Tuesday Topics: 10 Things That Make Me Happy

May 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

10 Things That Make Me Happy on Structure in an Unstructured LifeJoining a new round of Tuesday Topics! Today’s topic is 10 Things That Make You Happy. This was a fun one to write!

1. Sleep. I am exponentially more happy when I am well rested. A good night’s sleep will calm my temper and brighten my attitude. Even a weekend nap with a little sleepyhead will bring out a much more pleasant person. Somehow, when I am fully charged the world just seems more manageable and less cumbersome.

2. Clean and organized spaces. I am a bit of a neat freak. Having children has tested my limits in this area. I’ve heard a million times to let the mess go and just enjoy the kids – they’re only young once. And while I know this, the mess still bothers me. A tidy, picked up, spotless environment makes me feel happier. So while these areas are becoming fewer and farther between with my messy boys, I feel even more joy when I have a freshly vacuumed vehicle or a neatly arranged desk.

3. A great outfit. I am by no means a fashionista. I know some of the big name labels, and love some of them, but I don’t own very many of them. But I do love when I can put together a perfect-for-me outfit. I like to have a few pieces that are current and trendy, and I have others that are timeless and classic. I hardly ever just throw something on; I usually look at how each article fits with the rest. I don’t know if this is vanity or not, but I know I feel happier when I look put together.

4. A well cooked meal. I used to love to go out to eat, and I still do occasionally, but I have come to love preparing a great meal even more. As my interest in cooking classic, healthy, homemade meals for my family has increased, I have come to love the smells, tastes, and textures involved in cooking. I have become more confident in my abilities to estimate measurements and am learning to trust my instinct when it comes to ingredients and amounts. Lately I love reading a few recipes for a classic dish and then just having at it in my kitchen. And when it turns out to be a hit with my favorite eaters at home – pure happiness.

5. Reading. Whether it is reading myself, reading to my boys, or listening to my Roo as he becomes a better reader each day, I love anything to do with the written word. I miss the days when I could spend a whole winter weekend laying on the couch reading a book or two. Today I struggle to find the time to read as much as I would like, especially because as I age my interests grow more. I find myself trying to balance the fiction, the informational, the advice, and the odd other genre that creeps into my reading list. But I know finding a few moments every day to escape into a book makes me a happier person.

6. Blog comments. No, this is not a shameless plea for comments on here. (Although I certainly wouldn’t mind if you left one!) I do love reading people’s comments on my blog posts. I love having the opportunity to connect with other people through my words, my blog, and social media is such a unique experience. Knowing I had enough of an impact on someone to encourage them to tell me about their thoughts or experiences makes me incredibly happy.

7. Writing. Writing is one of the most complicated ways I find happiness. Sometimes when life is the hardest, it is the most difficult to find the words. But once I find them, I feel better for having written them. Events often don’t feel real until I write about them in some way. Even if it just a text to my husband, or an email to a friend, or status update on Facebook, somehow putting life into words on a page or a screen solidifies it and makes it real. Cementing my experiences in to my written life always seems to bring me a peace and a contentment that I couldn’t be happy without.

8. Time with my family. My love language is Quality Time. So time spent with the people I love the most, is what makes me the happiest. A weekend at home with my hubby and my boys is my idea of perfect. I am a little possessive of my weekends and my evenings because spending time with my husband and my kids makes me happy. And when I have to give that up for events and sports and the inevitable rigors of life, I get a little crabby.

9. Date night. I love date nights with my husband. Even if it is just a night at home with a bottle of wine and shows on NetFlix, somehow declaring it a date makes it seem more romantic and fun. Even after over a decade, I still love to hang out with him. I love to walk into a restaurant with him. I love to hold hands with him as we walk along the pier in our town. And while I struggle giving up family time, I never regret it when it is for time alone with my husband. He makes me happy.

10. An I Love You from my boys. The sound of those little voices saying “I love you Mama” makes me happier than anything else. This sweet declaration means different things to me when being uttered by each of my boys. Roo is more reserved with his feelings and is reaching an age where spontaneous affection is becoming more and more rare. So an “I love you Mama” from Roo is truly special because he must be feeling it strongly to say it out of the blue. Monkey tells me this all the time. And even though it is frequent, every time he says ”I love you Mama” it is so genuine and sincere that I know it is coming straight from that kind heart of his. Those words don’t just make me smile, they make my heart happy.

What makes you happy?? 

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Muffin Tin Monday: Nursery Rhymes

May 20, 2013 by 2 Comments

This week’s theme over at Another Lunch was Nursery Rhymes. Here’s my mom confession – I haven’t read my kids a lot of nursery rhymes. I read to my kids a ton, I’ve just never been that into nursery rhymes. Honestly, I think a lot of them are kind of archaic and many of them are a little weird, and a few of them are slightly disturbing. I mean, Ring Around the Rosie is about tuberculosis folks. So I did have to look up a list of nursery rhymes and I had to read them to my kids as we sat down with our muffin tin.

Here’s what we had this week:

Nursery Rhymes Muffin Tin Meal on Structure in an Unstructured Life

Nursery Rhymes Muffin Tin

In this Muffin Tin: Humpty Dumpty (hard boiled egg); Mary Had a Little Lamb (popcorn – a bit of a stretch but it kind of looks like sheep’s wool!); Jack & Jill (a “pail” of water); Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (apple slices with star cut outs); Little Miss Muffit (spiders made out of crackers, peanut butter, pretzels, and mini chocolate chips); Hot Cross Buns (cinnamon roll).

The boys really ate just about everything in this one. I’m embarrassed to admit the one thing they didn’t eat was the hard boiled egg, but it was because I was trying to do too much at one time and didn’t cook the eggs long enough. So we scrapped the eggs and they had leftover pork chop instead! At least I got a picture of the cute eggs, huh? :)

The boys often sit on stools in the kitchen while I am making their muffin tins and try to guess at the theme or what each item is supposed to be. This is part of the fun for me. And who wouldn’t want to keep making these meals for a face this cute?

Monkey

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What We’re Eating This Week: May 20

May 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Homemade Mac & Cheese from Structure in an Unstructured Life

Homemade Mac & Cheese

For only cooking a couple “real” meals last week, we ate pretty darn good! I made both my homemade Mac & Cheese and a Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, which my family loved both. Those made for two complete dinners and a leftover buffet dinner. Then I added in a new recipe for Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole to go with our pork chops, and we ate pretty darn well! :)

Sharing my recipe for my homemade Mac & Cheese this week, and will share my recipe for my Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole next week! Enjoy!

Homemade Mac & Cheese

8 oz elbow macaroni, cooked

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

3 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use sharp or extra sharp)

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the dry ingredients (flour, salt, pepper, mustard). Slowly add the milk, whisking well. Heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add in the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted. Stir in the cooked macaroni. Pour the entire mixture into a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Mix the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

This recipe freezes extremely well, so I usually make at least a triple batch of it. Simply freeze in gallon freezer bags before baking. Then thaw out, pour in the casserole dish, and bake. I usually serve with some smoked sausage and a veggie or salad.

On to my menu! Last week of softball for The Coach! And only one baseball game. but I will be busy getting ready for and holding a yard sale Friday. Looking forward to the long weekend at the end of the week! I’ll be linking up on I’m an Organizing Junkie if you’re looking for more meal planning ideas! Or check out and follow my Yummy board on Pinterest! Interested in meal planning? Check out my post on meal planning. Here’s what we’re eating this week:

Breakfasts (we don’t plan for each day – see here for why – but these are our choices along with a fruit)

  • Cereal
  • Granola bars and yogurt
  • Pancakes
  • Cream of Wheat or oatmeal
  • Toast or English Muffins

Lunches

  • Roo: Monday – Lunchable; Tuesday – Sandwich; Wednesday – School lunch; Thursday – Lunchable; Friday – School lunch
  • Monkey: Monday – Lunchable; Tuesday – Sandwich; Wednesday – Mac & Cheese; Thursday – Lunchable; Friday – SpaghettiO’s
  • Me: Monday – Sandwich; Tuesday – Sandwich; Wednesday – Leftovers; Thursday – Leftovers; Friday – ?Yard sale day – whatever I can fit in!

Dinners

  • Monday – Pork loin, Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole, asparagus
  • Tuesday – Homemade pizza, salad
  • Wednesday – Stuffed Chicken, potatoes, asparagus
  • Thursday – Hot Dogs, chips, fruit
  • Friday  – Take out (yard sale day!)
  • Saturday – Steak, mushrooms, roasted potatoes, asparagus (my very favorite dinner!)
  • Sunday – Leaving open for spontaneous long weekend plans! :)

What are you eating this week? Leave a comment and feel free to link back to your blog if you have your plan posted!

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My Every Day Real Motherhood

May 16, 2013 by 6 Comments
every day real motherhood

My Every Day Real Motherhood
photo credit: Alain Bachellier via photopin cc

This past weekend, I read a lot of blog posts about Mother’s Day. I read tributes to mothers, and how these special women made the writers into the moms they are today. I read about how motherhood was a calling and how wonderful the experience is. I read about how much bloggers love to be moms. And I sat staring at a blank Word doc because I couldn’t think of a word to write about motherhood on Mother’s Day.

I didn’t have a good relationship with my mom growing up, and I have an even worse one with her now. I was the third of three kids and very unplanned. I didn’t have the mom wearing the button with my picture on it at high school events. I was pretty much allowed to do whatever I wanted, with rules but no real consequences if I broke them. The lack of parenting that was coveted by some kids, just served as a reminder of my parents’ lack of interest in parenting me.

Today, after spending more hours than I can count in hospital rooms, rehab sessions, nursing homes, and courtrooms; spending more money than my family had to give; and shedding more tears than I thought one person could, my mom tells people her daughters don’t do anything for her. She never calls me and I can’t remember the last time she said “I love you.” This is hardly a relationship I want to write a tribute to.

My own journey of motherhood is nothing like I had expected. I don’t treasure every moment and parts of it are completely unnatural to me. At times, I resent losing my own space, and time, and quiet. I am not always patient when I should be and have unrealistic expectations of my children. There are days when motherhood feels more like a burden to me than a calling.

Of course I have the moments and the feelings poetically described in Mother’s Day posts. I look at my kids sometimes and am awed, and inspired, and humbled. I love them in a way I never knew existed until I looked into their eyes. Just as they find comfort in my arms from nightmares and bruises, I hold them and find refuge from anxiety and the exhausting ache in my soul. When I lose my way, I find it again in them.

My story of motherhood is not all pleasant and peaceful. It is wrought with heartache, and resentment, and selfishness, all mixed in and jumbled up with joy, and grace, and pride, and love. Most of the time, motherhood is a heaped up mess that some days ends in tears, and some days ends in smiles.

I couldn’t bring myself to write a sappy tribute to motherhood – either as a daughter or as a mom. That isn’t my every day real. I wondered if there were other moms out there reading the beautiful words on the internet and wanting to spit on them out of jealousy and anger and sadness. I wanted to write something for those moms, whose every day real is not at all like the words they read last weekend.

Try not to be discouraged by the beautiful picture of motherhood that doesn’t look like the one you were handed. Some of my favorite Monet paintings are not the ones with the clear strokes that make the boats and landscapes and lilies look perfect and real. My favorites are the ones painted later in his life, when his sight was almost gone. The ones where the swirls and blends of colors look breathtaking and messy all at once. Because that is my motherhood; my every day real.

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Tuesday Topics: 1 Reason You Started Blogging

May 15, 2013 by 4 Comments
The Austin Family Diary

Joining Tuesday Topics a day late! Down to our final topic for this round – 1 reason why you started blogging. Short and sweet today!

I heard the saying “Whatever you are doing when you are procrastinating, is probably what you should be doing.” Well, when I was procrastinating, I would read blogs, and imagine what I would write if I had my own blog. Once I started blogging, I realized I had been writing blog posts in my head for awhile. It felt so much more rewarding to actually put them out there!

My mission for Structure in a Unstructured Life is to provide ideas for busy moms, information and tools for educated moms, inspiration for overwhelmed moms, and comfort for all moms.

For all my blogging friends, why did YOU start blogging?

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Muffin Tin Monday: In the Garden

May 13, 2013 by 4 Comments

We had a busy Saturday with a soccer game and pictures for Roo and The Coach off at a softball tournament for most of the day. However, Roo had a friend over after soccer, which actually made it much easier for me to make a muffin tin lunch while they all played outside. And the boys were excited to get to tell their buddy about muffin tins.

The theme over at Another Lunch this week is “In the Garden.” I am not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have a brown thumb. And since I have two boys, we’re really not into flowers at our house either. But dirt and bugs – we got that covered! So my lunch is more bug and dirt themed than sweet and flowery!

Here’s this week’s muffin tin:

In the Garden Muffin Tin via Structure in an Unstructured Life

In the Garden Muffin Tin via Structure in an Unstructured Life

 

In this muffin tin: Flower shaped PB&J sandwich; Butterfly shaped watermelon; juice box; “Dirt” – I didn’t get a chance to make the actual dirt dessert, so mine is just Cool Whip with crushed Oreos on top; Ladybug apple – with mini chocolate chips for the spots; and cucumber slices (I didn’t really have a tie in for these, but Roo’s buddy said they could be a caterpillar! Works for me!)

The boys loved most of this. Roo’s friend ate everything. My boys ate everything but the cucumber.

To see more fun garden themed lunches, head over to Another Lunch!

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What We’re Eating This Week: May 13

May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole vie Structure in an Unstructured Life

Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole vie Structure in an Unstructured Life

We love breakfast for dinner at our house. I think I’ve mentioned that before. But I do try to mix it up and not always do the same thing. So last week, I decided to try a new breakfast casserole recipe. Oh. My. Goodness. We loved it!

I got the original recipe from this pin on Pinterest. Then I changed it up a little. Here’s my version:

Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole

12 oz package of bacon – cooked and crumbled (you can use any cooked breakfast meat – sausage, ham, bacon, etc.)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or any shredded cheese)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup milk

8 eggs

2 lb bag of frozen tater tots

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook and crumble the bacon. Spread on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Spread the cheese over the bacon. Spread the mushrooms and bell pepper over the cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, and salt & pepper. Pour into the bacon dish, over all the ingredients already layered in it. Add the frozen tater tots on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

This was so delicious and made enough for dinner for the four of us and we had about half of it leftover. The Coach and I talked about how we could really mix up what we used in as far as meat and veggies. We talked about doing ham with spinach and feta cheese in it. Or sausage with mushrooms and onion. Or ham with broccoli. The possibilities are endless!

On to my menu! We’re in the countdown to the end of The Coach’s softball season, but a busy two weeks of it left. Roo has baseball games a couple days a week, plus sign ups for activities next year and school events. Really just cooking a few actual meals this week and then eating leftovers and throw together suppers the rest of the week! I’ll be linking up on I’m an Organizing Junkie if you’re looking for more meal planning ideas! Or check out and follow my Yummy board on Pinterest! Interested in meal planning? Check out my post on meal planning. Here’s what we’re eating this week:

Breakfasts (we don’t plan for each day – see here for why – but these are our choices along with a fruit)

  • Cereal
  • Granola bars and yogurt
  • Pancakes
  • Cream of Wheat or oatmeal
  • Toast or English Muffins

Lunches

  • Roo: Monday – School lunch; Tuesday – Lunchable; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – School lunch
  • Monkey: Monday – Lunchable; Tuesday – Lunchable; Wednesday – Sandwich; Thursday – Mac & Cheese; Friday – Sandwich
  • Me: Monday – Leftover tacos; Tuesday – Sandwich; Wednesday – Sandwich; Thursday – Leftovers?; Friday – Leftovers

Dinners

  • Monday – Homemade Mac & Cheese, chicken sausage, peas
  • Tuesday – Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, carrots
  • Wednesday – Leftovers from Monday and Tuesday
  • Thursday – Hot Dogs, chips, fruit
  • Friday  – Pizza
  • Saturday – Pork chops, Broccoli Cheese casserole
  • Sunday – Birthday party from 2 -4 pm, so probably just leftovers or snacks for dinner!

What are you eating this week? Leave a comment and feel free to link back to your blog if you have your plan posted!

 

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What I Love About Being A Mom

May 8, 2013 by 6 Comments
What I Love About Being a Mom from Structure in an Unstructured Life

What I Love About Being a Mom from Structure in an Unstructured Life

With Mother’s Day coming up, and all the grab-your-Kleenex commercials on TV, the sidebar ads for flowers and jewelry and spas, and the general hoopla in the stores with balloons and cards and cupcakes, it has been hard to not think about motherhood.

In the day-to-day of it all, it’s hard to remember how great this experience really is. I mean, who thinks about how wonderful life is when you’re cleaning up spilled milk, again, and wiping butts, again. But there are some daily moments that remind me of how much I love this job of being a mom.

Snuggles. I love to snuggle my kids. The smell of a baby, and a toddler, and a little boy, while all different, are all intoxicating to me. I could just breath in that mix of soap and dirt and them for hours. No matter what age they are, they somehow always seem to fit perfectly into me, whether it is the crook of my arm, or the curve of my side, or the slope of my shoulder; they just fit. Those moments of snuggling remind of how much they need their mama, of how vulnerable they are and innocent. These touches remind me also of my own needs – to love them, to protect them, to fill them with enough good to last them a lifetime.

Stories. I love to read my boys stories. I’m blessed to have two boys who love to hear them. Whose eyes sparkle when I pull a new book out. Who reach for favorites over and over and say the lines with me. Bedtime stories are sometimes the very best part of my day, as I lay in a pile of blankets and kids and books and get lost in worlds of silly classrooms and talking animals and magic. I also love to hear the stories my kids tell. The factual ones about their day, and the fantasy ones they create in their mind, and the ones they tell to make sense of and explain the world.

Seeing the best of me in them. There are plenty times I groan that my children have inherited my less than desirable traits and characteristics. But the moments when I see something in them that I love in myself, it is pure joy that I get to share that with them. Right now, Roo has this notebook he carries around with him and writes little notes and draws little pictures. I always have notebooks and pads of paper around and am writing ideas and lists and notes. It is a silly quirk that makes me, me. And now it makes him, him. And it bonds us.

The lessons my babies teach me. My boys teach me things every day. Sometimes I willingly learn and sometimes I grudgingly do, but either way, the lessons are there. They teach me to slow down, because sometimes I have no other choice but to do that with them. And the moments when I do, I usually find some little treasure they share with me about what they think or how they feel or the things they experience. They teach me to be brave, because being six and being three requires more bravery than I think I have, at times. They teach me to see the beauty in myself, because they see it so easily. And in those trying moments that I wish were not happening, they often teach me that sleep and food tend to fix a lot of situations!

What do you love about being a mom?     

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Tuesday Topics: 2 Must Do Bucket List Items

May 7, 2013 by 4 Comments
The Austin Family Diary

Today’s Tuesday Topics is 2 Must Do Bucket List Items. All of you that know how much of a list maker I am, will probably be shocked to know I do not have a bucket list. I have enough trouble getting a handle on my lists of what needs to be done now, that making lists for “someday” seems a little overwhelming. Heck, surviving the now seems a little overwhelming at times!

So at first I had trouble thinking of what my two items would be. I decided to focus on a couple places I would love to visit before I kick the bucket. One is a return visit with The Coach, and the other is a new locale.

Ireland. I mentioned before I am an Irish girl. I am first generation American on one side of my family, and second on the other. So when I say I am Irish, I mean I am not very far removed from the isle of green! My mom was born and raised in Ireland and came to America in her twenties. She wasn’t intending to stay forever, but she met my dad and that’s how the love story goes. My dad’s mom was also born in Ireland. The last little bit of my heritage is Scottish. I visited my family in Ireland the summer I turned 9 years old. I would love to go back and take The Coach with me. It is such a beautiful country and truly, the rolling green fields with stone walls are something everyone should see at least once in life!

Italy. I would love to travel to Italy some day. The history and art to be found there cannot be rivaled by any other country. While I am not Catholic, I would still love to see the Vatican from a historical perspective. I would also love to be immersed in the authentic Italian food and culture, even if it is just for a brief visit. I’ve tried to convince The Coach that they have American football leagues over in Italy and he could go coach there for a couple years, but so far he’s not buying into that dream! So I guess I may have to settle for a vacation there someday! :)

What’s on your bucket list?

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Muffin Tin Monday: A Little Looney

May 6, 2013 by 8 Comments

So the theme for the week over at Another Lunch is Classic TV and Cartoons. Seemed easy enough for me to think of what my boys would love for this theme – Looney Tunes. However, thinking of how to make a Looney Tunes lunch proved to be a little more difficult! I kept trying to think of how I could make a whole lunch in the shape of or decorated as the Looney Tunes characters. I’m pretty sure this is impossible! So I had to go with plan B…

Looney Tunes Muffin Tin Meal via Structure in an Unstructured Life

Looney Tunes Muffin Tin Meal via Structure in an Unstructured Life

In this muffin tin: Bugs Bunny Sandwich (with cheese teeth), Daffy Duck Bills (Pringles), Roadrunner Raspberries, Coyote Carrots, Porky Pig Punch (juice), and Marvin the Martian Marshmallows.

The boys loved it! They especially thought the Daffy Duck Bills were funny! Both guys ate almost everything – Roo ate it all and Monkey ate everything but his raspberries (which he tried and said no thank you, so Roo ate them!). Despite a lack of cute shapes or decorated food (except the sandwich), the boys still thought it was great! :)

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