How to build a Haystack/Taco Salad

As a mom of two kids one of the struggles that I have is getting them to eat a balanced diet. One of my favorite meals growing up was haystacks. I am sure most of the universe knows them as taco salads but for this I am going to keep with what I know and call them haystacks. I am finding that many times, if my kids don’t want to eat what I fix it is because they feel like they don’t have any control. Having haystacks for a meal gives them a ton of choices and the ability to make the meal they want too!

I saw a grey hair, My daughter saw something else.

I seem to have hit a slump in life. I can’t seem to find reasons to be happy or upbeat. I hate how I look and can’t find any clothes that fit me. Most days, I don’t want to get out of bed. I seem to just melt into the background of the world, and for now I am ok with that. Yet, I’m not.

Body shaming seem’s to be at the forefront of most people’s conversations. Clothing brands are going after each other, mom’s are picking at each other on social media. I am a woman who struggles daily with body image. I have never had a good image of my body and since having kids it has gotten worse because I am heavier than I have ever been. I don’t know how to dress my body. What I think looks cute doesn’t fit, what I want to look like seems unattainable.

The sensory Need in all of Us

Over the past almost 6 years I have learned so much about sensory needs. Not just the needs of a child with Sensory Processing Disorder but the fact that every human being needs sensory input of some type as they go through their day. If you think about it, life would be pretty boring without our senses. We wouldn’t be able to hear, taste, smell, see or feel. These past 6 years I have watched and worked with my son as he learned to navigate a world that over powers his senses yet at the same time doesn’t give him enough in some areas. There have been a lot of tears, frustration, accomplishments and hard lessons learned(for me). Trial and error have seemed to work the best. This past Saturday as I sat in my living room watching my kids playing contentedly with their sensory bins, I took a sip of my coffee and sighed. There comes a time when, no matter what is going on in life, your senses are overloaded and you need to step back and let the senses that calm you take over and bring you back to the core of your happiness. For me that is peace.

Things I learned after becoming a Working Mom

In October our family went through a really big shake up. After 5 1/2 yrs of being a stay at home mom I went back to work full-time. I didn’t make this decision lightly or on the spur of the moment, I agonized over this for almost a year.

 

There is something about Christmas lights

I am a huge fan of Christmas! If I am completely honest I would be happy starting to decorate for Christmas and listen to Christmas songs the day after Halloween. My husband on the other hand would be completely happy if the decorations and music stayed in boxes till the week of and then were put away the day after. Thankfully he has compromised and allows his Christmas fanatic of a wife to start Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is setting up the Christmas tree. I always liked it as a kid but now that I have my own kids, I love it even more.