The past few weeks have been a doozy.
After I wrote this post, it was if the God was laughing, saying, “Oh, just you wait, my dear!”
Because, a few days later, one of my sons began throwing up. Then, as if on cue, one by one, the vomiting sickness spread like wildfire.
It was just (just!) the stomach bug (ie. gastroenteritis), but it didn’t come & go in 24 hours like I expected (how lovely would that have been). No, it stuck around & wouldn’t go away. Four of the five kids were sick for a week(!). So much laundry, & yes Melissa D., I’m glad I kept my dryer–no way I could have line dryed FIVE loads of laundry a day.
Though frustrating, this is not unusual–according to the Mayo Clinic, gastroenteritis can last up to 10 days, & you can carry the bug for even longer. And all of this happened while Joseph was working 16 hours day on a massively important trial.
I made two different trips to the E.R. because two of the kids at various points were severely dehydrated due to not being able to hold anything, even water, down. Blessing of blessings, I didn’t get sick…until after everyone was all better.
But now we’re all back to healthy & happy. Thank goodness. I hate, hate seeing my babies sick.
And it sometimes takes a week and half of wallowing in other people’s vomit & two trips to the E.R. to make you realize how blessed you are.
Which means it’s time to share, my current happy list, or why I’m smiling right now. Or,
the awesome list
1) Unbroken
Read it last month. Changed my life. You should read it (affiliate link) too, before you see the movie of course.
2) Invisabilia podcast
Especially this episode. Explains why for that week when my kid’s were sick, I felt sick too, even though I wasn’t (yet).
Don’t listen to podcasts? You totally should. They’re like (free!) brain candy. Some of my faves include Planet Money, This American Life, Food for Thought, Fresh Air, Mormon Vegetarian & some new ones like Serial, Startup & Reply All.
3) Gypsy, our cat
Gypsy, our family’s first pet (you can see pics of her in this post), has become the center of everyone’s attention. She’s the first one the kids want to see when they get home from school, she’s the one they want to play & cuddle with.
I had NO idea my kids would be so responsive to a pet. She’s definitely brought us a lot of joy to our home in the few short weeks we’ve had her.
4) Our Amazon Prime membership
We cut our internet service to the slowest DSL possible to save $25/month (now we’re just paying $15/month!). We can still stream Amazon Prime TV shows & movies on our TV, which I am telling you, totally saved my life when we were all sick.
My kids love Animaniacs (an old-school, 90’s cartoon that to me is a little obnoxious, but actually is witty & somewhat intelligent, unlike the alternatives such as Sponge Bob) & I’ve watched all seasons of Downton Abbey & The Good Wife, via Amazon Prime.
Don’t have a membership? You can try one out free for 30 days as well as check out all the perks here (affiliate link), including free 2-day shipping, Amazon Prime movies, music, & TV shows, & more.
5) Parenthood
Mugahhh! It’s over. Did you watch the last episode?
If you’ve never watched Parenthood, put it on your list of TV series to binge watch. (You can watch seasons 1-4 for free on Amazon Prime (affiliate link).)
I don’t think there will ever be a TV show quite like this one. Love the Bravermans, & sad to see it end.
6) Taxes
Yes, I’m happy about taxes.
Well, more like tax season, & the fact that I just did our taxes & happily discovered we’re going to get back a lot more than anticipated.
A fat refund check = more money to go towards our debt snowball = debt free even sooner.
Side note: I’ve always done our taxes myself. I’ve read a lot of boring IRS publications to get me through, which has taken some time, but I’ve informed myself to the best of my knowledge & abilities so I can confidently file our own taxes (& save money on CPA services). I also use Taxslayer (not an affiliate link) to e-file (have used them for 9 years), which also helps to ensure that I file properly (& their help section is helpful too). Doing your own taxes without the help of a CPA may not be the right thing for you (particularly if you don’t want to put in the time it takes to do it), but I think there’s no reason why most people can’t do their own taxes with a little bit of time, effort & research.
7) “Skillet Meals”
When my kids were sick, I relied on three quick & easy foods to get me through — my classic green hemp smoothie (a variation on the one I share in FSL), oatmeal, & skillet meals.
What is a “skillet meal,” you ask?
It essentially begins with one onion, a tiny bit of olive oil, & then any combo of veggies (kinda like this). Sometimes I’ll add beans, & usually I serve it over rice (yes, I eat rice, & lots of it!). The key is, it starts in a skillet, & the base is an onion–always. Both these things are key to give it the right kind of flavor.
Here’s an example of a recent skillet meal — a frozen peas and carrots recipe — one that also qualifies for a frugal, slim + slender food.
You know, real, whole, nutritious food, that fills you up on fewer calories –see my 10 tips for frugal weight loss post for more on this.
Vegan, gluten-free, quick, only 4 WWP points per serving
Ingredients
- 1 medium/large onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. olive oil (optional) | or 2-4 TBS. water
- 4 medium carrot
- 1 green pepper
- 4-6 mushrooms
- 1 TBS. no salt organic seasoning
- 1/2 TBS. fresh or dried chopped parsley
- pinch or two of paprika
- 1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 4 c. frozen peas
- 3 TBS. water or vegetable broth
Instructions
- Pour olive oil into large cast iron skillet & heat on medium heat. If omitting oil, just heat skillet.
- Mince garlic & chop onion. Add both garlic & onion to skillet & stir occasionally. If you're not using oil, add water, one tablespoon at a time to prevent sticking.
- Meanwhile, peel carrots & slice into discs, diagonally. Dice green pepper. Add carrots & green pepper, & continue to stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Wash & slice mushrooms (or chop, it really doesn't matter, just get them into bite-size pieces). Add to skillet & continue to stir.
- Add salt, seasoning, paprika, & pepper. Add water (1 tablespoon at a time), as necessary, but avoid adding too much. You just want to put enough in to avoid the vegetables from sticking to the skillet.
- Add frozen peas& water/broth. Cover with a lid & simmer on medium for about 5 minutes, or until peas are warm, & no longer frozen.
- Serve over rice or quinoa.
Additional Nutrition Info: 31 g carbs, 9 g fiber, 10 g protein, 11 g sugar, 350 mg sodium; 4 WWP points per serving
P.S. Need some ideas for Valentine’s Day? (It’s coming up!)
- Flirty Aprons is having a V-day flash sale — 50% off your order + FREE domestic shipping using code LOVE50 (thru 2/14/15). Get your aprons here (affiliate link).
- Vegan Cuts has an incredibly indulgent Vegan Chocolate Lover’s Box (affiliate link) for just $27.95 (+ FREE U.S. shipping). The Lovebean Superfood Fudge Spread & the Zen Chocolate Sauce sound deliciously uh-mazing & would be perfect over some vanilla ice cream. Check them out, here (affiliate link).
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What’s on your “happy” list? Do share!
Other bring joy posts you might want to check out:
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