30 Minute Meal: Sweet BBQ Meatball Bowl

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cooked Perfect® Meatballs for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's always been important for our family to eat meals together. From the time our oldest was born, we put him in his bouncy seat next to the dinner table so he could join us for meals and we continue to make family dinner time a priority. Since eating meals together is a priority, I have also had to be creative to make it happen. I rarely make meals that require more than five ingredients and take longer than a half an hour to make. I just don't have time to fuss over meals and need something simple that can be prepped and on the table so we can move on to those things that keep us busy on weeknights like homework and practices. I know you are busy too and maybe you are getting bored with the same weeknight meals. I've got a yummy meal that will only take you 30 minutes from start to finish. Come get the recipe for this sweet BBQ meatball bowl your whole family is going to love.

Fall Projects You Should Try PLUS Create Link Inspire Party

I know those of you who have kids that have already started school are thinking about fall. For those of us that have a few weeks left before school starts {myself included!} we are still soaking up summer. I must confess, I don't particularly love fall. It usually means that the weather is starting to turn and our summer is coming to an end, but I know there are those die hard fall lovers out there that want to drink up everything pumpkin flavored and tromp around a farm in boots every day looking for pumpkins. So for those friends, this post is for you. For the rest of us that just aren't there yet, prepare yourself. Get a little head start with these DIY's and soak in the last days of summer.

The Secret to Sticking Vinyl on A Canvas

It's no secret that I love my Silhouette machine. It's fun to see the different projects that I can create but I must confess, I'm falling on a steeper learning curve when I use my machine than I probably should. I'm glad I have friends like Melissa at Silhouette School to help bail me out {where was she when I was making these invitations that ended up costing me $115 EACH!}, but sometimes I need to come up with my own solutions. Several years ago, I had a friend ask me to make some canvases for an event. I told her I would but then when it came time to adhere the vinyl to the canvas, I couldn't for the life of me get it to stick. I spent far more hours on it than I should have only to come to the conclusion that it couldn't be done. BUT IT CAN! Why did it take me years to figure it out??? Friends, if you are like me and need a solution to help your vinyl to stick a canvas, I found one. Read on. It will save you!

Why I'm Sending Extra School Supplies This Year

I've been there. I remember wondering why my kid needed 36 sharpened Ticonderoga pencils {yes...a specific brand of pencils...and the most expensive ones at that!} and 24 glue sticks. I may have even complained a little. Why can one kid not use a single glue stick throughout the year? Why does my son need so many pencils? Why does my daughter need to share supplies? Can't they learn responsibility with their own things? I know I'm not the only parent who rolled their eyes when they saw the length and specificity of the school supply list they received.
I'm lucky though. I have the money to purchase school supplies for my kids and I'm thankful that even during what I felt like were my martyrdom years of purchasing all the supplies on those lists, that I did just that. I've grown in my understanding of why teachers ask for more supplies than one child needs and I'm happy to provide. Do you have any idea how long a pencil or a glue stick lasts in a classroom? Does it annoy you that the school supplies you purchased for your child are being shared? 
Several years ago when college expenses were looming I decided to look into getting a job. There was a shortage of substitutes in our area and I decided to give that a go. I always wanted to be a teacher, how hard could it be? I learned a lot during my stint in the classroom and I want to share some thoughts.

Giving Our Kids Roots and Wings-Parenting in the College Years

It was probably easier having a few busy weeks leading up to the final departure. It was a long summer that went by in a blink. Early this morning, our oldest son packed up a car and headed back to college for his sophomore year. He adapted last year to being far from home, made some great new friends and managed to keep himself alive without the watchful eye of his parents. I spent some time this morning reflecting on his departure as the roots that connect us get thinner and thinner. Sort of how I reflected last year when I wrote this after saying goodbye to him. 
This is the same boy who wouldn't separate from me as a toddler. Nursery workers would call us to get a screaming snotty kid who would work himself up so much that he was gasping for breath. He would instantly calm down as soon as I held him and he would scream and cling to me if I even came close to the vicinity of a drop off area. 
He would sit outside of my shower door playing with trains and would circle them around as I would dry my hair. In those moments I never thought he would go upstairs without me let alone hop in a car and drive 2500 miles away.

I kept thinking and reflecting after he drove away about the saying that goes something like this: 

 "The best thing parents can do for their children is give them roots and wings."

We've worked hard at preparing the soil and getting those roots to grow deep and strong but we also worked hard at giving him wings to fly. 

Giving our Kids Roots and Wings-Parenting in the College Years