Dear Jameson...

Dear Jameson,

You are simply amazing. You are hilarious and smart. You are rocking out at school with your knowledge and social skills. You've never met a stranger and love everyone. Open House at school went wonderfully and your teacher is so proud of you, as am I. You can read lots of words and some books. You were the only person in your class that knew all of their letters and how to read when you started kindergarten. I can't believe how grown up you are. It seems like just yesterday that you were lying in my arms and making those sweet sounds that your brother makes now. Although you are such a big boy, I sure do love when you occasionally show me that you still need me, like when you don't feel well or when you get hurt or when you have a bad dream. Those are special times for just us and I savor every second of them, I hope you know. You are simply amazing and I am more proud of you every day, sweet boy. I love you so much and you will always be my baby!

Love,
Mommy

Dear Lawton...

Dear Lawton,

As you lie next to me in bed, I can see your chest rise and fall. I can hear your faint sighs and mumbles. I can smell your sweet breath. You are wonderful. Perfection. Edible deliciousness. I love you so much and treasure each day I have with you. You are almost 11 months old and will be walking and talking soon. Our nursing relationship will come to an end relatively soon. I never thought I'd say this, but I totally wouldn't mind nursing you extensively. You make the sweetest sounds as you eat and prefer milk over food any day of the week. You are so attached to me and I love that you are. I love when you wake up in the morning, I love our afternoons, I love evenings and bath times and bedtimes and even middle of the night wake ups (sometimes). That middle of the night time is just ours. I can focus on you with no other distractions. You can nurse and look in my eyes and make your sweet sounds in the comfort of the night. I wish that I could bottle up those sounds and your smell and keep them forever. You will be one year old in a little more than a month and I guess you won't exactly be my baby anymore, but you will truly always be my baby. I love you more than the sun and the stars, sweet boy.

Love,
Mommy

#20byThanksgiving

I started reading Mama Laughlin's blog several months ago when someone repinned it on Pinterest and immediately fell in love with her.  She was like my long-lost skinny BFF.  She lost a lot of weight after her second son was born last November, which happens to be when Superbaby was born.  However, she works full-time, doesn't have a husband with a crazy schedule, and wasn't breastfeeding.  I told myself that all of those differences were definitely stopping me from losing weight. I think I'm the only person in the world that doesn't lose weight with breastfeeding.  Anyway, last month, Superdad's crazy schedule stopped being so crazy and I started feeling a whole lot less like a married single mom.  I've had a lot more time to myself [hence the TWO recent blog posts!] and decided 2 weeks ago that it was time to change my weight for good.  Two Mama Laughlin super fans created a Facebook group for readers of the blog that were trying to lose weight and I joined right as it was created in July.  However, I never really interacted with it until a few weeks ago.  Right before Labor Day, I started all out stalking the group and it. is. AMAZEBALLS. I love that group so much.  The women are so encouraging and everyone has everyone's back.  There are people there trying to lose 10 pounds and there are people on a 150-pound weight loss journey. For the first time in my life, I feel like I CAN do this.  I don't have to be a slave to food or the scale or whatever else.  I've been logging everything I eat into myfitnesspal and working out [almost] daily.  I've lost 8 pounds since I started!  I broke into a new decade of numbers on the scale yesterday!  I know that I have such a long road ahead of me, but I will lose 100 pounds.  I deserve to feel beautiful.  Superboy & Superbaby deserve a mom that isn't fat.  Superdad deserves a hot wife.  I have SO got this. And I'm not giving up.

I joined a challenge to lose 20 pounds by Thanksgiving.  That's why my instagram and twitter posts have the #20bythanksgiving hashtag on them when I post anything fitness related -- we are all encouraging each other to lose 20 pounds and we will all make it there!  Join me on my challenge!  You won't regret it!

Until next time...

xoxo,
Supermom

Long time gone!

Wow, I went way too long without updating the blog!  We've been very busy over the last month!  Superboy turned FIVE years old and started Kindergarten, Superbaby is so busy all the time now that he's mobile, we got a precious puppy named Parker, and Superdad lost his job.  Yes, he lost it.  But we're okay.  God is constantly providing for us and helping us make it through this difficult time.

J started kindergarten three weeks ago.  It has been quite an adjustment for all of us!  He is in public school this year and loves his class.  However, he has a problem with keeping his sweet little mouth closed during class [like mother, like son] and seems to always be in trouble for one thing or another.  So far, all of his offenses have been relatively minor, but he did have one particularly bad day. Hopefully things will continue to get better as he becomes more accustomed to school.  J also turned 5 years old about 3 weeks ago, and he had a great birthday party at the YMCA with his friends at the water park!

L is suddenly so busy.  He is semi-crawling [army crawling, or "caterpillar crawling" as J says] and all over the place.  He loves to go for the dog's water and food bowls.  We have to constantly keep those out of his reach or we'll find him with a mouthful of dog food... gross!  He says "hey" and throws up his little hand all the time like he's waving.  He also says "mama" and "dada", although "mama" is totally his favorite.  L still doesn't sleep very well at night.  He will do somewhat better for a couple of nights and then go right back to "normal" after that, which is awake every 2-3 hours.

We recently started going to an Episcopal church and we all love it.  The ladies in the nursery fuss over how precious L is all the time, J likes the music and the attention from the ladies, and Adam and I love everything. Since Adam isn't working on Sundays anymore, it's so nice that we all get to go to a church that we love and believe in. I've always felt like we would really like an Episcopal church, and I was correct!  

I'm on a mission to lose weight.  I thought I was trying a few months ago, but I really wasn't, if I'm completely honest with myself. I half-assed it and expected amazing results. When they didn't happen, I was crushed. I started back on a diet/exercise program last week and have lost 7.2 pounds so far!  I've been tracking my calories on myfitnesspal and doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred (killer workout!!) and it's paying off!

I have the best friends and family in the world.  I'm so incredibly lucky to have so many amazing, supportive people in my life.

xoxo-
Supermom

A few pictures from the last month: 

 Jameson & his BFF, John Michael, at J's birthday party.

 Jameson's 5th Angry Birdsday Party.  :] 

 BFFs!

 First day of school!

 Third day of school... "Mommy, will you take my picture while I hold your hand and walk to class?"

 Precious sleeping boy.  I love his eyelashes so much!

 Lawton & Parker

 Parker is praying that Lawton will drop a Cheerio for him!

My boys after church!

Herby Pork Chops

We had a great supper tonight!  I made these amazing herb pork chops, mashed garlic cauliflower, corn on the cob, and roasted okra.  As promised to some of you, here are the recipes from tonight:

Herb Pork Chops

4 thin (14 oz) boneless pork loin chops, center cut
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried savory
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp butter
2 tbsp whole wheat flour (leave out for gluten free)

Season pork chops with first 5 ingredients.  Dip in whole wheat flour and shake off excess.  Melt butter in pan over medium heat.  Once butter is melted, add pork chops and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.  Move to plate and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Roasted Okra
15-20 stalks fresh okra
olive oil
salt & pepper

Cut tips from okra and cut in pieces approximately 1/3"-1/2".  Spread evenly on baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper, drizzle olive oil.  Use hands to mix and coat everything equally. You don't need a lot of olive oil!  Cook for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mashed Garlicky Cauliflower [hint: don't tell your family it's cauliflower.  Everyone thought it was mashed potatoes.]

1 medium head cauliflower
1 tbsp cream cheese, softened
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
dash freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter


Rinse and chop cauliflower.  Steam for about 10-15 minutes until fork tender.  Let drain well.  Place cream cheese, parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, and butter in large mixing bowl.  Add cauliflower.  Use immersion blender to blend everything together until smooth.

Fresh Corn on the Cob
This one is really super difficult. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Add as many corn on the cobs as you need, still in husks, silks attached.  Place them directly on the oven rack and let cook for 30 minutes.  Cut off the end when you're done to remove the silks and use the husk as a handle to eat.  Amazing.

Hope you guys had a great Monday!  See you next time!

Love,
Supermom

Spinach & Artichoke Quiche = To Die For

Superdad hates frittata.  HATES.  He would rather starve than eat frittata.  I made that zucchini one a few weeks ago and he forced it down, but it wasn't his favorite [although he did say that it "wasn't terrible"]. I was a little hesitant to offer a quiche, but he LOVED it and so did Jameson.  I will definitely be making this more often!  

Superboy helped me make the whole wheat crust: 

Mmmmmmmmm....

Here is the recipe: 

Spinach & Artichoke Quiche with Whole Wheat Crust

Whole Wheat Crust:

1.5 cups whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

Dump all of this in the pie pan and mix well.  Once it's all mixed together, roll it into a ball in the center of the pie plate and press it out evenly in the pie plate. Pinch along the top edges or use a fork to make pretty indentations.  Superboy did everything except measure the ingredients for this.  I measured everything and put it in the pie plate for him and he loved it.  Get your kids in the kitchen.  That's where the best memories are made.

Quiche:

1 cup milk

4 eggs

1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

1 steamed artichoke, or one organic can artichoke hearts that ONLY contains artichokes.  None of that other additive mess. 

1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach

10-12 cherry tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw spinach in microwave and squeeze until very dry.  Steam artichokes or drain water from canned artichoke hearts. Chop artichokes well.  Slice tops off of cherry tomatoes and then cut them in half.  Mix everything together in a bowl, making sure to beat eggs.  Pour everything into the pie crust and bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until center is set.  

Finished product.  I served it with a side salad with balsalmic vinaigrette & fresh sliced fruit with Greek yogurt on the side.  Amazing!  So great for a quick, easy summer dish. 
Hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did!

Love, 

Supermom 

And, just to leave you with a whole lot of adorableness, here are my little calves at Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A today [no, that's definitely NOT real food but we live by the 80/20 rule... we're allowed 20% of non-real food]. :] 

Clean Eating FAQ

We've been clean eating for over 3 weeks now.  I am absolutely no expert, but I have been asked a LOT of questions by a lot of people about clean eating! Honestly, I love being asked about it.  It holds me accountable.  I never want to look at someone and say, "well.... I'm not really doing that anymore" when they ask. If you still have questions, feel free to ask!  Email me at ecitysupermom@gmail.com or comment here.

Why do you eat clean?
Eating clean is the way we were intended to eat.  I honestly didn't do it to lose weight or anything, but it has helped in that area as well.  I have more energy.  My hair is stronger and healthier.  My nails are stronger.  My face is still in the break out stage while toxins are being pushed out of my body.


What do you eat?
Here is a sampling of some of the things we eat for each meal:
Breakfast: overnight oats [recipe below], omelets with veggies, fresh fruit
Lunch: pimento cheese on whole wheat,  fresh fruit, fresh veggies with hummus, dinner leftovers
Dinner: as long as it's made from scratch and sugar & preservative free, it's good to go.  I posted some of our favorite recipes in an earlier post, and will post more below for your pleasure!

Overnight oats

What are your staple foods?  Which foods do you have on hand at all times?
Every "diet" [whether used for weight loss or not] is going to include certain staple foods.  I find myself using these things all the time:  whole wheat flour, herbs, spices, olive oil, coconut oil, milk, eggs, butter [used sparingly but still good to have on hand], tons of fresh, seasonal produce, oatmeal [plain, not instant], steel cut oatmeal, honey, pure maple syrup, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat couscous, nut butters, flax meal, chia seeds, dried beans, and nuts.  I buy local and organic whenever possible for everything.  The Farmer's market is my BFF.


Do you plan your meals?
Yes, I do.  Well, at least suppers are planned.  Breakfast is typically planned because I'll make overnight oats the night before or I won't.  I've always been a meal planner, though, even way before clean eating.  Little Miss Type A cannot live without her menu plans.


There ya have it, folks!  These are a few of the questions I keep hearing over and over.  I hope this helps someone and don't hesitate to contact me with any other questions!


Love,
Supermom


P.S.  Here's the recipe for overnight oats.  You thought I forgot, didn't you?  This originally came from one of my favorite blogs, www.katheats.com [she also has an iPhone app which is amazing for my iPhone peeps!], but I've adapted it a tiny bit for my taste.  :]  You can play with this as much as you'd like to find the perfect balance. It's really good and super filling!


Overnight Oats
adapted from katheats.com


1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 – 1/2 cup milk [depending on how soupy you want them to be]
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 banana
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
Dash of cinnamon


Directions


Stir everything together in a bowl and place, covered or uncovered, in the refrigerator for the night.  I like to put mine in a mason jar.  I love me some mason jars.  You can top overnight oats with whatever you'd like -- I usually do some slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, sunflower or almond butter, and blueberries or blackberries.  I also throw these in the microwave for about a minute before I add toppings because I don't like cold breakfast, but that's totally up to you!

Farmer's Market Meal

We've officially been real foodies for almost 3 weeks now. I've been experimenting and trying new recipes with real food lately. I made an amazing sandwich tonight on a croissant that was great! I sautéed zucchini, squash, onions, eggplant, and mushrooms with a tiny bit of salt and pepper, whipped up a simple mixture of softened cream cheese and red pepper jelly to spread on the croissants, and put the veggies on the croissant, making a farmers market sandwich. It was fantastic! I cant take all the credit for this one, though. This is actually my most favorite sandwich in the world from our favorite restaurant, SummaJoe's Searing Pans. I'm going to try to find a real food recipe that makes bigger croissants and then I'll be 100% satisfied with this sandwich. The croissants were tiny. I served roasted okra and cantaloupe on the side. This was a wonderful, light, summer meal! Definitely going on the rotation, big croissants or not. Enjoy!

Day 10 of Real Food... Mission Accomplished!

Mission Accomplished!!! We made it through TEN days of real food!  No sugar, no preservatives!  I can't begin to describe how wonderful it feels.  I was able to cook all meals at home with the exception of one meal, where I had to cheat a tiiiiny bit, but other than that, everything was great!  Also, when I cheated, the food tasted gross and bland, like cardboard.  It's really amazing how real food explodes on your tongue when you get used to not having preservatives and sugar in everything we eat.  I've made homemade granola bars, homemade bread, spaghetti sauce, and everything else from scratch this week!  Superdad has tons more energy, and superboy is doing wonderfully with the change.  

A few of my favorite ladies have been asking for real food recipes so that they can start their pledge or incorporate more real food into their lives.  Here are a few of our favorites from the last ten days:

Zucchini Frittata

2 cups sliced zucchini

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup sliced onion

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

4 eggs

2 egg whites

1/4 cup Parmesan

1/4 cup milk 

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in oil until onion is softened and turns yellow.

Add zucchini and saute until soft about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a bowl mix together egg, whites, Parmesan and milk.

Pour egg mixture over the zucchini and lower heat. Cook until egg mixture is semi set. The edges will be browned and you should be able to lift them a bit with a spatula.

Place the pan in the broiler to cook the center about 5 minutes.

Top with some feta cheese and chopped parsley if desired.

Crock Pot Pork & Pears

4- 1/2 inch thick, boneless pork loin chops

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp.salt

1 tsp. butter

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c. apple juice, no sugar added

1/2 c. onion, sliced

2 firm, ripe pears, skin off, sliced

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat until it melts.

Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.

Add pork to saute pan and cook on each side until browned.

Pour apple juice and applesauce into the crock pot.

Place sliced onion over applesauce.

Add pork chops on top of onions.

Add sliced pears on top of the pork chops.

Cook on high for 3 hours.

I topped this with mango salsa [1 mango, 1 red onion, and one bunch of cilantro, chopped] and it was even better!  Adam liked this one more than me, though, I must admit. 

Real Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

2.5 cups uncooked brown rice

2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped

4 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 batch cream of mushroom soup (homemade)

1 batch cream of chicken soup (homemade)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Cook brown rice according to package instructions on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Meanwhile, in a large pot, steam broccoli florets until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, reserving .5 cup of shredded cheese. Mix well to combine. Divide casserole between two 8 x 8 greased baking pans or one larger pan. Sprinkle each with .25 cups shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until heated through and bubbly.

Spinach Pie  

1 whole wheat pie crust

2 cups fresh or frozen, chopped spinach

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk 

1 cup shredded cheese, divided in half ( I used Italian cheese blend of asiago, mozzarella, Parmesan)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon minced garlic

pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add salt, pepper, garlic, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and milk. Mix well.

Evenly distribute the chopped, cooked spinach into the pie crust.

Pour the egg mixture over the spinach then add the 1/2 cup of cheese on top.

Bake 40-60 minutes until the center is cooked. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Crock Pot Lasagna

3 cans (14.4 ounces) crushed tomatoes

3 cloves garlic , finely chopped

2 Tbsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 containers (15 ounces each) fresh ricotta

2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

12 lasagna noodles (about three-quarters of a 1-pound box)

5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

In the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Top with 3 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.

Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender—especially in the center of the lasagna—about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

I found all of the above recipes on a couple of my new favorite blogs, www.sugarfreemom.com and www.100daysofrealfood.com, with the exception of the last recipe, which was given to me by my sweet friend Susan.  

This is such a great change for our family.

With love,

Supermom

Real Food

We started a 10 day real food pledge seven days ago.  We've been without refined sugars, preservatives, or store-bought convenience items for seven freaking days.  I found the pledge on www.100daysofrealfood.com but have since discovered 3058320923850 blogs and websites devoted to real food and I'm loving them all!  My bookmark tab is getting used like a cheap hooker these days thanks to all of these websites.

A lot of people have asked what we eat.  It's very simple: nothing from a box, nothing with sugar, nothing with more than 5 ingredients on the label. We eat organic whenever possible.  Everything is fresh and it's wonderful.  I have shifted our focus to fruits and vegetables rather than meats and processed foods.

Honestly, the first few days were pretty bad.  I was fatigued, grumpy, and depressed.  My face broke out like a 13-year-old boy as my body shed all of the toxins inside.  I wanted to eat junk food but I didn't at the same time.  I'll admit I caved one time and ate exactly one square of Hershey's dark chocolate.   I don't think that's too bad considering I was pretty much addicted to crappy food before.  I read that all of these things would happen, so they were expected.  We are now on day seven and I feel amazing.  I've been eating so well and preparing everything from scratch and it's honestly so refreshing. Surprise!  Real food fills you up way more than processed food!  Does this mean that we can't have sweets?  Not necessarily.  We can eat anything that is naturally sweetened with honey, maple syrup, or even Stevia.  I haven't tried Stevia yet, but I probably will once our 10 day pledge is over.  I'm really trying to stay away from anything super sweet and junky.  We went to VBS graduation last night for Superboy and were able to stay away from the crappy food fest that it was -- hot dogs, chips, cupcakes, and lemonade or sweet tea.  Superboy had a cupcake because I didn't want to look like the crazed lunatic that wouldn't let her kid have one freaking cupcake.  I may have wiped away some of the [ridiculous amount of] frosting while he wasn't looking though... hey, I didn't want the kid to go into some type of sugar shock since he hasn't had any in 7 days!  Overall, I'm incredibly proud of us.   No fast food for seven days is quite a feat for me, the drive thru queen. I was even tempted by Taco Bell but didn't get anything at all.  It just suddenly seems so uninteresting and gross to fill myself with crappy food.  I don't want to be one of those people that goes on a health kick and it fizzles out after a week or so, but this is honestly the best change we've ever made.  I definitely see us implementing this to the rest of our lives after the 10 day pledge is over.

I'll post some recipes later.  For now, I need to chase these boys around with my new found energy. :]

Love,
Supermom

Crafty Smafty!

We have been crafting up a storm in our house lately! We were on vacation last week and took a mini vacation the previous week, so we are finally getting back on track. We've been working on setting a home schedule for ourselves and making the most of what we have at home. I'm doing everything on a budget and it's been really fun so far! We've made finger puppets (Superbaby loves those), sock puppets, collages, color wheels, paintings, and watercolor murals so far. We've also been doing learning time and Superboy really loves that. :) we are having a great summer so far!

Here are some pictures of our most recent craft:

I took a 16"x20" canvas and spelled his name out with masking tape, then let him choose the colors he wanted and he went to town painting! When it was dry, we peeled off the paint and we had a cool picture for his room. Cheap. Easy. Fun. Just my style. :) He also left us a set of handprints on the front porch. Thanks a lot.

Homemade Cleaning Products

Making my own cleaning products almost makes me excited to clean.  Almost.  I've never liked using a ton of chemicals in our home with two little ones, so making my own allows me to control exactly what is being used to get rid of germs!  It's fun to make cleaning products and much more eco-friendly, not to mention cheaper!  I've recently started making all of our own cleaners.  White vinegar is the best cleaner ever! I use it for everything!  You can make almost any type of cleaner from some basic ingredients:

--original Dawn dish detergent

--white vinegar

--washing soda

--baking soda

--Borax

That's all it takes for most cleaners!  Those are some cheap ingredients that will make tons of awesome cleaning solutions! A lot of homemade cleaners also use ammonia, but I try to avoid using that stuff.  Yuck.  The first cleaner I ever made was the bathtub/shower cleaner that I swear by.

The next time you're out, pick up a few cheap plain spray bottles from the store or do what I do and reuse those old, store-bought bottles!  I also use old, cut up t-shirts as cleaning rags because I'm crunchy like that!  Here are a few of the recipes I use to make my own tried and true cleaners:


Homemade Window Cleaner
½ t mild dish detergent
3T vinegar
2 cups water
Put all of these ingredients into a spray bottle.  Shake this up and use it just like the commercial variety.

Homemade Stain Remover

1 part baking soda
1 part hydrogen peroxide
2 parts water
Mix it all in a container to spot treat or just add straight to laundry if pre-soaking. Shake before using each time.

Homemade Fabric Softener

1 part hair conditioner
1 part white vinegar
2 parts water
Pour it all in your new fabric softener container and stir (don't shake because it will foam a little) and the mixture will thicken. Use like normal.  I use an old coffee creamer container to hold this. This is safe for HE machines because it does not create a lot of suds!

Homemade Bathtub/Shower Cleaner
White Vinegar
Original Dawn
Mix equal parts in a spray bottle.  Spray down shower/bathtub, let sit for 2 hours.  Wipe away all scum and grossness!

Dishwasher Cleaner
1 cup White Vinegar
Baking soda
Put one cup of white vinegar on the top rack of your dishwasher.  Run the dishwasher with just the cup of vinegar in it on a hot cycle.  When that is done, sprinkle  baking soda all over the bottom of the dishwasher and run another cycle.  Your dishwasher will be fresh and clean!


These are my favorite cleaners!  I plan to make our own laundry detergent once our endless supply of cheap All Free & Clear runs out that I got with coupons.  Do you make your own homemade cleaners?  Have an awesome natural cleaning tip?  Share in the comments!  I'd love to hear!

Too Attachment Parenting?!

J graduated preschool tonight.  Ohhh, there were so many tears shed.  I can't believe my big boy will be in kindergarten in a few months!  He is such a precious, wonderful child.  Why do they have to grow up so quickly?

L was with us at the graduation ceremony tonight, of course.  Someone made the comment that he's "spoiled" because he wants to be held a lot of the time and has a bit of stranger/anyone-other-than-me anxiety.  Excuse me?  L is spoiled because he loves me and wants to be cuddled up next to me?  Wow.  I didn't realize that loving my baby was a negative thing these days.  I love that L knows that he can trust me.  He's never, ever, ever "cried it out" or anything of the sort.  This has allowed for a strong, loving relationship to form between us. L knows that he can count on me if no one else in this world and I love that.  I would also like to add that he will be six months old in just a few days and he has been entirely nourished by my breastmilk.  That is pretty amazing, in my opinion. I never thought we would make it to six months.  Now I'm excited to try for a year of breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding, to me, is like an extension of the umbilical cord outside of the body.  He received his nourishment from the umbilical cord in my womb and now receives it from my milk.  That is incredibly beautiful.  I love his sweet, satisfied sighs as he eats.  When he finishes eating, he pulls off and looks up at me with those beautiful, deep brown eyes and smiles with his whole body.  It's so beautiful and wonderful.  I know his needs. I know his cries.  I know his heart.  I know everything about him and exactly how to take care of him like no one else could ever know.  If that's "spoiling" him, then so be it.  He will be a spoiled, satisfied little boy.

Love,
Supermom

How to Live on One [Modest] Income

I've had a LOT of people ask me how I am able to stay at home with my boys and how we are able to live solely on Superdad's salary.  I'm here to tell you... if you truly want to be a stay at home mom, it's completely possible if you are determined enough.  We worked very hard to make it to this point and I'm proud that we are able to set and reach goals as a family.

Here are 10 of the top changes we made so that I could stop working and we could have a second baby:
1. I coupon.  All the time.  For everything.  We never pay shelf price for anything.  I consider us to be extremely informed consumers.  We never make big purchases until we have thought them through for at least 48 hours.  We think about every purchase we make, big or small.  When something is on a great sale, I stockpile it.  Our laundry room is like a mini-drugstore filled with toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, deodorant, and a thousand other things.
2. I shop for Christmas/birthdays year-round.  When I find a good deal on something that I know someone will like, I get it and put it away for Christmas.  That way, we aren't struggling to fund Christmas and we don't usually have to run out and buy last minute birthday gifts for parties that J is invited to.
3. I call our cable/internet service providers and negotiate our rate every 6-8 months.  They always lower it when I say I'm not happy with the price and bring up the economy.  Works every time and takes 5 minutes, tops.
4. Turn up the thermostat in the summer!  Turning it up 2 degrees saves about $12 on our power bill each month.  We live in SC, so it's ridiculously hot. I turn it on 75 and we are perfectly comfortable all summer.
5. I buy tons of stuff from secondhand stores. I wish I could say that I go to yard sales every weekend and find awesome things, but I just can't get my lazy butt ready and drag our entire family out of the house that early every Saturday.  We're lucky to make it out the door by noon on Saturdays. Consignment and thrift stores are amazing. I buy almost all of the boys' clothes there and a lot of Superdad's clothes, as well as my own, when we need something. I shop for the boys like it's my job.  Superdad & I have enough clothes. :]  The nice clothes and matching clothes that the boys wear come from retail stores, but I try to keep costs to a minimum. They grow so quickly.  It's ridiculous to pay full price for their clothes.  I've also purchased and refinished furniture from thrift stores and Craigslist. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
6. Cloth diaper!  Seriously.  I've couponed and gotten disposable diapers for pretty cheap, but it's hard to have enough disposables that way.  Cloth diapering is wonderful in so many ways, for our planet and for our wallets. If we have another baby, he will be set for diapers and clothes!  I can say "he" with almost certainty.  I don't think Superdad and I are capable of producing girls.
7. I use Swagbucks to earn points towards Amazon gift cards to buy things I would never allow myself to spend money on, like my expensive hair products that I love.  Swagbucks is a search engine that you can use.  Searches randomly give you points. You can also do a daily poll, use their coupons, and complete special offers to get points.  I try to earn $25 per month in Amazon gift cards. Those are my fun money.  :]   You can sign up for Swagbucks here and find out more about the site!
8. I make a lot of our own household cleaners.  Vinegar is awesome and cheap. I plan on making our own laundry detergent once our stockpile of laundry detergent is gone.  I'll make another post solely on household cleaners soon. Promise.
9. Eat at home!  Cook your own meals!  I am a pretty fabulous cook, in my opinion.  I think a lot of the things that I cook are better than restaurant food.  :]  When we do go out, we go somewhere with specials and/or coupons.  Moe's always has a BOGO coupon in the Penny Saver here, and on Saturdays kids eat for $0.99.  Our whole family can eat for $11 on Saturday.  Winning!
10. The biggest life change that allowed us to become a one-income family was using Dave Ramsey's plan for a long time before I stopped working.  We worked hard and saved every penny and paid off debt.  The only debt we have is my car [which will be paid off soon] and our mortgage.  Dave Ramsey's plan is amazing.  I strongly suggest looking it up if you're the least bit interested in getting out of debt. With the DR plan, we are set to pay off our mortgage by 2020, twenty years ahead of schedule!


Many sacrifices have been made, but it's been totally wonderful! I don't mind being creative with our funds nearly as much as I minded working full-time and missing time with my babies.  I was totally miserable while working and I couldn't be happier now.  If you are interested in becoming a stay at home mom or even just reducing your work hours, try some of these steps.  You'll see your money multiplying and your happiness increasing every day you get closer to your goal.

Until next time...

xoxo,
Electric City Supermom

Hi everyone!  This is a little blog to keep track of everything that I do as a stay at home mom. It's a difficult, crazy job, but it's the best job in the world!  Hope you enjoy my posts as much as I enjoy writing them. :]