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Well my son was 6 1/2 and started complaining that his room was a baby room. He was right, I had not changed anything since he was born other than the bed and taking the changing table out a few years ago. So I guess it’s time to admit he’s growing up. So I decided to do a quick fix since I had limited time and limited budget.
I went to my go to, Amazon. Him and I agreed on getting a comforter that he could use for awhile, no characters. The striped comforter that we chose is perfect. It is a lightweight but serves its purpose and he likes the feel of it. He wanted superheros to be included so we went with wall hangings and a night light since those are inexpensive and easy to change out when his tastes change.
I could not remove the wall border without having to do a full repaint and spend a lot more time. Now this may not be the best way or the right way, but it will work until I have time to really dig in for a couple days. He’s happy, feels like a big kid and it looks great. I ordered a wall border with adhesive to cover the old one. It matches the comforter.
We then reorganized toys into canvas bins that match the walls. We chose the canvas wall hangings with superheros, new window valance to match comforters and a new lamp with a shade that matches wall border and comforter to tie things together. The canvas wall hangings are really nice quality. I dislike posters so these were a great choice. We also purchased a white board for his other wall and used a shoe organizer for odds and ends, chargers, markers, etc.
So I got started. I did the border first. It was a little time consuming but was able to finish within a couple of hours. This was a little messy because I purchased a border that had to be soaked in water and then hung. They make borders that are just adhesive, I just couldn’t find the colors I wanted in these.
Next I reorganized toys, hung the shoe organizer and added all of his crayons, markers, scissors, etc. to this so he can see everything. I hung the whiteboard next. Changed the bedding and hung canvas pictures. There you go, baby room to big boy room in just a few hours.
This is my absolute favorite thing to make! If you love mexican food with a little spice then you have to try this. This takes a little planning and not a quick meal, but so worth it. The bonus is this is even better reheated the next day. The downfall is you might not get taken out to dinner for mexican food anymore when your family finds out that you can make this and it is even better than the restaurant. I hope you enjoy it!
- 4lb pork roast boneless
- 4 guajillo chilies
- 4 ancho chilies
- 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
- 2 Tbsp adobo sauce
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups pineapple
- 4 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 onion sliced
- Garnish: onion, cilantro, lime
Put guajillo and ancho chilies in water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep until rehydrated, about 20 minutes. Discard stems and seeds. Put in food processor along with chipotle chilies, adobo sauce, vinegar, garlic, pineapple, honey, salt, oregano, cumin and smoked paprika. Process until smooth.
Slice roast in 3/4″ slices without cutting all the way through. You should be able to fold layers back in order to put marinade between each layer. Slather marinade between each layer and on top so that all meat is covered. There should be extra marinade left for later use. Layer onion slices between each layer and on top. Cover tightly, refrigerate and allow to marinate overnight.
Pre heat oven to 475*F
Put roast on rack in roasting pan. Add water to bottom of pan to prevent drippings from smoking. Roast, uncovered for 30 minutes at this temperature. Then turn temperature down to 300*. Roast until meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
After removing roast from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
When ready to serve, slice thinly and add to heated skillet with a little olive oil and a 2-4 Tbs of remaining marinade. Sautee just enough to lightly carmalize. (Use this same process with leftover marinade for reheating leftovers)
Serve on corn tortillas. Garnish with onion, cilantro and a lime wedge on the side.
Enjoy!
Well it’s Friday and my day off! Now that just means I’m not physically going to my office and that I am going to try to ignore most all of my work emails unless it is really important. It also consists of groceries, cleaning out the refrigerator, straightening up the house and getting a start on laundry. So you know….”a day off”.😁 But it does mean I will have a short amount of time to myself. Normally I do my shopping on Fred Meyer’s Click List the night before. This is my favorite! I have a 25 mile drive to the grocery store so this is the beginning of my mini vacation. A 40 minute drive with no one talking to me! I can just listen to the silence or I can listen to my own music. This is great. Then I pull into Dutch Bros. to get my drink. After this because I already ordered my groceries I actually have a few minutes to go in any store I want to. I can shop or just wander and look around. Then I pull in the pick up spot at the grocery store, dial the phone number, and wait for 5 minutes for my groceries to come out and get loaded right in the back of my vehicle. I don’t even have to get out! Then I have another 40 minutes to drive home before I actually have to start the rest of my tasks for the day. This is great! Just like a mini vacation for the week. Some weeks I choose to go in the grocery store though. This is almost equally as great. I can just wander the store, look at new items, get ideas for meals and see adults that don’t want to talk about work. Either way, as much as I love my family, I really enjoy having a little time to myself, even if it is doing something that has to be done. Appreciate your family time but don’t forget a little me time, even if it’s as simple as the drive through at Dutch Bros. and a drive to the grocery store.
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Well here it is again, New Years Day. Some of you are making your New Year resolutions and others of you don’t care to. I don’t make resolutions so much as set goals for myself. That way if I mess up I just start over again and don’t feel quite so guilty. I know basically the same thing but resolution sounds so serious. Usually by now I have been watching my waistline slowly creep back over the waist of my pants. I mean with all of the holiday meals, kids home from school and spending the last few weeks not worrying too much about diet or exercise it was bound to happen. For those of you that stick to it through the holidays, good for you. I really mean that because I don’t know how you do it. I always choose to just enjoy food through the holidays….more than I probably should. It all starts in November for me with birthdays and Thanksgiving and continues on through December and then I finish off with another birthday and New Years. So that brings me into January again and about 5 to 10 pounds over where I like to be. It all goes right to my middle. I don’t know why it can’t just evenly distribute instead of going to one spot! So I start my plan to reach my goal. I like food and do not follow strict diets. I feel that yes you need to eat healthy and have a balanced diet but I have found that portion control is what really works for me, along with exercise. I do not have a lot of time to work out every day but have a basic plan that works for me. Kids and dogs usually end up involved so simple is good. You just have to commit 30 to 40 minutes total throughout the day. I wish I could say this was time to myself but it’s not. My morning workout usually includes my son. My walk in afternoon probably involves the dog. This is what works for me to get things kick started and back to feeling healthy and more energetic.
- Start my day with a workout that is on the Lose Weight in 30 Days app. It only takes a few minutes. Usually involves a child running in and out, joining in, and laughing at me.
- Then if I have time I add the workout that is on the Buttocks Workout app.
- I drink plenty of water throughout the day.
- Eat balanced diet using small portions.
- I walk after dinner for 15 to 20 minutes.
That’s my plan. Super simple, not much to it, but enough to help get back into shape, feel better and maybe get my waistline back in my pants where it belongs eventually.
Good luck on any goals that you have set for yourself this year. Remember yourself in your goals, you’re probably already doing plenty for everyone else in your life!