Superbowl snacks

So the SUPERBOWL is among us!! I want to share some of my favorite appetizers and Superbowl snacks for all of my friends!! Sorry for the delay in posting. I worked, slept and chased madds around the house all weekend!! Please comment with some of your favorite snack ideas too!!

First are some of my favorite snack ideas!

1. Bacon wrapped Tater tots!(delicious)
We had these at my aunts house for the game and they were the first thing gone. I these making ALOT!

YOU NEED:
-1 bag of Tater tots
-1 package of bacon

1. Cook tater tots as directed on package but for a little over luv half of the time stated
2. Cut bacon slices into 3rds
3.Take out tots and wrap in bacon pieces.
4. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or so until bacon starts getting crisp. ENJOY!!

2. EASY DIP.

YOU WILL NEED:
-1 cup mayo
-1 cup sour cream
-2-3 tablespoons of your favorite seasoning(I use garlic parmesan or garlic peppercorn) both can be purchased through me at www.pamperedchef.biz/Caseygralewski

1. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!! This is good with cheese, crackers, chips, little smokies, tater tots etc.

3. EASY CHEESE DIP

YOU WILL NEED:
-1 block of cream cheese
-2 cups of shredded mozzarella
-2-3 tablespoons of seasoning(i use smokey applewood which can be purchased at above link)
- 4 pieces of bacon cooked and drained
-2 tablespoons of milk

-put cream cheese, shredded mozzarella and milk in dish and microwave for 3 minutes
Stir half way through
- if dip seems too thick add a splash of milk
-add seasoning and stir to combine
-crumble bacon over top and watch it disappear!!
*you can also use other toppings like; chopped peppers or onions, cracker crumbs, sun dried tomatoes etc.

4. PEANUT BUTTER FRUIT DIP

YOU WILL NEED:
-1 cup peanut butter
-1 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Add all ingredients in bowl and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined
*great with fruit!

5. BUFFALO RANCH CHICKEN DIP

YOU WILL NEED:
1 Bottle of Ranch Dressing
1 Bar of Cream Cheese
2 Large Cans of canned Chicken
2 Small Cans of canned Chicken
1 Bottle of Hot Wing Sauce OR buffalo sauce
1 Bag of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1. Spread the softened cream cheese into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish
2. Next, mix the drained chicken with the hot wing sauce. You can use the whole bottle, the more you add the hotter the dip.
3. Spread the Chicken over the cream cheese
4. Pour ranch dressing over chicken. ( I didn't use the entire bottle of ranch, but did use most of it)
5. Spread the dressing evenly over the chicken
6. Top the dish with the entire bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
7.Bake at 350, uncovered for 45 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips

6. CHILI BAR!!
YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN CHILI OR TRY THIS ONE. BEST TO MAKE IN CROCK POT FOR PARTIES!

YOU WILL NEED:

1.5-2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2- 15 ounce cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (you could also use black beans or pinto beans)
24 ounces tomato sauce
12 ounce bottle of beer
6 ounce can tomato paste
4.5 ounce can diced green chilies
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon cumin
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you would like your chili
1 teaspoon paprika
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce, depending on how spicy you would like your chili

1.brown ground beef with onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Drain beef of excess grease, if necessary.
2.Add ALL ingredients to the crock pot.
3. Cook on high 6 hours, Stir occasionally.
*serve with toppings; cheese, sour cream, green onions, jalepenos, bacon bits, etc. The toppings are endless!!

7. MINI PIGS IN BLANKETS

YOU WILL NEED:
1-2 packages of little smokeys
1-2 cans of crescents

1. Unroll the crescents and slice with pizza cutter long ways into thin strips(I usually get 4 strips from each)
2. Wrap each little smokey with a crescent strip
3. Put on sprayed cookie sheet
4. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes checking to be sure they don't burn!!

8. CHEESEBURGER RING

YOU WILL NEED:
2 Packages crescents
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained( i cook mine in the microwave, covered  for 10-12 minutes)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup relish
Half a large onion diced thin
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
* you can also make this taco flavored by adding taco seasoning and salsa to the browned beef

1. Lay crescents on greased pizza pan in circle shape  with points hanging over edges, leaving a circle open in center.
2. Mix beef, ketchup, mustard, cheese, onion and relish  together and spread  over crescents
3. Fold crescent points to inside folding under the flat side of the crescent. Brush the top with butter or egg white.
4. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
*Serve with toppings like lettuce, onion, cheese etc.

9. MINI CARAMEL APPLE BITES

YOU WILL NEED:
3-4 apples chopped into pieces OR  1 pound of green grapes
1 bag of caramels
3 tablespoons of corn syrup

1. Cut apples into pieces about 1 inch by 1 inch
2. Mix caramel and corn syrup and microwave or cook on stove until melted.
3. Using tooth picks, dip apple pieces or grapes into caramel, place on wax paper covered baking sheet
4. place in refrigerator to cool

10.  RED VELVET CHEESE BALL

YOU WILL NEED:
1 box of red velvet cake mix
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. brown sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 T. white chocolate chips
Assorted cookies and crackers

1. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add cake mix, powdered sugar and brown sugar. Mix until well blended.
2. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form into a football shape, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. Unwrap cheese ball and place on serving tray. Use white chocolate chips to make the laces on the football and cover remainder of ball with mini chocolate chips.
4. Serve with your choice of cookies or graham crackers.

11. MEATBALL MOZZARELLA BOMBS

YOU WILL NEED:
1 package meatballs about 16
1 package layer biscuits
Mozzarella cheese

1. Separate each biscuit into 3 layers so you have 16 pieces all together.
2 place one meatball and a little sprinkle of mozzarella in each biscuit pieces fold ends over and place with folded end down in casserole dish
3. Repeat until finished, sprinkle tops with Italian seasoning and bake 350 for 10-15 minutes until golden
*serve with pizza sauce or marinara for dipping

12 CROCKPOT MEATBALLS

YOU WILL NEED:
1 bag frozen meatballs
1 jar grape jelly
1 bottle chili sauce

1. combine chili sauce and jelly
2. Add all ingredients to crockpot
3. Cook on high 4 hours, stirring occasionally

13 VELVETA AND ROTEL DIP

YOU WILL NEED:
1 can rotel
1/4 block of velveta cut into small cubes

Place and dish and microwave 4 minutes, stirring every minute.
*serve with tortillas

That's all for now!! Share your recipes here or on the Facebook page the busy mama Casey gralewski!!

Simple workouts for beginners!

Today I started my Taebo/kickboxing workout and portion diet today. I already eat pretty healthy but now I am working on portion control and actually exercising! So I want to share some beginner workouts for those of you getting back into the swing of things or trying to get your beach body back after the holidays!! I am starting my journey out at 200lbs which is 45lbs over my pre-Maddie weight and I want my pre-baby body back. The taebo I started today is fun, easy and really gets your heart pumping! I highly suggest this for anyone that gets bored with a workout! I have also started portion controls on my meals. We tend to want to fill our plates and finish everything on them in our society, so I am now eating from a salad plate which is smaller and chewing my food a little more. I have also started drinking more water and making sure I finish an entire glass of water before each meal(this makes you feel full and you won't eat as much. Hunger is really controlled by your brain and you can trick your brain into thinking you are full and have ate more by chewing more and filling yourself with water before each meal.

~~Some tips I have found online while searching for weight loss tips that I actually believe will work or know work~~

*Drink my water. Water has no calories and helps flush your body of toxins

* Switch from coffee to black coffee or green tea. There is a lot less calories in green tea or black coffee then the double vente coffee with extra cream and sugar crap.

*Drink a cup of coffee or tea an hour before each workout to help boost your metabolism while working out.

*Cut out the junk and just don't buy it. Remember out of site out of mind.

* Wrap 3 layers of saran wrap snug around your "problem" areas on your body before each workout or bed time. You can wear this up to 8 hours. The wrapped area will sweat more, therefore causing that area to burn more calories and fat.

*Instead of purchasing portion packs, save money and make your own healthier alternatives. Be sure to display these in an easy to reach area that you will see when snack searching!

Here are some simple beginner workouts I found online to share.

Stay calm and mom on!!

Ranch pork roast!

Hey ya'll!! So I spent my whole day cleaning and helping a friend work on a budget, the whole time smelling this amazing dinner in my slow cooker!! I just have to share this with you, the roast was so tender and moist and we all had 2 helpings!!

Ranch pork roast with carrots, onions and potatoes!
And a side of delicious mac n cheese!

-2lb pork roast(mine was frozen)
-5 or 6 gold potatoes cut in 4 pieces
-1/2 yellow onion chopped
-4 carrots chopped
-1 packet ranch seasoning
-2 1/2 cups water

1. Place roast in slow cooker fat side down
2. Place chopped vegetables around roast
3. Mix water and ranch seasoning and pour over roast
4 cook on high 4 hours and low 4 hours(if frozen)   or 8 hours low(if thawed)
*I added a little flour to the juice left in the crock pot and mixed and made a gravy for the meat.

Creamy delicious mac n cheese

- half a box of bow tie pasta boiled and almost completely drained
-2 cups of velveta, cubed
- 1/2 to 1 cup of half and half
-1 - 2 teaspoons of garlic powder to taste

1. Boil pasta and drain almost completely.
2. Add pasta, cheese, garlic and half and half to pot over heat stirring until melted
*pasta will be liquidy, let it sit for a few minutes to thicken.

This was the most amazing dinner we hate had in a while!! Maddie LOVED it!! The pork was so moist, the vegetables were soft and delicious and the mac and cheese was WOW!!

Stay calm and eat on mamas!!
<3 Casey G.

Meal planning on a budget-how to

Another rainy day in Seaford. Madds has been into EVERYTHING while I have been cleaning. She unfolded my clothes, pulled all her books off the shelf and dumped her puffs on the floor. I managed to plan 2 weeks of meals and get my shopping list together of the things I need and the coupons I have available for those things.

I want to share with you how we plan our meals on a budget!

-The first step is to set your budget,every family will have a different budget. We have a $150 budget for 2 weeks which fits our 2 adult 1 child household.
-I check my coupon list and the sale flyers to see what I can save BIG on and write these items down.
-I then look at everything that is in my pantry, freezer and refrigerator to be sure I do not buy anything that is unnecessary(this is key to saving money)
-I write everything down that I have available and first shop from what I have to make some of the meals. I also think about meals that the leftover things from the night before can be used in. For example: one night i may baked chicken and i will bake enough to have leftovers to shred for chicken tacos or chop for chicken salad.
- Once all those meals are choosen I then choose some of our other favorite meals to fill in the gaps, and write down what ingredients the meal includes(when choosing these meals I keep my pantry list, coupon list, and the list of sale items in mind).
-Then you make your full list of just your weeks meals and keep that on your refrigerator to keep in mind what you have choose for the week.
-I write my grocery list and next to each item I write what it costs(I always round up), if I have a coupon, and how many I need of each item.
- STICK TO YOUR LIST. I know how it is I use to go to the store with my list(or forget to take it)and get back home with nothing to make for the week and had blown my budget!
-Try shopping the outside aisles, very top and very bottom shelves, and the produce section of your grocery store these items are generally cheaper and WAY more healthy for your family than other things.

TIPS:
*Use your sale flyers and if you shop at Walmart take alt of them with you, the store will price match the price to what the other store is offering.
*Try shopping where coupons are doubled so you will save even more.
*Buy things that you will use often like pasta, frozen vegetables and non-perishable items in bulk to stock for future meals
*If you have extra left in your budget save it for the next weeks groceries or use it to stock your freezer and pantry.

Here is week one of my meal plan!

COUPONING!!!

So it was a long, lazy day in our household yesterday. I started back to school today a very long day at that after getting off at 7am. I made it through and am now relaxing on the couch with my Maddie. This is my long week off so cleaning,prepping dinners and grocery shopping it is. There is never a dull moment for me and maddie while daddy is at work!!

So that brings me to my favorite topic, coupons!! I want to help you all SAVE MONEY THE RIGHT WAY! Me and madds always use coupons as often as we can and have recently started our journey with extreme couponing(we're just starting so were not experts yet).

Tips for couponing to your benefit:
*First find out your grocery stores and all the local stores coupon policies. You can Google this or call the store for information(Every stores policy is different) you want to find the one that will benefit you the most.
*Find out which stores DOUBLE coupons! This is the best way to save, again refer to the coupon policy to find out this info. You may need to be a value card holder to get these benefits, and some stores offer extra discounts and special coupons for card holders! For example around my area Harris teeter and Giant double coupons for card holders, offer extra discounts and special savings for card holders only.
*You can also email companies and request free samples for you and your friends and coupons, usually companies are more then willing to send you coupons and free samples!
*Once you get all you basic information together, get yourself a binder with trading card holders to separate your coupons. I like the "find another check out lane" download you can get for you coupon book, but you can also make your own.
*Gather your coupons! Ask your friends and neighbors for their Sunday coupon inserts
(proctor&gamble, unilever, smart source, redplum etc.) You can subscribe for just Sunday papers which have all the good coupons. Check out your local free newspapers they have coupons at times. You can also find coupons online at www.coupons.com , www.groupon.com and many other websites.
*Clip double or triple coupons they will come in handy, some stores take manufacturer coupons(in the paper), online coupons(that you print), catalina coupons(what prints out at the register) and flashys(the coupons that are in the little things in the aisle) all at the same time combined(refer again to your stores coupon policy, you see how important this is?)
*Once all your coupons are printed, cut out, and sorted, put them in your coupon book all matching coupons can go in the same pocket in your book.
*Now you can look through your sale flyers to find out what is on sale(its always best to use the coupons on sale items because that's a double discount!) I make my meal plan and grocery list from the sale flyers and coupons that I have available. While shopping I do always check the price per ounce, pound, etc compared to the store brand similar item just to make sure its not cheaper(sometimes even with a coupon the store brand is still cheaper)
*Just to forewarn you, coupon shopping and finding the best bang for your buck does take some time and prolongs your shopping trip but it is all worth it in the end!
*** During my last trip to Harris Teeter my total was $151 after coupons, VIC member pricing and specials savings for being a card member my total was ~~~~$73.00!!! Now this is not at all extreme couponing but I saved quite a bit of change!!

Here are a few useful links

How to request coupons from companies: 
http://pinterest.com/pin/45739752439457135/

Grocery tips
Www.grocerysavingtips.com

Coupons
Www.coupons.com

Crockpot Recipes

Another dreary day is upon us. I have accomplished doing a few loads of laundry, buying Maddie a new carseat(she really needed one), and chatting with some friends about what they wanted to see in my blog. I have had some requests for recipes, crockpot recipes and budget friendly recipes. I am going to share some of my all time favorite budget and family friendly crockpot recipes. I mean what is better than throwing everything in the crockpot before work and coming home to a hot, hearty meal that took barely anytime to prep? I think nothing.

CHEESY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
*16 oz spaghetti
*1 lb velveeta (sliced or cubed)
*12.5 oz chicken breast(cubed)
*1 can cream of mushroom
*1 can cream of chicken
*10 oz Rotel
*4 oz mushrooms
*1/2 c water
*1 small diced onion
*1 med diced green pepper
*salt & pepper
-Place spaghetti noodles on the bottom of the crock pot pour a small amount of water over them(1/4 cup), mix water, soups, onion, green pepper, mushrooms and rotel together in large bowl. Put layer of this mixture over spaghetti with half of the velvetta, and place chicken breast cubes over top. finish with remaining cheese, and top with remaining soup mixture.
-Cook on low for 2-3 hours.

CROCKPOT ROAST
-Rump or chuck roast(3-4lb)
-About 5 or 6 white or red skin potatoes(peeled and cubed)
-Half a bag of baby carrots
-Medium onion chopped(not too small)
-Pot roast seasoning
-1 1/2 cups water
*Place half of veggies on bottom of crock pot, place roast on top, and other half of veggies around the sides of the roast. Mix together the pot roast seasoning with the water and pour over top of roast.
+Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours

PORKCHOPS WITH SWEET POTATOES AND APPLES

-4-6 Pork chops, trimmed of fat

-3 Gala apples, peeled and cubed

-1 can sweet potatoes

-1 can whole cranberry sauce or applesauce

-salt and pepper to taste

*In the slow cooker, layer the pork chops, apples and cranberry sauce or applesauce. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6.

*Add the sweet potatoes and cook for another hour or until meat is cooked through.

 

CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND STUFFING

4 pieces of boneless skinless chicken

1 box of stuffing

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/4 cup of water

-place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot
-top the chicken with the stuffing
-mix together soup, sour cream, and water then place the mixture on top of the stuffing
-cook on low for 6 hours if chicken was frozen, if thawed cook on low for 4 hours

STUFFED PEPPERS
4 green peppers
1 pound of ground round
1/2 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
3/4 cup of rice (uncooked)
1 egg
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
-Cut the top off the green peppers and place in the crockpot.
-In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the spaghetti sauce.
-Spoon mixture into green peppers.
-Pour spaghetti sauce over peppers
-Cook on low for 6 hours

TACO MEAT(MAKE DOUBLE AND FREEZE FOR A QUICK DINNER)
2 lbs ground meat of choice
2 pkg taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
-Around lunchtime, add all ingredients to slow cooker (my meat is usually frozen when I add it). Cook on high for several hours, give the meat a stir and break it up occasionally. Turn to low after the meat looks like it is mostly cooked (you probably don’t have to, but I worry about it burning).
-The taco meat will look really soupy. That’s okay, just strain it before serving. Part of it is the fat, part of it is a little extra moisture from the water. To strain, put a colander over a bowl or in the sink and dump in the meat.

CROCKPOT SPAGHETTI

2 handfuls spaghetti pasta, broken into pieces

26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce or make mine from the blog post "how to always have something for dinner"

20 to 22 ounce package frozen completely cooked meatballs

2 cups water

-Combine all ingredients in 4 quart slow cooker and mix to combine. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 5-7 hours until pasta is tender and meatballs are thoroughly heated, stirring once during cooking time. This method will make the pasta quite soft, like Spaghetti-Os.

-OR- you can cook the sauce, meatballs, and water for 5-7 hours on low until hot, then stir in the pasta. Try to make sure that the pasta is completely immersed in the sauce. Turn the crockpot to high. Cover and cook on high for 20-25 minutes, stirring once, until the pasta is tender. This will make pasta that is more al dente. -PLEASE read the directions. If you add the pasta at the beginning or let it cook for a couple of hours, it will be very soft. For al dente pasta, add it during the last 20-25 minutes.

Hope you enjoy these favorites of our family!!
Stay calm and mom on!
Casey G.

How to always have something for dinner

Its still raining, Madds is taking a quick nap and I have dinner marinating in the refrigerator. I want to share a list I found in a magazine a few years ago, along with a few of my favorite recipes that are always a hit in my house. This is going to be long but well worth it!!

So with these 12 go to ingredients and basic herbs and spices in the cabinets you can have 15 different meals.
If you have:
1. olive oil
2. rice
3. parmesan cheese
4. butter
5. onions
6. canned whole tomatoes(or diced)
7. spaghetti
8. chicken
9. cream
10. ground beef
11. carrots
12. chicken broth

You can make:
*Chicken Risotto (1,2,3,4,5,8,12)
*Spaghetti Marinara (1,3,5,6,7)
*Chicken Alfredo (1,3,4,7,8,9)
*Grilled Chicken with Rice (1,2,8)
*Baked Chicken (4,8)
*Black-Pepper Pasta (1,3,7,9)
*Arroz Con Pollo (2,4,5,6,8,12)
*Chili (5,6,10)
*Pasta with Meat Ragout (1,3,6,7,10,11)
*Chicken and Rice Soup (2,5,8,11,12)
*Chicken Stir-Fry (1,2,5,8,11,12)
*Beef Stir-Fry (1,2,5,10,11,12)
*Minestrone Soup (1,5,6,7,11,12)
*Italian Chicken Stew (1,5,6,8,11,12)
Mexican Chicken (1,5,6,8)
Its just that simple, remember we are busy in this day in age and need simple dinners to throw together. keep the ingredients aboved stocked well in your pantry and freezer and you will never be wondering what to make for dinner.
*Tip* I always buy my meat in bulk, and anytime I see meat on sale or managers special I snatch it up. I seperate it into freezer bags with enough for one meal and pull it out as I need it. This does take me about 15 minutes to get everything seperated, but I always have meat available and only buy it once a month(unless there is a sale).

Okay now on too some of my personal favorite meals that we have for dinner. The crockpot is my best friend and I love to use it as much as possible because my kitchen is small and gets hot with the stove on too long.

Roast chicken in the crock pot or oven
-One whole chicken(fresh or thawed)
-Salt
-Pepper
-Garlic
-Poultry Seasoning
-Chicken Seasoning
-Paprika
-2 medium onions(for crockpot recipe only)
1.season chicken with all ingredients inside and out(make sure to be very generous on the inside)
2. if cooking in oven place in roasting pan, dutch oven, roaster rack, whatever you prefer to cook your whole chicken in MAKE SURE IT IS BREAST SIDE UP and BAKE AT 425 DEGREES FOR 1 AND 1/2 HOURS OR UNTIL JUICES RUN CLEAR WHEN POKED
3. If cooking in crock pot cut 2 onions in half to sit chicken on to keep off bottom of pot make sure you can put the lid on without the chicken touching the top and SET ON LOW FOR 8 HOURS, when done take out chicken and let sit for 5-10 minutes before carving.

Baked Ziti
-Ground Beef(1lb)
-1 Medium yellow onion - chopped
-2 cans Diced tomatoes(italian style or basil, garlic, oregano style)
-2 cans tomatoe sauce
-2 cups shredded mozarella(hold 1/2 cup to side for topping)
-5 cups ziti noodles (cooked)

1. Cook beef and onion together until beef is brown; drain well
2. Place beef/onion mixture and all other ingredients(except reserved mozarella) in casserole dish or 13x9 baking dish
3.Top with remaining mozzarella
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
*TIP* I also use this sauce recipe for my spaghetti, so make extra and freeze some for a quick dinner one night!

I will post more recipes later! Madds has woke up and wants her mommy!
Stay calm and mom on!
-Casey G.

Sound off!!

Good morning out there!! What a lovely day it is, rain and 34 degrees, of course I waited until the last minute to go buy my books for school this semester and have to drag the baby out in this mess! Uhh. So I want to know your opinions!! How are you liking the content of my blog so far? What would you like me to blog about? Give me some topics, issues, etc and I will blog then here!! Waiting to hear from you!!

Casey G.

nighty routine!

Hello out there Mamas!

Well the night is dwindelling to an end, I have potato soup in the crock pot demi baguette is in the oven, Madds is taking a quick nap before dinner, Ryan will be home from work in about an hour, and I am enjoying a few glasses of wine while I actually have the chance! The house is a mess but will be clean before bed!!!(I hope). I wanted to give you some tips to help keep your house clean without trying, remeber if you start doing something it will become habit!

Things I do everynight before I relax:

~Clean up from dinner, Wash the dinner prep, get whatever you can put away, wipe down the counter tops and stove.I usually do this while cooking and finish before I sit down to eat (it only takes me 10 minutes and by then Ryan is generally done eating so I can eat without Madds diving head first into my plate!). Then I can actually enjoy my dinner without worrying about having to rush to the dishes!!

~Hang up the coats, put all shoes away, pick up all the toys in the living room, put the remotes in a central location, make sure there are no dishes, dirty clothes(or diapers!!) lying around, and fluff the couch cushions.

~Wash the final 3 or 4 dishes, sweep and mop the kitchen floor(I seriously do this every single night, unless I have had a few too many glasses of moscato, then I just sweep!)

I do these simple things before relaxing every single night(it takes 20 minutes tops!!), not only does it help me relax and sleep better, when I wake up in the morning the house is CLEAN and I get to start over fresh! my house generally stays pretty clean and organized, I will soon be posting a blog showing you my kitchen cabinet and refrigerator organization. I live by the rule that everything has a place and should be there!!

I hope these tips help you keep your home organized!

Stay calm ladies and mom on!
<3 Casey G.

Budgeting tips

For the start of the New Year we have put some new rules into place for our family budget. Ofcourse there is the usual spend less, save more and cut back, but there are also some other useful things you can do to get your New Year off to a running(and saving!) start.

We have a budget notebook we use(just a plain wide ruled notebook), and each payday is written out with a list of every bill and expense that we have for those weeks. We also have a page for each month showing the bills for every month and total expense for every month.

So my page would look a little something like this

January

Ryan pay:
Ryan commissions:
Casey pay:
Casey commissions:

Bills~

Rent:
Car payment:
Car/renters insurance:
Storage:
Electric:
Water/sewer:
House Gas:
Sprint
Best buy phone insurance:
Netflix:
Comcast:

Groceries:
Car Gas:
Diapers/wipes:
Extra expenses:
Savings:
Emergency money:

Left over:

I fill in the average of each bill plus a little so it gives a little cushion, and then when the bill for the month comes i write the actual amount next to it, and check them off as they are paid. I also add any appointments we have to this and add the copay into the monthly budget. I then also break this down into bi-weekly payment  schedules(our bills are automatically deducted at the beginning or end of the month), breaking this down helps you to pay certain bills with each check and save a little more from each check. It also helps you not go completely broke for trying to pay everything on one payday!

TIPS:
~Always budget your savings and emergency savings money into your budget and take them out first(pay yourself first)
~Give yourself cushion room with each bill just incase the said bill is bigger than expected.
~Use the leftover money and leftover cushion money to put towards your next months bills or to put into savings.
~DO NOT TOUCH YOUR SAVINGS. I know its tempting but just let it be and let it grow! We have $50 bi-weekly that comes out of our paychecks automatically before it even gets put in our account. Talk to your bank to see if they offer something like ours.
~Use my monthly budget planner to help get yourself straight for the New Year and share, share, share!

Stay calm and mom on!!
Casey

CROCKPOT CHICKEN TACOS

Lets start off with a little dinner inspiration!

So last night I tried a new recipe, like always, it was handsdown amazing! Very simple recipe to throw in the crockpot and forget it.

Chicken tacos:
-4 boneless skinless chicken breast(mine were frozen)
-1 can rotel tomatoes original(you could use mild to spice up your life)
-1 packet taco seasoning
-enough chicken broth to cover everything!

Layer it all in the crock pot in this order, cook on low for 4 hours(if not frozen) or high for 2 and low for 2(if frozen)

These were amazing like I said and Madds and Ryan loved them!! Happy family, happy life.

Stay calm and mom on my friends!

Hello!

Hi, I am super excited to start helping my fellow busy mama friends out there! My beautiful 9 month old daughter Maddie is into everything, she loves to climb on top of things and crawl after our cat and 2 dogs, she is currently trying to climb on her jumper! Between running after her, taking care of the house, being a wife, working part time and being a part time student I will be here with all of you posting tips on life and being a mom, recipes for dinner in a dash, organization and budgeting tips and anything else I can find to help make your hectic life easier or give you a little laugh to make it through!
Stay calm and mom on!!