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Practice and Game Nights, Busy Week? What to Cook for Dinner

It's March, which means we're getting to the heart of  travel baseball season.  Cole is playing with Next Era Baseball 11u and Aaron is playing with the South Tampa Hooks 8u.   Since both boys are playing travel this season, I'm often rushing from park to park to catch their games.  I'm not into the swing of baseball season yet, but combined the boys will be playing over 30 games in March so I need to get my bum in gear.   My post on what to pack in your cooler has been a top post so I thought I would expand upon it a bit and help out weary parents on what to cook on practice and game nights.  It helps to get started for the week by prepping on the weekend.  But if you've been at a tournament all day Sunday, going to the grocery store afterwards is torture.  I've been known to grocery shop on my lunch break during the week.  We have two refrigerators at work and my co-workers don't mind too much that I store my groceries in there for half a day.   Or bri
Recent posts

101 in 1001 Days

I was scrolling through the inter webs the other day and came upon the concept of 101 list to be accomplished in 1001 days (about 2.75 years).  I think it originated from Day Zero Project  as a community of challenge based goal setting. I'm not using that site to track my goals, I can't keep up with all of the passwords in my life.  So I am going to do it here, since writing more on the ole' blog is a number on my list. My list began on 7/19/14 and should end on 4/15/17 1.  Write 101 in 1001 days list (completed on 7/24/14) 2.  Watch every movie nominated for an Academy Award in a particular year 3.  Wear furs (faux) out to dinner (bonus to wear sparkly jewelry too) 4.  Read the entire Harry Potter series 5.  Strut around the beach in a bikini and not feel ashamed of my body 6.  Find the perfect shade of red lipstick and wear with abandon 7.  Keep hair on 6-week trimming schedule 8.  Take real estate sale class & pass the state exam 9.  Sell 1 house within 1

Biggest Loser

The beginning of a new year for me always begins with the resolution to lose weight...On December 31 of each year, I always think back at how much weight I didn't lose.  It's depressing...Over the past 3 years I have gained a ton of weight.  It started during Cole's T-ball All-Stars.  Practice 3 times a week, a tournament every week and 1/2 for almost 2 months.  Fast food, beer, staying up late...it was like I was spinning around on the tea cups, grabbing whatever I could to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am at the heaviest I have EVER been.  I weigh more now than I did when I was pregnant.  My clothes, especially pants, haven't fit in a couple of years now.  The guilt and shame that goes along with that is heavy.  I look in the mirror and still see the same person from 3 years ago, but when I look at pictures I barely recognize myself.  I have become a bloated version of me. So on Sunday I took a huge risk and joined a group of friends for the Biggest Los

What to pack for a Travel Baseball Game

Before Cole started playing travel baseball, I was a rec baseball mom.  I had down to a science what I needed to take to the fields for that one game.  When he started playing travel baseball, I had to pack beyond the 1 game played at a local park.  It took me a few tournament weekends to get my baseball bag just right. These are the essentials: 1. A cooler - packed full of drinks for player (Gatorade & Water), parents and siblings (I pack juice boxes, extra Gatorade and water).  You will also need to pack food for the day.  Usually lunch and a snack for the ride home.  But for bracket play it can range from breakfast in the morning, lunch and through dinner.  Pasta salads and sandwiches hold up the best in a cooler.  Snacks, don't forget snacks: pretzels, goldfish, hummus, dips, sliced apples... 2.  A bit of cash.  For the gate fee and to purchase food & drink at concession.  Sometimes concession stands have unique items like boiled peanuts and snow cones.  Sometimes

Travel Baseball: What to pack in your cooler...tips & ideas

We live in Florida where Travel Baseball season never ends.  Our team usually takes a hiatus during Christmas break and starts back up again in the middle of January. I thought it would be helpful to post the essentials for travel baseball families and what to pack in your cooler for double headers, local tournaments and out of town tournaments. First, be prepared to pay the gate fee.  Usually it's $5 per person for adults and most of the time kids get in free.  Be prepared to pay a higher gate fee for bigger tournaments, especially tournaments held at Disney.  Usually you can find the gate fee under the tournament information web page.  Let's talk about coolers & food ...most parks that you play in will have a concession stand.  Hotdogs and burgers from the concession stand get old QUICK.  And by quick, I mean after the first bite.  Buying lunch (and sometimes dinner) at the concession stand can drain your wallet faster than a kid with your iTunes password. I think

Load up the bases! Spring baseball is here!

Baseball season is starting again...the Spring season is so much fun.  We've had a month off of travel baseball and almost 3 from rec ball.  I've enjoyed my time off from uniform washin', gatorade gettin', practice drivin, picture takin', always cheerin' baseball mom life. With an emphasis on the cheerin' part.  I'd like to take a minute to talk about cheering in baseball.  I'm the mom that cheers for EVERY kid on the team.  I believe in being positive and not cheering on a kid to bring another one down.  I've been cheering since Cole was in T-ball and I've continued with Aaron.  Some people hate it and others join in.   I want my kids to know that their mom is there, actively watching them play and enjoying every minute of it. 

Good sleep

As I was washing my face last night, the bathroom door crept open.  In lumbered a very sleepy 6 year old.  He looked at me and quietly said, "Momma I'm scared".  My heart sank to the depths of my toes.   I told him to get in my bed and that I would be there as soon as I got done.  When I opened that bathroom door there he was, sitting up straight as a soldier waiting for me.  I thought my heart couldn't sink any further than it already did, but this time it made it into the abyss.   I'm sure there are a lot of parents that would send him back to his room, but I couldn't, not tonight.  He was terrified of his dreams and needed to feel the safety that only comes from sleeping next to me.  As much as I need my good sleep, and we all know having kung foo fighters lying next to you does not equal good sleep, there is something comforting for me knowing he is next to me.  I know that one day the late night visits will end and I'll look back and miss them