BALANCE

What does balance mean to you?  Do you have balance in your life?

Balance can be defined as:

• "mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgement, etc..." 
• " the power or ability to decide an outcome by throwing ones strengths, influcence, support, or the like, to one side or the other".  

Balance is something everyone should have... or have a place to go to help with tasks that often throw us off balance.  Do you have a place like this?  

What would it take to obtain balance in your life?

Back in May, I posted a question regarding outsourcing.  

• Do you outsource?  If so, what types of things?
• What types of things would you outsource if you could to help achieve balance?
• What's holding you back?

If you had a place you could go to unwind, pamper yourself with great spa products, plan your upcoming events, call in a pinch when you need a party gift / favor, or just find your creative self?  Would this be a place you would like to have in your town to achieve BALANCE?

I'm planning a big shift for 2016 and would love your input!!  

BALANCE: "Mental steadiness or emotional stability:  habit of calm behavior" ... WHO'S IN??

LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

Outsourcing

What do you outsource?  What would you outsource if you could?  What's holding you back?

I am asking for a reason so any input is appreciated :-)

Stay tuned for more!!

LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

5 days on 2 days off - skin detox

This is right up my alley - I should have the greatest skin every by now, haha!  I rarely wear make-up anymore.  The 5 day on 2 day off skin detox was featured on the today show this morning.  

Check this out - who doesn't want to look younger?


http://www.today.com/health/today-wants-know-how-often-do-you-wear-makeup-2D80529959


Are you willing to take the challenge?


LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

Barbecue Bacon Loaf Buns - GREAT dinner idea!

Sorry it's been so long since I have posted - I'm going to try and get back in the swing of things.  This blog in my "release" from reality and something I am going to recommit to :-)

Here is a great dinner idea for a cold winter night.   This one is really easy and can be made ahead - the night before or in the morning - then put in the oven at dinner time.

BARBECUE BACONLOAF BUNS

Active:  30 minutes | Total:  45 | Makes:  12

1 pound bacon, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, minced

1 pound ground beef sirloin

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Cooking spray

Salted butter, for the buns

12 slider buns, split

Sliced dill pickles, for topping

1.  Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings.  Add the onion to the skillet; saute' until soft, about 8 minutes.  Let cool.

2.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the bacon, onion, beef, panko, cheese, eggs, 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce and the parsley in a large bowl; season with salt & pepper and mix with your hands until just combined.

3.  Spray 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.  Pat the meat into each muffin cup to just below the top.  Spread 1/2 tablespoon barbecue sauce on each.  Bake until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.  Let cool in pan.

4.  Meanwhile butter the buns and toast cut-side down in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Sandwich the meatloaves on the buns; top with pickles and serve with extra barbecue sauce.

Enjoy!

LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

Keeping your skin looking healthy

I am the worst at wearing gloves and keeping my hands hydrated and looking healthy.  My hands felt very rough and were getting chapped. When I looked down at them I was very disgusted with how OLD & DRY they looked.  The weather has really taken it's toll on my skin this winter and I haven't done a very good job at hydrating - inside and out.

Taking care of your skin is SO important - and not just your face. We hear the importance of drinking water, something else I'm not too good at, but did you know you should consume 1/2 your body weight in ounces a day in Water?  That means if you weight 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water a day.  Well I weight more than 150 pounds so that's A LOT of water ... but I am trying.  I really do feel better when I drink my recommended level of water each day. Being dehydrated as so many negative affects of your body that we don't even realize.

I'm working on a post to highlight the benefits of drinking water, but that's not the intent of this post.  Drinking water does help your skin, however there are other easy routine steps we can take to keep our skin smooth & healthy during the winter months.

Part of our morning and evening routine is taking off our make up, washing our face and putting on some sort of moisturizer to keep our face hydrated.  We should do the same things for our hands.  I would like to introduce everyone to my favorite hand produce, instant manicure by BeautiControl.  

BC Spa Manicure Instant Manicure softens and moisturizes your hands and cuticles with Dead Sea salts that gently exfoliate dead skin cells. Experience the wonders of natural oils as they nourish, moisturize and protect your hands and nails. 

Key ingredients: 

• Dead Sea Salts - Exfoliate skin for soft, smooth hands 

• Avocado & Safflower Oils - Help create a protective layer on the skin 

• Vitamin E - Helps protect skin from environmental damage 

• Tea Tree & Orange Oils - Cleanse and reduce impurities 

When you first start using instant manicure, you can use twice a day.  After a couple of days, you can begin to use once a day or as you feel necessary.  This can easily be introduced into your morning and evening routine and will have your hands looking healthy and young!  

Wonder where you can get this amazing product? You can order it here:

http://www.beautipage.com/jeneenspa4u

Feel free to browse the other wonderful BeautiControl products and if you have any questions, please let me know.

Remember ... Always:  LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

BEING PRODUCTIVE

Is it a women thing to feel better when we are productive?  
** Am I alone here or do other feel enjoyment from "getting shit done"?**

Why is it that a woman's work is never done? 
** It doesn't matter where I am or what I am doing, I always see more that needs done - by ME or it won't get done** 

Why is being productive unrecognized & Why is it never good enough?
** Is it just me or does it seem like the more we do, the less it's recognized?  Everyone always wants more - There is someone in my face ALL day long - someone always wanting something!**


Am I alone here?

Family Fun dinner in a flash!!

My family LOVES pizza .... I think Justin and Cloe would eat it every meal of every day if they could.  While it's always yummy .... it's not always as healthy as I would like.  We have family fun nights at least once a month and we made "make your own pizza night" a tradition as well.  The challenge we had with everyone making their own pizza is everyone likes something different, and my oven is only so big!!

While we were on vacation we purchased the Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker from Williams-Sonoma and it is the perfect solution for a quick & fun make your own pizza night.  The pizza oven cooks the pizza at high heat so it only takes 6 - 8 minutes to make each pizza.  The size is perfect too.... Blake & Cloe typically share a pizza then Justin and I make our own (last time I made mine on sandwich thins so my crust was only 2 points)!

As a mom, the thing I like the most is that I can control the toppings and the type of dough.  If you or anyone in your family has food allergies you can make a pizza specifically for them:  gluten free, dairy free, Weight Watchers friendly, etc...  This was one of the best purchases we have made and it was not too expensive.

With the holidays coming, I recommend putting this on your Christmas list.  It's a must have in my book!  The biggest benefit - it's fun family time for the entire family!!

Happy Fall!

LIVE ~ LAUGH~LOVE

Little girl dream to be a "real" mermaid come true!

When we arrived at our condo at the beach, the kids did what they always do ... go straight to the balcony.  This year we heard Cloe yell ... Mama / Daddy come here, come here ... you aren't going to believe this!!  Well ... she was right.  There were two girls swimming in the pool with mermaid tails - you can only imagine Cloe's excitement!  Also as expected, the next phase out of her mouth immediately was "I want one"!!  We told her we would find out where they got them and see what we could do but we needed to unpack and get settled in first.

The next day we went down to the pool and the parents of the girls were there.  I thought maybe they got the fins at the Aquarium because there is a Mermaid show there.   That would have been too easy.  They ordered them on-line.  Cloe was super disappointed when we told her they ordered them and they didn't sell them in the store.  But as parents do ... I figured out a way to surprise her.  

Justin, the little ones and I were at the beach for 2 weeks.  We went on Saturday and Justin's parents and Elijah were coming on Thursday for the 2nd week.  So, I ordered the mermaid tail and had it shipped (2 day and yes paid WAY too much for that) to our house.  Elijah got the package and brought it with them.  When they got there I think I was more excited to have Cloe open it then she would be when she did.  She was SO  surprised and excited - she looked at me and Justin and say "you tricked me", haha!  

We tried to order Blake a shark fin but naturally they were sold out, ugh!  If you have a little girl, know a little girl or just aspire to be a mermaid yourself, check out this site:  http://www.finfunmermaid.com - the joy it brought Cloe while on vacation was worth the money spent!

Always remember:  LIVE ~ LAUGH~ LOVE~

Pantry Purge

How often do you purge your pantry?

Well.... I obviously don't complete this task often enough.  In order to put the items away that we purchased on vacation, I needed to first clean out the cupboards to make room.  I was AMAZED at the amount of stuff that was outdated - and a embarrassed at the same time.   I realized while sorting through everything,  it's not about how often you purge, it's about how often you use what you have.

The first 7 months of 2014 were more than busy here at the Engle house and I didn't stick to many of my cooking goals, or many of my other ones for that matter.  Now that I am 4 weeks into my sabbatical, I realized how disconnected I was from my family (& friends) and didn't realize it.   Being on vacation for the first 2 weeks of sabbatical really allowed me to "detox" from technology and realize how important time is and being in the moment with what really matters.

I have kicked off this week with a more organized plan for each day - and planning dinner each night.  This week is easy with the fair ... yes I am sure we will be there every night!!  It felt really good to make dinner last night and eat as a family at home - all 5 of us.

So ... do you have some purging to do??  Instead of planning meals around what you want to make, plan them around what's in your pantry,  something I often forget to checkout before planning the weekly dinner menu.  Not anymore, the pantry and the freezer will be looked at before planning weekly meals.


LIVE ~
LAUGH ~
LOVE~

QUESTION: Dealing with a toddler on what to wear

How do I deal with my 4 year old daughter only wanting to wear tank tops and t-shirts when we live in shitty Ohio where it's COLD??  

Getting Cloe to wear anything other than a dress or shirt with short sleeves or a tank top is impossible in the mornings.... at least for me.  She doesn't give her dad any problems getting dressed, just me.  She will wear a sweater over her "tank top" shirt for a while, but always ends up taking it off.  

We fight every morning I try to get her to wear a long sleep sweater or sweatshirt - and jeans.  It's not just that it's COLD outside, but she has all these cute clothes that she never wears. 

I get so frustrated and end up blowing up at here.  She's crying, I'm mad and we end up being late... which then ends up in a very rushed, shitty morning.  It's not a good way to start the day.

Anyone have any recommendation to get her to wear weather appropriate clothes and NOT fight with me about it?  Has anyone else experienced this?

LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

Unplugging

Last weekend Justin and I went to Columbus.  In the past we have gone away for our anniversary and this year we decided to get away but stay closer to home. We had a really great time ... I will blog about that another time. 

With all the family drama I have going on right now, I decided to completely unplug and turn both my phones OFF for the entire weekend.  This was a decision that took me way outside my comfort zone.  We use technology in every aspect of our lives and most of it is done on our phones.  I caught myself reached for my phone multiple times for basic everyday reasons:  directions, taking pictures, looking up WW points, even to pay for coffee at Starbucks! 

As difficult as I found it to be at times, I made it through the weekend.  It got easier as the weekend progressed.  At one point I found myself just sitting in the car in silence - a short moment of meditation.  Unplugging is something I think we all need to do once and a while.  We don't take enough time to just breath or take in what's around us.  

This was a very positive experience for me, so I have decided I am going to unplug once a month.  I have set a bigger challenge to make Elijah do the same.  This will be a much BIGGER & HARDER challenge given his nose is in his phone constantly. I don't want Cloe & Blake to grow up with their faces in a computer or a phone all the time.  By the time they are 16, they won't do anything that isn't electronic.  

Technology is so important to our everyday life, but every once and a while it's nice to UNPLUG & JUST BE!!


LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

MOVIE NIGHT

Something so basic that makes my kids SO happy. 

It continues to amaze me how such little events bring such joy to Cloe & Blake.... I wish Elijah was still this innocent.  

A while back we had a movie night where the kids laid on the floor in their sleeping bags, I made everyone popcorn and we watched The Croods.  The kids LOVED it - we all did.  Ever since then, the little ones ask to have movie night multiple times a week.... As you all know, movie night can't happen every night but we make time for it at least once a night.

I can't wait till next week, Cloe is going to flip out!!  I pre-orded Frozen and it has already shipped.  It releases on DVD on Tuesday the 18th so will be super suprised.  She sings the music from Frozen at night when she goes to bed... it's so sweet.

This simple, easy, inexpensive weekly tradition brings joy to everyone in the family - even us big kids :-)

What weeknight activities does your family enjoy?
 
Have a fantastic weekend!
Always,
LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

This recipe was SUPER easy and REALLY good!!  Even though it is a weight watchers recipe, Justin said it was the BEST pork tenderloin he has ever had!! 

I made red skin smashed potatoes along with it ... it was a perfect fit.

Enjoy!

LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

Going LEAN in 2014

I believe I blogged a few months ago about going LEAN ... well I have made a little progress and kicked off 2014 the right way .... yes I know it's only day 3 but I am being optimistic that this is my year to get shit done!!  I started this entry two weeks ago, ha!  I'm just now finishing it and getting it posted.

I am taking the approach of one room per month .... more than that is unrealistic at this point.  If my schedule changes and I am able to do more I will but I am trying to set myself up for success rather than failure .... which is exactly what I did in 2013.

The first project in the kitchen was the closet ... it's not a pantry and has been a place where everything gets thrown.  This is what it looked like most of last year ( I did clean it out one other time but it quickly went right back to this...)

  

Everytime you would open the door, something would fall out.  There is more to the closet too ... when you open the door and look to the right there are two more shelves with stuff stacked up on them.  I had enough and while I was off work for the holidays I cleaned it out.  Now it looks like this:

We had stuff in there that had never been used ... or at least in the time I have lived in the house.  I took all that stuff downstairs where it will weither go on the shelf or in the dumpster we will get once the weather breaks and start cleaning out the basement.  

I am happy to report that the closet still looks like this and I am on a mission to keep it that way.

I hope everyone is having a great start to 2014!  

LIVE ~ LAUGH ~ LOVE

Rationalizing what's worth the $$

Back in November I went to the Food & Wine Show in Cleveland with Heather and Marla.  It was SO much fun.... a well spent day off with friends.

While we were there, Marla & Heather planned to purchase a pan from a vendor that they purchased a pan from the previous year.  They claim it is "the best pan ever" and they use it EVERYDAY.  When we approached the vendor, we got what we expected .... the sales pitch to purchase the entire set.  I don't really remember what the original set was but by the time he was finished I think there were 7 pans in total ... plus some plastic utensils.  We was pushing all three of us to purchase the set.

Now to the point of this entry - the price for the set of pans was $700.00, which when you break it down by the number of pans isn't bad.  I needed new pans and Justin and I had been talking about buying a new set.  I had trouble rationalize spending $700.00 on pots & pans....even though it's something I would use everyday. It seemed like a lot of money to spend on pots & pans and before the holidays.  I struggled with the decision to purchase them or not.

Now, like I said earlier, Marla & Heather attested that they were great pans and they used the one they purchased last year everyday ... and Marla spends about 4 hours a day in her kitchen cooking (God love ya Marla) ... so if I was going to take a recommendation from anyone is would be them.  

The funny thing is, I would have no hesitation spending $700.00 in the Coach store or at one of my favorite clothing stores purchasing material items.  I also spent close to that on other stuff at the food show that I really didn't need.  I find myself coming back to this internal struggle I had with myself thinking - why did I need to talk myself into this purchase??

After calling Justin for his opinion - which was if they would make me happy then buy them :-) I purchased the set of pans ..... and boy am I glad I did!!  I have had a few different pan sets over the years and this set is by far the best!  I use the pans everyday ... and I don't need to put them in the dishwasher.  They wipe clean no matter what I make.  I made grits for Justin for breakfast and they wiped right out of the pan.  With my old pots and pans I would have had to soak the pan for days to get them off the bottom.  Oh and water boils in them in no time - it's amazing!!

I would like to thank Heather and Marla for going to that booth.  Not only do the pots and pans make my clean up easier and faster, I enjoy cooking more with them.  I had such a great time at the show - we will have to do it again next year!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  

Live ~ Laugh ~ Love

j~

Halloween

When did Halloween go from being 1 day to an entire week?  Three class treats (I didn't even think to take one for story-time) and trick-or-treat ..... I was exhausted!!

The little ones do not dress up for school, however they do have a Harvest Party that they can take a treat for.  Even though they don't dress up for school, Cloe's dance class had a costume party on Tuesday, Blake dressed up for story-time on Wednesday and Halloween was Thursday.  They had their fill of Halloween.

Even though I was exhausted, I had a good time making the treats for the kids.  They helped me with some of them, and we had a blast.

Blake was Mario and Cloe was Princess Ariel.  I felt so bad, why does it always rain on trick-or-treat?  Two years in a row it has been miserable.  The kids didn't mind at first, but once we were soaked ... it was time to go inside.  They got plenty of candy so I guess it was a good excuse to call it  quits.

Tuesday for dance class I made Hello Kitty rice crispy treats.  They didn't turn out the way I wanted but everyone like them.  I called them Hello Kitty Ghosts!

For Blake's school party on Thursday I made Bat Pops ... this was a bigger project then  I thought.  After making the cake you had to crumple it up and mix it with icing.  Then roll the balls, pinch the ears, and freeze.  After 20 minutes, drip them in chocolate (that was TOO thick so I had to spread it out) and put the eyes on with icing and a toothpick.  The kids loved them.  I wrapped them in individual bags and tied them with orange ribbon. 

 

Finally, Friday I made Hello Kitty cupcakes for Cloe to take as her class treat.  Now, I have to confess ... I bought the cupcakes themselves.  I ran out of time and didn't get them made.  I did take the pumpkin rings off (saved them for next years treats!) and put the Hello Kitty wrapper & toppers on.  I also wrapped them in individual bags with orange ribbon.

Last week of very busy .... but we had a lot of fun!  I am glad Halloween only comes once a year!  Now I have to starting thinking about Christmas!!

Whether you went trick-or-treating, passed out candy, or didn't do anything ... I hope everyone had a great Halloween. 

Wishes for a good week this week to come.

Live | Laugh | Love
j~

The Library

How long has it been since you have been to the library?  Actually gone in, sat down, looked for a book?  Before a few weeks ago it had been YEARS since I had been to the library.  I think the last time was when Elijah was Cloe's age and I took him to the summer reading program at the East Palestine Library.

Several weeks ago, the fall storytime program started for the 3-4 year olds at the library in town.  It's on Wednesday from 10:00 to 10:50, so I thought it would be nice for Blake since he is home with me and Justin on Wednesday and Cloe is in school.  I forgot how much I loved the library.  It's very inspiring to be surrounded by so much knowledge in one place.  This 50 minutes is mine to sit in a QUIET place and do whatever I feel like.  I can work if I need to, I can read a magazine or a book, I can blog or surf the web or just sit in a comfy chair with my eyes closed and enjoy the peach and quiet!!  Sometimes there are intersting people to talk to (or listen to ... the old men talking about politics each week) like the lady that came in this morning to take a break from her walk.  She sat down with a cup of coffee and a couple magizines to rest and will then finish her walk.

I have found Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m. to be one of my favorite times of the week.  It gives that little break and inspiration I need to get over the hump and finish the week.  

If you find yourself needing a quiet retreat, visit your local library for an hour!  You will be glad you did.

Live, Laugh, Love!

j~

Great Fall Recipe

Happy Fall Everyone:

Here is a quick, easy and yummy fall recipe that I made a few weeks ago.  It was a big hit with the entire family.... the kids even ate it.  Elijah doesn't like meatloaf and admitted it was good!!

It took a little longer to cook in my oven, so you may need to adjust the cooking time.

If you make it, let me know how it went.  There is also a bonus Apple FYI ... and a recipe for pork chops with apples & onion at the bottom.  I haven't made that recipe yet but I am planning too next week.  If you make them first, let me know your thoughts.

Hope all is well with everyone - it's almost the weekend!

Enjoy!
j~

Eat At Chili's .... it's a good cause

I wasn't aware Chili's did this and I think it's FANTASTIC!  This flyer came home from preschool with Blake & Cloe.

I know we will be eating there on Monday!

Feel Free to pass along to any of your friends & family.

Have a great weekend.

j~

What are the best X to use to make Y?

I often wonder, what is the best type of something to use when trying to make whatever it is I'm making.  Did that make any sense, haha!

Well what I mean is, what is the best:

* APPLE to use to make applesauce?  

* POTATO to use to make mashed potatoes (one of Justin's favorites and I don't make very often)

*FISH to use when making fish tacos ... one of my favorites!  
I have an outstanding recipe that uses Mahi Mahi but because I live in such a metropolis I can't find it very easily so I tried tilapia once and it just wasn't the same.  Now the funny thing is the lady at the "meat counter" told me that tilapia was what you wanted to use... it was good but it just wasn't what I was looking for!

What else takes a specific type of something to make a dish really good??  Any recommendations?

I am going to test some different apples, potatoes and fish over the next week so I will let you know my opinion.  I would LOVE yours!

Happy Fall!!

j~