life

First things first...
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Everyone looks at these beautiful pictures and ideals of perfectly curated homes and all the stay at home, cozy, homesteading vibes. How can you get that feel when you simply don’t have time?

Speaking of time,  you can skip to the recipe here.

Look, this isn’t a knock at SAHM’s. It’s a hard job. So is being a working mom and still having these healthy, always present expectations that we place upon ourselves because that is what society shows us.

Anyway, we jut had a great rainstorm last night and it’s October 1st as I write this, with my chicken stock simmering on my gas stovetop. I’ve got ALL the fall vibes up in here today. Also, I like to maximize my time because I’m a mom! I don’t have extra hours; I have to get things in where we can fit them in.

Here is my simple and time saving chicken stock recipe.

First to clarify, stock is made from bones and simmered for longer.

Ok, now that that’s out of the way, my first time saving step is this: skip roasting the chicken. Unless you’d already planned on meal prep or happen to roast a chicken last night for dinner, skip it. Go grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. I’m serious!

Next, take the meat off the bones. As much as you can muster or have the patience for. Use it for dinner the night before you make your stock, or make chicken salad for the week, or save it for chicken soup later (that’s what I’ll be doing today).

Then add all of the bones unto a large stock pot. I cant emphasize LARGE stockpot enough. You don’t need anything fancy. If you don’t already have one, try this one from amazon.

Next, add unpeeled carrots cut maybe in half. You just want them to fit. Add celery cut the same way, LEAVES INCLUDED. Seriously, it adds more flavor.

Add crushed garlic, an onion cut in quarters, and whatever fresh or dried spices you prefer. Fresh spices if you have them will add more flavor but this is about ease and saving time right? I used Italian seasoning in this last batch (basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and sage). I also added 2 bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic powder (yes even with the fresh garlic), add some salt. If you rather add salt to your dishes you make with the stock later you can add less salt or no salt. It depends on your preference and dietary needs.

Add water to cover everything and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 2 hours or more. The bones should get soft and turn rather gelatinous. When it’s done, strain the stock through a colander and into a container large enough to hold the liquid. I like the large pyrex measuring cups for this. 

Allow the stock to cool. Skim off any fat that comes to the top and discard. Then use as needed.

You can store this in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. If I have extra, I put a cup or 2 into zip lock bags, and lay them flat in my freezer to freeze. I do this especially with turkey stock after thanksgiving and then I’m good to go with soup stocks to use all winter long!

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 3 hours

- Chicken bones from rotisserie chicken or roasted chicken

- A few stalks of celery (5 or so will do, with leaves)

-4-5 carrots, unpeeled, halved

-1 onion, quartered

-2 bay leaves

-1Tbsp whole peppercorns

- Salt (how much is entirely up to you)

-Fresh garlic (I used 4 cloves)

-Fresh or dried spices. I prefer garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, and sage. But use what you like!

- Add chicken bones to large stock pot

- Add Fresh veggies to stock pot

-Cover with water

-Add fresh and/or dried spices to stock pot

-Bring to a boil

-Reduce to a simmer and cover loosely with lid

-Simmer for at least 2 hours or until bones are gelatinous and stock is a golden yellow color

-Strain off bones and veggies while keeping the stock

-Allow to cool and remove fat from the top with a spoon

-Use in soup immediately or store for future use 4-5 days in refrigerator or freeze

I hope you stay warm and cozy this fall and winter and I hope this recipe helps save you some time while also giving you all the cozy homemade warmth you're craving!

Especially in 2020, this is a very loaded question, as a lot has changed for so many of us. It has definitely been a year that has required everyone to pivot, to recognize what is truly important, and it has brought out the best in some, and the worst in others.

The people that have had to adjust the most, are the ones that are thankfully the most resilient – the kids. I honestly think we will never be the same again, and I’m honestly not mad about that. Not at all, actually. I’m kind of glad that our perspectives have shifted.

At the beginning of all of this I certainly wasn’t feeling that way. I still have moments of stress, but I honestly wasn’t sure how we’d get through virtual learning while we adults worked form home side by side. But we did. We freaking did!

It wasn’t always pretty, either.

I’ve had to learn how to survive without seeing my siblings and parents besides the zoom or FaceTime call. I have a nephew who is growing like a weed and I feel like I’m missing it all.

Doors have been shut, and new ones have opened. Why? Because I was AWAKE. I was so awake this year. Awake to all that was around me. Awake to the people around me. Awake in a world that could easily make me cold and angry, and at times, it did.

Overall, 2020 has been a year of personal growth and transformation. Not only for myself but for our family. Kevin and I got engaged and started making plans for our future despite so many cancelled plans in 2020.

Our family of 5 has continued to learn how to live along side each other. We had a conversation just last night on what we had expected blending our families to be like. We both had totally opposite expectations – he, taking on the ever-optimistic role, and me the “worst case scenario” role. We were both wrong. I guess that is how all of life is, isn’t it? It’s never what we expect, but always what we need in order to help us grow, if we look for that opportunity.

I can’t help but think that somehow the five of us being together in our 1200 sq. ft. home helped us face some of those battles head on – or at least forced us to.

I could look at what we gave up in 2020, but what we gained is so much more. I look to 2021 for continued transformation in a heart of service to others. And while I have some huge goals for 2021, I know the biggest work to be done will be within the walls of my own home and in the hearts of those within it.

If you’re already feeling burnt out, jump in my free group “Exhausted to Energized Moms” and get back to feeling like you again. Come join us. If you need an accountability partner, or a community of support along this crazy motherhood journey, and you’ve been feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and just not yourself, then this is the right place for you.

We all know movement is good for our bodies. It helps our circulation, regular exercise can increase our immunity, and it’s good for our minds too! It’s an opportunity to recharge. To relax. So often though, fitting exercise or striving for hitting those step goals can add stress into our already busy lives. When the heck can I find time for one more thing?

Sure, you could wake up earlier, or stay up later, but what are some practical ways to start out when you really are already stretched for time?

Overall, give yourself a ton of grace. Nothing and nobody is ever perfect. But if getting to moving is something you need to be doing, then just START. Start somewhere. Start slow so you don’t burn yourself out. Which, if you’re already feeling burnt out, jump in my free group “Exhausted to Energized Moms” and get back to feeling like you again. Come join us. If you need an accountability partner, or a community of support along this crazy motherhood journey, and you’ve been feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and just not yourself, then this is the right place for you.

Ok, so whether you’ve been here for a while or you’re just reading for the first time, there are a couple things you should know. 1. I’m a mom and stepmom. 2. I hate fluff and bullshit. 3. I love to save a penny (see #1).

Another thing about me is I love using plant based, natural products in my home. One of those products is my laundry detergent. I mean, think about it – our skin is our largest organ. Within seconds of a chemical being placed on our skin it is absorbed into our bloodstream.

That being said, it makes perfect sense to start with your laundry detergent and household cleaners if you’re ready to move toward better products for our health. My laundry detergent of choice, is the Thieves line offered by Young Living. At over $30 a bottle this can make you want to put on the breaks and crawl back to the stuff filled with synthetic fragrance (which give me such a headache). Stop. Right. There.

Grab my hack below on how you can stretch your laundry detergent to stretch your budget. Like many other detergents on the market, the Thieves laundry detergent is highly concentrated. So, I split mine into thirds in order to stretch it further, without sacrifice the cleaning power.

Rather watch a video? You can see how super simple this money saving hack on my YouTube channel here.

That’s it! Use about 2 pumps per full size load of laundry. I tend to not pay attention and probably add 3-4, but that’s not necessary. You should gently mix the detergent before use since the different parts will separate some over time.

This gives my family of five, about nine months of detergent, doing about one load every day. If you need to grab some of the products listed above and you don’t have an account or don’t already have someone to help you, shoot me a message below and I’d be happy to help!

First off, as a mom, you know that true downtime is sacred and few and far between. However, when I do find that quiet time amongst the day to day chaos there are a few things I fit in. One of my favorites? Reading.

Ever since I can remember I have loved to read. When I was a little girl, my mom would tell me to do in and clean my room. I’d always start with my bookshelf. It would start with me organizing the things on the top, picking up anything that had fallen off, putting back books that had found their way to other areas of my room. However eventually I’d find one I missed. One I hadn’t read or hadn’t read in a while. I’d open it up, amongst my still messy room and start reading. I’d get completely lost in the book. Sometimes my legs, folded under me, would fall asleep and I wouldn’t even notice. Eventually, my mom would sense the quietness. Like most parents, this would spark worry. Worry that I was doing something I shouldn’t be. Too much quiet in a house with kids is rarely a good sign, right? She’d find me reading, in the middle of my still messy room. Sometimes I’d even be asleep. Almost every night before bed I would read. Sometimes I’d use a book light. Most of the time however, I would strain my eyes until I could no longer see the words on the page.

This continued for a long time. Once I graduated college I did a lot less reading. It felt like I didn’t have the time. However, I picked it back up once amazon prime came into my life. I’d use all my points on my amazon card for books. Books about running (another love of mine), books with insane plot twists, and page turning thrillers. I wanted all of it. I’ve always loved a good story. Especially a personal one.
It’s still true today. Eventually I found myself really yearning for the little things in life that had brought me so much joy in the past. Running, reading, hiking, being outside, working out. I made a list of these things and started very intentionally incorporating them into my routine. My every day.

The books I started reading became more about self-development and self-improvement. As I became a mom, and I had someone to worry about other than myself because they depended on me for everything, it became so important to me to set boundaries for her, for myself so that I could show up for her, and for my family. As I took time for myself, I became a version of myself that I actually enjoyed. One that was strong enough to be the mother my daughter needed.

Reading a book may not be your thing. However, I encourage you to find that thing. YOUR thing, and to do more of it. If you’re a mom, and you love to read like I do, you can get my mama mindset reading guide here.

If you want even more mama content, be sure you get in my free group! You can do that here.

Contact me below, and never miss a bit of inspiration!