New Years Day 2017

I guess it's pretty cliche to start blogging more today.  After all, it's a new year and that's what so many people do.  I will make no promises as to how much I will type and make an entry, but I normally journal and seeing as how that has been harder and harder for me to put pen to paper I will use my wonderful high school typing skills to help me multi-task.  So here goes...

Jan. 1 of Jesus Calling reminds me to come to the Lord with a teachable spirit.  I'm so ready for this.  I have felt pretty trapped for a while.  Feeling as though I have let my mind and soul succumb to frustrated and angry thoughts.  I sometimes choose to be grumpy when I know very well choosing happiness would make my day better.  The devotion also says to be eager to change.  To throw away old ways as I step into a new year.  Have an open mind and seek His face.  Be ready to be transformed through the renewing of your mind.  I so feel that I need renewal.  I long for it, ask for it daily.  As I showered this morning that was exactly the word that came to my mind...renewal.  Renewal for myself, but also for so many people I know.  Renewal for my marriage, my parenting, my husband's art business, and any other plan that God has for me and my family.  "I also know the plans I have for you:  plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Lastly, my morning fuel says, to give myself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness to HIS presence.  I hope this year I can BE.  BE happy, full of life, stop to take it all in and to enjoy this adventure.  I'm hoping to learn more to give to me in order to give more fully to others.  I pray God renews me this year and challenges me in ways I haven't been challenged.  

~Katie Mac

Browned Butter....Who Knew?!

Chocolate, lots of sugar, and browned butter....yes, I said it, browned butter. Pretty sure I have you wanting to read a little more hopefully.
 So, evidently I have been living in a hole because I had no clue using browned butter was the new "it" thing when baking.  I stumbled upon this amazing blog via where else, Pinterest.  Once again, Pinterest does it again.  I never would have stumbled upon this blog if it wasn't for Pinterest. On a side note, I researched and realized the rumor IS true that the man who invented Pinterest is from my amazing home city...Des Moines, Iowa.  I also heard he may have gone to the high school I went to, but not sure if that is confirmed as of yet!  Anyway~ it's pretty exciting to me that someone from little old Iowa created a website that literally sucks minutes and some times hours of my day.
Okay, back to the brownies.  These Browned Butter Brownies are seriously every synonym for the word amazing...

awesome, fascinating, incredible, marvelous, prodigious, shocking, stunning, surprising,unbelievable

Typically, I am a box brownie girl and I can literally count on ONE hand how many times I eat them in a year.  They just aren't my thing.  I'd much rather divulge in something covered in caramel, nutella, or peanut butter that when finished will make me feel as if my cellulite is transforming and building at the very moment I bite the last morsel. BUUUUUUT.....these are an exception.  I haven't eaten a full one yet, as I haven't yet eaten my dinner and if you know me I am all about order and rules when I eat (crazy and odd I know) but the small little bit I ate made me actually question even eating dinner tonight.  However, I told myself that one of the inner pieces of the pan and I would meet again tonight after my glass of wine and leftovers.  I guarantee it will be a wonderful moment of my day.  So friends, check out Something Swanky.  I haven't gotten a chance to get sucked into this blog as of yet, but I can tell just by visiting it once or twice it is one of those that WILL find me asking where the last hour went.

Giving the eye balls a break....

Hey, to my little group of friends!  I stumbled upon a great printable today and thought I would share.  I realize I could share on FB, Pinterest, and I am sure some other time sucking site, but I have decided to make you all work for it and read about it HERE on my oh so famous blog.
So, I am a major list maker.  I have been known to have numerous lists going at once for different To Do's or agendas.  When I was teaching I had a centers for the following week list, a this week list, a random list of thoughts, a call back list, an e-mail list....I think there were probably more just depending on the week.  Well, now that I stay home I find that my lists have grown a lot shorter and usually revolve around me and the grocery store.  Since having little man I have realized that my old way of listing all my grocery store items out in random order doesn't quite work as well.  I am usually juggling him wanting to drive the cart with the car, then not wanting to, then wanting raisins, picking up said raisins, wiping down the germ cart once again, telling H not to mouth germ cart, da da da you get the picture.  Who has time to READ what you wrote down on your randomly organized jumble of thoughts grocery store list!?  My eye balls are already trying to multi-task they can't do EVERYTHING!  So....I love this grocery store list I found from Not Quite Susie Homemaker.  She did such a great job or organizing everything into nice neat little groups.  I'm going to try it out and see if I can give these eyeballs a break.  It's all about the little things right?!

Just Be

Wow...I actually have time today to play on my blog.  Maybe this will bring more readers?!  No, really I'm okay with the fact that I only have 3.  You know, when I was teaching I was able to have lots of projects going at once.  I was always thinking about what was to come.  I had notes, and to do's like you couldn't believe.  This little blog is my stay at home momma to do.  I don't always get to it but when I do I like to think that I am posting something useful and insightful at least to me if not to someone out there.  So-today I feel like this background will suffice.  We will see how long this one stays.  Probably for a while since I had to teach myself how the heck to adjust everything on it and it still isn't quite to my liking, but it will do.  I need to get rid of some of this type A attitude and just be!  

The Germs Within...

Whenever I think of being sick I often remember watching this clip from The Cosby Show where Dr. Huxtable explains germs to Rudy.  I still love it and can't wait to tell Harper all about germs!

Now, since I only have 3 followers this post may be slightly pointless, but I am hoping someone out there in FB land sees it and can find a use for it.  I have to share this amazing tonic my hubby and I have been creating since being struck with a vicious cold last week.  Brice googled a homeopathic cure for a babies cough, when Harper got sick last week.  This recipe was one we found.  Now, if you know my husband, like any recipe he had to change it up just a bit to make it his own.  I am not kidding you this stuff works! It zaps your cold, at least it did mine, and it really makes you feel good.  I drank this all day (literally) on Friday of last week.  My cold did come, but not in near of a force as it one usually does.  Harper didn't quite take to our "tea" like we did, but he did syringe it down in a few doses.  So...are you ready...here goes.  Seriously, when you are feeling yucky and snotty, and all that other junk make this!  It will make you feel great inside...at least it sure did me!

The Cold Cure

Boil
-6 cups of water
-3-4 juices of lemon (seeds included)
-about 3/4 Cup fresh basil and mint leaves

Boil all of this until it reduces (about 10min or so)

***I love this recipe b/c I seriously can't really mess it up!

Next, strain all of this into a bowl or pitcher.  Then add honey.  We prefer a good local honey that is thick and dark, but any honey will do. 

You can drink it hot or cold.


YUMMY!  If you like this then follow my posts...I need more than 3 people. You know what, one of those is my Mom and she doesn't count because I am pretty sure she follows me out of pity!

Photo Props

I have decided that this Thanksgiving the McCasland's need a little oooomph on Turkey Day.  We need to do something silly, fun, exciting.  So I have two ideas that I hope to implement.  One of them is something I have always wanted to do, but was waiting to finally have a little one to do it.  The other is just pure silliness.
My first idea, as I said, is something I have been waiting to do for a long time.  Finally, with little Harp here we can now start our Give Thanks Journal.  I can't wait to see all the entries that will not only be written this Thanksgiving, but the many entries that will be written in the future.  The journal is something I plan to only bring out at Thanksgiving and will be a compilation of all the things each person at that particular Thanksgiving is thankful for.  So excited to finally start this tradition.
My next idea needs NO introduction...2 words will explain it perfectly....Photo Props!  I found these examples at the Catch My Party site.  I am hoping to make these this weekend and add some special turkey day props to spice up the family photos this year.  I can't wait to see Brice's grandma, Nan with one or two of these to spice up her portraits!

I Never...

I was recently on Pinterest and saw a cute "poster" you could pin titled, I Never.  The poster basically listed a few things that a mother never did before she had her baby boy.  I have been thinking for a really long time about how much my life has changed since having my own baby boy and it led me to create my own I Never list, so here goes.

I Never....
-Thought I would be able to survive on 3 hours of sleep.

-I never thought I would go to Target and buy NOTHING for myself, but instead purchase everything for YOU.

-Thought I would choose between showering or eating breakfast b/c you are sleeping for your 1 hour nap.

-Dreamed I would arrange my day around your naps and playing time.

-Thought I would sacrifice my own time, loves, hobbies, etc. for someone else.

-Thought I would change so much in 10 months time.

-Knew my emotions could be on such a roller coaster...seriously!

-Was able to tell a little child (not in my classroom) to please not splash, so you could get used to the water.

-Thought I would be okay with being bit, hit, sneezed on, pooped on, picking boogers, peed on, or having my hair pulled.

-Imagined my house being so messy!

-Wanted my days to go slower just so you would stay tiny a little longer.

-Truly understood a parents love for their child until I had you.

-Thought I would have someone go to the bathroom with me on a daily basis.

-Thought trust would be so hard when dealing with you.

-Thought I would crawl on the floor while at a store to find the toy you had thrown across the room.

-Knew how selfish I really was.

-Thought I would be a stay at home mamma.

-Believed I would listen to Baby Einstein CD's in my car.

-Knew having you would change me so much.

-Thought I could cry, laugh, smile, and rely on God so much!


I know there will be more to come as each day comes and goes.  My little man is so important to me.  It's good to reflect on all that he means to me.  I know I am a better/changed person because of him.