Creamy Spaghetti Casserole

I love spaghetti and I love making it different ways. So I knew when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. Let me tell you this was a HUGE hit in our house...also a bonus that it makes leftovers! 

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef until no pink remains; drain off excess liquid. Stir in spaghetti sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside.
3. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions; drain and place in a large bowl. Add ricotta cheese, sour cream, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and remaining salt. Stir until cheese is melted and spaghetti is evenly coated.
4. Spread a cup of meat sauce in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Place spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil.
5. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 to 10 additional minutes, or until heated through.

**I didn't have Italian seasoning on hand so I just mixed Oregano, Basil, and Onion Powder together and it tasted just perfect.

Source

Sometimes a girl just needs....

Today I am going to be totally real. I don't want to come off as everything is unicorns and rainbows around these parts all the time because it isn't. I always try to keep a positive attitude and look at the bright side of things if yes they are not going my way or the way I want them to go. I know that there is a reason things are happening even though I don't see what the reason is yet. Last year we as a family went through so much with uprooting our family from what we know to take a leap of faith and move to the 4th largest city in the U.S. Three months after getting there we were moved again to a smaller town which turned out to be a blessing. 

Last week you probably read that our oldest was sick. He had strep and Flu A. I was the lysol queen with the spray bottle and the wipes. I have tried my hardest to keep everyone else healthy in the house. Do you know how hard it was to keep Gannon and Brayd apart? Late last night Gan started running a fever. Needless to say I slept an hour last night. He ended up in bed with me and I kicked Todd to the couch so he hopefully won't get sick. I need everyone in my house to get healthy, the kids and I are going back to Indiana for Spring Break. I really need and want to go home. It is times like this that makes me really homesick and miss my mommy. Yes I am a 30 year old and still call my mom mommy sometimes. I don't think it matters how old you get you will always need your mom. Even though I know my mom couldn't do anything but just having her here for support. 

I shouldn't complain because there are children way worse off then my kids but I just wanted to open up on the way I am feeling at the moment. I want to always portray as being true to myself on here and in real life too. I am not asking for a pitty party just at times a girl needs to get a few things off her chest. 

Thank y'all for listening! Don't forget to enter my sponsor giveaway!! Stay warm if you are in an area getting sleet, rain, or snow! 

Weekend Wrap Up

Hey lovelies! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! I am happy to report that everyone is now healthy in this house! Goodness last week drove me nuts with germs and what not. I was a lysoling mean machine! Let's get to the weekend shall we? 

Friday Todd brought pizza home for us and as soon as we were done eating I loaded up and went and upgraded my phone. My IPhone was on its last leg and I was in a desperate need of an upgrade. Once I had that taken care of I ran a few errands then came home and restored all of my settings on my phone. I love electronic gadgets so I've been playing on my phone a lot. 

Saturday Todd went and got donuts for breakfast for the boys. While the boys were eating I did my meal planning for the next two weeks along with making out our grocery list. I normally go to the grocery on Sundays so I can clip coupons but Todd was out of coffee and the man loves his coffee. On the way to the grocery I got a little sidetracked and ran into JCP real fast, I've been talking about this military style jacket that I have been wanting that I saw a couple of weeks ago. I was chatting with mom and decided on a whim to run in. Well I found the jacket and then I needed a shirt to go under the jacket of course so I shopped and it felt like mom was with me since we were on the phone the entire time. I finally made it to the grocery and home about two hours later!   

Once I got home Todd decided he was ready to take the leap and stop smoking. He went and purchased an electric cig that he will gradually take decrease the nicotine. I am so proud of him for taking this step. I love that he doesn't smell like smoke anymore and he is feeling better and can actually breathe! 

The magazine I write for is putting a media kit together and needed head shots of all the contributors. So I recruited the husband to take my picture for me. I took a couple of him to get the lighting and what not the way I wanted it. I didn't know what outfit I wanted so I had two outfit changes. Todd's fave is the one with the red pants. We went to supper that evening and then came home and did nothing. It was a perfect day! 

Sunday was more low key because Todd and I went out on a date that evening. Our sitter couldn't watch the kids Saturday night but could Sunday. We just wanted to get away to run to have a grown up supper then back home. We are pretty simple when it comes to our dates. We decided to try this new place called Villa Ravenna, Oh My Goodness was this stuff awesome! I love Italian food anyway but this was authentic stuff. I ordered a Bellini to drink and loved it and ended up having two of them. Todd and I both had a Caesar salad to eat then he ordered the Osso Buco and loved it. I did taste his Risotto and it was so light and fluffy. I ordered the Tortellini and LOVED it! The pasta was freshly made along with the pesto, tomato, and cream sauce. Then of course we had to have dessert to share so we opted for the Tirmisu. This again was light and full of flavor. This was not one of those dinners where you walk away in a food coma stuffed and feel miserable. I can't wait to go back again!  

Don't forget about entering my giveaway here! There are tons of gift cards up for grabs winner takes all! 

HUGE February Sponsor GIVEAWAY

Do I have a treat to start off your weekend! I am having a HUGE sponsor giveaway! I am so jealous that I can't enter because these are rock star prizes! If you have not visited their blogs please do so this group of ladies they are totally amazing!

 

 

 

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SPD: Hot Chocolate

                                                        Source: repinly.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

When I saw this pin I knew I HAD to make it for my family. I knew that Christmas was going to be the perfect time to make it. Although the directions say to make it in a crock pot between my move from Houston to Oklahoma somehow my crock pot got lost. So I had to just make it in my dutch oven. My oldest son Brayden and my dad LOVE them some hot chocolate. This stuff is amazing!!

1.5 cups heavy cream

1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14oz)

 2 cups milk chocolate chips

 6 cups of milk

 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Of course what is hot chocolate without topping it off with some whip cream! :) YUM

I'm linking up with Steph and Katie for SPD! You should join in on the fun!! 

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for my HUGE HUGE giveaway! Also if you haven't entered enter Jess's Dirty 30 giveaway too! 

8th Street Bridge

Do I have a treat for you today! Emily over at 8th Street Bridge

wants to offer ALL of my readers a 20% discount in my shop in all items until the end of February. You  can use the code CRCL13 and let Emily know you are coming from here! Everything she makes is customizable to your liking! Emily is one of my sponsors and I have had the pleasure of getting to know her and she is an absolute doll! 

Don't forget to come back Friday and enter my Feb sponsor giveaway! There are a lot of awesome items up for grabs! It will be winner takes all!

It's Jess's Dirty 30 AND GIVEAWAY!!!

I am so excited that Jess asked me to be apart of her 30th Birthday celebration! She has some awesome prizes up for grabs! The contest will end Feb 28th. So hurry and join in on the fun! 

Also after you enter head on over to Jess and wish her a Happy Dirty 30!!! 

Forever and a Day ~ 1 Month Large Ad Space & a Thirty-One Surprise

The Johanson Journey ~ $25 Etsy Gift Card

Grace For Gayle ~ $10 Starbucks Gift Card & Guest Post

Life and Lemons ~ 2 Months Large Ad Space

Insanity Rules ~ 2 Pieces of Subway Art

The Vintage Modern Wife ~ $10 Starbucks Gift Card

Happy Joyful Day ~ $30 Starbucks Gift Card

Football and Rainbows ~ 3 Months Large Ad Space & $10 Hobby Lobby Gift Card

Blended With Love ~ $20 Target Gift Card

Busy Being Jennifer ~ $20 Shop Credit to Homespun Happiness

Charm & Sass ~ 1 Month Premium Ad Space

Country Roots City Living ~ 1 Month Large Ad Space

RAFFLECOPTER HTML CODE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekend of sickies

So Friday morning I had to get up and get going because I had a follow up post op appt for my foot. The kids were good in the office so we went to Sonic to get us a soda. When I pulled up there was a horse right next to us. I found this totally funny that someone came to Sonic riding on a horse oh and she had her dog with her too. When I went to take the picture of the horse it moved so I had to angle it quickly from the back window so sorry for the bad angle with the black screen in it. 

Saturday Brayd woke up feeling really crappy saying his throat hurt. By the end of the evening he had a temp of 100.4, this isn't a real high temp but for him it is because he never runs a temp when he is sick. 

Sunday Brayd earned a trip to Urgent Care and ended up having Strep. This is the first time he has ever had it. He is so miserable that I took him to get a shake to maybe help his throat. He has lost his voice and his chest is so tight where it reminds me of croup. Needless to say he slept with me and woke up in the middle of the night not being able to breathe so into the steam shower he went. He has earned a trip to the doctor today to see if he needs a breathing treatment or something. He keeps asking when is this sickness going to go away. I feel so bad for him.

Of course since big brother got a shake monkey had to get a mini shake too. He had whip cream all over his face and drank every single drop of that shake! I don't think he liked it at all! HA HA

Sunday evening we discovered that Daisy had gone into heat. She earned her fancy pants again! When Todd put them on her she just sat right down and started to pout and wouldn't move. In a few days she will prance around because she is special with the fancy pants...she is a diva! 

She didn't know if she wanted to go outside or not but here comes Ollie right next to her to get a big whiff of her of her hoo ah. She is a little slut at the moment! HA HA Okay I am out to go nurse my sickie and wait on him hand a foot. Come back tomorrow because there is a giveaway going on!! 

Mayonnaise Cake

Mayonnaise Cake

    

Now I know that the title of this recipe sounds interesting but hang with me and trust me that this is a really good cake. This is another one of the desserts that my Mamaw was known for too. I love to make things that are not of the norm and with Valentines Day coming I thought this might be something different to make rather than a regular chocolate cake.

Ingredients

2 Cup Flour

1 Cup Sugar

2 tsp Baking Soda

Dash of Salt

4T. Cocoa

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Cold Water

1 Tsp Vanilla

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients together first: 2 C flour, 1 C sugar, 2 tsp baking soda, dash of salt, 4 T cocoa. Then add the 1C cold water, 1 tsp Vanilla, and then 1C Mayonnaise. Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for one hour. **All ovens run differently and I only baked mine for about 35 minutes. I would start checking it at the 30 minute mark. Stick a knife or toothpick and make sure nothing sticks to it.

Let cool all the way before serving. You may serve with or without icing. The mayonnaise is an agent to make it real moist.

A bond that can't be broken

The other day one of my friends back home commented on a picture of my mom and myself. She proceeded to tell me that she had always admired the kind of relationship that my mom and I had and she hopes one day that her and her daughter will have the same kind of relationship. When I read this it made my heart fill up, tears swell in my eyes, and then I got homesick for my mom. I am not here to tell you guys that our relationship is perfect and this is exactly how a mother/daughter should be. This is just what works for us, but in my eyes I think my mom is pretty perfect and so is our relationship. 

Mom and I right after I had Gannon in 2010

As most of you may know if you have been around for awhile is that I am adopted. I was adopted at birth. My mom and dad tried for years and years to get pregnant and just couldn't. Then they waited for the longest time to adopt a baby. Funny story...my mom was working at one of the branches (bank) that she was the Asst. VP for this lady came in and was talking about her grandson that was just born. The lady also proceeded to tell my mom that there was a little girl that was also just born that the birth mom was giving up for adoption. That evening once my mom got off work she and dad got the call that they were getting a little baby girl. I am that little baby girl that the lady was speaking about earlier in the day. I believe part of what makes mom and I close is because I was adopted and because she and dad had wanted a child for so long. 

Mom was a stay at home mom for two years. She stopped working at the bank on my 2nd birthday and then went to work as an aide at the school. She worked there for 18 years before having to go on disability. Those two years that she stayed home she always made the day so fun and exciting. We would not sit at home we were always on the run going to the park or some kind of adventure. She taught me growing up that communication was key. She was my mom first and my friend second. She always made it where I could go and talk to her about anything and everything. She would never make the situation awkward and if I did something wrong yes she might have gotten made and upset with me but we still worked it out. She taught me that family stayed together and if we had each other then we could conquer anything.

Mom, dad, and I in front of where my Mamaw and Papaw used to live in Florida in 2008

My mom is one of the strongest people I know. When I was a freshman in H.S. she had her gallbladder taken out. She should have been out of the hospital within a couple of days instead she didn't come home for six weeks due to complications. She went on to develop Fibromyalgia a year or so later and ended up having a pain pump inserted inside of her so she could function daily. Not once did she complain or have a pity party she just kept on trucking on. With the pain medication that she was on with the pain pump made her gain weight. A year ago September she decided she was sick of living on the pain pump she started doctoring with some specialist and ended up having a back surgery in December of 2011, knee replaced January 2012, back surgery March 2012, and she was able to FINALLY get her pain pump removed July 2012. Not once during those four major surgeries did she ever complain she stayed strong and again kept trucking along. I am also happy to report that she is now down 70+lbs too! She looks so good! 

While she worked at the school she was the kind of person where a lot of the kids would go just to talk and get things off their chest or go to her for advice. She is the kind of person that she keeps things to herself and does not repeat what she has been told. I guess it really hasn't changed because people still come and talk to her and get advice from her. She is the kind of person where you don't hear another person say a bad word about her and she is very well liked. I will say tho if you cross her or hurt anyone in her family or her baby (me) oh my goodness watch out because the wrath of mother bear will unleash. It is not a pretty sight guys! 

I love that my mom taught me to be such a family person. Yes our family is probably unusually close and I talk to her on the phone at least 29586039 times a day! I would even talk to her that much when we lived in Indiana and would go home one weekend day too. Not only has she always been a supportive mom she has also always been a supportive wife to my dad letting him follow his dreams. He had always wanted to coach basketball and he did and we followed and went to every game and was there to cheer him on. She was there to drive me to all of my gymnastic practices and to take me to all my meets. I don't want this to come off as everything is unicorns and rainbows because it is not, her and I fight and when we fight we really fight but we also make up and fast as we fight too. 

 Her and I on our road trip back to Oklahoma

I hope that I am half of the mom to my kids and what she is to me. I also hope I can convey to my kids the morals that she has taught me and show them that I am their mom first and friend second. I want my kids to know they can come to me for anything and I will always stand by their side no matter what the issue may be at hand. I may be adopted but I feel that God chose my mom and made me like my mom and I can't tell you how happy I am. There is not one person I would rather be like than her. She is my mom, best friend, hero, guardian, counselor and so much more. I love all the time that her and I spend together laughing and making fun of each other. I love that she over the years has made our moments together special. She has always made sure that we had our own thing we would do together. As I got older it would be girls day out shopping and now it is girls day out shopping and we go get a little drinky drink! ;) I love my mom to the moon and back and I can not be more thankful that she is in my life and that I get to call her mom. 

Weekend Recap + Meal Planning

Hi friends I am sitting here with Brayden while he is eating breakfast and I am looking out the back door at the sunrise above the pasture and pond. It such a beautiful thing to see this morning and such gorgeous colors. All pretty in pinks and oranges! I love when the day starts this way! 

 I hope your weekend was fantastic! Mine was and I've got a lot to share so let's get to it okay! Friday when I picked up Brayden from school I was told he made a 100 on his spelling test AND his reading test! I was totally excited about it. Once Todd got home from work Brayden and I had a date night together. We ran to Hobby Lobby, Target, and Walmart looking for the perfect Valentines and we had to get items to decorate a box for his Valentine Party on Thursday. We ended up finding a Star Wars comic mailbox at Walmart and we were sold. By the way if you are looking for Valentines for your kids to hand out at school go to Walmart, they are way cheaper than what Target has. We grabbed some food on the way home and ate it here at home. We didn't get in until almost 9PM. Him and I had such a fun time laughing and talking about when he was younger.

Napping with little Miss Daisy May

Saturday it was kind of rainy out which resulted in us not really doing much that morning. Oh I also hit the 40lbs mark too. So with loosing 40lbs my boobies have shrunk and I needed a new bra! After an afternoon nap I decided I had enough energy to go bra shopping and grocery shopping. I went to JCP and tried on a few bras and thought I found one I like but I am going to take it back. It bothered me all day but I did find this shirt and jacket that I am obsessed with and I am thinking I may have to pick it up. What do you guys think?

I love this military jacket but I have no idea what I would wear under it...suggestions?? 

I've totally been wanting a shirt like this and I also want to get a pair of red skinnies to wear with it. What do you guys think??

As I was shopping I was texting Lacey and sending her pictures of the things I was finding and lusting over. Needless to say I walked out without getting them....yet! :) Once I left JCP I ran to the grocery. I would like to say I was able to purchase two weeks worth of groceries for $180, I am pretty stoked about that. 

Husbands fantastic French Toast..serious it is bomb.com

Sunday morning we woke up and once Todd made breakfast (French Toast) the boys ended up cuddling up in the recliner with me. It was so much fun so we decided to watch a movie. Of course we took a picture. I sent it to my mom and she was texting me back...I'd like to add she was in Church too! She is crazy! HA HA Once the movie was over Brayden and I filled out his Valentine's for Thursday then it was time for Gannon to take his nap. When he went down for him nap I turned on the IU game (IU won over OSU!! HOO HOO HOOSIERS!!) Todd ended up falling asleep and he was snoring so freakishly loud. I went and got Brayden's nurf gun to shoot at him but the damn thing got stuck and was making way to much noise and Brayden was laughing and it woke Todd up. I was attempting to video it too but it was a fail! Every Sunday I try to always make a nice family dinner so I made meatloaf cupcakes, mashed potatoes, corn, and rolls. Everyone loved it and then it was bath time for the boys. Then we watched a little TV as a family and then it was time for the kiddos to go to bed. 

Sunday Morning Movie Cuddles (I've got no idea what Brayden is doing with his arm up in the air)

Okay next up is meal planning for the week. 

Sunday-Meatloaf Cupcakes

Monday-Tacos

Tuesday-Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Noodles

Wednesday-Tuesday's leftovers

Thursday-Heart Shaped Pizza 

Friday-Fend for ourselves

Saturday-Date night

How was your weekend? 

I am linking up with Carly and Molly for YOLO Monday (First timer) 

I am also linking up for the 2nd ever Monday Mingling! Come and join the fun with both the link ups!! :)

FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY!!!!

Hey guys I am so glad it is Friday! It has been such a busy busy week here. I feel like I have just been on the run all day every day and I feel like I am getting behind on things. I like to stay on top of things and be organized! This is a little random so hang with me, I do have a cute little story or two about my two adorable kiddos! Also thank you to everyone who sent me messages when I wrote about Brayden having an awful headache!

I will have to say that since I have been playing almost single parent this week that my kids have cracked me up. We got over Brayden's horrible headache and everything else has been up hill from there. I love to sit and listen and watch Gannon. He is 2.5 yrs old and he just cracks me up. His personality is so silly and he is laughing all the time. The things he is learning so quickly for a 2 year old amazes me. He is talking more like a little boy and not that baby/toddler stage which I miss but I am totally loving this stage he is in!

Then there is Brayden he is growing up so fast. He is rocking at school and he is just maturing so much into the next phase of being a boy and taking out the little in him. Last time Todd had to work late actually had a dinner meeting and didn't get home until the kids bedtime. I had so much fun with it being just the kids and I. Gannon has this little foam letter and number mat thing that we have on his floor, he took it apart like all of it so I had to put it together. There is an edging to it and I couldn't get them to fit correctly so I left it and was going to come back to it. Brayden noticed it and just stepped right in and fixed it for me. I didn't even have to say anything to him. Last night I was in a different room putting some thing away and I walk out into the family room and I didn't see Gannon. I finally spotted him, he had climbed up on Brayden's lap and was just sitting it in while Brayden was playing video games. Then I could hear Gannon leaning in and wanting to kiss Brayden then the "wuve ou". Talk about melt a moms heart!


Now I would love to introduce to you one of my lovely sponsors! Rebekah is such a sweetie and so energetic. Girlfriend fave shoes are her gold Kate Spade sandals. Hello now I am obsessed!  I am so glad to have her pretty up my side bar as a sponsor! Please take a moment and read a little bit about her and then stop over and say Hi! Be sure you come back toward the end of next week because there is going to be a sweet giveaway going on from all of my sponsors!!

Hi lovelies! My name is Rebekah & I blog over at All That Glitters. I would like to thank Lindsey for allowing me to be on her sidebar! I won the January giveaway & I'm so excited. 

I love to write about life, beauty, fashion, and anything else that comes to mind. I would love for y'all to stop by & say hi!

 

MPM Birthday Celebration {iPad2 Giveaway}

It is Mom Powered Media's Birthday and guess what they want to celebrate by giving away an iPad2! Please read and enter below for your chance to win!! Good Luck!!

It’s a MPM Birthday Celebration Event

We are so excited to give you a chance to win an iPad 2!

iPad 2 Specs:

Wifi Color: Black Apple iOS 4, Apple A5 1 GHz. It has 16 GB integrated. 9.7" IPS TFT , LED backlight and Multi-Touch. 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR , 21.2 oz. Camera: Front: 0.7 MP, Back: 0.7 MP

One winner will receive iPad 2 {Wifi, 16GB, Black}!

Giveaway ends March 4th at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Special thank you to our co-hosts: Bay Area Mommy, My Vegan Gluten-Free Life, Franticmommy, Mommy Bear Media, Swank Savings, Misadventures with Andi, Boys Oh Boys, Capri's Coupons, Mom to Bed by 8, Powered By Mom, Real Mom Reviews and Baby Costcutters.

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Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Country Roots City Living is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. Please contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com with questions or to see your business or blog featured on the next big event!

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When your babies are sickly....

This week is going really fast to me. Is it to anyone else? I had a totally different post planned for today but I am putting that on hold until tomorrow. Right now our oldest son Brayden, is not feeling 100%. He needs his momma to baby him and I am not going to fight him on that one! :) I LOVE to baby my kiddos and I know I won't get to much longer with him. I mean he is going to be 9 in April! HA HA

Yesterday I posted a status on my personal FB page about getting a text from Brayden's teacher. As you all know her and I are really close friends and she is 9 months pregnant. It is not unusual to get a text from her during the day. I figured it would be some random thought or that her water broke! She told me that Brayden was complaining of his eyes hurting. This was the second time within the last couple of months that he has complained to her about his eyes. Brayden is not a complainer when he doesn't feel well anyhow and if you have been following for awhile you will remember he was suppose to have surgery on his eyes when we lived in Houston. Needless to say I cancelled that surgery since we moved and I had reservations about it anyway but if you need a refresher or to catch up you can read about it here. Also if any of you have had this done or know of someone who has had this done please message me I'd love to know more about it. With all of that being said I knew we needed to go to the Opthamologist here in Tulsa but I put that to the side for a bit so we could get settled. I mean there is just so much you can throw at a kid at one time. I called yesterday morning and got him in with a Pediatric Opthamologist and surprisingly they are getting him in on Monday. 

When I picked him up from school you could see in his little eyes he wasn't feeling the best. Once he got home from school yesterday I gave him Tylenol. Last night for supper I was going to make Beef Stroganoff well needless to say I didn't feel like cooking so Todd took us out to eat. Brayden ate pretty well but still said his head hurt. Once we got home from supper and the kids had their baths Todd ran and got some Advil and Brayden laid on my lap. I rubbed his head for over 30 minutes trying to ease his pain for him. I felt so bad because I wanted to take his pain away and have the headache for him. I don't want my babies to ever hurt. Todd and I went to tuck him in and all three of our dogs jumped up in bed with him and laid with him. (He has been sleeping in the room my parents stay in when they are here to visit. I think he likes the bigger bed and the room smells like my dads cologne too.) Carson our Chocolate lab ended up staying in bed with him until Brayden was in a good deep sleep. It was really cute because Carson was laying his head up on the pillow right next to Brayden almost spooning him. 

Todd woke up this morning and found that Brayden has moved himself to the couch. He told Todd that he was going to come and lay with us but Todd was snoring way to loud. HA HA He told me he didn't want the dogs to be alone and he got hot. Needless to say I think he still has a touch of his headache and I am starting to think it may also be a sinus headache too. There is no doubt that his eyes hurt because he is always rubbing them. Hopefully today will be a better day for him but I am off to go give some extra loves to him and baby him before we leave for school. Maybe the extra lovins from momma will fix his little headache and make him have a wonderful day! ;) 

Have a happy hump day y'all! 

Meal Planning

Hey friends! Last week I told you that I went grocery shopping and meal planned for two weeks. Last week went really well and to be honest I really had it together and didn't need to run to the store but one time. That one time was for some milk and then some chicken broth that I thought I grabbed. I also asked my husband to pick up some corn bread because last minute I thought it would be good with the Creole Sausage w/ red beans and rice BUT he was in a hurry at the Piggly Wiggly and accidently grabbed the Blueberry muffin mix. Can we say ooppss? HA HA

Sunday-Creole sausage w/red beans and rice

Monday-Leftover creole sausage with red beans and rice

Tuesday-Beef Stroganoff

Source: thefrugalfoodiemama.com via Carrie (Frugal Foodie Mama) on Pinterest</

Wednesday-Cheesy Chicken Enchilladas

Source: chef-in-training.com via Kelly on Pinterest</

Thursday-leftovers



Friday-Pizza

Source: keyingredient.com via Key Ingredient on Pinterest</

Saturday-kitchen closed going out to eat

I also noticed that by me doing our meal planning two weeks in advance I ended up saving us half of what I normally spend each week going to the store. When I did go to the store I also picked up lunch items for Brayden since he takes his lunch daily to school. There were also snacks added in there for Gannon and lunches for him here at home and I still saved money. I did cut some coupons but it was nothing like what you see on TLC Extreme Couponers. I just shopped smart and looked for the best deals for the price. 
Do you meal plan? If so how far in advance do you meal plan?