Breathing...

I just stopped amidst an extremely hectic day to down a cup of coffee, get myself a cup filled to the brim with iced water, and sit down as fast as possible. Finally, one possible minute of quiet while the older kids are napping and the 3rd baby is playing quietly in her bed. Today has been one of those "how do all the mothers out there do it?" kind of days. I'm exhausted, which is no different from any other day, but this time, I feel ready to collapse into a pile on the floor.

It's frustrating when you have endless piles of laundry to wash, fold and put away and dishes that never seem to stop coming on, and these are just minimal household duties that seem to take an entire day to take care of...or in the case of this entire week, a day goes by and they are still not completed. It's at this point that I stop myself and ask, am I doing my best today? If the answer is yes, I take it and accept it. If my answer is no, I try to solve the problem by stepping up my game, stop being distracted by other things, and try again.

If I stop to think in these crazy, hectic moments, as I scoop myself a bowl full of ice cream topped with M&M's, pecans and whipped cream (because finally, all 3 babies are asleep for their naps!) I realize that it's a moment like this in which I need God the most. It's these in-the-trenches moments that are sent to Mamas like myself to remind us that we need God to be a part of absolutely every task we set out to complete. If I just breathe through the Jesus Prayer a few times, everything feels better and I am reminded that it will be ok, and that i'm not a superhuman (nor should I try to be one). For sure, I'm not the first and certainly not the last mama out there who is struggling to just get through her daily routine with her little ones.

Most importantly, I find it hard not to complain on days like today. "It's too hard." "I miss college days." "When will I ever get a break?" I say things like this over and over again...and I really feel guilty each time because yes, it's hard, but it could always be harder. My babies are healthy and so am I, and if it's not hard, I'll never really feel a reward in life.

Speaking of rewards...my husband loves to remind me that patience pays off and brings unexpected gifts. Well, just a few minutes ago, he texted me that one of his meetings today got cancelled, so he'll be able to come home and spend some time helping me in my difficult day. :) YAY!

Planning Summer Mealtimes...

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous for the last week or so! It's hard to not spend all day outside...I love to be outside because I feel more relaxed as a Mama when I'm sitting in the fresh air sipping something yummy, and the kids seem to always behave better outside, too. Of course though, being outside means I get nothing done in the house during that time. 

I always feel more motivated to get things done in the late spring/early summer...this week, my husband and I have been trying to do different types of organizing...putting away clothes that are too warm for this time of year (that's my project, of course), bringing out summer necessities and making sure the kids have everything they need (which they do thanks to my stocking up on clearance items all winter long). 

Anyway, one of the things I've been really unsettled about lately has been meal planning. I love to meal plan and find it so much easier to get through the day when I know exactly what I am serving. However, now that we live on the monastery grounds (unlike last year at this time...we moved in mid-July of last year), it is camp season for most of the summer (kids come from late June through the first week of August, a different age group each week). Last year when we moved, we were bombarded with leftover food every day (sometimes more than once a day!) from the camp cooks. It was overwhelming to me and really messed with my meal plans and caused a lot of frustration for me. I felt like I was throwing away food that was not even my food to begin with, so it felt really uncomfortable. We couldn't keep up. 

Anyway, this year we are trying to plan better. My husband came up with a good idea which I am choosing to go along with. We are going to buy fruits, vegetables, and necessary staples, such as milk, cheese, and eggs, and only meat such as steak or chicken. For lunch, I'll make very simple things such as soup, grilled cheese, pizza, etc, for the kids and I (my husband usually eats at the monastery hall for meals with the other clergy who work here). I don't want to plan anything fancy for lunches in the event that we are brought food..that way we can eat what we're given for lunch and not worry about wasting the food I have made, and we won't have as much of an overload of food. 

For dinner, we'll keep it really simple - my hubby will grill either chicken or steak (or fish if it is a Lenten day), and I'll make a salad. We're going to cut carbs out of our diet as much as possible this summer to avoid feeling that heavy, gross feeling in our stomachs at the end of the night which we so often get. I'm going to keep pasta for Lenten meals, only, if possible. 

For breakfasts, even though we like ourselves a nice, traditional, yummy breakfast, I've made a new rule. On the days that my husband is off (he's off one day a week), I will make a big, yummy breakfast without letting health play a role (bacon, omelets, crepes with nutella, etc)... On the other days, I'll keep it to something healthy (like oatmeal with a hint of brown sugar and blueberries), simply because I feel better knowing I fed my children and husband a healthy meal to start the day. I grew up eating really healthy (but yummy) food, and since I've become a housewife I have let things go a little bit, mostly because my hubby was used to different types of meals than I was. I have developed an issue with gastritis though, and haven't felt so great in my stomach for a few months now, so I'm trying to make a real effort to cut out junk food and unnecessary fatty foods, too. It will definitely not harm us to be a little more healthy with our meals (and hopefully we can stop getting take out so often). 

Speaking of take-out, who doesn't love themselves some take out?? I am not only a HUGE coffee junkie (as in a drive-through coffee at Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts or anywhere else where you can get a good coffee), but also, I love to eat out. It's a huge weakness of mine. Of course, the added factor for the last few years is that when I get take out or we eat out, I don't have to cook (or clean up!) Of course, not only is this not great for my health, but it's also not great for our budget. I've been trying really hard not to spend any extra money from what I should be spending (this has been another weakness of mine), so take-out has to be cut down, too. I have a great idea that I am really excited to try out, starting this week! I'm going to instill Thursday Date Night with my hubby. I chose Thursday because it's towards the end of the week, when I often feel like I need a pick-me-up, plus it's a non-fasting day (most of the time), so we can eat anything we'd like. I really, really love having date nights with my hubby, but a babysitter is a true luxury these days and we don't have one often unless we are in New York. I am sick of having an excuse for not "dating" anymore, so I thought it'd be nice to try in-home date nights. After we put the kids to bed on these nights, I'll have my husband order and pick up some nice food for us (from a restaurant or sandwich shop) and while he is out getting the food, I'll set up our dining room table with a nice tablecloth, candles, dim lights, music and nice China (and hopefully, some wine!) Basically, I'm aiming to set up a restaurant-like ambiance in our own home. (We usually eat in the kitchen or sun room). On top of having the chance to talk to my hubby without having little voices constantly interrupting us or needing something, I"ll still have the treat of not having to cook for a night (plus, we'll save a few bucks than usual by not paying a tip and by not feeding the whole family but just 2 of us). I'm not sure if we will do this every week or every other week, but this should definitely cut down on our take out amount if I have a set time to look forward to each week/every other week. We have fallen into a big trap of "oh, let's get takeout" because sometimes our weeks do not go as we originally planned, and we end up out late somewhere, or I haven't gotten to the store, or  I feel too exhausted to cook. (In my defense, I've had a newborn the last 4 months, and now that she's in a better routine, I'm hoping to cut out all of the above excuses!) 

I'm excited for our first Thursday Date Night this week - I'll share how it goes and what we get later on this week! I'm thinking we can watch a movie, too...we never do that anymore!

A Summer Bucket List!

Now that the summer weather has arrived (and hopefully, to stay!) I am thinking about all the things I'd like to do with our little family this summer. Last summer I felt like we got a little gipped because we were in the middle of our move and it distracted us from doing fun summery things. This summer may also be our last summer in our current hometown because we will likely move to a parish by the end of the year, so I'd like to really do everything we can fit in to these next few months and make the best of our last summer here...I'm really going to miss all of our current nooks and hotspots!

Without further ado, here is our summer bucket list! I'll keep you posted on our activities as we do them! Being that it is not even June yet, I think we will be able to do all of these things in the next three months before fall comes around. 

Summer Bucket List

1. Go to the beach or pool once a week (but hopefully more!)

2. Have a picnic once a week

3. Visit a farmer's market at least once a week

4. Eat dinner in the sun room each night

5. Spend two hours a day outside, if the weather allows

6. Have an in-home date night once every other week for hubby and I

7. Go to San Francisco in the end of June with hubby and baby 

8. Go strawberry picking

9. Visit one new park each month

10. Go to the Chicago Botanical Gardens

11. Sprinkler time

12. Explore a new town

13. Have a one-on-one date with each older child (for Mama and Tata)

14. Go to the zoo

15. Use the fire pit and make s'mores

16. Take a mini-vacation to Michigan during a week of the summer

17. Go to Lake Geneva for a bagel breakfast one morning in the summer, followed by beach time

What's on your summer bucket list??

A Matryoshka-themed Birthday Party!

Our older daughter just turned two on May 15th. Even though some days as a Mama can feel like they are never going to end, the months always seem to fly by faster than I can be ready for them to pass! Our little Miss Pink has blossomed into our family clown and has developed a personality that I can't describe in just one word. She is a comfort in rough times, coming to her Mama and patting me on the back, hugging me and telling me that everything will be ok. She is our main eater in the house, loving everything she ever tries, and watching her eat is nothing but a pleasure. She is the mini-mama of the family, copying my every move with her baby doll and reminding us all when we forget to cross ourselves or pray throughout the day, and loves the Mother of God most of all.

Even though my parents never really did birthday parties for us when we were growing up (my mom was a working mother and I think she just didn't have the energy for a party for each of 5 kids...), when we had our first baby, I decided I'd like to try doing birthday parties for the kids. Sometimes people can view birthday parties as a way of spoiling their child, but I think it's a really nice way of celebrating life with not only family, but friends too. When my cousin died suddenly a few years ago at the age of 38, I realized that every year is truly worth a celebration. I love to pick a little theme for each party, and this year, I chose a matryoshka theme for my little Pinky. Here are a few photos from the day...

I always try to make the birthday cakes for my kids and like the cake to go with the theme. I LOVED making this cake!!!! All I did was bake a rectangular cake and a circle cake (filling each pan half way with batter to ensure even sized cakes). I then cut the corners off of the rectangle to make it an oval, and cut a little from the circle cake. Put both pieces together, and use the scraps to make arms for the matryoshka.

Then, frost away!

Continue frosting the details, now! If you'd like to make details on a cake, I really recommend using a toothpick to trace what you are drawing first, and then following it up with the right color icing. I used gel cookie icing for the details on my matryoshka.

Since it was still Pascha season, I pulled out a cheese paskha and kulich for dessert, too!

I had so much fun putting together this party! I have to admit that all of the planning was last-minute. I was scrambling a few days prior to put together a menu and to gather decor (which was basically all matryoshkas I had in my house already). Thankfully, my best friend came to town from New Jersey and she helped me a lot in cooking but in decorating especially. We were so exhausted afterwards though, that I told my husband I'm glad we get a break from birthdays in our family until December. :)

Home Sweet Home

Finally, after a full five weeks of being away from home, we're back. It feels good, but strange at the same time! I got so used to being fed freshly cooked meals which were prepared by my grandmother or mama, and having babysitters around all the time, and now I am having a reality check getting back into the groove of my housekeeping routine!! It's good though...being away for so long has made me feel like I'm getting a new beginning with being a homemaker, and I really like that.

A few of the necessary things to do when getting home from vacation have so far included making several to do lists: meal planning for the week ahead, unpacking suitcases and doing laundry (though I try to always come back from NY with freshly laundered clothes), cleaning each room (ideally this would be done prior to leaving, but never have I accomplished this yet...).

One of the best things about being back home is that spring has really sprung here while we were gone, and I feel like a load was lifted off of my chest because finally we can spend a lot of time outside without being uncomfortable or cold. It's been in the 60's and 70's this week and I love it! I have been thinking about a new daily routine for the spring and summer months and so far, I have nothing really concrete, but here's an idea of what I am shooting for (an what we stuck to today).

-Wake up before the kids (6 AM is what I'll aim for) - This will give me some "me" time and time to get a headstart on laundry and emptying the dishwasher
-Morning family time - Prayer, Today Show
-Breakfast
-Hubby goes to the office, Mama and kids go for a walk around the lake
-Play time in the house for the kids while Mama does housework and prepares lunch
-Lunch
-Story
-Nap time for all 3 babies, Tea time and down time for Mama
-Snack time
-Outdoor play time
-Indoor play/Dinner preparations
-Tata comes back from the office
-Dinner
-Family time (outdoor play or a family outing)
-Bedtime for the kids

I really thrive off of having a routine and I know that most importantly, children thrive from one as well. I'm really going to try to stick to this...especially the morning walk. I find myself to be much less crabby if I get some fresh air in the morning and I don't feel like I'm overwhelmed by lunch time this way.

I'm very excited for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend! Late tonight, one of my best friends is flying in from New Jersey to be with us for the weekend. And on Saturday, we're having a barbecue for some friends in honor of my older daughter's 2nd birthday. We celebrated it in New York with family, but now we'll celebrate with friends whom we missed so much while we were gone!

Living and Learning for May...

This is a bit belated, but I did create a Living and Learning plan for May. It's going to be a "hopeful" plan more than anything, since we are out of town still and will not return home for a bit more time still.

Faith
Ascension

Homemaking
Keep within
 the monthly budget for kids/fun/house
Get back into meal planning and weekly shopping trips
Sign up L for pre-school for the fall
Have dinner outside
Cozy up our outdoor set-up
Make plans for June
Celebrate K's 2nd birthday
Plan and have K's birthday party
Sign up for a photography class or craft class
Re-read Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids by Dr. Laura Markham
Read The Ascetic Lives of Mothers
Keep up with planner
Get up before the kids each morning

Special Days
Mother's Day - 11th
K's 2nd Birthday - 15th
Serafim's Birthday - 18th

Rituals
Reading before naps and bedtime
A one-on-one outing with parent/kid once a week (alternating the parent and kid)

Learning
Visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park on our road trip
Practice being still and quiet during family prayer time and church services
Singing "Christ is Risen" in Slavonic (Serbian and Russian melodies)
Setting & clearing the table, & thanking God for the meal
Structured learning time for L every other day

Ebates: Where it Pays to Shop Online

So many families in America these days are trying to live a more frugal life, and our family is most definitely one of them. I'd like to use this post to introduce one of my favorite online shopping resources. Ebates (click on the word to go to the website) is a website one can use to get cash back from every online shopping trip they make! I find that being a busy mother means having to plan pretty well for any alone time, let alone a shopping trip, so for  me, online shopping has become a major lifesaver in the last few years (as long as I know what I'm shopping for).

Here is what Ebates is all about:

Joining Ebates is free. All you have to do is sign up (using your email address), answer a few questions about yourself and your preferred cash-back method, and then you are ready to start shopping! Before you make an online shopping trip, go to the Ebates website first. Log in, and then select your store (while most online stores are a part of Ebates, not ALL of them are). The Ebates website will directly take you to the website of the store which you're looking to shop at, and then all you have to do is proceed as usual with your shopping trip/checkout. Ebates will take care of the rest. Soon after your shopping trip is completed, you will receive an email from them detailing your latest online purchase and letting you know exactly how much cash back you will receive from that trip. While some stores give only 2% cash back, others give more, and every dollar really does add up! From my last Ebates check, I received $70! The checks are mailed every four months or so, and the best part is, a few times a year Ebates has a Refer-A-Friend bonus!

If you'd like to sign up for Ebates, please click here and get started!

P.S. Currently, Ebates is giving back extra cash for many stores as a Mother's Day deal! What could be better than shopping from your home AND getting some of the money back for it!?