Phantastic Phriday - The Day Before Grocery Shopping

We interrupt this regularly scheduled Phantastic Phriday to bring you this very educational blog posting....

The day before grocery shopping looks something like this....

Breakfast

Eldest Child: "Mom, there is no more cereal!"

Mom: "Make some toast."

E C: "But there's no butter!"

Mom: "Use jelly."

E C: "We are out of that too!"

Mom stalks into the kitchen and searches the fridge. No butter, no jelly. Peanut Butter!!!! Spreads some PB on kids' now cold toast and calls it good. EC throws a FIT because she hates PB. Mom offers the option of plain toast...EC accepts. Day is not starting out well.

Lunch

Mom peruses the fridge once more. No butter...no milk...that rules out Mac and Cheese. No jelly and PB was used for breakfast, PB & J not going to happen. Plus, they just used the last slices of bread for the toast. Time to get CREATIVE!!!

Children sit down and stare at their plates as they look at the pile of 'awkward' sitting before them.

Plate looks something like this.

One pile of lettuce of to the side with a little bit of french and a little bit of ranch on each one...there wasn't enough of one or the other for all three... each has about 3 sprinkles of cheese and some left over salad toppings. Veggies...check! Next to it is one chicken nugget per plate. Someone forgot to eat the last three, leaving them in the freezer. Thanks Daddy for providing today's protein! The middle of the plates hold a small pile of what was left in the chips bag. Yes they ARE crushed...but we just look at it as "Mini Chips". Starch...check! And next to that is a small pile, possibly about 4 squares worth, of kiwi. One kiwi split between 3 kids doesn't offer a lot for each one. Fruit...check! And thank GOODNESS there were a couple pieces of American Cheese left in the fridge door. Mom splits them up into strips and places the same amount onto each plate. Hello Dairy!!!

The children continue to stare at the plates, then they stare at mom.

Youngest Child: "Mommy I wanted Mac and Cheese!"

Mom fumes and stares at the child with the look of death....suddenly the feast begins! The most balanced meal they've had for lunch all month!!!

Dinner

Freezer holds one pound of beef...mom has happily defrosted it. Spaghetti Sauce? Absent. Tomato Sauce? MIA! Tomato Soup!!! BONUS! Spaghetti Noodles? Nada. Egg Noodles? Half a Bag, let's grab those out of the cupboard. Mac and cheese.....noodles!!! Take out the cheese packet, throw it in with the other powder packets (Taco Seasoning, Gravy, etc.) and start boiling the noodles. Thank goodness for an overstock of Garlic Salt and Parsley! (Without it this meal might be bland!)

We've got Goulash!!

We are going to need a vegetable with that aren't we? Well we used up the remainder of the lettuce for lunch. A quarter bag of frozen peas is in the freezer. A left over half can of carrots in tupperware in the fridge. Mixed Veggies anyone?

Oh wait? What's that? A half bag of hot dog buns? And yes, there is some PAM in the cupboard, throw a little garlic salt on it, bake them in the oven. Who doesn't like garlic bread?

And there you have it! Three meals thrown (very creatively) together on the last day before grocery shopping. Any questions?

HAPPY PHANTASTIC PHANTASMAGORIC PHRIDAY PHRIENDS!!!

(For a less chaotic, writer friendly post ... visit my WEBSITE!)

What two items do NOT fit in this picture?

Ooh ooh...I love these games!!! Ok well I don't have an actual VISUAL picture, but I'm going to paint one with my words. (Doesn't it sound so creative of me?)

I received a call from my husband yesterday suggesting it was time we join a gym. (I then choked on whatever I was eating, drinking, or possibly my own spit at that moment from the shock.) I'm not sure where the urge came from, but he was super excited and had the gym picked out and everything. Sweet!!! So I went online and looked at the website then called the facility for more information. I set up an appointment for right after my husband got out of work because I was also excited.

I then called my husband back and let him know the finer details and he requested I come get him from work early so we could get the membership and exercise going! Wow...he was quite excited for someone who prefers to play video games than play catch. Who was this and where had they hidden my husband? (And could they possibly keep him locked up there because I kinda like this new guy!) So I gather up all our work out clothes, our bathing suits (Um problem.....kids don't have bathing suits that fit! CRAP!!!) and stick the kids in some sporty outfits so they fit the profile of children who like to work out. (Not sure why....I just felt it was appropriate. Probably cuz they looked so cute!) I throw everything together into a two different bags, (one for the boys and one for the girls of course) grab the tennis rackets and head out the door.

Of course my kids, being the curious little devils that they are, are begging to know where we are going. When I tell them the gym they get slightly excited until my daughters stops to think for a moment. She then says, "It's cool if they have tennis and a pool, but if they have wrestling or dodge ball, I don't think I want to go." She's totally convinced somehow that we are going to her SCHOOL gym. So I attempt to explain to my 4, 6, and 8 year olds what kind of gym we are going to, failing miserably of course because when my husband gets in the car they relay the same concerns to him.

Now considering it is dinner time we decided we better stop and get something to eat....at Taco Bell. (Nothing like beginning a healthier journey with some greasy tacos and nacho cheese sauce!) We then go get our membership, get the kids some bathing suits and swimmies (In the end spending more than we did on the membership! But it was Target!) and head off for an evening of exercise and swimming.

We played tennis, I ran a mile and then we took the kids swimming. It felt GREAT!!!

And then we went to McDonald's for Happy Meals.....because we were really hungry from all the exercise of course. And what better way to end our healthy day than with eating a few greasy burgers and some hot salty fries dipped in gobs of Ketchup!!!

So can you tell me what two activities do not seem to flow with this topic? LOL

(For a new update on the progress of my book(s), check out my WEBSITE!!!)

Why Gnomes are Gnessesary

I went out to dinner with my cousin the other night (Soup, Salad and Breadsticks Baby!!!) We ate, we laughed, we mocked obscure family members...it was lovely. Afterward I needed to take a detour to Target for a prescription. (I love Target...I could live there...seriously!) Unfortunately after we had finished devouring our yummy yummy Italian goodness, the Pharmacy was closed. We then decided to peruse the store. (I mean, we were IN there already. Why waste a perfectly good trip by just walking in and out of this heavenly store? That would be wrong in so many ways!)

We get to the dollar section and what is sitting there? One lonely little gnome...poor little guy...all alone...how sad! I double checked my purse and (of course) what had I done? Forgotten my Target Gift Card!!! (The world stopped. Thunder struck. Screams were heard... possibly from me... and tears formed in the corner of my eyes.) I could not figure out a way to rationalize spending $1 on my debit card and unfortunately a Target shopping spree was not in the budget this week. So I sulked out of Heaven, I mean Target, with my cousin laughing at me.

"You are weird," she says to me. (Um DUH, you are too...remember, we are related...I refrain from saying this aloud)

"But gnomes ROCK!" I explain. She stares at me with confusion, or possibly fear that I have gone completely crazy. I couldn't tell the difference. It was clear what I needed to do to make her understand. I needed to start from the beginning.............


Last year my husband an I took a trip to North Carolina. It was the same time of the year and Target once again had Gnomes in the dollar section. I HAD to get them. I mean isn't it obvious...we were travelling....we NEEDED them! (Helllllloooo Roaming Gnomes!!!) So I bought one for each of us and they sat beside us the entire trip.

Oh No! Dear Husband is driving...I can't look!

It's ok guys. I'll keep you are safe up here, you just rest up.


Oh No! We're Lost!



Oh....did I tell you to turn that way? My bad...




It's an early morning, just because Marybeth doesn't like coffee doesn't mean I don't!



That was some Nasty Coffee! (Should have listened to Marybeth!)

Now OBVIOUSLY you can see why this was necessary....right?!?! After our trip to North Carolina with my awesome Roaming Gnomes, it is safe to say...it was love. Now I need to have gnomes for everything. Unfortunately, the story didn't help her understand. She still thought I was crazy. But I'm not, I swear! You understand...Right? RIGHT!!!!