My PB + J

Skinny Edamame Fried Rice

I am always on the search for lighter alternatives for some of our favorite dishes. While fried rice isn’t something we tend to eat unless dining out I couldn’t pass on trying out this recipe for healthier fried rice. The dish came together in less than ten minutes by using Trader Joes frozen organic brown rice and let just say it was really tasty! We did not miss the extra fat and sodium that restaurants pack into theirs. I even went as far as omitting all oil and added in sriracha. Our little tot couldn’t shovel it fast enough into her mouth. 

* I also added in 1.5 cups of bean sprouts. 

single mommy nights

For the first seven months of this year I spent a lot of nights as a single mommy. Jim was traveling a lot! If he was home it was for the weekend or a week max and then he was off again for somewhere like Florida, Tennessee, or D.C.. In the past two weeks UPS put out a traveling freeze, a good thing for me but I was looking forward to more single nights to spend with my friend Janelle. If you remember, she is spending the next seven months as a single mom as Nelson is away saving the lives of wounded soldiers. I am happy we finally got our babes together after one month of his deployment. 
Let’s just say it’s a cluster! I yell at Payton over-and-over for going bat shit crazy because she gets to see her best friend, they don’t eat their dinners, they fight like an old married couple and we get to chit chat while scarfing down dinner and our last chance at caffeine. I do love this time and I know we will look back at this time and laugh, especially that the wee ones took a bath, bottoms in each other’s face as they reach for foofa or plex. They cap the night off with a hug, a kiss on the cheek, er, mouth and even matching lightening McQueen bandaids and we pray they sleep well. While it can be lonely not having a husband coming home at night it’s always nice to know you have a great friend a short distance down the freeway to spend single nights with you. 

monday phone dump {link-up party}

slow week? long week? It sure went by fast and I actually came out from last week with not too many pictures. No, I am not sick. I had to go back and look because I was shocked at my selection. I am sure the kids were happy, just shows mama was too busy. 😉 
 i am linking up with what makes savanah smile and a night owl blog. 
make sure to follow me via instagram, I am a total over sharer. 
                                      

baby girl and I taking a swim while little bro sleeps. It was nice spending one-on-one time together,  that was until she pooped in the pool. 😐 

Pay got a haircut due to the fact she twirls her hair and the left side was way shorter than the right from knots being ripped out. 
Bugs spending time with mommy in bed while sissy was out swimming across the street. 

Payton thinks she needs to carry him everywhere. With our luck he will walk by the time he’s two at this rate. 

riding like a big boy sans the car seat or in the actual cart. He loved every minute of this new independence. 

The Cat’s Meow – A Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus

If you didn’t know the circus is in town and we were lucky enough to get a special behind-the-scenes pass to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Big Cat presentation with trainer, Alexander Lacey. As we walked back to restricted animal enclosure we got up close and personal real quick with the big cats. It was amazing standing so close, yet kind of unsettling at the same time. I made sure to mark my position just in case something didn’t go as planned. Of course, that was just the over-rector in me because once Alexander and his daughter, Katrina, began our tour I was reassured we were safe.

It was amazing to see how calm and knowledgeable Katrina was around the animals especially at her age.  The sense of pride Lacey has for his cats is amazing and I truly gained a lot of respect for the organization and it’s animals. The kids could not get over seeing the lions and tigers, Payton naturally has not stopped speaking of Princess, but Bella was the runner up as Lacey spent some one-on-one time with her in the cage and answered questions as he fed Bella prime-cut steak. 
Here is what we learned:
  • Each morning the cats are fed 16 pounds of food. While on tour, the meat is delivered by the same companies that deliver to local hotels. 
  • The cats require 22 hours of sleep each day. Don’t I wish I could sleep this long! 
  • Lacey communicates with the cats in both English and German. Each cat has it’s own unique behavior, body type, characteristic and sound. He can even recognize the cat by it’s roar, how cool is that?!
  • The Lacey family has raised over eleven generations of lions and nine generations of tigers and continues to develop methods to maintain the integrity of the various bloodlines within the cats’ lineages.
Lacey demonstrating how he communicates with Bella as he uses the sticks as a form of sign language. Depending on the movement, whether it goes up or down, or from right to left it all means something different. While Lacey is demonstrating his techniques with Bella she is not in the show quite yet because she is not of age. Training the cats begins at four months and this gorgeous girl was actually born while on the road, staying with the Lacey family as they ensured she got enough nutrients since her mama wasn’t producing enough milk.  

The children were amazed and truly the adults were too! I gained a better perspective seeing them up close and personal while learning a lot from the big cat master himself. 

The behind the scenes wasn’t all about the cats, there were also these gorgeous beauties; mine and Payton’s personal favorites. The Ringling Bros., elephants are Asian elephants and they are simply amazing! 

Payton was quick to point out that this elephant was pooping, she learned a lot and suggested that he go in the potty versus the ground. Do you think we’ve had a similar conversation with her? 

  


I urge you to take the family to see the Greatest Show on Earth while it’s in town. Check out this post for information on show times and ticket prices. Or, check out the Ringling Bros. website for more information about Alexander Lacey


Disclaimer: I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog,  Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Regardless, I only share 100% of my opinion and services/products that I believe my readers will enjoy. 

Birthday Bash Group Giveaway Sign-Up

The littlest member of our family will be turning one in less than two months. While this is a little bittersweet I have decided to throw a first birthday giveaway bash in honor of his birth and his cleft repair surgery. I already have some amazing brands lined up, which I cannot wait to share for one grand prize package! I would like to open this up to any of my readers to become involved in making this a group giveaway. 
If you wish to get in on the birthday bash please e-mail me for more information. 
Along with the giveaway and in lieu of gifts for his party we hope to raise enough money for two surgeries by his birthday and two additional surgeries by his repair anniversary on February 1st. Together we can all make a difference in a child’s life. 
Let’s Share Brayden’s Smile.