Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Meal Planning 101


So I have had several people ask me about how I plan my meals. Really for me it is all about organization of prep work. So here are a couple of tips I have for you:

- Look at your WEEKLY calendar:  I start by looking at my week and seeing what we all have and what we have time for. For example: Eric always works late on Thursday nights so I need something for the kids and I but I also need to make leftovers for E when he gets home. Or if we have dinner plans one night I will write in OUT TO EAT. Another example is I have bunco this week, it starts at 7 so whatever I cook for dinner I want to be able to eat early and have the kitchen cleaned up before I go. I take all that into account and fill in meals for each day.

- Keep of running list of recipes your family likes: I have a list of about 20 meals that my family loves, likes, or will tolerate. I keep those in the back of my calendar to use as a reference.I only try to rotate them once a month or at least space them out as far as possible. If you would like to see a list of those meals feel free to email me at kjwhite1980@gmail.com

- Meal plan on Sunday: I meal plan on Sunday for meals from Monday- Sunday. And I do my grocery shopping on Mondays. This makes it easy for me. That way I have looked at my calendar, made my meals, and now i am ready to grocery shop. I also browse my Pinterest board on FOOD to see what other options I might be willing to try or whip up. It gives me lots of fresh ideas!

- Make a menu: I write out what is on the menu and keep it posted in the pantry for all to see. That way when I wake up each morning I know what's for dinner and what needs to be done to make it happen, it takes the guess work out of. When I make the menu I usually only include a short description. We are not big side people so for me I can do grilled chicken and a can of green beans and call it a day. But write out whatever helps you complete your meal.

- Make a grocery list: make a list of everything you need to make your weekly menu happen. We rarely eat out for dinner so I have to be prepared. Once you write down what you need SHOP your pantry. This will make life easier and lower your grocery cost. Oh and remember to take your list with you when you go to the store!

- Be flexible: There are some nights where Eric ask for something else or some thing in our schedule changes. Always be flexible. If you skip a meal or don't use it, freeze what you can and then save the rest of the ingredients. For example I have had Chicken Spaghetti on the menu for the last 3 weeks. Tonight we are finally having it.

Hopefully this helps you all. In additions here is an 8 x10 printable jpeg of my menu. You can print it out, hang it up or do whatever you like to it. For me I printed it out and laminated it. That way I reuse it weekly by using a dry erase marker. So what is your favorite thing to fix for your family when you meal plan?

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Perfect day for Potato Soup

It is cold here, and I don't mean there is a chill in the air, I mean that we had a 2 hour delay because the windchill was sub zero. Nothing says comfort food to me like soup. I love soups pair with a good salad or even a sandwich from Jimmy Johns
**** SIDENOTE... we go and buy day old bread (which is usually only hours old) from Jimmy Johns for $.25 a loft and  come home and make our own sandwiches, saves money and super yummy)

Anyway I thought I would share my potato soup recipe with you. I recently found this on pinterest and gave it a whirl and it has quickly become a family favorite.

Since the orginal post was so good full of pictures I am just gonna send you there.


The only thing I did differently is I left my cream cheese in for an hour... just made it creamery! So what are your favorite cold day comfort foods?

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Bible Study


As a mom I find if very difficult to find adequate time to actually study the Bible. If you know me at all you know that I am a huge reader and love to ready just about anything! But when it came time to Study God's word something always seemed to be more important. Notice that I said "seemed". I felt like there were lots of distractions keeping me away from my time with God and it was beginning to show in my family, interaction with friends, and most importantly within myself! So I knew a change needed to be made!

Since moving to Indy and even before I was deeply involved in Mom Groups. MUMS and MOPS played a huge role in who I was a parent, friend, and leader. But last year I kept sensing I needed something more. So I decided to step away from MOPS and pursue the Bible Study classes that were offered at the church. It was the best decision I had made in a long time!

I am doing the Beth Moore Esther study. It is amazing. I really think anything by her is great, but this one has spoken volumes to me! I knew no one in my study and I have met some really neat amazing women from ALL walks of life! They have blessed me in many ways (including my fun birthday party today)!  For me I really think it is not the study or the video or the people. It is that I actually made this a priority and each week I have homework that forces me to dig into the word, ponder questions about myself, and really HEAR what God is trying to tell me.

Are you in a Bible study? What is the best one you have ever done? What changes in your life do you need to make to study the Bible on a regular basis? These are some questions that I asked myself and I encourage you to ask yourself. It really will bring you closer to the one who called you to KNOW HIS WORDS!



I am gonna leave you with a snapshot of what spoke to me this week during my study!

Monday, January 14, 2013

How to wear a bow...


Our Sweet Lynley Elizabeth has had a bow on since her very first photo!


So it is NO lie that I am obsessed with highbrows for our little Lynley. I am too embarrassed to count but it is a number well above 100! We have one for every outfit and some even have two. Long ago I heard the mantra that said, "the bigger the bow the better the mommy" now in now way do I think this is true, but I do think it is funny. We have worn all shapes, sizes, and colors of bows. Today's post is to make you all a little more knowledgeable about hair bows.


Here are a few tips:
- You can never have too many!

- Always keep a spare white one in your car and in your diaper bag!

- When I was prego with L my girlfriend Britney suggested that I order several of the same while bows. I listened but at the time had no idea why. Oh friends I am so glad I did. We have lots of white bows, some have make up stains, some have lipstick stains, some have dirty hand print stains. You can NEVER have too many white bows!

- In my Opinion solid bows are the best. They go with more and then tend to have a more classic look!

- Special occasions deserve special bows. Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, Valentines day, birthday, parties, whatever the occasions, some times a special bow is just the magic that sets apart your little princess.

- Bow Placement-
- When your child is a baby (as in still needing to wear headbands with bows on them or attached to them) the headband should sit behind the ears and away from the forehead. Think of it as if you were gonna place a bow on your head... you would not stick it in the front of your forehead would you?  The bow should typically be on one side or the other. Lynley's hair naturally parts from left to right so she wears her bows on the right side.

-Now that Lynley has hair, I brush her back and place it in a small rubber band (think the size used for braces) I call this her bam bam pony tail. It is parted to the side and secure sweeping as much of her bangs off of her face as possible. Once the pony tail is secure then I attach the bow. Most of her bows are alligator clips, so this is super easy.


- Bow Size- This all comes down to personal preference. Only once in my lifetime have I ever said a bow was too big for L. I ordered a 8.5 inch bow and it was huge it took up her whole head. I think we will wait til she is in Kindergarten to wear that one! Most of Lynleys bow are 5.5- 6.5 inches. When she was an infant she would wear mostly 4 inch bows. But as she has gotten older and more hair I have upped her size. Some days we wear a small bow with no bam bam but her hair is so fine it slips out. So for us the bam bam works great!


- Where do I buy her bows: I get the question ALL the time. My favorite place to order bows is Polkadot posies.  I love her prices (nothing over $4 and her shipping is super quick). She also has some fun accessories and headbands as well. I have also had luck finding bows at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's I find a lot of our corker bows there! It is kind of hit or miss. As far as custom bows I have several friends who do several bows so I just use them on an as needed basis!

 I hope this post has been benefical. If you have ANY questions about more on bows... let me know by email (kjwhite1980@gmail.com) or comment!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Weekend Recap

We have had a such a fun and wonderful weekend. However right now it is freezing outside and I am starting to feel like Noah and the ark. It has rained for days! Last Thursday my parents came in town to watch the kids while Eric and I headed out of town for a work function to Columbus, OH. Even though it was work related it was super fun to get away with just E.

While he was working I worked out, did some shopping, ate lunch at a fun place, took a nap, and got ready for the big dinner. During the course of the day Eric texted me that he received an award. He was named Agency Sales Director of the year! I am so proud of him and all his hard work has truly paid off. God has big plans for that guy! We went to a wonderful dinner at had some fun/ interesting conversations with all the people.

We headed home Saturday morning cause we were super excited to see the kiddos and my parents. It has rained a bunch and John Hunter and the neighbor kids decided it would be a blast to play in the mud. They had the best time but oh they were dirty!

John Hunter had his first basketball practice ever and we were thrilled. He loved it and did so well. I am anxious for the season to start and see how much he will improve and grown his love for this sport.

Last night we went and watched the Miss America pageant with some friends. I have always loved watching but this year it was neat because our friend Katie Stam Irk was one of the judges. It was great to see her on Prime Time TV and know that her heart is turned toward serving God and others. She truly is a gem among many.


Today we have been so lazy. We went to a huge breakfast with my parents and then they headed out of town. we have had a great family day watching the rain, watching football, playing games, eating Texas trash, and just being together. All in all I am glad to say we had a great weekend!







Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Valentines Day Wreath

So if you don't know me too well I will let you in on a little secret. I am obsessed with Pinterest! I love everything about and my whole family knows. I had a board marked "Kendra's wish list" and was thrilled when I opened gifts this Christmas from that list! It is so bad that sometimes my 6 year old son will come into a room and say "mom I have a great idea." Proceed to tell me about his great idea and then end the conversation with "I think you should take a picture and pin that on pinterest!" Ooooo  I love that kid!

So after the Christmas decorations came down I started thinking about decorating for the next holiday. I know, I know, it's my birthday but my family would think I had lost it! So that left Valentines day. I have several ideas in mind, but I needed something for my front door, so I started too look. And I found the most adorable wreath. After a quick trip to Joann Fabric (well let's be honest no trip to Joann's is quick), I was ready to make!

If you would like to make one too here's what you do!


What you’ll need for the wreath:
- a 12 or 16 inch styrofoam wreath form
- approximately 2 yards of felt
- straight pins (enough to match the number of felt circles needed, plus two for attaching the hanger)
- scissors (I used pinking sheers which gave it that textured look, but regular scissors will do!)
- a 3 inch circle template... I used a can of chicken
- chalk
- ribbon for hanging
How to Make:
Using chalk and your circle template, trace circles onto the felt. Cut the felt circles, and fold them in half twice to form rosettes. Insert a pin near the bottom corner of the rosette, about 1/8 inch from the corner.

Attach the felt rosettes to the wreath form, making sure to group the rosettes tightly enough that no styrofoam is showing through the rosettes. After you’ve added a few, fluff and adjust the rosettes to your liking. Continue making, pinning, and attaching the rosettes until you’ve worked your way around the wreath form. If you have circles that are slightly misshapen or that have a little chalk on them, place them toward the outside or inside edges, where they can’t be seen when the wreath is hanging.


I also added the ribbon to the inside of my wreath just to give it some color. You could fill with rosettes, but trust me when you have cut out that MANY you will want to use ribbon!
After you’ve finished adding the felt rosettes, cut a 10 inch length of ribbon, fold it in half, and attach it to the wreath form with two pins to form a hanger.
From this point you can hang on the door and it will be perfect. I like bows, so I added a bow out of left over Christmas art mesh on the top of the ribbon just to give it some color!

The picture shown is on my garage door, but I put it on my front door and it does look amazing! IF someone had shoveled the sidewalk I would take a picture for you... maybe when it melts! 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Thankful Thursday


For this weeks installment of Thankful Thursday I am deeply thankful for our first born child... John Hunter White. In my opinion he has to be one of the coolest kids around. He came as a surprise to us, but our lives have been changed for the good every since. Since he is in Kindergarten and learning to spell I thought it would be fun to spell out his name and list something about him!

J- JOY! John Hunter has unspeakable joy! He is thrilled about the smallest things in life. If you tell him we are going to get ice cream he reacts the same way as if we told him we were going to Disney!  He not only shows joy he expresses it. He loves to make people laugh by telling jokes or pulling "pranks" as he calls it. This sweet blonde boy has brought joy to so many!

O- Obedient... from the times he was little we have always said, "immediate obedience" which means we want you to obey on the first time! He is not a perfect  child, but he has been very obedient and for that his father and I are forever grateful!

H- Humorous... he's a funny kid. He can pull one liners from out of no where, and in 6 year old fashion it is funny! Even last year at preschool graduation his teacher commented about his quick sense of humor. I think it will take him far in life!

N- Nice- All in all John Hunter is a super nice kid. He gets along with MOST people and even if he doesn't like them he has learned how to tolerate them! I hope when others desirable him they say he is NICE!

H- Helper- John Hunter has always been one who wants to help you!  From the time he was little I can remember he would have a rag in his hand cleaner when I cleaned. He wants to help his daddy in the kitchen and in the yard. He always wants to help. He took on a new role as big brother and I cannot tell you how helpful he has been. I love to see his servants heart grow at such a young age!

U- Understanding- John Hunter is a lot like his mommy in that he wants a plan of action! He likes to know what is gonna happen and when. Sometimes when things dont go as planned he struggles with being understanding. However in the past year we have seen this fault dwindle. He is becoming more understand and learning that not everything has to go as planned!

N- Nurturing. He loves to cuddle, snuggle, and hug. He will be playing and say Mom can I have a hug. He will never let Lynley go to bed without a hug or a kiss and he is always holding on to his daddy's hand. I love that about his sweet heart. He loves to express love this way and I hope he always stay that way!

T- Talkative- From the time he was little he has always been a boy of many words. He loves to talk, and frankly I love to talk to him. I love to hear stories he tells, makes up, and repeats. I love his questions and his desire to learn, but man does he love to talk. One time my friend kept John Hunter from early in the morning until the afternoon. Around 9:30 she texted me saying, "my boys are still asleep, but John Hunter has asked no less than 250 questions"

E- Energetic- Whew... somedays I have to say, this momma needs a break! He is full of energy and life. Not much will take him down. We will be at friends house and all the kiddos will have been in bed for a bit and John Hunter is still going. He cannot be still for the life of me, he tries, but he loves to be on on the go! I love that about him!

R- Right for me. God sure knew what he was doing when he gave me this little boy! I am so thankful that God let me be his mommy!

Weekend Recap

We had a wonderful last weekend before school starts!  I really do not want John Hunter to go back to school tomorrow. Friday John Hunter invited a friend from school to go to Skyzone with us. However parenting fail I did not check and they were sold out. So we went to Ben and Ari's instead. The boys had a great time and I love spending time with his friends. I always want to a pretense in their lives!

We went got home a special package had arrived for John Hunter from Mrs. Tami. I have know Tami for many years and she currently lives in Alabama. When she found out JH's love for the Roll Tide she sent him some great to present here in the land of the Fighting Irish. Least to say he is super pumped for tonight's game but he will not be staying up long enough to watch :( Oh well I am sure we will see the sports center dates at least a hundreds times!

The rest of the weekend was spent playing games, hanging out with friends, and eating good food. John Hunter got a TV for his playroom for Christmas and we put the wii in there, he has loved it with the exception of Lynley always wanting to be right on top of him as he plays! It is rather funny!

Sunday night we had our friends over for dinner. They have a little girl who is 3 weeks older than Lynley and a little boy who is three months. They are busy to say the least! But we had a blast with them and cannot wait to do it again. As you can see the girls loves playing together!

Today Lynley took her first "gymnastics" class and loved it. We had a great time and cannot wait to go back. And they we met our dear friends at the Incrediplex and JH had a playdate with his dear friend Emmy. Those two are a hoot together! All in all we had a great weekend!








Thursday, January 3, 2013

Our First Trip to the ER


On Thursday Lynley had her very first trip to the ER. We were at home eating lunch and daddy joined us. We went upstairs to change her diaper and I did it on my bed like a always do. She and daddy were playing "tickle tickle" and the laughter was contagious!

I went in the bathroom to throw the diaper away leaving father and daughter to a moment of fun. I turned my back and then I heard screaming. Lots of screaming. Apparently she had rolled farther than she thought and rolled right off our king sized bed! She landed on all fours much like a cat. I picked her up and comforted her for a bit and she seemed fine. I took her downstairs to give her the bottle she needed before naptime. When I set her down, she fell to the ground and cried in pain!

Poor girl would not walk. I gave her some motrin hoping that would help before bed. When she woke up 2 hours later she still would not walk or put pressure on her leg. I called the doctor who told me to take her to the ER, so off we went.

Eric was back at work and John Hunter was playing with Solomon next door. The Arterburn's graciously kept JH for us for the next several hours while we had her leg checked out. They examined her and did a few xrays. As far as they could tell there was no fracture, but it did appear to be a high ankle sprain! She was in so much pain poor princess!

They suggested keeping it elevated and her not walking on it for 24-48 hours (apparently they do not have a one year old). But we came home and had some dinner. She played a little and then went right to bed. We are praying for a good nights sleep and a quick recovery! She made it longer than her brother who went to the ER at 5 months... but this will be a good story about no more monkeys (and daddy's) playing on the bed!

Thankful Thursday (January 3)

So each Thursday I am going to do a post on the things that I am grateful for. Growing up I always sang the song with my mom:

"Count your blessings name them one by one, Count your blessings see what God has done. Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done!"

So each Thursday I am gonna set aside some time for the things that I am Thankful for!

Today I am Thankful for this guy..... Eric Peter White

I have know this man for over 10 years. We have been married almost 9 years, and I can honestly say there is no one I would rather do life with!

He is one of the hardest workers I know. He cares a lot about his job so that he can do well to provide for the children and I. He pours is heart and soul into his work. And although there are times his job drives me crazy I am thankful he provides for us!

He is a madly in love with me and the children. He is a great dad, and great husband, and great spiritual leader. He is constantly encouraging me to do things with my life that I dream of, he is supportive of me when I get a hair brain idea. He loves to have very deep talks about the meaning of life. He is the perfect match for me. We are both strong willed, stubborn, hard headed, and rotten to the core. His sister said it best one Christmas, "Eric met his match when he met you, and we knew from that point on he had fallen head over heals".

He loves to entertain. Actually we both do which makes for some interesting events. He is a great cook. He loves to try new things, whip up something without a recipe, and serve as many people as possible.

He is fun loving... He has his hobbies (that often annoy me) but he loves to play with the children and I. He enjoys doing yard work and such outside and he loves a new adventure!

So today as I write. I am thankful for Eric. Long before I knew a boy existed in Minnesota, I knew God had the perfect match for me. Our marriage has not been easy, i would not say it has been roses and wine. But we have grown closer to God and closer to each other. We have lived by the mantra what if marriage were to make you holy and not happy, and for that I am grateful!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Guilty Pleasure

Very rarely does a TV show come on that I LOVE to watch. We watch a lot of Disney Jr and Sports Center at this house. But this past fall a show has come on that I am in love it. It was not wholesome, nor am I endorsing all the things in it.... BUT I LOVE LOVE LOVE NASHVILLE! It's like my personal happy place. I love the people in it (Friday night lights mom) and I love the music, and I love the story line. Pretty much there is not much to like. It even has a main character named Deacon... And that is our dog!

So when John Hunter is at school, Lynley is napping, and Eric is at work... i watch! Its like my little guilty pleasure? If you have not watched it, you should! That is all!

Do you have a guilty pleasure like Nashville?

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Welcome 2013

Today as we welcome 2013 I thought I would take a moment and say goodbye to 2012. All it all i would say it was a great year. As with many years it has had it ups and downs, but we can look back and be confident that the LORD was with us throughout the year. I have compiled at list of 12 things (see 20"12") that were great for the White family! They are in no particular order... just wrote it out this way!

1) Superbowl was in Indy. It was such an exciting time for our city with all the buzz of the Superbowl. It helps that I have TWO HUGE football fans living under this roof. We were able to go down to Superbowl Village several times. Once as a family for my birthday and then Eric and I won tickets to see Jimmy Fallon which was great! We had a blast! The whole fam wore vikings gear even though they weren't in the big game! But we had a great time nonetheless!

2) UK Wins the National Championship!!! As many of you know I am from the land where Jesus will return and basketball is in our blood! This year the Cats brought home the title and no one was more excited than this Kentucky girl living in a Hooiser (looser) state! We took every chance we got and wore our blue proud! It was truly March Madness!

3) Ralph Zenisek went home to be with the Lord! We knew him as Pa. He was Eric's first grandparent to pass away and although it was VERY hard we are praising Jesus his body is restored to perfect health! We went to the cabin in May and celebrated his life. I spoke as a part of the eulogy and Eric and his dad along with his sisters sang at the service. It was very special to us as well as his grandmother! We miss him greatly but are proud of the legacy he has left!

4) Little League.... we have become parents of a little leaguer! And I must say that John Hunter and the rest of the Brewers were awesome! We had a blast playing baseball and by the end of the season we even saw MUCH improvement. John Hunter loved it and with every sport he is looking forward to playing again!

5) Disney! This year we went to Disney. Not only did we go, but Eric qualified for conference and Metlife picked up the tab. Lynley was so young that we left her behind with Gigi and Grandad, but dont tell her! We had a great trip and lots of memories were made. I was so proud of John Hunter for riding Space Mountain and I am even more proud of myself for doing it with him! It was an honor to stand by Eric side and represent Metlife and the Indy office!

6) 1st day of Kindergarten! We always knew this day would come, but when it did this momma was a mess. I am so proud of my doodle and the big boy he is becoming! He went confidently into Geist Elementary and has shone like a star ever since. I cannot believe we are 1/2 way through the year! He has come so far... he can even READ!!

7) Home is where the heart its! About june Eric thought it would be a great idea to put our house on the market. I thought why not? Well it sold in 28 days! We were not prepared for that, but we loved house hunting. We were super sad to leave our neighbors (although we see them all the time) but we were super blessed with new ones! We loved about a mile down the road. It is a great house and after about a week Eric and I both looked at each other and said, this feels like home! We could NOT have done this move without the help of my amazing parents who scaraficed 2 weeks to help us pack, paint, build, unpack, organize and just be the amaizng people that they are! Thank you so much.... we LOVE you more than words can express!

8) Our sweet princess turned one! We had a blast celebrating her with family and friends. She was thrilled about her party and she of course LOVED her cake! We didnt do a theme, but everything was in polka dots and cheveron. It was adorable to say the least! Time surely has flow by and although she is only 1 year old, I cannot imagine life without her! John Hunter has adjusted so well to the role of a big brother. He is her friend, buddy, projector, nurturer, and confidant!

9) Can you believe that John Hunter is 6. We celebrated Cowabunga style with a Teenage Mutant Ninja turtle style! He had lots of his buddies over as well as some of his classmates. We had a great time. As I reflect back on him being 6 my heart aches. He is such a joy to our lives and is so precious. He had a caring heart and is so active, but just wants to be liked by everyone! We love you our big 6 year old!

10) Creation Museum... for fall break John Hunter spent some time in Lexington with my parents! He had a blast as always. However before going there we met up with my parents at the Creation Museum in northern KY! It was amazing. We have always wanted to go and we could not have picked a more perfect day to do it! It was a blast! John Hunter learned so much and loved the planetarium with dad! Thanks again Gigi and Grandad for taking us!

11) All dogs go to heaven. At lease that is what we are holding on to. Our sweet dog of almost 9 years went to be with Jesus in November. It was hard on everyone especially John Hunter. He has loved that dog his whole life. Tye was such a sweet and loving dog and we miss her greatly! She will ALWAYS hold a very special place in our hearts and in our home!

12) John Hunter got a special surprise when we went home to KY in December. Granddad took him to his very first UK Basketball game. They won the game against Portland. John Hunter was thrilled it was a real rite of passage. As soon as we got home he hung the "3" up in his room with pride. Thanks guys for making that memory possible!