Such as Heaven Intended Book Series

If you're looking for a good book series to read, look no further.

The books in the Such as Heaven Intended series by Amanda Lauer are Christian historical romances taking place during the Civil War era, each focusing on different aspects that happened during that time.

A Life Such as Heaven Intended- Book Review

About the Book

Brigid, a young woman who finds herself having to make a life decision that she isn't sure she wants. Her father gives her two choices: get married or become a nun. During a time of war, she realizes that her choice in a husband is sparse so she has a difficult decision to make.

A World Such as Heaven Intended Book Review

About the Book

Amara is 17 when she is thrust into a world that that she did not want. A world where her very own country was cut in half to fight with each other for duty, honor, and the rights of their states.

Book Review for A Love Such as Heaven Intended

Josephine is a woman who is accustomed to a certain way of life, one fitting for a woman who has been raised in a most prominent family. She's used to getting whatever she wants so when her dreams of becoming a feminist and also a famous writer are turned down by her father, she schemes to come up with an idea that her father can't refuse.

50+ Women Share Their Pregnancy Symptoms- What They Didn't Tell You About Pregnancy

Pregnancy is such a miraculous thing to go through. Not only are you going to be carrying a baby in your womb for idealy 40 weeks, your body is going to do some pretty weird things to adjust to baby. Weird things that you knew you'd signed up for when you got pregnant and decided to continue with it and some weird things that took you by surprise.

Why I'm Making My Kids Practice Their Spelling Over Summer Break

Somehow, I have children who are old enough to read and write.

I don't know how that time came, but it's here and it's up to me and them to make sure that they practice so that they're current on what they need to know when school starts again.

This year, I found out it isn't in the school curriculum to teach the kids spelling or give them spelling tests.

More For Mom- A Book Review

As moms, I think we spend a lot of our time worried over whether or not we are doing this parenting thing right. I started this blog because at the time, my oldest was difficult to manage at home and at school and I worried that maybe it had something to do with me.

Being in a Moms group, helped me to see that God chose me to be my little one's mother and that many of the moms felt the same things that I did with my little one.

It's a question that resounds around the world and many books have been written to tell you how to be the best parent that you can be with tactics on how to raise your child. Some may be very inspirational and others, just pure doo doo.

So when I was given the opportunity to review a book that wasn't about parenting, but about giving ME more, I couldn't wait to read it.

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts

Can you believe that it's almost Father's Day?

My youngest celebrate's his birthday in June, and so Father's Day is always in the back of my mind because I'm usually busy planning something for my son's special day.

I really should remember to focus on both- especially if I'm going to try to write a Father's Day related post.

However, as a last minute person, would I really be myself if I didn't also write this post last minute?

ADHD-Succeeding is a Big Deal

My son got awarded at an honor awards ceremony, yesterday. It was very special and emotional for me.

You may be thinking, "So what? Big deal! Kids make honors all the time." You'd be right, kids do make it all the time, but for us, this was a BIG DEAL!

This is the first time that he has been honored for his school work. Last year, he was so far behind in school, but because he had behavior issues, probably because he couldn't read or write well and he was frustrated, we didn't know he was so far behind.

15 Things to Do With Your Kids This Summer

I've been a stay-at-home mom for five years now and one of the hardest things I've had to do is figure out things to do with my kids over the summer.

When they were younger, it was a little easier because we could just roam the backyard and they'd be fine.

Now that they're older, they want to rot their brains out with constant tablet time or watching tv. It can be so easy to let them do JUST that and there have been days when I allow it and then there are days when I'm bored or they're bored and things can get heated up and it's up to me to figure out different things to let my kids do because "Read a book" and "Do some chores" doesn't fill up their entertainment meter as long as we'd like for it to.

Using Silver Products to Help Mom Health

We're parents. We take care of all our little ones every day and our little ones can play and move and probably run a 5k with no problem because they are active.

Kids just have energy! So as moms and dads, our health is very important. If we are always sick or we are low on energy, parenting can sometimes be a chore. Lets face it, we don't get sick days off from being parents, either. It's very important for us to be healthy so we can raise our children to be the grownups we hope for them to be.

Soft Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I thought that I had eaten some great cookies, when I was growing up. My family would buy those soft bagged cookies from the store or purchase some cookie dough and we'd make it from that.

Honestly, I didn't know much about baking until I got married and so my cookies were always burnt or tasted funny.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I don't really like to eat buffalo wings unless they are boneless and an appetizer that I don't have to cook. Buffalo sauce never really appealed to me until I had kids. Maybe it was because I had craved spicy foods during my pregnancy with my first born: Spicy foods and chocolate milk. I also developed a craving for Diet Coke- which is weird because before I was pregnant, I only drank Diet Pepsi, and it was also torture because I didn't want to drink soda/pop while I was pregnant.

I had never really given buffalo chicken dip a try until someone brought some in for a potluck at work. Then it became a favorite of mine for every potluck and we really took advantage of having them every last Friday of the month because that was also our one dress down day.

After I left work to stay home with my kids, I actually missed eating buffalo chicken dip, so I found a recipe and tried it out. I was so happy I did because it was SOOO easy to make.

Related Post- The Start of Something New

Related Post- The Life of a Stay-At-Home Parent

Don't mind the scuffs in my table. We bought it when we only had ONE child.
Now we're waiting for them to grow up a little before we replace it. 

There are only five ingredients, which makes this so easy to make.

What you'll need:

2 cans of precooked chicken

3/4 cup of Buffalo Sauce- We like to use Frank's Red Hot Wings Buffalo Sauce

1 cup Ranch Dressing
2 Packages of cream cheese
2 cups cheddar cheese- We like to buy the bricks and shred them, but the kind that are shredded and bagged are fine, too.

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 400 degrees.
• Soften Cream cheese by leaving it out 30 minutes before you begin or remove wrapper and microwave it in a microwave safe bowl or plate. 
• In a mixing bowl, add chicken, cream cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and cup of cheese.
• Combine the mixture until mixture appears smooth. 
• Add mixture to an oven safe pie plate or dip plate/pan.

• Sprinkle remaining cheese over the mixture.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. 

• Wait until dip has cooled to a nice warm temperature before eating.

You can use whatever you like to use for dipping. 

We like to use tortilla chips and cucumbers. Others use chicken crackers and celery.

Conclusion

As you can see, it's very easy to make this recipe and what's even better, is that if you want to bring this to a potluck, you can just throw these all into a slow cooker and after being in it on low, you'll be able to mix it easily and just keep it on warm throughout the day. 

It's super easy and very convertible.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, today and don't forget to check out our recipe tab for more!

Related Post- Appetizers and Sweet Ideas for Potlucks or Game Day

What If I Were a Dad, Instead of a Mom?

This morning was another one of those really stressful mornings where it might not have been so bad if I had my crap put together.

My son forgot to do his Friday letter on Friday, so I had to make him work on it this morning. Without his ADHD medication, he's squirrely and has a hard time sitting down to focus on it. It doesn't matter that he'll have his recess taken away for the day if he doesn't turn it in. To him, it's future him's problem. To me, however, I know that no recess might cause other issues because he wasn't able to run out that energy that he needed to run out.

Dad, This is What Mom Really Wants for Mother's Day

This title seems pretty bold. I'll admit that I can't speak for all moms, but as a mom, myself, I have a pretty good idea what I'd like, plus, it helps that I also asked other mom's what they wanted and the answers were very similar.

Let's face it, Dads... Some of you are really great at helping the kids pick out something for mom. Really, you're awesome at it.

Others of you, might decide that mom wants a candle or another piece of beautiful jewelry, which, ok, who wouldn't accept something so beautiful, but there are some things that mom would enjoy possibly more than all of those and this is what other mom's said:

How to Deal With a Strong Willed Child.

Parents of strong willed children, I really sympathize with you. I, too, have a strong willed child and some days I just want to give up and throw in the towel and let him just run the house and then there are other days when I'm ready to spar with him until he gives in because we're both stubborn and want to be the one who wins.

Our battles can be over anything, really. We might argue over whether this font color is blue, green, or gray or argue over whether tomato is pronounced tuh-mate-o or toe-mah-toe and EVEN IF, we realize one of us is wrong, it will take a long time for us to admit it, if we do at all.

Messenger for Kids

You guys.... My kids are getting older.

My oldest just turned 9 and he's been getting phone calls from a friend from school. I probably should let him call that friend back, but well, he uses my cell phone and my battery is almost always at 20% battery life when we think about it, and it's MY phone. Sometimes, I just want to use it.

Back in the day, we had something called a landline. It was  a universal phone for everyone in the house and the base was plugged into the wall. If you had a cordless phone, sometimes you'd have to worry about that phone being charged too, but if it was returned to it's base, and it wasn't lost, it wasn't a problem.

How to Host a Stress Free Easter

Easter can be a very busy times for parents, especially the parent who puts things together for everyone. 

Mom's can be found in the kitchen cooking up a ham or some other type of special meal because we feel that if we don't, then the day won't be special enough for everyone else.

Let me tell you, doing extra things can be special, but don't get lost in the details because you're also forgetting what the day is really about and that's celebrating that Jesus rose from the grave to save us from our sins.

10 April Fools Jokes You Can Do to Your Kids Easily

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April Fools Day is here!

Because I like awkward things and being sarcastic and a trickster, I actually really enjoy this holiday. I remember for one year, I joked about being pregnant, but the joke was on me, I really was and just didn't know it yet.

Now that I'm older, I see that joke isn't really that funny anymore, so I've taken to doing some smaller, less infuriating and insulting jokes. Here's a list of my favorites.

Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee Wisconsin

It's towards the end of March and Illinois is finally trying to warm up. The snow is almost completely melted and if you look close enough, you might be able to find some flowers trying to break free of the frozen ground to make the gray and brown landscape beautiful and green again.

To celebrate the warming weather, we traveled to the Milwaukee County Zoo. My mother-in-law has a family pass that allows for grandchildren, children, and a couple of guests to visit pretty much whenever we want so long as it's within the year of its purchase. The pass even covers parking and that in itself can be expensive.

11 Different Things to Do For Easter Baskets, This Year

Easter is coming along with all of it's traditions! While we must never forget the reason why we celebrate Easter, it's still a fun time to do things with family and friends to celebrate.

My household likes to do many things to make the day memorable to all. We'll go to church, have an Easter egg hunt, give the kids their own Easter baskets, and then eat a big lunch or dinner.

ADHD and Reading- The "Aha!" Moment

Looking at the picture below, you'd think, "What a good brother! He's reading to his brother and sister." When I look at this picture, I see more than just that. I see a miracle. I see a blessing. I see answered prayers and opened doors.

Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough

One thing that I don't like to have on hand because of the mess is Play-Do. I shouldn't be so insistent about not having it around, because I really enjoyed playing with it as a child and I was allowed to play with it at Grandma's.... Hmmm.. I don't really recall playing with it at home, though. I guess that's because Grandma doesn't mind the mess.

Kids Bake For Good-How to Bake Bread

Over the weekend, my son got to do a really cool thing. He'd been excited about it for the whole week because he knew it was coming and he couldn't wait to do it.

So what was that thing? Well bake bread, of course!

"Huh?" I can hear you think. King Arthur Flour started a program called Bake for Good. It started in 1992 with middle school programs. The classes that participated would be assigned to bake bread to donate to the less fortunate. 

How To Train Your Dragon Mystery Toys

We just saw the new How To Train Your Dragon- The Hidden World, last week and I even wrote a review for it because I LOVED the movie... Perhaps even more than my kids, although, they loved it, too.

How To Train Your Dragon- The Hidden World Review

I have been looking forward to seeing the newest How To Train Your Dragon movie since I saw the first trailer. I love the first two installments and was so excited to know that a third was coming about.

Paint In A Bag- A Mess Free Activity For Your Child

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links and Ads which means that if you purchase from one of them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

My kids are messy when it comes to arts and crafts. When they were younger and even more clumsy, I used to rip a head and arm holes into garbage bags and throw them over my children's heads so they could wear them and the bags would act as aprons to keep their craft off of them. Then I would lay table clothes on the floor under them so that clean up was easy and efficient.

How to Make a Sensory Bottle

This may contain Amazon affiliate links and ads, which means that if you purchase something from them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I love sensory bottles. I love to shake them up watch as all the glitter and other objects swirl in them and head to the bottom.

When my oldest started having difficulty at school and then at home, I became particularly interested in them as a way to time time outs with hopes that they would be an easy and painless way to get my son to settle down and listen.

Valentine's Day Movie Picks

Valentine's day is almost here and for moms and dads, it's not always realistic that you'll get to do something with your love, if you have a love. However, even if you have no one to celebrate the day with or if you're too busy to go out and do something, or you have the kids at home with you, there is always something that you can do to make the day feel special.

Amazon Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links and ads which means that if you purchase from one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Valentine's Day is a special day for those who are in grade school and those who have someone to share it with.

I've never been a huge fan of Valentine's day because I either didn't have anyone to celebrate it with or because I didn't have very much money to spend on it.

Frozen Lake Michigan

I grew up in the northwestern most part of Illinois where we were had small towns and cornfields. Almost 4 1/2 years ago, my husband and I moved to the other side of Illinois where we have Lake Michigan to the East and Wisconsin to the north.

How to Make Paper Chains

I love to make paper chains! Ever since the first time that I made one in Kindergarten for our 100th day, I've liked to make them.

As an adult, I never really had a reason to make any, but as a mom, I use any excuse to do so.

In my house, we make paper chains as a way to count down to something. At Christmas time, we make a red and green chain to count down the days until Christmas. In the summer we make one to count the days until the kids go back to school. It's just an easy and fun craft to do with the kids.

Why We Chose To Medicate Our Son

When your child has ADHD, there are many forms of treatment or remedies that you can do to get them to calm down and focus.

I have friends who have their kids on a special diet, other friends who use essential oils, and others who chose to try everything else to combat the symptoms of ADHD.

 In my son's case, we chose to medicate him, first.

Loving Mom's Self Care Guide

This post contains affiliate links which means that should you purchase something, I may receive a small commission at not extra cost to you.

One thing that many of us talk about when we become parents is our kids. I'm absolutely guilty, after all, Figuring It Out 101 is a mom blog.

Our kids consume our whole lives and parenting has developed more rules because someone said that kids can't go outside without a parent or Child Protective Services would be called. Let's not forget that mom shaming is everywhere.

Why Our Son's ADHD Diagnosis Didn't Surprise Us

My beautiful baby boy was born just like any other baby. He was healthy and just the most beautiful baby you'd ever seen with a full head of hair like Elvis. He behaved like any other child and my husband and I were doing our best to raise him to be an awesome little individual.