End of the Road?

Happy Sunday!  It's the end of Week Two of National Blog Posting Month.  This week felt incredibly long.  Things are starting to look like I've reached the end of the road in this year's NaBloPoMo challenge.

For starters those cold germs I mentioned last week that were floating around the YUMMommy household have decided to wage an all out, full force attack on me and JJ's immune system.  Moo's immune system seems to have finally gotten a little stronger thanks to her being sick pretty much all last year.  Unfortunately, my immune system has been weak since birth and has chosen to stay that way. Therefore, JJ and I are both laid up in bed with runny noses, chest congestion, bad couches, voices almost gone, fever and minor body aches.

I've never been more jealous of my kids than I am now.  Moo shook her bug in less than 24 hours and JJ has still managed to have a decent amount of energy as well as his usual appetite.  Me? Not so much.  I feel like I've been in a bad car wreck and food is the least appealing.  And I forgot to mention that my throat is swollen.

Also, today the kids almost took out the Christmas tree wrestling!  This is what happens when you are the mother of a boy and a princess who's also in touch with her tom boy side.  Thankfully, no kids were hurt, I was able to straighten the tree back out and it's still standing.  You all might recall, Moo took out our tree two years ago on Christmas Day and we had to trash it because one of the trunk poles broke.

Lastly, the fan on my computer died.  And because my laptop doesn't want me to overheat the circuits and kill it for good, it will only stay on for 15 seconds at a time.  It chooses to use those 15 seconds to let know that my fan has crashed and that it will be shutting down automatically to avoid damage.

So, I am currently blogging from my phone.  Listen when I tell y'all this blogging and motherhood stuff ain't easy!  The struggle is too real right about now.  If you don't see me around these parts tomorrow or the rest of the week, know that my NaBloPoMo journey is done because I'm doped up on meds and I'm a light weight when it comes to any medicine or my computer is still down because I'm waiting on a replacement fan.

Love you guys!

Friday Five

Hello Friday!  Hello start to the weekend.  I don't know about you, but I'm going to try my best to sleep in all weekend!  Try being the operative word.  For some reason, Moo is incapable of sleeping in and always ends up waking everyone else up.

That's probably the biggest downside to cosleeping for us.  Anyways, I thought that since it's been forever since I've done a Friday Five or Five on Friday post that I would do one today.  Without further ado, here are five things that are on my mind currently.

One

My heart, thoughts and prayers are in Paris tonight after hearing about the hostage situation, bombings and shootings of innocent people that happened today.  I was a little panicked at first because a blogger I know is currently in Paris and nobody had heard anything from her, but she was finally able to reach out an hour ago to let us know she was safe.  I have a few friends who are still waiting to hear from family members and other friends who are in Paris- some vacationing, some actual residents.

I'll never understand why terrorists result to violence thinking it's going to rid the world of whatever evil they see.  What gives them the right to decide who lives or dies when they do things like this?  It's beyond frustrating, sad, heartbreaking and mind boggling that these groups want to force their views and beliefs on the rest of the world throw senseless violence.  As a parent, I keep hoping that no children are among those hurt or murdered, but the realistic side of me knows that's not going to be the case.

I definitely hope that you will join me in keeping Paris (and our world in general) in prayer whatever your religion is.  So much foolishness and cruelty is going on around us that we all need to come together as just people uniting in love despite our differences. 

Two

The sick germs have invaded us.  It started with Moo's swollen eyes on Halloween.  Yesterday, JJ woke up with a runny nose that ended resulting in a sleepless night for both of us.  This morning I wasn't feeling too hot myself.  Now, I have the beginnings of what feels like a pounding headache, light sneezing and stuffed-up ears and a slightly runny nose.

I've stocked up on cold meds and let's hope this bug is gone by the end of the weekend because I have NaBloPoMo, NaNoWriMo and other stuff to get done/through still.

Three

I'm in the midst of scheduling a date for family holiday pictures and I just realized that we have nothing really to wear.  Nothing that coordinates at least.  Moo has lots of cute red holiday dresses, but JJ is fresh out of formal pants that fit.  We don't really buy him slacks because our church is very relaxed and prefer kids come in jeans or khakis since they'll be in the nursery coloring or outside on the playground while the adults hear the service.  Also, the last formal event we had to attend as a family was my sister's wedding almost three years ago.

Then since I've shed a few more pounds and cleaned out my closet, all I have is a handful of dresses- three of which are spring floral dresses and the rest are black or grey.  As of now the Mr is not planning on joining us for these photos because of his work schedule.  I'm hoping that we can put something together without having to buying new stuff.  

Four

I'm in the market for a new phone, but haven't a clue what to get.  Nothing is really jumping out at me.  I've tried being Team iPhone, but dislike that there isn't a removable storage card feature.  However, I do hear that iPhones come with iMovie and most apps are available through Apple before GooglePlay.  Let me know in the comments what your current fave cell phone is and why?

Five

I've been working on putting together a secret blog.  Don't get me wrong, I still love YUMMommy, but at times I feel limited about the list of topics that I can talk about on here.  For now, I'm just working on narrowing down color scheme, overall design, categories and writing posts about things not mommy related.  Right now, I'm not sure if I'll really share it or just let people stumble across it.

What's on your mind this Friday?  Anything new to share?

Happy Veteran's Day

These words seems so inadequate to express my gratitude for all of the women and men, moms and dads who have served and continue to service our country, but I'll say them anyway-  THANK YOU!  Thank you for the constant sacrifices you have made to protect not only my freedom, but the freedom of my loved ones and millions of others around the world.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Are you a military veteran?  How are you did celebrate the veteran's in your life today?

NaBloPoMo Week 1

Hi y'all!  Although this Monday has been absolutely gloomy with nothing but dark clouds and bucket after bucket of rain, I'm feeling happy.  Why?  Well, it's Day 9 of #NaBloPoMo and I've made it an entire week of blogging.  Yes, this is something to celebrate because I usually don't blog at all on the weekends.

I'm so proud of myself for knocking out Week 1.  NaBloPoMo is a lot to take on when you're not a daily blogger.  Plus, did I mention that I was also participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)?  That's going good as well thanks to my NaNo writing buddy.  She's absolutely amazing and we've been meshing well together so far.

Anyways, I started off NaBloPoMo announcing that I was going to participate in the challenge to blog everyday in November.  After what's a challenge without a little bit of accountability?  Plus, sharing is caring, right?  I've been seeing so many other bloggers on social media talk how they've never heard of NaBloPoMo until stumbled across other bloggers announcement posts.  I'm glad that I could do my part and help spread the work about this challenge and look forward to all the new bloggers joining in next year. 

Also, last week I shared my desire to become a better photographer.  No, I'm not looking for a career switch or move.  I've just come to understand that my photography skills need a bit of work.  I feel like I'm not capturing so many things and people properly.  There's no greater frustration than when you're trying your best and it still leaves a little bit lacing

Because Turkey Day is coming up, I thought it'd be good to share my unofficial Thanksgiving menu with you all.  And while we're on the subject of Thanksgiving, I can't wait to share my upcoming post of yummy recipes you'll want to add yours.

I talked to you all about how decided to through my excuses in the trash and get serious about spending time doing things that I really want to do.  I'm determined to make time for what matters most to me (and my family).

What would a week over here on YUMMommy be without my weekly Thankful Thursday post?  I love being able to look back over my week and reflect on all the great things that I have happened for us.  I've said this many times, it's easy to get caught up in focusing only on the negative.  Thankful Thursday is my way of keeping the darkness away or bringing out the sun on a rainy day. 

Blogging hasn't been all roses.  Starting YUMMommy has definitely had it's charming times.  And when you're almost ready to throw in the towel, I think it's a great idea to remind yourself of all the reasons you love blogging.  I did!

I ended the week with a tasty new recipe brought to YUMMommy readers by Pillsbury.  If you haven't checked out my Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts recipe, then I suggest you get on it.  I'm also giving away PayPal Cash too.

And that's it for my Week 1 posts.  I have even more awesome posts in store this week and next week.  So, what about you all?  Are you participating in NaBloPoMo?  How was your first week?

 Let me know in the comments below how you're enjoying this challenge so far!

Our 2015 Holiday Bucket List

Ready or not, there's no denying that holiday season is here.  Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas is coming up in a little over a month followed closely by the New Year.  Of course, the YUMMommy household couldn't let the holidays roll by without creating a list of fun holiday activities we hope to accomplish this holiday season.  After all the holiday isn't just about spreading cheer, giving thanks and celebrating the birth of our Savior, but making memories along the way as well.

Our 2015 Holiday Bucket List

Attend Thanksgiving Parade

For as long as I've been in the Queen City, I've never been to a parade.  That's awful considering I've been living here for about eleven years.  Not to mention, there are more than a handful of parades that happen here.  Last year and the year before last year we had planned on attending the Thanksgiving/Christmas parade, but didn't.  The Mr had worked the night before which meant I was left doing the cooking and watching the kids.

Also, the year before last we decided to use one of those disposable turkey pans since our rental didn't have a dishwasher and I didn't want to spend all Thanksgiving washing dishes.  Bad mistake because our pan ended getting a hole in it somehow during baking.  That led to the juices from the turkey splattering on the bottom of the oven and almost caused a grease fire.  In the middle of taking the turkey out of the oven to move to a new pan, the bottom gave out and hot grease and turkey juices splattered on my foot.  So, no parade because I had to spend Thanksgiving with an ice pack on my foot to take down the swelling from the light burn.

This year we're determined to make it.  I've invested in a real turkey roasting pan and I plan on starting my cooking earlier so that I won't be up all night.  Unfortunately the Mr still has to work the night before and probably won't be joining us at the parade.

Take Holiday Pictures

My kids might not believe in Santa, but we still love tradition of taking Santa pictures.  Well, Moo does.  JJ has not been a fan of Santa.  Hopefully, that will all change this year since he's made so much progress with therapy and responding better to strangers in general.

In addition to Santa pictures, I'm in the process of trying to schedule our family holiday pictures.  We will be booking our pictures with Portrait Innovations.  I've talked about them a few times on the blog already.  Again, Moo is over the moon about getting to dress up and pose for the camera.  I'm excited to because we haven't had professional pictures taken in a while.

Put Up Christmas Decorations

We're halfway through with this to-do on our bucket list because we've already put up our Christmas tree.  It's our tradition to put the Christmas on November 1st.  Some years it's gotten put up a few days late, but this year we got it up on time.  I don't go all out with tons of Fall decorations and I don't like having turkeys everywhere for Thanksgiving.  We did put out pumpkins for Halloween, but those are packed up now.

I still have to find hooks for our stocking so that they will stay hanging on the mantle.  Also, I need to find a Christmas/Winter wreath for the front door.  My mom gifted me one of her Christmas china sets that she had since I was little.  So, I want to find a cute table cloth, runner and napkins to really do the table up after Thanksgiving passes.  Also, we need some Christmas figurines to decorate the top of the mantle and clings to decorate the windows.

Watch Holiday Movies

Hallmark has already started playing a variety of Christmas and Thanksgiving movies.  Plus, ABC has released their 25 Days of Christmas watch list.  So, I'm hoping that we'll be able to watch a new holiday movie every night starting next week.  I've been working on putting together a list of holiday movies on Netflix too for those days we can't find a family appropriate holiday movie on cable.

Family Holiday Date Night

Remember my list of activities I want to start making more time for that I shared last week?  Click here if you missed it.  One of those activities was family date nights.  Since the Mr probably won't make the Thanksgiving parade, I'm working on planning a Christmas related family date night for one of his days off next month.  Right now I'm trying to decide between dinner and a movie or dinner and going to see the lights in Christmas Town USA aka McAdenville, NC. 

Serve The Community

Of course, the holidays is a great time to teach the kids more about compassion.  Helping those in need is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart because I grew up poor.  My mom held down multiple jobs at once and sometimes we still needed assistance with things like bills and food.  One Christmas we were nominated to be adopted by this church in a nearby town.  They drove over an hour on Christmas Eve to surprise us.

It was hands down one of our best Christmases. It wasn't because of the gifts, but because of the kindest of these strangers.  They were driving one of those vans that holds twelve to fifteen people and the back rows were filled to the brim.  At first we thought we were getting one or two things and that they had another family to deliver to, but everything in the van was for us.  I think everyone's eyes almost popped out of our heads.  

I can't afford to go all out like that yet, but I do know that we will be giving back to our community in some way.  Somewhere out there some family needs our kindness and generosity. 

Make Holiday Treats

Food makes the holidays extra special.  Food is definitely my love language and something that I'm passionate about.  During the holidays I do find myself baking more and this year we want try to make a different holiday treat every week until the New Year.  There will be a bit of challenge to finding recipes that meets everyone's food allergy restrictions, but we're up for the challenge.  

Realistically though, some treats will probably be just for me and the Mr though.  I actually got a headstart on that with my Frosted Pecan Faux Doughnuts that I made on Saturday.  They were delicious.  And you can even sub the regular crescent rolls for gluten-free ones if you can find them as well as leave off the pecans for just frosted faux doughnuts.

Do An Advent Calendar

I saw so many families doing advent calendars last year that I just had to try it this year.  Moo has her own Barbie advent calendar that she will be getting for her birthday.  I'm still on the hunt for one for JJ and I'm looking into Bible/Couple related advent calendar to do with the Mr.

25 Days of Jesus Bible Study

Also, this year I want us to read the story of Jesus starting December 1st to his birthday on Christmas Day.  I'm working scheduling out what scriptures we'll read day.  More than likely I'll share that schedule here on the blog with a free notes printable for anyone who wants to join in.

Now that I've shared our bucket list, I can't wait to hear about what's on your family's list this year. 

 Leave me a comment below with one thing that you hope to cross off your list this holiday season.

Happy Holidays,

What I Still Love About Blogging

Photo: CreateHER Stock

YUMMommy has been my baby for almost six years.  No worries, it will continue to be my baby for many more years to come.  I first created this blog to have a place to reach out to other moms (and dads).  At the time, I was single mom who felt alone in her journey of trying to parent a child in modern times.  As with anything in life, I've had my ups and downs with this blog.  Here's why I'm still in it for long haul to keep sharing my journey, tips and more.

What I Still Love About Blogging

The lovely ladies of Blog Charlotte enjoying Mom's Night Out at Chick-fil-A

Building Community & Friendships

Before starting this blog I was a severe introvert.  Now, I'm still very much an introvert, but I'm a functioning introvert with people skills.  I love that I've built a community on here and through my social media channels.  What I love even more are the friendships that I've cultivated through this world of blogging that have transcended beyond the computer.  

It's refreshing to have others who can relate to struggles, frustrations and successes that come with owning and maintaining a blog.  Writing and blogging can be lonely at times because we spend a lot of time in front of our computer screens, but our supporters and fellow blogger friends make it all worthwhile.  I love you guys enjoy sharing your stories with me either in the comments here on the blog, through an email or via social media.

We're here to support each other.  Kids or no kids, everyone needs to have village, community and friends they can go to.  We all need that place we can go to and be surrounded by people who get us and understand what it is we're going through.  And for me, YUMMommy has become and continues to be that place.

Creating A Legacy

Most of us want or desire to create some sort of legacy to pass down to our children.  This blog is my legacy that I will pass down to Moo and JJ.  I first realized that I was creating a legacy with YUMMommy when I was working on a post one day and Moo came to sit on the couch with me.  She's been fascinated by the fact that I'm blogger pretty much since was old enough to comprehend what a blog is.

That day she asked if she could have/take over my blog when she became a mom.  My first thought was "you want to be a mom?"  Isn't that what all little girls want to be at some point?  I didn't.  The thought of being a mom when I was her age terrified me and it took me a long while to decide that I wanted to have kids.

However, Moo's always known that she's wanted to be a mom like me.  And now she wants to be the future YUMMommy.  I told her that yes, I would pass the blog down to her and that she'd have to find a way incorporate her brother and other future siblings.  Since then, she's been just as involved in this blog as I have.  She tags along to blog events, she's always giving me ideas of things that I "should" talk about and she asks a million and one questions on how blogging works.

It's heartwarming and delightful to see her learning and trying to learn the lay of this land in preparation for her future takeover.  I have no doubt that if you're still reading YUMMommy once your children have children, y'all are going to love her and her stories as much as you love mine.

Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

On stage at the Charlotte Southern Women's Show for the Food Lion Frugal Cookoff

One of the things I love most about blogging is that it's giving me several opportunities to step outside of my comfort zone and conquer my fears.  For example, I've wanted to be onstage in front of a live audience.  However, the thought of actually going through with it terrified me and I never sought out opportunities to do it.

This year the opportunity actually came to me when I was asked to participate in Food Lion's Frugal Cookoff.  The event was being held our annual Southern Women's Show here in Charlotte.  There are thousands of people who come out to this event.  I was going to be onstage, cooking a meal that I had no clue what the ingredients would be beforehand and was going to be judged by professional chefs, Food Lion reps and even a professional food critic.  Did I mention that I was also going up against a group of my blogging friends?

At first, I was going to say no because I was just too afraid that I was going to have a panic or anxiety attack in front of the audience.  But then I decided to overcome my fear by stepping outside of my comfort zone.  The event was a success, I tackled my fear and my team won!  I went on from there to appear on a live taping of the Charlotte Today Show and it was amazing as well!

Blogging has been such a blessing for me (and my family) in so many ways.  I'm forever grateful that I gathered up the courage to start YUMMommy and look forward whatever the future holds.  Thank you guys for coming along for this ride!

Do you have a blog?  What do you love about it?

 

5 Activities I Want To Make More Time For

Have you ever found yourself wishing there were more hours in a day?  I guess twenty-four of them isn't already plenty enough, right?  Wrong.  As I get older, I'm learning to get my priorities together.  When it comes feeling like I "need" more time to do the activities that I really want to do more often, I've decide to cut out the fluff/extra that I can do without.  Instead, here are five activities that I plan on indulging in on a more consistent basis.

Source: CreateHER Stock

Travel

Traveling and exploring new areas have always been a passion of mine.  I remember going to visit my mom's family up North at least once a year when before I hit my teenage years.  One of my favorite trips is when we drove straight to New Orleans to pick up my older sister from college for Christmas break.  We had stopped at a hotel halfway there because of a storm, but the room we had rented was so filthy, my mom demanded her money back.

We were six deep- two adults and four kids- in my mom's trusty and faithful burgundy minivan cruising the highway with a hurricane advisory out.  However, my mom was determined to get to her oldest baby and we did.  What stands out most for me on that trip are all the laughs we had, the wonder of seeing several states and cities for the first time and how God watched out for us.  We avoided several twisters on the way back home and had to dodge more than one fallen tree.

Traveling for me is about uncovering new adventures, making memories and bonding with those I love.  I want to my kids and watch the wonderment on their faces as we discover new places together.  I want them to experience different cultures and see that what the world has to offer.

Crochet

My love for crochet started when I was about nine years old.  My mother is uber crafty.  She can draw, she can paint, she's can sew and she can crochet.  I remember watching her make a granny square blanket and I wanted to so badly to be able to crochet.  She tried teaching me, but for whatever reason, I couldn't get the hang of it.  A few years later I stumbled across some holiday craft books (from Good Housekeeping, I think) and they had step by step picture tutorials on how to do single crochet.

I found my mom's yarn stash and some old crochet hooks.  She was out of town on a business trip for a week.  I was determined to be crocheting by the time she returned.  Night and day I sat for hours with those books, my yarn and crochet hooks.  Guess what?  I had made my first scarf by the time she came home that Sunday evening.

I've been getting busy on my hooks ever since.  Last year, I upped my skills and taught myself how to make graphghans!  Crocheting relaxes me and it helps me to feel close to my mom now that I no longer live at home.  It's something that we can do together whether we're together or not.  Not to mention, there are tons of crochet groups on Facebook and I've formed some wonderful bonds within those groups.

Family Date Nights

Family means more to me than anything.  I've witnessed what happens when family bonds aren't cherished, celebrated and valued.  When my dad split, I admired my mom's commitment to keeping up our Family Date Nights.  She purchased board games, took advantage of movie rental discounts and saved enough money that we could eat out at least once a month.

One our links might have been missing, but our family chain stayed strong.  I looked forward to these nights, especially during the rough spots.  It's during these nights that we each let our guards down and allowed ourselves to be vulnerable.  There is a lot to be said about the effect that making time to have fun together as a family unit can have on children as well as parents.   

I want my kids to know that relationships between parents and kids isn't all about who bosses who.  It's finding joy in spending time together, making memories, showing support, having fun, and loving without conditions.

Source: CreateHER Stock

Local Blogger/Creatives Meetups

Can be honest and say that blogging and writing have left me feeling really lonely this year.  While I have made some AMAZING blog friendships, none of those people live remotely close to me.  I'm not ashamed to say that I don't feel like I've found my blogging tribe locally.  There are a few local groups that I've dabbled in, but I end up feeling like the Black blogger out.

It's been a struggle to find and connect with other bloggers of color in my niche that live in my area.  However, my mama didn't raise a quitter.  I'm dusting myself off, stepping up to plate and taking action.  My goal is to attend more local blogging/creative events and next year I'm going to make time to host a few meetups of my own.  Sometimes you've got to put out the call (like a bat signal) and see who answers it.

My goal is to find a few partners in crime that I can meet with monthly or whenever to brainstorm, network, pitch brands and just support each other in anyway possible.

Christian Fellowship

One of the major aspects of my life that keeps me grounded is my faith.  I can't even begin to tell y'all how many times I've heard people say they believe in God, but they don't need to go to church or be around other Christians.  And that's cool.  To each her/his own.  We all have to make our own choices including those involving our faith journeys.

However, I'm firm believer that birds of a feather should flock together.  The same way you would hang out with Oprah if you're trying to become a business mogul, is the same way you should put in the effort to surround yourself with people who share your same beliefs/faith.  I can't speak for other Christians, but  I want the kind of Christian fellowship talked about in Acts 2:42-47:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

To be breaking bread, growing, making a difference in the world and having favor sounds pretty awesome to me.  This year I've slacked on going to church and being involved in church.  I'm not one of those holier than thou types, but I do recognize my need to have consistent fellowship with other young Christians.  In a world full of temptation, danger, doubt and hate, I need that recharge and faith renewal that comes from a gathering of two or more with God in the midst (Matthew 18:20).  

I need to be surrounded by people I can trust to pour into the right things when my tank is low.  Likewise, I want to be of service and be able to pour into others when their tanks are low.

So no more excuses.  No more wasting time on non-important stuff.  I'm making the time for these activities because at the end of the day they matter.  They all play a crucial role in my happiness, my purpose and my well-being.

What's one thing that you want to start carving out time or more time for?

What's On My Thanksgiving Menu

Twenty-two.  That's how many days we have before the Thanksgiving holiday arrives.  While we should display gratitude on a daily basis and I do post my weekly Thankful Thursday posts here on the blog, Thanksgiving Day for me and my family is day to reflect back over our year and the things that we're MOST thankful for.  Let's face it, there are bigger moments that stick out more than others.  

Another reason, I look forward to Thanksgiving every year is the food!  It's no secret that I enjoy being the kitchen (and eating) and whipping up tasty meals.   Usually I keep things simple, lite with a hint of Southern flavors.  However, the holidays give me an excuse to go a bit over the top.  So, today I'm sharing my unofficial (because there may or may not be more dish additions later) Thanksgiving dinner menu.

This year I wanted to try something different and actually serve our Thanksgiving meal in courses.  Our past tradition has been to pretty much stack everything one plate, plop down in front of the television and watch all the different parades.  Then, once the parades end and the Hallmark movies start, we refill our plates with seconds.  I've heard that change is good and want to switch it up a bit by trying a traditional sit-down-at-the-dinner-table style meal minus the television this year.  Now let's talk about the eats!

Appetizers

I chose the garden salad as our appetizer because it's one dish that we can all eat.  Not to mention, Moo and I LOVE salad like nobody's business.  A few years ago we actually took a 30-day salad challenge where we substituted one meal a day for a salad.  Plus, I'll feel better about us pigging out on an appetizer that is actually healthy.  I'll be having cheddar cheese on my salad.  Moo will more likely have a veggie Parmesan cheese on hers.

JJ has sensory issues with certain foods (lefty greens being one of them), but I'll let him try some salad and see how it goes.  He's made good progress with other foods, I'm hoping we'll have good luck with the salad on Thanksgiving.  I'm also toying with the idea of making my own Italian dressing this year.  Originally, I wanted to be out of the box and go with onion rings for an appetizer, but I couldn't think of anything else that met all the kids' food allergies restrictions to pair with them.

Entrée

What would a traditional Thanksgiving dinner be without a nice juicy turkey?!  I haven't completely worked out the ingredients for my turkey seasoning, but I know I'll be combining herbs and lemon juice.  Moo and the Mr can't have Thanksgiving dinner without their mashed potatoes, collard greens, or stuffing.  Those are items they HAVE to have every year.  The cheddar mac is for the Mr and I.  I might make a mini batch of gluten-free soy mac for Moo if we can find a good soy cheddar that she likes.

There's a brand that my mom gets from the Walmart back in my hometown that Moo likes, but they don't carry it on a regular basis there or here.  We've experimented with a few others and they were just okay.  I don't really want to her settling for okay cheddar mac because macaroni is one of those dishes you really have to do right or not do it at all.  So, I'll be hitting up Publix this week and checking out their soy cheese selections.

Cornbread muffins (gluten-free) are a must for the kids.  The Mr and I will be having crescent rolls or biscuits in addition to the muffins.  I still haven't decided.  Either way there will be no shortage of breads come Thanksgiving.  You may have noticed that there's no cranberry sauce on the menu.  It's not a mistake.  I just can't get down with canned cranberry sauce and I'm not a pro at making it from scratch.  So we don't bother with it.

Dessert

Making sweet potato pie from scratch together with Moo is another Thanksgiving tradition we'll be continuing.  I treasure my moments in the kitchen with her.  She's learning a valuable skill that she will one day pass down to her children along with all of my secret ingredients.  And I get to bond with her.  You'd be amazed at the things you can learn from your children once they get to chatting.

Cooking has by far been one of the best ways to get Moo to let her guard down and let the conversation flow freely.  We'll be getting fancy this year serving it with our favorite vanilla flavored soy ice cream.

Well that's it for our Thanksgiving menu for now.  Stay tuned to the YUMMommy Facebook page to see what the final menu will be on Thanksgiving Day.  I'm sure I'll be posting tons of pictures as we cook Thanksgiving Eve.  

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

5 Things I Want To Photograph Better

Who doesn't love beautiful photos?  I do.  However, capturing the "money shot" has always been something I've struggled with.  I feel like no matter how many photos I shoot, getting a gorgeous shot is always more of a hit and miss situation for me.  As a blogger and a someone who genuinely wants to be good at photography this is beyond frustrating.  In 2016, here are five things that I want to get better at photographing.

My Family

When I was little, my mom was very rarely without one of her cameras in tow.  And on the rare occasions that she had forgotten her cameras at home, she didn't hesitate to stop by Walmart to pick up a three pack of disposable ones.  (Man disposable cameras were dirt cheap during the '90s.)  Like me, my mom is a creative.  However, unlike me, she always seemed to be able to snap the perfect pictures of us.

Even today, she will make us pose and repose a million times to capture the perfect photo on her iPhone.  She's also the master of taking beautiful candids as well.  Being a mom and wife, I want to fill picture books with gorgeous photos for Moo, JJ and their future siblings to look back on when they're older.  So capturing better photos of us as a family is definitely at the very top of my list for next year.

Food

If you haven't noticed, I've been doing a lot of food blogging lately.  It's so awesome to share my recipes and more of my passion for cooking with on this space.  But I'm going to be honest and say that my food photography skills suck big time.  My dishes always come too dark.  Then there's whole styling aspect before you even pick up the camera.

Once I feel like I have that nailed down as best I can, I struggle with what angle to best shoot from.  I'm determined though to get the hang of photographing my dishes because I don't want to stop sharing this side of me with y'all.  Part of what I love about being a Southerner is our love for food and how we share that our loved ones.  Food down here is used to show so many things- compassion, sympathy, appreciation, etc.

Nature

Being from the country, I learned to appreciate being surrounded by nature.  When I first came to live in the Queen City, I had to get used to being surrounded by more concrete than trees and open fields.  I grew up used to seeing deers, rabbits and even a few bobcats run through our yard.  My childhood home was surrounded by trees in the back and in the Spring, wild flowers would pop up in the front. 

It wasn't unusual to go to someone's house and see a mini farm in the back.  Several of my great cousins and one of my uncles had their own farms.  There this one time we went to my great uncle's house and we chased his chickens until they finally got fed up and started chasing us back.  It's one of my fondest memories and a reminder of how carefree nature has always made me feel.  I want to be capture the beauty that nature is and hang those photos throughout my home.

Selfies

I've said on here a few times that I'm camera shy, which is crazy considering how photos I've posed for as kid and that once dabbled in modeling.  I think I started to become camera shy and avoiding being in front of the camera because I never mastered the art of taking great selfies/self portraits. But I don't want to look back down line at all the photos of everyone else and regret not being in more of them or having more pictures of just me.  If I'm going to work hard to get better at capturing the beauty around me, shouldn't I work on capturing the beauty within in me as well?

Products

Product reviews are another thing that I do quite a bit of on this blog.  As the holidays draw nearer, more and more companies start to send out pitches.  And for the most part, I enjoy doing them.  What's not to like?  I get free products for myself and sometimes my family.  We try them out and I get to share my experiences and recommendations here for other families.  The part I'm not so nuts about is, you guessed it, photographing the products.

Again, I often struggle with finding the right angles or staging.  Other times, it's trying to find decent lighting.  Needless to say, I want to make sure I'm putting my absolute best foot forward and making the best possible impression when I'm working with brands.  So, bringing it when it comes to my product reviews photos is a must for me.

There you have it.  I know that I have my work cut out for me when it comes to becoming a better photographer, but I'm more than up for the challenge.  I'm not one to shy away from learning a new skill or working on the areas that I have weakness in.  Stay tuned to my NaBloPoMo posts because I'll be talking more about my photography quest later on this month and sharing what steps I'll be taking to be improve my skills.

When it comes to photography, what is your favorite subject/thing to photograph?

Happy NaBloPoMo

November is officially here!  I can hardly believe it.  It feels like this year sped by.  With the New Year so close, I know that it's only to go by even faster now.  Besides Thanksgiving, one of the things that I really look forward to in November is National Blog Posting Month aka NaBloPoMo.

NaBloPoMo is where bloggers commit to blogging every day for the month of November.  This challenge is great for bloggers for many reasons.  It helps us to get into the hang of posting to our blogs on a regular basis, it improves our writing skills and allows to connect more with our readers.  Last year I took a little break from NaBloPoMo.  I'm back this year and I'm confident that I can make it through.

I'm really looking forward to getting my blogging groove back and connecting more with the community I have here on the blog.  So, if you're a new face here don't be shy.  Feel free to introduce yourself in the comments and stay for a while.  See y'all tomorrow!

If you're a blogger, are you participating in NaBloPoMo?

Saturday Funny

It's late and I was browsing Facebook when I saw this. If you crochet you can probably relate.

Rejuvenating With Rejuvenator

Disclosure: I received a product to facilitate my review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Having sensitive skin, it was ingrained in me at an early age the importance of taking care of my skin.  After all our skin is our largest organ.  It's estimated that by the time we reach adulthood, the average adult is carrying around 8 pounds of skin.  Besides making sure everything on the inside of our bodies stays...well..on the inside, our skin serves as a protective covering blocking out a lot of harmful germs.  And in order for our skin to work at its greatest potential, it's imperative that we take the best care of it.

One of the best ways to keep our skin in its best condition is through bathing.  This is why I agreed to test out the Rejuvenator Shower Head ($99 value).  I had already suggested to the Mr that we get an handheld.  So, this was perfect timing.

About

The Rejuvenator is the perfect combination of spa therapy and skin science with its sleek design and Microbubble Technology.  It creates ironically charged microbubbles that go deep into the skin, attract dirt and oil and then pushes it from our pores to wash away in the water stream.  Pretty cool right?!  It's the perfect way to exfoliate your entire body daily without having to use harsh chemicals or scrubbers.  Even better is that since the Rejuvenator pushes all of the dirt and oil from our bodies, you don't necessarily need soap or shampoo.

The Rejuvenator also recently won Gold in the 28th Annual Innovation and New Product Exposition Trade Show (INPEX) for the domestic bath accessories category!  Check out more here.

What I Liked

The Rejuvenator is that it's simple to install.  No complex directions to translate or figure out.  You pretty much unscrew your current shower head, attach the connector, and then you screw on the hose, the Rejuvenator shower head and your old shower head.  It also comes with some plumbing tape to make sure you get a nice tight fit when you screw the parts together.  

I loved the fact that it's two shower heads in one.  You can use as a stationary shower head and adjust it to the angle that works best for your height.  Or you could detach it and use it as a handheld to help rinse those hard to reach places.  I use both.  I like to shower without a shower cap so that my hair can suck up the steam.  And being able to detach the Rejuvenator and use it as a handheld allows me to rinse off my back and neck without getting my hair actually wet.

And that brings to the next thing I like about the Rejuvenator.  It's actually great for washing hair.  No more water spraying in my eyes because using it as a handheld, I can control where the water follows.  Also, because naturally cleanses and pulls dirt and oil away from the skin, it's great for those of us with natural hair.  Since going natural, I've cut back on the amount products I use on my hair.  I've really noticed a difference in the softness of my hair and my scalp is a lot less itchy and flaky.  

Same for my skin.  It's softer and looks healthier.  My pores look better and I'm noticing that I don't have to reapply my lotion as often as I was before.  Overall, the entire family loves the Rejuvenator.   The kids, especially love that they can shower too now without water spraying in their faces.  And showering them off definitely has cut bath time in half.  I can lather them up and then rinse them off.

Lastly, what I like about the Rejuvenator is that it uses less water than regular shower heads.  Y'all know about all about saving my coins and doing things that are good for the environment!

If you're interested in checking out more about the Rejuvenator visit their website here.  Maybe, you'd like to treat yourself a nice gift for Christmas or you can put it on your wishlist for Santa (aka the Mr.).  No problem, you purchase the Rejuvenator from Amazon here.  The best part is that it qualifies for FREE shipping!

Now, for one you lucky YUMMommy readers, you won't have to worry about this on your Christmas wishlist because the people over at RejuvenatorProducts.com were nice enough to send me an extra Rejuvenator Shower Head to giveaway!!  Wait, it gets better.  I decided to sweeten the pot by adding some spa/bath extras that I purchased with my own money.

 This giveaway is open to YUMMommy readers 18 years or older living in the US.  Please make sure to the Rafflecopter widget below to record your entries!  Also, make sure all emails are valid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanksgiving Menu 2013

What's the most important part of Thanksgiving?  Besides spending time with family, friends and reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for.  The FOOD! Duh!  You see, food and I have a special bond.  I strive to cook healthy meals for my family throughout the year, but Thanksgiving is the one time of the year that I throw that out the window.

Another thing about Thanksgiving dinner that I've come to realize is that it's pretty much gluten-free!  And with two kids with food allergies.  Luckily, for Moo and JJ aren't a big fan of dressing or gravy which both have gluten in them.  Anyways, here's what will be on our Thanksgiving menu this year.

Source

Almost Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu

-Turkey (We use Jennie-O because its gluten-free!)

-Collard Greens w/ Ham Bits 

-Mashed Potatoes

-Brown Gravy (We're trying a gluten-free version this year)

-Green Bean Casserole (Moo gets a dairy free version)

-Macaroni and Cheese w/ Bacon (Me & the Mr only)

-Yam Patties 

-Biscuits (gluten-free)

-Dressing (The Mr is the only one who eats this)

-Pumpkin Pie (Using gluten-free crust)

-Homemade Fruit Punch (I'll post the recipe later)

What's on your Thanksgiving menu this year?

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Playing Catch Up

This whole time change thing has my body out of sorts.  The clock says 10 PM but to my body says it's 11 PM.  Throw in the fact Moo has been staying up late every night, JJ has been extra cranky during the day and I feel like I'm a doing a million things but not seeing any fruits from my labors and you get me spending today play a game of catch up.

While I haven't completely neglected my novel, the only time I have to really work on it is at night after I finally get Moo down.  By that time I'm so drained my creative juices feel nonexistent.   And I meant to finish the chapter I was working on last night but I fell asleep.  Friday, I did make a little bit progress, but ended up falling asleep on top of my glasses and bent over the laptop.  I'm so glad that screen on this thing folds all the way down because I would have broken it.

I did manage to push the top of one of my lens out.  And now I can't get it to go back in.  I've tried pushing it back in and almost snapped my frame.  So, now I have to fit in a visit to the eye doctor.  Some of my friends have already finalized their Thanksgiving menus, taken recipes for test drives and more.  I just started looking at turkey prices.  I do have my menu finalized though. (Look for a post about it this week).

I also caught up on some reading this morning.  In January, I set a goal to read 150 books this year.  Sadly, I haven't even read 50.  I've even been slacking on reading to the kiddies.  So, the plan is read at least book every night.  And for me, I'll be completely a minimum of two books a week.  I'm determined to at least finish this year out with 50 books read and yes, I'm including the books I read to the kids.  A book is a book.

I caught up with a cousin of mine and found out he's been living here in the Queen City for 8 years!!  8 year y'all and I didn't even know it until today when he told me on Facebook.  He actually thought I had just moved here.  The truth is I've been here longer than he has.  I haven't a clue how we haven't run into each other at the mall or the movies.

Do y'all know how much stuff and how many important events went down in these past 8 years that he could have been a part of.  He missed out on being at my college graduation, visiting me in the hospital after I had the kiddies and hanging out for the holidays.  All because we didn't the other person was here.  I've never been more thankful for Facebook than I am today.  

We've exchanged numbers and I'm looking forward to the kids meeting him and reconnecting.  He's 4 years older than me, but we grew up together and always had fun with my other cousins and siblings at family cookouts.  Then he went off to college and we lost touch.  Looking forward to reuniting though.

I'm also catching up on my Bible study because tomorrow is Monday, which mean my Bible 365 post needs to be done.  Well, I'm off.  See y'all on Monday!

What have you been catching up on this week?

If I Were A Mean Girl

I like to think of myself as a nice person.  Wait, let's rewind that.  I AM a nice person.  How do I know that?  Where to start?  I hold doors open for others whether they're coming in or coming out behind me.  When I'm out and about I offer a friendly smile and hello to strangers that pass.

I give back to local charities.  I give words of encouragement when I see someone is having a bad day.  If I have money to spare, I stop and give the money to the first person I see beside road with a sign.  That little bit of extra change goes a long way for them.  I'm polite in my speech and treatment of others.  You get the point.

However, I'm starting to think that folks are mistaken my niceness for being a flashing a sign that says 'Pushover!'  About a week or two ago, we found out that our neighbors have a dog.  How did we find out?  Well, the first clue came when I was rushing to make it to JJ's doctor appointment and I stepping in dog poop!  Talk about being pissed.

Traffic here is unpredictable and I was frustrated that I had to unbuckle the kids, herd them back in the house, clean my shoes, round them up again, set the alarm and then drive like a mad woman through traffic to make it on time.  Sure enough the next day, I looked out my window and there one of my neighbors was with a little miniature something (I couldn't get a really good look to determine the breed, but it was super small) taking a crap right on the walkway. 

She must have saw me moving in the window, getting to knock on it because she looked up.  I nodded down at the fresh poop and then looked back her.  (I've got silent communication down to a science. When you've had to send your child those silent looks or nods, it's all practice helping you master your skill and use it on others).  She retrieved a baggie from her jacket pocket and picked it up.  Satisfied, I closed the blinds and went on my way.

Now, one would think that said neighbor would know that I don't like dog poop on my side of the yard.  So, please explain why I almost stepped in dog poop again today?  And not once but twice!  I went outside to put out the recycling and trash and there were three medium sized piles of fresh dog poop to greet me!  Talk about being beyond pissed.

Source

I shouldn't be surprised though.  You know why?  I'm too nice.  I should have gone beyond the silent communication the first time I caught her dog pooping on our side of the yard.  My neighbors are young (college age), but still I thought my silent nod & look were easy to understand.  Apparently not folks.

But as my baby brother would say, "They gone learn today" that I'm serious about this dog poop.  I'm not a mean girl, but if I was you know what I do?  I would have let our a loud 'Oh hell no!'  Then I would have marched back inside the apartment and dug out my mini shovel.  I would have deposited the first pile of poop on the hood of their car.  The second pile I would have left right in front of their door.  And the third pile, I have would bribed a fast running person with money to knock on their door and give them a poop facial once they opened it!

Y'all already know I've had it to a third dimension and back with this apartment.  I've been understanding of the neighbors loud noise from their impromptu college get togethers, their company parking in our space when we're gone and more.  But this I will NOT tolerate.  I remember being fresh out of high school and in college.  I didn't disrespect people's property though and I won't stand for mine being disrespected or invaded.

Luckily for my neighbors I'm not a mean girl.  I know Jesus and after venting to the Mr, I've calmed down (not enough to not write this post though).  I'm to collect the poop in a bag and leave it with a note in front of their door.  (They've been missing since a little scuffle broke at one of their parties two days ago).  But to make sure they get the message, when I know they're back, I'm sending the police over to have a little chat with them.

There are rules about here about pets and pet owners allowing their animals to use the bathroom in other people's yards or on public property.  Those violations are punishable by law and they need to know that.  They also need to know that I mean business.  We might be flying this coop soon, but we haven't left it yet.  And I'm not going to be hop scotching over poop to get my trash and recycling cans or to our car!

How would you handle this situation?  Would you go Mean Girls on your neighbors if they did this?

My Favorite Fall TV Shows

One of the things I love about fall besides the cooler weather and awesome color change of the trees, is the return of fall TV shows.  There's nothing quite like TV in the fall.  Reality TV shows seem to reign supreme during the summer, but my preference is scripted TV.  So, here's a look at what I'm watching.

If didn't know, I'm huge fan of DC and Marvel comics.  I'm not going to lie, I didn't give this show a second glance during its first season.  Then, I show it on Netflix one restless night and decided to give it a watch.  This is my new obsession.  I've almost completed watching the entire first season and I'm enjoying this season so far.  If you're into action movies or comic book heroes, this is the show for you!

It's got action, romance and Stephen Amell is not at all bad on the eyes ladies.  He spent a lot time in the first season minus his shirt in a few episodes!

Calling all Sex & the City fans!  If you missed the first season of this show, you definitely don't want to miss out on the second.  It's nice being able to follow the journey of how Carrie Bradshaw became the ultra fabulous adult Carrie Bradshaw that we currently know.  And the fashion is amazing!  I've already seen more than one or two looks from the show that I wish I could have in my closet.

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley.  What more of a reason do you need to watch this show?  Yes, I'm still obsessed with the love triangle that is Elena, Damon and Stefan.  First she was with Stefan.  Then she got turned into a vampire and fell in love with Damon.  You just don't know who she's going to be dating by the end of this season.  So, far I haven't missed an episode and if you're a fan of Twilight and or The Vampire Diaries book series, you'll love the show as well.

If you have an interest for mysteries and crime then Castle is the show for you.  My baby sister got me hooked on this show and I haven't been able to stop watching it.  It's just the right amount of crime but mixed with a lot humor.  There's even some romance.  I've had a blast watching writer Richard Castle tag along with his cop buddies as research for his crime novels.  What's amazing is that Castle is just as good at solving the crimes as the detectives are.

This Vampire Diaries spin-off is awesome, fast paced and action packed.  I figured that Klaus would have his own show because he kind of burnt all of his bridges in Mystic Falls.  This is the shows first season and I can already see it coming back for a second.  

I stumbled across this show channel surfing one Sunday night.  As a Harry Potter fan, I've always enjoyed anything to do with magic.  It's nice to have the fairy tale of being able to use a magic spell to change your life or the lives of others.  However, this show is nothing like Harry Potter.  It's strictly for adults!

There's mystery, secrets, and steamy love scenes as this family of witches work to break the curses that have plagued their family for centuries.

What are you watching on TV this fall?