#CampRoemer Week 3

The kids tried some new things this week, along with some well visit check ups and a much needed night out for me!

Monday…

Of course we had to go to Publix but the novelty of shopping with all the kids has worn off. I actually started putting them to work. I tell that what I’m looking for and what side of the aisle it’s on and they have to find it.

Lego Club

We had no idea what to expect at Lego Club today. It was the first one of the summer and the first one ever for us. The room was jammed packed with kids AND legos! HUGE bins filled with lots of tiny pieces. The kids loved digging for all the ‘girl’ legos and creating masterpieces.

Look at all those serious faces! Even the baby loved it!

Cilantro Lime Turkey Tacos

Tuesday…

Maitland Library

Seriously, this library has the cutest story time program ever. My favorite part was the puppet show starring the one and only, Kermit the Frog!

The girls were excited to get back to gymnastics this afternoon. They have been practicing their new skills everywhere…in the kitchen, on the patio, at Publix, in the library…

Baked Pasta with Sausage & Spinach

Wednesday…

We started the day off with a 2 year & a 6 year checkup. While we waited, the girls kept busy with their workbooks and dry erase boards.

Of course, a little bribery helps to keep good behavior at the doctor’s office. We LOVE donuts!

Trotwood Splash Pad

We had a little time to kill before the baby’s nap, so off to the neighborhood splash pad we went. I love going right after lunch because no one is there. The girls found a beach ball that someone left behind and they had a blast trying to get it to stay on top of the water.

We have another swimmer!! Charlotte had her silly swim tonight and passed with flying colors…and lots of giggles! She jumped in fully clothed, got thrown off a raft and was able to remove a shirt that was placed on her head while she floated. Wow! These girls amaze me every single day. #oneproudmomma! Thank you Miss Tina for teaching my girls to not only love the water but to be safe and confident while they swim.

Ahhhh….I had a kid free night out at Carrabba’s with the owner and manager of #CampBentley. Plenty of red wine, delicious food and LOTS of chit chat!

BBQ Meatballs

Thursday…

We had to make a quick stop at Lukas Nursery for more Milkweed. These caterpillars seriously eat more than my kids!

This was our first time going to the Reading Racers club at Oviedo Library. There were so many hands-on experiments and both the girls surprised me when the volunteered to try out a couple. It wasn’t too much fun for the baby but she was content to sit on my lap.

Madeline:

Charlotte:

Friday…

My poor baby girl wasnt feeling well. Low grade fever, teething and extra clingy. Needless to say, we stayed inside all day.

Honey Garlic Crock Pot Chicken

No friday love…my broken heart just cant deal. But Kendra @ The Gilbertson Family put together some Orlando Love and my fellow OMB contributors did a wonderful job at putting their emotions on paper. Here are just a few…

Kendra

LuLu

Elizabeth

How was your week with the kids?? Try anything new?

#CampRoemer Week 2

I think I can, I think I can…

Monday…

I had to do it. We were out of food. I avoided it for as long as I could but today we HAD to go…all FOUR of us. OMG. I haven’t done that in forever. A whole year to be exact.

I knew I had to be prepared. Like really prepared. ‘Stick to the list only’ kind of prepared. And of course use my best parenting skill to get through the shopping adventure…bribery. Ha! #truth 😉

Tuesday…

The big kids are trying something new this summer…Acro at Tutus! They LOVED it but someone, I won’t mention any names, did not.

Wednesday…

My baby girl turned 6 today!! Crazy but true. We gave her a special heart locket with a picture of me and her daddy in it. I seriously thought she was going to cry when she opened it. She LOVED it and wears it everyday! Later that evening, I asked her what her favorite gift was out of allllll her gifts and she said it was the locket, I asked why. She stopped what she was doing, looked up, touched her necklace and said because it has a picture of you and daddy. A giant lump formed in my throat. #heartofgold

Of course we had to visit the library! Best place to be on your birthday!

Thursday…

First visit to the neighborhood splash pad was awesome! We were supposed to go to the library but…we stayed home to watch the caterpillars turn into chrysalises! And I actually took a video of the whole thing. AMAZING! Now I have to figure out how to upload the 5 minute video to YouTube so I can share the magic.

Friday…

(Photos Courtesy of Little Otters Swim Academy)

We had a make up swim lesson day at our house today. Madeline had her final test…a ‘silly’ swim. She had to jump in the pool fully clothed and do a swim-float-swim. She also had to sit on a raft while Miss Tina flipped it over. The kid passed with flying colors and this momma couldn’t be prouder! I’m not much of a swimmer and it just amazes me to see my babies swim with such ease and confidence! Thank you Miss Tina!

#CampRoemer Week 2 complete!

What fun things did you do with the kids this week??

#CampRoemer Week 1

It was a short week but I still needed to keep the kids busy. For me, I’m a better mom when I take the kids out of the house. When we stay in the house, I try to actually get things done…you know, like cook dinner, do the laundry and so on. At the stage the kids are in now, those are impossible to do in a timely fashion. I make it a goal to plan an outing everyday. They aren’t all fun and games because we do need to do some chores like food shopping, doctor appointments and taking the car in for maintenance visits.

Here’s how our first week went:

Wednesday…

Oh how we have missed #CampBentley!! Our kids go to different schools and have different schedules which makes it a bit more challenging to meet up during the school year. My girlfriend and I LOVE the summer time because we get to spend most of the week days together. For the most part, our kids all get along great and we can actually have adult conversation. It’s a win win for all of us!

Thursday…

Since we’ve moved to the other side of town, we don’t get to visit one of our favorite libraries all that often. The girls were ecstatic to hear that we were on our way to Maitland Library for story time! Granted, it was a story time for the babies but the kids didn’t even notice. It felt great to be back!

Our first stop on Thursday was at The Fresh Market. They have Little Big Meals on Thursdays for $20 and it feeds the whole family and then some! A fresh, delicious and most importantly, easy-to-make meal. This month is Summer Salad and there are many different combinations you can make each week.

Friday…

Elizabeth’s 2nd birthday was on Friday and we celebrated with our dear friends, donuts and a play date at Grammy’s Indoor Playground. All five of the kids had a blast! I wasn’t sure if Madeline would love it because of her age but she did and has already asked to go back again.

The girls even got a little reading in!

The Roemer Girls give Grammy’s a 2 thumbs up!

#CampRoemer Week 1 complete!

What did you do with the kids on their first week of summer break?

Friday I’m In Love

Today marks the first full week of summer break and the girls and I are FINALLY starting to settle into our summer routine. Over the last week and a half, I’ve found a few things that we are in LOVE with and I’m so excited to share them with you!

So…let’s get this LOVE going!

~one~

Legos!

These only come out only when the baby is sleeping. And these are the real deal, not the chunky toddler ones that we have had for years. My oldest loves them! She got her first set for her birthday last week and I LOVE watching her play with them. I can actually see her think when she puts them together. She does this cute little thing with her lip when she’s thinking hard and the whole process of following directions, figuring out which pieces go where and actually creating a finished project has her mesmerized.

~two~

I stumbled upon these dry erase boards on one of our Saturday morning trips to Lakeshore Learning for their FREE weekly craft. My almost 4 year old would rather run, jump and twirl than sit down and practice her letters but…she is in LOVE with these boards! She actually sits down and does them all. And I happened to get them on sale for 1/2 price! #momwin!

~three~

I didn’t expect to add this one to my list but here it is… Grammy’s Indoor Playground. The girls went nuts! I actually wished I had brought my book to read because I was just sitting there. All by myself! Best money I ever spent! And we were there for FOUR hours! If you go, make sure to look for a coupon or get some friends together for a group discount.

The girls even read a few books!

~four~

Trotwood Park Splash Pad was my back up plan yesterday because we missed story time at the library. I surprised the girls with this outing and even hid their bathing suits and towels in the car. It’s a great splash pad! Completely fenced in and small enough for you to stay seated and still be able to see them at all times but big enough that they can run and have fun. Oh and it’s FREE for Winter Springs residents! $3 per kid if you’re not. As you can see, the girl LOVED it!

~five~

All the libraries! I cannot stress enough how wonderful the libraries are. It’s air conditioned and they have programs for every age…even the parents. From Lego Building to Mother Goose Stories, it’s the best place for families to hang out and it’s educational too!

Seminole County Libraries

Maitland Public Library

What are you in LOVE with this week?

Get Uncomfortable {Jan 2016}

Orlando Moms Blog

I was inspired by a fellow Orlando Moms Blog contributor, Tracy, to just choose one word (or words in my case) to “guide and lead me through adventures of uncharted territories.” I chose ‘Get Uncomfortable‘. Click, take a look and see why.

I have been using this phrase, ‘Get Uncomfortable’, every day. I know words are powerful but I never knew repeating this ONE phrase when I was unsure of what to do or what step to take next, would push me in every aspect of my life. From pushing myself on a speed workout or tempo run, to pushing myself in keeping the lines of communication open with my family when all I really want to do is shut down…and sleep.

Last week, my oldest and I had a disagreement. She’s 5 (going on 25) and I’m 43. Both of us love to be right. Most days, I’m the parent and the other days, she thinks she is. It was a rough morning getting out of the house.

My patience was gone. I was wound up a bit tight and she needed more compassion and understanding than I had that morning. All I could think about was getting to school on time. The big kids were acting up in the car kicking the seat in front of them.

I ignored it…for a few minutes. I asked them to stop…a few times. Needless to say, they didn’t. We were at a red light and I turned around with anger in my eyes I said, STOP KICKING. I didn’t yell or raise my voice but there was not an ounce of love in my words.

They stopped. She started crying. Uncontrollably. I screwed up yet once again.

Thankfully, we were around the corner from school. I had to fix this. I couldn’t let her be angry or mad or sad all day at school.

We parked and I jumped in the back of the minivan. She wouldn’t look at me. She wouldn’t make eye contact or acknowledge my presence. She shut down…completely.

I said all the ‘right’ mother things but she wouldn’t budge. I grabbed her bag and out the car we went. Her teacher at the door said good morning and she didn’t respond. Into the classroom she went…

I drove to the other side of campus to drop off the three year old. All went well and I looked at the time…I had seven minutes before her class was to start. If my heart was aching, what was her heart feeling?!?

Go ‘Get Uncomfortable’ Kate!

I made it to her classroom with four minutes to spare. Unbuckled the baby and ran to her door. I asked her teacher if I could speak with her for just a minute. I walked into the class, she saw me and with the biggest smile on her face said “Mommy!” My heart started beating again, a lump formed in my throat and my eyes started to fill. I can’t remember the last time she called me mommy. Don’t blink. Don’t blink. Not here. Not now.

I walked over to her, got on my knees and gave her all the love I had and squeezed it into one hug. I whispered in her ear that I loved her with all my heart, to have her best day ever and to remember to have fun.

My baby girl was back. The love was in her eyes and and that smile was radiating the room. I don’t know if she was already over it. I don’t know if it was a distant memory for her. We never spoke of it again. All I do know is that I needed to get uncomfortable and make it right. My baby needed to know that I loved her regardless of what had happened.

As I left the classroom and buckled the baby back into the car seat, I blinked and all the tears came pouring out.

I know I’m not the first mom to say this but seriously…

Parenting is the toughest gig I’ve ever had.

How did you ‘Get Uncomfortable’ today?

My New Favorite Kitchen Gadget!

I had a Pampered Chef party a few weeks back to help my best friend raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She is running the Space Coast Half Marathon in a few weeks with Team In Training and when she first told me about this, I volunteered to help her raise some money! I’m all about a good cause, food and a running! The perfect chance to give back since November is all about ‘Giving Thanks’.

I’ve been trying (and I use that word loosely!) to get my eating back on track. My youngest is almost 1.5 years old and I really can’t use the excuse ‘I just had a baby’ anymore. It’s time to combine healthier eating WITH my running. Running alone is not going to get me into better shape.

Breakfast is my most challenging meal. The mornings are CRAZY in this house. Going for a run, showering, and getting myself dressed before the kids wake up is a piece of cake! It’s getting THEM dressed, fed and out the door that is the hard part. Before I know it, we are in the car on the way to school and I haven’t eaten breakfast. Not good. Not good at all.

So…my best friend told me I needed this gadget…aka Microwave Egg Cooker, because everyone has one minute to cook a decent breakfast.

I love my eggs over easy with a runny yolk that is perfect for dipping my toast in. Following the directions for ‘Fried’ Eggs, I added a little butter in each well.

Next up, I melted it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

I cracked one egg into each well and then pierced it once with a fork.

I covered it with a paper towel and put it in the microwave for a total of 55 seconds.

And voila! Two eggs done in under a minute. And they were delicious!!

This gadget is definitely a keeper! Thank you BFF! You always know what I need! xoxo

Happy Cooking!

Weekly Meal Plan for August 3 – August 9

My mother, sister, nephew and niece were in town visiting this week and I was beyond excited to cook for them. It was a bit trickier than usual because the big kids really didn’t nap but we got it done. It really does take a village to raise a family, doesn’t it?

Malaspine Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Broccoli

Now, my mother had this meatloaf the last time she was in town and she LOVED it! So of course I had to make it again for her. This was a huge hit with everyone, kids included! My mother in law, sister in law and her kids stopped by the next day and I fed them the leftovers. They loved it too! Seriously, if you are looking for a great meatloaf recipe, this is the one.

The kids did not love the broccoli because of all the garlic but us grown ups gobbled it up with no problems! Ha!

Jenn’s Chicken & Veggie Soup

This one was easy to do with the family in town. I chose to make this one on the day that we stayed home. It takes about 2-3 hours in the oven. I have done it in the crock pot as well and it’s good but I really love it in the dutch oven. Best. Comfort. Food. Ever.

Chicken Mozzerella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ahhh….one of my husband’s favorite meals! There were no leftovers this night. Even the kids ate it! I left out the red pepper flakes for the kids but sprinkled them on ours. The red pepper flakes give it a nice kick!

Lasagna Soup

My sister is the one that told me I needed to make this so I knew her and her kids would love it. I was a little worried about my mother though. She loves lasagna but I wasn’t sure she would go for it as a soup. But she was living in my house, under my roof for the week so she had to eat it, right?!?! Hahaha! I’ve always wanted to say that!

I used regular sausage instead of the chicken sausage the recipe calls for. I love all the skinnytaste.com recipes but I tend to fatten them up just a bit. 😉

Mother LOVED the soup! I overheard her tell my daughter that I was a great cook. OMG! I learned from one of the best cooks around!

Desserts:

We put a HUGE dent in the #GoBigOrGoHome birthday cake but we still needed something sweet. I had to make my mother’s favorite banana bread and I also wanted to make something new for them. Cannoli Cake was it! My mother and my sister LOVED it! I should have made that at the beginning of the week because now I have a ton left and they flew back to NJ today.

Cannoli Poke Cake

Banana Bread

What favorite meals do you like to cook when you have family in town?

Enjoy all the recipes!

Happy Cooking!

and Happy Eating!

Katie 🙂

Hey, Plan To Eat users…look me up and let’s swap recipes!

MrsRoemersNest

Momma’s Favorite Banana Bread

We’ve all had bananas ripen way too quickly before and believe it or not, I used to throw them away! I will never, never, never do that again. A few years ago, I stumbled upon this recipe from Simply Recipes for the BEST banana bread I’ve ever eaten. It is soooo easy to make! My four year old can even make it all by herself…well almost all by herself. 😉

Mash 2-3 very ripe bananas with a fork and stir the melted butter in. I melt it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.

Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar (I always use a full cup even though the directions say you can use less), egg and vanilla. Next up, mix in the flour. I love to add a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the mix too. Trust me, it makes this bread phenomenal!

After you pour the batter into the greased loaf pan, sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top and cook for about 50 mins at 350 degrees. The directions say 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, but I have found that it is done WAYYYY before that. Set your timer for 50 minutes and check it with a toothpick. I bet you won’t need to cook it for much longer than that.

This bread freezes great! Even if you aren’t in the mood to have banana bread in the house (but seriously, who doesn’t want banana bread in the house!), use those old yucky bananas to make some out-of-this-world banana bread. Let it cool completely, wrap it in tin foil and then place it in a labeled freezer bag.

This is one of my mother’s favorite desserts. I always make sure I have a loaf or two in my freezer when she comes down for a visit. I LOVE sitting at the table with my beautiful momma, a cup of coffee and this bread. It’s one of my favorite things to do when she comes to visit. I love you mother. Happy Mother’s Day! xoxo

Hey, Plan To Eat friends…click here to add it to your planner!

Happy Cooking!!

xoxo

Meal Plan For The Week of April 13th

Meal Plan for the week…

Black Bean Soup & Roasted Broccoli (LOVE this one!!)

Shrimp & Asparagus Stir Fry w Lemon Sauce

(**new one**)

Teriyaki Chicken w Vegetables

(**new one**)

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Chili

(one to eat & one to freeze!)

Click here for the shopping list!

I’m going to start including the shopping list when I post a meal plan for the week. Right now, I’m just copying & pasting the list Plan To Eat creates for me. This will definitely take a little tweaking to get it just right, so hang in there with me. And please share any comments or suggestions on how to make it easier or more user friendly.

Happy Cooking!

xoxo

Crafty Kids & A Frugal Mom

It’s no secret that I have passed on my love for crafting to my girls. The ask me every day if we can do some sort of craft whether it’s painting, cutting, coloring or glueing. They love it all!

Now that the two older girls have quite a list of friends, there is always a birthday we are celebrating. I got tired of buying birthday cards….actually that’s not true. I got tired of FORGETTING to buy the birthday card. #mombrain I have a closet full of craft supplies and those times that I didn’t have a card, I would quickly make one on our way out the door. Then the light bulb went off…why not have the kids make them!! So we starting making cards for all occasions- Christmas, Thank You, Birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and this time Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day was fast approaching and I still didn’t get cards for the girls to handout at their parties. I was looking through our town’s newsletter and VOILA! There was a link to the cutest homemade valentine ever- a butterfly with a lollipop for the head and body. All you had to do was print, cut, decorate and stick a dum dum pop inside through the middle. Perfect! Or so I thought… My printer was on the fritz (and still is…ugh) and I already told my oldest we were going to make them. You know those 4 year olds…they never forget a thing! So what’s a mom to do? Cut out the butterfly from the newsletter, trace them on card stock and cut out 40 of them (20 for each class). OMG. I was really wish I had a Cricut for that one!!

But it was totally worth it. The girls had a great time coloring and decorating all the butterflies. Even the 2year loved it! It kept them happy and content for at least an hour and a half. No whining, no complaining and no fighting! Score one for mom!

Next time, if we have to do that many, I have to start more than a few days early. We cut it pretty close this year. The 2 year old had all 20 of hers done in about 30 seconds but the 4 year old was really into decorating each one ever so carefully.

Check out the butterfly cards over at Skip To My Lou. They could be used for any occasion, not just Valentine’s Day and who doesn’t love artwork from kids with a bonus lollipop?! There are a bunch of great FREE printables and activities for the kids. If you stop by, tell Cindy I said hi! 🙂

Happy Crafting! Katie

P.S. Come visit me over on Facebook… Mrs. Roemer’s Nest 🙂

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Mrs. Roemer's Nest

Seated in the front car of that emotional roller coaster otherwise known as motherhood without a seat belt.

daughters

#CampRoemer Week 3

#CampRoemer Week 2

#CampRoemer Week 1

Friday I’m In Love

Get Uncomfortable {Jan 2016}

My New Favorite Kitchen Gadget!

Weekly Meal Plan for August 3 – August 9

Momma’s Favorite Banana Bread

Meal Plan For The Week of April 13th

Crafty Kids & A Frugal Mom

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