The Not-So-Perfect Everything

You know you haven't looked at your blog in awhile when it takes you three tries to log in. Sigh. I blamed a large part of me not blogging on having a failing home computer for the last year. It was on its last leg. But now we have a shiny new iMac (our fun Christmas present for the family). So now what do I blame it on? How about intimidation? The blog world is a little overwhelming, you know? There are some really good blogs out there that I love to read when I have the chance. I don't even pretend to be in the same league as them. I don't have deep, analytical views of the Christian world. I don't have the magic touch for cooking amazing meals in the kitchen. I don't have a ton of time to make homemade crafts that I dream up on my own. I don't have a ton of followers. And I definitely don't have the time to write a fun, cutesy, full of pictures post every single day. How do moms do that with a gaggle of kids around them?!?
But, I am me. My life is not-so-perfect, but I'm guessing there are a few people out there who can relate to that. So, I have pledged to myself this year to write not-so-perfect posts on my not-so-perfect blog. It's only March 2nd so I'm not too far behind in that whole New Years resolution thing. Anywhoo...here's a few random thoughts.
Feeling a bit Pinteresty (is that a word?) this week...I made pancake bites on our "breakfast for dinner" night. Looked like a totally fun idea on Pinterest. Make your pancake mix, pour it into a muffin tin (sprayed), and add fun things to each one: chocolate chips, blueberries, bacon, sausage, etc. Bake it in the oven @ 350 for 12-14 minutes. Cute, yummy, pancake muffins. No standing over a griddle for a long period of time. I thought it was brillant. I just added the chocolate chips to my mix before putting them in the muffin tin. My kids loved them, but it didn't quite have the WOW factor with them. I'm definitely making them again though.
I also made oven-baked tacos tonight. Like most families with little ones, taco night is an easy go-to meal over here. But I saw on Pinterest the idea of loading the tacos with the meat and cheese and standing them up in a pan (like a 9x13) and baking @ 350 for 10-12 minutes. Again, brilliant! Well, the tacos were a little soggy..didn't quite have the crispy taste that you expect. But overall, it was pretty good.


I also want to share my big find within the last couple of months. It's big...as in I'm-a-mom big. We have hardwoods floors throughout our whole house, minus the tile in the upstairs bathrooms and laundry room. As a busy mom with very messy kids, I felt like I was going through Swiffer WetJet supplies like crazy. And that stuff ain't cheap! Plus, I couldn't help but think I was spraying chemicals on the same floor that my kids would eat food off of (when I wasn't looking). Then my friend at work told me she switched to a new wet mop that worked a lot like the Swiffer, but better. Drumroll, please. May I introduce you to my new friend, the Rubbermaid Reveal Mop.

It's awesome. Pure and simple. Has a microfiber mop that you can throw in the wash and use many times over. And the canister is great...fill it up with water and a little bit of plain vinegar (there are lines on there to show you). Then you just spray and mop-just like the Swiffer! I love it! No chemicals and no extra costs in buying solutions and pads. It cleans my floor really well (other than the caked on mystery food that I always manage to find...Swiffer didn't clean that for me anyway). The only place I found it was at Walmart. Target needs to get on board with this baby. I also found it at Shoprite (for any locals reading this). So, there you go. You can thank me later. :)