Mary | Momlifejuggle

It’s almost August, right? NEW fall finds at Target. I sure love summer, but seeing these today made me ready for all things fall! 🎃🍁🍂 What do you think of these new #dollarspot items? . . . #targetfinds #targetdollarspot #targetbullseye #bullseyesplayground #targetstyle #falldecor #targetdoesitagain #lovetotarget #targetrun #fallseason #ltkhome #pumpkinseason

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! 🦃🧡

Don't blink, mama 😭💙 It sounds so cliche when you hear those words while you are holding a newborn baby in your arms, but then suddenly you are looking down at an almost-three-year-old and wondering how you got here. If there is one thing I've learned so far, it's not only to take all the pictures you can but also to never forget to take videos too! There is just something about seeing them in motion or hearing how they used to sound that a still picture can't capture. #boymom #growuptoofast #dontblink #joyfulmamas #almostthree #slowdowntime #timeisathief #freezethismoment #gettingtoobig #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodrising #toddlermoments #toddlermama

Anyone else dread the thought of making dinner on Monday nights? I always find myself wanting to make a quick and simple dinner, so if you’re like me, here’s one of our favorite weeknight dinners. Teriyaki Turkey Bowl Recipe: Sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons warm water In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons warm water to cornstarch. Whisk or stir with a fork until cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside. Mix all sauce ingredients below into a sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Once the sauce starts to simmer, add cornstarch/water mixture to thicken sauce. 3/4 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar (Can substitute with Red Wine Vinegar) 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 teaspoon ground ginger You may have to make more cornstarch/water mixture if you like a thicker sauce. Make sure you combine the cornstarch with water prior to adding into the saucepan. If you add cornstarch directly into the sauce, you will have a difficult time incorporating the cornstarch and will be left with a lumpy sauce. Set aside. Turkey and Vegetable Mixture: 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 lb. ground Turkey 1/2 onion (a little less then 1 cup) 1 teaspoon minced garlic A pinch of black pepper and salt 1 steam in bag broccoli (you will cook in the microwave prior to adding to the mixture) 2 carrots or about a cup of baby carrots, chopped or shredded Add whatever vegetables you have on hand or sound good to you. We will often add sugar snap peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, etc. In a frying pan, add olive oil, minced garlic and onions. Sauté mixture until onions start to soften. Add ground Turkey and cook until almost all the pink is gone. Add your vegetables and cook until tender. Pour sauce over turkey and vegetable mixture and let simmer on medium low for 10 minutes. Serve over white rice, brown rice, noodles or make lettuce wraps. #easydinnerideas #weeknightdinner #dinnermadeeasy #weeknightmeals #simplerecipes #quickandhealthy #mealplanning #eatcolorful #healthyfoodshare #weeknightcooking #mealprepideas #quickrecipes #easyrecipes #groundturkey #asianinspired

Seeing the light bulb go off in my son's head is one of my favorite parts of being a mama. We're at the point now where he can identify the letters of the alphabet, but can't write them out on his own yet. Here's a fun activity that allows your child to start making letters on their own! What you need: Colored popsicle sticks Pipe cleaners Start by showing your child how to create letters using popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. Then have them create the letters alongside you. It's so much fun to watch as they get the hang of it and start manipulating the letters to make new ones. Some of our favorites are turning an "M" into a "W" and turning an "H" into an "I" and then into an "A". You can also have your child try to arrange the letters in alphabetic order and if they get stuck, sing the alphabet song to help them remember. This is a great way to get hands-on with the letters of the alphabet! #toddleractivities #alphabetactivities #creativeplay #finemotorplay #finemotorskills #handsonlearning #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #earlylearning #toddlerplay #openendedplay #simplyplay #busytoddler #playtolearn #invitationtoplay #makelearningfun #playmatters #playideas #diytoys #preschoolactivities #letsplay #playathome

I can’t remember the last time I rocked him to sleep, but today he was so tired from not sleeping last night, I finally had the opportunity. It seems like just yesterday that I rocked him to sleep every night. It’s these little moments I will always cherish because one day he won’t be this small in my lap. So many moments of motherhood are bittersweet. I’m always so excited for the next stage, but sad to have moments like this be a distant memory one day. If you need me, I’ll be over here wallowing that my baby is growing up. 🥺 . . . . . . . . #motherhoodunplugged #thisismotherhood #toddlersnuggles #motherhoodjourney #motherhoodrising #bittersweetmoment #dontgrowuptoofast #raisinglittles #thisismotherhood #mamaslittleman #livinginthemoment #momofboys #boymom #boymama #boymamalife

Sunday Funday at the park with Daddy! It’s pictures like these that melt my heart and realize that he’s not a little baby anymore. 🥺

You know a recipe is a keeper when it’s toddler approved! Start your mornings off right with these Cranberry White Chocolate Scones. They’re super easy to make and so delicious. Recipe: 2 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3 Tbsp. sugar 4 Tbsp. salted butter 1 cup heavy cream 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 3/4 cup dried cranberries 1/3 white chocolate chips Directions: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles corse cornmeal. In separate bowl, combine cream, egg and vanilla, whisking to blend. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring to combine well. Dough will be sticky. Stir dried cranberries and white chocolate chips into dough until incorporated. Don’t over mix the dough. Roll dough out round on a lightly floured surface to a 1/2” thickness and cut into pie-shaped wedges. Bake at 350 degrees on greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes. They will be light golden brown.

I’ve been there. You open up Pinterest and start searching for ways to keep your child entertained. For me, that search started when my son was around 18 months old. He was getting into everything and I knew he needed a way to explore other than every closet and cabinet in the house. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with activity ideas and all the things that you need to execute those activities. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive if you set yourself up for success and always have these ten items on hand.   1. Construction Paper 2. Basic paper plates 3. Pipe Cleaners 4. Colored popsicle sticks 5. Wood clothespins 6. Avery dot stickers  7. Dry Goods (Rice, beans, etc.) 8. Plastic hard-sided pencil boxes 9. Colored Sharpies  10. Basic kitchen items like an ice cube tray, plastic kitchen spoons, funnels, plastic containers of different sizes Once you have these basics, here are a few additional items I would recommend:   -Learning Resources Helping Hands  - Simplay3 In and Out Activity Table   - Small toys for sensory bin activities such as construction trucks, animal figurines, etc.

Last night they forecasted that the chance of snow was low...but when this born-and-raised Wisconsin mama saw the first flakes last night, I knew we were bound to wake up to a Winter Wonderland! ❄️ So excited for his first snow and the fact that it will probably only last on the ground for a day or two. That’s the true magic of Alabama snow 😏

Valentine’s Day date night dinner for three was a success, especially with this delicious homemade chocolate Pots de Creme and fresh whipped cream. One thing I’ve learned in life is marry a man who cooks 👨🏻‍🍳 Here’s the recipe: Chocolate Pots de Creme 9 ounces of premium semi sweet bakers chocolate (chips or chopped bars) - we like Ghirardelli 1 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 cups whole milk 6 egg yolks 5 Tbsp white sugar A couple pinches of sea salt Directions: Put chocolate in bottom of a blender, then combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk continuously on medium heat stove until steaming, then switch to a silicone spatula. Continue stirring until mixture is thick enough to lightly coat the spatula. You should also be able to smell a faint eggy/custard smell. Remove from stove and immediately pour into blender over the chocolate. Blend until everything is combined into a smooth mixture that looks like chocolate milk. Pour into custard or soufflé cup (around 6 ounces), leaving a quarter to half inch on top. Put in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set. Top with cold whipped cream just prior to serving. Hint: do not let the sauce pan get too hot when cooking the base or else it won’t turn out right. You want the temp just under boiling, around 190-200 degrees. I don’t use a thermometer, but you may find it helpful if you can’t gauge by looking.

How to Arrange Grocery Store Flowers 💐 Arranging bouquets is a skill I picked up during a summer job at a flower shop during high school. With a little bit of patience, it’s really easy to turn a wrapped bunch of flowers from the grocery store into a beautiful bouquet. Step 1: Select a mixed bunch of flowers that has a monochromatic color scheme with a good variety of flower sizes and shapes. Also, select either a bunch of greens or if your bouquet needs a pop of color, add colored focal flowers such as roses. Step 2: Fill your vase and a small plastic bowl with water. It’s important to cut your flower stems under water and at an angle to help them last longer. Step 3: Start cutting down the stems so that each flower is about 1.5 times the height of the vase. Another good rule of thumb with most vases is to put your elbow on the counter and make a fist. The flowers shouldn’t go much higher than your hand. Step 4: Start with your greens and filler flowers (such as daisies) to create a base. Then add your focal flowers (such as roses and lilies). Last, fill in the hole in the bouquet with leftover filler flowers, greens and focal flowers. Tip: Never cut your stems all the same length. If you think of your bouquet as having three heights (bottom= spill, middle= focal/fill top=thrill) your bouquet will look complete. If you try this at home, tag me and I’ll share! #momlifejugglediy #diymama #diyflowers #flowerarranging #diyflowerarrangement #flowerarrangements #diyreels #flowerreels #grocerystoreflowers #flowersofinstagram #howto #fridayflowers

Alphabet Hearts Jumping Activity We love practicing our alphabet, especially when there is jumping involved! This is a simple activity that is easy to modify for all ages! What you need: Foam hearts Sharpie or marker Write each letter of the alphabet on a heart. Once the hearts all have a letter, scatter them out over the floor. Call out a letter for your child to find. Once they locate the letter, have them jump on the heart. This activity is so easy to modify and use to practice other concepts. On the other side of the hearts, you can keep them blank and have your child practice jumping from one heart to the other. You can also write numbers, draw shapes or words. The best part of this activity is it gets them up and moving around while they are learning! #toddleractivities #valentinesactivities #valentinesinspo #heartshaped #finemotorplay #finemotoractivity #grossmotorplay #grossmotoractivity #learningthroughplay #openendedplay #simplyplay #childhoodunplugged #busytoddler #pinterestinspired #recycleandplay

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in taking care of everyone else that you leave taking care of yourself by the wayside. Motherhood is hectic and no matter what stage of motherhood you are in, there is always a long to-do list. In the past two years, I went from working in an office full-time to doing full-time sales at home, to taking a step back and focusing on really being present in motherhood.   The saying really is true that you can’t pour from an empty cup. No matter what you are juggling as a mom, never forget to take some time for yourself to recharge and take a deep breath. Here are five things I try to do every day that help me keep my sanity and feel accomplished at the end of the day. It’s amazing what a shift these simple things have made in my perspective and overall mood.  1. Take time to freshen up 2. Get moving   3. Drink hot coffee  4. Do something you love 5. Clean or organize something What do you do to help keep your sanity? I'm always looking for new ideas to add to my list, so drop your ideas in the comments below.