. they made a huge mess that i had to ignore so i didn't freak out but other than that it went smoothly.

man i don't know about you but california humidity messes with me every single time i visit. usually i break out the instant i am there. and my naturally wavy hair ends up looking like a giant frizzy fro by the end of the day.

i have been wanting to try Moroccan hair oil for awhile now but have been reluctant to get it due to the price ($30+) for a tiny bottle. i ran into sally beauty supply to get some dry shampoo for the trip ( i'll review that later) and they had a promo going on for this argan oil. it was $9 for a 3.4 oz bottle. as luck would have it they were totally out. there went my chance to have frizz free disneyland hair! when i got back from california i checked back and they had it!

i have used it for a couple days now and i love it. it makes my hair soft but not greasy at all. it smells good, almost like suntan oil. my hair is super shiny and i have no idea how but it makes me have to wash my hair less often! i have never been able to go more than every other day washing because i look like a dirty hippie ( not that there's anything wrong with that...seinfield anyone) but i have gone without washing  for 2 days a few times and my hair wasn't gross!

love!

for the price and the result i will for sure be using this all the time.

why haven't i finished posting traveling tips???

a. i had 3 post all written and ready to go when "poof" they disappeared into internet limbo

b. i am finishing up about a billion last minute projects, doing buttloads of laundry, cleaning my bum off, oh yeah and taking care of 3 normally really good boys who have recently started to act like major whiny, fighting, major turds!
c. not sleeping well and after the disappearance of my 3 really really good post decided i don't feel like writing everything over.

bah! looks like it will all have to wait. i do have a vacation to pack for you know!

best lunch ever! my mom made this amazing pizza for lunch today and no kidding it was the tastiest thing my mouth has ever partaken of. you should definitely try it!

i was in the midst of taking photos for a tutorial and it started raining. hopefully i can get some decent photos to show you what i have been up too.

via

for as long as i can remember my family took a big road trip every year from utah to disneyland. my parents had five children so you can imagine how crowded the minivan was with 7 people and a whole lot of stuff!

 well my little family has continued on with this fun family tradition. each year we save our pennies to go to california and go to disneyland and the beach.

 i am extremely lucky to have pretty good travelers. my kids kind of zone out and do their own thing but there does come a time in the trip where they have had it with sitting in a car.

 throughout the years i have learned some things that work at keeping my kids happy those last few hours. this year i will have a 5,3 and 2 year old (all active, wiggly boys!) i wanted to prepare as much as i could to make this a pleasant trip. each day this week i will give tips and ideas for different things like- keeping your kids entertained in the car, keeping kids comfy and fun food ideas, tutorials, disneyland specific tips and more! today i'm talking about...

 tips for keeping your kids entertained in the car-

+ go to the library with your kids and get a few books. my kids also love listening to books on tape ( or cd) we also have a pretty good collection at home. my kids really like the magic tree house series, curious george, harry potter, and other short stories. storynory is a great website with free stories to download. we have an extra ipod that is just for kid stuff. there is nothing worse than a killer run being interrupted by the magic tree house! nothing!

+dvd player. we were lucky enough to get my sisters old dual dvd players. i love having them in the car for long trips. i try not to over-use it though. i really like my kids to use them as a last resort, when they are getting grumpy, bored and tired.we like to get at least one new show they haven't seen, we either buy it and stash it away, or borrow one from a friend.

+the dollar store! there are some pretty cool little things to be found at the dollar stores. dollar tree has some cute little toy story toys right now. also target has a pretty cool dollar section. i have some things i got there that i will show you later.


+ try something fun that you might not think of. why not let your kids play with pipe cleaners? they can create swords, guns, animals, whatever. we did this once for my primary ( church) class and they loved it! they created animals and bracelets and all sorts of things. i have even read to give your smaller kids a roll of tape. that would keep my two year old occupied for awhile! psot it notes would be fun too.

+my friend ginnie,( she's funny) had the fabulous suggestion of giving each kid a box of band aids. our dollar tree has marvel superhero ones right now.my boys would love to have free reign over a box of band aids.

+road trip games. my kids are kind of young to play most of these but i might try a few out.

+pack a ball, frisbee or jumprope for when you take a break for the road. have your kids run around as much as possible when out of the car.

+on that note we always make it a point to either find a park and eat lunch there or visit somewhere with a playplace. if you are headed to california from utah st. george has a nice, big mcdonalds.

+costco had some great sticker books. they are around $7 but my kids love them.

+ how about a cheap photo album? that would be fun

+ magazine and other crap you get in the mail. recently my kids have become obsessed with those damn costume magazines that come this time of year. i hid them all to pull out for our trip. they spend a long time looking at them and telling me they want to be darth vader, no jengo fett, no clone trooper not a storm trooper... oriental trading, and toy magazine are equally as thrilling.

+ conatiners of any types. my kids love altoid tins, cigar boxes, lunch boxes, anything that you can pack small toys or other gadgets into. one of their favorite toys of all time is a small white tin with a handle my mother in law gave them, inside are frogs and lizards and outside is bug magnets. they play with it all the time and don't get sick of it.


 tip:: you don't have to spend much money making your trip more entertaining either. there are many resources online with projects that take only pennies to make and a little time.



family fun has a whole page dedicated to road trip activities, with games, printable and more. there is sure to be something that will work for you and your family! i recently purchase a laminator for a great deal and plan on laminating most things so that they last longer. but even if they only last in the car and keep my kids occupied, then it is all good to me!
here are some i plan on using from that site-
+create a creature
+superhero paper doll
 
another great site is disney family
here are some of my favorites.
+felt perry the platypus. my boys love phineas and ferb. i'm making them each one of these hilarious perry felt toys.
+toy story magnets
+toy story playset
+toy story fun book
 
 

+this felt oogie boogie man is rad. what kid wouldn't like stuffing him with bugs and frogs?!
pretty sure a mini version of this light saber would amuse my kids
here are some darling girl ideas, pretty sure my sweet little 3 year old would love some of the tinkerbell things too. ( he has a thing for "his girl" tinkerbell)
 

 
+magnet boards are one of my kids favorites. we get them a Michael's of another local craft store and use a coupon.
 

+toobs, again we get them at micheals with a coupon. they are alot of fun and the perfect size.
 
find other great ideas-
here
 

what are some of your favorite tips for keeping kids entertained on the road?

 
 

  via

the first week in october is going to be a fun one. we are taking a long car trip to disneyland.(yay!) traveling with kids is always interesting to say the least. i have pretty easy travelers but anything i can do to help my 3 young boys have an easier and more comfortable trip is always good. well i've decided that since i'm gathering ideas and making some fun things i might as well bring you along for the ride! come back next week for some tutorials, guest bloggers and other tips to make traveling with kids easier!  if you have some tips leave a comment and i will compile a list of tips.

ps. if anyone wants to be a guest poster i would love it! let me know at jacquelynbateman@hotmail.com

note to self...
when i am not being lame anymore and eating sugar again. i will make these peanut butter brownies. and i will eat more than one.

i have seen the linky love feature on a few blogs and have enjoyed going through and finding new things. i thought i would show you guys some of the great things i've noticed in the past little while.

random linky love...

this portable bucket grill looks so great. it would have come in mighty handy on our trip to bear lake.

so many delicious looking recipes and healthy too! i'm making these for my boys today

this post by nienie

this new to me blog. i saw her on freshly picked. she is totally inspiring! simple, hip, handmade clothes.

awesome, creative, talented etsy stores 

 my friend sent me the link to this blog with  tons of free educational ideas and printouts.

the most perfect looking granny chic bed ever. i adore everything that tif does. she has the most perfect house ever.

this pretty modern family tree

the best boy halloween tees

whew looks like i have alot on my mind!

recipe exchange

kelly over at according to kelly had a great idea to do a dinner recipe exchange.  the point being to post a whole weeks worth of recipes on your blog, then she will compile them all into one place. i thought that it was a super great idea and decided to join. here are some of my favorite go to recipes.
Spicy Chicken Peanut Noodles
Ingredients -
* 4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 lb. raw/peeled/cleaned shrimp
* 8 oz. dry spaghetti or linguine
* 1/4 cups dry roasted peanuts
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro


For Marinade



* 1 T Soy sauce
* 1 T Brown sugar
* 1 T Peanut oil ( i used sesame)
* 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt


For Peanut Sauce ( i took the advice of rose and 2x it)
* 1/2 c. Chicken broth
* 1/4 c. Creamy peanut butter
* 2 T Brown sugar
* 2 T Rice Vinegar
* 2 T Fresh Lime Juice
* 1 T Soy Sauce
* 1 T Fresh Ginger, minced
* 1 T Chili Garlic sauce
* 1/2 c. Fresh cilantro
For Cucumber Sambal (again, I doubled it. So good!)
* 1 c. cucumber (seed and dice if you don't use english cucs)
* 1/2 c. Scallions
* 1/4 c. Red bell pepper, diced
* 3 T Rice Vinegar
* 1 T Sugar
* 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
* 1/2 T Kosher salt

Preparation Instructions Don't be scared by the long list of ingredients. This meal is really easy to throw together. First, preheat grill to medium-high. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.

Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Toss with chicken and grill for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from grill pan, and tent with foil while preparing the other ingredients.

Prepare the cucumber sambal by tossing together the sambal ingredients. Set aside till serving.

Cook the pasta according to pkg.

directions; drain and return to the pot. Meanwhile, prepare the peanut sauce. Heat broth, peanut butter, brown sugar, vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, and chili garlic sauce in a saucepan over medium heat to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Off heat, stir cilantro and salt, then pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat.

Top each chicken breast with pasta and cucumber sambal.

Garnish with more fresh cilantro and peanuts.

+marv and joes- a Utah State University favorite... i seriously ate them almost every day for lunch. i think mine are better too.


ingredients-
+wheat bread ( you could use white or sourdough too.
+homemade garlic butter
+fresh sliced tomatoes
+olive oil and red wine vinegar ( i leave off the oil)
+grated parmesan cheese
+provolone cheese
+freshly ground pepper


toast bread in toaster or oven. spread on garlic butter. top with tomato, add vinegar and pepper. top with a slice of provolone cheese, then sprinkle with parmesan. broil until browned and bubbly. delicious!




one of my favorite dinners of all time...

+southwestern chili mac
get the recipe at just cook already. a great cooking blog that i have contributed to in the past.


+ breakfast for dinner-zephyr pancakes, homemade buttermilk syrup
+ cornflake chicken


ingredients-
-boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders ( if using breast i cut them in to long strips or pound them out thinner.
-3 cups of crushed cornflakes
-1 packet of dry Italian dressing
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
-melted butter


directions-
preheat oven to 350.
melt butter and but in a bowl deep enough to fit chicken. mix crushed cornflakes, dressing packet and cheese in a large ziploc baggie. dip chicken into butter, then throw in bag and shake. bake for 20-30 minutes until chicken is done. my boys looooove this one.

+fried rice. i already loved this recipe then i saw that kami for no biggie used rotissere chicken instead of cooking her own. sooo tasty! i also use brown rice and less butter.

blue lily is giving away another session. check out all the details on the  rie's dialogues blog. trust me, if you get the chance to get a blue lily photo shoot you should, cause wendy is rad. and who doesn't love rad photos?

note to self::

i want this bad. that is all.

from cb2

oh how i am loving this look. i only wish my hair was long enough to attempt this beauty of a hairstyle seen on love in the mommyhood. it's the perfect blend of messy and classy.

my review:: keebler fake samoas aka coconut dreams

my friend kem introduced me to these lovely little things on the 4th of july. they are very, very similar to samoas. which is good... and bad. 

i have a major weakness for samoas. these are almost but not quite as good. but alot easier to get and  they happen to be cheap enough too.plus they give me coconut dreams.

 i need to stop eating so much sugar. sugar detox take one begins on Monday.

 i am limiting myself to one free day a week. 

ready go...

tonight i am having a yummy mexican dinner. here are the recipes i am using...

photo
 {mock chili colorado}

ingredients-
2 lbs lean stew meat cubed
1 onion chopped finely
garlic
sazon goya ( i get in in the mexican section of walmart) this is my secret ingredient in a ton of recipes. it adds an amazing flavor to things. i especially love it in homemade spaghetti sauce! i plan on posting another recipe that uses it later this week.
2 tbl flour
1/4 cup New Mexico or California chili powder
dash of mexican hot sauce

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
salt to taste
fresh cilantro

brown meat in oil. season with garlic powder, salt and pepper, chili powder and flour, throw into crock pot. mix onions+ rest of ingredients and pour on top of everything. cook 5-8 hours in a crock pot. serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese, onions and cilantro.

+homemade tortillas

+ watermelon

+  my very favorite homemade salsa

{roasted salsa}

Ingredients

12 roma (plum) tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 small onion, quartered
1 jalapeno chile pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
juice from 1-2 limes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat the broiler to high. cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. chop onions in big chunks. cut stem off jalapeno.

place  on cookie sheet. broil on high until vegetables are charred (5-15 minutes). throw everything into a food processor. throw in bowl and add cumin, salt, lime juice and cilantro.

+ quick and dirty brazilian lemonade

{brazilian lemonade}

2 bottles Simply Limeaid

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 sliced limes for serving

1 bag crushed ice

In a large bowl (or pitcher if you have one big enough) pour about a cup of the Limeaid in then pour in the sweetened condensed milk. Pour in the rest of the Limeaid, mix well.

Fill desired glasses to the brim with ice, pour Brazilian lemonade over top with lime and serve immediately

recipe from nosh

can't wait! what are you having?

i've never been a big fan of push ups. so why am i doing the one hundred push up challenge?

beats me! but i am.... want to join me?

 have you heard of ombre hair?

 i hadn't until yesterday when i was blog hopping and was lead to the blog hairdresser on fire. which is  a great hair blog... ombre is  basically having multi shade hair color. apparently it was inspired by children's hair color after playing out in the sun all summer. all i can say is i looooove it. i especially love the second hair color and dare i say it... sarah jessica parkers (ughh never been a fan of hers) i spent a bit of time looking at different hair blogs. it seems to be a divided trend. some people love the look, others think it looks to grungy.

what do you think? do you like it? any hairdressers out there with some tips?

my review ::: spin pins

i have thick wavy hair. which is nice. what isn't nice is trying to style my hair and  having to use 230 bobby pins. i usually bend half of them and the other half fall out of my hair leaving  a trail of bobby pins that lead to me. i heard about the goody spin pin a while back somewhere ( commercial, blog, friend... not sure) i found some at target and got stylin. these weird looking little curly q's take the place of 20 pins each. they are awesome and easy to use. i love the messy bun look and when i used this is took all of 2 minutes to do.

{via}

here's the deal. almost three years ago we moved into a home with a perfect, beautifully manicured lawn. the lady that lived here before me was a horticulturist and spent alot of time in the yard. it has the wild perennial garden look but oh boy has it gotten out of control.

i am not a horticulturist... i was pregnant one summer, tired the next and to dang tired and busy to care this summer. but something has to be done. soooooo here is my quick tip:

 every time i talk on the phone i scoot my bum outside and weed for 10 or 15 minutes.

sometimes after my kids go to bed i make another trip for 20 or so minutes until it gets dark. slowly but surely things are getting done.