Busy Mom Breakfast Burritos

Busy Mom Breakfast Burritos

Jun 13, 2022 | Breakfast, Food

For being the most important meal of the day, breakfast can be such a chug to make! With 5 kiddos and a hungry football husband to feed every morning, I rely on quick and filling breakfast recipes that get the day started without a huge time commitment.

This breakfast burrito recipe is one of my favorites because you can make a ton at a time, and it is easy to tweak based on your family’s food preferences.  Check it out:

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs per person
  • 1 package of breakfast sausage or bacon
  • 1 jar of salsa (I’m a spicy girl who loves a green chili, but don’t be scared to go with mild if that’s more your style)
  • 1 pack of shredded cheese (Mexican blend is my favorite)
  • Flour tortillas 

Instructions

  • Cook your preferred meat all the way through in a pan over the stove. Make sure to drain the fat off when necessary.
  • Put your eggs in a bowl and scramble with a pinch of salt and pepper, a dash of milk, and if you’re feeling fancy, some parsley.
  • Put out tortillas and layer ingredients (including eggs, meat, salsa, and cheese) into each tortilla. Be sure not to overfill!
  • Fold and roll your tortillas, lining them up on a baking sheet.
  • Bake in the oven for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Once they come out, brush a bit of melted butter on the outside to keep them soft

  • Special Bonus Step: Wrap a couple of extras in Press and Seal and pop into the freezer. Now you have an even quicker breakfast on-the-go that only takes 2 minutes in the microwave to be ready to eat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How to Give Each of Your Kids the Attention They Deserve

How to Give Each of Your Kids the Attention They Deserve

May 21, 2022 | Family & Home, Parenting

I’ve shared a lot of my best tips on important topics of family life: homeschooling, meals, cleaning, and all the things in between! But at the center of it all are my five amazing children.

But when you have a family, big or small, dividing your attention between the children is a challenge that parents are often unprepared for; I know I wasn’t! Now, I have the perfect formula to make sure each kiddo feels loved, understood, and fulfilled.

Make Them Feel SpecialHere are my favorite ways to give my children the extra attention they need:

Show Love in Small Ways

As moms, we do little acts of kindness all day long! The littles might not see it, making it so important to show love in ways they can interpret. Sometimes that can be cooking their favorite meal (like chicken spaghetti) or choosing an activity they love! When my husband is home, tossing around a soft football in the backyard always puts a smile on the kids’ faces.

 

Words of affirmation are also one of the best ways to share your love with your child. I ensure that each of my children gets daily encouragement from me. Some of my favorite phrases are “You have great ideas,” “I love spending time with you,” or “I’m so proud of you!” You never know what your child might need to hear, so pay close attention and give them the message they need most from you.

Make Them Feel Special

When they need something a little extra, offer Mommy time! I love to schedule unique mother-daughter or -son dates when I can devote time to each kid. It eliminates all other distractions and allows us to bond on a deeper level. If your calendar looks too full, you can always have simple one-on-one conversations with your child rather than planning an elaborate activity. Trust me, they will appreciate both versions of Mommy time.

As my husband can be away from home a lot, it’s important to me that his absence isn’t viewed in a negative light. To avoid this, the kids rotate sleeping with me in his place! Having a sleepover with mom in the big bed is a dream come true for the littles.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

When I see that my other tips aren’t doing the trick, I sit them down and ask the tough question: “How can I serve you better as a mom?” I can’t read their minds, so having them tell me exactly what support I can give them avoids a lot of frustration and loneliness. It’s not only important to listen to your child but to also take action to provide them with what they asked for. Try to build their needs into your schedule.

 With these tips, you should find that your children get the attention they deserve without overextending your time.

 

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Postpartum: Finding a New Normal

Postpartum: Finding a New Normal

May 11, 2022 | Family & Home

After 5 babies, there is one fact I can tell you with immense assurity: your body will never be the same. For as quickly as we get caught up in the miracle of pregnancy and birth, sometimes what comes after can be too daunting to think about. There is certainly a cultural expectation to simply bounce back physically and mentally, but I want to be the one to tell you that postpartum recovery is a process and to give yourself time to get through it.

Start with Gratitude

 

With weight gain, limited sleep, new stretch marks, hair loss, and the seemingly millions of other little things that comes along with postpartum, it can be easy to get bogged down in the negative. There were many times when I wanted to just throw in the towel. 

 

However, with God’s grace, I was able to shift my lens and gain a new perspective. What has become most important to me is to show my body gratitude for all that it has done. I try to start each day, not by thinking about what is “wrong” with my body, but instead by taking some time to recognize the 9 long months of creation it went through. I am a human being, and my body is a product of God’s work, not a rubberband expected to rebound at every pull. I had to show my body some reverence for growing a baby.

Make Self Care a Priority

 

I know you all have heard me say it before (it’s applicable in almost every situation!), but I will say it again: self-care is vital! Especially when recovering from postpartum. Showing yourself a little love goes a long way. For me this comes in the form of scheduling time for myself in our family routine. I make it a point to workout at least 3 times a week  and watch a TV show (all the way through with no interruptions). It gives me a chance to reset and focus solely on myself. If you make time for yourself, you will have more to give in the long run. Remember, you cannot give from an empty cup, especially as a mother and a wife.

Affirmations and Rewards

The work is going to be difficult, so make sure you build in some kindness along the way. I speak one or more affirmations to myself in the mirror each morning and I make sure to recognize my daily growth, as small and minute as that may be. I also set milestones and when I reach them, I reward myself with something extra special. This reward may look like a visit to the spa  or a new outfit. It’s important to not only hold yourself accountable, but to celebrate your successes along the way.

Think About Moving Forward

Having a baby is one of the most miraculous experiences. There is nothing quite like transitioning into being a mom (even on those sleepless nights and on your 800th load of laundry). It’s important to remember your body will now reflect some of that transition. It’s wonderful to have a goal weight in mind, or a pair of pants you’re eager to get back into. But please remember to give yourself some leniency and look forward to what your body is now, rather than focusing on how it used to be.

It is important to start by speaking kindness over yourself. Proverbs 18: 21 (NKJV) says  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Therefore, it is pivotal we speak life over our bodies, positive affirmation over our minds, and control the words that come out of our mouths about who we are and what we are capable of doing.  

Lastly, I will also say one thing I have learned to do is accept help from family, friends, and/or caregivers. It is okay to call for a helping hand, or two, or three. Most of all, celebrate all that you are and all that your family has now become.

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Dream Big, Devote Everything

Dream Big, Devote Everything

May 3, 2022 | Faith

“Dream big, devote everything.” For my family, this is a motto that has not only informed how we raise our own children but what we want to impress upon the children we work within our Devoted Dreamers Foundation. I frequently hear my husband, the dreamer of our family, shout these words with passion and dedication. But it has dawned upon me as of late, that while I may be reciting the words, I’ve forgotten to actually dream myself.

Giving in to Fear

I try so hard to be a person that practices what I preach, but sometimes the actions slip away from me. I found myself paralyzed with fear and doubt, kept from dreaming of anything outside my family and faith. I’ve witnessed harsh judgment, ruined relationships, and failure and somewhere along the line I internalized these visions. I made my world so small it consisted only of the 4 walls of my home, the 6 members of my family, and God.

Permission to Dream

A few months ago I found myself beginning to dream again, beyond the confines of serving my family, and I found myself frightened. Was I giving in to distraction? But God reminded me of something: how can I encourage my children to boldly dream, when I am not encouraging myself to? I needed to give myself permission to expand beyond my comfort zone, to leave my perfectionism and fear of failure in the rearview mirror, and dream.

Write It Out

I began to take my dreams to paper, spilling out countless ideas, thoughts, and future plans. The more I wrote, the more my heart began to pound with excitement, the wider my smile began to spread, the bigger my dreams became. God directed my hand and helped the ideas to flow rapidly and naturally. I felt truly myself for the first time in a while, a person who believes in the power of dreams!

 

Maybe you, like me, have become fearful. Maybe you’re scared of loss or mistakes. Maybe you just forgot how to dream. Whatever it is that is holding you back, I want you to trust in God and encourage you to not get lost in the routine of your life. Someone else’s freedom, growth, and salvation may be on the other side, empowered by your ability to dream it! Regardless of what your life consists of in this moment, as long as you have breath in your body, God’s intentions in your head, and kindness in your heart, know it is possible to dream big and devote everything.

 

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Distraction

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Distraction

May 1, 2022 | Faith, Family & Home, Parenting

“A distracted parent is a frustrated parent.”

This is a phrase that I’ve used for many years, but admittedly, I frequently become preoccupied with a laundry list of tasks that threaten all my “intentional parenting” tools, forcing me into old habits that I preach against. 

As I reflect over this past week, I’ve been confronted with an ugly truth. More times than not, I was distracted from my littles, which led to many frustrations with their mistakes, an overload of questions, and countless messes. Finding myself a little teary-eyed, I discovered that my family didn’t always move to the beat of my drum. I’d also been distracted by other idols of mine, so when things began to occur outside my control, I couldn’t help but become annoyed. Thank God for conviction, conviction led to repentance, and repentance led to me apologizing to my people for putting unfair expectations on them – expectations that I can’t always meet myself. 

I’m sure I’m not alone in falling guilty of this and I want us all to place our failures before the throne, find ways to implement new tactics, and know that giving ourselves and others grace will assist in bearing fruit.

Here are a few tools on how to limit distractions and frustrations:

Set Boundaries on Your Screen Time 

Cell phones and social media can be so distracting at times, and we may become frustrated or annoyed by comparing ourselves to what we’re being exposed to through our devices. In order to limit my screen time, I place timers on my cell phone, turn off many notifications, and set ringtones for my husband and a few others that I’m okay responding to throughout the day. Then I can carve out specific time to tackle emails and text messages from others. These boundaries help me keep my thoughts organized and my focus sharp.

Don’t Let the Mess Control You

 I’ve told y’all before that I’m OCD (not using the term lightly), so cleaning is an idol for me. Although I view it as a good one to have, I’m often distracted by it. This distraction causes me to miss memorable times with my family, become overwhelmed when messes occur and turn into a drill sergeant to my entire village. I’m learning to remind myself that accidents happen, kids can sometimes be messy, and living in spaces can’t always mimic an RH showcase room. 

If you’re anything like me, I encourage you to create a weekly, monthly, and daily cleaning routine. In doing this, you will also find a few things that can be left undone. Whether it’s closing a door, having a junk drawer or closet, placing things in a basket, or hiring a housekeeping service, there are ways to manage your surroundings without having to tackle everything on your list.

Remember Your Purpose

I love to serve, so I’m extra when it comes to my meals and cookware. I love to serve my family food in cute dishes, create adorable themes… the list goes on. Although I can become distracted by creating these elaborate experiences for them, they’d rather have me focused, patient, and full of joy rather than serving heart-shaped waffles without a smile. Let’s not become too distracted creating beautiful moments we can’t enjoy because we’re frustrated with the very people we’re making them for.

These tips can help you reduce future frustrations, but sometimes life can just get in the way. When you’re overwhelmed, schedule non-negotiable time away, take a 5-minute potty break, or be vulnerable with family or friends and tell them you could use some help. Above all else, remember to submit our distractions and frustrations before the throne.

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